#87 Why you don’t remember your nights out? (English)

As much as we all enjoy going out, socializing and drinking, there’s nothing worse than that feeling of not remembering what happened. Well, I’m here to tell you that there is no point trying to piece it all together because the events were never remembered in the first place! It’s hard to remember something that your brain never saved, quite frankly it is impossible. So, what exactly goes on up there?

When exposed to large amounts of alcohol, neurons in the hippocampus produce steroids, which inhibit the formation of memory. The image below shows how memories are made. As you can see, alcohol interferes with the transfer of short to long term memory.

Some people however are more prone to memory loss than others. This explains why some may remember their nights out while others do not. ‘Brown outs’, where details vanish, are much more common than ‘blackouts’, where very heavy drinkers wake up and are unable to remember anything that happened. The chance of a blackout occurring is quite rare.

Often we hear people say that consuming alcohol kills brain cells. Study shows that this is not the case even when alcohol is directly applied to a brain cell it does the not damage them. As mentioned before, steroids are released by brain cells blocking the formation of long term memories.

Even though alcohol does not kill your brain cells, it is not a good idea to drink to the point of a so called brown out. Drink responsibly and do not waste your time trying to remember a forgotten night out. Nights out like this will just make you a bit more careful next time you drink. Of course if you’re only drinking because others around you are, just remember that you don’t need alcohol to fit in with the crowd. There are plenty of other ways to have a good time!

On a more serious note, excessive over-consumption of alcohol, especially in comparison with the intake of other foods, can cause a thiamine deficiency, leading to a much more serious form of amnesia known as Korsakoff’s syndrome. Make sure you eat before drinking and know your limits.

McA

#86 Витилиго (Vitiligo disease) (Русский)

Что это?

Болезнь впервые описана римским врачом Цельсом, который сравнивал кожу страдающего от витилиго человека со шкурой теленка пестрой окраски. Действительно, некоторое сходство есть: и в том и в другом случае наблюдается разрушение окрашенных клеток кожи – меланоцитов. Правда, для человека такое состояние не естественно.

Витилиго считается одним из самых малоизученных и сложных в терапии заболеваний. Патология, связанная с недостаточным синтезом фермента меланина, может развиться в любом возрасте. Проявления болезни носят обычно локальный характер: участки депигментации появляются на коже рук, туловища, реже на лице.

Болезнь никак не связана ни с географическими зонами, ни с национальной принадлежностью пациентов: витилиго может возникать у представителей всех человеческих рас. Несколько чаще болезнь регистрируется у женщин и молодых людей до 20 лет.

Дерматологи всего мира с тревогой отмечают в последние десятилетия увеличение числа случаев витилиго во всем мире и среди взрослого населения, и среди молодёжи.

Поскольку болезнь не является опасной для здоровья, некоторые медики считают эту патологию всего лишь косметическим дефектом и полагают, что терапией витилиго должны заниматься исключительно косметологи.

Причины возникновения

У медицины нет точного ответа на вопрос, какие факторы запускают механизм развития заболевания. Доказана возможность генетической передачи патологии. Распространение витилиго за последние 10 лет ученые связывают с усилением влияния провоцирующих факторов. К таким факторам относятся:

• Стрессовые ситуации, связанные с ускорением ритма жизни современного человека.

• Общее ухудшение экологического статуса планеты.

• Распространение инфекционных агентов.

• Контакт поверхности кожи с синтетическими тканями.

• Влияние прямого солнечного света.

• Преобладание в рационе пищевых продуктов с вредными химическими добавками в составе

• Воздействие токсических веществ, находящихся в воде, воздух, пище.

• Дисфункция эндокринных желез: надпочечников, щитовидной железы, гипофиза, репродуктивных желез.

• Наличие аутоиммунных патологий.

Проявления и симптомы

Характерный признак заболевания – участки бледного или молочно-белого цвета на коже. Пятна имеют различную величину и форму: постепенно они увеличиваются в размерах и сливаются. Что характерно, волосы на измененных участках также обесцвечиваются.

