FOOD SAFETY TIPS DURING PREGNANCY

Food safety is important for everyone, not just a pregnant woman. However, while "eating for two" a woman should be particularly cautious about what kinds of foods she eats, as well as how she handles food. Here are some tips to avoid food-borne illness during pregnancy:
- Avoid fish that are high in mercury, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. Limit your intake of other fish containing mercury to 12 oz a week.

- Avoid uncooked fish altogether. This includes sushi, and especially includes shellfish such as oysters and clams.

- Certain soft cheeses, such as feta, brie, Camembert, Roquefort, blue-veined, queso blanco, queso fresco or Panela may cause listeriosis and should be avoided.

- Ready-to-eat meats, such as packaged deli or lunch meats may also contain listeriosis and should be avoided.

- Refrigerated pates or meat spreads should also be avoided.

- Be sure that all food you eat is cooked thoroughly so as to kill any disease-causing bacteria or parasites.

- Raw vegetable sprouts and fresh fruit and vegetable juices may contain salmonella and E. coli and should be avoided.

- Drink only pasteurized juices, as these should be free of such contaminants.

- Liver should be avoided as it contains high doses of Vitamin A which may be harmful to your baby.

- Be sure to follow safe food handling procedures when preparing food, including washing with hot soapy water before and after handling food.

- Always wash cutting boards, other work surfaces and utensils with hot soapy water after contact with raw poultry, fish or meat. Do not place cooked foods on the plate that held uncooked foods without washing the plate with hot soapy water.

- Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, removing dirt with a scrub brush.

- Set the temp in your refrigerator to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to slow the growth of bacteria.

What is Dandruff ?

What is Dandruff?

1. White flakes of dead skin
   
2. Dandruff mostly affects scalp
   
3. Not a health hazard but a nuisance
   

Symptoms

Itchy, scaly scalp

Causes

1.A fungus, Malassezia

2.It feeds on scalp's natural oils

3.Produces acid which causes itch

4.Other factors-

a. Climate
b. Stress
c. Hormone production
d. Oily skin
e. Food habits

Treatment

1.Use anti-dandruff, conditioner-based shampoo

2.Rinse scalp for 5 minutes with shampoo

3.If resistant, apply 1 % hydrocortisone cream

4.If severe, consult a dermatologist /trichologist

Prevention

1. Cannot be prevented but managed
   
2. Use good quality shampoo
   
3. Wash hair frequently
   
4. Avoid using gels/ waxes
   
5. Eat a healthy diet
   

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http://timesharing4you.blogspot.com/search/label/Health

GOOD SITTING POSTURE

Good Sitting PostureYour back has three curves -cervical (neck), thoraic (chest), and lumbar (lower back). All three curves should be aligned to keep your back in balance. Often, we slouch in our chairs or bend forward over our work, which throws these curves out of balance.

Try the following tips to support and balance your back while sitting.
1.First, place a pillow (or rolled up towel) at the back of your chair seat to support your lower
back.
2.Then, move your seat as close to your work as possible to keep from bending forward.
3.Finally, angle your work (or VDT screen) so you can look straight ahead rather than looking down.
4.Strong, Flexible Muscles

The following exercises help build strong, flexible muscles to support your back. They also help relieve tension that can occur when you sit in one position for a long time. Each exercise takes only a few minutes, and can be done while you sit. Try a few and feel the difference! (Note: Be sure your chair is stable before beginning these exercises and stop if you feel any discomfort.) Sit Back and Relax Once you learn how to care for your back while you sit, you can sit back and relax, knowing that you're keeping your back healthy and strong. Sitting doesn't have to be a Pain in the back if you keep fit while you sit.

· Let your head roll forward. Slowly rotate your head without straining your neck. Repeat 5 times in each direction.

· Sit as shown with feet flat on floor. With your hands on chair (or desk) for support, slowly raise your thighs a few inches above your thighs a few inches above your chair seat. Repeat 5 times.

· Clasp your hands behind your head and push your elbows back. Release the tension, then repeat 5 times.

· Slowly lean forward until your upper body is resting on your lap. Hold for 10 seconds. Place your hands on your knees. Sit back up. Repeat 5 times.


If you spend most of your weekday sitting in front of a video display terminal, you've probably noticed that using a computer can be a pain in the neck, the eyes and almost every other part of your body! It's no wonder computers cause eye strain. Studies have shown that computer users tend to stare at a glowing screen without blinking for much longer periods than do people who use typewriters. This is why many people using computers experience dry eye problems. In addition, computer screens reflect a great deal of glare - from windows, overhead lights and even the user's own bright clothing. Finally, many computer users sit practically face-to-face with the monitor.

