The chicken-pox virus never goes away. It continues to lurk in the nerve cells of your body years and years after you first suffer from this common childhood disease. You may not even remember having had chicken pox if yours was a mild case. But when the herpes zoster virus, as it’s called, reappears in adults, it’s known as shingles. The name comes from the Latin and French words for belt or girdle, because of the girdle like outbreak of blisters on the trunk.

No one knows why the virus suddenly decides to attack. Some doctors think it occurs when the immune system is temporarily weakened. Shingles is more common in people over the age of 50, and older people are believed to have lessened immune response. Injury or stress may be responsible. And anyone who’s “immunosuppressed” – such as people who have had an organ transplant or those who have cancer or AIDS – is more prone to developing shingles.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality survey found that Americans make 2.1 million doctor visits a year because of shingles or its complications. The average cost for treating shingles is $525 per person or $566 million each year (in 2005 dollars), including prescription medicines. People age 65 and older are seven times more likely to get shingles than the non-elderly – (1.5 percent compared with 0.2 percent, respectively).

Shingles often begins with pain or tingling. Then a red rash appears that’s soon followed by blisters. The blisters may last anywhere from five days to possibly four weeks and then crust over and disappear. One important clue that you’ve got shingles: it will appear on only one side of the body. It’s common on the trunk, the buttocks and the face.

It’s after the blisters have healed that the real agony of shingles may be experienced. Called postherpetic neuralgia by the medical community, the sharp, shooting, piercing pain that can persist for years after an outbreak of shingles leaves victims in agony. The older you are, the more likely you are to experience lingering pain, but only ten percent of all shingle patients will experience this.

Getting prompt treatment may reduce the odds that you’ll suffer from pain after your bout with shingles. (and if it’s consolation, most people will only experience shingles once.)

If you suspect you have shingles, you need to get medical attention. If you are older; ill with another condition; or you have shingles on your face (especially near your eyes, as it can lead to vision problems), leg, hand or genital area, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. “This isn’t as urgent as heart attack, but it’s next level,” says Philip C. Anderson, M.D., chairman of dermatology at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. Experts can’t stress enough the importance of getting medical help immediately.

If the diagnosis is indeed shingles, you might want to ask your doctor about acyclovir. This antiviral drug, if given early in the course of shingles, may help prevent pain down the road.

Although experts emphasize getting medical help, there are some things you can do to help relieve pain and itching during the early stage of shingles, when the blisters are present, and to cope with lingering discomfort once the blisters have cleared up.

Cool the pain. Cold packs can help relieve the pain from hot, blistered skin. Place a cold cloth on the blisters or wrap a towel around the affected area and pour ice water on it, suggests Anderson. Use for 20 minutes, then leave off for 20 minutes, and repeat until the pain decreases. Or try a cold milk compress, suggest Judy Jordan, M.D., a dermatologist in private practice in San Antonio and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology. Wrap a bag of frozen peas or frozen unpopped popcorn in a thin towel and place it on the affected area.

Stay in bed. Rest will help your body’s defences come to the rescue.

Take an anti-inflammatory drug. Ibuprofen helps reduce inflammation and is the first line of defense in fighting the pain. Aspirin may also be helpful. If you are allergic to ibuprofen and aspirin, you can take over-the-counter acetaminophen for the pain (although it won’t do much for the inflammation). If these don’t help, ask your doctor to prescribe something for the pain. Codeine or other mild narcotics can help reduce the pain in the early phase of the shingles.

Rub on relief. Your doctor may recommend or prescribe a topical local anaesthetic cream to be used on your blistered skin. Be leery of over-the-counter products that contain Benadryl or any ingredient ending in –caine, however, these can cause allergic reactions and may worsen the situation.

Don’t pop the blisters. “It’s temptation for some patients,” says Jordan. But it will only make matters worse.

Don’t spread them. Although it won’t bring relief to you, stay away from those at risk. Avoid people with any sort of immune problem, such as transplant patients, and children who haven’t been exposed to chicken pox.

