DOCTORS CORNER with Dr JOHN KABUNGOLAST Sunday, I discussed the role sport can play in the prevention of malaria. This time around it is important to look at the problems which athletes with malaria encounter.Malaria is always a worrying condition in sport because of the many effects it has on the performance of an athlete. it is always a matter of concern when a team, and in this case a football team, is preparing for an important game and then it is reported that one of the team’s best players is struck with malaria.The issue becomes even more complicated when the malaria which someone has is not simple but complicated. I will try to explain a few things on the presentation of either simple or complicated malaria.I am very sure that a majority of Zambians have had malaria at some point and it won’t be a big hustle for me to go through how we can actually tell that someone has a bout of malaria. However it will be important to differentiate between simple and complicated malaria.these two forms of malaria will have a great impact on a player in terms of time taken for recovery and when the player will be allowed to get back and fully participate in a competitive match.Malaria affects all age groups with more serious and life-threatening forms occurring in children and pregnant women.In sport, both athletes and officials can be affected. Nowadays there is a lot of movement of players and match officials to different countries and this is the reason why everything must be done to have maximum protection of our athletes from malaria.FIFA has actually classified malaria to be amongst the BIG THREE medical conditions of public health interest. The other two conditions of this group are Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS.The world soccer governing body has joined the many organisations in recognising that the three conditions are a threat to mankind and deserve to be given priority in terms of awareness and therefore reduce on the sufferings that come as a result of infections with these conditions.Malaria is the main parasitic infection affecting more than 500 million people and causing more than one million deaths each year world over. about 40 percent of the world’s population is at risk of getting malaria, mostly those living in the poorest countries.In football, due to the wide and rapid travel required by international match schedules, teams from malaria-free areas are exposed to infection.All sports persons travelling to malaria-endemic countries even for a short period may be at risk of becoming infected with malaria.In Zambia, malaria is still one of the leading causes of morbidity (sickness) and mortality (death) in our health institutions.Malaria has been around us for such a long time and so many resources and research have gone into ways of reducing transmission, finding drugs, which the malaria parasite is more susceptible to, and more importantly prompt and effective diagnosis of malaria.The most commonly asked questions regarding malaria are how long does it take for an individual to suffer the symptoms of malaria after being bitten by a mosquito? How can someone suspect that they have malaria?What is it that has to be done when malaria is suspected? What are the main treatment modalities involved? What are the effective preventive measures? How long should someone stay away from participating in sport once they suffer from a bout of malaria?for the transmission of malaria to occur, an infected female anopheles mosquito has to be involved. The bite from an infected female anopheles mosquito is a must! The time taken from the time one is bitten up to the time the symptoms of malaria appear is what is referred to as the incubation period.The minimum period between getting an infective bite and becoming ill with malaria is at least six days. Malaria symptoms can actually occur many months after being bitten by an infected mosquito.The specific parasite that commonly causes malaria and of great importance in our country is plasmodium falciparum. The other types of plasmodia which are found include plasmodium vivax, plasmodium ovale and plasmodium malariae.The main signs and symptoms of malaria are a headache, fever, flue-like symptoms including bouts of feeling cold and shivery, profuse sweating, joint and body pains, loss of appetite and general feeling of weakness (malaise).Malaria is a great pretender and can present in many ways including a bout of diarrhoea, vomiting, muscle pain or just a backache.these symptoms can occur at intervals and they basically form the simple type of malaria. However, other complications can occur, including mild to severe anaemia, because of the massive destruction of red blood cells by the malaria parasite.The anaemia in most cases is accompanied by dizziness, headaches and the heart beating faster than normal.The other complications can involve