Thefastpharma. Health news blog
Apr 23
The approach to treatment for OSA depends on the outcome of a sleep study and the prevalence of symptoms. Urgent intervention is called for when frequent and severe hypoxaemia during sleep induces physiological changes which are frankly life-threatening. However, many patients are only mildly symptomatic. There may be small fluctuations in oxygen saturation with negligible [...] [...more]
Posted: under General health.
Tags: General health
The approach to treatment for OSA depends on the outcome of a sleep study and the prevalence of symptoms. Urgent intervention is called for when frequent and severe hypoxaemia during sleep induces physiological changes which are frankly life-threatening. However, many patients are only mildly symptomatic. There may be small fluctuations in oxygen saturation with negligible or minor physiological consequences, but essentially their problem remains a sociological one with the potential to develop clinical complications if snoring persists over many years. Treatment for these patients is directed at the underlying cause of snoring.
There is no clear definition of what constitutes mild, moderate and severe OSA. Guidelines have been published by specialists in the field but there will always be some variation from one physician to another regarding the timing and nature of medical intervention. When a diagnosis of advanced OSA is made, the most popular and effective mode of treatment is the application of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP, a relatively new innovation developed in Australia in the early 1980′s. The technique offers relief to the user by delivering a stream of air from a pump into a comfortably fitting nose mask via a length of flexible tubing. Air pressure introduced through the nose has been described as an airway “splint”, preventing collapse by providing support in the form of positive pressure. CPAP does have some drawbacks. There are patients who never adapt to the sensation of air pressure applied through the nose mask and others who experience nasal irritation or excessive drying of the upper airway. CPAP has nevertheless proven to be extremely successful in the treatment of OSA, eliminating snoring and many of its debilitating symptoms.
When CPAP is not tolerated, or if circumstances make it impossible for the patient to use it effectively on a regular basis (eg. the very young or mentally handicapped patients), then an operation called a tracheostomy would have to be considered. It involves the surgical formation of a hole into the windpipe (trachea), a procedure which had to be relied upon for urgent relief of airway obstruction before the advent of CPAP. The decision to have a tracheostomy is not made without due consideration of potential problems. It is not well tolerated by many patients because of the social and psychological adjustments that have to be made, particularly as normal speech is impaired.
* Daytime sleepiness
* Morning headaches
* Memory lapses
* Disrupted sleep (waking abruptly with sensations of choking, gasping for breath)
* Excessive night sweating
* Personality changes (irritability, paranoia)
Some of the more apparent symptoms which may be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea. Their incidence and severity will depend on the period of time over which snoring and airway obstruction has occurred.
*13/51/25*
Apr 23
The line between health and illness, then, can be somewhat arbitrary, and it is here that the real problems begin because it is not obvious whose responsibility health is. In our society we do not blame people for being ill – even if they themselves nave played a part in the onset of illness. We [...] [...more]
Posted: under General health.
Tags: General health
The line between health and illness, then, can be somewhat arbitrary, and it is here that the real problems begin because it is not obvious whose responsibility health is. In our society we do not blame people for being ill – even if they themselves nave played a part in the onset of illness. We have more ambivalent feelings when it comes to VD and suicide attempts but even then most people do not come down too harshly on the ‘ill’ person.
Although we as a culture do not blame individuals for their illness we do expect them to do simple things to help themselves, and most of us think that ill people should co-operate with doctors to make themselves better. When looked at from a purist’s point of view, much illness is preventable-indeed this book is about what we as individuals can take responsibility for-yet as a culture we have not yet arrived at the stage where we condemn people who do not co-operate, though there are signs that this is starting to happen with smoking-related diseases. Indeed, the anti-smoking campaign in certain western countries has taken something of a dramatic turn recently. But treating smokers as if they were lepers may not be the answer. It could, arguably, push those who would have smoked into other equally dangerous pursuits which fulfill their needs in the circumstances. In the final analysis everyone has the right to kill themselves in the way they choose. The truth is that most will almost certainly do so irrespective of government regulations and social prohibitions. Perhaps the most influential work about health and the lexicalization of modern society is Ivan Illich’s book Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health. In Illich’s view:
Health has ceased to be a native endowment each man is presumed to possess until proven ill, and has become the ever-distant promise to which one is entitled by virtue of social justice. . .
