Dec 05

Studies Link Untreated Sleep Apnea to Cancer

Untreated Sleep Apnea link to Cancer

 

While breathing is an issue we generally never even have to think about, there are times when breathing isn’t exactly as easy as you may think. In fact, one of the most common sleep disorders in the United States is associated by a distinct lack of the ability to properly breathe at night. Having breathing persistent issues during sleep is generally diagnosed as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea consists of a person’s breathing ceasing during their slumber, sometimes for mere seconds and potentially up to minutes at a time. When oxygen isn’t able to properly reach the brain or heart, it can cause developmental issues in children and long-term cardiovascular issues for adults.

Sleep apnea can come in two forms, central sleep apnea (CSA) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Patients with OSA are far more common and are characterized by obstruction of breathing pathways, generally via a collapse in the soft tissue of the throat. CSA does not involve any physical obstructions; instead the cause of the oxygen disruptions originates from within, or centrally. The brain will stop sending the necessary chemical messages that maintain healthy muscle function due to the imbalance of the respiratory control center.

Recent cohort studies have focused their attention on the relationship between sleep apnea and cancer. In an article published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, subjects that had sleep apnea were found to have more health problems than patients devoid of sleeping issues. This same group of subjects with sleep apnea also happened to include a greater number of overweight individuals on average.

Being healthy means different things for different people but, being obese is often seen as a partner to sleep apnea. The two together have been associated with heart disease, diabetes, and an increase in the number of cancer cases over the past decade. As noted by the aforementioned study, obesity contributes to about 15-20% of all cancer deaths. In order to spare yourself the increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, it’s crucial to know the symptoms associated with sleep apnea so that you can properly diagnose your condition.

Some symptoms to be cautious of include loud snoring, morning headaches, disturbed sleep, and occasional waking due to a choking or gasping sensation. If you have strong concerns about having one of the forms of sleep apnea, see a sleep doctor for a professional sleep study. In the meantime, a few home treatments that can help reduce the severity of sleep apnea symptoms include:

  • Reducing consumption of alcohol and avoiding sleeping pills, and definitely not mixing the two.
  • Quitting smoking. Smoking causes an inflammatory response in you upper airways which can lead to snoring and apnea.
  • If you feel like you could lose a few pounds, do it! Take small steps at first, change up your diet, exercise a bit more and build up to lifestyle modification. Excess fat that accumulates in the upper airway can cause collapse of the soft tissue. Reducing your weight will help alleviate the issue by reducing the fat accumulated in the throat.

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    Nov 24

    Jet Lag Remedies – diet tips for travellers

     Jet lag remedies that work

    How to eat to beat that dreaded jet lag

    I find that there are people who like to travel and travel a lot and then those who did not get bit by the travel bug and only travel when necessary.  Personally, I love traveling. I just love going to places, checking out how others live, and of course compare.

    No matter if I travel by car or by airplane, I always end up getting out of my normal routine when it comes to eating.  The worst is when I have a long flight or several connecting flights.  I came across this little video that I found informative and easy to watch and it`s all about how to eat to beat that jet lag.

    The following tips are helpful and definitely increase your chances of shaking that jet lag faster and just feel better overall.

    • take extra vitamin C
    • drink lots of water
    • do not drink alcohol
    • eat lean protein meal
    • avoid sugar and complex carbs (such as donuts)
    • sleep if you can

    My personal experience is that it takes some self discipline to stick to those great diet tips for travellers. I think my problem is, and maybe you are like me, is that once I am on that plane I am on vacation mode, and that means, it is time to indulge….so here we come, junk food and alcohol. Well at least I still take extra vitamin C (about 2000 mg) and I can do the protein meal no problem but most likely it won´t be lean :).

    Anyway, I am supposed to just talk about the healthy stuff so here is that video I mentioned. Worth watching.

    How about you? What do you eat and drink when traveling by air? Do you make a special effort to keep it healthy?

     

    Leave a comment. I am curious what do you do and if you change your diet when you travel!

     

     

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      Nov 06

      Diet Tips to Prevent Varicose Veins

      Great Diet Tips to Prevent Varicose Veins

      Poor circulation in the legs can lead to unpleasant varicose veins. Unlike high-pressure, outbound arteries, veins carry low pressure blood back to the heart. They therefore contain one-way valves to prevent sluggish blood from backing up. Venous blood in legs has a particular challenge in moving against gravity. Because of this, valves may fail and blood pools up, causing it to swell into a varicose vein. Regular activity and avoiding cigarettes are two important preventatives, but so are a wide variety of foods.

      Diet affects virtually all aspects of our health and circulation is no exception. For example, foods high in vitamin C are important not just for sailors on the high seas, where limes were first used to prevent scurvy. That condition is caused by lack of healthy connective tissue because vitamin C is crucial for the formation of connective tissue proteins like collagen and elastin. Yet we land-lubbers need those proteins just as much for good ‘tone’ – strength and elasticity – of our blood vessels.

