Saturday, August 25, 2012

Kidney Stones

Are you looking for ways on how to dissolve kidney stones? Before you look for ways , it is best to know first some information about their cause. This brief article will give you valuable information about remedies that will surely help you deal with kidney stones formation inside your body.
Quick Facts
· It is a hard and like crystalline minerals formed inside your urinary tract or kidney.
· The medical term for it is Nephrolithiasis.
· The five basic kinds are calcium, uric acid, struvite, cysteine and drug-induced.
· The common symptoms are blood in your urine or hematuria and flank pain that can be severe.
· There can be a formation once there is a decrease in volume of your urine and if you form stone substances excessively in the urine.
· The major reason why there is formation is due to dehydration. If you live in a hotter climate and do not make it a habit to drink water, you are a candidate for formation of stones.
· If you have specific medical conditions like gout or take certain supplements or medications, you are at a higher risk.
· Hereditary and dietary factors can also be a factor.
You will undergo treatment if you have severe conditions of stone formation. However, you need to help yourself dissolve kidney stones through proper diet and following natural remedies for kidney stones.
Your diet is a big factor that leads you to form kidney stones. There are different types of kidney stone formation that can be prevented if you follow a strict diet. Drinking sufficient fluids especially water throughout the day is an excellent preventative.
You must limit sodium or salt because it helps increase your excretion of calcium in your urine. In result, you will form kidney stones. It is much better to reduce your salt intake than to reduce your calcium intake.
Foods that are high in animal proteins like fish-contain purines, eggs and meats can increase your chances of forming calcium stones and uric acid stones. Foods that are rich in calcium can help you prevent in the formation of kidney stones and assist you in maintaining your bone density. Try to avoid as well foods high in oxalates like rhubarb and spinach in order to prevent formation of calcium oxalate stones.
It is best to consult a doctor on how for your best treatment options. Take note, there are different kinds of treatment for a certain type of stone. Some can be treated with home remedies and some must be treated through surgery. Your doctor will be able to help you as well to know the causes of the kidney stone formation. Seek help from a dietician in planning your meals in order to lessen your chances of having to deal with the problem again.
Bill set up this site to help those that are suffering from kidney stones. His family members had suffered and with the help of the information he gathered they have not had any incidences since. check out the site. subscribe to the mailing list and have a better tomorrow.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

A Healthier Life Through Chiropractic Care

Let's face it. Today's lifestyle doesn't provide us with many opportunities to stay healthy. Between long commutes and spending hours sitting in front of a computer, we don't give ourselves many options to move around much.
However, this inactivity can cause people to suffer from a variety of issues such as back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Most Atlanta chiropractors recommend that those suffering from these ailments receive treatment.
Another factor affecting our lives in a negative way is nutrition. With an abundance of fast food, junk food, and processed food, it makes it difficult to eat healthy on a regular basis. If you are looking to enhance your chiropractic care, Atlanta chiropractors state that proper nutrition can enhance the treatment.
While some aspects of nutrition may appear to be easy to remember, it helps to put it all into perspective. One of the key elements to good nutrition is hydration. When you're thirsty, your best option is water. Water is an essential part of our body, especially our joints. It keeps our joints lubricated which will prevent any excess friction or wear known to cause osteoarthritis. Dehydration will also cause the discs in your spine to become stiff which could lead to potential injury and a limited range of motion.
While we all know a balanced diet is good for our health, it's also an essential part of musculoskeletal health. When you eat the correct portion of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, you provide your muscles and bones with the right elements to stay healthy. Every essential nutrient plays an important role in your overall health but it's important to pay attention to a few that stand out.
Calcium promotes healthy bones and can prevent osteoporosis. Omega-3 can reduce inflammation along with many other health benefits. Your Atlanta chiropractor may also recommend that you supplement your diet with glucosamine or chondroitin, especially if you are at risk for osteoarthritis. Glucosamine can prevent cartilage breakdown in joints and chondroitin can actually help rebuild it.
There is some controversy about adding these supplements to your diet. Some research shows the favorable results from them while others have shown no improvements from taking them. Since glucosamine and chondroitin may interact with some prescription medicines, you may want to consult with your doctor before including them in your diet.
Overall, staying active and eating the right nutrients will help to keep you healthy. Consult with your local Atlanta chiropractor to find out more information on how chiropractic care can enhance a healthy lifestyle

