Tag Archives: kidney disease

20 Conditions That Are Linked to Obesity

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Obesity occurs when a person’s weight is over 20% higher than the healthy range for their height, or a person who has a body mass index of over 30. People who are obese have excess body fat than puts them at higher risk of developing many health complications such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

20 Conditions That Can be Influenced by Obesity

Of course not all people with these conditions are obese, and not all obese people will go on to contract health problems such as these. Diseases are complex, and often develop from a culmination of different risk factors such as lifestyle or family history. However, people who are obese are at much greater risk of developing these health problems or worsening existing health issues such as these:

  1. Diabetes
  2. Gallstones
  3. Osteoarthritis
  4. Gout
  5. Fatty liver disease
  6. Pregnancy complications
  7. Skin problems
  8. Lymphedema
  9. Atherosclerosis
  10. Metabolic disorders
  11. Cardiovascular disease
  12. Stroke
  13. Kidney disease
  14. Asthma
  15. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
  16. Hypertension
  17. High cholesterol
  18. Sleep apnea
  19. Clinical depression
  20. Certain types of cancer

What Can You Do To Lower These Risks?

The best way to lower your risk of developing these health problems is to eat a healthy, balanced diet, exercise regularly, and avoid smoking or drinking in excess. If you are obese or overweight, try your best to lose enough weight to fall into a healthy range for your height. If you are having problems losing weight on your own, talk to your doctor (or one of ours!) today for help, such as a referral to a dietitian or individualized medical advice. 

Find the Right Exercise for You

Not everyone is a “gym person”, but where are plenty of ways to workout that don’t involve expensive memberships and other people. Take a look through some of our fitness posts:

50 Exercises You Can do Almost Anywhere

Hobbies That Can Double as Exercise

10 Simple Ways to Exercise Around the House

7 Fall Fitness Ideas

5 Strange but Cool Workout Trends

Thanks for visiting DocChat! If you have any health-related concerns, our board certified physicians are standing by 24/7/365 to assist you.

5 Causes of Fluid Retention

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Fluid retention, medically know as edema, is a type of swelling that occurs when something malfunctions in the body and causes a build up of fluid in the tissues. We’ll be checking out 5 of the most common causes of edema today:

  1. Lymphatic problems – Because the lymphatic system is responsible for draining fluid from the tissues and sending it into the bloodstream, if it backfires or can’t work quickly enough, excess fluid begins accumulating in the body. Lymphatic disorders such as lymphedema can result in massive buildups of fluid in the lower limbs.
  2. Heart conditions – Many heart conditions such as congestive heart failure can cause swelling in the lower limbs, markedly the legs and ankles. This occurs because the heart isn’t strong enough to circulate blood around the entire body, resulting in neglected lower limbs.
  3. Kidney disorder – One of the common signs of kidney disorders such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) is fluid retention in the lower limbs because kidneys that aren’t working properly fail to filter or remove excess fluid.
  4. Allergies – In response to an allergen, your mast cells trigger the release of histamine, a chemical that causes surrounding blood vessels to leak fluid in the area which causes swelling.
  5. Diabetes – If left uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to poor circulation which often causes swelling of the legs, ankles and feet. In extreme cases, blood supply may be almost completely cut off to a lower limb, causing nerve damage and dead tissue, leading to terrible sores or amputation.

Other Causes of Edema

Other medical issues can cause swelling as well, such as:

  • An injury (typically causes a different type of swelling)
  • A sedentary lifestyle
  • Sodium-rich diet
  • Certain medications
  • Thyroid or hormonal issues
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • Pregnancy

When to Seek Medical Attention

Swelling is usually cause for concern, as it is often your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Because it can be a symptom of serious underlying health problems like heart or kidney disease, you should consult your doctor (or one of ours!) if you have been experiencing edema so he or she can perform the necessary tests.

Thanks for visiting DocChat! Remember, our board certified physicians are standing by 24/7/365 so help with any medical-related issues you may have.

