“The first confirmed case of mad cow disease in the U.S. since 2006 surfaced in California’s Central Valley on Tuesday, triggering concerns about food safety. But health officials stressed that the diseased animal never entered the human food chain and that U.S. beef and dairy products are safe”.

Here are some quick notes to inform you about Mad Cow Disease, “Mad cow” is an infectious disease in the brain of cattle. Humans who become infected, usually by eating tissue from diseased cattle, will die of a similar brain disease that may develop over many years.

Symptoms may include: muscle spasms, lack of muscle control, and worsening problems with memory.

Unfortunately, the reality is that all prion diseases cause death. There are no effective treatments available.

Earth Day (according to this picture) is right around the corner folks, nothing like celebrating this simple holiday than going outside, grabbing a nice cold one, sitting on a hammock and taking a nice deep breath. As your mind wonders and you take in the beauty of the environment, the reality of the world kicks you in the sinuses thanks to Upper & Lower Respiratory infections.

What is respiratory infection you ask?? Well first off there are 2 different types Respiratory Infection: Lower and Upper Respiratory

What is an upper respiratory infection?

The upper respiratory tract includes the sinuses, nasal passages, pharynx, and larynx. These structures direct the air we breathe from the outside to the trachea and eventually to the lungs for respiration to take place.

An upper respiratory tract infection, or upper respiratory infection, is an infectious process of any of the components of the upper airway.

Infection of the specific areas of the upper respiratory tract can be named specifically. Examples of these may include:

· Rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal cavity)

· Sinus infection (sinusitis or rhinosinusitis) - inflammation of the sinuses located around the nose,

· Common cold (nasopharyngitis) - inflammation of the nares, pharynx, hypopharynx, uvula, and tonsils,

· Pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx, uvula, and tonsils),

· Epiglottitis (inflammation of the upper portion of the larynx or the epiglottis),

· Laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx)

· Laryngotracheitis (inflammation of the larynx and the trachea)

· Tracheitis (inflammation of the trachea).

What is Lower respiratory infection?

While often used as a synonym for pneumonia, it can also be applied to other types of infection including lung abscess and acute bronchitis.

Symptoms include shortness of breath, weakness, high fever, coughing and fatigue.

Some classification of specific infections;

Ø Bronchitis can be classified as either acute or chronic. Acute bronchitis can be defined as acute bacterial or viral infection of the larger airways in healthy patients with no history of recurrent disease.

Ø Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs (alveoli)

(Some food for thought): Lower respiratory tract infections place a considerable strain on the health budget and are generally more serious than upper respiratory infections. Since 1993 there has been a slight reduction in the total number of deaths from lower respiratory tract infection. However in 2002 they were still the leading cause of deaths among all infectious diseases, and they accounted for 3.9 million deaths worldwide and 6.9% of all deaths that year. (YIKES…)

There’s no telling when you could receive it or exactly when it goes, but the best way is to cover the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, washing hands appropriately, and avoiding touching one’s eyes and nose are the most effective preventive strategies. Also exercise intends to help strengthen your immunity system to prevent infections and other diseases to arise.

<<<<<<< (Ewww)

Earth day only comes once a year, so why not enjoy it anyway.

Have a great Earth Day!!!

ENJOY

The Measles or also known as Rubeola is a very contagious (easily spread) illness caused by a virus. The infection is spread by contact with droplets from the nose, mouth, or throat of an infected person. Sneezing and coughing can put dirty droplets into the air. Those who have had an active measles infection or who have been vaccinated against the measles have immunity to the disease. Before widespread vaccination, measles was so common during childhood that most people became sick with the disease by age 20. The number of measles cases dropped over the last several decades to almost none in the U.S. and Canada. However, rates have started to rise again recently.

Some parents do not let their children get vaccinated because of unfounded fears that the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, can cause autism. Large studies of thousands of children have found no connection between this vaccine and autism. Not vaccinating children can lead to outbreaks of measles, mumps, and rubella all of which are possibly serious diseases of childhood.

