Sunday, October 25, 2009

Top 10 Easy Tips - for Arthritis Pain Relief

Think you can't stop that arthritis pain? Great news! You can act now. Get 10 super easy and effective arthritis pain relief tips from arthritis experts and make your life with arthritis a little easier now.

Protect your joints. Don't keep your joints in the same position for a prolonged period of time. Balance your rest and work throughout the day. Use the strongest joints available for the job.

Stretch it. Stretching should be part of every arthritis patient's daily routine. A good stretch helps prevent injuries by warming up muscles and tendons which are more limber and less likely to tear. Spend at least 10 minutes each day stretching, and work each major muscle group.

How to Enjoy a Healthy Living Life

In the fast paced world that we live in it can be easy to neglect our health and wellness. We’re so busy racing through our day to day lives – family, friends, work, social engagements – that we don’t take the time to look after ourselves. It’s really no wonder that so many of us are tired and run down. What are some simple things that we can do to improve our quality of life?

Drink Drink Drink…

You’ve heard it a million times and you’ll probably hear it a million more – drink more water!

Think about it: The human body is 72% water. A 5% drop in fluids creates a 25-30% loss in energy. A 15% drop in fluids causes death! At this point in time 66% of us aren’t drinking enough water, so over half the population isn’t running on all six cylinders to begin with – before things like bad air, bad food and stress take their toll.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

How Can I Treat My Acne?

What Treatment is Available for My Acne?

You'll want a quick cure for your acne whether you suffer often or occasionally. Whatever your age, acne is embarrassng, but by practicing proper hygenine, you can stop it from forming.

Where do all these pimples come from? Don't focus on your diet when you think about your acne. Your skin is not affected by greasy food or chocolate, unless you are allergic to those foods. Hormonal issues are the source of acne, which explains why acne is so prevalent among teenages. If you are experiencing acne, you'll find that there are many reasons that you can trace this to, so think about what you are doing that might affect your skin.

The Pain Free Answer You need to stop use of atringents if you are having a break out. Stinging skin can be a sign of your skin being dried out by a solution that is too strong. Try to use only gentle ingredients on your skin. Washing your face with just water might be something you want to try for a bit. Even though it may take a few days to get used to it, you'll find the transition well worth it.

Garlic or Baking Powder? Common kitchen items can be turned into many of the acne treatments people talk about. You can prepare a paste of mashed garlic or of water and baking powder and leave it on your face for five or ten minutes. Rinse and repeat two times daily. The pain and redness can clear up, helping it heal faster.

When you are seeking ways to get rid of acne, don't forget there are many different choices available. Carefully examine the treatment alternatives and choose the one that is mildest and most successful.


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Why Do People Have Acne and What is it?

The worse part of hitting puberty is often the onset of acne. Many young adults have such a terrible outbreak that they don't want to go out in public anymore.  It's not unusual for adults to also have problems with acne.  Let's look at what acne is.

Please define Acne. A common skin disease is acne.  You will find that it is a determining factor in clogging pores that create blemishes, along with white and black heads. There are two types of acne that can affect people.

Acne has two kinds.  Whiteheads are caused from oil and baceria getting trapped in your cells. This classification of acne also includes blackheads. This happens when the pore opens and allows sebum to become oxidized, which is what gives it the black color that it takes on. The sebum is slow to drain with blackheads therefore they can last a long time.

The other kind of acne is called inflammatory acne. An infected or irritated whitehead is what causes inflammatory acne. This causes such problems as pustules or pimples. This can also cause more dangerous problems like cysts. This form of acne is much harder to treat and often takes a doctor's watchful care.

To understand what causes acne you need to know where it occurs. Acne occurs in the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Increased bacteria is created during puberty due to the sebaceous glands becoming more active. Propionibacterium Acnes is what the bacteria that is usually present in the skin is called.  However, uncontrolled bacteria production allows acne to develop. the simple reason for acne is clogged pores.

