Unilab Link-Up: A Health and Wellness Open Source Program

Unilab launches Unilab Link-Up, an open source program for innovations in healthcare. It is designed to be an online facility where innovators, suppliers, and consumers can submit their very own innovations whether its on health and wellness products, services, packaging, or manufacturing technology.

Practically anyone in the country can now bring an idea to the market through Unilab Link-Up. The first of its kind for a Filipino pharmaceutical and healthcare company, the program also aims to provide for the needs of Filipinos in terms of health and wellness. Moreover, it also welcomes ideas on functional foods, packaging, manufacturing technologies, and wellness services. To submit an idea, one only has to visit and register at www.unilablinkup.com.

An idea review body will then check the submission using a four-level review process. Corresponding rewards will be given to the innovation partner as the idea progresses from the review level until it is launched in the market.

"Your ideas could be the start of something big," says Unilab President and CEO Clinton Campos Hess. So share it to the world through Unilab Link-Up and help change lives!

Visit their website @ http://www.unilablinkup.com/

Top 5 Things You Didn't Know About Sugar

Whether you're a rabid chocoholic or simply prefer a spoonful of sugar in your morning coffee, there's just no resisting the sweet stuff. But do you know why humans appear to be so hooked on sugar?

#1: It's Like Your Mama's Milk

One reason our taste buds like the sweetness of sugar is it tastes a lot like something we had just after birth: mother's milk.

"A mother's milk is sweet, and all the sugars we eat are converted into glucose so the body can digest them, so there's a real connection between sugar and the whole architecture of mammalian life," explained anthropologist Sidney W. Mintz, author of "Sweetness and Power: the Place of Sugar in Modern History."

#2: Evolution Made Us Favor It

In general, sweet plants are safe, says Mintz. So our ancestors were naturally inclined to sample the sweet stuff. "When our ancestors were running through trees, being able to tell when things were sweet was one of the flags of edibility," he said.

#3: It Spurred Colonization

According to Mintz, human fondness for sugar was so strong it prompted expansion of New World plantations, and, unfortunately, furthered the slave trade. After a few years serving as a sort of caviar to the European elite, it became a fast source of calories for factory workers in the newly industrialized world.

#4: It's Sweet: And That's It

Unlike fruit, sugar is the only sweet substance with no other taste. Coffee, tea, and cocoa are incredibly bitter, but add hot water and sugar and you get a cheap source of calories and a lot of human steam. "The stimulant effect was very important to people who worked long hours under bad conditions," noted Mintz, adding that these products became small luxuries and symbols of cozy hospitality in cold, dismal Europe.

#5: It's Not Addictive

Although it may seem easy to get hooked on sugar, it is not addictive, says Mintz. Still, humans (young and old alike) find it tantalizing.

"Pop a spoonful of sugar into a child's mouth and the child goes crazy with pleasure," Mintz said, but affirmed there's no scientific link between sugar and hyperactivity. It's simply "a close association between one taste and the history of our species."

Original post here.

The Truth About Eggs

It is not cholesterol in the egg yolk per se that is harmful. In this more health-conscious era, egg, a very popular standard items in most any breakfast around the world, has been a controversial food item because of its high cholesterol content. Clinical reviews in various medical journals around the world the past five decades have pointed out the danger of dietary cholesterol for those at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, like heart attack and stroke, metabolic illness such as diabetes, and even cancer. Most of these studies have considered the egg yolk as the worst offender when it comes to cholesterol.

Depending on the size of the egg, it could contain between 125 to 275 mg of cholesterol in its egg yolk. The recommended daily limit for cholesterol intake is 200 mg per day. So, eating two eggs a day will more than exceed the limit by at least 25 percent. And since other foods we eat also contain cholesterol, it is easy to see that adding even one egg a day to our diet will greatly increase our cholesterol intake.

However, it is not cholesterol in the egg yolk per se that is harmful. It is the oxidized cholesterol that is atherogenic (causes hardening of the artery and eventual blockage in the circulation to the heart, brain, abdominal organs, or legs). Oxidation of cholesterol in eggs can be minimized by using less heat in the cooking process. Liquidy soft boiled egg appears to be healthier than hard boiled or fried eggs in any style. When fried, eggs obviously provide higher level of oxidized cholesterol.

