Causes and symptoms
Men/women. Heart Disease Risk Factors
Causes of Heart Disease.
Cardiovascular disease can take many forms: high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, stroke, or rheumatic fever/rheumatic heart disease. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease causes 12 million deaths in the world each year.
Risk factors are divided into two categories: major and contributing. Major risk factors are those that have been proven to increase your risk of heart disease. Contributing risk factors are those that doctors think can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, but their exact role has not been defined. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop heart disease. Some risk factors can be changed, treated, or modified, and some cannot. But by controlling as many risk factors as possible, through lifestyle changes and/or medicines, you can reduce your risk of heart disease
Major Risk Factors
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). High blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Though other risk factors can lead to high blood pressure, you can have it without having other risk factors. If you are obese, you smoke, or you have high blood cholesterol levels along with high blood pressure, your risk of heart disease or stroke greatly increases.
Blood pressure can vary with activity and with age, but a healthy adult who is resting generally has a systolic pressure reading between 120 and 130 and a diastolic pressure reading between 80 and 90 (or below).
High Blood Cholesterol. One of the major risk factors for heart disease is high blood cholesterol. Cholesterol, a fat-like substance carried in your blood, is found in all of your body's cells. Your liver produces all of the cholesterol your body needs to form cell membranes and to make certain hormones. Extra cholesterol enters your body when you eat foods that come from animals (meats, eggs, and dairy products).
Although we often blame the cholesterol found in foods that we eat for raising blood cholesterol, the main culprit is the saturated fat in food. (Be sure to read nutrition labels carefully, because even though a food does not contain cholesterol it may still have large amounts of saturated fat.) Foods rich in saturated fat include butter fat in milk products, fat from red meat, and tropical oils such as coconut oil.
Too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad cholesterol") in the blood causes plaque to form on artery walls, which starts a disease process called atherosclerosis. When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, you are at greater risk of having a heart attack.
Diabetes. Heart problems are the leading cause of death among people with diabetes, especially in the case of adult-onset or Type II diabetes (also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes). Certain racial and ethnic groups (African Americans, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans) have a greater risk of developing diabetes. The American Heart Association estimates that 65% of patients with diabetes die of some form of cardiovascular disease. If you know that you have diabetes, you should already be under a doctor's care, because good control of blood sugar levels can reduce your risk. If you think you may have diabetes but are not sure, see your doctor for tests.
Obesity and Overweight. Extra weight is thought to lead to increased total cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Obesity increases your chances of developing other risk factors for heart disease, especially high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
Smoking. Most people know that cigarette and tobacco smoking increases your risk of lung cancer, but fewer realize that it also greatly increases your risk of heart disease and peripheral vascular disease (disease in the vessels that supply blood to the arms and legs). Research has shown that smoking increases heart rate, tightens major arteries, and can create irregularities in the timing of heartbeats, all of which make your heart work harder. Smoking also raises blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke in people who already have high blood pressure. Although nicotine is the main active agent in cigarette smoke, other chemicals and compounds like tar and carbon monoxide are also harmful to your heart in a variety of ways. These chemicals lead to the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, possibly by injuring the vessel walls. And they also affect cholesterol and levels of fibrinogen, which is a blood-clotting material. This increases the risk of a blood clot that can lead to a heart attack.
Physical Inactivity. People who are not active have a greater risk of heart attack than do people who exercise regularly. Exercise burns calories, helps to control cholesterol levels and diabetes, and may lower blood pressure. Exercise also strengthens the heart muscle and makes the arteries more flexible. Those who actively burn 500 to 3500 calories per week, either at work or through exercise, can expect to live longer than people who do not exercise. Even moderate-intensity exercise is helpful if done regularly.
Gender. Overall, men have a higher risk of heart attack than women. But the difference narrows after women reach menopause. After the age of 65, the risk of heart disease is about the same between the sexes when other risk factors are similar.
Heredity. Heart disease tends to run in families. For example, if your parents or siblings had a heart or circulatory problem before age 55, then you are at greater risk for heart disease than someone who does not have that family history. Risk factors (including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity) may also be passed from one generation to another.
Age. Older age is a risk factor for heart disease. In fact, about 4 of every 5 deaths due to heart disease occur in people older than 65.
