Overview
· Poisons are substances that cause injury, illness or death
· These events are caused by a chemical activity in the cells
· Poisons can be injected, inhaled or swallowed
· Poisoning should be suspected if a person is sick for unknown reason
· Poor ventilation can aggravate Inhalation poisoning
· First aid is critical in saving the life of victims
Causes
· Medications
· Drug overdose
· Occupational exposure
· Cleaning detergents/paints
· Carbon mono oxide gas from furnace, heaters
· Insecticides
· Certain cosmetics
· Certain household plants, animals
· Food poisoning (Botulism)
Symptoms
· Blue lips
· Skin Rashes
· Difficulty in breathing
· Diarrhea
· Vomiting/Nausea
· Fever
· Head ache
· Giddiness/drowsiness
· Double vision
· Abdominal/chest pain
· Palpitations/Irritability
· Loss of appetite/bladder control
· Numbness
· Muscle twitching
· Seizures
· Weakness
· Loss of consciousness
Treatment
· Seek immediate medical help
Meanwhile,
· Try and identify the poison if possible
· Check for signs like burns around mouth, breathing difficulty or vomiting
· Induce vomiting if poison swallowed
· In case of convulsions, protect the person from self injury
· If the vomit falls on the skin, wash it thoroughly
· Position the victim on the left till medical help arrives
For inhalation poisoning
· Seek immediate emergency help
· Get help before you attempt to rescue others
· Hold a wet cloth to cover your nose and mouth
· Open all the doors and windows
· Take deep breaths before you begin the rescue
· Avoid lighting a match
· Check the patient's breathing
· Do a CPR, if necessary
· If the patient vomits, take steps to prevent choking
Steps to Avoid
· Avoid giving an unconscious victim anything orally
· Do not induce vomiting unless told by a medical personnel
· Do not give any medication to the victim unless directed by a doctor
· Do not neutralize the poison with limejuice/honey
Prevention
· Store medicines, cleaning detergents, mosquito repellants and paints carefully
· Keep all potentially poisonous substances out of children's reach
· Label the poisons in your house
· Avoid keeping poisonous plants in or around house
· Take care while eating products such as berries, roots or mushrooms
· Teach children the need to exercise caution
Friday, January 25, 2008
Acne
What is ACNE?
It is a group of skin rashes
Acne Vulgaris, popularly called pimples, affects face
Caused by blocked hair follicles
Commonly affects the young
Causes
Increase in sex hormones during puberty
Oil glands of skin produce more secretions
Dead cells and secretions block hair follicles causing infections
Infected follicles gets inflamed leading to acne
Factors that can worsen your Acne
Hormonal changes during menses.
Squeezing of pimples
Pollution and high humidity
Oily diet
Myths associated with the cause of Acne
Chocolates, junk food, dirty skin, and stress cause acne
No scientific backing for these myths
Treatment
Consult a skin specialist or dermatologist
Common medications include - a. Benzoyl peroxide b. Resorcinol c. Salicylic acid d. Sulfur drugs
Skin Care
Clean skin with mild Cleanser
Avoid squeezing of pimples
Avoid sunburn
Use oil-free cosmetics
Avoid fizzy drinks
Eat a balanced diet
Drink plenty of fluids
It is a group of skin rashes
Acne Vulgaris, popularly called pimples, affects face
Caused by blocked hair follicles
Commonly affects the young
Causes
Increase in sex hormones during puberty
Oil glands of skin produce more secretions
Dead cells and secretions block hair follicles causing infections
Infected follicles gets inflamed leading to acne
Factors that can worsen your Acne
Hormonal changes during menses.
Squeezing of pimples
Pollution and high humidity
Oily diet
Myths associated with the cause of Acne
Chocolates, junk food, dirty skin, and stress cause acne
No scientific backing for these myths
Treatment
Consult a skin specialist or dermatologist
Common medications include - a. Benzoyl peroxide b. Resorcinol c. Salicylic acid d. Sulfur drugs
Skin Care
Clean skin with mild Cleanser
Avoid squeezing of pimples
Avoid sunburn
Use oil-free cosmetics
Avoid fizzy drinks
Eat a balanced diet
Drink plenty of fluids
Monday, January 21, 2008
Flu
Flu and complications linked to it kill hundreds of people in the UK each year. But despite massive investment in research into the virus, there is no cure.
