Bacterial Vaginosis Remedies: 2012

Friday, 24 February 2012

You've Heard Of Low Iron Anemia, But Can You Have Too Much Iron?

As women, we are used to having our blood checked for iron deficiency anemia at our annual GYN exams. Anemia is common among menstruating women. Maybe you've even taken iron supplements, or added more iron to your diet, just to be sure you're getting enough iron.

But did you know that you can have too much iron in your blood? It's true, it's called having iron overload which, when left untreated can lead to a devastating disease called hemochromatosis.

Have you ever been told you have too much iron in your blood?

Source: http://womenshealth.about.com/b/2011/11/11/youve-heard-of-low-iron-anemia-but-can-you-have-too-much-iro.htm

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Ironman champ: Train your brain

Chrissie Wellington competes during the Challenge Roth triathlon in July in Roth, Germany.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Chrissie Wellington: Mental fortitude needed to overcome fear, pain and discomfort
Four-time World Ironman champ writes mantra on her water bottle and on her race wristband
Keep mental images handy to recall during a race, the triathlete suggests

Editor's note: Chrissie Wellington is a four-time World Ironman champion. She won her fourth title in 2011 after sustaining serious injuries two weeks before the race. Her autobiography, "A Life Without Limits," is set to be released Thursday in the UK. It will come out in the United States on May 15.

(CNN) -- Training for a race is like riding a roller coaster -- you experience highs and lows, ups and downs, and more peaks and troughs than the New York Stock Exchange.

Two weeks before I raced at the World Ironman Championships in Kona, Hawaii, last year, I had a bad bike crash. I won the race, not on physical prowess, but on grit, willpower, determination and mental strength.

I hope I showed, through my performance there, that sporting success rests, in part, with having the mental fortitude necessary to overcome our fears, pain and discomfort.

But how does one develop that strength? Is it innate, or can it be learned?

I believe it is the latter. We can all train our brains to be as strong as our bodies.

It sounds simple, but it's so easy to forget. If we let our head drop, our heart drops with it. Keep your head up, and your body is capable of amazing feats. To plunder the words of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, "Don't ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body."

Follow the Fit Nation team on Twitter or on Facebook

The message is this: All the physical strength in the world won't help you if your mind is not prepared. This is part of training for a race -- the part that people don't put in their logbooks, the part that all the monitors, gizmos and gadgets in the world can't influence.

But how do you train your brain to help you achieve your goals? I don't profess to have all, or many, of the answers. But in the five years that I have been a professional triathlete, I have learned a few techniques that help me keep mind over matter and ensure that I can ride the roller coaster of sporting success:

Have a mantra and/or a special song to repeat

Wellington celebrates winning last year's Challenge Roth triathlon with a new long-distance world record.

I write my mantra on my water bottle and on my race wristband. Seeing it gives me a boost and reminds me never to let my head or heart drop.

If you use a permanent marker, be prepared for the wording to stay there long after the race has ended (and that you might receive strange looks from colleagues when you return to work with "I am as strong as an ox" tattooed on your arm).

I also carry a dog-eared copy of Rudyard Kipling's famous poem "If" everywhere I go. I believe the lines of this poem encapsulate the qualities necessary to become a successful athlete and a well-rounded person. Reading it before a race gives me the confidence to pursue my dreams.

Keep a bank of positive mental images

These images can be of family and friends, of previous races, of beautiful scenery, or a big greasy burger.

Draw on these images throughout the race, and especially if you feel the "I am tired. I want to stop. Why did I enter this race? I must be mad" doubts creeping into your mind.

Deliver these negative thoughts a knockout punch before they have the chance to grow and become the mental monster that derails your entire race.

Practice visualization beforehand

In training, when traveling, while sleeping or at work, this is the simple act of closing your eyes (although I don't recommend doing this at a work meeting or while on your bike). Relax your mind and go through each stage of the race one step at a time -- mentally imagining yourself performing at your peak but also successfully overcoming potential problems.

Before Michael Phelps has even entered the water, he has already completed the race in his mind. And won.

You can draw on the visual images (the finish line), the feelings you experience (energy surges) or the sounds you hear (roars of the crowd). That way when you race, you have the peace of mind and confidence that you have already conquered the challenges.

Break the race up into smaller, more manageable segments

Wellington, with Fit Nation participant Denise Castelli, says sporting success rests with having mental fortitude.

I always think of the marathon as four 10 kilometer races with a little bit more at the end.

You might think only about getting to the next aid station, or lamppost or Porta Potty and, from there, set another landmark goal.

Stay in the moment and don't think too far ahead. I also try to breathe deeply and rhythmically; if you calm your breath, you can help calm your mind.

Remember that training is about learning to hurt

Push your physical limits and overcome them in training sessions, so that when you race you know that you have successfully endured pain and discomfort.

You will draw confidence and peace of mind from this knowledge.

Get people to support you

Some people thrive on the support from their family and friends, while others perceive it as added pressure.

Work out what feels right for you, and if necessary, invite friends, family or pets to come and cheer you on. Have them make banners, wear team T-shirts and generally behave in a way that would get them arrested under normal circumstances.

