Diabetes insipidus (water diabetes)
By: beginet
Diabetes insipidus (water diabetes)
Diabetes insipidus is sometimes called water diabetes and is completely different to diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) which has just been discussed.
Diabetes insipidus occurs when the pineal gland in the brain is not producing enough of the chemical ADH (anti-diuretic hormone). This chemical is produced by the pineal gland in the brain and is carried by the blood stream to the kidneys where it stimulates the kidneys to reabsorb water in the process of producing urine. Water is a precious commodity for the body and thus the water in the body is constantly being purified and recycled by the kidneys. Very little water is released from the body by the kidneys in the form of urine. The ADH is produced by the pineal gland in the brain which acts like a control centre for regulating the amount of water in the body. The ADH is simply a messenger chemical which is produced by this control centre (the pineal gland) to tell the water-recycling factory (the kidneys) how much water should be recycled and reabsorbed. If the body has too much water (over hydrated) less ADH is sent to the kidneys which then produce more urine and thus the excess water is expelled. If the body needs to conserve water or is starting to dehydrate then more ADH is sent to the kidneys which then produce less urine and water is conserved.
In the case of diabetes insipidus, the pineal gland does not produce enough of this chemical and thus the kidneys think that they are being told to recycle less water and allow more of it to leave the body in the urine.
Most human beings experience this same effect when drinking alcohol. This is because alcohol interferes with the messenger chemical ADH and thus the ADH does not tell the kidneys to recycle water. The kidneys then release more water in the urine and thus we have to urinate more often when drinking alcohol.
The symptoms of diabetes insipidus are simply drinking more and peeing more. The affected dog will feel fine and act normally. The primary problem is that the kidneys are producing too much urine because the body wants to avoid becoming dehydrated and thus needs to replace the lost water, this will increase the patient's thirst levels. Some dogs may even seem to become incontinent and start wetting indoors and even start wetting their beds. Dogs aslo have various health problems as the human body.
http://sickdog.eastonca.org/
The Best Thing About Supplements for Healthy Skin
By: Lac Tran
It’s funny that we spend our teen years trying to look older, and then when we get older, we want to try and look younger. Many people don’t realize that with a little attention to details, they can slow the onslaught of aging and health deterioration by eating right, exercising daily and taking care of overall health.
Taking nutritional supplements of vitamins, minerals and some herbs go a lot further to providing anti-aging benefits than many expensive face creams and ointments.
Take Vitamin A for example. This handy vitamin treats acne and contains anti-aging benefits in the form of Retin-A, and smoothes out wrinkles and improves skin texture by plumping skin cells and revitalizing growth of collagen. Vitamin B-complex is also great for skin care, as is Vitamin E. Vitamin E and A should be taken together to provide optimal benefits, for their both work and react together to keep skin tissues healthy. In addition, Vitamin E has been found to drastically reduce the number of wrinkles and improve skin texture in guided laboratory tests in recent years. And believe it or not, Vitamin C is not just for colds. This vitamin packs a punch and enables the body to fight inflammation, prevent free-radical damage (the bad stuff that causes cell destruction) and acts as an anti-oxidant that helps create collagen. No need to get those injections, just get your vitamin nutritional supplements!
Many women fighting the battle against aging are also taking estrogen nutritional supplements, which helps to reduce dryness of the skin and reduces fine wrinkles. One of the best things people can to do prevent skin conditions and premature aging is to resist the urge to sunbathe and to always wear sun block with outside, especially during the hot summer months. Nutritional supplements that contain the right mixtures of many vitamins and minerals help to protect the skin against many free radicals that can cause skin damage, and even some cancers. Free radicals are also the enemy to youthful, fresh looking skin, and causes accelerated rates of aging in many. Vitamins and minerals like Vitamins E and C, as well as the mineral Selenium help to decrease the harmful effect of the sun on skin cells and can help to prevent further damaging.
In fact, doctors have noted that the use of selenium nutritional supplements shows promising results in the fight against skin cancer as well as several other types of cancer. Taken orally, supplements of 50 to 200 micrograms daily can offer interior protection against those damaging rays. Be advised however, that taking some nutritional supplements, while helping to protect the skin, are not by any means to be considered as a replacement to sun block lotions or creams, nor as an anti-cancer drug.
