Most recent international health newscast in addition to examination from our health explore band.

We sensed immediately that Ellen was a very giving person. Forty-two years old. she was a homemaker, happily married and the mother of two teenage daughters.“I think most girls are dissatisfied with their weight,” she told us, “and I was no different. But when 1 look back at my pictures 1 was absolutely normal. I was twenty-five when I got married and I wore a size: eight. Hut I’m twice that size now.” She looked older than her years, too, with her soft brown hair going gray.”Right after I got married. I got pregnant with my first girl. 1 ended up twenty pounds heavier. With my second daughter. I gained another twenty, and somewhere along the way 1 picked up a few more.’”[ need to lose at least forty pounds, maybe even fifty,” she concluded.She knew about Carbohydrate Addict’s Center because a friend had consulted us. She’d even looked over her friend’s Carbohydrate Addict’s Test and determined that she? would test even higher than her friend had.”Last week. 1 really saw how bad things had gotten. I baked a square chocolate cake for Susan, my fourteen-year-old, because she was having friends over for a slumber party. 1 was finished baking by around one o’clock in the afternoon and the cake was cooling before I put. on my famous butter-cream frosting.” Ellen s manner was reserved, her voice- soft.”Each time I walked past the cake, I would smooth an end of it. picking up some crumbs to even it out. Then I would stick a knife into the frosting and smooth it out and lick it oft”. By the time I actually got around to putting on the frosting, the cake was about a quarter”Them I cut the cake in half in order to put one square layer on top of the other, but the shape looked strange. You know, too small to be a normal cake and too large for a small cake. I continued to pick and snack at the cake in order to make it look right, then I put it into the refrigerator.”Then I went into the bedroom and fell into a heavy sleep. I got up just as the; girls were getting home from school.” Ellen was very sheepish by the time- she reached this part of her story.”They went to the refrigerator and found this ridiculous little cake-that looked really strange. They wanted to know what had happened to the rest of the cake. Then—and here’s what really got to me—I lied. I said that my sister had come ewer—they know how she can eat—and that she ate up quite a bit of the cake. Hut the girls looked at me like they knew something was wrong.”Ellen finally went to the store to buy a cake for her daughter’s party. “I felt like a drug addict or alcoholic, covering up my addiction from my family. And I felt so frightened of them seeing through my story. Here I was of may own kids. It’s a really lousy way to feel.“That’s when I called you. I thought that you might be able to do something for me.”*23\236\2*

Comments (0) Apr 15 2011

One quarter of a million Australians suffer from diabetes, of whom eighty thousand receive daily insulin injections. The pool of people suffering from diabetes expands with age and approaches ten per cent in those over 70. Diabetes is a frequent cause of blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage and accelerated hardening of the arteries. Two forms of the illness can be clearly identified.
The first occurs in young people who suffer destruction of cells in the pancreas providing the body with Insulin. In the absence of this hormone a build up of sugar in the blood is experienced which produces an abrupt onset of intense thirst, excessive urination and weight loss. Victims of this “Juvenile” form of diabetes invariably require the life time provision of daily Insulin injections.
The second form of diabetes involves “Maturity Onset” in the middle aged and elderly. These people are usually overweight with fat cells that become resistant to the effects of Insulin or a pancreas that fails to increase the supply of Insulin in response to the overweight bodies extra demands. It follows that the 80 per cent of diabetics whose blood sugar is elevated due to the Maturity Onset form of diabetes would all benefit from the loss of extra weight. Insulin is rarely required by injection and the symptoms of Maturity Onset Diabetes are similar to those of Juvenile Diabetes except that the onset is usually slow and quite insidious.

Home Remedies
Diet, exercise, Insulin and blood glucose in diabetes are key variables. Diabetics should have a personal nutritional consultant. Insulin dependent diabetics who balance their daily calorie intake and exercise output with their blood sugar and Insulin requirements should have a home blood glucose monitor.
Calorie restriction and exercise control most cases of Maturity Onset Diabetes. Exercise lowers the blood sugar because the body’s skeletal muscles burn glucose without the need for Insulin. The use of medication in Maturity Onset Diabetes is a treatment of last resort. 15 per cent of people with Maturity Onset Diabetes taking medication eventually need the use of daily Insulin injections.

