Shedding pounds untreated
Weight Loss May unwittingly be a symptom of many medical or mental disorders such as cancer, heart disease, lung diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, or depression. Some antidepressants, sedatives, antibiotics and painkillers can also cause a loss of appetite and weight loss involuntary, especially if very high doses was prescribed.
Some people who are sick stop eating when their bodies appetitesuppressing release of chemicals that make them feel full. Polypharmacie or more medications, can interact in a manner that both weaken the appetite and distort the flavor of food. Improperlyfitted prosthesis that affect chewing are another consequence of the unintended weight loss. Whatever the cause, loss of appetite can lead to malnutrition and malnutrition can aggravate a health problem exists.
How many people suffer from hunger?
Nobody knows exactly how many elderly are too thin, but the unintended weight loss is common, affecting more than half of all residents, according to a study.
At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health and Nutrition Examination survey revealed that 16% of Americans over 65 who live in retirement communities consume less than 1000 calories per day. That is about half the federal government of the recommended daily intake for this age group. Two studies have shown that low body weight accelerated bone loss and fractures of the hip in 6785 older women and 1342 men older.
Weight loss can begin an involuntary physical problem, like cancer, which can become a mental health problem like depression as the disease progresses. You can also start a mental health problem that becomes a physical problem. Evidence is mounting that not eat can affect the mental well-being of people who are depressed, may also become depressed after stopping to eat.
A recent study of elderly find their average rate of weight loss has doubled in the year to Alzheimer's disease has become apparent. The study followed 449 elderly people, often in their 70 and 80 years, but some as young as 65 years to an average of six years. All participants were initially healthy mind, but 125 have been diagnosed with mild dementia. Among the latter group, the rate of weight loss doubled from 0.6 pounds per year to 1.2 pounds per year, shortly before his diagnosis.
Feed the problem?
To determine why someone is not enough to eat or eat the right kinds of foods, a health professional can make a nutritional assessment and order in various blood tests. When an eating disorder or depression is suspected of causing weight loss, the doctor May suggest for a medical advice and prescribe more drugs for improving the appetite.
Cindy Underwood, a dietitian at Greenspring Erickson HealthSM, Erickson built and managed by the VA community, cautions against a one size fits all approach for medical advice treatment to a problem with many causes. "It is important reason why the person is losing weight if you need to talk with your doctor to find out what's going on," he said.
Evans not only that, when it began its nutritional assessment and an inspection of his client the environment. "You have to see how they eat and prepare their meals. If they can not buy, which negotiates for them, if someone? "Question.
It supplements the answer?
When someone is not eating, can help meet the culinary preferences person before trying to complete. "If we find that food is wellaccepted, we discuss how we can strengthen and give the person. It is often a better approach than to give them a supplement," says Doris Henning, Erickson HealthSM director of restaurants in Maryland.
If it fails, nutritional supplements are often the next step. "When treatments are not identified, a nutrition strategy is the best approach," said William Russell, MD, vice president and regional medical director Erickson Communities in Maryland. Emphasizes that the tube feeding routine to maintain nutrition and prevent muscle atrophy usually do not keep people alive.
Others share his concern about the value of tube feeding. "For years, the idea was to feed people and I think you do better, but each species ceases to eat when they are sick," said David R. Thomas, MD, professor of geriatric medicine at Saint - Louis University Health Sciences Center in Missouri.
Otherwise, Thomas prescribed appetite stimulants, including those of megestrol, improve appetite, cause weight gain and help people feel better. Do you live longer? "We do not know," he said. Shall live better? "Yes, I think it is compassionate," he said.
It also promotes antidepressants because of evidence that stimulate the appetite and weight gain, while treating the underlying depression, stress and anxiety that contribute to weight loss problem.
Several studies are exploring the potential benefits of various drugs to improve appetite and help control the disease in people with unintended weight loss. For the moment, might be pleasantly regordeta provide an advantage when the chips are down? At least one doctor thinks so. "If you got sick, I would not really have a little reserve should be lower than normal," said Lewko.
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Tips for Healthy Aging
Getting older makes the person feel more weathered and weak, and therefore thinks that with age comes the decrease in the vitality of life. This concept may be unhealthy to think of, especially those under the older group of the population. Being healthy and fit over the age of 50 can be done, but only with the right state of mind and having the straight goal of healthy aging.