Mentally recall inspirational people

I recall people who have all fought against adversity to complete the Ironman. These people prove that anything truly is possible.

You might want to consider dedicating each mile to a special person in your life. That makes the discomfort easier to bear and will help give you a mental and physical boost.

Consider racing for a cause that is bigger than yourself

For me, it is to establish a platform on which to spread important messages and be a patron for charitable causes. These force me to put the race in perspective and rise to greater heights.

Champions come and go, but to me the real judge of my personal success will be whether I actually do something positive with the opportunities I have been given.

I really hope that, as four-time world champion, I can be a role model and ambassador for the sport that everyone can be proud of.

I hope that these tips provide some of that sporting gold dust, and enable you to have the race you have always dreamed of.

We will all continue to endure the downs and the dark times, but remember that it is overcoming these that makes the success all the more sweeter.

In the words of the great Muhammad Ali: "Success is not achieved by winning all the time. Real success comes when we rise after we fall. Some mountains are higher than others. Some roads steeper than the next. There are hardships and setbacks but you cannot let them stop you. Even on the steepest road you must not turn back".

You might not always have the perfect day, but with the right mental training hopefully the roller-coaster ride will be one to remember. Just remember to celebrate with that huge plate of greasy burger! Good luck!

Follow Wellington on Twitter for updates on her training and races.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_health/~3/0YOzr3xAY4o/index.html

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Exclusive: Doctor secretly filmed offering to abort foetus because of its gender

In the undercover filming Miss Prabha Sivaraman, a consultant who works for both private clinics and NHS hospitals in Manchester, told a pregnant woman who said she wanted to abort a female foetus, "I don''t ask questions. If you want a termination, you want a termination".

She later telephoned a colleague to book the procedure, explaining that it was for ?social reasons? and the woman ?doesn?t want questions asked?.

She said to her colleague: ?This [the termination] will be under private, she doesn?t want to go through NHS. Okay, so - that?s right, because you?re part of our team and she doesn?t want questions asked?.

Miss Sivaraman, who works for the Pall Mall Medical Centre in Manchester and also as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at North Manchester General Hospital, said that the cost of the termination would be �200 or �300, on top of the �500 already paid to the clinic for the consultation with her.

After taking the woman?s contact details, Dr Sivaraman asked her if she had considered her options. ?Oh, absolutely? I can?t have it, this baby, because of the gender, so that?s just how it is?? replied the woman.

The doctor booked the pregnant woman in for a termination the following week despite the reason for the abortion being clearly explained.

Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568409/s/1cdbc313/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Chealth0C90A997110CExclusive0EDoctor0Esecretly0Efilmed0Eoffering0Eto0Eabort0Efoetus0Ebecause0Eof0Eits0Egender0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Exclusive: Doctor secretly filmed offering to abort foetus because of its gender

She later telephoned a colleague to book the procedure, explaining that it was for ?social reasons? and the woman ?doesn?t want questions asked?.

The doctor booked the pregnant woman in for a termination the following week despite the reason for the abortion being clearly explained.

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Listeria

How Can I Tell if I Have Food Poisoning?

Q: Is it necessary to conduct a culture of feces or vomit in order to determine that a patient suffers from food poisoning?

Medical Author: Jay W. Marks, MD

A: Food poisoning is a general term that refers to gastrointestinal illnesses (usually diarrhea and/or vomiting) caused by food that is contaminated with bacteria, parasites, viruses, or toxic substances. The actual cause of most individual episodes of food poisoning, however, never is pursued (for example, a culture is not done) since most episodes are mild or moderate in severity and are over in a few hours to a few days. In fact, the diagnosis of food poisoning usually is made only presumptively, based on the patient's symptoms and the circumstances. Even in outbreaks of suspected food poisoning that involve many people, when careful studies are done, a specific cause is found no more than half of the time.

Bacteria are the cause of most outbreaks of food poisoning for which a specific cause is determined. Bacteria cause food poisoning in three ways. After reaching the intestines, they may multiply and produce toxic substances that enter the intestine and cause diarrhea and/or vomiting without damaging the intestine itself. The bacteria also may multiply within the intestines and produce toxic substances that damage the lining of the intestine or they may invade and damage the intestine directly. Finally, some bacteria produce toxic substances that cause diarrhea and/or vomiting in the food before it is eaten. These bacteria do not need to multiply within the intestines, and the toxic substances they produce do not damage the intestine.

Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes infection) facts

Listeriosis is a disease caused by a gram-positive bacterium named Listeria that can penetrate and replicate inside human cells.
Most people who are infected have few or no symptoms; when symptoms are present, they usually consist of fever, muscle aches, nausea, or diarrhea. Some people may develop more severe symptoms such as meningitis, mental changes, brain abscesses, or death.
Although most people have self-limited disease, people with risk factors such as an altered or depressed immune response (for example, pregnant females and their fetus or newborn, cancer patients, AIDS patients) are at higher risk for getting the disease and some are more likely to have more severe disease.
Listeriosis is usually diagnosed by discovering that a person was associated with an outbreak of Listeria-contaminated food or fluid or identified as a person associated with the source of a known listeriosis outbreak. Definitive diagnosis is done when Listeria bacteria are isolated from the patient's blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or other body fluid.
Most normal people spontaneously clear the infection and require no treatment. In contrast, people with risk factors should be treated quickly with IV antibiotics.
People are exposed to Listeria bacteria if they ingest contaminated food or fluid. Foods that are not cooked or fluids that are not treated or pasteurized are frequently the sources of infection. Pregnant females can transmit Listeria organisms to their fetus or to their newborn.
Cooking foods, treating or pasteurizing fluids, and avoiding food and fluids that may be contaminated with animal or human waste may prevent infection.
The prognosis for most Listeria infections is excellent even if people have consumed contaminated foods or fluid; however, the prognosis rapidly declines in patients with risk factors if they are not quickly diagnosed and treated.
U.S. government agencies are responsible for maintaining safe foods and fluids for the U.S. population and may enforce regulations to ensure contaminated products are reported, removed, recalled, and production and sales stopped until processing meets acceptable standards of safety.

What is listeriosis? What causes listeriosis?

Listeriosis is an infection caused by a gram-positive motile bacterium named Listeria monocytogenes. The infection produces fever, muscle aches, and, in many people, diarrhea. Severe infections can cause headaches, meningitis, convulsions, and death. Most healthy people exposed to the bacteria have minor or no symptoms, but a few people, especially the elderly, pregnant females and their fetus, newborns, and anyone with a compromised immune system are especially susceptible to these organisms. Listeria bacteria are widespread throughout the world and are often associated with farm animals that may show no signs of infection. Research shows that many animals are uninfected carriers; in addition, they suggest that about 5%-10% of all humans carry these organisms as part of the human bowel flora. About 2,500 infections are diagnosed per year in the U.S. with about 500 deaths per year. Except for pregnant females and their fetus or newborn, there is no direct transfer of Listeria from human to human.

The organisms (Listeria monocytogenes) that cause listeriosis probably have been infecting humans for centuries; Listeria was first isolated from an infected WWI soldier in 1918 and had many different names until 1940, when the genus and species names were firmly established. However, the bacteria were first recognized as a food-borne pathogen in 1979. The bacteria can penetrate human cells and can multiply inside them. People with altered or impaired immune systems have cells that are less able to control the spread of these organisms into the blood or into other cells. In 2010, a known species, Listeria ivanovii, thought only to infect cattle, was found to infect humans.

There have been many outbreaks of the disease over the world; a recent event occurred in Texas in October 2010, tentatively related to locally processed celery; 10 people were diagnosed with listeriosis and five died. Most people infected had underlying medical problems or conditions. In 2011, approximately 146 people got infected from Listeria-contaminated cantaloupes and about 32 people died. In February 2012, over 1 million eggs were recalled after several processed in a processing plant were found to be contaminated with Listeria. The eggs were sold under the brand names of Columbia Valley Farms, GFS, Glenview Farms, Papetti's, Silverbrook, and Wholesome Farms. The egg brands were sold in 34 states.

Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

Medical Editor:

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.

From WebMD

Infectious Disease Resources

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Listeria

Food Poisoning �

Food poisoning facts

Food poisoning is a common infection that affects millions of people in the United States each year.
Most commonly, patients complain of vomiting, diarrhea, and crampy abdominal pain.
People should seek medical care if they have an associated fever, blood in their stool, signs and symptoms of dehydration, or if their symptoms do not resolve after a couple of days.
Treatment focuses on keeping the patient well hydrated.
Most cases of food poisoning resolve on their own.
Prevention is key and depends upon keeping food preparation areas clean, good hand washing, and cooking foods thoroughly.

What is food poisoning?

Food poisoning might be described as a food borne disease. Food that contains a toxin, chemical or infectious agent (like a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion) and cause symptoms in the body are considered types of food pois...

Read the Food Poisoning article �

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/guide.asp?s=rss&a=121138&k=Womens_Health_General

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Listeria

How Can I Tell if I Have Food Poisoning?

Q: Is it necessary to conduct a culture of feces or vomit in order to determine that a patient suffers from food poisoning?

Medical Author: Jay W. Marks, MD

Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes infection) facts

Listeriosis is a disease caused by a gram-positive bacterium named Listeria that can penetrate and replicate inside human cells.
Most people who are infected have few or no symptoms; when symptoms are present, they usually consist of fever, muscle aches, nausea, or diarrhea. Some people may develop more severe symptoms such as meningitis, mental changes, brain abscesses, or death.
Although most people have self-limited disease, people with risk factors such as an altered or depressed immune response (for example, pregnant females and their fetus or newborn, cancer patients, AIDS patients) are at higher risk for getting the disease and some are more likely to have more severe disease.
Listeriosis is usually diagnosed by discovering that a person was associated with an outbreak of Listeria-contaminated food or fluid or identified as a person associated with the source of a known listeriosis outbreak. Definitive diagnosis is done when Listeria bacteria are isolated from the patient's blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or other body fluid.
Most normal people spontaneously clear the infection and require no treatment. In contrast, people with risk factors should be treated quickly with IV antibiotics.
People are exposed to Listeria bacteria if they ingest contaminated food or fluid. Foods that are not cooked or fluids that are not treated or pasteurized are frequently the sources of infection. Pregnant females can transmit Listeria organisms to their fetus or to their newborn.
Cooking foods, treating or pasteurizing fluids, and avoiding food and fluids that may be contaminated with animal or human waste may prevent infection.
The prognosis for most Listeria infections is excellent even if people have consumed contaminated foods or fluid; however, the prognosis rapidly declines in patients with risk factors if they are not quickly diagnosed and treated.
U.S. government agencies are responsible for maintaining safe foods and fluids for the U.S. population and may enforce regulations to ensure contaminated products are reported, removed, recalled, and production and sales stopped until processing meets acceptable standards of safety.