 

 

6 Scary Reasons for Men To Stop Avoiding the Doc (Part 2)

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Men simply don’t visit the doctor enough and the proof is in the disease statistics. In Part 1 we looked at the prevalence of heart disease, stroke and cancer among men, so now for a look at depression, diabetes and sexually transmitted diseases:

  1. Depression

Over 6 million American men will struggle with depression annually but unfortunately, statistics show that men are far less likely to seek help for their depression than women. Moreover, depression often doesn’t present the same way between the sexes. The American Psychological Association explains that while women are more likely to battle feelings of guilt, sadness, worthlessness and shame, for men, depression manifests itself as anger (sometimes even episodes of verbal or physical abuse), irritation, lack of motivation, life or job dissatisfaction, and loss of interest in usual activities. Men are also more likely to dangerously self medicate with recreational drugs or alcohol, which compounds the depression, as alcohol is a depressant. It is extremely important for men who are noticing some of these symptoms to go to the doctor and speak up about it to get help. Untreated depression in men can lead to other complications such as sexual dysfunction, job loss, alcohol dependence or even suicidal thoughts (or actions). So see your doctor ASAP if you are experiencing depression symptoms.

  1. Diabetes

More and more men these days are developing diabetes and other kidney problems like chronic kidney disease. Of the 29 million Americans with diabetes, a shocking 25% of those don’t even know they have it. Excess alcohol consumption (which is more prevalent with men as well) and poor diet are both contributing factors to diabetes. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Too much alcohol can cause chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can impair its ability to secrete insulin and ultimately lead to diabetes.” Excess alcohol consumption can also contribute to virtually all of the other diseases on our list as well, so it is important to keep alcohol intake under about 2 drinks daily for men.

 

  1. Sexually Transmitted Disease

Sexually transmitted infections are rampant in America for both men and women, but as many men don’t get screened as regularly, they may not even realize they are silently carrying STIs that can cause harm to both themselves and their partners. Some of the main culprits for men include:

  • HPV – The vast majority of sexually active people will contract a form of the human papilloma virus. While most types are harmless and won’t cause problems, other types can lead to terrible warts or even cancer. Men are often carriers of HPV and pass it to women who man go on to develop precancerous cells or other reproductive issues.
  • Herpes – Nearly 20% of men will contract some type of herpes, most of whom will be under 25 years of age. Herpes is quite an unpleasant disease that can lead to terrible blisters, fever and swollen lymph nodes.
  • HIV – Perhaps the most frightening of all STDs is HIV, which often leads to life-threatening AIDS. HIV can lay dormant for years before developing into AIDS or causing other health problems.
  • Hepatitis B and C – are conditions that cause inflammation of the liver and can be passed from person to person via sexual contact. If left untreated, hepatitis can lead to permanent liver damage or even liver cancer.

There are many other STDs that commonly affect men, including chlamydia and syphilis, so it is important to get regular checkups and screenings to catch and treat any STDs early to avoid future complications or the risk of passing the disease to a partner.

Thanks for visiting DocChat! Hopefully some of these scary statistics really hammered home how important it is to attend regular checkups, whether or not you feel sick. If you have any questions or concerns about the health problems listed above (or any other ones), our board certified DocChat doctors are standing by 24/7/365.

 

 

 

Your Kidneys Work Hard – What Can You Do For Them?

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Millions of Americans are effected by kidney disease and poor kidney function, but fortunately there are measures you can take to help protect your kidneys against disease.

What Is Kidney Disease?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), also known as kidney failure or chronic renal disease, is a condition where your kidneys slowly lose the ability to function. During the more advanced stages of the disease, a sufferer may need a kidney transplant or kidney dialysis to stay alive. CKD affects nearly 26 million Americans, with millions of others at risk of developing it. The main causes of CKD are unchecked, chronically high blood pressure and diabetes.

Symptoms of CKD

Some of the main symptoms of kidney failure are loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, unexplained swelling in ankles or legs, trouble passing urine or passing less urine, fatigue, puffiness around eyes, feeling generally unwell, shortness of breath or extreme itchiness (without allergies). Many of these symptoms are vague and can be attributed to less serious illnesses. However, if you are experiencing these symptoms without cause, you should talk to your doctor (or one of ours) today.

Tips To Help Your Kidneys Fight Disease

While these measures may not fully eliminate your risk of developing kidney disease (or stop progression completely), they will certainly help you protect those vital organs as much as possible. Such measures include:

