SMOKING AND CANCER

SMOKERS LUNG RIDDLED WITH CANCER TUMOURS NOTICE THE DARK TARRY DEPOSITS WITHIN THE LUNG. HEALTHY LUNGS SHOULD BE BRIGHT PINK

What to look for?

There are lots of reasons why you might have some of the symptoms below. It may be nothing serious but it's worth getting yourself checked out. If you have any of the following symptoms for more than three weeks, make an appointment with your GP today.

• A cough that doesn’t go away
• A long standing cough gets worse
• Unexplained breathlessness
• Chest infections
• Coughing blood
• Unexplained weight loss
• Chest and/or shoulder pains
• Unexplained tiredness or lack of energy
• Hoarse voice

Article below from the Daily Mail

Is this the most disgusting anti-smoking advert yet? Cancerous tumour seen growing inside cigarette in New Year campaign

• Department of Health ad, which cost £2.7m, will run for nine weeks on television, billboards and online
• Launched in response to statistics which show more than a third of smokers still think the health risks are greatly exaggerated

This gruesome image of a tumour growing from a cigarette is part of the Government's latest attempt to get millions of Britons to stop smoking.

The new Department of Health campaign launched today is in response to statistics which show more than a third of smokers still think the health risks are greatly exaggerated.

This is despite the fact that smoking is still the biggest cause of premature death, responsible for taking more than 100,000 lives in the UK every year.

The Department of Health hopes the image of a tumour growing from a cigarette will prompt some of Britain's eight million smokers to quit

Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, insisted the startling images in the ads are necessary

The latest campaign will focus on the fact that every 15 cigarettes smoked causes a mutation that can lead to cancer, according to the Department of Health (DoH).

Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said smokers play Russian roulette with every cigarette.
'This is a hard-hitting campaign to get at the hidden harms of smoking,' she said.

'People will see a man smoking and then a cancer growing out of the cigarette. That is what happens in people's bodies.

'One-in-two smokers die from smoking, most from cancer. We know that people don't personalise the harms of smoking and don't understand what's happening in their bodies. This will show them.'

The latest campaign will focus on the fact that smoking just 15 cigarettes can cause a mutation than can lead to cancerous tumours

About two thirds of the nation’s 8million smokers say they want to quit and the campaign urges them to pick up a free NHS Quit Kit from pharmacies.
The last graphic adverts, in 2004, showed fatty deposits being squeezed from a smoker's artery and fat dripping from the end of cigarettes.
The following eight years have seen softer campaigns but the DoH says it believes the time is right to deliver a stronger message.
Dame Sally said: 'It is extremely worrying that people still underestimate the serious health harms associated with smoking.
'We want smokers to understand that each packet of cigarettes increases their risk of cancer.'

The campaign, which cost £2.7 million, will run for nine weeks on television, billboards and online.

Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, insisted the startling images in the ads are necessary.
'We have got to reduce the impact that tobacco has on the lives of far too many people,' he said.

'It's not a lifestyle choice, it's an addiction that creeps into people's lives and results in death and disease.

'Giving up smoking can be extremely difficult, so providing extra motivation and reminding people of just how harmful the habit is can help smokers to take that first step in quitting for good.'

Maggie Brown (Author)

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NOROVIRUS WHAT YOU CAN DO TO TRY AND AVOID IT

It's this time of year right through till spring that we have the dreaded 'Winter vomiting virus' NOROVIRUS. Like most viruses its constantly changing it's structure so like the common cold, it's impossible to develop an immunity to it. I can vouch what it's like to have it, as I have suffered this nasty little bug more than once and on one occasion had to be hopitalized. The article below from the Daily Mail gives some tips on how to repel it. Once you do have it, it just a case of supportive measures until the virus burns itself out. 

Here are a few of my tips to cope with it.

It's important to keep hydrated as you do lose a lost of fluid especially if you have both diarrhoea and vomiting, of course it's difficult to keep liquids down and as the condition goes on you do lose essential electrolytes (salts) as you become low in electrolytes this upsets the body's chemistry so makes nausea and gagging worse, so these must be replaced. Now you can buy sachets of replacement electrolytes such as Dioralyte these can be expensive but it is worth keeping a few of those in your first aid box, alternatively plain (non diet) bottled lemonade is good, it has the right balance of sugar and salts and if vomited back up doesn't stain and it freshens the mouth. It's important to take small sips of fluid and not gulp it down and small sips are more likely to stay down and be absorbed.

