Health Archives

Did you know that research studies show people with periodontal disease are nearly twice as likely to have coronary artery disease? Yes, the evidence is in, and if you have bleeding gums there is a high likelihood that you have, or will have, problems with your heart.

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Not only that but this low-grade persistence infection in your system will lower the birth weight of your baby if you have periodontal disease while you are pregnant. So obviously periodontal disease, which is frequently characterized by bleeding gums, is a very serious situation.

When you look into a mirror you want to see gums that are pale pink, nice and smooth, and firm, and that form a cone or peak between the teeth. You will be looking for gums that taper to a fine edge at the point where they touch the teeth.

Identifying periodontal disease is very important and the sooner one begins treatment for periodontal disease so much the better for that person. The treatment options available to someone with periodontal disease do vary somewhat depending on the individual’s dental health history and how severe the periodontal disease is when it is first discovered.

Supplemental dental insurance can help you deal with the high cost of treatment.

The good news is that as with many diseases when it is caught early treatment for periodontal disease is very effective. Quite frequently the first stage of treatment involves a deep cleaning which is much more than your normal semiannual cleaning and can be quite expensive.

In order to help patients recognize periodontal disease early many general dentists now perform periodontal screening and recording using a painless probe to measure pockets. Larger pockets making it more likely that you are susceptible to suffering from periodontal disease.

Even though this screening is an additional cost to your semiannual or annual dental examination the benefits to your dental health specifically and your overall health in general are tremendous and well worth the small additional cost necessary to diagnose the problem early.

Hair is constantly going through cycles of growth, resting, shedding. When hairs that are lost are not replaced, or when more hair follicles go into the resting phase, hair loss becomes noticeable. Let’s talk about hair loss. The list below shows many of the common contributing factors.

Ageing – the period for hair loss is between the 20 and 50 years of age. Some individuals arrive at the advance stages of hair loss sooner than others.

Drugs/Medications/Radiation included are anticoagulants, antidepressants, contraceptive pills, amphetamines, some arthritis medications, some antibiotics, some blood thinners, medicines for gout, drugs derived from vitamin-A, certain drugs for ulcers, beta blocker drugs for high blood pressure. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy halt the growth phase of hair follicles which results in a sudden hair loss as those follicles all shed their hair at about the same time. This is how medications influences the hair.

Heredity androgenetic alopecia is the term used to describe a genetic predisposition in men and women for pattern baldness or pattern hair loss. Although there is a dominant tendency for male pattern baldness, female members of a family can be transmitters as well.

Hormonal imbalance – if the male and female hormones, androgens and estrogens, are out of balance, hair loss may result. Also an overactive or underactive thyroid gland can contribute to hair loss.

Illness and severe infections – like scalp fungal infections, Thyroid disorders, Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, Lupus

Immune System Disorder Alopecia areata is an immune system disorder which causes hair follicles to stop producing hairs. Advanced forms of the disorder are identified by the terms alopecia totalis when all head hair disappears..

Menopause – due to hormonal changes after menopause, some women find their hair begins to thin. There are a variety of treatments available involving hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Pregnancy – three to six months after delivering a child, many women notice a degree of hair loss as the hair goes into a resting phase because of the physiological impact of the pregnancy on the body.

Pulling Traction alopecia is the term used to describe loss of hair from constant pulling, as with tightly braided hair styles such as pony tails.

Sebum Buildup – sebum buildup in the follicles attacks the hair bulb. Sebum causes the hair bulb to shrink so the hair is not as well rooted. After the hair falls out the new hair strand growing in that follicle is weaker and thinner and the process is repeated until the hair follicle is so damaged it dies. (Sebum is a fatty substance secreted from the sebaceous glands most of which open into hair follicles.)/dies.

Stress and Nervous Disorders Telogen effluvium is the term used for a slowing down of new hair growth because of sudden or severe stress. The stress triggers a large number of hair follicles to enter the resting stage, so a few months after the stressful event, those follicles shed hair at about the same time. Read more about yoga and stress relief to make sure that you know how to handle the problem.