Healty Tips: Maret 2013

TURMERIC REMEDIES

The marigold-coloured spice, known as Turmeric, which is revered in India as ‘holy powder’, has been used for centuries to treat wounds, infections and other health problems. There has been increasing research into Turmeric’s main ingredient, Curcumin, and its astonishing array of antioxidant, anti-cancer, antibiotic, antiviral, and other, properties. Researchers have discovered that Curcumin acts by inserting itself into cell
membranes, and making them more orderly, a move that improves the cells’ resistance to infection and malignancy. It appears that Curcumin the pigment that gives Turmeric its yellow-orange colour, and which is thought to be responsible for many of its medicinal effects is able to ‘discipline’ cells, and get them back into working order.

The reason people in India refer to Turmeric as ‘holy powder’ is because it has such a broad range of health effects. In fact, Curcumin has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, with benefits that include:

TURMERIC REMEDIES
1. Pigmentation: Apply a little Turmeric, mixed with Cucumber Juice or Lemon Juice, to the affected area to reduce pigmentation. Leave on for 15 minutes, or more, and wash off. For best results, do this every day until you regain your skin tone colour.

2. Strong Bones: To strengthen bones, add Turmeric to hot milk, and drink before going to bed at night.

3. This will assist in curing numerous ailments, and reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis.

4. Pregnancy Stretch Marks: To prevent unsightly stretch marks, due to pregnancy, apply a mixture of Turmeric and Malai, or Turmeric and Curd, to your stomach and waist before going for a bath. Leave it on for 15 minutes, and then wash off.

5. Wounds: Sprinkle a bit of Turmeric with Honey (optional), on cuts, bruises, or scrapes, after a thorough wash, as the anti-bacterial action will prevent wound infections.

6. Arthritis: Turmeric can be used to reduce pain associated with Arthritis. Warm a cup of milk. Before it boils, remove it from the heat, and add in one teaspoon of Turmeric powder. Stir, and drink it (this can be done up to 3 times daily).

7. Reduce Fats: Regular use of Turmeric reduces fats, aids blood circulation, and purifies the blood.

8. Cosmetic Use: For dry skin, make a paste of Milk Cream (1/2 tablespoon), Gram Flour (1 tablespoon – available in Indian stores) and Turmeric (1/2 teaspoon), and apply it daily to your face to own glowing skin without any marks. Leave out the Milk Cream if your skin is oily. Make sure to scrub the paste into your face well, as it helps to remove blackheads too. Turmeric may also be mixed with Almond Oil and Honey to purify and nourish skin.

9. Cysts: Turmeric is very effective in resolving Cysts. Apply a Turmeric paste on the Cyst. The Cyst is, generally, resolved in about one month.

10. Joint Pain: Mix 1/8 teaspoon Turmeric, 3 Cardamom Pods (optional), 1/4 cup Water, simmer for 5-7 minutes, then add 1 cup of Milk, 2 tablespoons Almond Oil (cold-pressed). Bring just to boiling point (but do not boil). Add honey or maple syrup to taste, if desired. Sip slowly as a hot tea.

11. Cancer/Leukemia: No-one really knows the quantity required to treat cancerous conditions, however, it’s recommended to take at least 10 grams per day (5 grams twice a day), dissolved in fat. The Curcumin in Turmeric is not toxic, so why screw around with low doses (however, be aware of the side effects).

12. Digestion/Metabolism/Stomach/Dyspepsia/Indigestion: (a) For a digestive system ‘cleanse’, mix 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric with 1 cup hot Milk, allow mixture to cool, and then drink. (b) To balance digestion, add 1 teaspoon Turmeric to 1 cup of Yoghurt, and eat it right after lunch. (c) For Stomach Ache, mix Turmeric and Honey.

13. Anaemia: Every day, take a dose of 1 teaspoon of Turmeric juice mixed with Honey.

14. Asthma: Boil 1 cup of milk and add 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder. Drink warm.

15. Burns: Mix 1 teaspoon of Turmeric with 1 teaspoon of Aloe Vera gel, and apply to burnt area.

16. Conjunctivitis: Mix 1 tablespoon of crushed raw Turmeric in 1/3 cup of water. Boil and sieve. Use 2-3 drops of this mixture in each eye, up to 3 times per day.

17. Dental Problems: Mix 1 teaspoon of Turmeric with 1/2 teaspoon of Salt. Add Mustard Oil to make a paste. Rub the teeth and gums with this paste twice daily.

18. Diabetes: Take between 1/2 teaspoon and 1 teaspoon of Turmeric 3 times per day.

19. Diarrhoea: Take 1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric powder or juice in water (or with Yoghurt), 3 times per day.

20. Pain/Swelling: Mix 1 teaspoon of Turmeric and 2 teaspoons of Ginger with Water to make a paste.Spread over a cloth, place on the affected area (pain), and bandage. Also, add 1 teaspoon of Turmeric to 1 cup of Warm Milk, and drink before bed.

21. Other: Turmeric also assists Gallbladder, Premenstrual discomfort, Eczema, Endometriosis, Cataracts, Immune System, Melanoma, Heart/Cardiovascular conditions, Cholesterol, Liver, Colon, Coughs/Colds (take with Ghee), Alzheimer’s disease, Piles (Turmeric/Onion/Mustard Oil paste on rectal area), Allergies, Hayfever, Boils, Menopause, Heel Spurs, Bunions, Fatigue, Goiter, Sinus, Migraine/Headache, Obesity, Itching, Bruises, Inflammation, Eye Conditions, Respiratory conditions, and more.

22. Use Glutamine When Taking Turmeric: It is recommended to use Glutamine, at least 20 grams per day, with Curcumin, to make it maximally effective.