As we age, our hearts tend to not work as well. The heart's walls may thicken, arteries may stiffen and harden, and the heart is less able to pump blood to the muscles of the body. Because of these changes, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease increases with age. Because of their sex hormones, women are usually protected from heart disease until menopause, and then their risk increases. Women 65 and older have about the same risk of cardiovascular disease as men of the same age.
Contributing Risk Factors
Stress. Stress is considered a contributing risk factor for heart disease because little is known about its effects. The effects of emotional stress, behavior habits, and socioeconomic status on the risk of heart disease and heart attack have not been proven. That is because we all deal with stress differently: how much and in what way stress affects us can vary from person to person.
Researchers have identified several reasons why stress may affect the heart.
Stressful situations raise your heart rate and blood pressure, increasing your heart's need for oxygen. This need for oxygen can bring on angina pectoris, or chest pain, in people who already have heart disease.
During times of stress, the nervous system releases extra hormones (most often adrenaline). These hormones raise blood pressure, which can injure the lining of the arteries. When the arteries heal, the walls may harden or thicken, making is easier for plaque to build up.
Stress also increases the amount of blood clotting factors that circulate in your blood, and makes it more likely that a clot will form. Clots may then block an artery narrowed by plaque and cause a heart attack.
Stress may also contribute to other risk factors. For example, people who are stressed may overeat for comfort, start smoking, or smoke more than they normally would.
Sex hormones. Sex hormones appear to play a role in heart disease. Among women younger than 40, heart disease is rare. But between the ages 40 and 65, around the time when most women go through menopause, the chances that a woman will have a heart attack greatly increase. From 65 onward, women make up about half of all heart attack victims.
Birth control pills. Early types of birth control pills contained high levels of estrogen and progestin, and taking these pills increased the chances of heart disease and stroke, especially in women older than 35 who smoked. But birth control pills today contain much lower doses of hormones. Birth control pills are considered safe for women younger than 35, who do not smoke or have high blood pressure.
But if you smoke or have other risk factors, birth control pills will increase your risk of heart disease and blood clots, especially if you are older than 35. According to the American Heart Association, women who take birth control pills should have yearly check-ups that test blood pressure, triglyceride, and glucose levels.
Alcohol. Studies have shown that the risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol is lower than in nondrinkers. Experts say that moderate intake is an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. One drink is defined as 1?fluid ounces (fl oz) of 80-proof spirits (such as bourbon, Scotch, vodka, gin, etc.), 1 fl oz of 100-proof spirits, 4 fl oz of wine, or 12 fl oz of beer. But drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol can cause heart-related problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, irregular heartbeats, and cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle). And the average drink has between 100 and 200 calories. Calories from alcohol often add fat to the body, which may increase the risk of heart disease. It is not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinker’s increase the amount that they drink.
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). High blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Though other risk factors can lead to high blood pressure, you can have it without having other risk factors. If you are obese, you smoke, or you have high blood cholesterol levels along with high blood pressure, your risk of heart disease or stroke greatly increases.
Blood pressure can vary with activity and with age, but a healthy adult who is resting generally has a systolic pressure reading between 120 and 130 and a diastolic pressure reading between 80 and 90 (or below).
High Blood Cholesterol. One of the major risk factors for heart disease is high blood cholesterol. Cholesterol, a fat-like substance carried in your blood, is found in all of your body's cells. Your liver produces all of the cholesterol your body needs to form cell membranes and to make certain hormones. Extra cholesterol enters your body when you eat foods that come from animals (meats, eggs, and dairy products).
Although we often blame the cholesterol found in foods that we eat for raising blood cholesterol, the main culprit is the saturated fat in food. (Be sure to read nutrition labels carefully, because even though a food does not contain cholesterol it may still have large amounts of saturated fat.) Foods rich in saturated fat include butter fat in milk products, fat from red meat, and tropical oils such as coconut oil.
Too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad cholesterol") in the blood causes plaque to form on artery walls, which starts a disease process called atherosclerosis. When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, you are at greater risk of having a heart attack.
Diabetes. Heart problems are the leading cause of death among people with diabetes, especially in the case of adult-onset or Type II diabetes (also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes). Certain racial and ethnic groups (African Americans, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans) have a greater risk of developing diabetes. The American Heart Association estimates that 65% of patients with diabetes die of some form of cardiovascular disease. If you know that you have diabetes, you should already be under a doctor's care, because good control of blood sugar levels can reduce your risk. If you think you may have diabetes but are not sure, see your doctor for tests.