When a person reaches the age of 50, certain complications with regards to health may possibly arise. In this situation, medical check ups are to be done on a regular basis, so as to prevent any sudden attacks that the person does no know of. This is important simply because one needs to know about their health, most especially at this age.
Healthy aging comes with a good lifestyle. It is necessary for the aging individual to take care of their health by simple means of exercise. Through exercising, older aged individuals can be one step closer to being fit and healthy. This may not be a 5 mile run, or a 30 minute gym workout. Simple exercises that suits the age, such as moderate walking, can do the trick. Walking is as easy as waking up, and this exercise requires no equipment (except maybe a good pair of shoes), and in addition, this type of exercise can be done on a moderate level every day. Brisk walking for around 30 minutes can reduce the feelings of fatigue, promotes weight loss, lowers the blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, and also prevents the development of diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain heart problems. Also a great source for muscle building, exercise can definitely bring good health closer to you.
Of course, smoking would not do any good for one’s health, more so for an older adult. According to research, excess deaths from smoking cigarettes increase with age, and almost 60 percent of all smokers start at an early age. Memory loss can be one of the long lists of health problems, and can also double the risk for getting Alzheimer’s disease. Smoking makes a person develop skin wrinkles at an early age, so smoking is definitely a no-no for the older set.
A healthy individual’s most critical aspect of being healthy is to consume the right amount of food, with the right amount of healthy ingredients to complete a balanced diet. Rich in fruits and vegetables, people aged 50 and above should be practicing eating such, rather than calling for fast food. Those with antioxidants, such as oranges, broccoli, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes should be on the top of the grocery list. Upon knowing all these, healthy aging may not be so hard after all.
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Kidney Failure: Choosing the Right Treatment
Introduction
Your kidneys filter wastes from your blood and regulate other functions of your body. When your kidneys fail, you need treatment to replace the work your kidneys normally perform.
Developing kidney failure means you have some decisions to make about your treatment. You may choose to forgo treatment. If you choose to receive treatment, your choices include hemodialysis, which requires a machine used to filter your blood outside your body; peritoneal dialysis, which uses the lining of your belly to filter your blood inside the body; and kidney transplantation, in which a new kidney is placed in your body. Each treatment has advantages and disadvantages. Your choice of treatment will have a big impact on your day-to-day lifestyle, such as being able to keep a job if you are working. You are the only one who can decide what means most to you. Reading this information is a good way to learn about your options so you can make an informed choice. And, if you find that your choice is not a good fit for your life, you can change treatments. With the help of your health care team, family, and friends, you can lead a full, active life.
When Your Kidneys Fail
Healthy kidneys clean your blood by removing excess fluid, minerals, and wastes. They also make hormones that keep your bones strong and your blood healthy. When your kidneys fail, harmful wastes build up in your body, your blood pressure may rise, and your body may retain excess fluid and not make enough red blood cells. When this happens, you need treatment to replace the work of your failed kidneys.
reatment Choice: Hemodialysis Purpose Hemodialysis cleans and filters your blood using a machine to temporarily rid your body of harmful wastes, extra salt, and extra water. Hemodialysis helps control blood pressure and helps your body keep the proper balance of important chemicals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and bicarbonate. Dialysis can replace part of the function of your kidneys. Diet, medications, and fluid limits are often needed as well. Your diet, fluids, and the number of medications you need will depend on which treatment you choose. How Hemodialysis Works Hemodialysis uses a special filter called a dialyzer that functions as an artificial kidney to clean your blood. The dialyzer is a canister connected to the hemodialysis machine. Hemodialysis During treatment, your blood travels through tubes into the dialyzer, which filters out wastes, extra salt, and extra water. Then the cleaned blood flows through another set of tubes back into your body. The hemodialysis machine monitors blood flow and removes wastes from the dialyzer. Hemodialysis is usually done three times a week. Each treatment lasts from 3 to 5 or more hours. During treatment, you can read, write, sleep, talk, or watch TV. Getting Ready Arteriovenous fistula.Several months before your first hemodialysis treatment, an access to your bloodstream will need to be created. You may need to stay overnight in the hospital, but many patients have their access created on an outpatient basis. This access provides an efficient way for blood to be carried from your body to the dialyzer and back without