SEMINAL WEAKNESS AND PREMATURE EJACULATION

This is defined as ejaculation that occurs prior to penetration or ejaculation before the person and the partner achieve orgasm. This usually is a result of the sexual debility and excesses and is not an uncommon condition nowadays. It is often associated with a lot of anxiety that tends to aggravate the condition. Ejaculation, controlled by the central nervous system, happens when friction on the genitalia and other forms of sexual stimulation provide impulses that are sent up the spinal cord and into the brain.

SOME HOME REMEDIES

1. Avoid taking salty, sour, pungent and bitter things. Food ingredients having sweet and astringent tastes are usually administered. Meat, eggs, cow's milk and ghee prepared from it are useful for this condition.

2. Mixture of cardamoms (elaichi), almonds, butter and sugar is taken daily in the morning.

3. Powdered root of the herb ashvagandha is useful when taken in one teaspoonful doses twice daily.

4. Juice of onions is useful when given with honey.

5. Mixture of roasted husked gram and sugar is taken at night daily for a month.

6. Twenty to twenty-five tender fruits of the ladies finger (bhindi) are given in the morning.

RF FOR RENAL CANCER

Elderly patients with renal cancer and patients with comorbidities who are poor candidates for surgery do well after treatment with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation and have few complications and recurrences, according to a new study.

"Nearly half of all renal cancers are now diagnosed incidentally because of the increasing use of imaging. For these patients, a conservative surgery has been developed to preserve renal function," lead investigator Pierre Balageas, MD, from Saint-André Hospital in Bordeaux, France, told Medscape Medical News.

However, Dr. Balageas, who presented the results here at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2013, pointed out that "there still are patients with small renal cancers who are poor candidates for surgery because of advanced age or comorbidities. For these patients, percutaneous radiofrequency ablation works well."

To evaluate the effectiveness of the approach, Dr. Balageas and his team retrospectively reviewed all T1a renal cancers treated with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation at a single centre from 2002 to 2009. A total of 93 patients (median age, 73.5 years) underwent the procedure.

The technique used depended on tumor size, morphology, and location. "Most patients were treated with computerized-tomography-guided ablation," but 2 were treated with ultrasound guidance, Dr. Balageas noted.

The survival analysis involved 62 patients (mean age, 69.5 years) with 71 tumors (mean size, 23.9 mm). Mean follow-up was 38.8 months.

After initial treatment of the tumors, the technical success rate was more than 95%. After the retreatment of recurrences, the secondary success rate was more than 98%.

There was no change in real function 2 and 6 months after the procedure. Rates of both tumor progression (~3%) and metastatic evolution (~10%) were relatively low, and median survival was 68 months, Dr. Balageas reported.

One year after radiofrequency ablation, more than 98% of patients were alive and free of disease; 3 years after, 92% were; and 5 years after, approximately 61% were.

"In our study, tumor site was the only independent factor predicting risk for residual tumor or in situ recurrence," Dr. Balageas said, "and all tumors less than 40 mm were completed ablated after 1 procedure."

Major complications occurred at a rate of 5.9% per session. Central location of the tumor was the only factor associated with an increased risk for complications.

"Our experience using radiofrequency for renal tumors is increasingly being helped, not only by our good results, but also by the treatment strategy established with members of our surgical team, who have become convinced of the benefits of this technique," Dr. Balageas observed.

Session chair Jurgen Fütterer, MD, from the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in the Netherlands, who was asked by Medscape Medical News to comment on this study, noted that both radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation can be used to treat small renal tumors with curative intent.

"Not every patient with renal cancer is a candidate for radiofrequency ablation, but patients with localized disease who have a high mortality risk with general anesthesia are," he said.

Dr. Fütterer noted that the literature suggests that radiofrequency ablation has a success rate of ~80%, so the success rate achieved by Dr. Balageas and colleagues is very good.

Factors Affecting Success

In another study presented during the same session, Vanessa Acosta-Ruiz, a medical student at Uppsala University in Sweden, reported that her team also found very high success rates in 44 patients treated with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation over a period of 4.5 years.

"After the first ablation, 75% of the tumors were completed ablated, 8 tumors were incompletely ablated, and 7 were retreated, so we ended up with a total success rate of 85%," Acosta-Ruiz said.

Correct positioning of the electrode over the tumor favorably affected results, as might be expected, she added.

However, a tumor smaller than 30 mm and a distance from the tumor to the collecting system of at least 10 cm were more likely to be associated with complete ablation, she added.

Clove Oil - Health Benefits

Clove is an evergreen tree, which produces a flower bud that has numerous medicinal properties. It is often referred as clove bud. Clove bud has a shaft and a head and hence it has the Latin name clavus meaning nail. Clove was extensively used in the ancient Indian and Chinese civilizations and it spread to other parts of the world, including Europe, during the seventh and eight centuries. Clove is rich in minerals such as calcium, hydrochloric acid, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and vitamin A and vitamin C.

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1. Dental Care: The most prominent use of clove oil is in dental care. The germicidal properties of the oil make it very effective for relieving dental pain, tooth ache, sore gums and mouth ulcers. Gargles with diluted clove oil help in easing the throat. The characteristic smell of clove oil helps removing bad breath. As a result, clove oil is added to numerous dental products and medications, including, mouth washes, and tooth pastes. Dentists also mix clove oil with zinc oxide and prepare a white filling material as a temporary alternative to root canal.

2. Infections: Due to its antiseptic properties, clove oil is useful for wound, cuts, scabies, athlete’s foot, fungal infections, bruises, prickly heat, etc. It can also be used insect bites and stings. Clove oil is very strong in nature and hence should be used in diluted form. Further, it should not be used on sensitive skin.

3. Skin Care: Clove oil is often recommended for skin care, especially to acne patients.

4. Stress: Clove oil is aphrodisiac in nature and hence serves as an excellent stress reliever. It has a stimulating effect on the mind and removes mental exhaustion and

5. fatigue. When taken internally, in appropriate amounts, it refreshes the mind. Clove oil also induces sleep and is helpful to insomnia patients. It is useful for treating mental problems such as loss of memory, depression and anxiety.

