Saturday, October 11, 2008

Dealing with Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a powerful treatment affecting the whole body, so healthy cells can also be damaged. This damage to healthy cells causes side effects. Chemotherapy also can ease the symptoms of cancer (palliative chemotherapy), helping some patients have a better quality of life. Chemotherapy often induces anemia that then exacerbates hypoxia in the tumor. The best way of evaluating blood oxygen-carrying capacity is to measure hematocrit and hemoglobin levels.

Chemotherapy treatment is given in an outpatient setting, either orally or intravenously and usually in cycles. Chemotherapy may be used alone for some types of cancer or in combination with other treatments such as radiation or surgery. Sometimes, a mix of chemotherapy medicament is used to control and try to beat cancer. Chemotherapy can affect the white blood cell production in the bones which can make a person at risk for acquring an infection. This lowered resistance to infection can arise as early as one week after treatment and it can continue up to two weeks after a chemotherapy treatment.

Chemotherapy drugs treatments are often given in cycles; a treatment for a period of time, followed by a recovery period, then another treatment. Chemotherapy may be given in a variety of settings including your home, a hospital outpatient facility, a physician's office or clinic, or in a hospital. Chemotherapy may cause sores in the mouth, gums, and throat or cause gum tissues to become irritated and bleed. The doctor may prescribe a mouth rinse or other products to reduce pain, dryness, and irritation. Chemotherapy, therefore, is usually not effective for early adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Chemotherapuetic drugs are both toxic and systemic.

Chemotherapy is effective because the drugs used effect some phase of the cell life cycle. Each cell goes through a four phase cycle in order to replicate itself. Chemotherapy, like all cancer treatments, is a matter of choice and is something you should consider carefully. You should feel confident that chemotherapy is the best treatment option at the given time and that your doctor is doing everything possible to keep you informed and comfortable. Chemotherapy drugs can then be infused directly into the abdominal cavity. Ports may also be placed under the skin of the abdominal wall and the catheter tunneled between the skin and muscle into the peritoneum.

Chemotherapy is often used as an adjuvant (supplemental) therapy in addition to other treatments, such as surgery or radiation therapy , which are designed to achieve local (breast/chest) control of the cancer. Normally, chemotherapy is administered through a semipermanent catheter (a flexible tube) implanted into a large vein, or by a smaller, temporary, intravenous catheter placed into the smaller veins in the arm or hand. Chemotherapy is a term used by doctors to refer to drugs that can kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs can be given in a variety of ways, including intravenously by injection, intravenously with a pump, or even in pill form taken by mouth. Chemotherapy is not a miracle drug, especially where mesothelioma is concerned, so it's necessary to be patient when dealing with the treatment. Side effects is obviously a concern for patients that have chemotheraphy for the first time.

Friday, October 10, 2008

What Are The Ways Of Preventing Diabetes?

You can prevent or, in some cases, delay the onset of diabetes by taking charge before it advances from what is known as the pre-diabetic stage to being a full-blown illness. Pre-diabetes refers to the stage where you have higher-than-normal blood glucose, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Pre-diabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes if nothing is done to reverse the condition. However, a recent study called the Diabetes Prevention Program, indicates that persons with pre-diabetes can stop type 2 diabetes from developing by increasing their physical activity and changing their eating habits.

Diabetes prevention is possible. If you are preconditioned to developing diabetes because of your genetic background, age, or weight, you will be happy to know that you may be able to delay or stop the onset of the disease. Persons whose ethic background includes African, Native American, Latino, and Asian are particularly prone to developing diabetes. If you belong to one of these groups and are older than forty-five, you should get tested for pre-diabetes or diabetes.

Doctors can tell if you are pre-diabetic by performing two standard tests, namely the fasting test (FPG - Fasting Plasma Glucose) and the glucose tolerance test (OGTT - Oral Glucose Tolerance Test). The results of these tests will confirm whether you have pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or if you are diabetes-free.

