tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18064078515106625902024-02-19T04:05:45.234-08:00HEALTH CAREnitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-52574593259248543132012-03-01T05:23:00.000-08:002012-03-01T05:23:27.220-08:00Sleep quality 'improves with age'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="top-story-header"><img alt="Couple asleep" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/58788000/jpg/_58788026_coupleasleep.jpg" /></h2><div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1">The belief that older people tend to suffer worse sleep may be false - in fact the reverse may be true, according to US researchers.</div>A telephone survey of more than 150,000 adults suggested that, apart from a blip in your 40s, sleep quality gets better with age.<br />
Those in their 80s reported the best sleep, says the study in Sleep journal.<br />
A UK sleep researcher said while poor health could affect sleep, it was a "myth" that age alone was a factor.<br />
While universities have equipment which can measure sleep duration and disturbance in study volunteers, this does not always match the volunteer's own opinion on their night's rest.<br />
The research, conducted by the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania, instead focused on asking large numbers of randomly selected people about their sleep.<br />
They were also asked about their race, income, education, mood and general health.<br />
While being depressed or having health problems was linked to poor sleep quality, once the researchers had adjusted the results to compensate for this, a distinct pattern emerged.<br />
Instead, they found that complaints about poor sleep quality fell as age rose, with the lowest number of complaints coming from the over-70s.<br />
<span class="cross-head">Middle age blip</span> The only exception to this trend was middle age, where sleep quality was poorer.<br />
Dr Michael Grandner said the original reason for setting up the study was to confirm the precise opposite - that sleep quality declined in old age.<br />
He said: "These results force us to re-think what we know about sleep in older people - men and women."<br />
He suggested that it was possible that older people were sleeping worse, but simply felt better about it.<br />
"Even if sleep among older Americans is actually worse than in younger adults, feelings about it still improve with age."<br />
Professor Derk-Jan Dijk, Professor of Sleep and Physiology and Director of the Surrey Sleep Research Centre, said the study was "interesting".<br />
He said: "We have got to get away from all these myths about ageing - many people are very content with their sleep."<br />
However, he said that asking people for their subjective opinion about sleep patterns could produce answers that were dependent on their mood at the time.<br />
"If you are angry because your boss didn't give you a pay rise, your perception of sleep quality may be very different from someone who is feeling generally content."<br />
<h2 class="top-story-header"></h2></div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-20602462431840082892012-02-23T03:33:00.002-08:002012-02-23T03:33:35.129-08:00Cure hangover with yoga<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h3><strong style="color: #cc0000;">Ardha Matsyendrasana</strong><br />
<br />
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</tbody></table>Sit with one knee bent on the ground, now place the other leg across it<br />
With the opposite arm, lock the knee from outside and grasp the foot<br />
Keep other arm behind the back, twist the spine and look back<br />
Hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally<br />
Repeat on the other side<br />
<br />
<strong style="color: #cc0000;">Bhungasana and Parvatasana 1&2</strong><br />
<br />
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</tbody></table>Lie down on your stomach<br />
Keep your palms next to your chest<br />
Inhale, arch up<br />
Now, exhale lifting your hips upwards while pressing your head downwards<br />
Your knees should be straight. Repeat this five times breathing correctly<br />
<br />
<strong style="color: #cc0000;">Mandukasana</strong><br />
<br />
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</tbody></table>Sit on your heels<br />
Make a fist with both hands keeping the thumb inside<br />
Put your fists on the navel<br />
Inhale deeply. Now exhale completely while bending forward<br />
Hold your posture as long as you can<br />
Do this posture for three times breathing correctly<br />
<br />
<strong style="color: #cc0000;">Kunjal Kriya</strong><br />
<br />
Drink six glasses of lukewarm water with one teaspoon of salt per litre. Drink the water very fast.<br />
When the stomach is full, the urge to vomit will occur automatically. Bend forward 90 degrees.<br />
Open the mouth and place the middle and index fingers of the right hand as far back on the tongue as possible and press gently.<br />
The water will gush out from the stomach. Any alcohol remaining in the stomach will come out. Do this kriya before sleeping and after waking up in the morning.<br />
<br />
<strong style="color: #cc0000;">Benefits</strong><br />
<br />
When you begin with Kunjal and follow up with these postures and then the breathing, you will feel as fresh as a daisy! There will be no adverse effect of the alcohol on your body. The postures will help improve blood flow; the breathing techniques will help to oxygenate the blood, thus expanding the blood vessels. The alcohol will quickly be eliminated as a result.</h3><h3></h3></div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-56350223397438124612012-02-23T03:31:00.000-08:002012-02-23T03:31:42.328-08:00What happens when I get a mouth ulcer?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h3><img align="left" alt="border=0" hspace="5" src="http://media2.intoday.in/menshealth/images/stories/July10/MHP38-1_1665.jpg" valign="bottom" vspace="2" /></h3><h3>Those irritating sores in your mouth can be easily avoided.<br />
<br />
<strong>What's that?</strong><br />
Your mouth hurts and it's not because of excessive speaking. "Ulcers have multiple causes ranging from stress to the big C," says Dr S K Thakur, consultant gastroenterology, Moolchand Medcity, New Delhi. Identify it: A red patch that develops a yellowish centre causing a fair amount of pain, especially during eating and drinking. Think of it as a mouth zit, but don't try to burst it! Besides the inside of your cheeks, you can also get ulcers on your tongue, palate and lips.<br />
<br />
<strong>Are they contagious?</strong><br />
"Ulcers are of two kinds: Apthous ulcers are not contagious. But cold sores around the lips caused by herpes simplex are.<br />
<br />
Nearly 10 per cent of the population gets them," says Dr Arun K Goel, a senior oncology consultant at Galaxy Cancer Institute and Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital. Minor symptoms are fever, loss of appetite or skin rash. In extreme cases, there can be multiple joint involvement with pain and swelling.<br />
<br />
<strong>What are the causes?</strong><br />
Most malignant ulcers have a history of tobacco consumption, especially chewing paan-"as mouth resistance drops and elasticity of oral mucosa comes down," says Dr Chanchal Pal, ENT, Moolchand Medcity.<br />
<br />
"Most ulcers are due to a deficiency of vitamin B complex, constipation and irregular diet." Dr Goel adds hormonal imbalances, food allergies, stress and lack of sleep to the list. Drop your girl home early sometimes to catch some much-needed shuteye.<br />
<br />
<strong>Should i worry?</strong><br />
Usually ulcers heal over a short period of time, say our board of experts. A common home remedy is a dab of glycerine on the affected area. If your ulcer insists on making your mouth its permanent home, it could be malignant. "Cancerous ulcers do not heal and tend to increase in size and pain," says Dr Goel. "Since cancer of the oral cavity is a common problem in India, people as well treating doctors need to be aware that cancer can be the cause of the ulcer," he adds.<br />
<br />
<strong>How can i make it go away?</strong><br />
Man up and bear the pain for a few days, as ulcers will self-heal but the agony is not worth enduring. Why suffer when the cure is easily available with overthe-counter drugs like analgesics and gels.<br />
<br />
"Also, avoid spicy food for a few days, up your vitamin intake and try salt water rinses," says Dr Goel. Eating papaya helps. "In severe cases, ulcers may require a biopsy for final diagnosis and steroid therapy," adds Dr Thakur. </h3></div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-8370110079227580262012-02-23T03:26:00.002-08:002012-02-23T03:26:39.843-08:00Seven deadly signs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h3><img align="left" alt="border=0" hspace="5" src="http://media2.intoday.in/menshealth/images/stories//December2011/dreamstime_122111102413.jpg" valign="bottom" vspace="2" /></h3><h3>When Jay Mehra, MD, met Mudit Arora at a restaurant at Bandra in Mumbai, alarm bells immediately rang with the general practitioner. Noticing Mudit's particularly "fleshy" hand, Jay suspected he had a brain tumour (the condition causes soft tissue deposits in the hands). The diagnosis was confirmed and the tumour successfully removed. <br />
<br />
All thanks to a handshake. The lesson is that however innocuous your symptoms, they could be a life-saving early warning. Follow this DIY guide to spot problems before it's too late.<br />
<br />
<strong>Back pain... It could be a kidney stone</strong><br />
You feel a sharp pain between your ribs and hip, but "because it's often inconsistent, you may put it down to excessive lifting at first," says BUPAUK's assistant medical director Sneh Khemka, MD. It may spell worse news than a postponed date with the barbell, though. "One in 10 men get kidney stones," says Khemka. <br />
<br />
"Untreated, they can block urine flow, making your kidney swell. The pain can eventually become so severe it's been described as the closest a man can get to childbirth," says Khemka. Which is a little too much "empathy" for any man to experience.<br />
<br />
<strong>Act now:</strong> "If the pain returns or moves into your groin, see your doctor immediately," says Khemka. Treatment varies from non-invasive sound waves to having a tube inserted somewhere sensitive. You can keep stones at bay with 45 minutes cardio three times a week, according to a research in Medical News Today. "You should also drink 2.5 litres of water a day to prevent stones," says Khemka.<br />
<strong><br />
Pain in your foot... It could be a slipped disc</strong><br />
Assuming it's not caused by dropping a dumbbell on your foot, "a herniated or prolapsed disc can produce sharp foot pain," says Dr PK Dave, HOD, orthopaedic, Rockland Hospital, New Delhi. <br />
<br />
"Pain is usually worse in the morning and aggravated by sitting. It's commonly missed as a disc problem because there's no back pain." But it won't go away. "Unchecked it will put increasing pressure on the sciatic nerve, which can lead to loss of bladder function and invalidity."<br />
<br />
<strong>Act now: </strong>"Lie on your stomach and do 10 gentle cobra poses (arching your back up and slowly straightening your arms, but keeping your hips on the floor)," says Dr Dave. If the pain eases, you probably have a slipped disc since these extensions relieve the pressure. "Do cobra poses every hour until you can get to a physio."<br />
<br />
<strong>Bad breath... It could be lung disease</strong><br />
Don't just blame last night's garlic. Bad breath could signal a host of problems Tic-Tacs won't fix. "Lung disease, asthma and cystic fibrosis all cause highly acidic breath," says University of Virginia researcher John Hunt, MD. <br />
<br />
"And the more acidic the breath, the more severe the condition." US Dental Association data found that while 90 per cent of cases of bad breath were down to hygiene and gums, the other 10 per cent were linked to systematic infections like lung disease, abscesses, and even liver failure.<br />
<br />
<strong>Act now: </strong>Rule out likely causes: dry mouth, sinus infection, gum disease and smoking by visiting your dentist. "They can also spot signs of mouth cancer, if there is any, that is," says Mumbai-based Dr Sandesh M Mayekar, aesthetic and cosmetic dentist. "Early detection increases your survival chances from 50-90 per cent," Dr Mayekar says. <br />
<br />
If the dentist suspects your breath may have a "deeper" cause-like lung disease- they'll refer you to your GP who'll send you for tests to measure its acidity. And if you get the all clear, direct yourself to the nearest Tic-Tac retailer.<br />
<br />
<strong>Diarrhoea... It could be an overactive thyroid</strong><br />
The tear-jerking tryst with your U-bend is bad enough, but one in 50 of us will suffer the very worst of this hormonal malfunction. Left untreated, the form that most commonly affects young men-Graves' disease-can debilitate muscles and make your hair drop out. It can also lead to severe vision problems. Symptoms include severe bouts of diarrhoea along with dramatic weight loss despite having a healthy appetite.<br />
<br />
<strong>Act now:</strong> Maybe those oysters didn't taste right, but if the diarrhoea lasts several days, coupled with poor sleep or intolerance of heat, it's likely you have a thyroid problem. So see your general physician for blood tests.<br />
<br />
<strong>Erectile dysfunction... It could be Parkinson's</strong><br />
As if going soft wasn't already hard to swallow, Harvard research recently found that men who reported erectile dysfunction were almost four times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease later in life.<br />
<br />
<strong>Act now: </strong>There's no known way to prevent the disease, though recent research by US neurologists at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota suggests that developing drugs which mimic a protective gene variation could be the key. Don't start panicking already, though. While around a few million men will experience impotence, Parkinson's disease may not be the only culprit. It is more likely to be caused by stress, smoking, alcohol, or injury than Parkinson's disease.<br />
<br />
<strong>Neck/Shoulder pain... It could be Lyme disease</strong><br />
Aching joints curtailing your gym session? Throbbing headache? Had some al fresco summer loving? Maybe it was just a very good night, but may be you haven't noticed a pencil-point size tick that's latched onto you. <br />
<br />
"It's very difficult to spot, so many cases of Lyme disease are only reported when serious symptoms set in," explains David Owen, MD, who specialises in researching the disease. Most of us tend to ignore neck pain thinking it's a mere result of sleeping bad. If you're one of them, you could face meningitis, facial palsy and severe arthritis. So next time you feel the pain in your neck, check thoroughly.<br />
<br />