Whether you spend every day or only a few hours a week using a computer, there are steps you can (and should) take to reduce the physical strains from computer use. Steps to follow, when using a computer:

· Have a thorough eye examination. While everyone should have their eyes checked once a year, annual eye exams are especially important for computer users.
· Follow the "20/20 rule." Keep your face at least 20 inches from the screen and pause every 20 minutes or so to look around the room, so your eyes can focus on distant objects. Regular eye exercise helps prevent eye strain.
· Place all materials you are working with at the same distance as the screen. This reduces strain of your eyes and neck.
· Make sure you have a glare screen, which should block glare without making the characters on the monitor appear fuzzy. Also if possible, move or adjust the computer screen to avoid reflections from windows or indoor lights.
· Sit on a stable, comfortable, adjustable chair. If it is possible to put the keyboard a few inches below the desktop, for example, with an adjustable table, or by using a center drawer of a desk for a pullout keyboard rest, do so. This will keep your arms at a more comfortable angle.
· Place computer monitor at a 35-degree angle below your eyes. This reduces incidence of Dry Eye.
· Use preservative-free artificial tears intermittently when on the computer if your eyes get red and irritated. Much of computer fatigue is caused by Dry Eye.
· Finally, take periodic breaks from the computer during the day, walk around and do some non-computer tasks for about 15 minutes every two or three hours.

The Science of Drinking

What makes you feel drunk?

When a person drinks an alcoholic beverage, about 20% of the alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and about 80% is absorbed in the small intestine.

One of the most rapid affects of alcohol is on the central nervous system (CNS), which controls a range of vital body functions including speech, muscles, sense organs and sweat glands.

Usually the CNS receives information from organs such as the eyes and ears, analyses it and then responds, perhaps by contracting a muscle. However, alcohol impairs our CNS functioning which, in turn, causes the usual symptoms of being drunk. These include disturbed balance, slurred speech, blurred vision, excess sweating and the dulling of our sensation of pain.

Alcohol also affects the outer layer of the brain (the frontal cortex) that is concerned with conscious thought. This is why people under the influence of alcohol often lose their inhibitions and dance on the tables.

What makes you feel so lousy?

Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic. This means it encourages the body to lose more water than it takes on by halting the production of the body's anti-diuretic hormone. This means you feel the need to pee excessively, thus speeding up the loss of fluid from the body that leads to dehydration.

Alcohol also attacks our stores of vitamins and minerals, which need to be in the correct balance for the body to function normally. Dehydration caused by drinking can affect the balance by draining potassium from the body, resulting in thirst, muscle cramps, dizziness and faintness.

The shakes: When a person drinks, they take in large quantities of increased glucose. Their body responds to this by producing more insulin, which removes the glucose. Once the process has started, the insulin carries on working removing glucose from the blood. Low blood glucose levels are responsible for the shakes, excess sweating, dizziness, blurred vision and tiredness.

Munchies: To overcome this feeling of lethargy the body craves a carbohydrate boost, which is why many people want chips when they have been drinking.

Breaking it down

The liver is the main organ that gets rid of alcohol by breaking it down. It metabolises about 90% of the alcohol in our body while only about 10% is excreted through either our urine or breath. The liver metabolises alcohol at the rate of one to two units per hour, sometimes less than that in women.

The liver needs water to get rid of toxins from the body but, as alcohol acts as a diuretic, there will not be sufficient amounts in the body, so the liver is forced to divert water from other organs including the brain, which causes the throbbing headaches.

The liver also produces more toxins in the body as a by-product during the breakdown of alcohol. When the liver is metabolising alcohol it produces acetaldehyde, a substance which has toxic effects on our liver, brain and stomach lining, resulting in severe headache, nausea, vomiting and heartburn (aka hangover).

Sleep

Alcohol interferes with sleeping rhythms, while dehydration reduces the quality of rest we get. Alcohol also relaxes the muscles in the back of your mouth, increasing the likelihood of snoring.

The Morning after

If your alcohol consumption was fairly high the night before, then you will be greeted with more than a common hangover the next day. You could have one or all of these:

• The toxicity of alcohol can irritate the stomach causing gastritis (chronic stomach upset) often leading to vomiting.
  
• Alcohol can cause inflammation of the oesophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach, causing heartburn.
  
• Alcohol often affects your bowel movements. The small and large intestine reabsorb salt and water but alcohol interferes with this process often causing diarrhoea.

What's in a cigarette?

There's more to a tab than shredded tobacco. When someone sparks up, the smoke contains almost 4,000 chemicals, many of which are harmful to health. So, take a deep breath and find out what's inside a cigarette.


Of all the stuff crammed into a smoke, the three biggest harmful components are nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar.

Nicotine

The damage to health may be caused by the tar and poisonous chemicals, but it's the nicotine in tobacco which smokers can grow to depend upon.

