Hospital Blog – Page 12

February 8, 2018

Drinking Hot Tea Increases The Chances Of Cancer By 5 Times

Yes, you read that right. Though it does not hold true for all, it does hold true for men who drink tea while they are also regular consumers of alcohol and smoke tobacco. Particularly in under developed regions of countries like China esophageal cancer is quite common. Chinese men drink tea besides smoking and being alcoholic. Esophageal cancer has very low survival rates and the rate at which it is spreading its wings in these countries is worrisome.

Researchers of the National Natural science foundation of china as well as national key research and development program went on to undertake a survey in China to test if consuming hot tea is associated with esophageal cancer risk. The study was done on 456155 participants between the age-group of 30 and 79 for around 9.2 years of median followup. The researchers found out that drinking hot tea while being an alcoholic and smoker did increase the risk of esophageal cancer. The participants who smoked, consumed alcohol and hot tea did tend to risk esophageal cancer risk by 5 times as compared to participants with none of the three habits. Though, the participants who did not consume alcohol or smoke were not subject to the risk of esophageal cancer.

The study is based on observations and hence its you cannot determine the cause and effect link, but the researchers do speculate that hot tea does damage the lining of the tissue inside the esophagus, thus increasing the chances of injury due to smoking and drinking as well. It can possibly form inflammatory compounds post repeated irritation to the esophagus, thereby increasing the risk of cancer as well.

Having said that, we have also come across contradictory statements with regards to cancer and tea. In the recent past WHO did conclude that beverages with temperatures above 149 degrees F including did increase the risk of esophageal cancer, however tea has been excluded most of the times in the past from the cancer causing beverages. Furthermore green tea is known to be lowering cancer risk as well.

So a better idea is to consume tea at less higher temperatures that do not risk the chance of causing esophageal cancer. Obviously, it goes without saying that you need to stay away from addictions like smoking or alcohol as well.

*source from internet

January 23, 2018

Early Cancer Detection To Be Easier In The Coming Times

Cancer is killing people across the world and there is a significant rise in the number of deaths that are caused by cancer. We are all aware that the cancer detection and treatment as well as life expectancy has lot of do with the stage of detection. The earlier you detect it the more the life expectancy and possibility of eliminating it completely. Here is some good news in the regard. Researchers at MIT have recently found a way to detect cancer at an early stage which always has been a challenge as the particular proteins that cancer cells secrete are not easy to detect, thus aiding cancer growth prior discovery.

Now there is a breakthrough in cancer research at MIT wherein, using nanotechnology, researchers can make tests to detect potential life threatening conditions like Alzheimer’s, cancer and more in the early stage. They used the nano-technology in the blood scanner. It is especially useful in detection on cancers within the body like ovarian, pancreatic and lung cancer including 100 types.

Presently, the most popular method of detecting cancer is MRI scan, CT scan or a biopsy. But, the fact still remains that even these technologies aren’t able to detect micro-metasteses or micro tumors due to the minute size of them. Using Nanotechnology though, practitioners can effectively detect them and find out where the cancer is growing and spreading. These light emitting nano particles allow tracking of cancer in real time. The results are based on the research that was carried out by a team on a mouse model with human breast cancer. They injected the nano-probes, tiny X-ray using optical devices for detecting micro-tumors. These probes move around or commute through the blood stream and locate the cancer cells where-ever there are. These work quite faster than MRI and have the ability to identify micro-tumors in suprarenal, adrenal, bones and other animal glands.

In a nutshell, the researchers believe that they have been able to find the address of cancer now, as it can detect withing the first five years itself, if used. If this projection works in humans well then it will help save many lives.

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November 15, 2017

Screen Time Before Sleep Can Effect Sleep

In the present times when screens are very much becoming an integral part of our routines lives and most of the day you are hooked to your laptop, computer or PC, here’s some news around effects of screen time just before sleeping.

Screen-time just before sleep leads to a bad nights sleep and leaves you groggy the next morning. We all know that blue light is bad for sleep already. But, screen time before sleep tends to affect your body clock as per a researcher. The body clocks natural cycles intimate us about sleep and waking up times. Also known as Circadian rhythms, they find help from the light of the day and night for keeping their internal body clock running over a 24 hour cycle.

The fact that the electronic gadgets are around us round the clock makes their use and hence exposure to blue light all the more evident. Now, the study was conducted over 19 subjects in their 20’s. Everyone had to spend around 2 hours before bed time on computer screens. The results obviously varied between students because the computer screens were not all the same. The were tweaked. Some screens emitted soft blue light, while some emitted intense blue. Some of them emitted intense red and some soft red as well. This was done to check the effect of each one. Even after the subjects went off to sleep, the researchers recorded how many of them work up and how many of them slept all through the night. Further the researchers also note down the sleep phase called REM (short for rapid eye movement) and even asked the subjects themselves about their sleep experience.

