Archive for the ‘General Health’ Category

Diabetes, a polygenic disorder

Posted on Monday, July 12, 2010 at 2:41 pm


Diabetes, a polygenic disorder characterized by abnormally high glucose levels in the blood is a syndrome of several metabolic disorders marked by excessive urination and persistent thirst. It is usually a combination of hereditary and environmental causes that defects the functions of hormones like insulin and glucagon from controlling the blood glucose levels in the body.

There are three different types of diabetes:

  • Type 1 Diabetes (inadequate insulin secretion).
  • Type 2 Diabetes (combination of inadequate insulin secretion and insulin resistance)
  • Gestational Diabetes (combination of inadequate insulin and response).

Although not being completely curable, Diabetes is been medically controllable since insulin was made medically available in 1921. The target of this treatment can only be close to bringing the blood sugar level to normal.

Signs and Symptoms

The classical symptoms of diabetes are

  • Polyuria (frequent urination).
  • Polydipsia (increased thirst and fluid intake).
  • Polyphagia (increased appetite) and
  • Excessive weight loss.

Diabetes proves to be a leading cause of death to that of cancer and other heart diseases subjecting its victims to gangrene and amputations besides contributing for micro-vascular (blindness, kidney failure and nerve damage) and macro-vascular (atherosclerosis leading to stroke and coronary heart diseases) diseases as a result of damaged blood vessels.

Diagnosis

Urinalysis (urine test) can diagnose diabetes by looking for glucose and ketones in the breakdown of fat; however this alone does not diagnose the condition. The following blood glucose tests are used to diagnose diabetes:

  • Fasting blood glucose test (above 126 mg/dL).
  • Oral glucose tolerance test (above 200mg/dL , 2hrs after a 75g oral glucose load)
  • Casual plasma glucose test (above 200mg/dL accompanied by symptoms, requires confirmation through fasting blood glucose test).

Treatment and Management

Diabetic awareness, appropriate diet and exercises, monitored blood glucose levels are very important in treating diabetes. Although there is no cure for Diabetes in the Medical World, there are various ways to treat it which include regular exercises, strict diet, weight control, foot care, medication like insulin etc…

Venapro for hemorrhoids

Posted on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 5:08 am


Like the majority people who suffer from hemorrhoids, it’s likely you haven’t talked about it with anyone because you’re too embarrassed. So you’ve been quietly researching for information without letting anyone else in on your little problem. And now you’ve heard about Venapro and hemorrhoids and you’re wondering if it really works. Because after all, you need some relief and you need it now.

First of all, if you’ve been looking for information for some time then you might have already seen all the reports that say that you’re going to need to begin eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, you’re going to have to start drinking more water and you have to start getting more exercise. Those solutions are all well and good but they’re going to take time for you to adjust to, and, as we said, you need relief now.

About here is where Venapro comes in. Venapro for hemorrhoids supposedly provides assuagement in as little as 24 hours and, when used on a regular basis, for in some cases less than 3 to 4 months, various users report that their pain and swelling have completely disappeared.

Venapro for hemorrhoids is apparently efficient on both internal and external hemorrhoids and it’s concocted with all natural, homeopathic ingredients that guarantee it is safe for everyone to use. No uglyside effects have been reported even after using the product for extended periods of time.

The treatment however is in two sections. First curing the outer symptoms, and then treating the underlying causes. The second part, Venapro Colon Health Formula is also made with all natural fiber and helps in reducing the size of stools to make going number two smoother and more frequent. Health professionals often cite long term constipation as the most common reason for hemorrhoids. Venapro Colon Health Formula eliminates this problem naturally and once again, with little to no ill after effects.

If you’ve been a long-time sufferer of hemorrhoids but were too embarrassed to look for assistance, instead looking at where to buy Venapro might be a very appropriate solution, or if nothing else, a place to begin further research.

If High Blood Pressure is left untreated

Posted on Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 5:36 am


Because people with high blood pressure do not usually have any symptoms until the disease has reached an advanced stage, high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer.” That is why having blood pressure checked regularly is important. The lack of symptoms is why some people who are aware they have high blood pressure do not take any steps to control and treat it. Because they feel okay they think everything is okay. But if high blood pressure is left untreated, serious problems may develop over time.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause strokes. As high blood pressure causes a person’s arteries to get narrower and narrower, it is harder for blood to get to the brain. That can potentially cause blot clots in the brain, cause a blood vessel in the brain to leak, or cause a blood vessel in the brain to rupture.

Kidney disease can occur if high blood pressure is left untreated. If the arteries in the body are narrowed from sustained high blood pressure, the impaired flow of blood throughout the body can cause waste to build up in the blood because it is not getting to the kidneys often enough to discard all the waste products. As the waste builds up, it becomes more and more difficult for the kidneys to try and get rid of the waste, putting a big strain on the kidneys. This can cause the kidney functions to greatly diminish or even fail entirely. If the kidneys start to function at less than twenty percent of capacity, dialysis treatments will usually be needed. A kidney transplant would be an option to avoid having to get lifetime dialysis treatments if the person is a candidate for a transplant and a kidney becomes available.

