ASSESSING FAT LEVELS: WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO

Posted: under Weight Loss.

A useful measure that has been in the news lately is the waist-to-hip ratio, a measure of regional fat distribution. Research has shown that excess fat in the abdominal area poses a greater health risk than does excess fat in the hips and
thighs and is associated with a number of disorders, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. A waist-to-hip ratio greater than 1.0 in men and 0.8 in women indicates increased health risks. Therefore, knowing where your fat is being carried may be more important than knowing your total fat content. Work in this area has generally found that men and postmenopausal women tend to store fat in the upper regions of their body, particularly in the abdominal area. Premenopausal women usually store their fat in lower regions of their bodies, particularly the hips, buttocks, and thighs. In fact, waist measurement alone may be a viable way to assess fat distribution. Some research suggests that a waistline greater than 40 inches (102 cm) in men and 35 inches (88 cm) in women may be an indicator of greater health risk.
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Comments (0) Apr 10 2011


ACNE

Posted: under Skin Care.

Facing me was an attractive young woman. It was her misfortune that she was one of the many people troubled with Acne vulgaris, a condition which is very difficult to control. She was particularly upset because her wedding day was not far off and the stressful situation, extra work and sleepless nights were making her condition worse. It seemed like a vicious circle, because the more she worried, the worse her acne became, which in turn made her worry still more. During my many years in practice I have often come across similar situations and I cannot help but sympathise: I know that compared to other serious health conditions acne can be viewed as a trivial complaint, but this doesn’t alter the fact that the sufferer is often emotionally insecure. More so, as this affliction often rears its head during the sensitive years of teenagers, which are so important in their mental development. Whether it concerns teenagers or adults, acne vulgaris can be a tenacious problem. If it is treated in a sensible and intelligent manner, much distress can be avoided.
What is acne vulgaris? Merck’s Manual, the physician’s handbook, says that it is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands and the pilosebaceous follicles of the skin, characterised by papules, pustules, cysts, inflammatory plaque or nodules, and usually associated with seborrhoea. It is said that the exact cause of acne vulgaris is unknown, but that there are predisposing causes, such as an increased activity of the pilosebaceous complexities and very often a hormonal imbalance, which is why teenagers in particular have so many problems. Hereditary influences can play a role and certain foods have been known to aggravate this problem. A good rule to remember is that a healthy diet is important. There might also be some infection, like staphylococcus and possibly allergies play a role. In other cases there are deficiencies of vitamins, minerals and trace elements, and problems of sudden flare-ups caused by the digestive system.
In women, the ovaries play a large part, and this is often the reason why before, during or after menstruation, acne sufferers experience sudden flare-ups. If there is a real problem, and it is allowed to run on unchecked, the condition may well continue until the age of thirty or so. In most cases, however, if the patient co-operates, I have been able to control the condition to a large extent. Hygiene is essential and thorough cleansing is necessary. It is most important that the patient co-operates and does not pick or squeeze, which can cause lesions and permanent scarring, and it is certainly no use covering the spots with a layer of make-up. If this is considered necessary, it helps to be discriminating in the make and amounts used. Hydrotherapy treatment can often be of help, especially if an ioniser is used, and ultraviolet treatment may also be beneficial. Natural sunshine is best, but in our northern climate it may be necessary to supplement this with ultraviolet rays.
I reassured the bride-to-be that her skin would improve greatly if she followed my advice and I emphasised that she was not alone in her plight. Some 70-75 per cent of all teenagers get acne. The hormonal change in teenagers is substantial. The hormones act on the thousands of small glands in the skin, and if the skin produces too much sebum, the chances are high that acne will develop. When blocked, the glandular ducts and pores form blackheads. Infection, combined with swelling, is the cause of the problem, and when the skin is not thoroughly cleansed, it becomes very rough and sometimes very dry or greasy. Washing certainly does not help to overcome acne, it just keeps the surface clear of excessive grease. It is much better to care for the skin with a cleansing milk or a very mild soap. It is also important to be aware of excessive perspiration, as this too can aggravate an acne condition. I must stress that squeezing, pushing or rubbing the spot is to be discouraged, as the fragile skin is easily damaged and scarred.
Many sufferers enquire hopefully if their acne will ever disappear completely. It certainly does disappear but the timing varies: in some cases it may take a long time, whereas with other people it will disappear quickly. Although predominantly a teenage problem, acne can cause a number of conditions from early childhood to adulthood, affecting both male and female. A young man from Belgium recently visited my clinic in the Netherlands. After hearing his story I realised that he had become very introverted as a result of his skin problems. He was very keen to find a girlfriend, but his acne had given him an inferiority complex. I told him that his acne problem could be cleared, but suggested that in the meantime he might consider growing a beard. He admitted that he had never thought of that and was certainly going to give it a try.
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Comments (0) Apr 02 2011


