Gastric Bypass - a Life Saving Procedure?

August 16, 2008 · Filed Under Gastric Bypass · 1 Comment 

 

It can then be said that laparoscopic gastric bypass is more of a life-saving surgical procedure than an appearance-enhancing one. A lot of people believe that all weight reduction methods are extremely difficult and provide little reward that is instant and permanent. Losing a few pounds is hard enough, so what more if you need to shed a massive bulk? That is the type of weight candidates for gastric bypass need to lose. This procedure can enable your body to lose more weight quickly just because you can no longer consume the amount of food you were used to prior to the surgery.

 

How is it possible? By splitting the stomach into two portions and ensuring the top less stretchable part is smaller, gastric bypass effectively cuts your food consumption remarkably. The individual feels full faster as the size of his stomach is significantly reduced enabling him to eat very small meals. Pos-bypass individuals generally tend to eat more meals more often but each meal will be remarkably smaller.

 

Through the help of gastric surgery, obese people can lose weight rather significantly. These persons may have failed reducing their weight through any other method, or not as rapidly at any rate. 

 

The rest of this article is found at the Gastric Banding wesbite.

 

This article is brought to you by the Good Health Doctor



Examination and testing For Bronchitis

August 15, 2008 · Filed Under Bronchitis · Comment 

There are no routine tests to diagnose acute bronchitis. Diagnosis is usually based on your medical history, including your symptoms, and a physical examination. Your health professional will make sure you do not have pneumonia or risk factors for more serious diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), that may affect treatment.

 

If your health professional feels that your acute bronchitis is caused by:

 
- A virus, then no more testing is needed in most cases.

 

- Bacteria, then more testing may be done and antibiotics may be prescribed.

 

More testing may be necessary for infants and people older than 65, or if:

- Acute bronchitis does not clear up in 2 to 3 weeks.

- Pneumonia, heart failure, or tuberculosis is suspected or has been recently diagnosed.

- Your immune system is not functioning well (impaired immune system). People with immune problems are more likely to develop complications, such as pneumonia.

- You have a chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

- You do not get better with antibiotic therapy, or you require hospitalization.

- You have a heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute, a respiratory rate greater than 24 breaths per minute, and a fever greater than 100.4° F (38° C) .

- Whooping cough, a bacterial infection of the upper respiratory system, is suspected.

- Influenza (flu), a viral upper respiratory illness, is suspected.

 

For the rest of this article, including other testing procedures visit Test for Bronchitis website

Yours in Good Health




Foods That Lower Cholesterol

August 12, 2008 · Filed Under Lower Cholesterol · Comment 

For those people who would like to lower their cholesterol levels without the use of medication or supplements, will find help with eating certain types of foods .

Did you know that there are cholesterol lowering foods? Are you one of those people who have high cholesterol? Are you concerned that you may not be eating a well balanced diet? You may want to consider changing your lifestyle because any overall improvements will help improve your health. Experts recommend that you eat a diet which is high in fiber, fish oils and garlic. These are some food suggestions that you can help you improve your diet for a better cholesterol level.

 

Soy products

Soy protein or isoflavones and are effective as a cholesterol lowering foods. The recommended daily intake is one to two ounces, or 25 grams, of soy will help you lower your bad cholesterol level by about 8% -10%. If you have a high cholesterol level which is about 260-300, if you change your diet will help lower your cholesterol level by 15-20%. You may want to consider eating some of these Soy products which include: beans, soy milk, flour and tofu. You also may want to consider soy drinks and protein bars that contain 10 to 20 grams of soy protein
 

The rest of this article, including many other foods to help lower cholesterol levels, be sure to visit the natural ways to lower cholesterol website.  

 

This article is brought to by the Good Health Doctor



Child Tantrums - Sign Of Bipolar Disorder?

August 9, 2008 · Filed Under Bipolar Disorder · Comment 

 

There could be many reasons why a child has an unexplained tantrum. This article looks at the potential connection abetween childrens outbursts and bipolar disorder

It really does get difficult to comprehend why an otherwise cheerful child suddenly goes into a crazy tantrum spell, with mood swings as well at times. More often than not, the reaction would be that he needs a good hiding and that it is a case of sparing the rod. Even if no parent wants to whack their child, the temptation to do so is quite understandable at times like these. Of course, the next thought that could come to mind is: does he have ADD or attention deficit disorder?

Well, one more reason you could look at just to rule it out is bipolar disorder. The common term for it is ‘manic depression’ but don’t let the term scare you away. If your child has a problem, it can be managed with medication.

