Category: Ailments

How DVT can Impact Your Life

Posted on by Joy

Blausen 0290 DeepVeinThrombosis.png

Deep vein thrombosis, also known as DVT, is a serious condition that may be potentially life threatening that can occur in the arm, leg or even the pulmonary region. If you suspect there is a chance you have DVT, you might feel a change in your limb such as swelling, tightness, pain or tenderness and even a throbbing cramp.

Your blood is meant to flow, but if you become inactive, the blood becomes sluggish and there is risk of a blood clot forming. There are many reasons why a blood clot may form; immobility for lengthy periods like a long period of travel, an airplane flight, and surgery, hospitalization or recurring inactiveness due to obesity. Many travelers wear knee-length compression stockings as a precaution against leg swelling, which can be associated with deep vein thrombosis.

The human body is designed to regularly form microscopic clots and in normal conditions, they are generally broken down by the body. If the body’s natural equilibrium is disturbed by any one or a combination of the above situations, there is chance of chronic DVT. By itself the condition need not be dangerous, but if a piece of the clot breaks off and travels to the heart blocking one of the pulmonary arteries, then it can be life threatening. Should you encounter any of the below warning signs or symptoms, please contact your doctor immediately

Warning signs of DVT might be:

  • Feeling lightheaded, dizzy or fainting
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain or discomfort that worsens when taking a deep breath
  • Warmth in the limb

Actual symptoms can include:

  • Redness and itching
  • Rash
  • Leg pain
  • Numbness
  • Ulceration of the skin
  • Shortness of breath

Diagnostic systems to determine if you have DVT

  • Ultrasound – the clot may appear as an image.
  • Venography – an x-ray can determine if a clot is present when a dye is injected.
  • Blood test – most DVT patients have an elevated reading of D dimer, a chemical present in the blood when a clot is dissolving.
  • CT or MRI Scans may pick up the image of the clot.

If you have been diagnosed with DVT, the first priority is to prevent the clot getting bigger, breaking loose and also to avoid further clots from forming. Administering blood thinners is the most common form of medication prescribed. Initial treatment can be by an intravenous anticoagulant or alternatively others, which are injected under the skin for a few days, and then oral blood thinners might be introduced. Another choice is to start ‘clot busters’ or thrombolytic medication, which will help dissolve the clot quicker.

Each year there are newer and better treatments for all types of conditions and DVT is no exception. If you are unable to take oral blood thinner medications, a vena cava filter can be inserted into a large vein in the abdomen to prevent the clot from becoming dislodged and traveling to the lungs. With severe cases there is a newly developed, unique, minimally invasive, endovascular system that uses ultrasonic waves via an innovated catheter to assist in dissolving the whole clot.

 

Image By BruceBlaus. When using this image in external sources it can be cited as:
Blausen.com staff (2014). “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014“. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work, CC BY 3.0, Link

HIV and Food: Can Food Help Your HIV Symptoms?

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HIV and FoodHIV weakens your immune system. Since our body uses up nutrients to keep our defenses up to the task of working against germs, it’s important to stack our diet with nutritious foods to help fight off infections. A healthy diet also helps to boost your energy levels, protect you from other diseases, and ease the complications brought by HIV and its treatments.

There’s no specific diet that you should follow if you have HIV, but it helps to have a nutritious and healthy diet in general, to fight the infection and its symptoms.

Do I Need a Special Diet for HIV?

You don’t need a specific dietary plan or a particular group of food to boost your immune system and fight against HIV. There are ways, however, to help you boost your immunity system.

  • If you have HIV, your immune system will be working very hard to fight off infections, which uses up a lot of your energy (measured in calories). For some, it could mean that you have to eat more food than you were used to before.
  • If you have an advanced HIV disease or you are underweight, you should introduce more protein and calories (in the form of carbohydrates and fats) to your diet.

