The liver is a vital organ sitting in the upper right part of the abdomen, just under the bottom part of the right rib cage. It is constantly working day and night filtering out wastes and toxins from the blood, processing and controlling the levels of different nutrients among various other activities. As with any part of the body, the liver is prone to many forms of injury and diseases. Despite its remarkable capacity to regenerate when injured, some liver diseases cause permanent damage and is ongoing, eventually leading to liver failure.
What is liver disease?
Liver disease is a broad term used to describe any type of injury to or disease of the liver. Some are acute meaning that it lasts for a short period of time and the liver then recovers. Other diseases are chronic meaning that it is ongoing and can eventually lead to liver failure if it is progressive. There are different types of liver diseases which may be due to a wide range of causes. Liver disease can be fatal depending on the type of disease, how well it can be treated and managed or any other underlying problems which can complicate it.
The festive season is a time of gifts and revelry. But a surprise may be looming for those who party too hard. A heart attack can strike at any time in a person with coronary artery disease. It has been noted that across the globe, heart attacks are more likely during the festive season and especially between the Christmas and New Year period.
Initially this was believed to be due to the colder weather in the northern hemisphere during the Christmas period but the spike in often deadly heart attacks are just as likely to occur in warmer climates. There are several reasons why this may be the case but the exact cause has not as yet been conclusively identified and it is most likely not a single factor.
Colorectal cancer, commonly referred to as colon cancer, is an abnormal pattern of growth of cells that invade and destroy the health surrounding tissue and may spread to distant sites. Cancer is life-threatening and early diagnosis, rapid treatment and proper monitoring is therefore essential. Malignant tumors may arise anywhere in the body and sometimes this spreads to the colon and rectum in which case it is known as a secondary tumor or metastases. If the tumor originates within the colon and rectum, then it is known as a primary tumor. Colorectal cancer is a very common types of cancer and a person with risk factors, like a family history of colorectal cancer, needs to be tested regularly.
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What is colon cancer?
Colon cancer is a malignant growth in the colon. It usually affects the rectum as well so the joint term is coloretal cancer (CRC). The colon is the longest part of the large intestine and processes all the waste material in the bowels that are eventually passed into the rectum and evacuated as faeces. Like the rest of the gut, it is lined with epithelium known as the mucosa. Most colorectal cancers starts as overgrowths of mucosal tissue know as polyps or adenomas. Not every polyp is cancerous though. Colorectal cancer is among the five most common types of cancers and screening in high risk individuals is advisable.
Bowel movements should be regular and ideally at least once daily. The stool should be soft but firm and pass out without any pain or straining. However, bowel habit varies from person to person. It is normal to have a bowel movement between 3 times a day and 3 times a week. The stool may also vary among different bowel movements even within the same day. Constipation is defined by having :
- fewer than 3 bowel movements per week.
- passing hard stools.
- straining to defecate.
- feeling of incomplete bowel movement after defecating.
Pain may be present when passing stool and at times manual intervention may be necessary to remove the stool and facilitate defecation. Constipation is a symptom and its presentation may vary among individuals but most people who are constipated experience two or more of the features above.
Deciding on whether to opt for full (comprehensive) medical aid cover or a hospital plan only, depends largely on the individual and one’s budget. A hospital plan is more affordable and offers protection for the most expensive of services – hospital care. However, one’s medical needs may not require hospitalisation and can still be costly to the point that it can be unaffordable. In this respect, comprehensive cover or full medical aid cover offers the best of both worlds. Fortunately recent changes in private healthcare legislation has now offered the consumer, even those without full medical aid cover, the protection for certain life-threatening chronic ailments.
