Aortic Aneurysms

While heart attacks get an awful lot of press, and rightfully so, other heart issues such as aortic aneurysms can be just as life-threatening – and they’re a lot harder to detect. Below you will find all you need to know about this potentially deadly condition.

What is an Aortic Aneurysm?

The aorta is the largest artery in the body; when it weakens, bulges, and bursts, the results are often fatal. According to the cardiologists, 9,863 people died from aortic aneurysms in 2014 (the last time data was taken).
A Silent Killer
A structural heart cardiologist, says that “this is a completely silent killer. It often goes unnoticed until someone looks for it with an X-ray, MRI or Ultrasound."
This conditions typically occurs when the weakened aorta starts to grow and dilate. In what is called dissection, the artery wall can also split due to the force of the blood being pumped through.

The Two Types

An aortic aneurysm can occur anywhere along the aorta, but the two main types are a thoracic aortic aneurysm, which occurs in the chest, and an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is found in the abdomen.

Warning Signs

Unfortunately, the symptoms are often non-existent. According to the doctors, an abdominal aortic aneurysm might cause pain in the back, abdomen, legs or groin, and a pulsing feeling near the navel. With a thoracic aortic aneurysm, people sometimes report difficulty breathing or swallowing, shortness of breath, hoarseness, and coughing.
Risk Factors
Abdominal aortic aneurysms occur more frequently than thoracic aortic aneurysms and are mostly due to hardening of the arteries. According to the doctors, those who smoke, are three to five times more likely to develop an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
For thoracic aortic aneurysms, the risk seems to be more genetic. Those with a family history of conditions such as Marfan syndrome or Loeys-Dietz syndrome should discuss the risk with their doctors. High blood pressure or cholesterol, and smoking can make matters worse.
Screening
Aortic aneurysms can be detected by echocardiogram, MRI, ultrasound, or X-ray. The experts suggest that men who have smoked and are between the ages of 65-75 should undergo an ultrasound screening for an abdominal aortic aneurysm, even if they are not showing any symptoms. There is not enough evidence to determine if women need regular screening.
“Those with a family history of aortic aneurysms should be screened even in the absence of risk factors,” says a cardiologist.

Treatment

If an aortic aneurysm is detected, doctors can prescribe medications to lower blood pressure or cholesterol, which can help to prevent it from enlarging. If the bulge is already large or grows quickly between screenings, surgery to graft the damaged section might help.
Prevention
If you smoke, it’s about time you quit. Uncontrolled blood pressure is another major risk factor, and cholesterol is also a concern. Therefore, Dr. recommends that people work with their doctors to control cholesterol and blood pressure.
Don’t forget your lifestyle: A healthy diet and frequent exercise can help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Make sure that your diet includes fruit, lean meats, fish, whole grains, and vegetables. Avoid saturated fat, and added salt and sugar.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                
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What Colour Of Eyes Says About Our Health

What can your eyes reveal about your health? Quite a lot - and some things you can see simply by looking in the mirror.

An ophthalmologist. explains what he looks for when he examines his patients - and what you can look for on your own.

Bug eyes

Doctors call this condition exophthalmos, and it's a common sign of Grave's disease, a.k.a. overactive thyroid. In addition to the bug-eyed look, people with Grave's often experience weight loss, nervousness, and a rapid or irregular pulse. As for the green tint, that's just light from the room, not part of the condition.

 

Gray ring around the cornea

Gray isn't just for hair. Some people develop a gray ring around the edge of the cornea. The ring, which doctors call arcus senilis, often goes hand in hand with high cholesterol and triglycerides - and an increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Anyone who has the condition should have a blood test to check for elevated blood lipids - especially people under age 60.

 

Cloudy eye

This is a cataract - a clouding of the lens inside the eye. The condition, which can be corrected with surgery, is most common in older people. Cataracts that arise in younger people can have a variety of causes, including tumors and diabetes, as well as side effects from certain medications.

 

Skin cancer

Basal cell carcinomas can show up in some pretty strange places, including the eyelid, where it often causes a sore that doesn't heal and the loss of eyelashes. And it's not something to be ignored. Although basal cell skin cancers are not usually fatal, they can cause severe disfigurement, blindness and even death if they reach the brain through the eye socket.

 

Oily skin

Though this might look like a tumor under the skin, it's actually nothing more than a blocked oil gland. Known as a chalazion, this hard, painless mass typically comes up quickly over a few days. It's most common in people with oily skin.

 

Myasthenia gravis

Droopy eyelids on both sides (ptosis) can be evidence of myasthenia gravis - an autoimmune disease characterized by muscle weakness. Good medical treatment is available for the potentially deadly disease, but the condition in milder forms can be difficult to diagnose.
This patient, who could barely keep her eyelids open, was diagnosed by her eye doctor.

 

AIDS

Eye doctors can diagnose all sorts of diseases and medical conditions by looking at the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. One condition that ophthalmologists sometimes spot is HIV/AIDS, which causes the severe and potentially blinding inflammation of the retina.

 

Horner's Syndrome

These eyes are showing a potentially dangerous combination: droopy eyelids (which doctors call ptosis) and pupils of different sizes (aneisocoria) If you see this condition when you look in a mirror, see a doctor fast. The condition, which doctors call Horner's syndrome, is sometimes associated with aneurysms and tumors in the neck.

 

High blood pressure

Eye doctors can detect evidence of high blood pressure by looking at the retina. The pressure causes tiny blood vessels in the retina to kink and twist. The other arrow points to "dents" in retinal veins, a condition known as A-V nicking. This person is at high risk for a devastating stroke.

 

Marfan's Syndrome

Marfan's Syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue in the body. Extreme height and thinness and unusually slender fingers are common markers of Marfan's, but the condition is sometimes diagnosed by eye doctors who observe characteristic changes in the string-like tissue that holds the eye's crystalline lens in place (which doctors call "sunrise syndrome").
It's vital that Marfan's be diagnosed as soon as possible, as the condition is commonly associated with weakness of the wall of the aorta. A rupture of the aorta is likely to be fatal.

 

Metastatic cancer

Sometimes cancer that arises elsewhere in the body shows up first in the eyes. The two most common cancers that spread to the eye are lung cancer in men and breast cancer in women.

 

Diabetes

Lots of people have diabetes and don't know it. But the disease often causes telltale changes in the retina that can be picked up by an ophthalmologist.
In this eye, diabetes has caused tiny hemorrhages in the retina and yellowish deposits of blood fats (lipids). The condition is known as diabetic retinopathy.

 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                                                             https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                       FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com