Dominantly inherited diabetes is currently being studied regarding the maturity-onset-diabetes of the young (MODY). Studies show that each mutated gene specifically corresponds to a particular type of MODY. Caused by transcription factors, MODY is a mutation of a metabolic nature. Studies also show that clinical manifestations of MODY are a variant of different types of diabetes and stipulate individual treatments.      

Known to occur initially in the younger generation, MODY may be undetected and mild until being discovered in adulthood. Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is classified as a type of MODY, and both are forms of monogenic diabetes, or single-cell mutations of the pancreatic beta-cells. Genetic, recessively-inherited diabetes and diabetic mutations on mitochondrial genes, like those found in mitochondrial diabetes, correlate directly with the dysfunction of the pancreatic beta-cells.

Classified as a chronic syndrome, due to hyperglycemia caused by abnormal glucose metabolisms, genetic diabetes is referred to as single gene mutations. The majority of known diabetic cases stem from genetically-related gene mutation activities. Diabetes is known as diabetes mellitus, type I and type II, is polygenic, and is related to genetic mutations multiple genes. Diabetes mellitus is named so to distinguish it from the diabetes insipidus, which is urological in nature.

Diabetes mellitus is a condition brought on by T-cell destruction of pancreatic beta-cells, which is known as diabetes mellitus type I. The specified genetic defect is found in the INS VNTR, which induces immune tolerance to expressed ectopic insulin in the thymus and in the pancreas. Basically, this deals with diabetic autoimmune responses that can be contributed to genetic susceptibility in the INS VNTR (IDDM2) locus; Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus type II.

The genetics of type II diabetes also involves pancreatic beta-cell function. Type I and type II diabetes often procure family historic values in diabetic conditions. In the advent of a genetic mutation of a gene, important proteins are non-functional. These proteins play important roles in the ability of the human body to naturally produce insulin and lower blood glucose. When monogenic diabetes goes undetected until adulthood, it is subsequently often diagnosed and treated as type II diabetes mellitus. Genetic testing is a requirement for early detection and treatment of the two types of monogenic diabetes.

As the medical world increases its knowledge of genetic testing and genetic make-up of the human body, important advancements will be made in the future, concerning prevention and treatments. These important advancements will one day give way to the replacement of traditional methods of predicting prognosis and increased understanding of the role of genetics as they apply to diabetes.

Tags: genetic, diabetes, risk, factors

Diabetes has been considered a high risk factor for conditions such as heart disease, which is a coronary disease that causes the narrowing of the blood vessels carrying oxygen and blood to the heart. Heart disease has been labeled as the number one cause of death in the U.S. Individuals with heart disease become more and more limited and their risks for heart attacks increase drastically. Strokes are also common with individuals who have heart disease. Heart disease can also be a genetic disease. Diabetes is linked to heart disease, and heart disease is linked to other health problems, such as high cholesterol and hypertension.     

Diabetes can become a vessel for these different conditions. There are good cholesterol levels (HDL) and bad cholesterol levels (LDL) in the body. High levels of bad cholesterol result in the cholesterol in the blood building up and sticking to the sides of the arteries. This plaque is a fat-like substance that mimics heart disease in that it narrows the vessels and can even block them. High cholesterol levels put an individual at high risk for hypertension. Diabetes is linked to those high risk factors for hypertension.    Linked to diabetes and high cholesterol levels, hypertension is known as the silent killer. Directly linked to the blood pressure flowing through the arteries, hypertension complications are increased when the walls of the arteries have been blocked or narrowed by high cholesterol levels. Essentially, this increases the blood pressure, and an individual is then said to have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is another symptom of heart disease and can also lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Not only does diabetes predispose individuals to high risks diseases, but environmental risk factors are directly tied in with diabetic conditions. According to as Stanford study, environmental factors, like chemicals in the soil and water around an individual, will increase the risk of developing diabetes. Three environmental elements were identified as being directly correlated with the increased risk of diabetes type II. Two elements identified were pesticides that contain heptachlor epoxide and PCBS. Surprisingly, the third element is a certain form of vitamin E, which is thought to have antioxidant factor for helping diabetic conditions. The clue may be in the potential toxicity of the build up of this vitamin, which is naturally found in large quantities in the tissues and blood of the body.

