Uric acid is a compound that consists of the elements carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen. The composition is such that six carbon atoms combine with four hydrogen atoms, four nitrogen atom, and three oxygen atoms to form a molecule of uric acid. It is a component found normally in urine. It is created when the body breaks down compounds called purines. A higher level of uric acid in one’s urine is suggestive of the fact that there is a kidney disease. Uric acid levels in the urine increase if the patient is subjected to treatment that results in weight loss, such as chemotherapy. Some of the primary foods that contain a high level of purines are mackerel, dried beans, dried peas, liver, anchovies, beer, etc. A high level of uric acid concentration in the blood of the human body is termed as hyperuricemia. This is also a concerning cause of kidney stone and it can lead to gout (a form of inflammatory arthritis). Symptoms of higher/lower uric acid levels There are various symptoms that are easily attributable to higher uric acid levels. However, in the case of lower uric acid levels, there are not many directly identifiable symptoms. Also, due to the occurrence of lower uric acid levels in the world population being only about 0.5%, the symptoms are barely recognized and so, solid medical experience is required to distinguish and pinpoint the deficiency. Lower uric acid levels might be due to the existence of Wilson’s disease (abnormal accumulation of copper in vital organs), Fanconi syndrome (reabsorption of waste products by the bloodstream, allowed by the kidney). Low consumption of food that lacks in purine also results in the lower uric acid levels. This is called hypouricemia. The symptoms for hypouricemia are bone pain or feeling weak (due to Fanconi syndrome), dehydration due to the excessive passing of urine from the body.

Stye, also called hordeolum, is a kind of tiny red bump resembling a pimple that appears on the edge of the eyelids. It is a prevalent eye problem and more or less every human being has suffered from the condition once in his life. A stye is caused by clogging pores of the eyelids due to dust and bacterial infection. In most of the cases, styes are normal with little bearable pain, soreness and itchiness with increased tear formation in the eyes, and they get healed in a few days. In some sporadic cases, a doctor’s consultation is needed if there is a feeling of excessive pain, blurred vision, and nausea. Majority of the people are not aware of how to get rid of a stye with ease. Following are 8 effective remedies through which one can have a speedy recovery from a stye. Use of warm compress When the question of how to get rid of a stye is raised, then the application of warm compress is one of the most effective remedies. Warm compress helps to dissolve the pus and drain the stye easily. Always use a clean cloth and make sure that the warmness of the water is such that our skin can tolerate. After wetting the washcloth in warm water, wring it gently and place it over the affected eyelid for about 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat the process 3 to 4 times daily for effective healing. Cleaning of the eyelid The appropriate cleaning of the eyelid is beneficial for the healing of a stye. This reduces bacterial infection and also prevents the reoccurrence of the same. A tear-free baby shampoo can be used with warm water using the cotton swab or clean washcloth to clean the eyelid with gentle wipes. Saline water can also be a good option to clean the eyelid.

Do you have visible white flakes caused by dandruff? Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the torso and head where you have oil-producing glands. It might look like red and flaky skin around the ears, scalp, and forehead. Most often, men and people with a weakened immune system face this condition. While it is not a curable ailment, one can take some steps to control it. You can use a medicated shampoo to control seborrheic dermatitis. All the flakes and dandruff can cause problems, and it can lower a patient’s confidence levels. Seborrheic dermatitis is a condition which affects a limited number of people. Even though there is no cure for it, you can reduce it to a manageable extent. How does it work? Shampoos that have selenium sulfide, salicylic acid, and coal tar are known to be effective in treating seborrheic dermatitis. While shopping for shampoos, you should always check the label. Make sure that it is suited to manage this ailment. You can use it according to the instructions written on the shampoo. Not every shampoo might work for you, and it is a good idea to experiment with what works and what doesn’t. Here are the top five shampoos that you can consider: NIZORAL® A-D Shampoo Dandruff is associated with the growth of fungus. This shampoo contains anti-fungal ingredients. It has ingredients such as wheat germ oil and wheat protein. You can apply this shampoo twice a week for good results. It has a fresh smell and is quite thick. You might want to consult the doctor if you are under 12 years old or pregnant. It is not recommended to use the product on inflamed or broken skin. If the shampoo gets in your eyes accidentally, you can rinse it off without any worries.

