Categories
Featured News on Health & Science

Why Brain Surgeons Are Avoiding Cell Phones?

The use of a mobile phone is prohibited in some train company carriages

Image via Wikipedia

Last week, three prominent neurosurgeons told CNN interviewer Larry King that they did not hold cell phones next to their ears. Dr. Keith Black, Dr. Vini Khurana, and CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta all maintained that the practice could be unsafe.

click & see

Along with Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s recent diagnosis of a glioma, a type of tumor that critics have long associated with cell phone use, the doctors’ remarks have helped reignite the debate about cell phones and cancer.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, three large epidemiology studies since 2000 have shown no harmful effects. However, that the average period of phone use in those studies was about three years, which provides no information about the long-term exposures that could lead to cancer.

“What we’re seeing is suggestions in epidemiological studies that have looked at people using phones for 10 or more years,” says Louis Slesin, editor of Microwave News, an industry publication that tracks the research.
.
Sources:

* New York Times June 3, 2008

Zemanta Pixie
Categories
Featured Pediatric

Gurgling Tots Trained in Sign Language

[amazon_link asins=’078583527X,B076WSYTJL,1846430305,B01MTLU3DS,B076WTH613,B005IDX9UM,B075YDKKKX,B01NA7UQG8,B075HV8QC1′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’3dc4b3d0-1ee7-11e8-a96d-674b6fd3e1f8′]

Babies who have mastered gurgling, but can’t quite handle words yet can learn a baby version of sign language to tell mom and dad whether they want to eat, play or be lulled into sweet sleep.

click & see

“Przepraszam” (excuse me), “sprzatamy” (cleaning up) ou “kurczaczek” (chick), are practical words to know but impossible to pronounce for one-year-olds, even if they are Polish.

“Babies aren’t ready to speak. In order to utter words you need teeth,” Danuta Mikulska, 31, a linguist specializing in sign language said.

“Their muscles and vocal chords are insufficiently developed, but they are able to make hand gestures.”
At nine months, Mateusz has already mastered a few signs: suck, balloon and music, light. “He understands twenty-or-so more,” says his mum, Agnieszka Nec, 25.

When eight-month-old Adam wants something he spells it out with his hands. “It’s with gestures that he tells me he wants a song or to be rocked when he’s going to sleep,” says mom, Karolina Olszewska, a journalist.

Along with eight other babies and their mums, none of whom have hearing problems; Mateusz and Adam learn sign language at Warsaw‘s Klub Koko, created by three women, academics and artists: Danuta Mikulska, Magdalena Jakubowska and Joanna Kolodziejska. During a series of hour-long lessons, instructors create a world of play for babies and moms focused on songs, poems and exercises in which words are systematically reinforced by their equivalent hand signs.

According to Klub Koko, the method first created in the US in the 1980s reinforces contacts between mother and child, stimulates the intellectual and sensory-motor development of babies as well as their imagination, memory and concentration.

It reduces tears, tantrums and frustration in tots, who, try as they might, cannot get their message across verbally, instructors say. It also helps toddlers master the ability to speak, read, write and count more rapidly.

Sources: The Times Of India

Categories
Healthy Tips

Exercise Your Brain

[amazon_link asins=’1623154979,B003TU29WA,0761159258,B00B6HVOQU,1503280462,1505825288,B00IS8RSDI,B01ATP71GQ,B01A6B0ICC’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’f5d1812e-4480-11e7-af94-bfc2acce7f4f’][amazon_link asins=’1630223433,B00DT8MDJQ,0316113514,0761168931,1412714508,1680222929,1680223135,1615190066,B01JW842GS’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’d39ccad1-4480-11e7-bc48-711b77f0ebb2′]

 

We all know about the importance of proper nutrition and exercise to keep our muscles in good shape. But did you also know that giving the brain a workout is equally important?

CLICK & SEE

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Southern California have determined that computer-based mental training programs appear to improve cognitive performance in older people by as much as 10 years. Another study from Harvard found that taking beta-carotene long-term can improve cognitive function.

So what can you do to keep your brain as fit as the rest of you? Here are a few tips:

* Move your body. A recent study from Columbia University in New York City found that people who exercised regularly for three months increased the blood flow to the hippocampus part of the brain, which is responsible for memory. This also can lead to the production of new brain cells. Sandra Aamodt, editor-in-chief of Nature Neuroscience, a leading scientific journal on brain research, explains that increased blood flow to the brain can offset mini-strokes, which can cause cognitive decline.

* Eat your vegetables and fruits. Your mother was right all along! The Alzheimer’s Association recommends a diet high in dark-colored vegetables (e.g., kale, spinach, beets and eggplant); colorful fruits (e.g., berries, raisins, prunes, oranges and red grapes) and fish such as salmon or trout high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids to keep those neurons firing. James Joseph, director of the neuroscience lab at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, says, “We have found that the berry fruits improve neuronal communication.”

