The Many Avatars of Bird Flu

Bird flu and AIDS have scared us all in equal measure, but they have something else in common as well: both are caused by viruses, a mysterious mix between living creature and inanimate object. Biochemists know viruses to be relatively short combinations of ribonucleic acid. A virus lives off a living thing: it cannot survive on its own.

Animal bodies have defense mechanisms against viral attack. Such immunity is very sophisticated in human beings in the form of cells in the blood called T lymphocytes. The latter cells attack invading viruses, rendering them almost harmless, if not exterminating them altogether. Poor nutrition, excessive stress, a lack of exercise, long illness, radiation and some medicines, reduce the number of T lymphocytes in human blood. This provides a window for a virus to enter and multiply rapidly. Fever is a common result, and an untreated viral infection may result in death.

Healthy people, though successful in keeping viruses below the threshold for perceptible symptoms of disease, may act as carriers of viruses. They body fluids such as blood and sputum act as media to spread viral infection between individuals. A carrier may cause another person to fall very sick, and there is no way in which people at large can recognize a carrier.

Higher orders of animals, such as birds, rodents, cattle, cats and dogs complicate matters. They act as carriers as well. People, who can tolerate body fluid contact with other humans, may fall seriously ill when they come in contact with body fluids from another animal. Malnourished children, who live and play with domesticated animals, are at special risk, as are the elderly as well.

Viruses and our immune systems play cat and mouse with each other, and there will be times when large numbers of people succumb to attacks. Vaccination has limited use because like any thief, a virus can change form with ease. This limitation applies to medication as well. Our best hope is to keep our T lymphocyte numbers up to scratch through balanced nutrition, and to use personal hygiene measures to avoid direct contact with body fluids of unknown people and of animals.

Plentiful rest and fluids are often all that a body needs to fight a virus when a fever first surfaces. However a blood test and consultation with your primary care physician cannot be avoided even for seemingly minor episodes of illness, as a lurking virus could strike with sudden ferocity if ignored.

An Alternative to Expensive Cholesterol Reducing Prescriptions

High cholesterol is a risk for health and longevity. Your doctor would have to prescribe medicine to get your level back within the normal range, if a test were to show that you are in danger of narrowing arteries due to linings of fat.

Cholesterol lowering medicine is expensive even if your health insurance covers it, because the co-payments and next year’s premium are sure to catch up with you. So health reasons apart, it makes sense to keep fats in your blood down within safe limits from the beginning.

Cholesterol and other fats are essential parts of diet, so it is not as though you should cut out all sources of fats from your diet altogether. The amount of cholesterol that your body can use has a great deal with your lifestyle. The more you exercise, the better your body can handle the cholesterol content in your daily diet.

Balancing a diet can be a tricky task because there are so many things to keep in mind. Your primary care physician is the best person to work things out for you, or to direct you to a diet and nutrition specialist. Remember, you need your doctor’s approval before you start a program of exercise as well. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise to keep cholesterol in check, and most people adjust to a regimen to build up stamina safely and with ease.

Autism Need Not be Bad News

Parents rightly dread learning that a child is autistic, because we all look forward to normal lives for our offspring and dear ones.

However, autism does not necessarily mean that a child is retarded, or that he or she cannot grow up in to a productive member of society: on the contrary, am autistic child may have exceptional mental faculties along a plane that others do not have in the same degree. Intelligence, in any case, needs non-standard measures for autistic children.

The cause of autism is not known for certain. It may be genetic or environmentally induced. Parents with such special children can look forward to raising them in joy even as scientists try and figure out the underlying cause for this distressing condition. We have to make searching efforts to find the special abilities and talents of autistic children, and help them and their families to live well with the condition.

Leave a post here if you would like help with a specific case.

The Five Commandants of Better Relationships for Parents, Spouses and Colleagues

It is easy to improve your Emotional Intelligence and to develop better relationships at home and at work as well.

Consider the following list:

Be generous with praise and do not hesitate to tell people how much you like and admire them.
Avoid expressions that can hurt feelings, and do not run-down people in public.
Respond to displays of anger with sympathy and understanding.
Use non-violent means to make your opinions known, and to enforce discipline on people for who you are responsible.
Set aside exclusive time for each member of your family and team, so that you can communicate with them effectively.

Do leave a post here, adding tips of your own, and let me know if my ideas work for you!

The Terrible World of Vaginal Infections in Women

This embarrassing condition is so common that some women even take the discomfort and embarrassment of vaginitis for granted. Fungus is a common but not the only cause. The condition is called 'yeast' in common parlance, though bacteria, viruses, protozoans and even the body physiology may cause the foul nuisance.