Environmental risk factors are more predisposed in type II diabetes than in type I diabetes. Sedentary lifestyles, high caloric intakes, very little exercise and a family history of diabetes, coupled with exposures to certain environmental factors, are deemed high risk factors for individuals to develop diabetic conditions.

These particular symptoms are the result of the actual progressive nature of diabetes. Problematic symptoms like incessant thirst and hunger, to growing urgencies for urination, indicate a serious inclination towards a diabetic condition. Undiagnosed and left untreated, these conditions may lead to pathological conditions dealing with urological, pancreatic, kidney, liver and other internal organ pathological conditions. Weight loss symptoms displayed in a diabetic condition is a result of an imbalanced metabolic system.      

Severe weight loss needs immediate medical attention. Diabetic symptoms that display themselves as excessive thirst and hunger need appropriate medical testing to rule out any digestive conditions like Chron’s Disease and diverticulitis. These three symptoms closely mimic the symptoms of diabetes insipidus, which is otherwise unrelated to diabetes mellitus. Frequency and the urge to urinate are symptoms of a diabetic condition known as polyuria. Conditions like dehydration can result in these cases, and medical evaluation should be prompt.

Most diabetic symptoms are results of a prolonged duration of high blood sugars, and start mildly, like unhealed sores and derma abrasions that do not go away.  Unhealed sores and abrasions of the skin include abscesses, skin rashes, and infections of the skin, skin boils, and eventually debiticus ulcers (bedsores).  These areas will fill up with pus and surround the tissues in hollowed cavities of the body. This inflammation is indicative to bacterial infections or parasitic infections. These infections can lead into internal abscess infections like abscesses on the brain, lungs, kidneys, and rectum, and breast, liver, spinal and oral abscesses. Skin rashes, infections of the skin and skin boils are open sources of viral and fungi portals. All of these signs of poor skin healing are milder symptom of a diabetic condition, but can cause a variety of other problematic conditions.

Additional symptoms include fatigue, blurred vision along with sores and abrasions that do not heal. Diagnostic evaluations should be performed to properly diagnose a diabetic condition. These symptoms require medical interventions that could prevent conditions known to be associated with diabetes. Blurred vision and fatigue are two other symptoms of a diabetic condition. Diabetic symptoms of blurred vision can lead to diabetic retinopathy and diabetic lens osmosis. A marked degree of eyesight changes occur with the aging process and are normal.

A certified physician should, immediately check out sudden blurred vision, spots and hairline shadows and loss of peripheral vision. Fatigue symptoms displayed in a diabetic condition is a signal that glucose levels may be dangerously low in the body. Chronic fatigue left untreated in a diabetic patient can be a serious sign of heart disease, which is linked to diabetes.

Tags: diabetes, symptoms

Nobody knows the actual causes of headaches. More research must be done to uncover the causes of headaches and raise awareness. Some headaches are caused by constricted blood flow in the blood vessels around the head. Other types of headaches are caused by serious muscle contractions. Such headaches also attack the brain and may cause damage the brain. Primary headaches include migraine and tension headaches. Ninety percent or more face these primary diseases, and females mostly suffer from them, as compared to male. Secondary headaches involve cluster headaches, brain tumors and other serious headache diseases.      

The main type of primary headache is tension headaches. It is basically a normal pain and has no serious affect on the head, brain or any part of the human body. Tension headaches attack the back or top of the head. Such headaches may remain for a few hours or up to three days. Over-the-counter treatments like ibuprofen, aspirin and acetaminophen are sufficient to treat tension headaches. These medicines must be taken as instructed on the package.