the kidneys, leading to renal failure, cerebral malaria accompanied by convulsions and mental confusion.In some cases malaria can result in a player or person going into a coma and if not properly treated this can result in death.The blood sugar levels are drastically reduced (Hypoglycaemia) by the malaria parasite and therefore affecting the energy levels of the individual.Sport, especially soccer, requires a lot of energy and malaria will deplete the energy stores and will not just allow the player to take part in training or a game. Malaria affects almost all systems of the body because of the said primary infection of red blood cells, which are vehicles to deliver oxygen to the many body tissues and organs.it is for this reason that a player or athlete suffering from malaria will not be able to participate in sport for some time.their participation in sport will depend on the improvement of their clinical picture after receiving appropriate treatment. there is no specific time frame with which return to normal physical activity is allowed, however careful monitoring and follow up of players with malaria are of great importance, especially if they are to participate at a very high level.at times recovery can take 10-14 days before an athlete returns to competition.Malaria is mainly diagnosed using a thin or thick blood smear on a glass slide and then competent laboratory personnel have to examine the slide.However, this type of examination or sending of a blood slide to the lab is not practical when the team is out where laboratory facilities are not easy to get.Nowadays the use of RDTs (Rapid Diagnostic Tests for malaria) has extremely made life easy. The tests mainly target the products from the malaria parasite in the blood stream.these tests are very easy to do and can be done by any person who has been oriented in skills of obtaining a drop of blood and the results are ready within a few minutes.Prevention of malaria has to be prioritised if sportsmen and women want to enjoy their sport.it must be emphasised that all camping facilities for sportspersons should have surroundings that are clean and not overgrown with grass.Overgrown grass and stagnant water are perfect breeding sites for mosquitoes.All sportspersons should make sure that they sleep under a treated mosquito net whether in camp or at their respective homes.The use of insect repellents either as applied directly to the skin or sprays has to be encouraged though this might prove to be costly in the long run.Sportspersons should be encouraged to wear long-sleeved clothing to cover the exposed areas and thus prevent the mosquito bites, especially at night when the malaria-causing mosquitoes are active.Another preventive measure is the use of drugs, especially when one is moving from a place where the incidence of malaria is lower than where they are visiting.This is known as chemoprophylaxis against malaria and this is done when an individual travels to a malaria zone (e.g. from Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa).The preventive measures have to target breeding sites for mosquitoes or areas where mosquitoes are likely to be found. In all the districts of Zambia, the Indoor Residue Spraying (IRS) is currently being done to help get rid of mosquitoes.The use of Rapid Diagnostic Tests kits by all teams’ must be encouraged because these are portable and easy to use.The recommended drug of choice for malaria as per our Zambian policy is the artemesinin-based combination therapy and the drug of choice is Coartem for treatment of all forms of simple malaria.many countries in our region have put this as the first line of choice for simple malaria for it has proved to be very effective and with no known serious side effects.The use of fansidar is only reserved for pregnant women in Zambia. The switch from the old chloroquin and fansidar has been due to the many malaria strains which do not respond to these drugs.My role now is to warn sportspersons to be wary of the fansidar they buy off the counter in chemists, BEWARE!!!You might take the fansidar with no response to your suspected malaria.The recommended anti-malaria for complicated malaria is QUININE.  The quinine can be given via the intravenous route or can be taken as an oral drug in tablet or capsule form.it is always important that an early diagnosis and treatment of malaria are instituted so that sportspersons can get back to their normal activities in the shortest time possible.Malaria can be such a huge drawback for an athlete and the entire team. Malaria can be prevented, so all sportspersons must make an Insecticide-Treated Net their number one training partner.Malaria will definitely affect an athlete in training or in competition and full recovery has to be allowed before resuming full activity.For questions and contributions write to: Dr Kabungo Joseph e-mail:

