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Showing posts from February, 2016

Children's Vitamin D Deficiency is Common

A survey done is 2001-2004 measured the levels of vitamin D in children across America and led to the conclusion that vitamin D deficiency is widespread in the US. Lack of vitamin D is most likely caused by insufficient sun exposure. It is recommended to eat more fish and drink more milk and most importantly, to spend 15-20 minutes a day in the sun. Daily consumption of vitamin D supplements should be considered, especially for high-risk children. Lack of Vitamin D Implications Vitamin D is a global name for a group of fat-soluble prohormones. The main form of vitamin D is D3 which is produced in the skin as a consequence of direct sunlight exposure. The active form of vitamin D influences a lot of organ systems but its major role is maintaining the amount of calcium in the blood. Vitamin D deficiency is transduced into distorted bone shape and thickness. In children it can lead to rickets, a softening of the bones, and in adults it might contribute to osteoporosis. Vitamin

Chronic Anxiety Unreality Symptoms

These sensations, referred to as "depersonalization" and "derealization," are not actual delusions or hallucinations but are rather unpleasant feelings that give the one experiencing them a feeling that reality has been altered. While this symptom-phenomenon can be very unpleasant, it does not indicate psychosis or the onset of developing insanity . These type anxiety symptoms are experienced commonly and in the vast majority of cases, are neither harmful nor dangerous. The Anxiety Mechanism Anxiety researchers believe that unreality symptoms occur due to the anxiety mechanism called the “fight-or-flight response.” Part of its purpose is to increase a person’s concentration as it is directed toward a danger or an important task at hand that requires focus and readiness for responding to. In the process of this, the fight-or-flight response can also cause a person’s self and surroundings to fall into the background so that this increased concentration on

Chlamydia: Our Number One STD Problem

Dysuria Painful intercourse Vaginal discharge or itching Rectal pain Pelvic pain How is Chlamydia Diagnosed? If the doctor suspects Chlamydia , he/she will obtain History: usually there is history of recent unprotected sex Physical: often penile or vaginal discharge is present Lab tests: either by urine sample or by genital swab, there are accurate tests that can confirm or rule out chlamydia How is Chlamydia Treated The primary method of treatment for chlamydia includes appropriate antibiotic treatment. The most common antibiotics prescribed are: Azithromycin Tetracyclines, such as doxycycline Erythromycin It is critical that all sexual partners be treated, to prevent passing the infection back and forth. A follow-up evaluation may be done in four to six weeks to determine if the infection has been cured. Prognosis for Chlamydia Early antibiotic treatment is generally successful and tends to prevent the development of long-term complications. Untreated

Clinical Trials – Facts to Consider About New Treatment Options

Clinical trials are biomedical research studies aimed at determining the efficacy, safety levels, and possible side-effects of new medications and therapies. The majority of clinical trials involve testing new medications designed to treat many types of conditions, ranging from auto-immune and blood diseases to cancer. In the case of new medications, the trials are jointly run by pharmaceutical companies, which are responsible of designing the new drugs , and hospitals or health centers , which administer them to patients. Clinical Trial Facts to Consider Before Enrolling Most people who consider enrolling for clinical trials do it because existing commercially available drugs and treatments have not succeeded in curing their ailments. Others do it so that doctors and scientists can gather as much information as possible in order to treat diseases. Patients considering participating in clinical trials should analyze several factors, including the mechanisms by which the drugs

Cigarette Smoking Causes Addiction: The Debate Ends

One in every five deaths in the United States is caused by smoking. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) which functions under the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) conservatively estimates that the U.S. economic burden of smoking is $193 billion every year. Smokers Use Tobacco Because They are Addicted NIDA puts an end to the age-old controversy whether cigarette smoking is an addiction or not. It says conclusively that most smokers smoke because they are addicted. Nicotine, an ingredient of tobacco causes the addiction. The American Heart Association says that nicotine addiction has remained one of the toughest addictions to break. There is sufficient research and documented evidence to show that most smokers are aware of the dangers of smoking, and wish to quit the habit. However, over 85% of smokers that try to quit smoking go back to it, most of them within a week. How Nicotine Works Research has established that nicotine impacts the brain in numerous

Clean Drinking Water

Our bodies are 70 percent water . If we do not adequately hydrate our bodies they cannot function adequately. A Cure-All The water that we drink and consume in food is a carrier, bringing food to our cells and taking away wastes. Making sure that you get plenty of high-quality water every day is one of the most promising routes to digestive wellness. Clean water and good hydration can help prevent many health conditions, from gout, to asthma, and ulcers. Tap Water There is more than one good answer about where to find the best drinking water. Tap water can be very polluted because of pollutants that leak into the ground and contaminate the water supply. There is a lot of controversy over the amount of chlorine in tap water. The levels of chlorine needed to kill bacteria are rising due to increasing bacterial resistance, but chlorine has also been strongly associated with higher cancer risks. A simple water filter can efficiently remove chlorine from tap water. Activated cha

How Scientists Studied Cell Phones & the Brain

While some states in the United States contemplate requiring labels on cell phones to warn of possible health dangers, scientists in Florida believe mobile phone use might actually promote brain health. Two experiments were conducted. In both, they simulated cell phone use with an electromagnet force (EMF) radio transmitter under the mice’s cages. The transmitter sent radio waves at a frequency cell phones use ( 918 MHz ) and at the same energy ( 250 mW/Kg ) that human users receive from their phones. They simulated two one hour conversations every day. Adolescent Mice Improved Brain Function After about six months of twice daily hour-long simulated cell phone exposures, they tested young adult mice and compared results to control mice. One of the tests they used was the radial arm water maze. In this test, mice are put on a platform in a tank of water that is partitioned into pie slices, with a circular cut-out in the center like the center of a target. One of the pie sli

Changing Habits

Whether it’s nail biting, smoking or snacking, nearly everyone has a habit he wishes he could change. Wendy Wood , who studies human behavior at Duke University, has found that location influences behavior. By changing locations and everyday movements, people can change their habits. Wood, James B. Duke professor of psychology and neuroscience says, “Many of our repeated behaviors are cued by everyday environments.” While people may believe they are acting independently when they make certain choices, more often than not, they are simply acting on cues that they have responded to countless times in the past. For instance, passing by the same vending machine at the same time every day can trigger the response to buy a snack. Driving by a fast food place each evening can trigger the desire to stop in for takeout. Deeply ingrained habits are very difficult to change through willpower alone. Addicted to a Habit Habitual behavior can be akin to addiction and the methods to

Causes of Migraines

Migraines can be defined as a serious headache that is accompanied with a range of symptoms such as visual disturbances, aura, nausea, vomiting and numbness. Women are three times more likely to experience a migraine than men, and it is thought that hormones have a role to play in this. Pre-menstrual and expectant women are more likely to suffer from migraines due to increased levels of hormones in the blood. In fact, many women will experience a migraine for the first time ever whilst pregnant, with symptoms disappearing altogether once they have delivered. Migraine Types Migraines fall into one of two categories, classical or common . A classical migraine is one in which there are visual disturbances and aura for the patient, whereas a common migraine presents itself without visual problems. Some patients only ever suffer from one type of migraine, whilst others can suffer both types. Stress is usually an indicator in the severity of the attack itself, which can last an