Fortunately, doctors have reliable means to identify the cause and to treat it effectively. Medicines are so effective, that some women do not even let their prescriptions run their courses! This practice can lead to recurrence, so it is important to take medication for as long as ordered by the doctor, though you may wonder why it is necessary to do this when the problem seems to be over.

Women with high blood sugar and those with occasion to have intimate relations with many partners, are especially vulnerable to vaginitis. Even a single partner can be a source of recurrent infection, if he has poor hygiene, and tends to 'sleep around'. Viral infection may reside in the oral cavity, so lesbians are not entirely free of the vaginitis risk.It is normal to have a white discharge during a specific part of a menstrual cycle. It is actually meant to help sperm from a male swim up the female reproductive tract, and facilitate conception. It is easy to distinguish such healthy cervical discharge from the infectious variety, because of the latter's mal odor.
Personal hygiene goes a long way in reducing the incidence of vaginitis. The perineum is a common culprit, with bacteria from the colon hiding there. These microbes are more powerful than the ones which live in a normal vagina, and easily invade through genitalia and cause havoc. Washing hands and keeping the perineum clean are often enough to keep vaginitis away from women with normal blood sugar and those protected from sexually transmitted diseases.

A Maine Hand for the Infirm and Out of Jobs

The Maine health insurance system of guaranteed coverage is a godsend if you are not in the pink of health, work on your own, or if COBRA no longer applies in your case. States such as California and Texas leave such folk to fend for themselves. New Jersey is another State where older people without insurance from employers can find refuge.

The freedom of States to offer varying conditions in which providers can function, mean that some companies may not function in places such as Maine. It also implies that insurance premiums are higher in States such as New Jersey than in places without guaranteed coverage, especially if you are young and fit.

Getting a national health insurance system across the country may be a distant dream, but what everyone without salaried jobs can do is to shop around, searching for States where they can find health insurance cover. The following link, retrieved in February 2006, will help you find a broker who can do the spadework for you, and find a range of offers from which you can choose.

http://www.nahu.org/

Remember that your state of health has a major bearing on how much you pay for insurance. Leave a post here if you would like to know how you can go about reducing your chances of falling prey to expensive and debilitating illnesses.

The Terrible Truth about Tingling Toes

Neuropathy and hypertension may mean little to those who have not studied medical science, but a tingling sensation in the toes is something no one can afford to ignore. It could be a sign of defects in the heart and circulatory system, or damage to nerves. High blood sugar, obesity and a sedentary life style could be root causes. Every day counts for the management of diabetes and hypertension, so you should seek a quick check of your blood pressure, heart function and glucose tolerance by a doctor.

Fortunately, modern medicines can produce quick improvement of these metabolic and system disorders, and a doctor can put you on the road to correction of any defects that have crept in to your bodily functions. You will have a major role yourself, with respect to prescribed diet and regulated exercise.

Can I snack at work?

Many people simply cannot find time to set aside for a meal on some days at work. This should not happen often if you are adequately organized, but there can be some days when the telephone is exceptionally busy!

Here is a list of things you should keep in your office, to eat and to drink even as you keep pace with exceptional work pressures. It does help if you can have a small refrigerator and a device to heat food and water. Do not make a habit of skipping regular meals though!

Dried fruit and unsalted nuts that have not been fried
High fiber and low sugar breakfast cereal
Low sodium soup
High fiber crackers with low fat cheese
Low fat yoghurt
Bottled water
Natural fruit juice without added sugar
Herbal tea and gourmet coffees
Diet soda
Apples, melons and carrots

Easy Steps to Keep Medicine Prescriptions Safe

Medicines, meant to help us get well, can do more harm than good. Here are some easy steps that you can take to make sure that every prescription works to your advantage:

Insist of understanding clearly how many units of the medicine you need to take each day, when you need to take it, how to take it and for how long.

Keep the medicine away from children and pets, and remember that another person, even with the same symptoms as you, should not take medicine that has been prescribed for you.

Ask about likely side-effects and potential harmful effects. A doctor may take some risks in your best interests, but you have a right to know, and should be aware of what to expect.

Your own ability to tolerate medicines could change from time to time. Do not use an old prescription.

Call your primary care physician promptly should you feel unwell after taking any medicine.

Do not add to your medicine chest without your doctor’s prior approval. Medicines can react with each other.

Ask you doctor for a prescription if you plan to travel away from home for a few days or for longer, especially if it is away from your own country. Try and keep an emergency medical contact handy for each of the places you plan to visit.

Keep a record of prescriptions in your medical file.

Keep a record on your person that emergency personnel can easily see, about essential medicine that you take on a regular basis, your blood group and RH type and information on known allergies.

