Dr. John's Health Matters
Welcome to Dr. John's Health Matters blog.
The articles posted here are from various sources who are duly acknowledged. I would appreciate being immediately notified, if any copywritten material needs to be removed. This blog is not intended to replace the qualified advice of a licensed health practitioner. Readers should exercise their own judgment. Enjoy, subscribe, participate and tell others :)
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Posts tagged "breathing"
Tuesday, Sep 1st, 2009 ↓Heart Suffers From Just a Few Whiffs of Smoke →
Sept 1, 2009 (Therapytimes.com)—Just a few whiffs of tobacco smoke or dirty air can have a profound negative impact on your heart’s health.
Study results released today by the American Heart Association suggest that exposure to even a small amount of smoke — whether it’s from your own cigarette or someone else’s — greatly increases your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The same goes for breathing in air polluted with carbon monoxide emissions.
“It doesn’t require extreme exposure to have significant cardiovascular effects. Even passive exposures to ambient air pollution and secondhand smoke contribute to significant increases in cardiovascular mortality,” study author C. Arden Pope III, PhD, says in a statement.
For full article, see link above.
Tags: heart cardiovascular risk disease smoke tobacco risk danger exposure cigarette breathing air pollution
Swimming Aids Asthma Symptoms In Children, Study Finds →
Aug 27, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Research has shown that swimming aids asthma symptoms in children. The activity has been proven to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for children and adolescents, according to a study in Respirology, published by Wiley-Blackwell.
Researchers divided children between the ages of seven to twelve into two groups. One group underwent a six-week swimming program in addition to their regular asthma treatments. All of the children in the experimental program showed significant improvement in all clinical variables including symptoms, hospitalizations, emergency room visits and school absenteeism.
Other improvements included asthma severity, mouth-breathing, snoring, chest deformity, self-confidence and general feelings of disadvantage.
“Unlike other sports, swimming is unlikely to provoke asthma attacks. In addition to improving asthma, swimming promotes normal physical and psychological development, such as increasing lung volume, developing good breathing techniques and improving general fitness,” said lead author, Wang Jeng-Shing from the Taipei Medical University.
He added, “Not only is swimming an excellent form of exercise for children with asthma, the health benefits reaped continued to be observed for at least a year after the completion of the swimming program.”
Adapted from materials provided by Wiley - Blackwell, via AlphaGalileo.
Tags: swimming children child adolescent asthma treatment improvement prevention severity breathing snoring lung physical activity fitness
Tags: school anxiety stress children child yoga breathing walking listening attention calm emotion reduce technique meditation academic social pressure
How to Get Relief from Hiccups →
July 9, 2009 (NaturalNews.com)— In the wide range of human illnesses, a case of hiccups is not that big of a deal. Much like the common cold, hiccups are common to everyone at one time or another in their life, but are not actually life threatening. They usually disappear by themselves pretty quickly. However, when you get an onset of the hiccups, there may be times they remain with you for hours. It can seem as if they will last forever and you long for immediate relief. There are natural remedies that can help to calm these annoying hiccups.
Hiccups can be rather violent and shake your whole body. A severe hiccup attack can interrupt a person`s normal breathing, eating and sleeping habits and may cause unusual anxiety. The longest reported case of hiccups is by a man from Iowa, a farmer, named Charles Osborne. His hiccups were said to have lasted sixty-eight years! He hiccupped an estimated four hundred and thirty million times! This poor man definitely had something to be anxious about!
When you develop a case of the hiccups, the esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth and stomach) passes directly through the diaphragm is disturbed. Hiccups are formed by an upward spasm from the diaphragm. These spasms are caused by swallowing air, hyperventilating, eating too quickly, laughing and being overly excited. The act of fast, repeated swallowing seems to overwhelm and disables the diaphragm from performing its job properly. When your diaphragm begins to spasm, hiccups are produced. So the key to curing hiccups is to calm the spasms.
