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Medical Symptoms and Signs of Disease - Symptom Checker Index
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Although diet may affect the symptoms in patients with Crohn's disease, it is unlikely that diet is ... Crohn's Disease - Symptoms at Onset of Disease ...www.medicinenet.com/crohns_disease/article.htm

Disease Symptom: A to Z Symptoms of Diseases
12 Jul 2008 ... Symptoms by disease, find medical symptoms related to a specific disease and other health problems.www.myelectronicmd.com/symptoms_of_disease.php

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What Do the Symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Look Like?, at The Body, the complete HIV/AIDS resource.www.thebody.com/content/art2307.html

Preventing Common Diseases: Osteoporosis

Preventing Common Diseases: Osteoporosis
By Chris Theberge

What disease are college-aged individuals most concerned about? If you ask most, I doubt you will hear many people respond with osteoporosis. This disease, which mainly affects older individuals, relates to a weakening and thinning of bones due to a loss in calcium stores. Why should you be concerned if osteoporosis is a disease the effects mainly individuals over 50-years-old?

According to the National Institute of Health on Osteoporosis and Bone Related Disorders, in the U.S. today 10 million people are living with osteoporosis and another 18 million are at high risk due to low bone mass. Approximately one in every two women and one in every eight men will have an osteoporosis related fracture at some point in their life. Men are less susceptible to developing osteoporosis because they generally have larger bones and achieve greater peak bone mass than women. Women also lose more bone mass as a result of hormonal changes associated with menopause. Family history of osteoporosis increases ones risk of the disease and Caucasian and Asian women are more likely to develop osteoporosis compared to African-American and Hispanic women.

One of the most important ways to prevent osteoporosis is making sure that normal peak bone mass is achieved by about 20 years of age. Although peak bone mass is mainly attained during the third decade of life, the amount of bone formed during your 20s to 30s is relatively small.

Bones are constantly breaking down and reforming. These two processes parallel each other until approximately 30 years of age when natural bone loss begins. Therefore, bones become progressively weaker and less dense as you age. Bone loss through aging is inevitable; however there are several ways to alleviate the rate at which this occurs. Many decisions you make now will determine your osteoporosis risk later in life. Current nutrition and exercise habits are two dynamics you must pay close attention to.

Preventing osteoporosis through nutrition

Studies have shown that teenage girls, adult women, and adults over 65 years of age have calcium intakes below the RDA. Why is this a concern?

About 99 percent of your body's calcium is found in teeth and bones. Adequate calcium consumption is crucial to ensure that your bones have enough of the building blocks for formation. Also, calcium levels in the blood are under tight control, which aims to maintain a steady calcium level. When calcium levels are low, with inadequate intake for example, your bones will release calcium to maintain that steady state. If calcium intake is consistently low, then your bones must continuously give up their calcium, instead of using it for its own development, resulting in lower bone mineral content, and hence lower density. Depending on your age, average calcium consumption should be between 1000 mg-1300 mg each day. Calcium supplementation is rarely warranted because it is very easy to meet your daily requirements with food.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is needed in adequate amounts to ensure that calcium is absorbed. There are two ways in which we get the vitamin. First, the sun can provide a way of processing the vitamin on the skin, which is followed by absorption into the body. Secondly, dietary intake can come from fortified milk, cod liver oil, and egg yolks, although in small amounts. Considering the region that we live in, conversion of vitamin D from the sun is not enough to provide adequate amounts, therefore dietary intake is needed. Interestingly, the major source of vitamin D in the American diet is from milk. Milk is also the major contributor of calcium. Therefore, it is to no surprise that inadequate calcium intake will also lead to inadequate vitamin D intakes. It is recommended that individuals receive about 400 IU - 800 IU of vitamin D each day through the diet.

Adequate calcium and vitamin D intake is easily achieved by drinking at least three glasses of milk, preferably skim, each day. Dairy products in general are excellent calcium foods, yet they are not the only way to meet your daily requirements. Canned fish products such as sardines provide ample amounts of calcium. Green leafy vegetables (i.e. Collard greens) are also calcium containing foods; however the presence of phytates and oxalates bind to calcium and limit the amount that is absorbed. Fortification of soy products, orange juice and cereals with calcium will greatly improve the calcium status of consumers.