What is listeriosis? What causes listeriosis?

Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Medical Editor:

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

From WebMD

Infectious Disease Resources

Featured Centers

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

Listeria

Food Poisoning �

Food poisoning facts

Food poisoning is a common infection that affects millions of people in the United States each year.
Most commonly, patients complain of vomiting, diarrhea, and crampy abdominal pain.
People should seek medical care if they have an associated fever, blood in their stool, signs and symptoms of dehydration, or if their symptoms do not resolve after a couple of days.
Treatment focuses on keeping the patient well hydrated.
Most cases of food poisoning resolve on their own.
Prevention is key and depends upon keeping food preparation areas clean, good hand washing, and cooking foods thoroughly.

What is food poisoning?

Read the Food Poisoning article �

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/guide.asp?s=rss&a=121138&k=Womens_Health_General

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Blood Test Detects Down Syndrome During Pregnancy

THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- A second company reports that it has developed a prenatal blood test to detect Down syndrome, potentially providing yet another option for pregnant women who want to know whether their unborn child has the condition.

Last fall, Sequenom Inc. announced that it was making a prenatal Down syndrome blood test, available in 20 cities in the United States. It marked the first time that pregnant women could undergo a Down syndrome test without having to go through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, which are invasive and pose a small risk of miscarriage.

Now, two studies published online Feb. 21 and in the April print issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggest that another blood test, this one developed by Aria Diagnostics, can detect Down syndrome and a genetic disorder known as Edwards syndrome, which can cause severe birth defects and is often fatal. In both studies, testing was conducted before 20 weeks gestation.

One of the studies, written by Aria Diagnostics researchers, correctly detected 44 cases of the two disorders out of 167 prenatal blood samples. The other study, by researchers from University of London and University College London, correctly detected all Down syndrome cases and 98 percent of Edwards syndrome cases.

The test "would be useful as a secondary test contingent upon the results of a more universally applicable primary method of screening," senior study author Dr. Kypros H. Nicolaides, of the University of London, said in a journal news release. "The extent to which it could be applied as a universal screening tool depends on whether the cost becomes comparable to that of current methods of sonographic and biochemical testing."

Dr. Brian Skotko, a physician with the Down Syndrome Program at Children's Hospital Boston, said the test's accuracy is "pretty good," although the studies didn't test as many samples as Sequenom did for its test.

Several other companies are developing prenatal tests for Down syndrome, said Skotko, who predicted that competition in the prenatal blood test market would lead to lower prices. Sequenom has said that its test won't cost mothers more than $235 in out-of-pocket costs.

The growth of these kinds of tests raises major questions, Skotko said: Will the tests become routine? If so, "will babies with Down syndrome slowly start to disappear?"

Some pregnant mothers choose to abort their unborn children after they are diagnosed with Down syndrome. Statistics suggest that their numbers have risen in recent decades, Skotko said.

-- Randy Dotinga

SOURCES: Brian Skotko, M.D., physician, Down Syndrome Program, Children's Hospital Boston; American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, news release, Feb. 22, 2012

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/guide.asp?s=rss&a=155159&k=Womens_Health_General

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The bridal fitness challenge: week 2

I had to do 100 squats, 100 step-ups onto a tall box and a horrible series of squatting ? while pulsing on a power plate. My brain rattled around in my head during the last routine, willing a freak power supply outage to suddenly strike in West London. Ross, my smiling yet unforgiving trainer, forced me to push myself by shouting ?drive Emma?, every time I started flagging ? which in the dreaded legs session ? was every 10th repetition.

Then onto my abs; balancing on a large inflatable ball while doing sit-ups is not my idea of fun at 6.20am on a frosty Tuesday morning, but somehow, I found myself pushing harder than I could have imagined a week ago. I kept looking at my engagement ring for inspiration ? hoping it will somehow generate a new burst of energy. It doesn?t.

We also finish each session with a gruelling 20 minutes of cardio ? usually walking at a high gradient on a treadmill. This is so tough because by doing it at the end of the session, you are forced to use your final energy system: fat ? which is exactly what I need to burn.

I have taken to listening to copious amounts of electronic music, such as Faithless, in a bid to stay pumped while completing this difficult 20-minute cardio routine. Bless Ross - he has to stand next to me in silence throughout the duration of this part of our daily session ? just to make sure I don?t give up and slide off, legs akimbo.

