• If you want to feel healthier, less stressed, less tired and more in control of your weight and even your appearance there is something you can do about it! Furthermore it doesn't come from your Pharmacist or on prescription from your Doctor.
  
  Well it is regular physical exercise that can help you to achieve all of this! The more you have good physical exercise the healthier you will be. Exercise can come from every thing you do, like working around the garden, or around the house. Walking up stairs, playing with the children or even planned exercise workouts and various sports. Good exercise will help your body to function properly and help it to work the way it was intended.
  
  Research shows that physical activity is one of the most effective age reducing factors known to man. So if you would like to live longer, simply by controlling your lifestyle and your approach to life you can enjoy a markedly improved quality of life!
  
  We often think of people as in shape or out of shape. Fit or not fit. However the question "are you fit?" cannot really be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." Every one of us has some level of fitness. On the other hand many people could feel healthier if they increased their level of fitness even by just a modest amount. Doing so also helps protect us in many cases from long-term diseases.
  
  It is not necessary for exercise to be hard or rigorous for us to improve our fitness and quality of health. Reports tell us that even moderate activity is enough. Exercise performed at a low and moderate intensity will help us to stay fit and healthy. That being so it appears we can forget that old line, "no pain-no gain." Research has shown at the Harvard and Stanford Universities that mental, social, physical and intellectual activity can keep people vital and alert as they age. Sound too easy? We suggest you put on those walking shoes and head out the door as often as you can. At least once a day!
  Let that be your goal!
  
  When you first commence exercising remember to do it regularly and build up slowly. And if you do it with regularity, you will find that is more significant than exercising hard and then doing nothing for a few days. Remember, what ever we do above what we are currently doing is better than nothing! There are many ways we can become active and improve our health. For example we can increase our physical activity even more, by taking up dancing or some other physical activity to help that cardiovascular system of ours. How often during the day do you take a deep breath? Think about it! When you do you may then come to realise that you do need that exercise. Consider playing a sport, joining a health club or gym or even join an aerobics class.
  
  For those mature age persons you will find regular walks are an extremely good way to help you with your level of fitness. Lawn bowls as a sport is enjoyed by all ages. Dancing is excellent for the mature age person because apart from the physical exercise it is good for socialising and also good for the memory.
  
  Research has also shown that even older people who may have some serious health problems can benefit from an exrecise program even to the extent of reducing the mortality rate.This may be because exercise has been shown to improve cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health, as well as general well being and quality of life.
  
  This is good news for older people with health problems because it shows anyone can benefit from exercise and that it's never too late to begin exercising.
  
  Doctors-4U suggests if you are contemplating an exercise routine - and especially if you have any serious medical conditions you should first get a clearance from your Doctor. He or She may be able to recommend a supervised course or program in your area.
  
  This article is intended to help people of all ages and all levels of fitness. If you are not exercising as you should we hope this article has provided enough information and suggestions to motivate you to become more active and healthier! Remember, plan the changes that will lead to a more healthier and active lifestyle for you, and then do something about it!
  It is your choice!
  
  Good luck, good health and good enjoyable exercising!
  
  Please remember before commencing any exercise program consult your Doctor and be guided by her/his advice!
  
  
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  The dangers of boiling water in a microwave oven

• Our View
  This maybe so however we urge everyone to place something in the cup first and be sure never to heat the contents of a cup for more than 2 minutes!
  
  
• This is a response from a Scientist:

• This Article is brought to you with our compliments and the compliments of the National Heart Foundation. Our sincere thanks to them for this interesting information on a very important subject!

  Also remember the National Heart Foundation is grateful for donations and you can be sure they go to a worthy cause. You can contact the National Heart Foundation by telephone or by e-mail from their Web site www.heartfoundation.com.au/ You can also make a donation on line if you wish!
  
  
• Salt and Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
  
  What is 'salt'?
  
  The chemical name for salt is’ sodium chloride'. Salt provides our bodies with the minerals 'sodium' and 'chloride', which are both needed for us to function normally.
  
  Which foods contain salt?
  
  Salt is found in almost every food we eat, but the amount present in different foods varies a great deal. Most of the salt we eat (about 75%) comes from processed foods. High salt processed foods include soy sauce, processed meats, canned soups, canned anchovies, and stock cubes. About 15% of the salt we eat comes from the salt we add at the table or in cooking.
  Most fresh foods (vegetables, fruit, nuts and unprocessed meats) are naturally low in salt and contribute little to the salt we eat.
  
