Sleep apnea the facts about this important sleep disorder

Sleep apnea is a common problem in the adult population, and is characterised by a reduction or stoppage of breathing when someone is asleep. There are 2 main types - obstructive (which is more common) and central, but also a mixed type which is a combination of both obstructive and central. Treatment for sleep apnea can be nonsurgical or surgical. What is apnea? In layman's terms it means that someone has stopped breathing for about 10 seconds or perhaps more. These episodes of apnea have a tendency to occur more often when a person is asleep, thus disrupting the sleep, and often wakening the sleeper up. Doctors use various indexes which measure the severity of the sleep apnea to decide on their treatment options. What causes sleep apnea? In the case of central sleep apnea it happens when the brain fails to send signals to the respiratory muscles. This is most common in babies, and in adults with heart problems, but can also be caused by some medicines. In obstructive sleep apnea the message from the brain to the respiratory muscles gets through but breathing fails through an obstruction preventing the flow of air. Mixed sleep apnea is caused by a combination of these failures. Obstructive sleep apnea affects more men than women, and is more common and has increased severity in obese people. What are the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea? Not only does it disrupt sleep, it also causes heart problems and high blood pressure, and increased risk of stroke. Sufferers are also more likley no have accidents at work and on the road through lack of concentration related to not getting enough sleep. How is obstructive sleep apnea treated? There are several non surgical options varying from behavioral changes to medications and dental appliances. Behavioral changes may simply involve getting the sufferer to change their sleeping position, as most apneas seem to occur whilst sleeping on the back. A change in diet and lifestyle with consequent reduction in obesity can also markedly reduce the severity of symptoms. However, these changes are easier to talk about than to implement. Dental appliances are sometimes used for mild cases of obstructive sleep apnea - these work by holding the jaw and tongue forward and the palate up to prevent airway closure. One of the best non surgical treatments is called CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure. This is a machine which delivers heated and humidified air under pressure through a mask to the sufferer whilst they sleep. The machine is light and portable, and most people quickly get used to the noise the machine makes, and to wearing a mask. Surgical options for obstructive sleep apnea include palate implants, reducing the size of the tongue, procedures on the jaws, and surgery of the nasal passages. Surgery should not be undertaken lightly because of the underlying risks of anesthesia and complications from the surgery itself. If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea or know anyone who does, then it is important that you seek qualified medical advice as soon as possible. Continuing your life without recourse to treatment leaves you open to much higher risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and even sudden death. Seek specialist help today.

Party jokes startling but unnecessary

Here, I focus on a range of items and features that we use in life without giving them a second thought such as Coca Cola, body muscles and holding ones own breath. Though, most of these notes are not fundamentally necessary, they are such that you can use them for a good laugh, at a drinks party or for picking up women or men. 1) Coca-Cola: Did you know that its original colour was green? 2) Mohammed: Did you know that this is the most used name in the entire world? 3) Geographical Letters: Did you know that the name of each of the continents begins and concludes with the exact same alphabet? Do not believe that? Look up Asia, Europe, Africa, America, Antarctica and the rest. 4) Muscle Strength: Did you know that the strongest muscle in the entire body is that one which we use to lick a popsicle? Your tongue. 5) Credit Cards: In the United States, were you aware that each and every person has at least two credit cards? 6) An Antique Machine: The word for an old machine that was once used for writing letters and other documents is the largest word that one can make if they click only on a single row of their computer's keyboard: typewriter! 7) Blink: Men wink at women, but research has found out that the average woman blinks nearly two times more than the average man. 8) Suicide: Even though you might have wondered if it was possible, studies have discovered that it is impossible to kill oneself by simply holding in your breath. 9) Licking: However much you may try, you will never be able to lick your elbows. 10) Sneeze: Try sneezing. People will automatically answer you with a bless you greeting. Have you ever imagined why? Some say that this happens because a sneeze stops the functioning of the heart for a very tiny second. 11) The Blue Sky: Did you know that a pig, no matter how much they try, cannot look up into the sky? 12) Twisting Your Tongue: We have all dabbled with different tongue-twisters in our day. But do you know which is the toughest? Sixth sick sheiks sixth sheeps sick. 13) Ribs: Did you know that you should try not to sneeze too strongly. Why? A very powerful sneeze has the ability to cause a fracture in your ribcage. But, then again, if you try and withhold one, you stand the chance of breaking one of the many blood vessels in your neck or head. This could cause death. 14) Cards: Did you think that the Kings are all just random cards referring to random figures? No. Each one signifies a different king: Diamonds for Julius Caesar, Clubs for Alexander the Great, Spades for David and Hearts for Charlemagne. 15) And finally: Most everyone reading this (Caught You!) are trying to lick their elbows at this exact moment! Conclusion: Most of these are not scientific facts, but they are hilarious, funny and can be used to lighten up the ambience when a conversation has gone dull. Use any and see your popularity rise up to great heights. Visit gambling-portal for more jokes.

