Prostate Cancer Prevention

Because the causes of prostate cancer are not fully understood, it is impossible to prevent prostate cancer with 100 percent certainty. Studies have found several promising possibilities, though, that can help lower the risk of prostate cancer.
 
Diet and Exercise
Men who eat a diet that is low in red meat and high-fat dairy products and rich in fruits and vegetables have been found less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. In addition, men who exercise most days of the week have been found less likely to be diagnosed, compared with those who get little to no exercise. There have also been a number of studies on the possibility of vitamins, minerals, and other food components to prevent prostate cancer. The items on the list below have shown at least some promising results in studies, but none are yet considered preventers of prostate cancer:

•     lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit
•     vitamin E, which is found in highest quantities in nuts, oils, and green leafy vegetables
•     selenium, a mineral found in highest quantities in nuts, grains, fish, and eggs
•     soy isoflavones, chemicals found in soybean products, such as tofu, soy milk, and edamame

Drugs
A class of drugs called 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors commonly used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or enlarged prostate) have also been found to prevent or delay the onset of prostate cancer, especially in men older than 55. Some doctors recommend the use of these drugs by men with high risk of prostate cancer. Two 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are available:

•     dutasteride (Avodart)
•     finasteride (Propecia, Proscar)

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Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

A diagnosis of prostate cancer generally takes place in three steps. To learn more about the tests involved in each diagnostic step, visit the Prostate Cancer Tests section.
 
Screening
A digital rectal exam (DRE) or a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test can indicate problems with the prostate but cannot confirm prostate cancer for certain. These tests are commonly performed on all men above a certain age. Depending on other risk factors, this age may range from 40 to 60.
 
Biopsy
If initial screening tests indicate a need, a doctor will take a small sample of tissue—biopsy—from the prostate. The sample is then examined under a microscope for signs of cancerous cells. Biopsy is the only way to confirm prostate cancer. The biopsy is obtained via needle into the prostate which is accessed through the rectum.
 
Staging
Once a prostate-cancer diagnosis is confirmed, doctors must determine how extensive the cancer is before deciding how to treat it. Several postdiagnostic tests—including blood tests, computed tomography (CT or CAT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and bone scans—are used to establish the cancer’s stage using the following scale:
 
Stage I Prostate Cancer
Cancerous tumors affect only a small area of the prostate and generally cannot be felt during a DRE or detected via ultrasound; the cancer has not spread outside the prostate.
 
Stage II Prostate Cancer
The cancer affects more of the prostate and may be seen on ultrasound or felt during a DRE; the cancer has not spread outside the prostate.
 
Stage III Prostate Cancer
Cancer cells have spread to other tissues near the prostate, such as the seminal vesicles, but are not present in lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
 
Stage IV Prostate Cancer
Cancer cells have metastasized to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body or have spread to a large amount of the surrounding tissue, such as the bladder or rectum

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Prostate Cancer Risk Factors

Although the causes of prostate cancer may not be known, there are several clear risk factors for the disease. Several factors—such as age, heredity, and race—are beyond your control. Others—such as diet and obesity—can be managed through healthy lifestyle choices.
 
Age
Age is the single most important risk factor for prostate cancer. The disease is extremely rare in men younger than 45 but is the most common cancer diagnosed in men older than 70.
 
Family History
A man whose father, brother, or son was diagnosed with prostate cancer is more likely to be diagnosed and should begin screenings at an earlier age.
 
Race
African-American men have a higher risk of prostate cancer than any other ethnic group, and they are also more likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and to die from the disease. Asian-American, Hispanic, and Native-American men are less likely to get prostate cancer than non-Hispanic white men; the reasons for this are not known.
 
Diet
A diet high in red meat and high-fat dairy products and low in fruits and vegetables increases the risk for prostate cancer and other cancers, but no conclusive studies have been done on exactly which aspects of this diet increase risk or why.
 
Cell Abnormalities
There are several types of cell abnormalities that are detected with a microscope and are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. These changes—known as intraepithelial neoplasia, acinar proliferation, or inflammatory atrophy—are seen in advance of prostate cancer developing in the gland. These conditions can only be diagnosed via biopsy, which would only be done if another test indicated prostate problems.
 
Obesity
Obesity does not increase prostate-cancer risk, but obese men who are diagnosed are more likely to have advanced cancer and to die from the disease.

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What is Prostate Cancer

 
Prostate cancer is the out-of-control growth of abnormal cells in the prostate gland, a walnut-sized organ that wraps around the urethra and sits just underneath the bladder. It is a part of the male reproductive system and makes the chemical components of semen. Women do not have prostate glands and, therefore, cannot get prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men. It is also the second leading cause of death in American men. In 2010, nearly 218,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed, and more than 32,000 men will die of prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. However, the prognosis for prostate cancer is generally positive, with a 5-year survival rate of nearly 100 percent and a 10-year survival rate of 91 percent. As with any cancer, early diagnosis is vital to survival. As methods of detection and treatment become have become more sophisticated, many prostate cancers are now found in the early stages.

Types of Prostate Cancer
 Almost all prostate-cancer cases are adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that originates in glands. Most other types of cancer that are found in the prostate originate in other parts of the body. They are implanted in the prostate when cells from the primary cancer travel in the blood to “seed” the prostate.

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Lung Cancer Prevention

The majority of lung cancer is preventable. By avoiding your exposure to risk factors—especially to smoking—you significantly limit your chances for developing lung cancer.

