Health & Nutrition Facts for Bodybuilders

Hernias of any type do not self-correct – they require surgery to be properly repaired. One of the most common hernias in males is the inguinal hernia, which occurs near the groin area when part of the intestine protrudes through a weak spot in the abdomen. If left uncorrected, a hernia will become larger in size, as well as more uncomfortable. The hernia is typically caused by heavy lifting or straining, paired with a weakness in the abdominal wall. Further lifting or straining can make the hernia worse, but as time goes on, even small amounts of strain such as blowing the nose or having a bowel movement can cause the hernia to expand. The true danger in a hernia lies in the possibility that a part of the bowel will also poke out through the abdominal wall, leading to a strangulation of that part of the bowel and possibly death for the patient. While this is an unlikely outcome, patients who are suffering severe nausea and a sharp pain in the area of their hernia, rather than the

Someone may develop post-traumatic stress disorder when he experiences or witnesses an event that causes intense fear and helplessness. What Are the Symptoms of PTSD? PTSD symptoms typically begin within three months of a traumatic event. It is important to get treatment as soon as possible after symptoms develop to prevent PTSD from becoming a long-term condition. Symptoms are commonly grouped into three types: Re-experiencing symptoms (flashbacks), avoidance, and increased anxiety or emotional arousal (hyperarousal): Re-experiencing symptoms: flashbacks, bad dreams and repeated frightening thoughts-reliving the trauma over and over Avoidance symptoms: avoiding places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience. Hyperarousal symptoms: being easily startled, feeling tense, having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts. The symptoms that children or teenagers experience may not be the same as with adults. In very young children, these symptoms can includ

All types of salicylates (from the main ingredient acetylsalicylic acid or ASA), have been implicated in a condition called Reye’s Syndrome, associated with ASPIRIN® ingestion, especially by children, used to treat feverish colds or viral diseases. Drugs studies using acetaminophen (paracetamol outside N. A.), as well as ibuprofen and others, have only shown some unproven implications for Reye’s. With the advent of alternative pain killers, Reye’s has become less common in recent years. Nonetheless, it is important to realize that even such routinely used over-the-counter medications must be used sparingly and wisely. Headache and pain sufferers sometimes have to make tough choices. Awareness of Reye's Syndrome is Key to Prevention Reye's can strike quickly, affecting all body organs, especially the brain and the liver (although usually without jaundice). It is frequently associated with the use of any form of salicylate-containing drugs (ASPIRIN®-type medications) for tr

When an adult has cardiac related issues, there are numerous factors that may be the cause. Heart disease , high cholesterol, obesity and high blood pressure can all contribute to emergency cardiac incidents. In children and infants whose hearts are typically young and strong, a cardiac event is troubling because it is unexpected. Most cardiac arrests in the very young can be attributed to an alternate cause that is usually respiration related, like RSV. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) A surveillance study published in the Feb. 05, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine showed that RSV is linked to substantial morbidity in US children. The study, " The Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Young Children," conducted by Dr. Caroline Breese Hall et al, from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, also showed that most children who presented with RSV were previously healthy. Worldwide, RSV is the most common cause of lower r

RNA interference (RNAi), discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998, is essentially the use of small fragments of RNA, known as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to block, or interfere with, the production of specific genes. These occur naturally in mammalian cells, but can also be generated artificially and delivered into cells. Each RNA fragment has a sequence that is complementary to a part of the target gene, in that it is exactly complementary to the sequence of the gene. When it binds, it effectively blocks that part of the gene, by preventing interaction with the machinery of the cell whose job it is to translate that DNA sequence into protein. As a result, the protein is not made. Since its discovery, RNAi has been used extensively in the laboratory to research which genes are responsible for what functions. By blocking a gene, and observing the effect it has on a cell or organism, the function on that gene can be deduced. Prior to RNAi, this kind of research was only

No matter the season, indoor tanning remains a habitual practice for many individuals. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), around one million people in the United States tan on average each day, with 28 million tanning indoors annually. Due to the consistent increase in these numbers, many questions have been raised regarding the potential risks of this popular trend. Skin Cancer and Tanning The practice of indoor tanning is most often associated with young girls, with the AAD reporting that 70 percent of salon goers are females between the ages of 16 and 29. However, there is no “typical” characteristic of a tanner, as both men and women, young and old, attend salons every day. Throughout the year, there are a number of occasions that patrons use as an excuse to get a tan, including prom, weddings, vacation, graduation, senior pictures, spring break, and more. With the increased use of tanning beds comes an increase in the research conducted. Organizatio

Even for those without an addictive disorder, the long-term use of opioids will result in an increased tolerance to them and withdrawal symptoms when coming off of them. This has led many primary care physicians to avoid prescribing opioids for chronic pain and instead refer their patients to pain management programs for treatment. For patients in addiction recovery, it is wise to consider the many alternatives to opioid-based pain management. Addiction versus Dependence According to the Journal of American Psychiatry , the word "dependence" was introduced in an effort to combat the stigma associated with the word "addiction," differentiating between patients with psychological cravings for a drug and those with isolated physical dependence. Instead of clarifying, however, this distinction has become confusing for patients. The continued interchangeability of the terms in the media compounds the problem. The New England Journal of Medicine defines physical

The human immune system is a multifaceted entity that is designed to fulfill two tasks: it distinguishes what is “us” from what is “not us,” and then eliminates what is “not us.” Any molecule that can be recognized by the immune system – whether it is self or non-self – is called an antigen. A healthy immune system is capable of effectively handling potentially harmful antigens, including infectious organisms, allergens, and abnormal cells (such as cancer cells). While not technically part of the immune system, there are several anatomic barriers that must be surmounted by foreign antigens before the immune system is activated: The skin, with its germ-inhibiting sheen of oils and sweat; the mucus that coats the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urogenital tracts; and specialized, hair-like cilia projecting from respiratory epithelial cells all serve as obstacles that help prevent attacks on the human organism. Any antigen that breaches these barriers can trigger two types of immu