Tag: anemia

Detox Diets 101: Keeping Your body in Shape through Proper

Detox Diets 101: Keeping Your body in Shape through Proper eating

If youre feeling sluggish, or you think youre always full and the food has settled in your stomach, undigested. If you think youre fat and need to lose weight. And if you think that youve ingested more than the allowed preservatives and additives into your body and your livers starting to show symptoms of abuse, then its time for you to go on a Detox program.

Detox or detoxification is the process of neutralizing or eliminating toxins from the body. Detox plans may be in different forms and ways from regular exercise to body scrubs and spa massages, to yoga and meditation. But the simplest and the most common perhaps is to go on a detox diet.

A detox diet is a program that minimizes the chemicals ingested into the body by going for organic food. It highlights food like vitamins and antioxidants that the body needs for detoxification. It also involves taking in of food that will aid in the elimination of toxins like high fiber food and water. It generally suggests a high intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and lots of fluids, while cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, yeast and sugars.

So why go for a detox diet? If youre a regular fast food chain eater, youve probably ingested many fat-soluble chemicals contained in the French fries, cheeseburgers, twisters and soft drinks youve consumed. An overload of these chemicals in the body can lead to illness and conditions like liver malfunction, kidney problems, hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies and inefficient metabolism. And the most common symptoms of these illnesses are the usual fatigue, poor skin and low tolerance to pain.

By going on a detox diet, people would have improved energy, clearer and fairer skin, a regular bowel movement, improved metabolism and digestion, increased concentration. Generally, it spells wellness and a better well-being.

A word of cautionthough anyone is allowed to take on a detox diet, pregnant women or those who are nursing are cautioned not to go on such plans as they need the necessary nutrient for nursing. And unless recommended by a doctor, people with anemia, eating disorders, heart disease, low immunity, low blood pressure, ulcers, cancer, the underweight or those suffering from alcohol or drug dependency should try on a detox diet. Furthermore, such detox diet programs should be properly planned with the doctor and a nutritionist.

Other Things You Need to Know

Side effects may occur within the first few days of starting the detox diet. Theres headache and a general feeling of weakness as the body is adjusting to the change in food intake. So it is recommended to start your diet plan gradually or on Fridays when you wont be doing much physical activity or requiring much energy. Others may experience diarrhea as the body eliminates the toxins, so take care not to be dehydrated. Drink plenty of water.

Take note that such detox diet programs should not be done for a long time. They are normally recommended to be done at least one to two times a year, and should be done during the warm months.

If youre thinking of getting started, make sure you consult a doctor or a nutritionist. Read up on detox diets and seek advice from the experts. Remember: Too much is bad. After all, youre doing it to improve your health, not ruin it!

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Will It Strike You?

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Will It Strike You?
Travis Lawrence