Vitamin K is another fat-soluble vitamin necessary for normal bone health. One of its major functions is to aid in the formation of osteocalcin, a contributor to bone formation. Studies have related low vitamin K intakes with increased risk for osteoporosis. Vitamin K is synthesized by intestinal bacteria, yet the rate at which it is absorbed is not enough to maintain necessary levels in the body. Therefore vitamin K must be consumed through the diet. Dark green leafy vegetables, liver, alfalfa and kelp are all excellent sources.

High intakes of animal protein or sodium can increase the amount of calcium lost in the urine. Studies have related vegetarian diets with reduced urinary calcium loss compared to diets high in animal protein. Sodium by itself has the potential to increase the amount of calcium lost in the urine. Since Americans tend to have high protein diets, lowering your intake or substituting meat with beans or tofu can help to spare calcium. Replacing soda with milk, and not adding salt to your foods will also help.

Preventing Osteoporosis through exercise

Regular exercise aids in bone formation by adding mechanical stress to the bone and greatly increasing the amount of minerals deposited over time. Bone development is most effective when the activity is medium to high impact. Some of the best exercises to strengthen your bones include: running, weight training, and stop and go sports such as basketball, soccer and field hockey. The constant pounding impact will increase bone density, and improve balance and agility lessening the risks of falls and fractures.

For women there are additional factors to keep in mind regarding exercise, sports, and osteoporosis. The female athlete triad is a condition that often occurs in young females involved in endurance and weight-control sports (dancing and gymnastics). The triad consists of amenorrhea, disordered eating, and osteoporosis which all lead to a lessening of bone density. Amenorrhea occurs in female athletes when the menstrual cycle ceases because hormones become highly imbalanced. The imbalance often takes place when extreme exercise regimens and restricted calorie intake are present. Estrogen production is therefore reduced, and its important support in bone formation is lost. Disordered or irregular eating habits have a significant impact on bone density as well.

Many athletes feel stressed to maintain a certain figure to be competitive in their respective sport; but without adequate calories, nutrients, and minerals, bone deposition will not occur. When both of these conditions are present, density is greatly lowered and it is comparable to post-menopausal women. Risk of osteoporosis for these otherwise healthy athletes is increased.

Other Factors

In addition to exercise and nutrition other factors will influence how densely your bones form. Excessive use of drugs such as alcohol, caffeine and tobacco adversely affect bone deposition in many ways. Daily consumption of two to three ounces of hard alcohol or two to three beers per day may be damaging to the skeleton. Heavy drinkers have shown to have less dense bones and increased non-traumatic fractures then that of individuals who don't consume excess alcohol.

Caffeine, in high amounts, has the potential to impair calcium absorption, thereby reducing bone density over time. Although this may seem as a major problem, adding small amounts of milk to your coffee can offset this problem. This loss may also be accounted for because of excess caffeine in the diet and inadequate calcium.

Finally, smoking, in general, is bad for your body. In regard to osteoporosis, smoking inhibits calcium uptake to a degree, reduces the formation of new bone, and nicotine may have inhibitory effects on estrogen, which aids in bone formation in women. Moderate consumption, or in the case of smoking, abstaining all together from use is the best choice to aid in peak bone density formation.

Chris Theberge is the founder of the Nutrition and Food Web Archive, NutriWeb Designs, and Dietitian Designs. Visit The Nutrition and Food Web Archive for free nutrition and food-related resources.

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Small and Large Dogs How Size Variations Can Help Us Learn More About Diseases We Share With Dogs

Small and Large Dogs- How Size Variations Can Help Us Learn More About Diseases We Share With Dogs
By Connie Ragen Green

Dogs are descended from wolves but the domestic dogs of today are quite different from the dogs of long ago. The largest variation in size of any animals that live on land is found among the various breeds of dogs. Because dogs and humans have more than 200 diseases in common and humans share about 85% of our genetic makeup with canines in general, it is important to study the variation of size found in dogs. There were probably smaller wolves in ancient times but we have no way of knowing for sure. These smaller canines would have been more likely to have been treated as pets by ancient men. This was the beginning of man wanting to breed smaller dogs for different uses, such as hunting, herding and watching for intruders.

