9 Symptoms You Should Never Ignore (4)

8. Swelling in the Legs

The big worries: An accumulation of fluid (called edema) in the extremities can be caused by a number of conditions, but the one that most concerns doctors is heart failure, when the heart cannot pump as much blood as the body needs. When that happens, blood backs up in the veins, causing fluid to accumulate in the body's tissues. "Swelling of the legs, especially if it is persistent, should never be ignored," says Gordon F. Tomaselli, M.D., director of the division of cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Heart failure is suspected when both legs are affected and the patient also has shortness of breath, fatigue and chest tightness.

What else it might be: A vein problem known as venous insufficiency can also cause swelling. Normally, valves in the leg veins keep blood flowing back to the heart, but in those with venous insufficiency, these valves are weakened, causing a backup of blood. "If valves are the problem, swelling usually goes away when you lie down," Tomaselli says. Compression stockings can help. Swelling can also result from hypothyroidism (not enough thyroid hormone).

9. Sudden or severe abdominal pain

The big worries: Sudden abdominal pain could signal that an aortic aneurysm — a bulge that develops in the aorta, frequently in the abdominal area — has ruptured. "If the aneurysm ruptures, the pain tends to be sudden and severe and typically centralized around the belly button," says Richard Desi, M.D., a gastroenterologist with Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. Alternatively, sudden pain can indicate a perforated viscus (a hole in the stomach, intestine or other hollow organ), often due to an ulcer. Intestinal ischemia, which happens when blood flow to the intestines slows or stops, starving tissues of oxygen, can be a culprit, too. "It's more common in older, sicker patients who have heart failure or atrial fibrillation," says Brian Putka, M.D., a gastroenterologist with the Cleveland Clinic. Each of these conditions is life threatening, requiring emergency surgery.

What else it might be: Abdominal pain is frequently due to gallstones, which are hard, pebblelike deposits that get lodged in a gallbladder duct, resulting in sharp pain as well as nausea and vomiting. Diverticulitis — inflammation or infection in small pouches of the large intestine — can be another cause of sudden, severe pain, along with changes in bowel habits, fever and nausea. Although irritable bowel syndrome can trigger painful spasms in the colon, the pain tends to come and go over time and may also cause constipation, diarrhea or alternating bouts of both. Appendicitis is a less likely candidate for sudden abdominal pain in those over 50, as the condition is less common with age. When it does occur, however, expect gradually worsening pain in the right-lower quadrant of the abdomen.

http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-12-2012/symptoms-you-should-never-ignore.4.html

Five Warning Signs of Heart Problems

21 February 2013

Chances are, you’re aware of the obvious signs of a heart attack: chest pain, extreme weakness or fatigue, nausea, clamminess and pain in other parts of the body like the jaw or back (particularly in women). Experiencing these symptoms could mean that you’re having a heart attack, and you should seek medical treatment right away.

Unfortunately, these are all signs of an imminent heart attack. If only your body could give you some warning signs in advance that a heart attack or other heart issues was headed your way! Being given alert that problems could be on the horizon could at least buy you some time to try to avert the issue.

The good news is, there are. Research has uncovered some symptoms that, on the surface, seem unrelated to the heart—and often are blown off as insignificant or “not that big of a deal” by many patients. But, upon closer examination, they can be predictors of heart problems and should be taken seriously. Let’s take a look at five of these little-known warning signs of heart problems.

Erectile Dysfunction

Difficulty maintaining an erection can affect more than your sex life. It can be a sign of atherosclerosis—a buildup of plaque in the arteries, which reduces blood flow to organs.

In the earlier stages of atherosclerosis, smaller arteries (like those in the penis) often get blocked up before larger arteries (like those supplying blood to the heart). The plaque deposits reduce blood flow to the penis, making it difficult to get an erection.

