The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health |
- A failing heart
- Doctor warns lack of veggies may spur uncontrolled cell growth
- Flight attendants face higher risk of contracting breast cancer: hospital
| Posted: 27 Feb 2013 02:42 AM PST Heart failure is a condition in which the heart has lost the ability to pump enough blood to the body's tissues. MY uncle had a heart attack. We rushed him to the hospital, and he had to go into CCU (Coronary Care Unit). After that, the doctor informed us that he was suffering heart failure. This sounds terrible. How can a heart fail? Does this mean he is going to die? The term "heart failure" sounds terrible, as if your heart is no longer working at all and there's no hope left. But the actual term means that your heart is no longer meeting the requirements needed by your body. Hence, the heart has "failed" to deliver the pumping quota that is required. Your heart functions to pump blood throughout the entire body so that oxygen and nutrients as well as other substances can reach every cell of your body. When you have heart failure, your poor heart cannot supply your tissues and cells with enough blood. Yes, heart failure is a serious condition. But no, it doesn't mean your uncle is necessarily going to die. How does heart failure occur? It can occur in two ways: ·If your heart muscles have been weakened to such an extent that they can no longer pump enough to supply your body with what it needs. ·If your body's requirements rise to such an extent that your relatively normal heart cannot cope. Your heart tries to make up for this failure by enlarging (to provide capacity) as well as developing thicker muscles, and also by pumping faster to increase output. Your body tries to help by constricting blood vessels to maintain blood pressure, and then by diverting blood away from less important organs like the skin to focus on vital organs like the heart and brain. Then comes the point when the heart and body can no longer keep up, and you start to experience symptoms. The doctor mentioned that my uncle had left-sided heart failure because the left side of his heart was affected by the heart attack. What does this mean? Does it mean that the left side of his body will be affected? No. Left-sided heart failure does not mean that only the left side of your body will be affected. The left side here refers to your heart. Your heart has four chambers – two atria and two ventricles. On each side of the heart, there is one atrium and one ventricle. The left ventricle is responsible for pumping blood out of the heart into the circulation of the body. In left-sided heart failure, the left ventricle has lost its ability to contract normally, and so it cannot pump enough blood into the circulation. Left-sided heart failure can also be caused by the left ventricle losing its ability to relax normally, thus not allowing enough blood to fill in from the left atrium. Is there such a thing as right-sided heart failure? Yes. The right ventricle is needed to pump blood into your lungs so it can be replenished with oxygen. But if your left ventricle fails, there will be a backlog of blood in your lungs, which will then cause the pressure to increase. The right ventricle is then pumping against this increased pressure, and is unable to maintain output into your lungs. As a result, it fails as well (right-sided heart failure). Sometimes, isolated right heart failure can occur as a result of lung disease that causes hypertension that is confined to the lungs (pulmonary hypertension). Congestive heart failure is a term used when both sides of the heart fail. How would I know if I have heart failure? It is only when the heart – which initially tries to compensate by all those mechanisms I outlined above – cannot keep up that you start to develop signs and symptoms. But before that, you can do an annual medical check-up with a chest x-ray to determine the size of your heart. And if more investigation is warranted, an echocardiogram can be done to see your heart's ejection fraction. All this can be done prior to you developing any symptoms. When you actually have symptoms, then your heart has failed. You may feel very tired or fatigued, especially during exertion, because your heart is not pumping out enough blood to meet the demands of your body. You may have nausea or lack of appetite, because your body is shutting down its blood flow to your gut as it tries to conserve blood for your vital organs. You may feel palpitations because your heart rate has gone up. Someone may notice you are confused because there is lack of blood flowing to your brain. With right-sided heart failure setting in, you may have fluid (oedema) accumulating in your body, such as your ankles when you are upright and your back when you lie down. With left-sided heart failure, blood may accumulate in your lungs and result in shortness of breath or persistent coughing or wheezing. Dr YLM graduated as a medical doctor, and has been writing for many years on various subjects such as medicine, health advice, computers and entertainment. For further information, e-mail starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information contained in this column is for general educational purposes only. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information. |
| Doctor warns lack of veggies may spur uncontrolled cell growth Posted: 26 Feb 2013 09:11 PM PST TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The rate of uncontrolled intestinal cell growth has increased from 31.5 percent to 38 percent in eight years among people between the ages of 31 and 40, according to research recently released by the Lianan Wellness Centre (聯安診所). The health examination center conducted a colonoscopy test on participants, having also recorded their eating habits for a six-month period, said Cheng Nai-yuan (鄭乃源), head of the centre. According to the study, 42 percent of participants who showed uncontrolled intestinal cell growth dine out for every meal. Meanwhile of those who dine out for every meal, only 17 percent did not show cell growth. Cells reproducing uncontrollably have the possibility of becoming cancerous, Chang said, adding that if the cells become larger than 1 centimeter, doctors usually suggest that the patient should have an excision operation. Cheng said 80 percent of patients who showed cell growth ate an amount of vegetables and fruits that equals the size of 2.7 fists daily, adding that this is less than the Department of Health's suggestion that a person should eat the equivalent of five fists of vegetables and fruits a day. Cheng said although genetic inheritance is a factor in uncontrolled cell growth, life style and dietary habits which favor eating dark meat over vegetables and which involve little exercise are possible triggers for cell growth in the large intestine. Chang said that if the uncontrolled reproduced cells are located on the right-side of the intestinal wall, then the symptoms of intestinal cancer are not obvious, as the wall is thinner than in the rest of the intestine. In order to prevent uncontrolled intestinal cell growth, Chang said people should eat enough vegetables and fruit (equal to around five fists worth), adding that different vegetable contains different amounts of fiber, thus people should consume a varied range of vegetable and fruit. Chang said patients who show uncontrolled cell reproduction should take a colonoscopy test every six to 12 months to keep track of the growth of the cells -- The China Post/ANN |
| Flight attendants face higher risk of contracting breast cancer: hospital Posted: 26 Feb 2013 09:09 PM PST TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Flight attendants are at a higher risk of breast cancer due to being exposed to high levels of radiation, Wan Fang Hospital (萬芳醫院) announced yesterday. Chen Jung-pang (陳榮邦), the chief of Wan Fang's Radiology Division, said that according to several international studies conducted in the past decade, high doses of radiation and more frequent cases of endocrine disorder caused by traveling across time zones both increase the risk of long-term flight attendants contracting breast cancer. Other doctors who treat breast cancer have pointed out, however, that there are other factors that increase the likelihood of contracting breast cancer, including irregular sleeping patterns, heredity and advanced paternal age. Chen cited international research as showing that flight attendants are exposed to 0.2 to 9.1 sieverts of radiation annually. The rate of contracting breast cancer among flight attendants who have been exposed to radiation for over five years is double that of ground crew. Taipei City Hospital Dr. Chen Huo-mu (陳火木) said that high levels of radiation change the human body's DNA, and that endocrine disorder can cause hormone imbalance. Long-term hormone imbalance raises the chance of breast cancer, he said. A doctor in Wan Fang Hospital's Radiology Division, Yao Min-su (姚敏思), said that according to the Ionizing Radiation Protection Act, people should not be exposed to more than 1 sievert of radiation annually. Yao said, however, that those who take planes often will receive higher levels of radiation as their elevation gives them less atmospheric protection. People who come in contact with high levels of radiation through their work — such as staff at nuclear power plants — should receive health checks regularly, Yao suggested. Dr. Chiu Chan-tang (邱展棠) from Taiwan Adventist Hospital (台安醫院) said that the number of breast cancer patients has been increasing dramatically in recent years. -- The China Post/ANN |
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