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News on Health & Science

Mom’s Hips Gives Breast Cancer Clues

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You can’t avoid breast cancer. But, you can find out if you’re at risk for the disease  it’s simple, just check out your mother’s measurements.

According to a study by scientists in Britain, women whose mothers have wide and round hips could be seven times more likely to develop breast cancer, the Daily Mail reported here in Tuesday.

“A woman’s hip size is a marker of her oestrogen production. Wide, round hips represent markers of high sex hormone concentrations in the mother, which increase her daughter’s vulnerability to breast cancer,” lead researcher professor David Barker of Southampton University said.

In fact, the researchers came to the conclusion after studying the health of over 6,000 Finnish women born from 1934 to 1944 and comparing it with information on their mothers‘ hip size. The measurement used was the intercristal diameter   the distance from hip bone to hip bone. According to the findings, a woman’s risk of breast cancer went up by 60% if her mother’s hips were more than 30 cm across.

The risk increased with hip size and with the length of time the baby was in the womb. Moreover, the researchers found that babies carried by wider-hipped women for the full 40 weeks of gestation or longer were 3.7 times more likely to develop breast cancer. And, adding the existence of elder siblings into the equation took the risk to more than seven-fold.

Source: The Telegraph(Kolkata, India)

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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Heavy computer use can lead to compression of the nerves in the carpal tunnel

Everyone worries about his or her health. Today, cancers and heart attacks are commonplace and randomly strike friends and relatives. Anyone who suddenly develops a tingling, shooting pain radiating down the left arm, severe enough to wake up the person in the night, cannot be blamed for thinking it is a heart attack!

But such symptoms are typical of carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition common during middle age.

The carpal tunnel is actually a narrow, rigid box-like area in the wrist which forms a passageway for the ligaments and nerves at the base of the hand. If the nerves are compressed as they pass through this canal, they respond to the pressure with pain, a tingling sensation and numbness. Sleeping with the wrist in a flexed position aggravates the problem and the sufferer often wakes up at night with a numbing pain in the arm that needs to be shaken for relief. If this occurs on the left side, it can be mistaken for a heart attack.

Eventually, as the compression progresses, the tingling decreases but is replaced by weakness of the fingers and obvious wasting of the thumb muscles. Grasping small objects, making a fist and distinguishing between hot and cold may be difficult.

Compression of the nerves in the carpal tunnel may occur as a result of :

A fracture or sprain of the wrist which disrupts the normal relationship between the various structures in that area

Repetitive stress injury as a result of continual movement of the wrist. People working as butchers, fishermen and tailors are particularly susceptible. Heavy computer use or typing for seven hours or more a day is also implicated

Diseases like diabetes and hypothyroidism (it may be the first symptom)

Fluid retention as a result of kidney or liver disease

Obesity and pregnancy

The symptoms are three times commoner in women than in men. This is because women have smaller carpal tunnels than men. However, the carpal tunnel syndrome is not seen in children even though their wrists are small as the structures are more pliable.

The diagnosis is made on the basis of the symptoms. The tingling sensation can be reproduced by tapping on the carpal tunnel area. The symptoms are aggravated if this is done with the wrist in a flexed position. If the diagnosis is uncertain then nerve conduction studies can be done.

Permanent damage to the entrapped median nerve can occur if the compression is not relieved sufficiently early.

Treatment involves the following :

Diagnosis and correction of any underlying metabolic disorders such as diabetes and hypothyroidism

Using a splint to maintain the wrist in a neutral position for two weeks

Using wrist supports while typing. Some computer keyboards are designed to prevent the carpal tunnel syndrome

Medications, especially the NSAID group (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents), can relieve pain and swelling. But they should be used only on a short-term basis

Vitamins, particularly pyridoxine (B6), can bring temporary relief.

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Injections — usually a combination of a steroid and local anaesthetic — can be given into the carpal tunnel

Surgery, open or laparoscopic, can be done to remove any compression from bands of bone or tissue. This is done if there is no improvement after six months of conservative treatment.

Physiotherapy provides sustained long-term relief without invasive procedures or medications. The exercises are simple and not time-consuming. Accrued benefit disappears within three days if the exercises are not continued.

Straighten the wrists and relax the fingers

Make tight fists with both hands

Bend the wrists down while keeping the fists. Hold for a count of five

Straighten the wrists and relax the fingers, again for a count of five

The exercise should be repeated 10 times. Finally, let your arms hang loosely at the sides and shake them for a few seconds. Many alternative treatments like acupuncture and massage have been tried. Studies, however, have not shown any proven benefits. Regular practice of yoga provides sustained and long-term relief.

