Sarvesh Joshi - GPSH | Ganadhipati Purshottam Shekhawati Hospital and Research Center

Cataracts – Symptoms, Causes, Prevention and Treatment

Leave a Comment / Health and Tips / Sarvesh Joshi

What are Cataracts?

A Cataract is a cloudy area that is formed on the lens of the eye; it is dense and begins as a result of clumps formed by protein. Seeing through a cloudy lens appears as if you are looking through a frosty window. Cataracts make it difficult to perform daily activities with ease like reading a book, driving a car, etc.

A cataract is known to develop slowly and does not cause any hindrance in normal vision early on. Cataract surgery might be required if it begins to interfere with the vision and makes it difficult to perform normal activities.

Cataracts might occur due to different reasons such as aging or changes in the tissue of the eye lens as a result of injury. It may also take place due to inherited genetic disorders causing health problems and thereby increasing the risk of cataracts.

Some other reasons behind its occurrence include eye conditions, medical conditions including diabetes, and past eye surgery. If someone has been using steroid medications for the long term then it causes cataracts as well.

The lens in which the cataract occurs is present behind the colored part of the eyes known as the iris. Here, the lens works by focusing light that passes into the eye creating sharp and clear images on the retina. The retina is a light-sensitive membrane present in the eye that functions like a camera.

With age, the lens of the eyes becomes less transparent, flexible, and thicker. These age-related and various other medical conditions can lead to the clumping together or break down of tissues present in the lens causing clouding.

With the development of cataracts, the clouding gets denser and spreads across the lens. The light gets scattered and blocked as it passes via lens restricting the reaching of a sharp image to the retina. This causes blurred vision making it difficult for the person to do day-to-day activities with ease.

Types of Cataracts?

There are different types of cataracts, let’s read about which these are.

Congenital Cataract:

When people are born with a cataract, it is termed a congenital cataract. This type of cataract is either genetic or is related to intrauterine trauma or infection. This may also occur as a result of certain conditions comprising of myotonic dystrophy, rubella, or galactosemia. This doesn’t necessarily affect vision if they are diagnosed early and removed.

Nuclear Cataract:

In this type of cataract, the person suffering from it experiences improvement in the eyesight temporarily or nearsightedness. It is known for affecting the center of the eye lens; the vision turns cloudy and the lens turns densely yellow.

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With the progression in cataracts, the lens may turn brown from yellow which makes it difficult to distinguish between various shades of color.

Cortical Cataract:

A cortical cataract affects the edges of the eye lens; it begins as whitish with streaks on the outer edge of the lens cortex. With progression, these streaks further extend to the center and interfere with the light that passes from the middle of the eye lens.

Posterior Subcapsular Cataract:

This type of cataract affects the back of the eye lens; it starts as a small and opaque area that forms close to the back of the lens and in the middle of the light path. It not only interferes with the reading vision but also reduces the visibility in bright light.

This cataract may lead to the creation of halos or glares around the light at night time. This cataract is known for progressing faster than the other types of cataracts.

Age-related Cataract:

One of the causes of cataracts may be the occurrence of natural change in the eye lens. This change is generally age-related and therefore termed as an age-related cataract.

This is one of the most common types of cataracts which is more likely to happen to those who smoke, consume alcohol, steroids, have diabetes, have a history of cataracts, or have gone through eye surgeries such as glaucoma surgery.

Radiation Cataract:

Cataract that occurs as a result of radiations such ultraviolet rays from sun or radiation treatment in cancer is known as radiation cataract.

Traumatic Cataract:

If someone has gone through serious eye injuries then there is a possibility that a cataract may develop. It may happen soon after the injury or may happen years after the injury took place.

Secondary Cataract:

Once a person has gone through cataract surgery, there is a possibility that cataracts may occur again in the form of cloudy vision. This is termed a posterior capsule opacification or secondary cataract.

This type of cataract is very common and may be easily cured through laser treatment. During this surgery, the eye lens is replaced with an artificial lens.

Pediatric Cataract:

Children may develop cataracts too which means that they might be born with cataract or may develop it later in life. However, this type of cataract is rare and generally genetic; it may also happen as a result of serious complications at the time of pregnancy or due to some childhood illness such as a tumor.

The other reasons behind its occurrence include exposure to radiation, eye injury, and steroid medications. When the situation worsens, there might arise a requirement for immediate treatment. It is important that cataract in children is treated on time to protect them from other vision problems.

Who is at Risk of Cataracts?

Following factors may increase the risk of cataracts, let’s read what these are – obesity, diabetes, aging, exposure to radiation such as UV rays, family history of cataracts, smoking, eye injury history, high blood pressure, previous eye surgery, intake of steroid medicines.

What are the Symptoms of Cataracts?

The common cataract symptoms generally comprise sensitivity to light, clouded or blurred vision, a requirement for bright light for the purpose of reading and other activities. Yet some other symptoms include difficulty in night vision, seeing halos around lights, double vision, yellowing and fading of colors, and having frequent changes in eyeglass.

Implications of Cataracts?

Eyes help us to see things and live a normal life by engaging in daily chores without much trouble. Any discomfort in our eyes can make it troublesome for us to lead a content and happy life. It can make the performance of day-to-day activities difficult for us creating a huge problem.

A cataract is one of the eye conditions that can make living a normal life difficult. It makes the eye lens cloudy and when not treated on time can lead to blindness. It is one of the main causes of visual impairment. The only treatment for cataracts is surgery in which the clouded lens is replaced with an artificial one.

It has been observed that cataract surgery helps in improving the quality of life by providing better vision and reducing the mortality risk.

How are Cataracts Diagnosed?

Cataract diagnosis is done by a doctor through eye examination which comprises of review of medical history and symptoms. There are several tests that the doctor might conduct to confirm the situation. These tests are as follows.

Slit-lamp Examination:

In this test, the doctor examines the structure of the front part of the eyes through magnification. The microscope used here is called a slit lamp and that is why this test is known as a slit-lamp examination.

This lamp is known as a slit lamp as it utilizes an intense line of light or slit for illuminating the cornea, lens, iris, and the space present between the iris and cornea. This slit helps the doctor in viewing structures in small sections making the detection process easier.

Visual Acuity Test:

This type of test uses the eye chart for measuring your reading capability of letter series. The eyes are tested one at a time; while one eye is being tested, the other remains covered. The chart or viewing device is used with smaller letters in progression. It is checked whether you have 20/20 eyesight or if there is any impairment present.

Retinal Exam:

For this check-up, the doctor puts eye drops in order to dilate or open the pupils wider. This makes it easier for the doctor to examine the back portion of the eyes comprising the retina. A special device known as an ophthalmoscope or a slit lamp is used by the doctor for checking the lens for signs of a cataract.

How are Cataracts Treated?

When the condition worsens, the only treatment left for cataracts is to get the surgery done. To ensure that it is time for surgery, consult with your doctor. Cataract surgery is suggested mostly when it begins to affect the quality of life by making normal activities difficult.

Ultimately, it depends on you and your doctor to decide whether cataract surgery is right for you or not. Mostly, people take their time before making the final leap as there is no rush for surgery. This is because cataract does not harm the eyes, however, in diabetic patients, this situation is likely to worsen faster.

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Any delay in cataract treatment does not affect the result of cataract surgery. This means even if you delay the treatment, the result will still be as it would have been had you opted to go for surgery a bit earlier. It is best to be mentally prepared before you undergo this surgery as it will help you in dealing with it in a better way.

Before the treatment, ensure that you understand the risk involved and the benefits that come with the surgery. If you do not wish to undergo the surgery then the doctor might call you for regular check-ups to keep a track of progressing situation.

Cataract treatment through surgery involves the replacement of the clouded lens with a clear artificial one. This artificial lens is known as an intraocular lens which is positioned in place of the natural lens. This artificial lens becomes the permanent part of the eye and helps in the creation of sharp images.

In some people, it might not be possible to use artificial lenses due to the existence of other eye problems. In such conditions, vision may be corrected by using contact lenses or eyeglasses after the cataract is removed.

Cataract surgery is generally performed on an outpatient basis which means that the patient is not required to stay in the hospital. The patient is discharged once the surgery is performed successfully and the doctor permits.

During cataract surgery, local anesthesia is used for numbing the area around the eyes and the patient remains awake during the entire surgical procedure. This surgery is considered safe however, it does carry a risk of infection or bleeding. It also increases the risk of retinal detachment.

Once the surgery is performed successfully, the patient might feel discomfort for a few days. It generally takes around eight weeks for healing to happen. If a patient requires surgery in both eyes then the doctor may remove the cataract from the second eye after the first eye gets treated and healed.

When you visit your doctor, share each and every symptom that has been facing. If you have been on medication or have been going through some sort of medical treatment, share it with the doctor. Clear your doubts and answer all the questions of the doctor correctly as this will help you in providing relevant treatment.

It is best for you to be well prepared before getting the cataract surgery done. You must clarify all the doubts that you have with your doctor before taking the decision. Ensure that you share all the symptoms and health history with your doctor as this will help him in taking the right action. Correct treatment will help you in getting optimum results and speedy recovery.

If you ever experience any discomfort in your eyes, make sure that you consult a good doctor who helps you in curing it. Eyes play a crucial role in our lives; it helps us see and live a normal life. It is our duty and responsibility to take care of it in the best possible manner.

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What is a CT Scan? Procedure, Risks, and Results

Leave a Comment / Health and Tips / Sarvesh Joshi

An X-ray and a computer are used to produce images of a cross-section of your body during a computed tomography scan, also known as a CT scan or CAT scan. This technique enables healthcare providers to see very fine detail in your bones, muscles, organs, and blood vessels by taking pictures that make very thin slices of your body.

When an X-ray machine uses a fixed tube, it places X-rays in one single area of the body. As radiation moves through the body, it is absorbed in different ways by different tissues. Higher density tissues create white images against the black film.

In contrast, X-rays produce 2D images. CT scans produce a 3D view of the inside of your body by rotating an X-ray around you and capturing data.

CT scans can be useful for assisting diagnosis in medicine, but they can also cause cancer if ionizing radiation is present. The National Cancer Institute warns patients to talk with their doctors about these risks and benefits.

Why is a CT Scan Performed?

A CT scan is recommended by your doctor to help following situation:

Determine the presence of bone tumors and fractures in muscles and bones.
Detects tumors, infections, or blood clots.
Surgical procedures, biopsy procedures, and radiation therapy can be guided by the following.
Cancer, heart disease, lung nodules, and liver masses can be detected and monitored.
Using effective treatment methods, such as cancer treatments, With the help of CT scan, we can monitor the whole process.
Determine whether there is internal bleeding or injured internal organs.

What does the CT equipment look like?

CT machines are typically large, donut-shaped machines with a short tunnel in the center. As you lie on the narrow examination table that slides into the short tunnel during your surgery, your image is taken. In the center of the room, opposite each other in a ring, are an x-ray tube and an electronic x-ray detector. A computer is located in a control room where the images are processed.

The technologist operates a scanner and monitors your exam, watching it directly from your side. A speaker and microphone will allow the technologist to speak to you.

How Do CT Scans Work?

CT scanners do not use conventional x-ray tubes; instead, they are powered by a motorized x-ray source that rotates around a circular opening that is built into a donut-shaped structure called a gantry.

CT scans or CAT scans process involves a patient lying on a bed moving slowly through a gantry while an x-ray tube rotates around the patient, traveling through narrow beams of light. Towards the end of the x-ray, the detectors detect it and transmit it to the computer.

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During each rotation of the x-ray source, the CT computer constructs a 2D image slice of the patient utilizing sophisticated mathematical techniques. The thickness of tissues showed in each slice image varies slightly by type of CT machine but usually ranges from 1-10 millimeters. After a complete image slice has been obtained with the help of a scanning machine, the image is stored and the motorized bed is incrementally moved forward into the gantry.

After that, an additional x-ray scan is conducted to produce another slice, which is repeated until the desired number of slices is accumulated. An image obtained by the CT scan whose slice can be displayed either individually or stacked together by the computer as a 3D image of the patient. This 3D image shows the skeleton, organs, and tissues of the patient as well as any abnormalities that may be present.