<strong>Act now: </strong>Along with headaches and muscular aches, look for red lesions. "If you get a bite, avoid squeezing a tick's body and cleanse any skin break with antiseptic," says Owen. "It's difficult to diagnose, so if possible save the tick in a container labelled with date and location, which will help your doctor." Treatment comes in the form of antibiotics.<br />
<br />
<strong>Leg pain... It could be heart disease</strong><br />
"Leg pain when you're walking or running is a common symptom of cardiovascular disease," says Dr Atul Mathur, director, interventional cardiology at the Escorts Heart Centre, New Delhi. <br />
<br />
"Leg pain can be due to orthopaedic problems too. But the narrowing of your spinal cord can choke your arteries. If the pain stops when you stop walking or running, but gets worse when carrying weight, or walking fast, then it's probably an early warning that you're at high risk for heart attack or stroke as the arteries supplying the lower limbs narrow," says Dr Mathur.<br />
<br />
<strong>Act now: </strong>If you're getting leg aches and, particularly, if your father or anyone in the family had heart problems, have your doctor check your cholesterol and blood pressure. You may be referred for an ankle brachial index to measure blood pressure in your legs. </h3></div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-30218052398940740512012-02-23T03:24:00.000-08:002012-02-23T03:24:03.220-08:00The hard cell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h3><img align="left" alt="border=0" hspace="5" src="http://media2.intoday.in/menshealth/images/stories//August2011/vs_health_illus1_f_081111031641.jpg" valign="bottom" vspace="2" /></h3><h3>Here's something you won't hear too often on these pages: Think small. Your body's tiniest building blocks-your cells -hold the secret to long life and great health. They are ultimately responsible for everything: Your movement, memories, immune response, even your breathing. If they work, so does everything else. When they fail, it brings on ageing, disease and, eventually, death. Here is the definitive guide to micromanaging your health and putting the inevitable on hold.<br />
<br />
<strong>1. Charge your body's energy network</strong><br />
Cells are like laptops: They're only as good as their battery life. The miniature AAs inside your cells, called mitochondria, form your body's power grid. They keep everything running, from the neurons that file away memories to the immune cells sent to the front line when you pick up a cold. Treat them right, and research from McMaster University in Canada says you'll boost their performance by 56 per cent. Here's how to do it...<br />
<br />
<strong>Training: </strong>Interval work boosts PGC-1, a protein in your mitochondria, which makes them more efficient. The Canadian study recommends cardio at 100 per cent exertion for 60 seconds followed by active recovery for 75 seconds. Repeat eight times per session and try to work in six sessions over two weeks. This makes you 13 per cent fi tter and your fat burning 36 per cent more efficient. So hit the treadmill hard and fast.<br />
<br />
<strong>Fuel:</strong> Mitochondria launch your body's counterstrike when it's invaded by a virus-anything from a stomach bug to hepatitis. Eat two boiled or poached eggs a day in order to boost your immunity. They will provide your RDA of selenium, an essential chemical building block that helps the mitochondria kick off your immune response. Don't like eggs? Try cheese melted on whole-wheat toast for an evening snack.<br />
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</tbody></table><strong>2. De-stress your DNA</strong><br />
Stress wears down your cells. "Chronic stress can take years off your life, and this happens at the cellular level," says Elissa Epel, a psychologist at the University of California. Her research found that if you cut the effects of anxiety, the cellular reward amounts to 10 extra years of healthy micro-machines.<br />
<br />
<strong>Training: </strong>Secure that extra decade with endurance training. An hour of running, cycling or swimming reverses the effects of stress on the body by preserving the chromosomes that house your genetic code, in every cell in your body. A study at the University of Applied Sciences in Saarbrucken, Germany, found that the effect is most pronounced when you hit a heart rate of 60-70 per cent of your maximum.<br />
<br />
<strong>Fuel: </strong>A mid-morning cuppa does more than power you through your 10.30 meeting. Research in the British Journal of Nutrition found that men who drink three cups of tea a day clock up an extra five years. It cuts the stress hormone cortisol, which causes wear and tear on cells. Lemonade has also been shown to reduce the physical effects of stress-ensuring that good things come from your small packages.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. Your tiny life-extenders</strong><br />
Excluding New Delhi auto drivers and your nagging girlfriend, your lifespan is largely controlled by what's going on inside your cells. Research from King's College London shows you can slow the ageing process right down if you look after your telomeres. <br />
<br />
These tiny caps of DNA protect your chromosomes from decline, just like the plastic caps on the ends of your shoe laces. Keep them healthy and "the difference corresponds to nine years of ageing," says study author Lynn Cherkas. Better start thinking of ways to annoy the great-grandchildren.<br />
<br />
<strong>Training: </strong>Doing less than 30 minutes' cardio a day buys you time by preserving those tiny caps. Try a 20-minute circuit of squats, lunges, hip raises, pressups and crunches, rotating every 10 repetitions. This increases your levels of telomerase, an enzyme that extends the working life of your precious cells.<br />
<br />
<strong>Fuel: </strong>High-melatonin oats and cherries protect your cells by helping you sleep. Research in Respiratory Medicine shows a lack of sleep wears away your telomeres. A multi-vitamin each day will also do the trick.<br />
<br />
<strong>4. Keep your heart ticking</strong><br />
Heart disease, one of the biggest killers among Indian men, can be explained-and prevented -by events taking place at the microscopic level. Like the rest of your body, the cells in your heart regenerate over time. <br />
<br />
"At the age of 50, 55 per cent of the heart's cells remain from the time around birth and 45 per cent have been generated later," says Bruce Buchholz, a researcher at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the United Kingdom. When the cells don't regenerate properly, it can lead to 'myocardial damage'-which can lead to a heart attack. Here's how to keep the beat...<br />
<br />
<strong>Training: </strong>Try heavygoing hypertrophy, where you lift up to 80 per cent of your single-rep max for 5-8 reps. A study in Clinical Medicine and Research found this beefs up the width in your heart cells, making the tissue in your heart thicker and better able to pump blood around the body.<br />
<br />
<strong>Fuel: </strong>Protein from a post-workout chicken stir-fry with green vegetables fortifies your cells' outer shells. University of Iowa research found that stronger cell membranes in heart tissue reduces the risk of heart attack. Where's that takeaway menu?</h3></div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-54011396469335011232012-02-23T03:22:00.000-08:002012-02-23T03:22:45.122-08:00Confront your addiction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h3><span style="font-size: large;"><img align="left" alt="border=0" hspace="5" src="http://media2.intoday.in/menshealth/images/stories//January2012/gettyimages_108268830_012312010415.jpg" valign="bottom" vspace="2" />Some of us know our limits. Others don't. But even fewer know why addiction happens in the first place. The seeds of the disease-happy hours, one-night stands, risky wagers-define masculinity itself. Are you man enough to look at your worst habits?<br />
<br />
It's a simple story. My friend turned into a cat. He turned a corner and disappeared. The white colonnade multiplied manifold, the crows spread their menacing wings. And I found myself waiting for the bus that would take me. Somewhere.<br />
<br />
I had just found my freedom, the sprawling campus was full of possibilities. The grass was always greener on this side. Literally. It was love at first puff. It made the days bearable and my nights fantastic. Everything was larger than life. We utilised lecture time. I tried writing. <br />
<br />
Ravi made crazy sketches. Vishal penned lyrics, which he later hummed along with his guitar, as we sat on the pavement in front of our favourite dhaba. Sunny wasn't particularly good at anything, but he always thought of the craziest things to do, and sponsored our most expensive adventures.<br />
<br />
The music throbbed in my temples, and lights blinded me. I was thrilled to be liberated from the mundane, there was so much to do. Even going to the movies became a mind-blowing experience. And this was way before 3-D. Parties started at sundown, and never ended. I resented the restrictions at the hostel, and moved out to live with one of my girlfriends. But that's a love story.<br />
<strong><br />
Short, dim days</strong><br />
At some point, I started running out of breath, as though I was on a treadmill that was too fast for me. I was surprised at myself. Tired of having fun? Back-to-back marijuana joints didn't give me even half as much fun as that first joint had. On some days, attending the party was more like a social commitment. On some days, I wanted to close my eyes and rewind, to slow down. <br />
<br />
But after a day of trying to focus on lectures, a comrade would leisurely lay out the cigarette paper, fill it with the good stuff, and seal my fate. Meanwhile, I was struggling to attain passing marks. I received a stern warning from my folks, who were financing my bohemian lifestyle. The message was clear: if I didn't shape up, I would have to come home. That shook me up a little. I wanted to write.<br />
<br />
<strong>The struggle</strong><br />
I made a compromise: study during the week, party only on the weekends. The week was a real drag, but I managed to squeeze in few drags too. The weekend was screaming out to spill over into Thursday and Monday! I was just getting by. But some of my friends weren't.<br />
<strong><br />
Lost friends</strong><br />
Ravi eventually dropped out of the graduation course and went on to do graphic design. We got together now and then, and he always made the best reefers. His job was way too cool. His timings were flexible, and he could get by with his great concepts. I wasn't so lucky. I had to actually work for a living, which, I realised was expensive, even without the ganja. And writing didn't pay. But a few years down the line, things changed. Ravi dropped in at odd hours. Sometimes he needed money. Mostly, he was between jobs. He was talented, but somewhere he had lost it.<br />
<br />
<strong>Too much fun</strong><br />
It seems there is actually no such a thing as too much fun. Studies reveal that the survival mechanism in the human brain involves a very delicate neurochemical equilibrium. Normally, our system is first motivated to do something, like hunt or have sex, and then we are rewarded with a feeling of pleasure. This feeling is very well-achieved artificially by means of alcohol, gambling and a whole range of psychotropic drugs. First you want it, then you get it. The space between wanting and getting is crucial for this system. Once overtaxed by excessive pleasure, it starts becoming a torture.<br />
<br />
<strong>Men who pause</strong><br />
But it doesn't just end here. Like I said, there were many girls who smoked up almost as much. But most of them are well-settled into their careers today, and two of them got married and had babies. As it turns out, we have been dealt bad card here. We are physically better equipped to absorb the impact of alcohol and most drugs, and that should be an advantage, right? Wrong. <br />
<br />
Findings show that the aggregate impact from alcohol and other addictions is much higher in men. According to a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the brain's frontal lobes, responsible for decision-making, is active in female drug users who are trying to quit, but the opposite happens to the male brain. In short, when we are tempted, our decision-making system shuts down, and we follow the impulse.<br />
<br />
<strong>A clean-up act </strong><br />
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that an addicted man becomes a lonely man. His social support system dwindles rapidly. I bowed out of Ravi's invitations more than once, feeling guilty for letting a friend down. It takes a lot to tell yourself that you need help. <br />
<br />
I have known people that have cleaned up overnight. But more than that, I have known people who have taken the support of friends and family. One push from the system can set the right triggers in place, and before you know it, you might be getting your kicks from lifting iron instead of a bottle.<br />
<br />
<em>-John Sarkar</em></span></h3><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;"><table align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 163, 164); margin: 2px 5px 5px;"><tbody>
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</tbody></table></span><strong style="color: #990000;">The first hit</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">All it took for me was an adventurous girlfriend to begin my 20-year love affair with nicotine.<br />
<br />
Last time I was sober, man I felt bad/ Worst hangover that I ever had/ It took six hamburgers and scotch all night/Nicotine for breakfast just to put me right/ 'Cause if you wanna run cool/... you got to run/ On heavy, heavy fuel... Dire Straits.<br />
<br />
Heavy fuel it's been for me. Call me a Knopfler fan or his victim, I went 22 years before my first cigarette. Since that first time when this concoction of carcinogens wafted into my unsuspecting lungs, it's been more than a decade spent huffing, living with a perpetually sore throat… and yes, I still cannot perfect those loops.<br />
<strong><br />
A heady rush</strong><br />
This is not about quitting. This is about that first time I got hooked. I knew I was messing around, but every time my lungs took the hit, the ground seemed to rush up at me in compensation…it felt much better than all the highs I had known till then. Smoking, at that age, didn't seem like a big risk. Like every boy my age who didn't like commitments, I too fooled myself into thinking I will keep it short. Or so I thought.<br />
<br />
<strong>The tutor</strong><br />
"Let the smoke flow smoothly into your lungs…inhale deeply to avoid coughing." She had recently broken off with my best friend and was with me on rebound. I didn't want her to say I too was a loser. It tasted like hell; I couldn't stop coughing. "Don't worry," she reassured me. "The first few drags are never pleasant. Take smaller puff s." And then it happened: The rush, that heady, euphoric tingling feeling… and I was hooked. "Be careful," my tutor warned, "don't let the smoke get into your nose. You are not ready for it yet." My friends say I am a quick learner and I didn't disappoint her on this one either.<br />
