Health Tips - Orgasm kickstarts brain better than a puzzle

Orgasm kickstarts brain better than a puzzle:

Researchers have revealed that having an orgasm is a better workout for your brain than solving a crossword puzzle or sudoku.

Professor Barry Komisaruk, from New Jersey in the US, has claimed that unlike orgasms, mental exercises increase brain activity, but only in relatively localized regions, the Daily Star reported.

Komisaruk said the feelings of sexual climax also block pain.

The neuroscientist asserted that when you have an orgasm, there is a tremendous increase in the blood flow to the brain.

He said that orgasm brings all the nutrients and oxygenation to the brain.

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Health tips - Poor mental health in adulthood triggered in the womb

Poor mental health in adulthood triggered in the womb:

A new research has linked hormonal imbalance in the placenta to anxiety and possible vulnerability to poor mental health in mice.

According to new research by scientists at Cardiff and Cambridge universities, adults could be at greater risk of becoming anxious and vulnerable to poor mental health if they were deprived of certain hormones while developing in the womb.

The research conducted on mice has revealed the role of the placenta in long-term programming of emotional behaviour and the first time scientists have linked changes in adult behaviour to alterations in placental function.

Insulin-like growth factor-2 has been shown to play a major role in foetal and placental development in mammals, and changes in expression of this hormone in the placenta and foetus are implicated in growth restriction in the womb.

Professor Lawrence Wilkinson and his colleagues Dr Trevor Humby, Mikael Mikaelsson - both also from Cardiff University - and Dr Miguel Constancia of Cambridge University, examined the behaviour of adult mice with a malfunctioned supply of a vital hormone.

"We achieved this by damaging a hormone called Insulin-like growth factor-2, important for controlling growth in the womb. What we found when we did this was an imbalance in the supply of nutrients controlled by the placenta, and that this imbalance had major effects on how subjects were during adulthood - namely, that subject became more anxious later in life," Dr Humby said.

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Health Tips - Chiropractic care: Solution for migraines

Chiropractic care: Solution for migraines:

The remedy for a migraine eludes most people despite the many years of suffering, until they are introduced to chiropractic care. A migraine is described as an incapacitating condition that is characterised by a throbbing headache, which occurs in episodes that lasts from several hours to 3 days.

According to the World Health Organisation, 10% of the world's adult population suffers from migraines and it accounts for over 2% of years lost as a result of disability globally. Close to 40 million people have migraines with at least three million of them suffering from chronic migraine in the United States alone. In addition, over 90% of migraine sufferers miss work or cannot attend function during an attack. These figures are staggering and they indicate the imminent threat migraines pose to individuals and the economy in general. Therefore, it makes sense for people to embrace the answer for migraines; chiropractic care.

How Chiropractic Care Works in Treating Migraines?

For those who know the pain, stress and cost of dealing with a migraine for years on end without success, they find it hard to believe that their migraine can be cured by simple and drug free solutions.

People with chronic migraines have been victims of empty medical promises for so long they become wary of anything or anyone suggesting that migraines are treatable.

What they do not know is that the main cause of their migraines is a misalignment of their upper cervical spine, which can effectively and efficiently be readjusted through chiropractic care, resulting in recovery from migraine.

One of the simplest and most effective treatments to cure a migraine provided at a Chiropractic Clinic is the touch of a feather. Yes, you read right, a feather.

To treat a migraine, chiropractic care treatments do what other traditional migraine treatments do not; focus on the underlying causes of a migraine.

Causes of Migraines and How to eliminate them Through Chiropractic Care?

The most common cause of migraines is neck muscle tension.

In Physiotherapy, the muscle tension is eliminated by combining different chiropractic migraine treatments including the Atlas Orthogonal Program, Gonstead technique and upper cervical spine manipulation among others.

Some of the other causes of migraines that chiropractic care treatment identifies and rectifies include stiff necks, tension in the shoulders, tension in the lower or upper back and even postural misalignment.

Once the underlying causes are located and dealt with in the most suitable chiropractic techniques, the occurrences of migraines are greatly reduced and in most instances, stopped.

Is Chiropractic Care Treatment Really Better Than Other Migraine Remedies?

Debates have been raging on for years about the effectiveness and safety of chiropractic care in dealing with various health problems including migraines. Recent studies have brought the debate to a close.

According to studies conducted to examine the ability of chiropractic care to treat migraines, chiropractic care is the most effective, safest and most efficient in providing long term benefits with the least number of side effects compared to other remedies.

The results of the study were obtained by comparing two different groups of people suffering from tensionheadaches. The two groups had to undergo six weeks of traditional medication and chiropractic treatment respectively.

Conclusively, chiropractic care cured migraines.

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Health Tips - Be kinder to your ears, please!

Be kinder to your ears, please!:

Research shows modern living is too noisy for our ears. Here's how you can be kinder to them

Our ears at all ages are in danger from the sounds of the modern world. Look around and you'll realise that we are personally responsible for most of it — MP3 players, iPods, nightclubs, hair dryers, and motorcycles inflict injury on our delicate and sensitive hearing apparatus. Sound waves entering the ear set off vibrations in the flexible eardrum. Loud noise can test this membrane to ear-splitting points.

