Jane

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a life-long illness affecting the chemistry of the brain. In classic cases, it causes severe mood swings from manic episodes of extreme highs to depressive episodes of debilitating lows, with relatively normal periods in-between. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 2 million people age 18 and older have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, there is no cure for bipolar disorder at this time. But as with any chronic illness, such as diabetes, heart disease or epilepsy, proper treatment, management and understanding of the illness is crucial. Most people with bipolar disorder can lead full, productive and satisfying lives by taking crucial steps to control and manage their illness. Some key steps to consider if you or a loved one have bipolar disorder include: 1. Find a mental health professional you trust. A person diagnosed with bipolar disorder needs to establish a...

Cholesterol is a word associated with bad health, but cholesterol is actually a natural substance, necessary for our body s healthy functioning, and cholesterol, like most everything else in our lives, is harmful only in excess. And how is it, then, that the very name, cholesterol, has acquired such bad connotations. Why is that we are always cautioned to have our cholesterol level checked and to know our cholesterol number . To understand this more fully, it is important to know exactly what cholesterol is, what it does, and where it comes from. Cholesterol is necessary for our bodies. Our bodies must have it to maintain good health, and without cholesterol, it would be impossible for our bodies to function. Not all of the functions of cholesterol are known, but some of them are: To make cell membranes, giving them stability and durability, particularly in our nerve tissue, brain, and spinal cord. To make bile, where it aids in the absorption and...

Cancer is a disorder of genes. Genes are a small part of DNA which are made up of proteins. The genes mainly produce proteins which are involved in controlling cell growth and division. But due to errors or mutations a sudden change , the abnormal change in the no. of cell divisions occurs and this increases to an uncontrollable change. This change is called a Tumor . There are two types of tumors : Benign and Malignant. Benign tumor is not considered as a cancer but Malignant is considered as a Cancer. Cancers are also of many types mainly caused at different specific regions of the body and have different general causes. The following are the factors that cause Cancer : 1. Tobacco : Eighty to ninety percent of cancers are due to tobacco usage, mainly smoking. Smoking is shown to cause cancers in noticeable parts of the body like the Respiratory tract, Esophagus, Larynx, Bladder, Pancreas and liver, kidney and stomach also in a few cases. Alcohol ...

Acid reflux or GERD gastroesophageal reflux disease occurs when the liquid that is in the stomach backs up into the esophagus. This is usually a condition which persists throughout the life of the individual. Because the acid backs up into the esophagus, the esophagus may be damaged. The action of the lower esophageal sphincter LES may be one cause. The esophagus connects to the stomach. There is a muscle ring that goes around the end of the esophagus at the point where it meets the stomach. When we eat or drink the LES allows the food to pass into the stomach and then the muscle ring closes so the food does not reflux. The LES may have a weak contraction so there is a very good chance of reflux. The longer the LES is open relaxed reflux can easily occur. Another cause of acid reflux GERD is a hiatal hernia. Some people with acid reflux have hiatal hernias and some do not. Hiatal hernias are not a pre-requisite for acid reflux, but a large amount of people...