Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Children - Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of c...... Read more
Showing posts with label alternative health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alternative health. Show all posts
Monday, December 29, 2008
Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Children
Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Children - Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of c...... Read more
Monday, July 14, 2008
Don't Take a Vacation From Healthy Eating
(HealthDay News) -- Even though it's summertime, children shouldn't be allowed to take a vacation from healthy eating habits, advises Dr. Sarah Armstrong, a pediatrician at Duke University Medical Center."Routines go haywire, and with nothing to do after a few days in the pool, kids head straight for the refrigerator or snack bar, because they think they're hungry, when they're actually just bored," Armstrong said in a university news release.
Add in things like regular servings of ice cream to beat the heat, hot dogs at the ball park, and funnel cake at the fair, and you have a summer-long binge of bad eating that can lead to weight gain.
Armstrong offered parents a number of ways to prevent their children from packing on excess pounds this summer.
Make sure kids get enough sleep. Research shows that late nights and sleeping in are known risk factors for weight gain. "When kids stay up late, they are more likely to watch TV and snack on dense, low-nutrient foods," Armstrong said.
In addition, a shorter night's sleep limits the body's production of leptin, a hormone that promotes satiety. Lower levels of leptin mean children wake up feeling more hungry and are quicker to grab high-carbohydrate, calorie-rich foods.
When children wake up, encourage them to eat healthy breakfasts that include things such as fruit smoothies, high fiber cereal or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread.
Take a holiday from fast foods. Instead of going to a burger joint, pack a picnic with healthy foods such as turkey sandwiches and salads and go to the park or beach. Armstrong said it's important to "incorporate protein in every meal. It releases relases insulin at a slower rate, and that keeps your blood sugars -- and your energy level -- constant throughout the day."
Parents should check out the menu at their child's summer camp. If the meals and snacks aren't acceptable, pack your child a healthy lunch that includes things such as lean lunch meats, raw vegetables and whole wheat crackers.
During the summer, parents also need to limit their children's consumption of sweets and make sure kids are active.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about children and healthy eating.
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Saturday, April 26, 2008
What is Fucoxanthin?
From Cathy Wong,Fucoxanthin is a type of carotenoid found naturally in edible brown seaweed such as wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) and hijiki (Hijikia fusiformis), which are used widely in Asian cuisine. Wakame is the seaweed used in miso soup.
Fucoxanthin is also found in much smaller amounts in red seaweed (the kind typically used in Japanese sushi rolls) and green seaweed.
Both wakame and hijiki are available at Japanese specialty food stores, some health food stores and online. Although brown seaweed is the richest source of fucoxanthin, you would have to eat an unrealistic amount of it daily to get fucoxanthin levels close to those used in research studies.
Fucoxanthin is also available as a nutritional supplement in capsule form and can be found in some health food stores and online.
Why Do People Use Fucoxanthin?
Weight Loss
Fucoxanthin is being explored for weight loss.
So far, only animal studies have been done. Japanese researchers have found that fucoxanthin (isolated from wakame) promotes the loss of abdominal fat in obese mice and rats. Animals lost five to 10% of their body weight.
Although it's not fully understood how fucoxanthin works, it appears to target a protein called UCP1 that increases the rate at which abdominal fat is burned. Abdominal fat, also called white adipose tissue, is the kind of fat that surrounds our organs and is linked to heart disease and diabetes. Fucoxanthin also appears to stimulate the production of DHA, one of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish such as salmon.
Although it's promising and already a popular nutritional supplement, more research is needed to determine if fucoxanthin will work in the same way in humans. If it does prove to be effective, fucoxanthin could be developed into a diet pill for obesity.
Diabetes
Fucoxanthin has also been found in animal studies to decrease insulin and blood glucose levels. Researchers hypothesize that fucoxanthin anti-diabetes effect may be because fucoxanthin appears to promote the formation of DHA (the omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil). DHA is thought to increase insulin sensitivity, improve triglycerides and reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
Cancer
Preliminary research in test tubes suggests that fucoxanthin may have anti-tumor effects. No studies have looked at whether this holds true in humans or if taken orally. It's far too early for fucoxanthin to be used as a complementary treatment for cancer.
Side Effects
Because there hasn't been research on fucoxanthin in humans, the possible side effects aren't known.
People shouldn't consume large amounts of wakame or other types of seaweed as a source of fucoxanthin. Seaweed is rich in iodine and excessive consumption may result in iodine poisoning. High levels of iodine can interfere with the function of the thyroid gland. Also, consuming excess amounts of iodine-rich foods isn't recommended if there is a known allergy or hypersensitivity to iodine.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Healthy Aging
Nearly half the US populations turns to complementary, alternative and integrative practices to maintain or improve their health. Join Dr. Donald Abrams as he explores how integrative medicine can ... (more)
Friday, January 26, 2007
Sauna Therapy and Healing
Fever
A fever is the body's highly evolved attempt to destroy invading organisms and to sweat impurities out through the skin Fever is an effective natural process of curing disease and restoring health, heat therapy, or hyperthermia, represents a way to create fever to call out his natural healing process.
Heat Therapy
The Secret of Hyperthermia, or heat therapy, is that cancer cells are vulnerable to high temperatures. Heat the cancer cells and they can be easily destroyed, especially if the tumor lies close to the skin surface. In the process, patients can reduce or even eliminate the need for radiation.
The Principle
The principle behind hyperthermia is simple: heat cancer cells and they can be killed easily. Direct killing of cancer cells begin to occur when the cancerous tissue reaches about 104 F to 105.8F. Only a relatively small rise in body temperature can make a huge difference says Dr. R Atkins who includes heat therapy in his cancer protocols.
Unlike normal tissue, tumors have poor blood flow relative to their metabolic needs and cannot dissipate the heat, so they tend to get hotter than the surrounding area. Rapidly dividing cells (i.e., cancer cells) are more vulnerable to the effects of heat. Normally, part of the damage caused by radiation is repaired by the cancer cells, enabling some to survive; however, heat foils this self-repair ability. Taken together, these facts tend to make tumors more vulnerable to heat treatment than normal cells. Hyperthermia is now approved in the U.S. for treatment of breast cancer recurrence.
Detoxification
Practitioners of alternative medicine have long recognized hyperthermia as a useful technique in detoxification therapy because it releases toxins stored in fat cells. Hyperhtermia can be used to remove fat-stored chemicals such as pesticides, PCBs, and drug residues from the body. Only recently ha conventional medicine caught up with this practice and begun to incorporate hypertheria in the orthodox treatment protocols for cancer.
more info at:
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/integrated_med/ozone_oxygen.htm
A fever is the body's highly evolved attempt to destroy invading organisms and to sweat impurities out through the skin Fever is an effective natural process of curing disease and restoring health, heat therapy, or hyperthermia, represents a way to create fever to call out his natural healing process.
Heat Therapy
The Secret of Hyperthermia, or heat therapy, is that cancer cells are vulnerable to high temperatures. Heat the cancer cells and they can be easily destroyed, especially if the tumor lies close to the skin surface. In the process, patients can reduce or even eliminate the need for radiation.
The Principle
The principle behind hyperthermia is simple: heat cancer cells and they can be killed easily. Direct killing of cancer cells begin to occur when the cancerous tissue reaches about 104 F to 105.8F. Only a relatively small rise in body temperature can make a huge difference says Dr. R Atkins who includes heat therapy in his cancer protocols.
Unlike normal tissue, tumors have poor blood flow relative to their metabolic needs and cannot dissipate the heat, so they tend to get hotter than the surrounding area. Rapidly dividing cells (i.e., cancer cells) are more vulnerable to the effects of heat. Normally, part of the damage caused by radiation is repaired by the cancer cells, enabling some to survive; however, heat foils this self-repair ability. Taken together, these facts tend to make tumors more vulnerable to heat treatment than normal cells. Hyperthermia is now approved in the U.S. for treatment of breast cancer recurrence.
Detoxification
Practitioners of alternative medicine have long recognized hyperthermia as a useful technique in detoxification therapy because it releases toxins stored in fat cells. Hyperhtermia can be used to remove fat-stored chemicals such as pesticides, PCBs, and drug residues from the body. Only recently ha conventional medicine caught up with this practice and begun to incorporate hypertheria in the orthodox treatment protocols for cancer.
more info at:
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/integrated_med/ozone_oxygen.htm
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: A New Approach
(HealthDay News) -- With incisions no bigger than keyholes, a woman can undergo a hysterectomy, go home the same day, and be back at her desk within two weeks.
Doctors say that as technology improves, and they become more familiar with the techniques, they are performing laparoscopic hysterectomies more often, usually at the behest of women who want to be back on their feet in a hurry.
Some women may have postponed the procedure for years, enduring pain or bleeding, because they couldn't afford the usual recovery time.
"One of my patients was self-employed and couldn't take the six weeks off," said Dr. Mayra Thompson, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. "She said, 'I'll lose my business and my home, and I can't do it.' "
Thompson ultimately operated laparoscopically, inserting a scope to view the internal site and using long-handled instruments to peel away the uterus. The patient was back at work in 10 days, said Thompson. "How can you beat that? Otherwise, she would have been really out of luck," she said.
Thompson is among those physicians who think it's best to perform a procedure known as a "supracervical" hysterectomy, leaving the cervix -- the narrow outer end of uterus -- intact in women who do not have irregular Pap smears or other complications.
The thought is that leaving the cervix will protect vaginal supports and help prevent prolapse, a condition that occurs over time when the bladder or rectum is pulled downward. This kind of surgery also eases the worries of some women who think removing the cervix will interfere with their sex lives, though studies have shown there is usually no physical change to prevent normal sexual pleasure after healing, doctors said.
Other doctors prefer to perform vaginal hysterectomies, which also have a faster recovery time than "open" surgery.
"I still think vaginal is the preferred way to go if the patient is OK with having the cervix out," said Dr. Howard T. Sharp, associate professor and chief of the General Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City. "Up to a third of women who have a subtotal hysterectomy (removing the uterus only) will end up having the cervix removed at a later time because of bleeding or prolapse."
Others are reserving judgment in what has become a hotly debated subject.
"I can tell you there is not a lot of science for either side of that coin. It's too early. We don't know whether removing the cervix reduces the risk of prolapse or not," said Dr. Barry Jarnagin, associate professor of gynecology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Given a choice, he prefers to leave the cervix because there is less disruption to the pelvic floor, which is less painful to the patient and beneficial in prolapse and other surgery that may become necessary later on.
Regardless of the extent of the organ removal, however, some doctors prefer the laparoscopic technique because the scopes used in the surgery make it possible to view places in the body they have trouble seeing with the standard "open" surgery technique, Thompson said.
And, while skeptics once complained that minimally invasive surgery actually took longer, it can be a far shorter procedure for surgeons with up-to-date equipment and lots of experience, she said.
But the surgery isn't for everybody, the doctors said. And, not all patients can go back to work immediately, particularly if their jobs are physically straining.
"It is still major surgery, and everybody heals differently," said Dr. Karen Bradshaw, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
But, for patients who are good candidates, it's a fine alternative to traditional surgery, she said. "Patients recover so much faster."
More information
For more on hysterectomies, visit the U.S. National Women's Health Information Center.
Doctors say that as technology improves, and they become more familiar with the techniques, they are performing laparoscopic hysterectomies more often, usually at the behest of women who want to be back on their feet in a hurry.