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Constipation: An Overview

Constipation is an extremely common condition. It is estimated that up to 4 million Americans suffer from constipation at a given time. Constipation affects children, women, and elderly most commonly, although individuals of all age can be afflicted. If you are having difficulty passing stool, or having incomplete or infrequent passage of stool, it is likely that you are experiencing constipation. For reference, the normal bowel movements varies person to person, but usually range from 3 bowel movements per day to 3 times per week.
The most common causes of constipation includes dietary and life style factors. If you do not take enough fibers, do not drink enough water, or do not exercise, then, there is a higher likelihood of developing constipation. Other factors that are thought to be important in constipation includes medications. Medications that you take for high blood pressure or heart condition, medication for depression, calcium and iron pills are all important in causing constipation. Patients with diabetes or thyroid condition also have higher incidence of constipation. Another important cause of constipation is colon cancer. If you are over the age of 50 and is developing a new onset constipation, this possibility needs to be fully excluded.
In the treatment of constipation, it is very important that we modify certain life style and dietary factors. To do this, you will need to increase fiber intake that will result in increased volume or bulk of stool, and increase hydration to soften the stool. This is analogous to the situation with toothpaste. With a new toothpaste, it is extremely easy to squeeze out the toothpaste. But when there is very little toothpaste left or it is dried out, it becomes very difficult to squeeze out the toothpaste. Thus, it is important to increase the fiber and fluid in your diet to increase the bulk and soften the stool. It is also helpful to exercise on a regular basis to increase colonic activity. Other helpful measures include ingesting dietary fiber supplements. They can be purchased under the brand name of Metamucil or Citrucel. You can also soften the stool by taking stool softener sold under the name of Colace or mineral oil. Colonic stimulants are another type of medications that you can take to relieve constipation. They are sold under the brand name of Dulcolax and Senokot. Medications that require prescription includes Miralax, Amitiza, Lactulose, and Orlistat, and they can be helpful in certain situations.
Constipation is a very common condition that can be easily managed by following simple steps.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Preventing Osteoarthritis in Men Over 50

Over 50? Take action now to limit your osteoarthritis risk
If you're a man over age 50, your odds of getting Osteoarthritis are going up. In fact, research shows that by age 60, most men will have some form of this degenerative joint disease.
Osteoarthritis simply explained is a deterioration of the soft cartilage material lining our joints. The cartilage breaks down, leaving rougher, uneven surfaces where the joint grinds instead of slides. At worst, the cartilage can wear away entirely, leaving direct bone-on-bone contact.
Osteoarthritis normally shows up in the following joints:
  1. Hips
  2. Knees
  3. Spine
  4. Shoulders
While osteoarthritis causes are subject to much discussion, two main factors seem universal:
  1. Joint overuse or repetitive stress
  2. Joint injury
In limiting the risk of osteoarthritis, we will focus primarily on joint overuse and repetitive stress.
Regarding joint injury, leading a high-impact lifestyle, where you're likely to fall hard or impact the joints with blunt force, will increase your osteoarthritis risk. But hey, you gotta live your life, so make these lifestyle decision with discretion.
Osteoarthritis Causal Factors
Most men over 50 don't understand joints very well. For our purposes, it's important to understand that the skeletal system, including where bones connect as joints, aren't really designed to bear a lot of weight.
Our skeletal role is mostly just to provide a rigid structure for muscle attachment. The following two factors can contribute greatly to joint stress:
  1. Obesity; carrying too much weight
  2. Muscle atrophy; weak muscles
For example, if you're a man about 50 and six feet tall, your body weight should be in the neighborhood of 175 pounds, give or take a few. For this same person who might weigh, say 250 pounds, that's an extra 75 pounds of weight your body must support.
On top of that, throw in a sedentary lifestyle where muscles have shrunk to a limited capacity in supporting the joints. After all, a joint is really only as strong as the muscles and tendons that hold it together.
The combined effect is "settling into the joints", placing tremendous loads on the knees, hips, and spine. Now think of joint cartilage as the "contact points" of this load.
After years of abuse the joint cartilage just starts to fall apart.
Risk Prevention
Limiting osteoarthritis risk in men over 50 then is pretty self-evident, but it's up to you as the individual to take the right actions now, so here are the keys:
  1. Lose weight. Universally, this is the single best thing any man over 50 can do to improve overall health. However, specific to osteoarthritis, maintaining proper weight is an imperative.
  2. Strengthen your muscle base. Resistance training (weight lifting) is the best way to achieve muscle strength gains. If you don't have resistance training experience, find a reputable personal trainer to help start you. Any program must include total body strengthening with heavy emphasis on increasing core strength.
Osteoarthritis is not completely preventable in men over 50, however understanding the causes and taking specific action now will limit anyone's risk in a favorable way.
Remember, it's your body, the only one you'll ever have. It's up to you to take the steps required to maintain a healthy body and a healthy, happy life.
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