The researchers observed that the subjects who were exposed to intense blue light suffered sleep issues for around 16 minutes as compared to the ones who were exposed to red light. They even woke up through the night more often than the red light exposed subjects. The researchers observed that the blue light emissions from the computer effected melatonin, the sleep hormone of each subject. This hormone is responsible for making us sleepy and is secreted around 9 pm in the blood. Now, the blue light restricted the melatonin secretion and hence the subjects exposed to intense blue light felt alert to fall asleep even if they were tired. Those exposed to red light did not find any such issues.

Well, the researchers through this study brought forward the fact that the intense blue light emissions from computer screens just before sleep time does affect the body clock. Though the light used for the study was extremely bright that generally the TV or tablet or computer emits, there is no cent percent surety of the damage it causes.

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*Source from internet

November 6, 2017

Nose and Emotions – The Inter Relationship

Now, here is some news related to the ability to expressing emotions. A study has found that the rare condition experience by 10% of the healthy population called alexithymia leads to difficulty in understanding emotions, talking or relating to them or even expressing them.

The researching scientists adopted a completely untested approach of study which included testing 62 individuals divided into categories based of severity of alexithymia as low, medium and high. The testing was known as olfactory tests and were carried out to find out their reactions on different kinds of stimulation.

The scientists were also explained the reason behind using the olfactory test’s suitability in studying this psychological conditions. According to them, between the areas in the brain there is a partial develop that deals with olfactory perception besides with those that are into processing emotions.

One of the important finding of the test were that scientists found the alexithymic patients react differently than others when it comes to smells. Apparently, its a result of their psychological parameters like accelarated heart rate or electrical skin conductivity. Additionally, the scientists also observed difference in reactions in subjects suffering from affective alexithymia and effective alexithymia wherein the areas of imagination, sensation and creativity are restricted compared to subjects with congnitive alexithymia, wherein identification, expression and distinguishing ability is compromised.

The results clearly stated that altered psychological response to olfactory stimuli is one of the characteristics of alexithymia. The test also brought to light an interesting fact that The psychological reactions of individuals suffering from alexithymic conditions to smell induced emotions are apparently more intense, contradicting general expectations on the same.

A significant observation as it may be and counter intuitive too, subjects with alexithymia become insensitive to difference, changes or color shades that are said to enrich our routine lives scientifically due to the situation of extreme perpetual activation with respect to emotions, they are said to be in.

Well, now you know how nose and emotions are interconnected or interdependent for that matter.

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October 27, 2017

How Do Deal With The Headache Called Dandruff

Dandruff is a common condition amongst us and yes it is a headache of sorts when its about dealing with this devil of a kind called dandruff. Primarily, it keeps coming back and secondarily it many times becomes difficult find an ultimate solution to the problem, causing headache. So, let us discuss out a reliable solution that can really cure our headache of dandruff and help us manage it well.

Dandruff or Flaky Scalp – Now, many of us are not able to figure out what we have actually got on our heads, is it dandruff or a flaky scalp. Dandruff occurs after an overreaction of yeast resulting into excess production of oil. As a result you experience irritation and get visible waxy and oily flakes. Besides, even skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis can also cause flaky scalps. Everyday stress, aging and an improper diet is also responsible for flakiness in the scalp.

Actually, to figure out how do deal with dandruff or a flaky scalp you need to visit a dermatologist first and get diagnosed. The remedies would depend on the condition and the severity. Here are some tips on getting rid of flakiness in scalp.

Tea Tree Oil – We all know that tea tree oil is used in many skin related products and health foods due to its vitamin content and use as an astringent on skin. It also works well in providing relief against oil and itchiness.

Balanced Diet – Many a times nutrient deficiences lead to scalp issues. These deficiences are caused to do an improper diet schedule. If you are consuming high amount of trans and saturated fats, its high time your do away with it or atleast reduce it to a bare minimum because they are the ones that trigger your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Foods like avocados, safflower oil, olives and nuts are very good for your scalp health.

Stress Relief – Dandruff has also caused due to severe stress. Stress tends to weaken you immune system and the body is not able to fight the dandruff attack. According to some experts stress could also cause an itchy dandruff cycle which keeps on aggravating as you keep on scratching. Therefore, it is advisable to work on solutions or remedies that help reduce stress levels. Some of these include walking, jogging, exercise, yoga, meditation or pursuing a hobby regularly.