causing discomfort. The two main types of access are a fistula and a graft. A surgeon makes a fistula by using your own blood vessels; an artery is connected directly to a vein, usually in your forearm. The increased blood flow makes the vein grow larger and stronger so it can be used for repeated needle insertions. This kind of access is the preferred type. It may take several weeks to be ready for use. A graft connects an artery to a vein by using a synthetic tube. It doesn’t need to develop as a fistula does, so it can be used sooner after placement. But a graft is more likely to have problems with infection and clotting. Graft. Catheter for temporary access.Before dialysis, needles are placed into the access to draw out the blood. If your kidney disease has progressed quickly, you may not have time to get a permanent vascular access before you start hemodialysis treatments. You may need to use a catheter—a small, soft tube inserted into a vein in your neck, chest, or leg near the groin—as a temporary access. Some people use a catheter for long-term access as well. Catheters that will be needed for more than about 3 weeks are designed to be placed under the skin to increase comfort and reduce complications. For more information about vascular access, see the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) fact sheet Vascular Access for Hemodialysis. Who Performs Hemodialysis Hemodialysis is most often done in a dialysis center by patient care technicians who are supervised by nurses. Medicare pays for three hemodialysis treatments each week. If you choose in-center treatment, you will have a fixed time slot three times per week on Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday. If you do not get the time slot you want at first, you can ask to be put on a waiting list for the time slot you prefer. For a special event, you may be able to trade times with someone else. You will want to think about the dialysis schedule if you work or have children to care for. Some centers offer in-center nocturnal dialysis. This treatment is done for a longer period at night, while you sleep at the center. Getting more dialysis means fewer diet and fluid limits, and this treatment leaves your days free for work, child care, hobbies, or other tasks. You can choose to learn how to do your own hemodialysis treatments at home. When you are the only patient, it is possible to do longer or more frequent dialysis, which comes closer to replacing the steady work healthy kidneys do. Daily home hemodialysis (DHHD) is done 5 to 7 days per week for 2 to 3 hours at a time, and you set the schedule. If your health plan will pay for more than three treatments, you might do the short treatments in the mornings or in the evenings. Nocturnal home hemodialysis (NHHD) is done 3 to 6 nights per week while you sleep. Either DHHD or NHHD will allow a more normal diet and fluids, with fewer blood pressure and other medications. Most programs want people doing hemodialysis at home to have a trained partner in the home while they do treatments. Learning to do home hemodialysis is like learning to drive a car—it takes a few weeks and is scary at first, but then it becomes routine. The dialysis center provides the machine and training, plus 24-hour support if you have a question or problem. New machines for home dialysis are smaller and easier to use than in-center ones. You have a choice of dialysis centers, and most towns have more than one center to choose from. You can visit a center to see if it has the treatments you want or the time slot you need. Some centers will let you use a laptop or cell phone or have visitors, and others will not. Medicare has a list of all U.S. centers on its Dialysis Facility Compare website (www.medicare.gov/dialysis) with quality ratings for each. Your health plan may have a list of centers you can use. If you choose in-center treatment, you may want the center to be close to your home to reduce your travel time. If you do a home treatment, once you are trained you only need to visit the center once a month. So, the center can be as far away as you are willing to travel once a month. Possible Complications Vascular access problems are the most common reason for hospitalization among people on hemodialysis. Common problems include infection, blockage from clotting, and poor blood flow. These problems can keep your treatments from working. You may need to undergo repeated surgeries in order to get a properly functioning access. Other problems can be caused by rapid changes in your body’s water and chemical balance during treatment. Muscle cramps and hypotension—a sudden drop in blood pressure—are two common side effects. Hypotension can make you feel weak, dizzy, or sick to your stomach. You’ll probably need a few months to adjust to hemodialysis. Side effects can often be treated quickly and easily, so you should always report them to your doctor and dialysis staff. You can avoid many side effects if you follow a proper diet, limit your liquid intake, and take your medicines as directed. Diet for Hemodialysis Hemodialysis and a proper diet help reduce the wastes that build up in your blood. A dietitian is available at all dialysis centers to help you plan meals according to your doctor’s orders. When choosing foods, remember to eat balanced amounts of high-protein foods such as meat, chicken, and fish. control the amount of potassium you eat. Potassium is a mineral found in salt substitutes; some fruits, such as bananas and oranges; vegetables; chocolate; and