DiagnoFit : Healthcare and Fitness Blogs

DEFINITION Eating disorders are serious conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions and your ability to function in important areas of life. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder . Most eating disorders involve focusing too much on your weight, body shape and food, leading to dangerous eating behaviors. These behaviors can significantly impact your body's ability to get adequate nutrition. Eating disorders can harm the heart, digestive system, bones, and teeth and mouth, and lead to other diseases. Eating disorders often develop in the teen and young adult years, although they can develop at other ages. With treatment, you can return to healthier eating habits and sometimes reverse serious complications caused by the eating disorder. SYMPTOMS Symptoms vary, depending on the type of eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating diso...

                   Image: Third party ref. DEFINITION Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a dependence on a legal or illegal drug or medication. Keep in mind that alcohol and nicotine are legal substances, but are also considered drugs. When you're addicted, you're not able to control your drug use and you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes. Drug addiction can cause an intense craving for the drug. You may want to quit, but most people find they can't do it on their own. Drug addiction can cause serious, long-term consequences, including problems with physical and mental health, relationships, employment, and the law. You may need help from your doctor, family, friends, support groups or an organized treatment program to overcome your drug addiction and stay drug-free. SYMPTOMS Most drug addictions start with experimental use of a drug in social situations. For some people, the drug...

What is Vitamin D? Vitamin D is one in the group of multiple chemicals required by the body in very small quantities serving as intermediaries in various important processes in the body vital for normal functioning and development. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means that it is stored in our fat cells for use when it is needed. What are the sources of Vitamin D? Vitamin D has two biological forms. Vitamin D2 (D2), also known as ergocalciferol, is obtained from dietary vegetable sources and oral supplements. Vitamin D3 (D3), also known as cholecalciferol, is obtained primarily from skin exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation in sunlight, various foods such as oily fish, fortified foods (milk, juices, margarines, yogurts, cereals, and soy), and oral supplements. Aside from rich sources such as oily fish, the vitamin D content of most foods is between 50 and 200 IU per serving. What are the functions of Vitamin D? Traditionally, Vitamin D is considered to have ess...

Are you diabetic or anyone who's diabetic around you? Do you want to know what diabetes actually is or what are its types? DEFINITION Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood sugar (glucose). Glucose is vital to your health because it's an important source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. It's also your brain's main source of fuel. If you have diabetes, no matter what type, it means you have too much glucose in your blood, although the causes may differ. Too much glucose can lead to serious health problems. Chronic diabetes conditions include type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes . Potentially reversible diabetes conditions include prediabetes — when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes — and gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy but may resolve after the baby is delivered. SYMPTOMS Diabetes sympto...