strain | Health And Wellness Tips

What Evidence of Congestive Heart Failure is a Diagnosis Based

What Evidence of Congestive Heart Failure is a Diagnosis Based on?

While all cardiac conditions carry similar symptoms of chest pain and difficulty breathing, congestive heart failure generally presents with a very specific set of symptoms and lab results, giving doctors a very firm set of clues upon which to base a definite diagnosis.

Dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, coupled with severe pitting edema (when the body retains fluid to the point of holding the imprint of an object that is pressed into the skin for several minutes) are generally the first pieces of evidence pointing to congestive heart failure. Heart failure results in the heart not being able to efficiently pump blood throughout the body; as a result, fluid accumulates rather than being excreted and causes the body to swell as if it were a water balloon. Non-pitting edema, or fluid retention that does not hold an imprint, is not caused by heart failure and indicates that another diagnosis needs to be made. The patient may produce a frothy pink sputum when they cough.

In addition to the symptoms related to the fluid accumulation general weakness and malaise, particularly during times of physical exertion are frequent complaints of patients suffering from congestive heart failure, and should not be ignored. This is caused by a lack of nutrients and oxygen from the blood to the body tissues, and may result in permanent damage to the organs if they are left without these vital elements for a prolonged period of time. Anuria, or a lack of urination, is also evidential of heart failure as fluid accumulates in the tissues rather than being properly excreted. Patients may suffer from a changed mental status due to toxins accumulating in the body.

Once the physician suspects heart failure based on the physical evidence, blood samples will be sent to the laboratory. Beta-natriuretic peptide, or BNP, is an excellent screening tool in suspected cases of heart failure. This hormone is produced in greater quantities by the failing heart muscle as fluid levels rise, with a level between one hundred and five hundred pg/mg suggesting congestive heart failure and greater than five hundred being fairly diagnostic; however, an elevated BNP should not be considered to be sufficient evidence upon which to base a positive diagnosis, as conditions such as renal failure, ventricular strain, tumors or hypoxia can also cause BNP levels to rise. Arterial blood gases may be tested to determine the degree of hypoxemia. A decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, proteinuria (protein in the urine), and a mild azotemia (elevated blood urea level) can be seen in early to moderate disease. An increased serum creatinine, hyperbilirubinemia (increased bilirubin in the blood) and dilutional hyponatremia (decreased serum sodium levels) are evidence the patient is suffering from a more advanced case of heart failure.

Radiology will also wish to perform imaging studies to evaluate the condition of the heart. A chest x-ray will generally reveal cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart) and pleural effusion (fluid around the heart). An echocardiogram may be performed to evaluate the internal structures of the heart to evaluate for any structural abnormalities, as in the case of mitral stenosis. This provides evidence to determine the underlying cause of congestive heart failure, particularly in suspected cases of valvular heart disease.

Physicians are like detectives, if you will. Once these tests have all been run they will gather these pieces of evidence together and put them together to form a fairly accurate picture of the patient’s condition, allowing for an accurate diagnosis leading to proper treatment.

H E A R T

The heart one of the most talked about part of your body. The heart used metaphorically describes love as well as a great hurt like broken heart. “My heart over flows with the love I have for you,” says a young lover to his sweetheart. The emotions that we express with our heart are only part of the human makeup. The other part consists of having a healthy heart.

The heart is a real part of your body organs and functions to keep you alive and healthy. It is a noted fact that not only emotions affect your heart but also your food, your lifestyle, exercises, and stress all play a pertinent part in heart health. The American Heart Association provides much information about heart care. The Cleveland Clinic and other medical centers provide information and steps you can take to have a healthy heart.

Exercise is very import part of a healthy heart care. We know that not everyone can go to the gym or has the room in their home for gym equipment. We have some suggestions that will help your heart health.

– Set in a comfortable chair loosen your clothing for comfort.

– Start with your feet and ankles; rotate them so that you feel the strain.

– Work up to your legs raising them up and holding them for about five minutes.

– Work your hands and arms one side then the other.

– Next, work your head up and down then back and forth.

About 20 minutes a day will help you relieve stress in your life and let you relax. This is a good way to improve on heart health. The next thing is your diet plan remember it is not what you eat but how much and how often. We suggest you stay away from the normal things that people talk about like fats, too many sweets, and things that you know will harm you.

The heart is measured by taking your blood pressure with results letting your physician know your condition. When reading your heart first the doctor looks at the Systolic level because systolic heart failure occurs when the left ventricle cannot contract vigorously which is a pumping problem? The diastolic heart failure occurs when the left ventricle cannot relax or fill fully which becomes a filling problem. The heart must be able to pump vigorously and then relax to refill with blood to have a healthy heart.

The fact is that the nations’ number one killer heart disease; has piece meal data nation wide. AHA has put together some prime information and published it while the U.S. Government has not attempted to track heart disease. The AHA feels strongly that the government should get involved.

Yes, the heart is the soul of our existence. For many we think of the heart when we are in love or at a time of loss love. As we grow older then we venture to look at the real heart the arteries, veins, and the effects on our heart by the things we do. Take heart and enjoy your life.

