Greenspan Good Health

Congenital Heart Defects: The Most Common Birth Defect

admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

When a person is born with a congenital heart defect, they are actually born with a problem with the structure of their heart. It is only present at birth, and is the most common type of birth defect that a baby can be born with. During development inside the womb, structural defects can occur. These defects can involve the walls of the heart, the valves of the heart, as well as the arteries near the heart. This is something serious, because it can disrupt the flow of blood through the heart. The blood flow can slow down, be blocked completely, and even go in the wrong direction or to the wrong place.
There is treatment that can be given for babies with this type of heart defect. Treatment can consist of medicine, surgery and other medical procedures. Sometimes heart transplants are necessary for congenital heart issues. The treatment all depends on several factors that have to do with the baby. They look at the severity of the condition, as well as the child’s age, and size. Many times children that are born with this type of defect, end up growing to adulthood and still living a healthy and productive life.

All About Cholesterol Levels And How to Control Them

admin — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Many people do not know that high cholesterol levels can be very dangerous. Doctors will usually give a patient will high cholesterol medication, but many people do not like relying on them for anything. There are in fact, other options available that peopple have to keep their cholesterol level under control. There are many different levels that a person can have for their cholesterol, and you should know when it is too high. Dieting and exercising are two of the most common ways to keep your cholesterol under control. Diet and exercise are good for your overall health in general.Want more? Click here/tag
You can set days aside to do these things such as a diet and exercise plan throughout the week. You should look and feel a whole lot better about yourself. You will definitely see improvements in those levels. There are also natural supplements that you can purchase to help maintain a good cholesterol level. Doctors will not inform you about these supplements unless you ask about them. They can be purchased at many health food stores, as well as local vitamin shops. They can also be found and researched online, if you want to know more information about them prior.

How Type 2 Diabetes Affects The Cardiovascular System

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Type 2 diabetes is noted as being a serious condition that can lead to a host of secondary ailments. One of the most devastating health concerns for people who develop this issue is heart disease. Coronary artery disease is the most prominent cardiovascular issue that an individual might face with diabetes present.

When an individual develops type 2 diabetes the cells of their body become unresponsive to insulin. This condition causes glucose to build up within the blood stream. This excess glucose will then occasionally bind together with the strands of protein that makeup the walls of the coronary arteries. This weakens and hardens the arteries disallowing proper blood flow. This condition further exacerbates the onset of heart disease by causing an increase in blood pressure and a build up of cholesterol in the body. It is considered to be two to four times more likely for an individual who develops type 2 diabetes to also develop heart disease that leads to having a stroke.

Due to these factors, type 2 diabetes is very damaging to an individual’s cardiovascular health if left untreated. It is important to discover the existence of diabetes as soon as possible to help reduce the damage that may occur.

Vitamin Deficiencies – an ongoing problem for many Americans

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Vitamin deficiency is an ongoing problem for most Americans. With the stresses of daily life on the rise many Americans suffer from a lack of proper nutrition. For most people the faster the pace of their lives, the worse the dietary intake tends to be. The issue is often trying to figure out if the deficiency is a lack of particular vitamin, or a series of vitamins.

Many people faced with general lethargy and malaise attempt to eradicate their physical symptoms with a multi-vitamin. However many people have found that this is a less effective strategy than they originally thought. In such cases going to a physician for a overall blood workup can answer some of the more generalized questions on deficiency, as can meeting with a dietician for a consultation.

Most communities have health food stores that provide merchant services to help answer some basic questions and guide the consumer in the best all natural vitamins. Many of today’s multi-vitamins are cram packed and can help offset the more generalized vitamin deficiencies, however is not unusual to find some still present issues after taking a multi-vitamin. The human body is a more complex living organism than was originally thought by most health professionals, lifestyles and environmental living conditions can be important factors when considering overall health and potential vitamin deficiencies.

New support for antioxidants

www.greenspangoodhealth.com — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 22:35:32 +0000

Men who haven’t got a taste for blueberries might want to give them another shot, based on research by an Ohio doctor. Researchers found that antioxidants (found in high amounts in blueberries, as well as other foods) help to avoid decreased lung function in men suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The data was presented by Mohammad S. Khan, D.O., Akron City Hospital, at the Annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. This year, the meeting was held in Vancouver, Canada.Khan evaluated 20 participants, 13 female, 7 male, and found that 25 were deficient in selenium, 45 in vitamin C, 90 in vitamin E, 55 in vitamin A, and 70 in vitamin D. Each of these deficiencies, excepting vitamin E, was tied to lower forced vital capacity (FVC) in men. However, the effects were not noticed in women.Antioxidants are defined as any molecule capable of inhibiting oxidation in other molecules. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is commonly found in fresh fruits and veggies, while carotenoids (like vitamin A) can be found in fruit, vegetables, and eggs. Other antioxidants like resveratrol and flavonoids can be found in tea, coffee, soy, fruit, olive oil, and chocolate, among others.

Change is in the air for whooping cough vaccine

www.greenspangoodhealth.com — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 11:47:22 +0000

Throughout 2010, California has been battling a whooping cough epidemic, with 6,257 confirmed and suspected cases statewide. Pennsylvania has also experienced instances of the disease, with 77 cases reported since January. A new federal study in California could result in a new vaccine to combat the recently-rejuvenated virus, also known as pertussis.There are two projects in the works. First, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are researching a new blood test which could be used to detect whooping cough. The CDC is also partnering with the California Department of Public Health to determine whether the pertussis vaccine which has been offered since 1997 is losing its potency more quickly than anticipated. The study was spurred by the realization that 7-to-10-year-olds who had gotten the vaccination between the ages of 2 months and 6 years are still coming down with the cough. It was believed that the vaccinations, which are given in five doses, would last the children until age 11, when a booster shot was recommended.The 1997 vaccine was a replacement for the 1940s version, which used whole cells of bacteria. In contrast, the 1997 vaccine is acellular and uses fragments of the bacteria to engage the immune system.Pertussis usually lasts for approximately 6 weeks before subsiding, although it can cause death in younger children. Common symptoms related to the cough include hemorrhages, rib fractures, and hernias. Doctors in California first declared an epidemic when ten infants died earlier in the year.