Sunday, November 15, 2009

Information About Paget’s Disease of Bones

Paget's disease is a metabolic bone disease, occurring in the middle aged and elderly peoples. The other name of Paget's disease is osteitis deformans. It is a chronic condition in which both the breakdown and formation of bone tissue are increased, which result in deformity. It is most frequently occur in the pelvic and leg bones, skull, and lower spine. It may lead to bone pain, deformities, and fractures. Paget's disease may be caused by a "slow virus" infection, present for many years before symptoms appear. There is also a hereditary factor since the disease may appear in more than one family member.

Paget's disease may affect only one or two areas of your body, or may be widespread. Paget's disease tends to appear in families. It can be present in as many as 25 percent to 40 percent of the relatives of someone with the disease. It is also more common in people of Anglo-Saxon descent. Many patients do not know they have Paget's disease because they have a mild case with no symptoms. Sometimes, symptoms may be confused with those of arthritis or other disorders.

Paget's disease of bone causes your bones to grow larger and weaker than normal. They also might break easily. The disease can lead to other health problems, too, such as arthritis and hearing loss. You can have Paget's disease in any bone, but it is most common in the spine, pelvis, skull and legs. The disease might affect one or several bones, but not your entire skeleton. More men than women have the disease. It is most common in older people.

Paget's disease is uncommon in people younger than 40 years of age. It is more common as people age. There are no known ways to prevent Paget's disease from occurring. Eating a healthy diet with sufficient calcium and vitamin D and getting exercise are important components in maintaining skeletal health and joint mobility.

Paget's disease causes bones to grow too large and weak. You can have Paget's disease in any bones in your body, but most people have it in their spine, pelvis, skull, or leg bones. The disease may affect only one bone or several bones, but it does not affect the entire skeleton. Bones with Paget's disease may break more easily, and the disease can lead to other health problems.

Paget's disease, also called osteitis deformans, is a chronic bone disorder in which there is abnormal bone remodeling (the process of bone breakdown and rebuilding). With Paget's disease, bone is broken down more quickly, and is then replaced with softer, more porous bone. As a result, affected bones become thicker, weaker, and deformed. It usually affects the bones of the skull, pelvis, collarbone, spine, and legs.

Healthy bone tissue has an ordered structure that gives the bone its strength. Bones affected by Paget's disease, however, have a structure that is disorganized. This disorganized structure weakens the diseased bone and makes people suffering from this disease more likely to have fractures. These fractures are slow to heal.

Women and Heart Disease

Five hundred thousand American women die each year from heart diseases and the risks increases with age. Heart disease includes the narrowing of the arteries, heart failure, diseases of the heart muscles, inborn defects, hardening of the arties, and other conditions.

We tend to think of men as the ones who commonly have heart diseases but heart diseases is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States. Scientists who are studying the cause of the rise in cardiac problems in woman have identified two factors that appear to be the leading cause of hard disease in woman.

The Change of Life.

After menopause, a woman's body experiences reduced estrogen production, changes in cholesterol levels, changes in the structure of blood vessels, and increased production of the clotting agent fibrinogen. Women who have gone through menopause are two to three times more likely to suffer heart disease than a pre-menopausal woman of the same age. Women that have had a hysterectomy also experience these same raised risk factors. No one yet knows exactly how much a woman's risk is affected by each of these changes, but they are definitely associated with greater heart disease risk.

Scientists studying women and heart disease hypothesized that hormone replacement therapy could help post-menopausal women fight heart disease; however, long-term studies do not confirm that preliminary idea and doctors no longer recommend hormone replacement therapy to battle heart disease.

When talking about your heart disease risk factors with your doctor, get his or her opinion on using hormonal birth control (the pill or the patch). Most doctors believe that using birth control is reasonable safe for women under thirty-five if no other risk factors are involved such as smoking or being overweigh. For women over the age of thirty-file there is not enough evidence that birth control hormones can increase or decrease heart disease in women and more studies are being conducted.

A Change of Lifestyle.

Scientists studying women and heart disease find that women are knowledgeable about what lifestyles are associated with heart disease, and yet they are still prone to maintain those unhealthy lifestyles. For example, according to the National Institutes of Health, fifty-six million American women have high cholesterol, 33% of women have high blood pressure, and 62% of women are overweight. Despite these risks, women are less physically active than men, on average.

The best course of action to take is to reduce your risk of developing congestive heart disease and improve the quality of life. Habits such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight by regular activity or exercise, cutting down on the fatty foods, and getting your cholesterol tested can dramatically help prevent heart disease. Don't become another statistic about women and heart disease.

Common Vitamins and over the counter products can help with Heart Disease such as Sytrinol, Policosanol, Potassium, Pectin, and Niacin.

Sytrinol are known to be useful in helping maintain a healthy cholesterol level in the body by reducing triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.

Policosanol is a natural supplement derived from sugar cane. Policosanol promotes healthy platelet function and helps to maintain normal cholesterol levels in the human body.

Potassium may help prevent high blood pressure and protect against artherosclerosis and reduce the risk of stroke.