Quitting Smoking
Because smoking is responsible for 90% of lung cancers, quitting is the most important thing you can do. Almost immediately, your lungs will begin to heal themselves. The amount of time you smoked and the frequency will affect their ability to repair, but even after many years of smoking, quitting can significantly reduce your risk of lung cancer.

Asbestos and Radon
If you work around asbestos or other harmful materials, be careful to limit your exposure as much as possible. Radon testing is available for home and commercial spaces. If you live or work in an old building and suspect the presence of either radon or asbestos, testing for unsafe levels can provide you with peace of mind.

Diet
Nutrition is important for maintaining good health. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals provides your body with the nutrition it needs to function properly and heal damaged cells. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Include other plant-based foods like beans and grains. Stay away from high-fat foods and avoid or limit your alcohol consumption.

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How to Prevent High Cholestrol??

For people who do not have familial hypercholesterolemia (a genetic disorder in which the body produces too much cholesterol), high cholesterol is completely preventable. To a large degree, high cholesterol is considered a lifestyle disease. In other words, how healthfully you live your life determines whether or not you will get it. The same healthy habits that can lower your cholesterol can also prevent high cholesterol in the first place.

Not Smoking
Smoking cigarettes can have a negative impact on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol—the good stuff that helps keep your arteries clear. Smoking also damages blood vessels and speeds up the hardening of the arteries.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Being overweight or obese can raise “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Because it’s much harder to lose weight than maintain a healthy weight, controlling calories to avoid weight gain is optimal. Some experts believe weighing yourself every day is a good way to gauge whether you’re eating too much. If the scale starts climbing, you know it’s time to cut back on how much you’re eating. Extreme dieting can also slow down the metabolism and lead to weight gain. That’s why it’s better to eat a healthy and balanced diet. If you feed your body the nutrients it needs and avoid the junk it doesn’t, you are more likely to keep your weight and your cholesterol down.

Exercising Regularly
Getting 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, like brisk walking, most days of the week can help lower high triglycerides. Bumping up the intensity by climbing hills or stairs or by running can boost “good” HDL cholesterol. What’s more, exercising regularly can lower blood pressure and help overweight individuals lose weight, which can lead to lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol levels.

Eating a Healthy Diet
To keep your weight down and your heart healthy, you should avoid eating more calories than you burn each day. Extra calories are converted into triglycerides—a type of fat—in the blood. Consuming too many calories also leads to weight gain, which can elevate your cholesterol.

What you eat is just as important as how much you eat. When it comes to high cholesterol, saturated fat, trans fat, and refined carbohydrates are some of the biggest dietary culprits. Heart-healthy diets should be low in saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fat, sodium, and sugar. In fact the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends a so-called “TLC diet” (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes)—a low-saturated fat and low-cholesterol eating plan.

Foods that contain high amounts of saturated fat include:

•     Red meat
•     Processed meats
•     Fried food
•     Butter
•     Hydrogenated vegetable oil
•     Many processed baked goods, such as cookies and cakes
•     Dairy products that aren’t low-fat.

You can limit the amount of cholesterol-boosting fat in your diet by swapping saturated fats for healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These kinds of fats can actually lower your cholesterol. Those foods include:

•     Olive oil
•     Sunflower oil
•     Peanut oil
•     Canola oil
•     Flaxseed
•     Fatty fish
•     Avocados
•     Nuts
•     Seeds

It’s also important to include plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes in your diet, because fiber-rich food plays a role in bringing down cholesterol. Limit or avoid foods that have added sugar, like juice drinks, soda, and packaged foods. Excess sugar can boost blood pressure and triglycerides and lower “good” HDL level.

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High Cholesterol Risk Factors

Many factors can increase your risk of developing high cholesterol. The good news is that most of them are things you can control. There are only a few risk factors for high cholesterol that are out of your hands.
Gender and Age

Being a man or a post-menopausal woman increases your risk of high cholesterol. The female hormone estrogen appears to offer a protective effect on cholesterol. For that reason, from puberty to menopause, women generally have higher levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol than men. After menopause, however, women tend to have higher levels of LDL than men.
Family History

Having a family history of high cholesterol can put you at risk as well. Most of the time, this is due to shared eating habits and lack of exercise. You can reverse your risk by leading a heart-healthy lifestyle. However, if high cholesterol is due to inherited genes, a person could be born with high levels of LDL cholesterol and must work with their doctor to control it.

Diet
A diet high in calories from saturated fat, trans fat, and sugar can elevate your "bad" LDL and triglyceride levels and raise your overall risk of high cholesterol.

Obesity
A body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more puts you at greater risk of high cholesterol. Losing weight, ideally through a healthy diet and exercise, can lower it.

Physical Inactivity
Regular exercise can help lower your LDL cholesterol. Not getting enough exercise, on the other hand, increases your risk of high cholesterol.

Smoking
Cigarette smoking damages your arterial walls, making them more susceptible to plaque buildup. It may also lower your “good” HDL cholesterol.

Diabetes
People with diabetes are more likely to have low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and high levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol. Like smoking, high blood sugar can damage the lining of the arteries and, when coupled with high cholesterol, increase the risk of plaque buildup. High cholesterol due to diabetes is called diabetic dyslipidemia.

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High Cholesterol Causes

Your body manufactures some cholesterol and gets the rest from food. Your genes play a role in how much your body makes on its own. The rest is determined by what kind of lifestyle you lead. The following factors can contribute to high cholesterol.