Kidney disease risk factors go unaddressed

Significant risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) are not being addressed in the United States, according to a report of the National Kidney Foundation's (NKF) Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP). This report summarized health information of 37,000 individuals who are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors include diabetes, hypertension or a family history of kidney disease. Half of the participants in the report had CKD, yet only two percent were aware of it. Those with the disease tend to have other serious health problems, such as obesity and anemia. "Awareness of risk factors and the need for screening can go a long way toward early detection and prevention of kidney disease," says Allan Collins, MD, president-elect of the NKF and director of the KEEP Data Coordinating Center. "Ninety percent of KEEP participants reported visiting their doctors in the last 12 months," continues Collins, "yet most were not aware that they could be at risk for chronic kidney disease." The right kind of screening is of critical importance, according to the NKF. Almost half of KEEP participants test positive for microalbuminuria, or trace amounts of protein in the urine, which is the earliest sign of kidney disease. "The good news is that we appear to be having an effect on many populations that would advance to dialysis or kidney transplantation. Nearly 60 percent of KEEP participants provide post-screening follow-up information and many report consulting with their physicians regarding elevated blood pressure, anemia, and more because of information they learned through the screening," says Collins. "Ortho Biotech Products, L. P. [the primary sponsor of KEEP] is committed to working with national and local advocacy partners, health care providers and medical institutions to reach patient communities that are affected by chronic kidney disease," said Dr. Marsha Wolfson, senior medical director, Ortho Biotech Clinical Affairs. "The KEEP program is a vital resource that raises awareness of risk factors and encourages early detection." "CKD is not just a 'kidney problem.' Kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins out of the body; if they're damaged, the whole body suffers," said Dr. Laura A. Williams, Global Project Head, Abbott, associate sponsor of KEEP. "Abbott supports KEEP and other early diagnosis efforts because, if CKD is recognized early, treatment options are available not only to slow the progression of kidney disease, but also to prevent additional injury to other vital organs and tissues, especially the heart and bones."

Bad breath it happens to the best of us

So why do we get bad breath and how the heck can we get rid of it? These are two very common and very important questions that we have all had to ask ourselves at some time or another. The reason it is such an important thing to figure out is that it is so much a part of who we are. It affects our confidence with people and our reputation around people. Talking is such a part of our daily life and if we have bad breath we are either not talking for fear that someone will find out how nasty we are or we are embarrassing or offending those we are talking to. Bad breath is also not only offensive to others, it carries with it a taste that is offensive to the owner as well. Now it is one thing to have bad breath once in a while or in the morning before we brush our teeth. This kind of problem is easily remedied with simple hygiene. But can you imagine (and some of you can) having bad breath chronically and so bad that simply brushing your teeth or avoiding spicy food at lunch is not enough. Well some people have to live with this nightmare called chronic halitosis. So if you are one of these people you need to first know that there are very good remedies to most people's cases of bad breath that are worse than normal. First you should go see your dentist which is pretty obvious. You see bad body odors in general are secondary to the growth of microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, etc.) that are producing noxious fumes as a byproduct of their metabolisms. It is always important to go and see that you don't have a major infection that is causing the rotten (literally!) smell in your mouth. Often however there isn't a huge cavity or pharyngeal abscess to explain the terrible smells and because the etiology is less obvious the solution is less obvious as well. Killing the bacteria is still the name of the game though and it just because people with chronic bad breath were unlucky enough to have gotten a particularly smelly strain of bacteria. How do you do this? Well in several ways. One is to brush your teeth more often like every time you have food. Another is to get in the habit of brushing your tongue. Another is to buy a good mouth wash that kills the bacteria. Then lastly and maybe not so obvious is eating yogurt. You see yogurt contains a bacteria that lives well in the body and is very benign in terms of bad effects. If you do these things you may just find that your bad breath takes a hike.

