Sunday 28 April 2013

Alzheimer's' patient


What I wouldn’t give to hear your voice

What  wouldn't i give to hear your voice
And know its you
Its not death that is worst…
Its seeing those you love and having no idea who they are
Seeing someone that meant so much to you in one lifetime…
And can’t remember how significant they were,
Its having to sleep at the police station
Because you couldn’t remember the way home,
Its forgetting your name…
And how old you are,
Living a life of your own in your head
Regardless of those around you
Forgetting significant memories
That meant so much to us
How exasperating not to know the children you gave life
And lay in your bossom,
For those who complain about life,
Think of what life would be if you forgot…
If you had no memories to keep
And no one to call loved
But remember,
Even if my mind forgets…
My heart will always remember
Alzheimers could take away my mind,

Saturday 20 April 2013

Finding The Right Occasion for our Heeled shoes: Striking a balance between fashion and health.



This really isn't  my idea but its a write-up that was requested for. I can remember it started when within the university environment in daytime on an uneventful day a lady passed by on heels. These were the comments it generated
1. Must you Ladies wear heels?
2.Do you know the anatomical implication as a medical student?
3.Why do you go on heels when you know you will have to struggle on it?
4. When did heels become an everyday wear?
The questions went on and all i could do was laugh because i do know i am guilty of this too. Funnily it even reminded me of a colleague that almost fell on her wedge booties when she was on her way to class and on her way back home. Then, i can remember when the American first family and the beautiful ladies of the house were described(their style and modesty) and this issue arose, the writer made mention of the fact that on their flats foot wears  their styles were always still unique. But seriously i would agree to the fact that heel shoes have now become a menace in our society and i am wondering out loud about who told us we were too short or needed them to look good.


 High heels may turn heads, but new research shows the long-term cost of wearing them is even steeper than the sky-high price tag of some coveted brands.
Along with aching feet and a variety of foot deformities, years of high-heel wearing can actually alter the anatomy of the calf muscles and tendons, according to a study by researchers in England, published online July 16 in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
The incline of high heels causes the calf muscles to contract. Over time, this causes the muscle fibers to shorten and the Achilles tendon to thicken, so much so that some women feel pain when they try to walk in flats or sneakers.
“You put on heels, you are going to deform your body. End of story,” said New York City podiatrist Dr. Johanna Youner, a spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association who was not involved with the research. “High heels look beautiful, but the body isn’t meant to wear them. There is no way around it.”
For the study, Marco Narici of Manchester Metropolitan University and colleagues recruited 80 women aged 20 to 50 who had been wearing heels of at least 2 inches almost daily for two years or more. Of those, 11 said they experienced discomfort when walking in flatter shoes.
When compared with women who did not wear heels, ultrasounds revealed the women who wore heels had calf muscle fibers that were 13 percent shorter, while MRIs showed the Achilles tendon, which attaches the heel bone to the calf muscle, was stiffer and thicker.
“This is a great study that looks at the mechanism of how high heels may cause grief and aggravation to the woman wearing them,” said Marian Hannan, a senior scientist at the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, who was not involved in the research. “This may have an impact on how future shoes are designed and help the industry understand how women can be slaves to fashion but not suffer so much physical discomfort.”
It’s not a big leap to know that shoes that hurt can’t be good for you, Youner said. For example:
  • High heels put stress on the back and knees. Squeezing into high heels with narrow toe boxes can cause a condition called Morton’s neuroma, a painful thickening of tissue between the third and fourth toes.
  • Haglund’s deformity, sometimes called the “pump bump,” occurs when back straps of heels dig into the tissue around the Achilles tendon. Too-tight shoes can bring on bunions, an enlargement of bone or tissue at the base of the big toe that pushes the big toe toward the second toe.
  • Pointy shoes can worsen hammertoe by forcing the toes to bend at the middle joints, eventually causing them to stay bent and rigid even when barefoot.
  • And then there are those uneven-sidewalk wipeouts that lead to ankle sprains and breaks


REMEMBER TODAY ISN'T THE BEST OF YOUR LIFE. YOU STILL HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF IT AHEAD. BE WISE


Endometriosis


Recently trending has been the story of Nike Oshinowo-Soleye, a Nigerian businesswoman, socialiteentrepreneur and former pageant director. She has discussed her travails on her journey in life as she battles with endometriosis. 
The pain and reflection explained by her story kept me on my toes at a further glimpse into 
the disease in discussion and here it is.
 To this note i will be posting in brevity what basics are known about the disorder.