Among its many advantages, this method allows you to rotate the 3D image in space or view slices sequentially, which makes it easier to locate the exact problem location.

What are the benefits?

With a CT scan, an experienced radiologist can diagnose many abdominal pain and trauma conditions with a high level of accuracy and enable more effective treatment. It may even eliminate additional, more invasive diagnostic testing.
The method of a CT examination can be used to decrease the risk of serious complications like those caused by an infected fluid collection or a burst appendix and the subsequent spread of infection when pain is caused by infection and inflammation.
In addition to being non-invasive and painless, CT scans are accurate.
A major advantage of CT imaging is that soft tissue, blood vessels, and bone can all be visualized simultaneously.
With CT scanning, detailed images of bones, lungs, and blood vessels are obtained without the use of conventional x-rays.
CT scans are simple and fast. In emergencies, they can show internal bleeding and injuries quickly enough to save lives.
The cost-effectiveness of CT has been demonstrated for a wide range of clinical problems. The sensitivity of CT to patient movement is less than that of MRI.
In other terms, a CAT scan provides real-time imaging, making it ideal for performing minimally invasive procedures such as needle biopsies and needle aspirations of many parts of the body, including the lungs, the abdomen, the pelvis, etc and the bones.
CT scanning may allow a direct diagnosis to be made without requiring exploratory surgery or surgical biopsy.
An X-ray used in a CT scan should not cause any side effects to the patient immediately after the scan. There is no radiation left in the body after the CT scan.

What happens during a CT scan

CT scans are performed lying on your back on a flatbed that passes through a rotating circle as you pass through the scanner. During the scan, you will usually lie on your back in the ring-shaped scanner.

You do not have to worry about feeling claustrophobic since the scanner does not surround your entire body at once. Radiographers will operate scanners in separate rooms. You will have the ability to speak and hear them over an intercom while the scan takes place.

During each scan, you must lie completely still and breathe normally. So that, the scan images will not be blurred. At certain points, you may be asked to take a deep breath, let it out, or hold it. The scan normally takes about 10 to 20 minutes.

What happens afterward

A CT scan is not expected to cause any lasting effects, and most patients can return home shortly afterward. You can drive, eat, and drink as normal.

The contrast used in the test is harmless and passes out of your body through your urine at the end of an hour, so you may be asked to wait in the hospital for up to that long.

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You won’t receive the results of your scan instantly. A computer will need to process the information and then examine the picture. A radiologist (a physician who interprets images of the body) will then interpret the results.

An MRI radiologist examines your images and develops a report he or she sends to the referring doctor so that you can discuss the results with them. This usually takes a few days or weeks to complete.

What Is It Used For?

CT scan is useful for obtaining images of:

soft tissues
blood vessels
lungs
the pelvis
brain
abdomen
bones

The CT scan is often preferred for diagnosing many types of cancer, including liver, lung, and pancreatic cancer. It provides clear images that allow doctors to determine how much tissue is affected by the tumor, its size, and its location.

The results of a CT scan can reveal a tumor in the abdomen and any swelling or inflammation in nearby organs if there is a tumor in the head. A head scan can reveal bleeding, swelling of the arteries, or a tumor on the brain.

A CT scan can provide valuable information on blood flow, kidneys, liver, and spleen lacerations. Also, a CT scan detects abnormalities in tissue, making it useful for planning radiotherapy and biopsies.

A doctor can use it to assess bone disease and density and the condition of a patient’s spine. Additionally, it provides vital information about injuries to the hand, foot, or other skeletal structures of a patient. The surrounding tissue around small bones can even be seen.

What Are the Risks obtained through CT Scan?

It is considered that radiation exposure during a CT scan is low, so if you are pregnant or believe that you may be pregnant, you should notify your doctor immediately.

A patient with a history of hypersensitivity to contrast dye, shellfish, medications, or iodine should tell their physician if they have any of these allergies. Radiation exposure during pregnancy contributes to birth defects.

It is important to notify your physician if you have kidney failure or another kidney disease. Contrast dye can sometimes cause kidney failure, especially when the person is taking Glucophage (a diabetic medication).

A chest CT scan may be more accurate if certain factors interfere with the accuracy of the procedure. Your physician should be consulted about any concerns you have about the procedure.

There are a variety of factors that contribute to these findings, including, but not limited to:

Surgical clips or pacemakers, for example, maybe, metallic objects inside the chest
Body piercings on the chest
A recent barium study in the esophagus showed barium in the organ

What Do CT Scan Results Mean?

If the radiologist doesn’t see tumors, blood clots, fractures, or other abnormalities in the scan images, it may require further tests or treatments. If abnormalities are detected, further tests or treatments may be needed, depending on the type of abnormality.

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Cardiomyopathy: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

Leave a Comment / Health and Tips / Sarvesh Joshi

An enlarged heart muscle causes a condition called cardiomyopathy. The enlarged heart muscle stretches, which makes the muscle weak, thus preventing it from pumping blood as efficiently as it should.

You may develop heart failure if your heart muscle weakens too much (a serious condition that requires special treatment). Cardiomyopathy is relatively mild and most people can lead almost normal lives.

Heart attacks and cardiomyopathy are both conditions that damage a part of your heart muscle. Heart attacks may also cause you to need a heart transplant. People with severe heart failure may also need a heart transplant.

Types of Cardiomyopathy

Five types of cardiomyopathy are listed below:

Dilated cardiomyopathy: A person with cardiomyopathy has an enlarged (dilated) left ventricle, thus limiting its ability to pump blood effectively.

This type of heart disease can affect anyone of any age, though it is more likely to affect men over the age of 50. It is most commonly caused by coronary artery disease or a heart attack, but it can also be caused by inherited defects.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: It is the type of cardiomyopathy in which an abnormal thickening of your heart muscle, which makes it more difficult for your heart to pump. It mainly occurs in the main pumping chamber of your heart (left ventricle).

Some genetic mutations have been linked to the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This condition can occur at any age but is typically more severe in childhood. People with this condition generally have a family history of it.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy: It is the least common type of cardiomyopathy, characterized by stiffening and decreased flexibility of the heart muscle so it cannot expand and fill up with blood between heartbeats. Although it can affect people of any age, it most commonly affects older adults.

Occasionally, restrictive cardiomyopathy has no known cause (idiopathic), but it can also be caused by another disease elsewhere in the body that affects the heart, such as Amyloidosis.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia: It is a rare type of cardiomyopathy caused by genetic mutations, causing scar tissue to replace the muscles in the lower right heart chamber (right ventricle).

Unclassified cardiomyopathy: Other remaining types of cardiomyopathy can fall into this category.

Who is at risk for cardiomyopathy?

Risk factors for cardiomyopathy include certain diseases or conditions. Some of the most common are:

Family History: Cardiomyopathy is more likely to occur in individuals with a history of it in their families.

Hypertension: A person with long-standing hypertension who is not adequately controlled has a high risk of developing Cardiomyopathy.

Thyroid Disorders: Cardiomyopathy is also common in people with thyroid problems.

Diabetes Mellitus: Cardiomyopathy is also more common in diabetics with longstanding diseases.

Obesity: Overweight individuals are at a greater risk of developing cardiomyopathy because their heart is put under more pressure.

Alcoholism: Cardiomyopathy is also a risk factor for chronic alcoholics.

Polysubstance Use: The risk of Cardiomyopathy increases in those who abuse drugs like amphetamines or cocaine as a recreational activity.

Other Cardiac Condition: Cardiomyopathy can also affect individuals with preexisting cardiac conditions.

Symptoms of Cardiomyopathy

Common cardiomyopathy symptoms include:

Unexplained fatigue
Body weakness
Sometimes feeling of fainting
Regular chest pain
Breathing problems
Palpitations
Fluid and water retention
Light-headedness or headache
Bloating
Cough
Dizziness
Poor appetite
Sudden death
Swollen Extremities

How does cardiomyopathy affect children and teenagers?

There is no gender or race discrimination in pediatric cardiomyopathy for children or teenagers. Children and teenagers are more likely to develop this disorder when they are infants.

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In about 75% of cases, healthcare providers don’t know what causes cardiomyopathy in children. However, children may inherit cardiomyopathy or they may acquire it through a viral infection.

Early detection and treatment can improve a child’s outcome if cardiomyopathy is detected and treated during a sudden cardiac arrest, as some children may not exhibit symptoms.

The majority of children and teenagers with cardiomyopathy require routine medical attention from a cardiologist (a specialist in the heart); they receive daily medication. Depending on the cause, type, and stage of cardiomyopathy, there may not be many lifestyle restrictions.

Diagnose cardiomyopathy

In the diagnosis of the disease cardiomyopathy, the doctor will consider your medical history, family history to examine the exact cause of cardiomyopathy, physical examination, and diagnostic test results are used to diagnose cardiomyopathy. A cardiologist or pediatric cardiologist is often responsible for diagnosis and treatment. These doctors who specialize in heart disease are known as cardiologists or pediatric cardiologists.

Medical and family histories: If any member of your family has been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, heart failure, or cardiac arrest, your doctor will ask about your medical history and the signs and symptoms you are experiencing for further process of treatment.

Physical exam: A stethoscope is used by your doctor to listen to the sounds of your heart and lungs to hear if they are similar to those that might indicate cardiomyopathy. Certain sounds may even indicate a specific type of the disease. A loud, rhythmic heart murmur can be a sign of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. If a doctor hears a “crackling sound” in your lungs, this could symbolize heart failure. Your doctor can also use certain physical signs to detect cardiomyopathy. Ankle, foot, leg, abdomen, or neck swelling indicates fluid accumulation, a sign of heart failure.

Diagnostic tests: To diagnose cardiomyopathy, your doctor might recommend any of these tests.

Blood tests: By using a needle, blood is drawn from a vein in the arm to test.

Chest X-ray: Images of your chest may reveal an enlarged heart or swelling of your lungs. An X-ray may also reveal fluid within your lungs.

Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG): The electrocardiogram records the heart’s electrical activity, showing how fast it beats and if its rhythm is steady or irregular. EKGs can help detect cardiomyopathy and other conditions such as heart attacks and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats). Depending on the type of heart problem you have, your doctor may have you wear a portable EKG monitor.

Holter and event monitor: In both cases, this is a portable device that monitors the heart’s electrical activity during a specific time. A Holter monitor provides long-term electrocardiogram data for 24 or 48 hours. An event monitor is limited to certain times only.

Echocardiogram (Echo): Echocardiograms (echos) use sound waves to create a moving picture of your heart. They provide important information about how well your heart is working and its size and structure. Transesophageal echo (or TEE), which provides views of the back of the heart, is one type of echocardiography that is used during a stress test. Other types of echocardiography include those used during stress tests.

Stress Test: In a stress test, your heart is systematically made to work hard (and beat fast) throughout various tests such as nuclear heart scanning, echocardiograms, and positron emission tomography (PET). During your appointment, you will walk on an inclined treadmill or receive medicine to simulate exertion if you are unable to exercise.

Genetic Testing: Since Cardiomyopathy may also be genetically linked in some cases, the physician may suggest a genetic test if the patient has a family history of Cardiomyopathy.

Treatment for cardiomyopathy?

Treatment for cardiomyopathy involves controlling symptoms, stopping the progression of the disorder, and preventing sudden cardiac death. It can vary depending on the severity of symptoms and the type of cardiomyopathy.

Treatment of Cardiomyopathy includes:

Lifestyle changes:

The use of healthier lifestyle habits may also help slow the progression of cardiomyopathy. Lifestyle changes may help reduce the severity of conditions that may have caused the condition.

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Following a healthful diet may also help modify lifestyle, as it limits the intake of saturated fats, trans fats, sugar, and salt.

Medications:

Some types of medicines may be prescribed to patients with cardiomyopathy, including:

Beta-blockers: A beta-blocker slows the heart rate, resulting in less strain on the heart.

Diuretics: Insufficient heart pumping can lead to excess fluid buildup in the body, which is removed by diuretics.

Blood thinners: Blood-thinning medications lower your chance of developing blood clots.

Blood pressure drugs: Heart disease patients can use angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors to reduce blood pressure and block the stress receptors.

Antiarrhythmics: An antiarrhythmic is a medication that prevents abnormal heart rhythms.