Consider a hot pepper fix. Once the blisters have healed, but the pain persists, what options do you have? Apply hot peppers? Not exactly. But Zostrix, an over-the-counter cream containing capsaicin, derived from hot peppers, may help. Not everyone’s impressed with it, however. “It may make the pain worse the first two or three days,” says Jordan, “and none of my patients have been willing to tolerate that.”

Try to relax. Learn self-hypnosis, imagery, or meditation or do whatever you can to relax. It certainly won’t hurt you, and it may help you deal more effectively with the pain.

Try TENS. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. With this technique, a weak electrical current gives you a tingling feeling that may help block out the pain signal, explains Mitchell Max, M.D., chief of the Clinical Trials Unit at the National Institute of Dental Research/National Institutes of Health (NIDR/NIH) Pain Research Clinic in Bethesda, Maryland. You can purchase TENS unit for home use; he says they should be priced below $100.

Consider an antidepressant. Some studies have shown that low doses of antidepressant medications help relieve post shingles pain, even in patients who are not suffering from depression. How? Antidepressants block the removal of a neurotransmitter called serotonin. If you have extra amounts of serotonin, it may keep pain signals from reaching the brain, so you don’t feel the pain. Talk it over with your doctor to determine if an antidepressant may be of help to you in coping with post shingles pain.

This information were compiled from http://www.news-medical.net/ and The Home Remedies Handbook.

Emphysema is a disease of the lungs in which some of the walls which separate the thin walled air sacs from each other have broken down, creating larger than normal air spaces. This condition reduces the efficiency of the lung in exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Frequent infections and irritation within the lung damage the air sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. Oxygen gets into the sacs but the carbon dioxide has difficulty getting out, thus making it difficult to exhale and to rid the body of waste products. The body slowly begins to build a tolerance for a lower level of oxygen and higher level of carbon dioxide as all body cells are impacted by this imbalance.

Emphysema may develop from prolonged interference to the movement of air through the smaller air passages (as in chronic bronchitis or asthma) or from a condition which has increased the lung’s fibrous tissue (as in pneumoconiosis). In many cases emphysema is associated with chronic bronchitis. The incidence of emphysema has increased greatly in years, occurring much more commonly among smokers. Emphysema usually occurs after the age of forty, and its mortality rate increases with the age of victims. The disease is four times common in men as in women. This condition ranks in the ten top causes of death in the US and is a major contributor to the disability roles.

Emphysema develops so gradually that until it reaches a critical level, most people ignore the changes they are experiencing. Emphysema symptoms include difficult breathing on exertion, wheezing when air is exhaled, severe cough with the expectoration of foul mucus, and a gradual change in the shape of the chest caused by the excessive activity of the muscles concerned with breathing (so-called “barrel chest”).

Diagnosis

A thorough medical history and physical examination starts the diagnostic process. The health care provider, while doing the physical exam can hear the difficulty of the air exchange. Tests are needed to confirm the physician’s suspicions. The tests include:

• Laboratory tests of blood, urine and sometimes sputum; arterial blood may also be taken to explore the status of the oxygen exchange
• Lung function studies
• X-rays

Emphysema is a progressive disease with an eventually fatal outcome since the tissue changes cannot be reversed. However, by following a health-promoting plan of living, the patient may be relatively comfortable and his life prolonged.

WHAT TO DO?

1. If the victim of this disease is a smoker, he should quit. Smoking aggravates the symptoms.
2. The patient should remain up and around as much as possible, not being confined to bed. Strenuous exertion should be avoided, for this increases the work load of the lungs and aggravate the symptoms.
3. Care should be taken to avoid infections, particularly those affecting the lungs. Here, the physician’s cooperation and administration of antibiotic drugs are important.
4. Drugs which dilate the air passages and which make it easier to cough up mucus are helpful.
5. Some relief of the difficulty in breathing may be obtained by the patient’s placing the palms and fingers of both hands just under the lower margin of the ribs of the front and pressing inward and upward as he exhales. This assists in emptying the lungs. The procedure should be repeated with each breath for perhaps fifteen minutes, three or four times a day.
6. Avoid exposure to contaminants and crowds. Reduce exposure to people with upper respiratory illnesses.

This information was compiled from the Modern Medical Guide and Life Ledger – the peace of mind and guidance you need.

