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Allergies – increasing all around the world
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Once again there was a recent news story about the increasing numbers of kids all around the world with allergies. In a recent issue of the British medical journal, Lancet, it was reported the number of children with allergy problems such as allergic rhinitis, asthma and eczema have increased substantially, especially in the last 10 years.
There is also a drive to eliminate the use of the word asthma, as it is now believed to really be a number of different diseases. Around 300 million people now have asthma and that number is expected to go up to 400 million in less than 20 years.
Allergies are a type of hypersensitivity that involves IgE antibodies. They can be caused by a number of different allergens such as cats, dust mites, pollen and certain foods. Symptoms include asthma, allergic rhinitis, skin problems and in severe cases, anaphylactic shock.
The cause of allergies is still not clear, but much research is being conducted to find the cause and to better treat the symptoms.
Tips for kids with allergies:
– If your child is allergic to foods like peanuts, make sure their teachers are aware of it – another child may bring treats to school with peanuts or peanut butter.
– If your child can’t swallow pills – Zyrtec is available as a syrup and is approved for kids over 6 months. Also available is the Claritin Reditab which dissolves.
– To help distinguish between allergies and a cold in young children remember that colds usually go away after 10-14 days and fever and muscle aches may accompany a cold, but not an allergy.
– If allergy medications seem too expensive see if a generic version is available or ask your doctor if they have free samples.
As I’m plagued by allergies myself, I’m writing a series of articles about allergies. The first one is now up at: Allergies: An Introduction. (Come back to that page for links to the rest of the articles in the series.)
(Technorati Tags: allergies, allergy, asthma, IgE, Claritin, Zyrtec)
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August 21, 2006
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Contraception: Then and Now
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Women (and men) seem to have always wanted to limit the number of children they give birth to. Various methods have been used for thousands of years. Some very effective and safe and some not so effective, or safe. The following is a brief overview of some of the methods women and men have used to limit their family size.
Behavioral Contraception
There have been many ways people have avoided getting pregnant that involved behavioral changes. Some of these have included abstinence within a marriage and withdrawal. There are two kinds of withdrawal: coitus interruptus and coitus reservatus. Coitus interruptus is withdrawal with ejaculation afterwards and coitus reservatus is withdrawal without ejaculation.
In China and India in ancient times coitus reservatus was popular because many people believed that men lost ‘yang’ when ejaculating. In the middle ages it was taught by the church that the pleasure of ejaculation was sinful so coitus reservatus was considered to be sinless. Many women have also spaced their pregnancies further apart by breast feeding for extended periods of time.
Barrier Methods
Barrier methods include condoms and sponges. There is a cave painting in France that is 12,000 to 15,000 years old that shows a man using a condom. They were also known to be used in England at least as early as 1640 and were made from animal gut. Later, around 1943, rubber condoms became mass produced after Charles Goodyear figured out how to vulcanize rubber. In 1994, Reality, a female condom became available in the U.S.
Women around the world have also used numerous things to block their uterus and avoid getting pregnant. In Africa seedpods, plugs of grass and roots were used for this purpose. In the far east seaweed, moss and bamboo were used. In Greece halves of empty pomegranates were used to block semen from entering the uterus. The French used sponges soaked with brandy in the 17th century and British women used sponges wetted with olive oil early in the 20th century. Other substances used include tissue paper, beeswax and silver.
Foams, creams and various sorts of jellies were also in an attempt to kill and/or block sperm. These include cedar rosin combined with myrtle, lead, alum, or wine, tampons soaked in the fermented juice of acacia plants and even honey.
Hormonal Methods
In Northern Africa a plant called silphium use to grow which had good contraceptive properties. It was in high demand and by the 4th century had become extinct. Descendants of the Aztecs in Mexico used to eat the Barbasco root as a contraceptive. Progestin from this plant was eventually used to make the first birth control pills. Birth control pills now have lower levels of hormones than the original ones and have been tested for safety more than any other medicine in history.
Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate or DMPA was first available in 1969. It was first approved by the FDA in 1992 as Depo-Provera and is a long lasting injectable progestin contraceptive (but has some possible health risks). A hormonal implanted contraceptive called Norplant was approved in the US in 1990, but is no longer being made, a similar product, Jadelle will eventually be made available.
Additional hormonal methods include a patch called Ortho Evra which used synthetic estrogen and progestin. NuvaRing is a small and flexible ring that is put into the vagina once a month and also uses synthetic estrogen and progestin.
Emergency contraceptive methods include those to induce menstruation before fertilization or implantation and have been around since at least ancient Greece. In 1999 the FDA approved Plan B, a progestin only method using levonorgestrel. It is available in the United Kingdom as Levonelle and in France as NorLevo.
IUD’s or Intrauterine Device are also a type of emergency contraceptive as well as a primary contraception method. It is used by being placed in the uterus by a medical professional and is one of the most popular methods of birth control. As early as the 9th century Persian physicians suggested putting paper with ginger water into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. In the early 20th century IUD’s were made from gold and silver but infections were a serious problem with the method. In the 1960’s IUD’s were popular for a while until problems with the Dalkon Shield became known. Today only a small percent of the population uses IUD’s in the US, but in some parts of the world they are still quite popular.
In the U.S. the birth control pill is the most used form of reversible contraception, worldwide however the IUD in the most common.
Tubal ligations are a used as a permanent form of contraception. Overall in the U.S. it is the most popular form of birth control with 27% of women who use contraception using this method.
In the past many of the contraceptive methods available to wome were not so safe or effective. Many centuries ago Chinese women would sometimes drink lead or mercury to keep from having children which was very dangerous and sometimes ended in death. Of course at that time childbirth itself was very risky and many women died giving birth. We are lucky today to have so many safe options available to us.
For learn more about the history of contraception Planned Parenthood has a very comprehensive article about the History of Birth Control Methods and Wikipedia also has a nice overview of various methods of birth control.
(Technorati Tags: contraception, birth control, condom, coitus interruptus, coitus reservatus, Plan B, IUD)
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August 14, 2006
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Health and Disease Prevention: 10 Important Phytochemicals
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Phytochemicals are found in plants and are not needed for normal body functions but have health benefits such as preventing cancer or reducing inflammation. Many of them are the chemicals that give many fruits and vegetables their bright colors. Phytochemicals are divided into several groups based on their chemical structure. Flavonoids are one of these groups and are sometimes called bioflavonoids. Flavonoids make up a large group – the first five listed here are members. Other groups include phenolic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, lignans, carotenoids and saponins.
1) Quercetin
Quercetin is a type of flavonoid. There are indications that it may have some anti-inflammatory (inhibits production and release of histamine) and anti-cancer activity. Foods high in quercetin include apples, black & green tea and onions.
2) Resveratrol
Resveratrol is also a type of flavonoid. It is the phytochemical believed to give red wine its healthful benefits. It is made in the skin of some red grapes as an antifungal substance. Resveratrol has been shown to interfere with carcinogenesis. There are also reports of its effectiveness against aging, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and cardiac fibrosis, but these have not been confirmed.
3) Catechins
Catechins are also in the flavonoid family of phytochemicals. They can been found in white and green tea. Catehins are believed by many to slow or prevent many cancers, some studies indicate otherwise however.
4) Cyanidin
Cyanidin is a type of anthocyanin and is also a flavonoid. It is a pigment found in mostly in berries. Cyanidin has antioxidant effects and may reduce the risk of developing cancer and heart disease. Foods high in cyanidin include blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, plums and apples.
5) Isoflavones
Isoflavones are also known as phytoestrogens and are yet another member of the flavonoid family. Subtypes of isoflavones are daidzein, genistein and glycitein. They may offer protection from some types of cancer. Foods high in isoflavones include soy,
alfalfa sprouts, peanuts and other legumes.
6) Lignans
Lignans are another type of phytoestrogen. They are antioxidants and can be found in flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and whole grains such as rye.
