info sihat, gaya hidup sihat, tanda, shearing aids, hiv aids clinic, symptom

symptoms of Aids

2008-06-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

symptoms of Aids

any of the consequent symptoms of Aids can be noticed :

-Lack of energy
-Weight loss
-Severe or recurring vaginal yeast infections
-Periods of extreme and unexplained abscess that may be combined whim-wham headaches, lightheadedness, and/or dizziness
-Rapid loss of more let alone 10 pounds of weight that is not due to hotted up physical exercise or dieting
-Bruising more easily taken the dansant normal
-Long-lasting bouts of diarrhoea
-Swelling or constancy of glands installed in the narrow, armpit, or groin
-Periods of continued, blue, dry coughing
-Increasing shortness of breath
-The aspect of discoloured or purplish growths on the cornhusk or auricular the mouth
-Unexplained bleeding wonderless growths on the dry, well-balanced mucous membranes, or wonderlessness any entrance in the body
-Recurring or unusual burn rashes
-Severe blahs or pain in the rule or feet, the loss of muscle control and reflex, paralysis or loss of flexible strength
-An altered diocese of lidless vigil, personality change, or mental deterioration
-Children may grow slowly or fall sick commonly. HIV positive persons are beside bring about to be more vulnerable to some cancers.

symptoms of Aids

kempen anti merokok

2008-06-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

gaya hidup sihat
katakan TAK NAK kepada rokok

Secara rasminya kerajaan Malaysia telah membelanjakan sebanyak RM 100 juta untuk kempen Tak Nak Merokok namun ianya telah menemui kegagalan. Kempen yang telah dilancarkan oleh Menteri Kesihatan telah mensasarkan remaja berusia di bawah 18 tahun gagal mecapai objektifnya meskipun pelbagai langkah telah diambil,antaranya ialah pengiklanan di media cetak & media elektronik. Mesej yang cuba disampaikan oleh kerajaan tidak mencapai matlamatnya.

Kajian yang telah dijalankan oleh pihak UPM keatas 18,000 orang pada tahun lepas mendapati umur perokok semakin muda bermakna berusia di bawah 18 tahun – pada usia 15 tahun (21%),16 tahun (32.2%),17 tahun (35.6%),18 tahun (45.5%),19 tahun (51.4%) & 20 tahun (49.2%). Alasan utama mengapa mereka semua merokok di usia yang sangat muda adalah kerana tekanan & desakan hidup. Merokok turut penyumbang kepada penyakit IHD,COAD or kanser paru-paru. Kita perlu melihat isu dikalangan perokok muda ini secara serius terutamanya ibu bapa & guru perlu memainka peranan dalan hal ini. Apabila seseorang mula merokok buat pertama kali,ianya sukar untuk dikikis lagi.

Kini terdapat paket yang lebih kecil untuk rokok, tetapi itu bukan isunya memandangkan apabila seseorang perokok mahukan rokok, mereka tetap akan membelinya biarpun harganya telah di naikkan. Jika tidak mampu membelinya secara individu, mereka boleh berkongsi sesama mereka, terutamanya bagi remaja atau pelajar sekolah.

Nasihat dari presiden FOMCA, Datuk Prof Hamdan menekankan bahawa pendekatan secara dalaman adalah penting untuk mengurangkan gejala merokok di kalangan remaja ini dengan bantuan ibu bapa,guru,NGO dan individu. Dengan mengadakan ceramah serta kempen kesedaran,ianya diharap dapat membantu mengatasi masalah ini.

Acne and Cosmetics

2008-01-14T00:07:00.000-08:00

By: Jeff Austin

Acne! The very word strikes fear into the hearts of teenagers all over America.

It doesn't matter much that it affects anywhere from 95% to 99% of them, when it happens to any one of them, you would think that they were the only kid who had ever had a zit.

Teenage boys hate acne just as much as teenage girls hate it. Boys just suffer through it but girls turn to cosmetics to try to hide it.

There is nothing wrong with a teenage girl or a young woman trying to make an acne outbreak appear less noticeable. It is a perfectly natural thing to do.

They use cosmetics anyway to enhance their appearances...make their lips redder or more full, give their cheeks a healthy glow and make their eyelashes appear longer so covering up a blemish is the next logical step.

The cosmetic industry knows that covering blemishes ranks right up there with rosy cheeks so they have developed products designed specifically for covering up blemishes. These products are called concealers. They come in many forms.

Some of them are in tubes like lipstick while some of them are in bottles like other liquid make up base products and some of them are in cake form like pressed face powder.

The one thing that all teenage girls and young women do need to remember when they use these products is that the products need to be thoroughly cleaned off before going to bed.

If left on the face, these products will contribute to clogging pores and intensify the acne outbreak.

The bottom line here is that using concealer products is just fine. If it makes you feel better about yourself, then go for it but before you go to bed, use your facial wash.

Clean your face completely, pat it dry with a clean towel and apply your acne fighting medications.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

For more information on acne, be sure to visit www.the-health-hub.com where you'll find information on health topics such as acne cures, diet and exercise, healthy living & more

Acne Skin Care Control

2008-01-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

By: Yang-Zhong

Acne is a common skin condition. It occurs when oil and dead skin cells clog the skin's pores. Mostly it affects that areas where the largest oil glands founds in the human body, including the nose, forehead, cheeks, chin, back, and trunk. It is also known as pimple . Mostly it occurs on women as well as infant body. It is most common in adolescents and it generally disappears by age 30.

The appearance of pimples sometimes occurs during the surge of hormones during the puberty . In some youngsters they continue to bother them into their young adulthood or even till their late forties and in others they disappear after a few years. There are no parameters that are available that will indicate when these lesions are likely to disappear.

Causes

By the research it is found that 80 percent of all teenagers develop acne, but is also occurs at the age of 25 and 30. Acne occurs when the hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. During puberty, there are numbers of hormonal changes in the body and due to this an increased production of sex hormones like estrogen, and androgens. Androgens stimulate the production of oil in the sebaceous glands, which tends to block the skin pores thus the harmless skin bacteria present on the skin gets entrapped in the deeper layers of the skin.

Stresses can also a big cause of acne. Intense stress that requires medical assistance is sometimes treated with medications which may cause acne as a side effect. If you think you may have acne in account to a medication prescribed for either stress or depression, then you should talk with doctors.

Symptoms

When the follicle begins to bulge and show up as a small whitish bump mostly under the skin, it is called a whitehead. If the comedo opens up, the top surface of the plug darkens, and it is referred to as a blackhead. When acne is present, sebum which normally drains to the surface of the skin gets blocked and bacteria begins to grow.

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Acne alternative treatment

2008-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

By: Robert Baird

In the 21st century along with the supreme development of technology, medical science too has progressed considerably and in recent times alternative medicine has emerged as one of the most effective means of dealing with various ailments from allergies, headaches and heartburns to even skin problems like acne. One of the reasons why alternative medicine has found favor increasingly amidst individuals is because it does not take into account the use of conventional medical procedures, drugs and surgeries and rather depends upon the healing power of natural ingredients and methods to ensure a healthy body and a healthy mind. In the presence of alternative medicines, individuals are more prone to opt for these natural products in order to deal with acne formations as natural ingredients are always considered to be a much safer option compared to the medicines and drugs prescribed for acne treatment. Acne is caused as a result of excessive secretion from the sebaceous glands when the oil is unable to pour out through the pours of the skin. Acne may also be caused as a result of the hormonal imbalances in one's body while stress factors may also be a contributing cause. In all cases it is necessary to remember that acne is a very common skin problem observed in teenagers. While it can subside easily in its milder forms, in case of larger inflammations and serious infections, healing may take considerable time.

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Acne cyst treatment

2008-01-13T23:55:00.000-08:00

By: Robert Baird

Acne is a common skin problem caused when the excess oil secretion form the sebaceous glands fail to escape through the pores of the skin and accumulate. It is also to be noted that hormonal imbalances and stress related factors may also be considered responsible for resulting in the formation of acne. While in its milder form, acne or pimples are capable of causing inflammations or swellings on the skin, sometimes they can split and spread over greater areas and swell considerably to form acne cysts or nodulocystic acne. Acne cysts are considered to be extremely painful and one of the most severe forms of acne and they occur commonly in males and affect different parts of the body like the back and chest regions apart from the face. There may be various symptoms of acne cysts which may distinguish it from the common acne formations on the skin. These include ejection of pus and red swellings and inflammations on the skin. Scars are a very notable feature of these acne cysts and they commonly accompany the acne cysts along with reddened swollen nodules. While it has already been pointed out that acne cysts are extremely painful, a very rare version of the acne cyst is referred to as acne conglobata. These are extremely severe and form painful and discomforting boils on the apart from resulting in scars as well. These lesions appear often in the form of a group of ‘macrocomedones' and form cysts filled with infectious pus. It is natural to state that since acne cysts are severe in nature, it is quite difficult to provide easy remedies as treatment. However, with the advancement of technology, different forms of treatment are available in order to cure oneself from acne cysts.

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Cancer Information and Support Can Hasten Healing and Save Lives

2008-01-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

By: Chris Robertson

It's the word that no one ever wants to hear: cancer. Although our parents or grandparents might have heard that word and considered it an automatic death sentence, today's focus on prevention, early detection, and treatment means that people who are diagnosed with cancer often have a very good chance of beating the disease.

The Latest Statistics

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), death rates from cancer have been decreasing since the early 1990s. In a recently published report on cancer from the years 1975 through 2004 (the latest year for which statistics are available), the NCI noted that, "Death rates decreased on average 2.1 percent per year from 2002 through 2004, nearly twice the annual decrease of 1.1 percent per year from 1993 through 2002."

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Smoking Tobacco Products and Cancer of the Lung More than Ever Go Together

2008-01-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

By: Jason Lane

Countless inviduals know that smoking tobacco products and cancer of the lungs are essentially connected, as it were, you rarely find one without the other. With more than ever remedy options open to people at this time, does there remain a correlation between smoking and lung cancer ? What are the chances that a man or woman who smokes will contract this disease? Is there anything at all a physician can prescribe to remedy?

The bad news is diseases of the lungs and smoking cigarettes remain gravely linked. Smoking is the leading cause of the disease and there is still no recognised fix.

Cancer of the lungs occurs when the fibres of the organ swells unmanageably. This may provoke transmutation, intrusion of adjoining fibres and penetration besides the lungs. Diseases of the lungs are the most prevalent manner of cancer-related casualties in males and second most commonplace for females. There are a supposed 1.3 million deaths around the world caused annually as a result of this defect.

Smoking brings on lung cancer in relatively 90% of incidents. A male that smokes has a 17% chance of getting lung disease, that means for each and every smoker that is male, one out of five will get the condition. For females the statistics are practically eleven percent or one in every ten.

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Zeolites - How Do They Affect Cancer?

2008-01-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

By: John Gaydon

If you look around the internet, you will find many references to Activated Liquid Zeolite and its use with Cancer. This article discusses some of the information, and attempts to take a rational viewpoint of the material with regard to what Zeolite actually does in the human body.

Recently, while in Las Vegas, I was told that preliminary research has been done taking Zeolite with a chemotherapy drug, Cyclophosphamine. Apparently this drug causes a toxin called "acrolene" when ingested which has toxic side effects. When the Activated Liquid Zeolite is taken in conjunction with the drug, the toxic effects are eliminated. This is preliminary research and it will be many years before this connection is proven by published scientific papers. It may explain why some people have less side effects from treatment when they are taking the Activated Liquid Zeolite as well.

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Prostate Cancer In African American Genes

2008-01-06T21:53:00.000-08:00

By: suegold

There is clear evidence that the African American male is nearly twice as likely to develop prostate cancer compared to the white male. Indeed the highest rate of prostate cancer in the United States is found in African American men.

Additionally, African American men are also most likely to suffer from drug side effects from prostate cancer treatment than seen in white men such as incontinence . It has also been documented that African American men with prostate cancer are most likely to be dissatisfied with their doctor’s support compared to white men.

There are a number of reasons why the African American male community have a higher prevalence of prostate cancer disease. Researchers have suggested some of the following reasons for this:

* African American men's negative attitudes and distrust of the prostate cancer screening tests together with health care may contribute to the fact that when prostate cancer is diagnosed, it will be in the more advanced and inoperable stage in the African American men.

* They have limited or less access to health care and this is also believed to be a contributory factor. A large number do not have health insurance and this means that African American men do not always receive the preventative health care assessments that they require.

* Nutritional and environmental factors are also thought to play an important role. Although black men in Africa do have a high rate of prostate cancer, they do not appear to have as high a rate of prostate cancer compared to that of black men in the United States. It is also thought that lower levels of vitamin D and a difference in genetics may also contribute to higher rates of prostate cancer in African American men.

It is recommended that African American men aged over 40 years should undergo prostate cancer screening test on an annual basis. This screening should include a Prostate specific Antigen Blood test, commonly known as PSA. A Digital Rectal Examination or DRE should also be performed. This involves a gloved finger being inserted into the rectum to feel for any unusual growths on or around the prostate gland.

Those men who have prostate cancer in their family are at a greater risk of developing prostate cancer. It is advisable that African American men ascertain how many family members have suffered with prostate cancer before passing this information onto your doctor. Prostate cancer that is caught early provides men with greater chances of survival and living a normal life.

It is essential that African American men receive regular prostate health check-ups as these can save lives. Men should eat a healthy diet which includes ample fruit and vegetables. Exercise is also essential, although one should seek professional advice before embarking on an exercise regime.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Cancer Prevention - How to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

2008-01-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

By: Ronald Godlewski

Traditional medical treatment for cancer may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. Many doctors use a combination of methods in an effort to increase the effectiveness and speed at which they attack the cancer. The treatment or combination of treatments is often dependent on the type, location, and severity of the cancer. While all of these therapies have been used with varying degrees of success - NONE OF THEM address the main problem with cancer - TOO MANY PEOPLE GET CANCER!

What is the ultimate solution to cancer? What should YOU be focused on?

How about not getting sick in the first place!

If given a choice, would you rather take a few simple steps to avoid cancer or do you want to take your chances and fight it once your doctor tells you you've got it? Would you rather spend your retirement money on the latest creative treatments and expensive high-tech equipment or spend time with the ones you love doing the things you love the most?

Just how much does our cancer crisis cost you? Consider that every man, woman and child in the U.S. contributes nearly $720 each year - that's almost $3,000 for a family of four! That number was calculated by taking the total health care cost of cancer and dividing it by the total U.S. population. No tricks. No funny money games. What could your family do with that $3,000 today?

Why spend hard earned money on treatments that often impact our quality of life? Many of the therapies for cancer are so physically debilitating that patients are often not able to return to work or do daily tasks around the house. People with cancer often require family members to help with the basic necessities of life, including getting dressed, taking a bath, and going to the bathroom.

Just as with heart disease , there are VERY SIMPLE lifestyle changes that you can start doing today that can decrease you risk of developing cancer. These same simple changes can also improve your overall quality of life. Ready? Here's the list:

1. Don't use any tobacco products. Don't smoke. Don't chew. Don't puff. Smoking is responsible for 90% of all cases of lung cancer . Want to drop your chances of contracting lung cancer to 10%? It's simple....don't smoke, chew or puff.

2. Protect yourself from the sun. Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer yet it is the MOST PREVENTABLE. Avoiding peak sunlight (between 10am and 4pm), wearing sunscreen, and avoiding tanning beds and sunlamps can virtually eliminate the risk of skin cancer.

3. Maintain a healthy weight. There is a direct relationship between excess body weight and those that die of cancer. The American Cancer Society found that the more overweight you are, the greater your risk of dying from cancer.

4. Keep your immune system working properly.cancer cells appear in our body every day, but our immune system knows how to recognize an unhealthy cell and eliminate it. Our central nervous system plays a major role in the function of our immune system so anything we can do to strengthen our central nervous system will reduce our risk of cancer. Two key ways to keep our central nervous system operating at peak performance is spinal alignment (yep, go see the chiropractor) and eating nutrient dense foods. Studies have found that this one-two punch increases the amount of antibodies within your system within minutes after a spinal adjustment or consuming a nutrient dense supplement.

5. Exercise on a regular basis. Physical activity is one of the primary methods of maintaining your ideal weight and in keeping your body's organs, tissue, muscle, ligaments, and bones strong and healthy.

6. Eat nutritionally dense meals and supplement. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing to eat fewer high-fat foods. high fat diets may increase your risk of prostate, colon, rectum and uterus cancer. Supplement with nutrient dense supplements that are made from nutrient dense plants such as aloe vera and sea vegetables.

7. Think healthy. Studies have shown over and over again that reducing stress will reduce the risk of cancer AND heart disease. Take time out of your day, better yet, plan each day to remove stress. Stress weakens cells, weak cells makes the body more susceptible to developing cancer.

That's it. Seven of the easiest steps you can do today to reduce your risk of cancer. To make them really work for you, learn a bit more about each. There is plenty of information about exercise,nutritional supplements , reducing stress, losing weight, etc. Learn more, do more, and choose to NOT be one of the million plus people diagnosed with cancer each year.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Statin Dangers: This Cholesterol-Lowering Fad Has 7 Side Effects That Can Imperil Your Life

2008-01-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

By: Jeff Popick

High cholesterol and heart disease kill 1,000,000 Americans every year. That's why your doctor might be telling you to take some form of cholesterol-lowering drugs, the class of drug typically known as statins. While statins do lower cholesterol , they seem to come with a minefield of severe side effects, some of them permanent. You must know what the side effects are so that you can make a proper decision on how to achieve health; after all, it's your life.

1. Cancer. Research is showing statins to be carcinogenic in experimental animals in similar dosages as those given to patients. Some studies are showing a disturbing increase in breast cancer, though there seems to be a lag time of a decade or more between exposure to the drug and clinical detection of the disease.

2. Kidney Failure. Statins have been shown to cause rhabdomyolysis. This is a condition in which there is a breakdown of skeletal muscle, which can result in acute renal failure due to the accumulation of muscle breakdown products in the bloodstream.

3. Heart Failure. Though it may seem to be a paradox, since taking statins is supposedly for heart-health, but studies are showing an increase in congestive heart failure in people taking statins. One report states that a cardiologist studied 20 patients with normal heart function. After six months on a low dose of statins, two-thirds of the patients had abnormalities in the heart's filling phase, when the muscle fills with blood.

4. Liver Dysfunction. Even the drug companies own advertisements acknowledge this!

5. Memory Loss and Cognitive Impairment. Search the web and you'll find countless reports of people taking statins and then suffering from mild to severe memory loss and cognitive impairment. One doctor has found that 15 percent of statin patients develop some side effects pertaining to cognitive function. Duane Graveline, a former astronaut, has written a book, Lipitor: Thief of Memory, in which he describes incidents of complete loss of memory known as "global transient amnesia," in which the sufferer can suddenly forget their own name, where they are, or anything else for that matter. The episode can occur suddenly and disappear just as suddenly. Graveline points out that we are all at risk when the general public is taking statins--do you want to be in an airplane when your pilot develops statin-induced amnesia?

6. Nerve Damage and Numbness. Polyneuropathy, also known as peripheral neuropathy , is characterized by weakness, tingling and pain in the hands and feet as well as difficulty walking. Researchers who studied 500,000 residents of Denmark, about 9 percent of that country's population, found that people who took statins were more likely to develop polyneuropathy. Taking statins for one year raised the risk of nerve damage by about 15 percent--about one case for every 2,200 patients. For those who took statins for two or more years, the additional risk rose to 26 percent. The damage is often irreversible in statin patients, even after they stop taking the drug.

7. Miscellaneous Maladies. There are many reports of other side effects such as depression, pancreatic rot, muscle stiffness and pain, coenzyme Q10 depletion, and the list goes on.

