Lower Triglycerides: Your Choices Affect Results | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Beyond Cholesterol: 14 Ways to Lower Triglycerides

 

When Triglycerides Inch Up

Maybe you’ve put on a few extra pounds. Now your yearly blood work comes back showing high triglycerides. These fats are an important source of energy in your body, but at high levels they can hurt your heart. Like cholesterol, triglyceride troubles can lead to clogged arteries and possibly to a heart attack or stroke. Luckily, there are many ways to lower your triglycerides.
Why Triglycerides Matter

High triglycerides can be part of an unhealthy condition called metabolic syndrome. Other parts of this illness can include:

• Low HDL “good” cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Belly fat
• High blood sugar

Metabolic syndrome greatly increases your chances of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. 

Read more:   Lower Triglycerides: Your Choices Affect Results | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

How and When to Test Your Glucose Levels | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

 

If you have diabetes, your doctor may recommend that you test your blood sugar, or glucose, levels regularly. Knowing your blood sugar levels may allow you to alter your diabetes management strategy if your levels aren’t near your target blood sugar.

Also, regular testing of your blood sugar can help reduce your risk of having long-term complications from diabetes. Based on studies of people with type 1 diabetes, maintaining near normal blood sugar and HbA1c levels significantly reduces the risks of complications from diabetes. But this type of tight control is not for everyone. Your doctor can tell you which diabetes treatment goals are right for you. Find out more:  How and When to Test Your Glucose Levels | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Side Effects of High Blood Pressure Medications

Any medication can cause side effects, and high blood pressure (HBP) medications are no exception. However, many people do not have side effects from taking hypertension drugs, and often the side effects are mild. Still, it’s important to stay informed and work closely with your doctor to manage any side effects you may have. There’s no reason to “suffer in silence.” Today there are more medication options than ever for managing high blood pressure (hypertension).

This article lists the side effects that may be caused by each type of high blood pressure drug. First, here are four general warnings.

1. Never stop taking medication without first talking to your doctor. In some cases, this can be very dangerous, causing a big spike in blood pressure.
2. If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, talk to your doctor about the safest medication to use. ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) can cause harmful side effects for pregnant women and their developing babies.
3. If you take insulin for diabetes, talk to your doctor. Changes in blood sugar can occur in people with diabetes taking diuretics or beta blockers for high blood pressure.
4. If you have problems with erections during sex, talk with your doctor. Some high blood pressure medications can cause this problem. Reducing the dose or changing to another type of medication may help. But high blood pressure itself can also cause erectile dysfunction.

As an informed patient, read about the type of medication you are taking and its possible side effects. You can find a full list on your medication insert. To get you started, here is an overview of the most common side effects of high blood pressure medications.

Side Effects of High Blood Pressure Medications | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Incontinence in Men: Products, Diet, & Lifestyle

 
UI Is Cmmon and Treatable

If you have urinary incontinence, you might feel embarrassed and alone. But you’re not the only one: About 3.4 million men in the U.S. are estimated to be dealing with incontinence right now. And the good news is that you don’t have to put up with it. Contrary to what a lot of guys think, urinary incontinence is not a normal sign of aging and it’s not inevitable. It’s a treatable condition.

Types of Incontinence

Stress incontinence results when physical activity, such as bending, lifting, or coughing, puts pressure on the bladder and triggers leaking. Urge incontinence — caused by the bladder contracting when it shouldn’t — triggers a sudden and overwhelming need to urinate. The feeling is so intense that it’s hard to make it to the bathroom in time. Other types include overflow and mixed incontinence.

What Causes Male Incontinence

Incontinence in men can result from medical conditions like enlarged prostate, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. It can be common after some types of surgery for prostate cancer or other surgery on the prostate gland. Sometimes it can develop for reasons we don’t completely understand, like “overactive bladder.” Understanding the cause is crucial to getting the right treatment, so it’s important to get a diagnosis from your doctor.

How You Can Manage Symptoms.

Read more: 
Incontinence in Men: Products, Diet, & Lifestyle | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Sex, Exercise, and Stress Incontinence

Workouts and romance may both trigger ‘accidents,’ but stress incontinence treatments can bring relief.