There are a few Homoeopathic remedies that come to mind providing they fit the individuals symptoms such as Nux Vomica, Arsen Alb, Ipecacuanha, and taken in 30C potency.

Even the placing of a cold compress over the forehead can help alleviate the nausea.

The condition generally lasts from 24 to 48 hours, but remember you will still be infectious for a few days. Afterwards you may still feel a bit raw and sore and personally pineapple juice is a natural anti-inflammatory  and helps soothe an upset digestive system. To stimulate the appetite Lime either in the form of an aromatherapy treatment and can be used in a diffuser, alternatively lime juice cordial does help stimulate the appetite.

PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES BELOW

ARTICLE FROM THE DAILY MAIL BELOW

How to repel the dreaded winter vomiting bug, the norovirus, as number of cases soar

• More than 800,000 cases reported since the summer
• The figures are up 83 per cent on last year 

By DR ELLIE CANNON

• Share

There is a huge number of cases of norovirus, or winter vomiting bug, this year. 

More than 800,000 cases have been confirmed since the summer, an 83 per cent increase on the same period last year. 

The real figure is likely to be much higher given that many cases are not reported.

Preventative measures: The norovirus is easily spread through contaminated hands and surfaces so hygiene is key

How can the spread of the infection be contained?

The infection spreads easily from person to person through contaminated hands and surfaces, so hygiene is critical. It is particularly crucial for children and those handling food. 

Those who have had the infection must remain isolated for 48 hours after recovery to prevent others being infected. We have already seen hospital wards and schools closed after outbreaks. This is an effort to contain the virus and curb a potentially larger epidemic.

Why does it happen every year?

Norovirus is no different from other viruses that circulate at this time of year, but it is incredibly infectious. 

 

It is the UK’s most common cause of gastroenteritis, and spreads easily when everyone is cooped up inside during the winter. 

One problem is that people do not develop long-lasting immunity  – you are protected for only a few months, so next winter you can easily get it again.

Is it a serious illness?

For most people, absolutely not, as it lasts for only two or three days and causes vomiting, some diarrhoea, fever and malaise. 

Most people recover with no medical intervention. But for babies and the elderly, dehydration is the problem: keeping up fluid intake can be difficult, and occasionally a stay in hospital will be necessary.

What’s the best treatment if you’re otherwise healthy?

Rest and isolation. Sip small amounts of water or suck ice cubes for steady fluid intake. Take the anti-sickness medicine domperidone, which you can buy over the counter, and control fever with paracetamol.

Do I need to contact my GP?

Only if there is any sign of dehydration. For sick children, speak to the doctor about medicine that can be prescribed for severe vomiting, and paracetamol suppositories to control a temperature if oral medicine is not tolerated.

• twitter.com/Dr_Ellie

VIDEO: Tips on controlling Norovirus  

Play Video

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2252164/How-repel-dreaded-winter-vomiting-bug-norovirus.html#ixzz2GGYG4ryt

Maggie Brown (Author)

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PLEASE HELP END THE SHORTAGE OF DONOR ORGANS

I've posted this to publicise the need for donor organs. I feel this is something we should all consider after all you don't need them when you have passed over and if you have a loved one where there is no hope of survival what better gift and legacy could you bequeath than their organs for donation. It's sad to see a young guy such as Will below, who has not got long to live but could be saved by organ donation, sadly Will is only the tip of the iceberg. I have made it known if my organs are useful after I pass over they are to be donated as they are no use to me in the next and my body is to be cremated. We should talk about death more and our plans, there are only two certainties in life, birth and death and I know if I could help not just one life but a few live after my death, I would be happy to know my organs were put to good use.

This article below is from the Daily Mail 

Count your blessings: Will, 20, is every mother's dream of a perfect son. He also has just weeks to live unless a heart donor is found

• Join our campaign to end the desperate shortage of donor organs

As Christmas gifts go, nothing could be simpler — or more poignant. Two days ago, 20-year-old university student Will Pope told his mother Rosie that what he wanted, more than anything else in the world, was to come home.

