Top 10 Deadliest Diseases

One of the most tragic parts of being human is being afflicted by diseases with high morbidity and mortality. Here is our list of top 10 deadliest diseases ever known to man.
1.    AIDS; 25 million from 1981 to present
AIDS is a mix of infections and complications as a result of progressive damage to the body’s immune system caused by HIV. AIDS is now considered a pandemic.

2.    Influenza; 36,000 deaths annually
Influenza, which is more commonly known as flu, is a highly infectious disease that is caused by influenza virus. Transmission of the disease is by airborne and through physical contact.

3.    Spanish Flu, 1918-19; 100 million deaths
The flu pandemic that happened in 1918 is termed as a category 5 flu pandemic which was caused by the flu virus strain A with subtype H1N1.


4.    Bubonic Plague; 250 million deaths
This disease outbreak was mainly caused by fleas and rodents infected with Xenopsylla cheopsis. Humans were infected after being bitten by an affected rodent.

5.    Malaria; 2.7 million deaths annually
Malaria is an infectious disease which is vector-borne. The causative agent is the protozoan parasites. It is a common disease in the sub-tropics and tropical regions.


6.    Ebola; 160,000 deaths from 2000 to present
The Ebola virus was first isolated in1976 from the dual outbreaks that occurred in Zaire and Sudan. It is a zoonotic disease as it affects lowland apes as well as humans.

7.    Cholera; 12,000 deaths from 1991 to present
The epidemic or Asiatic cholera is a very serious type of diarrheal ailment caused by Vibrio cholera. The mode of transmission is by ingesting contaminated food and water.

8.    Smallpox; Population drop from 12 million to 235,000
Smallpox is a highly contagious viral disease that has two variants. The V major has a 35% mortality rate while the less severe V minor has a 1% mortality rate.

9.    Polio, 10,000 deaths from 1916 to present
Polio or infantile paralysis is a viral disease that is transmitted through the fecal-oral course.


10. Black Death; 75 million deaths
The Black Plague is the one of the most serious pandemic outbreak in modern history. It was believed to have started in Central Asia and affected Europe during the 13th century.

Heart Diseases

Introduction - Heart disease is the name given to a whole collection of heart conditions that affect people on a daily basis and a term that people across the world are most certainly familiar with. To really understand what heart disease is all about, you need to know what each of the conditions are, and what they do to your body if you are unlucky enough to suffer from one of them.
It’s a killer disease that affects a vast portion of the world population, but few people know the facts related to heart disease. Heart disease is actually an umbrella term for many different types of afflictions affecting the heart and below we have listed a few conditions that affect the heart; however, this does not represent the full scope of the many specific medical conditions that make up heart disease.

What is Heart Disease? - Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease is the build up of atheromatous plaque (inflamed tissue) within the arteries that pump blood into the heart; this can build up over time and restrict the flow of blood to the heart causing heart failure. If this does not happen then there is also the possibility that the plaques can rupture causing blood to clot and restrict blood flowing to the heart. The disease progresses over time, and symptoms are often non-existent until the condition manifests itself in the form of a heart attack.
When the plaque builds up to a point where the blood flow to the heart is reduced or cut off, serious consequences can result. Those with an advanced case of coronary heart disease may experience frequent and painful chest pains, due to a symptom known as ‘angina’. The best way of preventing a case of coronary heart disease involves engaging in an active lifestyle, watching what you eat and avoid smoking.
What is Heart Disease?- Ischemic (or ischaemic) heart disease
Those who suffer from Ischemic heart disease experience a decreased flow of blood to the heart. Angina may also occur when a case of Ischemic heart disease is present. Just like Coronary Heart Disease this type of heart disease is very serious and can be prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
‘Ischaemia’   means an "inadequate blood supply". The only supply of blood to the heart muscle is through the coronary arteries, so any obstruction in the coronary arteries will reduce the supply of blood to the heart muscle.
Atherosclerosis is one of the most common cause of ischemic heart disease and may even exist when the artery lumens appear normal by angiography.
Possible consequences of Ischemic heart disease can be:
v Temporary damage and pain (ischemia)
v Permanent heart muscle damage, heart muscle does not grow back (acute myocardial infarction /infarct)
v Loss of muscle activity (acute heart failure)
v Long term loss of heart muscle activity (chronic heart failure)
v Cardiac arrhythmias: irregular heartbeat which can be fatal. Most death is due to arrhythmias, usually tachyarrhythmias.
v Other structural damage to the heart including damaged heart valves, actual perforation of the heart and a thin walled fibrous floppy heart.

