Health Guide and Education Online

Varicose veins inside or directly outside the anus are called hemorrhoids or piles. Hemorrhoids can result from an assortment of situations.

But they’re most frequently attributed to genetic tendencies, pregnancy or if you are involved in an occupation which involves remaining seated for long hours.

In addition, constipation frequently produces pressure in the abdominal region. This will cause your bowel movements to be strained, which is a common reason for hemorrhoids.

Surgery to Cure Hemorrhoids

If your hemorrhoids have become fairly large, it may be possible to see them externally. If this is the case, they are likely to be extremely inflamed and sore. Hemorrhoids can be terribly painful. They can also become complicated, occasionally triggering strangulated hemorrhoids.

You can take care of this condition with surgery for hemorrhoids. However this will always be your very last treatment alternative for hemorrhoid removal. You need to try less invasive remedies before you consider an operation. This should include altering your eating habits along with making use of non-prescription hemorrhoid preparations and stool softeners.

Before hemorrhoid surgery, there are several matters that you must discuss with your surgeon or physician. This consists of your healthcare records and your nutritional intake. As well, you will need to inform them if you’re allergic to any medications .

There are several ways to manage the pain during surgery for hemorrhoids, such as a spinal block or anesthesia, either local or general. Following are some of the types of operations that are used to get rid of hemorrhoids.

Sclerotherapy – In this treatment, chemicals are injected into your blood vessels, causing them to spasm and seal themselves. The hemorrhoids shrink since they no longer have access to oxygen or a source of nutrition.

Ligation – With this procedure, the blood flow to the hemorrhoids is cut off by wrapping them tightly with a rubber band. Because their source of nutrition has been cut off, the hemorrhoids will shrink.

Laser surgery – Laser surgery is a very powerful tool that can be used to treat various diseases including hemorrhoids. The main function of a laser is to destroy tissues through the use of a wide laser beam. A narrow beam of laser, however, is used as a cutting tool. The most commonly used laser is the Neodymium-Yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser, more simply known as the nd-YAG laser. Laser hemorrhoid surgery is a very effective cure for hemorrhoids. When a laser is used for surgery, it does not involve any kind of smoke, steam or sparking. There is no bleeding when the tissue is cut with the help of a laser, hence the chances of complications are reduced. Also, as it seals the blood vessels, there is no blood. The surgery can thus be performed with precision and the wounds will heal faster as there is minimal damage done to the surrounding tissues.

Hemorrhoidectomy – This is the most common surgery for treatment of hemorrhoids. It’s performed using general anesthesia. A special device is inserted into the anus by the surgeon in order to see the hemorrhoids. A laser, scalpel or staple gun is used to remove the hemorrhoids. The anal region and rectum membrane lining are then sewn to the muscle so that recurrence can be prevented.

Following surgery, you will be required to lay down on your back with a special pillow to support your posterior. Utilizing an ice pack on the anal area will help ease the pain and discomfort.

As you recover, you should be very cautious with your dietary intake so you do not become constipated. It is important to get sufficient quantities of fiber, and you can do this by consuming plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit. If you have difficulty moving your bowels, try utilizing a laxative product and drink plenty of water.

If you have hemorrhoids, you are familiar with the itchiness, bleeding and pain that they cause. So it makes sense to learn the best ways to treat them so you can relieve your discomfort.

Snoring is a common sleep disorder that can affect all people at any age,although it occurs more frequently in men and people who are overweight.  It is an indication of obstructed breathing that causes turbulence inside the airway during inspiration.

The opening and closing of the air passage causes a vibration of the tissues in the throat. The loudness is affected by how much air is passing through and how fast the throat tissue is vibrating. The obstruction only occur during sleep because during waking hours muscle tone keeps the airway in good shape

How to Cure Snoring

Snoring has a tendency to worsen with age. Forty-five percent of adults snore occasionally, while 25% are considered habitual snorers. Occasional snoring is usually not very serious and is mostly a nuisance forthe bed partner of the person who snores.

However, the habitual snorer not onlydisrupts the sleep patterns of those close to him, he also disturbs his own. Habitual snorers snore whenever they sleep and are often tired after a night of what seems like quality rest. Sometimes it is a sign of a respiratory infection, a stuffy nose or allergy; other times it may be a symptom of sleep apnea.

