Some foods punch well above their weight in helping to reduce cholesterol levels, we call them'cholesterol busters. Choosing a healthy diet, low in saturated fat is important in helping to keep your cholesterol low but you can reduce your cholesterol levels further by including these super six foods in your everyday diet.

Super food 1 - soya foods
Being naturally low in saturated fat, soya foods help lower cholesterol. The special proteins in soya also appear to influence how the body regulates cholesterol too. Studies show you can lower your cholesterol by around 6% by including as little as 15g soya protein per day.

Choose from: soya alternatives to milk and yogurt, soya desserts, soya meat alternatives, soya nuts, edamame beans and tofu.

Super food 2 - nuts
All nuts are rich in vegetable protein, fibre, heart healthy unsaturated fats, vitamin e, magnesium, potassium, natural plant sterols and a host of beneficial plant nutrients. 30-35g a day of nuts (a handful) has the potential to lower cholesterol by an average of 5%.

Super food 3 - oats and barley
Both oats and barley are rich in a form of soluble fibre called beta glucan. Once eaten beta glucan forms a gel which helps bind cholesterol in the intestines and prevent it from being absorbed. It is recommended that we eat about 3g of beta glucan per day. Foods which contain 1g or more of beta glucan can carry a cholesterol lowering claim.

Super food 4 -foods fortified with plant sterols and stanols
Plant sterols are structurally similar to cholesterol and can be divided into sterols and stanols. Their cholesterol lowering effects have been known for some time.

Plant sterols/stanols are naturally found in a wide range of foods such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. However, for most people, it is not possible to achieve the optimum intake from ordinary foods.

Super food 5 - fruits and vegetables
All fruits and vegetables are low in saturated fat so eating more helps to keep saturated fat intake low. Fruit and vegetables are also a valuable source of cholesterol lowering soluble fibres. Try to include at least one pulse (beans, peas, lentils) everyday. Other rich sources of soluble fibre include sweet potato, aubergene, okra (ladies finger), broccoli, apples, strawberry and prunes.

Super food 6 - foods rich in unsaturated fats
Keeping our daily saturated fat intake below 20g (women) and 30g (men) is vital for cholesterol lowering, but it is equally important to replace this saturated fat with modest amounts of unsaturated fats such as those found in olive, sunflower, corn, rapeseed and other vegetable, nut and seed oils. Other foods rich in unsaturated fats include vegetable spreads, avocado, oily fish and nuts. Avoid coconut and palm oil as, unlike other these vegetable oils, they are rich in saturated fats.

6 Super Foods That Actively Help Lower Cholesterol

Breathing is life, without breathig, there is no life. Who knows this better than an asthmatic or someone with breathing problems like wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath 24/7? If you have breathing problems, read on about possible causes and treatments for them

Causes

There can be a number of causes of breathing problems. They can happen due to colds, acute sinusitis or inflammation of sinuses. This usually subsides in a week or two with the inflammation going down and the sinuses draining out.
But if you are still experiencing breathing problems, you could be in more dangerous territory.
Breathing difficulties can happen in a case of asthma, allergies, and infections of the lungs, bronchitis and even heart problems especially if you feel a shortness of breath during exertion. These can all be long-term problems that need proper management.
Symptoms
Chronic issues that cause breathing problems, especially asthma and allergies have a number of symptoms like

Nasal and chest congestion
Runny nose
Itchy or watery eyes
Cough
Wheezing
Laboured and/or shallow breathing.
A number of virus and allergens like pollen reach the lungs via the nasal passage. Any inflammation in the nasal passage due to an allergy is a major cause for concern because the number one trigger for asthma is allergies. If left undiagnosed and untreated, these can make life hell for you.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, also causes breathing problems. Breathing issues can also stem from other serious diseases like lung cancer, tuberculosis, and pneumonia. Most of these can be diagnosed by a specialist.


How are breathing problems treated?



