WARNING SIGNS: THE ABCDEs OF MELANOMA




ASYMMETRY: If you draw a line through your mole, the two halves will not match.


BORDER: The borders of an early melanoma tend to be uneven.


COLOR: Having a variety of colors is another warning signal. A number of different shades of brown, tan or black could appear. A melanoma may also become red, blue or some other color.


DIAMETER: Melanomas usually are larger in diameter than the size of the eraser on your pencil(1/4 inch or 6mm), but they may sometimes be smaller when first detected.


EVOLVING: Any change - in size, shape, color, elevation, or another trait, or any new symptom such as bleeding, itching or cursting - points to danger.


source: www.skincancer.org/melanoma

YOUR FIVE BIGGEST HEALTH FEARS AND HOW TO SOLVE THEM



HEART ATTACK:

• Eat better. Avoid salt to keep your blood pressure down. Skip saturated fats and trans fats, which raise cholesterol. Eat more fish and nuts, which have healthy oils that lubricate your arteries.



• Floss. One study found that the presence of gingivitis and cavities was as likely an indicator of heart disease as cholesterol.



• Have a drink. Or two. Moderate drinkers are less likely to develop heart disease.



• Cheat. If you have been dealt bad genetic cards, talk to your doctor about cholesterol-lowering drugs like aspirin, statins, and fibrates.



• Quit smoking. Smokers are two to three times more likely to die of coronary heart disease than nonsmokers.

IMPOTENCE:

• See all above. If blood's not flowing to your heart, there's a good chance it's not flowing to your penis, either.



• Sleep. It increases growth hormone, which helps prevent impotence.



• Exercise. One study showed that men who burn at least tow hundred calories a day have a significantly lower risk of erectile dysfunction than their lazier friends.

GETTING FAT:

• Don't eat so much.



• Push yourself to the point of exhaustion a few times a week during workouts.



• Eat better.



• Keep nuts at your desk. Walnuts and almonds help reduce inflammation in the arteries and suppress the chemical ghrelin, which tells your body it's hungry. East shortly before meals.



• Walk fast-ish for thirty minutes a day. You'll burn three hundred calories, forcing your body to start burning fat reserves.



• Don't wait until you are starving to eat. You are more likely to overeat and to choose unhealthy foods.

LOSING YOUR MIND:

• Try something new. Take a new route to work. Learn to play squash. New ways of thinking stimulate new neural connections, which can prevent memory loss.



• Do crossword puzzles.



• Lower your cholesterol. Cholesterol plays a role in the formation of amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.



• Get vaccinated. People who get vaccinations for influenza, tetanus, diphtheria, and polio have a dramatically reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's.



• Have your doctor check your homocysteine. If you have too much homocysteine in your blood, consider taking B vitamins: folic acid, B-6, B-12, which break it down.



• Eat omega-3s. The fatty acids found in fish and nuts help protect against dementia.

PROSTATE CANCER:

• Eat anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. Scientists think imflammation and oxidation-tissue damage by oxygen radicals-allows cancerous cells to grow, but fruits and vegetables, whole grains, spices and wild fish help prevent these processes.



• Exercise.



• Avoid sugar. It acts like a fertilizer to cancer, providing energy to cancerous cells.



• Relax a little. Prostate cancer is common, but 90 percent of cases are caught in time to cure.

source: http://www.health.msn.com/

10 PERSISTENT MYTHS ABOUT SMOKING

Smoking in America is down - but not out. Today, 20% of US adults are smokers, compared to 45% IN 1965, when smoking was at its peak. Even at the current level of tobacco use, an estimated 440,000 Americans per year lose their lives to lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, or other smoking related illnesses. On average, smokers die 14 years before nonsmokers, and half of all smokers who don't quit are killed by their habit. People start smoking for many reasons. Many continue to puff away because they buy into certain persistent myths about tobacco use. Here are 10 of those myths, and the truth about each.

MYTH: My other habits may make up for my smoking.

Some smokers justify their habit by insisting that proper nutrition and lost of exercise are enough to keep them healthy. Not so. Smoking affects every organ system in the body, and thinking that you're going to find the perfect lifestyle to counteract the effects of smoking is just not realistic.

MYTH: Switching to "light" cigarettes will cut my risk.