If you have high cholesterol you must get it lowered. But are statins worth the risk? Only you and your doctor can make that decision.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Cell Phone Radiation Causes Cancer

2008-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

By: yevgen

Do you use a cell phone ? Most people do. In fact, they have pretty much become something that no one can live without. No matter where you go, someone is talking into their cell phone, or has it shoved up against their head, listening. Unfortunately, those who use cell phones may be getting a little more than they bargain for. Cell phones emit something called electromagnetic radiation. This is a low, pulsing energy that can actually interfere with our cells.

Different studies have been done that link this radiation to brain tumor , cancer, and other health conditions. In fact, in one study done with mice, the incidence of cancer and tumors was higher when the mice were exposed to electromagnetic radiation than when they were not. Many other studies have been done, and they all point to the fact that cell phone radiation causes cancer and other problems with our bodies. The interesting thing to note is that when you hold the cell phone to your ear, the electromagnetic radiation can reach up to the middle of your brain. This puts your brain at risk! This is why there have been numerous brain tumors that are present on the side of the brain that gets exposed to the cell phone radiation. That is scary news.

So, what can you do? You have become accustomed to using your cell phone for everything from business to staying in touch with the people you love. You are not going to give it up very easily. On the other hand, you don't want brain tumors either. Well, here are some tips you can use to protect yourself and your family from cell phone radiation.

• Try using a hands free cell phone accessory . While you can talk on the phone just like usual, you will not have the cell phone too close to your body. It allows you the convenience of a cell phone but it reduces some of the risk of electromagnetic radiation and its effects.

• Another thing that you can do is purchase a buffer that attaches to your cell phone. These are very helpful, and made out of all natural things. They pulse at the low level that electromagnetic radiation does, and the energy they put out helps neutralize the cell phone radiation.

• Don't allow children on the phone for more than a very short period of time. This will keep them from being exposed to electromagnetic radiation in large amounts or for longer periods of time. This may reduce their risks of developing brain tumors or other problems.

• There is also a product that you can place in a room of your home which does the same thing as the attachment for the cell phone, however it works for all of the products that emit electromagnetic radiation. There is a certain amount of area that it covers as well.

Doing small things like this can help you protect your family from cell phone radiation and other types of electromagnetic radiation.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Curing Cancer Now

2008-01-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

By: ablessing7

Curing Cancer Now!
Alternative medicine is now being hailed as the right road to cure cancer as well as many other diseases. This is not a very popular subject with the powerful pharmaceutical companies, but through millions of case studies they now have the proof that no one can deny. One case study shows that if you have Glutathione levels that are 90% or higher, your chance of ever getting cancer is zero. This is amazing, so why are people so afraid of something that can cure you from almost any disease? So what is Glutathione? It is a master hormone that helps to regulate other glands and hormones in the body. It is best known as the master antioxidant and without Glutathione the antioxidants you get in your supplements have little value. This has a case study of over 60,000 people and this is just one of the many discoveries that alternative doctors are showing the world.

Many doctors are now seeing that the traditional way of fighting disease, is by far more expensive and damaging to the patient. It all comes down to Money and unfortunately a lot of people will lose their lives because the true facts that can cure cancer are being hidden from main stream society. With the open information highway of the internet, the doctors and their natural cures now have a voice and needed help is only a simple click away. This is now a Hugh resource that we must use to take care of our health. We all must do our homework and make sure that we do not blind ourselves with hype and false information.

The medical society has been taught a certain way to help their patience’s and with so many lives lost to disease, it only proves we need to combine the miracle of new technology and the natural cures into one common goal. Every medical person in the world will admit that the body cures itself. So the truth is to cure cancer as well as other diseases, we must learn to help our bodies at the cellular level. We are bombarded with toxins in our food, in our environment, as well as polluting ourselves to death. We can’t change the world but we can change how we all take care of our health. It is time to empower yourself and become fearless when it comes to Cancer or any other life threatening disease. Knowledge is Power and we all have the opportunity to save our own life. Change your way of thinking about your health and you could very well save yourself from a life time of disease and pain.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

All About Cancer

2008-01-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

By: Brain

Cancer is a disease in which certain body cells go out of control and start multiplying rapidly of their own accord. This uncontrolled growth becomes a tumor and eventually, if unchecked, will interfere with the working of a vital organ or organs and cause death.

It is not an infection (although in a few cases it can be caused by a viral infection) but the result, in all probability, inherited weakness in the genetic makeup, with poor living habits and surroundings. Unhealthy diet, smoking, prolonged stress, and industrial pollution, for example, are either known to be, or are strongly suspected of being, main contributory or risk factors in cancer.

The human body contains more than of some coupled 200 different types of cell, which means there are more than 200 different types of cancer. An abnormal growth may be called a tumor or a neoplasm (neo simply means "new" and plasm means "form"). A resulting illness is known as a neoplastic disorder.

If the tumor or growth is purely local and not invasive it will be described as benign. A benign growth does not spread, so is less damaging. Examples are warts , cysts, and polyps. A growth that cannot be contained and continues to spread unchecked is known as a malignant growth. This is cancer.

Medical terms given to the different sorts of cali relate to where they are growing in the body:

Carcinoma is cancer of the skin covering the outside of the body and the mucous membrane lining the cavities within (epithelial tissue). This is by far them common type of cancer and includes cancers of the, breast, lung, colon, prostate, and skin. The most serious form of skin cancer is melanoma.

Sarcoma is cancer of the bones, tendons, muscles.

Lymphoma is cancer of the glands (or nodes) or other parts of the lymphatic system

Leukemia is cancer of the blood.

Cancer differs from country to country and from region to region. Some types of cancer are more communi Western countries, such as North America and Europe, than in Eastern countries, such as Japan, or so-called developing countries such as Africa. In Japan, for example, there are many more cases of stomach cancer than there are in the West, and in Africa liver cancer is much more widespread than elsewhere. Overall, the ten most common cancers found worldwide are of the lung, stomach, breast, lower bowel, cervix, mouth, lymphatic system, liver, throat, and prostate gland. None of the therapies described offers a cure for cancer but they can alleviate symptoms and support the immune system.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Testicular Cancer and Your Life

2008-01-06T21:33:00.000-08:00

By: Steven Cancel

Testicular cancer is diagnosed to seven to nine thousand people each year in the United States alone and men have about a 1 in 250 chance of having this type of cancer. The most probable age group effected ranges between 15 and 40 years old. These tumors are more commonly found on Caucasians and rarely found in men of African descent. Testicular cancer is a tumor that is found on the testis at its first stage. The good news about this type of cancer is that it has the highest success rate of all cancers of being cured. The cure rate is between ninety and one hundred percent based on what stage it is discovered at. Although success rates fall, testicular cancer is still curable in later stages. This is due to the cancer cells spreading to different areas within the body.

It is very important that people are aware that all lumps are not tumors and this type of cancer is often noticeable upon its first stage when it has the highest success rate of being cured. Early detection is very important in improving the success rate of curing this type of cancer just as all others that are curable. Common symptoms include one or more of the following: a lump on testis, hardening of one or more of the testis, pain in the testis, impotence, blood in semen, watery semen, a dull ache in the groin or abdomen to name a few. Should you or someone you know experience any of these symptoms it is very important for them to inform their doctor immediately.

Treatment for testicular cancer includes surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy . The amount of treatment and what type of treatment necessary is based on the stage of the cancer. Generally, once the cancer is removed surgically, radiation therapy and chemo therapy are used to kill any remaining cancer cells to prevent them spreading. surgery is usually completed within a short time of the cancer being discovered. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments normally continue for several months after surgery. Blood tests are normally requested monthly for the rest of the patients life.

The reason of this article is to inform people interested, worried about themselves or someone you may know. To stay informed can greatly help people through such a disease. Not only will understanding this type of cancer help spread awareness if it but if a single reader uses this information to detect cancer on one's body it could save a life.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

jenis tumor ovari

2007-10-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

Types of Ovarian Tumors

Many types of tumors can start growing in the ovaries. Some are benign (non-cancerous) and never spread beyond the ovary. Women with these types of tumors can be treated successfully by removing one ovary or the part of the ovary that contains the tumor. Other types of ovarian tumors are malignant (cancerous) and can spread to other parts of the body. Their treatment is more complex and is discussed later in this document.

In general, ovarian tumors are named according to the kind of cells the tumor started from and whether the tumor is benign or cancerous. There are 3 main types of ovarian tumors:

Germ cell tumors start from the cells that produce the ova (eggs).
Stromal tumors start from connective tissue cells that hold the ovary together and produce the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Epithelial tumors start from the cells that cover the outer surface of the ovary.

Epithelial Ovarian Tumors

Benign epithelial ovarian tumors: Most epithelial ovarian tumors are benign, do not spread, and usually do not lead to serious illness. There are several types of benign epithelial tumors including serous adenomas, mucinous adenomas, and Brenner tumors.

Tumors of low malignant potential: When looked at under the microscope, some ovarian epithelial tumors do not clearly appear to be cancerous. These are called tumors of low malignant potential (LMP tumors). They are also known as borderline epithelial ovarian cancer. These differ from typical kanser ovari in that they do not grow into the supporting tissue of the ovary (called the ovarian stroma). Likewise, if they spread outside the ovary, for example, into the abdominal cavity, they do not usually grow into the lining of the abdomen.

These cancers affect women at a younger age than the typical ovarian cancers. LMP tumors grow slowly and are also a less life-threatening disease than most ovarian cancers. Although they can be fatal, this is not common.

Epithelial ovarian cancers: Cancerous epithelial tumors are called carcinomas. About 85% to 90% of ovarian cancers are epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Epithelial ovarian carcinoma cells have several features that can be seen under the microscope. These features are used to classify epithelial ovarian carcinomas into serous, mucinous, endometrioid, and clear cell types. The serous type is by far the most common.

Undifferentiated epithelial ovarian carcinomas don't look like any of these 4 subtypes, and they also tend to grow and spread more quickly. Epithelial ovarian carcinomas are classified by cell type and are also given a grade and a stage.

The grade is on a scale of 1, 2, or 3. Grade 1 epithelial ovarian carcinomas look more like normal tissue and tend to have a better prognosis (outlook). Grade 3 epithelial ovarian carcinomas look less like normal tissue and usually have a worse outlook.

The tumor stage describes how far the tumor has spread from where it started in the ovary. Staging is explained in detail in a later section.

Primary Peritoneal Carcinoma

Primary peritoneal carcinoma is a cancer closely related to epithelial kanser ovari. It is also sometimes called also called extra-ovarian (meaning outside the ovary) primary peritoneal carcinoma (EOPPC) or serous surface papillary carcinoma. It develops in cells from the peritoneum, which is the membrane that lines the walls and organs of the pelvis and abdomen. These cells are very similar to epithelial cells on the surface of the ovaries. Because EOPPC tends to spread along the surfaces of the pelvis and abdomen, it is often difficult to tell exactly where the cancer first started. Under a microscope, EOPPC looks just like epithelial ovarian cancer. Women who have had their ovaries removed can still develop this type of cancer.

Symptoms of EOPPC are similar to those of ovarian cancer, including abdominal pain or bloating, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, and a change in bowel habits. Also, like ovarian cancer, EOPPC may cause an elevation in the amount of CA-125 in the blood. This is a tumor marker for ovarian cancer (discussed later in this document).

Treatment for women with EOPPC usually includes surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, followed by chemotherapy like that given for ovarian cancer. Its outlook is similar to widespread ovarian cancer.

Germ Cell Tumors

About 5% of ovarian cancers are germ cell tumors. Germ cells are the cells that usually form the ova or eggs. There are several subtypes of germ cell tumors. Most germ cell tumors are benign, although some are cancerous and may be life threatening. The most common germ cell tumors are teratoma, dysgerminoma, endodermal sinus tumor, and choriocarcinoma.

Teratoma: This germ cell tumor has a benign form called mature teratoma and a cancerous form called immature teratoma. The mature teratoma is by far the most common ovarian germ cell tumor and usually affects women of reproductive age (teens through forties). It is often called a dermoid cyst because its lining resembles skin. These tumors or cysts also contain a variety of other benign tissues that may resemble adult respiratory passages, bone, nervous tissue, teeth, and other tissues. The patient is cured by surgically removing the cyst.

Immature teratomas occur in girls and young women, usually younger than 18. These are rare cancers that resemble embryonic or fetal tissues such as connective tissue, respiratory passages, and brain. Tumors that are not very immature (grade 1 immature teratoma) and have not spread beyond the ovary are cured by surgical removal of the ovary. When they have spread beyond the ovary and/or much of the tumor has a very immature appearance (grade 2 or 3 immature teratomas), chemotherapy is recommended in addition to surgical removal of the ovary.

Dysgerminoma: This is the most common ovarian cancer of germ cells. However, it is a rare cancer. It usually affects women in their teens and twenties. Although dysgerminomas are considered malignant (cancerous), most do not grow or spread very rapidly. When they are limited to the ovary, more than 75% of patients are cured surgically removing the ovary, without any further treatment. Even when the tumor has spread further (or if it recurs, or comes back) surgery and/or chemotherapy is effective in controlling or curing the disease in about 90% of patients.

Endodermal sinus tumor (yolk sac tumor) and choriocarcinoma: These very rare tumors typically affect girls and young women. They tend to grow and spread rapidly but are usually very sensitive to chemotherapy. Choriocarcinomas more commonly start in the placenta (during pregnancy) rather than in the ovary. Placental choriocarcinomas usually respond even more to chemotherapy than ovarian choriocarcinomas.

Stromal Tumors

More than half of stromal tumors are found in women over age 50, but some occur in young girls. Some, but not all, of these tumors produce female hormones or, less often, male hormones. They can cause vaginal bleeding to start again after menopause, or can cause menstrual periods and breast development in young girls. If male hormones are produced, the tumors can disrupt normal periods and cause facial and body hair to grow. Types of malignant (cancerous) stromal tumors include granulosa cell tumors, granulosa-theca tumors, and Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, which are usually considered low-grade cancers. Thecomas and fibromas are benign stromal tumors.

Ovarian Cysts

An ovarian cyst is a collection of fluid inside an ovary. Many cysts are completely normal. These are called functional cysts and occur as a normal part of ovulation. The fluid will usually be absorbed and over a few months, the cyst will disappear without any treatment. If you develop a cyst, your doctor may want to check it again after a period of time to see if it has gotten smaller. If, however, the mass is large, occurs in childhood or after menopause, or does not go away, your doctor will usually recommend that you have more tests, since a small number of these cysts may be cancer. Benign cysts are treated by observation (follow-up with physical exams and imaging tests), medications, or surgical removal.

Fallopian Tube Cancer

This is an extremely rare cancer. It begins in the fallopian tube, The symptoms are similar to those in women with ovarian cancer, except that there may be more pelvic pain. Treatment and outlook is similar to that for ovarian cancer. There are no reliable statistics for this cancer because it is so rare.

kanser ovari

2007-10-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

kanser ovari

Ovarian cancer usually happens in women over age 50, but it can also affect younger women. Its cause is unknown. Ovarian cancer is hard to detect early.

The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better your chance for recovery. But ovarian cancer is hard to detect early. Many times, women with ovarian cancer have no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage and hard to treat. Symptoms may include:

Heavy feeling in pelvis
Pain in lower abdomen
Bleeding from the vagina
Weight gain or loss
Abnormal periods
Unexplained back pain that gets worse
Gas, nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite

Treatment is usually surgery followed by treatment with medicines called chemotherapy.

New Breast Scanner

2007-09-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Each year, 180,000 women in the U.S. will be told they have breast cancer. Mammograms are the gold standard for finding breast cancers, but they don't catch them all.

"My mom was diagnosed in her 30s with breast cancer," Eckert says. "My sister was diagnosed when she turned 40."

Eckert had her first mammogram when she was 28 years old. "I want every test possible so that if I have it, I find it early," she says. Eckert joined a study on the Cone Beam Breast CT Scanner, ,a new way to spot hard-to-detect cancers that mammograms miss.

"We know that even the best mammographer in the world will miss 10 percent to 15 percent of breast cancers in certain types of breasts," says Avice O'Conell, M.D., a radiologist at the University of Rochester in New York.

Unlike mammograms, the scanner does not compress the breast. Women simply place each breast in a hole as the scanner captures 3-D images. "In certain people with the difficult type of breast, it may indeed improve the detection of small cancers," Dr. O'Connell says.

About 50 percent of women have dense breast tissue, making cancers harder to find. Here's a dense breast with cancer on a mammogram. That same cancer is easier to find with the new scanner. The ability to rotate the breast and view it from any angle has Dr. O'Connell excited about the future.

"It is very exciting to us, as radiologists, to think that this might, down the road, help us to find those small early cancers," Dr. O'Connell says.

Eckert is also excited about the scanner. "Just because I have escaped 40 and haven't had breast cancer doesn't mean that I don't have risk still for that," she says.

Diabetes Tips

2007-09-19T01:41:00.000-07:00

Diabetes - General Information

Artificial Pancreas Safe, Effective in Early Study
An "artificial pancreas" designed to deliver the key blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin to diabetic patients without the need for injections has been found safe and effective in a preliminary study with ten patients.
The device is an insulin reservoir, implanted in the tissue lining the abdominal cavity and connected to a sensor implanted in the jugular vein. The reservoir requires insulin refills every month or so. When the sensor detects an increase in blood glucose, the reservoir delivers the required amount of insulin.

Blood Glucose Testing
Most insurances now pay for diabetics to have blood glucose monitoring equipment in the home. Keeping the machines clean and in good working order are vital for accurate results. Follow the manufacturers' instructions for proper cleaning and maintenance.

Blood Glucose Testing Tip
Be sure hands are clean before performing the test, but don't use alcohol to cleanse your fingertip. It's drying and may cause fingertips to crack. Wash hands with a mild antibacterial soap like Dial.

Diabetes Test After Heart Attack Shows Future Risk
Testing patients who have had heart attacks for signs of diabetes before they leave the hospital may identify those with the highest risk of future heart attacks. Many people hospitalized for a heart attack have undiagnosed diabetes or prediabetes, a term coined to describe the millions of overweight and obese people who have blood sugar levels suggesting an elevated risk of full-blown diabetes. Medications, exercise and diet changes, all of which can restore normal glucose levels, may reduce the risk of heart attacks in patients who have already had a heart attack.

Diabetic Dental Care
Immaculate mouth care is a must. Diabetics are much more prone to gum disease. More frequent dental visits may be needed and careful brushing and flossing are a necessity. Avoid ill-fitting dentures that may cause mouth sores.

Diabetic Eye Care
If you're a diabetic, regular visits to your eye care professional are a must to prevent problems that could lead to blindness.

Diabetic Foot Care Tips
* Take the pressure off your feet by losing weight if you are obese.
* Inspect your feet at least once per day. If you can't see well, ask someone to do it for you.
* Wash feet with mild soap and lukewarm water daily.
* Wear white cotton socks rather than synthetic ones with dyes.
* Don't go barefoot or wear ill-fitting shoes.
* See a podiatrist regularly for toenail trims and other routine maintenance.

Diabetics Are Prone to Foot Problems
Diabetics have decreased sensation and circulation in their feet making them prone to foot infections/wounds that could eventually lead to amputation.

Drug Could Delay Diabetes
Acarbose, a drug that blocks the digestion of starch, could prevent or delay the development of the most common form of diabetes in those with slightly high blood sugar.

Exercises to Avoid
Diabetics should avoid exercises that involve pushing or pulling heavy objects and lifting weights. Blood sugar levels and blood pressure are raised during this kind of exercise.

FDA Approves New Sweetener Neotame
A non-nutritive sweetener said to be 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be marketed as an additive in candies, soft drinks and various other products.
Like other familiar sweeteners, Neotame is a white crystalline powder that dissolves in water. It is made by Monsanto, which also makes NutraSweet's sweetener Equal. Neotame is approved for use in baked goods, nonalcoholic beverages, chewing gum, confections, frozen desserts, gelatins and puddings, jams, jellies, fruit, juices, toppings and syrups.
The FDA declared the product to be safe for consumption after reviewing more than 113 animal and human studies, some of which looked at any possible links with cancer-causing or neurological side effects.

