Modern Guide to Health | Health Guide | Healthy Lifestyle

Chest Pains: Common Problem Causing Real Discomfort

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:46:06 +0000

Palpitation

Palpitation of the heart is a common problem real discomfort in the heart and chest. Palpitation is described as kind of “bumping” felling in the chest. It may arise from a number of different causes, most of which are not related to the heart itself. This is not a true heart attack. Palpitation is often made worse by nervous tension. Anything that increases the work load of the heart may bring on these feelings of discomfort. Some people experience palpitation when lying on the left side, because the heart is nearer the chest wall in the position. Palpitation is a nuisance, but it is usually not serious.

Many nervous people suffer from palpitation, but this does not mean they have heart disease. A nervous person may be unduly concerned because of some friend has recently died of heart attack. Soon minor discomfort is viewed with alarm. Such problems do not arise from the hear itself, but from a highly active imagination. But it would be well to have an electrocardiogram made if the palpitation occurs frequently. If after you have had a complete examination and your doctor finds nothing wrong, you probably have little to fear. But if you do have something wrong, the sooner treatment is started, the better.

Heart Block

Heart block occurs when the electric waves of the heart are slowed down or interrupted in some portion of their normal pathway. In some cases this may interfere with the regular rhythm or motion of the heart. This interference may be due to some serious condition in early life it is probably due to hardening of the arteries. A correct diagnosis is important before treatment can be effective. Hence an electrodiogram should always be made. There are several useful medicines that will improve the rhythm of the heart, but these must be prescribed in the right dosage by your own physician.

Sinus Tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia or racing heart is an annoying condition, the cause of which is not always clear. The heart rate may increase because of severe emotional strain, heavy exercise, lack of sufficient oxygen, fever hemorrhage, and various infections. If the rate is very rapid (over 150 beats per minute) the heart itself may not have time enough to rest between beats. This cuts down the efficiency of the heart and slows the circulations of the blood throughout the body. A rapid heartbeat is more serious when there is some inflammation of the heart muscle itself, such as in rheumatic fever or coronary thrombosis.

Treatment:

Some mild sedative, such as Phenobarbital, may be all that is needed to control an irritable heart. Some people can slow down the rapid heart by merely pressing over the carotid sinus on one side of the neck just below the angle jaw. This may quickly relieve the attack. Others have found that tickling the back of the throat or pressing on the eyeballs may also bring the heart rate back to normal.

Although this rapid heartbeat is annoying, it is usually not serious, provided it does not occur too frequently or continue too long. If the rapid beating is due to congestive heart failure, it can sometimes be controlled by digitalis. Many people have found relief by eliminating such things as tobacco, alcohol, tea, and coffee. It is always wise to have an electrocardiogram made just to be sure there is nothing more seriously wrong with the cardiac system.

Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat often associated with such conditions as rheumatic heart disease, excessive thyroid activity, and coronary artery disease. When the rate is very rapid and irregular they maybe a feeling of palpitation, fainting, weakness, and nausea. When the pulse is very weak and irregular, the blood flow to such vital organs as the kidneys, lungs and brain may be greatly reduced. In other words, an irregular circulation of blood throughout the body. There is also the danger of a blood clot forming in the heart, and fragment of embolus being carried to the lungs, kidneys, and brain, perhaps producing some serious condition such as stroke.

Treatment:

Most doctors use digitalis to control irregular heart. Quinidine is also useful in changing the rhythm back to its normal rate. Although in some cases the heart rhythm may never be restored to its normal regularity, most of these people can get along fairly well provide the heart rate remains around 70 or 80 beats per minute. The patient should avoid colds and all other types of stress, as far as possible.

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Weight-Loss Tips and Tricks: Distinguish Hunger from Appetite

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:00:03 +0000

Hunger is a physiological state but appetite is a psychological one. says Foreyt.

If you dont have the gnawing feeling in your belly (a sign of hunger) and you just have a taste for certain something (appetite), take a walk, call a friend or engage in another distracting activity until the craving passes.

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Weight-Loss Tips and Tricks: Get a grip on Stress

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:44:41 +0000

Besides stimulating appetite, “stress causes increase in (the stress hormone) cortisol, which sends signal to the fat cells in the abdomen to store fat,” explains Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D., author of The Cortisol Connection Diet (Hunter House Inc., 2004).

