QUOTE FOR WEDNESDAY

“CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE: heart failure in which the heart is unable to maintain adequate circulation of blood in the tissues of the body or to pump out the venous blood returned to it by the venous circulation”

Merriam Webster
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The definition of heart failure, it occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump enough blood through the body. Usually, the loss in pumping action is a symptom of an underlying heart problem, such as hypertension and CAD = coronary artery disease. The term heart failure suggests a sudden and complete stop of heart activity but actually the heart does not suddenly or abruptly stop. Instead the way it works is heart failure usually develops over time, years. The heart first compensates with the disease or illness the individual has but, just like a car, after wear and tear the heart goes into decompensating to heart failure due to the heart decline. How serious is this condition? It varies from person to person depending on factors like an individual with obesity & unhealthy versus a person in healthier condition. All people diagnosed or not diagnosed with heart failure lose a pumping capacity of the heart happens as they age but diagnosed with heart failure makes the engine of the body a challenge in doing its function properly. The pump loss is more significant in the person with heart failure and often results from a heart attack (actual scaring to the tissue=death to that tissue area) or from other diseases that can damage the heart. The severity of the condition determines the impact it has on a person’s life. At the other end, extremes, treatment often helps people lead full lives if the person follows the meds ordered by the doctor including the diet and activity/exercise the doctor orders to the patient with heart failure (compliance so important). There are different levels of heart failure but even the mildest form is a serious health problem, which must be treated. If not the pump (the heart) will just get worse in doing its function properly. To improve the chance of living longer in an individual with heart failure, patients must take care of themselves, see their physician (cardiologist) on a regular basis, and closely follow treatments (as ordered) with knowing what heart failure actually to understanding how the disease works (is the failure on the right side or left side? Which in time will effect the other side in time). In knowing what side the failure is on will make you understand what signs and symptoms to expect.

Types of Heart Failure

The term congestive heart failure (CHF) is often used to describe all patients with heart failure. In reality, congestion=the buildup of fluids in the heart for not pumping correctly, just like pipes in a home not working properly=back up of water in the pipes, happens with CHF also to the fluids (blood) backing up in the lungs. This is just one feature of the condition and does not occur in all patients. There are two main categories of heart failure although within each category, symptoms and effects may differ from patient to patient. The two categories are: 1-Systolic heart failure (systolic is the top number of your blood pressure=the heart at work). This occurs when the heart’s (muscle-myocardium) ability to contract (pump=being active) decreases, particularly starting on the L side of the heart where the muscle of the heart is greatest (myocardium=heart muscle). The heart cannot pump blood with enough force to push a sufficient amount out of the heart into the circulation through the aorta. The aorta is a artery (vessel) that leaves the L lower chamber of the heart (left side of the heart=highly oxygenated rich blood). Due to the heart not using enough force pushing the blood forward in the aorta this causes the blood to back up and cause it to go back up into the L lower to the L upper chamber that goes further back up into the pulmonary vein into the lungs=congestion in the lungs due to the heart failure.

2-Diastolic heart failure (diastolic is the bottom number of your blood pressure which is the pressure when the heart is at rest). This failure occurs when the heart has a problem relaxing. The heart cannot properly fill with blood because the muscle of the heart due to trying so hard to compensate over a long period of time with disease (ex. High B/P, Obesity, etc…) strains the heart in doing its function that failure finally starts that the muscle of the heart (myocardium) becomes stiff. This causes the heart to lose its ability to relax to allow proper filling of the heart in upper and lower chambers=back up of the blood. This failure starts on the right side of the heart causing the blood to back up away from the heart and may lead this blood that is highly concentrated with carbon dioxide to accumulation especially in the feet, ankles and legs. Some patients may have lung congestion.

Causes of Heart Failure:

As stated, the heart loses some of its blood pumping ability as a natural consequence of aging. How- ever, a number of other factors can lead to a potentially life-threatening loss of pumping activity.

As a symptom of underlying heart disease, heart failure is closely associated with the major risk factors for coronary heart disease: smoking, high cholesterol levels, hypertension (persistent high blood pressure), diabetes= abnormal blood sugar levels, and obesity. A person can change or eliminate those risk factors and thus lower their risk of developing or aggravating their heart disease and heart failure through healthy habits performed routinely, proper dieting, and balancing rest with exercise.

