High sugar levels can harm your body and impact the quality of life. However, you can manage your ;sugar levels by keeping a check on your nutritional intake.

Manage Your Diabetes By Keeping A Check On Your Nutritional Levels

People suffering from sickle cell disease (scd) usually start showing symptoms very early. They can appear to show up even during the first year of life. Symptoms of a sickle cell vary from one person to another and can be mild to serious depending on the condition.

 

Sickle cell disease is a health condition that worsens with time. Despite the absence of any full-proof solution, some treatments prevent further complications. These treatments can help patients receive aid for a lifetime. Simply said, sickle cell diseases can be managed medically.

 ;

Treatment

Treatment in a sickle cell patient depends on the severity of the symptoms. Preventing complications and relieving pain is the primary aim of the diagnosis. They can range from medications to blood transfusions.

 

Concerns

Some of the concerns that need to be taken care of during the treatment of scd are-

 ;


	
	Prevent painful scenarios
	


A painful episode or sickle cell crisis can be avoided by consuming sufficient fluids, wearing warm clothing, and staying away from sudden temperature changes.

 


	
	Avoid infections
	


Children with sickle cell anemia are made safe from infections by using penicillin. Adults with anemia might need to take penicillin all their lives. Doctors should ensure that all vaccinations in children and adults are periodically done to avoid any infections. However, during the covid-19 pandemic sickle cell patients should take extra care.

 ;

Medications

While there can be numerous ways to manage sickle cell treatment, medications help in a significant way. Some of the prescribed medicines are-


	
	Hydroxyurea- it reduces the frequency of sickle crises. Pregnant women should stay away from this according to experts.
	
	
	Crizanlizumab- this drug injected into the patient can help reduce the sickle crises in adults and children over the age of 16.
	
	
	Voxelotor- it is an oral drug used in children over 12. It lowers the risk of anemia by improving blood flow.
	
	
	Pain-relievers- narcotics to prevent excessive pain can also be used during the treatment.
	


 

Surgical procedures


	
	Blood transfusion
	


It is used to prevent stroke and other related complications in patients. This can increase the number of red blood cells in the body that can help reduce the symptoms.

 ;


	
	Stem cell transplant
	


It is also called a bone marrow transplant and is used to replace affected bone marrow with a healthy one. This procedure is carried out between matched donor and recipient. Although it is a known cure for sickle cell disease, various risks involved make it a less used practice.

 

Can Sickle Cell Be Cured?

Surprising benefits of donating blood

Blood is that element in the human body that can't be manufactured. Hence, it makes blood donation a very significant phenomenon. It benefits the patients, the donors, society, and the overall medical ecosystem. However, people are not particularly aware of some of the benefits of donating blood. While some of them are necessarily good for your overall health, some can even surprise you.

Benefits

Potentially reveal health issues
Donating blood gets your vitals checked to make sure you are adequately fit for the procedure. Hence, it can be a process to keep your overall health checked. Your pulse, blood pressure, and hemoglobin check can ensure that you are free of any chronic illness. Usually, blood low in iron is not taken for donation. As a result, blood donation can find health issues that can be eradicated from the roots.

Reduce harmful overload of iron
Iron overload in the body causes a condition called hemochromatosis. Although this condition is not a usual phenomenon in india, it is important to detect it at the earliest. Blood donations help eliminate the excess iron from the body through red blood cells.

Cardio and vascular health
Regular blood donation maintains low blood pressure and keeps the risk of heart attacks at bay. According to a study, donating blood reduces the chance of heart attacks by 88 percent. High hemoglobin and high iron stores are checked by blood donations that have to do with blood clots and strokes.

Reduce the risk of cancer
A high concentration of iron in the body can cause free-radical damage. It increases the risk of cancer in the lungs, liver, colon, and throat due to the lowering of oxidative stress. Thus, regular blood donations make sure that the risk of cancer and mortality is lower.

Liver stays healthy
Excess iron in the body gets stored in the liver, heart, and pancreas leading to a risk of cirrhosis or liver failure. Various health ailments related to the liver are prevented by donating blood and getting rid of the extra iron in the body.

Help your mental state
With several physical benefits, there are also some psychological edges. As donating blood directly or indirectly helps a patient, it gives a sense of pride and satisfaction. Making a difference in society feels extremely fulfilling and that keeps you in an elated state. Hence, blood donation is equally healthy for your body and mind.

Surprising Benefits Of Donating Blood

Your body needs some cholesterol to produce hormones and vitamins that help in digestion. Two types of lipoproteins   ldl cholesterol and hdl cholesterol   are responsible for carrying cholesterol to and from the cells in your body.

Hdl or high-density cholesterol is good cholesterol. It carries bad cholesterol away from the arteries and other body parts back to the liver to be processed by the liver.

Ldl or low-density cholesterol, also known as the bad cholesterol, contributes to fatty build-ups within the arteries. This results in narrowing of the arteries and increases your risk of cardiovascular diseases like pad, heart attack, or even stroke.

Although there are medications to bring down ldl cholesterol levels, your doctor may recommend using therapeutic lifestyle changes to see how well your cholesterol levels can be managed without medications.

How to reduce  bad  cholesterol naturally

You can lower ldl cholesterol levels naturally with the following measures  

Diet and weight loss

Being obese or overweight not only increases the odds of developing high ldl levels but also contributes to cardiac diseases and chronic conditions. Studies suggest that losing even a little weight may help reduce ldl levels.

Your diet plays an important role in losing excess fat and maintaining ideal body weight. Eating the right kind of food   such as those that contain a good amount of monosaturated fats, phytosterols and soluble fibre   can help lower harmful ldl cholesterol and increase the levels of hdl cholesterol in the blood. Focus on eating whole grains, fruits and leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and fatty fish.

