The Medical Health Plus

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Snoring is often a symptom of this serious condition. Sleep apnea is a life-threatening condition, it is most common among overweight men.

In sleep apnea, the airway becomes blocked or breathing muscles stop moving. Breathing stops or becomes shallower hundreds of times each night. People with sleep apnea are often less aware of their fatigue and sleepiness than are people with other types of sleep disturbances. Sleep experts say that doctors should be more vigilant in diagnosing apnea because it contributes not only to daytime sleepiness, but also to traffic accidents, cognitive difficulties, and heart problems.

During apnea events, there is a drop in blood oxygen levels, an increase in heart rate, a burst of stress hormones, and disrupted sleep when the body awakens slightly so that breathing will resume, sometimes with a gasp.

There are 2 major types of Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is the most common type and is due to an obstruction in the throat during sleep. Bed partners notice pauses approx. 10 to 60 seconds between loud snores. The narrowing of the upper airway can be a result of several factors including inherent physical characteristics, excess weight, and alcohol consumption before sleep.

Central Sleep Apnea is caused by a delay in the signal form the brain to breath . With both obstructive and central apnea you must wake up briefly to breathe, sometimes hundreds of times during the night. Usually there is no memory of these brief awakenings.

Causes Of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway is obstructed or collapses for a number of reasons. Excessive weight and too much tissue in the upper airway are major causes. Loss of muscle tone due to aging, or during the muscle relaxation found in dream sleep, may contribute. Additionally, apnea may sometimes occur because the brain forgets to stimulate breathing.

Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea

•    Loud Snoring
•    Waking up unrefreshed and having trouble staying awake during the day
•    Waking up with headaches
•    Waking up during the night with the sensation of choking
•    Waking up sweating
•    Frequent trips to the bathroom during the night
•    Insomnia – problem staying asleep
•    Being overweight but not necessary
•    Waking and gasping for air
•
Effects of Sleep Apnea?

Because of the serious disturbances in their normal sleep patterns, people with sleep apnea often feel very sleepy during the day and their concentration and daytime performance suffer. The consequences of sleep apnea range from annoying to life-threatening. They include symptoms suggesting depression, irritability, sexual dysfunction, learning and memory difficulties, and falling asleep while at work, on the phone, or driving. Untreated sleep apnea patients are 3 times (or more) likely to have automobile accidents; CPAP treatment reverses the increased risk. It has been estimated that up to 50 percent of sleep apnea patients have high blood pressure. It has recently been shown that sleep apnea contributes to high blood pressure. Risk for heart attack and stroke may also increase in those with sleep apnea.

Untreated sleep apnea can:

•    Increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes
•    Increase the risk for or worsen heart failure
•    Make irregular heartbeats more likely
•    Increase the chance of having work-related or driving accidents

It is a potentially life-threatening condition that may require immediate medical attention. The risks of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea include heart attacks, strokes, impotence, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and heart disease. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness that can result in accidents, lost productivity and interpersonal relationship problems.  The severity of the symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe.

Ethnic Skin: Is It Any Different?

Myth: Those with darker skin needn’t be concerned about skin cancer.

Fact: This misconception can be the kiss of death — literally. While ethnic skin provides some built-in “sun block” against the rays that can kill, its natural protection (approximating SPF 10) isn’t enough to promise immunity.

Myth: Darker skin is more oily than lighter skin tones.

Fact: This issue is less black and white than once thought. While oil might be more visible on darker skin, ethnic skin spans the whole spectrum of skin types — oily, normal, dry and combination — just like light skin.

It’s true that skin is more alike across ethnicities than many people know. Still, dermatologists are trained to treat people differently based on skin color — and those with ethnic skin should likewise take care to treat their own skin in a special way.

Brown and white skin are pretty similar under the surface. But the same brown pigment, called melanin, that offers darker skin some protection from the sun — and can keep people looking younger — can, on the other hand, leave disfiguring marks behind from even an ordinary bout of acne.

“Dark skin is a blessing as it relates to sun damage and aging,” says Susan C. Taylor, M.D., director of the Skin of Color Center in New York and author of Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor’s Prescription for Flawless Skin, Hair and Nails (HarperCollins, 2003).

“A 50-year-old woman of color often looks 40, while a white woman of the same age might look 10 years older than her real age.” But, the dermatologist continues, “skin of color can cause significant problems, as well.”