Using Appropriate Shampoo – Buying shampoos just watching ads and trying one after the other is okay but its also better that you try to find out the ingredients inside the shampoo which are usually mentioned on pack. The three main ingredients to look for in an anti-dandruff or scalp care shampoo is ketoconazole which helps reduce scalp yeast, selenium sulphide or zince pyrithione which helps reduce inflammation and certain bacterias besides yeast and salicylic acid, which helps in exfoliaton of scales.

Steriods – Your deramtologist could prescribe your certain relevant topical steriods for reducing scalp inflammation

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October 18, 2017

Dementia Risk and Blood Magnesium Levels

Before we talk about risk factors associated with dementia lets just polish our information around the condition. This condition usually occurs at an older age and causes memory loss. Alzheimers is one of the most common forms of dementia known. Apparently, its not a condition by a symptoms or group of symptoms rather. You should also know that it does hamper our day to day routines because we tend to forget a lot. Dementia symptoms are also caused due to vitamin deficiencies and thyroid problems. Dementia occurs due to brain cell damage and most of them are generally permanent or increase with time.

Now, a study has found out that the levels of magnesium in your blood can associated to the risk of dementia later in life. The people with lower or higher levels of minerals in the body were subject to dementia more compared to the ones with middle levels. It has yet to be proved and nowhere confirm that it causes dementia but definitely magnesium levels do have a link with dementia. There are apparently two ways in which magnesium levels could be called as risk factor for dementia.

Coming back to the study, around 10,000 participant around 65 years of age were studied across 8 years span and their magnesium levels were checked at the beginning of the test. They were divided in 5 groups. The study findings showed that those with low and high level magnesium had 30% greater risk of dementia compared to mid level magnesium level participants. The lower and higher magnesium range is below 0.85 millimoles per liter and 1.10 mmol/L respectively. Though as the magnesium levels were not measure post eight years the results could have associated limitations.

Well, to prove that magnesium levels do determine the risk of dementia in later stages of life, further detailed study is required.

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October 16, 2017

Tatoo Ink and Side Effects – A Short Review

Before we get to the question that whether tatoo ink is harmful to the body or not just quickly understand the process through with tatooing is carried out. The tatoo artist, to make a permanent tatoo uses hundreds of needles for pricking into the skin and delivering ink into the dermis. Now, dermis as well know lies below the epidermis layer of skin and consists of nerves and blood vessels. Yes, its obviously painful and to make a tatoo isn’t less than an act of bravery for many. The point in question is that many of us really wish to have permanent tatoos and many of us may already have had one but rarely anyone of us has ever thought about the side effect of inking at all.

But, we do have a few curious heads called researchers and scientists who are apparently trying to figure out whether this tatoo ink is harmful or not. Now, research findings show that once the ink is delivered by the tatoo artist inside the dermis, it moves to the lymphatic system through the blood stream to the lymph nodes. This is because of the carbon black in the ink which has the ability to break down into nano particles fast and spread through blood. But, sometimes tatoo ink also consists of nickel and chromium additions particularly in organic tatoos. In mice it has also shown to reach the liver. Reaching the liver might take some time but as per dermatologists within minutes of insertion the ink particles reach the lymph nodes.

Now let us understand what happens to the tatoo pigments after the tatoo is done. Some of the ink gets cleared but some is not cleared by the repair cells known as macrophages and remain trapped within the skin cells and showing out through the skin as a tatoo. Generally the ink does not go very far from the point it is injected but some of it does have the ability to travel to the lymph nodes. Research has also shown that many of the individuals with enlarged lymph nodes have been the ones with tatoos for more than a decade.

Well, but it is yet to be proved if tatoo ink is apparently harmful to the body or not. Research is still in progress to say the least.

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October 11, 2017

Brain Has Eyes Too – A sneak Peek Into Neurons

Yes, that is true. Nicknamed as ‘Jennifer Aniston’ a neuron based on the participant study which showed that one of the neuron of his brain lit up on recognizing the face of particular people like Jennifer Aniston or Hillary Clinton. So, this neuron was named after Jennifer Aniston. This report further revealed that one single specific cell lit up whenever a person’s certain conscious experience was concerned. This throws further light on the response of brain cells the relation of the activities with consciousness. Though, understanding the scope and science of human consciousness is a mystery that is yet to be unfolded and even researchers cannot say with surety if these neurons lead to conscious thoughts.

