Know and protect against bacteria, viruses and infection

Safe our Life from  viruses and infection....

Germs live everywhere. You can find germs (microbes) in the air; on food, plants and animals; in soil and water — on just about every other surface, including your body.

Most germs won't harm you. Your immune system protects you against infectious agents. However, some germs are formidable adversaries because they're constantly mutating to breach your immune system's defenses. Knowing how germs work can increase your chances of avoiding infection.

Infectious agents: From bacteria to worms

Infectious agents come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Categories include:

Bacteria

Viruses

Fungi

Protozoa

Helminths

Understanding infection vs. disease

There's a difference between infection and disease. Infection, often the first step, occurs when bacteria, viruses or other microbes that cause disease enter your body and begin to multiply. Disease occurs when the cells in your body are damaged — as a result of the infection — and signs and symptoms of an illness appear.

In response to infection, your immune system springs into action. An army of white blood cells, antibodies and other mechanisms goes to work to rid your body of whatever is causing the infection. For instance, in fighting off the common cold, your body might react with fever, coughing and sneezing.

Heart Health

5 medication-free strategies to help prevent heart disease

You can prevent heart disease by following a heart-healthy lifestyle. Here are five strategies to help you protect your heart.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Heart disease may be a leading cause of death, but that doesn't mean you have to accept it as your fate. Although you lack the power to change some risk factors — such as family history, sex or age — there are some key heart disease prevention steps you can take.

You can avoid heart problems in the future by adopting a healthy lifestyle today. Here are five heart disease prevention tips to get you started.

1. Don't smoke or use tobacco

Smoking or using tobacco is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Chemicals in tobacco can damage your heart and blood vessels, leading to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis can ultimately lead to a heart attack. When it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount of smoking is safe. Smokeless tobacco and low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes also are risky, as is exposure to secondhand smoke.

In addition, the nicotine in cigarette smoke makes your heart work harder by narrowing your blood vessels and increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke replaces some of the oxygen in your blood. This increases your blood pressure by forcing your heart to work harder to supply enough oxygen. Even so-called "social smoking" — smoking only while at a bar or restaurant with friends — is dangerous and increases the risk of heart disease.

Women who smoke and take birth control pills are at greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke than are those who don't do either. This risk increases with age, especially in women older than 35.

The good news, though, is that when you quit smoking, your risk of heart disease drops dramatically within just one year. And no matter how long or how much you smoked, you'll start reaping rewards as soon as you quit.

2. Exercise for 30 minutes on most days of the week

Getting some regular, daily exercise can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease. And when you combine physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater.

Physical activity helps you control your weight and can reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. It also reduces stress, which may be a factor in heart disease.

Try getting at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week. However, even shorter amounts of exercise offer heart benefits, so if you can't meet those guidelines, don't give up. You can even break up your workout time into 10-minute sessions.

And remember that activities such as gardening, housekeeping, taking the stairs and walking the dog all count toward your total. You don't have to exercise strenuously to achieve benefits, but you can see bigger benefits by increasing the intensity, duration and frequency of your workouts.

3. Eat a heart-healthy diet

Eating a special diet called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan can help protect your heart. Following the DASH diet means eating foods that are low in fat, cholesterol and salt. The diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, which can help protect your heart. Beans, other low-fat sources of protein and certain types of fish also can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Limiting certain fats you eat also is important. Of the types of fat — saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fat — saturated fat and trans fat increase the risk of coronary artery disease by raising blood cholesterol levels.

Major sources of saturated fat include:

• Red meat
• Dairy products
• Coconut and palm oils

Sources of trans fat include:

• Deep-fried fast foods
• Bakery products
• Packaged snack foods
• Margarines
• Crackers

Look at the label for the term "partially hydrogenated" to avoid trans fat.

Heart-healthy eating isn't all about cutting back, though. Most people need to add more fruits and vegetables to their diet — with a goal of five to 10 servings a day. Eating that many fruits and vegetables can not only help prevent heart disease, but also may help prevent cancer.

Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, may decrease your risk of heart attack, protect against irregular heartbeats and lower blood pressure. Some fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are a good natural source of omega-3s. Omega-3s are present in smaller amounts in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, soybean oil and canola oil, and they can also be found in supplements.

Following a heart-healthy diet also means drinking alcohol only in moderation — no more than two drinks a day for men, and one a day for women. At that moderate level, alcohol can have a protective effect on your heart. More than that becomes a health hazard.

