Diseases – Types Of Diseases – Diseases Treatments

MS or Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that causes degeneration of the nerves in the body. Each nerve has a coating known as the myelin sheath. The sheath not only protects the nerve, but aids with the conduction of impulses that travel throughout the body. Multiple Sclerosis causes inflammation that scars, thins out, and eventually destroys the myelin sheath. Once a nerve finds itself without its sheath, it is left with a lesion that causes the nerve to stop functioning properly, in turn the impulses misfire or completely cease. The symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis are manifestation of the unhealthy nerves, and with time they can become really serious and impact the quality of life of the person affected.

Vision trouble is a very common manifestation of the damage inflicted by the disease. Once the optic nerve is affected by the loss of myelin, the person may start experiencing blurred vision, eye pain or issues with the way their eyes process color. At times, some of the vision symptoms can be temporary, but for the people who have suffered extensive damage to their optic nerve, the symptoms can hinder their normal abilities.

The person plagued by Multiple Sclerosis will suffer damage to the nerves in the spinal cord. Once this happens, the person may experience numbness or weakness along their extremities. For some people, the presence of these symptoms indicates that their condition is about to get more severe, and their normal life is going to suffer a big change. They might start taking note that tasks like arm movement, head movement or their walking ability are becoming more difficult to control. The illness may lead some people to depend on a wheelchair, in order to continue with their everyday activities. For others, their facial muscles are the ones that manifest the extent of the damage to their nerves. People may also suffer from hearing issues, urination issues, balance issues or even breathing issues. Dealing with these kinds of symptoms can cause the person to become emotionally unstable, which could have an effect on the way they deal with their physical symptoms.

The target for bad cholesterol is less than 130 milligrams per deciliter and the target for good cholesterol is over 45 milligrams per deciliter. Triglycerides should be at 150 or less.

The lifestyle changes that should be adopted for lower cholesterol are 1) To stop smoking as it increases dramatically the risk of developing heart disease, 2) If you have diabetes, the risk of heart disease increases with high cholesterol than if you are non diabetic. Hence keeping a healthy weight and an active daily routine inclusive of a daily exercise program is the way to go, and 3) A stress reduction program if you lead a stressful life should be engaged in. Programs such as yoga can be very helpful in this regard.

And now for the main part of how to lower your cholesterol effectively. This would consist of substantially changing your diet to include mainly those foods that are provided by Nature and reducing substantially those foods that are manufactured or man-made. The diet consist of the following food groups – vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, ground provisions, lean meats and fatty fish.

We can begin with vegetables. These are filled with fiber and do a great job in mopping up and removing bad cholesterol from the system. They also aid in fighting cancer cells and reducing high blood pressure. All these activities by vegetables lead to a reduction in the risk of heart disease.

Fruits – These have inherently low calorific values and hence are low cholesterol foods. They also remove high cholesterol very effectively and are generally full of vitamins and nutrients that are vital for the body.

Whole grains, Nuts and Seeds – These are very high in dietary fiber and energy content. These are very good low cholesterol suppliers and are very good for any weight control program. They also contain lots of vitamins and minerals.

Lean Meats – These are very rich in proteins, minerals and other nutrients. Some examples of lean meats include poultry (chicken and turkey in particular). Avoid all red meats such as beef and pork or meats that are packed with animal fat. Dairy products made from whole milk should also be avoided.

Fatty Fish – These are important for their omega-3 fatty acids content. Certain fish are particularly good at providing this. These are salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel and herring. Omega-3 is particularly effective in lowering triglycerides (fat in the bloodstream), slowing down plaque growth in the arteries and reducing inflammation.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) gives certain guidelines for a low cholesterol diet. They say that trans-fat intake should be limited to 25% to 35% of total calorie intake. They also say that you should have 20 to 30 grams of fiber every day and your saturated fat intake should be limited to under 7% of total calories.

The ADA also contend that you should add plant stanols and sterols to your diet and eat frequent small meals per day instead of three large meals. Foods that contain plant stanols and sterols can be found naturally in vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts. Your bad cholesterol intake should be limited to 200mg/dl.

Saturated fats and trans-fats (animal fats, dairy products and certain oils) can be replaced with monounsaturated fats such as contained in olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil. Replace egg yolks with egg whites or maybe use oatmeal for breakfast instead of eggs altogether.

You can still be very creative in designing a cholesterol lowering diet but the foods that are consistently recommended are whole grains, fatty fish, plant stanols and sterols, nuts and seeds and fruit. Consult with your physician regarding these.