Heart Attack - What Causes Sudden Cardiac Arrest?

Sudden Cardiac Arrest is commonly referred as SCA that means a sudden cardiac death and you will know why it is called so in just a bit. SCA occurs when a heart suddenly stops beating and it is totally unexpected in many cases. When SCA occurs, blood flow to other vital organs of the body including the brain stops immediately, treatment is needed right at the moment to avoid death.

A fact study shows that over 900 adults die due to sudden cardiac arrests every day in only USA. Around 550,000 deaths occur annually due to coronary heart disease and out of those a big number of 335,000 are results of SCA. It is a lot more then just a serious problem to deal with. Basically an internal electrical system is equipped with the heart controlling the rhythm. Some problems result in arrhythmias in this electrical system or abnormal heart beating. Sometimes the heart may start to beat too fast due to this or too slow in some cases; heart may even stop at any time as well. This is when Sudden cardiac arrest comes in when arrhythmias is present making the heart stop beating all of a sudden.

Over 90 percent of the people who experience SCA just die within a few minutes. A fast treatment is needed, CPR along with an AED or automated external defibrillator is all what stands between life and death leaving no time for decisions. This is why AED are present today mostly everywhere in places like office buildings, government buildings, airports, etc. Many medical institutes are also giving CPR certification classes in afternoons; they are highly helpful in letting people know what and how to do things when someone gets a sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest and a heart attack are two different things so do not get confused among them. Heart attack occurs when any of the heart muscles is not getting blood flow due to a blockage in a vein or an artery. The heart does not give up beating right away in these cases. Although SCA may occur when one is in the recovery phase due to a heart attack.

Another strange thing is that people having heart diseases are at greater risk of getting a SCA but it often targets people who apparently are healthy and are not at risk of any heart diseases or its factors. So just live a clean and healthy life and leave the rest on luck since SCA gives another chance very rarely.

Oey Piu Hian
http://www.rolls-on.com
BEST HEALTH

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Best Health - Discover the Hidden Secrets to a Better Night's Rest

You're tossing and turning in your sleep, worried over your deadline or stressing over the kids' exam results. And as you worry about getting some shut-eye, you find it's even harder to rest! Well, you're not alone. Studies estimate that 10 to 15 percent of the adult population has chronic sleep problems and an additional 25 percent has transient or occasional sleep problems. But with a clearer understanding of sleep patterns and helpful techniques you'll soon drift into snooze mode.

How Do We Sleep?
Sleep is like a roller-coaster ride with many valley and peaks. The peaks are about 90 minutes apart, so your sleep cycles are 90 minutes. When you go to sleep, you enter light sleep for a few minutes - this is Stage 1 sleep. You are easily awakened during this stage but feel fine.
As your sleep deepens, you enter into Stage 2, 3 and than 4. After 40 minutes in Stage 4, you're in your deepest sleep.

This deep sleep is when your body is getting its greatest rate of rejuvenation - and if you are forcibly woken, you'll feel groggy and confused. After a while in Stage 4, your sleep moves back up to Stage 3 and then 2, and you're soon on the up - slope of the roller - coaster ride. This is when your brain waves change to an active pattern similar to someone awake and looking about the room. Even as you sleep, your eyes flick around during this stage, so it's called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

There are also physical changes in heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure and blood flow to the brain. This is the stage when our most active dreams occur. If you awaken now,you'll be alert and respond quickly. The first episode of REM sleep lasts five o 10 minutes, and is followed by another 90 - minute cycle. However, the subsequent dips have progressively less deep sleep, while REM sleep periods become longer. Your usual night of sleep is completed after about five of the 90 - minute cycle.

Patterns Of Insomnia
Insomnia often has a pattern to it, and this can provide important clues about what's causing your problem.

1. Sleep Onset
Trouble falling asleep is a common problem,and can be treated with good sleep practices. If you have trouble going to sleep at night and find it difficult to wake in the morning you may have delayed sleep phase syndrome, a disturbance of the body clock. Another reason some people have trouble falling asleep is restless leg syndrome, or a breathing disorder.

2. Sleep Maintenance
Some people may have no problems falling asleep but they wake often throughout the night. This causes lengthy periods of awakenings and makes them sleepy during the day. Causes include sleep apnoea, periodic limb movements in sleep and it can be made worse by alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, sleeping pills and medication.

3. Early Morning
Awakening This problem of waking up too early can be caused by a disturbance in the body clock or shift work, and can also be related to depression. Like sleep onset insomnia, it can become a habit.

4. Habitual Or "Learned"
If you fell sleepy in the living room in front of the TV, but wide awake once you get into bed, you probably have learned insomnia. Your bed has become associated with felling alert, frustrated or anxious, rather than with sleeping. This habit is not intentional but with every night your frustration increases, making the habit harder to break.