 

Stress incontinence has an annoying way of showing up at the most inopportune times.

You’re jogging along, feeling great — and then you realize your running shorts are damp with urine. Later that night, during a romantic rendezvous with your partner, a trickle of urine appears again, definitely spoiling the moment.

Lest you think stress urinary incontinence is a problem only of middle-aged or elderly women, think again. Surprisingly, young women actually have more stress incontinence during sex than older women, according to Amy Rosenman, MD, a gynecologist at Santa Monica — UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, Calif., and co-author of The Incontinence Solution.

When incontinence occurs during intimate moments, women feel anxious, Rosenman says, even if they are in stable marriages. This could even lead to sexual dysfunction.

The same anxiety can occur during a workout, where you may end up with an embarrassing wet spot on your pants for the world to see.


Read more:
Sex, Exercise, and Stress Incontinence | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

The Basics of a Healthy Diabetes Diet

 

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no single “diabetes diet.” That means that the foods recommended for a diabetes diet to control blood glucose (or blood sugar) are good for those with diabetes — and everyone else. You and your family can eat the same healthy foods at mealtime.

However, for people with diabetes, the total amounts of carbohydrates consumed each day must be monitored carefully. Of the different components of nutrition — carbohydrates, fats, and proteins — carbohydrates have the greatest influence on blood sugar levels. Most people with diabetes also have to monitor total fat consumption and protein intake, too.

To keep your blood sugar levels in check, you need to make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, and take the medicines your health care provider prescribes. A dietitian can provide in-depth nutrition education to help you develop a personalized meal plan that fits your lifestyle and activity level, and meets your medical needs.

Read more:  The Basics of a Healthy Diabetes Diet | GoldenEraMart Health Junction

What Is Prediabetes and How Is It Diagnosed?

 

People with prediabetes have glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough yet to indicate diabetes. The condition used to be called borderline diabetes. Most people with prediabetes don’t have symptoms, but they are considered to be at high risk of developing heart disease.

Normally, your body produces a hormone called insulin to help your cells use the energy (glucose) found in food. With diabetes, either your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t efficiently use the insulin it does produce. When glucose builds up in the blood, it can damage the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, heart, eyes, and nervous system.

With prediabetes, the subtle balance between glucose and insulin has been thrown off. The pancreas may not be able to produce enough insulin after a meal to “clear” the incoming glucose from the blood. Or cells may be insulin resistant. When cells are insulin resistant, they won’t allow the insulin to escort glucose from the bloodstream into them. Too much glucose in the blood is also called high blood sugar or hyperglycemia. A low blood sugar level is called hypoglycemia.

If you have prediabetes, you’re at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as the serious medical problems associated with diabetes, including heart disease  and stroke. With prediabetes, you are at a 50% higher risk of heart disease and stroke than someone who does not have prediabetes. 

Read it all:  What Is Prediabetes and How Is It Diagnosed? | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D and Calcium?

 

Getting enough vitamin D and calcium are two of the best things you can do to keep your bones healthy. 

These two nutrients work together to make you less likely to break a bone or get osteoporosis, a disease that weakens them.

“If we have adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D, it really can help with keeping bones strong,” says Heather Miller, PharmD, assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the Texas A&M Health Science Center.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D and Calcium? | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Prediabetes: 7 Steps to Take Now

What to do to stop prediabetes from becoming diabetes.

 

Getting diagnosed with prediabetes is a serious wake-up call, but it doesn’t have to mean you will definitely get diabetes. There is still time to turn things around.

“It’s an opportunity to initiate lifestyle changes or treatments, and potentially retard progression to diabetes or even prevent diabetes,” says Gregg Gerety, MD, chief of endocrinology at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, N.Y.

Making these seven changes in your daily habits is a good way to start.

Prediabetes: 7 Steps to Take Now | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Can You Spot the Warning Signs of a Stroke?

What Is a Stroke?
 
Stroke is a medical emergency and a leading cause of death in the U.S. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts or, more commonly, when a blockage develops. Without treatment, cells in the brain quickly begin to die. The result can be serious disability or death. If a loved one is having stroke symptoms, seek emergency medical attention without delay.

