SafeTeens.org is a digital resource on healthy living and safe sex for Pennsylvania teens. Designed to help teens and young adults learn how to make healthy choices to protect their futures, the site, which covers topics such as safe sex, relationships, peer pressure, nutrition, and more, is designed to empower teens to make positive choices and connect with reliable health information and services, while communicating messages of responsibility, health and wellness.

The new publication, Q: For Advocates & Educators, is designed to help adults who work with teens use the material on the website effectively in their lesson plans and activities. Q will be sent out quarterly via email. Those interested in receiving the quarterly can sign up for it on the resource corner page of SafeTeens.org. The inaugural issue of Q is also available to view on the web. All new signups through the month of May will be entered into a drawing to win a SafeTeens Educator’s Prize Pack.

- Courtesy of PRWeb

By Jacqueline Marcell

CREATIVE BEHAVIORAL TECHNIQUES
Once my parents’ brain chemistries were better balanced, I was finally able to optimize nutrition, fluids, medication, treatments, exercise and socialization with much less resistance. I was also able to implement creative techniques to cope with the intermittent bizarre behaviors. Instead of logic and reason—I used distraction and redirection to topics they were interested in. I also learned to use reminiscence and talk about the old days, capitalizing on their long-term memories which were still quite good. Instead of arguing the facts—I simply agreed, validated frustrated feelings, and lived in their realities of the moment. I finally learned to just go-with-the-flow and let any hurtful comments roll off.

And if none of that worked, a bribe of vanilla ice cream worked the best to cajole my father into the shower, even as he swore a blue streak at me that he’d just taken one yesterday (actually over a week ago). I was finally able to get my father to accept a live-in caregiver (he’d only alienated 40 that year—most only there for about ten minutes), and then with the benefit of Adult Day Care five days a week for my parents and a support group for me, everything finally started to fall into place.

IF WE ONLY HAD LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE

I just could not believe it—I finally had everything figured out medically, behaviorally, socially, legally, emotionally, caregivers in place, the house elder-proofed, and all I needed was some financial help to keep them at home. If I’d only made sure my parents bought Long Term Care Insurance (or I bought it for them) years ago while they were healthy and before a diagnosis of dementia, it would have covered the cost of their care at home. Instead, I paid for their care, which nearly wiped me out in every way. After four more years of managing every detail of 24/7 live-in care for my parents, I then survived invasive Breast Cancer.

EARLY SIGNS OF DEMENTIA OFTEN OVERLOOKED
What is so astonishing is that not one healthcare professional discussed the possibility of the beginning of Alzheimer’s (or any type of dementia) in my parents with me that first year, which happens far too often. Alzheimer’s afflicts 5.4 million Americans, but millions go undiagnosed for so many years because intermittent subtle warning signs are just chalked up to stress and a “normal” part of aging. Since one out of eight by age 65, and nearly half by age 85 get Alzheimer’s, healthcare professionals of every specialty should know and share the “Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s” when they notice subtle signs in their patients, so everyone can save time, money—and a fortune in Kleenex!

TEN WARNING SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER’S

(Reprinted with permission of the Alzheimer’s Association)

1. Memory loss
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
3. Problems with language
4. Disorientation of time and place
5. Poor or decreased judgment
6. Problems with abstract thinking
7. Misplacing things
8. Changes in mood or behavior
9. Changes in personality
10. Loss of initiative

www.ElderRage.com/Alzheimers.asp

- Jacqueline Marcell is an international SPEAKER on Eldercare, Alzheimer’s now being termed “Type 3 Diabetes”, and Breast Cancer. She is the author of the best-selling book ELDER RAGE (print, audio, Kindle/Nook), a Book-of-the-Month Club selection receiving 50+ endorsements, 400+ 5-Star Amazon reviews, required reading at numerous universities, and considered for a film. www.ElderRage.com

My father had always been 90% great, but boy-oh-boy that temper was a doozy. He’d never turned it on me before, but I’d never gone against his wishes either. When my mother nearly died from his inability to continue to care for her, I flew from southern California to San Francisco determined to save her life—having no idea that in the process it would nearly cost me my own.

DECEPTION OR INTERMITTENT DEMENTIA?
I spent three months in the hospital helping to nurse my 82-pound mother back to relative health, while my father went from loving me one minute to calling me nasty names and throwing me out of the house the next. I walked on egg shells trying not to upset him, even running the washing machine could cause a tizzy, and there was no way to reason with him. It was so heart wrenching to have my once-adoring father turn against me.

I took my father to his doctor right away, only to be flabbergasted that he could act normal when he needed to. I could not believe it when the doctor looked at me as if I was just making things up. She didn’t even take me seriously when I reported that my father had nearly electrocuted my mother, but fortunately I walked into the bathroom just three seconds before he plugged in a huge power strip that was soaking in a tub of water–along with my mother’s feet! Much later, I was furious to find out my father had instructed his doctor (and everyone he could) not to listen to anything I said because I was just a (bleep bleep) liar—and all I wanted was his money. Boy, I wish he had some!