Pectin limits the amount of cholesterol the body can absorb. High pectin count in apples may be why "One a day keeps the doctor away".

If you are at risk from Heart Disease then find a good health care professional prior to starting any type of home treatment.

Niacin is the closest thing available to a perfect treatment that corrects most causes of coronary heart disease. Niacin blocks the release of fatty acids from fat cells. Niacin plays a critical role in energy production, gene expression, and hormone synthesis. You cannot live without it. Niacin also tends to shift LDL particle distribution to larger particle size and improve HDL functioning. The intake of 3 grams Niacin for as little as two weeks can reduce serum cholesterol by 26 percent.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Heart Disease: Know your Risks

This supplement formula is designed to target common heart problems. Recovery and prevention are addressed with known antioxidants. All-natural ingredients have been included to provide effective support; for example, hawthorn, which improves coronary artery blood flow and strengthens of the contractions of the heart muscle; and garlic, which has been proven to lower atherosclerosis and also helps to lower cholesterol levels and excessive platelet adhesion.

Heart disease(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Heart-Disease.html) is a wide-encompassing category that includes all conditions that affect the heart and the blood vessels. Until age 50, men are at greater risk than women of developing heart disease, though once a woman enters menopause, her risk triples.

Many people with cardiovascular disease have elevated or high cholesterol levels. Low HDL cholesterol (known as the "good" cholesterol) and high LDL cholesterol (known as the "bad" cholesterol) are more specifically linked to cardiovascular disease than is total cholesterol.3 A blood test, administered by most healthcare professionals, is used to determine cholesterol levels.

Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) of the vessels that supply the heart with blood is the most common cause of heart attacks. Atherosclerosis and high cholesterol usually occur together, though cholesterol levels can change quickly and atherosclerosis generally takes decades to develop.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and the risk increases as blood pressure rises. Glucose intolerance and diabetes constitute separate risk factors for heart disease. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease caused by hypertension.

Abdominal fat, or a "beer belly," versus fat that accumulates on the hips, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack. Overweight individuals are more likely to have additional risk factors related to heart disease, specifically hypertension, high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and diabetes.

What are the symptoms of Heart Disease(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Heart-Disease.html)?

People with heart disease(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Heart-Disease.html) may not have any symptoms at all. If symptoms are present, they may include difficulty in breathing during exertion as well as when lying down; fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting, depression, memory problems, confusion, frequent waking during sleep, chest pain, an awareness of the heartbeat, sensations of fluttering or pounding in the chest, swelling around the ankles, or a large abdomen.

Main Function

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Many risk factors are associated with heart disease; most can be managed, but some cannot. Many people with heart disease have elevated cholesterol levels or high blood pressure. Atherosclerosis of the vessels that supply the heart with blood is the most common cause of heart attacks. Atherosclerosis and high cholesterol usually occur together, though cholesterol levels can change quickly and atherosclerosis generally takes decades to develop. Garlic has been proven to lower atherosclerosis and it also helps to lower cholesterol levels and excessive platelet adhesion. CoQ10 is an antioxidant that has been shown to support heart health as well as lower blood pressure.

Ingredients Description

Garlic has been proven to lower atherosclerosis as well as lower cholesterol levels and excessive platelet adhesion. Magnesium may regulate heart rhythm and reduce blood clots. CoQ10 is an antioxidant that has been shown to support heart health and lower blood pressure. The Vitamin B Complex promotes energy metabolism. Cayenne increases blood circulation. N-Acetyl L-Cysteine, L-Glutathione Reduced, Vitamin C and Selenium work together in absorbing free radicals from the system. Hawthorn is beneficial for the heart system

The Neglected Tropical Diseases

Do these diseases sound familiar to you...leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, or trachoma? If you answered no, do not feel bad because many individuals rarely hear about these tropical diseases anymore. The reason is that industrialized countries do not usually have to deal with these diseases. They are the diseases that still ravage poor countries.

Poor countries have little money to make known their plight to the rest of the world. To make the voices of despair heard around the world the Neglected Tropical Disease Coalition (NTDC) was formed. The NTDC is made up of individual disease alliances, as well as international agencies, their corporate partners, interested academic institutions, some faith-based groups, and also non-governmental organizations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and also the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify diseases that are "targets of opportunity" with the purpose of improving global health.

The six diseases mentioned earlier are being targeted to help control or to eliminate the diseases altogether. What will make this possible is the joint effort of all the participants in NTDC to cooperate with scientific breakthroughs and corporate philanthropic efforts to fund research and treatment programs.

Success can almost be seen in the treatment of trachoma in Morocco and leprosy has declined globally. When disease is irradiated in these countries, the citizens become more productive and the global economy improves. This is why all countries industrial or poor should care about these neglected tropical diseases.

Improved economies have an impact on the global economy because of world trade. Financial impact and the health of local residents is not the only concern. International travelers, many those who are called to serve are also greatly at risk to contract these neglected tropical diseases.

These neglected tropical diseases not only have an impact on the citizens of the poor countries where they are found, but any individual traveling to those countries are at risk for exposure to these tropical diseases including missionaries, and also volunteers with the peace corps. These individuals deserve the opportunity to serve without being exposed to these neglected diseases.