Nicotine is a powerful and fast-acting stimulant drug. In small doses, it speeds up heart rate and increases blood pressure. This makes smokers feel more alert when they light up, while the brain activates a 'reward' system which is thought to be responsible for the pleasurable, relaxing 'hit' they describe.

The effect on an individual smoker depends on a number of different factors:

• Physical build and current state of health;
  
• The length of time they have been smoking;
  
• How frequently they smoke;
  
• The number of puffs they take, and how deeply the smoke is inhaled.
  

Tar

Ciggie smoke condenses when it's inhaled. This is a bit like watching droplets form upon the ceiling above a boiling kettle. The end result with smoking, however, is a whole lot more black and sticky. In fact about 70% of the tar present in tobacco smoke gets dumped into the lungs. It contains many substances which have been linked with cancer, as well as irritants that cause the narrow airways inside the lungs to get inflamed and clogged with mucus.

Carbon monoxide

This is a poisonous gas found in high concentration in cigarette smoke, not to mention the stuff which coughs out of car exhaust pipes. Once inside the lungs, the carbon atoms grab any passing haemoglobin (the oxygen forming substance found in the blood) and basically take a joy ride around the body.

Someone who smokes 20 a day can have a carbon monoxide level which is 5-10 times that of a non-smoker. This deprives the body of oxygen, which makes the blood sticky and can cause problems with the growth, repair and exchange of healthy nutrients. In particular, any reduction in oxygen levels is a real hazard to unborn babies. Pregnant women who smoke run a serious risk of miscarrying or having babies with low birth rate.

Ultimately, carbon monoxide can mess up electrical activity in the heart and encourage fatty deposits to clog up artery walls.


Other chemicals present in tobacco smoke:

• Formaldehyde: used for pickling things in jars;
  
• Acetone: found in nail varnish;
  
• Ammonia: used in fertiliser;
  
• Hydrogen sulphide: smells of rotten eggs;
  
• Polonium: a radioactive component;
  
• Arsenic: a killer poison.
  

Dealing with an abortion

The decision to terminate a pregnancy is never easy, and can often give rise to mixed emotions. So how do you deal with it?

Coping with your emotions

While some women might feel relieved after terminating a pregnancy, it's also very common to feel sad, guilty, even confused, especially if you felt that at another time a baby would have been right for you. Depression and grief can also figure, and may be quite intense as your hormone levels drop back after the abortion. Try not to punish yourself, or worry that you have to go through any of this alone. Remember that they are your emotions and whatever you are feeling is fine.

Before the termination happened, you will have talked to two doctors about what to do for the best. You may have also discussed it with the father of the baby, members of your family, or family planning counsellor. All this talking would have helped you come to the decision that an abortion was in your best interest, but no matter how often - or how hard - you thought about the situation, no one can predict how you'll feel afterwards.

Keep communicating

For many women who have been through the experience, the key is to keep on talking to all those people who've helped you this far. Don't be embarrassed that you're turning to them again, or worry they'll think you've made the wrong decision because you feel this way. They'll want to help. However, you may feel happier talking to someone outside the situation.

Take time

Some women take longer than others to get over terminating a pregnancy, whether it's two months, two years or longer. Everyone copes with their emotions in different ways. Some talk, others work it through on their own, but no matter how you feel, you have to face up to it, make sense of it, and deal it with it in a way that feels right to you.

Unplanned pregnancy is something nobody chooses to happen, so it's always wise to avoid risks and take precautions

Should I have a baby?

It's the biggest decision of your life, and could be the most fulfilling. Here are the major issues to consider as you work out whether it's time to become a parent.

Emotional

If you're feeling down, lonely or unloved, it's easy to think a baby will be the solution to your problems. Yes, a child may adore you unconditionally, but unless you feel good about yourself there's little chance you'll be able to meet their emotional needs in return.

You need to feel stable and fulfilled if you're going to provide a baby with a loving home. Don't be tempted to go for it as a means of filling an emotional hole. Also, be sure you feel able to talk openly about your feelings, preferably with the other potential parent of your child. Does he or she share your desire to become a parent? Is he or she prepared to make sacrifices as you are?

In addition, consider how you'd behave as a parent under pressure. Small children can behave appallingly at times, so you have to be absolutely sure you can keep your cool and not place them at risk of any kind of abuse. Of course, we learn many parenting skills by experience, but this is one issue where you have to know you won't lose it when the going gets tough.

Domestic

What kind of environment can you offer a child? If you're still living at home, at war with your parents or squeezed in with little room to breathe, will a child be able to thrive as you hope? Yes, the local authorities will seek to house a single parent or young family, but this really shouldn't be a reason for having a baby. And if you are setting up a new home, can you afford to furnish it?