nuts. Too much potassium can be dangerous to your heart. limit how much you drink. When your kidneys aren’t working, water builds up quickly in your body. Too much liquid makes your tissues swell and can lead to high blood pressure, heart trouble, and cramps and low blood pressure during dialysis. avoid salt. Salty foods make you thirsty and make your body hold water. limit foods such as milk, cheese, nuts, dried beans, and dark colas. These foods contain large amounts of the mineral phosphorus. Too much phosphorus in your blood causes calcium to be pulled from your bones, which makes them weak and brittle and can cause arthritis. To prevent bone problems, your doctor may give you special medicines, which you must take with meals every day as directed. For more information about choosing the right foods, see the NIDDK booklet Eat Right to Feel Right on Hemodialysis. Pros and Cons Each person responds differently to similar situations. What may be a negative factor for one person may be a positive one for another. See a list of the general advantages and disadvantages of in-center and home hemodialysis below. In-Center Hemodialysis Pros + Facilities are widely available. + Trained professionals are with you at all times. + You can get to know other patients. + You don’t have to have a partner or keep equipment in your home. Cons - Treatments are scheduled by the center and are relatively fixed. - You must travel to the center for treatment. - This treatment has the strictest diet and fluid limits of all. - You will need to take—and pay for—more medications. - You may have more frequent ups and downs in how you feel from day to day. - It may take a few hours to feel better after a treatment. Home Hemodialysis Pros + You can do it at the times you choose—but you still must do it as often as your doctor orders. + You don’t have to travel to a center. + You gain a sense of independence and control over your treatment. + Newer machines require less space. + You will have fewer ups and downs in how you feel from day to day. + Home hemodialysis is more work-friendly than in-center treatment. + Your diet and fluids will be much closer to normal + You can take along new, portable machines on car trips, in campers, or on airplanes. + You can spend more time with your loved ones. Cons - You must have a partner. - Helping with treatments may be stressful to your family. - You and your partner need training. - You need space for storing the machine and supplies at home. - You may need to take a leave of absence from work to complete training. - You will need to learn to put in the dialysis needles. - Daily and nocturnal home hemodialysis are not yet offered in all locations. Working With Your Health Care Team Questions you may want to ask: Is hemodialysis the best treatment choice for me? Why? If I’m treated at a center, can I go to the center of my choice? What should I look for in a dialysis center? Will my kidney doctor see me at dialysis? What does hemodialysis feel like? What is self-care dialysis? Is home hemodialysis available in my area? How long does it take to learn? Who will train my partner and me? What kind of blood access is best for me? As a hemodialysis patient, will I be able to keep working? Can I have treatments at night? How much should I exercise? Who will be on my health care team? How can these people help me? With whom can I talk about finances, sexuality, or family concerns? How/where can I talk with other people who have faced this decision? For more information about hemodialysis, see the NIDDK booklet Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Hemodialysis. Or see the chart that summarizes three treatment options. Treatment Choice: Peritoneal Dialysis Purpose Peritoneal dialysis is another procedure that removes wastes, chemicals, and extra water from your body. This type of dialysis uses the lining of your abdomen, or belly, to filter your blood. This lining is called the peritoneal membrane and acts as the artificial kidney. How Peritoneal Dialysis Works A mixture of minerals and sugar dissolved in water, called dialysis solution, travels through a catheter into your belly. The sugar—called dextrose—draws wastes, chemicals, and extra water from the tiny blood vessels in your peritoneal membrane into the dialysis solution. After several hours, the used solution is drained from your abdomen through the tube, taking the wastes from your blood with it. Then your abdomen is refilled with fresh dialysis solution, and the cycle is repeated. The process of draining and refilling is called an exchange. Peritoneal dialysis. Getting Ready Before your first treatment, a surgeon places a catheter into your abdomen or chest. The catheter tends to work better if there is adequate time—usually from 10 days to 2 or 3 weeks—for the insertion site to heal. Planning your dialysis access can improve treatment success. This catheter stays there permanently to help transport the dialysis solution to and from your abdomen. Types of Peritoneal Dialysis Three types of peritoneal dialysis are available. Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) CAPD requires no machine and can be done in any clean, well-lit place. With CAPD, your blood is always being cleaned. The dialysis solution passes from a plastic bag through the catheter and into your abdomen, where it stays for several hours with the catheter sealed. The time period that dialysis solution is in your abdomen is called the dwell time. Next, you drain the dialysis solution into an empty bag for disposal. You then refill your abdomen with fresh dialysis solution so the cleaning process can begin again. With CAPD, the dialysis solution stays in your abdomen for a dwell time of 4 to 6 hours, or more. The process of draining the used dialysis solution and replacing it with fresh solution takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Most people change the dialysis solution at least four times a day and sleep with solution in their abdomens at night. With CAPD, it’s not necessary to wake up and perform dialysis tasks during the night. Continuous Cycler-assisted Peritoneal Dialysis (CCPD) CCPD uses a machine called a cycler to fill and empty your abdomen three to five times during the night while you sleep. In the morning, you begin one exchange with a dwell time that lasts the entire day. You may do an additional exchange in the middle of the afternoon without the cycler to increase the amount of waste removed and to reduce the amount of fluid left behind in your body. Combination of CAPD and CCPD If you weigh more than 175 pounds or if your peritoneum filters wastes slowly, you may need a combination of CAPD and CCPD to get the right dialysis dose. For example, some people use a cycler at night but also perform one exchange during the day. Others do four exchanges during the day and use a minicycler to perform one or more exchanges during the night. You’ll work with your health care team to determine the best schedule for you. Who Performs Peritoneal Dialysis Both types of peritoneal dialysis are usually performed by the patient without help from a partner. CAPD is a form of self-treatment that needs no machine. However, with CCPD, you need a machine to drain and refill your abdomen. Possible Complications The most common problem with peritoneal dialysis is peritonitis, a serious abdominal infection. This infection can occur if the opening where the catheter enters your body becomes infected or if contamination occurs as the catheter is connected or disconnected from the bags. Infection is less common in presternal catheters, which are placed in the chest. Peritonitis requires antibiotic treatment by your doctor. To avoid peritonitis, you must be careful to follow procedures exactly and learn to recognize the early signs of peritonitis, which include fever, unusual color or cloudiness of the used fluid, and redness or pain around the catheter. Report these signs to your doctor or nurse immediately so that peritonitis can be treated quickly to avoid additional problems. Diet for Peritoneal Dialysis A peritoneal dialysis diet is slightly different from an in-center hemodialysis diet. You’ll still need to limit salt and liquids, but you may be able to have more of each, compared with in-center hemodialysis. You must eat more protein. You may have different restrictions on potassium. You may even need to eat high-potassium foods. You may need to cut back on the number of calories you eat because there are calories in the dialysis fluid that may cause you to gain weight. Your doctor and a dietitian who specializes in helping people with kidney failure will be able to help you plan your meals. Pros and Cons Each type of peritoneal dialysis has advantages and disadvantages. Peritoneal Dialysis CAPD Pros + You can do it alone. + You can do it at times you choose as long as you perform the required number of exchanges each day. + You can do it in many locations. + You don’t need a machine. + You won’t have the ups and downs that many patients on hemodialysis feel. + You don’t need to travel to a center three times a week. Cons - It can disrupt your daily schedule. - It is a continuous treatment, and all exchanges must be performed 7 days a week. CCPD Pros + You can do it at night, mainly while you sleep. + You are free from performing exchanges during the day. Cons - You need a machine. - Your movement at night is limited by your connection to the cycler. Working With Your Health Care Team Questions you may want to ask: Is peritoneal dialysis the best treatment choice for me? Why? If yes, which type is best? How long will it take me to learn how to do peritoneal dialysis? What does peritoneal dialysis feel like? How will peritoneal dialysis affect my blood pressure? How will I know if I have peritonitis? How is it treated? As a peritoneal dialysis patient, will I be able to continue working? How much should I exercise? Where do I store supplies? How often do I see my doctor? Who will be on my health care team? How can these people help me? Whom do I contact with problems? With whom can I talk about finances, sexuality, or family concerns? How/where can I talk with other people who have faced this decision? For more information about peritoneal dialysis, see the NIDDK booklet Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Peritoneal Dialysis. Or see the chart that summarizes three treatment options. Dialysis Is Not a Cure Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are treatments that help replace the work your kidneys did. These treatments help you feel better and live longer, but they don’t cure kidney failure. Although patients with kidney failure are now living longer than ever, over the years kidney disease can cause problems such as heart disease, bone disease, arthritis, nerve damage, infertility, and malnutrition. These problems won’t go away with dialysis, but doctors now have new and better ways to prevent or treat them. You should discuss these complications and their treatments with your doctor.