Some women may have postponed the procedure for years, enduring pain or bleeding, because they couldn't afford the usual recovery time.
"One of my patients was self-employed and couldn't take the six weeks off," said Dr. Mayra Thompson, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. "She said, 'I'll lose my business and my home, and I can't do it.' "
Thompson ultimately operated laparoscopically, inserting a scope to view the internal site and using long-handled instruments to peel away the uterus. The patient was back at work in 10 days, said Thompson. "How can you beat that? Otherwise, she would have been really out of luck," she said.
Thompson is among those physicians who think it's best to perform a procedure known as a "supracervical" hysterectomy, leaving the cervix -- the narrow outer end of uterus -- intact in women who do not have irregular Pap smears or other complications.
The thought is that leaving the cervix will protect vaginal supports and help prevent prolapse, a condition that occurs over time when the bladder or rectum is pulled downward. This kind of surgery also eases the worries of some women who think removing the cervix will interfere with their sex lives, though studies have shown there is usually no physical change to prevent normal sexual pleasure after healing, doctors said.
Other doctors prefer to perform vaginal hysterectomies, which also have a faster recovery time than "open" surgery.
"I still think vaginal is the preferred way to go if the patient is OK with having the cervix out," said Dr. Howard T. Sharp, associate professor and chief of the General Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City. "Up to a third of women who have a subtotal hysterectomy (removing the uterus only) will end up having the cervix removed at a later time because of bleeding or prolapse."
Others are reserving judgment in what has become a hotly debated subject.
"I can tell you there is not a lot of science for either side of that coin. It's too early. We don't know whether removing the cervix reduces the risk of prolapse or not," said Dr. Barry Jarnagin, associate professor of gynecology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Given a choice, he prefers to leave the cervix because there is less disruption to the pelvic floor, which is less painful to the patient and beneficial in prolapse and other surgery that may become necessary later on.
Regardless of the extent of the organ removal, however, some doctors prefer the laparoscopic technique because the scopes used in the surgery make it possible to view places in the body they have trouble seeing with the standard "open" surgery technique, Thompson said.
And, while skeptics once complained that minimally invasive surgery actually took longer, it can be a far shorter procedure for surgeons with up-to-date equipment and lots of experience, she said.
But the surgery isn't for everybody, the doctors said. And, not all patients can go back to work immediately, particularly if their jobs are physically straining.
"It is still major surgery, and everybody heals differently," said Dr. Karen Bradshaw, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
But, for patients who are good candidates, it's a fine alternative to traditional surgery, she said. "Patients recover so much faster."
More information
For more on hysterectomies, visit the U.S. National Women's Health Information Center.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
More Dirty Drug Company Secrets
Newer drugs are not always better or safer. They are promoted more vigorously, and patients and doctors often request them thinking a more recent drug must be an improvement.
But a 2002 study of more than 42,000 patients found that generic diuretics were not only cheaper than newer drugs, but also more effective at lowering blood pressure.
Treating high blood pressure with generic diuretics could save the U.S. health care system as much as $10 billion each year.
New drugs can also be more dangerous. As a result of advice from their staff of specially trained pharmacists, the Kaiser Permanente Health System's Drug Information Services never added the painkiller Vioxx or the MS drug Tysabri to its formulary list of covered prescription drugs. Doctors were allowed to prescribe them only if there was no alternative.
Both Vioxx and Tysabri were eventually pulled from the market; Vioxx because of increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and Tysabri because it could cause a rare neurological disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML.
USA Today October 18, 2006
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But a 2002 study of more than 42,000 patients found that generic diuretics were not only cheaper than newer drugs, but also more effective at lowering blood pressure.
Treating high blood pressure with generic diuretics could save the U.S. health care system as much as $10 billion each year.
New drugs can also be more dangerous. As a result of advice from their staff of specially trained pharmacists, the Kaiser Permanente Health System's Drug Information Services never added the painkiller Vioxx or the MS drug Tysabri to its formulary list of covered prescription drugs. Doctors were allowed to prescribe them only if there was no alternative.
Both Vioxx and Tysabri were eventually pulled from the market; Vioxx because of increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and Tysabri because it could cause a rare neurological disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML.
USA Today October 18, 2006
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Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Poor Sleep Contributes to Health Problems
(HealthDay News) -- New studies are discovering just how vital sleep is to overall health.So, sleep habits should become a standard part of a complete check-up, researchers say.
"There is increasing evidence that there is a very strong relationship between sleep quality and physical and mental health," said Dr. Phyllis C. Zee, a professor of neurology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
"If you have poor health, that is associated with poor sleep. Also, if you have poor sleep, there is an association between that and poor health," Zee said. "What we don't have yet is the research to categorically say that if you improve sleep, you will improve conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, or other medical conditions."
Still, physicians should be asking their patients about the quality and quantity of their sleep, Zee said. "Sleep should be another vital sign," she said.
Zee wrote an editorial in the Sept. 18 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, a special, themed issue on sleep and its relationship to overall health.
In one study, led by Richard L. Nahin, a senior advisor for scientific coordination and outreach at the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, looked at why people had trouble sleeping and how many were using alternative drugs to help them sleep.
Insomnia and trouble sleeping are most often associated with high blood pressure, heart failure, anxiety and depression, according to a national survey of 31,044 adults. "That's unusual. It had been most often thought that insomnia was quite prevalent on its own, but only 4 percent of the people who said they had insomnia said they had it without any of those conditions," Nahin said.
The researchers also found that 1.6 million Americans are using alternative therapies, such as melatonin to treat their insomnia. "That's quite high when you consider that there is very little reliable data on the efficacy and safety of using the products people are using," Nahin said.
These findings have implications for treating sleep problems, Nahin said.
"Instead of treating the insomnia itself, a health-care provider might be better off treating one of these comorbidities," he said. "In addition, a physician seeing a patient for insomnia should ask if the patient is using any alternative and complementary treatments, because they might upset the treatments the health-care provider wants to apply."
Another study found that people who have sleep-related breathing disorder -- marked by frequent pauses in breathing, labored breathing, or reduced breathing during the night -- were two to 2.6 times more likely to develop depression. Moreover, the odds of depression increased as breathing disorders became more severe, according to researcher Paul E. Peppard and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin.
And a study by French researchers found that people with allergic rhinitis, caused by hay fever and other allergies, have more difficulty sleeping and more sleep disorders than people without allergies. "The results show a significant impact of allergic rhinitis on all dimensions of sleep quality and, consequently, a lower quality of life as reflected by more somnolence [sleepiness]; daytime fatigue and sleepiness; and impaired memory, mood and sexuality, with a significantly increased consumption of alcohol and sedatives in cases compared with the control group," the study authors wrote.
One expert agrees that sleep problems shouldn't be ignored.
"If you think insomnia is an annoyance and merely something you should tough out, that may be a mistake," said Michael L. Perlis, director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester, in New York. "It may lead you down the path to other morbidities. It would also be a mistake because it's treatable."
Other studies in the same journal issue found that:
· Fewer hours of sleep may contribute to poor health in young adults.
· Those in rural areas who sleep fewer hours appear to weigh more.
· The immune system may play a role in narcolepsy, a disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to sleep.
· The immune system may be affected by a lack of sleep that contributes to inflammation and a variety of diseases.
More information
The National Sleep Foundation can tell you more about getting a good night's sleep.
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Friday, August 25, 2006
Gruff-f-f Love
(HealthDay News) -- Puppy love in a nursing home?
That's the upshot of a new study that found nursing-home residents who had regular visits from a dog felt better and less lonely -- better, in fact, than after visits with a dog and other people.
Researcher Marian Banks, a registered nurse, and her dog Sparky, a friendly Welsh corgi mix, visited 37 residents at three long-term care facilities in St. Louis who scored high on a loneliness scale.
Half the residents spent 30 minutes alone each week with Sparky. They were allowed to interact with the small dog without any interference or input from Banks.
The other half visited Sparky with one to three other nursing home residents present. Participants sat in a circle and could interact with the dog and other residents.
Initially, the researchers thought the dog would act like a "social lubricant" and increase interaction between residents, thereby reducing their feelings of loneliness.
But that wasn't the case.
"It was a strange finding," said William Banks, professor of geriatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and co-author of the study. "We expected the group dog visits were going to work better but they didn't."
Instead, the residents, ranging in age from 75 to 90, found that some quiet time with a furry friend was a lot nicer.
The study suggests that pets make people in nursing homes feel better by simply being with them, not by enhancing socialization between other residents, the researchers said.
"A big percentage of the individuals that had Sparky on a one-on-one basis had a tremendous drop in their level of loneliness as measured by the UCLA loneliness scale," Marian Banks said.
The study also found that the loneliest individuals benefited the most from the canine companionship.
The research will appear in the March issue of Anthrozoos, a journal that focuses on human-animal interaction.
The majority of nursing-home residents who participated in the study had pets during their childhood and adult years.
Marian Banks said the residents who spent time alone with Sparky confided in him and reminisced a great deal, talking about previous experiences with pets.
Sandy Ransom is vice president of the board of directors for the Eden Alternative, whose goal is to offer a more enriching environment in nursing homes, in part, by allowing pets to be kept at the facilities.
She said she wasn't surprised by the study findings.
"I think it gives validity to what we've known all along" she said.
The Eden Alternative has programs in place at 300 nursing homes across the country. Residents participate in caring for the animals, giving meaning to their lives and relief from loneliness, Ransom said.
"We haven't done a scientific study on (the impact of pets on residents) but some things you really don't need numbers," she said. "You can just see that people are doing a lot better."
Loneliness is a common problem for people in long-term care facilities, often due to the loss of loved ones and independence, health-care experts say.
While Ransom is an advocate for keeping pets full time in long-term facilities, she doesn't like the idea of bringing them in for visits.
"We feel that animal-assisted therapy, in essence, is sort of cruel to the elders because you give them something that they can't have and then you take it away," she said. "That's why we believe in resident animals for people who choose to have them."
More information
The National Library of Medicine has more about nursing homes.
That's the upshot of a new study that found nursing-home residents who had regular visits from a dog felt better and less lonely -- better, in fact, than after visits with a dog and other people.
Researcher Marian Banks, a registered nurse, and her dog Sparky, a friendly Welsh corgi mix, visited 37 residents at three long-term care facilities in St. Louis who scored high on a loneliness scale.
Half the residents spent 30 minutes alone each week with Sparky. They were allowed to interact with the small dog without any interference or input from Banks.
The other half visited Sparky with one to three other nursing home residents present. Participants sat in a circle and could interact with the dog and other residents.
Initially, the researchers thought the dog would act like a "social lubricant" and increase interaction between residents, thereby reducing their feelings of loneliness.
But that wasn't the case.
"It was a strange finding," said William Banks, professor of geriatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and co-author of the study. "We expected the group dog visits were going to work better but they didn't."
Instead, the residents, ranging in age from 75 to 90, found that some quiet time with a furry friend was a lot nicer.
The study suggests that pets make people in nursing homes feel better by simply being with them, not by enhancing socialization between other residents, the researchers said.
"A big percentage of the individuals that had Sparky on a one-on-one basis had a tremendous drop in their level of loneliness as measured by the UCLA loneliness scale," Marian Banks said.
The study also found that the loneliest individuals benefited the most from the canine companionship.
