Saturday, December 1, 2007

By: Charlene J. Nuble

One Reality TV show, The Swan, thrives on makeovers. Often viewed as tantamount to having a new life, a lot of people get giddy with the thought of undergoing a makeover. Imagine being surrounded by aesthetics professionals brainstorming on how to make a deity out of an ugly duckling. Simply incredible, isn't it?
High on the mirage of the promise of exquisiteness lingers on mind. It's not until the prick of the needle for shots of anesthesia brings you back to your senses.
Elusive beauty is the major objective of each makeover. With this goal in mind, technology gave birth to a way of achieving what's thought of as currently beautiful in the form of plastic surgery. Liposuction is considered the most popular procedure in the United States for several years running. But liposuction is quite new to the US.
Liposuction was invented in Italy by two gynecologists, Dr. Gorgio Fischer and his son Dr. Gorgio Fischer, Jr. in 1974. Through small incisions, they were able to cut away fat tissues within the body. A rotating scalpel and suctions aided the procedure. Though not as comparable to today's techniques, Drs. Fischer still deserve the credit for liposuction.
Also known as lipoplasty and lipectomy, liposuction removes isolated pockets of fat from the body of those who are of relatively normal weight. These fat pockets or cellulites could either result from overeating alone or as an inherited trait that can't be removed by dieting or exercise.
The liposuction market comes from actors frantic with weight loss failure or simply just anyone who can afford a cellulite-free life. Anyone interested with liposuction should be informed that liposuction, as a surgical procedure, is not risk free. Before going gaga over losing those pesky flabs, better consider the following risks and complications that range from mild to potentially life-threatening.
Skin Sag. Removal of fat tissues in one area of the body at once may result in loose skin, depending on skin's elasticity. Stretch marks hint poor skin elasticity. So you might want to look all over your body for stretch marks first before getting nicked.
Uneven curves. Take-two's of this procedure often come from liposuction patients complaining about lumps and bumps from their original surgery.
Liposuction Scars. Scars from liposuction are permanent. It is recommended that to prevent scar tissue from darkening, they should be kept out of the sun.
Swelling. Depending on the recovery rate and are operated on, edema or swelling may last for weeks or even months after liposuction. Fluid pockets may form. They will need to be drained with a needle.
Infection. Most patients that underwent surgical procedures are prone to infections. Antibiotics are prescribed to take after liposuction to prevent infection.
Burns. Ultrasonic assisted liposuction utilizes a probe that may become very hot and can cause burns.
Organ Damage from Injury. A probe under the skin through a small incision gives the possibility of puncturing an internal organ.
Fluid Imbalance. During liposuction, large amounts of fluids are injected while some fluid is removed from the fat tissue. If not recognized fluid imbalance may result in pulmonary edema, or heart or kidney dysfunction.
Pulmonary Embolism. Small pieces of fat may crumb off during liposuction and go to the lungs as pulmonary emboli. This risk is greatest within the first 3 days.
Lidocaine Overdose. Too much lidocaine injected may result to toxicity.
Liposuction Deaths. For every 100,000 liposuction performed, the risk of death is around 3.
These liposuction dangers could be lowered in rate if an expert surgeon will perform the operation. The health of the patient would also influence the severity of the risks. Avoiding multiple procedures, general anesthesia, extracting large amount of fat could also contribute to a safer liposuction.


