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Assessing Your Hypertensive Patient for Renal Disease

Comments: 0September 2nd, 2010 by admin



Because your hypertensive patient has an increased risk of developing renal disease, monitor his laboratory results for the following.

Stage I: Diminished Renal Reserve

* reduced kidney function with no accumulation of metabolic wastes

* mild elevation in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels

Stage II: Renal Insufficiency

* mild accumulation of metabolic wastes

* elevated BUN, creatinine, uric acid, and phosphorus levels

* anemia

* mild hyperkalemia

* reduced ability to concentrate urine

Stage III: End-stage Renal Disease

* excessive accumulation of metabolic wastes

* severely elevated BUN, creatinine, potassium, and phosphorus levels

* decreased sodium and calcium levels

* decreased hemoglobin level and hematocrit

* fluid retention

A physician uses renal ultrasonography, excretory urography, and renal arteriography to diagnose renal disease. Renal ultrasonography helps the physician visualize renal structures to evaluate the integrity of tissues and vessels. This procedure is safe for patients with renal insufficiency because it doesn’t use contrast media.

A physician uses excretory urography to identify the absence or presence of lesions, areas of restricted blood flow, and areas of vascular occlusion. He also may use renal arteriography to evaluate renal blood flow. Excretory urography and renal arteriography require the use of contrast media, placing your patient with renal insufficiency at risk for worsening kidney function.

Treatment for Peripheral Vascular Disease

The treatment of peripheral vascular disease may include drug therapy, surgery, or both. If your patient has peripheral artery occlusive disease, the physician may prescribe pentoxifylline, which is the only effective drug for treating the condition. Pentoxifylline increases erythrocyte flexibility and reduces blood viscosity, thus increasing the oxygenated blood supply to the ischemic muscle.

The physician may prescribe an antihypertensive drug to control your patient’s blood pressure. If your patient undergoes arterial bypass surgery for peripheral vascular disease, his physician also may prescribe aspirin and warfarin to maintain graft patency.

To treat peripheral vascular disease, a surgeon may perform patch graft angioplasty. In this procedure, the surgeon opens the occluded artery and removes the atherosclerotic plaque. Then he places a patch over the opening to widen the vessellumen.

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Posted in anemia

Augmented Arpeggios

Comments: 0September 2nd, 2010 by admin



Augmented arpeggios are a really useful tool that you can use to jazz up your solos and improvisations. They have a really nice fusion type sound to them and if you use them correctly they will really add interest to your music. This arpeggio is made up from three notes, the root, third and sharp fifth. Jazz and fusion musicians regularly use the augmented sound to play over dominant chords and to create interesting jazz lines in their solos.
The intervals are:
1 3 #5
One interesting trick to note is that you can build other augmented arpeggios off of the three notes. For instance the C augmented arpeggio contains the same notes as the E augmented and G# augmented. To see what I mean, take a look at the examples below.
C augmented arpeggio
C E G#
E augmented arpeggio
E G# C
G# augmented arpeggio
G# C E
You can find three augmented arpeggios within the melodic minor scale. For instance in the C melodic minor scale you will find an Eb, G and B augmented arpeggio.
Below I have written it out in all 12 musical keys to help you out.
C
C E G#
C#
C# F A
D
D F# Bb
Eb
Eb G B
E
E G# C
F
F A C#
F#
F# Bb D
G
G B D#
Ab
Ab C E
A
A C# F
Bb
Bb D F#
B
B D# G
I hope you enjoy learning the strange and wonderful sounds that the augmented arpeggio can produce. Try playing the augmented sound over dominant and dominant 7#5 chords.

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Premature Labor Signs and Symptoms, Prevention and Care

Comments: 0September 1st, 2010 by admin



Premature labor is also called as preterm labor. Onset of labor after 28 weeks but before 37 weeks is called as Preterm labor. The infant will weigh less than five and a half pounds at birth as it is a premature labor.

The percentage of preterm labor is around 5-10% this is the rough approximate. It can be caused by various factors. Idiopathic is known as spontaneous preterm labor.