The research will appear in the March issue of Anthrozoos, a journal that focuses on human-animal interaction.
The majority of nursing-home residents who participated in the study had pets during their childhood and adult years.
Marian Banks said the residents who spent time alone with Sparky confided in him and reminisced a great deal, talking about previous experiences with pets.
Sandy Ransom is vice president of the board of directors for the Eden Alternative, whose goal is to offer a more enriching environment in nursing homes, in part, by allowing pets to be kept at the facilities.
She said she wasn't surprised by the study findings.
"I think it gives validity to what we've known all along" she said.
The Eden Alternative has programs in place at 300 nursing homes across the country. Residents participate in caring for the animals, giving meaning to their lives and relief from loneliness, Ransom said.
"We haven't done a scientific study on (the impact of pets on residents) but some things you really don't need numbers," she said. "You can just see that people are doing a lot better."
Loneliness is a common problem for people in long-term care facilities, often due to the loss of loved ones and independence, health-care experts say.
While Ransom is an advocate for keeping pets full time in long-term facilities, she doesn't like the idea of bringing them in for visits.
"We feel that animal-assisted therapy, in essence, is sort of cruel to the elders because you give them something that they can't have and then you take it away," she said. "That's why we believe in resident animals for people who choose to have them."
More information
The National Library of Medicine has more about nursing homes.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Health Tip: Using Generic Drugs
(HealthDay News) -- As the cost of prescription drugs continues to soar, patients and doctors alike are turning to generic alternatives. But are they the same?
Yes, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Generics are chemically identical to their brand-name counterparts, and are equally safe and effective.
Like brand-name drugs, prescription generics must also be approved by the FDA.
Brand-name drugs are more expensive because the manufacturers must pay hefty fees for creating and patenting new drugs, says the FDA. A new drug is protected by patent for a number of years, but once that patent expires, other drugmakers are able to produce the bioequivalent generic at a lower cost.
If you're currently taking a brand-name prescription drug, ask your doctor or pharmacist about whether there's a generic alternative.
Last reviewed: 07/26/2006 Last updated: 07/26/2006
Yes, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Generics are chemically identical to their brand-name counterparts, and are equally safe and effective.
Like brand-name drugs, prescription generics must also be approved by the FDA.
Brand-name drugs are more expensive because the manufacturers must pay hefty fees for creating and patenting new drugs, says the FDA. A new drug is protected by patent for a number of years, but once that patent expires, other drugmakers are able to produce the bioequivalent generic at a lower cost.
If you're currently taking a brand-name prescription drug, ask your doctor or pharmacist about whether there's a generic alternative.
Last reviewed: 07/26/2006 Last updated: 07/26/2006
Monday, July 17, 2006
Scanner instantly checks for present state of health
A woman with headphones sits by a desk where a physician is examining her. As she listens to the beeps, her eyes fall on a computer screen where the graphics of internal organs appear constantly, each of which has a number of signs painted in several colours, indicating the condition it is in.
For the health conscious, here comes the new alternative treatment that will allow health-concerned persons to get checked and scanned whole body without need to contact with all types of chemical substances or radiation.
A team of Russian scientists has developed this piece of equipment using Molecular Resonance Imaging Technology (MRIT). The machine sends out a high-amplitude vibration to the body to find out how much energy a cell has in store.
Orion, the result of a 10-year-long research effort, aimed to make a rapid medical screening check up but also to help support medical diagnostic and deliver what is called in early warning detection and early prevention of future diseases specifically.
The gadget applies theories of quantum entropy logic and molecular imaging to analyse, evaluate and balance the biological system at the molecular level. What’s more, it combines cutting-edge technology with holistic and conventional medicine.
“Not only can we find out what you ate or drank last but also if your organs are functioning as well as they should be,” said Marina Lobova, managing director of Meta Med Co Ltd.
The device comes with bio-sensor headphones with built-in MRIT wave scanner, an infrared camera and the MRIT main board processor, apart from the embedded Orion software. Once vibrations from the bio-scanner reach the target cells, signals go straight to the microchip on the main board. There, the signals are encoded before comparing them with the results stored in the machine database.
When decoded, the energy status of the body cells is displayed on the computer screen where a colour-coded reproduction of the organ pops up.
Lobova said six colours are used to denote six levels of well-being. White indicates that the organ is functionally normally, yellow denotes that the cells are doing their best, orange means they are under stress. Maroon shows that overwork has weakened the cells, brown indicates they are about to call in sick, and black suggests that medical attention is needed.
Once the problems have been determined, Orion sends a combination of balanced electromagnetic signals to the body.
This treatment can effectively root out pain, heart and lung ailments, and the chronic fatigue syndrome, besides preventing disorders.
Since the machine collects information over many sessions, the doctor is able to know how much has taken place in the body in the interim period.
Lobova said the body scan takes between five and 20 minutes, depending on the person’s age and level of general health. She said the machine is safe for infants, children and pregnant women since it does not give off radiation, nuclear magnetic resonance or any other harmful energies.
Yaowapa Dhachalupat, department manager of B Grimm Healthcare’s medical engineering division, the firm that markets Orion, said other than full-body scans, patients can also ask for organ-specific examinations.
“With Orion, there is no need to take a blood sample to the lab to be tested. Without any painful needle prick, the machine will tell you which organ or part of your body is playing up,” she said.
Suchalee Pongprasert
The Nation
For the health conscious, here comes the new alternative treatment that will allow health-concerned persons to get checked and scanned whole body without need to contact with all types of chemical substances or radiation.
A team of Russian scientists has developed this piece of equipment using Molecular Resonance Imaging Technology (MRIT). The machine sends out a high-amplitude vibration to the body to find out how much energy a cell has in store.
Orion, the result of a 10-year-long research effort, aimed to make a rapid medical screening check up but also to help support medical diagnostic and deliver what is called in early warning detection and early prevention of future diseases specifically.
The gadget applies theories of quantum entropy logic and molecular imaging to analyse, evaluate and balance the biological system at the molecular level. What’s more, it combines cutting-edge technology with holistic and conventional medicine.
“Not only can we find out what you ate or drank last but also if your organs are functioning as well as they should be,” said Marina Lobova, managing director of Meta Med Co Ltd.
The device comes with bio-sensor headphones with built-in MRIT wave scanner, an infrared camera and the MRIT main board processor, apart from the embedded Orion software. Once vibrations from the bio-scanner reach the target cells, signals go straight to the microchip on the main board. There, the signals are encoded before comparing them with the results stored in the machine database.
When decoded, the energy status of the body cells is displayed on the computer screen where a colour-coded reproduction of the organ pops up.
Lobova said six colours are used to denote six levels of well-being. White indicates that the organ is functionally normally, yellow denotes that the cells are doing their best, orange means they are under stress. Maroon shows that overwork has weakened the cells, brown indicates they are about to call in sick, and black suggests that medical attention is needed.
Once the problems have been determined, Orion sends a combination of balanced electromagnetic signals to the body.
This treatment can effectively root out pain, heart and lung ailments, and the chronic fatigue syndrome, besides preventing disorders.
Since the machine collects information over many sessions, the doctor is able to know how much has taken place in the body in the interim period.
Lobova said the body scan takes between five and 20 minutes, depending on the person’s age and level of general health. She said the machine is safe for infants, children and pregnant women since it does not give off radiation, nuclear magnetic resonance or any other harmful energies.
Yaowapa Dhachalupat, department manager of B Grimm Healthcare’s medical engineering division, the firm that markets Orion, said other than full-body scans, patients can also ask for organ-specific examinations.
“With Orion, there is no need to take a blood sample to the lab to be tested. Without any painful needle prick, the machine will tell you which organ or part of your body is playing up,” she said.
Suchalee Pongprasert
The Nation
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Definitions of types of complementary and alternative therapies
Definitions of types of complementary and alternative therapies
Here is a definition of the types of the most common complementary and alternative therapies
Acupuncture
("AK-yoo-pungk-cher") is a method of healing developed in China at least 2,000 years ago. Today, acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.
Aromatherapy
("ah-roam-uh-THER-ah-py"): involves the use of essential oils (extracts or essences) from flowers, herbs, and trees to promote health and well-being. >
Ayurveda
("ah-yur-VAY-dah") is a CAM alternative medical system that has been practiced primarily in the Indian subcontinent for 5,000 years. Ayurveda includes diet and herbal remedies and emphasizes the use of body, mind, and spirit in disease prevention and treatment.
Chiropractic
("kie-roh-PRAC-tic") is a CAM alternative medical system. It focuses on the relationship between bodily structure (primarily that of the spine) and function, and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. Chiropractors use manipulative therapy as an integral treatment tool. Dietary supplements. Congress defined the term "dietary supplement" in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. A dietary supplement is a product (other than tobacco) taken by mouth that contains a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet. Dietary ingredients may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, and metabolites. Dietary supplements come in many forms, including extracts, concentrates, tablets, capsules, gel caps, liquids, and powders. They have special requirements for labeling. Under DSHEA, dietary supplements are considered foods, not drugs.
Electromagnetic fields
(EMFs, also called electric and magnetic fields) are invisible lines of force that surround all electrical devices. The Earth also produces EMFs; electric fields are produced when there is thunderstorm activity, and magnetic fields are believed to be produced by electric currents flowing at the Earth's core.
Homeopathic
("home-ee-oh-PATH-ic") medicine is a CAM alternative medical system. In homeopathic medicine, there is a belief that "like cures like," meaning that small, highly diluted quantities of medicinal substances are given to cure symptoms, when the same substances given at higher or more concentrated doses would actually cause those symptoms.
Massage
("muh-SAHJ") therapists manipulate muscle and connective tissue to enhance function of those tissues and promote relaxation and well-being.
Naturopathic
("nay-chur-o-PATH-ic") medicine, or naturopathy, is a CAM alternative medical system. Naturopathic medicine proposes that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health. Practitioners work with the patient with a goal of supporting this power, through treatments such as nutrition and lifestyle counseling, dietary supplements, medicinal plants, exercise, homeopathy, and treatments from traditional Chinese medicine.
Osteopathic
("ahs-tee-oh-PATH-ic") medicine is a form of conventional medicine that, in part, emphasizes diseases arising in the musculoskeletal system. There is an underlying belief that all of the body's systems work together, and disturbances in one system may affect function elsewhere in the body. Some osteopathic physicians practice osteopathic manipulation, a full-body system of hands-on techniques to alleviate pain, restore function, and promote health and well-being.
Qi gong
("chee-GUNG") is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of qi (an ancient term given to what is believed to be vital energy) in the body, improve blood circulation, and enhance immune function.
Reiki
("RAY-kee") is a Japanese word representing Universal Life Energy. Reiki is based on the belief that when spiritual energy is channeled through a Reiki practitioner, the patient's spirit is healed, which in turn heals the physical body.Therapeutic TouchThis is derived from an ancient technique called laying-on of hands. It is based on the premise that it is the healing force of the therapist that affects the patient's recovery; healing is promoted when the body's energies are in balance; and, by passing their hands over the patient, healers can identify energy imbalances.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
This is the current name for an ancient system of health care from China. TCM is based on a concept of balanced qi (pronounced "chee"), or vital energy, that is believed to flow throughout the body. Qi is proposed to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin (negative energy) and yang (positive energy). Disease is proposed to result from the flow of qi being disrupted and yin and yang becoming imbalanced. Among the components of TCM are herbal and nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises, meditation, acupuncture, and remedial massage.
NCCAM, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland 20892 USA
E-mail: info@nccam.nih.gov
Here is a definition of the types of the most common complementary and alternative therapies
Acupuncture
("AK-yoo-pungk-cher") is a method of healing developed in China at least 2,000 years ago. Today, acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.
Aromatherapy
("ah-roam-uh-THER-ah-py"): involves the use of essential oils (extracts or essences) from flowers, herbs, and trees to promote health and well-being. >
Ayurveda
("ah-yur-VAY-dah") is a CAM alternative medical system that has been practiced primarily in the Indian subcontinent for 5,000 years. Ayurveda includes diet and herbal remedies and emphasizes the use of body, mind, and spirit in disease prevention and treatment.
Chiropractic
("kie-roh-PRAC-tic") is a CAM alternative medical system. It focuses on the relationship between bodily structure (primarily that of the spine) and function, and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. Chiropractors use manipulative therapy as an integral treatment tool. Dietary supplements. Congress defined the term "dietary supplement" in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. A dietary supplement is a product (other than tobacco) taken by mouth that contains a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet. Dietary ingredients may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, and metabolites. Dietary supplements come in many forms, including extracts, concentrates, tablets, capsules, gel caps, liquids, and powders. They have special requirements for labeling. Under DSHEA, dietary supplements are considered foods, not drugs.
Electromagnetic fields
(EMFs, also called electric and magnetic fields) are invisible lines of force that surround all electrical devices. The Earth also produces EMFs; electric fields are produced when there is thunderstorm activity, and magnetic fields are believed to be produced by electric currents flowing at the Earth's core.
Homeopathic
("home-ee-oh-PATH-ic") medicine is a CAM alternative medical system. In homeopathic medicine, there is a belief that "like cures like," meaning that small, highly diluted quantities of medicinal substances are given to cure symptoms, when the same substances given at higher or more concentrated doses would actually cause those symptoms.
Massage
("muh-SAHJ") therapists manipulate muscle and connective tissue to enhance function of those tissues and promote relaxation and well-being.
Naturopathic
("nay-chur-o-PATH-ic") medicine, or naturopathy, is a CAM alternative medical system. Naturopathic medicine proposes that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health. Practitioners work with the patient with a goal of supporting this power, through treatments such as nutrition and lifestyle counseling, dietary supplements, medicinal plants, exercise, homeopathy, and treatments from traditional Chinese medicine.
Osteopathic
("ahs-tee-oh-PATH-ic") medicine is a form of conventional medicine that, in part, emphasizes diseases arising in the musculoskeletal system. There is an underlying belief that all of the body's systems work together, and disturbances in one system may affect function elsewhere in the body. Some osteopathic physicians practice osteopathic manipulation, a full-body system of hands-on techniques to alleviate pain, restore function, and promote health and well-being.
Qi gong
("chee-GUNG") is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of qi (an ancient term given to what is believed to be vital energy) in the body, improve blood circulation, and enhance immune function.
Reiki
("RAY-kee") is a Japanese word representing Universal Life Energy. Reiki is based on the belief that when spiritual energy is channeled through a Reiki practitioner, the patient's spirit is healed, which in turn heals the physical body.Therapeutic TouchThis is derived from an ancient technique called laying-on of hands. It is based on the premise that it is the healing force of the therapist that affects the patient's recovery; healing is promoted when the body's energies are in balance; and, by passing their hands over the patient, healers can identify energy imbalances.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
This is the current name for an ancient system of health care from China. TCM is based on a concept of balanced qi (pronounced "chee"), or vital energy, that is believed to flow throughout the body. Qi is proposed to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin (negative energy) and yang (positive energy). Disease is proposed to result from the flow of qi being disrupted and yin and yang becoming imbalanced. Among the components of TCM are herbal and nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises, meditation, acupuncture, and remedial massage.
NCCAM, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland 20892 USA
E-mail: info@nccam.nih.gov
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Integrated Medicine is the best of both worlds.
Integrated Medicine is the best of both worlds. It answers the question of, "Should I spend my money to see a conventional doctor or a naturopathic doctor?"Integrated Medicine is both; its physicians who practice both traditional and alternative medicine. With Integrated Medicine you get a doctor that is concerned with the whole person (diet & lifestyle, mental well being, prevention of disease, and overall balance and harmony) while using the latest scientific advances. Integrated Medicine is known to have a person-centered approach, which emphasizes understanding and caring. There have been grants given by congress to the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) for further research into Integrated Medicine. These grants have been dispersed to major universities such as, Harvard Medical School, Columbia University, and Stanford University. Also, there have been meetings with the researchers and insurance companies like Blue Cross & Blue Shield regarding Integrated Medicine and its cost effectiveness. Integrated Medicine, focusing on changing lifestyle to promote ultimate health, would cut costs.
What complementary/integrative treatments are recommended for my cancer?The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Complementary/Integrative Medicine Education Resources (CIMER) Web site does not make recommendations of specific complementary/integrative treatments. Rather, this Web site was created to assist patients and health care professionals in deciding what types of complementary medicine might be integrated into a patient's conventional therapy.
Our intent is to provide evidence-based reviews of complementary therapies, some of which may be beneficial for some patients. These reviews include research studies that have been published in the medical literature. Some, but not all, of these studies have had conclusive results. For this reason, these therapies are not recommended for use without consulting your physician.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Trimming Skin After Weight Loss?
Trimming Skin After Weight Loss?
Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: What can prevent sagging skin when losing weight? -- A.C.
A: If you lose a lot of weight, you can end up with sagging skin that may or may not tighten up. This is less of a risk if you lose weight slowly. Your age, the length of time you've been overweight, the amount of weight you lost and the elasticity of your skin are all factors that will determine whether or not sagging skin after weight loss will stay that way or shrink down over time.
Exercise, particularly strength training, can help by toning muscles, which can shape your body and improve your appearance. However, although you can exercise muscles, you can't exercise skin - if you've dropped a lot of weight and your skin is sagging, the only alternative is plastic surgery to remove the excess. In general, plastic surgeons recommend waiting about a year after your weight loss to see to what extent your skin conforms to your new shape. (Insurance may cover the surgery if there are associated health risks, such as repeated bacterial or fungal infections in overhanging skin folds.)
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) recently reported a dramatic increase in patients seeking plastic surgery to remove excess, sagging skin after significant weight loss. A survey showed that plastic surgeons performed more than 52,000 body contouring procedures in 2003, and the ASPS projected a 36 percent increase for 2004. Some of these patients had undergone gastric bypass surgery to promote weight loss. At least three different operations are available to deal with overabundant skin:
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck): Surgeons remove excess fat and skin from the abdomen and tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. The operation takes two to five hours. You should be able to go back to work in two to four weeks and can resume exercising four to six weeks after the operation.
Breast Lift (mastopexy): With this procedure, surgeons remove redundant skin from sagging breasts and reposition tissue and nipples. The operation takes one to three hours. Plan on at least a week for recovery; you'll have to wait at least a month before resuming strenuous activity.
Upper Arm Lift (brachioplasty): Here, surgeons remove loose skin (and sometimes excess fat through liposuction) in the upper arms. The surgery takes about two hours, and recovery requires at least two weeks.
Andrew Weil, MD
Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: What can prevent sagging skin when losing weight? -- A.C.
A: If you lose a lot of weight, you can end up with sagging skin that may or may not tighten up. This is less of a risk if you lose weight slowly. Your age, the length of time you've been overweight, the amount of weight you lost and the elasticity of your skin are all factors that will determine whether or not sagging skin after weight loss will stay that way or shrink down over time.
Exercise, particularly strength training, can help by toning muscles, which can shape your body and improve your appearance. However, although you can exercise muscles, you can't exercise skin - if you've dropped a lot of weight and your skin is sagging, the only alternative is plastic surgery to remove the excess. In general, plastic surgeons recommend waiting about a year after your weight loss to see to what extent your skin conforms to your new shape. (Insurance may cover the surgery if there are associated health risks, such as repeated bacterial or fungal infections in overhanging skin folds.)
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) recently reported a dramatic increase in patients seeking plastic surgery to remove excess, sagging skin after significant weight loss. A survey showed that plastic surgeons performed more than 52,000 body contouring procedures in 2003, and the ASPS projected a 36 percent increase for 2004. Some of these patients had undergone gastric bypass surgery to promote weight loss. At least three different operations are available to deal with overabundant skin:
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck): Surgeons remove excess fat and skin from the abdomen and tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. The operation takes two to five hours. You should be able to go back to work in two to four weeks and can resume exercising four to six weeks after the operation.
Breast Lift (mastopexy): With this procedure, surgeons remove redundant skin from sagging breasts and reposition tissue and nipples. The operation takes one to three hours. Plan on at least a week for recovery; you'll have to wait at least a month before resuming strenuous activity.
Upper Arm Lift (brachioplasty): Here, surgeons remove loose skin (and sometimes excess fat through liposuction) in the upper arms. The surgery takes about two hours, and recovery requires at least two weeks.
Andrew Weil, MD
Weight Loss Plan Kit$172.80 Includes: Oxy-Powder, Slimirex (180 Count), Weight Loss Secrets Revealed, Ten Super Secrets for Weight Loss |
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Bugged by Bugs?
Bugged by Bugs?
Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: I am going camping soon in a variety of damp, wooded areas. Do you have any suggestions for warding off critters? -- Jeff A: Whenever you're outdoors in bug infested areas, it is best to protect yourself with insect repellents and with clothing that covers your arms and legs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently expanded its list of mosquito repellents, adding to its long-standing recommendation of products containing DEET. While they are effective, I find these repellents nasty and toxic. The CDC now lists oil of lemon eucalyptus, a plant-based product registered with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA). Registration indicates that the active ingredients in the repellent have been reviewed and approved for efficacy and human safety when used as recommended on the label. When oil of lemon eucalyptus was tested against mosquitoes found in the United States, it provided protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET.
The other new repellent ingredient recommended by the CDC is picaridin, which is reputed to be as effective as DEET but is light, odorless and, reportedly, more pleasant to use. Picaridin has been widely used elsewhere in the world since 1998 and is recommended by the World Health Organization as the best protection against malaria. According to the EPA, picardin presents about the same toxicity risks as DEET.
As an alternative to the repellents described above, I recommend the following natural products:
Repellents containing geraniol: some research suggests that this natural plant-derived substance is effective.
Neem oil, from an Indian tree, Azadirachta indica, that can provide significant protection.
I suggest that you also follow the precautions below recommended by the EPA whenever you use insect repellents:
Never apply them over cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
Don't apply them to eyes or mouth and apply sparing around ears; never spray repellents directly on your face. Spray your hands and then apply to the face.
Don't let children handle repellents; apply the products to your hands and then put it on children; don't apply them to children's hands.
Use just enough to cover exposed skin or clothing; add more only if insects are not discouraged by the first application.
Apply repellents only to exposed skin or to clothing (not under clothing).
Wash repellents off with soap and water when you come indoors.
Stop using any repellent that gives you a rash or other reaction. Wash it off with soap and water and then call a poison control center for further advice. If you go to the doctor because of a repellent-caused rash, take the product with you.
Andrew Weil, MDLast Reviewed: October 2005
Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: I am going camping soon in a variety of damp, wooded areas. Do you have any suggestions for warding off critters? -- Jeff A: Whenever you're outdoors in bug infested areas, it is best to protect yourself with insect repellents and with clothing that covers your arms and legs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently expanded its list of mosquito repellents, adding to its long-standing recommendation of products containing DEET. While they are effective, I find these repellents nasty and toxic. The CDC now lists oil of lemon eucalyptus, a plant-based product registered with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA). Registration indicates that the active ingredients in the repellent have been reviewed and approved for efficacy and human safety when used as recommended on the label. When oil of lemon eucalyptus was tested against mosquitoes found in the United States, it provided protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET.
The other new repellent ingredient recommended by the CDC is picaridin, which is reputed to be as effective as DEET but is light, odorless and, reportedly, more pleasant to use. Picaridin has been widely used elsewhere in the world since 1998 and is recommended by the World Health Organization as the best protection against malaria. According to the EPA, picardin presents about the same toxicity risks as DEET.
As an alternative to the repellents described above, I recommend the following natural products:
Repellents containing geraniol: some research suggests that this natural plant-derived substance is effective.
Neem oil, from an Indian tree, Azadirachta indica, that can provide significant protection.
I suggest that you also follow the precautions below recommended by the EPA whenever you use insect repellents:
Never apply them over cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
Don't apply them to eyes or mouth and apply sparing around ears; never spray repellents directly on your face. Spray your hands and then apply to the face.
Don't let children handle repellents; apply the products to your hands and then put it on children; don't apply them to children's hands.
Use just enough to cover exposed skin or clothing; add more only if insects are not discouraged by the first application.
Apply repellents only to exposed skin or to clothing (not under clothing).
Wash repellents off with soap and water when you come indoors.
Stop using any repellent that gives you a rash or other reaction. Wash it off with soap and water and then call a poison control center for further advice. If you go to the doctor because of a repellent-caused rash, take the product with you.
Andrew Weil, MDLast Reviewed: October 2005
Monday, February 06, 2006
Everyone, including you, should check with a competent health care practitioner before using any medical therapy.
In 1991, another physician (in New York) came forward to me with his clinical ozone results. He wants no press. One of his staff members who was in the clinic every day and therefore could get the treatments every day was brought from HIV positive to HIV negative.
His T-cells went from 700 down to 150 as ozone killed off the diseased cells, and then back up to 1,100 as the body replaced them with fresh new healthy cells. Another MD, in a southern state who I interviewed stated he and a colleague collectively brought 9 people to HIV negative using a combination therapy that included ozone and DMSO. Neither will talk publicly. One had his house burned down and left the country.
In April of ((2, I interviewed DR. Eric Satori MD, and one of his cured AIDS patients. Dr. Satori told me the results he was getting with his own brand of direct IV ozone therapy which also includes mental conditioning. "To remove the reason the patient gets diseased." So far he has reported over 50 AIDS patients becoming virus free by combining subclavian heavy ozone treatments with vitamin, mineral, thymus, and homeopathic supplements. He reports he commonly gets results in only 12 days because he has been refining his therapy during 10 years of clinical research!
Everyone, including you, should check with a competent health care practitioner before using any medical therapy. But this time, first ask him "Have you had any actual hands-on training or clinical experience in any of the many ozone medical therapies?'
If your doctor is from the United States, the honest answer is always "No". So, how would your expert ever stick his liability laden neck out and approve of it? He should simply say, "I have no knowledge of it." But unfortunately his ego might reveal itself if he says "Well, I never heard of it, so it must be quackery," or, "Ozone is a poisonous gas, and anyone injecting it will be killed."
All the detractors of ozone claim to be "experts", yet they have had no training in any oxidative modality, and there are no studies using correct accepted protocols to prove ozone doesn't work, so it's a mystery how they get away with substituting uneducated opinion for scientific fact in the newspapers.
The establishment "experts" all claim to be "searching for a cure", so why are they so afraid to try, let alone even discuss ozone? Especially with its over 50 years of safe, effective usage on hundreds of thousands of patients. The "old" fights the "new" at every historical pivotal point. REMEMBER. Chiropractic, Psychiatry, and a surgeon washing his hands before he operates on someone, were ALL once labelled as "quackery."
Millions and billions of dollars are being made on treating and researching (not curing) the AIDS plague. As of late 1991, the manufacturer of AZT had made $315 million on sales of it. If humanity continues to choose short term greed or unquestioning reliance upon authority figures as a lifestyle, we'll never be allowed to use medical ozone.
Unless humanity as a whole - and it just might emerge from the direction of the littlest of the "little guys" - finally wakes up and forces the social controllers to let ozone out of the bag, then there will be only widespread sickness and death in every family. Humanity's sins of letting others take responsibility for their own lives will come to visit and live with them. The where will they drive their shiny new car every day? Why, to the AIDS ward and the cemetery.
For now, the oxygen wars continue unabated. The shameful politics and non-responses of our medical system are so bad that even the most unaware are hard pressed to believe we are simply facing a whole bunch of coincidental ignorance and errors.
Government, media and medical bigwigs as a whole continue to strangely ignore and openly disparage the over fifty year history of millions of applications of safe, non-toxic ozone therapy, and, in fact continue to actively use S.W.A.T. teams and jail terms to suppress any further medical ozone research by MDs. People continue to suffer tragically and die needlessly, while many who love their families have their hearts slowly broken watching their significant other waste away. Rumours circulate, and the TV talk shows feature stories about AIDS being some form of planned racial or impersonal genocide to reduce the population.
Due to outright hostility, suppression, or at least non-response by our authorities, desperate people who are facing no alternative to their eventual death from AIDS, cancer or other killers are being forced into the unregulated "ozone underground". In any medical underground, where a therapy is not officially sanctioned or made publicly known, mixed in along with the few shining humanitarians will always be con artist, scams, repression, and yellow journalism. You and your family deserve better that this.
According to the US government, by the year 2000, one out of one will have cancer at some time in their lives. Dr. Robert Strecker estimates 20 million now have AIDS, and that number doubles every two years, maximum. This means that by the year 2000, 320 million people are projected to have AIDS.
It's obvious as the bodies fall around us that the old ways don't work. How long can you afford to continue siding with the old ways before it's your turn at the undertakers cart? Ozone is the only proven potential saviour of humanity with 50 years of safe usage backing it up. It's your choice, do something about this, or continue to ignore the problem until you or someone you love slowly suffers and dies tragically from one of these diseases.
Unless you act, before long I don't see much hope for anybody because EVERYBODY might be in the hospital. There will be no police left to seize ozone machines or "expert" doctors or newsmen left to tell us ozone is "worthless". The authority figures will already be dead or dying from the disease. Wild speculation? This has already happened in countless African towns. We have to stop buying into the illusion that "authority" will save us. This is a part of humanity's great test foretold down through the ages. It is up to you, right now. You are not alone. Help surrounds you. Authority or community? Choose wisely.
Why haven't you heard all of this before? I can't answer for you. It's not for want of trying to reach you for years. Others have tried, and I've personally been on over 700 TV or radio stations, or speaking platforms. TO be heard in this society, no matter how much truth you can deliver, you need a huge political machine that has conditioned everyone to automatically listen to it as authority. We who know the truth about ozone have no such political or media machine.
The special interest machines that do exist have too much invested in their own momentum. That is why we need your help. We aren't getting rich. We only want to allow you the opportunity to save yourself from suffering at the hands of ignorance and greed.
If we join together we will live. We can still turn this thing around.
more info at:
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/integrated_med/ozone-therapy.htm
His T-cells went from 700 down to 150 as ozone killed off the diseased cells, and then back up to 1,100 as the body replaced them with fresh new healthy cells. Another MD, in a southern state who I interviewed stated he and a colleague collectively brought 9 people to HIV negative using a combination therapy that included ozone and DMSO. Neither will talk publicly. One had his house burned down and left the country.
In April of ((2, I interviewed DR. Eric Satori MD, and one of his cured AIDS patients. Dr. Satori told me the results he was getting with his own brand of direct IV ozone therapy which also includes mental conditioning. "To remove the reason the patient gets diseased." So far he has reported over 50 AIDS patients becoming virus free by combining subclavian heavy ozone treatments with vitamin, mineral, thymus, and homeopathic supplements. He reports he commonly gets results in only 12 days because he has been refining his therapy during 10 years of clinical research!
Everyone, including you, should check with a competent health care practitioner before using any medical therapy. But this time, first ask him "Have you had any actual hands-on training or clinical experience in any of the many ozone medical therapies?'
If your doctor is from the United States, the honest answer is always "No". So, how would your expert ever stick his liability laden neck out and approve of it? He should simply say, "I have no knowledge of it." But unfortunately his ego might reveal itself if he says "Well, I never heard of it, so it must be quackery," or, "Ozone is a poisonous gas, and anyone injecting it will be killed."
All the detractors of ozone claim to be "experts", yet they have had no training in any oxidative modality, and there are no studies using correct accepted protocols to prove ozone doesn't work, so it's a mystery how they get away with substituting uneducated opinion for scientific fact in the newspapers.
The establishment "experts" all claim to be "searching for a cure", so why are they so afraid to try, let alone even discuss ozone? Especially with its over 50 years of safe, effective usage on hundreds of thousands of patients. The "old" fights the "new" at every historical pivotal point. REMEMBER. Chiropractic, Psychiatry, and a surgeon washing his hands before he operates on someone, were ALL once labelled as "quackery."
Millions and billions of dollars are being made on treating and researching (not curing) the AIDS plague. As of late 1991, the manufacturer of AZT had made $315 million on sales of it. If humanity continues to choose short term greed or unquestioning reliance upon authority figures as a lifestyle, we'll never be allowed to use medical ozone.
Unless humanity as a whole - and it just might emerge from the direction of the littlest of the "little guys" - finally wakes up and forces the social controllers to let ozone out of the bag, then there will be only widespread sickness and death in every family. Humanity's sins of letting others take responsibility for their own lives will come to visit and live with them. The where will they drive their shiny new car every day? Why, to the AIDS ward and the cemetery.
For now, the oxygen wars continue unabated. The shameful politics and non-responses of our medical system are so bad that even the most unaware are hard pressed to believe we are simply facing a whole bunch of coincidental ignorance and errors.
Government, media and medical bigwigs as a whole continue to strangely ignore and openly disparage the over fifty year history of millions of applications of safe, non-toxic ozone therapy, and, in fact continue to actively use S.W.A.T. teams and jail terms to suppress any further medical ozone research by MDs. People continue to suffer tragically and die needlessly, while many who love their families have their hearts slowly broken watching their significant other waste away. Rumours circulate, and the TV talk shows feature stories about AIDS being some form of planned racial or impersonal genocide to reduce the population.
Due to outright hostility, suppression, or at least non-response by our authorities, desperate people who are facing no alternative to their eventual death from AIDS, cancer or other killers are being forced into the unregulated "ozone underground". In any medical underground, where a therapy is not officially sanctioned or made publicly known, mixed in along with the few shining humanitarians will always be con artist, scams, repression, and yellow journalism. You and your family deserve better that this.
According to the US government, by the year 2000, one out of one will have cancer at some time in their lives. Dr. Robert Strecker estimates 20 million now have AIDS, and that number doubles every two years, maximum. This means that by the year 2000, 320 million people are projected to have AIDS.
It's obvious as the bodies fall around us that the old ways don't work. How long can you afford to continue siding with the old ways before it's your turn at the undertakers cart? Ozone is the only proven potential saviour of humanity with 50 years of safe usage backing it up. It's your choice, do something about this, or continue to ignore the problem until you or someone you love slowly suffers and dies tragically from one of these diseases.
Unless you act, before long I don't see much hope for anybody because EVERYBODY might be in the hospital. There will be no police left to seize ozone machines or "expert" doctors or newsmen left to tell us ozone is "worthless". The authority figures will already be dead or dying from the disease. Wild speculation? This has already happened in countless African towns. We have to stop buying into the illusion that "authority" will save us. This is a part of humanity's great test foretold down through the ages. It is up to you, right now. You are not alone. Help surrounds you. Authority or community? Choose wisely.
Why haven't you heard all of this before? I can't answer for you. It's not for want of trying to reach you for years. Others have tried, and I've personally been on over 700 TV or radio stations, or speaking platforms. TO be heard in this society, no matter how much truth you can deliver, you need a huge political machine that has conditioned everyone to automatically listen to it as authority. We who know the truth about ozone have no such political or media machine.
The special interest machines that do exist have too much invested in their own momentum. That is why we need your help. We aren't getting rich. We only want to allow you the opportunity to save yourself from suffering at the hands of ignorance and greed.
If we join together we will live. We can still turn this thing around.
more info at:
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/integrated_med/ozone-therapy.htm
Friday, February 03, 2006
FIBROCYSTIC BREAST DISEASE
by Tori Hudson, N.D.
Tender or lumpy breasts are one of the most common reasons why women consult their women's health practitioner for assessment and treatment.
Since painful breasts are not always lumpy, and lumpy breasts are not always painful (and neither is usually abnormal), it is useful to create descriptive categories of symptoms and conditions to replace the generic term "fibrocystic."Physiological, Cyclical Pain and SwellingMany women notice painful or sensitive breasts just prior to menstruation.
This has been attributed to a more prominent estrogen than progesterone effect on breast tissue at this time. Occasionally, less progesterone is made late in the cycle, as in irregular ovulation.
Other women may have average amounts of progesterone but increased tissue sensitivity to estrogen with related fluid retention. Most women tolerate this well enough once reassured it is normal, and the symptoms always resolve with menses.
Women who take exogenous estrogen, such as oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy during menopause, may be similarly affected.
Mastalgia Mastalgia refers to any breast pain, unilateral or bilateral, severe enough to interfere with the quality of a woman's life, causing her to seek treatment. Physiologic cyclical mastalgia is this severe about 15 percent of the time, and comprises the bulk of this group.
Women who suffer from noncyclical pain are more rare, and the pain is less likely to be hormonal in cause. Pain may be due to old trauma, acute infection, or sometimes inflammation of the intercostal cartilage, i.e. costochondritis.
In contrast, breast cancer presents as a unilateral painful firm lump about 5 percent of the time. The majority of the time, breast cancer does not present as breast pain, and especially tends not to present as cyclic present pain. Painful swellings that flux with the cycle unchanging over time are not worrisome as cancer signals.
Breast Nodularity or Diffuse LumpinessBreast lumpiness may be either cyclic or non-cyclic, and may be painful. The distinction between these and normal breasts is often simply a matter of degree. Normal breasts are always irregularly textured because the breast tissue is not homogeneous. It is a mix of glands, fat, and connective tissue.
Glands can vary in prominence, and are more or less obscured by fat or fluid, so all breasts feel different on physical exam. Symmetry is important; finding a mirror-image thickening in the opposite breast indicates a normal condition.
Non-Dominant Masses
Densities that are not symmetrical are largely due to benign non-progressive causes, but do require careful distinction from dominant masses.
When palpation of the lump reveals that the density merges in one or more places with the surrounding breast tissue, it is considered "non-dominant" and may be comfortably observed for change over time. When these lesions are biopsied or, preferably, a sample of cells is taken in the office through a needle to be looked at microscopically (fine-needle aspirate), approximately 70 percent will show "non-proliferative changes" (adenosis, fibrosis, microcysts, mild hyperplasia, and more); 20 percent will show "proliferative changes without atypia" -- mostly epithelial hyperplasia. None of these conditions places one at increased risk for cancer, and all are self-limiting.
Only a fraction, roughly the 5 percent that show atypical hyperplasia, carry a significantly increased risk of breast cancer, especially when coupled with a positive family history.
Dominant Masses
Non-cyclical unilateral lesions are clearly distinct on all sides from the surrounding breast tissue.
They persist over time, and except in the very young, demand some kind of assessment. Although rare, breast cancer can occur in women in their twenties. Assessments in younger women are more difficult due to the dense breast tissue therefore rendering mammograms less accurate. And, since most of these unilateral lesions are benign, mammograms and biopsies deserve a more restrained approach, although continued monitoring and revisiting clinical decisions are very important.
Most commonly dominant masses are either fibroadenomas or gross cysts. A fibroadenoma is a rubbery, smooth, benign, fibrous tumor common in younger women. In women under age 25, it can be observed over time. They generally do not grow bigger. Large cysts are more common in women aged 25 to 50 -- an age group when cancer just begins to appear.
They are softer, squishier, and can be made to disappear by draining them through a needle in the office. Unless they recur frequently, no further treatment is necessary. Recurrent large cysts have been shown to slightly increase cancer risk in some studies but not in others; fibroadenomas do not. Unfortunately, non-cyclical unilateral dominant masses can sometimes be cancerous.
Overview of Alternative Treatments for Cyclic Breast Pain and Swelling
Alternative medicine principles for fibrocystic breast tissue or cyclical pain and swelling include the recognition that the liver is the primary site for estrogen clearance or estrogen metabolism. A compromised liver function can lead to a state of estrogen dominance, contributing to texture and density changes in the breast.
To assure that estrogens are being metabolized properly, it may be necessary to provide nutritional and herbal support for the liver.Digestion and elimination are also fundamental factors involved in a more holistic approach to hormone-related health problems.
Women having fewer than three bowel movements per week have a risk of fibrocystic breasts four to five times greater than women having at least one bowel movement per day. The longer it takes food to move through the colon, the more waste products can be reabsorbed into the bloodstream, creating a potentially toxic physiological environment.
Bacterial flora in the large intestine, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, improves the transit time of bowel toxins, as well as improving the excretion and detoxification of estrogens.
NutritionRemoval of caffeine from the diet is probably the most well-known alternative lifestyle approach for fibrocystic breasts. The first randomized study of a large number of women was conducted by Dr. Virginia Ernster.
One hundred fifty-eight women eliminated all caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and caffeinated medications) from their diets for four months.1 There was a significant reduction in clinically palpable breast findings in the abstaining group compared with the control group, although the absolute change in the breast lumps was quite minor and considered to be of little clinical significance. Several other studies provided mixed reports: three studies show no association between methylxanthines and benign breast disease,2,3,4 and two studies show a correlation with caffeine consumption.5,6
Caffeine content of common items
Beverage
Serving Size
Caffeine (mg)
Coffee, drip
5 oz
110-150
Coffee, perk
5 oz
60-125
Coffee, instant
5 oz
40-105
Doffee, decaffeinated
5 oz
2-5
Tea, 5 minutes steep
5 oz
40-100
Tea, 3 minutes steep
5 oz
20-50
Hot cocoa
5 oz
2-10
Coca-Cola
12 oz
45
Food
Serving Size
Caffeine (mg)
Milk chocolate
1 oz
1-15
Bittersweet chocolate
1 oz
5-35
Chocolate cake
1 slice
20-30
OTC Drugs
Dose
Caffeine (mg)
Anacin, Emprin
2
64
Excedrin
2
130
NoDoz
2
200
Aqua-Ban
2
200
Dexatrim
1
200
How dietary fat affects the human breast is confusing and controversial. Reducing the fat content of the diet to 15 percent of total calories, while increasing complex carbohydrate consumption, has been shown to reduce the severity as well as the actual breast swelling and nodularity in some women.
Reducing the dietary fat intake to 20 percent of total calories also results in significant decreases in circulating estradiol. Since fibrocystic breasts are a result of estrogen dominance, it is logical that decreasing estrogens in the body would improve the symptoms of breast pain and swelling.
However, only a slight reduction in fat intake has repeatedly shown very little, if any, effect on breast problems, including breast cancer. A more rigorous approach to lowering the amount of fat in the diet is clearly needed. Of note, women on a vegetarian diet excrete two to three times more detoxified estrogens than women on an omnivorous diet.Nutritional SupplementsVitamin EFor more than 35 years, clinicians have used vitamin E in the medical management of benign breast disease.
This practice was initially based on positive reports from small numbers of patients as far back as 1965, and in subsequent studies in 1971, 1978, and 1982. When larger numbers of women were studied, vitamin E did not show significant effects. However, two studies demonstrated that vitamin E is clinically useful in relieving pain and tenderness, whether cyclical or non-cyclical.7,8 The studies have been done with varying dosages: 150, 300, or 600 IU daily.
In clinical practice, practitioners generally recommend from 400-800 IU of D-alpha-tocopherol with a minimum trial period of two months.Evening Primrose OilThe pain and tenderness of benign breast disease associated with "cyclic mastalgia" have been alleviated with evening primrose oil, the only one of the fatty acids to be scientifically studied in relation to fibrocystic breasts. In a study of 291 women who took three grams per day of evening primrose oil for three to six months, almost half of the 92 women with cyclic breast pain experienced improvement, compared with one-fifth of the patients who received the placebo.
For those women who experienced breast pain throughout the month, 27 percent responded positively to the evening primrose oil, compared to 9 percent on the placebo.9 Another study of 73 women received three grams per day of evening primrose oil or placebo.
After three months, pain and tenderness were significantly reduced in both cyclical and non-cyclical groups, while the women who took placebo did not significantly improve. IodineThyroid hormone with low or even normal thyroid function may result in improvement of fibrocystic breasts.
These results suggest that iodine deficiency may be a factor in fibrocystic breasts. Breast tissue has an affinity for both thyroid hormone and iodine. Without iodine, it becomes more sensitive to estrogenic stimulation, which in turn produces microcysts high in potassium content. The potassium is believed to be an irritant that produces fibrosis and eventually cyst isolation.
Four types of iodine have been studied in the treatment of fibrocystic breasts, only one of which has been truly effective for both pain reduction and cyst reduction, and free of side-effects on the thyroid gland. All forms of iodine relieve subjective clinical symptoms: sodium iodide (Lugol's solution); potassium iodide; caseinated iodine (protein-bound); and aqueous (diatomic) iodine.
Symptom relief varied a great deal with the different iodines, but only the aqueous or diatomic iodine achieved both symptom relief in 74 percent of the women, as well as objective reduction in nodules and resolution of fibrosis in 65 percent of the patients, without adverse effects on the thyroid gland.10 The recommended dose of aqueous iodine is a prescription of 3-6 mg per day.
Other
Supplements that may improve liver function and thereby perhaps promote a more balanced estrogen metabolism include methionine and choline. B vitamins, particularly vitamin B-6, can help the liver to properly metabolize and conjugate estrogens. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus may be able to improve the absorption and transport of estrogen by supporting a normalized intestinal microflora environment.
Botanicals
Herbal therapies for addressing the symptoms of breast pain, swelling, and cystic nodules in breast tissue are largely arrived at from traditional uses of herbal medicines and from observational empirical evidence in clinical practice.
Herbal diuretics can be useful in decreasing breast swelling and the discomfort associated with it.
The most effective of these is dandelion leaf, but other diuretics to consider are cleavers, yarrow, and uva ursi. Poke root has been used in traditional naturopathic medical practices for decades. It can be applied topically as an oil to the breasts, reducing painful lumpiness and nodularity.
Herbal support for the liver improves how the liver metabolizes steroid hormones. Traditional herbs that support the liver and the normalization of biochemical steroid pathways may include burdock root, dandelion root, and milk thistle.
Natural Progesterone
Assuming fibrocystic breasts are at least in part due to a high-estrogen, low-progesterone ratio, then it is logical to use progesterone therapy as a treatment. Many practitioners and women have experienced that the application of natural progesterone in a cream or gel routinely solves the problem. It may be that progesterone is desensitizing the breast to estrogen. General use guidelines are tsp twice per day, on days 15 to 27 of the monthly cycle.
Summary
These simple therapies, along with lifestyle modification, generally yield very satisfying results within 1 to 3 months, even in women with significantly painful breasts. Although uncommon, if there is no change after three menstrual cycles, a more aggressive alternative treatment plan must be initiated.
If this does not bring relief, then the conventional medical approaches, to be contemplated in very difficult, unbearable cases with no response from natural therapies, include decreasing hyperinsulinemia, synthetic progestin, Danazol, Tamoxifen and bromocriptene. Many women's medicine healthcare providers agree that the term fibrocystic breast "disease" or "condition" should be abandoned in favor of a more accurate physiologically based description. Benign breast conditions are present in almost all women to some degree.
Moreover, the widespread misconception that women with painful or lumpy breasts are at increased risk of breast cancer is inaccurate. This reinforces misinformation and fear, and obscures the safe and simple means that exist for obtaining relief and reassurance.
References1 Ernster V, Mason L, Goodson W, et al. Effects of caffeine-free diet on benign breast disease: a randomized trial. Surg 1982;912:263-267.2 Lubin F, et al. A case-control study of caffeine and methylxanthine in benign breast disease. JAMA 1985; 253(16)2388-92.3 Shawer C, Brinton L, Hoover R. Methylxanthine and benign breast disease. Am J Epid 1986;124(4): 603-11.4 Marshall J, Graham S, Swanson M. Caffeine consumption and benign breast disease: a case-control comparison. Amer J Pub Health 1982;72(6):610-12.5 La Vecchia C, et al. Benign breast disease and consumption of beverages containing methylxanthines. JNCI 1985;74(5):995-1000.6 Boyle C, et al. Caffeine consumption and fibrocystic breast disease: a case-control epidemiologic study. JNCI 1984;72(5):1015-19.7 London R, et al. Mammary dysplasia: Endocrine parameters and tocopherol therapy. Nutr Res 1982;7:243.8 London R, et al. Endocrine parameters and alpha-tocopherol therapy of patients with mammary dysplasia. Canc Res 1981;41:3811-13.9 Pye J et al. Clinical experience of drug treatment for mastalgia. Lancet 1985;2:373-77.10 Ghent W, et al. Iodine replacement in fibrocystic disease of the breast. Can J Surg 1993. Oct; 35(5):453-60.
more info at: www.dreddyclinic.com/ and http://www.dreddy-clinic.com/
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Tender or lumpy breasts are one of the most common reasons why women consult their women's health practitioner for assessment and treatment.
Since painful breasts are not always lumpy, and lumpy breasts are not always painful (and neither is usually abnormal), it is useful to create descriptive categories of symptoms and conditions to replace the generic term "fibrocystic."Physiological, Cyclical Pain and SwellingMany women notice painful or sensitive breasts just prior to menstruation.
This has been attributed to a more prominent estrogen than progesterone effect on breast tissue at this time. Occasionally, less progesterone is made late in the cycle, as in irregular ovulation.
Other women may have average amounts of progesterone but increased tissue sensitivity to estrogen with related fluid retention. Most women tolerate this well enough once reassured it is normal, and the symptoms always resolve with menses.
Women who take exogenous estrogen, such as oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy during menopause, may be similarly affected.
Mastalgia Mastalgia refers to any breast pain, unilateral or bilateral, severe enough to interfere with the quality of a woman's life, causing her to seek treatment. Physiologic cyclical mastalgia is this severe about 15 percent of the time, and comprises the bulk of this group.
Women who suffer from noncyclical pain are more rare, and the pain is less likely to be hormonal in cause. Pain may be due to old trauma, acute infection, or sometimes inflammation of the intercostal cartilage, i.e. costochondritis.
In contrast, breast cancer presents as a unilateral painful firm lump about 5 percent of the time. The majority of the time, breast cancer does not present as breast pain, and especially tends not to present as cyclic present pain. Painful swellings that flux with the cycle unchanging over time are not worrisome as cancer signals.
Breast Nodularity or Diffuse LumpinessBreast lumpiness may be either cyclic or non-cyclic, and may be painful. The distinction between these and normal breasts is often simply a matter of degree. Normal breasts are always irregularly textured because the breast tissue is not homogeneous. It is a mix of glands, fat, and connective tissue.
Glands can vary in prominence, and are more or less obscured by fat or fluid, so all breasts feel different on physical exam. Symmetry is important; finding a mirror-image thickening in the opposite breast indicates a normal condition.
Non-Dominant Masses
Densities that are not symmetrical are largely due to benign non-progressive causes, but do require careful distinction from dominant masses.
When palpation of the lump reveals that the density merges in one or more places with the surrounding breast tissue, it is considered "non-dominant" and may be comfortably observed for change over time. When these lesions are biopsied or, preferably, a sample of cells is taken in the office through a needle to be looked at microscopically (fine-needle aspirate), approximately 70 percent will show "non-proliferative changes" (adenosis, fibrosis, microcysts, mild hyperplasia, and more); 20 percent will show "proliferative changes without atypia" -- mostly epithelial hyperplasia. None of these conditions places one at increased risk for cancer, and all are self-limiting.
Only a fraction, roughly the 5 percent that show atypical hyperplasia, carry a significantly increased risk of breast cancer, especially when coupled with a positive family history.
Dominant Masses
Non-cyclical unilateral lesions are clearly distinct on all sides from the surrounding breast tissue.
They persist over time, and except in the very young, demand some kind of assessment. Although rare, breast cancer can occur in women in their twenties. Assessments in younger women are more difficult due to the dense breast tissue therefore rendering mammograms less accurate. And, since most of these unilateral lesions are benign, mammograms and biopsies deserve a more restrained approach, although continued monitoring and revisiting clinical decisions are very important.
Most commonly dominant masses are either fibroadenomas or gross cysts. A fibroadenoma is a rubbery, smooth, benign, fibrous tumor common in younger women. In women under age 25, it can be observed over time. They generally do not grow bigger. Large cysts are more common in women aged 25 to 50 -- an age group when cancer just begins to appear.
They are softer, squishier, and can be made to disappear by draining them through a needle in the office. Unless they recur frequently, no further treatment is necessary. Recurrent large cysts have been shown to slightly increase cancer risk in some studies but not in others; fibroadenomas do not. Unfortunately, non-cyclical unilateral dominant masses can sometimes be cancerous.
Overview of Alternative Treatments for Cyclic Breast Pain and Swelling
Alternative medicine principles for fibrocystic breast tissue or cyclical pain and swelling include the recognition that the liver is the primary site for estrogen clearance or estrogen metabolism. A compromised liver function can lead to a state of estrogen dominance, contributing to texture and density changes in the breast.
To assure that estrogens are being metabolized properly, it may be necessary to provide nutritional and herbal support for the liver.Digestion and elimination are also fundamental factors involved in a more holistic approach to hormone-related health problems.
Women having fewer than three bowel movements per week have a risk of fibrocystic breasts four to five times greater than women having at least one bowel movement per day. The longer it takes food to move through the colon, the more waste products can be reabsorbed into the bloodstream, creating a potentially toxic physiological environment.
Bacterial flora in the large intestine, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, improves the transit time of bowel toxins, as well as improving the excretion and detoxification of estrogens.
NutritionRemoval of caffeine from the diet is probably the most well-known alternative lifestyle approach for fibrocystic breasts. The first randomized study of a large number of women was conducted by Dr. Virginia Ernster.
One hundred fifty-eight women eliminated all caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and caffeinated medications) from their diets for four months.1 There was a significant reduction in clinically palpable breast findings in the abstaining group compared with the control group, although the absolute change in the breast lumps was quite minor and considered to be of little clinical significance. Several other studies provided mixed reports: three studies show no association between methylxanthines and benign breast disease,2,3,4 and two studies show a correlation with caffeine consumption.5,6
Caffeine content of common items
Beverage
Serving Size
Caffeine (mg)
Coffee, drip
5 oz
110-150
Coffee, perk
5 oz
60-125
Coffee, instant
5 oz
40-105
Doffee, decaffeinated
5 oz
2-5
Tea, 5 minutes steep
5 oz
40-100
Tea, 3 minutes steep
5 oz
20-50
Hot cocoa
5 oz
2-10
Coca-Cola
12 oz
45
Food
Serving Size
Caffeine (mg)
Milk chocolate
1 oz
1-15
Bittersweet chocolate
1 oz
5-35
Chocolate cake
1 slice
20-30
OTC Drugs
Dose
Caffeine (mg)
Anacin, Emprin
2
64
Excedrin
2
130
NoDoz
2
200
Aqua-Ban
2
200
Dexatrim
1
200
How dietary fat affects the human breast is confusing and controversial. Reducing the fat content of the diet to 15 percent of total calories, while increasing complex carbohydrate consumption, has been shown to reduce the severity as well as the actual breast swelling and nodularity in some women.
Reducing the dietary fat intake to 20 percent of total calories also results in significant decreases in circulating estradiol. Since fibrocystic breasts are a result of estrogen dominance, it is logical that decreasing estrogens in the body would improve the symptoms of breast pain and swelling.
However, only a slight reduction in fat intake has repeatedly shown very little, if any, effect on breast problems, including breast cancer. A more rigorous approach to lowering the amount of fat in the diet is clearly needed. Of note, women on a vegetarian diet excrete two to three times more detoxified estrogens than women on an omnivorous diet.Nutritional SupplementsVitamin EFor more than 35 years, clinicians have used vitamin E in the medical management of benign breast disease.
This practice was initially based on positive reports from small numbers of patients as far back as 1965, and in subsequent studies in 1971, 1978, and 1982. When larger numbers of women were studied, vitamin E did not show significant effects. However, two studies demonstrated that vitamin E is clinically useful in relieving pain and tenderness, whether cyclical or non-cyclical.7,8 The studies have been done with varying dosages: 150, 300, or 600 IU daily.
In clinical practice, practitioners generally recommend from 400-800 IU of D-alpha-tocopherol with a minimum trial period of two months.Evening Primrose OilThe pain and tenderness of benign breast disease associated with "cyclic mastalgia" have been alleviated with evening primrose oil, the only one of the fatty acids to be scientifically studied in relation to fibrocystic breasts. In a study of 291 women who took three grams per day of evening primrose oil for three to six months, almost half of the 92 women with cyclic breast pain experienced improvement, compared with one-fifth of the patients who received the placebo.