Breathing problems caused due to asthma and allergies are usually treated by avoiding allergy triggers like air pollutants, pollen, dog hair, dust, mites or dander.
Wearing masks, avoiding peak traffic, staying indoors during low air quality days, all make a significant difference to allergy and asthma sufferers.
Medications are another way to treat breathing problems due to asthma and allergies. Allergy drugs such as antihistamines and decongestants can make it easy to breathe for some.
Inhaled steroids are also given to people with chronic allergies and sinusitis for reducing inflammation in the airways. Allergy shots to reduce sensitivity to allergens are another option.
Asthma is treated with inhaled or oral drugs that help open nasal airways and reduce inflammation. These cut down on breathing difficulties because the airways are cleared of excess mucus and inflammation.
If you have more serious issues like cancers, heart disease and lung diseases, the medication will vary according to your diagnosis. Your specialist will diagnose the problem first and set you on a proper course of medication.
The last piece of advice before we go, don t ignore breathing difficulties especially if they persist beyond 2-3 weeks, get yourself a doctor s appointment.

Breathing Problem - Common Causes Behind It!

Angioplasty is the procedure of opening a coronary artery blockage with the help of wire balloon and stent. This procedure is done to open the blocked coronary arteries if they are causing symptoms or acute heart attacks.

HOW IT IS DONE?

The procedure is usually done in local anaesthesia. A wrist artery (radial) or a groin artery (femoral) is used to gain access to the coronary artery as is done in angiography. A hollow tube called a catheter is passed upto heart artery and through this, a guidewire is passed across the blockage and over this wire balloon is passed and blockage dilated.

After this balloon is removed and the metallic stent is passed over this wire. The stent is then inflated and it takes its shape of the hollow tube so that the flow in the coronary artery is restored.

WHAT ARE INDICATIONS OF ANGIOPLASTY AND STENTING:

An acute Heart attack is the most definite indication of angioplasty and stenting. At the time of the heart attack, there is an urgent need to restore the blood flow of block coronary artery which is usually not possible with medicines alone. Angioplasty is the most effective and definite way of opening the artery urgently in such situation.

SHOULD ALL BLOCKAGES BE OPENED UP BY ANGIOPLASTY AND STENTING?

NO, all blockages do not warrant this procedure. There is some amount of risk involved in the angioplasty procedure itself. When the risk of blockage is considered more than the risk of opening the artery then the procedure is indicated. Patients who are doing good on medicines may be followed up without angioplasty.

All About Angioplasty!

High blood pressure and sex

High blood pressure is a condition in which the pressure of the blood against the artery wall is high enough to cause health problems, including heart disease. No symptoms may be noticed in a person for years but the damage to the blood vessels and to your heart continues. High blood pressure can have an impact on your sex life. Although sexual activity does not lead to any possible threats to your health but high blood pressure can affect the pleasure you would have otherwise derived from sex.

In Men

High blood pressure leads to the wearing out of the lining of blood vessels and causes arteries to narrow and harden that decreases the blood flow. This results in decreased blood flow to the penis. In case of some men, this decreased blood flow makes it difficult for them to achieve and maintain an erection. This problem is called erectile dysfunction.

High blood pressure may also interfere with ejaculation and be a cause for low libido. The medications that are prescribed for treating high blood pressure may lead to this condition.

In Women

Just as in the case of men, high blood pressure results in the decreased flow of blood to the vagina in case of women. This may cause problems like low libido, vaginal dryness, or complexities in achieving orgasm. Sexual dysfunction in women results in stress, anxiety and even relationship issues.



High Blood Pressure and Sex

Neurosurgery mainly deals with treating of functional disorders that affect the nerves, brain and muscles through major or minor surgery. The field of neurosurgery makes use of advanced surgical procedures. The different techniques are used to treat brain tumors, trauma to the head, cerebral hemorrhages, spinal disc herniation, brain aneurysms and peripheral neuropathy.

Neurosurgery Treatment
The main aim of neurosurgery treatment in patients suffering from stoke is to prevent neurologic deterioration as well as the recurrence of stroke. The advancement in medical treatment has increased to a great extent, however the mortality and morbidity in stroke patients is very high. The second leading cause of death all over the world is stroke, and hence, through neurosurgery stroke can be managed. Each year in the U.S there are about 800,000 people who suffer from stroke which causes disability.

