Grow an aloe vera plant in your home and take advantage of one of Nature's best skin healers. The gel found inside the plant's leaves has been used to soothe sunburn and repair damaged and dry skin for centuries.
Read MoreThe lifelong condition of PsA is when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in both joints and skin.
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Do Kegel exercises faithfully. This involves squeezing and releasing the muscles used to hold in urine. It is particularly helpful for those with an overactive bladder and if done regularly, may bring about a 75-100% improvement.
Read MoreCorrelation between the higher a person’s BMI is, the higher the amount of the excretion of urinary oxalate.
Read MoreHypertension 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.
Read MoreThe survival rate for people diagnosed with breast cancer is pretty good (80 percent recover and go on to live for at least 10 years) but the ordeal can easily be overwhelming. Still, there have been steady improvements made in both longevity and quality of life for those undergoing treatment.
Read MoreWhat if we could re-program immune cells in your body to recognize, seek out and destroy cancer cells?
Read MoreWhen 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.
Read MoreThe urethra has the job of allowing urine from the bladder to pass out of the body in both men and women. In men, this thin tube also has the important role of allowing ejaculation or semen to pass from a man’s body.
Read MoreMost 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?”
Read MoreMany people may not realize this but our kidneys can swell and when they do it is a condition called hydronephrosis. If urine is unable to drain out from the kidney to the bladder, it can cause the kidneys to swell leading to a build-up of urine. This condition can occur in either one or both kidneys and happens as the result of a disease.
Read MoreOne 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.
Read MoreIt's the 9th leading cause of cancer overall, but number 4 among men. Although bladder cancer is often regarded as an old man's disease, itcan hit at any age.
Read MoreAtrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most commontype of heart rhythm disturbance(arrhythmia) in the United States. There are approximately 2.6 to 6.1 million people in the U.S. with AFib and that number is expected to rise to 5.6 to 12 million Americans by the year 2050.
Read MoreEach year, more than a million Americans will receive a cancer diagnosis. Whether it is a complete surprise or already expected, hearing the words “You have cancer” can leave anyone shell-shocked and unable to focus on the rest of what the doctor may be saying.
Read MoreThere are approximately 400,000 hip replacement surgeries in the United States. A hip replacement may be done for various reasons. There are certain conditions that can damage the hip joint and result in needing to have hip replacement surgery. The hip is a major weight bearing join and the whole body structure relies on the pelvic area. The two most common conditions that lead to this necessary surgery are rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder which produces a type of inflammation that can erode bone and cartilage and deform joints. This disorder is characterized by an irregular assault of the immune system on the lining of the joint, the synovium. As a result, the joint becomes inflamed and fluid builds up resulting in pain.
Osteoarthritis on the other hand is commonly known as wear-and-tear arthritis. And it is this type of arthritis that we have more control over. Osteoarthritis damages the cartilage that covers the ends of bones and helps joints move smoothly. Cartilage acts as a cushion between the bones, protecting our joints from the stresses of daily activities. This degenerative joint disease is characterized by changes in the cartilage that normally sits between bones at the joint. As the cartilage wears away the space between the bone narrows, until the underlying bone is exposed. Pain eventually results from wear on the naked bone, as well as increased stress and fatigue of the muscles that support the joint.
There is no single cause of osteoarthritis, but rather, the condition is due to the accumulation of various stresses. For instances, those who are obese are at an increased risk. Not only does the extra weight translate into an increased load on your joints, but recent research suggests that body fat produces chemicals which appear to further harm the joint. Moreover, many individuals with chronic joint pain can cite an inciting injury or a history of overuse. Some jobs, like athletics, manual labor, machine operators and typists, carry an inherited increased risk of developing joint problems.
Regardless of the why that leads you to hip replacement surgery, going under the knife even to reduce great pain and increase quality of life, can be a difficult decision to make.
The risks associated with hip replacement surgery may include:
· Fracture: During surgery, healthy portions of your hip joint may fracture.
· Blood clots: Clots can form in your leg veins after surgery.
· Infection: Infections can occur at the site of your incision and in the deeper tissue near your new hip.
· Change in leg length: Sometimes this is caused by weakness in the muscles surrounding the hip. In this case, progressively strengthening and stretching those muscles may help.
· Dislocation: Certain positions can cause the ball of your new joint to become dislocated.
· Loosening: Although rare with newer implants, your new joint may not become solidly fixed to your bone or may loosen over time, causing pain in your hip.
Thankfully, there are many ways we can prevent damage and ease the pain of existing injury. Good hip health starts with exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. Although pain medication can be helpful, non-pharmacologic interventions should be recommended as the first line treatment. Chronic use of over the counter pain medications can have consequences for your liver, kidneys and stomach, while not getting to the route of the problem. Weight-loss, on the other hand, can greatly reduce the development of hip damaging arthritis, as well as lessen pain. This is effect is further amplified when combined with exercise. Particularly, exercises like yoga, which incorporates physical stretching with deep breathing helps focus on the tendons and ligaments, are key to preserving joint health.
Diabetes can cause certain urologic problems involving the bladder and urinary tract infections.
Read MoreDiagnosing Crohn’s is challenging because the symptoms mimic other common intestinal disorders.
Read MoreVaricose veins are thought to be inherited, but they can develop from any number of reasons. For example, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery, approximately 50-55% of pregnant women in the U.S. develop varicose veins. Varicose veins can not only be unsightly, but can be painful and can lead to more serious health problems if not treated.
Read Moreeople who suffer from anxiety suffer on both a psychological and physical level. The condition occurs when the body feels threatened that something is about to happen or will happen in the future.
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