Lupus

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease, which causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints and kidneys. It can also affect the blood. The immune system normally protects the body against viruses, bacteria and other foreign invaders. In autoimmune diseases like lupus, the immune system loses the ability to distinguish between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against the body itself.

Lupus is NOT infectious, rare or cancerous.

Although the cause of lupus is unknown, scientists suspect that individuals are genetically predisposed to lupus, and also know that environmental factors such as infections, antibiotics, ultraviolet light, extreme stress and certain drugs play an important role in triggering lupus.

Lupus attacked adult women 10 to 15 times more frequently than adult men.

Lupus is more prevalent in African Americans, Hispanics and Asians. African American women are three times more likely to get lupus than Caucasian women. Both African American and Hispanic / Latin tend to develop lupus at a young age and have more symptoms at diagnosis (including kidney problems).

Only 10% of people with lupus will have a close relative (parent or sibling) who already have or may develop lupus. Only about 5% of children born to individuals with lupus will develop the disease.

Sometimes people with lupus experience "flare." This happens when some of the symptoms appear and disappear in the short term. Even if you take medicine for lupus, you may find that there are times when symptoms get worse. Learning to recognize that a flare is coming can help you take steps to overcome them. Many people feel very tired or in pain, rash, fever, abdominal discomfort, headache, or dizziness before the flare ....

Lupus can be difficult to diagnose as the symptoms come and go and mimic those of many other diseases. Some symptoms of lupus can be transient, such as joint and muscle pain, fatigue, rash caused or exacerbated by sunlight, low grade fever, hair loss, pleurisy, appetite loss, sores in the nose or mouth or painful sensitivity of the finger in an environment that cool.

Symptoms of lupus can range from mild to life threatening and thousands of Americans die each year from complications of lupus.

With optimal care, most women with lupus can have a healthy baby without endangering their own health.

This type of lupus

There are four types of lupus, although similar to each type of lupus has a different prognosis and treatment.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a type of lupus is the most numerous and the most severe or serious type of lupus among others. SLE can affect almost any body part. System of the body most frequently involved are the skin, joints, lungs, kidneys and blood. When people talk about lupus, they are usually referring to systemic lupus erythematosus.

Discoid lupus erythematosus only affects the skin. People with lupus also called discoid lupus skin, having a circular rash on the face, neck and scalp. A small number of people with discoid lupus may develop into systemic lupus erythematosus.

Drug-induced lupus erythematosus occurs after a person is taking certain medications. This event only happens to people - certain people who have talent and lupus is triggered by certain drugs in the drink. Drug-induced lupus affects various body systems. Signs and symptoms usually disappear when the patient stops taking medication that causes lupus.

Neonatal lupus is a rare and only occurs in newborns. A mother with certain antibodies associated with autoimmune diseases can be lowered to the fetus. Babies with neonatal lupus may experience a rash at the first weeks after birth. Neonatal lupus can take several months before disappearing.

Risk factor for lupus

The risk factor for lupus are:

Female gender. Women are more likely to get lupus than men.

Age between 15-40 years. Lupus can occur at any age, infants, children - children, adults but more common in ages 15-40 years.

Ras. Blacks, Asian and Hispanic races tend to be affected by lupus.

Sunlight. Sun exposure can trigger lupus in people of skin - certain people. Exposure to ultraviolet rays that cause lupus until now the mechanism is still not known with certainty.

Epstein Barr virus infection. Almost every person ever infected by Epstein-Barr virus with symptoms of fever and sore throat. For reasons that are unclear, recurrent infections Epstein Barr virus can trigger lupus.

Exposed to chemicals. Until now it is difficult to prove exposure to chemicals causes lupus. However, the results of research related people who work with chemicals are at risk of mercury and silica tend to suffer from lupus.

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Physiological ovarian cyst

Physiological ovarian cyst is a mass in the ovary are most commonly found. These cysts are caused by the failure of follicle to rupture or regression. Physiological ovarian cyst size is less than 6 cm, flat surface, mobile and cystic consistency. Complaints can be a mass in the pelvic area and menstrual irregularity. There are several types of functional cysts are follicular cysts, corpus luteum cysts, theca lutein cysts and luteoma pregnancy. Handling of ovarian cysts can be either conservative or operative. Surgical procedure needs to be done to determine the origin of the masses when clinical examination and investigation; its difficult to determine the origin of mass in 1991, a new laparoscopy is used both as a diagnostic tool as well as therapy. Surgical procedures may include ovarian cyst cystectomy and salfingo-oophorectomy. The advantages of laparoscopic action is trauma to the abdominal wall and minimal risk more adhesions, shorter operating time and recovering more quickly than with laparotomy. Physiologic ovarian cyst is the most common mass in the ovary. The cyst is Caused by the failure of the follicle to breakdown or regression. The size of the physiologic ovarian cyst is less than 6 cm, with smooth surface, mobile and cystic consistency. The sign can be found the mass in the pelvic area or irregular menstruation. There are Several type of functional cyst the which are follicular, corpus luteum cyst, cyst teccalutein, and luteoma pregnancy. Management of ovarian cyst can be conservative or operative. We need to do the surgery is a procedure to Investigate the root of the mass. In 1991, laparoscopy just newly diagnosed used as a tool and also as a therapy. Surgery procedure of this ovarian cyst can be cystectomy and also salphingo-ooforectomy. The advantage of laparoscopy is minimalization trauma in the abdominal wall and the risk of adhesions, shorter operation time and quicker healing time than laparotomy.