Sports Injuries Explained

There are several specific types of injuries that are particularly associated with sports and it is especially vital to understand the various injuries so that the appropriate treatment can be sought as soon as possible. Quick treatment for most injuries can really reduce the amount of time it takes to heal as well as the expense associated with treatment, which makes it especially important to determine an injury quickly and begin the recovery process.

Acute This type of injury is usually associated with suddenly occurring, and often being associated with bruises, fractures, broken bones, blood, ligament strain or breakage and even spinal cord injuries. The exact type of injury is not as important as the classification. Acute injuries require immediate medical treatment to help reduce the pain, as well as begin the treatment process.

Some acute injuries such as those associated with sprains and strains need to be bandaged and splinted to prevent further damage to the body and aid in healing. In addition, eye injuries must be carefully treated once the eyes are carefully cleaned to avoid any further damage. Typically, acute injuries are the result of being hit with a ball, hit by another player, or even falling while playing. Additional ways acute injuries occur are possible, and not all injuries are the result of another player on the field.

Overuse Injuries These injuries typically occur due to extended repetition while engaged in an activity. This can occur in adults or children and while it is possible to minimize this injury through exercise and conditioning, it generally cannot be entirely avoided. Athletes who play sports a lot do tend to experience some form of overuse injury at some point.

Some examples of overuse injuries include swimmers shoulder, little league elbow, shin splits and spondylolysis. Each type of injury is typically associated with continuous repetition but most especially in younger children. Plenty of exercises and strength training will usually help to tone and condition the muscles to avoid the problems and injuries associated with the repetition of sports.

To help really avoid overuse injuries it is advisable to always warm up carefully before playing, always ensure you are using appropriate equipment that fits properly and also try to limit the number of sports you play at once. For example, try to avoid being involved in more than one activity per season as this can help strain the muscles and joints much faster.

Reinjury This is the final type of injury that is common amongst athletes. This most often occurs when an athlete pushes recovery to return to playing sports again before they are fully healed. Most athletes who have reinjury problems tend to return to sports before getting the approval of their doctor; however, it is possible on rare occasions that the doctor will make a mistake. Returning to the sport before the injury has fully healed can cause the same injury to progress, and can also cause additional injuries depending on the circumstances surrounding the reinjury.

The best way to avoid a reinjury is to carefully allow your body to fully heal upon becoming injured. By following the instructions that the doctor recommends, as well as carefully and slowly re-entering the sports field after recovering from an injury you can greatly reduce the risk of a reinjury rather than making yourself susceptible to another injury so quickly.

PPPPP
(word count 559)

Can Diet Help to Cure Arthritis? Or Can it Make

Can Diet Help to Cure Arthritis? Or Can it Make it Worse?
Wendy Owen

The medical profession mostly rejects the idea that there is any connection between diet and arthritis (with the exception of gout), but many naturopaths and holistic practitioners disagree.

There are many factors to consider with regards to arthritic diets and nutritional healing, and no hard and fast rules can be applied. For example, some people are allergic to certain foods, and these allergies can indeed worsen some types of arthritis.

Eating foods that contain sodium nitrate or tartrazine can worsen the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis, while ingesting foods containing a substance called hydrazine can contribute to systemic lupus erythematosus, an arthritic condition connected to lupus, Eating black walnuts can cause flare-ups in people with a rare type of arthritis called Behcet’s Disease.

These are just a couple of examples of foods which could negatively impact on people with certain types of arthritis so as you can see the whole topic can get very complicated!

The term arthritis covers over 100 different diseases and conditions. Since it would be impossible to cover all of them in one article such as this, we will look at the most common condition: osteoarthritis and tackle rheumatoid arthritis and gout in future articles.

Osteoarthritis is mainly a disease of wear and tear. However there is one thing to avoid. Don’t take large doses of Vitamin A, since there is some evidence that it contributes to cartilage deterioration. Cartilage deterioration is the main cause of osteoarthritis.

There are holistic healers who will swear that a good diet can alleviate many of the painful symptoms. A diet high in fish is recommended as it contain high levels of Omega 3 which helps reduce inflammation and also has many other health benefits.
However if you live in an area where the sea has a high concentration of mercury, fish oil capsules are a better bet. Buy a known brand name to ensure maximum bio-availibility.

Including vegetables and sufficient low fat protein in the diet ensures optimal health and avoids weight gain which puts a heavy strain on arthritic joints

Some osteoarthritis sufferers benefit from the food supplements glucosamine and chondroitin in relieving symptoms of pain and stiffness. As above buy a reputable brand.

The National Institute of Health is currently studying glucosamine and chondroitin, so more should soon be known about the effectiveness of these products for osteoarthritis. People taking blood-thinners should be careful taking chondroitin as it can increase the blood-thinning and cause excessive bleeding.. Seek medical advice first.

Visit http://www.natural-arthritis-medication.com your resource for information on natural remedies for arthritis. The author Wendy Owen is a natural health writer and researcher. Join our list and receive a free 6 part arthritis mini course