Talent Mash

Cancer therapy can be an extremely physical and emotional time for the patient. In patients with cancer of the head and neck for instance, the immune system is often not functioning properly. The immune system does not destroy cancer cells. Causes of the failure of the immune system include severe malnutrition. To exacerbate the problem, radiation can severely effect the taste buds and saliva glands. The loss of appetite, difficulties in swallowing, no taste buds and the inability to dissolve food will result in a tremendous amount of weight loss.

To gain weight after radiation therapy it takes patience and focus. Some cancer patients have gone days without a meal because they simply did not think to eat. No hunger pains or cravings for food means the brain doesn’t doesn’t let us know to do so. It has to be a conscious thought to sit down and eat a meal.

There are a number of things to do and eat that can help the patient to gain weight. Some are obvious but need to be mentioned none the less.

1. It is important to eat and maintain good nutrition despite changes in taste. Prepare foods that appeal to you. Try and focus on foods from the food pyramid to help with a well balance diet.

2. Use a powdered or liquid diet supplement. Available on the market also include weight gain supplements in a gel tab form, with all the nutrition needed, enhance appetite and slow down metabolism to better absorb nutrition and calories. Even if you’re not very hungry, it’s important to keep your protein and calorie intake high. A weight gain supplement in gel tab form might be the answer. Doctors have found that patients who eat well can better deal with having cancer and with the side effects of treatment.

3. Eat five or six small meals during the day rather than three large ones. Eat when you are hungry, even if it is not mealtime. Moisten food with gravies and sauces to make eating easier. Try changing the consistency of foods by adding fluids and using sauces and gravies to make them softer.

4. Change your diet and try new recipes. If you enjoy people around while eating, try to have meals with family or friends. It may be helpful to have the radio or television on while you eat. Use low lighting, soft music, brightly colored table settings, or whatever helps you feel good while eating.

5. Keep easy meals in the freezer to use when you feel hungry. If other people offer to cook for you, let them. Don’t be afraid about telling them what you can eat. Keep healthy snacks for nibbling if you get the urge.

6. If you live alone, you might want to look into “Meals on Wheels” to bring food to you. Ask your doctor or local social service agencies about “Meals on Wheels.” This service is available in most cities and towns.

7. Add butter or margarine to your meals. Mix canned cream soups with milk or half-and-half instead of water. Drinking milkshakes between meals may help keep caloric intake high. Add cream sauce or melted cheese to your vegetables. Some people find they can drink large amounts of liquids even when they don’t feel like eating solid foods. If this is the case, take advantage of each glassful by making drinks enriched with powdered milk, yogurt or honey. A weight gain supplement in gel tab form may be a lot easier to manage. It can also help in making you hungry so you want to eat.

8. If the foods you like no longer taste good, try new foods and use different methods of food preparation.

9. Avoid spices and coarse foods such as raw vegetables, dry crackers or nuts. Remember that acidic foods and liquids can cause mouth and throat irritation. As you start to heal from the radiation you may be able to slowly add these types of foods to your diet.

In conclusion, be patient and focused on the task at hand. It is a task. Weigh yourself often to keep track of your progress. If you are doing what is suggested and you still are not gaining weight, ask your physician or dietitian for help.

Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. The disease is the most common male malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death in men. It is also is the ninth most common cancer in the world, but is the number one non-skin cancer in United States men. Prostate cancer is a complex disease and many variables need to be considered by each patient and his doctor. Medications working in conjunction with hormonal therapy serve as an aggressive treatment against the progression of the disease.

Treatment for prostate cancer may involve watchful waiting, surgery, radiation therapy, High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), chemotherapy, cryosurgery, hormonal therapy, or some combination. Everything depends on how large the tumor is, whether it has spread to other parts of your body, and your overall health. It can include drugs that prevent the testicles from making testosterone, that block the action of male hormones, that prevent the adrenal gland from making testosterone, or surgery to remove the testicles.

Prostate cancer that has spread may be treated with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, or chemotherapy. Medication that block the male hormone testosterone are the best initial treatments. However, researchers are actively studying possible methods of prevention, such as diet, supplements, and other medications.

The drugs Lupron or Zoladex are being used to treat advanced prostate cancer. These must be given by injection, usually every 3 months. An oncology specialist will usually recommend a single drug or a combination. Proposed medications that may choke off the blood supply to prostate tumors, along with vaccines that rev up the immune system to attack prostate tumors, appear possible.

