Lung cancer is considered as the most common type of cancer among other types such as breast cancer, liver cancer, brain cancer and others. Lung cancer is commonly developed in the countries where tobacco smoking is much prevalent. It is characterized by a growth of malignant tumor at certain areas of the lungs.

As an organ which carries the big responsibility of keeping our body alive through the continuous breathing process, the lungs are considered to be one of the vital organs of our body along with the brain, heart, kidneys and liver.

What are the causes of Lung Cancer?

You won’t get this type of cancer if there are no underlying causes. These causes may consist of:

• Cigarette smoking

Cigarette smoking no longer surprises us since it has been the most common cause of lung cancer. In fact, it is considered to be the leading cause. Some researchers state that smoking and lung cancer are not interconnected. That’s probably not true. We have been witnessing time and again many incidences of morbidity and mortality pertaining lung cancer which go back to only one cause—cigarette smoking. Cigarettes contain many harmful chemicals. Out of 4,000 chemicals present in cigarettes, 51 of them are considered carcinogens. These chemicals highly increase risk for lung cancer.

• Second Hand Smoke

Second Hand Smoke or “passive smoking” can also increase risk for developing lung cancer. Second Hand Smoke is the toxic material you inhale out from the person who smokes—which means that even if you do not smoke your risk for developing this type of cancerr is always at stake.

• Exposure to carcinogens

This type of cancer could also develop from exposure to certain carcinogens. Carcinogens can be found anywhere most especially when you are working in a construction or mining company where you have greater chances of inhaling asbestos. Asbestos fibers stay in your lungs the moment you inhale it and it eventually damages the cells of your lungs.

• Exposure to radiation

You can get radiations out from medical settings. Repeated x-ray takings also increase your chances of developing this type of cancer.

What are the signs and symptoms?

The signs and symptoms you will most probably experience when you develop this type of cancer are; progressive coughing that never goes away, chest pain, wheezing, presence of blood in the sputum, hoarseness, bone pain, unexplained weight loss and headache.

What Measures Will You Take?

Once you experience unusual symptoms, immediately contact your physician and make an appointment to further assess your condition. Your physician may order diagnostic exams for you such as Spiral CT scan to determine any sign cancer.

How to Prevent Yourself

In order to lower your chances of developing this type of cancer, you have take preventive measures such as:

• Quit smoking
• Have a healthy diet
• Have your home tested for any carcinogenic materials
• Have a routine medical check-up

Several forms of treatment continue to emerge radically in the world of pharmacology and these treatments are designed to aid symptoms pertaining to the specific disease. Antipsychotic drugs are one of the major drugs considered to be constructive in a way. These drugs are proven effective as time goes by.

However, research tells that some of these antipsychotics drugs are found to be overly used and utilized for a different symptom or condition.

Antipsychotic Drugs

Antipsychotic drugs are set of medications used to reduce symptoms related to the emotional and mental condition. Normally, these drugs are prescribed to aid one or more symptoms related to the specific disease since it has been the protocol and long-time practice during the earlier years.

However, a recent study shows that physicians already administer these drugs for other uses. These drugs are the new drugs known as “Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs”. Atypical antipsychotic drugs made a name on its own since 1990 when it first came out in the market. The first atypical antipsychotic drug which was then introduced was Clozapin (Clozaril). This drug is used to treat schizophrenia, a mental disorder marked by impaired thinking and emotion.

Although these drugs are efficient in treating mental disorders, still, people are not supposed to take them assuredly as they cause unnatural effects to the body such weight gain, increased blood glucose levels and heart problems. What’s even worse is that these drugs also have the potential to cause involuntary movements.

Since atypical antipsychotic drugs are purely intended for schizophrenia, these drugs should ideally be used according to its purpose. But then it was found out that physicians prescribe them to patients who are having no signs of schizophrenia. Those who receive prescriptions of these drugs are so far, the people who have symptoms of depression, personality disorders, bipolar disorders and autism.

So, why are these drugs prescribed by the physicians for other condition, anyway? Research tells it could probably because of the underlying marketing strategies. Physicians also get into consideration the knowledge that perhaps, newer versions of medications are better than older ones that’s why they prescribe them regardless of their indicated use.

What’s bothering about this issue is the fact that atypical antipsychotics do not give effective results in cases of bipolar disorders and depression. Instead, these medications just promise possible harm. And apart from the fact that these medications are much higher in cost compared to the medications specifically indicated to the related symptoms, it’s a bigger disadvantage.

