Diabetes mellitus or diabetes has become a global health problem. If not treated, complications of diabetes will lead to a variety of other diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, impotence.

Christian Dr. Bibbins-Domingo, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, USA, recently published his research results on the incidence of heart disease with softdrink consumption.

He said the increasing consumption of soft drinks which generally contain high sugar, affects 130,000 new cases of diabetes, 14,000 new cases of heart disease, and 50,000 people with heart problems in the last decade.

“From the results of this study can be concluded, all policies that could reduce the softdrink consumption may have positive impact on public health,” said Dr. Bibbins-Domingo Christian.

By using computer simulation, heart disease associated with a variety of factors, such as obesity and consumption of food containing salt. “So far, we underestimated the incidence between heart disease and  softdrink because it is a popular drinks amongst teenagers. The focus of the disease research is adults over the age of 35,” said Domingo.

He added, the link between the incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes is very real. However, the increasing obesity factors may also be influential.

“Various studies show the impact of consumption of sugary drinks. For decades there have been an increase in sweet drinks consumption,” he said.

The experts warn, to prevent diabetes, we must reduce the intake of beverages with added sugar. If one has diabetes, then the blood sugar, weight, blood pressure and blood fat levels must be controlled. If doing sports could not control it, one should take medication.

Consumption of chocolate, cheese, or MSG may trigger excessive migraine headache. If menstruation is the trigger of a migraine it is called menstrual migraine.

As experienced by Ms. W. (18 years old) who came to a doctor with a headache. She had an episodic headache, which she gets approximately 2 times a week. The headache sometimes only felt at one side of her head, but sometimes also on the both sides.

The headache is very severe accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Stimulation of light or sound will aggravate headache. At the time before, during, or after menstruation, then the frequency and intensity of headache will be felt more heavily.

The case which is experienced by Ms. W is a form of migraine headache. Migraine headache occurs episodic, not continuous. At the time of the attack, the pain is felt pretty bad and often requires the patient to rest completely.

Mild physical activity will spur even an greater headache. Stimulation of light or sound will aggravate headache attacks,  patients would generally prefer to shut himself in the room.

Well, some form of a migraine headache is exacerbated by menstruation.  This form of headache is called a menstrual migraine.

The estrogen hormone has a very large role in migraine headache. Approximately 60% of women suffering migraine will experience a headache attack just before or during menstruation.

In most cases, the attacks will appear 1 or 2 days before the start of menstruation until the third day of menstruation. Another critical period is the emergence of migraine attacks during ovulation.

The estrogen hormone  has a major impact on one’s pain. The estrogen hormone which decrease associated with an increased intensity of pain.

Pill consumption would spur a sudden drop in estrogen at the beginning of the menstrual cycle. This is what explains why the use of birth control pills can worsen migraine attacks. Most migraine sufferers will experience improvement in symptoms at menopause.

How do I know menstrual migraine?

One important step in the treatment of migraine headache is identifying what triggers an attack. In many cases certain foods will boost migraine attacks. Consumption of chocolate, cheese,  MSG is said to be a cause of migraine headache attacks.

In the case of menstrual migraine, it is menstruation which triggers migraine attacks. In 2008 a measuring instrument is developed in the form of a short questionnaire to determine a menstrual migraine which is called MMAT (Menstrual Migraine Assessment Tools).

This questionnaire consists of the following 3 questions:
1. Does your headache associated with your menstrual occurred 2 days before menstruation until the third day of menstruation?
2. During menstruation, does your headache became more severe?
3. Is light more disturbing during menstruation?

The  on 250 women showed that this simple measure can detect menstrual migraine accurately. Answer yes to questions 1 and the other has a sensitivity up to 94%.

What should I do if I suffer menstrual migraine?

One important step in the treatment of migraine is to recognize and avoid what triggers migraine attacks. In the case of menstrual migraine, it is very difficult to do. Menstrual period could not be avoided, unless in the state of pregnancy or menopause.

There are several important steps that can be done to reduce the frequency and intensity of menstrual migraine attacks carried out before the period:

1. Eat a balanced regularly.
Avoid an empty stomach, low blood glucose levels will spur headache attacks. Also avoid eating carbs in significant amounts.

Consumption of sweet foods in a large number will lead to rapid reduction of blood sugar.  Decrease in blood sugar will also spur migraines.

2. Drink enough.
Dehydration will spur migraine attacks.

3. Get Enough sleep. Lack of sleep or too much sleep will accelerate migraine attacks.

4. Avoid foods or beverages that can trigger migraine attacks.
Food is preserved, too salty or too sweet can race migraine attacks. Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks can also spur a migraine attack.

5. Mild exercise can help prevent migraine attacks.
Some relaxation techniques can also help prevent migraine attacks.

When attacks occur frequently, you can take migraine attacks preventive medicine  (eg: amitriptilin, flunarizin). Individual therapy. Discuss the most appropriate therapy for you with your physician.

People with high blood pressure (hypertension) should be smart in choosing their meal. The two main foods that can affect hypertension is salt or sodium intake and potassium intake.

But there are ways diet can be done for patients with hypertension which is the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).

The diets was developed in the United States but has been successfully used in nations around the world such as  South Africa.

Just so you know, South Africa in general, and the African population in particular, are vulnerable to hypertension or high blood pressure.

An estimated 24.4 percent of adults in South Africa suffer from hypertension. Consequently, many of which had a stroke and brain damage in this population. Salt intake and high potassium is the main cause.

