Tag: heart diseases

Health Benefits of Fish Oil

One of the reasons why people take fish oil supplements is due to the various health benefits that they offer. Fish oil has long been known to contain essential fatty acids that are known to be very beneficial in maintaining ones good health. Here are some of those benefits.

Heart Disease
One of the more common benefits that fish oil is known to offer people involves heart health. Various studies through the years have shown that the long chain omega 3 fatty acids contained in fish oil may help reduce the risk of heart diseases in humans. These essential fatty acids may also help lower LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream ad therefore help reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Not only that, omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil are also known to increase the levels of HDL, or good, cholesterol.

Prevent Inflammation
One of the more beneficial properties of omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil is their anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Fish oil can be used to prevent or reduce the inflammation of the tissues. Regular consumption of fish oil has been known to help those people who are suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases. Fish oil has also been known to be effective in treating certain gastrointestinal disorders as well as ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Arthritis Treatment
Due to its good anti-inflammatory properties, fish oil is a good supplement that can help ease the pain brought about by arthritis and rheumatism. Fish oil supplements can help reduce the use of NSAIDs or Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs for treating such conditions. In osteoarthritis, fish oils prove helpful in trying to reduce the functions of certain enzymes that may destroy or damage cartilage tissues in the body.

Weight Loss
Fish oil may also prove beneficial for those people who are trying to lose weight. It sees that taking fish oil supplements may help a lot during the weight loss process. Fish oil has been known to improve the efficiency of exercise in trying to lose weight. Studies have shown that people who were given fish oil as part of their diet seem to lose weight more when exercising than those people under the same program but were not given fish oil in their diet.

Eye Disorders
Another benefit that many experts have extolled on fish oil involves the treatment of certain eye disorders. Consuming fish oil on a regular basis seems to help people avoid the effects of age related macular degeneration. More studies are being undertaken in order to prove further just how effective fish oil can be in trying to help people maintain good eye health.

Skin Health
Another known benefit associated with fish oil consumption is skin health. Fish oil is known to contain nutrients that can help change dry and poorly maintained skin look shiny and glowing. Fish oil has also been known to be effective in treating other skin conditions such as eczema, skin lesions and rashes.

Fish oil can be applied topically on the skin to help relieve the effects of psoriasis. Regular fish oil intake can also help retain moisture in the skin.

Male Menopause: Symptoms and Treatment

The term “male menopause” is used to refer to the condition of men who have hormone levels drop after mid-life.

Male menopause is a subject of controversy in the medical society. In the case of women, menopause is related with the termination of a bodily operation, like when the monthly menstruation periods stop. Also, a critical drop in the hormone levels in women occurs along with menopause. For these reasons, doctors are debating on whether male menopause really exists.

In the case of men in their middle and elderly years, smaller quantities of testosterone are being created by the testicles. This is believed to be the underlying reasons behind the occurrence of symptoms of male menopause.

Men with menopause usually suffer from irritability, sleep disturbance, low sex drive, sweating, anxiety, sadness, memory problems, and erectile dysfunction.

In most cases, erectile dysfunction may be caused by other disorders. But testosterone deficiency may be one possibility.

It is important that men who suffer from symptoms related to low levels of testosterone be subjected to medical investigations like blood tests to evaluate testosterone levels.

Other reasons for having short testosterone levels include testicular dysfunction and probable inherited features.

As a treatment, hormone replacement therapy is being recommended for men with low levels of testosterone and symptoms that come with it.

Hormone replacement may not be applicable to older men who seek treatment for their erectile dysfunction unless they actually have very minimal levels of androgen. As for younger men with known hormone deficiency, it has been proven that nominal doses of testosterone can improve interest in sex.

Testosterone replacement therapy, which is also called as androgen replacement therapy, aims to reduce the symptoms brought about by male menopause. This method is a lifelong treatment, since testosterone deficiency is generally a permanent condition.

Testosterone replacement therapy is usually given as an oral prescription, implants, or injections.

The injection of testosterone is usually carried out once every two weeks.

The oral drugs are especially prescribed to those who can’t stand injections or implants.

The testosterone implants, which are being inserted under the skin of the buttock or abdomen work for a period of months. The implant works by releasing testosterone directly into the bloodstream.

Androgen therapy, however, comes with potential side effects and risks.

With low testosterone levels, the prostate tends to shrink. Hormone replacement therapy cannot recover a physically reduced prostate since it does not have influence in the levels of prostate specific antigen.

Androgen therapy may not be a cause of increased risk of prostate cancer for those who have naturally greater testosterone levels in the same age bracket.

On the other hand, the safety of hormone replacement therapy and its possible effects on the prostate, mental functioning, and cardiovascular system still need to undergo proper researches. Moreover, there is also a need to assess the probable benefits of androgen therapy on the bones and muscles.

Androgen therapy is said to increase the risk of heart diseases, although researches on this subject are uncertain. It is a known fact, however, that those with low testosterone levels have been found among heart attack victims. This opens the possibility that hormone replacement therapy could help prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Older men undiagnosed of prostate cancer should also take caution when being applied with androgens.

