What causes retrosternal chest pain?
Retrosternal chest pain is pain felt behind the sternum bone—a flat bone located in the middle of the chest. This bone may also be referred to as the breastbone. Due to the relative location of retrosternal pain, it is often confused with various cardiac conditions that can induce unnecessary anxiety in suffers. However, due to the nature of the pain and its presenting symptoms, those who experience retrosternal pain will often be worked up to rule out any potential cardiogenetic cause.
It is estimated that 44.9 percent of people visiting the emergency room for chest pain have acute coronary syndrome, a common cause of chest pain. Continue reading…
A new UK study has found that individuals who suffer from insufficient nightly sleep tend to have larger waistlines and are more likely to be obese and overweight. People who averaged six hours of sleep a night had waistlines three centimeters larger than those who slept nine hours a night. The shorter a person slept, the heavier they tended to be.
The results add to evidence that sleep is a contributing factor to metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
The study looked at the link between sleep duration, diet and weight, and indicators of overall metabolic health such as blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and thyroid function. Continue reading…
Our blood is transported through our body by blood vessels, and sometimes these blood vessels appear as bulging veins in hands. These swollen veins look unsightly and are an indicator of our age, but the good news is that bulging veins are not generally a sign of poor health.
However, there are instances where bulging veins may be caused by a serious vascular disease. Continue reading…
Chocolate is one of the world’s most delectable treats. It is sweet and savory, and it’s good for you. At least, that’s what several studies would have you believe. Unfortunately, they aren’t talking about the Hershey’s bar you buy at the local convenience store.
Modern chocolate is packed with added sugar and milk powder, giving it its milky consistency. Recently, many studies into chocolate have labelled it a health food. But this is also a bit misleading, as only the base ingredient found in modern chocolate, called cocoa, is beneficial. Continue reading…
Bile ducts have a major function when it comes to our well-being. Having an enlarged bile duct can lead to uncomfortable pain as well as a host of other symptoms.
Bile is a liquid produced by our liver. It is a yellowish-brownish or dark-green substance that the bile duct normally carries from the liver and gallbladder through the pancreas to the duodenum, which is part of the small intestine. Bile essentially helps digest fats from the food we eat. If a blockage or obstruction occurs in the bile duct, it enlarges. Continue reading…