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Minggu, 15 November 2009

Food Allergies

About Food Allergies

With a food allergy, the body reacts as though that particular food product is harmful. As a result, the body's immune system (which fights infection and disease) creates antibodies to fight the food allergen, the substance in the food that triggers the allergy.

The next time a person comes in contact with that food by touching or eating it or inhaling its particles, the body releases chemicals, including one called histamine, to "protect" itself. These chemicals trigger allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or cardiovascular system. These symptoms might include a runny nose, an itchy skin rash, a tingling in the tongue, lips, or throat, swelling, abdominal pain, or wheezing.

People often confuse food allergies with food intolerance because of similar symptoms. The symptoms of food intolerance can include burping, indigestion, gas, loose stools, headaches, nervousness, or a feeling of being "flushed." But food intolerance:

* doesn't involve the immune system
* can be caused by a person's inability to digest certain substances, such as lactose
* can be unpleasant but is rarely dangerous

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), up to 6% of children in the United States under age 3 have food allergies. They are less common in adults but, overall, food allergies affect nearly 11 million people in the United States.
Common Food Allergens

A child could be allergic to any food, but these eight common allergens account for 90% of all reactions in kids:

1. milk
2. eggs
3. peanuts
4. soy
5. wheat
6. tree nuts (such as walnuts and cashews)
7. fish
8. shellfish (such as shrimp)

In general, most kids with food allergies outgrow them. Of those who are allergic to milk, about 80% will eventually outgrow the allergy. About two-thirds with allergies to eggs and about 80% with a wheat or soy allergy will outgrow those by the time they're 5 years old.

Other food allergies are harder to outgrow. Only about 20% of people with allergies to peanuts and about 10% of those allergic to tree nuts outgrow the allergies. Fish and shellfish allergies usually develop later in life and are even more rarely outgrown.
Food Allergy Reactions

Food allergy reactions can vary from person to person. Some can be very mild and only involve one part of the body, like hives on the skin. Others can be more severe and involve more than one part of the body. Reactions can occur within a few minutes or up to a few hours after contact with the food.

Food allergy reactions can affect any of the four following areas of the body:

1. skin: itchy red bumps (hives); eczema; redness and swelling of the face or extremities; itching and swelling of the lips, tongue, or mouth (skin reactions are the most common type of reaction)
2. gastrointestinal tract: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
3. respiratory tract: runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath
4. cardiovascular system: lightheadedness or fainting

A serious allergic reaction with widespread effects on the body is known as anaphylaxis. This sudden, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction involves two or more of the body areas listed above. In addition, there also can be swelling of the airway, serious difficulty with breathing, a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and in some cases, even death.
Diagnosing a Food Allergy

If you suspect that your child might have a food allergy, contact your doctor. To diagnose an allergy, the doctor will likely ask about:

* your child's symptoms
* how often the reaction occurs
* the time it takes between eating a particular food and the start of the first symptoms
* whether any family members have allergies or conditions like eczema and asthma

The doctor will look for any other conditions that could cause the symptoms. For example, if your child seems to have diarrhea after drinking milk, the doctor may check to see if lactose intolerance could be the cause rather than a food allergy. Celiac disease — a condition in which a person cannot tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat and certain other grains — also can mimic the symptoms of food allergies.

If the doctor suspects a food allergy, you'll likely be referred to an allergy specialist, who will ask more questions, perform a physical exam, and probably perform tests to help make a diagnosis.

One of those tests might be a skin test. The test involves placing liquid extracts of food allergens on your child's forearm or back, pricking the skin, and waiting to see if reddish raised spots (called wheals) form within 15 minutes. A positive test to a certain food only shows that your child might be allergic to that food — the allergist may do additional tests for confirmation.

The allergy specialist might also perform blood tests, called RASTs (radioallergosorbent tests), which check the blood for IgE antibodies to specific foods. The results show the concentration of IgE in the blood. For several foods, different cutoffs indicate a high likelihood of an allergy. If someone has both a positive skin test and and a RAST above the cutoff, an allergy to that food is diagnosed and no further testing is needed.

If the test results are still unclear, the allergist may perform a food challenge. (More often, though, this test is done to determine if someone has outgrown a certain allergy.) During this test, a person might be given gradually increasing amounts of the potential food allergen to eat while being watched for symptoms by the doctor. The test should only be performed in an allergist's office or hospital that has access to immediate medical care and medications because a life-threatening reaction could occur.

Treating a Food Allergy

After diagnosing your child with a food allergy, the allergist will help you create a treatment plan. No medication can cure food allergies, so treatment usually means avoiding the allergen and all the foods that contain it.

You'll need to familiarize yourself with food labels so you can avoid the allergen. Since 2006, a new food labeling law has made this a little easier. Makers of packaged foods are required to clearly state, in or near the ingredient lists, whether the product contains milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or soy.

Although there's no cure for food allergies, medications can treat both minor and severe symptoms. Antihistamines might be used to treat symptoms such as hives, runny nose, or abdominal pain associated with an allergic reaction.

If your child wheezes or has asthma flares (also called attacks) as the result of a food allergy, the doctor will likely recommend that a bronchodilator such as albuterol (which can be inhaled from a handheld pump device) be taken right away to reduce breathing difficulties.

But remember: If your child experiences an allergy-triggered asthma attack, it's important to consider also giving epinephrine and seek emergency medical treatment immediately, in case the asthma symptoms are part of anaphylaxis.

Epinephrine is often used to treat severe allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis. If your child has severe food allergies, your allergist will want you to have two epinephrine autoinjectors (commonly called EpiPens) on hand at all times in case of a life-threatening reaction. This will mean keeping epinephrine in your home, briefcase or purse, and also at relatives' homes and your child's day care or school.

Is Cafein Soda OK For Kids?

It's a good idea to keep caffeine consumption to a minimum, especially in younger kids. The United States doesn't have guidelines for caffeine intake and kids, but Canadian guidelines recommend that preschoolers get no more than 45 milligrams of caffeine a day. That's equivalent to the average amount of caffeine found in a 12-ounce (355-milliliter) can of soda or four 1.5-ounce (43-gram) milk chocolate bars. Caffeine is a drug that's naturally produced in the leaves and seeds of many plants. It's also made artificially and added to certain foods. At lower levels, caffeine can make people feel more alert and energetic. In both kids and adults, though, too much caffeine can cause an upset stomach, headaches, and sleeping problems. Especially in young kids, it doesn't take a lot of caffeine to produce these effects. Too many sweetened caffeinated drinks can lead to obesity and dental cavities. And since caffeine is a diuretic, it causes the body to eliminate more water and can contribute to dehydration. Caffeine can also aggravate heart problems and some behavioral and nervous system disorders. Remember that because kids don't weigh as much, the effects of a caffeinated beverage on a child will be much more pronounced than on an adult.It's a good idea to keep caffeine consumption to a minimum, especially in younger kids. The United States doesn't have guidelines for caffeine intake and kids, but Canadian guidelines recommend that preschoolers get no more than 45 milligrams of caffeine a day. That's equivalent to the average amount of caffeine found in a 12-ounce (355-milliliter) can of soda or four 1.5-ounce (43-gram) milk chocolate bars.

Caffeine is a drug that's naturally produced in the leaves and seeds of many plants. It's also made artificially and added to certain foods. At lower levels, caffeine can make people feel more alert and energetic.

In both kids and adults, though, too much caffeine can cause an upset stomach, headaches, and sleeping problems. Especially in young kids, it doesn't take a lot of caffeine to produce these effects.

