LASIK Surgery Information

taken from TrueVision.com

(Laser-Assisted-In-Situ Keratomileusis) is an outpatient procedure that typically takes about ten minutes to perform on each eye. It is an extremely effective procedure that is suitable for low, moderate and higher prescriptions. LASIK is currently one of the most frequently performed healthcare procedures in North America.

How does LASIK work?

LASIK is a laser vision correction procedure that is used to surgically correct your vision. It works by changing the shape of your cornea, so that light rays focus on or near the retina. When light rays are focused in this manner, your vision is the best that it can be without glasses or contact lenses. Changing the shape of your cornea is accomplished by using an Excimer laser. The Excimer laser emits a cool beam of light that alters the shape of your cornea. LASIK is different from other laser procedures because the laser light is directed to the inner portion of your cornea. Earlier vision correction procedures, such as PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) apply laser light to the surface cells of the cornea.

With the LASIK procedure, patients frequently have functional vision the first day after surgery. After the procedure your eyes will water and it may feel as if an eyelash is in your eye for 2 to 3 hours. Following that period, there is no pain. Vision will most likely be blurry the first day of LASIK surgery, but should improve greatly after a good night’s sleep. Most patients return to work the day after surgery. Eye drops are only needed for 1 week after surgery.

As discussed above, LASIK works so well because the beam is directed to the inner layer of your cornea. This is accomplished by using a device called a microkeratome. The microkeratome elevates a thin slice of the top layer of your cornea. Then the cornea is folded back, exposing the middle section of the cornea. After using the Excimer laser, the flap is repositioned. The flap re-adheres after approximately 30 seconds.

What to do in Lasik eye surgery?

Before you go for the Lasik surgery, you should have a proper test done by your physician. The optician will examine your eyes to determine their health, analyze the kind of visual correction needed and determine how much Lasik ablation is required. Risks like losing vision, developing debilitating visual symptoms, severe dry eye and large refractive errors are often associated with Lasik eye surgeries. So you consult a proper eye surgeon for the best results.

Once you are confident about undergoing the Lasik eye surgery you should follow certain rules to get quick results from the surgery.
Following is a brief history of what should be done before, during and after Lasik:

Before surgery

- Stop wearing soft contact lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses and hard lenses.
- Do not feel pressurized by your doctor, friends and family
- Stop using creams, lotions, perfumes and make-ups.
- Keep removing all debris and residues from the eye surfaces.

During surgery

- Apply a numbing drop to your eye that will clean the area around your eye and create a numb feeling near your eyes.
- Hear the shield that holds the flaps in places. Wear it to prevent any sudden accidents or getting hit in your eyes.

After surgery

- Consult your doctor immediately in case of any itching, eye irritation, mild pain or sudden discomfort.
- Use eye drops given by the doctor to prevent infections or inflammations.
- Never wear contact lenses at least for next fortnight.

What are the Risks?

LASIK is a surgical procedure, and like all surgeries, there is a potential for risks and complications. Every eye heals differently, and it is not possible to predict precisely how your eye will heal. Although most patients are very pleased with the results of their refractive surgery, every patient should weigh the chance of experiencing complications against the potential benefits the procedure can provide.

How is Lasik advantageous over other surgical procedures?

Lasik eye surgery is quite advantageous over other surgery procedures because they often involve much less pain as an aftermath. Lasik unlike other eye surgeries also promise extremely good vision that can be achieved almost immediately or at least by the next day.

Moreover, Lasik eye surgery is hassle-free but you should take proper care for your eyes. In spite of such care, if you face any worsening symptoms you should immediately contact your doctor to prevent any further eye-related problems.

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The Use of Mobile Phone and Brain Cancer Risk, is it related?

reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Paul Bolding

LONDON (Reuters) - Using a mobile phone does not increase your risk of brain cancer, according to a new Japanese study that is the first to consider the effects of radiation on different parts of the brain.

The finding adds to the growing body of evidence that mobile phones are safe.

Scientists at Tokyo Women's Medical University compared phone use in 322 brain cancer patients with 683 healthy people and found that regularly using a mobile did not significantly affect the likelihood of getting brain cancer.

They also studied the radiation emitted from different types of phones to assess the affect on different areas of the brain.

"Using our newly developed and more accurate techniques, we found no association between mobile phone use and cancer, providing more evidence to suggest they don't cause brain cancer," Naohito Yamaguchi, who led the research, said.

His team's findings were published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Scientists around the world have been monitoring the effects of radio-frequency fields on human health for around 60 years.

Public concern over the safety of mobile phones has grown as more and more adults and children rely on them for everyday communication, although the evidence to date has given the technology a clean bill of health.

Despite an explosion in mobile phone use around the world since the 1980s, the number of cases of brain cancer has hardly changed.

