Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s – A Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is basically a form of dementia, a brain disorder that affects the areas of the brain immediately responsible for the execution of everyday activities.
Alzheimer is the most common form of dementia in older people. It is known to affect the brain cells that are in charge for controlling the thoughts, memory and language.
Consequently, people suffering from the Alzheimer’s disease become exceedingly delusional and estranged, with no regard to their surroundings, environment and atmosphere. While it is mostly prevalent in older age groups, it has also been known to affect younger people, though on a much smaller scale.

Important Knowledge Regarding Alzheimer’s Disease

The prevalence of the disease among older age groups is something that tends to be stressed considering the fact that while about 5% of men and women aged 65 to 74 have Alzheimer’s, nearly half of those age 85 and older may have suffer from this disease.
Moreover, it would be relevant to acknowledge that the key reason due to which alternative measures to the disease are being considered significantly is that the statistics indicate that as many as 4.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

History of Alzheimer’s Disease

The disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German doctor who took keen interest in particularly uncharacteristic alterations in the brain tissues of a woman who died of an unknown mental illness in 1906.
Upon examination, doctor Alzheimer found abnormal clumps and tangled bundles of fibers. As a result of significant achievement in medical science, these clumps and bundles have been defined as amyloidal plaques and neurofibrillary tangles respectively. Contemporary research has established that other brain changes in people with Alzheimer’s disease include the dying of nerve cells in areas of the brain vital to memory and other mental abilities.
Furthermore, another thing that has frequently been associated with Alzheimer’s disease is the dramatic reduction of the chemicals in the brain that are particularly responsible for conveying signal messages back and forth between nerve cells. It is evident, that this disease appears to impair thinking and memory in as much as disrupting the normal path of these signals.

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a disorder that begins relatively slowly.

1. The first symptom is usually mild forgetfulness that is typically apparent such as the incapacity to recall recent events, activities, the names of familiar people and/or things. However, as the disease begins to progress, the symptoms begin to grow steadily and dramatically worsen.
2. People suffering from the mid-stage of Alzheimer’s may forget to perform perfunctory tasks such as brushing their teeth or combing their hair.
3. People with advanced stage disease may become anxious or aggressive and even wander away from their homes as a result of absolute disorientation.

Care and Treatment

It is important to know that eventually patients with significant cases of Alzheimer’s will require total medical care and attention. In some cases, the patients were known to lose their complete mental balance and had to be cared for like a small child.
While there is no known cure for this disease in spite of the extensive ongoing research that is being carried out; there are particular drugs that have proven to be instrumental for slowing down some of the symptoms.
Some medicines, for instance, may help control behavioral symptoms such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety and depression in Alzheimer's patients. Controlling these symptoms is necessary as it makes the patients more comfortable, subsequently easing the job of those responsible for treatment.

Heart Diseases are Mostly Caused by Bad Diets

There are many things that you need in order to remain healthy. If you do not adhere to particular ways of living, your health will deteriorate. One main factor for living a healthy life includes eating well. A balanced diet that caters to all the body’s needs is what you need to focus on.

Heart Diseases and Bad Diets

Focusing on a good diet is essential not only for older people but also for younger people. This is because people often take their age for granted. When one is young, there are fewer chances of a person having repercussions of bad diets. Some young people who do not eat well will not experience deteriorating at this stage.
However, this does not mean that everyone can get away with not eating well. However, there are also some people who begin to experience effects of bad diet quite early. Still, many young people do not take these signs seriously and due to this, their conditions may worsen slowly and steadily.
In context to this, it must also be noted that there have been many young people who have suffered from heart problems and attacks. This is clearly because of the life styles that they have been leading. Though there may some genetic influences as well in some cases, it is largely believed that these people have not been focusing on the basics of preventing health problems. This refers to eating properly and exercising sufficiently.
If one does not eat properly, it is obvious that the human body is denied of nutritional supplies in some way. If one is not denied nutritional supply, they could also be overeating particular food substances. In view of this, it must be asserted that too much of any thing in excess is never good.
Hence if particular foods are consumed in excess it could mean trouble for you. This refers to the consumption of cholesterol-rich foods.