4. Maintain a healthy weight

As you put on weight in adulthood, your weight gain is mostly fat rather than muscle. This excess weight can lead to conditions that increase your chances of heart disease — high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

One way to see if your weight is healthy is to calculate your body mass index (BMI), which considers your height and weight in determining whether you have a healthy or unhealthy percentage of body fat. BMI numbers 25 and higher are associated with higher blood fats, higher blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

The BMI is a good, but imperfect guide. Muscle weighs more than fat, for instance, and women and men who are very muscular and physically fit can have high BMIs without added health risks. Because of that, waist circumference also is a useful tool to measure how much abdominal fat you have:

• Men are considered overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (101.6 centimeters, or cm)
• Women are overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (88.9 cm)

Even a small weight loss can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just 10 percent can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol level and reduce your risk of diabetes.

5. Get regular health screenings

High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels. But without testing for them, you probably won't know whether you have these conditions. Regular screening can tell you what your numbers are and whether you need to take action.

• Blood pressure. Regular blood pressure screenings start in childhood. Adults should have their blood pressure checked at least every two years. You may need more-frequent checks if your numbers aren't ideal or if you have other risk factors for heart disease. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury.
• Cholesterol levels. Adults should have their cholesterol measured at least once every five years starting at age 20. You may need more frequent testing if your numbers aren't optimal or if you have other risk factors for heart disease. Some children may need their blood cholesterol tested if they have a strong family history of heart disease.
• Diabetes screening. Since diabetes is a risk factor for developing heart disease, you may want to consider being screened for diabetes. Talk to your doctor about when you should have a fasting blood sugar test to check for diabetes. Depending on your risk factors, such as being overweight or a family history of diabetes, your doctor may recommend first testing you for diabetes sometime between ages 30 and 45, and then retesting every three to five years.

Nutrition and Physical Activity..

Making small changes to your eating habits can make a big difference for your health. Find out how to get started.
Regular physical activity is good for your health. Get tips to help you get more active.

NUTRITION...
Nutrition, nourishment, or aliment, is the supply of materials - food - required by organisms and cells to stay alive. In science and human medicine, nutrition is the science or practice of consuming and utilizing foods.

Nutritional science studies how the body breaks food down (catabolism) and repairs and creates cells and tissue (anabolism) - catabolism and anabolism = metabolism. Nutritional science also examines how the body responds to food. In other words,"nutritional science investigates the metabolic and physiological responses of the body to diet".

As molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics advance, nutrition has become more focused on the steps of biochemical sequences through which substances inside us and other living organisms are transformed from one form to another - metabolism and metabolic pathways.

Nutrition also focuses on how diseases, conditions and problems can be prevented or lessened with a healthy diet.

Nutrition also involves identifying how certain diseases, conditions or problems may be caused by dietary factors, such as poor diet  - researchers from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden found that people who ate their "five-a-day" portions of fruit-and-veggies tended to live longer than those who did not. Their findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (July 2013 issue).

The researchers said that for those who went a step further and had more than five portions per day, there appeared to be no additional benefits in terms of longer lifespans.

The Basics

Regular physical activity is good for your health.

Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. Start at a comfortable level. Once you get the hang of it, add a little more activity each time you exercise. Then try exercising more often.

What kinds of activity should I do?
To get the health benefits of physical activity, do a combination of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.

• Aerobic (“air-OH-bik”) activities make you breathe harder and cause your heart to beat faster. Walking fast is an example of aerobic activity.
• Muscle-strengthening activities make your muscles stronger. Muscle-strengthening activities include lifting weights and using exercise bands.

What are the benefits of physical activity?
Physical activity increases your chances of living longer. Exercise can also help:

• Control your blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight
• Lower your “bad” cholesterol and raise your “good” cholesterol
• Prevent heart disease, colorectal and breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes

And that’s not all. Being more active can:

• Be fun
• Help you look your best
• Improve your sleep
• Make your bones, muscles, and joints stronger
• Lower your chances of becoming depressed
• Reduce falls and pain from arthritis
• Help you feel better about yourself

Healthy Flying..Tips......

There was a time when jumping on a plane was a relatively easy thing to do (assuming you had the money). But today's flying experience is often more of an ordeal than a pleasure, aggravated by concerns about terrorism, long queues for safety and security checks, and other irritants such as checking the long lists of things you can and can't take with you.