A few studies have shown an association between mobile phones and cancer but the majority have found no link. The largest study to date, involving 420,000 people, showed no association with any type of cancer, even after 10 years of use.

"So far, studies have shown no evidence that mobile use is harmful, but we can't be completely sure about their long-term effects. Research is still ongoing," said Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK's director of cancer information.

Source:
Reuters. Japanese study clears mobiles of brain cancer risk. 2008. www.reuters.com

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Healthy Diet For Low Cholesterol

by Kritnaphat N.

We all know the effects of bad cholesterol in the body. Bad cholesterol accurately has to do with low-density lipoprotein's molecular transport deposits that thicken in the walls of the arteries blocking the flawless way of blood disturbing the atherogenic status of the arterial walls.
Nevertheless, the body with high cholesterol brings cause to hypertensions and other cardiovascular disorders or lead to atherosclerosis, a disposition of fatty substances, and fibrosis of the inner arteries.

Good diet eating habits and regular work out are common in low high level of cholesterol. It is important to everybody to arrange their diet plan properly and eat healthy diet even if they have high cholesterol or normal one.

You should plan a whole week menu with cholesterol-free by adding more fresh vegetable recipes, and fiber fruits. It is much better if you could buy organic produced food or plant your own organic garden. Chemicals in foods enhance the raising in cholesterol level. Carbohydrates should be of high complex standards such as oatmeal, bran and brown rice.

Now many supermarkets provide a plenty of fresh organic vegetable so it is not difficult to by one for your meal. High fiber can reduce the LDL cholesterol because high fiber food contains very low cholesterol and some high fiber food is non cholesterol contain. Foods, that enhance low-density lipoprotein, can develop to be a total risk, and settle in the arteries during the process of the lipoprotein molecules travel to the blood stream.

Eggs contain high in cholesterol which can contribute to elevated blood cholesterol levels. If you have high LDL cholesterol, you should limit eating an egg on a given day to limit or avoid other sources of cholesterol for the rest of that day. If you like eggs but would not like the extra cholesterol, use egg whites. Egg whites contain no cholesterol.

Fish is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids which perform to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. In particular, omega 3 fatty acids are noted for its triglyceride-lowering power. Eating at least 2 servings of fish a week is recommended, particularly fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout and herring.

Nuts contain high in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants. These tasty snacks are also high in plant sterols and fat but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have all been performed to lower the bad LDL cholesterol. Other benefits of nuts are their role in heart disease prevention. Limit your intake to ~ 1.5 ounces a day, as nuts are high in calories. You can eat nuts in replacement of foods that are high in saturated fats such as meat products.

Soy products are great substitutes for animal products. The health benefits of soy are to low risk of heart disease and can still lower bad LDL cholesterol by 3 percent. Since soy products contain high levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low levels of saturated fat, AHA does consider soy products a healthy replacement for meats and other foods high in saturated fat and total fat.

Besides eating those low cholesterol diet, you also should regular check up of your cholesterol level, so as a protection against immediate boost of cholesterol level that might lead to unwanted feasible result of a fatal hypertension, or stroke due to unprecedented cholesterol rise.

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The Overview About Diabetes Mellitus type 2 Pathogenesis

taken from youtube.com

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is the most common form of diabetes. Let's take a look a little bit closer to know about the pathogenesis of diabetes type 2... Enjoy the video ^_^

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Low-Carb Diets Better Than Low-Fat Diets at Preventing Diabetes

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

A diet low in carbohydrates but high in animal fat and protein doesn't seem to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women, a new study claims.

"One study is never enough to change a recommendation, but this study is interesting in that it shows that a low-fat diet is no better than a low-carbohydrate diet in preventing type 2 diabetes," said Thomas Halton, lead author of a study in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "The one diet that did seem to show a protective effect was a vegetable-based, low-carb diet which consisted of higher amounts of vegetable fat and vegetable protein, and lower amounts of carbohydrate."

The findings, Halton added, were a bit surprising in that most doctors and nutritionists recommend a low-fat diet to prevent type 2 diabetes. "This study showed that a low-fat diet didn't really prevent type 2 diabetes in our cohort when compared to a low-carb diet. I was also surprised that total carbohydrate consumption was associated with type 2 diabetes, and that the relative risk for the glycemic load was so high."

Halton is a recent graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health and has founded his own nutrition consulting company, Fitness Plus, in Boston.

Type 2 diabetes, which is associated with overweight and obesity, is a pressing health problem around the world. In the United States, two-thirds of adults weigh more than they should.

And, according to background information in the study, some 45 percent of women and 30 percent of men in the United States are trying to lose weight at any one time.

While low-fat, high-carb diets are often recommended, the long-term effects of such a regimen are not known.