Find the technique that reduces stress for you whether it’s breathing deeply, meditating or doing yoga and practice it every day.

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Weight-Loss Tips and Tricks: Devide Your Plate

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:21:02 +0000

Divide your plate into quarters and fill half with vegetables, salads, and fruit, a quarter with lean protein, and a quarter with a starchy vegetable, advises Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., a Washington, D.C.-based spokesperson for the Dietetic Association and author of Diet Simple. This will help insure you eat enough to feel full and satisfied without stuffing yourself with unnecessary calories.

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Are British Healthier than US?

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:24:48 +0000

A recent report reveals that those of us in United States are less healthy than our counterparts across the pond. The study in the Journal of the American Medical Association say that Americans who are middle-aged and older have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, lung disease, lung disease and cancer than people of the same age living in England. For example, we are twice as likely to have diabetes and 10% more likely to have high blood pressure.

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Fainting Spells and Dizziness: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:25:41 +0000

Fainting or syncope means temporary loss of consciousness due to lack of oxygen in the brain. The victim suddenly becomes pale and has a feeling of weakness and nausea, then falls to the ground. In most cases, recovery is rapid, often within a minute or two.

Fainting spells frequently follows period of fatigue due to overwork. Standing still for a long time may bring on faintness and dizziness. This may also occur after a person has been in bed for a few days of weeks. Just the simple act of getting up around will bring on feelings of weakness, because the normal balancing mechanisms of the body have not been malfunctioning during the illness. Any sudden emotion shock may cause fainting, probably because many of the smaller blood vessels are relaxed and there is not enough blood to fill them. This result in a rapid drop in blood pressure. Any pressure in the neck, particularly over the carotid arteries, may reduce the flow of blood to the brain and cause fainting or dizziness. This may come on from wearing a tight collar.

Many nervous people suffer from fainting spells, especially at the sight blood. Others become dizzy because of breathing to much air. In their anxiety they feel they are not getting enough air, when in reality they are getting far more than they actually need. This is known as the hyperventilation syndrome, a condition in which there is often fainting and dizziness. Such people should breathing into a paper bag the moment this strange feelings come on. Breathing the same air several times in succession will quickly raise the carbon dioxide level in the metabolism and restore the normal chemical balance of the body.

Treatment for painting:

Keep the patient lying flat with head low and the feet slightly elevated until he regains consciousness this may be all the treatment he needs. However, he should see his doctor to be sure there is nothing more serious. The doctor will want to rule out heart disease, high blood pressure, and other conditions such as diabetes.

People who suffer from fainting spells should avoid extra on hot days. A well-balanced breakfast in the morning, followed by a regular meals at midday and night will help to keep the blood sugar at normal level all through the day. A good program of exercise will help the blood vessels to maintain their normal tone. But all such activities should be done in moderation, especially after some prolonged illness.

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Weight-Loss Tips and Tricks: Put your Fork Down Between Bites

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:59:32 +0000

“It slows down the rate of eating” says Bonci, the director of sports nutrition at hte University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. This can help make you fully aware of what you’re putting in your mouth.

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Weight-Loss Tips and Tricks: Have a Salad First

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:51:27 +0000

Eating a low calorie salad as a first course enhances satety and reduces calorie entake by up to 12 percent during the rest of the meal, according to research at Pennsylvania State University.

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Low Calorie Smoothie: What are the Best Ingredients to Use?

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:36:08 +0000

Commercial made smoothies – especially the ones with frozen yogurt, sweetened syrups and mysterious thickeners but little or no actual fruit – are the ones to watch out for, says nutritionist Nanncy Clark, M.S., author of Nancy Clark’s Sport Nutritionist Guidebook, Third Edition (Human Kenetics, 2003). “Youd dont always know what in there, but if yo make smoothie at home, it can be a realy nutritious liquid meal.”

Smothies that combine protien and carbohydrates will keep you satisfied longer than carbo-only smothies. For example, instead of using orange juuice or apple juice as your base, use nonfat milk and add vanilla protien powder, nonfat yougart or even peanut butter. Keep frozen banana chunks and berries in your freezer; they will make your smoothies thick and cold without the empty calories of frozen yougurt.

