Health A-Z

How to Exercise Your Eyes

We all know how important it is to keep our bodies fit by doing things like going to the gym, jogging, and swimming. But, did you know that you can exercise your eyes as well? Eye exercising will keep your eyes healthy and help minimize eyestrain.

Note that these steps are not meant to improve your vision, but rather to maintain your best eyesight level during the day and prevent significant further vision deterioration.

1 Sit comfortably on a chair. Rub your hands together until they feel warm. Close your eyes and cover them lightly with your cupped palms. Avoid applying pressure to your eyeballs. Your nose should not be covered. Make sure no light rays can enter your eyes though gaps between your fingers or the edges of your palms and nose. You may still see other lingering traces of colors. Imagine deep blackness and focus on it. Take deep breaths slowly and evenly while thinking of some happy incident, or visualize a distant scene. After you see nothing but blackness, remove your palms from your eyes. Repeat the palming for 3 minutes or more

2 Close your eyes tightly for 3-5 seconds. Open them for 3-5 seconds. Repeat 7 or 8 times

3 Massage your eyes
Hot and Cold Compress: Soak one towel in hot water, and the other in cold. Take one and lightly press it to your face, focusing on your eyebrows, closed eyelids, and cheeks. Alternate between the two as desired, making sure to end with a cold compress.
Full Face Massage: Soak a towel in hot water. Rub your neck, forehead and cheeks with the towel, avoiding the eyes. Then, use your fingertips to gently massage your forehead and closed eyes.
Eyelid Massage: Close your eyes and massage them with circular movements of your fingers for 1-2 minutes. Make sure you press very lightly and have washed your hands to avoid damaging your eyes.

4 Lightly press three fingers of each hand against your upper eyelids. Hold them there for 1-2 seconds, then release. Repeat 5 times.

5 Sit and relax. Roll your eyes clockwise, then counter-clockwise. Repeat 5 times, blinking in between each time.

6 Focus on a distant object (over 150 feet or 50 m away) for 10-15 seconds. Then, slowly refocus your eyes on a nearby object (less than 30 feet or 10 m away) without moving your head. Focus for again for 10-15 seconds, and go back to the distant object. Do this 5 times.
Try sitting about 6 inches (15 cm) from a window. Make a mark on the glass (ideally a small red or black sticker) at eye-level. Look through this mark and focus on something far away, then adjust your focus to the mark

7 Hold a pencil in front of you at arm’s length. Move your arm slowly to your nose. Follow the pencil with your eyes until you can’t keep it in focus. Repeat 10 times.

8 Look in front of you at the opposite wall and pretend that you are writing with your eyes. Don’t move your head. This may seem difficult at first, but with a bit of practice it is really fun. The bigger the letters, the better the effect.

9 Practice rhythmic movements
Bar Swings: Stand in front of a fence, barred window, or something else with evenly spaced vertical lines. Focus loosely on a distant object on the other side of the bars. Relax your body and rhythmically transfer your weight from one foot to the other. Keep your breathing steady and relaxed. Don’t forget to blink while performing this exercise. Continue for 2-3 minutes.
Round Swings: Focus on an object in the distance that is close to the ground. Sway as instructed for Bar Swings. Keeping your gaze on the same object, use your peripheral vision to observe your surroundings as you sway. Continue for 2-3 minutes.
Head Movements: Close one eye. Slowly form a figure 8 with your head. Repeat for the other eye. Continue for 2-3 minutes.

10 Imagine that you are standing in front of a large clock. Look at the middle of the clock. Then look at any hour mark, without turning your head. Look back at the center. Then look at another hour mark. Do this at least 12 times. You can also do this exercise with your eyes closed

11 Focus on an object in the distance (as far as possible) with a low contrasting background. Do this for a few minutes every half hour or so.

12 Make up and down eye movements, starting from up to down. Do this 8 times. Then do the side to side eye movement, starting from left to right. Repeat this 8 times. Be sure not to force your eyes further than they want to go in any particular direction, or you risk making your vision worse.