  How much salt do I need?
  
  We do need to eat some salt. The amount of salt in our food is measured in millimoles (mmol) or milligrams (mg) of sodium. The current recommendation is that we eat no more than 100mmol (or 2300mg) of sodium per day. You can easily get your requirements from the natural salt in fresh foods, so there is no need to add salt to a healthy eating plan.
  
  What's wrong with eating too much salt?
  
  Most of us eat more salt than we need. Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure (also called hypertension). High blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. If you already have high blood pressure, eating too much salt may make it worse.
  
  High blood pressure affects almost a third of people who are over 50 years of age. Almost one half of Australians have high blood pressure before they reach the age of 70.
  
  Enjoying a healthy eating pattern that is low in salt is one way to help control your blood pressure, or avoid high blood pressure altogether. The effect salt has on blood pressure varies from person to person. Elderly persons are usually more sensitive to changes in salt intake.
  
  How can I eat less salt?

• Enjoy healthy eating to help lower blood cholesterol levels by choosing mainly plant-based foods such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta, vegetables, fruits and legumes (dried peas, beans and lentils), and moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry, eggs, fish, reduced-fat dairy products and polyunsaturated and monounsaturated margarine and oils.
  
  For more information contact the Heart Foundation's telephone information service Heartline on 1300 36 27 87 (cost of local call).
  
  
  
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  What is a disease?
  
  A disease is a condition that impairs the proper function of the body or of one of its parts. Every living thing, both plants and animals, can succumb to disease. People, for example, are often infected by tiny bacteria, but bacteria, in turn, can be infected by even more minute viruses.
  
  Hundreds of different diseases exist. Each has its own particular set of symptoms and signs, clues that enable your Doctor to diagnose the problem.
  
  A symptom is something a patient can detect, such as fever, bleeding, or pain. A sign is something a doctor can detect, such as a swollen blood vessel or an enlarged internal body organ.
  
  Every disease has a cause, although the causes of some remain to be discovered. Every disease also displays a cycle of onset, or beginning, course, or time span of affliction, and end.
  
  An epidemic disease is one that strikes many persons in a community. When it strikes the same region year after year it is an endemic disease.
  
  An acute disease has a quick onset and runs a short course. An acute heart attack, for example, often hits without warning and can be quickly fatal. A chronic disease has a slow onset and runs a sometimes years-long course. The gradual onset and long course of rheumatic fever makes it a chronic ailment.
  
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  How Germs Invade the Body
  Humans live in a world where many other living things compete for food and places to breed. The pathogenic organisms, or pathogens, often broadly called germs, that cause many diseases are able to invade the human body and use its cells and fluids for their own needs.
  Ordinarily, the body's defense system can ward off these invaders.
  
  Pathogenic organisms can enter the body in various ways. Some, such as those that cause the common cold, pneumonia, and tuberculosis are breathed in. Others, such as those that cause venereal diseases enter through sexual contact of human bodies. Still others, such as those that cause bacillary dysentery, cholera, and typhoid fever get in the body through contaminated food, water, or utensils.
  
  Insects can spread disease by acting as vectors, or carriers. Flies can carry germs from human waste or other tainted materials to food and beverages. Germs may also enter the body through the bite of a mosquito, louse, or other insect vector.
  
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  Kinds of Disease
  Infectious, or communicable, diseases are those that can be passed between persons such as by means of airborne droplets from a cough or sneeze. Tiny organisms such as bacteria and fungi can produce infectious diseases. So can viruses. So can tiny worms. Whatever the causative agent might be, it survives in the person it infects and is passed on to another. Or, its eggs are passed on. Sometimes, a disease-producing organism gets into a person who shows no symptoms of the disease. The asymptomatic carrier can then pass the disease on to someone else without even knowing he has it.
  
  Noninfectious, or noncommunicable, diseases are caused by malfunctions of the body. These include organ or tissue degeneration, erratic cell growth, and faulty blood formation and flow. Also included are disturbances of the stomach and intestine, the endocrine system, and the urinary and reproductive systems. Some diseases can be caused by diet deficiencies, lapses in the body's defense system, or a poorly operating nervous system.
  Disability and illnesses can also be provoked by psychological and social factors. These ailments include drug addiction, obesity, malnutrition, and pollution-caused health problems.
  
