Dogsmakeussmile! 

Dogs are more than great pets, they aid in our health!

Goldsmiths College released a study that showed more dogs will approach someone who’s crying or in distress than someone who is not. This shows that dogs are empathetic and are eager to help comfort humans in pain.

Their sense of smell can do even more than we think; dogs can also detect low blood sugar in their master. They will either alert the person that the sugar has dropped or, if a diabetic attack has already occurred, will bark and bark and bark in an attempt to alert somebody to come help, thus working to save the diabetic’s life.

Some dogs are also able to detect seizures in humans. Recent research has shown certain dogs are able to warn seizure patients that they’re going to experience an attack, sometimes hours before it happens. Nobody yet knows how they do it, or why only certain dogs can do it. They also can’t be trained to do it, so if you feel you need a seizure-sniffing dog, you need to make sure you have yourself a natural.

Due to their incredible sense of smell, dogs have shown anywhere from 70 to 99% accuracy (depending on the study) when tasked with detecting lung cancer in a nearby patient.

Fibromyalgia is a debilitating disease that can leave its victim in constant pain. Studies have shown that the Xolo dog’s body temperature can be used as a kind of therapeutic heating pad, due to it being a hairless species. Of course, unlike heating pads, a Xolo will bond with you, snuggle with you and keep you warm as long as you need, leading to both external comfort and internal happiness.

In a surprising twist, it might actually be beneficial to get a dog for your baby, even if they’re allergic. Studies have shown that children under the age of one who live with a dog are much less likely to develop the chronic, and annoying, skin condition called eczema.

Dogs can highly make humans more social. The British Medical Journal has concluded that dogs act as “social catalysts,” who help people get out more, approach others more easily, and overall reduce isolation. This is actually just as important as the basic companionship that dogs provide, as human social support is beneficial to human health and the dog.

Simply by being themselves, dogs have been shown to help reduce PTSD among soldiers. In addition to providing the usual doggie companionship, they have been shown to help sufferers come out of their shells, be less numb and angry, and improve their social life as well.

A dog kissing you obviously feels wonderful, but it might actually have physical benefits too. Studies have shown that saliva, both the human and doggie variety, can help stimulate nerves and muscles, and get oxygen moving again, which is the secret ingredient in helping wounds to heal. In short, “licking your wounds” is not just a cliché after all.

Almost certainly due to the positive vibes and good feelings that dogs bring out of their masters, even in the worst of times, studies have found that older people who own dogs average at least one less doctor appointment per year than those who do not.

Not that they are the cure but preliminary studies by the American Heart Association are revealing that dog owners have less risk of heart disease than those without dogs. The reasons given are the exercise that owners get when walking their dogs, plus the presence of the dog helps the owner deal with stress better. The evidence is mostly anecdotal right now, but dog owners know that it’s all true.

Day-to-day depression, or even more serious chronic depression, is easier to handle with the love of a dog, studies show. Simply by having them around, and knowing that even at our worst, somebody loves us unconditionally and is eager to see us happy again, we’re given a reason to get up and keep going.

Autistic children often find the world very stressful, in ways that the non-autistic can’t understand. Luckily, a dog can. Studies are showing that bringing a therapy dog into an autistic household helps to reduce the amount of cortisol (a stress hormone) in the autistic child’s body. This both calms the child down and shows him that he has a friend.

Bullying has been a huge problem for a long time, and people are finally doing something about it. Dogs, too. Experimental programs have been launched that bring dogs into schools to promote empathy, with the lesson that you shouldn’t treat people badly, because you wouldn’t do it to a dog. Thus far, kids have been able to make the connection, which will hopefully continue to be the case.

Dogs have shown that they can help keep dementia sufferers on schedule, reminding them when its time for medicine and when to see the doctor. In addition, when the owner experiences frustration over the state of their mind, the “dementia dog” is right there to support them, comfort them, and remind them that someone’s always there for them.

AREN’T DOGS AMAZING!!

