Archive for the ‘Diseases and Conditions’ Category

Pelvic Endometriosis

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Endometriosis is a common disease (there are more than 1 million cases in the U.S. alone), which can affect any woman of childbearing age, since the first menstruation or menarche to menopause, but sometimes lasts until after the menopause.

The disease impairs quality of life of women with the disease, its relationships, family and even work. Its symptoms are primarily carecterizan what is known as the three Ds: Dysmenorrhea,

Dyspareunia (pain during sex) and more commonly, pelvic pain, especially in the lower abdomen, in the lower back and pelvis itself. There may also be hypermenorrhea abundant menstrual bleeding or even inter-menstrual.

For these women at the same time it becomes difficult or impossible to become pregnant, and often have intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, constipation, painful bowel movements or cramps. And always feel tired.

Achieving determine the diagnosis for endometriosis is difficult, hence the need to perform one or more tests, including an pelvic ultrasound or MRI.

Laparoscopy may be required to review the inside of organs and display any or ectopic endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Laparoscopy shows the location and extent of endometrial lesions, which are biopsied later.

There is evidence that women with this disease are more likely than other women to suffer immune system disorders in which the body attacks its own tissues (autoimmune diseases) and that women with endometriosis are also more likely to suffer fatigue syndrome chronic fibromyalgia.

Endometriosis can not be cured by medicine. However, there are many treatments, each with advantages and disadvantages.

For women with mild symptoms may not need treatment other than pain medications or analgesics. According to doctors, if they wish to become pregnant (although it depends on the age and the amount of pain), the ideal is to have a trial period (from 6 months to a year) having unprotected sex. If pregnancy does not occur, the chances are you need more tratamiento. (more…)

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Irritable Bowel Syndrome absolutely affects the quality of life of a person, that is, the wholly affects, and is particularly dangerous because it can be confused with other more serious illnesses.

Before he called irritable colon, but experts have wanted to give the term more accurately after discovering that it is a general inflammation of the large intestine, including colon.

The most common symptom is pain in the abdomen, is associated with changes in patient’s stool patterns, or whether the person may have constipation or diarrhea. They can also strain your stomach, that simple words is just inflazon in the stomach.

At the same time, the patient may suffer from migraine headaches, body aches and general tiredness, so that the syndrome can “throw” the patient, as popularly said.

And how the disease affects the large intestine, it is normal to think that its origin lies in a bad diet or abuse of certain foods or drinks, but nothing is further from the truth.

Syndrome is related to anxiety disorders or depression, people who do not know very apprehensive digest well the tensions, even as those who live under high stress levels, so we’re seeing in children, because now being asked too much, poor have to speak three languages and become champions in four activities at the same time. The disease is affecting women more than men, especially women under 45 years. (more…)

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Ginseng decreases blood glucose

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Scientists have discovered an exciting new potential treatment of diabetes. They found that the popular herb ginseng lowers blood glucose levels, when used in conjunction with meals.

Although there is no medical evidence on their therapeutic efficacy, the use of herbs in medicine increased considerably.

Ginseng, one of the most popular herbs, over time, has come to be considered useful for controlling blood glucose in diabetic patients.

To test this hypothesis, researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, studied the effects of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) in type 2 diabetics and non diabetics.

The study was conducted by Dr. Vladimir Vuksan, and the results were published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

We studied 10 adult patients and 9 non-diabetic adult patients with type 2 diabetes. Each participant received one dose of 3 g ginseng 40 minutes before a test with 25 g of glucose orally, repeating the dose during the ingestion of glucose.

On other occasions, participants were given a placebo prior to and during glucose ingestion. After glucose ingestion, blood glucose was measured every 15 to 30 minutes, until the required two hours. (more…)

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Five Keys to Control Cholesterol (Part 2)

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

cholesterol control

3. Most plant foods

- Increase consumption of vegetables, rich in protein such as beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils or beans.
- Increase consumption of vegetables (spinach, celery, onion, garlic, chard, spinach, lettuce, peppers, leeks, radishes, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, etc..) And cereals (rice, oats, corn, wheat, barley, etc.).
- Increase consumption of fresh fruit. It can also be dried or preserved.
- More olive oil. Olive oil has a differential effect compared to other vegetable oils rich in polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fatty acids. They all lead to a decrease in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), while only olive oil prevents cholesterol-lowering HDL (good cholesterol).

However, it is only virgin olive oil which inhibits the oxidation of LDL due to its high content of antioxidant compounds, particularly tocopherols and phenolic compounds.

4. Knowing how to prepare food

- Avoid foods prepared and cooked at home prefer.
- When cooking is preferable to make boiled, broiled, grilled or boiled rather than fried, and avoid the battered or breaded.

(more…)

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Five Keys to Control Cholesterol (Part 1)

Friday, April 30th, 2010

cholesterol controlThis element necessary for our body can be harmful if they increase their levels. Here are six keys to control and reduce cholesterol in the blood.

1. Less animal fat (except fish)

- It is important to limit consumption of animal fats like butter, bacon, butter, etc. and replaced by vegetable fats such as olive oil or sunflower seeds as.

- It is also important to reduce the consumption of meat and sausages. Avoid bacon and sausages. The pieces of pork and beef to be lean, ie, free of visible fat. The lean ham is also low in fat. Chicken, turkey, rabbit, hare, partridge, quail, goat … are lean meats if we are careful to remove the skin.

- Reduce consumption of foods high in cholesterol as organ meats (brain, liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, tripe) and seafood. The eggs should be reduced to three or four a week without actually remove them from our diet because they are a very complete food. Egg whites or meringue can be made without problem.

- Milk is one of the most complete foods and, therefore, also provides a certain amount of fat. Taking a lot is convenient to choose skimmed or semi. Choose also the semi-or nonfat yogurt.

(more…)

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The Life Cycle of HIV

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

HIV Life CycleFor the viruses to reproduce, they must infect a cell. Technically speaking, viruses are not alive: they are like a kind of disembodied brain.

To form new viruses, must hijack a cell and use it to produce them. Just as your body constantly produces new skin cells or blood, usually every cell produces new proteins to stay alive and reproduce.

Viruses hide their own DNA into the DNA of the cell and then, when the cell tries to produce new proteins, it also creates new virus accidentally. HIV mostly infects cells of the immune system.

Infection: There are different kinds of cells have on their surface receptor proteins known as CD4. HIV searches for cells that have CD4 surface receptors, because this particular protein enables the virus to bind to the cell.

Although HIV infects a large variety of cells, their primary purpose is the T4 lymphocyte (also known as helper T cell “), a type of white blood cell that has lots of CD4 receptors. The T4 cell is responsible for notifying your immune system invaders that have entered the system.

Replication: Once HIV binds to a cell, its DNA hidden within the DNA of the cell. Thus, the cell becomes a sort of HIV factory.

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