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How much time do you spend watching TV?, And how much time do you spend on the computer?, What with video games? If you’ve never thought about the hours you spend sitting in front of a screen or perhaps it’s time to think about it. Recent studies have shown that not only sedentary, but watching too much television during leisure time can be harmful to the heart. Learn more about and turn off the TV for a while.

Do not stay glued to your seat! Most people know that a sedentary lifestyle with little physical activity, increasing the chances of cardiovascular problems, or the heart. The reality is that the current lifestyle does not help, many people have jobs in which you have to spend several hours sitting in the cities there is little chance to walk and must be dealt with everywhere. Sitting in your spare time also affects your body, even though you think you are resting. And you hurt your heart, especially when you take the remote control and start doing to change the channel. Read the rest of this entry »

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms. It is especially important to describe the exact location of any pain or weakness and duration of the disease. Your doctor will also review your medical history and current medications.

Then the doctor will examine you and pay special attention to your muscles and nerves. As you find your doctor may order diagnostic tests. Common tests used to diagnose muscle problems include:

- Blood tests that measure levels of muscle enzymes, autoantibodies (antibodies directed against its own cells or organs of the body) and antibodies to infectious agents loa. Read the rest of this entry »

Symptoms of myositis can include muscle weakness, muscle pain and muscle tenderness. Other symptoms vary depending on the specific cause of myositis:

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: These conditions typically cause painless muscle weakness that develops slowly over weeks, months or years. Although up to 40% of people with these conditions have muscle pain, weakness is usually worse than the pain. In polymyositis and dermatomyositis, weakness usually affects the muscles near the center of the body (called proximal muscles), including the muscles of the neck, shoulders and hips. Some patients also have difficulty swallowing.

In dermatomyositis, the skin symptoms are accompanied by muscle problems. These may include purple pigmentation on eyelids, a red rash on the face and neck or scaly patches, usually on the knuckles. In inclusion body myositis, weakness typically starts in the upper leg muscles and away from the center of the body (called distal muscles), including the muscles of the hands, wrists and upper legs. Muscle wasting (atrophy) is often very remarkable, and half of these patients have trouble swallowing. Read the rest of this entry »

Myositis is the medical term used to define muscle soreness. In myositis, inflammation damages the muscle fibers, causing muscle weakness because it impedes the ability of muscle contraction. Although myositis can cause muscle pain and muscle tenderness, weakness is usually the dominant symptom.

In some cases, myositis is a short-term problem that goes away after a few days or weeks. In other cases, is part of a chronic (long). Chronic forms of myositis can lead to muscle atrophy (wasting and shrinking) and severe disability.

There are many different types of myositis, including:

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: In this group of muscle diseases of unknown cause muscle inflammation (idiopathic). There are three major types: dermatomyositis, polymyositis and inclusion body myositis. In the United States, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies affect about 1 in 100,000 people. Polymyositis and dermatomyositis are most common in women, whereas inclusion body myositis affects men more frequently. Read the rest of this entry »

Treatment

There is currently no really reliable treatment for scleroderma. Have been tried or are developing several drugs for the treatment of scleroderma. Among the most commonly prescribed drug for scleroderma include:

Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar) also decreases the activity of the immune system and has been shown to improve lung function when taken in conjunction with corticosteroids in people with inflammation in the lungs. The risks associated with this powerful drug (including infection, bleeding and increased bladder cancer) require a highly selective use and well controlled.

Glucocorticosteroids: Can be used to relieve inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart (pericarditis), arthritis and inflammation of muscles (myositis). However, these medications can have serious side effects, including the possibility that they might increase blood pressure and worsen kidney function in people with scleroderma. Read the rest of this entry »

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine your skin, especially in the fingers, hands and face. If your doctor suspects you have scleroderma, it may order blood and urine. Occasionally, doctors may recommend a skin biopsy during which a small sample of skin and examined in the laboratory. If scleroderma affects internal organs like the heart, lungs or digestive organs, it might take a chest x-ray and other tests. Read the rest of this entry »

The symptoms of scleroderma vary from person to person and may include:
Raynaud’s phenomenon in people with this condition, suddenly constrict blood vessels in the fingers and toes, and sometimes the tip of the nose and ears. The area turns white or blue and cools and numbs. This is followed by redness as the region warms, often accompanied by pain or tingling. Raynaud’s phenomenon can be triggered by exposure to cold or emotional stress.

Symptoms of Skin inflammation might have on the fingers, hands, forearms and face, and sometimes in the feet and lower legs. It is followed by thickening of the skin and tightness which may limit movement of the body. There may also be:
- skin ulcers
- skin lighter or darker than normal
- loss of hair
- abnormal dryness of the skin, including vaginal dryness
- Calcium deposits in the skin (subcutaneous calcinosis)
- small red spots caused by localized swelling of tiny blood vessels (telangiectasias) Read the rest of this entry »

Scleroderma is a poorly understood condition that causes hardening of the skin, especially on the hands and face. It can also damage the lungs, heart, kidneys, respiratory system, muscles and joints. It is an autoimmune disorder prolonged (chronic), a disease in which the body’s immune defenses mistakenly attack the body’s own cells instead of protecting them from foreign invaders. Scleroderma may also be called progressive systemic sclerosis.

There are two types of scleroderma: in the limited form, also called systemic sclerosis, the skin is the main target. In the diffuse form (diffuse systemic sclerosis), damage not only the skin but also affects the lungs, kidneys and other internal organs. Read the rest of this entry »

Other antihypertensive

Vasodilators. (Hydralazine, minoxidil, diazoxide, sodium nitroprusside)

Produce dilation of the arterioles by direct action on smooth muscle (relaxed). This dilation causes salt retention tachycardia and so are often used in combination with a diuretic and a beta blocker to counteract these effects.

Hydralazine is used as a third drug in hypertension. Be careful with the dose. If this is greater than 200 mg there is a risk of a syndrome similar to lupus erythematosus. Read the rest of this entry »

Act by blocking many effects of adrenaline in the body, particularly the stimulating effect on the heart. The result is that the heart beat slower and with less force.

Effects of beta-blockers in hypertension

- Reduce the cardiac
- Reduce the stroke volume
- Reduce the heart rate
- Inhibit renin secretion
- Have central antisimpático effect
- Stimulate the production of kinins
- Stimulate the release of atrial natriuretic peptide
- Can produce a feeling of fatigue, decreased exercise capacity, impotence, cause asthma, fatigue and lethargy that limits their use.
- Some of them can reduce levels of “good” cholesterol or HDL.
- They are most suitable in cases of hypertension with tachycardia, ischemic heart disease in migraine associated with glaucoma. Read the rest of this entry »