- Age: less than 18 yrs and greater than 40 yrs.
- Low socio economic status: Maternal and paternal education levels both father and mother if well educated can take care during pregnancy.
- Behavioral Factors: Smoking, tobacco chewing, cocaine, poor nutrition and mental stress
- Medical Factors: anemia, liver disease, asthma, PIH, renal disease, cardiac disease, TB, hyperthyroidism etc.
- If your blood sugar is high, it leads to an increase in the fluid content of your amniotic sac and eventually premature labor pain may set in.
- Obstetric risk factors: Past history of previous preterm labor. If you’ve a past history of, there’s a slightly higher chance of you having another premature birth, second trimester abortion, h/o recurrent abortion, cervical trauma.
- Infections: acute appendicitis, gastroenteritis, bacterial vaginosis, Intrauterine infection by viruses, protozoa.
- Miscellaneous factors: Trauma during any fall or accident, drugs such as quinine.

Signs And Symptoms Known As Warning Signals:

The signs and symptoms will be almost same as normal labor; in case of a preterm labor you may experience a low back pain with or without contractions

Some other signs which a woman can observe herself while the onset of a preterm labor are:

1. Menstrual like cramps
2. Low dull backache
3. Abdominal cramps
4. Feeling of pelvic pressure or heaviness in vagina
5. Increase/change in vaginal discharge: bloody or mucoid
6. Fluid leaking per vagina

Although these signals are not so specific pregnant should never avoid such symptoms as you should be given immediate care as soon as these symptoms are confirms as the warning signals of a preterm labor so you should visit the hospital as soon as you notice these!

General Prevention of a Preterm Labor

1. Improve your lifestyle
2. Be physically active
3. You should have proper knowledge about the pregnancy i.e. should always take pre-pregnancy counseling
4. Always go for a routine medical check up!

Natural Prevention

Looking after yourself can help reduce your risk of having a premature baby you should avoid chewing tobacco, alcohol consumption, stop smoking.

Diet: you should be very strict about your diet. Follow a sugar-free diet to keep your blood sugar in control. If you are on insulin, get your blood sugar level checked at least three times a day.

Maintain your blood pressure: maintain your blood pressure by regularly visiting your doctor and keeping a record at home! This really helps!

- Limit sodium (salt) in your diet do not eat salt more than required as it increases the blood pressure.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking has a serious side effect!
- Avoid high alcohol consumption
- Maintain an appropriate body weight because both high and log weight can cause preterm labor.

Lower the stress levels by nay of the below means -

1. Breathing exercises
2. Meditation
3. Eat properly
4. Popper exercise
5. Improve your dietary habits have green vegetables, fresh fruits proper nutrition and a good balanced diet

Medical Care

The doctor will react to the first signs of premature labor by ordering strict bed rest and a drip to maintain the fluid balance.

Copyright © Ryan Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

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Posted in anemia

Mold Allergy Medicine

Comments: 0August 31st, 2010 by admin



Mold allergies are caused when you live in a house where you are exposed to mold spores. You can also be exposed to mold spores in other areas of your life, but is generally in the home where most people are suffering from allergic reactions to mold. Mold allergy medicine is an answer to this problem. But first let’s have a look at problem of mold.

There are many allergic reactions caused by airborne pollutants, and mold allergies are no exception to this. Mold spores are part of the reproductive process that mold goes through. Mold spores can stay airborne indefinitely, so no matter how you try to avoid exposure to them, you will always fail if you are in an environment where they exist in great amounts.

Even the allergic reactions to other airborne allergens are similar to the allergic reactions felt with spores from mold. They generally come in the form of a runny nose, itchy eyes which can be very sore, sneezing, headaches, general irritation, and flu-like feelings. This is where the mold allergy medicine tries to alleviate some of the problems.

