6 FDA-approved medications for high cholesterol High cholesterol leads to fatty deposits in the blood vessels. Over time, these deposits grow, causing difficulties for the blood to flow through the arteries. In some cases, the deposits may break off and form clots. These can cause a stroke or heart attack. There can be multiple causes of high cholesterol; the causes can be genetic or a result of unhealthy lifestyle habits. This makes high cholesterol a preventable and treatable health disorder. High cholesterol can be easily managed by following a balanced and healthy diet along with regular exercise. In case the cholesterol levels are extremely high, medications may be required to control and manage the condition. There are a few medications for high cholesterol that are approved by the FDA. All these medications must be taken only when prescribed by a doctor. Kynamro A cholesterol-lowering medication, Kynamro works by lowering bad cholesterol in the blood, such as non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL), apolipoprotein-B (apo-B), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). It is effective when used along with a low-fat diet and other prescribed treatments. Kynamro is usually recommended to those with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited type of high cholesterol. It is, however, not suitable for those with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Although Kynamro lowers high cholesterol levels, it is uncertain if the medication can lower the risk of heart diseases. Altoprev Altoprev, when used with a diet, helps lower blood levels of bad cholesterol such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Altoprev works by increasing the levels of good cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The medication also lowers the levels of triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. A high level of triglycerides increases the risk of cardiovascular disorders. The use of Altoprev has been known to lower the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and other heart complications resulting from diabetes.

6 prescription medicines used for treating migraines A migraine is a form of severely painful, recurring headaches that are typically accompanied by a range of sensory symptoms such as temporary vision loss, pins and needles in the arms or legs, difficulty speaking, hearing noises, seeing bright lights, and uncontrollable jerking or other movements. Depending on the severity, this condition can last for hours or even days. According to the American Migraine Foundation, over 36 million people are suffering from this condition. In addition, women are 3 times more likely to get migraines than men. While its exact cause still remains unknown, episodes can be triggered by hormonal fluctuations, emotional distress, fatigue, alcohol, caffeine, dehydration, certain types of medications, and environmental factors. Treatment The following medications are commonly used to treat migraine symptoms. Some of these help mitigate the existing headache, while some prevent the onset of a migraine, reducing the frequency of attacks. Ergomar® Ergomar® belongs to a group of compounds known as ergot alkaloids. These are specially designed for migraine-type headaches, so they shouldn’t be taken to treat common tension headaches or other headaches different from migraine. This medication alleviates migraine headaches by narrowing the widened blood vessels in the head. Ergomar® works best on headaches that have already begun. It won’t be able to prevent migraine headaches or lower the frequency of attacks. ONZETRA® Xsail® ONZETRA® is a sumatriptan nasal powder that is dispensed via the Breath Powered® Xsail device. Sumatriptan comes from a class of medicines known as triptans. It affects serotonin levels that narrow blood vessels in the brain and also relieves pain by targeting certain types of nerves. This prescription medication is used for treating episodes of acute migraine with or without the symptoms of aura in adults. It doesn’t intend to prevent migraine attacks or to treat other forms of headaches including cluster headaches.

Everyone wants beautiful hair, as good hair adds charm to one’s personality. Hair care is an important regime to be followed by both men and women. Having shiny and strong hair makes one look confident and presentable. Taking proper care of health makes them last longer and reflects a person’s personality. Some essential hair care tips for healthy hair growth are as follows: Avoid washing hair daily Pat dry your Use a good conditioner Minimize the use of styling products Make sure you use heat protectants before styling A regular hair care regimen helps in keeping healthy hair but healthy food habits help in promoting healthy growth of hair. It also helps in keeping the hair strong and shiny. Apart from caring for the hair, a proper diet also plays an important role in keeping the hair healthy. Read on to know more about what are the best foods for healthy hair growth. Proteins A protein-rich diet not only helps in promoting healthy growth of hair, but it also strengthens the hair, making it look silky and shiny look. Whole eggs, almonds, lean beef, tuna, peanuts, milk are rich in protein nutrients which can be easily added to one’s diet. Protein supplements are also available. Iron One of the main causes of hair loss is iron deficiency. Due to a lack of sufficient iron nutrients to the hair roots, the problem of hair thinning and hair fall begins. So it is very important to eat foods that are rich in iron like dark leafy vegetables, fish, chickpeas, soybeans. Omega-3 and fatty acids As the body cannot produce these healthy fatty acids one needs to get its nutrients from foods containing omega-3. The nutrients in these fatty acids provide volume and nourishment to the hair. Some foods rich in Omega 3 are walnuts, salmon, canola oil, chia seeds, flaxseeds.