People who reduce their carb intake generally take in more total and saturated fat and less whole grains, cereal fiber, fruit and vegetables, which can heighten the risk of type 2 diabetes.

For this study, Halton and his colleagues examined the association between low-carb diets and the risk of diabetes among 85,059 women participating in the Nurse's Health Study. The data included 20 years of follow-up.

Women were ranked according to what they ate. "We calculated a low-carbohydrate diet score based on the women's percent consumption of fat, protein and carbohydrate," Halton explained. "A higher score reflected a higher intake of fat and protein and a lower intake of carbohydrate. Therefore, the higher a woman's score, the more closely she followed a low carb-diet, and the lower her score, the more closely she followed a low-fat diet."

Women with a higher score did not have a heightened risk of diabetes. In fact, they seemed to have a small decreased risk when they derived their fat and protein from vegetable rather than animal sources.

Such a low-carb diet is similar to a healthy Atkins diet, meaning one which does not include large amounts of animal fat and animal protein, Halton said.

"When focusing on vegetable sources of fat and protein, this version of Atkins is similar to a low-glycemic Mediterranean diet," he said.

How easy will it be for people to follow such a diet?

"It's probably a very good thing to do . . . [but] people don't understand how to eat well. People don't know what simple and complex carbohydrates are and what it takes to have a good, balanced diet. People go to extremes," said Dr. Stuart Weiss, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. "In general, carbs should be limited just like saturated fat needs to be limited. . . If you eat too much of anything, you're bound to get into trouble."

SOURCES:
HealthDay News, Thursday, Feb. 7
Thomas Halton, D.Sc., founder, Fitness Plus, Boston; Stuart Weiss, M.D., clinical assistant professor, medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York City; February 2008 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

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Insulin and Diabetes Education

by www.youtube.com

Glucose has important role in our body as a source of energy. People get glucose from carbohydrate in their daily food and after passing the digestive system, the glucose will be absorbed by the intestine distribute to body cell through the bloodstream. The glucose needs insulin in order to enter the cell, so that we can describe the insulin as "the door" of the cell. Here is some ilustration how the insulin interact with the glucose and the important role of it... Hope it helps...^_^

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The Role of Body Fat in Diabetes

From Jennifer Hicks, writer for LifeWire, for About.com (Updated: November 13, 2007)
- About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

People who are obese are at much greater risk than others for type 2 diabetes. Recently, however, research has demonstrated that it’s not weight alone that increases health risk — it’s where that weight is located.

Extra weight around the midsection is called visceral adipose fat or abdominal fat. Less scientifically speaking, it is known as a beer belly, love handles or being apple-shaped. Carrying extra abdominal fat has been shown to significantly increase the risk of developing resistance to insulin, which can lead to diabetes. It also increases the risk of high blood pressure.

People most at risk for developing type 2 diabetes are those who have a high body mass index (BMI) as well as a high waist circumference and a high waist-to-hip ratio.

Measuring Fat With Body Mass Index
The BMI is a number based on height and weight. It provides a general idea of the total amount of body fat. The more fat, the greater the health risk. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal. However, because the BMI may overestimate body fat in those with muscular builds and underestimate body fat in older people, it alone is not a good indicator of health risks. In addition, some people with a normal BMI may still be at risk for diabetes if other risk factors, such as being Native American or African American, are present.

Waist Circumference
Several studies have found that waist circumference — the measurement around your waist above your belly button and below your rib cage — is another predictor for risk of diabetes.
In general, men are considered at risk if their waist circumference is more than 40 inches, women if their waist circumference is more than 35 inches. Those with BMIs above the normal range and a waist circumference are at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study to be published in September in Public Health Nutrition that followed male and female subjects for a 10-year period.

Waist-to-Hip Ratio
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) can be another risk indicator. A WHR of 1.0 or higher puts people at greater risk for diabetes and other health problems. According to the CDC, a ratio of 0.9 or less for men and 0.8 or less for women is considered safe. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center website has an easy-to-use waist-to-hip ratio calculator.

How Do You Get Abdominal Fat?
A sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in carbohydrates, full-fat dairy products and saturated fat from red meat contribute to abdominal fat.

Getting Rid of Abdominal Fat
Eating a healthy diet with a high proportion of fruits, vegetables and other high-fiber, low-fat products can help reduce excess abdominal fat. Adding cardiovascular activity—something as simple as walking 30 minutes each day—can also trim down a spare tire.
Substituting a modest amount of protein from chicken or fish for some of the carbohydrate in your diet can also be beneficial, according to a study conducted by The American Society for Nutritional Sciences. The trick here is to do so modestly and not go overboard into a full-fledged, low-carbohydrate diet. Working with health care providers or nutritionists can help those with diabetes make safe choices.