Mold allergy medicine comes in the form of antihistamines, corticosteroids, and sometimes bronchodilators. These medications are meant to treat the symptoms of mold allergy. There also a series of injections that are available from your physician to try and combat the long-term exposure to mold spores. The injections contain an element of mold and are usually given over time and in increasing doses in order to build a level of a tolerance to the mold.

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Posted in Allergy And Sinus

Kidney and Heart Disease – Consequences

Comments: 0August 30th, 2010 by admin



Heart disease itself is a serious medical concern. When kidney and heart disease occur in combination, the challenge is even greater.

Kidney and heart disease may begin separately, and then progress together, becoming one disease. Heart disease may also spark the beginning of kidney disease. Whichever occurs first, kidney and heart disease affect each other’s progress.

Since kidney and heart disease are so closely related, anyone who has heart disease, or is at risk for developing it, should ask his or her physician to order urine and blood tests that are designed to identify kidney disease.

Kidney Functions

Most people know that the kidneys remove wastes and fluids from the body. In addition to these functions, kidneys also perform other important jobs. Among them, several are vital to heart health.

* Regulate water in the body

* Regulate blood chemicals: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium

* Remove drugs and toxins from the body

* Release hormones that regulate blood pressure and create red blood cells.

Kidney Disease Consequences

Kidney disease that is uncontrolled can become chronic kidney disease (CKD). As CKD worsens, the kidneys can not adequately regulate water in the body. The blood may become too thick, placing an increased work load on the heart.

At the same time, blood chemicals will go unregulated. If the heart lacks the important electrolyte chemicals, it cannot function efficiently.

CKD will also allow drugs, toxins, and other wastes in the blood to build to high levels. These high concentrations of toxic materials can take a toll on the whole body, including the heart.

High blood pressure and anemia (low red blood cell count) can be linked to failure of the kidneys to release necessary hormones.

Kidney and heart disease will then become a combined concern.

How to Prevent the Lethal Combo

Early detection of kidney and heart disease is important. Both can be treated more successfully if detected in their early stages.

Ask your physician about these three simple tests: blood pressure, serum creatinine test, and urine test.

If you have high blood pressure, be sure your physician tests for kidney disease. If you have kidney disease, insist that your physician test for high blood pressure. One can cause the other.

The kidney and heart disease combination is most likely to hit those with diabetes, hypertension, and a family history of kidney disease. If you are African American, Hispanic, a Pacific Islander, a Native American, or a senior citizen, you are at greater risk for kidney and heart disease.

Kidney and heart disease do not always go hand-in-hand, but if you have one or the other, you increase the risks of both.

CAUTION: The author is not a medical professional, and offers the information in this article for educational purposes only. Please discuss it with your health care provider before relying on it in any way.

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Posted in anemia

What Is The Brain?

Comments: 0August 30th, 2010 by admin



The brain is the organ in a person’s skull that controls the functions of all of the other organs. Together, the brain and spine make up the central nervous system. The brain is responsible for the experience of the five senses (taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell). The brain is also the seat of thought, language, personality, creativity and memory. The brain controls movement, sensation, balance, and coordination. In order to do its job, the brain requires an enormous amount of the oxygen and nutrient energy that a person takes in regularly.

The brain is comprised of nerve cells (called neurons) which carry signals, and the cells which support the nerve cells (called glial cells ). There are a number of different types of glial cells, all with different names and functions. The glial cells outnumber the neurons in the brain by a ratio of 10:1

Brain Tumor Symptoms

Depending on the location and size of the tumor, symptoms experienced by each patient may vary. Most of the common symptoms are due to increased intracranial pressure as the growing tumor affects surrounding structures:

* Frequent headaches (reported by 50% of patients)

* Blurry vision

* Nausea and/or vomiting

* Personality or cognitive changes

Other symptoms are site-specific, including seizures, speech impairment, weakness or numbness on one side and problems with coordination, balance or mobility.

Types of Brain Tumors

There are many different types of brain tumors, based on what cells are affected and how they appear under a microscope. Tumors can be classified into four general categories:

1)Gliomas

2)Astrocytoma

3)Grade I (pilocytic astrocytoma): slow growing, with little tendency to infiltrate surrounding brain tissue. Most common in children and adolescents.