Too many sweetened caffeinated drinks can lead to obesity and dental cavities. And since caffeine is a diuretic, it causes the body to eliminate more water and can contribute to dehydration. Caffeine can also aggravate heart problems and some behavioral and nervous system disorders.

Remember that because kids don't weigh as much, the effects of a caffeinated beverage on a child will be much more pronounced than on an adult.

How To Prevent Malaria Disease

About Malaria

Malaria is a common infection in hot, tropical areas but can also occur (very rarely) in temperate climates.

It is caused by any of four single-celled parasites of the Plasmodium species, which are carried by mosquitoes infected from biting someone who already has the disease. Malaria is then transmitted to other people when infected mosquitoes bite them. Rarely, it is passed from person to person (from mother to child in "congenital malaria," or through blood transfusion, organ donation, or shared needles).

Worldwide, 300-500 million people are infected with malaria each year. Most cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with approximately 2 million people dying there each year. Malaria is rare in the United States, with only about 1,300 cases reported each year over the last 10 years. Most of these cases occurred in travelers, military personnel, and immigrants who had become infected by malaria parasites outside the United States.

Signs and Symptoms

A child with early symptoms of malaria may be irritable and drowsy, with poor appetite and trouble sleeping. These symptoms are usually followed by chills, then a fever with rapid breathing. The fever may either gradually increase over 1 to 2 days or may rise very suddenly to 105° Fahrenheit (40.6° Celsius) or above. Then, as fever ends and body temperature quickly returns to normal, the child has an intense episode of sweating.

The same pattern of symptoms — chills, fever, sweating — may repeat at intervals of 2 or 3 days, depending on which particular species of malaria parasite is causing the infection. Because the initial symptoms are not specific and can be mistaken for other diseases, it can be difficult to diagnose. In countries where the disease is seen a lot, it's not uncommon for doctors to treat people for malaria who have fever of no obvious cause without getting laboratory confirmation.
Additional Symptoms

Other symptoms of malaria include headache, nausea, aches and pains all over the body (especially the back and abdomen), and an abnormally large spleen. When malaria affects the brain, a child may have convulsions or lose consciousness. If malaria affects the kidneys, the amount of urine produced by the child may be abnormally low. In falciparum malaria, caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, the episode of fever and chills is especially intense, and this variety may be fatal in about 20% of cases.

Once malaria parasites enter the bloodstream, they travel to the liver and multiply. Every few days, thousands of parasites are released from the liver into the blood, where they destroy red blood cells. Some parasites also remain in the liver and continue to multiply, releasing more parasites into the blood every few days.

The incubation period for malaria is the time between the mosquito bite and the release of parasites from the liver. This varies, depending on which malaria parasite is causing the disease. In general, it can range from 10 days to a month.

With treatment, malaria can usually be cured in about 2 weeks. Without treatment, it can be fatal, especially in children who are poorly nourished.

Prevention

Health authorities try to prevent malaria by using mosquito-control programs aimed at killing mosquitoes that carry the disease. If you travel to an area of the world with a high risk for malaria, you can install window screens, use insect repellents, and place mosquito netting over beds. Insecticide-impregnated bed netting has successfully reduced the number of malarial deaths among African children.

Malaria Vaccines

Check with your doctor before visiting any tropical or subtropical area at high risk for malaria. Your doctor can give your family anti-malarial drugs to prevent the disease. Several malaria vaccines are currently being developed and tested across the world, but because the malaria parasite has a complicated life cycle, it is a difficult vaccine to develop.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Doctors diagnose malaria by using special blood tests. A blood sample is sent to the laboratory and checked under a microscope for malaria parasites, which may be seen inside infected red blood cells.

Doctors treat malaria with anti-malarial drugs, such as chloroquine or quinine, given by mouth, by injection, or intravenously (into the veins). Depending on the type of parasite causing the malaria, a person can be treated as an outpatient over a few days or may require hospitalization with IV medication. Doctors also watch for signs of dehydration, convulsions, anemia, and other complications that can affect the brain, kidneys, or spleen. The patient may require fluids, blood transfusions, and breathing assistance.

Malaria is a leading cause of death worldwide. If diagnosed early and treated, it can be cured. However, many people who live in areas where malaria is common get repeated infections and never really recover between episodes of illness.

The Importance of Water and Human Health

“I'm dying of thirst!"

Well. We just might. It sounds so simple. H20. Two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen. But this element, better known as water, is the most essential, next to air, to our survival. Water truly is everywhere, still most take it for granted.

Water makes up more than two thirds of the weight of the human body, and without it, humans would die in a few days. The human brain is made up of 95% water, blood is 82% and lungs 90%. A mere 2% drop in our body's water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen. (Are you having trouble reading this? Drink up!) Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue. An estimated seventy-five percent of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration. Pretty scary statistic for a developed country, where water is readily available through the tap or bottle.

Water is important to the mechanics of the human body. The body cannot work without it, just as a car cannot run without gas and oil. In fact, all the cell and organ functions made up in our entire anatomy and physiology depend on water for their functioning.

* Water serves as a lubricant
* Water forms the base for saliva
* Water forms the fluids that surround the joints.
* Water regulates the body temperature, as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.
* Water helps to alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste- the best detox agent.
* Regulates metabolism

In addition to the daily maintenance of our bodies, water also plays a key role in the prevention of disease. Drinking eight glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer. And those are just a few examples! As you follow other links on our website, you can read more in depth about how water can aid in the prevention and cure of many types of diseases, ailments and disorders that affect the many systems of our bodies.

Since water is such an important component to our physiology, it would make sense that the quality of the water should be just as important as the quantity. Drinking water should always be clean and free of contaminants to ensure proper health and wellness.

According to recent news and reports, most tap and well water in the U.S. are not safe for drinking due to heavy industrial and environmental pollution. Toxic bacteria, chemicals and heavy metals routinely penetrate and pollute our natural water sources making people sick while exposing them to long term health consequences such as liver damage, cancer and other serious conditions. We have reached the point where all sources of our drinking water, including municipal water systems, wells, lakes, rivers, and even glaciers, contain some level of contamination. Even some brands of bottled water have been found to contain high levels of contaminants in addition to plastics chemical leaching from the bottle.

A good water filtration system installed in your home is the only way to proactively monitor and ensure the quality and safety of your drinking water. Reverse osmosis water purification systems can remove 90-99% of all contaminants from city and well water to deliver healthy drinking water for you and your family.

Sabtu, 07 November 2009

Definition and Classification of Hepatitis

HepatitisWhat do drugs, alcohol, unprotected sex, tattoos, and body piercings have in common? They're all things your parents probably lecture you about avoiding, but here's another connection — they can all lead to a liver condition called hepatitis.

What Is Hepatitis?

The liver is one of the body's powerhouses. It helps process nutrients and metabolizes medication. The liver also helps clear the body of toxic waste products.

The word hepatitis means an inflammation of the liver, and it can be caused by one of many things — including a bacterial infection, liver injury caused by a toxin (poison), and even an attack on the liver by the body's own immune system.

Although there are several forms of hepatitis, the condition is usually caused by one of three viruses: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C virus.

Some hepatitis viruses can mutate, which means they can change over time and can be difficult for the body to fight. In some cases, hepatitis B or C can destroy the liver. The patient then will need a liver transplant to survive, which is not always available or successful.

