Depending on where that platelet becomes lodged, and so depending on which part of the brain is starved of nutrients and oxygen, the damage may be very serious or just go unnoticed. Unnoticed by the patient’s conscious mind, but maybe damage is still being done,

At the very least, mini strokes or TIA’s are a warning that your blood contains harmful substances, normally fat or cholesterol. A TIA is a ‘call to action’; a warning that you had better work on your diet, do more exercise and go see your medical doctor straight away.

Medication will disperse the plaque or platelets that are already present in your blood and a healthy diet and more exercise will prevent more from forming. Blood clots are another cause of (mini) strokes.

Blood clots normally are created in other parts of the body, but flow fairly freely through the substantial arteries until they get to the fine blood vessels in the brain, which they cannot pass through. They get lodged in the opening causing a blockage.

Long-haul flights are frequently held responsible for deep vein thrombosis or the creation of blood clots, frequently in the legs. These clots then find their way to the brain where they may kill or cause great, often permanent, damage. Or they could result in a mini stroke that goes unnoticed. It is all down to luck where is gets lodged.

it is thought that any form of stroke causes harm even if that harm is not easily perceived, since different parts of the brain control different parts or organs of the body. If a blockage occurs in the part that controls the liver, it may stop working to some degree and you may not notice for quite a while.

It is a very good thing to be able to recognize the indications of a mini stroke. However, this is easier said than done. Many mini strokes occur at night, whilst you are asleep.

They do also occur during the day obviously and the indications might be tingling in one part of the body. Or you may get the opposite effect, a numbness. Many sufferers say that they experienced blurred vision. These indications might just last a few minutes.

Frequently these symptoms are blamed on other causes such as tiredness, too much TV, too much computer, sitting in one position too long or merely not having had enough exercise that day. And these could well be reasons for the sensation, which makes it very difficult to know.

There are more apparent signs too such as dizziness or confusion; not being understand what people are saying to you; not being able to talk or speaking in a slurred voice.

Any of these symptoms ought to be reported to a doctor immediately so that corrective action can be taken to prevent a worse stroke occurring in the next few days.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a variety of topics, but is now involved with natural cures for prostate cancer. If you want to know more go to What is the Treatment for Prostate Cancer?

The assessment of your eye will also divulge the thickness of the cornea and the ability of your eye to create tears. In order to do this, the surgeon will drip a liquid into your eye in order to dilate it. This makes it easier to see any irregularities including the refractive error, which is a term used to describe why your eyesight is not perfect.

The Lasik surgeon will then discuss the results of the examination with the patient. This is to discover any previous surgery or damage the eye has undergone. There will also be questions about the patient’s other illnesses, the patient’s family history of eye issues and about any medication that the patient is currently taking. Impending pregnancy is a reason for waiting and the patient will be asked what his or her expectations of the surgery are.

The surgery usually produces excellent results with massive improvements in eyesight, but a surgeon would prefer that you do not expect quite as much. They prefer you to be surprised at how excellent the results are than disappointed. Most individuals are very happy with the results, it should be said.

Before going for the assessment, it is a good idea not to get your hopes up. Some people are found unsuitable for Lasik eye surgery. Some might be recommended other surgery techniques like complete lens replacement. With lens replacement, the old, human lens is removed from within the eye and a plastic one is put in.

This lens replacement surgery is invasive, but does not hurt and just takes about 40 minutes. Lasik surgery takes less time and is also painless. If the surgeon rejects Lasik surgery, ask about alternative techniques including the replacement of your lens.

There are also different techniques of Lasik, so if you are refused one type, ask if there are other types of laser surgery on hand.

Let’s say that you are accepted for laser surgery, your surgeon will give you a couple of instructions which you should follow as if your eyesight depended upon it. These directions can vary from surgeon to surgeon, from patient to patient and from technique to technique, but might be comparable to those below.

Frequently, they will recommend that you do not wear contact lenses for a while (days or weeks) before the operation. This is because contact lenses can distort the shape of the eye or cornea. It also depends on which sort of contact lenses you use – hard or soft, so make sure your surgeon knows and make sure that you know what you use so that you can give accurate information.

General advice is to be cautious with eye make-up for 48 hours before the operation and get someone to pick you up from the surgery.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with wet macular degeneration treatment. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

The information that you will find in this article is stuff that I have found for my own information and benefit. It is not definitive medical advice. For that depth of information you will have to talk to a physician.