      Vitamin C, as well as vitamin E, also functions as powerful antioxidants in our bodies. Although oxygen is vital to life, we also constantly form low levels of very chemically reactive side products of oxygen, appropriately called ‘reactive oxygen species’ (ROS). These compounds can damage otherwise healthy proteins and lipids that make up the membranes of our cells, and can sometimes even damage our genetic material, DNA. Antioxidants neutralize ROS compounds before they can do their dirty work.

      In addition to vitamins, antioxidants include food compounds called flavonoids. These compounds often give fruits and vegetables their bright yellow and red colors, though some are less colorful yet still beneficial. Foods containing good amounts of flavonoids form a long list that includes citrus fruits, blueberries and strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, garlic and green tea. Keep these foods on your shopping list to not only reduce your chances of developing varicose veins but for all-around good health!

      Consuming more soluble fiber in food can help keep varicose veins at bay by reducing constipation. Constipation puts pressure on the veins returning from the legs which over time can contribute to formation of varicose veins. Foods rich in soluble fiber include peas, beans, carrots, apples, oats, flaxseed and barley. There are also supplements containing soluble fiber in the form known as psyllium. This and other forms of fiber work best when consumed with plenty of water, and avoiding dehydration is another practice recommended for general good health.

      Carrying extra weight can have the same effect on upper leg veins as described for constipation, but of course it tends to be far more chronic. Avoiding calorie-laden foods high in sugar and/or fat will help keep you more trim and lessen the chances of developing varicose veins. Go for more lean meats such as poultry, and make sure there is some fish in your diet. Ironically, even oily fish such as salmon is a weight-wise choice, because those happen to be good oils. Other foods said to reduce risks of varicose veins are avocados, asparagus, beets, buckwheat, ginger and rosemary. Lots of great things to eat and enjoy!

      DoctorQA.com is an informational portal assisting individuals in need of varicose veins removal. DoctorQA.com features educational articles and videos, as well as the ability to directly interact with vein care experts.

       

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        Oct 29

        Funny but realistic video on women and heart attack

        Young women can get a heart attack?

        Do you think you have to be old (or middle aged) and out of shape to get a heart attack? Think again.

        Watch this funny video … it tells you what signs to watch for if you are having a heart attack.  Please share with girlfriends/women/men in your life.

        I really like this video because it  is an educational, easy to watch and mainly easy to remember those heart attack symptoms.

        Share it you might just save a life!

        This video has been submitted by Official Go Red 4 Women on YouTube. You could subscribe to their channel.

         

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          Oct 22

          How Exercise Helps Reduce Chances of Varicose and Spider Veins

          Is it true that what goes up must always come down? For a ball, yes – but not for blood in the veins of your legs! There, blood returning to the heart is never meant to reverse its course, and one-way valves within them are meant to police the flow of ‘traffic.’ Over the years, though, the valves can become weakened and allow some blood to flow back – obeying the laws of gravity instead of those of the circulation. The result is the development of one or more swollen, varicose veins – or, in milder cases, spider veins – on the legs.varicos veins and exercise

          Those valves don’t become weaker from too much exercise, but from too little – just like the muscles themselves. Varicose and spider veins reflect diminishing efficiency of blood circulation, especially in the veins where blood is returning to the heart and is under much less pressure than it is in the arteries. The legs are naturally more vulnerable to backflow in the veins, where blood’s normal movement is against the force of gravity.

          The best preventative action you can take against these unsightly types of veins is simply to exercise. In fact, some early and mild cases of varicose or spider veins may respond to exercise alone – but an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure. Being active makes the heart pump a little faster and stronger, increasing blood pressure in a good way. Furthermore, contractions of the leg muscles help move blood through the veins. Regular exercise strengthens and tones not just the muscles but all of our tissues.

          Fortunately, our veins aren’t choosey about the type of exercise they respond to. This is truly a case where “it’s all good”! Especially if one hasn’t been active for a while, starting off simply with regular, brisk walks is perfect. Although walking a couple times a week will begin to help, getting in a good walk nearly every day will be that much better. One’s regular walking pace may be slow and leisurely, and again this is fine for starters. Making the walk just a bit faster, though, will pay benefits over time. Walk proudly and like you really want to get some place!

          If a person is in pretty good shape to begin with, then lots of other exercises become possible options: jogging, swimming, and using exercise machines for leg-lifts and other movements. If you know you are out of shape, check in with the doctor first, and start off easy – don’t try to be an instant athlete. Give it time. It’s fine to be ambitious, but don’t bite off more than you can chew – it can lead to discouragement rather than progress.

          Although it’s great to join a gym if you want to, it’s far from a requirement. Find a friend to go on regular walks or bicycle rides with. Give the elevator a break and take the stairs more often, especially if it’s just a couple floors. Park the car a little further from the office or store and walk the extra distance – assuming it’s not raining cats and dogs. And speaking of pets, what dog doesn’t love to go out for a walk? It’s good for both of you!

          When back home, sit more often with your legs up and not crossed. If you have to sit all day for your job, make sure to get up regularly to just walk around for a minute or two. You’ll make up for the little bit of time away from the desk by being fresher and more efficient when you return. Keep those legs active on a regular basis and you can keep varicose veins at bay for years, possibly even for an entire lifetime.

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