What is Hyperthyroidism, Its Symptoms and Treatment

October 30, 2009

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland produces excess thyroxin. Common symptoms include heart palpitations, arrhythmias, weight loss and difficulty sleeping. Serious symptoms include thyrotoxic crisis, leading to a very rapid pulse, increased fever and delirium. Diagnosis depends on symptoms. Your doctor may prescribe beta blockers or Anti-thyroid medications such as Methimazole and propylthiouracil. Side effects of anti-thyroid medications include itching, rash or fever.

The most widely recommended treatment for hyperthyroidism is radioactive iodine, which can be taken orally. The thyroid absorbs iodine and radioactivity kills the thyroid gland. This process usually takes two months. The downside to this type of treatment is that once the thyroid is killed, you will require hormone replacement for the rest of your life because you no longer have a hormone producing thyroid gland.

Another treatment for hyperthyroidism is surgical removal of part or all of the thyroid gland. The risks carried in this case are damage to nearby vocal cords or parathyroid glands. You may also carry an added risk of infection or other complications associated with surgical procedures. If you suffer from any of the above symptoms, seek help from your physician.

Symtoms of Larynx Cancer and Its Treatment Methods

September 2, 2009

Also called voice box, the larynx is a 2 inch long organ situated in the neck. It is used to breathe, talk or swallow and its walls are made of cartilage. The large cartilage that forms the front of voice box protrudes in men and is known as Adams Apple. Symptoms of larynx cancer depend on the size and location of tumor in voice box. Most cancers start from the vocal cords and not in the cartilage that forms the walls of voice box.

While these tumors are seldom painful, they almost always cause hoarseness or other changes in voice quality. Some patients receive lumps in their throat or have a sore throat or earache. Tumors developing below vocal cord are extremely rare and cause breathing difficulties. Some tumors also cause bad breath that doesn’t go with mouth wash and brushing as the source of the odor doesn’t come from mouth.

Treatment for laryngeal cancer starts with tumor diagnosis and, that too, in stages. Generally, the treatment first focuses on radiation to destroy cancer cells. Radiation is often used for small tumors. Chemotherapy and surgical removal are the other two treatment options.

Acai Berry Recipes for Superfood Meal Time Health

July 9, 2009

Acai recipes have gathered wide popularity in the US. Americans cutting across all ages have consumed them in one form or the other. Some have created their own recipes.

Most acai recipes have acai pulp as the main ingredient. Acai is fragile and is hence preserved in frozen form. It can either be consumed as smoothie or eaten straight from a bowl.

Lots of possibilities can be explored with acai smoothies. They can be mixed with other fruits such as apples, bananas, blueberries and mangoes. Acai berry puree and cocktails mixture is a high energy alcoholic drink. Try Acai berry puree, Rum and guava juice blend.

You can even enjoy berry recipes the Brazilian native way. A typical native recipe contains acai puree, strawberries, yogurt and granola.

With little creativity and experimentation, making new acai recipes is simple. Acai puree and oat meal mix keeps one energized the whole day. Also try adding acai to the morning bowl of cereal. You can even prepare acai pancakes just like blueberry pancakes.

Healthy Snacks Your Kids Will Love

June 27, 2009

Getting your kids to eat healthy foods can be a challenge sometimes, but one that you must overcome to protect child health over the long term.  So how can you encourage your kids to eat healthily?  Kids want to have fun, they need stimulation in things that they do so that you can capture their attention.  Food that they eat need to be presented in a way so that even meal time can be play time for them as well.  They don’t care about vitamins and minerals and carbohydrates, what they want food they can relate to.

To introduce food to a child, you need to think like a child.  A little imagination in this case would go a long way.  If you want your child to eat fruit, don’t just slice and dice away and put them in a bowl.  A little creativity and imagination might entice your little one to eat more heartily with lesser encouragement.  Instead of offering a simple bowl of fruit, ask your child if he wants The Happy Face Snack.  You cut up some bananas, oranges, pineapple, strawberry and apples, the colourful the offering, the better.  You can arrange the fruit in a plate to look like a happy face.

You can take this further as he becomes familiar with the different shapes and flavours by asking them to make their own Happy Face Snack themselves, or you can ask them to make one according to their own interest, be it sports, outer space, nature, you and your child’s imagination is the limit.

Healthy Snacking for Improved Energy & Vitality

June 21, 2009

How would you define a healthy snack?  It would be one with whole grain cereals that are low in fat and sugar or one that is high in nutritional value, one that is packed with vitamins and minerals.  Common food choices would include low-fat, lightly salted crackers, fruits, or energy bars.  Taking a healthy snack in-between meals can help you keep your energy up as it fuels you to last a busy day.

As you incorporate snacks in your day, it would be beneficial to plan even your snacks as you would your three square meals a day.  This will help you prevent making unhealthy choices.  Planning your snacks will help you avoid reaching for a calorie packed burger and fries at the nearest burger stand or reaching for the next candy bar you see.  If you would include snacks in your meal planning, bringing along an extra serving of fruit in the office or in school will help you avoid making those unhealthy food choices.

Snacks will also help you eat smaller portions during meals as you can help stave off hunger especially if you include fiber-rich foods in your snacks.

Eating more often could mean less if you know how to control your portions, feeling less hungry at meal times can help you reduce the amount of food you take in during meals.  So what are you waiting for?  Make snacking a part of your day.

Dietary Tips to Boost Energy

February 20, 2009

If you find yourself too tired to wake up in the morning and you have to literally drag yourself out of bed, then you are lacking dietary energy to keep up with the demands of your daily life. This is not uncommon in today’s high pressured society. Stimulants like coffee and chocolates provide a short-term remedy but these kinds of food are not a long term solution.

It is very important not to skip breakfast since it is the most important meal of the day. Foods that are rich in carbohydrates, protein and dietary fat will add energy to your daily routine. If you are an active person, you won’t have a problem burning this energy throughout the day. These kinds of food are considered fuel for your body. You should still remember though to take everything in moderation to avoid side effects of over eating.

When it comes to energy boost, healthy snacking is highly recommended to keep you energized. Your best bet is trail mixes, fruits and vegetables. Also, avoid eating foods that are fatty or fried because it tends to make you feel sluggish. Lastly, by taking multivitamin supplements daily, you keep your body’s energy at its peak always.