Will could only mouth the words because the ventilator which helps him breathe makes speaking almost impossible, and his hands are sometimes too shaky to type messages on his laptop.

Confined to a hospital bed, wires trail from his body. He is being kept alive by machines and medication as his heart fails and his major organs struggle to function, but thoughts of home and family keep Will’s spirit going.

Will, 20, first started to complain of feeling breathless when he was 16, following a chest infection

‘To be able to bring my son home would mean everything to me,’ says his mother Rosie, a 54-year-old media lawyer from Buckinghamshire. ‘Will is incredibly brave, but sometimes when he is low, he will say to me, “Why did this have to happen? I just want to be normal.”

‘So I hold his hand and I tell him, “We will get through this and we will bring you home.” Even when he was very sick the other day, he tried to remain positive and said to me, “This time will pass”.’

Will’s hopes of returning home and resuming a normal life, though, are totally dependent on one thing — a heart transplant.

Critically ill with end-stage heart failure, believed to have been caused by a virus, he has spent 112 days at Harefield Hospital in North-West London, almost half of them in intensive care.

He is now on the urgent transplant waiting list. But Britain is in the grip of a desperate shortage of donor hearts — a shortage of which the general public is almost entirely unaware.

Today, Will is living with the help of an external mechanical pump forcing the blood around his body and until this week — when his condition improved enough to potentially undergo transplant surgery — his surgeon had described Will as ‘heading for a cliff’.

And so Rosie and husband Philip, 56, a music composer, and their two younger sons Matt, 17, and Guy, 14, will spend Christmas Day at Will’s bedside hoping for the miracle which will give him his life back.

This once fit and healthy young man, who enjoyed sport and played guitar in a rock band, has been too ill to eat anything for six weeks except for ice lollies. There will be no Christmas dinner.

Philip and Rosie Pope will spend Christmas Day at their son's bedside hoping for the miracle which will give him his life back

Philip says: ‘Will has had his horizons narrowed to this hospital room. He’s had to confront his mortality in a way most young people never have to and he has accepted his condition with a maturity and equanimity which is both poignant and moving.

‘If Will were to receive a new heart, all our feelings would be with the family. It is tragic that our son’s survival depends on someone else’s sad demise.

‘But we would also feel incredibly grateful that our son had been given a second chance through someone else’s generosity, because he has so much to offer.’

Rosie and Philip Pope have agreed to talk to the Mail in the hope of encouraging more people to sign up to the organ donor register and — more crucially — for donors to discuss their wishes with relatives should the worst happen.

This is because even when a donor has given permission for their organs to be used, if their grieving family does not agree to this happening, the doctors will respect the family’s wishes.

About 1,500 people die every day in the UK, but very few are suitable donors and 45 per cent of relatives decide not to donate. According to surveys, 90 per cent of people would like their organs to be used after their deaths to help others, but only 31 per cent actually sign up or carry a donor card.

Around 150 heart transplants are carried out each year in the UK and there are currently 140 people on the urgent heart transplant list and a further 7,300 on the routine list.

One in five patients dies waiting for a heart transplant because there is a chronic shortage of such donors. Doctors prefer to use hearts from young, healthy donors, but fewer young people are dying in road accidents and those who do are rarely donors. Will Pope would have liked to join his parents in speaking out for this article, had he been able to do so. 

The young man's hopes of returning home and resuming a normal life, though, are totally dependent on one thing ¿ a heart transplant

However, before he was admitted to intensive care, when his condition suddenly deteriorated, he told ITV’s Tonight programme: ‘I would just like to have a heart. It’s a little bit terrifying and hard to come to terms with the thought of losing my life. I am at peace with that, but for my family it’s very difficult.’

Doctors do not know how long Will can survive without a transplant, but Rosie Pope says the longest any patient at Harefield has remained on the temporary external mechanical pump, which Will now has, is ten weeks and her son has already been on it for two.

There are other surgical options, such as fitting a new internal mechanical pump, but these offer only a limited reprieve and a much poorer quality of life.

Rosie, who is temporarily not working so she can spend every day by Will’s side, adds: ‘I honestly think people don’t realise if they are going to lose a relative, that if they say “yes” it could make an enormous difference and give someone else a chance.’