6. Headache: Clove oil when mixed with salt, and applied on the forehead, gives a cooling effect and helps in getting relief from headache.

7. Respiratory Problems: Clove oil has a cooling and anti inflammatory effect, and thereby clears the nasal passage. This expectorant is useful in various respiratory disorders including coughs, colds, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, and tuberculosis. Chewing a clove bud eases sore throats

8. Earache: A mixture of warm clove oil and sesame oil is a good remedy for earaches.

9. Indigestion: Clove oil is effective in stomach related problems such as hiccups, indigestion, motion sickness, and flatulence. Hence, clove one of the important spices added in Indian dishes.

10. Nausea: Clove oil is helpful in case of nausea and vomiting and is often used for pregnancy related vomiting.

11. Blood Circulation: Clove oil increases your body metabolism by increasing blood circulation and reducing body temperature.

12. Blood Purification: Clove oil also helps in purifying the blood.

13. Diabetes: Along with blood purification, clove oil also helps in controlling the blood sugar levels and hence is useful to diabetics.

14. Immune System: Both clove and clove oil is useful for boosting the immune system. Its antiviral properties and ability to purify blood increases your resistance to diseases.

15. Premature Ejaculation: Research has indicated that clove can be useful for treating premature ejaculation.

16. Cholera: It is believed that clove oil is useful for treating cholera.

17. Sty: Clove and clove oil is a very effective home remedy for treating sty. Sty is an inflammation on the eyelash and is a very irritating condition. Sty is not only painful, but also causes difficulty in the proper functioning of the eye. Other benefits of clove oil include the following:

18. Cosmetics: Clove oil is often added in cosmetic creams and lotions. It is a good massage oil providing relief from pain and stress.

19. Clove Cigarettes: Usage of clove in making cigarettes is a new trend all over the world. Traditionally, clove was added in cigarettes in Indonesia. Smokers (wrongly) feel that the numerous health benefits of clove would nullify the ill effects of smoking.

20. Flavoring Agent: Along with its digestive properties, clove oil is added in food items due to its flavor. It is added in many Indian dishes, pickles, sauce, spice cakes, etc.

21. Soaps: Due to the characteristic aroma, soothing effect and antiseptic properties, clove oil is added in making soaps.

22. Perfumes: Clove oil is also used in making perfumes.

One should be careful while using clove oil. Clove oil is strong in nature and hence should be diluted before application.

Natural Help for Anxiety

Dealing with Anxiety
Anxiety is a part of normal human existence. Everyone has been tense before a big test or performing in front of a crowd. It’s hard wired into our system to protect us through the “fight or flight” reflex. For some people these experiences are isolated, but for others anxiety is a constant and domineering force that controls and impairs their whole being.

A fast-paced modern lifestyle can be difficult for both adults and children. Trying activities such as work deadlines, job interviews, school competitions and public interactions don’t make it any easier either.

It’s not uncommon to find oneself a little overwhelmed at the thought of a particular upcoming event or situation. Sometimes demands may be so great that it is difficult to slow down and take a deep breath, causing us to worry about everything.

The natural way
1. A lot can be done to support a healthy ability to relax and slow down. One way of doing this is to keep your mind producing its own natural feel good chemicals by eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grain foods, getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine and exercising regularly.

2. Practicing relaxation techniques, meditation or even taking time for a regular walk on the beach can all help to reduce stress levels and facilitate a feeling of calm - helping us to wind down and relax.

3. Natural remedies can also help to support the nervous system and to keep nerves settled and soothed - to enable us to cope more easily with the everyday stresses of our modern existence. In fact, natural remedies have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years to support the healthy functioning of the brain and nervous system.

4. In more recent times, research has confirmed this traditional wisdom. There are now many published clinical studies demonstrating the ability of a range of herbs to support the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system and maintain a healthy equilibrium - which will assist with staying calm under pressure.

5. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter manufactured and found in the brain. Along with other neurotransmitters, serotonin helps to support emotional wellness and sleep patterns as well as energy levels, sex drive and appetite. Serotonin also promotes healthy concentration, a positive mental attitude, memory and mental alertness.

6. While your feelings are not all about brain chemicals, the delicate balance between neurotransmitters and other hormones can play a big part in maintaining emotional stability, wellness and a positive outlook. Lifestyle, stress management and maintaining healthy relationships all contribute to happiness.

7. However, when there are challenges to face, a solid foundation of emotional health, balanced brain chemistry and a healthy self esteem will make all the difference to how we are able to cope or have the emotional strength to make changes necessary to improve our lives.

8. A lot can be done to naturally maintain emotional health and a healthy positive mental attitude.

9. It is a good idea to keep your natural feel-good chemicals flowing by eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grain foods, ensuring plenty of fresh air, adequate sleep, moderate sunshine and regular exercise. Many healthy foods (e.g. bananas, turkey and carbohydrates) contain nutritional precursors of serotonin and this makes them natural ‘mood foods’ to maintain healthy serotonin levels!

10. Also, never underestimate the power of a few stolen minutes during the workday (or school day) to rejuvenate the spirit and relax the mind - meditation, yoga or listening to a calming CD can all promote relaxation. Smoking, recreational drugs and alcohol can all depress the nervous system and affect the balance of neurotransmitters like serotonin - so try to cut back or avoid these habits for the sake of your emotional as well as your physical health.

11. Participate in social and community activities. Social interaction and a sense of giving to your community enhance self-esteem and reduce stress.

12. Take care of yourself. Get regular exercise, eat nourishing food, and maintain a healthy weight.

13. Participate in activities you enjoy. Have you always wanted to learn a new language? Take up ballroom dancing? Mentor a child? Now is the time! (And activities like these will also help your brain.)