Treatment for Cushing’s syndrome depends on its cause. Surgery may be needed to remove the tumor or the pituitary or adrenal glands. Other treatment may include radiation, chemotherapy, and use of certain hormone-inhibiting drugs.

John Hopkins Medicine

  afib

Ablation is used to treat abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias. The type of arrhythmia and the presence of other heart disease will determine whether ablation can be performed surgically or non-surgically.

Ablation therapy using radio frequency waves on the heart is used to cure a variety of cardiac arrhythmiae such as supraventricular tachycardia, Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome (WPW), ventricular tachycardia, and more recently as management of atrial fibrillation (especially when its newly diagnosed when medical management can’t change it back to normal sinus rhythm, which is the normal cardiac rhythm seen on a telemetry monitor or of an EKG taken on a patient).

An arrhythmia is a change in the heart’s normal rate or rhythm, normally between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Arrhythmias are classified by their location in the heart and by their speed or rhythm. An atrial arrhythmia is an abnormality that occurs in one of the two upper chambers of the heart, the left or right atrium. Arrhythmias are associated with aging and typically happen more frequently during middle age. At least 10 to 15 percent of people older than 70 years experience arrhythmias.  We have what we call our human pacemaker of the heart that naturally sends conduction for the heart to pump, which is called the sinus node.  This is in the upper left corner of the right chamber of the heart.  That is where the name sinus rhythm derives from (the sinus node) which is the best rhythm a human can be in as long as the pulse rate stays above 60 and stays under 100. Now if that sinus node for some reason breaks down and no longer works; so than the pace site starts somewhere in the right atrium below the sinus node (the heart is compensating for whatever is the reason the sinus node is not working).  So now the rhythms are called atrial rhythms because of where the new natural pacemaker site is in the heart.  This is where ablation comes into play if the type of atrial rhythm they have is detrimental to the patient; including if that patient is a candidate for this procedure.  Between our heart chambers on the top (called atriums) and below (called the ventricles) is a AV (meaning atrioventricular valve).  Rhythms above the ventricles are also grouped as supraventricular rhythms.  Which is what ablation is used for.

Types of rhythms a patient would be considered for ablation as a possible treatment:

Atrial fibrillation. The electrical signal that circles uncoordinated through the muscles of the atria (the upper chambers of the heart), causing them to quiver (sometimes more than 400 times per minute) without contracting. The ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart) do not receive regular impulses and contract out of rhythm, and the heartbeat becomes uncontrolled and irregular. It is the most common atrial arrhythmia, and 85 percent of people who experience it are older than 65 years.

Atrial fibrillation can cause a blood clot to form, which can enter the bloodstream and trigger a stroke. Underlying heart disease or hypertension increases the risk of stroke from atrial fibrillation as does age even without heart disease or hypertension.

Premature atrial contraction (PAC or premature atrial impulses). A common and benign arrhythmia, a PAC is a heartbeat that originates away from the sinus node, which sends electrical signals through the upper chamber. It typically occurs after the sinus node has initiated one heartbeat and before the next regular sinus discharge. A PAC can cause a feeling of a skipped heartbeat. Use of caffeine, tobacco, and/or alcohol, or stress can bring on PACs or increase their frequency.

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). Characterized by a rapid heart rate that ranges between 100 and 240 beats per minute, SVT usually begins and ends suddenly. SVT occurs when an electrical impulse ‘re-enters’ the atrial muscles. A disorder that a person may have at birth, SVT is commonly caused by a variation in the electrical system of the heart. SVT often begins in childhood or adolescence and can be triggered by exercise, alcohol, or caffeine. SVT is rarely dangerous, but can cause a drop in blood pressure, causing lightheadedness or near-fainting episodes, and, rarely, fainting episodes.