Bird flu explained

Bird Flu or more correctly, avian flu, is much in the news and causing a lot of anxiety. Many people are worried that they may get it, and the papers are full of horror scenarios. There are over 100 strains of avian flu, but most of them do not infect humans. The current strain H5N1 can infect humans, but not easily. The number of cases of avian flu in humans in the current outbreak is very small, and almost all have come about by direct contact with infected or dead birds – something that most of us are unlikely to experience. So far, the spread of H5N1 virus from person-to-person has been rare and has not continued beyond one person. In fact according to The Times (London, 23rd March 2006) only 184 confirmed cases have been reported worldwide so far from this strain, with 103 deaths. These have been in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and most recently, several cases in Turkey. What the authorities are much more concerned about is the strain mutating into a variation that can be transmitted between human beings, rather than just from bird to human. This has been designated as influenza A/H5N1. Humans do not have any resistance to this strain, because these viruses do not commonly infect humans. If a strain developed that could infect the human population, a pandemic would be likely with many people being infected and dying. The 1918 ‘Spanish flu’ is estimated to have killed 50 million people worldwide. At least four of the eight genes of H5N1 avian flu now contain mutations seen in that deadly strain. Jeffery K. Taubenberger, a molecular pathologist at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Rockville, USA has said: "These H5N1 viruses might be acquiring the ability to adapt to humans, increasing their pandemic risk ... there is a suggestion there may be some parallel evolution going on." Scientists still do not understand completely how a bird virus becomes a human virus, but H5N1 is already showing some of the mutations necessary for it to become a human flu, but at the moment, in spite off all the panic, there is no pandemic flu strain. Research in the Netherlands and the USA has shown that while human influenza viruses are able to bind with receptors in the windpipe, H5N1 binds only much deeper inside the lungs. This makes it more difficult for the virus to infect humans, because the virus is less likely to reach the inner lungs than the windpipe. The H5N1 virus is also less likely to spread from human to human. Coughing and sneezing easily transmits viruses that have multiplied in the windpipe, but not those located deep in the lungs. If H5N1 manages to mutate so that it can replicate in the upper respiratory tract, a pandemic becomes more likely. Scientists are constantly monitoring the virus for this mutation. So should we be concerned? There have been many scares over the years that have not come to anything, and this could turn out to be one of those too, but it is worth taking some sensible precautions rather than just relying on the scientists to find a powerful enough solution. Having a strong immune system has to be the first line of defence. Eating a good diet, taking exercise, getting plenty of sleep, and reducing stress can all lead to a stronger immune system that can fight more effectively against the bugs of this world and any dangerous mutations. References: Daily News Central: Bird Flu on Similar Evolutionary Path as 1918 Killer Virus Centers For Disease Control & Prevention: Key Facts About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus The Times (London) 21 January 2006 and 23 March 2006 The Guardian (London) 1 March 2006

How common is your child s cold

The telltale sniffles. Ear infections. Sore throats. Picking up an ailment at school is practically a rite of passage for children nowadays. But it's important that you don't simply brush off these recurring illnesses as normal childhood health problems. A serious underlying disease might be to blame. Primary Immunodeficiency, or PI, is a genetic defect that can compromise a child's immune system, leading to an increased susceptibility to certain infectious illnesses. There are more than 100 types of PI; each has somewhat different symptoms, depending on which parts of the immune system are affected. Some deficiencies are deadly, while others are mild. In children with PI, usual childhood illnesses occur frequently and can drag on and become chronic despite the use of antibiotics. If a child suffers from eight or more ear infections or two or more serious sinus infections within a year, he or she could have an underlying PI. Other warning signs are failure to gain weight or grow normally and a family history of PI. While there are more than 1 million children and young adults in the United States affected by PI, experts estimate that 50 percent to 70 percent of those with the disease go undiagnosed. Without diagnosis and treatment, constant infections can significantly weaken your child's immune system. Parents should know that a simple and inexpensive blood test could identify the disorder in more than 95 percent of cases. Once diagnosed, there are several treatment options that can provide a better quality of life or, in some cases, a cure. The Jeffrey Modell Foundation, a nonprofit research foundation devoted to the study of PI, is making a profound difference in many lives by raising awareness of the disease. In January 2005, as a result of a national public awareness and physician education campaign, 34 Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Referral Centers throughout the United States reported promising figures. They calculated an increase of 52 percent in the number of newly diagnosed patients and a 45 percent increase in the number of patients receiving treatment.