Life style diseases are Chronic diseases, often referred to as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), usually emerge in middle age after long exposure to an unhealthy lifestyle involving tobacco use, a lack of regular physical activity, and consumption of diets rich in highly saturated fats, sugars, and salt, typified by "fast foods." This lifestyle results in higher levels of risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and obesity that act independently and synergistically. Lifestyle diseases refer to diseases that result because of choices people make in their life. They are mostly common in developed nations where people are inclined towards eating unhealthy foods, having a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking alcohol. Common lifestyle diseases include heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, chronic liver disease, COPD, diabetes, stroke and osteoporosis. Fortunately most of these diseases can be managed by homoeopathy especially in earlier stages. we discuss only important life style diseases.

Heart disease

Heart disease is not a single disorder or condition. It refers to a cluster of diseases or problems in which the heart or the vessels supplying blood to the heart are damaged and are not able to function in a normal way. For several years, it was believed that heart diseases occur in older people. But now-a-days, heart diseases are quite common in young adults, mainly because of sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits. Heart diseases take years to progress and may begin to develop at a very young age. However, most people do not show any symptoms of heart diseases before they reach their 50s or 60s. Some types of heart defects are present at birth. These are called congenital heart diseases.

Other more common heart diseases include coronary heart disease,hypertension, stroke and peripheral arterial disease. The most common cause of heart diseases is atherosclerosis and hypertension/high blood pressure. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which there is deposition of cholesterol and fatty substances on the walls of arteries, while hypertension is the elevation of blood pressure in the arteries due various reasons. There are several factors that increase the risk of heart diseases and associated conditions. These include age, gender, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and stress. Factors like weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels can be controlled by making dietary and lifestyle changes to significantly improve cardiovascular health. Few changes include eating a low fat, high fibre diet with fruits and veggies, quitting smoking, giving up alcohol, increasing physical activity and reducing stress.

Types of heart diseases

There are more than 60 different forms of heart disease. Here are the most common ones found among people all over the world.

1. Coronary heart disease: Coronary heart disease is also called coronary artery disease. It affects or damages coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart.

2. Angina pectoris: Angina or angina pectoris is a condition or rather a symptom of coronary heart disease. It is a feeling of nagging pain, tightness and discomfort in the chest region when the heart does not receive enough blood.

3. Cardiomyopathy: Cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart muscle that helps to pump blood throughout the body becomes weak. 

4. Congenital heart disease: It is a defect (structural of functional) found in the hearts of individuals, right at the time of birth. 

5. Arrhythmia: It a condition causing irregular heartbeat due to improper electric impulses received by the heart.  It can either cause the heart to beat very fast (tachycardia) or very slow (bradychardia)

6. Congestive heart failure: Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood throughout the body effectively. Congestive heart failure occurs when excess fluid builds up in the body because of heart failure, affecting the filtration function of the kidneys and causing congestion.

7. Atrial fibrillation: It occurs due to arrhythmia, when rapid electrical impulse causes the heart to fibrillate, contract very fast and irregularly.

8. Heart inflammation (myocarditis and pericarditits):The heart tissue can get inflamed due to a viral infection of the heart.

9. Myocardial infarction: It is a complicated term used for heart attack, when the blood supply to the heart is completely blocked due to narrowing of blood vessels.

10. Ischemic heart disease: It is caused when the blood supply to the heart is reduced due to partial block of blood vessels and can lead to heart attack and other heart disease.

Symptoms

Heart disease is a silent killer as it progress slowly and is symptomless during the initial stages. But a person could start developing heart disease at a very young age and show the symptoms not before reaching 50s or 60s.

Again the signs or symptoms of heart disease may not be the same for every type. Here are the most common signs associated with heart disease.

1. Shortness of breath (dyspnoea): Breathlessness or shortness of breath is commonly encountered in patients with heart disease or heart failure. It is also a warning sign of heart attack. Breathing difficulty while exercising or any other physical exertion may indicate a problem with the heart valves. But it can also be due to inflammation and weakening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) which results in improper contraction.  

2. Chest pain: Chest pain (angina) is a classic symptom of heart attack and coronary artery disease (CAD). In some cases, chest pain is associated with inflammation of the tissue covering the heart (pericardium). The type and duration of chest pain is also indicative of the underlying heart disease. Pain may be described as short-term, constant, stabbing or sharp. It can last for a few seconds or for hours together.  

3. Swelling of feet: Swelling in the feet and ankles is seen in people with congestive heart failure where the blood pumping capacity of the heart reduces. This affects the kidneys which respond by retaining more fluid in body. The fluid then accumulates in the feet and other parts of the body.

4. Cold sweat: A person who is likely to get a heart attack sooner may start sweating profusely without any physical exertion. Heart failure results in overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system that causes sweating.