The statistics are sad and should be alarming to everyone. 3 billion children, women and men are at risk from these 6 neglected tropical diseases. 350 million individuals have already been disabled or impaired severely by exposure to these neglected tropical diseases.

The cost to work productivity is $10 billion annually or more. This loss represents revenue that could have boosted the country out of poverty and enabled it to become productive in the global economy.

The ability to diagnose, treat and even prevent these 6 diseases exists; the goal to eliminate these diseases is real. There are low or no-cost medications available from four of the major pharmaceutical companies, namely - GlaxoSmithKline,Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis, and Pfizer who have already donated drugs and cash support.

Treatment intervals that are community based is possible which will offer the ability to combine treatments that will be more cost effective and have a greater impact on more of the population. The cost for community-wide treatment of these six diseases ranges from just a few cents to a few dollars per individual.

There are in existence the tools, local and national support to rid these countries of the diseases. Even though tools and opportunity exist to address the issue of neglected tropical diseases, it remains the responsibility of individuals, corporations and countries to take action.

Introduction And Definition Of Disease

Disease is the term used for any condition or tendency that hampers the normal functioning of the body. In general, human beings refer the term 'disease' to any condition that causes uneasiness, dysfunction etc. The study of diseases is called pathology. Also, the classification of diseases is called Nosology.

Diseases can be classified based on the cause or the mechanism by which the disease is caused.

There are various factors that cause disease. They are classified as:

 Intrinsic factor - Disease caused due to the abnormalities existing within the body. They include genetic defects, stress-related diseases, autoimmune disorders, nutritional defects etc.

 Extrinsic factor - Disease caused due to environmental conditions. An example for extrinsic factor may be passive smoking.

There are also other factors that cause diseases they are social, psychological, chemical and biological. These factors may fall into intrinsic or extrinsic factors. For example, when it comes to cigarette smoking the smoke released contains chemical substances that causes diseases to the smoker as well as the neighboring person. This is called either chemical factor or extrinsic factor.

When harmful germs or microbes (like bacteria, viruses and protozoa) enter the human body, they multiply and cause diseases, the human body is said to have an infection.

Infections are classified as

Infectious disease
 Non-infectious disease

Infectious diseases are those diseases that transmit from one person to another. These diseases are transmitted through air, insect bites, infected injections, contaminated water or food and sometimes through blood transfusion. These diseases can also be called as contagious or communicable diseases. To avoid spreading of this type of disease it is advised to take the appropriate medicines that fight the germs that cause them. Also, it is better to stay away from person during the time when the disease can be spread.

Non-infectious diseases are those diseases that do not transmit from one person to another. Examples of non-infectious disease are diabetes, stress-related disease etc.

The nine most expensive diseases in the US according to an article in Forbes, based on the research performed by Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) are:

Diseases Annual Cost
Heart Conditions (this excludes hypertension and elevated cholesterol) $68 billion
Trauma $56 billion
Cancer $48 billion
Mental Illness $48 billion
Respiratory Ailments $45 billion
Hypertension $32.5 billion
Arthritis And Joint Disorders $32 billion
Diabetes $28 billion
Back Problems $23 billion

The research further provides with the fast growing diseases in the US. Some of the diseases listed in the research are:

 Esophageal Disorders

The cost per patients has come down whereas the number of people diagnosed with heartburn and related disorders have increased by 509% to 10 million between 1997 and 1996-2002.

 High Cholesterol

The number of people diagnosed with High Cholesterol has increased by 145% to 19 million.

 Hemorrhoids

The number of people increased by only 23% to 1.2 million.

 Anxiety Disorders

The number of patients treated for anxiety has doubled to 12 million over five years.

 Breast Cancer

The number of cases rose 65% to 1.2 million.

Understanding Child Heart Disease

Heart disease is a disorder, which affect the proper functioning of the heart. Child heart disease is common affecting many newborn and older children. This article examines the various child heart diseases and their treatment.

Congenital Heart Disease

Heart disease is a serious ailment and often leads to premature death. Many children can also suffer from heart disease. Child heart disease is actually quite a common worldwide. When a child is born with an existing defect in the heart, it is called congenital heart disease. Congenital heart disease is fairly. It affects almost one percent of all newborn.

Often, the first diagnosis of child heart disease is made during routine examination when the pediatrician detects heart murmur. Heart murmur is the noise that the blood makes as it flows through the heart. Heart murmurs are fairly common in children. It is not necessarily a sign of child heart disease.

If a heart murmur is due to a problem in a child's heart, it is caused either by a hole in the heart, a leaky heart valve, or constricted heart valve. To confirm the diagnosis, an examination by a pediatric cardiologist is necessary. Pediatric specializes in child heart disease.

Abnormalities of the heart may or may not be noticeable at birth. For example, a hole in the heart wall will allows blood to travel from one side to the other. In such case, the baby may have blue lips or fingers. This is one of the signs of child heart disease.

Another example of child heart disease is an abnormal heart valve, which allow blood to flow in the opposite direction. Such a problem will usually require surgery once the child is older.

