Health News and Information

MENTAL HEALTH: LIGHT TREATMENT

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:22:50 +0000

In 1979, Dr. Al Lewy, now professor of psychiatry at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, and Dr. Wehr began work on a hormone called melatonin, released by the pineal gland in the brain. Their studies revealed that light plays an important role in triggering and setting the biological clocks in animals. Other studies showed that exposure to light stops nighttime production of melatonin in the pineal gland. Dr. Lewy, Dr. Wehr, and their colleagues have found that nighttime melatonin production in humans can be stopped with 2,500 lux-intensity light. (Lux, Latin for light, is the unit of measure for brightness.) This suggests that such brightness could be used to reset human biological rhythms.

It was their melatonin work that brought Herb Kern to the National Institute in 1980. He asked Dr. Lewy to measure his melatonin levels. Mr. Kern, an engineer, had an undiagnosed case of SAD. He had kept records on his mood changes for 15 years and had told his doctors that, as the days got shorter, he “just wanted to crawl into a hole and hibernate.” Mr. Kern recalls, “I finally latched on to the thought that sunlight was the key. When the days got longer in summer, the wheels of my brain would spin again.” But, he says, his doctors didn’t listen to him.

Dr. Lewy suggested lengthening Mr. Kern’s winter days by sitting him in a room under bright fluorescent lights for 6 hours – three before dawn and three after sundown. Within days, Kern reported feeling as if springtime were around the corner. He still takes 2 hours of light treatment at 6 A.M. from fall to spring. “Since using the lights, I have been able to manage my depressions very nicely,” he says.

The doctors spent the next few years focusing on the effects of light on mood and wanted to extend the study with more patients. Dr. Rosenthal told a reporter from the Washington Post about Mr. Kern and another patient. When the article was printed, thousands inquired about treatment. That was the first hint that SAD was a common disorder. With a selected group of patients, the doctors showed that light relieves wintertime depression. They also found that the brighter the light, the shorter the SAD treatment. Since then, studies worldwide have demonstrated the same, and the American Psychiatric Association now lists seasonal mood swings as a form of mental disease.

In New York, Dr. Terman has a new computerized approach: creating an artificial dawn. In phototherapy, “we were turning on very bright light suddenly after the patient wakes up,” he says. “But when the eye is adapted to the dark while sleeping, it is ‘looking’ for a gradual transition to dawn. We put computer systems in a patient’s bedroom to gradually turn on a light from very dim to bright, like a sunrise. Within a few days, we got results equal to any effect of bright-light therapy. The patients wake up spontaneously, refreshed. “

Dr. Terman says he tried it, because he detects seasonal changes in energy level and sleep in himself: “I maintained a summer sunrise throughout winter and was not groggy. It is a natural alarm clock.”

Scientists already have shown that exposure to light can reset the biological clock if work shifts change or jet lag strikes. Some people have delayed sleep – biological clocks that won’t let them go to sleep before 2 A.M. Others have advanced sleep and can’t keep their eyes open after sundown. Light treatment can reset both.

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GENERAL HEALTH

GOOD NUTRITION FOR OLDER PEOPLE: DIETARY PLANNING

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:22:17 +0000

The lifetime pattern of eating is not easily changed, and the older woman who has always liked rich desserts or the man accustomed to eating hearty rich foods will find it difficult to adjust to the lower calorie requirements. The Four Food Groups still furnish the basis for meal planning because they provide all the nutrients needed by the older man and woman.

Since the Basic Diet provides 1165 kcal, the woman of 51 years or older will need to restrict her intake of calorie-rich foods lest she rapidly gain weight. Some useful points to keep in mind when planning meals for older persons are noted below.

1. Consider the food likes and dislikes of the individual. Learn to use essential foods in dishes acceptable to the person. For example, milk may be disliked as a beverage but well accepted in puddings, custards, cream soups, and cream sauces, on cereals, and so on.

2. Use fried foods, rich desserts, highly seasoned foods, and strongly flavored vegetables with discretion and according to the patient’s tolerance.

3. If chewing is difficult, adjust the meals to include finely minced or chopped meats, soft breads, fruits, and vegetables.

4. Serve four or five small meals when the appetite is poor.

5. Breakfast is the meal most enjoyed by many older persons, and every effort should be made to provide pleasing variety.

6. Dinner at noon rather than in the evening is preferred by some.

7. If coffee and tea produce insomnia, they should be restricted to meals early in the day.

8. Encourage a liberal fluid intake daily. Adjust the fiber content of the diet if constipation is a problem.

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GENERAL HEALTH

YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH/EYE DISORDERS: LONG-SIGHTEDNESS (HYPEROPIA)

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:18:36 +0000

If your child can see distant objects clearly, but has trouble seeing things from up close, he may be long-sighted. This is one of the commonest problems that children have with their eyesight.

Cause

Long-sightedness is due to the length of the eyeball from front to back being shorter than usual. This interferes with the way light is reflected from the back of the eye, distorting the image transferred to the brain.

