Navigating Health

Archive for February, 2010

There are a number of relatively simple interventions that can pick up potential medical problems before any symptoms or complications have developed. These are usually very simple tests that can be done or organized by your doctor. The number of these screening tests is gradually increasing. Many developed countries have national screening programmers for various types of cancer-breast cancer, cervical cancer prostate cancer and colorectal cancer-while other vital checks monitor your hearing, sight, teeth, blood pressure and blood cholesterol.

Doctors now have a whole armory of screening tests at their disposal to optimize their patient’s health and to pick up any health problems as early as possible. Blood pressure rises gradually with age and this small increase is normal. Some people are more likely to develop high blood pressure as it may run in their family. High blood pressure increases the risk of several serious conditions but has no symptoms, which is why doctors often check your blood pressure as a matter of course. It is important that high blood pressure is picked up because most of the complications of this condition can be prevented by taking appropriate measures. This may involve lifestyle changes and or taking regular medication.

It is recommend that you have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis, and ideally it should be checked by your doctor at least every two or three years form the age of 40 onwards. High levels of cholesterol have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in general. A blood test measures cholesterol and other blood fats what doctors refer to as your lipid profile. Research has established healthy and at risk levels of blood cholesterol, but your age, blood pressure and whether or not you smoke must be taken into account.

Alcohol is enjoyed by people around the world at all kinds of celebration and social occasion. It has a relaxing effect and complements the taste of many foods, but it can also cause considerable physical and psychological ill-health. A moderate intake of alcohol may protect against heart disease, but excessive binge drinking or sustained high in takes of alcohol can damage the liver irreparably and reduces life expectancy. Alcohol abuse and dependency can also cause or lead to serious physical, psychological and social problems. When you drink alcohol, a small amount is absorbed in the stomach but the majority slips into your blood stream via the small intestine. From here it goes to the liver, whose role it is to detoxify the blood and break down most of the alcohol.

Excess alcohol then travels around the body, affecting different organs in various ways. Initially, alcohol depresses your central nervous system, leading to feelings of well being and confidence and impaired judgment and thought processes. Your skin becomes redder as alcohol causes blood vessels into the skin to dilate. Alcohol also has a diuretic effect and so increases urine production, leaving you dehydrated. Heavier drinking may result in further effects on the nervous system, which include slurred speech, memory loss, lack of coordination and control of your body’s movements, and aggressive and antisocial behavior patterns.

Moderate alcohol consumption appears to have beneficial effects on the circulation and research has shown that it may even have protective effects on your heart. Scientists are studying different alcoholics and it is believed that red wine might offer significant cardio-protective benefits. If you are planning to drive or operate machinery then any alcoholic drink, no matter how small, will affect your ability.

In the western world, almost 20 percent of deaths are related to smoking. But despite such statistics, people continue to smoke and put their health at risk, mainly because they become addicted to the effects of nicotine in tobacco. This addiction puts the smoker in a vicious cycle or feeding his or her carvings. To be able to give up this disease-inducing habit, you must be motivated to do so and have a lot of will power. Your doctor can discuss other strategies that can help you quit-it could well be the best health decision you ever make. Scientific studies have shown that smoking has various and wide ranging effects on your body. There is also evidence that passive smoking increases the risk of disease.

Smoking encourages the development of atheroma, or fatty plaques, inside arteries around your body. Such furring up of arteries greatly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Smoking raises blood pressure and, by stimulating adrenaline production, it can cause disturbances to heart rhythms. Smokers are more likely to develop clots in a blood vessel, which could prove fatal if part of the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs or the brain. Anyone who has smoking induced lung disease will go to develop smoking related heart disease.

Toxic substances in cigarette smoke directly damage the protective linings of both the upper and the lower respiratory tracts. This makes it much easier for germs to invade and cause a respiratory tract infection, and it also increases the chances of developing asthma. Long term smokers risk by destroying their lungs, a condition known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking is the direct cause of 80 percent of all cases of lung cancer.