|
Allergy & Asthma Tips |
|
|
WHEN TO SUSPECT AN ALLERGY
Some allergies are easy to identify by the pattern of symptoms that invariably follows exposure to a particular substance. But others are more subtle, and may masquerade as other conditions. Here are some common clues that could lead you to suspect your child may have an allergy.
Recurrent red, itchy, dry, sometime scaly rashes in the creases of the skin, wrists, and ankles.
Repeated or chronic coldlike symptoms - that last more than a week or two, or develop at about the same time every year. These could include a runny nose, nasal stuffiness, sneezing and throat clearing.
Nose rubbing, sniffling, snorting, sneezing and itchy, runny eyes.
Itching or tingling sensations in the mouth and throat. Itchiness is not usually a complaint with a cold, but it is the hallmark of an allergy problem.
Coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and other respiratory symptoms. Coughing may be an isolated symptom; increases at night or with exercise are suspicious for asthma.
COMMON ALLERGENS ON THE HOME FRONT
Dust (contains dust mites and finely ground particles from other allergens such as pollen, mold and animal dander).
Pollen (trees, grasses, weeds)
Fungi (including molds too small to be seen with the naked eye)
Furry animals (cats, dogs, guinea pigs, gerbils, rabbits, and other pets)
Latex (household articles such as rubber gloves and toys, balloons)
Foods (cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat and fish)
HOW TO MANAGE ALLERGIC NASAL SYMPTOMS
Many children are allergic to pollen and mold, both of which are found everywhere outdoors and cannot be completely avoided.
It's helpful to use air conditioners, where possible, to reduce exposure to pollen in both your home and your car. Molds are present in the spring and late summer, particularly around areas of decaying vegetation. Children with allergies to molds should avoid playing in piles of dead leaves in the fall.
Dust mites congregate where food for them (human skin scales) is plentiful. They are especially numerous in upholstered furniture, bedding and rugs. Padded furnishings such as mattresses, box springs, pillows and cushions should be encased in allergen-proof, zip-up covers, which are available through catalogs and specialized retailers. Wash linens weekly, and other bedding such as blankets, every 2 to 3 weeks in hot water. Pillows should be replaced every 2 to 3 years.
MEDICATIONS TO SUPRESS SYMPTOMS
Your child's allergy treatment should start with your pediatrician, who may refer you to a pediatric allergy specialist for additional evaluations and treatments.
Antihistamines - Help with itchy watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing, as well as itchy skin and hives. They may cause drowsiness.
Decongestants - Help with stuffy nose.
Nasal Corticosteroids - Highly effective for allergy treatment and are widely used to stop chronic symptoms. Safe to use in children over long periods of time.
Allergy Immunotherapy - Immunotherapy, or allergy shots, may be recommended to reduce your child's sensitivity to airborne allergens. Not every allergy problem can or needs to be treated with allergy shots, but treatment of respiratory allergies to pollen, dust mites, and outdoor molds is often successful.>/li>
COMMON TRIGGERS OF ASTHMA
ALLERGIES
Molds
Pollen
Dust
Mites
Cockroaches
Animals (especially cats and dogs)
TOBACCO SMOKE
INFECTIONS
Viral respiratory infections, including colds
Sinus Infections
OUTDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
Aerosol sprays
Cooking Fumes
Odors
Smoke (wood fires, wood-burning stoves)
EXERCISE
MANAGING ECZEMA
Food allergies also play a role in about 25 percent of cases of eczema in young children. Wheat, egg, milk, peanut, and soy account for over 90% of food allergies in children.
Antihistamine medication may be prescribed to relieve the itching, and help break the itch-scratch cycle.
Long-sleeved sleepwear may also help prevent nighttime scratching.
New non-steroidal anti-inflammatory creams or ointments can be used for itching and redness and decrease the need for steroid creams.
As long as steroid creams are used sparingly and at the lowest strength that does the job, steroid creams are very safe and effective.
Soaps containing perfumes and deodorants may be too harsh for children's sensitive skin.
Use laundry products that are free of dyes and perfumes and double-rinse clothes, towels and bedding. Avoid fabric softener.
Lukewarm soaking baths without soap are good ways to treat the dry skin of eczema. Gently pat your child dry after the shower or bath to avoid irritating the skin with rubbing. Then, apply moisturizing cream.
Launder new clothes thoroughly before your child wears them.
© 2005 - American Academy of Pediatrics Abstracted from the American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Your Child's Allergies and Asthma |
|
|
Prostate cancer prevention: What you can do |
|
|
Prostate cancer prevention is a "hot" area of medical research — the focus of several large-scale, long-term studies. This research holds exciting possibilities for the future and suggests some prostate cancer prevention strategies for you to use now.
As you decide what prevention strategies to adopt, keep in mind that several of the strongest known risk factors for prostate cancer are beyond your control. These include:
Age. Prostate cancer is unusual in men under 50, but incidence of the disease increases dramatically after that age.
Race. African-American men are at increased risk of prostate cancer.
