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  What actually is prostate cancer? Prostate cancer impacts the prostate gland, which is the gland that forms fluid in semen and plays a key role in urine control in males. The prostate gland lies just below the bladder and opposite to the rectum. Nowadays, it is the most common cancer seen in males, but is also treatable if diagnosed in the early stages. Testing on a regular basis becomes very crucial as the cancer requires to be diagnosed prior to metastasis. Prostate cancer causes: Prostate is a walnut-sized exocrine gland and produces a fluid that nurtures and transfers sperm on their passage to combine with a female ovum, or egg, in turn produce a human life. The prostate contracts as well as ejects these fluids out during orgasm. Prostate secretes a protein named prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which assists semen in retaining its liquid phase. Too much of this protein in the blood is one of the initial symptoms of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer symptoms: The prostate canc...

  Looking at the current trends, nearly everybody is stressed out and juggling between work, family and other commitments these days. Stress is a normal reaction to a busy life or difficult situation as such, but it is not a disorder. Because once the cause of stress is removed, stress goes away. I have seen people using ‘stress’, ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’ as one, however medically they are different terms. Let’s understand these terms in a better way. Like, a person suffering from depression may not have anxiety. In such a scenario, overcoming depression is far more difficult. On the other hand, every person dealing with an anxiety disorder is not depressed. According to one of the psychiatry professors at NYU Langone Medical Center, basically, the first stage of depression or anxiety often accompanies a stressor. For example, sexual abuse, loss of a family member, serious childhood adversity, etc. can determine future depression. Contrarily, somebody suffering from anxiety or d...

  There are several methods to avoid or keep a check on hepatitis, which includes two primary habits of getting a vaccine as well as washing your hands well every now and then (especially before and after food consumption). Besides, there are three major types of hepatitis as mentioned below. Types of Hepatitis: A, B, and C Mainly, there are three types of hepatitis, and each one has different effects and symptoms. Some of the indicators may appear similar, though, there are different suggested treatments for them. Hepatitis A: This type of Hepatitis usually doesn’t cause any complication and is curable with Hepatitis Vaccine and medication. In this case, the expected time to heal for your liver is around 2-3 months. Hepatitis A is a virus-related liver illness that may cause mild to severe adverse effect on your body. HAV or the hepatitis A virus is transferred through absorption of contaminated water and food or through straight contact with an infected person. Hepatitis B: If no...

  Also known as senile dementia, Alzheimer ’ disease is a progressive disease of the brain. This destroys memory and other vital memory functions. It also leads to disturbances in planning, reasoning, perception, and language of the patient. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common causes of dementia in the U.S. Primary risk factor of having Alzheimer’s disease is increased age; however, other factors like genetics also play a role in developing this disease. The possibility of having this disease increases after the age of 70, and it can affect around 50% people over 85. Following Are Few Signs And Symptoms Of Alzheimer’s Disease One Should Watch Out For: Memory Loss Disorientation Of Time And Place Difficulty In Talking Or Writing Struggle In Performing Known Tasks Vision Problems Poor Judgment Misplacing Things Difficulty In Planning Or Solving Problems Loss Of Interest In Social Work And Other Activities Mood Swings Or Changes In Behavior There is no cure, but the disease ...

  Influenza, or the flu, is a viral infection of the respiratory tract (the nose, throat, and lungs) that spreads from person to person by coughing, sneezing or touching surfaces. In the flu, a genetic mutation of the main virus variation occurs which allows them to evade our immune system. For this reason, people get a new vaccination every year. Although, the yearly flu strains in winter are not severe and could be resolved easily, sometimes the flu outbreaks are a serious cause of illness. Those with a weak immune system are at risk of developing complications from influenza-like pneumonia and bronchitis. In U.S. fall and winter months have the most flu viruses and this time of the year is known as the flu season. More than 200,000 people are hospitalized due to complications of the flu during flu season. Very young children, older adults, pregnant women and those with asthma or other lung disease are more prone to developing serious illness. Is Cold and Flu Same? Although cold ...

  Asthma is a chronic condition wherein your airways, that carry air to and from lungs, become inflamed and it gets difficult to breathe. As per data, nearly 25 million Americans are affected by asthma. Although there is no cure for asthma, one can take certain precautions to avoid the triggers and manage it effectively. Symptoms of Asthma: Many people may not be aware of having this condition, in case their symptoms are mild. The most common symptoms of asthma include – coughing at night while laughing or exercising, chest tightness, difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath and wheezing. Asthma symptoms, even if not severe, should be taken seriously as they can be fatal if left untreated. What causes Asthma?  What causes asthma? The most common cause of asthma trigger is allergen such as pollen, dust mites, animal dander or ragweed and irritants in the air like smoke, strong odors or chemical fumes. Exercise or a respiratory illness can also make you prone to developing t...