*1/131/5*

Comments (0) Mar 27 2011

In the search for clues to solve the mystery of why osteoarthritis occurs, researchers look at the factors that influence the development of the disease. We have already noted that the statistical risk of developing osteoarthritis increases with age and is higher for women than for men. This was once attributed to a lifetime of wear and tear, but as we’ve seen present thinking suggests that there may be other causes! However, we don’t know precisely what they are.
The following factors have been shown to have an impact on the incidence or severity of osteoarthritis:
-    Injuries
-    Heredity
-    Obesity
-    Occupation

Injuries
When a joint has been damaged by injury, severe overuse, or another disease, arthritis symptoms may develop over time. This is called secondary arthritis. (Primary arthritis is the ordinary land that arises seemingly from nowhere.)
Exercise in general promotes health, and some exercise may actually strengthen joints and muscles. This is great, because some evidence shows that weak muscles can lead to osteoarthritis. Weakness in the thigh muscles, for instance, puts greater stress on the knee joint, setting up the process of wear and tear. Strengthening these muscles might help prevent osteoarthritis, or at least keep it from progressing as quickly. However, excessive use of parts of the body can cause osteoarthritis symptoms to begin earlier in life.
It’s important to note that recreational sports at a reasonable level are not likely to be harmful for most people. Joints that are healthy to begin with appear to tolerate prolonged, vigorous, low-impact exercise without accelerated development of osteoarthritis. However, if you have already suffered damage to a joint, ligament, or tendon, you may need to be especially careful. Your doctor should be able to suggest appropriate sports and a good level of activity.

Heredity
Genetics appears to play a role in the development of osteoarthritis in the hands. However, it’s a modest role. Just because your mother had hand arthritis doesn’t mean you and your siblings will too. Most likely, a combination of genetic susceptibility and other unidentified factors in the environment must all be present at the same time if you’re to develop the disease.

Obesity
After the age of 65, the majority of adults in the industrialized world are obese, and obesity appears to be a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis. Unlike aging and genetics, this is one risk factor we can control. Losing weight will not only prolong your life, it will reduce the risk of living with serious discomfort.

Occupation
Certain job-related activities continued for many years can induce osteoarthritis in specific joints, most likely because of repeated injuries. Some well-studied examples include osteoarthritis of the knees and spine in miners, osteoarthritis of the hip in farmers, and increased rates of osteoarthritis in the upper joints of pneumatic-drill operators. If you’re in a profession that severely stresses your joints, you might be particularly interested to know that chondroitin and other “chondroprotective” substances may help prevent arthritis from developing or progressing.

Weather
Many people suffering from osteoarthritis swear that weather conditions influence their joint pain. So far, science can offer no proof that this is true, nor can it explain why this seems to happen. Few studies have been published on the subject, and they offer differing opinions.12 Physicians agree, however, that for those who believe weather can influence their pain, even though the causes remain unknown, the effect is real. Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do about this risk factor except retire to a warm climate.
*11/306/5*

Comments (0) Mar 20 2011

For many people, the desire to lose weight is the main purpose for starting an exercise program. Level of physical activity does have a direct effect upon metabolic rate, even raising it for a few hours following a vigorous workout. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, if you are planning to lose weight through exercise alone, without decreasing the amount of food you eat, you’ll have to exercise frequently (at least four days a week) for extended time periods (at least 50 minutes per workout). A more effective method for losing weight combines regular endurance-type exercises with a moderate decrease (about 500 to 1,000 calories per day) in food intake. Decreasing daily caloric intake beyond this range (“severe dieting”) appears to decrease metabolic rate by up to 20 percent, making weight loss more difficult.
A recent meta-analysis has challenged the commonly held view that exercise alone is not a useful strategy for obesity reduction. Moderately obese white men, who participated in daily exercise of moderate intensity (brisk walking) for 45 to 60 minutes per day, without decreasing their caloric intake, made rapid improvements in cardiovascular fitness and lost weight. This is good news in that it suggests that obese persons should participate in walking programs. Of equal importance is the perspective that the exercise program should not be viewed as a failure if it does not result in substantial weight loss. The improved cardiovascular fitness levels acquired through exercise also reduced the incidence of heart disease and type 2 diabetes in these participants and reduced the overall death rate.
*24/277/5*