Diet
What you eat plays a significant role in your cholesterol levels. Eating foods with trans fat or high levels of saturated fat can increase “bad” LDL cholesterol. Foods high in saturated fat include red meat, dairy products, chocolate, and processed foods made with cocoa butter, palm oil, or coconut oil. High levels of dietary cholesterol, found only in foods made from animal sources such as meat and dairy, can also raise your bad cholesterol level. Eating too many calories, in general, can elevate triglycerides.

Obesity
Being overweight or obese increases your risk of having high cholesterol. People with a high body mass index (BMI) tend to have lower levels of “good” HDL and higher levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides than people of normal weight. One study found that for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of weight a person loses, they may be able to raise their HDL by .35 mg/dL. A BMI of 25 to 29 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or above is considered obese.

Smoking
Cigarette smoking damages your arterial walls, making them more susceptible to plaque buildup. It may also lower your protective HDL cholesterol. Research shows that quitting increases a person’s HDL by an average of 4 mg/dL.

Inactivity
Not being physically active can contribute to high cholesterol. Getting regular exercise—30 minutes of moderate intensity activity most days of the week—can help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Family History
High cholesterol can run in families. Although that is often due to shared eating habits, sometimes it can also be genetic. The inherited type of high cholesterol affects one in 500 people. The younger you are when high cholesterol strikes, the more likely it is due to genetic factors, especially if you are of a normal weight and you eat healthfully. In these cases, a genetic abnormality leads to the overproduction of cholesterol in the liver.

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Types of Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty, wax-like substance that circulates throughout the bloodstream. Your body manufactures some of it, and the rest comes from your diet. Cholesterol is an essential building block of every cell in the human body. High cholesterol—also known as hypercholesterolemia—is a lipid disorder that can significantly raise the risk of heart disease. When the body has more than it can handle, excess cholesterol can build up and clog the arteries, cutting off the blood supply to the heart. That’s why it’s important to have your cholesterol tested regularly and to keep your levels down. Eating a heart-healthy diet and exercising regularly can help prevent high cholesterol.

Types of Cholesterol
There are several types of cholesterol in the body. When you have high cholesterol, one or all of the types may be within an unhealthy, abnormal range. At the doctor’s office, your physician may talk to you about your total cholesterol, or he may break it down into the different types: low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides. The term “high cholesterol” is actually a bit of a misnomer because, while it’s true we want to keep our LDL and triglycerides down, we should strive to push our HDL up. Low levels of HDL are considered abnormal and are a risk factor for heart disease.

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
High-Density Lipoprotein is the so-called “good” cholesterol that may help protect against heart disease. (You can remember that by thinking “H” is for healthy.) The higher your HDL, the better. That’s because HDL cholesterol sweeps excess LDL cholesterol (the “bad” artery-clogging kind) out of the body. The clinical term for having abnormally low levels of HDL is hypoalphalipoproteinemia (HA). Although there is no cut-off number that diagnoses HA, low HDL levels (less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women) are associated with a greater risk of heart disease. To protect against heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends that men and women should keep their HDL levels above 60mg/dL. 

Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is the “bad” cholesterol that contributes to atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of plaque along the arterial walls. (You can remember this by thinking “L” for lousy.) Atherosclerosis can cause your arteries— which transport blood, oxygen, and nutrients—to harden or rupture and lead to blockages, strokes, and heart attacks. That’s why high levels of LDL cholesterol are a major risk factor for heart disease. Guidelines state that people with no risk of heart disease should aim for an LDL score below 130. However, some medical experts believe that number is too high.

The American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute both state that everyone’s LDL should be below 100 for optimal health. People who are at high risk of heart disease should keep their LDL below 100, and people who have heart disease or are at an extremely high risk of heart disease should aim to keep their LDL below 70.

Total Cholesterol
This is the sum of your HDL and LDL scores. In general, you want to strive to keep your total cholesterol under 200 mg/dL. Although some physicians will only give you this result after you get your cholesterol tested, it’s a good idea to ask them to break it down for you so you know if your HDL is as high as you’d like and your LDL is as low as you’d like. A total cholesterol score of 200 to 239 mg/dL is considered borderline high-risk, while a score of 240 mg/dL or more is in the high-risk category. According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of all American adults have a total cholesterol score above 200 mg/dL.

Triglycerides
Triglycerides are another type of lipid (fat) found in the bloodstream. Extra calories that your body doesn’t use get stored as triglycerides. As such, frequently overeating and being overweight may lead to elevated triglycerides. High triglyceride levels, known as hypertriglyceridemia, usually go hand-in-hand with high levels of “bad” LDL and low levels of “good” HDL. A triglyceride level below 150 mg/dL is considered normal. Between 150 and 200 is borderline-high; 200 to 499 is high; and more than 500 is very high.

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What is Asthma?

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lungs that often makes breathing difficult and causes attacks of coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest, and shortness of breath. Asthma symptoms occur when the lining of the air passages swell and the muscles surrounding the airways tighten. Mucus fills the airways, further reducing the amount of air that can pass through them and causing an asthma attack.