THEN THINGS GOT SERIOUS
My father had never laid a hand on me my whole life, but one day nearly choked me to death for adding HBO to his television, even though he had eagerly consented to it just a few days before. Terrified, I call the police for the first time in my life who took him to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. I could not believe it when they released him right away saying they couldn’t find anything wrong with him. What is even more astonishing is that similar horrifying incidents occurred three more times.

CAREGIVER CATCH 22
Finally I was thrilled to bring my frail mother home from the hospital, but furious to find myself trapped. I couldn’t fly home and leave her alone with my father—she’d surely die from his inability to continue to care for her. I couldn’t get my father to accept a caregiver, and even when I did—no one would put up with his temper very long. I couldn’t get healthcare professionals to help—my father was always so darling and sane in front of them. I couldn’t get medication to calm him, and even when I finally did—he refused to take it, threw it in my face, and flushed it down the toilet. I couldn’t place my mother in a nursing home—he’d just take her out. I couldn’t put him in a home—he didn’t qualify. They both refused moving to Assisted Living—legally I couldn’t force them. I became a prisoner in my parents’ home for nearly a year trying to solve crisis after crisis, begging for professional help—and infuriated with a medical system that wasn’t helping me properly.

GERIATRIC DEMENTIA SPECIALIST MAKES DIAGNOSIS

TRAPPED IN OLD HABITS
What I’d been coping with was the beginning of Alzheimer’s (just one type of dementia), which begins very intermittently and appears to come and go. I didn’t understand that my father was addicted and trapped in his own bad behavior of a lifetime and his habit of yelling to get his way was coming out over things that were illogical and irrational—at times. I also didn’t understand that demented does not mean stupid (a concept not widely appreciated) and that he was still socially adjusted never to show his “Hyde” side to anyone outside the family. Even with the onset of dementia, it was astonishing that he could be so manipulative and crafty. On the other hand, my mother was as sweet and lovely as she’d always been.

KEY: NEUROLOGIST BALANCES BRAIN CHEMISTRY!
Alzheimer’s makes up 60-80% of all dementias and there’s no stopping the progression nor is there yet a cure. However, if identified early there are four FDA approved medications (Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne and Namenda) that in most people can mask the symptoms, keeping a patient in the early independent stage longer, delaying the need for part to full-time care. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that along with optimal lifestyle changes (proper nutrition, weight, exercise, socialization), a five year delay in the onset of a patient needing care could save $50 BILLION in annual healthcare costs. Even a one month delay in nursing home placement could save the U.S. $1 BILLION annually.

After the neurologist masked the symptoms, he treated my parents’ depression which is often present in dementia patients. It wasn’t easy to get the dosages right and it took a lot of time, patience and adjustments—and no, my father wasn’t suddenly turned into an angel—but at least we didn’t need police intervention any longer!

Stay tuned for part 2 of this article…..

- Jacqueline Marcell is an international SPEAKER on Eldercare, Alzheimer’s now being termed “Type 3 Diabetes”, and Breast Cancer. She is the author of the best-selling book ELDER RAGE (print, audio, Kindle/Nook), a Book-of-the-Month Club selection receiving 50+ endorsements, 400+ 5-Star Amazon reviews, required reading at numerous universities, and considered for a film. www.ElderRage.com

The article details how probiotics, especially Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria like L.Acidophilus, L.Bifidus, L.Plantarum, B. Lactis thrive in a healthy digestive system. Among the many ways these probiotics support health is through reducing cravings for sugar and sweets. While researchers are still researching how probiotics reduce the cravings for sugar, they hypothesize it is closely related to bacteria’s need to feed on prebiotics; prebiotics are carbohydrates that serve as food for probiotics.

Researchers are finding that people living in civilized countries are more frequently experiencing health issues directly related to a lack of probiotics in their system. This lack of probiotics is directly related to the western diet, and is the result of excess sugars, artificial sweeteners, processed foods, pesticides and pollution.

Scientists now have evidence that consuming probiotic supplements results in greater weight loss when compared to non-probiotic users, a direct result of probiotics ability to decrease sugar cravings. Supplementing with probiotics has demonstrated a significant decrease in sugar cravings in as little as four days, this kills of harmful microorganisms and results in weight loss.

- Courtesy of PRWeb

The device used for the procedure is designed and crafted by Boston Scientific and is called a Bronchoscope. Dr. H. Erhan Dincer, a Pulmonologist at the university, is trained to carry out the treatment which involves using the device to go through and apply heat to the patients’ airways in order to shrink the smooth muscles surrounding the airways. The heating process, using a temperature of about 150 degrees, is applied to sections of the muscles for 10 seconds per section. According to Dr. Dincer, once the muscles around the air tubes are shrunk, the air ways opens up allowing patients to breathe easier.

The entire procedure takes a total of 9 weeks and is divided into three treatments for three different parts of the lungs and is performed three weeks apart. An asthma patient, Greg Morgan, underwent bronchial thermoplasty in October of 2012, because he was hospitalized 7 times in 2 years due to asthma attacks. “There’s no feeling in the world like not being able to breathe,” shares Morgan to kare11.com. According to him, he was able to work full time again after the procedure. “I have not used either the inhaler or the nebulizer at all since then. So it’s been just an amazing turn of events for me,” he said.

