Health and medical news Blog
Welcome to our look into the world of healthy lifestyle
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Although fat moves continuously through the fat cycle, at times lipogenesis dominates and at other times lipolysis dominates. The overwhelming factor influencing the balance is the state of feeding, with fasting favouring lipolysis and feeding favouring lipogenesis, as already discussed. These directly correspond to the demand for fat as fuel.
Another condition which favours lipolysis is stress, either physical or psychological, such as exercise or a fearful situation. Adrenalin causes an increase in lipolysis with FFAs being released into the bloodstream anticipating a demand for fat as fuel. If the situation passes without the need to use the extra energy, such as with exercise, the fat returns from the fat cycle back to the fat cell In other words, an increase in lipolysis does not always correspond to an increase in fat utilisation for energy.
A number of other factors can influence the balance of lipolysis and lipogenesis. A large fat mass tends to increase the amount of lipolysis and thus the amount of FFAs available for energy needs. Insulin, catecholamines, Cortisol and sex hormone levels can also alter the balance. Fat cells in the hips, buttocks and breast are more responsive to female hormones than the fat cells on the abdomen, which are more prolific in men.
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Tags: Weight Loss
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Foreign bodies seem to have an amazing attraction for children, and it is incredible the number and range of items that are swallowed. The incidence is highest in infants in the 1-3 year age group. Coins, screws, nails, washers, bits from toys, plastic gadgets such as doll’s eyes, wheels from toy cars, and pins, safety pins and otherwise, have all gone down the red lane. Sheer good luck, and the body’s ability to deal with these onslaughts, make the risks happily fairly small.
Most foreign bodies simply pass through the full length of the bowel, and in the majority of cases are passed at the far end with little discomfort within four to five days. In fact, a parent may be totally unaware of what has occurred. Occasionally symptoms may develop, but overall this is uncommon. Usually, the doctor’s assistance is needed if there is pain, a fever or vomiting resulting from the incident.
Sometimes a foreign body may be held up at certain critical points in the bowel. A sharp object, such as a pin or a needle, may penetrate the bowel lining and fail to move or it may actually perforate the wall.
Treatment
Most cases do not require any treatment. However, if the foreign body is known and especially if it is a sharp, potentially dangerous one, treatment may become necessary. If symptoms (as noted) occur, it will require medical attention.
The doctor may ask for a bowel X-ray if the foreign body has not been passed within a few days. However, only about 2-4 per cent of cases require active surgical intervention. These days, with the use of a long, flexible device called the endoscope, it is possible to locate foreign bodies and remove them fairly simply under an anaesthetic.
There is probably one major exception to the suggestion of waiting for the child to pass the object. That is in the case of the miniature mercury batteries that are now widely used in hearing aids, cameras and calculators; it is becoming more common for these to be in homes, often in ready access to infants. Their shiny silver metal coat is attractive to some children, who suck them, and several cases of their being swallowed have been reported. The incidence will inevitably increase over the next few years.
The acid of the child’s stomach may rapidly destroy the thin metal lining of the battery, so releasing very toxic quantities of mercury which may be lethal to small children. If this occurs, immediate treatment either from the doctor or at the emergency ward of the nearest big hospital is essential. The battery must be removed as urgently as possible before it disintegrates and allows the toxic substances to be absorbed by the body. Never forget this danger.
Do not give cathartics for foreign bodies. Do not give cottonwool sandwiches or follow other antiquated old wives’ tales. These all belong to a bygone era. Castor oil is definitely out, and so is cascara and similar products. They could stimulate the bowel violently and with sharp objects increase the risk of perforation. Do not get hysterical—death is not imminent. Ring the doctor for advice or take the child immediately to the nearest large hospital.
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Tags: General health
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‘I think I should breast feed Joanna,’ Karen said, as she looked happily at her tiny baby, now a few days old. ‘I mean, properly, not for just a week or two like some of my friends, but for as long as I am capable. Is that a good idea?’