I am not a physician, but my father and a good friend passed away of prostate cancer and as a man, I have a fairly high risk – one in six – of contracting the problem myself, hence my interest.

It seems that there are things that a man can do to lower the likelihood of getting prostate cancer and these include eating healthily and doing manly things like sport and manual labour. One of the worst things you can do is sit on your prostate gland all day long – desk jobs and watching TV is not healthy for the prostate.

If you are not able to help but have a sedentary lifestyle, then you have to be aware of the early symptoms of prostate cancer so that it can be treated before it becomes life-threatening. The foremost thing to be on the look out for is problems urinating.

Most older men have issues with their bladder, but once it starts happening to you, go to your medical doctor and have it checked out. It may be nothing except age, but on the other hand …

The bigger the problems, such as pain or bleeding, the more reason that you ought to go to the GP. Frequent urination may be the first sign of prostate cancer but it could just mean that you are getting older too.

I was once told by my Thai optician that the reason why I was losing my eyesight was because I was ‘prematurely senile’. it can happen, but I asked him to check the wording and he returned with ‘premature senile cataracts’. We had a hearty laugh at that.

Prostate cancer is curable. About 90% of people are cured (some surveys say 85% others say 95%), however, it very much relies on catching the illness in its infancy. All men over around 40 should have a check up at least once annually, maybe two times. The test is disagreeable but quick, painless and easy – a finger up the bum.

Dying of prostate cancer is the result of negligence nowadays, because it grows slowly in its initial stages, but when it gets a hold, it goes like a train and moves to other areas of the body, giving the patient far less opportunity of recovery. If the worst comes to the worst you can do without your prostate gland anyway – after all, women don’t need one.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with prostate cancer and radiation treatment. If you want to know more go to What is the Treatment for Prostate Cancer?

A few things could go wrong with the prostate and it is very likely that one of them will affect every man in later life to some degree or another. Some of the most common concerns are:

prostatitis which is the swelling of the prostate due to bacterial disease

the benign enlargement of the prostate which is a common feature of the aging process, affecting many men over 50 years of age

prostate cancer, which is the fourth most prevalent cancer in males

The growth of prostate cancer seems to be definitely linked to the presence of the male hormone androgen. Castration has a marked positive effect on the escalation of prostate cancer.

The prostate is conical in shape, but has five definite lobes. Cancer nearly always develops in the rear-most lobe, whereas benign growths seem to prefer the other lobes.

All worries with the prostate have the impact of making urination difficult. This is why older men tend to go to the toilet frequently. Prostate cancer also developes faster than most other types of cancer.

Because of this, older men ought to have check ups for prostate cancer quite often. Not only does prostate cancer grow quickly, but it also spreads quickly. The medical term for this spreading is ‘metastasis’.

If this form of cancer is not caught soon, it will spread rapidly through the various internal organs, the lymph nodes and the blood. Death can occur soon after diagnosis, unless it is noticed in a very early point.

Self diagnosis is almost impossible because it is a small internal organ buried between the penis and the anus. One of the first indications is a problem with urination, but by then it can already be too late to avoid metastasis.

If the cancer progresses to the bladder and urethra, urination will become painful and there might be blood in the urine as well. If the cancer is advanced, urination might become impossible and kidney issues will follow soon. Kidney failure or kidney disease is a common side-effect of prostate cancer.

If the metastasis is far advanced, there could be back pain in the lumbar area or in the hips. Shortage of breath would indicate a further development of the cancer to the lungs. A general feeling of weakness may be the next symptom.

if caught early enough, prostate cancer can be treated fairly successfully. Frequently a catheter is needed, but it could also mean dialysis if the kidneys have been badly affected.

Part of the prostate may be removed, but it is also possible to remove it entirely, although not without consequences. Other treatments include hormones and chemotherapy.

Some individuals believe that prevention can be obtained by homeopathic medications or a healthy diet, but the jury is out on that one officially.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you want to know more go to Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

It absolutely is true that you will consume less animal fat if you eat as a vegetarian. However, even vegetarians usually eat some animal fats when they eat shop-bought cakes or meals in restaurants. There are basically two schools of ideology on dietary fat.