Fortunately, current medical advances has resulted in many products for acne and teenagers no longer have to go through the same embarrassing phase.  There are numerous different treatments for acne, and you will be able to research which type is best suited for your particular case.


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Monday, October 5, 2009

Melanoma

Jared Harper's face had a small spot that looked different. It was growing and itched. That spot had developed because a melanocyte had grown a cancerous tumor. He was informed by his personal physician that he had a melanoma.

Melanocytes are the cells that produce melanin. Melanin gives dark or tan color to the skin. But, when one of these cells gets out of control, it can produce one of the most dangerous cancers known. And more than 51,1916 people are told that they have melanoma every year just inside the United States of America.

Risks for getting Malignant Melanoma

The most common risk factor for melanoma known is over exposure to ultraviolet rays. When melanoma was first studied, it was found that people who had jobs outside were those who tended to show up with melanoma. Furthermore, people who had gotten a sunburn that caused blisters were at risk to get a malignant melanoma.

People with fair skin are much more likely to get melanoma. This might likely be related to the fact that they are more likely to get skin damage by sun exposure. But, this is not a hard and fast fact.

Those who have lots of nevi (moles) are more likely to get melanoma, particularly those who have more than 50. Also, those who have a particular type of mole called a dysplastic nevus are at higher risk.

Some people have had other skin cancers successfully treated including basal cell carcinoma. Those people are more likely to get melanoma.

If you have had other family members that had malignant melanoma, then you are more likely to get a malignant melanoma as well.

Finally, those who have a problem with their immune system get malignant melanomas more often. Whether a person has AIDS, an organ transplant needing medications to curtail the immune system or others using those medications, that person will have a higher risk.

There was one case that showed the role of genetics in malignant melanoma. A man who was a chimera got malignant melanoma. A chimera is someone who has different parts of the body having two different sets of DNA. This apparently happens when twins are formed and somehow join into one body. This man had large metastatic lumps on one side of his body and none at all on the other!

How to Identify a Melanoma

The only way to be sure whether a bump on your skin is a malignant melanoma or not is to have your doctor take it off and get it studied by a pathologist. However, there are some ways to know if you should be suspicious of one of those lumps or bumps.

Uneven Border - A malignant melanoma will usually have an irregular border. The usual mole has a sharp border. You can point to any spot on your skin and say for sure whether it is part of the mole or not. This is not the case with malignant melanoma.

Assymetric Shape - The malignant melanoma lesions typically have two halves that are not the same.

Different Color - Melanomas often will have different parts of the tumor that have different colors.

Size - most melanomas are larger than other moles. And they also tend to grow and may bleed or itch.

If you have a supicious lesion that you have a question about, get it checked by your dermatologist early. Getting that tumor removed early gives you a much better chance of survival. Especially if the bump is still tiny.




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Sunday, October 4, 2009

The Cancer Prevention Diet

You may be able to imagine how painful it is to die from Laryngeal Cancer or Retinoblastoma. You have heard right, but there is good news.

Physicians have known for lots of years that diet can help you avoid disease. In fact, it is now thought that about 38% of all cancer is associated with your diet. And it has also been shown that diet can help you avoid cancer.

Nutrients in some food can decrease your chance of cancer. You can also improve your chances of not getting cancer by avoiding some foods. You might have to cut out the Basil Brush Crispy Chicken Bites and Mahón cheese.

The Power of Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits (like Cranberry and Neem and Black sapote and Salak (Salacca edulis) and Okra) and vegetables have been shown to help prevent many cancers including cancer of the mouth and stomach. Currently, it is unknown if there are any specific nutrients in these foods that provide the protection. There have been experiments on some of the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables like beta-carotene. However, isolating these substances from the original source have not been found to prevent cancer. In fact, some by themselves are found to be harmful. So remember - the whole fruit is many times better than some supplement taken from that food.

So, you should eat at least one serving of a fruit or vegetable with each meal. They can be fresh, canned or dried. But, they should not be fried like chips.