Atrial flutter. Differentiated from atrial fibrillation by its coordinated, regular pattern, atrial flutter is a coordinated rapid beating of the atria. Most who experience atrial flutter are 60 years and older and have some heart disorder, such as heart valve problems or a thickening of the heart muscle. Atrial flutter is classified into two types, according to the pathways responsible for it. Type I normally causes the heart rate to increase to and remain at 150 beats per minute. Rarely, the rate may reach 300 beats per minute; sometimes it decreases to 75 beats per minute. Type II increases the atrial rate faster, so the ventricular rate may be 160 to 170 beats per minute. As with atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter increases the risk of stroke.

Sick sinus syndrome (SSS). Common among older people, SSS is an improper firing of electrical impulses caused by disease or scarring in the sinus or Sinoatrial node (SA node). SSS normally causes the heart rate to slow, but sometimes it alternates between abnormally slow and fast. A progressive condition, with episodes increasing in frequency and duration, SSS can be caused by:

• Degeneration of the heart’s electrical system; or
• Diseases of the atrial muscle.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Sinus tachycardia. The sinus node emits abnormally fast electrical signals, which increases the heart rate to between 100 beats per minute to 140 beats per minute at rest, and 200 beats per minute during exercise. A normal response to exercise or stress, it can also be caused by:

• Adrenaline;
• Consumption of caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol; and
• Heart conditions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW). WPW syndrome occurs when electrical signals fail to pause in the atrioventricular node because an extra pathway allows the impulse to “bypass” the normal pathway; and the syndrome is sometimes called bypass tract. WPW syndrome causes heart rates approaching 240 beats per minute.
• Occasionally, impulses can go down one extra pathway and up another, creating a “loop” or “short circuit,” (called SVT because of WPW). Patients with WPW syndrome may develop atrial fibrillation and are at increased risk for developing a dangerous ventricular arrhythmia when this occurs. *                                                                                                                                                                                                   Sinus bradycardia. Associated with impaired impulse generation in the SA node, it causes the heart rate to decrease to fewer than 60 beats per minute. Commonly caused by SSS, drugs like beta-blockers and calcium-channel blockers can also cause sinus bradycardia. Occasionally sinus bradycardia can be caused by impaired conduction of impulses to the atrial muscles.

 Treatment of Cushings Syndrome:

 Treatment of cushings syndrome is by castigation of the under lying cause. Treatments for Cushing’s syndrome are contrived to pass your body’s cortisol production to normal. By indurate, or even distinctly lowering cortisol levels, you’ll feel evident improvements in your signs and symptoms. Left untreated, however, Cushing’s syndrome can finally induce to death. The treatment choice depend on the cause. For example:

*If a tumour in an adrenal gland is the reason, an operation to withdraw it will cure the condition.

*For adrenal hyperplasia, both adrenal glands may require to be withdraw. You will then require to take lifelong replacement therapy of several adrenal hormones.

*Other tumours in the body that produce ‘ectopic’ ACTH may be able to be removed, depending on the kind of tumour, where it is, etc.

*Medication to block the production or consequence of cortisol may be a choice.

 Ending line treatments for Cushing syndrome are designed to lower the high level of cortisol in your body. The best treatment for you depends on the cause of the syndrome. Treatment options include:

• Reducing corticosteroid use. If the cause of Cushing syndrome is long-term use of corticosteroid medications, your doctor may be able to keep your Cushing signs and symptoms under control by reducing the dosage of the drug over a period of time, while still adequately managing your asthma, arthritis or other condition. For many of these medical problems, your doctor can prescribe noncorticosteroid drugs, which will allow him or her to reduce the dosage or eliminate the use of corticosteroids altogether.

Don’t reduce the dose of corticosteroid drugs or stop taking them on your own. Do so only under your doctor’s supervision.

Abruptly discontinuing these medications could lead to deficient cortisol levels. Slowly tapering off corticosteroid drugs allows your body to resume normal cortisol production.

• Surgery. If the cause of Cushing syndrome is a tumor, your doctor may recommend complete surgical removal. Pituitary tumors are typically removed by a neurosurgeon, who may perform the procedure through your nose. If a tumor is present in the adrenal glands, lungs or pancreas, the surgeon can remove it through a standard operation or in some cases by using minimally invasive surgical techniques, with smaller incisions.