When Pretty Skin Becomes Problem Skin
Without proper care, melanin can permanently mar the skin’s thin protective blanket. Among the melanin-blamed skin problems in darker-skinned persons with African, Hispanic, Middle Eastern or Asian ancestry:

• Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Skin damage as minor as a scratch or a pimple triggers excess melanin production and results in dark patches. Without prompt attention, the marks can last for months and even years before they fade.
• Postinflammatory hypopigmentation. Burns or other skin trauma leaves lighter areas as unwelcome reminders.
• Keloids. Injuries leave behind large, raised scars.

Still, skin of color is anything but doomed to disfigurement. An ounce of prevention, by gentle treatment and consistent sunscreen use, can go far to keep ethnic skin healthy and beautiful.

Sources: http://health.discovery.com/centers/healthbeauty/ethnicskin/ethnic.html

Migraine Frequency could increase your risk for a stroke or heart attack

Migraine Frequency could increase your risk for a stroke or heart attack. Painful headaches that make you see bright lights could increase your risk of heart disease, especially in women.
Women who experience the sensation known as an aura before a migraine headache at least once a week seem to be four times more likely to have a stroke.

Those suffering the headaches once a month showed double the risk of a heart attack.
Women who had migraine with aura at least once a week were four times more likely to have a stroke as women who do not have migraines, while women who had migraines with aura less than once a month were twice as likely to have a heart attack and almost twice as likely to have had heart procedures such as bypass surgery.

Researchers suspect that over years of repeated migraines, the inflammation from Substance P and CGRP may weaken blood vessels, not only in the head but throughout the body. This damage may raise the risk of stroke or heart attack. During a stroke, the vessels that supply the brain rupture or become blocked; during a heart attack the same thing happens to the vessels around the heart.

A new approach to treating heart attacks seems promising.
Research suggest that angioplasty within six hours after taking clot-busting drugs can reduce further risks.
Patients who received the procedure to open blocked arteries within that time reported fewer second heart attacks and reduced chest pain compared to those who had the procedure only after drugs were unsuccessful. The study showed a 36-percent reduction in life-threatening complications.

Jackson had history of health problems

Michael Jackson, 50, is allegedly suffering from a potentially fatal lung disease. He has a medical condition called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a uncommon genetic illness, an unconfirmed report said, adding that he may have to undergo a lung transplant. He can barely speak and is almost blind on his left eye, and if we think about it we do not hear about him much these days, not like before.

michael jackson”He’s had it for years but it’s gotten worse,” Ian Halperin, author of a book on Jackson, told In Touch magazine. “He needs a lung transplant but may be too weak to go through with it… (But) it’s the (gastrointestinal) bleeding that is the most problematic part. It could kill him.” His brother Jermaine Jackson told TV channel FOX News: “He is not well.” There must be something wrong for a man to actually change his skin colour and appearance, he went form black to white and he also changed the look of his face completely. I feel sorry for him, he must not be happy at all.
Pop icon Michael Jackson, 50, who died Thursday afternoon after being rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in cardiac arrest, had a long history of confirmed health problems, in addition to rumored conditions.

In 1984, Jackson was burnt while singing for a Pepsi-Cola commercial in Los Angeles, when the special effects smoke bomb misfired. He had to have major surgery on his scalp, and said that because of the intense pain he developed an addiction to painkillers.

He also was reported to have a form of lupus in the 1980s, but it was later said to have gone into remission.

The 50-year-old has had numerous plastic surgeries, including rhinoplasty and a chin implant.

In 1993, Jackson’s dermatologist, Arnold Klein, released a statement saying that Jackson had a rare skin disease called vitiligo, which causes a person to lose melanin, the pigment that determines the colour of skin, hair and eyes, in patches or all over the body.

The condition affects 1 per cent to 2 per cent of the population, and no one knows what causes it.

Jackson was also hospitalized with chest pain in 1990 and postponed a concert because of dehydration in August 1993. A concert tour was cut short in November 1993 because of an addiction to prescription painkillers amid allegations of child molestation.

Know your Cholesterol Level

Cholesterol has a variety of uses in the body that are very important; it is a waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs to function normally. It’s used in the cell membranes that surround cells throughout your body. You also use cholesterol to make important chemicals, including hormones, vitamin D and the acids that help you digest fat. Cholesterol is substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body’s cells.

Cholesterol is an important part of a healthy body because it’s used to form cell membranes, some hormones and is needed for other functions. But a high level of cholesterol in the blood — hypercholesterolemia — is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack. Cholesterol and other fats can’t dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers called lipoproteins.

The cholesterol in a person’s blood originates from two major sources; dietary intake and liver production.