Stroke Symptoms

Signs of a stroke may include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the body, especially on one side.
• Sudden vision changes in one or both eyes, or difficulty swallowing.
• Sudden, severe headache with unknown cause.
• Sudden problems with dizziness, walking, or balance.
• Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding others.

Call 911 immediately if you notice any of these symptoms.

Read it all:  Can You Spot the Warning Signs of a Stroke? | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Oral Diabetes Medications

Oral diabetes medications — diabetes pills — help control blood sugar levels in people whose bodies still produce some insulin (the majority of people with type 2 diabetes). These diabetes drugs are usually prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes along with recommendations for making specific dietary changes and getting regular exercise. Several of these drugs are often used in combination to achieve optimal blood sugar control.

Remember that people with type 2 diabetes tend to have two problems that lead to increased sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream:

1. They don’t make enough insulin to move glucose into cells where it belongs.
2. The body’s cells become “resistant” to insulin (insulin resistance), meaning they don’t take in glucose as well as they should.

In time, people with type 2 diabetes develop what’s called “beta-cell failure.” This means that the cells in the pancreas that make insulin no longer are able to release insulin in response to high blood sugar levels. Therefore, these people often require insulin injections, either in combination with their diabetes pills, or just insulin alone to manage their diabetes. Read more:

Oral Diabetes Medications | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Take 5: Diabetes

Our diabetes expert answers five questions about lifestyle and blood sugar control.

If you’re one of the nearly 24 million Americans living with type 2 diabetes, you know your body has difficulty using or producing insulin. What can you do to manage the disease? We asked Jill Crandall, MD, professor of clinical medicine and director of the diabetes clinical trials unit at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, to debunk some myths and help you learn to live well.

Your questions answered:
 
1. Does having type 2 diabetes mean you have to give up sugar completely? 
2. Is it better to eat frequently throughout the day? 
3. How do stress and sleep affect diabetes management? 
4. Why do I need to exercise?
5. Are there any promising treatments ahead for type 2 diabetes? 
Bonus Question: Is weight loss important if you have type 2 diabetes? Why?

Take 5: Diabetes | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

The Risks and Complications of Uncontrolled Diabetes

If not controlled, diabetes can put you at risk for a host of complications that can affect nearly every organ in the body. They include: The heart and blood vessels

• The eyes
• The kidneys
• The nerves
• The gums and teeth

The Risks and Complications of Uncontrolled Diabetes | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Stress and High Blood Pressure | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Stress is a normal part of life. But too much stress can lead to emotional, psychological, and even physical problems — including heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pains, or irregular heart beats.
 
Reducing stress can help lower high blood pressure.

How Does Stress Contribute to Heart Disease?

Medical researchers aren’t sure exactly how stress increases the risk of heart disease. Stress itself might be a risk factor, or it could be that high levels of stress make other risk factors (such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure) worse. For example, if you are under stress, your blood pressure goes up, you may overeat, you may exercise less, and you may be more likely to smoke.

If stress itself is a risk factor for heart disease, it could be because chronic stress exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Studies also link stress to changes in the way blood clots, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

What Are the Warning Signs of Stress?

When you are exposed to long periods of stress, your body gives warning signs that something is wrong. These physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral signs of stress should not be ignored. They tell you that you need to slow down. If you continue to be stressed and you don’t give your body a break, you are likely to develop health problems. You could also worsen an 

existing illness. Read it all:  Stress and High Blood Pressure | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Tips for Coping Day to Day With Urinary Incontinence

Like it or not, urinary incontinence is a fact of life for many people. It can happen as we get older, and for women during pregnancy or after birth, even as the result of a persistent cough. 

What can you do to take control?
 

For answers, WebMD went to the American Urological Association and Craig Comiter, MD, associate professor of urology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Here are their tips on how to take matters into your own hands — and make living with urinary incontinence a lot easier.

Which Type of Urinary Incontinence Do You Have?

Urinary incontinence (UI) is the involuntary loss of urine and “it’s a common condition” in men and women of all ages, says the American Urological Association. The two main types of urinary incontinence are:

• Stress incontinence, which can cause leakage when you cough, sneeze, exercise, laugh, or strain to lift something heavy.
• Urge incontinence, which is an unexpected, sudden urge to urinate, one that’s so strong it can be hard to reach the bathroom in time.