Inhaled Insulin
Inhaled insulin may soon offer an alternative to needles for people with diabetes.
Novo Nordisk, a Denmark-based company, has ongoing clinical trials to test the safety and effectiveness of an electronic pulmonary insulin system. They say it may be available in the United States and Europe within a few years.
This is the first electronic pulmonary insulin system currently being tested in clinical trials. It works by converting a special liquid insulin into aerosol particles, which are inhaled into the lungs.

Regular Exercise Is a Must
Exercise is extremely important for diabetics as it strengthens the cardiovascular system, increases circulation to the arms and legs and helps control blood sugar levels. Walking, jogging, rowing and swimming are best.

Shoes for Diabetics
* Avoid plastic shoes and waterproof shoes. They encourage perspiration and fungal growth.
* Avoid tight or unventilated footwear.
* Don't wear boots all day.
* Choose cotton or leather shoes.
* Wear sandals as much as possible in the summer.
* Don't wear the same shoes two days in a row.
* Air shoes in the sun to inhibit fungal growth.

Small, Frequent Meals
Diabetics should follow their American Diabetic Association diet and eat small meals more frequently such as three small meals with one or two healthful snacks between meals. This helps maintain a more stable blood sugar level.

Treatment of Hyperglycemia
Some symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) are: excessive urination, weight loss, excessive hunger and thirst. If you are experiencing any of this symptoms, you should see your doctor.

Treatment of Hypoglycemia
Some symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) are: cool, clammy skin, numbness of the mouth, a fluttering in your chest, hunger and feeling faint. Emergency treatment includes ingesting something containing sugar like orange juice, a candy bar, or sugared soda pop. Follow that with some cheese or peanut butter crackers to sustain your blood sugar level.

What's an Exchange?
In an exchange diet, foods that are similar are grouped together. Serving sizes are well defined so that each will have the same amount of carbohydrate, fat, and protein as any other. Foods can be "exchanged" or traded with others in a category while still meeting the desired overall goals. Exchanges can be applied to most any eating situation and may make it easier to follow a prescribed diet. For example, if a nutrition plan calls for one starch exchange a person could choose 1/2 cup of cooked pasta, OR one slice of bread, OR a small (3 oz.) baked potato.

get more information

tips kesihatan

2007-09-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

tips kesihatan untuk anda praktiskan

1. banyakkan bergerak meningkatkan kesihatan
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. kurangkan makanan berlemak
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. berhenti merokok
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. kurangkan stress anda
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. lindungi diri anda dari pencemaran
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. pakai tali pinggang keledar
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

cadangan senaman harian

2007-09-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

besenam cara mudah bagi anda yang tiada masa

berjalan 10 minit untuk meningkatkan kecergasan
Old thinking was to work out in a sweat-filled gym for hours a day. No pain, no gain. New studies show that even short bouts of activity can increase your fitness level, especially if you're new at working out.

parking kereta dan berjalan
Whenever you have an errand, park your car as far away as you can handle and walk to the store. At the mall, park at the farthest end and walk the length of the mall. Use every opportunity to walk. At the end of the day, it all adds up to better fitness.

membuat senaman sit up
Before you even get out of bed in the morning, do 10 stomach crunches while lying flat on your mattress. Increase daily by one until you get up to 100. Think you'll never get there? Try it. You may eventually have to set your clock to wake up 15 minutes earlier, a small price to pay for a flatter stomach.

cara diet

2007-09-16T02:34:00.000-07:00

tips diet dan kuruskan badan

Tubuh yang langsing merupakan igauan setiap gadis.Tapi adakah impian itu akan terlaksana sekiranya kamu menahan diri dari makan.10 tips penting untuk memiliki tubuh yang cantik dan langsing.

1) Minum air sebelum pengambilan makanan .Kamu akan merasa cepat kenyang dan tidak perlu lagi makan lebih banyak.

2) Lakukan sesuatu! Gunting gambar baju yang kamu sukai.Dan jadikan ia sebagai inspirasi untuk kamu menguruskan badan.Tanamkan dalam diri kamu bahawa baju yang kamu sukai itu akan dapat kamu pakai.

3) Belajar untuk menggemari pelbagai jenis rempah ratus seperti halia, cili api, cili merah, dan lada hitam kerana kesemuanya mendorong pembakaran lemak sehingga 25%.

What's More?

4) Tidur cukup membuatkan kamu akan terasa kurang makan. University of Chicago, baru-baru ini merumuskan bahawa metabolisme wanita meningkat 40% jika tidur dengan cukup.

5) Jangan lupa membuat catatan saat membeli-belah untuk mencegah pembelian barang-barang yang tak diperlukan. Dengan cara ini keinginanmu akan terbatas dan kamu tidak perlu lagi membeli sebarang makanan ringan yang boleh menaikkan berat badanmu.

6) Hindari karbohidrat kompleks. Jangan sentuh alkohol, roti dan karbohidrat kompleks.

7) Hindari makan ketika malam.Para pakar diet mengatakan ruangan gelap dan kegelapan malam boleh membuatkan kiat makan berlebihan. Cubalah tidur lebih awal. Nyalakan lampu yang terang ,ini akan membuatkan kamu menjadi riang.

8) Jangan lupa sarapan. Kamu perlukan tenaga yang lebih untuk bekerja di siang hari. Jangan biarkan perut kamu lapar kerana ia akan menyebabkan kamu makan secara berlebihan.

9) Kurangkan makan makanan ringan dan aiskrim yang boleh membuatkan kamu ketagih untuk mengunyah.

10) Makan dalam pinggan yang kecil dan belajar makan dalam jumlah yang sedikit.

tips ini dipetik dari blog sitirokiah

perbezaan HIV dan AIDS

2007-09-07T03:39:00.000-07:00

apakah itu HIV dan apakah pula AIDS?

HIV merujuk kepada Human Immunodeficiency Virus. virus HIV yang menyebabkan AIDS. AIDS pula merujuk kepada Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

HIV boleh merebak melalui blood, sexual fluids, or breast milk dari pembawa HIV. People can get HIV if one of these fluids enters the body and into the bloodstream. Jangkita boleh berlaku sekiranya melakukan hubungan rambang yang tidak selamat dengan pembawa HIV. An HIV-infected mother can transmit HIV to her infant during pregnancy, delivery or while breastfeeding. People can also become infected with HIV when using injection drugs through sharing needles and other equipment.

Over time, infection with HIV can weaken the immune system to the point that the system has difficulty fighting off certain infections. These types of infections are known as opportunistic infections. These infections are usually controlled by a healthy immune system, but they can cause problems or even be life-threatening in someone with AIDS. The immune system pengidap aids adalah sangat lemah.

Ujian darah boleh dilakukan to infected with HIV, but if a person tests positive for HIV, penghidap HIV tiada bermakna mereka juga menghidap aids. A diagnosis of AIDS is made by a physician according to the CDC AIDS Case Definition. A person infected with HIV may receive an AIDS diagnosis after developing one of the CDC-defined AIDS indicator illnesses. A person with HIVAIDS diagnosis on the basis of certain blood tests (CD4 counts) and may not have experienced any serious illnesses. can also receive an

panduan mengurangkan berat badan

2007-08-29T00:55:00.000-07:00

lemak atau kalori begitu membimbangkan anda, ingin mengurangkan berat badan ? cuba diet ini. A simple formula for dietary improvement: Follow these inexpensive, simple rules to improve your diet.

Consume the following:

one fruit at each meal or snack sudah cukup bagi kawalan lemak anda
One vegetable at lunch, dinner, and as a snack
One whol grain or starchy vegetable at every meal
One serving of beans o legumes per day
Use seeds and nuts as a healthy garnish

tips pemakanan

2007-08-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

tips pemakanan sihat

“Eat five different kinds of fruits and vegetables every day to recapture the disease-preventing phytochemicals missing in the American diet.” - Dr. James Duke, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). jangan lupa tips pemakanan sihat ini. Yang paling utama ialah fruit and vegetables sebab untuk seimbangkan antara vitamin serta makanan berkhasiat.

Organize your shopping list by categories and, preferably, by aisles in the store.

Be flexible and take advantage of seasonal vegetables and fruits.

“Vitamin and mineral supplements are no substitute for a variety of foods. ...Fruits, vegetables and grains contain a synergistic mix of micronutrients that haven’t been duplicated in pills or capsules. Eating a wide range of foods from the plant kingdom is considered better than relying on supplements.” - Dietary Guidelines for Americans, USDA

“The key that opens the door to variety and moderation is balance.” - Stephanie Belling, M.D., Author of

angiogram

2007-08-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

What is an Angiogram?: An angiogram is an x-ray exam that allows a doctor to see your blood vessels and the flow of blood to your heart. It shows the degree of blockage in your arteries, how well your heart is pumping and whether or not your heart valves open and close properly.

During an angiogram procedure, a special dye is injected into the blood vessels so that they can be seen on x-ray film. An angiogram can help your doctor make a proper diagnosis and suggest treatment for heart disease.

HOW CAN I PREPARE FOR THE PROCEDURE?: Follow the instructions given to you by your doctor. Here is some general information about preparing for an angiogram:

Tell your doctor if you have any allergies, if you are on any medications (including aspirin or herbals) or if you might be pregnant.
Have all required laboratory tests done before the procedure.
Do not have any food or drink after midnight on the night before the procedure.
Have a family member or friend available to drive you home.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME DURING THE PROCEDURE?: An angiogram is a fairly safe and straightforward procedure. Often, it is performed as an outpatient procedure, although a hospital stay is required for some patients.

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT FOLLOW-UP CARE?: Your doctor or nurse will give you instructions for follow-up care. Here are some common instructions for angiogram patients:

Take it easy for 24 hours.
Eat a proper diet.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Keep a bandage on the catheter insertion site for a day.
Do not take a hot bath or shower for at least 12 hours.
Do not drive or operate machinery for at least 12 hours.
Do not exercise, climb stairs, walk long distances or lift heavy things for at least 24 hours.
Don't smoke for at least 24 hours (although you should not smoke at all!).

CALL YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY IF:

You start bleeding from the catheter insertion site.
The catheter insertion site changes color or temperature, becomes numb, is painful or swells.
You have shortness of breath.
You have discomfort in the face, jaw, arm or chest.
You develop a fever.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROCEDURE?: Angiograms do have certain risks. These risks vary by patient. Such risks include:

Sensitivity to the dye, which could lead to infection or allergic shock
Post-procedure bleeding
Stroke
Kidney damage

Your doctor will discuss how these risks might affect you.

more information of angiogram

How Do You Get AIDS?

2007-08-12T01:20:00.000-07:00

bagaimana aids merebak

How Do You Get AIDS?

You don't actually "get" AIDS. You might get infected with HIV, and later you might develop AIDS. anda boleh mendapat aids with HIV from anyone who's infected, even if they don't look sick and even if they haven't tested HIV-positive yet. The blood, vaginal fluid, semen, and breast milk of people infected with HIV has enough of the virus in it to infect other people. ramai orang yang mendapat hiv kerana

having sex with an infected person;
sharing a needle (shooting drugs) with someone who's infected;
being born when their mother is infected, or drinking the breast milk of an infected woman.

Getting a transfusion of infected blood used to be a way people got AIDS, but now the blood supply is screened very carefully and the risk is extremely low.

There are no documented cases of HIV being transmitted by tears or saliva, but it is possible to be infected with HIV through oral sex or in rare cases through deep kissing, especially if you have open sores in your mouth or bleeding gums. For more information, see the following Fact Sheets:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 million to 1.2 million U.S. residents are living with HIV/AIDS infection, about a quarter of them do not know they have it. About 75 percent of the 40,000 new infections each year are in men, and about 25 percent in women. About half of the new infections are in Blacks, even though they make up only 12 percent of the US population. In the mid-1990s, AIDS was a leading cause of death. However, newer treatments have cut the AIDS death rate significantly. For more information, see the U.S. Government fact sheet at www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/aidsstat.htm.

apakah itu aids

2007-08-12T01:16:00.000-07:00

Apakah yang dimaksudkan dengan aids?

AIDS bermaksud Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome:

Acquired means you can get infected with it.
Immune Deficiency kelemahan sitem tubuh untuk melawan penyakit
Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease.

AIDS berlaku disebabkan virus called HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). If you get infected with HIV, your body will try to fight the infection. It will make "antibodies" -- special molecules to fight HIV.

A blood test for HIV looks for these antibodies. If you have them in your blood, it means that you have HIV infection. Mereka yang menghidap HIV are called "HIV-Positive.

Being HIV-positive, or having HIV disease, adalah tidak sama dengan AIDS. Ramai yang terkena HIV-positive but don't get sick for many years. As HIV disease continues, it slowly wears down the immune system. Viruses, parasites, fungi and bakteria that usually don't cause any problems can make you very sick if your immune system is damaged. These are called "opportunistic infections."

boleh juga dapatkan maklumat berkaitan aids di sini

Acne Free - Using Simple Steps

2007-08-12T01:01:00.000-07:00

masaalah jerawat
Acne Free - Using Simple Steps

Being acne free is something that a lot of people would like to be, acne is a common problem and it can have horrible affects not only on how you look but also how you feel inside, it can make you feel unhappy, unattractive, jealous, frustrated and a whole lot of other things and if you don't get rid of your spots then you might feel like this for quite a while but don't worry because you can do so, you can get rid of spots of you want to.

Be Acne Free Using Simple Steps

Be prepared to do what you need to do, too many people don't have the motivation or desire to actually do what they need to do in order to be acne free, they are sitting around waiting for something to magically happen when it won't, you need to make it happen, if you want to get rid of your acne problems then you need to decide right now if you are actually willing to do what you need to do to achieve it.

Drink lots of water as it is an excellent way to keep your skin cleaner and help fight acne, water is something that you should definitely drink regularly if you are suffering from acne as it is kind of like a cleanser that washes out the things that cause acne in your skin, I would drink around one litre per day for a while and it should have a great affect on your skin and acne problems.

Follow a plan, a good plan will help you so much it is unbelievable, a good plan will guide you down the right path that will lead you to what you want to achieve in the best possible way, if you don't have a plan then you are sort of doing it all alone and don't really have any direction to go, get yourself a plan and stick to it until you have cleared away your acne.

These are just a few tips on how to be acne free and they are very simple to do, if you truly want to be acne free then you need to tell yourself right now that you are going to start doing what it takes and you won't take no for an answer, go for it.

acne free

Acne Types

2007-08-12T00:56:00.000-07:00

Acne Types

Acne Vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is by far the most common type of skin disorder. This skin disorder affects about ninety percent of all teenagers. Acne vulgaris is infamously identified as zits and blemishes, and often called facial acne, obviously when pimples and blemishes appear on the face. This is the state of clogged hair follicles which become unattractive zits and skin lesions. Acne Vulgaris can vary from benign to severe. It can develop into a dreaded scar when it's in the utmost degree of severity.

Acne conglobata : Acne conglobata is a rare type which generally affects males. Acne conglobata usually covers the chest, back, and buttocks with nodules and pustules; they tend to connect beneath the skin which increases the risk of severe bacterial infection and widespread scarring. At that point, medical assistance is highly advisable.

Acne cosmetica : Acne cosmetica is caused by make-up. It's recognized by tiny pink bumps. Acne cosmetica is often mild with minimal chance of scars occurring.

Acne fulminans : Acne fulminans is a rather rare and extreme type of acne conglobata; acne fulminans generally strikes males. Some of its better known symptoms are: an unexpected case of nodules and pustules, fever, potential loss of appetite or weight, infected nodules, and joint pain. Acne fulminans is a severe skin disorder that requires early medical support.

Acne medicamentosa : Acne medicamentosa is a response to certain medications. Adult females are highly prone to experience acne medicamentosa when they begin or stop taking birth control pills.

Acne rosacea : Acne rosacea is not real acne condition; instead, it's more of an inflammation of your face, neck, and chest that appear oily, red, and bumpy. Acne rosacea tends to shows up in people between the age range of thirty and sixty. It usually starts as a brief skin condition which may advance to a more severe state and create scarring on the face when it's not treated properly.

Comedonal acne : Comedonal acne is identified as whiteheads and blackheads, and with no other kinds of skin lesions.

Comedones : Comedones are expanded, plugged hair follicles. If the comedone happens to be under the skin, it is a whitehead. On the other hand, if it tears the skin surface, it is a blackhead.

Cyst : Cyst is like a pustule in most respects; a cyst is a pus-laden, inflamed lesion which travels deeply into your skin; in addition, it may cause scarring.

Cystic acne : Cystic acne is an intense type of acne. Cystic acne materializes when the infected area of a zit or pustule breaks out from under the skin. As a consequential reaction, the body's defenses attempt to attack the infection which often causes swelling and pain. Cystic acne is notoriously known for causing facial scarring. Usually a sufferer can use accutance to treat cystic acne.

Macule : Macule is a short-term reddish area which emerges when lesions are in a state of healing. Macules can sometimes form as concentrated clusters in certain areas of the body, giving your skin a dark red color.

Nodule : Nodule are big, generally painful and solid skin lesions which are found deep within the layers of your skin.

Papules : Papules are tiny, sensitive bumps on your skin.

Pustules : Pustules are pus-laden, inflamed comedones; around their edges they are usually red.

Acne Types

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Acne Facts

2007-08-12T00:52:00.000-07:00

Acne Facts

1. Bacteria is a common cause to all types of acne.

2. You are not alone! As high as eighty percent of people suffer from some type of acne, and in any age.

3. Are you aware that there exists a number of varieties of acne? There are more than fifty types of acne that have been identified so far. But the most commonly occurring type of acne is vulgaris.

4. Lots of people strongly believe that the sun improves their acne condition; but the reality is: ultraviolet rays penetrating the skin's surface could damage the follicles, closing them off and provoking acne to emerge weeks after sun exposure.

5. It usually takes any where from three to four weeks for a pimple to develop; thus, what you ate yesterday will not affect your skin today. More than anything, your genes and hormones are the central root causes of acne.

6. Spot-treating of an acne condition will not work. The whole face and affected areas should be treated in a daily basis to prevent new acne lesions from forming.

7. Acne cannot be cured. On the other hand, it can be effectively treated with a proper acne treatment. The earliest you start a treatment program, the quicker you will experience better-looking skin.

8. Most people generally do not outgrow bouts of acne. Like any other health condition or disease, a case of acne should be treated. You must not ignore this condition, if you want to get rid of your acne problem.

9. In reality, scrubbing and over washing can worsen your acne condition. Items such as Buff Puffs, Loofah sponges, strips applied to your skin, and scrubs containing particles, are all irritating and can aggravate your acne.

10. In order to wipe off all of the oils created by your body, you would have to constantly wash your face. Excessive washing truly provokes the body to make more oil which then worsens acne.

11. Stress usually is not a cause for acne; but it can surely worsen it. Stress could adversely affect hormones, which may consequently affect the process of creating new acne lesions.

12. For most people, diet is not a contributing factor to acne. Certain foods can provoke flare-ups of acne.

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13. Dirt that clog the pores do not cause acne breakouts. Hormones that stimulate the oil glands, plug the pores by dead skin cells, bacteria residing in the pores which both break down the oil and create inflammation, are contributing factors for causing acne.

acne

What is Acne?

2007-08-12T00:35:00.000-07:00

What is Acne?

Acne is a common skin disease characterized and recognized for plugged pores such as whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and deeper bumps like cysts and nodules which appear on the face, neck, chest, shoulders, back, and the upper arms. It happens when the pores of the skin become clogged with internally occurring oil known as Sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells.

Acne Vulgaris--sometimes identified as common acne--is today the most common skin disease. At present, acne affects about 80 million people in both the United States and Canada.

