Colonoscopy Procedure Part II

My mom underwent colonoscopy last week and it turned out to be fine—no bumps, no abnormalities. In other words, there are no signs of colon cancer.

The procedure was quick that it only took less than 30 minutes. My mom was sedated during the procedure. She just strained for seconds as the fiber optic camera reached the ascending part of her colon. In general, she was doing okay while the doctor (number 1 gastroenterologist in Davao City) was busy maneuvering the device to look at her colon.

Since we have a family history of colon cancer, she needs to undergo colonoscopy after five years. But if there are any changes in her bowel movement, she has to go through the same type of colon examination.

Although we have a family history of colon cancer, we can still decrease our risk of developing this type of cancer by eating fiber-rich foods and consume at least three portions of fruits high in fiber each day.

Other topic decrease our risk of developing this type of cancer by eating portions of fruits high in fiber. s of interest:

Colonoscopy Procedure: Its Cost And Preparation
HDL Cholesterol: What Makes HDL A Good Cholesterol?
How To Lose Weight While Having Fun?
Mangosteen—A Miracle Cure?
Antioxidants Can Make You Slim

Colonoscopy Procedure: Its Cost And Preparation

My mom will undergo colonoscopy this week. This is an endoscopic examination of the colon. This procedure is imperative, especially when you have a family history of colon cancer. My maternal grandmother died of colon cancer many years ago and her children, including my mom, were advised to undergo colonoscopy when they reach the age of 50. This is to evaluate the risk of developing colon cancer.

In preparation for colonoscopy, mother will follow a soft diet, such as lugaw (rice porridge), a day before the examination. To clean her bowel, certain medication was given. Since that medication can induce frequent bowel movement, she must drink plenty of water in order to avoid dehydration. My mother's doctor recommended Gatorade.

Six hours of fasting before the procedure is also included in preparation for colonoscopy.

How about the cost of the procedure? Since my mother is a member of Philhealth, the cost of colonoscopy (in Davao City) is about PHP 12000.

Although the preparation for colonoscopy can cause some discomfort to patients, this procedure is still essential as a routine screening for colon cancer—you will be glad you underwent such exam.

Other topics of interest:
The Venom Of Colorectal Cancer
HDL Cholesterol: What Makes HDL A Good Cholesterol
How To Lose Weight While Having Fun?
Mangosteen—A Miracle Cure?
Antioxidants Can Make You Slim

HDL Cholesterol: What Makes HDL A Good Cholesterol?

HDL stands for high density lipoprotein. It is also known as the "good" cholesterol because it lowers the risk of heart attack, carries cholesterol away from the arteries and sends it back to the liver, and it also wipes away excess cholesterol from the arterial plaque.

HDL is included in a lipid profile test, along with LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), triglycerides and total cholesterol. Lipid profile is usually requested to determine the risk of coronary heart disease. Blood is the specimen for this test. Before blood extraction, patient needs to undergo fasting for at eight to twelve hours.

Since HDL cholesterol is the good guy, you need it to fight against cholesterol related diseases. But how do you increase your HDL in the blood? One of the food varieties you can choose to increase HDL level is a food high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon. Then, be more physically active, maintain ideal weight, and quit smoking.

Other topics of interest:
Lose Weight With Herbalife
Skin Whitening—The Power Of L-Glutathione Of Whitelight
Aloe Vera Gel As Sunburn Remedy
How To Prevent Migraine?
Remedies For Bad Breath

Lose Weight With Herbalife

Although my weight is ideal for my height, I still want to try the Nutritional Shake Mix of Herbalife. It is a weight management formula that works in 3 ways: weight gain, weight loss, and weight maintenance.
Since this shake mix of Herbalife is a meal replacement formulated, I can skip one full meal each day. Instead of eating cup of rice and viand for dinner, I just have to mix 2 tablespoons of chocolate-flavored Nutritional Shake Mix and approximately 220 ml of cold water as my dinner. But I have one problem. My stomach feels empty after a few minutes. So, to feed my growling stomach, I eat one fiber-rich fruit in conjunction with the said meal replacement shake mix.
My brother is using it for quite some time now and he's been successful in losing extra pounds.
But of course, you also need to be physically active and avoid eating fatty foods in order to be triumphant in losing weight. Get more fruits and vegetables if you really want to shed some pounds.