Whole Grains Keep You Moving

Whole grains like wattleseed brown rice, cracked wheat and corn on the cob are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber. These are well known to help prevent cancer of the colon. Although fiber is very important, just using a fiber supplement is not as effective because you need the other nutrients in the whole grain.

Physicians think that the high fiber content of the grain helps to keep the stool in the bowel moving smoothly. This prevents constipation in the colon. That being said, there is no evidence that laxatives or any colon cleansing regimen is of any help. In fact they have often been shown to be harmful.

Foods to Avoid

Red meat is a proven contributor to cancer especially cancer of the colon and cancer of the prostate. The important thing is that you limit your intake to less than three ounces a day. Cutting it out altogether is even better.

Any food with lots of fat will have a similar effect. All of those corn dogs and corn chips that you have been eating? It turns out that they may contribute to your chance of getting cancer.

This might be the worst news for some of you,  alcohol is another culprit. The latest research gives strong evidence that any alcohol can bump up your chance of getting cancer. But, it is especially a big problem if you take in more than two drinks a day for men and one for women. Sorry ladies. Alcohol along with cigarettes contribute to cancer of the mouth, esophagus and larynx (your voice box). So, be sure you limit those Mild ales and Hierbas de Mallorcas.

The Four Rules of Diet

1. Most of your food should be directly from plants.

2. Limit your intake of high-fat foods, particularly from animal sources.

3. Be physically active: Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Ok. So this one is not directly diet related - but, you should limit your intake to the amount needed to keep your weight at a good level.

4. No more than one or two drinks a day, if you drink at all.

Use these laws of health and you will dramatically decrease your chances of getting diet related cancer.

To your health!




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Saturday, October 3, 2009

What is Cancer?

There are many varieties of malignant tumors - Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Islet Cell Pancreatic Cancer and Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor and Prostate Cancer and Gestational Trophoblastic Tumor and Hairy Cell Leukemia - just to list a few examples. But, all of these malignancies have a few things in common.

Loss of Control

Every individual cell in your body is influenced by hormones like Antidiuretic hormone and Enkephalin from outside the cell and some other chemical regulators in the cells. These substances will control the actions of the cell. They will instruct the cells when to grow and how much, when to be inactive and how they will interact with other cells.

Cancer cells have those controls shut off. They do their own thing without limit. They are always active at the maximum level. Those same cancer cells also lose their ability to interact with their neighbors and then can mobilize and metastasize.

Changes in DNA

All malignant tumors have lost their controls because the DNA in the cell has been damaged. DNA is the programming mechanism in the cell that controls all of its functions. That DNA is damaged by mechanical means, x-rays or toxins. It will start to act out of control. Viruses are also known to cause the DNA damage known to cause malignancies.

Damaged DNA can also be passed from parent to child. That DNA can change a cell into a cancer if there is either some trigger that the cell contacts or further damage to that DNA.

Immortal Cells

The cells in the body normally will live a certain amount of time and then die (with some exceptions). They will then be replaced by new healthy cells. Cancer cells don't usually die. Even if they are exceptionally abnormal, they continue to grow and divide. So, those cells produce tumors and spread.

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Mr. O'Malley - Grey's Anatomy

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Types of Cancer

The many cancers can be organized into five basic types. Those are Central nervous system cancers, Leukemia, Carcinoma, Sarcoma as well as Lymphoma and Myeloma.

Central nervous system cancers - these are cancer tumors that start in the brain and spinal cord. Leukemia - these cancers start in the tissues that produce blood - such as the bone marrow - and then release the cells into the blood. Carcinoma - these are cancers that start in the skin or the tissues that line internal organs. Sarcoma - Sarcomas are cancer tumors that start in connective tissue. Connective tissue is the tissue between the organs and other structures. Those tissues include things like fat, bone, muscle, blood vessels and cartilage. Lymphoma and myeloma - these cancers start in the cells that normally protect the body - the immune system.

Now that you know what a cancer is, you can learn how to possibly prevent it, or if needed how to treat it.


