Pills Blog » Women’s Health

THE BREAST CANCER PREVENTION DIET: LOWER OXIDATIVE LOAD

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:56:11 +0000

Through most of this book we have looked at a highly targeted approach, how to intercept the critical estrogen pathway and achieve a substantial alteration in the pathway that fuels the growth and development of cancer. This chapter is quite different. It is aimed at blocking the initiation of cancer. Since we know so little about what pulls the trigger and converts a normal cell to a cancerous one, the approach is general, lowering oxidative load. The most effective way of lowering oxidative load is with the fruits and vegetables that are the most powerful antioxidants. The great good news is that researchers have observed a 40 percent decrease in breast cancer for women who eat a diet rich in vegetables, even before fruit is added to the diet.

MEASURING OXIDATIVE LOAD

So you eat nine fruits and vegetables a day Is it doing any good? Dr. Zora Djuric, Ph.D., a breast cancer specialist at Detroit’s Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, has developed an inventive, first-of-a-kind test for oxidative load. Are your genes being pummeled by a daily firestorm of oxidative damage? Dr. Djuric’s test can tell you. She actually measures direct damage to DNA. Dr. Djuric has already been able to assess oxidative load in patients and determine the effect of diet. The surprise? The same diet has vastly different effects on different individuals. Five fruits and vegetables may be enough to quench the oxidative flame in some, while nine is too little in others. Within the next year this test may become available, allowing you to determine where your diet stands.

Do I believe that some foods are better than others? Absolutely! You will find charts here that display the most nutritious fruits and vegetables and special descriptions of those that have distinct effects.

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DEALING WITH UNPREDICTABLE PERIODS: IS MY OVERWEIGHT MAKING MY PERIODS CRAZY?

admin — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:55:05 +0000

J feel like a freak. I’ve been four years without a period and now it’s as if my organs are dead. I’d like to have another child, a brother or sister for the daughter I had four years ago, but I haven’t been ovulating. The doctors tell me I’m too heavy. After my daughter was born I weighed ISO pounds, but now I’ve gone up to 250. It just happened. I bloated up. I’m only twenty-five years old and I want to know what my weight has to do with my ovulation. Why am I not ovulating? Why can’t I have any more children?

—A.G.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

For the past ten years my weight has been rising to the point I am at now—190 pounds. I’m thirty years old, married, and I’d like to have a baby but I’m having trouble conceiving because I only have three periods a year. Sometimes a period can last a whole month, and I’m never sure when I’m going to get the next one. I sure don’t look forward to them because they’re so incredibly heavy. I cramp and bleed in clots for weeks. I’m so tired that all I want to do is sleep but sometimes the pain keeps me awake. Doctors have told me “It’s all in your head,” “Have a hysterectomy,” “Lose weight.” I know the way my periods are is not in my head and I don’t want a hysterectomy because I want a child. Is my overweight making my periods crazy?

—T.C.

Escondido, California

There’s a very fine interaction between a woman’s brain and her ovaries that can be disturbed with a weight gain. When the body becomes large, the hormones are diluted and they don’t function as they should. With her hormones under stress, a woman’s menstrual flow can stop completely or become irregular. Recent studies have shown that increased fatty tissue in a woman’s body is converted into the female hormone estrogen. So an obese woman who gets her period is likely to have an especially heavy one because the estrogen causes the uterine lining, which will leave the body as menstrual blood, to become particularly thick. Besides building up the endometrium, a high level of estrogen also stimulates breast tissue and may lead to breast cancer. There is also a chance that the uterine buildup may bring on cancer of the uterus. An overweight woman is faced with amenorrhea, but she is risking the possibility of a fatal disease as well.

Why do women become overweight? Sometimes homemakers do not like to see their children leave food on their plates and they eat the leftovers. Often women who are raising families at home are bored. The refrigerator is convenient and so is the liquor cabinet. And alcoholic beverages are extremely fattening. Women who are employed at jobs are frequently under pressure and stress and the few drinks they may have after work can really add on pounds. Also, sometimes women come home from a hard day at the office and reward themselves with sweets. So, whether a woman is a homemaker or a salaried worker, there are many reasons to eat. But a woman who becomes overweight is not prizing her body and her missed or heavy periods are signs that she is in danger.

The women who wrote these letters should heed their body signals and try to lose weight. If they had normal periods before their weight gains, when they slim down they will regain their previous menstrual patterns. Of course it is easier to say “lose weight” than to do it, but a good way to start reducing is to eliminate red meat and starches. The physicians these women consult might suggest diets and exercise programs that fit their patients’ individual needs.

The second letterwriter, the woman who inquired about her heavy periods, might also be helped with the prostaglandin-blocking drugs, Motrin and Anaprox, which are described in detail in Chapter Three. There is some evidence that heavy bleeding might be caused by high levels of prostaglandins in the uterus and these drugs, which lower prostaglandin levels, might reduce bleeding for Ms. C. while she is on her diet.

