Archive for Diseases & Symptoms
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Thinnest of Them All? Why is it that some girls (and boys) are perfectly content with their bodies while others are never satisfied? Have you asked yourself the question, “Do I have an eating disorder?”
Magazine ads, TV commercials and billboards bombard us daily with images of super-thin models and movie stars. So it is not just being a narcissist who is immersed in self-loathing and self pity. There are many influences that determine whether or not one can become susceptible to developing eating disorders.
Let’s look at some of the factors that can lead to eating disorders later in life.
- Age: For most people eating disorders start at an early age, typically as a teenager. However, there are have been many cases of both women and men where the problem surfaced in their adulthood.
- Gender: Although more women than men suffer from eating disorders, there’s an alarming rise in the number of young males experiencing the same bulimic or anorexic tendencies that their female counterparts do.
- Family influence: If you are close to someone who has an eating disorder, like a loved one in your family, your risk of developing eating disorders increases. Logically the very opposite should happen since you are sensitive to the problem. However, there is a very close connection between eating disorders and family influence, especially in your early years. When a parent or sibling constantly criticizes and tells you that you need to go on a diet, even jokingly, it can take an ugly turn into an eating disorder that wreaks havoc on your body.
- Peer pressure: Our self-image is greatly influenced by what our peers think of us. This intense peer pressure can play a critical role in developing eating disorders.
- Emotional problems: People suffering from compulsive disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) sometimes develop an eating disorder. The same holds true for people who suffer from depression or anxiety disorders.
- Competitive athletes: If you’re the type of person who can’t get enough exercise, or someone who competes in athletic competitions regularly, then you might be prone to developing an eating disorder because you falsely believe it will enhance your performance.
If you fit any of these profiles, then you’ll want to take action to prevent yourself from developing eating disorders and/or developing unhealthy eating habits. Talk to your doctor about the issue and find out what a healthy weight and diet would be for your specific body type.
Instead of listening to the destructive voices that influence your thinking, work on building your confidence and socializing with positive people who don’t criticize you regularly.
Don’t get trapped in a fantasy of looking like the supermodel on the cover of the current issue of Vogue magazine. Artists using Photoshop and other computer techniques heavily retouch most cover and glamor shots. What you are looking at is not real; don’t waste your time chasing a mirage.
For more weight loss tips, visit www.athomeweightlosstips.com.
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Get a Better Understanding of Eating Disorders
Posted by: · Commentsin Categories : Eating Disorders
Thin is in! Our society glorifies skinny models and movie stars. Eating disorders usually start during adolescence or teenage years when we’re most susceptible to scrutiny by our peers – and it can affect both men and women. However, there are many reports of people developing eating disorders later in their adulthood.
Women and girls are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. It frequently co-exists with other underlying emotional or psychiatric problems such as depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders. People with eating disorders may also develop serious physical health complications, such as heart disease and kidney failure.
There are two main types of eating disorders — anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. There are other variations of eating disorders, the most commonly known variant is binge-eating disorder.
There is good news — eating disorders are treatable diseases.
Treatment and prevention of eating disorders begin with awareness and education. Family and friends can get frustrated with your pickiness at the diner table. Their lack of understanding may lead to them dismissing your very real problem as “just trying to get attention” or “simply needing to find a good diet and sticking to it.” Unfortunately, neither of those comments is constructive. In fact, that kind of criticism can send a person with eating disorders spiraling downwards and further complicating the situation.
Even though a disproportionate number of girls and women suffer from eating disorders, men are not immune to this disease. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Men and boys account for an estimated 5 to 15 percent of patients with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder.
Men complicate this already difficult problem with steroid use to bulk up muscle. Young men are discovering how painful it can be when they are criticized for their undersized bodies or when they don’t measure up to hyped up standards.
Body types are different and not everyone will respond to the same treatment. Some people have high metabolisms, thin frames and eat like linebackers without gaining weight. Other body types, particularly women, retain fat and struggle trying to squeeze into single digit dress sizes. Trying to work against your body type is something that can make you susceptible to developing eating disorders because of unrealistic expectations of results that can’t be achieved by healthy dieting.