Implanted devices:

Different types of implantable devices may also be used in treatment, depending on the symptoms. Implantable devices may include:

Pacemaker: In such a case, a pacemaker can help the heartbeat at normal speed by delivering electrical impulses beneath the skin in the chest near the implantation site.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: As part of the device, on detection of an abnormal, potentially unstable heartbeat, the electric shock is delivered. This restores the heart rhythm to normal.

Left ventricle assist device (LVAD): In this process, While a person receives a heart transplant, an LVAD is helpful while the heart is weakened by cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac resynchronization device: This implanted device enhances heart function by improving coordination between left and right ventricles.

Surgery:

Surgery may be recommended if symptoms are severe. Possible surgery procedures for cardiomyopathy include:

Septal myectomy: By removing the thickened tissue in the left ventricle, this surgery improves blood flow out of the heart. It is done for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with obstructions in blood flow.

Heart transplant: Heart transplant might be an option for people who have certain types of cardiomyopathy with advanced heart failure. However, heart transplantation is a complex procedure, not everyone qualifies for one.

How can cardiomyopathy be prevented?

Cardiomyopathy can’t be prevented, but you can take steps to lower your risk for conditions responsible for creating (or complicating) cardiomyopathies, such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and heart attacks.

An underlying health problem can precipitate cardiomyopathy. Treating it early can help prevent the complications associated with cardiomyopathy. As an example, you can control high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes by preventing the underlying causes:

Regular checkups with your doctor are mandatory and all should do for their health.
Follow your doctor’s advice about lifestyle changes and diet plans.
Take all of your medications on time as prescribed by your doctor.

Cardiomyopathy can also cause other complications, just as some underlying conditions might cause cardiomyopathy.

Heart diseases, such as cardiomyopathy, can increase the risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which can be mitigated by implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs).

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Bladder Infection Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Leave a Comment / Health and Tips / Sarvesh Joshi

What is a bladder infection (Cystitis)?

Inflammation occurs when something in your body becomes red, swollen, or inflamed. Common causes of cystitis are urinary tract infections (UTI), which occur when bacteria enter the bladder or urethra and multiply there.

In some cases, cystitis is caused by bacteria that are naturally found in the body, which can cause an infection and inflammation. Cystitis is not always caused by an infection. For instance, sometimes certain medicines and hygiene products can also cause inflammation.

Treatment for cystitis depends on the cause of the infection, such as antibiotics or hygiene products. Medicines and hygiene products can also cause cystitis, so girls need to be very careful about hygiene.

Cystitis most often affects women, but it can affect anyone at any time. Cystitis is acute and occurs suddenly in most cases. Interstitial cystitis disorders usually last for a long time.

Bladder Infection Symptoms

There will be immediate changes during urination when you have a bladder infection depending on the severity. Some of the most common symptoms are:

Inflammation on either the side (flank), the abdomen, or the pelvis.
Pressure in the lower pelvis area.
Urinary incontinence (urinate too often), frequent need to urinate (frequency), and urgency to urinate (urine leakage).
Blood in the urine and painful urination (dysuria).
Need to urinate all night, causing disturbance of sleep.
Color and odor of urine that are abnormal (cloudy urine).

A urinary tract infection can also cause the following symptoms:

Pain in the urethra during sex.
Pain in the penis.
Insomnia, or back pain in the lower back or the flanks (sides of the body).
Confusion in making decisions, and mental changes.

Bladder Infection causes

A bladder infection is usually caused by E. coli bacteria that are on your skin and in your intestines. These organisms cause infections when they get into the urethra and travel to the bladder.

For several reasons, women are more likely to get bladder infections than men. A woman’s urethra is shorter, and it’s located close to the vagina and anus, where bacteria usually live.

You can acquire bacteria through having sex, wiping after using the bathroom from back to front, using a tampon, or using a diaphragm for birth control. Your bladder can become blocked by the baby during pregnancy, preventing it from fully emptying and giving bacteria a place to thrive.

After Menopause causes a decrease in estrogen levels. This causes a thinner urethral lining and a change in the bacteria balance in the vagina, increasing the risk of infection.

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The most common cause of bladder infections in men is a prostate infection. However, blocks, like bladder stones or enlarged prostates can prevent the bladder from fully emptying and thus cause infection.

Types of cystitis (Bladder infection)

There are two types of cystitis. In terms of the types of cystitis, acute cystitis occurs suddenly, while interstitial cystitis (IC) occurs over a while, affecting multiple layers of bladder tissue.

There are many possible causes of acute and interstitial cystitis. The cause will determine the type of cystitis a person has.

Bacterial cystitis: Infections in your urethra or bladder are caused by bacteria entering your body and causing an infection. They can also affect you when your body’s normally growing bacteria become unbalanced. The result is cystitis or inflammation of your bladder. The treatment of a bladder infection is extremely important. If the infection spreads to the kidneys, it can cause serious health problems.

Drug-induced cystitis: Some medications can trigger inflammation in your bladder. The medicine passes through your body and eventually exits through your urinary system. Many medications will irritate your bladder as they exit your body. Cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide are examples of chemotherapy drugs that can cause cystitis.

Radiation cystitis: Unlike chemotherapy, radiation therapy kills cancer cells and shrinks tumors, as well as damaged healthy cells and tissues. Radiation treatment in the pelvic area may cause bladder inflammation.

Foreign body cystitis: Inflammation can be caused by both bacteria and damaged tissues in the urinary tract when you use a catheter indefinitely to facilitate the release of urine from your bladder.

Chemical cystitis: You should avoid certain hygiene products since they can irritate your bladder. Erratic bladder products can cause cystitides, such as spermicidal jelly, spermicide diaphragms, and chemicals from bubble baths.

Diagnosing bladder infections

There are various ways to diagnose bladder infections some of them are as follows-

Basic Test: Diagnosis of bladder infections can be determined by a test. A urinalysis is a test that a doctor performs on a urine sample to determine whether there are any of the following substances:
- white blood cells
- red blood cells
- nitrites
- bacteria

The doctor may also perform a urine culture, which determines what kind of bacteria are present in the urine and which antibiotic will work best. Once the type of bacteria is identified, antibiotic sensitivity tests will determine which antibiotic to use.

Advanced Tests: Sometimes, knowing the cause of the infection is important, because medicine alone may not be enough to treat it. Often a bladder infection isn’t a serious health concern, but it may be an inconvenience.

If you fall into one of these categories, you may be given more advanced tests:

Children
Men (Men do not get the bladder infection, it may be the sign of something else, so they need to do the advanced test.
People who had a kidney replacement.
Women who get three or more bladder infections a year or urinate with blood.

Other ways to find the cause of bladder infections are:

Cystoscopy: During a cystoscopy, your doctor inserts a thin tube with a camera into your urethra to check for problems or to take a tissue sample for further analysis, it is also called a biopsy.

Imaging: Ultrasound, CT scans, and MRIs can detect tumors, kidney stones, and other health complications

Intravenous urogram (IVU): Imaging the kidney, ureters, and bladder is done with contrast dye using X-rays in this process.

Voiding cystourethrography: To find out if there is any urine backing up from the bladder towards the kidneys, your doctor inserts a dye into your bladder.

Retrograde urethrography: To detect problems within the urethra, contrast dye is used.

Bladder infection treatment

Antibiotics are usually prescribed for both simple and complicated urinary tract infections, but the type of antibiotic and its duration depend on the particular situation. A few examples of antibiotics the doctor might prescribe include amoxicillin, (Bactrim), ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and nitrofurantoin (Macrobid).

The specific medication needed for your condition and the organisms responsible for it will depend on your health care provider’s decision.

Lower urinary tract infection (cystitis, or bladder infection):

An antibiotic course of three days is usually enough for a healthy person. However, some health care providers prefer a seven-day course. Sometimes, a single dose of an antibiotic can also be used. A health care professional will determine which of these options is most appropriate.
Males with an infected prostate (prostatitis) may need to be treated with antibiotics for four weeks or longer.
Generally, antibiotics are given to adult females with kidney involvement, urinary tract abnormalities, or diabetes.
Antibiotic treatment is usually given for 10 days to children with uncomplicated cystitis.
In addition to antibiotics for one to two days, Phenazopyridine (Pyridium) or similar medication can alleviate burning pain during urination.

Upper urinary tract infection (pyelonephritis):

Those with symptoms of pyelonephritis who are young and otherwise healthy can receive treatment as outpatients. In the emergency department, they may receive IV fluids and antibiotics or receive an antibiotic injection followed by 10-14 days of oral antibiotic therapy. In one to two days, they should contact their healthcare professional to monitor their progress.
It may be necessary to implant an IV in the arm of someone who is very ill, dehydrated, or vomiting excessively. Until he/she is well enough to drink fluids and take oral antibiotics, he/she will be hospitalized and given fluids and antibiotics through an IV line.
It may take several weeks to treat an acute infection that is complicated and severe.

Like sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), urinary tract infections are often caused by the same bacteria. Therefore, people with symptoms of STDs (unusual vaginal bleeding or penile discharge, for instance) should be treated with appropriate antibiotics. In case of pain in the genital area, your doctor needs to conduct a urinalysis as well as check for UTIs.

Who is at risk of cystitis?

Cystitis is associated with the following risk factors:

Female gender
Shorter urethra
Less distance between the urethra and anus
History of urinary tract infections
Use of a diaphragm with spermicide
Postmenopausal status (low estrogen so the loss of protective vaginal flora)
Sexual intercourse (introduction of bacteria in the urethra)
Genetic predisposition or family history
Homosexual men
Lack of circumcision
Old age
Immobility

Foods Increasing Risk of Cystitis:

There is some evidence that certain foods increase the risk of cystitis.

Spicy foods
Coffee or tea
Citrus fruit
Carbonated and alcoholic drinks
Vitamin C

Women’s Risk:

Although researchers have yet to uncover the reasons behind the prevalence of bladder infections in women, it is believed that this is because women’s urethra is short, and its opening is close to the ranch. Thus, bacteria can easily travel from the colon to the bladder.

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An infection of the bladder can be caused by many factors, including:

Bacteria can be introduced into the urinary tract through sexual activity.
Women who use diaphragms and spermicides can alter their urethra’s bacterial composition.
A UTI can endanger an unborn child during pregnancy due to changes in anatomy and physiology (consult a doctor immediately if you suspect a UTI during pregnancy)
Diabetes
Poor hygiene
Increased age
Once a woman has a UTI, the risk of developing another one increases dramatically. These conditions suppress the immune system and make emptying the bladder becomes difficult.

Top tips to prevent further bladder infections

Combining medical and home treatments can help ease symptoms of UTI. Renal and blood infections are the most severe consequences of untreated UTIs. Here are some tips which help you to prevent further bladder infections:

1. Drink more fluid: Water can keep your bladder healthy; at least half of your fluid intake should be water. Healthy adults should consume six to eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid each day. Ask your consultant for the intake of water.

2. Limit alcohol and caffeine: It may be helpful to cut back on alcohol and caffeinated foods and beverages such as coffee, tea, chocolate, and most sodas.

3. Quit smoking: Smoking is injurious to any condition, so if you smoke- quit it.

4. Maintain a healthy diet and weight: Maintaining a healthy weight can be achieved by eating a healthy diet and exercising.

5. Exercise daily: Exercise is the most important part that everyone should follow daily. Constipation and bladder problems can be prevented by physical activity.

6. Avoid constipation: Drinking enough water and eating foods high in fiber (such as whole grains, green vegetables, and fruits) can help prevent constipation.

7. Use the clean bathroom often and when needed: You should urinate every three to four hours to prevent your bladder from weakening and causing you to suffer a bladder infection.

8. Do Kegel exercise: Kegel exercises commonly known as pelvic floor exercises strengthen the muscles that help hold urine in the bladder. By doing these exercises daily, you can keep urine from leaking when you sneeze, cough, lift, laugh, or have the urge to urinate suddenly.

9. Take enough time to fully empty the bladder when urinating: A bladder infection can occur if the urine stays in the bladder for a long period when you urinate in a hurry.