4)Grade II (diffuse astrocytoma): fairly slow-growing, with some tendency to infiltrate surrounding brain tissue. Mostly seen in young adults.

5)Grade III (anaplastic/malignant astrocytoma): these tumors grow rather quickly and infiltrate surrounding brain tissue.

6)Grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme, GBM): an extremely aggressive and lethal form of brain cancer. Unfortunately, it is the most common form of brain tumor in adults, accounting for 67% of all astrocytomas.

7)Oligodendroglioma

8)Ependymoma

Tests on your cancer cells

Your breast cancer cells can be tested to see if they have ‘hormone receptors’ or biological therapy receptors. There are oestrogen receptors and progesterone receptors. You may hear your doctor talk about ‘your oestrogen receptor status’, ‘ER status’ or ‘PR status’. Sometimes, doctors may say you are ‘ER positive’ or ‘ER negative’.

Treatment

1)Surgery

When possible, brain tumors are removed through surgery. While many can be removed with little or no damage to the brain, others are located where surgical removal is difficult or impossible without destroying critical parts of the brain.

Brain damage caused by surgery can lead to partial paralysis, changes in sensation (feeling), weakness and poor thinking. Even so, removing a tumor is necessary when it threatens important brain structures. Even when it can’t cure a malignancy, surgery can help reduce the size of the tumor, ease symptoms and help determine the type of tumor

2)Radiation Therapy

3)Chemotherapy

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Posted in cancer

Testing For Herpes

Comments: 0August 28th, 2010 by admin



Sometimes, one does not know what one is looking for. This is a general truth for just about anything, from something as superficial as shopping, to matters of person and public health. That is to say, with STD testing sexually active persons do not always know what they are looking for. Visits to the clinic for screenings can be spurred by symptoms or as a part of a routine. Herpes is one of the most commonly checked for STD. in fact, it is thought that nearly half of all sexually active adults in the United States are likely to have herpes antibodies.

What is Herpes?

A herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is marked by a cluster of small painful blisters on or near the skin of the genitals, or in some cases, the mouth, urethra, rectum and or tissue lining the throat or nose. There are two types of herpes simplex viruses, HSV1 and HS2. HSV1 is most commonly know as cold sores or fever blisters. Located on the lips, HSB1 is usually transmitted though kissing or sharing eating utensils with someone having an outbreak. HSV1 can cause blisters around the genitals.

HSV2 is referred to as genital herpes, since the blisters grow on and or around the vagina or penis. But, HSV2 can cause mouth sores, as a result of unprotected oral sex. Additionally, pregnant mothers with genital herpes can infect their unborn babies if delivered vaginally.

Testing

Typically, medical professionals perform HSV tests by examining the blisters located on the genitals. However, since there are cases of HSV infecting other body parts, including the eye and brain, a test can be completed using samples of blood, urine, or tears. Before visiting a health care provider and being tested, a patient might find it helpful, maybe even empowering, to understand how many tests are available, how they work, and which most fits his or her needs. Being informed, observant, and unafraid to ask questions can make the experience of sharing personal information, like ones sexual history, might make the testing experience more productive.

Herpes Testing Four Ways

To determine if sores or blisters present on a sexually active person are caused by HSV for types of tests can be performed. The best method of identifying a genital herpes infection is by taking a culture sample. This is done by swabbing cells or fluid from a afresh blister. As effective as this test is, some patients receive false-negative results. For added security an antigen detection test can be performed along with a viral culture. An antigen requires scrapping cells from a fresh blister and examining them under a microscope. Since herpes has a dormant period, when no blisters are visible, another testing option is a polymerase chain reaction test. While, a PCR test can be used on cells, urine, spinal fluid, or fluid from a blister work equally as well. PCR looks for the DNA of HSV and can differentiate between HSV1 and HSV2. This test is particularly useful for the rare instances when herpes infects the brain. A fourth and less accurate test is an antibody test. Antibodies develop in the immune system to fight the infection. However, it takes time to develop antibodies and patient may not have a positive test if infection recently occurred.