In your formative years, your parents may have influenced you. For example, if your mom was preoccupied with her “fat thighs,” chances are you’ll inherit the same obsession.
You have to recognize that you can’t control life through your food choices. Eating a banana split will provide temporary pleasure but you are likely to feel guilty soon afterward. That’s why they are referred to as “guilty pleasures.”
In the same way, if you are on a constant cycle of binging and purging instead of eating healthy, you’re going to pay for it in the long run by developing eating disorders.
Try to identify and focus on the underlying problem that’s causing you the distress. Are you stressed out? Anxious about something you fear won’t work out? Don’t use food as your tool of comfort. If you fear that you may have already developed an eating disorder, seek professional help before it snowballs into something more permanent and damaging.
Sources for help with eating disorders:
- Academy for Eating Disorders
- National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
- National Eating Disorders Association
- Overeaters Anonymous
- T.H.E. (Treatment, Healing, Education) Center for Disordered Eating
- National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, HHS
- National Mental Health Information Center, SAMHSA, HHS
- American Psychological Association
- National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance
For more weight loss tips, visit www.athomeweightlosstips.com.
Interested in healthy eating information? Get my eBook, Eating Right for a Healthier You!
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is the name currently used by the majority of the medical and scientific community to describe a condition or set of conditions characterized by fatigue and other symptoms. Several of the more common alternative names used to describe what most believe to be the same condition or subtypes include myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), and post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS).
CFS is a disease that causes a person to become so fatigued that normal daily function is impaired. The tiredness that is experienced is so severe that mental and physical activity or movement make this condition worse, and rest usually doesn’t diminish the fatigue.
This disease is a difficult one to diagnose and treat because symptoms are sometimes very general, which may lead to confusion when trying to find a correct diagnosis. The major symptom used for diagnosis is chronic fatigue that has lasted longer than six months.
People with chronic fatigue may experience the following symptoms:
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Pain or tenderness in neck and armpits
- Unexplained muscle soreness
- Joint pain
- Difficulty with concentration
- Trouble sleeping
- Extreme exhaustion after exercise that lasts for more than 24 hours
Unfortunately, the causes of CFS aren’t well understood. The immune system may not be functioning well, or viruses may play a part. So how is this disease treated when there are so many unknowns?
First, consult with your doctor. If you’re experiencing a combination of the symptoms listed above, and have been for awhile, you need to get a proper diagnosis and begin a treatment plan.
So far, there is no known cure for CFS, and the medications used are generally for treating symptoms such as sleep problems, and muscle aches. If you’re experiencing depression or anxiety, you may be prescribed an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication as well.
Even though there is no cure, most symptoms improve with time. In the meantime, there are some effective self-treatments you can use. You can help yourself by keeping track of times of the day when you have the most energy and planning for activity during those times.
Try to keep some activity and exercise in your life, even if it isn’t as much as you would like. You can also find a chronic fatigue syndrome support group in your area. And make sure you ask your friends and family for support while you’re finding ways to recover your lost energy.
If memory and concentration are problems, become a note and list writer so you don’t forget important tasks and appointments. CFS is not well understood, hard to diagnose, and impossible to cure easily at this time.
However, with the help of your doctor, you can find ways to deal with the symptoms while time takes its course in improving them. Be sure to find support in the form of family, friends and a support group, and give your body the time it needs to ease the symptoms.
Are Fibroid Tumors and Menopause Mutually Exclusive?
Posted by: · Commentsin Categories : Uterine Fibroids, Women's Health
What are fibroid tumors?
Fibroids are benign tumors that nearly 30% of women will experience at some point in their lives.
Many of these fibroids do not cause any symptoms at all while some women suffer from debilitating symptoms that can adversely affect personal and social lives.
Fibroid tumors are excessive growth in the muscle of the uterine wall. They are not cancerous and are not believed to be precancerous. In other words, they do not grow into a tumor that may spread to other parts of the body. In very rare cases, fibroids that begin to grow very rapidly can become cancerous.
