Prevent Cancer by Healthy Eating
Cancer, the dreaded disease can be prevented to a great extent by adopting a healthy food habit. A good diet can go a long way in reducing the chances of occurrence of cancer, what type of cancer it might be. And the prescribed diet for prevention is the same. Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, pulses, whole grains and nuts. Maintain a healthy body weight (preferably ideal body weight). Avoid the excessive intake of dairy products, red meat and processed food. These above three rules help to reduce breast cancer, prostrate cancer, stomach cancer, and practically all forms of cancer.
Vitamin A helps to prevent lung cancer, but the best way to avoid it is not smoking and reducing air pollution. There are many myths at play. It is commonly believed that intake of Vitamin C helps prevent cancer, but no such one element can help.
Aflatoxin, is a chemical that is produced by a fungus that grows on peanuts and other nuts when stored improperly, is carcinogenic, but most farmers are now aware of that problem, so the risks have been reduced.
Regional food habits also go a long way in increasing or decreasing the risk of cancer. For example, in Japan, people eat a lot of pickled vegetables. We have seen that the number of people suffering from stomach cancer is very high there. Anything in moderation though, is not a problem. In India, too, people have pickle with their meals. But there, it is just a condiment and not a main dish. So the effect is not so grave.
There is, however, some bad news for Indians. Frequent helpings of kebabs can effectively increase chances of cancer. The blackened meat on the surface, when meat is cooked over an open flame, is carcinogenic (causes cancer). That doesn’t mean you have to stop eating kebabs altogether. You can have it once a week, as long as you are eating healthy the rest of the weak, and giving the DNA the opportunity to repair itself.
There is lack of awareness regarding the link between diet and diseases like cancer. Even in America where so much of research is taking place, the level of awareness among the common people is very low. A lot of information is available on the Internet, but it is not always reliable. International Association of Cancer Research as a possible reference point.
There is confusion regarding wine and cancer. Till now whatever evidence we have had, there is no negative effect of wine. It is good for the heart. But the problem with wine is that it has alcohol. It causes intoxication and addiction. And the good element of wine are available in grapes, cherries etc in non-alcoholic forms. For women, more than one glass of wine a day is not advisable, and for men the limit is two glasses a day. But the above prescribed limit is not easy to follow by maximum of people.
Carbonated drinks are best avoided. They are empty calories. And they decalcify the bones, causing osteoporosis. Even a diet drink, which is claimed to be low on calories, poses the same threat.
When it comes to food, too little is not too good. Surviving on a fruit or vegetable diet is not healthy, because the body is losing key body building nutrients like protein. So even if you are a model and need to be thin, have a helping of whole grains and nuts, to keep the diet balanced.
Categories: Diet & Nutrition Tags: Aflatoxin, Carcinogenic, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Treatment of Cocaine & Related Drug Abuse
Cocaine overdose is a medical emergency and should be managed in an intensive care unit. Cocaine toxicity causes hypertension (high blood pressure), tachycardia (high heart rate), tonic clonic seizures, dyspnea (breathlessness), and ventricular arrhythmias (change in rhythm of heart). Intravenous diazepam in doses up to 0.5 mg/kg administered over an 8-h period to control seizure. 0.5–1.0 mg of propranolol intravenously is given to control ventricular arrhythmias.
Categories: Addiction, Health Information Tags: Cocaine abuse, Outpatient detoxification
Marijuana and Cannabis & Other Related Compounds
Cannabis sativa contains more than 400 compounds in addition to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Marijuana and Cannabis. Marijuana cigarettes are prepared from the leaves and flowering tops of the plant, and a typical marijuana cigarette contains 0.5–1 g of plant material. Hashish is prepared from concentrated resin of Cannabis sativa and contains a THC concentration of 8 and 12% percent by weight. “Hash oil," a fat soluble plant extract, may contain a THC concentration of 25–60% and may be added to marijuana or hashish to increase potency. Smoking is the most common form of marijuana or hashish use. During smoking more than 150 compounds in addition to THC are released in the smoke.
Categories: Addiction, Health Information Tags: Hash oil, LSD, Withdrawal symptoms
Cocaine Abuse: an Introduction
Abuse of cocaine and other psycho stimulants are determined by a complex interaction between the pharmacologic properties and relative availability of each drug. The environmental context, personality and expectations of the user in which the drug is used influence the drug abuse and outcome of the treatment. The concurrent use of several drugs with different pharmacologic effects is increasingly common. Combined use of heroin and cocaine intravenously, are dangerous. Chronic cocaine and psycho stimulant abuse may cause a number of adverse health consequences, like pulmonary disease to reproductive dysfunction. Hypertension and cardiac disease may be exacerbated by drug abuse; combined use of two or more drugs may accentuate medical complications associated with abuse of one of them. Drug abuse increases the risk of exposure to HIV and hepatitis B. Cocaine abuse contribute to the risk for HIV infection in part by suppression of immune function. Concurrent use of cocaine and opiates known as the "speedball" is frequently associated with needle-sharing by IV drug users and contribute to HIV transmission. Intravenous drug abusers continue to represent the largest single group of persons with HIV infection in several major metropolitan areas in the United States.