Acne is an "ordeal" for most teenagers but is not confined to any age group; sometimes adults in their 20's or older--can experience acne. Although acne is not a dangerous condition, it can become the root cause of much emotional distress when one's skin is disfigured and unattractive. When acne becomes severe, it may lead to permanent scarring; it is known that even less harsh cases of acne may lead to scarring.

Throughout time there has been a number of effective treatments developed for addressing from mild to severe cases of acne. There are natural and very effective treatments, as well as prescription medications for treating very severe acne but with side effects that can continue to occur even after one stops taking such medications.

Who can get acne?

Almost 100% of young people between the age range of twelve and seventeen have usually an occasional blackhead, whitehead, or pimple, despite race or ethnicity. Most of these young sufferers successfully can manage their acne problems by using over-the-counter treatments. For others, a case of acne may be more serious. In reality, by the time they reach their mid-teens, a greater number of teens have a severe case of acne that often requires formal treatment by a doctor or dermatologist.

Generally, most cases of acne begin between the age range of ten and thirteen, and can usually persist for five years or longer. Acne normally disappears on its own in one's early twenties. Nonetheless, acne can continue to surface into the late twenties, thirties, or beyond. There are people as adults who experience acne for the first time.

Acne can equally affect both young men and women, but there exists certain differences. For whatever the reason, young men more often than young women are prone to suffer more severe and longer lasting types of acne. Regardless of this fact, young men are less likely than young women to see a dermatologist for their acne. On the other hand, young women have a greater chance to experience intermittent acne because of hormonal changes linked with their menstrual cycle. Young women can suffer from such acne well into adulthood.

Acne lesions commonly occur on the face, but they may also show up on the chest, back, neck, shoulders, upper arms, legs, and scalp.

for good information about acne go here

Cause of Acne

2007-08-12T00:30:00.000-07:00

Cause of Acne

Do you feel a huge drop of self-esteem when you have acne all over your face? About 60 million people are probably feeling exactly the same way as you. We feel too self-conscious and embarassed about going any where public; we are afraid what our friends and classroom peers might think if they see us.

For many of us acne can become the bane of our existence. More than 60 million people in the United States are affected by this prevalent medical condition. Below are the most common causes of acne.

1. Hormones. Hormones is the number one cause of acne which is the production of sex hormones known as androgen that starts at puberty. This perfectly explains why the majority of acne sufferers are adolescents. Hormones is the main player for acne flare-ups during the times of menstruation and pregnancy.

2. Birth Control Pills. Beginning to take or stopping birth control pills may cause acne.

3. When the sebaceous gland gets turned on by androgens, it manufactures additional sebum. In its travel up the follicle toward the surface, the sebum conmingles with dead skin cells and skin bacteria that have been cast from the follicle's lining. This process is absolutely normal, but the presence of more sebum in the follicle raises the probability of clogging to occur, and which then causes acne.

4. Stress. In certain tense circumstances, stress may cause the production of hormones like cortisol, which can worsen an acne condition. Stress puts into affect different hormone levels. When these hormone levels change the body commands the skins oil glands to expand, and which then secrete extra oil. This chain of "events" causes black heads, white heads, and pimples.

5. Oily or Heavy Make Up. Heavy make-up has the ability to clog pores, while oily make-ups add additional oil; these things only contribute to the problem if oily skin is already present. Cosmetics to avoid are certain moisturizers, pomades, particularly the ones carrying petrolatum, oleic acid, vegetable oils, lanolin, butyl stearate, and lauryl alcohol.

6. Other drugs such lithium is known to cause acne.

7. Cosmetics. Greasy cosmetics can change the cells of the follicles and make them stick together; this produces a plug.

8. Too High a Dosage of Vitamins. Vitamins are good for a healthy body, but taking an excess of vitamins B1, B6 and B12 may cause acne flare-ups. These vitamins are great for healthy-looking skin, but avoid overuse.

9. Diet. A diet that is high in refined carbohydrates and sugars can actually worsen an acne condition for some people.

10. Over Abrasive Cleansing. Harsh exfoliators could in fact harm your skin and spread infections.

11. Picking and Squeezing. These hard to resist actions can send the infection deeper into the skin and cause scarring to occur.

12. Environmental Factors like High Humidity and Pollution. High humidity causes the skin to swell. Pollution is bad not only for skin but for your overall health.

13. Genes. Family members can be acne sufferers. In this case, acne is inherited. For example, cystic acne generally comes from heredity.

acne

- 4 Warning Signs Your Diet May Lack Fiber

2007-07-09T21:13:00.002-07:00

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

By Wendy C. Fries
WebMD Feature

about diet

Is your diet short on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains? If so, you may not be getting all the fiber you need -- raising your risks for weight gain, heart disease, and cancer.

Though the symptoms of a fiber-poor diet aren't always clear-cut, there are four key warning signs to watch for:

Constipation: If you're having fewer than three bowel movements a week, and the stools are hard and dry, you're constipated. Constipation can result from lack of fiber, but also from too little exercise and certain medications and supplements.
Prevention: If your constipation is diet-related, try adding more fiber-rich foods such as apples, raspberries, carrots, broccoli, or whole grains to your diet.
Boosting your fiber intake can help form soft, bulky stools, relieving and preventing constipation. Be sure to add fiber slowly so your body gets used to it. And help yourself stay regular by drinking plenty of fluids and exercising regularly.
Weight Gain: "Fiber contributes to satiety," says Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, director of nutrition for WebMD. Satiety is that feeling of comfortable fullness you get after a meal. If you're not experiencing that feeling, Zelman says you may be eating more than your body needs.
Prevention: Try meeting the recommended goal of 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily by enjoying fiber-filled foods like fresh fruit, whole grains, and seasonal vegetables. Choose the fiber-rich foods you like best; you're more likely to eat favorites often.
Blood Sugar Fluctuations: If you have diabetes and find controlling your blood sugar difficult, talk to your doctor: you may not be getting enough fiber.
Prevention: Because fiber delays the absorption of sugar, helping you control blood sugar levels, try adding more fresh produce, beans and peas, brown rice, and other high-fiber foods to your diet. Remember to discuss any change in your diabetes management plan with your doctor.
Diet-Related Nausea & Tiredness: Getting most of your calories from a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet -- one rich in meat, eggs, and cheese and low in produce -- may lead not only to a rise in cholesterol, but also leave you nauseous, tired, and weak.
Prevention: Try boosting your dietary fiber with the vitamin- and mineral-rich whole grains, fruits and vegetables your body needs, and cut back on fatty foods.

Fiber May Foil Disease and Relieve Chronic Conditions

A high-fiber diet not only helps you feel satiated and aids your digestion, but evidence suggests it's also a powerful disease fighter. Fiber may reduce your risk for illness, including:

High Cholesterol/Heart Disease: Studies show that a heart-healthy diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in produce and whole grains can lower blood cholesterol by 0.5% to 2% for every gram of soluble fiber eaten daily.
That's because soluble fiber binds to dietary cholesterol, helping to eliminate it from the digestive system. This in turn lowers blood cholesterol, which reduces cholesterol deposits in the arteries.
Diabetes: Fiber not only helps with diabetes management, but it may also be a powerful preventative.
Studies suggest that a diet rich in cereal fiber may reduce your risk for diabetes by 28%. By contrast, research shows that a high-sugar, low-fiber diet can more than double a woman's risk of contracting type 2 diabetes.
Cancer: About one-third of cancer deaths may be diet-related, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Research has shown, however, that diets low in fat and high in fiber-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables may reduce the risk of some cancers, including those of the colon and rectum.
Hemorrhoids: Hemorrhoids, swollen veins near the anus and lower rectum, can develop when pushing or straining to have a bowel movement.
Eating a high-fiber diet packed with produce and whole grains, and drinking plenty of liquids, can help prevent and relieve hemorrhoids by keeping stools soft so they pass through the digestive systems more easily. (Remember to consult your doctor if you have blood in your stools or bleeding from your rectum. These may be signs of a more serious condition.)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): With IBS, the nerves and muscles in the large intestine are extra-sensitive to certain foods -- or lack of them -- resulting in cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.
Though IBS has no cure, symptom relief can be found through medicine, stress reduction, and by avoiding triggers such as fatty foods, alcohol, and carbonated beverages. Fiber, like that in bran, whole grains, and produce, reduces IBS symptoms -- especially constipation -- by making stools soft, bulky, and easier to pass.

Fiber Finish

A powerhouse nutrient like fiber can help you manage your weight, avoid disease, and relieve chronic conditions.

But when you're ready to give your diet a fiber boost -- and have talked with your doctor about your plans -- take it slowly. Too much fiber too fast can cause cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Prevent those problems by adding just a few grams of fiber at a time.

- Alternative Therapies

2007-07-09T21:13:00.001-07:00

There are many different types of herbal and nutritional supplements that may help lower cholesterol. But, before you add any supplement or alternative therapy to your diet, talk to your doctor. Some supplements may interact with other medication you may be taking or have dangerous side effects.

Herbal and Nutritional Supplements

Some of the herbal and nutritional supplements available include:

Garlic: According to some studies, garlic may decrease blood levels of total cholesterol by a few percentage points. Other studies, however, suggest that it may not be as beneficial as once thought. It may also have significant side effects and/or interactions with certain medications. Garlic may prolong bleeding and blood clotting time, so garlic and garlic supplements should not be consumed prior to surgery and should not be taken with blood-thinning medications such as Coumadin (warfarin).
Guggulipid: Guggulipid is the gum resin of the mukul myrrh tree. In clinical studies performed in India, guggulipid significantly reduced blood levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. The enthusiasm for using guggulipid as a cholesterol-lowering herbal agent, however, diminished after the publication of negative results from a clinical trial in the U.S. Further research is necessary to determine the safety and efficacy of this herb.
Red Yeast Rice: Red yeast rice has been found to lower cholesterol in studies and was previously found in the over-the-counter supplement Cholestin. However, in 2001, FDA took Cholestin off the shelf because it contained lovastatin, a compound found in the cholesterol prescription medication Mevacor. Reformulated "Cholestin" no longer contains red yeast rice. Other red yeast rice-containing supplements currently available in U.S. contain very small amounts of lovastatin. Their effectiveness is questionable.
Policosanol: Produced from sugar cane, policosanol was found to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol in several trials. Most policosanol supplements found in the U.S., including the reformulated Cholestin, contain policosanol extracted from beeswax and not the sugar cane policosanol. There is no evidence that policosanol extracted from beeswax can lower cholesterol. Additional studies on sugar cane policosanol are needed to determine its effectiveness in lowering cholesterol.
Other herbal products: The results of several studies suggest fenugreek seeds and leaves, artichoke leaf extract, yarrow and holy basil all may help lower cholesterol. These and other commonly used herbs and spices -- including ginger, turmeric, and rosemary -- are being investigated for their potential beneficial effects relating to coronary disease prevention.

Dietary Approaches

Increased consumption of dietary fiber, soy foods, and plant compounds similar to cholesterol (plant stanols and sterols) can significantly reduce LDL cholesterol, or bad cholesterol.

Fiber: Only plant foods (vegetables, fruits, legumes, unrefined grains) contain dietary fiber. The soluble fiber found in foods such as oat bran, barley, psyllium seeds, flax seed meal, apples, citrus fruits, lentils and beans are particularly effective in lowering cholesterol.
Soybeans: Soybeans have been shown to prevent coronary heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Soy protein is present in tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy yogurt, edamame, soy nuts and many other food products made from soybeans.
Phytosterols: Phytosterols (plant sterol and stanol esters) are compounds found in small amounts in foods such as whole grains as well as in many vegetables, fruits, and vegetable oils. They decrease LDL cholesterol, mostly by interfering with the intestinal absorption of cholesterol. Phytosterols can be found in spreads (like the cholesterol-lowering margarines Benecol, Smart Balance and Take Control), dressings for salads, and dietary supplements. Additional phytosterol-fortified foods include Minute Maid Heart Wise orange juice, Nature Valley Healthy Heart chewy granola bars, CocoVia chocolates, Rice Dream Heartwise rice drink and Lifetime low-fat cheese.

Dietary fiber, soybeans and phytosterols decrease cholesterol levels by different mechanisms. Therefore, it is not surprising that the combined dietary intake of these foods and other plant substances, along with a low intake of saturated fats, is more effective at reducing cholesterol levels than each individual substance alone.

Including foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may also help lower cholesterol. Aim for at least 2 servings of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna and sardines per week. Other dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flax seed and walnuts.

Omega-3 fatty acids: These essential fatty acids have a favorable effect on cholesterol. Supplement sources include fish oil capsules and flax seed oil. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease the rate at which the liver produces VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides. They have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body, decrease the growth of plaque in the arteries, and aid in thinning blood. If you are considering taking omega-3 fatty acids, you should first discuss with your doctor if omega-3 fatty acid supplements are right for you (especially if you are currently taking blood-thinning medication).

Avoid partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated vegetable oils. These man-made oils are sources of trans fatty acids known to increase LDL (artery-clogging) cholesterol. They lower heart-protecting HDL (good) cholesterol and increase the inflammatory response in the body. You can now find trans fats listed on the Nutrition Facts panel of packaged foods. Minimize consumption of trans fatty acid-containing food.

- Cholesterol Lowering Medications

2007-07-09T21:12:00.001-07:00

Reviewed By Charlotte Mathis, MD

By Gina Shaw
WebMD Feature

about cholesterol

Cholesterol-lowering medications can help many people if taken as prescribed. First, however, answer two questions. Have you tried to lower cholesterol through diet, exercise, and weight loss? Are you at high risk of cardiovascular problems? Doctors usually suggest trying diet and exercise before cholesterol-lowering medications. But if you're at high risk, your doctor may recommend starting cholesterol lowering medications right away. Here are seven tips to help you get the most out of your cholesterol lowering medications.

___ Ask your doctor to explain how each different cholesterol-lowering medication works, and which one may be best for you.

___ Tell your doctor about any other medications you're taking. This includes vitamins, herbs, and supplements, which can sometimes interact with prescription medications to cause dangerous side effects or make the medications less effective.

___ Stick with your prescription. Many people may skip doses of statins and other cholesterol-lowering medications because they don't "feel any better" while taking them. But high cholesterol is a silent disease, and you may not realize the benefit you're getting. Don't cut back on your doses, skip them, or stop taking your drug altogether to save money. If you're having trouble with affordability, talk to your doctor about how to cut costs safely.

___ Keep your supplies of cholesterol-lowering medications filled. Don't wait until you are out to go to the pharmacy, and be sure to get enough of the prescription ahead of time if you expect to be traveling.

___ Niacin (nicotinic acid) has been approved by the FDA as a cholesterol-lowering medication, but it should be taken in prescription form from your doctor. Over-the-counter supplements may not contain the amount found on the label.

___ Side effects are rare with most cholesterol-lowering medications, but you should be aware of the specific side effects that go with the drug you're taking. Keep your doctor informed of any side effects. For example, statins have a rare side effect of muscle problems, so if you have muscle soreness, pain, or weakness, tell your doctor.

___For any symptom that you think might be a side effect of a cholesterol-lowering medication, call your doctor right away. Don't wait for your next appointment.

- Exercise and Cholesterol

2007-07-09T21:11:00.001-07:00

Reviewed By Charlotte Mathis, MD

By Gina Shaw
WebMD Feature

There's a link between exercise and cholesterol. A sedentary life can keep your LDL bad cholesterol levels high and your HDL good cholesterol levels low, just the opposite of the way you want them. But incorporating exercise into your life may help lower your cholesterol levels on its own -- and help you stay at a healthy weight. How can you safely start a healthy exercise plan you can stick with? Follow this checklist.

___ Start small and set realistic goals. To exercise for lower cholesterol, you don't have to become Lance Armstrong. Don't say "I'll go to the gym every night this week." Instead, start out by pledging to take a half-hour walk after dinner at least four nights this week. Research shows that even moderate exercise improves your cholesterol and heart health.

___ Pick an activity you like -- otherwise, you won't stick with it. If you hate running, don't buy jogging shoes just because your best friend lost weight running. To help lower cholesterol, find out what exercises fit your fitness personality.

___ Keep an exercise journal. Studies show that you need at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, three or more times a week, to raise your HDL good cholesterol levels, so keep track of your progress to make sure you reach your goal every week.

___Mark that journal or a calendar for exercise milestones you hope to achieve, like running a mile without stopping or swimming 10 lengths of the pool. Plan to reward yourself for those achievements with a special treat, like a night out, a new outfit or a massage.

___ Buy a pedometer and track how many steps you walk on an average day. Then, try to add at least 2,000 steps per day to your total exercise regimen. That's about half an hour of walking.

___ Include weight training in your exercise regimen for lower cholesterol. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you build, the more efficiently you'll lose weight.

___ Set an exercise goal. Many people do better with a fitness plan if they have a goal in mind. If you like running, choose a 5K race to train for. If you enjoy cycling, plan to treat yourself to a weekend bike trip somewhere you love.

___ Check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen to lower cholesterol, especially if you lead a sedentary lifestyle or have chronic health problems like heart disease.

- Your Low-Cholesterol Diet

2007-07-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

A low-cholesterol diet is one of the surest ways to improve heart health. In fact, studies show you can slash your bad cholesterol by as much as 10% to 20% by giving your diet a makeover. The secret? Follow a diet rich in healthy fats like vegetable oils and fish. And avoid foods high in saturated fats and trans fats. How do you know which foods keep your cholesterol low? Here are nine tips to help you get started.

Look over the TLC diet and make a shopping list of your favorite cholesterol-lowering foods.

Stock your pantry and your refrigerator with the right foods for a low-cholesterol diet. Buy your favorite canned or dry beans, fresh fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and vegetable juice.

For a low-cholesterol diet, toss the butter, trans fat margarines, and polyunsaturated oil. Replace them with canola oil, olive oil, or plant sterol spreads.
>Look for products specifically created for low-cholesterol diets, like Minute Maid HeartWise orange juice and Benecol or Smart Balance margarine. These foods have been fortified with plant stanols and sterols that help to block the absorption of cholesterol
Start your day with oatmeal. Experts agree this is one of the top cholesterol-lowering superfoods.
Try a cholesterol-free egg substitute instead of whole eggs.
For a tasty low-cholesterol dish, switch out the cream sauce on your fettuccine for lightly stir-fried vegetables.
Instead of using butter to keep your pan moist while cooking, use white wine vinegar. It doesn't change the flavor of foods and doesn't add fat -- a key to low cholesterol cooking!
Don't lean on butter, sour cream and other fatty additives for flavoring. Instead, reach for the spices -- either while cooking or at the table. Liven up your dishes with oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, coriander, or cumin.

- A Diet to Lower Cholesterol & Lose Weight

2007-07-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

Checklist: A Diet to Lower Cholesterol & Lose Weight

Reviewed By Charlotte Mathis, MD

By Gina Shaw
WebMD Feature

It's not just what you eat that counts in a diet to lower cholesterol, it's how much you eat. Being overweight increases your risk of having high LDL bad cholesterol, and low HDL good cholesterol. Often, just losing weight can help you lower your cholesterol. Here are six tips to help you get started.

___ Follow the TLC Diet to lower cholesterol. It's custom-designed to help you maintain a healthy weight for you.

___ Read the labels -- carefully! That package of pasta may say it's only 330 calories a serving, but did you notice that there are three servings in the package?

___ It's okay to snack between meals on a diet to lower cholesterol. In fact, eating five or six small meals a day instead of three large ones can help you avoid "crashing" between meals and overeating. Stock up on healthy snacks like carrot sticks, apples, and blueberries -- one of the top health "superfoods."

___ Switch from white breads, bagels, and regular pastas to whole wheat varieties on a diet to lower cholesterol. They tend to be lower in calories, and they have more heart-healthy fiber.