Because today’s generation is more aware of the damages of sun worshiping than our parents and grandparents were, it is possible that, due to the use of skin protection and proper use of nutritional supplements and minerals that this generation may actually see a reduction in the number of melanoma and other skin cancer cases diagnosed and treated this decade.
Proper skin care means watching the health of your skin, and protecting and nourishing it on a daily basis. A good nutritional supplement such as a multi vitamin can do wonders not only for your insides but your outsides as well.
Smart Healthcare Consumers Turning to Health Savings Accounts
Smart Healthcare Consumers Turning to Health Savings Accounts
By Wiley LongAs millions of people get Health Savings Accounts (or "consumer directed healthcare), medical providers are having to adapt to the new reality of people spending their own money when purchasing healthcare. As more companies compete for your business, the opportunities to save money will continue to grow.
Since the advent of employer-sponsored health insurance during World War II, the pricing and quality of medical services has been shrouded in mystery. As the real price for computers, organic food, big-screen TV's, and just about everything else has continued to drop (including health services where there is not a third party payer, such as laser eye surgery, contact lenses, over the counter medication), the price of healthcare has continued to rise. But that is finally beginning to change. And you, fellow HSA-owners, are the reason.
To gain a competitive advantage, healthcare providers have traditionally attempted to grow local market share in an attempt to extract higher payments from insurance companies. But since HSA owners have the ability to accumulate unspent funds and invest them tax-free, those of us with a Health Savings Account have a strong incentive to avoid unnecessary care, and to be more cost conscious when we seek treatment.
There are now billions of dollars in Health Savings Accounts, and healthcare providers want access to that money. And since you control it (instead of the insurance company), the only way for the provider or retailer to get that money is to offer you high quality care at a price you are willing to pay. And dozens of companies are doing just that.
The Market Responds
One obvious response to the consumer-driven healthcare movement is the proliferation of quick-service medical clinics. These clinics, which require no appointment and typically charge less than $50, offer a low-cost way to diagnose and treat strep throat, bronchitis, pink eye, and other common ailments. MinuteClinic operates dozens of locations in Target, Cub Foods, and CVS Pharmacy stores. Wal-mart currently has 75 in-store clinics in 12 states. They are forecasting more than 6,600 in-store medical clinics will be open in retail stores within 5 years.
Diagnostic labs, which have traditionally sold their services to physician's offices, are now offering tests directly to the public at prices often 70% less than you would pay at a doctor's office. With most you can order the test online, go give blood, and get your results in a couple days.
Companies are even providing self-testing services and devices which can enable you to avoid going to the doctor when minor medical events occur. One of the most common reasons kids see a doctor is because of a possible ear infection. For about $50 you can buy an EarCheck Middle Ear Monitor. This uses sonar to test for fluid behind the eardrum, which may indicate an infection. "The QuickVue Strep Test" which costs less than $4 per test in a pack of 25, can quickly help you determine if your child has a strep infection, which would require a doctor's visit, from a common viral infection, which would not.
Demand Price Transparency
Health Savings Accounts reward personal responsibility in three ways: 1) they reward you with tax-breaks for putting money aside to cover future medical expenses; 2) they reward you for taking care of your health by enabling you to grow your account; and 3) they reward you for being a cost-conscious and discerning consumer.
So be a discerning consumer, and spend your money wisely. Remember that the doctors and healthcare providers you see work for you. If you don't get the quality of service or a fair price, take your business elsewhere. Here are some common sense suggestions to make sure you do get a good price:
1. Ask how much it will cost, before you buy. There is nothing else that you buy without knowing the price up front, so don't feel intimidated to ask your doctor the same.
2. Review your bill before paying it. You might be shocked how often extra charges are "accidentally" tacked on to hospital bills.
3. Ask for a cash discount. To avoid the hassles of filing for insurance and trying to collect past-due charges, most physicians will gladly offer a cash discount if you ask.