Other highly atherogenic food items include saturated fats from milk products, especially butter. Most butter substitutes, margarines, have hydrogenated vegetables oils, which produce unhealthy trans-fatty acids and are very atherogenic like saturated fats. Reading all food labels is a wise practice. Margarines without trans-fatty acids are available in large grocery stores. While vegetable oils contain N6 fatty acids, fish oil (from Salmon, Mackerel, Non-Albacore Tuna, etc. or fish oil capsules) contains the healthy N3 fatty-acids (Omega-3), which are potent anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-clot, and effective in lowering triglyceride, bad cholesterol, and blood pressure, and in preventing irregularity of the heart beat. They slow down arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and thus, the aging process of the cells in our body.

A corroborative review of several studies involving hundreds of thousands of cases was done by Dr. David Spence, stroke prevention expert at The University of Western Ontario, Dr. David Jenkins, nutrition expert of the Risk Factor Modification Centre at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and Dr. Jean Davignon, cholesterol expert of the Clinique de nutrition métabolisme et athérosclérose in Montreal, according to The Medical News Today.

While two of those large studies reported no harm from egg consumption among healthy people, the authors stated that “in both studies, those who developed diabetes while consuming an egg a day doubled their risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those eating less than an egg a week…the studies also showed a significant increase of new onset diabetes with regular egg consumption.”

The UWO researchers concluded, "There is no question that egg white is classed as a valuable source of high-quality protein. Egg yolks, however, are not something that should be eaten indiscriminately by adults without regard to their global cardiovascular risk, genetic predisposition to heart attacks and overall food habits."

Egg white (egg minus its yellow yolk) is a highly nutritious source of protein in itself. The yummy but unhealthy egg yolk is not really an essential food item, and actually deleterious to those who are at risk of cardiovascular, metabolic, or cancer disorders. The big question then is: Who, among us, are at high risk for those illnesses? If only science could identify individuals who are at risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer, and a host of other diseases when they eat fatty foods, smoke cigarettes, drink alcoholic beverage in excess, and not exercise, then we would know who, among us, may safely consume high cholesterol foods, be sedentary, smoke like a chimney, and/or drink alcohol to our heart’s content the rest of our life, and still be from serious diseases.

Unfortunately, we still do not have such a medical test to address this issue. Therefore, it behooves all of us to be wise, prudent, careful, and indulge in moderation, since we’ve got only one body, one life, no spare, no back-up. Health is indeed priceless, and life simply too wonderful to waste.

Epidemiology of Hypertension

Hypertension is the most common and one of the primary risk factors for cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. Research reveals that one-quarter of the world's adult population has hypertension, and this is likely to increase to 29% by 2025.

According to the report of World Health Organization (2003), hypertension is one of the most prevalent causes of premature deaths to nearly 8 million people every year worldwide and nearly 1.5 million every year in the South-East Asia Region.

WHO also estimates that there are about 1 billion people suffering from hypertension, two-thirds of these are from developing countries.

According to the Philippine National Statistics Office Mortality Data (2007), diseases of the heart, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and renal diseases are among the leading causes of mortality in the country.

Due to its high prevalence and threatening outcomes, hypertension has become an important public health challenge worldwide. Hence, awareness, prevention, treatment and control of hypertension are significant public health measures.

Eat Fish Regularly for a Healthier Brain

Research shows that getting at least some of your protein requirements from fish is good for the brain. If you want to preserve your brain's health, then you might want to add fish to your weekly menu. According to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), people who eat a good portion of baked or broiled fish regularly reduce the risk of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and of getting Alzheimer's disease.

With many people around the world who may be suffering from these dreaded brain diseases, this study is definitely a significant step forward. Reportedly the first to directly connect eating baked or broiled fish and the prevention of MCI and Alzheimer's, the study showed that those who have fish at least once a week have better preservation of gray matter volume in brain areas that are most vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease. Gray matter volume is very important to brain health. High levels of gray matter indicate that all is well. Low levels, however, are proof that brain cells are shrinking.

For the study, the researchers gathered 260 cognitively sound individuals from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Then, using the National Cancer Institute Food Frequency Questionnaire, they were asked about their fish consumption habits. Results revealed that 163 patients ate fish on a weekly basis. Each of these patients were then made to undergo 3-D volumetric MRI of the brain and through a technique that measures gray matter, the researchers then checked to see how fish consumption affects brain structure at baseline as well as 10 years later. Social, physiological and even genetic factors aside, those who consumed baked and broiled fish weekly were found to be more likely to preserve gray matter in the brain.