<br />
<strong>Late but not never</strong><br />
Why did I start at all? I don't know. Perhaps to look cool. Yeah right! I am only 20 years too late to ask myself "What if". I was impetuous, no doubt, but the nicotine seemed to help me reorder my priorities more easily than anything else. Why did I do it? Blame it on youthful precociousness and the profundity with which it paints even the mundane with a brilliant future. Like Mark Twain said, since then, I have realised quitting smoking is the easiest thing I ever did…I ought to know because I have only done it a thousand times!<br />
<br />
<em>-Bobby John Varkey</em></span><br />
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</tbody></table></span><strong style="color: #990000;">Denial</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As a food addict, There's only one thing I found difficult to swallow: The truth.<br />
<br />
You think, Surely that's not . . . And, Yes, it is. And, Oh, God! And, What time is it, anyway? Your denial skills allow you to respond to the moment of horror, make the necessary mental readjustment, block out the horror, and carry right on walking. As a fat guy, you become adept at denial on many levels. You always carry in your head at least two versions of what you look like, ranging from trim to slightly overweight. The real you-the engorged belly, the treble chin, the moon face-gets buried.<br />
<strong><br />
The moment</strong><br />
I was in denial about something else, too- the very fact that I was a compulsive overeater. There I'd be, at my fattest, cruising along the sidewalk toward the golden arches of a McDonald's. Still, there I'd go, walking toward the arches, fully intending not to walk under the arches. Smelling the oil, the meat, the buns. Fully intending not to wait in line and order some fries. And then, click. Something would happen. I'd turn. I'd duck under the arches. I'd stand in line. This is the exact moment of denial. The moment you tend to ignore.<br />
<br />
<strong>Food for thought</strong><br />
As you gaze at the golden arches, you may believe you're still in possession of judicial powers. But you're not. At this stage, you have only executive powers. Your status as the master of your own destiny is entirely ceremonial. And then you step inside the binge, and, for a brief moment, it's a wonderful place to be. Inside the binge, you are outside of yourself. Here, objects are sharper, more clearly defined. Your hunger is bigger; the objects of your hunger look smaller. Inside the binge, you are pure appetite-pure aspiration. Nothing else. You have created a time zone more present than the present.<br />
<br />
<strong>Blocking out reality</strong><br />
Meanwhile, where's the real world-the world of being fat, the world of lumbering, of ugliness? You've banished it. It doesn't exist. It has been denied. Can there be yet another level of denial? Of course. Eventually, I went into therapy to talk about why I liked to overeat, or rather to talk about why I overate despite hating myself for doing it. This emerged: I was overeating in order to deny difficult emotions. I'd been doing this since I was a kid. I realised that the compulsive cycle- stepping into a binge, having a binge, feeling guilty about the binge, embarking on another binge-was a technique my mind had dreamed up to distract me from my darker thoughts.<br />
<br />
<strong>Big, fat truth</strong><br />
What I learned about my addictions was that it wasn't exactly burgers, or booze, or marijuana, or, during the periods when I lost weight, random sexual encounters that I craved, so much as craving itself. Addiction is about wanting to be hungry, about the need to be unsatisfied. This, it turned out, was the truth that, for the longest time, I sought to deny.<br />
<br />
<em>-William Leith</em></span><br />
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</tbody></table></span><strong style="color: #990000;">Hitting bottom</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">At what point does sex become a drug? The day it tears your life apart.<br />
<br />
When he hit rock bottom it was shoulder-first. Someone was yanking his arm and dragging him towards a dark blue van waiting nearby. He didn't try to resist.<br />
<br />
From Kolkata's famous red light district Sonagachi, Anand was taken to the nearest police station, and locked up for the night. Unaware, his mother fell asleep while waiting for him at the dinner table.<br />
<br />
<strong>Strange but true</strong><br />
He was 18, all set to get into Kolkata's best college. Snehe Shmita, the hottest girl in his class, was his. They'd gone out for a date, and after dropping her home, he felt a familiar obsession stirring. He stopped a rickshaw and got in. The cheap neon lights in the dingy North Kolkata bylanes hit him like fireflies. The women were waiting.<br />
<br />
<strong>Dangerous pastime</strong><br />
Anand couldn't stop thinking about women. As a kid he had wet dreams about his teachers. He tried his luck with the maids in his house and was thrashed by his mother, more than once. It didn't work. At his friends' parties, he would try to hit on any woman, regardless of consequences and physical attractiveness. Slowly, he earned a reputation. Despite a loving and attractive girlfriend, Anand would drool at the mere thought of visiting brothels. His friends knew by then that Anand was a sex addict.<br />
<br />
<strong>Living on a prayer</strong><br />
After every escapade, Anand would be so relieved about getting away with it that he would punish himself. He'd go to a temple. "I won't smoke anymore. I will never cheat on Snehe Shmita again," he would pray.<br />
<br />
<strong>Dying hard</strong><br />
Today, Anand is a happy man. He is a VP at a well-known KPO, is married to Snehe Shmita, and the two of them have an apartment at a swanky Kolkata neighbourhood. He even manages to go to the gym. But once in a while, Anand will take a detour on his way back home from work, and drive towards where the old neon lights still burn bright-like fireflies.<em><br />
<br />
-John Sarkar</em></span><br />
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</tbody></table></span><strong style="color: #990000;">Quitting</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to get clean, but smart money gagged me and made my life hell.<br />
<br />
First try and I struck gold. All the spoils came my way too quick and easy. After three consecutive victories and neatly stacked `1000 bills stashed in my big fat wallet, I was up for a fantastic ego massage and a good night's sleep. This was the first time I ever played 'Teen Patti' and boy oh boy, dead chuffed I was. What's the term for this? Beginners luck, eh?<br />
<strong><br />
Riding on hope</strong><br />
From that day on, this addiction lasted another three years. Days and nights were devoured practising cards with family, friends and whosoever was even remotely interested in gambling (even the night watchman wasn't spared). I was happy, my friends were hospitable, professional life was booming, I was paying my monthly bills on time, father was comfortable and the morning tea tasted as crisp as a newly-wed wife. <br />
<br />
Life was perfect. Though in due course I won and lost a great deal, it was never as perennially stressful as it became in the years to come. I realised, it's not the game that grabs you by the collar but the sheer kick of hope it creates. That explains why I kept coming back for more. After a brief hiatus, I was back on the table hustling with my hard-earned money.<br />
<strong><br />
Sledge hammered</strong><br />
When the bets were placed, Rs 20,000 for a blind, I became extremely nervous and edgy. Riding on luck I hoped to put up a good show. I was wrong. I lost five games in a row. Gambling is tricky business and you end up losing more than you win. The ratio is often skewed 3:1. Three times you lose, one time you win. I was bleeding heavy. <br />
<br />
Soon, my Breitling, my imported Scotch whiskies and for god's sake, even my car, went on the line. Debts piled up and tension was on an all time high. Coming back home or meeting friends wasn't a pleasant feeling any more. The morning tea tasted like left-over wine, professional life took a beating, taunts from relatives and friends became commonplace and all this coupled with social ostracisation and the imminent possibility of losing my job due to non-performance turned me into a nervous wreck.<br />
<br />
<strong>Turning point</strong><br />
The turning point in my life was when one day an epiphany struck me on my way back home from office. I decided to seek professional help. Slowly, this made my life more manageable and stress-free. Though I've still not given up gambling, (I play with a group of close friends on special occasions), I've resisted the temptation of wantonly betting away a fortune, and my life. And all this taught me one important lesson. Hope is good, but restraint is better.<em><br />
<br />
-Abhimanyu Chakravorty</em></span></div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-89389147846422624072010-11-20T06:37:00.001-08:002010-11-20T06:37:27.863-08:00HIV / AIDS<strong>What are HIV and AIDS?</strong><br />
Over the last fifteen years a new disease spread by a family of viruses, HIV, has spread globally. HIV stands for Human lmmuno-deficiency Virus. <img align="RIGHT" alt="Due to Sharing of Syringes" height="156" src="http://health.indiamart.com/gifs2/aidscause1.jpg" width="120" />HIV has been given this name because its long-term effect is to attack the immune system of the body, making it weak and deficient. We live virtually in a sea of microorganisms and at every moment an enormous number of them are entering our body. It is the immune system that normally fights off these microorganisms and keeps us healthy. Any compromise with the working of the immune system has profound effect on our body.<br />
<br />
After about 5 to 10 years of contracting the HIV infection, the virus has weakened the immune system of the patients so much that they develop a number of different illnesses such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, persistent diarrhea, fever and skin infections. This condition is called AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.<br />
<br />
<strong>Why do you need to know about it?</strong><br />
At the moment it is estimated that 13 million people in the world may have HIV. Every day there are thousands of new cases of HIV infections in the world and these occur in every country. People who have HIV may have no symptoms for many years, and infected people may not even be aware that they have the virus. They look and feel well, but can infect other people during this time.<br />
<img align="RIGHT" alt="Due to Unsafe Sex" height="175" src="http://health.indiamart.com/gifs2/aidscause2.jpg" width="105" /><br />
The most difficult aspect of HIV/AIDS is that though there are medicines, which can help them, cope with these illnesses, there is no vaccine, and no cure for the HIV, so almost all the infected people become more and more ill and eventually die. It is important that we all know and understand about this infection, so we can protect ourselves and our families.<br />
<br />
We have responsibility not only towards ourselves but also towards our children who are growing up in a very different world from that of our childhood. They will have many new opportunities, but also may sometimes be faced with new relationships, standards of behavior and new risks. It is up to us to explain the truth of the situation to them in an honest and informed way, so they may have the knowledge to take the necessary steps to protect their health.<br />
<br />
We have to understand that presently prevention is the only cure of HIV/AIDS and that can come about only if we are adequately informed about it. Following are some frequently asked questions about HIV/AIDS:<br />
<br />
<strong>How does HIV affect the body? Is it the same as AIDS?</strong><br />
When HIV gets into a persons blood it attaches itself to a special type of white blood cells called as helper T-Lymphocytes. These Helper T- cells are crucial in defending the body against many infections. during all this the persons have no symptoms at all. They look and feel well. They may not know they now have the virus, but could pass it on to someone else through having sex, or by sharing needles or syringes. <br />
<br />
<img align="RIGHT" alt="AIDS to Child" height="150" src="http://health.indiamart.com/gifs2/aidstochild.jpg" width="106" /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
Being HIV Positive is not the same as having AIDS. The HIV actually goes inside the white blood cells and lies their quietly. After about 5 to 10 years the HIV virus tricks the cell to start making the viral proteins, this results in the formation of a huge number of viral particles inside the white cells and eventually the cells burst releasing thousands of new viruses in the blood. The released viruses infecting new white cells This cycle goes on and on, and eventually the immune system of the body is overwhelmed and is no longer capable of fighting the infections. <br />
<br />
Eventually the infected person may lose weight and become ill with diseases like persistent severe diarrhea, fever, or pneumonia, or skin cancer. He or she has now developed AIDS. People with AIDS can be helped with medicines for the different infections. At the moment though, in spite of much research, there is no cure for HIV or for AIDS and so, sadly, it is almost certain that people diagnosed with AIDS will die.</span>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-25825434641398795912010-11-20T06:36:00.001-08:002010-11-20T06:36:44.877-08:00Introduction to sexually transmitted diseases<strong>What are sexually transmitted diseases?</strong> <br />
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are diseases that can spread from one person to another by sexual contact. STDs can cause pain, and some can cause infertility and even death if not treated. Some common curable STDs are gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydial infection, syphilis and HIV/AIDS.<br />
Each year there are more than 333 million new cases of curable STDs, one million new cases of HIV infection, and millions of other viral STDs such as herpes and hepatitis B.<br />
<br />
<strong>How can sexually transmitted diseases be contracted?</strong><br />
By definition STD’s are diseases contracted during sexual contact but the important thing to keep in mind is that as far sexual contacts, as far as STDs are concerned includes, more than just sexual intercourse (vaginal and anal). Kissing, oral-genital contact, and the use of sexual "toys," such as vibrators too can cause STDs.<br />
<br />
<strong>What can be done to prevent STDs?</strong><br />
People can avoid STDs by changing their sexual behavior. They can follow any of the ABCs:<br />
<br />
<strong>a. Abstain from sex -</strong>This is the only guaranteed protection.<br />
<br />
<strong>b. Be mutually faithful -</strong>Always have sex with the same person. This person must not have sex with any other person and must not have a STD.<br />