Family history key to cancer awareness

12:30pm Monday 9th April 2012 in News

Dr Barry Taylor

CHECK your family history is the key message from doctors at Warrington Hospital who are raising awareness of bowel cancer.

The national ‘be clear on cancer’ campaign has been encouraging anyone who experiences changes in their bowel habits or blood when they go to the toilet, to visit their GP.

Dr Barry Taylor, consultant general colon and rectal surgeon, said: “Patients shouldn’t be embarrassed about visiting their doctor if symptoms persist for six weeks.

“There are four surgeons at this trust and it’s what we do all day long.

“Family history can be very significant as a mother or father who has had bowel cancer under the age of 50 would mean a higher chance of being diagnosed.”

as one of the most common cancers, particularly in older patients, a national bowel cancer screening programme has recently been rolled out across the country for over 60s.

mr Taylor added: “Patients main worries are if it can be cured, what is the treatment involved and are they going to survive.

“If we catch it early it is eminently treatable and curable and the majority of patients tend to do very well.”

Patient Eric Hand, from Stockton Heath, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in April 2010 after experiencing diarrhoea and spells of feeling weak.

He was told the tumour was small, operable and curable and had the support of his wife Julie, who works as a district administrator at Warrington Hospital.

The 65-year-old said: “Before I started my treatment I used to drive past Clatterbridge and think ‘I hope I never end up there’ but it’s a fantastic place.”

Eric, who had his own sign-making business, had five days of radiotherapy before a colostomy operation which was later reversed.

He added: “Now I’ve never felt better.

“I’ve had a lot of men asking me about my symptoms because they have been experiencing the same thing but didn’t want to talk to their doctor about it.

“My treatment was fantastic and if something isn’t right you should get it checked.”

more News stories

Couple from Burnley urgently plan dream wedding after groom’s cancer diagnosis

11:00am Thursday 8th March 2012 in News By Vanessa Cornall , Reporter

Tammy Dale and Tom Cooper are planning their dream wedding.

a COUPLE are urgently planning a dream wedding after the groom was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Dad of two 24-year-old Tom Cooper and his fiancee Tammy Dale have stepped up plans to get hitched after being told he had a rare form of advanced throat cancer.

the Burnley couple, who had previously put off wedding plans because of money worries, are now appealling for help in raising funds for their big day.

because of the rare nature of his illness doctors have told Tom that they do not know how long he has left.

And full-time carer Tammy said she hopes that the wedding will be a ‘legacy of love’ for her and their two children.

Friends have now rallied round to help organise the wedding and raise the cash needed so the couple can enjoy their last weeks together.

he was diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in October and, despite the couple already being engaged, he presented her with a ring on Valentine’s Day and they are now desperate to make sure their big day can happen as soon as possible.

former nail technician Tammy, 23, has quit her job to be Tom’s full-time carer and he has given up his job as a maintenance worker for Accent Housing due to his ill health.

She said: “As a young family, who are out of work because of circumstances beyond our control, we can not afford to get married on our own.

“All we want to do is create precious memories and a legacy of love for us as a couple and our children.

“It would be absolutely fantastic and would mean so very much if there was anything at all that anybody could do to help us create our dream day.

“Tom is an all-round amazing, inspirational person. he is a perfect father and partner and always puts everyone else first no matter what.

“He is a selfless person who gives our children everything even when he is feeling poorly.”

Tom and Tammy hope the wedding will be in early April.

Close friend of the couple, Wesley Hall, is leading the dream wedding campaign.

he said: “Tammy is a good friend and I when I heard about her situation on Facebook I just wanted to help.

“My background is in sales and marketing and I thought I could help them get a really special day.

“What they’re going through is unimaginable and I want to help them have the best day possible.”

they met nearly 10 years ago when they were teenagers, have been together for four years.

they have two daughters, 19-month-old Ziani and Tienna, four, who is a Read Primary School pupil and live in Greenbrook Road, Burnley.

Tammy said: “Just before the summer last year Tom started complaining of a sore neck. We thought it was his glands so were not overly worried until a family member urged us to get it checked out.

“During the earlier doctors appointments Tom was told it was an infection and given antibiotics, but when the symptoms didn’t ease he was referred to a consultant who carried out a biopsy.

“Immediately after the biopsy the consultant told us he was almost certain there were white cancerous cells but we would have to wait for the test results to be 100 per cent sure.

“That wait was absolutely awful, our minds just worked overtime imagining the worst.

“When the results came back they confirmed our fears. Tom had cancer, a rare one at that, and doctors were not able to cure it.”

