Health News and Information

CANCER AND PRECANCER PREVENTION: LUNG CANCER PREVENTION

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:27:39 +0000

Investigators have shown that patients at high risk for developing lung cancer (heavy smokers, for instance) had their risk greatly reduced if their serum levels of beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium were very high. Bronchial metaplasia, an abnormality of cells in the bronchial tubes, is considered to be an indicator of lung cancer risk in smokers. Retinoids, folate, and vitamin B12 have reversed metaplasia in smokers. Other precancerous lung conditions are also being treated with beta-carotene, vitamin E, and other antioxidants. Zinc is being used in conjunction with other antioxidants to treat precancerous conditions of the esophagus. Many of these studies are being done in cooperation with the United States National Cancer Institute and other foreign universities, including ones in China, Finland, and Africa. Other studies show similar findings, that is, a correlation between high levels of beta-carotene and other antioxidants and a low risk of getting cancers at eight different sites.*38\360\2*

YOUTH NUTRIENTS: SEARCH-AND-DESTROY MISSION

admin — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:30:32 +0000

Fine, so we have all these antioxidants helping to clean up after us. So what’s the problem? All we have to do is eat a couple of carrots, drink a glass of orange juice, maybe break down and have a yogurt, and we’re covered. It’s not quite so simple. Sure, if we make some minor adjustments in our diet we will get some minor protection. After all, a glass of skimmed milk with a huge burger, fries and onion rings is better than a soda. A slice of tomato in a mayo-thick tuna salad sandwich is slightly better than no tomato at all. A piece of broccoli as a side to the twelve-ounce grilled steak and baked potato with butter is better than no broccoli at all. But it still isn’t enough. It’s not enough to add a token antioxidant dose and still go on gobbling down all the foods that create free radical damage in the first place. Give yourself a break today, and I don’t mean what you think I mean.We aren’t doing our health, our longevity and our weight any good unless we really make antioxidant-rich foods the bulk of our diet and all those other things an occasional, very occasional indulgence.That’s the Fountain of Youth secret.There’s more. It isn’t just the food you eat that is ageing you with massive amounts of free radicals, it’s smoking, it’s drinking to excess, it’s sitting around on your fanny, it’s weighing too much, it’s living with too many stresses and no healthy outlets, it’s all of these things.See how even more important it is to flood your cells with healing, soothing, youth-enhancing antioxidants?*61\323\8*

PREVENTIVE DRUGS TO TREAT MIGRAINE: EXTERNAL FACTORS

admin — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:24:43 +0000

Probably one of the commonest predisposing conditions in migraine is stress-anxiety, or tension. There are now many tranquillizing drugs which act to relieve these states and, in doing so, prevent migraine attacks. The most widely used group are the benzodiazepines, of which Valium and Librium are the best known and perhaps over-used. Tranquillizers exert a calming effect by acting on those structures in the brain concerned with emotion. (Apart from this effect on the specific receptors in the brain, Valium relaxes skeletal muscle, which is helpful in muscle-contraction headaches.) The soothing effect of these drugs on anxiety or agitation also makes people less likely to react to external stress and, because of this, it can be very effective in reducing the frequency of headaches.Small doses are prescribed so that untoward effects, such as drowsiness, should not occur; other unwanted effects of Valium such as depression, apathy, and loss of muscle tone are also avoided. With chronic high dosage more serious effects are personality changes, such as sudden rages and irritability (similar to those experienced by people addicted to alcohol). Suddenly stopping these drugs can result in acute episodes of anxiety. These serious side-effects are infrequent and Valium is a remarkably safe and very useful medicine. Other substances in this group include Ativan, Librium, and Nobrium.Equally important in increasing the frequency of migraine is depression and this too is eminently remediable by antidepressant drugs.Of the three main types, the most commonly used are the tricyclics, e.g. Tryptizol (amitryptiline). These work by increasing the level of noradrenalin in the brain and so control mood. As the drug accumulates in the blood, it may take up to two weeks before its antidepressant effect is noticed. Because these drugs antagonize the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which helps to produce saliva, a common side-effect is dryness of the mouth. As acetylcholine is the transmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, its other side-effects include speeding up the heart rate.The tricyclics are surprisingly effective against migraine even in sufferers who are not depressed, possibly because the two conditions are related biochemically. If the migraine is aggravated by depression, treatment with tricyclics is particularly rewarding. Similar to the tricyclics but with fewer side-effects are the new tetracyclic antidepressants; although their value in migraine has not been fully assessed, they have the advantage that they exert their effects almost at once.A second group of antidepressants act as inhibitors of the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO). This enzyme breaks down amines, active substances that play a part in the transmission of nervous impulses (neurotransmitters). MAO inhibitors are also effective in the treatment of migraine and their usefulness again is not confined only to patients who are depressed. This is paradoxical because the level of MAO is low during an attack of migraine; in this situation it is difficult to know in which way MAO is having its effect. However, there are several forms of MAO and more specific inhibitors, which inhibit only one variety, are now being tested.Patients taking MAO inhibitors should not eat food containing tyramine (such as cheese) since they may develop reactions such as episodes of high blood pressure. Because of these reactions, the use of these drugs is limited to more serious cases of depression and they are not usually prescribed simply for migraine.
*59/152/5*

