This is a most important subject for me, so I like to be thorough. Before writing this article I wanted to know exactly how "prevention" is defined. My Webster Dictionary tells me this: "'prevention' is to keep something from happening, or to make something impossible to happen by prior action." That's pretty forthcoming and suggests that pro-action is required to achieve a desired result.
With that in mind, let's talk about prevention in the arena of health and wellness. That's my passion and that's what I want to communicate to you. The question you may ask is "you mean I can prevent, say, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer or any other ailment in spite of the fact that we live in a polluted environment and often practice unhealthy eating habits?"
The answer lies in your understanding of how our bodies work and in your motivation to be proactive in maintaining your health. Think about this: what would you like better, checking into the best and plushest hospital to be treated for a disease, or walk the beaches of this world and play with your grandchildren and loved ones? If you choose the way I do, the answer is yes, you can; you can act now to prevent damage later! Qualifying that, I would have to admit there are no guarantees, but you definitely can reduce your risks considerably!
You no doubt have heard the saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Many a sick person would attest to that and wish they had exercised their responsibility and taken better care of their health before disease manifested.
When, then, is the best time to focus on prevention? Anytime is a good time, but the earlier, the better. Starting in the womb would be ideal, but for most of us it's too late for that now. Actually, the best time is when you are well, active and feeling just fine. That's when you are probably least inspired to be thinking about your health. Yet, when you understand the 4 phases of the disease progression, the logic of it will be evident.
* In phase #1 the disease process begins silently in your body while you don't notice, say, the arteriosclerotic build-up that can later lead to heart attack or stroke, or the cancer cells that are replicating with the wrong DNA formula.
* During phase #2 the disease can be diagnosed if your doctor is looking for it; whereas in
* phase #3 you may begin to feel the symptoms of a disease. Up to then you may have thought yourself to be healthy, because you felt fine. By the time you feel the symptoms, it's already too late for prevention; then you need to focus on treatment, and that's much harder to do.
* Finally in phase 4 the disease is severe and potentially fatal.
Get the picture?
How hard is prevention? Well, that depends on you - how hard do you want to make it? There are many things you can do and some things you better forget about. You pretty much know the drill: smoking is out, heavy drinking you better forget about as well. Much is written about how you can improve your lifestyle to support prevention of unwanted disease. You pretty much know about nutrition which includes thoughtful nutritional supplementation, of course, but also how you deal with stress, the quality of sleep you are getting, your exercise, your emotional outlook on life.
This and many other aspects matter. Again, life doesn't give us guarantees, but if you set your mind on prevention NOW, chances are very good that you end up on the playgrounds of your Golden Years with your grandchildren or your golf buddies instead of some fine hospital.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Causes And Factors for Jaundice
Jaundice is Yellowish
Not all that is yellow is good for the eyesight. Not all that seemed to be pale and yellow is anemia. So what it could be? Jaundice is also yellowish.
What is jaundice?
Jaundice is characterized by yellowing of the skin and the sclera or whites of the eyes. It is not a disease but only a sign to many other different diseases. Jaundice is caused by the high level of chemical bilirubin in the blood. Depending on the level of the chemical, the yellow pigmentation of the skin and the sclera may vary. When it is too high, it could appear as brown and not yellow.
Causes of Jaundice
The high level of bilirubin is the main cause of jaundice. However, it is better that we are able to understand how this chemical component of the blood is being released. The red blood cells are the ones responsible with the bilirubin. When these cells get old, they are naturally destroyed. Since the blood cells are the carriers of iron-content called hemoglobin that carries oxygen in the blood, this chemical is released from the destroyed cells. When the iron is removed, the remaining chemical content is called bilirubin.
Moreover, the liver has also a very important function in developing jaundice. The liver is tasked to remove waste from the body specifically in the blood stream. As discussed above, bilirubin is a waste product of destroyed red blood cells. The liver should be removing the bilirubin from the blood and excrete it through the feces.
Jaundice occurs when there is too many red blood cells destroyed and its waste product is too much for the liver to remove. Also, when the liver malfunctions and is not fit to remove the bilirubin in the blood, thus it accumulates in the blood. Lastly, blockage in the bile ducts that cause the flow of the bile and bilirubin to decrease.