Many think that when they get older they will deal with rheumatoid arthritis. But, many are sadly mistaken if they think that this condition is far off for them. In many cases, it starts much earlier than you would think. Having the knowledge you need, though, can help you to see the symptoms, understand what is happening to you and to seek out the right treatment for it. Rheumatoid arthritis strikes thousands of people every day. Will it strike you?
An Overview
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that is chronic meaning that it does not go away. Most of the time, it is thought of as a condition of inflamed joints. Long term damage to the joints is what leads to severe pain. Eventually, it will worsen to an extreme in which the individual can no longer use the joint and can become disabled for it.
There are three stages of the disease. In the first, there is often swelling in the synovial lining. This is the lining of the joints. The swelling will cause pain, stiffness and even a feeling of warmth in the area. The joint and the area surrounding it will be swollen.
In the second stage, the disease is characterized by the growth of cells. The cells will grow and reproduce quickly. This causes the lining or synovium to thicken rapidly.
In the last stage, these cells are now inflamed. They are releasing enzymes that will begin to actually work away at the bone and cartilage of the joint. The joint will become misshapen and its alignment will be off. In turn, this causes more pain and leads to the loss of function of the joint all together.
It is also important to note that Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to other conditions throughout the body. The disease can effect many organs and therefore cripple the lifestyle that you know. It is important to seek treatment early on before the condition worsens beyond control.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects about two million people within the United States. There is no cure for it, but medications can slow and even stop the progression of the disease and therefore prevent it from becoming severe. The cause of the disease is also unknown.
Do I Have it?
Understanding the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can help you to know when you should take action. It can affect any joint within the body. Smaller joints are the most common area for it to begin. For example, fingers, the hands and the wrists are the mot common first signs of the disease. Most common systems include the following.
 Stiffness in any joint. It tends to be worse in the morning or after sitting still for long periods of time. The longer this stiffness lasts, the worse the diseases is.
 Fatigue can be a symptom as well.
 Flu like symptoms including a fever may be present.
 Feelings of weakness.
 Pain may be evident especially when there are long periods of sitting or stillness.
 The disease can go into remission in which it may not feel as bad. Many mistakenly think that they are better. But, it will flare up again.
 Muscle pain may be evident.
 Also, a loss of appetite, the onset of depression, anemia, sweaty hands and feet and weight loss can be a sign that there is something happening.
As the disease progresses, symptoms will worsen. Pain becomes more so and there is a withdrawal from activity because it is just too painful.
Seeking Help
The treatment that you will receive will be fitted to your specific conditions. Because the disease of rheumatoid arthritis is so varied, treatment must be administered to your severity and your symptoms. It is important to seek the advice of a doctor when you begin to experience pain because early detection can slow and stop the progression of the disease. It can help to stop the spread as well.
It is important for you to seek early treatment for any joint pain that you may have. As mentioned, rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that can affect other systems within the body. These will worsen as the disease progresses. Taking the first steps when you first see a problem can help you to maintain your lifestyle without having to stop because of the pain that rheumatoid arthritis is bound to cause.
About the Author
For more rheumatoid arthritis treatment information visit http://www.rheumatoid-arthritis-info.org/ . You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, link and URL remain intact.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Charlene J. Nuble

A shooting pain in the knee. A burning sensation in the hand. Before you know it, you have rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks normal tissues as if they were invading antibodies. Rheumatoid arthritis also causes inflammation of the tissues around the joints and other organs of the body. The hands and feet are the most affected areas of rheumatoid arthritis although it can also affect any joint lined by a membrane. Rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systematic illness and sometimes called rheumatoid disease.Rheumatoid arthritis manifests itself over a period of a few months. However, for some, the disease appears overnight. Accelerated onset of rheumatoid arthritis does not mean the individual is at greater risk of the progression of the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis can lasts for years without symptoms. But rheumatoid arthritis is an illness that progresses and has the potential to cause joint destrution and functional disability. Usually, patients suffer cycles from severe to light symptoms. In terms of statistics, rheumatoid arthritis is three times more common in women than in men. It also besets people of all races equally. Rheumatoid arthritis can begin at any age but most often start in the early forties. What causes rheumatoid arthritis? The truth is, its cause is still unknown. Viruses, bacteria, and fungi have long been suspected but none has been proven to be the cause. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis has been the focus of different research activities. There are some scientists who believe that the tendency to develop rheumatoid arthritis may be genetically inherited while others believe that certain factors in the environment might elicit the immune system to attack the body’s own tissue components. This attack results to the inflammation in various organs such as lungs or eyes. Researchers have also found that environmental factors may also play a role in the cause of rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, scientists reported that smoking tobacco increases risk in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis depend on the degree of tissue inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis is said to be active if the body tissues are inflammed. When the tissue inflammation subsides, rheumatoid arthritis is said to be in remission. Remissions may happen spontaneously or with treatment and can last for weeks, months, even years. During active rheumatoid arthritis, symptoms are felt. Symptoms may include fatigue, lack of appetite, low grade fever, and muscles and joint aches. Muscles and joint stiffness are usually felt during mornings and after a period of inactivity. During relapses (from inactivity to activity) of rheumatoid arthritis, joints become red, swollen, painful, and tender. This happens because the tissue lining of the joints become inflamed which results in the excess production of joint fluids. Multiple joints are usually inflamed in symmetrical pattern and the joints of both hands and wrists are often affected. Simple tasks such as turning the door knob and opening the jars can be painful. Rheumatoid arthritis can also affect the joint responsible for the tightening of vocal cords to change the tone of the voice although rarely. But when this happens, it can cause hoarseness of the voice. As mentioned before, rheumatoid arthritis is a systematic disease which can affect organs and areas of the body other than the joints. Sjorgen’s syndrome is the inflammation of the glands of the eyes and mouth which causes dryness. Rheumatoid inflammation of the lung lining can cause chest pains because the lung tissue itself is inflamed and nodules of inflammation also develop within the lungs. Rheumatoid arthritis can also reduce the number of red blood cells which can result to anemia and white blood cells which can result to increase risk of infections. A rare, serious complication of rheumatoid arthritis is blood vessel inflammation which can impair blood supply to tissues and lead to death of tissues. A rheumatologist is a doctor who specializes in arthritis and other related diseases. The rheumatologist reviews the history of symptoms, examines the joints, and the other parts of the body for the inflammation. The diagnosis is usually based on the pattern of symptoms, the distribution of the inflamed joints, and the blood and x-rays obtained. Until now, there is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Reducing joint inflammation and pain, maximizing joint function, and preventing joint destruction is the current goal in treating rheumatoid arthritis. Early medical intervention has been found to improve outcomes in treatment. Optimal treatment includes combination of medications, joint strengthening exercises, joint protection, and patient education. Treatment is customized according to many factors such as disease activity, types of joints involved, general health, age, and occupation. But treatment is most successful when there is close cooperation between the doctor and the patient.————————-Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR’S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.————————- About the Author
Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about arthritis, please go to: http://arthritis.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/