4. Explain that you will be paying out of your own pocket. When a doctor is prescribing tests or writing prescriptions, he or she is rarely taking cost into consideration. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine recently reported that up to $63 billion in medically unnecessary tests are ordered every year.
5. Vow never to pay list fees. Doctors and hospitals routinely discount their services to insurance companies and PPO organizations. As a cash-paying customer, you should get the best price available.
For many years, a small group of health economists and other policy-makers pushed for a more market-based approach to healthcare. They correctly argued that healthcare was like any other market and that if you put a true price on health care services and let the market function, costs could be controlled. We are now beginning to see this happen.
Our healthcare system is the best in the world. It is a dynamic and complex work in progress, which can only get better as the consumer gets involved. So be savvy about how you spend your healthcare dollar. And watch those unspent funds in your Health Savings Account continue to grow.
The Medicare Trust Fund will soon be out of money, and there will be no practical way for the government to continue to provide the level of benefits that current Medicare recipients receive. The result will be serious rations, waiting periods, and a reduction in benefits. If you wish to maintain your medical freedom, and have access to a high level of medical service, you must be prepared to pay for it yourself. The best strategy is to take good care of your health, and to build up your medical retirement fund as large as possible by using a Health Savings Account.
By Wiley Long - President, HSA for America (www.health--savings--accounts.com) - The nation's leading independent HSA health insurance firm specializing in plans that work with Health Savings Accounts.
Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com
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Migraine Pain | Wise Ways To Squash Migraine Pain
By: Catherine Winters
Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from the debilitating, life-altering pain of migraine. Learn what causes the throb and how to stop it.
Who Gets Migraine
It’s not clear why some people develop migraines and others don’t. If both your parents are migraine sufferers, there’s a 75 percent chance you’ll be one, too. If only one parent is, your risk drops to 50 percent. And if a distant relative complains of the headaches, there’s still a 20 percent chance you could end up a migraineur. (That’s the term used to describe a migraine sufferer.) Your gender may predispose you to migraines as well: Women are three times more likely than men to get this type of headache.
What Happens
“The brain of a migraine sufferer is inherently more sensitive than the brains of others,” says Fred Freitag, D.O., associate director of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago—and himself a migraineur. “When this sensitive brain gets bombarded by outside and inside stimuli, cells in the cortex of the brain become hyperexcited and start a process of electrical discharge.” As electrical impulses spread across the surface of the brain, chemicals that dilate blood vessels and inflame surrounding tissue are released and kick into action. These chemicals trigger a series of events that eventually produce the throbbing pain (usually on one side of the head), nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound that are hallmark migraine symptoms. Before the headache comes on, about one third of sufferers also experience an aura—flashes of light, blind spots or zigzag lines, or tingling in the face and arm.
What Can be Done
Avoiding triggers is the first step to heading migraines off. Headache experts usually have migraineurs keep a diary for two to three months to identify foods, external factors and behaviors that might be making their heads throb. Then they’re ready for action. “If you that know certain foods give you a headache, avoid them,” says Dr. Freitag. Also, get on a schedule. Eat at regular times and go to bed and get up at the same time every day. If you go to bed at 11 and get up at 6 all week but sleep in on Saturday, your blood sugar will drop because you’re eating breakfast later. In addition, your internal clock gets thrown off. “Both can stimulate a sensitive brain,” says Dr. Freitag.
Eat a healthy diet. Magnesium-rich foods, such as whole grain breads and pasta, may help stave off migraines. And exercise regularly. Even 20 minutes of aerobic exercise a few times per week stimulates the production of endorphins, the brain’s natural painkillers. Relaxation training, acupuncture and massage can help, too. If these measures aren’t enough, ask your doctor whether you are a candidate for medication. The good news: With a little trial and error, experts say, you can usually find relief.
Trigger Effect
Experts have identified a slew of stimuli that can cause migraine attacks. These range from preservatives to perfumes to changes in barometric pressure. In women, hormone levels are often to blame. “Their hormones peak, drop during ovulation and then climb again, and then fall just before menstruation,” says Robert Kunkel, M.D., a consultant in the department of neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Headache Center. “It seems to be the fall of estrogen levels in the blood that excites brain cells, not hormone levels per se.”
About the Author:
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