Genetics. Your risk of prostate cancer is higher if other men in your family have had the disease.
If you have these characteristics, it means only that your likelihood of developing prostate cancer is higher than that of a man without the characteristic. A 55-year-old African American man whose father had prostate cancer is still more likely to live out his life without prostate cancer than he is to develop it. The full range of factors that cause prostate cancer is still largely unknown.
Even if you don't have any of the three uncontrollable risk factors for prostate cancer, it pays to follow the lifestyle linked to a lower risk of the disease. The habits that protect against prostate cancer might help you to avoid other diseases as well — heart disease and colorectal cancer, for example. Find out which of these habits you've already adopted, and consider others you can make later on.
Diet and prostate cancer
Much of the research on prostate cancer prevention focuses on nutrition. Key factors include:
Fat. Prostate cancer rates vary greatly from one country to another, with the highest rates appearing in countries where people tend to eat a lot of fat. In fact, the number of prostate cancer deaths in a given country rises in direct proportion to the average total calories from fat in that country's typical diet.
Vegetables. Some studies link a diet high in vegetables to a lower risk of prostate cancer. For example, one study found that men who ate 28 or more servings of vegetables each week had lower rates of prostate cancer compared to men who ate less than 14 servings.
Fish. In one study, prostate cancer was two to three times more common in men who ate no fish as in men who ate moderate to large amounts of fish. Types of fish that are rich in the fatty acids that protect against prostate cancer and other diseases include salmon, herring, and mackerel.
So far, research does not support definite nutritional guidelines for preventing prostate cancer. However, you can reasonably act on these suggestions:
Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Reduce intake of saturated fat and cholesterol.
Limit sweets and salt.
Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all.
Eat moderate-sized portions and control calories.
Researchers have not established a direct link between obesity and incidence of prostate cancer. However, obesity might affect levels of hormones related to prostate cancer risk.
Strategies for preventing obesity include:
Following guidelines for a healthy diet
Meeting with your doctor to develop a plan for physical activity
Doing some form of aerobic exercise for 30 minutes or more daily
Drug protection
Proscar (finasteride), traditionally prescribed to treat prostate enlargement, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), reduced overall rates of prostate cancer by 25 percent in the 18,000-man Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT). Men who took finasteride, however, were more likely to experience impotence, loss of sexual desire and breast enlargement than those who took a placebo. In addition, the men who did develop prostate cancer while taking Proscar were more likely to have aggressive forms of the disease. The reasons for these results are unknown.
Another BPH drug, duasteride, also seems to have properties that prevent prostate cancer. A large, international study is now underway to further test this finding.
Finally, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) might prevent prostate cancer. These drugs include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve). NSAIDS inhibit an enzyme called COX-2, which is found in prostate cancer cells. More studies are needed to confirm whether NSAID use actually results in lower rates of prostate cancer or reduced deaths from the disease.
Plant-based protection
Soybeans and other legumes contain phytoestrogens, which are plant-based chemicals that behave like the hormone estrogen in the human body. These chemicals might help to prevent prostate cancer. In fact, one possible explanation for lower rates of prostate cancer in Asian men is that they eat more soy protein.
Researchers are not sure how phytoestrogens could produce this effect. Phytoestrogens may decrease levels of androgens, male hormones that stimulate the growth of prostate cancer. Or, phytoestrogens might simply balance out androgen effects.
Tomatoes and related products, such as tomato sauce and ketchup, might offer protection in a different way — by providing lycopene. This vitamin-like substance acts as an antioxidant, lowering cancer risk by preventing DNA damage in the nuclei of cells. Go for the richest sources of lycopene — processed tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon rather than supplemental lycopene in tablet form.
Selenium and vitamin E
Years of nutrition research have suggested that daily doses of the mineral selenium, vitamin E or both may help to prevent prostate cancer. The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT), launched in 2001, is following up on these observations.
By its projected endpoint in 2013, SELECT will have data on prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment from over 32,000 men. These men are taking selenium, vitamin E, a combination of both, or a placebo. By studying such a large number of people over so many years, researchers will gain detailed evidence about the preventive effects of these two substances.
A word of caution: Taking herbal medicines or nutritional supplements without medical guidance poses some risks — particularly if you combine such products with over-the-counter or prescription medications. Before using any drug, herb or supplement, talk to your doctor.
Prostate cancer risk: A common sense perspective
The reasons for interest in preventing prostate cancer are clear. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men, exceeded only by lung cancer.
Even so, prostate cancer affects far more men than it eventually kills. According to the National Cancer Institute, about one-fifth of men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. Yet only 3 percent of American men will die of the disease.
Why does the number of prostate cancer diagnoses exceed the number of deaths by such a large ratio? One answer is that prostate cancer progresses more slowly than many other types of cancer. Many men live with it for years. Some survive disease-free after treatment. And others refrain from treatment while closely monitoring the cancer's progression — an approach known as "watchful waiting."
To keep your risks in perspective, stay in regular contact with your doctor about your prostate health. Ask about prevention strategies that make the most sense for you, given your current health and medical history.