  
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  What is a Psychosomatic Disorder?
  
  Diseases thought to be caused, at least in part, by emotional factors are known as psychosomatic disorders. The term comes from the Greek psyche, meaning "spirit" or "soul," and soma, meaning "body" and refers to the effect of the mind on the body's health. Other terms used to describe psychosomatic disorders are psychophysiologic disorders, psychogenic diseases, and organ neuroses.
  
  In psychosomatic disorders, repeated emotional stress can cause dysfunction or structural damage in the body's tissues, organs, and organ systems by chronically stimulating the involuntary nervous system and the glands of internal secretion. This process is in contrast to disorders caused by bacterial or viral infections. A headache, for example, can stem from a common cold or from muscle tension caused by stress. The headache of a cold disappears when the infection is gone, but headaches from continued emotional stress may be self-perpetuating. Tightened muscles in the neck, shoulders, and back increase the person's stress, which in turn increases tension in the muscles, which increases stress--setting up a vicious cycle. Chronic tension headaches often progress to chronic back pain, which can become disabling.
  
  The theory of psychosomatic disorders was proposed in the 1950s and 1960s by Franz Alexander and his colleagues at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. They suggested that specific personality traits and specific conflict situations created particular psychosomatic disorders. For example, asthma was thought to result from a conflict between the need for dependency (wheezing was a symbolic cry for mother) and the fear of dependency. If the condition persisted over several years, it could result in damage to the respiratory system. Patients with peptic ulcers were thought to equate the need for love with the need for food, much like an infant. As a result, the stomach continuously secreted digestive enzymes that eventually damaged the stomach lining.
  
  Most scientists believe Alexander's theory is too rigid, but as yet there is little agreement on the exact causes of psychosomatic disorders. Although many people often develop these disorders during periods of high stress in their lives, no one knows why some people develop one ailment and some another. Some investigators have tried to determine whether patients with the same disorder share a common personality trait. One theory holds that a particular emotional trauma, especially one occurring in childhood, causes illness in later life.
  
  On the other hand, researchers have been able to identify two types of emotional stress that contribute to the development of psychosomatic disorders. Stress that originates in childhood can remain as an unconscious, unresolved conflict that adversely affects the body. For example, children whose parents punish them whenever they show anger may grow up learning to repress their angry feelings. As a result, they may develop chronic stomach pain, back pain, or headaches. The second type of emotional stress arises from such life situations as the death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, or illness. Although this type of stress may be of shorter duration, it can be more severe and cause greater physical damage.
  
  The body's reaction to stress can result in a variety of ailments: high blood pressure (hypertension), peptic ulcers, bronchial asthma, migraine headaches, ulcerative colitis, insomnia, skin diseases, and allergies. As in the case of all psychosomatic disorders, patients are usually unaware of the emotional conflicts underlying their conditions. This fact can make it difficult for a Doctor to diagnose the true cause of a psychosomatic disorder. A hypertensive patient, for example, may not know that he is repressing his anger and may believe instead that he is cooperative and mild-mannered.
  
  Although the causes of psychosomatic disorders begin in the mind, the physical symptoms are real and may even be life threatening. These disorders are treated first through traditional medical therapy. Drugs can be used to lower blood pressure, decrease the production of digestive enzymes, and relax respiratory passages.
  
  Psychotherapeutic approaches then are used to help patients express emotions more constructively and to resolve long-term emotional conflicts. Likewise, private or group counseling can enable people to cope with stressful situations. Techniques such as self-hypnosis, conscious relaxation, and biofeedback have helped many people retrain their physical responses to stress.
  
  

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Managing vertebral fractures - with cement!
With compliments of ACA Channel 9
19 August 2003
Reporter: Jane Hansen

Vertebral fractures are common among severe osteoporosis sufferers but up until recently there have been few alternatives to manage the pain. Now, as ACA reports, a procedure known as vertebroplasty - which involves an injection of concrete into the fracture - is giving patients new hope of an improved quality of life.

It's hard to believe but just 24 hours ago, Marie Englund could barely move after a fall fractured her spine and she says the pain was agonising.

"I couldn't even talk, it crossed under my chest, it was agony," she says. "It's the most terrible pain and I can't describe it."

