Are you at risk for fatty liver disease?

Are you at risk for fatty liver disease?

The second largest organ in your body, your liver, is sort of a jack of all trades. It can process what you eat and drink into energy,  makes cholesterol, stores various vitamins and minerals, removes bilirubin from the blood along with other harmful substances, makes bile to help digest fat, and regulates the composition of blood. 

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All about ulcers

All about ulcers

Up to 45 million people in the U.S. have an open sore in the lining of their gastrointestinal tract known as an ulcer.  An ulcer can occur in the upper portion of the small intestine (duodenal ulcer), the stomach (gastric ulcer), and the esophagus (esophageal ulcer).  Ulcers are often referred to as “peptic ulcers” to indicate they occur in the digestive tract.

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8 skin conditions demanding your attention

8 skin conditions demanding your attention

None of us get through life without some kind of skin issues.  Be it major or minor skin eruptions, ignoring the condition and wishing it will go away is not the solution.  Your skin is the largest organ of the body and when it goes haywire it’s like setting off an alarm warning you to take notice and take action.

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As temperatures rise, so does the threat of Zika

As temperatures rise, so does the threat of Zika

Summer heat is already beginning to bear down on the southernmost tip of the Texas border known as the Rio Grande Valley and along with it comes mosquito season.  One particular type of mosquito known as the Aedes species will be watched and tracked very closely as it is the type that spreads the virus Zika.  Discovered in 1947 and named after the Zika Forest in Uganda, this virus is an infectious disease spread mainly by this mosquito but also can be transmitted through sex and from a pregnant woman to her fetus.

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Why exercise benefits fibromyalgia

Why exercise benefits fibromyalgia

Probably the last thing someone with fibromyalgia feels like doing is to exercise.  The symptoms of muscle pain, fatigue and tenderness throughout the body do not make it very conducive to want to get up and move.  Yet exercise may be one of the best activities one can do for anyone with this chronic disorder.  Of the estimated 5 million Americans 18 or older – 80% to 90% of those diagnosed being women - exercise can be an effective treatment option significantly showing positive improvements of symptoms resulting in increased quality of life and physical functioning.

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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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Breast Cancer Survival: By The Numbers

Breast Cancer Survival: By The Numbers

The 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.

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Here’s how you can outsmart oral cancer

Here’s how you can outsmart oral cancer

Cancer anywhere in the body is never good but for some reason, having cancer strike in our oral cavity seems particularly bad.  Oral cancer also known as head and neck cancers will appear as a growth or sore in the mouth that does not go away.  This type of cancer includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and pharynx (throat).  Any of them can not only be disfiguring but also life-threatening if not diagnosed and treated early.

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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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How to treat and prevent recurring vaginal yeast infections

How to treat and prevent recurring vaginal yeast infections

A vaginal yeast infection experienced one time can be bad enough but recurrent yeast infections can drive a woman crazy.  The itching and burning accompanying a yeast infection has women who are desperate for relief.  Many women blame yeast infections on certain foods they are eating.  Going gluten-free or avoiding chocolate are common food foes often believed by some women to be the cause of their misery.  Other women may blame it on sex avoiding sexual contact with their partner. 

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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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