14. Stay focused on positive things and avoid negative self talk such as “I can’t do that” or “I’m too old.” When your self talk is negative, you will feel more stress. Instead of thinking what you can’t do, remember what you can do.

15. Connect with the people who are most meaningful to you. People with friends tend to be happier than those without. Stable social relations help you adjust to changes such retiring, moving, and losing loved ones.

16. Remember stressful events that you successfully coped with in the past and repeat what worked before.

17. Focus on addressing your problems instead of feeling helpless about them. Think of them as “challenges” or “tests” rather than as insurmountable obstacles.

18. Learn and use relaxation techniques and meditation.

19. If you are a caregiver, make use of support and education groups, as well as respite care, which provides time off for caregivers.

20. Medication may be needed in severe cases, which would require consultation with your doctor. Also, symptoms may begin to diminish on their own with age.

Tips for Coping with Depression

What is Depression?
Anyone can feel down from time to time or experience bouts of emotional grief or sadness due to some unexpected life event. For instance, they grieve when someone dies, or feel the sadness and loss when a close relationship ends, or even lose a job.

All these feelings are normal and are part of the ups-and-downs of life. But clinical depression is more than just the blues, more than the expected grief after any loss, and most certainly more than a bad couple of days.

Depression is a deep and dark state, a black hole that may seem impossible to emerge from, and a serious medical condition involving a delicate balance of brain chemicals. Unlike a bad mood that you can simply snap out of, depression can severely disrupt the ability to function properly and can extend through every aspect of your life with serious consequences.

Signs of depression may include feeling somewhat flat, tired and unmotivated. As it progresses a person with depression may no longer want to participate in social activities or hobbies that they once enjoyed.

Eventually individuals with depression may even lose the drive to work altogether, their relationships become strained and they push people away and become unreachable, and the will to live a happy, productive life slowly fades.

Although the future for someone suffering with depression may look bleak, there is a light at the end of the tunnel - depression is treatable and those suffering can live a happy, normal life.

Signs of depression

Weight loss or weight gain
Sleep disturbances: Difficulty falling or staying asleep (insomnia) or sleeping too much (hypersomnia)
Difficulty thinking and concentrating
Difficulty making decisions
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feeling physically slow, agitated, or restless to the degree that others begin to notice
Physical complaints such as headaches, joint pains and stomach aches
Low self-esteem, feeling worthless or excessively guilty
Low libido or diminished interest in sex
Suicidal thoughts, or continuous thoughts of death and self-harm

Tips for Coping with Depression
1. Regular exercise! Even if only for 30 min at a time, three days a week, a good workout will increase happiness inducing endorphins while burning the stress hormone cortisol which is associated with depression. If you do not feel motivated, or dislike exercising at first, keep going for long enough and you will definitely begin to see benefits within 3 - 6 weeks.

2. Talk it out. Talk to someone you trust, a close friend or a licensed counselor and try and come up with a plan of action. Often it is the first steps to recovery that are the most difficult, so try not to do it alone.

3. Eat a healthy diet. A poor diet depletes energy levels and a deficiency in certain nutrients (e.g. iron) can result in fatigue and feelings of depression.

4. Ensure that you are getting all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs, and explore serotonin uplifting foods such as oats, turkey, milk, pasta and other carbohydrate-rich foods.

5. Set realistic goals and responsibilities. It is important to have a plan of action and to start taking responsibility for the future, but know your limits and set your goals within reason. Small steps taken consistently are better than big steps which cause you to bomb out.

6. Prioritize and learn to say no. Avoid unnecessary stress by doing what needs to be done first and learn to look after your own needs. Be careful not to allow others to overload you with their responsibilities.

7. Make a conscious effort to stop negative thoughts. Try and change these thoughts into neutral thoughts and do not indulge in pessimism. Remember that this will take time, and may be difficult at first, but it can also be life-changing. Psychotherapy can be very helpful in this regard.

8. Take action! While your symptoms of depression may make you feel like crawling into bed or existing in your pajamas and slippers all day, make a decision everyday to get up, get dressed and do something. Simply cleaning your room, going for a scenic drive or doing something creative can be uplifting and help break a bad cycle.

9. Turn to nature. One of the best ways to re-energize and uplift your spirit is to get in touch with nature. Go for a walk in the forest, a picnic in the park or a simply sit on the beach and watch a sunset.

10. Let others help you. Don’t turn down a helping hand or a comforting hug. When depression hits, you may feel like pushing people away, but this is the time you need love and affection the most. Pets are also a great source of love and comfort!

11. Help others. One often feels a loss of purpose when depressed, so regain a positive purpose by helping others. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or help out at an organization that could benefit from your time and skills.

12. Make a change. Change is often very invigorating and refreshing. Aim to change your life-style to a healthier one, change your negative attitude towards life, and change your job if you know that your current work makes you miserable. It need not even be a drastic change. Simply re-arranging furniture or giving a touch of paint to a dull room can go a long way to uplifting your mood - better yet, it will keep you busy.

13. Read all about it. There are many books which are very helpful in learning how to manage depression. These include books written by experts in the field - as well as books published by ordinary people with a useful or uplifting contribution to share.

Research what is best for you. If you have a chronic or life threatening condition, don’t make changes without first discussing them with your doctor in order that your condition may be monitored. Well informed and supportive practitioners will support patients who want to take responsibility for their own health.

Stretching

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Stretching may be done at any time of the day and can involve a great number of exercises. Probably your first stretch of the day is done just before or just after you get up. Your muscles have not moved much all night and need to be reminded of what they are designed to do. Watch a cat or dog when it wakes up. The first thing it does is stretch. Everyone needs a certain amount of flexibility or range of motion in the joints. Stretching exercises are the way to increase flexibility.

Precautions
While you are stretching, you must remember to continue to breathe. Holding your breath during a stretch may increase your blood pressure above safe levels. If you continue to breathe as you stretch, your blood pressure should remain within normal limits.