In India, there is usually no compensation for work-related incapacitating injuries. Workers have to maintain their health to remain efficient and productive. Occupational carpal tunnel syndrome can be prevented by —

Providing frequent breaks to workers

Teaching them corrective exercises and stretching

Designing furniture ergonomically for the workplace so that the hands are kept in a natural position.

Unfortunately, even among the educated, blue-collar workers, regular exercise and prevention of injures is not taken very seriously until it is too late.

Click to Learn more about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome…………..(1).………….(2)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Guide
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Remedies – Natural Pain Relief – Alternative ……(2).…..(3)

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.

Source:The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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Positive thinking

All Is Not Lost

Snap out of it,  say friends and relatives if you are feeling down or  having the blues. However, the person soon starts to feel better, with or without such ineffectual advice, as negative thoughts and feelings usually last for about two weeks.
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Several bouts of depression may occur during the course of a lifetime. These may be precipitated by chronic illness, the loss of a loved one, financial difficulties or failures. If the precipitating situation changes for the better, recovery is faster.

Depression becomes a disease when it lasts longer than two weeks. It may occur as repeated attacks with short symptom-free intervals, or it may be present constantly. Sometimes a precipitating factor may not exist. It is a difficult diagnosis for the person and his or her relatives to accept as there are no outward physical signs of illness. There is only an all-pervading sense of gloom and inability to get things done. Everything becomes too much of an effort. The person may also become increasingly isolated as he or she fails to keep social obligations or maintain relationships. Constant talk about death, pacing, agitation and withdrawal are danger signals. It means the depression is severe enough for the sufferer to even attempt suicide. Getting over it  is no longer an option and medical treatment is required.

The changes during a bout of depression are not due to a weak personality. The altered behaviour results from an imbalance in the ratios of three chemical messengers in the brain: serotonin, adrenaline and dopamine. This may be genetic, with the condition running in families. Or it may be a response to a life event, precipitated by medication or hormonal changes.

Women become depressed four times more often than men. This is because the female hormone, estrogen, affects the brain chemicals. Menarche, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause produce sudden marked alterations in a woman’s hormone levels. Sometimes  post delivery” blues may be severe enough to incapacitate the mother and even drive her to suicide.

People of all age groups and communities are prone to depression. Children react differently in such a situation than do adults. They perform poorly in class or may refuse to go school. They may develop vague abdominal symptoms and vomit. Adolescents, who generally have confused and uncontrolled emotions, may respond to an underlying depression with unreasonable anger or substance abuse.

Monsoon days are dull and grey with little or no sunlight. The darkness and enforced physical inactivity may aggravate an underlying depression.

National public health does not consider depression a priority as it is a nebulous condition which is not contagious. But depression does seriously affect the national economy as many patients remain undiagnosed and untreated. Their productivity is affected as they are frequently absent from work, apparently uninterested, inefficient and have poor interpersonal relationships.

Sleep disturbances   excessive sleep or insomnia   may be the first sign of depression. There may be early wakening with an inability to fall asleep again. The weight may increase or decrease as the person experiences appetite swings, eating too much or too little. Alcohol or drugs may be used as an escape mechanism to elevate the mood. After the initial euphoria passes, there is a rebound and this worsens the condition. In older people, depression may manifest itself as vague physical symptoms, aches and pains which defy diagnosis, requiring repeated unsatisfactory visits to the doctor.

Depression may alternate with elation in people with a “bipolar disorder”. Such people may be withdrawn and non-functional or productive and creative depending on their mood swings. They either talk too much or not at all.

Once depression is diagnosed, it needs to be tackled. Taking sleeping tablets (sedatives) purchased without a prescription OTC (over the counter) to correct the sleep disturbances alone is not the answer. A combination of anti-depressant medication and psychotherapy probably works best. The medication corrects the imbalances in the chemicals in the brain. The drugs belong to various groups and subtypes. The response of each person varies; a drug that works for one may not work for another. The medications take around six weeks to start acting. Once the mood becomes stable, the person is able to function normally.

Children and young adults respond paradoxically to some anti-depressants. Drugs like paroxetine may increase the suicidal tendency in persons between 18 and 24 years of age. Treatment in adolescents and young adults thus has to be carefully monitored.

