Close to 9 million people across the globe lost battle to cancer in the year 2015. Experts suspect this number to increase over time with no respite in the increasing incident of cancer cases. Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality across the globe. It is estimated that one in every 6 deaths globally is caused by the debilitating disease. Cancer is a lifestyle disease with its precise cause still under investigation, however experts point at a host of lifestyle factors that sum to causing this disease.In most cases, cancer goes undiagnosed for long; experts therefore explain timely detection and cancer prevention as the biggest tools in the global fight against cancer. Lack of easy availability of drugs and latest treatment has been another hurdle. Cancer research remains highly underfunded. Any breakthrough or novel research initiated toward providing better treatment to cancer patients is a welcome move. A team of Australian researchers have done just about that. Experts at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia began a clinical trial of injecting radiotherapy to combat aggressive breast cancer.
In a novel experiment, experts will aim at combining radiation with immunotherapy with an attempt to “reawaken” the immune system to fight the disease. Cancer is a disease wherein cancerous cells begin to form and multiply at a rapid pace outnumbering and killing the healthy cells in the body. It is much like an autoimmune disease where a person’s own mechanism starts acting up against it.
“We think that cancer outwits the immune system. Once you develop cancer, your immune system has failed. It can’t see the cancer any more, and it also actively suppresses the immune system.”
The team of Australian experts aims to target activation of the otherwise unresponsive, dying immune system. Women suffering from the most aggressive types of breast cancer will undergo treatment. This is the first time when gene therapy is been teamed with immunotherapy.
“The trial was approved after promising studies on animals where radiation was used to prepare the immune system to fight cancer,” Sherene Loi, head of translational breast cancer research at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, said.
Breast cancer is the biggest killer of young and middle-aged Australian women. Cancer Australia estimated that 17,586 women would be diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia in 2017, accounting for 13 percent of all new cancers in the country. Primary cancer in the breast is usually curable, but if it comes back it is “incurable”, Loi was quoted as saying.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-08-11 12:16:412020-08-11 12:16:41New Radiation Injections for Better Cancer Treatment in the Offing
Hearing loss is more common if you have poorly controlled diabetes.
If you have diabetes, you have at least twice the chance of experiencing hearing loss than someone who does not have the condition, according to the American Diabetes Association.
If you have prediabetes, your risk for hearing loss is 30 percent higher compared with those who do not have diabetes. Two other things that can increase the chance that you’ll experience hearing loss are age and smoking.
So just why are people with diabetes at a higher risk for hearing loss? “We believe it’s years of poorly controlled blood sugar,” says Dr. Deena Adimoolam, an endocrinologist and assistant professor of diabetes, endocrinology and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
In short, the effects of high blood glucose over time can damage your hearing. “Although the exact reason for diabetes-related hearing loss is unknown, it’s suspected that there are two major causes,” says Dr. Jagmeet S. Mundi, an ear, nose and throat specialist with Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California. “This includes damage to the small blood vessels that provide blood flow to the inner ear and direct nerve damage to the inner ear structures. The combination of the two leads to hearing loss in these patients.”
Symptoms of Diabetes-Related Hearing Loss
For the most part, the symptoms of diabetes-related hearing loss will be like those of everyone else. One difference is that hearing professionals can track a consistent difference in the ability of those with diabetes to hear low- or middle-frequency sounds. However, that may not be something you notice. In fact, you may not detect any difference at all, at least not for a long time.
“People are notoriously bad at noticing the problem. It takes an extremely long time for people to blame [hearing loss] on themselves,” Konrad-Martin says.
It may be a loved one observing that your hearing is not that great anymore in certain situations, such as at a noisy restaurant or even in a quieter environment.
Other hearing loss symptoms include:
Thinking that people talking are mumbling
Not hearing when people speak directly to you
Turning up the volume on devices frequently
Speaking more loudly than necessary
Increased sensitivity to loud noises (this also could be the sign of a condition called hyperacusis)
A ringing sound in the ears (this also is associated with a hearing problem called tinnitus)
Feeling as if you can hear what someone says, but it’s not as clear as you’d like. “Think of it like a picture going out of focus,” Konrad-Martin says.