"Consuming baked or broiled fish promotes stronger neurons in the brain's gray matter by making them larger and healthier," explained Cyrus Raji, MD, PhD, from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "This simple lifestyle choice increases the brain's resistance to Alzheimer's disease and lowers risk for the disorder."

But before you leave to edit your weekly menu, keep in mind that fried fish is excluded from the formula. According to the study, fried fish does not do anything to help preserve brain health. If you really want to prevent MCI and Alzheimer's disease, stick to baking or broiling recipes instead.

Stop smoking, pulmonology experts urge

Stop smoking and lessen your predisposition to lung cancer. This was the message of pulmonology experts as they revealed that lung cancer is now the number one cancer type in the Philippines. In 2010, the Philippine Cancer Society (PCS) estimated a total of 11,458 new lung cancer cases in both males and females while the estimated number of deaths due to the disease would have been 9,184.

Pulmonologist and chairman on lung malignancy issues of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) Dr. Windfield Tan said smoking has been found as an established cause of lung cancer. A smoker is 8 to 10 times more at risk with lung cancer. A second-hand smoker is also at risk. A cigarette has some 43 to 63 carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals but you will not immediately feel the effect. It will depend upon the length of your consumption and exposure to tobacco.

Tan spoke in a conference organized by the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) as medical experts mark the National Cancer Consciousness month this January. Some studies suggest that non-smokers who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, also called second hand smoke, are at an increased risk of lung cancer. Second hand smoke is the smoke that non-smokers are exposed to when they share air space with someone who is smoking. Each year, about 3,000 non-smoking adults die of lung cancer as a result of breathing secondhand smoke. Quitting smoking not only cuts the risk of lung cancer it cuts the risks of many other cancers as well as heart disease, stroke, other lung diseases, and other respiratory illnesses.

Tan warned that lung cancer is not immediately detected. Sometimes, it is already at an advanced stage when it is medically-diagnosed. Symptoms of the disease include a cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time, constant chest pain, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness, repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis, swelling of the neck and face, loss of appetite or weight loss, and fatigue.

Source: Klinika Natin

Skin cancer drug reverses Alzheimer's in mice

(CNN) -- Scientists say they "serendipitously" discovered that a drug used to treat a type of cancer quickly reversed Alzheimer's disease in mice.

"It's really exciting," said Maria Carrillo, senior director for medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer's Association. "They saw very positive and robust behavior effects in the mice."

In the study, researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine gave mice mega-doses of bexarotene, a drug used to treat a type of skin cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Within 72 hours, the mice showed dramatic improvements in memory and more than 50% of amyloid plaque -- a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease -- had been removed from the brain.

The study was published Thursday in the journal Science.

Gary Landreth, the lead researcher at Case Western, cautioned that even though his results were impressive in mice, it may turn out not to work in people.

"I want to say as loudly and clearly as possible that this was a study in mice, not in humans," he said. "We've fixed Alzheimer's in mice lots of times, so we need to move forward expeditiously but cautiously."

Mice -- and humans -- with Alzheimer's have high levels of a substance called amyloid beta in their brain. Pathology tests on the mice showed bexarotene lowered the levels of amyloid beta and raised the levels of apolipoprotein E, which helps keep amyloid beta levels low.

Landreth said he hopes to try the drug out in healthy humans within two months, to see if it has the same effect.

Those participating in the trial would be given the standard dose that cancer patients are usually given.

Researchers tested the memories of mice with Alzheimer's both before and after giving them bexarotene. For example, the Alzheimer's mice walked right into a cage where they'd previously been given a painful electrical shock, but after treatment with bexarotene, the mice remembered the shock and refused to enter the cage.

In another test, the scientists put tissue paper in a cage. Normal mice instinctively use tissues in their cage to make a nest, but mice with Alzheimer's can't figure out what to do with the tissues. After treatment with the drug, the Alzheimer's mice made a nest with the paper.

Carrillo said one of the major advantages of bexarotene is that it's already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in humans, which means the researchers can move into human trials sooner than if it were a completely new drug.

The Alzheimer's Association is funding Case Western's next phase of research, which will involve using bexarotene at the levels used on cancer patients, Landreth said. Since the drug does have some side effects -- it can increase cholesterol, for example -- he hopes to use it in even lower levels as the study goes on.

