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Heart Disease Symptoms And The Treatment Of Heart Disease

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Heart Disease Symptoms And Their Risk Factors

The major risk factors for Atherosclerosis are:
•    An unhealthy diet that is high in saturated fats and cholesterol
•    Obesity
•    High blood pressure
•    High cholesterol
•    Excess alcohol consumption
•    Physical inactivity
•    Smoking
•    Age – Heart disease is more likely to occur as you get older, especially after the age of 45 years for men and 55 years for women
•    Family history of heart disease

Treatment Options For Heart Disease
While there are no cures for the most common causes of heart disease, some treatment options – lifestyle change, medication, and surgery can help most people successfully manage and live with those conditions. A doctor will often prescribe a combination of two and sometimes all of these options to help patients recover from heart disease and prevent heart failure.

In some cases, angioplasty or surgery can be performed to relieve heart disease symptoms or prolong life. Angioplasty is less invasive and does not require surgery, however this treatment may not be suitable for some patients. Therefore, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) is necessary.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
For less serious cases, patients can be treated with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) such as Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) or balloon angioplasty, a widely used technique for opening blocked arteries, and stent or drug-eluting stent placement. These are non-surgical procedures in which a small balloon at the tip of the catheter (a thin flexible tube) is inserted near the blocked or narrowed area of the coronary artery. When the balloon is inflated, the diameter of the coronary artery is widened to improve blood flow. In most instances, a stent is also implanted to prop open the narrow segment of the artery. The newer stents – drug-eluting stents are coated

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), more commonly known as bypass surgery, is performed to bypass blockages and obstructions of the coronary arteries and relieve angina in patients who have failed medical therapy and are not good candidates for PTCA. CABG surgery is ideal for patients with narrowings in multiple arteries and even for patients who are detected late with complications of heart attack. CABG surgery has been shown to improve long-term survival in patients with significant narrowing of the left main coronary artery as well as those with multiple arteries, especially in those with decreased heart muscle pump function. With today's technology, CABG surgery has high success rates and most patients can be discharged from hospital in about a week.

Take Charge of Your Heart Now!
You can start by becoming aware of your risk factors to reduce your chances of having a heart attack. If you think or have underlying heart disease, it is time to seek medical treatment. Remember, early detection and treatment can save your life.

What Should You Do If Your Family Member Has A Epilepsy Seizures Attack?

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:17:02 +0000

As the epilepsy seizures person may be unconscious or drowsy, it is important that the family member or caregiver knows what to do:

- Keep the person safe from injury – for example, remove surrounding objects especially those with sharp corners and protect him from falling to the ground

- If unconscious, make sure he/she is still breathing before placing in the recovery position

- Do not place any object in his/her mouth. This may cause injuries like chipped teeth or even a broken jaw

- Call for an ambulance if the epileptic fit:
    a. lasts more than 5 minutes
    b. repeated seizures occur one after another
    c. occurs in a pregnant woman or a person with diabetes

- Otherwise, allow him to recover/regain consciousness and bring him to his family doctor for a check up

- Try to remember the events you have witnessed. This will be very helpful to the doctor

What measures can be taken to reduce the risk of another epileptic fit attack?
It is important that you do the following:

- take your anti-epileptic medicine exactly as prescribed; avoid stopping the medicine or altering the dosage unless instructed to do so by your doctor

- strive for general well being with a balanced diet, regular physical activity and effective stress management

- limit your intake of alcohol

- make sure you get enough sleep and rest, as lack of sleep can trigger a epileptic fit attack

- when you fall ill, please see your family doctor for early treatment as another illness can increase your risk of having another epileptic fit attack

How to improve safety during a epileptic attack?
The following measures can be adopted to help improve workplace and home safety:
- minimise exposure to open fires and sharp objects as well as consider minimising or avoiding the sue of microwave ovens and blenders

- do not lock toliet doors and avoid lying in bathtubs for prolonged periods; showers are safer

- avoid operation of heavy machinery

- carry a card stating your condition and your medicines. This will be helpful in an emergency. Your doctor will be able to help you apply for one.

More on What Should You Do If Your Family Member Has A Epilepsy Seizures Attack?

Alternative Treatment Dementia

admin — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:44:50 +0000

Treatment of mental health problems has recently undergone a revolution. More and more, people are discovering that the way we live our lives on a daily basis affects not only our physical health, but our mental health as well. Certainly, treatment of bipolar disorder and other psychological issues has benefited immensely from this approach. Getting into constructive, healthy patterns, eating right, exercising, and keeping up good social connections all contribute to a sound mind. What surprises many people Is how far this approach to mental health treatment goes. Diseases that were previously thought to be purely organic now seem to have a significant psychological factor. Nowhere is this more evident than with the treatment of dementia.

Everyone knows a little bit about dementia. It is one of the most tragic yet common fates that people face as they grow older. What many people don't know is how easy preventative treatment of dementia is. Treatment of Alzheimer's disease dementia is still a long shot, because it is an organic disease whose causes are not well known. For most cases of dementia, however, there are effective treatments that work and require little more than intellectual activity.

As a matter of fact, one of the most effective treatments of dementia is to do puzzles or learn a new skill. The research is showing us more and more that old folks who keep their minds active don't tend to develop dementia nearly as often as elderly people who sit around watching TV. Apparently, the treatment of dementia is just as simple as keeping the mind active. The reason people become demented is not because their brains naturally deteriorate with age, but because they atrophy through lack of use. The human mind is like any organ in the body. If it isn't used, it tends to deteriorate. If you want a good effective preventative treatment of dementia, learn a new language skill. Chances are, it will keep you sharp for years and years to come.

Unfortunately, Alzheimer's disease treatment is a little trickier. Still, much of the research shows that intellectual activity will at least decrease the effects of Alzheimer's. There has been so much research on this terrible disease recently that I predict, within a decade, we will have a good handle on it. If we can't cure it out right, we will be able to at least slow its progression to a halt. There is plenty of cause for optimism in geriatric medicine.