To sum it up, these situations are clearly not giving any positive outcome especially to the patients involved. Using medications that are out of its scope can be a threatening thing to do. This incidence serves as a lesson to everybody to observe every drug’s indication and to do a little bit of a research before taking them or even purchasing them. It is best to ask physicians regarding the medication, how it works and how it could possibly give effects to the body. Remember, you have all the right to receive the right treatment.

When the ovary is incapacitated due to an ovarian cancer, the risk is undoubtedly critical and it may cause a woman’s life at danger. Ovarian cancer is a disease where cancerous growth of tumors takes place.

There are risk factors that increase any woman’s chance of developing cancer and these may include; women who aged 55 years old above, having a family history of cancer, and those women who never got pregnant.

When you develop cancer, you will most probably notice symptoms such as urinary frequency, abdominal swelling and pain, back pain, leg pain, nausea, abnormal vaginal bleeding and a heavy feeling in the pelvic area.

It is important to know the stages of ovarian cancer, for the stages determine the severity of your condition. The knowledge of the different stages of ovarian cancer will also help your physician determine your condition and give you the best and the right treatment.

The Four Stages of Ovarian Cancer

• Stage I

Stage I is the first stage of ovarian cancer. This stage is considered as the safest stage of all because it can be treated when detected right away. However, when you are unable to find out that you are already developing the first stage of cancer, your condition will automatically progress to the next stage, which is the Stage II ovarian cancer.

Stage I consist of three levels:

Stage IA – One ovary is affected by a cancerous tumor

Stage IB – Both ovaries are affected by a cancerous tumor

Stage IC – Both ovaries are affected by a cancerous tumor. Tumor may also take place at the external areas of the ovaries and may also go through the abdominal fluid.

• Stage II

In Stage II, further metastasis (spreading of the tumors) happens. This stage is much worse than Stage I ovarian cancer. This stage comes in three different stages:

Stage IIA – Cancerous tumor has spread to the uterus and fallopian tube

Stage IIB – Cancerous tumor has settled in both ovaries and has gone through nearer organs such as the urinary bladder and pelvic area.

Stage IIC – Cancerous tumor is found in both ovaries and has gone through the fallopian tubes, urinary bladder and rectum. Cancerous tumor is also found in the lining of the abdominal cavities.

• Stage III

Stage III is much worse than Stage II because metastasis happens even farther. Tumors spread through your abdominal cavity, lymph nodes and your groin.

• Stage IV

Stage IV is the stage where most fatalities happen. It is considered as the deadliest of all because tumors attack every organ of the body. When a woman’s ovarian cancer reaches in this stage, the chances of survival is too slim.

What is a Yoga Holiday?

Yoga holiday is one of the most unforgettable experiences one ought to have. It is an endeavor in which you are going to take a trip to somewhere to do the yoga. One way to have a truly great yoga holiday experience is to choose locations that are peaceful, relaxing and offer soothing views and sceneries.

What do you expect in a Yoga Holiday?

There are loads of things to expect, of course. While spending this kind of activity in a beautiful place, you will be participating daily yoga classes. Each day consists of two effective classes—one yang session in the morning and one yin session at night. The very good reason why this kind of holiday experience is worthwhile is the chance of being able to feel a maximal sense of peace and calm. The daily phases of dhyana (meditation) and pranayama (breathing exercises) will bring you a rejuvenating sensation you usually don’t experience in your day to day activities.

Daily walking, thinking, sight-seeing, chanting, singing and going out is what also encompasses the yoga holiday experience. These things make you appreciate the beautiful things around you. If you are a type of person who is an easy going one, this experience is set for you.

And if you like to ease the tensions in your muscles and settle your mind at peace, you can also gain a soothing massage and an all-inclusive treatment. There is so much to expect with this kind of holiday.

What can you Gain in a Yoga Holiday?

The ultimate reason why a lot of people are very enthralled to attend this kind of holiday is because of the stress-relieving effects it brings to a person. Since most of the people nowadays are exposed to stress, indulging in this kind of retreat is promising. Some people say that yoga heals and yes, it probably does.

Apart from the stress-free benefits it could give, there are plenty of health advantages you can gain just by doing yoga and these include:

• Increased flexibility
• Improved circulation (normal blood pressure and heart rate)
• Normal metabolic rate
• Better respiratory function
• Relieved backache
• Reduced fat
• Reduced anxiety
• Mental calmness
• Better sleep
• Protection against colds and fever
• Improved hearing and vision

There are more benefits to mention that really makes yoga a stretch to a healthy and fit life.