Obesity and Overweight. Extra weight is thought to lead to increased total cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Obesity increases your chances of developing other risk factors for heart disease, especially high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
Smoking. Most people know that cigarette and tobacco smoking increases your risk of lung cancer, but fewer realize that it also greatly increases your risk of heart disease and peripheral vascular disease (disease in the vessels that supply blood to the arms and legs). Research has shown that smoking increases heart rate, tightens major arteries, and can create irregularities in the timing of heartbeats, all of which make your heart work harder. Smoking also raises blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke in people who already have high blood pressure. Although nicotine is the main active agent in cigarette smoke, other chemicals and compounds like tar and carbon monoxide are also harmful to your heart in a variety of ways. These chemicals lead to the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, possibly by injuring the vessel walls. And they also affect cholesterol and levels of fibrinogen, which is a blood-clotting material. This increases the risk of a blood clot that can lead to a heart attack.
Physical Inactivity. People who are not active have a greater risk of heart attack than do people who exercise regularly. Exercise burns calories, helps to control cholesterol levels and diabetes, and may lower blood pressure. Exercise also strengthens the heart muscle and makes the arteries more flexible. Those who actively burn 500 to 3500 calories per week, either at work or through exercise, can expect to live longer than people who do not exercise. Even moderate-intensity exercise is helpful if done regularly.
Gender. Overall, men have a higher risk of heart attack than women. But the difference narrows after women reach menopause. After the age of 65, the risk of heart disease is about the same between the sexes when other risk factors are similar.
Heredity. Heart disease tends to run in families. For example, if your parents or siblings had a heart or circulatory problem before age 55, then you are at greater risk for heart disease than someone who does not have that family history. Risk factors (including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity) may also be passed from one generation to another.
Age. Older age is a risk factor for heart disease. In fact, about 4 of every 5 deaths due to heart disease occur in people older than 65.
As we age, our hearts tend to not work as well. The heart's walls may thicken, arteries may stiffen and harden, and the heart is less able to pump blood to the muscles of the body. Because of these changes, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease increases with age. Because of their sex hormones, women are usually protected from heart disease until menopause, and then their risk increases. Women 65 and older have about the same risk of cardiovascular disease as men of the same age.
Contributing Risk Factors
Stress. Stress is considered a contributing risk factor for heart disease because little is known about its effects. The effects of emotional stress, behavior habits, and socioeconomic status on the risk of heart disease and heart attack have not been proven. That is because we all deal with stress differently: how much and in what way stress affects us can vary from person to person.
Researchers have identified several reasons why stress may affect the heart.
Stressful situations raise your heart rate and blood pressure, increasing your heart's need for oxygen. This need for oxygen can bring on angina pectoris, or chest pain, in people who already have heart disease.
During times of stress, the nervous system releases extra hormones (most often adrenaline). These hormones raise blood pressure, which can injure the lining of the arteries. When the arteries heal, the walls may harden or thicken, making is easier for plaque to build up.
Stress also increases the amount of blood clotting factors that circulate in your blood, and makes it more likely that a clot will form. Clots may then block an artery narrowed by plaque and cause a heart attack.
Stress may also contribute to other risk factors. For example, people who are stressed may overeat for comfort, start smoking, or smoke more than they normally would.
Sex hormones. Sex hormones appear to play a role in heart disease. Among women younger than 40, heart disease is rare. But between the ages 40 and 65, around the time when most women go through menopause, the chances that a woman will have a heart attack greatly increase. From 65 onward, women make up about half of all heart attack victims.
Birth control pills. Early types of birth control pills contained high levels of estrogen and progestin, and taking these pills increased the chances of heart disease and stroke, especially in women older than 35 who smoked. But birth control pills today contain much lower doses of hormones. Birth control pills are considered safe for women younger than 35, who do not smoke or have high blood pressure.
But if you smoke or have other risk factors, birth control pills will increase your risk of heart disease and blood clots, especially if you are older than 35. According to the American Heart Association, women who take birth control pills should have yearly check-ups that test blood pressure, triglyceride, and glucose levels.
