In common with all other life forms, the human body goes through a natural cycle of decay. This normal deterioration is inevitable, but need not necessarily be uncomfortable. Discomfort and a poor quality of life mean that ageing is taking place too quickly. Ageing is a process; being old is a sentence. The ageing process should be like of brandy: the better the ageing process is managed, the better the end product. (more…)
I have only roundabout evidence regarding HRT in breast cancer survivors. For example, we know that younger women who have had breast cancer and then go on to become pregnant, with the associated high levels of estrogen and progesterone, do not have a worse prognosis or earlier relapse of breast cancer than women who do not experience a pregnancy. If estrogen can theoretically stimulate breast cancer growth, why do I see breast cancer appear in older postmenopausal women who are not on HRT? This is a fairly frequent occurrence, and most of these cancers are hormone receptor positive, yet they are growing in an estrogen-poor environment. This seems to counter what we know about the environment that is conducive to breast cancer, but this is just another reminder of how much we do not understand about this disease. (more…)
Of all smokers who start smoking in adolescence and continue throughout their lives, half will succumb to a fatal tobacco-caused disease before the age of 70, losing, on average, 22 years of their life expectancy!
In the United States, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable, premature death. As more and more women smoke, so their incidence of heart disease and lung cancer has increased — their death rate from lung cancer has increased by a factor of almost seven from 1950 until 1990 (with the death rate from breast cancer showing little change over the same period). Whatever its pleasures, smoking’s consequences are most unpleasant: chronic cough, hoarseness, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder (all of which can be fatal), and increased risk of heart attack and stroke! (more…)
The commonest form of this disease is plaque psoriasis and most sufferers have this type alone on and off for much of their lives. A few individuals will develop other varieties but this is usually a temporary occurrence which will then revert back to the plaque type.
About one million people in Britain have psoriasis and the majority have the plaque form. The appearances are quite characteristic and there can be any number of patches, pink or pink-red, stuck onto the skin. They are clearly separated from the normal surrounding skin and come in almost every shape and size but tend not to have rounded edges. The surface is scaly and, on the legs, markedly so. The scale is silvery and is quite easily scraped off with a fingernail: however, new patches, those on the upper body and face, and those undergoing treatment may have little or no scale. (more…)
Tularemia is a disease that is carried by many wild animals. Human infections occur most frequently through contact with rabbits and hares. Sportsmen and hunters would be wise to use rubber gloves while skinning and dressing wild game.
Many different animals are found to be infected with tularemia. The disease is sometimes transmitted by insects which bite these animals and then bite human beings shortly afterward.
Mountain streams are sometimes contaminated with these germs as well. Those who drink the polluted water may contract the disease. But the chief source of human infection is through the handling of rabbits. The germs may enter through cuts on the hands and other parts of the body. Improperly cooked rabbit meat is another way the disease spreads among the public in general. (more…)
Of all the enemies that man must contend with in the animal kingdom, the worst is the rat. Not only do these animals carry harmful germs, but if given a chance, they will also destroy our food supply. Rats invade stores, destroying fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, carpets, clothing, and innumerable other things.
Rats destroy ten times more by pollution than by what they eat. They burrow under houses and buildings, weakening foundations. On the farm they destroy more eggs and chickens than all the wild animals combined. (more…)
Living in a large city is not always safe. Wherever large numbers of people are gathered together, there is always some risk of infection. During an epidemic it is easy for disease to spread quickly from one person to another. The more dense the population, the greater the danger.
Out in the country the risk of infection may be somewhat less. The protective forces of nature often help to prevent disease. Many germs are destroyed by the heat of the sun and by the drying effects of the wind. The cold days of winter may also help to eliminate some harmful bacteria. But a few germs may still be there after the snow has melted. This is more apt to be true where the winters are short and relatively mild. (more…)
A number of very special health, fitness, and beauty problems arise out of that unique condition of being a girl. This section is designed to give you a quick overview of some of those problems and to direct you in seeking further help, should you need it.