Getting Started

If you haven’t experienced a yoga holiday or a yoga class yet, you should look for a yoga teacher and try to attend few classes first. Series of training will make you used to the process and eventually this will lead you into planning your first yoga holiday.

Prediabetes diet is a diet management planned to control and reduce blood glucose levels of a person with Prediabetes condition. As most people are perplexed about the difference between Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes, these two metabolic conditions vary according to their sugar levels and severity.

Prediabetes is considered as borderline diabetes. In this condition, blood glucose levels of a person reach higher than the normal range, but not too high to be able to be diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes, which consists of Type I and Type II, on the other hand is a more serious and risky condition because a person who develops this will have several manifestations that may require him to have a much extensive treatment.

In a prediabetes though, a person will only have to engage himself to a prediabetes diet and lifestyle management such as exercises. And this is what makes a person get a feeling of either being grateful not to acquire diabetes or being apprehensive because at a single inadequacy to follow the regimen, he may develop diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) emphasizes the benefits everyone could get out from including the low glycemic index foods to the diet. We normally don’t go through a keen process of inspecting the contents of the foods we consume every day—whether those foods are high in caloric content or rich in fats and cholesterol. With the presence of glycemic index though, you are given the opportunity to select foods that are included in it and are rated as low glycemic foods.

What are the foods to include in your prediabetes diet? The foods you need to include are those marked as low glycemic foods. Some of these include corn, barley, whole wheat, rice noodles, kidney beans, soybeans, lentils, mangoes, grapefruits, strawberries, grapes, mushrooms, broccoli, leafy greens, milk, yogurt, tofu, low-fat cheese and many more. These foods might be agreeable to you, but of course, these foods should come in a minimum. When you are practicing a prediabetes diet, you are expected to maintain foods that are less in carbohydrates.

The key to managing prediabetes diet is to know which foods are right and which foods are not. Although practicing this kind of diet management is a tough one because you cannot simply devour many of the foods you love, the fact that it could lead you away from a more complex disease called diabetes is a challenge you should carry on. Practicing a good prediabetes diet should go side by side in helping yourself achieve lower blood glucose levels. So, start this diet now and reap its benefit!

Hair loss can either be temporary or permanent. People who are experiencing hair loss may find it a great concern because of physical or psychological reasons.

What are the causes of Hair Loss?

There are several causes why hair loss occurs and these include hereditary, aging, going through a chemotherapy and radiation therapy, taking oral contraceptives, low-protein diet, abnormality in the immune system, hormonal changes, physical or emotional stress, continual hair pulling, presence of Tinea capitis (fungal infection of the scalp), burns, and prolonged fever.

What are the Types of Alopecia?

• Androgenetic Alopecia

This condition happens when hair is progressively gone in a diffused and distinct pattern. It occurs in both men and women and is considered as the more dominant and more frequent type of alopecia.

• Alopecia Areata

This type of condition happens when hair loss occurs in patchy areas of the scalp. This type of hair loss occurs when you are suffering from an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks your hair follicles.

• Alopecia Totalis

In this type of condition, there is no more hair present over the entire scalp. Although this condition is rarely seen, it could lead to a more serious condition. It is better to report this type of hair loss to the physician.

• Alopecia Universalis

This type of alopecia involves hair loss over the entire body, including eye brows, underarm hair, etc. People who acquire this type of hair loss are those who are naturally born hairless. This condition is genetically inherited.

What is the Treatment for Hair Loss?

Treatment is not necessary for some people who develop this condition because it will only take one year until it totally heals. However, hair loss becomes permanent for some people. To prevent permanent hair loss, treatment is ideally considered.

There are available medications that could restore hair loss. Some of these medications include:

• Minoxidil

It is specifically indicated for treatment of Androgenic Alopecia. It is usually sprayed or rubbed into the scalp twice a day.

• Corticosteroid Cream

This medication is best for treatment of Alopecia Areata. Rubbing it on the scalp is proved to enhance hair growth.

How to Prevent Hair Loss

Hair loss, if not inherited, can be prevented through various ways. Keeping yourself hydrated—which means drinking 10 glasses a day, is a very important way to prevent hair loss because water improves cellular growth, especially the in the cells at the balding areas of your scalp. Taking Vitamin B6 and Protein-rich foods is also a great prevention because these nutrients maintain your hair growth.