Take a look at some of the symptoms that typify bipolar disorder. One of the main things you notice is the mood swings – sometimes quick to change, sometimes lasting for days. Another noticeable trait is what is termed as ‘separation anxiety‘ where the child seems fearful of being away from the one who he is closest to and who takes care of him. Children with this disorder will also be terribly active and agitated. It’s not the active exuberance of a normal healthy child but a strange overactive tendency. Concentrating on anything seems tough for him to do. These children are also mischievous but differently so – you might find them suddenly picking fights for no apparent reason or trying to step out of moving vehicles. There could also be complaints of bullying other children.

The rest of the article about the connection between child tantrums and bipolar disorder can be found at the bipolar disorder treatment website.

 

This article is brought to you by the Good Health Doctor



Oxygen Therapy for Bronchitis

August 9, 2008 · Filed Under Bronchitis · Comment 

What is oxygen therapy?

Because of the damage to lungs due to chronic bronchitis, the lungs may not be able to get enough oxygen into the body. Therefore, a doctor may prescribe oxygen supplementation if the chronic bronchitis is severe and medicine doesn’t help.

 

If prescribed oxygen therapy, one must use it day and night to get the most advantage. Oxygen can help breathe better, easier and therefore live longer.

 

A few other suggestions:

* Exercising regularly so as to strengthen the muscles that help breathe. Start by exercising slowly and for just a little while at a time. Then slowly increase the time you exercise each day and also how fast you exercise.

* An exercise regime called pulmonary rehabilitation may also help improve breathing. Pulmonary rehabilitation is usually given by a respiratory therapist.

* A breathing method called “pursed-lip breathing” also helps. To do this, take a deep breath and then breathe out slowly through the mouth while holding the lips as if going to kiss someone. Pursed-lip breathing slows down the fast breathing and helps one feel better.

* Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water or other fluids every day. This will help to keep the mucus thin, making it easier to cough up. Avoid sugar and dairy products because they tend to weaken the immune system and stimulate excessive mucus production.

* Avoid taking cough suppressants, as it may cause mucus buildup and can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia.

* Avoid taking antihistamines or decongestants as these medications can worsen the situation by drying the airways and causing the mucus to thicken.

* Stay away from chemicals, dust, paints, insecticides and other respiratory irritants as these worsen the condition.

 

Remember, if symptoms do not ease within 48 hours or mucus colour changes, one must immediately call a doctor.

 

For further information and continuation of this article, visit Treatment for Bronchitis website

Yours in Good Health



Information On Gastric Bypass Surgery

August 9, 2008 · Filed Under Gastric Bypass · Comment 

 

You may have heard about gastric bypass a lot of times. Quite a number of people, celebrities included, swear that this is an effective method to lose weight. However, you must weigh carefully the risks and benefits associated with this procedure before convincing yourself that it is the best for you as well. Even though gastric bypass has been successful in controlling weight in a lot of individuals, it is primarily to treat those whose obesity is considered morbid.

 

As there are serious risks associated with this type of operation, gastric bypass is only recommended when these procedural risks are lesser in comparison to the risks of the health conditions the person is experiencing due to his weight. You should only consider this type of surgery for weight reduction when you have health problems that are caused or aggravated by your excessive weight. Some of these conditions that can be worsened by obesity include diabetes and hypertension. By shedding the extra weight carried by your body through gastric bypass or any other weight reducing methods, your body can be better equipped to reverse or slow down the course of such health problems. 

 

For the rest of this article be sure to visit Lap Band Surgery website

 

The article is brought to you by the Good Health Doctor



Symptoms Of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

August 5, 2008 · Filed Under Pelvic Inflammatory Disease · 1 Comment 

 

 

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is an infection of the upper tract of the female reproductive system.  Most often this infection is caused by a sexually transmitted disease that hasnít been effectively treated.  PID is one of the leading causes of preventable infertility in the U.S. affecting approximately 1 million women each year.

There are at least 15 different symptoms of PID that occur in combination or together to form the clinical picture of this disease.  Most women report that they had no idea that they had the initial sexually transmitted disease that caused the infection and then also had little to no early symptoms of the PID.  For this reason an annual examination with an obstetrician is extremely important for those young women who are sexually active.

The risk of PID increases also for those women who are sexually active with more than one partner or who engage in other risk taking behaviors such as drinking alcohol or taking recreational drugs.

Symptoms of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease also include lower abdominal pain both during and outside of the womanís menstrual period.  However, menstrual periods also become more painful with increased amount of cramping and pain during the whole period.  In some women these symptoms are mild, moderate or severe and can vary from month to month.

 

The rest of this article on PID symptoms can be found at the What Is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease website.

