The general perception that hereditary diseases cannot be prevented is changing. Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one such hereditary condition. The kidneys are the body's detox machine, which remove all impurities and flush it out of the system through urine. PKD is a condition where there are multiple, fluid-filled cysts which develop in the kidneys. These can vary in size and though noncancerous, can grow to a very large extent, producing severe symptoms including extremely high blood pressures and kidney failure.

In the recent past, however, there have been various theories that put forth how a modified and healthy lifestyle can prevent PKD. A child with a parent who suffers from PKD has 50% likelihood to develop the same. That cannot be prevented; however, changes can be made which can delay the onset and reduce the severity of symptoms of PKD, most notably high blood pressure and kidney failure which may require lifelong dialysis.

Symptoms and complications: The most common symptoms include high blood pressure, kidney pain (behind the back above the buttocks), infections of the kidneys or the bladder, bloody urine, kidney failure, headache, bloated abdomen due to the fluid-filled cysts, frequent urination, and kidney stones. There could be impact on pregnancy plans, with high blood pressure complicating the pregnancy. This needs extra care in management and is not life-threatening in most cases.

Prevention: The kidneys take the brunt of all the toxins that a body is subjected to. It is therefore, very important to reduce the exposure of body, especially kidneys to toxins. One of the best ways to keep the kidneys in good health is to control blood pressure. Some of the ways to do this include:

    Following a low-sodium diet with a good amount of hydration
    Reduce fat in the diet as much as possible
    Include a lot of berries, broccoli and apples
    Be diligent in taking your blood pressure medications as directed
    Ensure that your weight is within the prescribed limits for you
    Quit smoking and drinking
    At least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity should be included in your daily regimen

Read up on symptoms of PKD and keep an eye on them. If you are having a bloated feeling or pain in the kidneys or blood in the urine, consult a doctor. If you are planning on having a baby, genetic counseling may be useful to see if there is a risk of passing on the genes to the baby. Keep a positive outlook and have a frank discussion with family and friends on your overall condition. So, as much as PKD is a hereditary disease, there are ways to manage it and improve the quality of life.

Is Polycystic Kidney Disease Preventable?

A swelling of breast tissues in men due to estrogen and testosterone hormonal imbalance. This swelling in the chest could often resemble a breast. In babies and newborns, gynecomastia is caused by the estrogen from the mother. Breast buds and tissues are common in baby boys. They go away after a few months naturally. However, in some babies, they tend to stay. The result can be the enlarged breasts.

In teenage years, the estrogen-producing hormones naturally tend to get into an overdrive mode and in many instances, if they are hyperactive the swelling in the chest region can occur during puberty. It usually goes away within 6 months to 2 years. In some extreme cases, the swelling can also be as a result of lung or liver cancer. Also, it depends on a little on lifestyle. Drug abuse and excess alcohol can cause gynecomastia. This may also be common in older adults where the skin loses its natural elasticity and tend to sag. Apart from it, their lifestyle also plays a detrimental part in its forming.

Very few people put on weight uniformly all over their body. Some people put on weight around the abdomen and develop bellies while others put on weight on their thighs. For some, fat could also be deposited on the chest, while it may not be much of an issue for a woman but it can make male breasts protrude abnormally. Clinically, this is known as gynecomastia. Gynecomastia is not a serious condition and does not hamper a man s health but it can damage his self-esteem. In the long run, this can also be harmful for his psychological and emotional health. Thankfully dealing with it is easy.



What are the symptoms and diagnoses?
Gynecomastia is associated with enlarged breasts and in addition to that, it could feel rubbery or firm. Sometimes only one of the regions either the left or right side may experience this problem while the other side stays firm. It is diagnosed purely by a physical examination. Also, the lump may be checked for biopsy.

Treatment
90% of the cases in babies go away on its own. There is no treatment required. However in young adults, if the conditions do not go away then surgery is the most treatable option under the circumstances. Getting medications and drugs that can decrease the tissue structure is not advisable as indirectly you might be playing with the hormones and they can tend to get risky after some time. Also, surgeries of the day are not just like taking out the enlargement. They also do concentrate on the features and shape too. You can technically sculpt the region while opting for such breast reduction surgeries.

However, contrary to popular belief, surgery is not the only recourse. In fact, though surgically removing the fat deposits can have faster effects; these fat deposits may develop again over time. Thus, surgery is not a long-term solution. So, let s look at an alternative form of treatment which is Ayurveda as this can be very effective against gynecomastia. This is a holistic form of treatment that not only addresses the symptoms showcased, but attacks the root cause of the problem. In this case, fat deposits are caused usually by weight gain and slow metabolism, which makes it essential for the person to lose weight in order to treat this condition.