What is Heart Disease? - Cardiovascular Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease - is a term that represents a number of different types of heart disease. These types of heart disease often affect the blood vessels of the heart. With over 71.3 million citizens of the United States alone affected by a form of cardiovascular disease, it is a common type of illness that can also be avoided by staying healthy.
Pulmonary heart disease - is a very serious form of heart disease. If there is a change in the structure of the right ventricle located in the heart, due to respiratory problems. The affect this has on the right ventricle is great; it can cause increased pressure in the right ventricle, which will eventually lead to the right ventricle stretching through dilation or additional muscle growth in the ventricle to help add strength to the contractions needed for the increase in pressure.
This will add a lot of strain to the heart and will eventually lead to heart failure, and in some cases swelling in the legs.

What is Heart Disease? - Hypertensive Heart Disease

Hypertensive heart disease is related to hypertension, which is commonly known as high blood pressure and affects a large group of people worldwide.
High blood pressure means the heart has produced an elevated amount of pressure to pump the blood around the body, this can, overtime cause a strain on the heart leading to heart failure or an aortic arterial aneurysm.
An aortic arterial aneurysm is the bulging of a blood vessel in the artery, which will increase to the point that it bursts causing severe pain, and without immediate medical assistance, death.
If found early then surgical intervention can take place and an artificial tube sewn into the aorta and the aneurysm closed so it wont rupture causing a massive internal hemorrhage. This surgery is very invasive so the medical profession will not carry out the surgery unless it is deemed necessary. When arterial hypertension is occurring within the heart, the disease takes over, causing fatigue, an irregular pulse, and a swelling of the feet. The condition can lead to cases of congestive heart failure, and it is a leading cause of death in western society. 

What is Heart Disease? - V alvular Heart Disease
There are valves in the heart which assist the bloods journey through the labyrinth of channels that keep the heart functioning. Sometimes there are problems with these valves thus impeding the flow of blood.
The valves in the heart are the tricuspid valve and pulmonic valve, which are both found in the right side of the heart and the mitral valve and aortic valve, which are found in the left side of the heart.
There are a great number of medical conditions that affect the valves in different ways but they all generally involve one or more of the valves being too narrow, wide or loose causing regurgitation of the blood.

What is Heart Disease? - Summary

Now that you know more about the different types of heart disease, you’ll be better able to draw parallels when it comes to acting in a preventative matter and keeping a healthy heart.
By knowing all that you can about:
v coronary heart disease,
v ischaemic heart disease,
v cardiovascular disease,
v pulmonary heart disease
v valvular heart disease
v hypertensive heart disease,
you’ll be better suited than most when it comes to staying healthy, recognizing symptoms and avoiding a visit to the  A & E of your nearest hospital .
As you can see the causes and affects vary greatly, and it is due to this that we need to be diligent and understand heart disease better, after all it is one of the biggest killers of the present day.

Ecology of Infectious Disease

Human diseases
Many disease organisms that threaten humans worldwide have complex life histories that are affected by both human and non-human attributes of the ecosystems in which they occur. For example,

• Lyme disease is carried by ticks that move about on mammal hosts such as deer and mice - environmental parameters that affect these non-human hosts have implications for human exposure to Lyme disease
• Rabies is a disease that is contracted by wildlife and can be passed on to humans. NCEAS researchers have assembled and analyzed an extensive database documenting rabid raccoons, refining predictions of rabies dynamics
• The bacterium causing the gastrointestinal disease cholera is waterborne and associated with microscopic crustaceans - climatic and environmental factors that affect hydrodynamics and the ecology of aquatic food webs can influence the dynamics of cholera
• The brain parasite that causes toxoplasmosis is passed among rats, cats, and humans; in humans, infection is associated with lifelong personality changes that may influence human culture
• NCEAS ecologists have formulated and applied cutting edge approaches in analysis and synthesis of human disease scenarios in recent years, improving our understanding of human disease risk

