Symptoms of Blocked Carotid Artery

Blood and oxygen are carried to the brain through four arteries: the right carotid, left carotid, right vertebral and left vertebral. When the brain does not receive enough oxygen the carotid arteries become blocked; this is the number one cause of strokes, which account for the third-highest number of deaths in the US each year. An estimated 750,000 people suffer from them annually.

Carotid artery disease is a condition that occurs when plaque (a fatty material) builds up within the arteries. The medical term for this is atherosclerosis, or "hardening of the arteries," and greatly restricts blood flow to the brain. Another cause of strokes is when blood clots form in the arteries, which happens when the plaque build-up eventually cracks. It's important to be aware of potential indicators of these conditions, as it is possible for a stroke, or 'mini-stroke,' to be the first warning sign.

However, most people who have a stroke do not experience a mini-stroke first. Common symptoms include: numbness and/or weakness in the face or body (often just on one side), difficulty moving limbs, trouble speaking, a severe, sudden headache and dizziness.

Doctors usually choose one of two surgeries to treat this disease: carotid endarterectomy, usually for people whose arteries are blocked 50% or more and involves cutting into the neck and removing the plaque. The other procedure is called an angioplasty and is used to widen the carotid arteries, which restores blood flow to the brain.

Recent studies have shown that heart attack damage can be limited by implemented certain anti-oxidants, notable GSH, or glutathione, a powerful protein that speeds up cell metabolism and contains what some medical professionals are calling miraculous anti-viral properties. Overwhelming evidence has shown that the administering of glutathione offers critical support in not just heart disease and strokes, but chronic fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer's and cancer.

Montreal physician Dr. Jimmy Gutman is the author of "GSH, Your Body's Most Powerful Protector, Glutathione," and says that "in the next five or six years, people are going to be using the word glutathione as commonly as they use the word Vitamin C or antioxidant. Glutathione is virtually involved in dozens of critical cell processes and without it we would succumb to our environment literally within hours."

Panic Attacks Symptoms and the Medical Conditions They Mimic - Don't Get Confused

Because panic attacks symptoms can closely mirror symptoms of other medical conditions, it is important to know when you are suffering from panic, versus an issue that may need immediate medical attention. Below, we list the sensations commonly reported during panic attacks, and provide additional information on what other conditions might also cause such symptoms.

PLEASE NOTE that this article has not been written or reviewed by a medical professional, and that if you believe you are experiencing any symptoms that put you in medical danger, seek immediate attention from your physician or at an emergency department. Never try to diagnose yourself.

Racing heartbeat; palpitations; chest pain: Naturally, the first medical condition that comes to mind here is a heart attack, and is not something that you want to second-guess on your own. If you have never experienced a panic attack, but are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is critical that you seek help immediately. Even if you have experienced these panic attacks symptoms in the past, if you are unsure, do not take a chance that you are experiencing another attack, but get yourself checked out.

Difficulty breathing or being unable to get enough air; choking. These symptoms could be caused by any number of medical conditions ranging from seasonal allergies to acute bronchitis. Anorexia and Anthrax poisoning can also mimic these symptoms, as can Osteoarthritis or the H1N1 virus. If you are in any situation where you cannot get your breathing under control, and you are not absolutely certain that you are experiencing panic attacks symptoms, then you will want to be looked at by a professional right away.

Nervousness; shaking or trembling. These are common panic attacks symptoms, but are also known to be caused by consumption of too much caffeine or alcohol, or may be simply due to being overly tired. On the other end of the spectrum, however, tremors can be caused by serious illnesses such as Parkinson's Disease, or Multiple Sclerosis. If you only experience these symptoms during a panic attack, then that is most likely what is causing them, however, if you continue to experience shaking or trembling even when you are not in the throes of an attack, it is a good idea to have some medical tests run to help find the cause.

Nausea and/or vomiting. While these are fairly common panic attacks symptoms, they could also be the result of a flu bug, food poisoning, or even pregnancy. The rule of thumb with these symptoms is in how long they continue. If you vomit or feel sick only during a panic attack, chances are good that you are not suffering from a more immediate condition. Prolonged vomiting, however, can cause dehydration and if you have been unable to keep food down for more than just a few days, it's time to see a doctor.

Profuse sweating. This, again, if encountered only during a panic attack, should not be cause for alarm. There are, however, many other conditions that can cause profuse sweating and these can include obesity, puberty, menopause, and even AIDS.

Gout and Kidney Disease - Is There a Connection?

Gout affects about ten percent of the population, It is a predominately male disease, 90% of those suffering from it are men. Women can develop gout as well, but that usually happens after menopause.

Kidney disease is found in thirteen percent of the population, and the numbers are rising fast. The kidneys filter out waste products, among them uric acid. In patients with kidney disease, these filters do not function properly. They may become blocked or they may become weak. When they are weakened, protein and blood may leak into the urine, one if the indicators of the disease.