Sometimes, it’s just too darn hot. Extreme heat, especially when coupled with exertion, can put a terrible strain on the body. Occasionally, it’s enough to make the hypothalamus go haywire and send the body’s temperature-control system into turmoil.

The hypothalamus is a cherry-sized part of the brain that serves as the body’s thermostat. Thanks to the hypothalamus, the body switches on its temperature regulators, such as sweating and shivering, to protect us from extreme heat or cold. When the hypothalamus is not able to produce the desired responses to keep the body from overheating, however, the result can be heat illness.

There is a progression of  symptoms associated with heat illness. It may start with heat cramps in the thighs and buttocks, then move on to a headache and dizziness. In extreme  cases, there may be vomiting, disorientation, a dangerous drop in blood pressure, and even death.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion – headache, nausea, profuse sweating, fatigue, feeling faint – are considered middle range. In other words, you’re not doing too well, but you’re not as bad off as someone with heatstroke, which is considered the most severe and the most life-threatening of the heat illnesses.

Still, heat exhaustion is nothing to take lightly. “It’s the first step on the road to having heatstroke,” says Ronald Shelton, M.S., a certified athletic trainer in Rockford Illinois. “if you get heatstroke, the hypothalamus shuts down. That’s when you have somebody going into shock.”

Heat exhaustion affects the elderly more than younger people since they do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature. Add to that the chronic medical condition that changes their normal body responses to heat, not to mention the effects of prescription medicines that impair their body’s ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration.

Here’s what to do to keep out of danger:

Preload with water. James Rogers, M.D., an adolescent and sports medicine physician at Virginia Mason Medical Center and clinical associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, both in Seattle, recommends drinking a full pint of water before beginning an activity in the sun. “Preloading gives you a better ability to sweat,” he says.

Don’t wait for thirst. Waiting until you feel thirsty is courting danger, says Shelton. “Once the body’s thirst mechanism kicks in, it’s already too late.” Drink plenty of water before, during and after the activity, whether or not you feel thirsty. Nina L. Turner, Ph.D., a research physiologist at the National Institute for the Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends drinking five to eight ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes during the activity, or as long as you’re sweating profusely.

Weigh yourself. Turner says it’s easy to believe you’ve satisfied your need for water when your body actually is still dehydrated. One way to make sure replace the water your body lost through sweat is to weigh yourself before and after an event. Any difference in weight represents lost water – water needs to be replaced.

Make it cool, not cold. While you may be craving an icy cold drink of water, you’re betting off opting for one that’s just cool. “If it’s really cold, that inhibits gastric emptying of the fluid,” says Turner. In other words, your body won’t be able to use the water quickly to fulfil its needs, including maintaining blood volume.

Take frequent breaks. If you have to work or perform in the heat, avoid serious problems by taking frequent breaks – preferably including a cool drink – in a cool spot.

Don’t be fooled. The symptoms of heat exhaustion sometimes can fool a victim into believing that it’s a case of the flu. If your flulike symptoms of nausea, headache, and weakness coincide with overexposure to heat, it’s probably not the flu at all. Get out of the heat and start replacing liquids.

Step into the shade. Moving out of direct sunlight or into a cooler environment, such as an air-conditioned building, may bring relief by lowering the body’s core temperature, says Turner.

Get horizontal. If you start to experience symptoms of heat illness, lie down with your feet elevated. If possible, do so in a cool place.

Use ice with caution. Early symptoms of heat illness, such as muscle cramps may be helped by applying ice to the muscles. Putting ice bags across the major muscles helps cool the body’s core temperature, as well, says Shelton. But he warns that too rapid cooling could worsen a person’s condition and may even contribute to shock.

Fan yourself. Air blowing against skin helps dissipate heat, says Shelton. Turn on a fan or fan yourself with newspaper, paper plate, or whatever handy. This is only effective, however, if the air is relatively cool. It’s not much help to blow hot air on someone with a heat illness.

Wear cool duds. The type of fabric and the fit of your clothing can be a factor in how heat affects you. Loose cotton clothing is the best choice on a hot day. “Cotton is an airy fabric that breathes and allows the body to dissipate heat better,” says Shelton.