Alcohol. Studies have shown that the risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol is lower than in nondrinkers. Experts say that moderate intake is an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. One drink is defined as 1?fluid ounces (fl oz) of 80-proof spirits (such as bourbon, Scotch, vodka, gin, etc.), 1 fl oz of 100-proof spirits, 4 fl oz of wine, or 12 fl oz of beer. But drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol can cause heart-related problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, irregular heartbeats, and cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle). And the average drink has between 100 and 200 calories. Calories from alcohol often add fat to the body, which may increase the risk of heart disease. It is not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinker’s increase the amount that they drink.
Symptoms Heart Disease.
A heart attack is a frightening event, and you probably don't want to think about it. But, if you learn the signs of a heart attack and what steps to take, you can save a life–maybe your own. What are the signs of a heart attack? Many people think a heart attack is sudden and intense, like a "movie" heart attack, where a person clutches his or her chest and falls over. The truth is that many heart attacks start slowly, as a mild pain or discomfort. If you feel such a symptom, you may not be sure what's wrong. Your symptoms may even come and go. Even those who have had a heart attack may not recognize their symptoms, because the next attack can have entirely different ones. It's vital that everyone learn the warning signs of a heart attack.
These are:
Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back; neck; jaw; or stomach.
Shortness of breath. Often comes along with chest discomfort. But it also can occur before chest discomfort.
Other symptoms. May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.
Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back; neck; jaw; or stomach.
Shortness of breath. Often comes along with chest discomfort. But it also can occur before chest discomfort.
Other symptoms. May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.
Pain
--sudden discomfort or pain that does not go away with rest
--pain that may be in the chest, neck, jaw, shoulder, arms or back
--pain that may feel like burning, squeezing, heaviness, tightness or pressure
--in women, pain may be more vague
--sudden discomfort or pain that does not go away with rest
--pain that may be in the chest, neck, jaw, shoulder, arms or back
--pain that may feel like burning, squeezing, heaviness, tightness or pressure
--in women, pain may be more vague
Shortness of Breath
--difficulty breathing
--difficulty breathing
Nausea
--indigestion
--vomiting
--indigestion
--vomiting
Sweating
--cool, clammy skin
Fear
--anxiety
--denial
--anxiety
--denial
What are the causes of liver disease?
The liver can be damaged in a variety of ways.
· Cells can become inflamed (such as in hepatitis: hepar=liver + itis=inflammation).
· Bile flow can be obstructed (such as in cholestasis: chole=bile + stasis=standing).
· Cholesterol or triglycerides can accumulate (such as in steatosis; steat=fat + osis=accumulation).
· Blood flow to the liver may be compromised.
· Liver tissue can be damaged by chemicals and minerals, or infiltrated by abnormal cells.
· Alcohol abuse
· Alcohol is directly toxic to liver cells and can cause liver inflammation, referred to as alcoholic hepatitis. In chronic alcohol abuse, fatty accumulation (steatosis) occurs in liver cells causing the cells to malfunction.
· Cirrhosis
· Cirrhosis is a late-stage liver disease. Scarring of the liver and loss of functioning liver cells cause the liver to fail.
· Drug-induced liver disease
· Liver cells may become temporarily inflamed or permanently damaged by exposure to medications or drugs. Some medications or drugs require an overdose to cause liver injury while others may cause the damage even when taken in the appropriately prescribed dosage.
· Infectious hepatitis
· The term "hepatitis" means inflammation, and liver cells can become inflamed because of infection.
· Hepatitis A is a viral infection that is caused primarily through the fecal-oral route when small amounts of infected fecal matter are inadvertently ingested. Hepatitis A causes an acute inflammation of the liver which generally resolves spontaneously. The hepatitis A vaccine can prevent this infection.
· Hepatitis B is spread by exposure to body fluids (needles from drug abusers, contaminated blood, and sexual contact) and can cause an acute infection, but can also progress to cause chronic inflammation (chronic hepatitis) that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis B vaccine prevents this infection.
· Hepatitis C causes chronic hepatitis. An infected individual may not recall any acute illness. Hepatitis C is spread by exposure to body fluids (needles from drug abusers, contaminated blood, and sexual contact). Chronic hepatitis C may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. At present, there is no vaccine against this virus.