The easiest way to reduce snoring is to change lifestyle, i.e. eat, drink and smoke less and exercise. Otherwise, correction of sleeping posture will also do. In 1908, L. F. Liebhardt invented a device that involved strapping a ball to one’s back, making it impossible for the person to lie on his/her back. Since most people snore more when on their back, gently rolling them sideways is a natural cure to reduce snoring.

Other Ways to cure snoring

Changing Breathe Pattern

Some people breathe through their mouth while sleeping. This happens when they have a stuffy nose. Gradually, this develops as a habit. This is a very bad practice because this dries up the mouth and results in loud snoring. About 85% of people who snore breathe through their mouth. So, many remedies of snoring try to address this issue by changing the breathing pattern in people.

Nasal Strips & Dilators

Nasal dilators prevent nostril collapse and allow more air into the nose.

Throat Spray

The throat spray lubricates throat tissues to reduce loudness & frequency of snoring by minimizing vibrations and controls the snoring sound by allowingthe air to move freely.

CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

The CPAP machine blows air at a prescribed pressure. The necessary pressure is usually determined by a sleep physician after review of a study supervised by a sleep technician during an overnight study in a sleep laboratory. The titrated pressure is the pressure of air at which most apneas and hypopneas have been prevented, and it is usually measured in centimetres of water

Palatal implants, Palatal Stiffening or Pillar Procedure

Researchers find that inserting three matchstick sized pieces of polyester material in the upper palate is a simple, low cost, and easily tolerated office procedure that provides effective snoring relief. The surgery reduces the pharyngeal tissue volume and increases palatal stiffness through postoperative scarring. However, these procedures are painful and may cause considerable morbidity and functional changes.

Radio-frequency turbinate reduction

The radiofrequency procedure is performed under local anesthesia, and typically takes less than 30 minutes. The radiofrequency energy is delivered under the surface layer of the turbinates, sparing the mucosa or membrane. The treated tissue is heated just enough to create an area of coagulation. This avoids annoying crusting and bleeding after the procedure and nasal packing is not required. Over the next three to six weeks, patients usually start to experience improved nasal breathing. Pain medication is rarely needed.

It is said that hypnosis and aromatherapy can also help overcome snoring.

H1n1 is a strain of the influenza virus that historically only affected pigs. However, in spring 2009, it emerged in people in north america. This is a different strain of influenza and because humans have miniscule to no natural immunity to this virus, it can cause serious and widespread illness

A flu vaccine is currently the best way to protect against influenza sickness. There are two kinds of H1N1 vaccines being produced:

1. A H1N1 “flu shot” — an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The indications for who can get the H1N1 flu shot are the same as for seasonal flu shots. The flu shot is approved for use in people 6 months of age and older, including healthy people, people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women. The same manufacturers who produce seasonal flu shots are producing H1N1 flu shots for use in the United States this season. The H1N1 flu shot is being made in the same way that the seasonal flu shot is produced.
2. The H1N1 nasal spray flu vaccine — a vaccine made with live, weakened viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine”). The indications for who can get the H1N1 nasal spray vaccine are the same as for seasonal nasal spray vaccine. LAIV is approved for use in healthy people 2 years to 49 years of age who are not pregnant. The nasal spray vaccine for use in the United States is being made by MedImmune, the same company that makes the seasonal nasal spray vaccine called “FluMist®.” The H1N1 nasal spray vaccine is being made in the same way as the seasonal nasal spray vaccine.

About 2 weeks after vaccination, antibodies that provide protection against 2009 H1N1 influenza virus infection will develop in the body.

H1N1 Vaccine Information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of one dose of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine for persons 10 years of age and older. This is slightly different from CDC’s recommendations for seasonal influenza vaccination which states that children younger than 9 who are being vaccinated against influenza for the first time need to receive two doses. Infants younger than 6 months of age are too young to get the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines.

Vaccination against H1N1 should begin as soon as vaccine is available and continue throughout the influenza season, into December, January, and beyond. This is because the timing and duration of flu activity can vary. Flu seasons can last as late as April or May. By early October 2009, extensive H1N1 flu activity was being reported in the United States.