Alpha blockers are oral drugs that relax the prostate muscles, easing pressure on the urethra. Alpha-adrenergic blockers are used to treat benign (non-cancerous) prostate enlargement. Antispasmodics help decrease involuntary muscle spasms that may occur in the bladder. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs whose main effect is either to kill or slow the growth of rapidly multiplying cells.

Prostate cancer is rare for men under the age of 40, and most cases occur in men over the age of 65. It is a subject every man should know about — it’s one of the leading causes of cancer death among men. Prostate cancer is a serious condition and can be life-threatening because it can spread to other parts of the body in its advanced stages. Early detection is the most important factor in determining one’s chances of survival.

The vital organ gifted to us by the Divine being in order to perceive the equally divine and magical elements of nature and its branches is the eye – the organ of visual perception. Eyes are the organs of sight with the help of which one can gauge ones surroundings and make an estimate of it. Nevertheless, not everybody is blessed with the gift of unobstructed eyesight throughout their lives. Eyes are often infected with diseases creating major problems to the individual’s operations of everyday life. Nevertheless, when there is a will, there is a way. Keeping this concept in mind, one should not be disappointed if one is faced with a problem that causes hindrance in ones perception. Among them cataract is one such ailment that effects the eyes in a major way and demands immediate treatment in order to cure it and make the person suffering from it, lead a happy and healthy life all over again. There are antibiotics eye drops easily available in the market, in the chemist shops, to be more specific that one can make use of when such an ailment occurs in an individual.

However, in spite of its easy availability, one should always get the eyes checked by a specialized doctor or, in short, an eye specialist, before making the decision of buying a cataract eye drops and initiate its use.This is to imply because, cataract is a complicated disease and cannot be compared to conjunctivitis, common cold or viral fever. It is a disease that deserves special attention along with special treatment. Hence it is advised to consult a doctor prior to the purchase of a cataract eye drop. This will ensure the patient that whatever he/she is using is the correct medicine for the treatment.

One should remember the fact that a disease such as cataract has lots of misconceptions attached to the cause or the reason of its occurrence in a particular individual. Therefore, asking a layman about the names of antibiotics eye drop and following their suggestions might be a little too risky for the patient involved. For such reasons, it is of vital importance for the patient to go through a thorough check up of the eyes so that cataract eye drops prescribed by the doctor can be used without any fear

Another factor that must be kept in mind before one makes the actual purchase of the medicines is that one should be aware of the adulteration in the antibiotics eye drops occurring in the market. Therefore, it is required for the individual to visit a medical store that is authorized for the purchase of cataract eye drops. One should also read the instructions regarding the dosage of the cataract eye drops written in the information brochure. This will help the individual to take a proper care of the eyes without any risk of further damages occurring on a sensitive organ as the eye. Without any further delay, the patient having the problem of cataract should be treated with antibiotics eye drop under the surveillance of a doctor for the proper treatment and cure of the disease.

In recent years, there has been a trend towards more natural approaches to health management. Complimentary or Natural Medicine can work hand in hand with traditional Western Medicine to treat disease and manage chronic conditions.

Allergy is a chronic condition that cannot be cured, but it can be controlled. It is caused by a defect in the immune system. In the allergic person, the body improperly identifies benign, harmless proteins as “enemy” germs such as bacteria or viruses. The body creates the human immunoglobulin E and this in turn causes the production of histamine. It is the histamine that results in the itchy, watery eyes; runny nose, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, hives, eczema, and/or stuffiness that are usually associated with allergy. Most allergy medications are concerned with blocking histamine or reducing swelling.

As far back as 1985, researchers were searching for natural alternatives to pharmaceutical anti-histamines. The flavonoid quercetin has shown great promise in this area. Naturally occurring in capers, this powerful glycoside inhibits both the production and the release of histamine. The adage “An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away” finds truth in the presence of quercertin in apples with skin, chives, and dry, powered cocoa.

The most natural of all allergy control methods focuses on reducing exposure to the allergy causing agent. Are you aware that phenol and formaldehyde are commonly chemicals found in many household cleaning products? Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know: most people are not aware of the chemicals under their sinks. And if you don’t know they are there, then how can you avoid them? These toxins can cause a wide variety of symptoms including loss of concentration, rash, itching, headache, blurred vision nausea, muscle aches, and respiratory complaints.