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Friday, October 2, 2009

Diabetes and Kidney Disease

Description: Fundus photo showing scatter lase...Image via Wikipedia
Diabetes is a  disaterous disease that affects kidneys, blood vessels and every other organ in the body. It is a problem in which the body is unable to produce or properly use insulin. Insulin, a hormone that is necessary for converting starches, sugar and other food into energy. The precursor of diabetes is unknown and there is no known cure. However, effective control may be achieved under a endocrinologist's care.

Endocrinologists are specialists that treat diabetes. They are easy to find in most areas. Here are some examples: David Alster, MD of Tucson AZ, Gilbert Theodore Brovar, MD in South Weymouth, MA, Stephen F. Brandt, MD at the Emory University Division of Endocrinology of Atlanta, GA, Franklin R. Bringhurst, MD in Walpole, MA, Arnold M. Moses, MD of Syracuse NY

In 2005, it was estimated that there were 20.8 million children and adults who are afflicted by this disease. That is about 7% of the population. Of those, 14.6 million people were diagnosed, but 6.2 million people were thought to have diabetes but it had not been discovered yet. Additionally, just about 54 million folks are pre-diabetic with one and a half million diabetes found in people older than 20, showing up each year.

Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney disease. Truly, high blood pressure and diabetes are the major causes of kidney disease, leading to probably 70 percent of kidney failure cases with diabetes accounting of 44 percent of kidney failure cases. The early stages of kidney disease have no symptoms . It injures your body and by the time it is detected, the injury is so problematic that it often is too involved to prevent failure of the kidneys. Once your kidneys fail, you have two options: kidney transplant or dialysis. If you do not receive either of these, you will die.

How Diabetes causes Renal Disease

When your kidneys are serving properly, the glomeruli (tiny filters that are in the kidneys) keep all proteins inside of your blood. Protein is critical for many operations inside of your body and are necessary for keeping you healthy. Diabetes causes a high concentration of glucose in the blood which damages the glomeruli. This means that they can no longer keep the protein in the body and it is leaked into the urine from the kidneys.

When kidneys are damaged they no longer function properly and do not cleanse our extra fluids and waste as they should. When this occurs, the waste and fluids build up in the body instead of being expelled through urine. The longer this happens, the worse the damage becomes until the kidneys eventually fail.

The Progression of Renal Disease

It often requires years for kidney disease from diabetes to develop. Some people experience hyperfiltration in the first few years of their diabetes. This means that the glomeruli actually put out more urine than normal. Once damage starts, though, it will continue to progress. While developing kidney disease, they will have a serum protein named albumin that finally begins to enter into the urine in small amounts. At that time, normally the glomeruli are actually working normally.

The progression of the disease leads to more protein leaking into the urine and the glomeruli begin to eventually fail as the filtering begins to drop. Waste is retained in the blood due to the filtration failure. Eventually, the kidneys cease to function.

How to Prevent Kidney Problems if you have Diabetes

Having diabetes, you can normally prevent kidney failure. Use these steps to protect yourself: * Control your blood sugar by maintaining a healthy diet and a good exercise regimen * Take your medicine according to your doctors orders * Have your medical provider test your urine regularly for kidney disease * If the blood test shows that you do have kidney disease, consider medicines such as ARBs (angiotensin II receptor blockers) and ACE inhibitors that can help keep your kidneys healthy.

A diagnosis of diabetes does not have to lead to kidney disease. As long as you adequately treat your condition, manage it well and follow your provider's orders, there is no reason that you can't live a long, healthy, happy life - without kidney disease.




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Treatment of Type II Diabetes

As  Dr Timothy M Murray of Toronto could tell you, type II diabetes is the most common of the two diabetes forms in existence. With this type, which almost ninety percent of all people suffering from diabetes have, the diabetic is non-insulin dependent and has a host of different symptoms. Some symptoms might include sexual impotence, yeast infections, abnormal thirst, burning sensations, abnormal hunger, blurred vision and increased urination.

