November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

Alzheimer's Association observes November as Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. Their vision is a world without Alzheimer's disease because dementia is not a normal part of aging and Alzheimer's is a progressive, fatal disease. It destroys brain cells and is now the 7th leading cause of death in the US. Most people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease die within eight years of the diagnosis. It is the most common form of dementia and there is no cure. It wreaks havoc and devastation in the lives of those affected.

Our brain is our most powerful organ - it defines who we are as human beings. The brain has 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) which process and store information. Each of these neurons branches into a rich network of connections called synapses. Electrical charges within the synapses trigger the release of neurotransmtters. Alzheimer's disease disrupts this important process of transmitting information amongst nerve cells. The cerebrum is the part of the brain that fills the skull with cells responsible for thought, feeling, personality and problem solving. The cerebral cortex is part of the cerebrum. The cortex becomes shriveled in Alzheimer's disease and is especially severe in the hippocampus, the part of the cortex involved in creating new memories. The brain stem connects the brain to spinal cord and vital functions of breathing, heart rate and blood pressure are controlled through these cells. The cerebellum is part of the brain beneath the cerebrum and controls balance and coordination. Almost 25% of our blood supply is pumped to the brain with each heartbeat where the neurons use the oxygen carried by the blood.

Alzheimer's disease causes tissue loss and the brain actually shrinks over time, affecting all of these functions. Clusters of protein fragments called plaques form between the neurons and the neurons also contain tangles, twisted strands of yet another typed of protein. These clumps block the transmission of signals amongst neurons. As with many diseases which affect the brain, it is the personality and behavior changes that are the most difficult for loved ones to cope with. People can undergo extreme personality changes, exhibiting extreme emotional distress, poor judgment, hallucinations, delusions and aggressive behaviors. With advanced Alzheimer's disease, neuron death is so widespread that the person is unable to communicate or care for themselves.

While there is no cure, there are treatments available for Alzheimer's disease:

• Cholinesterase inhibitors are used to help cognitive symptoms by preventing the breakdown of a chemical messenger. These include:
• Donepezil (Aricept)
• Rivastigmine (Exelon)
• Galantamine (Razadyne)
• Memantine (Namenda) helps with cognitive symptoms by regulating a different chemical messenger. It is used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.
• For psychiatric and behavioral symptoms:
• Antidepressants
• Anxiolytics for restlessness and disruptiveness
• Antipsychotics
• Mood stabilizers

Fear and fatigue and the inability to cope with an increasingly incomprehensible world may exacerbate Alzheimer's disease symptoms. Not only that, the person may not be able to communicate basic needs such as pain, grief or sadness. It is important to provide a supportive, caring, safe community for these vulnerable patients while we search for a cure.

Thank you RebelBlueAngel for use of the photo Harry.

Labels: Alzheimer's disease, brain disease, dementia

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National Healthy Skin Month

Our skin is our largest organ and the organ that everyone else sees. It protects our body, so we need to protect our skin. The American Academy of Dermatology celebrates National Healthy Skin Month in November. Dermatologists are our partners in achieving beautiful, healthy skin, hair and nails. Call 1-888-426-DERM for a specialist near you.

Advice from dermatology experts:

• You don't need to use soap on all parts of your body to achieve cleanliness. Soap is drying
• Smoking causes wrinkles and premature aging - so just for vanity's sake - stop!
• Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 daily that provides protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Don't forget to apply sunscreen to your hands as well as your face!
• Beauty is skin deep - eat vitamin and antioxidant rich foods for that healthy glow!
• Hair procedures - less is more to keep luster and beauty. Avoid chemical products that lead to breakage and damage.
• Is the day of the face lift gone? Dermatologists use a combination of non-invasive procedures to help maintain a natural, youthful look:
• laser treatment
• light-energy treatments
• botulinum toxin injections
• fillers
• photodynamic therapy

The tragic loss of the beautiful Dr. Donde West, Kanye West's mother, at such a young age is a reminder to all of us to carefully check the credentials of any professional we entrust with caring for us. Are they board certified? Are they well trained? How many procedures have they performed? Be an informed consumer. I have seen beauty salons in strip malls advertise that they do these procedures. I would not trust anyone other than a physician's office with this type of procedure. How is a beauty salon going to handle a medical emergency or complication, if you should have one?


Thank you Aileen_banshee for use of photo Skin.

Labels: cosmetic procedures, dermatology, Donde West, healthy skin

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National Family Week November 18-24, 2007

The Annie E. Casey Foundation and partners celebrate National Family Week this week. It takes strong families to build strong communities and each of us can work to make our own family units stronger. Healthy families = healthy communities. We can make a commitment to take the time to strengthen connections and make better lives for families - not just our own but maybe volunteer our time with vulnerable families in our communities. Participating organizations that maybe hosting events you and your loved ones will want to contribute to:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
• Camp Fire USA
• Girl Scouts USA
• National Council on Aging
• YMCA
• WAVE
• Americorps
• National Mental Health Association
• National Wellness Institute
  

Employers who provide family-friendly work options such as flexible hours help build strong, healthy families (Thank you, Healthline Networks!).

Thank you hen power for use of photo of The Bergs.

Labels: family ties

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November 16: Great American Smokeout

There has never been a better time to quit. That's the message from the American Cancer Society for this year's Great American Smokeout. We all know just how hard it is - how addictive tobacco is - but it can be done and ACS wants to help you do it.

Why quit?

• Within 20 minutes your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
• Within 12 hours your blood carbon monoxide level drops.
• Within 3 months your circulation and lung function improve.
• Within 9 months coughing, shortness of breath and immune function improve.
• Within 1 year the risk of coronary disease decreases and you look prettier (the latter is non-scientific - my personal observation)
• Within 5 years your risk of stroke is decreased.
• Within 10 years your risk of cancer is decreased.

ACS offers Quitline - someone will call you to help you get through your Quit Day. People are available to talk to get you through the tough times.

For more in-depth information, read Healthline's Health Expert Jonathan Fould's Freedom from Smoking.

Thank you smokegirl_rebekah for use of image Neon Smoker Project

Labels: stop smoking

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World Diabetes Day : November 14, 2007

246 million people around the world live with diabetes. In developing countries children with diabetes are not able to afford diabetes and supplies are not available. The IDF Life for a Child Program supports the care of over 700 children around the world. Diabetes is especially hard on children.

Diabetes can interfere with normal development in children and teens. The Life for a Child Program helps to support children, families and communities to provide medications, supplies and education to prevent complications in kids with diabetes. We used to see children with type 1 diabetes, but with soaring obesity rates, diabetes type 2 is now manifesting is youth under age 20. Before childhood obesity became such a big issue, type 2 diabetes did not develop until after age 45 in middle-aged, sedentary adults. Today almost 177, 000 kids under age 21 in the US have type 2 diabetes.

The National Diabetes Education Program offers tip sheets for teens and children:

• Stay at a Healthy Weight
• Make Healthy Food Choices
• Lower Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
• Quiz for Teens with Diabetes

Let's honor World Diabetes Day by being active with the children and teens in our lives - take steps to be active, eat whole, nutritious food, and stop the epidemic of type 2 diabetes.

Thank you Miran Rijavec for Obesity: a rising problem in India

Labels: childhood obesity, diabetes

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Winning at Work: The ADA Program to Manage Diabetes in the Workplace

Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the US and the American Diabetes Association is reaching out to employers with a unique employee health program. Winning At Work is a tool kit of resources for employees, providing education, risk tests, detection, prevention and management information.

The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in alliance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and CDC has set up a website: diabetesatwork.org. The site offers a wealth of information for Human Resources Managers and other employer representatives for developing a diabetes prevention or management program, estimating the number of employees in your organization with diabetes, and designing a health plan for people with diabetes. Diabetics are prevented by federal law from joining the armed forces or becoming commercial pilots.

Glycemic control is a key component of an employer diabetes intervention program. Employees who achieve and maintain good blood sugar control are:

• more productive on the job
• able to remain employed longer
• have lower absenteeism rates

Employers are being asked to look at employee health through a new value model. The old cost/quality model is no longer viable in today's world. The new value model is to get outside of the medical model and look at health promotion as a way of creating healthy employees who are more productive in the workplace. Employee health is then not just another expense that needs to be controlled but an investment with a return to be gained. Efforts to promote employee health can reap huge rewards in medical cost offsets, reduced absenteeism and improved productivity.

Labels: diabetes, occupational health, workplace

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La Diabetes Tipo 2: Now the Leading Cause of Death in Mexico

Health officials at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have reported that type 2 diabetes is now the leading cause of death in Mexico, and the third leading cause of death in those living along the US - Mexico border. They estimate that 22% of those who have the disease are not aware of it. This is a serious problem, because people who are unaware they have high blood sugar are unable to take steps to prevent complications and progression of the disease.

90% of border residents are obese or overweight - the most important risk factors for diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a preventable condition when people are educated to be more active, eat less, and keep their weight under control. High blood pressure is another preventable medical illness that has been found in 36% of the diabetics in the border population.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders (NIDDK) has made available a rich library of resources in Spanish.

Examples are:

Prevent Diabetes Problems Series In Spanish

• Keep Your Diabetes Under Control In Spanish
• Keep Your Eyes Healthy In Spanish
• Keep Your Feet and Skin Healthy In Spanish
• Keep Your Heart and Blood Vessels Healthy In Spanish
• Keep Your Kidneys Healthy In Spanish
• Keep Your Nervous System Healthy In Spanish
• Keep Your Teeth and Gums Healthy In Spanish

Thank you Hello Hillary for use of photo of people in Tijuana at church meeting.

Labels: diabetes, Mexico

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Focus on Diabetes: November is American Diabetes Month

For the month of November, I will cover the important topic of diabetes here at Health Observances, honoring the important work the good people at the American Diabetes Association do every day. 21 million children and adults in the US now have diabetes and 54 million more are at risk. Around the world, 246 million people are diabetics, and that number is expected to grow. The United Nations (UN) recognizes diabetes as a chronic, debilitating and costly disease adversely affecting the lives of humanity.

We now have a diabetes epidemic on our hands - and it is a real crisis for all of us. Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death by disease - and there is no cure. But we can prevent type 2 diabetes and complications of diabetes. The number one thing we can do to prevent type 2 diabetes? Move your body! Take more steps each day. Number two thing? Cut processed food out of your life - start with breakfast. Everyone sees me eating muesli in the morning. What's muesli? It is raw oats, nuts and raisins. A box costs $4.00 and lasts me all week. One bowl in the morning plus an apple with peanut butter is a nutritive rich diet that will keep you happy until lunch. Just try making two small changes this week - walk two extra blocks to work and eat a breakfast of real, non-processed food. Let me know how you feel.

Healthline has over 80 articles about diabetes, including a Diabetes Health Channel. Action Plan for Diabetes, an important online book available exclusively at Healthline, is an invaluable resource for understanding and managing diabetes. Written by Mayo Clinic diabetes expert Darryl E. Barnes M.D. in conjunction with the American College of Sports Medicine, spend some time with this online book and you will learn things your doctor doesn't have time to discuss with you. All of us know people who are overweight, obese and have type 2 diabetes. It doesn't have to be that way. Put some love into your life and let's kick diabetes together.

Labels: diabetes, nutritive rich diet, whole foods

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