· Hepatitis D is a virus that requires concomitant infection with hepatitis B to survive, and is spread via body fluid exposure (needles from drug abusers, contaminated blood, and sexual contact).
· Hepatitis E is a virus that is spread via contaminated food and water exposure.
· Non-Alcoholic fatty liver disease
· Accumulation of fat within the liver can cause gradual decrease in liver function. Also known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, or NASH.
· Hemochromatosis
· Hemachromatosis (iron overload) is a metabolic disorder that leads to abnormally elevated iron stores in the body. The excess iron may be found in the tissues of the liver, pancreas, and heart and can lead to inflammation, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. Hemachromatosis is an inherited disease.
· Cancers
· Primary cancers of the liver arise from liver structures and cells. Two examples include hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.
· Metastatic cancer (secondary cancer of the liver) begins in another organ and spreads to the liver, usually through the blood stream. Common cancers that spread to the liver begin in the lung, breast, large intestine, stomach, and pancreas.Leukemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma may also involve the liver.
· Blood flow abnormalities
· Budd Chiari syndrome is a disease in which blood clots form in the hepatic vein and prevent blood from leaving the liver. This can increase portal vein pressure and lead to cirrhosis and liver failure. Causes of Budd Chiari syndrome include polycythemia(elevated red blood cell count), inflammatory bowel diseases, sickle cell disease, and pregnancy.
· Congestive heart failure, where fluid and blood backs up in the large veins of the body can cause liver swelling and inflammation.
· Bile flow abnormalities
· Normally, bile flows from the liver into the gallbladder and ultimately into the intestine to help with the digestion of food. If bile flow is obstructed, it can cause inflammation within the liver. Most commonly, gallstones can cause an obstruction of the ducts that drains bile from the liver.
· Abnormalities of the opening of the bile duct into the intestine (sphincter of Oddi) can lead to abnormalities of bile flow. The sphincter of Oddi acts as a "valve" that allows bile to flow from the common bile duct into the intestine.
· Primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis can lead to progressive scarring of the bile ducts, causing them to become narrow, which results in reduced bile flow through the liver. Eventually, damage and scarring of the liver architecture causes liver failure to develop.
· Other diseases and conditions
· Conditions such as portal hypertension (increased blood pressure within the portal vein), abnormal blood clotting, and hepatic encephalopathy (abnormal brain function due to elevated levels of ammonia in the blood stream).
What are the risk factors for liver disease?
· Some liver diseases are potentially preventable and are associated with lifestyle choices. Hepatitis B and C are viral infections that are most often spread through the exchange of bodily fluids (for example, unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing unsterilized drug injecting equipment, using non-sterilized equipment for tattoos or body piercing). Alcohol related liver disease is due to excessive consumption of alcohol.
· Hereditary liver disease can be passed genetically from generation to generation. Examples include Wilson's disease and hemochromatosis.
· Chemical exposure may be toxic to the liver by irritating the liver cells causing inflammation (hepatitis), decreasing bile flow through the liver (cholestasis) and accumulation of triglycerides (steatosis). Chemicals such as anabolic steroids and vinyl chloride can cause liver cancers.
· Acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose is a common cause of liver failure. It is important to review the dosing guidelines for all over-the-counter medications and to ask for guidance from your health care professional or pharmacist as to how much may be taken safely.
· Medications may irritate the blood vessels causing narrowing or formation blood clots (thrombosis). Birth control pills may cause hepatic vein thrombosis, especially in smokers.
Classic symptoms of liver disease include:
· nausea,
· vomiting,
· right upper quadrant abdominal pain, and
· Jaundice (a yellow discoloration of the skin due to elevated bilirubin concentrations in the bloodstream).
Fatigue, weakness and weight loss may also be occurring.
However, since there are a variety of liver diseases, the symptoms tend to be specific for that illness until late-stage liver disease and liver failure occurs.
Examples of liver disease symptoms due to certain conditions or diseases include:
· A person with gallstones may experience right upper abdominal pain and vomiting after eating a greasy (fatty) meal. If the gallbladder becomes infected, fever may occur.