Philip adds: ‘The worst part is not being able to do anything at all to make it better. You want to be able to say “It’s OK, I can fix it”, but it is completely in the hands of the medics and organ donors.’

Until the age of 16, Will Pope had seemed like any other healthy, young teenager. As a child, his health had never given his parents a moment’s concern. Academically gifted, as a schoolboy at the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe, he enjoyed sports and threw himself into creative arts — acting and playing guitar in a band.

Although his parents thought he had all the makings of a future barrister — such was his ability to outmanoeuvre them in arguments — Will, who possesses a wry sense of humour, talked instead of a career in comedy. 

After so much time in hospital and feeling so unwell, Will doesn¿t even have the energy to read, listen to music or watch TV

It was in March 2009, aged 16, that he first started to complain of feeling breathless following a chest infection. Rosie took Will to their doctor, who said that if he did not feel better in a week or two, he should come back to the surgery.

Philip says: ‘Because of his age and the fact he’d always been so healthy, I don’t think the doctor even considered that he might be suffering from a condition normally seen in much older patients.

‘It was an art teacher at his school a few days later, worried about how pasty and liverish Will looked, who sent him to see the school matron. She was so worried she called Rosie and said he needed to go to A&E immediately.’

Rosie continues: ‘That was when everything went into overdrive. We went to Wycombe Hospital, where a cardiologist put him on an echo machine — which measures heart function — and told me Will was very seriously ill.

‘He was transferred to Harefield Hospital and it came as an enormous shock when we saw that he was being admitted to the transplant ward. One of the doctors told us he had never seen anyone with a heart in a worse condition who was still walking around.’

Doctors do not know exactly what caused Will’s heart to fail so catastrophically at such a young age, but believe it may have been the result of a virus which attacked his heart muscle.

Two days after being admitted to Harefield, Will underwent major heart surgery and a mechanical pump, known as an LVAD (left ventricular assist device), was installed.

This is like a small, powerful motor with hoses attached which does the work of the left ventricle, the engine of the heart. It is powered by batteries, which the patient carries with him on a belt around the waist. At night, it is plugged into a machine.

Combined with drug therapy, LVADs have helped some patients recover from heart failure without the need for a transplant; for others it has bought them precious time while waiting for a new heart.

Will can’t leave his hospital bed, and the time drifts by as the wait for a new heart becomes ever more agonising

Rosie says: ‘Coping with the device is not great, but it keeps you alive and the LVAD combined with drug therapy allowed Will’s heart to rest and recover sufficiently for the device to be removed later that year. At the time, Harefield was leading the research into heart recovery and Will was lucky to be part of the programme.’

The Pope family had hoped the worst was behind them and Will — his condition controlled by drugs — returned to school.

After repeating a year — missed through illness — Will passed three A-levels, gaining an A*, A and a B, and in September 2011 headed off to Bristol University to study classical civilisation.

It had always been Will’s dream to take part in the Mongol Rally, a 10,000-mile, six-week car drive from London to Mongolia, and on Friday July 13 this year he set off with a friend with the aim of raising funds for Harefield Hospital.

Rosie says: ‘Will phoned me from Mongolia saying he felt very ill. He was extremely frightened and I told him to get the first flight home. I thought we were going to lose him before he could get back and that he might not survive the flight. He was returning via Moscow airport so I pulled out all the stops to have cardiologists from Moscow Hospital waiting in the wings in case he was too ill to travel further.

‘When I met him at Heathrow, Will looked very puffy and yellow. I wanted to take him straight to hospital, but he said, “I really want to spend just one night at home”, so that’s what I did. I took him home thinking one night wouldn’t make a terrible difference and because it was what he wanted more than anything.

‘That was the worst time for us, the lowest point. It came as a terrible shock. Going to Mongolia was an amazing experience for Will, and something he wanted to do, but given what has happened, I think sometimes he now regrets it. Although he is proud of his achievement and more mature and able to deal with his situation.’

The day after Will’s return on August 28, he was transferred to Harefield Hospital again by his local hospital. Given the severity of his condition, he was immediately placed on the urgent transplant list. After ten weeks, however, his other organs were failing because not enough blood was being pumped by his heart to support them.