It’s possible that there may be waves of H1N1 activity during the 2009-2010 flu season that hit communities more than once over the course of the season. While H1N1 viruses are likely to be the most common cause of influenza this season, CDC still expects that seasonal influenza viruses will circulate and continues to recommend that people get a seasonal flu vaccine to protect against seasonal flu viruses

Most people who get the flu will have mild illness, will not need medical care or antiviral drugs, and will recover in less than two weeks.  Some people, however, are more likely to get flu complications that result in being hospitalized and occasionally result in death.

Pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections and ear infections are examples of flu-related complications. The flu can also make chronic health problems worse. For example, people with asthma may experience asthma attacks while they have the flu, and people with chronic congestive heart failure may have worsening of this condition that is triggered by the flu.

The list below includes the groups of people more likely to get flu-related complications if they get sick from influenza.

People at High Risk for Developing Flu-Related Complications

• Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
• Adults 65 years of age and older
• Pregnant women

People who have medical conditions including:

• Asthma
• Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury].
• Chronic  lung disease   (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease  [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
• Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)
• Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
• Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
• Kidney disorders
• Liver disorders
• Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
• Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
• People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy

It is also important to keep in mind the warning signs of a more serious illness requiring immediate medical attention. In children, these symptoms include fast breathing, trouble breathing, bluish skin color, not drinking enough fluids, not waking up, not interacting, being so irritable that the child does not want to be held, or if flu-like symptoms improve, but then return with a worse cough, fever or fever with a rash.

In adults, warning signs include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, or severe or persistent vomiting.

Migraine is more than just a headache; it is the most frequent neurological condition. It is a severe, painful headache that is intense, pulsating pain on one, or sometimes, both sides of the head.

Most people with migraine feel the pain in the temples or behind one eye or ear often preceded or followed by sensory warning signs such as flashes of light, blind spots, tingling in the arms and legs, nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sound.

The Truth About Migraine

The excruciating pain that migraines bring can last from 4 to 72 hours, with most people suffers from migraine keeping well between attacks.

Migraines can start without warning and their intermittent nature can disrupt daily life. However, there are several symptoms of migraine attacks and by observing these, migraine can be managed more effectively. Having a headache is not usually the first sign of a migraine attack, some people start to feel strange a day or so before the attack starts.

Migraine headaches resulted from a combination of blood vessel enlargement and the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that spiral around these blood vessels. During the headache, an artery located on the outside of the skull just under the skin of the temple (temporal artery) enlarges. This causes a release of chemical substances that cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery.

There are also migraines that caused by inherited abnormalities in genes that control the activities of certain cell populations in the brain Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Some individuals can anticipate the onset of a migraine because it is preceded by sign such as visual disruptions that appear as flashing lights, zig-zag lines or a temporary loss of vision.

Migraine can be triggered by many sources such as

• Anxiety or stress
• Allergies and allergic reactions
• Bright lights
• Irregular sleep pattern
• Smoking or exposure to smoke
• Skipping meals or fasting
• Alcohol
• Menstrual cycle variations, birth control pills, hormone fluctuations during menopause
• Tension headaches
• Foods containing tyramine (red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and some beans), monosodium glutamate (MSG), or nitrates (like bacon, hot dogs, and salami).
• Other foods such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, banana, citrus, onions, dairy products, and fermented or pickled foods.

Hormone therapy may help some women whose migraines seem to be linked to their menstrual cycle. Stress management strategies, such as exercise, relaxation, biofeedback, and other therapies designed to help limit discomfort, may also reduce the occurrence and severity of migraine attacks.

With medication, there are two ways to approach the treatment of migraine headache. By preventing the attacks or by relieving the symptoms during the attacks. Many people with migraine use both approaches by taking medications originally developed for epilepsy and depression to prevent future attacks, and treating attacks when they happen with drugs that relieve pain and restore function.

Diabetes is a disease that affects the way your body uses food for energy. Normally, the sugar you eat is digested and split down to a simple sugar, known as glucose. The glucose then distributes in your blood where it waits to enter cells to be used as fuel. Insulin, a hormone created by the pancreas, helps transform the glucose into cells.

A sound pancreas adjusts the amount of insulin based on the level of glucose. But, if you have diabetes, this procedure breaks down, and blood sugar levels become too high.