10. Wear cotton and loose-fitting clothes: If you wear loose clothing, air will visit the area around your urethra to keep it dry. Wearing jeans that are too tight can trap moisture, which can promote bacteria growth.

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Bad Breath: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention

Leave a Comment / Health and Tips / Sarvesh Joshi

The term bad breath is used to describe an unpleasant odor coming from the mouth. Halitosis can be an occasional problem, or it can be chronic. It may be caused by the foods a person eats, bad oral hygiene, chronic diseases, or other factors.

Bad breath may also impact a person’s quality of life by negatively affecting personal relationships and their quality of life. Some people are not aware that they have bad breath, and they learn about it from a family member, friend, or coworker. Let’s understand the causes of bad breath.

Bad Breath causes

There are many causes of bad breath. Some of them include:

Food: Food particles can break down between your teeth and increase bacteria, causing a foul smell. Onions, garlic, spices, and other foods can lead to bad breath as well. Once digested, these foods are transported into your bloodstream, where they affect your breathing.

Tobacco products: Tobacco and smoking both cause unpleasant mouth odors, and the likelihood of developing gum disease in smokers and oral tobacco users is even higher.

Poor dental hygiene: Without brushing and flossing daily, food particles remain in your mouth, resulting in bad breath. A sticky film of bacteria (plaque) forms on your teeth, irritating your gums and eventually causing plaque-filled pockets between your teeth and gums (periodontitis).

Similarly, bacteria on your tongue can cause unpleasant odors, and dentures that are not cleaned regularly or that don’t fit right can harbor bacteria that cause odors.

Dry mouth: Saliva helps to clean your mouth, eliminating anything that might cause bad breath. A condition called dry mouth or xerostomia (zeer–o-STOE-me-uh) can also contribute to bad breath because it reduces saliva production. It occurs naturally during sleep, causing morning breath, and can worsen if you sleep with your mouth open. Dry mouth can also be caused by problems with your salivary glands or disease.

Crash diets: The breakdown of fats produces chemicals called ketones, which have an unpleasant odor. Fasting and low-carbohydrate eating programs can contribute to halitosis.

Medications: Some medications may cause bad breath indirectly by causing dry mouth. Others can break down into chemicals that are released into your breath when they are broken down.

Mouth Infection: There are several causes of bad breath, including wounds from oral surgery after tooth extraction, tooth decay, gum disease, or mouth sores.

Other mouths, nose, and throat conditions: Infections or chronic inflammation in the nose, sinuses, or throat, which can result in postnasal drip, can cause bad breath. Small stones in the tonsils, covered with bacteria, can occasionally cause bad breath.

Other causes: Several illnesses, including some cancers and metabolic disorders, produce chemicals that cause breath to smell distinctive.

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Bad breath can be caused by chronic reflux of stomach acids (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD). Foreign bodies lodged in the nostrils of young children can cause bad breath.

Bad Breath symptoms

The symptoms of bad breath (Halitosis)

Bleeding Gums
Food Impaction
Foreign Body in the Nose
Liver Failure
Lung Abscesses
Medications
Oral Abscess
Oral Ulcers
Mouth Sores
Dry Mouth
Bacterial Infections
Dietary Factors
Periodontitis
Poorly Fitting Dentures or Oral Appliances
Poor Oral Hygiene
Tooth Decay

Bad Breath Diagnosis

When someone with suspected halitosis comes in to see the dentist, they may simply smell their breath and rate the odor as intensely as they can. They may scrape the back of the tongue and smell the scrapings as it is often the source of the odor.

It is possible to rate odor more precisely by using sophisticated detectors used to diagnose bad breath. These include:

Halimeter: Low levels of sulfur are detected with this device.

Gas chromatography: In this test, the three sulfur compounds hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethyl sulfide are measured.

BANA test: The specific enzyme that causes halitosis in the body is measured by this device.

Beta-galactosidase test: Studies have shown that mouth odor correlates with beta-galactosidase levels.

Bad Breath Prevention

The problem of bad breath happens to everyone at some point, but you can prevent it. Follow these prevention steps of bad breath to avoid embarrassing situations in the future:

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene: Most people overlook this factor when it comes to reducing bad breath. Ideally, you should brush and floss after every meal.

This will help you reduce bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath. Follow this with a twice-daily mouth rinse to help prevent cavities and plaque. It is better to use a mouthwash that kills bacteria rather than a cosmetic rinse that only covers up odors and does not get to the root of the problem.

Watch What You Eat: Almost everything you consume is absorbed into your bloodstream and then reabsorbed when you breathe and speak. Pungent ingredients like garlic, onions, and spicy foods pose the biggest health risk.

By eating more onions, celery, and carrots – all of these vegetables contain a lot of water, which will help flush all of the debris from your mouth.

Hydrate: Drinking water after a meal is a great way to help clean your mouth of oral bacteria and food particles before they can cause problems. If you cannot brush, floss, and rinse after eating, drinking fluids can help to rinse out the toxins from your body.

You should avoid soda, as excess sugar will bond to your teeth and gums, causing bad breath when mixed with leftover remnants of your meal.

Chew the Right Thing: If you chew sugar-free gum after eating, it can improve your breath and keep saliva flowing, which helps keep bacteria and food particles out of your mouth. Chewing gum sweetened with 100% xylitol can also help reduce cavities.

Mints are considered the best way to mask bad breath, but at their worst, they’re loaded with sugar that sticks to your teeth and makes your problem worse. To help maintain fresh breath when you’re in a pinch, keep breath strips in your desk drawer, inside your pockets, and in your purse so that you can use it whenever you need them.

Bad Breath Home Remedies

To reduce or even stop the bad breath, you may try some of the home remedies that work on your bad breath to make it good.

Brush your teeth after you eat: Using antibacterial toothpaste after meals have been shown to reduce bad breath odors. Keep a toothbrush at work to use after meals. Brushing is most important, so brush at least twice a day, especially after meals.

Brush your tongue: A tongue brush can effectively reduce odors if your tongue harbors bacteria; people who have a coated tongue due to an overgrowth of bacteria (such as those who smoke or have a dry mouth) may benefit from a tongue scraper. You may use a toothbrush that has tongue cleaner with it.

Floss at least once a day: Flossing removes food particles and plaque from between your teeth, thereby improving the quality of your breath.

Clean dentures or dental appliances: It is important to clean your bridge or denture every day or as directed by your dentist. If you wear a dental retainer or mouth guard, you should clean them each time before you use them. Your dentist can advise you on good cleaning products.

Maintain your diet: Don’t consume foods such as onions and garlic, which can cause bad breath. Diets high in sugar are also linked with bad breath.

Avoid dry mouth: Chew gum or suck on candy (preferably sugarless) to stimulate saliva production and keep the mouth moist. Avoid smoking and drink plenty of water, not soft drinks or coffee, which can lead to dry mouths.

If you suffer from chronic dry mouth, you may be prescribed artificial saliva preparations or oral medications to stimulate saliva flow.

Change your brush regularly: You should change your toothbrush once it becomes frayed, approximately every three to four months.

Schedule regular dental checkups: It is important to see your dentist regularly to have your teeth and dentures checked and cleaned.

Once the dentist has identified the likely cause of bad breath, the treatment can begin.

Bad Breath treatment

The cause of bad breath will determine the further treatment you need; however, you can reduce bad breath by practicing good oral hygiene consistently.

The treatment for bad breath will also depend on the cause, that is the reason that causes bad breath. Your dentist may refer you to your primary care provider if you have bad breath that may be linked to a health condition.

Dentists will often recommend dental measures to combat oral health conditions. These measures may include:

Depending on the cause of bad breath, a specific medical treatment needs to be prescribed.
A dentist may prescribe artificial saliva to patients with dry mouths (xerostomia).
The dentist may recommend special toothpaste or mouthwash to treat bad breath.
Treatment of dental disease- The symptoms of gum disease will require you to see a gum specialist (periodontist), or you may be referred that way. The problem occurs when your gums pull away from your teeth, leaving deep pockets filled with bacteria that cause bad breath.
It is not always possible for your dentist to remove these bacteria with standard cleaning. In addition, he or she might recommend replacing faulty restorations, a breeding ground for bacteria.

Follow-Up for Bad Breath

Here are some follow-ups for bad breath to improve your breathing.

Make sure you follow all recommendations from your dental or medical professional, including any recommended mouthwash or toothpaste.
Patients who suffer from bad breath odor that is determined not to be caused by the oral disease may be referred to a physician.
A dentist who suspects the patient has gum disease may refer them to a periodontist, an expert in gum treatment.

Conclusion:

Taking time to set up a thorough diagnosis with a dentist before starting any treatment is a wise move. A dentist’s examination will indicate which treatment is best for patients with bad breath, and how extensive it should be.

Getting to the bottom of a bad breath problem may uncover a more serious problem, which may result in the need for referral to an appropriate specialist. In such situations, treating a case of bad breath can prevent further complications.

We explained all the treatment and prevention tips above so that you can easily understand the problem of your bad breath and take precautions to reduce it.

Simple home remedies are also available to stop the bad breath like you need to brush your teeth two times a day or after a meal, maintain a proper diet, avoid eating smelling food, etc.

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Back Pain: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Leave a Comment / Health and Tips / Sarvesh Joshi

Back pain normally happens due to a muscle stretch. It is a very painful condition which 60-70% of people suffer from once in their lifetime. Several reasons contribute to back pain, including absences from work and medical treatment.

It is often uncomfortable and debilitating because you can not do any work properly if you bend your back, it may create a problem. It may end up in injury, activity, and some medical conditions. Back pain can affect people of any age, for different reasons, but it can mostly be seen in old people.

As people become older, the chance of developing lower back pain increases, because of factors like previous occupation and degenerative disk disease or lack of exercise.

Lower back pain could also be linked to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, lower back muscles, nerves, abdominal and pelvic internal organs, spinal cord, and skin the lumbar area.

Pain in the upper back could also be due to disorders of the aorta, tumors in the chest, and spine inflammation.

Back pain home Remedies

Back pain is a common problem that can interfere with a person’s professional and personal life. Fortunately, many home remedies are available to help relieve back pain. The home remedies for Back pain are:

Oils and ointments to ease the pain: Many skin creams and ointments will help relieve stiff and sore back muscles. Some of these products contain various ingredients such as menthol, camphor, or lidocaine.

These ingredients warm, cool, or numb the affected area. Put cream on the area that hurts. If you have trouble getting the cream on, ask someone to help you. Maybe ointments will not get the proper cure for your problems but they will help you to ease the pain.

Try the Ice and Heat method: One might have heard that one is better than the other for relief from back pain. The short answer is that whatever works for you is the best option. Some people prefer heat and some prefer ice in the pain, but you might try both to see the better result.

If you’re having stiffness or muscle tension in your back, ice may be the best choice, while heating pads may be more effective at relieving swelling or inflammation.

Maintain Good Posture: By keeping your head over your pelvis and not slouching your shoulders, you can ease the pressure with your lower back. If necessary, you can use tape, straps, or stretchy bands to help keep your spine straight.

You should get up from your chair every 30 minutes, stretch regularly, and walk every few minutes if you work in front of a computer or any screen.

Stretch and Strengthen: Strengthening the muscles of your upper and lower body, especially your abdominals, can help relieve your back pain as well as prevent it. Stretching is the first thing that everyone should do in the morning.

It is okay to stretch and do your strengthening exercises later in the day after your body is warmed up if you are older or worried about overdoing it.

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Keep Moving: During pain, you might not feel like it, but this is something your doctor will probably recommend first. You should continue to stay active daily, whether that is walking for 30 minutes or playing with your pet. Make sure you move at least three times a week.

Back pain causes

Many conditions, common to back pain, are not readily identifiable through a test or imaging study. Some of the common conditions that may cause back pain are:

Muscle or ligament strain: You may suffer painful muscle spasms from repeated heavy lifting or a sudden awkward movement. Your back muscles and spinal ligaments may be stressed by repeated heavy lifting. If you’re in poor physical condition, this can lead to stiff, sore back muscles.

Structured Problems:

Bulging or ruptured disks: In your back, disks serve as cushions to protect the bones (vertebrae). The soft tissue inside a disk can stretch or rupture, putting pressure on nerves. However, you can have a bulging or ruptured disk without having back pain. It is often discovered incidentally by X-rays taken for other reasons when you have disk disease.