  A form of joint disorder, arthritis causes inflammation and stiffness in the joints. In this condition, a person experiences pain and swelling in the joints. It can affect people of all ages, sexes, and races; however, arthritis is most common among women. Today, arthritis is a major cause of disability in the United States. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children suffer from some or the other type of arthritis. The most common symptoms of arthritis include pain, swelling of the joint, stiffness and restricted physical movement. These symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, and may progress or get worse with time. In severe cases, one may experience chronic pain, difficulty in walking or climbing stairs and inability to do daily chores. The joint can also change permanently leading to knobby fingers. However, often joint damage can only be evident on x-ray. Out of the different types of arthritis, some may also affect eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys, and skin, along with t...

  Also known as hay fever, seasonal allergies occur when a person’s immune system overreacts to an external allergen like pollen. An allergy occurs because the body sees these allergens as a threat. On detecting an allergen, our body’s immune system releases histamines which induce the physical symptoms of allergies. The most common culprits of these allergies are pollens from grasses, weeds, and trees. Seasonal allergies are very common with more than 10 million cases in India. Allergic rhinitis affects 10% – 30% population of the world. Some researchers believe that around 50 million people are affected by nasal allergies in the United States and 30% adults and 40% of children are affected by allergies. However, the allergens differ as per the seasons. In spring, tree pollen triggers allergies whereas, in the summertime, the grass causes allergies. From late summer to the end of the fall season, ragweed causes allergies. Also, mold and dust cause allergies all throughout the yea...

  When the teenage years arrive, they often come with those annoying, distinctive pimples on the face, and often on the chest and back too. These little skin imperfections tend to go away as we get older, but for some of us, the painful, red and sometimes yellow “zits” may last a lot longer into adulthood. Acne is one of the most common skin problems in teenagers and young adults, and causes significant emotional distress for many. Acne is caused by inflammation in the pilosebaceous unit, the place that harbors the hair follicle and the sebaceous gland. The sebaceous gland produces sebum, an oily substance that lubricates the skin. We still don’t know how this inflammation happens, but it seems that sebum overproduction clogs the sebaceous gland, which can lead to inflammation and eventually bacterial infection. Is acne related to diet? When I was a child, I remember my mother blaming the chocolate I ate for all the pimples I had. I’ve heard other people say that dairy products and...

In 1975, researchers from Yale investigated an epidemic of 51 patients with arthritis who lived near the woodsy town of Lyme, Connecticut. The most common symptom was recurrent attacks of knee swelling. A few had pain in other joints, such as the wrist or ankle. Many had fever, fatigue, and headache. Some remembered a round skin rash before the onset of knee swelling. We now know that Lyme disease is an infection acquired from tick bites, caused by a spiral bacterium named Borrelia burgdorferi. After a tick bite, Borrelia bacteria wriggle through the skin away from the bite site. This leads to a circular red rash, known as erythema migrans. In its more advanced stages, erythema migrans may take on a bullseye appearance. Many people are unaware of the rash, as it is usually painless, and ticks may bite in less visible locations, such as a buttock or shoulder blade. Lyme disease is diagnosed with blood tests that detect antibodies to B. burgdorferi. Two-step testing is traditionally perf...

  I have high blood pressure and have been checking my blood pressure more often since my doctor added another drug. But lately, my readings have been all over the place. For example, one morning it was 127/70, but then it was 170/100 in the late afternoon. What’s going on?  You may have a condition known as labile hypertension, which refers to blood pressure that fluctuates far more than usual. Everyone’s blood pressure rises and falls many times during the course of a single day, sometimes even within minutes. Many factors contribute to these changes, including physical activity, emotion, body position, diet (especially salt and alcohol intake), and sleep deprivation. However, there is no clear definition or standard criteria to distinguish between normal and abnormal fluctuations. One common but underappreciated cause of labile hypertension is taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and the prescr...

  Eating a cup of blueberries every day may help your blood pressure, suggests a new study. The results, published online Feb. 16, 2019, by The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, found that consuming 200 grams of blueberries (about one cup) daily can improve blood vessel function and decrease systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading). Researchers recruited 40 healthy men and randomly gave them either a drink containing 200 grams of whole wild blueberries or a control drink (which looked and tasted much the same) every day for a month. The team also monitored the men’s blood pressure as well as the flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery in their upper arms. This measures how the artery widens when blood flow increases and is a marker of reduced cardiovascular disease risk. Afterward, the researchers found that flow-mediated dilation improved by about 2% within two hours of consuming the blueberry drink and t...