Smokers who switch to brands labeled "light" or "mild" inevitably compensate for the lower levels of tar and nicotine by inhaling smoke more deeply or by smoking more of each cigarette.

MYTH: I've smoked for so long, the damage is already done.

The damage caused by smoking is cumulative, and the longer a person smokes, the greater his/her risk for life-threatening ailments. But quitting smoking at any age brings health benefits.

MYTH: Trying to quit smoking will stress me out - and that's unhealthy.

True, tobacco withdrawl is stressful. But there's no evidence that the stress has negative long-term effects.

MYTH: The weight gain that comes with quitting is just as unhealthy as smoking.

Smokers who quit gain an average of 14 pounds. The risk of carrying the extra pounds is miniscule compared to the risk of continuing to smoke.

MYTH: Quitting "cold turkey" is the only way to go.

Some smokers think that quitting abruptly is the best approach and that willpower is the only effective tool for curbing tobacco cravings. They're partly right: commitment is essential. Smokers are more likely to succeed at quitting if they take advantage of counseling and smoking cessation medications, including nicotine(gum, patches, lozenges, inhaler, or nasal spray) and the prescription drugs Zyban and Chantix.

MYTH: Nicotine products are just as unhealthy as smoking.

Nicotine is safe when used as directed. Even using nicotine every day for years would be safer than smoking. Nicotine products deliver only nicotine. Cigarettes deliver nicotine along with 4,000 other compounds, including more than 60 known carcinogens.

MYTH: Cutting back on smoking is good enough.

Cutting down on the number of cigarettes is not an effective strategy. Smokers who cut back draw more deeply and smoke more of each cigarette.

MYTH: I'm the only one who is hurt by my smoking.

Tobacco smoke also harms the people around you. In the US, secondhand smoke causes about 50,000 deaths a year, the American Lung Association estimates. It's been estimated that a waiter or waitress who works a single eight hour shift in a smoky bar inhales as much toxic smoke as a pack-a-day smoker.

MYTH: I tried quitting once and failed, so it's no use trying again.

Most smokers try several times before quitting for good. So if you've failed previously, don't let that deter you from trying again.

source: www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation

6 WAYS TO FEEL HAPPIER, BE HEALTHIER

A good mood not only influences how you feel today, it can have a powerful impact on your health for years to come. Scientists urge us to be as attentive to our moods and attitudes as we are to physical health. Two recent studies underscore the importance of that advice. A paper in Current Directions in Psychological Science notes that a positive attitude can protect against poor health later in life and may be a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and illness. Another study, published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, found that happy people tend to live longer and experience better health than their unhappy peers. Eating well, exercising, not smoking and getting enough sleep help keep you healthy, but how do you develop a positive attitude? Here are six mood boosters to make the world look a rosier. Add them to your life, and odds are you'll feel both happier and healthier. If you rarely walk on the sunny side of the street, now's the time to cross over.

1. ADOPT AN ANIMAL COMPANION

Pets provide more than companion ship and a warm welcome home. They lend a willing and helpful ear. Many pet owners confide in a pet because pets don't judge, condemn or talk back. Studies have found that dog owners are often as emotinally close to their pets as to their closest family members. If you'd like to have a pet in your life but don't want the responsibility of owning a dog or cat, you can volunteer at an animal shelter or zoo, offer to walk a neighbor's dog on a regular basis, set up an aquarium, consider a parakeet or put out bird feeders.

2. TURN UP THE MUSIC

Even before we are born, we can hear music, and it holds us in its power throughout life. Soothing, melodic music blunts stress and provides comfort. Bright, upbeat tunes set toes tapping and boost flagging energy. Relaxing music serves as an easy and safe way to improve sleep. Music helps keep both mind and body healthy and resilient, and it activates specific brain regions involved in emotion and memory.

3. HAVE A GOOD LAUGH

Laughter prompts physical changes that help the immune and endocrine systems function better. Scientists know that stress has a negative effect on the heart and causes blood vessels to narrow. Take yourself a little less seriously, find something that tickles your funny bone, and share this wonderful, free gift of laughter with others.

4.GET BACK TO NATURE

Head for the great outdoors to boost your mood and yor self-esteem. People who participate in outdoor activities are significantly less angry, depressed and tense. Physical exercise and increased stamina associated with being outdoors yield important benefits as people become more sedentary with age. Walking, gardening, fishing, boating and cycling all count.