Food-wise I am being relatively good, substituting potato for couscous, red meat for fish, and wine for vodka, Apart from the occasional slice of birthday cake this week, my diet is really quite boring ? but somehow I have become rather resolute about finally changing my lifestyle.

As I gratefully collapse into weekend ? foolishly I think ?bring on week three?. These daring thoughts are in spite of Ross?s warnings that it?s going to consist of the same exercises, but much harder. I am dreading the shrill cry of the alarm clock already?

To train with Mark Anthony visit his website or call 0207 221 8625

Emma will be keeping a weekly online diary of the six week plan ? to follow her progress visit The Telegraph's Health section every Tuesday.

Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/569020/s/1ca3e585/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Chealth0C90A797940CThe0Ebridal0Efitness0Echallenge0Eweek0E20Bhtml/story01.htm

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My life with drugs, rock 'n' roll, and addiction

Gary Stromberg, before he kicked his addictions, ran a music PR firm where cocaine was always available.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Gary Stromberg says he easily could have died from addiction to narcotics, alcohol
He ran a famous rock star PR firm, with a large bowl of cocaine as centerpiece
Stromberg lost his house, business, wife, money, and blamed everyone but himself
He admitted the problem was inside himself and began his journey to recovery

Editor's note: Gary Stromberg, who runs the PR firm The Blackbird Group, co-founded Gibson and Stromberg, a music public relations firm that operated in the 1960s and 1970s and represented The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Muhammad Ali, Barbra Streisand, Boyz II Men, Neil Diamond, Ray Charles, The Doors, Earth, Wind & Fire, Elton John, Three Dog Night and Crosby, Stills & Nash. He's co-written several books that deal with addiction, including "The Harder They Fall." His fourth book, "She's Come Undone," is due out this spring. He is active in service work to help people recover from addiction.

(CNN) -- The Whitney Houston headlines last week sent a familiar shiver through me.

In the 1970s, I ran one of the leading entertainment business public relations firms. Celebrity clients were wildly indulging themselves, accountable to no one. It was money, power and prestige, with no one to say, "That's enough."

Drugs and alcohol were endemic. Today, the conversation revolves around prescription drugs, but back then we were into more basic mind-altering substances: pot, psychedelics, cocaine and heroin.

To be truthful, I had an amazing run before it all turned to garbage.

Gary Stromberg

My office, on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, was set up like a huge living room with couches, overstuffed pillows on the floor, rock star posters lining the walls and a coffee table, the centerpiece of which was a large crystal bowl, filled at all times with a generous supply of cocaine.

The house rules were "help yourself if you're here on business -- but no take-outs!" We were regularly visited by our clients, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Doors and Steppenwolf. As you could imagine, my office was a very popular place.

But 29 years ago, I stood at the precipice with a decision to make. With a career of impressive accomplishments in the rear-view mirror, I had what looked like only despair and death ahead of me. Alcoholism and drug addiction had rendered me into what the "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous refers to as "pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization." The choice seemed simple. Choose life or death.

Do I acknowledge I have a problem, or do I continue to live in denial?

Do I listen to my friends and family, or do I seek my own counsel?

Do I continue to deteriorate mentally and physically, or do I say, "I've had enough?"

Do I choose to live, or do I want to die?

If I once had a dream, I thought, it was long ago shattered. If I once had a dream, it's floating face down in a bottle of Jack Daniels. If I once had a dream ... ahh, screw it, I ain't no Martin Luther King Jr.

Throwing in the towel and surrendering to admitting I had a serious problem should have been the obvious thing to do, given the state I was in. But at the time, change seemed impossible, unimaginable, incomprehensible and downright insane. Insane was the right word, all right, but it described my state of mind.

Alcohol and drugs are subtle foes; cunning, baffling and powerful. I seemed to be the last one to know I was in big trouble. When my high-profile career started to fall apart, it was other people's fault. When my substantial income dried up, my business manager was to blame. When the beautiful house I so dearly loved was finally foreclosed, it was the bank that was screwing me. When she finally couldn't take it anymore and left, I knew she was the type to do this to me. When my friends began to disappear, they were scum and didn't deserve me. And when, at last, my only friends, my drugs and alcohol turned on me, I knew it was over.

And so a journey of unimaginable proportions began.

Not to any outward destination. No rehab, no trip to a far-off spa. I didn't move to another city, as if a geographic change would fix it. No, I didn't have to travel anywhere, except into the mirror, and by peeling the onion of my soul. The journey was within, to at long last discover where the real problem resided.

It was, of course, in me.

What a surprise -- with the loving help and support of a 12-step program, I found the real culprit. We in recovery refer to alcoholism as a spiritual sickness. And if you look that up in the dictionary, you'll find a photo of me. "Mr. Spiritual Sickness of 1982."

If you ask me nicely, I might show you a picture of that lost soul that I still carry around in my wallet. Yes, I had long hair and a beard, the smug look of false confidence on my face and even the obligatory turquoise jewelry of that era. But look more closely, and you'll see in my eyes shallow pools of emptiness, pupils like pinholes from the daily consumption of narcotics. As a friend remarked when he saw the photo, "The lights are on, but nobody's home."