Dietary cholesterol comes mainly from meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. Organ meats, such as liver, are especially high in cholesterol content, while foods of plant origin contain no cholesterol. After a meal, cholesterol is absorbed by the intestines into the blood circulation and is then packaged inside a protein coat. This cholesterol-protein coat complex is called a chylomicron.

The liver is capable of removing cholesterol from the blood circulation as well as manufacturing cholesterol and secreting cholesterol into the blood circulation. After a meal, the liver removes chylomicrons from the blood circulation. In between meals, the liver manufactures and secretes cholesterol back into the blood circulation.

There are several kinds, but the ones to focus on are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

What is LDL cholesterol?

Low-density lipoprotein is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. If too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain. Together with other substances it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. A clot (thrombus) that forms near this plaque can block the blood flow to part of the heart muscle and cause a heart attack. If a clot blocks the blood flow to part of the brain, a stroke results. A high level of LDL cholesterol (160 mg/dL and above) reflects an increased risk of heart disease. If you have heart disease, your LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL and your doctor may even set your goal to be less than 70 mg/dL. That’s why LDL cholesterol is called “bad” cholesterol. Lower levels of LDL cholesterol reflect a lower risk of heart disease.

What is HDL cholesterol?

About one-third to one-fourth of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL. Medical experts think HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body. Some experts believe HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaques and thus slows their growth. HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol because a high HDL level seems to protect against heart attack. The opposite is also true: a low HDL level (less than 40 mg/dL in men; less than 50 mg/dL in women) indicates a greater risk. A low HDL cholesterol level also may raise stroke risk.

Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood throughout the body, resulting in the highest blood pressure as the heart contracts (the systolic pressure) and the lowest pressure when the heart relaxes (the diastolic pressure).

With high blood pressure, the arteries may have an increased resistance against the flow of blood, causing the heart to pump harder to circulate the blood, “Having high blood pressure directly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Why You Should Check

Keeping an eye on blood sugar levels has many benefits. For example, testing your blood sugar levels before and after meals helps you see how eating certain foods affects those levels. Knowing this can help you adjust your food choices.

Exercise also can make your blood sugar levels fluctuate, so test them regularly when you’re active. This way you can tell whether your dose of diabetes medicine should be adjusted as you step up your physical activity.

And because being sick can mess up how much diabetes medicine your body needs, know your blood sugar levels when you’re feeling ill. This can help you and your doctor to decide if you should use less or more medicine, depending on your diabetes management plan.

To keep your cholesterol under control:

· schedule a screening

· eat foods low in cholesterol and saturated fat and free of trans fat

· maintain a healthy weight

· be physically active

· follow your health care professional’s advice

Know your cholesterol level to screen for risk of developing heart disease. Adults should be tested once every five years or more frequently if being treated for high cholesterol or have one or more risk factors for heart disease. Children and adolescents with risk factors should also have their cholesterol level checked.

Have your cholesterol checked regularly starting at age 35. If you are younger than 35, talk to your doctor about whether to have your cholesterol checked if:

· You have diabetes.

· You have high blood pressure.

· Heart disease runs in your family.

· You smoke.

Healthy Walking at Any Age

Walking is a lifetime exercise “walks and be healthy and physically fit”. Walking is a good exercise for people of any age, fitness level, body build, energy level, etc. Walking reduces the risk of many diseases and helps to control existing conditions. Walking can improve thinking ability in older adults and the ability to engage in activities needed for daily living. Walking helps improve cardio respiratory conditioning, muscular fitness, bone health and contributes to a favorable body composition for children and adolescents.

Walking is the safest start towards exercise routine. Particularly for obese people walking is the most recommended start. To start with always stick to a comfortable speed in which you do not gasp for breath. One should never start to jog immediately take time and seek appropriate medical advice before jogging.

Walking on hills is good. The uphill provides cardiovascular benefits and the downhill is known for reducing the blood sugar levels. Walking on hills may not be possible for all of us due to the location constraints. This can be achieved by using some specifically made Treadmills which allow simulating the required inclination.

Spending a little time each day in some type of physical activity has the benefits of:

· Longer, healthier life

· Stronger bones

· Reduced joint and muscle pain

· Improved mobility and balance

· Lower risk of falls and serious injuries like hip fractures

· Slower loss of muscle mass

Walking is one of the best ways for people of any age to become and stay fit. Participating in a Walking Program can make major strides toward preventing diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Walking can be very beneficial for any age. Walking strengthens your muscles, gives you stamina, increases your endorphins so that you feel good, and is a wonderful way to meet new neighbors.

