Let’s Talk About Health

Sandra Kim Leong asked:


Eating disorder movie finally debuts on the cinema. The documentary titled Thin examines the issues of girl culture of being stick-skinny and its mental and physical consequences. The show debuts at a time when there is increasing concerns about young girls and women who are obsessed with the ideas of being thin and looking attractive.

The documentary follows the various ups and downs of four women with eating disorders and in their bid to become thin. It also examines the social impact to those with eating disorders.

In one particular scene, a father finds it difficult to understand why his daugther cannot just snap out of her eating habits. From this, the documentary hopes to spread the message that people with eating disorders do actually have emotional illness. As such, it is not easy for a person with an eating disorder to stop the abnormal behaviour just like that. The mental state of an eating disorder sufferer is admittedly complex and not easy to fully understand.

In another scene in the documentary, one of the women brings her own food to a family Thanksgiving dinner. This scene depicts a real example that eating disorders can cause someone to isolate himself or herself or withdraw totally from company.

Many accuse the media for causing the eating disorder trend. Young teenagers and women are constantly bombarded by media images of models who look stick thin. A fad that started in Los Angeles had designers using size zero models. Size zero models look anorexic. These clearly have a negative effect on the body image of a person.

However, eating disorders all boil down to this. Those at the greatest risk of developing eating disorders have low self esteem and confidence. They measure their self worth on their perceived acceptance by society. Usually, these people have poor family support or have gone through some psychological trauma from young

In many cases, those with an eating disorder mental health problem will go to great lengths to ensure that they look stick thin. They choose to survive on very little and at the end of their meals, vomit out what they had just consumed. However, they will end up hurting and creating damage to their bodies with these eating habits.

Thankfully, more is being done to help those with eating disorders. There are treatment centers now being set up for inpatient care, in recognition of the growing number of cases of anorexia and bulimia.



ERASMO

1234 asked:


What sort of medical/health issues will keep you from being able to join? and also what about food allergies or intolerance?

MAGDALENA

Thomas Henricks asked:


Many health issues are common to the generally healthy population. Constipation, intestinal parasites acne, candida, - do these appear to be seemingly unrelated conditions? These are all health problems that have affected a number of people for years.

Surprisingly with a colon cleanse many people experience what appears to be a coincidental relief from some of the apparently unrelated conditions. So that might lead to the question, what is a colon cleanse and how could it possibly relate to some of those other issues?

Understanding the Role of the Colon

Before fully explaining what a colon cleanse is, a little information will help you better understand what the function of the colon rally is. Your colon more commonly referred to as large intestine, physically starts near the appendix and runs down to the rectum to facilitate elimination of waste through the ****.

The primary purpose of the colon is to serve as a collection area for waste prior to elimination. It also performs another little function absorbing water from that has been filtered out of the nutrients that will be utilized within the small intestine. The large intestine plays a major role in managing fluids introduced to our body and influencing our electrolyte balance.

When a person is not experiencing regular bowel movements and routine activity, the waste is stored in the colon. This accumulation of potentially toxic waste can cause a host of health issues and constipation is simply one of those issues. There is a direct link to other body functions and organs in your body when the large intestine is not effectively eliminating waste. The liver cannot effectively perform the functions it normally performs, and when it fails to function properly, it affects the kidneys and there is a chain reaction that leads to overall ill health. A colon cleanse is a very important step towards restoring the balance between a properly functioning system and waste elimination.

Detoxify your Body

A colon cleanse will help free your large intestine of this potentially toxic waste accumulation that can contribute to a variety of other health conditions you are experiencing such as acne or lethargy. A more subtle benefit is that once you conducted a complete colon cleanse, your other internal organs will become more effective in their jobs as well. This detoxification will free your body of accumulated wastes that result primarily from poor diet choices.

Many people report that after a colon cleanse they have observed a significant weight loss. Another wonderful benefit is the elimination of bloating in their abdominal area that was caused by waste and gas accumulations associated with the unhealthy state. It has also been noted that some people experiencing irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and other bowel conditions have reported that their symptoms were eased or disappeared completely.

Most colon cleanse treatments can be purchased in a variety of places such as pharmacies, alternative and organic stores, herb and vitamin specialty stores and even of course they are widely available on the internet. You will find herbal shakes, pills, powders that you mix with water or juice. You should conduct some research and read testimonials at established and recognized sources to help determine the colon cleanse treatment that best meets your needs.

It is important that you do not delay in conducting a colon cleanse treatment any longer. The conditions described could potentially rob you of essential salts and water needed to maintain that healthy balance in your body.