Financial

Babies aren't cheap and even with careful budgeting it can be a stretch for some parents. With commitment and carefuly planning, you will find a way to fund parenthood. Just be sure to think things through with a level head.

If you're at school or college right now, for example, a baby is likely to make a tough time much tougher. Are you prepared to make sacrifices with your education, even if you plan to return to it at a later date? Juggling parenthood with a career can be equally daunting, so consider what kind of support you'd receive from your employer. Will they offer any kind of maternity (or paternity) package, over and above your statutory allowance, and just how flexible will they be when you need to leave early to relieve your childminder?

Long term

A newborn baby doesn't take up much space, eat a great deal, or demand that you give it a lift to the shops. In time, however, you'll be faced with childcare considerations, sorting out schooling and out-of-school activities. Being a parent can be as rewarding as it is demanding, of course, but it's vital that you think beyond the super-cute bundle of joy that first springs to mind when you consider having a baby.

Diet Myth Debunked

One of the more popular diet fads of the moment is founded on the notion that carbs and proteins or fats should not be eaten together.

Similar to the old ''Fit for Life'' program, self-appointed diet ''experts'' like Suzanne Somers and Marilu Henner have appropriated this idea and turned it into best-selling diet books.

One theory suggests that fats and carbs should be eaten separately because carbohydrates promote an increase in the amount of fat stored in cells.

Swiss researchers handily debunk this dietary trend in a recent study. They placed one group of obese people on a standard balanced, low-calorie diet and another group on a similar calorie diet that did not allow fats and carbohydrates to be eaten in the same meal.


All participants exercised for two hours each day and, at the end of six weeks, individuals from both groups had lost the same amount of weight.

In addition, both groups experienced identical drops in blood sugar, cholesterol and insulin levels.

The Top Ten Mistakes People Make in the Gym

This survey of 3,000 fitness professionals points out the biggest mistakes in the gym.
In some cases, these mistakes may simply mean the difference between an effective and an ineffective workout. Other mistakes, however, can be more costly, leading to strain and injury.

ACE, America's Authority on Fitness, shares the following mistakes commonly made in the gym and offers tips to help individuals stay safe during their workout.

1. Not stretching enough: Stretch immediately following an aerobic activity while your muscles are warm and pliable to prevent injuries.
   
2. Lifting too much weight: Never lift more than your muscles can handle. Gradual, progressive resistance is a far more effective -and safe - way to increase muscle strength.
   
3. Not warming up prior to activity: Muscles need time to adjust to the new demands aerobic activity places on them. Start slowly and gradually increase intensity.
   
4. Not cooling down after any type of workout: Take a few minutes to lower your heart rate and stretch your muscles. This improves flexibility and helps prepare the body for your next workout.
   
5. Exercising too intensely: It's more effective to sustain a moderate workout for longer periods of time than to exercise intensely for only a few minutes.
   
6. Not drinking enough water: Don't wait until you’re thirsty to drink water - you're already on your way to dehydration. Keep a water bottle close at hand during exercise and throughout the day.
   
7. Leaning heavily on a stairstepper: Leaning on the stairstepper is hard on both the wrists and the back. Lower the intensity to the point at which you can maintain good posture while lightly resting your hands on the rails for balance.
   
8. Not exercising intensely enough: Exercise intensely enough to work up a light sweat and get your heart beating in your training zone.
   
9. Jerking while lifting weights: When you have to jerk the weight, it's likely you're jerking other muscles as well. This can lead to strain and injury, with the muscles of the back being particularly vulnerable. Control the weight, don't let it control you.
   
10. Consuming energy bars and sports drinks during moderate workouts: Unless you're working out for longer than two hours per day, you don't need to supplement with high-energy bars and drinks. (High-energy is often a code word for high-calorie.)

Smart Suntanning

Smart Suntanning - Avoid Effects of UV Rays

Heading for the beach? Grab your shades, your towel and your sandals, but don’t forget some sun block even if you are desperate for that golden glow. Studies show that more than one million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year, and a strong correlation is linked between those who worship the sun and the disease itself.

According to scientific research, such a thing as a “healthy tan” does not exist. Tanning is, in essence, the skin’s reaction to damage already done, and a defensive attempt to protect itself from further harm.

The UV (or Ultraviolet) rays are the most threatening component of a natural suntan. Two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB, negatively affect the skin by deeply penetrating our skin and potentially damage gene composition. UVA rays (the predominant type) tend to cause skin cancer after prolonged periods of time. Sunburn and the redness associated with sun exposure result from UVB rays, which are also a strong risk factor for skin cancer. Personal tanning methods available today attempt to eliminate the UV rays from coming in contact with the skin, yet you have to wonder how safe you are when shutting yourself in a tiny tanning booth for 30 minutes at a time!

