A blood pressure test indicates whether a person is suffering from low blood pressure or high blood pressure. The numbers indicated in this test need to be studied carefully to diagnose any potential problems. What is blood pressure? Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the circulatory system. A normal systolic falls to less than 120 and the corresponding diastole is less than 80. For prehypertension, systolic is 120-139 and diastolic is 80-89. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 1 systolic is 140-159 and diastolic is 90-99. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 2 systolic is 160 or higher while diastolic is 100 or higher. Hypertensive Crisis(Emergency care needed) systolic is higher than 180 and diastolic is higher than 110. A medical professional needs to confirm the diagnosis of high blood pressure as well as evaluate any unusually low blood pressure. In general, it has been observed that low blood pressure readings and lower targets work for populations like the elderly, African-Americans, as well as patients who have underlying health issues like chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus. Categories of blood pressure The American Heart Association recognizes five categories of blood pressure: Normal blood pressure: Those who have normal blood pressure numbers that fall within the optimal ranges of being less than 120/80 mm Hg have a healthy level of blood pressure. Following heart-healthy habits like getting regular exercise and following a balanced diet goes a long way into maintaining normal blood pressure. Prehypertension: Prehypertension or early stage high blood pressure occurs when the blood pressure consistently ranges from 120-139/80-89 mm Hg. People who have prehypertension are more likely to develop high blood pressure unless they take appropriate measures to take it under control. Hypertension Stage 1: Hypertension Stage 1 is marked when blood pressure falls in the range of 140-159/90-99 mm Hg.

What is Blood Pressure? Blood pressure is the force that transports blood through our circulatory system. It is a life force which pushes oxygen and nutrients around our circulatory system to feed tissues and organs. Blood pressure is also important because it distributes white blood cells and antibodies for immunity, and hormones such as insulin. The fresh blood that gets delivered also gathers the toxic waste products of metabolism along with the carbon dioxide we breathe out, and the toxins we clear through our liver and kidneys. The heart builds up blood pressure by pumping out blood when it contracts with every heartbeat. Biology Our blood pressure is highest at the commencement of its journey from our heart, and it is lowest at the end of its journey along smaller branches of arteries. That pressure difference is what causes blood to flow around our bodies. The condition of the arteries effect on the blood pressure and flow. What does Blood Pressure Values denote? Measurement of your blood pressure will give two readings. Your blood pressure will have two numbers, e.g., 120/80 mm. Hg. The number which appears on the left-hand side, being the highest number, is called systolic. The number which appears on the right-hand side, being the lowest number, is called diastolic. Systolic blood pressure denotes the highest pressure registered during the time your heart pushes the blood in your body system. Diastolic blood pressure denotes the lowest pressure registered, at the moment your heart rests between beats. Which number is more important? Typically, systolic blood pressure (the left side number) poses the main risk agent for cardiovascular disease for people over 50. In most people, systolic blood pressure rises incrementally with age due to the increasing rigidity of arteries. Blood Pressure Chart The blood pressure chart maps out levels of blood pressure at different times.

Cancer is a disease in which cells multiply uncontrollably in the body. Cancer tumors and are of two types—malignant (cancerous) and benign (non-cancerous). These malignant cancerous cells are capable of spreading and affecting other parts of the body. There are many factors such as genetic, environmental, and dietary factors that could lead one to develop cancer. There are around 200 types of cancers and renal cell cancer is one of them. In renal cell cancer, or RCC, the cancer cells form in tubules of the kidney. The primary causes of RCC are smoking and having renal diseases. The common symptoms of renal cancer noted are blood in urine and a lump in the abdomen. In the following, a brief overview of renal cell cancer and its treatment options have been given. Renal cell cancer has four stages: Stage I – The tumor is confirmed and measures less than 7 cms. Stage II – The tumor is bigger than 7 cms but is still limited to the kidneys. Stage III – The tumor has started to spread outside the kidney to the adrenal gland, a major vein nearby or may even have spread to one nearby lymph nodes. Stage IV – The tumor has spread to nearby tissues and organs, and the nearby lymph nodes contain cancer cells. Treatment options for renal cell cancer Renal cell cancer treatment depends on various factors like the type of cancer, stage, the patient’s current medical condition and overall health, and possible side effects of the recommended treatment. Surgery Nephrectomy, or surgery to remove the infected kidney, is mostly preferred by doctors as it can completely cure cancer at the earlier stages. There are three types of nephrectomy: Partial nephrectomy – The procedure to remove cancer cells within the kidney and the surrounding tissues is known as partial nephrectomy.

