What are the Causes of Weight Loss?
The causes of unintentional weight loss are many and in most of the cases of weight loss the cause can be found by careful physical examination and some direct investigations or testing. But in approximately 20%-25% of the cases of weight loss the cause can not be found despite extensive testing and in general their survival is much better than those individuals for whom the cause can be found. The causes of weight loss are different in elderly and for the young adults. For the elderly the common causes of unintentional weight loss are depression, cancer and gastrointestinal pathology and for young adults the common causes of unintentional weight loss are diabetes, eating disorders and other psychiatric illnesses, hyperthyroidism and infections like HIV. The causes of unintentional weight loss are also different in males and females (in young adult females anorexia nervosa can be a leading cause of unintentional weight loss).
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Know about Unintentional Weight Loss
Weight loss of more than 5% (five percent) of body weight without an intention in less than one year time can be called unintentional weight loss and it can be a signal to a serious underlying pathology and underlying systemic disease. It is advisable for general physicians to investigate to find out the cause of weight loss of more than 5% in 6-12 months period. Weight loss should not be ignored if it is not intentional, as it may be due to serious medical problem and early diagnosis of the underlying disease can be managed better if diagnosed in time and as early as possible. Despite significant variation in the quantity of food and calorie intake as well as highly variable physical activity or consumption of calories, normal human beings generally able to maintain bodyweight surprisingly without much fluctuation.
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Colon Cleansing: An Overview
Colon cleansing is part of alternative medicine and covers broad areas of removing toxins (that are not clearly identified) from gastrointestinal tract and removal of fecal waste from GIT. Colon cleansing is also sometimes called colon hydrotherapy, as it uses colonic irrigation with enema. But colon cleansing is also done with oral therapy. Generally herbs of medicinal value are added to the water which is used as enema for purpose of cleansing the gastrointestinal tract of toxins (can be called detoxification) and fecal waste.
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How to Diagnose Indigestion?
Diagnosis of the cause of indigestion may pose a problem. Proper history (a thorough interview) with a thorough physical examination may be essential for diagnosis of indigestion. Most of the cases of indigestion are generally due to GERD and functional dyspepsia. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) produces heartburn, that is exacerbated by meals and may even awaken the patient in the night. Individuals with functional dyspepsia have epigastric pain as the main symptom. As most of the cases of indigestion are due to gastroesophageal reflux disease and functional dyspepsia, the general principle of diagnostic testing are directed at diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux disease and functional dyspepsia.
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Vitamins and Minerals in Your Diet
Diet is an important factor for maintenance of optimal health of every individual. Without a healthy balanced diet it is not possible to maintain health. The major constituents of diet are proteins (the building blocks of life), fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. The first three are essentially for providing energy, growth & development, for providing fat stores to withstand short lean periods. The vitamins and minerals are also essential for maintaining good health. Vitamins and minerals in many cases act as cofactor in different important reaction for maintenance of optimal health.
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Differential Diagnosis of Indigestion
Many other diseases cause symptoms of indigestion and it is important to find out the actual disease that is causing indigestion. Sometimes it becomes difficult to find out the actual disease which is causing indigestion and health state of the patient can not be improved much.
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How to Cope Depression During Holidays?
Holiday session sometimes brings depression and stress along with it, as the depression and stress related problems tend to increase during holidays sessions. The reasons of depression and stress during holidays are many and range from trying to spend perfect holiday to not able to meet certain demands of family and friends. Coping with depression and stress during holidays may not be easy.
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The Global Burden of Diarrhea
Diarrhea is extremely common health problem all over the world, including in the developed countries. In the developing countries diarrhea is one of the leading cause of mortality and morbidity, especially among infants of below one year of age and children below five years. Diarrhea exerts an enormous toll in terms of mortality, morbidity, social inconvenience, loss of work and productivity, and utilization of medical resources of a nation. In developing countries acute infectious diarrhea is one of the common cause of mortality, especially among children below five years of age and estimated to cause 2-3 million deaths every year. Diarrhea is one of the common cases faced by doctors in developing countries.
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