After you shake your head in disbelief,and look up at me again wondering how this was possible and how I became such a different person, I will offer you an explanation.

I'm a recovering drug addict and alcoholic who was spared from a life of misery, incarceration and death. I've been spared from the life of self-centeredness that led me to care very little about others and only about myself. I've been spared from the countless fears of inadequacy, failure, success, intimacy and anything else that threatened my well-guarded defenses. I've been spared a life of darkness and shown a path into the light.

We don't yet know why Whitney died, but we know she struggled with addiction. It's a pity that now, Whitney will not have the option I had.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gary Stromberg.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_health/~3/_vzQOqclQgY/index.html

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Thursday, 23 February 2012

Migraine increases risk of depression

A study of 36,000 women found those who had either suffered from different types of migraine in the past, or continued to experience episodes, were at a 36 per cent higher risk of developing depression over 14 years.

All those who enrolled in the study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), had never being diagnosed with depression.

Over the 14 years they were followed on average, almost 4,000 developed the mental illness.

The researchers found the 6,500 women with current or past migraine were at a higher risk.

Those with a condition called migraine with aura appeared to be at a higher risk still (43 per cent) than those who had migraine without aura (29 per cent), although the difference was not statistically significant.

Dr Tobias Kurth, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass., said: "We hope our findings will encourage doctors to speak to their migraine patients about the risk of depression and potential ways to prevent depression."

He and colleagues are to present their findings at the American Academy of Neurology's annual conference in New Orleans in April.

The study could not draw any conclusions about any possible link between migraine and depression in men because it only looked at women.

Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568409/s/1cdb9309/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Chealth0Chealthnews0C90A9860A30CMigraine0Eincreases0Erisk0Eof0Edepression0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Women and AIDS

Did you know that 20 million women worldwide are living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)? According to the World Health Organization (WHO) fully half of those living with HIV/AIDS are these 20 million women.

The Truth About AIDS In Women

Source: http://womenshealth.about.com/b/2011/11/14/women_and_aids.htm

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Alcohol 'could kill 210,000 in next 20 years'

Medical experts say ?210,000 people could die from alcohol abuse in next 20 years?, according to the Daily Mirror.

Several other newspapers have highlighted the estimate, based on the latest alcohol-related harm statistics released from the UK?s Office of National Statistics. These figures show that there were 6,317 alcohol-related liver deaths in 2010, slightly up from 2009. Based on this data, researchers calculated the future toll of drinking and estimated that there could be up to 210,000 preventable alcohol-related deaths over the course of the�next 20 years.

However, the researchers? projections varied quite widely. Their report stated that the death rate seen in coming years will depend on the effectiveness of government policies designed to tackle problem-drinking. They added that it is ?within the power of the UK government to prevent the worst-case scenario of avoidable deaths?, and discussed implementing a minimum price per unit of alcohol.

The BBC and other media covered this story accurately.

�

Where have the current reports come from?

In 2011�The Lancet published an article containing projections of alcohol-related liver deaths in England and Wales, and�now doctors have published updated projections of the number of drink-related liver deaths expected to occur over the next 20 years. These latest projections were made using alcohol-related harm statistics released by the UK?s Office of National Statistics (ONS) in January 2012. Today?s article, published online, was written by experts from University Hospital Southampton, the University of Liverpool and Nottingham University Hospital.

Although alcohol-related liver deaths fell from 6,470 in 2008 to 6,230 in 2009, they began increasing again in 2010, up to 6,317 in total. Based on available data, the expert team produced a range of estimates looking at the potential death toll in years to come, factoring in how interventions such as government policy changes could prevent deaths.

In the best possible scenario, alcohol-related liver deaths, which account for approximately one quarter of alcohol-related deaths, would gradually fall to 2,500 a year over the next 20 years. This is the same number of alcohol-related liver deaths a year currently seen in the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Norway. In this ?best-scenario? case, there would be an estimated 73,000 alcohol-related liver deaths over the coming 20 years. However, if alcohol policy in England and Wales was to remain the same, the experts predict that alcohol-related liver deaths would be nearly twice as high over the same period, with 143,000 deaths in total.

The experts say that the difference between the two scenarios is due to 70,000 ?avoidable deaths?. This is a moderate improvement from the projection of 77,000 avoidable alcohol-related liver deaths presented in last year?s study.

When the researchers considered alcohol-related deaths from all causes, they estimated that the number of avoidable deaths expected over the next 20 years has actually fallen from last year?s projections, from 250,000 down to 210,000. The experts suggested that this fall in the number of alcohol-related deaths may be due to alcohol sales having been curbed during the recession, but added�that alcohol policy in England and Wales still needs to be amended to prevent these avoidable alcohol-related deaths. They discussed the possibility of bringing in a minimum price per unit of alcohol.�This policy has been put forward by Scotland as a bill to debate in its parliament, with Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland considering following suit. England is due to publish a new alcohol strategy in 2012.
�

How will alcohol cause these deaths?

