Tag: Medication

Gilbert’s Disease And Its Signs

Many people ask about Gilberts disease and how it affects a person, a lot of people are concerned about having it because there is a little knowledge that can be found about it and there only been a handful of people that are aware that they have it.

How can Gilberts disease go on unnoticed?

One of the main characteristics of Gilberts disease is that it is asymptomatic or it carries no symptoms in most patients. This makes detection and diagnosis really difficult for the doctors and for medical experts. Being asymptomatic in nature makes Gilberts disease one of the few conditions that little are known about. Clinical studies and experimentation is always important in the curing and early detection because the baseline for the condition can be set, the proper dosage for the medication and the duration of the treatment can be directed.

Another factor for the stealth of Gilberts disease is that it has no long term or short term damaging effects to people. This means that patients can live healthy and normal lives and even live to a ripe old age with no hindrances from the condition. The only clear indication that a person has Gilberts disease is if they have experienced jaundice. With only minor stomach pains and yellowish skin and eyes, Gilberts disease causes no great concern to some people.

Other symptoms connected to the condition is uncommon

The person suffering jaundice because of Gilberts disease does not usually cause any major problems, Jaundice is the condition where a person suffers from yellowish skin and eyes and a little stomach pain. However, a number of people with Gilberts disease account other symptoms, the majority of these symptoms are: tiredness, mild weakness, mild abdominal pains and mild nausea. It is not apparent whether these symptoms are in fact connected to Gilberts disease. It is likely that they will build up from time to time due to unsupported nervousness concerning the condition. There does not appear to be any association amid these symptoms and the level of bilirubin in the blood. That is, these symptoms may develop irrelevant to whether or not the level of bilirubin is high or normal.

If the height of bilirubin goes higher than a definite level you turn out to be jaundiced. This is because bilirubin is an orangey-yellow color. A few people with Gilberts disease grow to be a little jaundiced now and then. This might appear to be upsetting, but is of little alarm if the cause is Gilberts disease. It is quite common to be jaundiced if you are a patient of Gilberts disease.

More on the process of breaking down the bilirubin

Jaundicea condition brought about by high levels of bilirubin in the blood stream. For people suffering from Gilberts disease it is caused by the inability of the liver to produce an enzyme that breaks down the bilirubin in the blood and to transfer it to the gut in the form of bilecan be caused by a lot of different diseases of the liver and blood. As a result, if you contract jaundice you are expected to call for tests to make clear the reason and to discard the chance of a serious disease. A blood test can more often than not confirms the diagnosis of Gilberts disease as it demonstrates a mildly raised level of bilirubin and confirms the non-existence of a serious disease.

How to cure kidney stones

As in any sickness, the key to the formation of kidney stones is in prevention especially since a person who had more than one kidney stone in her life will most likely develop kidney stones in the future. Regular check-up to the doctor is one way to ensure that all kinds of sickness are prevention. Paying extra for a regular set of tests like sugar, urine and blood tests will even better your chances of preventing certain conditions from developing. Think how less expensive that would be than when you actually become sick and you have to buy expensive medicines and pay a lot more for certain procedures.

Most kidney stones pass through the urinary system easily so drink lots and lots of water and do not mind going to the bathroom to urinate every now and then. Often times, people with kidney stones are only told to take lots of fluids and maybe some medication. Although the actual kidney stones are important in assessing the actual status so the patient may also be tasked to preserve their kidney stones and submit it for testing. Depending on the diagnosis, patients urine may also have to be analyzed for a whole day. Another day after initial medication or treatments are taken and done will also be set aside for another 24 hour urine analysis.

A change in lifestyle is also a very effective treatment. If you are not the type who drinks lots of fluids then it is high time that you learn to drink enough liquids in a day so that you will be able to produce at least 2 quarts of urine. While certain food are believed to contribute tot eh formation of kidney stones, moderation is really the key.

In the past, food high in calcium are shunned but recent studies have proven that calcium high foods including dairy products like milk can actually prevent formation of calcium stones. What should be watched out is the intake of calcium pills, food added with vitamin D and certain types of antacids that have a calcium base. A person who has a relatively high presence of acid in his urine is also advised to eat less meat, fish and poultry because eating these will further increase acid in urine.

There are medicines that maybe prescribed by doctors to somehow control the production of acid and alkali in urine. This is vital because acid or alkali are key factors in the forming of crystals. Allopurinol can be useful for cases of hyperuricosuria.

Hydrochlorothiazide favors calcium retention hence reducing the amount of calcium released by the kidneys which is in turn results to low or no formation of calcium tones. Sodium cellulose phosphate, on the other hand, secretes calcium in the intestines to prevent it from leaking to the urine.

As for surgical procedures in taking out kidney stones, the very popular procedure is Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy or ESWL. This most frequently used procedure works when shock waves that are created outside the body travel into the skin and body tissues until they reach the denser stones. The shock causes the tones to break down in smaller particles so that they can easily pass through the urinary tract.

This sounds simple but potential risks and complications that may arise should always be discussed with the doctor before agreeing to go through the procedure.

