Showing posts with label Blood vessel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blood vessel. Show all posts

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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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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