Landreth said his lab had been working on other drugs for Alzheimer's for 10 years when a graduate student, Paige Cramer, decided to try bexarotene, which works on a receptor involved in amyloid beta clearance. Some other drugs that worked in mice were too toxic to use in humans.

"We're really lucky that bexarotene is a great drug with an acceptable safety profile," he said. "This doesn't happen very many times in life'"

Source: CNN News

Read full article here

Could chocolate help mend a broken heart?

A major Swiss chocolate maker is hoping to give cardiovascular patients a good excuse to reach for a chocolate bar and is asking Europe’s highest food safety authority to approve a health claimlinking cocoa flavonoids with improved blood flow.

In an interview with online trade publication NutraIngredients.com last week, a company spokesperson for premium chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut said the company is “confident” that theEuropean Food Safety Authority will approve the claim based on the results of five clinical studies conducted and finalized last year.

Flavonoids are plant-based antioxidants found in brightly colored foods like blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, red beans, nuts,red wine and tea. They've been associated with a decreased risk of age-related and chronic diseases.

Healthy blood flow has become an emerging trend in functional foods recently, with a spate of food manufacturers developing products that claim to help clean the arteries and reduce LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels. 

One of the pioneering artery cleaning products on the market, Fruitflow, is a tomato-based extract that was the first to win EU approval for its nutritional health claims under a section reserved for proprietary and newly emerging science.

Meanwhile, other chocolate makers have also clued into the strategy of delivering powerful health benefits via the sweet confectionery. 

At the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco this weekend, US-based company ResVez will showcase products it claims can boost the immune system and serve as anti-aging chocolate bars.

The TravelTime granola bar, for instance, is made with a beta-glucan extract derived from baker's yeast that "trains" the body to strengthen the immune system, while the chocolate WineTime Bar contains enough resveratrol to equal 50 glasses of red wine. Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes and is known to help fight free radical damage.

Source: Yahoo News

Nosebleed (Epistaxis): First Aid

Where does the blood in a nosebleed come from?

The blood usually comes from a blood vessel located in the front of the nasal septum (nasal partition) or further back in the nasal cavity.

 

What can cause a nosebleed?

·         Picking the nose.

·         A blow to the nose or damage to the mucous membrane.

·         A cold or flu.

·         A nasal allergy.

·         Dry mucous membranes in the nose due to a stuffy indoor atmosphere.

·         Hypertension (high blood pressure) - rarely.

·     Certain kinds of medication; for instance, products that reduce the viscosity of the blood (such as aspirin (eg Micropyrin)and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

·         Exposure to chemicals that may irritate the mucous membranes.

·         Deviation of the nasal (septum).

Most nosebleeds occur for no obvious reason.

Other rare causes of nosebleeds

·         Blood diseases such as leukaemia or haemophilia.

·         Tumours in the nasal cavity.

·         Osler's disease.

Danger signals in a severe nosebleed

·         Heavy bleeding.

·         Palpitation, shortness of breath and turning pale.

·         Swallowing large amounts of blood, which will cause you to vomit.

How to avoid nosebleeds

·         Avoid damaging the nose and excessive nose-picking.

·         Seek medical treatment for any disease causing the nosebleeds.

·         Get a humidifier if you live in a dry climate or at high altitude.

What to do if you get a nosebleed

·         Sit in an upright position with your head bent forward.

·         Hold the tip of your nose for five minutes while breathing through the mouth.

·         If the bleeding stops and then returns, hold your nose for 8 to 10 minutes. This will allow time for the blood to clot.

·         Applying an ice-pack to your nose may help.

Good advice

·         Do not blow your nose for the next 12 hours after the bleeding has stopped. This will help the dried blood to remain in place.

·         Do not swallow the blood. It can cause you to become nauseous and vomit, or could conceal a greater blood loss.

·         If you frequently suffer from nosebleeds you should seek help from your doctor.

The most likely development

·         The bleeding usually stops if you follow the above instructions.

·         Heavy bleeding may require hospital treatment and, in rare cases, a blood transfusion.

How is heavy bleeding treated and what kind of medication can be given?

Contact your doctor if the advice described above does not help stop the bleeding.

Initially, the doctor will try to stop the bleeding by using something that will make the blood vessels contract.