The traditional view is that decreasing saturated fats is good for you but there is the Atkins Diet idea that saturated fats will not hurt you yet carbohydrates will. Regrettably, the average guy in the street who does not have a medical level of knowledge only has to go with his or her best judgment and hope for the best. After all, if the experts can not agree on what is good and what is not good for us, what chance do we have of knowing?

It is almost certainly fairly true that eating less saturated fat and eating more fibre-rich vegetables and fruit is a good notion, but there is no real need to cut out meat all together. Some studies in Europe have suggested that vegetarians are up to 40% less to be expected to develop cancer than meat-eaters.

Additionally, studies into breast cancer rates all over the world imply that there is less breast cancer in countries where they eat less meat like China and other eastern countries, whereas in Japan, where the American presence has meant that more Japanese eat a la American, the rate of breast cancer is eight times higher.

This has a tendency to insinuate that the American diet of plenty of saturated fat and processed meat like hamburgers and hot dogs is responsible for increased rates of cancer.

It is also said that meat and dairy products contribute to the development of several kinds of cancer including breast, colon, ovarian and prostate cancers. Colon cancer appears to be the most affected by a high consumption of meat and dairy with one report stating that it can raise the danger by an enormous 300%.

One recognized difficulty for adults with drinking milk is that it can raise the body’s amount of oestrogen which is the ‘female’ hormone. This can produce breasts in overweight men and arise the risk of breast cancer in both sexes.

It has been reported that one study into cancer in premenopausal women showed that those who ate meat had a thirty-odd percent more risk of developing cancer. Eating dairy products has been linked with ovarian cancer, because it seems that breaking down lactose damages the ovaries in some way.

There is a similar trend in men. Men who eat meat each day have a higher risk of prostate cancer, some say up to three times as high and drinking milk may double the risk too. Those men who do not eat vegetables at all or very occasionally quadruple their likelihood of prostate cancer.

It is very difficult to know what to do, because various studies by different bodies reveal different results. If you do not know who to follow, it seems best to strive to follow a balanced diet in which fruit and vegetables make up the majority of the bulk and calories.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on numerous subjects, but is now concerned with low cholesterol diet recipes. If you want to know more, please visit our site at What Foods Lower Cholesterol?

The presence of glucose in the blood is normal and is called glaecemia but when the blood is over saturated, it is called hyperglaecemia. For this reason, diabetics have to be aware of their blood/sugar levels at all times, which means that they have to be wary of what they eat.

Many diabetics learn tell-tale indications that their bodies give to warn them of their high or low blood/sugar level, but most diabetics also use blood tests by a GP or even home blood/sugar monitors, which have become cheap enough to buy for personal use.

Not having enough glucose (sugar) in the blood is known as hypoglaecemia and leaves the brain starved of energy, which leads to temporary dizziness, confusion, blackout or a convulsion. Restoring the glucose level to standard returns full consciousness, Most diabetics learn to successfully circumvent this condition. More difficult is hyperglaecemia.

Hyperglaecemia is the opposite of hypoglaecemia and brings with it its own issues but they tend to cause long term problems. Prolonged periods of hyperglaecemia lead to cardiovascular problems, kidney problems and concerns with eyesight and even teeth.

These complications take a long time to develop and the diabetic might not realize that there is a problem until it is rather late. Hence the necessity to monitor blood/glucose levels frequently. One of the first areas to show concerns from hyperglaecemia is the retina because it is so delicate.

Hyperglaecemic blood in the blood vessels in the retina causes them to swell developing high pressures on the sensitive eye mechanisms. Eyesight is soon impaired. The biggest worry for most diabetics is going blind or suffering macular degeneration, which impairs vision quite severely but does not lead to complete blindness.

It is vital for diabetics to have an eye examination at least once a year and twice is better. The opthamologist will be on the look out for a complication known as diabetic retinopathy. If you are a diabetic you ought to be on your guard.

If you experience blurred vision, sudden dark spots or flashing lights before your eyes or feel pressure (not simple), you ought to get to the opthamologist as soon as you can.

There are treatments, especially in the early stages, but the longer you leave it the worse it gets and the more difficult to put right, if that is at all feasible.

Prevention is always better that cure, so diabetics ought to maintain their blood glucose level within standard boundaries and maintain a proper body weight. To do this, you will have to learn how much sugar is in various foodstuffs and take regular exercise. In other words: diet and exercise.