HOW DO WE KNOW SMOKING CAUSES LUNG CANCER?

Posted: under Cancer.

Unravelling the link between smoking and lung cancer has been one of the most successful exercises in the science of epidemiology. The part played by British scientific workers, most notably Sir Richard Doll from the University of Oxford, has been one of the most substantial contributions of British science to medicine.
• Through this century the upward trend in lung cancer has followed the upward trend in smoking closely.
• The incidence of lung cancer is higher in smokers. A large number of studies in analytical epidemiology all point in the same direction.
• The more you smoke the more likely you are to get lung cancer. This is true for the duration of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked. The exact relationship between the number of cigarettes smoked and the increased risk of lung cancer can still be debated. People have smoked in different ways in different countries and discarded different amounts of the cigarettes. The tar content of cigarettes varies greatly and has fallen steadily in cigarettes smoked in Western Europe and the United States.
A recent estimate from the United States (report of the Surgeon General, 1989) says that regular cigarette smokers have more than a twenty times greater chance of getting lung cancer than lifelong non-smokers. The relationship between the number of cigarettes smoked and the risk is not a simple straight line. We cannot be precise about the relationship but Sir Richard Doll and his colleagues suggest that the likelihood of getting cancer from cigarette smoking rises according to a more complicated mathematical relationship known as a quadratic. Broadly this will mean that increasing the number of cigarettes smoked may have a disproportionate effect on the chance of getting lung Cancer.
• When you stop smoking your chance of gating lung cancer falls. Within ten years the risk has fallen dramatically from what it would have been if smoking had continued although it may take quite a long time to return to the very small level of risk enjoyed by non-smokers.
• Smoking low-tar cigarettes reduces the risk of lung cancer. This is strong evidence because most other factors about the two groups – those using high-tar and those using low-tar cigarettes – will be similar. Only the change in the level of tar in cigarettes is likely to explain the change in lung cancer incidence which in low-tar smokers is reduced to about 60 per cent of the risk for patients smoking high-tar cigarettes.
• Chemicals in cigarette tar are mutagenic and carcinogenic. By this we mean that such chemicals alter genes and have been shown in the laboratory to produce cancer.
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Comments (0) Mar 25 2011


DECIDING TO COME OFF DRUGS: ASKING FOR HELP AND TAKE THE HELP OFFERED

Posted: under Anti-Smoking.

It’s not enough to know you need help. You, yourself, have got to ask for it.
And the sooner you make that vital move, the better. For chemical dependence is a subtle and cunning disease. It will try to lure you into false optimism, and give you all kinds of reasons for not doing what will get you well.
If you are an addict whose partner or family has not yet given up hope, you may well already have had offers of help. They may have told you about clinics which can help you, or offered to go with you for expert help.
Or maybe among your friends is an addict who has successfully given up drugs and is living a new life. Or maybe you know an alcoholic who is leading a life without booze. Perhaps they told you about it and offered their help.
Take the help offered-Maybe at the time it was offered, you indignantly refused. Maybe you feel embarrassed, or even angry, at the thought of having to change your mind and tell them you need help after all.
Don’t let shame or guilt or false pride stop your chances of recovery. If you know where help is available, grab it with both hands.
The best kind of care is from other recovering addicts or alcoholics. They know what it is to stop using drugs or drink, and they have learned how to live life without them. You will find these in Narcotics Anonymous and in Alcoholics Anonymous.