While sweating is completely natural and, in fact, healthy, excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis can be caused by underlying health conditions like diabetes, menopause, and tuberculosis. Following a nutrient-dense food regimen plays a crucial role in keeping one healthy, and in this case, it can help one manage hyperhidrosis. On that note, here is a list of must-have foods one should eat daily to keep their body cool and decrease sweating. Foods to eat Water-dense fruits and vegetables Staying hydrated is a great way to manage excessive sweating. One can add water-dense fruits and vegetables to their meals in addition to drinking water and beverages that are low in sugar. Regularly eating watermelon, apples, oranges, peaches, pineapples, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, strawberries, grapes, celery, eggplant, and red cabbage can reduce excessive sweating episodes. Calcium-rich foods like low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt Calcium is an essential mineral that regulates the body’s temperature. Getting enough calcium through meals is vital for those dealing with excessive sweating. A few calcium-rich foods include milk, cheese, yogurt, and dark leafy greens. Those who have been told to decrease their fat intake due to health reasons can look for low-fat substitutes of yogurt, cheese, and milk. It is important to note that having low-fat foods can be beneficial for those with hyperhidrosis, as the body needs more energy to digest high-fat foods, leading to excessive sweating. Green tea Decaffeinated green tea is a great way to keep the body cool. This beverage is known to help calm the nerves, thereby reducing sweating. One can think of replacing their daily cup of Joe with tea. Magnesium-rich foods like almond, cashew, spinach, and soy Excessive sweating can cause a deficiency in magnesium, so it is important to include foods like spinach, almonds, soy, pumpkin seeds, cashews, and dark chocolate in one’s meals.

There are plenty of face creams and products to make your skin healthy and glowing. But beautiful and healthy skin comes with the right nourishment. The human body is constantly shedding old cells and replacing them with new ones. To support this process, a supply of essential minerals is important. This comes with eating the right kind of food. Here’s a list of five foods that will keep your skin healthy and glowing. Bananas Bananas are a great food source to get healthy, glowing, and oil-free skin. They are rich in potassium and vitamins E and C, which are known to give glowing skin. These compounds are powerful exfoliators and help remove excess sebum from the surface of your skin. Bananas also help treat acne. Apply the inside of the peel onto the acne to destroy harmful bacteria and reduce inflammation. Fish Fish like salmon, mackerel, and herring are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that help keep the skin blemish-free and supple. They help fight inflammation and reduce dryness, redness, and acne. Sardines, on the other hand, are excellent sources of vitamin B12 that play a major role in skin cell reproduction. Avocados Avocados are full of healthy fats and vitamin E. The latter regulates inflammation, rejuvenates skin, and improves the production of new skin cells. Avocados prevent the skin from oxidative damage caused by harmful rays of the sun and a harsh environment. Sweet potatoes Sweet potatoes contain vitamin A, which is known to reduce the production of sebum and acne. This vegetable also contains beta carotene, a natural skin block. Carotene protects the skin from sunburns and cell death and adds a warm orange color, enhancing the skin’s glow. Broccoli Broccoli contains a carotenoid called lutein that works just like beta carotene. It prevents oxidative damage, keeping the skin healthy and wrinkle-free.

Common dog allergies and their treatments You will find that dogs suffer from different kinds of allergies, like food allergies, skin allergies and even allergies from environmental allergens. What is more challenging when it comes to dog allergy is that symptoms are of various types, and they often overlap. Herein, we discuss the various allergies that dogs suffer from and the appropriate natural treatment options. Types of dog allergies Dog allergies can be of various types, prime among them are Skin allergy It is a common type of dog allergy wherein the allergen is a flea bite or food substance. Insect bite allergy can be an exaggerated response to stings or bites of specific insects such as spiders, ticks, fleas, deer flies, blackflies, horseflies, ants, bees, mosquitoes, wasps, and bees. Flea saliva is unarguably the most common allergen that triggers flea allergy dermatitis. Inhalant allergy The main inhalant allergens include tree pollen, grass pollen, molds, house dust mites, mildew, and weed pollens. Symptoms may include bronchitis in dogs but it usually manifests as itchy skin, the condition is known as inhalant allergic dermatitis. While symptoms can be controlled, a permanent cure is not possible. You can conduct skin tests to identify the allergens and try to protect your pet from getting exposed. But since most allergens are environmental, the allergy is likely to come back. Bathing your dog with hypoallergenic shampoo may soothe the itchy and inflamed skin. Bathing will also rinse out allergens on its coat. Food allergy This can occur as a reaction to any protein or carb in their food, more often in response to dairy foods, wheat gluten, beef, chicken eggs, lamb, chicken, and soy. This type of allergy will not respond well to medical treatment or corticosteroids. You must identify the responsible allergen and eliminate it.