You should seek medical advice before starting any fitness program if any of the following apply to you:

· You have led a sedentary lifestyle for a year or more

· You do not currently do any type of exercise and are age 65 or older.

· You have had any heart related diagnosis

· You have high blood pressure

· You have diabetes

· You have ever felt chest pain, especially when exerting yourself

· You have felt faint, or dizzy

· You have any medical conditions for which you seek medical attention or take medications for.

To derive the most benefits of walking, it is recommended to walk as briskly as you can. When you walk briskly, your heart will work harder than when strolling or at rest, however without beating uncomfortably fast, and your breath will also be deeper, but with conversation being possible. However, if you have not exercised in a long while, it is best to begin slowly, building up your ability to walk briskly gradually.

Walking Benefits includes:

• Increasing Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Fitness: Walking increases the capacity of the lungs and heart to supply oxygenated blood to the muscles as well as enhances the ability of the muscles to use the oxygen to create energy for physical activity. This also helps to reduce high blood pressure.
• Increases Bone Density: Since it is a weight bearing exercise, walking helps to increase the strength and density of bones, especially of the lower back and hips. This prevents osteoporosis, and also reduces the chances of suffering from hip fractures, as one grows older.
• Weight Control: Body weight can be kept in control when one expends calories via physical exercise like walking. The best way to keep one’s weight in check is to maximize the amount of calories expended along with eating healthy and nutritious food.
• Burn Fat: Another way walking helps to keep weight under control is by burning fat. Those who are obese and lead a sedentary lifestyle can increase their fitness levels by taking up walking, since this the best form of exercise to start with. Walking helps in working out at a steady pace for an extended period of time, which is the most effective way to burn fat.
• Reduces Depression: Research has proven that walking improves one’s sense of self worth and mood, and reduces the symptoms of anxiety and depression. When done in pleasant environs along with friends, it can be a way of being in contact socially and be a therapeutic form of relaxation. This also helps in sleeping better, which also helps in keeping the mood on even keel.
• Keeps your Brain Young: Apart from a healthy body, walking can also keep your brain functioning at its optimum best, reducing the chances of aging related mental deterioration. It enables this by reducing the chances of diseases like stroke, heart disease, and diabetes, which can affect the flow of blood to the brain, and also because it increases the flow of blood to the brain while reducing the blood pressure. Also, walking with friends and enjoying nature’s soothing effects also help to keep the brain stimulated and young.

How to Walk

To get the heart and the health benefits from walking experts recommended people should walk at least 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week.

When walking one should be able to maintain a conversation as you walk. Increase your pace if you are breathing too easily. Slow down your pace if you are out of breath.

Tips to get people walking and keep people walking includes

* Walk during your breaks or after lunch.

* Walking up stairs or hills is a great way to strengthen the heart.

* Take a brisk walk after dinner.

* Walk in place while you are watching television.

* Take a friend along.

* Get the family involved.

Asthma and Allergies

Allergies and asthma are separate conditions, but they are related. People who have allergies particularly those that affect the nose and eyes are more likely to have asthma. Not everyone who has allergies has asthma, and not all cases of asthma are related to allergies.

Allergic asthma is a type of asthma that is triggered by an allergy. Many people with asthma have allergies that make their asthma worse. If you have asthma, it’s important to know what you’re allergic to, try to get rid of or stay away from the things you’re allergic to, then take allergy medicines and know what to do if your asthma is getting worse.

Allergy basics

An allergy is an abnormal reaction by your body to things that you body is sensitized to. The thing that gives you allergies is called an allergen.

With any kind of allergy, the immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances such as pollen or dust mites. As part of this overreaction, the body produces an antibody of the immunoglobulin E (IgE) type, which specifically recognizes and attaches to the allergen when the body is exposed to it.

When that happens, it sets a process in motion those results in the release of certain substances in the body. One of them is histamine, which causes allergic symptoms that can affect the eyes, nose, throat, skin, gastrointestinal tract, or lungs. When the airways in the lungs are affected, symptoms of asthma can occur.

Allergy symptoms

Allergies can cause many different symptoms. You may have one or many of these symptoms:

• Itchy, watery eyes
• Itchy, runny nose
• Itchy skin
• Eczema – rough red skin
• Hives – swollen mounds on your skin
• Dark circles under and around the eyes
• A headache that keeps coming back
• Shortness of breath
• Wheeze
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramps

Understanding Asthma

Asthma, a hypersensitivity of the bronchial tubes that carry air throughout the lungs, is a major public health problem.