Jaundice Causing Problems
Jaundice is only a symptom to more serious ailments. Jaundice or cholestasis causes other problems other than the yellowing of the skin and the sclera of the eye. The stool could also become pale in color when bilirubin is absent or become too brownish because of too much bilirubin. The urine is also affected as its color could also become dark yellow or brownish.
Jaundice , other than the coloring, is frequently associated with itching called pruritus. This condition can sometimes become severe that the patient could not scratch their skin. Others could have trouble sleeping. When the jaundice is caused by liver disease, the patient could experience fatigue, swelling of ankles, muscle wasting, fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, bleeding in to intestine and worse, coma. When the blockage of the bile ducts is causing the jaundice, it can be concluded that there is not bile entering the intestine. Bile is necessary in the digestion of fat and releasing vitamins within the small intestines.
Other Diseases and Factors that Cause Jaundice
There are many drugs that can cause jaundice. Some drugs could leave the liver an inflammation or hepatitis almost similar to hepatitis caused by virus. Still other drugs could affect the bile ducts and also leave them inflamed. The only treatment to this kind of condition is to discontinue usage of such drugs. However, it would still take a few weeks before the bilirubin is back to its normal level.
Another factor is genetic disorders. One of these genetic disorders is the defect in bilirubin conjugation in the liver caused by the reduction of the enzyme for conjugating bilirubin and glucoronic. This condition is referred to as Gilbert's syndrome.
Not all that is yellow is good for the eyesight. Not all that seemed to be pale and yellow is anemia. So what it could be? Jaundice is also yellowish.
What is jaundice?
Jaundice is characterized by yellowing of the skin and the sclera or whites of the eyes. It is not a disease but only a sign to many other different diseases. Jaundice is caused by the high level of chemical bilirubin in the blood. Depending on the level of the chemical, the yellow pigmentation of the skin and the sclera may vary. When it is too high, it could appear as brown and not yellow.
Causes of Jaundice
The high level of bilirubin is the main cause of jaundice. However, it is better that we are able to understand how this chemical component of the blood is being released. The red blood cells are the ones responsible with the bilirubin. When these cells get old, they are naturally destroyed. Since the blood cells are the carriers of iron-content called hemoglobin that carries oxygen in the blood, this chemical is released from the destroyed cells. When the iron is removed, the remaining chemical content is called bilirubin.
Moreover, the liver has also a very important function in developing jaundice. The liver is tasked to remove waste from the body specifically in the blood stream. As discussed above, bilirubin is a waste product of destroyed red blood cells. The liver should be removing the bilirubin from the blood and excrete it through the feces.
Jaundice occurs when there is too many red blood cells destroyed and its waste product is too much for the liver to remove. Also, when the liver malfunctions and is not fit to remove the bilirubin in the blood, thus it accumulates in the blood. Lastly, blockage in the bile ducts that cause the flow of the bile and bilirubin to decrease.
Jaundice Causing Problems
Jaundice is only a symptom to more serious ailments. Jaundice or cholestasis causes other problems other than the yellowing of the skin and the sclera of the eye. The stool could also become pale in color when bilirubin is absent or become too brownish because of too much bilirubin. The urine is also affected as its color could also become dark yellow or brownish.
Jaundice , other than the coloring, is frequently associated with itching called pruritus. This condition can sometimes become severe that the patient could not scratch their skin. Others could have trouble sleeping. When the jaundice is caused by liver disease, the patient could experience fatigue, swelling of ankles, muscle wasting, fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, bleeding in to intestine and worse, coma. When the blockage of the bile ducts is causing the jaundice, it can be concluded that there is not bile entering the intestine. Bile is necessary in the digestion of fat and releasing vitamins within the small intestines.
Other Diseases and Factors that Cause Jaundice
There are many drugs that can cause jaundice. Some drugs could leave the liver an inflammation or hepatitis almost similar to hepatitis caused by virus. Still other drugs could affect the bile ducts and also leave them inflamed. The only treatment to this kind of condition is to discontinue usage of such drugs. However, it would still take a few weeks before the bilirubin is back to its normal level.
Another factor is genetic disorders. One of these genetic disorders is the defect in bilirubin conjugation in the liver caused by the reduction of the enzyme for conjugating bilirubin and glucoronic. This condition is referred to as Gilbert's syndrome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)