7) Phenolic acids
Phenolic acids include curcumin among others. Curcumin is the active ingredient of the spice turmeric and is found in mustard. Curcumin has been in the news off and on recently as a possible anti-cancer agent.
8) Carotenoids
Carotenoids are well known for their antioxidant effects. They are divided in two main groups: carotenes and xanthophylls. Specific well known carotenoids include beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein. Foods high in beta-carotene include yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots. Some studies have shown that lycopene can reduce the risk of cancer. Foods high in lycopene include tomatoes (and tomato sauce), watermelon and papaya. Lutein can be found in foods such as spinach, other green leafy vegetables and papaya, squash and pumpkin.
9) Saponins
Saponins can be found in legumes and grains such as soybeans and alfalfa. They may have some cholesterol lowering abilities. Saponins are also natural detergents and are sometimes used to make soap.
10) Isothiocyanates
Isothiocyanates have been shown to have anti-cancer activity. Foods include cruciferous vegetables like brocolli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage.
So far over 900 different phytochemicals have been discovered – and more are being found all the time. For this reason it is important to make sure you have lots of phytochemicals in your diet. Typical Americans do not eat of lot of fresh fruits and vegetables – yet it is essential to eat these types of foods to be able to get enough phytochemicals (as well as vitamins). Since phytochemicals are found in plants it is very important to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains. It is recommended to eat lots of plant based foods that are dark green or other bright colors everyday.
This list of individual phytochemicals and phytochemical families is not complete, but should give you a good place to start with improving your diet and health. For more information see the Ohio State University article: Phytochemicals – Vitamins of the Future? or Wikipedia.
(Technorati Tags: phytochemicals, resveratrol, beta-carotene, lycopene, cancer, health)
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August 10, 2006
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I was interviewed!
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Hsien Hsien Lei who writes the Genetics and Health blog has posted an interview she did with me for her site! It is here: Genetics Interview #11: Trisha of Ideas for Women!
While you’re there – look around the rest of her blog too – she’s a really experienced blogger who writes about many interesting things!
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August 5, 2006
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Women and HIV/AIDS
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Nearly half of the half of the people in the world that are HIV positive are women. Most of these women were infected through heterosexual sex. Of the 15-24 year olds who are HIV positive, 60% are women. In sub-Saharan Africa – 57% of adults that are HIV positive are women.
Why are so many women disproportionately infected with HIV?
One reason is that women are more physiologically vulnerable to HIV. In heterosexual sex – women are 2 times more likely to be infected with HIV from men compared to men getting it from women.
The other big reason is that in many societies women are not valued as equal citizens. Women have less access to education, jobs, health care, land and inheritance in many parts of the world compared to men. This leads of higher rates of poverty among women. But worst of all it leads to women not being able to protect themselves from infection. Many women cannot choose who they marry or have control over their sexual partners. They cannot not insist that men use condoms. Many are victims of rape and other sexual crimes. In some places in Africa – where 2/3 of the world’s HIV positive people live – it is believed by many men that having sex with a virgin can cure them of an HIV infection.
And even for women who are married – in some parts of the world married men routinely have extramarital sex, get infected with HIV, then come home and infect their wives.
Its hard to imagine how difficult life is for many of these women. If my husband cheated on me, I could leave him. I might have some financial difficulties for a while, but I have a good education and could manage on my own if needed. And if he was HIV positive – for any reason – I could insist that he use a condom. These women can’t. They can’t leave a man who cheats on them – they would have no way to support themselves or their children if they did. And women don’t have enough power in many places to insist on men using condoms, whether married or not.
So what can be done to improve the situation for women? Obviously, better educational opportunities are needed. That won’t help the women who are already infected or become infected in the near future. Equal rights for women are ultimately needed also, but again won’t happen soon enough to help most. There are also many people trying to create a microbicide gel or cream that could be applied vaginally and kill HIV – but that might be five or more years away yet.
What can be done now? Anything? Or is it too late?
For more information about women and HIV, Amnesty International has a good, comprehensive article: Women, HIV/AIDS and human rights
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