To achieve the best results, people with diabetes should talk to health care providers about adjusting both diet and activity levels. People who exercise regularly experience significant improvements in insulin sensitivity, allowing them to use the insulin they produce more efficiently and lower blood sugar levels.

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Someother Tips For Fat Loss

by Linda Melton

Some popular tips for weight loss that work:
1. Spend more: The best way of maximum fat loss is by spending more calories than you consume. You may do this by exercising or by under going a work out schedule. You can also do this by lowering the rate of eating food items with high calories in them.

2. Don't starve: Starvation is a wrong method for losing fat. Healthy fat loss is done by losing only calories. But, starvation and diet loss leads to the deficiency of all the minerals. Instead, the combination of a good workout and a healthy diet may help you loose weight much more efficiently. Though, these methods have slow results, it is always better to go with one of them as you actually secure your future health.

3. Go slow: Don't go too fast and remove all the items that have calories in your diet. You need to have some patience to loose weight the healthy way. You may cut down on food items with high calorie values and exercise moderately. Exercising too much or starving may lead to nothing but spoiling your daily chores.

4. Check the food: It is extremely necessary that you consume only healthy food while loosing fat. Processed food items are generally not safe to be consumed while on a fat loss. Once you have obtained the results and are satisfied with your body, you may start eating all these food products but in limited amounts.

5. Eat proteins: Increase the intake of proteins in your diet as much as possible. Because, when we cut down on specific food items, our protein intake also lessens. This may lead to protein deficiency in your body which is not at all good for your health. Thus, when you increase your protein consumption, this problem of deficiency is avoided.

6. Train your muscles: Good and nice working muscles help curb fat much faster. Thus, you should also do some exercises to train your muscles and make them work efficiently enough.

7. Hydration: Drinking lot of water is a must while under going a fat loss. Water helps your body from drying up even if you don't consume food for days. Thus, while you are suffering a calorie loss, drinking a lot of water is a must to keep your body working efficiently and up to the mark.

8. Track your progress: You should keep a track on even the minor goals that you have achieved in your weight loss program. This may help you work with more enthusiasm as you know that you are getting good results.

9. Goals: It is extremely important to set timely goals to be achieved for making the fat loss process faster. The goals may urge you work faster and more efficiently. Achieving those goals may keep you happy and satisfied with the results of your program.

10: Consistency: It is extremely necessary to be consistent while you are on a quick fat loss program. If you skip any of your schedules even for a single day, the results may be postponed by days. Thus, consistency is extremely important while loosing fat

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Top 10 Tips For Healthy and Natural Weight Loss

by Eve Zhu (She has written extensively on natural weight loss and healthy natural living in the modern world)

Have you been trying to lose weight with no success? Are you worried about the health effects of standard weight loss programs? If you answered yes, then you need worry no more.
1. Eat only raw vegan foods.

These foods will give you an abundance of enzymes, which will help your body break down fats. In their raw, unheated state you will experience so much energy, that you will want to move around a lot. This will also help to lose weight. Raw vegan food includes nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits and sprouts. Raw vegan food does not include any animal derived products.

2. Go on a detox under the guidance of a natural health practitioner.

A detox will rid your body of many accumulated toxins. As a result, your organs will be able to work more efficiently at burning off fat. A truly healthy body doesn't contain excess fat. Find an experienced natural health practitioner who can safely and effectively guide you through your detox process.

3. Only eat fruit before 12pm

The liver is the organ that is mostly responsible for getting rid of excess fat. It only starts to work efficiently after 12pm. Eating only fruit until 12pm gets your bowels working, without disturbing the still restful liver.

4. Stop eating 3 hours before going to sleep.

Digestion slows down markedly, as you become less active during the period leading up to bedtime. Any food eaten within this time, just sits in the body until morning. Consequently, you wake up the next morning with added kilos and feeling bloated. Not eating within 3 hours of sleep, will have you waking up feeling lighter and slimmer.

5. Have at least one glass of lemon water daily.

Lemon water is an excellent tonic for rejuvenating the fat burning liver. Before you go to sleep at night, cut 1 lemon into 4 quarters, place it in 2 cups of filtered water then refrigerate. Sip throughout the next day.

6. Walk without stopping for a minimum of 1 hour daily.

Fast paced and continuous walking for no less than 1 hour daily, will get the metabolism working at optimal levels. This will then result in the speedy shedding of unwanted kilos. Select a variety of attractive and interesting locations, and walk a new route each day.

7. Use a rebounder daily.

These mini-trampolines are highly praised for their ability to stimulate the entire body. You won't just lose weight, you will also tighten and firm skin and muscles. The results last far longer than food dieting alone.