Here's how it happens
A chain of tiny bones transmits the vibrations to the cochlea in the inner ear where fluid carries them to rows of hair cells. These stimulate fibres in our hearing nerve along which impulses travel to the hearing centre in the brain, and we hear sounds. The most sensitive bit of this whole chain is the hair cells in the inner ear.

Very loud noises over an extended period actually kill off the hair cells and once dead, they stay that way. They can't be replaced. This damage to the hair cells further adds up.

So, every loud Friday night at the club inflicts cumulative damage and you can't go back. Damage in your teenage years shows up as deafness in middle age.

Doctors say, we measure sound in decibels and hearing loss begins at 85 decibels. That is the noise a hair dryer or a food mixer makes — MP3s or iPods inflict worse, mainly because we tend to over use them. In fact, a study in 2006 showed more than one third of adults and more than half of teenagers listened to MP3s with the volume turned up high. It is too loud if other people can hear what you are listening to.

Measures to follow
But you don't need to shun all of them to protect your fragile ears. There are steps we can all take to protect our ears, even down to wearing ear plugs while you dry your hair. Some MP3 players can produce sound levels equal to a jet taking off. If you listen with earphones that drown out people speaking that's too much, throttle back. Remember, at a given volume, ear buds deliver more noise than headphones that cover the ear. Choose loose ones and never insert them tightly into your ears. Pick only over-the-ear headphones that cut out the background noise so you can listen at a lower volume. Also, beware noisy children's toys, otherwise you're inflicting damage on your child's ears at a very early age.

Avoid cap guns, talking dolls, walkietalkies, squeaky toys. They are cute but extremely damaging. Toy sirens and squeaky rubber toys can make sounds of 90 decibels — as loud as a lawn mower and just as damaging. At a nightclub, make sure you are standing far away from the speakers and enjoying the music.

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Health Tips - What is pneumonia, causes, treatment and prevention

What is pneumonia, causes, treatment and prevention:

Pneumonia is a serious life threatening illness in children. It is a form of acute respiratory infection (ARI) that affects the alveoli in the lungs, which are the small sacs that fill with air when a healthy person breathes.

When there is an infection in the lungs, these alveoli fill with pus and fluid, which is the body's natural response to fighting infection. This infection in the lungs makes breathing difficult and limits oxygen intake.

There are two kinds of bacteria that are responsible for most pneumonia related deaths: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumonia (Spn). Hib and Spn bacteria can also cause acute meningitis (infection of the membranes covering the brain) in young children, which can lead to life-long disabilities.

Symptoms of pneumonia
Cough is a common symptom of respiratory infections including pneumonia. Many children with cough, cold and fever have upper respiratory tract infections caused by viral infections.

Children with pneumonia experience fast breathing along with a severe cough. In severe cases the child may have in-drawing of the lower chest wall when he breathes in, which might lead to grunting and difficulty in breathing. If your child exhibits such a cough with fast breathing, an immediate check-up is recommended even if these other symptoms do not occur, as it could be a case of pneumonia.

Disease burden of pneumonia
Very few people are aware that pneumonia is the single largest cause of death in children worldwide. Every year, it kills an estimated 1.2 million children under the age of five, accounting for 18% of all deaths of children under five years old worldwide. In India, it kills nearly 397,000 children every year and is the leading cause of infant mortality. However, pneumonia can be easily prevented. Death is not the only consequence of pneumonia -severe illness which affects a child's development is caused by pneumonia. Pneumonia can cause serious sickness, leading to several visits to the doctor and often times hospitalizations, placing significant burden on families, the healthcare system and society at large.

Prevention
Pneumonia can be easily averted with existing child survival interventions. These interventions include a variety of comprehensive prevention strategies such as frequent washing of hands and general cleanliness, reducing the spread of disease, access to healthcare, and, vaccination. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is vital to ensure the child gets adequate nutrition and build natural immunity against infections. Addressing environmental factors such as indoor air pollution (by providing affordable clean indoor stoves, for example) and encouraging good hygiene in crowded homes also reduces the number of children who fall ill with pneumonia.

Immunisation of pneumonia
Vaccines are the most cost effective way to safeguard your child against pneumonia. A comprehensive approach to prevention of pneumonia, including access to new and available vaccines, is needed to combat this deadly disease.

In India vaccines for both Hib and Streptococcus pneumoniae are available. The Government of India has recently introduced the pentavalent vaccine in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Goa and Puducherry. Pentavalent protects children against 5 diseases including Hib pneumonia/meningitis/blood infection, diphtheria, whooping cough (pertussis), tetanus and hepatitis B. This vaccine is available free of cost in Government hospitals and health centres in the above mentioned states.

Infants are given three doses of the pentavalent vaccine at the 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age. After that, they need a booster dose of DPT and Hib at 15 to 18 months of age. The vaccine follows the normal immunization schedule and can be integrated into the immunization program of the country. Hib vaccine has been demonstrated to be effective in numerous studies and is widely supported by global and Indian health communities. Hib vaccine has been introduced in more than 180 countries worldwide including the neighbouring countries of India including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, etc. All these countries are currently administering the pentavalent vaccines.