13 Always finish up either with palming or another eye relaxation technique.

Stomach acid drugs may increase vitamin deficiency risk

Popular drugs that are used to control stomach acid may increase the risk of a serious vitamin deficiency, suggests a new study.

Researchers found people who were diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency were more likely to be taking proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine 2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), compared to those not diagnosed with the condition.

The drugs are commonly used to treat conditions like acid reflux – also known as GERD – and peptic ulcers.

“This doesn’t mean people should stop their medications,” Dr. Douglas Corley, the study’s senior author, said. “People take these for good reasons. They improve quality of life and prevent disease.”

“It does raise the question that people who are taking these medications should have their B12 levels checked,” he added.

Corley, a gastroenterologist, is a researcher at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California.

Humans typically get vitamin B12 from eating animal products. B12 is also added to many processed foods and can also be purchased as a supplement.

Without enough vitamin B12, people become tired, weak, constipated and anemic, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Ultimately, the vitamin deficiency can lead to nerve damage and dementia.

The problem is that the body absorbs B12 with the help of stomach acid. Because PPIs and H2RAs limit the stomach’s production of acid – and the body needs stomach acid to absorb B12 – the drugs could “theoretically increase the population’s risk of vitamin B12 deficiency,” the researchers write in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Commonly used PPIs include omeprazole (also known as Prilosec), esomeprazole (sold as Nexium), and lansoprazole (Prevacid). H2RAs include cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), and ranitidine (Zantac).

For the new study, the researchers compared the medical records of nearly 26,000 Northern California residents who were diagnosed with a vitamin B12 deficiency between 1997 and 2011, and nearly 185,000 people with healthy B12 levels.

Among those who were vitamin B12 deficient, 12 percent had been on PPIs for at least two years and about 4 percent were on H2RAs for an equally long period.

By comparison, among people without a diagnosis of B12 deficiency, 7 percent had been on PPIs for two or more years and 3 percent were on H2RAs long-term.

Not only were PPIs and H2RAs tied to an increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, but higher doses were more strongly associated with deficiency than weaker ones, the researchers found.

Those findings, Corley said, suggests that people should use the drugs for as short a time as possible, and take the lowest dose that’s still effective.

While the study can’t prove that PPIs or H2RAs caused vitamin B12 deficiency, this isn’t the first study to link anti-acid drugs to complications.

Previous research has tied PPIs to the diarrhea-causing bacteria Clostridium difficile.

“I think the study is interesting because we’re becoming more and more aware that these drugs are being too widely prescribed,” Dr. Peter Green said.

Green, who was not involved with the new study, is a professor of medicine and director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.

In 2012, 14.9 million people in the U.S. received 157 million prescriptions for PPIs, according to the researchers.

“I think it’s just another little piece of evidence that physicians should take notice of to get patients off them,” Green said.

He said lifestyle changes may be an alternative treatment along with a switch to H2RAs, which are less potent and were not as strongly linked to vitamin B12 deficiency.

Corley said patients can ask their doctor if they should be on these drugs, whether they need to be on such a strong dose and if they should be screened for vitamin B12 deficiency.

“It is a cause for concern, but it’s not an emergency for the average person,” he said. “People shouldn’t stop their medication based on this study alone.”

Source: Reuters

New smart shoe to curb jogging-related injuries

Researchers have developed a new high-tech athletic shoe that evaluates a jogger’s running form and technique and warns them of exhaustion or overload to prevent injuries like pulled ligaments or torn muscles.

To prevent jogging-related injuries and symptoms of muscle overload during athletic training, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS, Germany, in collaboration with five partners have developed the prototype of the specialised running shoe.

Sensors and microelectronics integrated into the sole of the shoe measure the biomechanical data of the athlete and evaluate the runner’s form with the help of measurements in real time.