The FPG test is normally done in the morning, and the patient is advised not to eat anything after 10 PM the previous night. A higher-than-normal reading for the FPG is an indication that you have been insulin resistant for a while.

OGTT, the glucose tolerance test, is used to measure your blood glucose level after an overnight fast, but unlike the FPG, you are also given a glucose drink two hours after the test. Your blood glucose levels are then checked two hours later; if the range is between 140 and 199 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), you will be considered pre-diabetic. These levels are also an indication that you may develop type 2 diabetes later on. 

If you are tested positively as having pre-diabetes, it is important to take annual tests so that you catch developed diabetes in its early stages. Early diagnosis is the easiest way to get the disease under control before too much damage has been done to vital organs.

Exercise and a change of diet, as well as moderate weight loss, have been proven to delay or prevent the onset of pre-diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Controlling your health is dependent on the changes you make in your daily habits. While avoiding serious illness is one reason to having a physical lifestyle, overall good health and long-lasting mobility are two other incentives to getting in shape.

To learn more go to Diabetes Cure and at Diabetes Research

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Effortless Ways To Get Rid Of Headlice

All around the world millions of people have been effected by the headlice infestation. It was originally though that the problem occurred due to lack attention in hygiene but this has been proven to be incorrect because headlice can effect anyone regardless of how or where they live

Nevertheless, when it concerns getting rid of headlice, there are just a  small number of products that will work effectively, such products can be located in nearly every pharmacy and do not require a prescription. 

Head Lice Treatments 

To be able to get rid of headlice, first you need to follow the instructions exactly on how to apply the headlice treatment. Generally a single application is all that is required. However, for those who have long hair, a second application may also be needed so that you can effectively to get rid of the headlice.  Ensure that you leave the medication in your hair as for the specified length of time, after that it will be necessary to rinse the hair hand remove any head louse that remain with a fine tooth come. Then you can put on fresh new clothes. 

If you use a treatment method to get rid of headlice, it is also necessary to do some necessary treatment for your home because lice can infect clothing and bedding that had been used a couple of days prior to using the treatment. By also treating these other articles, you will have found a good way of ensuring that you are able to kill off the eggs, which in turn means that you won’t need to worry about the multiplication of the lice. 

Before you go about getting rid of headlice you also need to understand that lice can infect anyone regardless of social standing, race or nationality and even income level. Lice generally attach themselves to body hair and so a good way of keeping them at bay would be to ensure proper levels of hygiene as well as following good sanitation in the home. 

It is also necessary to get rid of headlice because you will otherwise feel very itchy and increases the possibility of being affected by a rash at the site where the infection is or even in various sites. Also, if you don’t get rid of headlice it can lead to discoloration as well as thickening around your groin as well as thigh (upper regions). 

It would be wrong to consider that the need to learn how to get rid of head lice arises only when people keep pets at home, because it has been found that such a problem usually occurs because of parasites in the hair. But learning how to get rid of head lice will also teach you that pets are not usually the cause of infestation. 

To obtain further information on how to get rid of head lice, you can normally obtain information from your schools on how to prevent an outbreak and also how to keep the infestation (should it occur) to a bare minimum. You can also read up policies that aim at preventing head lice infestations and follow simple advice, such as never sharing your sport helmets and to also keep your hats, combs, brushes and clothes separate from those of others.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

How To Cope With Depression

Here are a few tips on how to cope with depression in a relationship.

Depression is a universal phenomenon and quite possibly there is no one on the face of earth who has not gone through the course of depression at least once in his or her lifetime. When someone is in a love relationship, the chances of suffering from depression become higher.

It is very important to know different strategies for coping with depression, otherwise the depressed person may end up making fatal decisions in their  life. This article focuses on discussing different strategies in the format of tips with the purpose of educating the readers to cope with episodes of depression in their life.