As well as the stress that precedes departure, there are the physical health issues, ranging from aching limbs, swollen ankles, and sleep disruption, to what has been popularly described as "economy class syndrome" (the possibility of deep vein thrombosis, DVT), and of course, coping with jet lag.

Yet despite these drawbacks, more of us are boarding planes than ever before. World air travel has grown by around 5% a year over the past 30 years. In 2006, the world's 2,000-plus airlines flew 23,000 aircraft carrying more than 2 billion passengers on almost 28 million scheduled flights.

Perhaps our growing predilection for air travel is explained by Dr Roy L. DeHart, an expert in aerospace medicine, who in 2003 wrote: "although there are numerous health issues associated with air travel they pale in comparison to the enormous benefits to the traveler, to commerce, to international affairs, and to the public's health."

So given there are some things we can't change about air travel, what are the things we can do something about to protect our health and ensure our comfort while flying?

This article offers you some tips garnered from various sources, including official advice from medical and travel experts, as well as from frequent travellers' personal experiences, on how to minimize the effects of jet lag, increase your comfort and chances of getting some good sleep on board, and also tips on exercises and reducing the risk of DVT.

Jet Lag

Jet lag is the result of travelling across several times zones, causing symptoms like fatigue and sleep disruption. Our biological clock is attuned to the day-night cycle of the start of our journey, so when we travel to a different time zone quickly, as we do when flying, our body is still functioning as if we were in the time zone we have left behind. It can take anything between 2 days and 2 weeks for it to adjust completely to the new time zone, depending on how far you have travelled.

Here are some tips to minimize the effects of jet lag:

• Set your watch to the time zone of your destination before you depart.
• If you are flying WEST (eg Paris to Vancouver, Bangkok to London): stay awake as long as you can when you get there. It is easier to endure a longer day that it is to shorten your body's natural rhythm. Also, if you can, try going to bed and getting up later for a few days before you travel.
• If you are flying EAST (eg Mexico City to Frankfurt, Johannesburg to Sydney): try to sleep on the plane while it is night time at your destination. When you arrive, try not to sleep during the day, or it will take longer for your body clock to change to the new time zone. You can also prepare for the adjustment by getting up and going to bed earlier for a few days before you travel.
• When you arrive at your destination, get into the local routine as soon as possible.
• At your destination, try to stay outside during daylight as much as you can (while being sensible about sun exposure and sunburn risk), because natural light helps your body clock to adjust.
• If you have travelled west, go outdoors in the morning and stay indoors in the afternoon for the first few days: if you have travelled east, avoid morning light and try to get more outdoor light in the afternoon.
• If you are going on a short trip, for instance if you are a member of aircrew or a business person going to a meeting, then it doesn't make sense to try and adapt to the local time zone, you are probably best advised to keep to your home time zone.
• If your business meeting is very important, getting there a half or full day early will give you more time to adapt and be fully alert. Alternatively, try to schedule it to coincide with daytime in your home time zone.

Some research has found that taking Melatonin at bedtime in the new time zone is effective for about 50% of people, but clinical studies have not yet been done to prove it is safe and effective and at what dose. According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) the UK's specialist aviation regulator, aircrew are not allowed to use it. Melatonin is a hormone that is stimulated by darkness and suppressed when it is light.

Some people swear by sleeping tablets, but healthcare provider BUPA warns you should first talk to your doctor before using them on flights and for jet lag. He or she may advise you take them just for a couple of days while your body clock adjusts. But you shouldn't take them in flight because this will encourage you to sit still for too long which increases the risk of DVT (more about this later). Also, you should not drink alcohol when taking sleeping tablets, as this can make you even sleepier and therefore less mobile.

Comfort and Sleep

Many people find it difficult to sleep on a plane, and no wonder, when you consider all the distractions, noises, children crying, light streaming in through the window (daylight is very bright at 35,000 feet!), and to cap it all, you don't have enough leg room, you feel cold, your shoes are too tight, and it's not easy to sleep upright!

Well, even with these disadvantages stacked against you, the following tips may ease in enough comfort to enable you grab a few hours of good sleep on your next long haul flight:

• Choose your seat wisely. This advice comes from the editor of independenttraveler.com, who suggests you pick a window seat so you can lean against it (it also gives you control over the sunshade!) and stay out of the way of people climbing over you or going up and down the aisle and leaning into or falling against you just as you are dropping off.