Another primary disease is migraine headaches. Over thirty-five-million, people suffer from this condition. Typical migraine headaches are unilateral and pulsating, lasting from six hours and up to seventy-two hours. This headache occurs equally in children, males and females. In adults, females face these headaches three times more often than males. Patients can experience trouble in with nausea, photophobia, vomiting and phonophobia.  Migraines can run in families, and doctors can give prescriptions to take at the first sign of a migraine to reduce symptoms.

Secondary headaches, as discussed above, are diseases that are more serious.  Proper diagnostic tests, such as an MRI Scan or CT Scan, should be used to determine the actual cause of this disease. The patient may feel fever, swelling in the face and puss in the ears. A painful type of secondary headache is cluster headache. Cluster headaches are neurological in nature and are immensely painful.

There are also other types of headaches, which are also important to learn about. Vascular headaches result from dilated arteries in the brain.  Sometimes, triggers, such as hangovers, hunger or caffeine, can cause this dilation.  In order to properly treat these headaches, the cause must be identified.  If you have had a traumatic experience that has resulted in a brain injury, or if you have experienced a medical event such as a stroke, you should inform your doctor, as these may be related to your headaches.

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I found this to be very interesting.

Joel

Pollen is a fine, powdery particle that is produced by seed plants, which the plants use in the process of reproduction.  Pollen is a harmless substance, but some human beings are sensitive to it and suffer extreme irritation.  This can affect the eyes, nose and throat, and trigger allergic reactions.  

Each year millions of Americans suffer from symptoms such as itchy watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, runny noses, and more, all because of pollen in the air.  Some persons also suffer from conjunctivitis, which is an inflammation of the outermost layer of the eye.       

The presence of pollen in the airways, (nose, throat, lungs or mouth), is a leading cause of allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever.  The symptoms of hay fever resemble the common cold, and as a result it is often misdiagnosed.   It is characterized by itchy eyes nose and throat, sneezing, conjunctivitis, post nasal drip, red-rimmed eyes, and other symptoms.

The fact that allergies to pollen can be misdiagnosed means that precise testing is often required.  Skin testing is sometimes done in an effort to identify, and isolate the allergen that is causing the allergic reaction.  In addition, blood tests are also used to diagnose the condition.

Allergies to pollen can be treated by using medication, immunotherapy, or by avoiding the allergens.  Medication is available in both prescription and over-the-counter varieties.  The most common prescription drugs are antihistamines.  The topical antihistamines are more popular and also more effective, because they can be put directly on the affected area, to provide fast relief from symptoms. 

Antihistamines are also available without a prescription. By and large, there have been no major problems associated with the use of antihistamines.  However, there have been some cases of people who have suffered from reduced alertness, drowsiness, and reduced coordination.

Immunotherapy involves the use of allergy shots, and entails the injection of small doses of pollen under the skin.  It is believed that this will help to improve the body’s tolerance to the pollen, and avert a severe reaction.

In order to avoid pollen, persons are often told to stay indoors as much as possible.  Also, windows and doors should be kept closed, and the air conditioner should be used when you are at home, or in your car.  The filter of the air conditioner will help to filter out pollen, but this can only be effective if it is cleaned on a regular basis.   It is also important to shower before going to bed.  This will help to wash off pollen from the skin and hair.

Pollen allergy can be very annoying and lead to interruption in regular activities.  It is always recommended that allergies to pollen be treated, in order to prevent the occurrence of complications, such as severe respiratory problems.

Tags: pollen, allergies

Before we can learn what a dominant gene is, we first need to learn what a gene is. To do this, we need to go all the way back to biology basics. As most people know, humans are made up of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA is comprised of 46 chromosomes. Within our bodies, each of these chromosomes are paired together (to form 23 pairs of chromosomes). Where do these chromosomes come from? They come from our parents!      

The father’s sperm consists of 23 chromosomes and the mothers’ egg consists of 23 chromosomes. You, therefore, receive half of your chromosomes from your mother and the other half from your father. The 23^rd chromosome is the sex chromosome (males get an X chromosome from their mother and a Y chromosome from their father, whereas females get 2 X chromosomes). The other 22 chromosome pairs (also called alleles) determine other characteristics such as hair and eye color.