Within hours, Marie's fracture was pinpointed and treated with an injection of cement by specialist Dr William Clark, which he says stops the movement in the broken bone and abolishes the pain almost immediately.

Sydney-based Professor Terry Diamond says the treatment is a remarkable improvement on traditional therapies, which have largely been ineffective for many years.

"Bracing of the spine is very difficult to do so treatment has centred on heat and cold packs and analgesia with rehabilitation," he says. "Six to six months is the natural history for how long spinal fractures take to heal."

For Margaret McGuiness, who fractured her spine just a few days ago, undergoing vertebroplasty seems a little daunting but she fears the alternative.

"There's no alternative really," she says. "Only sitting in a chair with painkillers."

According to Dr Clark, Margaret's spine actually looks as though there is a fracture right through the middle of the vertebral body and these types of injury tends to be very painful. That's why this procedure - which involves the same cement orthopaedic surgeons have been using for many years to glue hip joints - is so appealing.

"We mix up the cement by adding some liquid to some powder and we have a working time of about three to four minutes to inject the cement," explains Dr Clark.

An hour later, the local anaesthetic has worn off and Margaret is resting more comfortably.

The therapy is by no means a cure for osteoporosis but it's an effective treatment that returns the quality of life to the elderly and in some cases saves lives. Without the procedure, 90-year-old World War II veteran Gordon McIlvene may not have survived after fracturing his back two years ago.

Professor Diamond says Gordon's severe back pain began when he got off the bus he'd caught into town. The pain ended up getting much worse.

"[He] was eventually wheelchair-bound and started to get secondary infection in his lungs because of the pain," says Professor Diamond. "He's the classic patient who is at risk of pneumonia, ending up in hospital, getting clots in the legs and dying from a pulmonary event - in this group, the therapy is amazing."

For Gordon, he's back to his cheeky self, ready and looking forward to marching at next year's ANZAC Day parade.

"They [surgeons] do things behind your back, you know?" he jokes. "I still don't know what they actually did but I've been alright ever since!"

A Special thank you to ACA Channel 9 for this article..
www.ninemsn.com/aca 19th August 2003..

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Percutaneous vertebroplasty: what is it?
With Compliments of ACA Channel 9
19 August 2003

Information in the following fact sheet has been provided by Associate Professor of Medicine, Terry Diamond.

What is a vertebral fracture?

The spinal column comprises a number of vertebral bodies (cervical, thoracic and lumbar). With severe osteoporosis, a vertebral body can fracture either spontaneously following a cough, sneeze or with minimal trauma such as lifting a small shopping bag.

The fracture is associated with severe, excruciating back pain, requiring narcotic analgesia and hospitalisation. Patients are usually elderly and may develop significant complications following fracture, such as pneumonia, blood clots and even death (increased by as much as eight-fold).

Until recently, analgesia, bracing, heat packs and physiotherapy offered some benefit.

What is vertebroplasty?

Vertebroplasty or cementoplasty is a technique whereby liquid cement is injected through a fine needle into a vertebrae body under careful X-ray screening.

How does it work?

The cement is injected in liquid form and rapidly undergoes a thermal reaction and solidifies. When the liquid substance is injected, it first dissipates throughout the fine fractured trabecular network of the vertebral body and then solidifies, acting as a solid support for the pain-sensitive vertebral endplates and the spinal column above. This process results in dramatic pain relief.

Who can benefit from this treatment?

Vertebroplasty was first developed in 1987 for the treatment of spinal tumours. It is now recognised as a very effective modality for treating acute painful vertebral fractures in elderly osteoporotic patients. This procedure is predominantly of benefit in individuals who have MRI evidence of acute vertebral fractures.

What are the benefits/

Vertebroplasty results in prompt pain relief and allows for the rapid rehabilitation of patients, thereby preventing hospital admission and fracture-related complications.

The procedure is performed on a day-only outpatient service. The overall reduction in costs and bed days associated with acute vertebral fractures treated by successful vertebroplasty may have significant savings on the ailing health economy.