In any case, losing weight is the first priority for both women, and for all women who are heavier than good health allows. Fat interferes with hormonal balance. These women want to become pregnant, to bear children, and their futures as mothers will have much better odds for success if they make their bodies fit so that ovulation and conception each have the chance to happen.

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SKIN INFECTIONS

admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:45:27 +0000

Some skin infections are fairly common and can occur at all ages; others are found more often in older people. After injuries to the skin, such as cuts and burns, infections may occur. Sometimes a very small injury to the skin may allow an infection to enter and spread rapidly to the adjacent skin and cause cellulitis, in which the skin becomes very red and hot, Sometimes cellulitis can be very severe, requiring admission to the hospital and large doses of powerful antibiotics.

Infections with fungi and yeasts such as Candida albicans may lead to problems, especially in the groin area in people with diabetes mellitus. It can also occur in areas that become moist, such as in between skin folds in obese people or underneath breasts if they are not well supported. If you suffer from diabetes you must take extra special precautions to make sure that your diabetic control and your personal hygiene are good. If you do develop itching red and inflamed areas of skin, seek medical advice because it may be a sign that your diabetes is not well controlled and local treatment with antifungal and antiyeast ointments can quickly improve symptoms.

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HYPOTHYROIDISM

admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:40:27 +0000

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) usually develops very gradually. The main symptom is a general slowing down, both mentally and physically. You may experience some memory impairment, fatigue, weight gain, and a slowing of your bowel habits. Some people notice a deepening of their voice. You may find that you always feel cold and notice some dryness of your skin. Sometimes you will develop increasing symptoms of heart disease, such as swelling legs, especially if you suffer from angina pectoris or heart failure.

These symptoms are commonly considered to be the unavoidable consequence of aging, so unless hypothyroidism is considered, your treatment may be unnecessarily delayed. The older, untreated hypothyroid person gradually becomes duller and more sluggish, and may become too mentally impaired to look after himself.

If you have hypothyroidism and at the same time suffer from another illness, the diagnosis could be missed because of the physician’s emphasis on the other condition. For example, I knew of an elderly man who was admitted to the hospital because of a stroke. During the next three months all effort was put into rehabilitating him so that he would be well enough to go home. Just before his discharge, he developed swelling of his legs. He had a hoarse voice, and dry skin, and he was not as alert as other stroke victims.

When his underactive thyroid gland was treated, his mental state improved remarkably. The swelling of his legs disappeared, and he was able to manage fairly independently with the assistance of a walker. During his hospitalization the stroke took such precedence that the symptoms of hypothyroidism were overlooked until they became advanced. In fact, the recovery from his stroke was impaired until his hypothyroidism was treated.

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EYE DISORDERS: DIABETES MELLITUS AND VISION PROBLEMS

admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:35:28 +0000

A diabetic who requires insulin is more prone to develop severe eye disease. It usually occurs in those who have suffered from diabetes for long periods (twenty or twenty-five years). You may find that your vision has gradually or suddenly decreased. Sometimes the blood vessels in the eye become weakened and bleed, or they expand abnormally and interfere with vision. You may notice a clouding and blurring that may suddenly become worse. This usually means a hemorrhage has occurred within your eye, or your retina has become detached as a complication of the eye disease.

How Is Diabetic Eye Disease Treated? Until recently, the results of treatment for diabetic eye disease were often disappointing and in some instances very dangerous. Some eye doctors now use a laser beam to prevent the small blood vessels from bleeding, thus perhaps slowing the disease and keeping it under control. This treatment usually does not cure the disease but it forestalls rapid deterioration and blindness. The better the diabetes is controlled, the less rapidly the eye problems will progress.

One major advance in the surgery for diabetic eye disease is an operation called a vitrectomy. The eye surgeon, using microsurgical techniques, cuts out and removes the extra blood vessels and blood clots that block vision. The operation has proven to be very successful for many older people and can often be done under local anesthetic. Vision often improves after this highly specialized surgery.

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GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER: STOMACH AND LIVER CANCER

admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:30:11 +0000

Cancer of the stomach often causes symptoms of decreased appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, and anemia, symptoms similar to those of an ulcer. However, the abnormalities do not respond easily to the kinds of treatment that improve ulcer disease. There may be weight loss and uncontrollable vomiting. The diagnosis is usually made with a barium swallow and confirmed through a gastroscopy.

The treatment is primarily surgical, to remove the diseased stomach and to discover whether the cancer has spread to the abdomen and liver. If the tumor cannot be removed, a bypass operation can be done. Until a few years ago the expectations for survival were poor. However, advances in chemotherapy have improved the odds. Many older people have had fair to good responses to chemotherapy after surgery.