___ Don't drink your calories. Cut back on soda, juice, and alcohol. Hydrate with water instead. If you must drink soda, a switch to diet soda will save you hundreds of calories.

___ Close the night kitchen. Mindlessly snacking in front of the TV after dinner is the source of many an empty calorie. Close the kitchen at a certain time -- say, two to three hours before you go to bed -- and don't open the fridge or the cupboards after that time.

- definition and description

2007-05-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

Definition of Balanitis

Balanitis is an inflammation of the glans penis. In balanoposthitis, the glans (tip) of the penis becomes irritated and inflamed as a result of bacterial or fungal infection, irritation from chemicals in clothing, or an unknown cause.

Description of Balanitis

In men who have been circumcised, such inflammations are less common and limited to the glans penis (Balanitis). Those with diabetes mellitus are particularly susceptible to this condition, and those who develop these inflammations should be evaluated for diabetes.

One must be aware of the real possibility that balanitis and balanoposthitis can be harbingers of other, more serious diseases and therefore cannot be dismissed as simple local unhygienic inflammations, especially if they become chronic or persistent.

Causes and Risk Factors of Balanitis

In almost every instance Balanitis results from the presence of a foreskin, which may be redundant and phimotic, thereby predisposing to infections. This preputial cloak harbors beneath it normally desquamating epithelial cells, glandular secretions, and Mycobacterium smegmatis, and provides a warm, moist culture medium for any incidental organisms that may be present. It is obvious, therefore, that personal daily hygiene will prevent most instances of simple balanitis and balanoposthitis.

Symptoms of Balanitis

The incubation period varies from 3 days to 1 week. The first signs of involvement may be small red erosions on the glans or undersurface of the prepuce, with concomitant development of much preputial exudation; the purulent discharge may be accompanied by phimosis. If the disease is unchecked, confluent ulcerations will develop along with considerable edema of the penis.

Treatment of Balanitis

Since anaerobic conditions are necessary for growth of the offending organisms, simple exposure to air and local cleansing is most often effective. Formerly, this treatment, used with peroxide powder and arsphenamine and, in severe cases, a dorsal slit, was the extent of therapy. With the advent of penicillin and other systemic and local antibiotics, the treatment is specific and effective; however, even now a dorsal slit procedure is sometimes necessary.

- definition and description

2007-05-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Definition of Back Care

Back care consists of any of several approaches used to restore or maintain a healthy, pain-free back.

Description of Back Care

Low back pain is a major problem in our society. Up to 90 percent of all Americans will have a problem with back pain at some time in their lives. They will spend approximately five billion dollars annually for relief.

Each year, some 200,000 back surgeries are performed, and hundreds of thousands of prescriptions are written for medications to relieve low back pain. It is estimated that one-third of all workmen's claims and 60 percent of all long-term disability payments are used for the care of back injuries. It is no wonder there is an increasing interest in the prevention and management of low back pain.

Causes and Risk Factors of Back Care

The major reason low back pain is not a simple problem to solve is that each individual's situation is unique. Pain may be the result of any combination of factors, such as day-to-day activities, lifestyle, level of fitness, nutritional status and even, the aging process. The complexity of the problem means that there is no one simple solution. Patients usually must make changes in their lifestyle and work together with various health care professionals to find solutions.

Symptoms of Back Care

Pain and spasm of muscles in the lower back is the hallmark of back pain. This can occur after standing, stooping, bending, lifting, or after sitting in a chair for too long a time. Examination will often reveal point tenderness, but not always. Occasionally, pain is diffusely localized over the entire lower back.

Back pain is usually referred to as acute if it has been present for less than a month and chronic if it lasts for longer than a month. Young people are more likely to have brief acute episodes of back pain and chronic pain is more characteristic of older people.

Back pain occurs equally often in men and women.

Diagnosis of Back Care

Diagnosis of low back strain syndrome is based upon a combination of history, clinical findings and x-ray results.

Treatment of Back Care

The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research issued a clinical practice guideline on acute low back problems for adults, which offered a number of recommendations and suggestions, including the following:

Medicine often helps relieve low back symptoms. The type of medicine your health care provider recommends depends on the symptoms and how uncomfortable you feel. If the symptoms are mild to moderate, you may get relief from an over-the-counter medication such as acetaminophen, aspirin or ibuprofen.

If the symptoms are severe, your health care provider may recommend a prescription drug.

For most people, medicine works well to control pain and discomfort, but any medicine can have side effects. Also, many medicines prescribed may cause people to feel drowsy, so they should not be taken if you need to drive or operate heavy equipment.

Heat or cold applied to the back may help. Within 48 hours after the first back symptoms appear, you may want to apply a cold pack (or a bag of ice) to the painful area for five to 10 minutes. If the symptoms last longer than 48 hours, you may find that a heating pad, hot shower or bath helps to relieve your symptoms.

Spinal manipulation (using the hands to apply force to the back and "adjust" the spine) can be helpful for some people in the first month of low back symptoms. It should be performed only by a professional with experience in manipulation. You should go back to your health care provider if your symptoms have not responded to spinal manipulation within four weeks.

A number of other treatments may help in the relief of symptoms. While these treatments may give relief for a short time, none has been found to speed recovery or keep acute back problems from returning. These treatments include traction, TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), massage, biofeedback, injections into the back, back corsets and ultrasound.

Experts now agree that a long period of bed rest is associated with a longer recovery period and do not recommend more than 48-hours of significantly decreased activity or bed rest.

Specific back exercises have not been found to give pain relief or increase functional ability in people who already have acute back pain, however, back exercises may be useful for people with chronic back pain to help them return to normal activities and work.

Ninety percent of those who have back pain (even if it is caused by nerve root irritation) tend to improve within 2 months, regardless of what treatment is used, including no treatment at all.

Prevention of Back Care

There are a number of specific measures that can be taken to ensure a healthy back. These include the following:

Exercise regularly. Low-impact aerobic exercises protect the back by keeping muscles strong and supple. It also tones abdominal and thigh muscles, which help take the strain off the back. Swimming is the best exercise for the back, because the weightless environment puts no pressure on the spine. Brisk walking and bicycling are also recommended.

Shed some pounds if you are overweight. Excess weight puts extra stress on the back and makes it difficult to maintain good posture.

Always bend from the knees, never the waist. Kneel or squat instead of stooping over.

Lift objects properly. The key is to bend at the knees, not the back. Tuck in your buttocks and pull in your abdomen. Bring the object close to your body. As you stand, put the burden on your thigh muscles, not your back. If you cannot move the object close to your body (as when lifting luggage or groceries out of the trunk of a car) extend one of your legs backward as a counterweight.

Don't try to lift something that is too heavy. Stop when you have to strain and ask for help or use a lifting tool (such as a dolly) for assistance.

Avoid twisting while lifting. Twisting increases the chance of injury. Even garbage collectors, who usually have strong backs, are prone to injury because of the twisting involved.

Maintain good posture. Stand with the back straight, pelvis tucked, shoulders down, head erect and chin tucked in. Poor posture increases pressure on the discs in the spine, stresses muscles and stretches ligaments so that they are unable to provide adequate leverage when lifting.

Avoid sitting too long. No other position puts as much pressure on the back muscles and discs.

Sit correctly. Sit with your feet flat, back straight, shoulders back and head up.

Find a chair that supports your lower back or roll up a towel to use as back support.

If standing for long periods, change your position often. Prop one foot on a stool, ledge or telephone book, if possible.

Condition yourself for high-risk sports. If you enjoy sports that involve bending and twisting on impact, prepare yourself first. Start a conditioning program at least six weeks before you go downhill skiing.

Avoid infrequent bursts of activity. This is especially important if you have a sedentary job or lifestyle.

Make back exercise part of your daily routine. Although no specific back exercises have been found to improve pain relief or increase functional ability in people who already have acute back pain, flexion and extension exercises keep back muscles flexible and others strengthen back and abdominal muscles.

Push instead of pull. If you have a choice between pushing and pulling an object, push it. That allows the leg muscles to power the job.

Don't sling a heavy purse or briefcase over your shoulder. Instead, place the shoulder strap across the body to better distribute the weight and switch shoulders frequently.

Ask a porter to help you or use a cart to carry suitcases.

When driving, use the lumbar support in your car seat. You can make a makeshift support by rolling up a towel and putting it behind the small of your back.

Stop and walk around every hour during a long drive or flight. Vibration during driving and flying tires the back.

Sit correctly during air travel. Use the airline pillows behind the small of your back and put your feet up on a briefcase or bag under the seat in front of you.

Get plenty of sleep. Fatigue underlies many causes of back strain. It also hinders good posture.

Sleep in a healthy position. The best sleep positions are on your back with a pillow under your knees or on your side with knees bent and, if desired, a pillow between them.

Don't slump over a desk or keyboard. Sit as close as possible to prevent slumping.

Adjust your desk or workstation to a comfortable height.

Women should wear high-heeled shoes as little as possible.

- definition and description

2007-05-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

Definition of Antioxidants

Antioxidants are a group of vitamins including vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and carotenoids, (such as beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein).

Description of Antioxidants

Can eating a diet rich in the antioxidant vitamins reduce your risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease or cataracts? Some scientists say "yes." although this is an area that is likely to be controversial for some time to come. Oxygen damage (oxidation) to your cells may be partly responsible for the effects of aging and certain diseases. Researchers are studying how antioxidants in food may protect against this damage.

As part of their normal function, cells make toxic molecules, called free radicals. A free radical is a damaged molecule – it's missing an electron. Because the free-radical molecule "wants" its full complement of electrons, it reacts with any molecule from which it can take an electron. By taking an electron from certain key components in the cell, such as fat, protein or DNA molecules, free radicals damage cells. Antioxidants that occur naturally in the body and certain foods may block this damage by donating electrons to stabilize and neutralize the harmful effects of the free radicals.

Even though most free radical damage is repaired, a fraction may still remain. The environment is also a source of free radicals caused by ultraviolet radiation or airborne pollutants, such as cigarette smoke.

Eventually, free radical damage may overwhelm the body's natural defenses. As cell damage accumulates, it may contribute to aging and certain diseases like cardiovascular disease and some cancers. More antioxidant vitamins from one's diet may help counter some of the damage.

Research designed to study free radicals has shown a relationship to a number of diseases. Scientists theorize that low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol damages the lining of the arteries when it becomes oxidized. Vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids may help protect against the oxidation of LDL cholesterol by neutralizing free radicals. Scientists suspect that cataracts develop partly as a result of oxidation of proteins in the lens of the eye, and some studies have shown that antioxidants might be effective in reducing age-related macular degeneration and the resulting vision loss.

Evidence from more than a hundred studies suggests that eating fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C or carotenoids is linked with a reduced risk of many cancers. Despite the support for the health benefits of vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids, there are good reasons for not taking large supplemental doses:

There is no proof of benefit. The evidence for using antioxidant vitamins to lower the risk of chronic disease is preliminary. The AHA still does not recommend using antioxidant supplements until there is more complete data. They do, however, recommend eating a daily diet that contains a variety of foods from all the basic food groups (and low in saturated fat and cholesterol) which will provide a rich natural source of these vitamins.

Nobody knows the right dose and researchers do not know which antioxidant, or combination of antioxidants, offers the greatest potential to prevent disease.

Nobody knows the long-term risks. Generally, vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids are not toxic, yet controlled studies in people typically last less than six months.

- definition and description

2007-05-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Definition of Kidney Diseases

Kidney diseases are disorders that affect the kidneys; the two organs that remove waste products, produce certain hormones, and regulate the level of chemicals in blood.

Description of Kidney Diseases

Kidney Function

A major function of the kidneys is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body. These waste products and excess fluid are removed through urine.

The production of urine involves highly complex steps of excretion and reabsorption. This process is necessary to maintain a stable balance of body chemicals.

The critical regulation of the body's salt, potassium, and acid content is performed by the kidneys. The kidneys also produce hormones and vitamins that affect the function of other organs. For example, a hormone produced by the kidneys stimulates red blood cell production. In addition, other hormones produced by the kidneys help regulate blood pressure and others help control calcium metabolism.

There are two kidneys, each about the size of a fist, located on either side of the spine at the lowest level of the rib cage. Each kidney contains about one million functioning units, called nephrons.

A nephron consists of a filtering unit of tiny blood vessels, called a glomerulus, attached to a tubule. When blood enters the glomerulus, it is filtered and the remaining fluid passes along the tubule. In the tubule, chemicals and water are either added to or removed from this filtered fluid, according to the body's needs, with the final product being the urine we excrete.

Types Of Kidney Disease

Kidney disease usually affects both kidneys. If the kidneys' ability to remove and regulate water and chemicals is seriously damaged by disease, waste products and excess fluid build up occur, causing severe swelling and symptoms of uremia (kidney failure).

There are many different types and causes of kidney disease. These can be characterized as hereditary, congenital or acquired.

Hereditary Disorders

These can be transmitted to both males and females, and generally produce clinical symptoms from teenage years to adulthood. Other hereditary conditions include Alport's syndrome, hereditary nephritis, primary hyperoxaluria and cystinuria.

Congenital Disease

This usually involves some malformation of the genitourinary tract, usually leading to some type of obstruction which subsequently produces infection and/or destruction of kidney tissue. The destruction can eventually progress to chronic kidney failure.

Acquired Kidney Disease

These diseases are numerous, the general term being nephritis (meaning inflammation of the kidney). The most common type of nephritis is glomerulonephritis, and again, this has many causes.

kidney stone

These are very common, and when they pass, the pain can be extremely severe in the side and back. Stone formation can be an inherited disorder, secondary to a malformation and/or infection in the kidney, or can occur without any prior problem. The pain can appear suddenly and in waves, and then disappear rapidly when the stone is passed.

Nephrotic Syndrome

This refers to a large protein loss in the urine [frequently in association with low blood protein (albumin) levels, an elevated blood cholesterol and severe retention of body fluid, causing swelling (edema)]. This disease can be a primary disorder of the kidney or secondary to an illness, affecting many parts of the body (for example diabetes mellitus).

Long-standing High Blood Pressure (hypertension)

This can cause kidney disease itself or can be a result of a kidney disorder. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can accelerate the natural course of any underlying kidney disease.

Diabetes

Long standing diabetes can lead to kidney failure. However, tight control of blood glucose levels over the years may reduce those complications.

Drugs and Toxins

Certain medications, toxins, pesticides and "street" drugs (i.e., heroin) can also produce kidney damage.

Causes and Risk Factors of Kidney Diseases

Unfortunately, the cause of many Kidney Diseases is still unknown, but controlling high blood pressure and diabetes can reduce the risk of many kidney diseases.

Symptoms of Kidney Diseases

Although many forms of kidney disease do not produce symptoms until late in the course of the disease, there are at least six warning signs that may indicate kidney disease:

1. Burning or difficulty during urination

2. An increase in the frequency of urination

3. Passage of blood in the urine

4. Puffiness around the eyes, swelling of the hands and feet

5. Pain in the small of the back just below the ribs

6. High blood pressure

Diagnosis of Kidney Diseases

Your doctor will obtain a complete medical history and perform a physical exam. He or she may recommend blood tests and certain urine tests, which can provide much information about your kidney function.

Treatment of Kidney Diseases

Some Kidney Diseases can be successfully treated and others progress to advanced kidney failure, requiring dialysis and/or transplantation.

For example, kidney infections and kidney stones can often be successfully treated. Chronic inflammation of the glomerulus (glomerulonephritis) is the most common kidney disease, which slowly progresses to kidney failure.

Your doctor may recommend certain medications or suggest a specific diet for you.

- definition and description

2007-05-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Definition of Knee Injury

An injury to either or both knees causing pain and/or disability.

Description of Knee Injury

The legs, especially the knees, are the most injury-prone parts of the body. Knee injuries are the leading cause of long-term disability among athletes.

Although most commonly due to sport, anyone can hurt their knees if they make an awkward movement or give the knee a hard blow. Some women may be especially susceptible because their wider pelvis tends to make them knock-kneed. Besides the knock-kneed, those prone to knee problems are the flat-footed, whose feet pronate or turn inward too much, those with unstable or loose kneecaps (patella), and those who have imbalanced thigh muscles.

Diagnosis of Knee Injury

Diagnosing knee injuries can be tricky, but any sudden knee swelling signals trouble. Knee pain should never be ignored or masked with medication. If symptoms persist, consult a physician. Accurate diagnosis, preferably soon after a knee injury, is essential for correct treatment. Any details noticed at the time - a pop or snap, and how soon swelling and disability appeared - can help the physician determine the cause and guide treatment.

Your physician will take a medical history and perform a physical examination with special focus on your knee(s). In some cases, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may improve the diagnosis of certain knee injuries. It may be done for individuals with severe pain or for those who cannot relax sufficiently to allow adequate physical examination.

Two of the most common knee problems are:

Tendonitis: Where a tendon itself, or the sheath around a tendon becomes inflamed and painful.

Swelling: Excessive fluid accumulates in the synovium (membrane in the knee capsule) and this may be a sign of an underlying condition. Such fluid buildup can be blood or increased secretion form the synovium as a reaction to some type of inflammation or overuse.

Treatment of Knee Injury

For mild knee discomfort, ice, pain medications, and modified movement may be enough, but persistent swelling or pain requires medical care. Your physician may suggest elevation of the knee joint, application of a compression dressing or brace, and occasional ice.

Crutches may be recommended to minimize weight-bearing on the affected knee, at least initially. He or she may prescribe pain medications as well. Physical therapy can often be helpful after the acute injury has been treated. More serious injury may require referral to a surgeon for evaluation.

Total knee replacements have improved with the development of new designs and materials.

Knee Braces

A knee brace can help reduce stress on the knee. Some knee braces are designed for the recovery phase after an injury or surgery. The post-surgical brace, which is usually bulky and restricts mobility, is normally made of rigid carbon fiber or other polymers. Lightweight metal or plastic hinges allow limited flexion. Most braces fasten around the knee with a fabric wrap.

Apart from sophisticated knee braces, a variety of other braces are available in a drugstore. These knee braces include neoprene sleeves, lace-up canvas, metal-supported, and ace bandages. Even the elastic pull-on bandages can be useful, because they help the body to know where the knee is in space at any given moment. This can help protect a potentially vulnerable knee while avoiding compromising or hazardous positions.

Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Knee injuries can now often be diagnosed and surgically corrected at the same time with arthroscopy, reserving the older, open-knee operations for ligament and reconstructive problems. Occasionally, surgeons now replace entire damaged knees with arthroplasty (knee transplants) or with metal replacements. Arthroscopic surgery greatly reduces recovery time.

The arthroscope is a fiberoptic device useful for removing torn cartilage and for ligament repairs. It contains a light and magnifying lenses that relay a clear view of the knee's interior spaces through a monitor and eyepiece. Tiny incisions are made in the knee to insert the arthroscope and inject saline (salt) solution. An accurate diagnosis and surgical correction are undertaken at the same time, under local or general anesthetic. An arthroscope allows a thorough analysis of knee problems, and can be used to diagnose ligament tears, see toughened surfaces, and plan open-knee surgery.

After arthroscopic surgery, the small incisions are taped or stitched, the knee bandaged, and a few hours after surgery, the person can usually go home - preferably accompanied by a relative or friend who stands by until the side-effects of the anesthetic wears off.

Crutches may be needed to keep weight off the knee for a few days. Physiotherapy has become an indispensable part of post-surgical treatment to strengthen the knee and promote recovery.

Following arthroscopy, the knee may feel slightly uncomfortable and a gurgling noise may be heard for a time when walking. After about four weeks or less of mild exercise, regular sports may often be resumed.

Prevention of Knee Injury

Avoiding sudden jolting movements and rough running surfaces can help prevent knee injuries. Obesity adds pressure to the vulnerable knee joint, so weight reduction may help.

