Strong medications are not the only answer if you want to lower cholesterol. These lifestyle changes can be effective too. It is estimated that over 100 million Americans have high cholesterol levels, which can lead to further health problems, and even cause strokes and heart attacks. Cholesterol in your body is a waxy substance found in the fats of your blood. While this substance is required to continue the process of building healthy cells in your body, too much of it can clog your arteries and put you at an increased risk of heart diseases. High cholesterol is often the result of unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle, although in some cases it may be an inherited condition.   You can lower cholesterol in your body with medications, but there are also ways in which you can achieve optimum cholesterol levels naturally. If you want to lower cholesterol without the use of chemical drugs, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one of the best solutions. Here are some tips and lifestyle changes that you can make to lower cholesterol the natural way. Make dietary changes Maintaining a healthy diet is the most effective way to lower cholesterol. Even if you have not been eating healthy till now, it’s not too late to start.

A detailed guide to understanding what BRCA testing is, who should get tested, and what results you can expect. There are many forms of cancer, out of which some are hereditary cancers. With so many different types of the disease and many treatments and screening tests available, understanding hereditary cancers can be confusing. Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) is one such topic. There is also a genetic testing available to determine your risk factors for such cancers, known as BRCA testing. Here are some of the most common FAQS (frequently asked questions) about various aspects of BRCA testing. You most likely had one or more such questions on your mind, but did not know whom to ask. We provide you the answers that you were looking for about BRCA testing. What is BRCA testing all about? First of all, the genetic BRCA testing is not a test to detect whether or not if you have cancer. Rather, it is a test that helps doctors determine whether you and your family are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer. BRCA testing is done to check if there are any mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

World’s first case of Brazil nut allergy transmitted via sexual intercourse has much to teach us. An anaphylactic reaction to Brazil nuts has the potential to kill you, at worst. Even in best case scenarios, the allergic reactions caused by consuming Brazil nuts are not pretty or comfortable. While you already know enough to protect yourself from consuming them directly or indirectly so as to avoid a Brazil nut allergy, you probably did not know this – a Brazil nut allergy can be sexually transmitted . One of the most frequent causes of nut allergies across the world, a Brazil nut allergy can actually be transmitted via intercourse. A 20-year old woman in the UK became the first person to ever suffer an allergic reaction to Brazil nuts through having sexual intercourse. The Truth about Brazil Nuts The Brazil nut is sourced from the Amazon jungle in South America. It is actually the seed of a giant tree found there. The three-sided seeds are about 6cm long each, and about 8-25 seeds are found inside the pod of the tree. Brazil nuts are popular owing to their rich flavor that comes from the fact that the seed contains more than 70 percent of oil and 17 percent of protein.

There are various warning signs that may actually be an indication of Alzheimer’s, which you have been brushing off as old age-related problems or stress. Are you or a loved one displaying any of these Alzheimer’s symptoms? Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive condition that affects memory and important functions of the mind, usually affect the elderly, but can also appear in younger people. This mental disease causes the death of brain cells in a person, which can eventually lead to drastic personality changes and significant memory loss. Alzheimer’s disease is also the leading cause of dementia, a cluster of brain disorders that result in the loss of social and intellectual skills in people. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but the proper medications and treatment plan can help in keeping Alzheimer’s symptoms under control. Early detection of this health disorder is crucial as you can get the maximum benefits out of your treatment if you seek medical help during the initial stages of the disease. For this, it is important that you are aware of the Alzheimer’s symptoms, especially the ones that could be warning signs of the onset of the disease. Here are some of the early Alzheimer’s symptoms that you need to look out for in people close to you, whether it is a family member, friend, or even yourself.

It is easy to mistake allergy signs for something else entirely – learn how to differentiate allergy signs from other conditions. Knowing the difference between allergy signs and something else may be a tricky prospect. Distinguishing one from the other is not always an easy task. However, it is important to figure out whether you are looking at allergy signs or something that is perhaps worse. This is the only way you can get the right treatment and pain alleviation in a timely manner. For someone who is prone to allergies, it is easy to see allergy signs in pretty much every ailment. A nagging cold is characterized as allergic signs triggered by pollen or mold. You probably end up reaching for the ingredients leaflet on every skin product to ensure that it does not contain anything that will cause your skin to break out into hives. These precautions are extremely important, when you consider that more than 50 percent of Americans test positive for at least one environmental or food-related allergen, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Here’s how you can recognize an allergy at the first go: Inventory Your Symptoms In order to know whether your symptoms are nasal allergy signs or a viral condition, you will need to inventory your symptoms.