One study published in January 2013 highlights just how much of a heart disease predictor erectile dysfunction can be. Researchers followed 95,038 men, 10,159 of whom were treated for or died of cardiovascular disease. They found that the risks of cardiovascular disease and death increased steadily with the severity of erectile dysfunction. They noted that their findings “give support for [cardiovascular disease] risk assessment in men with erectile dysfunction.”¹

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a person’s breathing is interrupted while sleeping. This interruption is most often caused by an airway blockage—usually when tissue in the back of the throat collapses. People with this condition can stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night—sometimes up to hundreds of times—which causes oxygen deprivation to the brain and body.

If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to a variety of heart conditions, like high blood pressure and heart attack, due to the fact that the reduced oxygen intake leads to less oxygen feeding the heart. Sleep apnea also increases inflammation in the body—another risk factor for heart conditions.

According to a recent study, a certain group of men with sleep apnea seem to be at higher risk for heart problems than women. Researchers followed 1,927 men and 2,495 women who were free of heart disease and heart failure at baseline. After almost nine years, they found that sleep apnea was a significant predictor of heart disease (including heart attack and death) in men ages 40 to 70, but not in women or older men.²

Bleeding Gums

We often associate bleeding gums with not flossing enough or, more seriously, gingivitis—inflammation of the gums due to long-term buildup of plaque (a substance made of bacteria and food debris that is completely unrelated to the arterial plaque associated with heart disease). But if you have a consistent problem with bleeding gums, it’s time to talk to your dentist and your doctor about your heart health.

There are a couple reasons why the health of your gums is connected to the health of your heart. First, the poor circulation often seen in patients with heart disease could contribute to bleeding gums and gingivitis.

Second, research supports the idea that oral bacteria can spread into the bloodstream and contribute to arterial plaque.

In one study of 657 people, researchers analyzed 4,561 oral plaque samples (an average of seven samples per person) and assessed them for 11 different types of bacteria. They also conducted cardiovascular assessments and testing on the participants.

They found that, overall, higher levels of periodontal bacteria were related to greater carotid artery intima-media thickness (thickness of the innermost layers of the arterial walls). In addition, white blood cell values were higher in those who had more bacteria in their systems. They concluded that there is a “direct relationship between periodontal microbiology and subclinical atherosclerosis.”³

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to keep your gums healthy and reduce your risk of gingivitis is to floss every day. Flossing removes plaque from teeth and prevents it from accumulating. Visiting your dentist for regular teeth cleanings is also an excellent idea.

Edema

Sometimes, our bodies retain water, which causes swelling—a condition known as edema. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including allergic reactions, low levels of certain proteins in the body, injuries or infections, a blockage in the lymph system, pregnancy and the use of certain medications.

On a more serious level, edema can also be an indicator of heart disease. When the heart weakens as a result of disease, it pumps blood less efficiently. This causes fluid to build up, especially in the legs and feet—the areas furthest from your heart, which take the most work to pump blood to.

Shortness of Breath

While shortness of breath, along with other symptoms, could indicate that a heart attack is currently happening, it could also be a sign of future heart troubles. This is because a weak heart pumps less oxygen through the body, which could result in shortness of breath.

The feeling of constantly feeling out of breath should not be ignored because of its sheer significance in predicting heart disease risk. In one study of almost 18,000 participants, researchers found that the rate of death from cardiac causes was significantly higher in people who reported shortness of breath than in those patients who did not. And among the participants who had no history of heart problems, those with shortness of breath had four times the risk of sudden death from cardiac causes, as compared to patients with no shortness of breath.⁴

What To Do

If you have any of these symptoms or conditions—especially two or more of them—visit your doctor as soon as possible. Consider these symptoms your body’s way of telling you something larger and more serious could be wrong…but with swift and proper medical treatment, serious consequences can be prevented.

And even if no underlying heart issues are found, there are treatments for these bothersome health issues that will allow you to live a more active and/or fulfilling life.

The bottom line: See your doctor. Don’t wait.
 
References:

1. Banks E, et al. PLoS Med. 2013 Jan 10(1):e1001372. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001372. Epub 2013 Jan 29.
2. Gottlieb DJ, et al. Circulation. 2010 Jul 27;122(4):352-60.
3. Desvarieux M, et al. Circulation. 2005 Feb 8;111(5):576-82.
4. Abido A, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005 Nov 3;353:1889-98.

