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.
 
 

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Substances such as cholesterol, fats, calcium, and fibrin (clotting factors in the blood) build up into plaque and narrow the openings of the affected arteries. As atherosclerosis worsens, the blood vessels may become so narrow as to restrict or totally block blood fiow to the heart, and a heart attack may result. Symptom Of Atherosclerosis

The most common symptom of Atherosclerosis is chest pain known as angina. It is also described as chest discomfort – heaviness, tightness, pressure, aching, burning, numbness, fullness, or squeezing in the chest. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn. Angina is usually felt in the chest, but may also be felt in the left shoulder, arm, neck, back or jaw.

Other symptom of Atherosclerosis that can occur include:

• Shortness of breath

• Palpitations (irregular heartbeats, skipped beats or a "flip-flop" feeling in your chest)

• A faster heartbeat • Dizziness

• Nausea

• Extreme weakness and Sweating

Do you know your heart beats about 100,000 times a day, and about 35 million times a year? It is the hardest working organ in the human body. It started beating even before you were born and continues beating throughout your whole life. Your heart sends blood around your body. Once your body has taken the required oxygen and nutrients from the blood, it is returned to the heart via the veins to the right chambers of the heart. Though your heart is an amazing organ, it is very vulnerable to damage if you do not take good care of it. Hardening of the arteries can be dangerous. Knowing the symptom of Atherosclerosis can help further damage being done to the arteries.

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Do you know the Pancreatic Cancer symptom early enough if you are suffering from Pancreatic Cancer? Understand the early cancer symptoms may mean the difference between life and death.

The most commonest types of pancreas cancer of the pancreas are exocrine tumours.  The cancer symptoms can be quite vague.  And they vary depending on where the cancer is in your pancreas – in the head, or body.  Early symptoms can include:

-  Weight loss     
People who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer may have recently lost a lot of body weight (at least 10% of their total body weight) for no apparent reason at all.  This symptom is more common in cancers of the head of the pancrea.

-  Pain in the stomach area 
About 7 out of 10 people suffer from pancreatic cancer first go to their doctors because they experience pain.  Pain is more common in cancers of the body and tail of the pancreas.  People often describe it as a dull pain that feels as if it is boring into you.  It can begin in the stomach area and spread around to the back gradually.  The pain gets much worse when you lie down and is better if you sit forward.  It can also worsen after meals.  Your abdomen may also be generally tender or painful if your liver, pancreas or gall bladder are inflamed or enlarged.

-  Jaundice
About 5 out of 10 people suffer from jaundice when they first go to their doctors.  Jaundice is the yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes.  The urine is darker than normal and bowel motions may be lighter in colour as well.  Jaundice is much more common with cancer of the head of the pancreas because the tumour blocks the bile duct.  This tube carries bile into the duodenum.  If the bile duct is blocked, then the bile ends up in your bloodstream instead.  Bile contains a lot of yellow pigments so it turns the skin yellow in the process. Jaundice is a common symptom of many liver and gall bladder diseases.  It is often easier to spot in the whites of the eyes rather than the skin.

Jaundice without pain is the commonest reason for first going to the doctor in patients who may suffer from pancreatic cancer

However, most people today understand that many mental conditions are caused by genetic, environmental and cultural factors which are beyond the control of the victim thenselve.

One such mental health issue which has helped to focus society's compassion is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). War is well known to induce this type of condition. PTSD is often characterized with symptoms such as extreme anxiety, fear, paranoia, violent outbursts, nightmares and what are termed 'flashbacks' where the victim relives a past traumatic experience in real time in the present. Sometimes the mental torment can lead to suicide, or violent acts upon others.

This syndrome was first given a name when psychiatric evaluations made observations on Vietnam vets. The findings are found to be consistent with vets of both Iraq wars. World War II and Korean war veterans also suffered from this mental disorder, but at the time, it was not recognized as a result of the patient's war experience.

Children who have been mentally, physically or sexually abused suffer from PTSD as well. This particular mental health issue has wrought serious consequences in the lives of the victims and their families. PTSD is essentially a result of traumatic events which overwhelms the person. Nothing in normal society prepared them to deal with these unimaginable horrors. Before becoming recognized as an 'official' mental health issue, these victims suffered greatly and in most cases, ironically engendered their suffering onto those who were closest to them.

Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit disorder (ADD), autism and bipolar disorder are just a few of the other mental health disorder issues which are finally being examined from a medical perspective. Modern technology has now made it possible to map various areas of the brain and make correlations which help explain what makes a person susceptible to these various types of  diseases. There's still a lot of work to be done in order to find effective treatments to help these patients who suffer from it.

Public awareness may well be the catalyst to finding cures to what were once also known only as a 'crazy' condition.

This happened in the US when a group of doctors has for the first time successfully treated a skin cancer patient with cells cloned from his own immune system.  The ground breaking skin cancer treatment for advanced melanoma, or skcin cancer, led to a long remission for the cancer suffering patient.

This was what happened – Dr Yee and his team from the Clinical Research Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle removed CD4+ T-cells, a type of white blood cell, from the 52-year old patient, whose melanoma was already well advanced and in stage four.  The patient had been given less than a year to live.

The T-cells which specifically fight melanoma were modified and expanded in the lab and some five billion cells were then infused into the patient, who received no other kind of treatment.  2 months later, no tumoours were found during scans of his organs.  And he has been cancer free for 2 years, according to Dr. Yee.

It was the first ever case to show that cloned cells from a patient's own immune system can successfully combat skin cancer.  If further tests confirm the efficiency of the method, it could be used in some 25% of patients with late stage skin cancer, the study said.