Although hearing loss is common as you get older, hearing professionals often find that the degree of hearing loss in someone with diabetes is more severe than someone of the same age who does not have diabetes.
Diabetes-Related Hearing Loss: Treatment and Prevention
If you think you are experiencing hearing loss, talk to your health care provider or schedule a visit to an audiologist. An audiologist specializes in hearing loss and can screen you with a full hearing exam.
It’s important to talk to your health care provider if your hearing loss occurs suddenly – a sign linked to uncontrolled diabetes – or if there are more subtle changes over time. Both situations require a closer evaluation.
Many people with hearing loss use a hearing aid. If that sounds intimidating to you, don’t worry. Today’s hearing aids tend to be smaller and easier to use than in the past. “People are generally happy with their hearing aids now,” Konrad-Martin says.
Depending on the circumstance, hearing loss can sometimes be reversed with the use of steroids, Mundi says.
An audiologist can also help coach you on ways to hear better in specific situations, such as in a noisy room.
Hearing loss can make life more challenging, so it’s important to try to prevent it. One additional reason to prevent it when you have diabetes is that you’re also at higher risk for vision loss. So, if you experience both hearing and vision loss, you’re hit with a sensory double whammy.
One way to prevent hearing loss related to diabetes is to keep your blood sugar under control. Take your medications as your doctor prescribes, stay physically active and make healthier food choices. These are all basic but important ways to improve your health and cut the risk for diabetes complications. “If you can maintain control of your blood sugar, you can prevent worsening of hearing loss,” Adimoolam says.
An experimental Ebola vaccine has been found to be safe for humans, according to the results of an early clinical trial developed at the Canadian National Microbiology Laboratory of the Public Health Agency of Canada. The researchers also found that high antibodies were present in participants six months after immunisation, indicating its potential to protect people from the deadly virus. This VSV (vesicular stomatitis virus)-Ebola vaccine brings new hope.
“The results of this trial were positive and very promising,” said May ElSherif from the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology. “All three dose levels of the VSV Ebola vaccine were well-tolerated by participants, and no safety concerns were identified,” added ElSherif. The study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
The trial involved 40 healthy people aged 18 to 65 years and looked at the safety of the vaccine and the lowest dose required for an immune response after injection with one of three doses. Out of the 40 people, 30 participants received the vaccine and 10 received placebo injections. The researchers found that adverse events were mild to moderate, with only three severe reactions, including headache, diarrhea and fatigue, which were completely resolved. This study shows the importance of further investigation, according to the researchers.
There have been some recent clusters of Ebola cases in Africa and more are expected as survivors may still spread the virus to uninfected people. The research team conducted the clinical trial “as part of a coordinated, international effort to expeditiously evaluate candidate EVD (Ebola virus disease) vaccines and make them available to control the epidemic,” said ElSherif.
An upcoming study at two sites in Africa, as well as in Montréal and Ottawa in Canada, will test the safety and protection levels of the VSV-Ebola vaccine in HIV-infected adults and adolescents. The vaccine was earlier found to be effective in preventing EVD in contacts of recently confirmed cases in a major trial.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-08-11 10:45:152020-08-11 10:45:15Ebola Vaccine May Soon Become a Reality
Scientists found that Hu-ink kills cancer cells in a laboratory dish. Under normal conditions, the ink is non-toxic. The deadly disease cancer often sneaks up on patients. While the cure for cancer is still being researched, scientists claim that a plant-based ink, that has been used by Chinese calligraphers for hundreds of years, could non-invasively kill cancer cells. As cancer cells leave a tumour, they frequently make their way to lymph nodes, which are part of the immune system. In this case, the main treatment option is surgery, but this can result in complications.
Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging non-invasive treatment option in which nanomaterials are injected and accumulate in cancer cells. A laser heats up the nanomaterials, and this heat kills the cells. Many of these nanomaterials are expensive, difficult to make and toxic.