Lighten up. Wear light-colored clothing, says Shelton. Darker colors absorb heat.

Don’t strip. Going shirtless may look cooler, but you’ll end up hotter that if you were wearing a light, loose-fitting top. Wearing a shirt helps wick away perspiration and heat from your skin. “If you didn’t wear any shirt at all, your body couldn’t get rid of the heat as efficiently,” says Rogers.

Just say no. Say no to alcohol, particularly before having to exert yourself in the heat. “You’re usually dehydrated after moderate alcohol consumption,” says Turner. “Dehydration is a predisposing factor for heat exhaustion.”

Lose weight. Obese people are more susceptible to heat illnesses. “The bigger you are, the ore heat you’ll produce,” says Rogers. Know your medications. Several common medications, including propranolol, may mask signs of heat exhaustion or make you more susceptible to it. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether any medication you may be taking could have this effect and what precautions you can take.

This information was taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Home Remedies Handbook.

Persia and India regarded this golden fruit as nature’s secret of perpetual youth. Today, banana is known to promote healthy digestion and create a feeling of youthfulness. It enhances calcium, phosphorous and nitrogen retention which in turn helps in the regeneration of healthy tissues.

Banana as a health food

The banana fruit has great nutritional value and has a rare combination of energy value, tissue-building elements, protein, vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of calories since it is rich in solids and low in water content as compared to other fresh fruits.

large banana supplies more than 100 calories and contains a large amount of sugar that can be easily assimilated by the body.

The fruit is a good source of quick energy and an excellent means to recover from fatigue. The use of bananas has been found beneficial in the treatments of several medical conditions such as intestinal disorders, constipation, arthritis, gout, anemia, allergies, kidney stones, tuberculosis and urinary disorders.

The question whether a low uric acid diet can bring relief from gout symptoms can be answered with both a yes and a no, like most health questions.

A low uric acid diet is not what will make a difference but a diet low in purine that can reduce gout symptoms.

A bout with gout can usually be identified by the sudden onset of swollen, red, painful joints, usually in the foot. A high level of uric acid in the blood due to hyperurcemia is what causes the excruciating pain and swelling.

Uric acid is the by-product the body produces when metabolizing purine – a compound that is found in a lot of protein based foods. It is dissolved in the blood stream and excreted via the kidneys in the urine.

Human bodies are designed to produce and process uric acid and the problems arise when there is either over-production in the body, or the body is unable to eliminate uric acid at an appropriate rate.

A person’s genetic make-up is linked to his capacity to eliminate insufficient amount of uric acid.  Over production of uric acid is linked to eating too much of purine-rich foods.

Uric acid floats around in the blood and when levels rise too far, crystals are deposited in the joints and soft tissues that connect joints. These sharp, jagged crystals cause the pain and swelling.

Many people never experience a gout attack for it can take years for uric acid levels to build up. When the tipping point is reached and the uric acid levels are too high to be carried by the blood, deposits are made and the uric acid crystallizes in the joints. This is the reason why the initial attack usually comes suddenly.

Once the initial gout attack is over, further episodes are normally experienced later as the uric acid level remains high.

High levels of uric acid can lead to other complications such as the development of kidney stones and when left untreated can damage the kidneys, impairing their functions. Kidney stones can lead to severe cramps and pain, and sometimes vomiting.

To check gout attacks and avoid the possibility of developing kidney stones, a sufferer needs to reduce the amount of uric acid in his blood by slowing its production or increase its expulsion from the body. A low purine diet helps normalize uric acid level. Avoid foods high in purine like red meat, organ meats, processed meats, yeast extracts, shellfish and gravies.  Low-purine foods include cereals, fruits, rice, tomatoes, corn and some green leafy vegetables.

Fixated Joints

Because of stress, age, bad postures, etc. joints can be fixated. Fixated joints can be painful, and they create tension in nearby muscles. Joint mobilization involves improving mobility in these areas that currently have less than normal movement. Joint mobilization helps to release these compressed joints and relax the surrounding muscles.