In a morbid society the environment is so rearranged that for most of the time most people lose their power and will for self-sufficiency and finally cease to believe that autonomous action is feasible. The result is a morbid society that demands universal medicalisation and a medical establishment that certifies universal morbidity. In a morbid society the belief prevails that defined and diagnosed ill health is infinitely preferable to any other form of negative label. It is better than criminal or political deviance, better than laziness, better than self-chosen absence from work. More and more people subconsciously know that they are sick and tired of their jobs and of their leisure activities, but they want to be lied to and told that physical illness relieves them of social responsibilities. They want their doctor to act as lawyer and priest. As a lawyer, the doctor exempts the patient from his normal duties and enables him to cash in on the insurance fund he was forced to build. As a priest the doctor becomes an accomplice for the patient, creating the myth that he is an innocent victim of biological mechanisms rather than a lazy, greedy or envious deserter of a social struggle for control over the tools of production. Social life becomes a give and take of therapy, medical, psychiatric, pedagogic or genetic.
In a sense we all control our own health-at least to some extent. We decide on certain health activities (even if they are as simple as cleaning our teeth) and avoid dangerous or illness-promoting situations (by driving carefully, for example), but the level at which we do this depends on all kinds of things, such as our perception of the amount of control we have over our surroundings (and thus our health), our personalities and our social class. Because class is a factor we as a society can influence, perhaps we should look at it in more detail because it has important implications for preventing disease.
*13/72/5*
Apr 23
While aerobic exercise revs up your metabolism and improves your level of fitness, it’s strength training that builds muscle. That’s important because the more muscle you have, the higher the rate at which your body burns calories. What’s more, muscle burns more calories round the clock, even when you’re curled up on the couch reading [...] [...more]
Posted: under Weight Loss.
Tags: Weight Loss
While aerobic exercise revs up your metabolism and improves your level of fitness, it’s strength training that builds muscle. That’s important because the more muscle you have, the higher the rate at which your body burns calories. What’s more, muscle burns more calories round the clock, even when you’re curled up on the couch reading a good book.
Can’t imagine yourself walking into a gym and inquiring where you might find the weight room? Then do a simple but effective strength-training program in your own home, using hand weights or even soup cans. Still, you may want to consult a personal trainer, who can teach you a routine as well as proper form.
A15- to 20-minute session, 2 or 3 days a week, is all the strength training that you need to build muscle and develop a sleeker, firmer appearance. And you’ll see results in as little as 6 to 8 weeks. You’ll feel stronger and more confident. Your clothes will fit better. Your belly will be flatter; your arms and legs, more toned and shapely.
So go ahead and start lifting. You’ll love what you see—and how you feel.
*6\89\8*
Apr 20
Millet can be bought at some healthfood shops – it consists of tiny spherical yellow grains. Measure out half-a-pint of these grains and wash thoroughly before putting them to soak overnight. Throw away the soaking water and replace with a pint of clean water. Add half a teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. [...] [...more]
Posted: under Allergies.
Tags: Allergies
Millet can be bought at some healthfood shops – it consists of tiny spherical yellow grains. Measure out half-a-pint of these grains and wash thoroughly before putting them to soak overnight. Throw away the soaking water and replace with a pint of clean water. Add half a teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes. The water should all be absorbed at the end of this time.
This porridgey mix can be eaten with milk or a milk-substitute as a breakfast dish. However it is more appetising if treated as follows: Prepare and cook half-a-pint of millet (about 225 gm) as above, but use a level teaspoon of salt. While still hot, add half a jar (about 150gm) of sugar-free peanut butter (or another nut butter , and one level teaspoon of sesame seeds, already toasted. Mix the ingredients together well, using a potato masher to break up the millet. Take a lump of the mixture – about the size of a small egg – roll it between your palms and squash flat, pressing hard, to make a ‘hamburger’ shape. It is important to do this while the millet is still warm as it becomes very uncooperative when cold. These quantities make about 30 burgers.
Fry the ‘millet burgers’ in oil over a low heat, turning them twice and allowing at least 20 minutes total frying time – this gives the outside a lovely crunchy texture. Use a non-stick pan and plenty of oil or they may stick. The burgers can be made in bulk and frozen untried; they do not need to be defrosted before being fried. Although making a large batch is fairly time-consuming, it is well worth it as they are both delicious and filling. Four or five make a good meal: eat them for breakfast, with some grated apple, or for lunch, with a salad.
Cooked millet can also be added to soups and casseroles to thicken them. Millet can also be used as a substitute for wheat flour in a cheese souffle. Make in the usual way, using 115 gm (4 oz) cooked millet, 3 eggs, 55 gm (2 oz) cheese, 140 ml (1\4 pint) milk, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes with the souffle dish in a tray of water. Sorghum is not widely available, but can be bought by post. Cook in the same way as millet.
