Health Bits

Prediabetes is a lesser known condition than diabetes, but it requires many of the same lifestyle changes as a diabetes diagnosis itself. It basically means that your body has begun to lose the ability to take sugars into body cells for energy. By the time an individual reaches the level of impairment considered to be diabetes, it is pretty serious.

Prediabetes is less severe, but it tells you that you will develop diabetes if you continue on your current lifestyle path. If your doctor has diagnosed you with prediabetes, consider yourself lucky. If you take prediabetes seriously and make changes in your health habits, you will be able to reverse the trend and avoid eventual diabetes. Make the effort now to avoid even bigger complications in the future!

The first step that you should take is to follow your doctor’s instructions after he or she has diagnosed you with prediabetes. Depending on how close you are to already having diabetes, you may Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone can recall a child from their school days who could simply not pay attention and ended up disrupting the whole class. This child often disrupted the whole class’ learning process because he could not sit still and focus on school tasks. Now, experts realize that children like this probably have the disorder called attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Chronic hyperactivity and distractibility is frustrating not only for the individual affected by ADHD, but also for their parents, siblings, and teachers as well. Children who have difficulty controlling their bodies and paying attention do not do well in school and because of this negative school experience; they feel that they are dumb and worthless. However, there are ways to help hyperactive and easily distracted children better focus their energy and attention into something positive and constructive. Many supplemental nutrients help children to concentrate on school activities and enjoy extracurricular activities as well.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder of self control consisting of problems with attention span, impulse control, and activity level. There are three types of ADHD. The first of these three is inattentive, which is when the child can’t seem to get focused and stay focused on a task. The second is hyperactive-impulsive, in which the child is very active and often acts without thinking. The third type of ADHD is a combination of the above two, where the child is inattentive, impulsive, and very active. Some symptoms of ADHD include: not paying close attention to details; not seeming to listen when spoken to directly, easily distracted; difficulty organizing and finishing tasks, fidgeting with hands and feet; running or climbing excessively; talking continually; interrupting conversation and intruding in other children’s games; avoiding tasks that require sustained mental effort; exhibiting impulsive behavior; and doing things that are dangerous without thinking about possible outcomes. While all children show the above symptoms to a small degree, a child with ADHD will show these symptoms to a degree that interferes with major life activities and causes harm to the child. Read the rest of this entry »

Many people who contract genital herpes may not show any symptoms. Some may show mild symptoms that are taken as something else, while others may get severe problems.
Genital herpes occurs in episodes. When you contract the virus, the virus travels to the nerve centers near the spinal cord. It travels back from there to the genital area and breaks out from time to time.

First Episode-

The first episode begins within a fortnight of contact. Some people get severe symptoms of herpes in this episode while others may get very mild symptoms of herpes during the first episode. The main symptom is appearance of lesions. You may see blisters filled with fluid or ulcers. The blisters rupture in to ulcers in few days and crust and heal within a month. The common areas are: on the vulva, penis, near anus, thighs, and inside vagina. Commonly women get more severe symptoms then men. Read the rest of this entry »

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately 6.2 million new cases of sexually transmitted HPV infections reported every year. Health experts estimate there are more cases of genital HPV infection than any other STI in the United States.

There are more than 100 different types of HPV that are classified as high risk and low risk, out of which 30 HPV spread through sexual contact. Some types of HPV cause genital warts. Single or multiple bumps are seen in the genital areas of men and women including the vagina, cervix, vulva (area outside of the vagina), penis, and rectum in such Read the rest of this entry »

10 tips to reduce depression

Depression can be crippling, devastating. It can cause a person to withdraw from everyone he loves and stop doing activities that he once enjoyed. It can cause a deep despair and social isolation that is overwhelming. Victims of depression encounter memory problems, sleep disruption or a need to sleep excessively, a sense of hopelessness and an inability to join the rest of the world. Depression afflicts an estimated 19 million Americans, and they cant just snap out of it.

There are ways to ease some symptoms of depression, but sometimes medication therapy is necessary for the patient to fully enjoy a symptom-free life. However, there are some tips you can try if you have the blues. Read the rest of this entry »

What is Mesothelioma? Mesothelioma forms a range of tumors that usually arise in the pleura or in the abdominal cavity. Malignant tumors arising within the pleura are strongly associated with prior asbestos exposure in up to 92% of cases. The time period from initial exposure to development of the cancer may range from 25-45 years and the lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma following heavy exposure ranges from 7-10%. It spreads through the pleural space, directly invading other thoracic structures associated with pleural effusion. The underlying lung is usually encased within the tumor.