After the operation, you’ll need to take cortisol replacement medications to provide your body with the correct amount of cortisol. In most cases, you’ll eventually experience a return of normal adrenal hormone production, and your doctor can taper off the replacement drugs.

However, this process can take up to a year or longer. In some instances, people with Cushing syndrome never experience a resumption of normal adrenal function; they then need lifelong replacement therapy.

• Radiation therapy. If the surgeon can’t totally remove a pituitary tumor, he or she will usually prescribe radiation therapy to be used in conjunction with the operation. Additionally, radiation may be used for people who aren’t suitable candidates for surgery.

Radiation can be given in small doses over a six-week period, or with a technique called stereotactic radiosurgery (Gamma Knife surgery). In the latter procedure, administered as a single treatment, a large dose of radiation is delivered to the tumor, and the radiation exposure to surrounding tissues is minimized.

• Medications. Medications can be used to control cortisol production when surgery and radiation don’t work. Medications may also be used before surgery in people who have become very sick with Cushing syndrome. Doctors may recommend drug therapy before surgery to improve signs and symptoms and minimize surgical risk.

Medications to control excessive production of cortisol at the adrenal gland include ketoconazole (Nizoral), mitotane (Lysodren) and metyrapone (Metopirone).

Mifepristone (Korlym) is approved for people with Cushing syndrome who have type 2 diabetes or glucose intolerance. Mifepristone does not decrease cortisol production, but it blocks the effect of cortisol on your tissues.

Side effects from these medications may include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headaches, muscle aches, high blood pressure, low potassium and swelling. Some have more serious side effects, such as neurological side effects and liver toxicity.

The newest medication for Cushing’s is pasireotide (Signifor), and it works by decreasing ACTH production from a pituitary tumor. This medication is given as an injection twice daily. It’s recommended if pituitary surgery is unsuccessful or cannot be done.

Side effects are fairly common, and may include diarrhea, nausea, high blood sugar, headache, abdominal pain and fatigue.

In some cases, the tumor or its treatment will cause other hormones produced by the pituitary or adrenal gland to become deficient and your doctor will recommend hormone replacement medications.

If none of these treatment options are appropriate or effective, your doctor may recommend surgical removal of your adrenal glands (bilateral adrenalectomy). This procedure will cure excess production of cortisol, but will require lifelong replacement medications.

Complications are rare but include:

Bruising on your thigh

Ear pain during the procedure

Very rarely, neurological problems

“Cushing’s syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure of the body’s tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol.”

NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 294,000 children in the United States have been diagnosed with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions.”

CDC Centers for disease and control

“Hepatitis types B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people and, together, are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer.”

WHO World Health Organization

“Scientists have identified 5 unique hepatitis viruses, identified by the letters A, B, C, D, and E. While all cause liver disease, they vary in important ways.”

World Health Organization

“Twenty million more have Chronic Kidney Disease, where patients experience a gradual deterioration of kidney function, the end result of which is kidney failure.”

Xavier Becarra (Born January 26, 1958 is an American politician and a member of the United States House of  for California’s 34th congressional district).

There are things you can do to slow or stop the damage to your kidneys. Taking medicines and making some lifestyle changes can help you manage your disease, prevent further damage to the kidneys, if their functioning at all and make you possibly feel better.

Kidney disease is a complex problem. You will probably need to take a number of medicines and have many tests. To stay as healthy as possible, take your medicines just the way your doctor says to and work closely with your doctor.

Go to all your appointments for the MD to see a increase in function or decrease in function of your kidney or kidneys you have still functioning to a level. To do that you can’t just go every 6 months especially when first diagnosed with it or with a collapse of an exacerbation of kidney failure in a worse level that brought on new symptoms that brought you to the ER.