Among prominent risk factors, hypertension-HTN (high blood pressure) and diabetes are PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. Uncontrolled HTN increases the risk of heart failure by 200 %, compared to those who do not have hypertension. Moreover, the degree of risk appears directly related to the severity of the high blood pressure.

Persons with diabetes have about a two to eight fold greater risk of heart failure than those without diabetes. Women with diabetes have a greater risk of heart failure than men with diabetes. Part of the risk comes from the diabetes association with other risk factors for heart disease such as high cholesterol or obesity or other risk factors. However, the disease process of diabetes also damages the heart muscle.

The presence of coronary disease is among the greatest risks for heart failure. Muscle damage and scarring caused by a heart attack greatly increase the risk of heart failure. Cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, also raise heart failure risk. Any disorder that causes abnormal swelling or thickening of the heart sets the stage for heart failure.

In some people, heart failure arises from problems with heart valves, the flap-like structures that help regulate blood flow through the heart. Infections in the heart are another source of increased risk for heart failure.

A single risk factor may be sufficient to cause heart failure, but a combination of factors dramatically increases the risk. Advanced age adds to the potential impact of any heart failure risk.

Finally, genetic abnormalities contribute to the risk for certain types of heart disease, which in turn may lead to heart failure. However, in most instances, a specific genetic link to heart failure has not been identified.

SO LIVE AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE IN YOUR ROUTINE HABITS, YOUR DIETING OF THE 4 FOOD GROUPS, MAINTAINING YOUR WEIGHT IN A THEREPEUTIC RANGE (look as calculating BMI online for free to find out what your weight range for your height is), and BALANCING REST WITH EXERCISE TO HELP DECREASE THE CHANCE OF GETTING HEART FAILURE. Go to healthyusa.tsfl.com to learn what Dr. Anderson through his book of “Dr. A.’s Healthy Habits” and me as your health coach could provide you within a reachable cost. To just view what can be offered to you for no price with no hacking go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and take a peek;)

“Some people may notice that their seizures occur in response to very specific stimuli or situations, as if the seizure is a ‘reflex’. There is a type of epilepsy called ‘reflex epilepsy‘ – in this type, seizures occur consistently in relation to a specific trigger.”

*Authored by & Reviewed by 3/2014: Steven C. Schachter, MD | Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN | Also, Authored by 8/2013: Joseph I. Sirven, MD  *                                                                                      

Than their is the epilepsy that is diagnosed with a IDIOPATHIC cause – meaning unknown cause and the patient could grow out of it in childhood depending on the type of seizure disorder or not–in where the condition becomes chronic (for life).

Although heredity has been known since antiquity to cause epilepsy, the progress to date in identifying the genetic basis of epilepsy has been limited primarily to the discovery of single gene mutations that cause epilepsy in relatively rare families. For the more common types of epilepsy, heredity plays a subtler role, and it is thought that a combination of mutations in multiple genes likely determine an individual’s susceptibility to seizures, as well as the responsiveness to antiepileptic medications.                                                                                    —————————————————————————————

Epilepsy can be caused by genetic factors (inherited) or acquired (a etiology—cause) , although in most cases it arises in part from both.  The neurology and neurological sciences of Stanford Epilepsy Center Dr. Robert S. Fischer  Ph D. presents the following facts on “Genetic Causes of Epilepsy”.

Articleour genes are the instruction set for building the human body. Genes reside on chromosomes.

Going to the basics is every person has 46 chromosomes, carrying a total of about 30,000 genes. We get half our chromosomes from our mother and half from our father. While genes determine the structure of our body, they also control the excitability of our brain cells. Defective genes can make hyperexcitable brain cells, which are prone to seizures.

In recent years, several epilepsy conditions have been linked to mutations in genes, but the matter is complicated by the fact that different genes may be involved in different circumstances.

In general, the most common epilepsy conditions, including partial seizures, seem to be more acquired than genetic.

Gene testing will soon be able to identify predispositions to epilepsy, allowing doctors to help a patient get treatment and to assist with family counseling. One day, doctors may simply be able to swap a patient’s cheek, test his or her genes, and predict response to various epilepsy medicines, eliminating much of the trial and error in medication choice that goes on today. Eventually, we may even be able to repair or replace defective genes that predispose a person to epilepsy, a process called gene therapy.