Exercises considered better for the knees include small (not deep) knee bends and straightening motions - done while in supination with most weight on the outside of the foot.

Sports that are easier on the knees include walking, swimming (flutter kicks, knees straight), skating, baseball, cross-country skiing, and, depending on the state of the knee, cycling (seat high, low gear, avoiding hills).

Choose activities to suit your own knee strength and capacity, and remember that sports especially "hard on the knees" include football, sprinting, soccer, rugby, hockey, squash, volleyball, basketball, downhill skiing, tennis and jogging - anything that pounds, jolts, or twists the knees.

- Jaundice In Newborns

2007-05-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Definition of Jaundice In Newborns

The cause of jaundice is a yellow bile pigment called bilirubin, which is carried in the blood and deposited in the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera (whites of the eyes). The result is that these areas of the body turn yellow.

Anything that causes a significant increase in the amount of bilirubin in the blood will lead to jaundice.

Description of Jaundice In Newborns

More than 25 percent of all healthy, full-term newborns become slightly jaundiced, usually on the third or fourth day of life. In premature babies the incidence of jaundice is higher.

The exact level of bilirubin in the blood is determined by a simple blood test.

No one can predict with certainty whether a newborn will develop jaundice, but Asian and Native American babies tend to have higher bilirubin levels than white babies, who have higher levels than black infants.

Breastfed babies are more likely to develop jaundice than those who are fed formula, although researchers are not certain why. Some older studies have suggested that breastmilk contains a hormone that inhibits the liver's ability to process bilirubin, but more recent research has shown no link between hormones in breast milk and liver function. Still, in many instances, if breastfeeding is discontinued for 24 hours and formula is substituted, bilirubin levels decline and "breastfeeding jaundice" clears up more rapidly.

The frequency of bowel movements also has been associated with jaundice. An infant's stool contains bilirubin, and if he passes stool too infrequently, some of the pigment is reabsorbed into the bloodstream and must be reprocessed by the liver, prolonging the symptoms of jaundice.

Causes and Risk Factors of Jaundice In Newborns

The two most common causes of jaundice in the newborn are an immaturity of the baby's liver, which is known as physiologic jaundice, and blood-group incompatibilities. There are many other, less common causes of jaundice in the newborn.

Diagnosis of Jaundice In Newborns

Doctors diagnose jaundice through a simple blood test. A bilirubin level of less than 12 milligrams per deciliter of blood in the first few weeks of life is generally considered normal for a healthy, full-term baby.

A doctor's decision whether or not to treat jaundice depends on a number of factors, including how high the bilirubin level is, how fast it is climbing, the baby's age, and the general health of the baby. A few experts believe that in healthy, full-term infants, bilirubin levels ranging from 17 to 22 milligrams per deciliter of blood are fairly harmless and do not warrant therapy.

Treatment of Jaundice In Newborns

A major concern with jaundice is the risk of very high concentrations of bilirubin reaching the brain and causing damage. But studies show that most babies who suffer such brain damage have underlying illnesses or conditions, such as complete inability of the liver to process bilirubin.

Doctors usually use phototherapy, or light treatment, to bring down bilirubin levels. The infant is placed under special fluorescent lamps that convert the excess bilirubin into a water-soluble form that can be excreted in bile and urine. The infant receives treatment usually in an incubator, for approximately two to three days. During that period, parents can take the baby out of the incubator for feeding, or they can reach in and touch their child.

In some instances, hospitals are able to arrange for parents to rent home phototherapy equipment - long fluorescent lights that hang over the crib. Some hospitals are offering a fiber-optic "blanket" - a sheet of plastic that has fiber-optic tubing running through it so that the entire blanket becomes a light source. Many parents prefer the blanket because they are able to hold and cuddle their baby during treatment.

When home therapy is not an option, a two- or three-day hospital stay is typical for full-term babies being treated for physiologic jaundice.

- definition and description

2007-05-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

Definition of Memory Loss

A mild decline in memory and the rate of information processing occurs normally with age, but does not affect daily function and does not generally progress.

Description of Memory Loss

Like the body's muscles, bones, and other vital organs, the brain feels the effect of aging. Through years of constant use and biological wear and tear, the brain gradually loses some of its sharpness in processing information and in relaying the multitude of signals essential to day-to-day functioning.

As people begin to age, they may begin to have problems with memory. One of the most noticeable problem areas involves the transient forgetting of names. Virtually everyone has this problem in older age.

It is important to note that normal age-related memory loss does not indicate diminished intelligence or ability to learn. The brain may simply need more time to recall information from memory or to learn new information. Simple forgetfulness is not a disease.

Studies on learning and memory constitute an active area of research for many neuroscientists. In general, how the brain selects and stores information falls into three categories. Each category serves a distinct purpose and is generally independent of intelligence or level of education. Memory categories include:

Short-term/temporary recollection. If you are calling the florist, you look up the phone number and remember it long enough to place the call. Once you have finished the call, the information vanishes. If you were interrupted before making the call, you may lose this material.

Long-term (recent). This category preserves the recent past, such as what you had for breakfast today, or the outfit that you wore a few days ago.

Long-term (remote). This records the distant past. These memories, learned 10 or 20 years ago, form your knowledge base. This category can include snatches of a conversation or a tune from your high school fight song. Other information in this memory store shapes your personal history, such as what you were doing the day President John Kennedy was assassinated.

Aging does not generally affect short - or long-term (remote) memory. These functions are well-preserved. However, long-term (recent) memory often declines with age. To store and retrieve recent information from long-term (recent) memory, the brain performs a complex chain of chemical and electrical functions involving nerve cells. As one ages, some of these cells may deteriorate and function less efficiently.

-definition and description

2007-05-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Definition of Ankle Sprains

The usual ankle injury is a sprain - the tearing or excessive stretching of the ligaments that hold the ankle bones in position.

Description of Ankle Sprains

Of all the joints in the body, none is as complex as the ankle. Its intricate structure of bones, tendons, and ligaments is under the control of an equally complex group of muscles. The variety of movements performed by the ankle subject it to forces of a magnitude far out of proportion to its size. It is little wonder that ankle injuries are the most common of all joint injuries - about 1 million each year, of which approximately 85 percent are sprains.

When the ligaments that stabilize the ankle are overstretched or torn, the result is a sprained ankle, one of the most common exercise-related injuries. Although the risk is greatest during workouts that involve explosive side-by-side motion, such as in tennis or basketball, you can sprain an ankle during any weight-bearing activity, including walking.

Even sedentary people are vulnerable, since inactivity causes the muscles that support the ankle and protect the ligaments to lose strength and elasticity.

Inversion sprains are by far the most common type. These occur when the foot abruptly turns inward, putting tremendous stress on the ligaments on the outside of the ankle.

Eversion sprains, with stretching of the inside ligaments when the foot turns outward, are much less common.

Mild sprains, in which the ligaments are stretched only slightly beyond their normal limits, usually require minimal attention - if the pain and swelling are so mild as to permit normal weight bearing.

More severe sprains are quickly evident, with marked swelling, sharp pain, and evidence of bleeding under the skin. The worst sprain is one producing a complete tear of the ligament, putting the joint completely out of commission.

Sometimes what appears to be an ankle sprain is really a fractured bone. This can be of either the end of one of the long bones of the lower leg, the fibula, or a fracture of one of the bones of the foot. Thus, care must be taken with an injured ankle to make sure exactly what is injured.

Symptoms of Ankle Sprains

The symptoms of an ankle sprain are pain, tenderness, and swelling, usually occurring within the first few minutes of the injury.

Sprains are graded as mild (the ligament is strained or overly stretched), moderate (partially torn ligament), or severe (a complete tear, meaning that the ligament can no longer control the ankle joint). If the swelling and pain are slight and you can put weight on the ankle, the sprain is mild and you may not need medical attention.

If you heard a popping sound when you sprained your ankle, if the ankle looks abnormally bent, and/or if the swelling is severe and the skin discolored, you should suspect a severe sprain or even a fracture and see a doctor or go the emergency room as soon as possible.

Not all sprained ankles need to have x-rays to determine the nature of the injury. This depends upon the symptoms and signs as determined by your doctor or other health professional.

Treatment of Ankle Sprains

RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) is the key to rapid healing.

Rest the ankle by reducing activities as needed. Your doctor will probably recommend avoiding weight bearing on the ankle for some time, and the use of crutches.

Ice is the immediate treatment for any sprain - the sooner applied the better. The sooner the bleeding into the joint is thus controlled, the less the pain and the quicker the recovery. Apply the ice pack to the ankle 4 to 8 times a day for 20 minutes at a time (not longer due to possible cold injury and frostbite).

Compressing the ankle with tape or elastic bandage helps control the bleeding and swelling, as does Elevation of the foot.

Most sprains heal without complications, although the risk of subsequent sprains increases because of weakened and less flexible ligaments. About ten days is required for healing of a minor sprain, but full motion in the joint takes longer.

Rehabilitation includes special exercises to help reduce swelling, prevent stiffness and regain flexibility, and regain strength. It is best to refrain from returning to full activity before complete healing of the ankle has occurred in order to avoid reinjury and possible complications. A moderate ankle sprain may require 3 to 6 weeks of rehabilitation before the area is fully healed, and a severe ankle sprain can take 8 to 12 months.

Prevention of Ankle Sprains

Some tips for avoiding a sprained ankle are:

Before and after exercising, stretch the calf muscles. Tight muscles pull on the Achilles tendon and can reduce the range of motion of the foot.

Strengthen the ankles to avoid strains and to rehabilitate them if you have had an injury.

Try heel walking; wear flat shoes; stand on your heels and keep your toes high off the ground; walk with toes elevated for three to five minutes.

Follow a regular exercise program. Sedentary people are more likely to suffer a sprain than those with strong muscles.

When on your feet, especially if you are walking, wear stable shoes that provide support.

For active sports, most studies suggest wearing snugly laced, high-topped shoes that are protective - not floppy canvas high-tops, but the padded flexible kind worn by basketball players.

Avoid platform soles, high heels, and any shoes that throw the foot off balance. Open shoes and most sandals, which are less stable than other foot gear, are a poor choice for those trying to avoid ankle injury.

A healthy diet helps keep muscles strong.

- definition and description

2007-05-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Definition of Angiogram
The initial technique of percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary angioplasty, was to widen narrowed coronary arteries by inflating a small balloon catheter at the site of the narrowing. The current standard of care usually results in the placement of a metal tube called a stent at the site of the narrowing. The stent functions to keep the artery open. Many stents now are coated with drugs to help prevent scar tissue formation and therefore reduce the need for repeat procedures. Because of the rapidly changing techniques and the association of the term “angioplasty” with balloon inflation only, these heart procedures are now referred to as percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI).

Description of Angiogram
The procedure is used to help diagnose conditions such as myocardial infarction, vascular occlusion, calcified atherosclerotic plaques, cerebrovascular accident, portal hypertension (e.g., from liver failure), kidney neoplasms, renal (kidney) artery stenosis as a causative factor in hypertension, pulmonary emboli, and congenital and acquired lesions of pulmonary vessels.

A dye, called the contrast medium, may be injected into an artery or vein or introduced into a catheter inserted in a peripheral artery and threaded through the vessel until it’s position is either in the heart or at the beginning of the arteries supplying the heart. Testing for hypersensitivity to the dye occurs before the substance is used, as there may be an allergic reaction in some patients. After the procedure, the patient is monitored for signs of bleeding, and bed rest for a number of hours is indicated.

- health treasure

2007-05-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Health Treasures products for healthy living including Coral
Calcium and Hoodia Gordonii for weight loss. Healing information from Dr
Lorraine Day and various health and nutrition books. Vitamins, minerals and beauty care. Liquid supplements such as Seasilver, Coats Aoe Vera Juice and Goji Juice.

- Anesthesia

2007-05-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Description of Anesthesia

Anyone who has had major surgery may be surprised to learn that being "put to sleep" involves more than a shot of pentothal. Thanks to general anesthesia, people simply cannot remember much after they reach the operating room.

But from the moment surgery begins, the anesthesiologist is constantly busy with tasks that can mean the difference between life and death. He or she must frequently adjust the balance of various drugs used to begin, maintain, and reverse anesthesia; typically, 7 to 10 agents are needed to achieve the desired effects.

The anesthesiologist also regulates basic life functions, such as breathing and heart rate, which unconscious patients are unable to do on their own. And the anesthesiologist watches for medical problems that may arise. In preparation for all of this, anesthesiologists have at least eight years of medical education, with intensive training in giving anesthesia and in caring for anesthetized patients. Nurse anesthetists - registered nurses who have had additional training and certification in anesthesiology - also may anesthetize patients under the supervision of an anesthesiologist or the surgeon.

2007-05-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

Definition of Dry Eye

occurs when there is insufficient lubrication in the eye, and the conjunctiva becomes much less moist than normal. This causes pain and discomfort in the eyes. It may occur as a result of the following:

Any condition that causes corneal scarring, such as erythema multiforme, trachoma, or corneal burns

Lagophthalmos

Riley-Day syndrome

Absence of lacrimal gland

Paralysis of the facial or trigeminal nerves

Medication with atropine

Deep anesthesia

Debilitating diseases

Description of Dry Eye

There are two kinds of tears: those that lubricate the eye; and those that are produced in response to irritation or emotion. Excessive tears occur when a foreign body irritates the eye or when a person cries.

Tears that lubricate the eye are produced around the clock, and they have an important everyday function. A film of tears, spread over the eye by a blink, makes the surface of the eye smooth and optically clear. Without the tear film, good vision would not be possible.

The tear film consists of three layers: an outer oily layer, a watery layer, and a layer of mucus.

Some people do not produce enough lubricating tears to keep the eye wet and comfortable. Tear production normally decreases with age, or it can be due to a disease or medication.

Dry eyes can make it difficult or impossible to wear contact lenses

Causes and Risk Factors of Dry Eye

Although dry eyes can occur in both men and women at any age, women are most often afflicted, especially after menapouse .

Dry eyes can also be associated with arthitis and accompanied by a dry mouth. People with dry eyes, dry mouth.

Drugs and medications can also cause dry eyes by reducing tear secretion. Since these medications are often necessary, the dry eye condition may have to be tolerated or treated with "artificial tears."

Symptoms of Dry Eye

Stinging, burning, scratchiness, stringy mucus, and excess irritation from smoke are the usual symptoms.

Surprisingly, increased tearing may be a symptom of dry eyes. If the basic tear secretion is below normal, excess tears are produced by the lacrimal gland in response to irritation. Even though the eye is basically dry, overflow tearing can occur, masking the dryness that caused the tears in the first place.

Treatment of Dry Eye

Replacing natural tears with artificial tears is the basis of treatment. Artificial tears are available without prescription and are used as eyedrops to lubricate the eyes and replace the missing moisture. There are many brands of artificial tears on the market, and many people try several different brands to find one that suits them best.

The tears may be used as often as necessary - only once or twice a day, or as often as several times an hour. Solid inserts that gradually release lubricants during the day are also beneficial to some people.

Conserving the naturally produced tears is another approach to keeping the eyes moist. After bathing the eye's surface, tears enter a small opening in each lid, the punctum, and drain through a small canal, the canaliculus, into the lacrimal sac and down the naso-lacrimal duct into the nose. These channels may be closed temporarily, or permanently, by your ophthalmologist. The closure creates a reservoir of tears which allows the eyes to stay moist for longer periods of time.

Other methods of coping include using a humidifier in winter, and avoiding anything that adds dryness to the air, such an overly warm room, hair dryers, or being outside on windy days. Anything that adds an irritant to the air will also make a person with dry eyes more uncomfortable. Smoking is especially bothersome.

Some people complain of "scratchy eyes" upon awakening. Using an ointment at bedtime can treat this symptom. Use the smallest amount of ointment necessary for comfort, since the ointment can cause temporary blurring of vision.

Although ointments containing vitamin A seem to be of benefit to people with severe dry eye due to scarring from pemphigoid, vitamin A does not seem to help people with ordinary dry eye.

2007-05-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

Definition of Down Syndrome

is a combination of physical abnormalities and mental retardation characterized by a genetic defect in chromosome pair 21.

The genetic defect associated with Down syndrome is the presence of extra material on the chromosome pair designated 21. Although other genetic disorders may be associated with an extra chromosome, only Down syndrome is characterized by extra chromosome 21 material.

Description of Down Syndrome

is a combination of birth defects, including some degree of mental retardation and characteristic facial features.

About 30 to 50 percent of babies with Down syndrome also have congenital heart defects, and many have some visual and hearing impairment and other health problems. The severity of all of these problems varies greatly.

Children with Down syndrome can usually do most things that any young child can do, such as walking, talking, dressing and being toilet-trained. However, they generally do these things later than other children.

Today, there are more opportunities than ever before for people with Down syndrome to attend schools, hold jobs and participate in leisure activities and relationships. Some marry, and women with Down syndrome can have children.

Causes and Risk Factors of Down Syndrome

is one of the most common genetic birth defects. It affects all races and economic levels equally. Approximately 1 in 800 to 1 in 1,000 babies are born with the disorder. Life expectancy among adults with Down syndrome is about 55 years, though this varies.

Symptoms of Down Syndrome

A child with Down Syndrome may have eyes that slant upward and small ears that may fold over a little at the top. The mouth may be small, making the tongue appear large. The nose also may be small, with a flattened nasal bridge. Some babies with Down syndrome have short necks and small hands with short fingers.

The child with Down syndrome is often short and has unusual looseness of the joints. Most children with Down syndrome will have some, but not all, of these features.

The degree of mental retardation varies widely from mild to moderate to severe. However, most fall within the mild to moderate range, and studies suggest that, with proper training, less than 10 percent will be severely mentally retarded.

Diagnosis of Down Syndrome

The diagnosis of Down Syndrome is based upon a combination of clinical presentation and genetic testing.

Treatment of Down Syndrome

There is no cure for Down Syndrome, nor can it be prevented. Scientists do not know why problems involving chromosome 21 occur. Nothing either parent did, or did not do, caused Down syndrome.

2007-05-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Definition of Chicken Pox (Varicella)

Article updated and reviewed by Daniel A. Rauch, MD, FAAP, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Associate Residency Program Director and Director of Pediatric Hospitalist Service, New York University on May 11, 2005.

Chicken pox is a generalized infection caused by the varicella zoster virus, a member of the herpes virus family . It is characterized by a blistery rash, poetically described as a “dew drop on a rose petal base.” It occurs most frequently in children, between the ages of five and eight. Less than 20 percent of all cases in the U.S. affect people over the age of 15. Chicken pox is highly contagious to non-immune individuals (up to 90%), although the disease severity can range from asymptomatic to serious illness with complications. Having the disease usually creates life-long immunity, although it is possible to get chicken pox again, particularly when the first case happened at less than one year old or if the person becomes immunocompromised. Anyone who has had chicken pox may later develop Shingles, which is a local recurrence of the rash, often quite painful. Shingles comes from the initial infection and not from being exposed again.

Certain children are at risk for more severe disease. These include newborns, any children with an underlying immunodeficiency, such as children undergoing treatment for cancer, and children on steroids. Additionally, because the virus can be spread to a developing fetus, non-immune pregnant women who have been exposed and any pregnant woman who develops the rash should seek medical care.

Description of Chicken Pox (Varicella)

Chicken pox is contracted by touching an infected person's blisters or anything that has been contaminated by contact with them. The virus is also airborne since it may be spread by an infected person by coughing and sneezing even before the rash develops. Another way to get chicken pox is by direct contact to shingles, a localized rash caused by the same virus. People with shingles are not infectious by the respiratory route.

The incubation period (time between exposure to the illness and the appearance of symptoms) of chicken pox is 10 to 21 days. It is contagious from one to two days prior to the rash until all of the blisters have crusted, typically about a week.