Очаги могут возникать на любой части тела, но в дебюте заболевания чаще появляются на локтях, кистях коленях – там, где человеческая кожа больше всего травмируется и контактирует с одеждой.

Никаких болезненных симптомов или признаков дискомфорта больной не ощущает: заболевание беспокоит человека только как косметический дефект. Однако известны случаи, когда на фоне витилиго развивались серьезные депрессивные расстройства.

У некоторых пациентов участок депигментации окружён гиперпигментной зоной. Такое состояние носит в медицине название « трехцветное витилиго». Обычно трихромный вариант встречается у людей с темным цветом кожи.

Прогрессирование болезни выражается в увеличении участков с отсутствием пигмента, очень редко возникают воспалительные реакции.

Лечение

В настоящее время медициной не создано специфической терапии от заболевания. Лечебная тактика направлена на предупреждение возникновения новых пятен и уменьшение существующих участков с разрушенными меланоцитами. В качестве общей терапии назначают следующие препараты:

• Антиоксиданты для нейтрализации свободных радикалов.

• Иммуномодуляторы – средства, воздействующие на защитную систему.

• Гормональные препараты (гормоны коры надпочечников).

• Витаминные комплексы специального состава.

• Мази и гели, содержащие глюкокортикостероиды, стимулирующие пигментацию.

Наиболее действенным лечебным методом считается ПУВА-терапия (разновидность фототерапии) – дозированное ультрафиолетовое облучение в сочетании с введением фотоактивных лекарственных веществ (псораленов).

KAA

#85 Экстази (Ecstasy) (Русский)

Что это?

MDMA или экстази – это синтетический психоактивный наркотик, внесённый с Список 1(список запрещённых веществ) который имеет свойства стимулятора и галлюциногена. MDMA содержит химические разновидности стимулятора амфетамина или метамфетамина и галлюциногена, как правило, мескалина. 

Наиболее часто употребляемое название – «экстази» или XTC, MDMA. Этот наркотик был впервые синтезирован в 1912 году как вещество, которое могло служить для подавления аппетита. Химически это вещество является аналогом MDA, который был популярен в 60-х годах прошлого века. В конце 70-х годов  MDMA использовался небольшой группой психотерапевтов США как средство для облегчения процесса психотерапии. Иногда это вещество принимают совместно с алкоголем, поскольку бытует мнение, что алкоголь снижает действие этого наркотика. Это вещество распространяется на так называемых «рейв-парти», в ночных клубах и концертах. Поскольку клубная культура и рейв-культура распространяются в крупных городах, растёт употребление и распространение MDMA.

Краткосрочные последствия

Несмотря на то, что экстази не вызывает такой же зависимости, как героин или кокаин, однако он вызывает последствия его употребления, такие как тошнота, галлюцинации, озноб, потение, повышение температуры тела, дрожь, непроизвольное сокращение челюсти, мышечные спазмы, расстройство зрения. Вот краткосрочные последствия употребления экстази: 

• тошнота
• галлюцинации
• озноб и потение
• повышение температуры тела
• дрожь
• спазмы в мышцах
• нечёткость зрения

Передозировка MDMA характеризуется высоким давлением крови, обмороками, приступами паники, а в более тяжёлых случаях потерей сознания, конвульсиями и резким подъёмом температуры тела. Передозировка MDMA может также вызвать смерть из-за нагрузки на сердце или вследствие чрезвычайно высокой температуры. 

Воздействие наркотика начинается 20 минут спустя после приёма и может продолжаться в течении 4 часов. Возникает ощущение «прилива» (на сленге: «прихода»), за которым следует ощущение расслабления и «хорошего состояния» и «доброго отношения к окружающим», часто сопровождающиеся усиленными восприятиями цвета и звука. Некоторые люди чувствуют также ощущение простуды и напряжения в руках, ногах и в особенности в челюсти, сопровождающиеся чувством жажды, бессонницы, депрессии и паранойи. Также сообщается, что вызывает чувство возросшей энергии. Слабый галлюциногенный эффект. 