However, a traditional Chinese ink called Hu-Kaiwen (Hu- ink) has similar properties to the nanomaterials used in PTT. For example, they are the same colour, and are both carbon-based and stable in water. The researchers including those from Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China analysed Hu-ink and found that it consists of nanoparticles and thin layers of carbon. When Hu-ink was heated with a laser, its temperature rose by 55 degrees Celsius, much higher than current nanomaterials.
Under PPT conditions, the Hu-ink killed cancer cells in a laboratory dish, but under normal conditions, the ink was non-toxic. This was also the scenario observed in mice with tumours. The researchers also noted that Hu-ink could act as a probe to locate tumours and metastases because it absorbs near-infrared light, which goes through skin.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-08-10 18:31:202020-08-10 18:31:20Hope for cancer patients: Ancient Chinese ink could non-invasively treat the disease
Oral cancer refers to the cancers that occur in the mouth, lips, tongue, cheeks, palate or throat and are among the most common forms of cancers in India. In fact, oral cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men. India bears the largest burden of oral cancers in the world, with an incidence of around 11.28 percent in Indian men.
It is important to propagate that oral cancer is also a highly preventable and treatable disease if detected early. Incidentally, over 80% of all oral cancers can be attributed to tobacco usage.
By eliminating the use of tobacco and following healthy lifestyles, you can significantly reduce your risk of oral cancer.
According to, Aparna Dhar, Medical Geneticist and Genetic Counselor, CORE Diagnostics, here are 5 measures you must take:
-Quit tobacco in all its forms
More than 50 percent of oral cancers in India are attributable to smokeless tobacco products. Referred usually as gutka or khaini in India, smokeless tobacco increases the risk of oral precancerous lesions and oral cancer between 2-fold and 15-fold. Unfortunately, gutka products are being packaged and marketed as safer products today, with youngsters increasingly falling for them. Let not the packaging befool you, tobacco in any form is a ready form of cancerous poison.
-Quit or minimize use of alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption is another risk factor for oral cancer. It is advisable to limit your alcohol intake to a minimal level. Not only will this prove to be good for your liver and heart, but it also reduces your risk of oral cancer. Do not drink more than one drink per day if you’re a woman or two drinks per day if you’re a man.
-Use skin protection
Excessive exposure to the sun is also linked to increased risk of cancer in the lip area. To reduce this risk, you must try to limit your exposure to sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This does not mean you must avoid the sun altogether. However, it is advisable to stay out of the sun particularly between10 am and 4 pm when sunlight is strongest. Also, use sun protection cream as well as lip balm with a minimum of SPF 30.
-Undergo preventive examinations
Early detection and regular preventive examination are key to surviving oral cancer. It is important to thoroughly examine your mouth regularly to be able to spot any abnormal growth or lesion. Also, make sure to undergo regular oral cancer screening by your dentist. Regular examinations by a dentist can help detect oral cavity cancer and some oropharyngeal cancers at an early stage. It is also important to maintain good oral hygiene as people with poor oral hygiene are at a higher risk of oral cavity cancer.
– Eat a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables
A diet rich in vitamins and minerals is a potent weapon against cancer as it contains antioxidants that keep the body healthy. A diet low in fruits and vegetables and a vitamin A deficiency is considered to increase the risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancers. It is therefore advisable to consume generous servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-31 18:30:552020-07-31 18:30:55Majority of oral cancers can be prevented! Here’s how
Scientists have developed a single blood test that can help in the early diagnoses of eight common cancer types and helps identify the location of the disease. The test, called CancerSEEK, is a unique noninvasive, multianalyte test that simultaneously evaluates levels of eight cancer proteins and the presence of cancer gene mutations from circulating DNA in the blood.
The test is aimed at screening for eight common cancer types that account for more than 60 per cent of cancer deaths in the US, researchers said.
Five of the cancers covered by the test currently have no screening test.
“The use of a combination of selected biomarkers for early detection has the potential to change the way we screen for cancer, and it is based on the same rationale for using combinations of drugs to treat cancers,” said Nickolas Papadopoulos, professor of oncology and pathology at Johns Hopkins University in the US.