Disease and ecosystems
Ecologists have a growing awareness of the importance of pathogens and parasites in the evolution and ecology of natural systems.  Researchers at NCEAS have examined the evolutionary relationships between disease organisms and their hosts, as well as more modern alterations of pathogen and parasite dynamics by humans . For example:

• Introduced species have escaped many of the parasites of their native ranges ;
• The removal of predators that normally select sick individuals from prey groups may increase pathogen transmission among their populations, when diseased individuals continue living within groups ;
• Primate researchers have examined the role of social and feeding behavior in moderating infection by sexually transmitted diseases and parasites in non-human primates ;
• Disease is considered to be among the most significant causes of the modern coral reef decline, and warmer temperatures encourage some of the most common diseases on coral reefs ;
• Environmental warming and human activities, such as fishing, may have complex disease effects as warm temperatures seem to favor some pathogens and parasites, while decreasing the prevalence or severity of others , and human activities alter host abundance, behavior and environment

Weight loss

Weight loss is typically recommended for people who are 20 or more pounds overweight. Being overweight can lead to diabetes, heart attack, stroke, early death, and complicate pregnancy. Those who are significantly overweight complain of joint and foot pain, foot disfigurement from an inability to find proper shoes, and chronic fatigue.

Weight problems can have various contributing factors, most of which has to do with lifestyle and the ability to make healthy choices. Snack foods, preprocessed foods, and candy are all contributors of weight problems. While it is true that thyroid problems can contribute to obesity, thyroid problems can be medicated. Some prescription medications cause significant weight gain such as prednisone, and other medications such as antidepressants.

The majority of obese people are victims of diet. Eating too much, having little to no education on what the food groups are and how they impact weight, and making chronically poor choices are often issues that are handed down from one generation to another. Children who come from obese households run a very high risk of becoming obese themselves. Often doctors will encourage overweight patients to lose weight. Weight indicator charts allow both physicians and patients see exactly where a patient’s body weight should be by figuring in their age and height. Overweight people are at risk for complications regarding their overall health. Heart attacks and strokes lead the list, but other complications exist such as kidney problems, joint problems, breathing problems, and breast problems in women. Underweight people are at risk for serious health issues as well, including osteoporosis, the inability to fight infection, the inability to regulate body temperature, and even death. Obese treatments vary, and most doctors still insist that the absolute best way to fight obesity is to reduce caloric intake and increase caloric output. Burning more calories than a person puts in invariably leads to weight loss. While the media has barraged television and magazine viewers with magic diet pills that will peel the pounds off for you, the Mayo Clinic studies have found no conclusive evidence that these pills do anything. Weight loss supplements, drinks, prepackaged foods, workout DVDs, surgically reducing the size of the stomach, and weight loss programs are all weight loss ideas that have become part of Americana. Some work reasonably well while others have not been proven to enhance permanent weight loss. Anything that promotes the burning of energy such as exercise DVDs has potential. Prepackaged weight loss meals teach people how to make better choices, and group programs help people stay in the program. Unintentional weight loss may be the result of an illness or depression. Diagnosing the problem is the key to stopping the weight loss and encouraging healthy body weight. Unintentional weight loss that can be attributed to lack of appetite may be caused by medication. Many people who have lost weight unintentionally do not wish to gain the weight back. Losing weight is a struggle, and patients need to be motivated in order to be successful. They need to stop believing the media hype that promises weight loss of unreasonable weight in very short amounts of time. Dropping too much weight in a short time is not healthy. Real weight loss comes from a dedicated effort to chronically make healthy food choices and exercising regularly. Patients need to set reasonable goals for themselves and ask for their physician’s assistance in the best weight loss program for them. Underweight individuals need to recognize that they are unhealthy and learn to manage their weight issues with more care, without just eating high calorie, high fat foods. Coping with weight issues can be a chronic lifetime struggle. Every time the patient exercises and makes good choices, they are winning the battle. Every time they can see the results on a scale or when they put their clothes on, they receive positive feedback. Positive feedback reinforces the positive behavior.

