Acne - An Overview

Acnes or pimples as they are most commonly known, are spots that appear on the face, neck, chest, back & other areas of the body.
These are caused when the pores of the skin get blocked. The big question that comes to ones mind is why do these pores get blocked and what can be done to prevent them from appearing as these can be an ugly sight on ones face. The details given down tries and answer these questions.

Types of Acne Conditions

Acnes or pimples are a condition of the skin which comes in two categories there are blackheads and white heads.
This usually happens when the pores on the skin collapse on themselves and block the escape root of sebum. Sebum is the oily secretion of the sebaceous glands; with perspiration it moistens and protects the skin.
Nobody knows why this happens but it is a condition that happens to most people. The cause of this is suspected to because of hormones, diet, evolutionary biology, vitamin deficiency, stress, and more. To understand this condition we will have to take a look at what happens below the skin to see what actually happens.
Normally people think that the pores are on the skin where the hairs grow, but this perception is wrong.
On the surface hair is grown, then comes the skin, below the skin are the sebaceous glands which are attached to the strand of hair which excrete the oil which helps to protect the skin. The pores which are also known as follicle are located near these glands under the skin.
These are found all over the body except for places like the lips, palms and the upper part of the feet. The places where there are found most is the face, chest and the upper neck. These naturally become the areas to be infected with acne.
When males reach the age of puberty the hormones in the body cause the sebaceous glands to excrete extra sebum. Since there is extra sebum that is excreted and if it gets mixed with dead cells it would form a kind of acne, comedones; these are more commonly known as white heads and black heads.
Below the strands of hair reside bacteria which are known as Proprionibacterium acnes. This is a big word but the important thing to known is this is a bacteria and its usual feast is sebum oil. Once these start to infest their create infections which usually turn out to be pimples.

Tips to Prevent Acne

Acne is not restricted to the face only. Acnes could sprout on your back or on areas that are lower than your neck. There are various remedies and preventions that you can apply to yourself to keep away from Acnes.
Drink a lot of water; stop the intake of fizzy drinks. It is normally required to take in 8 glasses of water or the equivalent of two liters in a day. This helps the skin in keeping itself hydrated and dead skin cells are shed off easily. If this is not maintained it could be the result of blocked pores and blemishes.
The diet of one should also be kept in control although there is no definite possibility of a link between the two. However, research has shown that refined carbohydrates and sugar which have shown to be responsible for acnes too. Eating of fresh fruits, vegetables would be a good idea. If you feel hungry in between meals nuts and seeds wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Vitamins supplements are advised if you have Acnes on your body. The food that we eat may not have the correct supplements to keep the skin healthy and alive.
Although stress is not the root of the problem it can certainly magnify the problem. Stress in the body causes a hormone to be released in the body known as cortisol which aggravates acnes. Learn to control it if you suffer from stress, if you don’t learn the symptoms and signs of reducing stress. You must learn to prevent acne not only treat it.
In line with this you should avoid caffeine, tea, hot chocolates and energy drinks as the consumption of these beverages increases the level of stress in the body which eventually leads to acne.

Diabetes - An Overview

Diabetes is a disease in which sugar is not utilized by the blood due to low levels of insulin produced by the body. Keeping your blood and sugar level low can help a lot in controlling your diabetes. Genetic and environmental factors as well as eating habits can be attributed for causing diabetes.

Introduction to Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that converts sugar, starch and other foods into energy that is needed by the body to perform its daily chores.
It can be caused both by genetic and environmental conditions as well as imbalanced diet and overweight.

Diagnosis of Diabetes

A test called Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) is carried out by a physician to check whether a patient has pre-diabetes or diabetes. With FPG test, glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signal pre-diabetes.
An individual with glucose level of 126 mg/dl or higher is said to suffer from diabetes.
In OGTT test, an individual’s glucose level is measured after a fast and 2 hours after drinking a glucose rich beverage. If the glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl, the person has pre-diabetes, however, if the after 2 hour blood glucose level is at 200 mg/dl or more, the person has diabetes.

Types of Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

This kind of diabetes results from body’s failure to produce insulin that allows the glucose to enter the body cells and fuel them. A very small number of people suffer from this kind of diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes

It results from insulin resistance, a condition in which the body fails to make proper use of insulin combined with insulin deficiency. Most of the people have this kind of diabetes.

Signs of Diabetes

Most of the symptoms of diabetes are harmless and go unnoticed. Some of them include:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual loss of weight
• Blurry vision
• Increase in fatigue

Treatment of Diabetes

Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes

People with Type 1 diabetes need to be injected with insulin injections to use the glucose they obtain from food. Insulin can either be injected using a needle and syringe or it can be administered externally by a pump, pen or injector.
Insulin cannot be taken as a pill as it’s a protein and would break down during digestion. It must be balanced with diet and activities.

Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes

People with Type 2 diabetes need diabetes medicine or extra insulin to help their bodies use their own insulin better, as their bodies do not use the insulin produced.
Diet and exercise often bring glucose level to normal, otherwise medications are given.

Oral Medication for Diabetes Patients

Oral medication may include:

• Sulfonylurea drugs, they stimulate the production of insulin in pancreas
• Biguanides, they decrease the amount of sugar made in the liver
• Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, they slow the starch absorption
• Meglitinides, help in stimulation of insulin in pancreas
• Thiazolidinediones, they make body more sensitive to insulin

Diabetes is an important medical condition and needs prompt attention and treatment. If diabetes is not diagnosed and treated on time, it can cause severe complications like loss of vision, heart problems, loss of coordination and other problems. It is advised that if you are suffering from diabetes, get proper medical help.

Depression – A Disorder

It is quite normal to feel sad or discouraged at one time or another during difficult times in your life. But if these feelings of sadness and depression persist for long, that is, for more than two weeks, then they are not normal. They become an illness called as depression.

What is Depression?

Depression is the most commonly found disorder among all mental illnesses that are treatable. It is found that every fourth woman and every tenth man is suffering from depression. However, 80-90 % of those people are able to get rid of this illness with help of effective treatment plans.
Most of the people do not recognize their mental illnesses and continue to live with them without even knowing it. This lack of knowledge increases the intensity of their illness. Most commonly, if a person is feeling sad, suffering from eating or sleeping disorder then it is related to flu. But if we give importance to these symptoms some and analyze them collectively, then we will know that it is depression.
The term ‘depression’ sometimes becomes confusing because it also describes normal emotional reactions. This makes it difficult to diagnose. It has symptoms that are easily mixed up symptoms of other common diseases that are also curable. People do not want others to know that they are suffering from depression. This attitude leaves depression untreated that causes further problems.
It is not necessary that all the depressed people have feelings of sadness. Other feelings include hopelessness, irritation and helplessness.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression

There are many signs and symptoms of depression. Some of them are listed below:

• Depressed people suffer from change in their appetite. There is a possibility of gaining or losing weight that would not be attributed to diet.
• Depressed people suffer from change in their sleeping pattern. It may be their inability to sleep or they sleep too much; they have fitful sleep or they awake early morning.
• Ongoing sad, worried, or empty moods are some common symptoms of depression. Depressed people worry about things that are not to be worried about.
• Feelings of hopelessness and gloom. Depressed people think that they do not have anyone who loves them or cares for them.
• Feelings of guilt and worthlessness. They become over conscious about their guilt. They feel that they have nothing in them to make them valuable.
• Loss of interest or pleasure in ordinary activities.
• Decreased energy or feelings of being tired or slowed down. Their work progress slows down gradually and sometimes suddenly too as their feelings of loneliness and worthlessness increase.
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions. They start forgetting important things too. Their decision power decreases. They even hesitate concentrating on things as they feel that they would not be able to remember anything.
• Restlessness or irritability. They do not feel comfortable. Something inside them makes them restless and their feelings of depression increase.
• Ongoing physical pain not caused by an illness or injury.
• Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts.

The symptoms increase to such an extent that such people do not want to go to the doctor and discuss their problem because they think that nothing good can happen to them. They also get advice from their family, co-coworkers and family but they refuse to take any offer of help.
There is no age limit for depression treatment. But it is found that children and adolescents have the best chances to get rid of this illness. Depression can also appear late in life. It becomes difficult to diagnose depression in older ages because some symptoms of depression such as slow movement, memory impairment and slowed speech are also found in the patients of stroke or senility.

Depression Treatment

Many drugs are used for treatment of depression. The newer drugs are found to have fewer side effects. Some therapies are very effective for the treatment of depression.
Among the effective psychotherapies are Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). These therapies become more effective when they are used in combination with antidepressant drugs.