· Individuals with cirrhosis will develop progressive symptoms as the liver fails. Some symptoms are directly related to the inability of the liver to metabolize the body's waste products. Others reflect the failure of the liver to manufacture proteins required for body function and may affect blood clotting function, secondary sex characteristics and brain function. Symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver include:
o easy bruising may occur due to decreased production of clotting factors;
o bile salts can deposit in the skin causing itching;
o gynecomastia or enlarged breasts in men may occur because of an imbalance in sex hormones; specifically an increase in estradiol;
o impotence (erectile dysfunction, ED), poor sex drive and shrinking testicles are due to decrease in function of sex hormones;
o confusion and lethargy may occur if ammonia levels rise in the blood stream (ammonia is a waste product formed from protein metabolism and requires normal liver cells to remove it);
o ascites (fluid accumulation within the abdominal cavity) occurs because of decreased protein production; and
o Muscle wasting may occur because of reduced protein production.
Additionally, there is increased pressure within the cirrhotic liver affecting blood flow through the liver. Increased pressure in the portal vein causes blood flow to the liver to slow and blood vessels to swell. Swollen veins (varices) from around the stomach and esophagus and are at risk for bleeding.
Causes of Stomach Diseases
Causes of stomach diseases and problems greatly vary although many stomach diseases are associated with infections, especially Helicobater pylori infection. Causes of stomach diseases can be generally divided on:
1. internal factors such as too high (hyperchlorhydia) or too low levels (hypochlorhydria) of gastric acid and too slow emptying of the stomach
2. external factors which are in most cases responsible for stomach disease - stress, unhealthy diet, excessive consumption of coffee, alcohol and tea, smoking, certain medications especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and infection with Helicobacter pylori.
However, causes of stomach diseases also greatly depend from the types of diseases.
1. Dyspepsia can be caused by virtually all mentioned internal and external factors but it can be also a symptom of another disease such as peptic ulcer, gastritis and stomach cancer.
2. Heartburn can be a result of esophagus motility disorder, regurgitation, and esophagus irritation, while in some people heartburn is also caused by certain foods such as onion, garlic, caffeine containing drinks, tomato, vine and other alcoholic drinks, etc. which greatly depend from person to person.
3. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is in first place caused by abnormal gastric reflux from stomach to esophagus which is most frequently caused by deficiency of strength of lower esophageal sphincter.
4. Peptic ulcer is in most of patient caused by Helicobacter pylori infection or use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Other factor which increase the risk of peptic ulcer are aging (in greater risk are men after age of 60 years), history of stomach diseases and problems, stress and use of corticosteroids and anti-platelet drugs.
5. Helicobacter pylori infection is very widespread and according to some estimation over one half of world's population is infected with bacterium Helicobacter pylori but the way of transmission is unknown.
6. Gastritis, inflammation of the stomach lining has many causes: Helicobacter pylori infection, autoimmune disorders, stress, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, excessive alcohol consumption and is often also associated with some medical conditions such as liver or kidney failure and connective tissue disorders.
7. Stomach cancer like any other cancer type might develop for no particular cause (at least not know yet) but it is widely believed that the greatest risk factors are Helicobacter pylori infection, gastritis and salty diet.
Symptoms of Stomach Diseases
Different stomach diseases result in different symptoms although symptoms of all stomach diseases can be very unspecific and are often mistaken with symptoms of other diseases. However, if not treated certain stomach diseases might lead to development of severer forms such as stomach cancer which is one of most common world's causes of deaths. For that reason is important not to ignore the symptoms which might imply on certain stomach disease.
As already mentioned earlier different stomach diseases result different symptoms which also greatly vary from person to person. However, symptoms which are most frequently referred in the most common stomach diseases are:
1. dyspepsia: occasional or chronic pain in the upper abdomen or lower chest and in some cases also regurgitation, bloating, nausea and vomiting
2. Heartburn of pyrosis: burning sensation in the esophagus below the breastbone which can be also accompanied by sour or bitter taste in the mouth, regurgitation, and vomiting and mouth ulcers.
3. gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): burning sensation in the esophagus below the breastbone and regurgitation.
4. Peptic ulcer: persistent abdominal pain, bloating and abdominal fullness, regurgitation, loss of appetite and unexplainable weight loss.
5. Helicobacter pylori infection: there are no symptoms until the infection causes other stomach diseases such as dyspepsia, gastritis, peptic ulcer and stomach cancer. For that reason Helicobacter pylori infection is most frequently detected already when having symptoms of other diseases.