  1. Moderate your alcohol intake – drinking elevates not only your cholesterol, but also your blood pressure. Drinking too much causes chronically elevated levels which can contribute to kidney failure over time. The CDC defines moderate drinking as 1-2 drinks a day, so for the sake of your kidneys, you’d be best advised to keep your drinking below this cap.
  2. Keep hydrated – don’t make your kidneys work too hard by becoming under-hydrated. Make sure you get the recommended 5-8 glasses of water daily!
  3. Maintain proper nutrition – cutting down on junk and fatty foods and following a balanced, cholesterol-friendly diet (see suggestions below) is the best plan of action to avoid or lessen kidney damage. Another nutrition tip? Drastically cut down on salt intake.
  4. Be cautious of OTC supplements – some herbal supplements have been known to cause issues with the kidneys, it is always a good idea to check with your doctor (or one of DocChat’s highly qualified physicians) before beginning new supplements.
  5. Stay fit and active – getting regular exercise is a great way to help keep the body in tip top condition. It will also help regulate blood pressure and cholesterol to healthier levels, which will subsequently help your kidneys in the long run. Plus, it is a good idea to shed as many extra pounds as you can because obese people run a much higher risk of developing CKD.
  6. Be careful with certain meds – some medications such as NSAIDS (when used frequently) or even long term use of antibiotics can cause kidney problems or exacerbate existing kidney issues, so use caution and talk to your doctor about the risks before starting.
  7. Control potential contributing conditions – If you already have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you should work to control your condition, or it will lead to major kidney complications if left unmonitored. Over half of diabetics develop kidney damage, so take good care of your condition and hopefully those statistics will start to lower.
  8. Get screened regularly – regular checkups and bloodwork will alert your doctor to any changes or issues with your kidneys, these are especially important if you have kidney disease in your immediate family, if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol, if you have to use antibiotics or NSAIDS frequently because of other conditions, or if you have prediabetes or diabetes.
  9. Quit smoking – similarly to other health issues, smoking can cause or exacerbate kidney problems because of the harmful chemicals the body is ingesting. If you are a smoker and are concerned about kidney health, talk to your doctor about ways to quit today.

Diet Dos And Don’ts For Kidney Health 

Foods that will increase your cholesterol are not good choices for kidney health as high cholesterol and blood pressure are among the chief contributors to CKD. Some dos and don’ts for kidney health include:

  • For meats – Do eat: oily fish and baked, grilled or boiled skinless turkey or chicken
  • Don’t eat: fatty meats like sausages or beef dishes
  • For oils and grease – Do use: extra virgin olive oil
  • Don’t use: too much butter, lard or certain oils such as coconut
  • For your dairy share – Do eat: skim milk and reduced fat yogurts
  • Don’t eat: heavy creams or too much hard cheese
  • For sweets – do Eat: fruit like avocado
  • Don’t eat: high-fat, high-sugar baked goods and candy

There you have it – some of the precautions you can take to lower your risk of developing (or worsening) chronic kidney disease. Stay happy and healthy! Thanks for visiting DocChat.

 

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Some Scary Facts about Obesity

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Obesity is one the biggest problems that has the plagued 21st century. According to recent research, 34.5% or 7.6 million Americans are overweight and obese, yet it seems that these official statistics are underestimated. Certain interest groups are quite relieved that this issue is not discussed properly. Putting on a few pounds might not affect your physical appearance, but the health consequences can be much more severe and in some cases fatal. Let’s have a look at some of the major issues that can be caused by being overweight.

Heart Disease:

Obesity has much more to do with just appearance. It affects the internal organs and their functionality as well. Carrying around some extra fat puts a heavy stress on your heart and the fattening foods clog the arteries and boost up your cholesterol levels. Both of these changes put the heart at risk.

Kidney and Liver Diseases:

With high percentages of body fat, the organs need to work hard to function properly and satisfy the need of the body. Fat reserves in the liver can cause lifelong problems and also damage the liver itself. In the same way, these increased fats can jack down your kidney’s abilities to filter waste materials which is life threatening in most cases.

Muscles and Skeletal Disorders:

Excess fat means increased body weight. This places a heavy burden on your bones, joints and muscles which lead to pain and debilitating health conditions which will last your entire lifetime. This is caused by the wearing-away of tissue that is present at the joints.

Diabetes:

Insulin regulation in the body is mostly affected by being overweight, which leads to diabetes. This is mostly caused by weight gain, so keep your pounds under control to prevent such disease. In many cases diabetes is hereditary; but being overweight increases your chances of being diagnosed with it in the future.

Cancer:

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases known to man. Believe it or not, obesity can lead to different types of cancers including breast cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer.

Pregnancy Difficulties:

Pregnancy is a very exhausting time, and if you are obese then it makes the pregnancy, labor and delivery even more difficult. Morning sickness, drowsiness, raging hormones and severe headaches are a common side effect of pregnancy. However, overweight pregnant women often complain of other issues as well particularly high or low blood pressures and increased sugar levels.

Fitness and following a healthy routine should be a top priority of each and every individual. As they say fitness is not about being better than someone else…. It’s about being better than you used to be!