Gout is caused by a build up of uric acid in the joints. This acid is carried there via the blood stream, so it stands to reason that there will be a connection of some sort between gout and kidney disease. However, it's not much talked about.

Uric acid crystals can build up in the kidneys and block the tiny filters in the kidneys. If gout can be kept under control via medication and diet, then kidney disease associated with gout is less likely. However, if the gout is not controlled, kidney disease can follow.

What about the other way around? Can kidney disease cause gout? The answer is yes. Because the organ is not functioning properly, uric acid can't be filtered out. When that happens, it builds up in the bloodstream and is carried to the joints. It is then dropped off, causing flare ups.

The best way to prevent this vicious cycle is to watch your diet carefully and make sure you visit your doctor. Blood and urine tests can determine if either disease is under control. If not, medications can be prescribed to help.

The diet for both diseases is remarkably similar. Low protein is important. Purines increase the acid content and excess protein can't be filtered properly. Sodium and some minerals must be watched carefully. If the kidneys are all right, maintaining adequate hydration is important.

Adult Stem Cell Research - Now Helping Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients

Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart muscle gets progressively weaker. Patients with this condition usually have low energy, sleep a lot, and their quality of life isn't very good. The prognosis for Dilated Cardiomyopathy is almost always negative. There is no cure or treatment for this condition other than medication which only treats the symptoms, but does nothing to improve it.

3 years ago, Leonard Narracci, a Florida native, was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy. He was always tired and listless. He had almost no energy. Faced with his diagnosis, Leonard had little hope of getting better.

Leonard thought there must be a way for him to get better. He heard about Adult Stem Cell research and how Adult Stem Cells may help patients with his condition. He attended a stem cell seminar in Florida and contacted the doctor at the seminar who was treating heart patients in the Dominican Republic.

The doctor from the seminar tested him and declared him a possible candidate for the stem cell therapy. Since he would be using his own stem cells and he had nothing to lose, Leonard said he was ready and expressed his desire to have the stem cell treatment immediately.

In October, 2008, Leonard went to the Dominican Republic and had his own Adult Stem Cells implanted into his heart muscle in a simple procedure using a catheter.

Exactly one week after the procedure, Leonard was already feeling better than he ever had in the previous 3 years. Two weeks after the stem cell treatment, Leonard had an echocardiogram to test his ejection fraction. It had risen from 20% to 28%. His heart had also decreased in size and his heart apex was now normal.

Seven weeks after his own Adult Stem Cells were implanted, Leonard was tested again. There was even more improvement this time. His ejection fraction had gone up to 33%. His heart muscle was thickening as well showing that the stem cells were regenerating his heart muscle that had previously been nonfunctional and wasn't contracting.

Leonard's quality of life has improved immensely and he is hoping the stem cells will help him even more as time goes on. These days, stem cells are helping more and more patients. Stories like Leonard's give Dilated Cardiomyopathy patients reason to hope.

Interpreting EKG Results

Electrocardiogram (EKG) tests help doctors identify and diagnose any present or past heart abnormalities. EKGs are often a part of regular doctor visits for those with a history of heart disease. EKG machines record the heart's electrical impulses via electrodes attached to strategic points on the patient's body. The results are displayed on a computer monitor and then printed out. Physicians or EKG technicians can then determine the patient's heart health by interpreting the printed results.

To get a gage on the patient's heart functions, physicians compare the EKG reading of the patient's heart to the reading of a normal heart. Differences in heart rate, rhythm or contractions between the two readings can indicate possible or past heart attacks, heart diseases or coronary artery diseases. If it is determined that these symptoms exist, further testing is conducted.

There are a wide variety of ways to interpret an EKG result, but most are based on identifying recurring patterns. Heart rate is the first thing EKG technicians look at when reading a set of results. The electrodes cause spikes in the graph reading by stimulating the heart into contracting and relaxing. The first spike (called the "P" spike) indicates the impulses of the heart's upper chamber. A more horizontal line called the "PR" interval indicates the bridge between the contraction and relaxation of the atria. Each EKG has a series of these spikes and dips representing the heart's impulses, with each kind of spike represented by a different letter.

A normal heart will have a spike pattern called sinus arrhythmia, which varies slightly form heart to heart. If a patient's EKG readings do not display sinus arrhythmia, it may be a sign of heart problems. Lack of sinus arrhythmia might indicate the future occurrence of sudden heart attacks or heart failure. In such cases, patients are usually recommended for additional treatment. It is up to the patient's physician to decide what kind of attention and what kind is needed. Often enough though, it is the highly-trained EKG technicians whose word has most weight in making a final decision concerning an EKG reading.