Doctors told the couple that Tom was in the advanced stages of terminal cancer and that he had had the disease for at least two years.

Further scans showed the former maintenance worker had cancer behind the nose, in the throat, in the lymph nodes of the neck, in the collar bone, under both arms and in his lungs.

Medics said his condition was so rare they were unsure how to treat him.

after several rounds of chemotherapy the former Accent Housing worker was rushed into hospital with an infection shortly before Christmas.

Tammy, of said: “After all the bad news we had received we wanted to have a really special family Christmas at home with our girls.

“But that was not to be, It was a very emotional, heartbreaking week. I spent every day in the hospital with Tom and the children had to spend every day and night with my parents.

“It was touch and go for a couple of days which made us realise the end may well be nearer than any of us think or expect. the doctors just don’t know how long he has got left because his condition is so rare.”

anyone who can help is asked to visit facebook.com/burnleysdreamwedding

By Lewis Mehl-Madrona (about the author) Become a Fan  (22 fans)   — Page 1 of 1 page(s)

Mind and body are inexplicably linked.   I suppose it is an artifact of the linearity of language and the way the use of language conditions our perception that we come to believe that body is somehow separate from the other aspects of our selves.   I have an example.   I came to have the opportunity to interview a woman who had defied medical diagnosis and continued to suffer.   her story is common.   many people feel poorly and defy diagnosis.   our medicalized system of beliefs (or stories) fail to match the stories people tell about their suffering.   Pattern recognition by doctors just doesn’t occur.

Sandra had some confusing lab results as is often enough the case.   Most of her laboratory studies, however, were normal.   her free T4 (a thyroid hormone) was low, though her total T4 levels and her TSH levels (thyroid stimulating hormone, which is high when the thyroid is not responding to the signals sent by the pituitary and very low when the thyroid is overactive) were normal.   her sedimentation rate (a measure of inflammation as it affects the red blood cells — literally, how rapidly they settle to the bottom of a jar) was just slightly elevated, as was her platelet count (which is also seen in states of inflammation).   Platelets are the small cells in the blood that facilitate clotting when we are cut.   her hematocrit (the percentage of red blood cells in a cubic centimeter of blood) was also minimally low.   Hormonal studies showed a slightly low estradiol (an estrogen) but normal progesterone, estrogen to progesterone ratio, testosterone, and dihydroepiandosterone (DHEA).   These are molecules that reflect the functioning of the pituitary through the reproductive system and the adrenal glands.   her night cortisol was slightly elevated, evidence of perhaps some stress and increased adrenal activity.

Sandra’s symptoms were varied, from vaginal dryness to a feeling of being severely stressed.   she believed she was sensitive to chemicals (which are, of course, everywhere).   Extra ovarian follicles (which release eggs to be fertilized) had been found along with irritation of the duodenum, the first part of her small intestine.   Conventional medicine had offered her the usual medications to calm the intestine, which are called protein pump inhibitors.   seeing nothing else they could treat, they had offered her fluoxetine (originally marketed as Prozac) and had referred her to a psychiatrist, which had incensed her to no end.   she believed all the doctors she had seen were incompetent to not discover what was wrong with her.

Sandra had been seeing an acupuncturist for the past 8 months, believing that this treatment had improved her canker sores, but little else.   she had also taken probiotics, which are tablets full of the healthy bacteria that line our intestinal walls.   she had added the help of a reflexologist (person who treats the body by massaging the feet) who wanted to heal her stomach first and then her reproductive organs.   the Chinese Medicine doctor gave her herbs for her menstrual periods which didn’t help and gave her stomach pain.   A nutritionist then altered her diet to eliminate all sugar, pork, spice, sauces, dairy, soy, and wheat, which also didn’t help.   recently she had begun eating dairy and bread again and was no worse for the wear.   she had even gained some needed weight as she was too thin even by body mass index standards.   by the time I saw her, stomach pain was coming and going.   the last few weeks of eating more rich food had bloated and constipated her, increasing her stomach area discomfort.  