A gout is a form of arthritis, which develops due to the high level of uric acid in the blood. The acid creates a sensation which feels like needle-like crystals in the joints, which cause sudden, episodic pain, redness, swelling, tenderness, etc. Before knowing the popular and effective ways of treating gout pain, let’s understand the four types of gout pain that include asymptomatic hyperuricemia, acute gout, interval gout, and chronic gout. Asymptomatic hyperuricemia – This is the first attack of gout pain that is a signal of starting of this issue. In this stage, the level of uric acid becomes high in the blood and the start forming crystals in the joints. People don’t feel any physical symptom at this stage. Acute gout – In this stage, a person feels the first attack of gout due to increasing the level of uric acid in the blood. The inflammation and pain stay over the night or a week. After a week, the pain settles down by its own. In some cases, people never feel anything in the second stage. However, it mostly experienced by every sufferer. Interval gout – it is the middle stage of gout. In which, the little inflammation damages the joints. And, it is the time to start medication to prevent gout and stop attacks on it. You can also fix it here by doing few changes in your lifestyle. Chronic gout – This stage occurs when the level of uric acid remains high from many previous years and stays constant. People lose frequent mobility at this level and the attacks become frequent and more regular. The chronic stage of gout is preventable if you go with the right approach. Otherwise, it becomes worse and makes people restless. Are you tired of facing this issue and experience excruciating pain?

It is common knowledge that cancer is one of the most formidable ailments known to humankind. What makes this ailment so dreadful is the fact that there aren’t many treatment options available for cancer. Cancer in any form can be cured if it is detected in its initial stages, and this holds true for every type of cancer. This is because cancer in the initial stages doesn’t spread to the other part of the body, i.e., it isn’t metastatic. Metastatic or the final stage of cancer is fatal and the chances of survival once the individual reaches this stage is quite thin. Lung cancer is one of the top causes of increasing deaths of men and women alike in the U.S. However; it is also one of the easily preventable forms of cancer. All an individual has to do is stop smoking and avoid people’s second-hand smoke. What are the causes of lung cancer? In a nutshell, the major cause of lung cancer is smoking and passive smoking. Other causes of lung cancer include air pollution, lung disease, family history of lung cancer, exposure to asbestos fiber and radon gas. What is metastatic lung cancer? In the initial stages, the cancer tumor develops in one part of the body. The cancer cells multiply at an uncontrollable rate but haven’t spread to the different parts of the body yet. However, in the later stages, the cancer cell metastasizes, i.e., it spreads to the different parts of the body and affects those areas as well. Metastatic lung cancer is the lung cancer that originates from the lungs and spread to the different parts of the body. The metastatic lung cancer survival rate is around 26% which is indicative of the severity of this condition. It is imperative to understand that irrespective of the new location of the cancer tumor, it is still named after the part of the body it originated from, for instance, the lung cancer that spread to the brain would still be referred to as metastatic lung cancer.

Esophageal cancer affects the long hollow tube called the esophagus that runs from the throat to the stomach. Unhealthy lifestyle choices like tobacco and alcohol consumption and other factors like obesity can elevate the risk of this form of cancer. Early detection facilitates successful treatment, and doctors might recommend several options to manage esophageal cancer symptoms. Here are a few effective treatment methods: Chemotherapy This treatment is used if the cancerous tumor is inaccessible or if cancer has metastasized (spread to distant parts of the body). Chemotherapy medications are often administered intravenously to destroy cancer cells, but they also damage healthy cells as they are unable to differentiate between normal and malignant cells. While normal cells are able to rejuvenate, chemotherapy can cause serious side effects that must be managed with medications. Targeted therapy Some mutations of esophageal cancer can be difficult to treat with chemotherapy, so medications that target specific weaknesses of the malignant cells are also given to increase the effectiveness of treatment. Targeted therapy is usually given to patients with advanced stages of esophageal cancer. Immunotherapy This is one of the most recent forms of cancer treatment. Immunotherapy simply enhances the patients’ immune response to cancer, and the enhanced immune system recognizes and targets malignant or cancerous cells specifically. That said, immunotherapy can have its own side effects like decreased blood count, which can be managed through alternate medications. It is administered in several ways but can be comparatively more expensive than chemotherapy. It is recommended for patients with advanced stages of esophageal cancer. Radiotherapy This is a less invasive form of cancer treatment and is usually used to treat early-stage esophageal cancer. It may be administered in combination with chemotherapy to weaken the cancer cells. Radiotherapy or radiation therapy involves exposing the cancer cells or tumorous growth to high-energy beams, like x-rays or protons.

