How to Know If You Have Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is classified among the most dangerous viral infections that have a special propensity to affect liver cells. 

After initial infection, the virus invades hepatic tissue and remains silent, while slowly destroying the parenchymal cells of the liver gland. Ironically, most cases of HCV infection are silent and are only instantaneously discovered on routine medical examinations or years after initial infection due to significant alteration in the liver function as a result of virus mediated destruction.

Hepatitis C is considered as life threatening virus and is transmitted by the use of contaminated needles (illicit drug abuse) or accidental needle stick injuries in the hospital setting.

How to Know If You Have Hepatitis C

Since hepatitis infection is mostly asymptomatic, at least in the early course of infection, most people tend to live a normal, symptom-free life. Test for hepatitis C is not generally performed by healthcare providers until the patient is certain of the exposure to a viral source.

There are certain risk factors that are often implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C. If you have one or more of the following risk factors, you should ask your healthcare provider to perform a viral test: 

• Your birth year is between 1945-1965. 
• You have received a blood transfusion from an unaccredited source or from a donor who is an HCV positive. 
• Exposure to contaminated syringes or needles during illicit drug use. 
• If you have received blood/ plasma for a blood related disorder or condition especially before 1987. 
• If you are a recipient of an organ transplant especially before July 1992. 
• You have a history of kidney dialysis in the past. 
• You are an HIV positive patient. 
• If your mother was infected with HCV at the time of your birth. 

If you have any of the risk factors listed above, make sure to speak to your primary care provider to ascertain if you are infected. Doctors usually perform serological test to ascertain if you have an infection and may also perform a liver biopsy taking a tissue sample from your liver to see if the virus has affected the liver tissue significantly.

For more health info and promotions, please follow us on Facebook- Wellness Lab

Download Wellness Lab Mobile App now for more promotions 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!

Lymph Nodes in Neck

Swollen glands or lymph nodes in neck indicate that the body is trying to fight an ongoing infection or illness. Lymph nodes are small, bean-like tissues that are part of your lymphatic system. They trap viruses, bacteria and other harmful substances circulating in the body.

Besides the neck, lymph nodes are also found in other area of the body, such as the armpits, behind the ears, and in the groin. Your tonsils are also lymphatic tissues that swell when infection occurs.

Normally you cannot feel your lymph nodes in the neck. However, when you are sick, you can feel them swell and you can feel them as soft, round or oval tissues that may be tender to touch. These lumps are usually movable and the skin overlying them may be red and warm. In some cases, the lymph nodes become hard and immovable but not painful or tender. These need further evaluation by your doctor, as these may indicate more serious illness.

Causes of Swollen Lymph Nodes in Neck

Lymph nodes help the body to fight disease or infection, and in the process, they become swollen or inflamed. However, when the infection and inflammation subside, they return to their normal size. If they remain swollen and hard even in the absence of obvious infection, further medical evaluation may be necessary.

The common causes of swollen lymph nodes in neck include the following:

1. Strep Throat

Throat infection caused by strep or tonsillitis can cause lymph nodes in the neck to become swollen and tender to touch. This is often accompanied by difficulty in swallowing, fever and pain.

2. Tooth Abscess

A tooth abscess is an infected area in the root of the tooth where pus develops when bacteria enter the gum. This may be caused by a decayed tooth, periodontal disease where the gum separates from the tooth or trauma to the gum or tooth. A tooth abscess can result in pain, fever, sensitivity to hot food and swollen lymph nodes in neck.

3. Lymphoma

This condition is a type of cancer involving the lymphatic system, which can cause lymph nodes in neck to swell. There are two major types: Hodgkin's lymphoma, which the most common type, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Lymph node biopsy is needed to diagnose the disease. The enlarged neck nodes are not painful.

4. Tonsillitis

Inflammation of your tonsils at the back of the throat leads to swollen tonsils, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, and tender, swollen lymph nodes in neck. It is usually caused by a virus, but bacteria may also be the culprit.

5. Mononucleosis/Mono

This is a common condition caused by a virus called the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It usually affects young people and leaves them feeling weak and tired for weeks or even months. It is also called the "kissing disease" because it spreads through saliva, mucus and tears. Symptoms include high fever, sore throat, weakness and swollen lymph nodes in neck. Sometimes the spleen can also become swollen, causing abdominal pain.

6. Other Causes

• Swelling of lymph nodes in neck may also due to:
• Common colds
• Skin infection
• Ear infection
• Upper respiratory tract infection
• HIV/AIDS
• Tuberculosis
• Side effect of certain drugs or vaccine

When to See a Doctor

It is advisable for you to consult a doctor when lymph nodes in neck are accompanied by:

• High fever
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty breathing
• Night sweats
• Unexplained weight loss
• Red skin overlying the swollen lymph nodes

Lymph nodes that are larger than one inch and those that are very tender or hard, or do not improve after a month need to be evaluated by a doctor immediately.