CHESTER

Daryl Watters asked:


MOLD ALLERGY

The leading cause of health problems associated with mold is the common mold allergy. Many who believe they are being poisoned by toxic molds are actually experiencing a mold allergy. Allergenic responses to molds as well as to other bio-allergens such as dust mite allergens, cat and dog allergens, and **** roach allergens can nevertheless be a serious concern and can result in mild to severe reactions that often get worse over time. Mold allergy symptoms include: runny nose, watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, itchy nose, itchy throat, and skin rashes. The institute of Medicine (1993) estimated that one in five Americans suffers from allergic rhinitis, the single most common chronic disease experienced by humans. Additionally, about 14% of the population suffers from allergy-related sinusitis, while 10 to 12% of Americans have allergically-related asthma. About 9% experience allergic dermatitis. (Institute of Medicine, 1993) and (Washington state Department of Health). We sometimes find that our clients are suffering from debilitating mold allergy reactions when living in moldy homes or working in moldy environments. People often realize after suffering for a few months or a few years, that it may be the mold causing their mysterious prolonged illness and that the situation is getting worse not better and that either they have to leave, or the mold has to go and the condition that caused the mold has to be revealed and corrected. Mold allergy is not the only problem.

MOLD INFECTIONS

Certain molds are known for causing infectious tissue diseases by invading and infecting human and animal tissues and mucous membranes. Mold-related sinus infections appear to be common in many persons living in mold contaminated homes. Eyes, ears, nose, throat, lungs, heart, brain and skin systems have documented infections due to molds. However, infections in these tissues typically only occurs in persons with a compromised immune system.

MOLD TOXICITY

Many molds also have been shown to produce very scary toxic substances known as mycotoxins; mycotoxins are located primarily in the mold spores.

These mycotoxins are produced by molds to help them compete with and kill other molds and microbes. It’s a type of biological warfare between molds and their competitors. “Mycotoxins are believed to result in headaches, sore throats, hair loss, flu symptoms, diarrhea, fatigue, dermatitis, general malaise (tiredness) and psychological depression.” (Croft et al, 1986, Jarvis, 1995).

“Other reported responses to mycotoxin exposure includes skin rashes, lesions of the skin and gastrointestinal tract, and interference with blood cell formation.” (Sorenson 1993).

Many of the above are the results of lab animal and cell culture studies on toxic black mold also known as stachybotrys, and human and horse exposure to stachybotrys mold infested hay.

It is very important to not panic and keep in mind that to accomplish the above serious detrimental effects toxic molds like Stachybotrys and others may have to be either:

1. Consumed in mold contaminated foods.

2. Physically handled so that excessive physical contact is made between human skin and the mold.

3. Or the mycotoxins have to be exposed to living cells in the laboratory.

It may or may not be likely that toxic molds can cause the above detrimental effects when humans breathe in mold spores in the home. It is very difficult to gather scientifically reliable proof on the effects of breathing toxic mold spores in the home.

MUCOUS MEMBRANE AND TRIGEMINAL NERVE IRRITATION

Molds produce waste products made up of volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as alcohols aldehydes and acidic molecules after breaking down and absorbing food materials in our homes such as moist dust, and water damaged drywall paper, and wood. Exposure to volatile organic compounds may result in irritation to the eyes and the respiratory system. Volatile organic compounds and moldy pungent odors can also initiate avoidance reactions from the trigeminal nerve such as breath holding and discomfort. Odd sensations may also be noted including itching, burning, and skin crawling. Changes in sensation, swelling of mucous membranes, constriction of respiratory smooth muscle, or dilation of surface blood vessels may be triggered in response to trigeminal nerve stimulation. Decreased attention, disorientation, diminished reflex time, dizziness and other effects can also result from such exposures( Otto et al., 1989)

This web site is designed for informational purposes only. It is not intended for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you suspect you have a health problem, contact your doctor.

The presence of a small amount of even very toxic mold in your home is not necessarily need for immediate or irrational fear. It seems that most homes from my experience have some potentially toxic mold spores as do most outdoor environments. If unwarranted fear takes over, people become vulnerable to be taken advantage of by dishonest mold inspectors and dishonest mold remediators. It is wise to have your property tested and inspected by a non-biased professional mold allergy inspector to determine if concern is warranted and if and what corrective measures are needed.



ANTONIO

tpmtv asked:

Third presidential debate, Oct. 15, 2008.

NOELLE

AssociatedPress asked:

Both presidential candidates are offering up two very different health care plans. AP Personal Finance Editor Trevor Delaney takes a look at Sens. Obama and McCain’s offerings. (Oct. 29)

BRENTON

Gen Wright asked:


Dogs have many health issues and it is important to make sure if you have a dog breed that is more susceptible to certain health ailments that you take the proper care. In order to understand the health issues your dog could have it is important to look at each one on a per ailment basis. In this article you will learn about bloating in dogs. You will find out some of the breeds that are more susceptible to bloating, what causes the disorder, and how you might be able to prevent it. You will also learn about treatment options.

First of all the dogs more susceptible to bloating issues are the German shepherds, Great Danes, and Doberman Pinschers. You will find that most of the larger dog breeds will have the bloating ailment. It seems that these dogs are just more likely to have their stomachs change position and the bloating occurs.

