Gout is an acute inflammatory type of arthritis. Gout attacks are chronic painful reddish inflammation and tenderness of the joints. The most commonly affected joint is that of the big toe which affects over 50% of the patients. Other commonly affected joints are the elbows, knees, fingers, and toes. Gout is caused by a deposition of uric acid crystals in the bone joints. Uric acid is formed by the natural breakdown of waste material in the body. In normal situations, the kidneys clear out the uric acid produced in the body. In gout, the uric acid is not cleared completely or not cleared out fast enough. Gout can evolve into a chronic condition with recurrent attacks over time. Gout was once called the king’s disease or the rich man’s disease since it was associated with a lavish lifestyle and excessively rich diets. Gout is most common in older men who consume a lot of meat, seafood, and alcohol. Gout: how does it start? The primary cause of gout is elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. This uric acid forms crystals that deposit around bones, joints, tendons, and cartilage. The depositions cause inflammation and pain. Over time, uric acid deposits can also cause bone erosion. Gout attacks can start in many ways, but the usual course is a sudden onset of inflammation and redness in the night followed by intense pain in a few hours. This attack can last for days or weeks before subsiding. There may be associated symptoms of fever, fatigue, and insomnia. Lifestyle factors like a high-protein diet and high alcohol consumption are contributing factors. Red meat, seafood, shellfish, beer, etc. are primary stressors for gout attacks. Genetics also plays an important contributing factor. Treatment: best Gout medicine The best approach to gout treatment is a two-pronged approach:

The best liquid diet plans are based on the idea that solid foods are eliminated from your diet and all your calorie intake comes from liquids. You can replace all your meals with fruit or vegetable juices, or you can choose to replace one or two meals of a day along with a few healthy snacks. The best liquid diet plans can be used for a variety of purposes from weight loss to being diets after certain surgeries. Liquid diet for weight loss There are many kinds of liquid diets that will help with weight loss. Consulting with a physician and educating yourself about these diets will go a long way in ensuring that you get the right plan for yourself. At its simplest, weight loss occurs when more calories are burnt than consumed. An average person requires 2000 calories a day. Most liquid diets provide a calorie count that is much lesser than that. Hence, once you put yourself on a liquid diet, you are bound to lose weight. Most liquid diets for weight loss will recommend consuming fruit juices. You can opt for juices that you make at home, or you can even buy juices outside. If you choose the latter, remember to choose juices that are low in sugar, or else it will be counterproductive to your weight loss objective. Other liquids you can choose to take are smoothies, soups, and vegetable juices. Remember to consult with your physician before embarking on the best liquid diet plans for weight loss. Cut up some pineapple, beets, cabbage, carrots, spinach, and orange. Dump it in a blender and blend until smooth. Keep any pulp in for its high fibrous content. This recipe is not just healthy; it is tasty too. Liquid diet for detoxification Everyone you know and their grandmothers are talking about going on a detox diet.

Diverticulitis is an infection/inflammation that occurs in the intestine of the digestive tract. Small pouches called diverticula start developing along the walls of the intestine. Diverticulitis is a serious condition that may even require surgery. In this condition, there could be a small abscess in the pouches and go on to cause a severe infection or a massive perforation of the bowels. Symptoms Diverticulitis starts to manifest by causing cramps on the left side of the abdomen. The pain eases after you move the bowels or pass gas. Bright red blood in stool is another indication of this condition. Prolonged infection can lead to bowel obstruction, which can cause abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, thin stools, nausea, and vomiting. Delay in treatment will require surgery. The surgery would be needed to treat abscesses and fistulas. In case of severe bleeding, a blood transfusion would be required. Causes An improper dietary pattern can be one of the causes of diverticulitis. Obesity, low level of physical activity, and how frequently you smoke can also determine if you are prone to this digestive disease. Diverticulitis diet Antibiotics are the first course of treatment to contain the infection. Changing your diet pattern is a long-term strategy to control the symptoms. Studies have found that following a prescribed diet can help those suffering from diverticulitis. The aim of following the best diet for diverticulitis is to ease the strain on the digestive system and help in the healing process. By following the best diet for diverticulitis, it is possible to reduce the symptoms and prevent any flaring. Listed below are some of the best diet for diverticulitis. Liquid diet If you exhibit any of the symptoms, it is best to switch to a liquid diet. Water, vegetable/chicken broth, tea, coffee (without milk/cream), clear soups, fruit juices (without the pulp), and popsicles.