Lastly, Dr. Robert Fischer Ph D presented in his article, that I found very interesting, the general population has about a 1% risk of developing epilepsy.  Meanwhile, children of mothers with epilepsy have a 3 to 9% risk of inheriting this disease, while children of fathers have a 1.5 to 3% risk of inheritence. Still, the actual risk is upon the specific type of epilepsy. For example, partial seizures are less likely to run in families than are generalized seizures. In any event, with the usual forms of epilepsy, even if a parent does have the condition, there is more than a 90% chance that their child will not. So most epilepsies are acquired than inherited.

Clearly, genes determine a great deal of who we are, including our possible risk for epilepsy but slim versus a actual cause. But what happens to us in life and what we do is still the larger part of the risk for epilepsy.                                                                                   ————————————————————————————–

A person given this diagnosis in the 1970’s, or before  and even up to the early 1990’s was quiet about ever letting people know about this since in the 1970’s and back with lack of knowledge, information to the public and definitely technology than versus now.  Epilepsy is much more an accepted disease in the overall community compared to 20-25 years ago and back.  Heck in the 1970’s and back these patients when having a seizure episode were characterized as “Freaks”. This was due to ignorance and lack of information but due to the past 20 to 25 years with the computer used more as a must in our lives with media, television and even our government they all have made it possible for society everywhere in the world to learn and understand diseases with acceptance in wanting to help those, particularly the US, but we still need a healthier America. It will take time to get there with the many multicultural lives that all live in the U.S. which practice differently on how important or where a healthy diet with exercise balanced with rest and stress well controlled is on their priority list in living.

For a person diagnosed with or without a cause of epilepsy these steps in learning about the disease with higher technology and continuous research with medications over the years has allowed them to be able to live a completely healthy life doing the same things other people do without the disease but only if the patient is UNDER COMPLETE CONTROL  which includes being COMPLIANT; this does exist in America.

Compliant meaning taking their medications everyday as ordered by their neurologist with yearly or sooner follow-up visits with blood levels of the anti-seizure medications there on.  This is the only way one with chronic epilepsy is guaranteed that living this way MAY stop the seizures from occurring (inactive epilepsy you can call it — meaning you’ll always have the disease but can put the seizure activity in a remission by medications preventing the seizure.)

The purpose for (follow up) F/U visits is for the neurologist to see how good of a therapeutic drug level your anti-seizure med is in (you get the blood test before the F/U visit).  Possible do a EEG (electroencephalogram); the only test to decipher if you have spikes in your brain waves indicating you had a seizure (a 26 lead to wires on the brain, which is painless).  Go to the expert for keeping you on the right track.  Its just like based on the principle why a person gets a check up on there car by seeing the mechanic (the car’s doctor).

Types of seizures whether with a etiology or unknown:

I-Partial seizures (seizures beginning local)

1-simple partial seizures-(the person is conscious and not impaired).  With motor symptoms, autonomic symptoms and even psychic symptoms.

2.)-Complex partial seizures-(the person is with impairment of consciousness)

II-Generalized seizures-(bilaterally symmetrical and without local onset).

3.) Tonic clonic seizures – Grand Mal

Ending line is  make your life one without seizures occurring, don’t put your life on HOLD you need to TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! That is all up to you the patient diagnosed with epilepsy or at risk for it.

“The general population has about a 1% risk of developing epilepsy.  Meanwhile, children of mothers with epilepsy have a 3 to 9% risk of inheriting this disease, while children of fathers have a 1.5 to 3% risk of inheritance.”

Dr. Robert S. Fischer  Ph D. Stanford Epilepsy Center http://neurology.stanford.edu/epilepsy/patientcare/videos

Most people with epilepsy are otherwise healthy; as long as it is controlled like most other diseases.  A seizure is a physical manifestation of paroxysmal and abnormal electrical firing of neurons in the brain.  Think of it as numerous voltage (hyperexcitability of neurons) going throughout the brain meaning brain waves going in all directions with the brain saying its too much activity.  In simpler terms the brain is saying I don’t know what to do, too much brain wave excitability for the organ to register in what to do and freaks out causing the brain to go into a seizure.