Joint mobilization consists of small passive movements, usually applied as a series of gentle stretches in a smooth, rhythmic fashion to the individual joints. It involves moving the joints in such a way that a small movement of the actual bone surfaces takes place. Two or more adjacent bones are slowly moved in different directions. Slower movement allows the joint to be taken further, to stretch and massage the connective tissue in and around the joint. This creates a deeper release, and more lasting changes.

Join mobilization improves mobility in areas that have less than normal movement. Tight muscles, stiff ligaments, or problems in the joints themselves may cause the decreased movement.  Loosening up the structure that causes the restriction can often relieve the pain, if there is any. Stretching and strengthening exercises are done to prevent the pain from recurring.

Joints lacking sufficient motion may be mobilized through joint mobilization which also helps in relieving pain and releasing tension from areas such as the head, neck, ankles, feet, pelvis, wrists, ribs, and spine. Joint mobilization has also proven to be effective in treating movement impairment in physically challenged and the elderly. It is effective in the treatment of arthritic joints.

Joint mobilization is a safe procedure when done slowly.  Before the actual procedure, therapists do a full assessment of the blood and nerve supply and bone and muscle in the area to be mobilized. The procedure is safe and effective method of physical therapy.

Glaucoma from the Greek word, glaukoma (meaning clouded or blue-green hue), is a sight-threatening disease in which the pressure of the eye’s fluid increases. Unless promptly treated, the internal eye structures are permanently damaged.

Normally there is a constant production of clear fluid within the front part of the eye, which is drained away as fast as it is produced. In glaucoma, interference with the drainage develops increased pressure in the eye.

About 2 percent of the population above forty years of age is a candidate for glaucoma. If these cases are not handled properly, about one million persons now living in this age group will become blind from glaucoma. With early detection and care, vision can be preserved in 80 to 85 percent of all cases.

A person above forty should have a routine eye examination every two years rather than wait for the glaucoma to develop first.

Symptoms of glaucoma may include the following:

(1) a gradual decline in the acuity of vision (The person feels that he needs a change of glasses);

(2) the seeing of “halos” around lights;

(3) headaches;

(4) pain in the eye which throbs and eventually grow intense;

(5) redness of the eye, particularly in that part of the “white of the eye” which surrounds the cornea;

(6) swelling of the eyelids;

(7) tendency for the eyes to water;

(8) enlargement of the pupil; and

(9) a “steamy” appearance of the cornea.

Glaucoma may develop without demonstrable cause, or it may follow some other eye disease. The acute type may develop rapidly, in a few hours.

WHAT TO DO

1. Even when there is no evidence of eye disease, it is advisable to have the eyes examined at least every two years, with measurement of the pressure in the eye.
2. If there is question regarding the meaning of any symptoms relating to the eyes, consult an eye specialist.
3. Treatment of glaucoma is of two types; (1) medical (using eye drops and medicines) and (2) surgical. In many cases medical treatment alone will prevent progression of the disease and save the patient’s vision.

This information was taken from the New Illustrated Medical and Health Encyclopedia.

Bladder infections can often be treated at home with the self-care tips that follow. However, if your symptoms persist for more than 24 hours, if they don’t respond to home remedies, or if you suspect that your symptoms may be due to a sexually transmitted disease or other infections, see your physician. These tips were taken from The Home Remedies Handbook.

Load up on fluids. At the first sign of bladder infection, start drinking water and don’t stop. During the first 24 hours, Greenwood recommends drinking at least one eight-ounce glass of water every hour. People who suffer from recurrent bladder infections usually don’t drink enough liquids so even when you don’t have an active infection, you should make a habit of drinking eight tall glasses of water every day.

According to Lehman, drinking lots of fluid not only dilutes urine, giving bacteria less room to feed on, it also has a “washout” effect on bacteria. “The more bacteria you can wash out,” says Lehman, “the less there will be to reproduce.”

Clark warns however, that people who suffer from urinary leakage (incontinence) probably shouldn’t increase their fluids. She says it can make the bladder infection and the incontinence worse.

Have a cranberry cocktail. If you’ve never developed a taste for sweet tanginess of cranberry juice, now’s the time. Cranberry juice (without added sugar) may make urine more acidic and less hospitable for bacterial growth, says Clark. Drinking cranberry juice is also a way to increase your fluid intake.