Types of Asthma
Asthma is sometimes referred to as bronchial asthma because it involves the narrowing of the bronchial airways. The distinction is often made between childhood asthma and adult-onset asthma, when symptoms don’t appear until at least the age of 20. Other types of asthma include:

Allergic Asthma (Extrinsic Asthma)
Allergic asthma is triggered by allergens, such as pet dander, food preservatives, mold, or pollen. Allergic asthma is more likely to be seasonal because it often goes hand-in-hand with allergies that are also seasonal. 

Non-Allergic Asthma (Intrinsic Asthma)
This type of asthma is triggered by irritants in the air that are not related to allergies – including wood or cigarette smoke, air pollution, room deodorants, household cleaning products, and perfumes.

Cough-Variant Asthma (CVA)
Cough-variant asthma does not have the classic symptoms of asthma – such as wheezing and shortness of breath. Instead, CVA is characterized by one symptom, a persistent dry cough. Cough-variant asthma can lead to full-blown asthma that shows other asthma symptoms.

Exercise-Induced Asthma (EIA)
Exercise-induced asthma affects people during or after physical activity. EIA can occur in people who are not sensitive to classic asthma triggers such as dust, pollen, or pet dander.

Nocturnal Asthma
This type of asthma is characterized by asthma symptoms that worsen at night. Those who suffer from nocturnal asthma can also experience symptoms anytime of the day. However, certain triggers – such as heartburn, pet dander, and dust mites – can cause those symptoms to worsen at night while sleeping.

Occupational Asthma
Occupational asthma is induced by triggers that exist in a person’s workplace. Irritants and allergens include dusts, dyes, gases, fumes, animal proteins, and rubber latex that are common in a wide range of industries—including manufacturing, textiles, farming, and woodworking.

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Insomnia Causes

Insomnia can have a significant impact on everyday life. Overall health, lifestyle, relationships, and work-productivity can all suffer from inadequate sleep. If you have difficulty sleeping, it is important to determine whether or not an underlying issue or medical condition is causing the problem. Secondary insomnia is the most common type of sleeplessness, and is most frequently caused as a result of anxiety or on-going stress. Some common factors leading to insomnia include:

Stress and anxiety
Worries about work, school, health, finances, or family can keep your mind active at night, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to sleep. Traumatic events, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss often cause long-lasting stress and anxiety, which can lead to chronic (long-term) sleeplessness.

Depression
Depression can make you sleep too much or too little. This may be due to chemical imbalances in your brain, or because fears that accompany depression may keep you from relaxing enough to sleep. It is not unusual for insomnia to accompany other mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Medications
A number of over-the-counter medications can contribute to insomnia. These include some pain medications, decongestants, and weight-loss products that contain caffeine or other stimulants. Antihistamines may make you drowsy initially but can lead to more frequent urination, causing more nighttime trips to the bathroom. In addition, certain prescription drugs can interfere with sleep. Potential culprits include antidepressants, heart and blood pressure medicines, allergy drugs, stimulants, and corticosteroids.

Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
Coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks containing caffeine are stimulants that can interfere with sleep. Drinking coffee in the late afternoon can keep you from falling asleep at night. Nicotine in tobacco is another stimulant that can inhibit sleep.

Alcohol is a sedative that may help you fall asleep initially, but it prevents deeper stages of sleep, so you end up tossing and turning.

Medical conditions
A host of medical conditions can contribute to insomnia. Some of these include chronic pain, breathing difficulties, sleep apnea, or arthritis. Insufficient sleep is also associated with a number of chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

Other medical conditions that can lead to insomnia include:

•     Frequent urination
•     Cancer
•     Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
•     Overactive thyroid
•     Stroke

Sleep disorders
Common sleep disorders, such as restless leg syndrome (a crawling sensation often felt in the lower part of the legs that can only be relieved with movement) can inhibit sleep. Sleep apnea—a breathing disorder accompanied by loud snoring and periods of time when breathing stops—can also lead to insomnia.

Changes in environment or schedule
Working the late or early shifts, or travelling long-distances, can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythms (24-hour biochemical, physiological, and behavioral cycle), making sleep difficult. These rhythms act as internal clocks, regulating sleep cycles, body temperature, and metabolism.

Worries about sleep and bad sleep habits
Unfortunately, the strain of worrying about not getting enough sleep can lead to even more sleep deprivation. If this is the case for you, try changing your usual bedtime routine. Save your bed for sleep by avoiding bad habits like watching TV or working in bed.

Eating too late
Consuming too much food too late in the evening may make lying down uncomfortable. Late meals can also contribute to heartburn or a backflow of acid and food from the stomach to your esophagus. Not surprisingly, this can keep you awake.

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Insomnia Symptoms

Symptoms of insomnia can vary greatly between cases. Some people suffer from severe symptoms, such as the inability to fall asleep, while others may get a full night’s sleep but find they don’t feel well-rested when they wake, often because their sleep is very light. Many people experience symptoms during the day, such as the inability to focus or concentrate, or find it difficult to stay awake.

Common insomnia symptoms include:

Difficulty falling asleep at night
Some people suffering with insomnia may find they have trouble falling asleep at night and can lie in bed for hours without being able to drift off to sleep.

Awakening during the night
Sometimes people are able to fall asleep but wake frequently during the night. This restlessness can lead to inadequate sleep and if persistent, leads to insomnia.

Waking too early
Many people are able to fall asleep and stay asleep for a period of time, but wake before they’ve gotten an adequate amount. They usually wake feeling exhausted. Most people need about seven to eight hours of sleep a night, and children and teens tend to need more. Seniors often require less sleep at night, but may require a daytime nap.