Whereas the WHO recommends a ratio of sodium to potassium in the diet is 1:1. But in Africa, the consumption of sodium are very high which could reach 8 grams / day (compared with the recommended maximum of 6 grams / day). While in the other hand the consumption of potassium are very low (50-60 mmol / day). This is what causes many people to suffer high blood pressure in South Africa.

Studies conducted by Professor Karen Charlton and his team in 2007 at the University of Cape Town and Medical Research Council in Cape Town, the DASH diet achieved promising results in 80 patients with a mild to moderate hypertension who received antihypertensive medication. Only by changing the six items of food in their diet for eight weeks.

DASH diet has provided scientific evidence that eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains with a low-fat milk or fat-free, can increase potassium, magnesium and calcium intake. While reducing sodium intake to a level acceptable to reduce blood pressure.

Prof. harlton provided bread, margarine, broth, soup mix and a sense amplifier with less sodium or salt content and Maas 500 ml per day (not seasoned sour cream) for the 40 ‘candidates’ for a period of eight weeks.

Another 40 people classified as ‘control subjects’ are given the same diet with normal content of salt and 500 ml of cold sweet drinks for the same period.

After eight weeks, systolic blood pressure an average of 6.2 candidates mm Hg lower than control subjects. Whereas systolic blood pressure and diastolic BP control subjects as measured by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring 24-hour average above 4.5 mm Hg lower than testing participants.

In thegroup participants sodium intake test did not change, whereas participants in the control group increased by almost 1 gram per day.

Nutritional intake increased dramatically. Calcium intake increased almost double, potassium intake was almost 900 mg per day and magnesium intake increased by 84 mg per day in the test group.

Please note that the increased intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium is achieved without the use of mineral supplements.

Prof. Charlton and his team (2007) concluded that their research showed the public health response.

“You can achieve reduction in systolic blood pressure is clinically significant for the treatment of hypertension is low-income communities in South Africa through the manipulation of the seven dietary intake of processed foods,” he said.

This study not only indicates that the poor with few resources can make dietary changes that can increase blood pressure, but the eating habit can be changed by making some adjustments.

Gum disease is a bacterial infection of the gum tissue, it is a serious problem which starts as gingivitis and can progress to periodontitis. According to the British Dental Health Foundation “19 out of 20 people suffer from gum disease (gingivitis) at some point in their life making it the most common disease in the world.

During a typical checkup your dentist or dental hygienist will remove the plaque and tartar from above and below the gumline of all your teeth. If you feel like you have signs of gingivitis, your dentist may recommend that you return for future cleanings more often than twice a year. Your dentist may also recommend that you use a toothpaste or mouth rinse that is FDA-approved for fighting gingivitis.

The gum infection treatment for a gum ball, the patient is numbed and the gum boil is cleaned out and drained of pus. An antibiotic chip is placed in the remaining pocket and the patient is given a Tetracycline 500mg prescription to take for a week. This causes swelling and the opposing tooth starts biting down into the swollen gums. In most cases with Pericornitis, the patient is placed on Keflex 500 mg for three to seven days and the wisdom tooth is removed.

To prevent gum disease you can try to floss between your teeth each day to remove plaque from areas in your mouth that the toothbrush can’t reach. Avoiding smoking and using tobacco, limit sweets and sugary foods to meal times, and drink lots of water to keep yourself well-hydrated are also a way to prevent it. Trying not to frequent intake of acidic black cola type soft drinks will also help to prevent gum disease.

Flossing removes food particles from between and around your teeth, including debris that has gotten wedged into the gum. You may not be able to see these particles, but flossing can expose and get rid of them, reducing gum inflammation and eventual infection. Use an eighteen-inch piece of dental floss, with the ends wrapped around each forefinger and grasped by the thumbs. Push it up and down between teeth, moving along the length of the floss for a clean section each time you clean another tooth.

Use a mouth rinse also would help you. An antimicrobial mouth rinse can provide extra help in controlling plaque. Listerine is a good choice and has been approved by the American Dental Association.

Medications may be used with treatment that includes scaling and root planing, but they cannot always take the place of surgery. Depending on the severity of gum disease, the dentist or periodontist may still suggest surgical treatment. Long-term studies will be needed to determine whether using medications reduces the need for surgery and whether they are effective over a long period of time.

Osseous (bone) surgery sometimes accompanies flap surgery. In osseous surgery, some of the bone around the tooth is reshaped. In certain cases, a bone area may be employed to replace lost bone. Splints or other appliances may be used to stabilize loose teeth temporarily and may be necessary after completion of periodontal therapy as well.

Chlorhexidine is a commonly used antiseptic mouthwash. You should rinse your mouth well with water between brushing your teeth and using chlorhexidine. This is because some ingredients in toothpaste can inactivate chlorhexidine. Chlorhexidine may also stain teeth brown when used regularly.

Is there any sweeter way of beating gout than by eating a couple of bowls of strawberries a day?
They are, after all, one of the world’s most famous and delicious fruit. So is this idea, which is quite well known in the world of gout treatment, a myth or magic? What does the evidence amount to?

A Gout Positive Nutritional Profile

It is a fact that the nutritional profile of strawberries is positive for natural gout treatment. Perhaps the most important fact is their high Vitamin C content, around 59 mg per 100 grams of fruit. This puts them towards the top of the high-in-Vitamin C fruits’ tables. They are moderately alkaline, alkaline neutral or just mildly acidic so their effect on the body’s pH amounts is not likely to be much, and may be mildly positive. They contain about 91% water, are low purine and moderate on the Glycemic Index. All these facts make them a good gout diet. Read the rest of this entry »