All You Need to Know about High Cholesterol Levels
Diseases & Conditions

All You Need to Know about High Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol is a type of fat molecule which is present in your blood. It is an essential component that helps to maintain and shape cell structures. It is vital to have a certain level of cholesterol in your blood, but high levels of cholesterol can be harmful to your health. High levels of cholesterol according to the cholesterol chart could mean that there are deposits of fatty substances in your blood. These fatty substances occur due to high cholesterol levels and make it difficult for your blood to flow through your arteries. It can lead to a heart attack or stroke. A cholesterol levels chart typically monitors your total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. Types of cholesterol There are two types of cholesterols in your blood, namely high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol. HDL helps remove the excess cholesterol while LDL is the cholesterol that accumulates in your arteries. Cholesterol level charts for adults and children Cholesterol levels can be categorized as good, borderline, low, and high. The cholesterol level charts are different for children and adults. The total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels are measured and then categorized as good, low, high, bad or borderline.
Everything You Need to Know about Fever
Diseases & Conditions

Everything You Need to Know about Fever

A short-term increase in the body temperature is referred in medical terms as pyrexia. Commonly known as fever, it is a common occurrence in both adults and children. As the temperature of your body becomes higher than the normal temperature, it becomes indicative of an underlying illness which may be an infection in some part of the body such as the throat or stomach. Having high fever is an important sign that some changes are occurring in the body. The temperature of our body is regulated by the hypothalamus which is present at the base of the brain. The state of fever is experienced by almost every human being at some point of time irrespective of sex or age. Many medical experts are of the opinion that fever is a natural defense of the body against infection. Relevant treatment for fever is recommended by medical experts after assessing the symptoms carefully and conducting certain diagnostic tests. Causes of high fever in adults Diseases such as malaria, upper and lower respiratory tract infections or flu, cold, bacterial infections, gastrointestinal infections, urinary tract infections or skin infections etc Excessive heat exposure Abnormalities in the brain or malignant tumors Disease of the endocrine which is associated with a hormonal or glandular system of the body Inflammation caused by tissue injury Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis which is the inflammation of the lining of joints Side effects of certain medicines Common symptoms High fever comes with a lot of physical discomforts.
Things to Know about Swollen Finger Pain
Diseases & Conditions

Things to Know about Swollen Finger Pain

Everyone experiences pain and swelling in their fingers at some point in time. There are several reasons for this pain and swelling, such as injuries and medical conditions that are known to cause pain in the fingers. Swollen finger pain is generally accompanied by redness, a burning sensation, tenderness, stiffness, numbness, a tingling feeling, swelling, color change, and such other conditions. Arthritis is one of the major causes of swollen finger pain. It can also be caused due to an infection or inflammation. Causes of swollen finger pain: Swollen finger pain may be caused as a result of injuries due to strenuous physical activity, actively participating in contact sports such as soccer, football, or baseball. Performing recreational activities that require a lot of efforts, such as skiing or playing tennis. Operating heavy machinery at home or work. Carrying heavy loads for a long period of time. Active participation in fist fights or punching. Performance of repetitive movements such as typing, writing, and stitching for a long period of time. As a result of the compartment syndrome, which leads to severe swelling of the fingers; it covers the muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. Patients who are suffering from the compartment syndrome should be attended to immediately and under the supervision of a doctor.
All You Need to Know about Sciatica
Diseases & Conditions

All You Need to Know about Sciatica

Sciatic Pain Cure refers to the treatment of the symptoms such as tingling in the leg, pain, weakness or numbness radiating through the sciatic nerve. The pain that occurs along the path of this nerve is known as sciatica. Sciatica is not a disease, it essentially points to an underlying medical condition. How can you cure sciatic pain? The cure for sciatic pain begins with the identification of medical conditions such as spinal stenosis, herniated disc, spondylolisthesis, or degenerative disk disease. There is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve which becomes worse if there is no medical intervention. Sciatic pain can be cured nonsurgically as well as through regular exercise. There are alternative treatments for sciatic pain such as consulting chiropractors or undergoing massage therapy. Various methods to cure sciatic pain Though there are non-surgical methods to cure Sciatic pain, in extreme cases surgical intervention is required. The root of the sciatic nerve is compressed and this is the reason for the neurological symptoms that include pain. The various methods of non-surgical treatment are: Heat/ice Applying heat or ice to the affected area normally helps in reducing the pain in the leg. Ice and heat should be used alternately for 20 minutes, and the process is repeated every two hours.
Here’s What You Need to Know about Spinal Fusion Surgery
Diseases & Conditions