Do not just live with urinary incontinence – learn what causes it so you can improve bladder control problems in women. If you think that urinary incontinence is a problem that only older women and men deal with, think again. Bladder control problems in women are common, and they affect women of all age groups. Sometimes, there is a clear starting point for bladder control problems in women. You may have just delivered a baby, and are getting back to your active lifestyle, when you suffer through an “accident”. Owing to how embarrassing bladder control problems in women can be, a lot of women never seek help for this treatable condition. Regardless of age, many across the globe are living with bladder control problems in women, and shrouding the condition in secrecy. However, the truth is that more than 13 million people in the United States have incontinence issues. Bladder control problems in women are twice as likely as men. According to the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, 30 percent of young women suffer incontinence. The rates of bladder control problems in women increase with age, with 40 percent of middle-aged women, and 50 percent of older women suffering from urinary incontinence. Bladder control problems in women affect quality of life on multiple levels. It affects your emotional wellbeing, sexuality, as well as body image. The problem is that many never seek medical help for bladder control problems in women. They assume that this problem is just a normal part of life after delivering children or once menopause starts, but it is not. It is a medical problem like any other. Once you know the type of bladder control problems in women you have, you can seek effective medical help to improve your quality of life. Types of Bladder Control Problems in Women Simply speaking, when you cannot control the release of your urine, you are suffering from urinary incontinence or bladder control problems in women.

There are certain common medical conditions that are specifically linked with osteoporosis bone loss. Here’s what you need to watch out for. The bone is a living tissue, and as such it is constantly being broken down to create new bone. However, when the rebuilding process is slower than the breaking down process, the bones become fragile and brittle. This is what happens when you develop osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is more common in women than men, and affects about 200 million women all over the world. Even though this disorder affects women of all age and races, it is more common in older white and Asian women. When you are suffering from osteoporosis and it reaches an advanced stage, fractures become a part of daily life. The fractures that are associated with osteoporosis usually occur in your spine, hip, and wrist. The bones become so brittle that even everyday activities like bending over or stepping on to the pavement can result in fractures. Early stages of osteoporosis do not show any symptoms, but when it reaches an advanced stage, symptoms like loss of height, back pain, neck pain, fractures, and stooping posture can be seen. A simple bone density test that shows the extent of osteoporosis bone loss is used when you want to diagnose this disorder. Some of the risk factors of osteoporosis include body frame size, age, family history, race, sedentary lifestyle, sex, and eating disorders. Your treatment plan will include a combination of medications, lifestyle modifications, and dietary changes, and mainly depends upon your risk of breaking any bone. But what exactly causes osteoporosis bone loss? There is no definite answer to this question. However, there are some common medical conditions that are linked with osteoporosis bone loss either because of the medications used to treat them or because of the disease itself.

Have you been experiencing some changes lately but not sure what those are? Your body may be displaying low sugar symptoms. Hypoglycemia, a condition referred to commonly as low blood sugar, occurs in your body when the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood dips below the normal levels. As glucose is a vital source of energy in the human body, having this condition may affect the functioning of your muscles and brain cells owing to the lack of sufficient energy. In most people, the onset of hypoglycemia means that their blood sugar level is below 70 mg/dl. Low blood sugar is usually found in people who have diabetes, and it can happen even if you are taking care to manage the disease. It is especially common in people with type 2 diabetes, and in those who are taking insulin to treat their diabetes. In most cases, hypoglycemia is mild and you can treat it easily by consuming a small amount of food that is rich in glucose. Having low blood sugar levels in your body can lead to other health complications, both short-term and long-term. If left untreated, hypoglycemia can cause clumsiness, confusion, and fainting spells, while long-term complications of the condition include coma, seizures, and even death. This condition can occur quite suddenly, leaving you confused and worried. Here are some of the low sugar symptoms that you need to know and keep an eye out for. Extreme hunger : Have you been noticing that you have been feeling hungry even though you might have just eaten? It may be one of the low sugar symptoms that you are experiencing. You may feel ravenous hunger at all times, or suddenly feel like you are starving. This is an indication that your body needs more glucose. You can promptly treat this low sugar symptom by having four ounces of fruit, two tablespoons of raisins, or some hard candy.

Known as a “silent infection”, you may not even know that you have hepatitis B. Watch out for these hepatitis B symptoms. Even though they have hepatitis B, more than 69 percent of the affected individuals face no hepatitis B symptoms at all. Moreover, another 30 percent may see hepatitis B symptoms but confuse it with symptoms of other common afflictions such as the flu. Only about 1 percent of people who have hepatitis B will go on to develop a life-threatening form of the condition called fulminate hepatitis. This unfortunate 1 percent may suffer liver failure, and need emergency medical care. Hepatitis B is characterized as a “silent infection” because most people see no visible and distinct hepatitis B symptoms once they are infected. Since they do not know that they have this condition, it is very possible that they pass it on to other people around them. One can contract hepatitis B through contact with contaminated blood. This infectious disease is caused by the HBV or Hepatitis B Virus. In general, there are two possible stages of this condition which are acute hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis B. Acute refers to the fact that the infection is in its nascent stages. If they do come up, most people notice hepatitis B symptoms within 1 to 4 months after coming into contact with the virus. Most cases of acute hepatitis B get resolved after the hepatitis B symptoms disappear in about a few weeks or months. Chronic hepatitis B, on the other hand, describes an HBV infection that lasts longer than 6 months at a time. Once the infection reaches the chronic stage, the hepatitis B symptoms may never disappear completely. Children are at a much higher risk of developing chronic hepatitis B symptoms. Why You Need to Know About Hepatitis B Symptoms?

Some skin cancer symptoms are not as obvious as others. These are a few you should actively watch out for. The common assumption is that skin cancer symptoms and signs can only manifest on areas of skin that are exposed to the sun. While it is true that sun-exposed skin presents the primary area where skin cancer develops, this does not mean that skin cancer symptoms cannot show up in areas that almost never see the sun such as under your nails, on your palms or soles, on your genital area, etc. The problem with most skin cancer symptoms is that they can easily be mistaken for other skin issues. This often leads to a loss of time that prevents early diagnosis and a positive prognosis. By knowing the obvious as well as obscure skin cancer symptoms, you will know exactly what you need to watch out for, and which skin cancer symptoms should definitely not be ignored. Skin Cancer Symptoms to Watch Out For The first thing to understand is that there are a number of types of skin cancers that are classified under the broad marquee. These include basal cell skin cancers, squamous cell skin cancers, and melanoma. These are a few skin cancer symptoms you ought to wary about: If you have a sore or a spot that has consistently refused to heal for more than 4 weeks, it may be more than just a sore. Sores or spots that constantly itch, bleed, crust over, or get scabby for more than 4 weeks may be skin cancer symptoms. It is important to watch out for ulcers. An ulcer is basically an area that in the stages of breaking down, and is getting deeper. Once erosion takes place, ulcers ought to heal. If you find yourself facing an ulcer that does not heal within 4 weeks, and that too, for no apparent reason, do not ignore it as it is most likely to be one of the many skin cancer symptoms.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Knowing the early signs and ovarian cancer symptoms can help you seek treatment at the earliest. When malignant (cancerous) cells are formed in the ovaries, a woman develops ovarian cancer. Although the exact cause of this disease is unknown, it is a life-threatening condition that affects around 23,000 women each year in the United States alone. What makes fighting this disease difficult is that the early signs are easy to overlook. Ovarian cancer symptoms are often mistaken for pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) or other not-so-serious health problems like bowel problems. According to the American Cancer Society, early detection of this cancer happens only around 20 percent of the time. Owing to this reason, the cancer goes undetected often until it has already metastasized to the abdomen and pelvis. If the disease is diagnosed when still limited to the ovaries, it is more likely to be treated successfully. One way in which you can ensure prompt diagnosis when ovarian cancer is still in its initial stage is by keeping an eye out for early ovarian cancer symptoms and signs. For this, you need to know these symptoms, and if you notice any changes in your body that are persistent, consult a doctor immediately to determine whether they are ovarian cancer symptoms or something else. Here are five of the early ovarian cancer symptoms and signs that you should watch out for. 1. Abdominal bloating and constipation Any bloating and constipation are generally disregarded as a stomach upset or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). If these signs are occurring around the time of your period, you may tend to brush them off as PMS signs. However, if these symptoms occur more than a few times a month and particularly if you are above the age of 40 years, a gynecologist visit may be the right thing to do.