<br />
<strong>Important: </strong>You cannot usually tell whether a person has a STD. Just by looking at him or her. People with STDs, including HIV, usually do not look sick.<br />
<br />
<strong>c. Consistently use condoms -</strong>Use them every time and use them correctly. To prevent STDs, people at risk should use condoms even when they use another family planning method. If a woman’s sex partner is not willing to use to use condoms, she should try to use spermicide. It is important to note that spermicides do not stop HIV/AIDS. The diaphragm and cervical cap may also help prevent some STDs.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Are all STD’s treatable?</strong><br />
Most STDs are treatable. However, even the once easily cured gonorrhea has become resistant to many of the older traditional antibiotics. Other STDs, such as herpes, AIDS, and genital warts, all of which are caused by viruses, have no cure. Some of these infections are very uncomfortable, while others can be deadly.<br />
<br />
<strong>Getting Treated</strong><br />
Many STDs can be treated and cured, especially in their early stages. Some, such as HIV and herpes, cannot be cured, but sometimes their effects can be stopped for a time.<br />
Prevention is better than cure. Especially since, sometimes scarring or infertility can follow.<br />
A person who thinks he or she may have STD should: <br />
<ol><li>Get diagnosed and treated immediately.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Take all of the medicine according to instructions, even if the symptoms go away. The medicines can cause some side effects, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. If any of these side effects occurs and is severe, the person must return to the clinic that provided the medicine. All of the medicine must be taken for a lasting cure. <br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Avoid sex with anyone until three days after the treatment is finished and all symptoms are gone.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Tell his or her sex partner or partners so that they get treated too. Unless all sex partners are treated at the same time, they may infect each other again and again. It is especially important for a man to tell a woman. This is because many women do not have symptoms until the STD has reached a more serious stage.</li>
</ol>If friends have symptoms, urge them to seek care. Urge them use condoms and/or spermicide and to see a health care provider for a check up. There really is no such thing as "safe" sex. The only truly safe sex is abstinence. Sex in the context of a monogamous relationship wherein neither party is infected with a STD is also considered "safe". Most people think that kissing is a safe activity. Unfortunately, syphilis, herpes, and other diseases can be contracted through this relatively simple and apparently harmless act. All other forms of sexual contact carry some risk. Condoms are commonly thought to protect against STDs. Condoms are useful in preventing certain diseases, such as herpes and gonorrhea. However, they do not fully protect against other diseases such as genital warts, syphilis and AIDS.nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-42497172744713792702010-11-20T06:35:00.001-08:002010-11-20T06:35:57.639-08:00Infertility<div align="LEFT" class="text"> Infertility is defined as the failure to become pregnant after one year of unprotected intercourse. There are two types of infertility; Primary infertility, which is infertility without any previous pregnancy; and secondary infertility, when there has been a previous pregnancy.<br />
<br />
<strong>What are the causes of infertility?</strong><br />
A basic infertility evaluation is carried out to find out the cause of infertility.<br />
<br />
<strong>Common causes of infertility are:</strong> <ol><li>Ovulation problems</li>
<li>Tubal causes</li>
<li>Sperm causes </li>
<li>Unexplained infertility</li>
<li>Age-related factors</li>
</ol><strong>Some less common causes are:</strong> <ol><li>Uterine problems</li>
<li>Endometriosis</li>
<li>Previous tubal ligation </li>
<li>Previous vasectomy</li>
<li>Various drugs</li>
<li>Cervical factors</li>
</ol><strong>When to see your doctor?</strong><br />
Though there is no specific time frame as to when to consult your doctor but you can see your doctor if the pregnancy does not take place even after one year of unprotected intercourse.<br />
<br />
You might want to wait a little longer if you are in your twenties but if both of the partners are in mid or late thirties then the advice will be to seek professional help.<br />
<br />
Age of the female is an important factor for if she has crossed 35 or is near to it then it is advisable to seek help at the earliest.<br />
<br />
<strong>Is it correct that the female partner is responsible for infertility? </strong><br />
No, male factors account for up to 40 percent of infertility problems.<br />
<br />
<strong>How would the doctor go about it?</strong><br />
The first diagnostic step is the evaluation of the infertile couple and to determine which partner is infertile.<br />
<br />
Normally the steps of a basic infertility evaluation would include: <ol><li>History:<br />
Taking a thorough medical history including any other medical conditions you might be having, any history of drug intake, and any other obstetric or gynaecological problems that you may have.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Physical examination<br />
A thorough physical examination.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Blood tests<br />
Depending on the individual couple’s situation, various blood tests on either the female or the male may be needed. They can include testing for the levels of various sex hormones.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Taking a sample of semen and doing a semen analysis<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Finding out if the woman is ovulating or not (i.e. producing egg in every menstrual cycle)<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Hysterosalpingogram<br />
This test is done in order to assess the anatomy of the cavity of the uterus and the fallopian tubes.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Laparoscopy<br />
May be required after basic tests have been done. The surgeon looks inside the abdomen through an endoscope to look for any deformities of the tubes or for endometriosis.<br />
<br />
</li>
</ol><strong>What if they still can’t find the problem? </strong><br />
There are known cases of ‘unexplained infertility’ i.e. cases in which standard testing has not found a cause for infertility<br />
<br />
<strong>Treatment for unexplained Infertility</strong><br />
This can include a combination of the following modalities <ol><li>Ovarian stimulation<br />
-by drugs such as ‘clomiphene citrate’<br />
-using hormonal injections plus intercourse<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Assisted reproductive technologies as treatment for unexplained infertility<br />
In vitro fertilization (IVF) <br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Gamete intra-fallopian transfer (GIFT)<br />
In GIFT a mixture of sperm and eggs are introduced into the end of the fallopian tube at laproscopy.</li>
</ol><strong>What is the success rate of these advanced procedures?</strong><br />
Although pregnancy rates vary from center to center on the specific technique used but generally a 30% success rate can be expected.<br />
</div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-8092860120805677352010-11-20T06:34:00.001-08:002010-11-20T06:34:52.286-08:00Breast CancerBreast cancer is the one of the commonest malignancies afflicting women. In some parts it is the most common malignancy. It is currently estimated that one in 14 of all female children born will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.<br />
<br />
<b>Breast cancer causes: </b><br />
Despite extensive investigation into the cause of breast cancer there is still no known cause. However, a combination of environmental factors and genetic mutations are thought to be responsible for this cancer. In familial breast cancers, a molecular change in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 play a major role in the onset of the disease. <br />
<br />
<b>Breast Cancer Types</b><br />
Breast cancer is mainly of two types: <br />
<ul><li><b>Ductal carcinoma</b>- occurs in milk ducts </li>
<li><b>Lobular carcinoma</b>- occurs in the milk secreting breast lobules </li>
</ul>Categorically breast cancer can also be divided into following types: <ul><li><b>In-situ breast cancer</b>- cancer cells remains confined within their place of origin and do not attack surrounding breast tissue.</li>
<li><b>Invasive or metastatic breast cancer</b>- cancer cells break free of their place of origin, and spread to different parts of the body.</li>
</ul>Like all <a href="http://health.indiamart.com/health/disease-condition/cancer.html">cancer</a> types, breast cancer also progresses through different stages. Breast cancer stages are based on the size of the breast lump or tumor, whether the cancer is in-situ type or malignant, and whether the cancer has spread beyond the breast tissue. <br />
<br />
<b>Breast Cancer Symptoms </b><br />
Following abnormalities in the breast anatomy are suggestive breast cancer symptoms: <ul><li>Unusual swelling of all or one specific part of the breast</li>
<li>Continuous skin irritation or dimpling</li>
<li>Persisting pain in breast</li>
<li>Persisting nipple pain or inversion of nipple </li>
<li>Inflammation or thickening of the nipple or breast skin</li>
<li>An unusual discharge from the nipple other than breast milk</li>
<li>Lump in the underarm area</li>
</ul><img align="RIGHT" alt="Breast Cancer" height="250" src="http://health.indiamart.com/gifs/breast-cancer-ar.jpg" width="250" /><b>What are the risk factors for breast cancer?</b><br />
The exact cause of breast cancer is not known and most likely involves many factors:<br />
<br />
<b>Geographical:</b> It is much more common in the western world. <br />
<br />
<b>Gender:</b> Women are a hundred times more likely to have breast cancer as compared to men. <br />
<br />
<b>Age:</b> Breast cancer risk increases with age. 16% of women aged between 40-60 years have breast-related problems, and complain of breast lumps. In most of the cases, these breast lumps may carry a potential breast cancer risk.<br />
<br />
<b>Genetic:</b> A family history of breast cancer will increase the risk of developing breast cancer in a woman by three to five times. Recently, a breast cancer gene (BR CA 1) has been identified. If a woman has this gene present in her chromosomes, there is an 85% chance of developing either breast or ovarian cancer, or both in her lifetime.<br />
<br />
<b>Hormonal: </b>It appears to be more common in women who did not bear children. It is also less common in women who have their first child at early age.<br />
<br />
Women who started their menstrual periods before age 12, those who delayed menopause until after age 55, and those who had their first pregnancy after age 30 have a mildly increased risk of developing breast cancer (less than two times the normal risk).<br />
<br />
Fitness levels and life style related factors such as smoking are also some of the most commonly known breast cancer risk factors that can be checked. <br />
<br />
<b>Breast Cancer Prevention:</b><br />
Cancer prevention though a very ambiguous concept due to their molecular cause of origin, can be achieved through small but effective changes made to lifestyle: <ul><li>Restricted alcohol consumption</li>
<li>Maintaining a healthy body weight</li>
<li>Inclusion of limited fat in diet</li>
<li>Regular exercise </li>
<li>Avoiding unnecessary consumption of antibiotics </li>
<li>Reverting to organic food free of pesticides</li>
</ul>Besides, long-tern hormone therapy may also undermine breast cancer. But screening is by far the best <a href="http://health.indiamart.com/health-articles/preventive-measures-of-breast-cancer.html">breast cancer prevention</a> method.<br />
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<b>What factors have a protective effect?</b><br />
Pregnancy and breast feeding have a protective effect in preventing breast cancer.<br />
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<b>How is breast cancer diagnosed? </b><br />
<img align="RIGHT" alt="Breast Cancer" height="250" src="http://health.indiamart.com/gifs/breast-cancer.jpg" width="250" /><br />
<b>Screening: </b><br />
The prognosis of breast cancer is closely related to the stage of disease at the time of diagnosis, therefore screening for breast cancer is extremely important. Numerous studies have confirmed that populations which get screened for breast cancer yield patients having much smaller tumors with much better prognosis. Currently, mammography and breast examination serve as the foundation in screening for breast cancer. Mammography is an x-ray examination of the breast. It has the ability to detect a cancer in the breast when it is quite small, long before it may be felt by breast examination. Eighty-five to 90% of all breast cancers are detectable by mammography. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of breast cancers are not visible on mammography, but can be felt on physical examination of the breast.<br />
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The importance of Breast Self Examination cannot be overstressed. A percentage of breast cancers is not seen on mammography and it is extremely important for a woman to perform Breast Self Examinations.<br />
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Currently, it is recommended that a woman should have a baseline mammogram between the ages of 35 and 40 years. Between 40 and 50 years of age mammograms are recommended every other year. After age 50 years, yearly mammograms are recommended at womens health care centers.<br />
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<b>Other diagnostic tests and procedures:</b><br />
<b>Ultrasound:</b> An ultrasound is a test that uses sound waves to visualize structures inside the body. It is often used to distinguish between cysts and solid tumors in the breast. Fluid within cysts can be aspirated (withdrawn with a needle and syringe) for analysis in the laboratory.<br />
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<b>Biopsy:</b> It is a procedure which involves removal of a piece of tissue to analyze under the microscope. Biopsy still remains the only confirmatory test for breast cancer. If an area of the breast is suspicious for a cancer, a biopsy is usually performed to confirm or deny the diagnosis.<br />
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<b>Breast Cancer Treatment:</b><br />
In recent years, there has been an overwhelming explosion of life-saving treatment advances against breast cancer. So, once breast cancer is detected, one should go for the following treatment options: <ul><li>Surgery</li>
<li>Radiation</li>
<li>Surgery followed by Radiation</li>
<li>Chemotherapy</li>
<li>Combined Therapy</li>
<li>Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer</li>