Type II Diabetes almost always affects adults, and does so for a variety of reasons. These reasons include genetics, obesity, and many other elements. There are many different treatments for Type II diabetes that a diabetic should consider.

Diet and Exercise

One of the best tools to help manage your non-insulin dependent diabetes is to watch what you eat and have a regular exercise program. Keeping the correct weight for your age and height is important to correct your diabetes. Being overweight is an aggravating cause and initiating and maintaining a good is one of the better ways to avoiding the need for medicines and can sometimes eliminate diabetes altogether. You will want to begin with a diet that is not only healthy, but also one that will help your body deal with the insulin and how it is used.

Vigorous activity not only helps you diminish your weight, but also helps you properly use insulin.

Medication

Medication is necessary when dieting and exercise is not helping to maintain the sugar levels within your blood. On the other hand, if you fail to start any type of diet and activity program into your daily life, you will have to take prescription medication. There are many different types of medication that your doctor may prescribe. For example, oral medications such as Meglitinides, Biguanides, Thiazolidinediones, Alpha-Glucosidase, and Sulfonylureas are common elements in medications.

However, if your oral medications do not work or you have some sort of reaction to them, your doctor will likely prescribe some type of insulin instead. Most people choose to try to treat their diabetes in other ways, without the use of injections or other medication.

Natural Remedies

There are numerous natural things that may aid you in treating diabetes, these remedies include home remedies, as well as supplements and vitamins. Before you choose to treat your Type II diabetes with natural remedies, you must research all options and make the right choice for your health needs with your doctor.

Choosing the right treatment of Type II diabetes means seeing all options and alternativesavailable to you and taking the right one that is logically right and works best for your diabetes.



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Thursday, October 1, 2009

An Introduction to Type 1 Diabetes: The facts you should know

Thought to be a fairly uncommon problem, Type I diabetes affects approximately one out of every 250 people, both young and old, living in the US today. Although "juvenile" has long been the appellation of this type of the disease, as in Type I juvenile onset diabetes, the condition may actually occur at any age in life, and appears equally among both females and males.

There are many hundreds things that can go wrong with your body. Consider this short list:

11 beta hydroxylase deficiency - Cutaneous anthrax - Fragoso Cid Garcia Hernandez syndrome - Fetal cytomegalovirus syndrome - COFS syndrome - Fetal phenothiazine syndrome - Allergic autoimmune thyroiditis - 49 xxxxx syndrome - Angiotensin renin aldosterone hypertension - Carpenter Hunter type - Bacterial endocarditis

Fortunately, even most doctors have not heard of some of these. But even though it is considered fairly uncommon, you probably know someone with Juvenile Onset Diabetes.

Symptoms

While the signs and symptoms of Type I diabetes tend to be subtle in most cases, if not treated, they can eventually become quite severe. Some of the most common symptoms include:

Blurry vision - Heavy or labored breathing for no apparent reason - Tingling in the hands or feet - Increased hunger, even just after eating - Frequent urination - Increased thirst - Frequent skin, vaginal, or urinary tract infections

Some of the more serious symptoms and signs associated with Type I diabetes that demand an urgent need for medical attention include:

Abdominal pain Fruity or sweet smelling breath Loss of consciousness, rarely in extreme cases Confusion Shaking, trembling

Causes

Scientists still aren't aware of some of the factors causing one to have Type I diabetes. But, they do know that a tendency to the condition may be inherited from one or both parents. Researchers have discovered that juvenile onset diabetes may also be caused by something in the environment that causes an unexpected reaction within the immune system. But, they are unsure as to the exact origin of these possible triggers.

Diagnosis

For an accurate diagnosis of Type I diabetes, a family doctor must check for abnormally high blood sugar levels by performing a blood test, or also testing for the presence of glucose or ketones in the urine. Today, there is no way to test for impending Type I diabetes, or a method to prevent this type of diabetes.