Exercises that use rotation are not recommended for older people, particularly those with arthritis, because rotation exercises may damage the joints. These include such exercises as neck rotation, trunk rotation, arm circles and ankle rotation.
Note: Before beginning any exercise regime, be sure to check with your medical doctor for consent to begin.

Types of Stretches
There are two types of stretching. Ballistic stretching is a repetitive, bouncing stretch that research has shown is not good for the muscles and tendons. Static stretching is a low, continuous stretch. This type of stretch is recommended for stretching exercises.

How to Stretch
To properly stretch a muscle, you should try to lengthen the muscle to a point where you just feel the muscle stretching. Stretching should not hurt; the statement “no pain, no gain” has no place in a stretching program. Hold the stretch for six to 10 seconds, lengthening the muscle if it relaxes in that period of time. Relax, then repeat the exercise.

These are static stretches suitable for people of all ages. Hold each position six seconds by counting 1001, 1002, etc. Then relax. Repeat each exercise the number of times indicated. These exercises will relax muscle tension and strain caused by sitting in one place or position for a long time.

STRETCHING TIPS
1. Always do a light warm up before you stretch. For example walking, biking for 5-10 minutes. Never stretch when the muscles are cold.

2. Hold each stretch for 20-30 sec. Repeat it 1-2 times.

3. Stretch the muscle until you feel a slight discomfort and hold that position for 20-25 sec. Stretching should never be painful nor should you be contracting your muscles when you stretch.

4. Always breathe normally when you stretch. Feel the muscle relaxing as you exhale.

5. The common tight muscles are shoulders, chest, hip flexors, abs, and calves. Make sure to stretch these muscles.

STRETCHING MISTAKES
1. Rounding the lower back and upper back during stretching. Maintain the natural arch in your lower back and do not round your upper back. Proper posture is important even when you stretch.

2. Stretching too hard: If you stretch too hard, your muscles contract as a protective mechanism to prevent getting hurt. So do not try to force the stretch; stretching should be relaxing.

3. Not enough time: You have to hold the stretch for 20-30 sec and repeat it once or twice to improve flexibility.

Dietary Calcium

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The human body needs calcium more than any other mineral. A man weighing 70 kg. contains one kg. of calcium. About 99 per cent of the quantity in the body is used for building strong bones and teeth and the remaining one per cent is used by the blood, muscles and nerves. Calcium performs many important functions. Without this mineral , the contractions of the heart would be faulty, the muscles would not contract properly to make the limbs move and blood would not clot. Calcium stimulates enzymes in the digestive process and coordinates the functions of all other minerals in the body.

Calcium is found in milk and milk products, whole wheat, leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and cabbage , carrots, watercress, oranges, lemons, almonds, figs and walnuts. A daily intake of about 0.4 to 0.6 grams of calcium is considered desirable for an adult. The requirement is larger for growing children and pregnant and lactating women.

Deficiency may cause porous and fragile bones, tooth decay, heart palpitations, muscle cramps, insomnia and irritability. A large increase in the dietary supply of calcium is needed in tetany and when the bones are decalcified due to poor calcium absorption, as in rickets, oesteomalacia and the malabsorption syndrome. Liberal quantity of calcium is also necessary when excessive calcium has been lost from the body as in hyperparathyroidism or chronic renal disease.

DARK CIRCLES UNDER THE EYES

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The skin under the eyes is very delicate and thin and the blood vessels close to the skin tend to occasionally become prominent and engorged and thus give a bluish tint to the skin. Dark circles can also be due to excessive pigmentation in that area. This is usually hereditary or can develop when the person is overtired and is not able to get proper sleep due to reasons like stress, anxiety or it can occur due to disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, too much exposure to sunlight or due to excessive loss of weight.

SOME HOME REMEDIES
1. Drink a lot of water, atleast eight to ten glasses and also apply a cold-water compress over the closed eyes for about five to ten minutes,several times daily.

2. Eat a lot of fresh raw vegetables, salads and fruits.

3. The cream of milk or malai with the addition of a few drops of rose water in it should be applied locally with the help of a thin and soft cloth over the area.

4. Applying thin slices or grated cucumber, potato or papaya over the eyes helps to give a cool and refreshing effect and helps reduce the dark circles.

5. Application of almond oil or vitamin E oil over the dark circles kept overnight tends to help a lot.

SPERMATORRHEA

Involuntary discharge of seminal fluid without any sexual excitement is termed as "spermatorrhea".

SOME HOME REMEDIES

1. Mixture of three oz of sugar and hundred grains of dehydrated borax is given for a week.
2. Saffron macerated with old ghee is given for three days.
3. Mixture of powdered cardamoms (elaichi) and fried pecacuan (hing) is given in six-grain doses with ghee and milk.
4. The home remedies given in the above two topics of impotency and premature ejaculation can also be given.

BOILS AND ABSCESS - HOME REMEDIES

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A "boil" also called as furuncle is a red, painful, raised area of the skin surrounded by swollen inflamed tissue, usually the result of bacteria (especially staphylococcus variety) that invade through a microscopic break in the skin and infect a blocked sweat gland or hair follicle. When the white blood cells fight against the infection, the dead cells and killed bacteria accumulate as pus and lead to the formation of a localized collection of pus in the skin, which is called as an "abscess".

To bring a developing boil to a head, apply warm, moist compresses for twenty to thirty minutes, three to four times daily. Keep the skin around the boil or abscess clean. Recurrent boils could be a sign of inadequate diet or an early symptom of diabetes.

In cases where the boil or abscess does not resolve or is very slow to heal or if the person suffers from diabetes or a deficient immune system, a physician should be consulted to prevent any further complications.