Before you go into the details about how you could detect the warning signs, learn first about how to perform breast self-examination. Breast self-examination is a screening method used to detect breast problems and changes that may possibly indicate breast cancer.

How to Perform Breast Self-Examination

1. Set a regular time to do the breast self-examination. You should perform it after your menstrual period.
2. Start by looking at your breasts in the mirror while both hands are rested on your hips and your shoulders straight. Look for any warning signs.
3. Remove your shirt above the waist and lie down with your left hand behind your head. Use your right hand to stroke your breast in a circular motion. While stroking your breast in a circular motion, note that you have to start from the farther corners of the breast until your hand reaches the nipple. Take note of any signs of breast changes such as change in size, texture or color. Switch sides and repeat the process.
4. You can do this examination at the bathroom while standing and facing the mirror with the same process of stroking. Gently squeeze your nipples using your index and middle fingers. Note if there are any discharges and fluid leaks.
5. Do your breast self-examination regularly.

The Warning Signs

After doing the breast self-examination, try to assess if you have noticed these danger signs:

1. Change in the Look or Feel of the Breast

• Lump (Lump felt before the menstrual period is normal)
• Thickening inside the breast or underarm area
• Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast
• Change in the size and shape of the breast
• Dimpling, puckering and bulging of the skin of the breast
• Pain at one spot

1. Change in the Look of Feel of the Nipple

• Itchy nipples with rashes

1. Nipple Discharges

What to Do If You Notice Warning Signs

If the unusual signs exist, immediately talk to your health care provider and discuss what you have noticed in your breasts. Your health care provider may further assess you. Just relax and do not be anxious. It is very possible to treat breast cancer just as long as it’s on its early stages.

How to Prevent Yourself from Breast Cancer

To prevent yourself from breast cancer, live a healthy life. Maintain a normal body weight by consuming healthy foods and avoiding foods rich in fats and carcinogens. Take vitamins and supplements daily. Keep your body healthy by exercising regularly. Avoid or minimize alcohol. Do not engage in stressful activities and always take time to have a good sleep. Maintain positive outlook in life by being happy all the time. And best of all, love yourself by not letting breast cancer ruin your life.

What is a Prognosis?

Prognosis is a prediction or a probable outcome of a disease based on the patient’s condition and the usual course of the disease. Prognosis of a certain patient and condition could either be better or poor.

What is the Purpose of Prognosis?

The major goal of a prognosis is to inform the patient and the family about his or her overall condition. The physician provides information as to how the condition is progressing and whether or not the patient needs other options for treatment.

Factors that Could Affect Prognosis of Lung Cancer

• Type, size and location of the tumor

Prognosis depends on the type, size and location of the tumor. There are two types of tumor in a cancer; the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCL) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLC have better prognosis compared to SCLC which is a more destructive type of tumor. Growth of a tumor should also be assessed. More aggressive growth of tumor indicates poor prognosis. Tumors which already go deeper have poor prognosis. An example would be tumors that go through the bones.

• The stage of the disease

The metastasis (spread of tumor to other parts of the body) of cancer is also one of the factors that affect the prognosis. If the tumor already spread to other organs of the body, the prognosis is probably poor. Tumors that also spread to several lymph nodes also denote unfavorable prognosis.

• The person’s age, general condition and response to the treatment

Patients who belong to the immunocompromised age groups like children and geriatric patients are less likely to be considered as favorable for good prognosis. The general condition of a person and his response to treatment are also crucial for the overall prognosis.

What is the Prognosis of Lung Cancer, Generally?

Generally, Lung Cancer prognosis is poor compared to other types of cancer. Typical survival rates are generally lower and life expectancy is expected at more or less 5 years. However, prognosis is just merely a physician’s opinion or a prediction. No one really knows the exact outcome of a person with lung cancer. Anything could happen in a patient’s condition. In the end, the patient’s overall response to the disease and treatment are what concludes it all.

Emotional Support for a Better Prognosis

Above all the treatments, the core therapy for patients with this condition greatly lie on the emotional aspect. Emotional support is very much needed by a person who has cancer. It contributes tremendously to greater chances of good prognosis. Family, friends and support groups offer an opportunity for the patient to express and share his array of emotions that came up while developing lung cancer. A person with cancer may or may not have a good prognosis, but with good emotional support from other people, any possible things could happen.