Here are some natural remedies to help overcome bothersome hiccups. Fill a glass with water and take small sips for sixty seconds. If your hiccups persist, keep taking small sips until they are relieved. Although your family may think you are nutty, another remedy is to sing like crazy. This helps fill the diaphragm with bursts of oxygen and will regulate your breathing. Placing a paper bag over your mouth and nose, while breathing in and out, may alleviate the hiccups. If you happen to have a lemon wedge handy, all it takes is sucking on it for a few seconds and the hiccups will diminish. Place an ice bag gently on your diaphragm and try to relax as it calms your diaphragm. Sucking on crushed ice helps, as does chewing on a tiny piece of fresh ginger. Mint leaves work equally as well. Drinking a shot of lime juice may make you pucker, but it is said to cure the hiccups.
The next time you experience these bothersome spasms of your diaphragm, think of the poor farmer. He survived through sixty-eight years. You can make it through a few irritating minutes!
Sources:
www.natural-homeremedies.com/homere…
www.farmersalmanac.com/natural_cure… stop_the_hiccups
lacetoleather.com/hiccups.html
Tags: hiccups diaphragm breathing remedy disruption esophagus spasm air laugh hyperventilating
Music May Have A Future Role In Heart And Stroke Patient Rehabilitation →
June 30, 2009 (sciencedaily.com)—Blood flow and respiratory rates can synch with music, indicating that music could one day be a therapeutic tool for blood pressure control and rehabilitation, according to a study by Italian researchers published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
The researchers found in an earlier study (Heart. 2006 Apr;92(4):445-52) that music with faster tempos resulted in increased breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. When the music was paused, breathing, heart rate and blood pressure decreased, sometimes below the beginning rate. Slower music caused declines in heart rates.
In an extension of those findings, researchers recently discovered swelling crescendos appear to induce moderate arousal while decrescendos induce relaxation. In music, a crescendo is a gradual volume increase, and a decrescendo is a gradual volume decrease.
“Music induces a continuous, dynamic — and to some extent predictable — change in the cardiovascular system,” said Luciano Bernardi, M.D., lead researcher of the study and professor of Internal Medicine at Pavia University in Pavia, Italy. “It is not only the emotion that creates the cardiovascular changes, but this study suggests that also the opposite might be possible, that cardiovascular changes may be the substrate for emotions, likely in a bi-directional way.”
For full article see link above.
Tags: music heart blood circulation rehabilitation respiratory synch therapeutic breathing
Smokers' Muscles Tire More Quickly →
June 17, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com) — Smokers’ muscles tire much more quickly than those of non-smokers, irrespective of how many cigarettes they smoke per day or how long they have smoked.
Smokers’ muscles tire much more quickly than those of non-smokers, irrespective of how many cigarettes they smoke per day or how long they have smoked. In his PhD thesis, Rob Wüst concluded that smoking has an immediate effect on muscles, possibly as a result of the reduced oxygen supply and oxygen deficiency in the muscle due to substances in cigarette smoke. He studied how changes in skeletal muscles can result from smoking and will obtain his doctorate for this work on 9 April 2009.
For full article see link above.
The 20 Cancer Symptoms Women Are Most Likely to Ignore →
June 11, 2009— Don’t rely on routine tests alone to protect you from cancer. It’s just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that’s different, odd, or unexplainable. Here are some signs that are commonly overlooked:
1. Wheezing or shortness of breath
One of the first signs many lung cancer patients remember noticing is the inability to catch their breath.
2. Chronic cough or chest pain
Several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung tumors, can cause symptoms that mimic a bad cough or bronchitis. Some lung cancer patients report chest pain that extends up into the shoulder or down the arm.
3. Frequent fevers or infections
These can be signs of leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells that starts in the bone marrow. Leukemia causes the marrow to produce abnormal white blood cells, sapping your body’s infection-fighting capabilities.
4. Difficulty swallowing
Trouble swallowing is most commonly associated with esophageal or throat cancer, and is sometimes one of the first signs of lung cancer, too.