When the bleeding has stopped, the doctor may choose to cauterise the source of the bleeding with a chemical to prevent it bleeding again.

If the bleeding fails to stop, it may be necessary to put a pack in the nose.

In rare cases, an operation may be necessary to tie off the blood vessel that supplies the bleeding area.

If the bleeding is caused by another disease, such as increased blood pressure, it is very important to seek treatment to avoid recurrence of nosebleeds.

Nosebleeds can be very intermittent, and between bleeds it may be very difficult to determine their source. If this occurs it is best to ensure that the nose is inspected during a bleed, which might mean needing to be assessed 'out of hours' by the on-call GP or local casualty unit.

Burns: First Aid

To distinguish a minor burn from a serious burn, the first step is to determine the extent of damage to body tissues. The three burn classifications of first-degree burn, second-degree burn and third-degree burn will help you determine emergency care.

1st-degree burn

The least serious burns are those in which only the outer layer of skin is burned, but not all the way through.

• The skin is usually red
• Often there is swelling
• Pain sometimes is present

Treat a first-degree burn as a minor burn unless it involves substantial portions of the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or a major joint, which requires emergency medical attention.

2nd-degree burn

When the first layer of skin has been burned through and the second layer of skin (dermis) also is burned, the injury is called a second-degree burn.

• Blisters develop
• Skin takes on an intensely reddened, splotchy appearance
• There is severe pain and swelling.

If the second-degree burn is no larger than 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) in diameter, treat it as a minor burn. If the burned area is larger or if the burn is on the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or over a major joint, treat it as a major burn and get medical help immediately.

For minor burns, including first-degree burns and second-degree burns limited to an area no larger than 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) in diameter, take the following action:

• Cool the burn. Hold the burned area under cool (not cold) running water for 10 or 15 minutes or until the pain subsides. If this is impractical, immerse the burn in cool water or cool it with cold compresses. Cooling the burn reduces swelling by conducting heat away from the skin. Don't put ice on the burn.
• Cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage. Don't use fluffy cotton, or other material that may get lint in the wound. Wrap the gauze loosely to avoid putting pressure on burned skin. Bandaging keeps air off the burn, reduces pain and protects blistered skin.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 2, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns.

Minor burns usually heal without further treatment. They may heal with pigment changes, meaning the healed area may be a different color from the surrounding skin. Watch for signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness, fever, swelling or oozing. If infection develops, seek medical help. Avoid re-injuring or tanning if the burns are less than a year old — doing so may cause more extensive pigmentation changes. Use sunscreen on the area for at least a year.

Caution

• Don't use ice. Putting ice directly on a burn can cause a person's body to become too cold and cause further damage to the wound.
• Don't apply egg whites, butter or ointments to the burn. This could cause infection.
• Don't break blisters. Broken blisters are more vulnerable to infection.

3rd-degree burn

The most serious burns involve all layers of the skin and cause permanent tissue damage. Fat, muscle and even bone may be affected. Areas may be charred black or appear dry and white. Difficulty inhaling and exhaling, carbon monoxide poisoning, or other toxic effects may occur if smoke inhalation accompanies the burn.

For major burns, call 911 or emergency medical help. Until an emergency unit arrives, follow these steps:

1. Don't remove burned clothing. However, do make sure the victim is no longer in contact with smoldering materials or exposed to smoke or heat.
2. Don't immerse large severe burns in cold water. Doing so could cause a drop in body temperature (hypothermia) and deterioration of blood pressure and circulation (shock).
3. Check for signs of circulation (breathing, coughing or movement). If there is no breathing or other sign of circulation, begin CPR.
4. Elevate the burned body part or parts. Raise above heart level, when possible.
5. Cover the area of the burn. Use a cool, moist, sterile bandage; clean, moist cloth; or moist cloth towels.

Get a tetanus shot. Burns are susceptible to tetanus. Doctors recommend you get a tetanus shot every 10 years. If your last shot was more than five years ago, your doctor may recommend a tetanus shot booster.

Goiter

DEFINITION

Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck just below your Adam's apple. Sometimes the thyroid gland grows larger than normal — a condition known as goiter. Although goiters are usually painless, a large goiter can cause a cough and make it difficult for you to swallow or breathe.

The most common cause of goiter worldwide is a lack of iodine in the diet. In the United States, where most people use iodized salt, goiter is more often due to the over- or underproduction of thyroid hormones or to nodules that develop in the gland itself.