Fibroids can be the size of a microscopic seed or exceed the size of a small basketball. It is easy to see why tiny tumors may not be detected during a routine examination nor produce any symptoms.
Unfortunately, because more and more women are delaying their childbearing until their late 30’s, fibroid tumors may affect fertility.
Current research
Researchers now understand that these fibroid tumors are dependent upon estrogen levels in the blood. In other words, estrogen hormone is required to be present in order for these tumors to continue to grow and expand.
Interestingly it turns out that fibroids and menopause have usually been mutually exclusive. This is because the levels of estrogen in the body fall dramatically during menopause and therefore no longer stimulate the growth of the fibroid tumors. This loss of hormonal stimulation usually leads to the demise of these tumor growths.
In many cases, these fibroid tumors begin to resolve or decrease as a woman enters menopause. Women who develop fibroids during menopause, or after menopause, are at greater risk for developing fibroids that are precancerous.
Although some researchers believe that 30% of women will experience fibroids in their lifetime others believe that this number is much higher because many women will not experience symptoms at all.
Scientists are still unsure of how and why fibroids grow. In some cases, fibroids have been found to grow after menopause. These growths have a higher potential of becoming cancerous.
Risk factors for developing fibroids
Researchers have also identified specific risk factors that increase the potential of a woman experiencing fibroids in her later years.
These risk factors appear to be more common among African Americans/Canadian women, suggesting that there may be a genetic link. Women who have close female relatives also have fibroids are more likely to develop fibroid tumors with resulting symptoms.
Women who develop fibroids, often have heavy menstrual bleeding that can result in anemia. They will also have feelings of heavy pressure in the lower abdomen, bladder problems, bowel problems and lower back pain.
Some women will experience constipation, bloating and pain during intercourse.
When the fibroids grow large, it is very possible to feel a hard spot in the center of the abdomen where the fibroids are positioned.
Everyday plastic bottles and containers may pose fibroid risks
Some researchers now believe that xenoestrogens, a molecule similar in structure to estrogen and commonly found in pesticides and plastics have affected the number of women who are suffering from fibroids.
In 1993, at Stanford University School of Medicine, Dave Feldman, professor of medicine was experimenting with a yeast estrogen protein that binds to estrogen. He and his team found that the polycarbonate bottles, commonly used to hold bottled drinking water contained bisphenol-A.
Bisphenol-A binds to the estrogen protein found in the yeast. This polycarbonate plastic is routinely used for the giant jugs used in shipping water.
The Stanford team found that 2-5 parts per billion of bisphenol-A was enough to cause the breast cancer cells to proliferate. Professor Feldman noted that though bisphenol-A is 2000X less potent than estrogen, “it still has activity in the parts per billion range.”
A Dartmouth University Study showed that plastic wrap heated in a microwave oven with vegetable oil had 500,000 times the minimum amount of xenoestrogens needed to stimulate breast cancer cells to grow in the test tube.
Menopause and fibroids have always been mutually exclusive because of the dependence of fibroids on the presence of estrogen. Unfortunately, because of the amount of estrogen, or xenoestrogens, that is available in everyday plastic containers to hold milk, meat, dairy products and water, some women continue to experience tumors long after menopause has come and gone.
Male Urinary Incontinence and Prostate Problems
Posted by: · Commentsin Categories : Men's Health, Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the accidental release of urine and is actually a symptom of an underlying medical condition and not a disease in and of itself. For many men, urinary incontinence is one problem far greater in severity that they would rather not talk about, even more than erectile dysfunction.
Many men do not talk to their physicians or anyone else about urinary incontinence and often spend their days only too aware of where the next bathroom is. However, because of advances in technology and diagnostic evaluation many men are able to receive successful treatment protocols and recommendations when they are able to speak directly and honestly with their primary care physician and seek the help that they so richly deserve.
The urinary tract system is made up of four major organs. The first is the kidneys where the urine and is produced and stored for a short period of time. When it’s time urine travels through the urethra into the bladder where the body stores the urine until it’s ready to be expelled. At this time a complex orchestration of neurotransmitters and muscular contractions begin so that the urine can travel through the urethra and out of the body.