Milk intolerance is a condition where the body is not able to easily digest the natural sugar that is found in milk leading to several gastrointestinal problems on the consumption of milk or any other dairy products. Watch out for these milk intolerance symptoms so you can avoid the inconvenience. Inability to digest lactose is medically termed as lactose or milk intolerance. Milk intolerance is a condition that is caused by the deficiency of the intestinal enzyme called lactase, which splits lactose into two sugars called glucose and galactose. This splitting is what helps lactose to be absorbed by the intestine. Hence it can be said that milk intolerance is a direct effect of a lactase deficiency. Lactase deficiency is caused in the body due to a certain mutation in the gene that is responsible for the production of lactase. This condition is also referred to as a congenital cause of milk intolerance. Secondary causes of milk intolerance include damaged lining of the small intestine and developmental lactose intolerance, which is a gradual genetically programmed decrease in the amount of lactase produced from the patient’s childhood itself. This decrease continues through adulthood, and is categorized as adult-type hypolactasia. The severity of milk intolerance varies depending on the amount of lactose that has been consumed by the patient. It has been clinically proven that it takes from 30 minutes to an hour for the milk intolerance symptoms to surface after the consumption of any dairy products. The following are certain prominent milk intolerance symptoms that need to be paid attention to in order to seek treatment in good time: Diarrhea Milk intolerance symptoms such as diarrhea appear in the early stages of the reaction. Since the body is unable to break down the sugars and digest lactose, it causes problems with the digestive system that leads to diarrhea on consumption of any dairy products like milk, cheese, etc.

Vertigo is an ailment where a person feels dizzy or has a sensation of being off balance. The person might feel that the world around him or her is spinning. Medical diagnosis has clearly stated the fact that vertigo is a problem that can occur due to inner ear problems. Some of these inner ear problems could be: · Benign Paroxysmal Positioning Vertigo, also known as BPPV, occurs when very small particles of calcium get deposited and clogged up in the ear canals. · Meniere’s disease is yet again another disorder of the inner ear in which there is an increase of fluid that changes the pressure in the ear. This can lead to vertigo coupled with the loss of hearing power. · The problem of Vestibular neuritis is another infection that could lead to inflammation in the inner ear that can give rise to vertigo and loss of balance. · The other minor reasons for vertigo could be aging, injury to the head and neck, medications of certain types, migraines and also strokes and tumor in the brain. Symptoms of Vertigo Some of the most common symptoms of vertigo are as follows: · Spinning of the head · Nausea · Titling of the body · Feeling of being pulled in one direction · Headache · Sweating · Loss of hearing at times Treatment of Vertigo Treatment for vertigo is done in many different manners. Doctors often advise patients to take rest, ample of fluids and wait for some time. Often the brain can get accustomed to the condition of the inner ear and stabilize the body functions. In this context, we see that often all problems and other uneasiness can go away without having to go to any particular type of treatment for vertigo. However, depending on the nature and the seriousness of the problem, there can be a few types of treatment for vertigo that you could try.

The thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is produced by the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain and is responsible for regulating the number of hormones released by the thyroid. The thyroid is an important gland located in the front of the neck. One should not confuse the hormones released by the thyroid to be TSH. The thyroid releases three hormones: triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and calcitonin. The thyroid is responsible for controlling several bodily functions such as metabolism and growth. This is regulated through the release of these hormones. The pituitary gland and the thyroid work hand in hand as more TSH produced by the pituitary gland will lead to the release of more hormones by the thyroid. What is the Normal TSH Range? If this system is disrupted, an inappropriate number of hormones is regenerated and released into the body, which may lead to complications and several symptoms. The normal range of TSH in the body is between 0.4 to 4.0 milliunits per liter. If you are already being treated for a thyroid-related problem, you should know that normal TSH levels are 0.5 to 3.0 milliunits per liter. A TSH test is conducted to determine the cause of this disruption and the underlying factors resulting in its onset. It is also used to determine whether the thyroid is overactive or underactive. The measurement of the level of TSH in the blood enables doctors to determine the functioning condition of the thyroid. Why is a TSH Test Performed? A TSH test may be prescribed by your doctor if you are displaying the symptoms of a thyroid disorder. The overactive or underactive nature of the thyroid in this condition leads to the categorization of its related diseases as either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism takes place when the thyroid produces too few of its primary hormones.