What Is Diabetes

There are two main types of full-blown diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes are completely unable to create insulin. People with type 2 diabetes can produce insulin, but their cells don’t respond to it. In either case, the glucose can’t move into the cells and blood glucose levels become high. Over time, these high glucose levels can create serious ramifications.

Diabetes strikes as many as 16 million Americans. For causes that are not yet clear, diabetes is increasing in our population to the point where public health authorities are calling diabetes an “epidemic” that needs urgent attention. Of the 16 million people with diabetes, about one-third of them don’t even know they have it.

Every year, 800,000 additional cases are diagnosed. It affects over six percent of the population now, and it is predicted that nearly nine percent of all Americans will have diabetes by the year 2025. Health care costs for diabetes are estimated to be nearly $100 billion per year in the US. People with diabetes are unable to use the glucose in their food for energy.

The glucose accumulates in the bloodstream, where it can impair the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. Left untreated, diabetes can develop devastating complications. It is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. However, the good news is that with proper care, people with diabetes can lead normal, satisfying lives.

Much of this care is “self-managed,” meaning that if you have this condition, you must take day-to-day responsibility for your own care. Most important to managing the disease is to know as much about it as you can. The first thing to know is what kind of diabetes you have.

• Type 1: Results from the body’s failure to produce insulin. It is estimated that 5-10% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. Presently almost all persons with type 1 diabetes must take insulin injections.
• Type 2: Results from Insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Many people destined to develop type 2 diabetes spend many years in a state of Pre-diabetes: Termed “America’s largest healthcare epidemic, “pre-diabetes indicates a condition that occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. As of 2009 there are 57 million Americans who have pre-diabetes.
• Gestational diabetes: Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women. It may precede development of type 2 (or rarely type 1).

The major goal in treating diabetes is to minimize any elevation of blood sugar (glucose) without causing abnormally low levels of blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin, exercise, and a diabetic diet. Type 2 diabetes is treated first with weight reduction, a diabetic diet, and exercise. When these measures fail to control the elevated blood sugars, oral medications are used. If oral medications are still insufficient, treatment with insulin is considered.

Weight reduction and exercise are important treatments for diabetes. Weight reduction and exercise increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin, thus helping to control blood sugar elevations.

Junk food, protein-rich and processed food can cause acid reflux or heartburn in your stomach. This condition can lead to ulceration or cancer.

Eating specific acid foods that are tough to digest stimulates stomach spasms or twitching which causes the cardiac sphincter, opening between the esophagus and stomach to open for gases to take shape.

Eat a lot of Fruits

This indigestion problem produced acid wastes to flow up to esophagus inducing an irritation. This irritation, if not controlled can result to ulcers and other infections. If this happen, it means that eating pattern needs to be drastically modified.

Changing diet may be started by abandoning tea, coffee, radishes, garlic, onion, spices (pepper), oils, alcohol, sugar, soft drinks, diet soft drinks, asparagus (Brussels sprouts), high protein foods, pasta noodles, corn starch, eggs, plums, prunes, cranberries, and all processed foods including junk foods. These are all required in order to heal the eschopagus wall.

Change can also be started by reducing the amount rather than completely stop. Then start replacing those with fruits, citric fruits in small amounts though due to their acidic content, all kinds of vegetables and almonds.

If the symptoms are not there anymore, you may go back to your previous diet in moderation to prevent recurrence of the acid reflux.

Aside from proper diet, there are some steps that can be taken to remedy or avoid heartburn. They are:

• Avoid smoking before or during meals.
• Always eat in a proper upright sitting position.
• Do not lie on the bed immediately after eating.
• Take small walks after eating to stimulates the digestive system.
• Avoid exercise after a large meal.
• Avoid wearing tight clothes.
• Do not drink alcohol while eating.
• Chew food slowly and thoroughly.

One of the easy way for treat acid reflux or heartburn is the ginger alternative. Ingesting ginger with a meal helps to reduce an upset stomach. The ginger is grounded and added to foods and taken in tea or capsule form. Most herbalists recommend consuming 500mg. of ginger with a full glass of water after meals.

Drink more water, if possible at least 8 glasses each day. The water helps eliminate body toxins and allow the body to expel acid naturally.

Green tea has also been used for centuries in Japan and other oriental countries as an after dinner drink. Green teas assist the body in the digestion process, and help soothe the stomach’s sensitive tissue.