So, now that we know what genes are, what are dominant genes? The genes that we inherit from our parents can be either dominant or recessive. If we inherit two recessive genes, we inherit a recessive trait. Similarly, if we inherit two dominant genes, we inherit a dominant trait. Dominant genes, however, always ‘beat’ recessive genes. Therefore, if we were to inherit a dominant gene from one parent and a recessive gene from the other, we will end up with a dominant trait.

Let’s use hair color as a more concrete example. Dominant genes are associated with brown hair. Recessive genes are associated with blonde hair. In order for a child to have blonde hair, they must inherit 2 recessive genes (one from each parent). A child could be born with brown hair, however, if they inherited 2 dominant genes, or if they inherited one dominant and one recessive gene (because the dominant gene trumps the recessive gene).

What other traits, other than brown hair, are associated with dominant genes? Dominant genes are also associated with curly hair, dimples, farsightedness, thick lips, and being double jointed.

To learn more about dominant and recessive character traits, conduct an online search, or head to your local library. There is a vast amount of information surrounding the concept of genes. What is covered within this article is only beginning. Learn more about dominant and recessive traits today to determine what traits you have inherited from your parents!

Tags: dominant, gene,dna

Before attempting any method of weight loss a visit with your physician is highly recommended.  Water weight may be a simple result of water retention, but it could also be symptomatic of a condition that only a medical professional can diagnose. If no particular other physical problem is found then your water weight may easily be lost by simply drinking more water. You might argue how is that going to help?

Often when the body is not getting enough water it will attempt to retain water by hoarding what water there is in the joints and stomach area, thus causing bloating and the other physical problems associated with water retention.  Drinking more water balances out the volume of water that the body needs.  Most people do not drink enough water on a daily basis as it is so consuming more H2O can be the very thing that will eliminate the symptoms and take care of water weight. 

Another common cause of water retention is the result of having high sodium content in the system.  Consuming foods with too much salt or foods with high sodium can induce water retention and thus create water weight.  Eating foods with less sodium content will reduce water retention.  The water we drink helps to flush our bodies of excess sodium, but the more sodium we take in the more water we need to keep the process in balance.  Loss of water weight can simply be the result of less sodium for the body to have to deal with.

The use of diuretics is also a means of losing water weight.  Some diuretics are only prescribed by physicians, but these can be costly and have some very undesirable side effects.   A more suitable alternative is natural diuretics that may be found in your local grocery store produce section.  Vegetables like cucumbers, cabbage, lettuce and tomatoes all add water to the system as well as assisting certain organs in processing water in the body.  Beets are said to help eliminate fatty body tissue.  Different kinds of fruit juices and herbal teas can also be a means of assisting thsi type of weight loss. 

One final measure that may be one of the best to help lose water weight is by implementing a simple exercise program.  Combine exercise with drinking more H2O, being careful with high sodium foods, and eating healthier foods can go a long way in defeating water weight.

Tags: lose, water, weight

Pancreatic acid is also dumped into the duodenum and eventually exits through the ducts of the duodenum. The duodenum is also responsible for bile and secretions exiting into the duodenum from the liver. Inadequate insulin levels in the pancreas cause a decrease in the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar acidity in glucose, thus a risk factor for diabetes is developed throughout the body.      

Alpha and beta cells are called antagonists, because they work off their levels of hormones against each other, for proper concentrations of insulin and glucose. Insulin decreased and depletes organs from maintaining proper concentrations of glucose levels in the body. The alpha cells are responsible for the production of glucagon, and the beta cells are responsible for the production of insulin. As glucagon accelerates the process of glycogenolysis in the liver, it is then converted to glucose.

Glucagon is responsible for the increase of blood glucose concentrations. Playing a key role in removing the excess glucose from the blood and storing it as glycogen, the liver cells are very important to the proper function of the heart, kidneys and pancreas. Normal homeostasis is the result of the blood leaving the liver, containing normal blood glucose concentrations. Liver malfunction or any disorder of the pancreas can produce diabetic responses in the body.