What Causes Insomnia?
Anxiety often causes insomnia. For sleep to occur, your alertness level must be low but anxiety causes increased alertness. You may be just dropping off when you hear a noise; you immediately become anxious and alert as your heart races and sleep becomes impossible. Or, a thought, such as "Did I remember to mail that important letter?" can also trigger anxiety.

Many people also have a habit of worrying in bed. Sometimes this seems to be the only time they have to themselves to think things through. To help, set aside 20 to 30 minutes of "worry time" in the evenings to think over the day's event. List your worries and what you think you could to do about them. At the end of your worry time, resolve not to think about those issues till the next day.

Some people with insomnia may have sleep apnea (disordered breathing during sleep), restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement, nightmares, sleep walking and even narcolepsy where the person affected falls asleep frequently in the day, often without warning.

Get Your Sleep Back.
As insomnia is often caused by habits developed over time, here are ways to break them and enjoy a good night's sleep :

1. Cut Caffeine And Nicotine
Caffeine and nicotine are powerful stimulants and should be avoided by late afternoon.Most people are not aware that chocolate and chocolate - flavored drinks also contain caffeine - so beware of that tempting chocolate mudcake snack late at night.

2. Watch Your Alcohol Intake
Some people enjoy a nightcap before bed.Alcohol's initial effect is relaxation but when its effect wear off after a few hours, you'll experience mini-awakenings during the night and have disturbed sleep in the second half of the night.

3. Bedtime Ritual
Having a nightly ritual helps bring on sleep - a soothing warm bath or even cleaning your teeth can be part of a ritual, but begin only when you feel reasonably sleepy. If your body clock isn't set for sleep, you may lie awake, which makes you frustrated - this is one of the bad habits that strengthens habitual insomnia.

4. Keep Your Bed For Sleep (And Sex!)
Avoid working on your laptop in bed or having long conversations about family responsibilities with your husband. This weakens the link between the bed and sleep. The one exception is sex - the physical and psychological satisfaction it brings can improve sleep.

5. Don't Stay In Bed If You're Awake
Strengthen the link between bed and sleep by not staying in bed if you're awake. If you don't fall asleep within 15 minutes of going to bed, get up, go to another room and do something relaxing till you feel sleepy again. Don't do anything too stimulating; instead, read a magazine, watch TV or listen to soothing music. Don't get into the habit of eating at night as you're training yourself to wake up to eat; and don't be tempted to have a cigarette or caffeinated drink. Once you feel sleepy, go back to bed. If you still can't sleep, repeat the process.

The paradox with sleep is that the harder you try to do it, and the more concerned you are about it, the more elusive it is. Tell yourself that the worst that can happen if you sleep less is that you'll be sleepier the next day and likely recover some of this missed sleep the next night.

Oey Piu Hian

http://www.rolls-on.com

BEST HEALTH

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Best Health - Fatigue and Lethargy Can Be a Symptom of a Slew of Ailments

While we all go through moments of feeling tired and burnt out, chronic fatigue seems to be the new "21st Century illness" and low vitality the bane of our daily experience. Chronic fatigue is often linked to high stress levels, unhealthy diets and environmental pollution, which affect our sleeping habits or patterns. Getting good sleep the natural way is a luxury that most stressed people dream of having. Sadly, popping barbiturates and other sleep-inducing pills has become the norm.

We all work so hard that we neglect or don't take good care of our health. For instance, we grab whatever is the quickest and easiest form of food, not paying any attention to the nutritional value of our meals. Our health is not our priority.

The degree of fatigue varies from person to person, from those who do not have enough energy to accomplish the daily tasks, to those who are rendered almost helpless from exhaustion. Modern diets, environmental pollution, the use alcohol etc. all take their toll on liver functions and on the healthy functions of the system of the body thus affecting our sleep. Environmental toxins and allergies, stress, sleep disorders, food allergies, to mention a few, are also some of the causes of unbroken cycle of fatigue. However, some of us may have inherited a weaker constitution from our parents or from early childhood traumas that can also effect fatigue. Usually it takes us quite a while to develop fatigue and, likewise, it will take us a while to build our energy reserves back up.

What is Lethargy?
Lethargy is a fairly imprecise description of the feeling of slowness, sluggishness, tiredness or lack of energy. In its common usage, it may mean fatigue, malaise, weakness, drowsiness and listlessness. Nevertheless, any type of lethargy symptom can indicate a serious medical condition and needs prompt medical investigation.

Symptoms of lethargy may include: tiredness when waking up in the morning; difficulty doing simple tasks and concentrating; multiple aches and pains; changes in appetite and bowel patterns; and sleep disturbances.