For more health info and promotions, please follow us on Facebook- Wellness Lab

Download Wellness Lab Mobile App now for more promotions 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!

Introducing The Best Exercise for Diabetes Patient

Exercise for diabetes patient treatment plans can help them control blood sugar levels and complement a healthy diet and medications. 

If you suffer from Type 2 diabetes, adding exercise increases your chances of staying healthy longer and prevents long-term complications including heart disease, kidney disease and damage to delicate nerves. Read on to see some of the best exercises diabetics can add as part of their treatment plan to stay healthy and fit.

What Are the Benefits of Exercise for Diabetes Patient?

People with diabetes tend to have lower blood glucose levels if they exercise. Type 2 diabetes causes people to have too much glucose in their blood. This is caused by not enough insulin or their body is resistant to the insulin they produce. Whatever the cause, exercising regular helps lower glucose levels. 

During exercise the muscles can use the excess glucose for energy, which in turn lowers glucose. If you have a problem with insulin resistance, exercising makes your body respond better to it. This also helps the cells in the body use glucose properly.

Exercising regularly with Type 2 diabetes can help you avoid long-term complications. It can help prevent heart disease by reducing the incidence of blocked arteries. This is the main cause of heart attacks and exercise can improve heart health. It can also help reduce cholesterol levels-one of the main causes of blocked arteries.

Best Exercise for Diabetes Patient

Take a Daily Walk

Walking is good for the body. It is a gentle easy exercise that can raise the heart rate and help burn calories, blood sugar and get blood flowing. Brisk walking is considered aerobic and the American Diabetes Associationrecommends aerobic exercise at least 3 times weekly.

Tai Chi

This relaxing exercise is just going through a routine of different movements. It helps keep the body fit and reduces stress levels. This type of exercise can help maintain good balance and may even possibly prevent damage to delicate nerves.

Try Yoga

Yoga is low impact on the body and gentle, but does really pack a punch when it comes to lowering blood sugar levels. You can do yoga daily to help improve insulin sensitivity, improve blood flow to the delicate nerves, and reduce stress.

Go For a Swim

Swimming is one of the best aerobic exercises that can get your heart pumping without strain to the joints. It also takes the stress off the feet that are prone to injuries due to nerve damage.

Ride a Stationary Bike

This aerobic exercise can improve the function of both the lungs and the heart. This is an exercise you can do year round in the comfort of your gym or own home. It really helps get the blood pumping all the way down to the legs, where you need it most. The blood vessels in the legs tend to have the most damage and need good blood flow.

Do Some Housecleaning

If you have trouble finding time for a regular exercise routine, just step up your housecleaning. Things like vacuuming, going up and down your stairs, mopping, and even gardening can help burn calories and reduce blood sugar levels.

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!

Knowing HbA1c Test

Diabetics know all about blood sugar checks. Many diabetics have to check their blood sugar several times daily, especially Type 1 diabetics. 

In recent years, a test has been introduced that can check the average of blood sugar levels over a few weeks or even months. The Hemoglobin A1c or HbA1c Test looks for glycated hemoglobin. This is produced when hemoglobin in the red blood cells pick up the glucose in the blood (glycated). The glucose hangs around for a while so when doctors measure this test, they can get a bigger picture of how you are doing with your diabetes treatment.

The HbA1c is also referred to as the "A1c" and if the numbers with this test is higher than before, your treatment may need to be adjusted and you are at higher risk of long-term complications. Read on for more information about this test.

What Is HbA1c Test？

An HbA1c test helps doctors see how well diabetes treatment plans are working for their patients. Doctors can also use it as a screening exam to check for diabetes. You may have also heard it called by the names: hemoglobin A1c, A1c or glycohemoglobin A1c.

The doctor can look at this test and see what your blood sugar levels have average over the last few months. This is because hemoglobin in red blood cells pick up glucose and it tends to stay within the hemoglobin cells for a while. The higher the blood sugar/glucose level, the more glucose the hemoglobin absorbs. When this happens, the HbA1c reads high and the doctor will know that the blood sugar levels have been high over the last few months.

The doctor will need to re-evaluate the treatment plan and possibly send you to a diabetic educator. This is done to prevent complications from high blood sugars over a long period of time. These include: 

• Eye damage/disease 
• Heart disease 
• Stroke 
• Damage to nerves 
• Damage to small blood vessels 

When & How Often Should You Take HbA1c Test?