Arthritis: Osteoarthritis affects the hips, lower back, and other joints. It can narrow the space surrounding the spinal cord, a condition called spinal stenosis.

Sciatica: A bulging or herniated disk pushing on nerve results in a shooting pain running along with the boot and down the back of the leg.

Abnormal curvature of the spine: Spinal curvature can also cause pain in the back. Scoliosis is a health condition where the spine curves in an abnormal way.

Osteoporosis: When bones, including the vertebrae of the spine, become porous and brittle, compression fractures are more likely to occur.

Kidney Problems: Stones or infections can also cause back pain.

Back pain symptoms

Back pain can come with other symptoms, and some of them can be quite concerning. Radiating pain through the legs is one fairly common symptom that accompanies back pain, but other ones should alert you to speak with your doctor. The symptoms of back pain include:

Bowel or bladder issues
Fever
A recent injury
Sudden and unexplained weight loss
Weakness
Tingling in legs
Urinary incontinence
Difficulty urinating
Fecal incontinence, or loss of control over bowel movements
Numbness around the genitals
Numbness around the anus
Numbness around the buttocks

Back pain diagnosis

It is very difficult to suspect the specific condition that causes back pain, here is some diagnosis that diagnosed back pain. The diagnosis of back pain are:

X-ray: The images measure the alignment of your bones and show whether you have arthritis or broken bones. These images won’t show if you have problems with your spinal cord, muscles, nerves, or disks.

MRI or CT scans: An MRI produces images of herniated disks as well as problems with bones, muscles, tissues, nerves, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

Blood tests: Doctors use these tests to determine whether you have an infection or another condition that might be causing your pain.

Bone scan: A bone scan might be used in rare cases to look for conditions such as osteoporosis or tumors.

Nerve studies: An electromyogram (EMG) determines whether the nerves produce electrical impulses or whether the muscles respond to them. This can confirm whether you have nerve compression caused by herniated disks or a narrowed spinal canal (spinal stenosis).

How to prevent back pain

Back pain can be complicated to determine the cause of, but you can take many different actions to help relieve or prevent it from getting worse. You need to relieve pressure, reduce strain, protect your back, and strengthen your muscles to do so. The prevention for back pain are:

Increase your calcium and vitamin D intake: You can prevent osteoporosis by eating plenty of calcium and vitamin D.

Bone fragility is one of the main causes of back pain for women later in life. The food which has Calcium such as milk, yogurt, leafy greens, vitamin supplements. The foods that contain vitamin D are fatty fish, egg yolks, cheese, etc.

Straighten up: Having a good posture contributes to your overall health as well as maintaining the integrity of the intricate pieces of your spine. You should avoid rounding your shoulders when standing, slouching, and bending sideways. Bad posture puts strain and stress on your back.

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Stretch: The long hours you spend standing, sitting, or lying in one place are harmful to your back, which makes it more difficult to perform tasks.

It will be helpful if you can get up from your desk, walk around, and do some simple stretches throughout the day. The exercise will also help to improve circulation to your back and ease any aches and pains caused by inactivity.

Sleep with a pillow under your knees: If you sleep on your back, it puts pressure on your spine. Elevating your legs as you sleep helps relieve the pressure on your back. By placing a pillow under your knees, you can reduce that pressure in half.

Quit smoking: The health risks of smoking are well-known, but smokers are also more likely to suffer from back pain than nonsmokers. This is because smoking restricts blood flow to the discs, which produces dryness, cracking, and rupture.

In addition, smoking reduces blood oxygen levels, which impairs the blood’s ability to nourish the muscles and tendons. If the back isn’t well-nourished, it is susceptible to strains and pulls that are detrimental to health.

Risk factors for back pain

Anyone can develop back pain children and teens can have back pain too. These factors may make you more likely to develop back pain:

Age. Getting older leads to back pain, which commonly begins around age 30 or 40.

Diseases. Back pain can be caused by arthritis and cancer.

Lack of exercise. Your back pain might be caused by unused, weak muscles in your abdomen.

Smoking. In smokers, there is a greater risk of back pain because coughing causes more disks to bulge, so they might be more likely to suffer herniated disks.

Psychological conditions. The risk for back pain seems to be higher in people who suffer from depression or anxiety.

Improper lifting. If you use your legs instead of your back, you can develop back pain.

Back pain treatment

Back pain is generally treated by taking pain relievers, staying active, and doing some specific exercises. However, some people may require additional medical attention. The treatment for back pain are:

Home Treatment: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are sometimes effective for reducing discomfort. Hot compresses or ice packs can also be applied to the painful area.

Medications: For back pain that is not treated well by over-the-counter painkillers, NSAIDs may be prescribed. Codeine or hydrocodone, as well as muscle relaxers, may be used for short periods. These drugs require careful monitoring by a doctor.

Physical Therapy: Back muscles and soft tissues may be relieved with heat, ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and some muscle-releasing techniques.

As the pain improves, the physical therapist may introduce stretches and exercises specific to the back and abdominal muscles. He may also introduce techniques to strengthen the spine and improve posture.

Cortisone injections: The cortisone injections can be used only if other options have not worked. Cortisone is an anti-inflammatory drug. It reduces inflammation around the nerve roots.

Traction: Stretching the back with pulleys and weights may result in the repositioning of a herniated disk. It may also relieve pain, but only while applying traction.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT aims to promote new ways of thinking and maintain a positive attitude to effectively manage chronic back pain. Studies show that patients with CBT work more actively and do exercise, resulting in a lower risk of back pain recurrence.

Complementary therapies: The use of complementary therapies is not limited to traditional medicine.

An osteopath is a medical specialty that treats skeletal and muscular problems.
- A chiropractor specializes in treating joint, muscle, and bone problems.
- A Shiatsu therapist applies pressure with their fingertips, thumbs, and elbows along energy lines in the body. Shiatsu can also be known as finger pressure therapy.
- Acupuncture. In an acupuncture treatment, needles are inserted into specific points on a patient’s body to release endorphins, which are natural painkillers. Acupuncture can also stimulate nerve and muscle tissue.
- Yoga. A variety of movements poses, and breathing exercises are done in yoga. It is important not to overdo the exercises and make the back pain worse. Yoga helps strengthen the back muscles and improve posture.

Exercises to help your back pain

The best way to reduce back pain is to choose an activity you enjoy; you will be more likely to stick to it. Many types of exercise have been proven to help with back pain. Examples include:

Swimming
Walking
Running
Yoga
Pilates
Going to the gym

According to research, a 12-week yoga program can be beneficial in helping people with low back pain live an active lifestyle and manage their health conditions better.

The feeling of discomfort and pain you may experience at the beginning of exercise is normal. These feelings should fade away within a few minutes after you finish. It is not a sign that you have injured yourself. Exercise will reduce that pain and will help you manage your back pain better. It is important to not overdo it when you exercise. If you experience pain that is unbearable during or after the exercise you should speak to a doctor. The key is to start slowly and to build up gradually.

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Asthma: Types, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment

Leave a Comment / Health and Tips / Sarvesh Joshi

Asthma is a common disease in which a person faces some difficulty in breathing. It can usually be managed with rescue inhalers that clear the airways of breathing so that a person can breathe properly.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways and creates difficulty in breathing. It causes swollen airways and wheezing and can make people hard to breathe. Many triggers of asthma include exposure to an allergen or irritant, exercise, viruses, emotional stress, and various other factors.

Asthma attacks can make the walls of the airways, or the bronchial tubes, become swollen and inflamed. In an asthma attack, the airways of the lungs will swell, the muscles around the airways will tighten, and it becomes difficult for the air to move in and out of the lungs.

An asthma attack mostly begins when the symptoms of asthma become more severe. Asthma attacks can start suddenly and range from mild to high or life-threatening.

In some cases, swelling in the airways can prevent oxygen from reaching out the lungs. This means that oxygen cannot enter the bloodstream and reach through the vital organs. Therefore, people that experience severe symptoms need urgent medical attention.

A person with asthma may experience some symptoms like:

tightness in the chest
wheezing
breathlessness
coughing
increased mucus production

Types of Asthma

Asthma occurs in different types. Different types of asthma are classified by the time when attacks occur.

Intermittent asthma: In most people symptoms of asthma occur between intervening symptom-free periods. In some cases, the asthmatic symptoms resolve spontaneously. The symptom-free periods are usually quite long.

In such patients, viral infections of the respiratory tract like those which cause the cold are a common trigger of asthma symptoms. This is often very true in small children between 2-5 years of age who may get 8-12 viral colds and coughs a year.

Seasonal allergic asthma: Seasonal allergic asthma is all about seasonal changes and has been observed in response to the seasonal release of allergens such as pollens that occur in the environment.

Mold spores are another common reason behind seasonal asthma. It’s important to know how your local climate and air allergen levels vary from season to season to determine whether you have this kind of asthma and prevent it by appropriate measures.

Non-seasonal allergic asthma: In this case, exposure to cold or dry air, dust, pet hair, or pollen may set off an acute attack of asthma. additionally, there’s another kind of allergic asthma in which the asthma triggers aren’t associated with the season, but could also be due to a hyper-reaction of the airway mucosa to things that aren’t typically allergenic.

These include viruses, air pollutants or irritants like tobacco smoke or paint fumes, changes in the weather, heavy exercise, and certain chemicals in food or drugs.

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB): This term of asthma is used when a bout of exercise is followed by a narrowing of the airways. It may be found in up to 80% of individuals with asthma.

However, not all cases of Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction are found in asthma patients. It’s thought to be caused by the dehydration and/or heating up that happens with strenuous physical activity in a dry climate. In children with asthma, it’s often the first symptom to develop.

Occupational asthma: In this form, the symptoms are worsened by chemical irritants or dust in the air. Pre-existing asthma can also lead to worse with such exposure to chemicals.

Related to the nature of an asthma patient may include the time of earliest symptoms coinciding with a change of workplace, an improvement in symptoms due to leaving the workplace, and the occurrence of breathing difficulty due to workplace chemicals. There are more than 250 occupational asthma triggers or promoters.

Chronic asthma: It is also called persistent asthma, this condition is defined by daily symptoms or those which recur several times in a week. The intensity of symptoms may be quite variable, but there are not any long periods without symptoms.

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Acute chronic exacerbations may supervene at a time upon the chronic course of the disease. These could also be traced in some cases to seasonal increases in air allergens or viral pathogens that provoke airway inflammation.

Adult-onset asthma: Most of the cases of asthma begin in childhood, but in many patients, the primary symptoms appear only in their adult life. Many people were not exposed to potential triggers for their asthma until they became adults.

For instance, they’re exposed to a house pet when their roommate brings one home, or they start to work in an environment containing chemical fumes, that trigger their latent hypersensitivity. It could even be a viral infection that triggers an asthmatic reaction for the first time in adulthood.

What are the symptoms of asthma?

The common symptoms of Asthma are:

Wheezing, a whistling sound created while you breathe
Coughing, especially at nights or during exercise
Increased mucus production
Pain or pressure
Losing sleep
Tightness in the chest
Shortness of breath
Difficulty talking
Anxiousness or panic
Fatigue

What causes asthma?

The exact cause of asthma is not known. Healthcare providers do not know the cause of asthma in some people while others don’t. But certain factors show a higher risk.

Allergies: Having certain allergies can increase the risk of developing asthma.

Environmental factors: Infants can develop asthma after inhaling the things that irritate the airways. These substances include allergens, smoke, and a few viral infections. They will harm infants and young children whose immune systems haven’t finished developing or whose immune system is weak.

Genetics: People with a family history of asthma will have a higher risk of the disease.

Respiratory infections: Various respiratory infections, such as a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Common cold may damage young children’s lungs.

Physical activity.

Strong emotions and stress.

Certain medications, including aspirin, beta-blockers, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium.

Sulfites and other preservatives are added to various types of foods and beverages, including shrimp, dried fruit, processed potatoes, wine, and beer.