Herpes is incurable and while medication can relieve symptoms, reducing blister outbreaks and relieving pain, medicine cannot cure the infection. Those who test positive should know that the recurrence of infection depends on but is not limited to stress, fatigue, sunlight, or other infections like the cold or flu.

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Red Blood Cells & Anabolics

Comments: 0August 26th, 2010 by admin



Every bodybuilder worth his or her salt knows that steroids affect muscle tissue in the body. However, many overlook the simple and seemingly obvious fact that anabolic steroids also affect other body tissues. Heart, liver, prostate, brain, kidney, and other organs and systems of the body are also affected by steroids. Changes to these organs are commonly known as side effects, the unintended consequences of drugs which are manifested in the body’s composition and behavior exhibited. Most users are aware of the obvious side effects of steroids – water retention, acne, increased aggression, and others. But many users are unaware of the effects that anabolic (and androgenic) steroids have upon the blood, particularly red blood cells.

Side effects on red blood cells

Steroids exert a positive influence on red blood cell production by increasing their production speed and volume. A higher red blood cell count allows the blood to carry more oxygen to the various parts of the body, including muscle tissue, heart, circulatory system, and brain. Endurance during exercise and other strenuous exercise is improved. Remember the cyclists who “doped” with blood to increase biking endurance? The key processes are the same. Blood with increased levels of red blood cells makes for better endurance, hence one of the great unknown effects of steroids. Enhanced aerobic capacity could mean 1-2 more reps per set, and 20-30 more minutes of cardio, which can lead to an edge in competition results.

How does it work?

Key receptors located in the kidneys are stimulated by steroids and thereby spurn increased levels of red blood cell production. Further details go beyond the scope of this discussion, but bodybuilders should recognize that even when not in pre-contest or diuretic-consumption/water deprivation mode, the kidneys are indeed affected by steroids at all times. Some trainers with kidney problems believe that off-season use and abuse of steroids has no risk to their renal function, as they’re drinking plenty of water and not engaged in the risky pre-contest diuretic use. That is untrue. Any anabolic or androgenic agent administered to the body does affect kidney function.

Advantages of one steroid over another?

No steroid has any particular measurable advantage over another in terms of red blood cell production acceleration. Other agents, such as EPO, exist which greatly expand red blood cell production, but bodybuilders do not commonly use them, as they have no meaningful effect upon muscle-building or fat loss. The key concept to understand is that steroids affect many systems in the body, including blood production.

Posted in anemia

Signs of Ovulation

Comments: 0August 25th, 2010 by admin



Ovulation is what happens during the menstrual cycle, whereby an egg is released from the ovary, then travels through the fallopian tube, where it is then available to sperm in order to be fertilized. The ovulation of a woman is very important in order to understand pregnancy and the menstrual cycle. Having the knowledge of your ovulation period will assist you in becoming pregnant, along with understanding the correct time to test if you are pregnant.

There are a few ovulation signs that a woman can look for, when trying to decipher which day of their cycle starts their ovulation process.

Counting the days is the most popular and simplest way. For the average woman, the ovulation process occurs 14 days before the first day of their period. These 14 days are in actual fact a very good indicator as to when ovulation has started and does not generally vary largely between women. However, it can be difficult to indicate as to when your next ovulation will happen, as the time span between your period and next ovulation can vary enormously between women and also between cycles. Therefore, counting days is a very retrospective indicator.

The consistency of your cervical mucus can also be a sign of ovulation. Cervical Mucus Monitoring is one of the most instant ways in which to indicate whether a woman is ovulating or not. The cervical secretions can be tested by gathering a sample of the mucus that it present around the lips of your genitalia. This should be tested by placing the discharge between your index finger and thumb and stretching, to observe its consistency. The consistency of cervical mucus can in actual fact change after menstruation, immediately before ovulation, during and after ovulation. Therefore, looking at the consistency will be a sure way of predicting whether you are in your cycle.

