Tag: food

Discovering Hyponatremia and Preventing It!

How many people really know without reaching for a dictionary what hyponatremia is? The bad news is that most people are unaware of what it is, yet it is a very dangerous condition that occurs quite often. Much more often than it really should in fact. To blame for the heightened occurrences is the fact that most people do not understand the proper fluid levels that should be maintained during exercise. This is particularly important during those exercises that are quite intensive such as marathons and endurance activities.

Hyponatremia is so important because it involves the blood sodium levels in the body. It is important that these levels be maintained in a proper proportion in order for the body to remain healthy. If the levels are adjusted through extreme sweating or even an over abundance of water consumption then Hyponatremia can occur which creates several problems. If you are seeing a sports medicine doctor and discussing participating in an endurance activity be sure to thoroughly ask about hyponatremia so that you can avoid it as much as possible.

Hyponatremia is important because it occurs when sodium levels are greatly decreased. This occurs in the normal process of sweating. However, creating the actual problem is when athletes consume large amounts of water continuously, which further reduces the ratio of the blood sodium levels. This lowered ratio is what creates the problems of hyponatremia. However, the solution is sometimes quite easy, but unless you have discussed the problem with your doctor, you are unlikely to know.

Symptoms of hyponatremia are as subtle as a nauseated feeling, some small muscle cramps, possibly being disoriented and even a bit confused mentally. This is quite often mistaken for just simply being dehydrated which will prompt many people to reach for more water to drink, which ultimately makes the problem much worse. Extreme cases of hyponatremia include symptoms such as comas, seizures and in the most extreme cases, death is possible.

In order to really prevent and treat hyponatremia it is vital that you drink a sports drink that contains sodium, or else eat a food with sodium especially higher levels of sodium to quickly restore the proper levels to the body. In addition, cutting back on the plain water consumption until sodium levels are higher is also advised. If you are having severe symptoms, it is best to see a doctor immediately, preferably a sports medicine doctor who is knowledgeable about treatment options.

In order to prevent hyponatremia there are a few things that you can easily do. The first is ensuring that you are keeping a sports energy drink on hand to continuously drink. While drinking water is important as well, the sports energy drink will help replenish sodium levels while the water will flush more sodium from the body.
If you do not have hypertension discuss with your doctor increasing your sodium intake levels for a few days before the endurance event. Only increase your sodium levels under the watchful eye of your doctor or you could create problems with hypertension where none previously existed.

Additionally, it is best to always drink plenty of fluids. The best guideline to use is a cup of fluids, which is 8 ounces for each 20 minutes of activity. If you are engaging in an hour-long endurance activity that would translate into 3 cups of fluids.

Additionally, it is best to only replace fluids that you lose. This means that you should avoid adding additional fluids to your body that are not needed. For example if you lose 2 pounds from fluid loss, you should replace the fluids that were lost. This would not mean drinking more than 4 cups of fluids at a maximum to replace the missing fluids.

With proper precautions, you can avoid having a problem with hyponatremia and instead enjoy participating safely in the endurance activity of your choice. With careful medical treatment and proper prevention, it is not a problem that will force you to stop engaging in sports; rather it can make you more aware of your bodies nutritional requirements.

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Know More about Smile Glen Ellyn Teeth Whitening

Teeth do not remain white. This is a part of life. Some teeth get discoloration from various things such as food, coffee and tobacco. Others may get discoloration from poor dental hygiene. Not enough brushing can cause your teeth to become yellowish in color. Then, theres also genetics. Some people may try their best to make their teeth whiter by brushing, but genetics can sometimes get in the way. Some people are just born to have discolored teeth. However, that does not mean that they have to live with discolored teeth. People who want to have whiter teeth can try various whitening products or services. One service that rises above the rest is Smile Glen Ellyn Teeth whitening.