An annual prostate checkup can't reduce your risk of cancer, as perhaps a healthy diet and exercise can. But having regular checkups is crucial to staying healthy. If prostate cancer does develop, a digital rectal exam (DRE) and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test may discover the problem in its earliest stages. This is the time when treatment can be most effective.
Source: MayoClinic.com |
|
|
Hemorrhoids |
|
|
Hemorrhoids are masses of swollen veins in the lower rectum (internal hemorrhoids) or at the anus (external hemorrhoids).
Symptoms of internal hemorrhoids include:
Bright red rectal bleeding
Staining of undergarments with mucus
Symptoms of external hemorrhoids include:
Pain and itching when irritated by constipation or diarrhea
Difficulty with hygiene
Hemorrhoids are caused by:
Straining
Work strain (lifting, etc.)
Straining while defecating
Chronic constipation
Passing hard, dry, small stools
Laxative abuse
Do not assume rectal bleeding is from hemorrhoids. See your doctor to rule out cancer or other disease.
TIPS
To prevent or manage hemorrhoids, increase your fiber and fluid intake. Consider adding a fiber supplement.
Avoid straining at stool or sitting on the toilet for a long time.
Clean the external rectal area gently with soap and water following stool evacuation.
Try a topical cream or sitz baths to reduce inflammation.
See your doctor if you don't improve.
|
|
|
Stop the Flu Tips |
|
|
The rewards of eating 5 or more fruits and vegetables daily are worth the effort, proven to be strong weapons to fight the forces of flu and colds.
Keep tissues handy for coughs and sneezes. Then dispose of tissues in a "no-touch" container. This is a container that is emptied without touching the contents.
Cough or sneeze into your elbow or arm NOT your hands, and teach children to do the same. Droplets from coughing or sneezing can contain viruses that can cause other people to become sick. If you cough or sneeze into your hands, everything that you touch with your hands may expose others if they come in contact with those same surfaces.
Clean children's toys frequently to cut down on the number of germs, especially toys that can be put in the mouth.
If you are sick with a cold or flu, stay home and away from other people if possible. You will prevent the spread of your illness to others and also protect yourself from the more serious side effects of the flu or colds.
Don't stack coats in the workplace, childcare facilities, or other public areas. Stacking of coats can pass on cold or flu germs as well as ringworm and lice.
In the workplace, avoid sharing common items such as phones and computer keyboards. If you have to share, then wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Enclosed areas should be ventilated periodically to get rid of germs in the air. Consider opening a window in your home in a room that is not occupied to let some fresh air in.
Wash your hands frequently throughout the day. Always remember to turn off faucets with a paper towel. Teach your children the same healthy habits.
Caution! Flu germs found lurking under the mistletoe. If you have a cold or the flu, stay away. If you are healthy, consider yourself warned.
Bring a hand sanitizer to work with you and use it periodically, especially if you have a cold. You may want to apply a hand moisturizer or lotion to combat dryness of your hands.
Nail biters beware! The flu virus enters the body through the nose, eyes and mouth. This is a good time to break the habit.
Mark your calendar for October 2005 and look for information on getting the flu vaccine for you and your children.
Don't worry. Be happy. Recent studies show that stress can weaken resistance to illness in some people.
Is shaking hands really necessary? Consider a pat on the back or a respectful nod. And a kiss on the cheek? Think about it!
Have children in diapers? Remember to wash their hands as well as your own after diaper changing.
Do you know the right way to wash your hands? Wash your hands with soap (bacterial soap is not necessary) and water for about 20 seconds. What is "20 seconds"? Sing the Alphabet Song, or Yankee Doodle, or Happy Birthday. Rinse hands, dry with a paper towel and turn the faucets off using the paper towel. Get your children in this habit while they are young.
Drink plenty of fluids when you are well and when you are ill. Your body can easily become dehydrated when you have a fever. Extra fluids will keep the mucous more liquid, which can help prevent bacterial complications such as ear infections and bronchitis.
Be a germ detective. Where are germs hiding in your bathroom? Faucet handles, toilet seats, flush handles on toilets and doorknobs should be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
Consider using paper towels for drying hands after going to the bathroom. A hand towel that everyone in the family uses is an easy way to spread germs, particularly if someone already has a cold or the flu.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away…NOT! An apple and 4 or more fruits and vegetables, some protein, and a little fat can help you stay healthy any time of the year.
Avoid sharing personal items such as blankets, pillows or clothing with someone who has the cold or the flu. Germs can live for a short time on them.
Anti-viral medication can prevent the flu for some people or shorten the duration of illness for those who already have symptoms. It must be given within 48 hours of exposure or start of symptoms and a doctor must prescribe it. It may be beneficial for those who are at high risk of complications from the flu.
Did you know that a person can pass the flu germ to other people starting a day before he or she becomes ill? And some people can have the flu but have no symptoms or have very mild symptoms and still spread the flu to other people? Maybe a shopping center isn't the best place to take your new baby.
Get some fresh air daily. Your lungs will thank you for it.
|
|
|
Health Tips