No matter which type of urinary incontinence you have, simple behavioral tips can help you deal day to day.

Tips for Coping Day to Day With Urinary Incontinence | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Non-Insulin Diabetes Injectables

When insulin was first discovered in 1921, it revolutionized the treatment of diabetes. No longer was diabetes considered a death sentence. For the first time, people with diabetes could expect to live longer, fuller lives.
 

Insulin transformed diabetes treatment, but for many decades it was the only drug available to treat diabetes. Then came another mini-revolution with the introduction of the first oral, non-insulin drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, including metformin and the sulfonylurea class of drugs.

Today, metformin is the first drug doctors usually recommend for people with type 2 diabetes who need to take medication. Researchers have still been on the hunt for other diabetes treatment options because metformin doesn’t work sufficiently for everyone with diabetes. Some people who take this drug still have trouble controlling their blood sugar and A1C number.

In recent years, new drugs have been introduced that offer more options for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved two injectable non-insulin medications — pramlintide (Symlin) and exenatide (Byetta). Then in 2010, the FDA also approved the drug liraglutide (Victoza).

Unlike insulin, which lowers blood sugar by pulling glucose from the bloodstream into cells, these drugs cause the body to release insulin, or work with insulin to control blood sugar levels.

Here’s a rundown of the three non-insulin injections your doctor might recommend for controlling your blood sugar levels — how they work, who they help, and what side effects they can have.

Non-Insulin Diabetes Injectables | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease

 

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a leading cause of kidney disease and kidney failure (end-stage renal disease). 

Hypertension can cause damage to the blood vessels and filters in the kidney, making removal of waste from the body difficult. Once a person is diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, dialysis — a blood-cleansing process — or kidney transplantation are necessary.

High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Living With Type 1 Diabetes in a Type 2 World

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s own immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas (called beta cells).
 

Normally, the body’s immune system fights off foreign invaders like viruses or bacteria. But for unknown reasons, in people with type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks various cells in the body. This results in a complete deficiency of the insulin hormone.

Some people develop a type of diabetes – called secondary diabetes — which is similar to type 1 diabetes, but the beta cells are not destroyed by the immune system but by some other factor, such as cystic fibrosis or pancreatic surgery. Read more -

Living With Type 1 Diabetes in a Type 2 World | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

7 Foods You Think Are Healthy

When your family bites into a fresh fruit or a steamed vegetable, you know you’re serving up something that’s good for them. But beyond that, it’s hard to be sure.
Even if the package says that a food is healthy or loaded with all kinds of vitamins and minerals, check the label. It may be full of other things your family doesn’t need.
Some foods, like these seven, may not be as healthy as you think.

7 Foods You Think Are Healthy | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Top Cancer-Fighting Foods

No single food can reduce your risk of cancer, but the right combination of foods may help make a difference. At mealtimes, strike a balance of at least two-thirds plant-based foods and no more than one-third animal protein. This “New American Plate” is an important cancer fighting tool, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Check out better and worse choices for your plate.



Top Cancer-Fighting Foods | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Coping With Diabetes and Stress

 

When you have diabetes, stress can significantly affect your ability to control the disease. If you are under stress, you may skip meals or forget to take your medicines, which will affect your blood sugar level. Learning to deal with this stress is especially important if you have diabetes.


Although you can’t completely remove stress from your life, there are several ways you can reduce it. And by learning to better cope with stress, you can help keep your diabetes under control. Here are some tips.


Fight Stress With a Positive Attitude


When things seem to be going wrong, it’s always easier to see the bad instead of the good. Find something good in each important area of your life: work, family, friends, and health. Thinking about the good can help you get through the bad times and the stress.


Be Nice to Yourself


What are your talents, abilities, and goals? Are you expecting too much from yourself? Don’t expect more of yourself than you have or are able to give.


Accept What You Cannot Change


For those stressful situations or problems that cannot be changed, develop a simple plan of action. Ask yourself the following questions:

• “Will this be important two years from now?”
• “Do I have control over this situation?”
• “Can I change my situation?”
  