5. Swollen lymph nodes or lumps on the neck, underarm, or groin
Enlarged lymph nodes indicate changes in the lymphatic system, which can be a sign of cancer.
6. Excessive bruising or bleeding that doesn’t stop
This symptom usually suggests something abnormal happening with the platelets and red blood cells, which can be a sign of leukemia. Over time, leukemia cells crowd out red blood cells and platelets, impairing your blood’s ability to carry oxygen and clot.
7. Weakness and fatigue
Generalized fatigue and weakness is a symptom of so many different kinds of cancer that you’ll need to look at it in combination with other symptoms. But any time you feel exhausted without explanation and it doesn’t respond to getting more sleep, talk to your doctor.
8. Bloating or abdominal weight gain
Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer overwhelmingly report unexplained abdominal bloating that came on fairly suddenly and continued on and off over a long period of time.
9. Feeling full and unable to eat
This is another tip-off to ovarian cancer; women say they have no appetite and can’t eat, even when they haven’t eaten for some time.
10. Pelvic or abdominal pain
Pain and cramping in the pelvis and abdomen can go hand in hand with the bloating that often signals ovarian cancer. Leukemia can also cause abdominal pain resulting from an enlarged spleen.
11. Rectal bleeding or blood in stool
This is a common result of diagnosing colorectal cancer. Blood in the toilet alone is reason to call your doctor and schedule a colonoscopy.
12. Unexplained weight loss
Weight loss is an early sign of colon and other digestive cancers; it’s also a sign of cancer that’s spread to the liver, affecting your appetite and the ability of your body to rid itself of wastes.
13. Upset stomach or stomachache
Stomach cramps or frequent upset stomachs may indicate colorectal cancer.
14. A red, sore, or swollen breast
These symptoms can indicate inflammatory breast cancer. Call your doctor about any unexplained changes to your breasts.
15. Nipple changes
One of the most common changes women remember noticing before being diagnosed with breast cancer is a nipple that began to appear flattened, inverted, or turned sideways.
16. Unusually heavy or painful periods or bleeding between periods
Many women report this as the tip-off to endometrial or uterine cancer. Ask for a transvaginal ultrasound if you suspect something more than routine heavy periods.
17. Swelling of facial features
Some patients with lung cancer report noticing puffiness, swelling, or redness in the face. Small cell lung tumors commonly block blood vessels in the chest, preventing blood from flowing freely from your head and face.
18. A sore or skin lump that doesn’t heal, becomes crusty, or bleeds easily
Familiarize yourself with the different types of skin cancer — melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma — and be vigilant about checking skin all over your body for odd-looking growths or spots.
19. Changes in nails
Unexplained changes to the fingernails can be a sign of several types of cancer. A brown or black streak or dot under the nail can indicate skin cancer, while newly discovered “clubbing”— enlargement of the ends of the fingers with nails that curve down over the tips — can be a sign of lung cancer. Pale or white nails can sometimes be a sign of liver cancer.
20. Pain in the back or lower right side
Many cancer patients say this was the first sign of liver cancer. Breast cancer is also often diagnosed via back pain, which can occur when a breast tumor presses backward into the chest, or when the cancer spreads to the spine or ribs.
Sources: 
MSN Health
Tags: cancer women prevention risk health chest pain breathing infection swallow nodes weakness fatigue bleeding blood swollen swelling tumor
Pranayama: Benefit from Deep Breathing →
June 10, 2009 (NaturalNews.com)— The modern day lifestyle can be very fast and furious leaving many people feeling depressed tired and basically unable to cope. While these symptoms are not good they are simply our body’s way of telling us to slow down and to take a few deep breaths.
Most of us think that breathing is an involuntary act and that there is no right or wrong way to do it. But there is, and most of us do it wrong. Pranayama is a yoga breathing exercise that is used to prepare participants for meditation and to help them on their spiritual journey. It teaches us that we should take note of our breathing, and that we should use the full extent of our lungs. Basically it teaches us how to breathe properly.