“Osteoporosis is called a “silent disease” because it progresses without symptoms until a fracture occurs. It develops less often in men than in women because men have larger skeletons, their bone loss starts later and progresses more slowly, and they have no period of rapid hormonal change and bone loss. However, in the past few years the problem of osteoporosis in men has been recognized as an important public health issue, particularly in light of estimates that the number of men above the age of 70 will continue to increase as life expectancy continues to rise.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics

So many are aware due to media and school that women are the ones at risk of osteoporosis after a certain age (menopause) but so are men!  BOTH genders need to protect their bones.

It is estimated that 2 million men in America are with the diagnosis Osteoporosis with another 12 million who are at risk for the thinning bone disease.  Men develop osteoporosis are also likely to become disabled just like women or even die as a result of a hip fracture that leads into another complication like pneumonia with continuing on declining in their health to sepsis that takes over causing the death, for example.  Is there a way to prevent this, of course (like most diseases).

Even with these statistics present and available most men avoid the doctor or think of this disease as a women’s problem not a man’s, like prostate cancer.  Well guess what gentlemen, it might just be that time for you to address this as a concern in your daily living for prevention which in this case starts now at any age.  The key word is PREVENTION to never have to deal with it or lower your risks at a high number to make it almost extinct in being ever diagnosed with it.

There are risk factors for men in developing Osteoporosis:

 Many of the same risk factors that affect women apply to men, too, but men also face some unique challenges. Let’s get into specifics:

Matthew Drake, MD, PhD an endocrinologist, assistant professor of medicine, and male osteoporosis researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. used as my reliable reference shows these as factors for men regarding osteoporosis:

Age. For starters in understanding how good bone production works or how your bone stays strong is this, the bone is constantly being removed, reabsorbed, and rebuilt in the body.  This bone remodeling process is balanced, for the most part, until age 50. After that, he said, the amount of bone being reabsorbed into the body exceeds the amount being put back, leading to thinning, weakened bones.  “The main risk for bone osteoporosis is simply getting older,” Dr. Drake said. “Beyond the age of 50, men begin to steadily lose bone at rate of about 0.5 to 1 percent per year.”

Drake added that part of the reason osteoporosis is less common in men is because they don’t go through menopause and the accompanying rapid rate of  bone loss due to declining estrogen levels.   Instead, men tend to develop osteoporosis about 8 to 10 years later than women. He said there isn’t much that men can do about the age-related decline in testosterone levels associated with bone health. Testosterone supplementation is not recommended unless testosterone levels are very low.  Though you can help yourself with other supplements like.

 Not getting enough calcium and vitamin D?  Calcium and vitamin D play a critical role in bone health. Calcium is a mineral essential to building strong bones, and vitamin D helps the body absorb the calcium in your diet. Men older than 50 need about 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium each day. Good sources of calcium include milk and other dairy products as well as fortified orange juice and cereals.  Always remember if you are already diagnosed with a disease or illness check with your doctor to make sure the change you add to your life is safe with what ever diagnosis you already have (ex. Hypercalcemia).

 *If you don’t get enough calcium through your diet, you may need to take a supplement. Spread out your doses throughout the day to avoid taking more than 500 mg of calcium at one time. If you take too much at once, it may overwhelm the body’s ability to absorb it effectively, Drake said.

*Your skin makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, but most people don’t get enough that way, often because of spending too much time indoors or using sunscreen. Men 50 to 69 years old need about 800 to 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D every day. You might benefit from taking either a calcium supplement with vitamin D or a separate vitamin D supplement.

 Not getting enough exercise. Try to get in at least 30 minutes a day. Exercises that make you work against gravity, called weight-bearing exercises — like walking, jogging, basketball, soccer, and hiking.  Help maintain bone health.   Your bones support the weight of your body during these types of exercises, which keeps them strong.

Smoking. The use of tobacco is directly linked to decreased bone density.

Drinking too much alcohol. Overindulging can speed up bone loss. Drake recommended men drink no more than two alcoholic drinks a day to protect their bones.

 Taking certain medications. Many common medical conditions and the medicines used to treat them can cause bone loss. Included are depression, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and drugs like steroids and some medications used to treat heartburn and cancer.

 Again, Talk to your doctor about the various medications you’re taking for diseases or illnesses, find out how the meds may affect your bones, and what precautions you can take to reduce your risk of osteoporosis.

