Atherosclerosis refers to a medical condition in which the arteries become hardened and narrowed due to the accumulation of cholesterol plaque in the walls of the artery, obstructing the flow of blood.

What are the causes?

Atherosclerosis is a slow but progressive disorder that starts with the damage of endothelium   cells lining the interior surface of lymphatic and blood vessels. This allows bad ldl cholesterol to build up in the artery walls. Over time, a plaque made of calcium, macrophages, and cholesterol grows to a certain size to clog up arteries, disrupting blood flow around the body.

Other factors leading to atherosclerosis to include  

High blood pressure

High levels of triglyceride in the blood

High cholesterol levels

Certain medical conditions   diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance

Smoking/use of tobacco

Inflammatory conditions like lupus and arthritis

Symptoms of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis may develop in childhood or during adolescence. Mild conditions may not reveal observable symptoms unless the arteries are clogged, and blood supply to the tissues and organs are restricted.

Signs of moderate to severe atherosclerosis depend on the affected arteries   it could be the arteries leading to your brain, your heart, legs and arms, or the kidney. The symptoms of atherosclerosis include  

Weakness and fatigue

Difficulty breathing/concentrating

Headaches

Facial numbness

Paralysis

Vomiting

Chest pain

Anxiety

Loss of appetite

Swelling in the feet and hands

If any of the above symptoms seem familiar to you, consult a doctor right away for treatment.

Can atherosclerosis be prevented?

The best way to avoid cholesterol plaque from building up in the artery walls is to prevent the onset of atherosclerosis with these preventive measures.

Eat healthy   avoid eating foods that are rich in saturated fats   red meat, butter and cheese. These increase your cholesterol levels drastically. Instead, include foods that contain unsaturated fats, like avocados, olive oil, fatty fish, nuts and seeds because these help to keep ldl or bad cholesterol levels down.

Stay active   exercising and staying active can help regulate your cholesterol levels and prevent certain conditions that might put you at risk for atherosclerosis.

Quit smoking   people who smoke should quit smoking because it is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis   it increases blood pressure, which in turn, affects your cholesterol levels.

Atherosclerosis can lead to complications. With precautionary measures and proper treatment, the condition can be avoided.

Know All About Atherosclerosis Here

Potassium is one of the seven essential macrominerals found in a variety of foods, including legumes, fish, and leafy vegetables. The mineral plays a vital role in various body functions, such as regulating water balance, heart functioning, and muscle contractions.

Potassium deficiency can lead to weakness, ;fatigue, and constipation. It is therefore important that you include potassium-rich foods in your daily ;diet.

However, keep in mind that taking in more than the required amount of potassium can do more harm than good to your body.

How much should you take in and why?

As per the world health organization, the recommended daily intake of potassium for adults is between 3500mg and 4700mg, as it is safe to consume. When taken in recommended measures, a potassium-rich diet can have some impressive benefits on your overall health. It may reduce or prevent a host of health problems.


	
	Lower high blood pressure
	
	
	Helps eliminate salt insensitivity
	
	
	Reduces your chances of getting a ;stroke by 7%
	
	
	Helps prevent osteoporosis and minimizes the risk of bone fractures
	
	
	Alleviates the risk of ;kidney stones
	


Natural foods are the best source of this mineral. However, you may also turn to supplements, as per your healthcare provider s recommendation.

How much is too much?

Despite its health benefits, potassium should be consumed within the prescribed limit. Going overboard can cause excess potassium to be stored in your blood, and your kidneys may not be able to filter the excess amount   this condition could possibly lead to hyperkalemia. If your potassium levels are between 5.1mmol/l and 6.0mmol/l, you might be at risk of hyperkalemia. Higher than 6.0mmol/l level is considered dangerous   you will need to monitor and manage the condition in order to avoid the risk.

Potassium is essential for bodily functions. A healthy diet and overall eating patterns are important for maintaining good health and keeping illnesses at bay. Be sure to meet your recommended daily intake and avoid exceeding 4700mg of potassium daily. If you are looking to include supplements, talk to your doctor and make sure you stick to the prescribed dosage.

How Safe Is Potassium For Your Health?

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

Hepatitis- related to an inflammatory condition of the liver. It occurs mainly due to infection caused by viruses but there are other possible causes as well. Hepatitis can be temporary or viral. Temporary hepatitis, which is acute in nature, gets resolved on its own. Viral hepatitis can be of five types, a, b, c, d, and e.

Symptoms of hepatitis

Hepatitis, in its initial phase, is called the acute phase. The following symptoms along with mild flu are visible:

Loss of appetite
Fatigue
Joint pains
Pain in the abdomen
Nausea
Weight loss
Jaundice
Though this phase is not really dangerous for some patients, it can result in liver failure leading to death.

How is hepatitis diagnosed?