Symptoms usually begin 8 -12 days after you are open to the virus. This is called the incubation period. Symptoms may include: Bloodshot eyes, Cough, Fever, Light sensitivity, Muscle pain, Rash, Itchy, Redness and irritation of the eyes, Runny nose, Sore throat, and tiny white spots inside the mouth. There is no specific treatment for the measles. Only medicines that can treat measles symptoms.  Some children may need vitamin A supplements. People who don’t get enough vitamin A are more likely to get infections, including measles.

Routine immunization is the way to go for preventing measles. People who are not vaccinated, or who have not received the full immunization are at high risk for catching the disease. Taking serum immune globulin 6 days after being exposed to the virus can reduce the risk of developing measles, or can make the disease less severe.

Aspirin helps to prevent heart attacks by preventing blood clots from forming, which can block blood flow to the heart and brain. Recent studies also show that it works to lower inflammation, which not only stops clot formation, but may protect unstable plaques in heart vessels from bursting. Unfortunately, however, limited blood clotting can be dangerous as well. People who take a regular aspirin appear to be at increased risk of internal bleeding, which in some cases can be life-threatening.

In a statement to the public, lead researcher Rao Seshasai said about aspirin: The beneficial effect of aspirin on preventing future cardiovascular disease events in people with established heart attacks or strokes is indisputable. We urge people with these conditions not to discontinue their medication unless advised to do so by their physicians for valid reasons.

For everyone else, it’s back to basics if you want to protect yourself from heart disease — eat a low-fat, low-sodium diet, and get enough exercise to get your heart pumping. And no, you can’t get that in a pill.

The 20% or so of people who do not have an optimism bias are clinically depressed. In fact, when things go really bad, people become more optimistic, not less, because that’s when we need it most. Optimism is better for your mental health. It eases your mind and actually lowers your stress. It also benefits your physical health. Optimistic people are more likely to follow doctors’ orders, to take vitamins, to eat better and exercise. Also, optimism can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe in a positive outcome, you are more likely to act toward it. The downside to the optimism bias comes into play when people’s healthy perceptions lull them into denial, rather than thoughtful action.

People believe they have a lot of control over their lives sometimes even when things are truly beyond their control. They explain to themselves that there are things they can do to avoid negative consequences. Risks that are a matter of choice don’t seem to scare us as much. It’s a whole other emotional language. The bottom line, though, is that stress is really a bad thing. They are running around freaking people out about rare diseases when stress is way worse as a contributor to an army of chronic illnesses, including certain cancers.

Two things to keep in mind: you want to be aware of the risk and you want to be clear about the psychology behind the way you read and assess the risk. When you know both, you will be better equipped to take action. People should become aware of their biases and understand how the brain creates these illusions. There is nothing wrong with people having the belief that they’re going to be okay, as long as it doesn’t end there. Encourage the optimism, but also stress the need for action.

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another”.  ~William James

There is no single virus that causes the flu; there isn’t one flu vaccine that protects against all of them. A flu vaccine is designed to confer immunity against the strains of flu that are expected to be most common and most serious. For example the vaccine is kind of like a one-size-fits-all, even though there are more types of flu than covered by the vaccine and the flu types vary according to region. It takes time to produce vaccines, so a new vaccine can’t be instantly produced when a new type of flu starts to cause problems.

These virus parts correspond to parts of proteins floating around in your body. When the virus part contacts a chemical ‘match’, it stimulates the body to produce the cells and antibodies that can remove this particular intruder. Antibodies are proteins that float in body fluids and can bind to specific chemical markers. When an antibody binds to a substance, it essentially marks it for destruction by other cells. However, an antibody for one type of flu won’t necessarily bind to a virus part from another type of flu. A flu vaccine can only stimulate your immune system to protect you against the viruses in the vaccine, with some lesser protection against very similar ones.

