Health & Diseases

Damage to our kidneys can either be temporary or permanent, and either way you most definitely do not want this to happen to your kidneys. Once our kidneys begin to fail, we experience a lot of symptoms that can be as subtle as a simple loss of appetite to even greater symptoms such as arrhythmias or even coma.

However, when you already have damaged kidneys and are undergoing hemodialysis there are still some kidney foods that you can take to better hasten the healing process of your kidneys. In choosing which food to include in your diet, you simply have to take note of certain nutrients that are essential for your speedy recovery. Below is a list of nutrients that one should increase or decrease when undergoing hemodialysis.

Calcium and phosphorous usually work in adjunct to each other, and they actually do more than just keeping our teeth and bones strong. A change in one of these two nutrients will also affect the other. Usually, once your kidneys fail, phosphorous tends to build up in the blood. Having high levels of phosphorous in the blood is never a good thing because it can lead to a lot of problems such as brittle bones, or even heart damage. So it is a good idea to decrease your phosphorous intake while also taking calcium implements just to prevent certain complications.

Sodium is also one nutrient that should be limited in a renal diet. Limiting sodium intake can help to control blood pressure and fluid build up, which are common signs of kidney failure. Sodium is commonly found in salt, so decrease intake of foods that are high in sodium such as processed foods, snack foods, and canned foods.

Usually when one is undergoing hemodialysis, one tends to lose a lot of proteins. As we all know, proteins are helpful in repairing tissues, fighting infection, and building muscles. So it is a good idea to increase your intake of food high in protein. Egg whites are a great source of proteins and they are much safer than meat.

These are only some of the nutrients that you should look for in kidney foods. Though it can be challenging to follow, keep in mind that well nourished patients actually recover faster and at the same time have fewer chances of getting infection.

Cold sores really seem to have a mind of their own, they just love making you crazy! They tend to appear at the most inappropriate times such as the day or even the morning before an important event. There are those who have experienced getting outbreaks right before their meeting or job interview. There are people who have experienced an outbreak right before going on a date or even on their wedding day. Whatever the event, occasion, or even on a normal day, no one wants to have them. So what is the best remedy? What can a person do about this virus to put a stop to it?

To figure out the best from of treatment, you first need to understand exactly what the virus is. More importantly however, you should understand what makes it tick; why does it occur? There are three things that are essential for an outbreak to occur. If you can just eliminate one of these factors then you’ve won the war. The best remedy targets just one of these things.

The first thing to be conscious of is that the environment and your surroundings play a big part in outbreaks. The virus that causes cold sores needs a nice warm and moist environment in order to proliferate. The way to attack this is to apply ice to the affected area. In doing so, you can delay and prevent the outbreak for a couple of hours. The second component is acid. Having too much acid in your body is vital for cold sores. Some of the causes of excess acid production are stress, colds, flu and too much sun exposure. If you can avoid these things and, if necessary, take medications to decrease your acid levels you have some great remedies that are well within your control.

More importantly however, the protein known as arignine is the building block or foundation of cold sores. Lysine will help you to eliminate Arginine. There are medications available today that are designed to provide your body with additional Lysine so that you can remove the arginine in your body. Once you can decrease your arginine levels you can stop flare ups in their tracks. Using this treatment is considered by many to be the best remedies available, as you can effectively stop cold sores from popping up for months at a time, now wouldn’t that be great!

Have you heard of the name Dr. Stephen Hawkings? He is a famous scientist and is referred as the Einstein of the 20th century. Such an intelligent and gifted person, is he not? You might think that he is lucky to be so blessed, but he is not. He has a muscular dystrophy.

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic disorder in which the muscle is weakened. Due to this, the person with MD has difficulties in movement and may even not be able to move at all without assistance. The muscle weakening is due to the incorrect or lack of information in the genes of the affected person. And because it is genetic, it is not communicable, but rather transferred to the offspring from one generation to the other. People with MD may develop the symptoms as a child, as a teen or even in their late adulthood.

