Heart attacks – how much do you really know about them?

30/11/2017

Heart attacks – description and causes

A heart attack or myocardial infarction occurs when the heart does not get enough oxygen-rich blood. The heart is mainly a muscle, and as any muscle in the human body, it needs oxygen to function properly. The lack of blood supply containing oxygen causes the muscle to deteriorate and die.

The heart requires a constant supply of blood which is provided by the coronary arteries. In coronary artery disease, the arteries become narrow and blood cannot flow as well as it should, to keep with your heart’s demand. When the heart muscles become deprived of oxygen, the heart muscle cells will die, causing permanent damage. In other words a heart attack will occur.

Coronary artery spasms are also responsible for heart attacks. A coronary spasm is when the coronary artery spasms on and off or restrict, cutting off the blood supply to the heart muscle.

Detecting a heart attack

Heart attacks have very distinct symptoms and can be easily identified if the person is aware of the symptomatology:

Discomfort or pain in the chest area, described as heaviness or tightness
Discomfort in in the arms, shoulders, neck, jaw or back
Shortness of breath
Lightheadedness
Nausea
Cold sweat
A general state of unwell

These symptoms can appear suddenly and increase or get worse in a matter of minutes

Awareness is vital in detecting, treating and preventing heart attacks.

It is estimated that heart disease kills four times more Australian women, than breast cancer.

Overall, every year around 36000 men and 19000 women suffer at least one heart attack and death rates caused by those heart attacks are currently 4700 for men and 4500 for women. Lack of awareness has a strong role in those numbers, reportedly women being less likely to present non chest pain symptoms, therefore making it easier to ignore a possible heart attack. That is why, even though the male population suffers more heart attacks that the female one, almost double to be precise, the death rates from heart attacks are almost equal which is very concerning.

Also women are said to be less likely to survive a heart attack, compared to men.

There is a long list of risk factors for heart attack at which both men and women are exposed to.
Risk factors include smoking, diabetes, hypertension, ageing, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, unhealthy diets that contain a lot of sugars and saturated fats.

Treatment and prevention

Early treatment for a heart attack will, in most cases prevent permanent heart damage and other complications. When symptoms of a heart attack start to manifest, it is essential to get first aid from medical professionals, so it is important to call the paramedics. Medical specialists will be able to identify the issue and offer immediate assistance to prevent other complications and even a possible cardiac arrest which may end up in the ailing person’s death.

After a heart attack has been diagnosed, medical treatment is prescribed and will include aspirin, oxygen therapy, nitroglycerin and pain medication. A mid to long term clot busting medication will also be recommended as well as a percutaneous coronary intervention to open blocked coronary arteries.

Other treatments might include: statin medicine, anticoagulants, anticlotting medicine, beta blockers and ACE inhibitors (they lower blood pressure)

Cardiac rehabilitation can also be recommended after a heart attack and it usually involves a set of physical exercises, carefully planned by specialists which help strengthen the muscles, improve breathing and stamina.

One of the best ways of preventing heart attacks is having a healthy and active lifestyle. Eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and avoiding carbs, sugars and unhealthy fats will maintain a healthy body weight, normal levels of blood sugars and keep you active the whole day.

Doing sports and regular physical exercises will improve breathing, stamina and your overall wellbeing, keeping the risk of having a heart attack to a minimum.

Alcohol – How it affects your pancreas

30/11/2017

The pancreas is a vital organ in charge of producing and secreting enzymes which break down food and digests it in the stomach. The pancreas also secrets insulin which controls and breaks down the blood sugar. Regular consumption of alcohol may lead to pancreatitis among other pancreas affections.

Up to 70% of pancreatitis cases usually involve regular heavy consumption of alcohol, the causes for the rest 30% being cases of viral or medication induced autoimmune related affections, or the causes are unknown.

Acute and chronic pancreatitis

There are two types of pancreatitis: acute and chronic, and both are related to alcohol consumption.