Salon Options:
Popularity of tanning beds tends to soar as teens strive for the prom-perfect hue and women of all ages aim to avoid the pasty white complexions they suffered long enough through the winter. Though they are thought to be only slightly more protective than getting a natural tan due to the controlled environment, risks are still associated with tanning beds as the exposure to UV rays is still present.

Did you know there is a recommended allotment of time that one should not exceed in the course of a year when using a tanning bed? According to the British Photodermatology Group (BPG-a branch of the British Association of Dermatologists), one should not surpass 10 sets of 30-minute sessions twice a year, or in other words, 10 hours of exposure per year. I am willing to bet most of us blow ten hours of sun exposure out of the water on each vacation we take!

Natural Tanning Options:
If you simply cannot avoid worshipping the sun on a gorgeous day, consider using sunscreen with a low SPF. This will still allow tanning, but the skin will receive at least a small degree of protection from the powerful rays. Be especially cautious when in or on the water, as the sun may badly burn the skin without any warning signs. Hats and t-shirts can provide a degree of protection when one is enjoying the weather, playing sports or simply relaxing on a nice day.

Some individuals should exercise extreme caution when exposed to the sun, including those with very fair skin, those who burn often or tan poorly, those who have many freckles or moles, those under age 16, and those who have a history of skin cancer themselves or in the family history. Even if these conditions do not apply to you personally, it is still very important to be smart about your own exposure to the sun.

Sunless Self-Tanning Options:
A safer method of tanning than natural tanning and visits to the salon, self-tanning products have taken leaps and bounds in technology-far beyond the “orange tone” so many worry about experiencing. Self-tanning products come in several forms-lotions, gels, wipes, sprays, and now, even a pill! The pill stimulates the pigment to change without any exposure to the sun, which is actually thought to be a positive preventive alternative to harmful sun exposure.

For those who still enjoy the trip to the salon but don’t feel the need to visit a tanning bed, a new tanning-spray treatment is available at some salons. It is quick, about a 30 second application with instant results. All of these tanning options involve the active ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA.), which is responsible for the change in skin tone. Many of the products available also contain moisturizers and vitamins to help the skin remain healthy and soft while not exposing the body to any UV rays. Even with an artificially produced tan, it is vital to practice protective measures to prevent sun damage. A simple sunblock will do, in addition to monitoring your exposure to the sun.

No matter which tanning option you settle for if you simply must have that glowing tan, use caution when you bask in the rays at the shore or wherever. Keep these important points in mind whenever you are exposed to the sun for a significant duration of time:

• Do your best to avoid falling asleep while tanning. We all know how tempting it is to take that relaxing nap to the sounds of the surf, but you could wake up fried to a painful crisp!
  
• Even if you are determined to go home with some color, try a very low SPF level sunscreen. Something as low as SPF 15 will do more good for your skin than bare exposure!
  
• When you do experience sunburn, keep aloe and cocoa butter on hand. Aloe is known to soothe the skin, while cocoa butter helps in keeping skin soft and smooth while also repairing it and preventing peeling after sun damage.

Exercise Helps Heart Handle Stress

We know aerobic exercise can lower blood pressure. But most studies demonstrating this effect have looked at healthy adults, rather than the overweight hypertensive adults who are at greater risk of heart disease.

A recent study at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., found that aerobic exercise can not only help overweight hypertensive adults lower their blood pressure, but also improve their overall cardiovascular response to mental stress, another risk factor for heart disease.

Ninety-nine sedentary overweight men and women with an average body mass index (BMI) of 32 and moderately high blood pressure (130-180/85-105 mmHg) were divided into three groups.

For six months, one group bicycled, walked or jogged three to four hours per week at 70 percent to 85 percent of their initial heart-rate reserve.

A second group followed the same exercise routine, but also consumed a low-fat diet of 1200 to 1500 calories per day.

Compared to the sedentary control group, both exercise groups lowered their blood pressure at rest and when under mental stress.

Other benefits of regular aerobic exercise were lost weight, improved cardiovascular fitness, lowered heart rate, more dilated blood vessels and more efficient pumping of the heart.

Leukaemia - BLood Cancer

Q. What is Leukaemia?

A. Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. Just as there are many different types of white blood cell, so there are many different types of leukaemia. There are two main types: lymphocytic leukaemia (arising from a type of white blood cell called a lymphocyte) and myeloid leukaemia (arising from an immature type of white blood cell called a myeloid stem cell).

Q. What do chronic and acute mean?

A. Leukaemias are also divided into the slower (called chronic) and faster growing (called acute). There are chronic and acute forms of both the lymphocytic and myeloid leukaemias. Chronic leukaemia cells tend to accumulate in the blood whereas acute leukaemia cells tend to accumulate in both the blood and bone marrow. All blood cells start their life in the bone marrow.

