Tag: cough

Congestive Heart

A congestive heart can be fatal without the proper treatments. That is why today the government spends a lot of time and resources researching for cures and preventatives.
When you suffer from having a congestive heart then the heart is not able to maintain adequate circulation of blood in the tissues of the body or to pump out the venous blood returned to it by venous circulation. It is very important for all patients to understand what their heart is doing so they may take action to prevent any failure by the heart.

We do realize that you cannot see inside your chest and know what is going on but there are symptoms that will clue you into the fact that you are having some problems. All of a sudden, you notice that you have a shortness of breath whenever you try to walk or go up and down steps. This is one of the major signs of heart congestion.

All of a sudden, you realize that you tire easily and feel constantly tired even after a good nights rest. Fatigue and tiring is another signal that you should call your physician with concerns about your possibility of congestive heart problems. When you find the swelling of the feet, ankles, legs and occasionally the abdomen are constant and very discomforting then you should check with your doctor. Persistent coughing, raspy breathing or wheezing is another symptom of having a congestive heart.

“If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your doctor.”

Suddenly you find that you are gaining weigh and have no way of controlling this gain. When you diet but still find that you are gaining weight, perhaps the problem is with your heart. The fact that you are still gaining weight without any cause may have cause for alarm. This is a symptom of a congestive heart. Breathing can be come rather difficult even when you are lying down. A cough or wheeze may also occur along with spitting up red sputum. These are all signals of a congestive heart and you should see your physician before it becomes congestive heart failure.

You are really into problems if you have chest pain feel palpitations of the heart and develop a fever do not hesitate go straight to the emergency room as this is a signal that your congestive heart failure is happening. You might have started out with some ankle swelling, feet swelling and leg swelling at that point I would immediately contact my physician. I am sure that at this point your physician will send you to a cardiologist. A cardiologist is a heart specialist.

A heart specialist can make suggestions that will help you maintain a healthy life style and provide you with the proper medical care. A proper diet is essential in having a healthy heart. Medicine has improved over the years and so has procedures that your cardiologist will advise you. Congestive heart problems need not become a situation of heart failure.

Infectious Mononucleosis

Also known as mononucleosis or mono Pfeiffer’s disease or glandular fever, infectious mononucleosis can be identified by inflamed lymph glands and constant fatigue. The disease is named so as the amount of mononuclear leukocytes which belong to white cells increase in number. The cause of the disease is EBV (Epstein – Barr virus) or in some cases cytomegalovirus. Both these viruses belong to the family of herpes simplex. According to statistic majority of the adults in the United States are exposed to the virus Epstein Barr, a very widespread virus. Although the virus does not show any visible affects in children but it does in adolescents which can lead to infectious mononucleosis in nearly fifty percent of cases of exposure to the virus.

The other virus called cytomegalovirus which also belongs to the family of herpes simplex causes the cells to become enlarged. According to statistics, about eighty percent of adolescents infected with this virus generally dont see any further symptoms. Although EBV has potential to develop infectious mononucleosis in adolescents the virus could make throat and blood cells its home for the lifetime. The virus has the capability to bounce back and reactive from time to time but the consolation is that it would reactivate without symptoms.

The condition usually lasts for 1-2 months. The symptoms may vary from one adolescent to other but may include inflamed lymph glands in areas such as groin, neck and armpits, fever, continuous fatigue, enlarged spleen, sore throat as a result of tonsillitis that can make things difficult to swallow and last but not the least minor liver damage that can lead to short-term jaundice. Some adolescents may also experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, petechial hemorrhage, muscle ache, headache, depression, loss of appetite, skin rash, weakness, dizziness, enlarged prostrate, dry cough, swelled genitals and puffy and swollen eyes. Some parents are puzzled by the symptoms of mononucleosis as it may be similar to other medical conditions. It is safe to consult a doctor in such cases.

The viruses are usually transmitted to other people through saliva (the reason why it is also called kissing disease), blood, sharing drinks and sharing utensils. The symptoms usually lasts for 4-6 weeks and do not cross 4 months. The disease is diagnosable but requires a though medical history of the adolescent. The diagnosis also involves physical examination of the adolescent and is based on symptoms reported to the physician. The diagnosis is further supported by laboratory test like blood test, antibody test and test to count white blood cells.

A rest of about a month is generally advised and normal activities can be resumed after acute symptoms disappear. Also care should be taken to avoid physical activities which are heavy in nature and also activities or sports involving physical contacts should also be avoided. Care must also be taken to avoid eating sweet things in excess for few months.

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Acid Reflux Disease Symptoms: Knowing your Body

Acid reflux disease is a condition in which the stomach acids abnormally reflux into the esophagus. This phenomenon is irregularly experienced by most people, most especially after eating.

Our body uses gastric and stomach acids to break down the food that we eat. Normally, after the digestion in the stomach, the food is delivered by the digestive muscles to the intestines for extra digestion. But in patients who have acid reflux disease, the acidic stomach contents are moved back to the esophagus, which then causes inflammation. Cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, pregnancy, and fatty foods are some factors which worsens acid reflux conditions.