Cancer of the liver is common, unfortunately. It can arise in the liver itself, especially in people who suffer from cirrhosis as a result of alcohol abuse or other chronic liver diseases. Most often, however, liver cancer has spread from another source, usually within the abdomen. This is referred to as metastatic carcinoma of the liver. In most instances, when cancer has spread to the liver, it usually means the disease is quite advanced, and treatment is directed to give comfort and relieve pain. Chemotherapy has only a limited effect, although certain forms of cancer may respond better than others. Each situation is different. Even though there is no treatment to significantly increase the life expectancy of someone with liver cancer, medications can improve symptoms and decrease discomfort.

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HOW IS AIDS DIAGNOSED?

admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:24:57 +0000

Since the recognition of AIDS in the late 1970s, a great deal of diagnostic progress has been made. In the early days of the disease it was only in those people who had the fully developed clinical picture of AIDS that the diagnosis could be made with any certainty. With growing awareness of the different risk groups who might be afflicted with AIDS and with improvements in the blood tests that allow identification of the presence of HIV, the ability to diagnose the carrier state, the early clinical stages, and fully developed AIDS in all its forms has improved.

Physicians consider testing for the AIDS virus in a person who has, among other symptoms, persistent swelling of lymph glands, bouts of unexplained fever, and generalized lack of energy. If this clinical picture becomes complicated by unusual infections or certain types of malignancy, the suspicion of HIV infection increases greatly. In these situations blood testing for the AIDS virus usually is successful in confirming the diagnosis.

Some high-risk individuals may have no symptoms of AIDS infection but may be concerned about being asymptomatic carriers of HIV infection. A blood test can verify whether they are infected with AIDS and are carrying the virus. Most people who carry the virus have the potential for transmitting it to another person either through unprotected and “unsafe” sexual activities or through intravenous drug use with shared needles. Since the introduction of screening for blood transfusions, transmission of the virus through this means no longer poses a threat to the public.

Screening for the AIDS virus became available in the spring of 1985. For people who received blood transfusions from 1978, when AIDS was recognized as a special illness, until 1985 when blood bank screening became available, a test for the AIDS virus might be of value. This is especially the case if a transfusion was received during this period and the person has medical symptoms that are puzzling and not easily identified.

Once the diagnosis of AIDS, or of the HIV carrier state, is established, individuals should have careful and personal supervision by a physician knowledgable in this area. Some family physicians and many specialists in respirology and infectious disease have a special interest and expertise in AIDS. Specialized clinics and counseling centers are available in most cities to assist AIDS-afflicted individuals. As new medical therapies become available, patients associated with these special clinics will usually have access to already established as well as new and experimental treatments.

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THE VIRILITY SOLUTION: THE BRITISH CONNECTION

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:19:28 +0000

The next occurrence of timing and luck that was leading researchers ever closer to an oral cure for ED came with the discovery of unexpected and ultimately useful side effects of other medications. In the early 1990s, researchers working in England, at the Sandwich Laboratories of Pfizer Inc., the American-based pharmaceutical company, were delving into gene receptors. Their goal was to find a way to increase blood flow in the body, thereby easing the pain associated with angina pectoris, a prominent symptom of a cardiac condition known as myocardial ischemia. This condition occurs when the heart muscle is deprived of the blood it requires.

As it turned out, the drug they were experimenting with had a very minor impact on the circulation and heart function of the study’s volunteers. But as a last effort, the researchers decided to alter the dose regimen to see if it would make any difference. And indeed it did—but not the way the scientists expected it to. UK-92-480 didn’t affect blood flow to the chest; it affected blood flow to the penis, resulting in erections.

The Pfizer researchers quickly switched the primary focus of their investigations to the process by which certain enzymes in the body help trigger an erection. The more they experimented with UK-92-480, the code name for the drug that was to be called sildenafil, and later to be given the brand name of Viagra, the more they realized that they had inadvertently stumbled upon something totally new in the annals of medicine. It seemed they discovered a powerful and effective medication for producing erections.

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THE VIRILITY SOLUTION: AND THERE WAS ALWAYS ALCOHOL

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:15:42 +0000

For centuries, people have believed that alcohol eases the way toward an erection because of its powerful effect on mood. And while it is true drat moderate consumption—a glass of wine, a bottle of beer—can help to lessen sexual inhibition and intensify libido, excessive amounts produce the opposite effect. The reason is linked to the way alcohol acts in the human body, especially in the central nervous system. The drinker will first feel a dual sensation of ease and exhilaration, but it is brief. As blood alcohol content rises, there is progressive impairment to judgment, memory, and sensory perception. And when it comes to sex, the truth is that alcohol’s impact on the central nervous system often results in a canceled performance.

When moderate social drinking turns to excessive drinking, or alcoholism, the nerves that control erectile function become impaired. Combining heavy drinking with smoking, the use of illicit drugs, overeating, stress, or high blood pressure intensifies ED problems even further.

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