There are several major forms of muscular dystrophy and they have different symptoms. They are as follows:

· Duchene Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) – this is the most common form of muscular dystrophy and usually affects boys. The problem with DMD is that the gene lack dystrophin. Dystrophin is a protein that helps the muscle keeps their strength and form. Without this, the muscle becomes weak and then eventually breaks down. The symptoms usually develop between the age of 2 and 6. When they reach their teens, they will most probably be in wheelchair. The heart muscles also begin to weaken. Scoliosis may also develop. When the muscles used for breathing becomes affected, the affected person might need the assistance of ventilator for breathing. People affected with DMD don’t usually reach their late teens.

· Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD) – BMD also affects boys. The disease is also very similar with DMD. The difference is that the symptoms, like muscle weakening and breakdown, usually appear in the teen years or even in the adult years. People with BMD also suffer problems with the heart, bone, joints and breathing. The life expectancy depends on the time of onset of the symptoms and the severity of the breathing and heart problems.

· Emery-Dreifus Muscular Dystrophy (EDMD) – This form of MD mostly affects boys too. The symptoms appear in the late childhood and even as late as 25. The muscles involved are the muscles in the shoulders, upper arms, and shins, and it also causes joint problems and even heart problems.

· Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD) – This type of MD affects both girls and boys. Onset of symptoms starts as early as childhood and as late as mid-adulthood. The muscles affected are the muscles in the upper arms and shoulders and muscles around the hip and legs. Wheelchair may be needed as the disease progress.

· Fascioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) – both girls and boys are affected with this type of MD. The onset also varies. Maybe as early as the teen years or as late as adult years. Muscles affected are the muscles in the face, shoulders and even legs. People with this type of MD usually have a hard time whistling, raising their arms, and tightly closing their eyes. Effects of this kind of MD vary. Some are mild, others severe.

· Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy (MMD) – this form of MD affects the relaxation of muscles. People with MMD have a hard time relaxing their muscles and results to wasting of muscles, cataracts and heart problems.

· Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (CMD) – This term is coined for all the MD types that are already present at a young age. They may not be diagnosed immediately. Both boys and girls are affected and symptoms are weakness of muscles and lack or poor muscle tone. CMD can also result to retardation and/or learning disabilities.

Muscular dystrophy has no cure but doctors are finding ways. Diagnosis is through physical exam. Doctors also ask questions as to the symptoms you are experiencing. A thorough family history is also important. Muscle biopsy can also be conducted for suspected patients. A genetic exam may reveal if you have DMD.

Hepatitis B is the term for inflamed liver due to viral infection or exposure to too much alcohol, medication or toxin. An estimated 350 million of individuals are said to be infected of this disease. Therefore, we should really be careful and we must know the signs and symptoms of this disease.

First, let us know what hepatitis B is.

Hepatitis B is caused by the Hepatitis B virus or HBV. They belong to the viral family known as Hepadnaviridae. HBV is a composed of deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA. The virus primarily affects the liver but it can also be detected in the blood. The virus does not directly damage the liver. Rather, it is the response of the immune system that causes damage to the liver. The immune system also kills the liver cells when it is trying to kill the virus. Because of the damage, the liver inflames. The destructive and protective effect of the immune system is therefore imbalanced.

The Hepatitis b infection is also communicable. It is usually by exposure to the blood or body fluids that the infection is spread. The virus is found semen, breast milk, saliva and vaginal discharge of the infected person. Therefore, exposure to these body fluids can also be infectious. We should also prevent sharing our personal belongings to other people because this might also cause transfer of infection. Pregnancy can also transfer the disease to the baby.

Hepatitis B can be classified into two; acute and chronic.

Acute hepatitis B is the first 1-4 months of the development of the disease. Some don’t have symptoms but others have symptoms like:

· Fever

· Flu-like symptoms

· Over fatigue

· Appetite loss

· Nausea

· Yellowing of the skin and sclera of the eyes

· Pain in the abdomen (liver area)

In rare cases, “fulminant hepatitis” occurs. This is where the damage to the liver is so severe that it ceases to function anymore. This condition is life-threatening and can cause bleeding problems that may result to coma of the patient.