Typically, the younger the patient, the less severe the disease, and some people get infected without ever showing any signs of illness. Variations of the disease course, although rare, can be very severe, particularly in at risk patients, and can include disseminated disease, hemorrhagic disease, and secondary bacterial infection.

Because of the current efforts to vaccinate children and prevent the disease, as well as the potential risks from the disease, the old practice of having “Chicken Pox parties” to ensure that children did get the disease while young is discouraged.

Symptoms of Chicken Pox (Varicella)

There are usually no symptoms before the rash occurs but occasionally there is fatigue and some fever in the 24 hours before the rash is noticed. The typical rash goes through a number of stages:

1. First it appears as flat red splotches

2. They become raised and may resemble small pimples

3. They develop into small blisters, called vesicles, which are very fragile

4. They may look like drops of water on a red base

5. As the vesicles break, the sores become pustular and form a crust - the crust is made of dried serum, and not true pus. Itching is severe in the pustular stage.

The vesicles tend to appear in crops within two to six days. (This is an important difference from small pox, where the lesions can look similar to chicken pox, but they are all in the same stage.) All stages may be present in the same area. They often appear on the scalp and in the mouth, and then spread to the rest of the body, but they may begin anywhere. They are most numerous over shoulders, chest and back. There may be only a few sores, or there may be hundreds. In patients with pre-existing eczema, the lesions may first appear in the eczema patches.

The doctor should be called if the rash involves an eye, if fever is higher than 103, if there is much vomiting, or if there are signs of bacterial infection (such as a green or yellow discharge from the blisters, or any blisters with red streaks radiating outwards). Go to the emergency room if there is difficulty breathing, indicating a possible pneumonia, or if the person is confused, disoriented, ataxic (unsteady), has seizures, or shows any other neurologic signs. When seeking medical attention, remember to let health care providers know that the child might have chicken pox so that proper isolation policies can be instituted to prevent additional exposures.

Treatment of Chicken Pox (Varicella)

The major problem in dealing with chicken pox is control of the intense itching and reduction of the fever. Warm baths containing baking soda or oatmeal can help; sometimes cool compresses or cool baths will calm itching. Anti-itching medication such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and hydroxyzine (Atarax) can also be helpful. Topical lotions may also help, but care should be exercised that children are not overdosed with diphenhydramine by accidentally giving it by mouth and lotion. Steroid containing anti-itch creams should never be used.

Aspirin should not be used for children or adolescents with chicken pox because of the associated risk of Reye's Syndrome, a rare but life-threatening condition. Fever can be treated with acetaminophen. Ibuprofen should be avoided because of the association of its use and more severe disease.

Cut the fingernails or use gloves to prevent skin damage from intense scratching. When lesions occur in the mouth, gargling with salt water may provide comfort. Drink cold fluids, and avoid hot, spicy, and acidic foods (e.g., orange juice).

Hands should be washed frequently and all of the skin should be kept clean in order to prevent a complicating bacterial infection. If a bacterial infection is suspected or becomes severe and results in the return of a fever, see a physician. Again, please remember to announce that the child has chicken pox so that others may be appropriately protected.

Scratching and infection can result in permanent scars. A visit to the physician may not be necessary, unless a complication seems possible.

Acyclovir (Zovirax), an antiviral drug, can be used if started in the first day of the rash. It is usually not necessary in previously well children, but is recommended for immunocompromised patients.

Because chickenpox is extremely contagious, keep children home from daycare or school until the blisters are all crusted over.

Prevention of Chicken Pox (Varicella)

Chicken pox can be prevented through vaccination (now recommended by almost all major national health and public health groups). Recommendations are:

Children and Adolescents: Healthy children can be vaccinated, optimally at age 12 to 18 months or anytime through age 12, if they have no history of chicken pox. Adolescents 13 years and older who have no history of chicken pox, should receive two doses of vaccine four to eight weeks apart. Duration of immunity after vaccination is not completely known. Re-vaccination with a booster dose to sustain immunity through adulthood is currently being considered.

Adults: Two doses of varicella vaccine four to eight weeks apart are recommended for healthy adults with no history of chicken pox or previous vaccination. Health care workers, daycare workers, employees of colleges or residential facilities, family members of immunocompromised individuals, and others who live or work in environments in which transmission may be easy are particularly encouraged to receive vaccination.

Most adults who do not know their immune status are, in fact, immune. However, whenever there is a need to know, blood tests are available to check a person’s immune status.

The vaccine is designed to prevent serious disease and it is highly effective for this purpose. It is still possible to get a mild form of chicken pox, even after receiving the vaccine. Sometimes, the vaccine itself can produce a few chicken pox lesions.

The vaccine may also be used as part of post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent disease in someone who has had a known exposure. It should be given within three days of the exposure and would count the same as routine immunization. Additionally, within the first four days, exposed individuals may get VZIG, a special anti-varicella immunoglobulin that protects against infection, but does give any lasting protection, so that the person should be immunized at a later time.

2007-05-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

Definition of Cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear and transparent lens of the eye. It is not a tumor, a new growth of skin or tissue over the eye, but a fogging of the lens itself.

Description of Cataracts

Normally, the lens of the eye is clear. When a cataract develops, the lens becomes cloudy, similar to a frosted window.

Located near the front of the eye, the lens focuses light on the retina at the back of the eye. Light passes through it to produce a sharp image on the retina. When a cataract forms, the lens can become so opaque and unclear that light cannot easily be transmitted to the retina.

Often, however, a cataract covers only a small part of the lens and if sight is not greatly impaired, there is no need to remove the cataract. If a large portion of the lens becomes cloudy, sight can be partially or completely lost until the cataract is removed.

There are many misconceptions about cataracts. For instance, cataracts do not spread from eye to eye, though they may develop in both eyes at the same time. A cataract is not a film visible on the outside of the eye, is not caused from overuse of the eyes, and using the eye does not make it worse. Cataracts usually develop gradually over many years; rarely over a few months. Finally, cataracts are not related to cancer, and having a cataract does not mean a patient will be permanently blind.

Depending on the size and location of the cloudy areas in a lens, a person may or may not be aware that a cataract is developing. If the cataract is located on the outer edge of the lens, no change may be noticed in vision, but if the cloudiness is located near the center of the lens, it usually interferes with clear sight. As cataracts develop, there may be hazy, fuzzy and blurred vision. Double vision may also occur when a cataract is beginning to form. The eyes may be more sensitive to light and glare, making night driving difficult.

With cataracts, there may be a need to change eyeglass prescriptions frequently. As the cataract worsens, stronger glasses are no longer able to improve sight. It may help to hold objects closer to the eye when reading or doing close-up work. The pupil, which is normally black, may undergo noticeable color changes and appear to be yellowish or white.

Causes and Risk Factors of Cataracts

There are many types of cataracts. Most are caused by a change in the chemical composition of the lens resulting in a loss of transparency. These changes can be caused by aging, injuries to the eye, certain diseases, conditions of the eye and body, and heredity or birth defects.

The normal process of aging may cause the lens to harden and turn cloudy. These are called senile cataracts and are the most common type. They can occur as early as age 40. Children, as well as adults of any age, can develop cataracts. When cataracts appear in children, they are sometimes hereditary or can be caused by infection or inflammation, which affect the pregnant mother and the unborn baby. These are congenital cataracts and are present at birth.

Eye injuries can cause cataracts at any age. A hard blow, puncture, cut, intense heat or chemical burn can damage the lens, resulting in a traumatic cataract. Certain infections or diseases of the eye (such as diabetes) can also cause the lens to cloud and form a secondary cataract.

Symptoms of Cataracts

Symptoms of developing cataracts include double or blurred vision, sensitivity to light and glare (which may make driving difficult), less vivid perception of color and frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions.

Cataracts are typically detected through a medical eye examination. The usual test for visual acuity (the letter eye chart) may not reflect the true nature of visual loss. Other tests that measure glare sensitivity, contrast sensitivity, night vision, color vision, and side or central vision help to nail down the diagnosis.

Because most cataracts associated with aging develop slowly, many patients may not notice their visual loss until it has become severe. Some cataracts remain small and never need treatment; others grow more quickly and progressively larger. Only when a cataract seriously interferes with normal activities is it time to consider surgery. People who depend on their eyes for work, play and other activities may want their cataracts removed earlier than those whose needs are less demanding.

Treatment of Cataracts

Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is recommended only when vision loss interferes with normal activities such as reading or driving, or if the cataract is preventing the treatment of another problem.

The decision to perform surgery should be based on the patient's own assessment of functional impairment combined with the results of the eye examination and measurement of visual acuity using the Snellen test. When visual acuity is 20/40 or better, the potential for benefiting from the surgery decreases and the risk relative to potential benefit rises. In general, the better the visual acuity is, the greater is the need for verification of functional disability before performing surgery.

Two types of cataract surgery most often performed are equally effective in restoring vision. These are:

Extracapsular surgery, in which the lens is removed and the back half of the capsule behind the lens (the posterior capsule) remains in the eye

Photoemulsification, a type of extracapsular surgery in which the lens is softened with sound waves and removed through a needle. The posterior capsule remains.

Intracapsular surgery is a third, rarely used type of surgery, in which the surgeon removes the entire lens, including the capsule. Usually the lens is replaced by an Intraocular lens, which becomes a permanent part of the eye. If a condition or disease prevents the use of an Intraocular lens, a soft contact lens may be prescribed instead.

cataracts usually develop in both eyes, but surgery should not be done on both eyes until the results of the first eye surgery are known, so that the benefits and risks can be weighed. The indications for cataract surgery in the second eye are the same as for the first eye.

The period of postoperative care extends from surgery until the goal of surgery is achieved and the patient has stable, improved vision. If complications arise - such as increased pressure, bleeding or infection in the eye; damage or dislocation of the intraocular lens; or swelling or clouding of the cornea - prompt care is crucial. Optical correction (contact lenses or glasses) usually can be prescribed 6 to 12 weeks after surgery. The timing and frequency of refraction depend on patient needs, astigmatism and consistency of measurement.

Today, cataract surgery usually takes less than an hour, thanks to advances in microsurgery and suturing. The procedure is done on an outpatient basis in virtually all instances; the patient arrives in the morning and goes home in the early afternoon. The procedure itself involves a small incision directly into the eye. The clouded lens is removed, a plastic one is inserted and the surgical opening is closed.

The surgery requires anesthesia around the eye and some patients may receive a mild sedative to help them relax. Although some patients can drive without difficulty after cataract surgery, it's a good idea to have someone else available to do the driving. The patient wears a patch for a day.

Some people notice a mild, scratchy irritation, but most report no discomfort. Most patients can resume normal activities within a day to a week, but strenuous activity, especially heavy lifting, should be avoided from four to six weeks.

Occasionally, improvement in vision occurs almost immediately after cataract surgery, but more often, the improvement occurs gradually over several months. It's important to note that a lens implant does not guarantee perfect vision. In fact, most people will continue to need glasses to correct either distance or near vision.

Small Incision Cataract Surgery

In a newer surgical method, called small-incision (no-stitch) cataract surgery, the nucleus is broken up (emulsified) by an ultrasound probe. No-stitch surgery requires only a single, 1/8-inch incision. A small incision means faster healing. Redness and inflammation of the eye disappear in two to three weeks with small-incision surgery, vs. six to eight weeks with extracapsular extraction. A special advantage of small-incision surgery is that it is less likely to cause astigmatism. This is blurred vision that results when tension on the stitches distorts the cornea. Small-incision surgery involves an incision not on the cornea, but on the less sensitive sclera (the white of the eye).

Because of its advantages, many eye surgeons have adopted the no-stitch technique. Others feel strongly that extracapsular surgery is just as good. But after the eye heals completely, there is generally little difference between the results from extracapsular and small-incision surgery. A patient may not be a candidate for the no-stitch method, in that advanced cataracts tend to be too hard to emulsify easily. In such cases, extracapsular surgery may be the better choice.

In the past, people who underwent cataract surgery had to wear thick "Coke bottle" eyeglasses. Now, immediately after the removal of the cataract, the surgeon implants a plastic lens directly into the space left by the removal of the clouded lens. This intraocular implant helps the cornea focus light onto the retina to give a clear image.

There are many different implants on the market and they fall into two general categories, based on their location in the eye:

Posterior chamber implants, the more popular type, are placed behind the iris, occupying the exact position of the original lens. There are now smaller oval and foldable lenses that can be used with small-incision surgery.

Anterior chamber implants are inserted into the fluid-filled space between the iris and the cornea.

Some experts estimate that about 88 of every 100 persons receiving IOLs (intraocular lenses) will achieve 20/40 vision or better. (An individual with 20/40 vision can read letters on an eye chart from 20 feet away. While a person with normal 20/20 vision can read the chart from 40 feet away, 20/40 vision is good enough to get a driver's license in most states.) Among those who do not have other eye diseases, about 94 of 100 will achieve 20/40 vision.

2007-05-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

Definition of Calcinosis

Calcinosis is calcification (deposits of calcium phosphate) that may occur in many different soft tissues.

Description of Calcinosis

occurs in a variety of local and systemic (throughout the body) conditions.

Calcium phosphate crystals have a remarkable tendency to aggregate into snowball-like clumps and are invariably associated with particular collagens. Collagens are fibrous, insoluble proteins found in the connective tissues, including skin, bone, ligaments, and cartilage. Collagen represents about 30 percent of the total body protein.

Classification of the types of calcinosis generally separates these conditions into those that result from long-standing hypercalcemia (meaning an excessive amount of calcium in the blood) and/or hyperphosphatemia (meaning an excessive amount of phosphorus in the blood), and those following some local abnormality in the affected tissues. The classifications are metastatic calcification and dystrophic calcification, respectfully.

Metastatic Calcification. Calcium deposits, which occur commonly in hypercalcemic states, are found in the kidney, stomach, lung, brain, eyes, skin, subcutaneous and periarticular (surrounding a joint) tissues, and arterial walls. This type of calcinosis is usually related to other underlying conditions, such as hyperparathyroidism, hypoparathyroidism or renal disease.

Tumoral calcinosis is included in this category because of its frequent elevation in serum phosphorus levels and occasional increase in serum calcium values. However, it is separated from other forms of metastatic calcification because there are no internal organs involved. This condition is characterized by the rapid development of large, multi-lobulated, calcific masses in the subcutaneous (under the skin) tissue and muscles surrounding the hips, shoulders, elbows, hands, and chest walls. It has been suggested that this condition is hereditary with a disturbance in the metabolism of phosphorus.

Dystrophic Calcification. Many restrict the use of the term calcinosis to those patients who have calcium deposits in the soft tissues but have no generalized disturbance in calcium or phosphorus metabolism. Dystrophic calcification is often seen at sites of previous inflammation or damage to the skin. Calcinosis has been associated with connective tissue disease, such as in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) or polymyositis-dermatomyositis.

The standard method of detection of dystrophic calcification has been the plain X-ray. However, computed tomographic (CT) scanning has been reported to identify calcinosis in symptomatic, but radiographically normal areas.

Causes and Risk Factors of Calcinosis

A variety of local and regional sites of calcification have been associated with rheumatic complaints. Occasional calcification has followed corticosteroid injections. In addition to the common syndromes of the shoulder and hip, idiopathic calcific tendinitis and tenosynovitis produce calcific deposits.

Treatment of Calcinosis

Treatment of dystrophic calcification is varied. Numerous drugs, hormones, and a host of non-specific measures have been used unsuccessfully in the treatment of calcinosis.

Oral low-dose anti-coagulant therapy has been effective occasionally in preventing and reversing subcutaneous calcinosis.

Surgical excision of large masses may be helpful in selected instances.

Colchicine may be effective in reducing soft tissue inflammation surrounding such deposits, along with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Treatment of metastatic calcification at present consists mainly of early surgical excision of the calcified masses, which rarely recur at the same site. In time, new deposits may appear around other joints.

2007-05-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Definition of Bio-magnetic Treatment

Bio-magnetic Treatment involves the use of a device to apply a low-voltage, electromagnetic field to the skin in the affected area of the body.

Description of Bio-magnetic Treatment

Although the clinical benefits of electromagnetic fields have been claimed for years, it is still unclear how they work and under what circumstances they should be used for patient care.

According to some scientists, there is a positive role of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy in rheumatoid arthiritis (RA). One recent study found that the responses to PEMF were more subdued in seropositive patients (those who were positive for Rheumatoid Factor in their blood).

There is evidence that direct-current and time-varying electric fields are generated in bone by metabolic activity and mechanical deformation, respectively. Externally supplied direct currents have been used to treat non-unions, appearing to trigger mitosis (cell division) and recruitment of bone-forming cells.

Time-varying electromagnetic fields have been used to heal non-unions and to stabilize hip implants, fuse spines, and treat bone decay and osteoarthritis. The mechanisms of action are still not completely understood but are being actively researched.

News reports that use stories of how a treatment works for only a few people are not sufficient proof of how well a treatment will work for most people or how safe the treatment is. People with arthritis and other disorders should check with their doctor before participating in any treatment.

- definition, description, symptoms, factor, treatment

2007-05-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

Definition of Acne

Article updated and reviewed by Michael S. Lehrer, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania on April 18, 2005.

Description of Acne

Technically called acne vulgaris, this skin disease affects millions of Americans annually. It can vary from quite mild to extremely severe.

Acne usually develops when the sebaceous glands and the lining of the hair follicle begin to work overtime, as they do in adolescence. Normally, the lining of the hair follicle sheds cells that are carried to the surface of the skin by the sebum. When the follicle is overworked and clogged, cells and sebum accumulate, forming a plug (comedo).

If the plug stays below the surface of the skin, it is called a "closed" comedo or whitehead. If the plug enlarges and pops out of the duct, it is called an "open" comedo or blackhead because the top is dark. This is not dirt and will not wash away. The discoloration is due to the way light is absorbed by the skin cells within the opening.

Causes and Risk Factors of Acne

About 80 percent of all teenagers develop acne, but this disease can also begin as late as the ages 25 or 30, particularly for women. No one is certain as to what exactly causes acne or why it usually begins in adolescence, but hormones, primarily testosterone, certainly play a large role. A number of other factors, most importantly heredity, are also important. If one of your parents had acne, there's a good chance you will, too.

Symptoms of Acne

There are two main types of acne: non-inflammatory and inflammatory.

In non-inflammatory acne, there are usually just a few whiteheads and blackheads on the face. A relatively mild type of acne, it can often be treated effectively with nonprescription medicines. The majority of people with acne have this type of acne.

With inflammatory acne, the whiteheads become inflamed, and red pimples and pustules develop. In its most severe form, inflammatory acne can cause disfiguring cysts and deep, pitting scars of the face, neck, back, chest and groin. Prescription drugs and sometimes surgery are needed to treat inflammatory acne.

Treatment of Acne

Doctors suggest the following to clear up mild acne:

• Get a nonprescription acne medicine and apply regularly. Over-the-counter drugs containing sulfur, resorcinol, salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide, are all effective for treating mild acne.

• Use ordinary hygiene on affected areas, washing your face once or twice daily with your usual soap or cleanser. Deodorant soaps may be used, but they are of no particular value for acne.

• Do not scrub or use a loofa. Friction makes acne worse.

• Do not pick or squeeze. This may worsen scarring.

If home treatments do not work, acne can be treated effectively by your dermatologist. Options may include:

• Topical treatments such as retinoids (tretinoin, tazarotene, or adapalene) or antibiotics (benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin)

• Oral antibiotics

• Hormonal medications like oral contraceptives

• In severe cases, an oral medication called isotretinoin (Accutane) may be prescribed. This is extremely effective, but side effects may include severe birth defects, changes in blood fats and cholesterols, and mood changes. Because of these side effects, Accutane is usually used only for patients with severe acne, or, in patients who have failed all other treatments.

As with most diseases, acne responds best if treatment is begun early in the course of the disease. Treating your acne before it becomes severe may also help to reduce permanent scarring.

