Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids

Rectal lump; Piles; Lump in the rectum

Hemorrhoids are painful, swollen veins in the lower portion of the rectum or anus.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Hemorrhoids are very common, especially during pregnancy and after childbirth. They result from increased pressure in the veins of the anus. The pressure causes the veins to swell, making them painful, particularly when you are sitting.

The most common cause is straining during bowel movements.

Hemorrhoids may be caused by:

Straining during bowel movements

Constipation

Sitting for long periods of time

 

Anal infections

Certain diseases, such as liver cirrhosis

  

Hemorrhoids may be inside or outside the body.

Internal hemorrhoids occur just inside the anus, at the beginning of the rectum. E

External hemorrhoids occur at the anal opening and may hang outside the anus.

Symptoms

Symptoms of hemorrhoids include:

Anal itching

Anal ache or pain, especially while sitting

Bright red blood on toilet tissue, stool, or in the toilet bowl

Pain during bowel movements

One or more hard tender lumps near the anus

Signs and tests

A doctor can often diagnose hemorrhoids simply by examining the rectal area. If necessary, tests that may help diagnose the problem include:

Stool guaiac (shows the presence of blood)

Sigmoidoscopy

Anoscopy

Treatment

Treatments for hemorrhoids include:

Over-the-counter corticosteroid creams to help reduce pain and swelling

Hemorrhoid creams with lidocaine to help reduce pain

Stool softeners help reduce straining and constipation

Witch hazel (applied with cotton swabs) can reduce itching. Other steps to reduce this itching include:

Wear cotton undergarments.

Avoid toilet tissue with perfumes or colors, use baby wipes instead.

Try not to scratch the area.

Sitz baths can help you to feel better. Sit in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes.

If your hemorrhoids do not get better with home treatments, you may need a type of heat treatment to shrink the hemorrhoids. This is called infrared coagulation. This may help avoid surgery.

Surgery that may be done to treat hemorrhoids includes rubber band ligation or surgical hemorrhoidectomy. These procedures are generally used for patients with severe pain or bleeding who have not responded to other therapy.

Complications

The blood in the swollen vein may form clots, and the surrounding tissue can die. Surgery is often needed to remove hemorrhoids with clots.

Severe bleeding may also occur. Iron deficiency anemia can result from long-term blood loss. Significant bleeding from hemorrhoids is unusual, however.

Calling your health care provider

Call for your health care provider if hemorrhoid symptoms do not improve with home treatment. You should also be seen if you have rectal bleeding. Your provider may want to check for other, more serious causes of the bleeding.

Call 911 if you lose a lot of blood, or if you are bleeding and feel dizzy, lightheaded, or faint.

Prevention

Constipation and straining during bowel movements raise your risk for hemorrhoids. To prevent constipation and hemorrhoids, you should:

Drink plenty of fluids, at least eight glasses per day.

Eat a high-fiber diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Consider fiber supplements.

Use stool softeners to prevent straining.

Preeclampsia

 Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia complicates 5 – 7 percent of all pregnancies. The classic triad includes hypertension, proteinuria (protein in the urine), and edema (swelling). Preeclampsia occurs frequently among young, first-pregnancy mothers. The risk is also significantly higher among the daughters of women who have had preeclampsia.

Preclampsia can affect multiple organs and can cause headaches, visual changes and abdominal pain. Treatment for preeclampsia differs and depends on severity, associated conditions of the mother, and how far along a woman is in her pregnancy. Preeclampsia can be life-threatening to both mother and baby, so continuous prenatal care and doctor’s visits are crucial to its diagnosis and treatment.


Risk Factors for preeclampsia:
Age < 20 years or > 35 years
First pregnancy
Multiple gestation (twins, triplets, etc.)
Hydatiform mole
Diabetes mellitus
Thyroid disease
Chronic hypertension
Renal disease
Collagen vascular disease
Antiphospholipid syndrome
Family history of preeclampsia

Here’s to living well,
Harini katakam

Millions of Needless Deaths Due to Vitamin D Deficiency

Millions of Needless Deaths Due to Vitamin D Deficiency

------------A study published in June 2008 showed that men with low vitamin D levels suffer 2.42 times more heart attacks. ... Each year, about 157,000 Americans die from coronary artery disease-related heart attacks.   Based on this most recent study, if every American optimized their vitamin D status, the number of deaths prevented from this kind of heart attack would be 92,500. 