8. Drink a minimum 8 glasses of water daily.

Water is crucial to weight loss. Water aids healthy digestion, which in turn helps burn fat. It also assists in the elimination of toxins. Make sure you drink at least eight glasses a day. Remember to sip slowly for good absorption.

9. Chew your food thoroughly.

Research shows that poor digestion can stop your body from getting the nutrients it requires to burn fat. Chewing relaxes the lower stomach muscle and triggers nerve messages, that activate the digestive process. Ayurveda science recommends chewing on one morsel of food at least 32 times, since you have 32 teeth. This, they say, is beneficial for digestion and overall health.

10. Bathe in the sun.

Sunbathing produces testosterone, which helps build muscle and burns fat. Sunlight also produces serotonin which causes you to eat less. Make sure you sunbathe in the early morning and late afternoon only, to avoid getting burnt.

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Few Words About Intestinal Endometriosis

by dr.Ay

Just about every woman I see with Endometriosis has been told at one time or another that she has an "irritable bowel syndrome" or a "spastic colon" or one of a dozen other terms often used to describe GI symptoms for which there was no obvious diagnosis. Women with endometriosis frequently have gastrointestinal symptoms and, until relatively recently, these symptoms were attributed to either an irritable bowel syndrome, a spastic colon, or, to those of us knowledgeable about endometriosis, to actual intestinal involvement from the disease itself.

It has become increasingly apparent over the past few years that many women with Endometriosis have intestinal involvement. In other words, there are actual implants of Endometriosis either on or in the bowel wall. The medical literature reports an incidence of intestinal involvement ranging from 3 to 34 percent, the average being about 12%. Based on all the figures, a report in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that 5% of all women have intestinal Endometriosis.

Pelvic Endometriosis is usually (but not always) limited to pre-menopausal women - those with functioning ovaries. Intestinal Endometriosis is different. It is not rare in post-menopausal women. In fact, when a post-menopausal woman develops Endometriosis, it almost always presents with intestinal involvement. Because 70% of intestinal Endometriosis involves the sigmoid colon or rectum, these women are initially believed to have colon or rectal cancer.

The other intestinal sites ( in decreasing order of frequency ) are: appendix, cecum ( the initial portion of the colon), ileum ( the last portion of the small intestine), and lastly, the transverse colon.

Women with intestinal Endometriosis very often have symptoms but, in most cases, the correct diagnosis is not made. In order to diagnose intestinal Endometriosis, it is necessary to ask the right questions. When the proper questions are asked, the diagnosis is easy. The diagnosis is usually made by history, because x-rays of the intestines do not show it and other studies such as colonoscopy do not show it either. Laparoscopy may or may not demonstrate implants on the bowel wall but you have to know where to look for them. Endometriosis implants in the bowel wall may not be detectable except at the time of open abdominal surgery.

Diagnosing intestinal Endometriosis is relatively easy. A woman with intestinal Endometriosis will tell me that she has significant GI symptoms that vary with her menstrual cycle. The symptoms may be present only at the time of the menstrual period or they may be present all month long and worsen at the time of the period. The most common symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea (but vomiting is rare), diarrhea, increased gas, significant bloating, crampy abdominal pain, painful bowel movements, and sharp stabbing rectal pain. Many women also complain of constipation that seems to vary with the menstrual cycle. Unexplained iron-deficiency anemia may also be a clue to the presence of intestinal Endometriosis. Menstrually associated rectal bleeding is diagnostic of intestinal Endometriosis.

In many instances, it is obvious that the woman has intestinal Endometriosis. Either she has menstrually associated rectal bleeding or she has visible implants of Endometriosis on the intestine (either to the large intestine or the small intestine) at the time of laparoscopy. However, there is a sizable group of women who have all of these symptoms but who do not have rectal bleeding and whose intestinal surfaces appear normal at the time of laparoscopy. I was always willing to attribute the symptoms to either microscopic implants of Endometriosis in the bowel wall or perhaps larger implants that were also presumed to be hidden. Keep in the mind that it is the exception, not the rule, to find a woman who has a large mass of endometriosis in the bowel wall.

Recent studies have now shown that rather than attributing the gastrointestinal symptoms to hidden Endometriosis, there is in fact an associated intestinal abnormality that is seen in women with Endometriosis - abnormalities that are not found in women without this disease.

Researchers from Baylor University in Houston looked at a group of women with documented Endometriosis to study their intestinal function. They noted that women with Endometriosis frequently complain of chronic abdominal pain (not necessarily confined to the pelvis), nausea, vomiting, early satiety, bloating, distention and altered bowel habits. The study used some rather sophisticated tests but what it showed is that women with Endometriosis have significant alteration in the muscular action of their bowel wall. These types of abnormalities, often with increased frequency of contractions of the muscles of the intestinal wall, were never seen in normal women.
Interestingly, they also showed that the women with Endometriosis had reactive hypoglycemia during a glucose tolerance test.. The blood sugars dropped to an abnormally low level despite having normal insulin levels. This would indicate that women with Endometriosis may be inordinately sensitive to the actions of insulin such that they end up with lower blood sugar levels for a given amount of insulin. One mechanism that has been proposed is that the nerves that help regulate the function of the intestines overreact to the amount of insulin present..

