Health News.

HIV: PRACTICAL MATTERS-USING THE SOCIAL SERVICES: NAVIGATING THE SOCIAL SERVICE SYSTEM

admin — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:20:02 +0000

Often people with HIV infection are unfamiliar with the large, bureaucratic social service system. They say that getting through the system is a dehumanizing and irritating experience, that the system seems to be geared more toward frustrating than toward helping people. People occasionally become annoyed enough with the system that they give up and forgo their benefits. Getting through the system requires preparation. In a single, separate file, keep documentation of the following: proof of identity, address, and date of birth (driver’s license, passport, birth certificate); Social Security card; records of income, assets, medical expenses, living expenses, any dependents, anyone living with and sharing expenses with you, record of who is responsible for you. Take this file with you when going to the social services. Keep another file of every person you talked to at the social services, what date and time you talked to them, what you talked about, what you understood the outcome of the talk to be. Find out the names of the supervisors. If someone sends you away to get more information, ask them to write down what information they want; then, when you bring the information, also bring along what they wrote. Do not try to keep your diagnosis a secret: some branches of the social services will speed up the system if you have HIV infection. Some benefits apply only to those with HIV infection. Take a friend with you, especially if you’re tired. Some AIDS-advocacy agencies offer social workers, lawyers, counselors, or buddies who will go with you.*212\191\2*

REDUCING YOUR RISK OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: EXCESS WEIGHT – WHAT IS A “HEALTHY” WEIGHT?

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:08:10 +0000

There are various ways of determining whether you are overweight—none of which are perfect. One of the easiest ways is to compare your weight with the recommended weight on the table from “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” This table and others like it have been developed based on observations of what weights correspond to the longest life spans in general. However, you must be realistic. If you have never in your adult life weighed what the table shows, the table may not be useful as a realistic goal for you.No height-weight table can take into account individual variations in proportions of fat and lean tissue or the distribution of fat in the body. For example, a weight lifter may be overweight according to the height-weight table, and yet have a very low proportion of body. Men normally have a larger proportion of lean muscle and a smaller proportion of body fat than women. Conversely, an individual may not be overweight according to the tables but may have a low proportion of muscle and a high proportion of body fat.Some overweight people have most of their excess fat deposited in their abdomens, whereas others have it deposited more in their hips and thighs. These variations may make a difference in cardiovascular risk. People shaped like apples (bigger through the abdomen and smaller in the hips and thighs—the typical male pattern of fat distribution, called truncal obesity) have a higher risk than people shaped like pears (fairly thin in the upper belly with fat accumulated in the hips and thighs—the typical female pattern of fat distribution, called gynecoid distribution). Calculating the ratio of your waist circumference to your hip circumference (divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement) can help estimate your risk. A ratio of less than 0.80 is desirable for women, and a ratio of less than 1.0 is desirable for men.*263\252\8*

INFLAMMATION OF ARTERIES : TEMPORAL ARTERITIS, BUERGER’S DISEASE & POLYARTERITIS NODOSA

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:01:16 +0000

Temporal Arteritis. Temporal arteritis is also called cranial arteritis or giant cell arteritis. People who have temporal arteritis are almost always older than 55. It is twice as common in women as in men. In this disease, the inflammation may involve one or both temporal arteries on the side of the head. Headache and a tender, red, inflamed artery in the temple are clues to the diagnosis, which can be verified by removing a tiny sample (biopsy) of the affected artery. Treatment with corticosteroids controls this disease and prevents complications such as blindness.Buerger’s Disease. One particularly severe form of vessel inflammation is thromboangiitis obliterans, also called Buerger’s disease. In this disease, inflammation obliterates small and medium-sized arteries. It occurs most commonly in men younger than 30 years who use tobacco. Redness and tenderness of superficial vejns of the feet or legs and pain in the arch of the foot or calf when walking suggest Buerger’s disease.Progression of Buerger’s disease can be thwarted by abstaining from tobacco use. People in whom the disease continues are usually those who continue to smoke.Polyarteritis Nodosa. As the name suggests, polyarteritis involves inflammation (itis) of many (poly) arteries. The areas at greatest risk are the skin, intestines, kidney, and heart, although any area of the body can suffer. Symptoms are often vague: unexplained weight loss, progressive fatigue, weakness, and fever. The diagnosis is confirmed by removing a tiny sample (biopsy) of the involved part of the body for microscopic evaluation of the arteries. Treatment is a prolonged course of corticosteroids, often supplemented by other medications.*201\252\8*