6. gastritis : poor digestion and pain in the upper abdomen
7. Stomach cancer: the early stage usually does not result any symptoms but while malignant tumor grows might occur pain in the epigastrium, difficulty swallowing, bloating and abdominal fullness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss, persistent tiredness and black stools.
What Is Kidney Disease?
The kidneys, two organs located on either side of your spine just above the waist, perform several life-sustaining roles. They cleanse your blood by removing waste and excess fluid, maintain the balance of salt and minerals in your blood, and help regulate blood pressure.
When the kidneys become damaged, waste products and fluid can build up in the body, causing swelling in your ankles, vomiting, weakness, poor sleep, and shortness of breath. If left untreated, diseased kidneys may eventually stop functioning completely. Loss of kidney function is a serious -- potentially fatal -- condition.
Healthy kidneys handle several specific roles:
· Maintain your body's balance of water and concentration of minerals such as sodium, potassium, and phosphorus in your blood.
· Remove waste by-products from the blood after digestion, muscle activity, and exposure to chemicals or medications.
· Produce rennin, an enzyme that helps regulate blood pressure.
· Produce erythropoietin, which stimulates red blood cell production.
· Produce an active form of vitamin D, needed for bone health.
What Causes Acute Kidney Injury?
The loss of kidney function over several hours or days is called acute kidney injury, also known as acute renal failure (ARF). This can occur following a traumatic injury with blood loss, the sudden reduction of blood flow to the kidneys, damage to the kidneys from shock during a severe infection called sepsis, obstruction to urine flow, or damage from certain drugs or toxins.
Acute kidney injury can also occur from a complication of pregnancy, such as eclampsia, pre-eclampsia, or related HELLP Syndrome.
Marathon runners and other athletes who don't drink enough fluids while competing in long-distance endurance events may suffer acute kidney injury due to a sudden breakdown of muscle tissue. This muscle breakdown releases a chemical called myoglobin that can damage the kidneys.
Obstruction of urine flow such as with an enlarged prostate can cause urinary retention that can cause acute kidney injury.
What Causes Chronic Kidney Disease?
Kidney damage and decreased function lasting longer than 3 months is called chronic kidney disease (CKD). Chronic kidney disease is particularly dangerous since you may not have any symptoms until considerable, often irreparable, kidney damage has been done.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Diabetes, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, can damage the kidneys, with a loss of kidney function that is often progressive over time. Medical care can slow, but not reverse, this kidney damage. Diabetes is a leading reason why people need dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Chronic Kidney Disease Symptoms
The kidneys are remarkable in their ability to compensate for problems in their function. That is why chronic kidney disease may progress without symptoms for a long time until only very minimal kidney function is left.
Because the kidneys perform so many functions for the body, kidney disease can affect the body in a large number of different ways. Symptoms vary greatly. Several different body systems may be affected. Notably, most patients have no decrease in urine output even with very advanced chronic kidney disease.
Effects and symptoms of chronic kidney disease include;
· need to urinate frequently, especially at night (nocturia);
· swelling of the legs and puffiness around the eyes (fluid retention);
· high blood pressure;
· loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting;
· itching, easy bruising, and pale skin (from anemia);
· shortness of breath from fluid accumulation in the lungs;
· headaches, numbness in the feet or hands (peripheral neuropathy), disturbed sleep, altered mental status (encephalopathy from the accumulation of waste products or uremic poisons), and restless legs syndrome;
· chest pain due to pericarditis (inflammation around the heart);
· bleeding (due to poor blood clotting);
· bone pain and fractures; and
· Decreased sexual interest and erectile dysfunction.
Glycosuria: Glycosuria is defined as sugar (glucose) in the urine. It occurs when the amount of glucose in the blood exceeds the maximum amount that the kidneys can reabsorb (renal threshold). The renal threshold for glucose ranges from 160 to 190mg/dL of blood; glycosuria does not occur until the blood glucose rises above this level. The most common cause of glycosuria is diabetes mellitus (DM) but may occur after a heavy meal, during times of emotional stress, and during pregnancy, when the renal threshold for glucose may be lower. Glycosuria may also occur in individuals receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) when the rate of infusion of glucose exceeds the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin.
Risk: Glycosuria in the absence of hyperglycemia (renal glycosuria) is extremely rare and tends to be hereditary.
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