Risk Factors of Asthma

Various factors are included to increase the chances of developing asthma. These are:

Having a blood relation with asthma, like a parent or with siblings
Having another allergic condition, like atopic dermatitis which causes red, itchy skin, or hay fever that causes a runny nose, congestion, and itchy eyes
Being overweight
Being a smoker
Exposure to secondhand smoke
Exposure to fumes or other kinds of pollution
Exposure to chemical triggers, like chemicals used in farming, hairdressing, and manufacturing

How is asthma diagnosed?

The doctors will use some tests to diagnose asthma. Some tests show how well your lungs work. Others can tell if you’re allergic to pollen, mold, or other things.

All of these asthma tests help your doctor decide if you have asthma and other conditions that usually come with it, like allergies, GERD, and sinusitis.

Physical Exam:

You need to undergo some physical exam tests to diagnose asthma.

Look at your nose, throat, and upper airways if there are any kinds of swelling or other complications.
They use a stethoscope to listen for a whistling sound when you breathe.
They will check your skin for allergy symptoms like eczema or hives.

Medical History:

Your doctor will ask a few questions to understand your symptoms and their causes. Be ready to answer questions on your family history, the medicines you’re taking, and your lifestyle. This includes any current physical problems related to your health. Shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and tightness in your chest may show asthma.

This also includes all previous medical conditions. A family history of allergies or eczema may increase your chance of getting asthma. A case history of asthma, allergies, or eczema increases your chance of getting asthma, too. Tell your doctor about everything, home or work exposure to environmental factors that may worsen asthma.

For example, these might include pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and tobacco smoke. The doctor can also ask if you get chest symptoms when you get a common cold.

Lung Function Tests:

To diagnose asthma, doctors may prescribe you to take one or more breathing tests known as lung function tests. These tests measure breathing. Lung function tests are often done before and after taking a medication called a bronchodilator to open your airways, such as albuterol.

Spirometry: This test estimates the narrowing of your airways by checking what proportion of air you can exhale after a deep breath and how fast you can breathe out.

Peak flow: A peak flow meter is a simple device that measures how hard you can exhale. less than usual peak flow readings are a sign that your lungs might not be working as well and that your asthma may be getting worse. Your doctor will provide you with instructions on tracking and dealing with low peak flow readings.

Additional tests:

Some other tests to diagnose asthma.

Methacholine challenge: It is known as asthma triggers. When inhaled, it will cause your airways to narrow down. If you react to the methacholine, you will likely have asthma.

Imaging tests: In this, a chest X-ray helps identify any structural abnormalities or diseases that cause problems in breathing.

Allergy testing: It can be performed by a skin or blood test. If allergy triggers are identified in the test, your doctor may recommend allergy shots.

Nitric oxide test: This is used to measure the amount of the gas nitric oxide in your breath.

Sputum eosinophils: This is a test that looks for white blood cells in the mixture of saliva and mucus you discharge during coughing. White blood cells or eosinophils are present when symptoms develop and become visible when stained in a rose-colored dye.

Provocative testing: This test will measure your airway obstruction before and after you perform any physical activity.

How is asthma treated?

There is generally no cure for asthma but various methods are available to treat or control asthma for the long term these are:

The most important ones for asthma are inhalers, they are also called lifesavers for asthma patients. Inhalers are the devices that let you breathe.

Inhalers: Inhalers can help to relieve symptoms when they occur, or can stop symptoms from developing.

Reliever inhalers: Most people with asthma are going to be given a reliever inhaler. you use a reliever inhaler to treat your symptoms once they occur. they should relieve your symptoms within a couple of minutes.

Preventer inhalers: If you need to use a reliever inhaler often, you’ll also need a preventer inhaler. you use a preventer inhaler daily to reduce the inflammation and sensitivity of your airways, which stops your symptoms from occurring. it is vital to use it even when you don’t have symptoms.

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Combination inhalers: Usage of reliever and preventer inhalers does not control your asthma, you may need an inhaler that combines both. Combination inhalers are used every day to help to stop symptoms from occurring and give long-lasting relief if they occur.

Medications or Tablets: If inhalers are not working then you may use the tablets with the inhalers.

Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs): These are the main tablets used in the treatment of asthma. They also come in syrup and powder form. You take them every day to help you to stop your symptoms from occurring.

Theophylline: These tablets are used when other treatments are not helping to control your symptoms. It is prescribed to take every day.

Steroid tablets: Steroid tablets are used when other treatments and tablets do not work.

Other treatments: Other treatments may use if any of these medications are not working.

Injections: The main injections for asthma are:
- bevacizumab (Fasenra)
- omalizumab (Xolair)
- mepolizumab (Nucala)
- reslizumab (Cinqaero)

These medicines are referred to as biologic therapies. They’re not suitable for everyone with asthma and may only be prescribed by an asthma specialist.

Surgery: A bronchial thermoplasty is offered as a treatment for severe asthma.

Complementary therapies: Several therapies are suggested for the treatment of asthma.
- breathing exercise
- traditional Chinese herbal medicine
- acupuncture
- ionizers
- manual therapies
- homeopathy

Can asthma be prevented?

Well, there is no way to prevent asthma, but some prevention can control the occurrence of asthma.

Follow your asthma action plan.
Get vaccinated for influenza and pneumonia.
Identify and avoid asthma triggers.
Monitor your breathing.
Identify and treat attacks early.
Take your medication as prescribed.
Pay attention to increasing quick-relief inhaler use.

What are the complications of asthma?

For most people with asthma, medicines can control the disease and stop occurring serious problems. However, this isn’t always the same case for people with severe asthma. Severe asthma generally means asthma that’s resistant to treatment. Those people whose having severe asthma typically use a high-dose inhaled corticosteroid plus another long-term control medicine. Despite this, their asthma remains difficult to regulate. Here are some severe asthma complications.

Severe asthma symptoms can disrupt daily life.
Severe asthma can disrupt sleep.
Severe asthma can lead you to visits the emergency room and hospitalizations.

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Arthritis: Types, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment

Leave a Comment / Health and Tips / Sarvesh Joshi

Arthritis is a common disease mostly affecting older and adults. It usually affects your joints by causing pain and inflammation. It can develop in both men and women, and in children of any age. Let’s understand in detail.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a common disease of inflammation of the joints. It can affect one or multiple joints. There are various types of arthritis, with different causes and conditions. Some common types are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The symptoms of arthritis may also appear suddenly or usually develop over time. Arthritis is commonly seen in adults and old age, but it can also develop in children, teens, and younger adults. It is most commonly seen in women than men and in people who are overweight.

Arthritis may cause permanent joint changes. And these changes are quite visible in the body, like knobby finger joints, but often the damage can only be seen on X-ray. Some types of arthritis also affect the lungs, kidneys, heart, eyes, and skin, most importantly the joints.

Arthritis is very common in the areas of the body below:

Feet
Knees
Hands
Hips
Lower back

Types of Arthritis

There are five common types of arthritis:

Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is considered to be the most common type of arthritis. It includes “wear and tear” damage to the joint’s cartilage (the hard, slick coating on the ends of bones where they form a joint). Cartilage helps to protect the ends of the bones and allows nearly frictionless joint motion, but enough damage may result in bone grinding directly on bone, which causes pain and restricts movement.
- Symptoms:
  - Deep, aching pain.
  - Having some trouble in combing hair, dressing, gripping things, bending over, squatting, or climbing stairs, depending on which joints are involved.
  - Morning stiffness typically lasts less than half-hour.
  - Pain when walking.
  - Stiffness after resting.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is the most painful type of arthritis; it can affect joints as well as other surrounding tissues, including organs. This inflammatory and autoimmune disease attacks healthy cells by mistake, causing painful swelling in the joints, like hands, wrists, and knees. This tissue damage can cause chronic, loss of balance, long-lasting pain, or physical changes and affect surrounding tissues, like the lungs, heart, or eyes.
- Symptoms:
  - Pain, swelling, and stiffness in elbows, shoulders, hands, wrists, feet, jaw, and neck.
  - It usually affects multiple joints.
  - More than one swollen joint.
  - Morning stiffness can last for an hour or even for the whole day.
  - Symmetrical pattern.

Psoriatic Arthritis: People with this condition have inflammation of the skin (psoriasis) and joints (arthritis) that’s why it is called Psoriatic Arthritis. Psoriasis arthritis causes patchy, raised, red, and white areas of inflamed skin with scales. It mainly affects the tips of the knees, the elbows, the navel, the scalp, and skin around the genital areas or anus.
- Symptoms:
  - Swelling in the fingers and toes.
  - Fingernails are pitted or discolored, too.
  - It usually affects one or a few joints.

Lupus: Lupus is like rheumatoid arthritis as it is an autoimmune and inflammatory arthritic disease. But it is different in other means, this type of arthritis can last for a long time and is also triggered when the body’s immune system begins to attack healthy, normal tissue. This inflammation and swelling can cause damaged joints, kidneys, and even blood.
- Symptoms:
  - Headaches, fatigue.
  - Painful, swollen joints.
  - Swelling in the hands, legs, or around the eyes.
  - Mouth sores.
  - Sun sensitivity.
  - Hair loss.
  - Rashes, across the cheeks.
  - Chest pain.

Gout: Gout is also one of the most painful types of arthritis caused by a buildup, overflow, or inability to process uric acid. In this the symptoms come on quickly and acutely, starting on your big toe. These arthritis attacks can last from 3 -10 days but can occur months or maybe years apart. Left unmanaged, the problem of gout can become more severe, may occur more frequently, and may damage your joints and kidneys.
- Symptoms:
  - Intense joint pain in the toe, ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, or fingers.
  - Inflammation and redness in the joints.
  - Hard to move.

What are the Symptoms of Arthritis?

The symptoms may vary from person to person. But if you think that you have arthritis, you will almost certainly have symptoms relating to your joints, such as:

Pain in the joints, fingers, hands, ankle, back, muscles, neck, or wrist
Swelling in a joint
Redness and warmth in a joint
Redness of the skin around the joint.
Stiffness or reduced movement of a joint
Decreased range of motion
Difficulty walking

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Most of the people who had arthritis notice their symptoms are worse in the morning. Some people also get other problems outside the joints. Other common symptoms include:

Tiredness
Weight loss
Feeling unwell
Fatigue

What Causes Arthritis?

The causes of various forms of arthritis are not fully known. Most types of arthritis are thought to be caused by a discontinuous immune system that causes the body to attack its tissues in the joints. This may be inherited genetically.

Other types of arthritis are often caused by problems with the immune system or by a metabolic condition, like gout.

Some environmental factors that may contribute to the development of osteoarthritis include:

Obesity, which puts added strain on joints
Activities that involve repetitive movements of a specific joint
Previous damage to a joint, like from a sports injury
You are also more likely to develop arthritis if you smoke and if you do not do enough physical activity.

Arthritis caused by an infection is named ‘reactive arthritis’. it is very difficult to diagnose and can develop at any age, but is more commonly seen in younger people. Reactive arthritis can last between a couple of weeks to six months.

Risk factors of Arthritis

Certain risk factors are associated with arthritis:

Non-modifiable arthritis risk factors:
- Age: the risk of developing most forms of arthritis increases with age.
- Sex: arthritis is more common in females, and almost 60 percent of all people with arthritis are female. But Gout is more common in males than females.
- Lifestyle: the risk of arthritis is dependent upon the lifestyle. Lack of exercise and bad habits like smoking, drinking can increase your risk of arthritis.
- Genetic factors: specific genes are associated with a higher risk of certain kinds of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Modifiable arthritis risk factors:
- Overweight and obesity: excessive weight can directly contribute to both the onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis.
- Joint injuries: damage to a joint can contribute to the growth of osteoarthritis in the joint.
- Infection: many microbial agents can infect joints and trigger the development of various types of arthritis.
- Occupation: various occupations that include repetitive knee bending and squatting are related to osteoarthritis of the knee.

How is Arthritis Diagnosed?

Depending on the type of arthritis suspected in your body, doctors may suggest some of the diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of arthritis.

Laboratory Tests: The analysis of various forms of body fluids can help pinpoint the type of arthritis you may have. Fluids will be analyzed including blood, urine, and joint fluid. To get a sample of the joint fluid, the doctor will cleanse and numb that part before inserting a needle in your joint space to withdraw some fluid.

