Friday, 12 April 2013

Treatment of Bladder Cancer

With a diagnosis of bladder cancer, the first thing many patients want to know are their treatment options. Depending on the stage of cancer, the severity of the symptoms and other medical conditions, there are numerous medical treatments aimed at eradicating the disease.
Bladder Cancer Surgery:
There are several types of bladder cancer surgeries that can be done. In less severe cases, tumors are removed through the urethra under local anesthesia. The process, called a transurethral bladder resection, involves using a laser or electric current to remove the tumors. In more severe cases, all or part of the urinary bladder is removed. In men, the surgery includes removal of the bladder, prostate and seminal vesicles. In women, it includes the uterus, urethra, part of the vaginal wall and the bladder. Often, bladder lymph nodes are removed as well. These patients often undergo radiation therapy and chemotherapy as well. This decreases the chance of the cancer returning. Once the bladder is removed, surgeons then typically create a new urinary collection system that is located either inside the body, called a continent urinary reservoir, or outside the body, called an ileal conduit.

Chemotherapy for Bladder Cancer:
This treatment uses specialized medicines to kill cancer cells. For bladder cancer treatment, chemotherapy involves more than one drug in combination. It is given through the vein, called intravenously, or directly into the bladder, called intravesical therapy. The mixture of chemotherapy drugs given and the way it is delivered depends on the severity of the case and how the body responds. Chemotherapy drugs are considered effective because they are absorbed into cancer cells at a higher rate than absorption into normal cells. This allows the drug to kill off cancer cells and not normal cells.

Bladder Cancer Radiation Therapy:
Often given in conjunction with chemotherapy, radiation treatment uses high-dose radiation beams to destroy cancer cells. It is also used alone to kill cancer cells or before or after bladder-cancer surgery. For intensive radiation treatment, patients receive external radiation, which directs precise beams of radiation to exact locations on the bladder.

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) Treatments:
Sometimes used as a vaccine against tuberculosis, BCG is the most commonly prescribed immunotherapeutic agent used in bladder cancer. It boosts or restores your natural defenses against the disease. BCG, which is derived from an inactive genetically engineered bacterium, has been most successfully used to prevent the recurrence of bladder cancer. BCG is given through a catheter directly into the bladder once a week for six weeks and can be used in conjunction with surgery.

Thursday, 4 April 2013

How To Reduce and Remove Acne Scars Naturally


Like acne remedies, you will find also natural treatments for acne scars. Natural sources like herbs could be utilized to treat acne or pimple scars. The healing process is gradual and it takes time for natural treatments  for acne scars. However, they are safer than other methods and have absolutely no negative effects.

Tips For Dealing With Acne Scars:
Soda:
Exfoliate your skin with baking soda. Often times a version of baking soda is used in cosmetic micro-dermabrasion treatments. You can give yourself a mini micro-dermabrasion treatment by mixing one teaspoon of baking soda with the two teaspoons of filtered water. Then gently rub the mixture on your acne scar for sixty seconds then rinse it off.

Olives:
After exfoliating your skin with baking soda, massage a pea-sized amount of olive oil onto your face. Acne scaring can cause the skin to lose its elasticity and suppleness. The moisturizing nutrients in the olive oil will penetrate the skin to deeply moisturize the skin and soften the skin’s texture.


Lemons:
If your acne scars dark, you can use lemon juice to lighten them. Lemon is  natural treatments for acne scars Cleanse your face with lemon juice. Dab one teaspoon of lemon juice into a cotton ball and smooth it over the acne marks. Leave for ten minutes, then rinse. Use caution with lemon juice because it can make your skin photosensitive. So be certain to use a sunscreen on any area you treat with lemon juice prior to going out into the sun.



Fruits:
In addition to eating fresh fruits to supply your skin with collagen building vitamin C, you can also smear them onto your face for gentle acid exfoliation. Just puree a forth a cup of pineapple and smooth it onto your face. Leave it for 10-15 minutes, then rinse. Since the pineapples contains ascorbic acid, it will impart a brightening effect on the face, and help fade acne marks.

