Friday, April 16, 2010

WHAT IS ASCITES?

Ascites is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, around the intestines and other abdominal organs, contains varying quantities of cells, bacteria, proteins and other substances.

What is it?

The vast majority of cases of ascites seen in patients with cirrhosis due to alcoholism and the Virus B and C. Heart failure, tumors affecting the peritoneum the lining inside the abdomen, liver metastases and peritoneal tuberculosis are major causes, but much less frequent. Rarely, ascites can occur by obstruction of hepatic blood flow or portal vein thrombosis or supra-hepatic, by excessive loss of protein in the urine/nephritic syndrome, in protein-energy malnutrition, hypothyroidism or by acute pancreatitis.

The increase in abdominal volume may be visible. Sometimes it is only perceived because the waist was tight clothing or the appearance of abdominal or inguinal hernias.

The development of ascites is usually slow and progressive over weeks to months, occurring without pain or other changes. Metastasis of cancer of an organ can cause abdominal pain continued, usually moderate. In heart failure can occurs discomfort and pain on the right side and upper abdomen.

Ascites high volume - can contain more than 10 liters - the abdomen becomes very prominent, hard and uncomfortable, causing heartburn and difficulty breathing. Symptoms of the disease-causing ascites ascites eventually appear in this more advanced.

Ascites (also known as "water belly") is the name given to the accumulation of fluid within the abdomen. This liquid may have different compositions, such as lymph nodes in case of chylous ascites caused by obstruction of the lymphatic, bile, pancreatic juice (acute pancreatitis with fistula), urine (in case of perforation of the urinary tract) and others. But in the context of liver disease with portal hypertension (cirrhosis, schistosomiasis, and others), the ascites is Estravaza blood plasma into the abdominal cavity, mainly through the peritoneum, caused by a sum of factors.

What causes the disease known as water belly? How can we prevent it, treatment is effective?
The "water belly", whose scientific name is Ascites is characterized by the presence of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

This presence of liquid is caused by some diseases that cause there is a leakage of fluid in the abdominal cavity, such as:
- Cirrhosis,
- Nephrosis,
- Congestive Heart Failure,
- Tumors,
- Drilling of the viscera,
- Among others.

There is no prevention of ascites per se, but rather the diseases that lead to it.

Patients with severe ascites:
Ascites in chronic liver disease indicates that the disease is advanced and is related to the appearance of other complications of cirrhosis such as variceal bleeding and hepatic encephalopathy. Initially, it can be treated with diuretics and low-salt diet, but as the disease progresses, the kidneys can not bear the diuretic and / or develop the so-called hepatorenal syndrome (kidney failure caused by changes cicrulat�rias caused by cirrhosis) and can be necessary to perform paracentesis (drainage of ascites by puncture needle). Among other complications, the presence of ascites may lead to infection of ascites, a condition called spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, which can be severe, with high mortality if not treated properly.

Ascites Cure:
Stay away from alcohol and it is the only cause behind the 80% of the total patients suffering from ascites disease.

Exercise helps your abdominal muscles in building process and active healthy life and also protects the fluid accumulation.

Do not sleep during the day; this plays an important role in maintaining the homeostasis of the body. Maintain a time schedule to go to bed at night and wake up early in the morning.

Includes buttermilk, camel milk, soup of horse gram, old rice, salads with dry radish, garlic, asafetida and honey in a diet plan.

Avoid taking too much starch like rice and wheat. Avoid Salt a very harmful for the patient of ascites.

Herbs like Arjuna, Tamra Bhasm and Punarnava have diuretic properties. Heenga or asafoetida dissolved in hot water is used to foment the abdomen. Himsra or caper brush should be taken as directed. Kakamachi or black nightshade is used in the ayurvedic treatment of Ascites. Kateli or kantakari is used to treat dropsy along with ascites.