Hepatitis A

The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through the feces (poop) of infected individuals. People usually get hepatitis A by eating food or drinking water that's been contaminated with feces. Although that sounds disgusting, hepatitis A is actually considered to be less destructive than some other hepatitis viruses. That's because, unlike some other types, it rarely leads to permanent liver damage.

Within a few weeks, the symptoms will have gone away on their own and the virus will no longer be in your system. Once someone has recovered from a hepatitis A infection, that person has immunity to the virus, meaning he or she will probably never get it again. People are also protected against hepatitis A if they've been vaccinated for it.
Although there are several different types of hepatitis, hepatitis B is a type that can move from one person to another through blood and other bodily fluids. It can be transmitted through sexual intercourse and through needles — such as those shared by intravenous drug or steroid users who have the virus, or tattoo needles that haven't been properly sterilized. A pregnant woman can also pass hepatitis B to her unborn baby. You cannot catch hepatitis B from an object, such as a toilet seat.

What Are the Symptoms?

Someone with hepatitis B may have symptoms similar to those caused by other viral infections, such as the flu — for example, tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite, mild fever, and vomiting — as well as abdominal pain or pain underneath the right ribcage where the liver is.

Hepatitis B can also cause jaundice, which is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, and may cause the urine to appear brownish.
How Long Until Symptoms Appear?

Someone who has been exposed to hepatitis B may have symptoms 1 to 4 months later. Some people with hepatitis B don't notice symptoms until they become quite severe. Some have few or no symptoms, but even someone who doesn't notice any symptoms can still transmit the disease to others. Some people carry the virus in their bodies and are contagious for the rest of their lives.

Lupus

Lupus Chantelle was having a rough morning. Her hands were so stiff that she could barely dial the combination on her locker. Then she couldn't move her fingers well enough to play her clarinet. It seemed that ever since marching band practice had started in the early summer, her hands and feet felt sore in the mornings. She was also tired all the time, and no matter how much she rested, she still felt sleepy and achy all over.

Chantelle told her doctor about her achy hands and feet and how she felt tired all the time. The doctor sent her for blood tests. A few days later, the doctor called and told Chantelle's dad that she might have lupus.
What Is Lupus?

Lupus is a disease that involves the immune system and affects about 1.5 million Americans; nearly 90% of those diagnosed with the disease are female. Normally, a person's immune system works by producing immunity cells and antibodies, special substances that fight germs and infections.

But when a person has lupus, the immune system goes into overdrive and can't tell the difference between some of the body's normal, healthy cells and germs that can cause infection. So the immune system responds by making autoantibodies that attack the body's normal cells.

The three types of lupus are:

1. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Also called SLE, this is the type of lupus that most people mean when they talk about the disease. It was given its name by a 19th century French doctor who thought that the facial rash of some people with lupus looked like the bite or scratch of a wolf ("lupus" is Latin for wolf and "erythematosus" is Latin for red).

SLE is the most serious form of lupus. Like Chantelle, about 15% of the people who have SLE first start to feel sick when they are teens. SLE can affect the skin, joints, and tendons. It may also affect organs like the brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys.

2. Discoid Lupus

This type of lupus is a skin disease that causes a rash on the face, neck, scalp, and ears. It is a much more rare form of lupus than SLE, although about 10% of people with discoid lupus will develop a mild form of SLE. It doesn't affect other body organs the way that SLE can. The rash of discoid lupus can cause scarring, though.

3. Drug-Induced Lupus

This type of lupus is caused by a reaction to certain kinds of medicines. For example, some types of antiseizure medicines and acne medicines can cause this kind of lupus in teens. Drug-induced lupus is similar to SLE in the ways it affects the body, but once a person stops taking the medicine, the symptoms usually go away.

What Causes Lupus?

No one really knows what causes lupus. Researchers think that some people may be more likely to get it due to things that are out of their control, like:

* gender: Many more women get lupus than men; there are 10 women to every one man with lupus.

* estrogen: This female hormone may be a factor in lupus — almost all women who get lupus are of childbearing age.

* race/ethnicity: Lupus occurs more often in African-American, Asian-American, Latin-American, and Native-American women than in non-Hispanic Caucasian women.

* family history/genetics: About 10% of people with lupus have a family member with lupus.

* major stress or infection: If people have the genetic tendency to get lupus, extreme stress or an infection may trigger the disease — but the blueprint for lupus has to already be there. One thing researchers know about lupus is that it is not contagious. You can't catch any of the three types of lupus from another person. And although lupus involves the immune system, it is not the same as other diseases that involve the immune system, like AIDS.

Symptoms of Lupus and How It Is Diagnosed

Lupus can be hard to diagnose because its symptoms can vary from one person to the next. The symptoms can also make lupus look like certain other diseases. For example, like Chantelle, people with lupus may feel weak and fatigued. They may have muscle aches, loss of appetite, swollen glands, and hair loss. Sometimes they have abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

The doctor may perform certain blood tests when lupus is suspected and will probably send the person to a rheumatologist (pronounced: roo-muh-tol-uh-jist). Rheumatologists are doctors who have special training in diagnosing and treating autoimmune diseases like lupus.

Because signs and symptoms of SLE can be so varied, a rheumatologist will look for 11 specific signs:

1. malar rash: A malar rash appears across the nose and cheeks in the shape of a butterfly.

2. discoid rash: This rash features round, red, scaly patches that can appear on the face, arms, scalp, or ears.

3. photosensitivity: This means sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, like the ones that come from the sun or from fluorescent lights. Most people with SLE are photosensitive and find that the sun worsens their lupus.

4. ulcers in the nose or mouth: These usually don't hurt and many people with SLE don't even know they are there.

5. arthritis: This makes joints hurt, especially in hands and feet. Unlike the kind of arthritis that older people sometimes get, this arthritis doesn't damage the bones. Most people with SLE have some degree of arthritis.

6. serositis : This is the collection of fluid near the linings covering the heart, lungs, or abdomen.

7. kidney problems: These can be mild or severe. Most people with SLE will have kidney problems, but only about half of them will have permanent kidney damage.

8. neurologic problems: This refers to problems with the brain and nervous system, like seizures.

9. blood problems: SLE can cause a lower than normal number of red blood cells (anemia), white blood cells, or platelets.

10. immune system problems: Blood tests may show that the immune system isn't functioning properly.

11. positive ANA test: This is a blood test that shows a certain type of antibody. About 95% of people with SLE have a positive ANA test.

Someone with four or more of these signs or symptoms is likely to have SLE. Most patients don't develop all 11 of them.
Treating Lupus

The type of treatment someone gets often depends on how severe the lupus is and which body systems are affected. Almost all people with SLE take some kind of medicine to help control their lupus. Patients whose joints hurt often take acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) to help with the pain.

Others take antimalarial drugs (medicines first developed to prevent and treat malaria, but that have also been found to help treat lupus). Antimalarial drugs often help treat skin rashes and joint pain.

Some rheumatologists prescribe anti-inflammatory steroids, medicines that help fight the fatigue and fever that can affect people with SLE. People with lupus that affects important body organs may be given other immunosuppressive drugs. These drugs help stop the immune system from producing the autoantibodies that destroy healthy cells. These drugs are very strong, though, and can have side effects. So they are used only when it's really necessary.
Living With Lupus

In addition to taking medicine, a big part of treating lupus may involve lifestyle changes. For a lot of people with lupus, paying close attention to certain health habits can help prevent their symptoms from flaring up. Getting enough rest and avoiding becoming too busy or overly stressed are helpful. Eating well and exercising regularly can also help a person avoid a flare.