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Comments (0) Mar 18 2011


BACH FLOWER REMEDIES: THE NEGATIVE SWEET CHESTNUT STATE – MAYA DEVI’S CASE

Posted: under Herbal.

Maya Devi was married when she was only 4 years old, and she became a widow when she was only five. At that time she did not realise what tragedy had befallen her. She was a child and was loved by both, her parents and her in-laws.
However, when she became young, the stark reality of widow-hood in an Indian home stared her straight in the face. She could not eat good food, nor wear good clothes. She could not go in any society and could not have any friends. She could not even enjoy a walk in open air, and she could not remarry. In short, all sources of joy were denied to her once and for all. She was only to lead an existence of drudgery, doing house hold work for the rest of life. These restrictions literally throttled her. She felt cheated and wronged. What was her fault? Why was she singled out for this shaby treatment? The thought haunted her and she became depressed and morose. She lost her appetite, could not sleep at night, and started thinning out.
Fear gripped her mother when she saw her unfortunate daughter’s face. She also realised that she could not get her any relief from society.
She took her to a sage who was able to give a twist to her mind towards religion and spirituality, and advised her to recite God’s name day and night which would keep her spirits high. In order to make her independent for her worldly needs, he advised her to resume her studies. In due course of time she completed her Teacher’s Training course and got an appointment in a local school. The good sage had successfully changed Maya Devi’s mental state, from Negative to Positive Sweet Chestnut state, but her physical weakness persisted. A combination of Sweet Chestnut and Olive was prescribed T.D.S for 1 week, after which Maya Devi lived a happy contented life.
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Comments (0) Mar 11 2011


BACH FLOWER REMEDIES: HORNBEAM REMEDY – MRS. TALWAR’S CASE

Posted: under Herbal.

Mrs. Talwar was a very capable person. Well educated and very efficient in her household work. But there was one snag–she could not get up from the bed in the morning.
She came to the dispensary one morning and was visibly upset when she complained “Doctor, my husband left for office this morning without eating anything, because I could not give him even a cup of tea. You see, I get up from sleep early in the morning, but cannot leave the bed for hours together. I want to get up, but something holds me back and I feel too weak to leave the bed. Once I get up and start doing work, I can accomplish all work without difficulty & without exhaustion. But can you give me some tonic which can arouse me from the morning inertia.
HORN BEAM given only 3 times in a day provided the necessary tonic which removed her morning inertia, and she could leave the bed at will.
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Comments (0) Feb 25 2011


WHAT’S THE RATE OF PEOPLE GET SURGERY, DERMATOLOGIC TREATMENT, AND OTHER NONPSYCHIATRIC MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR BDD?

Posted: under General Health.

36% of people requested surgery, and nearly a quarter actually had surgery for their perceived appearance flaws. Drs. Veale and Hollander found that 26% of 50 people and 40% of 50 people with BDD had had surgery. In my study, people who received surgery had an average of 2 to 3 surgical procedures, so multiple surgeries were the rule. One woman had 9. Rhinoplasty (a nose job) was the most common procedure (42% of all surgeries). This was followed by chin surgery and breast surgery. People in this study also received dental treatment (e.g., tooth filing or orthodontia), other medical treatments, and paraprofessional treatment (for example, electrolysis).
Occasional patients have surgery on a body part that looks acceptable to them to make it even more attractive and thereby “distract” attention from the “defective” body part. One handsome man was planning a total facial reconstruction, even though his face looked fine to him because, if it looked even better, people might not notice his supposedly thinning hair. A beautiful young woman had a cheekbone implant so people would look at her cheekbones instead of her “ugly” lips.
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Comments (0) Feb 18 2011


ALCOHOLISM TREATMENT: EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Posted: under Anti Depressants-Sleeping Aid.