  In December 2018, the FDA issued a warning about certain antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones, a drug class that includes ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and levofloxacin (Levaquin). The drugs are associated with rare ruptures or tears in the body’s main artery, the aorta, which can cause serious, sometimes fatal bleeding. Cases were reported in people taking these antibiotics orally or by injection. Because of this risk, the FDA is advising doctors to try to avoid prescribing these antibiotics to people who are at higher risk for problems with the aorta, unless there are no other antibiotics available to treat the infection.  This includes people who have high blood pressure, certain genetic disorders (such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), or a history of arterial blockages or aneurysms. The FDA issued a separate warning in July 2018, alerting people that this same category of antibiotics could raise the risk of rapid drops in blood sugar and certain mental health si...

  About one in 10 people has eczema , a chronic inflammatory condition that leaves skin dry and itchy. People with more severe forms may experience a scaly rash or skin that cracks and oozes. These people may also be at greater risk for heart attack and stroke, according to a study in the May 23 issue of The BMJ. For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 385,000 adults with eczema, which was classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Each was matched with up to five people of similar age and sex who didn’t have eczema. After a five-year follow-up, the researchers found that people with severe eczema had a 40% to 50% increased risk of heart attack, atrial fibrillation, and death from heart disease, as well as a 20% higher risk of stroke. The risks remained even after the researchers accounted for confounding factors such as weight, smoking, and alcohol use. The study authors suggested that people with severe eczema should be screened for risk factors for heart disease, s...

How the trillions of bacteria in your intestinal tract play a role in your cardiovascular health. If you ask most medical experts about the hottest trends in health research, chances are they’ll mention the microbiome. The term refers to the trillions of microbes living inside our bodies, known as the human microbiota. The vast majority of these bacteria, viruses, and fungi dwell deep within our intestines. These microbes help with digestion, make certain nutrients, and release substances that have wide-ranging health effects. “There’s a complex interplay between the microbes in our intestines and most of the systems in our bodies, including the vascular, nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. All of these relationships are highly relevant to cardiovascular health,” says Dr. JoAnn Manson, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Microbe metabolites As you’d expect, what we eat plays a major role in the compositio...

  Last month, Harvard Women’s Health Watch talked about how high blood pressure can cause a series of tiny strokes that damage your brain, increasing your risk of dementia and cognitive changes. A study in the August 8 issue of Circulation shows that this might not be the only concern when it comes to blood pressure and your mind. Researchers in Japan found that large and frequent fluctuations in blood pressure — not just high blood pressure — was associated with an increased risk of both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. The study authors asked 1,674 dementia-free participants ages 60 and older to measure their blood pressure at home, three times every morning, for about four weeks. They followed up about five years later to see who went on to develop dementia. People in the study who developed vascular dementia, a type of dementia caused by impaired blood flow to the brain, typically had high blood pressure and were also more likely to have blood pressure fluctuations. B...

Lower doses of a combination of drugs may be effective. Approximately one in three Americans has high blood pressure, but only about half of those who do have the condition under control. One common reason: they stop taking their medications, often because of troublesome side effects such as weakness, fatigue, or a dry cough. However, taking smaller doses of several different blood pressure drugs may be a good way to address these issues, a new analysis suggests. Researchers pooled findings from 42 studies involving more than 20,000 people with high blood pressure. All had been randomly assigned to take a placebo or one or more blood pressure drugs in varying combinations and dosages. (For the American Heart Association’s list of common blood pressure drugs, including their possible side effects. Researchers found that taking a quarter-dose of a two-drug combination was just as effective at lowering blood pressure as taking a full dose of one drug. Taking a quarter-dose of a four-drug ...

  Protein is a cornerstone of healthy eating and weight loss and is readily available in many of the foods you eat, including poultry, meat, dairy, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy and even whole grains. Research shows higher-protein meals or snacks can also help reduce hunger and extend the feeling of satiety. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for men ages 19–50 is 56 grams per day, and it’s 46 grams per day for women. To get a more specific recommendation for what you need, you can calculate it based on your body weight, says Lindsey Kane, RD. “Generally speaking, you need .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (which is about .4 grams per pound of body weight).” This translates to about 56 grams of protein for someone who weighs 154 pounds. YOU’RE LOSING MUSCLE MASS Protein is made up of amino acids, which are essential for building muscle. This means that if you’re not getting adequate protein, your muscle mass could suffer. “You might notice this as decreased...

  Running is best when you enjoy it and can do it long term. Whether you prefer treadmill or outdoor running, you’ll experience many benefits, such as a lower risk of chronic disease and improved mental health. Choosing which type of running best suits you depends on your budget, environment, and overall preferences. If you’re unsure, give both outdoor and treadmill running a try, or alternate between the two. Either way, running is extremely beneficial for your health and well-being. Treadmill running A treadmill is an exercise machine with a controllable rotating belt that you can walk or run on. Treadmills are available in most workout facilities, or you can purchase one yourself in stores or online. Pros One of the biggest advantages of using a treadmill is its accessibility. Since most treadmills are indoors, you can use it day or night and in any climate. This can make running more accessible for those who exercise at night or live in places with ever-changing weather. Most ...