Treatment

There are many people, of all ages, who enjoy long, quite healthy lives despite having Type I diabetes. It's imperative to keep blood sugar levels within their normal range, which may be achieved by eating the right foods, getting enough exercise, and the correct insulin therapy consistentlyone or more times a day. Anyone with this disease is require to have insulin injections in order to properly control their blood sugar level, which will also have to be tested regularly.

Without treatment, Type I diabetes may evolve into or cause several serious conditions, some of which may be life-threatening. Kidney disease is a quite common complication in those with the disease with a condition known as nephropathy. Other possible complications include retinopathy, which causes a loss of vision, heart disease, nerve damageand digestive disorders which may also result without medical treatment.

Although a serious condition, Type I diabetes is a problem that can still be successfully managed with the right medical care.



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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Hypertension Causes, Prevention and Treatment

Terrence Jacobs of Peoria couldn't believe it. Dr. Spencer at the Peoria East Clinic broke the bad news. He had arterial high blood pressure.

Terrence had a good excuse. After all, as a field executive in GenCorp, he certainly had his share of stress. And, let's not even talk about the pipe smoking.

According to Dr. Spencer just being male was a strike against him. The fact that he was 44 years old certainly didn't help.

Unfortunately, arterial hypertension rarely causes any symptoms until it has caused some arteriosclerosis and possibly a stroke. In fact, hypertension can be surprisingly severe before there are any symptoms.

Your blood pressure goes up and down throughout the day. If you play racketball for half an hour your pressure will go up. Even if you just see a exciting scene on television you will see a rise in your blood pressure.

If you took your blood pressure right after that, it would be high, but not diagnostic.

Things you eat, drink and smoke can also increase your blood pressure. Caffeine drinks like coffee or will do the same. Nicotine from cigars stimulates the heart to increase your pressure as well.

You may think that alcohol relaxes you, but the long term effects of all those alcohol, cocktails, and liquers drinks take their toll as well.

Spending too much time in your favorite recliner instead of getting some exercise increases your chances of blood pressure problems.

Fortunately, there are many places you can get your blood pressure checked today. Many stores and pharmacies have automatic blood pressure machines you can use. Just sit down for a couple minutes and get it checked. If you pressure is up slightly three different times, you should see a doctor. If it is over about 160 just once, you should also seek medical advice.

Rest makes your blood pressure go down. Because of that, the best time to take your blood pressure is when you first get up in the morning.

But, back to Terrence. His family history made a big difference in his hypertension. He had a father who died at age 50 of a arteriosclerotic heart disease. Genetics can really increase your chances of needing treatment for hypertension.

Fortunately, these days, there is a lot you can do to decrease hypertension.

Changing your diet will definitely help. You will improve your blood pressure as well as your overall health by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. You should get regular exercise, lots of water and a good night's sleep. If you can stop using tobacco and limit or cut out your alcohol altogether that will help a great deal.

If you don't completely normalize your blood pressure by those means, many different medications are available today that will help. You will want to find a physician that you can work with on keeping your pressure normal.




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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Hypertension in Pregnancy

Pregnancy comparison. 26 weeks and 40 weeks.Image via Wikipedia
Pre-Eclampsia (Hypertension in pregnancy) is the most common problem likely to be enountered during your pregnancy. In fact two to three percent pregnant women have Hypertension in pregnancy.

Bertha Reed of Aurora, IL had Pre-Eclampsia (Hypertension in pregnancy) during her 3rd pregnancy. firstname found out on her third doctor visit.

As she found out, first pregnancy, a new sexual partner, age younger than 18 years, obesity, and time since your last pregnancy of less than 2 years or more than 10 years increase your chances of Pre-Eclampsia (Hypertension in pregnancy).

Other things that increase the likelyhood of Pre-Eclampsia (Hypertension in pregnancy) are chronic hypertension, thrombophilia, renal disease and obesity.

