Top 4 Types of Arthritis and Their Treatment Plans

Awareness Saves Lives Lung cancer occurs when cancerous cells form in the lungs. Like other cancers, as the disease develops, tumors are formed. As the disease progresses, it has the potential to spread to other regions of the body. Lung cancer is an umbrella term referring to several different cancers in the lung, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLCs start in lung tissue. It is comprised of three specific diseases: adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and large cell carcinomas. SCLCs are a rarer form, originating in the bronchi. They are similar in symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and risk factors. SCLCs tend to be more aggressive than NSCLCs. When cancer is more “aggressive”, it means that the growth of the cancer cells is more rapid. Rapid progression of cancer means that tumors grow faster and spread to other parts of the body more quickly, meaning the time window for “effective” treatment is smaller and the prognosis is poorer than non-aggressive cancers. Getting a Diagnosis Anyone can get lung cancer. This is no population of people that have absolute immunity from the disease. That being said, certain groups of people are more likely to contract lung cancer than others. [youmaylike] Generally, lung cancer is found in older people over the age of 65. Some lifestyle choices, such as smoking tobacco, can increase the risk of getting a diagnosis. Remember, just are there are no populations that are immune to developing cancer, but there are plenty of “at-risk” individuals who will never develop it. This does not mean you should ignore warnings over certain activities, such as smoking, just because you can think of someone who was an exception to the rule. Early Signs of Lung Cancer When it comes to cancer, one of the most important things you can do is get an early diagnosis. Early detection will put you in a better position in terms of treatment. Catching the disease before it gets the chance to travel to other parts of the body will make it easier to treat. If it does not spread, physicians can concentrate treatment techniques on specific areas, which can drastically increase your chances of beating it. The main problem that makes cancer so deadly is that you often do not notice until it is too late. Oftentimes, the early signs of disease are easy to overlook. Unfortunately, lung cancer normally does not cause any noticeable symptoms until later on. If you are demographically vulnerable to developing lung cancer, consider paying special attention to these early warning signs: Chronic cough, with no apparent cause. Coughing up blood; you may notice spotting on tissues. Chest, back, or shoulder pain, especially when you take deep breaths or laugh. Inappropriate shortness of breath, which may happen when doing non-strenuous, daily activities that should not cause any breathing problems. Weight and appetite loss, with no apparent cause. Fatigue or feelings of weakness with no known cause. Hoarseness, or having a raspy voice, can be a sign of respiratory problems. Wheezing, even during regular breathing. Chronic bronchitis or pneumonia. Any persistent respiratory infection should be brought to the attention of your physician. As lung cancer advances, the severity of symptoms will worsen for most patients. Advanced Symptoms of Lung Cancer In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, other signs of cancer may manifest after the disease has had time to progress. These symptoms will arise in response to the fact that the disease has entered other parts of the body. How you experience these symptoms will depend heavily on where the cancer spreads to. Bone pain: Can occur anywhere in the body but likely in the hip or the back. Jaundice: The yellowing of skin and eyes is a sign the liver has been disrupted by something. Disturbances to the nervous system: When cancer spreads to the brain, it can cause many different symptoms. These symptoms can include things such as persistent headaches, fatigue, numbness, lightheadedness, seizures, and sudden problems with balancing. When to See a Doctor You should always discuss any major changes in your bodily functions with your doctor. It is impossible to know whether or not something is cancerous until you undergo a medical examination. More than likely, these symptoms are not cancer. This does not mean that you should ignore them. Even if a collection of symptoms is not cancer, it can be a sign of another medical condition. As early intervention is essential for dealing with any cancer, it is important to talk to your doctor as soon as you notice these problems when they become persistent and occur with no explanation.