Statistics show that 1 out of 24 persons are at risk of getting colon cancer. Early diagnosis is paramount for a good prognosis – these are the colon cancer symptoms you should watch out for. Colon cancer is formed due to the growth of cancerous cells inside the large intestine. The longest part of the large intestine is called the colon, and its primary function is to extract water and salt from the solid wastes that exit the body through the rectum to be excreted from the anus. Colon cancer is also termed as rectal cancer, but that depends on where the tumor begins to spread. The inner lining of the colon or rectum is termed as a polyp, it is from here that most colon cancers begin to grow. There are two types of polyps – ‘adenomatous polyps’ (also known as ‘adenomas’, they are sometimes cancerous in nature) and ‘hyperplastic polyps’ (also known as ‘inflammatory polyps’, commonly found but are not pre-cancerous in nature). There are various factors that cause colon cancer such as polyps, mutations in the DNA, family genetics, and diet. These malignant tumors once fully formed then travel through the blood and spread in other body organs.

Some seemingly insignificant lifestyle changes can go a long way in effectively managing COPD symptoms. Here are the steps that you can take. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung condition that creates difficulties in breathing. This disease causes an obstruction in the airflow from your lungs, resulting in troubled breathing. In most cases, COPD is caused owing to long-term exposure to certain pollutants such as dust, chemical gases, fumes, and cigarette smoke. Some other COPD symptoms include persistent coughing, wheezing, lack of energy, tightness in the chest, and shortness of breath particularly during physical activities. If you have COPD, it increases your risk of developing other health conditions, which include heart diseases and lung cancer. However, the good news is that COPD is a treatable disease. The proper medication and treatment can enable COPD patients to manage their symptoms well and have a comfortable daily living experience. In addition to doctor consultations and treatments, you can make some small lifestyle changes and incorporate certain habits that will go a long way in keeping your COPD symptoms under control. Here are some things that can make breathing easier for you, and reduce the discomfort caused by COPD symptoms.

COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is an illness where the respiratory system is damaged, causing difficulty while breathing. Unfortunately this disease has no cure, it only gets worse if not paid attention to. Hence it becomes important to understand what COPD breathing machines can do to save lives. COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that progressively causes difficulty in breathing. In this condition, the movement of air through your lungs becomes very difficult since the airways get damaged. The degree of severity of this disease worsens with age, if not treated immediately. COPD can be categorized into 2 types: Chronic bronchitis This is a condition where cough occurs regularly with excessive production of mucus, and lasts for a very long time. Chronic bronchitis is caused by excessive smoking or even by exposure to various bronchial irritants. Emphysema This is a condition where the lung tissues responsible for the passing of oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of the body are damaged. This results in shortened breaths due to the over-inflation of the air sacs in the lungs which are known as alveoli. Emphysema is an obstructive lung disease where the airflow is slow on exhalation because of the over inflated alveoli which makes movement of air and exchange of gases difficult.

Until recently erectile dysfunction or impotence was one of the most ignored and neglected complications of diabetes. The rate for diabetes impotence has increased over the past couple of years and it’s a clear indication that one must understand the adverse effects of diabetes and how it plays a major role in causing a condition called sexual dysfunction in both men and women. Men with diabetes are more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction or impotence especially in cases where diabetes is not controlled by the patient. It has been recorded that nearly 75 percent of men who suffer from diabetes have developed erectile dysfunction over a period of time. This is a condition where men cannot start or sustain penile erection for satisfactory intercourse. However it is still very difficult to understand how diabetes and impotence are linked to each other. Exploring the Link between Diabetes-Impotence Diabetes impotence is a condition that can impact both men and women, hence it’s important to understand that both sexes should take conscious effort in controlling diabetes to avoid sexual dysfunction or impotence. It has been proven that if diabetes is not controlled through medical measures over a long period of time, it results in the damaging of the nerves and arteries in the body.

You do not have to pop pills or use chemical ointments all the time to keep your psoriasis symptoms in check. Some simple home remedies can do the trick too. Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disorder that manifests itself in the form of scaly, flaky, and red patches of thickened skin. While not a life-threatening condition, psoriasis is a chronic disease that can be quite frustrating to live with. Psoriasis symptoms vary for every person, and can range from being mild to quite severe with nasty and frequent outbreaks. For those who experience worsening of their psoriasis symptoms at the slightest of triggers such as sunburn or a skin injury, going out of home and other everyday activities may become a cumbersome task. Added to that is the fact that psoriasis has no cure; however, there are various medications available that can help reduce your psoriasis symptoms and control the intensity of eruptions on your skin. The good news is that there are some simple remedies available that can help you lessen your psoriasis symptoms naturally. These easy do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions are things that you can do right at home and with ingredients that are available in most household kitchens.