People with chronic lowerback pain who kept tightlipped about harassment, experienced more tension in the muscles along their spine, according to a study in Psychosomatic Medicine.
And tight muscles hurt. So go ahead, get mad.
Showing posts with label Feature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feature. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Bye-bye back pain
People with chronic lowerback pain who kept tightlipped about harassment, experienced more tension in the muscles along their spine, according to a study in Psychosomatic Medicine.
And tight muscles hurt. So go ahead, get mad.
Wash up kids: There are killer bugs on your hands
Schoolchildren have hands full of disease-causing organisms, a study conducted in two major Indian cities found. A huge 61 per cent children surveyed had germs on their hands.
The most common of them was staphylococcus aureus, which causes food poisoning, respiratory and skin diseases.
Enteric bacteria like escherichia coli, klebsiella, enterobacter, proteus and enterococci, which cause diarrheal diseases, and Group A streptococcus, which is a potential respiratory and skin pathogen, were also found.
The study - done by scientists from Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Kolkata's KPC Medical College and Bangalore's Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences - involved 208 school children in Bangalore and Kolkata in the 10-14 age group.
Scientists took hand swabs of the students before mid-day meal time. The students were also asked questions on the practice of hand washing and the material used for that, hand washing facilities at home and school and the importance of hand washing.
"Their hands were contaminated before taking food. Although they washed hands before meals, they hardly used soap because of non-availability," a scientist said.
In the absence of water and soap for hand washing, it is not possible to inculcate the habit of washing hands in children, scientists said in the study published in the Indian Journal of Public Health. In addition, children should dry hands with clean dry cloth. Otherwise, the effect of hand washing is lost.
In the study, only 18 per cent of the students said their school had the facility for washing hands with soap while 79 per cent said the facility was not available. Some of the students did not respond to the query.
Around 86 per cent children said they washed hands before lunch, but only 21 per cent said they used soap to wash hands.
Contaminated hands play a major role in fecal-oral transmission of diseases.
Hands should be cleaned before, during, and after preparing food, before eating, before and after attending to an ill person, before and after treating a cut or wound, after using the toilet, after changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, after touching an animal or animal waste and after touching garbage.
The most common of them was staphylococcus aureus, which causes food poisoning, respiratory and skin diseases.
Enteric bacteria like escherichia coli, klebsiella, enterobacter, proteus and enterococci, which cause diarrheal diseases, and Group A streptococcus, which is a potential respiratory and skin pathogen, were also found.
The study - done by scientists from Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Kolkata's KPC Medical College and Bangalore's Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences - involved 208 school children in Bangalore and Kolkata in the 10-14 age group.
Scientists took hand swabs of the students before mid-day meal time. The students were also asked questions on the practice of hand washing and the material used for that, hand washing facilities at home and school and the importance of hand washing.
"Their hands were contaminated before taking food. Although they washed hands before meals, they hardly used soap because of non-availability," a scientist said.
In the absence of water and soap for hand washing, it is not possible to inculcate the habit of washing hands in children, scientists said in the study published in the Indian Journal of Public Health. In addition, children should dry hands with clean dry cloth. Otherwise, the effect of hand washing is lost.
In the study, only 18 per cent of the students said their school had the facility for washing hands with soap while 79 per cent said the facility was not available. Some of the students did not respond to the query.
Around 86 per cent children said they washed hands before lunch, but only 21 per cent said they used soap to wash hands.
Contaminated hands play a major role in fecal-oral transmission of diseases.
Hands should be cleaned before, during, and after preparing food, before eating, before and after attending to an ill person, before and after treating a cut or wound, after using the toilet, after changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, after touching an animal or animal waste and after touching garbage.
Violent relationships lead to bad parenting
Married or cohabiting couples who have been mutually violent during pregnancy are likely to have more trouble parenting as a team, a study reveals.
"This finding is helpful because working as a parenting team, is a key influence on everything from mothers' postpartum depression, to sensitive parenting, to the children's emotional and social adjustment," said Mark E. Feinberg, research professor at Penn State University and study co-author.
