Archive for June 30th, 2009

Ovulation Calculators and Ovulation Symptoms

Comments: 0June 30th, 2009 by admin



Women’s body is an amazing combination of natural phenomena and processes that cannot be defined or completely explained by science, yet. All women are different; some have a menstrual cycle every twenty two days, some of them may have every thirty or even more days. You cannot expect to use the same methods so as to detect what is happening in the bodies of all women, because if you do, chances are that you will fail.

Women tend to check and calculate their fertility days when they want to get pregnant. Some women use charts or calculators so as to predict their fertile days, although a pregnancy ovulation calculator is not always a feasible method. The fertile days and ovulation processes are a way too personal issue. Women might discuss this issue with each other and still discover some details or learn some information, of which they were not aware.

According to gynecologists’, using an ovulation prediction calculator is not an accurate solution, unless you combine it with some other observations and data. For instance, many women tend to measure their basal temperature, or check the density and the quality of the cervical mucus, because these two are the main indicators of the ovulation period. If you want to check and predict your ovulation dates, you should use one of the online ovulation calculators combined with an ovulation chart, where you will be recording the changes and differences of the cervical mucus.

This conjunction of methods will help you determine the exact days of your ovulation – or at least in a much better way. In any case though, you should remember that in most cases a pregnancy can occur completely unexpectedly. You might be monitoring and calculating days and dates for months, and when you give up these methods and these procedures you might get pregnant easier. Do not underestimate the influence of stress and anxiety in your effort to get pregnant.

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Posted in Alcohol

Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Leukemia

Comments: 0June 30th, 2009 by admin



Considered to be a benign disease for years, Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) is nowadays known to pose a serious threat to people it affects. Recent studies have revealed that MDS is actually a malignant disease that can further lead to leukemia. Due to this fact, Myelodysplastic Syndrome is also referred to as pre-leukemia disease.

Similar to leukemia, MDS triggers an overproduction of abnormal blood cells that eventually outnumber their healthy counterparts. The cells involved in causing the disease are called blasts and they originate in the bone marrow. Dysfunctional blasts multiply at abnormally fast rates and accumulate in the marrow or in the bloodstream. These functionless cells perturb the production of normal blood cells, causing a decrease in the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. As a result, people who suffer from MDS also have anemia, (due to fewer red blood cells), impaired immune system (due to fewer white blood cells) and experience slow healing (due to fewer platelets).

Many patients diagnosed with MDS are at risk of developing leukemia. In order to block the progression of MDS and to prevent the occurrence of leukemia, most patients receive treatments with decitabine, a new drug that is currently under testing.

Although most patients diagnosed with MDS respond well to treatments with mild chemotherapy drugs and decitabine, they commonly experience relapse after completing the prescribed course of medications. MDS has a pronounced recurrent character and despite its high curability in the initial stages of the disease, it becomes very difficult to treat in later stages of evolution.

Oncologists have noticed the fact that patients who relapse also become less responsive to second treatments. The exact reasons why most patients with MDS fail to respond to re-treatment are still unknown. However, this problem may be corrected by extending the duration of initial treatments. Medical scientists explain that a single long-term course of chemotherapy drugs and decitabine may provide better results than frequently repeated shorter treatments. They sustain that by extending the treatment with mild chemotherapy drugs and decitabine beyond the margin of remission, patients with MDS are less likely to relapse. In addition, medical scientists claim that patients who achieve remission should follow ongoing maintenance treatments in order to prevent the recurrence of the disease.

Recently conducted experiments have confirmed the fact that long-term treatments provide better results than repeated treatments in overcoming MDS. Patients who receive short-term treatments not only experience relapse, but they are also more exposed to developing acute leukemia and other severe forms of blood cancer. In order to prevent this from happening, an extended low-dose initial treatment with decitabine followed by maintenance treatments may be the best option for patients diagnosed with MDS.

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Posted in leukimia

Read This Before You Buy an Iron Water Filter

Comments: 0June 30th, 2009 by admin



Before you go buy an iron water filter for your home, make sure you know what’s causing the iron contamination and also the levels of iron in your water. Without knowing a few important facts about iron water, you can easily make the mistake of buying the wrong iron water filtration system.

Firstly it’s important to have your water tested by Water Testing Laboratories in your area. Or you can go out and buy a water testing kit but make sure that it will be able to show results of iron concentrations in the water.

The results should show you what type of iron you have in the water. There are 2 main types. They are:

1) Soluble

This variety is most often reported. In this case you will find that clear water comes out of the tap but if you leave to water for a little to settle in the glass, you will find reddish brown bits accumulating on the bottom of the glass.

and

2) Insoluble

This type of iron water is known as “red water” because when you pour cold tap water into the glass, the color is shaded with a rusty red color. The color is not as off putting as the metallic taste and if there is sulfur hydroxide in the water too, it might smell like rotten eggs too!

The insoluble form also results in an organic complex because iron mixes with other naturally occurring acids in the water. The result might be a yellow brown coloring to the water.