Treatment depends on the size of the goiter, your symptoms and the underlying cause. Small goiters that aren't noticeable and don't cause problems usually don't need treatment.

SYMPTOMS

Not all goiters cause signs and symptoms. When signs and symptoms do occur they may include:

A visible swelling at the base of your neck that may be particularly obvious when you shave or put on makeup

A tight feeling in your throat

Coughing

Hoarseness

Difficulty swallowing

Difficulty breathing

CAUSES

Your thyroid gland produces two main hormones — thyroxine and triiodothyronine (T-3). These hormones circulate in your bloodstream and help regulate your metabolism. They maintain the rate at which your body uses fats and carbohydrates, help control your body temperature, influence your heart rate, and help regulate the production of proteins. Your thyroid gland also produces calcitonin — a hormone that helps regulate the amount of calcium in your blood.

Your pituitary gland and hypothalamus control the rate at which these hormones are produced and released. The process begins when the hypothalamus — an area at the base of your brain that acts as a thermostat for your whole system — signals your pituitary gland to make a hormone known as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Your pituitary gland — also located at the base of your brain — releases a certain amount of TSH, depending on how much thyroxine and T-3 are in your blood. Your thyroid gland, in turn, regulates its production of hormones based on the amount of TSH it receives from the pituitary gland.

Having a goiter doesn't necessarily mean that your thyroid gland isn't working normally. Even when it's enlarged, your thyroid may produce normal amounts of hormones. It might also, however, produce too much or too little thyroxine and T-3.

A number of factors can cause your thyroid gland to enlarge. Among the most common are:

Iodine deficiency. Iodine, which is essential for the production of thyroid hormones, is found primarily in seawater and in the soil in coastal areas. In the developing world, people who live inland or at high elevations are often iodine-deficient and can develop goiter when the thyroid enlarges in an effort to obtain more iodine. The initial iodine deficiency may be made even worse by a diet high in hormone-inhibiting foods, such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Although a lack of dietary iodine is the main cause of goiter in many parts of the world, this is not the case in countries where iodine is routinely added to table salt and other foods.

Graves' disease. Goiter can sometimes occur when your thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism). In Graves' disease, antibodies produced by your immune system mistakenly attack your thyroid gland, causing it to produce excess thyroxine. This overstimulation causes the thyroid to swell.

Hashimoto's disease. Goiter can also result from an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). Like Graves' disease, Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder. But instead of causing your thyroid to produce too much hormone, Hashimoto's damages your thyroid so that it produces too little. Sensing a low hormone level, your pituitary gland produces more TSH to stimulate the thyroid, which then causes the gland to enlarge.

Multinodular goiter. In this condition, several solid or fluid-filled lumps called nodules develop in both sides of your thyroid, resulting in overall enlargement of the gland.

Solitary thyroid nodules. In this case, a single nodule develops in one part of your thyroid gland. Most nodules are noncancerous (benign) and don't lead to cancer.

Thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer is far less common than benign thyroid nodules. Cancer of the thyroid often appears as an enlargement on one side of the thyroid.

Pregnancy. A hormone produced during pregnancy, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), may cause your thyroid gland to enlarge slightly.

Inflammation. Thyroiditis is an inflammatory condition that can cause pain and swelling in the thyroid.

RISK FACTORS

Goiters can affect anyone. They may be present at birth and occur at anytime throughout life, although they're more common after age 50. Some common risk factors for goiter include:

A lack of dietary iodine. People living in areas where iodine is in short supply and who don't have access to iodine supplements are at high risk of goiter.

Your sex. Because women are more prone to thyroid disorders, they're also more likely to develop goiters.

Your age. Your chances of developing a goiter increase with age.

Medical history. A personal or family history of autoimmune disease increases your risk.

Pregnancy and menopause. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, thyroid problems are more likely to occur during pregnancy and menopause.

Certain medications. Some medical treatments, including immunosuppressants, antiretrovirals, the heart drug amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone, others) and the psychiatric drug lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid, others), increase your risk.

Radiation exposure. Your risk increases if you've had radiation treatments to your neck or chest area or you've been exposed to radiation in a nuclear facility, test or accident.

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS

Your doctor may discover an enlarged thyroid gland simply by feeling your neck and having you swallow during a routine physical exam. In some cases, your doctor may also be able to feel the presence of nodules.