Talk to Someone About Your Stress


Don’t keep stress bottled up inside. If you don’t want to talk with a family member or close friend, there are counselors and clergy trained to provide support and insight. Ask your doctor for recommendations if you would like to see a psychologist or counselor.


Exercise to Fight Stress


The benefits of exercise in reducing stress are well known, particularly for someone with diabetes. Exercise gives you a feeling of well-being and may relieve symptoms of stress.


Take Time to Relax


Practice muscle relaxation, deep breathing, meditation, or visualization. Ask your health care provider for information and available programs.


© 2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.


GoldenEraMart Health Junction

10 Things That Can Make Incontinence Worse

Do you suffer from incontinence? You can cut down on symptoms by changing what you eat and drink.

 

Incontinence can happen to anyone, although it’s more common in women than in men.

“Mild urinary leakage affects most women at some time in our lives,” says Mary Rosser, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in obstetrics and gynecology at Montefiore Medical Center, in New York City. “Although it is more common in older women, younger women may experience leakage as well.” 

You may have stress incontinence, urge incontinence, or some other type.
The good news is that there are treatments—and lifestyle changes—that can help.

Fluid intake

It’s no surprise that too many drinks—whether water, milk, or other beverages—can be a problem for people with incontinence.

However, you can’t solve incontinence by severely cutting back on fluids. This can lead to dehydration, constipation, and kidney stones, which can actually irritate your bladder and make symptoms worse. 

It’s important to get the right balance, says Dr. Rosser, who recommends about two liters of fluid a day, which is eight 8-ounce glasses. (The right amount depends on your lean body mass.)
If you’re prone to nighttime incontinence, cut back your fluid intake in the evening. 

10 Things That Can Make Incontinence Worse

High Blood Pressure: Checking Your Blood Pressure at Home| Excerpt

Why should you measure your own blood pressure?
 

When you take your own blood pressure, you can do it at different times and in different places, such as at home, at work, and when you travel. This helps your doctor to:

• Decide whether you have high blood pressure.
• Check whether a certain medicine is helping to lower your blood pressure.
• See if you have low blood pressure that may be caused by irregular heart rhythms, certain medicines, or other medical conditions.
• Make sure that any medicines you take for other problems are not causing episodes of high blood pressure.

When you have high blood pressure, taking your own measurements can help you see how medicine or lifestyle changes are helping to lower your blood pressure. It can help you feel more involved in and more in control of your own health care.

Some people have a big rise in blood pressure only when they are in a doctor’s office. This is called “white-coat hypertension.” It probably is caused by worry about the doctor visit. By checking blood pressure at home, these people can often find out whether their blood pressure readings generally are lower when they are not in the doctor’s office. Read more -

High Blood Pressure: Checking Your Blood Pressure at Home

Tips for Teens with Diabetes: Dealing With the Ups and Downs of Diabetes

 

Feelings

 
Many teens like you deal with diabetes everyday. Most of the time, it’s not a problem, you just deal with it. But sometimes, you may just want it to go away.

Do you ever…

• Ask “why me?”
• Think you’re the only one who feels sad, mad, alone, afraid, or different?
• Get tired of others teasing you if you are overweight?
• Blame yourself or your family for your diabetes?

All of these feelings are normal. Lots of teens who have diabetes feel the same way. It’s okay to get angry, feel sad, or think you’re different every now and then. But then you need to take charge and do something to feel better.

Everyone feels down sometimes. You are not alone.

Tips for Teens with Diabetes: Dealing With the Ups and Downs of Diabetes

Your Guide to the New Insurance Marketplaces

The health law’s online marketplaces, also known as exchanges, will be open for enrollment Oct. 
1.  They will allow individuals and consumers to comparison shop for health insurance, much like they do now online for an airline ticket or a hotel room, and apply for subsidies, if they are eligible.

