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Archive for January, 2008

Kidneys are a pair of organs located just behind the stomach. They filter bacteria and extra salt and water from the body. Healthy kidneys clean the blood by filtering out extra water and wastes. They also make hormones that keep your bones strong and blood healthy. Kidney failure is a serious disease which can have a major impact on life, and can ultimately be fatal. Kidney failure can happen quickly (days) or more slowly (months or years). The common causes of kidney failure are glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidney) and diabetes mellitus. Other causes of kidney failure are kidney stones, kidney cysts, an immune disorder called systemic lupus erythematosus, uncontrolled high blood pressure and drugs. Most people with chronic kidney failure need to take medicines.

Severe injuries or burns to your body and difficult surgery increase your risk of acute kidney failure, as can an overwhelming infection. Sometimes, a person with a life-threatening infection who receives an antibiotic, such as streptomycin or gentamicin, may go into acute kidney failure. There are three options when treating kidney failure. Hemodialysis ,Peritoneal dialysis and Kidney transplant.Hemodialysis is a procedure that cleans and filters your blood. It rids your body of harmful wastes and extra salt and fluids. It also controls blood pressure and helps your body keep the proper balance of chemicals such as potassium, sodium, and chloride. Hemodialysis uses a dialyzer, or special filter, to clean your blood. The dialyzer connects to a machine.

During treatment, your blood travels through tubes into the dialyzer. The dialyzer filters out wastes and extra fluids. Peritoneal dialysis is another technique that replaces the work of your kidneys. It removes extra water, wastes, and chemicals from your body. This type of dialysis uses the lining of your abdomen to filter your blood. There are three types of peritoneal dialysis. CAPD is the most common type of peritoneal dialysis. It needs no machine. It can be done in any clean, well-lit place. CCPD is like CAPD except that a machine, which connects to your catheter, automatically fills and drains the dialysate from your abdomen. IPD uses the same type of machine as CCPD to add and drain the dialysate. Kidney transplantation is a procedure that places a healthy kidney from another person.

Kidney Failure Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Do not drink alcohol or use illegal.

2. Do not smoke or use other tobacco products.

3. A low-protein diet may help prevent the progression of kidney failure

4. Immunosuppressive drugs is very helpful but,require very careful monitoring.

5. Avoid taking medicines that can damage your kidneys, like ibuprofen and naproxen.

6. ACE Inhibitors / ARB’s medications have been shown to have some benefit for the kidneys.

7. When the kidneys can no longer remove enough toxins and extra fluid to keep your alive, you need dialysis.

8. Exercise may help you control diabetes and high blood pressure, which can lead to kidney disease.

About the author: Juliet Cohen writes articles for Diseases. She also writes articles for Makeup and Hairstyles.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.High blood pressure is also called hypertension. High blood pressure is a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher. Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has high blood pressure. Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. Hypertension can be classified as either essential (primary) or secondary. Essential hypertension indicates that no specific medical cause can be found to explain a patient’s condition. Secondary hypertension indicates that the high blood pressure is a result of another condition, such as kidney disease or certain tumors.

People with hypertension had greater declines in all three functional measures than those with normal blood pressure. High blood pressure might also be caused by another medical problem. Regardless of race, age, or gender, anyone can develop high blood pressure. At severely high pressures, defined as mean arterial pressures 50% or more above average. Sodium is an environmental factor that has received the greatest attention. Hypertension is one of the most common complex disorders, with genetic heritability averaging 30%. Approximately 60% of the essential hypertension population is responsive to sodium intake. Sleep apnea is a common, under-recognized cause of hypertension. Another claimed cause of hypertension is the misalignment of vertebrae within the spinal column.

Certain medications including birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants also may cause secondary hypertension. You can control high blood pressure through healthy lifestyle habits and taking medicines. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of your heart and blood vessels. Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses from the brain. Vasodilators open blood vessels by directly relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls, causing blood pressure to go down. Reducing sodium (salt) diet is proven very effective. Weight reduction and regular aerobic exercise (e.g. jogging) are recommended as the first steps in treating mild to moderate hypertension. Avoid tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking has been shown to lower blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Beta blockers medications reduce the workload on your heart.

2. Reducing sodium (salt) diet is proven very effective.

3. Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses from the brain.

4. Thiazide diuretics medications act on your kidneys to help your body eliminate sodium and water.

5. Angiotensin II receptor blockers medications help relax blood vessels by blocking the action.

6. Weight reduction and regular aerobic exercise are recommended.

7. Avoid tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking has been shown to lower blood pressure.

About the author: Juliet Cohen writes articles for Diseases. She also writes articles for Makeup and Hairstyles.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Heart failure is the pathophysiologic state in which the heart. Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure. Heart failure is a progressive disorder in which damage to the heart causes weakening of the cardiovascular system. Heart failure develops over time as the pumping of the heart grows weaker. It can affect the right side of the heart only or both the left and right sides of the heart. Most cases involve both sides of the heart. Heart failure also affects the kidneys’ ability to dispose of sodium and water. The retained water increases the edema. Heart failure may be caused by myocardial failure but may also occur in the presence of near-normal cardiac function under conditions of high demand. Heart failure always causes circulatory failure, but the converse is not necessarily.

Heart failure is a very common condition. About five million people in the United States have heart failure, and it results in about 300,000 deaths each year. Heart failure is caused by various other conditions, such as heart disease, and is most common in those over 65. Heart failure can either be acute (suddenly starts) or chronic (long-term). In chronic heart failure, the main symptom is breathlessness, which may occur during mild physical activity or even when at rest. Other symptoms of chronic heart failure include tiredness and the build up of fluid in the tissues (oedema), particularly the lungs. The ankles swell and the liver becomes enlarged. In severe cases a large amount of fluid builds up within the tummy. Acute heart failure occurs when the heart suddenly stops working properly.

Heart failure treatment includes medicines, and heart transplantation. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors drugs help people with heart failure live longer and feel better. ACE inhibitors also gruff some of the effects of hormones that promote salt and water retention. ACE inhibitors can cause an irritating cough in some people. AIIRA work in a similar way to ACE inhibitors but tend to be used in people who have side effects from ACE inhibitors Digoxin (Lanoxin) also referred to as digitalis, increases the strength of your heart muscle contractions. Digoxin reduces heart failure symptoms and improves your ability to live with the condition.
Heart pumps mechanical devices, called left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), are implanted into the abdomen and attached to a weakened heart to help it pump.

Heart Failure Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Don’t smoke.

2. Stay active.

3. Limit salt and sodium intake.

4. Lose weight if you are overweight.

5. Get enough rest, including after exercise, eating, or other activities.

6. Don’t cook with salt or add salt to what you are eating.

7. Avoid foods that are naturally high in sodium, like anchovies, meats etc.

8. Use oil and vinegar, rather than bottled dressings, on salads.

9. Eat fresh fruit or sorbet when having dessert.

10 Beta-blockers is particularly useful for those with a history of coronary artery disease

About the author: Juliet Cohen writes articles for Diseases. She also writes articles for Makeup and Hairstyles.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com