Fatigue can also accompany the following illnesses :
- infections like bacterial endocarditis
- parasitic infections, tuberculosis
- heart failure
- diabetes
- thyroid disorder
- chronic liver or kidney diseases
- anorexia nervosa or other eating disorders
- arthritis including juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
- auto-immune diseases such as lupus
- malnutrition
- cancer

Lethargy and fatigue can be a normal and important response to physical exertion, emotional stress, boredom or lack of sleep. However, it can also be a non-specific sign of a more serious psychological or physical disorder, which, being a common complaint, can be overlooked at times. You should see your doctor when enough sleep, good nutrition or low-stress environments do not relieve fatigue.

Treating Lethargy
It is not good to treat lethargy with caffeine, drug, or vitamins without a medical evaluation. Taking barbiturates is problematic because, depending on the dosage, they have several effects on the behaviour.

In low doses, barbiturates reduce anxiety; reduce respiration, reduce blood pressure, reduce heart rate and reduce Rapid Eye Movement sleep.

In higher doses, barbiturates can actually increase some types of behaviour and act like a stimulant. A major problem with barbiturates is that they may lead to tolerance and dependence.

Tolerance occurs when a greater and greater amount of the drug is required to get the desired effect. For example, if barbiturates are used to help a person sleep, over time, a greater dose will be needed to get the person to sleep.

Alternative Treatments
Always ask a herbal care practitioner for advice before taking herbal supplements etc. Having said that, stimulating herbs such as ginger, ginkgo biloba, licorice root and Siberian ginseng can improve vitality and energy. Try passion flower or valerian root, which both have a calming effect on the central nervous system, for anxiety, moodiness and insomnia.

For vitamins,
- VITAMIN B COMPLEX :
Depression and fatigue can result from the body's depletion of B vitamins that can occur from stress or drinking too much of caffein-rich beverage. The 11 factors of B complex are crucial to glucose metabolism, stabilization of brain chemistry and acivation of estrogens, which regulate the body's levels of energy and vitality.

- VITAMIN C
It helps prevent fatigue linked to infections by stimulating the production of interferon, a chemical that can limit the spread of viruses. Also helps fight bacterial and fungal infections by maintaining healthy antibody production and white blood cells.

- VITAMIN E
Has a significant immune stimulation effect and, at high levels, can enhance immune anti-body response.

- ZINC
Is an immune stimulant; improves muscle strength and endurance.

- MAGNESIUM AND MALIC ACID
Important for the production of ATP, the body's energy source. Magnesium is also important for women who may develop a deficiency from chronic yeast infections.

- POTASSIUM
The right amount enhances energy and vitality while deficiency leads to fatigue and muscle weakness.

- CALCIUM
Combats stress, nervous tension and anxiety.

Oey Piu Hian
http://www.rolls-on.com
BEST HEALTH

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Bacterial Vaginosis – Causes and Symptoms

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most usual cause of vaginal infection. It is less generally referred to as vaginal bacteriosis. It is not believed to be a sexually transmitted infection but oftentimes gets after intercourse with a new partner and is more usual in women with multiple partners. BV is caused by an imbalance of naturally occurring bacterial flora and shouldn’t be confused with yeast infection (candidiasis), or infection with Trichomonas vaginalis (trichomoniasis), which are not caused by bacteria. Yeast does not look, nor smell, nor feel like Bacterial Vaginosis. BV is sometimes referred to as Gardnerella; though Gardnerella is really just one of the normal vaginal bacteria found in excess during bacterial vaginosis.

Depending on the severity of the infection and the bacteria behind the infection, a woman may experience an assortment of symptoms, or she possibly totally symptomless. The most common symptom of BV is an abnormal homogeneous white vaginal discharge (especially after sex) with an unpleasant smell. This malodorous discharge coats the walls of the vagina, and is usually without irritation, pain or erythema.

Symptomatic women most often have a copious, yellow-gray or green homogeneous discharge. They may also describe a foul odor, vulvovaginal irritation, and, occasionally, dysuria. Symptoms of BV include a grayish-white discharge, a fishy odor, pain, burning during urination or itching around the outside of the vagina, or both. Some women with BV report no signs or symptoms at all.

By contrast, menstrual blood does have a distinct odor and will vary in consistency and amount with the menstrual cycle. A normal discharge is at its clearest about 2 weeks before the period starts.

Other risk factors for developing bacterial vaginosis include smoking, going through menopause, suffering from diabetes, or having another type of chronic disease.

Although previously considered a mere nuisance infection, untreated bacterial vaginosis may cause serious complications, such as increased susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and may present other complications for pregnant women. It has also been associated with an increase in the development of Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) following surgical procedures such as a hysterectomy or an abortion.
Bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy has been related with poor perinatal outcome and, particularly, preterm birth (PTB). If you’re pregnant, see your doctor.

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