Eighteen months previously a podiatrist had operated on her foot for pain there which the reflexologist blamed for the stomach and small intestinal symptoms, since the surgery was in that area of the foot.   the reflexologist associated pain in her heel with the problems in her reproductive organs.   However, Sandra couldn’t tell if reflexology was changing anything.   she had also taken Yaz and Accutane, on which any number of her symptoms could be blamed.     Sandra graded her Chinese Medicine doctor as having earned a solid “B”.   No one else had earned a grade higher than a “C” and conventional medicine was a dismal “F”.   she was also taking a variety of supplements.   what should she do?

Sandra was an enigma to her health care providers.   I asked her about the quality of her life over the past three years.   “I’m so stressed,” she said.   “I’m so full of worry.   I’m so high-strung.   I worry all the time.”   I learned that she was a highly successful optometrist who was opening practices and employing other optometrists to run them all around the city.   the more successful her business became, the worse her symptoms were.   Then I asked Sandra is we could invite her husband to a meeting to help us with the inquiry into her symptoms.   she agreed and he came to our next meeting.

Daniel was a tall, handsome, muscular man.   he confidently sat in the chair next to Sandra.   Compared to her nervousness, his self-assurance and comfort was even more extraordinary.   I asked Daniel what sense he made of Sandra’s illness.   “It’s stress,” he said.   “She stresses herself over nothing.   she worries continually and incessantly about the business, though it’s never been better.”   Daniel, it turned out, was an accountant, who carefully administered the financial aspects of the business.   he ran the numbers and was confident in how well the numbers were working.   Sandra, on the other hand, was forever worrying about what could go wrong with the business.   Success, in one sense, had “gone to her head”.   when she had nothing, she worried about nothing.   the more she had, the more worries there were.   Buddha, of course, told a story about this probably more than once, but the one I remember came on a lovely summer day in which he and his disciples were lounging in the shade beside a brook while a farmer frantically ran up and down the road looking for his lost cows.   the monks had not seen his cows and knew not which way they had gone, so could not help.   Over the course of the month they remained in that place, the farmer lost his cows several times.   Finally, Buddha couldn’t help but notice that cows were perhaps not a good thing to have.

In my story about the world, Daniel was probably accurate since our loved ones usually know us pretty well.   Excessive worry through the body’s stress mechanisms produces inflammation, which is associated with dysfunction in just about every organ system from the ovaries to the adrenals to the bone marrow to the stomach to the heart.   Pro-inflammatory molecules make us feel like we do when we have the flu but without the sneezing.   They make us more allergically reactive.   Stress and worry makes us tense which can lead to injuries.   I explained this theory to a skeptical Sandra and an enthusiastic Daniel.   Perhaps Sandra didn’t need yet more medical tests and procedures which are in themselves stress-provoking.   Perhaps, for the first time really in her life, she needed to learn how to be still.   she needed to learn to relax.   she needed to learn how to turn her attention away from all the possible negative outcomes and dwell on some of the very real positive outcomes or even to think about no outcome at all.   the Harvard psychologist William James wrote that the one thing we can control about our brains is where we direct our attention.   Sandra might need to learn how to direct her attention differently.

What medicine does is primarily treat the end product of the inflammation with symptom suppressors rather than look to the source of the inflammation, which in this case, appeared to be excessive worry brought on by too much success!   Of course it’s confusing when we look at the body as if each part were totally separate.   We look at nouns instead of verbs, organs instead of processes.   when we think of process, we think of inflammation affecting multiple organs in a variety of ways that are as individual as the person herself.

The hard sell is to convince people that their bodies respond to the events of their lives.   We have been trained that an impenetrable wall separates body from life.   so long as we believe this, our symptoms are mysterious and undiagnosable.  

As Sandra learned to worry less, her symptoms lessened.   Eventually she was much more comfortable in both her body and her life.   Diagnosis no longer mattered to her for she had an explanatory story that worked, that gave her a path to follow to feel better, and that had support in science, though not perhaps as much in culture

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Let’s face it, there are some things in life that are just plain hard to share and talk about, even to close friends, family and coworkers.

due to feelings of embarrassment and shame, chronic diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis go unacknowledged and continue to negatively affect millions of lives.

these diseases, also known as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), can harm one’s ability to lead a normal life both socially and physically.

