Tag: malnutrition

Maximising Manhood and Beating Male Menopause, Believe You Can

When a man reaches the age of 45, he started to worry of the next stage-death. Subsequently, his fear of being the next in line among his friends or relatives who had passed away drives him to do some silly things. And his tendency is to find more exciting things to venture on, just so he could hide the inactiveness and hormonal changes hes feeling inside.

That stage in man’s life is called male menopause or andropause in medical terms.

Loss of vitality and fluctuation of virility level are the primary symptoms of andropause. This is due to the changes in production of the male sex hormones. In most cases, this predicament occurs at the age of 45 up to 55. But before the occurrence of andropause, there comes the mid-life crisis.

Dr. Malcolm Carruthers, the author of the book Maximizing Manhood: Beating male menopause explained the difference and occurrence of mid-life crisis and andropause.

These two distinct stages among males are often confused as one. In its real essence, these two are linked with each other since mid-life crisis happens between 35-45 years old right before the andropause period.

However, andropause comes early depending on how bad a man reacts to his mid-life crisis. Or, that it could be delayed if he had sustained a healthy and active lifestyle before this period.

Other signs of andropause include the abnormal drop of energy level, becoming more irritable, loss of sex drives and depression. Although some would consider these instances normal due to aging, you can still do something to overcome these effects. In medicine, andropause had grown to be a problem rather than a stage in life. For this reason, medical science has formulated solutions to this crisis.

Testosterone replacement therapy is formulated to relieve the symptoms of andropause among men. TRT comes in capsule, cream, implant or hormone patch forms. There are also claims for the efficiency of pills that contain male hormones and which can also relieve the symptoms of andropause. For those where neither of these works, pellet implant is also advisable. Testosterone pellets are implanted under the skin of the buttocks. The choice of which depends on how your body reacts to it. See which will work for you best.

The crisis in mans life called andropause is neither inherited nor natural for all men. Unlike that inevitable period among women called menopause, andropause can be beaten.

According to Carruthers study, there are external factors affecting the declination of testosterone level. Commonly, men living a healthy lifestyle decline in testosterone level by 1% yearly when he reaches the age of 40 to 70. This decrease of testosterone is more manifested among the unhealthy men.

Another factor which triggers the symptoms is stress. Both psychological and physical stresses which resorted to too much alcohol and cigarette consumption had aggravated the symptoms.

In most cases, effects of malnutrition or nutritional deficiency are accounted to andropause. Symptoms such as anxiety, loss of memory and low sex drive could be due to aging or deficiency of chromium.

So examining it closely, not all men could suffer the effects of andropause. Such crisis is a big insult to a male body. And staying healthy, especially as you age, is a powerful weapon to overcome male menopause.

What is Congestive Heart Failure?

It’s a terrifying moment for many patients: the moment when the doctor enters their hospital room and informs them they are suffering from congestive heart failure. Many people do not know what congestive heart failure is or what it means for their life, and they ask themselves, “Is congestive heart failure the end of my world as I know it?”

Congestive heart failure occurs when for whatever reason the heart is unable to effectively pump the blood through the body. This usually occurs when the heart muscle is weak due to disease or stressed beyond its ability to function. Congestive heart failure is usually a secondary disease following another cardiac condition, primarily either coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, valvular disease, or cardiac arrhythmias, with coronary artery disease carrying the poorest prognosis. It may also follow a myocardial infarction, renal failure, sepsis or severe anemia.

Each side of the heart has a different function, and therefore will have a slightly different effect on the body when it is unable to fulfill that function. If it is the left side of the heart that has failed accumulation of fluid in and around the lungs will cause the patient to experience difficulty breathing, and the kidneys will respond to the reduced blood in the circulation by retaining fluid as well. If it is the right side that fails the excess fluid accumulates in the venous system, giving the patient a generalized edema that becomes more severe as their condition deteriorates.

Dyspnea is the prevalent presenting symptom in congestive heart failure, although the severity will vary from patient to patient. Some will possess perfectly normal pulmonary function until under exertion, such as while exercising, walking up stairs or mowing their lawn; others will have so much fluid accumulated that simply rising from bed in the morning will prove difficult. These patients will also usually become easily fatigued due to a lack of oxygen to the tissues. Heart failure will also cause a condition known as pitting edema, in which the body retains fluid to the point that when pressure is applied to specific spot on the body the indentation remains (non-pitting edema is not caused by heart failure).

Treatment of congestive heart failure consists primarily of treating the symptoms. Vital signs should be taken regularly, and often diuretics will be prescribed to facilitate expulsion of accumulated fluid from the body. While in the hospital fluid intake and output will be measured very carefully. Patients will probably be placed in an upright position to assist in moving fluid from around the heart and lungs, given potassium supplements and prescribed bed rest for a period of time. BUN levels and serum creatinine, potassium, sodium, chloride and bicarbonate levels are monitered frequently by a physician.

There are several factors that contribute to congestive heart failure and, if diagnosed, should be treated and maintained. These include hypertension, anemia or poycythemia, endocrine disorders, malnutrition, drug or alcohol use and obesity. Therefore, it is very important that patients suffering from congestive heart failure pay particular attention to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A doctor can aid in establishing the best diet and exercise plan with each individual to prevent placing undue stress on the heart and lungs.

While no said cure exists for congestive heart failure and the prognosis varies from case to case, by following a strict diet and exercise program, taking all prescribed medications regularly and maintaining a close relationship with their physicians many patients who suffer from heart failure can continue to lead a fairly normal life.