Cancer is one of the fatal diseases and has claimed several lives over the years. Today, a huge population is affected by this deadly disease and the inability to cure this disease in the final stages is nearly impossible. One of the most common forms of cancer to affect 1 in every 7 men in the United States is prostate cancer. 1 in 39 men have reportedly died of prostate cancer; the reason being that the condition was diagnosed in the advanced stages. Prostate cancer affects the prostate gland, which is situated under the bladder. The primary function of the prostate is to produce semen. The prostate gland is an integral part of the male reproductive system. The cancerous cells grow and multiply uncontrollably in the prostate gland, and this is when a man is detected with prostate cancer. When the cancerous cells grow and spread outside the prostate gland, it is defined as an ‘advanced’ stage. Like every other kind of prostate cancer, the condition is curable if it is detected in the early stages. However, treatment of advanced prostate cancer is complex, and there are no treatments available to cure this stage of cancer. Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer Men will notice symptoms quite early in the development of prostate cancer. Early detection can aid in better treatment options that those who notice symptoms when the condition is advanced. Typically, the first symptom will come in the form of difficulty during urination. When the cancer enlarges in the prostate, urinating becomes extremely uncomfortable and painful. This should immediately drive one to get a medical evaluation. An individual will also feel a sense of weakness due to disruption of red blood cells in the bone marrow. Severe pain is felt in advanced prostate cancer, and there may be fracture due to the weakening of the bone by the rapid spread of cancer cells.

Prostate cancer is the cancer that starts in the prostate gland and is one of the most common cancers in American men. Here is a list of the prostate cancer symptoms that you should be on the lookout for. The prostate gland is the male sex gland that is responsible for producing the thick fluid that helps sperms propel out of the penis during sexual intercourse. It is almost the size of a walnut, and is located below the bladder, just in front of the rectum. You are diagnosed with prostate cancer when the cells in these glands become cancerous and start multiplying out of control. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer that affects American men, and is the second leading cause of cancer death in them. According to the American Cancer Society estimates, around 221,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year. Prostate cancer is mainly diagnosed in older men, it is extremely rare for it to be diagnosed in men younger than 40 years of age. There are no known causes of prostate cancer, however, there are certain risk factors associated with it. These are your age, family history, ethnicity, diet, smoking, and obesity, exposure to toxins, vasectomy, and infections that are transmitted sexually. Even though the exact cause of this cancer is not known, you can still reduce the risk of developing it by managing the risk factors that are in your control. There are two diagnostic tests that are commonly used for prostate cancer, digital rectal exam and ‘prostate-specific antigen’ or PSA blood test. These are just the initial tests, the diagnosis is confirmed by performing a biopsy and examining the prostate cells. The treatment of prostate cancer does not follow the premise ‘one size fits all’. There are different treatment options available, and the one that is ideal for you depends upon your age, your overall health, size of your tumor, and the stage of the cancer.

Meningitis is a clinical term used to describe an inflammation or swelling of the membranes that surround the brain. Meningitis, especially the type caused by bacteria, is a potentially fatal condition that can rapidly transform to cause permanent brain damage, neurological problems, and can even lead to death. Doctors are required to diagnose and treat meningitis at a fast pace to prevent or reduce any long-term effects that the disease might have. Meningitis which causes inflammation is normally a direct consequence of either an infection induced by some kind of bacteria or virus. But first, it is essential to understand the signs of meningitis for early diagnosis. Some common symptoms of meningitis Normally, meningitis has symptoms like fever, lethargy or indolence, and a decreased ability to think properly. However, these symptoms are often very difficult to detect in children of a very young age. If the infection or resulting inflammation moves from the membranes of the brain or the spinal cord, then the medical term used for it is encephalitis. According to a survey, meningitis mostly occurs when a child is a newborn and till he is two years of age. The greatest risk is during the time period immediately after birth and from three to eight months of age. Increased exposure to various kinds of infections and a deficiency of the underlying immune system present from birth can increase an infant’s risk of getting meningitis. Specific symptoms for meningitis in children For the particular case of infants, the signs and symptoms of meningitis are not always obvious to the non-critical eye of the parent because of the infant’s inability to communicate symptoms to them, or to the doctors, for that matter. Therefore, caregivers, parents, relatives or guardians must pay very close attention to the infant’s overall condition, as far as meningitis symptoms in children are concerned.