Milk can be given to the patient Avoid drinking excess water, when thirsty. In take of more water during the case of ascities adds to swelling and weight gain.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

STOP SMOKING TIPS

Step 1: Think About Quitting
According to a recent survey, around 15 million smokers try to quit smoking each day. However, less than 3% of these people stop smoking successfully for 3 to 12 months. If you’re thinking about quitting or have stopped smoking but failed to quit, don’t lose hope because smokers often try to quit more than once before they actually succeed.
In this section, you will learn about the history of cigarette smoking, facts about smoking, smoking cessation and benefits of quitting smoking. To give you a strong reason to quit smoking, this section will also tackle dangerous diseases – such as lung cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, etc – caused by smoking cigarettes. In addition, this section will explain the reasons why it is extremely hard to quit smoking, hurdles in quitting and possible nicotine withdrawal symptoms that you may encounter throughout this process.
Step 2: Effects of Smoking
Years of clinical studies have proven that using Tobacco causes people to become sick, disabled or die. Since the first Surgeon General’s Report in 1964, over 12 million smoking-related deaths have occurred. More than 500,000 deaths in the U.S are caused from smoking-related illnesses. Adult smokers reduce their lifespan by an average of 13 to 14 years.
In this section, you will learn about the dangerous effects and health risks of smoking. You will understand the facts about smoking addiction, the hazardous effects of smoking on a pregnant woman, on passive smokers, on your facial charm, on your teeth and on your general well being. You will also learn how stress could play a role in cigarette smoking. This section also deals with the effects on secondhand smoke, effects of smoking on vitamin A and C, dangerous effects of smoking on men and women, as well as the differences between cigar and pipe smoking.
Step 3: Preparing To Quit Smoking
The first key to quitting smoking successfully is planning and preparation. You need to prepare your body and mind before actually quitting. Determine your personal goals, discover your reasons for quitting and get rid of temptations that may become a hindrance to your stop smoking program. Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, a drug that is addictive and can make it very hard, but not impossible, to quit.
In this section, you will face the facts about nicotine addiction before your last stick of cigarette. You will learn the most effective steps to be followed when planning to quit smoking. You will also find out about the real reason why it is so hard to quit smoking. To help you plan your quit smoking program, you need to confront your personal reasons to start quitting and understand what you need to do stop smoking. This section also deals with the psychological recovery stages to stop smoking and provides helpful tips to quit smoking.
Step 4: Stop Smoking Tips
Even if you have no idea where to start and what to do, you can quit smoking as long as you have the mindset and commitment to do so. Stop smoking tips can help you create a good stop smoking plan and lifestyle changes that could lead to a healthier, smoke-free life.
In this section, you will learn some of the simplest ways and useful tips to quit smoking for good. You can choose from several psychological areas that can help you to stop smoking based on your lifestyle. This section also deals with stop smoking tips that will help your loved ones quit this deadly habit and tips on how to overcome nicotine withdrawal symptoms using an effective stop smoking plan, attending support groups and establishing a smoking cessation program.
Step 5: Stop Smoking Aids
When smoking cigarettes has played a large part in your life, quitting smoking may not be that simple. Fortunately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved seven over-the-counter stop smoking aids – five of these help in managing nicotine withdrawal symptoms, while the other two help in reducing cigarette cravings.
In this section, you will learn about different proven stop smoking methods like Water Therapy, Psychological Therapy and Nicotine Replacement Therapy. This section also deals with other useful stop smoking aids such as nicotine nasal sprays, nicotine lozenges, nicotine inhalers, nicotine patches, nicotine gum and stop smoking pills.
Step 6: Stay a Quitter
After sometime, some quitters get back to their smoking habit due to temptation and persistent nicotine carving. Some may slip and puff “just one cigarette”, while others experience total relapse. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, smokers who quit are at greater risk of relapsing in the first three months of becoming smoke-free.
In this section, you will learn effective methods in avoiding nicotine carvings, while training how to control urges through breathing exercises. To understand what you are going to experience through this process, you need to learn and manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms. This section also tackles steps to manage weight gain, discusses FAQ on common frustrations of a quitter, handle traumatic events without a cigarette and other possible solutions for ex-smokers.
Stop Smoking Products
Some people may find it difficult to quit smoking without any aids or nicotine replacements. If you’re one of them, you still have hope because there are numerous stop smoking products available in the market today to make quitting an easier journey.
In this section, you will discover the quit smoking products available in the market today, reviews of each product and ranking of the top quit smoking products. To understand what each product can do for your body, the frequently asked questions section about ‘Quit Smoking’ Products can help you understand and choose an appropriate stop smoking product for your program.