Will was operated on twice so that surgeons could implant another type of mechanical device to support his heart, but this unfortunately failed. In a further operation (his fifth in total) surgeons successfully implanted a temporary external pump. His mother says: ‘Through all of this, Will has never lost his sense of humour. A few weeks ago, just before being wheeled into the operating theatre for open heart surgery, he looked into my eyes and said: “Mum, I love you more than anything… apart from ice lollies.”

 Will is living with the help of an external mechanical pump forcing the blood around his body and was 'heading for a cliff'

‘But there are days when he feels low or gets depressed. He seems to be taking two steps forward and one step back, but sometimes it is the other way round.

‘Being stuck in an intensive care unit is a bit like being on a long haul flight on a budget airline with the blinds down, with beeping all the time, strip lighting and disturbances. There is no food or drink to alleviate the boredom and there is the constant fear in the back of his head as to whether he will ever get out of there.’

Will doesn’t even have the energy to read, listen to music or watch TV. He can’t leave his hospital bed, and the time drifts by as the wait for a new heart becomes ever more agonising.

Rosie says: ‘A few days ago, we heard they may have found a heart for Will. It was a day of mixed emotions — sorrow for the young person, but huge gratitude to her and her family for allowing her heart to be made available.

We felt great fear for Will embarking on a sixth operation, but hoped that this could give him his life back. That evening we were told the heart transplant could not go ahead because the heart had failed the final test, and wouldn’t be powerful enough to pump the blood around Will’s body.

‘Although we felt huge disappointment, we accepted that to implant this heart could have been a disaster for Will and we’re grateful to the team at Harefield for carrying out such a thorough assessment.

‘As a family, we have hunkered down and we live day by day. It’s been tough for his brothers, but they are old enough to understand and we’ve had amazing support from friends and family.

‘The wonderful medical staff at Harefield couldn’t have been more dedicated and we are incredibly appreciative of the critical care Will has received in the NHS.’

Philip adds: ‘Will wants to know the truth about his situation, but he also wants to be reassured that everything is normal at home. We try to keep his spirits up, but in fact it’s Will’s courage and determination that is keeping us all going.’

The agonising wait continues, but hopefully Will Pope’s wish to go home with his family will be granted one day soon.

Maggie Brown (Author)

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BOTCHED STEM CELL FACELIFT

Really I've posted this as a warning to be careful in the quest for youthful skin to avoid unregulated procedures. Stem cells treatment is very valuable in many conditions but in the quest for youth is it advisable to undertake risky procedures. The patient below was lucky but until research and studies are carried out I would advise caution. Prevention is much better than cure and there is so much we can do to maintain healthy skin and prevent premature ageing. Advice on skin care can be found here.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT SECTION ON SKIN CARE

Article from Daily Mail below.

Botched stem cell facelift leaves woman with bones growing in her EYES 

• Treatment involves taking stem cells from fat in the abdomen
• Cells are then injected into the face and said to rejuvenate skin
• But if stem cells come into contact with a common dermal filler often used in facelifts, bone growth can be triggered, warn doctors

A Californian woman has been left with bones growing in her eyes after a botched facelift using stem cell injections.

The gruesome tale involves a woman in her Sixties, who is said to have paid $20,000 for the procedure at a Beverly Hills clinic.

But three months later, she was still in pain and noticed her right eye was clicking, according to a report in Scientific American.

The woman complained of a clicking sensation when she tried to open her eye. Surgeons later discovered it was tiny fragments of bone grinding together

When it didn’t improve, she visited another cometic surgeon, Dr Allan Wu, and explained she could not open her right eye without considerable pain and that every time she forced it open, she heard a strange clicking sound.

Dr Wu, of The Morrow Institute in California, told the magazine that when he first heard the woman's complaint, he wondered if she was imagining things.

But after painstaking six-hour surgery, he dug out small chunks of bone from her eyelid and the surrounding tissue. 

The clicks the woman had heard were the bone fragments grinding against one another. 

One theory is the stem cells – which can develop into any tissue in the body – could have reacted with a common dermal filler which contains calcium. 

The procedure the woman had is unregulated in America. It involves removing the patient’s stem cells from the blood and injecting them elsewhere in the body.  