People with lupus can learn to manage the disease to minimize its impact on their lives. Some teens work with a health care team, getting help from a rheumatologist, a nephrologist (a doctor who specializes in kidney problems), a nurse practitioner, and a social worker. Because lupus can differ from one person to another, the team will create a special treatment plan based on the person's individual needs.

Part of managing lupus is controlling the symptoms and preventing flares. A flare is a period of time when the disease gets worse. During a flare, a person feels much more tired, sick, feverish, and achy than usual, and it can also harm important body organs.

When it comes to staying healthy, sometimes the things a person with lupus doesn't do can be just as important as those they do. Rheumatologists recommend that people with lupus don't spend time in the sun unless they wear lots of sunscreen and protective clothing because ultraviolet rays can bring on a flare.

Smoking, drinking, and drugs are also a bad idea for teens with lupus. Alcohol can throw off the balance of certain medications, a dangerous situation for someone with lupus. Tattooing and body piercing are also off limits because of an increased risk of infection. Infection can be a risk because some of the medications doctors prescribe for lupus suppress the immune system and don't allow the body to fight infections as it usually would.

Doctors also advise that teen girls with lupus stay away from birth control pills containing the hormone estrogen; researchers believe that the extra estrogen in the pills can make symptoms worse. Doctors suggest that teens who are sexually active use other types of contraception instead.

With the right medicines and by paying attention to their health habits, most teens with lupus can go to school, enjoy many activities, play sports, and hang out with their friends. If you have a friend or classmate who has lupus, ask how you can help and offer your support. For example, if your friend is sick, keeping him or her up to date on what's going on in school by bringing notes and homework home is always a big help.

Smoking and Asthma

Smoking You may have family photo albums full of people smoking at every type of event, from birthday parties to company picnics. That's because smoking was once accepted pretty much everywhere — even in doctor's offices. But that changed as we learned more about the health problems it causes.

If you have asthma, smoking is especially risky because of the damage it does to the lungs.

When someone smokes, he or she may cough, wheeze, and feel short of breath. This is because smoke irritates the airways, causing them to become swollen, narrow, and filled with sticky mucus. These are the same things that happen during an asthma flare-up. That's why smoking can cause asthma flare-ups to happen more often. Those flare-ups may be more severe and harder to control, even with medicine.
If You Smoke

You may have started smoking because all your friends do or because you grew up in a house where lots of people smoked. Some people try smoking because they are curious or bored. No matter why you started, if you're thinking about quitting, it would probably help your asthma.

Smoking can undo the effect of any controller medicine you're taking. It also can force you to use your rescue medicine more often. It can also disturb your sleep by making you cough more at night and can affect how well you perform in sports or other physical activities. Worst of all, it can send you to the emergency department with a severe asthma flare-up.

If you decide to quit smoking, you don't have to go it alone. Seek the support of others who are also trying to quit. You also might ask your doctor about medication or different strategies that can help you crave cigarettes less.
If you ride a skateboard or play a sport, you probably know about bruises and banged-up knees and elbows. But for guys with a rare bleeding disorder called hemophilia , minor cuts and bruises can be a big deal.

What Is Hemophilia?

Hemophilia is a disease that prevents blood from clotting properly, so a person who has it bleeds more than someone without hemophilia does. It's a genetic disorder, which means it's the result of a change in genes that was either inherited (passed on from parent to child) or occurred during development in the womb. "Hemo" means blood and "philia" means a tendency toward. A person who has hemophilia has a tendency to bleed excessively. Hemophilia affects mostly boys, although it's very rare: Only about 1 in every 5,000 boys is born with it. The disease can affect people of any race or nationality.

When most people get a cut, the body naturally protects itself. Sticky cells in the blood called platelets go to where the bleeding is and plug up the hole. This is the first step in the clotting process. When the platelets plug the hole, they release chemicals that attract more sticky platelets and also activate various proteins in the blood known as clotting factors. These proteins mix with the platelets to form fibers, and these fibers make the clot stronger and stop the bleeding.

Our bodies have 12 clotting factors that work together in this process (numbered using Roman numerals from I through XII). Having too little of factors VIII (8) and IX (9) is what causes hemophilia. A person with hemophilia will only lack one factor, either factor VIII or factor IX, but not both.

There are two major kinds of hemophilia. About 80% of cases are hemophilia A, which is a factor VIII deficiency. Hemophilia B is when factor IX is lacking.

Hemophilia is classified as mild, moderate, or severe, based on the amount of the clotting factor in the person's blood. If someone produces only 1% or less of the affected factor, the case is called severe. Someone that produces 2% to 5% has a moderate case, and someone that produces 6% to 50% of the affected factor level is considered to have a mild case of hemophilia. In general, a person with milder hemophilia may only bleed excessively once in a while, whereas severe hemophilia puts someone at risk for having bleeding problems much more often.

Most people with hemophilia discover they have the condition when they are babies or young kids. Sometimes the disease is so mild that a guy doesn't even know he has it until he has minor surgery — like getting his tonsils or appendix out — and it's found in blood tests that doctors perform before surgery.

Make Your Tooth Ache Vanish With These Magic Home Remedies

Tooth CareSharp, throbbing pains and extremely painful toothaches can present themselves completely unannounced. Most of the time the cause for this alarming pain is some form of tooth decay caused by a medical condition, poor mouth and dental hygiene or a fractured or otherwise
damaged tooth, as most people will experience this pain at some point in their lives, it is handy to be aware of some toothache remedies.

Cleaning your teeth and gums properly is obviously the key to prevent toothache pains. Home remedies for toothaches will help you stop the excruciating pain and can see you through till you are able to visit your dentist. Every person cleans their teeth, using a tooth brush, in a different way. Dentists recommend brushing the teeth with small circular motions, gently brushing the gums as well. Doing this twice a day will prevent toothaches, and can help relieve milder

Causes of Toothaches
A faulty diet, high in sugar and refined foods, along with the consumption of fizzy drinks (usually high in sugar) is the greatest threat to our teeth. Mouth bacteria break sugars down into different types of acids. These acids will attack the enamel on your teeth, causing decay and erosion of the protective layer on the tooth. This is the reason why it can take a long time before you notice that your teeth are in danger. The enamel is broken down slowly, this process can literally take years, after which an excruciating pain will let you know that your tooth is deteriorating.

Easing toothache pain will be your first priority as soon as this pain hits you. Unfortunately, but understandably, lots of people who suffer from toothaches start taking lots of painkillers to be able to ease the toothache pain.

Fortunately there are more ways than one to relief toothache pain, and most of these remedies happen to be simple home remedies. Curing toothaches is usually a task for your dentist, but a lot can be done to relieve yourself of the pain. Some recommendable toothache pain remedies that really work can be applied with items and substances that can generally be found in any kitchen.
How to Avoid Toothache?
Vitamin C, helps to maintain both bones and teeth, kills bacteria and prevents decay. Lime is known for its high vitamin C content and prevents teeth from decaying and gums from loosening around the teeth (caused by a high sugar level in the mouth). If you start adding lime juice to a glass of water every day, this can cure toothaches and help prevent them.

Reducing your intake of sugars, and snacking less in between meals, will help your teeth to stay strong. Gargling with lime juice if you have a very painful toothache is an excellent home remedy.