For many people with asthma, their asthma symptoms are triggered by an allergy to airborne substances such as pollen, dust mites or pet dander. In some people, skin or food allergies can cause asthma symptoms.

Asthma is a long-term condition in which over-sensitive airways become narrow and inflamed, making it difficult to breathe in and out normally. Its cause isn’t completely understood, but asthma is one of a group of allergic conditions, including eczema and hay fever, which often occur together.

The airways in a person with asthma are very sensitive and react to a variety of external factors, or “triggers.” These triggers cause the airways to tighten and become inflamed and blocked with mucus, resulting in difficulty breathing. An acute asthma attack can begin immediately after exposure to a trigger or several hours or days later.

There are many kinds of triggers, and responses to them vary from person to person. A trigger may be harmless to some asthmatics but contribute to an inflammatory response in others, and an individual’s reaction to any trigger may vary from one exposure to the next. Some people are affected by numerous triggers; others may not be able to identify any. Recognizing and avoiding triggers, when possible, is an important way to control asthma.

Common asthma triggers include:

• Infections: colds, viruses, sinus infections, the flu
• Outdoor allergens: pollens (trees, grasses, ragweed and weeds); mold spores
• Indoor allergens: molds, animal dander, dust mites, cockroaches
• Food allergies (not a common trigger, but can cause asthma symptoms, usually in children under age 5)
• Exercise
• Cigarette smoke
• Wood smoke
• Strong odors from perfumes, cleaning agents, etc.
• Air pollution
• Weather: cold air or changes in temperature and humidity
• Strong emotions such as anxiety, or episodes of crying, yelling, or laughing hard
• Certain medications

How does an allergic reaction cause asthma symptoms?

Anybody can get allergies, even people who do not have asthma. But people with asthma and allergies will have a reaction in their airways in addition to the usual allergy symptoms (itchy, watery eyes etc.)

An allergic response affects the lining of the nose and the lining of the airways in a similar way. Symptoms occur when antibodies in your blood are exposed to an allergy-causing substance (allergen). These antibodies can trigger allergy symptoms such as nasal congestion, scratchy eyes or a skin reaction — and for many, inflammation of the airways associated with asthma.

If you have both allergies and asthma, the same substances that trigger your allergy symptoms can also inflame your airways, leading to asthma symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness.

Treatment for allergies

Control your asthma and allergies instead of them controlling you

The best way to treat allergies is to prevent them – stay away from the things that you are allergic to. No treatment will work as well as simply avoiding the allergen in the first place.

If you can’t avoid an allergen, you’ll need treatment:

• Keep taking your asthma preventer medicine, and maybe increase it – follow your doctor’s directions and your asthma action plan. Your regular asthma preventer medicine, usually including a corticosteroid inhaler, reduces the swelling and redness in your airways. Take your preventer regularly to keep your airways healthy and less vulnerable to allergens.

• Nasal allergy treatment: Corticosteroid sprays for your nose, antihistamines, decongestants

• Allergy shots (immunotherapy) : a less common therapy that involves taking many injections of tiny amounts of the allergens (things) you’re allergic to.

Common allergens and how to avoid them

Understanding Depression

The first step towards overcoming depression is understanding it. What it is, how it works, and what it does to us. Feeling down from time to time is a normal part of life. But when emptiness and despair take hold and won’t go away, it may be depression.

An important part of understanding depression is getting a sense of what it is where it comes from and how it affects people. To many people, depression is a confusing and intense mental illness that, until it is personally experienced, is somewhat of a mystery. Compounding the barriers to understanding depression are a variety of myths about what depression is, or isn’t. Another question raised is why some people seem more susceptible to depression and others struggle with it for many years.

Anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status, can suffer from depression. A disease that affects millions of Americans each year, believed to be caused by an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters.

When a brain is functioning properly, it controls many parts of your body, such as movement and emotions. The brain contains huge numbers of nerve cells known as neurons and these neurons transmit messages through brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are responsible for regulating many activities such as sleep, eating and mood. When neurotransmitters are not working properly, communication is essentially altered and depression can result.

More than just the temporary “blues,” the lows of depression make it tough to function and enjoy life like you once did. Hobbies and friends don’t interest you like they used to; you’re exhausted all the time; and just getting through the day can be overwhelming. If you’re depressed, the usual feelings of sadness that we all experience temporarily remain for weeks, months and years. They can be so intense that daily life is affected. You can’t work normally, you don’t want to be with your family and friends, and you stop enjoying the things you usually do.

When you’re depressed, things may feel hopeless, but with help and support you can get better. The good news is that with the right treatment and support, most depressed people make a full recovery. It’s important to seek help from your GP if you think you may be depressed.

