Medical Questions

[Mom70x7]

How about a general medical topic? Not for the "what is this bump here" are "my symptoms are . . ." but more of an "explain this to me" discussion. Not for medical advice! just discussion.

For instance . . .

could someone explain congestive heart failure without using medical terms?

Or . . .

what causes "sleepy-sand" in the eyes? Can you have too much of it? How come?

[Diane Amberg]

   I sure can do CHF for you. I wasn't an EMT instructor all those years for nothin.'  Congestive heart failure is essentially "pump" failure. A common form happens when the left side of the heart squeezes out a portion of  blood from the lower left chamber, but does it so weakly that it doesn't empty, it leaves some in there. In a moment, here comes some more new blood in, but there is still some in there. Once again the heart squeezes, but not hard enough to empty itself and again leaves some behind. Eventually that chamber is so full of left over blood that it starts backing up in the system. The lungs end up with extra fluid in them. The person may have a rattley sound when they breathe, sounds like a wet chest cold. In more serious cases the person will feel weak and "winded." In heart attacks, the person may say their chest hurts, in CHF they say they can't breathe, and feel very weak and tired.   Any questions?

[dandymomma]

By "sleepy-sand" do you mean eye-crusties that we all get in the morning???

If that is the case, then here is the explanation...

We all have microscopic organisms that live in our eyelashes and around our eyes. At night when we aren't blinking and clearing away their secretions with tears, the secretions build up and dry and become the crud that you have to wipe out of your eyes in the morning.

It is possible to have too much. Sometimes the build-up is bad enough that your eyelids get "glued" together. If that happens just use some saline solution to break up the gunk, and massage your eyes gently until you can get them open. Be careful not to pick at your eyes when you have excessive build-up because an open sore can create a sty or other infection in the midst of everything.

If having too much "sleep" in your eyes is becoming bothersome, or you are experiencing daytime build-up, which means that there is too much for your tears to wash away with normal blinking, it would be wise to consult your physician.

[Joanna]

Wow!  What a whiz-bang group of people are here.  I'm pleased and impressed by the answers you gave!  They are easy to understand and knowledgeable too.  I've learned two new things today ~ Thanks!
Here's something I've always wondered about:  My joints pop all the time, have since I was a kid. Back, neck, wrists, knuckles, hips, knees, toes ~ everything. And usually when I'm doing normal activities, I try not to do it on purpose. Some people say it is tendons snapping, some say it's air in the joints popping (where does it go I wonder?) ~ no one seems to have a clear idea and doctors, even chiropractors I've asked, always change the subject after assuring me 'it's not unusual at all'...  I've heard it causes arthritis, and I've heard that it doesn't.  Anyone have any information on this?

[Diane Amberg]

 Thank you Kermit, and yes, there is more that can be done now than a few years ago. It depends on what caused the CHF in the first place. It can stand alone, (an old tired out heart), or it can be a left over from heart attacks of certain kinds in certain areas of the heart. Of course the first thing is to get rid of the cardiac overload,( extra fluid ) 40mg. of Lasix and get out of the way! The kidneys and bladder will work overtime! Many people with mild cases take meds to strenghten the contractility (squeezing) of the heart, take a diuretic to help keep extra, unneeded fluid out of the body, take the salt shaker off the table and live for years, and live well. It can be one sudden and fatal event if it is accompanied by other serious heart disease complications.  

[Diane Amberg]

 Joint noises do not cause any problems that you weren't going to have anyway. You probably have slightly looser joint attachments, so they move around a bit more. As long as they are just noisy and don't actually dislocate, it's fine. Most of the answers you've heard are correct to one degree or another. It can be tendon and ligament noise, or the synovial  (lubricating) fluid in the joints moving.( they do contain a gas, not really air ). No pain no problem. Now the snap and crackling (mice) in our knees can be a bit more of a problem. They are commonly little "flakes" that come loose and are rubbing around in there. If they become very painful, they can be taken care of, otherwise no problem. As we get older, all the wear and tear on our bodies begins to show itself. Our bodies never totally forgive us for the things we do to them. As always, if you suspect something is wrong, see the Doctor!!!

[Mom70x7]

This is so wonderful! Thanks!

[Teresa]

Great answers.... and in a language that everyone can understand.
 Thanks..

[Diane Amberg]

  Here's a bit more on CHF. Sometimes the extra fluid in the body is so much that the ankles and lower legs swell. This is not the same as hot weather swollen ankles. It commonly happens at the same time as the terrible fatigue and chest gurgling. In most cases, these folks want to sit up, to get the extra fluid low in the lungs. If they lie down flat they feel as if they are drowning.

[Kermit]

That was my Mom all over. My dad spends a lot of his sleeping time in a recliner instead of bed, now. He has COPD and is down to about 40% of his lung capacity. Two different causes, but an inability of breathe is going to get both my parents, looks like.