The basic procedure before starting any surgery is the first step. Your vital signs will be checked to make sure that your body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygenation levels, and other vital signs are normal. If there is a dysfunction in any of your vital signs, the surgery will not be performed until it has been rectified. With the vital signs all good, the doctor has the green light to proceed with the surgery. The second most important step involves administering anesthesia to the patient. You will be given general anesthesia, where you will be in a deep sleep, or regional anesthesia, where the sensation to feel is blocked from below your below your waist. The knee that is to be operated is marked. The surgeon will first make an incision that is around 8 to 10 inches long in the center of your knee. After this line, he will cut through the deeper tissues like the quadriceps and tendons. The kneecap is then flipped over so that the tibia and femur are accessible. The knee is then bent at a 90-degree angle, to allow the surgeon easier access to the joint that needs to be operated. The arthritically injured or damaged areas are removed with the help of a bone saw. Based on the make of the new prosthesis, the femur, as well as the top of the tibia, are reshaped so that they fit the prosthesis just right. Computer assistance or metal jigs are used to make sure this is done precisely and accurately. The kneecap or patella is then flipped back in place, and an implant is added. This implant is made of polyethylene. This will help aid in easy movement and gliding of the patella or kneecap against the newly replaced joint. In some cases, a few components are attached along with the tibia and femur as well.

Prostate cancer is a dangerous health condition in which the cells in a person’s prostate grow unnaturally, aggressively, and out of control. Like other malignancies, prostate cancer can assume life-threatening proportions if not diagnosed and addressed in its initial stages. However, healthcare professionals can treat the condition successfully if a person pays attention to the warning signs of the condition. Some of the leading indicators of prostate cancer are discussed below. Urinating difficulties Prostate cancer affects a person’s urination and the organs contributing to the process. So, people with this condition tend to have weakened or slow urine flow. Moreover, individuals with this condition also experience pain in the lower abdomen and urethra while urinating. Other issues, such as an excessive urge to urinate and a lack of control over how the urine flows, are common problems people face in all stages of prostate cancer. If people face pain while urinating or any other difficulty, they must immediately consult a doctor or oncologist for a cancer screening test. Frequent urination Besides pain during urination, prostate cancer patients might also experience irregular urination patterns in all stages of the condition. As the cells grow out of control into tumors, the adjacent cells and tissues soon start feeling the strain. Eventually, the aggressive cell growth grows into a toxin-filled tumor within the prostate of men with this condition. This tumor tends to put extreme pressure on the bladder and urethra of the individuals. Combined with all these factors, one of the earliest signs of prostate cancer is the frequent and urgent need to urinate. The frequency of such urges can get alarming, with a person feeling a urinating sensation multiple times per hour. Muscle loss without trying All kinds of cancer affect the supply of blood and nutrients to different parts of the body.

When a tumor or any other illness grows and spreads from its point of origin to other parts of the body, it is called metastasis. Similarly, metastatic breast cancer occurs when the cancerous cells from the breast spread to other body parts. In most cases, if breast cancer metastasizes, it is likely to appear in the following regions: Brain Bones Liver Lungs If the cancer is confined to the breast, several effective treatment options are available to cure it. However, if it spreads to the nearby areas, it becomes quite difficult to cure. Therefore, it is vital to spot the signs of metastatic breast cancer as soon as possible to ensure that suitable treatment can start immediately. Symptoms of metastatic breast cancer The initial stages of breast cancer typically do not exhibit any symptoms. Once the symptoms begin to appear, they are most likely to include a strange formation or lump in the breast or under the armpits. In the case of inflammatory breast cancer, the symptoms can include redness or swelling in and around the breast area as well as a mild sensation of pain. When breast cancer metastasizes, a patient may experience the following symptoms: Development of a lump Changes in the skin such as skin ulceration or dimpling Nipple discharge Pain or discomfort while moving the arms Swelling in the breast or arms Large, hard, and deep lymph nodes under the arm or the neck. Also, the most common signs of metastatic breast cancer are easily noticeable changes in the shape of the affected breast. Here are some advanced symptoms of the condition: Difficulty in sleeping Excessive fatigue Digestion problems Shortness of breath Anxiety or depression A feeling of pain or discomfort Some significant signs of metastatic breast cancer One of the most common signs of metastatic breast cancer is difficulty in breathing.