Pre-Eclampsia (Hypertension in pregnancy) might not cause any symptoms. However, it can cause visual disturbances like scintillations (flashes of light) and scotomata (blind spots) - probably from spasm of cerebral arteries, headache, upper abdominal pain from swelling and inflammation of the liver and rapid weight gain. Upper abdominal pain might suddenly occur and is usually constant and fairly severe. Headaches are often in the front, throbbing and similar to migrane headaches.

The big problem of Pre-Eclampsia (Hypertension in pregnancy) is that it can cause thromboembolism (blood clots), two dangerous problems with blood clots called disseminated intravascular coagulation and consumptive coagulopathy, seizures, kidney failure, placental abruption where the placenta detaches from the uterus and even death of the mother. In fact, from 1991 to 1999 over 15% of the deaths of women during pregnancy were caused by Pre-Eclampsia (Hypertension in pregnancy).

There are three types of Pre-Eclampsia (Hypertension in pregnancy): Chronic Hypertension, Preeclampsia and Transient hypertension.

Chronic Hypertension

Most frequently chronic hypertension has no other cause. But, it can be caused by kidney disease like polycystic kidneys, glomerular or interstitial disease, coarctation of the aorta, too much growth hormone or even using oral contraceptives.

Preeclampsia

Nobody knows for sure what causes preeclampsia. One thing that we know is that it is caused by a problem with the inside lining of the blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to spasm. When the arteries get smaller, the blood pressure increases. The damage also causes the blood vessels to leak causing swelling. It can cause problems with the brain, lungs and kidneys. These changes also can cause lower blood flow to the growing baby.

Transient hypertension

The elevated blood pressure called transient hypertension just happens late in pregnancy. Then after delivery, the blood pressure goes back to normal. But, it probably increases your chances of getting high blood pressure later in life.

Pre-Eclampsia (Hypertension in pregnancy) is one of the major reasons that you should keep your regular appointments with your family doctor.







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Hypertension in Pregnancy Treatment

You may recall the case of Ruby Bates of Kansas City, Kansas who got preeclampsia. It was diagnosed in the first trimester. And it was complicated by pulmonary edema.

Her physician had some important decisions to make. Fortunately Dr. Ortiz was able to use the best treatment and things turned out alright for mom and baby.

The treatments that Dr. Ortiz had to choose from included medication, hospitalization and early delivery of the baby through pitosin or C-section.

Several types of treatment are still considered even though there is no proof that they work. Those include restricting activity and dietary changes. Supplemental calcium, salt restriction, supplemental magnesium, and fish oil therapy have been tried without evidence of helping. There is some evidence that low dose aspirin does help.

Medications used for hypertension in pregnancy include Alpha-adrenergic inhibitors such as Methyldopa (Aldomet), Vasodilators like Nitroprusside (Nitropress) and Hydralazine (Apresoline), Beta-adrenergic receptor blockers such as Labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), Pindolol (Visken), Oxprenolol (Apsolox, Trasicor, Captol), Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL) and Atenolol (Tenormin), Calcium channel blockers like Nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), Diuretics such as Hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix, HydroDIURIL) and Furosemide (Lasix) and Anticonvulsants like (Phenytoin (Dilantin) and Magnesium sulfate.

The Alpha-adrenergic inhibitors are probably the safest during pregnancy and are usually the first medication most doctors would use. If there is an allergy to the medicine or liver problems it is not as safe. But, there has not been any studies that show any harm to the baby.

Beta-adrenergic receptor blockers include some medications that are very safe and some not quite as safe. The safe ones can also be the first choice for treatment.

Calcium channel blockers may not be as safe. They have been labled 'C' because their safety for use in pregnancy has not been proven.

Centrally acting alpha-adrenergic agonists are usually saved for use in those that can't take the more frequently used medications. Like the calcium channel blockers, it has not been proven safe in pregnancy. (However, that does not mean they should not be used - but you should discuss it with your doctor.)

Diuretics also have a 'C' rating so their use is limited to cases where your doctor has determined that other safer drugs cannot be used and your high blood pressure is dangerous to you or your baby.