“When I was suddenly thrust into what everyone calls menopause (Orchids) earlier than my body planned, I decided someone needed to take charge on so many levels. It was time to not only change the vernacular, but to speak up and say “Hey! This isn’t an old lady’s disease! We aren’t old! We are strong and dammit, we are beautiful and sexy too!”
― Lisa Jey Davis, Orchids: The New Black. How to Get Over Your Ovaries & Make ‘The Change of Life’ Your Bitch

What is Menopause?

Menopause is when the ovaries naturally stop producing 2 hormones called estrogen and progesterone. Your ovaries are similar to what a car does in that over years it wears down, well so does the mechanism that regulates your hormones which is the ovaries. You go 12 consecutive months without having a period with no reasons to be explained for its occurrence, both biological or physical with it never returning. If both ovaries are removed surgically the menopause kicks in immediately. Menopause has signs and symptoms (s/s) that kick in which have varying intensities (it depends on the individual). You may experience mild to severe s/s. Those s/s can be : 1- Hot Flashes 2-Irregular Periods 3- Breast Pains 4- Night Sweats 5- Mood Swings 6- Loss of Labido 7- Vaginal Dryness 8-Brittle Nails 9-Bloating 10-Irritability 11-Depression 12- Weight Gain 13- Osteoporosis-one of the worst symptoms of menopause.

According to U.S. Census data from 2000, there are about 37.5 million women reaching or currently at menopause (ages 40 to 59).

As women near menopause, they may have symptoms too from the changes their body is making. Some women may not have any other symptoms at all. Symptoms that some women experience near menopause include symptoms close to the actual menopause symptoms are like the hot flashes (getting warm in the face, neck, or chest), night sweats or sleeping problems that led to feeling tired, stressed or tense, vaginal changes (the vagina may become dry and thin and sex may be painful) and thinning of bones, which may lead to loss of height and bone breaks. If a woman would like to treat her symptoms, she should talk to her health care provider to discuss treatment options.

Did you know over 60% of adult Americans are considered obese or overweight?

Weight gain happens when a person increases their body mass, whether it is a result of fat deposits, additional muscle tissue, or excess fluid. However, weight gain associated with menopause typically involves increased amounts of fat around the abdomen. One of the most accurate ways to see if you are obese is to measure your body mass index which is free online, check out the internet. I do every so often.

Go to Free HYPERLINK “http://www.aicr.org/bmi_calculator”BMIHYPERLINK “http://www.aicr.org/bmi_calculator” Calculator – AICR.org

www.aicr.org/HYPERLINK “http://www.aicr.org/bmi”bmi calculator.

On average, a women gains about 12 to 15 pounds between the ages of 45 and 55, this is usually when menopause typically occurs. This extra weight generally does not evenly distribute itself throughout a woman’s body. The weight tends to accumulate around the abdomen instead and women often notice the shape of their bodies slowly losing their hour-glass figure.

What can resolve this issue? As years progress the metabolism slows down; setting the physiological stage for weight gain. As a woman’s hormones fluctuate prior to menopause and preparing for a permanently reduced hormonal level, it is likely to experience weight gain. I’m over 40 y/o and in menopause. I have found a way effective for me to stay in my BMI therapeutically by increasing my metabolism and keeping it at a steady rate without any heavy workout at this time. If you too are experiencing this problem and would like guidance in how to fix this naturally with not being put on drugs than come to healthyusa.tsfl.com. We will show you how to increase your metabolism with you making the choices of what foods you want in your body. You will be able to treat yourself to foods high in fats or carbohydrates or sugars occasionally when you reach your therapeutic ratio of your body mass index. Join Dr. Anderson with his book “Dr. A’s healthy habits” and myself as a health coach assisting you in doing what you need to know in understanding how the body works with foods and what foods (out of the 4 food groups is good for the body on a regular daily basis). I hope you join me like so many others where we were so happy with ourselves with the results, how it financially stayed within our budget or cheaper, and how it all paid off. You take a look for yourself and I think you may just like what you see. No contract, No fee, No donations, it’s just a look at the website healthyusa.tsfl.com. I have been a RN a quarter just over a quarter of a century and have seen disease from cancer units to cardiac units to all types of med surg. & could go on with my experience. I have worked from sea to shining sea, NY to California. I saw what unhealthy habits have done to peoples bodies of all ages in the US and will try every attempt not to end up like that but be healthier in living my life with staying out of facilities. Come aboard in helping yourselves with others making a healthier USA we take that responsibility on as a citizen in America and to those around us (particularly the young).