Live Support
How To Solve The Problem Of Sinusitis
How To Solve The Problem Of Sinusitis

Few of us seem to worry about sinusitis, but it is fast becoming a worldwide problem. This seems to be due to increased pollution and allergic reactions from airborne particles. Hay fever and other natural airborne irritants make up many of these, but it is also widely known that an increase in eating processed foods and pollution itself increases cases of allergic reactions and sinusitis. Pollution therefore doubles the potential of contracting serious sinusitis both from the pollutants in the atmosphere and the increase of allergic conditions resulting from this.

For many, what starts out as blocked nasal passages can gradually result in sustained headaches, nausea and dizziness. Doctors, holistic practitioners and the sufferers themselves should pay close attention to this debilitating illness. Once you get sinusitis it may be hard to cure and will often re-occur, creating a long term problem that affects your wellbeing significantly. Drugs are one possible solution to clear the sinuses of blockages and infections but as far as long term prevention is concerned a natural and holistic way is always the best solution.

Many sufferers familiar with naturopathy practice utilise an ancient Indian practice known as “neti”. Simply put, this is cleansing your nasal passages and sinuses with salt water. This practice, usually done in the morning, not only disinfects the sinuses but also clears the passages so you can breathe more clearly. The sensation of this practice is extremely relieving for sinusitis sufferers as neti also clears your head, quite literally making you feel mentally refreshed in order to start your day. Menthol, eucalyptus and other decongestants can also be used to clear your sinus from congestion. You can apply these directly under the nose or put the decongestant straight into a hot steaming bowl of water covering your head with a towel to trap the steam while you deeply inhale to absorb the steam and aromatherapy oils into your sinuses. The practice is well known to provide welcome relief from the constant ache of sinusitis.

Above all, governments need to stand up to the problem of pollution in order to help their nations’ long term wellness. To cite just one example, India is one of the most polluted countries in the world and also has the second highest rate of sinusitis sufferers in the world – a fact that is sure to be more than simple coincidence. If governments realise that the wellbeing of their people should come before heavily polluting business objectives, the world will go a long way in improving our long-term wellbeing and contentment.

 

Allergies And Asthma

Could a Drug Reduce Your Asthma Symptoms and ...
If your wellness is affected by asthma, a new anti-viral drug could protect you from life-threatening symptoms. This is according to researchers from the University of Southampton and respiratory drug development company Synairgen, who say that their anti-viral drug – SNG001 – could lead to a cure for asthma. SNG001 works to guard your wellbeing against respiratory virus infections (such as the common cold), as these can spread to your lungs and worsen your asthma symptoms. Viral infection is associated with an estimated 80% of asthma-related emergency department visits. Researchers recently tested the drug on 134 adult asthmatics with mild to severe symptoms, discovering that, compared to a placebo drug; SNG001 prevented two out of three asthma sufferers developing worse symptoms after catching a cold. The scientists also found that, as a result of using the drug, the participants’ asthma symptoms were reduced by a whopping 65%, which allowed the sufferers to reduce the amount of times they inhaled a bronchodilator, which is an inhaler that increases airflow to your lungs. Now, the scientists hope that they will be able to create a commercial version of the drug, and change the lives of the 5.4m asthma sufferers in the UK. In a statement, professor Stephen Holgate, founder of Synairgen, said, ‘This is a really promising breakthrough for the future treatment of asthma and one of the most exciting developments that I have seen in years. This is the first clinical study which appears to demonstrate that, by boosting the antiviral defences of the lungs of asthmatics rather than trying to inhibit rapidly evolving viruses, we can limit the adverse effects of viral infection significantly to prevent worsening of asthma symptoms in a high risk group of patients.’ Leanne Metcalf, assistant director of research at Asthma UK, commented, ‘This has the potential to be one of the biggest breakthroughs in asthma treatments in the past 20 years. We are incredibly excited by the possibilities this research could bring to reduce hospital admissions and deaths as a result of asthma attacks. Over 80% of asthma attacks are triggered by cold and flu viruses, and until now we haven't had any effective treatments that can stop this from happening. This clinical trial demonstrates the potential of this anti-viral drug to prevent asthma attacks for thousands of people with severe asthma. We are incredibly proud to have played a part in the realisation of this research programme which should benefit people with asthma in a really significant way.’
New Cell Discovery Linked to Eczema and Aller...
If your wellness is affected by eczema or other allergies, it may be due to a type of immune cell in your skin. This is according to a new study published this week in the journal Nature Immunology, which has come about thanks to a collaboration among researchers from the University of Sydney’s affiliated Centenary Institute and colleagues in New Zealand, the UK, and the US. Years ago, a family of cells, known as group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2), was discovered ago in the laboratory of Professor Wolfgang Weninger, and this new cell type is part of this group. Professor Weninger’s lab has been responsible for developing techniques in marking different cells of your immune system, and tracking them live under the microscope. However, until now the identity of the immune cells has remained a mystery. According to Dr Ben Roediger, first author on the paper and a research officer in the Centenary’s Immune Imaging Laboratory, this is the first time such cells had been found in the skin, and they are relatively more numerous there. He noted, ‘Our data show that these skin ILC2 cells can likely suppress or stimulate inflammation under different conditions. They also suggest a potential link to allergic skin diseases.’ The researchers contacted Professor Graham Le Gros at the Malaghan Institute in New Zealand, one of the world’s foremost researchers into type 2 immunity (the part of your immune system that deals with infection by parasitic organisms), as they suspected that the cells may be associated with this system. The Professor not only confirmed this suspicion, but also provided a new strain of mouse developed in the United States that provided insight into the function of ILC2 cells. Roediger explained, ‘Using these mice, we found that ILC2 cells were the major population in the skin that produced interleukin 13, a molecule that has been linked to a number of allergic diseases, including eczema.’ He added, ‘We now have experiments underway in which we are actively looking for the direct involvement of these cells in the sort of skin diseases you would predict based on these findings.’

Cancer

Researchers Make Important Cancer Metabolism ...
There are multiple metabolic expression changes associated with cancer. This is according to researchers at Columbia University Medical Centre, whose large study analysing gene expression data from 22 tumour types, published in the online edition of Nature Biotechnology, has also identified hundreds of potential drug targets that could improve your wellness by cutting off your tumour’s fuel supply or interfering with its ability to synthesise essential building blocks. According to Dennis Vitkup, PhD, associate professor of biomedical informatics (in the Initiative in Systems Biology) at CUMC, and the study's lead investigator, ‘The importance of this new study is its scope. So far, people have focused mainly on a few genes involved in major metabolic processes. Our study provides a comprehensive, global view of diverse metabolic alterations at the level of gene expression.’ Studies into drugs that interfere with cancer metabolism is a field that dominated cancer research in the early 20th century, and has recently undergone a renaissance. In 1924, German biochemist Otto Warburg was the first to observe that cancer cells had a peculiar way of utilising glucose to make energy for the cell. Dr Vitkup explained, ‘Although a list of biochemical pathways in normal cells was comprehensively mapped during the last century, we still lack a complete understanding of their usage, regulation, and reprogramming in cancer.’ Jie Hu, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia and first author of the study, added, ‘Right now we have something like a static road map. We know where the streets are, but we don't know how traffic flows through the streets and intersections. What researchers need is something similar to Google Traffic, which shows the flow and dynamic changes in car traffic.’ However, the researchers did find that tumour-induced expression changes are significantly different across diverse tumours. Matthew Vander Heiden, MD, PhD, assistant professor at MIT, and a co-author of the paper, commented, ‘Our study clearly demonstrates that there are no single and universal changes in cancer metabolism. That means that to understand transformation in cancer metabolism, researchers will need to consider how different tumour types adapt their metabolism to meet their specific needs.’
How Can Exercise Help With Cancer Treatment?...
Those battling cancer will often need to undergo various treatments which affect your body in different ways, often leaving you feeling quite drained, both physically and mentally. Chemotherapy is the most commonly associate treatment, but radiation therapy and drugs are also used. Some women find that they struggle to cope with the side effects of Tamoxifen pills, which are designed to combat the effects of oestrogen-based breast cancer. Side effects which have been reported include getting lightheaded and hot flushes - some even pass out due to these effects. This can mean added stress, in addition to the emotions you're already feeling through coping with the cancer itself. While not everyone experiences these side effects, many feel more comfortable taking an additional tablet known as Effexor to boost their energy levels. Many find that listening to their body helps determine which treatments are most effective - some, for example, report that following chemotherapy, they feel lightheaded and have been known to pass out. It's important during this time to be diligent with your diet, as a loss of appetite is one known risk of the chemotherapy. With so many chemicals and drugs going into your body, a strict diet is vital in order to ensure you're filling your body with the nutrients it needs to stay as healthy as possible. Protein is important for keeping your energy levels up, so protein bars and shakes are useful to keep around the house, as it eating every two hours to refuel your body. Your immune system will take the brunt of the chemotherapy, so refuelling with healthy vitamins, minerals and protein will keep it fighting any additional illness. Your support network of family and friends will get you through this stage in your life - don't feel worried about leaning on them for emotional support when you need it. Many people feel as though they need to hide their illness and stay strong for others, but your health is what's important here, so if you're struggling you need to let people around you know. Likewise, remain positive - once the chemotherapy is over, your energy levels will start to return to normal and you'll begin to feel like yourself again.

Diabetes

Does Heavy Drinking Increase Your Risk of Pre...
If you’re a young person whose wellness is affected by early-stage hypertension, heavy drinking may put your wellbeing at risk of diabetes. This is according to researchers at the San Antonio Hospital, University of Padova, Italy, whose cohort study of stage 1 hypertensive individuals showed that more than 10 drinks a day boosted the risk of prediabetes (in which your serum glucose between 100 and 125 mg/dL) more than six times. Lucio Mos and colleagues presented their findings at the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation's EuroPRevent meeting, noting that if you have less than five drinks a day, you are neither harming or improving your risk for prediabetes. Session moderator Paul Dendale, MD, PhD, of the University of Hasselt, Belgium, commented that this is a surprising finding, because there is an established link between moderate drinking and a protective effect in cardiovascular disease and certain other conditions. The original aim of the Hypertension and Ambulatory Recording Venetia Study (HARVEST) was to look at white-coat hypertension in patients seen at 17 hypertension clinics in northeast Italy, and so Dendale surmised that the hypertensive population studied may have accounted for the difference in the study’s findings. He noted, ‘Alcohol is also increasing the blood pressure, so it might be that, there again, you have some effect in a population that is more sensitive to alcohol.’ Dendale concluded that, therefore, the message remains an emphasis on moderation. 1,177 patients, ages 18 to 45, participated in the study, all of whom had systolic blood pressure between 140 and 159 mm Hg, or diastolic pressure of 90 to 99 mm Hg. The participants had never been treated for hypertension and were free of other important risk factors for atherosclerosis at baseline. The study involved 6.5 years of follow-up, during which time average glycaemic levels climbed with greater daily alcohol intake (P=0.02), as did prediabetes (P=0.006). Those who drank more also tended to have higher cholesterol (P=0.03), and 3.1 times more likely to have sustained hypertension (95% CI 1.4 to 7.2). However, when it came to those who abstained from alcohol, and those who drank mild amounts, the researchers reported that the risk of prediabetes was similar.
Online Diabetes Community Launches Self-Manag...
When your wellness is affected by diabetes, you need to take several daily decisions to manage your blood glucose levels the best you can. However, as you can’t have a doctor watching out for your wellbeing every day, you need to learn about the disease and manage it yourself. This is where The illustrated guide to living with diabetes in India comes in; a comprehensive, reliable self-management guide for people with diabetes which will launch in India soon. Authored by The Living with Diabetes in India (LWDI) Community – the world’s largest and most trusted online community of diabetics, caregivers and healthcare professionals supporting diabetics in India – the book serves as a practical guide to help you self-manage diabetes, providing reliable information and useful advice. Based on the most accurate and trustworthy medical information worldwide, the guide is a culmination of a year’s worth of work from by a team of medical writers, artists and diabetologists. According to Praful Akali, the editor of the book, founder-member of the LWDI community, an IIM alumnus and head of one of the leading medical communications agencies in the country, ‘We were surprised to learn that there is no single source of practical yet reliable information for people with diabetes to better manage their condition. Based on the latest peer-reviewed scientific information and with inputs from the country’s leading doctors, nutritionists, counsellors and fellow diabetics, the book promises to marry scientific credibility with practicality.’ Now available for pre-order on www.flipkart.com, the book is co-published in India by leading book publishers, Popular Prakashan, whose CEO, Manish Purohit, commented, ‘As a publisher, we have seen many books that claim to educate people on various health issues. However, this book is unique in its engaging content and in bringing together the reliable information in such simple language. We are happy with our partnered association with a book of this genre and to lend our support to the cause of patient education for diabetes management.’ Dr. Debasis Basu, medical coordinator, LWDI added, ‘As genetics and lifestyle have conspired heavily to inflict an epidemic of diabetes in our subcontinent with approximately 67 million people affected with diabetes in India in 2013, we need to focus our attention on changing our lifestyles to manage the disease. This guide will help you believe that if good and right care is taken, even with diabetes, you are the master of your own life.’

Health Concerns