Professional EKG reading demands a considerable amount of education, training, and hands-on experience. Because there are several different methods and a ton of specialized terminology involved, most non-medical-professionals have difficulty understanding how EKGs work and what the results mean. If you're having an EKG performed, your EKG technician should be happy to answer in layman terms any questions you might have concerning your reading.

Take Care! Your Heart and Blood Vessels Grow Older, As You Grow Older

Your heart and blood vessels change as you age, even in the absence of any disease process. The muscle of the heart loses its elasticity, and your body's metabolic processes may produce less of the energy that the heart needs. The heart becomes a less powerful pump, and needs to work more to do the same job. Your heart may atrophy with age and therefore weigh less than it did when you were young. There also may be some loss of the pacemaker cells that control your heart's activities. In addition to these changes in your heart, your blood vessels become less elastic with age. Arteriosclerosis may make the passage way through your vessels narrower. This makes it necessary for your heart to work harder to pump the blood through the more resistant network of vessels.

Less elasticity in the walls of your arteries and atherosclerosis may cause high blood pressure, which makes your heart work even harder. The arteries supplying the heart itself (coronary arteries) may narrow. The result of this is less oxygen reaching your heart, which may cause angina or heart attack. A mild increase in blood pressure with age is normal. Blood pressure readings beyond this, however, are cause for concern. Prolonged high blood pressure (called hypertension) can precipitate a heart attack or stroke.

Despite such general age-related deterioration in your cardiovascular system, your heart is strong enough to meet the needs of your body. However, as your body ages, your cardiovascular system has much less reserve capacity for overcoming injury or handling the sudden demands placed on it by stress or illness. Such changes in the cardiovascular system occur gradually rather than overnight.

By the middle years, the process already may be well along. The middle years see many heart and blood pressure problems, particularly in men. People now seem to be more conscious of death due to cancer or AIDS, but heart attacks kill as many people as cancer, AIDS, and all other diseases combined.

Activity level and diet play significant roles in keeping your cardiovascular system healthy. An aerobic exercise, such as vigorous walking or running for at least half an hour a day on at least three days a week, places demands on your cardiovascular system that sitting at a desk does not. Your body responds to the demands of exercise by increasing its capacity to pump blood. This increased capacity is healthy, becomes a characteristic of your body, and stays with you when you are not exercising (provided of course that you keep up the exercise program).

Especially important is the fact that, in situations of physical exertion, the extra capacity is there; also, exercise may slow or even prevent the progression of atherosclerosis. You cannot stop the effects of aging altogether, but you can greatly minimize them and thus increase the odds of having a healthier life.

Exercise programs should be phased in gradually to avoid injury. If you have been inactive, contact a physician before embarking on an exercise program.

Another way to help your cardiovascular system is by following a low fat low cholesterol diet. A principal effect of a healthy diet is to slow the process of atherosclerosis, the process by which fatty deposits accumulate in your blood vessels. Atherosclerosis occurs in nearly everyone, narrowing the openings in the blood vessels and thereby increasing the resistance to the heart's pumping action.

Causes And Cures Of Chronic Sinus Disease

When all medication for colds ceases to work, a person keeps feeling tired all day, there is intense headache and maybe a fever the person may have a chronic sinus disease. When one or more sinus cavities get infected, a person has a disease called sinusitis. Chronic sinus disease is an advanced form of sinusitis and it may last for three weeks to three months.

Chronic sinus disease can be diagnosed by asking a patient questions about the areas in which a person feels pain. A person might have pain in the head, cheeks and upper teeth. Double or slurred vision may also be associated with chronic sinus. Jarring pain and eyes is also felt in some cases of sinus.

Slow fever is a rarity in chronic sinus disease. It is more prevalent in children as compared to adults. Chronic sinusitis can only be diagnosed if slow fever if accompanied by other symptoms like facial pain and swelling.

Certain protective measures can also be taken by people who have a history of chronic sinus infection symptoms. Using a humidifier and cleaning the nose properly everyday can reduce chances of future occurrence of sinus infection.

There are several ways of treating a chronic sinus disease. Decongestants, antibiotics and other form of oral medication can be given. Some doctors flush the mucous out of the nose using saline water and a syringe. A surgery is the last option which is done only when other options stop working. The infected mucous membrane is then removed surgically. This kind of surgery may be done under local or general anesthesia.

People with chronic sinus also complain of a thick yellow nasal discharge which is full of pus. They may also be blood tinged. This discharge drains to the back of the throat and is referred to as post nasal drip.

Chronic sinus disease can be prevented by consulting a good doctor as soon as the first signs of a sinus infection are observed. A chronic sinus can cause unnecessary pain and trouble. Allergies and colds should be treated as early as possible before they turn into sinus. People with a history of asthma and other allergies should stay away from allergens like smoke, dust and pollen.