Congenital heart disease must be treated promptly or it will lead to more serious complications. Hence, early detection is important. Unfortunately, many heart defects are not detected at birth resulting in more damage to the heart and requiring more extensive treatment.

Some forms of congenital heart disease are actually self-healing. However, in many cases, major surgery will be required to rectify the problems.

While there are risks associated with surgery, the chances of full recovery and a normal life are very high. So the situation is not hopeless.

Connection between Premature Infants and Heart Disease

A baby is considered premature if born before 37 weeks. Most premature babies are born with some form of heart problem. A premature infant's organs are also not fully developed, and thus require special care in a nursery or intensive care unit while their organ systems continue growth.

Although there is no sure way to avoid premature labor, one of the most important preventive measures to receive proper prenatal care. Statistics show that proper prenatal care greatly reduces the odds of premature birth and related deaths.

The pregnant mother should also maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, keep well hydrated and have at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.

Hereditary Heart Disease

Hereditary heart disease refers to heart disease, which is passed down through genes. It is not preventable. If one has a history of heart disease in the family then one is at risk of hereditary heart disease.

The risk is greater when first-degree relatives, such as your mother, father, brother, sister and so on, have heart disease.

In rare cases, high cholesterol level runs in the family. This is called familial hypercholesterolaemia. It is a genetic problem, which results in exceptionally high level of cholesterol. As a result, there is a high of heart disease.

Hereditary heart disease is caused by various factors. Sometimes, it is merely a pattern of heart disease rather than true hereditary heart disease. These are actually avoidable. For example, the family lifestyle such as poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking. All of these factors contribute to heart disease and can be the start of the chain of hereditary heart disease. In such cases, changing these risk factors will reduce the likelihood of heart disease. This means eating a proper well-balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise, as well as avoids smoking and excessive drinking.

By living a healthy lifestyle, it is possible to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, even if one's genes are predispose to heart disease.

The Most Common Rose Diseases

Rose is the queen of flowers. It is gorgeous and wonderful but is one of weakest plants, too. Rose is always damaged by diseases and pests. And if you have rose in your garden, here is the information you should know.

Common rose diseases vary by area, as the fungi which cause many of them are affected by temperature and moisture. Some of the most common rose diseases are Black Spot Disease, Powdery Mildew, Rust, and Rose Mosaic.

While rose diseases do not always kill rose plants, they often affect the leaves and make it more difficult for the rose to survive in the winter. Step-by-step sowing instructions:

Black Spot Disease

This disease, as its name implies, appears as black spots on the upper surfaces of the rose’s leaves. It is caused by a fungus, which is allowed to propagate in moisture, which can come from rain or watering over the leaves instead of down at the soil. It can also be caught from other diseased plants, as the fungus can spread through fallen leaves, or even through composting of diseased leaves and stems. It causes most diseased leaves to drop off early, but survives through the winter on any leaves that manage to stay on the rose. It can also survive through the winter on the stem.

Rust

This disease is not harmful at low levels, merely causing small orange growths on the underside of leaves. At higher levels, leaves begin to be damaged, which can damage the plant since the leaves are the part of the plant that produces energy.

Powdery Mildew

This disease is different from other common rose diseases, as Powdery Mildew does not need water. This growth, which resembles a white powder, occurs on the top and bottoms of leaves and on stems. In the summer, if roses are free of any fungi caused disease, Powdery Mildew can simply be hosed off of affected roses and thus, can be easy to take care of.

Rose Mosaic

This viral disease does not kill plants. Many rose gardeners do not need to deal with this disease, as all it does it cause splotches, often yellow and green, to appear on leaves.
There are many other rose diseases, and which ones are the most common in each area changes depending on the weather in that area. Ask for free gardening advice from neighbors, friends, and fellow rose growers, or pick up one of the many books available on growing roses.

To avoid getting rose disease, start by buying disease free plants from the garden supply store. There are also many disease resistant variants of roses, which while still susceptible to disease, are at least less likely to become diseased.

Once a plant is diseased, there are many gardening tips available as to how to deal with these. An easy gardening tip is simply to prune away the affected areas.

Be careful not to leave any diseased leaves on the ground, and don’t put the diseased leaves and stems into compost, as compost does not always reach the temperature need to kill the fungi, and when the compost is used, the fungi will spread to the roses again. To help prevent reoccurrence of the disease, or an occurrence of any other disease, keep the rose beds clean. Clear away fallen leaves and pull any weeds.

These common rose diseases should not be too much of a gardening problem for any rose gardener, as, with early detection, they can easily be destroyed without the death of the entire rose bush and gard

What Are the Causes of Heart Disease?

Millions of Americans suffer from it, but what really are the causes of heart disease? There is almost as many myths and misinformation about the causes of heart disease as there are actual causes. Everything from fatty foods, to high cholesterol, to lack of exercise is included in the list of causes of heart disease, but what truly belongs there? A Realistic Look At The Causes Of Heart DiseaseThe first thing to understand is the coronary heart disease is not one singular disease, but rather a combination of factors that results in a possibly deadly condition that can result in cardiac arrest. While diet and exercise do play a huge role in the disease, this role may not be nearly as prominent as doctors and scientists over the last 30 years or so have lead us to believe.One of the leading and most dangerous causes of heart disease is damage to the heart muscle or a congenital defect. Damage can be caused by a viral, bacterial, fungal, rickettsial or parasitic disease. These dangerous disease can cause a serious weakening of the heart muscle which eventually leads to heart disease.