Other concerns that a diabetic may experience with their eyes is glaucoma and cataracts. Cataracts can be cut away quite easily, but glaucoma is very serious and leads to blindness.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with wet macular degeneration treatment. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

The absolute importance of Omega 3 essential fatty acids really came to light in the 1970’s when a group of Danish scientists discovered than Inuits in Greenland had a far lower rate of cardiovascular issues than Europeans and Americans, despite eating a diet high in fat.

However, the dissimilarity between the diets was that the Inuits derived their fat from sea creatures whereas the other nationalities derived theirs from land animals. The significance of Omega 3 essential fatty acids was established

Once that original research had been verified, other tests on the same topic were carried out by other groups and they all confirmed the significance of Omega 3 essential fatty acids in our diets. These substances help prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes and macular degeneration and will also alleviate these conditions if you did not find out about them until it was ‘too late’.

Our main source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids is oily fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel fish and other sea foodstuffs. Research backs up the age-old old wives’ tale that fish is brain food. It really is, but it also goes further than that. Omega 3 can help stave off many of the so-called age-related complaints like memory loss apart from the ones already mentioned above.

Some research has also indicated that a deficiency in Omega 3 in children may lead to learning disorders like hyperactivity and attention disorders. There could also be a relationship to dyslexia. Other disorders that are more certainly linked to a shortage of Omega 3 are depression, some allergies and arthritis. This means that expectant mothers ought to be watchful of their intake of Omega 3.

This fish oil has also been seen to reduce the seriousness of high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. It also seems to have a beneficial, anti-aging effect on the skin and wrinkles if taken internally as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Most dietitians would recommend eating oily fish twice per week, but that does not mean that you cannot ingest it in capsules.

It is important to see Omega 3 in relation to other essential fatty acids like omega 6. Omega 6 and omega 3 vie for the same position in our systems and that place is only so big. If you eat too much omega 3, omega 6 cannot get a look in and vice-versa. It is a broad topic, so you are advised to do more research or take the advice of a dietitian.

However, before you believe everything that they say, ask about the interaction of omegas 3 and 6 and see what they have to say.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of topics, and is now concerned with pure omega 3. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Omega 6 9

So the pointers below are valid for every phase of your life from being a young adult up, but they are particularly vital for older individuals.

It is vital to stay hydrated. Most individuals do not drink enough water, but older individuals tend to have less water in their bodies than younger ones and this needs to be replaced. It is generally recommended that individuals drink eight 250 cc glasses (a tumbler) of water (two litres) a day, but if you would like to be more precise the ratio is 25 cc’s per kilo, so a 250 cc glass for every 10 kilos or 22 pounds.

Protein is important to older people and as they are normally less lively than younger individuals, they do not require so much carbohydrate. Therefore, it is better to be selective with your foodstuffs, eat less bread, rice, potato and sugars, but eat a bit more lean meat, eggs, cheese and especially fish.

If you are going to consume carbohydrates, be careful to eat the wholemeal, whole grain, unprocessed versions of rice, bread and pasta. This is to increase dietary fibre. A great deal of older people suffer from constipation because they are less lively and increasing fibre and roughage will help counteract this. Green leaf vegetables, all vegetables and fruit are fantastic for increasing dietary fibre.

Cut down on fat and oil. You require some fat and oil, but it is not difficult to get enough to lubricate yourself and the consumption of the correct amount of fibre, roughage and water will avert constipation.

Iron is vital for healthy blood, so find out how much you need per day (RDA – recommended daily amount) and make certain that you acquire it either from red meat, cereals or supplements. The same goes for zinc which is not easily absorbed.

Calcium is extremely important especially for women. Osteoporosis is very common. Osteoporosis is a calcium lack which results in brittle bones. Most individuals merely think of milk whilst they think of calcium, but milk is not digestible for adults. You can acquire it from meat, cheese and broccoli amongst other sources.

The B group of vitamins is also vital for your blood and immune system. Numerous older individuals have a lack of Vitamin B12. This is a complicated condition and requires a GP’s advice, but it is widespread.

Next time you have to have a check up, look to see if they are checking your body’s level of vitamin B12 and if it is not in the list of tests, ask for it to be included.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of topics, and is now concerned with omega 3 arthritis. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Omega 6 9

Most individuals like to stay independent, but blindness makes you to become dependent, particularly if you go blind when you are older. At least when you are younger, you have a long time to learn how to cope with it.