Sleep apnea, or the cessation of breathing during sleep, is also considered as a rare risk with hormone therapy.

Public Health

Experts are outraged over the fact that the U.S. Government does not track Heart Diseases. American Heart Association feels that since heart failure is the number one killer amongst men and women that it should concern the government since it does concern the public health. Our government should track national rates of heart disease and stroke to help cut the incidences of these prime causes of death.

Currently data is collected by different sources and then published once a year in the AHA annual Heart Disease and Stroke journal. The Public Health does not keep a record of heart diseases as they do for other illnesses. The doctors of today have to rely on information provided by different sources as journals and magazines. The Public Health is for everybody’s concern and since the government controls this division, it is highly advisable that they start tracking patients with heart problems.

It is true that the American Heart Association has been doing a great job compiling this information from many and various sources. The fact is that there are many missing pieces, and it is not a good idea to have a nongovernmental agency, with no authority to modify data collected. The fact that the Public Health Department has no control over the facts or evaluation means that changes are slowly improved.

The Public Health Department has the capability of being a surveillance unit that can evaluate how data gets collected then make changes as needed. The Public Health Department can make sure that everyone in the medical field has access to all the information concerning the heart.

It is up to the Public Health Department to gather the needed information from the primary physicians, simply have the physicians report heart disease and stroke whenever possible. The information shared with doctors and patients would be much more obtainable. The public is under the false impression that the medical field is well informed about heart diseases. The truth about the situation is that there is no formal method of collecting data. That in reality without the efforts of the AHA doctors would not be as advanced as they are today concerning heart related problems. The current data collected by surveys needs some modification to help with increasing the physician’s capability to treat heart patients.

– National surveys should expand existing questions on risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and other vascular diseases. Include in the survey risk factors such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, smoking and obesity.

– The Public Health System should standardize data collection across existing surveys to eliminate duplication and make information easier to compare.

– Laboratory results on cholesterol levels and blood sugar control to information collected from physician visits needs to be compiled for the possibility of discovering any connections to heart problems. The Public Health Department duty should be to maintain these records for our own safety and well-being.

Let us note that heart health is of interest to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers advice on how to keep your heart healthy.

How To Prevent Strokes

When blood circulation in the brain fails, the result is a stroke. Also known as a brain attack, brain cells die from decreased blood flow and lack of oxygen. The two main categories of a stroke are those where a blockage of blood flow to the brain and those caused by bleeding in or of the brain. Not usually life threatening, the blockage of a blood vessel in the neck or brain a causes roughly 80 percent of all strokes. Bleeding into the brain or surrounding areas of the brain causes the second kind of strokes or a hemorrhagic stroke. Sudden numbness, confusion, speech slurring, dizziness or loss of balance and headaches without cause are the symptoms that some suffering from a stroke may experience. Prevention is the key to managing your risk and prevents you from having to go through the damaging effects of a stroke. Simple lifestyle changes can greatly reduce your risk for strokes and increase your overall health simultaneously.

Many factors contribute to a persons risk for stroke, age is one of them. Anyone can have a stroke at any age but a persons risk increased double after the age of 55. African Americans unfortunately have a higher risk for strokes than other races. If you have suffered a stroke in the past or have experienced a mini stroke, this increases your chances of having another in the future. Alcohol use and smoking both are contributing factors of persons who have suffered a stroke and being overweight. Persons with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and irregular heat rhythm can cause a person to have a stroke. The ways to reduce your chances of having a stroke are many and very manageable and will produce some beneficial life changes. First and foremost, stop smoking. If you smoke, stop as soon as you can. Smoking is the major cause of numerous illnesses. Drink less alcohol and loss weight if you are overweight.

Try your best to control any other illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure and change your eating habits. You have the power to prevent strokes by incorporating any or all of these very minor lifestyle changes. One of the most effective methods is to eat healthier foods. Almonds, apples, cinnamon, fish and oatmeal all contain ingredients that lower cholesterol and heart diseases as well as the possibility of having a stroke. Dark chocolates, tea, and strawberries are other foods that contain nutrients that benefit the body and help to maintain good immune systems. If you have suffered from a stroke in the past there are things that you have control over to prevent the reoccurrence of strokes. Prevention of a reoccurrence of a stroke and maintaining good health include medications and getting regular exercise to control heartbeat and breathing. Reducing your intake of harmful agents like caffeine, animal fats, and sugars and limiting your intake of processed foods. The most important thing is to rearrange your lifestyle to a healthier way of living, taking care of your body in whole to prevent diseases of all kinds to improve your quality of life for the long term.

No matter if you are above the age of 55 or if you still have decades to go, you definitely need to consider the prevention of strokes. You may have had a horrible diet and awful exercise habits in the past, but changing can help you see positive effects right away. On top of the mental clarity that comes from physical health, you can prevent things like strokes from happening. So tomorrow instead of wasting time in front of the TV or reading the paper, you should get your tennis shoes on and go for a run or a brisk walk. If that doesnt sound like your cup of tea, you can also benefit from stretching, swimming, playing tennis, or any other physical activity that you enjoy.