Recently the sister of a friend of mine suffered from a pulmonary embolism (PE) which reminded me that two of my siblings had pulmonary embolisms as well. The lack of knowledge of just what pulmonary embolisms (PEs) are is astonishing. I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion.
What is a Pulmonary embolism? Pulmonary embolism is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs. In most cases, pulmonary embolism is caused by blood clots that travel to the lungs from deep veins in the legs or, rarely, from veins in other parts of the body (deep vein thrombosis). Because the clots block blood flow to the lungs, pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening. However, prompt treatment greatly reduces the risk of death. Taking measures to prevent blood clots in your legs will help protect you against pulmonary embolism. Symptoms of a Pulmonary Embolism; symptoms can vary greatly, depending on how much of your lung is involved, the size of the clots, and whether you have underlying lung or heart disease. Common signs and symptoms include:
In many cases, multiple clots are involved in pulmonary embolism. The portions of the lung served by each blocked artery are robbed of blood and may die. This is known as pulmonary infarction. This makes it more difficult for your lungs to provide oxygen to the rest of your body. Occasionally, blockages in the blood vessels are caused by substances other than blood clots, such as:
In addition, some medical conditions and treatments put you at risk, such as:
In rare cases, small emboli occur frequently and develop over time, resulting in chronic pulmonary hypertension, also known as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Prevention: Preventing clots in the deep veins in your legs (deep vein thrombosis) will help prevent pulmonary embolism. For this reason, most hospitals are aggressive about taking measures to prevent blood clots, including:
Your doctor might suggest the following to help prevent blood clots during travel:
Your secret weapon during cancer treatment? Exercise! Don't stop moving. Research confirms that exercising can help you not just survive but thrive during and after cancer.
The evidence keeps rolling in: Exercise can be one of your most important cancer treatments. For anyone dealing with a cancer diagnosis, that's great news. Starting or maintaining an exercise program can empower you to move out of a more passive "patient" role; it'll help improve not just your well-being but your attitude, too. Sara Mansfield, M.S., a certified cancer exercise trainer at Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, says physical activity can help people before, during and after cancer treatment. "Loving family members may be urging a person with a cancer diagnosis to rest," she says, "but that can lead to a functional decline. Research tells us, in general, it's better to move more than less." Mansfield recommends that any person with cancer first discuss an exercise program with his or her health care provider. Once you've got the green light, she says, start moving. If you've been sedentary for a while, start walking, which will help build muscle and stamina. Exercise benefits Many research studies support the idea that exercising during cancer treatment helps you feel better. Some of the documented benefits include:
Physical activity also helps you manage your weight, which is an important cancer risk factor. In fact, research has linked being overweight or obese to an increased risk of many types of cancer, including endometrial, esophageal, liver, pancreas and breast cancers. There's also increasing evidence that being overweight may lead to a higher risk of cancer recurrence and even cancer-related death. All those health benefits associated with exercise during cancer treatment sound good, right? So maybe it's time to get started. Exercise guidelines The physical activity guidelines for people with cancer are similar to those recommended for everyone: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity every week. Not quite ready for that level of exercise? Follow Mansfield's recommendations:
"Your treatment may have left you feeling like you have a different body," says Mansfield, "but you can take charge after this life-changing event and really improve your quality of life." What is influenza, aka the flu? Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. It can range from mild to severe. When ill with the flu, people often feel some (or even all) of these flu symptoms: The first few days of flu (Influenza) While flu shares many of the symptoms of the common cold, the early signs of flu are often a sudden fever, aches or pains, weakness or a loss of appetite. In particular, having a cough and a fever together can be a good indication that you have flu. How Long Does It Take To Get Over The Flu? In general, healthy people usually get over a cold in 7 to 10 days. Flu symptoms, including fever, should go away after about 5 days, but you may still have a cough and feel weak a few days longer. All your symptoms should be gone within 1 to 2 weeks. Is Influenza Dangerous? Influenza, aka the flu, can cause painful headaches, body aches and lack of energy, but for some, the virus can be more dangerous, even life-threatening. The flu and related complications claimed an estimated 80,000 lives during the 2017-2018 season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). How Do I Know I Have The Flu? Flu symptoms are usually more severe than cold symptoms and come on quickly. Symptoms of fluinclude sore throat, fever, headache, muscle aches and soreness, congestion, and cough. How Did I Get The Flu? The flu is contagious—that means it spreads from person to person, often through the air. ... You can catch the flu when someone near you coughs or sneezes. Or, if you touch something the virus is on, like Ellen and Jack's phone or doorknob, and then touch your nose or mouth, you could catch the flu. How Long Does The Flu Last? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , an uncomplicated influenza infection will last from three to seven days in most people, including children. However, a cough and feelings of weakness or fatigue can last for two weeks or longer. What Are The Stages Of The Flu? As the illness progresses, a person may have warm, flushed skin, watery or bloodshot eyes, a severe cough that produces phlegm, and nasal congestion. Nausea and vomiting may also occur, especially among children. A bout of the flu typically lasts one to two weeks, with severe symptoms subsiding in two to three days. What Do I Eat When I Have The Flu? Broth. Whether you prefer chicken, beef, or vegetable, broth is one of the best things you can eat when you have the flu. ... Chicken soup Garlic Yogurt Vitamin C–containing fruits Leafy greens Broccoli Oatmeal Can I Get The Flu Twice? Experts say it is possible to catch the flu twice in one season. ... But a smaller portion of people (around 10 to 15 percent) are getting the H1N1 strain or the influenza B virus, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (H3N2 and H1N1 are both strains of influenza A.) Can I Get The Flu From A Flu Shot? The viruses in the flu shot are killed, so people cannot get the flu from a flu vaccine. However, because it takes about two weeks for people to build up immunity after they get the flu vaccine, some people may catch the flu shortly after they're vaccinated, if they are exposed to the flu during this time period. How Long Is The Virus Contagious? For colds, most individuals become contagious about a day before cold symptoms develop and remain contagious for about five to seven days. Some children may pass the flu viruses for longer than seven days (occasionally for two weeks). Colds are considered upper respiratory infections. Pets help you brush off rejection One of the benefits of owning a pet? Thinking of your pet as part of the family could help you get over social rejection. A study in the journal Anthrozoös asked volunteers to think about a past experience when they’d felt rejected, then to name a photo of a cat, dog, person, or toy. When asked about their feelings again, those who named an animal or a toy with humanlike qualities felt less negatively than those who’d given names to people. The researchers say people inclined to treat animals or objects like people (like when you talk to your pet) are also more prone to having traits like empathy and unconventional thinking to guard them against that negativity. Pets make you less lonely Loneliness has been associated with heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other negative outcomes, but older adults who owned pets were 36 percent less likely to say they were lonely than those who didn’t have a furry friend, according to a study published in Aging & Mental Health. Especially among those who live alone, a pet could offer social interaction when other people aren’t around, the authors report. Pets provide major buffer against stress A small Swedish study found that female volunteers had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol 15 to 30 minutes after petting a pooch. Having your own dog could give you even more benefits. Participants who owned dogs had increased levels of the happy hormone oxytocin between one and five minutes later, and their heart rates were lower up to an hour later—but those without canines of their own didn’t get those same benefits. Pets protect your heart Owning a cat could lower your risk of dying from heart disease, a study in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology reports. The researchers found that those who said they’d owned a cat at some point in their lives had a lower risk of dying of a heart attack during the 20-year study than those who’d never owned one. Cats might help relax people during stress, or cat owners might tend to have traits that make them less at-risk, the study authors say. Pets help keep your brain sharp Research published in Anthrozoös found that older homebound adults who owned cats or dogs had better executive function (the skills you need to pay attention, remember details, and use past experience to decide how to act) than those who didn’t own a pet. Pets encourage you to get more exercise Of course your pup needs walks, but that stroll is good for your health too—and dog owners don’t just use those jaunts to replace the exercise they’d do otherwise. A Michigan State University study found that one of the benefits of owning a pet are that people who own dogs exercise about half an hour more per week than those who don’t live with a dog. Pets ease your pain The benefits of having a dog don’t stop with walking. Spending time with your pet might help keep you off pain meds. A study in Anthrozoös found that adults who spent five to 15 minutes with a dog after joint replacement surgery used less pain medication than those who didn’t have animal-assisted therapy. Pets make your kid less likely to have allergies Babies with pets in the house are less likely to develop allergies later in life, according to a study in Clinical & Experimental Allergy. The study found that 18-year-olds who’d had a cat or dog in the family when they were less than a year old were about half as likely to be allergic to that animal as those who didn’t have an animal in the house. But early-life exposure is key—adopting