Acute pancreatitis is when the pancreas becomes inflamed but it does not last more than a few days and there isn’t usually any permanent damage. But one in 5 cases of acute pancreatitis is severe as enzymes from the pancreas can get in the blood stream and cause more serious problems like kidney failure.

Acute pancreatitis symptoms include: fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain behind the ribs that spreads to the back.

Chronic pancreatitis is when their is an inflammation of the pancreas which usually occurs in acute pancreatitis, does not go away, thus causing the pancreas to not work properly.

Symptoms will include: weight loss, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), recurring severe pain in the abdominal and back region, producing greasy and foul smelling feces.

Alcohol and pancreatitis

In acute pancreatitis cases, specialists are not exactly sure how alcohol causes this condition and have come up with some theories, but whatever the cause, there is a clear link between drinking alcohol and acute pancreatitis. One theory is that the molecules in alcohol interfere with the cells in the pancreas, stopping them from working properly. They have also discovered that rare consumption rarely leads to acute pancreatitis but it’s best not to take risks.

For chronic pancreatitis, specialists have discovered that getting acute pancreatitis due to regular and heavy alcohol consumption will cause permanent damage to the pancreas. This gets worse if there is smoking involved.

Prevention and treatment

The best way to avoid pancreatitis is to control the amount of alcohol you ingest. If you drink occasionally small amount of alcohol, the chances of getting alcohol induced pancreatitis are very slim.

If diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis the first and most important thing that can be done is to stop drinking alcohol. This will reduce the symptoms and pain that comes with them. Stopping drinking will also reduce and stop any further pancreas damage. If you continue drinking, the pain will increase both in length and intensity and worse still, there’s a high chance to develop a more severe pancreas affection such as pancreatic cancer.

In acute pancreatitis, even though it might not be caused necessarily by alcohol, avoiding drinking completely for at least 6 months will give your pancreas time to recover.

Medicated treatment is usually prescribed by a medical specialist and involves pain medication, IV fluids accompanied by a strict diet.

alzheimer-queensland-dementia-general-practice

Alzheimer : every second matters!

24/09/2017

Alzheimer is a tragic occurrence and it’s becoming more frequent every day. There is no known cure and the alarming fact is that there are more than 413,106 Australians affected.

The financial implications Alzheimer has are significant in Australia, expected to grow up to $18.7 billion by 2025. This is mostly due to the fact that people with this illness, need medical care for extended periods of time, from the moment this disease first begins to manifest until the death of the patient.

Mother and child: the roles reverse

The struggles are real and they vary, from financial difficulties to emotional and psychological torment for both the ailing person and their families. A simple thing as a walk can be fatal to a person suffering from Alzheimer. Because this illness usually sets in after the age of 65, and less frequent before that, the children become the care takes. Sons and daughters go through the painful experience of witnessing their parents which were once strong, the care givers, lose themselves, their memories and succumb to this horrible affliction.

Remembering the loved ones

Being forgotten by you mother or father is always very difficult on top of the other problem this disease causes for both the patient and their family. A lot of people that suffer from Alzheimer end up being dropped off to asylums for the sole reason that it is unbearable to see your loved one not being able to recognize their family and friends.

What causes Alzheimer’s disease?

There is no official cause but there are some theories. One of them is that Alzheimer is caused by an infectious protein called TDP-43. Other infectious components have been linked to this disease, such as: viruses, fungus and bacteria.

Another theory is that Alzheimer’s is connected to insulin resistance; high blood sugar is associates with a higher risk of getting dementia.

Diabetes and heart disease also increase the chance to get this disease; both of these affections are rooted in insulin resistance.

Atherosclerosis or arterial stiffness is a buildup of beta-amyloid plaque in your brain and is also thought to somehow influence the development of Alzheimer.

Doctors have overall concluded that lifestyle choices and insulin resistance will increase one’s chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

Preventing Alzheimer

At the moment there are no known prevention methods but doctors say that you can control the risk factors to minimize your chances of getting this disease.