Endometriosis is a common health problem in women. It gets its name from the word, endometrium , the tissue that lines the uterus or womb. Endometriosis occurs when this tissue grows outside of the uterus on other organs or structures in the body.female reproductive system including fallopian tube, ovaries, uterus, cervix, vagina and endometriosis
Most often, endometriosis is found on the:
  • Ovaries
  • Fallopian tubes
  • Tissues that hold the uterus in place
  • Outer surface of the uterus
  • Lining of the pelvic cavity
Other sites for growths can include the vagina, cervix, vulva, bowel, bladder, or rectum. In rare cases, endometriosis has been found in other parts of the body, such as the lungs, brain, and skin.
The most common symptom of endometriosis is pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis, or the lower back, mainly during menstrual periods. The amount of pain a woman feels does not depend on how much endometriosis she has. Some women have no pain, even though their disease affects large areas. Other women with endometriosis have severe pain even though they have only a few small growths.
Symptoms of endometriosis can include:
  • Very painful menstrual cramps; pain may get worse over time
  • Chronic pain in the lower back and pelvis
  • Pain during or after sex
  • Intestinal pain
  • Painful bowel movements or painful urination during menstrual periods
  • Spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods
  • Infertility or not being able to get pregnant
  • Fatigue
  • Diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or nausea, especially during menstrual periods
Recent research shows a link between other health problems in women with endometriosis and their families. Some of these include:
  • Allergies, asthma, and chemical sensitivities
  • Autoimmune diseases, in which the body’s system that fights illness attacks itself instead. These can includehypothyroidismmultiple sclerosis, and lupus.
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia
  • Being more likely to get infections and mononucleosis 
  • Mitral valve prolapse, a condition in which one of the heart's valves does not close as tightly as normal
  • Frequent yeast infections
  • Certain cancers, such as ovarian, breast, endocrine, kidney, thyroid, brain, and colon cancers, and melanoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomaGrowths of endometriosis are benign (not cancerous). But they still can cause many problems. 
  • To see why, it helps to understand a woman's menstrual cycle. Every month, hormones cause the lining of a woman's uterus to build up with tissue and blood vessels. If a woman does not get pregnant, the uterus sheds this tissue and blood. It comes out of the body through the vagina as her menstrual period.
  • Patches of endometriosis also respond to the hormones produced during the menstrual cycle. With the passage of time, the growths of endometriosis may expand by adding extra tissue and blood. The symptoms of endometriosis often get worse.
    Tissue and blood that is shed into the body can cause inflammation, scar tissue, and pain. As endometrial tissue grows, it can cover or grow into the ovaries and block the fallopian tubes. Trapped blood in the ovaries can form cysts, or closed sacs. It also can cause inflammation and cause the body to form scar tissue and adhesions, tissue that sometimes binds organs together. This scar tissue may cause pelvic pain and make it hard for women to get pregnant. The growths can also cause problems in the intestines and bladder.



    What causes endometriosis?

    No one knows for sure what causes this disease, but experts have a number of theories:
    • Since endometriosis runs in families, it may be carried in the genes, or some families have traits that make them more likely to get it.
    • Endometrial tissue may move from the uterus to other body parts through the blood system or lymph system.
    • If a woman has a faulty immune system it will fail to find and destroy endometrial tissue growing outside of the uterus. Recent research shows that immune system disorders and certain cancers are more common in women with endometriosis.
    • The hormone estrogen appears to promote the growth of endometriosis. So, some research is looking at whether it is a disease of the endocrine system, the body’s system of glands, hormones, and other secretions.
    • Endometrial tissue has been found in abdominal scars and might have been moved there by mistake during a surgery.
    • Small amounts of tissue from when a woman was an embryo might later become endometriosis.
    • New research shows a link between dioxin exposure and getting endometriosis. Dioxin is a toxic chemical from the making of pesticides and the burning of wastes. More research is needed to find out whether man-made chemicals cause endometriosis.
    • Endometrial tissue may back up into the abdomen through the fallopian tubes during a woman's monthly period. This transplanted tissue could grow outside of the uterus. However, most experts agree that this theory does not entirely explain why endometriosis develops.


    There is no cure for endometriosis, but there are many treatments for the pain and infertility that it causes.  The treatment you choose will depend on  symptoms, age, and plans for getting pregnant.
    How is endometriosis treated?

    Pain medication. For some women with mild symptoms, doctors may suggest taking over-the-counter medicines for pain. These include ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). When these medicines don't help, doctors may prescribe stronger pain relievers.
    Hormone treatment. When pain medicine is not enough, doctors often recommend hormone medicines to treat endometriosis. Only women who do not wish to become pregnant can use these drugs. Hormone treatment is best for women with small growths who do not have bad pain. Hormones come in many forms including pills, shots, and nasal sprays. Common hormones used for endometriosis include:
    • Birth control pills to decrease the amount of menstrual flow and prevent overgrowth of tissue that lines the uterus. Most birth control pills contain two hormones, estrogen and progestin. Once a woman stops taking them, she can get pregnant again. Stopping these pills will cause the symptoms of endometriosis to return.
    • GnRH agonists and antagonists greatly reduce the amount of estrogen in a woman's body, which stops the menstrual cycle. These drugs should not be used alone because they can cause side effects similar to those during menopause, such as hot flashes, bone loss, and vaginal dryness. Taking a low dose of progestin or estrogen along with these drugs can protect against these side effects. When a woman stops taking this medicine, monthly periods and the ability to get pregnant return. She also might stay free of the problems of endometriosis for months or years afterward.
    • Progestins. The hormone progestin can shrink spots of endometriosis by working against the effects of estrogen on the tissue. It will stop a woman’s menstrual periods, but can cause irregular vaginal bleeding. Medroxyprogesterone) (Depo-Provera) is a common progestin taken as a shot. Side effects of progestin can include weight gain, depressed mood, and decreased bone growth.
    • Danazol is a weak male hormone that lowers the levels of estrogen and progesterone in a woman's body. This stops a woman's period or makes it come less often. It is not often the first choice for treatment due to its side effects, such as oily skin, weight gain, tiredness, smaller breasts, and facial hair growth. It does not prevent pregnancy and can harm a baby growing in the uterus. It also cannot be used with other hormones, such as birth control pills.
    Surgery. Surgery is usually the best choice for women with severe endometriosis — many growths, a great deal of pain, or fertility problems. There are both minor and more complex surgeries that can help. Your doctor might suggest one of the following:
    • Laparoscopy can be used to diagnose and treat endometriosis. During this surgery, doctors remove growths and scar tissue or burn them away. The goal is to treat the endometriosis without harming the healthy tissue around it. Women recover from laparoscopy much faster than from major abdominal surgery.
    • Laparotomy or major abdominal surgery that involves a much larger cut in the abdomen than with laparoscopy. This allows the doctor to reach and remove growths of endometriosis in the pelvis or abdomen.
    • Hysterectomy  is a surgery in which the doctor removes the uterus. Removing the ovaries as well can help ensure that endometriosis will not return. This is done when the endometriosis has severely damaged these organs. A woman cannot get pregnant after this surgery, so it should only be considered as a last resort.

Tuesday 2 April 2013

AUTISM ACCEPTANCE DAY: APRIL 2

The world celebrate autism acceptance day today and i for a person who's had interest in autistic people decided to write about it.



Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are defined in the American Psychiatric Association Developmental Statistical Manual Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), by delayed or atypical development in three domains: language, social, and restricted or repetitive behaviors. Note that the DSM criteria are being revised, and Rett syndrome will no longer be considered part of the ASD diagnostic category. The ASDs include:
·  Autistic disorder or “classic” autism
·  Asperger disorder
·  Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) or “atypical” autism
Prevalence (based on 2006 data):
·  1/110 or 9.0 per 1,000 [95% CI 8.6-9.3] (1)
·  Males are affected four times as often as females (M/F = 4:1)


90% of the people with this disease have an idiopathic etiology while the remainder (10%) have it as a secondary disorder also seen as hereditary.

Treatments are still being researched for.


Today's celebration hence talks about accepting them as fellow humans.
Put compassion and understanding first. Stop thinking about autistic people with pity, or fear -- and they may stop thinking about you that way, as well. And the world will be a better place. I mean it! I believe it. I do.