Are there any drawbacks?
· Not all patients are suitable for vertebroplasty. This technique is indicated for treating patients with acute severe osteoporotic vertebral fractures. It is not a technique for treating chronic vertebral deformities.
· Vertebroplasty is contraindicated in individuals who are on blood thinners (anti-coagulants) and those in whom the fracture deformity impinges on the spinal cord.
· It is not without risk. Complications may be related to cement allergy, bleeding from the procedure and leakage of cement into surrounding structures and blood vessels.
· Vertebroplasty should currently be reserved for the elderly patient (60+), since the long-term risks of increased spinal stiffness associated with recurrent fractures remains unknown.

Is there any other treatment required after vertebroplasty?

It is important to note that vertebroplasty only treats the symptoms. Most patients have severe underlying osteoporosis placing them at high risk of recurrent fractures. Treatment with appropriate anti-osteoporotic drug therapies is indicated. Moreover, an optimal rehabilitation program with hydrotherapy is indicated after the procedure, so as to allow the individual to return to his/her pre-fracture lifestyle.

Who performs this procedure?

Complications are very rare but can be significant. Vertebroplasty is very much operator-dependent. It is imperative that vertebroplasty only be undertaken in tertiary care referral centres with highly trained and skilled radiologists with optimal radiological imaging equipment.

How effective is it?

Recent research (Diamond et al, American Journal of Medicine 2003) indicates when compared to conservative therapy, vertebroplasty results in prompt pain relief and rapid rehabilitation. In experienced hands, it is considered a safe and effective procedure for treating acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

A Special thank you to ACA Channel 9 for this article..
www.ninemsn.com/aca

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Health Minister denies plans for ID card scheme
Saturday August 30.


Federal Health Minister Senator Kay Patterson has denied the Commonwealth is considering an all-in-one health identification card.

There have been claims the Federal Government plans to issue every Australian with an ID card to track their health record from birth.

In Perth in Western Australia, Senator Kay Patterson said the Federal Government was conducting trials with volunteers so information can be coordinated between state and federal health providers.

But she says reports of a health ID card are wrong because they would compromise privacy issues.

"Health information is very, very important information to individuals," she said.
"It's important that if people are involved in a trial what's involved they are all volunteers and the privacy commissioner has been consulted at every point in these trials."

A Special thank you to ACA Channel 9 for this article..
www.ninemsn.com/aca

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Mon 1 Sep 2003
Drug green light sparks concern

A heated debate is underway in the medical community over a decision to extend the range of painkillers being sold in supermarkets and corner stores. Some experts claim the drugs can have dangerous side-effects and say they should be sold only in pharmacies.

The National Drugs and Poisonings Scheduling Committee (NDPSC) has recommended that ibuprofen, a drug also known as Nurofen, Act 3 and several other brands, be rescheduled for sale in supermarkets and corner stores from January 1 next year.

But across the medical spectrum, experts are concerned the green light has been given. "In this particular case it's a wrong decision," said John Bell of the Pharmaceutical Society. "Ibuprofen drugs are commonly taken for pain relief. They are actually anti-inflammatory drugs for muscle and arthritic conditions but also have pain relief benefits. But it can have serious risks like kidney damage and stomach ulcers."
The problem is, according to gastro entomologist Dr Danny Stiel, that supermarket accessibility could lull people into thinking it's harmless.

"Hundreds of people of people in Australia die from ulcers each year of bleeding and other complications and that can only increase if we allow them to be more widely available," he said. But the dangers increase if they're already taking - as millions of Australians do - other prescription anti-inflammatory medication.
"Like Voltaren, like Celebrex, Vioxx, Feldene - all of these have the potential to interact or exacerbate the side-effects of these products," said Mr Bell.

Pharmacists say the more they know about ibuprofen, the more people take it and the more concerns they have. It's already known to trigger asthma attacks and now there's a new finding raising alarm for women trying to get pregnant.

"The new study shows that ibuprofen, like aspirin, which used to be taken to try and avoid miscarriage actually, doubles the risk of miscarriage," said Professor Robert Jansen from Sydney IVF.

Specialists say the public should be warned:
"There should at least be prominent marking to that effect if they're not sold in the circumstance where a pharmacist can explain the use of the drugs," said Professor Jansen. According to John Bell, the recent data has confirmed the belief of many that there is no place on the supermarket shelf for ibuprofen - in their view it is not a grocery-shelf item.

Source: National Nine News

Remember, any articles on any of our pages are for reference purposes only. Please, we urge you to always seek the advice of your Health Professional for diagnosis and treatment and answers to any questions you are seeking.

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