HOME REMEDIES
1. The person should be put on a diet consisting of fresh juicy fruits, whole grain cereals and raw vegetables. Avoid tea, coffee, white bread and starchy and sugary foods.

2. A few drinks of lemon juice taken daily will purify the blood and help to fasten the healing process.

3. Taking a clove of garlic daily acts as an effective antiseptic and helps to detoxify the body. Also the juice of garlic or onion may be applied externally on the boils to help ripen them, break them and evacuate the pus.

4. Heat the mixture of turmeric (haldi) powder, jaggery and wheat flour and then apply it to the boils when warm to speed up the healing process.

5. Eating a lot of oranges and grapefruit (chakotra) daily helps faster healing of the boil.

6. Sandalwood paste has got astringent and anti-inflammatory properties and also has got a refrigerating or a cooling effect on the skin. So it is a useful application over the boils.

7. Apply plain honey or mix it with an equal amount of cod liver oil and apply it directly over the boil and cover it with a sterile dressing.

8. Applying pieces of stale bread soaked in hot milk on the boil or a poultice of warm milk and flour with a tablespoon salt added to it is a useful remedy.

9. One teaspoonful of cream of milk, mixed with half a teaspoonful of vinegar and a pinch of turmeric powder, makes an excellent poultice. It helps in ripening the blood boils and in healing them without allowing them to become septic.

10. Drink a cupful of milk in which some figs (anjeer) are boiled for a few minutes and give it warm to the patient. Also placing a raw fig as a poultice helps to ripen it.

11. Boil parsley in water till it is soft and juicy and when it is comfortably hot, it should be wrapped in a clean muslin or linen clothe and applied over the boil as a poultice.

12. Drink a mixture made from one-third teaspoonful of freshly ground nutmeg (jaiphal), one teaspoonful honey and four to five ounces of hot water daily for five days continuously.

13. Cumin seeds (jeera) are ground in water and made into a paste and applied over the boils. Also in cases of small children suffering from summer boils, a fine powder of cumin mixed in coconut milk is useful.

14. A simple method to quicken the ripening of a boil in any part of the body is to apply a mixture of ash heated with melted butter or ghee. Ash, which is chemically soda potash, acts as an astringent to drain out the purulent matter from inside the boil. Warm ghee softens the top layer of the epithelial cells of the skin.

15. Lightly steamed cabbage leaves or tomato slices act as a useful poultice for the boil.

16. Scrape the inside of the ripe banana peel and spread it on a cloth and bandage the abscess or boil.

17. Applying mashed raw potato over the abscess also helps.

TOP TEN HOME REMEDIES FOR SEXUAL DEBILITY AND IMPOTENCE

Sexual debility usually results in people who are stressed up emotionally and physically or in people who overindulge in sex since an early age, resulting in poor sexual performance, resulting in the person further feeling low and depressed. Impotence is a condition that involves a partial or complete failure of erection of the penis with a normal sexual desire. This may occasionally resolve on its own within a few days, but if it persists then consulting a doctor becomes necessary. Avoid eating a heavy meal late at night. Taking a cool bath before going to bed may help in certain cases. Avoid taking excessive alcohol and stop smoking.

Give yourself some time to relax and avoid talking of work at home.

SOME HOME REMEDIES

#1. Those who are suffering from the above said condition are advised to take a well-balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables and fruits. They should avoid tea, coffee and all kinds of processed, canned and refined foods.

#2. Two to three cloves of raw garlic should be taken daily.

#3. Lightly macerated mixture of equal parts of dried dates (seedless), blanched almonds, pistachios and sugar is pickled in thin ghee for a week and one ounce is given to the person every morning.

#4. Milk in which figs (anjeer), roots, bark and tender sprouts of Banyan tree (vata) have been boiled is given with honey and sugar.

#5. The dried roots of asparagus (safed musli), about fifteen grams boiled in one cup of milk should be taken twice daily.

#6. Ripe plantains are taken with some ghee twice daily.

#7. Cooked rice eaten with some ghee and soup of kidney beans (rajmah) is good.

#8. Juice of white onions and fresh ginger is taken with honey daily for a few weeks.

#9. Black raisins should be boiled with milk and taken thrice daily.

#10. Ten drops of the fluid extract of Black Willow (Salix Nigra) in a little hot water before meals is useful for sexual weakness and neurasthenia.

DIGOXIN USE IN AF INCREASE MORTALITY

SAN FRANCISCO, California — Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) starting digoxin for the first time showed an independently significant jump in mortality over an average of one year compared with nondigoxin users in an observational study reported here today at the American College of Cardiology 2013 Scientific Sessions. Stratified analysis showed the effect to be consistent in men and women and by age.

Digoxin was given for rate control; patients with heart failure had been excluded from the study.

Although mortality doubled with digoxin use, hospitalizations appeared unaffected, suggesting that the people died at home, according to lead author Dr James V Freeman (Stanford University School of Medicine, CA). And though there were no data on cause of death, he toldheartwire that ventricular arrhythmias are a hazard from digoxin toxicity, "so our hypothesis is that maybe [digoxin users] had an increase in arrhythmic death and sudden cardiac death. But there's no way to know that for certain."

Digoxin in one form or another is one of the oldest still-used drugs in medicine and was never tested in substantial clinical trials for efficacy or safety in AF. Still, Freeman observed, the drug "is much more commonly used than people think, and it's not just that people who were using it 20 years ago are still using it."

The current findings support a recent propensity-adjusted secondary analysis of the AFFIRM trial,which found a 41% jump in all-cause mortality in AF patients taking vs not taking digoxin. As previously reported by heartwire , the increased hazard was seen in both men and women and in patients with and without underlying heart failure.

The group looked at 23 272 digoxin-naive patients newly diagnosed with AF from 2006 to 2009 within Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California. Of that group, 12.9% were started on digoxin for rate control.