Let?s look at a more detailed description of what bloating in dogs really is. First bloating occurs in the stomach. The cause of the actual condition is unknown, but swallowing air, an abnormal accumulation of air in the stomach, foam in the stomach or a twisting of the actual organ will cause the stomach to bloat. Food is one of the main causes for the stomach to bloat, such as overeating. You will find that when the stomach has twisted and the abdomen swells it can be deadly to your dog. Stress has also been linked to the cause of the disorder. It seems that stress causes the dogs to **** in more air. It is also seen that a lot of movement such as jumping and twisting can cause the stomach to actually change position. Lastly for the causes you will find eating rapidly, overeating, an insufficient diet can cause the gastric juices to dilute and develop the bloating in the dogs.

Symptoms that you will find include vomiting, lethargy, anxiety, stress, a distended abdomen, and coughing is usual. Other symptoms or signs include pale gums, gagging, heavy salivating, a foamy mucous, whining, pacing, licking the air, hiding, abdominal pain, and a few other symptoms. The stomach can rupture if it is not corrected soon enough. This means that the dog can actually bleed to death. You should seek immediately care when you see blood in the urine, nose, or when they cough. This is a sure sign that something is indeed wrong.

There are ways to prevent this issue from occurring. This is good news for many dog owners. When you pay attention to your dog?s diet and exercise you can prevent the bloating from occurring. In other words your dog may overeat, eat to fast, or you may not be supplying the right food. These things can be changed. You can check with a vet for the right nutrition. You can also make sure to feed your dog three meals a day rather than leaving the bowl lying on the floor. This can help with the over eating. For eating too fast you may have to seek behavioral readjustment therapy. In this case the dog must be retrained for how to eat.

Treatment of the issue may involve surgery if the stomach has ruptured or will not return to the correct side on its own. There are also medications such as gas reduction meds that will help your dog digest the food better and alleviate the pressure build up.



GRAHAM

Alisa M. Chagnon asked:


Dogs can be born with diabetes or get diabetes at any time in their life, just as humans do. When a dog has this illness, it is no different than the form that people have. Diabetes in dogs is a chronic disease. This means that treatment can not cure this and make it go away. Any person or dog with diabetes will need ongoing treatment to control it, manage it and keep symptoms from becoming troubling.

This illness causes a dog’s body to be unable to breakdown glucose (sugar). If not managed properly, this can cause the sugar level in the dog’s blood to be either too high or too low. The most devastating effects of this come in later stages if the diabetes in the dog is left to worsen: blindness can occur. Loss of digits, such as toes can happen as well because of improper blood flow to limbs. This can also cause kidney damage and heart disease. The final stages of an untreated diabetic dog will be death.

Therefore it is vitally important to have your dog begin treatment immediately if he or she is found to have this. The treatment or management of this illness will be the same as a human. Your dog may need to have insulin shots to balance the glucose levels. While most dogs will certainly not enjoy having daily shots; this is required to maintain your dog’s good health. After a while, a dog may become compliant to the injections. A very strict and exact diet is needed as well. Certain foods can shoot sugar levels to dangerous heights. Lack of certain foods can allow sugar to become so low that a dog can go into shock.

Your dog should have their blood checked at regular intervals for any type of illness, including dog diabetes. When found, treatment should begin right away. If you are in-between vet checkups there are some early warning signs to look out for. If you notice that your dog sleeps a lot more than normal, shows signs of dizziness or drinks excessively it is suggested to schedule a vet checkup right away for your dog.



WILLA

???? asked:


Could you name me some important or recent health issues and if possible, what country they are important to?

Thanks

AMPARO

Alisa M. Chagnon asked:


When one hears the term of Kennel Cough, one imagines a horrible disease that affects dogs if they are left in unsanitary conditions at a rundown kennel. The image that this brings up is certainly unpleasant. However, dog owners should be aware of this health issue.

Kennel cough is a lung infection. Any dog can come down with this health issue. Most of the time, a dog will get this type of infection if the dog was exposed to large amounts of smoky air, air which was extremely dusty or a room with poor ventilation. Example may be if a large amount of construction work was being done in a house and brought up a huge amount of dust; a dog left to live and breath in those situations would be a candidate for this illness. If a dog was unfortunate to be in the vicinity of a fire, this would also likely cause a large intact of smoky air and the Kennel Cough may settle in. While some kennels may be poorly ventilated, these conditions can certainly be found at other locations other than a kennel.

This medical problem is an infection of a dog’s lungs and will cause a dog to cough severely. The cough will be a dry cough; phlegm is usually not present with this type of illness.

The treatment for Kennel Cough is a strong round of antibiotics for your dog. These must be obtained from your vet. Once your dog has taken the course of medication, the coughing will cease. The recommended method of giving your dog medication is to mix it into their dog food. If a dog resists and eats around the medication, you can ask your dog’s vet if you may break up the pill into dust or obtain a liquid version that can be mixed thoroughly into the food.

Other veterinarians opt to give dogs a vaccination to prevent this in the first place. It is a personal decision. The downside to having a prevention shot is that doing so may decrease a dog’s defense system.

There are some herbal remedies that are sold; these claim to cure Kennel Cough. However, before using any type of homemade or herbal treatment a dog owner should always check with their vet. The last thing that you want to happen is for the treatment to not work and the infection to grow immensely.



CESAR