Долгосрочные эффекты

Долгосрочные эффекты употребления MDMA всё ещё изучаются в процессе проводящихся в настоящее время исследований. Национальный институт душевного здоровья США (National Institute of Mental Health) провёл в 1988 году исследования относительно небольшой группы людей, постоянно принимавших MDMA, которые какое-то время уже не употребляли этот наркотик. Исследование показало, что люди, уже какое-то время не принимавшие этот наркотик, всё ещё страдали от  вреда, который был нанесён нейронам мозга, которые передают серотонин – биохимическое вещество, важно для выполнения таких жизненно важных функций, как обучение, сон и проявление и отправление эмоций.  Исследование показало, что люди, принимающие MDMA на досуге «для развлечения» рискуют развитием необратимых изменений в мозге, которые могут проявляться как депрессия, беспокойство, ухудшение памяти и другие нейро-психические расстройства. 

MDMA стимулирует высвобождение нейромедиатора серотонина из нейронов мозга, тем самым вызывая эйфорию, которая длится от нескольких минут до нескольких часов. Это варьируется от человека к человеку, а также зависит от дозы, чистоты наркотика, а также окружающей обстановки. MDMA может вызвать стимулирующий эффект, например, ощущение удовольствия, уверенности в себе и прилив энергии. Его психоделические эффекты включают в себя чувство миролюбивости и симпатии. Люди, принимающие этот наркотик, заявляют о том, что чувствуют родство с окружающими людьми и желание к ним прикасаться.  Поскольку MDMA порождает чувство близости, доверия  и родства, было выдвинуто предположение о целесообразности использования этого вещества как агента психотерапии. Однако MDMA отнесён к классу веществ, запрещенных для использования в медицинских целях.

KAA

#84 6 Reasons why carbohydrates should not be your enemy (English)

The Atkins Diet seems to be gaining popularity recently and this has lead to a surge of hate against carbs. This is where dieters go wrong. Carbohydrates are very beneficial to the human body. Carbohydrates can be divided into three groups: sugar, starches and fiber. Natural sugars can be found in fruits and vegetables and are the simplest kinds of carbohydrates. Starches are these simple carbohydrates too, only bonded together and can be found in rice, beans, peas and other grains. Fiber is also made of bonded simple sugars, but is found in vegetables, whole grains, bran, beans and more. Here are six reasons why these foods are important for our bodies:

1. Carbohydrates can make you happy!
Eating carbohydrates can promote the production of the feel good chemical serotonin according to a study done by the Archives of Internal Medicine. Carbs can help increase the tryptophan ratio over other amino acids. Tryptophan is important for serotonin synthesis. Studies have found that people following a low carbohydrate diet experience more depression, anxiety and anger than those who follow a healthy, high carb lifestyle.

2. Carbohydrates give you energy
 Carbs are the body’s main source of energy. They fuel your lifestyle, especially physical activity. The main source of energy required for daily activity comes from glucose, which you can get from starches and sugars. Our body uses this for immediate energy and also stored energy in our muscles and liver. If these sugars are not used up they are converted into fat. This is why carbohydrates have such a bad reputation. It is important to keep moving in order to use up as much of that fuel as possible.

3. Carbohydrates help you maintain weight
If you are picking the right kinds of carbohydrates and eating them in moderation it can actually help you maintain your weight. Carbohydrates fill you up and keep you satiated, making them powerful appetite suppressants. It is always better to choose complex carbohydrates over simple. Complex carbs contain higher levels of fiber, which take longer to break down, therefore the blood sugar doesn’t spike quickly. Simple carbs give you fast energy, which can not always be a good thing. They result in a spike in blood sugar, then a crash. When this happens, the body has higher insulin levels, causing more fat storage.

4. Carbohydrates help prevent diseases
Carbohydrate rich foods are packed with fiber, which can help your body fight certain diseases. It also helps indigestion and keeps cholesterol and heart diseases under control. By eating fiber rich foods such as whole grains you can help prevent diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart- related problems. The more refined kinds of sugars are less nutritious and can adversely affect your health. This is because they are typically stripped of most of their nutritional value during the refining process.


5. Carbohydrates help keep your memory sharp
Researchers at the Boston- area college found that women who followed a low carbohydrate diet for a week did worse on memory tests than those who followed a low calorie diet. Just as carbohydrates are fuel for your body, they are fuel for your brain. Complex carbohydrates such as whole-wheat breads, brown rice, oatmeal, high- fiber cereals, lentils and beans help keep you mentally sharp and your memory in tact.

6. Carbohydrates are good for digestion
The dietary fiber found in many carbohydrate rich foods helps digestion because it moves food quickly through intestines, which helps to prevent digestive disorders such as constipation or diverticulitis. Dietary fibers also reduce the risk of developing hemorrhoids. It is the only carbohydrate that is not broken down by enzymes. Soluble fiber can dissolve in water, while insoluble fiber remains unchanged during digestion. This again helps to prevent constipation and keeps the bowel healthy. It also reduces blood levels of low- density lipoproteins, controls blood glucose levels and may help you lose weight.

SJS

#83 Síndrome de Shock Tóxico (Español)

El Síndrome de Shock Tóxico es una enfermedad causada por dos tipos de bacterias: Staphylococcus aureus, mas conocida como estafilococo y Streptococcus pyogene, también conocida como estreptococo.  Esta es una enfermedad sistemática, esto quiere decir que afecta a todo el organismo, por esto mismo muchos de los órganos son afectados.
Algunos de sus síntomas son:

• Alta fiebre 
• Vomito o diarrea 
• Salpullido por la piel similar al de una quemadura
• Dolores musculares y falta de energía
• Enrojecimiento de ojos, boca , garganta y vagina 
• Presión baja sanguínea 
• Daño de órganos 

Algunas de sus causas:

Los primeros casos de el síndrome de shock tóxico estaban vinculados a los tampones; las afectadas eran mujeres que durante su periodo usaban tampones, en especial los super absorbentes. Dado la investigación se crearon tampones mas seguros pero también se creo mas prevención de como usarlos, en especial cambiarlos mas seguido. Ya gracias a eso los casos de TSS diminuyeron significativamente.

Hoy en día, menos de la mitad de los cosos están relacionados con el uso de tampones. El síndrome de shock tóxico también puede ocurrir con  el uso algunos anticonceptivos como la esponja anticonceptiva y el diafragma están relacionados con el TSS.  Esta enfermedad también se puede generar si alguien posee algún tipo de infección estafilocócica. Entre ellas están la neumonía,  una infección en la piel, un absceso, infection de la sangre, septicemia. Estos últimos cosas se deben a que bacterias ingresan en áreas de piel que están sensibles, sea por una cortada, una quemada, heridas quirúrgicas e incluso ampollas de varicela.

Prevenciones:

• Limpiar y vendar alguna herida
• Cambiar las vendas de manera seguida 
• Estar alerta de algunos signos de infección ( la herida se vuelve roja, se inflama, mas sensible, y da fiebre) 
• Tratar de disminuir el uso de los tampones 
• Al usarlos seleccionar los tampones que tengan la mas baja absorbencia
• Cambiar el tampon regularmente 
• Lavarse las manos antes de usar uno para evitar que no hayan bacterias

Tratamiento:

Primero se remueve cualquier material extraño como tampones o esponjas vaginales. También en caso de heridas quirúrgicas se drena el área de infección. Ya lo que sigue después es tratar de mantener las funciones corporales importantes. Esto se hace por medio de antibióticos para una infección, diálisis, líquidos por una vena, medicamentos para controlar la presión arterial.  En casos mas graves se usa gamaglobulina intravenosa.

AAM

#82 Bipolar disorder (Manic-depressive illness) (English)

What is bipolar disorder?
A mental condition marked by alternating periods of elation and depression. It is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels.

What causes bipolar disease?
There is no single factor responsible for this brain disorder, but many factors likely act together to produce the illness or increase risk.
1. Genetics
Children with a parent or sibling who has bipolar disorder are much more likely to develop the illness, compared with children with no bipolar disorder family history. However, according to a reliable research, even though the twins share the same genes, one showed the symptoms of bipolar disease but the other didn’t.
2. Brain structure and functioning
The scientists have been using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) to observe the brain’s structure and activity. They have found out that children with bipolar disorder had similar brain development in children with “multi-dimensional impairment.” This is a disorder that demonstrate similar symptoms of both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
The adults with bipolar disorder tend to have smaller and poorly functioning prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex plays a crucial role in problem solving and decision making. The abnormal development of the brain circuit during adolescence could increase the possibility of the disorder to emerge.

What are the symptoms?
The alternating state from manic episode to depressive episode. The manic episode is when the person is in an overly joyful or overexcited state. The depressive episode is when the person is experiencing extreme sadness or hopelessness.

What are the types of bipolar disorder?
1. Bipolar I disorder
The alternating of manic and mixed episodes that last at least seven days. This disorder is very severe, so the person needs an immediate hospital care.
2. Bipolar II disorder
The alternating of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown manic or mixed episodes.
3. BP-NOS; Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified
The symptoms of the illness exist but do not meet diagnostic criteria for either bipolar I or II.
4. Cyclothymic disorder
A mild form of bipolar disorder. The people suffer from mild depression and hypomania for at least 2 years. However, their symptoms do not meet the diagnostic requirements for any other type of bipolar disorder.

[Reference]
 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml

KSJ

#81 Why do we crave foods and what does it mean? (English)

 

Everybody has experienced intense cravings for foods at some point in their lives, but for many of us it is a daily occurrence. It is commonly though to be just a mental attitude toward eating, however, studies by Alan R. Hirsch, head of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago show that it is just as much a physical process as it is a mental attitude. Here are some examples of what he found:

1.      Craving salty food
 

This may be a sign of a mineral deficiency. Women who eat a diet low in calcium tend to crave salty foods more often than those who eat enough calcium. This is because sodium increases the calcium levels in the blood temporarily. This acts as a sort of ‘quick fix’ for the body. Salty cravings can also be a sign of a lack of potassium, calcium and iron.

2.      Craving chocolate
 

It is true that the taste of chocolate alone keeps you coming back for more, but it also stimulates the release of serotonin. This acts as an anti depressant that your body seeks out in order to give yourself a mental boost or a quick lift in energy.

3.      Craving spicy food
 

Eating spicy food actually helps to cool your body down, so often when the body is craving spicy food, it is saying that it needs to cool off as the fiery taste causes perspiration. Some research also suggests that it is possible to become addicted to spicy food, or perhaps just the rush it gives you (spiked blood pressure, accelerated heart rate and rapid breathing)

 

4.      Craving sweet food
 

Craving sweet food could indicate that you are looking for a boost in mood or that the body is just low on energy. The refined sugars in sweets are absorbed and processed much faster by the body than those that are low GI or any other types of food, giving the body its desired effect of an immediate energy boost.

5.      Craving both sweet and salty food
 

This indicates that your body is tired, fatigued or overall sluggish. The body and its cells need glucose and sodium to function properly. For this reason, most people tend to reach for very sweet or salty foods when working late, or as a late night snack.

 

SJS

#80 Leukemia (English)

What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a type of cancer. It affects the blood/bone marrow resulting in abnormally high levels of poorly functioning white blood cells which are involved in protecting the body from different diseases. This means that the poorly functioning white blood cells will not be able to protect their body from infections and they also prevent the body from forming healthy red blood cells as they take up a lot of space. These abnormal cells first crowd the bone marrow and later go into the blood stream where they can travel to anywhere in the body and revent other cells in the body from functioning properly.

What causes leukemia?

Leukemia does not have a specific cause, or if it does it is unknown. However, both inherited and environmental factors are involved, such as smoking and ionising radiation. A family history of leukemia is also a risk factor as well as having a genetic disorder such as down syndrome. 

Types of leukemia

The 4 most common types are:
-    Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (mostly in children)
-    Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) (children and adults)
-    Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (mostly in adults over the age of 55)
-    Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) (mainly in adults)

Diagnosis

-    If leukemia cells are found in the bone marrow sample, the patient's doctor orders other tests to find out the extent of the disease. A spinal tap (lumbar puncture) checks for leukemia cells in the fluid that fills the spaces in and around the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid). Chest x-rays can reveal signs of disease in the chest.

-    If leukemia cells are found in the blood sample, other tests will be done to find out the extent of the disease. A spinal tap checks for leukemia cells in the fluid in and around the brain and spinal cord. X-rays can be used to see leukemia’s affects on body parts such as bones.

Treatment

-    Chemotherapy is a common treatment method where drugs are given to the patient to kill of the cancerous cells.

-    Radiation therapy is also a common treatment, it uses high energy beams to kill the cancerous cells. Depending on the type of leukemia and the patient, both radiation and chemotherapy might be used simultaneously.

-    Biological/immune therapy use treatments that help your immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.

KHL

 

#79 The effect of diet on mental health (English)

It has been well documented that eating a balanced, healthy diet can help anyone overcome physical health issues and disease among many other things. After much testing and experimenting, evidence also shows that a balanced diet also helps to improve mental state and illness. 1 in 4 Americans attain a mental illness of some sort and most long term ones start in the teen years. Studies show that risk of mental health issues in teenagers decreases by up to 80% when diet is adapted to a more balanced one. Of course there are other factors that have to be considered in regards to mental wellbeing and types of illness can vary, so diet is not the only contributing factor, but can help in preventing many of these conditions as well. Citrus is often recommended to be eaten when people have colds as they help to combat the virus. Just like this there are some foods that can be eaten in order to improve mental state. 

These include:

-probiotic rich foods such as kimchi (which is fermented) as it contains bacteria. The more good bacteria a person ingests, the happier they are. 

-Dark chocolate also helps as it is rich in antioxidants which help to lower blood pressure and improve circulation. This in turn reduces stress levels. 

-Green tea lowers stress levels. Studies have shown that phycological stress was 20% less in people that drank 5 or more cups a day even when other factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and medical history are taken into account.

SJS

#78 Anorexia Nervosa II (English)

Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia,is an eating disorder characterized by a low weight, fear of gaining weight, a strong desire to be thin, and food restriction.

Many people with anorexia see themselves as fat when actually they are way too skinny.

Anorexia is a huge disorder and occurs more frequently in women than un men and this is simply because in most cases women seem to care more 

about their weight. It has been said by scientists that it occurs approximately ten times less in men than in females.

Treatment of anorexia involves getting back a healthy weight,anorexia can arise due to underlying psychological problems such as abuse or the thought of not being attractive or wanted enough, and addressing behaviors that promote the problem.there has not been any medicine that truly enables anorexic patients to restore to a healthy weight however medication can be used to treat other problems the patient may have such as anxiety or depression or any other type of psychological fear or pain. The only way to gain weight is to eat more therefore a common type of therapy is force feeding and when parents or gardians assume the responsibility for feeding their child.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters and is used too measure

"The severity of disease is based on body mass index (BMI) in adults with mild disease having a BMI of greater than 17, moderate a BMI of 16 to 17, severe a BMI of 15 to 16, and extreme a BMI less than 15."

Symptoms may include:

-Refusal to maintain a normal body mass index for one's age

-Fear of even the slightest weight gain; taking all precautionary measures to avoid weight gain or becoming overweight

-Obvious, rapid, dramatic weight loss to at least 15% under normal body weight

-Obsession with calories and fat content of food

-Preoccupation with food, recipes, or cooking; may cook elaborate dinners for others, but not eat the food themselves

-Food restriction despite being underweight

-Food rituals, such as cutting food into tiny pieces, refusing to eat around others, hiding or discarding food

-May use laxatives, diet pills, ipecac syrup, or water pills; may engage in self-induced vomiting; may run to the bathroom after eating in order to vomit and quickly get rid of ingested calories

HIB

#77 Anorexia Nervosa (English)

What is Anorexia?

Anorexia nervosa, known as anorexia, is defined as a potentially life-threatening eating disorder that is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight-loss.

People who have anorexia usually stop eating and start exercising more as they see themselves as someone who is fat when they are actually very thin. This disease, when untreated, can be very fatal and in some instances it can lead to death.

What causes anorexia?

To this day, it is still unsure what exactly may cause anorexia and researchers are still working on finding out. According to the website medicinenet.com, some researchers though think it may be caused due to a genetic component making someone more or less at risk of becoming anorexic. Others think that it may be a dysfunction coming from the brain’s hypothalamus or that it may come from imbalances in the brain’s neurotransmitters. Anorexia may also be contracted through an environment one lives in. In many societies today, beauty standards are to be thin and as people are constantly shown this, people aspire to look like this and subconsciously want to look like this to ‘fit in’. After a few years of this, many are trying to change this and suppress Photoshop to create a healthier society. People may also be able to become anorexic if teased about their looks during their life making them feel insecure about their appearance. According to webmd.com, anorexia can also have physical causes such as hormone changes which can lead to anorexia.

What are the symptoms to look out for? 

There are many symptoms for anorexia but the main symptoms are:

• Over-exercising
• Continuous dieting when underweight  
• Unusual interest in calorie intake
• Fast weight loss
• Fear of gaining weight
• Feeling like they are too fat when thin

How can we treat anorexia?

In many cases patients who have this disease won’t recognize having it and will say that they have nothing. To treat it therefore there are several ways. To have an effective treatment it is best to usually have a combination of the following ways. One method is to do psychotherapy where the patient will have one on one therapy which will focus on modifying the person’s behavior and way of thinking. Another method is to have prescribed medication as some help with the anxiety a person may have or other problems the person may be dealing with. Other ways may include nutrition counseling, family therapy and in some cases, hospitalization.

What to do if I think I, a friend or a close one has this disorder?

It is always very important to seek help from others if you suspect you may have this eating disorder. If you suspect one of your friends or someone close to you has this disorder go talk to them about this. If external help from professionals is needed go get such help.

Resources:

http://www.medicinenet.com/anorexia_nervosa/article.htm

PRM



#76 Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) (English)

Paracetamol is broadly used over-the-counter pain medication* and medication to reduce fever. It is frequently used to cure headaches, other minor aches and pains, and is major ingredient in many cold medications. It is not classified as NSAID** because it exhibits only weak anti-inflammatory activity. Although it treats many conditions, its exact mechanism of action of is not known.

Paracetamol is commonly known by its brand name of Tylenol, and is classified as non-opioid analgesics. This class of drugs also includes aspirin, traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen. Although the field of medicine is not too sure of the how paracetamol works, we can assume its mechanism by how Non-opioid analgesics work. They work by inhibiting an enzyme known as cyclooxygenase (COX). In other words, they are enzyme inhibitors that fit to the allosteric site of the enzyme and alter the shape of the active site, which prevents the catalyzing effect of the enzyme. COX is a catalyst for the conversion of a fatty acid (arachidonic acid) contained in cell walls to substances known as prostaglandins.

 

Prostaglandins provide protective functions in the body, but they can also provoke pain, inflammation and fever. In the previous paragraph, the fact that paracetamol is not classified as NSAID is mentioned. The reason was because paracetamol exhibits weak anti-inflammatory activity, which means that it doesn’t play the major role in inhibiting a form of COX (COX_-3). Therefore, it doesn’t have the ability to reduce significant pain but minor aches and pains. It is important to be aware of the fact that the effect of paracetamol is not proportional to the amount it is taken in. 

The overdose of paracetamol can trigger side effects such as:

1.       Low fever with nausea, stomach pain, and loss of appetite

2.       Dark urine, clay coloured stools

3.       Jaundice

 Tylenol and Advil are the two most renowned pain relievers. However, Tylenol’s main compound is acetaminophen whereas Advil’s main compound is ibuprofen. Here is a table that you may be interested.

CopyRight Family Health Team

CopyRight Family Health Team

*The over-the-counter drugs refer to medicines that are sold directly to a consumer without the need of a valid prescription.

**It is drug class that groups together drugs that provides analgesic (pain-killing) and antipyretic effects, and, in higher doses, anti-inflammatory effects. 

[Bibliography]

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol

2. http://tuftsjournal.tufts.edu/2008/04/professor/01/

3. http://www.drugs.com/paracetamol.html

4. http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/09/acetaminophen-vs-ibuprofen-which-works-better/

 

KSJ

#75 Melanism (English)

            Melanism is the development of the dark-colored pigment melanin in the skin and is considered the opposite of albinism. This normally occurs after sunburn or during pregnancy. Melanin is the primary determinant of the degree of skin pigmentation, protects the body from harmful ultraviolet radiation, and helps our eye function properly (hence why albinos who do not have melanin have eyesight problems).

             Melanism is adaptive. Normally melanism makes species less conspicuous to predators, while others, such as black panthers, use it to say less conspicuous to prey while hunting during the nighttime. Adaptive melanism can also lead to the creation of morphs, one of the most commonly known examples being the peppered moth.

             Industrial melanism is the effect of pollution on different species. When a species is exposed to an environment polluted by dark soot from industrial pollution, the individuals with darker pigmentation are favored by natural selection. One of the most common examples of this is the peppered moth. To camouflage with trees the moths were originally very light colored but as pollution occurred the lichen on the trees began to die, exposing the dark bark of the trees. This made the light colored moths more vulnerable and slowly altered the population as the dark colored moths were able to survive and reproduce easier than the light colored moths.

             One interesting question that comes to mind is how albino people exist but melanistic people do not seem to exist. Technically melanistic people do exist, as melanistic people just have unusually high amounts of melanin. For example, Addison's disease is characterized by a bronze discoloration of the skin due to the inadequate secretion of melanin by the adrenal cortex. Another example is  melasma, a discoloration of the skin normally experienced by pregnant women. However, some may wonder why some people are not born with very dark skin. The difference between albinism and melanism is that there are a lot of possible inhibitors for gene production of melanism while there are far fewer ways for genes to produce excessively large amounts of melanin. There are lots of ways for the melanin gene to not be activated, however there are fewer ways for the melanin gene to be activated to overproduce melanin.

PoS

#74 Dementia (English)

             Dementia is a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Dementia is not a specific disease, it is a term to categorize a wide range of symptoms. Examples include: Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, etc. Symptoms of dementia have to include at least the loss of two of the following mental functions: memory, communication and language, ability to focus and pay attention, reasoning and judgment, and visual perception.  Some dementias are reversible with treatment, such as those caused by a reaction to medication, and some are not. Those that are irreversible tend to be progressive, meaning that they worsen over time. Causes of dementia involve the damage of brain cells, however the area of the brain affected has different impacts on each person. This is why there are different symptoms, as different parts of the brain control different things. To diagnose irreversible dementia, testing is often performed by doctors. However, it is harder to determine what type of dementia as the symptoms of different types of dementias can overlap. To diagnose reversible dementia, blood testing and imaging are often done to find the deficiencies of the patient. The stages of dementia are grouped into the mild, moderate, and severe categories. However, there is no way to predict how fast or slow someone's condition will progress, every patient has a different progression of their disease.

             As of right now, treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are limited. There are medications to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer's, but there is no treatment that has been able to completely reverse the process of Alzheimer's disease (However you should check out post #73 to see a tangible solution which may be introduced to the general public to undo the effects of Alzheimers). Currently there is also no way to completely prevent the development of dementia, however there are different activities that may decrease the risk, including: being bilingual, maintaining optimal health, staying physically active, avoiding drugs, preventing head injuries, etc. Dementia will also not directly kill someone, however dementia will weaken a person so their ability to cope with infection and other problems will decrease. In many cases death will be hastened by dementia.

PoS