What is Colic? Colic is a rather common condition found in many infants. The temporary ailment often appears after a couple of months of being born. Although the disease is not lethal or dangerous for a baby, it is not pleasant either. Although researchers do not believe the condition has any permanent effects on an infant’s health, this does not mean that parents will not want to seek a diagnosis. Who is at Risk for Colic? This disease can affect any baby, however, some maternal behaviors during pregnancy can contribute to a heightened chance of diagnosis. These behaviors include: Substance abuse: including illegal drug use and alcohol. Smoking: anything with tobacco. Insufficient weight gain: more common in teen pregnancy. Medical complications: such as blood pressure problems, diabetes or heart conditions. Please keep in mind that no baby is immune to colic. The disease often develops in the absence of any risk factors. Colic Signs and Symptoms Unfortunately, a baby cannot tell you when they are feeling upset. Instead, you must learn how to identify your infant’s signs of distress. [youmaylike] There are several things that are easily recognizable as something being wrong. Consider going to a doctor if your baby exhibits some of the following symptoms. Crying Fits Crying is a baby’s key method of communication. It is their way to let you know something is up. As any parent would tell you, crying is an activity infants do a lot of. Whether they saw something that startled them or needed a diaper change. Although it may not seem like it sometimes, babies cry for a reason. Unfortunately, sometimes their reasons for crying are not obvious. When there seems to be no visible cause for their distress, there is sometimes something deeper going on. If these seemingly random episodes of crying happen regularly around the same time every evening or night, colic might be to blame. Other times colic-induced crying will likely take place are during feedings or sleeping. Tense Posture Signs of distress do not always have to be loud. You can tell a lot about a baby through their body language. Abnormally tense posture is sometimes a sign that something is wrong. A tightened tummy, “fetal position,” or tightened fists can also be an indication of colic. Excessive Flatulence Farting is a perfectly healthy occurrence in any infant. What is not normal is when your baby cries while it passes gas. If your baby is farting excessively or crying during it, talk to their pediatrician. Keep in mind that all infants experience colic a little differently. It may be possible that your baby only faces mild symptoms. It is also important to recognize that these symptoms are rather vague. Colic is most often diagnosed after the possibility of other maladies is eliminated. Babies demonstrating these behaviors may be experiencing a more serious medical condition than colic. Contact a trained medical physician immediately if you ever believe there is something wrong with your child. What Causes Colic? Sadly, there is no concrete cause of colic. This does not mean that experts have no idea what is behind this illness. Many researchers believe that flatulence or indigestion plays the role of colic in infants. These abnormalities could be due to early developmental factors of an infant’s digestive system. For instance, discomfort may occur because their gut is sensitive and immature. Many of the colic symptoms seem to mimic those of lactose intolerance, urging some doctors to question whether there is an intolerance to the ingredients of breast milk or formula. Unfortunately, studies have yet to confidently support these claims and there seems to be no difference in colic development between infants who are breastfed and those who are fed with formula. Colic Treatment Whether or not you treat colic depends on the severity of the symptoms. If you are dealing with some of the more severe symptoms, there are some solutions you can try. Eliminating Cow Milk Depending on how you choose to feed your infant, this can mean one of two things. If you bottle feed, you should look into some hypoallergenic formulas. If you breastfeed, begin a dairy-free diet. This is not guaranteed to help, so if you do not notice any improvements, feel free to go back to your normal lifestyle. Drops You should never give your baby anything that is not first approved by a pediatrician. If you believe that your infant needs to have some help in managing their colic symptoms, consider consulting your pediatrician about simethicone or lactose drops. Simethicone drops help reduce the amount of trapped wind while lactose drops help break down enzymes found in milk. As the condition is not shown to cause any short or long-term deficits, it is often recommended to just wait it out. Colic is only a temporary condition that will go away with a little patience and time.