Not feeling rested after a night’s sleep
Some people are able to get a full night’s sleep, but don’t feel refreshed or well-rested when they wake. This is often because their sleep is too light and doesn’t allow the body to fully relax.

Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
People that suffer from insomnia often experience symptoms such as fatigue and a loss of concentration during the day.

Difficulty paying attention or focusing on tasks
If insomnia persists, it can lead to mental sluggishness and a decrease in mental functioning, such as focusing or paying attention.

Other symptoms of insomnia include:

•     Ongoing worries about sleep
•     Tension headaches
•     Gastrointestinal problems
•     Irritability
•     Anxiety
•     Depression

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10 Home Remedies for the Flu

10 natural remedies for flu:

1. Drink up.
The flu can leave you dehydrated, especially if fever is accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea. So be sure to get enough fluids. Water is fine. So are fruit juices, soda, and electrolyte beverages. You may want to stay away from caffeinated drinks, because caffeine is a diuretic. Herbal tea with honey can soothe a sore throat. If you feel nauseated, try taking small sips of liquids -- gulps might cause you to throw up. How can you be sure you’re getting enough fluid? Your urine should be pale yellow, almost colorless.

How about drinking alcohol? No way. “When you have the flu, the last thing you want to do is drink alcohol,” says William Schaffner, MD, chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn. “It makes you sleepy, and flu does that already.”

2. Sip some soup. 
For generations, caring parents have been serving chicken soup to kids with colds and flu. But was mom right? Possibly. A 2000 study published in the journal Chest showed that chicken soup may help relieve symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.

“I believe that chicken soup does help with symptoms,” says Reid B. Blackwelder, MD, professor of family medicine at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Kingsport. But not all doctors agree that chemistry alone explains the soup’s apparent benefits. “When you lean over a bowl of hot chicken soup and the vapor gets up your nose, you feel better,” says Schaffner. “But some [of the benefit] is clearly emotional. It just makes you feel better having someone make soup for you.”

 3. Be a couch potato. 
The advice may be clichéd, but it’s sound: Listen to your body. If it’s telling you not to exercise, don’t. If it’s urging you to spend all day in bed, do. Don't press on with daily responsibilities even in the face of severe cold or flu symptoms. Rest is “another way of supporting the body’s ability to fight infection,” says Blackwelder.

And don’t skimp on nighttime sleep. “Good sleep cycles help the immune system work well, so it’s important to get your full eight hours of sleep each night,” says Schaffner.

4. Humidify.
Breathing moist air helps ease nasal congestion and sore throat pain. One effective strategy is to indulge in a steamy shower several times a day -- or just turn on the shower and sit in the bathroom for a few minutes, inhaling the steam. Another is to use a humidifier. Clean it regularly to make sure it’s free of mold and other impurities.

 5. Pitch a tent.
Need a quick way to open clogged airways? Bring a pot of water to a boil and remove it from the heat. Drape a towel over your head, close your eyes, and lean over the water under the “tent,” breathing deeply through your nose for 30 seconds. David Kiefer, MD, clinical instructor of family medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, recommends adding a drop or two of peppermint or eucalyptus oil to the water for extra phlegm-busting power. Repeat this as often as necessary to ease congestion. People with asthma should not use this method of decongestion.

6. Try a warm compress.
On the forehead and nose, a warm cloth is a great way to relieve headache or sinus pain.

 7. Be a sucker.
Cough drops, throat lozenges, and hard candy can be surprisingly effective at easing a cough or sore throat. Some doctors, including Kiefer, swear by lozenges containing slippery elm. Others recommend zinc lozenges to help shorten cold symptoms -- though Schaffner is not convinced of their effectiveness. “If there is an effect [against colds and flu], it’s a small one,” he says. “I wish their effect were as good as their taste is bad.”

8. Swish and spit.
Gargling with salt water helps get rid of the thick mucus that can collect at the back of the throat, especially after you've been lying down. It can also help ease stuffy ears by opening clogged eustachian tubes, Kiefer tells WebMD in an email.

9. Try nasal irrigation.
To ease stuffiness and post-nasal drip -- and perhaps cut the risk of developing a sinus infection -- some doctors recommend nasal irrigation. You can buy a neti pot in natural foods stores and some drugstores, or opt for a saline squeeze bottle. You pour salt water into one nostril and let it run out the other, clearing out your nasal passages. You can buy pre-made saline solution or make it by mixing salt and lukewarm water.

10. Line up a caregiver.
A caregiver can’t lower your temperature or cure a sore throat, but “having someone to tuck you into bed and bring you fluids is very comforting,” says Blackwelder. If a friend or family member offers to help, even if it’s only to stop by and check in on you, count your blessings -- and take them up on it.

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5 Ways to Kick Your Cough At Home

Try these five tips to manage your cough at home:

1. Stay Hydrated

An upper respiratory tract infection like a cold or flu causes postnasal drip. Extra secretions trickle down the back of your throat, irritating it and sometimes causing a cough, Mosnaim says.

Drinking fluids helps to thin out the mucus in postnasal drip, says Kenneth DeVault, MD, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.

Drinking liquids also helps to keep mucous membranes moist. This is particularly helpful in the winter time when houses tend to be dry, another cause of cough, he says.

2. Try Lozenges and Hot Drinks

Try a menthol cough drop, Yoder suggests. “It numbs the back of the throat and that will tend to decrease the cough reflex.”