Facts and experience suggest that the occupational environment may be one of the most efficient and economical means of providing an opportunity for early identification and treatment of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems.
Chances for recovery are increased by reaching the alcoholic at an earlier stage for the following reasons:
Physical health has not deteriorated significantly
Financial resources are not as depleted
Emotional supports still exist in the family and community
Threat of job loss is present as a motivator
Employee assistance programs are organized in a variety of ways, from an in-house counselor to contracts with outside groups for these services. Programs may also be structured as “broad brush,” that is, dealing with any of the many problems that may affect employee’s performance, or be more narrowly restricted to alcohol and drugs only.
Whatever the program structure, the following are among the common signs and symptoms used to identify the problem drinker or substance abuser:
Chronic absenteeism
Change in behavior
Physical signs
Spasmodic work pace
Lower quantity and quality of work
Partial absences
Lying
Avoiding supervisors and coworkers
On-the-job drinking
On-the-job accidents and lost time from off-the-job accidents
Training supervisors and others to recognize these signs is important so that early detection can occur. Training is also critical to helping employers to document and not diagnose. Where there have been broad educational efforts through information sessions, posters, pamphlets, and so forth, there has been an in crease in peer or self-referrals. Such referrals may often comprise the bulk of referrals to a program. For whatever reasons, supervisor referrals are still rare.
An important technique in dealing with the alcoholic employee is called either intervention, constructive coercion, or confrontation. The technique, based on the Johnson intervention model, is used in the work setting to motivate the individual to seek help to improve job performance and retain the job. In the context of a formal program, the procedure is to identify, document, and then confront the employee with the facts and an informal offer of referral for help. Confrontation occurs within the company normal evaluation and disciplinary procedures. A supervise, manager, or union steward who notes certain behaviors and signs of deteriorating job performance documents them. If the “confrontation” is unsuccessful, the next phase would be a stepped-up disciplinary procedure, including a time limit and a formal referral with the “threat” of job loss if performance is not improved.
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Comments (0) Feb 11 2011


HIV: WHAT TO DO WHEN-KEEP WORKING AND MAINTAIN MENTAL HEALTH

Posted: under HIV.

People with HIV infection should work as long as they possibly can. Work contributes to people’s sense of self-worth, to their knowledge that they are contributing members of society. HIV infection should not keep people from working unless fatigue or other symptoms make it impossible.
Occasionally employers have used the fact of HIV infection to limit someone’s employment or to change their job assignments. The employee has considerable legal recourse as a result of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which protects every citizen against unfair discrimination based on sex, race, or handicap. Under this law, HIV infection is a handicap, and those who have HIV infection are legally protected. The employer must provide the employee with continued employment in the same job as long as she or he is capable of performing the job.
Maintain Mental Health-HIV infection carries an enormous psychological burden, both because of the nature of the disease and because of society’s reaction to it. It is critically important for a person with HIV infection to deal with the psychological impact of the disease. Mental health may even affect the state of the immune system. Methods of maintaining mental health will differ with different people. Resources available include mental health professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers), support groups, and AIDS-advocacy organizations.

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Comments (0) Jan 28 2011


HIV: WHAT TO DO WHEN-FOLLOW A NUTRITIOUS DIET

Posted: under HIV.

Nutrition is important for virtually all people with HIV infection for two reasons. The first is that weight loss is a common symptom of this infection, and during the later stages, many people lose weight excessively. Paying attention to nutrition early in the course of the infection might delay weight loss. The second reason is that good nutrition seems to help maintain a strong immune system, even apart from HIV infection. It is well established that the immune system functions less well in people who are malnourished, though malnutrition must be severe before immune defects become noticeable.
Malnutrition is more exactly called protein-calorie malnutrition. Calories come from most food, particularly fats. Proteins come from meat, milk products, poultry, eggs, fish, and dried beans and rice. People need diets that are a balance of calories, protein, and the necessary
vitamins. The usual American diet provides an ample supply of vitamins, though some people with HIV infection might wish to take supplemental vitamins. If supplemental vitamins are taken, the usual recommendation is to take no more than the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), the amount recommended by nutrition experts. The RDA is listed on the labels of all supplemental vitamins. In general, excessive doses of vitamins, along with macrobiotic diets and other fad diets, should either be avoided or be undertaken only with the advice of a certified dietitian.
Some people believe that progressive HIV infection is associated with deficiencies in what they call micronutrients—selenium, iron, zinc—and advocate taking supplements to correct the deficiency. The role of these micronutrients, however, has not been established scientifically, especially for the person with HIV infection who feels well.

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Comments (0) Jan 21 2011