Male Menopause Enlarged

There are currently numerous debates in the medical community on whether menopause really exists in men.

Menopause in women is defined as the time when the menstrual periods cease. Based on this, men cannot have menopause. But, as the doctors have argued, they can undergo andropause the male equivalent of menopause in women. Male who have andropause manifest the same symptoms as those women with menopause.

Male menopause is used to refer to the condition in which men experience a decrease in their hormone levels. But unlike the case of women whose hormone levels drop dramatically, male menopause takes place with a gradual fall in hormone testosterone. Medical reports show that many men in their 70’s have almost the same testosterone levels as those in their 20’s.

Men with menopause manifest symptoms that include irritability, sweating, memory problems, concentration difficulties, and hot flushing.

Other common complaints of men with menopause consist of low sex drive, hair loss, fatigue, generalized pains, and body shape changes as they tend to become more rounded and less brawny.

Analyzing the symptoms, it becomes clear why male menopause is compared with that of women. Women may manifest some or all of the symptoms listed.

It is important to note, however, that the symptoms listed may be caused by other physical illnesses other than menopause. Thyroid gland dysfunction, depression, or anemia may be the underlying roots.

Some doctors, however, claim that male menopause is caused not by the hormonal changes but by psychological reasons. The realization that they are ageing is underlined by the signs of physical changes such as the occurrence of wrinkles, fat and waning hairline.

Men in their middle age usually weaken their self-esteem as they begin to question themselves as to whether they still have a role in their homes and the society. An example is when their children mature and leave home; they start to feel empty and futile in the family.

Other possible psychological triggers of menopause in men include financial problems, job dissatisfaction, and marital conflicts.

It is important to note, however, that the symptoms listed may be caused by other physical illnesses other than menopause. Again, thyroid gland dysfunction, depression, or anemia may be the underlying causes.

The diagnosis of male menopause is done by running a physical exam, the doctor will inquire about the symptoms the male is experiencing. He may conduct necessary diagnostic tests to discard other medical problems which may be affecting the condition. Series of blood tests will then be carried out to analyze the patient’s hormone levels, as well as the blood testosterone status.

Testosterone replacement therapy is applied if the testosterone levels are found to be low. This process also helps to minimize the symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and low libido, or poor sex drive.

Hormone replacement therapy has as well been tied to the development in the brain functions, bone density and night sweats.

Testosterone replacement comes in oral medication, implants, or injections.

The oral drugs are given to those who cannot bear implants or injections.

On the other hand, implants are placed in the lower hip or abdomen. This method provides cure that keeps going for up to six months.

The testosterone injections are typically given about once every two weeks.

If you are considering testosterone replacement therapy, it is important that you talk to a doctor to learn more about it. Your physician may also advise some changes in your lifestyle, such as an exercise program, proper diet, and medications to help alleviate the symptoms caused by male menopause.