According to the study published in the journal Science, CancerSEEK is noninvasive and can, in principle, be administered by primary care providers at the time of other routine blood work.
The investigators initially explored several hundred genes and 40 protein markers, whittling the number down to segments of 16 genes and eight proteins.
They point out that this molecular test is solely aimed at cancer screening and, therefore, is different from other molecular tests, which rely on analysing large numbers of cancer-driving genes to identify therapeutically actionable targets.
In this study, the test had greater than 99 per cent specificity for cancer.
The test was used on 812 healthy controls and produced only seven false-positive results.
It was evaluated on 1,005 patients with nonmetastatic, stages I to III cancers of the ovary, liver, stomach, pancreas, esophagus, colorectum, lung or breast. The median overall sensitivity, or the ability to find cancer, was 70 per cent and ranged from a high of 98 percent for ovarian cancer to a low of 33 per cent for breast cancer.
For the five cancers that have no screening tests -ovarian, liver, stomach, pancreatic and esophageal cancers -sensitivity ranged from 69 per cent to 98 per cent.
“Many of the most promising cancer treatments we have today only benefit a small minority of cancer patients, and we consider them major breakthroughs,” said Bert Vogelstein, professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University.
“This test represents the next step in changing the focus of cancer research from late-stage disease to early disease, which I believe will be critical to reducing cancer deaths in the long term,” said Vogelstein.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-31 18:28:322020-07-31 18:28:32Single blood test may detect eight types of cancer
As the death toll in the virus-induced fever in north Kerala rises to nine, the National Virology Institute in Pune has confirmed that the deceased were infected with Nipah virus (NiV). This is the first time the virus, which has high fatality rate and spreads mainly through bats, pigs and other animals, has been detected in the state.
The Union Health Ministry has rushed a team of experts to assist the state that is struggling to cope with the outbreak. Here’s all you need to know about the virus:
THE VIRUS
Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a newly-emerging zoonosis (a disease which can be transmitted to humans from animals) that causes severe disease in both animals and humans. The natural host of the virus are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus.
FIRST OUTBREAK
NiV was first identified during an outbreak of disease that took place in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia in 1998. On this occasion, pigs were the intermediate hosts. However, in subsequent NiV outbreaks, there were no intermediate hosts. In Bangladesh in 2004, humans became infected with NiV as a result of consuming date palm sap that had been contaminated by infected fruit bats.
OUTBREAKS IN INDIA
Human-to-human transmission has also been documented, including in a hospital setting. India confirmed its first Nipah outbreak in Siliguri, West Bengal, in 2001, with 66 cases and 45 deaths. A second outbreak in Nadia district in 2007 led to the deaths of all the five persons infected. The death rate in India is a high 70%, with 50 of the 71 people infected dying during the two outbreaks in West Bengal.
This is the first Nipah outbreak in Kerala.
TRANSMISSION
The viruses jump the species barrier and infect a secondary animal host, transmission takes place through direct contact with infected bats, pigs, or from other NiV-infected people and people have been also cautioned that they should not consume fruits that have fallen on to the ground.
SYMPTOMS
NiV infection in humans has a range of clinical presentations, from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory syndrome and fatal encephalitis. NiV is also capable of causing disease in pigs and other domestic animals. Nipah virus primarily causes an encephalitic syndrome with a high mortality rate. The characteristic MRI abnormalities are multiple, small (less than 5 mm), asymmetric focal lesions in the subcortical and deep white matter without surrounding edema.
TREATMENT
There is no vaccine for either humans or animals. The primary treatment for human cases is intensive supportive care
PRECAUTIONS
Nipah virus infection can be prevented by avoiding exposure to sick pigs and bats in endemic areas and not drinking raw date palm sap and not consuming fruits that have fallen from trees
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-29 11:05:552020-07-29 11:05:55Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala: All you need to know about the infection
Chances are you know someone with type 2 diabetes. In fact, 29 million Americans suffer from it, and if current trends continue, one in three adults will have type 2 diabetes by 2050. It’s one of the most dreaded chronic diseases we face. It results in elevated blood sugar because the body does not use insulin properly. Over time this elevated blood sugar can damage the eyes, kidneys, heart, nerves, and brain and even lead to amputations. Unfortunately, once you have type 2 diabetes you have it for life. It can be treated and well-controlled, but many people find that difficult.
