Weekly health news: Tinnitus, menopause, cholesterol, kidney failure, macular degeneration, heart failure

This week’s health news roundup contains our most recent articles discussing tinnitus, menopause, cholesterol, kidney failure, macular degeneration, and heart failure. This week, we looked at how tinnitus patients can cope with phantom noises, how menopause affects cholesterol, causes and symptoms of acute kidney failure, and much more.

Tinnitus patients cope with phantom noise using internet-based self-help therapy

Tinnitus patients now have the option to cope with phantom noise using internet-based self-help therapy. A German-Swedish study had participants with moderate to severe tinnitus try out various forms of therapy over the course of 10 weeks. One group was on internet-based self-help therapy, the other was going through group therapy, and the third one – the control – was only taking part in an online discussion forum.

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The outcomes for both internet-based therapy and group therapy were found to be more successful than in the controls (participating in online discussion only) in managing symptoms of ringing in the ears, a signature symptom of tinnitus. Continue reading…

Menopause and its effect on cholesterol levels

Menopause seems to have an effect on cholesterol levels. While estrogen supports high levels of HDL (good) cholesterol during a woman’s reproductive years, once she goes through menopause, her estrogen levels decrease. So do the levels of HDL cholesterol, allowing for LDL levels to rise, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Practicing heart-healthy habits is important even prior to menopause as a long-term investment into cardiovascular wellbeing. Preventative measures to protect the heart will ensure that the effects of dropping estrogen levels and rising cholesterol levels are not as detrimental as they could be. Continue reading…

Acute kidney failure in elderly: Causes and symptoms

Acute kidney failure is the inability of the kidneys to filter waste from the blood. If the kidney lose their filtering ability, the waste accumulates in the blood and its levels become dangerously high, disrupting the blood’s own chemical balance.

Acute kidney failure can develop rapidly. It is commonly seen in persons who are already hospitalized, specifically those who are critically ill or in intensive care.

Acute kidney failure can be a fatal condition, but it can be reversible, too.

Here we will outline the causes and symptoms of acute kidney failure. Continue reading…

Wet macular degeneration: Causes, symptoms, treatments, and remedies

Wet macular degeneration is an eye disease that can cause blurred vision or even blind spots in a person’s visual field, and while it is not as common as dry macular degeneration, it does account for 90 percent of all cases of severe vision loss as a result of the disease.

Macular degeneration is a leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 60. It happens when a small portion of the retina, referred to as the macula, deteriorates. Wet macular degeneration takes place when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid or blood into the macula. As a result, patients may see spots in the center of their field of vision or they may notice that straight lines appear wavy since the macula isn’t smooth anymore. Continue reading…

Heart failure accelerates aging process, brings on early andropausal syndrome

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Heart failure speeds up the aging and triggers the onset of early male menopause, known as andropausal syndrome (AS). AS is characterized by a reduction in anabolic hormones, including testosterone, in aging men. Decreasing hormone levels are what contributes to clinical symptoms.

Symptoms of AS can be categorized into three groups: sexual – such as sexual dysfunction and low libido, psychological – for example, depression and irritability, and somato-vegetative, such as joint and muscle pain, sweating, and the need for more sleep.

It is well known that the risk of heart failure increases with age, and a decrease in anabolic hormones is common in men with systolic heart failure. Continue reading…

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