Snoring is very common, and you will find most people snoring once in a while. It happens when you are unable to breathe freely through your nose or mouth when you are asleep. This makes the tissues in the surrounding area of the nose and mouth vibrate and makes a sound. People who snore too much have a loose or floppy tissue that vibrates, and hence it causes a loud noise. The tongue can also be in the way and add to the snoring. There are many reasons for you to snore. Once you find the reason, you can use stop snoring mouthpieces. Common reasons behind snoring Here are a few reasons that might be the reason behind snoring. Age It is a factor that is known to affect snoring. As you reach middle age and beyond, the throat becomes more narrow, and the muscles in the throat weaken. There is nothing much you can do here except make new bedtime routines and try throat exercises to stop the snoring. Overweight Fatty tissues and weak muscles are also known to contribute to snoring. If you are overweight, your neck and throat tissue can be the reason behind your snoring. Exercise can help solve the problem in this case. Sleep posture Sleeping flat on your back can cause the muscles in your throat to block the airway. Stress A long and stressful day can leave you tired, and make you breathe heavily. This may add to your snoring. Other factors Men have narrower air passages than women and so are more likely to snore. Hereditary is also a factor that contributes to snoring. Once you figure out the reason behind snoring, you can find a way to deal with it. If you aren’t able to, you can use stop snoring mouthpieces.

Your sex drive or libido can play a huge role in your life. When your libido is facing a nose dive, it can be frustrating and embarrassing as well. However, a lot of men face this issue, and here are a few male enhancement techniques that can help change your sex life for the better. Make Sure You Stay Active Staying active can positively contribute not just to your general health but your sexual health as well. You should know that your blood circulation and pressure plays an essential role in your sexual performance. One of the major causes of erectile dysfunction is improper blood circulation. Indulge in cardiovascular exercises often and make sure you exercise as regularly as possible. Ensure that you do light exercises every day and a more vigorous regime a few times a week. Research shows that men who are physically fit and active have lesser chances of having a loss or decrease of libido, as opposed to men who lead an unhealthy lifestyle. Incorporate Meats Into Your Diet The nutrients in meat can help with your blood flow. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish like salmon and tuna can help your circulation. Vitamin B-1 found in meat like beef and pork can help improve the functions of your nervous system, which includes signaling your brain activity concerning your penis. Eggs are high in proteins and vitamin B, which can significantly influence the hormonal balance of your body. Don’t Forget The Fruits And Vegetables Fruits and vegetables are great for your health—that’s a no-brainer. The best part though is that they can do wonders for your sexual health too. Vegetables like onion and garlic can help with the improvement of your blood circulation, bananas can boost your stamina, and the abundant amount of potassium it contains can maintain lower blood pressure.

Are you suffering from acute body ache? Are you tired and feel fatigued most of the time? Do you have disturbed sleep or undergo severe mood swings? If so, you might probably be suffering from a serious ailment named fibromyalgia. Although the mentioned symptoms may also be similar to other diseases or sickness, given below are some of the common indications of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a disorder that accelerates a musculoskeletal pain throughout one’s body. It basically intensifies painful sensations that affect the brain’s ability to process signals related to pain. Till the last couple of years, pain relief for fibromyalgia was limited to prescribing simple painkillers. However, a patient suffering from pain due to fibromyalgia can be treated in better ways today. Doctors have a better understanding of the problem today and are able to recommend appropriate medication that focuses mainly on providing pain relief for fibromyalgia. Indications of fibromyalgia for diagnosis Doctors across the globe noted that women are found to be more susceptible to pain due to fibromyalgia compared to men. The reason, however, is yet unknown. Although most of the warning signs of this disorder may sound very similar to any other disease symptoms, doctors treating a patient suffering from fibromyalgia diagnose the disorder only after knowing the patient’s medical history. It has been observed that in most cases, the onset of this acute pain in the body happens after a major event in the patient’s life such as – Surgery – Infection – Psychological stress – Trauma However, health practitioners do not rule out the fact that this disorder may also occur gradually with time, with none of the above-mentioned triggering events being visible. Knowing the happenings of the patient’s health and the time since that person has been undergoing the pain helps the doctor to analyze the condition better and suggest measures for pain relief for fibromyalgia accordingly.