Physical examination
Laboratory tests
Imaging tests


Treatment for hepatitis

Treatment options for different types of hepatitis are:

Hepatitis a: this doesn t require treatment as it is short-term in nature. In case the symptoms cause a lot of discomforts, then bed rest is recommended. The vaccine is available to prevent this infection.

Hepatitis b: acute hepatitis b doesn t require treatment either. Its chronic form can be treated with antiviral medications. This can be prevented with vaccination.

Hepatitis c: this type of hepatitis, both in its acute and chronic forms, is treated through antiviral medications.

Hepatitis d: according to a study in 2013, a drug known as alpha interferon is used to treat this type of hepatitis. Unfortunately, this only comes to the rescue of 25-30% of people.

Hepatitis e: this acute form of hepatitis gets resolved on its own. Adequate rest, drinking a sufficient amount of water, and taking enough nutrients in their food are some of the ways to get healed from this disease.


 

Hepatitis: Signs, Diagnosis, And Treatment

Yoga is the answer for a lot of aspects which everyone desires, such as a peaceful mind, a strong and flexible body and healthy, glowing skin. Yoga is not simply a set of exercises but a lifestyle. Yoga is a complete workout for the body and mind and is a combination of stretching along with deep breathing and meditation. It is a way of keeping yourself fit without doing strenuous workouts and lifting heavyweights. When practising yoga, asanas and nutrition go hand in hand to improve your quality of life. Your digestive system, immunity and energy levels are directly linked to the food you intake. If there is a problem with any of these, yoga asanas can help resolve it.

 

Yoga helps in maintaining overall fitness

 ;

Yoga ensures that you are healthy in the true sense. Health is like a dynamic expression of life based on how happy, loving and enthusiastic you are in life. The various postures of yoga help in maintaining overall fitness, and balance both your mind and body in an ideal way.

 

Yoga boosts immunity

 ;

A combination of asanas and yogic breathing techniques can help boost your immunity. Some asanas to try include viparita karani, bhujangasana, matsyasana and adho mukha svanasana. These poses help lower stress and boost immunity by pumping rich oxygenated blood to all the parts of the body.

 

Yoga always keeps you energetic

 ;

Yoga asanas help increase blood flow and increase the heart's capacity to pump blood through the body. A few yoga poses that can boost energy are the camel pose, tree pose and warrior asana.

 

Yoga relieves stress

 ;

Doing yoga every day is a good way of eliminating the stress that you experience in daily life. It refers to both physical and mental stress. Certain yoga postures, meditation, and pranayama are ideal practices for getting rid of stress.

 

Yoga keeps you calm

 ;

Yoga is very essential for calming your disturbed and troubled mind.

Moreover, yoga poses massage your organs and help in strengthening your muscles. The various breathing exercises and meditation forms associated with yoga are great for releasing unwanted, undesirable stress from your system. 

 ;

Yoga keeps the digestive system strong

 

Yogic asanas such as the spinal twist, apanasana and paschimottanasana can help smoothen the digestive process.

Why Yoga Is Important For Everyone?

Headaches are extremely common   we all are familiar with mild or persistent throbbing ;pain. A number of conditions can result in headaches. Some of these include  


	
	Fatigue
	
	
	Lack of sleep
	
	
	Stress/tension
	
	
	An underlying condition, like migraine ;or sinusitis
	


Recent studies have revealed a lesser-known cause for headaches   ;hypertension, or what is commonly referred to as high blood pressure.

The connection between hypertension and headaches

Hypertension occurs when the force of the blood circulation in the arteries is elevated   this particular condition can lead to steady pain throughout the head, particularly at the back of the head or in forehead.

Hypertension-induced headaches usually affect both sides of the head, particularly the temple regions. However, a person may not even realize that the headaches he/she is experiencing are induced by high blood pressure.

Since hypertension is an asymptotic condition, it is often referred to as  the silent killer . When blood pressure rises above 180/110, the condition is known as  hypertensive emergency .

Different types of hypertension leading to headaches

There are three types of hypertension conditions that are followed by mild to severe headaches:


	
	Malignant hypertension- this refers to a sudden, rapid increase in blood pressure that calls for medical attention. This is more common among young adults and women with pregnancy-induced hypertension.
	
	
	Idiopathic ;intracranial hypertension- it is characterized by elevated blood pressure around the brain. Symptoms include vision problems, nausea, ;shoulder pain, thumping noise in the ears, and severe headaches.
	
	
	Hypertensive encephalopathy- this is an extreme condition of high blood pressure, which leads to swelling in the brain. A person with this condition experiences severe headache that becomes worse.
	


Uncontrolled hypertension can be dangerous   headaches induced by such a condition could also become frequent or worsen over time. However, with proper medications and certain lifestyle changes, high blood pressure can be kept under the normal measure. Once your blood pressure normalizes, the headaches will disappear in no time.

How Are Hypertension And Headaches Related?

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