Why not try to do it lightly at first? Studies show that if you engage in a very strenuous activity abruptly, you will just end up failing at your almost illusive aim because your body will most likely experience a ‘surprised’ reaction to a backbreaking work out. That’s why it’s nice to follow these muscle friendly tips on how to build muscles and maintain them for good.

How to build muscles?

• Eat In A Regular Basis

Since time immemorial, it’s a never ending tale that we should eat regularly to stay healthy and strong. And that is right, all the time. Eating regularly—which means eating three times a day with little meals in between can contribute to the addition of nutrients you normally get. Eating regularly will never deprive you of the protein, carbohydrates and other nutrients required by your body to build muscles.

• Boost Your Caloric Intake

Increasing your caloric intake will help you build muscles. A normal caloric intake is about 2,000 calories per day. You can increase that amount into 2,500 calories per day. An addition of calorie in your diet is good way to build muscles. Since muscles work out by burning our calories to provide energy to our body, consuming more caloric foods will give more work to our muscles therefore enhancing their development.

• Gobble Off Some Spinach

Seems like Popeye had it right. Spinach can really build muscles because it contains an important mineral necessary for proper oxygenation which muscles need. Eat spinach regularly and see for yourself.

• Eat Fat

You might not believe what you just read. Yes. You read it right. Fats are not that bad all the time just as long as you are eating the right amount of it. They, too have special benefits to our body most especially to our muscles. The ideal amount you should take note while eating foods with fats is less than 20 grams only.

• Work out Lightly

Working out is good, but doing it heavily for the first time without gearing up your body to a new activity is not at all ideal. Do it lightly at first and just wait for a matter of time until your body is already immune to the sturdy work out.

• Take Multivitamins

You must know that aside from eating beneficial foods, multivitamins should always be included in your diet regimen. Having complete vitamins in our system makes us more healthy and energetic, therefore providing us enough strength to do exercise.

• Avoid or Lower Your Stress

Too much stress is found to increase production of cortisol, a hormone that has the ability to store extra fats to your body and burns your muscle tissues. Try to lessen it and enjoy life. After all, you are on your way to build muscles and looking good.

What Causes Hair Loss?

•  Aging
• Family history
• Diseases such as thyroid problems, scalp infections and skin diseases
• Childbirth
• Hormonal changes and imbalances
• Stress
• Medications
• Hair-pulling hairstyles

What is a Hair Transplant?

Hair transplant is a sure way for hair restoration and improvement of baldness. It is a surgical method of rooting a person’s hair follicles from the donor site or area of thickness to the bald area. Nowadays, this procedure is much preferred especially for the people who experience excessive hair loss.

How is Hair Transplant Done?

There are several steps in a hair transplant procedure. This procedure is expected to be done under local anesthesia so that only minimal pain is felt. The surgeon then selects hair on the area of your scalp where there’s thick growth then moves it to a bald area using small needles. This procedure takes hundreds and thousands of hairs to be transplanted.

What are the Types of Hair Transplant?

There are three types of Hair Transplant. These types differ by the way they are done.

• Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS)

This procedure is done by taking long strips of hair from the donor area and then implanting it on the balding area. The surgeon is expected to use sutures to close the donor site.

• Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Unlike Follicular Unit Strip Surgery where donor hair is removed from the scalp in a long strip, Follicular Unit Extraction does it by pulling donor hair from the follicular unit of the scalp one by one through incision. The surgeon transfers the extracted hair to the bald area of the scalp the same way on how it is done in Follicular Unit Strip Surgery.

• Bald Scalp Reduction

This procedure is done by removing the bald scalp from the top of the head. The removed scalp will then be replaced by stretching the hair-bearing scalp. This procedure is not commonly done due to the chances of scalp tightening and thinning.

Is this a Safe Method?

An immediate question would certainly arise on your mind. Is it a safe method? The answer is yes. There should be no problem if the procedure is done by an experienced and skilled surgeon.

Management after Hair Transplant

For the following days after the surgical operation, you will notice some soreness and tightness on your scalp. There is also a bit of pain. But these things can be managed through the written instructions for post-operative care that is provided to you. Pain medications are also prescribed after the surgery.

Blood and dirt crusts on your scalp are expected after the surgery. Regularly wash your hair as recommended. This is very important in order to remove them. Also keep your donor and recipient areas moist to promote faster healing.