5. Tiredness or fatigue: Symptoms of heart disease also vary in men and women. One of the common symptoms of heart failure and heart attack in women is unexplained overall weakness and fatigue. Fatigue is also common in the elderly population or people with diabetes who suffer from heart disease.

6. Irregular pulse rate/palpitations: Strong heart beat or rapid pulse rate is a common complaint of people visiting a cardiologist. Most of the times, palpitations do not result from a heart abnormality but could indicate a heart problem when associated with other symptoms like shortness of breath, weakness and sweating.

7. Pain in the limbs: Apart from chest pain, some people may experience intermittent or constant pain in the shoulder that extends to the entire arm and even the back.

8. Loss of consciousness: Sudden unconsciousness (syncope) is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention. In several cases it is a sign that leads to diagnosis of heart disease. 

identification of disease

Screening for heart function is a must, especially if you have non-modifiable risk factors that increase your susceptibility to heart disease. People who already have high cholesterol, triglycerides BP need to be extra careful and frequent with screening of heart function.

Here are some tests that are regularly used for screening heart diseases.

1. Blood tests: Blood tests are a basic and the most important diagnostic test used for screening heart diseases like and heart failure coronary artery disease. Your blood contains various biomarkers that are useful for identifying factors contributing to heart disease.

·         Blood glucose level: Tells you if you’re a diabetic

·         Lipids and triglycerides level: Tells you if you have high cholesterol

·         Fribinogen level: Tells you if you are at a risk of blood clot

·         C-reactive protein: Tells you if you have atherosclerosis

2. X-ray: Chest X-ray is a simple, useful imaging test for diagnosing a lot of heart conditions like congestive heart failure, enlargement of the heart and heart infections.

3. ECG: ECG or electrocardiogram is a useful test to assess heart rhythm and related heart conditions. It measures electrical activity of the heart. In this test, electrodes are attached to the patient’s chest, legs and arms. These electrodes are connected at the other end to an ECG device. The signals from these electrodes are received and captured by the device and an electrocardiograph is generated. ECG is taken in patient who is experiencing symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting or has palpitations. Some common conditions that are diagnosed using this method are arrhythmias, myocarditis, enlargement of the heart etc.  While, most heart related conditions can be diagnosed or identified by an ECG but some conditions like irregular heart beats or angina might not show any significant change in your ECG readings.

4. Stress test: A stress test is a test that helps determine the level of strain that your heart can handle (and has nothing to to with mental stress). A simple exercise stress test can identify how well your heart functions under exertion. The test uses an ECG device to record electrical activity of the heart while exercising. So the patient is instructed to perform activities like walking on the treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle.

5. CT scan: A CT scan or a computed tomography scan uses the X-ray imaging technology to generate a three-dimensional image of the heart and the nearby arteries. A CT scan is usually suggested to detect arteries narrowed as a result of plaque deposition (in atherosclerosis).  

6. Echocardiography: Echocardiography is basically real-time imaging of the heart (similar to sonography). It makes use of high-frequency radio waves to determine aspects like the size and the structure of the heart while it performs the function of pumping blood. It is especially helpful in diagnosis of valvular heart disease, which remains silent for several years.

7. MRI: MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging is another imaging test used to obtain detailed images of the heart structure. It helps to identify irregularities in the heart muscle and valves. It detects irregular or disrupted blood flow pattern, typically seen in ischemic heart disease. Coronary MRI helps to detect congenital abnormalities of coronary arteries.

8. Holter Monitoring: A more advanced method of determining and recording heart beats or electrical activity of the heart is the Holter monitoring test (or dynamic electrocardiography). It is expensive and requires the patient to have the electrodes attached to the chest for a period of 24-48 hours. A mini recorder that monitors the heart rhythms can be kept in the pocket or worn around the neck. The test is usually used to diagnose brachyardia (slow heart rate), atrial fibrillation, palpitations and arrhythmia. It is also used for patients who have suffered a recent heart attack. 

IN OUR CLINIC WE REPERTORISE THE PATIENT’S wholistic aspect INCLUDING LIFE STYLE, FOOD HABITS, PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS WHICH ALL CONTRIBUTE TO HEART DISEASE

A HOMOEOPATHIC BOOK CALLED SYNTHESIS REPERTORY mentions about 989 SYMPTOMS AND CORRESPONDING MEDICINES RELATED TO HEART ARE MENTIONED IN VARIOUS CHAPTERS.IMOPRTANT ONES ARE IN CHAPTER CHEST.

Heart failure is mentioned in chest which has about 51 remedies. It also mentions about 201 remedies for heart related complaints. Heart complaints related to myocardium has 11 remedies. Anginal pain has about 148 remedies.

Diabetes

Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia).