Comments (0) Mar 13 2011

Both MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CT (Computerized Tomography) are ways of producing images of the structure of the brain. CT does this by measuring the way X-rays are absorbed by the brain. MRI does it in a more complex way, by surrounding the brain with a strong magnetic field and assessing the way that the water in the brain (which is composed of charged particles called protons) responds to high-frequency pulses of radiomagnetic energy. Sometimes the radiologist will ask for an injection of ‘contrast’ material to be injected intravenously. This substance will outline the major blood vessels in the brain and will show up any abnormalities in them.
Neither of these procedures is either harmful or uncomfortable, and both give a very good picture of the main structures of the brain. The radiologist who interprets the films will be able to tell whether the fluid-filled cavities in the brain (the ventricles), are normal in size and position, whether the convolutions of the brain are normal in shape and form, and whether or not there is an abnormality in the substance of the brain such as a tumour, a vascular anomaly or a developmental abnormality.
Although all major hospitals now have CT scanners, MRI scans are only available in a few units. However, it is always worth having an MRI scan if you can, because it can give information about the structure of the brain which the CT scan cannot give. Twenty per cent of people who have normal CTs are found to have abnormalities when they are given MRI scans.
In particular, the MRI scan can show the structure of the hippocampus and amygdala, which is an area in the temporal lobe of the brain from which seizures very commonly arise. MRI scanning can also show developmental abnormalities which are difficult to see on the CT. This is a technology which is developing very rapidly. A new technique called MRI spectroscopy shows chemical abnormalities in some cells, indicating the site of the seizure focus.
Having a CT scan
Having a CT scan is rather like having to lie with your head in a huge washing machine. You lie on a bed with your head inside a metal structure which rotates around it, sending out X-rays all the time. Even if you dislike being in confined spaces, you probably will not mind the CT scanner. The machine feels very open and there is plenty of space around you so that you should not feel at all constricted.
The whole scanning process is very quick and should be over within five minutes. However, it will take considerably longer for the computers to build up the brain pictures for the radiologist. While the scan is being taken it is essential that you lie absolutely still as any movement distorts the image.
Because X-rays are dangerous for an unborn child, CT scans are never given to anyone who is pregnant. Women are always asked to fill in a questionnaire before being scanned, letting the radiologist know the date of their last period.
Having an MRI scan
Having an MRI scan is a more complicated procedure. Because very strong magnetic fields, several million times stronger than the earth’s magnetic field, are used during MRI scanning, all watches, credit cards and metal materials such as belt buckles have to be left outside the scanning room.
You will have to fill in a questionnaire before having the scan. If you have a heart pacemaker you will not be able to have an MRI scan. You will be asked about the work that you do, too. If your job involves working with metal there is a risk that metal filings may have worked their way into your eyes. In this case, scanning may be dangerous as the magnetic field is strong enough to pull out the filings and damage the eye. Metal clips in the brain from previous intercranial surgery will also stop you having a scan. Metal bridges in the teeth and metal pins in the shoulders or hips will not usually prevent you having a scan, but you must note these on the form.
An MRI scanner looks quite different from a CT scanner. It consists of a long tube into which your whole body slides. It does seem constricting, and makes many people feel claustrophobic. If you tend to feel panicky in confined spaces, it is worth mentioning this to the doctor. You can then be given a sedative half an hour before the scan to make you feel more relaxed.
The MRI scanner also makes a terrible racket – a very loud drumming, thumping noise — while it is working. Most units offer you headphones so that you can play a tape of your choice, so make sure you take one with you. In fact, the noise is often so loud that you cannot hear the tape, but it is nice to know it is playing!
MRI scans take much longer than CT scans. The whole process of filling in the form, emptying your pockets, going into the scanner, being scanned, coming out again and being reunited with your possessions seldom takes less than an hour. As with the CT scan, it is essential that you lie absolutely still during the scan, as any movement degrades the MRI images. You will have to lie still for at least 20 minutes.
There is as yet no evidence that strong magnetic fields are in any way dangerous. However, because this is still a fairly new method, and it is always best to be on the safe side, MRI scans are not given to pregnant women.
*20\193\2*

Comments (0) Feb 27 2011

Evening primrose oil is a major breakthrough in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. Evening primrose oil has been found actually to reverse the nerve damage in diabetics.
It also makes sense to take evening primrose oil to prevent damage to the retina. There have been successful trials in Holland where linoleic acid was used, and it was found that the patients with diabetes who took large amounts of linoleic acid stopped the retinas from degenerating. Evening primrose oil would work in the same way as linoleic acid, but because it is more powerful, you would not need to take as much.

Nerve damage in diabetics
Until now, nerve damage in diabetics could not be treated. It has been a complication of diabetes which is the main cause of problems such as diabetic ulcers, and amputations. But now there promises to be a major new development in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.
This follows the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted on 133 patients in the UK and in Finland who had diabetic nerve damage. The study demonstrated that those patients who received GLA from Efamol improved, while those who received the placebo deteriorated.
This result confirms earlier work done on nerve damage in diabetics. In a study at the Institute of Neurological Sciences of Glasgow University Medical School2 22 patients with diabetic neuropathy took part in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial which lasted six months. Half the patients were given Efamol (4×500 mg morning and evening), the other half a placebo.
They were looking at eight different aspects of nerve function. They concentrated on sensations of heat and cold, and on nerve conduction. At the end of the trial all eight aspects of nerve function had improved in the group taking evening primrose oil, whereas all eight aspects had deteriorated in the group taking dummy capsules.
Recent research from scientists in France and Australia has provided evidence that diabetics cannot make GLA normally from linoleic acid in their diet, and this inability to make GLA may be a cause of some of the long term complications of diabetes. But GLA given to diabetics with nerve damage can both prevent and reverse diabetic nerve damage.