...  A study published in January 2008 showed that women with the lowest level of vitamin D were at a 222% increased risk for developing breast cancer. Most studies show that higher levels of vitamin D can reduce breast cancer incidence by around 30-50%. ... Vitamin D-deficient women, for example, have a 253% increased risk of colon cancer. Colon cancer strikes 145,000 Americans each year and 53,580 die from it. ... Each year, approximately 186,800 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,950 perish from it in the United States. ... Prostate cancer will be diagnosed in an estimated 189,000 American men this year. Almost 30,000 will die from it. Men with higher levels of vitamin D have a 52% reduced incidence of prostate cancer. ... Stroke is the number three cause of death in the United States. It is also one of the most feared diseases because of its high incidence of permanent disability.  In a study published in September 2008, blood indicators of vitamin D status were measured in 3,316 patients with suspected coronary artery disease. The subjects were followed for 7.75 years. For every small decrease in blood indicators of vitamin D status, there was a startling 86% increase in the number of fatal strokes."


-- Harini katakam

 "The SUN Does NOT Cause Melonoma Cancer"!

One of the  Dr. who was talking about Melanoma. People, do not be scared of the sun. Saying the sun is bad for you and causes cancer is very misleading and could lead to other diseases and illnesses. It is like saying vitamins and minerals are bad for you and can kill you. Its like saying drinking water can kill you. Its like saying drinking a glass of wine or beer will make you an alcoholic and kill you. -- Harini katakam




 The Sun is not bad for you, the sun does not cause cancer. Abuse of alcohol can kill you. Abuse of a vitamin or mineral can kill you, Abuse of water can kill you. Abuse of anything can kill you. -- Harini katakam

 Without the sun there would be no life on earth. Without the sun you would die. All life on earth revolves around the suns energy. So I would say sun does not cause melonoma. --Harini katakam

you are doing more damage to your body by using toxic sun blocks and avoiding the sun. The sun is very important in ensuring your daily dose of Vitamin D. Your body makes a special form of Vitamin D that your body needs to be healthy. Vitamin D deficiencies are linked to such diseases as Multiple Sclerosis. In populations that live in areas of the world that have long winters and short summers, the number of people with multiple sclerosis is extremely higher that those of hot sunny regions where MS is very rare. To add to a vitamin D deficiency, when using sun blocks you are introducing tons of toxic and harmful foreign chemicals into your body. What every you put on your skin can be absorbed into your blood stream. So by putting on these chemicals every day to avoid the sun is doing much more harm than letting your body absorb the life giving energy of the sun. -- Harini katakam

Now with that said don't go running outside naked in the middle of the day lathered in oil to bake for 2 hours. That is Abuse and yes will harm you. You just have to be smart. everyone needs at least 10 -15 min of sun on a large portion of their body every day. Try to get this sun in the mornings or the evenings when the rays of the sun are not as strong. If you are an extremely white person then 10 - 15 mins is all your really going to need. The darker your skin the longer you need to be in the sun. Dark skin pigment is a natural sun block. That is why Africans and people in tropical countries have very dark skin. They have evolved to live a life in extreme sunlight. very dark people should never use sun block. They do not need it. For a very dark person to get their vitamin D they need to be in the sun a long time. For the lighter skinned people once you have had your daily sun, then by all means cover up a little and put some sun block on, BUT not just any sun block. Buy your sun block from a health food type store where they will carry more safe and less toxic sun block options. We already fill our bodies with so many toxic chemicals and known carcinogens every single day. They are in the air we breath, the water we drink, the additives and preservatives in processed food, the cleaning supplies, cosmetics, the pesticides and fertilizers etc. We don't need any more of this junk in our bodies because some so called doctor who is suppose to be intelligent tells everyone to hide from the essential life giving sun and lather yourself in toxic carcinogenic chemicals -- Harini katakam