Here’s What You Need to Know about Spinal Fusion Surgery

Surgery is always a final resort when all other treatments fail to bear fruit. Spinal fusion surgery is recommended by doctors and medical specialists only after they have tried other treatment options. Let’s find out more about this procedure. What is spinal fusion surgery? It is a surgical technique that joins or fuses two or more vertebrae to restrict the movement between them. It is a neuro-orthopedic surgical procedure. It is usually recommended to reduce or eliminate spinal cord pressure and the resultant pain caused by worn out cartilage between the vertebrae. A patient may have to undergo surgery to decompress a pinched nerve-root or to stabilize a joint that causes pain. This surgery can help to heal spinal fractures and broken or damaged vertebrae that make the spine unstable. People undergo surgery if they have conditions like spinal weakness or deformity, herniated disks, spondylolisthesis, and other such ailments. Spinal tumor and degenerative spinal conditions are other situations where this surgery can be beneficial. It is a common surgical procedure, and statistics show that nearly 488,000 spinal fusion surgeries were performed in the country in 2011. Are you a candidate for this procedure? It is vital to identify and locate the exact cause of back pain before opting for surgery.
Things to Know about Helicobacter Pylori
Diseases & Conditions

Things to Know about Helicobacter Pylori

Helicobacter Pylori or H. Pylori is a common type of bacteria that usually causes the infection of the digestive tract. About 60 percent of the adult population of the entire world is affected by H. Pylori, and it is commonly seen in the western developed countries. “Helico” means spiral, and the name comes from its spiral shape. This shape makes it easy to penetrate the stomach lining, causing ulcers in the stomach. If the treatment for Helicobacter Pylori is not done on time, the complications can be life-threatening. Here are a few things related to the H. Pylori. The signs and symptoms of Helicobacter Pylori In about 85% of the cases of Helicobacter Pylori, there are no symptoms and complications. When there’s already an ulcer in the stomach, one can start feeling abdominal pain at night or a few hours after meals when the stomach is empty. This is a troubling pain that is timely, and it goes off on its own. Some other symptoms associated with H. Pylori infection are as listed: Excessive burping A feeling of bloating Nausea Heartburn Fever Decreased appetite Weight loss In the later stage of H. Pylori infection, some of the symptoms are trouble in swallowing, anemia, blood in the stool, vomiting, black spots on the face, and so on.
Here’s What You Need to Know about Parkinson’s Disease
Diseases & Conditions

Here’s What You Need to Know about Parkinson’s Disease

According to a report by the American Parkinson’s Disease Association, nearly 1 million people living in the country suffer from Parkinson’s disease. This association plans to educate people about this condition as well as the various problems that accompany it. What is Parkinson’s disease? Parkinson’s disease is an ailment that has a negative impact on the functioning of the human brain. It spreads slowly because of which an early diagnosis becomes nearly impossible. It comes gradually with a mild disturbance in movements, and slowly it starts impacting other activities like sleep, speech, and even the ability to think. Its other symptoms like the rigidity of muscles, problems with digestions are too vague because of which patients may get an inaccurate diagnosis in the early stages. Impact of Parkinson’s disease on the human body The main effect of Parkinson’s disease is the way it decreases the amount of dopamine in the body. Dopamine is a hormone that helps in the controlling motor and non-motor functions in our body. If the body has a dopamine deficiency, it leads to stilted walking, movements that are uncontrollable as well as tremors. There are many other symptoms that are less noticeable like loss of smell and constipation.
Relation Between the Kidneys and Lower Back Pain
Diseases & Conditions

Relation Between the Kidneys and Lower Back Pain

Pain in the lower back area could be the result of numerous factors. But is your lower back pain kidney related? Pain caused in the lower back may be due to kidney infection or kidney stones. Very often, when you have lower back pain, you may be confused about the exact cause. With this article, we will help you distinguish whether you have normal back pain or whether your lower back pain kidney related. If it is lower back pain induced by kidney related issues, you will experience sharp pain between the hips and flanks and ribs. Unlike normal pain in the lower back which is not very specific, the lower back pain induced by kidneys is concentrated around the hip area and below the rib cage or in the lower back sides. Difference between normal lower back pain and kidney-related lower back pain When the lower back pain is kidney related, it usually shows incidence in the form of specific, localized pain. A normal back pain, on the other hand, may tend to affect the areas from your neck to your back. If you experience a sudden, shooting pain in the lower part of your rib cage or on the lower sides on your back, it is pain induced by kidneys.