Diagnosing goiter may also involve:

A hormone test. Blood tests can determine the amount of hormones produced by your thyroid and pituitary glands. If your thyroid is underactive, the level of thyroid hormone will be low. At the same time, the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) will be elevated because your pituitary gland tries to stimulate your thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormone. Goiter associated with an overactive thyroid usually involves a high level of thyroid hormone in the blood and a lower than normal TSH level.

An antibody test. Some causes of goiter involve production of abnormal antibodies. A blood test may confirm the presence of these antibodies.

Ultrasonography. A wand-like device (transducer) is held over your neck. Sound waves bounce through your neck and back, forming images on a computer screen. The images reveal the size of your thyroid gland and whether the gland contains nodules that your doctor may not have been able to feel.

A thyroid scan. During a thyroid scan, you'll have a radioactive isotope injected into the vein on the inside of your elbow. You then lie on a table with your head stretched backward while a special camera produces an image of your thyroid on a computer screen. The time needed for the procedure may vary, depending on how long it takes the isotope to reach your thyroid gland. Thyroid scans provide information about the nature and size of your thyroid, but they're more invasive, time-consuming and expensive than are ultrasound tests.

A biopsy. During a fine-needle aspiration biopsy, ultrasound is used to guide a needle into your thyroid to obtain a tissue or fluid sample for testing.

TREATMENT

Goiter treatment depends on the size of the goiter, your signs and symptoms, and the underlying cause. Your doctor may recommend:

Observation. If your goiter is small and doesn't cause problems, and your thyroid is functioning normally, your doctor may suggest a wait-and-see approach.

Medications. If you have hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone replacement with levothyroxine (Levothroid, Synthroid) will resolve the symptoms of hypothyroidism as well as slow the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone from your pituitary gland, often decreasing the size of the goiter. For inflammation of your thyroid gland, your doctor may suggest aspirin or a corticosteroid medication to treat the inflammation. For goiters associated with hyperthyroidism, you may need medications to normalize hormone levels.

Surgery. Removing all or part of your thyroid gland (total or partial thyroidectomy) is an option if you have a large goiter that is uncomfortable or causes difficulty breathing or swallowing, or in some cases, if you have nodular goiter causing hyperthyroidism. Surgery is also the treatment for thyroid cancer. You may need to take levothyroxine after surgery, depending on the amount of thyroid removed.

Radioactive iodine. In some cases, radioactive iodine is used to treat an overactive thyroid gland. The radioactive iodine is taken orally and reaches your thyroid gland through your bloodstream, destroying thyroid cells. The treatment results in diminished size of the goiter, but eventually may also cause an underactive thyroid gland. Hormone replacement with the synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine then becomes necessary, usually for life.

HOME REMEDIES

If your goiter is caused by your diet, these suggestions can help:

Get enough iodine. To ensure that you get enough iodine, use iodized salt or eat seafood or seaweed — sushi is a good seaweed source — about twice a week. Shrimp and other shellfish are particularly high in iodine. If you live near the coast, locally grown fruits and vegetables are likely to contain some iodine, too, as are cow's milk and yogurt. Everyone needs about 150 micrograms of iodine a day, but adequate amounts are especially important for pregnant and lactating women and for infants and children.

Reduce iodine consumption. Although it's uncommon, getting too much iodine sometimes leads to goiter. If excess iodine is a problem, avoid iodine-fortified salt, shellfish, seaweed and iodine supplements.

Look and Feel Good Under the Sun

For a tropical country like Philippines, it has been usual for Filipinos to stay long under the glowing sun. Many of us love to stay under the sun during summer vacations to achieve a glowing, sun-kissed look. Some people just can’t help but to walk under the scorching heat. But one should not underestimate the effect of intense sun rays on our skin. According to studies, sunlight exposure can cause skin aging, dryness, sunburn and heat rash. More importantly, long periods of exposure to the sun may cause skin cancer. 

We should indeed constantly watch out for our skin in the sun. But there is nothing to worry about, as there are a lot of ways to look and feel good under the sun while protecting our skin. Here are some tips you should keep in mind: 

Keep out of the sun in the middle of the day, specifically at around 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., as this is when the sun’s rays are strongest. It’s best to stay indoors at this time of day, or stay under structures such as trees. If it’s really unavoidable for you to stay under the glowing spotlight, then an umbrella could be used. Here’s another tip: if you are out in the sun and you see that your shadow is shorter than you are, then the sun’s rays are at their highest. 