One theory is the stem cells ¿ which can develop into any tissue in the body ¿ could have reacted with a common dermal filler which contains calcium

Stem cells are the building blocks of tissue growth. They can transform into any other type of cell the body is built from and so should be able to repair everything from the brain to the heart.

It’s claimed the technique helps to rejuvenate the skin because stem cells turn into brand-new tissue. This prompts the release of chemicals that boost ageing cells and encourage nearby cells to grow.

During the procedure, cosmetic surgeons used liposuction to remove some fat from the woman’s abdominal area. They then isolated the stem cells.

The stem cells were then injected into her face, around the eye area in particular.

During the procedure, she also had some dermal filler injected. This is routinely used by plastic surgeons to make wrinkles less noticeable.

But Dr Wu believes the woman’s original surgeons forgot that a key ingredient of such fillers is calcium hydroxylapatite. 

This is a mineral thought to encourage the stem cells to turn into bone, reports the magazine.

Fortunately, he was able to remove the pieces of bone from her eye – but there is no guarantee that more won’t grow in the future.

Many similar procedures are available in the U.S. – none of which are approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

There are also concerns that many creams that promise to encourage stem cell activity are increasingly available online.    

Maggie Brown (Author)

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AUTOMATIC WRITING (PSYCHIC DEVELOPMENT)

It's a little while since I've posted anything on psychic development, but this is something you might like to try 'AUTOMATIC WRITING'. Now automatic writing isn't exactly automatic, your hand doesn't move out with your control far from it, how it works is you relax, the best way to describe this is to let your mind go floppy. This enables you to pick up the words you will write, in your head, at least this is how I do it. I clear my mind and the words flow either I type the result or I write long hand. Sometimes the hand writing might be quite different from my own. I am aware at the time when I write or type it however I do not remember. I often write just before I go to sleep and when I read it in the morning I cannot remember any of it. Just write whatever comes into your mind, do not think about it as messages from Spirit come very fast before you have time to think about it.

Maggie Brown (Author)

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STRESS IS AS DAMAGING TO YOUR HEART AS SMOKING FIVE CIGARETTES A DAY

Stress and how it affects us 

We need stress for without it we'd have no motivation to do anything. Imagine this scenario: you've suddenly acquired a vast amount of money on the lottery, riches beyond your wildest dreams. So what's the first thing you do? likelihood you give up your job, people often find their jobs as stressful. You've got enough money so you don't need to work. That makes you feel less stressed, or so you think. Of course you buy the big house, the cars, the boat, designer wardrobe and you party. You really think you have it made. There comes a point though when you can have anything you want, you don't have to work for it, there's no sense of achievement, no goal in sight. You don't have to cook or clean what do you do all day? eventually you will run out of ideas and you will become bored, you will have no motivation to do or achieve anything. Stress is a catch 22 situation if you have no motivation, you become depressed and bored, the days are long that equals stress. So a certain amount of stress is necessary to motivate us and stimulate us and give us a reason to be here and a sense of accomplishment this can be seen simply as this:

Stress = Motivation > Stimulation > Accomplishment = Satisfaction

Stress The dictionary definition of stress is: a constraining or impelling force, effort or demand upon physical or mental energy. A stressor is a person or situation that makes you become stressed. We are more likely to suffer stress in society today than that of our ancestors. 70% of all illness to day is now directly attributed to stress. Modern society with all its pressures traffic congestion, over-crowding, noise, fears and general uncertainties about work, mortgages and family life present situation after situation where the state of stress is ever present. Stress is an everyday part of modern life, everyone experiences at sometime or another and everyday stresses are not necessarily harmful. A certain about of stress keeps us motivated and stimulated to make life more enjoyable and interesting. It is the effect of long-term stress that can be positively harmful to our bodies.

When do stress levels become harmful? 

