What is Heart Disease?
Heart disease is the umbrella term used to describe a number of medical conditions affecting the heart and the blood vessels supplying the heart.
While many people seem to believe heart disease is an illusive ailment, it has become increasingly common. Statistics from 2007 have revealed that heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.
There are a number of conditions that fall under this term, including the following:
- Arrhythmias
- Cardiomyopathy
- Congenital heart disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- Hypertensive heart disease
- Inflammatory heart disease
- Valvular heart disease
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What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure (also commonly known as Hypertension) is often called the “silent killer”, as many people can live for years with this dangerous condition without ever experiencing a single symptom. High blood pressure is estimated to affect 1 in 3 American adults. Once the condition arises, it is usually a life-long problem that needs to be treated and managed carefully.
Blood pressure is defined as the force that the blood exerts on the veins and arteries as it circulates through the body. In a healthy individual, blood pressure should be around 120/80 mmHg, although this reading does fluctuate from day to day and person to person. Blood pressure that consistently measures 140/90 mmHg or higher is thus considered high blood pressure. If left uncontrolled, it may increase your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack, kidney failure or stroke.
Two types of high blood pressure have been identified:
Primary high blood pressure, in which no underlying cause is known
Secondary blood pressure, which occurs as a result of another medical condition, or caused by certain medications.
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What is High Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is something we all have. This fat-like substance is found in every cell in your body and plays an important role in a variety of vital functions, including building and maintaining cell membranes, hormone synthesis, and the manufacturing of Vitamin D.
However, the body naturally manufactures adequate amounts of cholesterol to sustain optimal body functioning and so any extra cholesterol added through our diet, is unnecessary and when levels become too high cholesterol becomes potentially dangerous.
The body manufactures two types of cholesterol - LDL (which is seen as a bad form of cholesterol) and HDL (which is seen as a good form of cholesterol).
When LDL levels are too high, fatty deposits, or plaque, can start to build up on the walls of your arteries, decreasing the amount of blood that can flow through them and putting you at greater risk of heart attacks, stroke, arteriosclerosis or coronary heart disease.
Healthy levels of HDL will help to clean away cholesterol in the arteries before it has a chance to build up. In order to maintain healthy levels, we need to keep the LDL levels down and the HDL levels up.
Being diagnosed with high cholesterol can be a scary thing and it is something that cannot be ignored. The good news is that cholesterol can be controlled and many people use this as an opportunity to make positive life-style changes.
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How does male sexual functioning work?
Sexual behavior is a complex psycho-physiological experience, and there are many factors involved in healthy sexual functioning.
The male sexual response begins when the man becomes aroused and blood flows into the erectile tissue of the penis, causing the penis to swell and become erect.
The male testes will also increase in size and become elevated and the nipples will become erect and sensitive to touch. As excitement increases, there will be a further increase in the size of the glands and the diameter of the penile shaft.
With continued stimulation, the man reaches a peak of sexual pleasure when there is dilation of the prostatic urethra and seminal fluid (sperm) flows into the urethra.
This is accompanied by a sensation of impending orgasm, leading to a rhythmic contraction of the perineal muscles and the pelvic reproductive organs, triggering a forceful ejaculation of semen and sexual release, followed by a state of deep relaxation.
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What is Fatigue?
Fatigue is a symptom rather than a specific illness or disorder. While it is common to have the occasional day where you feel tired and less energetic than usual, people suffering with fatigue feel tired and lethargic all the time and seem to lack energy.
Affecting both body and mind, long periods of fatigue can seriously impair your daily functioning and make even the simplest of life’s responsibilities difficult to cope with. Both physical and mental fatigue are the first signs that the body is being damaged and placed under unhealthy stress.
While many cases of fatigue can be rectified by changes in nutrition, environment, stress levels or sleep patterns, it may also be a symptom of a more serious problem. Because it is such a common complaint, it is often overlooked and relatively few people seek medical advice or take the necessary steps to changing an unhealthy lifestyle.
If you have been suffering with chronic fatigue it is important to examine your life-style and take action. If your fatigue continues, a medical evaluation is recommended.
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