Q. How common is leukaemia?

A. There were 6,755 cases of leukaemia diagnosed in the UK in 2001, the most recent year for which we have records. One third of these were acute myeloid leukaemia and another third were chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. One tenth were acute lymphocytic leukaemia and another tenth were chronic myeloid leukaemia. The rest were other, rarer types of leukaemia.

Q. Isn't leukaemia a children's cancer?

A. About half of all cases of acute lymphocytic leukaemia are in children under 10 years old, with another quarter of cases occurring in adolescents. However, the other main types of leukaemia normally occurr in people over 50. There are 500 cases of leukaemia in the UK each year amongst children, but 3,500 cases in people over 60.

Q. Who is at risk of leukaemia?

A. High levels of exposure to radiation are known to increase the risk of leukaemia, but the levels of exposure for the public, including people in the nuclear industry, radiologists, and people living near Sellafield, are so low that researchers cannot find any reliable evidence of increased risk for them. Smoking increases the risk of myeloid leukaemia. Exposure to benzene (an industrial chemical) has also been linked to a risk of these leukaemias. The chemotherapy and radiotherapy used to treat some other cancers does cause a slight increase in the risk of getting acute myeloid leukaemia, although this is low enough to justify the use of these therapies.

Q. Doesn't living under power lines increase the risk?

A. There is no reliable evidence that living near power lines or electricity generators is linked to an increased risk of leukaemia. Some research has found a link between people working in power generating facilities and a higher risk of leukaemia, but other studies have not.

Q. Are there other diseases that lead on to leukaemia?

A. There are several blood diseases, such as myelodysplasia, which have a significant risk of developing into leukaemia. In addition, children with Down's Syndrome are 10 to 20 times more likely to get leukaemia.

Q. Does leukaemia run in families?

A. An increased risk of leukaemia can run in families. If one person in the family has leukaemia, the other members have three times the normal risk of getting the same type of leukaemia.

Q. What are the symptoms of leukaemia?

A. The main symptoms of leukaemia are anaemia, frequent bruising, infections and abnormal bleeding.

Q. How is leukaemia diagnosed?

A. Chronic leukaemias are usually diagnosed by taking a blood sample and examining the cells under a microscope. However, for lymphocytic leukaemias, it is necessary to take a bone marrow sample for an accurate diagnosis.

Q. How is leukaemia treated?

A. For all types of leukaemia, chemotherapy is the main type of treatment, usually combined with a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. High doses of the drugs are used which kill not only the leukaemia cells but also the patients bone marrow cells. This would normally prevent the patient from making new blood cells and soon prove fatal, but the bone marrow or stem cell transplant restores the bone marrow. Various treatments have been tried for chronic myeloid leukaemia, including the use of interferon.

Q. How effective are the treatments?

A. Improved treatments for children with leukaemia now mean that nearly nine out of ten of them can be cured. However, the cure rates for adults with leukaemia are not as good. For chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, about half of the patients die within five years of being diagnosed. For chronic myeloid leukaemia, about one third survive for five years. For acute myeloid leukaemia, only one in ten patients survives for five years. Amongst the few adults diagnosed with acute lumphocytic leukaemia, the outcome depends on their age. About one third of the patients aged under 40 will survive for five years, but this goes down to about one patient in twenty for those aged over 70.

What are the symptoms, Diagnosis and treatments of Breast Cancer?

What are the symptoms of Breast Cancer?

Screening for breast cancer by mammography (X-raying the breast) is offered every three years in the UK to all women between 50 and 64. The highest number of cases of breast cancer occurs in women between these ages.

Mammography can detect very early breast tumours, when they are too small to be felt. In fact, most of the breast cancers detected by screening are at this very early stage, when they are relatively easy to cure. Studies have shown that women who take part in screening are more likely to have breast cancer diagnosed early and more likely to have it cured and, as a result, are less likely to die from it, than women who do not take part in mammography screening.

Another method of screening available to all women is to feel the breasts for any lumps. A guide on how to do this properly can be obtained at any doctor's surgery. Women should also check for the other main symptoms:

• Change in the size or shape of a breast
  
• Dimpling of the breast skin
  
• The nipple becoming inverted
  
• Swelling or a lump in the armpit
  
• Diagnosis
  

The most important method used to diagnose breast cancer is by taking a biopsy (a tissue sample). A hollow needle is pushed into the breast lump to capture a tiny sample of the tissue. This is examined under a microscope. The shape and appearance of the cells in the tissue sample reveals whether the lump is benign, which is true of the vast majority, or if it is cancerous.

Q. How important is early detection?

A. We can currently cure six out of every seven patients who are diagnosed when their breast cancer is at the early stage. However, if they are diagnosed when it has become advanced, the cure rate falls to about one in seven. It is extremely important to catch breast cancer at an early stage.