The factors that seem to make any situation dangerously stressful are:

• Lack of predictability

• Lack of control

• Lack of outlets for frustration

For when these elements are present even simple situations can become stressful and produce a reaction that is completely out of proportion to the cause. It is not the situation but our reaction to it that creates the stress in our lives. The problem with us humans we have this tendency to dwell on the past and worry about the future and this takes our attention away from the present. Yet it is in the present moment that we have the greatest clarity to deal with any situation. We should enjoy our life in the present for in holding on to the past and holding back the future we create fear and ultimately stress. Growth in our lives is usually preceded by change the problem is handling change can be difficult in the short term and life-changing events such as:

• Bereavement

• Moving House

• Debt

• Ill Health

• Difficult Relationships

• Stressful Work

• Family Problems Have been identified as the most likely to cause negative or harmful stress.

Even positive events such as:

• Marriage

• Pregnancy

• A child starting school or University May cause you stress and can ultimately lead to illness.

Your personality and coping mechanisms will largely determine how you deal with these daily stresses and strains.

WHAT HAPPENS TO US WHEN WE ARE STRESSED?

Well this goes way back to the times when we were developing as humans and in early periods in history. The body's chemistry was designed to protect us with "The fight or flight response". For example man sees a big bear approach what does he do? he either tackles it or he runs off. Nature is very clever and gives us the capacity to do this. However in 2011 we no longer have the bears, wolves, etc. (ok some of you may) like of yesteryear we have different stresses. Your work colleagues or your neighbours may annoy you but you can't fight them, nor can you run away, but you can learn to deal and dissipate your stress levels so that it doesn't impinge on your health.

But firstly we need to deal with the science bit for if we understand the physiology of stress we're half way there to solving the impact stress has on our lives.

THE SCIENCE BIT

Deep within the brain we have an area known as the Hypothalamus (1), its the home of our moods and emotions and a very primitive part of the brain. The Hypothalamus is also the area that maintains equilibrium in our bodies and it maintains and regulates every bit of our body's chemistry. It is the area that controls the Endocrine system, it forms part of the Autonomic Nervous System and part of the Limbic System. It is Hypothalmus  that is the key to managing stress and all its detrimental effects on our mind and body. It is directly through this area that the holistic therapy Aromatherapy works and is managed by other holistic therapies.

 Since the Hypothalamus is the home of moods and emotions anything that affects these will influence the Hypothalamus, thus will have an effect on the body's equilibrium.

Now if we are stressed and modern stressors are not the same as those stressors we had as we were evolving as humans, they still have the same effect resulting in "the fight or flight response"

(1)The Role of the Hypothalamus

The Hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls the endocrine system.

The Pituitary gland lies beneath the Hypothalamus  and it is this that controls the other endocrine glands.

The Hypothalamus receives information about the Homeostasis (balance) of the body, this is achieved by two means:

• The blood circulation i.e. temperature, blood glucose levels and hormone levels
• The nervous system i.e. The Autonomic Nervous system i.e. the part of the nervous system that regulates automatic functions e.g. breathing, heart rate etc. and mental and emotional states, our feelings: these influence ‘automatic responses’ e.g. ‘The fear, flight response’

The Hypothalamus responds to these changes by:

• Secreting Hormones (chemical messengers) that regulate hormones to be released by the anterior lobe of the pituitary
• The hypothalamus also directly releases hormones via the Posterior Lobe of the Pituitary , Vasopressin (ADH) and Oxytocin
• And by stimulating a nerve response to the ‘Central Nervous System’ (Brain & spinal Cord)

SO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE?

Moods/emotions affect the hypothalamus, the hypothalamus evokes a reaction on the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland produces Adrenocorticotropic hormone this in turn targets the adrenal glands causing them to secrete Cortisone, Cortisone in turn effects the kidneys causing a rise in blood pressure by causing changes in the amount of salt secreted, this hormone causes the body to retain salt. Now remember the Hypothalamus one of its jobs is to maintain the body's equilibrium, it detects a rise in salt levels in the blood so to keep balance it causes the body to retain fluid, it is this retained fluid that increases blood pressure. At the same time, the Hypothalamus being part of the Central Nervous System evokes what is known as the Sympathetic Nervous System this diverts blood away from the digestive system and to lesser important body structures such as the skin and concentrates the blood to the heart, lungs and muscles. Simultaneously this nervous response influences the adrenal glands to produce Adrenalin and Noradrenalin, it is these hormones that induces vasoconstriction (reduces the blood supply) to the skin and peripheral tissues, thus also raising blood pressure.