How You Can Stop the Leakage Overactive bladder (OAB) refers to symptoms rather than a disease. It is used to describe the phenomenon of people experiencing urinary issues. Some products that help include Comfort Medical and PureWick. Treatments for an Overactive Bladder Treatments will vary depending on what exactly is wrong. Most cases of OAB do not require invasive intervention. Some of the most common treatments recommended are: Lifestyle changes: Introducing some exercise routines in your life can help strengthen muscles. Plus, it can fight obesity, which can help reduce the chances of suffering from OAB. Some experts recommend that you try to put your bladder on a schedule. By training your bladder to know what you can and cannot do, you can shape your behavior. Some also recommend “bladder training,” where you try to delay urination when you feel the urge to grow in increasing durations to strengthen your ability to “hold it”. Using protective, absorbent padding can be a last resort if you cannot adjust your behavior. This will allow you to avoid embarrassing accidents. Medication: Some prescription medications can be sued to help strengthen areas of the body or “relax” your bladder. Some common medications include: tolterodine, darifenacin, fesoterodine and mirabegron. Botox: Botox does not just flatten our wrinkles. Small injections of Botox into bladder tissue can offer temporary relief from bladder problems. It sometimes has the side effects of increased UITs and urinary retention. Nerve stimulation: Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation has also been shown to help with OAB. It works by sending electrical signals from a nerve in your leg to nerves connected with bladder control. Surgery: For those suffering from severe symptoms, surgery is the last option. It can involve increasing the size of the bladder or replacing the bladder with a surgically constructed replacement. Comfort Medical vs. PureWick Comfort Medical provides catheters inserted into the urethra to manage urinary incontinence internally, whereas PureWick offers an external catheter solution using an absorbent wick for non-invasive urine collection. Getting a Diagnosis Anyone can suffer from OAB. Unfortunately, many adults are too embarrassed to ask for help or do not realize their conditions are treatable. Roughly 30% of men and 40% of women in the U.S. suffer from overactive bladder symptoms. While no one is immune to these problems, there are some conditions that increase your chances of suffering from OAB. These can include: Brain damage Hormonal changes Pelvic muscle weakness Urinary tract infections (UTI) Taking certain medications Stoke, multiple sclerosis (MS) or other conditions impacting the central nervous system (CNS) Signs and Symptoms of OAB Some people fail to realize that their bathroom habits are not normal. Familiarizing yourself with the symptoms can allow you to better recognize the signs of OAB which will get you one step closer to treatment. Those suffering from an overactive bladder may experience the following: Urgency: OAB’s main symptom is that sufferers experience strong, sudden urges of needing to go to the bathroom. Typically, the need to go to the bathroom will build up over time. While it is easy to ignore these feelings until you have to go, when all you feel is a sudden urge to go immediately or risk having an accident, there may be something wrong. Leaking: Suffering from something called “urge incontinence” is rather common when you suffer from an overactive bladder. It means that sometimes during these sudden urges, you will leak a little urine. You must distinguish it from people suffering from stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Rather than leak during an episode of sudden urges, those suffering from SUI leak during physical activities which would strain the region including sneezing, laughing or stretching. Frequent urination: Frequently needing to use the bathroom is not always a sign that you drank too much. If you constantly need to go to the bathroom a lot throughout the day (especially to the point where it begins to interfere with your daily life), you may be suffering from OAB. Waking up to pee: The same can be said for those who have to wake up to go to the bathroom. A fully functioning bladder is normally able to hold urine while someone is sleeping. If you frequently have to get up during the night because you need to use the bathroom, you should talk to your doctor about OAB. [youmaylike] Causes of an Overactive Bladder Because OAB is not one disease, but rather an umbrella term to characterize specific urinary symptoms, physicians will need to investigate the underlying cause of your problems. The origin of problems usually arises from areas in the urinary tract itself. Areas of the body likely responsible for an overactive bladder include the following: Kidneys. Bladder. Ureters. Urethra. Sphincter muscle. In Conclusion Talk to a trained physician if you believe you or a loved one may be suffering from an overactive bladder. They will be able to offer expert advice on how to handle your case. This is not the same as someone who suffers from an inability to control their bladder from emptying on its own.