If done well, proponents say, the marketplaces could make it easier to buy health insurance and possibly lead to lower prices because of increased competition. But, if designed or marketed poorly, the exchanges will not attract healthy people and will instead be left with a higher percentage of sicker people that will cause premiums to rise.
Here are some answers to common questions about the exchanges:

Your Guide to the New Insurance Marketplaces

Type 2 Diabetes and Exercise

 

Exercise is very important in managing type 2 diabetes. Combining diet, exercise, and medicine (when prescribed) can help control your weight and blood sugar level.
Exercise helps control type 2 diabetes by:

• Improving your body’s use of insulin
• Burning excess body fat, helping to decrease and control weight (decreased body fat results in improved insulin sensitivity)
• Improving muscle strength
• Increasing bone density and strength
• Lowering blood pressure
• Helping to protect against heart and blood vessel disease by lowering ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and increasing ‘good’ HDL cholesterol
• Improving blood circulation and reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke
• Increasing energy level and enhancing work capacity
• Reducing stress, promoting relaxation, and releasing tension and anxie

Type 2 Diabetes and Exercise

Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia) and Diabetes

In people with diabetes, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) develops when there is not enough sugar (glucose) in your body to be used as fuel for cells. A number of different factors can cause hypoglycemia, including certain medications and diet. Certain medical conditions can also make hypoglycemia more common in people with diabetes.
 
Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia) and Diabetes Junction

12 Reasons to Love the Mediterranean Diet

With the Mediterranean diet, you won’t be counting calories or cutting out major food groups. Instead, the focus is on swapping bad fats for good ones — olive oil instead of butter, fish or poultry instead of red meat, fresh fruit instead of sugary, fancy desserts — and eating your fill of flavorful basics: veggies and beans. Nuts are a mainstay, too, but you should still limit yourself to no more than a handful a day. And you can have whole-grain bread and wine in moderation. 

12 Reasons to Love the Mediterranean Diet

Urinary Incontinence Men's Guide

What is urinary incontinence in men?
 

Urinary incontinence is the accidental release of urine. It’s not a disease. It’s a symptom of a problem with a man’s urinary tract.

Urine is made by the kidneys and stored in a sac made of muscle, called the urinary bladder. A tube called the urethra leads from the bladder through the prostate and penis to the outside of the body. Around this tube is a ring of muscles called the urinary sphincter. As the bladder fills with urine, nerve signals tell the sphincter to stay squeezed shut while the bladder stays relaxed. The nerves and muscles work together to prevent urine from leaking out of the body.

When you have to urinate, the nerve signals tell the muscles in the walls of the bladder to squeeze. This forces urine out of the bladder and into the urethra. At the same time the bladder squeezes, the urethra relaxes. This allows urine to pass through the urethra and out of the body.

Incontinence can happen for many reasons:

Urinary Incontinence Men's Guide

High Blood Pressure and Stroke

A stroke, sometimes called a “brain attack,” occurs when blood flow to an area in the brain is cut off. As a result, the brain cells, deprived of the oxygen and glucose needed to survive, die. If not caught early, permanent brain damage can result.
 

Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases a person’s stroke risk by four to six times. Over time, hypertension leads to atherosclerosis and hardening of the large arteries. This, in turn, can lead to blockage of small blood vessels in the brain. High blood pressure can also lead to weakening of the blood vessels in the brain, causing them to balloon and burst. The risk of stroke is directly related to how high the blood pressure is.

High Blood Pressure and Stroke

Diabetes Symptoms to Never Ignore

One of the keys to leading a healthy life with diabetes is to keep your glucose levels, or blood sugar, in check. As your main source of energy, glucose plays a big role in keeping your body working like it should. If you have either type of diabetes, you need to be aware of symptoms that may mean your glucose is out of balance.



Diabetes Symptoms to Never Ignore 

Diabetes and Your Mouth

Diabetes puts you at risk for dental problems. It impairs your ability to fight bacteria in your mouth. Having high blood sugar encourages bacteria to grow and contributes to gum disease. You may have gum disease if you have:

Diabetes and Your Mouth

Sex After a Heart Attack: Is It OK?

You’ve had a heart attack, and suddenly your outlook on sex is very different. You used to relish intimacy and pleasure with your partner. But now it seems like a scary proposition. Could sex trigger another heart attack? Will your sex life ever be the same? Portland cardiologist James Beckerman, MD, answers the most common questions about how sex and heart health are connected.

Sex After a Heart Attack: Is It OK?

Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements for High Blood Pressure | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

 

In the past 10 years, many Americans have turned to omega-3 fish oil supplements. Dietary fish and fish oil supplements have benefits for healthy people and also those with heart disease.

Omega-3 fish oil contains both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Omega-3 fatty acids are very important in preventing and managing heart disease.

Findings show omega-3 fish oil may help to:

• Lower blood pressure
• Reduce triglycerides
• Slow the development of plaque in the arteries
• Reduce the chance of abnormal heart rhythm
• Reduce the likelihood of heart attack and stroke
• Lessen the chance of sudden cardiac death in people with heart disease

Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements for High Blood Pressure | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Heart Attack Symptoms: What To Do in an Emergency

Do you know how to recognize heart attack symptoms? A heart attack usually occurs when there is blockage in one of the heart’s arteries. This is an emergency that can cause death. It requires quick action. Do not ignore even minor heart attack symptoms. Immediate treatment lessens heart damage and saves lives.
 
Recognizing Heart Attack Symptoms

Heart attack symptoms vary from person to person. Not all heart attacks begin with the sudden, crushing chest pain that many people picture when they think of a heart attack. In fact, some heart attacks cause no symptoms at all. This is more common in people who have diabetes.

Heart attack symptoms may begin slowly, causing mild pain and discomfort. They can occur at rest or while you’re active. Depending on your age, gender, and other medical conditions, symptoms may be more or less severe.

Learn here how to recognize heart attack symptoms.

Heart Attack Symptoms: What To Do in an Emergency

6 Heart Attack Symptoms No Woman Should Miss

 

Women don’t always get the same classic heart attack symptoms as men, such as crushing chest pain that radiates down one arm. Those heart attack symptoms can certainly happen to women, but  many experience vague or even “silent” symptoms that they may miss.

6 Heart Attack Symptoms No Woman Should Miss | GoldenEraMart Health JunctionGoldenEraMart Health Junction

Diabetes and Weight Loss | GoldenEraMart Health Junction

Diabetes and weight loss: It is the yin and yang of optimal health. There’s no question about it. If you’re overweight and have type 2 diabetes, dropping pounds lowers your blood sugar, improves your health, and helps you feel better.

But before you start a weight loss plan, it’s important to work closely with your doctor or diabetes educator — because while you’re losing weight, your blood sugar, insulin, and medications need special attention.

Make no mistake — No matter how heavy you are, losing weight will significantly lower your blood sugar.

A National Institutes of Health study found that a combination of diet and exercise cuts the risk of developing diabetes by 58%. The study involved people who were overweight (average body mass index of 34) and who had high — but not yet diabetic — blood sugar levels.

Even losing 10 or 15 pounds has health benefits, according to the American Diabetes Association. It can:

• Lower blood sugar
• Reduce blood pressure
• Improve cholesterol levels
• Lighten the stress on hips, knees, ankles, and feet

Plus, you’ll probably have more energy, get around easier, and breathe easier.

Diabetes and Weight Loss | GoldenEraMart Health Junction

Ace Inhibitors: Your Go-To Guide

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are high blood pressure drugs that widen or dilate your blood vessels to improve the amount of blood your heart pumps and lower blood pressure. ACE inhibitors also increase blood flow, which helps to decrease the amount of work your heart has to do and can help protect your kidneys from the effects of hypertension and diabetes.

ACE inhibitors are used to treat a number of heart-related conditions, including high blood pressure, heart failure, heart attack, and preventing kidney damage associated with high blood pressure and diabetes. Examples of ACE inhibitors include:

- See more at: http://goldeneramart-healthjunction.com/ace-inhibitors-your-go-to-guide/#sthash.ms2P511F.dpuf

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are high blood pressure drugs that widen or dilate your blood vessels to improve the amount of blood your heart pumps and lower blood pressure. ACE inhibitors also increase blood flow, which helps to decrease the amount of work your heart has to do and can help protect your kidneys from the effects of hypertension and diabetes.

ACE inhibitors are used to treat a number of heart-related conditions, including high blood pressure, heart failure, heart attack, and preventing kidney damage associated with high blood pressure and diabetes. Examples of ACE inhibitors include:

Read more: http://goldeneramart-healthjunction.com/ace-inhibitors-your-go-to-guide/