Impotence: An Overview

Impotence or Erectile Dysfunction

Impotence is also known as Erectile Dysfunction or more commonly as ED. It is a sexual dysfunction in men characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse. According to an estimate, Erectile Dysfunction affects 18 million men in the U.S. alone. Erectile dysfunction is different from other conditions that it interferes with sexual intercourse, such as lack of sexual desire and problems with ejaculation and orgasm.
Impotence or Erectile Dysfunction varies in severity. Some men have a total inability to achieve an erection, others have an inconsistent ability to achieve an erection and still others can sustain only brief erections. The variations in severity of Erectile Dysfunction make it very difficult to estimate the frequency of its occurrence. Being a very personal and a bit embarrassing topic, many men are reluctant to discuss Erectile Dysfunction with their doctors and thus the condition is under-diagnosed.
While Erectile Dysfunction can occur at any age, it is uncommon among young men and more common in the elderly. By age 45, most men have experienced Erectile Dysfunction at least some of the time. According to the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, complete impotence increases from 5% among men 40 years of age to 15% among men 70 years and older. Population studies conducted in the Netherlands state that some degree of Erectile Dysfunction occurred in 20% of men between ages 50 to 54 and in 50% of men between ages 70 to 78. In 1999, the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey counted 1,520,000 doctor-office visits for Erectile Dysfunction.

Causes of impotence

There can be a number of reasons for impotence in men. They may be medical reasons as well as unhealthy life style. Also, the causes of Erectile Dysfunction may be physiological or psychological. Psychological impotence can often be helped by almost anything that the patient believes in as there is a very strong placebo effect.
The most important cause of the development of ED is the presence of illnesses like:

• high blood pressure
• diabetes mellitus
• high cholesterol levels
• cardiovascular disease

These diseases, if not cured for a long time, can lead to a degeneration of the penile blood vessels, leading to restriction of blood inflow through the arteries and also to leakage of blood through the veins during erection.
There may be numerous other causes which lead to impotence in men and cause degeneration of the erectile tissue and the development of ED. They may include:

• Smoking, drug or alcohol abuse, particularly over a long period of time, will compromise the blood vessels of the penis.
• Lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle will contribute to the development of ED.

Improvement in these conditions will contribute to overall health and may relieve some individuals from mild impotence. Treatment of many medical conditions can interfere with normal erections. Drugs used to treat these risk factors sometimes also lead to or worsen ED. Patients undergoing surgery or radiation therapy for cancer of the prostate, bladder, colon or rectum are at high risk for the development of ED.

Kidney Problems

With growing population, maladies are still emerging all over the world. Medical science has developed exponentially in the last century and some remarkable breakthroughs have been achieved; for example, Penicillin, open-heart surgery, and human organ transplants.
But there is still much to be done, specially to combat genetic and hereditary diseases. Polycystic Kidney Disease is also a genetic problem.

The Basis of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)

In this disease, many cysts start developing in the kidneys. These cysts are filled with fluid, which gradually keep growing, until the kidneys are blocked and eventually lead to complete failure.
PKD is identified in three different forms:

Autosomal Dominant

In this form indications of the problem commonly come forward betwixt the age of 30 to 40, but sometimes can develop at a young age.

Autosomal Recessive

ARPKD is not common it is hereditary. Its symptoms can start at the earliest age, might even when the child is not born.

Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease

Or ACKD builds up with other prolonged dysfunctions, it particularly strikes those who have been suffering from kidney failure, and are dependent upon dialysis. This is not a genetically transferred disease.

Heart Disease Alternative Therapy

Heart is the most important part of the cardiovascular system. Its primary functions are to deliver oxygen and vital nutrition to cells throughout the body and to aid in the removal of cellular waste products. Heart diseases and stroke are among the most common heart and vascular problems that affect most of the people over the world.
Referred as silent killers, these conditions are responsible for 43% of all deaths in the world. The most effective way to treat heart diseases is medication and adopting a healthy life style that is based on balanced diet and adequate exercise.
Along with this, heart disease alternative therapies are used to treat heart diseases and recover from stroke. These heart disease alternative therapies use natural ways to help patients in recovery.
The various alternative therapies available to prevent/cure heart diseases are as follows:

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a Chinese therapy for heart diseases. It offers valuable therapeutic benefits for stroke patients and treats pain or disease by inserting the tips of needles at specific points on the skin. The patients receiving acupuncture therapy are evaluated by three measurement systems: the Motor Assessment Scale for stroke patients, Sunnaas Index of ADL and Nottingham Health Profile.
The patients opting for acupuncture show significantly improved quality of life as compared to other patients. The results of acupuncture therapy indicate that ‘acupuncture gives an additive therapeutic benefit when given to stroke patients during their rehabilitation program’. Acupuncture does not cause any side effects apart from slight dizziness.

