Online CPR Certification Blog

How cancer is diagnosed

Typical screening measures like routine self exam can help detect many types of cancer before they become serious like those of the breast, skin, mouth, prostate, and rectum and prostate. Detection of most cancer types is usually done after the tumor can now be felt or when symptoms start developing.

Body cells reproduce or divide normally only when the body needs new cells. There are times when these body cells grow and divide rapidly and get out of control thus leading to a tissue mass known as a tumor. When these cells are normal, such a tumor is known as benign and it is not cancerous. But if such cells are abnormal and are functioning differently from normal cells in the body, such a tumor is known as malignant/ cancerous.

Invasive cervical cancer not only affects deeper cervix tissues but also parts body parts as well like the vagina, rectum, bladder, lungs and liver. But cervical cancer grows very slowly and as it progresses via precancerous changes, this provides an opportunity for prevention and treatment when detected early. 

Facts about skin cancer

Skin cancers are basically of three types and these are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. There are also other skin cancer types that are quite unusual such as dermatofibrosarcoma protruberans and Merkel cell tumors.

The emerging treatments for prostate cancer are seemingly confusing to most people. It is essential for you to understand that each of these treatment options comes with its share of benefits and risks that you should beware of. There is no single treatment that can be perfect for each and every man suffering from prostate cancer. You will need to know the treatments available at your disposal in terms of severity/stage of cancer and its grade, lifestyle considerations and age among other factors.

Blocking of the flow of blood to the heart is the cause of a heart attack. When the heart doesn’t receive oxygen that comes with the blood, it starts to die gradually. Getting quick treatment is crucial when it comes to minimizing the deadliness of a heart attack and this can go a long way towards bettering the survival chances of the patient.

During a heart disease diagnosis, the doctor will ask you to describe the symptoms you are experiencing and for information regarding your medical history. A standardized medical exam will be used to assess your physical condition as well as listening of whooshing or swishing sounds of the heart or the so called heart murmurs.

Your doctor might consider treating your heart disease by providing your heart with a new blood pathway. During the heart bypass surgery on the coronary artery which is also referred to as ‘cabbage’ or CABG, the doctors remove or redirects a blood vessel in a way that the blockages are bypassed and the flow of blood to heart muscle is restored. This vessel is known as graft.

The main and most important function of the heart is supplying the body with nutrients and blood. As the heart beats and contracts regularly, blood is moved throughout the body. Electrical impulses that control each heartbeat travel through the heart. In a normal situation, the electrical impulses tend to occur regularly. However, when everything is not alright with the electrical system of the heart, the heart fails to beat regularly.

Steps leading to a heart attack

Knowing what really happens when one suffers a heart attack is very important. To start with, you should know that the heart needs to be nourished constantly by oxygen rich blood. This critical supply of blood to the heart is supplied by coronary arteries. People with coronary artery disease have narrow arteries and the blood doesn’t flow properly as it should normally.