Drinking warm tea with honey can also soothe the throat. There is some clinical evidence to support this strategy, Yoder says.

3. Take Steamy Showers and Use a Humidifier

A hot shower can help a cough by loosening secretions in the nose. Mosnaim says this steamy strategy can help ease coughs not only from colds, but also from allergies and asthma.

Humidifiers may also help. In a dry home, nasal secretions can become desiccated and uncomfortable, Mosnaim explains. Putting moisture back in the air can help your cough, but be careful not to overdo it.

“The downside is if you don’t clean it, (humidifiers) become reservoirs for pumping out fungus and mold into the air and bacteria,” says Robert Naclerio, MD, chief of otolaryngology at the University of Chicago.

4. Remove Irritants in the Air
Perfumes and scented bathroom sprays may seem benign, but for some people they can cause chronic sinus irritation. This leads to chronic cough because of the production of excess mucus, says Alan Weiss, MD, a general internist at the Cleveland Clinic. Take control by avoiding such scented products.

The worst irritant in the air, of course, is smoke. Almost all smokers eventually develop the “smoker’s cough." Everyone around the smoker may suffer from some airway irritation. The best solution? Smokers need to stop smoking. (Yoder warns that severe chronic coughs can be a sign of emphysema or lung cancer in smokers, so be sure to see a doctor if you’re a smoker with chronic cough.)

5. Take Medications to Treat Coughs
When steamy showers, hot teas, and cough drops don’t help, you can turn to over-the-counter medicines to ease your cough.

Decongestants: Decongestants relieve nasal congestion by shrinking swollen nasal tissue and reducing mucus production. They dry up mucus in the lungs and open up the airway passages, says Weiss.
Decongestants come in pills, liquids, and nasal spray formulations. Oral decongestants such as pills and liquids can raise blood pressure, so people with hypertension need to be careful with their use, Mosnaim notes. Also, overuse of decongestants can lead to excessive dryness, which can trigger a dry cough.

Nasal sprays, if used for more than three or four days, can lead to rebound congestion, Mosnaim says. It’s best to use them for two or three days and then stop. 

Cough suppressants and expectorants: If you’re coughing so much that your chest hurts and you’re getting a bad night’s sleep, consider a cough suppressant, such as dextromethorphan (found in Robitussin-DM), says Mosnaim. Yoder recommends using cough suppressants only at night. 

Cough expectorants such as guaifenesin (found in Mucinex) are useful when a person has a cough that is thick with phlegm, Mosnaim says. Expectorants help to thin out the mucus so one can more easily cough it up, she notes.

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Vegetarians May Have Lower Risk of Cataracts

People who eat meat may be at increased risk of developing cataracts compared to vegetarians, a new study shows.Researchers at the University of Oxford in England say vegetarians and vegans are 30% to 40% less likely to develop cataracts than people who eat a lot of meat.Other factors, such as smoking, diabetes, and exposure to bright sunlight, also have been linked to greater risk of cataracts.

Researchers studied data on 27,670 people participating in the European Prospective Investigation in Cancer and Nutrition study. The participants in the study, all older than 40, were asked to fill out dietary surveys between 1993 and 1999. They were checked on between 2008 and 2009 to see if they had developed cataracts; about 1,500 had developed cataracts.

The participants were divided into groups according to the amount of meat they ate:

•     Highest meat consumption: 3.5 ounces or more a day.
•     Mid-range meat consumption: 1.7 to 3.4 ounces a day.
•     Low-meat consumption: less than 1.7 ounces a day.
•     Fish eaters: Those who ate fish but not meat.
•     Vegetarians: Those who did not eat meat or fish but did eat dairy products and/or eggs.
•     Vegans: Those who did not eat meat, fish, dairy products, or eggs.

Compared with those who ate the most meat, the risks for developing cataracts were lower for all other groups. Mid-range meat eaters had a decreased cataract risk of 4%, low-meat eaters 15%, fish eaters 21%, vegetarians 30%, and vegans 40%.

The researchers found that the progressive decrease in cataract risk was seen for both men and women but appeared to be confined to participants 65 and older at recruitment.

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How to Treat a Diabetic Wound

If you have a wound, no matter how small, take the following steps to avoid infection and promote healing:

• Take care of the wound immediately. Even a minor wound can become infected if bacteria are allowed to build up after injury.
• Clean the wound. Rinse the wound under running water to remove dirt. Don't use soap, hydrogen peroxide, or iodine, which can irritate the injury. Then apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection, and cover the wound with a sterile bandage. Change the bandage daily, and use soap to clean the skin around the wound. Inspect your wound daily for any signs of infection.
• See your doctor. Don't take any chances -- have your doctor check minor skin problems or areas of redness before they turn into larger problems. Err on the side of caution, says podiatrist and wound specialist Robert Snyder, DPM, medical director of the Wound Healing Center at University Hospital in Tamarac, Fla., and incoming president of the American Academy of Wound Management in Washington, D.C. "It's far easier to treat a minor skin problem before it becomes serious," he says.
• Keep pressure off the wound as it heals. For example, if your wound is on the bottom of the foot -- a common place for diabetic people to develop calluses and blisters -- stay off it as much as possible so it will have a better chance to heal, says Snyder.

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Why Diabetic Wounds Can Cause Problems??