How to Stop Losing Weight Because of HIV

Weight loss is a common problem among people with advanced stages of HIV infection. Losing weight because of HIV should not be ignored as it can be extremely dangerous to your health. If you keep losing weight, it will be harder for your body to fight off infections, leaving you more vulnerable to other diseases.

People with advanced stages of HIV lose their weight because:

  • They are not eating well enough. People with HIV have reduced appetites because the infection can make food taste bad and it prevents the body from absorbing the food properly. Some HIV medications can also cause this problem. If this is happening to you, talk to your doctor or specialist so they can find you an alternative medicine that doesn’t have these side effects.
  • HIV symptoms like nausea, sore mouth, and vomiting make it difficult for infected people to eat.

To help you stop losing weight when you have HIV, be sure to load your diet with protein-rich foods and calories such as beans, butter, cream cheese, fruits, and vegetables.

Foods That Can Help Ease HIV Symptoms

Most symptoms of HIV, as well as the complications caused by the medications, can be prevented if you avoid certain types of food and drinks.

Below are some dietary tips to help you deal with common problems associated with HIV.

1. Nausea

  • Try ginger tea, ginger ale, or ginger snaps.
  • Avoid drinking any beverages while eating your meals.
  • Eat something like crackers before getting out of bed in the morning.
  • Keep a small snack with you for you to eat every one to two hours.

2. Mouth and swallowing problems

  • Avoid eating hard or crunchy foods such as raw vegetables.
  • Eat cooked vegetables and fruits such as bananas and pears.
  • Eat soft foods such as mashed potatoes, oatmeal, and yogurt.
  • You may also consider canned fruits, cheese, and scrambled eggs.
  • Avoid eating grapefruits, oranges, tomatoes, or any food that has a lot acid, as it can sting your mouth.

3. Diarrhea

  • Be sure to stay hydrated with water at all times and avoid beverages that have caffeine.
  • Avoid drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages if possible.
  • Avoid eating spicy foods.
  • Avoid drinking milk and other dairy products.
  • Keep a small snack with you for you to eat every one to two hours.

Remember that there is no “right” food that can help you fight against HIV. What you need to do is to ensure that you eat well every day. Begin with changing your daily diet into a nutritious one that contains the right amount of nutrients you need to fight off HIV infections. Work with your doctor or specialist after HIV testing, to create a dietary plan that suits your needs.

 

Angela Hall

Angie is a health enthusiast who specialises in spreading STD education across the country and shares them to peers and readers that might be interested. She enjoys what she does and loves to travel to different areas. She loves to write for websites and is a family girl at heart.

 

Steps You Can Take To Improve Your Psoriasis

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Psoriasis is an awful skin condition that affects many people around the world. Although in general it only comes on after the age of 35, some people develop the skin condition from an early age. Psoriasis is large red patches on the skin that are often accompanied with silvery dry flakes on top. These can be itchy to some people, yet other people don’t notice. Psoriasis generally forms on the elbows, knees, scalp and in places that don’t get much air like your armpits or groins.

It’s not known exactly what causes psoriasis, although it’s been proven that there are many factors within general life that can worsen or encourage a breakout. These are:

  1. Stress
  2. Being overweight
  3. Smoking
  4. Alcohol
  5. Not drinking enough water
  6. Anxiety
  7. Depression

Even though there is no definite way of getting rid of psoriasis, in this article, I’m going to give you a few methods to try that will improve your psoriasis.

Some studies show that psoriasis breakouts are linked with a food intolerance, so consider changing your diet and eliminating regular foods you have to see if your skin improves. This process could take years, so be patient because it may be something that you’re eating that’s causing the breakouts. Try to think back to when your psoriasis first developed, was it something you’d started eating? Remember to eat a healthy diet not just for your health, but to ensure your body is getting the nutrients it needs to support your skin to becoming healthier.

psoriasis

Exercising is a great way of flushing out any toxins within the body, and it’s also a great way of encouraging weight loss. As mentioned earlier, being overweight can be a factor that contributes to a break out in psoriasis. Trying natural supplements with your exercising may increase the effectiveness of your workout, which in turn, will improve your skin condition.