Of course, the best way to deal with a toothache is to avoid one. Toothache pain relief can be very successful but if dental treatment comes too late a tooth may be lost. Consult your dentist if you start experiencing pains and watch your diet. Armoured with these toothache remedies, you will be well equipped should you ever suffer from one.

Jumat, 06 November 2009

Yoga

YogaConsider the benefits of yoga as a valuable exercise that just might suit your needs. The gentle stretching of yoga, or more vigorous movements when desired, can be incorporated into your daily life, regardless of fitness level. We all need more exercise, and yoga has many benefits that are worth considering when choosing an exercise routine.Yoga rreduces depresion can improve balance, lead to mindful eating that reduces chances of obesity, and helps us learn to focus. Breathing associated with yoga can lower blood pressure, and help maintain blood vessel health. Yoga can help with sustained weight loss because it teaches us to focus on the moment.
The simple act of stretching can reduce heart disease risk, according to a very recent study from the American Physiological Society. The study authors wrote, “We believe that flexibility exercise, such as stretching, yoga and Pilates, should be integrated as a new recommendation into the known cardiovascular benefits of regular exercise.”


The benefits of exercise should indeed include yoga for anyone seeking a mind-body approach to good health. Yoga can be challenging, or practiced gently, depending on your own physical ability and personal preference.


According to Harvard Health Publications, “Available reviews of a wide range of yoga practices suggest they can reduce the impact of exaggerated stress responses and may be helpful for both anxiety and depression. In this respect, yoga functions like other self-soothing techniques, such as meditation, relaxation, exercise, or even socializing with friends”.

The effects of yoga breathing can reduce blood pressure and mental stress. Yoga is a means to improve posture, reducing pain associated with hard work and hours at the computer. The breathing of yoga can be used anytime you feel stress. Lung health is improved as the muscles of breathing become stronger.


We all know the benefits of exercise. Consider beginning the practice of yoga for better health. There are many types of yoga practices from which to choose, suitable for any fitness level.

Mobile Phone Radiation and Health

Phone RadiationMobile phone radiation and health concerns have been raised, especially following the enormous increase in the use of wireless mobile telephony throughout the world , there were more than 2 billion users worldwide. Mobile phones use electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range, and some researchers believe this may be harmful to human health. These concerns have induced a large body of research (both epidemiological and experimental, in non-human animals and in humans). Concerns about effects on health have also been raised regarding other digital wireless systems, such as data communication networks.

The World Health Organization, based upon the consensus view of the scientific and medical communities, states that cancer is unlikely to be caused by cellular phones or their base stations and that reviews have found no convincing evidence for other health effects. The WHO expects to make recommendations about mobile phones before the end of 2009. Some national radiation advisory authorities have recommended measures to minimize exposure to their citizens.
Risks

Many scientific studies have investigated possible health effects of mobile phone radiations. These studies are occasionally reviewed by some scientific committees to assess overall risks. The most recent assessment was published in 2007 by the European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR). It concludes from the available research that no significant health effect has been demonstrated from mobile phone radiation at normal exposure levels:

* Normal exposure to mobile phone radiation cannot cause headaches or dizziness, nor can it cause brain cancers, neurological effects or reproductive effects.
* A few inconclusive studies suggest that it may cause a benign tumour of the auditory nerve.
* However, more studies concerning potential health effects on children are needed.
Radiation absorption
Part of the radio waves emitted by a mobile telephone handset are absorbed by the human head. The radio waves emitted by a GSM handset, can have a peak power of 2 watts, and a US analogue phone had a maximum transmit power of 3.6 watts. Other digital mobile technologies, such as CDMA2000 and D-AMPS, use lower output power, typically below 1 watt, UVA. The maximum power output from a mobile phone is regulated by the mobile phone standard it is following and by the regulatory agencies in each country. In most systems the cellphone and the base station check reception quality and signal strength and the power level is increased or decreased automatically, within a certain span, to accommodate for different situations such as inside or outside of buildings and vehicles. The rate at which radiation is absorbed by the human body is measured by the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), and its maximum levels for modern handsets have been set by governmental regulating agencies in many countries. In the USA, the FCC has set a SAR limit of 1.6 W/kg, averaged over a volume of 1 gram of tissue, for the head. In Europe, the limit is 2 W/kg, averaged over a volume of 10 grams of tissue. SAR values are heavily dependent on the size of the averaging volume. Without information about the averaging volume used comparisons between different measurements can not be made. Thus, the European 10-gram ratings should be compared among themselves, and the American 1-gram ratings should only be compared among themselves. SAR data for specific mobile phones, along with other useful information, can be found directly on manufacturers' websites, as well as on third party web sites.
Thermal effects

One well-understood effect of microwave radiation is dielectric heating, in which any dielectric material (such as living tissue) is heated by rotations of polar molecules induced by the electromagnetic field. In the case of a person using a cell phone, most of the heating effect will occur at the surface of the head, causing its temperature to increase by a fraction of a degree. In this case, the level of temperature increase is an order of magnitude less than that obtained during the exposure of the head to direct sunlight. The brain's blood circulation is capable of disposing of excess heat by increasing local blood flow. However, the cornea of the eye does not have this temperature regulation mechanism and exposure of 2-3 hours' duration has been reported to produce cataracts in rabbits' eyes at SAR values from 100-140W/kg, which produced lenticular temper
Non-thermal effects

The communications protocols used by mobile phones often result in low-frequency pulsing of the carrier signal. Whether these modulations have biological significance has been subject to debate.

Some researchers have argued that so-called "non-thermal effects" could be reinterpreted as a normal cellular response to an increase in temperature. The German biophysicist Roland Glaser, for example, has argued that there are several thermoreceptor molecules in cells, and that they activate a cascade of second and third messenger systems, gene expression mechanisms and production of heat shock proteins in order to defend the cell against metabolic cell stress caused by heat. The increases in temperature that cause these changes are too small to be detected by studies such as REFLEX, which base their whole argument on the apparent stability of thermal equilibrium in their cell cultures.
Blood-brain barrier effects

Swedish researchers from Lund University (Salford, Brun, Perrson, Eberhardt, and Malmgren) have studied the effects of microwave radiation on the rat brain. They found a leakage of albumin into the brain via a permeated blood-brain barrier. Other groups have not confirmed these findings in cell or animal studies.
Cancer

In 2006 a large Danish study about the connection between mobile phone use and cancer incidence was published. It followed over 420,000 Danish citizens for 20 years and showed no increased risk of cancer. The German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) consider this report as inconclusive.

In order to investigate the risk of cancer for the mobile phone user, a cooperative project between 13 countries has been launched called INTERPHONE. The idea is that cancers need time to develop so only studies over 10 years are of interest.

The following studies of long time exposure have been published:

* A Danish study (2004) that took place over 10 years and found no evidence to support a link.

* A Swedish study (2005) that draws the conclusion that "the data do not support the hypothesis that mobile phone use is related to an increased risk of glioma or meningioma."

* A British study (2005) that draws the conclusion that "The study suggests that there is no substantial risk of acoustic neuroma in the first decade after starting mobile phone use. However, an increase in risk after longer term use or after a longer lag period could not be ruled out."

* A German study (2006) that states "In conclusion, no overall increased risk of glioma or meningioma was observed among these cellular phone users; however, for long-term cellular phone users, results need to be confirmed before firm conclusions can be drawn."