5. HELP YOURSELF BY HELPING OTHERS

Volunteers who devote time to community organizations or who imformally help out friends, relatives and neighbors report greater happiness and better health than those who don't. Adults over age 70 who volunteered 100 hours of their rime a year reported less of a decline in health and lower levels of depression than non-volunteers.

6. TRY TAI CHI

The gentle movements of tai chi reduce anxiety and depression, improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure and relieve chronic pain. These low-impact, slow-motion exercises encourage you to focus on your breathing and your body and allow you to concentrate fully on the present. Tai Chi contributes to a more positive attitude not only as a result of the exercise but through the support of working in a group. Taking a class is the best way to learn tai chi.

source: http://www.aarp.org/

FACTS ABOUT CATARACT

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. A cataract can occur in either or both eyes. It cannot spread from one eye to the other.

What is the lens?

The lens is a clear part of the eye that helps to focus light, or an image, on the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. In a normal eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. Once it reaches the retina, light is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. The lens must be clear for the retina to receive a sharp image. If the lens is cloudy from a cataract, the image you see will be blurred.

What causes cataracts?

The lens lies behind the iris and the pupil. It works much like a camera lens. It focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye, where an image is recorded. The lens also adjusts the eye's focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away. The lens is made of mostly water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it. But as we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract. Over time, the cataract may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see. Researchers suspect that there are several causes of cataract, such as smoking and diabetes. Or, it may be that the protein in the lens just changes from the wear and tear it takes over the years.

What are the symptoms of a cataract?

1. Cloudy or blurry vision

2. Colors seem faded.

3. Glare. Headlights, lamps, or sunlight may appear too bright. A halo may appear around lights.

4. Poor night vision.

5. Double vision or multiple images in one eye.

6. Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses.

7. These symptoms also can be a sign of other eye problems. If you have any of these symptoms,check with your eye care professional.

source: http://www.nei.hih.gov/

AUGUST IS PSORIASIS AWARENESS MONTH

Learning about psoriasis could be the first step toward treating it.

How many people have it? Up to 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis.

Is Psoriasis just a skin condition? It's a chronic immune disease that appears on the skin. Up to 30% of psoriasis patients develop psoriatic arthritis, which impacts your joints. Learn more from the National Psoriasis Foundation about psoriatic arthritis, its symptoms, and treatment options.

Can my symptoms get worse in the winter? Yes. Dry air, decreased sunlight exposure, and colder temperatures can contribute to psoriasis flare-ups during winter.

Is there a cure? There is no cure for psoriasis, but there are a number of treatment options.

How severe can psoriasis become? It can be mild, moderate, or severe. The National Psoriasis Foundation considers mild psoriasis as affecting less than 3% of the body, 3-10% is considered to be moderate, and more than 10% is considered severe.

What can trigger my psoriasis? Psoriasis triggers vary from person to person and can include stress, injury to skin, some types of infection, and certain medicines.

Is psoriasis hereditary? About 1 out of 3 people with psoriasis report having a relative with the disease. Speak with your doctor about your genetic history.

source: http://www.psoriasisspeaks.com/

MACULAR DEGENERATION

What is AMD? Age-related macular degeneration(AMD) is a chronic condition that causes central vision loss. It affects millions of Americans. In fact, it is a leading cause of blindness in people 60 and older. The older you are, the greater your chance of being affected. That's why it is important to learn the symptoms of AMD now, so if you ever notice anything wrong, you can see an ophthalmologist right away. Early detection is key to avoiding vision loss.

AMD symptoms include blurriness, wavy lines, or a blind spot. You may also notice visual distortions such as: Straight lines or faces appearing wavy, doorways seeming crooked, objects appearing smaller or farther away.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. If you are diagnosed with wet AMD, it is important to see a Retina Specialist for the most appropriate care.

AMD occurs when the macula - the center portion of the retina that is important for reading and color vision - becomes damaged. AMD is a single disease, but it can take on 2 different forms: dry and wet. Wet AMD is the more serious form, with more than 200,000 people in the United States diagnosed every year. Without treatment, patients can lose their central vision over time, leaving only peripheral, or side, vision. The symptoms can occur suddenly or gradually over time. Early detection and treatment can help you avoid severe vision loss.





source: http://www.amdawareness.org/