‘It’s an excellent idea,’ I replied, and I meant it. ‘I am always pleased to hear young mothers opt for this sensible, safe and perfectly natural form of baby care. Breast milk is meant for human babies. Cow’s milk, as I’ve said for years, is great, but it is meant for baby cows.’
‘What are the chief advantages of breastfeeding?’ Karen asked. ‘I know there are lots, but I would like to hear the reasons doctors give.’
‘There are many,’ I answered. ‘The obvious ones are that the milk is just the right consistency for your baby. It is manufactured strictly for her. It contains all the nutritional needs she will have for the first several months. It comes ready made, free from germs, and there is no messy fiddling around with bottles and teats and the need to cleanse, wash and sterilize these. It contains the correct amount of most of the vital vitamins, proteins and other foods the baby needs. It is also manufactured in a form that is acceptable lo her, and does not need modification or diluting or anything else. The temperature is just right. And as one proud father once said with a sigh, “it comes in very attractive containers, too”.’
‘Isn’t breast milk supposed to contain protective chemicals?’ Karen cut in. ‘I’ve heard that breast-fed babies are less likely to develop certain illnesses.’
That’s true. It contains special products called antibodies, and these can guard against certain potentially serious infections. It is well known that gastric infections, sometimes life imperilling, seem much less common in breast-fed babies.
‘This is sometimes because germs are present in milk. Keeping milk is sometimes difficult, especially if there is inadequate refrigeration during hot summer weather. Germs causing gastric: upsets breed rapidly in milk products in the heat. These were once a serious cause of death for babies, though happily not so commonly seen today. But it is still a plus for breast feeding, because no special storage or refrigeration is needed.
‘What’s more, it is claimed by many doctors that “cot deaths” are less likely in breast-fed babies. Nobody knows what causes this terrible condition. The baby simply dies in his sleep, even though he appeared quite well when put to bed. It occurs during the first six months of life. It is not common, but still, many babies die.’
‘Don’t you agree that a mother can get closer to her baby if she is actively breast feeding her?’
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Tags: General health
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Women’s menstrual cycles are almost as individual as they are — there’s a large variation in what is ‘normal’. The cycle can take from 24 to 35 days (counting the day you start bleeding as the first day); bleeding can last for between two and seven days; and the amount of blood lost can range from 10ml to 80ml (the average being around 35ml). If blood loss is heavy it can lead to anaemia (iron deficiency).
To familiarise yourself with what is ‘normal’ for you, it’s a good idea to keep a menstrual dairy. Some women are extremely regular, others less so, but once you get a feel for your usual pattern, you can be more alert to ‘abnormal’ variations.
Heavy periods (also called menorrhagia) may be caused by things like fibroids, pelvic inflammation, hormonal disturbances, tumours, and IUDs, but there may also be no apparent cause (this is known as ‘dysfunctional uterine bleeding’). If your periods become much heavier than what’s normal for you, you should seek advice from a health practitioner as it may indicate an underlying problem.
Shortages of iron, zinc, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin A have been suggested as causes of excessive bleeding, so supplements may help (but beware of taking large amounts of Vitamin A without supervision). Food intolerance may be a factor for some women, and if you’re being treated for candidiasis, your periods may get heavier for a while before settling down again. Make sure you eat plenty of iron-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables and lean meat to counteract the possibility of anaemia. Among the herbs, bayberry, raspberry leaves, golden seal, sage or shepherd’s purse may be useful, and supplements of dolomite (calcium and magnesium) taken for a few days before and during the period have been reported as effective.
Period pain (dysmenorrhoea) varies greatly among women. There are two types: primary dysmenorrhoea is related to the uterus actually contracting under the influence of prostaglandins (hormones); secondary dysmenorrhoea tends to extend outside the time when you are actually bleeding and can be caused by problems such as cysts, fibroids, polyps, infections or tumours.