SEXUAL AROUSAL AND RESPONSE IN THE FEMALE

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:28:08 +0000

We know for how brief whileIn woman’s heart the fire of love can burn,If eye and hand plenish it not, afresh,DANTESEXUAL AROUSAL in women is far more complex than in men, and its mechanism is difficult to describe. Until recently our knowledge was limited and derived mostly from guess work, as only male sexologists were describing a process about which they knew little. Fortunately, in the last twenty years, female sexologists have helped fill the gaps in our knowledge of the sex drive and the factors which influence it.Arousal in the male and the female differThere are important differences in the pattern of arousal in both sexes. The flag-pole of male arousal is the erect penis flying the flag of his potency, easily visible to himself and sexually stimulating to his partner. It is an infallible proof of his arousal. On the other hand, women can only rely on the amount of vaginal lubrication; a less convincing and more invisible indicator than the erect penis.Erection in the male depends upon his age and physical fitness. In normally healthy males, it is instantaneous in youth, takes a few seconds in middle age, and longer in the elderly. However, after ejaculation, the erection dies down and it takes some time before a man can have an erection again. This time interval is called the refractory period. The extent of the refractory period—shorter in youth and longer in the elderly—varies from a few minutes to a few days.Arousal in the female takes much longer—from ten to fifteen minutes to an hour, though there are- some highly passionate women who respond rapidly and do not need prolonged foreplay.*92\262\8*

YOUR FAMILY AND BONE DENSITY

admin — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 08:15:45 +0000

Women in perimenopause and beyond, because they are most at risk—and most likely to know they are at risk—for low bone density. But the 6-Week Bone Density Program works for everyone—any age, both sexes—who wants to create a healthy foundation for a healthy life. I’ve already mentioned that it is never too early or too late to get or keep your bones healthy. We need to raise our awareness that men are definitely at risk, too, which is why I wanted to take some time out to address the male of the species here. For women reading this chapter, the take-home message is: this book isn’t just for you. Your parents, children, partners, and friends need healthy bones, too, and the strategies here will work for all of them.Most important—for both sexes—is the fact that the very best way to avoid low bone density is to reach the point when your body naturally starts to lose bone mass with the healthiest, densest bones possible. You can do this only while you are young. Very young. This book is predicated on the fact that you can make or keep your bones healthy at any age, but the fact of the matter is you get only one opportunity to create maximum bone density naturally. That window is wide open from birth through adolescence and into young adulthood. Once it closes, though, there are no “do-overs.” You’ll still have many effective options for protecting your bones, but you’ll be fielding a team of second-string players, truth be told. The first-round draft picks are reserved for kids.For the first quarter-century or so of your life, bone formation outpaces breakdown. Infants’ bones rapidly grow longer and wider, adding calcium at a terrific rate. Lengthening and widening continues through childhood, while density and thickness also increase. The process speeds up still more during adolescence. Teenage growth spurts (between 11 and 15 for girls and 12 and 17 for boys) are a result of peak bone growth rates, and a fifth of full adult height is generally added during those times. Bone mass keeps building even after teens are no longer growing taller, and by the age of 20, 90 percent of total bone density is set.If you want to give your children a gift that truly keeps on giving, help them develop healthy habits early. The best way to prevent low bone density and all its attendant problems is through good nutrition, adequate calcium intake, and plenty of exercise in childhood and adolescence. If you teach them well, not only will you help them build up all the bone density their genetic potential calls for, but you will also start them out with the kind of healthy lifestyle that will serve them well for a hundred reasons throughout their entire lives.Genetics is holding most of the cards when it comes to determining peak bone mass. But the outcome of the game is by no means a foregone conclusion. One study of identical twins ages 6-14 showed that the twin given 1,800 mg of calcium a day up to puberty had bones 5 percent more dense than the other twin, given 900 mg a day. That 5 percent increase translates into a 40 percent drop in the risk of fracture later in life. Proper diet is your ace in the hole for reaching the genetic potential for bone density. Children need basically what adults need—which is laid out in the later part of this book. But I want to point out here some of their unique requirements in regard to calcium, and give you some hints for encouraging good habits in those who don’t, say, share your enthusiasm for green leafy vegetables.The average American child does not get enough calcium. Worse still, intake is generally falling. The typical child’s diet now contains only about half the calcium it did fifty years ago. Most kids get only about 75 percent of the RDA for calcium. Girls in particular shortchange themselves after reaching the double digits, when weight concerns become common, and they tend not to eat enough nutritious food. They tend to cut back on “fattening” milk and dairy products, and “diet” primarily by drinking a lot of diet sodas. That’s disastrous for any bones, but especially for growing bones.For the first 6 months of life, babies should be getting 400 mg of calcium daily. As long as babies are exclusively drinking breast milk or formula, they will get basically what they need, but as you begin introducing solid food, you should be sure to include a variety of dairy products (and other good sources of calcium) as soon as your pediatrician OKs them. (All breast-fed babies do need liquid vitamin D supplements to make sure they can use the calcium they get.) From 6 to 12 months, infants need 600 mg a day, so it is best if they have several calcium-rich foods in their repertoires. After the first birthday, the calcium requirement goes up to 800 mg and increases again at age 6 to between 800 and 1,200 mg. Eleven-year-olds need 1,200-1,500 mg, and everyone should keep that up through age 24. (That’s 5 cups of milk a day, to give you some perspective.) For girls, the period just before puberty brings the highest demand for calcium of any age, and bone builds at its fastest pace through about four years after the first period.Studies have linked eating a wealth of dairy products—and so calcium—in childhood with greater bone density in adulthood. It is best to get calcium from food as much as possible, using fortified food and supplements if backup is needed. Dairy products will be the first choice for most children. Kids younger than 6 need 3 cups of milk (or the equivalent—there are 300 or so mg of calcium in 1 cup) every day, pushing the tally up to 4 cups for those 6 and older and 5 cups for teenagers. That’s got to mean serving milk with every meal and snack. (Hint: There’s nothing wrong with mixing in a bit of chocolate syrup to entice reluctant milk drinkers.) Using low- or nonfat products for everyone over 2 will protect their hearts and weight while providing a smidge more calcium than whole milk. For bonus points, if you see one of those milk mustache ads with a celebrity your child thinks is “the coolest,” point it out.Even the straightforward solution of simply getting enough glasses of milk or cups of yogurt can be a tough goal for kids, just as it is for adults. Especially for girls, or nonmilk drinkers, a calcium supplement may be the way to go. More and more children’s chewable vitamins are including calcium these days, though you’ll have to read the label carefully to determine just how much is in the pills labeled “Extra Calcium!,” since some are better sources than others. The levels are still pretty low in the multivitamins, so you might want to choose a separate supplement. Try a liquid or chewable form, or a flavored antacid (making sure you get the kind without any aluminum). Kids, too, need vitamin D to help their bodies use the calcium they get. Studies show that children who don’t consume enough products fortified with vitamin D have inadequate calcium absorption and slowed bone formation, particularly during winter.We already know our children watch too many hours of television, but here’s another result of that you may not have considered: by being glued to the tube, they are spending too much time indoors and don’t get enough sunlight to allow their bodies to make the vitamin D they need.After lack of calcium, the other biggest hurdle to good bone development in young people is how much soda they drink. Sound like any adults you know? Sodas contain lots of phosphorus, which interferes with bone formation. The caffeine in many sodas also contributes to the problem by increasing the excretion of calcium (taking it out of the body, rather than it going into the bones). Anyone who drinks an excessive number of sodas will have parathyroid hormone levels that are constantly at the highest end of the normal range, which is enough to slow the rate at which new bone cells are deposited where they are needed. Encourage your child to choose drinks wisely, and set a good example yourself. Unless you have a most unusual kid, you’ll never get away with “Do as I say and not as I do.” Actions speak louder than words.You have complete control over your children’s diet for only a short time. This is a good time to teach them to love wholesome, nutritious foods before they even discover the plethora of junk food out there in the wider world. You can’t make them eat or not eat any particular food, so your best bet is to prepare them to make their own smart choices. The habits formed in the earliest years—whether good or bad—are hard to shake. Even children as young as 9 will make informed decisions about taking care of their health—if they have the information. They may be getting some lessons at school, but you can’t count on that (or on what exactly they are taught), so you’ll have to take an active role. At any rate, studies show that the teenagers with the healthiest diets have parents who are educated about and concerned with health issues. Despite the latest vogue for the notion that peers have more influence on kids than their parents do, that’s proof that children absorb a huge amount both from what their parents themselves do and from what parents say to them.So don’t sit back and wait for them to be ready to educate themselves. Encourage them as much as you can. You’ll have to use every trick in the book. No one knows your kids better than you, and different strategies work better at different ages, so you’ll have to map out your own course.*17\228\2*