Imaging: This is used to detect problems within your joint that may be causing your symptoms.

X-Rays: A radiograph (x-ray) uses a low dose of radiation to form images of internal structures. X-rays show the structure of the bones and the way they interact with each other at the joints. they’re useful to evaluate the amount of cartilage at the ends of the bones, deformities and underlying conditions within the bones that may cause arthritis, and changes in the bones that may be damaged from arthritis.

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Computerized tomography (CT): In this, the scanners take the X-rays from different angles and combine the information to create cross-sectional views of internal structures. It can visualize both- the bone and the surrounding soft tissues.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a combination of radio waves and a strong magnetic field. It can produce more detailed cross-sectional views of soft tissues such as cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.
- Ultrasound: The last test is ultrasound in which high-frequency sound waves are used to image soft tissues, cartilage, and fluid-containing structures near the joints. Ultrasound is also used to guide the needle placement for joint aspirations and injections.

Complications of Arthritis

Possible complications of arthritis are:

A rapid, complete breakdown of cartilage leading to loose tissue material in the joint
Bone death (osteonecrosis).
Fractures (hairline crack within the bone)
Bleeding inside the joint.
Infection in the joint.
Deterioration of the tendons and ligaments around the joint, resulting in the loss of stability.
Pinched nerve.
Premature heart disease- higher risk for developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
Obesity
Rheumatoid arthritis RA can make work difficult.

Treatments of Arthritis

There’s no cure for arthritis, but some treatments can help you control the condition. Your treatment of arthritis will depend on the severity, its symptoms, and your overall health.

Medications: The medications may vary depending on the type of arthritis you have. Commonly used arthritis medications include:
- Painkillers: Painkillers are generally used to reduce pain. But they do not affect inflammation.
- Counterirritants: Some kinds of creams and ointments contain menthol or capsaicin. rubbing these preparations on the skin over your joints may interfere with the transmission of pain signals from the joint itself.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): It is used to reduce body pain and inflammation.
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs): These drugs are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, they slow or stop your immune system from attacking your joints.
- Biologic response modifiers: Normally used in conjunction with Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs DMARDs, biologic response modifiers are genetically engineered drugs that focus on various protein molecules that are involved in the immune response.
- Corticosteroids: It reduces inflammation and suppresses the immune system. These drugs can be taken orally as prescribed or can be injected directly into the painful joint by professionals.

Therapies: Physical therapy can be helpful in arthritis. Exercises can improve health and improve range of motion and strengthen the muscles surrounding joints.

Surgery: If the therapies and medications could help then the last option is to treat arthritis is surgery.
- Joint Repair: This type of procedure can be performed arthroscopically through small incisions over the joint.

Joint Replacement: In this method, your damaged joint is replaced with the artificial one. Mostly hips and knee joints have been replaced.

Joint Fusion: Joint fusion can be used for smaller joints, such as those in the wrist, ankle, and fingers. It removes the ends of the two bones in the joint and then attached those ends until they heal into one rigid unit.

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Atherosclerosis: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Leave a Comment / Health and Tips / Sarvesh Joshi

Atherosclerosis is a common disease associated with aging. Why does this happen? This happens when arteries become hard and narrow because of the fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the wall of the arteries that block the blood flow into the body.

This all because of the buildup of plaque which consists of cholesterol, calcium, fat, and other substances, that can harden over time.

What Is Atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis is a narrowing, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries caused by a buildup of plaque. Arteries are the long and narrow blood vessels that spread all over the body that carry oxygen and nutrients from our heart and transfer them to the rest of our body.

As we grow old, fats, cholesterol, and calcium collect in our arteries and form plaque. The formation of plaque in arteries makes it difficult for the blood to flow through the arteries. This buildup may occur in any artery in our body, including our heart, legs, and kidneys.

It can lead to a shortage of blood and oxygen in various tissues of your body. Pieces of plaque in arteries may also break-offs sometimes, causing a blood clot. If left untreated, atherosclerosis can cause heart attack, stroke, or heart failure.

This is a common problem, mainly occurring with aging. This condition can be prevented and lots of successful treatment options exist.

Types of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is one of the most common and important patterns of arteriosclerosis because its consequence can be a harmful clot in the blood that may cause a heart attack or stroke or heart failure or disease of the peripheral blood vessels. There are mainly three types of Arteriosclerosis.

1. Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis is a type of Arteriosclerosis that typically doesn’t produce symptoms until the vessel’s luminal diameter has been decreased by 70 to 80 percent. Chest pain or Angina pectoris brought on by exertion, are often caused by this blockage of the lumen.

In this condition, a person’s arteries may still have enough space for blood to travel when the person is at rest, but, when he or she works hard, the regulation of blood will increase therefore the heart pumps more blood, and the blocked arteries are unable to accommodate the extra blood, resulting in poor oxygenation and chest pain.

2. Monckeberg medial calcific sclerosis: Monckeberg medial calcific sclerosis is the third type of arteriosclerosis and is known for the deposition of calcium in muscular arteries in people over age 50.

While these calcifications could also be seen with imaging technologies, like X-ray, or maybe palpable, they do not decrease the size and dimensions of the arterial lumen. This can not be considered a clinically significant disease and doesn’t generally cause events such as heart attacks.

3. Arteriolosclerosis: Arteriolosclerosis affects small arteries and arterioles which are very small arteries. It involves hardening of the walls of the vessel that narrows the lumen. It is almost like atherosclerosis within the larger vessels, the method of arteriolosclerosis can cause ischemia or insufficient blood flow to organs supplied by the blocked vessels.

Arteriolosclerosis is most frequently seen in those who have diabetes mellitus or high blood pressure, although it’s also a normal part of aging.

Symptoms of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a common disease with aging, it usually affects older people, but not all people with old age need to have atherosclerosis. Also, it can start to develop in adolescence. They don’t show any symptoms until a bit of plaque ruptures, or the blood flow disrupts.

The symptoms of atherosclerosis depend upon the arteries that are affected.

Carotid arteries

The function of carotid arteries is to supply blood to the brain. Atherosclerosis can restrict blood supply which can lead to a stroke.

Symptoms include:

Difficulty in breathing
Weakness
Major headache
Facial numbness
Sometimes paralysis also has been seen

Coronary arteries

The role of coronary arteries is to supply blood to the heart. When the function is disrupted, the heart fails to work that can cause angina and heart attack.

Symptoms include:

Chest pain
Feeling of vomiting
Coughing
Faintness
Extreme anxiety

Renal arteries

The role of renal arteries is to supply blood to the kidneys. If the blood supply to the kidneys becomes limited, chronic kidney disease may develop.

A person which experiences chronic kidney disease may experience some symptoms are:

Swellings in the hands and feet
Loss of appetite
Difficulty in concentration

Peripheral arteries

The function of peripheral arteries is to supply blood to the arms, legs, and pelvis. If the supply of blood is restricted then a person may have a risk of a stroke or heart attack.

Symptoms include:

Facial numbness
Pain in limbs
Tissue death
Gangrene may occur

If a person has any of these symptoms due to any of the arteries, they need immediate medical attention.

Causes of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a slowly progressive disease that grows up in childhood or adolescence and shows symptoms in older age. The exact cause of the atherosclerosis is still not known. Atherosclerosis first damages the inner layer of an artery. The damage may be caused by various conditions that include:

High blood pressure
High triglycerides, it is a type of fat or lipid in your blood
High cholesterol
It May caused by smoking and tobacco
Insulin resistance, obesity, or diabetes
Inflammation is caused by diseases like arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, or inflammatory bowel disease.

When the wall of an artery is ruptured, the blood cells and other fluid substances may clump at the injury site and build up a hard inner lining of the artery.

Similarly, with time, fatty deposits which are called plaque made from cholesterol and other cellular products also build up at the wound and harden, narrowing your arteries. The organs and tissues connected to the blocked arteries now don’t receive enough blood to function properly.

At the same time, some pieces of the fatty deposits may break off and enter your bloodstream into the blood. Besides, the smooth lining of the plaque may be damaged, then the cholesterol and other substances directly go into your bloodstream.

This might cause a blood clot, which may block the arteries and the blood flow to a specific part of your body, and when the blood supply is not appropriate then the heart may cause a heart attack. That blood clot also may travel to other parts of your body, blocking flow to a different organ.

Risk Factors

Narrowing and hardening of the arteries occur over time. Besides aging, there are some other factors that will increase your risk of atherosclerosis include:

High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Bodyweight
High levels of CRP, a marker of inflammation
Diabetes
Obesity
Sleep apnea
Smoking and other tobacco use
A family history of early heart condition
Lack of exercise
An unhealthy diet

Diagnosis of Atherosclerosis

Diagnosis of atherosclerosis includes some tests, firstly you need to perform a physical exam in which the doctor asks you a few questions related to your family history and your health. You need to see a doctor specialized in heart diseases (cardiologist).

Depend on your physical exam, the result may suggest one or more tests, including:

Blood Tests: The doctor will advise on the blood tests to examine your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. High levels of blood sugar and cholesterol raise your risk of atherosclerosis. A CRP test (c-reactive protein test) also could be done to check for a protein linked to inflammation of the arteries.

ECG (Electrocardiogram) or EKG: This is used to record the electrical signals in your heart.

Echocardiogram: Sound waves can be used to record the movement of blood flow when the heartbeat, also through the arteries.

Exercise Stress Test: If signs and symptoms occur most often during exercise, then the doctor may recommend an exercise stress test. In the test, you have to walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike while you’re connected to an ECG. Because exercise makes your heart pump harder and faster than it does during most daily activities, an exercise check can reveal problems within your heart that might rather be missed. If you’re unable to exercise, you’ll be given a medication that mimics the effect of exercise on your heart.

Doppler ultrasound: In this test, a special ultrasound device (Doppler ultrasound) is used to measure the blood pressure at various points along your arm or leg. These measurements can help to determine the degree of any blockages, as well as the speed of blood flow in your arteries.

Ankle-brachial index (ABI): In an ABI test, a doctor compares the blood pressure in an ankle with the blood pressure in an arm. An abnormal difference could also be a sign of peripheral vascular disease, which is usually caused by atherosclerosis. This test can tell if a person has atherosclerosis in the arteries in the legs and feet.

Cardiac catheterization and angiogram: In this procedure, a doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube which is called a catheter into a blood vessel and to your heart. The dye flows through the catheter. Because the dye fills your arteries, the arteries will appear on X-ray, revealing areas of blockage. The test can show only if your coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked.

Coronary calcium scan: It is basically a heart scan, this uses a CT scan (computerized tomography) to create a detailed structure of a heart. This test can show calcium deposits in the artery walls. The result will be given a score and the higher the score the higher will be the chance of heart disease.

Other imaging tests: There are various other imaging tests for the diagnosis of arteriosclerosis such as magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or positron emission tomography (PET) to study your arteries.

Prevention for Atherosclerosis

The prevention for atherosclerosis are:

Quit Smoking: Smoking is injurious to health, everyone must have heard this. But it’s true quitting smoke is the first step you can take to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and other heart disease risk factors. Smoking is the direct cause of illness and death. Cigarette smoke contains numerous toxic chemicals that enter your bloodstream and harm your body.

These chemicals can raise the risk of atherosclerosis in different ways that include:

Blood coagulation
Inflammation in arteries

Eats Healthily: A healthy diet is a part of your healthy life. It is also a risk factor of atherosclerosis, and heart disease generally. A healthy diet includes vitamins, protein, iron, calcium that you get from fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, fish, and poultry, low-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes (dried beans and peas).

This healthy food contains:

Vegetables: Vegetables are a good choice as they contain high amounts of iron, protein, etc. Green vegetables are rich in iron and calcium and are included in almost all diets.

Fruits: Fruits contain a high amount of water which is very essential for our body. Avoid fruits that contain sugar or frozen ones with sugar added to it.

Grains: Whole grains are high fiber protein food that includes:
- Whole-grain bread and wraps
- High-fiber cereals
- Whole-grain pasta
- Oatmeal
- Brown rice
- Barley
- Quinoa

Dairy products: Dairy products are rich in vitamins, minerals, calcium, proteins, etc. It includes low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.