Our present knowledge about acid reflux based on medical researches tells us that this disease is common in men as it is in women. There is no sexual preference. Moreover, the prevalence of acid reflux is more frequent in people of 40 years of age or more.

Symptoms of acid reflux may be typical or atypical. But based on the diagnosis of acid reflux patients, only 70% of those who have this disease manifest typical symptoms.

Typical or esophageal symptoms concern indicators which are related with the esophagus. Such symptoms include the following:

Heartburn. This is a condition in which the patient feels a painful burning feeling in the esophagus. The pain often develops in the chest and may swell to the neck or throat. This is most probable to occur in relation with these activities: after a heavy meal, lifting, bending over, and lying down. Based on one study, about 75% of acid reflux patients experience this symptom at night. These nigh-time patients also tend to experience more harsh pain than those whose symptom occurs at other times.

Dyspepsia. Researches show that about half of acid reflux patients have dyspepsia. This is a syndrome which consists of pain and distress in the upper abdomen, nausea after a meal, and stomach fullness. It is not a rule however, that those who have dyspepsia have acid reflux.

Regurgitation. This is when the gastric contents back up into the pharynx and sometimes as far as the mouth. In cases where the acids have spilled into the tracheobronchial tree, respiratory complications can be stimulated.

There are many instances, though, that acid reflux patients do not manifest symptoms such as regurgitation and heartburn. Instead, they experience atypical or extraesophageal symptoms which include the following:

Throat Symptoms. Although it does not commonly happen, acid reflux patients suffer from symptoms that occur in the throat. Hoarseness, the feeling of having a lump in the throat, dry cough are undergone by those who have acid laryngitis, a throat symptom. Patients can also have difficulty in swallowing, a condition known as dysphagia. In critical cases, the food may get trapped in the throat or even choke, which can result to a severe chest pain. Other throat symptoms are chronic sore throat and persistent hiccups.

Vomiting and Nausea. When a patient suffers from nausea which persists for weeks, he may have acid reflux. There are few instances where vomiting can occur as often as once a day.

Respiratory Symptoms. Coughing and wheezing are counted as respiratory symptoms. These result from the overrunning of the stomach acids into the tracheobronchial tree creating bronchoconstriction.

Acid reflux disease can last for several months if not given proper medical attention. Drug treatment may only be required for a short time. But when the symptoms tend to repetitively occur, the drug treatment may have to be reapplied.

Overlooking Acid Reflux Disease in Children

An 11-year-old boy in Boston developed a Gastro esophageal reflux Disease (GERD). According to his mother, Cathy, it was the end of June in the year 2005 when his son developed a cough which usually happens during sleep, and even during daytime. It is only a short dry cough symptom. His pediatrician thought it was only allergy, however, when his son was tested, result showed that his son had no allergy. According to her, it was his sons asthma that relates to GERD.

Studies show that GERD is likewise normal to infants and children like in adults, though this fact is often times being overlooked. The symptoms come in continual sickness, coughing, and other respiratory trouble.

Children are vulnerable to GERD because of their immature digestive system. Truth is majority of the infants grow out of GERD once they reach the age of one year old.

The medical specialists further stated that symptoms for children may come in difficulty in swallowing foods, or failure to grow. The doctors recommended that in situation like this it is best to lessen the amount of acid in the childrens stomach before it could lead to acid reflux, since this disease is not very curable in children.

However, the doctor suggested some approaches to avoid acid reflux on children; an example of these is burping the infant quite a few times during feeding, or letting the infant stay in an erect position for 30 minutes after nourishing.

Although, for a child ages three and up, doctors suggested to keep them off from sodas that includes caffeine like soft drinks, carbonated drinks, spicy foods like peppermint, acidic foods like citrus fruits, too much chocolate, and fried and fatty foods. Ideally, establishing a healthy eating habit diet can really decrease the acid reflux in children.

It is also suggested that children will eat smaller meals before sleeping, if possible, do not allow them to eat two to three hours before sleeping, also, elevate the head of their bed for at least 30 degrees.

Further treatments include the use of H2 blockers; this is available in any drugs store. Prevacid, proton plump inhibitors, can also be used in treating acid flux for children.

However, if these treatments fail to stop the symptoms, other treatment method needs to be done. It is very atypical, but doctors recommends surgery, this is so far the best treatment for relentless symptoms which do not anymore counter to other treatments.

The Esophageal reflux surgery for children is designated for children who have had unsuccessful medical treatments, and continuous surgery is essential as the child grows.

Now, if you get confused whether when is the time to consult a pediatrician regarding acid reflux. The answer is you observe, observe the amounts of vomiting of the child, if it already comes out in green or yellow or appears to be like blood or coffee grounds, there difficulty in breathing after vomiting, and there is pain in swallowing, immediately consult a pediatrician before the symptom gets aggravated.

So to prevent the occurrence of this disease, stay away from the habit of leaning forward after eating, or worse, sleeping after taking a large amount of food.

Take note, advanced acid reflux disease has a great possibility to end serious medical complications, and it may lead to hospitalization.

Be keen of the possible symptoms so will not overlook it. Take care of your kids.