DISEASES OF THE SKIN: ABSCESS, ACNE, BROMIDROSIS, BOILS AND CARBUNCLES

admin — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:29:32 +0000

So far we have not followed the usual medical idea of listing each skin complaint as a specific condition for which specific methods of treatment have to be applied. Rather, we have taken the view, common to Nature Cure, that the system is either functioning normally, as in health, or not, as in impaired health. This is particularly true in relation to the skin. The ideal to aim at is a healthy skin, because when that has been achieved we shall have normal functioning, which is the reverse of disease. It does not matter very much what particular form the departure from this condition may take; to return to full health is the point we need to have in mind.But in order to give an idea of the various forms in which skin diseases may express themselves we give below a brief description of some of the commoner ones. No attempt will be made to cover them all in detail; the very fact that well over a hundred are dealt with in some of the larger text-books on the subject will show how difficult that would be from the standpoint of space -and how unnecessary it would be from the standpoint of Nature Cure.
AbscessThis may sometimes form in the tissues of the skin but is generally a complication following acne, eczema, or some such condition.
AcneAn inflammatory condition of the sebaceous glands and the hair follicles usually found on the face, the neck and the shoulders. The eruption may go through several different stages, from that of a roughened skin to the actual pus spot which forms and bursts. Those who are interested in the details of these changes are able to classify the different kinds of changes which the disease may take in different patients, but there is no reason why we should, from our point of view, enter into any such a complication.
Bromidrosis This is the term sometimes used to describe offensive perspiration. It may be the result of some bodily derangement, or, on the other hand, it may be the result of taking some kind of drug. Drugs are eliminated by way of the skin and may affect both the odour and the colour of the perspiration. Cases have been seen where it has been highly coloured, yellow, green, red, blue or purple.
BoilsBoils may form in the skin and the adjacent tissues. They are very painful conditions which should receive urgent attention, both locally and constitutionally. Careful regulation of the diet is required in all these cases.
CarbunclesThese are similar to boils, except that they are more serious and are more upsetting in a general way. They involve the sebaceous glands and the hair follicles, and may exude pus from several openings. They require constitutional treatment.
*26/154/5*