Exercise more often

Exercising regularly, in moderate amounts, can bring down your cholesterol levels and promote weight loss. Any form of cardiovascular activity, such as cycling, running, swimming and jogging benefits your heart health. You may also turn to other forms of exercise   weight training or yoga   as they also work to decrease the levels of bad cholesterol.

Quit smoking

Smoking causes a number of chemical changes in your body. Cigarette smoke increases bad cholesterol (ldl) and triglycerides levels. This leads to the accumulation of waxy plaque, which clogs the arteries. At the same time, smoking reduces the level of good cholesterol   the one that prevents the formation of plaque in your blood. Quit smoking and turn to a healthier lifestyle to see a difference in the levels of your ldl cholesterol.

Limit alcohol consumption

According to studies, heavy alcohol consumption or drinking more than what is considered moderate significantly increases bad cholesterol, which again raises triglyceride levels and ldl cholesterol.

Lifestyle changes are the natural and first line of treatment for people with high cholesterol levels. However, if your doctor suspects these levels could put you at risk of other medical conditions, he/she might recommend medications to manage bad cholesterol.

Reduce LDL Cholesterol With These Easy Steps

Diabetes is a common chronic condition that results from excessively high blood glucose. In this condition, either the pancreas fail to produce enough insulin, or your body does not utilize insulin produced by pancreas properly. This might lead to cardiovascular problems and neural problems, as well as health problems like ;depression and ;anxiety. Recent studies reveal that diabetes may have an impact on your reproductive health too.

Effects on men

A common problem that affects men s sexual life is erectile dysfunction. Diabetic men face this as they have low testosterone levels and are unable to maintain an erection during sex. For an erection, constant blood flow is necessary inside the penis. However, as diabetes disrupts the blood flow and damages the blood vessels, men are not able to achieve an erection.

Furthermore, diabetes also damages the arteries and nerves, which again, disturbs the blood flow to the penis. This also causes erectile dysfunction. Other factors that can cause sexual complications among men are- ;


	
	Diabetes-induced obesity
	
	
	High blood pressure
	
	
	Retrograde ejaculation ;  refers to a condition where semen is ejaculated to your bladder, but not through your penis
	


Effects on women

For women, during menopause, blood ;sugar levels may drop due to diabetes. Besides, high blood sugar levels damage the nerves of a woman. This may hinder the ability to feel aroused during sex and lowers sexual stimulation. This reduces their capability to achieve orgasm.

Another common issue among women with diabetes is ;vaginal dryness. This causes a lack of lubrication in the vagina that makes sex painful. Damage to the nerves that lubricate the vagina may be the reason for this. During menopause or after menopause, it can be due to low oestrogen.

Diabetes is more likely to cause vaginal infections such as yeast infections and urinary tract infections. Both of these cause pain during sexual intercourse. If the nerves of the bladder are damaged, it can lead to urinary incontinence ;while sex.

There are certain medications and therapy that may help control diabetes. Additionally, changes in lifestyle such as eating healthy, exercising daily etc. Will enhance your well-being that will significantly improve your blood glucose levels   and in turn, your sex life.

Know How Diabetes Impacts Reproductive Health

What are the different types of sickle cell disease?

Sickle cell disease or sickle cell disorder is a term often used to talk about a group of diseases affecting hemoglobin. It is the oxygen-carrying element of blood that makes up 2 alpha globins and 2 beta globins. Sickle cell disease happens due to beta-globin mutation and depending on the abnormality in mutation.

Types-
Sickle cell diseases can be of many types depending on the gene mutation in the blood. Some of the common types are-

Sickle hemoglobin s disease (ss)
Hemoglobin ss disease or sickle cell anemia is the most popular type of scd. It takes place when hemoglobin s gene mutation is inherited from both mother and father. In simple words, it happens when the child inherits one substitution beta-globin gene from each parent. In this type, the body only produces hemoglobin s. It is mostly found in people of african and indian origin.

Sickle hemoglobin- c disease (sc):
Patients with sickle hemoglobin sc disease have a moderately dissimilar swapping in their genes of beta-globin. Here, both hemoglobin c and hemoglobin s are inherited from each parent. It may cause similar symptoms like anemia but remains relatively l. People of west african and mediterranean origin are more prone to this.

Hbs beta-thalassemia
People with this type of scd inherit one sickle cell gene s and one gene for beta-thalassemia from each parent. Zero and plus are the two common types of beta-thalassemia. While beta 0 thalassemia usually takes a severe form, beta + thalassemia is a milder form of the disease.

Sickle beta-zero thalassemia
Beta-zero thalassemia takes form when the child inherits the beta s gene from one parent and beta 0 thalassemia gene mutation from the other. With similar symptoms to anemia, it is a slightly severe form of beta-thalassemia.

Sickle beta-plus thalassemia
Substitutions in both beta-globin genes take place in patients with sickle beta thalassemia (sb) disease. This may even lead to the requirement of blood transfusion if no normal beta globin is produced. Mediterranean and caribbean people are more likely to have this disorder.

Hemoglobin sd, hemoglobin se, and hemoglobin so
These are the few rare and not less common types of sickle cell diseases. They are also less severe. People with these forms of scd inherit one sickle cell gene s and one gene from uncommon hemoglobin (d, e, or o) from each parent.

Sickle cell trait
Hbas
People with sct have one sickle cell gene s and one normal gene a from both mother and father. Ones with this disorder show few to no signs of the disease and usually spend a normal life. However, the risk to their future generations still exists.
 

What Are The Different Types Of Sickle Cell Disease?

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