You should investigate the cause if you feel you are experiencing secondary dysmenorrhoea, but there are many self-help treatments that can help relieve the pain. A hot water bottle against the abdomen can be soothing, as can a warm bath or shower. Exercise, especially swimming or yoga may help. Try massaging the uterus directly — pressing into your abdomen just above the pubic hairs; or experiment with acupressure — direct pressure on the Achilles tendon behind your ankle. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, vegetable juices, fish and liver. Useful supplements may include magnesium, calcium and potassium; and the herbs crampbark, cimicifuga, chamomile, golden seal and raspberry leaf.
Amenorrhoea — absence of periods — is most commonly the result of pregnancy or breast-feeding. But if this is not the case, you should consult a health practitioner to try and track down the reason. Amenorrhoea can be caused by hormonal imbalances, extreme loss of weight (for example, as a result of a disorder such as anorexia nervosa — see separate entry), or by some drugs used to treat high blood pressure or cancer.
Cessation of menstruation is known as menopause.
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Tags: General health
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Anxiety commonly shows itself in irritability. We react too quickly and too much to all manner of minor frustrations. We become upset by things which would not normally disturb us. We are more sensitive to noise, and are easily irritated by it. The noises at work which we had not previously noticed become a source of irritation; and at home the noise of the children brings us to distraction. We tolerate it as long as we can, then suddenly let go. We punish the child too severely, and then immediately regret it.
If someone finds fault with what we have done, we normally take the criticism in stride. But when we are anxious, we overreact to the situation; we flare up, we say what we should not say, and then regret it. The girl in the restaurant attends to us in the usual way, but because we are tensed up we feel that she is unbearably slow. The mannerisms and quirks of our friends and relatives, which we once enjoyed, now irritate us. There soon develops an atmosphere of tension in the home. Members of the family become cautious; they are restrained, and no longer laugh arid joke openly for fear of triggering off this unnatural irritability. The anxious one senses that the others are acting differently toward him, he becomes still more on edge, and the cloud of misunderstanding deepens.
A young woman in her early thirties, extremely tense and aggressive, came to consultation on account of her intense irritability with her two young children. These were her exact words: “With her like she is how could I be relaxed?” “It is not as if I am completely ignorant. I have had experience with doctors and that makes me a bit doubtful.”
For some years her husband had been under treatment for a peptic ulcer which I thought might easily be related to his wife’s irritability.
Her state was so severe that I arranged for her admission to a hospital, but she was so irritable and aggressive that she promptly left against advice. However, she returned to me some months later, just as irritable as ever, but determined to seek help. It took her several sessions to learn to do the relaxing mental exercises. She then underwent an extraordinary change in personality; she could smile and be pleasant in a way that had not seemed possible before. She learned to cope with the children and tolerate frustration without undue irritability.
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Tags: Anti Depressants
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This is the other kind of period pain. The one sure way to find out whether someone is suffering from this type is to ask her how she knows when a period is due. Those who suffer from the cramps have little or no warning that a period is on its way; the blood and the pain often arrive together. But if you suffer from the aching miseries, you know for days beforehand that a period is due. You probably ache, your breasts may be sore and your belly swollen; you feel bloated and heavy; you can’t do up your skirt and your bra is too tight; you may have a headache, backache, or aching thighs; you may feel exhausted or disagreeable or irritable; you may be off-balance (some of the trouble areas are indicated in figure lb). Do you break more cups just before a period, or trip over your feet, or find it impossible to park the car? Do you sleep badly? Do you develop inexplicable bruises on your thighs or upper arms? They’re all symptoms of the aching miseries, and they can last for anything from two or three days to more than a fortnight. The period itself is probably not too painful once it gets under way. And after the first day of the actual period you feel a lot better. Many women say they’re back to normal then.
Strangely enough, although the aching miseries seem to be almost the reverse of the cramps, deliberate relaxation helps them too. It is not yet known for certain why this is, but it looks as though it is to do with the hormone balance of our bodies. The changes which occur when a woman has periods, carries a baby, and gives birth are mainly controlled by two chemical messengers, or hormones, called oestrogen and progesterone. To simplify, it seems likely that the cramps are caused by a shortage of oestrogen and the aching miseries by a shortage of progesterone.