<li>Hormonal Therapy - Aromatase Inhibitors</li>
<li>Targeted Therapies</li>
<li>Complimentary and Holistic Medicines</li>
<li>Angiogenesis Inhibitors Therapy</li>
</ul><b>Breast Cancer Awareness: </b><br />
A pink ribbon is universally accepted as the emblem of breast cancer awareness campaign. It denotes the struggle of the breast cancer patients. It was in 1996, when the pink and the blue ribbon was first designed to create awareness of the fact that "Men Get Breast Cancer Too!”nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-70122728034738210322010-11-20T06:33:00.002-08:002010-11-20T06:33:49.440-08:00Breast FeedingBreast feeding practice is followed everywhere in India, except among higher socio- economic groups, who tend to look for alternatives to breast-feeding. Ignorance of the advantages of breast-feeding and the proper method often leads to discontinuation in most cases.<br />
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<strong>Basic Facts: </strong><img align="RIGHT" alt="Breat Feeding" height="143" src="http://health.indiamart.com/gifs2/breast_feeding.jpg" width="195" /> <br />
<ol><li>The ability of the breasts to produce milk diminishes soon after childbirth, without the stimulation of breast-feeding.</li>
<li>The immunity factors in breast milk can help the body fight off infections.</li>
<li>Breast milk contains vitamins, minerals and enzymes, which aid the baby’s digestion.</li>
<li>Breast and formula feeding can be used together.</li>
</ol><strong>Advantages of breast-feeding. </strong> <ol><li>It is the simplest way to feed the baby.</li>
<li>It increases the period of lactation amenonhoes after childbirth.</li>
<li>Breast milk also contains infection-fighting anti-bodies from the mother.</li>
<li>Breast feeding in the initial 4- months of the baby’s life reduces the chances of infection and increases the immunity of the baby.</li>
<li>The amino acids in breast milk, the building blocks of proteins, are well balanced for the baby. These proteins best aid the baby’s intestinal tract. </li>
<li>The emotional bonding between the baby and mother is strengthened & gives a feeling of satisfaction and achievement to the mother.</li>
<li>It is much cheaper than artificial feeding.</li>
</ol><br />
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The baby should be put to the breast as soon as possible after birth. The initial yellowish and thick fluid (colostrum) is rich in proteins and protective antibodies. The practice of giving ghutti should be discouraged, because the nourishment of the baby is delayed, increasing chances of infection and delaying the stimulation for milk production.<br />
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<strong>Some important points: </strong> <ol><li>The mother should sit in a comfortable position, hold the baby in her arms and offer the baby her whole breast & not just the nipple. <br />
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</li>
<li>The baby should be fed from a different breast each time so that both breasts produce the maximum amount of milk. <br />
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</li>
<li>The baby should be fed, whenever she is hungry. Before offering the second breast to the baby, it should be ensured that the baby sucks the fat rich hind milk from the first breast.<br />
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</li>
<li>A daily bath is sufficient to keep the breasts clean. <br />
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</li>
<li>Frequent cleaning with soap removes the natural oils from the breasts, predisposing the nipples to develop fissures.<br />
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</li>
<li>Burping the baby after every feed by holding her against the shoulder is advisable.<br />
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</li>
<li>A mother who is feeding her baby should eat healthy foods to keep up her strength & feed the baby letter.<br />
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</li>
<li>At times the breasts may feel hot, heavy and hard, due to accumulation of milk.<br />
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</li>
<li>The mother should be encouraged to let the baby continue to suck for as long as possible.<br />
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</li>
<li> If still enough milk is not removed, the milk should be squeezed out in a clear (preferably) boiled cup using the thumb and the finger. <br />
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</li>
<li>A warm compress on the breast or a warm bath is also helpful.<br />
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</li>
<li>It the baby is fed frequently both during the day and night this condition (engoryememt of breast) is uncommon.<br />
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</li>
<li>If nipples are cracked and painful, the mother is advised to leave a drop of hind milk on, the nipple after feeding as this helps in healing. Malai can also be can applied. </li>
</ol>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-48946078184377776042010-11-20T06:33:00.000-08:002010-11-20T06:33:00.431-08:00Premenstrual Syndrome<strong>DEFINITION</strong><br />
PMS consists of various physical and/or emotional symptoms that occur in the second half of the menstrual cycle, after ovulation. It is characterized by premenstrual discomfort in the lower abdomen and back, and in the breasts. All these features precede the period by a week or ten days. Fortunately, a woman obtains relief when her menstrual period begins. Another feature of PMS is a symptom-free time for several days every month, in the first half of the menstrual cycle.<img align="RIGHT" alt="Menstrual Disorder - Women's Health" height="206" src="http://health.indiamart.com/gifs2/womens_health.jpg" width="142" /><br />
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<strong>Features:</strong> these include physical features like acne, backache, bloating, sore breasts, and headache. Emotional symptoms might include changes in sexual desire, difficulty concentrating, irritability.<br />
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Women may gain upto a kg. of weight or more in the latter part of the menstrual cycle due to water retention in the body. Emotional stress often contributes to the symptoms.<br />
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The only saving grace in this problem is that few women experience all these symptoms! Most have a few that recur each month.<br />
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The symptoms of certain medical conditions can resemble PMS. These conditions include allergies, depression, diabetes, dysmenorrhea (painful periods), endometriosis, fibrocystic breast disease, and thyroid problems.<br />
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<strong>CAUSES</strong><br />
There's still some disagreement about what causes PMS, but it definitely seems to be linked to hormones. A relative lack of the hormone progesterone is suspected along with increase in a water retaining substance called anti diuretic hormone.<br />
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<strong>TREATMENT</strong><br />
The assessment of the emotional and work related stress is very important. Many women find that a balanced diet and healthy snacks are helpful, as are avoiding caffeine and reducing salt intake. Simple reassurance often does wonders, but often it is necessary to treat the symptoms with various drugs<br />
Diuretics ("water pills") can reduce bloating<br />
Analgesics like ibuprofen, aspirin ease headache or cramps<br />
Combined oral contraceptives also called the birth control pill may be useful for some women.<br />
Evening primrose oil (gamma linolenic acid) is also used widely these days.nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-39655700873553615882010-11-20T06:28:00.000-08:002010-11-20T06:28:07.343-08:00Pregnancy<strong>Symptoms of Pregnancy</strong><br />
For a woman having a regular monthly cycle, the earliest and most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period, or sometimes women who are pregnant have a very light period, losing only a little blood. However, symptoms of pregnancy are very obvious, and keep changing with the pregnancy calendar. Some of the most important pregnancy symptoms are: <br />
<ul><li>Feeling sick, not necessarily in the morning, but at any time.</li>
<li>The breasts may become larger and tender. Veins may become prominent and nipples may darken and stand out.</li>
<li>Increased frequency in passing urine.</li>
<li>Tendency for constipation.</li>
<li>Tiredness.</li>
<li>An increased vaginal discharge without any associated complaint.</li>
<li>A metallic taste in the mouth.</li>
<li>Dislike for certain things like tea or coffee or fatty foods.</li>
<li>Increased liking for certain things like spicy foods. <img align="RIGHT" alt="Pregnancy" height="250" src="http://health.indiamart.com/gifs/pregnancy.jpg" width="250" /></li>
</ul><br />
Pregnancy test can be carried out on urine samples, as early as from the first day of a missed period-that is, about fourteen days after the conception.<br />
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A positive pregnancy test result is almost definitive of pregnancy. If the test is negative, it is less reliable. It can be repeated after a week, or a doctor can be consulted.<br />
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<strong>What you should eat?</strong><br />
Pregnancy puts additional nutritional demands on your body. You require to eat judiciously to meet the demands of the body. Make sure that you eat a mixture of different foods each day in order to get all the various nutrients that you and your baby need during pregnancy.<br />
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Your diet should have plenty of fruit and vegetables which provide vitamins, minerals and fibre. Eat them lightly cooked or raw. Let starchy foods like bread, potatoes, rice and breakfast cereals with vegetables form the main part of any meal.<br />
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Eat some good sources of nutrients like fish, eggs, cheese, beans, and lentils every day during pregnancy. Dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt are important for women health as they contain calcium and other nutrients needed for your baby's development.<br />
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Unusual appetite or excessive food cravings is considered an early sign of pregnancy. But try to avoid sugar and sugary foods like sweets, biscuits and cakes and sugary drinks like cola during the time of pregnancy. Cut down on fat and fatty foods as well.<br />
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<strong>Mineral and vitamin supplements</strong><br />
A large number of pregnant women suffer from varying degrees of anemia so additional iron supplementation is provided by pills. Also tablets of Folic acid (a vitamin necessary to prevent certain spinal disorders in the growing baby) along with Calcium are generally prescribed by the women's health care providers.<br />
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<strong>Pregnancy and weight</strong><br />
Weight gain is another one of the most common pregnancy symptoms. Most women gain between 10 -12.5kgs (22 - 28lbs). Weight gain varies a great deal and depends on your weight before pregnancy. Unnatural weight gain, more or less than the average, could be an indicator of a problem and not necessarily one of those obvious signs of pregnancy. So, you must walk up to the nearest women's health clinic and get your weight gain monitored on a regular basis. Also if you weigh more than 100kg or below 50kg, your health care provider may have special advise for you.<br />
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<strong>Smoking during pregnancy</strong><br />
Try to stop smoking the moment you notice in you the early signs of pregnancy. When you smoke, carbon monoxide and nicotine passes into your lungs and blood stream. This means that: a) your baby gets less oxygen and cannot grow as well as it should, and b) the nicotine makes your baby's heart beat faster. Constantly breathing in other people's smoke may also have a harmful effect during your pregnancy. <br />
<br />
Babies of mothers who smoke are, on an average, 200g (about 8 oz) lighter than other babies. These babies may have problems during and after labour and are more prone to infection; it will be better for your baby later too if you stop smoking. Babies born of smoking pregnant women are more likely to suffer from illnesses such as asthma; and there is an increased risk of cot death.<br />
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<strong>Alcohol</strong><br />
It has now been shown that even small amounts of alcohol can be harmful to your baby. Alcohol has adverse effects on women health as well as on the baby's development, and can produce a lot of anomalies generally termed as 'Fetal Alcohol Syndrome'. So, to be safe, avoid alcohol totally during your pregnancy.<br />
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<strong>Pills medicines and other drugs</strong><br />
You should be very careful while taking any kind of medication as soon as the signs of pregnancy start showing up. Majority of drugs have adverse effects on the growing fetus, especially in the earlier part of the pregnancy, and the first three months are crucial. You should better go to the nearest women's health center and ask the doctor about any medications you want to take. Make sure your doctor or dentist knows you're pregnant before prescribing anything or giving you any treatment. <br />
<br />
At the same time it is important to remember that if you are on treatment for some chronic conditions like epilepsy or diabetes you should consult your doctor and continue your medications because control of such conditions is vitally important for you as well as the pregnancy. This should be done as soon as the pregnancy signs are detected.<br />
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<strong>Suggested Reading - </strong><br />
Pregnancy and your Feet - "Oh, my aching, swollen feet!" Most pregnant women, already handling so many changes in their bodies, find themselves echoing this complaint amongst other pregnancy symptoms.<br />
<br />
Ultrasound Images of Pregnancy - Every would be parent is curious to see how the baby is growing inside the mother. Here are some very good Ultrasound images of a growing fetus.nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-33352635803451420182010-11-20T06:25:00.000-08:002010-11-20T06:25:56.794-08:00Women's Health<img alt="Women's Health" border="0" height="83" hspace="0" src="http://health.indiamart.com/gifs2/women_main_txt_tlt.gif" vspace="0" width="217" /><br />
The woman's body is wonderfully complex and delicate. However, multiple roles as the mother, daughter, wife, homemaker, wage earner can be physically and mentally quite taxing. As a woman, you might share some common health risks with men, such as heart disease, but because of your special reproductive role, you are also at risk of some distinctly female disorders. <br />