When you are first diagnosed with diabetes, the doctor will initially run your first HbA1c Test to see where you are at. The American Diabetes Association recommends, "If glucose levels are stable, then HbA1c testing can be done twice yearly." If your blood sugar levels are not stable it is recommended for your doctor to run the test quarterly until your levels stabilize.

Using this test can help your doctor see if your current treatment plan is working or not. When the doctor works with the HbA1c numbers, research shows that the risk of long-term complications is drastically reduced.

What Is a Normal Reading for HbA1c Test?

The normal reading for an HbA1c test is between 4 and 5.6. Here is the breakdown of the ranges used to diagnose and monitor diabetes: 

• 4 to 5.6 – Healthy, no diabetes and minimal risk for getting diabetes 
• 5.7 to 6.4 – Pre-diabetes/high risk for future diabetes 
• 6.5 or higher – Diagnosis of diabetes and higher numbers mean your diabetes needs careful monitoring 

What Are the Limitation of HbA1c Test?

The HbA1c cannot help monitor daily blood sugar levels since they are an average of a few months. This also means that the test cannot monitor the fluctuations during the day and the differences from night to morning and vice-versa.

There are some health conditions that can show false elevated HbA1c levels and this must be taken into consideration. These include kidney disease, alcoholism, high triglycerides in the blood. If you suffer from sickle cell, thalassemia or have blood loss your A1c may show lower numbers.

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!

The Risks of Belly Fat

The Risks of Belly Fat -- and How to Beat Them ...The Natural Way

One of the most common questions I get is “how to lose belly fat?“. Belly fat is actually the most dangerous type of fat – besides aesthetics, large waist lines are indicators of –disease-disease-disease.

Did You Know That Not All Belly Fat Is The Same?

The most harmful abdominal fat, the hardest one to get rid of. By cleansing your liver, helping normal bile flow, reducing fat absorption into the fat cells, regulating your lipid and cholesterol metabolism. Prevents your blood vessels from forming atherosclerotic plaques.

This visceral fat in your middle makes toxins that affect the way your body works, says Samuel Dagogo-Jack, MD, president of the American Diabetes Association. Among them are chemicals called cytokines that boost your chances of heart disease and make your body less sensitive to insulin, which can bring on diabetes.

Cytokines also cause inflammation, which can lead to certain cancers, says Eric Jacobs, PhD, a researcher at the American Cancer Society. In recent years, he says, scientists have uncovered links between belly fat and cancers of the colon, esophagus, and pancreas.

The Hidden Health Risk Continued...

How can you tell if your belly fat is putting your health at risk? That part is easy. No special blood tests or scans are required. All you need is a tape measure. The size of your waist says it all.

The higher the number, the greater the danger your tummy poses to your health.

• For women, a waist measurement of 34 inches + more is cause for concern. 
• For men, a waist measurement of 38 inches + more could spell trouble. 

“If you have to move to a bigger pants size, even if your weight is considered normal for your height, or even if you haven’t noticed much weight gain, that’s an important sign it’s time to start watching your abdominal area."

“If your waist has already reached the “+“ size, you may want to consider dropping a couple of pounds from your abdominal area. Proper supplement, targeting specifically belly fat can be very effective.

A Tough Change To Make

Most of the time, that’s easier said than done. Is it worth the effort? Dagogo-Jack points to several studies that he says show the “spectacular” effects of even modest weight loss in preventing the onset of diabetes and other problems.

That should be great news for the 54 million people who have the high blood sugar levels that put them in the prediabetes category. Once you have it, type 2 diabetes is likely to follow within a decade.

Dropping belly fat can be a challenge. If you feel your efforts aren’t giving you the results you want...

...Here Are 5 Steps To Change Things Up:

1. Skip the fruit juice. 

It might seem like a healthy swap for sugary colas, but it’s not. All the fat-reducing fiber in the fruit has been removed, leaving only the pure fruit sugars that go straight to your waistline.

2. Eat your veggies. 

They should fill up at least half your plate, especially at your biggest meal. Choose more nonstarchy varieties (think leafy greens, broccoli, and beans) than their carb-filled kin (potatoes, corn, and carrots).

3. Choose proper supplement. 

Claims vs. reality. Your choice should focus on product that is formulated with abdominal fat in mind. Ingredients such as Caralluma Fimbriata, Lychee Exctract, Green Tea, Irvingia gabonensis are those which have been proven by clinical studies as the most effective in the fight for the waistline.

4. Go natural. 

Processed foods are not your friends. When you’re in a rush, it’s easy to overlook the fact that packaged foods are often loaded with trans fats, sugar, and salt -- all guaranteed to boost belly fat.