*2/60/5*

Comments (0) Feb 13 2011

These suggestions have helped other patients manage eating problems that can be frustrating to handle. Try all the ideas to find what works best for the patient. Share the needs and concerns with family and friends of the patient particularly those who prepare meals for the patient. Patient should let them know that he appreciates their support as he works to take control of eating problems.
Loss of appetite or poor appetite is one of the most common problems that occur with cancer and its treatment. Many things affect appetite, including feeling sick (having nausea, vomiting) and being upset or depressed about having cancer. A person, who has these feelings, whether physical or emotional, may not be interested in eating.
The patients may find the following suggestions helpful in making mealtime more relaxed so that they can eat more. The patient should:
1. Stay calm, especially at mealtime. Not hurry over meals.
2. Be involved in as many normal activities as possible. But, if uneasy and does not want to take part, should not do it per force.
3. Try changing the time, place and surroundings of meals. A candlelight dinner can make mealtime more appealing. The patient could set a colorful table and listen to soft music while eating, eat with others or watch favorite TV programme while eating.
4. Eat whenever hungry. He need not eat just three main meals a day. Several small meals throughout the day may be even better.
5. Add variety to the menu.
6. Eat food often during the day, even at bedtime. Have healthy snacks handy. Taking just a few bites of the right foods or sips of the right liquids every hour or so can help get more proteins and calories.
*6/356/5*

Comments (0) Feb 03 2011

Mouth sores, tender gums, and a sore throat or oesophagus often result from radiation therapy, anti-cancer drugs and infection. If patients have a sore mouth or gums, they must see their doctor to be sure the soreness is a treatment side-effect and not an unrelated dental problem. The doctor may be able to give medicine that will control mouth and throat pain. The dentist also can give tips for care of mouth.
Certain foods will irritate an already tender mouth and make chewing and swallowing difficult. By carefully choosing the foods the patient eats and by taking good care of mouth, one can usually make eating easier. Some suggestions that may help the patient are given here. Patients should:
1. Try soft foods that are easy to chew and swallow, such as:
- Milk shakes
- Bananas and other soft fruits
- Stewed peach, pear and apricot
- Watermelon
- Cottage cheese
- Mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese
- Custards, puddings and gelatin
- Scrambled eggs
- Oatmeal or other cooked cereals
-  Pureed or mashed vegetables such as peas and carrots
- Pureed meats
- Liquids.
2. Avoid foods that can irritate the mouth, such as:
- Citrus fruit or juice such as oranges
- Spicy or salty foods
- Rough, coarse or dry foods such as raw vegetables, toast, crackers.

3. Cook food until it is soft and tender.
4. Cut food into small pieces.
5. Mix food with butter, thin gravies and sauces to make it easier to swallow.
6. Use a blender or food processor to puree food.
7. Use a straw to drink liquids.
8. Try food cold or at room temperature. Hot and warm foods can irritate a tender mouth and throat.
9. Tilt the head back or move it forward if swallowing is hard.
10. Try sitting up or standing for about an hour after eating if heartburn is a problem.
11. The dentist may be able to recommend a special product for cleaning the teeth if the teeth and gums are sore.
12. Rinse mouth with water often to remove food and bacteria and to promote healing.
13. Ask the doctor about anesthetic lozenges and sprays that can numb the mouth and throat long enough to eat meals.
*7/356/5*