Treatment

The main treatment for breast cancer is surgery. In most cases, conservative surgery is used, which preserves the shape and appearance of the breast. For very early breast cancer, only the lump and a small area of tissue around it is removed. For later stage breast cancer, much more tissue is removed but it is replaced with muscle to rebuild the breast. Since breast cancer cells usually spread first to the lymph node in the armpit, the surgeon will usually cut into it to check for any spread.

The surgery may be followed by a short course of radiotherapy or chemotherapy, depending on the type of tumour and how advanced it is. In most cases, the patient will be given a longer course of hormone therapy (eg tamoxifen) which reduces the risk of the cancer recurring.

The treatment for breast cancer has been improving for the last twenty years. In the early 1970's, only half of all women diagnosed with the disease survived for five years. Now, over three quarters survive for that long and most of them will live for very much longer.

Breast Cancer

Q. How common is breast cancer?

A. There are over 212,000 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the USA each year. In Canada the figure is 20,500, Australia 13,000 and in the UK the figure is 41,000. Overall, one woman in every nine will get breast cancer at some time in her life.

Q. Who is most at risk?

A. Breast cancer is overwhelmingly a female disease, but about 1% of cases occur in men (around 300 per year in the UK). Amongst women it becomes more common as age increases. More than 80% of cases occur in women over 50. Taking the contraceptive pill slightly increases the risk. Taking hormone replacement therapy significantly increases your risk somewhat more, but the health benefits derived from hormone replacement are better overall. Obesity and heavy drinking also significantly increase the risk.

If one or more relatives have had breast cancer, this also increases your risk of developing it (see below).

Q. Does breast cancer run in families?

A. Having one close relative (mother or sister) with breast cancer doubles your risk of getting breast cancer, when compared to women with no cases in the family. Having two close relatives affected increases your risk further.

There are a very few families in which breast cancer is very common - ie four or more cases. Most of these families carry faulty versions of the 'BRCA' breast cancer genes. Women with a faulty BRCA gene have a 50% to 80% chance of getting breast cancer. Testing for faulty BRCA genes is available on the NHS.

Q. Is the use of deodorants linked to breast cancer?

A. There has been a persistent internet rumour that underarm deodorants cause breast cancer and even one or two newspaper articles that suggested this was backed up by research findings. However, there is no good evidence from cancer research to support this idea. On the contrary: in a large study comparing breast cancer patients and healthy women, there was no difference found at all in their use of underarm deodorants.

Cancer Basics

What is cancer?

All living things - ourselves included - are made up of cells. Cells are microscopic packages of living material and we have billions of them. They come in many different types: liver cells, brain cells, blood cells and so on. In the normal adult, cells only grow and divide slowly and under very tight control to make sure that the number of cells in each tissue stays the same. Cancer begins when one cells changes and starts growing and dividing rapidly and out of control. This one cells divides to give two cells, then four, eight and so on until they form growing mass of cancer cells - called a tumour.

What do malignant and benign mean?

In some tumours, the cells stay in the same place and as the tumour stops growing before it gets very large - often because it simply runs out space to grow. These are called benign tumours and they are not normally dangerous. We all have benign tumours, such as moles and warts. However, in other tumours the cells are able to invade the surrounding tissue and spread into nearby organs where they can cause serious and, eventually, fatal damage. These are called malignant tumours.

What is metastasis?

In many malignant tumours, as the cells spread, they come across blood vessels. If they actually spread into the blood vessel, they get carried around the body and eventually get stuck in a smaller blood vessel in another part of the body. Here they begin to divide and grow again eventually forming a new tumour. These are called secondary tumours or metastases. This process of cancers spreading around the body is called metastasis.

Do genes cause cancer?

Every cell carries a set of coded instructions for every activity or function that it can perform. Different genes are active in different cells, which is why a brain cell carries out many different activities from muscle cell. Genes also carry the coded instructions for basic functions of the cell such as the way cells grow and divide. The growth and division of normal cells is tightly controlled by the activity of certain genes. However, when these genes are faulty or when they mechanisms controlling the activity of these genes is damaged, it can cause the growth and division of the cells to go out of control - in other words, the become cancerous. Genes themselves do not cause cancer. When they function normally, genes prevent cancer. However, it is when some genes become damaged that they can malfunction and cause cancer.

Can you inherit cancer?

Cancer itself cannot be inherited, but some people do inherit a higher risk of getting cancer. This is because they inherit, from their parents, a slightly damaged version of one of the genes involved in controlling cell division. On its own, this damaged gene is not enough to make cells cancerous. Normally, two or three different genes have to be damaged before a cell will become cancerous. That is why so very few of the billions of cells in our body ever become cancerous. However, if someone starts out with every cell in their body carrying damage in one of these genes, the chance of a cell getting the other types of gene damage and becoming cancerous is much higher. Some of these inherited damaged genes have been identified, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 which increase the risk of getting breast cancer by five to seven times.