Alcohol consumption can contribute to acute (sudden) deaths, such as from accidents, violence and suicide. It can also contribute to the development of potentially fatal chronic diseases, including liver disease, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease and cancers of the breast and gastrointestinal tract. Deaths due to alcohol-related liver disease are reported to account for approximately one quarter of all alcohol-related deaths.

�

Who is at risk?

In the UK, the peak age bracket for alcohol-related deaths is 45 to 65, and alcohol is a contributing factor in over a quarter of all deaths in men aged 16 to 24 years.

There is no ?safe? limit for drinking, but risk can be reduced by drinking no more than�two to�three units a day for women, or�three to�four units for men. Regularly exceeding these limits increases the risk of certain chronic diseases and alcohol-related problems, including fatigue, depression, weight gain and poor sleep. The more the recommended limits are exceeded, the greater the risk to your health.

�

How much do we drink in the UK?

The NHS Information Centre (NHSIC) statistics for England found that in 2009 the average weekly consumption of alcohol was 16.4 units for men and 8 units for women, with 26% of men reporting drinking more than 21 units in an average week and 18% of women reporting drinking more than 14 units.

To put this into context, there are:

3 units in a pint of high-strength lager (strength 5.2%)
2 units in a standard can of lager, beer or cider (strength 5%)
2.1 units in a standard glass of wine (175ml, strength 12%)
1 unit in a small measure of spirits (25ml, strength 40%)

See our page on�alcohol units for more information.

�

How much should I be drinking?

The NHS and Department of Health (DH) advise that:

Adult women should not regularly drink more than�two to�three units of alcohol a day.
Adult men should not regularly drink more than�three to�four units of alcohol a day.

?Regularly? means drinking on most days of the week or on every day of the week. The DH also advises taking a 48-hour�break�from alcohol after a heavy drinking session to allow your body to recover.

NICE recommends that pregnant women should avoid drinking alcohol during the first three months of pregnancy as drinking may increase the risk of miscarriage. If a woman does choose to drink during pregnancy, it's important not to�drink more than one to two units, once or twice a week (while there is no certainty of a ?safe? level of alcohol consumption, at this low level there is currently no evidence of harm to the unborn baby). Binge-drinking in pregnancy (7.5 units or more on a single occasion) may be harmful to the unborn baby and should be avoided.

Analysis by Bazian

Links To The Headlines

Alcohol abuse 'to kill 200,000 people in 20 years' - but deaths are preventable. Metro, February 20 2012

210,000 people face alcohol death risk, warn doctors. BBC News, February 20 2012

Drinking will kill 210,000 in next 20 years unless we outlaw cheap booze, senior doctors warn. Daily Mail, February 20 2012

210,000 people could die from alcohol abuse in next 20 years. Daily Mirror, February 20 2012

Links To Science

Sheron N, Gilmore I, Parsons C et al. Projections of alcohol-related deaths in England and Wales�? tragic toll or potential prize?. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, February 20 2012

Source: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/02February/Pages/uk-alcohol-deaths-predicted.aspx

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Arthritis and Lupus Linked To Lower Birth Rates

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Lupus
Also Included In: Arthritis / Rheumatology;��Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 21 Feb 2012 - 10:00 PST

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A multi-center study of a national survey published in Arthritis Care and Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), has established that over half of women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have fewer children than desired.

Leading researcher, Kaleb Michaud, Ph.D., assistant professor in the internal medicine department-rheumatology section at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and his team established that whilst patients' choices are partly responsible for having smaller family sizes, the survey results suggest that higher infertility rates and miscarriages may also affect the number of babies born to those suffering from these chronic conditions.

According to ACR estimates, almost 322,000 U.S. adults suffer from systemic lupus, a disease whereby the body's immune system becomes overactive, attacking healthy cells, tissues, or organs, whilst about 1.3 million adult Americans have RA, a chronic autoimmune disease causing painful joint inflammation. Medical evidence has shown that both RA and SLE are more prevalent in women, and given that the disease often starts to occur during a woman's reproductive years, it can result in problems starting a family.

The study, which was conducted to gain a better insight into reasons of infertility, pregnancy loss and family choice in women with RA and SLE involved surveying 1,017 women registered in the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases, of whom 578 women with RA and 114 with SLE responded.

The researchers categorized the women into three separate groups. Group A consisted of those interested in having children, but who had fewer than planned, Group B consisted of women who wanted children and who had the number of children they planned, and Group C consisted of those who were no longer interested in having children after being diagnosed with RA or SLE.

The results of the study demonstrated that over 60% of participants belonged to Group C, and that 55% of women with RA, and 64% of those with SLE had fewer children than originally planned.

The infertility rate of women with RA in group A was 1.5 times higher, compared with those in group B, however, both groups had similar rates of miscarriage, and even though women with SLE in group A had a comparable number of pregnancies to those in group B, their rate of miscarriage was three times higher. Furthermore, it showed that 42% of women with RA had an overall infertility rate of 42%, and had fewer children than desired.