YOUR PAIN: THE SENSATION OF PAIN ITSELF

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:28:04 +0000

We are used to discussing sensation as the consequence of stimulation in a series of boxes: first, injury generates an announcement of its presence in sensory nerves; second, the attention mechanism selects the incoming message as worthy of entry,- and third, the brain generates the sensation of pain. But we have to ask how the brain interprets the input. The classical theory is that the brain analyzes the sensory input to determine what has happened and presents the answer as a pure sensation. I propose an alternative theory: that the brain analyzes the input in terms of what action would be appropriate.Let us explore these alternative theories because they have practical consequences for pain therapy. If the classical theory were true, the first action of the brain is to identify the nature of the events that generated the sensory input. This should produce the first sensation of injury as pure pain. The next stage of the classical theory is that different parts of the brain perceive the pure sensation and generate an assessment of affect: ‘is the pure pain miserable, dangerous, frightening and so on?’. My first reaction, on introspection, is that I have never felt a pure pain. Pain for me arrives as a complete package. A particular pain is at the same time painful, miserable, disturbing and so on. I have never heard a patient speak of pain isolated from its companion affect.Because classical theory assigns different parts of the brain to the task of the primary sensory analysis and the task of adding affect, one would expect some disease to separate pain from misery. No such disease is known. During neurosurgical operations, very small areas of brain can be stimulated, some of which cause pain. There has never been a report of pain evoked that was not accompanied by fear, misery or other strong affects. Finally, there are parts of brain, such as the primary sensory cortex, which have been classically assigned the role of primary sensory analysis studies and yet in the imagine studies, these are often reported as silent when the subject reports pain. Even for the sympathetic pain on hearing of the death of a friend, the sensation is inseparable from the sadness and loneliness.Instead, let us examine the alternative, which is that the brain analyzes its sensory input in terms of the possible action that would be appropriate to the event which triggered the whole process. There is in this absolutely no suggestion that any action need take place. Trained subjects and stoics may receive a clearly painful stimulus with no overt movement, even though they can later report the nature of the pain they felt. There are elaborate and extensive areas of our brain concerned with motor planning as distinct from motor movement itself. It is precisely these areas that are most obviously active when the brain is imaged in subjects who are in pain but who are quite stationary with no movement.The most astonishing example of the involvement of motor bias in sensory interpretation is seen in people who have suffered a stroke which has destroyed their inferior parietal cortex. This part of the brain lies on the side of the brain just above the pinna of the ear. If the stroke has occurred on the right side of the brain, these people appear completely unaware of anything on the left side of their world. They appear blind and deaf to anything occurring on the left and, most bizarre of all, when shown their own left hand they deny that it is part of them. When asked to draw the numbers on a clock face, they fill in the numbers from one to six and then stop.Italian doctors in Milan showed that this neglect of the left half of the world even applied to the memory of a scene. They asked their patients to imagine that they were walking into the cathedral square in Milan by a road that enters the square opposite the cathedral on the south side. They were then asked to describe the buildings in the square. These citizens of Milan could recite the famous buildings on the east side of the square but were quite unable to recall any on the west. After a rest, they were asked to imagine that they were entering the square by a road on the north side. Now, imagining that they are facing south, they can recite the names of buildings to their right on the west side of the square but are quite unable to list the buildings on the other side, which they had been able to describe when they imagined they were facing the other way. This all sounds like complete madness, and it is true that the patients are poorly from their recent stroke and usually paralyzed on the left side. However, this precise condition of one-sided neglect has been observed repeatedly in patients in many countries.Classical theory explained this condition by proposing that there was a complete sensory map of the outside world and of the body in the brain, and that the stroke had destroyed the left side of the map. Now comes the really astounding fact. Italian doctors, whose results were confirmed by many others, discovered that stimulation of the vestibular system in the ear completely restored all sensation on the left side. It disappeared again as soon as the stimulation stopped. What could be going on? The vestibules in the ear continually inform the motor system about the body’s position in the up-down and sideways directions. It is our major organ of balance. It is obvious that the map had not been destroyed in the patients but that they did not have the ability to refer to the entire left side of the map. How could that be? Disturbed messages from the vestibular system, which controls sensory-motor posture, had slammed the frame of reference for the whole brain so far to the right that it was unable to perform both its sensory and motor tasks on the left side. It is apparent that we can sense only those events to which we can make an appropriate motor response.What would be the consequences of following the hypothesis that sensory events are analyzed in terms of the appropriate motor responses? It would provide a more satisfactory explanation of the paradoxes produced by the classical hypothesis and would help us begin to understand the facts just described. What are the appropriate motor responses to the arrival of injury signals? They attempt: first, to remove the stimulus; second, to adopt a posture to limit further injury and optimize recovery,- and third, to seek safety, relief and cure. The youngest, most inexperienced animal may attempt a series of these responses triggered by built-in mechanisms. As the animal grows in experience, the reactions will become more subtle, elaborate and sophisticated. If the sequence is frustrated at any stage, the sensation and posture remain.Humans develop and elaborate the three-stage responses from the moment of birth. Until some ten years ago, pain in newborn babies was neglected and even denied by professionals for two reasons. The first was that the human brain was seen as a hierarchy of levels: the spinal cord, the brainstem and the cortex. This view had been introduced by Hughlings Jackson in the nineteenth century. Each level was believed to dominate and control the level below. The hierarchy of levels was believed to be an evolutionary development and to be repeated in the development of each individual. The ability to feel pain, misery and suffering was assigned as a property unique to the cortex. All reactions to injury in the absence of cortex were called simple reflexes and were thought mechanical and free of sensation or emotion. This was the view that led Descartes to deny mind to lower creatures, and was perpetuated in post-Darwinian neurology, which assigned sensation and emotion to recently evolved structures such as the forebrain and cortex. It is true that we have a poorly developed cortex at birth. It takes two years for the major motor outflow from the cortex to establish control over the spinal cord. The second line of reasoning was that, because babies could not feel pain, there was no point in giving them potentially dangerous analgesic drugs.Fortunately, thinking has changed such that pain in babies and children has become a major focus of attention. Of the many pioneers who brought about this revolution, I will mention two: K. J. S. Anand, a paediatric anaesthetist of Sikh origin now living in the United States, and Maria Fitzgerald, a neuroscientist in London. Turning away from endless inconsequential philosophy on whether a baby feels pain, they and others turned to practical objective measures. The first question was whether a baby who must be operated on soon after birth would prosper better if treated with a full battery of analgesics, as would be given to an adult. The answer was a powerful yes, and the result has been a marked change in neonatal anaesthesia and in survival. The second question was whether the injuries commonly suffered by babies, especially premature ones, produce a long-term shift of behaviour. Again the answer is yes. Fitzgerald showed that even the act of taking a blood sample without anaesthesia changed the motor behaviour of premature babies.In the child and the adult, there is a continuous development of the way in which the victim moves through the three stages of reaction. Experience teaches skills. Society adds its methods of help and its prohibitions. Expectation becomes tuned.*75\219\2*