The Smile Glen Ellyn teeth whitening service uses two different methods in giving you a more radiant smile. In order to find the proper method for you, you need to come in for an interview and preliminary examination. A specialist will be able to tell you if you are, indeed, qualified for a teeth whitening procedure. Here are the two methods used by the Smile Glen Ellyn teeth whitening service:

1) At-home Many patients opt to have the at home procedure from Smile Glen Ellyn teeth whitening services. This is because of the fact that many people do not have the time to spare to go to the dentist for a long appointment. This method, as implied by the name, can be brought home. A patient is fitted with a mouthpiece which would hold the bleaching material against the patients teeth. The results for this procedure are excellent.

There are a few things that need to be said about this method, however. First of all, this method takes a longer time than a procedure done in the office. Up to 10 days of treatment may be recommended by a dentist for better results. This is because of the fact that it involves less concentrations of bleaching agent. However, there are also instances during the treatment when your teeth may become sensitive to heat and cold. In case this happens, a desensitizing agent is provided.

Hey, sometimes beauty takes sacrifice, right?

2) In-office This procedure is more effective than the at-home method, and may require several appointments to complete. This method involves higher concentrations of bleaching agents and therefore, requires a professional to supervise it. In this procedure, your gums are covered in order to protect them from the adverse effects of the bleaching agent. After the agent is applied, a high-intensity light is applied to speed up its activation.

The ZOOM! Treatment is included in the at-home method of smile glen Ellyn teeth whitening services. This treatment was made famous by the show extreme makeover. This treatment is designed for people who want to have whiter teeth but do not have very much time to get them. The ZOOM treatment offers same day lightening. Within one hour, you can have the whiter teeth that you dream of. Isnt that just amazing?
One of the questions surrounding the smile glen Ellyn teeth whitening services is safety. People want to know if the procedure will help and not harm them. Be assured, professionals will supervise the bleaching process and Smile glen Ellyn teeth whitening services will not leave you susceptible to tooth decay or other harm.

Sore Throat Set off by Acid Reflux

Acid reflux refers to the condition in which the partially digested food containing digestive juices travels back into the esophagus from the mouth.

To describe the mechanical layout of this disease, our digestive system has a circular band of muscle called lower esophageal sphincter. This muscle splits the stomach from the esophagus. When the food enters the stomach, this muscle closes so as to prevent the partially digested materials from traveling back into the esophagus. But when the lower esophageal sphincter is rendered incompetent, the stomach contents are allowed to regurgitate or spit up.

The stomach contents that moves back to the esophagus contains digestive acids since they have undergone digestion in the stomach where digestive liquids are released to facilitate the digestion. Because of the acidic nature of the refluxed materials, inflammation develops in the lining of the throat; thus a sore throat is one of the most common symptoms of this condition.

Sore throat is usually associated with other symptoms, though sometimes it is uncommon, such as the occurrence of pus on the tonsil surface and drooling or frequent spitting. Moreover, a patient with sore throat may also experience difficulty in breathing caused by the narrowing of the air passage through the larynx or pharynx.

The pain or other difficulties caused by sore throat can be abated, if not treated, with simple self-treatments that can be done at home. Gargling is a recommended practice. You may try gargling with warm water mixed with table salt. Drinking a lot of water is also very important. Get extra sleep, for this encourages faster recovery. Popsicles or cold drinks are good for sore throats. Humidifiers or vaporizers can be used to sooth the pain in the throat. And also, sucking on solid candies, which help promote saliva production, works as an alternative remedy. It is known that saliva contains bicarbonates that help neutralize the acids that might have remained in the throat due to the reflux.

But if home-treatments are not enough to ease your condition with the sore throat, medical treatments are available. The intake of medicine is particularly advised for those who experience associated symptoms like difficulty in breathing, dehydration or body water loss, and severe pains. Take antibiotics if you feel that viral or bacterial infections have further developed in the throat. Also, rheumatic fever can be prevented from arising, though this condition is very much uncommon. Corticosteroids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect, can help in case of critical sore throat conditions.

Preventive measures and remedies, of course, are available to minimize the incidence of acid reflux, and sore throat, as well. One practical and immediate treatment is the application of gravity; that is, the person is kept in upright position at most times so to hold the digested materials down. Gravity can help prevent regurgitation, or the traveling of the stomach contents back up to the esophagus.