With the increasing number of people diagnosed with this disease, it is of great importance to have accurate knowledge about asthma. Here are a few simple ways to prevent asthma attacks and lead a healthy lifestyle. An asthma attack occurs when the muscles around the airways of your lungs tighten and shut down, this is also known as a bronchospasm. In this condition, the inner lining of the airway gets inflamed or swollen which results in the production of thick mucus. These factors together lead to asthma attack symptoms such as short rapid breaths, anxiety, difficulty in performing regular tasks, severe wheezing, intermittent coughing, perspiration, and pale skin. When the muscles surrounding the bronchial tubes within the lungs constrict, they narrow the air passages thereby making it very difficult to breathe. The duration of an asthma attack varies depending on how inflamed the airways have become. In mild attacks, the symptoms could last for just a few minutes, while a severe attack could take up to several hours before easing. In the case of severe attacks, medical help and treatment needs to be provided immediately. It is important to take extensive care along with adequate steps to prevent asthma attacks. Without adequate care, asthma attacks may lead to ‘cyanosis’ (development of bluish color around the lips) due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. Cyanosis may cause a patient to lose consciousness, and may eventually lead to death. There are certain common triggers that can easily inflame the lungs and can cause an asthma attack. The following are a few measures that can be taken in order to prevent asthma attacks: Avoid exposure to dust There should be minimal exposure to any area that is dust/dirt prone. Exposure to dust, smoke or any allergen can cause increased inflammation in the airways, thereby increasing the chances of an asthma attack.

Human life would have been simpler if we weren’t threatened by the onset of diseases every once in a while. However, with the right kind of lifestyle that involves eating healthy food and exercising regularly, we can lead an “almost” disease-free life. The right kind of food and our attempts to maintain the perfect body weight goes a long way in strengthening our immune system. One can think of our immune system as the guardian of our entire system. A healthy immune system helps keep a lot of diseases at bay. Thus, we are capable of thwarting certain diseases with the help of a strong immune system. Have you ever given a thought what the consequences will be if our immune system is the one that becomes the cause of our misery? Well, if the immune system is the culprit of the misery inflicted on you, it results in allergies. What causes allergies? Certain harmless elements in the environment can trigger an allergy. The immune system is known to protect the body against viruses and bacteria. However, when these harmless elements enter the body, the immune system mistakes them for some malicious agents and begins attacking them. This reaction of the immune system is the root cause of allergies. The allergens are basically harmless elements, but it’s the immune system’s reaction to it that causes allergies. What are the most common allergens? The most common allergens are nothing but some of the elements that we come across so many times in our lives. Some of them are as follows: Certain foods can cause allergy. For example, nuts, fish, fruits, etc. If you own a pet, the cause of your allergy might be pet dander. Sometimes, certain medicines can trigger an allergic reaction in an individual. Pollen allergy is one of the most common kinds of allergies.

What is the meaning of the term “probiotics”? It means the bacteria that we consume particularly for health benefits. Our gut or large intestine contains a lot of bacteria, and they are collectively known as the microbiome. The microbiome consists of more than 1000 various species of bacteria, and they can be divided into individual strains. Probiotics can change the balance of the bacteria available in the gut, and they are made of one or more strains. If you can consume the right species based on the already existing bacteria in the gut, they can deliver some good results. Probiotics help you treat irritable bowel syndrome effectively. Various studies suggest that approximately 15% of the population is suffering from irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. IBS infected people show irregular bowel habits, and other symptoms include abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, and bloating. Probiotics are being extensively used in the treatment of IBS. What are the best probiotics for IBS? The most popular and well-researched species are Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. Shortage of these two species can always be associated with IBS patients. Best probiotics for IBS with constipation People, who suffer from constipated issues, can take a natural supplement containing probiotic strain known as Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12. Various clinical studies have been conducted on this strain of probiotics. It can be described as the most researched strain in the entire family of Bifidobacteria. Most of the studies have shown that this strain is extremely beneficial to get rid of constipation and encourage good bowel movements. Supplements containing Bifidobacterium lactis also improves gut health, and they are an excellent source of fiber because of the presence of Fructooligosaccharides. Most effective probiotics for IBS with diarrhea If you are suffering from frequent diarrhea, you can select Saccharomyces boulardii. It is a proven product to deliver the best support for improving gut health and several clinical studies back the advantages of this product.