*402\180\8*
Apr 20
If you still feel better but did not react adversely to anything on testing, then there are various possibilities. One is that you have a genuine intolerance reaction to a component of one of these items, but that the period of abstinence has ‘cured’ it. This is especially likely with things that are tested towards [...] [...more]
Posted: under Allergies.
Tags: Allergies
If you still feel better but did not react adversely to anything on testing, then there are various possibilities. One is that you have a genuine intolerance reaction to a component of one of these items, but that the period of abstinence has ‘cured’ it. This is especially likely with things that are tested towards the end of the reintroduction phase (see pl03). If you go back to taking such items every day, then the intolerance may reappear. So if you begin to get your symptoms again, you need to repeat Stage I and test everything in the reverse order this time.
A second possibility is that you may have Candida overgrowth – see pl81. In mild cases, just cutting out sugar can put paid to the Candida and clear the symptoms. If this is the explanation, you will probably begin to notice symptoms again if you start to take significant amounts of sugar or honey again. Obviously, returning to a sugar-free diet is the answer. If you find this very difficult you could consider a drug treatment – this might clear the Candida more effectively and allow you to eat a little sugar.
*355\180\8*
Apr 20
How a disturbed gut flora might produce food intolerance is not known. One possibility is that the gut wall becomes irritated by toxins that the bacteria release – so that more undigested food molecules get through. Those food molecules might then provoke an immune reaction or have some other effect – as exorphins, for example. [...] [...more]
Posted: under Allergies.
Tags: Allergies
How a disturbed gut flora might produce food intolerance is not known. One possibility is that the gut wall becomes irritated by toxins that the bacteria release – so that more undigested food molecules get through. Those food molecules might then provoke an immune reaction or have some other effect – as exorphins, for example.
Alternatively, the ‘bad’ bacteria might feed on chemicals found in particular foods, and then produce toxins which provoke the symptoms. Because the bacteria favour certain foods, it would be those foods that cause the symptoms. This explanation is more attractive, in some ways, because it does not re- quire any other mechanism to produce the symptoms. But whether it can explain the very specific reactions to food often seen in food intolerance – a sensitivity to oranges and beef but to no other fruits or meats, for example – is another matter. At present there is little evidence on this point, but it is something that Dr Hunter is investigating.
It is certainly true that bacteria can produce damaging toxins – indeed, the normal gut flora produces such chemicals. The role of p-cresol in hyperactive children is described above. A peptide produced by bacteria apparently plays a part in Crohn’s disease, by attracting immune cells into the gut (see pll4). In both these cases, it looks as if the same bacteria are producing the same products in everyone – but healthy people have enzymes to break these bacterial products down. The person who is made ill by them has enzyme defects.
Where there are disturbances of the gut flora, with abnormal bacterial toxins, enzyme defects might also be a factor. Lacking certain detoxification enzymes could make the effects of the disturbed gut flora a great deal worse. In other words, it could be a combination of defects that produces the symptoms.
One element of the gut flora that can become over-represented is a yeast known as Candida. The role of Candida in food intolerance is controversial, and very complex.
*307\180\8*
Apr 20
Anti-Candida therapy is not a life-long cure – the problem can come back if you revert to your old eating habits. Once you are fully better, and have been so for some time, you can risk the occasional slice of white bread or a sliver of cake. But you should try to eat as little [...] [...more]
Posted: under Allergies.
Tags: Allergies
Anti-Candida therapy is not a life-long cure – the problem can come back if you revert to your old eating habits. Once you are fully better, and have been so for some time, you can risk the occasional slice of white bread or a sliver of cake. But you should try to eat as little sugar and refined carbohydrate (white flour, pasta etc) as possible. Beware of ‘sugar-free’ commercial products such as cakes and jams, especially those from healthfood shops – often they are made with fruit-juice concentrate and are just as rich in natural fruit sugars as if they were made with cane or beet sugar. Diabetic products are suitable however. If your symptoms start to return, then you must immediately cut out all sugar again.
If you only recovered of the diet, then you are probably sensitive to yeast. In a few cases, this reaction to yeast is permanent, but most people lose their sensitivity after several months of avoiding yeast products. Some people may have to avoid eating yeast every day.
Some of those who have been successfully treated for candidiasis will still have residual problems due to food intolerance. Although an elimination diet may be needed to sort this out, going straight on to another restricted diet is not a good idea. It is advisable to stay on a normal, varied diet for a while (while still avoiding sugar and white flour of course). This will give you plenty of vitamins and minerals, to build you up for the elimination diet. In some cases, it may be a good idea to take a nutritional supplement.