Researchers interviewed 156 expectant couples at three different times, once before the baby was born, again about six months after the birth of the child and a final time when the baby was approximately 13 months old, the Journal of Family Issues reported.
"This finding is helpful because working as a parenting team, is a key influence on everything from mothers' postpartum depression, to sensitive parenting, to the children's emotional and social adjustment," said Mark E. Feinberg, research professor at Penn State University and study co-author.
Researchers interviewed 156 expectant couples at three different times, once before the baby was born, again about six months after the birth of the child and a final time when the baby was approximately 13 months old, the Journal of Family Issues reported.
The interviews determined the degree of physical violence between couples prior to the birth of the baby, and how well couples were able to act as a team while parenting, after the baby was born, according to a university statement.
"The results suggest that working with couples to curtail, or prevent violence in their relationships before the birth of their child, may have positive implications for the development of co-parenting relationships after the child is born," said Feinberg, from the Prevention Research Centre for the Promotion of Human Development at Penn State.
Researchers reported that 29.8 percent of mothers acted violently at least once in the past year, while 17.3 percent of fathers acted violently.
Finding mothers to be more violent than fathers is not an uncommon discovery in average community samples, according to the researchers.
"The results suggest that working with couples to curtail, or prevent violence in their relationships before the birth of their child, may have positive implications for the development of co-parenting relationships after the child is born," said Feinberg, from the Prevention Research Centre for the Promotion of Human Development at Penn State.
Researchers reported that 29.8 percent of mothers acted violently at least once in the past year, while 17.3 percent of fathers acted violently.
Finding mothers to be more violent than fathers is not an uncommon discovery in average community samples, according to the researchers.
Home births riskier for first-time mothers
To-be-moms please take note: Women who opt for a home birth for their first baby are almost three times more likely to suffer complications than if they go to hospital, a landmark study has found.
The largest ever study, conducted by Oxford University involving more than 65,500 births in the UK, also found that up to half of first-time mothers were transferred to hospital while in labour from home and third from a midwifery unit.
The largest ever study, conducted by Oxford University involving more than 65,500 births in the UK, also found that up to half of first-time mothers were transferred to hospital while in labour from home and third from a midwifery unit.
However, it found that women having their second or third babies, who were classed as low risk, were just as safe at home or in a midwife-only unit as they were in a hospital unit with specialist obstetricians.
The research, published in the British Medical Journal, also found that rates of complications affecting the baby including stillbirth after the start of labour, the baby dying within the first week of birth, brain injury, fractures to the upper arm or shoulder during birth, and faeces in the lungs, were higher for first time mothers.
There were 9.5 such complications per 1,000 births for first time mothers having their baby at home, compared with 3.5 per 1,000 births to first time mothers in hospital.
There was no increased risk for babies whose birth was planned at units led by midwives, either ones that stand alone in the community or which are attached to a clinic, it found.
Prof Peter Brocklehurst, who led the study, said: "For every 1,000 women, 995 babies would have a completely normal outcome.
"These results should reassure pregnant women planning their birth that they can make informed decisions about where they'd most like the birth to happen, knowing that giving birth in England is generally very safe.
"There is an increase in risk for first-time mums planning home births, but poor outcomes for the baby are still uncommon."
The research, published in the British Medical Journal, also found that rates of complications affecting the baby including stillbirth after the start of labour, the baby dying within the first week of birth, brain injury, fractures to the upper arm or shoulder during birth, and faeces in the lungs, were higher for first time mothers.
There were 9.5 such complications per 1,000 births for first time mothers having their baby at home, compared with 3.5 per 1,000 births to first time mothers in hospital.
There was no increased risk for babies whose birth was planned at units led by midwives, either ones that stand alone in the community or which are attached to a clinic, it found.
Prof Peter Brocklehurst, who led the study, said: "For every 1,000 women, 995 babies would have a completely normal outcome.
"These results should reassure pregnant women planning their birth that they can make informed decisions about where they'd most like the birth to happen, knowing that giving birth in England is generally very safe.
"There is an increase in risk for first-time mums planning home births, but poor outcomes for the baby are still uncommon."