For full article see link above.
Tags: breathing lung respiratory fatigue stress pranayama yoga meditation oxygen sleep heart disease
Waist Size And Body Mass Index Are Risk Factors For Sleep Disordered Breathing In Children →
June 6, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com) —A study in the June 1 issue of the journal SLEEP found that waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) are consistent, independent risk factors for all severity levels of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children, suggesting that as with adult SDB, metabolic factors are important risk factors for childhood SDB.
Sleep deprivation Results indicate that BMI and waist circumference, but not neck circumference, were significant and strong predictors of SDB at all severity levels – primary snoring, mild SDB and moderate SDB. Nasal anatomic factors such as chronic sinusitis, rhinitis and nasal drain were significant predictors of mild SDB; minority status was associated with primary snoring and mild SDB. Tonsil size, assessed by visual inspection, was not a significant risk factor for any level of SDB. Overall, 1.2 percent of children had moderate SDB (an apnea/hypopnea index of five or more breathing pauses per hour of sleep), 25 percent had mild SDB (AHI of at least one but less than five) and 15.5 percent had primary snoring. According to principal investigator Edward O. Bixler, PhD, of Penn State University College of Medicine in Hershey, Penn., it is often assumed that the primary mechanism of SDB in children is the presence of large tonsils or adenoids. The study suggests, however, that the causes of SDB in children are more complex, that there may be a systemic influence of obesity, and that adenotonsillectomy may not always be the most effective, first-line treatment.
“Risk factors for SDB in children are complex and include metabolic, inflammatory and anatomic factors,” said Bixler. “Because SDB in children is not just the outcome of anatomical abnormalities, treatment strategies should consider alternative options, such as weight loss and correction of nasal problems.”
For full article see link above.
Even Low Levels of Smoking Can Lead to Severe COPD in Women →
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 19 09 - Women seem to be more susceptible to the harmful effects of smoking than their male counterparts, according to findings from a case-control study of subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), presented Monday at the international conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego.
For full medical article, see link above.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness Lowers Risk of Heart Disease and Death →
May 20, 2009 (Ibaraki, Japan) — A higher level of cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, according to a meta-analysis of 33 trials comprising more than 187 000 healthy men and women published in the May 20, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association [1].
For full medical article, see link above.
Low Folate May Be Linked to Allergies →
May 11, 2009 (Medscape) — Early research suggests that low folate levels may be linked to an increased risk for allergy and asthma, but more study is needed to confirm the association.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center examined the blood folate levels of more than 8,000 people with and without asthma and allergies who were enrolled in a large, national health registry.
They found that those with the lowest serum folate levels were 31% more likely to have test-verified allergy and 40% more likely to have wheeze than people with the highest levels. They also found them 16% more likely to have diagnosed asthma, although the asthma finding wasn’t statistically significant.
For full medical article, see link above.
Stormy Weather Worsens Sleep Apnea →
SEATTLE, May 1 09 (Medscape) — Patients with sleep-disordered breathing may find their condition worsens when a storm blows through town, researchers said here.
Obstructive apnea worsened as atmospheric pressure dropped due to weather-related changes, Michael J. Doherty, M.D., of Swedish Hospital here, and colleagues reported at the American Academy of Neurology meeting.
For full medical article, see link above.
Vitamin D Insufficiency Linked to Asthma Severity →
May 4, 2009 (Medscape) — Vitamin D insufficiency is linked to asthma severity, according to the results of a cross-sectional study reported in the May 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
For full medical article, see link above.
Double Ovary Removal Raises Risk for All-Cause Mortality, Heart Disease and Lung Cancer →
May 5, 2009 (Medscape) — Bilateral oophorectomy during hysterectomy for benign disease is associated with a decreased risk for breast and ovarian cancer but an increased risk for all-cause mortality, coronary disease, and lung cancer, according to the results of a prospective, observational study reported in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
For full medical article, see link above.