Categories: Addiction, Health Information Tags: coca plant, enhance libido, Speedball
Rehabilitation of Opioid (opium) Dependency
The basic strategy of opium rehabilitation is detoxification and the establishment of realistic goals for abstinence and improvement of life functioning. A long term commitment by the patient to maintain a lifestyle without illicit substances is essential for preventing relapse. Patients are educated about their responsibility for improving their lives. Motivation for abstinence is increased by providing information about the medical and psychological problems that can be expected if dependence continues. The dependent person is also advised to establish a drug-free peer group and to participate in self-help groups such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous. Patients and families are encouraged to establish an opioid-free lifestyle by learning to cope with chronic pain and develop realistic vocational planning. An important treatment component is relapse prevention aimed at identifying triggers for a return to drugs and developing appropriate coping strategies. Advice and counseling can be given by the doctor by referring patients to formal drug programs, including methadone maintenance clinics, programs using narcotic antagonists, and therapeutic communities. Long-term follow-up of treated patients indicates that approximately one-third becomes completely drug free, and 60% no longer use drugs.
Categories: Addiction, Health Information Tags: Hepatitis B, Narcotics anonymous
Treatment of Opioid (opium) Abuse
Withdrawal symptoms are generally opposite to that of acute drug intoxication like nausea, vomiting, coughing, sweating, salivation, tearing, running nose, twitching of muscles, fever, increase in respiratory rate and increase in blood pressure. There is intense craving for the drug, with sleeplessness and yawning. With shorter acting drugs like morphine and heroin, the withdrawal symptoms generally develop within 8 to 16 hours of taking the last dose. Symptoms become severe in 2 to 3 days and disappear in 5 to 8 days. But some of the symptoms may persist for more than 6 months and probably contribute to relapse.
Treatment of withdrawal symptoms: A thorough physical examination including assessment neurological function is done. Look for systemic or local infection and abscess. Blood should be tested for hepatitis B and HIV. Before starting treatment, proper nutrition should be provided with vitamins and mineral supplementation.
Categories: Addiction, Health Information Tags: modalities of treatment, opium withdrawal in infants, Withdrawal symptoms
Opioid (opium) Abuse and Dependence
The definition of opioid abuse and dependence is given in the Fourth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association as “repeated use of a drug of opioid class to the point of causing multiple problems”. The definition also requires evidence of three or more in a year, including tolerance, withdrawal, and quantity of use more than required despite consequences. This is dependence of opioid. Abuse can be defined as not having dependence but demonstrate repeated opioid related problems with law, inability to meet obligation and use of opioid despite problems.
Categories: Addiction, Health Information Tags: Definition of opium abuse
Opium Abuse
Opioid analgesics (pain killers) are essential part of medical practice and have been part of medical practice and health care since 300 B.C. Opioid have disadvantage of overdose and dependency, that may arise from injudicious use. All opioids are capable of producing heroin like toxicity. In US alone there are more than one million opioid dependent individuals.
Morphine and codeine are the main opioid and are derived from milky juice of poppy fruit, papaver somniferous. Semi synthetic opioids includes, diacetylmorphine (heroin), oxycodone etc. Synthetic opioids include tramadol, pentazocine, pentanyl baprenorphine, propoxyphine ete.
Categories: Addiction, Health Information Tags: Chasing the Dragon, definitive treatment, Poppy fruit
Rehabilitation of Alcoholics
After proper treatment more than 60% of the alcoholics maintain abstinence for more than one year. Many of them maintain lifetime abstinence. Since there is no proof of superiority of one treatment schedule than the other it is best to keep management of alcoholics as simple as possible.
The first step in rehabilitation of alcoholics is the attempt to help alcoholics to maintain a high level of motivation for abstinence. This includes education about alcoholism, instructing family and friends not to protect the alcoholic from problems caused by alcohol.
The second step is to help the alcoholic to readjust t life without alcohol & establish a functional lifestyle. For this counseling, vocational rehabilitation and self help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (US) are available for help.
Categories: Addiction Tags: Alcoholics Anonymous, Counselling
Treatment of Alcoholism
Acute Alcohol Intoxication: The first priority of acute alcohol intoxication is to be certain that vital signs are stable and there is no evidence of respiratory depression and change in blood pressure. The possibility of intoxication with other substances should be considered. For that blood and urine samples are taken and sent for investigation.
Patients who are stable should be asked to lie down on there side in order to minimize the risk of aspiration. If there is likely to be violent behavior from the patient, than the show of force with a team is advisable. The patient should be firmly and politely reminded that the aim of the treatment is to avoid problems and for the betterment of the patient. Still if the patient can not be controlled, CNS depressant should be used. But it should be kept in mind that, CNS depressant like lorazepam does not destabilize the patient.
Categories: Addiction Tags: Alcohol intoxication, Alcoholism
