While some conditions discussed this week can be bothersome, they need not be life-threatening. However, some of these can pose a serious risk to life as they are affected by problems in the flow of blood. When any part of the body does not receive proper blood supply, it can get damaged and will no longer function the way it is meant to. Some examples are as follows:
- Systolic heart failure is the partial malfunctioning of the heart that affects its ability to pump blood.
- Thalamic stroke which originates in the thalamus of the brain, can result in brain damage and affects the functioning of the brain.
- Gastric varices is a life-threatening condition caused by liver malfunctioning.
- Embolic stroke is caused when blood flow to the brain is obstructed due to a clot.
Natural remedies and foods for erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects up to 30 million American men; however, there are natural remedies for erectile dysfunction as well as foods that can be considered during treatment.
ED is another way of saying impotent. It is a diagnosis that occurs when a man is unable to achieve or maintain an erection. If someone experiences reduced sexual desire and difficulty with erections for more than a few weeks or months, it could be ED.
While there are various prescription medications and even surgical procedures to treat erectile dysfunction, research shows that natural remedies for erectile dysfunction can be sufficient.
Natural remedies for erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction can occur for various reasons. A health condition, an emotional or relationship problem, a certain medication, smoking, drugs, and alcohol all have the potential to cause ED. Some people want a quick fix, so they rush to their doctor hoping to get medication, not knowing that there are natural home remedies for erectile dysfunction.
Studies, including one published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2014, suggests that some men can reverse ED with simple lifestyle adjustments. Continue reading…
Systolic heart failure, also known as a systolic dysfunction, is one of the most common types of heart failure and it typically affects the left ventricle of the heart. The left ventricle does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to pumping blood through the heart. Systole is the critical phase of each heartbeat when the blood is pumped through the heart and sent to other parts of the body.
Ejection fraction is the term used for measuring the exact amount of blood that’s being pumped through the different ventricles in the heart at any given time. A normal ejection fraction through the left ventricle should be about 55 percent or more per heartbeat. Any amount lower than that can lead to systolic heart failure, which is essentially a lack of sufficient blood supply being pumped through the heart.
Systolic heart failure occurs when the left ventricle becomes enlarged or inflamed to the point that it’s unable to fully contract. This prevents it from pumping blood with a strong enough force, which means other parts of the body won’t receive sufficient blood supply or the nutrients they need to function normally. Continue reading…
Thalamic stroke is one of the deadliest types of intracerebral hemorrhages that occurs in the thalamus, which is located in the lower portion of the brain. It’s typically brought on by severe bleeding in the brain tissue, which can greatly damage brain cells and reduce the functionality of either some parts of the brain or the brain as a whole.
Strokes typically occur when there’s a massive blockage or lack of sufficient blood and oxygen supply to any part of the brain. Blood flow can be prevented by an embolism, otherwise known as a blood clot, that happens as a result of a ruptured artery in the heart producing an overabundance of blood flow to different parts of the body.
Thalamus anatomy and function
The thalamus is a chamber-like structure located above the midbrain in the hindbrain within very close proximity to the central brain. The function of the thalamus is to produce nerve fibers and send them through the cerebral cortex. Most sensory signals sent out and received by the brain must pass through the thalamus. Continue reading…
Gastric varices are a pathological condition caused by liver dysfunction, most often cirrhosis of the liver, resulting in portal hypertension. Portal hypertension occurs when there is increased pressure in the portal veins of the liver. These veins are how blood reaches the liver and the spleen.
Cirrhosis of the liver occurs when healthy liver cells are replaced with scar tissue and correlate with gastric varices by about 50 percent. When it is left untreated, portal hypertension will cause gastric varices in approximately 20 percent of patients. In cases when cirrhosis of the liver is not present, gastric varices are most often the result of splenic vein thrombosis, a complication of acute pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, or other abdominal tumors.
The submucosal veins in the stomach become dilated, which are called gastric varices. If the veins burst, they can cause internal bleeding. Depending on the severity, they can be life-threatening. Other symptoms include hemoptysis (coughing up blood), black tarry stools, or rectal bleeding.Continue reading…
An embolic stroke is caused by a blood clot that breaks loose somewhere in the body and travels into the brain through blood vessels. Once in the brain, the blood clot gets lodged in an artery, resulting in an embolic stroke. Embolic strokes are a type of ischemic stroke, which occur when arteries in the brain become blocked and account for 80 percent of all strokes. The brain relies on arteries to bring in blood, which carries the oxygen and nutrients it needs to keep functioning. When an artery is blocked, and oxygen lost, cellular death can occur.
Causes, risk factors, and symptoms of an embolic stroke
The blood clot that causes the embolic stroke can originate from anywhere in the body, but it most often comes from the heart or somewhere in the upper chest or neck. The blockage created when it enters a blood vessel too small to pass through is called an embolus. Emboli are created from air bubbles, fat, and plaque found in the vessel wall. They can also be caused by an irregular heartbeat, which is called atrial fibrillation. Continue reading…
Most of the conditions covered in this weekly update are manageable if detected early. This can be achieved through maintaining a healthy lifestyle—eating a healthy diet, getting adequate sleep, exercise, and quitting bad habits such as excessive drinking and smoking can go a long way not only as natural remedies for erectile dysfunction, but also in preventing a systolic heart failure or embolic stroke and possibly even the recurrence of a thalamic stroke.