There are many natural cleaning products to remedy the chemical wasteland under your bathroom or kitchen sink. Unfortunately, many of them either don’t work very well or have very strong odors. The common use of citrus based products (especially those made from orange oil) is a response to the encouragement of the Environmental Protection Agency to use less toxic solvents in industry. Citrus is a great degreaser, but it has a very strong odor. Most people with allergies, asthma, or chemical sensitivities cannot tolerate strong odors, be they from a “natural” remedy such as citrus or from a more toxic substance. Simple Green(TM) works well enough, but has a PH of 9.5. Ouch!

Industry has known for years the cleaning power of soy. It is only now becoming more widely used in the home as a cleaning agent. Soy is non-flammable, non-toxic, rinses well without leaving residue, odor free, and cleans like crazy. In addition to being a natural remedy for chemical allergy from cleaning products, soy is a renewable resource. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the United States is the world’s largest producer of soybeans, providing a bountiful flow of natural resources to the cleaning product industry.

The Enviro-Rite brand of cleaning products carried by the Allergy Store was developed by the Bio-Force company as an alternative to the toxic cleaners or those “natural” cleaners with strong odors and high PH. Enviro-Rite provides a natural remedy to chemical allergy, by avoiding the allergy.

The Allergy Store has carried the Enviro-Rite products since the early 1990′s and since that time the entire product line has developed a very strong following. Clean without hurting yourself.

If you are looking for solid training in massage, you should know that massage therapy schools in Maine can present you with several exciting options in your quest to be a professional massage therapist. Maine massage therapy schools offer various Eastern and Western forms of massage, and many of them also offer specializations in massage therapy for chronic pain, trauma massage, medical massage, sports massage, and others.

Students in Maine massage therapy schools will gain the necessary knowledge and skills needed by massage therapy professionals. Courses that prepare students in the art and science of therapeutic massage will include anatomy, physiology, pathology, kinesiology, and nutrition, as well as theory and various techniques of massage therapy.

The program of study in any massage therapy school should emphasize communication skills and working with patients to develop the students’ massage therapy techniques. Students should gain extensive clinical practice under the supervision of trained instructors. Western types of massage should be addressed, including Swedish, deep tissue, sports, craniosacral, reflexology, hydrotherapy, lymph, geriatric, and more. Eastern forms, including Shiatsu, Thai, Tui Na, Jin Shin Jyutsu, acupressure, etc., may also be learned. Your choice of schools may also see that you get the business skills you need for managing and operating your own massage therapy businesses.

Upon graduation, you will be qualified to apply for a rewarding position in a healthcare clinic, hospital, spa, sport club, or begin a private practice; however, your massage education will need to be supplemented with a license in order to practice massage in the state of Maine. Licenses are awarded after passing NCETMB examinations, or by completing training schools or massage therapy programs that are accredited by the COMTA. License renewal is required annually.

If you would like to know more about Maine Massage Therapy Schools, you can start right now. Visit our website today and submit a request for information to schools that seem to meet your professional goals. You will soon be on the path to an exciting new career!

If necessary, you may wish to look into massage therapy schools in other states, such as:

- Minnesota Massage Therapy Schools

- Pennsylvania Massage Therapy Schools

- Michigan Massage Therapy Schools

- Arizona Massage Therapy Schools

- Colorado Massage Therapy Schools

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2007 – All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.

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Allergies are very common and can cause serious reactions. The digestive and immune systems of a baby need to be sufficiently developed before solid foods are introduced. Introducing solid foods too early or introducing foods which are likely to cause problems too soon will stress the baby’s immature systems. When introducing solid foods you need to be aware of the possibility of allergic reactions. This article presents the symptoms of allergic reactions and how to minimise these in babies.

In recent years there has been an increasing awareness of the number of diseases and complaints that can be caused, or contributed to, by the presence of allergies. Allergies are very common. Conservative estimates are that twenty percent of the population is allergic to something. However when we consider minor allergies such as hay fever, minor eczema and food intolerances, the true incidences of allergies and or intolerances may well be a lot higher. It is thought that the changes in the Western diet over the last 100-200 years – in particular the refining of food, the use of food additives and the increased consumption of animal produce and the presence of environmental pollution, have contributed substantially to the prevalence of all forms of allergic disease.

What is an allergy?

The word means an ‘altered reaction’ and an allergic individual usually suffers from physical symptoms (such as, headaches and migraines, vomiting, rashes, asthma) when he or she comes in contact with substances to which they are sensitive. The substance which provokes the reaction is called an allergen and can be house dust, dog or cat fur, a food/s, a chemical/s or a bacterium – to name just a few. In this article we are looking at food allergies.

When solid foods are introduced, a baby may have an ‘allergic reaction’ to wheat for example, and develop diarrhoea, abdominal colic, crankiness, a runny nose, or even a mild ear infection, asthma or eczema. The cause of these symptoms is often not recognised and may even be treated as a transient infection if the problem is a runny nose or ear pain. The offending food will be continued to be offered and the infant usually recovers from the acute symptoms, though there might be persistent, relatively minor symptoms. At some later stage (days, months, years later) either following periods of infection or stress or just due to a gradual failure to remain healthy, symptoms develop.

If the food is withdrawn, the symptoms usually clear within three to five days, though sometimes, especially in children this can take as long as three weeks. There may also be marked withdrawal symptoms which eventually clear.

When introducing new food to babies and toddlers you need to be aware of the symptoms of allergies. This is particularly the case when parents or other members of the family have food allergies.

What does a food allergy look like in a baby or toddler?

The symptoms associated with food allergies are legion and can mimic a whole range of different clinical conditions. It depends on the baby or toddler. Some of the symptoms babies and toddlers develop include:

an itchy mouth and throat, rashes, eczema and hives, cramping and colic, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, wheezing, sneezing, runny nose, unusual crying, shortness of breath, hyperactivity, and sleep disturbances.

In extreme cases, a child may develop a life-threatening condition called anaphylactic shock. Severe symptoms or reactions to any allergen require immediate medical attention.

What are the common causes of food allergies?

Foods that are the most likely to cause an allergy include:

wheat, rye, oats, barley, maize (corn), cow’s milk and other dairy products, hen eggs, and chicken meat, cane and beet sugar, fish and shellfish, peanuts, colourings and preservatives, yeast, pork, chocolate, and citrus fruit.

What can you do?

Here are two things you can do as a parent to reduce your baby’s susceptibility to food allergies and reduce the severity of food allergies:

Wait until your baby is at least 6 months old to introduce solids. Apply the 4-day wait rule when introducing new foods to your baby.

Waiting until your baby is 6 months old

Babies are not born with adult digestive systems and they cannot handle foods and will not digest them properly until their digestive systems have matured, at 4 to 6 months of age. Prior to that, your baby should only have breast milk or formula. Waiting until your baby is 6 months old to feed them solids will give them the best chance of actually being able to digest the food and a smooth digestion reduces risk of allergies.

The 4-day wait rule

When you begin to feed your baby solids, you need to be sure that the food isn’t causing a reaction. Sometimes, it can take three or four days for a reaction to show up.

Introduce one food at a time and then wait for four days before introducing another food.

It is worthwhile keeping a food diary, noting which foods are introduced and when. This information may be very valuable later if your baby develops some kind of reaction which could be attributed to an infection or upset, or wind or whatever, though it may in fact be a food reaction. If you also note when particular problems start, you can quite often identify the offending food, exclude it from the baby’s diet, and have a healthy, happy baby.

If there is a family history of food intolerance then it is recommended that you avoid the introduction of cow’s milk or wheat until the baby is twelve months or even older. (If you introduce these foods at all – but that is another issue.)

Allergies are very common and can cause serious reactions. The digestive and immune systems of a baby need to be sufficiently developed before solid foods are introduced. Introducing solid foods too early or introducing foods which are likely to cause problems too soon will stress the baby’s immature systems. When introducing solid foods you need to aware of the possibility of allergic reactions and should you be concerned about a reaction stop giving this food and allow the baby more time to mature. While the above details are intended to be generally helpful and educational they should not be construed as a replacement for individual advice from a health professional. You should seek professional assistance if your child’s allergy is sudden, extreme, long-lasting or fails to improve.

References

Bland, J. 1996, Contemporary Nutrition. J & B Associates.

Davies, S. and A. Stewart, 1997, Nutritional Medicine. Pan.

Elliot, N. 2004, Green Peace. Practical Parenting.

Holden, S., Hudson, K., Tilman, J. & D. Wolf, 2003, The Ultimate Guide to Health from Nature. Asrolog Publication.

Pressman, A. and S. Buff, 2000, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vitamins and Minerals. (2nd Ed.) Alpha Books.

Soothill, R. 1996, The Choice Guide to Vitamins and Minerals. A Choice Book Publication.

Sullivan, K. 2002, Vitamins and Minerals: A Practical Approach to a Health Diet and Safe Supplementation. Harper Collins.