<br />
With regards to women health care there are many tips that will help ensure you to take proper care of yourself and leave yourself as healthy and happy as possible. One of the best things that you can do is, start to put yourself first, leaving all the priorities at back. And for proper health and wellness you need to look good to feel good. <br />
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It only takes a little more than 10 minutes of <b>physical activity</b> a day to start seeing and feeling the improvements, and to live longer. Any additional activity on top of that is just going to help boost your overall health and maximize your life span.<br />
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<b>Drinking a cup of tea</b> a day is one of the best ways of maximizing your life span and to maintain good health. Green tea as well as black tea contain great amounts of caffeines which are responsible for the risk of cancer as well as many forms of heart diseases. <br />
<img align="RIGHT" alt="Women's Health - Pregnancy, Breast Cancer, S.T.Ds, Menstrual Disorder & Infertility" border="0" height="194" hspace="0" src="http://health.indiamart.com/womenshealth/gifs/womanhealth_collage.gif" usemap="#ph_map" vspace="0" width="250" /><br />
<b>Strong legs are important for women's well-being</b><br />
Most women in their 70's and 80's tend to decline in their health rapidly because of hip fracture mostly caused when they fall down. Once that happens, the immobilization prevents them from getting their much needed exercise to ensure a healthy lifestyle. This problem can easily be prevented by doing some simple thigh and leg exercises on a daily basis.<br />
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This section deals with answers to some common problems like, menstrual disorders, pregnancy, breast feeding etc. Information on Sexually Transmitted Diseases, FAQs for women, and Contraceptives too have been included in this section. nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-14013602983361145942010-11-16T22:57:00.000-08:002010-11-16T22:57:04.217-08:00Popular energy drinks may have hidden risks<div class="i1" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span class="dateline">NEW YORK — </span>Energy drinks are hugely popular, but each one could be giving you more caffeine than a cup of coffee, a study said. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In addition, that caffeine could combine with other ingredients in potentially risky ways, with the use of energy drinks with alcohol a particular concern.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"What we know is that a typical energy drink can have as much as a quarter cup of sugar, and more caffeine than a strong cup of coffee," said John Higgins of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, who led a study that appeared in this month's Mayo Clinic Proceedings.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Caffeine content of energy drinks ranges from 70 to 200 mg per 16-oz serving. By comparison, an 8-oz cup of coffee can contain between 40 to 150 mg depending on how it's brewed.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Even more of an issue is how ingredients often not mentioned on the labels -- such as the herbal stimulant guarana, the amino acid taurine, and other herbs, minerals and vitamins == might interact with the caffeine, he told Reuters Health.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The concern is how such interaction might affect heart rates, blood pressure and even mental states, especially when consumed in large amounts, with alcohol, or by athletes.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Higgins and colleagues reviewed medical literature on energy drinks and their ingredients between 1976 and 2010, only to find there has been little research into their impact.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><strong>'High-risk behavior' </strong>Some small studies, usually on physically active young adults, have shown the drinks can increase blood pressure and heart rates. But evidence of more serious effects such as heart attacks, seizures and death are anecdotal, they wrote.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Norway, Denmark and France banned Red Bull after a study showed rats that "were fed taurine and exhibited bizarre behavior, including anxiety and self-mutilation."</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"We're not rats, but consumption has been shown to be positively associated with high-risk behavior," Higgins and his colleagues wrote.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Energy drinks are often promoted to, and used by, athletes for an "extra push." But Higgins and his group noted that based on the way caffeine and some other ingredients affect the body, there's a risk that energy drinks can seriously dehydrate users.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"The possibility of dehydration and increased blood pressure make water or lower-octane sports drinks, which contain electrolytes, some minerals and carbohydrates, a better choice," he added.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Non-athletes should drink no more than one a day, never mix them with alcohol, and drink lots of water after exercising. People with hypertension should never drink them, and people with health conditions such as heart disease should consult their doctors before using the drinks.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Regulation of the drinks could go a long way toward solving potential problems, Higgins added.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Manufacturers can put whatever in them, advertise however and people consume however. Whenever you have a situation like this, you are going to run into problems," he said.</div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-58466977214504156932010-11-16T22:53:00.001-08:002010-11-16T22:53:26.550-08:00HEALTH<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0" height="245" id="msnbc28e176" width="420"><param
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</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Developing healthy eating habits isn't as confusing or as restrictive as many people imagine. The first principle of a healthy diet is simply to eat a wide variety of foods. This is important because different foods make different nutritional contributions. </div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Secondly, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol—should make up the bulk of the calories you consume. The rest should come from low-fat dairy products, lean meat and poultry, and fish.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You should also try to maintain a balance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure—that is, don't eat more food than your body can utilize. Otherwise, you will gain weight. The more active you are, therefore, the more you can eat and still maintain this balance.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Following these three basic steps doesn't mean that you have to give up your favorite foods. As long as your overall diet is balanced and rich in nutrients and fiber, there is nothing wrong with an occasional cheeseburger. Just be sure to limit how frequently you eat such foods, and try to eat small portions of them.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You can also view healthy eating as an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods—especially vegetables, whole grains, or fruits—that you don't normally eat. A healthy diet doesn't have to mean eating foods that are bland or unappealing.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The following basic guidelines are what you need to know to construct a healthy diet.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">1</span> Eat plenty of high-fiber foods—that is, fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. These are the "good" carbohydrates—nutritious, filling, and relatively low in calories. They should supply the 20 to 30 grams of dietary fiber you need each day, which slows the absorption of carbohydrates, so there’s less effect on insulin and blood sugar, and provides other health benefits as well. Such foods also provide important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals essential to good health).</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">2</span> Make sure to include green, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables—such as broccoli, carrots, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits. The antioxidants and other nutrients in these foods may help protect against developing certain types of cancer and other diseases. Eat five or more servings a day.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">3</span> Limit your intake of sugary foods, refined-grain products such as white bread, and salty snack foods. Sugar, our No.1 additive, is added to a vast array of foods. Just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can add up to 16 pounds over the course of a year. Many sugary foods are also high in fat, so they’re calorie-dense. </div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">4</span> Cut down on animal fat. It’s rich in saturated fat, which boosts blood cholesterol levels and has other adverse health effects. Choose lean meats, skinless poultry, and nonfat or low-fat or nonfat dairy products.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">5</span> Cut way down on trans fats, supplied by hydrogenated vegetable oils used in most processed foods in the supermarket and in many fast foods.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">6</span> Eat more fish and nuts, which contain healthy unsaturated fats. Substitute olive or canola oil for butter or stick margarine.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">7</span> Keep portions moderate, especially of high-calorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">8 </span>Keep your cholesterol intake below 300 milligrams per day. Cholesterol is found only in animal products, such as meats, poultry, dairy products, and egg yolks.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">9</span> Eat a variety of foods. Don't try to fill your nutrient requirements by eating the same foods day in, day out. It is possible that not every essential nutrient has been identified, and so eating a wide assortment of foods helps to ensure that you will get all the necessary nutrients. In addition, this will limit your exposure to any pesticides or toxic substances that may be present in one particular food.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">10 </span>Maintain an adequate calcium intake. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth. Get your calcium from low-fat sources, such as skim milk and low-fat yogurt. If you can't get the optimal amount from foods, take supplements.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">11</span> Try to get your vitamins and minerals from foods, not from supplements. Supplements cannot substitute for a healthy diet, which supplies nutrients and other compounds besides vitamins and minerals. Foods also provide the "synergy" that many nutrients require to be efficiently used in the body.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">12</span> Maintain a desirable weight. Balance energy (calorie) intake with energy output. Exercise and other physical activity are essential.</div><div class="text" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="numbers">13</span> If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. That is one drink a day for women, two a day for men. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits. Excess alcohol consumption leads to a variety of health problems. And alcoholic beverages can add many calories to your diet without supplying nutrients.</div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-74366524499099791392010-11-15T10:12:00.000-08:002010-11-15T10:12:05.377-08:00Vitamin D Deficiency Not Tied to Fatal Strokes in Blacks<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EZ08aer5-_w?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EZ08aer5-_w?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-38166872560324081452010-11-15T10:08:00.000-08:002010-11-15T10:08:30.073-08:00Exercise, healthy diet to combat diabetes<span id="advenueINTEXT" name="advenueINTEXT"><a href=""><img alt="Diabetes India.jpg" border="0" src="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/thumb.cms?msid=6928653&width=300&resizemode=4" style="border: 4px solid rgb(225, 225, 225);" title="Diabetes India.jpg" vspace="0" width="300" /></a></span><br />
<div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span id="advenueINTEXT" name="advenueINTEXT"><div class="storydiv" id="storydiv"><div class="Normal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">With the largest number of diabetes patients in the world, India needs to promote a healthier lifestyle among its citizens if it has any chance of battling the disease, experts said Sunday. </span><br />
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"Diabetes is either hereditary or lifestyle-related in our country. So now the need is to move away from the sedentary lifestyle," S.K. Wangnoo, senior consultant of endocrinology at the capital's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said in an Interview. <br />
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According the <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/World-Health-Organisation">World Health Organisation</a> (WHO) estimates, there are about 220 million diabetes patients worldwide. Nearly 50.9 million of them are in India. Around 9 per cent of the country's population is expected to be affected by the <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=disease">disease</a> by 2030, he said. <br />
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"Awareness on issues like obesity and proper nutrition is lacking in the country. Right now, we need to emphasise on nutrition-related education in schools," Wangnoo added. <br />
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Diabetes, a metabolic disorder, usually occurs when the body does not produce insulin -- a hormone that is required to convert sugar and carbohydrates into energy. <br />
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Avoiding fatty food, regular exercise, and health check-ups are some of the ways to avoid diabetes, doctors say. <br />
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The sentiment was echoed by former <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan">Pakistan</a> cricketer Wasim Akram, who was in the capital to inaugurate a sugar clinic at Apollo Hospital. <br />
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"When I found out I was diebetic, I was stunned. However, the disease can be fought. Awareness can prevent the disease," he said. <br />
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"We need to have more diabetes awareness clinics. That is how we can spread awareness among youths," he added. <br />