• Also, think twice about reserving exit row and bulkhead seats, sometimes the advantage of extra legroom is outweighed by armrests that don't raise and seats that don't recline (so they don't cause an obstruction in an emergency). This could also be a noisy section of the airplane as these seats are often reserved for families with young children.


• The same goes for the last row: the seats may not recline and if they are near the toilets, you could be troubled by noise and smell!


• Check out Seat Guru from tripadvisor: tap in the flight number and you can see the layout of the plane and review advice on the pros and cons of different seating areas.


• Take only one small bag as hand luggage, so you don't have to jam one under your feet and restrict your legroom. Keep all the things you are going to need on the flight at the top of the bag, and put a few in the pocket of the seat in front, but not too many or the flight attendant may ask you to remove them if they bulge out and potentially obstruct passenger evacuation.


• Bring a neck pillow, an eye mask for blocking out light, and warm socks (it can get chilly down near the feet during a long haul flight).


• Some people don't find neck pillows very comfortable: try out a few. Some of the ones you blow up have an annoying seam that sticks into your skin when your head flops over! Those velvety, already-blown-up ones seem better, but try them out first.


• Wear loose, comfortable clothing and go for layers that you can peel off easily when you get too warm or put on again if you get cold, for example a loose long sleeved T-shirt and a body warmer might be more practical than a jumper.


• Wear comfortable soft shoes that you can slip on and off easily: your feet will swell during the flight.


• Board early to make sure you get your pillow and blanket: if there isn't one for your seat, tell the flight attendant and get your claim in early!


• If you are someone who can't sleep after drinking caffeine, then stay off it for a few hours before and during the flight. Remember that some soft drinks and tea also have caffeine.

Fasting and your health.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan can be good for your health if it’s done correctly.

 

When the body is starved of food, it starts to burn fat so that it can make energy. This can lead to weight loss. However, if you fast for too long your body will eventually start breaking down muscle protein for energy, which is unhealthy.

Dr Razeen Mahroof, an anaesthetist from Oxford, says there's a strong relationship between diet and health.

“Ramadan isn’t always thought of as being an opportunity to lose weight because the spiritual aspect is emphasised more generally than the health aspect," he says. "However, it’s a great chance to get the physical benefits as well.”

Source of energy

The changes that happen in the body during a fast depend on the length of the continuous fast. The body enters into a fasting state eight hours or so after the last meal, when the gut finishes absorbing nutrients from the food.

In the normal state, body glucose, which is stored in the liver and muscles, is the body’s main source of energy. During a fast, this store of glucose is used up first to provide energy. Later in the fast, once the glucose runs out, fat becomes the next source of energy for the body.

With a prolonged fast of many days or weeks, the body starts using protein for energy.

This is the technical description of what is commonly known as ‘starvation’. It is clearly unhealthy. It involves protein being released by the breakdown of muscle, which is why people who starve look very thin and become very weak.

However, you are unlikely to reach the starvation stage during Ramadan because the fast is broken daily.

Gentle transition

As the Ramadan fast only lasts from dawn till dusk, the body's energy can be replaced in the pre-dawn and dusk meals.

This provides a gentle transition from using glucose as the main source of energy, to using fat, and prevents the breakdown of muscle for protein.

Dr Mahroof says the use of fat for energy helps weight loss. It preserves the muscles and eventually reduces your cholesterol level. In addition, weight loss results in better control of diabetes and reduces blood pressure.

“A detoxification process also occurs, because any toxins stored in the body’s fat are dissolved and removed from the body,” says Dr Mahroof.

After a few days of the fast, higher levels of endorphins appear in the blood, making you more alert and giving an overall feeling of general mental wellbeing.

A balanced food and fluid intake is important between fasts. The kidneys are very efficient at maintaining the body’s water and salts, such as sodium and potassium. However, these can be lost through perspiration.

To prevent muscle breakdown, meals must contain enough energy food, such as carbohydrates and some fat.

“The way to approach your diet during fasting is similar to the way you should be eating outside Ramadan," says Dr Mahroof. "You should have a balanced diet with the right proportion of carbs, fat and protein.”

Ramadan Mubarak.........

Health care to all Americans...What's in, what's out in the nation's health plan

Six years ago, candidate Barack Obama stood before Iowa voters and unveiled a plan designed to extend health care to all Americans.