However, there are vaccines which have some protective effect. These are normally administered to the elderly and the vulnerable each year.
But every few years a new strain of flu appears which spreads so rapidly that precautions cannot be developed in time.
This can lead to pandemics which threaten millions of lives. The worst flu pandemic this century was the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 which killed an estimated 40 million people - more than World War One.
What is flu?
Many people confuse flu with a common cold. There is a big degree of crossover between the two. Both are caused by viruses.
According to Cardiff's Common Cold Centre, the symptoms of a common cold include:
A scratchy, sore throat;
A blocked or runny nose;
A cough.
Common flu symptoms include:
Spells of high fever (hovering above 101°F) and chilliness;
Severe muscle aches and pains;
Followed later by the traditional cold symptoms;
Flu tends to have a more sudden on-set than a cold.
Both colds and flu tend to last for about five or six days in a normally healthy person and are transmitted in similar ways - cough, sneezing and fingers made dirty from being poked in the nose and eyes.
How to treat the flu
There is a temporary vaccine against flu and those most likely to benefit from it include the elderly, people with damaged immune systems and the very young.
These people are at greater risk of serious complications that can be fatal.
For the majority of people with flu, however, the symptoms can be treated with bed rest and over-the-counter drugs.
The most difficult symptoms to treat are aches and pains, high fever and a lingering cough.
Once a person has the flu, they should:
Take paracetamol to treat the high fever and aches and pains;
Take a linctus to treat the cough or drink lots of hot, sweet fruit drinks, such as hot lemon with honey;
Because the fever causes sweating and dries out the body, patients should increase the amount of juices, water and hot drinks they take;
Smoking aggravates the flu so patients should steer clear of smoky atmospheres;
People with a high fever and muscle pain should rest in bed. This should relieve the aches and pains and will ensure the virus is not spread.
Antibiotics are not effective against flu viruses, but aspirins can be taken, although not by children with the flu.
This is because they could be at risk of developing Reye's syndrome, a neurological disorder which is linked to aspirin use by the young.
The drug rimantadine can be used to treat influenza type A virus infections in adults - the strain now affecting the UK, but it has no effect on influenza type B infections.
However, although used to treat mainly the elderly in the US, it is not commonly prescribed in the UK and can lead to side effects.
It is not a cure, but can reduce symptoms and the length of time a person suffers fever if taken within 48 hours of the onset of flu.
Rimantadine is a derivative of the drug amantadine, which has been used to treat Parkinson's disease and causes side effects such as insomnia and dizziness.
Secondary infections
Secondary infections that develop as a complication of flu claim hundreds of lives each year.
They include pneumococcal pneumonia which can lead to bacteramia or blood poisoning.
The campaign group, Action Against Pneumococcal Infection (AAPI), says around 50,000 cases of pneumonia in the UK are caused by the flu virus every year.
Most people have pneumococci bacteria in the respiratory system, but usually they are resistant to it.
However, a bout of flu can lower that resistance, leading to pneumococcal pneumonia. Sufferers can need hospital treatment and antibiotics and some die.
The AAPI says around 20% of those who do receive treatment die and the figure rises to 40% for the elderly, very young or those whose immune system has been damaged.
There are vaccinations which can give protection against pneumococcal infection for life.
Epidemics
Scientists do not know why some viruses become mass killers, but recent research suggests a molecular mechanism may allow a virus to cause sweeping and potentially fatal damage to the body.
Normally influenza is confined to cells within the respiratory system, but some viruses have a unique key which unlocks the door to cells throughout the body.
The new discovery could allow doctors monitoring flu viruses to spot changes which might give a virus pandemic potential.
Influenza virus surface proteins alter frequently, requiring new vaccines to be developed to protect against them.
The viruses are never the same each year, but normally the surface proteins undergo slight changes.
More dangerous is a "shift" when two different viruses mix together to create a radically different strain
However, there are vaccines which have some protective effect. These are normally administered to the elderly and the vulnerable each year.
But every few years a new strain of flu appears which spreads so rapidly that precautions cannot be developed in time.
This can lead to pandemics which threaten millions of lives. The worst flu pandemic this century was the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 which killed an estimated 40 million people - more than World War One.
What is flu?
Many people confuse flu with a common cold. There is a big degree of crossover between the two. Both are caused by viruses.
According to Cardiff's Common Cold Centre, the symptoms of a common cold include:
A scratchy, sore throat;
A blocked or runny nose;
A cough.
Common flu symptoms include:
Spells of high fever (hovering above 101°F) and chilliness;
Severe muscle aches and pains;
Followed later by the traditional cold symptoms;
Flu tends to have a more sudden on-set than a cold.
Both colds and flu tend to last for about five or six days in a normally healthy person and are transmitted in similar ways - cough, sneezing and fingers made dirty from being poked in the nose and eyes.
How to treat the flu
There is a temporary vaccine against flu and those most likely to benefit from it include the elderly, people with damaged immune systems and the very young.
These people are at greater risk of serious complications that can be fatal.
For the majority of people with flu, however, the symptoms can be treated with bed rest and over-the-counter drugs.
The most difficult symptoms to treat are aches and pains, high fever and a lingering cough.
Once a person has the flu, they should:
Take paracetamol to treat the high fever and aches and pains;
Take a linctus to treat the cough or drink lots of hot, sweet fruit drinks, such as hot lemon with honey;
Because the fever causes sweating and dries out the body, patients should increase the amount of juices, water and hot drinks they take;
Smoking aggravates the flu so patients should steer clear of smoky atmospheres;
People with a high fever and muscle pain should rest in bed. This should relieve the aches and pains and will ensure the virus is not spread.
Antibiotics are not effective against flu viruses, but aspirins can be taken, although not by children with the flu.
This is because they could be at risk of developing Reye's syndrome, a neurological disorder which is linked to aspirin use by the young.
The drug rimantadine can be used to treat influenza type A virus infections in adults - the strain now affecting the UK, but it has no effect on influenza type B infections.
However, although used to treat mainly the elderly in the US, it is not commonly prescribed in the UK and can lead to side effects.
It is not a cure, but can reduce symptoms and the length of time a person suffers fever if taken within 48 hours of the onset of flu.
Rimantadine is a derivative of the drug amantadine, which has been used to treat Parkinson's disease and causes side effects such as insomnia and dizziness.
Secondary infections
Secondary infections that develop as a complication of flu claim hundreds of lives each year.
They include pneumococcal pneumonia which can lead to bacteramia or blood poisoning.
The campaign group, Action Against Pneumococcal Infection (AAPI), says around 50,000 cases of pneumonia in the UK are caused by the flu virus every year.
Most people have pneumococci bacteria in the respiratory system, but usually they are resistant to it.
However, a bout of flu can lower that resistance, leading to pneumococcal pneumonia. Sufferers can need hospital treatment and antibiotics and some die.
The AAPI says around 20% of those who do receive treatment die and the figure rises to 40% for the elderly, very young or those whose immune system has been damaged.
There are vaccinations which can give protection against pneumococcal infection for life.
Epidemics
Scientists do not know why some viruses become mass killers, but recent research suggests a molecular mechanism may allow a virus to cause sweeping and potentially fatal damage to the body.
Normally influenza is confined to cells within the respiratory system, but some viruses have a unique key which unlocks the door to cells throughout the body.
The new discovery could allow doctors monitoring flu viruses to spot changes which might give a virus pandemic potential.
Influenza virus surface proteins alter frequently, requiring new vaccines to be developed to protect against them.
The viruses are never the same each year, but normally the surface proteins undergo slight changes.
More dangerous is a "shift" when two different viruses mix together to create a radically different strain
Sinuses
What Are Sinuses?
The sinuses (say: sy-nus-is) are air-filled spaces found in the bones of the head and face. Sinuses start developing before you are born and some of them keep growing until you're about 20. There are four pairs of sinuses, or eight in all. They are located on either side of the nose in your cheeks, behind and between the eyes, in the forehead, and at the back of the nasal cavity.
Like the inside of the nose, the sinuses are lined with a moist, thin layer of tissue called a mucous membrane (say: myoo-kus mem-brayne). The mucous membranes help moisten the air as you breathe it in. The mucous membrane also makes mucus, that sticky stuff in your nose you might call snot. The mucus traps dust and germs that are in the air we breathe. On the surface of the cells of the mucous membrane are microscopic hairs called cilia (say: sih-lee-uh).
The cilia beat back and forth in waves to clear mucus from the sinuses through a narrow opening in the nose and then move the mucus toward the back of the nose to be swallowed. Gross, huh? If you have a cold or allergies, the membrane gets irritated and swollen and produces even more mucus.