Symptoms of Stroke and its Effects
The main symptoms of stroke are not identified easily by people. However, the symptoms that are caused on delay of treatment include difficulty in speaking, weakness on one side of the body, drooping on one side of the face and difficulty in walking.

Stroke at times is life threatening and it is also referred to as brain attack and can occur at any time to an individual. It is caused when the flow of blood supply to the brain is cut off and oxygen is deprived to the brain cells. Brain dysfunction occurs due to the dead brain cells and hence some patients lose their memory and control over their muscle movement. The treatment of stroke in such cases includes a neurosurgery by a neurological specialist.

Types of Stroke
The abrupt interruption to the flow of blood that causes hindrance in the neurological function can be best treated if detected early and by accurate diagnosis by a neurosurgeon. There are 3 different types of stroke that can occur and these include Hemorrhagic stroke, Ischemic stroke and Transient ischemic attack. The Ischemic stroke mainly occurs when blood vessels that supply blood to the brain are blocked. It is a common form of stroke and its underlying cause is known as atherosclerosis. The main procedures that are used for treating ischemic stroke include tissue plasminogen activator and endovascular procedure.

In the tissue plasminogen activator procedure, the patient is given medicine intravenously. The blood flow to the affected area of the brain is improved when the blood clot dissolves through this method. The medication is given immediately after 3-4 hours on occurrence of the stroke symptoms. In the second procedure, a catheter is used, which is injected in the area of the obstructed blood vessel. The blood flow to the area is restored by the endovascular procedure. Even anticoagulants are given to thin the blood and prevent clogging.

Neurosurgery In Management Of Stroke!

The term 'chest pain  is a very common term and is usually used in day to day life. Basically, chest pain refers to the pain that may generate in your chest, shoulder and can travel to your ribs, jaws and towards your arms. The feeling of the pain can be sharp or dull, depending on the severity of your condition and cause.

There can be several reasons behind chest pain. You need to conduct a few tests to examine the real cause of the chest pain. It is always advised by health experts to take the symptoms of chest pain very seriously in order to avoid any serious problem in the future. Most of the severe and life-threatening diseases behind chest pain involve lung and heart problems. People having serious heart problems often feel discomfort, followed by pain in their chest area.

Symptoms
Chest pain which is related to any heart disease such as heart attack usually has symptoms like:

Feeling of fullness and tightness in the chest region
Vomiting
Nausea
Burning or crushing pain, which travels from the chest to jaw, hands and back region.
Weakness
Breathing problem
Usually, it is very tough to distinguish whether the pain is associated with a heart problem or not. But generally chest pains which are not related to heart problems involves symptoms like

Sensation in your mouth
Problem in swallowing food
Pain that worsens when you cough
Burning sensation in your chest
Common causes of chest pain

Angina: Angina is a medical condition described as a feeling of discomfort or pain in the chest region. This situation occurs when your heart muscles don't receive blood, which contains rich oxygen. Angina is a symptom of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). The pain can take place in your shoulder, jaw, neck and arms also.
Lung problems: People with lung disorders can encounter various types of chest pains. But some common causes are:
Pleurisy: It is a type of medical condition, which occurs due to inflammation of the lining of chest and lungs. Due to this, you feel a sharp pain at the time of breathing, coughing or sneezing.
Pneumonia: It is a type of lung infection, which causes chest pain.
Pneumothorax: It is a type of lung disorder, which occurs when a portion of your chest gets collapsed.
Asthma: It is a type of condition, which occurs due to shortness of breath and causes chest pain while coughing, sneezing and breathing.
Gastrointestinal problem: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is also a common reason for chest pain such as burning sensation in your heart.
Other causes of chest pain: There are several other reasons of chest pain such as muscle strain, ribs injury, shingles, anxiety and panic attacks. It is always important to visit a physician whenever you encounter any of such chest pain symptoms.

How Chest Pain Related to Heart Problems?

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