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Heart Attack Can Lead To Rupture Of The Heart
Individuals who have survived a heart attack are at risk to die of heart rupture which is literally the heart bursting out of the arterial wall. This is the result of a new study at the University of Iowa where researchers discovered a single protein that acts as a risk factor in the “biochemical cascade” that will ultimately lead to heart rupture.
The findings of this study was published last November 13, 2011 as an Advance Online Publication of the journal Nature Medicine which focuses experts attention to blocking the action of this specific protein known as CaM kinase. It is known that after a heart attack, the body produces chemicals that are known to be involved in healing and repair of the heart tissue. But too much chemicals can be too much for a frail and injured heart which may cause further damage which can lead to total heart failure and ultimately death due to heart rupture. This study further assesses the effects of the different medications prescribed after a heart attack. Beta-blockers which block the action of adrenaline and medication that block the angiotensin receptor. Mark E. Anderson, MD PhD, UI professor and head of internal medicine and senior study author also stresses the third phases of prescription medication which must be composed of drugs that block aldosterone action.
Aldosterone is known to increase after a heart attack and the high levels of this particular hormone can increase the risk of death days after a heart attack. Aldosterone is also thought to work with CaM kinase which can ultimately lead to techniques in preventing heart rupture through blocking this protein.
This study will surely be beneficial to individuals who have just suffered a heart attack to further preserve heart health and ultimately preventing heart rupture which leads to death.
The findings of this study was published last November 13, 2011 as an Advance Online Publication of the journal Nature Medicine which focuses experts attention to blocking the action of this specific protein known as CaM kinase. It is known that after a heart attack, the body produces chemicals that are known to be involved in healing and repair of the heart tissue. But too much chemicals can be too much for a frail and injured heart which may cause further damage which can lead to total heart failure and ultimately death due to heart rupture. This study further assesses the effects of the different medications prescribed after a heart attack. Beta-blockers which block the action of adrenaline and medication that block the angiotensin receptor. Mark E. Anderson, MD PhD, UI professor and head of internal medicine and senior study author also stresses the third phases of prescription medication which must be composed of drugs that block aldosterone action.
Aldosterone is known to increase after a heart attack and the high levels of this particular hormone can increase the risk of death days after a heart attack. Aldosterone is also thought to work with CaM kinase which can ultimately lead to techniques in preventing heart rupture through blocking this protein.
This study will surely be beneficial to individuals who have just suffered a heart attack to further preserve heart health and ultimately preventing heart rupture which leads to death.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Why human brains can't get any smarter
Human brains can't get any smarter because they seem to have hit an evolutionary roadblock. You can't have too much of a good thing when it comes to mental performance because there is an upper limit somewhere, researchers suggest.
"In other words... if you go beyond that spot, just like in the fairy tales, you have to pay the price," says Thomas Hills from the University of Warwick in Britain.
"In other words... if you go beyond that spot, just like in the fairy tales, you have to pay the price," says Thomas Hills from the University of Warwick in Britain.
"These kinds of studies suggest there is an upper limit to how much people can or should improve their mental functions like attention, memory or intelligence," said Hills, the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science reports.
"Take a complex task like driving, where the mind needs to be dynamically focused, attending to the right things such as the road ahead and other road users - which are changing all the time," he said, according to a university statement.
"If you enhance your ability to focus too much, and end up over-focusing on specific details, like the driver trying to hide in your blind spot, then you may fail to see another driver suddenly veering into your lane from the other direction," he added.
This seems to explain why people with enhanced intelligence suffer from autism, debilitating synaesthesia and neural disorders.
Hills, who conducted a comprehensive review study with Ralph Hertwig from the University of Basel in Switzerland, said drugs like Ritalan only help people with lower attention spans.
But when people who don't have trouble focusing, take these attention boosting pills, they can actually perform worse.
"Or if you drink coffee to make yourself more alert, the trade-off is that it is likely to increase your anxiety levels and lose your fine motor control. There are always trade-offs," Hills concluded.
"Take a complex task like driving, where the mind needs to be dynamically focused, attending to the right things such as the road ahead and other road users - which are changing all the time," he said, according to a university statement.
