Addiction is a relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive drug use or behavior regardless of the consequences. Coping with addiction is hard. It is difficult realizing you have a problem in the first place. It is also a challenge acknowledging the problem. Most people also have a problem admitting their addiction is out of hand. Yet, accepting this fact is the first step to dealing with any addiction successfully. Educating yourself on the signs of addiction can help you recognize and deal with the problem immediately before it’s too late. Importance You can determine the significance of something to you…
Author: James
Making new friends can be challenging. It doesn’t matter how old you are though it gets tougher with age. When you hit 30, you tend to be more choosy. Your chances of having low tolerance for meaningless conversations and engagements are high. Your peers are also in the same age bracket or older. 30 is an age where you’d rather have one meaningful friend than countless friends who you can’t count on. But if you don’t mind “fun” friends, you may hit other roadblocks. Your personality may be a “problem”. Introverts have a harder time making friends, and it also…
Brain cancer is characterized by brain masses growing/accumulating in one area of the brain. The cancer is associated with many symptoms the most common being memory problems, seizures, sleep problems, sensory problems, fatigue and headaches that worsen in the morning or when engaging in an activity. In the U.S. alone, approximately 23,000 people are diagnosed with brain cancer every year. Although the latest research can’t pinpoint the exact causes of brain tumors, primary tumors start developing from cells and tissues which make up the central nervous system and the brain. There is also evidence showing that there are factors which…
People with Cancer usually experience progressive and profound weight loss caused by loss of both, muscle mass and body fat. The weight loss is usually accompanied by anemia, reduced appetite, and extreme weakness. Understanding Cancer Cachexia Cancer cachexia is a syndrome that makes the body waste away. The syndrome is most common during advanced cancer stages although one of the most common cancer symptoms during the early stages is unexplained weight loss. Cancer usually causes the body to lose over 5% of the body weight in a very short time. Cancer cachexia affects 50% to 85% of all cancer sufferers.…
As the name suggests, Brain cancer is cancer of the brain, the central information processing core of the body. Brain cancer can either be primary or metastatic. Primary brain cancer is caused by brain tumor/s and starts in the brain tissue while metastatic brain cancer is cancer originating from other parts of the body but spreads to the brain. Brain tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are noncancerous and tend to grow/invade one area. Nevertheless, they can be dangerous when they press on vital parts of an organ like the tissues, nerves and blood vessels. Malignant tumors are…
Potassium is an important mineral in our diets. Without potassium, our bodies wouldn’t be able to transport nutrients into cells. It would also be impossible for nerves and muscles to communicate effectively. Potassium also plays a crucial role in regulating blood pressure alongside other electrolytes like sodium and minerals like calcium and magnesium. Bananas are the best source of potassium according to most people. In fact, most people think bananas are the only adequate source of potassium. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most fruits have at least 422 milligrams of potassium or approximately 9% of the daily recommended…
Shingles can be defined as an itchy, blistering and painful rash caused by a virus, herpes zoster (the same virus responsible for causing chickenpox). In fact, individuals who have suffered from chicken pox before are at a higher risk of getting shingles later in life (after age 50). This is because the infection can stay dormant for years and become active due to age, decreasing immunity, an infection or because of treatments such as radiation which weaken the immune system. Besides being prevalent (since over a million Americans suffer from shingles yearly), shingles is a problem because it mimics conditions…
The disease causes serious complications such as acute liver failure as well as death in extreme cases. Hepatitis A is among the five common hepatitis viruses. It is responsible for approximately 1.4 million new cases of hepatitis every year, globally. Hepatitis A causes symptoms which appear 2 to 6 weeks after a person has contracted the disease. Below are the most important hepatitis A factors to consider. Symptoms of Hepatitis A Hepatitis A has early symptoms which can be mistaken for food poisoning or influenza. The most common symptoms include; fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, jaundice and abdominal discomfort. Hepatitis…
Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the liver. There are several types of hepatitis (five main types) all of which are caused by a virus. However, only two types (Hepatitis A & B) are preventable using vaccines. Hepatitis A is caused by consuming contaminated water or food. Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted. The latest statistics indicate that approximately 300 million people globally are carriers of the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis A As mentioned above the leading cause of hepatitis A is consuming water or food containing the HAV or Hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis A can also be caused by…
If you struggle with leg cramps regularly, you should seek out effective treatments. Leg cramps can have a significant negative effect on your productivity. The resulting leg pain can also affect your sleeping schedule. If leg cramps immobilize you during the day or keep you awake at night, here are five treatments that will ease your pain and help you get back in action. Massage Leg cramps can be treated via massages. Rubbing the parts of your leg that are aching can help you enjoy some much-needed relief. Massages encourage blood flow to sore areas which in turn, helps to…
Heel pain is normally caused by an inflammation of the tissue that connects the toes to the heel bone. The tissue becomes irritated then inflamed causing heel pain. The inflammation is referred to as plantar fasciitis or heel spur syndrome if a heel spur is present (a calcium deposit that causes a bony protrusion under the heel). Spurs are generally painless although they are known to cause heel pain in some cases. Besides inflammation and spurs, heel pain may be caused by other factors such as nerve irritation, tendonitis, a stress fracture, arthritis or a cyst (in rare cases). Since…
Most men are guilty of avoiding doctor’s visits. Why? Well, the reasons vary from one man to another although most men believe regular visits to the doctor attract bad news. This is obviously a wrong approach because physician checks are proactive steps that can help overcome serious health problems in the future. Typical checkups target specific medical issues that a person may be susceptible to based on factors such as their age, genetics or medical history. It is therefore crucial for men to visit the doctor as much as their female counterparts and have the following important health tests done.…
Prevention is always better than cure! This is particularly true for women’s diseases like breast cancer, cervical cancer, and osteoporosis. The earlier such diseases are detected, the easier it is to treat them before they develop into serious illnesses. The screening tests below are considered crucial for women mainly because they can detect health problems long before you get any symptoms. Pap smear A Pap smear or Pap test is a cervical cancer screening procedure that tests the presence of cancerous or precancerous cells on the cervix (uterus opening). During a pap smear, cervical cells are scraped away gently and…