* A joint study conducted in northern Europe that draws the conclusion that "Although our results overall do not indicate an increased risk of glioma in relation to mobile phone use, the possible risk in the most heavily exposed part of the brain with long-term use needs to be explored further before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Other studies on cancer and mobile phones are:

* A Swedish scientific team at the Karolinska Institute conducted an epidemiological study (2004) that suggested that regular use of a mobile phone over a decade or more was associated with an increased risk of acoustic neuroma, a type of benign brain tumor. The increase was not noted in those who had used phones for fewer than 10 years.

* The INTERPHONE study group from Japan published the results of a study of brain tumour risk and mobile phone use. They used a new approach: determining the SAR inside a tumour by calculating the radiofrequency field absorption in the exact tumour location. Cases examined included glioma, meninigioma, and pituitary adenoma. They reported that the overall odds ratio (OR) was not increased and that there was no significant trend towards an increasing OR in relation to exposure, as measured by SAR.

In 2007, Dr. Lennart Hardell, from Örebro University in Sweden, reviewed published epidemiological papers (2 cohort studies and 16 case-control studies) and found that[24]:

* Cell phone users had an increased risk of malignant gliomas.
* Link between cell phone use and a higher rate of acoustic neuromas.
* Tumors are more likely to occur on the side of the head that the cell handset is used.
* One hour of cell phone use per day significantly increases tumor risk after ten years or more.



* A self-published and non-peer reviewed meta-study by Dr. Vini Khurana, an Australian neurosurgeon, presented an "increasing body of evidence ... for a link between mobile phone usage and certain brain tumours" and that it "is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking".[26] This was criticised as ‘…an unbalanced analysis of the literature, which is also selective in support of the author’s claims.’

A publication titled "Public health implications of wireless technologies" cites that Lennart Hardell found age is a significant factor. The report repeated the finding that the use of cell phones before age 20 increased the risk of brain tumors by 5.2, compared to 1.4 for all ages. A review by Hardell et al. concluded that c Cognitive effects

A 2009 study examined the effects of exposure to radiation emitted by standard GSM cell phones on the cognitive functions of humans. The study confirmed the existence of an effect of exposure on response times to a spatial working memory task, as well as the fact that exposure duration may play a role in producing detectable effects on performance.
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity
Main article: Electromagnetic hypersensitivity

Some users of mobile handsets have reported feeling several unspecific symptoms during and after its use; ranging from burning and tingling sensations in the skin of the head and extremities, fatigue, sleep disturbances, dizziness, loss of mental attention, reaction times and memory retentiveness, headaches, malaise, tachycardia (heart palpitations), to disturbances of the digestive system. Reports have noted that all of these symptoms can also be attributed to stress and that current research cannot separate the symptoms from nocebo effects.
Genotoxic effects

Research published in 2004 by a team at the University of Athens had a reduction in reproductive capacity in fruit flies exposed to 6 minutes of 900 MHz pulsed radiation for five days. Subsequent research, again conducted on fruit flies, was published in 2007, with the same exposure pattern but conducted at both 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, and had similar changes in reproductive capacity with no significant difference between the two frequencies. Following additional tests published in a third article, the authors stated they thought their research suggested the changes were “…due to degeneration of large numbers of egg chambers after DNA fragmentation of their constituent cells …”.

In 1995, in the journal Bioelectromagnetics, Wengong Lai and Mohinder Singh reported damaged DNA after two hours of microwave radiation at levels deemed safe according to government standards. Later, in December 2004, a pan-European study named REFLEX (Risk Evaluation of Potential Environmental Hazards from Low Energy Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Exposure Using Sensitive in vitro Methods), involving 12 collaborating laboratories in several countries showed some compelling evidence of DNA damage of cells in in-vitro cultures, when exposed between 0.3 to 2 watts/kg, whole-sample average. There were indications, but not rigorous evidence of other cell changes, including damage to chromosomes, alterations in the activity of certain genes and a boosted rate of cell division.[36] Reviews of in vitro genotoxicity studies have generally concluded that RF is not genotoxic and that studies reporting positive effects had experimental deficiences.
Sleep and EEG effects

Sleep, EEG and waking rCBF have been studied in relation to RF exposure for a decade now, and the majority of papers published to date have found some form of effect. While a Finnish study failed to find any effect on sleep or other cognitive function from pulsed RF exposure, most other papers have found significant effects on sleep. Two of these papers found the effect was only present when the exposure was pulsed (amplitude modulated), and one early paper actually found that sleep quality (measured by the amount of participants' broken sleep) actually improved.

While some papers were inconclusive or inconsistent, a number of studies have now demonstrated reversible EEG and rCBF alterations from exposure to pulsed RF exposure. German research from 2006 found that statistically significant EEG changes could be consistently found, but only in a relatively low proportion of study participants (12 - 30%).
Health hazards of base stations

Another area of concern is the radiation emitted by the fixed infrastructure used in mobile telephony, such as base stations and their antennas, which provide the link to and from mobile phones. This is because, in contrast to mobile handsets, it is emitted continuously and is more powerful at close quarters. On the other hand, field intensities drop rapidly with distance away from the base of the antenna because of the attenuation of power with the square of distance. Base station emissions must comply with safety guidelines (see Safety standards and licensing below).

Several surveys have found increases of symptoms depending upon proximity to electromagnetic sources such as mobile phone base stations. A 2002 survey study by Santini et al. in France found a variety of self-reported symptoms for people who reported that they were living within 300 metres (984 ft) of GSM cell towers in rural areas, or within 100 m (328 ft) of base stations in urban areas. Fatigue, headache, sleep disruption and loss of memory were among the symptoms reported. Similar results have been obtained with GSM cell towers in Spain, Egypt,Poland and Austria. There are significant challenges in conducting studies of populations near base stations, especially in assessment of individual exposure.

However, a study conducted at the University of Essex and another in Switzerland[58] concluded that mobile phone masts were unlikely to be causing these short term effects in a group of volunteers who complained of such symptoms. The Essex study has been criticised as being skewed due to drop-outs of test subjects, although these criticisms were answered by the authors.

As technology progresses and data demands have increased on the mobile network, towns and cities have seen the number of towers increase sharply, including 3G towers which work with larger bandwidths.Many measurements and experiments have shown that transmitter power levels are relatively low - in modern 2G antennas, in the range of 20 to 100 W, with the 3G towers causing less radiation than the already present 2G network. An average radiation power output of 3 W is used. The use of 'micro-cell geometries' (large numbers of transmitters in an area but with each individual transmitter running very low power) inside cities has decreased the amount of radiated power even further. The radiation exposure from these antennas, while generally low level, is continuous.

Experts consulted by France consider it is mandatory that main antenna axis not to be directly in front of a living place at a distance shorter than 100 meters. This recommendation was modified in 2003 to say that antennas located within a 100-metre radius of primary schools or childcare facilities should be better integrated into the cityscape and was not included in a 2005 expert report.
French High Court ruling against telecom company

In February 2009 the telecom company Bouygues Telecom was ordered to take down a mobile phone mast due to uncertainty about its effect on health. Residents in the commune Charbonnières in the Rhône department had sued the company claiming adverse health effects from the radiation emitted by the 19 meter tall antenna. The milestone ruling by the Versailles Court of Appeal reversed the burden of proof which is usual in such cases by emphasizing the extreme divergence between different countries in assessing safe limits for such radiation. The court stated that, "Considering that, while the reality of the risk remains hypothetical, it becomes clear from reading the contributions and scientific publications produced in debate and the divergent legislative positions taken in various countries, that uncertainty over the harmlessness of exposure to the waves emitted by relay antennas persists and can be considered serious and reasonable".
Occupational health hazards

Telecommunication workers who spend time at a short distance from the active equipment, for the purposes of testing, maintenance, installation, etcetera, may be at risk of much greater exposure than the general population. Many times base stations are not turned off during maintenance, but the power being sent through to the antennas is cut off, so that the workers do not have to work near live antennas.