Before you start on weight loss regime, starving yourself is no solution for this. Instead, one must eat food according to one s body type and needs. According to Ayurveda, there are three different types of doshas present in the body. An imbalance of these doshas could contribute towards weight gain and in turn gynecomastia. Depending on your body type, an Ayurvedic doctor will be able to advise you on the type of foods to eat and avoid so as to maintain a balance of the doshas.

In addition to this, you must also exercise regularly. The best time to exercise is in the early morning. This raises your metabolism rates and helps your body utilize energy being created through the day instead of simply storing it as fat. Aim for at least half an hour s exercise each day. There are a number of yoga asanas that target the chest muscles and can help treat gynecomastia. These include the Dhanurasana, Gomukhasana and Natrajasana. These asanas burn fat in the chest and tighten chest muscles. When it comes to yoga, it isn t enough to simply perform the asanas, they must be practiced in the right way. Thus, it is always advisable to practice under a teacher s guidance.

One of the biggest advantages of treating gynecomastia with Ayurveda is the absence of side effects. Unlike surgery, there is no hospitalization needed and you may continue your normal lifestyle as you get treatment. Once treated, there is a very low chance of the condition recurring and hence, this is a permanent solution.

Self-care:
While people do opt for weight reducing measures to keep gynecomastia under check it doesn t always work like that. The reason is these are not exactly what causes the enlargement. They are as a direct result of hormones. Hence weight reduction plans and medications may not work out efficiently. Also, experts would suggest going in for a surgery before going for an exercise regime in a gym. Some people do have a misconception that hitting the gym can take care of the swelling. However, it may not be beneficial and it would give out the desired impact.

For complete treatment of your problem, you can Consult the doctor. 

Weight Loss - Can It Help Reduce Male Breast?

Headache or cephalgia, though is not a serious disease, but the condition has become a part of our daily life for most most of us. Homeopathy form of medicine classifies the headache into two major types i.e. primary headache and secondary headache. Sinusitis, excessive stress and strain to spinal cord or neck due to improper posturing are the major cause for primary headaches. 

Secondary headaches are just the warning signal of any other serious pathological disease condition in our body. It might be because of any trauma in head, craniotomy surgeries, and compression of nerve endings because of growing tumour in neck or brain.

Homeopathy is an ancient form of medicine which identifies the exact cause of headache for the person and treats accordingly. Thus, the treatment modalities change from one individual to the other.

Homeopathic medicines for headache:
Belladonna, Pulsatilla, Nux vomica, Bryonia, Gelsemium,iris, Sanguinaria and spigelia are the commonly used homeopathic medicine to treat any type of headache even if it is migraine.

Homeopathy also advices certain self care remedies to relieve headache

Exercises and massage: Doing exercises and massages improve the circulation and thereby relieve the headache.
Proper posturing: Identify the postures that causes excessive muscle contraction and strain to the neck and spinal cord. Maintaining good posture helps in relieving headache because of muscle contractions.
Rest: Headache indicates that your body is lacking adequate rest. Relax and sleep to relieve headache is the best natural way to calm your body from stress.
Eat small frequent meals: Headache sometimes may also occur as a result of low glucose level so split your meals and have as small frequent feeds. Include foods such as spinach, olive oil and tofu or pumpkin seeds for person who get headache as a result of hypoglycaemic effect.
Cold compress: Applying ice pack over your forehead helps in relieving the nagging type of headache.
Stay hydrated : Dehydration is the main cause of headache so have frequent sips of water to maintain the hydration status.

Headache - Homeopathy Is the Perfect Cure!

The heart is not just the seat of emotions. It is a vital organ that keeps your body working. It helps in circulation of blood throughout the body. You might get a heart attack if you don t take care of it. It is an organ that needs utmost care. It is a muscular organ. A heart attack occurs when muscles that form the organ are deprived of sufficient oxygen supply. It is also known as myocardial infarction. It is believed that when there is not enough oxygen supply to the heart muscles, the part that has been affected gets damaged, which is a dangerous situation. 