Dispose off unused medicines away from public water bodies and soil, and away from the reach of stray animals as well. Your pharmacy can help you with proper and safe disposal.

Are the Troubles at Home all My Fault?

You could be a spouse or a parent, and feel frustrated because the conversation at the meal table is far from how you would like it to be.

Accusations and guilt fly thick and fast in touch situations such as this. You probably have a hand in it, but it is unlikely that you are the sole culprit!

Wallow in self-pity, or do something about it… the choice is yours.

How about working on your emotional intelligence? Perhaps it is way up there and you empathize well. Perhaps you can do better.

There is an easy way to find out. Take a simple test and get your emotional intelligence score. It could be a great start to getting help both for yourself and for the ones you love.

Better days are on the horizon. There are many Internet sites where you can get a free evaluation. You could also just leave a post here.

A ‘Boney’ Reason for Young Women to Eat Well

Are you tired of complaints against your poor eating habits, which you hope will make you thin enough to model? Well, here is another gripe!

A study shows that young women who do not eat well, run increased risks of weak bones.

Please use the following link, retrieved on February 14 2006, to read more about anorexia and bone mass:

http://www.psychiatry24x7.com/news/detail.jhtml?itemname=c1209003.5wt0

Leave a post here if you would like free information on your present diet and body mass.

How Do I Exercise My Mind?

The mind is similar to muscle, in that you should make it work everyday to keep it in top shape. This is especially important as people sail past middle-age and tend to become forgetful. Regular exercises to stretch the memories, by memorizing poetry or even useful numbers, are common examples of things we can do to prevent our mental faculties from failing gradually. Puzzles and efforts at observation are other enjoyable ways of keeping mentally fit.

Leave a post here if you would like free tips that you can easily follow to spend a few minutes pleasurably everyday to exercise your memory and other cognitive brain functions. It does not matter how old you are and how much you think your memory has deteriorated, you have bright chances of recovery and improvement!

Can I Eat Fat and Diet at the Same Time?

The happy answer is that yes you can, especially if your diet is set by a person knowledgeable about nutrition, and with the prior permission of your primary care physician.

A recent study of 20 thousand people, sponsored by the Women’s Health Initiative, has released some controversial information about fats. It concludes that some people who avoid fats still fall sick, whereas others who eat as they like (apparently), are no more vulnerable to disease than the dieters.

Here are a few easy guidelines that you can follow to enjoy some fat in your diet:

· Know that all fats are not the same. The ones in meat, dairy products and processed foods are the worst and most dangerous. You should restrict such foods as much as you can, and focus on starting children over who you have influence, to start early with healthy eating habits.
· Vegetable oils are relatively benign, and you can enjoy moderate amounts in your diet.
· It is fallacious to focus on fat alone in a diet. The total calorie intake is what you need to watch. Children, active adults and people who wish to put on weight, need more calories per day, than elderly people and those who need to lose weight. It is easy to keep a log of everything you eat and drink, and get a count of your total calorie intake. You can avail of such a service, free of cost, at this blog.
· Your daily diet has also to be balanced, with appropriate portions of major and trace elements. You can still face harm if you regulate your total calorie intake, but have a deficiency of minerals in it. An expert can write a diet that gives you the appropriate number of calories, with a judicious balance of nutrients as well. Write a post here to ask for a free sample diet, with calories and nutrients as appropriate for you.
· There is no substitute for exercise. You may eat all the right things, and in moderate amounts, and still have health issues. Bowel movement, joint flexibility and glucose tolerance are amongst the most important functions affected by exercise. Yoga and walking are some of the most gentle forms of exercise that can suit everyone, though you should not start without your doctor’s prior approval.

A final word for today: crash diets can do more harm than good. Do ask for a diet that has variety and one that includes the things that you enjoy. You should aim to develop the right eating habits, and stay with it for life. Do post here if you would like to know more-for free!

Can diabetes affect our sensuality?

High blood sugar affects the power of muscles to contract. This affects both men and women from head to toe, and the male reproductive organ, the penis, is the most dramatic organ to suffer. Men may continue to feel a sexual drive, and they can continue to produce semen. However, erections will become progressively weaker and shorter in men in whom blood sugar continues to be high. Sexuality also has muscular requirements from women, and they do will find it increasingly difficult to participate in intimacy, if they suffer from uncontrolled diabetes.
Signs of muscular weakness during intercourse are important indicators of cardiac insufficiency, and may often be accompanied by tingling sensations in the toes. This is because veins are unable to contract to return blood from the far reaches of the body. The overall condition is potentially fatal if left untreated. So do not treat failure to achieve a hard penis or a contractile vagina as a matter of shame or neglect, but see your primary care physician soon.