Urinary incontinence can happen at different ages and for different reasons. Men have a much lower risk of developing urinary incontinence but a much higher risk of developing overflow incontinence. In either case it is important to address the underlying medical condition in order to affect a successful treatment protocol.
There are several different types of treatable urinary incontinence.
- Stress incontinence is the loss of urine during specific actions that increase the pressure on the bladder, such as sneezing, coughing or lifting.
- Urge incontinence is the loss of urine following an overwhelming urge to urinate that the individual cannot stop.
- Overflow incontinence, which is most common in men, is constant dribbling of urine that is usually associated with urinating frequently and in small amounts.
The urinary tract system operates as a complex mechanism that is controlled by the brain and in which nerves and muscles must work together. At any point during this process damage can be done that will affect the way in which the urinary tract system works. For instance, nerve damage can affects the peripheral nerves in men who have had diabetes. Individuals who have strokes, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis can also help bladder emptying problems because of the damage done at the level of brain.
A spinal cord injury can also affect the way in which the bladder empties by interrupting the nerve signals.
However, the most common cause for men to have difficulty with the urinary tract system are prostate problems that lead to urine overflow and incontinence. The prostate is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the urethra just below the bladder and in front of the rectum.
As the prostate gland enlarges it squeezes on the urethra and causes an inability to completely empty the bladder. Symptoms will vary but the most common one involves changes or problems with urination, such as hesitancy, interrupted stream or urgency and leaking.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) also known as benign prostatic hypertrophy can also affect the way in which a man urinates.
Urinary incontinence in a man is diagnosed using an intensive medical history, extensive physical examination and a voiding diary. This voiding diary is a record of fluid that the man drinks in the number of trips to the bathroom each day as well as any episodes of urinary incontinence.
By studying this diary the primary care physician or urologist has a better idea of the specific symptoms and can help direct additional testing or accurate diagnosis of any underlying problems.
Other diagnostic testing which your physician may recommend includes an EEG to evaluate dysfunction in the brain, EMG to evaluate nerve activity in the muscles, ultrasound to view the actual structures and urodynamic testing that focuses on the ability of the bladder to store and empty urine.
The urodynamic testing can also show whether or not the bladder is having abnormal contractions, either before or during or after urination, that can cause leakage.
Treatment for urinary incontinence in men is tied directly to any underlying medical condition. No single treatment will work well for everyone and the recommendations for treatment will depend upon the type and severity of the problem, the individual’s lifestyle and the preferences of the patient. Many men can regain control by changing just a few of their lifestyle habits and doing exercises to strengthen the muscles.
For instance, some men can avoid incontinence by simply limiting the amount of fluids they drink at certain times of the day or planning regular trips to the bathroom.
Other treatments can include medications that affect control in different ways. Some medications will block abnormal nerve signals while others slow the production of urine. Some medications can shrink the prostate while others will relax the wall of the bladder and make it less spastic.
Alpha blockers are medications that are used to treat problems caused by prostate enlargement and relax the smooth muscle of the prostate allowing a normal amount of urine flow. 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are medications which inhibit the production of than male hormone DHT thought to be responsible for prostate enlargement. Imipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant that relaxes muscles and blocks nerve signals that can cause bladders spasms. In the final medication classification are anti-spasmodic which work to relax the bladder muscle and relieve spasms.
For some men medication is not an option and they must turn initially to surgical treatments. These treatments can help men who have urinary incontinence as a result of nerve damage. An artificial sphincter is an implanted device that keeps the urethra closed until you’re ready to urinate. It does not solve incontinence caused by uncontrolled bladder contractions but rather from nerve damage that interferes with sphincter control.
Another surgical option is called the sling. In this procedure of the surgeon creates a support for the urethra by wrapping a strip of material are rounded and attaching the ends to the pelvic bone. This keeps constant pressure so that it does not open until the patient consciously releases the urine. The urinary diversion is done if all of the bladder function is lost because of nerve damage or if the bladder itself must be removed. A reservoir is created using a small piece of intestines and creating a stoma to the outside where urine can be drained into a catheter or bag.
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