Wear appropriate clothing. Wear a hat that has a flap to protect the back of your neck, and sunglasses for the skin around your eyes. If it’s too hot outside, and you don’t intend to get tanned, wear long-sleeved clothing.


Apply sunscreen and moisturizer. Sunblocks reduce the amount of UV radiation reaching your skin and the higher the sun protection factor (SPF) number, the greater the level of protection. The SPF you need depends on your skin type. Most of us can manage with an SPF 15, and it doesn't make much of a difference if you go for higher factor numbers. Apply a liberal amount of sunblock 30 minutes before going out, and re-apply after swimming or sweating. If you'll be staying under the sun the whole day, apply every 2 hours.

The good news is that if all of these sensible precautions are taken, you can still enjoy your thing under that giant spotlight while looking youthful and staying healthy at the same time.­­­

Scientific Studies on Birth Control Pills

Contraceptive pills have been so controversial these days because of the RH bill. Studies prove the harm associated with the use of birth control pills. Below are the results of these studies together with their reference:

• The birth control pill increases a woman's chance of having breast cancer, cervical cancer, and liver cancer.

References:
Chris Kahlenborn, MD, et al., "Oral Contraceptive Use as a Risk Factor for Premenopausal Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis," Mayo Clinic Proceedings 81:10 (October, 2006): 1290-1302; Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer, "Breast cancer and hormonal contraceptives: collaborative reanalysis of individual data on 53,297 women with breast cancer and 100,239 women without breast cancer from 54 epidemiological studies," Lancet 347 (June, 1996): 1713-1727; World Health Organization, "IARC Monographs Programme Finds Combined Estrogen-Progestogen Contraceptives and Menopausal Therapy are Carcinogenic to Humans," International Agency for Research on Cancer, Press Release 167 (July 29, 2005); Smith, et al., "Cervical cancer and use of hormonal contraceptives: A systematic review," Lancet361 (2003):1159?1167; La Vecchia, "Oral contraceptives and cancer," Minerva Ginecologica 58:3 (June, 2006): 209-214.

• Depo-Provera (aka: the shot) interferes with a woman's immune system, making her more likely to contract chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Reference:

Morrison, et al.,"Hormonal Contraceptive Use, Cervical Ectopy, and the Acquisition of Cervical Infections," Sexually Transmitted Diseases 31:9 (September, 2004): 561?567.

• The makers of the Shot (Pfizer Pharmaceuticals) are being sued for 700 million dollars because the drug thins out a woman's bones. This is especially worrisome for young women, because the teenage years are a critical time for bone development.

References:

CTV.ca News, "Class action suit filed over birth control drug," (December 19, 2005); U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Black Box Warning Added Concerning Long-Term Use of Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection," FDA Talk Paper (November 17, 2004).

• Because of its link to breast cancer, veterinarians stopped prescribing Depo-Provera for dogs. However, it's still being given to women, and is sometimes injected into male sex offenders in order to kill their sex drive.

References:

"The Case Against Depo-Provera," Multinational Monitor 6:2-3 (February/March, 1985); T.A. Kiersch, "Treatment of sex offenders with Depo-Provera," The Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 18:2 (1990): 179-187; "Assembly Bill 3339, "An act to repeal and add Section 645 of the Penal Code, relating to crimes." California State Senate, Amended August 20, 1996; 2005 California Penal Code, 645.

• Makers of the Birth Control Patch are being sued by at least 4000 women. 

Reference:
Johnson and Johnson, SEC Filing, Annual Report for Period Ending 12/31/2006.

• The birth control pill, patch, and shot can all act as abortifacients. The same is true of the morning after pill.

References:
"Physicians' Desk Reference, 2414, 2626, 2411.Physicians' Desk Reference, 1068; "Plan B® (Levonorgestrel) Prescribing Information, Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (August, 2006); Larimore, et al.,"Postfertilization Effects of Oral Contraceptives and Their Relationship to Informed Consent," Archives of Family Medicine 9 (2000): 126-133.

Now, is it true that the RH Bill protects the rights of women? Will it empower the Filipinos or will it just bring harm to society? Think about it.

My dear people, our future is at stake!