The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality over a median of 0.8 years was 2.06 (95% CI 1.73–2.45) and for hospitalization was 1.05 (95% CI 0.98–1.13). The mortality finding remained significant in subgroup analysis by sex and three age groups.

Adjusted HR (95% CI), digoxin vs no digoxin use, for death from any cause in adults with incident AF (2006–2009)

Subgroup	HR (95% CI)*
Sex
Male	2.03 (1.58–2.60)
Female	2.13 (1.67–2.71)
Age (y)
21–74	2.31 (1.68–3.17)
75–84	1.66 (1.23–2.23)
>85	2.50 (1.85–3.38)

*Adjusted for age, race, income, laboratory parameters, prior CV disease and procedures, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cancer, lung disease, and cardiovascular medications

"This is about as strong an observational cohort study as you can get. I say that for a number of reasons," Freeman noted. It's large and from a "closed" healthcare system that is responsible for all patients' medications and lab results, and it would be known whether a patient might be noncompliant with meds, for example.

And there is potential from residual confounding due to differences in comorbidities and medications, which could--though they were adjusted for--suggest the study's results are conservative rather than overstated, he observed. Interestingly, nondigoxin users were sicker and showed a significantly greater baseline history of MI, stroke, and coronary revascularization, as well as more dyslipidemia and hypertension. Understandably, they were also on more CV medications.

The strong observational data for a hazard and thin evidence base supporting it, according to Freeman, is enough to recommend a reassessment of digoxin for AF rate control and maybe to give more consideration to certain patients--such as those who are highly symptomatic--for catheter ablation.

New breath of life for health body

The new health advisory body established to provide independent advice on the health needs of asylum seekers has officially begun operations.

The Immigration Health Advisory Group (IHAG) members, led by former Defence Force medical officer Dr Paul Alexander, include medical professionals, psychiatrists, psychologists and GPs, as well as advocates and officials.

A spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) said IHAG would have a broader scope than the former Detention Health Advisory Group (DeHAG) which had been “instrumental in facilitating improvements in health care for people in detention"

“Since DeHAG’s establishment, there have been significant changes in the size, nature and complexity of the immigration detention and status resolution environment, including expanded use of community detention and the use of bridging visas for clients who formerly would have been in immigration detention,” the spokesman said.

“This has meant that the type of health services provided, and the way in which services are used by clients, have also significantly changed.”

He said the new group would not only advise on the needs of people in detention but also on the health of asylum seekers in the community, as well as recent humanitarian visa holders.

“The expanded capacity of the group includes the design, development, implementation and evaluation of health and mental health policies and services for asylum seekers, refugees or recently granted permanent visa holders receiving support through the department’s assistance programs,” he said.

Source http://www.psnews.com.au/Page_psn3537.html

INCREASED STROMAL CELLS WORSENS SURVIVAL IN COLORECTAL CANCER

Medscapers ahoy. I am David Kerr, Professor of Cancer Medicine at University of Oxford and past President of the European Society for Medical Oncology. Today I want to talk about another prognostic index for colon cancer. This is related to a recent publication^[1] in Annals of Oncology by Dr. Huijbers and colleagues from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, and the excellent medical center there, and also with colleagues, including me, from the University of Oxford.

These investigators looked at the contribution of stromal cells to prognosis in colon cancer. It was a nicely conducted, large study of 710 patients who had participated in one of our adjuvant colon cancer trials, hence our involvement. We [at University of Oxford] supplied the biological materials to our colleagues in Leiden, who did all of the analysis. They looked at the percentage of stromal cells and, using simple morphologic criteria that were validated with a reading by 2 pathologists, showed that patients who have a high fraction of stromal cells [have a worse prognosis]: If more than 50% of the cells are stromal compared with [the percentage of] epithelial cancer cells, [the patient will have] a bad prognosis, with a hazard ratio of 2.0 and a P value of .0001. For patients who have high stromal components in their cancers, the 5-year survival rate is around 69% compared with an 83% survival rate for those with a low stromal involvement.

This was a validation study of 710 patients, which followed from initial observations in a couple hundred patients. Therefore, in terms of looking at American Society of Clinical Oncology criteria and how we should report biomarker evidence, the numbers are good, the biostatistics are strong, and multivariate analysis was done. Because this was a validation study, it is a retrospective-prospective trial of a novel prognostic biomarker that is morphologically simple to characterize, pathologically straightforward, and reveals very interesting data.

It does not surprise me, in a way. I must admit that I am becoming much more interested in the interaction between epithelial cancer cells and stromal cells. The stroma, of course, is composed of fibroblasts, infiltrating microphages, lymphocytes, and so on, and the interaction among these in terms of production of cytokines and growth factors clearly can have an enormous impact on the biology of the epithelial cancer cells.

Although I have spent almost a lifetime working with colleagues like Ian Tomlinson, wanting to understand the somatic tumor mutations and changes that drive the behavior of colon cancer, we must not forget environment, context, and the stroma. Next time you see a patient with colon cancer, perhaps ask the pathologist to check whether the patient has high or low levels of stroma within the tumor, and then consider how those with a high stromal component may have a significantly worse prognosis.

FLU VACCINE LINKED TO NARCOLEPSY

A study from England shows a significant 14-fold increased risk for narcolepsy in children vaccinated with AS03 adjuvanted pandemic A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix, GlaxoSmithKline) during the pandemic.

The study points to a "causal association" consistent with findings from Finland and Sweden, Elizabeth Miller, consultant epidemiologist, Health Protection Agency, Colindale, London, United Kingdom, and colleagues reported online February 26 in the British Medical Journal.

The researchers emphasize that the risk might be overestimated by more rapid referral of vaccinated children, and they call for long-term follow-up of children who received the vaccine to get a better handle on the exact level of risk.