What causes depression?

The causes of depression are not always clear. Depression is an extremely complex disease. It occurs for a variety of reasons. Some people experience depression during a serious medical illness. Others may have depression with life changes such as a move or the death of a loved one. Still others have a family history of depression. Those who do may experience depression and feel overwhelmed with sadness and loneliness for no known reason.

As depression can have many causes which include:

· Psychological – this is where a stressful or upsetting life event causes a persistent low mood, low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness about the future.

· Physical or chemical – depression is caused by changes in levels of chemicals in the brain. For example, your mood can change as hormone levels go up and down. This is often seen in women as it is associated with the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth and the menopause.

· Social – doing fewer activities or having fewer interests can cause depression, or may happen because of depression.

· Genetics. A family history of depression may increase the risk. It’s thought that depression is passed genetically from one generation to the next. The exact way this happens, though, is not known

· Past physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can cause depression later in life.]

· Certain medications. For example, some drugs used to treat high blood pressure, such as beta-blockers or reserpine, can increase your risk of depression. Propranolol can occasionally cause depression.

· Ageing brain, as we age, our brain’s capacity reduces, while certain neurotransmitters (which influence mood state) can become perturbed.

What Are the Symptoms of Depression?

For major depression, you may experience five or more of the following for at least a two-week period:

· Persistent sadness, pessimism

· Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness or hopelessness

· Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including sex

· Difficulty concentrating and complaints of poor memory

· Worsening of co-existing chronic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes

· Insomnia or oversleeping

· Weight gain or loss

· Fatigue, lack of energy

· Anxiety, agitation, irritability

· Thoughts of suicide or death

· Slow speech; slow movements

· Headache, stomachache, and digestive problems

In children and adolescents, symptoms of depression may include:

· Insomnia, fatigue, headache, stomachache, dizziness

· Apathy, social withdrawal, weight loss

· Drug abuse or alcohol abuse, a drop in school performance, difficulty concentrating

· Isolation from family and friends are less intense and fewer in number, but long-lasting.

· For dysthymia (minor, but long-term depression), symptoms

Depression and suicide

Depression is a major risk factor for suicide. The deep despair and hopelessness that goes along with depression can make suicide feel like the only way to escape the pain.

Warning signs of suicide with depression include:

* A sudden switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy

* Always talking or thinking about death

* Clinical depression (deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating) that gets worse

* having a “death wish,” tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death, like driving through red lights

* losing interest in things one used to care about

* making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless

* putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will

* saying things like “It would be better if I wasn’t here” or “I want out”

* talking about suicide (killing one’s self)

* Visiting or calling people one cares about

Ear infections in children (Otitis media)

Otitis (o-TI-tis) media is an infection (in-FECK-shun) of the middle ear (the space behind the eardrum). Children are most likely to get ear infections when they are between three months to three years old. Ear infections are most common during cold and flu season, usually in the winter and early spring months.

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is one of the three main bacterial causes of otitis media (OM), an infection or inflammation of the middle ear. OM is one of the most significant health problems for children. It is estimated that 83% of all children will experience at least one ear infection prior to 3 years of age

Otitis Media is the most frequent diagnosis recorded for children who visit physicians for illness. Two out of three children under the age of 3 experience at least one episode of acute otitis media. An inner ear infection is the most common cause of hearing loss in children.

Children with ear infections have a build-up of fluid and pressure in the middle ear. The middle ear may become infected by germs, which grow easily in the fluid trapped behind the eardrum.

Children are prone to ear infections because they have trouble draining the substances present in their ear. The substances may promote the growth of bacteria. Because children have trouble draining their ears it is important that if you bottle-feed your child to sit them in an upright position during feeding. This prevents fluid from accumulating around the ear area. Never allow your child to fall asleep with the bottle. Not only does this promote ear infections, but also responsible for nursing bottle decay. This causes your child’s teeth to rot. Breastfed infants do not have to be fed upright.

If you are currently breastfeeding, you are already providing great protection for child against ear infections. Breastfed infants are less like to obtain ear infections.

Your breastfed child will not only have fewer ear infections, but protection against other infections. Breastfeeding provides protection against diarrhea, gastrointestinal and respiratory infections; in fact, infections of every kind.

Ear infection is most often cause by bacteria, although is some cases, it is viral. Breastfeeding has been shown to prevent otitis media in children. Some researchers suggest this is because when a mother breastfeeds her child, she passes immunities to her baby that help prevent otitis media.

What is a middle ear infection?