Each of these high risk factors for heart disease are caused by situations not related to exercise or diet. That is not to say that diet and exercise are not important to cardiac health, but blaming all causes of heart disease on those factors alone is grossly incorrect.

There are literally dozens of risk factors for heart disease. The most commonly cited ones are high blood cholesterol, smoking, lack of exercise, stress, and being overweight. Of these the strongest link between to a direct cause is smoking. The other causes of heart disease do have significant bearing, but none as strong as smoking. While many may say that most smokers will exhibit the other qualities in addition to smoking, if you look at the raw data and factor out the additional causes smoking still carries the strongest correlation to heart disease. Another huge factor in heart disease is stress. Doctors have noted that heart attacks strike in the months after severe emotion trauma. Highlighted condition include death, bankruptcy, layoff, and relationship failure. In each of these situations the risk of cardiac arrest is significantly increased.While diet is important there are other factors that will effect the likelihood of developing heart disease. It is best to try eliminate or mitigate as many of the factors as you can to avoid being a high risk candidate for a heart attack.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) - One Form Of Heart Disease

Coronary Artery Disease is the most common example of what heart disease is. It is the leading cause of heart attacks. This is caused by hardened and narrowed arteries, which makes the heart have to work much harder to move the blood around the body.

Coronary Artery Disease can also lead to other things, like angina. Angina is the chest pain or squeezing feeling that many people experience as a sign of heart attack. Usually it is in the chest, but it can also be in the shoulders, neck, jaw, back, or arms. It can mimic indigestion. Those who are at risk for heart attack need to be extra careful if they believe they are suffering from indigestion or an upset stomach. These symptoms of angina are classic examples of what heart disease is and how it can feel. Those who have angina are more likely to have a heart attack.

Heart attacks are another byproduct of coronary artery disease. They happen when an artery is entirely or almost completely blocked and the heart is lacking sufficient blood for more than twenty minutes.

Heart Failure - Another Form Of What Heart Disease Is

If the heart can't pump the blood around the body as well as it needs to, there can be heart failure. It isn't that the heart has totally quit working - a common misconception - but it is that because the blood isn't being transferred as it should be, other organs don't get enough blood. Some symptoms include swelling in feet, legs, and ankles, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue. If you have these symptoms, check with your doctor right away.

Prevent Diseases Before It Is Too LateBeing

Being healthy means you feel good physically, mentally and emotionally. According to WHO (World Health Organization), "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. To enjoy life, you need to be healthy. However, having a body free of disease or infirmity is the backbone of well-being. While medical sciences have made huge progress in the recent years, the best way to conserve your health was, is, and will always be prevention of diseases.

It is 10 times easier to stay healthy than become healthy. It may sound strong, but it is as true as your existence. Your body is better prepared to fight pathogenic attacks than getting rid of them once a disease is installed. Now, the interesting question is how to prevent disease in a world where nature itself is a carrier of pollution. Although there are specific prevention methods for each disease, there are precaution measures you can take to prevent most diseases that ravage humanity today:

Happiness - besides premature wrinkles and social disadvantages, bad mood can cause major health problems. According to many medical studies, good mood can reduce the level of cortisol and other substance responsible for stress and certain diseases such heart disease and cancer.

Cortisol is often known as "stress hormone". Chronic high level in your blood can contribute to high blood pressure, abdominal fat, weakened immune system, suppressed thyroid function, decrease in muscle tissue, and other health problems. So, if you want to prevent diseases and premature aging, be optimist, have fun, laugh with your friends, have regular sexual intercourse, and everything that can increase your joy.

Sleep well - For many, sleep is considered as a waste of time. Yet it is certain that sleep has a function of energy recovery that occurs primarily during deep or uninterrupted sleep. Sleep is involved in growth, brain maturation, development and preservation of human cognitive capacities. Similarly, lack of sleep can leads to diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, irritability, stress, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, anxiety and depression. In addition, lack of sleep is often responsible for road accidents

Exercise - physical inactivity is your enemy. Your body is "use it or lose it." Physical exercise is the best way to prevent disease and maintain your youth. At least three times a week, walk for 30-45 minutes. It cannot only help you keep a regular weight, but also makes you feel strong. In addition, regular exercise is the best way to prevent high cholesterol and cardiovascular problems.

Avoid alcohol - Alcohol, consumed in moderation, has no long term impact on most consumers. However, alcohol abuse can have harmful effects on your mind and body. Alcohol can damage the liver, pancreas and stomach. Heavy consumption of alcohol can destroy brain cells. In pregnant women, alcohol can cause physical or mental problems in the fetus. In men, it can cause sexual impotence.