Quitting smoking will not only improve your general health and wellbeing, but it will improve your psoriasis no end. As we all know, smoking is bad for the body in every single way, so it’s wise to think about quitting anyway. The money you save on not smoking could be put towards some new clothing to show off your clearer skin.

If you’re suffering with a mental health condition like stress, anxiety or depression it might be a good idea to mention to your GP that you’re suffering with psoriasis too. They may agree that it’s linked and can treat you accordingly with UV light therapy, creams and ointments, or even oral medication.

Putting the right liquids into your body will improve the integrity of your skin massively. Reducing the amount of alcohol you consume and increasing your water consumption will help your body get rid of anything that could be causing your psoriasis outbreak.

Unfortunately psoriasis is a lifelong condition that for some people, may not entirely go away. Taking these steps above and incorporating them into your lifestyle will improve the appearance, so try implementing them today!

 

Joint Infection Signs, Treatment and Prevention Tips

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joint infection

There are a few types of elective procedures that patients go through in order to feel more active and comfortable, and hip or knee replacement surgeries are two examples of those procedures. Joint replacement surgery is not something that should be taken lightly, because everything from the surgery to the recovery period is a challenge, but it can have a lasting beneficial impact for patients.

If you speak with most people who have gone through a knee or hip replacement surgery, they will only have good things to say. Most of these patients were in a situation where walking around or performing daily tasks was causing them a lot of discomfort. It was getting to a point where they did not know if they would continue to be able to walk normally. Replacing those joints in the body can give someone a new lease on life – but it does come with risks. And one of the issues that you can face is a joint infection.

Joint Infections

There are a number of different ways that a joint infection can develop when you have gone through hip or knee replacement surgery. Some infections are deep into the body, while others are superficial and replaced to the surgery wounds. And when the infection develops can also vary, with some developing right before you leave the hospital, and others manifesting themselves a few days or weeks later. There are also cases where an unrelated infection in the body can spread to the area where you went through a joint replacement.

Risk Factors

There are a few risk factors that increase the chances of developing a joint infection, such as:

  1. Diabetes
  2. Immune Deficiency
  3. Obesity

If you are experiencing symptoms such as increased stiffness in a joint that normally functions properly, swelling, redness, or a fever, you may want to get checked out at the same hospital where you had your surgery.

Treatment for Joint Infections

If the infection in your body is at a superficial level, treatment is not so complicated. Something like a cocktail of antibiotics or IV antibiotics will do the job. But if the infection is deeper, treatment is a little more challenging. Surgery is an option that no doctor wants to go through with – especially if you just went under the knife – but it can become a necessity.

A debridement procedure, where surgeons remove all of the soft tissues in your body that were impacted by the infection, is a possibility. A six-week course of antibiotics clears things up after the surgery. Another possibility is a staged surgery, which is typically an option if the infection does not occur until a few months or years after the procedure. During a staged surgery, the implant is removed completely, and the area surrounding the joint is washed out.

It can be scary to know that your joint replacement surgery did not go according to plan, and an infection has set in. But the best thing to do is trust your doctor, because they can come up with the best plan to treat the infection before it spreads to other parts of your body.

What’s Causing Your Back Pain?

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Back pain can be debilitating and is one of the most common causes of pain and suffering in people under the age of 45. The lumber spine in the lower back has lots of bones, muscles, and ligaments that all work together along with the joints and nerves. This is what gives your back the flexibility to move and because the system is so complex, it’s easy for something to go wrong. Some of the most common causes of back pain are down to simple muscle pain or inflammation that can cause a serious amount of pain.

back pain

What Should I Do if I Have Back Pain?

The first thing you should do is analyse how painful it is. Think about what type of pain you’re experiencing and if it’s acute or chronic. Some people feel pain and discomfort after playing sports and is usually a normal response to a minor injury. But, if the pain has been causing problems for longer than this, it’s time to consult a medical professional. You can also get some help and pain relief with dublin spine and sports physiotherapy. The goal is to find out what’s causing the pain and then find a solution to give you relief.