Lifestyle changes are an important part of your treatment. Taking these steps can help slow down kidney disease and reduce your symptoms. These steps may also help with high blood pressure, diabetes, and other problems that make kidney disease worse or made the kidney disease happen with the secondary diagnosis you had originally for years (ex. Hypertension or Diabetes if not both especially is uncontrolled)

Very hard, never a complete 100 % resolution. It is like emphysema done by smokers the damage is done or like a heart attack the area of the infarction=damage is already done to the heart muscle.

Scared now, understandable but unfortunately the damage is done, so its get the organ to its optimal level of functioning or replace the damaged kidney (s) through a transplant of one.  You need to know this, do it if you want to live LONGER.  Remember fear is fear itself, the fear run it over and deal with what you have and make your life longer & better!  It’s all up to you.  HANDSOME I know you can do it , I am there for you as a good friend and professional RN and I would love you to last longer John!! XO

You may have a test done that lets your doctor look at a picture of your kidneys, such as an ultrasound or CT (Cat Scan of the kidneys). These tests can help your doctor measure the size of your kidneys, estimate blood flow to the kidneys, and see if urine flow is blocked. In some cases, your doctor may take a tiny sample of kidney tissue (biopsy) to help find out what caused your kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease is caused by damage of the kidneys whether the cause of it be primary a Renal or Kidney problem or a secondary, another disease or disorder that affects the kidneys in doing their job, like hyperglycemia related to a individual with uncontrolled diabetes, for instance.

Chronic kidney disease may seem to have come on suddenly. But it has been happening bit by bit for many years as a result of damage to your kidneys.

One way to measure how well your kidneys are working is to figure out your glomelular filtration rate (GFR). The GFR is usually calculated using results from your blood creatinine test. Then the stage of kidney disease is figured out using the GFR (glomelular filtration rate). There are five stages of kidney disease, from kidney damage with normal GFR to kidney failure.

Your doctor will do tests that measure the amount of urea (BUN) and creatinine in your blood. These tests can help measure how well your kidneys are filtering your blood. As your kidney function gets worse, the amount of nitrogen (shown by the BUN test) and creatinine in your blood increases. The level of creatinine in your blood is used to find out the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The GFR is used to show how much kidney function you still have. The GFR is also used to find out the stage of your kidney disease your in if you have it and its to guide decisions about treatment. *

To treat CRF:

Follow a diet that is easy on your kidneys. A dietitian can help you make an eating plan with the right amounts of salt (sodium) and protein. You may also need to watch how much fluid you drink each day.

Make exercise a routine part of your life. Work with your doctor to design an exercise program that is right for you.

Do not smoke or use tobacco.

Do not drink alcohol.

When kidney function falls below a certain point, it is called Kidney failure. Kidney failure affects your whole body. It can cause serious heart, bone, and brain problems and make you feel very ill. Untreated kidney failure will be life-threatening at some point.

When you have kidney failure, you will probably have two choices: start dialysis or get a new kidney (transplant). Both of these treatments have risks and benefits. Talk with your doctor to decide which would be best for you.

Always talk to your doctor before you take any new medicine, including over-the-counter remedies, prescription drugs, vitamins,or herbs. These can hurt the kidneys further.

In COMPLETE RENAL FAILURE you have 2 choices for  Rx.:

1**-Dialysis is a process that filters your blood when your kidneys no longer can. It is not a cure, but it can help you feel better and live longer.  There is hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.

2-**Kidney transplant may be the best choice if you are otherwise healthy. With a new kidney, you will feel much better and will be able to live a more normal life. But you may have to wait for a kidney that is a good match for your blood and tissue type. And you will have to take medicine for the rest of your life to keep your body from rejecting the new kidney.    

Making treatment decisions when you are very ill is hard. It is normal to be worried and afraid. Discuss your concerns with your loved ones and your doctor. It may help to visit a dialysis center or transplant center and talk to others who have made these choices. 

Stayed tune for this weekend on Hemodialysis!