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Tags: Pain Relief
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The stimulatory (plus) levels can all be considered, in a sense, adaptive responses by the body to some environmental substance(s). When the body can no longer adapt, it enters the various stages of maladaptation (see Chap. 11). These are the withdrawal reactions, also called hangovers or letdowns. Most people never identify their stimulatory (plus) reactions as symptoms until the bigger picture is pointed out to them. The negative reactions are clearly problems, however, and doctors’ waiting rooms are filled with the victims of such reactions.
Minus-one reactions are those symptoms, mainly physical, which are commonly called allergic reactions. They include running nose, coughing, wheezing, asthma, itching, hives, eczema, excessive gas, diarrhea, constipation, colitis, and other localized physical problems.
Because such reactions are ordinarily considered as allergic in origin and handled by conventional allergists, I have given little detailed attention to them in this book. It can be assumed, however, that they are often caused by allergies to foods and common chemicals.
Minus-one reactions (—) such as these may disappear, only to be replaced by even more troublesome minus-two (- -) reactions. Minus-two reactions are “systemic” allergic symptoms, affecting not just one but many parts of the body. A person in this stage of allergy is typically tired, dopey, sleepy, or mildly depressed. He is frequently plagued by painful syndromes, such as headache, neckache, backache, neuralgia, myalgia, and arthralgia. This is the phase in which chest pains and .cardiovascular effects are noticed. Cardiovascular simptoms can include rapid or irregular pulse or heartbeat, hypertension, phlebitis, anemia, or tendencies toward bleeding and bruising.
Typically these symptoms do not occur alone. That is, by the time a patient has fallen to the minus-two level, he often has many of these problems. Doctors like to deal with anatomically distinct problems: “Where does it hurt?” is a typical opening question. Few doctors like to hear, “It hurts all over,” or some such reply. In fact, as we have mentioned, many doctors are told in medical school to discount the statements of parents with many complaints. For this reason, patients in the minus-two and minus-three categories are often told, condescendingly, that their problems are “all in their head,” or psychosomatic. This may be due to the unfamiliarity of orthodox physicians with the findings of clinical ecology. In actuality, such multiple ‘symptoms are often the end result of a long process of developing allergy. The individual nature of the patient’s problem can usually be demonstrated through the methods of clinical ecology.
Minus-two (- -) is the stage at which we find such common problems as physical fatigue and headache (Chap. 12) and muscle and joint aches and pains, including arthritis (Chap. 13). Fatigue, when related to food allergy, tends to be worse in the morning, because this »s when the patient has been without his addictant for several hours. He needs, and craves, his fix. Fatigue on an allergic basis is usually quite different from physical fatigue resulting from exertion, which is relieved by rest and sleep- Allergic fatigue is seemingly without cause, and is not ordinarily relieved by prolonged periods of rest; it is basically quite unpleasant.
Minus-three (- – -) is the stage I call “brain-fag.” The term “brain-fag” is found in Webster’s dictionary as a synonym for mental exhaustion. It was suggested to me by a patient who suffered from this problem, and I have used it ever since. “Brain-fag” is more than just exhaustion. In this stage, thinking is confused, and people become indecisive, moody, sad, sullen, withdrawn, or apathetic. There is frequently much emotional instability and impaired attention. The “brain-fagged” patient cannot concentrate properly, and his comprehension and thought processes are impaired. This includes aphasia (the inability to speak, or to find words for things), mental lapses, and blackouts. A fuller discussion of “brain-fag,” with case histories, is given in Chapter 14.
As with the minus-two reactions, “brain-fag” is characteristically polysymptomatic. The patient has many symptoms and often has periods of physical illness (minus-one or -two) interspersed with his generalized mental exhaustion (minus-three).
Severe depression, or minus-four (- – - -), can be called the end of the line of this entire problem. This depression can be preceded by a superstimulated (plus-four) phase, as in manic-depressive disease, or by less severe withdrawal symptoms (minus-three).