* Challenge your brain. Games such as crossword puzzles, word jumbles or even sudoku (a numbers puzzle originating in Japan) keep those mental wheels turning. In tests of experienced crossword puzzlers of all ages, those in their 60s and 70s did the best, according to a recent article in U.S. News & World Report.

* Be social. Get involved with your community or participate in your favorite hobby with others. Researchers at Harvard found that those with at least five social ties were less likely to suffer cognitive decline than those with no social ties. Researchers at George Washington University found that elderly people who joined a choir stepped up their other activities during a 12-month period, while those who were not involved with the choir dropped out of other social activities.

DOING PRANAYAMA & MEDITATION IS A VERY GOOD EXERCISE OF BRAIN

Sources:http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=1035

Categories
Featured Healthy Tips

Boosting Of Energy

[amazon_link asins=’1546332235,B01349U97M,B07178GG2N,B01CM9Q4L0,1497411564,B00FS3W6U6,B00C2QROVS,B0779NY6JB,B073BVGXNK’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’307ef738-e21f-11e7-82c7-d750f4e54ead’]

Benjamin Franklin once wrote that nothing in this world is certain but death and taxes. But surely fatigue should be added to that list. After all, who has not felt dog-tired, sometimes for long stretches, at one time or another?

Researchers say fatigue is one of the most common symptoms experienced by adults in the general population, whether you live in the United States or elsewhere. As one fatigue researcher notes, “Feeling tired is so common as to be considered normal.” Not surprisingly, fatigue is also one of the most frequent complaints in doctors’ offices around the globe.

Often fatigue is to be expected:
You’re recovering from the flu, or, like too many Americans, you haven’t been getting enough sleep lately. Maybe, like so many people, you’re simply trying to do too much, and the resulting stress — a major contributor to fatigue — is wearing you down. In these cases, regaining your energy may be as straightforward as getting some much-needed rest and taking time to relax — which your body and mind need to function at full capacity.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

You can fight fatigue with regular physical activity.

If you’re a baby boomer, your fatigue may be due to some of the physical changes that accompany aging, such as normal reductions in the amount of deep sleep or a decline in muscle mass. If you’re a menopausal woman, frequent hot flashes, which can disrupt the amount and quality of sleep, may also be contributing to your fatigue. While no one can turn back the clock, there are steps you can take to slow or even reverse some aspects of age-related fatigue.

But in some cases, fatigue is a sign that something is amiss, and should be brought to the attention of your doctor. For example, fatigue is one of the main symptoms of a number of conditions, including depression, congestive heart failure, anemia, hypothyroidism, and diabetes, all of which require medical attention. Often fatigue subsides when these conditions are treated. Whatever its cause, fatigue is telling you something important — that you need to rest and relax, perhaps, or that you should take better care of yourself, or (fortunately, less often) that you have a disease or condition that needs treatment. Fatigue, like death and taxes, may indeed be an inescapable part of life. But that doesn’t mean you have to take it lying down. This Special Health Report provides you with the latest information about fatigue and offers strategies to help you regain the physical and mental energy you need to enjoy life to its fullest.
Energy and fatigue

The word “energy” can mean many things. You might use it to describe the strength you need to take on a physical challenge and the endurance to keep it up for an extended period: running a marathon, biking uphill, sightseeing all day, weeding and planting in the garden, and so on.

But energy is not just about muscles. It’s also about the mind. When you’re mentally energetic, you’re alert, you’re “on,” you readily absorb information by reading and listening. Another aspect of mental energy is motivation — the drive to do things like read a book cover-to-cover in one sitting, initiate a new work project, or cram for an exam. You may have noticed that when you’re really absorbed in an activity, you feel more energetic than when you are only half-interested in it. Motivation can be a powerful force in overcoming fatigue.

When you lack energy, you feel physically weak, mentally dull, or both. Effort of any sort can tire you out quickly. This absence of energy is often referred to as fatigue, and it’s a common phenomenon that has been viewed differently over the years (see “Changing views of fatigue,” below). Fatigue has physical, mental, and emotional components. Your muscles might ache. You might have trouble concentrating or need to read a passage over three times before you understand it. You might also feel unmotivated or bored.

Is it simply that you need more sleep? Sometimes when you lack energy you also feel sleepy. Sleepiness is specifically the urge to go to sleep. Most people need roughly eight hours of sleep a night. Some people can get by with less; some need more. Sleepiness can also be induced by medications that have a sedative effect on the brain (see “Medications”).

But lack of energy is not just sleepiness: It’s physical (weariness or weakness), emotional (lack of motivation or boredom), and mental (lack of concentration and sharpness). You can lack energy or feel fatigued without being sleepy, and you can also be full of energy and sleepy. Most people have had times when they’ve been able to override the urge to sleep with a surge of physical, mental, or emotional energy. But sleep and energy are related. No matter how energetic you are, you can’t override sleepiness indefinitely. Eventually, lack of sleep will sap your energy and lead to fatigue .

You probably know that getting enough sleep is important to your health and well-being. But the quality of the sleep you get also has a big effect on how you feel during the day.

