Colds and contact lenses

Short takes from The Star on health:

Colds and contact lenses
People should not wear contact lenses when they have a cold, according to a top German expert.

Gerald Boehme, head of the contact lens department of Duesseldorf’s Ophthalmologists Association, says those who fail to heed this advice could get eye infections if they cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze, and then rub their eyes.

Soft lenses are particularly prone to collecting germs that may cause conjunctivitis or inflammation of the cornea, he says.

Boehm advises people not to touch their eyes in general – except in the morning, when they should wipe them with a clean washcloth.

“And children should be taught to keep their fingers out of their eyes,” he says.

Increased diabetes risk for men
Sleep disturbances appear to increase the risk of developing diabetes in men but not in women, according to a Swedish study. Dr Lena Mallon, from University Hospital in Uppsala and her associates sent questionnaires regarding sleep complaints and other possible risk factors for diabetes to a random sample of subjects who were 45 to 65 years old in 1983, and again in 1995. A total of 1187 subjects completed both questionnaires.

Spinal arthritis
Exercise programmes are beneficial for people with a type of arthritis affecting the spine – ankylosing spondylitis (AS) – Norwegian researchers report, although it is not clear which type of protocol is best. Dr Hanne Dagfinrud of the University of Oslo and colleagues reviewed of 43 studies involving exercise and AS and eventually scrutinized data on a total of 561 patients in six trials.

Reducing risk of breast cancer
Regular exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer, according to the Komen Association for the Treatment of Breast Cancer in Bad Homburg, Germany.

The association says that moderate exercise also impedes the disease’s progress and is important after breast-cancer treatment, since it helps alleviate typical tiredness.

While regular moderate exercise strengthens the body’s immune system, Komen says, strenuous exercise has a negative effect. It says an hour of exercise three times a week is enough to strengthen the immune system.

Improving bone mass
Older adults who’ve suffered a stroke may be able to improve their fitness and protect their bone mass with specially designed exercise classes, according to Canadian researchers. Their study of 63 stroke survivors found that those who took part in a supervised exercise programme became fitter, stronger and more mobile than those who participated in limited physical activity.

Oral tobacco
Smokeless oral tobacco products such as moist snuff and hard snuff lozenges are not a safe alternative to cigarettes for people trying to kick the habit, as these products contain high levels of cancer-causing compounds.

Instead, the best aids appear to be medicinal nicotine replacement products such as the nicotine patch or gum as these products contain only trace amounts of cancer-causing compounds, according to research presented at a cancer prevention conference in Baltimore this month. – Sources: Reuters, dpa

Meal myths

This site puts some meal myths in the right perspective. One such is

Myth:
Eating after 8 p.m. causes weight gain.

Fact:
It does not matter what time of day you eat. It is what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do during the whole day that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight. No matter when you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat.

Tip:
If you want to have a snack before bedtime, think first about how many calories you have eaten that day. And try to avoid snacking in front of the TV at night it may be easier to overeat when you are distracted by the television.

Extra-virgin olive oil mimics painkiller

Good news for lovers of extra-virgin olive oil: besides being delicious on salads, it also contains a compound that mimics the effects of ibuprofen. So a Mediterranean-style diet might give you the supposed long-term benefits of that drug, such as a reduced cancer risk.

A daily dose of 50 g or 4 tablespoons of olive oil confers the equivalent of around 10% of the recommended ibuprofen dose for adult pain relief, say researchers led by Paul Breslin of the Monell Chemical Senses Center at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, who discovered the effect. So although it won't cure a headache, it may give you some of the long-term benefits of repeated ibuprofen use, including helping to ward off Alzheimer's.

Read more: Sudeep Bansal's "Extra-virgin olive oil mimics painkiller"

Imaging the breasts - Mammogram - Ultrasound

In the article Breast lump, lumps, lumpiness, Dr EVELYN HO of The Star looks at the imaging options that can help diagnose what’s going on in the breast.

IN the case of breast lumps, breast imaging tests will clarify the situation and you can leave for home with some definite answers.

If you are under 35 years old, the first investigation would be an ultrasound for your breast lump, lumps or lumpiness. If you are above 35 years, it may be a mammogram, and then, after the mammogram, you may still need an ultrasound.

If you are already at least 40 years old with a breast lump, the first investigation will be a mammogram, and it may still be followed with an ultrasound.
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The mammogram
THIS is a special imaging investigation of the breasts using very low dose x-rays. It is currently still the best tool available for women of the appropriate age group to detect breast cancer at the earliest stage, BEFORE it can be felt by the hands.

Mammograms are able to detect cancers at the “pre-cancer” stage, posing a challenge for researchers to find out who will and who will not progress to overt cancer.

If you don’t have an abnormal physical finding, and if you don’t have unusually strong family history of young breast cancer, then, the mammogram is normally advised from 40 years onwards.
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Breast Ultrasound
THE ultrasound (imaging of the breasts using high frequency sound waves) is very useful in differentiating the lumpy texture of the breast (lumpiness) from true lumps (growths) because the radiologist (specialist doctor) or the trained sonographer (technologist or radiographer trained in performing the ultrasound scan) can investigate the exact area that is bothering the patient or as indicated by the doctor who examined you initially.
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Source: The Star

The diabetes menace

Bad news … any fasting glucose level above 7mmol probably means diabetes

DIABETES or diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder of glucose (sugar) metabolism caused by inadequate production or use of insulin, a hormone produced in specialised cells (beta cells in the islets of Langerhans) in the pancreas that allows the body to use and store glucose.

The lack of insulin results in an inability to metabolise glucose, and this results in elevated sugar levels in the urine and blood, increased urination, thirst, hunger, weakness and weight loss.

Pre-diabetes
“Pre-diabetes” is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet diabetic. People with pre-diabetes have impaired fasting glucose (6.1 to less than 7mmol/l). Diabetics have fasting blood glucose levels of more than 7mmol/L.

Recent research has shown that some long-term damage to the body, especially to the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring during the pre-diabetes stage. Most individuals may not be aware that they are pre-diabetics; more often than not, such damage is not extensive enough for one to notice or experience.

How diabetes is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD)
CVD is a major complication and the leading cause of premature death among people with diabetes – at least 65% of people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke1. Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or suffer a stroke than people without diabetes.

Lifestyle changes in diabetes
· Wholesome healthy diet
The key to a healthy diet is to consume plenty of fresh fibre-rich fruits and vegetables daily. Try going for a variety of fruits and vegetables. The more colours on your plate, the better. Limit your rice intake and eat brown rice rather than white whenever possible. Choose wholegrain bread over white.

· Regular exercise
The recently completed Diabetes Prevention Programme study by ADA (American Diabetes Association) conclusively shows that pre-diabetics can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes by increasing their level of physical activity. They may even be able to return their blood glucose levels to the normal range.

Continue...The diabetes menace..The Star

Heart Care

We all know that it is the heart that keeps us alive but sadly, not all of us take good care of it. Here are some tips from Dr Devi Prasad Shetty who is a leading heart surgeon in India and a philanthropist. Hope these tips will enlighten us enough to start taking care of our heart.
The interview below is from PERSONNEL TODAY, a journal of National Institute of Personnel Management.

Q What are the five thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?
A. 1. Diet – Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil.
2. Exercise – half an hour’s walk, at least five days a week. Avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a long time.
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control blood pressure and sugar.

Q Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?
A. No

More heart care tips...