For those women who experienced breast pain throughout the month, 27 percent responded positively to the evening primrose oil, compared to 9 percent on the placebo.9 Another study of 73 women received three grams per day of evening primrose oil or placebo.
After three months, pain and tenderness were significantly reduced in both cyclical and non-cyclical groups, while the women who took placebo did not significantly improve. IodineThyroid hormone with low or even normal thyroid function may result in improvement of fibrocystic breasts.
These results suggest that iodine deficiency may be a factor in fibrocystic breasts. Breast tissue has an affinity for both thyroid hormone and iodine. Without iodine, it becomes more sensitive to estrogenic stimulation, which in turn produces microcysts high in potassium content. The potassium is believed to be an irritant that produces fibrosis and eventually cyst isolation.
Four types of iodine have been studied in the treatment of fibrocystic breasts, only one of which has been truly effective for both pain reduction and cyst reduction, and free of side-effects on the thyroid gland. All forms of iodine relieve subjective clinical symptoms: sodium iodide (Lugol's solution); potassium iodide; caseinated iodine (protein-bound); and aqueous (diatomic) iodine.
Symptom relief varied a great deal with the different iodines, but only the aqueous or diatomic iodine achieved both symptom relief in 74 percent of the women, as well as objective reduction in nodules and resolution of fibrosis in 65 percent of the patients, without adverse effects on the thyroid gland.10 The recommended dose of aqueous iodine is a prescription of 3-6 mg per day.
Other
Supplements that may improve liver function and thereby perhaps promote a more balanced estrogen metabolism include methionine and choline. B vitamins, particularly vitamin B-6, can help the liver to properly metabolize and conjugate estrogens. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus may be able to improve the absorption and transport of estrogen by supporting a normalized intestinal microflora environment.
Botanicals
Herbal therapies for addressing the symptoms of breast pain, swelling, and cystic nodules in breast tissue are largely arrived at from traditional uses of herbal medicines and from observational empirical evidence in clinical practice.
Herbal diuretics can be useful in decreasing breast swelling and the discomfort associated with it.
The most effective of these is dandelion leaf, but other diuretics to consider are cleavers, yarrow, and uva ursi. Poke root has been used in traditional naturopathic medical practices for decades. It can be applied topically as an oil to the breasts, reducing painful lumpiness and nodularity.
Herbal support for the liver improves how the liver metabolizes steroid hormones. Traditional herbs that support the liver and the normalization of biochemical steroid pathways may include burdock root, dandelion root, and milk thistle.
Natural Progesterone
Assuming fibrocystic breasts are at least in part due to a high-estrogen, low-progesterone ratio, then it is logical to use progesterone therapy as a treatment. Many practitioners and women have experienced that the application of natural progesterone in a cream or gel routinely solves the problem. It may be that progesterone is desensitizing the breast to estrogen. General use guidelines are tsp twice per day, on days 15 to 27 of the monthly cycle.
Summary
These simple therapies, along with lifestyle modification, generally yield very satisfying results within 1 to 3 months, even in women with significantly painful breasts. Although uncommon, if there is no change after three menstrual cycles, a more aggressive alternative treatment plan must be initiated.
If this does not bring relief, then the conventional medical approaches, to be contemplated in very difficult, unbearable cases with no response from natural therapies, include decreasing hyperinsulinemia, synthetic progestin, Danazol, Tamoxifen and bromocriptene. Many women's medicine healthcare providers agree that the term fibrocystic breast "disease" or "condition" should be abandoned in favor of a more accurate physiologically based description. Benign breast conditions are present in almost all women to some degree.
Moreover, the widespread misconception that women with painful or lumpy breasts are at increased risk of breast cancer is inaccurate. This reinforces misinformation and fear, and obscures the safe and simple means that exist for obtaining relief and reassurance.
References1 Ernster V, Mason L, Goodson W, et al. Effects of caffeine-free diet on benign breast disease: a randomized trial. Surg 1982;912:263-267.2 Lubin F, et al. A case-control study of caffeine and methylxanthine in benign breast disease. JAMA 1985; 253(16)2388-92.3 Shawer C, Brinton L, Hoover R. Methylxanthine and benign breast disease. Am J Epid 1986;124(4): 603-11.4 Marshall J, Graham S, Swanson M. Caffeine consumption and benign breast disease: a case-control comparison. Amer J Pub Health 1982;72(6):610-12.5 La Vecchia C, et al. Benign breast disease and consumption of beverages containing methylxanthines. JNCI 1985;74(5):995-1000.6 Boyle C, et al. Caffeine consumption and fibrocystic breast disease: a case-control epidemiologic study. JNCI 1984;72(5):1015-19.7 London R, et al. Mammary dysplasia: Endocrine parameters and tocopherol therapy. Nutr Res 1982;7:243.8 London R, et al. Endocrine parameters and alpha-tocopherol therapy of patients with mammary dysplasia. Canc Res 1981;41:3811-13.9 Pye J et al. Clinical experience of drug treatment for mastalgia. Lancet 1985;2:373-77.10 Ghent W, et al. Iodine replacement in fibrocystic disease of the breast. Can J Surg 1993. Oct; 35(5):453-60.
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Monday, January 02, 2006
Yoga Offers Mental, Physical Relief for the Chronically Ill
Patients dealing with illnesses ranging from AIDS and cancer to osteoporosis and Crohn's disease are turning to condition-specific yoga classes, according to a report in the New York Times, my favorite newspaper in the world. Unlike larger health club classes, however, only certain poses are incorporated, and at the appropriate pace and level.
I'm happy medical experts are increasingly recognizing the benefits of alternative medicine in treating and preventing a range of illnesses. I agree the health benefits of stretching can be particularly valuable.
More and more, doctors recommend the classes for the stress-relieving benefits. However, patients are reporting the sessions make them more comfortable and even help alleviate the symptoms and side effects of medication. Additionally, the support of exercising with others dealing with the same condition can have important mental health benefits too.
Recent studies indicate, among other things, yoga can lower fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis and reduce anxiety in cancer, heart disease and hypertension patients. Experts agree, yoga does not treat or cure the disease, but it does make the symptoms more tolerable and lessens the anxiety illness creates.
New York Times December 15, 2005 Registration Required
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I'm happy medical experts are increasingly recognizing the benefits of alternative medicine in treating and preventing a range of illnesses. I agree the health benefits of stretching can be particularly valuable.
More and more, doctors recommend the classes for the stress-relieving benefits. However, patients are reporting the sessions make them more comfortable and even help alleviate the symptoms and side effects of medication. Additionally, the support of exercising with others dealing with the same condition can have important mental health benefits too.
Recent studies indicate, among other things, yoga can lower fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis and reduce anxiety in cancer, heart disease and hypertension patients. Experts agree, yoga does not treat or cure the disease, but it does make the symptoms more tolerable and lessens the anxiety illness creates.
New York Times December 15, 2005 Registration Required
Kaiser Network December 15, 2005
Integrated Medicine Forum
www.DrEddyClinic.com/
http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1
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Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Middle-agers more likely to turn to alternative therapies
Sympatico Dec 9 2005 7:59AM GMT
Provided by: MediResource
Written by: ALYSSA SCHWARTZ
TORONTO (MRI) - It's thought people become more closed-minded as they age, but when it comes to trying complementary and alternative medicines, middle-agers might be the most open of all, a new study has found.
In a report published in the Journal of Aging and Health, researchers found that more than a third of adults in the U.S. had tried some form of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), but that people between the ages of 45 and 54 were more likely to have done so than their younger or older counterparts.
"This study provides the first estimates of notable age-related differences in whether CAM is used to treat an existing health condition or for illness prevention and health promotion," said the study's lead author, Dr. Joseph G. Grzywacz of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in a statement.
The researchers looked at data from 31,044 adults who participated in the 2002 U.S. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which included questions on some 20 CAM interventions, including acupuncture, naturopathy, chelation, herbal products, massage, chiropractic services, yoga and meditation. For each, subjects were asked whether they used it for prevention, treatment, both, or not at all.
Overall, 37% of those included in the survey reported using some form of CAM. The researchers noted that the various modes of CAM were most popular among middle-aged participants, although they noted that younger and older adults were more likely to use CAMs to treat disease, while middle-agers tended to turn to the practices in order to prevent disease.
"A greater percentage of midlife adults, principally those aged 45 to 54, used at least one CAM modality within each of the major categories in the past year than did younger or older adults," the researchers wrote.
They chalked this difference up to changing attitudes and visibility of alternative health practices.
"Most of the individual CAM modalities queried in the NHIS gained greater popularity in the late 1960s through the 1970s, when current midlife adults were in middle to late adolescence. CAM therapies, therefore, were widely available (relatively speaking) as these individuals entered adulthood and began making their own decisions about health care and health self-management. By contrast, older adults in 2002 would have already established strategies for health management because they would have been in their mid-30s or older when CAM became more common," they said.
If you do decide to use a complementary or alternative treatment, talk to your doctor about it first. For example, some herbs and natural supplements may interact with your medication or can be dangerous for people with certain medical conditions.
As well, look for evidence that supports any treatments you are considered and seek out appropriately certified experts for treatment in the area that interests you.
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Provided by: MediResource
Written by: ALYSSA SCHWARTZ
TORONTO (MRI) - It's thought people become more closed-minded as they age, but when it comes to trying complementary and alternative medicines, middle-agers might be the most open of all, a new study has found.
In a report published in the Journal of Aging and Health, researchers found that more than a third of adults in the U.S. had tried some form of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), but that people between the ages of 45 and 54 were more likely to have done so than their younger or older counterparts.
"This study provides the first estimates of notable age-related differences in whether CAM is used to treat an existing health condition or for illness prevention and health promotion," said the study's lead author, Dr. Joseph G. Grzywacz of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in a statement.
The researchers looked at data from 31,044 adults who participated in the 2002 U.S. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which included questions on some 20 CAM interventions, including acupuncture, naturopathy, chelation, herbal products, massage, chiropractic services, yoga and meditation. For each, subjects were asked whether they used it for prevention, treatment, both, or not at all.
Overall, 37% of those included in the survey reported using some form of CAM. The researchers noted that the various modes of CAM were most popular among middle-aged participants, although they noted that younger and older adults were more likely to use CAMs to treat disease, while middle-agers tended to turn to the practices in order to prevent disease.
"A greater percentage of midlife adults, principally those aged 45 to 54, used at least one CAM modality within each of the major categories in the past year than did younger or older adults," the researchers wrote.
They chalked this difference up to changing attitudes and visibility of alternative health practices.
"Most of the individual CAM modalities queried in the NHIS gained greater popularity in the late 1960s through the 1970s, when current midlife adults were in middle to late adolescence. CAM therapies, therefore, were widely available (relatively speaking) as these individuals entered adulthood and began making their own decisions about health care and health self-management. By contrast, older adults in 2002 would have already established strategies for health management because they would have been in their mid-30s or older when CAM became more common," they said.
If you do decide to use a complementary or alternative treatment, talk to your doctor about it first. For example, some herbs and natural supplements may interact with your medication or can be dangerous for people with certain medical conditions.
As well, look for evidence that supports any treatments you are considered and seek out appropriately certified experts for treatment in the area that interests you.
more discussion: Forum
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