Dental implants are the artificial tooth roots that provide support to the replacement teeth. This is considered as one of the best and natural ways for replacing any missed teeth. This is a long lasting process as well, and hence many people opt for dental implants. But unfortunately, even a single dental implant cost can be too high, costing you somewhere around a few thousand dollars. This is one of the major reasons why people think twice before getting a dental implant done. However, there are ways to get dental implants at an affordable price. Check out the following tips in which you can get affordable dental implants: Compare first If you are looking for affordable dental implants, then one of the best ways to save is to get quotes from different dental clinics or doctors. You should compare them in details and then proceed with your plan of action. Gathering relevant information and comparing them against each other is one of the most crucial steps of any decision making. In this case, it will help you to save a lot of money without compromising on the quality of the implant and related medication. Dental camps Another good option to save on your dental implant is to check out the dental camps organized by the dental schools. Usually, the students of the school arrange these kinds of camps under the guidance of the experts and professionals in order to gain hands-on experience. As these camps benefit them as well, they do not charge you a lot for a dental implant. Also, such options must be explored as the experts here provide relevant and useful information about the precautionary measures to be taken care of both before and after getting an implant. Dental discount plans You can simply call them membership based plans or dental discount plans where the patients will have to pay on a monthly basis or yearly basis for the membership in order to enjoy the discounts.

Iron deficiency or anemia is one of the most common forms of anemia and affects many people. It is the result of an inadequate amount of healthy red blood cells in the body. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues in the body and are vital to the healthy functioning of the body as well. As the name suggests, a deficiency in iron leads to the onset of the disease. Your body cannot produce healthy red blood cells without sufficient amounts of iron. Iron deficiency or anemia may result in you feeling tired at all times and suffering from a shortness of breath. You need to maintain a healthy diet rich in iron to get back on track or correct your iron deficiency by taking iron supplements. You may need additional tests to determine the true nature of the disease, especially if you are bleeding internally. Here are some of the symptoms of iron deficiency or anemia: Symptoms of iron deficiency or anemia The onset of the disease is so mild that it generally goes unnoticed. The signs and symptoms of the disease gather pace once the deficiency of iron starts having a telling impact on the body. The signs and symptoms of iron deficiency or anemia include the following: Pale skin Weakness Extreme fatigue Chest pain Fast heartbeat Shortness of breath Dizziness, headaches, or light-headedness Cold hands and feet A poor appetite Unusual cravings for substances like starch, dirt, and ice Brittle nails If you end up suffering from these symptoms, it suggests the likelihood of iron deficiency or anemia. The worst you can do at this stage is do a self-diagnosis and find a treatment for yourself. While it seems simple to take iron supplements or drastically change your diet to incorporate more iron, overloading the body with iron can be extremely dangerous as well.

Colitis is an extremely uncomfortable condition caused by the inflammation of the colon. The severity of the disease ranges from mild to severe and individuals suffer from several symptoms. The symptoms of colitis include feeling constipated, abdominal pain and cramping, experiencing small bowel movements which are frequent in nature, and experiencing diarrhea which may or may not have blood. If you are experiencing these symptoms, visit a doctor immediately and seek treatment. There are several different causes of colitis and each underlying cause is treated differently. The different types of colitis include the likes of microscopic colitis, infectious colitis, ischemic colitis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis, among others. After reviewing your history, a physical examination, imaging tests, laboratory tests, and a colonoscopy, your doctor will conclude that you are suffering from the disease and suggest treatment for its underlying cause. Here are a few of the most common causes of colitis. Causes of Colitis Infectious Causes There are millions of good bacteria living in the colon. They do the body no harm and cause no symptoms whatsoever. When some viruses, parasites, and bacteria invade the small or large intestine, it may lead to some infections. These infections may occur when you eat contaminated food. The symptoms include diarrhea with or without blood, dehydration from water loss, abdominal cramp, numerous watery bowel movements, and pain. Other organs in the body can be infected by the infection as well, or by the toxins produced by the bacteria, viruses or parasites. Ischemic Causes The colon is like a hollow muscle that requires a normal flow of oxygen-rich blood to function properly. When the colon loses its supply of blood, it may become inflamed. Ischemia causes the inflammation of the colon and may lead to the appearance of several symptoms of diarrhea with or without blood, pain, and fever.