5. Keep your cool. 

The stress hormone cortisol can override your diet and workouts. When it goes through your body, fat deposits relocate to your belly area. Exercise and meditation can both be great ways to dial down your stress to nontoxic levels.

For more health info and promotions, please follow us on Facebook- Wellness Lab

Download Wellness Lab Mobile App now for more promotions 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!

Simple Teachings: Autoimmune Diseases

Your body's immune system is like a security guard that protects your body from infections and diseases. Unfortunately, your immune system can go awry and mistakenly attack healthy cells in your body. This is called an autoimmune disorder. It is still not clear exactly what causes autoimmune disorders and they can be genetic though and run in families.

What Are the Causes of Autoimmune Diseases?

Under normal circumstances, the immune system's white blood cells will protect your body from harmful substances, including viruses, bacteria, cancer cells, and toxins. After the onset of an autoimmune disease, your immune system cripples and fails to differentiate between healthy body tissues and antigens (bacteria, viruses, etc.).This leads to an immune response that destroys healthy body tissues.

Many factors can trigger autoimmune reactions. For instance:

• Sometimes a normal body substance changes shapedue to a drug, virus, radiation, or sunlight and is taken as foreign body by your immune system. These virus-infected cells may trigger your immune system to attack.
• A foreign substance that looks like a natural body substance enters the body and the immune system targets the similar body substance along with the foreign substance leading to autoimmune reactions.
• In some cases, B cells, a type of white blood cell, malfunction and overload your body with abnormal antibodies that start attacking some of the body' healthy cells.
• A substance that may be in the body but is usually hidden from the immune system may trigger autoimmune response when it enters into the blood stream. For instance, if something hits your eye and the fluid in your eyeball enters your bloodstream, this will produce an autoimmune response, as the immune system will take it as a foreign substance.

In addition to these, there are many other situations when it is not evident exactly what triggers an autoimmune reaction or disease. Heredity has a role to play here, as some people are usually born with genes that make them vulnerable to autoimmune disorders.

What Are the Most Common Autoimmune Diseases?

There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, and some of the most common ones are mentioned below.

Autoimmune Disease	Description
Rheumatoid Arthritis	The immune system cells attack the joint and produce swelling, inflammation, and pain. If left untreated, it may lead to permanent joint damage.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus)	The disorder produces autoimmune antibodies that attach themselves to tissues in your body and affect the joints, blood cells, lungs, kidneys, and nerves.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease	The immune system starts destroying the lining of the intestines that may lead to diarrhea, urgent bowl movements, rectal bleeding, fever, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis are also the forms of inflammatory bowel disease.
Multiple Sclerosis	In this disorder, your immune system destroys nerve cells, causing blindness, pain, poor coordination, weakness and muscle spasms.
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus	Your immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in your pancreas and lead to diabetes mellitus.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome	In this autoimmune disease, the immune system destroys your nerves that control muscles in the legs. It may also affect the nerves in the arms and upper body.
Psoriasis	You suffer from psoriasis when immune system blood cells (T-Cells) start accumulating in the skin. This often produces silvery, scaly plaque on your skin.
Graves' Disease	In this disease, the immune system affects your thyroid gland and increases the level of thyroid hormone in your blood. The symptoms include weight loss, bulging eyes, rapid heart rate, nervousness, and brittle hair.
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis	The immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produces thyroid hormone, leading to symptoms such as constipation, fatigue, depression, weight gain, dry skin, etc.
Myasthenia Gravis	The immune system produces antibodies that attach to nerves and restrict their ability stimulate muscles.
Vasculitis	Your blood vessels are usually the target of the immune system in this autoimmune disorder.

What Are the Common Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases?

As there are so many types of autoimmune deficiency disorders, the symptoms vary a lot. The symptoms may differ a bit because autoimmune diseases can affect different parts of your body, including joints, muscles, red blood cells, skin, endocrine glands, and connective tissues. The most common symptoms include fever, fatigue, and general feeling of being unwell. Whatever the symptoms, they tend to get worse during flare-ups.

When to See a Doctor

It is important to get in touch with your doctor as soon as you develop some symptoms of an autoimmune disorder.

For more health info and promotions, please follow us on Facebook- Wellness Lab

Download Wellness Lab Mobile App now for more promotions 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!

What Is the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus, known simply as diabetes is described as a metabolism disorder. When we speak of metabolism we are referring to the way digestion occurs in our bodies. 