Water:
It cannot be said enough. “Your skin needs water.” Especially when you want to promote the type of skin repair needed to heal acne scarring. Your skin needs water to keep the skin plump, to remove toxins, and the build new skin cells. Drink at least 80 ounces of filtered water a day to give your skin the quality and quantity of water it needs to reveal healthier, fresher skin.


Acne scars can be treated, just like any other type of scar. Finding out how to remove acne scars is relatively simple; acne scar treatments are no different from other scar treatments for the most part. Many of the best acne scar treatments are able to treat all types of scars. The best acne scar treatments usually contain some form of silicone. Undiluted, medical quality silicone has proven in many cases to be one of the most successful ingredients at removing acne scars.


Bipolar Disorder Signs & Symptoms


Bipolar Disorder:
During a manic episode, a person might impulsively quit a job, charge up huge amounts on credit cards, or feel rested after sleeping two hours. During a depressive
episode, the same person might be too tired to get out of bed and full of self-loathing and hopelessness over being unemployed and in debt.Bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) causes serious shifts in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior–from the highs of mania on one extreme, to the lows of depression on the other. More than just a fleeting good or bad mood, the cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or months. And unlike ordinary mood swings, the mood changes of bipolar disorder are so intense that they interfere with your ability to function.


Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder:
Bipolar disorder can look very different in different people. The symptoms vary widely in their pattern, severity, and frequency. Some people are more prone to either mania or depression, while others alternate equally between the two types of episodes. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others experience only a few over a lifetime.

There are four types of mood episodes in bipolar disorder:mania, hypomania, depression, and mixed episodes. Each type of bipolar disorder mood episode has a unique set of symptoms

Signs and symptoms of mania:
In the manic phase of bipolar disorder, feelings of heightened energy, creativity, and euphoria are common. People experiencing a manic episode often talk a mile a minute, sleep very little, and are hyperactive. They may also feel like they’re all-powerful, invincible, or destined for greatness.

But while mania feels good at first, it has a tendency to spiral out of control. People often behave recklessly during a manic episode: gambling away savings, engaging in inappropriate sexual activity, or making foolish business investments, for example. They may also become angry, irritable, and aggressive–picking fights, lashing out when others don’t go along with their plans, and blaming anyone who criticizes their behavior. Some people even become delusional or start hearing voices.

Hypomania symptoms:
Hypomania is a less severe form of mania. People in a hypomanic  mood disorder. However, hypomania can result in bad decisions that harm relationships, careers, and reputations. In addition, hypomania often escalates to full-blown mania or is followed by a major depressive episode.
state feel euphoric, energetic, and productive, but they are able to carry on with their day-to-day lives and they never lose touch with reality. To others, it may seem as if people with hypomania are merely in an unusually

Common signs and symptoms of mania include:
  • Feeling unusually “high” and optimistic OR extremely irritable
  • Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about one’s abilities or powers
  • Sleeping very little, but feeling extremely energetic
  • Talking so rapidly that others can’t keep up
  • Racing thoughts; jumping quickly from one idea to the next Highly distractible, unable to concentrate
  • Impaired judgment and impulsiveness
  • Acting recklessly without thinking about the consequences
  • Delusions and hallucinations (in severe cases)

Signs and symptoms of bipolar depression
In the past, bipolar depression was lumped in with regular depression. But a growing body of research suggests that there are significant differences between the two, especially when it comes to recommended treatments. Most people with bipolar depression are not helped by antidepressants. In fact, there is a risk that antidepressants can make bipolar disorder worse–triggering mania or hypomania, causing rapid cycling between mood states, or interfering with other mood stabilizing drugs.

Despite many similarities, certain symptoms are more common in bipolar depression than in regular depression. For example, bipolar depression is more likely to involve irritability, guilt, unpredictable mood swings, and feelings of restlessness. People with bipolar depression also tend to move and speak slowly, sleep a lot, and gain weight. In addition, they are more likely to develop psychotic depression–a condition in which they’ve lost contact with reality–and to experience major disability in work and social functioning.