Jo Bloom, an IBD support group facilitator in Las Cruces since 2006, said she has seen people of all different ages and backgrounds feel “isolated and alone” from being unaware of what is happening or what to do.

“People just want to be able to talk about it, share horror stories and share the small victories,” Bloom said.

There is no known cause or cure of these chronic intestinal disorders, but it is manageable and treatable on an individual basis.

in addition to discussing the everyday dealings with IBD, Bloom said the support group members discuss doctors and treatments that have worked for them, and may be helpful to others.

“The first thing I would tell someone who has IBD is to keep a food chart,” Bloom said. “Eating the right foods won’t make it go away, but eating the wrong foodscan make it worse.”

The most common symptoms people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis suffer from are frequent and uncontrollable bowel movements as well as excruciating intestinal pain.

According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), IBD is a biological disorder, which is not caused by emotions such as anxiety and stress, although these factors may worsen symptoms.

Las Cruces resident Carmella Myers was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2001, and started attending the support groups, where she said she was more optimistic than most.

“I just see so many other things like cancer and lung disease that can kill people,” Myers said. “as far as I know, I’m not going to die from this, because it is treatable.”

unfortunately, Myers said, it is younger people who don’t deal with the issue well and need the most help and support.

“Parents will come with their children to seek help, and it’s really comforting for them to be open and frank about what is happening,” Myers said.

According to Bloom, finding the right doctor to create an appropriate treatment plan is just as important as telling the people in your life what is happening.

“unfortunately, it can be a very expensive disease because you can’t just go (to the doctor) once and find your magic cure,” Bloom said. “everyone is different.”

The ulcerative colitis andCrohn’s disease support group meets from 3 to 5 p.m. the second Sunday of each month in the Community Education room ofMountainView Regional Medical Center.

For more information about IBD, visit ccfa.org.

Let’s face it, there are some things in life that are just plain hard to share and talk about, even to close friends, family and coworkers.

Due to feelings of embarrassment and shame, chronic diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis go unacknowledged and continue to negatively affect millions of lives.

these diseases, also known as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), can harm one’s ability to lead a normal life both socially and physically.

Jo Bloom, an IBD support group facilitator in Las Cruces since 2006, said she has seen people of all different ages and backgrounds feel “isolated and alone” from being unaware of what is happening or what to do.

“People just want to be able to talk about it, share horror stories and share the small victories,” Bloom said.

there is no known cause or cure of these chronic intestinal disorders, but it is manageable and treatable on an individual basis.

In addition to discussing the everyday dealings with IBD, Bloom said the support group members discuss doctors and treatments that have worked for them, and may be helpful to others.

“the first thing I would tell someone who has IBD is to keep a food chart,” Bloom said. “Eating the right foods won’t make it go away, but eating the wrong foodscan make it worse.”

the most common symptoms people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis suffer from are frequent and uncontrollable bowel movements as well as excruciating intestinal pain.

according to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), IBD is a biological disorder, which is not caused by emotions such as anxiety and stress, although these factors may worsen symptoms.

Las Cruces resident Carmella Myers was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2001, and started attending the support groups, where she said she was more optimistic than most.

“I just see so many other things like cancer and lung disease that can kill people,” Myers said. “as far as I know, I’m not going to die from this, because it is treatable.”

unfortunately, Myers said, it is younger people who don’t deal with the issue well and need the most help and support.

“Parents will come with their children to seek help, and it’s really comforting for them to be open and frank about what is happening,” Myers said.

according to Bloom, finding the right doctor to create an appropriate treatment plan is just as important as telling the people in your life what is happening.

“unfortunately, it can be a very expensive disease because you can’t just go (to the doctor) once and find your magic cure,” Bloom said. “everyone is different.”

the ulcerative colitis andCrohn’s disease support group meets from 3 to 5 p.m. the second Sunday of each month in the Community Education room ofMountainView Regional Medical Center.