“Pulse-rate watches and chest straps record only vital signs like breathing and heart rate. In contrast, our running shoe medically evaluates and monitors training while jogging,” said Dr Andreas Heinig, a scientist at IPMS.

“It informs the runner for example of incorrect foot position, asymmetric loading, or warns of exhaustion or overload. There has never been a comparable device before,” Heinig said.

The measurement system can be easily installed and removed from the soles of the shoes. To charge it, the pair of shoes is placed on a charger that is included.

The system also comprises accelerometers and GPS sensors that capture the biomechanical signals from the body as well as the runner’s speed and transmit it via Bluetooth to the runner’s smartphone.

A smartphone app evaluates the data in a split second with the help of specialised algorithms and gives the athlete feedback on training performance. If necessary, the app makes suggestions about running form or the training routine.

“The app could recommend running more slowly, for example, or rolling off the foot differently, suggest seeking a different running surface or stopping if necessary,” Heinig said.

The high-tech shoe is expected to be commercially available by the beginning of 2015.

Source: Zee news

Health Matters: Breaking down spinal fractures

With its elegant shape and elaborate engineering, there’s a lot that can go wrong with our spine. For many people the root of their severe back pain is a spinal fracture.

“Generally it’s what we consider a compression fracture. You think of maybe a piece of Styrofoam and you press down on it; that’s what happens to the bone,” says Dr. Paul Fuchs, orthopedic spine surgeon on Lee Memorial Health System’s medical staff.

Age takes a toll on your bones, making them weaker and more brittle, especially if you have osteoporosis. The effort it takes to keep your body erect can be enough to cause a fracture.

“Maybe they sit down vigorously on a sofa, or step off of a curb, maybe they didn’t see the bottom of a step and they can sustain a fracture. Once they develop this fracture it’s difficult to do daily activities, it’s difficult to get out of bed, it’s difficult to get in to bed, bathing is difficult, it’s just difficult to move around because of the fracture,” says Dr. Fuchs.

Women over 50 are at greatest risk for spine fractures. By age 80, about 40% of women have experienced them, although men get them too. Many times they won’t realize what happened and may mistake it for muscular pain.

“When someone walks in with more of a common low back pain, you might classify them as being sore. When someone walks in with a spinal fracture walks in, they walk in with obvious pain, obvious difficulty standing, obvious difficulty sitting,” says Dr. Fuchs.

Other symptoms are sudden onset, loss of height or a noticeable curvature of the spine. Doctors can use x-ray or a CT scan to determine the severity and course of action. Fractures can heal on their own, but people may benefit from intervention.

“If the patient’s quality of life is poor because of the pain associated with the fracture, there are different micro-surgical, minimally invasive ways we could stabilize the spinal fracture,” says Dr. Fuchs.

Keeping an eye on your bone health and taking back pain seriously can keep you upright and moving.

Source: abc7

Diabetes linked to higher liver cancer risk

A new study has found that diabetes was associated with an increased risk for developing a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma.

‘People with diabetes have a two- to threefold higher risk for hepatocellular carcinoma compared with those without diabetes,’ V. Wendy Setiawan, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, said.

‘We also found that the interethnic differences in the prevalence of diabetes were consistent with the pattern of hepatocellular carcinoma incidence observed across ethnicities: Ethnic groups with a high prevalence of diabetes also have high hepatocellular carcinoma rates, and those with a lower prevalence of diabetes have lower hepatocellular carcinoma rates,’ Setiawan said. (Read: ‘Anyone who is above the age of 35 is at risk of diabetes’)

Setiawan and colleagues examined if the association between diabetes and hepatocellular carcinoma differed by race or ethnic group. They analyzed data from more than 150,000 people enrolled in the Multiethnic Cohort Study between 1993 and 1996.

Compared with non-Hispanic whites, Latinos had 2.77 times the risk for being diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, the highest risk identified. Native Hawaiians had 2.48 times the risk; African-Americans, 2.16; and Japanese-Americans, 2.07.