Other topics of interest:
How To Lose Weight While Having Fun?
Skin Whitening—The Power Of L-Glutathione Of Whitelight
Aloe Vera Gel As Sunburn Remedy
The Venom Of Colorectal Cancer
Common Cold Remedy

Skin Whitening—The Power Of L-Glutathione Of Whitelight

If you are an American, British or someone with natural white skin, skin tanning treatment must probably be more interesting to read than skin whitening treatment. But if you are a Filipino or a person with dark skin complexion, then skin whitening treatment is more appealing to you than skin tanning.

I know that you know the positive effects of taking glutathione. So, there is no need for me to elaborate on that topic.

Anyway, I attended an hour of lecture about the products of AIM Global held in Kidapawan City. Among their products, Whitelight Glutathione captivated my attention most.

The mode of administration for Whitelight Glutathione skin whitening treatment is sublingual, which means you have to spray the content under your tongue and hold it there for 20 seconds before swallowing it.

The lecturer said that it is more effective and safer than ingesting a pill of Glutathione. Why? I asked. Sublingual administration of any medication bypasses three processes in your system. It goes directly to your bloodstream, ergo, faster results.

The lecturer added that a lot of people are already using Whitelight Glutathione including celebrities, like Ara Mina (product endorser of White Light).

Is it effective? I inquired. Yes, said the woman who has been using it for a few months now. She added that Whitelight Glutathione skin whitening will evenly whiten your skin including those "dark areas" in your groin.

One bottle of Whitelight Glutathione skin whitening treatment costs around PHP 1,900 and it is good for two months.

So, if you want to have lighter skin, you might want to embark on Whitelight Glutathione skin whitening treatment in preparation for your graduation ball.

Image source: Makati.olx.com.ph

Other topics of interest:
Aloe Vera Gel As Sunburn Remedy
How To Prevent Migraine?
Remedies For Bad Breath
Prevent Chronic Bronchitis
Remedy For Hiccup

Aloe Vera Gel As Sunburn Remedy

I had sunburn few days ago because of the obvious reason--too much sun exposure. I forgot to apply sun protection while I was practicing freestyle stroke. It got worse when I played tennis in the afternoon. My sister-in-law advised me to apply aloe vera gel of Herbalife onto the affected areas. To my relief, aloe vera gel is indeed an effective sunburn remedy. It soothed the painful burnt skin.

Aloe vera gel, by the way, is not only used to act as sunburn remedy but it is also an effective treatment for acne.

Other topics of interest:
How To Prevent Migraine
Remedies For Bad Breath
Prevent Chronic Bronchitis
Remedy For Hiccup
Kidney Stones Remedy

How To Prevent Migraine?

I'm strong, but when it comes to migraine attack, I always falter. I'm too weak to fight it and it is too painful to see a light. Paracetamol may subdue the throbbing pain but it is not capable of completely eliminating it. According to health experts, it is easy to prevent migraine than to treat it; in which I fully agree.

How to prevent migraine? Keep away from eating foods that are rich in amino acid tyramine, such as cured and processed meats, aged cheeses, nuts and peanuts. Red wines, as well as chocolates, are known to trigger migraine because they contain high amount of tyramine.

Argh! I don't think I can prevent migraine from kicking in. All the foods that were mentioned were undeniably hard to resist.

Other topics of interest:
Remedy For Hiccup
How To Lose Weight While Having Fun?
Kidney Stones Remedy
Remedies For Bad Breath
Prevent Chronic Bronchitis

Remedies For Bad Breath

Besides the sickening underarm odor, halitosis or bad breath is another unpleasant odor that can trigger my sinusitis. That's why I stay away from people who smoke and who just had a breath pollutant meal. If I could not avoid talking to these people, I might be forced to offer them oranges to alleviate their stinking breath. Why oranges? Eating oranges is one of the remedies for bad breath. The citric acid of an orange will stimulate production of saliva that may help provide breath-freshening saliva.

