Medicine.org - Causes & Prevention

Cancer and Physical Activity

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:58:26 -0400

The importance of physical activity in cancer prevention, independent of diet and obesity, is becoming better understood. Twenty five percent of all adults engage in no leisure time physical activity. Less than half engage in moderate or vigorous physical activity.

By age 18 to 22 years, only 26 percent of males and 12 percent of females engage in moderate or strenuous activity at least five times per week.

What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:06:12 -0400

Irritable bowel syndrome* (IBS) is a “syndrome,” meaning a group of symptoms. The most common symptoms of IBS are abdominal pain or discomfort often reported as cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and/or constipation. IBS affects the colon, or large bowel, which is the part of the digestive tract that stores stool.

IBS is not a disease. It’s a functional disorder, meaning that the bowel doesn’t work, or function, correctly.

What Causes Multiple Schlerosis?

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21:34:29 -0400

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a nervous system disease that affects your brain and spinal cord. It damages the myelin sheath, the material that surrounds and protects your nerve cells. This damage slows down or blocks messages between your brain and your body, leading to the symptoms of MS. They can include

• Visual disturbances

• Muscle weakness

• Trouble with coordination and balance

Pregnancy and Urinary Tract Infections

Thu, 17 May 2007 13:40:11 -0400

Pregnant women seem no more prone to UTIs than other women.

However, when a UTI does occur in a pregnant woman, it is more likely to travel to the kidneys.

According to some reports, about 2 to 4 percent of pregnant women develop a urinary infection.

Scientists think that hormonal changes and shifts in the position of the urinary tract during pregnancy make it easier for bacteria to travel up the ureters to the kidneys.

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections

Thu, 17 May 2007 13:37:41 -0400

Many women suffer from frequent UTIs. Nearly 20 percent of women who have a UTI will have another, and 30 percent of those will have yet another. Of the last group, 80 percent will have recurrences.

Usually, the latest infection stems from a strain or type of bacteria that is different from the infection before it, indicating a separate infection. Even when several UTIs in a row are due to E. coli, slight differences in the bacteria indicate distinct infections.

Who Is At Risk for a Urinary Tract Infection?

Thu, 17 May 2007 13:33:45 -0400

Some people are more prone to getting a UTI than others. Any abnormality of the urinary tract that obstructs the flow of urine (a kidney stone, for example) sets the stage for an infection. An enlarged prostate gland also can slow the flow of urine, thus raising the risk of infection.

A common source of infection is catheters, or tubes, placed in the urethra and bladder. A person who cannot void or who is unconscious or critically ill often needs a catheter that stays in place for a long time. Some people, especially the elderly or those with nervous system disorders who lose bladder control, may need a catheter for life. Bacteria on the catheter can infect the bladder, so hospital staff take special care to keep the catheter clean and remove it as soon as possible.

Causes of Urinary Tract Infections

Thu, 17 May 2007 13:29:37 -0400

Normally, urine is sterile. It is usually free of bacteria, viruses, and fungi but does contain fluids, salts, and waste products. An infection occurs when tiny organisms, usually bacteria from the digestive tract, cling to the opening of the urethra and begin to multiply. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body. Most infections arise from one type of bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), which normally lives in the colon.

Daily Aspirin: How Low Should You Go?

Thu, 17 May 2007 12:36:37 -0400

Approximately 50 million people take aspirin every day to prevent cardiovascular events such as stroke or heart attack. So, is more better? Not necessarily.

A recent study indicated that the difference beween taking a 'baby aspirin" (81 mg) a day, vs an adult or whole aspirin (325 mg) is negligible. Both prevent platelets from clotting; thus, preventing stoke or heart attacks. However, there is a difference with bleeding ulcers from the stomach or intestines (mostly the stomach).

Heart Failure, Sleep Apnea, Low Blood Pressure: A Deadly Combination

Wed, 16 May 2007 19:24:27 -0400

Heart Failure is defined as a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood throughout the body. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. It means that your heart is not able to pump blood the way it should.

The weakening of the heart's pumping ability causes

• Blood and fluid to back up into the lungs

• The buildup of fluid in the feet, ankles and legs - called edema

Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked to Ovarian Cancer

Mon, 14 May 2007 14:43:03 -0400

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Also called: Estrogen replacement therapy, HRT, Menopausal hormone therapy.

Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It is a normal part of aging. In the years before and during menopause, the levels of female hormones can go up and down. This can cause symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Some women take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to relieve these symptoms. HRT may also protect against osteoporosis.

Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer

Mon, 14 May 2007 14:38:05 -0400

Doctors cannot always explain why one woman develops ovarian cancer and another does not. However, we do know that women with certain risk factors may be more likely than others to develop ovarian cancer. A risk factor is something that may increase the chance of developing a disease.

Studies have found the following risk factors for ovarian cancer:

• Family history of cancer: Women who have a mother, daughter, or sister with ovarian cancer have an increased risk of the disease. Also, women with a family history of cancer of the breast, uterus, colon, or rectum may also have an increased risk of ovarian cancer.

Causes of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Sun, 13 May 2007 21:56:03 -0400

GENETIC

A definite neural basis exists which causes adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Genetics plays a huge role in determining who will have ADHD, and who will not. For instance, in identical twins, it is 66% likely that if one twin has ADHD, the other twin also will; where-as for fraternal twins, the percentage decreases to 28%.

In reviewing items which are attributed to heredity the following behaviors are interesting to note: The heritability estimate for ADHD is higher than for schizophrenia, depression/mood disorders, or intelligence. Indeed, ADHD’s heritability estimate is almost the same as for height.

Causes and Complications of Gonorrhea

Sat, 12 May 2007 20:21:20 -0400

CAUSES

Gonorrhea is caused by bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. These bacteria can infect the genital tract, mouth, and rectum of both men and women. In women, however, the opening to the uterus (cervix) is the first place of infection.

PREVENTION

The surest way to avoid transmission of STIs is to abstain from sexual contact or be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is not infected.

More About Trans Fats

Thu, 10 May 2007 16:05:39 -0400

Initially, partially hydrogenated fats (trans fats) were artificially put into foods to substitute of the harmfulness of saturated fats.

We know today, that trans fats are possibly even more harmful than saturated fats. A new study conclusively reports that erythrocytes (or red blood cells) with a higher level of trans fats, was significantly related to the amount of trans fats that a person had eaten.

Nursing Research: Depression, Obesity and High Blood Pressure Weakens the Immune Response

Wed, 09 May 2007 20:04:41 -0400

Depression is associated with an increased risk for both disability and death. One possible way that depression may adversely affect physical health is by altering immune function, and depressed individuals have been shown to have signs of both decreased immune cell activity and elevated markers of systemic inflammation. From a group of 79 pre- or perimenopausal women participating in the multisite Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, researchers studied the links between depressive symptoms and the presence of a class of compounds called proinflammatory cytokines, which serve as cellular messengers to activate the immune response. The women averaged 48 years of age, 61% were white and 39% were black, 72% were married, and 23% were current smokers. In addition, 29% reported recent sleep problems. The women completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale.