Despite end of the doctor's seven-week strike in which government-owned hospitals shut their doors against patients, Lagosians still patronize herbal clinics.
During the period, many patients resorted to use of herbs to treat ailments.
In Lagos State, , herbal medicine men boldly came out en masse from the cocoons of their simple 'clinics' to gain street limelight promoting many products, which gained new heights in patronage by people of different ages, gender, education and income levels.
At Mushin, Agege, Ojo, Badagry and Mile 12, areas which Daily Independent visited, scores of herbal drug marketers were seen displaying processed and semi-processed medicines which they claimed could cure pile, hypertension, diabetes, malaria, hernia, diarrhoea, gonorrheoea, infertility and many other ailments.
Sule Wonaka, indigene of Zamfara State, who has been marketing herbal drugs in Lagos since 2000, boasted the power of herbs to cure all ailments. According to the 30-year-old, who said he inherited knowledge about traditional medicine from his grandfather, who taught him, "herbal remedies for irregular menstruation, ovarian cysts, tooth ache, deafness, skin diseases, fibroids and barreness." Confidently, he added: "I can use the root of plantain, extracts from cabbage leaves and bitter leaf to treat obesity and diabetes."
All the herbal medicine traders have bottles loaded with pieces of wood and medicinal powder which they stated if blended with water, lime, lemon juice, citrus or strong spirit become therapeutic wonder.
A co-trader, who plies his trade at the popular Mile 12 Market, is Ibrahim Borno. He explained that the bark, wood and latex of Iroko, a popular tree in the rain forest of Nigeria, can be used for the treatment of hernia while its powdered bark is used as antiseptic or for wound or dressing. Bark of oak, teak, acacia, bramble, nim, shea butter and rubber trees are said to be raw materials for health-giving drugs.
Middle-aged Fatimo Salawu was holding a jar of herbal drug bought at Iyana Oba, Ojo, Lagos, when Daily Independent accosted her a fortnight ago. The mother of four disclosed that her ailment was painful monthly periods which western medicine could not alleviate satisfactorily. "But since I started taking this herb about six months ago, I enjoy comfort and peace whenever my 'visitor' arrives," she said.
But the medical challenge of 38-year-old Queen Okafor, who lives at Idi-Oro, Mushin, Lagos, is not related with body pain, but infertility, an emotional trauma, especially in a society such as ours that cherishes children and considers infertile women almost as social misfits. Even though she bought herbal drug, she confided in the reporter that she just wanted to experiment or test its efficacy because doctors had tried their best possible on her health in the past eight years, but no cheery result yet. "I have been married for eight years now, but I have never been able to conceive despite visiting many hospitals and doing many tests which have proved that my general condition was satisfactory, my pelvic examination normal; even my husband's semen analysis showed no abnormality," she sadly told Daily Independent.
Not only trado-medical practitioners believe that herbs can make an infertile woman fecund, but men of God quote Ezekiel 47:12, Genesis 1:29 and Revelation 22:2, verses of the holy book that attest that plant are created for sustenance and improving health. In his book on the efficacy of herbs in healing entitled Nature Power, Reverend Father Anselm Adodo stated that kola pods, raw eggs, juice of lime, water and honey can be used to produce herbal remedy for infertility. Some herbalists have also claimed that the seed of cherry can be useful in curing impotence.
2011年3月31日星期四
2011年3月30日星期三
Survey shows 140 herbs for treating pile
Many indigenous plants have been used since time immemorial for curing various
ailments and thus lessening human suffering without the actual knowledge of the
active ingredient which caused relief. The potentialities of some of these plants
have been established.
About 80 per cent of Western pharmaceuticals have their origin in plants and even
now, screening of plants for chemicals to find new pharmaceuticals is rapidly on the
increase. Many nations have set up ethnobotanical facilities to study traditional
medicine or specific projects to study the plants used in traditional medicine for
various health problems such as haemorrhoids.
Many people across the globe experience the discomfort and pain associated with
hemorrhoids. Although they can be embarrassing to talk about, anyone can get
hemorrhoids, even healthy young people in good shape.
Hemorrhoids, also called "piles", are swollen tissues that contain veins. They differ
depending on their location and the amount of pain, discomfort, or aggravation they
cause. When they are located in the wall of the rectum and anus, they may cause minor
bleeding, itching in the anus area, or protrusion during bowel movements.
Hemorrhoids are unique to humans - no other animal develops them. Although they can
occur at any age, they are more common as people get older. Among younger people,
they are most common in women who are pregnant.
Often described as "varicose veins of the anus and rectum," hemorrhoids are enlarged,
bulging blood vessels in and about the anus and lower rectum.
The exact cause of hemorrhoids is unknown. However, the upright posture of humans
alone forces a great deal of pressure on the blood vessels that takes away blood from
the rectum, which sometimes causes them to bulge.
Other contributing factors include chronic constipation or diarrhea, straining during
toileting, faulty bowel function due to overuse of laxatives or enemas, heredity and
spending long periods of time (e.g., reading) on the toilet.
Researchers in a survey of indigenous plants used in the treatment of haemorrhoids in
South-Western Nigeria found that a total of 143 plants were used for its treatment.
It involved major towns and cities such as Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo,
Ago-Iwoye and Lagos.
The survey entitled, "Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants Used in the Treatment of
Haemorrhoids in South-Western, Nigeria" was documented by the 2011 edition of the
Journal of Advances in Developmental Research. It was carried out by Mike O. Soladoye
from the Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, Olabisi Onabanjo
University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State in collaboration with Michael O. Adetayo; Emmanuel
C. Chukwuma and Amusa N. Adetunji.
The most prominent among these plants were Senna Alata (Asunwon oyinbo in Yoruba),
Gongronena latifolium (Madunmaro in Yoruba), Axonopus compressus (Idi in Yoruba),
Anogeiessus leiocarpus (Ayin in Yoruba), Pteleiopsis suberosa (Okuku in Yoruba),
Tetrapleura tetraptera (Aidan in Yoruba), Khaya spp (Oganwo in Yoruba) and garlic.
From the opinion of the 25 people interviewed, if internal haemorrhoids is not
treated, it can lead to external haemorrhoids and, as such the special diet that was
recommended, apart from herbal recipes, is vegetable which should be slightly cooked.
They include green spinach, Amaranthus viridis (Tete in Yoruba), Celosia (Sokoyokoto
in Yoruba) and water leaf (Gbure in Yoruba) as well as Occimum gratissimum (scent
leaf, Efinrin ajase in Yoruba and Nchuanwu in Igbo).
Of the group sampled, 52 per cent suggested that herbal tea is the most effective
option in treating haemorrhoids, 16 per cent said herb powder (Yoruba -Agunmu), and
eight per cent confirmed rubbing concoction while 12 per cent confirmed that herbal
paste / lotion are more effective. Only eight per cent suggested herbal juice and the
remaining four per cent herbal gins.
Interestingly, the survey indicated that the acceptance of herbal medicines and
herbal practitioners by the educated class, the problem of finance and the
maintenance of medicinal plants are still of much concern, though some measures of
progress have been made in the past.
ailments and thus lessening human suffering without the actual knowledge of the
active ingredient which caused relief. The potentialities of some of these plants
have been established.
About 80 per cent of Western pharmaceuticals have their origin in plants and even
now, screening of plants for chemicals to find new pharmaceuticals is rapidly on the
increase. Many nations have set up ethnobotanical facilities to study traditional
medicine or specific projects to study the plants used in traditional medicine for
various health problems such as haemorrhoids.
Many people across the globe experience the discomfort and pain associated with
hemorrhoids. Although they can be embarrassing to talk about, anyone can get
hemorrhoids, even healthy young people in good shape.
Hemorrhoids, also called "piles", are swollen tissues that contain veins. They differ
depending on their location and the amount of pain, discomfort, or aggravation they
cause. When they are located in the wall of the rectum and anus, they may cause minor
bleeding, itching in the anus area, or protrusion during bowel movements.
Hemorrhoids are unique to humans - no other animal develops them. Although they can
occur at any age, they are more common as people get older. Among younger people,
they are most common in women who are pregnant.
Often described as "varicose veins of the anus and rectum," hemorrhoids are enlarged,
bulging blood vessels in and about the anus and lower rectum.
The exact cause of hemorrhoids is unknown. However, the upright posture of humans
alone forces a great deal of pressure on the blood vessels that takes away blood from
the rectum, which sometimes causes them to bulge.
Other contributing factors include chronic constipation or diarrhea, straining during
toileting, faulty bowel function due to overuse of laxatives or enemas, heredity and
spending long periods of time (e.g., reading) on the toilet.
Researchers in a survey of indigenous plants used in the treatment of haemorrhoids in
South-Western Nigeria found that a total of 143 plants were used for its treatment.
It involved major towns and cities such as Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo,
Ago-Iwoye and Lagos.
The survey entitled, "Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants Used in the Treatment of
Haemorrhoids in South-Western, Nigeria" was documented by the 2011 edition of the
Journal of Advances in Developmental Research. It was carried out by Mike O. Soladoye
from the Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, Olabisi Onabanjo
University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State in collaboration with Michael O. Adetayo; Emmanuel
C. Chukwuma and Amusa N. Adetunji.
The most prominent among these plants were Senna Alata (Asunwon oyinbo in Yoruba),
Gongronena latifolium (Madunmaro in Yoruba), Axonopus compressus (Idi in Yoruba),
Anogeiessus leiocarpus (Ayin in Yoruba), Pteleiopsis suberosa (Okuku in Yoruba),
Tetrapleura tetraptera (Aidan in Yoruba), Khaya spp (Oganwo in Yoruba) and garlic.
From the opinion of the 25 people interviewed, if internal haemorrhoids is not
treated, it can lead to external haemorrhoids and, as such the special diet that was
recommended, apart from herbal recipes, is vegetable which should be slightly cooked.
They include green spinach, Amaranthus viridis (Tete in Yoruba), Celosia (Sokoyokoto
in Yoruba) and water leaf (Gbure in Yoruba) as well as Occimum gratissimum (scent
leaf, Efinrin ajase in Yoruba and Nchuanwu in Igbo).
Of the group sampled, 52 per cent suggested that herbal tea is the most effective
option in treating haemorrhoids, 16 per cent said herb powder (Yoruba -Agunmu), and
eight per cent confirmed rubbing concoction while 12 per cent confirmed that herbal
paste / lotion are more effective. Only eight per cent suggested herbal juice and the
remaining four per cent herbal gins.
Interestingly, the survey indicated that the acceptance of herbal medicines and
herbal practitioners by the educated class, the problem of finance and the
maintenance of medicinal plants are still of much concern, though some measures of
progress have been made in the past.
2011年3月29日星期二
New Book Raises Question: Was Gandhi Gay?
More than six decades after his death, Mahatma Gandhi remains a polarizing figure—either revered or despised. So the arrival of a new book on him is a chance for those with well-formed unflattering opinions of Gandhi to trot out all his trespasses, as those on the other end of the spectrum leap to his defense.
Which is exactly what they did in reactions to a new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Joseph Lelyveld "Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India," officially out in the U.S. on Tuesday.
Of course, it's not often a book on Gandhi—even the many revisionist books, plays and films that have come out in recent years and that have highlighted his unkindness to his wife, his remoteness as a father and his odd ways of testing his sexual self-control—has suggested that he might have been gay, or at least had one gay relationship.
The book, published in the U.S. by Knopf, part of Random House Inc., is not yet available in India. A local bookstore said the book was to be released by Random House in India, though a date hadn't yet been set. But a spokeswoman for Random House India said the company didn't have the India rights and could provide no further information. For now, readers in India will have to be content with what they can glean from the overseas reviews of the book.
Most have quoted these words written by Gandhi to one Hermann Kallenbach from Mr. Lelyveld's book: "How completely you have taken possession of my body. This is slavery with a vengeance."
A rather inflammatory review in this newspaper included mention of the passages and quotes relating to Kallenbach as part of a larger polemic on Gandhi that concluded with the suggestion that the man credited with being the architect of India's freedom struggle didn't really achieve all that much since the British were sick of India and departing anyway.
"As Mr. Lelyveld makes abundantly clear, Gandhi's organ probably only rarely became aroused with his naked young ladies, because the love of his life was a German-Jewish architect and bodybuilder, Hermann Kallenbach, for whom Gandhi left his wife in 1908," wrote Andrew Roberts, in a review of the book that categorizes a long list of Gandhi's failings, managing even to work in a mention of the fact that he (Gandhi, not Mr. Roberts, we hasten to add) once suffered from hemorrhoids.
At one point Mr. Roberts notes: "Gandhi denounced lawyers, railways and parliamentary politics, even though he was a professional lawyer who constantly used railways to get to meetings to argue that India deserved its own parliament." Oh, the hypocrisy.
In India, meanwhile, Gandhi relatives and historians have said they are upset by the interpretation of Gandhi's letters to Kallenbach, although it's not clear whether they're upset by the suggestion of homosexuality or by the suggestion that he was cheating on his loyal wife. There has been less reaction to quotes in the book in which Gandhi expresses racist attitudes to black South Africans.
The Mail Today quoted Tushar Gandhi, a great-grandson, as saying Western writers have a "morbid fascination" with Gandhi's sexuality—although this is no doubt because of Gandhi's own repressive attitude towards sex and his adoption of celibacy even though he was married.
"It also helps that no matter what you write about him, there are no repercussions. Let them write such things about a Muslim or a Dalit leader," said Mr. Gandhi. "It is always open season with Gandhi."
In another piece in the same paper, writer Sourish Bhattacharyya quoted from a letter in which a jailed Gandhi expressed distress over his inability to come and help his ill wife to conclude that "these are not the words of a man who had deserted his wife to be with his ‘male lover.'" (It is not clear to this writer why feeling concern for his wife's health would be conclusive proof against a relationship with Kallenbach.)
The Mail Today is a collaboration between weekly magazine India Today and the Daily Mail tabloid of the U.K.
Which is exactly what they did in reactions to a new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Joseph Lelyveld "Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India," officially out in the U.S. on Tuesday.
Of course, it's not often a book on Gandhi—even the many revisionist books, plays and films that have come out in recent years and that have highlighted his unkindness to his wife, his remoteness as a father and his odd ways of testing his sexual self-control—has suggested that he might have been gay, or at least had one gay relationship.
The book, published in the U.S. by Knopf, part of Random House Inc., is not yet available in India. A local bookstore said the book was to be released by Random House in India, though a date hadn't yet been set. But a spokeswoman for Random House India said the company didn't have the India rights and could provide no further information. For now, readers in India will have to be content with what they can glean from the overseas reviews of the book.
Most have quoted these words written by Gandhi to one Hermann Kallenbach from Mr. Lelyveld's book: "How completely you have taken possession of my body. This is slavery with a vengeance."
A rather inflammatory review in this newspaper included mention of the passages and quotes relating to Kallenbach as part of a larger polemic on Gandhi that concluded with the suggestion that the man credited with being the architect of India's freedom struggle didn't really achieve all that much since the British were sick of India and departing anyway.
"As Mr. Lelyveld makes abundantly clear, Gandhi's organ probably only rarely became aroused with his naked young ladies, because the love of his life was a German-Jewish architect and bodybuilder, Hermann Kallenbach, for whom Gandhi left his wife in 1908," wrote Andrew Roberts, in a review of the book that categorizes a long list of Gandhi's failings, managing even to work in a mention of the fact that he (Gandhi, not Mr. Roberts, we hasten to add) once suffered from hemorrhoids.
At one point Mr. Roberts notes: "Gandhi denounced lawyers, railways and parliamentary politics, even though he was a professional lawyer who constantly used railways to get to meetings to argue that India deserved its own parliament." Oh, the hypocrisy.
In India, meanwhile, Gandhi relatives and historians have said they are upset by the interpretation of Gandhi's letters to Kallenbach, although it's not clear whether they're upset by the suggestion of homosexuality or by the suggestion that he was cheating on his loyal wife. There has been less reaction to quotes in the book in which Gandhi expresses racist attitudes to black South Africans.
The Mail Today quoted Tushar Gandhi, a great-grandson, as saying Western writers have a "morbid fascination" with Gandhi's sexuality—although this is no doubt because of Gandhi's own repressive attitude towards sex and his adoption of celibacy even though he was married.
"It also helps that no matter what you write about him, there are no repercussions. Let them write such things about a Muslim or a Dalit leader," said Mr. Gandhi. "It is always open season with Gandhi."
In another piece in the same paper, writer Sourish Bhattacharyya quoted from a letter in which a jailed Gandhi expressed distress over his inability to come and help his ill wife to conclude that "these are not the words of a man who had deserted his wife to be with his ‘male lover.'" (It is not clear to this writer why feeling concern for his wife's health would be conclusive proof against a relationship with Kallenbach.)
The Mail Today is a collaboration between weekly magazine India Today and the Daily Mail tabloid of the U.K.
2011年3月28日星期一
10 Symptoms Women Shouldn't Ignore
You work hard taking care of your family, friends and work. But are you taking care of yourself? Too often we ignore symptoms because we're just too busy to bother getting checked out. That can be a big – possibly fatal – mistake. Find out the 10 symptoms you shouldn't ignore…
More often than not, it's the smart, educated women who put off going to the doctor, even when it should be a top priority, says Judy Kinzy, M.D., an internal medicine specialist in Knoxville, Tenn. It's not unusual for a woman to come in long after a symptom has persisted.
"They read about it and try to figure it out on their own," Kinzy says. "They don't think about possible consequences. Bottom line, they don't really want to have to deal with it."
But not addressing a mysterious problem can be dangerous – and can even lead to a chronic or fatal disease. Check out these symptoms you shouldn't ignore:
1. Acute Fatigue
Let's face it: Women are used to being tired. Who doesn't have a book-length "to-do" list? Take car to mechanic, go to bank, pick up cat food, take children to soccer game, finish project at work, get mechanic, check on Mom and Dad… and on and on.
Overload leads to fatigue, but when low energy and exhaustion are chronic and continue for more than two weeks, see a doctor.
Acute fatigue can be a difficult symptom to diagnose, Kinzy says, but that doesn't mean you should ignore it. It can indicate hypothyroidism, which can be treated with a hormone, or anemia, which is treatable with iron or vitamin B12 shots.
More seriously, it can be a sign of depression, sleep apnea, heart disease or even lung cancer.
2. Rectal Bleeding
Pregnant women who've had hemorrhoids while pregnant might dismiss rectal bleeding as a sign of a new hemorrhoid and not take it seriously, says Ruth Stewart, M.D., assistant professor at Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University.
Rectal bleeding can indeed indicate a hemorrhoid, but it can also be a sign of colon or rectal cancer, which is curable if caught early, she says.
If you experience rectal bleeding, see a doctor right away. And even if it's just a hemorrhoid, it still needs to be treated.
3. Abdominal Bloating and Pain, Change in Bowel Habits
Like rectal bleeding, abdominal bloating and pain or a change in bowel habits can indicate something serious like colon cancer.
These symptoms also can signal ovarian cancer, inflammatory bowel syndrome or diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis occurs when you have small pouches that bulge outward in your colon (diverticulosis) that get infected. It can be treated with antibiotics but sometimes requires surgery.
If you experience abdominal bloating or a persistent change in bowel habits, such as constipation, make an appointment with your doctor.
4. Pain or Discomfort in Chest
Heart disease may be the No.1 killer of American women, but "most women still don't think about it happening to them," Kinzy says. "Then it ends up being about their heart."
The signs of coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack, are typically much more subtle in women than in men.
"Angina isn't always obvious in women. It's not the classic ‘elephant sitting on my chest' feeling," Stewart says. "Sometimes it's just discomfort or a ‘not well' feeling."
Women might misdiagnose the discomfort as acid reflux or a "burpy" sensation.
One of Stewart's former patients said the feeling was akin to having a balloon inside her chest. She assumed it was acid reflux, took a Maalox and went to work; a few hours later, she came into the hospital having a heart attack.
If you're having trouble exerting yourself, have some discomfort or pain in your chest, or you're just not feeling normal, see a doctor immediately.
And check out our guide to acid reflux.
5. Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations are often related to stress. But if persistent, they can also be a sign of atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat.
Without treatment for atrial fibrillation, you increase your risk of having a stroke, especially if you have these other heart disease risk factors: abdominal girth of more than 35 inches in women, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or being a smoker.
6. Shortness of Breath
Shortness of breath is yet another symptom of heart disease. But it can also be a sign of other serious health problems, such as pneumonia, asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer or even a blood clot.
If you're having continual or increased problems breathing, make an appointment to be evaluated.
Learn more about heart health here.
7. Pelvic Pain During Intercourse
It's not normal to have pelvic pain during sex, so pay attention if this symptom occurs.
If pelvic pain happens during deep penetration, it could indicate pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, an ovarian cyst or cervicitis, an infection of the cervix.
Pelvic pain upon entry can mean a vaginal infection or a hormone deficiency. If sex is painful, don't shrug it off – go to the doctor. An untreated infection can lead to infertility.
8. Change in the Appearance of a Mole
Melanoma (skin cancer) is often linked to a change in moles, so check them, along with freckles, regularly for any difference in their appearance.
Follow the ABCD method recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Academy of Dermatology to help detect possible problems:
If the mole is A, asymmetrical; B, has uneven borders; C, has changed in color; or D, changed in diameter, see a dermatologist immediately.
Any changes in your skin, such as a growth or a sore that won't heal, are also potential indicators of melanoma.
Learn more about the ABCDs of skin cancer.
9. Breast Lumps
Know your breasts intimately. Examine them monthly to detect any new masses or lumps.
Confused about last year's change in mammogram guidelines? Talk to your doctor to determine how often you should be getting mammograms.
Also, check out Which Breast Test Is Best for You?
Potentially cancerous lumps usually feel like small stones or rocks in your breast, Kinzy says. Non-cancerous lumps are typically more tender and change with your menstrual cycle. But this is not always the case, so check with your doctor if a new lump appears.
10. Swelling in Legs or Persistent Pain in Joints
If you notice swelling in one or both legs, particularly after you've been traveling in a car or airplane, see a doctor. Swelling in one leg can mean a blood clot. If it's in both legs, it could be a sign of kidney or liver disease.
Chronic or constant pain in joints could mean something more serious than arthritis, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, which may require steroid treatment.
More often than not, it's the smart, educated women who put off going to the doctor, even when it should be a top priority, says Judy Kinzy, M.D., an internal medicine specialist in Knoxville, Tenn. It's not unusual for a woman to come in long after a symptom has persisted.
"They read about it and try to figure it out on their own," Kinzy says. "They don't think about possible consequences. Bottom line, they don't really want to have to deal with it."
But not addressing a mysterious problem can be dangerous – and can even lead to a chronic or fatal disease. Check out these symptoms you shouldn't ignore:
1. Acute Fatigue
Let's face it: Women are used to being tired. Who doesn't have a book-length "to-do" list? Take car to mechanic, go to bank, pick up cat food, take children to soccer game, finish project at work, get mechanic, check on Mom and Dad… and on and on.
Overload leads to fatigue, but when low energy and exhaustion are chronic and continue for more than two weeks, see a doctor.
Acute fatigue can be a difficult symptom to diagnose, Kinzy says, but that doesn't mean you should ignore it. It can indicate hypothyroidism, which can be treated with a hormone, or anemia, which is treatable with iron or vitamin B12 shots.
More seriously, it can be a sign of depression, sleep apnea, heart disease or even lung cancer.
2. Rectal Bleeding
Pregnant women who've had hemorrhoids while pregnant might dismiss rectal bleeding as a sign of a new hemorrhoid and not take it seriously, says Ruth Stewart, M.D., assistant professor at Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University.
Rectal bleeding can indeed indicate a hemorrhoid, but it can also be a sign of colon or rectal cancer, which is curable if caught early, she says.
If you experience rectal bleeding, see a doctor right away. And even if it's just a hemorrhoid, it still needs to be treated.
3. Abdominal Bloating and Pain, Change in Bowel Habits
Like rectal bleeding, abdominal bloating and pain or a change in bowel habits can indicate something serious like colon cancer.
These symptoms also can signal ovarian cancer, inflammatory bowel syndrome or diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis occurs when you have small pouches that bulge outward in your colon (diverticulosis) that get infected. It can be treated with antibiotics but sometimes requires surgery.
If you experience abdominal bloating or a persistent change in bowel habits, such as constipation, make an appointment with your doctor.
4. Pain or Discomfort in Chest
Heart disease may be the No.1 killer of American women, but "most women still don't think about it happening to them," Kinzy says. "Then it ends up being about their heart."
The signs of coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack, are typically much more subtle in women than in men.
"Angina isn't always obvious in women. It's not the classic ‘elephant sitting on my chest' feeling," Stewart says. "Sometimes it's just discomfort or a ‘not well' feeling."
Women might misdiagnose the discomfort as acid reflux or a "burpy" sensation.
One of Stewart's former patients said the feeling was akin to having a balloon inside her chest. She assumed it was acid reflux, took a Maalox and went to work; a few hours later, she came into the hospital having a heart attack.
If you're having trouble exerting yourself, have some discomfort or pain in your chest, or you're just not feeling normal, see a doctor immediately.
And check out our guide to acid reflux.
5. Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations are often related to stress. But if persistent, they can also be a sign of atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat.
Without treatment for atrial fibrillation, you increase your risk of having a stroke, especially if you have these other heart disease risk factors: abdominal girth of more than 35 inches in women, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or being a smoker.
6. Shortness of Breath
Shortness of breath is yet another symptom of heart disease. But it can also be a sign of other serious health problems, such as pneumonia, asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer or even a blood clot.
If you're having continual or increased problems breathing, make an appointment to be evaluated.
Learn more about heart health here.
7. Pelvic Pain During Intercourse
It's not normal to have pelvic pain during sex, so pay attention if this symptom occurs.
If pelvic pain happens during deep penetration, it could indicate pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, an ovarian cyst or cervicitis, an infection of the cervix.
Pelvic pain upon entry can mean a vaginal infection or a hormone deficiency. If sex is painful, don't shrug it off – go to the doctor. An untreated infection can lead to infertility.
8. Change in the Appearance of a Mole
Melanoma (skin cancer) is often linked to a change in moles, so check them, along with freckles, regularly for any difference in their appearance.
Follow the ABCD method recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Academy of Dermatology to help detect possible problems:
If the mole is A, asymmetrical; B, has uneven borders; C, has changed in color; or D, changed in diameter, see a dermatologist immediately.
Any changes in your skin, such as a growth or a sore that won't heal, are also potential indicators of melanoma.
Learn more about the ABCDs of skin cancer.
9. Breast Lumps
Know your breasts intimately. Examine them monthly to detect any new masses or lumps.
Confused about last year's change in mammogram guidelines? Talk to your doctor to determine how often you should be getting mammograms.
Also, check out Which Breast Test Is Best for You?
Potentially cancerous lumps usually feel like small stones or rocks in your breast, Kinzy says. Non-cancerous lumps are typically more tender and change with your menstrual cycle. But this is not always the case, so check with your doctor if a new lump appears.
10. Swelling in Legs or Persistent Pain in Joints
If you notice swelling in one or both legs, particularly after you've been traveling in a car or airplane, see a doctor. Swelling in one leg can mean a blood clot. If it's in both legs, it could be a sign of kidney or liver disease.
Chronic or constant pain in joints could mean something more serious than arthritis, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, which may require steroid treatment.
2011年3月27日星期日
Colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable – provided you have regular colonoscopies
The best way to screen for colorectal cancer is with a colonoscopy. Howard Regional Health System's Dr. John Salter, a medical oncologist and hematologist, just can't say it any plainer than that.
March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and it brings to mind a body part that a lot of people don't like to talk about.
"People will occasionally pass blood in their stool – and I'm not talking about going to the bathroom and wiping and finding some blood on the toilet tissue, which is usually minor bleeding from hemorrhoids or diverticulitis, but I'm talking about where the water in the bowl turns red with all the blood – for weeks or longer before seeking medical attention because they're so embarrassed about talking about their bowel movements," said Salter. "The colon is dirty. It excretes waste. There's a lot of negative connotation to it."
"What upsets me is colon cancer's very treatable," Salter said. "It's preventable if caught early."
Someone who dreads talking to a doctor about bowel movements, the colon and rectum and fear having a colonoscopy should consider the alternative: Polyps can become cancerous, possibly leading to surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and excreting waste through an ostomy bag.
"It's terrible to think that a patient will be forced to use an ostomy for the rest of his or her life when this outcome is potentially preventable for most patients," Salter said.
Because a person is given general sedation, it's not painful to undergo a colonoscopy.
During the colonoscopy, a gastroenterologist or surgeon (depending on the patient's choice) will remove any polyps and perform any needed biopsies.
"The great thing about a colonoscopy is we can find anything and remove it right there and then," Salter said. "That's why having a colonoscopy is so important. If a polyp is precancerous, we can remove it before it becomes cancer."
Left undetected and untreated, colon cancer can spread to other organs, increasing a person's chance of dying from the disease.
Some colon cancers are genetic, just like with breast cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, "Genetic tests can help determine if members of certain families have inherited a high risk for developing colorectal cancer due to syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Without genetic testing, all members of a family known to have an inherited form of colorectal cancer should start screening at an early age and get screened frequently. If genetic testing is done for a known mutation within a family, those members who are found not to have the mutated gene may be able to be screened at the same age and frequency as people at average risk.
"When looking at whether testing might be appropriate, a genetic counselor will try to get a detailed view of your family history. For example, doctors have found that many families with HNPCC tend to have certain characteristics:
A least three relatives have colorectal cancer.
One should be a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) of the other two relatives.
At least two successive generations are involved.
At least one relative had cancer when that person was younger than age 50.
Tumors should be verified by pathologic examination."
March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and it brings to mind a body part that a lot of people don't like to talk about.
"People will occasionally pass blood in their stool – and I'm not talking about going to the bathroom and wiping and finding some blood on the toilet tissue, which is usually minor bleeding from hemorrhoids or diverticulitis, but I'm talking about where the water in the bowl turns red with all the blood – for weeks or longer before seeking medical attention because they're so embarrassed about talking about their bowel movements," said Salter. "The colon is dirty. It excretes waste. There's a lot of negative connotation to it."
"What upsets me is colon cancer's very treatable," Salter said. "It's preventable if caught early."
Someone who dreads talking to a doctor about bowel movements, the colon and rectum and fear having a colonoscopy should consider the alternative: Polyps can become cancerous, possibly leading to surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and excreting waste through an ostomy bag.
"It's terrible to think that a patient will be forced to use an ostomy for the rest of his or her life when this outcome is potentially preventable for most patients," Salter said.
Because a person is given general sedation, it's not painful to undergo a colonoscopy.
During the colonoscopy, a gastroenterologist or surgeon (depending on the patient's choice) will remove any polyps and perform any needed biopsies.
"The great thing about a colonoscopy is we can find anything and remove it right there and then," Salter said. "That's why having a colonoscopy is so important. If a polyp is precancerous, we can remove it before it becomes cancer."
Left undetected and untreated, colon cancer can spread to other organs, increasing a person's chance of dying from the disease.
Some colon cancers are genetic, just like with breast cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, "Genetic tests can help determine if members of certain families have inherited a high risk for developing colorectal cancer due to syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Without genetic testing, all members of a family known to have an inherited form of colorectal cancer should start screening at an early age and get screened frequently. If genetic testing is done for a known mutation within a family, those members who are found not to have the mutated gene may be able to be screened at the same age and frequency as people at average risk.
"When looking at whether testing might be appropriate, a genetic counselor will try to get a detailed view of your family history. For example, doctors have found that many families with HNPCC tend to have certain characteristics:
A least three relatives have colorectal cancer.
One should be a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) of the other two relatives.
At least two successive generations are involved.
At least one relative had cancer when that person was younger than age 50.
Tumors should be verified by pathologic examination."
2011年3月22日星期二
Virginia Book Notes
Despite America's increasingly mobile society, a Southerner's move to New York remains a major cultural undertaking, and it's one that Jane Borden describes with hilarity in her first book, "I Totally Meant to Do That" (240 pages, Broadway, $14).
Borden grew up in Greensboro, N.C., went to boarding school in Virginia and college in Chapel Hill, N.C., all stopping posts along the way for the perfect Southern belle.
But consider this episode from her senior year in high school, in which she played Miss Bessom in Shirley Jackson's adaptation of her story "The Lottery."
"Our director said to smile and project. Apparently, I understood that to mean grimace and shout. I'd have been hailed as a star had the stage directions for Miss Bessom read, ‘played as a man with hearing loss and hemorrhoids.' … Bottom line: I couldn't act my way out of a paper bag if it were made of me-sized holes."
There's much more, and just as funny, in Borden's account of her transformation from belle to hipster.
A memoir in essays, "I Totally Meant to Do That" will find a place in the hearts of any Southerner who has lived in the North. Part cautionary tale, part celebration, it establishes Borden as a worthy successor to Fredericksburg's estimable Florence King.
History can be found throughout the Old Dominion, but one of the state's wealthiest regions is the Northern Neck, the birthplace of George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe and Robert E. Lee, among other notables.
In "Historic Sites in Virginia's Northern Neck & Essex County" (290 pages, Preservation Virginia, Northern Neck Branch, $40 hardcover, $24.95 paperback), editor Thomas A. Wolf describes 460 historic sites, including grand plantations, more modest early homes, churches, schools and courthouses in Essex, King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland counties.
Complete with 445 photos and 36 maps, it's a valuable guide to day (or longer) trips to the area, a resource for armchair travel and a source of memories and learning for longtime residents and newcomers to the region.
Wolf is a retired official of the International Monetary Fund. He serves on the boards of Preservation Virginia's Northern Neck Branch and the Society of the Lees in Virginia, and he is vice president and editor of the annual journal of the Northumberland County Historical Society.
Also:
John Rozema, who lives in Southside Virginia, has written "The Stories I Never Told You" (320 pages, Pleasant Word, $19.99), his account of finding God and bringing him into his life.
Father and daughter Roger Bruner and Kristi Rae Bruner of Glen Allen have teamed up on "Found in Translation" (369 pages, Barbour Books, $9.99), a work of Christian fiction.
Patricia Keen-Diaz, a former resident of Hampton who now lives in Portsmouth, has completed her memoir, "Odd Road to Kabul" (286 pages, Bucko and Chicky Publishing, $37.33). Told through a survivor's perspective, it has been 40 years in the making.
The second edition of "Profiles of Virginia — History, Statistics, Demographics for 759 Populated Places in Virginia Including Comparative Statistics & Rankings" (500 pages, Universal Reference Publications/Grey House Publishing, $149) has been published.
Borden grew up in Greensboro, N.C., went to boarding school in Virginia and college in Chapel Hill, N.C., all stopping posts along the way for the perfect Southern belle.
But consider this episode from her senior year in high school, in which she played Miss Bessom in Shirley Jackson's adaptation of her story "The Lottery."
"Our director said to smile and project. Apparently, I understood that to mean grimace and shout. I'd have been hailed as a star had the stage directions for Miss Bessom read, ‘played as a man with hearing loss and hemorrhoids.' … Bottom line: I couldn't act my way out of a paper bag if it were made of me-sized holes."
There's much more, and just as funny, in Borden's account of her transformation from belle to hipster.
A memoir in essays, "I Totally Meant to Do That" will find a place in the hearts of any Southerner who has lived in the North. Part cautionary tale, part celebration, it establishes Borden as a worthy successor to Fredericksburg's estimable Florence King.
History can be found throughout the Old Dominion, but one of the state's wealthiest regions is the Northern Neck, the birthplace of George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe and Robert E. Lee, among other notables.
In "Historic Sites in Virginia's Northern Neck & Essex County" (290 pages, Preservation Virginia, Northern Neck Branch, $40 hardcover, $24.95 paperback), editor Thomas A. Wolf describes 460 historic sites, including grand plantations, more modest early homes, churches, schools and courthouses in Essex, King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland counties.
Complete with 445 photos and 36 maps, it's a valuable guide to day (or longer) trips to the area, a resource for armchair travel and a source of memories and learning for longtime residents and newcomers to the region.
Wolf is a retired official of the International Monetary Fund. He serves on the boards of Preservation Virginia's Northern Neck Branch and the Society of the Lees in Virginia, and he is vice president and editor of the annual journal of the Northumberland County Historical Society.
Also:
John Rozema, who lives in Southside Virginia, has written "The Stories I Never Told You" (320 pages, Pleasant Word, $19.99), his account of finding God and bringing him into his life.
Father and daughter Roger Bruner and Kristi Rae Bruner of Glen Allen have teamed up on "Found in Translation" (369 pages, Barbour Books, $9.99), a work of Christian fiction.
Patricia Keen-Diaz, a former resident of Hampton who now lives in Portsmouth, has completed her memoir, "Odd Road to Kabul" (286 pages, Bucko and Chicky Publishing, $37.33). Told through a survivor's perspective, it has been 40 years in the making.
The second edition of "Profiles of Virginia — History, Statistics, Demographics for 759 Populated Places in Virginia Including Comparative Statistics & Rankings" (500 pages, Universal Reference Publications/Grey House Publishing, $149) has been published.
2011年3月20日星期日
Reduce your risk of colorectal cancer
Reducing your risks for colon and rectal cancer can be easier than you think.
It is important to consider your colon and rectal health during March, which is Colorectal
Cancer Awareness Month, and every day.
Many of the measures that are recommended to prevent heart disease and diabetes will also
serve to decrease your chances for getting colon cancer, said Gregory FitzHarris, a
colorectal surgeon with Sentara Surgery Specialists.
He said many diseases work in similar ways. If you don't take care of your health, your risk
for developing diseases you are most susceptible to is even higher.
Smoking, eating a large amount of red meat and not eating enough fruits and vegetables will
increase your odds of getting colon cancer.
Exercising and having a healthy diet will decrease your risk most of all. He also strongly
advises people to get regular colorectal screenings.
Western Tidewater has some of the highest mortality rates from colon and rectal cancer in all
of Virginia, according to Virginia Department of Health data from 2004 to 2008.
Symptoms of colorectal cancer include rectal bleeding, blood in your stool, a change in bowel
habits, constipation or diarrhea that lasts for more than two weeks, abdominal discomfort,
feeling like your bowel does not empty completely, fatigue, weakness, unexplained weight
loss, and gas pain lasting more than two weeks.
Sometimes, rectal bleeding can occur when a person has hemorrhoids, so it is difficult to
pinpoint distinguishable symptoms, he said. The other symptoms, too, could be caused by
something other than colorectal cancer.
"It takes quite a while for polyps to turn into cancer," he said.
Removing precancerous polyps and being screened regularly can decrease your chances for
getting colon cancer, he said. Getting a screening can help people avoid getting colon
cancer.
When a person is able to identify the symptoms as being related to colon cancer, they already
have the disease.
"Unfortunately, we have folks that don't get a colonoscopy," he said.
If a patient is found to have stage 1 colon cancer, their chances of having a disease-free
survival after the removal of the diseased part of the colon is 90-95 percent, he said.
"The earlier you catch it, the better your survival rate," he said.
There are other methods that doctors use to screen for colon cancer and polyps, but
FitzHarris said other methods are less effective.
"They're nowhere near as sensitive as a colonoscopy," he said.
If a polyp is found or suspected using the other methods of screening, the patient will need
to have a colonoscopy to follow up.
"A colonoscopy is the gold standard," he said.
Most people should have a colonoscopy at age 50, he said. Black people are more susceptible
to getting colorectal cancer and getting it sooner in life. He recommends that they begin
screenings at age 45. If you have a family member with colorectal cancer, he recommends being
screened 10 years earlier than the age your family member discovered they had the cancer.
If polyps are detected, go to a colorectal surgeon, he said.
"Don't wait for symptoms to get screened," he said.
It is important to consider your colon and rectal health during March, which is Colorectal
Cancer Awareness Month, and every day.
Many of the measures that are recommended to prevent heart disease and diabetes will also
serve to decrease your chances for getting colon cancer, said Gregory FitzHarris, a
colorectal surgeon with Sentara Surgery Specialists.
He said many diseases work in similar ways. If you don't take care of your health, your risk
for developing diseases you are most susceptible to is even higher.
Smoking, eating a large amount of red meat and not eating enough fruits and vegetables will
increase your odds of getting colon cancer.
Exercising and having a healthy diet will decrease your risk most of all. He also strongly
advises people to get regular colorectal screenings.
Western Tidewater has some of the highest mortality rates from colon and rectal cancer in all
of Virginia, according to Virginia Department of Health data from 2004 to 2008.
Symptoms of colorectal cancer include rectal bleeding, blood in your stool, a change in bowel
habits, constipation or diarrhea that lasts for more than two weeks, abdominal discomfort,
feeling like your bowel does not empty completely, fatigue, weakness, unexplained weight
loss, and gas pain lasting more than two weeks.
Sometimes, rectal bleeding can occur when a person has hemorrhoids, so it is difficult to
pinpoint distinguishable symptoms, he said. The other symptoms, too, could be caused by
something other than colorectal cancer.
"It takes quite a while for polyps to turn into cancer," he said.
Removing precancerous polyps and being screened regularly can decrease your chances for
getting colon cancer, he said. Getting a screening can help people avoid getting colon
cancer.
When a person is able to identify the symptoms as being related to colon cancer, they already
have the disease.
"Unfortunately, we have folks that don't get a colonoscopy," he said.
If a patient is found to have stage 1 colon cancer, their chances of having a disease-free
survival after the removal of the diseased part of the colon is 90-95 percent, he said.
"The earlier you catch it, the better your survival rate," he said.
There are other methods that doctors use to screen for colon cancer and polyps, but
FitzHarris said other methods are less effective.
"They're nowhere near as sensitive as a colonoscopy," he said.
If a polyp is found or suspected using the other methods of screening, the patient will need
to have a colonoscopy to follow up.
"A colonoscopy is the gold standard," he said.
Most people should have a colonoscopy at age 50, he said. Black people are more susceptible
to getting colorectal cancer and getting it sooner in life. He recommends that they begin
screenings at age 45. If you have a family member with colorectal cancer, he recommends being
screened 10 years earlier than the age your family member discovered they had the cancer.
If polyps are detected, go to a colorectal surgeon, he said.
"Don't wait for symptoms to get screened," he said.
2011年3月14日星期一
Gastroenterologist opening at Avista
Gastroenterologist Scott E. Hallgren will be opening Northwest Gastroenterology Specialists
on the Avista Adventist Hospital campus Louisville this April.
Gastroenterologists deal with digestive diseases, and treat many conditions - from abdominal
pain, ulcers and hiatal hernias to hemorrhoids, heartburn and colon cancer.
Dr. Hallgren, holds a medical degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery at
Des Moines University, Des Moines, Iowa, is board certified in internal medicine and
gastroenterology. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He completed a
fellowship in gastroenterology at the William Beaumont Army Hospital in El Paso, Texas; did
his residency at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora and did his internship at Martin
Army Hospital in Fort Benning, Georgia.
Hallgren moves to Colorado from Largo, Fla., where he practiced at the Florida Center for
Gastroenterology. In private practice for more than 20 years, he has published extensively
within his field of practice.
Ventrus Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTUS) a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and
commercializing gastrointestinal products has been featured in "The Pink Sheet Daily."
The lead product from Ventrus is Inferanserin (VEN 309) which is being developed for the
topical treatment of hemorrhoids. VEN 309 should begin Phase III trials in mid 2011.
Hemorrhoids affect more than 50% of the US population over 50 years of age. The available
treatments for hemorrhoids, over the counter and medically prescribed, total approximately
$350 million dollars annually in sales.
on the Avista Adventist Hospital campus Louisville this April.
Gastroenterologists deal with digestive diseases, and treat many conditions - from abdominal
pain, ulcers and hiatal hernias to hemorrhoids, heartburn and colon cancer.
Dr. Hallgren, holds a medical degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery at
Des Moines University, Des Moines, Iowa, is board certified in internal medicine and
gastroenterology. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He completed a
fellowship in gastroenterology at the William Beaumont Army Hospital in El Paso, Texas; did
his residency at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora and did his internship at Martin
Army Hospital in Fort Benning, Georgia.
Hallgren moves to Colorado from Largo, Fla., where he practiced at the Florida Center for
Gastroenterology. In private practice for more than 20 years, he has published extensively
within his field of practice.
Ventrus Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTUS) a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and
commercializing gastrointestinal products has been featured in "The Pink Sheet Daily."
The lead product from Ventrus is Inferanserin (VEN 309) which is being developed for the
topical treatment of hemorrhoids. VEN 309 should begin Phase III trials in mid 2011.
Hemorrhoids affect more than 50% of the US population over 50 years of age. The available
treatments for hemorrhoids, over the counter and medically prescribed, total approximately
$350 million dollars annually in sales.
2011年3月13日星期日
Medicare Coverage is Available for Testing
Colorectal cancer - often referred to as colon cancer - is the second leading cancer killer among men and women in the U.S. More than 145,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer every year in the U.S. and almost 50,000 people die from it annually. Colorectal cancer is largely preventable with regular screening, and is curable with early detection. Screening tests are covered by Medicare and most insurance plans.
Who is at risk?
Age, not gender, is the single most important risk factor for colorectal cancer. Both men and women should undergo testing for the disease starting at age 50. Some studies have also shown that African-Americans are more frequently diagnosed with colon cancer at a younger age, leading some experts to suggest that African-Americans should begin screening at age 45.
What are the symptoms?
In early stages colorectal cancer often will not produce any noticeable symptoms, and therefore when there are symptoms, the cancer may be at an advanced stage. Warning signs that may indicate colon cancer include:
Blood in your stools.
Narrower than normal stools.
Unexplained abdominal pain.
Unexplained change in bowel habits.
Unexplained anemia or weight loss.
These symptoms may be caused by other benign diseases such as hemorrhoids, inflammation in the colon or irritable bowel syndrome. However, a person with any of these symptoms should be evaluated by a physician.
There are also certain behaviors that can increase risk for colorectal cancer, including a high fat diet, smoking and excessive alcohol intake. Some individuals with certain gastrointestinal diseases, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, may have a risk of developing colon cancer earlier than age 50 and should talk to their physician about regular colonoscopy screening starting at an age earlier than 50 years.
When colon cancer is caught early, most people are cured. However, when colon cancer is detected at later stages, the chances for cure are much lower.
Importance of Screening -
Currently there is no substitution for getting tested. A study by leading cancer groups found that colorectal cancer deaths have declined nearly five percent (2002-2004), in part due to prevention through screening and the removal of precancerous polyps. Colonoscopy is especially effective because it allows for the detection and removal of benign polyps or growths in the colon before cancer develops. This explains why colonoscopy is an invaluable tool that helps a doctor answer important questions about digestive health and prevent certain diseases like colon cancer.
Who is at risk?
Age, not gender, is the single most important risk factor for colorectal cancer. Both men and women should undergo testing for the disease starting at age 50. Some studies have also shown that African-Americans are more frequently diagnosed with colon cancer at a younger age, leading some experts to suggest that African-Americans should begin screening at age 45.
What are the symptoms?
In early stages colorectal cancer often will not produce any noticeable symptoms, and therefore when there are symptoms, the cancer may be at an advanced stage. Warning signs that may indicate colon cancer include:
Blood in your stools.
Narrower than normal stools.
Unexplained abdominal pain.
Unexplained change in bowel habits.
Unexplained anemia or weight loss.
These symptoms may be caused by other benign diseases such as hemorrhoids, inflammation in the colon or irritable bowel syndrome. However, a person with any of these symptoms should be evaluated by a physician.
There are also certain behaviors that can increase risk for colorectal cancer, including a high fat diet, smoking and excessive alcohol intake. Some individuals with certain gastrointestinal diseases, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, may have a risk of developing colon cancer earlier than age 50 and should talk to their physician about regular colonoscopy screening starting at an age earlier than 50 years.
When colon cancer is caught early, most people are cured. However, when colon cancer is detected at later stages, the chances for cure are much lower.
Importance of Screening -
Currently there is no substitution for getting tested. A study by leading cancer groups found that colorectal cancer deaths have declined nearly five percent (2002-2004), in part due to prevention through screening and the removal of precancerous polyps. Colonoscopy is especially effective because it allows for the detection and removal of benign polyps or growths in the colon before cancer develops. This explains why colonoscopy is an invaluable tool that helps a doctor answer important questions about digestive health and prevent certain diseases like colon cancer.
2011年3月9日星期三
Study How To Alleviate The Aches of Hemorrhoids By Using Hemorrhoid Treatment Cream
Hemorrhoid cream products are utilized to cut back swelling and soreness of this condition.
Anyone who has hemorrhoids understands this is an extremely tough ailment to cope with. It
might also interrupt relaxation which can set off an individual to turn out to be constantly
irritated. Hemorrhoids make it to tough to sit comfortably or participate in any physical
exercise. Thankfully, there are many methods to help handle the discomfort and soreness.
For much less extreme situations, it is feasible to acquire alleviation by using of over-the
-counter ointments. They are generally utilized to cut back any burning and itching
sensations. Suppositories will also be useful nevertheless inserting them might trigger some
soreness. You will find organic treatments which include both aloe vera or witch hazel that
may also offer some consolation.
In order to sit without pain, it may be necessary to use a hemorrhoid cushion. This simple
device makes it much easier to sit down. This may prove to be very useful at the office as
well as around the house. The actual cushions are sometimes blow up products.
There are particular cases that will need surgery. If no relief may be found by medicine,
then this will likely be the only alternative. This really is a non-invasive procedure that
doesn't need a big quantity of down time. You will find some common methods to controlling
hemorrhoid soreness which are the utilization of laser treatment or an injection into the
hemorrhoids which causes shrinking.
Whenever non-invasive procedures don't achieve the desired alleviation, hemorrhoid surgery
could be the only solution. The actual hemorrhoidectomy is easily the most common strategy.
This involves removing the hemorrhoids as the patient is under sedation. Normally, this is a
procedure that requires an overnight stay in a healthcare facility.
Hemorrhoid cream is usually helpful in most situations. But if the problem persists, it is
important to consult with your physician. This is a common ailment that plagues many
individuals. It is important to seek medical attention if it becomes unbearable. Hemorrhoids
are extremely uncomfortable and it is important to understand how to alleviate the situation.
It's very important to treat the hemorrhoids right away, because, when ignored, surgery maybe
the only answer. external hemorrhoid cream There is menthol, an analgesic, which cools the
area and relieves burning pain and itching. It'ssomethingthat's easy to obtain.
Anyone who has hemorrhoids understands this is an extremely tough ailment to cope with. It
might also interrupt relaxation which can set off an individual to turn out to be constantly
irritated. Hemorrhoids make it to tough to sit comfortably or participate in any physical
exercise. Thankfully, there are many methods to help handle the discomfort and soreness.
For much less extreme situations, it is feasible to acquire alleviation by using of over-the
-counter ointments. They are generally utilized to cut back any burning and itching
sensations. Suppositories will also be useful nevertheless inserting them might trigger some
soreness. You will find organic treatments which include both aloe vera or witch hazel that
may also offer some consolation.
In order to sit without pain, it may be necessary to use a hemorrhoid cushion. This simple
device makes it much easier to sit down. This may prove to be very useful at the office as
well as around the house. The actual cushions are sometimes blow up products.
There are particular cases that will need surgery. If no relief may be found by medicine,
then this will likely be the only alternative. This really is a non-invasive procedure that
doesn't need a big quantity of down time. You will find some common methods to controlling
hemorrhoid soreness which are the utilization of laser treatment or an injection into the
hemorrhoids which causes shrinking.
Whenever non-invasive procedures don't achieve the desired alleviation, hemorrhoid surgery
could be the only solution. The actual hemorrhoidectomy is easily the most common strategy.
This involves removing the hemorrhoids as the patient is under sedation. Normally, this is a
procedure that requires an overnight stay in a healthcare facility.
Hemorrhoid cream is usually helpful in most situations. But if the problem persists, it is
important to consult with your physician. This is a common ailment that plagues many
individuals. It is important to seek medical attention if it becomes unbearable. Hemorrhoids
are extremely uncomfortable and it is important to understand how to alleviate the situation.
It's very important to treat the hemorrhoids right away, because, when ignored, surgery maybe
the only answer. external hemorrhoid cream There is menthol, an analgesic, which cools the
area and relieves burning pain and itching. It'ssomethingthat's easy to obtain.
2011年3月7日星期一
Natural Hemorrhoid Treatment Techniques To Lose The Pain Now!
Are you looking for relief from discomfort caused by hemorrhoids? Or you are looking
for natural cure?
People who are suffering from hemorrhoids all agree that it is reasonably
distressing. For those folks even sitting can be terribly enormous difficulty. This
healthy condition may affect on your career, way of living, even your social and
personal life can quite painful, if not fix this problem. Curing it is no problem
nowadays, since there are loads of haemorrhoid treatment techniques available to take
care of it for you. If you do not have the means to take surgery to quickly dispose
of piles or costly painkillers to make the pain depart, then here are some natural
techniques for this some natural pile treatment techniques you need to try.
Creams and ointments.
This technique is ideal for people that leave an active way of life. If you're always
on the go and are too busy to use other remedies, then you might wish to think about
using an alternative haemorrhoid treatment, like creams and ointments. Walking
produces friction and that also leads to irritation on your swelling. Bear in mind
that movement has a tendency to cause the swelling to become worse when it is rubbed.
With lubricant you'll be able to make friction with less impact. There are some
special creams on the market, after using then effect will be calming and cooling the
place and that will reduce the discomfort.
Cold and Warm packs also can be quite useful.
That's right, hot and cold packs are effective haemorrhoid treatment methods to help
reduce the pain and swelling. Apply pack 3 times a day for 10-15 mins. That probably
will have great effect on affected areas. An alternative choice available is sitz
bath, if you do not need to apply a hot pack then this is very good substitute. Sitz
bath is sort of effective if you're suffering from internal hemorrhoids. This process
involve sitting on a pan or tub of warm water, to help relax the muscles and veins on
your underside.
Haemorrhoid Treatment doesn't need to be pricey. Check out natural hemorrhoid cure
for a cost-effective approach to dumping the pain while slowly treating the
difficulty.
The combination of using a Natural piles treatment (Healing hemorrhoids) and
following a healthier lifestyle will allow for a complete solution to your
hemorrhoids cure! – shrink hemorrhoids.
for natural cure?
People who are suffering from hemorrhoids all agree that it is reasonably
distressing. For those folks even sitting can be terribly enormous difficulty. This
healthy condition may affect on your career, way of living, even your social and
personal life can quite painful, if not fix this problem. Curing it is no problem
nowadays, since there are loads of haemorrhoid treatment techniques available to take
care of it for you. If you do not have the means to take surgery to quickly dispose
of piles or costly painkillers to make the pain depart, then here are some natural
techniques for this some natural pile treatment techniques you need to try.
Creams and ointments.
This technique is ideal for people that leave an active way of life. If you're always
on the go and are too busy to use other remedies, then you might wish to think about
using an alternative haemorrhoid treatment, like creams and ointments. Walking
produces friction and that also leads to irritation on your swelling. Bear in mind
that movement has a tendency to cause the swelling to become worse when it is rubbed.
With lubricant you'll be able to make friction with less impact. There are some
special creams on the market, after using then effect will be calming and cooling the
place and that will reduce the discomfort.
Cold and Warm packs also can be quite useful.
That's right, hot and cold packs are effective haemorrhoid treatment methods to help
reduce the pain and swelling. Apply pack 3 times a day for 10-15 mins. That probably
will have great effect on affected areas. An alternative choice available is sitz
bath, if you do not need to apply a hot pack then this is very good substitute. Sitz
bath is sort of effective if you're suffering from internal hemorrhoids. This process
involve sitting on a pan or tub of warm water, to help relax the muscles and veins on
your underside.
Haemorrhoid Treatment doesn't need to be pricey. Check out natural hemorrhoid cure
for a cost-effective approach to dumping the pain while slowly treating the
difficulty.
The combination of using a Natural piles treatment (Healing hemorrhoids) and
following a healthier lifestyle will allow for a complete solution to your
hemorrhoids cure! – shrink hemorrhoids.
2011年3月2日星期三
Donohue: Mineral oil not the safest way to stay regular
Dear Dr. Donohue: Please let me know what you think about my way of staying regular.
Every day I take a shot of mineral oil. It keeps my bowels loose. I also have
hemorrhoids, and the mineral oil keeps them from acting up. It seems to coat them.
What do you think of this? -- K.R.
Dr. Donohue: Mineral oil softens the stool. That is helpful for hemorrhoid control.
Straining to eliminate enlarges hemorrhoids. However, mineral oil isn't the safest
stool softener. Mineral oil poses a danger: It can drip into your airways and lungs.
That produces what's called lipid pneumonia, a serious problem. It also binds vitamins
A, D, E and K, and prevents their absorption.
You can keep your stools soft in safer ways. Fiber works well. Many cereals have a
high fiber content. You also can purchase psyllium-containing products like Metamucil,
Fiberall and Perdiem to keep stool hydrated and soft. Stop the mineral-oil treatments.
Dear Dr. Donohue: I smoked my last cigarette two days ago. I think about lighting up
constantly. Smoking gave me a lot of pleasure. I liked smoking after eating and with
coffee or beer.
How long do these urges last? I'm not sure I can resist them if they stay this strong.
-- L.F.
Dr. Donohue: Nicotine withdrawal symptoms vary from one person to the next. You might
have trouble concentrating, and you might be irritable and unable to fall asleep for
two or three weeks.
The desire for a cigarette lasts longer. The brain doesn't forget pleasurable
sensations, but even these ingrained longings do disappear in time.
If you're having a problem resisting the urge to light up, try one of the many ways of
withdrawing from nicotine more slowly. Nicotine gum, nicotine skin patches or oral
nicotine pave the way to total nicotine abandonment. Chantix, a prescription item, can
help you through the period of denicotinization.
Every day I take a shot of mineral oil. It keeps my bowels loose. I also have
hemorrhoids, and the mineral oil keeps them from acting up. It seems to coat them.
What do you think of this? -- K.R.
Dr. Donohue: Mineral oil softens the stool. That is helpful for hemorrhoid control.
Straining to eliminate enlarges hemorrhoids. However, mineral oil isn't the safest
stool softener. Mineral oil poses a danger: It can drip into your airways and lungs.
That produces what's called lipid pneumonia, a serious problem. It also binds vitamins
A, D, E and K, and prevents their absorption.
You can keep your stools soft in safer ways. Fiber works well. Many cereals have a
high fiber content. You also can purchase psyllium-containing products like Metamucil,
Fiberall and Perdiem to keep stool hydrated and soft. Stop the mineral-oil treatments.
Dear Dr. Donohue: I smoked my last cigarette two days ago. I think about lighting up
constantly. Smoking gave me a lot of pleasure. I liked smoking after eating and with
coffee or beer.
How long do these urges last? I'm not sure I can resist them if they stay this strong.
-- L.F.
Dr. Donohue: Nicotine withdrawal symptoms vary from one person to the next. You might
have trouble concentrating, and you might be irritable and unable to fall asleep for
two or three weeks.
The desire for a cigarette lasts longer. The brain doesn't forget pleasurable
sensations, but even these ingrained longings do disappear in time.
If you're having a problem resisting the urge to light up, try one of the many ways of
withdrawing from nicotine more slowly. Nicotine gum, nicotine skin patches or oral
nicotine pave the way to total nicotine abandonment. Chantix, a prescription item, can
help you through the period of denicotinization.
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