Another remedy for bad breath is gargling with water. This remedy disentangles the bacteria coated in your mouth. Although it will not eliminate the odor, at least you will be able to have an acceptable breath, temporarily.

Other topics of interest:
Remedy For Hiccup
How To Lose Weight While Having Fun?
Insomnia Remedy: Drink Coffee
Dry Hair: Don't Let Your Crowning Glory Dry
Pilates Exercise: Is It Effective?

Prevent Chronic Bronchitis

The most important advice given by physicians to prevent chronic bronchitis is—DO NOT SMOKE. Hence, if you still value your life, quit smoking NOW!

You can also prevent catching chronic bronchitis, especially if you are working with dust or fumes, by wearing a respirator that filters the pollutants from the air that you inhale.

Frequent washing of hands will also prevent you from getting viral bronchitis.

Saline solution is a good cleaning agent to clean your nose, as well as your sinuses.

Drink adequate amount of vitamin C to boost your immune system and to help you prevent chronic bronchitis.

Other topics of interest:
Remedy For Hiccup
How To Lose Weight While Having Fun?
Insomnia Remedy: Drink Coffee
How To Lose Weight?—Feed Your Mind First With Proper Information
Dry Hair: Don't Let Your Crowning Glory Dry

Remedy For Hiccup

Hiccup is characterized by a "hic!" sound. It comes in an inconvenient time and it usually happens when you eat too quickly or too much.

So, what is an effective remedy you can try to stop hiccup? Drink water. After your last gulp, take a deep breath and hold your breath for a few seconds and then exhale. Repeat this step once or twice. This remedy usually works for me. Another remedy for hiccup you can try is to put sugar under your tongue. Although they say it is effective, I have not tried it yet.

Hiccup will only last for a few seconds. In some cases though, hiccup will persist after a few days or weeks, which is a sign of another medical condition.

Other topics of interest:
How To Lose Weight While Having Fun?
Vitamin D Prevents Osteoporosis
Kidney Stones Remedy
The Venom Of Colorectal Cancer
Benefits Of Coconut

How To Lose Weight While Having Fun?

Just play lawn tennis. You will surely lose 1000 calories in an hour of playing this game. But lawn tennis is different from badminton. You still have to acquire fundamental knowledge about lawn tennis in order to enjoy playing this favorite game of Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick.

It is not necessary to play lawn tennis every day to lose weight. You can enjoy playing this game for one hour, twice or thrice a week. But words of caution though--this is highly addictive. Once you start playing it, you'd surely want to play more to lose more pounds.

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The Venom Of Colorectal Cancer
Vasectomy Reversal—Wanting To Have More Babies
How To Lose Weight?—Feed Your Mind First With Proper Information
Fruits and Vegetables for Treating Different Diseases Like Prostate Cancer and Diabetes
Proper Way of Hand Washing

Vitamin D Prevents Osteoporosis

Vitamin D is important for the proper calcium absorption in the intestines. Your body is incapable of absorbing calcium without sufficient amount of vitamin D. In the case of insufficient vitamin D, taking of calcium supplements may deem useless.

According to a research, the only reliable source to generate vitamin D is sunlight exposure. Upon exposure to sunlight, your skin will then start producing vitamin D. Hence, allow yourself to be exposed under the heat of the sun regularly. In this way, you will prevent osteoporosis, breast cancer and other diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency.

And for people with dark skin pigmentation, you may need more sunlight exposure than those of fair-skinned individuals in order to produce and generate the same amount of the said vitamin.

So, do not be afraid of the sun. Go out and produce more vitamin D to ward off osteoporosis.

Other topics of interest:
Fruits and Vegetables for Treating Different Diseases Like Prostate Cancer and Diabetes
Lipid Metabolism and Its Associated Diseases
Hormonal Imbalance Linked To Acne Problem
The Tic of Tourette Syndrome
How A Sexually Inactive Child Maybe Infected With Chlamydia

Kidney Stones Remedy

The best thing about water is its thousands of health benefits including remedy for kidney stones. The recommended daily water intake is 6 to 8 glasses or approximately 2 liters.