Patients need to be supported by family, friends and psychotherapy during treatment. Otherwise, they may prematurely discontinue the treatment thinking that the drug   does not work.  Also, once the symptoms have disappeared, treatment needs to be continued for 9 to 12 months for complete recovery. This, too, may not be followed as patients may not see the need to continue medication once they start feeling better.

THE BEST WAY  IS TO DO REGULAR  YOGA EXERCISE  SPECIALLY  PRANAYAMA .

Source: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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News on Health & Science

Itch Gene Discovered

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Relief may soon be at hand for chronic scratchers:-
Scratch no more. A remedy for that unpleasant itching sensation could be in the offing with researchers spotting the first ever gene responsible for itchiness in the central nervous system.

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Itching is a widespread problem often associated with skin diseases.

The discovery of the itch gene  GRPR (gastrin-releasing peptide receptor) — by two Washington University School of Medicine researchers could lead to treatments that provide relief from chronic and severe scratchiness.

Zhou-Feng Chen and his post-doctoral fellow Yan-Gang Sun reported in Nature last week the GRPR gene codes for a receptor that resides in a very small population of spinal cord nerve cells that relay pain and itch signals. Their tests on mice showed that the animals that lacked this gene scratched much less than those having it when given itchy stimuli.

Chronic itching is a widespread problem and is often associated with skin disorders such as eczema. But sometimes kidney failures or liver disorders too trigger an itching sensation. It can also be a serious side effect of certain cancer therapies or powerful painkillers like morphine. For some, chronic itching can be very disruptive, interfering with sleep or resulting in scarring. Whatever the cause, effective treatment options are limited for itchiness.

Traditionally, scientists regarded itchiness as just a less intense version of the pain sensation. As a result, research on itching has been patchy. Itch research has always lived in the shadow of pain research,….says Chen.

In the beginning, Chen’s team, too, wasn’t actually looking for the itch gene. The scientists stumbled upon it accidentally while trying to figure out the genes associated with the pain stimuli. Among the pain-sensing genes they identified, GRPR stood out because it was present in only a few nerve cells in the spinal cord known to relay pain and/or itch signals to the brain. This prompted them to study some mice that were missing the GRPR gene to find out how they were different from normal mice.

The research was a little disappointing at first,  says Chen.  The knockout mice seemed to have the same reactions to painful stimuli as normal mice.

But the puzzle was resolved when his co-worker, Sun, injected a substance that stimulated GRPR to the spinal cords of normal mice — the rodents started scratching themselves as if they had a severe itch. This tip off led to detailed investigation that resulted in the discovery of the first gene implicated in the urge to itch.

Source:The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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WHY CORNER

Why do we stop growing after a certain stage?

When certain aquatic plants keep growing throughout their life, then why do we terrestrial animals stop growing? Well, a simple explanation is that that all animals, including humans, have evolved such that they stop growing at a size that balances energy efficiency and their competitive needs as they struggle to survive.

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In humans, genes determine the growth pattern and height that one attains. Growth is said to occur when cells called chondroblasts multiply, adding cartilage to the ends of bones. Cells called osteoblasts then deposit calcium and other minerals in the cartilage and turn it into new bone tissue. As the deposition of calcium and minerals goes on, bones become longer and you grow taller. Toward the end of puberty, your body produces lots of oestrogen and this inhibits chondroblast proliferation thus slowing down the addition of new cartilage to the ends of your bones. When all the cartilage in the active growth area is calcified, you stop growing.

The overproduction or underproduction of certain hormones (bio-chemicals released in our body) or the inability to respond to them can affect growth, making it above or below normal. Gigantism is caused by the overproduction of the pituitary growth hormone, whereas severe short stature is often caused by the body’s inability to respond to this and other growth hormones.

Another interesting theory to explain this issue is that terrestrial animals have to support their weight without any help. Therefore, we have been designed to stop growing to protect our bodies from becoming bigger than we can manage.

According to space researchers, if you travel into space, you will  grow irrespective of your age. Although the effect is temporary, you can actually grow by as much as eight centimetres while in orbit, they say. This is due to reduced gravitational force acting on your body. As a result, the spinal column stretches out a bit thus making one taller. This phenomenon is also visible when you are asleep. If you sleep horizontally, you will actually be a little taller in the morning since gravity is unable to compress your spinal column until you stand up.

Source:The Telegraph ,Kolkata(India)

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