Learn the calorie counts on your favorite ingredients by reading food label and using USDA’s nutrient database here. Also measure how much of each ingredient you use in your smothies. “People ger carried away and just start dumping things in the blender. “Carlk says. If you’re using a smoothie as a meal, aim for 400 to 500 calories. For snacks, cut your portions in half. You can find loads of nutritious smothie ideas in Slim Smoothies: Over 130 Healthy and Energizing Recipes Without All the Calories (Three Rivers Press, 2003), which contains a nutritional analysis of each smoothie.

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Heart Failure Treatment

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:17:09 +0000

Heart failure is a serious condition that develops when the heart is no longer able to carry on its normal work. It happens to the most patient with serious heart disease at some time or other in the course of their disease. The heart has only one function – to pump the blood stream and keep it circulating through all parts of the body.

When the heart is tired or weakened by disease, the bloodstream tends to slow down and fluid will gather in certain areas, such as in the feet, ankles, and legs. In many patient the liver also becomes large and tender, and the lungs begin to fill up with fluid, making breathing difficult.

Heart Failure Causes:

Heart failure may arise from number of different conditions, such as high blood preassure, coronary thrombosis, kidney disease, rheumatic fever, diphtheria, and low thyroid activity. Anything obstructing the normal flow of blood, such as mitral or aorticstenosis, will eventually produce sever heart failure.

This delay circulation reduces the flow of blood to the kidneys, so that water is no longer excerted in sufficient amounts. This failure to excrete fluid produces a state known as edema or swealing of the tissue. The lungs may then begin to fill up with the fluid, and this in turn reduces the normal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. This loss of “vital capacity” of the lungs is very serious and must be relieved without delay if the patient is to survive.

As the fluid continues to gather in the lungs, the patient may then suffer from severe spells of coughing and shortness of breath. The skin begins to lose its normal color, turning bluish due to the condition known as cyanosis. The patient may be forced to sit up at night, or use four or five pillows when trying to rest. At times he may cough up a frothy, pinkish, blood-tinged material, especially at night. This is known as pulmonary edeme.

As condition gets worse, the patient becomes anxious and fearful for his own future. His liver may be enlarged and tender, and his kidneys congested and unable to eliminate all these excess fluids from the body. There may be albumin and casts in the urine. Back pressure on the digestive organs may result in distressing symptoms, such as gas, constipation, lack of appetite, and distention of the bowel. All of this lowers the normal nutrition of the individual and interferes with his recovery.

Heart Failure Treatment:

To treat heart failure successfully, requires both skill and experience, for the patient’s body is already overloaded with fluid. In the more severe states powerful diuretic medicines, such as Mercuhydrin, are injected into the muscle to aid the kidneys in getting rid of the excess fluids. Chlorothiazide tablets (Diuril) are valuable maintaining a normal output of fluid from the kidneys. They must be taken once or twice daily to help maintain the correct fluid balance.

For many years digitalis has been the chief stimulant for the heart. Most patients need one tablet a day. Because there is already too much salt in the tissue, the patient must avod the excess use of salt. However, patients taking Diuril or similar “water pill” may need a little salt. Potassium in some form should be given daily. A glass of orange juice will usually provide enough potassium to meet the body’s need.

In the more severe cases, oxygen may be needed, particularly during the night. If the patient is restless, he could be given some mild sedative. He should be relieved of all causes of anxiety and emotional strain. Many people with mild heart failure can carry on their normal work, provided they have long quite weekends in which to recover. When the heart is tired from work, a few days’ rest in bed will usually bring the body back to its normal activity.

Good nursing care is most essential in more severe cases. The patient should give up smoking permanently. He should be protected from colds these place an extra strain on the heart and lungs and may prove to much, especially when one is already weak and tired.

After a severe bout of failure, the patient should rest as much as possible, and only gradually increase his activities until he is back to normal. In future he should continue a careful program of living, avoiding all unnecessary activity and excitement that might overload the heart. With proper rest and a well-balanced program of living, most patients with heart failure can get along fairly well, provided they live whitin their limits of activity and keep cheerful and optimistic as far as possible.

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