Luckily, there’s a way to tell if you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes and change course before you get the disease. It’s called prediabetes and unlike diabetes, it can be reversed. One in three Americans reading this may already have it and not even know it.
Prediabetes is when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not quite high enough yet to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. If you have it and don’t make changes, prediabetes can turn into type 2 diabetes, but the good news is, it can also be used as a tool for prevention.
Figuring out if you have prediabetes is quite simple. Recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Diabetes Association, the American Medical Association, and the Ad Council joined me on our show to show everyone a new a test they developed that you can do at home, right now, to see if you are at risk for prediabetes. That’s right. You don’t even have to sit in a waiting room. The online test asks seven simple questions and takes less than a minute. You can find it at DoIHavePrediabetes.org. It focuses on risk factors like being overweight or physically inactive, having a history of high blood pressure or a family history of diabetes, gender, age, and ethnicity. If the online tool shows your risk as high, you should follow up with your doctor to get a simple test to confirm your results.
If you know you have prediabetes you also know you’re at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, so, it’s time to take action and reverse it.
Here’s some simple steps you can take to do just that:
1. Lose weight: – Studies show that losing just 5-7% of your body weight can reverse prediabetes.
2. Walk: – Get at least 2.5 hours (150 minutes) of light aerobic activity every week. This could be as simple as going for a brisk 30-minute walk 5 days per week. Even 10 minutes at a time adds up.
3. Eat smart: – Fill up on vegetables and remember to read food labels — the more you know about what goes into your food, the better decisions you’ll be able to make.
4. Don’t smoke: – Smoking increases the risk of serious health problems associated with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Making these changes doesn’t have to be difficult and you don’t have to do it alone, because there is another great tool that can help. It’s the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program, and studies show that it can actually help you cut your risk of diabetes in half. This customizable program helps show you how to make living a healthy lifestyle easy. The best part is you get a coach that works with you the entire time to serve as both guide and motivator. In addition to your coach, you are connected with other people in the program just like you, so you can discuss challenges and their solutions with other people going through the same things. There is probably a program right near where you live and you can find a list at DoIHavePrediabetes.org. If there isn’t one in your area, you can also do the entire program online.
So if you have diabetes be sure to check it out. Having type 2 diabetes is hard, but fortunately its turns out that preventing it doesn’t have to be.
Type 2 diabetes remission possible with a special diet. According to a study published today in the Lancet medical journal, certain people with Type 2 diabetes were able to put the disease in remission without medication by following a rigorous diet plan. One hundred and forty-nine participants with type 2 diabetes participated in the study for six years, and were monitored closely as they underwent a liquid diet (which provided only 825 to 853 calories per day for three to five months). The participants were then reintroduced to solid food and maintained a structured diet until the end of the yearlong study. The researchers found that half of the participants were able to put their diabetes into remission, without medication, after one year. In addition, those who participated in the study also lost an average of more than 20 pounds. The findings are important, as diet and lifestyle are touched upon in research on diabetes remission, but the impact of cutting calories and increasing physical activity is rarely discussed.
The study also offered a more universal approach to reversing diabetes compared to undergoing bariatric surgery, which can achieve remission for some people, but is considerably more expensive and comes with a greater health risk.
If you are Prediabetic avoid following food:
Saugar and sweets, sweetened beverages
Transfat, white bread, white rice, pasta
Flavoured yogurt, flavoured coffee, flavoured or sweet breakfast cereals.
Packages snacks, French fries, fruit juice
Donuts and soda
If you are Prediabetic eat following food:
whole wheat bread.
non-starchy vegetables, such as carrots and field greens.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-23 22:20:472020-07-23 22:20:47Do You Have Prediabetes?
Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you might avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication.
Here are 10 lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and keep it down.
1. Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Being overweight also can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea), which further raises your blood pressure.
Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure. Losing even a small amount of weight if you’re overweight or obese can help reduce your blood pressure. In general, you may reduce your blood pressure by about 1 millimeter of mercury (mm Hg) with each kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of weight you lose.
Besides shedding pounds, you generally should also keep an eye on your waistline. Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at greater risk of high blood pressure.
In general:
Men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters). Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters). These numbers vary among ethnic groups. Ask your doctor about a healthy waist measurement for you.
2. Exercise regularly Regular physical activity — such as 150 minutes a week, or about 30 minutes most days of the week — can lower your blood pressure by about 5 to 8 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure. It’s important to be consistent because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure can rise again.
If you have elevated blood pressure, exercise can help you avoid developing hypertension. If you already have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer levels.
Some examples of aerobic exercise you may try to lower blood pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing. You can also try high-intensity interval training, which involves alternating short bursts of intense activity with subsequent recovery periods of lighter activity. Strength training also can help reduce blood pressure. Aim to include strength training exercises at least two days a week. Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program.
3. Eat a healthy diet Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure. This eating plan is known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
It isn’t easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips, you can adopt a healthy diet:
Keep a food diary. Writing down what you eat, even for just a week, can shed surprising light on your true eating habits. Monitor what you eat, how much, when and why. Consider boosting potassium. Potassium can lessen the effects of sodium on blood pressure. The best source of potassium is food, such as fruits and vegetables, rather than supplements. Talk to your doctor about the potassium level that’s best for you. Be a smart shopper. Read food labels when you shop and stick to your healthy-eating plan when you’re dining out, too. 4. Reduce sodium in your diet Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can improve your heart health and reduce blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure.
The effect of sodium intake on blood pressure varies among groups of people. In general, limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less. However, a lower sodium intake — 1,500 mg a day or less — is ideal for most adults.
To decrease sodium in your diet, consider these tips:
Read food labels. If possible, choose low-sodium alternatives of the foods and beverages you normally buy. Eat fewer processed foods. Only a small amount of sodium occurs naturally in foods. Most sodium is added during processing. Don’t add salt. Just 1 level teaspoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium. Use herbs or spices to add flavor to your food. Ease into it. If you don’t feel you can drastically reduce the sodium in your diet suddenly, cut back gradually. Your palate will adjust over time. 5. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. By drinking alcohol only in moderation — generally one drink a day for women, or two a day for men — you can potentially lower your blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol.
Drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.
6. Quit smoking Each cigarette you smoke increases your blood pressure for many minutes after you finish. Stopping smoking helps your blood pressure return to normal. Quitting smoking can reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your overall health. People who quit smoking may live longer than people who never quit smoking.
7. Cut back on caffeine The role caffeine plays in blood pressure is still debated. Caffeine can raise blood pressure up to 10 mm Hg in people who rarely consume it. But people who drink coffee regularly may experience little or no effect on their blood pressure.
Although the long-term effects of caffeine on blood pressure aren’t clear, it’s possible blood pressure may slightly increase.
To see if caffeine raises your blood pressure, check your pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a caffeinated beverage. If your blood pressure increases by 5 to 10 mm Hg, you may be sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine. Talk to your doctor about the effects of caffeine on your blood pressure.
8. Reduce your stress Chronic stress may contribute to high blood pressure. More research is needed to determine the effects of chronic stress on blood pressure. Occasional stress also can contribute to high blood pressure if you react to stress by eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol or smoking.
Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what’s causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.
