Understanding pulmonary hypertension

 Understanding pulmonary hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure is the common condition of when blood pressure, the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels, is consistently high.   Most of us are familiar with and have a basic understanding of it.  But there is another type of hypertension we may have heard of but are not clear on exactly what is means.  This hypertension is called pulmonary hypertension or PH and is when a person has high blood pressure in the lungs.  It can also be referred to as pulmonary arterial hypertension or PAH. 

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8 mistaken beliefs about breast cancer

8 mistaken beliefs about breast cancer

When we hear of a woman who has been diagnosed with cancer, most of us tend to assume it is breast cancer.  Part of this is the fact breast cancer gets a lot of media exposure compared to other forms of cancer.  But for women in the United States, with the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women and according to BreastCancer.org, for 2017 it is estimated that about 30% of cancers diagnosed in women will be breast cancer.

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12 steps to relieve IBS symptoms naturally

12 steps to relieve IBS symptoms naturally

IBS is a disorder affecting between 25 to 45 million people in the US who know all too well the disabling symptoms it can cause disrupting their lives. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an intestinal disorder causing pain in the belly, gas, bloating, cramping, diarrhea, and constipation.  Up to 1 in 5 Americans have chronic IBS with symptoms lasting for years or a lifetime.

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An overview of Hashimoto’s disease

An overview of Hashimoto’s disease

To understand Hashimoto’s disease, you need to understand the thyroid.  The thyroid is a 2-inch long butterfly-shaped gland located in front of the neck below the larynx or voice box.  It is one of the glands making up the endocrine system which produces and stores hormones releasing them into the bloodstream when needed.  Hashimoto’s disease, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis or autoimmune thyroiditis, is a disorder affecting the thyroid gland and is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. 

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Living well with only one kidney

Living well with only one kidney

Most of us take for granted our kidneys.  Unless we’ve been told otherwise, we assume we have two functioning kidneys about the size of a fist doing their day-to-day job of keeping the composition of our blood stable allowing the body to function.  These bean-shaped organs work hard at preventing buildup of wastes and extra fluid in the body along with stabilizing electrolytes of sodium, potassium, and phosphate among other duties they do. As long as they are performing as they should, we barely think about the fact of “what if I only had one kidney?”

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The Hidden Breast Cancer

The Hidden Breast Cancer

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is a particularly rare and particularly insidious version of breast cancer. Rare, as it affects only 1 in 10 people diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Insidious, as it can spread easily to other parts of your body like other invasive breast cancers, but ILC does all this without ever causing lumps to form. It is even more difficult to find on a mammogram!

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Causes and treatment of varicose veins

Causes and treatment of varicose veins

Varicose veins can be an unsightly condition appearing like gnarled, enlarged veins usually found in the legs and feet.  These swollen, twisted veins can be seen just below the skin surface.  They can cause mild to moderate pain, blood clots, skin ulcers (sores), a heavy or aching feeling, a burning sensation or itching above the affected veins.

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Recognizing oral allergy syndrome

Recognizing oral allergy syndrome

If you are someone who suffers from hay fever also called seasonal allergic rhinitis, you may also have experienced itchiness in your mouth, tongue or throat when eating certain foods such as watermelon, peaches or apples.  You may have determined that you are allergic to these foods when in reality, what you most likely have is oral allergy syndrome (OAS) also known as pollen-food syndrome. 

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What you should know about pancreatitis

What you should know about pancreatitis

Simply put, pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas.  This large gland lies behind the stomach and is responsible for secreting digestive enzymes that are involved in the digestion of our food.  These digestive enzymes are collectively known as pancreatic juice and they join together with bile from the gallbladder - bile is made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder – to help break down food.  Both pancreatic juice and bile are carried to the small intestine through the pancreatic and common bile ducts.

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6 ways to cut your risk of colorectal cancer in half

6 ways to cut your risk of colorectal cancer in half

One of the most complex pieces of machinery found in our body is our colon.  More than just an inert tube attached to the tail end of our digestive system (our rectum), our colon dutifully performs what no other organ cares to deal with – our bowel movements.  But in addition to that thankless yet necessary job is the fact our colon also directs the balance of fluid and electrolytes in the body and plays host to a crucial ecosystem of bacteria playing a vital role in our health.  Until something goes wrong with this essential organ, many of us fail to appreciate just what our colon means to our health and well-being.

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How Men Can Beat Osteoporosis

How Men Can Beat Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a major public health threat affecting almost 44 million American men and women aged 50 and older. Most of those people are women; mainly because the “brittle bone disease” affects the elderly and women live longer, and men are more likely to have exercised, which builds up bone mass. The most common cause of osteoporosis in men is low testosterone.

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