 |
|
|
Bowel Syndrome: Possible Cause and Available Medicine WASHINGTON: Doctors have said that irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, a functional disorder of the intestines does not cause permanent harm to the intestines and won't lead to intestinal bleeding or cancer. They also said that now there are many medications, as well as treatments that can help IBS patients. The symptoms of IBS are constipation or diarrhoea, with gas, bloating and intense stomach cramps after every meal. Dr. Steven Field, a gastroenterologist and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at New York University Medical Center, said that IBS causes spasms in the colon. Most of the pain and symptoms of IBS occur when sections of the colon are experiencing these spasms." He added that the spasms are also responsible for keeping stool from reaching the rectum, thereby causing constipation, or pushing it there too quickly causing diarrhoea. However, Field emphasised : "The point to remember is that there is help available if you have IBS. And there are many medications, as well as treatment strategies, that can help reduce the symptoms and help patients cope." Contrary to earlier belief that IBS was caused by emotional upsets , Field says, most doctors now believe there's a physiological cause behind this illness. Though no one is sure about the exact cause, one of the latest theories ties symptoms to levels of serotonin, a biochemical traditionally associated with depression. "What most people don't realize is that there are not only receptors for serotonin in the brain, which is the link to depression, there are also receptor sites in the gut. And there is some research to show they may play a role in IBS," Field says. Dr. Mark Pochapin, a professor of medicine at New York- Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Centre, said one of the more recent drug treatments for irritable bowel syndrome involves SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These are medications you may recognize as "anti-depressants" - drugs like fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil, Aropax), that proved somewhat effective in many people.
Among the very newest drug treatment approaches, says Pochapin, are
medications known as "antagonists," drugs that work to inhibit the activity
of a chemical in the body. In addition to medication, Field says high-fibre
diets and plenty of exercise can help against IBS, along with a reduction
in foods that cause bloating and gas, like dairy products or red meat.
And small, frequent meals may be easier to tolerate than larger meals
consumed less frequently. The Poisonous Side of Garlic (Go To Top) LONDON: Though garlic has been used for thousands of years to treat various ailments, many health professional warn that high doses of garlic may prevent blood clotting and interfere with proper thyroid function. Otherwise known as stinking rose, raw cloves of garlic have been used for years in Asia to treat ailments ranging from high blood pressure, infections and high cholesterol. Garlic is now widely accepted among the Western medical community as probably having these same health benefits. Western scientists even think garlic is a possible antidote to malaria. However, high sulphur content in garlic can cause colitis and dermatitis by destroying the natural flora in the gut, according to Jeya Henry, professor of Human Nutrition at University in Oxford. Although
there is a lot of scientific literature now on the benefits of garlic,
Henry said that Western methods of science may never be able to completely
explain why traditional herbal remedies were beneficial or not. "It
is often difficult to apply the rigour of scientific study in the West
to Asian medicine." Aspirin a Must for Heart Patients (Go To Top) WASHINGTON: Daily or regular use of aspirin can do wonders for all those who either suffer from, or are at risk of, heart disease, reports HealthScout. In fact, studies have shown a consistent decline in heart-attack risk among those heart patients who took aspirin, even in small doses, as compared to those who did not. According to American Heart Association (AHA), regular use of aspirin by heart patients "reduces the risk of blood clots that can block a heart artery and trigger a heart attack." "The data really supports it. I routinely prescribe it for everybody I see. I take one myself. It's preventive," says Boston-based cardiologist Dr James Udelson. Like
all drugs, there is a potential for side-effects. The main risk of daily
aspirin use is that the drug reduces the clotting ability of blood,
which could lead to gastrointestinal bleeding. Also, aspirin can upset
the stomach lining. Kidney Disease - A Silent Killer (Go To Top) WASHINGTON: A silent killer is at large. Millions of people are at the risk of developing kidney disease without even knowing about the danger. And by the time they realise it, its too late. With no symptoms in its early stage, kidney disease is hard to detect, explains Dr William Keane, president of the National Kidney Foundation. "There are usually very few symptoms that would cause a patient to bring it to the attention of their physician," according to Keane. "No pain, headache, upset stomach or chest pain. Kidney disease is a silent disease, he says." Not surprisingly, many people have advanced kidney disease, called "end-stage renal disease," before they even discover it. At this point, the kidneys are so damaged that the patients often require dialysis - where they are hooked up to a machine that purifies the blood because the kidneys can no longer do the job - or a kidney transplant. "Kidney disease is an under-recognized, under-diagnosed and under-treated," says Dr. Ellie Kelepouris, associate chief of nephrology at Temple University in Philadelphia. 2010. Two
primary reasons for the growing number of people with kidney disease
is the increase in Type II diabetes and hypertension, Keane says. Almost
33 percent of those being treated for end- stage kidney disease are
diabetic. High blood pressure is the culprit in about 25 per cent of
cases. Do's and Dont's for Lung Patients During Air Travel (Go To Top) LONDON: Flying can prove fatal for lung patients and therefore they should seek medical advice before undertaking air travel, say new guidelines from UK experts. According to the British Thoracic Society, since the oxygen content inside the cabin is slightly reduced due to continuous re-circulation of air, it can result in breathing problems in severe asthmatics and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cystic fibrosis, reports BBC. The
guidelines also advise patients to stay mobile during the flight if
they are not receiving oxygen, avoid excess alcohol and carry preventive
inhalers. Patients who need extra oxygen during the flight must arrange
this with the airline before travelling. |
|