While depression does occur in the young, it is most commonly found in the middle-aged or elderly, who have had a lifetime to develop to this stage. Such depression is often believed to be the result of unhappy events in the life of the patient, such as bereavement, retirement, or changes of locale. While such life events may contribute to the problem, usually mild depression and “brain-fag” precede them, and provide the underlying mechanism for the development of a crisis. Most often, in my experience, depression is caused by lifelong addictions to common foods, drinks, and environmental chemicals.
The severely depressed person may be unresponsive, lethargic, disoriented, and melancholic. While he may remain rational for long periods of time, he may eventually lapse into paranoid thinking, delusions, hallucinations, and sometimes even amnesia and coma.
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Tags: Allergies
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Chest pain is common during childhood. Although chest pain in adults can be serious, it is rarely a symptom of serious disease in children.
A very common form of chest pain in children is the so-called stitch in the side—a stabbing pain in the lower chest, more often on the left side than the right. This pain occurs with exercise and will stop after a minute or two of rest. This type of pain may be caused by gas pains in the large intestine, contraction of the spleen, or spasm of the diaphragm. Regardless of the cause, it is harmless.
Pain in the area of the sternum (breastbone) is common when a child has bronchitis or a head cold combined with a cough. A frequent, hard cough often makes the diaphragm sore, causing a pain just below the ribs. Pain on one side of the chest may be caused by pleurodynia (inflammation of the lining of the chest cavity) or by shingles.
Injuries (including muscle strains, bruises, and fractured ribs) cause pain that is worsened by deep breathing and movements of the chest. All of these types of chest pain are relatively minor and usually can be cared for at home.
There are a few causes of chest pain in children that are more serious, but these are also uncommon. Pleurisy that develops as a complication of pneumonia may cause chest pain; the pain is accompanied by other signs of pleurisy (fever, difficult breathing, cough).
Another more serious cause of chest pain is spontaneous pneumothorax, which is a bursting of a small bubble on the surface of the lung. When the bubble bursts, air escapes into the chest cavity, causing gradual collapse of the lung. This condition comes on suddenly, often with sharp pain, and causes increasing shortness of breath. A hernia of the diaphragm causes chest pain that is usually worse when lying down and less or absent when sitting and standing. Heart pain in children, even those with serious heart conditions, is so rare that it is practically unknown.
Signs and symptoms
Chest pain may occur alone or along with other symptoms. The exact location of the pain and the circumstances that bring on the pain or make it worse are clues to the type and cause of chest pain. Other symptoms (cough, fever, rash at the site of the pain, and shortness of breath) are also clues to the cause.
Most cases of minor chest pain can be treated at home with aspirin or paracetamol, mild heat, and reassurance. If chest pain is caused by a hard cough, cough medicines may help.
Pleurisy, spontaneous pneumothorax, and hernia of the diaphragm should be treated by a doctor.
Precautions
• If chest pain is accompanied by shortness of breath, high fever, a cough producing blood flecks, or prostration (collapse), get medical help immediately.
• If there is persistent pain beneath either armpit that is made worse by breathing, see your doctor.
• Do not give cough medicines if the child is having difficulty breathing.
Medical treatment
Your doctor may recommend X rays and blood tests. Pneumothorax is treated by hospitalization, close observation, and possibly a puncture of the chest wall to remove trapped air.
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Tags: General health
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Fructose Test
If there are no sperm in the semen analysis it may mean that none are being produced by the testes, or that they are being produced but the tubes are blocked and they cannot get through to be ejaculated. Where no sperm are present, a test for fructose is done. Fructose is a sugar normally found in semen. The absence of fructose in the semen can mean that the seminal vesicles are blocked, stopping both sperm and fructose from getting through. It may be possible to surgically correct such a blockage. Alternatively, the absence of fructose could mean that the man does not have any seminal vesicles. If fructose is present but the man does not have any sperm in the sample, further investigations need to be done. These can reveal whether there is a blockage nearer to the testes or whether the testes are not in fact producing sperm.