Generally, ovarian cysts in women of childbearing age will disappear by itself in 1 to 3 months. Although there are of them are broken but will not cause significant symptoms. These types of cysts include benign and do not require medical treatment. Cysts are usually discovered accidentally when doctors performed an ultrasound examination.

Nevertheless, monitoring remains to be done towards the development of cysts up to several menstrual cycles. If it was not so significant it can be ignored because the cyst will shrink itself.

Ultrasound examinations are very instrumental in determining the steps the management of ovarian cysts. With ultrasound can be seen the amount of cysts, cysts form, the contents of the cyst and so forth.

If it is ovarian cysts grow bigger and cause complaints result from the stretching of organs around the cyst is necessary to be considered for surgical removal of the cyst. Do not forget to bring the tissue cysts to the anatomic pathology laboratory to determine the possibility of these cysts develop into cancer.

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Osteoplast

Osteoblasts (from the Greek words for "bone" and "germ" or embryonic) are mononucleate cells that are responsible for bone formation; in essence, osteoblasts are specialized fibroblasts that in addition to fibroblastic products, express bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin.

Osteoblasts produce a matrix of osteoid, which is composed mainly of Type I collagen. Osteoblasts are also responsible for mineralization of this matrix. Zinc, copper and sodium are some of the minerals required in this process. Bone is a dynamic tissue that is constantly being reshaped by osteoblasts, in charge of production of matrix and mineral, and osteoclasts, which remodel the tissue. Osteoblast cells tend to decrease with age, affecting the balance of formation and resorption in the bone tissue.

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Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis refers to common age-related changes in the area of the spine at the back of the neck. With age, the vertebrae (the component bones of the spine) gradually form bone spurs, and their shock-absorbing disks slowly shrink. These changes can alter the alignment and stability of the spine. They may go unnoticed, or they may produce problems related to pressure on the spine and associated nerves and blood vessels. This pressure can cause weakness, numbness, and pain in various areas of the body. In severe cases, walking and other activities may be compromised.

Degenerative changes are common in the cervical spine. The degenerative process begins in the intervertebral discs and affects the posterior intervertebral joints secondarily, causing pain and stiffness of the neck, sometimes with referred symptoms in a upper limb.

It is common in the middle aged and elderly, doing prolonged work with neck in flexed position.
Degenerative arthritis commonly occurs in the lowest three cervical joints. The changes first affect the central inter vertebral joints (between the vertebral bodies) and later the posterior inter joints. In the central joints there is degenerative narrowing of the inter vertebral disc and bone reaction at the joints margins, leads to the formation of osteophytes(spurs).

Although spondylosis is a common condition, many people don’t realize they have it. That’s because spondylosis is a gradual, degenerative disorder with symptoms that set in slowly over time. Some common symptoms of cervical spondylosis include:

Treatment for cervical spondylosis varies depending on the severity of the condition, but for most people, conservative treatments like activity, behavior modification, over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications, and heat and ice therapy are sufficient to relieve symptoms and increase mobility. However, if the symptoms become debilitating, or stop responding to conservative pain management measures, surgery may become an option.

Laser Spine Institute offers a safe and effective, minimally invasive alternative to traditional back surgery that has helped thousands of people rediscover a life without pain from cervical spondylosis. Contact us today to learn more about our revolutionary outpatient procedures, or for a free MRI or CT scan analysis.

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Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is a special technique which greatly improves recovery from many illness, both acute and chronic, such as fatigue, arthritis, bronchitis, food poisoning, heart disease, influenza and chronic constipation to name a few. It has been used successfully by thousands of naturopathic physicians for over a century and at one time was standard medical treatment for many illnesses, in hospitals and clinics.

Hydrotherapy works so well because it acts to stimulate the body's own healing force. During the treatment the patient lies comfortably on a soft table while hot towels are applied over the upper torso. The person is then wrapped in a sheet and covered with several layers of blankets. Once the skin is warmed, a single cold towel is exchanged for the heated one. The body, well prepared by the preceding warmth, reacts to this temperature change by greatly increasing the blood flow to the skin and the internal organs of the chest and abdomen. Hydrotherapy researchers have shown that a reflex increase in blood flow occurs in internal organs when the circulation to the overlying skin is stimulated. It is this internal reaction which is responsible for the long lasting and cumulative effects of a series of hydrotherapy treatments. Research has further shown that the beneficial effects on the immune system last for up to 24 hours making this a very effective therapy for any disorder involving immune function.