"We can do this," he said with confidence. "The time has come for universal, affordable health care in America."

Three years ago,
President Barack Obama signed into law a plan designed to extend coverage to more than 30 million uninsured people.

"This is what change looks like," he exulted.

Not so fast.

Obama's message now boils down to this: Be patient, not yet, adjust your expectations.

A look at how the scope of Obama's health-care plan has narrowed in recent years:

PUBLIC OPTION? Never mind.

Obama once trumpeted the idea of providing a public option in health care, in essence a government-run plan that would be one of many choices for people seeking affordable care. That idea, popular with liberals but opposed by conservatives and many moderates, never made it into the health-care law. In the quest for a workable compromise, Obama deemed it expendable.

LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE? Buh-bye.

When the president signed his health-care plan into law, it included a proposal to provide basic long-term care insurance at an affordable cost. Before the program ever got off the ground, though, the administration ditched it last spring for fear it would turn into a financial drain. It could take be years before lawmakers to tackle the issue again.

COVERAGE FOR THE NEEDIEST? Not in every state.

The law envisioned millions of the neediest Americans gaining health insurance by enrolling in Medicaid, with coverage starting in January. But the Supreme Court threw a wrench in that plan last year when it gave states the right to opt out of the Medicaid expansion plan. Because of Republican opposition in many states, it looks like nearly 2 in 3 of those who would qualify for new Medicaid coverage may be out of luck because their state lawmakers have not agreed to expand the program.

WHAT ABOUT WORKERS? A longer wait.

The law requires companies with 50 or more workers to offer affordable coverage to full-time employees or risk a series of escalating tax penalties. Originally, that requirement was supposed to take effect on Jan. 1, 2014. But now the administration is pushing that requirement back a year, citing the complexity of the undertaking. Most medium and large business already offer health insurance. Those most likely to be affected by the delay: low-wage workers at hotels, restaurants and stores.

WHAT'S LEFT? Plenty.

Starting next year individuals will be required to carry health insurance or face fines. People who are uninsured will be able to shop for affordable coverage through online marketplaces. Middle-class people who don't have coverage through their jobs will use the marketplace to apply for tax credits to help pay their premiums. Low-income people will be steered to the Medicaid expansion — if their state participates. Insurance companies will be required to accept people regardless of their medical problems. A number of other changes already have taken effect, including a provision that allows young adults to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26 and a ban on lifetime limits on insurance coverage.

MORE...

Even though some firms won't have to offer insurance next year, workers can still get it.

The sudden delay of a major part of President Obama's historic health-care overhaul is raising questions about other potential problems lurking in the homestretch.

The requirement that many employers provide coverage is just one part of a complex law. But its one-year postponement has taken administration allies and adversaries alike by surprise.

White House officials said Wednesday that the delay was firm and would not be extended after a year - and that the overhaul will still be fully implemented by the time Obama leaves office. But the officials, who were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations on the record and spoke only on condition of anonymity, wouldn't rule out delays or tweaks to other provisions.

The White House action means that some companies that would have offered health insurance next year to avoid fines will not do so now. They're mainly firms with many low-wage workers, such as restaurants, hotels and temporary staffing companies.

The workers, however, will still be able to get coverage. Many may qualify for subsidized insurance through new marketplaces to debut Oct. 1, less than three months away.

The fact that new problems are popping up at this late stage could be a sign of additional troublesome issues ahead. It underscores a recent warning by the Government Accountability Office that the "timely and smooth" rollout of the new insurance markets can't be guaranteed, partly because much of the technology to run them hasn't been fully tested.

The timing of the announcement was also widely mentioned.

"It's understandable that when you announce a change in the law just before the Fourth of July holiday, it raises questions," said Drew Altman, president of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. "Critics will jump on it and use it as more ammunition against the law."

The foundation is a research group that has closely followed the evolution of the health law since it was signed in 2010.

The development was seen as noteworthy by both critics and allies of the new law.

"We are concerned that the delay further erodes the coverage that was envisioned," said Rich Umbdenstock, president of the American Hospital Association, which has supported the Affordable Care Act.

Just over a week ago, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius officially launched the 100-day countdown to the new insurance markets. Uninsured Americans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., will be able to shop online for health plans, and most will get government subsidies to pay their premiums for coverage that takes effect Jan. 1.

White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett wrote in her blog that the administration is "on target" to open the new health insurance markets and it's "full steam ahead."