Five reasons to avoid junk food

Junk food is very common now a day’s especially in young youth. People have stopped eating the traditional curry dishes. As every picture has two sides so is same for the junk food. People like junk food as it is readily available always. People think that junk food digest faster than the usual traditional food. But the junk food has also got drawbacks. Following are the 5 major reasons that why one should avoid the junk food:-

Heart diseases

Junk food results in many heart diseases such as cardiac arrest, atherosclerosis and myocardial infraction. The reason that junk food causes these diseases is that junk food contain excess amount of lipoproteins and cholesterol. The lipoproteins and cholesterol deposit on inner linings of blood vessels. So, this results in formation of plaques. And for this reason heart need to put extra effort to pump the blood through the arteries. Junk food also contains excess amount of sugar and salts which result in increased blood pressure.

Liver failure

Liver failure is also due to same reason. The presence of cholesterol and salts in junk food result in liver failure.

Lack of energy

Junk food contains harmful carbohydrates, cholesterol and fats. So, the body having junk food does not get required nutrients and it lack energy.

Diabetes

Junk food ingredients are also harmful in the way that they damage the pancreas and result in IDDM (Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus).

Poor concentration

Due to excess of oil and fat in the junk food it makes difficult for the body to digest it. So to digest this all body utilizes more enzymes and blood. Person feels drowsy and has less concentration because major portion of blood is diverted to intestine.

Asthma

Asthma is a lung disease that causes obstruction of the airways. It is an overreaction of the body’s immune system usually caused by exposure to an allergen, a substance that the body perceives as foreign and dangerous.

During an asthma attack, spasms in the muscles surrounding the bronchi (small airways in the lungs) constrict, impeding the outward passage of air. Asthma sufferers often describe this plight as “starving for air”. Typical symptoms of an asthma attack are coughing, wheezing, a feeling of tightness in the chest, and difficulty breathing. An attack can last for a few minutes or several hours.

The spasms characterizing an acute attack are not the cause of the disorder, but a result of chronic inflammation and hypersensitivity of the airways to certain stimuli. An attack can be triggered if a susceptible individual is exposed to an allergen, but irritants, infection, stress, exercise, use of aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or other NSAIDs – or even rapid changes in weather and humidity- can trigger an attack.

Common asthma provoking allergens include animal dander, cockroach allergens, pollens, mold, pet dander, chemicals, drugs, dust mites, environmental pollutants, feathers, food additives ( such as monosodium glutamate, sulfites such as sodium metabisulfite), sea food, dairy products, nuts, yeast-based food, fumes, mold, and tobacco smoke.

Factors that can trigger non allergic asthma include adrenal disorders, anxiety, temperature changes, exercise, extremes of dryness or humidity, fear, laughing, low blood sugar, and stress. A respiratory infection like bronchitis is the most common provoker. Whatever the particular instigator, the bronchial tubes swell and become plugged with mucus. This inflammation further irritates the airways, resulting in even greater sensitivity. The attacks become more frequent and the inflammation more severe.

Asthma epidemics related to atmospheric contamination – situations in which dust and chemical particles are abundant, especially in enclosed environments- are well known. Occupational exposure to certain substances, such as urethrane and polyurethrane, used in the adhesives and plastic industry, along with rubber epoxy resins from paint, textile cleaner’s fumes, dry cleaning chemicals, and others also may be major risk factors.

Asthma symptoms may resemble those of other diseases, such as emphysema, bronchitis, heart burn, and lower respiratory infections.

Common signs and symptoms of asthma include: recurrent wheezing, coughing, trouble breathing, chest tightness, symptoms that occur or worsen at night, symptoms that are triggered by cold air, exercise or exposure to allergens.

Wheezing — high-pitched whistling sounds when you breathe out — is one of the main signs of asthma and indicates obstructed airways.

Although your symptoms, medical history and physical examination may suggest that you have asthma, lung (pulmonary) function tests may be needed to confirm an asthma diagnosis. Lung function tests may include one or more of the following tests:

a. Spirometry

This noninvasive test measures how well you breathe. During spirometry, you take deep breaths and forcefully exhale into a hose connected to a machine called a spirometer. Spirometry testing reveals two measurements that are important in diagnosing asthma:

Forced vital capacity (FVC), which is the maximum amount of air you can inhale and exhale.

Forced expiratory volume (FEV-1), which is the maximum amount of air you can exhale in one second.

The two measurements are compared. If certain key measurements are below normal for a person your age, it may be a sign that your airways are obstructed. Your doctor may ask you to inhale a bronchodilator drug used in asthma treatment to open obstructed air passages and then try the test again. If your measurements improve significantly, it's likely that you have asthma. Your doctor may still suspect that you have asthma even if your initial spirometry measurements are normal. If so, you may need additional tests.

b. Challenge test

During this test, your doctor deliberately tries to trigger airway obstruction and asthma symptoms by having you inhale an airway-constricting substance or take several breaths of cold air. If you appear to have exercise-induced asthma, you may be asked to do vigorous physical activity to trigger symptoms.

After triggering your symptoms, you retake the spirometry test. If your spirometry measurements are still normal, it's likely that you don't have asthma. But if your measurements have fallen significantly, it may mean you have asthma.

Treatment

The following treatments are usually administered concurrently to achieve the most rapid resolution of the exacerbation.

Oxygen. To achieve arterial oxygen saturation of a 90% (a 95% in children), oxygen should be administered by nasal cannulae, by mask, or rarely by head box in some infants. PaCO2 may worsen in some patients on 100 percent oxygen, especially those with more severe airflow

Obstruction. Oxygen therapy should be titrated against pulse oximetry to maintain a satisfactory oxygen saturation.

Rapid-acting inhaled ß2–agonists. Rapid-acting inhaled beta2-agonists should be administered at regular intervals. Although most rapid-acting beta2-agonists have a short duration of effect, the long-acting bronchodilator formoterol, which has both a rapid onset of action and a long duration of effect, has been shown to be equally effective without increasing side effects, though it is considerably more expensive.

The importance of this feature of formoterol is that it provides support and reassurance regarding the use of a combination of formoterol and budesonide early in asthma exacerbations. A modestly greater bronchodilator effect has been shown with levabuterol compared to racemic albuterol in both adults and children with an asthma exacerbation. In a large study of acute asthma in children and in adults not previously treated with glucocorticosteroid, levabuterol

treatment resulted in lower hospitalization rates compared to racemic albuterol treatment, but in children the length of hospital stay was no different.

Studies of intermittent versus continuous nebulized shortacting beta2-agonists in acute asthma provide conflicting results. In a systematic review of six studies, there were no significant differences in bronchodilator effect or hospital admissions between the two treatments. In

patients who require hospitalization, one study found that intermittent on-demand therapy led to a significantly shorter hospital stay, fewer nebulizations, and fewer palpitations when compared with intermittent therapy given every 4 hours. A reasonable approach to inhaled therapy

in exacerbations, therefore, would be the initial use of continuous therapy, followed by intermittent on-demand therapy for hospitalized patients. There is no evidence to support the routine use of intravenous beta2-agonists in patients with severe asthma exacerbations.

Epinephrine. A subcutaneous or intramuscular injection of epinephrine (adrenaline) may be indicated for acute treatment of anaphylaxis and angioedema, but is not routinely indicated during asthma exacerbations.

Additional bronchodilators.

Ipratropium bromide. A combination of nebulized beta2- agonist with an anticholinergic (ipratropium bromide) may produce better bronchodilation than either drug alone and should be administered before methylxanthines are considered. Combination beta2- agonist/anticholinergic therapy is associated with lower hospitalization rates and greater improvement in PEF and FEV1. Similar data have been reported in the pediatric literature . However, once children with asthma are hospitalized following intensive emergency department treatment, the addition of nebulized ipratropium bromide to nebulized beta2-agonist and systemic glucocorticosteroids appears to confer no extra benefit.

Theophylline. In view of the effectiveness and relative safety of rapid-acting beta2-agonists, theophylline has a minimal role in the management of acute asthma. Its use is associated with severe and potentially fatal side effects, particularly in those on long-term therapy with

sustained-release theophylline, and their bronchodilator effect is less than that of beta2-agonists. The benefit asadd-on treatment in adults with severe asthma exacerbations has not been demonstrated. However, in one study of children with near-fatal asthma, intravenous

theophylline provided additional benefit to patients also receiving an aggressive regimen of inhaled and intravenous beta2-agonists, inhaled ipatropium bromide, and intravenous systemic glucocorticosteroids.

Systemic glucocorticosteroids. Systemic glucocorticosteroids speed resolution of xacerbations and should be utilized in the all but the mildest exacerbations, especially if:

• The initial rapid-acting inhaled beta2-agonist therapy fails to achieve lasting improvement

• The exacerbation develops even though the patient was already taking oral glucocorticosteroids

• Previous exacerbations required oral glucocorticosteroids.

Oral glucocorticosteroids are usually as effective as those administered intravenously and are preferred because this route of delivery is less invasive and less expensive.

If vomiting has occurred shortly after administration of oral glucocorticosteroids, then an equivalent dose should be re-administered intravenously. In patients discharged from the emergency department, intramuscular administration may be helpful, especially if there are concerns about compliance with oral therapy. Oral glucocorticosteroids require at least 4 hours to produce clinical improvement.

Daily doses of systemic glucocorticosteroids equivalent to 60-80 mg methylprednisolone as a single dose, or 300-400 mg hydrocortisone in divided doses, are adequate for hospitalized patients, and 40 mg methylprednisolone or 200 mg hydrocortisone is probably adequate in most

cases. An oral glucocorticosteroid dose of 1 mg/kg daily is adequate for treatment of exacer-bations in children with mild persistent asthma. A 7-day course in adults has been found to be as effective as a 14-day course, and a 3- to 5-day course in children is usually considered appro-priate. Current evidence suggests that there is no benefit to tapering the dose of oral glucocorticosteroids, either in the short-term or over several weeks.

Inhaled glucocorticosteroids. Inhaled glucocorticosteroids are effective as part of therapy for asthma exacerbations. In one study, the combination of high-dose inhaled glucocorticosteroids and salbutamol in acute asthma provided greater bronchodilation than salbutamol alone, and conferred greater benefit than the addition of systemic glucocorticosteroids across all parameters, including hospitalizations, especially for patients with more severe attacks. Inhaled glucocorticosteroids can be as effective as oral glucocorticosteroids at preventing relapses. Patients discharged from the emergency department on prednisone and inhaled budesonide have a lower rate of relapse than

those on prednisone alone. A high-dose of inhaled glucocorticosteroid (2.4 mg budesonide daily in

four divided doses) achieves a relapse rate similar to 40 mg oral prednisone daily.

Cost is a significant factor in the use of such high-doses of inhaled glucocorticosteroids, and further studies are required to document their potential benefits, especially cost effectiveness, in acute asthma.

Magnesium. Intravenous magnesium sulphate (usually given as a single 2 g infusion over 20 minutes) is not recommended for routine use in asthma exacerbations, but can help reduce hospital admission rates in certain patients, including adults with FEV1 25-30% predicted at presentation, adults and children who fail to respond to initial treatment, and children whose FEV1 fails to improve

above 60% predicted after 1 hour of care. Nebulized salbutamol administered in isotonic magnesium sulfate provides greater benefit than if it is delivered in normal saline. Intravenous magnesium sulphate has not been studied in young children.

Helium oxygen therapy. A systematic survey of studies that have evaluated the effect of a combination of helium and oxygen, compared to helium alone, suggests there is no routine role for this intervention. It might be considered for patients who do not respond to standard therapy.

Leukotriene modifiers. There is little data to suggest a role for leukotriene modifiers in acute asthma.

Sedatives. Sedation should be strictly avoided during exacerbations of asthma because of the respiratory depressant effect of anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs. An association between the use of these drugs and avoidable asthma deaths has been demonstrated.

The following are the nutrients, herbs, and other recommendations beneficial to thwart atherosclerosis:

NUTRIENTS

Supplement	Suggested Dosage	Comments
Essential
Pantothenic acid (Vit B6)	50 mg 3x a day	The anti stress vitamin
Quercitin-C from Ecological Formulas plus bromelain	500 mg 3x a day 100 mg 3x a day	Powerful immunostimulants. Antihistamine effect
Vitamin C with bioflavonoids	1500 mg 3x a day (avoid high doses when with kidney stones)	Needed to protect lung tissue and keep down infection. Also increases air flow and fights inflammation
Zinc lozenges	Do not take over 100 mg daily	Can shorten an attack or halt one before it becomes severe.
Very Important
Betaine HCl with pepsin	As directed on label, or as prescribed	Combats malabsorption problems
Coenzyme Q	100 mg daily	Has the ability to counter histamine
Magnesium plus calcium	750 mg daily 1500 mg daily	May stop the acute asthmatic episode by increasing the vital capacity of the lungs. Has a dilating effect on the bronchial muscles. Use chelate forms
Multivitamin and mineral complex with Selenium Vitamin B12	As directed on the label 200 mcg daily 2000 mcg daily	Necessary for enhanced immune function. Use a high potency formula. Destroys radicals from air pollutants

Herbs

Lobelia extract is helpful during an asthma attack attack; it is a bronchial soothing muscle relaxant and expectorant. Do not take long term.

Boswellia, an Indian herb (also known as frankincense), in studies was shown to reduce the number of asthma attacks.

Mullein oil is said to be a powerful remedy for bronchial congestion. The oil stops cough, unclogs bronchial tubes, and helps clear up asthma attacks. Users say that when they take it in tea or fruit juice, the effect is almost immediate.

Proponents of the East Indian mind-body-earth philosophy called Ayurveda recommend the following herbs for people with asthma: vasaka (Adhatoda vasica) relieves cough, bronchitis, and other asthmatic symptoms; boswellia (Boswellia serrata), to relieve pain or inflammation; and tylophora (Tylophora indica) for respiratory relief.

Other herbs beneficial for asthma include Echinacea, licorice root, and slippery elm bark tablets. Licorice root, ginger root, and elderberry open up the respiratory tract.

Caution: Do not take Echinacea if you have an autoiimune disorder. Do not use licorice on a daily basis for more than seven days in a row, and avoid it completely if you have high blood pressure.

Recommendations:

Homeopathic use of belladonna have been shown to relax the bronchioles in the lungs which alleviates the wheezing symptoms in an asthma attack.

Eat a diet consisting primarily of fresh fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, brown rice, and whole grains. The diet should be relatively high in protein, low in carbohydrate, and contain no sugar.

Include garlic and oinions in your diet. These food contain quercatin and mustard oils, which have been shown to inhibit an enzyme that aids in releasing inflammatory chemicals.

Avoid gas-producing foods, such as beans, brassicas ( broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage) and large amounts of bran. Gas can aggravate an asthmatic condition by putting pressure in the diaphragm.

Do not eat ice cream or drink extremely cold liquids. Cold can shock the bronchial tubes into spasms.

Use a juice fast, a fast using distilled water or lemon juice or a combination of both for three days each month to help rid the body of toxins and mucus.

Eat lightly- a large meal can cause shortness of breath by making the stomach put pressure on the diaphragm

Practice methods to relieve stress as they can trigger an attack.

Abscesses

An abscess is formed when pus accumulates in a tissue, organ, confined space in the body due to an infection. An abscess can form in the brain, lungs, teeth, gums, under arms, GI tract, abdominal wall, ears, tonsils, sinuses, bones, breasts, kidneys, prostate gland, rectum, scrotum, and to almost any part of the body. They may indeed be located externally or internally and may result from injury or a lowered resistance to infection.

The affected area may be swollen, inflamed, hot, red, and tender. The individual may also experience fatigue, weight; loss, anorexia, and alternating bouts of fever and chills. Rupture of the abscess and in severe cases, bacteremia (blood infection) can occur. The material inside an abscess consists of living and dead white blood cells, bacteria, dead tissue, and toxins – all of which can be discarded from the body.

An abscess is said to be acute if it appears suddenly ( in a matter of a few hours or overnight) and is termed chronic is it has been present for a period of days or weeks. Acute abscesses generally respond better to treatment in a matter of days.

Basically, an abscess is a sign that the body is trying to rid itself of impurities. The impurities may be half-starved cells, deficient in nutrients such as sulfur, or toxins that accumulate because of a failure of the normal eliminative processes. Such a situation stems from poor diet and exposure to environmental pollutants, chemicals, or harmful substances. Eating junk food not only clutters the system with food lacking in nutrients, but also prevents the cellular wastes from being eliminated efficiently by causing problems such as constipation and a sluggish liver, spleen, and kidney function.

WORLD ON ALERT AS URBAN TAPEWORMS GROW IN POWER

There are perhaps no animals more frightening to humanity than a tapeworm. Combining the creepy crawly nature of common earthworms and the almost primordial fear of snakes, living in the human body and ever growing, the tapeworm is an embodiment of some of our worst fears. Most commonly borne from
tainted beef or fish, some species of tapeworm can grow up to 100 feet long inside the body of a mammal, causing various types of sometimes fatal diseases.

Most common in tropical third world countries, tapeworm and flatworm infections have recently started to migrate into the human population in first world urban centres such as Chicago and Tokyo. Concerns have been raised across Asia, North America, and Europe as incidents of urban tapeworm sightings have become more and more common. Experts are as yet hesitant to issue global warnings about the increased incidents but are carefully watching outbreaks and beginning to monitor borders for any sign of illegal crossings by worm shaped animals.

“The increasing popularity of dishes such as sushi and sashimi as well as decreasing standards of cleanliness at restaurants across the United States has led to the phenomenon we are seeing. The most common source of transmission is from fish to humans when the food is either uncooked or undercooked. It also occurs when a person preparing food has become infected by say coming in contact with animal feces,” said Dr. Edward Ghent of the CDC. “That it part is the reason for the move into urban areas where food like sushi is common and dog owners are reticent to pick up after their pets. Those two circumstances have led to a perfect storm that is the perfect environment for tapeworms to thrive and they are taking full advantage of the opportunities with which we are presenting.”

Doctors recommend eating sushi and other uncooked fish from reputable establishments and asking before ordering if the chefs have been handling animal feces and not washing. In cases of the latter officials are recommending that if people receive even remotely suspicious answers they should go to another restaurant.

“Like many other diseases our modern indulgences like sushi and dog feces have become our undoing. Similar to our desire to efficient movement through airport security led to the events of 9/11, our apathy in asking simple questions in order to expedite delivery of food into our
mouths has put at risk and potentially created a situation that may never be fully resolved,” said Scrape TV Health analyst Rebecca Phelps. “There’s really no way of telling how far tapeworms have penetrated into our culture and society. Much like Al Qaeda Tapeworms have no real central organization and each cell operates more or less independently leaving us with no clear idea of where and when they might strike next. That makes them at least as dangerous as terror cells if not more due to the fact that everyone needs to eat.”

Governments across the world are starting to develop contingency plans should a massive tapeworm infection break out amongst the urban population. The World Health Organization, fresh off its Phase 6 Swine Flu success, is flirting with the idea of adding tapeworms to their watch list.

“The really horrible thing about this enemy is that it can live inside us for years, decades even, without us knowing. We handle our feces and then cook dinner for our family and all of a sudden you have infections in every neighbourhood in every city in the civilized world,” continued Phelps. “There is a real danger here of mass infection and though it’s unlikely that a tapeworm infection will undo human society as we know it there is always the distinct possibility especially if we completely ignore the threat.”

Health officials are also recommending people not ingest animal or human feces unless it is properly cooked.

Health in Somalia

The average Somali is struggling hard to receive a human treatment in the African Horn. Life in this part of the world has not been easy over the last decade. War, internal rebellion and economic breakdowns have left many thousands displaced. Children and women have come to bear the maximum brunt of these unsolicited evils. Malnutrition, disablement and fatal diseases are all too, very common. With the current war scene showing no signs of ending early, there are serious doubts raised over the sustenance of human life here.

[Undernourished children everywhere in Somalia]

Meanwhile, the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) has announced plans to immunize about 100,000 internally displaced people, comprising women and children.

Why Being Obese Is Such A Health Risk!

Some people can be very overweight and not suffer any major medical problems. You may be one of them. However, the truth is that being overweight dramatically increases your chances of suffering a serious health problem in the near future (sometimes referred to as an obesity related disease). Here are some scary statistics for you: If you are obese you are:

• 6 times more likely to develop gallbladder disease
• 5.6 times more likely to develop high blood pressure
• 3.8 times more likely to develop diabetes
• Twice as likely to develop arthritis
• More likely to develop some cancers, including prostate, and breast
• More likely to have a stroke
• More likely to suffer back problems
• More likely to be infertile
• More likely to suffer depression
• More likely to snore and suffer sleep disorders

Probably most important of all, your life expectancy is much shorter than that of a normal sized person. The more obese you are, the more risk you have of dying at an earlier age.

With all this data, it is amazing that, until very recently, it was very difficult to find doctors who were willing to treat people with a weight problem. Fortunately the World Health Organization has now classified obesity as a disease in its own right, and this has led to governments and health professionals around the world improving the services provided to help treat obesity.