The abdominal peritoneal variant is also related to asbestos exposure and 50% of these patients may have pulmonary fibrosis. Although 50% of these cases may be limited to the abdominal cavity, intestinal obstruction is common frequently leading to death. The classic histopathology of the mesothelioma is a biphasic tumor with both an epithelioid and sarcomatoid or spindle cell component. From this description, it can be readily appreciated how the diagnosis may be very difficult to confirm.

Mesothelioma Symptoms: Many of the early symptoms of mesothelioma are often over looked due there similarity to symptoms of less serious diseases. A lot of patients do not show any signs of sickness in the beginning stages of the disease. The most common symptoms of mesothelioma include pleuritic pain, lasting cough, weakness, and weight loss. Most early symptoms will not be attributed to mesothelioma unless the patient is examined by a knowledgeable doctor who orders the appropriate tests. Test for mesothelioma, may include CT scans, x-rays, or MRI.  Read the rest of this entry »

High blood pressure, which is also called hypertension, affects about one in three adults. Although there are many causes of hypertension, there are not necessarily any symptoms, with 30% of people having high blood pressure not knowing it. Therefore, just because you don’t have symptoms doesn’t mean you don’t have high blood pressure, which is why it is called “the silent killer.” High blood pressure is very dangerous, being the number one cause of stroke, as well as the cause for heart attack and heart failure. Changing blood pressure numbers depends a great deal on the choices we make every day, such has how much we exercise, the foods we ear, and our overall lifestyle. However, for those times when extra help is needed, there is a new scientifically-studied supplement that will help us lower our blood pressure and give us better overall health.

Blood pressure is divided into two parts, systolic and diastolic. Systolic is the pressure of the heart beating; while diastolic is the pressure of the heart vessels when they are filling. Although a persons blood pressure can vary naturally throughout the day, if numbers are consistently high after many visits to the doctor, it is possible that you have pre-hypertension or high blood pressure. Healthy blood pressure numbers are about 115/75 mm/Hg. Arteries that are kept young through healthy diet and exercise are usually more elastic and unclogged compared to those that have plaque buildup from diets high in saturated fat and sedentary lifestyles. These unclogged arteries are able to transport blood through them easily and without much effort. However, clogged arteries result in faster blood flow, all of the time, which can cause damages to heart tissue, arteries, kidney, and other major organs in the long run.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Hoodia Gordonii plant has been used by the San Bushmen of the Kalahari desert long before Europeans came into contact with it. It was invaluable to them to ward off hunger during their lengthy nomadic trips through the desert. They also used it medically for a number of other issues such as abdominal cramps, indigestion, hemorrhoids and tuberculosis.

The plant is a succulent that grows in the high deserts of the Kalahari Desert region of South Africa. It has appeared on the weight management scene only recently (since early 2004) in the west, but has been used for millennia by the San people of the Kalahari a tribe of Read the rest of this entry »

Negative Health Effects From A Lack Of Sleep

If you suffer from sleep deprivation, you are not alone. Nearly a quarter of the adult American population, or 47 million adults, has some form of sleep deprivation. This condition can affect a persons energy level, emotional state, memory and mental abilities. This can lead to depression, stress and irritability. There are other health implications that can afflict the body as a result of sleep deprivation. As the body is deprived of sleep, its ability to metabolize glucose declines, leading to the early stages of diabetes. Additionally, a normally healthy person will begin to show sign of premature aging. Sleep deprivation is not a condition to be taken lightly.

Your sleep patterns can be interfered by the symptoms of sleep deprivation. Does this make sense? Basically, as stress increases from lack of sleep, your ability to wind down and get adequate rest actually declines. It is a downward spiraling cycle. But don’t let this get you down. As a person ages, they require less sleep. An infant, up to 24 months old requires 13 to 17 hours of sleep. But people who are 16 to 65 years old only need six to nine hours. These numbers can change from person to person though. Everyone is different and while some people may be just fine on three or four hours of sleep a night, others may need ten or even more. Read the rest of this entry »