Do tumours need a blood supply?

A tumour usually starts with a single cancerous cell that begins growing and dividing. The resulting mass of cancer cells soon gets large enough to need a new blood supply to provide oxygen and nutrients and to remove waste products. Without a blood supply, the cells in the middle of the tumour will die off. In fact, tumours without a blood supply are unable to grow more that about one millimetre across. As soon as they start growing, tumours release small, hormone-like molecules that cause nearby blood vessels to start growing towards the tumour until they actually form a new branch supplying the tumour with blood.

Soya cancer

Recent studies have shown that eating soya products has helped protect Asian women against certain types of cancer. Scientists at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee conducted a study of 120 Asian women. Results produced more evidence that a long-term diet rich in soy can be linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer - as much as a 50 percent in some cases.

The soybean is used in foods and beverages, including, soyamilk, soya coffee, butter, veggie burgers, crackers, cookies and flour. Low in cholesterol and high in isoflavones, the benefits of the soyabean are many. Start adding some to your diet today. Better yet, start your babies on it early and continue as a lifelong commitment to healthy eating.

Diet Tips

1. Drink plenty of water.
Your body needs a lot of water so give in to water. Water is not just a way to flush out toxins; if you have more water in your body you will generally feel healthier and fitter. This itself will discourage any tendency to gorge. The best thing about water is that is has no calories at all!

2. Start your day with a glass of water.
As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool water. It�s a wonderful way to start you day and you only need a lesser quantity of your breakfast drink after that. A glass of water lets out all your digestive juices and sort of lubricates the insides of your body. You may have your morning cup of tea but have it after a glass of water.

3. Drink a glass of water before you start a meal.
Water naturally needs some space so that you feel fuller without actually having to stuff yourself.

4. Have another glass of water while you are having the meal.
Again this is another way of making yourself full so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just the same. Instead of drinking it in one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster.

5. Stay away from sweetened drinks, especially sodas.
Hey - all those colas and fizzy drinks are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories. The more you can cut out on these sweetened bottle drinks, the better for you. Plus, soda contains phosphoric acid which can drain calcium from your bones and contribute to bone loss.

Vitamin A

Common names
Vitamin A, Retinol, Retinal, Retinoic acid, Carotene

Recommended Intake

• Males ≥ 19 years: 900 ug/day
  
• Females ≥ 19 years: 700 ug/day
  

What's Vitamin A for?

• Vital for vision, particularly night vision
  
• Repairs tissue and bone
  
• Involved in reproduction and fetal development
  
• Helps the immune system to fight off infections from bacteria and viruses
  

Best Food sources

• Whole eggs, milk products, beef liver
  
• Non-fat and low-fat dairy products. They are fortified with vitamin A to replace what is lost in fat removal
  
• Dark greens and rich yellow / orange fruit and vegetables, especially carrots, cantaloupes and sweet potatoes

Menopause: Diet for Hot Flashes

Hot flashes seem to be a personal experience for women experiencing various symptoms in menopause. Many women we talked to tried various diet remedies and supplements but results are often inconsistent. Let's look at some common diet solutions for hot flashes.

Avoid the following food items in your diet. Most women found these foods make hot flashes worse.

• Tea
  
• Coffee
  
• Alcohol
  
• Caffeine containing soft drinks
  
• Spicy foods
  
• Smoking
  

Eggs and Cholesterol: Are some eggs healthier than the other?

Today's eggs are lower in cholesterol! One Grade "A" large egg has almost 1/3 less cholesterol than its counterpart from a decade ago due to the changes in feeding practices. Eggs nowadays contain only 190mg cholesterol, compared to 274mg in 1991.

Eggs are being recognized for their outstanding nutritional qualities. Recent research shows that healthy adults can enjoy an egg every day without increasing their risk for heart disease. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found no significant link between eating eggs and developing heart disease among healthy individuals. However, if you have high cholesterol or known risks to heart diseases, the NCEP and AHA recommends not eating more than 2 yolks per week. For more info, go here if you are following the TLC Diet for High Cholesterol

The Value of Vegetables and Fruits

Researchers in Scotland are serving up further proof that eating fruits and vegetables is good for you.

A comparison of vegetarians and non-vegetarians revealed that vegetarians have higher blood levels of salicylic acid, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug present in fruits and vegetables.

Salicylic acid is also the active ingredient in aspirin, which is given to people to help prevent heart attacks because it helps to block the formation of blood clots.

Researchers believe the high concentration of salicylic acid in these foods may help explain other studies that revealed low levels of heart disease among people who eat lots of these good-for-you foods.