Women who were diagnosed with RA during their childbearing years had a higher infertility rate, compared with those who were diagnosed after childbearing was complete. There was no substantial increase in fertility in those with SLE, yet women with lupus were observed to have fewer children than desired, which was linked to miscarriage.

Other reasons for fewer pregnancies in women with RA and SLE were reported as the inability to care for their children, adverse effects from medications taken during pregnancy as well as concerns of genetically transmitting the disease to their offspring.

Dr. Michaud said:

"Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and their treatments can pose major problems for women during pregnancy and can even result in birth defects and spontaneous abortion. We hope this study will bring these reproductive-health concerns to the forefront, especially among women in their childbearing years."

The researchers indicate that educating patients and raising their awareness of safe medical options during pregnancy, together with effectively controlling these autoimmune diseases will help women to achieve their family planning goals.

Dr. Michaud calls for further studies to investigate the underlying causes of infertility and pregnancy loss in women with RA and SLE.

Written by Petra Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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Petra Rattue. "Arthritis and Lupus Linked To Lower Birth Rates." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 21 Feb. 2012. Web.
23 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241958.php>

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Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241958.php

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Michelle Obama takes on TV host in White House sports challenge

Mrs Obama and Fallon did push-ups and hula hooping before competing at dodge ball and a tug-of-war. The first lady triumphed over the comedian in a climactic potato sack race.

Mrs Obama has been doing the rounds of American talk-show circuit to mark the second anniversary of her campaign against childhood obesity.

In the past few weeks she has appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and The Ellen DeGeneres Show when she took on the host in a push-ups challenge.

Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/569020/s/1c7f1f2f/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Cnews0Cworldnews0Cmichelle0Eobama0C90A691990CMichelle0EObama0Etakes0Eon0ETV0Ehost0Ein0EWhite0EHouse0Esports0Echallenge0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Widening Gap Between Scottish And English Suicide Rates

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Men's health
Article Date: 10 Feb 2012 - 1:00 PST

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A new study has revealed the widening gap in suicide rates between Scotland and England & Wales due to a large extent to the number of young Scottish men taking their lives.

The research, carried out by the Universities of Manchester and Edinburgh and the Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow, examined suicide rates north and south of the border between 1960 and 2008.

The team found that the suicide rate in both men and women was in fact lower in Scotland until around 1968 when it overtook the rate in England & Wales. Suicides among men continued to rise on both sides of the border until the early 1990s when rates in England & Wales began to fall and the gap between north and south widened markedly.

"Our research reveals that the suicide rate in Scotland compared to that in England & Wales has three distinct phases," said joint lead researcher Dr Roger Webb, from The University of Manchester's Centre for Suicide Prevention.

"Up until the late 1960s, the suicide rate in England was always higher than that in Scotland, but around 1968 the rates 'crossed over' with Scotland having the higher rate in both genders. In phase two, between 1969 and 1991, the rates remained steadily higher in Scotland than in England, but from 1992 onwards we see a third phase where the suicide mortality gap between the two countries widened markedly."

The study, published online by The British Journal of Psychiatry, looked at suicide trends by gender and by age group (15-44, 45-64 and 65-plus years), as well as method of suicide.

Dr Webb said: "The research clearly indicates that much of the divergence in the national suicide rates has been driven by a marked increase in risk among Scottish young adults, especially males, and deaths by hanging in this group in particular. Our analyses also suggest that the difference in risk over time between countries is unlikely to be explained by cause of death classification differences.

"However, one of the key changes in methods used during the study period was the marked increase in suicide by hanging, particularly among young men in Scotland. This is of particular concern as hanging has high case fatality and is difficult to prevent, except within institutional settings. It has been proposed that a public information campaign about hanging would be the most useful way to tackle the increase of suicide deaths by this method."

Joint lead researcher Professor Stephen Platt, from the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Population Health Sciences, added: "This study adds to our understanding about patterns of suicide in Great Britain by producing sound evidence on divergences in long-term trends in Scotland compared to England & Wales. In a future companion paper we will suggest explanations for the persisting higher rate of suicide in Scotland."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our mental health section for the latest news on this subject.

The research was funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government.
University of Manchester

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Friday, 24 February 2012

Suggested Reading on Listeria by Our Doctors

How Can I Tell if I Have Food Poisoning?

Q: Is it necessary to conduct a culture of feces or vomit in order to determine that a patient suffers from food poisoning?

Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes infection) facts

What is listeriosis? What causes listeriosis?

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From WebMD

Infectious Disease Resources

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Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

Listeria

Food poisoning facts

What is food poisoning?

Suggested Reading on Listeria by Our Doctors

How Can I Tell if I Have Food Poisoning?

Q: Is it necessary to conduct a culture of feces or vomit in order to determine that a patient suffers from food poisoning?

Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes infection) facts

What is listeriosis? What causes listeriosis?

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

From WebMD

Infectious Disease Resources

Featured Centers

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

Listeria

Food poisoning facts

What is food poisoning?

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Where have the current reports come from?

How will alcohol cause these deaths?

Who is at risk?

How much do we drink in the UK?

How much should I be drinking?

Links To The Headlines

Links To Science