WHAT’S HAPPENING TO OUR BABY GIRLS? (HISTORY)

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 07:50:35 +0000

Unbelievably, we have arrived at a time in the history of our planet when every pregnant woman in the world, with total disregard of race, gender or economic status, has hormone-disrupting chemicals in her body. These chemicals can be transferred to the baby before birth or they can enter from breast-feeding. A woman’s entire lifetime of toxic exposure can be passed along to her fetus during pregnancy.A study that measured amniotic fluid from routine amniocentesis procedures found that 30 percent of women had detectable levels of PCBs, DDT and lindane. It also found detectable levels of estrogenic compounds such as xeno-estrogens from food. The degree of concentration of in utero exposure is sufficient cause for great concern.Even one of our simplest pleasures (and necessities) taking our daily shower may pose serious health risks. A report by the Environmental Working Group and the US Public Interest Research Group warned that pregnant women should avoid tap water and should even take shorter showers or baths to minimize exposure to chlorinating by-products (CBPs), which places them at increased risk of miscarriages or having children with birth defects. CBPs can be readily inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Exposure can be reduced significantly by using carbon filters or by switching to non-chlorinated bottled water. Water filters, for the home, are available for both tap water and shower heads.*6/165/1*

THE PROCESS PARADIGM IN PSYCHIATRY: RESERVATIONS ABOUT PROCESS WORK

admin — Fri, 20 May 2011 07:49:53 +0000

Process oriented psychology differs from more popular ‘process psychologies’ in its differentiated method of observation. Thus, a frequent misunderstanding derived from popular conceptions of the term ‘process’ is that clients can get dangerously or uselessly wrapped up in their ‘process,’ that is, get too involved in themselves. Would it not be more useful and valuable at times to simply give direct and clear instructions which a client could follow?Encouraging clients to follow only one part of themselves is always less useful then helping them contact all their parts. Only the total process is really healing. Following a client in process oriented psychology means not only following the part which the client identifies with in the moment, but following the total process, that is, with both primary and secondary signals.Thus, encouraging a client to be God when he is proclaiming that he is God and that the ‘authorities’ are evil would be less useful than enabling him to get in contact with his own inner authorities. Once this is done, he will be able to take simple and helpful directions from others and will even be able to give them to himself. As long as he is identified with God, it is not likely he will be able to hear or follow such instructions.Until recently, contacting the other side of a polarization during an acute episode has been difficult to achieve with patience and psychological interventions alone, that is, without drugs. *27\227\8*