"If you enhance your ability to focus too much, and end up over-focusing on specific details, like the driver trying to hide in your blind spot, then you may fail to see another driver suddenly veering into your lane from the other direction," he added.
This seems to explain why people with enhanced intelligence suffer from autism, debilitating synaesthesia and neural disorders.
Hills, who conducted a comprehensive review study with Ralph Hertwig from the University of Basel in Switzerland, said drugs like Ritalan only help people with lower attention spans.
But when people who don't have trouble focusing, take these attention boosting pills, they can actually perform worse.
"Or if you drink coffee to make yourself more alert, the trade-off is that it is likely to increase your anxiety levels and lose your fine motor control. There are always trade-offs," Hills concluded.
How to enjoy delayed motherhood
What it is: Having a baby before the 37th week of pregnancy.
Risk factors: Uterine or cervical abnormalities, recurring bladder or kidney infections, clotting disorder.
Call your doc: If you have increased vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding or spotting, increased pressure in the pelvic area, abdominal cramping.
Rx: Medication including calcium channel blockers, terbutaline drugs, steroids and synthetic progesterone help delay the delivery.
The old saying 'better late than never' is not entirely applicable while planning a baby. Doctors at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London, advise that women should ideally have babies within ages 20 to 35.
The good news is that you can easily outsmart agerelated pregnancy complications if you are running a bit late. Identify the risks, report them to your doc and be safe. Be a happy, healthy post-30s mommy!
Intra-Uterine Growth Retardation (IUGR)
What it is: Retardation of the baby's growth in the uterus.
Risk factors: Hypertension, anaemia, kidney disease.
Call your doc: If you are not gaining adequate weight, your abdomen looks abnormally small.
Rx: Your doc will probably suggest bed rest. Sleep in the left lateral position. Follow a high-carb, high-protein diet. Available treatment options include low-dose aspirin therapy, zinc supplementation, fi sh oil and oxygen therapy.
Risk factors: Uterine or cervical abnormalities, recurring bladder or kidney infections, clotting disorder.
Call your doc: If you have increased vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding or spotting, increased pressure in the pelvic area, abdominal cramping.
Rx: Medication including calcium channel blockers, terbutaline drugs, steroids and synthetic progesterone help delay the delivery.
The old saying 'better late than never' is not entirely applicable while planning a baby. Doctors at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London, advise that women should ideally have babies within ages 20 to 35.
The good news is that you can easily outsmart agerelated pregnancy complications if you are running a bit late. Identify the risks, report them to your doc and be safe. Be a happy, healthy post-30s mommy!
Intra-Uterine Growth Retardation (IUGR)
What it is: Retardation of the baby's growth in the uterus.
Risk factors: Hypertension, anaemia, kidney disease.
Call your doc: If you are not gaining adequate weight, your abdomen looks abnormally small.
Rx: Your doc will probably suggest bed rest. Sleep in the left lateral position. Follow a high-carb, high-protein diet. Available treatment options include low-dose aspirin therapy, zinc supplementation, fi sh oil and oxygen therapy.
Cut down the risk of giving birth prematurely
Pregnant women can now have the perfect excuse to munch on few chocolate bars, as a new study has claimed eating chocolates regularly may halve a woman's risk of giving birth prematurely.
Researchers at the Yale University in the US found that those who consume higher rates of chocolatey snacks--including hot chocolate drinks -- were less likely to develop pre-eclampsia, one of the most common causes of premature birth that affects nearly 6 million births annually.
It is characterised by high blood pressure and can cause convulsions, blood clots, liver damage and kidney failure, leading to the death of the baby and sometimes the mother, the Daily Mail reported. The findings of the new study are based on the dietary habits of about 2,500 women during pregnancy.
"Women who reported regular chocolate consumption of more than three servings a week had a 50 per cent or greater reduced risk of pre-eclampsia," the researchers wrote in the journal Annals of Epidemiology.
"Regular chocolate intake during the first or third trimester was equally protective." There have been a number of studies which suggested that chocolate has some health benefits if eaten moderately.