For more information about IBD, visit ccfa.org.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) December 03, 2011

On November 24th, the Emmy Award-winning show “The Doctors” featured Allergy Armor products by AchooAllergy.com as part of their episode “Air: Are you Breathing yourself Sick”.

First airing in 2008,”The Doctors” has been touted as a groundbreaking show that addresses important health issues and provides relevant information about pressing health concerns. As part of their focus on allergens in the household, they identified Allergy Armor bedding as one of the foremost ways to reduce allergic reactions from dust mites and other bedding related allergens.

Dust mites are an inevitable part of every household, but for millions of Americans who are allergic to their allergens, they are a constant source of irritation. Dust mites consume particles of dead skin, the primary component of dust, and they are found in the highest concentrations in pillows and mattresses where there can be anywhere from 100 to 500 mites in each gram of dust.

Dust mite waste particles and tiny pieces of dead dust mites are light enough to become airborne where they are then inhaled, causing allergic reactions like congestion, coughing, wheezing, and sinus swelling.

The problem for allergy sufferers is that most household insecticides have no effect on dust mites. However, there are ways that individuals can reduce their exposure to dust mites in the home and, according to “The Doctors,” this is where Allergy Armor bedding can help. Allergy Armor bedding has the smallest average pore size in the industry – 2.8 microns – which is so small that dust mite feces, pet dander and other allergens cannot fit through it.

Dr. Travis Stork, in describing Allergy Armor Ultra pillows, “These are pillows covered with an allergen barrier fabric, that are hypoallergenic… and that helps control some of the dust mites, pet dander that can cause these symptoms.”

AchooAllergy.com offers five different types of Allergy Armor bedding including: mattress covers, duvet covers, box spring covers, pillows, and blankets. They also have seven different types of bedding fabric that are designed to combine top of the line allergen control with luxurious comfort. According to James Simmons, product manager for AchooAllergy.com, “There is such a variety of Allergy Armor bedding because each allergy sufferer has differing needs.”

There are organic bedding options that provide allergen protection for people with multiple chemical sensitivity; there are unique fabrics that shield again pet dander, moisture, and mold as well as dust mites; and there are also breathable cotton options and some with an antimicrobial finish. that is part of what makes Allergy Armor bedding the most comprehensive choice for allergy protection in the industry.

About AchooAllergy: Founded in 2000, AchooAllergy.com provides an entire range of products to address the control of allergens throughout the household. this includes asthma relief products, air purifiers, HEPA vacuum cleaners, humidifiers, steam cleaners, and dehumidifiers, in addition to allergy bedding. Products like the Dyson vacuum and Whirlpool AP510 featured in the episode are also offered.

Allergy Armor Ultra bedding covers, pillows and blankets are all made locally in Atlanta, Georgia. these, and all of the products mentioned, are available in their Atlanta showroom, via the Internet, a product catalog, or a network of over 4,000 referring allergy physicians. for more information, visit AchooAllergy.com or contact a customer service representative at 1-800-339-7123.

Read the full story at prweb.com/releases/2011/12/prweb9011985.htm

Hyderabad, Nov. 24: 

A young techie in Hyderabad came home the other day with terrible back pain. instead of going to the hospital, he asked his roommate to get him a pain killer. His friend rushed to the nearest pharmacy and bought a painkiller over the counter (OTC).

Moments after taking the pill, the techie developed symptoms of vomiting and loose bowels and died hours later. a journalist too succumbed to pain killer-induced side-effects recently.

We all know that pain killers sell like potato chips over the counter and that most pharmacists double as doctors in India.

Though we read reports of such events in local pages of newspapers, we hardly care to go a bit deeper to understand the problem.

The takeaway from this episode is — do not substitute your pharmacist for a doctor and do not take a pain killer without doctor’s advice.