Go, go, go. Lehman advises both men and women to avoid what he calls “L.A. free-way driver bladder.” “Many people don’t urinate when they first get the urge because it’s inconvenient or there isn’t the time or place,” he says. “Take a guy who gets off work, has a couple of cups of coffee or a couple of beers, and gets on the freeway in rush hour traffic. He feels the urge to urinate, but he can’t go off the freeway. When he finally gets home and urinates, it’s difficult and it burns. By the next day, he’s calling his doctor with a prostate infection.”

Holding urine allows it to concentrate in the bladder, creating a perfect medium for bacterial growth. In older men, holding urine can cause congestion, inflammation, and obstruction of the prostate and can eventually lead to a prostate infection or sometimes a bladder infection.

Not urinating at the first urge also causes the bladder to distend and stretch. “Essentially, the bladder is a hollow muscle,” says Lehman. “If you repeatedly stretch it, then it won’t void completely and creates a place for bacteria to grow.”

Heat up. For lower abdominal pain, use a heating pad or hot-water bottle or take a hot bath, advises Greenwood. Lehman says that heat not only relieves the symptoms, it also brings more white blood cells and other infection-fighting blood products to the affected area. (Pregnant women however should not sit in a hot bath or heat tub for too long, since raising the body temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit for long periods may cause birth defects or miscarriage.)

Take a bath. If you have a lot of burning sensation, a warm “sitz” bath (sitting in three to four inches of water) can ease the pain.

Take a break. Rest in bed, especially if you have a fever. You’ll conserve energy and speed healing.

Wear cotton underwear. Cotton underwear, cotton-lined panty hose, and loose clothing will allow the genital area to breathe and stay dry. For men, boxer-type shorts rather than jockey-style shorts are better if prostate and bladder infections are a problem.

Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a urinary tract irritant for both men and women and should be avoided during a bladder infection.

What about spicy foods, tea and coffee? Clark says, “They really shouldn’t hurt a bladder infection.” However, the caffeine in coffee, teas and colas does stimulate kidneys to produce more urine and makes the bladder fill up faster during a time when urination is painful. If caffeine seems to make your symptoms worse, avoid it until the infection goes away.

Take a pain reliever. Bladder infection can be painful. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin, especially if taken at bedtime, can ease the pain.

Wash up, lovers. Both partners should wash up before intercourse.

Urinate before and after lovemaking. If you suffer from recurrent bladder infections, urinate immediately before and after intercourse, advises Clark. This can help flush out bacteria that may have entered the urinary tract.

Switch birth-control methods. Women who use a diaphragm and suffer from recurrent infections should try switching to condoms or a cervical cap. “If you have recurrent bladder infections, see your doctor to have your diaphragm’s fit rechecked,” says Clark. “You may do better with a smaller diaphragm or a cervical cap.”

Keep a bladder-infection diary. If you suffer from recurrent bladder infections, keep a diary to discover what patterns precede an attack. Some people find that their infections are related to stress, menstruation, lovemaking, or other factors. Once you discover what precipitates your infections, you can make changes to alter those patterns.

Wipe from front to back. Most women wipe from back to front, which moves bacteria from the rectum dangerously close to the urethra.

Use condoms. Prostate infection, which can lead to bladder infection, is more common among men with multiple sex partners. Practice safe sex, and always use condoms with partners.

You have to go, and you have to go now. Come to think of it, it seems like you’ve had to go every 15 minutes since you woke up this morning. And each time, it’s been the same story. Not much comes out, but it burns like crazy. What in the world is going on?

If you have pain or burning on urination, the frequent urge to urinate, and/blood in your urine, chances are you have a bladder infection (Also called cystitis, urinary tract infection, or UTI). These symptoms may also be accompanied by lower and abdominal pain, fever and chills, and all-over ill feeling.

Bladder infections are caused by a bacterial invasion of the bladder and urinary tract. “The urine in the bladder is normally sterile,” explains Amanda Clark, M.D., assistant professor of Sciences University in Portland. “However, if it becomes contaminated with bacteria, a bladder infection can develop.”