Problems with a person’s eyes can also occur as a result of untreated high blood pressure, causing a loss of vision if it gets severe enough. High blood pressure can also lead to memory loss and dementia. Heart problems are another serious problem that can develop if high blood pressure is left untreated. The arteries in the heart can become hard and stiff from restricted blood flow, causing a condition called arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

It is common for people with untreated high blood pressure to have plaque accumulate in the major arteries of the heart. The plaque deposits reduce blood flow to the heart and can eventually cause a heart attack. High blood pressure narrows the arteries and blood vessels in the body. Getting oxygen rich blood to the heart becomes more difficult as the arteries get narrower. If the heart cannot get enough oxygen, it will cause a heart attack.

5 Most Interesting Medical Pictures on the Web

Posted on Monday, April 19, 2010 at 5:47 am


If you are a student studying medicine or just someone interested in the field, you may already know that the internet can be a rich resource, providing you will all sorts of great information and material that can be used for research of expanding your knowledge of a particle topic. The same is true when you want to examine different types of medical images or illustrations. There are entire databases that contain hundreds (if not thousands) of medical pictures.

You can see everything from x-rays to images of organisms like bacteria and other disease-causing agents. You can find many interesting pictures about medical procedures as well as internal views of the human body.

Check out the following sites to compile your own list of the five most interesting medical pictures on the web.
1.  Hardin MD – Medical and Disease pictures http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/pictures.html
2.  Health Education Assets Library http://www.healcentral.org/
3.  AllRefer Health http://health.allrefer.com/pictures-images/
4.  Images From The History Of Medicine http://ihm.nlm.nih.gov/luna/servlet/view/all
5.  Medicine.net http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56944

It makes no difference where your interests lie; you should be able to find almost any type of picture you can imagine. Many of these medical data bases keep every extensive image catalogs. These images are often collected from thousands of different resources, including donations by health care providers and other medical agencies.

What you think is interesting may not be the same for someone else. That’s the subjective nature of such lists. With the websites mentioned in this post, you will be able to take plenty of time to find the most interesting pictures on the web. That’s all part of the fun really when you think about it. Some databases may be made available to you on a limited basis while others are free and open.

Now, none of this is to say that you can’t find some really interesting medical pictures simply by doing some organic searches using Google or Yahoo. This should be a given if you want to find something that appeals to your areas of interest. You may even have something so targeted in mind that the search part is not really worth mention.

Take the time to find out more about other intriguing medical images and illustrations if you think there are those could be of some value to you and your individual purposes. The web is a great place to do research, isn’t it?

Shaun Kilgore writes about how to search online for an M.S.N. degree.

Maple Syrup Is Your Tasty Food That Can Fight Cancer and Diabetes

Posted on Monday, April 12, 2010 at 4:28 am


Are you looking for a natural solution to reduce the risk of diabetes and slow down the growth of cancer cells? Your search is probably over because recent studies have shown that maple syrup holds the key to these problems.

US researchers have found that maple syrup has the ability to substantially decrease the risk of diabetes. The syrup also showed great potential in slowing down the growth of cancerous cells.

Maple syrup has thirteen active antioxidant substances. These antioxidants were previously unknown but were discovered only recently. Because of these antioxidants, researchers have firmed up that maple syrup has a great potential in fighting cancer growth, diabetes, and infections.

Food for Diabetic Sufferers

Researchers found out that maple syrup contains phytohormone and abscisic acid. This acid is the primary agent that serves as an effective defense against diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The acid releases insulin through the pancreatic cells and can enhance the increased sensitivity of the fat cells to insulin. These actions proved that claims that maple syrup is very effective in controlling diabetes.

The studies were brought before the American Chemical Society in San Francisco. The results were reviewed by experts and other researchers.

Maple Syrup as Your Best Chance against Cancer

A study punished in the Journal of Medicinal Food showed that maple syrup can significantly inhibit the growth of cancerous cells. This study was conducted by Quebec scholars. It seeks to prove the impact of maple syrup against cancer cells.

Based on the Quebec research, the growth of cancer cells can be inhibited by maple syrup. Specifically, the syrup is very effective against brain, prostate, and lung cancer. Unfortunately, maple syrup has minimal impact against breast cancer growth.

Your Tasty Alternative to Fight Cancer and Diabetes

Maple syrup can serve as your tasty alternative in fighting cancer and diabetes. There are many anti cancer foods today like blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, and carrots. However, recent studies have shown that maple syrup is more effective against cancer compared to other anti cancer foods.

Laboratory testing results also show that the syrup is more potent compared to the maple sap. It is also ideal to use the pure dark syrup rather than the lighter syrup. Dark syrup has high color oxidation. This is the reason why darker maple syrup should be preferred. So if you want a better alternative to fight cancer and diabetes, then your favorite maple syrup is a good option.

Reference: Journal of medicinal food. 01/02/2010; ISSN: 1557-7600, OI: 10.1089/jmf.2009.0029

About the Author – Sandy Harris writes for the diabetic diet blog , her personal hobby blog focused on tips to prevent, cure and manage diabetes using healthy snacks and recipes.

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