Diabetes is a chronic disease where your body can't use glucose, or sugar, the way it should. It can cause a number of complications, including some that make it harder for wounds to heal. These include:

• Nerve damage (neuropathy). When you have neuropathy, you may not feel the pain of a cut or blister until it has grown worse or become infected.
• Weakened immune system. When the body's natural defenses are down, even a minor wound may become infected.
• Narrow arteries. People with clogged arteries in their legs are more likely to develop wounds, have severe wound infections, and have problems healing. Narrowed arteries makes it harder for blood to get to the wound. Blood flow promotes healing, so anything that blocks it can make wounds more likely to become infected.

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Know More About Autism

Just about every family, now, has been touched by autism. If it’s not your children, it’s another child in their classroom, or a child on your block. About 1 in 110 to 1 in 160 children has some degree of autism. One “silver lining” of this increased familiarity with autism will hopefully be an improvement in parents’ perceptions: these are good kids. With therapy (especially starting early), most children with mild-to-moderate autistic spectrum disorders can expect significant improvement, and will do well.

Symptoms of autism can be noticed before age one, though the diagnosis isn’t usually firmly established until later. The main manifestations are decreased verbal communication, repetitive movements, and problems with social interactions (the degree and severity of these three “cardinal features” can vary quite a bit between children. That’s why autism is now considered a broad “spectrum”.)

The cause of autism has been difficult to pin down, but good recent research is helping us understand multiple genetic influences. About 20% of autistic children who undergo state-of-the-art genetic testing will have a known genetic problem that has been firmly linked to autistic behaviors — and this 20% figure is increasing year by year as more studies find further genetic markers. It’s not all in the chromosomes and genes, though. We also know that complications from birth and some congenital infections (including rubella, which ironically can be prevented with the MMR vaccine) also cause autism. As with other complicated diseases, there will not be one single cause, nor one single cure.

An exciting new development in autism research is the confirmation that at least some of these genetic problems, when bred in mice, can lead to autistic behaviors in those animals, too. Being able to “model” autism in an animal will not only allow for better development and testing of treatments, but will also get us closer to understanding exactly what those gene mistakes do in the body. Understand the gene, then understand the function; understand the way the function is broken, then understand how to fix it. It is not quick science, but it’s how we’re going to defeat this disease.

Families touched by autism may be frustrated by the slow pace of science. But take heart: effective treatments (at least for mild-to-moderately affected children) are available, though it is a long, expensive process. Better prevention strategies, earlier identification of cases, and more-effective and quicker treatments (especially for more severe cases) are sorely needed, and will take time to develop. But there has been good progress, and there should be plenty of hope.

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13 everyday ways to avoid cancer

 First, the good news: You probably won't get cancer. That is, if you have a healthy lifestyle. "As many as 70% of known causes of cancers are avoidable and related to lifestyle," says Thomas A. Sellers, PhD, associate director for cancer prevention and control at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Diet, exercise, and avoidance of tobacco products are, of course, your first line of defense, but recent research has uncovered many small, surprising ways you can weave even more disease prevention into your everyday life. Try these novel strategies and your risk could dwindle even more.

1. Filter your tap water
You'll reduce your exposure to known or suspected carcinogens and hormone-disrupting chemicals. A new report from the President's Cancer Panel on how to reduce exposure to carcinogens suggests that home-filtered tap water is a safer bet than bottled water, whose quality often is not higher—and in some cases is worse—than that of municipal sources, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group. (Consumer Reports' top picks for faucet-mounted filters: Culligan, Pur Vertical, and the Brita OPFF-100.) Store water in stainless steel or glass to avoid chemical contaminants such as BPA that can leach from plastic bottles.

2. Stop topping your tank
So say the EPA and the President's Cancer Panel: Pumping one last squirt of gas into your car after the nozzle clicks off can spill fuel and foil the pump's vapor recovery system, designed to keep toxic chemicals such as cancer-causing benzene out of the air, where they can come in contact with your skin or get into your lungs.

3. Marinate meat before grilling
Processed, charred, and well-done meats can contain cancer-causing heterocyclic amines, which form when meat is seared at high temperatures, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which get into food when it's charcoal broiled. "The recommendation to cut down on grilled meat has really solid scientific evidence behind it," says Cheryl Lyn Walker, PhD, a professor of carcinogenesis at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

If you do grill, add rosemary and thyme to your favorite marinade and soak meat for at least an hour before cooking. The antioxidant-rich spices can cut HCAs by as much as 87%, according to research at Kansas State University.
30 Ways to cancer-proof your life.

4. Caffeinate every day
Java lovers who drank 5 or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a 40% decreased risk of brain cancer, compared with people who drank the least in a 2010 British study. A 5-cup-a-day coffee habit reduces risks of cancers of the pharynx and mouth almost as much. Researchers credit the caffeine: Decaf had no comparable effect. But coffee was a more potent protector against these cancers than tea, which the British researchers said also offered protection against brain cancer. 

5. Water Down Your Risks
Drinking plenty of water and other liquids may reduce the risk of bladder cancer by diluting the concentration of cancer-causing agents in urine and helping to flush them through the bladder faster. Drink at least 8 cups of liquid a day, suggests the American Cancer Society.

6. Load up on really green greens
Next time you're choosing salad fixings, reach for the darkest varieties. The chlorophyll that gives them their color is loaded with magnesium, which some large studies have found lowers the risk of colon cancer in women. "Magnesium affects signaling in cells, and without the right amount, cells may do things like divide and replicate when they shouldn't," says Walker. Just ½ cup of cooked spinach provides 75 mg of magnesium, 20% of the daily value.

