Chronic Disease – Page 11 – Irene Pastore Fitness.com

Sleep Deprivation Can Make You Sick

August 11, 2013

WHY YOU CAN’T GET TO SLEEP

According to American Sleep Medicine, 40 million American suffer with sleep disorders. The National Institutes of Health estimate the figure to be as high as 50 to 70 million.

Tossing and turning, while trying to get to sleep night after night, is called insomnia. Some of the most common causes of insomnia are:

Worrying

Job stress

Eating food or beverages containing caffeine before bedtime: chocolate candy, coffee, tea, cookies containing chocolate, or coffee flavoring.

Smoking before bed. Nicotine is a stimulant.

Exercising within 5 hours before bedtime. Exercise is stimulating, and may keep you awake.

Eating a heavy meal close to bedtime.

HOW TO HANDLE INSOMNIA

Get regular exercise.
Maintain a sleep schedule. Go to sleep and awake at the same time everyday.
Before bed treat yourself to a relaxing ritual. Take a bubble bath. Light candles and practise meditation. Read a book. Listen to calming music. Practice Hatha Yoga.
Make your bedroom comfortable for sleeping. Adjust room temperature if it interferes with your ability to sleep. Clear out clutter. Use room darkening shades. Sleep on a comfortable mattress.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION CAN MAKE YOU SICK

Sleep disorders are very common, and treatable. If you don’t get enough rest, you might develop any one of these symptoms, or health conditions.

Increased risk of high blood pressure, and weight gain.
Impaired judgement, performance and mood.
Falling asleep at the wheel, resulting in a driving accident.
Anxiety symptoms
Heart attack, and stroke.
Depression
Cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
Obesity

RESOURCES

American Academy of Sleep Medicine

American Sleep Association

National Sleep Foundation

National Institutes of Health

American Sleep Medicine

Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack

June 21, 2013

HEART ATTACK OR CARDIAC ARREST?

Cardiac arrest isn’t the same as a heart attack.

Cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction of the heart. It suddenly and unexpectedly, stops beating.

During cardiac arrest the heart stops pumping, and blood no longer flows through the body.

The victim of cardiac arrest cannot breathe and loses consciousness. Emergency defibrillation and CPR should be done as soon as possible. Without immediate medical attention, death occurs within a few minutes. .

A heart attack is an arterial problem occurring when blood flow to the heart is blocked, due to the gradual build up of plaque along artery walls. This build up is called atherosclerosis.

Plaque is made of fat, calcium, cholesterol and other substances in the blood. As plaque hardens, the walls of the arteries become narrow, limiting the flow of blood. Atherosclerosis can affect any artery in the body, and can lead to heart attack, stroke or death.

Tanning Advice: Don’t Do It

June 2, 2013

A public service announcement from the American Academy of Dermatology.

Angelina Jolie: Preventive Double Mastectomy

May 15, 2013

**Exercise and a healthy diet are best defenses against breast cancer.**

Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer. As a high profile figure, it’s a good bet that other women will follow her example.

Pulling all your teeth to prevent tooth decay, or removing your colon to prevent colon cancer seems as radical as Jolie’s decision to remove her breasts before she has cancer.

There are other, more natural ways for women to prevent the development of breast cancer, than having to remove both breasts.

Natural Breast Cancer Prevention Methods

Do not smoke. Medline Plus, an online source for medical news, published a February 2013 article, “More evidence that smoking raises breast cancer risk.“
Maintain a healthy weight. According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer risk is higher among overweight and obese women. An article in the August 2012 issue of Medical News Today, reports, “Breast cancer recurrance is higher among overweight women.”
Exercise regularly. Couch potato syndrome is worldwide. Too much sitting, and not enough exercise is a risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancer. A July 2012 article in Time Health & Family reports, “Lack of Exercise as Deadly as Smoking, Study Finds.” , and a May 2013 Medical News Today article, “Physical Activity Reduces Breast Cancer Risk.“
Avoid hormone replacement therapy. Breast and ovarian cancer are associated with hormone replacement. WebMD, presents the evidence in an article, “Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer Risk.” According to a a May 15, 2013 article in Reuters Health, “Ovarian Cancer Fall Sped Up, As HormoneUse Dropped.”

Alternative Opinions

In the May 15, 2013 issue of Natural News.com, Mike Adams writes, “Angelie Jolie inspires women to maim themselves by celebrating medically perverted double mastectomies.”

Gary Null, alternative medicine author, and radio talk show host, interviews Christiane Northrup, MD, “How wise was Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a radical mastectomy?”

Expert Recommends Soda Pop To Clean Toilet

April 20, 2013

COKE AS A TOILET CLEANER

(A 15 second commercial appears before this segment begins).

Here’s a clip from a household cleaning expert on AOL News. He recommends using Coca Cola to clean toilets. If Coca Cola is that effective cleaning the bowl, then is it safe to drink?

EMPTY CALORIES

Wholistic health advocate, Dr. Joseph Mercola doesn’t recommend drinking soda pop because it contains high amounts of sugar, calories, harmful additives, and has no nutritional value.

According to U.S. News, a recent study by Harvard University concluded that every year, there are 180,000 preventable deaths worldwide due to the consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks.

SIDE EFFECTS AND SUGAR FREE DRINKS

Thinking of replacing regular soda pop with a diet drink? You’d better read the label to find out what type of artificial sweetener is in your drink. Aspartame is a chemical sweetener found in soda pop. It’s sold under the brand name Equal, and NutraSweet.

According to Dr. Mercola, there are over 92 different health side effects associated with ingesting aspartame. Read more about The Real Dangers of Soda To You And Your Children on his website.

Soda consumption is associated with pancreatic cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Hang Onto Your Teeth

April 5, 2013

PREVENTING TOOTH LOSS

Being fit includes taking care of your teeth. If you don’t, it may affect your overall health, and you might wind up losing your teeth.

When you lose teeth, they have to be replaced with artificial prostheses such as dental implants, or bridges, unless you don’t mind not being able to chew your food. Dental prostheses are very expensive. Preventive care saves money by avoiding tooth loss.

Practicing preventive care starts at home with brushing and flossing, and goes a long way to saving your teeth, and your overall health. Brushing and flossing are equally important.

Floss after you eat to remove food particles between your teeth. The longer you wait, the more bacteria will grow between your teeth. The bacteria forms plaque. Plaque hardens and eventually forms tartar. Tartar has to be removed by a dental hygienist using dental tools to do a thorough job. If tartar isn’t removed you’ll wind up with gum disease. Gum disease leads to tooth loss.

POOR ORAL HEALTH AND DISEASE

Poor oral health can cause serious illness, such as endocarditis (infection inside the heart valve), premature birth and low birth weight, diabetes, hiv/aids, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, and stroke.

ARTICLES ON DENTAL HEALTH

Mayo Clinic: Oral health – A Window To Your Overall Health.

ABC News: Man Dies From Toothache – Couldn’t Afford Meds.

JADA: Poor Oral Health Linked With Coronary Heart Disease.

CDC: Preventing Cavities, Gum Disease, Tooth Loss, and Oral Cancers.

New York Times: Paying For Dental Implants.

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