Researchers at the Yale University in the US found that those who consume higher rates of chocolatey snacks--including hot chocolate drinks -- were less likely to develop pre-eclampsia, one of the most common causes of premature birth that affects nearly 6 million births annually.
It is characterised by high blood pressure and can cause convulsions, blood clots, liver damage and kidney failure, leading to the death of the baby and sometimes the mother, the Daily Mail reported. The findings of the new study are based on the dietary habits of about 2,500 women during pregnancy.
"Women who reported regular chocolate consumption of more than three servings a week had a 50 per cent or greater reduced risk of pre-eclampsia," the researchers wrote in the journal Annals of Epidemiology.
"Regular chocolate intake during the first or third trimester was equally protective." There have been a number of studies which suggested that chocolate has some health benefits if eaten moderately.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Pregnancy Tests
Pregnancy tests work by testing a woman’s urine to find out if they have a hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. This hormone is also called the pregnancy hormone and it builds up in the woman’s body every day that she is pregnant. There are two different types of pregnancy tests. One tests the blood, and the other tests the urine. Women who want to check their blood to find out if they are pregnant will need to see a doctor. A Home Pregnancy Test, can be bought at most Pharmacies.
Women who think they may be pregnant may wonder when is the best time to take a pregnancy test. Blood tests can usually indicate a pregnancy quicker than a home pregnancy test. If a woman wants to find out if she is pregnant by buying a home pregnancy test, the best time to take the test is first thing in the morning with the first urine of the day. The first urine in the morning will give the most accurate reading. A woman should also make sure that the pregnancy test is not expired, otherwise they could get a faulty reading. The digital home pregnancy tests are the best tests to purchase because they give a reading of either pregnant, or not pregnant. Other tests just give an indicator of a minus sign or a plus sign. The minus sign meaning they are not pregnant, and the plus sign meaning they are pregnant. When taking a home pregnancy test, a woman should wait for one week after their first missed period. The longer a woman waits, the more time the pregnancy hormone has time to show up. If a woman takes a pregnancy test too soon, it could give them a false negative, when they are actually pregnant.
When a woman takes a home pregnancy test, she will need to urinate on the home pregnancy indicator stick, and then wait for ten minutes after taking the test. The pregnancy test will usually indicate a pregnancy ten minutes after the urine is placed on the stick. Pregnancy tests can give a false negative if they are not used in the right way. If a pregnancy test has expired, it will give a false reading. If the woman takes the test later on during the day, she may get a false negative because the urine is not as potent. Most urine builds up over night while a person is sleeping, so they will get a lot of urine during the early morning hours, but it decreases in potency as the day goes by.
Women who think they may be pregnant may wonder when is the best time to take a pregnancy test. Blood tests can usually indicate a pregnancy quicker than a home pregnancy test. If a woman wants to find out if she is pregnant by buying a home pregnancy test, the best time to take the test is first thing in the morning with the first urine of the day. The first urine in the morning will give the most accurate reading. A woman should also make sure that the pregnancy test is not expired, otherwise they could get a faulty reading. The digital home pregnancy tests are the best tests to purchase because they give a reading of either pregnant, or not pregnant. Other tests just give an indicator of a minus sign or a plus sign. The minus sign meaning they are not pregnant, and the plus sign meaning they are pregnant. When taking a home pregnancy test, a woman should wait for one week after their first missed period. The longer a woman waits, the more time the pregnancy hormone has time to show up. If a woman takes a pregnancy test too soon, it could give them a false negative, when they are actually pregnant.
When a woman takes a home pregnancy test, she will need to urinate on the home pregnancy indicator stick, and then wait for ten minutes after taking the test. The pregnancy test will usually indicate a pregnancy ten minutes after the urine is placed on the stick. Pregnancy tests can give a false negative if they are not used in the right way. If a pregnancy test has expired, it will give a false reading. If the woman takes the test later on during the day, she may get a false negative because the urine is not as potent. Most urine builds up over night while a person is sleeping, so they will get a lot of urine during the early morning hours, but it decreases in potency as the day goes by.
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