You may not even get protection against the intended virus. Why? First, because viruses change over time. Second, the vaccine may not have given you enough stimulation to fight off the disease. Will your body win the fight when the real virus comes to call? Yes, if you have enough defenses built up. However, you will still get the flu if…..your body isn’t fast enough producing a response, get the vaccine and get exposed to the flu too soon (less than 2 weeks), too much time between vaccination and exposure (loses its effectiveness over time), you don’t produce enough of a response •overwhelmed by exposure to a high level of the virus, your body couldn’t recognize the initial virus piece (determined by genetics) , your body didn’t make enough antibodies/cells (common in older people or people with suppressed immune systems), the virus as changed beyond your body’s ability to recognize it , the part of the virus that was in the vaccine can’t be detected by the body in the intact virus.

Basically  the flu vaccine varies in effectiveness from year-to-year. Even in a best-case scenario, it won’t always protect against the flu. The CDC study didn’t say that the vaccine didn’t work; it says the vaccine didn’t protect people from getting sick. Even with imperfect effectiveness, the vaccine is indicated for certain people; However, the vaccine isn’t for everyone and certainly shouldn’t be required for otherwise healthy people.

The World Health Organization estimates that almost 20% of all strokes and over 50% of all heart attacks can be linked to high cholesterol. But if you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, don’t feel as bad because the good news is that high cholesterol is one risk factor for strokes and heart attacks that you can change. You just need to take action now, before your high cholesterol results in a more serious disease. When it comes to high cholesterol risks, it’s tough to keep the details straight. We might have an unclear idea of whether our cholesterol is good or bad, so it may be worth going over the basics.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance circulating in your blood. Some of your cholesterol comes from the food you eat. But the majority of it is actually made in your own body, precisely in the liver. Cholesterol does have some good uses though. It is needed to make some hormones and it is an important job to our cells. But too much of it in the bloodstream can lead to serious trouble. Cholesterol comes in several different systems, but doctors focus mostly on two: LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.

LDL:

· Low-density Lipoprotein also called “bad cholesterol”. LDL cholesterol can clog your arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Most people should aim for a level of less than 100 mg/dL. However, people who already have heart disease may need to aim for under 70 mg/dL.

· Getting your LDL cholesterol checked helps determine your risk for heart disease. If your LDL cholesterol is high, treatment can reduce your chance of having a heart attack.

· Your optimal LDL levels depend on your other heart disease risk factors. Optimal levels for one person don’t necessary mean optimal level for a different person. It’s necessary to consult your doctor to determine the optimal LDL level for you.

HDL:

· High-density Lipoprotein is also known as “good cholesterol”. This type of cholesterol attaches to bad cholesterol and brings it to the liver, where it’s filtered out of the body. So HDL cholesterol reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in your system. You should aim for 60 mg/dL or higher.

· HDL particles are able to remove cholesterol from within artery atheroma and transport it back to the liver for excretion or re-utilization, which is the main reason why the cholesterol carried within HDL particles is sometimes called “good cholesterol”.

Remember folks ” Control it, Don’t ignore it”

]]> http://www.doctorsatyourhome.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=248 http://www.doctorsatyourhome.com/blog/?p=242 http://www.doctorsatyourhome.com/blog/?p=242#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:22:16 +0000 admin http://www.doctorsatyourhome.com/blog/?p=242 Recent studies show that depressed women have a higher risk for having a stroke. Studies also found that women who used certain antidepressants were at higher risk for strokes also. Why you ask? ,well the researchers found that women with a history of depression had a related 29% increased risk of stroke. Women, who used antidepressants, had a related 39% increased risk of stroke.

Some of you may be asking yourselves is it the depression or the antidepressants that increases the risk? “I don’t think the medications themselves are the primary cause of the risk,” says senior author Dr. Kathryn Rexrode. “This study does not suggest that people should stop their medications to reduce the risk of stroke.”