Premenstrual syndrome is a newly coined name for an old, old problem. Many girls and women have complained that before their menstrual period they experience a number of painful and sometimes incapacitating symptoms.
While there are any number of drugs (both prescription and over the counter) that you can take, there are some even more basic steps that experts recommend for coping with the problem. (more…)
Although physical diseases can cause or mimic depression, they are a comparatively rare cause. Most of the specific illnesses mentioned here are uncommon and, with the possible exception of hypothyroidism, they start with depression in only a relatively small number of cases.
Several hormones have an effect on mood. As well as the female sexual hormones, hormones from the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, thyroid glands, parathyroid glands and pancreas may all affect energy and mood. However, such effects occur only when there is a significant disease in therelevant gland, which is fairly rare, and in which case there are usually also physical symptoms. (more…)
The number of calories needed per day depends upon the body’s metabolic rate (MR), which, in turn, depends upon such factors as age, sex, size, muscle mass, glandular function, emotional state, climate, and exercise.
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the basis for your caloric needs. The higher the BMR, the more calories you burn at rest. Your MR is a combination of your BMR and calories expended in normal daily activities. The MR is usually higher in males, young people, large people, lean and muscular people, and in nervous people; in cold and hot weather; and during exercise. (more…)
Many hormones affect mood. With the exception of female hormones, hormonal treatment is indicated only when there is disease of the gland secreting the hormone. In these uncommon cases the gland may be treated, by surgery for example, or the missing hormone may be replaced thyroxine given to a hypothyroid person removes depression. There is considerable controversy in medical circles about the use of female hormones. They have been used to prevent and treat post-natal depression, for premenstrual tension, and for menopausal depression. The clearest useful effects have been inthe prevention and treatment of pre-menstrual tension. (more…)
I do encourage you to use complementary techniques to optimise your condition and augment your healing. But always consult your doctor first, and even if he or she does not believe in the therapy, just make sure that no harm can be done. These therapies may give you support, comfort or may aid your healing. You may choose to learn meditation, practise guided imagery, relaxation techniques, acupuncture, reflexology Ayurvedic or Chinese medicine or follow a sound nutritional plan. Steer clear of any practitioner who tells you there is only one way to heal from cancer and that is with his/her therapy, or anyone who advises you to forego the treatment advised by your doctor. This is extremely dangerous. (more…)
Heart disease is on the increase throughout the world, especially in developing countries. Although South Africa has always had a high incidence of ischaemic heart disease in certain population groups, the incidence has increased dramatically and it now affects everyone. (Ischaemic heart disease means blockages have occurred in coronary vessels which means less oxygen is getting to the heart.)
At the simplest level, the function of the heart is to pump blood. If the coronary arteries are in any way compromised, the heart muscle pump becomes inefficient, which in turn affects the whole body .
With a little knowledge about your heart and what is good or bad for it, you can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease.
As a woman your risk for a heart attack is minimal until you reach menopause when it becomes equal to that of a man. The hormone estrogen has a cardio-protective effect. Around menopause the production of this hormone diminishes and your heart is no longer protected. (more…)
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) was first described in the early 1980s. HIV (Human ImmunodeficiencyVirus) was discovered as the cause of AIDS in 1983. It is still unclear exactly where the virus originated.
Factors that have caused the virus to spread rapidly include socioeconomic instability, multiple sexual partner activity, as well as intravenous drug usage and migration of people across large distances. HIV is generally spread in three ways: via sexual intercourse, with HIV-infected blood directly into the body, and from mother to child transmission during pregnancy, childbirth and via breastfeeding. HIV is not spread by casual, everyday non-sexual contact. It is not spread by kissing, hugging or touching. Neither is it spread by handshaking, sharing food utensils or from toilet seats.
The HIV virus attacks and slowly destroys the immune system. There are three stages during the infection — being well with no symptoms, mild disease episodes and then very severe illness. Some people are rapid progressors (disease progresses and becomes very active) whereas others are slow progressors (they remain generally very well often for 10-15 years). (more…)
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