IBS AND HYPERVENTILATION

admin — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:03:37 +0000

The impression that patients suffering from the Irritable Bowel Syndrome hyperventilated was researched in a three-month study at St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey. It did not prove that there was an association but it was convincing enough to suggest that further study would be worthwhile. Increased swallowing was noted in Irritable Bowel sufferers; this was thought to be the result of hyperventilation making the mouth dry. It also suggested that some symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome may respond well to breathing exercises.L.C. Lum, formerly Consultant Chest Physician at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, in his paper ‘Hyperventilation Syndromes in Medicine and Psychiatry’, states that people who hyperventilate frequently have the Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and many have definite symptoms of food intolerance. He also said that many people with food intolerance also have symptoms of hyperventilation.These findings are not surprising. You will see in this chapter how breathing affects the nerves and anything which upsets the nervous system must have repercussions in the gut. We have also seen how food and chemical intolerance can make the nasal mucosa swell; this in itself is a cause of hyperventilation.*96\326\8*

HEART ACTIVITY: BLOOD AND TEMPERATURE

admin — Sat, 21 May 2011 13:44:45 +0000

Most of us know that the body temperature is maintained near 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is held rather constantly by the body because all systems are geared to function best at this temperature level. When we are exposed to heat or cold, our body attempts to adjust itself to these circumstances and to maintain an internal temperature as near to normal as possible. We are familiar with the process of shivering when we are chilled. Shivering results from a rapid contraction of muscles in various parts of the body. This muscular contraction produces heat which warms the blood and helps maintain a constant body temperature. When we are hot, on the other hand, the body compensates by perspiring and radiating heat from the skin surface. The blood flow to the skin increases, carrying body heat to the surface blood vessels from which it can be radiated. The process of perspiration requires the production of water, which surfaces to the skin, and by the process of evaporation allows the body to lose heat. This slightly salty water is produced by sweat glands through the basic operation of increased blood flow to these organs. Therefore, a person who is exposed to a hot or a cold environment has increased heart work.*13/309/5*