What Do Sinuses Do?
No one is completely sure why we have sinuses, but some researchers think they keep the head from being too heavy. Sinuses are pockets of air, and air doesn't weigh very much. If those pockets were solid bone, your head would weigh more.
Sinuses also give you the depth or tone of your voice. Did you ever notice how funny your voice sounds if your nose and sinuses get stuffy when you have a cold?
When Good Sinuses Go Bad
What about that cold that won't go away? A cold virus can:
damage the delicate cilia so that mucus is not swept away
cause the mucous lining of the nose to become swollen, which narrows and blocks the small opening from the sinuses into the nose
lead to the production of more mucus, which is often thicker and stickier, making it harder to flow out of the sinuses
When the tiny openings that drain the sinuses get blocked, mucus becomes trapped in the sinuses. Like water in a stagnant pond, it makes a good home for bacteria, viruses, or fungi to grow.
If a cold lasts for more than 10 to 14 days (sometimes you may have a low-grade fever), you may have sinusitis (say: syne-yuh-sy-tus). This means an infection of the sinuses. Sinusitis is a pretty common infection; in fact, close to 37 million people in the United States have sinusitis each year.
Acute sinusitis may be diagnosed when a cold lasts more than 10 to 14 days. Chronic sinusitis means a person has had symptoms for more than 3 months. Symptoms may be similar to acute sinusitis, but typically are less severe and not associated with fever.
In either case, symptoms may include:
fever
persistent nasal discharge that often is yellow or green (this alone doesn't always mean you have a sinus infection)
daytime cough (your cough may be worse at night)
puffy eyes, especially in the morning
bad breath
Less often, a kid could have headache or pain behind the eyes, forehead, and cheeks.
What Will the Doctor Do?
If a doctor thinks you have a sinus infection, he or she will probably examine your ears and throat and take a look in your nose. The doctor may also check your sinuses by tapping or pressing on your forehead and cheeks. If you have a sinus infection, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic. If bacteria are causing the problem, an antibiotic will help by killing the bacteria. If it's a virus, antibiotic medicine won't work.
In the case of a bacterial infection, the antibiotic should help you feel better in a few days. A decongestant or nasal spray may also be prescribed to help you feel better. If the sinus infection is chronic, the doctor may have you take medicine for a couple of weeks, just to be sure all the bacteria are knocked out.
Sometimes, if a sinus infection is not getting better, comes back even after you take all your medicine, or if the doctor is thinking about doing surgery, he or she may send you to have a CT scan of the sinuses. The CT scan is a special X-ray that takes a picture of your insides. It doesn't hurt, and it makes it much easier for the doctor to see what's going on. Your doctor can clearly see what the sinuses look like and then decide what kind of treatment will help you get better faster.
The good news about sinusitis is that it's not contagious, so if you are feeling well enough, you can go to school or go outside and play. In no time, you'll be over your infection - and you'll be saying so long to sinusitis!
The sinuses (say: sy-nus-is) are air-filled spaces found in the bones of the head and face. Sinuses start developing before you are born and some of them keep growing until you're about 20. There are four pairs of sinuses, or eight in all. They are located on either side of the nose in your cheeks, behind and between the eyes, in the forehead, and at the back of the nasal cavity.
Like the inside of the nose, the sinuses are lined with a moist, thin layer of tissue called a mucous membrane (say: myoo-kus mem-brayne). The mucous membranes help moisten the air as you breathe it in. The mucous membrane also makes mucus, that sticky stuff in your nose you might call snot. The mucus traps dust and germs that are in the air we breathe. On the surface of the cells of the mucous membrane are microscopic hairs called cilia (say: sih-lee-uh).
The cilia beat back and forth in waves to clear mucus from the sinuses through a narrow opening in the nose and then move the mucus toward the back of the nose to be swallowed. Gross, huh? If you have a cold or allergies, the membrane gets irritated and swollen and produces even more mucus.
What Do Sinuses Do?
No one is completely sure why we have sinuses, but some researchers think they keep the head from being too heavy. Sinuses are pockets of air, and air doesn't weigh very much. If those pockets were solid bone, your head would weigh more.
Sinuses also give you the depth or tone of your voice. Did you ever notice how funny your voice sounds if your nose and sinuses get stuffy when you have a cold?
When Good Sinuses Go Bad
What about that cold that won't go away? A cold virus can:
damage the delicate cilia so that mucus is not swept away
cause the mucous lining of the nose to become swollen, which narrows and blocks the small opening from the sinuses into the nose
lead to the production of more mucus, which is often thicker and stickier, making it harder to flow out of the sinuses
When the tiny openings that drain the sinuses get blocked, mucus becomes trapped in the sinuses. Like water in a stagnant pond, it makes a good home for bacteria, viruses, or fungi to grow.
If a cold lasts for more than 10 to 14 days (sometimes you may have a low-grade fever), you may have sinusitis (say: syne-yuh-sy-tus). This means an infection of the sinuses. Sinusitis is a pretty common infection; in fact, close to 37 million people in the United States have sinusitis each year.
Acute sinusitis may be diagnosed when a cold lasts more than 10 to 14 days. Chronic sinusitis means a person has had symptoms for more than 3 months. Symptoms may be similar to acute sinusitis, but typically are less severe and not associated with fever.
In either case, symptoms may include:
fever
persistent nasal discharge that often is yellow or green (this alone doesn't always mean you have a sinus infection)
daytime cough (your cough may be worse at night)
puffy eyes, especially in the morning
bad breath
Less often, a kid could have headache or pain behind the eyes, forehead, and cheeks.
What Will the Doctor Do?
If a doctor thinks you have a sinus infection, he or she will probably examine your ears and throat and take a look in your nose. The doctor may also check your sinuses by tapping or pressing on your forehead and cheeks. If you have a sinus infection, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic. If bacteria are causing the problem, an antibiotic will help by killing the bacteria. If it's a virus, antibiotic medicine won't work.
In the case of a bacterial infection, the antibiotic should help you feel better in a few days. A decongestant or nasal spray may also be prescribed to help you feel better. If the sinus infection is chronic, the doctor may have you take medicine for a couple of weeks, just to be sure all the bacteria are knocked out.
Sometimes, if a sinus infection is not getting better, comes back even after you take all your medicine, or if the doctor is thinking about doing surgery, he or she may send you to have a CT scan of the sinuses. The CT scan is a special X-ray that takes a picture of your insides. It doesn't hurt, and it makes it much easier for the doctor to see what's going on. Your doctor can clearly see what the sinuses look like and then decide what kind of treatment will help you get better faster.
The good news about sinusitis is that it's not contagious, so if you are feeling well enough, you can go to school or go outside and play. In no time, you'll be over your infection - and you'll be saying so long to sinusitis!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
How to control Chest Pain
. Boil 4-5 pods of garlic in a glass of milk and consume the garlic pods with milk daily to avoid chest pain.
· Pound the dates with the seeds and eat them every day.
· Increase the intake of ginger and lime in your diet.
· Pound urad dhal to powder and eat it regularly.
· Drink a glass of milk mixed with kadukai powder every night before going to bed.
· Take a spoon of tulsi juice with honey in empty stomach every day.
· Pound the dates with the seeds and eat them every day.
· Increase the intake of ginger and lime in your diet.
· Pound urad dhal to powder and eat it regularly.
· Drink a glass of milk mixed with kadukai powder every night before going to bed.
· Take a spoon of tulsi juice with honey in empty stomach every day.
Simple tips and technics to keep your body fit and healthy
How do you feel to be healthy? Nice! Must be wondering if there is that magic wand, I can become slim, fit and healthy. Nice to think but how to make this a reality? Takes time. Can't happen overnight.
You can follow certain simple and easy technics which will help you be fit and healthy. Have you decided to go for it! then read on.
- Do not make a future plan for your exercise, if you have to do it, just do it now.
- Wake up a bit early, pull your pants up and start walking out. If not like an exercise, just walk out. Go where you like, spend sometime out in the morning. You can opt to buy milk, vegetables, newspaper or whatever... just go out. Slowly increase the speed of your walk.
- Follow the Golden Rule - Breakfast like a KING, Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a PAUPER. Keep your dinner very light, avoid cheese, butter, curd or any other fat products.
- Breathe in and breathe out deeply whenever your remember. Do simple stretching exercises.
- Last of all... Dont worry.. Be happy. Stress can cause lifestyle diseases. Be away from stress. Life is short, enjoy every moment of it.
You can follow certain simple and easy technics which will help you be fit and healthy. Have you decided to go for it! then read on.
- Do not make a future plan for your exercise, if you have to do it, just do it now.
- Wake up a bit early, pull your pants up and start walking out. If not like an exercise, just walk out. Go where you like, spend sometime out in the morning. You can opt to buy milk, vegetables, newspaper or whatever... just go out. Slowly increase the speed of your walk.
- Follow the Golden Rule - Breakfast like a KING, Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a PAUPER. Keep your dinner very light, avoid cheese, butter, curd or any other fat products.
- Breathe in and breathe out deeply whenever your remember. Do simple stretching exercises.
- Last of all... Dont worry.. Be happy. Stress can cause lifestyle diseases. Be away from stress. Life is short, enjoy every moment of it.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Health Benefits of Eating Meat
There are innumerable health benefits of eating meat, to say, for example, it serves as a fabulous source of high quality proteins, which a single vegetarian food is not able to provide. It contains all the essential amino acids that the body requires. The red meat contains very high quantities of iron, when compared with plant origin foods. 100 grams of Liver contains 6000 mcgm of iron as against 325 mcgm in 100-gram carrots. Read further to explore information about the advantages of eating meat…The phosphorus content present in meat gets much more easily absorbed than that present in cereals and legumes. This is owing to the fact that cereals and legumes contain phosphorus, usually in the form of phytic acid that must be hydrolyzed before absorption. Meat also serves as the main source for the intake of vitamin B12. Though meat is rich in nutrients, but, there are certain things that meat lacks in. It doesn't contain any kind of fiber, which helps to keep your digestive system in order. Also it is very high in saturated fats, thus it is recommended to eat meat, but in moderate quantities. Preserved meats like ham, bacon, salami etc should be avoided, as they are very high in terms of fats, salts, nitrites and nitrates that are often held responsible for causing cancer. It is recommended to eat not more than 60-75 grams of meat per day and not more than thrice a week.
Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian
Advantages of vegetarian foods are:
They are easily chewable, especially for the elderly who have lost their teeth.
Many elderly feel that vegetarian food is more easily digestible.
Vegetarian foods are cheaper than non-vegetarian foods.
Some vegetables can be eaten raw preventing the loss of nutrients while cooking.
Vegetarian foods do not contain as much fat as non-vegetarian foods.
Vegetarians should take care to include soyabeans, groundnuts, lentils, mushrooms and so on to get a sufficient supply of proteins.
Advantages of Non-Vegetarian foods are:
Non-vegetarian foods are rich in protein of high biological value and in Vit B complex, especially B12 which is not available in plant foods.
Fish, especially the small varieties are a rich source of calcium.
Egg-white is good source of protein and easily digested.
The incidence of high BP, Heart disease, Obesity and high cholesterol levels is found to be greater among non-vegetarians. Elders who suffer from these problems should reduce the intake of fleshy foods in their diet. Egg-white and most varieties of fish contain less fat, but are rich in protein, vitamins and minerals.
They are easily chewable, especially for the elderly who have lost their teeth.
Many elderly feel that vegetarian food is more easily digestible.
Vegetarian foods are cheaper than non-vegetarian foods.
Some vegetables can be eaten raw preventing the loss of nutrients while cooking.
Vegetarian foods do not contain as much fat as non-vegetarian foods.
Vegetarians should take care to include soyabeans, groundnuts, lentils, mushrooms and so on to get a sufficient supply of proteins.
Advantages of Non-Vegetarian foods are:
Non-vegetarian foods are rich in protein of high biological value and in Vit B complex, especially B12 which is not available in plant foods.
Fish, especially the small varieties are a rich source of calcium.
Egg-white is good source of protein and easily digested.
The incidence of high BP, Heart disease, Obesity and high cholesterol levels is found to be greater among non-vegetarians. Elders who suffer from these problems should reduce the intake of fleshy foods in their diet. Egg-white and most varieties of fish contain less fat, but are rich in protein, vitamins and minerals.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Food additives
The possible health risks of food additives are the subject of fierce controversy.
Most food additives are considered safe.
All additives in the UK and Europe are controlled by law, and can only be used following stringent tests and approval by an independent committee of scientists and medical experts.
However, some scientists have linked additives - particularly tartrazine or E102 - to hyperactivity in children, allergies, asthma, migraines and even cancer.
The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) believes more research is needed before any firm link is established between additives and allergic reactions. But it does not rule out the possibility.
Sarah Schenker, a nutrition scientist for the BNF, said: "Some additives, especially some of the colourants, have been linked with hyperactivity in children, but the evidence is very ancedotal.
"There have been no properly controlled trials or tests looking at the effect of additives.
"The public should not be worried about additives because they have all been rigorously tested before they are allowed to be added to foods."
Dr Schenker said that if people noticed a reaction they should simply cut the offending item out of their diet.
However, according to The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a US organisation that campaigns for food safety, many additives should be avoided for health grounds.
Aspartame concern
The sugar substitute Aspartame is sold commercially as Equal and Nutrasweet.
One out of 20,000 babies is born without the ability to metabolise phenylalanine from any dietary source. Phenylalanine is a naturally occurring essential amino acid found in all protein (including mother's milk) and is one of the two amino acids in aspartame.
All children are screened for phenylketonuria at birth and any found with it have to follow a strict diet for the rest of their lives, controlling the amount of protein they consume.
There is some evidence to suggest toxic levels of this substance in the blood can result in mental retardation.
Scientists are also investigating a possible link between aspartame and changes in brain function.
People have reported dizziness, headaches, epileptic-like seizures, and menstrual problems after consuming aspartame.
Other additives highlighted by the CSPI include:
Caffeine: linked to peptic ulcers, insomnia, nervousness and birth defects.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): linked to heaches, tightness in the chest, and a burning sensation in the forearms and back of the head.
Nitrite and Nitrate: Meat preservatives that can form powerful cancer causing chemicals when heated.
Saccharin: linked to cancer is laboratory animals.
Most food additives are considered safe.
All additives in the UK and Europe are controlled by law, and can only be used following stringent tests and approval by an independent committee of scientists and medical experts.
However, some scientists have linked additives - particularly tartrazine or E102 - to hyperactivity in children, allergies, asthma, migraines and even cancer.
The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) believes more research is needed before any firm link is established between additives and allergic reactions. But it does not rule out the possibility.
Sarah Schenker, a nutrition scientist for the BNF, said: "Some additives, especially some of the colourants, have been linked with hyperactivity in children, but the evidence is very ancedotal.
"There have been no properly controlled trials or tests looking at the effect of additives.
"The public should not be worried about additives because they have all been rigorously tested before they are allowed to be added to foods."
Dr Schenker said that if people noticed a reaction they should simply cut the offending item out of their diet.
However, according to The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a US organisation that campaigns for food safety, many additives should be avoided for health grounds.
Aspartame concern
The sugar substitute Aspartame is sold commercially as Equal and Nutrasweet.
One out of 20,000 babies is born without the ability to metabolise phenylalanine from any dietary source. Phenylalanine is a naturally occurring essential amino acid found in all protein (including mother's milk) and is one of the two amino acids in aspartame.
All children are screened for phenylketonuria at birth and any found with it have to follow a strict diet for the rest of their lives, controlling the amount of protein they consume.
There is some evidence to suggest toxic levels of this substance in the blood can result in mental retardation.
Scientists are also investigating a possible link between aspartame and changes in brain function.
People have reported dizziness, headaches, epileptic-like seizures, and menstrual problems after consuming aspartame.
Other additives highlighted by the CSPI include:
Caffeine: linked to peptic ulcers, insomnia, nervousness and birth defects.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): linked to heaches, tightness in the chest, and a burning sensation in the forearms and back of the head.
Nitrite and Nitrate: Meat preservatives that can form powerful cancer causing chemicals when heated.
Saccharin: linked to cancer is laboratory animals.
Laser Eye Surgery
The surgery is intended to reduce a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses.
Doctors use a laser to permanently change the shape of the cornea, the clear covering over the coloured iris, and the lens, which is just behind the pupil of the eye.
What does the surgery entail?
The surgery is done as an out-patient procedure and takes about an hour.
Local anaesthetic drops are placed in the eye being treated.
A knife is used to cut a flap in the cornea.
A hinge is left at one end of this flap.
The flap is folded back to reveal the middle part of the cornea. Pulses from a laser vaporise a portion of this and the flap is replaced.
An eye patch is usually worn over the treated eye for 24 hours.
How does this improve vision?
