Wednesday, January 2, 2013

How Can You Cope With Cancer?

Cancer produces numerous deleterious effects in the body. Apart from attacking healthy cells and tissues in an around the region leading to direct interference in the body’s overall functioning, cancer treatments given to patients can take a heavy toll on their overall well-being physically and emotionally. The numerous physical changes leading to hair loss, lethargy, weight loss and feeling physically incompetent will have a negative effect on the mind and body, resulting in a series of secondary complications along with depression and loneliness.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer and are panicking about the type of changes your body and mind might have to undergo, this article is for you.

Educate Yourself

Do not get overwhelmed with information. Since cancer comes with a huge set of myths, understanding more about the disease through authentic sources is crucial. Do not listen to people’s opinions about cancer, unless and until it is their area of expertise. Listening to multiple opinions from different people will make you more confused and depressed.

Important Tips to Care for Children with Cancer

With 14 out of every 100,000 children being affected with cancer in United States, it is highly important for the child’s family members to equip themselves with appropriate treatment procedures and therapies that could improve the child’s chances of recovery.

Your child’s cancer hospital might use different techniques to kill the presence of cancerous cells in the body. Chemotherapy and radiation is used in most of the cases to kill specific groups of cancerous cells in an area. In severe cases, surgery could also be employed to remove the affected area completely in order to prevent further spread of cancerous cells to different parts of the body. Given the seriousness of the disease condition and the child’s vulnerability to deal with extensive treatment procedures, adopting effective techniques to help the child cope and heal is highly important.

Listed below are some important tips that would help you care for your child in a better manner:

Important Facts about Ovarian Cancer

The ovaries form one of the most fundamental parts of the female reproductive system. Apart from producing ova, which helps in the formation of a fetus upon fusion with a sperm, ovaries are also responsible for producing female sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Any type of cancerous growth in one or both the ovaries will therefore have a direct effect on the woman’s ability to reproduce. Hormonal imbalances leading to secondary health complications become immediate by-products.

Risk Factors

•    Women above the age of 55 years or those who have reached menopause are at a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
•    Genetics plays a crucial role in triggering cancerous cells formation. Therefore, if you have a family history of ovarian cancer patients, you could be highly vulnerable.
•    Infertility or having never been pregnant is also believed to be a causative factor.

Three Crucial Symptoms to Detect Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer, a form of uterine cancer, is becoming one of the most commonly prevalent types of cancer in women worldwide. Any type of cancerous cell formation in the uterus, also known as the womb, makes it extremely dangerous for the woman to have a normal menstrual cycle. Additionally, endometrial cancer will have a direct effect on the woman’s ability to reproduce, causing serious fertility issues.

Endometrial cancer is divided into two types based on the nature of cancerous cell development. In Type I endometrial cancer, the symptoms appear at a slow rate, making it difficult for the affected woman to realize or detect any type of flaw in her body until the cancerous cells are detected at late stages of the disease. Type II endometrial cancer on the other hand, is sudden and produces a series of symptoms at an alarmingly fast rate, making it extremely difficult for the affected woman to cope and heal.

What Causes Endometrial Cancer

  •     Elevated estrogen levels play a crucial role in triggering the formation of cancerous cells in the uterus.
  •     Women who have never been pregnant are at an increased risk as opposed to those who have given birth.
  •     Women who reach menopause at the age of 55 or above are equally susceptible.
  •     Genetics is also known to play a significant role in triggering a case of endometrial cancer. Therefore, if anyone in your family suffers from cancer, the chances of you acquiring the same are very high.

Four Types of Orthopedic Hip Implants

With a large number of patients complaining about bone degeneration due to osteoarthritis, nutritional deficiency or accidents, hip implants are beginning to gain immense popularity amongst doctors and patients alike. If you are planning to undergo a hip implantation, it is highly recommended that you consult a well-reputed orthopedic hospital to avoid unwanted complications.

There are several types of orthopedic hip implants manufactured worldwide. Listed below are some of the most common hip implants used in the medical industry:

Metal on Metal Implants

These hip implants are made up of articulating surfaces that are completely metallic in nature. Depending on the severity of bone degeneration, the doctors might replace the femoral head of the hip completely or partially. Thereafter, a metal cap is placed to close the femoral head, acting like a ball and socket joint. The femoral head is then attached to a metallic stem, which is inserted into the femur or thigh bone.

Tips to Relieve Back Pain During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most exciting phases in a woman’s life. Many women, however, end up experiencing numerous health complications making the process a stressful one to cope with. Gastrointestinal problems, backaches, development of varicose veins, gestational diabetes and fluctuations in blood pressure are some of the numerous complications pregnant women face during their trimesters.

Backaches is one of the most commonly complained problems faced by pregnant women the world over. The growing fetus places a lot of stress and tension on the mother’s body, forcing the bones, muscles and ligaments to stretch and modify in order to accommodate the fetus. An excess pressure built up in the back becomes inevitable, making the mother experience varying degrees of back pain.

However, following simple and effective preventive measures can alleviate the severity and frequency of backaches experienced by expecting mothers. Listed below are some easy tips to follow for relieving backaches during pregnancy.

All You Need To Know About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a painful condition caused due to degeneration of the myelin sheath. This could occur when the body’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath, a protective layer covering the nerves present in the brain and spinal cord. When this occurs, the nervous impulses that carry signals to and from the brain to different parts of the body immediately get hampered, leading to loss or misinformation of nervous signals, in turn affecting many voluntary and involuntary actions in the body.

Are You Susceptible?

Gender: The number of women reporting incidences of multiple sclerosis is much higher when compared to the number of men reporting the same.
Age: Multiple sclerosis is not limited to any age group but those between 20-40 years are at a higher risk of developing this disease.
Infections: In some cases, multiple sclerosis could be triggered due to certain types of infections caused by viruses.
Genetics: Multiple sclerosis is believed to be hereditary in nature as well. Therefore, if one or both your parents have reported incidences of multiple sclerosis, there are higher chances of you being affected with the same.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

How to Treat Back Muscle Spasms

Muscle spasms could occur due to an electrolyte imbalance, accident, sudden pull or strain in a particular area while performing any type of physical work and/or herniated disc. Since the causative factors for muscles spasms are numerous, the treatment procedures employed on the affected individual vary according to the severity and seriousness of the causative factor. 

If you are suffering from a sudden case of muscle spams in the back, you may try out the following remedies to alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with this condition.  

Massage

A good massage performed in and around the affected area will help the affected muscles, tendons and ligaments relax in an effective manner. This is extremely useful in helping the body heal naturally. Massages are also effective in preventing repeated episodes of muscle spasms.