WHO GETS OCD: PERSONALITY CLASSIFICATION

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:08:39 +0000

OCS AND D the dsm-iv diagnostic manual used by mental health professionals in the United States contains a set of diagnoses called personality disorders that are applied to people with long-term maladaptive patterns of thinking and behaving. Many of the labels are well known: paranoid, hysterical, psychopathic, narcissistic, and, yes, obsessive-compulsive.You probably recognize what obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is like. It represents the extreme of what in general parlance is referred to as obsessive-compulsive behavior. It describes the person who is perfectionistic, punctual, aloof, and inflexible, when severe obsessive-compulsive personality results in a sort of malignant fussiness. One patient of mine timed family members every time they showered, yelled when anyone put a fork in the dishwasher with the prongs facing down, and insisted on saving the carpet by having family members walk up and down the stairs on newspapers.Until recently, the unquestioned assumption among mental health professionals has been that obsessive-compulsive personality leads directly to obsessive-compulsive disorder. That is why, of course, they were both referred to as obsessive-compulsive in the first place. The two disorders were thought simply to represent different levels of seventy of the same basic problem; the rigidity and inflexibility of obsessive-compulsive personality was thought to cause by unconscious mechanisms the obsessions and compulsions of OCD. When I was in training there was no doubt about this link. Yet, although this theory is still cited in newspapers and magazines, the fact is that experts in the field no longer believe it.First of all, researchers have found that obsessive-compulsive personality is not, after all, a necessary condition for the development of OCD. Recent studies suggest that obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is not even the most common personality disorder that is found among people who have OCD. A 1993 study by Russell Noyes and colleagues at the University of Iowa, for instance, found that although 80 percent of OCD patients suffer from personality disorders, it is dependent personality disorder—fear of decisions, under-assertiveness, excessive leaning on others—that is present in more than half of patients. This finding agrees with what is found in clinical practice. Instead of being detached and emotionally cool, as are people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, OCD patients are nervous and clinging.Secondly, the idea that OCD is caused by any personality disorder has been called into question. In a 1992 study at Harvard, Michael Jenike and his colleagues looked at seventeen patients who were diagnosed as having both OCD and personality disorders. Ten of these patients responded well to medications and behavioral therapy for their obsessions, and when tested again after treatment, nine of the ten no longer had their personality disorders. What these findings suggest is that when people with OCD have personality disorders, it may well be the obsessions and compulsions that are causing the personality problems, not the other way around.Studies such as these cause mental health professionals to question whether the diagnoses referred to as personality disorders are truly valid and reliable. Other approaches to personality may be better. One well-researched new scheme for describing personality is that introduced in 1987 by Dr. Robert Cloninger, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis. I like Dr. Cloninger’s approach and so do my patients. It’s easy to understand, and it doesn’t involve negative labels, such as “hysteric” or “paranoid.”*22/338/2*

SKIN CARE: STRAIN AND SKIN DISEASE

admin — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:04:41 +0000

When sufferers from skin complaints are sent to those who practice psychological methods of treatment certain factors are clearly in evidence. Firstly, these people have, in most cases, tried the usual methods and have been disappointed. Secondly, they are psychologically disturbed by their afflictions in addition to other emotional and nervous tensions that afflict them. Thirdly, they are, from the Nature Cure viewpoint, toxaemic, i.e. suffering from the retention of the waste products of their bodily metabolism.In such cases psychological treatment may be very helpful for several reasons. It may give the patient new hope by suggesting a new outlook; it will certainly insist on a more rational attitude towards the disease; it will release some of the tensions by insisting on a better orientation towards the problems of daily life; and – and this is perhaps the most important thing of all-by conserving the nervous energy it will permit the system to restore the functions of elimination and allow the balance to return to the inter-cellular fluid.In all cases of skin disorders there is great tension of the nervous system, and this tension must be released if the normal function is to be restored. The individual must search through his life and habits to try to discover the source of his trouble, and no pains must be spared in this respect. The tension must be met by release, and then relaxation follows. The need for relaxation is of paramount importance, and any disturbance of the bodily health is an indication that we have lost the poise of the nervous system. It has to be restored so that the leakage of nerve energy does not undermine the functions of the system and rob it of its balance.It is just as necessary to learn to relax in skin complaints as it is when the blood-pressure is running too high. The agitated mind is the great obstacle to proper relaxation, and we have to discipline ourselves to overcome it. The agitated mind has been conditioned over many years to respond to certain forms of stimulus, and once the habit is built it is not an easy task to overcome it. The actual lesion in skin disease acts in this way. It may build resentment because of disfigurement, and this may prevent the person from carrying out normal social activities. It may tend to discourage activity in sports and the exposure of the body in bathing and swimming. If such an attitude of mind develops it may build a great deal of tension in the nervous system and perpetuate the very condition the patient is anxious to overcome. The fear of the trouble getting worse is another way in which the vicious circle may be maintained, and each time a new remedy fails the agitated mind receives a fresh wave of enervating depression.
*37/154/5*