Herbal Therapy

Commonly used herbs such as garlic, ginger and even green tea can be very effective medicines and alternative therapy for treating heart disease. Since ancient times, herbs have been used for their healthy and medicinal effects. Nowadays, most of the medicines contain herbs and plant extracts due to the healing powers they possess.
Researchers are now focusing on finding herbs that contain hypolipidemic, anti platelet, anti tumor, or immune-stimulating properties. These herbs are helpful in preventing and treating chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. It has been proved that many herbs consist of potent antioxidant compounds that offer protection from chronic diseases, saving millions of lives.
Many of these compounds are known to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, inhibit cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes, inhibit lipid peroxidation, or have antiviral or anti tumor activity. The essentials oils and other agents present in these herbs and spices slow down mevalonate synthesis and restrict cholesterol and tumor growth.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

A traditional Chinese herbal preparation known as Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) is known to treat patients suffering from coronary heart diseases. It has shown significant recovery in patients who were administered with this drug for 15 days.
Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) is known to effectively remove the oxygen free radicals from the blood stream thus reducing the lipoperoxide (LPO) injury and regulating the apolipoprotein metabolism in the patients. Thus, it is an effective Chinese alternative therapy for heart diseases.

The Sunshine Remedy

According to latest research, a dose of sunshine can save the heart attack victims. Patients who recover in the sunniest part of intensive care unit are most likely to survive their stroke. Lack of adequate sun light is known to cause depression and melancholy, while on the other hand, sunlight is known to cheer and give a new lease of life to patients.
Sunlight alters the way brain responds to a mood chemical known as serotonin. It is not known why the sun affects heart attack victims but it is effective heart disease alternative therapy for lifting the mood and causing cheerful feelings.

Vegetarianism

According to researchers, vegetarians suffer from significantly lower mortality rate resulting from heart diseases as compared to non-vegetarians. The main reason behind this is the low cholesterol level found in vegetables as compared to meats that contain high animal fat.
For most of the people suffering from heart diseases, it is recommended that they increase their intake of vegetables and cut down fats and meats from their diet. Red meat especially contains lots of fat that can lead to high cholesterol level. High cholesterol level is attributed as the primary risk factor for heart problems.

Osteoporosis Treatments

Osteoporosis is a preventable disease according to most experts. In fact experts believe if one takes care of their bones from a young age, they can avoid getting osteoporosis altogether.
By making a few simple lifestyle changes like exercising and eating right, one can prevent the onset of this disease.
However, if you do get osteoporosis, there are many treatments and medications available.

 

The following are treatments for osteoporosis currently available;

• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
• Bisphosphonates
• Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)
• Vitamin D derivatives and calcium supplements &
• Potential therapies that include Tibolone (Livial) & Parathyroid Hormone

Hormone Replacement Therapy is an effective way to deal with osteoporosis in women and at the same time relieves menopausal symptoms like, vaginal dryness, hot flashes and night sweats. When taken at the initial stages of menopause, HRT prevents bone loss and increases bone density over the period of time it is taken.
According to research, HRT reduces the risk of spinal fractures by 40%. However, once this therapy is stopped, bone loss resumes. HRT needs to be taken only after a proper evaluation by a doctor as it increases the risk stroke, heart disease and breast cancer. Sometimes testosterone treatments are given to men due to the lack of male sex hormones, but these cases are rare.
Bisphosphonates are non-hormonal drugs used in the prevention of bone loss. They help by stopping the break down of bones. These drugs are taken on a daily or weekly basis, but can only be used to treat proven cases of osteoporosis with fractures.
The most common bisphosphonates include; Fosamax, Actonel and Didrocal. However, side effects from this treatment include stomach upsets.
Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) are drugs that have similar effects on the bone as estrogen-HRT. They also help to maintain bone density and reduce the risks of fractures.
These drugs work by blocking certain estrogen receptors in the body. This medication’s side effects include a slight increased risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis and hot flushes.
Calcium and vitamin D supplements are very important and beneficial for older people as they help reduce the risk of hip fractures. It is especially important that young women get plenty of calcium in their diet.
A 1000mgs of calcium is the recommended daily intake by experts; this is equal to a liter of milk. Sitting in the sun for even just 15 minutes a day can boost vitamin D production and build healthy bones. Consult your doctor about how much calcium and Vitamin D supplements you need.

Potential Therapies

Potential therapies being used to treat osteoporosis include Tibolone (Livial) & Parathyroid Hormones.
In Tibolone studies underway, tests are being conducted to see if it has the same effects as HRT and if it can prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
While in parathyroid therapy, Calcitonin is being used to increase bone formation and the absorption of calcium.
Calcitonin is a hormone produced by the thyroid gland that slows the breaking down of bone cells. It is administered via injection and has recently become available for use in Australia.