If you can’t eliminate all of your stressors, you can at least cope with them in a healthier way. Try to:
Change your expectations. For example, plan your day and focus on your priorities. Avoid trying to do too much and learn to say no. Understand there are some things you can’t change or control, but you can focus on how you react to them. Focus on issues you can control and make plans to solve them. If you are having an issue at work, try talking to your manager. If you are having a conflict with your kids or spouse, take steps to resolve it. Avoid stress triggers. Try to avoid triggers when you can. For example, if rush-hour traffic on the way to work causes stress, try leaving earlier in the morning, or take public transportation. Avoid people who cause you stress if possible. Make time to relax and to do activities you enjoy. Take time each day to sit quietly and breathe deeply. Make time for enjoyable activities or hobbies in your schedule, such as taking a walk, cooking or volunteering. Practice gratitude. Expressing gratitude to others can help reduce your stress. 9. Monitor your blood pressure at home and see your doctor regularly Home monitoring can help you keep tabs on your blood pressure, make certain your lifestyle changes are working, and alert you and your doctor to potential health complications. Blood pressure monitors are available widely and without a prescription. Talk to your doctor about home monitoring before you get started.
Regular visits with your doctor are also key to controlling your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is well-controlled, check with your doctor about how often you need to check it. Your doctor may suggest checking it daily or less often. If you’re making any changes in your medications or other treatments, your doctor may recommend you check your blood pressure starting two weeks after treatment changes and a week before your next appointment.
10. Get support Supportive family and friends can help improve your health. They may encourage you to take care of yourself, drive you to the doctor’s office or embark on an exercise program with you to keep your blood pressure low.
If you find you need support beyond your family and friends, consider joining a support group. This may put you in touch with people who can give you an emotional or morale boost and who can offer practical tips to cope with your condition.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-23 17:07:392020-07-23 17:07:39TEN ways to control high blood pressure without medication
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a disorder that can lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding. The bleeding results from unusually low levels of platelets — the cells that help blood clot. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, which is also called immune thrombocytopenia, affects children and adults. Children often develop ITP after a viral infection and usually recover fully without treatment. In adults, the disorder is often long term. If you don’t have signs of bleeding and your platelet count isn’t too low, you may not need any treatment. In rare cases, the number of platelets may be so low that dangerous internal bleeding occurs. Treatment options are available.
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) may have no signs and symptoms. When they do occur, they may include:
Easy or excessive bruising (purpura) Superficial bleeding into the skin that appears as a rash of pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae), usually on the lower legs Bleeding from the gums or nose Blood in urine or stools Unusually heavy menstrual flow When to see a doctor Make an appointment with your doctor if you or your child develops warning signs that worry you.
Bleeding that won’t stop is a medical emergency. Seek immediate help if you or your child experiences bleeding that can’t be controlled by the usual first-aid techniques, such as applying pressure to the area. Causes In some people thrombocytopenia is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking and destroying platelets. If the cause of this immune reaction is unknown, the condition is called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Idiopathic means “of unknown cause.”
In most children with ITP, the disorder follows a viral illness, such as the mumps or the flu. It may be that the infection triggers the immune system malfunction.
Increased breakdown of platelets In people with ITP, antibodies produced by the immune system attach themselves to the platelets, marking the platelets for destruction. The spleen, which helps your body fight infection, recognizes the antibodies and removes the platelets from your system. The result of this case of mistaken identity is a lower number of circulating platelets than is normal.
A normal platelet count is generally between 150,000 and 450,000 platelets per microliter of circulating blood. People with ITP often have platelet counts below 20,000. Because platelets help the blood clot, as their number decreases, your risk of bleeding increases. The greatest risk is when your platelet count falls very low — below 10,000 platelets per microliter. At this point, internal bleeding may occur even without any injury.
Risk factors Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura can occur in anyone at almost any age, but these factors increase the risk:
Your sex. Women are two to three times more likely to develop ITP than men are. Recent viral infection. Many children with ITP develop the disorder after a viral illness, such as mumps, measles or a respiratory infection. Complications A rare complication of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is bleeding into the brain, which can be fatal.
Pregnancy In pregnant women with ITP, the condition doesn’t usually affect the baby. But the baby’s platelet count should be tested soon after birth.
If you’re pregnant and your platelet count is very low or you have bleeding, you have a greater risk of heavy bleeding during delivery. In such cases, you and your doctor may discuss treatment to maintain a stable platelet count, taking into account the effects on your baby.