There are a number of methods that you can lose your sight while you become older but one that effects 10% of those more than 65 and 30% of those more than 75 years is macular degeneration. It is often referred to as age-related macular degeneration, ARMD or only AMD because it tends to affect those individuals who are over 50 years of age.

However, macular degeneration only affects the centre 2.1% of your field of vision, so it is very rare for ARMD to become the cause of complete blindness. The problem is that that 2.1%, centre field of vision is extremely important for recognizing people and for reading.

So what can you do about it, if you get ARMD? One option would be to get a guide dog, a ‘blind dog’, as they say in the UK or a ’seeing eye dog’ as they say in America. A guide dog will help prevent you from walking into objects, which you may well do if you lose your central field of vision.

Most registered blind people are not completely blind. Some are worse off than others but sufferers of ARMD usually retain 97.9% of their field of vision, which is the peripheral vision. A guide dog would cover the remainder for you.

Guide dogs are taught as puppies so they will remain with their blind friends for seven or eight years or more This allows the dog and the owner to build up a brilliant relationship, as all individuals do with their dogs. However, the rapport of a blind person with a guide dog though is extra-ordinary. The dog knows that it is being depended upon for its master’ welfare.

If you make a decision to go down the road of getting a guide dog, the best place to begin is your national association for the blind, the address of which you can find either at your physician’s, in Yellow Pages or on the Internet. Some countries’ organizations will charge you for providing a guide dog and others will subsidize your acquiring a guide dog and its training.

It would be a good idea to arrange a guide dog as soon as you are diagnosed with a disease that threatens your eyesight because that will give you more time to get to know and select a puppy as your future companion.

If you are lucky and your physician saves your eyesight, you have lost nothing and you have acquired a wonderful, intelligent friend, but if the worst comes to the worst, you will have an invaluable, seeing, protective, wonderful, intelligent friend. You cannot lose.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with wet macular degeneration treatment. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

Either environmental or hereditary reasons can be the cause of cancer. Primarily, it is an environmental disease with enhanced risk from genetic influences. The main environmental factors behind the cause of cancer are obesity, smoking, pollution, disease and radiation etc..

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common sorts of cancer. It takes place in the ovaries of women which is why it is known as ovarian cancer. There are two ovaries in females, one on either side of the uterus. Both eggs and hormones i.e. estrogen, testosterone and progesterone are made by the ovaries.

Usually, it occurs in those women who have reached their menopause. Usually an ovarian cancer is a sort of epithelial cancer i.e. cancer in the outer cells of an ovary. Most common kinds of epithelial cancer of the ovaries are serous. Less commonly known sorts are clear cell and endometrioid ovarian cancers

Almost 85% of the women treated for ovarian cancer are over the age of 50, although there are possibilities of its occurrence in younger women as well. Multiple genetic mutations are the cause of this cancer. The risk of the disease is greater in those women who have never had a baby.

The danger is higher for those whose menstrual cycle starts at an early age and whose menopause happens late. Infertility is the biggest risk factor behind this disease. Personal or family history of breast cancer increases the danger of ovarian cancer too.

The indications of the disease are not specific to it and it usually begins stealthily. Some of the indications of ovarian cancer are pelvic pain, abdominal pressure, indigestion or wind, constipation, lower back pain, the frequent requirement to urinate, loss of appetite, pain with intercourse, changes in the menstrual cycle and a deficiency of energy.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer tend to be persistent and they worsen with time. An appointment with a physician should be made if any of the above mentioned indications occur every day for two to three weeks. If someone has a family history of this cancer, she should make contact with her medical doctor for further diagnosis of the worries.

The most widespread diagnostic procedures and check ups are pelvic examination, ultrasound, CA 125 blood test and surgery for removing samples to test (biopsy). Four stages of ovarian cancer are recognized according to the concentration of the disease.

The healing of ovarian cancer is possible. Researchers are working on creating methods of identifying it at earlier stages because it is very problematic to treat it at later stages. The most common form of treatment for ovarian cancer is a blend of chemotherapy and surgery.

Healthy habits like eating a balanced diet, exercising and getting enough sleep can be useful to control your indications of the disease. Although there is no sure method to protect you from this disease, the danger of getting ovarian cancer can be reduced by thinking about the risks and advantages of using birth control pills and discussing worries with your GP.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on quite a few topics, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer