Health related information and news from around the world.

HIV: MEDICAL TREATMENTS-ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENT, HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE AND MIND WORK

admin — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:19:53 +0000

The principles of chiropractic treatment state that HIV infection is caused by a poor alignment of the backbone, which impairs nearby nerves. Treatment consists of positioning the body to correct the defect. Chiropractic treatment is probably helpful if your back hurts, probably harmless otherwise. Homeopathic Medicine-Practitioners of homeopathic medicine believe that a substance that causes a symptom in a large dose can, when given in a small dose, stimulate the body to correct the symptom. The underlying principle is that similars correct similars. In the case of HIV infection, which weakens the immune system, practitioners of homeopathic medicine advocate using small doses of cyclosporine, a drug used in traditional medicine to weaken the immune systems of people whose bodies are rejecting transplanted organs. Homeopathic medicine uses extremely small doses of these various substances; it is harmless. Mind Work-One kind of mind work tries to foster favorable self-images or self-love. Another kind of mind work is visualization or guided imagery. During visualization, people imagine their immune systems attacking and killing HIV and their bodies becoming stronger and healthier. Like body work, mind work can’t hurt. And because it makes people feel more in control and happier with themselves, it can be beneficial.*195\191\2*

COPING WITH EPILEPSY/ACCEPTANCE: THE BIGGEST PROBLEM”

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 11:08:02 +0000

What do you find is the biggest problem for parents of multiply handicapped children?”"There’s little question in my mind that the biggest hurdle is acceptance of the child. I don’t mean that the parents don’t love him or her right from the start. They do! They love the child, but they also love the image of the child that they carry in their minds. As I said before, none of us knows how we will cope with a child who doesn’t meet our expectations. Even those who have had contact with handicapped children, who say they could cope, don’t really know. Everyone has to go through the stages of grieving for the child who isn’t as you planned, forgetting the child who is the image in your mind, before you can reach the stage of acceptance. For some parents, this can take a long time. But gradually people come to the realization of what their child can and can’t do. You have to wait for the parents to come to those realizations themselves. They don’t listen if you just tell them. You can help them to see, but, ultimately, they have to see for themselves before they can accept.”In the meantime, the counselor has to be supportive. It’s important to praise parents for what they are doing and to reassure them that they are doing everything possible. It is important to nurture their hope, but to try to temper that hope slowly with realism. It’s a long, tough process for both the parents and for the counselor. But in the long run it’s worth it.”*236\208\8*

MINI-GLOSSARY OF CHOLESTEROL-RELATED TERMS

admin — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 10:03:47 +0000

Apoproteins: proteins that combine with lipids to make them dissolve in the bloodCholesterol: a type of lipid used by your body to build cells and certain hormones. It is found only in foods derived from animal sourcesFatty acids: also called “fats,” they occur in several forms in the foods you eat. Different fatty acids have different effects on your lipid profile HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol): a combination of about 50 percent apoproteins and 20 percent cholesterol. HDL tends to help remove excess cholesterol from your blood\LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol): a combination of about 25 percent apoproteins and 45 percent cholesterol. LDL provides cholesterol for necessary body functions, but in excessive amounts it promotes cholesterol accumulation in artery walls Lipids: a general term referring to fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) circulating in the bloodstreamthe amount of various lipids in yourLipid profile: bloodstreamLipoproteins: lipids combined with apoproteins Triglycerides a type of lipid used by your body as a source of energy. Most triglycerides are transported through your bloodstream as a very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). Some cholesterol is also present in VLDL.*237\252\8*

HIV: LUNG PROBLEMS-PRODUCTIVE COUGH, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, FEVER:VIRAL PNEUMONIAS AND MISCELLANEOUS INFECTIONS

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:27:50 +0000

Productive cough, shortness of breath, and fever are symptoms of tuberculosis and pneumonia caused by certain common types of bacteria; these symptoms may also be caused by PCP, certain viruses, Kaposi’s sarcoma in the lung, and several other unusual conditions. Viral pneumonias-The viruses that most commonly cause pneumonias in people with HIV infection are cytomegalovirus and the influenza virus. The pneumonias they cause are quite different. Influenza is a common infection in everyone and is neither more common nor more severe in people with HIV infection. Typical symptoms are fever, cough, production of thick sputum, and achiness. These symptoms in a person with HIV infection may be confused with the symptoms of other, more serious infections. Influenza can be prevented or made less severe by a vaccine that is available during each year’s influenza season. People with HIV infection should get influenza vaccine. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common during the later stages of HIV infection, usually when the CD4 count is less than 100. CMV can infect not only the lungs, but virtually all parts of the body. A test of respiratory secretions will show CMV in the respiratory system, but it is difficult to know whether CMV is causing the pneumonia, because when CMV is present, other microbes like Pneumocystis carinii are usually present as well. There are some drugs that can be used to treat CMV pneumonia, although proof that they work in most cases is not well established. Miscellaneous infections-Other causes of lung problems in people with HIV infection are less common than those above. Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI), though it usually infects other parts of the body, sometimes infects the lungs. Kaposi’s sarcoma may be found in the lungs, where it causes cough and shortness of breath. People with Kaposi’s sarcoma in the lungs will probably have changes on a chest x-ray or on special scans of the lungs, and Kaposi’s sarcoma also on the skin. Occasionally, people with HIV infection will have a pneumonia called lipoid interstitial pneumonia, which has no known cause, except perhaps HIV itself. Diagnosis of lipoid interstitial pneumonia requires a biopsy of the lungs using a bronchoscope. It seems to respond well to treatment with corticosteroids.*109\191\2*

HIGH COST OF ARTHRITIS

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:15:30 +0000

Americans today are living longer. Life expectancy in the United States has nearly doubled since the early 1900s – from 47 years to 76 years. By the year 2025, Americans should be routinely living to the ripe age of 80, according to the World Health Organization. The bulge on census charts known as the postwar baby boom generation is rapidly reaching middle age. In fact, baby boomers have been turning 50 at the rate of one every 7.5 seconds since January 1,1996. The Census Bureau projects that one in nine baby boomers (9 million of the 78 million people born between 1946 and 1964) will survive into their late 90s, and one in 26 (about 3 million) will reach 100.Now that we are living longer, can we also expect to remain healthy and active longer? The likelihood is very good. But first we will have to jump a few hurdles. One of the highest is a group of diseases commonly referred to as arthritis. Each year, people make more than 315 million physician visits because of arthritis and are hospitalized for it more than 8 million times. Arthritis costs the nation 65 billion dollars annually in medical costs and lost productivity.*4/306/5*

GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER GUIDE: ENDOMETRIAL SARCOMA

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 07:49:17 +0000

Sarcomas are cancers that arise from the muscle of the wall of the uterus. They can be ‘pure’ – these cancers arise from muscle cells only, and are labeled ‘leiomyosarcomas’. In contrast, especially in older women, mixed sarcomas are common and have a combination of glandular cancers, just as in endometrial cancer, and cancers of the uterine muscle wall. These are called ‘mixed mesodermal tumours’.There are no known predisposing factors involved in the development of cancer in the muscle of the uterus (uterine sarcomas).The most common type of uterine sarcoma (leiomyosarcomas) usually arises in fibroids. Fibroids that are benign tumours (do not contain cancerous cells) arise from the muscle of the wall of the uterus and are extremely common, being present in up to 50% of women between the ages of 40 and 50. They may enlarge the uterus and cause pain but are still benign. The estimated risk of fibroids turning malignant into cancer is estimated between one in eight hundred and one in one thousand.Uterine sarcomas are more aggressive than cancers that arise in the lining of the uterus and are more likely to spread by the blood stream so that secondary cancers in the lung are the most common presentation of recurrent or advanced disease.There is a more rare form of uterine sarcoma called an ‘endometrial stromal sarcoma’, which arises from the tissue in between the glands of the lining of the uterus itself- the so-called ‘stroma’. These are usually low-grade cancers and are often removed by hysterectomy and are sensitive to hormonal treatment.If a uterine sarcoma is not treated, then it can spread by the blood stream to lungs, liver and bone.*3/144/5*

DIAGNOSING OCD: AN OBSESSION IS INAPPROPRIAT

admin — Sun, 15 May 2011 16:08:23 +0000

Egiven a chance to sit back and reflect for a minute, the afflicted person just can’t figure out why the tormenting thought would ever have occurred in the first place. There seems to be no earthly reason for it.Mental health professionals use the term “egodystonic” to describe this characteristic. The term means “against a person’s very nature,” a mismatch to a person’s sense of self. When I had my needle obsession, I knew it was irrational for me to be thinking such thoughts. They didn’t match with who I was. They didn’t fit in with my goals, my desires, or my fears. When an OCDer must check the light switch for the hundredth time, the reaction is: “Why am I thinking this crazy thought? This isn’t me.”Raymond knew very well that his spill visions were only “killer fantasies.” It was because he did that he went to such great lengths to hide his checking compulsions. A new student in our OCD group described her obsessions this way:I will fully admit right now that my worries are unrealistic and completely stupid. Like before I go to bed, I will keep having the thought that the door isn’t locked. I lock it and unlock it, lock it and unlock it, a dozen times. But the thought still comes back: What if I didn’t lock it right? I will get up and go over and check the door again. It’s so crazy that I’m reduced to tears.An obsession, is not a psychosis. Sometimes the recognition of the ego-dystonic quality of an obsession—realizing that a thought is violating who you are—causes people to think that they are “going crazy.” This is a common reaction to severe obsessions: “I should be locked up!” Jeff felt this way because he thought he was “hearing voices.” Even though he recognized that these “voices” came from his own mind and did not sound like real voices, still, because his tormenting thoughts were so inappropriate and senseless, so unlike himself, he mistook his obsessions for psychotic hallucinations.Melissa also feared that she was losing her sanity. At first, I myself wasn’t sure on this point. Her inner preoccupations and abrupt lapses in conversation gave her the appearance of a person who might be actively hallucinating; furthermore, her intense concern about Satan raised the question as to whether she might be suffering delusions. When I questioned Melissa, however, as to whether she was in fact hearing voices, she said no. And when I asked her about common delusions—such as the idea that other people could overhear her thoughts, or the idea that messages were being sent to her over the television or radio—she denied these as well. Her beliefs about Satan turned out to be shared by other members of her church and therefore were not signs of mental illness. It was soon clear that Melissa had OCD, not a psychosis.OCDers often feel like they’re going crazy because they experience a loss of control over their thoughts. Yet obsessions never—repeat, never—lead to a true loss of contact with reality, to a psychosis. People who are psychotic lack the ability to discern what is sensible. OCDers, on the contrary, are intensely aware that their thoughts don’t make sense. OCDers probably have less of a chance of going crazy than anybody else.The four qualities of intrusiveness, recurrence, unwantedness, and inappropriateness are what set clinical obsessions apart from the preoccupations, temptations, and worries of everyday life.An adolescent male, starry-eyed over a new girlfriend, is not really “obsessed.” He’s merely preoccupied. Likewise, the lady who has to grit her teeth and punch down on the gas pedal to get past the liquor store is not “obsessed with alcohol,” not clinically, at least. She is tempted, perhaps addicted. And consider what happened to me not long ago. I was fretting aloud about my ten-year-old daughter going away to college. Crime, cut-throat competition, men trying to take advantage of her. . . . My wife chided me, “Stop your obsessing!” But these were not unwanted thoughts that I resisted, nor were they completely inappropriate. It makes sense to be a bit fearful about your daughter’s future. These were not obsessions; they were simply worries.With ordinary temptations, addictions, and worries, there are ways to fight back—willpower, for instance, or thinking more rationally. But for obsessions there seems to be no defense at all. They are like body snatchers from outer space. A person will do anything to find relief. And that’s where compulsions enter in.*10/338/2*

TREATMENT OF LATENT TUBERCULOSIS: RIFAMPIN AND PYRAZINAMIDE

admin — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:34:08 +0000

The combination of rifampin and pyrazinamide for 2 to 3 months is considered a less preferable alternative. Trials of this regimen have inched only HIV-positive patients, and the efficacy of this regimen in HIV-negative patients has not been confirmed. There are recent case reports of severe and fatal hepatitis in patients on rifampin and pyrazinamide, and, therefore, this regimen should be particularly avoided in those with underlying liver disease or alcohol abuse. If these agents are used, liver enzymes should be measured at baseline and then monitored closely every 2 weeks. For patients with HIV, the use of rifampin may be contraindicated with certain protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors used in antiretroviral therapy. A substitution of rifabutin for rifampin is recommended in these instances. Rifabutin should not be used with the protease inhibitor ritonavir, the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor delavirdine, or the hard gel of saquinavir, and cautions should be used with patients taking the soft gel form of saquinavir.*57/348/5*

SKIN IN ADOLESCENCE: FACTORS, WHICH MAY CAUSE ACNE

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:04:10 +0000

SunscreensWith the increased awareness of the damaging effects of sunlight many teenagers are being encouraged to wear sunscreens. Unfortunately, most sunscreens have a moisturizing base and so tend to aggravate acne. People who suffer from acne should wear alcohol-based sunscreens, which are now available as either clear liquids or gels. Examples include Clinique Oil-Free Sun Block SPF 15, Ella Bache Great Sports Gel SPF 15+ and Koala Beach SPF 15 Gel. They may sting, however, and in this case an appropriate alternative would be a milky sunscreen such as Ego SunSense Toddler Milk, Ego Sunsensitive, Clinique City Block, Ella Bache Oil Free and Roche Aquababy.
VitaminsMany vitamin preparations contain kelp which is known to aggravate acne. Kelp is an iodine-containing substance, which in high concentrations stimulates pus. It is best for people with acne to avoid all vitamin preparations as they are of no benefit and can actually be counterproductive. There is no scientific evidence that vitamin therapy or zinc tablets are useful for acne.
StressStress is a common aggravating factor in acne, although the reason for this is poorly understood. It probably works through the stimulation of male hormones called androgens that are secreted from a gland called the adrenal gland during times of stress. It is, however, impossible to live without some stress and acne itself can produce more stress. Adequate treatment of acne will often relieve stress associated with lowered self-esteem. Lack of sleep may also be an aggravating factor here, and people with acne should always try to get enough sleep.
The oral contraceptive pillAs most people are aware, the oral contraceptive pill contains synthetic oestrogens and synthetic progestogens. The synthetic progestogens have a male hormone-like activity and so can aggravate acne. The pills that contain a higher ratio of progestogen to oestrogen will often make acne worse whereas those containing a higher concentration of oestrogen will tend to improve acne. Higher oestrogen-containing pills such as Biphasil and Sequilar are often useful in treating women with acne, particularly those with premenstrual flare ups. This can be discussed with your doctor.
DrugsCertain drugs can aggravate acne, particularly the anti-epileptic drugs and lithium. This issue should be discussed with your doctor.
*17/150/5*

STRESS AND PMS

admin — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:56:02 +0000

Stress is so important in PMS that it warrants this whole chapter of its own. The research just emerging shows mat PMS and stress go hand-in-hand. If you have a lot of stress in your life you are more likely to develop PMS. Women with PMS often have more stress in their lives than women without the condition, according to Dr Jane Chihal from Texas, USA.”Perhaps stress predisposes the patient to PMS or perhaps the syndrome can be perceived as a type of inner stress. If a patient also experiences external stress, the total stress “load” may exacerbate the severity of her symptoms,” she says.Professor Shaughn O’Brien of Keele University in the UK agrees. Although he runs a ‘conventional’ PMS clinic he advocates the use of relaxation and stress management techniques to help relieve PMS.Stress is something that we generate inside ourselves in response to ‘stressors’. Stressors can be major events such as crumbling relationships, a dead-end job or delinquent children – but they can also be simply the accumulating daily hassles of constant deadlines and snatched meals. In other words, they can be anything that leads to stress.*38\120\4*