Healthy diet - A healthy diet is essential to maintain your health and a normal weight. However, unlike what many believe, eating well does not mean abandoning all tasty foods, or give up on all foods you like; it is, instead, choosing a variety of foods from all groups such as fruits, vegetables, grains, unsaturated fats, soy products, etc. consume abundantly grain products, vegetables and fruits. Eat mostly foods low in fat. Adopting such as diet can improve your health or prevent a variety of illnesses.

Avoid smoking - The effects of smoking on health and quality of life are explained extensively in the United States and many other countries around the world so that every smoker can know the risks they take. For years, the effects of cigarette smoke surreptitiously carried on certain organs of your bodies. Smokers think it's cool when they are smoking while month after month, year after year, it destroys their body. Big smoker or not, you are not immune to adverse effects of tobacco on your health. Five most common effects of tobacco include:

Cancer : Smoking increases the risk of developing all types of cancer; however, it is the number one factor for digestive tract cancer, bladder, lungs, tongue, and throat. 85% of lung cancer and 50% of bladder cancers are linked to smoking.

Cardiovascular disease : smoking increases the risk factors of cardiovascular disease: myocardial infarction, hypertension, venous thrombosis, arthritis of the lower limbs, stroke, etc..

Skin disorders: smoking destroys the elastic fibers of the skin causing the appearance of wrinkles (premature), less bright complexion, and even sometimes itching.

Asthma and chronic bronchitis : Smoking increases the risk of developing asthma and chronic bronchitis in children as in adults. You do not need to smoke to become a victim of these conditions; being regularly exposed to cigarette smoke is enough to cause tobacco-related Illnesses in your life.

Allergies : Smoking, including second hand smoke, is irritating; prolonged exposure can lead to rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis in some people.

Chronic diseases and pregnancy

Speaking about health before pregnancy, we mean way of life, nutrition, physical activity, habits, and also possible chronic diseases, such as heightened blood pressure or diabetes. If you have such diseases, then you just have to visit a doctor beforehand. You know, this may complicate pregnancy, bring harm to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor which medicinal preparations and in which doses you take. Doctor will recommend you tests and observations you should pass, for example, X-ray photography. Try to discuss all questions you have for the moment.

It is much simpler to think over a strategy of treatment before pregnancy and then worrying about complications.

Diabetes Diabetes - it is a disease, appearing as a result of lack of insulin in organism, this hormone is produced by pancreas. If you have diabetes, it will be more difficult for you to become pregnant. Moreover, diabetes can influence passing of pregnancy seriously. First of all, it can become a reason of miscarriage or giving birth to a dead baby. Secondly, women suffering from diabetes can give birth to babies with inborn defects. You can reduce risk of such complications due to constant control of sugar content in blood during pregnancy. If you don't care of your state, then diabetes while pregnancy may turn out to be dangerous both for you and your future baby. Majority of complications, connected with diabetes, are displayed during first trimester, i.e. during first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

Pregnancy may cause complications of state while diabetes, what will require increase of insulin doses. This can be easily determined with help of test on sugar content in blood. Majority of doctors recommend taking a special care of this disease development during at least 2-3 months before conception. This will help to reduce probability of risk of miscarriage or other problems. Probably, you will have to pass tests on sugar content in blood several times per day, to control disease completely and avoid possible complications. Past experience shows that women, suffering from diabetes, had serious problems with conception and passing of pregnancy. But die to complete and constant control even women-diabetics can count on successful result of pregnancy and delivery.

If in your family there were cases of diabetes or you have slightest suspicions as for your own health, pass tests before pregnancy surely.

Asthma About 1% of pregnant women suffer from asthma. It is impossible to predict influence of pregnancy on asthma. Half of women, suffering from this disease, notice no changes during pregnancy, about 25% feel even slight improvement, and the rest (25%) observe worsening of state.

Majority of anti-asthma remedies are safe for pregnant, but it is still better to consult a doctor as for preparation to take. Almost all who suffer from asthma know what may become a reason of fit, so avoid contact with allergens before getting pregnant and during whole pregnancy. Try to control your state yet before pregnancy.

Hypertension Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can cause complication both of mother's and unborn baby's health. For women it is connected with risk of refusal of kidneys work, probability of hypertensic crisis or headache. Increase of a future mother's blood pressure may become a reason for decrease of blood inflow to placenta, what will lead to delays of fetus development, i.e. a baby will weigh less, than normal while birth.

If you had high blood pressure before pregnancy, then you just have to take care of it during all 9 months. Probably, gynaecologist will send you to therapeutist's or family doctor's observation with this purpose. Before making a decision to become pregnant, women, suffering from hypertension, should consult a doctor. Some remedies against high blood pressure are safe for pregnant, some are not. On no account quit taking pills and reduce dose without a doctor's prescription! This can be dangerous. If you plan giving birth to a baby, ask you doctor about remedies you are taking against high blood pressure, and about safety of taking these medicines during pregnancy.

Heart diseases During pregnancy load on heart increases about 50%. If you have sick heart, it is necessary for your doctor to know about it before you become pregnant.

Some heart diseases, such as mitral valve prolapse, can seriously complicate passing of pregnancy. Probably, you will even have to take antibiotics before delivery. Other heart diseases, such as inborn heart disease, may seriously influence state of health. In this case pregnancy and delivery are sometimes contra-indicated.