A variety of studies over the past 50 years have been done on workers exposed to high RF radiation levels; studies including radar laboratory workers, military radar workers, electrical workers, and amateur radio operators. Most of these studies found no increase in cancer rates over the general population or a control group. Many positive results could have been attributed to other work environment conditions, and many negative results of reduced cancer rates also occurred.
Safety standards and licensing

In order to protect the population living around base stations and users of mobile handsets, governments and regulatory bodies adopt safety standards, which translate to limits on exposure levels below a certain value. There are many proposed national and international standards, but that of the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) is the most respected one, and has been adopted so far by more than 80 countries. For radio stations, ICNIRP proposes two safety levels: one for occupational exposure, another one for the general population. Currently there are efforts underway to harmonise the different standards in existence.

Radio base licensing procedures have been established in the majority of urban spaces regulated either at municipal/county, provincial/state or national level. Mobile telephone service providers are, in many regions, required to obtain construction licenses, provide certification of antenna emission levels and assure compliance to ICNIRP standards and/or to other environmental legislation.

Many governmental bodies also require that competing telecommunication companies try to achieve sharing of towers so as to decrease environmental and cosmetic impact. This issue is an influential factor of rejection of installation of new antennas and towers in communities.

The safety standards in the U.S. are set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC has based its standards primarily on those standards established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), specifically Subcommittee 4 of the "International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety".
Evolution of safety standards

The following is a brief summary of the wireless safety standards, which have become stricter over time.

* 1966: The ANSI C95.1 standard adopted the standard of 10 mW/cm2 (10,000 μW/cm2) based on thermal effects.
* 1982: The IEEE recommended further lowering this limit to 1 mW/cm2 (1,000 μW/cm2) for certain frequencies in 1982, which became a standard ten years later in 1992 (see below).
* 1986: The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) recommended the exposure limit of 580 μW/cm2.
* 1992: The ANSI/IEEE C95.1-1992 standard based on thermal effects used the 1 mW/cm2 (1,000 μW/cm2) safety limit. The United States Environmental Protection Agency‎ called this revised standard "seriously flawed", partly for failing to consider non-thermal effects, and called for the FCC to adopt the 1986 NCRP standard which was five times stricter.
* 1996: The FCC updated to the standard of 580 μW/cm2 over any 30-minute period for the 869 MHz, while still using 1mW/cm2 (1,000 μW/cm2) for PCS frequencies (1850-1990 MHz).[68]
* 1998: The ICNIRP standard uses the limit of 450 μW/cm2 at 900 MHz, and 950 μW/cm2 at 1900 MHz. The limit is frequency dependent.

[edit] Adequacy of current standards

The controversial question is whether the current safety standards are adequate enough to protect the public's long-term health. A few nations have set safety limits orders lower than the ICNIRP limit. In particular, the Salzburg Resolution for Austria recommends safety limits many times lower (0.6 V/m = 0.1 μW/cm2 for pulsed radiation).[69]

In September 2008, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the mid-term review of the European Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010. The resolution covered several topic areas, such as Mental Health and Global Warming, and included under the topic "Dangers of new technologies" the statement "… that the limits on exposure to electromagnetic fields which have been set for the general public are obsolete.
Lawsuits

In the USA, a small number of personal injury lawsuits have been filed by individuals against cellphone manufacturers, such as Motorola, NEC, Siemens and Nokia, on the basis of allegations of causation of brain cancer and death. In US federal court, expert testimony relating to science must be first evaluated by a judge, in a Daubert hearing, to be relevant and valid before it is admissible as evidence. In one case against Motorola, the plaintiffs alleged that the use of wireless handheld telephones could cause brain cancer, and that the use of Motorola phones caused one plaintiff’s cancer. The judge ruled that no sufficiently reliable and relevant scientific evidence in support of either general or specific causation was proffered by the plaintiffs; accepted a motion to exclude the testimony of the plaintiffs’ experts; and denied a motion to exclude the testimony of the defendants' experts.
Precaution
Precautionary principle

In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that the precautionary principle could be voluntarily adopted in this case.It follows the recommendations of the European Community for environmental risks. According to the WHO, the "precautionary principle" is "a risk management policy applied in circumstances with a high degree of scientific uncertainty, reflecting the need to take action for a potentially serious risk without awaiting the results of scientific research." Other less stringent recommended approaches are prudent avoidance principle and ALARA (As Low as Reasonably Achievable). Although all of these are problematic in application, due to the widespread use and economic importance of wireless telecommunication systems in modern civilization, there is an increased popularity of such measures in the general public, though also evidence that such approaches may increase concern. They involve recommendations such as the minimization of cellphone usage, the limitation of use by at-risk population (such as children), the adoption of cellphones and microcells with ALARA levels of radiation, the wider use of hands-free and earphone technologies such as Bluetooth headsets, the adoption of maximal standards of exposure, RF field intensity and distance of base stations antennas from human habitations, and so forth.
Precautionary Measures

Some national radiation advisory authorities, including those of Austria, France, Germany, and Sweden have recommended measures to minimize exposure to their citizens. Examples of the recommendations are:

* Use hands-free to decrease the radiation to the head.
* Keep the mobile phone away from the body.
* Do not use telephone in a car without an external antenna.

The use of "hands-free" was not recommended by the British Consumers' Association in a statement in November 2000 as they believed that exposure was increased. However, measurements for the (then) UK Department of Trade and Industry[79] and others for the French l’Agence française de sécurité sanitaire environnementale[80] showed substantial reductions. In 2005 Professor Lawrie Challis and others said clipping a ferrite bead onto hands-free kits stops the radio waves travelling up the wire and into the head.
See also

* Bioelectromagnetism
* Mobile phones and driving safety
* Electromagnetic radiation and health
* Wireless electronic devices and health (computer data wireless)
* Specific absorption rate
* Radiation biology
* Electrical sensitivity
* Non-ionizing radiation

Crohn's Disease

Crohn's DiseaseWhat is Crohn's disease?

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines. It primarily causes ulcerations (breaks in the lining) of the small and large intestines, but can affect the digestive system anywhere from the mouth to the anus. It is named after the physician who described the disease in 1932. It also is called granulomatous enteritis or colitis, regional enteritis, ileitis, or terminal ileitis.

Crohn's disease is related closely to another chronic inflammatory condition that involves only the colon called ulcerative colitis. Together, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are frequently referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease have no medical cure. Once the diseases begin, they tend to fluctuate between periods of inactivity (remission) and activity (relapse). They affect approximately 500,000 to two million people in the United States. Men and women are equally affected. IBD most commonly begins during adolescence and early adulthood, but it also can begin during childhood and later in life.

Crohn's disease tends to be more common in relatives of patients with Crohn's disease. It also is more common among relatives of patients with ulcerative colitis.

What causes Crohn's disease?

The cause of Crohn's disease is unknown. Some scientists suspect that infection by certain bacteria, such as strains of mycobacterium, may be the cause of Crohn's disease. To date, however, there has been no convincing evidence that the disease is caused by infection. Crohn's disease is not contagious. Although diet may affect the symptoms in patients with Crohn's disease, it is unlikely that diet is responsible for the disease.

