Toothache Causes and Treatments

Toothache is a very common problem and can occur without a warning. Toothache is one ailment that can make your life miserable. The intense and unbearable pain won’t let you sleep, eat, drink or even draw in cold air through the mouth because of your tender tooth!

The most common cause of a toothache is a dental cavity. Dental cavities (caries) are holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath the enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living tooth tissue called the pulp, where blood vessels and nerves reside. Certain bacteria in the mouth convert simple sugars into acid. The acid softens and (along with saliva) dissolves the enamel and dentin, creating cavities. Small shallow cavities may not cause pain and may be unnoticed by the patient. The larger deeper cavities can collect food debris. The inner living pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins or by foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet-causing toothache. Toothache from these larger cavities is the most common reason for visits to dentists.

Pain may also occur after an extraction (tooth is pulled out). Pain sometimes originates from other areas and radiates to the jaw, thus appearing to be tooth pain. The most common areas include the jaw joint (temporomandibular joint or TMJ), ear pain, and even occasional heart problems.

Bacteria growing inside your mouth can contribute to gum disease, plaque, and dental decay. These problems can become painful. The cause and prevention of dental disease has been well investigated.

TOOTHACHE TREATMENT

There are many remedies that can be used to provide temporary relief to an achy tooth. Here are a few, to help you out. Wrapping ice in a towel and place on the outside of the mouth. The cold from the ice will help ease the pain of a toothache, by numbing the nerves around it. Salt and warm water also work great. Get a glass of warm water and mix two or three teaspoons of salt, and swish around your mouth, then spit it out. Do this a few times a day. Cut off a small piece of an onion and place in on the bad tooth. This often helps to relieve pain. If you have a clove of garlic and rock salt, you can place the two on the tooth in pain and it will relieve the pain. It may even help to cure the infection.

Most people can avoid severe dental problems with regular dental care. Maintain a healthy diet. Bacteria thrive on refined sugar and starch and need this in order to burrow through the enamel on your teeth. Watch what you eat and be careful about food that sticks to and between your teeth. Brush your teeth after eating or add foods in your diet with some roughage that may act as a natural toothbrush. End your meal with a salad or apple.

You can prevent the majority of dental problems through flossing, brushing with fluoride toothpaste, and having your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year. The dentist may apply sealants and fluoride, which are especially important in children. Establish a good program of cleaning your teeth to remove the food particles. Brush your teeth after eating. Have your dentist's telephone number easily available in case of an emergency.

Heart Disease - Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

The term "heart diseases" refers to diseases of the heart and the blood vessel system within it. The heart is the center of the cardiovascular system. Through the body's blood vessels, the heart pumps blood to all of the body's cells. The blood carries oxygen, which the cells need. Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, mainly affects older people and means that there are problems with the heart and blood vessels.

The heart is a muscular pump in the chest. Throughout life it beats continuously and rhythmically to send blood to the lungs and the rest of the body. The normal heart weighs approximately 10 1/2 ounces and is about the size of your fist. It beats 60 to 120 times a minute, depending on whether you are excited or resting.

There are many types of heart disease. The major types of heart disease are atherosclerosis, coronary, rheumatic, congenital, myocarditis, angina and arrhythmia. Heart disease can arise from congenital defects, infection, narrowing of the coronary arteries, high blood pressure, or disturbances.

The prime cause of heart disease is a build up of fatty materials, called low-density lipoproteins or LDL cholesterol, in the arteries. LDL cholesterol is a thick porridge-like substance that sticks to the artery lining. Where it does stick, blood flow through the artery becomes restricted, so putting a strain on the heart muscle.

The primary risk factors for the development of atherosclerotic heart disease are smoking, sedentary lifestyle, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and a genetic predisposition to the disease.

Symptoms of heart disease varies according to the type of heart disease. Unfortunately, some heart diseases cause no symptoms early in its course. When symptoms occur, they vary from person to person. In its early stages there are no symptoms. The first symptom is usually angina pectoris (chest pain) or heart attack.

Angina pectoris is discomfort or pain in the chest, typically, brought on by exertion and relieved by rest. The pain may be a dull ache in the middle of the chest or a feeling of pressure that may spread up to the neck or down the arms. The major symptoms of a heart attack are intense chest pain, suddenly cold, sweating, weakness and nausea.

Drug treatments for people with heart disease can help lower blood pressure or cholesterol, prevent or dissolve blood clots, relieve and prevent angina symptoms or improve the strength or rhythm of the heart's contractions.

Medical procedures to diagnose and treat heart disease include coronary angiography, coronary artery bypass grafts, coronary angioplasty, coronary stenting, heart transplants, operations for congenital defects, surgery for heart valve defects, electrophysiological treatments and implanting of cardiac defibrillator.

Begin or sustain some regular physical activity. Even a modest amount of activity each day will lower your LDL cholesterol and raise your HDL cholesterol. Exercise also improves your heart's pumping efficiency, benefits your circulation and increases your overall strength and endurance.

Increase your consumption of vegetables, fresh fruits, low-fat milk and other dairy products, grains, fish and poultry. The main objective here is to replace foods high in saturated fat with healthier foods. Multiple sources of information exist that will help you create a heart-healthy diet.

Know your cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels. The level of cholesterol in your blood is a good indicator of the health of your heart and blood vessels. Generally, the higher your cholesterol level, the greater your risk of heart disease.