 

THis article is brought to you by the Good Health Doctor



 

Gastric Bypass and the Physiological Effects

August 5, 2008 · Filed Under Gastric Bypass · 1 Comment 

 

This article takes a closer look at the physiological effects, or ‘what happens to the body’ when someone undergoes gastic bypass surgery

Gastric bypass is a surgical operation that can bring about significant weight loss. Basically this procedure involves splitting the stomach into two parts, with the upper portion being smaller to accommodate a meal. In this operation, the stomach is significantly reduced so that it enables the individual to consume only small portions of food at a given time. Eventually he will start losing weight just because his calorie intake each time he eats is relatively lower due to his smaller-sized stomach.

There are several ways to go about gastric bypass, but they all work to produce the same end - results. The purpose of this surgical operation is to shrink your stomach by at least 90%. Normally a human stomach can stretch to up its maximum capacity which is almost 1000 ml. But after gastric bypass the stomach can only handle around 15 ml instead.

The stomach is composed of muscles that can readily stretch. It stretches to accommodate the amount of food that you eat. Hence, the size of your stomach slowly increases as you consume more food each time you eat. Relatively more food is needed to completely fill your enlarging stomach. On this same premise, your stomach adapts to less food intake over a period by shrinking to a size that gets full faster. 

 

For the rest of this article, including more physiological effects as a result of bypass procedures, visit the Gastric Bypass Surgery website.

 

This article is brought to you by the Good Health Doctor



The Effects of Having Bipolar Disorder

August 3, 2008 · Filed Under Bipolar Disorder · Comment 

 

Is it enough being healthy and wealthy and maybe even wise? Well, for most maybe, but if you are afflicted mentally, especially with a disease called Bipolar Disorder, it is just not enough. People affected with this disease find it so difficult to live a normal life and just going through each day is very often just not possible without medication.

 

Brain disorders can come in various forms and the manifestations of each physically can vary greatly. Some affect movement, some affect speech, some memory and some your moods and the way you feel. With bipolar disorder, the emotions and moods get affected so you can imagine what havoc it plays with your life.

 

The sad part is that you always feel you are not in full control of the way you feel. There are swings from the manic to the depressive and it is almost like someone else is managing your emotions like a puppeteer. There are two kinds of bipolar disorders.

 

When a person who suffers from it goes through the mania phase, he could be euphoric one moment and down in the dumps the next. This kind of a seesaw and increased mental energy also means that sleep patterns are disturbed and the mind is a screeching whirl of different thoughts. Unfortunately, people who suffer from this rarely feel that there is anything wrong with them and therefore it is usually a long time before they submit to going to a physician. This is cause for worry because their thoughts often turn to death and in the worst case scenario, to suicide.

 

The rest of the article, including other effects of having bipolar disorder, visit the bipolar mood disorder website

 

THis article was brought to you by the Good Health Doctor




 

Treatment for Chronic Bronchitis

August 1, 2008 · Filed Under Bronchitis · Comment 

Chronic bronchitis is a condition involving the inflammation of the main airways (bronchial tubes) in the lungs that continues for a long period or keeps recurring. When the airways are irritated, thick mucus (also called sputum) forms in them. The mucus plugs up the airways and makes it hard to get air into the lungs, leading to shortness of breath and persistent cough.

 

In medical terms, a person is considered to have chronic bronchitis if cough and sputum are present (without any other disease that could account for these symptoms) on an average of 3 months for at least 2 successive years or for 6 months during a year.

 

Treatment for Chronic Bronchitis:

There is no complete cure for chronic bronchitis. The main aim of treatment is to relieve symptoms and prevent complications.

Many patients with chronic bronchitis are susceptible to recurring bacterial infections, so treatment becomes all the more tough. Excessive mucus production in the lungs provides the perfect environment for infection to thrive, which also causes inflammation and swelling of the bronchial tubes and a reduction in the amount of airflow in and out of the lungs.

 

* It is important to quit smoking, and thereby prevent chronic bronchitis from getting worse. Any other respiratory irritants should also be avoided.

* Inhaled medications (bronchodilators) that widen the airways and decrease inflammation help reduce symptoms such as wheezing.

* Antibiotics are also prescribed for infections as required.

* Corticosteroids are used during flare-ups of wheezing or by people with severe bronchitis who do not respond to other treatments.

* Physical exercise programmes, breathing exercises are part of the overall treatment plan.

* Oxygen supplementation may be advised in severe cases.

* In very extreme cases, lung reduction surgery to remove damaged area of lung or a lung transplant may be recommended.

 

Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.

For part 2 of this article, and for other helpful information about bronchitis, be sure to visit the Help with Bronchitis website 



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