There were studies around the same carried out in 2008 which used a masking technique. This technique showed an image of a popular person like Aniston for 16 milliseconds immediately followed by a pattern Image muddling the face afterimage on the retina, thus making it rather hard for the brain to register what it saw. Later on in another study that used a method for hiding images from participants awareness. The phenomenon used for the experiment is called attentional blink wherein two target images are shown in a high speed streaming along with some other similar images. This results in a person often not able to recognize the second image targeted.

A similar study was carried out over a list of 21 patients under epilepsy and brains were fitted with special treatment electrodes. The trial included showing 14 different images predetermined by the scientist as familiar to the person. Further each one had a particular activity of specific brain cell. Now, when the trial was conducted, the researchers asked the participants to concentrate on two target images of the 14. All the images would later be flashed on the screen for 150 milliseconds. The medial temporal lobe was under constant monitoring during and after the trail and the researchers queried the participants if they had seen two images of familiar faces.

Every cell with unique signature was studied as it lit up and helped researchers link a brain cell pattern to particular images and had the ability to tell about the image represented even though
the participants are not aware of it.

Furthermore, research work is on as the researchers believe that they are at the intersection of perception and memory and investigation was needed to find out the results of direct stimulation of neurons.

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October 10, 2017

Safe House For Many Disease Causing Viruses – Human Semen

When researchers was carried out on Zika virus, it was found that the virus finds its way through the man’s semen and stays there safely for a long time, over a few months. This led to a further study about other viruses with the ability to find their way to the man’s semen and staying there safely.

The research was carried out at the oxford university and it was discovered that there were a minimum of 27 different viruses with and ability to get into the blood and the semen as per the existing reports of scientific literature of ‘viremic’ viruses. The research also highlighted that the spread of the viruses in the semen is apparently even more than assumed.

The list of viruses not only includes lesser known ones but lots of popular ones too like HIV, Hepatitis C, Ebola, herpes, chikungunya, chickenpox and the less known ones like simian foamy, rift valley fever to name a few.
Though research is just at the preliminary stage as only the list of the viruses that have the ability to use a man’s semen as a safe house stay are known but more details like how long can they actually stay there, in what concentrations and how able they are in triggering or fueling he disease is yet to be studied.

Additionally, it is yet to be known whether these viruses have the ability to infect the sperms. This holds grave importance because it can lead to mutating the sperm DNA and passing the same to the next generation further increasing cancer risk in that generation as well. Additionally, many of us might not be aware that testes are known to be immune to any invasions by the body’s immune system. They are also therefore called immuno-logically privileged.

These findings might just raise questions on the considerations around treatments developed for viral diseases and their effects on the virus located across the body included the male reproductive tract.

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September 27, 2017

Lower Back Pain vs Kidney Pain – The Difference

Many of us fail to figure out the difference when we experience pain particularly when its either kidney or lower back pain. So, to begin get down to the definition of lower back pain and kidney pain.

It’s called lower back pain when it occurs anywhere from the buttocks upto the lower back. While kidney pain is said to occur between the hips or flanks and the ribs. At times you may experience it in the upper abdominal region as well. Well, this is the basic difference in back pain and kidney pain but otherwise also there are many other difference that can help you figure out which kind of pain you are suffering from. Here’s a sneak peek into a few other differences between kidney pain and lower back pain.

Kidney Pain
Kidney pain is the result of a kidney infection or a kidney stone usually. Kidney infection can cause mild pain but kidney stone pain is very severe in nature and often compared to labor pain.

Causes
The causes of kidney pain include kidney infection and kidney stones as mentioned before besides the pain could also be a result of renal infarction, kidney cancer and glomerulonephritis.

Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is further divided as acute pain and chronic pain. While acute pain lasts for around 4 to 12 weeks, chronic back pain can easily last over 12 weeks. Also known as lumbago it affects people of all age groups.

Causes
Lower back pain is a result of muscle sprain, spasm or tear leading to disc bulge or herniation, spinal stenosis, osteoporosis or sciatica. It could also be due to vertebral body, pedicle fracture or fracture of lamina. It can be caused due to Paravertebral muscle spasm or metastatic vertebral cancer.

Pain Management
Kidney Pain – Kidney pain treatment depends of its causes and usually involves use of antibiotics and medications if its infection but in case of kidney stones if that does not work a laser surgery or a minimally invasive surgery could be carried out.

Back Pain – For relief against lower back pain issues treatment could include suitable therapies like heat and cold, physical and massage therapies to name a few. In case with complications based on the diagnosis surgical procedures might be advised.

Well, its always advisable to visit your doctor if you suffer from back pain in order to figure out the root cause of the problem, be it kidney or lower back.

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