A regular stroke is a 911 emergency. It is an interruption of blood flow to part of your brain. Without blood, brain cells start to die. This stroke causes sudden symptoms like numbness and weakness on one side, loss of speech or the ability to understand speech, dizziness or loss … Read More
Being constipated stinks—your bowel movements are dry, almost painful to pass, with little relief. Worse yet, you can manage to push something through only a couple of days a week. You feel bloated, fatigued, and just plain uncomfortable. It’s all you can think about. And, after a week or so, … Read More
With literally billions of people traveling by air every year now, researchers are finally starting to gather and publish more data about the health risks associated with airplane travel. In terms of the common cold, it is now well-accepted that acute respiratory infections are frequently experienced after air travel. So … Read More
Harry matched up with the profile of a person at risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and its potentially deadly complication, a pulmonary embolism (PE). Well into his 70s, he’s a bit overweight, a diabetic, has had both knees replaced, and survived a heart attack. He leads a very active … Read More
They call it “economy class syndrome.” It occurs when blood clots form in the veins of your legs and other parts of your body as you fly for hours in the cramped seating of economy class. But, the lack of leg room isn’t necessarily the reason why you might develop … Read More
Whether you have atrial fibrillation (Afib) or a history of developing blood clots in your legs or lungs, you need to talk to your doctor about taking an oral anticoagulant medication. In a person with Afib, these blood thinners can prevent a blood clot from forming in the heart, traveling … Read More
Lipoprotein (a) or Lp(a) is a small LDL-like particle that strongly increases your risk for heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular problems. Studies show a very direct, linear correlation between high lipoprotein (a) in your blood and risk: the higher your Lp(a) cholesterol numbers, the more plaque builds up in … Read More
Anemia is a common blood disorder caused by any number of factors, including iron deficiency, vitamin deficiency, pregnancy, infection, autoimmune disorders, genetics, chronic disease, chemotherapy, or congenital abnormalities. Depending on the type you’re diagnosed with, anemia causes the reduction in the amount or dysfunction of red blood cells in your … Read More
The term brain attack is often used to describe a stroke. Just as a heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart is interrupted, a brain attack can occur when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted in a way that injures or kills brain cells. There … Read More
A cerebrovascular disease is one caused by arteries blocked by a blood clot, bleeding in or around the brain caused by a ruptured blood vessel, and any change in the brain’s blood vessels that alters the normal flow of blood. “Cerebro” refers to the brain and “vascular” pertains to blood … Read More