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: ONSET OF PUBERTY AND THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:56:18 +0000

With the onset of puberty, the female reproductive system matures, and the development of secondary sex characteristics transforms young girls into young women. The first sign of puberty is the development of breast buds, which occurs around age 11. Body fat heavily influences the onset of puberty, and increasing rates of obesity in children may account for the fact that girls here and in other countries seem to be reaching puberty much earlier than they used to. Under the direction of the endocrine system, the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, and the ovaries all secrete hormones that act as chemical messengers among them. Working in a feedback system, hormonal levels in the bloodstream act as the trigger mechanism for release of more or different hormones.At around the age of 9 1/2 to 11 1/2 in females, the hypothalamus receives the message to begin secreting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). The release of GnRH in turn signals the pituitary gland to release hormones called gonadotropins. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are two gonadotropins, and their role is to signal the gonads, in this case the ovaries, to start producing estrogens and progesterone. Increased estrogen levels assist in the development of female secondary sex characteristics. In addition, estrogens are responsible for regulating the reproductive cycle. The normal age range for the onset of the first menstrual period, termed the menarche, is 9 to 17 years, with the average age being 11 1/2 to 13 1/2 years. Obese girls tend to begin menstruation much earlier than average, and very thin girls tend to begin menstruation much later, as is often the case with young, female athletes.The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long and divided into three phases: the proliferatory phase, the secretory phase, and the menstrual phase. During the proliferatory phase, the pituitary gland releases FSH and LH. The FSH acts on the ovaries to stimulate the maturation process of several ovarian follicles (egg sacs). These follicles secrete estrogens and, in response to this estrogen stimulation, the lining of the uterus, the endometrium, begins to grow and develop. The inner walls of the uterus become coated with a thick, spongy lining composed of blood and mucus. In the event of fertilization, the endometrial tissue will become a nesting place for the developing embryo. The increased estrogen level also signals the pituitary to slow down FSH production but to increase LH secretion. Of the several follicles developing in the ovaries, only one each month normally reaches complete maturity. Under the influence of LH, this one ovarian follicle rapidly matures, and on or about the fourteenth day of the proliferatory phase, it releases an ovum into the fallopian tube – a process referred to as ovulation. Just prior to ovulation, the mature egg’s follicle begins to increase secretion of progesterone, the first function of which is to spur the addition of further nutrients to the developing endometrium.After ovulation, the ovarian follicle is converted into the corpus luteum, or yellow body, which continues to secrete estrogen and progesterone but in decreasing amounts. In addition, FSH also falls back to its preproliferatory levels. Essentially, the woman’s body is “waiting” to see whether fertilization will occur. During this time after ovulation, LH declines, and progesterone levels begin to rise, causing additional tissue growth in the endometrium. This phase of the cycle is called the secretory phase.If fertilization takes place, cells surrounding the developing embryo release a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCC). This hormone leads to increased levels of estrogen and progesterone secretion, which maintains the endometrium while signaling the pituitary gland not to start a new menstrual cycle.When fertilization does not occur, the egg gradually disintegrates within approximately 72 hours. The corpus luteum gradually becomes nonfunctional, causing levels of progesterone and estrogen to decline. As hormonal levels decline, the endometrial lining of the uterus loses its nourishment, dies, and is sloughed off as menstrual flow. Menstruation is the third phase of the menstrual cycle.Some issues associated with menstruation that you may be interested in reading about are premenstrual syndrome (PMS), toxic shock syndrome (TSS), and dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation.*4/277/5*