Anti-sperm Antibody Test
This test attempts to determine whether the man is producing substances which are causing the sperm to clump together, lose motility or prevent fertilisation. These antibodies would make the man’s immune system ‘see’ his own sperm as foreign bodies and try to destroy them.
The most common test for antibodies is the MAR (mixed antiglobulin reaction) test which is now often done as part of the normal semen analysis. If antibodies are present, the sperm will be clumped together instead of moving freely.
Sperm antibodies can be produced in response to an infection. Antibodies can also be produced in about 70 per cent of men after a vasectomy. During the procedure some sperm may leak out and, because previously they had been contained within the reproductive system, the body views them as a foreign substance and produces antibodies to them.
Treatments for anti-sperm antibodies may include steroids which carry their own side-effects, such as weight gain, stomach bleeding and depression. IVF may be a possibility if the sperm can still penetrate the egg, otherwise ICSI will be suggested.
It is also possible for the woman to be producing antibodies to her partner’s sperm and this can be checked by a blood test.
Post-coital Test
The post-coital test has been used since the 1860s to assess the cervical mucus and the sperm’s ability to swim through it. You go to the clinic around the time of ovulation after having intercourse about four to ten hours before. A cervical mucus sample is taken and examined under a microscope. The clinic is looking to see whether there are any sperm in the mucus, whether they are dead, or whether they are just shaking rather than moving forward. If a man has active, healthy sperm when he gives a sperm sample, and yet in the post-coital test the sperm are dead, then something is obviously happening once the sperm are inside the vagina. The test needs to be performed precisely at the right time of the cycle and it is possible to get a number of false results. This means that it has to be repeated, if it looks as if the woman is killing off her partner’s sperm.
There are not many clinics who still do this test and it is interesting that a study published in the British Medical Journal in 1998 came to the conclusion that ‘Routine use of the post-coital test in infertility investigations leads to more tests and treatments but has no significant effect on the pregnancy rate’. The researchers took couples who were attending an infertility clinic and then split them randomly into two groups. One group had all the usual fertility investigations plus the post-coital test and the other group just the fertility investigations without the post-coital. At the end of the study there was no difference in the number of pregnancies between the two groups, and yet the group having the post-coital test was given more fertility treatments on the basis of their post-coital results.
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Tags: Men’s Health
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In order to establish meaningful contact with other humans, you have to learn how to talk-openly. Learn how to communicate in ways that let others hear you better. A key, says Dr. Ornish, is to practice expressing feelings rather than thoughts. Feelings connect; thoughts-particularly judgmental ones-isolate us, he says. Here are some of Dr. Ornish’s communication tips.
• Express a thought-”I think you’re wrong,” for instance-and your listener may feel attacked and argumentative. Express a feeling, though-”I feel sad about what you said,” for instance-and the listener is more likely to hear you, Dr. Ornish says.
• Express feelings and you make indisputably true statements. No one can argue about how you feel. How you feel is how you feel.
• Express feelings and you exhibit a bit of vulnerability that people generally recognize and respond to in kind, raising the level of the communication.
• Feelings-that is, emotions-are more effective than thoughts in influencing people.
It is just as important to express negative feelings as positive ones, Dr. Ornish says. Just learn to express them as feelings, not as judgments or attacks. Add the words I feel to your vocabulary. One caution, though: Dr. Ornish says that if you add the word that after an I feel, you probably are not truly expressing a feeling but, rather, a thought.
One way to encourage more expressions of feelings rather than thoughts is to rid your language of the phrases “You should,” “I think,” “You ought,” “You never,” and “You always.” Instead, add the phrase, “I want.”
We communicate more intimately when we acknowledge what we hear other people saying to us, making it clear that we really listened and really heard what they said and making sure that we understand their meaning, Dr. Ornish notes. Try it and you’ll see that people warm to you as they feel more understood. And you will warm to them, too, because you will be focusing on their feelings and expressions, rather than paying more attention to what you’re going to say next.
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Tags: General health