Eating habits should also be changed to facilitate in the treatment of acid reflux. Usual cases of acid reflux usually take place after a meal. It is recommended that evening meals should be taken earlier and in smaller quantities. This is so that the stomach can get emptied in a shorter period of time as compared to when heavy meals are eaten. Moreover, patients with acid reflux have less chances of regurgitating when they lie down.

Medications are also available. Some drugs act to neutralize the acids in the stomach and some work by blocking the production of acids by controlling the actions of histamine.

Using Acid Reflux Medicine to Get Rid of the Annoying

Using Acid Reflux Medicine to Get Rid of the Annoying Heartburns

Alcohol lovers would often love to match their drink with spicy dishes and greasy and fatty foods. The perfect combination makes the drinking perfect to the palate. Unfortunately though, this is bad for the esophagus and the stomach. The alcohol, the spicy dishes and the greasy and fatty foods causes acid reflux or also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Other causes of acid reflux are pregnancy, genetic influences, presence of infection in the gastrointestinal tract, and the Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).

The Gastrointestinal System of the body is composed of the following: the oral cavity, the esophagus, the stomach, small intestine, large intestine and the anus. The main function of the Gastrointestinal System is to digest food particles, absorb digestive juices and eliminate undigested materials which are of course the feces.

The acid reflux affects the stomach and the esophagus. This occurs when the liquid from the stomach which contains pepsin, an irritating substance produced by the chief cells goes up to the esophagus passing through the cardiac sphincter. The cardiac sphincter is the opening to the stomach from the esophagus. Its function is to prevent reflux of the substances in the stomach because these substances cause esophageal irritation and ulcer. If the cardiac sphincter fails to close after receiving food from the esophagus, acid reflux occurs.

Acid reflux is a chronic condition. Once a person suffers from it, it becomes a life-long ordeal. Injury in the esophagus also is a chronic condition. Even if the esophagus has healed with treatment and it is being stopped, the injury will return in most patients within a few months. Once treatment for said illness is begun, it usually needs to be continued indefinitely.

Normally, liquid reflux in the stomach occurs to a healthy individual. However, people with the acid reflux or GERD, has more acid in the liquid. This may be caused by the genetic influences, specifically, an increased number of parietal cells which produce pepsin in the stomach.
The body has mechanisms to protect itself from the harmful effects of reflux and acid. Most reflux happens during the day when individuals are upright. In said position, the refluxed liquid is more likely to flow back down into the stomach due to gravity. Moreover, while individuals are awake, they continually swallow, regardless if there is reflux or not. Each time individuals swallow the reflux liquid slide back into the stomach. The last body defense to reflux is the salivary glands in the mouth. These glands produce saliva, which contains bicarbonate. Every time an individual swallows, the bicarbonate-containing saliva slides down the esophagus. The bicarbonate neutralizes the small amount of acid that remains in the esophagus.

Basically, acid reflux medicines inhibit the production or release of pepsin produced by the chief cells and hydrochloric acid produced by the parietal cells in the stomach. Other medicines may not totally inhibit the production but they neutralize the acid.

The acid reflux medicines are the Histamine Blockers or the H2 receptor antagonists. Histamine stimulates a pump in the stomach that releases hydrochloric acid. The H2 receptor antagonists prevent the histamine from stimulating this pump. They block the production of the hydrochloric acid thereby reducing secretion and concentration into the stomach.

One of the acid reflux medicines is the Cimetidine which was introduced in 1975. It has a short half-life and short duration of action. The three most popular H2 blockers are Ranitidine, Famotidine and Nizatidine. They are more potent than Cimetidine because in addition to blocking gastric acid secretions, they also promote healing of the ulcer by eliminating its cause. They also have longer duration of action.

As the clich goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, you can avoid having an acid reflux or GERD by avoiding too much smoking and alcohol, and by eating less of spicy and greasy food. When taking NSAIDs, be sure you take it after meals. Lastly, avoid stress because it stimulates the release of the deadly acid.