Clinical features

Long-sightedness does not usually become apparent until the child is a toddler. It is often associated with a squint. Because the child strains his eyes to see close up, he may complain of sore eyes, headache or fatigue. He may be uninterested in reading because of the eye strain it causes him.

Treatment

If you suspect that your child is long-sighted, see your doctor who will arrange referral to an eye specialist for tests.

When to see your doctor

See your doctor if your child has any of the symptoms described above.

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LEAVING YOUR CHILDREN SOMETHING TO LOVE BY/SOME ANSWERS TO THESE MISASSUMPTIONS REGARDING SEXUALITY: YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEARN WHAT COMES NATURALLY

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 05:38:38 +0000

I don’t need to discuss this stuff. I don’t know why my mom and

dad wanted me to come here. It’s just natural stuff. You don’t have

to learn what comes naturally.

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL

You’re half right and half wrong. Being sexual is natural. You inherit that by being human. But making love, relating to another person sexually, must be learned. Even animals have to be taught, have to be helped to be able to copulate, to have sex together. If you see them doing it, they learned it by watching other animals.

What separates us from other animals is how much and how well we can learn things, and that includes sexual things. That means we can learn to do much more than copulate. We can learn to love, to touch, to treat each other with respect. If you ever have a sexual) problem, it will really be a learning problem, so you will have to ask your parents or the person you love to help you learn more.

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YOUR MARITAL HEALTH/WHY HUSBANDS DON’T HAVE ORGASM: MR. MYTH – THE SEXUAL-DEPRIVATION MYTH

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:24:44 +0000

I try to deprive myself. I don’t masturbate and I stop even asking for sex. I thought that maybe a few weeks of celibacy-would prime the pump. Maybe I need a new pump.

HUSBAND

The energy concept of sexuality continues to dominate sex in marriage. It is simply not true that by holding back your sexual expression, you will build up a ‘ ’sex-drive bank.” As a matter of fact, the less sex you have, the less sexual you tend to feel and think.

One of my medical students was very critical of this material as I presented it. “I’m sure that the less sex I have, the more I want it.” He came back three months later to report, “You’re right. I got so busy in this medical school curriculum that I forgot all about sex. Then I had sex with my girlfriend last night. Now I can’t get it off my mind.”

Sexual activity leading to more sexual interest is why it is important to schedule sex, even though you have been taught that sex ought to be spontaneous. Super marital sex requires making time for sex, not counting on some inner drive to perpetuate sexual interest. Nothing about our health is automatic. Diet, exercise, dental care must be scheduled. Sex is no different. Spontaneity is more likely if regular sex is taking place, because the opportunity for spontaneity is created.

Not all sex can be mutual. If we over-romanticize our sexuality, see it exclusively as a mutually pleasing interaction in every instance, we burden our relationship. The emphasis on doing everything right, putting everything together, completing the shift, is another mechanistic approach to sex left over from the first three perspectives. Sexual frequency and style is a matter under our control. All motivation is preceded by behavior. You will feel sexier if you behave sexily. Saving it up, trying to create a sexual savings account, trying to make sure all account holders are pleased every time only results in loss of interest.

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TRUE HEALING – PRACTICAL ADVICE: 1-ST DAY OF FASTING AND 2-6 DAY OF FASTING

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:23:14 +0000

1-st day of fasting

Your mind-body system has been working all night, preparing the most urgent deposits for disposal. Your bowel should be full, despite the fact, that you cleansed it thoroughly only a few hours ago and that you have not eaten anything that night at all.

Go to the toilet and let your bowel empty itself. If you have difficulties, make a quick “single cycle” enema.

Go to work as usual. Do not eat anything at all. Drink as much water as you wish. Never let the water bottle out of your sight. It should be everywhere with you.

You can go to the sauna and spend 3 sessions of 10-15 minutes there, drying the sweat after each session with a towel. Do not go to a spa, unless the water there is ozonised and chlorine/fluoride free.

In the evening perform another enema.

2-6 day of fasting

No food. Water only. You should feel great. Your body just got rid of the huge amount of the most urgent waste deposit during the previous days. Your natural instincts and healing have been awakened.

If you feel that lack of food is indeed making you quite uncomfortable, you can add a teaspoon of natural honey into your water two or three times a day. Do not add honey to hot water. Lukewarm water is best.

Go to sauna if you feel like it. Do not do enemas every day, only when you feel that your bowel is full and your assistance is required. Do enema also when you feel sick. Your body tells you that it has some extra toxins ready to dispose, and some of them are being absorbed back, making you feel sick. Listen to your body and trust your instincts.

Go to work as normal. If you are physically active – do your jogging, squash or tennis as usual, but watch what your body is saying. You may have to adjust the intensity of your exercise.

Note how sharp your mind is, and how easily it is for you to solve problems. Use this. Study and read books, which you thought were too difficult for you. Engage in creative activities. Notice how many ideas spring to your mind.

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MELANOMA – GENERAL INFORMATION

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:45:15 +0000

Because of the different behavior of melanomas at different ages it is believed some hormonal influence may play a part. Any change in a mole should arouse suspicion. The changes to watch for are if the mole enlarges, or itches, or bleeds, or ulcerates or if changes in its pigment get darker or even lighter.