If you do not want to suffer from kidney stones, then you have to love drinking water. By water, it means plain water.

However, if kidney stones are already formed inside, you may help flush them out by increasing your water intake to 3 liters of water every day. You will notice that your urine will come out clear without trace of yellow.

Water is life. And you can make water a remedy for kidney stones or prevention from nephrolithiasis.

Meanwhile, these people may not be remedy for kidney stones but they are my Top 10 Entrecard Droppers.

Other topics of interest:
The Venom Of Colorectal Cancer
Benefits Of Coconut
Common Cold Remedy
Lifestyle Factors Of Cosmetic Surgery
Acne Remedy

Insomnia Remedy: Drink Coffee

Okay, I know that by drinking coffee, your brain is stimulated and you'd feel more alive. But drinking decaffeinated coffee with chamomile will soothe your nerves helping you fall asleep. Tea or coffee containing chamomile is said to be effective insomnia remedy.

You can try the Nescafe Relax. It has chamomile extract. One sachet makes two servings. But words of caution though: Do not attempt to drink it while you are at work. You might get caught sleeping. This is good for insomnia remedy.

Image source: nestle.com.ph

Other topics of interest:
How To Lose Weight?—Feed Your Mind First With Proper Information
Dry Hair: Don't Let Your Crowning Glory Dry
Pilates Exercise: Is It Effective?
Fruits And Vegetables For Treating Different Diseases Like Prostate Cancer And Diabetes
Lipid Metabolism And Its Associated Diseases

PSA: Prostate Specific Antigen

Enlargement of the prostate gland, if left untreated will lead to prostate cancer. Prostate specific antigen or PSA is one of the requested laboratory tests used to determine the condition of this gland-producing prostatic fluid. This is also used as a screening test for prostate cancer.

If the PSA result is high (normal 4 nanograms/mL), it would indicate enlargement of the prostate or prostate cancer.

They say that benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer are common disorders among older men. According to doctors, you need to undergo tests for prostate gland, like PSA, when you reach the age of 40.

However, most Filipinos will not consult a physician, until symptoms become worse. Just like my father, he did not visit a urologist or undergo laboratory examination (PSA), even though he's already experiencing urinary discomfort. The result: prostate cancer + complications.

Image source: Flickr.com

Other topics of interest:
The Truth About Your Kidneys
Fasting Blood Sugar
Feces Examination—A Specialty Of
Significance Of Acidic Urine
Semen Analysis: Three-Hour Experiment

The Venom Of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is a cancer of the colon and rectum, and it's the same cancer that tortured my maternal grandmother, as well as President Corazon Aquino and other Filipinos. It's the third lethal disease in the Philippines.

There are several contributing factors to colorectal cancer. Smoking and alcohol are just among the few known culprits of this cancer. Furthermore, eating high-protein diet, as well as consuming processed foods, can make yourself at risk of developing such cancer. In addition, living a sedentary lifestyle can also lead to colorectal cancer.

But the most horrifying thing about this cancer is its ability to be passed on from generation to generation. In other words, it is hereditary. As mentioned earlier, my grandmother, who died almost 10 years ago, was one of the sufferers of colorectal cancer.

However, there are still things we can do to fight against this colorectal cancer. Lifestyle change is one. And then followed by eating a well-balanced diet, especially foods high in fiber. Avoiding eating processed foods. Increase consumption of fruit and vegetables.

It is advisable for people who are at high risk of developing colorectal cancer to undergo colonoscopy when they reach the age of 50. Occult blood test is also necessary. The earlier the diagnosis is the better chances of survival.

Image source: Flickr.com

Other topics of interest:
Benefits of Coconut
Common Cold Remedy
Lifestyle Factors Of Cosmetic Surgery
Acne Remedy
Acid Reflux Remedy

Benefits Of Coconut

"The coconut nut is a giant nut. If you eat too much, you'll get very fat… It's the coco fruit. Of the coco tree. From the coco palm family." – From the song "Da Coconut Nut" by Smokey Mountain.

Coconut palm is the tree itself while its seed is referred to as coconut. There are several benefits of coconut.