Diabetes is a disease characterized by high sugar (glucose) in the blood. There are two major causes of the metabolic disease. Diabetes could occur when the body has inadequate insulin production or when the cells fail to respond adequately to insulin. Diabetic patients tend to experience symptoms such as frequent urination (polyuria), frequent bouts of hunger (polyphagia) and thirst (polydipsia). What are the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Differences Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
	Type 1	Type 2
Basic Information	70 percent of type 1 diabetes diagnoses are in early adulthood in persons aged below 30 years old. The good news is that this type of diabetes doesn’t affect many, and it accounts for only five to 10 percent of the diabetic population. With type 1 diabetes, the body fails to produce sufficient insulin meaning the patient will have to take insulin injections for life. This is why type 1diabetes is referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes.	Type 2 diabetes was for the longest time referred to as ‘adult onset diabetes’. However over the past two decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported cases of an increase in adolescents and children in the U.S with this diabetes. This is the most prevalent type of diabetes and accounts for 90 percent of diabetics. Type 2 diabetes occurs when then the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or when the cells resist the insulin, sometimes both. This is a progressive disease which gets worse with age.
Signs and Symptoms	The symptoms of type 1 diabetes are acute and occur suddenly. Most patients only realize that they have diabetes when they visit a clinic or the emergency room with high blood sugar symptoms. The symptoms could be dire and sometimes patients of type 1 diabetes are admitted in the intensive care unit. Some of the signs of this condition include: thirst and a dry mouth, increased hunger, blurred vision, sudden weight loss even with normal eating, pain sensations in the feet and hands, sometimes both and frequent infections.	Type 1 and 2 diabetes share symptoms but symptoms in type 2 diabetes are normally unnoticeable as they occur gradually. Some of the major symptoms of type 2 diabetes include: frequent urination which mostly occurs at night, fatigue, feeling sick, abnormal thirst, blurred vision, unexplainable weight loss and increased infections which heal slowly. Type 2 diabetes is also an asymptomatic disease and this is because it does not exhibit symptoms meaning it could go unnoticed for years.
Physical attributes of patients	Type 1 diabetes is not associated with obesity. The patients are usually of normal weight or thin.	Type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity. Overweight persons have a higher likelihood of developing this condition.
Diagnosis	Diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is conducted with a series of medical tests. A Glycated Hemoglobin test (A1C) is conducted to test the level of blood sugar over the past few months. Random blood sugar tests are also conducted as well as fasting blood sugar test which is done after an overnight fast. The fast test is more reliable than a random blood sugar test. When diagnosed with diabetes, the doctor will take blood samples to look for auto-antibodies which are common with this diabetes. The tests are normally conducted twice. Genetic and idiopathic factors are also considered with diagnosis. Genetic testing is conducted in cases where there is a family history of the disease.	Type 2 diabetes may have no symptoms making diagnosis difficult. However, the doctor could notice signs of obesity, increased or low birth weight, poor growth of the placenta, gestational diabetes and metabolic syndrome as well. The series of diagnostic tests are in type 1 and type 2 diabetes are similar. They include the A1C test which identifies the amount of blood sugar in the hemoglobin. Sometimes the results of the A1C test may be unreliable and this is in cases where the patient has certain conditions such as hemoglobin variant or is pregnant. In such cases random blood sugar and fasting blood sugar tests are conducted. An oral glucose tolerance test could also be conducted though rarely.
Treatments	Type 1 diabetes requires lifelong treatments and these include taking insulin injections to replace the insufficient production. Patients also need to regularly monitor their blood sugar levels. A healthy lifestyle, diet and regular exercise is recommended to control the condition. The goal of treatment is to prevent chronic complications such as kidney damage and others from occurring. Treatment also ensures that the body has optimal glucose levels and the individuals’ nutritional needs are met.	The treatment for type 2 diabetes includes weight loss and this is done by engaging the patient in a dietary and exercise program. A good diet is essential in people with type 2 diabetes and this diet basically consists of low glycemic foods which are high in fiber. These include whole grains, fruits and vegetables. These foods help stabilize blood sugar levels and the patients will normally work with a dietician or nutritionist. Foods that have refined carbohydrates, sugars and animal products are generally restricted. Insulin injections could be used to regulate production and medication is provided in many cases. Medication could be taken orally or injected to control the levels blood sugar. Self monitoring of blood sugar levels is necessary since this is the only way a patient can ensure that their levels are within healthy range.
Prevention	Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented as it occurs due to the pancreas failure to produce sufficient amounts of insulin. Luckily, it is controllable.	Type 2 diabetes is preventable and can be delayed with a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a healthy diet along with exercise could prevent or delay the onset of this condition.

For more health info and promotions, please follow us on Facebook- Wellness Lab

Download Wellness Lab Mobile App now for more promotions 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!