The prevalence of diabetes was consistent with that of hepatocellular carcinoma. Sixteen percent of Hawaiians, 15 percent of Latinos and African-Americans, 10 percent of Japanese-Americans, and 6 percent of non-Hispanic whites had diabetes.

The study was presented at the Sixth AACR Conference.

Source: health India

Stressed parents make for obese kids

Researchers including an Indian-origin scientist have linked parental stress to weight gain in children.

The study found that children whose parents have high levels of stress have a Body Mass Index, or BMI, about 2 per cent higher than those whose parents have low levels of stress.

Children with higher parental stress also gained weight at a 7 per cent higher rate during the study period than other children.

Those figures may sound low, said lead author Dr. Ketan Shankardass, but they’re significant because they are happening in children, whose bodies and eating and exercise habits are still developing. Plus, if that weight gain continues and is compounded over a lifetime, it could lead to serious obesity and health issues.

Dr. Shankardass, a social epidemiologist with the hospital’s Centre for Research on Inner City Health, studied data collected during the Children’s Health Study, one of the largest and most comprehensive investigations into the long-term effects of air pollution on the respiratory health of children.

The childrens’ BMI was calculated each year. Their parents were given a questionnaire to measure their perceived psychological stress that asked how often in the last month they were able or unable to control important things in their life and whether things were going their way or their difficulties were piling up so high they could not overcome them.

Dr. Shankardass noted that more than half the students followed in the California study were Hispanic, and that the effects of stress on their BMI was greater than children of other ethnic backgrounds.

The research has been published in the journal Pediatric Obesity.

Source: top news

Corn oil better at cutting cholesterol than extra virgin olive oil

Researchers have shown that corn oil significantly lowers cholesterol with more favorable changes in total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-C than extra virgin olive oil.

The scientists were led by lead researcher, Dr. Kevin C Maki, PhD, of Biofortis, the clinical research arm of Merieux NutriSciences.

Among the 54 healthy men and women in the feeding study, consumption of foods made with corn oil resulted in significantly lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and total cholesterol than the same foods made with extra virgin olive oil.

Corn oil lowered LDL cholesterol by 10.9 percent compared to extra virgin olive oil’s 3.5 percent reduction1,2, and total cholesterol decreased by 8.2 percent with corn oil compared to 1.8 percent for extra virgin olive oil. (Read: 8 natural cholesterol busters)

Study participants received four tablespoons of corn oil or extra virgin olive oil in the foods provided every day, consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations. All foods were provided to the study participants as part of a weight maintenance diet.

The randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover clinical trial assessed the effects of dietary oils on fasting lipoprotein lipids.

The study compared the effects of corn and extra virgin olive oil on LDL cholesterol (primary outcome variable), total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), Non-HDL cholesterol

Source: health India

Foods with Zinc can fight Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is an escalating issue in the United States, and there are no signs of this health ailment diminishing. According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million adults and children have diabetes in the U.S. That is 7.8% of the population according to the latest data formed from 2007, and 1.6 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Luckily, there are many natural remedies that may aid in suppressing the negative effects of diabetes. Many of these remedies may completely cure or prevent diabetes when used properly.

Research shows that zinc, an essential trace element responsible for more than 300 enzyme functions, can aid in normalizing the negative effects of diabetes mellitus. According to the study, zinc has been shown to mitigate the harmful effects of diabetes by improving glycemic control in type I and type II diabetes. Many of the enzyme systems in which zinc is a necessity for are involved with the metabolism of blood sugar, and therefore make zinc a natural catalyst for insulin secretion.