Triglycerides are the fat that is present in your blood. They are used by the body to create energy by absorption into the adipose cells. When their quantity in the blood crosses the daily required threshold, they are stored in various parts of the body to be used later in the future, whenever required. However, when there are high levels of triglycerides flowing through the bloodstream, you are at an increased risk of coronary/heart disease, strokes, and diabetes. Thus, it is important to maintain the triglycerides that are being converted from the diet that you are taking. High Triglyceride Diet Foods To maintain the good health of your heart and pancreas, lowering your triglycerides plays an essential role. Given below are foods that make a high triglyceride diet, and that need to be maintained and kept in check. Starchy Vegetables Keeping triglycerides in mind, not all vegetables are good for managing their levels in your body. Some vegetables have a high starch content which means they have more carbohydrates; these can spike up the triglycerides by turning the excess starch into triglycerides. Some vegetables that are high in starch are: Lima beans Corn Peas Sweet potatoes Dried beans Winter squash Water chestnut Plantains These vegetables can be replaced by options like mushrooms, kale, and cauliflower. Starchy Foods As with vegetables high in starch, other starchy foods in the diet also need monitoring. The breakdown of these foods results in sugars that convert into triglycerides when the starch intake becomes superfluous. Some starchy foods – Bread – white, brown, and whole wheat Pasta and noodles Cereals – granola, oatmeal Rice Manage these starchy foods from your high triglyceride diet by keeping servings (2-4 per meal) in check. For example, one slice of bread or half a cup of cooked pasta would make one serving.

Everyone wants a crystal clear eyesight and healthy eyes. We completely depend on our vision for normal functioning, that the thought of diminishing vision is often terrifying. To make sure that you keep your eyes healthy, as you age. It’s important to know the best vitamins for the eyes. Vitamins are organic compounds that are required by the body in adequate amounts. An organic compound is said to be a vitamin when the body cannot synthesize that particular compound, but that compound is necessary for normal body functions. Hence, the best way to get vitamins is to consume them in your diet. Supplementation of vitamins may be required in deficiency states, but not for healthy individuals. Currently, 13 recognized vitamins are essential for the human body. Vitamins perform a diverse range of functions. They can regulate mineral metabolism, hormone production, cell growth regulation, and also some of them are antioxidants. Vision care: The best vitamins for the eyes It is estimated that 75% of people notice a change in their visual acuity by the age of 50. Taking the best vitamins for the eyes is a good preventative measure. The best vitamins for the eyes include: Vitamin A You might have been told that eating carrots are important for good eyesight. But what about carrots that make it so good for the eyes? Carrots are a rich source of vitamin A, which helps to prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. Carrots also contain beta-carotene and rhodopsin. Rhodopsin is a pigment found in the eyes, that is responsible for night vision. Without this pigment, you wouldn’t be able to see clearly at night, or in low-light situations. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and is found in foods like—liver, leafy vegetables, oranges, pumpkins, carrots, yellow fruits, fish, soy milk, and cow milk.

Medically referred as ‘lumbar spine,’ the lower back is a complex design of interconnected bones, nerves, ligaments, muscles, and joints. The lumbar spine provides structural support to the body, protect certain body tissues, and help with movement. Lower back pain is quite common in adults. Symptoms The common symptoms displayed when there is a pain in the lower back include: A dull, aching pain Pain gets worse after you’re in a sitting position for a long time Pain that moves down to the buttocks, legs, and feet Pain that’s very bad the moment you wake up and eases as you move around Pain that decreases when you change positions Causes Lower back pain can be caused due to any number of factors. Certain existing medical conditions and illnesses also can cause pain in the lower back. Lower back pain can be caused due to muscle or ligament strain, herniation (disk disease), and spinal stenosis (a tight spinal cord). Other causes include degenerative joint disease, osteoporosis with a compression fracture, and spondylolisthesis. Sometimes, pain in the organs can also cause lower back pain. Treatment The line of treatment is based on identifying the underlying cause of back pain. Mild to moderate pain in the lower back which is caused due to stress and exertion subsides on its own after you take rest. If the pain is chronic, then you need to visit a doctor for pain management. It involves medication plus enlisting the services of a physical therapist to chart an exercise schedule. Exercises For Lower Back Pain Staying active is the best way to combat lower back pain. Exercising on a daily basis helps to reduce back pain by releasing the stiffness, soreness and the tension in the lower back. Chart your exercise routine by incorporating the following lower back pain exercises.