How this will all play out is uncertain at this time. However, it does clearly indicate that women with Endometriosis have intestinal symptoms which do not appear to be related to actual intestinal involvement from Endometriosis but rather an associated intrinsic abnormality in the intestinal wall. This immediately opens the door to the concept that women who develop Endometriosis have underlying endocrine and metabolic abnormalities that differ significantly from women who do not have Endometriosis leading to the conclusion that Endometriosis is a far more complex disease than simply the implants of endometrium where they do not belong.
Many of the symptoms I have just listed are those of the irritable bowel syndrome so it is easy to see why this label is often put on women. Remember that the irritable bowel syndrome is considered to be largely a psychosomatic disorder with an organic component. However, when a woman tells me that her symptoms vary with her menstrual cycle, it is almost certainly intestinal Endometriosis.

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Ilustration of Percutaneus Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) Procedures

Now let's see the ilustration of PTCA procedures. This procedure shows a heart stent implant angioplasty. Hope it helps,Guys...^_^

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Indications and Complication of Percutaneus Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)

by dr.Ay

Balloon angioplasty of the coronary artery, or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), was introduced in the late 1970's. PTCA is a non-surgical procedure that relieves narrowing and obstruction of the arteries to the muscle of the heart (coronary arteries). This allows more blood and oxygen to be delivered to the heart muscle. PTCA, is now referred to as percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, as this term includes the use of balloons, stents, and atherectomy devices. PCI is accomplished with a small balloon catheter inserted into an artery in the groin or arm, and advanced to the narrowing in the coronary artery. The balloon is then inflated to enlarge the narrowing in the artery. When successful, PCI can relieve chest pain of angina, improve the prognosis of patients with unstable angina, and minimize or stop a heart attack without having the patient undergo open heart coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Clinical indications and contraindications to PTCA

Indications

• Stable angina
• Unstable angina
• Anginal equivalent (eg, dyspnea, arrhythmia, dizziness/syncope)
• Acute myocardial infarction
• Objective evidence of reversible ischemia on the following:

• Resting electrocardiogram
• Positive result on exercise stress test
• Positive result on exercise or pharmacologic scintigraphy
• Stress echocardiography
• Holter monitoring

Contraindications

• Significant comorbidities (relative contraindication)

Angiographic indications and contraindications to PTCA

Indications

• Hemodynamically significant lesion in a vessel serving viable myocardium (vessel diameter >1.5 mm)

Relative contraindications

• Left main stenosis or left main equivalent stenosis (Coronary artery bypass graft [CABG] surgery is still the preferred treatment for left main stenosis. However, this area is rapidly evolving toward safe and feasible PCI options.)
• Chronic total occlusion (CTO) with the following:
• No proximal stump visible
• Extensive bridging collaterals present
• Diffusely diseased small-caliber artery or vein graft
• Other coronary anatomy not amenable to percutaneous intervention

Recent advances in guidewires, stents, and devices to cross chronically occluded arteries are evolving so that more patients with CTOs are now being successfully treated percutaneously.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS AND RISK

With advancements in technique, devices, and adjuvant medical therapy, percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention is now associated with mortality and emergency bypass rates of less than 1%. Restenosis after balloon angioplasty requiring a second revascularization procedure is a major limitation occurring in about 30-50% of patients, depending on the definition of restenosis applied. Today, success rates are as high as 95% following conventional balloon angioplasty and are even higher with the use of DESs and adjunctive pharmacotherapy.

Acute complications. The mechanism by which balloon angioplasty or stenting improves luminal diameter is associated with significant local trauma to the vessel wall, which can in turn lead to occlusive complications in a minority of patients. Coronary artery dissection typically results from the vessel injury secondary to balloon expansion. Angiographic follow-up typically shows no residual evidence of a dissection as early as 6 weeks after angioplasty in most of the cases studied. However, larger dissections can lead to complications.

Abrupt vessel closure may occur in as many as 5% of balloon angioplasty cases and typically develops when compression of the true lumen by a large dissection flap occurs, thrombus formation, superimposed coronary vasospasm, or a combination of these processes. The presence of large coronary dissections immediately after balloon angioplasty is associated with a 5-fold increase in the risk of abrupt closure. This underscores the importance of a good postprocedure angiographic result on clinical outcomes.