The pancreas is an endocrine gland responsible for producing hormones like glucagon, somatostatin, and–you guessed it–insulin. The beta cells that secrete insulin in your pancreas are also highly stored with zinc. Without the high concentrations of zinc, the beta cells suffer. Luckily, beta cells are equipped with their own special transporter called ‘zinc transporter 80, which makes it easy for the beta cells to store the zinc. However, it is known that any metamorphosis of the genes in the zinc transporter 8 causes type 2 diabetes. It is also now known that antibodies against the zinc transporter are present in type 1 diabetic patients, which means that these antibodies are associated with type 1 diabetes.

It is no wonder why zinc is as popular as it is for supplementation. In addition to mending the difficulties brought on by diabetes, zinc also serves to maintain a healthy immune system, controls hair loss, halts impotence, improves brain function, prevents loss of taste or smell, and much more. Although supplementation is a viable option to obtain the amount of zinc that you need, it is not the only option thanks to the abundant amount of foods rich in zinc that are available to the general public. To reap the many benefits of zinc, one could include any of the following foods into their diet:

Wheat Germ
Sesame Flour and Tahini
Low Fat Roast Beef
Roasted Pumpkin and Squash Seeds
Dried Water Melon Seeds
Cocoa Powder and Chocolate
Peanuts
Almonds
Avocado
Bananas
Cashew
Cheese
Chickpeas (including hummus and falafel)
Crab, Dungeness
Cucumber
Fish
Kiwi Fruit
Lettuce
Lima Beans
Olives
Onion

Source: Information center

Study shows air pollution more deadly than thought

The effect of long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with increased mortality even when the pollution is below European Union limits, shows new research.

The research was conducted by the Utrecht University. The researchers, led by Utrecht professor Rob Beelen, used data from the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE), which included data from 13 European countries and a total of 367,251 people, Xinhua reported Monday.

With each increase of 5 mg per cubic metre of particulate matter, the risk that someone dies increases by seven percent, the study showed.

“This is the difference between a busy street in the city, and a place without the influence of traffic,” Rob Beelen said.

The air quality norm in Europe is 25 mg per cubic metre, but the research showed the risks are still significant under 15 mg.

“Our findings show that there are significant health benefits to be gained when the concentrations of particulate matter will be further reduced,” Beelen added.

Particulate matter is the collective name for airborne particles that are so small that they penetrate deep into the lungs. The traffic is a major source, but factory plants and heating plants contribute to affect human health.

Source: xinhua

Hepatitis C: All that you need to know about the silent killer

Hepatitis is an infectious liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Its severity ranges from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious lifelong sickness. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 150 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus, and more than 350,000 people die yearly from hepatitis C-related liver diseases.

How Hepatitis C spreads?

Of the several hepatitis viruses, hepatitis C is believed to be among the most serious. Hepatitis C is transmitted through contact with infected blood. It can also be contracted through:

  1. Sharing drugs and needles
  2. Having unprotected sex with an infected person
  3. From mother to baby during child birth

What are the signs and symptoms of Hepatitis C?

Generally, hepatitis C shows no signs and symptoms during initial stages. If signs and symptoms do
happen, they may include:

Fever

Fatigue

Nausea

Vomiting

Abdominal pain

Loss of appetite

Joint pain and jaundice

How can it be treated?

While hepatitis C can be treated using antiviral medicines, treatment is not always essential. Before
undertaking any treatment, careful screening is vital for the patients to find out the most appropriate
approach.

Interferon and ribavirin are used to treat Hepatitis C. Owing to scientific advancement, new antiviral
drugs for hepatitis C have been developed, which may be more effective and better tolerated than
existing therapies. As per the WHO, two new therapeutic agents — telaprevir and boceprevir — have
recently been licensed in some countries.

Can Hepatitis C be prevented?

Currently, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C. But, the risk of infection can be reduced by following a
few tips:

Avoid sharing personal care items like razors

Be cautious if you are getting a tattoo or body piercing, check if the apparatus being used is clean

Avoid having sex with hepatitis C-infected person or use a latex condom every time you have sex

Avoid sharing needles

If you are infected with hepatitis C virus, avoid spreading it by not donating blood or tissue.

Source: healcon