Symptoms of depression can harm people from staying healthy, taking medications or living a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating right and exercising. Studies also show depressed women were more likely to be less active, gain more weight, and have medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, which all contribute to increased stroke risk. Antidepressants use is related to higher rates of inflammation, high blood pressure, and weight gain, also factors that increase stroke risk.

But these studies were limited to white registered nurses so this which may limit the findings in other women. These risks such as depression, diabetes, healthy weight and diet, healthy cholesterol, high blood pressure are all consistent. Patients and doctors need to understand the relationship of these risks of a stroke and depression and treat them together. Further studies are being planned to examine how depression and stroke are associated.

Soy protein, a fixture of Asian diets, has been considered a possible alternative to hormone therapy for years, ever since researchers detected that women in Asia tend to have lower rates of bone loss and osteoporosis than their neighbors in America. However, clinical trials of soy in menopausal women have had mixed results. Likewise, the soy supplements did nothing to ward off hot flashes. In fact, 48% of the women who took soy experienced hot flashes, compared with just 31% percent of those in the sample group. Roughly one-third of the women in the soy group also reported constipation as a side effect, versus 21% in the sample group.

There were few serious effects in either group, but women taking soy showed no improvement regarding night sweats, insomnia, and loss of libido or vaginal dryness, compared with the placebo group. So for those women using soy products to reduce menopausal symptoms should really reconsider.

So if soy isn’t useful, what options are women left with? To prevent bone loss, women should stick with the basics. That means getting enough calcium and vitamin D, exercising regularly, and, in some cases, taking bone-strengthening drugs such as bisphosphonates. Urine tests showed that the women in the soy group had ate nearly 20 times as much soy as those taking the sample group, but researchers found no noteworthy differences in bone density.

]]> http://www.doctorsatyourhome.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=232 http://www.doctorsatyourhome.com/blog/?p=222 http://www.doctorsatyourhome.com/blog/?p=222#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:53:07 +0000 admin http://www.doctorsatyourhome.com/blog/?p=222 Americans are increasingly sleep deprived and the sleepiest people are… you guessed it WOMEN. Studies show that women genuinly give up more sleep to take care of others, about two and half times more likely than men to take a night shift for caregiving. And when they get up, they stay up longer than men-an average 0f 44 minutes versus 30 minutes.

Professor Francesco Cappuccio from the University of Warwick’s Warwick Medical School led the research he declared that women sleeping less than 5 hours a night should try to get more sleep because,  “Sustained sleep curtailment, ensuing excessive daytime sleepiness, and the higher cardiovascular risk are causes for concern.”

There’s no question that more men suffer from hypertension than do women.  And there are far more men that have heart disease than women.  But remember, there are lots of variables to consider when assessing risk for heart disease.  Sleep is only one of them.  And for women, sleep plays a more significant role than other risk factors.

 Here are some of the Sleep Deprived Women of America

• Divorced and Separated Women
  Women who are divorced or separated were 9-points more likely than single women, and 6-points more likely than married women to say they get, at most, 5 hours of sleep a night.

• Non-Professional Women
  Women who do not work outside the home were 8 points more likely than all other women to get less sleep than they need. Meanwhile, female business professionals aren’t tossing and turning – they’re among the most likely to get a good night’s sleep.

• Northeast and West Coast Women
  Women living in the populous Northeast and West Coast have the more trouble sleeping than people in other regions.
   

• Minorities
  Hispanic women were 5-points more likely than African American women and 14-points more likely than White women to report not getting enough sleep (27%-22%-13%, respectively).

Getting a good night’s sleep, of course, is easier said than done. You have to tune out a host of temptations, from Letterman to the PTA to your e-mail inbox — and most of all, to ignore the workaholic wisdom that says you’re lazy for not living up to the example set by Madonna, Martha Stewart and other notorious self-professed never-sleepers. Of course, the truth is the opposite: You’ll be much more likely to be a professional powerhouse if you’re not asleep at the wheel.

Take a stand and ask for help with the nighttime duties, ladies!!