How Bad Diet Causes Heart Diseases

• In a proper diet, the intake of cholesterol rich foods is reduced. However, when one does not pay attention to his or her diet, there is bound to be trouble.
• People who are often too engrossed in their work or simply leading a carefree life style may overlook what types of foods they eat. They would normally eat a lot of junk food and other foods that are high in cholesterol.
• The high levels of cholesterol that people normally consume, result in a build up of cholesterol in areas that can severely harm them. Cholesterol deposits itself on the inside of arteries and with the passage of time blocks up the arteries.

This leads to restricted blood flow in many parts of the body, but mainly in the heart. In addition to the heart having to work extra in order to pump blood around the body where cholesterol is already blocking passages, it is also denied of proper supply of oxygen-carrying blood to its cardiac muscles. Hence, there are actually two conditions worsening at once and you may not even know it.

Other Disadvantages of a Bad Diet

In addition to this bad condition worsening quickly, it must be said that there are other activities that can worsen your health.

• One such factor which can worsen your heart condition is smoking.
• Also, lack of exercise and stress may worsen the condition.
• However, a poor diet is believed to be the biggest cause of a heart attack.

In order to avoid a heart attack, regardless of age, one has to develop better eating habits and become more aware of what causes an increase in cholesterol levels.
Consuming food substances that contain low cholesterol is believed to be the best way to reduce its intake. In addition to this, adequate exercise is advised along with quitting bad habits such as smoking as it can provoke heart attack.

Treatment of Obesity

Obesity has risen to epic proportions in the US. Unfortunately, there is no typical treatment or medicine that would cure it within a short period. Numerous treatments for obesity have failed as more than medicines, diet control and exercise is needed. Many of the obese people were unable to follow these treatments and as a result suffered serious consequences.
However, there are other treatments of obesity to control weight that include either surgery such as the Lap-band surgery or a change in life style supported by medicines.

Various Treatments Of Obesity

Surgery

Lap-Band surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity. It has had its share of success and aims to reduce the size of the digestive tract so that a person does not feel as hungry as s/he ordinarily would. As a result they would consume less food that would lead to weight loss.
In contrast to this approach, a change in life style is needed, one that emphasizes on eating less and exercising more.

Medicines

Medicines are given to obese people to help them reduce their huge appetites. There are no serious side effects of such medicines and they simply lower the appetite level that leads to lesser consumption of food. New medicines are being worked out in this regard because of the research unearthing the action of enzymes and other chemicals in one’s appetite.
Two of the medications sold in the US are very effective for obesity. Though they are not known to be harmful to anyone, it is suggested that one adhere to doctor’s advice regarding dosage.

Sibutramine (Meridia)

It is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medicine for treating obesity. It is given to individuals whose weigh 30 pounds more than their normal weight. According to clinical data, obese people lost 5 to 10% weight using Meridia. It even helps to maintain the weight loss achieved by its use.
Meridian works on hunger pangs i.e. it is controls the hunger enzymes ensuring that the individual feels less hungry. This automatically results in less consumption of food.
One of the reported side effects of this medicine is high blood pressure. People taking anti-depressant medicines should also avoid Meridia.

Orlistat (Xenical)

It is also an FDA approved medicine prescribed for those whose weight is 30% more than what it should be. It can also be taken by people who have a BMI greater than 30.
It is known that that those who take Orlistat for about a year lose 13.4 pounds, on the average. This is almost 8 pounds more than one would lose using any ordinary diet. Orlistat works by absorbing fat from the intestinal tract. Side effects of this medication include diarrhea.

Some Other Medicines to Treat Obesity

Aside from the above mentioned medicines that are used to curtail appetite, there are others too. However these are not considered safe and non-prescribed usage is not advised. They are not FDA-approved, and therefore are sold illegal as well.
These medications include the following:

• "Phen-fen" and Redux
• Ephedra
• Phenylpropanolamine (PPA)

It should be remembered that the safest way to reduce obesity and eventually get rid of it means that one has to change his or her life style. This includes exercising more and eating less.
However, eating less is now supported by medications that curtail one’s appetite. As long as there are no serious side-effects, it is fine to go about losing weight and control obesity this way.