Chronic hepatitis B’s symptoms vary widely. It also depends on the severity of the damage in the liver. Liver has many functions such as; production of factors for clotting, production for bile that aides in digestion, break down of toxins and it even plays a role immune system. The symptoms of chronic hepatitis B are in proportion to the function which is more affected. Chronic hepatitis patients usually remain symptom free for a lot of years. When patients start to get worse, the liver becomes inflamed and they are put at risk for liver cirrhosis or severe scarring in the liver. When this happens, signs and symptoms appear. This includes:

· Significant loss of weight

· Appetite loss

· Over fatigue

· Gynecomastia (breast enlargement in men)

· Appearance of rash in the palm of the hands

· Blood clotting difficulties

· Formation of spider-like blood vessels in the skin

· Impaired vision due to the decreased absorption vitamin A

· Osteoporosis due to the decreased absorption of vitamin D

We must always remember that prevention is better than cure. Vaccination for hepatitis B is available so it is advised that we take advantage of it. Being careful of what we use is also an effective way of preventing the disease. But if you think that you are infected of hepatitis B, then immediately refer yourself to a doctor and take necessary steps to prevent infecting others.

Dr. Antoine Marfan first described the Marfan syndrome. Marfan syndrome is a disorder that is hereditary. This disorder affects the body’s connective tissues. The defect is in the production of fibrillin. Fibrillin is a component of a connective tissue. Problems in different parts of our body may arise due to the weakened connective tissues. Parts that may be affected are the eyes, heart and joints.

This disorder only happens in 1 person for every 5,000. This is a very rare case and though it cannot be cured. The symptoms can be. This prolongs the lifespan of the person diagnosed with the disease.

The problem with Marfan syndrome is found in the chromosome 15. A mutation happens there which caused the problem with the production of fibrillin. Marfan syndrome affects both girls and boys of all races. Children whose parents have marfan disease have a fifty percent chance of inheriting the disease. There is a seventy five percent chance that the mutated chromosome is passed down to your offspring. The remaining twenty-five percent depends on the development of the embryo in the uterus.

Common signs and symptoms of Marfan syndrome are as follows:

· Skeletal symptom- People with Marfan syndrome are most of the time taller than their peers. They have loose joints and the arms, legs and fingers may be too long in relation to the other body parts. The breastbone may also stick out or may be depressed. Scoliosis may also present as well as flat feet.

· Eyes- Both lenses of the eye may be dislocated in patients with Marfan syndrome. Patients with this disorder may also be nearsighted. They may also develop glaucoma and cataracts. Retinal detachment is a possible complication to this disorder.

· Cardiovascular system- Faulty connective tissues makes the wall of the arteries weak. This results to weakened and stretched aorta. Leaks may also happen in the aorta and in the valves of the heart. A heart murmur can be heard once this happens. Small leaks may not display any noticeable symptoms, but if the leak is big, symptoms like fatigue, palpitations and shortness of breath.

· Nervous system- People affected with marfan syndrome may develop a condition called dural ecstasia. This happens because the dura that surrounds the spinal cord and brain weakens as Marfan syndrome progress. The weight then begins to wear away the bone around the spinal cord. It causes little discomfort or sometimes, the patient experiences pain that is radiated to the stomach area. Numbness and weakness of the legs may also happen.

· Integumentary system- Stretch marks on the skin are visible on patients with this disease. They appear even without weight change. It does not really affect the health of the person. Hernia is also common to patients of this disorder. Hernia is the bulging in the inguinal or abdominal area and it contains some parts of the intestines.

· Pulmonary system- The tiny air sacs of the lungs are made of connective tissues. So if the pulmonary system becomes affected and the air sacs get swollen and less elastic, then this may result to lung collapse. People with marfan syndrome also exhibits some breathing disorders during sleep like snoring and apnea.

The symptoms discussed may or may not appear together. The severity may also vary. If you think you are affected of this disease, especially if it is in your family history, you should immediately refer it to a doctor.