Oils and fats: Fats are important to include in a healthy diet. Healthy fats sources are:
- Nuts and nut butter
- Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame)
- Avocados
- Olive, canola, sesame, sunflower, corn, and soybean oils

Exercise daily: Exercise is also as important as taking a healthy meal. Exercise is good for your heart, body. Physical activity can help your muscles to stretch and use oxygen more effectively, and also improves blood circulation by promoting new blood vessel growth. It can also lower high blood pressure that is a key risk factor for atherosclerosis. 30 minutes of exercise is enough for all-day to stay active.

Aerobic is a good choice in physical exercise that raises your heart and breathing rate. Exercise includes:

Walking
Running or jogging
Cycling
Swimming
Cross-country skiing
Jumba

Keep Track of Your Numbers: While you can not control it but you can regularly take body measurements to correspond to the risk for atherosclerosis and heart disease such as:
- Blood pressure
- Blood cholesterol level
- Bodyweight
- Blood sugar level

Treatment for Atherosclerosis (Medication and Complications)

Complications of atherosclerosis include:

Chronic kidney disease
Coronary or carotid heart disease
Heart attack
Heart failure
Peripheral artery disease
Stroke
Aneurysms
Angina
Unusual heart rhythms

Treatments for atherosclerosis include:

Medications: Medications can slow down the effect of arteriosclerosis because it includes drugs for high cholesterol and high blood pressure. They could also decrease the risk of heart disease.

Lifestyle Changes: You can slow down arteriosclerosis by taking proper care and following the risk factors effectively. Lifestyle changes include: proper healthy diet, exercise daily, no smoking, etc. They cannot help to remove the blockage but can help to lower the risk. Other techniques that is used for the people who having major symptoms include:

Angiography and stenting: In this method, a doctor puts a thin tube into an artery in your leg or in your arm to get to diseased arteries. Blockages will be visible on a live X-ray screen. Angioplasty and stenting can often open a blocked artery by this method. Stenting helps to ease symptoms, but it doesn’t prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Bypass surgery: In this technique, the doctor takes a healthy blood vessel from your leg or chest, and uses the vessel to go around the blocked section.

Endarterectomy: Endarterectomy is a technique in which a doctor goes into the arteries to remove plaque and restore the flow of blood in the arteries.

Fibrinolytic therapy: In this method, a doctor puts a drug that dissolves a blood clot that’s blocking your artery.

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What Is Alzheimer’s Disease: Basics, Symptoms, Causes, Cure, Stages

Leave a Comment / Health and Tips / Sarvesh Joshi

No disease is a good disease, you should treat them before it gets complicated. Alzheimer’s is a progressive dementia disease.

Dementia is a complex term used for the symptoms of mental decline that interfere with a person’s daily life. It is not a part of normal aging. It is a memory loss disease that gets worse over time. Let’s understand it in detail.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition. It’s one of the foremost common kinds of dementia in older people, basically means a group of symptoms that cause a decline in mental function severe enough to disrupt lifestyle.

Alzheimer’s disease can create problems with a person’s memory and skill to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and perform daily activities.

It was first identified in 1907 by the German physician Alois Alzheimer, the illness afflicts about 5 million Americans. An estimated one in 9 adults aged 65 and older lives with the disease.

The actual reason for Alzheimer’s disease isn’t yet fully identified, although several things are thought to extend your risk of developing the condition.

These include:

Increasing age
A family history of this condition
Untreated depression, although depression can also be one of all the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
Lifestyle factors and conditions related to cardiovascular disease

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a disease in which the symptoms get worse over time. Loss of memory is the major symptom of this disease.

The symptoms of Alzheimer disease include:

Memory loss: In this disease, a person faces some problems in remembering new and previous things. Memory loss is a major issue, this can lead to:
- Forget things quickly
- Repeated conversation
- Losing objects
- Getting lost all the time

Problems in recognition: A person with Alzheimer’s may have various problems in recognition. The person may become less able to recognize faces or objects. This is because of weak eyesight.

Problems with speaking, reading, or writing: A person may develop severe difficulties with thinking of some common words, or they’ll make more speech, spelling, or writing errors.

Cognitive deficits: A person may sometimes have difficulties in making judgments of simple tasks or complex tasks. This will lead to:
- a reduced understanding of safety and risks
- difficulty with money or paying bills
- difficulty in making decisions
- difficulty in completing any tasks that have several stages, like getting dressed or doing some work.

Behavior changes: A person may experience several changes in their personality and behavior that include:
- becoming upset suddenly, angry, or worried more often than before
- Depression, mood swings
- Changes in sleeping time
- a loss of interest in or motivation for activities that sometimes enjoy
- a loss of empathy
- compulsive, obsessive, or socially inappropriate behavior

Problems with spatial awareness: A person may have difficulty with their balance, trip over, or spill things more often, or they’ll have difficulty orienting clothing to their body when they are getting dressed.

Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease

The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is still not identified. Let’s understand in simple words, in this the brain proteins fail to function normally, which creates problems in the working of neurons i.e. brain cells that triggers a series of toxic events. Now the brain cell’s neurons are damaged, and lose connections to each other, and may eventually die.

Scientists believe that in many people, Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a mix of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors that affect the brain over a period.

Chances of about 1% that Alzheimer’s is caused by specific genetic changes that virtually guarantee a person will develop the disease. These rare occurrences usually lead to disease onset in middle age.

The damages that Alzheimer’s disease causes most frequently starts in the region of the brain that controls memory, but the process of damaging begins years before the primary symptoms have shown. The loss of neurons spreads to other regions of the brain. At the late stage or the last stage of the disease, the brain has shrunk significantly.

Our scientists and researchers trying to find the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease and are focused on the two proteins:

1. Plagues: Beta-amyloid is a small fragment of a larger protein. When these fragments group together, they like to possess a toxic effect on neurons and disconnect cell-to-cell communication. These groups of fragments form larger deposits called plaques, which also include other cellular debris.

2. Tangles: Tau proteins play a vital part in a neuron’s internal support and transport system to hold nutrients and other essential materials. In Alzheimer’s disease, tau proteins deform and organize themselves into structures called neurofibrillary tangles. These neurofibrillary tangles disrupt the transport system that creates problems in holding nutrients and are toxic to brain cells.

Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease

There are three main stages of Alzheimer’s in which diseases show different symptoms: Mild, Moderate, Major.

Mild Alzheimer’s: Mild Alzheimer’s stage is a first stage that usually lasts from 2 to 4 years. The symptoms are:

Having less energy to do things.
Less interest in work and social activities and spending more time in just sitting alone, eating, watching TV, or sleeping.
Loss of memories, like forgetting recent conversations and events that just happened.
Having some language problems, like trouble putting their thoughts into words or understanding others.
Mild coordination problems, like trouble, writing, or using familiar objects.
A hard time with everyday tasks, like following a recipe or balancing a checkbook.
Major mood swings that involve depression or a lack of interest.
Having trouble riding and driving, like getting lost on familiar routes.
Depression and stress also can cause Alzheimer’s.

Moderate Alzheimer’s: This one is the second stage of Alzheimer’s in which the memory loss gets worse. This can last up to 2-10 years. In this stage, someone can forget details about their life, like where they went to high school or when they got married. The more common symptoms include:

Rambling speech.
Trouble arising with the correct words and using the incorrect ones.
A hard time planning or solving problems.
Confusion about time or place. they’ll get lost in places they have been before. Once they’re there, they’ll not know how or why they got to that place.
Not dressing for the weather.
Gets angry and upset very easily, sometimes lashing out at family or caregivers.
Trouble sleeping.
Delusions, like thinking a caregiver is trying to harm them.

Severe Alzheimer’s: This is the last stage also known as late Alzheimer’s. It lasts up to 2-3 years. These includes:

Major confusion about what’s happened in the past and what’s happening in the present.
Can’t express themselves and their feelings, remember, or process information.
Problems in swallowing and control of their bladder and bowels.
Weight loss, seizures, skin infections, and other illnesses.
Major mood swings.
Seeing, hearing, or feeling some things that aren’t there, called hallucinations.
Can’t move easily on their own.

Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

There is no such prevention of Alzheimer’s has been recognized to prevent the disease. But some of the steps may slow or delay the disease from getting worse. The steps are:

Quit smoking: Smoking can increase the risk of dementia. Chain Smokers or those who smoked more than half a pack per day may have an increased risk. If you still smoke, it’s not good for you and your family, now is the time to quit smoking. Talk with your doctor and take prescriptions that could work for you.

Do aerobics exercise daily: Exercise is the problem for every solution. Exercise can make your body fit, you will be energetic all day, you feel fresh and light. Aerobics is the best exercise for anyone who wants to get fit with an amazing start. Exercise can reduce the risk of getting any kind of disease same as with Alzheimer’s disease.

Maintain a healthy diet: With exercise, we also need to take a healthy diet, without it our workout is not complete. It has been observed that a healthy diet may decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The whole meal should contain:
- whole grains
- fruits and vegetables
- fish and shellfish
- nuts
- olive oil
- other healthy fats

Keep up your mental exercise: Along with physical exercise, mental exercise is also very important. An active brain may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Activities that help to keep the brain active are:
- Listening music
- Reading newspapers
- Playing puzzle games
- Watching television
- Visiting museums

Engaging in mental exercises seems to make or contribute to your cognitive reserve. We have to engage our brain in some activities so that it can function properly.

Increase your social engagement: Researchers research suggests people who spend most of their time in their immediate home environment are an almost higher chance to develop Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who travel more.

These findings, however, can also reflect the overall health of an individual. Doctors advise that being engaged with your surroundings is good for your mental, physical, and emotional health.

Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s is not a part of normal aging. Also, Alzheimer’s doesn’t have any particular symptoms, some of the warning signs to get checked are memory loss, behavioral changes, trouble with speech, and decision-making.

An early and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can give you or your loved one time to plan for the future. You’ll start using some medicines that help people in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s control a number of their symptoms for a while, as well.

You Can Read Also: FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LEUKEMIA (BLOOD CANCER)

Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s has not been introduced yet but they can use some tests to rule out other conditions that might cause the same symptoms.

Health History: This is the exam on which the doctor asks some questions about your past and current health. They’ll want to know:
- Any medical condition you had in the past.
- Your symptoms create any problems in everyday tasks.
- Your personal family history like marital status, sexual history, living conditions, etc.
- Doctors ask some questions to check your mental state.
- Family history, including all illnesses in the family.

Mini-Mental State Exam: This test is used to test the person’s mental state if problems with the areas of your brain involved in learning, memory, thinking, planning skills, or not. This includes:
- Problem-solving skills
- Attention span
- Counting skills
- Memory

Precivity AD Test: A proclivity AD test is used to check the protein amount of beta-amyloid and ApoE protein in the blood. The presence or absence of the protein helps to determine the probability of having plaques in the brain that will lead to Alzheimer’s.

Brain imaging tests:
- CT Scan: A Computer Tomography (CT Scan) is a machine that takes X-rays of your body parts in a very short time. The computer turns the scans into images that look like “slices” through the body. CT scans can show changes in the brain that are common in the later stages of Alzheimer’s.

- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): You are all familiar with the word MRI, but what does it do? MRI makes a clear picture of your whole body using a large magnet, radio waves, and a computer. Tumors can also be detected with the help of MRI. MRI helps the doctors to see any changes in the brain.

Neuropsychological Testing: It is a psychological test that includes the brain means the relationship between the brain and the behavior. Doctors give you a test along with an interview to examine your brain and behavior activities.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET): It is a kind of Precivity AD Test that is used to help map areas of your brain. It can detect the plaque areas which are associated with Alzheimer’s.

Cure and Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

As you read in the entire blog, there is no cure and treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. But there are things which will be done to keep up quality of life.

The doctor, family, and your beloved can work together to form a care plan. Care plans may include any of the following:

These may slow down symptoms for a short time and make the disease easier to live with. These medicines might not work for everyone or have an enormous effect. But most experts think they’re worth a try.
Regular visits to doctors to see the person’s response to medicine, look for any problems, see how symptoms are changing, and provide continuing education to the family.
Treating other health conditions, like depression or hearing and vision loss.
Planning how the person is often as independent as possible and managing his or her own life for as long as possible.

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