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Experts also suggest keeping a watch on the symptoms. <br />
<br />
"Increased fatigue, frequent urination, weight fluctuation, blurry vision, and poor wound healing are the common symptoms," said Anoop Misra, director and head, department of diabetes and metabolic diseases at Fortis Hospitals in the capital. <br />
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Doctors also expressed concern at the growing instances of childhood obesity. <br />
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"There has been an alarming increase in diabetes among children, especially Type 2 diabetes, which is lifestyle-oriented. We need to work together with government, schools, health departments, and civil societies," said N.K. Pandey, chairman and managing director of Asian Institute of Medical Sciences in Faridabad. <br />
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But experts remain optimistic, saying that the disease can be defeated. <br />
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"Diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful. It's never too late to start," Wangoo said. <span></span></div></div></span></div></div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-48697611290014773042010-11-09T04:27:00.000-08:002010-11-09T04:27:59.790-08:00Eye Infections<h2 style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></h2><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What is an Eye Infection?</b></span> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">An eye infection is usually a condition caused by bacteria or a virus. While there are many different types of eye infections with different causes and treatments, the most common is <dfn class="glossary">bacterial conjunctivitis</dfn>. Another well-known infection is <strong>blepharitis</strong> – chronic inflammation of the eyelid due to infection. One of the most well-known forms of blepharitis is staphylococcal. Styes are another common form of eye infection. A <dfn class="glossary">stye</dfn> is an infection in the tiny oil glands along the edge of the eyelid that surround the base of an eyelash.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The eye is constantly exposed to a variety of pathogens, but infections occur when the normal defenses of the eye are compromised. The source of the infection may be local (e.g., from the eyelids) or remote (e.g., from the sinuses) and can be the result of trauma, eye surgery, contact lens wear, immune deficiencies, or other diseases resulting in bacteria growth or viruses.</div><h2 style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What Are the Symptoms of Various Eye Infections?</h2><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bacterial conjunctivitis results in red, itchy eyes that burn and discharge liquid. There may be more tearing than usual and your eyes may appear swollen.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blepharitis is one of the most common disorders of the eye and is often the underlying reason for eye discomfort, redness and tearing. Other eye symptoms of blepharitis include: burning, itching, light sensitivity, and an irritating, sandy, gritty sensation that is worse upon awakening. In staphylococcal blepharitis, there is scaling and crusting along the eye lashes.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Styes usually begin as a red, tender bump, and usually come to a head in about three days. The stye then breaks open, drains and heals in about a week.</div><h2 style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Who Does an Eye Infection Affect?</h2><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Eye infections can occur in any age group of patients, and since relatively benign infections can develop into serious disorders, most eye care practitioners treat infections aggressively. People who have undergone eye surgery or experienced trauma to the eye are at greater risk of infection. And because some eye infections are highly contagious, those who come in contact with someone who has the infection are at a much higher risk of becoming infected.</div><h2 style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">How to Avoid Eye Infections</h2><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Eye infections may be spread through contact with the eye drainage, which contains the virus or bacteria that caused the infection. Touching an infected eye leaves drainage on your hand. If you touch your other eye or an object when you have drainage on your hand, the virus or bacteria can be spread. Here are some ways to prevent the spread of eye infections:</div><ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><li>Wash your hands before and after touching your eyes or face and before and after using medicine in your eyes.</li>
<li>Do not share eye makeup.</li>
<li>Do not use eye makeup until the infection is fully cured, because you could reinfect yourself with the eye makeup products. If your eye infection was caused by bacteria or a virus, throw away your old makeup and buy new products.</li>
<li>Do not share contact lens equipment, containers, or solutions.</li>
<li>Do not wear contact lenses until the infection is cured. Thoroughly clean your contacts before wearing them again and replace your contact lens case.</li>
<li>Do not share eye medicine.</li>
<li>Do not share towels, linens, pillows, or handkerchiefs. Use clean linens, towels, and washcloths daily.</li>
<li>Wash your hands and wear gloves if you are looking into someone else's eye for a foreign object or helping someone else apply an eye medicine.</li>
<li>Wear eye protection when in the wind, heat, or cold to prevent irritation.</li>
<li>Wear safety glasses when working with chemicals.</li>
<li>Avoid exposing your eyes to contaminated water.</li>
</ul><h2 style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">How Are Eye Infections Treated?</h2><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Effective treatment of an eye infection first depends upon an accurate diagnosis by the physician. <strong>Conjunctivitis</strong> is highly contagious, and treatment may require absence from work or school. Often a general practitioner can prescribe an anti-infective topical solution or ointment for treatment. It is important not to rub the eyes, because doing so contaminates hands and fingers. Hands should be washed thoroughly and often throughout the day. Warm compresses applied to the eye can soothe the symptoms.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The treatment for <strong>blepharitis</strong> is similar to the treatment for other eye infections. A warm compress on the infected eye is the most critical element of effective treatment. This therapy removes the eyelid debris, reduces the bacteria and stabilizes the tear film by releasing oily secretions from eye glands.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Following basic guidelines for <strong>stye infections</strong> can help reduce the seriousness and the duration of the stye. Home treatment such as not wearing eye makeup or contact lenses until the stye has healed, and applying warm, wet compresses to the eye several times daily should heal the stye in days. If home treatment does not work, prescription medications, such as eye ointments or eye drops, may be needed. Talk with a health professional if a stye becomes very painful, grows larger quickly, or continues to drain (particularly if the drainage is pus) or if the redness and swelling around a stye spreads over the eyelid, inside the eyelid, or over the eyeball.</div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-41557490183450804972010-11-09T03:45:00.000-08:002010-11-09T03:47:47.954-08:00Heart full of Love<div align="center"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="textTitle"></span></span> <br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="textSubtitle">A Close look at how love is generated and how it works on health and body</span></span></div></div><div align="left"><div align="justify"></div></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">On Valentine’s Day, a close look at how love is generated and how it works on health and body.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">Valentine’s Day – a day when love is in the air, hearts and fluttering eyelids. It is a day when the young exchange gifts to express their love swelling in their heart. Why young? Even golden oldies have started joining the love band-wagon and rediscovering life.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">You must be wondering what has Health to do with love. Heart is understandable, fluttering eyelids, well – passable, but love? Well, scientists consider love as a drug that is good for your heart and brain.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">It might sound unfair to clinically dissect love and term it a function of a few naughty genes or chemicals with a few ‘college-going’ molecules or proteins that have mastered the art of sending a few lovelorn SMS to the brain. Probably Dr Spock of Star Treck would have loved to knit his brows and wonder why people go crazy over love.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">Studies have shown that falling in love physically is very similar to taking drugs. It has an effect on the heart, shows typical signs of withdrawal symptoms and a few may get addicted too! That later.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">Being attracted to someone is actually the result of a series of chemicals and hormones at work. The first spark comes from the brain that releases a neuro-transmitter chemical called dopamine. This results in a chain reaction leading to the heart pounding three times faster than normal. The extra gush of blood finds its way to the cheeks and sexual organs. This sudden diversion of blood makes your stomach feel a bit empty and this causes the feeling of butterflies in the stomach. Since the blood goes to specified areas, the hands and legs get a diminished supply of blood resulting in the palms getting cold and a slight shiver setting in. This is why many in love look a bit disoriented, nervous and they wear a new colour on their face.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">Did I hear you say ‘how unromantic’? Well there is more.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">How does the body benefit while in love? When in love, the body releases special chemicals that make you feel good, content and happy. This can spur creativity and that probably explains why most poets, artists, writers and people with extraordinary talents are also good at love.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">Love can result in sexual activity and this can affect the entire body – from head to toe. Doctors believe that love-making is a good aerobic exercise that improves the circulation and can do wonders to the heart. Studies have shown that sexually active people tend to suffer from fewer heart attacks may be due to their better fitness. But you need to attain the right age to do this so that it can benefit the body.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">It can also benefit in weight reduction. Intercourse can burn around 200 calories. And all this happens in just a few minutes work compared to a 15-minute workout on a treadmill at a gym.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">In love-making the body releases endorphins, which can mitigate chronic pain of back ache, arthritis and migraines. Since brain chemicals are involved, sexually active people are less vulnerable to depression and suicides. Love-making is also good to calm anxieties, ease fear and can break down inhibitions – all this because of special hormones released by the brain and body.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">Some research work has shown that frequent love-making can boost levels of key immune cells that can help fight colds and other infections.</span> </div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">A small study has shown that oxytocin and DHEA hormone released during love-making may prevent breast cancer cells from developing into tumors. Frequent love-making has also been linked to longer life – may be due to the beneficial effects on the heart and immune system.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">But if love is just a chemical reaction, why is it that we do not fall head over heals over everyone. Why is that we get attracted to some and not to all? Well, again a bouquet of chemical is at work. Researchers say that the body releases special chemicals that the nose does not catch, but the brain does. And the brain selects the odour of somebody who has a very different immune system. That is why you seldom fall in love with a close relative.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">For survival, mankind needs as diverse a gene pool as possible. Otherwise one disease will wipe out the entire humanity.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">But if you thought that love involves a huge part of the brain, you are mistaken. In 2000, Andreas and Semir Zeki of University College, London, located the areas of the brain activated by romantic love. They took students who said they were madly in love, put them into a brain scanner, and looked at their patterns of brain activity. The results were rather surprising for such a wonderful emotion called love. The research showed that only a relatively small area of the human brain is active when a person is involved in deep love. But more parts of the brain are active and involved when the motion switches to ordinary friendship. “It is fascinating to reflect”, the pair conclude, “that the face that launched a thousand ships should have done so thorough such a limited expanse of cortex.” (As quoted in The Economist).</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">The second surprise was that the brain areas active in love are different from the areas activated in other emotional states, such as fear and anger. Parts of the brain that are love-bitten include the one responsible for gut feelings, and the ones which generate the euphoria induced by drugs such as cocaine. So the brains of people deeply in love do not look like those of people experiencing strong emotions, but instead like those of people snoring coke. Love, in other words, uses the neural mechanisms and pathways that are activated during the process of addiction. “We are literally addicted to love,” Dr Young observes.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">When a person is in love, the special chemicals and hormones give the body an extra-ordinary feel-good envelope – an effect that is very similar to what cocaine or the drug Ecstasy does to the body and mind. Addiction experts say that attraction and lust are very similar to drugs – it leaves you wanting more. However, the ‘high’ is only temporary – just like in cocaine.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">Brain scans have also revealed that the different flavours of love come different spots in the brain. Researchers say that love primarily comes in three distinct flavours: lust, romantic love and long-term attachment. In many cases there can be an overlap, but in essence these are separate phenomena.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">Studies have proved that a dip in the chemicals and hormones involved in love result in a decrease in sexual activity. That is why people on drugs for certain ailments find themselves less active sexually because their chemical pool gets altered. Age will also do the same thing.</span></div><div align="justify" class="text1"><span style="font-size: large;">But love is much more than just genes, chemicals and hormones. So forget all this and just celebrate the different hues of love on Valentine’s Day. You can always fool the body’s chemicals and as someone said: love is in the mind and heart. Life, they say, is like a game of tennis. You need to first serve and it all begins with LOVE ALL</span>.</div>FROM The New Indian Express,<br />