The last insoluble form is iron bacteria. This happens when iron combines with certain types of bacteria. It’s very obvious to notice because it forms a yellow orange reddish slime or sludge in toilet tanks or wells. It can become a huge problem because the iron bacterium clogs up drains or pipes supplying water to the house.

Now that we know what type of iron there could be in your water system, it’s also important to find out the concentrations of the iron. This is a test that only the labs can perform. That’s why it is ultimately best to get a third party to do the testing.

It’s also important to find out where the high levels of iron are coming from. If your water supply comes from a public water supply, then find out from your local town office if this water does have high iron concentrations and if not, then it must be coming from your pipes.

If you get water from a well, then it might even be better to talk to a well driller and your neighbors and find out how deep their wells are and if they have the iron water problem too. If they don’t have this problem, then find out the depth of their wells. It is often costly to get your well dug deeper but it’s cheaper in the long term than treating your water with regular iron filters for well water.

Low to medium concentrations of iron in the water supply, mean that certain iron water filters will be suitable. Higher concentrations used together with normal iron purification systems may result in you having to constantly change and buy new parts for the machine.

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Posted in anemia

What Is Acute Myelogenous Leukemia?

Comments: 0June 30th, 2009 by admin



AML, (acute myelogenous leukemia), is an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow and blood. It is the most common type of leukemia. AML is also known by the following names-acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. Blood cells are malformed and useless. The cells can accumulate in parts of the body.

Acute myelogenous leukemia statistics

o Rare in people under 40 years old

o More common in men than in women

o Average age is 65 years old

o 5-year survival rate

o under 65 years old-33%

o over 65 years old-4%

o 2007 it is predicted there will be 13,000 cases (majority will be adults)

The symptoms of acute myelogenous leukemia include abnormal blood counts, a general run-down, unwell feeling that never gets better, reoccurring infections, swollen lymph nodes, and bone/ joint pain. Symptoms are acute (comes on suddenly, and accelerates quickly) instead of chronic (mild symptoms that gradually worsen over years).

When the malformed cells collect around parts of the body, it can cause skin, lung, central nervous system, kidney, and even testicle problems. Initially, acute myelogenous leukemia may mimic other conditions. Blood tests identify the possibility of AML. The final diagnosis is usually made after a bone marrow test and sometimes by a spinal tap, also known as a lumbar (lower spine) puncture (LP).

There are several types treatments available, one or more will be used to treat a dignosis of AML.

Chemotherapy-strong drugs taken orally or intravenously that kills the cancer cells. Occasionally it’s injected directly into the spine. It is a systemic treatment because it travels throughout the whole body.

Radiation-high energy rays like X-rays kill the cancer cells

Bone marrow transplants-unhealthy cancer producing bone marrow is destroyed and replaced with matching bone marrow.

Immunotherapy-stimulates the immune system to destroy cancer cells or boosts natural defenses. It can be a made naturally or artificially.

Risk factors for AML

o Previous chemotherapy or radiation treatments

o Exposure to radiation and chemicals like benzene

o Genetic disorders like Downs Syndrome

o Smoking

o Blood disorders like myelodysplasia

People with risk factors should watch more closely for symptoms of AML because early treatment increases survival rate.

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Posted in leukimia

Cinnamon and Diabetes – Can a Spice Really Help My Blood Sugar?

Comments: 0June 30th, 2009 by admin



Cinnamon has been used for thousand of years by many different cultures as a medicinal aid. Some studies have indicated that cinnamon might improve blood glucose and cholesterol levels in those suffering with type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon and diabetes may sound like an peculiar pairing because when we think of cinnamon we usually think of things we should be avoiding like rich pastries.

Researchers have believed for years that spices might help treat diabetes. Research has shown that cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and turmeric have each exhibited good results in raising the action of insulin in the body.

Some may think that this is a myth based on ancient beliefs or a rumor spread by the alternative health crowd. But there is actually an increasing amount of research data concerning the positive effects of cinnamomum cassia, the more common type of cinnamon found in the U.S.

While it has been demonstrated to be impressive in the control of blood sugar, those with type 2, (non-insulin dependent diabetes) appear to be the only beneficiaries. Those with type 1 (insulin dependent diabetes) appear to have received no real benefit.

Type 2 diabetes typically occurs in middle-age and causes the untimely death of 100 million people worldwide every year and has devastating affects on millions of other sufferers like heart disease, stroke and blindness.

It is important to note that cinnamon will not cure your diabetes. It may however provide a reduction in the quantity of insulin you take. It may as well benefit in the prevention of the disease.

Always be sure to check with you doctor or nutritionist before adding cinnamon to your diet. If recommended, use it exactly as suggested. Only a small, daily amount should be needed and can be added to foods and beverages you already consume. Many use the common powder or cinnamon stick. Cinnamon pills are available too, and can be purchased in stores or online.

While cinnamon and diabetes may initially seem like an odd couple, it could be beneficial to look into if you have type 2.

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Posted in Diabetes