Treatment of pneumonia
Pneumonia is not only preventable but is also treatable, particularly with early diagnosis. While children with viral respiratory tract infections do not require medicine, children with bacterial pneumonia should be treated with appropriate antibiotics. Treatment in hospitals or health centres often includes supportive care such as the administering of oxygen.

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Health Tips - Prolonged use of digital devices bad for kids

Prolonged use of digital devices bad for kids:

Prolonged use of handheld devices is causing spinal deformities in children as young as 10, it has been revealed.

Auckland chiropractor, Margaret Bryce is concerned by the increase in the number of people coming to her with straighten of the neck curve problems, Stuff reported.

The curve, which is developed among infants during "tummy time" when they are placed on their stomachs and naturally practise lifting their heads, provides flexibility, shock absorption and strength for the spine.

Dr Bryce said that straightening out this curve could interfere with the 17 trillion messages that passed through the spinal column every minute.

She said that because the heavy use of handheld electronic devices such as cellphones and gaming machines, the body starts interfering with those 17 trillion messages.

She said that when trying to send messages from the brain to the arms and vice-versa, that co-ordination isn't there.

Dr Bryce added that pain from the condition was rarely a problem for younger people but it could become an issue in later life.

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Health Tips - Canshala : A school of hope for kids with cancer

Canshala : A school of hope for kids with cancer:

It's called Canshala and is an island of peace and learning for a group of ailing children for whom education had, at one stage, become a distant dream due to their treatment for life-threatening cancer.

The children mingle with normal children in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) school in south Mumbai's Parel area, where they are taught by regular teachers, two of whom are provided by the civic agency and the remaining by NGO CanKids.

This formal education helps them make up the time lost due to staying away from school or dropping out for treatment.

This special school has come about thanks to a public-private partnership between the BMC and CanKids, which also has a family support group for children with cancer.

Four rooms in the Jagannath Bhatankar Municipal School have been provided by the civic agency for the special school. Two of these serve as classrooms for the brave hearts, one as a therapy room and another as an office.

"The school bridges the gap in education these children have so far been facing during treatment," Canshala mentor Surabhi Kakar said.

"Now, with continuity of education, the children not only get a feeling of normalcy but they can carry on with education in their regular school after treatment, reducing chances of their becoming dropouts," Kakar added.

Corporation employee Neelima Vijaykumar Rawler, who teaches the children with cancer, said: "They are all hardworking students...after coming to school they forget about their painful brush with cancer."

Of the 80 cancer patients registered with Canshala, at least 20 attend classes daily.

Free books, meals, uniforms and school bags provided by the civic agency add to the attempt to make them feel at par with other normal children in the school.

Another BMC teacher, Suvidya Ramchandra Shinde, says there's not much difference between the two groups of children.

"But the hunger for learning in children with cancer has to be seen to be believed," said Shinde, who teaches Marathi, Hindi, English and Mathematics to the brave hearts.

A majority of the cancer-afflicted students of the school hail from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

"They attend school when they are not undergoing treatment at city hospitals like Tata Memorial, Sion and Bai Jerbai Wadia," CanKids director Enid A. Kerr said.

"We contact parents in hospitals or dharamshalas meant for patients' families and motivate them to send their kids to our school when they are not required at the OPDs," Kerr added.

Shuba Devi Singh, mother of Gaurav Kumar Singh, 12, a patient of Hodgkin's lymphoma that weakens the immune system, is happy with her son's exposure at the school.

"He is a talented artist and got the first prize in an inter-school BMC art competition in Mumbai," she said proudly.

"Gaurav is always eager to head to the school. Interaction with the other kids has made him forget his trauma and he is no more an introvert," she added.

Niyali D. Chaurasiya, 11, who hails from Madhya Pradesh and is undergoing treatment for bone tissue cancer, acknowledged the gains from Canshala.

"I am making up for the lessons I have missed over the last two years," she said.

Kerr said the syllabus for the cancer patients is on the lines of that for other children but has been refined by experts.

"On completion of the course, we give them a certificate of our own depending on the standard they have achieved. We are trying for an arrangement under which the certificate would be awarded by the BMC," she said.

While most of the students afflicted with cancer are at the primary level, there is one at the Class 7 and another at the Class 9 level, Kerr said.

Shinde said that as a teacher, she has been experimenting with the curriculum's content. "We need a different approach. The students come after long breaks from formal schooling and need a lot of background material to cover the lost time."

The school also helps the patients overcome their trauma. Social worker-cum-counsellor Raju Pawar said: "It gives great satisfaction to help the kids."

Apart from support from the NGO in travelling between the hospital, school and dharamshalas, the special students also get a helping hand from European volunteers.

Netti, an economics student from Hungary, is on a six-week volunteer programme at Canshala. "I am preparing manuals on the curriculum to be taught and the responsibilities of teachers and workers," she said.

Worldwide, 70-80 percent of children can be cured of cancer. According to CanKids director Priti Dhall, in India just 40 percent of the affected children manage to do so.

"Imparting education to kids with cancer is one way of empowering them to lead normal lives as cancer survivors," Dhall said.

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