Sometimes, it even gets deadly or fatal. There are certain risk factors for heart attack. These are as follows:
1. Age
2. Heredity
3. Obesity
4. High blood pressure and high cholesterol
5. Excessive consumption of alcohol and smoking
6. Sedentary lifestyle
7. Poor and deficient diet

Warning signs of heart attack

There are certain warning signs for heart attack. One must check this and immediately seek medical help, on experiencing them. Here are some of the warning symptoms:
1. Chest pain and a feeling of discomfort in the area: While some complain of pain, other doesn t feel it. The pain can also radiate to surrounding regions such as arms and shoulders.
2. Excessive sweating
3. Fatigue
4. Shortness of breath
5. Light-headedness: It can occur at the time of heart attack. It is most commonly experienced by women.
6. Palpitations
7. Indigestion, nausea, and vomiting
8. Chest fullness
9. Toothache
10. Jaw pain

Tips for a healthy heart
1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by getting an adequate amount of night sleep. Go to bed early and wake up early too.
2. Don t spend long hours in watching television or work till late night
3. Be happy. Happiness is the ultimate medicine for the good heart.
4. Eat a lot of fresh and green-leafy vegetables daily.
5. Avoid the intake of spicy, oily and fast foods.
6. While eating, ensure that the atmosphere around is absolutely peaceful and serene.
7. Consume home-cooked food only. Avoid eating out at restaurants or street-side joints.
8. Don t drink excess coffee, tea or aerated drinks.
9. Don t consume alcohol or smoke up cigarettes. Intake of raw tobacco or getting addicted to drugs is also harmful to the heart.
10. Don t live a sedentary life and be a couch potato. Workout and exercise on regular basis.
11. Avoid emotional outburst and try to keep a control over your reactions.
12. Maintain a peaceful environment inside your home.

Heart Attack - 10 Warning Signs You Must Not Ignore!

Snacking between meals for weight gain

If you are struggling to gain weight here is an all time unbeatable way to do so. Have a healthy snack right in the middle of two meals. However, if you do not snack at the right interval or have it too close to meal times, it would only result in a reduced appetite. Pack yourself some fruits, nuts, yogurts, or granola bars as snacks. 

Caution: try to avoid the easy but unhealthy junk food route. Fast food only adds unhealthy weight which will prove to be detrimental later in life.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on consult.

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The Most Powerful Way To Put On Weight - Snacking Right.

When you have soft drinks or sodas, the pancreas quickly start to make insulin because of excessive sugar. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to move sugar from food items or drink into the circulation system, where cells are then ready to use that sugar for energy purposes. Within 15 minutes, glucose levels increase and the liver reacts to the insulin by transforming sugar into fat for capacity. Here is how soft drinks affect our health:

Asthma: It is prevalently found in a large number of soft drink consumers. Soft drinks contain sodium benzoate, which is utilized as an additive to control microbial growth. Sodium additives get blended with the rest of the diet and decrease the amount of potassium in our body. This expands the odds of rashes, asthma and skin aggravation.
Tooth enamel: Soft drinks contain high responsive solvents, which when blended with saliva or acids in the stomach, become acidic in nature. This starts affecting the body immediately. Because of such a quick effect, our mouth and teeth get influenced. It is proven that with every sip of a soft drink, the layer of the teeth decreases by two percent. The skin in the mouth and throat is very delicate and is easily harmed. This also causes rashes on the face and leads to pimples some times.
Heart diseases: Soft drinks contain fructose corn syrup, which has been connected with an increased danger of metabolic disorder. This condition increases the danger of both diabetes and heart diseases. One of 40 deaths each day are caused by heart strokes, which is an aftereffect of consuming soft drinks.
Kidney issues: A number of soft drinks contain phosphoric acids. These phosphoric acids irritate the digestive system and healthy organs. The stomach-related framework is connected to kidneys. Phosphoric acid expands the odds of stones in kidney and other kidney issues and diseases.
Reproductive issues: Soft drinks contain tar in them which contains BPA (Biphenyl   A) and is a similar tumor-causing compound found in pet bottles, water bottles and tinned food cans. This affects the endocrine framework, bringing about untimely adolescence.
Osteoporosis: It is seen that calcium is urinated alongside phosphoric acids, by the use of these drinks. This leads to osteoporosis, which results in corrosion or thinning of bones.  This in turn leads to calcium deficiency, which is one of the vital minerals of the body.
Obesity: It is dangerous to gain weight because of soft drinks. So it is not encouraged to consume soft drinks regularly since they can lead to obesity-related issues.
Sugar over-burdening: After around 15 minutes of soft drink consumption, our glucose shoots up, bringing on an insulin burst. The liver acts by changing the sugar particles into fat. This excites the consumer and increases the pulse, which causes the liver to deposit more sugar into the circulatory system.


Soft Drinks - How They Affect Your Health?

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