Sterols are naturally occurring fats in the human body and cholesterol is the main sterol. There are two primary sources of cholesterol in our body. The liver is the leading producer of cholesterol. The human body requires a certain level of cholesterol for normal functioning. But excess cholesterol, in addition to other fatty substances, can cause the formation of plaque which then adheres to the walls of arteries. With the increase in plaque buildup, the blood and oxygen flow in the arteries is bound to reduce. Sometimes the plaque ruptures, causing a blood clot to form. If this blood clot is big enough, it would completely block the artery. This is the primary cause of heart attacks and strokes. To know if you have ideal cholesterol levels, you must first understand that a cholesterol indicator test indicates four numbers. Total Cholesterol LDL (Low-Density Lipoproteins) HDL (High- Density Lipoproteins) Triglycerides Since fat is insoluble in water, it cannot circulate throughout the body. The human body has found a way to produce water-soluble fat and transport it. These are Lipoproteins. This is the form in which most of the fat exists in the human body. A higher risk of coronary heart disease has been linked to higher levels of Triglycerides.Therefore your ideal cholesterol level is actually a measure of whether these specific lipoproteins are within the required range. The Yin & Yang of cholesterol LDL & HDL are the two fundamental cholesterol types. Their numbers define their presence and one ought to know more about them before deciding if or not you have the ideal cholesterol levels. LDL (Low-Density Lipoproteins) LDL tends to build up against your arterial walls and thus leads to a blockage and heart diseases. They are therefore referred to as the “bad cholesterol”. The lower the LDL levels, the lower is the risk.

Are your clothes getting tighter around the waist? Is your body becoming more oblong and out of shape? If the answer to the above questions is a yes, then you are suffering from increasing belly fat, that gets accumulated due to a number of natural and man-made triggers. Belly fat is more than a just an aesthetic disposition of the body. An abdominal bulge is due to the storage of excessive visceral fat around the liver, stomach, and pancreas. This ‘beer gut’ is a predictor of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, some heart diseases, and cancer. A simple tape can measure stomach fat. Standing up, wrap the tape around your waist and check your girth at the belly button. Make sure that the tape measure is level. A healthy body mass index dictates that your waist size be less than 35 inches in women and less than 40 inches in men. Ways To Burn Stomach Fat Losing fat from the abdomen area can be a difficult task, Some well-proven strategies target the specific fat buildup in the belly area. Fibrous Diet Soluble fiber is mostly indigestible plant matter that binds water, forming a viscous gel that ‘sits’ in the gut. This viscous gel helps in slowing down food as it passes through the digestive tract and gives you the feeling of being full. There is better absorption of nutrients, and your appetite remains in check. It is also known to decrease the number of calories that your body absorbs from the food thus helping burn stomach fat. High fiber foods include consuming vegetables and fruits. Legumes, flax seeds, shirataki noodles, Brussels sprouts, avocados, blackberries and some cereals like oats are excellent sources of fiber. Furthermore, a fiber supplement like glucomannan can be taken to provide benefit to the digestive system.

What is Chronic Pain? Pain usually occurs when we experience a muscular tear or any other kind of injury in any part of the body. This occurs suddenly and may vanish away in few days as it may recover on itself or through using ointments or other pain reliever drugs. This is called acute pain. On the other hand, pain in any part of the body that lasts more than a few months or may even last for years is known as chronic pain. This is the result of either a long-term injury or other damage to the body, that may occur due to age factors. Chronic pain is a dangerous medical issue as it may lead to reduced quality of sleep, depression, mood swings, irritation, exhaustion, anxiety and lack of stamina to perform daily activities. In case you are experiencing chronic pain in any part of your body, you must pay close attention to the problem and try to treat it before it goes out of hand. Treatments For Chronic Pain The following treatment options help in improving and regulating chronic pain: Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) : This is a widely adopted treatment option for treating chronic pain. In this procedure, the nerves that carry the signals of pain to the nervous system are targeted. When you undergo this treatment, your doctor will first identify the nerve/s that is causing pain and sends the pain signals to the nervous system. Once identified, X-rays may be used to focus on the area where the medical needle is to be placed. This procedure is done under the influence of a local anesthesia where the doctor after realizing where the needle is to be placed, removes or destroys the nerve tissue causing the pain thus hindering the pain signals from reaching the brain.