Using a patient's own immune system to combat cancer, called immunotherapy, is a growing area of research that aims to develop less toxic cancer treatments than standard chemotherapy and radiation.  Because cancer occurs when the body's own cells grow out of control, the immune system responds weakly to the disease.

"The ability of the bodys own defences to tackle cancer in this case is all the more remarkable because the most deadly feature of the disease is its ability to colonise other parts of the body, when it becomes much harder to treat", London's Telegraph said.

Another piece of good news is that there were no harmful side effects to the therapy.  What was more is that the pateitn's immune system had targeted not just one type of protein target on cancer cells, but 2 others as well.  It is possible that treatment spurred the immune system to expand its cancer fighting ability in new ways.

However, the immune priming experiments has yet to yield a consistent therapy.  Even the researchers who worked on the experiement involving 9 patients and just 1 success were quick to qualify the results. – "Its only 1 patient"

Some 160,000 cases of melanoma are diagonsed around the world every year.  According to the World Health Organisation, some 48,000 people die from melanoma every year.

Tags: Melanoma, Skin Cancer

Similarly, the variety of food that a baby is exposed to in the first few years of life may well set the tone of his dietary preferences in later years.

A good weaning diet is one that can provide the baby with the essential nutrients as well as variety. It should be balanced and food should be offered in moderation. Baby's first foods should also be easy to digest. It is recommended that iron-fortified rice cereal as the first solid food as rice is one of the least allergenic foods.  The baby's iron stores will run out at around six months and it is therefore crucial to provide him with an adequate amount of iron to prevent iron deficiency.

Once the baby shows no adverse reaction to the rice cereal, you may proceed to feeding him other single ingredient foods such as pureed fruit, vegetables or other grains, then follow with other protein-rich foods such as meat and chicken.

Purees are a good way to start as their smooth and runny texture will give the baby a comfortable first-food experience. Breast milk or formula can be added to the puree to modify the consistency if needed, especially for babies who have just started on their first solid food adventure.

One key piece of advice about feeding: 'Do not cook too much and do not push the baby to finish the food. One or two spoonfuls may be all your baby will be able to take at the beginning.'

Most children who eat a wide variety of food will not need additional supplementation. But for fussy eaters, growing-up milks which comprise special formulas may help. These can act as a safety net which provides them with energy and nutrients needed for growth.

Tags: Baby, Weaning

-  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.

Tags: Epilepsy

• doctors
• nurses
• medical social workers

You will undergo test that will usually include"

• blood test
• an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of the brain (where this is not possible, a CT scan may be done)
• an EEG (electroencephalograph – measures the brain's electrical waves)

Sometimes additional tests may be necessary such as an ECG.  The test will help your doctor find out if there is any underlying cause for your fit.

What is the Treatment for Epilepsy and the Epilepsy Medication?

If there is any treatable underlying cause for your epilepsy seizures, your doctor will treat it.  In addition, he will assess the likelihood of another epileptic fit occurring.  If the chance is high, you will usually be prescribed treatment with anti-epileptics include:

•  
• phenytoin
• carbamazepine
• aodium valproate

Other treatment forms, such as surgery, may be considered, but tese are less common.  Unless your epilepsy is very stable and you can be discharged to your family doctor, you will usually be followed up the specialist at regular intervals.

Tags: Epilepsy

What is the cause of Epilepsy?
In about 70% of cases, the cause is unknown.  However, it is important that you do all the recommended tests so that your specialist can exclude any underlying cause for your epileptic fits, especially those which are treatable.  Examples of cause of epileptic fits include:

-  Stroke
-  Brain Infection
-  Head Injury

What happens during an epileptic fit and the symptoms
Symptoms vary depending on which part of the brain is functioning abnormally.

Generalised Fit
There are many types of of generalised fits.  In one type (called grand mal fit) there is a sudden loss of consciousness and the person may fall to the ground. Subsequently, there may be body stiffening and shaking movements.  The tongue may be bitten and urine may be passed due to loss of bladder control.  After the fit, the body relaxes and the person usually experiences drownsiness for several hours.

Partial Fit (also called focal fits)
There are also many types of partial fits.  In a partial fit, there may be changes to the way the person looks at things, feels, smells or tastes.  In other cases, there may be staring and unusual movements like lip smaking, hand rubbing etc.

Tags: Epilepsy

Symptoms of nose cancer

-  Ear fullness, which is similar to the sensation in one's ear as the aeroplane takes off, deafness and ringing in the ear.

-  Nasal obstruction or a blocked nose which fails to clear up

-  Nose bleeding

-  Dripping of phlegm and blood from the back of the throat

-  Sensory or motor paralysis of facial muscles or eye muscle in very advanced cases

-  Enlargement of the lymph node.  This happens when the tumour in the nose spreads to the neck

-  Eyes can get affected when the cancer spreads upwards.  In some cases the cancer can spread both ways – cranial and lymph – and spread to other parts of the body as well.

Treatment of nose cancer

-  Surgery to remove the cancer, or radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy to destropy the cancer cells

-  If the tumour is localised, radiotherapy alone can work

-  If the tumour has spread, a combination of radio and chemotherapy is needed

-  Radiotherapy is done over a period of 33 days

-  If chemotherapy is needed, it is administered during the first week and the fifth week concurrently with radiotherapy

-  There is no viral vaccine to prevent nose cancer

-  No post-treatment medication is required

-  Patients need regular follow-up to ensure there is no relapse

Tags: Nose Cancer, Cancer