Activation of the immune system in the intestines appears to be important in IBD. The immune system is composed of immune cells and the proteins that these immune cells produce. Normally, these cells and proteins defend the body against harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other foreign invaders. Activation of the immune system causes inflammation within the tissues where the activation occurs. (Inflammation is an important mechanism of defense used by the immune system.)

Normally, the immune system is activated only when the body is exposed to harmful invaders. In patients with IBD, however, the immune system is abnormally and chronically activated in the absence of any known invader. The continued abnormal activation of the immune system results in chronic inflammation and ulceration. The susceptibility to abnormal activation of the immune system is genetically inherited. Thus, first degree relatives (brothers, sisters, children, and parents) of patients with IBD are more likely to develop these diseases. Recently a gene called NOD2 has been identified as being associated with Crohn's disease. This gene is important in determining how the body responds to some bacterial products. Individuals with mutations in this gene are more susceptible to developing Crohn's disease.
How does Crohn's disease affect the intestines?

In the early stages, Crohn's disease causes small, scattered, shallow, crater-like areas (erosions) on the inner surface of the bowel. These erosions are called aphthous ulcers. With time, the erosions become deeper and larger, ultimately becoming true ulcers (which are deeper than erosions) and causing scarring and stiffness of the bowel. As the disease progresses, the bowel becomes increasingly narrowed, and ultimately can become obstructed. Deep ulcers can puncture holes in the wall of the bowel, and bacteria from within the bowel can spread to infect adjacent organs and the surrounding abdominal cavity.

When Crohn's disease narrows the small intestine to the point of obstruction, the flow of the contents through the intestine ceases. Sometimes, the obstruction can be caused suddenly by poorly-digestible fruit or vegetables that plug the already-narrowed segment of the intestine. When the intestine is obstructed, digesting food, fluid and gas from the stomach and the small intestine cannot pass into the colon. The symptoms of small intestinal obstruction then appear, including severe abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal distention. Obstruction of the small intestine is much more likely since the small intestine is much narrower than the colon to begin with.

Deep ulcers can puncture holes in the walls of the small intestine and the colon, and create a tunnel between the intestine and adjacent organs. If the ulcer tunnel reaches an adjacent empty space inside the abdominal cavity, a collection of infected pus (an abdominal abscess) is formed. Patients with abdominal abscesses can develop tender abdominal masses, high fevers, and abdominal pain.

When the ulcer tunnels into an adjacent organ, a channel (fistula) is formed. The formation of a fistula between the intestine and the bladder (enteric-vesicular fistula) can cause frequent urinary tract infections and the passage of gas and feces during urination. When a fistula develops between the intestine and the skin (enteric-cutaneous fistula), pus and mucous emerge from a small painful opening on the skin of the abdomen. The development of a fistula between the colon and the vagina (colonic-vaginal fistula) causes gas and feces to emerge through the vagina. The presence of a fistula from the intestines to the anus (anal fistula) leads to a discharge of mucous and pus from the fistula's opening around the anus.

How is Crohn's disease different from ulcerative colitis?

While ulcerative colitis causes inflammation only in the colon (colitis) and/or the rectum (proctitis), Crohn's disease may cause inflammation in the colon, rectum, small intestine (jejunum and ileum), and, occasionally, even the stomach, mouth, and esophagus.

The patterns of inflammation in Crohn's disease are different from ulcerative colitis. Except in the most severe cases, the inflammation of ulcerative colitis tends to involve the superficial layers of the inner lining of the bowel. The inflammation also tends to be diffuse and uniform. (All of the lining in the affected segment of the intestine is inflamed.) Unlike ulcerative colitis, the inflammation of Crohn's disease is concentrated in some areas more than others and involves layers of the bowel that are deeper than the superficial inner layers. Therefore, the affected segment(s) of bowel in Crohn's disease often is studded with deeper ulcers with normal lining between these ulcers.
What are the complications of Crohn's disease?

Complications of Crohn's disease may be related or unrelated to the inflammation within the intestine (such as intestinal or extra-intestinal). Intestinal complications of Crohn's disease include obstruction and perforation of the small intestine, abscesses (collections of pus), fistulae, and intestinal bleeding. Massive distention or dilatation of the colon (megacolon), and rupture (perforation) of the intestine are potentially life-threatening complications. Both generally require surgery, but, fortunately, these two complications are rare. Recent data suggest that there is an increased risk of cancer of the small intestine and colon in patients with long-standing Crohn's disease.

Extra-intestinal complications involve the skin, joints, spine, eyes, liver, and bile ducts. Skin involvement includes painful red raised spots on the legs (erythema nodosum) and an ulcerating skin condition generally found around the ankles called pyoderma gangrenosum. Painful eye conditions (uveitis, episcleritis) can cause visual difficulties. Arthritis can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints of the extremities. Inflammation of the low back (sacroiliac joint arthritis) and of the spine (ankylosing spondylitis) can cause pain and stiffness of the spine. Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) or bile ducts (primary sclerosing cholangitis) also can occur. Sclerosing cholangitis causes narrowing and obstruction of the ducts draining the liver and can lead to yellow skin (jaundice), recurrent bacterial infections, and liver cirrhosis with liver failure. Sclerosing cholangitis with liver failure is one of the reasons for performing liver transplantation. Sclerosing cholangitis frequently is complicated by the development of cancer of the bile ducts.
What are the symptoms of Crohn's disease?

Common symptoms of Crohn's disease include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. Less common symptoms include poor appetite, fever, night sweats, rectal pain, and rectal bleeding. The symptoms of Crohn's disease are dependent on the location, the extent, and the severity of the inflammation. The different subtypes of Crohn's disease and their symptoms are:

1. Crohn's colitis is inflammation that is confined to the colon. Abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea are the common symptoms. Anal fistulae and peri-rectal abscesses also can occur.

2. Crohn's enteritis refers to inflammation confined to the small intestine (the first part, called the jejunum or the second part, called the ileum). Involvement of the ileum alone is referred to as Crohn's ileitis. Abdominal pain and diarrhea are the common symptoms. Obstruction of the small intestine also can occur.

3. Crohn's terminal ileitis is inflammation that affects only the very end of the small intestine (terminal ileum), the part of the small intestine closest to the colon. Abdominal pain and diarrhea are the common symptoms. Small intestinal obstruction also can occur.

4. Crohn's entero-colitis and ileo-colitis are terms to describe inflammation that involve both the small intestine and the colon. Bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain are the common symptoms. Small intestinal obstruction also can occur.

Crohn's terminal ileitis and ileo-colitis are the most common types of Crohn's disease. (Ulcerative colitis frequently involves only the rectum or rectum and sigmoid colon at the distal end of the colon. These are called ulcerative proctitis and procto-sigmoiditis, respectively.)

Up to one third of patients with Crohn's disease may have one or more of the following conditions involving the anal area:

1. Swelling of the tissue of the anal sphincter, the muscle at the end of the colon that controls defecation.

2. Development of ulcers and fissures (long ulcers) within the anal sphincter. These ulcers and fissures can cause bleeding and pain with defecation.

3. Development of anal fistulae (abnormal tunnels) between the anus or rectum and the skin surrounding the anus). Mucous and pus may drain from the openings of the fistulae on the skin.

4. Development of peri-rectal abscesses (collections of pus in the anal and rectal area). Peri-rectal abscesses can cause fever, pain and tenderness around the anus.

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