BACH FLOWER REMEDIES: THE NEGATIVE RED CHESTNUT STATE

admin — Thu, 19 May 2011 13:26:18 +0000

Even the doctors and nurses are not immune to negative Red Chestnut state when treating or attending to their very close relatives. Most of the doctors would rather have their children treated by some other doctor if the case is serious. They should take Red Chestnut if they feel over-concerned about a patient.To summarize the main features of the negative Red Chestnut state(a) Without any selfish interest feels much anxiety over dangers that might befall their loved ones.(b) Worries over the problems of others with no fear for own person.(c) Over-protective, over-caring for others.(d) Apprehension and worry over imaginary mishappening to the other person, if he is late.(e) Fusses over a harmless symptom as if it was an indication of a very serious disease in another person.(f) If a person has been saved from a very serious accident, he starts imagining all the terrible things that might have happened to the other person. Fear and worry for all those imaginary troubles.For clear conception of “worry and concern” for others in Flower Remedies, remember:”RED CHESTNUT” has no self-interest in their concern and worry for others, except on humanitarian grounds. They are concerned and apprehensive for the safety of persons known or unknown to them. “CHICORY” are selfish and possessive in their concern for their loved ones. They remain totally unconcerned if the danger pertains to some one else in whom they have no interest.*160\308\8*

TREATMENT OF EARLY LYME DISEASE

admin — Fri, 13 May 2011 10:07:56 +0000

Treatment of early Lyme disease is aimed at resolution of symptoms and prevention of late complications. For the treatment of early localized or early disseminated disease without third-degree heart block or neurologic complications in adults, current guidelines recommend doxycycline 100 mg orally twice daily or amoxicillin 500 mg orally three times daily for 14 to 21 days as first-line therapy. Cefuroxime axetil at 500 mg orally twice daily is a costly alternative for patients who cannot tolerate doxycycline or amoxicillin. Pregnancy and lactation are relative contraindications to doxycycline therapy.Pediatric regimens include amoxicillin 50 mg/kg/day orally divided into three doses up to a maximum of 500 mg per dose or, for children 8 years or older, doxycycline 1 to 2 mg/kg/day divided into two doses up to a maximum of 100 mg per dose. Alternative therapy with cefuroxime axetil at 30 mg/kg/day divided into two doses up to a maximum of 500 mg per dose is recommended for children who cannot take amoxicillin or doxycycline. Age < 8 years is a relative contraindication to doxycycline therapy.Macrolides should be reserved for patients who cannot tolerate amoxicillin, doxycycline, or cefuroxime axetil. Adult regimens include azithromycin 500 mg orally daily for 7 to l0 days or erythromycin 500 mg orally four times daily for 14 to 21 days, or clarithromycin 500 mg orally twice daily for 14 to 21 days. Pediatric macrolide regimens include azithromycin 10 mg/kg/day up to a maximum of 500 mg per dose or erythromycin 12.5 mg/kg four times daily up to 500 mg per dose, or clarithromycin 7.5 mg/kg twice daily up to 500 mg per dose.*164/348/5*

HEALTHY BONES AND RISKS YOU CAN’T AVOID: SHAWNA’S STORY

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:08:00 +0000

Shawna had been struggling with bulimia for a long time when she went to my colleague, endocrinologist Dr. Ed Klaiber, because she hadn’t had a period for over three years. Fair and small-boned to begin with, Shawna now had almost no body fat. When she had her estrogen levels tested, they were very low. Among other things, that put her bones at risk. Unfortunately, a bone density scan confirmed her doctors’ fears: 25-year-old Shawna had the bones of a 65-year-old woman.Working with her regular doctor, she finally seemed to be getting her eating disorder under control at this point. Following Dr. Klaiber’s advice, she also began taking Fosamax and estrogen. Combining therapies in this way was unorthodox at the time, though studies now confirm that various drugs in combination provide increased responses over any one alone. It surely worked for Shawna: she’s gotten back 18 percent of her bone in one year.*24\228\2*