If you’re a woman who suffers from bladder infections, you’re not alone. “Women tend to suffer more bladder infections than men because the female urethra, the tube leading from the bladder to the outside of the body, is only one-and-a-half inches long – a short distance for bacteria to travel,” says Sadja Greenwood, M.D., a women’s health specialist and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California at San Francisco. (A man’s urethra is about eight inches long.) Frequently, the urinary tract becomes contaminated with Escherichia coli, bacteria that are normally present in the bowel and anal area. In about 10 to 15 percent of cases, bladder infections are caused by another organism, such as Chlamydia trachomatis.

Women also suffer more bladder infections because sexual intercourse can irritate the urethra and contribute to the transport of bacteria from the anal area and vagina into the bladder. “We don’t really know exactly why intercourse increases the risk of bladder infections,” says Clark. “We think it might be the bladder tissues that are a little more receptive to having an infection or it may cause more bacteria to move up the urethra.”

Women who use diaphragm for birth control have a greater risk of bladder infections, too, says Clark. The diaphragm presses against the neck of the bladder, which inhibits a normal urination, she says. As urine flow decreases, pressure within the bladder increases, and the bladder is unable to completely empty itself. The pooled urine then acts as a growth medium for bacteria.

Pregnant women are also more likely to suffer from bladder infections. The changing hormones of pregnancy and the pressure exerted by the enlarged uterus on the bladder and the ureters (the two tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder) put pregnant women on greater risk.

Men can also suffer from this malady. In men, bladder infections are almost always secondary to an infection of the prostate gland (prostatitis), according to Theodore Lehman, M.D., a urologist in private practice and director of The Oregon Impotence Center in Portland. “Primary infection of the bladder in men just doesn’t happen, because the bladder is well protected,” explains Lehman. “But the prostate sits right in front of the bladder, and bacteria can get into it – through sexual intercourse, trauma like bouncing in a bicycle seat, or some kind of blockage – and it stirs up an infection in the prostate. Then the prostate infection can ‘move upstream,’ if you will, and infect the bladder.”

In men, prostate infection usually feels like “you’re sitting on a brick,” says Lehman. When the infection extends to the bladder, the symptoms of irritation, urinary frequency, and pain and burning on urination join the achy-bottom feeling.

These were taken from The Home Remedies Handbook.

Diabetes is a very serious and difficult disease to control. Your life will never be the same again once you’re diagnosed with it.  With the right decisions, you can be as healthy as you ever were before but aging healthfully will pose a challenge.  You have to change the way you eat and need to exercise daily.

Diabetes is referred to as a lifestyle disease and one gets it from unhealthy lifestyles. Some are more prone to get the disease but nearly everyone can avoid Type 2 Diabetes by living a healthy lifestyle.

Before you get diabetes, you get what is known as insulin resistance. In most cases, insulin resistance can be treated without taking any injections or medications.  If insulin resistance goes undetected for a long period of time it becomes a full-blown case of diabetes. Treatment ranges from pills, exercise, and dietary changes to insulin injections, exercise, and dietary changes.

Catching Diabetes Early

If you’re not exercising regularly, overweight, or you don’t eat healthy food, there is a good chance you’re on your way to being a diabetic. Get regular medical checkups and discuss the possibility with your doctor. A simple fasting glucose test will reveal whether or not you have diabetes.

There are some indications of the presence of the disease like if you find yourself thirsty all of the time but unable to quench your thirst, and urinating often. You may also have dizzy spells or feel lightheaded regularly. Unexplained changes in your weight may also be a symptom of diabetes.

Avoiding Diabetes

What used to be thought of as an adult disease has made it a disease for all ages with the changes in cultural lifestyle. Living healthy is the best way to avoid diabetes. Get a good sleep regularly, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoid the temptation of drinking anything other than water.  Also, avoid meats and sugary foods, get plenty of rest and exercise daily. Get your weight under control if you’re overweight.

Dealing with Diabetes

A healthy lifestyle is essential for diabetics. The best treatment method is the same as the way to prevent it.  Failure to live a healthy lifestyle will have a great impact on you’re health once you get the disease.  Take control of your life by controlling diabetes and live a long life.