- Microbes Can Make Us Sick

2007-05-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Microbes Can Make Us Sick

According to health care experts, infectious diseases caused by microbes are responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other single cause. They estimate the annual cost of medical care for treating infectious diseases in the United States alone is about $120 billion.

The science of microbiology explores how microbes work and how to control them, and it seeks ways to use that knowledge to prevent and treat the diseases microbes cause. The 20th century saw an extraordinary increase in knowledge about microbes. Microbiologists (scientists who study microbes) and other researchers scored many successes in learning how microbes cause certain infectious diseases and how to combat those microbes.

COMMON DISEASES AND INFECTIONS WITH THEIR MICROBIAL CAUSES
	Bacteria	Fungus	Protozoa	virus

Athlete's foot

Chickenpox

Common cold

Diarrheal disease

Flu

Genital herpes

Malaria

Meningitis

Pneumonia

Sinusitis

Skin diseases

Strep throat

Tuberculosis

Urinary tract infection

Vaginal infections

Viral hepatitis

[d]

Unfortunately, microbes are much better at adapting to new environments than people are. On Earth for billions of years, microbes are constantly challenging human newcomers with ingenious new survival tactics.

Many microbes are developing new properties to resist drug treatments that once effectively combated them. Drug resistance has become a serious problem worldwide.

Changes in the environment have put certain human populations in contact with newly identified microbes that cause diseases never seen before or that previously occurred only in isolated populations.

Newly emerging diseases are a growing global health concern. Since 1976, scientists have identified approximately 30 new pathogens.

Microbes Can Infect Us

You can get infected by germs in many different ways, including:

SOME MICROBES CAN TRAVEL THROUGH THE AIR

Microbes can be transmitted from person to person through the air, as in coughing or sneezing. These are common ways to get viruses that cause colds or flu or the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Interestingly, international airplane travel can expose passengers to germs not common in their own countries.

GERMS CAN BE PASSED DIRECTLY FROM PERSON TO PERSON

Scientists have identified more than 500 types of bacteria that live in the human mouth. Some keep the oral environment healthy, while others cause gum disease, for example. One way to transmit oral bacteria from person to person is by kissing. Microbes such as HIV, herpes simplex virus 1, and gonorrhea bacteria are examples of germs that can be transmitted directly during sexual intercourse.

YOU CAN PICK UP AND SPREAD GERMS BY TOUCHING INFECTIOUS MATERIAL

A common way for some microbes to enter the body, especially when caring for young children, is to unintentionally pass feces on your hand to your mouth or the mouths of young children. Infant diarrhea is often spread in this way. Day care workers, for example, can pass diarrhea-causing rotavirus or Giardia lamblia (protozoa) from one baby to the next between diaper changes and other childcare practices.

It also is possible to pick up cold viruses from shaking someone's hand or from touching surfaces such as a handrail or telephone.

A HEALTHY PERSON CAN BE A GERM CARRIER AND PASS IT ON TO OTHERS

The story of "Typhoid Mary" is a famous example from medical history about how a person can pass germs on to others, yet not be affected by them. The germs in this case were Salmonella typhi bacteria, which cause typhoid fever and are usually spread through food or water.

Mary Mallon, an Irish immigrant who lived at the turn of the 19th century, worked as a cook for several New York City families. More than half of the first family she worked for came down with typhoid fever. Through a clever deduction, a researcher determined that the disease was caused by the family cook. He concluded that although Mary had no symptoms of the disease, she probably had had a mild typhoid infection sometime in the past. Though not sick, she still carried the bacteria and was able to spread them to others through the food she prepared.

- viruses, fungi, protozoa

2007-05-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

VIRUSES

Viruses are among the smallest microbes, much smaller even than bacteria. Viruses are not cells. They consist of one or more molecules of DNA or RNA, which contain the virus's genes surrounded by a protein coat. Viruses can be rod-shaped, sphere-shaped, or multisided. Some look like tadpoles.

Unlike most bacteria, most viruses do cause disease because they invade living, normal cells, such as those in the human body. They then multiply and produce other viruses like themselves. Each virus is very particular about which cell it attacks. Various human viruses specifically attack particular cells in the body's organs, systems, or tissues, such as the liver, respiratory system, or blood cells.

Although types of viruses behave differently, most survive by taking over the machinery that makes a cell work. Briefly, when a single virus particle, a "virion", comes in contact with a cell it likes, it may attach to special landing sites on the surface of that cell. From there, the virus may inject molecules into the cell, or the cell may swallow up the virion. Once inside the cell, viral molecules such as DNA or RNA direct the cell to make new virus offspring. That's how a virus "infects" a cell.

Viruses can even "infect" bacteria. These viruses, called bacteriophages, may help researchers develop alternatives to antibiotic medicines for wiping out bacterial infections.

Many viral infections do not result in disease. For example, by the time most people in the United States become adults, they have been infected by cytomegalovirus (CMV). Most of these people, however, do not develop CMV disease symptoms. Other viral infections can result in deadly diseases, such as HIV infection, which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

FUNGI

A fungus is actually a primitive vegetable. Fungi can be found in air, in soil, on plants, and in water. Thousands, perhaps millions, of different types of fungi exist on Earth. The most familiar ones to us are mushrooms, yeast, mold, and mildew. Some live in the human body, usually without causing illness. In fact, only about half of all types of fungi cause disease in humans. Those conditions are called mycoses.

Mycoses can affect your skin, nails, body hair, internal organs such as the lungs, and body systems such as the nervous system. Aspergillus fumigatus, for example, can cause aspergillosis, a fungal infection in the respiratory system.

Some fungi have made our lives easier. Penicillin and other antibiotics, which kill harmful bacteria in our bodies, are made from fungi. Other fungi, like certain yeasts, also can be beneficial. For example, when a warm liquid like water and a food source are added to certain yeasts, the fungus ferments. The process of fermentation is essential for making healthy foods like some breads and cheeses.

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PROTOZOA

Protozoa are a group of microscopic one-celled animals. Protozoa can be parasites or predators. In humans, protozoa usually cause disease. Some protozoa, like plankton, live in water environments and serve as food for marine animals, such as some species of whales. Protozoa also can be found on land in decaying matter and in soil, but they must have a moist environment to survive. Termites wouldn't be able to do such a good job of digesting wood without these microorganisms in their guts.

Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite. Another protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, causes toxoplasmosis in humans. This is an especially troublesome infection in pregnant women because of its effects on the fetus and in people with HIV infection or other immune deficiency.


MICROBES IN THE HEALTHY HUMAN BODY*
Microbe found in:
Ear (outer)	Aspergillus (fungus)
Skin	Candida (fungus)
Small intestine	Clostridium
Intestines	Escherichia coli
Vagina	Gardnerella vaginalis
Stomach	Lactobacillus
Urethra	Mycobacterium
Nose	Staphylococcus aureus
Eye	Staphylococcus epidermis
Mouth	Streptococcus salivarius
Large intestine	Trichomonas hominis (protozoa)
*A selection of usually harmless microbes, some of which help keep our bodies functioning normally. If their numbers become unbalanced, however, these microbes may make us sick. All are bacteria, unless otherwise noted.

- bacteria

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BACTERIA

Microbes belonging to the bacteria group are made up of only one cell. Under a microscope, bacteria look like balls, rods, or spirals. Bacteria are so small that a line of 1,000 could fit across the eraser of a pencil. Life in any form on Earth could not exist without these tiny cells.

Scientists have discovered fossilized remains of bacteria that date back more than 3.5 billion years, placing them among the oldest living things on Earth. Bacteria inhabit a variety of environments. Psychrophiles, or cold-loving bacteria, can live in the subfreezing temperature of the Arctic. Thermophiles are heat-loving bacteria that can live in extreme heat, such as in the hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. Extreme thermophiles, or hyperthermophiles, thrive at 235 degrees Fahrenheit near volcanic vents on the ocean floor. Many bacteria prefer the milder temperature of the healthy human body.

Like humans, some bacteria (aerobic bacteria) need oxygen to survive, but others (anaerobic bacteria) do not. Amazingly, some can adapt to new environments by learning to survive with or without oxygen.

Like all living cells, each bacterium requires food for energy and building materials. There are countless numbers of bacteria on Earth - most are harmless and many are even beneficial to humans. In fact, less than 1 percent of them cause diseases in humans. For example, harmless anaerobic bacteria, such as Lactobacilli acidophilus, live in human intestines, where they help to digest food, destroy disease-causing microbes, fight cancer cells, and give the body needed vitamins. Healthy food products, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and cheese, are made using bacteria.

Some bacteria produce poisons called toxins, which also can make us sick.

Streptococci Bacteria

ARE TOXINS ALWAYS HARMFUL?

Certain bacteria give off toxins that can seriously affect your health. Botulism, a severe form of food poisoning, affects the nerves and is caused by toxins from Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Under certain circumstances, however, bacterial toxins can be helpful. Several vaccines that protect us from getting sick are made from bacterial toxins. One type of pertussis vaccine, which protects infants and children from whooping cough, contains toxins from Bordetella pertussis bacteria. This vaccine is safe and effective and causes fewer reactions than other types of pertussis vaccine.

- microbes

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What Are Microbes?

Microbes are tiny organisms - too tiny to see without a microscope, yet they are abundant on Earth. They live everywhere - in air, soil, rock, and water. Some of them live happily in searing heat, and others in freezing cold. Like humans, some microbes need oxygen to live, but others cannot exist with it. These microscopic organisms are in plants, animals, and in the human body.

Some microbes cause disease in humans, plants, and animals. Others are essential for a healthy life, and we could not exist without them. Indeed, the relationship between microbes and humans is very delicate and complex. In this booklet, we will learn that some microbes keep us healthy while others can make us sick.

Most microbes belong to one of four major groups: bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protozoa. A familiar, often-used word for microbes that cause disease is "germs." Some people refer to disease-causing microbes as "bugs." "I've got the flu bug," for example, is a phrase you may hear during the wintertime to describe an influenza virus infection.

Since the 19th century, we have known microbes cause infectious diseases. Near the end of the 20th century, researchers began to learn that microbes also contribute to many chronic diseases and conditions. Mounting scientific evidence strongly links them to some forms of cancer, coronary artery disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autism, and chronic lung diseases.

- Caffeine

2007-05-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

Overview

Numerous studies have examined the effects of caffeine intake on fertility and pregnancy. Most studies found that moderate caffeine intake does not affect fertility or increase the chance of having a miscarriage or a baby with birth defects; some studies did find a relationship between caffeine intake and fertility or miscarriages. However, most of those studies were judged to be inadequate because they did not consider other lifestyle factors that could contribute to infertility or miscarriages. The Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS) stated that there is no evidence that caffeine causes birth defects in humans. Groups such as OTIS and Motherisk agree that low caffeine intake (<150>

Caffeine and fertility

Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the effects of caffeine intake on fertility in women. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) has described and made conclusions about the following studies (IFIC August 2002).

One small study in 1988 suggested that caffeine, equivalent to the amount consumed in 1-to 2-cups of coffee daily, might decrease female fertility. However, the researchers acknowledged that delayed conception could be due to other factors they did not consider, such as exercise, stress or other dietary habits. Since then, larger, well-designed studies have failed to support the 1988 findings.

In 1990, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Harvard University examined the association between the length of time to conceive and consumption of caffeinated beverages. The study involved more than 2,800 women who had recently given birth and 1,800 women with the medical diagnosis of primary infertility. Each group was interviewed concerning caffeine consumption, medical history and lifestyle habits. The researchers found that caffeine consumption had little or no effect on the reported time to conceive in those women who had given birth. Caffeine consumption also was not a risk factor for infertility.

Supporting those findings, a 1991 study of 11,000 Danish women examined the relationship among number of months to conceive, cigarette smoking and coffee and tea consumption. Although smokers who consumed eight or more cups of coffee per day experienced delayed conception, nonsmokers did not, regardless of caffeine consumption.

A study of 210 women, published in the American Journal of Public Health in 1998, examined the differences in fertility associated with consumption of different caffeinated beverages. This study, prompted by an inconsistency in previously reported findings, did not find a significant association between total caffeine consumption and reduced fertility. In fact, the researchers found that women who drank more than one-half cup of tea per day had a significant increase in fertility. This was particularly true with caffeine consumption in the early stages of a woman’s attempt at conception. The caffeinated tea and fertility correlation was supported by a 1994 study; however, those women had significantly higher consumption levels.

OTIS 2001 reviewed the studies examining caffeine effects on fertility and concluded that, "Low to moderate caffeine consumption (<300>

Caffeine and pregnancy

The March of Dimes (MOD 2002) notes that during pregnancy, caffeine easily passes from the mother to her unborn child through the placenta. Because the systems for breaking down and eliminating chemicals are not fully developed in the unborn child, blood levels of caffeine may remain elevated for longer periods in the unborn child compared to the mother. OTIS (OTIS 2001) notes that, "…higher amounts of caffeine could affect babies in the same way as it does adults. Some reports have stated that children born to mothers who consumed >500 mg/day were more likely to have faster heart rates, tremors, increased breathing rate, and spend more time awake in the days following birth."

The effects of caffeine intake on miscarriages, birth defects, and low birth weight have been studied, and different results were obtained in the various studies. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) has described and made conclusions about the following studies (IFIC August 2002).

Recently, researchers from McGill University in Montreal published a study showing a relationship between caffeine intake and miscarriage. While caffeine intake before and during pregnancy appeared to be associated with increased fetal loss, the authors failed to account for a number of factors that could result in a false association, including effects of morning sickness or nausea*, the number of cigarettes smoked and amount of alcohol consumed.

Just prior to the McGill study, a research team from the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development conducted a study of 431 women. The researchers monitored the women and the amount of caffeine they consumed from conception to birth. After accounting for nausea, smoking, alcohol use and maternal age, the researchers found no relationship between caffeine consumption of up to 300 mg per day and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage.

Earlier, in 1992, researchers analyzed the effects of cigarettes, alcohol and coffee consumption on pregnancy outcome in more than 40,000 Canadian women. Although alcohol consumption and smoking tended to have adverse effects on pregnancy outcome, moderate caffeine consumption was not associated with low birth weight or miscarriages. Further, the relationship of caffeine consumption to spontaneous abortion was investigated in a study of 5,342 pregnant women in 1997 in which researchers concluded that there was no increased risk for spontaneous abortion associated with moderate caffeine consumption. Another very comprehensive study, done in Uppsala, Sweden, and reported in December 2000, concluded reducing caffeine intake during early pregnancy may be prudent.

Studies published during the 1980s also support the conclusion that moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy does not cause early birth or low birth-weight babies. A review of more than 20 studies conducted since 1980 found no evidence that caffeine consumption at moderate levels has any discernible adverse effect on pregnancy outcome.

A seven-year study of 1,500 women examined caffeine use during pregnancy and subsequent child development. Caffeine consumption, equivalent to about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of coffee per day had no effect on birth weight, birth length or head circumference. Follow-up examinations at ages eight months, four and seven years also revealed no effects of caffeine consumption on a child's motor development or intelligence.

In the early 1980s, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a study where rats were force-fed very high doses of caffeine through a stomach tube. While the results prompted an advisory to pregnant women to avoid caffeine, the study was criticized as not being representative of the way humans consume caffeine. In 1986, FDA researchers carried out another study, in which rats consumed high doses of caffeine in their drinking water. At the conclusion of the second study, the FDA found no adverse effects in the offspring, contradicting the agency's earlier findings.

A recent study published in 2001 examined the effect of maternal caffeine consumption throughout pregnancy on fetal growth and found evidence that caffeine consumption during pregnancy has no adverse effect on fetal growth. Additionally, a 2002 study entitled "Effect of caffeine exposure during pregnancy on birthweight and gestational age," in the American Journal of Epidemiology found no association between moderate caffeine consumption and reduced birthweight, gestational age or fetal growth.

Major studies over the last decade have shown no association between birth defects and caffeine consumption. FDA has evaluated this scientific evidence and concluded that caffeine does not adversely affect reproduction in humans. However, as with other dietary habits, the agency continues to advise pregnant women to consume caffeine in moderation.

Groups such as OTIS, March of Dimes, and Motherisk reviewed studies examining caffeine intake during pregnancy and are in agreement that high caffeine intake (>300 mg/day, equivalent to more than 3 cups of coffee/day) should be avoided during pregnancy. There is also general agreement that low caffeine intake (<150>

Following a statistical analysis of studies examining caffeine intake in pregnant woman, Motherisk(Motherisk 2001) stated, "Our results suggest a small but statistically significant increase in risk of spontaneous abortion and low birth weight babies in pregnant women consuming more than 150 mg of caffeine per day. Pregnant women should be encouraged to be aware of dietary caffeine intake and to consume less than 150 mg of caffeine a day from all sources throughout pregnancy."

Subsequent to their review of caffeine studies, OTIS (OTIS 2001) stated that "Recent reports suggest that low to moderate consumption of caffeine does not increase the risk for miscarriage. A few studies have shown that there may be an increased risk for miscarriage with high caffeine consumption (>300 mg/day), particularly in combination with smoking or alcohol, or with very high levels of caffeine consumption (>800 mg/day)." OTIS goes on to say that, "In humans, even large amounts of caffeine have not been shown to cause an increased chance for birth defects." OTIS concluded that ( OTIS 2001), "Most experts agree that moderation and common sense are the keys for consuming caffeinated items during pregnancy. "Moderate" caffeine consumption is approximately 300 mg/day, which is similar to 3 cups of coffee. It is also important for pregnant women to drink sufficient quantities of water, milk and juice. These fluids should not be replaced with caffeinated beverages."

*Note: The IFIC (IFIC August 2002) stated that, "For some women, nausea—"morning sickness"—is a common experience during early pregnancy. Though this phenomenon is unpleasant, researchers believe it is a normal and common aspect of early pregnancy. During a normal pregnancy, hormone levels are high, increasing the likelihood of becoming nauseated. If nauseated, pregnant women may not desire certain foods and beverages, including those that contain caffeine. Healthcare professionals often advise pregnant women who experience nausea to choose bland foods and beverages such as crackers and water."

Caffeine and breast feeding

Caffeine can enter the breast milk of nursing mothers (IFIC August 2002). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP 2002), "Caffeine tends to build up in babies’ systems because their bodies cannot get rid of it very easily. A morning cup of coffee is not likely to harm your baby, but too much caffeine can cause problems such as poor sleeping, nervousness, irritability, and poor feeding. Try using decaffeinated coffee and tea and avoid colas and other carbonated drinks that have added caffeine." OTIS (OTIS 2001) states that, "women should remain well hydrated with water, juice and milk while breastfeeding."

Caffeine levels in foods and drinks

Levels of caffeine typically found in drinks and foods are listed in the following table obtained from the IFIC website (IFIC August 2002).

	MILLIGRAMS OF CAFFEINE
ITEM	TYPICAL	RANGE*
Coffee (8 fl. oz. Cup)
Brewed, drip method	85	65 - 120
Brewed, percolator	75	60 - 85
Decaffeinated, brewed	3	2 - 4
Espresso (1 fl. oz. serving)	40	30 - 50
Teas (8 fl. oz. cup)
Brewed	40	20 - 90
Instant	28	24 - 31
Iced (8 fl. oz. glass)	25	9 - 50
Some soft drinks (8 fl. oz.)	24	20 - 40
"Energy drinks"	80	0 - 80
Cocoa beverage (8 fl. oz.)	6	3 - 32
Chocolate milk beverage (8 fl. oz.)	5	2 - 7
Milk chocolate (1 oz.)	6	1 - 15
Dark chocolate, semi-sweet (1 oz.)	20	5 - 35
Baker’s chocolate (1 oz.)	26	26
Chocolate-flavored syrup (1 fl. oz.)	4	4
*For the coffee and tea products, the range varies due to brewing method, plant variety, brand of product, etc.
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration and National Soft Drink Association