If sleep time isn’t a good time for you, talk to your doctor or healthcare professional about your options.

You may click to see:Fatigue & Low Energy

Exhaust All The Time

Sources:http://www.healthline.com/sw/hr-sr-boosting-your-energy

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Chalazion

A chalazion immediately after excision
Image via Wikipedia

Alternative Names:Meibomian gland lipogranuloma

Definition:
A chalazion is a small bump in the eyelid caused by a blockage of a tiny oil gland.
It is a cyst in the eyelid that is caused by inflammation of a blocked meibomian gland, usually on the upper eyelid.

..click to see the pictures >....…(01)....`(1)..…....(2)………….(3)..………………

..
…………………………………………...Eyelid affected by Chalazion
Chalazions differ from styes (hordeolums) in that they are usually painless apart from the tenderness caused when they swell up, and in size (chalazia tend to be larger than styes). A chalazion may eventually disappear on its own after a few months, though more often than not, some treatment is necessary.
A large chalazion ca. 20 minutes upon excision. This bipartite chalazion was removed via two separate incisions. Further along the lower eyelid, signs of chronic inflammation are visible.

Causes:

A chalazion develops within the glands that produce the fluid that lubricate the eye. These are called Meibomian glands. The eyelid has approximately 100 of these glands, which are located near the eyelashes.

A chalazion is caused by blockage of the duct that drains one of these glands. A chalazion begins as swelling and tenderness, and later forms a cyst-like growth. Many chalazia disappear without treatment after a few months

Signs and symptoms:

*Painful swelling on the eyelid

*Eyelid tenderness

*Sensitivity to light

*Increased tearing

*Swelling on the eyelid

*Heaviness of the eyelid

Diagnosis:
Exams and Tests

Examination of eyelid confirms the diagnosis.
Rarely, the Meibomian gland duct may be blocked by a skin cancer. If this is suspected, a biopsy may be needed to diagnose the disorder.

Treatment:
A chalazion will often disappear without treatment within a month or so.

The primary treatment is application of warm compresses for 10-15 minutes at least 4 times a day. This may soften the hardened oils blocking the duct and promote drainage and healing. If the chalazion continues to get bigger, it may need to be surgically removed. This is usually done from underneath the eyelid to avoid a scar on the skin.

Topical antibiotic eye drops or ointment (eg chloramphenicol or fusidic acid) are sometimes used for the initial acute infection, but are otherwise of little value in treating a chalazion. Chalazia will often disappear without further treatment within a few months and virtually all will resorb within two years.

If they continue to enlarge or fail to settle within a few months, then smaller lesions may be injected with a corticosteroid or larger ones may be surgically removed using local anesthesia. . If the chalazion is located directly under the eyelid’s outer tissue, however, an excision from above may be more advisable so as not to inflict any unnecessary damage on the lid itself. Eyelid epidermis usually mends well, without leaving any visible traces of cicatrisation. Depending on the chalazion’s texture, the excision procedure varies: while fluid matter can easily be removed under minimal invasivion, by merely puncturing the chalazion and exerting pressure upon the surrounding tissue, hardened matter usually necessitates a larger incision, through which it can be scraped out. Any residual matter should be metabolized in the course of the subsequent healing process, generally aided by regular appliance of dry heat. The excision of larger chalazia may result in visible hematoma around the lid, which will wear off within three or four days, whereas the swelling may persist for longer. Chalazion excision is an ambulant treatment and normally does not take longer than fifteen minutes. Nevertheless, owing to the risks of infection and severe damage to the eyelid, such procedures should only be performed by a doctor.

Rarely chalazia may reoccur and these will be biopsied to help rule out tumors.

Antibiotic eye drops are usually used several days before and after removal of the cyst, but are otherwise of little value in treating a chalazion.

A chalazion that keeps coming back should be biopsied to rule out tumor.

Click for :->Chalazion and its online homeopathic treatment

Prognosis: Chalazia usually heal on their own. The outcome with treatment is usually excellent.

Complications:
A large chalazion can cause astigmatism due to pressure on the cornea. This will resolve with resolution of the chalazion.Complications including, but not limitedtohypopigmentation may occur with corticosteroid injection.The presence of recurring chalazion in the same area sometimes leads to a consideration of sebaceous cell carcinoma.The minor operation is quite painless, the eyelid is injected with a local anesthetic a clamp is put on the eyelid, then the eyelid is turned over and the chalazion is scraped out.

When to contact your Healthcare Provider:
Apply warm compresses and call your health care provider if the swelling progresses or persists longer than 1 month.
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if lumps on the eyelid continue to enlarge despite treatment or are associated with an area of eyelash loss.

Prevention:
Proper cleansing of the eyelid may prevent recurrences in people prone to chalazia. Cleaning the eyelash area with baby shampoo will help reduce clogging of the ducts.

Click to see also:-> Stye
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.
Resources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001006.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalazion

Enhanced by Zemanta
css.php