The middle ear is the small part of your ear just inside your eardrum. It can get infected when germs from the nose and throat are trapped there.

Acute otitis media is the presence of fluid, typically pus, in the middle ear with symptoms of pain, redness of the eardrum, and possible fever. Other forms of otitis media are either more chronic (fluid is in the middle ear for 6 or more weeks) or the fluid in the middle ear is temporary and not necessarily infected (called otitis media with effusion).

Doctors try to distinguish between the different forms of otitis because this affects treatment options. Not all forms of otitis need to be treated with antibiotics.

Middle ear infections account for up to 30 percent of pediatric office visits in America, and are second in prevalence only to the common cold. A child’s risk of getting ear infections decreases with age, as the structures of the ears enlarge and the immune system becomes stronger.

Causes of Ear infections

Ear infections are more likely associated with bacteria than viruses. In addition, there are several conditions that can cause the nasal passages to become inflamed, which leads to ear infections. These conditions include allergies, upper respiratory infections such as colds or influenza viruses.

An ear infection results when fluid and bacteria build up in the area around your baby’s eardrum. Normally any fluid that enters this area leaves pretty quickly through the Eustachian tube (which connects the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat) when your baby yawns or swallows. But if the Eustachian tube is blocked — common during colds, sinus infections, even allergy season — it traps the fluid in the middle ear. Bacteria like to grow in dark, warm, wet places, so a fluid-filled ear becomes the perfect breeding ground. As the infection worsens, so does the swelling in and around the eardrum, and, as a result, the pain. Fever develops as your baby’s body attempts to fight the infection.

Pacifier use may increase the risk of middle ear infections in babies and young children. In one study, the incidence of ear infections was 33 percent lower in babies who didn’t use pacifiers.

Babies are particularly susceptible to ear infections because their Eustachian tubes are short (about 1/2 inch) and horizontal. As they grow to adulthood, the tube triples in length to 1 1/2 inches and become more vertical, so fluid can drain more easily. Ear infections are one of the most common childhood illnesses. Although there are no statistics on how many babies get them, the American Academy of Pediatrics expects that most children will have gotten at least one ear infection by the time they turn 3.

How can I tell if my baby has an ear infection?

The easiest way to tell if your baby has an ear infection or any other illness is a change in his mood. If he turns fussy, or starts crying more than usual, you should be on the lookout for a problem. If he develops a fever (whether slight or high) you have another big clue. Ear infections tend to strike after a common cold or sinus infection, so keep that in mind too.

You may also notice that your child may be struggling to hear you. If they are old enough, they must complain to you about the pain or ringing in their ears. All of these are indications that they have contracted an ear infection. You may also notice that a discharge may be accumulating his or her ear.

Signs and Symptoms of Ear infections

Otitis media with effusion often has no symptoms. In some kids, the fluid that’s in the middle ear may create a sensation of ear fullness or “popping.” As with acute otitis media, the fluid behind the eardrum can block sound, so mild temporary hearing loss can happen, but might not be obvious.

The signs and symptoms of acute otitis media may range from very mild to severe:

* The fluid in the middle ear may push on the eardrum, causing ear pain. An older child may complain of an earache, but a younger child may tug at the ear or simply act irritable and cry more than usual.

* Lying down, chewing, and sucking can also cause painful pressure changes in the middle ear, so a child may eat less than normal or have trouble sleeping.

* If the pressure from the fluid buildup is high enough, it can cause the eardrum to rupture, resulting in drainage of fluid from the ear. This releases the pressure behind the eardrum, usually bringing relief from the pain.

Fluid buildup in the middle ear also blocks sound, which can lead to temporary hearing difficulties. A child may:

* Not respond to soft sounds

* turn up the television or radio

* talk louder

* appear to be inattentive at school

Other symptoms of acute otitis media can include:

* Fever

* Nausea

* Vomiting

* Dizziness

How to prevent ear infections in children

· Breast-feed your baby for at least four months. Your baby may be less likely to get an ear infection if he is breast fed.

· Do not give your child a bottle while he is lying down. This may cause liquid to leak into your child’s eustachian (u-STAY-shun) tube.

· Keep your child away from people who smoke. Children who breathe secondhand smoke are far more likely to develop ear infections.

· Keep your child away from crowds. Germs are easily and quickly spread in daycare centers. Keep your child away from sick playmates. Try to keep him home if there is a cold or other infection going around the daycare.

· Wash your and your child’s hands often. Washing with warm water and soap will help keep germs from spreading through your household.