a pet later as an adult won’t help your immune system in the same way. Pets might help your child take better care of her blood sugar Nine- to 19-year-olds who help take care of a pet are better at managing type 1 diabetes than those who aren’t responsible for a pet, according to a small study in the journal PLoS ONE. Kids who actively cared for a pet—not just saying they loved the family’s cat or dog—were 2.5 times more likely to keep up healthy blood sugar levels, the study found. The authors say kids who are in charge of pets might feel more responsible and be more used to routines. Pets can help fight cancer One of the incredible benefits of owning a pet might be in their ability to help detect cancer. According to a study published in British Medical Journal, dogs can accurately sniff out early stage bowel cancer with a surprisingly high degree of accuracy. A specifically trained Labrador completed 74 sniff tests, comprised of breath and stool samples. With these tests, the dog was able to correctly identify which samples were cancerous in 33 of 36 breath tests and 37 of 38 stool tests. Scientists indicate that there is also additional research and anecdotal evidence of dogs being able to accurately sniff out other forms of cancer as well, such as bladder, skin, lung, breast, and ovarian cancer Antioxidants and detoxification are more than just marketing buzzwords. With health care professionals talking more and more about the importance of detoxification, almost everyone understands that antioxidants play a crucial role in this process and in optimizing overall health. There is significant clinical data that indicates a good detoxification protocol is a must for individuals with chronic illnesses.This patient type in particular needs to reduce their toxic burden as a first step in their healing process.
Clinically, we’ve learned a lot about how antioxidants work in the body, and their ability to soak up reactive oxygen species and rid these toxins from the body. Glutathione is an antioxidant that plays a critical role in detoxification and boosting immune health. Perhaps you are reading this and thinking, “I have been on detox protocols, but glutathione was not included due to its low absorption when consumed.” Let’s dive into this conundrum more and talk about how this line of thinking is no longer relevant based on current research and evidence. What is glutathione? Glutathione is a tripeptide made with three amino acids, glycine, L-glutamic acid, L-cysteine. It is found in every cell in the body and is heavily concentrated in the liver, where it plays a key role in Phase II detoxification. Toxins, as we know, can be found in the air from pollution, food from glyphosates and in water where trace elements often reside. Living a modern lifestyle has its downsides when toxic burden in the body increases as a result of poor diet, stress, mold and EMF exposure. As this burden increases, the body’s ability to keep up with the demands of ridding these toxins decreases, resulting in oxidative stress. This is where a little extra help from antioxidants like glutathione can make a huge difference. The molecular structure of glutathione allows it to chelate toxic elements as they are sequestered, transported and excreted. This is mainly due to the thiol group (sulphur-containing molecule) found in the glutathione molecule. Sulphur acts as a sticky glue that can scoop up toxins and free radicals easily and excrete them. When should glutathione be supplemented? Let me start by saying our bodies can make glutathione on their own. When the body suffers from oxidative stress, the demand for antioxidants like glutathione also increases, and the supply does not meet this demand. We can clinically assess if this is the case with a simple blood/urine test looking at glutathione levels, pyroglutamate levels and oxidative stress markers such as 8-Hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). In this situation, it is important to consider supplementation. Furthermore, the synthesis process involves the precursor molecule N-acetyl cysteine and the rate-limiting enzyme glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL). Our genetic makeup can significantly impact glutathione levels. If there is genetic variability where transcription of important enzymatic proteins is affected, then there is a direct impact on glutathione levels in the body. A major culprit that causes these genetic variations or mutations is single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs. Some of the most important genes include GSTM1, GSTP1 and SOD2. These genes support the synthesis and maintenance of healthy levels of glutathione in the system. When there is evidence of SNPs of these genes, supplementation is warranted. Do delivery forms matter? For any orally consumed supplement, the most frequently asked question is, “Is it well-absorbed?” There has been ongoing research to find a solution that delivers “bioavailable” oral forms of glutathione. The debate as to the best delivery system continues, and there are several forms available in the market including oral, sublingual, transdermal and liposomal and each is marketed as a superior delivery system. With this being said I believe that glutathione is not absorbed by your intestines to make a significant contribution to assist in antioxidant protection. An easier and much better way to produce glutathione is to take a supplement called N-acetyl cysteine. NAC is valued primarily for its role in antioxidant production. Along with two other amino acids, glutamine and glycine, NAC is needed to make and replenish glutathione. |
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