How acid reflux disease could be diagnosed and treated among

How acid reflux disease could be diagnosed and treated among infants

Do you find a hard time feeding your infant because of persistent spitting and vomiting? Dont just take it for granted. It could be a gastro esophageal reflux and it needs proper attention before it severely affects the health of your baby. Worse, acid reflux disease can lead to malnutrition and poor growth.

Infant acid reflux is an uncomfortable sensation for the baby since the acids that reflux to the esophagus irritates the babys throat. Commonly, acid reflux disease occurs when abdominal pressure increases while the baby is very full. Coughing and crying right after the baby had been fed can result to that pressure in the upper stomach which pushes the stomach acid to the throat.

The noticeable symptoms on the baby suffering from acid reflux are the adverse loss of weight, continual vomiting, recurrent choking episodes, too much drooling, problems in swallowing, hoarseness, food aversion and chronic ear infection.

While there are noticeable symptoms of acid reflux, some infants may not show signs such as throwing up. Its because their tendency is to swallow up the acids instead. Although the child is not pestered by the reflux, this could still result to irritation and damage to the esophagus. One way of detecting silent acid reflux on infants is through the pH probe.

To diagnose acid reflux on infants, certain tests could be made. One of which is the barium test where the infant has to swallow a little amount of barium. Then the doctor could detect the passage of food outlined by the chemical. However, it will only work in the moment that the child is undergoing acid reflux while being tested. In place of barium, a radioactive solution could also be made to swallow before an x-ray. Through this, the frequency of the acid reflux could be tested. An endoscope views the infants mouth, esophagus and the tract of food in the stomach.

The effective cure for infant acid reflux is a thickened formula. This could be done by adding cereal into the babys food. And when feeding the infant, keep him in an upright position and not lying on his back. The same case is true when changing the diaper, especially after feeding when you know that the infant is still full. It would be best if the infant can burp frequently to reduce the acid reflux. Small amount of meals should be given at short time intervals.

Breastfeeding will also serve as a great help to decrease the vomiting and the symptoms of acid reflux in infants. The nutrients in a mothers breast milk have been proven to supplement the needs of the infants. Plus, the natural formulation of breast milk avoids the side effects such as constipation in chemically prepared medications. However, the pediatrician can prescribe other medications to give relief to the infant in times of discomfort. The parents must take note of the critical administration of the drug. In case that the particular formula prescribed does not work or results to graver side effects, it is advised to shift to a new one.

Once infant acid reflux is detected, precautionary measures should immediately follow. Since the infant cannot yet speak of the discomfort he is suffering, parents should be patient enough to attend to their needs.

Existing Treatment For Celiac Disease

Instead of going round and round, Im going to tell you now: theres no existing treatment that could cure Celiac disease. Theres no one medicine that can help eliminate the symptoms. Theres no one operation that can solve the problem.

However, there are ways to manage the disease. The symptoms are bad and can be dangerous, but with proper measures, you can live a normal life without any complications or problems. The basic, and probably the best, way to manage the disease is through your diet.

Celiac disease is a digestive condition that is caused when you eat the protein gluten. So this means eating food like bread, pasta, pizza crust and other foods made or containing wheat, barley or rye can easily cause the condition. What happens is that gluten damages the villi inside the small intestines. Since the villi are responsible for the absorption of minerals from the food we eat, without them the body will not be able to get the necessary nutrients and minerals it needs. So you can see where this can lead to when not managed correctly: severe malnutrition which can then cause other serious ailments resulting from the bodys lack of nutrition.

Why some people develop gluten intolerance is still not known. The disease was earlier thought as a condition only affecting people in Europe. But recent studies have shown that the disease is not dependent on the age and ethnicity. One thing is certain though, the condition is inherited. The condition can arise at any time but usually is triggered by the consumption of gluten.

Removing the gluten in the diet is the key to reduce the inflammation in the small intestines caused by the disease. The effects can be noticed weeks after the change in the diet. If you have been suffering from the symptoms of the disease and have been diagnosed with celiac disease only recently, you might need to take vitamin supplements to recover from the nutritional deficiencies. The difficulties of diagnosing celiac disease lie on the fact that the symptoms and conditions resemble other digestive conditions or allergic reactions.

Those with celiac disease have to understand that they need to be on a life long gluten free diet since the inflammation of the small intestines can be triggered again. So a commitment to a lifestyle change is needed for them to be free of the symptoms of the disease.

A gluten free diet simply means avoiding food products that contain, are made and/or have been prepared from wheat, oats, barley and rye. This means reading carefully food labels and making sure that the food you will be picking up from the supermarket shelves are gluten free. Fortunately, there are products today which are gluten free. You can come up with alternative dishes as well.

Aside from the grains, you should start avoiding bear and alcohol products as well. Food made from brown rice syrup, cake flour, and caramel can also trigger the disease. Anything creamed or breaded which includes vegetables. Fried chicken has been found to set off the disease as well.

Other foods to be avoided include pastas, salad dressings, gravies and sauces prepared from tomato and meat, soft cheeses, dips, stuffings, herbal teas and even flavored coffees. It is especially important that you consult a proper dietitian to help you create a list of food that you can and cannot eat.

This is really the only existing treatment for celiac disease. Once the gluten is removed from the diet, the intestines villi will start to heal and grow back. This may take several months to years depending on the amount of damage caused by the disease and the age of the person who contracted it. The healing process will take longer for older people.