<div align="justify" class="text1"></div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-88232563035870024752010-11-03T04:55:00.000-07:002010-11-03T04:55:21.063-07:00Sleeping on a problem ‘best way to solve it’<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img class="main-image" src="http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00279/BRAIN_TWO_279497c.jpg" /></div><br />
<div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> It may sound unusual, but sleeping on a problem may be the best way to solve it, says a study.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Researchers in the Netherlands have found that distracting oneself for a few minutes with something else or, even better putting off the issue until the next day, helps the brain come up with the ideal solution.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">They have based their findings on a series of experiments which showed that people who consciously struggle with a difficult question are more likely to get the wrong answer, compared to those who put it on the mental backburner.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In the tests, students were asked to choose the best models from four imaginary makes of car. Each one had 12 different features but two had better road holding and fuel economy. After reading about each car, one group of students was asked to make an instant choice.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Another group carried out a second test which was designed to occupy their minds for five minutes before making their decision. Volunteers in that group, dubbed “unconscious thinkers”, were more likely to select the best car, the findings revealed.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">According to the researchers, this is because their subconscious minds were given the time to weigh up all the pros and cons. “Putting it off” could also work for someone in a dilemma about a major financial commitment, they say.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Lead researcher Maarten Bos of Radboud University, said the experiments proved that forgetting about a decision often produced the best results, especially if it involved a complicated issue.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The students who did the best were the ones who had been distracted and were therefore unable to “consciously think” about the cars.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">He said: “Unconscious thought produces better decisions than when people decide immediately. Although in our current experiments participants did not actually sleep on their decision, the benefit of a period of rest is clear.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“It allows us to differentiate between the vital and the irrelevant aspects. When your grandparents advised you to sleep on a decision first, they may have intuitively sensed the benefits of letting it rest to get a clear grasp of one’s priorities. The research shows our grandparents were right.”</div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-76742978205116478022010-11-03T04:51:00.001-07:002010-11-03T04:51:38.828-07:00Beetroot juice helps prevent dementia<div style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img class="main-image" src="http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00280/IN03_BEETROOT_280639c.jpg" /></div><br />
<div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Drinking beetroot juice can increase blood flow to the brain in older adults, potentially halting the progresses of dementia.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“There have been several studies showing that drinking beet juice can lower blood pressure, but we wanted to show that drinking beet juice also increases perfusion, or blood flow, to the brain,” said Daniel Kim-Shapiro, director of Wake Forest University’s Translational Science Center.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“There are areas in the brain that become poorly perfused as you age, and that’s believed to be associated with dementia and poor cognition,” Shapiro said.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">High concentrations of nitrates are found in beets, as well as in celery, cabbage and other leafy green vegetables like spinach and lettuce, report the journal Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry. </div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When you eat high-nitrate foods, ‘good bacteria’ in the mouth turn nitrate into nitrite, according to a Wake Forest statement.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Research has found that nitrites can help open up the blood vessels in the body, increasing blood and oxygen flow.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In the study, researchers looked at how dietary nitrates affected a group of adults aged 70 and above.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The MRIs showed that after eating a high-nitrate diet for four days, blood flow to the white matter of the frontal lobes increased. This area is commonly associated with degeneration that leads to dementia and other cognitive conditions.</div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-15103219476822623962010-11-03T04:50:00.001-07:002010-11-03T04:50:42.242-07:00Antibiotics have long lasting impacts on gut bacteria<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img class="main-image" src="http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00280/IN03_ANTIBIOTICS_280589c.jpg" /></div><br />
<div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Researchers of a new study have concluded that antibiotics leave long-term impacts on gut flora.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The scientists say that short courses of antibiotics prescribed to treat pathogenic bacteria can leave normal gut bacteria harbouring antibiotic resistance genes for up to two years after treatment.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">They also believe that this reservoir increases the chances of resistance genes being surrendered to pathogenic bacteria, aiding their survival and suggesting that the long-term effects of antibiotic therapy are more significant than previously thought.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Studies have shown that high levels of resistance genes can be detected in gut microbes after just 7 days of antibiotic treatment and that these genes remain present for up to two years even if the individual has taken no further antibiotics.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“The long-term presence of resistance genes in human gut bacteria dramatically increases the probability of them being transferred to and exploited by harmful bacteria that pass through the gut. This could reduce the success of future antibiotic treatments and potentially lead to new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” said Cecilia Jernberg from the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The review highlights the necessity of using antibiotics prudently.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Antibiotic resistance is not a new problem and there is a growing battle with multi-drug resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria. The development of new antibiotics is slow and so we must use the effective drugs we have left with care,” Jenberg added.</div><div class="body" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The study is published in the latest issue of journal Microbiology. </div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806407851510662590.post-43799604816707697132010-10-22T04:38:00.000-07:002010-10-22T04:38:35.796-07:00Watermelon lowers blood pressure<h1></h1><div class="articleabstract">No matter how you slice it, watermelon has a lot going for it –– sweet, low calorie, high fibre, nutrient rich –– and now, there's more.</div><div class="article1" id="acontent"><style type="text/css">
</style><div class="articlebody" id="abody"><div class="parent insert chrome6 single1 float8 cf" style="width: 504px;"><div class="child c1 first"><div class="img"><img alt="Watermelon lowers blood pressure" class="img1" height="350" src="http://stbjp.msn.com/i/E0/E53948711B2CA606743EA93EC482.jpg" width="500" /></div></div></div>Evidence from a pilot study led by food scientists at The Florida State University suggests that watermelon can be an effective natural weapon against prehypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.<br />
It is the first investigation of its kind in humans. FSU Assistant Professor Arturo Figueroa and Professor Bahram H. Arjmandi found that when six grammes of the amino acid L-citrulline/L-arginine from watermelon extract was administered daily for six weeks, there was improved arterial function and consequently lowered aortic blood pressure in all nine of their prehypertensive subjects (four men and five postmenopausal women, ages 51-57).<br />
"We are the first to document improved aortic haemodynamics in prehypertensive but otherwise healthy middle-aged men and women receiving therapeutic doses of watermelon," Figueroa said. "These findings suggest that this 'functional food' has a vasodilatory effect, and one that may prevent prehypertension from progressing to full-blown hypertension, a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.<br />
<div class="articlebody" id="abody"><div class="parent insert chrome6 single1 float8 cf" style="width: 504px;"><div class="child c1 first"><div class="img"><img alt="Watermelon lowers blood pressure" class="img1" height="350" src="http://stbjp.msn.com/i/25/15AC8159B673BB715EF894DEECD5.jpg" width="500" /></div></div></div>"Given the encouraging evidence generated by this preliminary study, we hope to continue the research and include a much larger group of participants in the next round," he said.<br />
<strong>Why watermelon?</strong><br />
"Watermelon is the richest edible natural source of L-citrulline, which is closely related to L-arginine, the amino acid required for the formation of nitric oxide essential to the regulation of vascular tone and healthy blood pressure," Figueroa said.<br />
Once in the body, the L-citrulline is converted into L-arginine. Simply consuming L-arginine as a dietary supplement isn't an option for many hypertensive adults, said Figueroa, because it can cause nausea, gastrointestinal tract discomfort, and diarrhoea.<br />
<div class="articlebody" id="abody"><div class="parent insert chrome6 single1 float8 cf" style="width: 404px;"><div class="child c1 first"><div class="img"><img alt="Watermelon lowers blood pressure" class="img1" height="500" src="http://stbjp.msn.com/i/E0/F3D372DABE83D1DE55D573BBBACFDA.jpg" width="400" /></div></div></div>In contrast, watermelon is well tolerated. Participants in the Florida State pilot study reported no adverse effects. And, in addition to the vascular benefits of citrulline, watermelon provides abundant vitamin A, B6, C, fibre, potassium and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Watermelon may even help to reduce serum glucose levels, according to Arjmandi.<br />
"Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States," Arjmandi said. "Generally, Americans have been more concerned about their blood cholesterol levels and dietary cholesterol intakes rather than their overall cardiovascular health risk factors leading to CVD, such as obesity and vascular dysfunction characterised by arterial stiffening and thickness -- issues that functional foods such as watermelon can help to mitigate.<br />
"By functional foods," said Arjmandi, "we mean those foods scientifically shown to have health-promoting or disease-preventing properties, above and beyond the other intrinsically healthy nutrients they also supply."<br />
<div class="articlebody" id="abody"><div class="parent insert chrome6 single1 float8 cf" style="width: 504px;"><div class="child c1 first"><div class="img"><img alt="Watermelon lowers blood pressure" class="img1" height="350" src="http://stbjp.msn.com/i/25/D116A62464D5A45F5297A7F8246920.jpg" width="500" /></div></div></div>Figueroa said oral L-citrulline supplementation might allow a reduced dosage of antihypertensive drugs necessary to control blood pressure.<br />
"Even better, it may prevent the progression from prehypertension to hypertension in the first place," he said.<br />
While watermelon or watermelon extract is the best natural source for L-citrulline, it is also available in the synthetic form in pills, which Figueroa used in a previous study of younger, male subjects. That investigation showed that four weeks of L-citrulline slowed or weakened the increase in aortic blood pressure in response to cold exposure. It was an important finding, said Figueroa, since there is a greater occurrence of myocardial infarction associated with hypertension during the cold winter months.<br />
<div class="parent insert chrome6 single1 float8 cf" style="width: 504px;"><div class="child c1 first"><div class="img"><img alt="Watermelon lowers blood pressure" class="img1" height="350" src="http://stbjp.msn.com/i/11/231E8EA7F9366B675228458AB2C2.jpg" width="500" /></div></div></div>"Individuals with increased blood pressure and arterial stiffness -- especially those who are older and those with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes -- would benefit from L-citrulline in either the synthetic or natural (watermelon) form," Figueroa said. "The optimal dose appears to be four to six grammes a day."<br />
Approximately 60 per cent of U.S. adults are prehypertensive or hypertensive. Prehypertension is characterised by systolic blood pressure readings of 120-139 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) over diastolic pressure of 80-89 mm Hg. "Systolic" refers to the blood pressure when the heart is contracting. "Diastolic" reflects the blood pressure when the heart is in a period of relaxation and expansion.<br />
Findings from Figueroa's latest pilot study at Florida State are described in the American Journal of Hypertension.</div></div></div></div></div>nitya007'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08684691026533199087noreply@blogger.com0