The Types of Back Pain:

If you can identify the type of pain that’s causing you a problem, it will be easier for the medical professional to find a cause and subsequent cure. There are two main types of back pain.

The first is a mechanical pain. This comes from the muscles and bones around the spine and tends to cause discomfort around the lower part of your back. Some people experience localised pain in the buttocks and the upper parts of their legs. This gets worst when the person is in motion or attempting to lift a heavy load.

The second is a sharp, burning pain after a nerve has been trapped or caught. This is called radicular pain and is more often than not felt on one side of the body. An example of this is sciatica. Radicular is more difficult to determine the cause compared to mechanical. It may also be more difficult to find long-term relief.

What are the Most Common Causes of Back Pain?

Common causes are from sports injury and inflammation. The first may happen as a result of muscle fatigue or disrupting how the disks, joints, and nerves are functioning. The second may cause swelling after an infection or another underlying issue such as arthritis. Other causes of pain originate from muscle and tendon degeneration in elderly people, a pinched nerve, or after an accident. The type of injury to the spine will determine the type of discomfort or pain that you’re experiencing. Make sure you can describe exactly how it feels and where it originates to help the medical professional give an accurate diagnosis.

The Takeaway Message:

The spine is a complicated structure with lots of small parts working together. This makes it easy for something to go wrong and can cause discomfort and problems in people of all ages. If you do feel pain, carefully write down the symptoms and seek the opinion of a doctor.

 

Image by typographyimages on Pixabay

Living With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

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Around 10% of women of childbearing age suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This is a condition which results in small cysts growing on the ovaries and releasing hormones. Normally, women who suffer from this condition lead a normal life without any visible symptoms. However, there are some women who have some very visible symptoms, such as male-line hair growth and obesity. As well as all these noticeable symptoms, PCOS puts women at a higher risk of suffering from diabetes, ovarian cancer, and endometrial cancer.

polycystic ovary syndrome

Even if you have a bad case of PCOS, there are various ways you can manage the illness with certain lifestyle choices. Most of these are to do with your diet. Interested to find out more? Read on!

Watch Your Insulin Levels

PCOS makes is slightly harder for the body to correctly regulate insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone that controls the amount of sugar in the blood. When the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, the body struggles to control blood sugar levels. This also occurs with women who have PCOS as it makes them more resistant to insulin. One way to prevent this from becoming a problem is by reducing the amount of carbohydrates and refined foods in your diet.

Eat More High-Fibre Foods

As you won’t be eating as many carbohydrates, you will need to eat more protein and vegetables as a source of energy. You can always give your protein levels a boost by using protein powder to make protein shakes. It’s also important to add as many high-fibre foods to your diet as well as these can help to reduce insulin resistance. They do that by slowing down the whole digestive process and stops sugar having too much of an impact on the blood. Some very high-fibre foods include sweet potatoes, beans, and lentils.

Cut Out Refined Carbs

I’ve already mentioned that refined carbohydrates and sugary foods are bad for the body’s insulin levels, and now it’s time to look at that a bit more closely. As well as messing with the blood’s sugar levels, they can also cause inflammation in the body. Most high-carb foods are also very low in fibre and have limited nutritional content. Foods to watch out for are white pasta, white bread, and sugary desserts.

Become Proactive

PCOS responds well to positive lifestyle changes, so it is important that you always try to choose the best option when faced with lifestyle decisions. Lots of women find that being productive when it comes to exercise can really pay off as it can prevent some symptoms. For instance, working out can help with weight loss which is an effective way to control insulin resistance. Some also find that stress-reducing techniques such as Yoga and mindfulness can help combat the stress that often comes from experiencing the symptoms of PCOS.

Hopefully, this blog post has given you plenty of tips that can help you live with PCOS. If you need any further tips, ask your doctor for more information.