Most women, at the beginning of their cycle, the days after menstruation, do not have cervical mucus that they can test and may also feel dry around their vulva. This is the period whereby women are less likely to conceive.

As the cycle advances, a discharge will again start to appear, which should be white or off-white in color. As this period advances before ovulation, the discharge will begin to have a more substantial consistency. This is when it can be tested between your finger and thumb, whereby it will not break immediately.

The cervical mucus will appear to be more opaque in color during ovulation, and it can be stretched a couple of centimeters when testing without resulting in breakage. This is also the period when the discharge is very abundant. When the cervical mucus is more substantial and most abundant, then a woman is at her peak of ovulation, which is the highest chance for conception.

It is after ovulation that the discharge will revert back to a state similar to that before ovulation and return to a dry state similar to immediately after menstruation. Once this has happened you should be very near to your next period.

One of the other signs of ovulation is the increase in your basal body temperature. Although this is yet another retrospective indicator, it is a very good predictor. It is just after your period of ovulation that your temperature can rise to approximately 0.4 to 0.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature will remain until the end of your cycle, rising up and down. However, the steep increase of temperature after ovulation is the indicator or such ovulation. It is advised to keep a log of your temperatures throughout a few cycles, so that you can begin to predict when your ovulation will begin.

You may also experience other signs of ovulation which include an increase in sex drive, tenderness of the breasts, bloating of the abdomen, heightened senses as well as an elevated level of LH (luteinizing hormone), which can be detected with the use of ovulation kits.

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Posted in Alcohol

Drug Rehabilitation Information – How to Treat Drug Addiction

Comments: 0August 25th, 2010 by admin



Habitual compulsive over use of certain drugs is drug abuse. Severe complications leading to lots of fatalities result from drug abuse. How to treat drug addiction is what this article is all about.

To start this article let me say first hand that it is not only illegal drugs that are abused by people, prescription or over-the-counter drugs are also commonly abused. Though addictions catches up with most drug abusers, some people abuse drugs for some time without being addicted to them. Some people are most unfortunate to, in addition to drug actions, get down with some terrible adverse side effects.

Drug abuse is usually triggered by emotional instability of the abuser aroused by external influences that could be from friends, relatives or colleagues. Complete derangement of the victim are some of the side effects of drug abuse.

When treating drug abuse effort should be made to determine whether any or all of those influences are present in order to deal with it so that treatment for your drug addiction will be successful. The conditions of drug abusers are not the same , so also are the diagnosis and treatment.

The therapist following the initial interview with the patient should find out enough information to help decide the proper course of treatment to follow, the type of drugs that are suitable, dosage, duration of use, the anticipated effects including side effect. Your social needs should be put into consideration: who should visit and who should be barred. Specialist advise that only very close relatives who are not abusing drugs should be allowed near you while undergoing drug rehabilitation.

Another important factor that you must cooperate with the therapist to identify is your true personality, your spirituality and religion or otherwise. The therapist may also want to know how close your drug supplier to the rehab and who he or she is so that the facility can keep them away from you.

After all the preliminaries have been taken care of, detoxification is the first treatment you begin to receive to remove traces of the drug from your system. Your blood is primarily targeted with detoxification medications to rid them of traces of the drug. Drugs addictions are not like alcohol addiction, which mere abstinence can wean an abuser from it. A lot of work is usually called in rehabilitating a drug abuser. For instance cases if you are being rehabilitated from cocaine or LSD abuse your therapy could include the allowance of Small amounts of the particular, which will continuously be scaled down till you are weaned from its use.

The aim of an inpatient rehab program is to help you stay off drug in a secured environment so that you will completely be relieved of the drug craving and become sober.

Because rehabilitation for drug addiction is not an easy procedure, you should only entrust yourself to a notable rehab center with a track record of successful rehabilitation. A quality rehab center will do more than just wean you from drug abuse, they should be able to completely turn your shattered life around for good.

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