Side effects could range from skin rashes to ulcerisation. for people who already have ulcers, liver, cardiac and kidney problems, even one pain killer can cause serious risks. Some even cause death if not attended to in time, Dr D. Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman and Chief of Gastroenterology at Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, told Business Line.

General pain killers or Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be taken along with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) to check acidity. “But those who are using OTC pain killers do not take these anti-acidic agents, exposing themselves to risks,” he says.

AIG receives 15-20 patients with extreme cases of bleeding associated with pain killers every month.

Dr M. Govardhan, Senior physician at CARE Hospitals, feels that indiscriminate use of pain killers could have both short-term and long term impacts.

“All drugs will have some side effects. But a doctor gives you protection. it is the responsibility of a patient to check whether a particular drug causes any side effects. If their condition weakens after medication, they should immediately call the doctor without waiting for next scheduled appointment,” he cautions.

Dr Govardhan points out that pain could be treated as a signal for an underlying problem that needs to be addressed first to get rid of the pain.

Those under medication for some other problem such as high blood pressure should be more wary because pain killers could lead to drug-drug interaction and could pose serious health risks.

Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women and the second most common gynecologic cancer but if detected early is easily treatable.

Ovarian cancer can develop at any age but is most likely to occur in women who are 50 years or older. More than half the cases are among women who are aged 65 years and older. the risk of developing the disease increases with age.

It accounts for four percent of all cancers in women. However, because of poor early detection, the death rate for ovarian cancer is higher than that of any other cancer among women. the American Cancer Society estimates about 21,990 new cases of ovarian cancer in 2011 in the United States and about 15,460 deaths.

Only 50 percent of the women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer will survive five years after initial diagnosis. This is due to the cancer being at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. With early detection, however, survival at five years post diagnosis may be 95 percent.

Ovarian cancer symptoms are often vague, and women and their doctors often blame the symptoms on other, more common conditions, but most often there are no symptoms.

The actual cause of ovarian cancer remains unknown, but several factors are known to increase one’s chances of developing the disease. These are called risk factors. Women at a higher risk than average of developing ovarian cancer include women who:

—have never been pregnant or had children.

—are Caucasian, especially of Northern European or Askenazi Jewish descent.

—are over 50. half of all diagnosed cases are in women over 65.

—have a family history of breast, ovarian, endometrial (uterine), prostate or colon cancer.

—have had breast cancer.

—have a first-degree relative (mother, daughter, sister) who has had ovarian cancer. (The risk is greater if two or more first-degree relatives had the disease. having a grandmother, aunt or cousin with ovarian cancer also puts a woman at higher-than-average risk.)

Since ovarian cancer is often referred to as a silent killer, and women either are unaware of having it, or have symptoms that are not accurately diagnosed until the disease is in an advanced state, it is important to have an annual pelvic exam and to discuss family history and any suspicious symptoms with a health care provider.

When women are in the know about their own health care, they’re in control.

Women between the ages of 40-64, should contact Michelle Sharp at Rural Solutions 970-526-3616 if they are interested in learning more about free or low cost health care programs in their community.

Holyoke Enterprise October 20, 2011

Praise for urology staff at Wycombe Hospital

4:04pm Thursday 15th September 2011

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a RETIRED businessman has paid tribute to staff at Wycombe Hospital who treated him for prostate cancer, and urged other pensioners to get themselves checked out.

Anthony Calladine, 66, was shocked to be diagnosed with the disease after taking a blood test on the advice of a friend.

He had no symptoms and had never even been to hospital before.

Wycombe Hospital has a specialist urology ward and after a ‘speedy and efficient’ series of tests , including a biopsy, ultrasound and bone scan, Mr Calladine, of new Road, High Wycombe, had his prostate removed last month.

He said: “I want to pay tribute to the consultant, Mr John Kelleher, and all the doctors and nurses who were exceptional in their duties.

“It’s not an easy department to work in and they’ve all got my sincerest respect.”

“Prostate cancer is a killer because many people are reluctant to take a test. I want to try and get people to do what I did.

“Please take my advice and have a blood test…it does not hurt or cost anything but if you don’t bother very serious problems can occur.”