Treatment for kidney disease is one of the health benefits of coconut water. Although you can buy BJ (Buko juice or coconut water) at the grocery section, it's still better to drink it fresh from the coconut. You can put a straw into the coconut to drink its water. Or you can transfer the water in a clean container and add milk.

The white, fleshy part of the coconut seed called meat is used in cooking. This meat is high in dietary fiber, another health benefit of coconut.

The coconut oil is considered as the best nutrition for the hair. Several women use such oil to make their hair shiny and to maintain their healthy black hair.

In the Philippines, coconut is dubbed as the "Tree of Life." It has thousands of uses to the Filipino people and one of them is used to build a house.

These are just few of the benefits of the coconut, a giant nut.

Other topics of interest:
Common Cold Remedy
Lifestyle Factors Of Cosmetic Surgery
Acne Remedy
Acid Reflux Remedy
How To Survive Deadly Heart Attack

Common Cold Remedy

I'm not a big fan of synthetic medicines, especially when I think I will catch a common cold. Sore throat, sneezing, clear, watery nasal drainage are few of the most common symptoms of colds. And what do I do if cold symptoms will come my way? I don’t take paracetamol, phenyl and the like. I just follow the common cold remedy that my grandma taught me.

Common cold remedy

Garlic, honey and kalamansi. These three will always make me feel better. And oh! Don’t forget the healing power of water therapy.

Garlic- this member of the onion family Alliaceae is not only used for culinary purposes but it's also utilized to fight against common cold. It has a special property that boosts your immune system.

Honey- this honey-bee-produced common cold remedy is rich in vitamin C.

Kalamansi- or Calamondin is another common cold remedy that is high in vitamin C, perfect to ward off symptoms of common cold.

Water therapy is also beneficial in treating common cold. This will help flush out phlegm and assist you to breathe easier.

This common cold remedy suits my body and relieves my sickness.

Other topics of interest:
How To Survive Deadly Heart Attack When You Are Alone
Mangosteen- A Miracle Cure
Lifestyle Factors Of Cosmetic Surgery
Acne Remedy
Acid Reflux Remedy—No More Stomach Acids

Lifestyle Factors of Cosmetic Surgery

(This post is written by Brett, a guest writer.)

Considering a cosmetic surgery procedure to improve your self esteem or self image? There are a variety of lifestyle factors that should be taken into account before moving forward with any medical procedures, selective or otherwise. Your health care representative will provide specific guidelines and rules to follow before you arrive for surgery. Below is some fairly standard advice that is provided by most professionals pre-operation:

- Continue with regular exercise preceding surgery. Post operation, be sure to take it easy and take part in low-intensity workouts at first.
- Limit alcohol consumption.
- Be sure to get plenty of rest before and after surgery. Cosmetic surgery is a psychically draining experience for many patients.
- Avoid excessive sunlight. A variety of side effects including sunburn and dehydration can occur from spending too much time in direct sunlight.
- Don't smoke.
- Don't use illegal drugs.
- Eat healthy and continue to take any vitamin supplements.

For more information regarding this topic, there are a variety of cosmetic surgery blogs that can be used as an additional resource. By following these common sense guidelines, you'll be doing your part to ensure the success of your upcoming cosmetic procedure.

The Truth About Your Kidneys

As you know it, you have two kidneys and each kidney has 1,000,000 nephrons (functional unit of the kidney).

A normal kidney removes the metabolic waste products from your blood. It also regulates the acid-base balance, as well as the water content in the body.

The volume of blood delivered to the kidneys is approximately 1200 ml/min.

Low urine volume

In case of increased production of vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone), your kidneys produce low urine volume.

Specimen collection

Improper collection of urine sample is the most common cause of error in the creatinine clearance test.

Disease

Pyelonephritis that resulted from untreated lower urinary tract infection is commonly seen in women.

You might notice that every time you consult your doctor for a certain illness, urinalysis is one of the most requested laboratory tests. This is because almost all diseases, especially kidney problems, can affect renal function.

Other topics of interest:
Fasting Blood Sugar
Significance Of Acidic Urine
Feces Examination—A Specialty Of
Semen Analysis
Elevated Amylase