Experts do differ about the correct initial treatment of the suspicious mole, and even when dealing with an established melanoma.

Some doctors would initially remove the suspicious mole leaving a normal area of skin around it then close the wound.

Should examination of the mole reveal it is malignant then a second operation is performed where a large section of skin is removed.

Some surgeons go further and remove the mole, a large area of skin and the skin which leads to the nearest draining lymph glands.

Because the common spread of melanoma is by the draining lymph channels to the lymph glands, these glands are removed as well.

Some surgeons believe this should be done in the one operation. Because the wide separation between the skin cannot be joined together by stitches, a skin graft is necessary.

Other surgeons believe their results to be as good by carrying out the primary removal of the melanoma and only the lymph glands if they show evidence of involvement such as by enlargement.

The difference in opinion arises because of the unpredictable behavior of melanomas.

It has now become common to use the cytotoxic drugs as well. These are drugs which kill the cancer cells present at a distance from the original site.

Treatment in the past was unsatisfactory and the outlook for melanomas poor. But, as with most cancers, the treatment has dramatically improved over recent years.

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CAUSES OF CANCER – FACTORS

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 07:55:08 +0000

Other factors in the environment are exposures to viruses. The hepatitis Â virus may cause cancer of the liver in Africans exposed both to this virus and to another toxin. The Epstein-Barr virus may cause a cancer of the lymphoid tissue in Africans and cancer of the nose and throat in Chinese.

There are some cancers which may be due only to environmental factors. In this second group are tumors of the stomach and large bowel, the prostate, ovary, breast, womb and cervix and some tumors of the kidney and bladder.

This group forms about 40 per cent of male cancers and 60 to 70 per cent of female cancers. Some believe most of these cancers are due to exposure to industrial chemicals, others think they are mainly due to lifestyle.

Perhaps only about 6 per cent of cancers can be shown definitely to be due to work exposure.

The third group is mainly cancers of children and no association can be found with external factors, not that they may not exist.

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THE ENDOMETRIOSIS DIET THAT HELPS HEALING

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:02:57 +0000

What you eat can change the course of endometriosis enough to make a difference in your life.

The effect of diet on the body is no longer just an issue of sustenance for survival. It is also a matter of health, and even longer life, we know, fairly conclusively, that high cholesterol levels affect heart function, high-fat diets may be connected to bowel and breast cancer, and that salt irrevocably influences blood pressure. Each year, there is more evidence of how certain foods and vitamins have the ability to fuel our immune systems, while other nutrients, or nonnutrients such as caffeine, can cause us problems.

Women with endometriosis, especially those who are enduring chronic pain, may not be eating correctly. This could be more from a lack of appetite or lack of energy than from a lack of knowledge as to what is best to eat. This may also be true of women with mild endometriosis. Nutrition affects recovery rates from disease, and the low-fat, low-salt, low-sugar diet and vitamin plan can make a difference.

Before we get to the actual diet plan, you should know why you will be taking minerals, vitamins, and selected nutritional supplements. These dietary changes will most benefit any woman with endometriosis.

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SKIN CARE: SUN AND SOLARIUM DAMAGE – VARIABLES

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:38:09 +0000

The total amount of ITV radiation reaching the skin at any given time is influenced by such factors as the season, time of day, latitude, altitude, and conditions of the immediate atmosphere, such as the presence of rain or clouds, and the degree of pollution.

These variations are related both to the scattering of the UV radiation in the atmosphere, and to the distance the radiation must travel through the atmosphere. This distance depends on the position of the sun. Hence, the lower the angle of the sun above the horizon, the greater the atmospheric distance which must be crossed. Therefore, at noon in summer, with the sun almost directly overhead, the UV radiation is the most intense. Of the total UV radiation received from the sun on a midsummer’s day, about 66 per cent of the energy is received between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The ozone layer present in the atmosphere also plays a major role in the absorption of this radiation. The thickness of the ozone layer varies, there being, for instance, a thinner layer in the tropics than elsewhere. As a result the intensity of UV radiation is approximately 15 per cent greater in the tropics than in other places. The ozone layer thickness also varies with the seasons (except in places close to the Equator), It is thickest in the winter and thinnest in the summer, which is why the effects of sunlight are more intense during the summer months.

At high altitudes the effects of UV radiation are greater, because there is less atmosphere to absorb the sun’s rays. Furthermore, in the presence of snow this is augmented by reflection. Contrary to a commonly held belief, water does not reflect but in fact absorbs UV radiation, so that one may become burnt even under the surface of water. Similarly, on an overcast or foggy day. considerable UV radiation will be transmitted by scattering.

Careful studies have shown that in Australia, in the midday summer sun, the earliest onset of burning for those with fair untanned skin, will occur, on average after 12 minutes. In the United States, under similar circumstances, the average time is 20 minutes. Other controlled studies have shown that various environmental factors play an important contributing role in determining the extent of the damage produced by UV radiation. These include wind, temperature and humidity. It has been convincingly shown that a combination of wind, heat and humidity will enhance the injurious effects of this radiation; on their own. however, these factors have no observable effect.

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