Vitamin D insufficiency will increase the chance of getting dementia by 125%. Dementia is thought to be an Alzheimer trigger. Keeping vitamin D levels normal will not only keep your body healthy but also prevent brain disease.

Exercising can also help prevent this disease as well as make treatment more efficient for patients who suffer from Alzheimer. A study shows that patients with moderate to mild Alzheimer had fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms, after participating in a four month supervised exercise program compared to the patients that did not exercise.

Risk lowering lifestyle strategies

Until a cure is discovered, preventing this disease stays crucial. Staying away as much as possible from carbs and sugars is a very good start. add to that a good intake of healthy fat will not only help in preventing Alzheimer’s but will also help with heart disease.

Below are 14 suggestions that can help in minimizing your chances of getting Alzheimer’s:

1. Eat real natural foods instead of processed foods. Most processed foods contain genetically enhanced grains which in turn contain glyphosate, an herbicide said to be worse than DDT.

2. Stay away from refined fructose and sugar. As mentioned before, Alzheimer’s is somehow connected to insulin resistance. So staying away from sugar excess will help. Make sure daily sugar and fructose intake does not exceed 25 grams, and in case of insulin or leptin resistance, it should not be over 15 grams per day.

3. Healthy fats ratio optimization. Your brain needs healthy fats to function properly, so make sure you eat plenty of foods that contain those fats. Omega 3 fats are known to prevent cell damage caused by Alzheimer’s slowing down the progress of this illness. Other healthy fats can be found in: egg yolks, meat, coconut oil, olives and olive oil, avocado, nuts and butter. Make sure all these foods are natural and organic. You should stay away from industrial omega 6 oils such as sunflower and safflower oils as well as soy and corn oils.

4. Keep away from gluten and casein. Gluten makes your gut more permeable and allows proteins to get into your blood stream. That will sensitize your immune system and lead to inflammation and autoimmunity which are known to play a role in developing Alzheimer’s. Casein is found in pasteurized dairy so consume full fat, raw dairy products. The cream is the most important component of raw milk because it contains all the energy needed to digest casein and it is also responsible for regulating sugar absorption in your blood minimizing the likelihood of insulin spikes.

5. Eat organic grass-fed meats. Most of the meat served in restaurants or sold in storesare not. Look for the products that are labeled organic or grass fed.

6. Optimize your gastrointestinal flora. Eat fermented foods such as yogurt or take pro-biotic supplements.

7. Reduce the number of calories you consume and fast intermittently. Replacing carbs with healthy fats and fasting intermittently (avoiding foods at certain times during the day) will help burn fat and repair insulin/leptin resistance.

8. Optimize your magnesium levels. Magnesium is known to decrease Alzheimer’s symptoms.

9. Increase folate intake. Folate is found in fresh vegetables, making it very accessible. Avoid folic acid supplements which is the synthetic version of folate.

10. Exercise regularly. As mentioned in this article, people with Alzheimer’s that exercise feel and are much better than those who don’t. Exercising also increases the levels of a protein called PGC-1alpha which is found smaller quantity in Alzheimer patients.

11. Eliminate aluminum and mercury from your body. Dental amalgam fillings have mercury in them and are one for the major sources of heavy metal toxicity. Following a mercury detox protocol before removing your amalgams is essential. Aluminum can be found in antiperspirants, non-stick cooking pots and aluminum beverage cans. Avoiding all of these is not only simple but good for your health.

12. Avoid statin drugs and anticholinergics. The chance of getting dementia increases if you take drugs that block acetylcholine. Anticholinergics can be found in pain relievers, sleep aids and antidepressants. Statin drugs deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10 as well as the well needed fats that make your brain function well.

13. Mental stimulation. Make sure you challenge your brain daily. Try to learn something new. Constant building up your brain makes it less susceptible to lesions which are suspected to be linked with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tag: chronic disease