People need to wear glasses for different reasons. Some people are said to be short-sighted or myopic. This is due to the cornea being too steeply curved or the eye longer than normal.
Therefore, light rays fall in short of the retina - the area at the back of the eye that interprets the image - and results in blurred distance vision.
Other people are long-sighted or hyperopic because their cornea is too flat or the eye is too short. This means that the light rays focus too far beyond the retina.
Others have a condition where the cornea is oval shaped rather than spherical, called astigmatism. This produces two different focal points which can blur images at all distances.
Laser surgery to reshape the cornea can help to correct these problems.
Will it help with age-related vision loss?
No.
Laser surgery will not be able to cure age-related presbyopia and the need for reading glasses that people often develop in their mid-40's.
This is because presbyopia is not to do with a problem with the cornea. Instead, it occurs when the lens becoming less flexible with age.
Where can I get it?
Private treatment usually costs £1000-1500 per eye and is available at some NHS hospitals.
What are the risks?
Complications occur in less than 5% of cases, according to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
Some people have a problem with dry eyes in the months after surgery and artificial tear supplements might be needed in the long term.
Many patients have experienced glare or halo effects when night driving, particularly just after treatment. This is more likely the higher the correction that has been made, but is rarely severe.
In rare cases, excessive thinning of the eye wall can cause the shape of the eye to be unstable after treatment. Severe loss of vision is very unusual, but some patients could require corneal surgery or hard contact lenses to restore vision, it said.
Can both eyes be done on the same day?
Yes, but your consultant should outline the risks. In order to reduce the risk of cross contamination should complications arise, each eye should be treated as separate procedure.
How long will it take me to recover?
Most patients have a reasonably comfortable period after surgery and are back at work within a few days to a week.
Depending on the vision correction attempted, driving may be unsafe for one to two weeks. Tinted glasses with ultraviolet protection are needed when out in the sun for the first three months.
Doctors use a laser to permanently change the shape of the cornea, the clear covering over the coloured iris, and the lens, which is just behind the pupil of the eye.
What does the surgery entail?
The surgery is done as an out-patient procedure and takes about an hour.
Local anaesthetic drops are placed in the eye being treated.
A knife is used to cut a flap in the cornea.
A hinge is left at one end of this flap.
The flap is folded back to reveal the middle part of the cornea. Pulses from a laser vaporise a portion of this and the flap is replaced.
An eye patch is usually worn over the treated eye for 24 hours.
How does this improve vision?
People need to wear glasses for different reasons. Some people are said to be short-sighted or myopic. This is due to the cornea being too steeply curved or the eye longer than normal.
Therefore, light rays fall in short of the retina - the area at the back of the eye that interprets the image - and results in blurred distance vision.
Other people are long-sighted or hyperopic because their cornea is too flat or the eye is too short. This means that the light rays focus too far beyond the retina.
Others have a condition where the cornea is oval shaped rather than spherical, called astigmatism. This produces two different focal points which can blur images at all distances.
Laser surgery to reshape the cornea can help to correct these problems.
Will it help with age-related vision loss?
No.
Laser surgery will not be able to cure age-related presbyopia and the need for reading glasses that people often develop in their mid-40's.
This is because presbyopia is not to do with a problem with the cornea. Instead, it occurs when the lens becoming less flexible with age.
Where can I get it?
Private treatment usually costs £1000-1500 per eye and is available at some NHS hospitals.
What are the risks?
Complications occur in less than 5% of cases, according to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
Some people have a problem with dry eyes in the months after surgery and artificial tear supplements might be needed in the long term.
Many patients have experienced glare or halo effects when night driving, particularly just after treatment. This is more likely the higher the correction that has been made, but is rarely severe.
In rare cases, excessive thinning of the eye wall can cause the shape of the eye to be unstable after treatment. Severe loss of vision is very unusual, but some patients could require corneal surgery or hard contact lenses to restore vision, it said.
Can both eyes be done on the same day?
Yes, but your consultant should outline the risks. In order to reduce the risk of cross contamination should complications arise, each eye should be treated as separate procedure.
How long will it take me to recover?
Most patients have a reasonably comfortable period after surgery and are back at work within a few days to a week.
Depending on the vision correction attempted, driving may be unsafe for one to two weeks. Tinted glasses with ultraviolet protection are needed when out in the sun for the first three months.
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