Knowing The Symptoms Of Diabetes And How To Address Them
By: Charlene J. Nuble

Diabetes mellitus is a condition resulting from the pancreas' inability to produce enough insulin, which is needed by the body to help create energy. A deficiency of or ineffectiveness of insulin leads to high glucose levels in the blood, thus, leading to this illness.
Diabetes has two types. Type 1 Diabetes usually occurs in young people and requires frequent insulin injections, while Type 2 Diabetes is experienced by older people and is not as dependent on insulin. Majority of those who have Type 2 Diabetes have been found to be either obese or overweight.
Diabetes usually runs in the family, so it's best to know early on if you have it. The common symptoms experienced by someone who has diabetes include unusually frequent urination and hunger, constant thirst, rapid weight loss, tiredness, numbness in the feet and hands, recurrent skin infections, itching in private parts and blurred vision. When left unattended, diabetes could escalate to hyperglycemia, which develops from an excess of glucose in the blood, and leave the person temporarily unconscious, or, worse, cause severe infections, poor healing abilities, heart ailments and numbness from nerve damage.
The direct origins of diabetes, besides heredity, remain uncertain. However, several scientists believe that diabetes can also spring from an infection in the pancreas, a disorder in the autoimmune system and even from an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.
When you notice the signs that possibly point to diabetes, consult your doctor immediately. You will be subjected to tests to determine whether your blood sugar is stable and if there is a presence of diabetes. Your doctor will then recommend an appropriate exercise regimen and diet to temper the effects of diabetes, or, if needed, prescribe medication.
People diagnosed with diabetes should avoid sugars and control the intake of fats, carbohydrates and salt. A life long low-fat, high-fiber diet is ideal. Regular aerobic exercise also helps maximize the effect of insulin treatments. Some studies show that weight management and a proper diet are often enough to keep those with Type 2 Diabetes in check and even prevent people who are diabetes-prone from developing the condition. In alternative medicine, herbs like ampalaya and banaba have also been used to help treat diabetes.
For persons with a history of diabetes in the family and are over forty years old, blood should be checked for sugar levels two hours after a hearty meal. This procedure should be done at least twice a year, as several people have been found to have had diabetes for years without experiencing any of the symptoms.
Sadly, diabetes cannot be cured. But it can be controlled with life-long treatment. Therefore, to combat diabetes, regular check-ups, a healthy lifestyle and constant vigilance are in order


Of Lumps, Bumps And Breast Cancer
By: Charlene J. Nuble

You feel a mild soreness in the breast so you checked for lumps. You felt a little bump. The next best step is to consult a doctor, you might have breast cancer. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts from the cells of the breast. Breast cancer occurs mainly in women but this does not mean that men are safe from this disease.
A woman's breast is made up of lobules, which are glands that make the milk; ducts, which connect lobules to the nipples; fat and connective tissues; blood vessels; and lymph vessels. Most breast cancers begin in the ducts. It may also begin in the lobules then spread to other tissues.
When one feels a lump in the breast, there is really no virtual worry because most lumps are benign which means that they are not cancerous. In fact, benign breast tumors are abnormal growths but do not really pose threats because they do not spread outside of the breast. However, some benign lumps increase the risk in having breast cancer.
Then there are lumps that are not really tumors at all which are often caused by fibrocystic changes -- cysts are fluid-filled sacs while fibrosis is the formation of scar-like tissue. These changes can cause swelling of the breasts resulting to being lumpy and sometimes a fluid discharge from the nipples.
There are different types of breast cancer and knowing them will greatly help in assessing the disease.
Carcinoma in situ is a term used for early stage of breast cancer where the cancer cells are still confined to the place where it started. In particular, the cancer cells are confined in the lobules or the ducts, depending on where it started. The cancer cells have not gone into the fatty tissues in the breast nor spread to other organs of the body.
Ductal carcinoma in situ is the most common type of noninvasive breast cancer. Similar with Carcinoma in situ, the cancer cells have spread through the walls of the duct into the fatty tissue of the breasts. Almost all women with breast cancer at this stage can be cured and the best way to find is through the use of mammogram.
Lobular carcinoma in situ is the condition which begins in the milk-making glands but does not go through the walls of the lobules. This is not a true cancer but this can increase the risk of a woman to have breast cancer later. For this very reason, it is of utmost importance for women with this type of condition to follow the guidelines for breast cancer.
Infiltrating (or invasive) ductal carcinoma is a type of breast cancer that starts in the milk passage, breaks through the duct walls, invades the fatty tissue of the breast then spread to other parts of the body. This is the most common type of breast cancer.
Infiltrating lobular carcinoma starts in the milk glands then travel to the other parts of the body.
As of now, there is no exact cause for breast cancer but there are certain factors that are linked to the disease. Some factors that cannot be controlled are age, gender, family history, personal history of breast cancer, and race. Factors such as not having children, birth control pills, diet, exercise, and alcohol are some of the factors that can be controlled which may lessen or heighten the risk of a woman to have breast cancer.
There are several tests that may confirm and disconfirm if you suspect breast cancer such as imaging tests which includes mammography, breast ultrasound, and ductogram and biopsy which includes fine needle aspiration biopsy, stereotactic core needle biopsy, and surgical biopsy.