Treatment Choice: Kidney Transplantation Purpose Kidney transplantation surgically places a healthy kidney from another person into your body. The donated kidney does enough of the work that your two failed kidneys used to do to keep you healthy and symptom free. How Kidney Transplantation Works A surgeon places the new kidney inside your lower abdomen and connects the artery and vein of the new kidney to your artery and vein. Your blood flows through the donated kidney, which makes urine, just like your own kidneys did when they were healthy. The new kidney may start working right away or may take up to a few weeks to make urine. Unless your own kidneys are causing infection or high blood pressure, they are left in place. Kidney transplantation. Getting Ready The transplantation process has many steps. First, talk with your doctor because transplantation isn’t for everyone. You could have a condition that would make transplantation dangerous or unlikely to succeed. You may receive a kidney from a deceased donor—a person who has recently died—or from a living donor. A living donor may be related or unrelated—usually a spouse or a friend. If you don’t have a living donor, you’re placed on a waiting list for a deceased donor kidney. The wait for a deceased donor kidney can be several years. The transplant team considers three factors in matching kidneys with potential recipients. These factors help predict whether your body’s immune system will accept the new kidney or reject it. Blood type. Your blood type (A, B, AB, or O) must be compatible with the donor’s. Blood type is the most important matching factor. Human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). Your cells carry six important HLAs, three inherited from each parent. Family members are most likely to have a complete match. You may still receive a kidney if the HLAs aren’t a complete match as long as your blood type is compatible with the organ donor’s and other tests show no problems with matching. Cross-matching antigens. The last test before implanting an organ is the cross-match. A small sample of your blood will be mixed with a sample of the organ donor’s blood in a tube to see if there’s a reaction. If no reaction occurs, the result is called a negative cross-match, and the transplant operation can proceed. The Time Kidney Transplantation Takes How long you’ll have to wait for a kidney varies. Because there aren’t enough deceased donors for every person who needs a transplant, you must be placed on a waiting list. However, if a voluntary donor gives you a kidney, the transplant can be scheduled as soon as you’re both ready. Avoiding the long wait is a major advantage of living donation. The surgery takes 3 to 4 hours. The usual hospital stay is about a week. After you leave the hospital, you’ll have regular follow-up visits. In a living donation, the donor will probably stay in the hospital about the same amount of time. However, a new technique for removing a kidney for donation uses a smaller incision and may make it possible for the donor to leave the hospital in 2 to 3 days. Between 85 and 90 percent of transplants from deceased donors are working 1 year after surgery. Transplants from living relatives often work better than transplants from unrelated or deceased donors because they’re usually a closer match. Possible Complications Transplantation is the closest thing to a cure. But no matter how good the match, your body may reject your new kidney. A common cause of rejection is not taking medication as prescribed. Your doctor will give you medicines called immunosuppressants to help prevent your body’s immune system from attacking the kidney, a process called rejection. You’ll need to take immunosuppressants every day for as long as the transplanted kidney is functioning. Sometimes, however, even these medicines can’t stop your body from rejecting the new kidney. If this happens, you’ll go back to some form of dialysis and possibly wait for another transplant. Immunosuppressants weaken your immune system, which can lead to infections. Some medicines may also change your appearance. Your face may get fuller; you may gain weight or develop acne or facial hair. Not all patients have these problems, though, and diet and makeup can help. Immunosuppressants work by diminishing the ability of immune cells to function. In some patients, over long periods of time, this diminished immunity can increase the risk of developing cancer. Some immunosuppressants can cause cataracts, diabetes, extra stomach acid, high blood pressure, and bone disease. When used over time, these drugs may also cause liver or kidney damage in a few patients. Diet for Kidney Transplantation Diet for transplant patients is less limited than it is for dialysis patients, although you may still have to cut back on some foods. Your diet will probably change as your medicines, blood values, weight, and blood pressure change. You may need to count calories. Your medicine may give you a bigger appetite and cause you to gain weight. You may have to eat less salt. Your medications may cause your body to retain sodium, leading to high blood pressure. Pros and Cons Kidney transplantation has advantages and disadvantages. See the list below. Kidney Transplantation Pros + A transplanted kidney works like a normal kidney. + You may feel healthier and "more normal." + You have fewer diet restrictions. + You won’t need dialysis. + Patients who successfully go through the selection process have a higher chance of living a longer life. Cons - It requires major surgery. - You may need to wait for a donor. - Your body may reject the new kidney, so one transplant may not last a lifetime. - You’ll need to take immunosuppressants, which may cause complications. Treatment Choice: Refusing or Withdrawing from Treatment For many people, dialysis and transplantation not only extend life but also improve quality of life. For others who have serious ailments in addition to kidney failure, dialysis may seem a burden that only prolongs suffering. You have the right to refuse or withdraw from dialysis. You may want to speak with your