To enhance these effects, a mild electrical stimulation is applied over the spine during the treatment. Certain modifications may be made during the therapy depending on the persons ability to react to it and the type of disease being addressed.

The benefits of constitutional hydrotherapy include an improvement in sleep, digestion, bowel function, an increase in your energy level and a reduction in chronic pain. We have found that other naturopathic therapies such as herbal medicines, special diets or homeopathy often work better due to concurrent constitutional hydrotherapy treatments. Some of our colleagues however, rely entirely on hydrotherapy to produce cures of many serious and seemingly incurable illnesses.

Soaking in warm bath can ease pain and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis or a soft tissue injury. A warm bath increases circulation, which promotes healing and loosens up tense muscles. Warm water is also very soothing and reduces stress. Stress hormones increase one's perception of pain and cause tightening of muscles. Warm water alone is soothing. But some find they can augment the stress-relieving properties of the bath by adding essential oils to the water and/or listening to recorded music or sounds of nature. Soak for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Wait at least one hour between another soak to avoid overheating.

Exercising in water has many benefits for those with joint problems. The buoyancy of the water supports most of the body weight, taking stress off the joints. When submerged in neck-level water 90% of the body weight is supported (in chest-deep water 75%). The resistance of the water means the muscles must work harder to perform any movement, allowing one to increase the workload of the muscles without stressing the joints.

Warm water exercises are especially beneficial for those with back pain and/or stiffness, whether from osteoarthritis or a chronic injury. Warm water loosens up tight muscles and reduces pain, making exercise easier to perform.

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osteoporosis

Patients in the study had a median age of 69, 32% were 75 or older, and 31% were women; 38% of the participants had atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat.

The researchers say only 15% of the heart failure patients with spine fractures were being treated for osteoporosis, despite the well-known risk of osteoporosis-related fractures.

The researchers also say that heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation were twice as likely to have spine fractures as people with normal heart rhythms.

Osteoporosis is a serious public health problem. Some 44 million people in the United States are at risk for this potentially debilitating disease, which is responsible for 1.5 million fractures (broken bones) annually. These fractures, which are often the first sign of the disease, can affect any bone, but the most common locations are the hip, spine, and wrist. Breaks in the hip and spine are of special concern because they almost always require hospitalization and major surgery, and may lead to other serious consequences, including permanent disability and even death.
To understand osteoporosis, it is helpful to understand the basics of bone formation. Bone is living tissue that is constantly being renewed in a two-stage process (resorption and formation) that occurs throughout life. In the resorption stage, old bone is broken down and removed by cells called osteoclasts. In the formation stage, cells called osteoblasts build new bone to replace the old. During childhood and early adulthood, more bone is produced than removed, reaching its maximum mass and strength by the mid-30s. After that, bone is lost at a faster pace than it is formed, so the amount of bone in the skeleton begins to slowly decline. Most cases of osteoporosis occur as an acceleration of this normal aging process, which is referred to as primary osteoporosis. The condition also can be caused by other disease processes or prolonged use of certain medications that result in bone loss. If so, this is called secondary osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis occurs most often in older people and in women after menopause. It affects nearly half of men and women over the age of 75. Women are about five times more likely than men to develop the disease. They have smaller, thinner bones than men to begin with, and they lose bone mass more rapidly after menopause (usually around age 50), when they stop producing a bone-protecting hormone called estrogen. In the five to seven years following menopause, women can lose about 20% of their bone mass. By age 65 or 70, though, men and women lose bone mass at the same rate. As an increasing number of men reach an older age, there is more awareness that osteoporosis is an important health issue for them as well. In fact, a 2003 report noted that one in every eight men over age 50 will suffer a hip fracture as a result of osteoporosis.

Dietary factors: It is important to that there is enough calcium in the diet for proper bone health. Healthcare professionals recommend calcium intakes of at least 1,000mg daily for everyone over eight years of age. Higher calcium intakes of 1,200mg daily are recommended for adults over 50 years and 1,300mg daily for teens nine to 18 years. Adequate vitamin D intake is also important for calcium absorption and to maintain muscle strength. Healthcare professionals recommend 400 international units of vitamin D daily until age 60, then 600-800 international units per day after age 60. Doses can be adjusted by a doctor according to blood levels of vitamin D.

Milk and milk products are calcium-dense foods providing about 300 milligrams calcium per serving. These foods also contain other nutrients important to bone health such as vitamin D (if fortified), phosphorus, and magnesium. Approximately 73% of calcium in the food supply comes from dairy products, 9% from fruits and vegetables, 5% from grain products, and 12% from all other sources such as dietary supplements.

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