Arthritis

Arthritis is actually not a disease; it is really a joint disorder. It literally means inflammation of the joints. It is derived from the Greek word Arthron, which means joint. It is actually a general term for a group of more than 100 diseases.
Inflammation is the body’s natural reaction fighting off various diseases. Inflammation can also be caused by injury, infection, autoimmune disease or the body’s own “wear and tear” (of joints) process. Inflammation that lasts for a long time can lead to tissue damage. Inflammation that does not go away or results in long term pain or deformity is considered arthritis.
In a healthy body, the joints care covered by a smooth spongy material called cartilage, which acts as a cushion between the joints, and allows the joints to move without pain. Each joint is enclosed in a fibrous casing called synovium. This synovium lining produces a synovial fluid which nourishes the joints and helps in limiting friction.
Ligaments connect the bones and keep the joints stable, while muscles and tendons support the joints enabling movement. In arthritis, the area in and around the joints becomes inflamed. This inflammation causes pain, stiffness in the joints and difficulty moving.
Arthritis occurs in both men and women, and can strike at any age; however it is more common in older people. Around 70 million or 1 in 3 Americans suffer from some form of arthritis, and it is a major cause of lost work time and a serious disability for many people. In people over the age of 55, women are more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis. This is the most common variety of arthritis in the U.S.

The Different Types Of Arthritis Include

• Osteoarthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Osteoporosis
• Paget’s disease
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Gout
• Scleroderma
• Psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Reiter's syndrome/Reactive arthritis
• Adult Still's disease
• Tertiary Lyme disease
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica
• Pseudogout
• Raynaud's Phenomenon
• Repetitive Stress Injury
• Sjögren's Syndrome

These different types of arthritis mostly have causes that are unknown. Researchers however, believe that genetics (heredity) and lifestyle behaviors play an important part in the development of arthritis.
And though the exact cause of arthritis is not known, there are several risk factors. They include;

• Age
• Gender
• Obesity
• Work factors
• History of trauma
• Various genetic or metabolic diseases

As a person gets older, their risk of developing arthritis, especially osteoarthritis increases considerably. Older women in general tend to suffer more from arthritis than men. Being overweight also puts extra stress on various joints in the body, increasing the body’s natural wear and tear process, thus increasing the risk for developing arthritis. Jobs that require heavy lifting or repetitive movements causing stress and injury to joints also lead to arthritis.

People With Arthritis May Suffer From Some Or All Of The Following Symptoms;

• Joint pain or swelling
• Early morning stiffness
• Warmth around a joint
• Redness of skin around a joint
• Reduced ability to move a joint &
• Unexplainable weight loss, fever or weakness/fatigue that occurs with joint pain

Different types of arthritis have different symptoms and all the symptoms vary from person to person. Osteoarthritis does not generally cause any symptoms outside the joint.
To treat arthritis, treatment varies with each particular cause. It depends on firstly, how severe the arthritis is, then, which joints are affected, after that, to what degree the patient is affected and lastly the person, age, job and activities.
The goal of arthritis treatment is usually to provide pain relief and increase joint strength and mobility. Remember arthritis is not curable, but it can be treated effectively for one to go on and lead a healthy life.

Treatment Options For Arthritis Include;

• Medication – Medications reduces joint pain and swelling. NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), acetaminophen, aspirin, corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive drugs are used to ease the pain caused by arthritis.
• Exercise – Exercise is very important as it keeps the joints flexible. Simple stretching exercises can be extremely beneficial.
• Surgery – Surgery is usually the last resort. It is done to rebuild the joint (arthroplasty) or to replace the joint (total knee joint replacement) and help the person lead a more normal lifestyle. The decision to perform surgery is made when other alternatives, such as lifestyle changes and medications are no longer effective.
• Use of joint protection – Knee or elbow caps are often used by people to ease the pain and increase mobility.

If diagnosed early most types of arthritis can be managed, and the damage to joints minimized. Early treatment of arthritis manages both pain and disability. In rheumatoid arthritis for example, early aggressive treatment can prevent damage and disability in the long run. In some cases, simple modifications to daily activities can help ease the pain of arthritis.
Arthritis is not preventable, but you can take certain steps to reduce your risk for developing this disorder. They include;

• Maintaining a healthy weight.
• Exercising regularly.
• Using joint protection devices and techniques at work.
• And eating a healthy diet.

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.