spouse, family, religious counselor, or social worker as you make this decision. If you withdraw from dialysis treatments or refuse to begin them, you may live for a few days or for several weeks, depending on your health and your remaining kidney function. Your doctor can give you medicines to make you more comfortable during this time. You may start or resume your treatments if you change your mind about refusing dialysis. Even if you’re satisfied with your quality of life on dialysis, you should think about circumstances that might make you want to stop dialysis treatments. At some point in a medical crisis, you might lose the ability to express your wishes to your doctor. An advance directive is a statement or document in which you give instructions either to withhold treatment or to provide it, depending on your wishes and the specific circumstances. An advance directive may be a living will, a document that details the conditions under which you would want to refuse treatment. You may state that you want your health care team to use all available means to sustain your life. Or you may direct that you be withdrawn from dialysis if you become permanently unresponsive or fall into a coma from which you won’t awake. In addition to dialysis, other life-sustaining treatments you may choose or refuse include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) tube feedings mechanical or artificial respiration antibiotics surgery blood transfusions Another form of advance directive is called a durable power of attorney for health care decisions or a health care proxy. In this type of advance directive, you assign a person to make health care decisions for you if you become unable to make them for yourself. Make sure the person you name understands your values and is willing to follow through on your instructions. Paying for Treatment of Kidney Failure Treatment for kidney failure is expensive, but Medicare and Medicaid pay much of the cost, usually up to 80 percent. Often, private insurance or state programs pay the rest. For more information, see the NIDDK fact sheet Financial Help for Treatment of Kidney Failure. Your kidneys filter wastes from your blood and regulate other functions of your body. When your kidneys fail, you need treatment to replace the work your kidneys normally perform. Your three choices for treatment are hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplantation. The choice you make will affect your diet, your ability to work, and other life style issues. You have the right to refuse or withdraw from treatment if you choose. Medicare and Medicaid pay much of the cost of treatment for kidney failure.
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Hazard to the Elderly
The elderly needs to know more about their bodies more than ever to be able to identify certain disabilities or disorders. During these years, they are more susceptible to diseases and sickness that could harm their frail health. Today, it is not new for pharmaceutical companies to develop and come out with new medications for different treatments among the elderly. This scientific breakthrough of having new medications for different indications has the idea for better health, but with the growing number of differentiated symptoms, not all medications can work as effective as they can.
One common problem among the elderly would be having dementia, or the gradual death of brain cells. This leads to the elderly impairments in memory, planning, reasoning, and personality. Although most dementia patients are among the elderly, this disability is not related to being old. Causes of dementia would be of Alzheimer’s disease, followed by vascular or multi-infarct dementia.
This particular disorder is discussed mainly because of the possible dangers that medications do to the elderly. According to a Canadian study, prescribing antipsychotic medications to senior citizens may be dangerous. Such antipsychotic treatments are generally used for the management of behavioral problems (such as aggression), which is sometimes linked to dementia. These medications are commonly used for treating psychosis with conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and delusional disorders, among others. According to the research study, the elderly patients that were given antipsychotic medications has an increased risk of having a life threatening event that can lead to hospitalization and even death, all within a month of starting the treatment.
Vitamin D Helps Decrease Falls in the Elderly
According to international researchers in Amsterdam, they have concluded that a boost in vitamin D intake whether from diet, sun exposure, or from supplements among the elderly may lower the dangers of possible falls among old aged citizens. From the past studies that have already been conducted, Vitamin D from supplements may lower the risks of falls. However, not all these studies have been confirmed to be true with regards to their findings. This is because these tests have been subjectively small and only focused on institutionalized seniors, particularly old women.
In this specific study, published in the issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, a group of 1,231 men and women all aged over 65, was studied and followed for a year. On the start of the study, their serum levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin D, also known as 25 (OH) D, the non-active “storage” form of vitamin D, was documented at the start of the research, following prompted self-reports falls from the participants for the whole year.
Researchers of this study concluded the levels of 25 (OH) D, letting down ten nanograms per milliliter of serum, giving it an increase on the risk of falling at least twice by 78 percent, after compensating for sex, age, region, physical activity level, alcohol consumption, smoking, and education levels. According to lead researcher Dr. Marieke Snijder, the possibilities in preventing falls among the elderly by enhancing the Vitamin D levels by supplementation, increase in sun exposure, and even diet, must be further probed among the general elderly population.