Today, the use of intracoronary stents and new antiplatelet drugs has decreased the incidence of abrupt closure significantly (to <1%).>

Restenosis. Following balloon angioplasty or stent implantation, the vessel wall undergoes a number of changes. Platelets and fibrin adhere to the site within minutes of vessel injury. Within hours to days, inflammatory cells infiltrate the site and vascular smooth muscle cells begin to migrate toward the lumen. The vascular smooth muscle cells then hypertrophy and excrete an extensive extracellular matrix. During this period of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, endothelial cells colonize the surface of the lumen and regain their normal function. Over the course of several weeks to months, multiple forces interact to cause remodeling of the vessel wall with either a decrease in lumen diameter (negative remodeling) or an increase in lumen diameter (positive remodeling). The amount of late loss in lumen diameter is dependent on the amount of neointimal proliferation and the degree of remodeling following intervention. After 6 months, the repair process stabilizes and the risk of restenosis decreases significantly.

Today, DESs have reduced restenosis rates to less than 10%. Poststent lumen diameter and lesion complexity are still the major predictors of restenosis with these newer stents.

While DESs have significantly reduced restenosis events, concerns of stent thrombosis with these newer stents still exist. In fact, the rate of thrombosis with DES is virtually identical to that for bare metal stent (BMS) (0.4-1.5%). The biggest factor contributing to stent thrombosis is interruption of antiplatelet therapy. Another important factor is final stent diameter and area. Underdeployment or incomplete apposition of the DES may also increase the risk for stent thrombosis. This is extremely important because acute and subacute stent thrombosis often have a fatal outcome. Late stent thrombosis is another consideration. DES may take up to 4 years to endothelialize on the coronary vessel wall and discontinuing antiplatelet therapy may expose these patients to an increased risk for sent thrombosis over time.

Someother complications that might be happened are: severe bruising/bleeding into the groin area of the procedure leg, changes in your heart rhythm, allergic reaction to the contrast or dye or to other medications used, a tear in the lining of the artery which is being dilated, possibility of a heart attack during or following inflation of the balloon or stent implantation, and possibility of a blood clot in the artery in which the catheter is inserted.

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White Tea Versus Green Tea

by dr.AY

In a daily life, green tea is well known has several health benefits such as acting as an antiviral, contributing to oral health by inhibiting bacterial plaque, acting as an anti-inflammatory, maintaining a healthy, active metabolism and circulatory system. In European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, it found that found that the consumption of green tea rapidly improves the function of (endothelial) cells lining the circulatory system; endothelial dysfunction is a key event in the progression of atherosclerosis. Results showed that endothelium-dependent brachial artery dilatation increased significantly after drinking green tea, with a peak increase of 3.9 per cent 30 minutes after consumption. The effect of caffeine consumption (or hot water) was not significant. While black tea has been associated with improved short and long-term endothelial performance, this is the first time that green tea has been shown to have a short-term beneficial effect on the large arteries. Another study has already shown that green tea reverses endothelial dysfunction in smokers. What about white tea?

There are several major categories of tea, which are distinguished by different processing methods and, consequently, different concentrations of specific tea polyphenols. Fresh tea leaves are rich in polyphenolic compounds known as catechins. When tea leaves are intentionally broken or rolled during processing, catechins become oxidized through the action of polyphenol oxidase enzymes present in the tea leaves. The oxidation of catechins, known as fermentation in the tea industry, causes them to polymerize and to form larger, more complex polyphenols known as theaflavins and thearubigins.

White teas are unfermented teas made from very young tea leaves or buds that are steamed immediately after harvest to inactivate polyphenol oxidase and then dried. Consequently, white teas usually contain higher concentrations of catechins than other teas. Tea leaves that are destined to become green teas are withered by air drying prior to heat inactivation of polyphenol oxidase. Although still rich in catechins, green teas may have slightly lower catechin concentrations than white teas. During the processing of black teas, tea leaves are rolled and allowed to oxidize or ferment fully, resulting in high concentrations of theaflavins and thearubigins and relatively low catechin concentrations. Oolong teas are only partially fermented—they are allowed to oxidize for shorter periods than black teas. Consequently, oolong teas fall between green and black teas with respect to their catechin concentrations. Since different categories of tea contain different amounts of catechins, theaflavins, and thearubigins, it is important to distinguish between the consumption of different categories of tea when examining studies of tea consumption and chronic disease risk. White tea do not go through any oxidation. As a result, white teas contain the highest level of antioxidants of any tea variety.

What are the benefits of white tea?