Insulin is an agent of the blood sugars that is used as a source of energy throughout the body. Although the liver uses insulin for the storage of glycogen, a processed form of glucose, the insulin is the only hormone in the body that can decrease the levels of glucose concentration. Kidneys also need proper organ functions from the liver and pancreas to stay functioning under normal homeostatic conditions.

Urine is processed through the kidneys, and if an accumulation of ketone bodies, forms of acids, form in the kidneys, the results will be diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis is dangerously high acidity in the blood. When insulin decreases in production, as it does with a pancreatic disorder, the cessation of proper hormones used by the body will also result in a form of diabetes.

Diabetes is a pathological condition that results from the imbalance of homeostasis of the body. Any deviance or variation from the normal homeostatic balance of the body signifies a pathological condition, like diabetes. Homeostasis is the body’s way of internally regulating a stable environment. Reaction and interaction of the body’s major organ systems rely on homeostasis for proper function. The key factors that help maintain proper homeostasis include salinity, acidity, concentrations of waste and nutrients and the temperature of the body and its organs.

Tags: diabetes,diabetes, symptoms

Keep in mind, that an individual can have COPD as well as asthma.  Additionally, the asthma treatment and the treatment for COPD, for attacks, are similar.  By using new methods, such as a good exercise regiment, effective breathing practices, and a healthy diet, you can learn to cope with the signs and effects of asthma and COPD. 

Asthma symptoms and symptoms of COPD can easily be confused, because they appear to be the same; however, they are very different.  The signs of asthma and COPD include difficulty breathing, tightness of the chest, wheezing, coughing, and sneezing.  Asthma and COPD cannot be cured.  However, asthma attacks and the effects of COPD can be alleviated.       

Additionally, with all the similarities between asthma and COPD, their differences are notable.  One distinct difference is that COPD develops as a result of a lifestyle, while asthma is cause by more a mixture of genes and individual exposure to allergens.  Additionally, in COPD, the damage of the obstruction of the airways is permanent and irreversible, while the effects of asthma are reversible and the airways of the lungs are just restricted. 

The treatments for COPD and asthma are the same.  Anyone suffering from the effects of asthma or COPD will benefit greatly from starting a good exercise regiment.  Even asthma in children can be affected positively by exercise.  Exercise aids in the improvement of muscular functionability.  However, when exercising, individuals should be careful not to overexert themselves, as this will result in difficulty breathing.

Breathing exercises are effective and calming for anyone suffering from asthma or COPD.  Breathing may be automatic for anyone suffering from the effects of asthma and COPD, but proper breathing is not.  By using proper breathing exercises, asthma and COPD effects and be greatly improved.  Two breathing techniques that help increase the level of oxygen in the blood are pursed-lip and diaphragmatic breathing.  The purpose of these breathing exercises is to slow the breathing down and empty the lungs completely.

Proper nutrition, like breathing exercises, is another essential element in the effective treatment for asthma or COPD.  It increases your energy level, strengthens your bones and muscles, reinforces your immune system, and helps to maintain a healthy weight.  Dark green vegetables are a nice source of vitamin B12 and improve the metabolism. 

Vitamin E, complex carbohydrates, and protein are essential in the diet to promote stronger muscles.  Vitamin E can be found in apples, olive oil, and whole grain pasta.  Complex carbohydrates are found in grain, broccoli and nuts; and proteins can be derived from lean meats, peanut butter, and eggs.  Ensure that your diet includes these staples to experience the benefits and advantages on the symptoms of asthma.

By now, it should be apparent that asthma and COPD have their similarities as well as their differences.  The signs of asthma and COPD and the treatment for asthma and COPD are generally the same.  However, COPD is associated with permanent damage, while the effects of asthma are reversible. Just by incorporating an exercise regimen that includes breathing exercises and proper nutrition, the negative effects of asthma and COPD, in children or adults, can be improved, although not cured.

Tags: COPD,, asthma