*257\180\8*
Apr 20
A major advance in classical allergy – and one that helped to widen the rift with the unorthodox food allergists – was the discovery of immunoglobulin E, or IgE, in the 1960s. This type of immunoglobulin, or antibody, is the main villain in the classical allergic conditions. How it works will be considered in some [...] [...more]
Posted: under Allergies.
Tags: Allergies
A major advance in classical allergy – and one that helped to widen the rift with the unorthodox food allergists – was the discovery of immunoglobulin E, or IgE, in the 1960s. This type of immunoglobulin, or antibody, is the main villain in the classical allergic conditions. How it works will be considered in some detail in the next chapter, but it is worth describing briefly here.
An antibody is a protein molecule made by the body to help combat disease-causing bacteria and viruses. The antibody binds to a specific target, known as its antigen. This target is usually a chemical located on the virus or bacterium, so the net result is that the antibody binds to the invader. The bound antibodies are rather like accusing fingers, pointing at the invading microbe – their presence rouses the body’s defensive cells (the immune cells) to attack the microbe.
What goes wrong in allergy is that the body makes IgE antibodies in response to an innocuous antigen, such as a food molecule. IgE antibodies are usually found on the surface of special immune cells known as mast cells, that occur in tissues throughout the body.
If the IgE molecules on the surface of a mast cell bind to their specific antigen, they stimulate the mast cell to release several chemical messengers. The normal purpose of these chemicals is to organize a more effective immune response, but in sufficient quantities they can produce the damaging symptoms of allergy. The antigen that causes such a reaction {eg a food molecule) is known as an allergen.
*9\180\8*
Apr 09
Players: Husband and wife. Activists: Both. Setting: Home or hotel. Aim: Put couples in touch with excessive pride by forcing them to have sex with a “freak.” Game Plan: This is the opposite of the children’s game of “Dress-Up,” the object of which is to make yourself look as beautiful as possible. In this game [...] [...more]
Posted: under Men's Health-Erectile Dysfunction.
Tags: Men’s Health
Players: Husband and wife.
Activists: Both.
Setting: Home or hotel.
Aim: Put couples in touch with excessive pride by forcing them to have sex with a “freak.”
Game Plan: This is the opposite of the children’s game of “Dress-Up,” the object of which is to make yourself look as beautiful as possible. In this game the couple make themselves as ugly as possible.
They set a time and place for a rendezvous. It could be at home or at a hotel. (Renting a room may work best, since it adds another exotic element to the game.) Before meeting, the wife and husband each dress and make themselves up so that they will appear as ugly and freaky as possible. For example, they may wear a grotesque witch or monster mask, or dress up in rags, or paint their faces oddly, or wear a wig, or put yellow gunk on their teeth, or douse themselves with awful-smelling perfume. They can cover their bodies with “green slime” (stuff sold in toy stores), or wear a pillow under their clothes to make it appear they have a hump or a fat belly.
*114/196/1*
Apr 09
Players: Husband and wife. Activists: Both. Setting: Large room, such as living room, den, basement, or garage. Aim: Rekindle a playful attitude toward sex. Game Plan: All of us, as children, once had a playful attitude toward sex. Indeed, in psychoanalysis we say that sex is regression in the service of the ego. When sex [...] [...more]
Posted: under Men's Health-Erectile Dysfunction.
Tags: Men’s Health
Players: Husband and wife. Activists: Both.
Setting: Large room, such as living room, den, basement, or garage.
Aim: Rekindle a playful attitude toward sex.
Game Plan: All of us, as children, once had a playful attitude toward sex. Indeed, in psychoanalysis we say that sex is regression in the service of the ego. When sex is going well, we become not only childlike but even infantile, expressing all the pent-up needs from the earliest past to the present. This game serves to directly facilitate this playful attitude toward sex and foster a regression in the service of the ego.
Tie a volleyball net, rope, or string across the middle of a large room. (Whatever it is, call it the net.) Mark boundaries of the minicourt with a tape on the floor, or use a 9′ x 12′ rug as the court surface. Blow up a balloon to the size of a volleyball; the balloon is the volleyball.
As in regular volleyball, the server stands behind the line to serve, and scores points only on his or her serve. After the serve, each player has three hits to get the ball over the net. (One hit can be used to block the ball, one to set it up, one to spike it, etc.) Play stops when a player either fails to get the ball back over the net or knocks it out of bounds. The first player to reach 15 points (one point per serve) wins.
*89/196/1*