With a higher level of antioxidants compared to to green tea, white tea has proven to have greater cancer-fighting ability. White tea is known to boost the immune system and can help to fight viruses and infection-causing bacteria. Studies have also demonstratedd that white tea is fluoride-rich and can prevent the growth of dental plaque, the chief cause of tooth decay. The polyphenols in white tea have also been shown to lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and fight fatigue. White tea also contains much less caffeine per cup than green, oolong, or black tea. If consumed properly, white tea can relieve stress as well.

New studies conducted at Pace University have indicated that White Tea Extract (WTE) may have prophylactic applications in retarding growth of bacteria that cause Staphylococcus infections, Streptococcus infections, pneumonia and dental caries. Researchers present their findings today at the 104th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. White tea was more effective than green tea at inactivating bacterial viruses. Results obtained with the bacterial virus, a model system; suggest that WTE may have an anti-viral effect on human pathogenic viruses. The addition of White Tea Extract to various toothpastes enhanced the anti-microbial effect of these oral agents. Studies have also indicated that WTE has an anti-fungal effect on Penicillium chrysogenum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In other study, Scientists say they have proven ingredients in white tea are effective in boosting the immune function of skin cells and protecting them against the damaging effects of the sun. Researchers believe that white tea extract's anti-oxidant properties are the reason the extract was effective; if so, it also suggests that the agent may provide anti-aging benefits. The same process of oxidative stress in skin cells that leads to immune system damage can also promote skin cancer and photo damage, such as wrinkling or mottled pigmentation.

Related sources:

Tea Health Research Journal of Chinese Medicine

Potential effects of tea on health - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

White tea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The benefits of green tea in reducing an important risk factor for heart disease

Health Benefits of Green Tea - Journal Watch (General)

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc_ - The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine - 11(3)521

White Tea Beats Green Tea In Fighting Germs. ScienceDaily

Tea and Chronic Disease Prevention

White Tea Extract Protects Skin from Sun.SeniorJournal.com

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The Procedures of Tonsillectomy

by dr.Ay

This is a description about how the physicians are going to do during the operation of tonsillectomy. Just ask to your doctor for further informations. Hope it Helps..

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Tonsillectomy, Is it dangerous?

by dr.Ay

According to emedicine medical articles, Tonsillectomy is defined as the surgical excision of the palatine tonsils, but sometimes the adenoids are also removed at the same time. There are some indications that this prosedures is need to be performed, some of them are:

• Experiences frequent bouts of acute tonsillitis. The number requiring tonsillectomy varies with the severity of the episodes. One case, even severe, is generally not enough for most surgeons to decide tonsillectomy is necessary.
• Has chronic tonsillitis, consisting of persistent, moderate-to-severe throat pain.
• Has multiple bouts of peritonsillar abscess.
• Has sleep apnea (stopping or obstructing breathing at night due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids)
• Has difficulty eating or swallowing due to enlarged tonsils (very unusual reason for tonsillectomy)
• Produces tonsilloliths in the back of their mouth.
• Has abnormally large tonsils with crypts (Craters or impacts in the tonsils)

For details informations, you can discuss it with your personal ear, nose, and throat doctor because there also called absolute and relative indication for this surgery. Some of you would be asking about the complication that could be happened.

Well, tonsillectomy is commonly performed and generally safe. However, in order to make an informed decision and give your consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the risk of complications of this procedure.

1. During the operation

The possible complications of any operation include an unexpected reaction to the anaesthetic, excessive bleeding or infection. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to help prevent infection.

Specific complications of tonsillectomy are rare but include:

• bleeding within 24 hours - your child may need to go back into theatre to have it stopped
• bleeding four to seven days after the operation (secondary haemorrhage) - this can be the result of an infection
• damage to the teeth or jaw - this can be caused by the instruments used to keep the mouth open during surgery
• chest infection and breathing problems - there's a risk blood and tissue from the operation may get into the throat and down into the lungs

The exact risks are specific to your child and differ for every person, so we have not included statistics here. Ask your surgeon to explain how these risks apply to your child.

2. After the operation

Mostly and logically, you will feel pain (sore throat). In children, sore throat makes them don’t want to eat and drinks which will lead to dehydration and weight loss, so make sure that your children have a good intake. Once home, follow the surgeon's advice about pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Do not give aspirin to children under 16. The pain will abate during the first 3-5 days then increase for 1-2 days before completely disappearing. The post-tonsillectomy patients should also avoid smoking, heavy lifting and exertion for 10 days. Some oral antibiotics are usually used as a profilaxis. Please contact your GP or the hospital immediately if there is:

• bleeding in the nose or throat
• an inability to drink normally, as this can lead to dehydration
• a high temperature
• increasing pain

You can expect a full and quick recovery once the initial pain has resolved. Complete recovery can take two weeks. For any questions, we can discuss it in my GuestBook. Thank you

Sources:

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/tonsillectomy.html

http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic315.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillectomy

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