Herbal teas containing peppermint, chamomile, ginger, licorice root and catnip even in just small traces help the stomach lining repair itself. Often, one cup of tea following dinner is enough to keep down future acid reflux symptoms.

Headaches are one of the most common health complaints people. Although headaches can range from irritating to incapacitating, most are not associated with a serious illness.

There are numerous types of headaches each with its own signs and symptoms. It’s common and generally is not serious. Approximately 50% to 75% of all teens report having at least one headache per month. However, more frequent headaches can be upsetting and worrisome.

Types Of Headaches

Headaches come in many different varieties and are not all the same. Types of headaches are.

Tension headaches

These are the most common type of headaches among adults. They are commonly referred to as stress headaches. A tension headache may appear periodically or daily. An episodic tension headache may be described as a mild to moderate constant band-like pain, tightness, or pressure around the forehead or back of the head and neck. These headaches may last from 30 minutes to several days. Episodic tension headaches usually begin gradually, and often occur in the middle of the day.

This type of headache is not an inherited trait that runs in families. In some people, tension headaches are caused by tightened muscles in the back of the neck and scalp. This muscle tension may be caused by inadequate rest, poor posture, emotional or mental stress, including depression, anxiety, fatigue, hunger and overexertion

Migraines

For many years, scientists believed that migraines were linked to expanding and constricting blood vessels on the brain’s surface. However, it is now believed that migraines are caused by inherited abnormalities in certain areas of the brain.

Many migraines are triggered by external factors such as repressed emotional stress, sensitivity to specific chemicals, excessive consumption or withdrawal from caffeine, changing weather conditions, menstrual periods, excessive fatigue, skipping meals and changes in normal sleep pattern

The exact causes of migraines are unknown, although they are related to blood vessel contractions and other changes in the brain as well as inherited abnormalities in certain areas of the brain. Migraine pain is moderate to severe, often described as pounding, throbbing pain. They can last from 4 hours to 3 days and usually occur 1 to 4 times per month. Migraines are associated with symptoms such as light sensitivity; noise or odors; nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and stomach upset or abdominal pain. When a child is having a migraine they often look pale, feel dizzy, have blurred vision, fever, stomach upset, in addition to having the above listed symptoms.

Mixed headache syndrome

Also called transformed migraines, as headaches do not always fall into distinct and separate categories, it is discovered that tension-type and migraine headaches may be different presentations of the same problem. Tension headache is a milder headache common among people with migraine, and many people suffer from both and have a mixed headache syndrome.

Cluster headaches

The least common, although the most severe, type of primary headache, the pain of a cluster headache is intense and may be described as having a burning or piercing quality that is throbbing or constant. The pain is so severe that most cluster headache sufferers cannot sit still and will often pace during an attack. The pain is located behind one eye or in the eye region, without changing sides. The term “cluster headache” refers to headaches that have a characteristic grouping of attacks. Cluster headaches occur one to three times per day during a cluster period, which may last 2 weeks to 3 months. The headaches may disappear completely for months or years, only to recur.

The true biochemical cause of cluster headaches is unknown. However, the headaches occur when a nerve pathway in the base of the brain is activated. The trigeminal nerve is the main nerve of the face responsible for sensations such as heat or pain.

Sinus headaches

Sinus headaches are associated with a deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead or bridge of the nose. The pain usually intensifies with sudden head movement or straining and usually occurs with other sinus symptoms, such as nasal discharge, feeling of fullness in the ears, fever, and facial swelling.

Acute headaches

Seen in children, these are headaches that occur suddenly and for the first time and have symptoms that subside after a relatively short period of time. Acute headaches most commonly result in a visit to the pediatrician’s office and/or the emergency room. If there are no neurological signs or symptoms, the most common cause for acute headaches in children and adolescents is a respiratory or sinus infection.

Hormone headaches

Headaches in women are often associated with changing hormone levels that occur during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Chemically induced hormone changes, such as with birth control pills, also trigger headaches in some women.

Chronic progressive headaches

Also called traction or inflammatory headaches, chronic progressive headaches get worse and happen more often over time. These are the least common type of headache, accounting for less than 5% of all headaches in adults and less than 2% of all headaches in kids. Chronic progressive headaches may be the result of an illness or disorder of the brain or skull.