Consult your doctor as for heart diseases before you become pregnant.

Kidneys and urinary bladder diseases Infections of urinary system, in particular urinary bladder, often appear during pregnancy. If you don't cure disease in time, infection may pass to kidneys, causing pyelonephritis.

Infections of urinary bladder and pyelonephritis may lead to premature birth. If you ever suffered from pyelonephritis or repeating infections of urinary system, this should be determined before pregnancy.

Stones in kidneys also may complicate passing pf pregnancy. This disease is accompanied by severe pains in lower part of belly, so it is quite difficult to diagnose it during pregnancy. Moreover, stones in kidneys may become a reason of appearance of infections of urinary system and pyelonephritis.

If you ever had some only infection of urinary bladder, you should not worry a lot. But you still should inform your doctor about it. He will decide whether you need to pass more careful observation before pregnancy.

Thyroid gland diseases Thyroid gland diseases may appear both because of excess or lack of thyroid hormone. Excess of hormone is called thyrotoxicosis. In this case metabolism in human organism is speeded up. This may be caused by Graves' disease. Thyrotoxicosis is usually cured with help of operation of medicinal remedies, reducing content of thyroid hormone in organism. If you don't cure this disease, there's rather high level of risk premature birth and giving birth to a baby with low weight.

You can carry our treatment during pregnancy too: there're quite safe preparations, which pregnant women may take.

Lack of thyroid hormone - hypothyroidism - is usually caused by disease of autoimmune origin. In this case thyroid gland is damaged by anti-bodies, which are produced by your organism. While hypothyroidism taking of thyroid hormones is prescribed. Not cured hypothyroidism threatens with sterility or habitual noncarrying of pregnancy.

If you have thyrotoxicosis or hypothyroidism, you need to pass through observation before pregnancy, to determine doses of medicinal remedies, necessary for treatment. In the process of pregnancy your necessity in preparations may change, and then you will have to pass another observation.

Anemia Anemia means that there's lack of haemoglobin in your organism. There're several reasons and in connection with this several kinds of anemia. Symptoms of anemia are weakness, giddiness, lack of air and pale skin. During pregnancy necessity of organism in iron and iron-containing substances increases. If in the beginning of pregnancy you suffer from lack of iron in blood, anemia increases this lack. So you need to take vitamins and preparations, containing full choice of microelements, necessary for organism.

One of specific types of anemia - sicle-cell disease, which is passed genetically: it is mainly spread among black population. If you suffer from sicle-cell disease, your organism is deprived of oxygen. Passing of this kind of anemia can be very painful, and it also may serve as a reason for other diseases and complications during pregnancy. Sicle-cell disease cannot be cured and may be passed to your baby. Women, suffering from sicle-cell disease, have very high percent of miscarriages and infections of urinary system. They also may suffer from high blood pressure and painful hypertension strokes.

Another kind of anemia - thalassanemia is also passed genetically. If some of your relatives suffers from thalassanemia or you suppose you can have it, check it before pregnancy.

Lupus Lupus is a vascular disease of autoimmune origin. This means your organism produces anti-bodies that may destroy your organs or influence functions of these organs negatively. Lupus can affect different organs, including joints, kidneys, lungs and heart.

This disease is hard to diagnose. One woman of 700 in the age from 15 to 64 years suffers from lupus. Among black women it is met more often, in one case of 254. As a rule, lupus more often strikes women, than men, especially women of genital age, i.e. from 20 to 40 years.

Lupus treatment is highly individual and usually means taking if steroids. It is better not to become pregnant during fit of this disease, as miscarriages are extremely often among women suffering from lupus. Risk of giving birth to a dead baby also increases.

Babies, born from mothers, suffering from lupus, can have rash. They also can have different heart diseases. Premature birth and delay of pre-natal development of fetus are also quite possible. If you suffer from lupus, consult your doctor before pregnancy definitely.

Epilepsy and epileptic seizures Epilepsy - is a chronic disease, characterized by different kinds of seizures (fits). Most often epilepsy is displayed by big and small epileptic seizures

. Chance of giving birth to a baby with epileptic disease can be 1 of 30 for women, suffering from epilepsy. Such babies have risk of in-born diseases, probably, connected with medicines, which a future mother took during pregnancy.

If you take medicines against epilepsy, it is very important to consult your doctor before pregnancy. Discuss doses and type of medicines, which you take, as many preparations, relieving seizures of epilepsy, cause in-born diseases in babies. However, there are safe remedies for fetus, for example, Phenobarbital.

Seizures can be dangerous both for mother and fetus. So it is especially important to take remedies precisely according to a doctor's prescription during pregnancy. On no account reduce dose or quit taking medicine yourself, without a doctor!

Migraine About 15-20% of all pregnant women suffer from migraine. Many women notice improvement of health during pregnancy. If you are going to take pills against headache during pregnancy, check with your doctor how much they are safe for you and future baby.