Vasodilators have to be given intravenously so are restricted to in hospital use. Therefore, you have to have pretty bad hypertension problems to have these used.

The seizure medications include the only medication in the group with an 'A' rating meaning that it is absolutely safe in pregnancy. That is magnesium sulfate. This is used in women who have severe pregnancy induced hypertension (eclampsia or preeclampsia) to prevent any dangerous seizures.

Naturally, any of these medications need to be used under your physician's care and frequent monitoring will be required.




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Monday, September 28, 2009

Acne Remedies

Acne Vulgaris: A: Cystic acne on the face, B: ...Image via Wikipedia
Acne vulgarisImage via Wikipedia
Andy Carr just spied his first whitehead before going to his Math class. Just imagine his embarassment as he thought he saw that everyone was checking on him. Fortunately for Andy there are good treatments available for his acne.

Acne can be a problem for just about anyone, throwing zits your way without regard to age or race. The majority of those that {suffer|suffers| from acne, though, are adults and young adults, aged 12 to 24. Nearly eighty percent of people who fall within this group have acne and of those 25% will experience prolonged scarring that can be anything from light to severe.

Those 25 and over, though, can still suffer from acne's vise like grip. The American Dermatologist Association reports that 20% of all adults have active acne. This translates to approximately 60 million Americans, adults and teens have active acne skin lesions and 20 million of those have acne that is bad enough to cause scars. Surprisingly, only about 10% of acne sufferers will ask for help, but this is partly caused by the the way people treat those with acne.

There is reason to hope, though, for those affected with acne. Once you have learned what causes acne, the things that help and the things that don't help and how to prevent your acne, you can take those steps to get skin that is glowing and clear.

What Causes Acne?

While acne skin lesions and the resultant scarring is not contagious, there are some known factors that do contribute to a case of acne lesions. Generally, acne is caused when the sebaceous glands produce excess oil. Other causes might include:

* An inherited tendency towards acne or genetics  * Poor cleansing of the skin  * Over washing the skin  * Hormones and hormone imbalances  * Some illnesses  * Some prescribed medications  * Stress and anxiety  * Physical irritation  * Cosmetics that are oil based  * Pollutants in the environment

Don’t Waste your Time and Money

While some acne remedies help, many do not. When buying an over the counter remedy, be careful. Lots of the acne products on the shelves today have harsh ingredients that can dry out your skin, or even make your acne worse. Pick out your cleaning and acne remedy products with care and seek out products that are not too harsh.

What Really Works

Four things really do work for acne. Together they pack a powerful punch to make acne disappear.

* Healthy diet  * Water  * Adequate sleep  * Proper cleansing

To treat acne you currently are suffering from, use natural products such as tea tree oil which has strong antiseptic effects and is really effective. Witch hazel is an effective toner and it can provide a healthy glow. Mint is a good spot treatment, especially for cystic acne. It has properties that cool and sooth the skin and kill germs in the process.

A good firming and cleansing mask that you can make yourself is a corn starch and egg white mask. Make a paste with the egg white and corn starch. Apply to your clean skin and allow to dry. Take it off later with a wet washcloth and rinse well. You will be rewarded with great skin.

An Ounce of Prevention…

Prevention will help you avoid acne in the first place. The best way to avoid acne is to take good care of your health. A good, diet low in fat that includes plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help keep your skin clear. Dark green leafy vegetables, like broccoli, are great acne fighters. Make sure you drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. Adequate sleep is another easy beauty secret. Doctors will tell you to get approximately seven hours of sleep a night.

Finally, proper cleansing of your skin is necessary for keeping it clear. Take time to cleanse your skin every day. If you wear cosmetic makeup, make sure that you take it off each nightbefore retiring. When you wash your skin, use a cleanser that is gentle and be sure that the water is not too hot. Don’t over cleanse or scrub because that can make your acne worse. Rinse your skin well and blot dry with a clean towel. When you work to prevent acne, you won’t have to worry about any scarring from it.


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