Comments (0) Jan 29 2011

Stage 1 (normal). In this stage, people with RA have no symptoms of arthritis, and their joints appear normal. Some of these people may be genetically susceptible to arthritis. Having the HLA-DR4 gene alone is not sufficient to cause someone to develop RA, however. It is presumed that some unknown trigger initiates the development of arthritis in the genetically susceptible person; that is, an unknown factor triggers the inflammatory process, and other unknown factors keep it going, apparently blocking normal resolution. One theory is that in RA, the communication between cells is disturbed in some way, allowing ongoing inflammation to occur.
Stage 2. This is the stage during which people with RA first have symptoms. Early in the course of arthritis, small lymphocytes migrate to the synovial lining, causing what is called synovitis or “inflammation of the synovium”. The macrophages and lymphocytes continue to promote inflammation by producing cytokines, the chemical signals that are sent from one cell to another. There are several cytokines being studied, and new ones are discovered all the time. We are just starting to appreciate their individual roles and how they help produce the symptoms of RA. Cytokines can induce an increase in the number of blood vessels going to the synovium, and with increased blood flow, the joints become warm. The leakage of cytokines into the bloodstream may also contribute to the fatigue that is so common in RA. Other cytokines are partially responsible for stimulating cells to produce prostaglandins and leukotrienes, both of which are potent producers of inflammation. Continued production of cytokines, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and other substances leads to swelling, warmth, and pain in the joints.
It is also during this stage that В lymphocytes are transformed into another type of white blood cell, the plasma cell, which manufactures antibodies. Antibodies, also referred to as immunoglobulins, are distinctive proteins that the body normally produces to fight against foreign viruses and bacteria. In RA, for reasons that are unclear, the body appears to produce an excessive amount of antibodies. One particular antibody often found in the blood of people with RA is called the rheumatoid factor.
The production of rheumatoid factor exacerbates the inflammatory process.
Stage 3. In this stage there is a marked increase in the number of cells in the synovium, possibly stimulated by the presence of different cytokines. The synovium becomes much thicker, or hypertrophied, and this makes the joint feel doughy or spongy. An increase in the amount of synovial fluid in the joint adds to the stiffness and limitation of motion of the joints. (Accumulation of joint fluid is known as joint effusion.)
With RA there is also an increase in hyaluronic acid, the lubricating substance in the synovial joint fluid. Many people believe that increased hyaluronic acid is responsible for morning stiffness (or morning gelling) and stiffness experienced after sitting for a prolonged period of time without moving (gelling phenomenon).
Joint fluid contains inflammatory white blood cells called neutrophils (or polymorphonuclear leukocytes). (Why lymphocytes reside in the synovial lining and neutrophils appear in the synovial fluid is unclear.) In the joint affected by RA, neutrophils join lymphocytes in perpetuating the inflammatory process. In testing for RA, the physician may remove a sample of fluid from the joints to determine the relative proportions of these cells present. This helps the physician differentiate RA from other forms of arthritis.
A person in any one of the three earliest stages of RA may experience significant joint symptoms including pain, heat, swelling, stiffness, and loss of motion. All of these inflammatory changes are potentially reversible with proper medical therapy.
*8/209/5*

Comments (0) Jan 16 2011

The ability to keep our emotions under control is a necessary pre-condition for any organized, civilized society. Mutual cooperation and teamwork are only possible when people can delay demands for gratification of their needs and desires, and are able to inhibit the outward display of feelings of resentment or anger. It is important for human beings to be able to control their emotions in situations of emergency and unexpected threat, because the ability to survive such crises usually involves teamwork and co-operation.
In emergency situations we are usually able to call on reserves of will-power to control our emotions enough to cope with the immediate problems which present themselves. Many people have experienced calm in the midst of a crisis, which has enabled them to take clear and decisive action. When the immediate danger has passed, they begin then to experience the fear that was appropriate to the situation.
The inhibitory reserves which allow us to delay the experience of fear and anxiety in crisis situations are only meant to operate in an emergency. However, we know that people under stress and beginning to experience anxiety symptoms from overload can, for a time, use their emergency inhibitory reserves to ignore the nervous system’s alarm signal, that is, the symptoms of anxiety. When these reserves are exhausted, the ability to dampen down unwanted or inconvenient emotions is lost. As a result the person becomes emotionally labile, that is, his or her emotional display can change very rapidly from tears to laughter and back.
Our will-power mechanism also gives us the ability to force ourselves to do things which are not in themselves enjoyable. However, our ability to continue forcing ourselves into unenjoyable tasks has a definite limit. In stage two stress breakdown, the symptom of loss of the ability to motivate oneself to adapt to changing circumstances is caused by the self-starter mechanism running out of energy, like a car battery running out of electric charge. People who experience second stage stress breakdown symptoms will report that they are utterly incapable of forcing themselves to do anything. They seem to have run out of the energy they need to psych themselves into doing things.
Some people, who are beginning to experience stage two, find that whereas they cannot force themselves into tidying up the house, they can do it if they don’t try to do it. Listening to the radio and wandering about tidying up things which happen to be in the vicinity while concentrating on the radio programme, is a method used by some people. Others find they have the ability to help someone else, but don’t have the psychic energy to plan to do the tasks themselves.

*16/129/5*

Comments (0) Jan 05 2011