Cancerous growths A question of probability of cancer's influence on pregnancy depends on the fact which organ it stroke and how wide is growth. Breast cancer is most often form of cancer, met among women. If you had breast cancer, this will not influence pregnancy anyway, and pregnancy, in its turn, will not cause breast cancer. Many doctors advice to wait 2-3 years with childbirth after breast cancer treatment. It is very important to discuss case history and method of treatment with your doctor yet before pregnancy. Situation may become quite complicated, if you are pregnant and pass treatment at the same time. Many medicines and remedies against cancer are not safe for future mother and baby.

Other diseases We examined only some chronic diseases. However, any disease can be dangerous for future baby. So if you suffer from some chronic disease or have to take medicines constantly, discuss it with your doctor. General rule is following: it is better not to take medicines or pass any medical treatment at the moment of conception and on early stages of pregnancy. Laying of all organs and tissues of a baby takes place during 1st trimester of pregnancy, and during this period you need to protect a future baby from harmful influences of medicines or observations. You will feel better and calmer, if you solve all these problems before pregnancy.

Common Types of Heart Disease

There are many types of heart disease, but this article will explore five types of heart disease that are common to happen. Hopefully, this article can add your knowledge concerning this leading cause of death disease.

#1 congenital heart disease

There is a fallacy of thinking that many people do when they believe that all heart disease is brought about by outside factors or that it needs some periods of time for heart disease to build up. This is, of course, not true as one of the most common types of heart disease is congenital heart disease.

The term congenital or hereditary heart disease refers to heart disease which is passed down through the family, and this is considered as being a congenital type of heart disease as it is principally inevitable and unpreventable. If you have an account of early heart disease in your family then you also are at danger for congenital heart disease.

The most first-degree family members that you have who have endured from heart disease, such as your mother, father, brother, sister and so on, in particular those who experienced it at a younger age, the higher your risk of getting it as well.

Although congenital heart disease can be caused by many factors, some of them are actually preventable. For example if heart disease is clustering in your family, then it may just be because of the way that your family lives, including unhealthy practices such as poor diet, little or no exercise, and smoking. All of these aspects can contribute to heart disease and can create the sequence of congenital heart disease.

# 2 congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure is when the heart does not pump adequate blood to the other organs in the body. Congestive heart failure can often result from heart disease and constricted arteries. Congestive heart failure results in a heart which works a lot less efficiently than it should and can make further problems. Symptoms regularly consist of swelling and edema, shortness of breath, and kidney problems which in turn can lead to mysterious weight gain. Even elevated blood pressure and alcohol abuse can lead to congestive heart failure.

A patient may be examined for congestive heart failure if they have suffered from heart disease in the past, are alcoholic, have a family history of heart problems or show one or all of the symptoms that are caused by congestive heart failure. There are choices of examinations that aid a doctor in diagnosing this heart crisis. Treatment should begin without delay, starting with changes to diet and exercise, as patients should abolish salt from the diet altogether and sternly limit their fluid intake. Further treatment should be done by a professional.

#3 coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease is the most frequent type of heart disease of all, and is also the leading reason of heart attacks. Coronary heart disease is a term that refers to damage to the heart that happens because its blood supply is decreased, and what happens here is that fatty deposits build up on the linings of the blood vessels that provide the heart muscles with blood, resulting in them narrowing. This narrowing decreases the blood supply to the heart muscles and causes pain that is identified as angina.

There are a few factors which are considered as being responsible causes of coronary heart disease. One in particular is high cholesterol that can increase fat concentration in your blood and create the building up of fatty deposits. Another one of the major factors of coronary heart disease is cigarette and tobacco smoke, as a smoker's risk of getting heart disease is two times that of a nonsmoker, and studies have actually revealed that after five years of quitting smoking, the risk of developing heart disease is the same as that of someone who had never smoked in their life.

#4 pulmonary heart disease

Pulmonary heart disease is heart disease that comes from a lung, or pulmonary, disorder, or a complication of lung problems where the blood flow into the lungs is slowed or even totally blocked, resulting in increased pressure on the lungs. There are a number of different symptoms that typically come with pulmonary heart disease, such as shortness of breath, syncope, dyspnoea, and chest pain.

It is a state which is often misdiagnosed, and has frequently progressed to late stages by the time that it is actually correctly diagnosed. It has been previously chronic and untreatable with a poor survival rate. However, there are now numerous new treatments which are accessible which have extensively improved the overall prognosis of this disease.

#5 rheumatic heart disease

Rheumatic heart disease frequently derives from strep throat infections. This can be a reason for alarm for many because strep throat, while often preventable, is a quite common condition that affects many people who do not treat a minor sore throat infection in time. However, there is no reason to be because rheumatic heart disease that comes from strep throat is fairly rare. Actually, the sheer volume of cases of rheumatic heart disease has decreased considerably since the 1960's.

If rheumatic fever, which happens due to chronic strep throat, is contracted and leads to rheumatic heart disease, the situation can be treated in a way that is much easier than the common treatments for other types of heart disease. This treatment usually involves taking cortisteroid anti-inflammatory medication to reverse any possible cardiac problems the fever might make. This does not rule out the risk for the requirement for more advanced treatment such as surgery, but it does signify the probability for a simple, yet effective treatment.