Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/healthca/public_html/blog/wp-content/plugins/UltimateTagWarrior/ultimate-tag-warrior-core.php on line 1390

Stroke is sudden loss of brain function, which is caused by either blockage or rupture of an artery. The scientists conducting a research on stroke found out that when a person suffers from stroke, there are about 2 million nerve cells that are dying every single minute, which results in loss of 14 billion synapses, and 8 miles of never fibers. The researchers also added that every hour that passes by under the effect of stroke, the brain ages 3.6 years. So this just makes stroke an emergency that needs immediate medical attention.

Brain is the most important organ of our body, as it controls and performs so many functions in our body. The damage that occurs from stroke to the brain is purely devastating. The symptoms and signs that occur after a stroke depend on the area of the brain that is affected. The symptoms that are most common are either weakness or paralysis of one side of the body with either partial or complete loss of voluntary function or either sensation of the limb or limbs.

The diagnosis of a stroke depends on clinical history and examination. Tests are performed on patients to know for sure as to what areas of brain are affected and how much area is involved that is damaged by stroke. An echocardiogram can be performed to look for blood clots in heart. Another important test, which is ultrasound of the carotid arteries, is done to look for stenosis that may be a cause of impaired blood circulation to the brain.

Just on the basis of the fact that a person has slurred speech, it should not be concluded that a person had stroke, because there are other brain disorders that mimic the same symptoms that are seen in stroke such as subdural hematoma, viral encephalitis, etc.

Stroke is a deadly thing that might lead one to lose speech, paralyzed on one or both sides, affect memory and leave individuals bedridden throughout their lives. It is always important to act as fast as you can. It is race against time to help the person who had stroke.

I hope that this article provides you with a good level of awareness about stroke. In my next coming articles, I will be discussing about how to act when you see a person suffering from stroke.

Your online destination for health.

Tags:  

Many people die every year and everyone who dies has a cause of death. Every year about 32,000 people in US die because of suicide. The reasons that make basis of death are just tidal waves swallowing people up and suicide is one of that waves.

There is a newly conducted research that suggests that antidepressants lead to suicides, even though in very small numbers, but still is a reason for that.

The scientists conducted a study on a drug taken by children, named, Strattera, which is a treatment given for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and this drug is very much like the drug Effexor, which contains the warnings about suicide. The study was conducted on 1,357 children who were given Strattera, and 5 out of 1357 children said that they had suicidal thoughts and on the other hand there were about 857 children who were given placebo and they said that they had no suicidal ideation.

These were very concerning results as this has been proven through the study that though the number of children who have suicidal thoughts is very less, but still they make about five people who might lead to connect to the number of 32,000 people who commit suicide every year. This is a very alarming situation.

On the other hand it is very common in adults having suicidal thoughts, almost 20% of adults who are going to high school have suicidal thoughts.

The statistics that are pretty encouraging is that the rate of the suicide has dropped from 25% to about 19%.

Some of the researchers say that antidepressants are preventing the risk of suicidal rates, and they base their facts that they did autopsy on two youths who had committed suicide but they never found any trace of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in their body, which strongly suggests that antidepressants are not linked with suicides.

So it really depends on the effects of the drug on a person to make a decision as to whether or not these drugs should be taken or not because the study suggests that some children who take SSRIs do become hostile after taking these medicines.

So if you need to take these medicines, be in very close contact with your physician.

I hope you will make the right choice.

Related: Learn about Cymbalta – An antidepressant medication

Tags:  

A compound from vitamin A, which is used to treat acne is now being used to treat diabetic foot ulcers, which heals the ulcers, according to a recent research.

There have been studies that were conducted previously that suggested low incidence of topical Retin-A helping in wound healing in patients with diabetes.

There was a clinical trial that was conducted by researchers on about 24 volunteers who had diabetic foot ulcers with no evidence of infection, circulatory or neurological issues in the lower extremities. After that the patients were given treatment for four weeks with daily topical application of 0.05 percent tretinoin solution and the wound size was assessed every two weeks.

The patients then completed the study, and out of a total of about 24 ulcers, 10 ulcers got completely healed at the end of the therapy. To the researchers surprise there was essentially no side effects from the therapy, although some of the patients had mild discomfort at the site of the ulcer.

The researchers said that to their surprise the results were quite amazing because tretinoin is an irritating compound and they were not thinking that the patients would have been able to bear its effects, but to their surprise the patients tolerated it quite well and also had pretty good results from this intervention.

So the researchers are thinking that when other forms of therapies are not working for diabetic foot ulcers, they can use this approach to help heal the diabetic foot ulcers.

Related: Home remedies for Diabetes

Tags:  

More than a third of 7 million annual deaths each year can be prevented only if people prevented the major risk factors for cancer.

The major contributing factors to most of the cancers are as follows: Alcohol, obesity, poor diet, unsafe sex, and lack of exercise, which cause approximately 2.5 million deaths throughout the world in the year 2001.

All these deaths could have been avoided either the risks would have either be reduced or eliminated from the lives of those people.

Researchers say that the best game plan is to prevent the risk factors in order to reduce the high death rates that happen every year and this can be achieved solely by prevention.

Smoking is linked to multiple cancers, which include lung, mouth, stomach, bladder and pancreatic cancers and that can be avoided by quitting smoking and adopting healthy habits.

The total lung cancer deaths account to about 1.25 million, which is a pretty huge figure.

Obesity contributes to colorectal and breast cancer in countries with high-income.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) through unsafe sex causes cervical cancer in women, and this occurs mostly due to the lack of screening and clinical services.

Air pollution is a big threat and risk factor to cause cancer, especially in developing countries where they burn coal as a fuel.

Liver cancer is linked to hepatitis infection, which is caused by contaminated syringes in poor countries as well.

So from the above data we can clearly understand that there are a whole lot of causes that can be prevented from occurring and this mostly depends on the level of awareness that is being brought about in the communities where people know as to what are the factors that are causing them and how they can save themselves from having these catastrophic illnesses.

Here are a few types of cancers explained: Bladder Cancer, Brain Tumors, Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, Lung Cancer, Leukemia, Laryngeal Tumor, Lymphomas and Hodgkin’s Disease, Head and Neck Cancer, Colon and Rectal Cancer, Cervical and Uterine Cancer.

Tags: