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| HEALTH TRIBUNE | Wednesday, July 16, 2003, Chandigarh, India |
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Threats from malfunctioning thyroid gland High-intensity exercise a better stress reliever
New non-invasive technique to detect prostate cancer Red clover does not curb hot flashes Ayurveda
& you |
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Threats from malfunctioning thyroid gland MALFUNCTIONING of the thyroid, a small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, just below the Adam’s apple, can lead to a number of complications as it affects the working of many parts of the body. The thyroid gland produces hormones, which affect many areas of the body such as the heart, the brain, the digestive system, skin, hair and the muscles. It has an effect on nearly all tissues of the body, thus regulating the system of metabolism. It can even influence how you think and
feel.
The thyroid gland makes thyroid hormone from iodine, which is absorbed from the food we eat. This gland is prone to several distinct problems, some of which are extremely common. These problems can include goiter, which is enlargement of the thyroid gland or formation of a nodule or lump within the gland, which at times can be cancerous. “The percentage of people suffering from thyroid cancer is a mere 1 per cent as most of the nodules are benign,” says Dr Arvind Rajwanshi, Head of the Cytology and Gynaecological Pathology Department at the PGI. The more common problem, seen very frequently these days among all age groups, is relating to the production of hormones, which could either be in excess or too little. Depending upon the amount of hormones being produced by the gland, a person could be suffering from hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. When the gland produces less thyroid hormones, the cells work slower. “A patient suffering from such malfunctioning will gain a lot of weight, get exhausted very soon and will develop intolerance for the cold weather, with a liking for sitting in bright sun,” explains Dr J.D. Wig, Head of the PGI’s General Surgery Department. The problem, when a large amount of hormone is produced, affects multiple organs in the body and is called hyperthyroidism. Common symptoms are heat intolerance, weight loss, sweating, bulging of the eyes and hair loss, Dr Wig points out. A good history helps the doctor to identify the problem. So, the patient should be as clear and specific as possible in describing his/her symptoms. “Physical examination includes blood pressure, weight, pulse rate, skin and eye examination while laboratory tests done for the measurement of thyroid hormones (T3 T4) and thyroid stimulating hormones (TSH) in blood,” according to Dr Wig. In certain situations, tests for other immune system problems are also done. A thyroid scan using radioactive iodine creates a picture of the thyroid gland and indicates which area of the thyroid absorbs most iodine. An ultrasound examination reveals the number of thyroid nodules and whether these are filled with fluid or are solid. A fine needle aspiration is used to remove cells from the thyroid gland, which are then examined under the microscope. This helps in diagnosing a cancerous nodule. “It is after determining the diagnosis that the clinician will decide the treatment plan, thyroid hormone tablets or surgery,” says Dr Wig. For treating hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone tablets are advised, though the dose of pills needs to be adjusted before the best level is found, he stresses. Doctors point out that the thyroid hormone is natural, easily accepted by the body and generally has no side-effects if instructions are followed. The hormone pills need to be taken for the rest of the life, with regular blood test being a must to ensure that hormone dosage continues to be right. To treat hyperthyroidism, medicines are given to slow down the production of one thyroid hormone, ensuring that the level is normal. At times the thyroid glands need to be removed surgically.
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High-intensity
exercise a better stress reliever
Washington: It is a well-established fact that a moderate to low amount of regular exercise can ease personal tension and stress. However, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have shown that a relatively high-intensity workout is more effective in this respect and is particularly beneficial for women. The amount of stress and anxiety a person experiences is a major factor in cardiovascular disease. For the past three decades, experts have vacillated in their recommendations concerning the amount and intensity of exercise required to alleviate stress and anxiety, according to a report in News wise. “Conventional wisdom says that exercising for 30 minutes at a moderate exercise intensity is more effective in reducing anxiety than either a low or high intensity dose. This conclusion, however, is deceptively simple because reductions in anxiety are not always observed immediately following a high intensity bout of exercise”, said Richard Cox, professor of educational and counseling psychology and leader of the study. In the study, female participants, aged between 18 to 20 and 35 to 45, completed three experimental sessions. Each session started with a test to determine the anxiety level of the participant. Following the test, the women either did not exercise (control condition) or exercised at a moderate or high-intensity level for 33 minutes. After the session, Cox measured anxiety levels at 5, 30, 60 and 90 minutes post-exercise. Although all three exercise conditions, including the control condition, showed a decline in anxiety over time, Cox found the high-intensity level experienced the sharpest decline. Cox said the intensity of exercise conditions did not differ in anxiety levels at baseline or immediately after exercise, but a difference favouring the high intensity level emerged at 30, 60 and 90 minutes post-exercise. Results also showed that when the iron status of the women was taken into consideration, the beneficial effect of high-intensity exercise was greater for the older women. “This is a relationship that needs to be further explored. It appears to suggest that after controlling for iron status, the beneficial effects of exercise on anxiety may only apply to older women and not to younger women”, Cox added.
— ANI
New laser therapy cures oral cancer sans side-effects
Baltimore: Patients of oral cancer can now look forward to a special light treatment that has the potential to kill the malignant cells without affecting the normal ones. This is the finding of a new University of Maryland study. “It’s allowing us to take care of cancers of the throat and oral cavity without having to do ablations of those tissues that can have a devastating effect on the patient’s voice”, Paul Castellanos, a head and neck surgeon at the University. Two years ago, Allison Jaccard was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx. Although this type of cancer is usually thought to hit people who have smoked for years, Jaccard was never a smoker or a drinker. She had surgery, but it didn’t get all the cancer. Then Jaccard was offered an alternative treatment at the University of Maryland using laser light therapy, according to a report in Health Scout. Dr Castellanos uses a light-sensitive drug activated by a laser to destroy cancer cells. Through this device, the laser is directed to the cancer cells, killing them while healthy cells survive. The laser activates the drug to produce a toxic form of oxygen that kills the cancer. A study of people with early stage cancers of the mouth, throat and larynx, has revealed that after one treatment, nearly 90 percent showed no evidence of the disease. Dr Castellanos said the main side-effect of the treatment is an extreme sensitivity to sunlight. “Patients are required to stay completely out of the sun for up to six weeks. The light sensitive drug reacts to red light from the sun, so sunblock will not work”, he added.
— ANI |
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New non-invasive technique to detect prostate cancer
Washington: An innovative technique has been devised to detect prostate cancer accurately. This may ultimately save thousands of men suspected of having this malignant disease from needless biopsies, according to data presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). The technique called proteomics has been developed by researchers from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Cancer Institute and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina. Based on analysis of protein patterns in blood samples, it shows the potential to detect numerous cancers and evaluate treatment. Approximately 30 per cent of the men in the study who underwent biopsy developed cancer. Based on proteomic profiles, 67 per cent (42/63) of the men with negative biopsies would have avoided an unnecessary biopsy without any cancers being missed. Many researchers believe that the emerging field of proteomics will revolutionise the way cancer and other major illnesses are detected. With the discovery of new proteins and the mapping of the human genome, proteomics may be the vanguard of a new generation of early detection tools and tailored therapy for individual patients. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers found in men today. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2003, there will be about 91,800 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States, causing almost 29,000 deaths.
— ANI |
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Red clover does not curb hot flashes
Washington: Recent research shows that although there has been a hue-and-cry about diet supplements derived from red clover, they have still a long way to go in matching up as substitutes for hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women. Although these diet supplements have been in wide circulation, there has not been much information available to support their efficacy, according to a report in the Journal for American Medical Association. A study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of 2 dietary supplements in placebo-controlled trial of menopausal women, who were experiencing at least 35 hot flashes per week. Conducted between November 1999 and March 2001 at 3 US medical centres, the study included women who were recently post-menopausal and excluded vegetarian women and those undergoing medication affecting isoflavone absorption.
— ANI |
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Ayurveda & you IT is not only a large section of the adult population which is becoming obese. We find an increasing number of teenagers. In the majority of the cases, overweight children become overweight adults. Obesity is one of the foremost risk factors for many health hazards like heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. It also carries the child towards certain physical and psychological problems like poor endurance and low self-esteem which finally results in low productivity. Quite often fatty girls have menstrual problems which can later on lead to infertility. Obesity if, allowed to continue till adulthood, is one of the known reasons for impotency in males. The effective, curative and preventive management of childhood obesity should be primarily focused on a diet plan which should discourage the child from frequently consuming fatty, heavy and high calories food. It is a matter of concern that our home kitchens are gradually turning into fast food centres and the traditional concepts of fresh, fibrous and wholesome diet are being forgotten. Usually, the child, while watching TV or studying at home, eats more of snacks or other fast food items which are richer in calories than the lunch or dinner itself. This mid-time “snacking” should be replaced by the intake of fresh seasonal fruits which, though being nutritious, are mostly low in calories. In the case of obese children, use of milk and its various other products like butter and ghee should also be regulated. Apart from imparting good eating habits, parents should always persuade their children to do something active which includes regular outdoor games, cycling or adopting other exercise programmes. There are reports that in advanced countries awareness campaigns are being launched to encourage children to do more physical activity. Events like Off TV Weeks are also organised. In the Indian context too, there is need to limit a child’s TV viewing and this time should be effectively utilised for following some fitness regime. It is seen that child or adolescent obesity often becomes a life long condition because a majority of such patients, after opting for a short stint of-self improvement and discipline, soon go back to their old habits which are stated to be the reasons for obesity. Ayurveda offers a number of single herbs like guggul, vidanga, punarnava and nagarmotha which effectively treat the childhood and adolescent obesity. Classic formulations like Medohar Guggul, Triphla Guggul, Arogyavardhini Vati, Punarnava Mandoor and combinations like triphla and trikatu, if given in specific conditions and dosage, also prevent and cure excessive fat accumulation in the body. But it should always be borne in mind that an effective anti-obesity treatment for children is successful only if it is applied with adequate dietary and life-style discipline. The writer is an ayurvedic consultant, based at Ludhiana.
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The causes of childhood obesity include a wide range of factors, mostly of genetic, biological, behavioral and cultural origin. As our society is increasingly becoming sedentary, the changing lifestyle of the past few decades tops the list of causative factors of obesity. Gone are the days when most of the children used to go to school on foot or on bicycles. The modern pattern of studies also doesn’t give any time for outdoor games. Television, computer and video games have, in their own way, made inactivity the hallmark of today’s childhood. As if all this was not enough, unhealthy eating habits like too much consumption of junk, fried or non-vegetarian food, ice-creams and aerated beverages coupled with choosing wrong eating times have worsened the problem.