Build Your Knowledge about Depression


The first and most important thing for coping with depression is to understandall the necessary details about depression, its causes and effects, symptoms and treatments. For that purpose, you may consult with doctors specializing in mental health or you may depend on mental health journals. Apart from that, there are huge resources available on the net which can offer you plenty of information for depression and different strategies for coping with depression.

Learn How To Discern  the Difference between Myth and Reality


The next important step for coping with depression is of course to increase your knowledge about the significant differences among myths and reality concerning depression and its different aspects. Many people believe that depression is not a treatable disease; hence there is no question of any specific possible treatments. Some people simply lable it as an experience of ordinary sadness; however, the fact is totally different. In fact, depression is a complex process and if not encountered at early stages, it may get out of hand and even cost lives..

Value Yourself and Your Unique Presence


Sometimes when we are in a relationship, we simply forget to value our own existence and unique identity by putting our family members first, which results in suffering from inevitable depression from identity confusion and identity distortion. You should respect yourself and know how to value your own decision and actions in a rational fashion. Set some time aside for yourself, give yourself a reward as an appreciation of your efforts, While coping with depression, you should first look at yourself from a dignified perspective.

Watch Out the Warning Signs


The behavior of a depressed individual is not the actual behavior. The common behaviors are withdrawn, shy, sullen and angry. Before coping with stress, try to identify the warning signs of depression in you and your partner. Most commonly, a depressed person experiences sudden outbursts of anger. In fact, they actually show their anger to themselves and their own mental state, although seemingly appear towards environment.

Seek Help and Treatment

Depression is a real disease and it is absolutely treatable. Similar to other illnesses, depression may get worse day by day if proper treatment has not been administered on time. There are various self-help groups around the world, who offer their unconditional support to the depressed individuals and help them coping with depression. If you are experiencing episodes of depression, it is better that you should visit these self-help groups. Additionally, you may also consult with doctors and mental health practitioners for possible treatments.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Why do you stick to the rules of a mad fad diet?

There is sensible weight loss dieting and then there are mad fad diets. The mainstream diets point you to sensible eating and a pound by pound weight reduction over a long time frame. The fad diets do not offer a steady weight loss. They promise large reduction in weight in a matter of weeks.

Are we sure that these special fad diets really work? They claim great things but you must know that they are not based on normal food and ideas. I know this because I have lost 5 stones in a space of just 15 weeks on one of these diets.

I know just why I was so successful and why you should consider looking at this. The main reason is the rules that you have to follow.

Fad diets have very strict rules that you have to follow. They are so simply even a guy can make sense of them. They give you a meal plan that says “this is what you can eat” It is very limited and usually quite boring but you know that if you stick to the diet rules you will lose the weight.

Normal weight loss diets work on the basis of reducing your food intake generally and closely watching what you eat. You are so busy counting points and calories that you do not know quite what you are allowed to eat and when.

You can see that the simplicity of the diet rules help you on this type of program. But of course then the question is can you stick to the diet rules you are given. The rules that you do have are in a way much harder to stick to but you also expect to be hungry on this type of diet so you expect this. You end up with a set of thoughts focussed on resolving to stay on the diet rather than giving up.

All diets have set rules for you to follow. I just like the simple and easy to follow rules of mad fad diets.

 

Monday, October 6, 2008

When To Best Consider Behavioral Interventions

behavioral intervention

If you're receiving notes from your child's school about his or her behavior, then you should consider behavioral interventions. An initial assessment will help you, your child and school personnel to understand what causes the misbehavior in the child, what triggers set him or her off and what solutions can be taken to help the child prosper. Sometimes the school environment is perceived as being "too oppressive," while other times the traditional learning modes aren't structured for visual-spatial learners or auditory learners. Kids may feel frustrated if they have trouble concentrating or learning in school. Sometimes, underlying emotions manifest themselves as a behavioral problem and a behavioral intervention is the best way to figure out what's truly going on.