Burn Your Excess Fat

Obesity is termed as the excess accumulation of fats on the body. This can be a danger to both your physical as well as your mental health. Diet and exercise are 2 definite ways to reduce ones weight.

.Eating foods that are high in calories and eating way more than your body demands are factors that lead to obesity. Lack of exercise also helps to gain unnecessary fats. Obesity leads to heart related disorders, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In addition it also leads to humiliation and self consciousness.

Carrying excess fat is unhealthy. The only effective way to lose body fat is to increase energy expenditure by exercising more and/or decrease energy intake by eating less. A combination of the two in moderation is probably most effective, since dieting alone is often accompanied by an adaptive reduction in metabolic rate (resting energy expenditure).

Men store fat mainly around their bellies, while women collect it at their hips. Burning fat is the hard part. It’s a complex chemical process and happens all over the body, not just at the muscles you’re exercising. The trick is getting your body to dip into this stored energy supply, spurring the liver into converting the lard into a usable source of energy.

It is important for you to know, however, that no matter which routine of exercise you choose to follow, it will not really be effective for you unless you accompany it with a proper regimen of diet as well. In order to lose weight effectively, you will have to embark upon the two fold course of cutting down your diet and hiking up the exercise quotient of your program. This will not only show long term and permanent results, it will also be more effective in keeping weight off. Essentially, keeping the weight off should be your goal. Remember to cut back on carbohydrates, but not eliminate them, as they are the main providers of energy to function.

Ways to remove fat from diet

A raw food diet creates major improvements in health. A large part of cooked food can go into fat production, because heat and acid alter it making it unmetabolizable in other complex processes. By contrast, raw food should break down into components which can be directly metabolized in a variety of cells. The easiest way to reduce saturated fat is to choose reduced fat dairy foods, limit foods such as pastries, pies, pizza, biscuits and hot chips to once a week and trim all meat and poultry of visible fat before cooking.

Raw food digests marvelously well, so a person does not notice the acid, bile and residual effects of digestion that go with a cooked food diet. Adding a little bit of cooked food to a raw food diet doesn’t work well, because acid is then produced in the stomach, and it is bad for raw food. Acid and raw foods tend to create indigestion. Fruits and vegetables digest through different processes when raw. Eat fruit in the morning and vegetables later.

A problem however with raw foods is that they are the highest in pesticides. Organic raw foods may be necessary, unless a person is very clever in working around the worst pesticides. The effects are quite noticeable, which allows adjustments to be made.

The usual assumption is that the only supplement which is needed in theory is vitamin B12, because it is primarily found in meat. It originates with microbes, and very little is needed. Outside link on B12

If you are suffering from obesity, then on a daily basis you must start your day with a healthy breakfast. A glass of orange juice, a bowl of cereal with a fruit or dry fruits and a glass of milk will keep you satiated till lunch time. Avoid a mid day snack and then keep lunch simple. Do not eat any carbohydrates for at least 15 days in the month. A fruit at tea time will be a good option and at night you can have salad. Whole grains are good options when you are on a diet.

What exercise burns fat?

When you exercise to burn fat you need to have a certain amount of intensity. In other words, you’re not playing around and this is serious business. You know what the goal is and you are committed to reaching it. Whether it’s to lose weight, gain muscle or both you will do it.

Any exercise that gets your heart rate into your targeted heart range. If you want to lose weight, you need to exercise hard enough to increase your pulse rate enough to burn fat more efficiently. The exercises that get your heart rate into your targeted heart range will increase your metabolism and that’s what burns fat. So if you find the best exercise to burn fat you’ll lose weight. Keep your exercise routine exciting and vary it so you will keep interest in your workout routine.

If you exercise to burn fat then there’s no more hit and miss workout stuff. You need to be there every time no lame excuses for not getting to the gym. Contrary to popular belief you can’t just do what you want there is discipline involved, so you do it whether you feel like it or not. If I missed my workouts due to how I feel I might never get there.

Most people know that to burn fat the heart rate needs to be accelerated to the high end heart rate zone. You need to find your targeted heart rate zone; everyone is different depending on age and fitness level.

Many of you may be hesitant to start a weight training program, but the benefits far outweigh any reservation you may have. Weight training enhances your fat loss by increasing your muscle mass and more muscle means more calories burned (faster metabolism). It also it gives your skin a more tone, tight appearance, lowers your blood pressure, strengthens your bones, improves your agility, increases your flexibility strengthens your immune system and gives you more energy and a brighter outlook on life.

In theory, losing weight is as simple as eating less and/ or exercising more. The reality is about hitting the right balance of diet and exercise.