The Natural Way of Fighting Kidney Stones

For those people who are suffering from kidney stones, experts say that the easiest means for them to deal with the condition is to flush it out from one’s system. Although this can be done by using medication or through simple medical procedures, it is always best to do it the natural way. Some of the natural means in dissolving kidney stones and flushing it out from person’s system is by drinking tea. Since time immemorial, tea has been giving people a lot of benefits. And one of which is helping the body’s system to flush out waste products that could bring health complications.

More and more individuals who have suffered from kidney stones would agree that teathose that contain Chinese herbs such as plantain leaf, meadowsweet, Joe-pye weed, and sarsaparillacan help dissolve kidney stones because these contain natural properties, which are good in eliminating excess uric acid in the body.

People in China are known to use the mentioned herbsin the form of teato treat kidney stones. Combined with other herbs such as corn silk, wild yam root, hydrangea root, yarrow leaf, and cramp bark, tea preparation can be an effective means of dissolving small kidney stones in no time. To make the tea more effective, longer time in preparation is a must. This is done to ensure that all the natural properties will be intact. Although many people attest to its effectiveness, this may not work for everyone especially to those who bleed easily.

Another means of dissolving kidney stones the natural way is through diuretic tea. For this type of tea, you can choose either dandelion or corn silk. Many people say that these herbs are the two most popular choices of diuretic that can produce early results. When combined with other herbs such as nettle leaf, fennel seed, and oat straw, diuretic tea can be more effective in dissolving even medium-sized kidney stones.

If you are not the type of using herbs as a natural means of fighting kidney stones, there are much simpler ways such as:

1. Taking in lots of fluid. People with kidney stones must drink at least 8 glasses of water to flush out body waste.

2. Opting for lemonade preparation. With the properties present in lemons, it can delay the development of stones in the person’s body.

3. Eating foods that are rich in fiber but low in protein, calcium, and salt. By doing this, you will have lesser risk for kidney stones because you are veering away from the major causes of kidney stones.

4. Engaging on a regular physical exercise. Experts say that one of the reasons why people become prone to kidney stones is due to lack of movements. By veering away from a sedentary living, you can delay and even postpone the formation kidney stones.

Today, many studies show that the most common problems of people involving their kidney is the presence of kidney stones which, are pieces and clumps of waste products formed in this specific body organ. People may not know this but kidney stones can be literally compared to the real stone because they are hard and can be painful specially when they grow in terms of numbers.

But, unlike the real stones, kidney stones can be dissolved once they are diagnosed early.

The Effective means of Treating Kidney Stones

Doctors say that are generally not harmful. It only becomes harmful and even life threatening when a person suffering from it feels discomforting pain and presence of blood in their urine. Many experts say that the problem why people who are suffering from kidney stones is that they always tend to be complacent in keeping up with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Theydeliberately or not deliberatelywithout realizing that they will suffer and spend more money once the condition gets worse over time.

Today, the most common types of kidney stones among people are the calcium oxalate stones and uric acid stone, which are caused by too much calcium and sodium intake. These types of stones are not really that harmful unless they increase in size fast and block the uteterthe tube that is connected to the bladder and will cause urination problems.

To avoid further complications, it is but natural for people to seek for treatments to spare them from too much pain and expenses. Today, there are so many types of treatments and medications available for people with kidney stones. These forms of treatments vary depending on the severity of the condition. Experts say that people who have mild kidney stones can sort to medication, which are usually prescribed for certain types.

Medication is considered, as the initial form of treatment especially for symptomatic kidney stones which is common among patients. This is used by people who show early signs of kidney stones such as pain with varying degrees. The most common medication includes the Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs ot NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen, nifedipine, and tamsulosin, which are effective in speeding up the passage of ureteral stones along the uterer. These come in different brands, come in pill form and can be brought over the counter.

For extreme pains, medication can be through the vein to ensure that it will take effect faster. This process of medication is also ideal for people who have low tolerance in taking oral pills. If NSAIDs cannot be administered directly, fluids can also be given to the patient suffering from the pain of kidney stones through the mouth to ensure that there will be enough supply of fluid for the urine.

Other treatments options

Although medication can be administered at home, there will be times that the patient need to be brought to the hospitalized especially if the pain does not subside immediately. Once hospitalized, the patient will be asked to strain urine in order to cover the stone and collected for laboratory analysis. Here, the type of stone will be determined as well as its size and number through an imaging test. If your kidney stones are smaller than 5 millimeters, you’re safe to take medication.

But if the stone is about 10 millimeters, you will need to undergo a procedure such as: “Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL)” which is the most common option of procedure because it can easily remove stones in the renal pelvis and upper ureter.

The “Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PNL),” that is ideal for complex and extremely large kidney stones because it involves invasive surgical procedure in the process of removal which are small telescopic instruments passing through the person’s skin.

And the “Ureteroscopy” which is used for removing stones that are obstructed in the middle and lower portion of the person’s ureter with the aid of a tiny telescopic instrument passes through the urethra and bladder and into the ureter and kidney to remove the kidney stones.