Age had a major effect according to researchers, since the participants younger than 75 with low levels of 25 (OH) D were four times likely to fall at least two times compared to the participants older than 75. According to the study, since the population attributable percentage was even higher among individuals aged between 65 and 75 years, as compared to the participants that are older than 75, then Vitamin D supplementation could be relatively effective among the younger batch of the elderly population.
In addition, Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and holistic nutritionist, said that contrary to popular belief, many elderly falls are preceded by the breaking of a hip caused by chronic vitamin D deficiency. He also added that everybody thinks that elderly falls and break their hip, but it is more often the other way around. The elderly breaks their hips while standing, and that alone causes them to fall. That would be one reason why Vitamin D supplementation can reduce falls among the elderly, simply because it avoids the standing hip breaks through boosting the density of the bone by an enhanced diet in calcium absorption.
Mike Adams also commented that vitamin D deficiency is causing an alarming spread among industrialized nations, and that this deficiency promotes breast cancer, prostate cancer, calcium deficiency, gum diseases, depression, and even schizophrenia. So for the elderly citizens reading this, they should remember that health is important in order to live life fully and enjoy to the fullest.
Read For More Free Medical Advice Information Here.Medical Information for Healthy Diet
There is one thing everyone agrees on when it comes to diets: every program has its good and bad points. What really makesa diet "good" is: can you maintain it—and better yet, should you?
The Sugar Culprit For older people, "a good diet" is generally not one which gets them svelte, but one that keeps them healthy. Whatever your diet program, the odds are if you are age 62 or older, you should keep an eye on your sugar intake. Sugar conveys particularly negative health consequences as we age. Older metabolisms tend to slow down in the production of the hormone known as insulin, which normally "soaks up" excess sugar. Most Americans know that insulin problems lead to diabetes, but they are also linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. Unfortunately, sugar isn’t always easy to spot. Most people recognize honey and maple syrup as sugar, but many people without diabetes education don’t realize fruit salads and pancakes are also "sugars aboteurs." The Bad Carb Myth The phrase "bad carbs" became the rage with the Atkins diet, which most people mistakenly believe labels all carbohydrates as unhealthy. That’s not true, as even one of Dr. Atkins’ chief opponents, Dr. Dean Ornish, admits. Ornish wrote in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association that he and Atkins agreed "many Americans eat excessive amounts of processed foods high in simple carbohydrates." The difference is the Ornish diet advocates more of a balance between food groups: low in fat, moderate amounts of protein, and high in complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates as a food group provide fuel for the body. Simple carbohydrates have become known as "bad carbs" because they break down very quickly, causing quick peaks—and then drops—in sugar levels. They are found in sugars (including from fruit) and highly refined starches, mostly white flour products like regular pasta, white bread, white rice, and most cereals. So I’ll Eat ‘Good’ Carbs On the other hand, complex carbohydrates are generally seen as "good" carbs because they break down more slowly. So they generally provide a steadier, more reliable, source of fuel for the body. But now scientists have another warning: the glycemic index (GI). It is a measure used to evaluate actual sugar levels in various foods; specifically how fast a food raises sugar levels. In a population where diabetes is a major health issue, this is understandably a key concern. Unfortunately, even knowing a food’s GI isn’t always a reliable measure as to whether it is good or bad. There are some complex carbohydrates—white potatoes are the most common example—that can spike sugar levels quickly. What DO I Do? Ultimately, the main answers to healthful eating are rather boring. They are: Don’t wait for diabetes to start looking for hidden sugars—Canned fruits in syrups, most cakes and cookies, even many containers of yogurt, can compromise your sugar levels. Don’t splurge on fat—Do NOT bulk up on high-fat foods like bacon, butter, and hamburger, just because they are low carb. Two major studies have concluded that while highfat diets might help people lose weight faster, the weight loss isn’t maintained better than other diets. Besides, fat delivers about twice as many calories for the same number of grams as carbohydrates or proteins do—and study after study shows the disastrous impact of fat on health. Balance "good" foods—There are "good" fats, like those found in salmon. Vegetable proteins, like tofu and beans, can be consumed healthfully in greater bulk than animal proteins, like steak. Look for "healthy" carbs in foods rich in whole grains, like oatmeal and whole-wheat pastas.
Resource: "Finding the Healthy Diet" By Wendy J. Meyeroff; THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
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