Often, children who need a behavioral intervention suffer from ADHD, autism, dyslexia or another pervasive developmental disorder. An early intervention program is the key to helping the child overcome natural difficulties and find studying techniques that work. The public school system generally only focuses on one particular learning mode, which leaves many students feeling "stupid" or frustrated.

By teaching the student more about their learning needs and focusing on self-empowerment, as well as skill development, the students will begin to learn their way at their own pace and will develop a renewed interest in school. A behavioral intervention can do more than just prevent anger or hyperactive outbursts in school. It can pave the way for your child's future and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment.

However, a behavioral intervention can also help stop more serious patterns of behavior by attacking the mental framework that drives the individual to act out. For example, behavioral interventions may be used to reduce sexually transmitted diseases in teens. A recent intervention study showed that teens benefited from interventions aimed at reducing the risk of STDs. "In a previous randomized controlled trial, we found that the 'Sexual Awareness For Everyone' behavioral intervention significantly reduced the rate of recurrent gonorrhea and chlamydia infections among reproductive-age Mexican-American and African-American women," wrote Andrea Ries Thurman, MD, from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center San Antonio. The five modifiable behaviors the group focused on were: unprotected sex with untreated partners, lack of monogamy, sex without condoms, partner turnover more than once every three months and douching after intercourse.

Evidence suggests that pre-natal behavioral interventions can be extremely helpful for pregnant women who smoke, drink, suffer from depression, or are victims of intimate partner violence. These risks can cause developmental disorders with your baby and may also lead to post-partum depression for the mothers. These intervention programs are ultimately very successful, with 90% of participants reporting a significant difference in their situation, according to one 2008 intervention study.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Different Ways That Can Help You To Stop Smoking

Smokers reject the idea that they are addicts yet nicotine is a strong habit substance that quickly gets the user addicted to needing more and more to satisfy their craving just like the cocaine and heroine user. A smoker may argue against that statement but consider contracting cancer because of your habit and you will begin to consider quitting. There are easy ways to quit smoking and most smokers seek the easiest route they can find just make sure that whichever method you select has a history of success with other people. Alternative therapy to quit smoking includes the therapy using hypnosis. If you want to reduce the craving for nicotine quickly many people would recommend hypnosis as the only successful therapy to use add to that the growing number of medical practitioners who also recommend hypnosis it has to be considered if you want too break the habit. The result of this is that hypnosis is finding a place in the education of individuals as to the danger of smoking and providing an escape that appears to take little effort.

There are numerous sites selling a variety of hypnosis and self hypnosis products on the Internet the best we can recommend is Purely Hypnosis , CD's which is devoted to helping people kick the habit. There are many people that buy them and say they feel better. Users of the recommeded site include Jeraldine Saunders (the Creator of the 'Love Boat' TV series and Tom Mankiewcz the writer of 'Superman the Movie'. Maybe you've seen some shows where people get hypnotized and bark like a dog or any other animal, do not worry you will never act like this under self hypnosis. The great thing about hypnosis is the feeling of total relaxation and peace one feels.

You may feel you have left no stone unturned in your quest to stop smoking however have you tried hypnosis whether it is through a professionally trained practitioner or through self hypnosis techniques it can prove to be very powerful in helping you break your habit.The truth that any medic or scientist can confirm is that we know little or nothing at all about mysticism and what it involves. You can search for opinions on the Internet and you will find that many share my opinion that hypnosis and self hypnosis in their own right when used correctly have no side effects. There are a number of self trained people who say they can help you stop smoking, make sure they are fully qualified and belong to a professional organisation for the therapy you select. Hypnosis whether through a qualified practioner of through self hypnosis used to quit smoking may work as it is said to eliminate the desire to smoke from the most inner levels of the subconscious, and when used in conjuction with any of the other aids such as gum, patches or lozenges, can prove to be very powerful. This is how you can learn the easy way to stop smokingin 17 Days or less by ex 70-a-day-smoker David Dutch