Interpret Cautiously

Pandemrix was introduced in Europe in October 2009 during the second wave of infection, initially for people with high-risk clinical conditions and then in healthy children. By March 2010, around 1 in 4 (24%) healthy children younger than age 5 years and just over a third (37%) aged 2 to 15 years in a risk group had been vaccinated. v

Altogether, more than 30 million doses of the vaccine were administered in European countries during the H1N1 flu pandemic. It was not used in the United States.

In August 2010, concerns were raised in Finland and Sweden about a possible association between narcolepsy and this vaccine.

A 2012 study from Finland reported a 13-fold increased risk for narcolepsy in children and young people aged 4 to 19 years who got the vaccine. Most of those who developed narcolepsy had onset within 3 months of vaccination, and all did so within 6 months of vaccination.

However, in October 2012, a review of the evidence by the European Medicines Agency (EMA)'s Committee on Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) concluded the evidence was not sufficient to confirm a link between the vaccine and narcolepsy cases.

"After careful consideration, the CHMP concluded that the data presented by the Finnish researchers are preliminary and that the evidence presented so far is insufficient to allow conclusions to be drawn, and does not lead to any new concerns regarding Pandemrixor other vaccines, including other influenza vaccines," an EMA statement noted. "On the basis of the current evidence, the role of the Pandemrix antigen and its adjuvant on the association between Pandemrix and narcolepsy remains unknown."

To evaluate the risk for narcolepsy afterPandemrixvaccination in England, Miller and colleagues reviewed the medical records of 245 children and adolescents aged 4 to 18 years seen at sleep and child neurology centers across England.

From this group, they identified 75 children with narcolepsy (56 with cataplexy) with onset after January 1, 2008. Eleven had received the vaccine before their symptoms started, and 7 had received it within 6 months of vaccination.

In children with a narcolepsy diagnosis by July 2011, the odds ratios were 14.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.3 - 48.5) for vaccination at any time before onset and 16.2 (95% CI, 3.1 - 84.5) for vaccination within 6 months before onset, the researchers say.

In a self-controlled case series analysis, the relative incidence in those with a diagnosis by July 2011 with onset from October 2008 to December 2010 was 9.9 (95% CI, 2.1 - 47.9).

In absolute terms, the researchers calculated that 1 in 52,000 to 57,500 doses of Pandemrixare associated with narcolepsy.

This study shows that the increased risk for onset of narcolepsy in children and young people after Pandemrixvaccination is not confined to Scandinavian populations, the researchers say.

"The magnitude of the increased risk found in English children and young people is similar to that reported from Finland," they write.

Although further use of this vaccine for prevention of seasonal flu "seems unlikely," they say their findings "have implications for the future licensure and use of AS03 adjuvanted pandemic vaccines containing different subtypes such as H5 or H9."

"Further studies to assess the risk, if any, associated with the other A/H1N1 2009 vaccines used in the pandemic, including those with and without adjuvants, are also needed to inform the use of such vaccines in the event of a future pandemic," the researchers conclude.

SCREENING FOR LUNG CANCER

If all screening-eligible current and former smokers underwent low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening, 12,000 deaths from lung cancer could be averted each year in the United States, according to an analysis published onlineFebruary 25 in Cancer.

"Recently, the National Lung Screening Trial [NLST] demonstrated that, compared with chest x-ray, screening with LDCT reduced lung cancer mortality by 20% among current and former smokers, but the annual number of lung cancer deaths that could potentially be averted is unknown," senior author Ahmedin Jemal, DVM, PhD, from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, Georgia, told Medscape Medical News.

"In this study, we sought to provide the first national estimate of the total number of lung cancer deaths that could be potentially averted with full implementation of lung cancer screening in current and former heavy smokers, aged 55 to 74 years, who smoked at least 1 pack per day for 30 years," Dr. Jemal said.

The investigators, led by colleague Jiemin Ma, PhD, MHS, also from the American Cancer Society, used a specially developed equation to estimate the number of lung cancer deaths that could be averted with screening.

The equation took into account the size of the American population (from 2010 Census data), the prevalence of screening eligibility (estimated from 2010 National Health Interview Survey [NHIS] data), and the lung cancer mortality rates in screening-eligible populations (estimated using 2000 to 2004 NHIS data and the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey–linked mortality files).

In 2010, 8.6 million Americans (5.2 million men and 3.4 million women) were eligible for lung cancer screening.

According to the estimate, if the screening regimen used in the NLST was fully implemented in this population, 12,250 (95% confidence interval, 10,170 - 15,671) lung cancer deaths (8990 in men and 3260 in women) would be averted each year.

Start the Discussion With Your Patient

"Doctors with access to high-volume, high-quality lung cancer screening and treatment centers should initiate discussion with their eligible patients about the benefits, uncertainties, and harms of lung cancer screening," Dr. Jemal said.

"Our findings could provide additional data for setting or updating lung cancer screening guidelines," he explained. "They could also stimulate further studies on avertable lung cancer deaths and the cost effectiveness of LCDT screening under different scenarios of risk, various screening frequencies, and various uptake rates."

In an accompanying editorial, Larry Kessler, ScD, from the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle, writes that the most important influence on lung cancer mortality is the reduction in smoking.

He notes that antismoking campaigns in the United States have averted "hundreds and thousands of deaths," but that public health efforts are still needed to further reduce the prevalence of smoking.

Efforts to reduce smoking "should not minimize the potential importance of screening," he writes. "In many ways, these efforts must go hand in hand."

Dr. Kessler questions whether the 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality found in the NLST and the estimated 12,000 lives saved per year found in this study are sufficient justification to implement a national policy for screening.

"It is clear why a decision has not been yet taken in this direction," he writes. The high rate of false-positive tests, the related workup costs, and the cost of treatment that does not benefit patients complicate the issue.

The limits of screening emphasize the continued need for antismoking efforts, Dr. Kessler says. He issues a call to use "all of our technologies, primary prevention methods, screening methods, and treatment" to tackle this issue.