The reason that we have dogs of such varying size is that breeders started using selective breeding hundreds of years ago. The smallest dogs from each litter were mated together, resulting in smaller and smaller dogs. Purebred dogs became less pure and finally the bloodlines were diluted to the point that the purest animals of each breed became almost extinct. It is for this reason that we are able to learn so much from the diseases we share in common with dogs. These diseases include cancer, high blood pressure and arthritis.

Small dogs have a mutation in one of their chromosomes that accounts for the growth sequence from birth to adolescence in mammals. By studying this gene and the hormone it controls we can put the pieces of the puzzle together in a way that was previously unknown.

By learning more about the similarities between humans and dogs we can find out new ways to treat and prevent many diseases that we have in common. This is just one more way that dogs are truly mans best friend.

Connie Ragen Green is an official dog lover. To find out more about small and toy dogs such as Yorkshire Terriers and Maltese visit http://www.YorkieMalteseDogs.com

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What Are The Top Ten Dog Diseases?

What Are The Top Ten Dog Diseases?
By Robert Knechtel

Dog Diseases number in the scores, just as in humans. But, veterinarians tend to see some much more than others. Sadly, a great deal of grief could be avoided if more dog owners were careful to see that their pets are immunized regularly against preventable dog diseases.

While experts, as usual, may differ, what are the top ten dog diseases? Here's a list (not necessarily in order of seriousness) with a brief explanation of each disease:

Distemper:

Of all the dog diseases, the American Veterinary Medical Association considers the distemper virus to be the worst canine disease threat to dogs world wide. Distemper is fatal in 80% of puppies and 50% of adults. All dogs are extremely vulnerable, and should be vaccinated, with subsequent boosters in keeping the recommendation of a Veterinarian.

Parvovirus (Parvo):

Parvovirus is a worldwide dog disease. It is extremely contagious, especially among puppies, and can overwhelm a dog leading to death within 48 to 72 hours after exposure. Symptoms include depression, loss of appetite, vomiting and severe diarrhea. Parvo vaccination is essential with booster shots as recommended.

Rabies:

Rabies is a virus and becomes fatal when symptoms appear. Because rabies can be fatal to humans and other mammals, state and local laws uniformly require rabies vaccination, many mandating booster shots yearly.

Kennel Cough:

This is a respiratory disease especially prevalent in kennels and shelters. There are a variety of virus strains, including Bortadella. Symptoms can include a dry hacking cough along with inflammation of the larynx, bronchial tubes and trachea. Vaccination, as often as every six months is recommended.

Leptospirosis:

Symptoms of Leptospirosis include lethargy, kidney inflammation, low-grade fever, vomiting, reddening of the mucous membranes and conjunctiva, and blood clotting abnormalities. Since it is a bacterial disease, also found in humans, it is treated with antibiotics. Veterinarians are often reluctant to innoculate against this dog disease, since there is questionable effectiveness, and puppies can have adverse reactions.

Infectious canine hepatitis:

While this dog disease often manifests itself with mild symptoms such as a slight fever or slight lethargy, it can, in some instances become fatal. Recovery is usually rapid. Vaccination is recommended.

Lyme Disease:

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in dogs will include lethargy, joint pain, lack of appetite, lymph node enlargement, and fever. Lyme Disease is bacterial and is spread by ticks. Treatment is with tetracycline, an antibiotic. The available vaccine is not generally recommended.

Coronavirus:

Diarrhea and vomiting are symptomatic of this dog disease so it can be confused with parvovirus. Other indications are loss of appetite, smelly diarrhea, lethargy and dehydration. Replacement of lost fluids and control of vomiting and diarrhea are the recommended treatments. A vaccine is not generally recommended.

Obesity:

Just as in humans, this dog disease is a serious medical problem. Frequently, obese humans own obese dogs. Obviously, limiting food intake, withholding human food and enough exercise will contribute to a dogs longer life.

Heartworm:

Heartworms are parasites that grow and multiply, infesting the chambers in the heart, arteries in the lungs. Symptoms appear gradually, usually manifested in easy tiring, lethargy and a soft cough. If not treated, it eventually brings on death by congestive heart failure in a once active animal. Prevention with products such as HartGard is recommended.

Your veterinarian should give you a certificate showing your pet's immunization against the common dog diseases. Ask for a wallet sized card which you can carry with you.

Robert G. Knechtel maintains several websites, including PetMedShop.Com, and Go60.Com.

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