·         FORMATION OF DIABETES: Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get into your cells to give them energy. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 and type 2. Former names for these conditions were insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes, or juvenile onset and adult onset diabetes. With type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. With type 2 diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in your blood. You can also have prediabetes. This means that your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Having prediabetes puts you at a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause serious problems. It can damage your eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb. Pregnant women can also get diabetes, called gestational diabetes.

A blood test can show if you have diabetes. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your diabetes. You should also monitor your glucose level and take medicine if prescribed.

HOMOEOPATHIC MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES IN OUR CLINIC

IN OUR CLINIC WE REPERTORISE THE PATIENT’S holistic aspect of the patient  CONSIDERING ALL ASPECT INCLUDING LIFE STYLE, FOOD HABITS, PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS WHICH ALL CONTRIBUTE TO HEART DISEASE

A HOMOEOPATHIC BOOK CALLED SYNTHESIS REPERTORY mentions about 94 SYMPTOMS AND CORRESPONDING MEDICINES RELATED TO DIABETES.

DIABETES MELLITUS has about 169 remedies in the chapter generals. For DIABTETES INCIPIDUS 92 Remedies are mentioned.

Dyslipidemia(HIGH CHOLESTEROL/HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA)

Dyslipidemia is an abnormal amount of lipids (e.g. cholesterol and/or fat) in the blood. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that's found in the fats (lipids) in your blood. While your body needs cholesterol to continue building healthy cells, having high cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease.

When you have high cholesterol, you may develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits make it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Your heart may not get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which increases the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to your brain can cause a stroke.

High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) can be inherited, but it's often the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices, and thus preventable and treatable. A healthy diet, regular exercise and sometimes medication can go a long way toward reducing high cholesterol.

Cholesterol is carried through your blood, attached to proteins. This combination of proteins and cholesterol is called a lipoprotein. You may have heard of different types of cholesterol, based on what type of cholesterol the lipoprotein carries. They are:

1.        Total cholesterol: Total cholesterol is a direct cholesterol measurement that measures all cholesterol molecules in the blood, including low density lipoproteins (LDL), high density lipoproteins (HDL), and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). A total cholesterol measurement is the most common type of measurement used in a lipid profile, including home cholesterol tests and cholesterol tests performed in a healthcare provider’s office.

2.        Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as “bad cholesterol” – if you have too much LDL, you may be at risk for cardiovascular disease. This type of cholesterol is linked to a buildup of plaque in your arteries, which can obstruct proper blood flow to the heart and other organs. The higher your LDL, the higher your risk of heart disease.

3.       Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). This type of lipoprotein contains the most triglycerides, a type of fat, attached to the proteins in your blood. VLDL cholesterol makes LDL cholesterol larger in size, causing your blood vessels to narrow. If you're taking cholesterol-lowering medication but have a high VLDL level, you may need additional medication to lower your triglycerides.

4.       High-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as “good cholesterol” – HDL brings cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver, which will remove the harmful cholesterol from your body. High HDL levels seem protective against heart disease, while low HDL is associated with increased risk of heart disease.

5.       Triglycerides – this term refers to fat in the blood. This is a kind of fat that people eat, found mostly in vegetable oil and animal fats. When it exists in high levels in your blood, it can signal increased risk for cardiovascular disease, because triglycerides also contribute to a buildup of plaque in your arteries.

High cholesterol has no symptoms. A blood test is the only way to detect high cholesterol.

You're more likely to have high cholesterol that can lead to heart disease if you have any of these risk factors

·         Smoking. Cigarette smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them likely to accumulate fatty deposits. Smoking may also lower your level of HDL, or "good," cholesterol.

·         Obesity. Having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater puts you at risk of high cholesterol.

·         Large waist circumference. Your risk increases if you are a man with a waist circumference of at least 40 inches (102 centimeters) or a woman with a waist circumference of at least 35 inches (89 centimeters).

·         Poor diet. Foods that are high in cholesterol, such as red meat and full-fat dairy products, will increase your total cholesterol. Eating saturated fat, found in animal products, and trans fats, found in some commercially baked cookies and crackers, also can raise your cholesterol level.

·         Lack of exercise. Exercise helps boost your body's HDL "good" cholesterol while lowering your LDL "bad" cholesterol. Not getting enough exercise puts you at risk of high cholesterol.

·         Diabetes. High blood sugar contributes to higher LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar also damages the lining of your arteries.

Obesity

Obesity means excessive or abnormal fat accumulation in the body, which can cause several health problems. Obesity or being overweight is tied to several health problems like diabetes, cholesterol, heart ailments, chronic diseases, infertility and colon cancer.

3 conditions for improving obesity

Ø  Proper diet

Ø  Proper exercise

Ø  Homeopathic medicine