Now this is putting it simply there are a few other processes also going on to increase blood sugar to give the body fuel to either run off or fight, Corticotrophic hormones influence the pancreas to secrete glucagon this has the opposite effect as insulin.

When the stress is over the Parasympathetic Nervous reverses the process again it is the Hyptholamus that instigates this.

Obviously its much more complex than this and I have focused on a few key hormones as it the action of these hormones that affects our well-being, the ageing process and blood pressure.

The fight or flight response was not designed to last forever it was meant ti instigate an action to deal with an aggressor, be it a wild animal or in a fight with an attacker therein lies the problem modern stressors tends to be work, work colleagues etc. the stress becomes long acting, this kind of reaction is fine in the short term but very detrimental to the body in the long term.

Take Cortisone, it has a damaging effect on specialised cells within the dermis (the skin), fibroblasts, these cells produce collagen and elastin, it is collagen and elastin that gives our skin elasticity and support. Adrenalin reduces blood supply to the peripheral tissues, such as the skin and hair, therefore, these structures do not receive adequate nourishment from the blood. So the effect of long term stress affects the skin resulting in ageing of the skin

A SOLUTION FOR STRESS, YOU WILL FIND THIS IN THIS SECTION

All Holistic therapies are excellent at dealing with stress and since the choice is vast you can be sure to find one that will suit you

ARTICLE FROM THE DAILY MAIL BELOW

Being stressed is as damaging for your heart as smoking five cigarettes a day 

• People who reported feeling stressed were 27 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack 
• Stress raises blood pressure and levels of 'bad' cholesterol
• Researchers liken the effect to smoking five cigarettes a day - and the effect gets worse as we age

Are you stressed? If so, your chances of heading to an early grave are significantly higher.
New research has found that people who reported feeling anxious and overwhelmed were 27 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack.
The study, led by Columbia University Medical Centre researchers, was published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

American researchers found people who reported feeling stressed were 27 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack

The researchers looked at six previous studies where people had been asked about their perceived stress with questions such as ‘how stressed do you feel?’ and ‘how often are you stressed?’.
The groups were separated into high and low stress scores and then followed for 14 years to track the number of heart attacks .

Those who were the most stressed were 27 per cent more likely to have a heart attack.
The effect of stress was so profound that the researchers compared it to smoking more five cigarettes a day.
It was also likened to a 2.8mmol/l increase in LDL cholesterol and a 2.7/1.4 mmHg increase in blood pressure.
The British Heart Foundation says that people who are at high risk of, or already have, heart disease should aim for an LDL cholesterol level under 2 mmol/l.

Stress has also been found to increase levels of 'bad' cholesterol and blood pressure, which are risk factors for heart disease

Therefore, it says the figures suggest a 2.8mmol/l rise is more than double the recommended cholesterol levels for heart and stroke patients.
A healthy blood pressure reading should be below 140/90mmHg.
LDL cholesterol is considered a risk for heart disease that can lead to heart attack because it contributes for narrowing of the arteries that supply blood flow to the heart from plaque buildup, or atherosclerosis.
Higher blood pressure puts stress on the heart and contributes to stiffening of the arteries, making them more susceptible to blockage. It is  thought to be responsible for 50 per cent of all heart attacks and strokes.
The researchers did further analysis to try to learn what might unpin the link between stress and heart disease. They found that while gender was not a significant factor, age was.
Among older people, the relationship between stress and CHD was stronger, suggesting the effects of stress compound over time.
They also noted that older people tend to have worse risk factors such as high blood pressure and raised cholesterol to begin with, and that stress may interact with those risk factors to trigger a heart attack.
‘These findings are significant because they are applicable to nearly everyone,’ said study author Safiya Richardson.
‘The key takeaway (message) is that how people feel is important for their heart health, so anything they can do to reduce stress may improve their heart health in the future.’
Her co-author, Donald Edmondson, assistant professor of behavioural medicine at CUMC added:  ‘This is the most precise estimate of that relationship, and it gives credence to the widely held belief that general stress is related to heart health.’
Heart disease is Britain’s biggest killer. Around 270,000 people in the UK suffer a heart attack every year and and nearly one in three die before they reach hospital.
www.bhf.org.uk

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