Source:  Five Little-Known Warning Signs of Heart Problems

More than just a pinch of salt

Posted on 13 December 2010 - 06:35pm

Too much salt in our diet can cause numerous health problems.

GENERALLY, food in its natural state tends to be low in sodium.

Most of our excess sodium comes from consuming processed or cooked foods.

Salted meat, eggs and vegetables, miso, and most cheese are particularly high in salt.

While its chloride component is believed to be harmless, daily sodium intake exceeding four grams can cause numerous health problems since salt and MSG are such common food flavourings. Among these salt-related health problems are:


Water retention

Our kidneys are not efficient in removing excess salt from our blood stream. Too much salt causes thirst, fluid retention, and higher blood volume. However, we do need some sodium to maintain desirable blood volume and blood pressure. Depending on body weight, an average adult has between 70g and 90g of sodium and most of this is in the blood.


Loss of calcium

We lose calcium in our urine when our salt intake is high. Osteoporosis develops when about 30% of our bone mass is lost. Some 18 nutrients, including calcium, are needed to build our bone structure. Taking supplemental calcium may not help as it is difficult to absorb. Calcium absorption also depends on adequate intake of vitamin C. Taking one without the other can cause health problems.

Hypertension

Excess salt is widely regarded as a contributing factor for high blood pressure. Adults in salt-free societies such as the Yanomama tribe in Amazon have average blood pressure of just 96/61 (Intersalt, 1988).

Our risk of stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure increases with blood pressure higher than 110/70 (Kannel and Gordon, 1970). Complementary medicine uses 110/70 as being ‘normal’, and not 120/80. Balancing sodium/potassium intake helps control blood pressure. Foods very rich in potassium include sengkuang, tapioca leaves, and tomato.


Edema

Not only do our kidneys weaken with age, our ability to excrete salt declines with age too so that senior citizens tend to suffer higher incidence of edema (swelling of limbs and other body parts).

All things being equal, edema improves with lower sodium and adequate potassium intake whereas hypothyroidism worsens edema.

Individuals with frequent edema should check their thyroid functions. They are advised to consume more fresh produce or raw vegetables/fruits to reduce overall sodium intake as well as drink more fluids.


Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

If the PMS symptoms included edema, mood swings, and irritability, then increasing salt intake can only worsen a woman’s condition.


Kidney and bladder stones

On a high salt diet, kidney stones are prevalent especially in the presence of excess calcium in the blood (Borghi et al, 2002) and arterial hypertension (Midgley et al, 1996).


Enlarged heart

Chronic hypertension enlarges the heart to help it cope with higher blood pressure. Irrespective of blood pressure, increased salt intake also enlarges the heart. An enlarged heart increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke – all of which can lead to sudden death (Schmieder, 1989). Higher salt intake also promotes arterial stiffness (Avolio 1983).


Glaucoma

The fluid in our eyes are constantly being replenished and removed to maintain stable pressure. Glaucoma occurs when pressure rises. This is a common cause of poor vision and even blindness. A low salt intake helps control this eye disorder.


Allergies

Lung functions of asthmatics can depend on their sodium excretion rates. Studies confirm that a high salt diet adversely affect bronchial airways (Burney, 1987).


Cancers

International studies have linked intake of salted foods to increased risk of nasal, oesophagus, and stomach cancers (Nazario et al, 1993). Japanese suffer the highest rates of stomach cancer in the world and their studies have linked this disorder to high salt intake, although consuming raw meat/fish containing the bacterium H. Pylori might be an issue too.

Salt is alkaline, but excess amounts can be highly toxic to some organs of the body.


Hyponatraemia

When blood sodium level is below 135mmol/L, we may be low on sodium (hyponatraemia) which is rare for anyone consuming a modern diet.

Furthermore, diuretic drugs used to treat hypertension can dramatically lower blood sodium irrespective of salt intake.

In addition, intense sweating, excess fluid intake, cortisol or aldosterone deficiency, and even poor distribution of body fluids can lead to hyponatraemia.

Source: More than just a pinch of salt