7. Snack on Brazil nuts
They're a stellar source of selenium, an antioxidant that lowers the risk of bladder cancer in women, according to research from Dartmouth Medical School. Other studies have found that people with high blood levels of selenium have lower rates of dying of lung and colorectal cancers. Researchers think selenium not only protects cells from free radical damage but may enhance immune function and suppress formation of blood vessels that nourish tumors.

8. Burn off this breast cancer risk factor
Moderate exercise such as brisk walking 2 hours a week cuts risk of breast cancer 18%. Regular workouts may lower your risks by helping you burn fat, which otherwise produces its own estrogen, a known contributor to cancer.

9. Ask your doc about breast density
Women whose mammograms have revealed breast density readings of 75% or more have a cancer risk 4 to 5 times higher than that of women with low density scores, according to recent research. One theory is that denser breasts result from higher levels of estrogen—making exercise particularly important (see previous item). "Shrinking your body fat also changes growth factors, signaling proteins such as adipokines and hormones like insulin in ways that tend to turn off cancer-promoting processes in cells," Walker says.

10. Skip the dry cleaner
A solvent known as perc (short for perchloroethylene) that's used in traditional dry cleaning may cause liver and kidney cancers and leukemia, according to an EPA finding backed in early 2010 by the National Academies of Science. The main dangers are to workers who handle chemicals or treated clothes using older machines, although experts have not concluded that consumers are also at increased cancer risk. Less toxic alternatives: Hand-wash clothes with mild soap and air-dry them, spot cleaning if necessary with white vinegar.

11. Head off cell phone risks
Use your cell phone only for short calls or texts, or use a hands-free device that keeps the phone—and the radio frequency energy it emits—away from your head. The point is more to preempt any risk than to protect against a proven danger: Evidence that cell phones increase brain cancer risk is "neither consistent nor conclusive," says the President's Cancer Panel report. But a number of review studies suggest there's a link.

12. Block the sun with color
Choosing your outdoor outfit wisely may help protect against skin cancer, say Spanish scientists. In their research, blue and red fabrics offered significantly better protection against the sun's UV rays than white and yellow ones did. Don't forget to put on a hat: Though melanoma can appear anywhere on the body, it's more common in areas the sun hits, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have found that people with melanomas on the scalp or neck die at almost twice the rate of people with the cancer on other areas of the body.

13. Eat clean foods
The President's Cancer Panel recommends buying meat free of antibiotics and added hormones, which are suspected of causing endocrine problems, including cancer. The report also advises that you purchase produce grown without pesticides or wash conventionally grown food thoroughly to remove residues. (The foods with the most pesticides: celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, and blueberries.) "At least 40 known carcinogens are found in pesticides and we should absolutely try to reduce exposure," Sellers says.

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Five ways to avoid a heart attack

 
1. Know your cholesterol and keep it in check
Here’s what your optimal numbers should be:

• Total cholesterol: < 200
• LDL-cholesterol: < 100
• HDL-cholesterol: 40 or higher
• Cholesterol ratio (total chol/HDL): less than 5

2.Know your blood pressure and keep it in check
Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure has two readings — systolic and diastolic. The higher (systolic) number represents the pressure while the heart contracts to pump blood to the body. The lower (diastolic) number represents the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. Blood pressure below 120/80 mmHg is considered optimal for adults.

3. Be physically active — every day
Regular exercise helps control your weight (which in turn helps lower LDL-cholesterol and blood pressure). What’s more, according to a meta-analysis published this year in the “Archives of Internal Medicine,” exercise also appears to increase levels of HDL-cholesterol — that’s the good cholesterol that lowers your risk for heart disease. On most days, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (60-90 minutes to lose or maintain weight loss).

4. Minimize your middle
It’s always important to maintain, or lose weight if you’re overweight, by balancing physical activity with a calorie-appropriate diet. However, when it comes to heart-disease risk, research shows that where you carry fat — NOT necessarily how much fat you’re carrying — markedly increases the risk of calcium and plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart. Abdominal fat — as opposed to fat around the hips — seems to trigger a chain of inflammatory activities that translates into harmful metabolic changes and plaque buildup … and ultimately heart disease. In other words, the bigger your belly is in relationship to your hips (this is known as the “waist-to-hip ratio”) is a better indicator of early signs of heart disease than other common measures of overweight and obesity, such as body mass index (BMI) and height/weight charts.

Know your waist-to-hip ratio. Here’s how it works:

• While standing, use a tape measure to measure your waist in inches at its smallest point OR at your navel (without holding in or pushing out your tummy).
• Next, measure your hips in inches at the widest area.
• Lastly, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.

For example, if your waist measures 38” and your hips measure 38” … you’re 1.0.


Ideal waist-to-hip ratio:

• For men, .9 or less is considered safe.
• For women, .8 or less is considered safe.

For both men and women, 1.0 or higher is considered “at risk” for heart disease

The good news is that even small improvements prove to be beneficial. Lose an inch or two off your waist and you’re already better off.

5. Eat a heart-healthy diet
Incorporate the following 5 guidelines:

• Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
• Limit saturated fat to less than 7% of calories.
• Limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg/day.
• Limit alcohol to one drink/day for women and 2 drinks/day for men.
• Eat fish rich in omega-3 fats 3 times a week (wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, lake trout and Pacific oysters).

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