However not all asthma patients are qualified for this procedure. Currently, it is only being offered to patients suffering from severe asthma although not all severe asthma sufferers even qualify for bronchial thermoplasty. Specialists say that with more research, this new treatment would someday be available to all asthma patients. Since it was only approved by the FDA in 2010, some insurance plans still do not cover the procedure, but that may not be the case anymore in 2 years’ time.

Meanwhile, the PURE team thinks that although this treatment could be considered revolutionary in asthma research, prevention and vigilance should still be top priorities for asthma sufferers and their families. Hypoallergenic goods and products as well as clean environments should remain to be the focus as there are 30 million people in the US who suffer from asthma and bronchial thermoplasty is not yet available for everybody.

- Courtesy of PRWeb

Patients with chronic back or neck pain often complain of fuzzy thinking, poor memory, and feelings of anxiety and depression. Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Chiropractor and Naturopath Dr. J G Moellendorf, DC, ND, LCP points out that these symptoms start in the hippocampal area of the brain, the same region that processes spinal pain signals. Doctors and researchers have often wondered if chronic pain is actually a whole-brain disorder, rather than the pain signaling system gone awry, .

Researchers Amelia A Mutso, A. Vania Apkarian, et al at Northwestern University investigated the underlying cellular and molecular changes that influence behaviors in mice with chronic abnormal nerve pain. Their findings were recently published in a paper titled Abnormalities in Hippocampal Functioning with Persistent Pain in the Journal of Neuroscience.

The hippocampus, which is critical for learning, memory and emotional processing, is one of the few brain regions of mice and men in which new neurons grow. The researchers found that chronic nerve pain in mice causes a failure in new hippocampal neuron growth, disrupts its electrical and biochemical signaling, and results in increased anxious behaviors and difficulties with emotional learning.

Using anatomical brain scans, the researchers measured the hippocampal volume of three groups of humans with chronic pain. The two groups with chronic back pain or complex regional pain syndrome had significantly smaller hippocampal regions, while the group with osteoarthritis had a nearly normal size. The first two groups showed similar symptoms of anxiety, depression, and deficits in learning and memory similar to the mice with chronic pain. The researchers suspect that the reduced hippocampal size in people is the result of the lack in neuron growth and other impairments as seen in the mice. When new neurons do not grow, memory and emotional processes become impaired. The research team headed by Mutso and Apkarian emphasized the importance of locating the source of the chronic pain and providing the proper treatment for a brain-based disorder.

The next question then is: can aberrant brain function be reversed by the proper treatment of spinal pain? A research team led by David A. Seminowicz considered this exact subject in their paper Effective Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain in Humans Reverses Abnormal Brain Anatomy and Function. They looked at the gray matter thickness with structural MRI scans of 18 chronic low back pain patients before surgery or facet joint pain blocking injections, along with 14 patients 6 months after surgery or facet injection. These scans were compared with 16 healthy subjects, 10 of which also returned 6 months later. Functional MRI scans were also done on all of the groups while performing a cognitive task. Those patients with chronic pain had decreased brain gray matter thickness and impaired cognitive ability compared to the healthy subjects.

Six months after successful treatment for back pain, the chronic pain patients displayed increased cortical thicknesses in: the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (correlating with reduced pain and physical disability), the primary motor cortex (correlating with reduced physical disability), and the right anterior insula (correlating with reduced pain). The functional MRIs showed abnormal activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region during attention-demanding cognitive tasks before treatment, but normal activity 6 months after successful treatment of the pain.

These results indicate that structural and functional brain abnormalities are reversible, indicating that the proper treatment of chronic pain can restore normal brain function in humans. With Chiropractic’s proven results in treating chronic back pain, it would be interesting if a group of Chiropractic researchers would replicate this research study using Chiropractic care.

- Courtesy of PRWeb

The research – published recently in the National Library of Medicine – highlights the dangers of ignoring the early signs of gum disease (gingivitis).

If left unchecked, gingivitis can worsen and develop into periodontitis, an advanced form of gum disease which can attack bone as well as soft tissue.

Gum disease has far reaching consequences with well documented associations with more serious conditions such as cardiac and respiratory problems, diabetes, some cancers and osteoporosis – as well as dementia and premature birth.

“Gingivitis is serious enough but periodontitis is even more serious and can do lasting damage to the bones of the mouth as well as the gums,” said a spokesperson for Eludril and Elgydium.

“And yet there is no need to suffer with a painful gum condition. Gingivitis and periodontitis are both avoidable. Gum disease is easy to identify and simple to treat if caught early.

“Even if people miss the initial warning signs such as the gum swelling around the teeth, there are other indications which are hard to ignore.”

Blood on the gums can be caused by brushing teeth too vigorously but all too often it is a clear indication of gingivitis.

Gum recession – with or without bleeding – is another serious warning sign that should not be ignored, although this too can be caused by over-enthusiastic or careless brushing.

Regular checks by dental professionals are important in diagnosing the symptoms of gingivitis early – before the condition worsens and develops into periodontitis.

For decades, dentists and hygienists all over the world have recommended chlorhexidine (an important ingredient in both Elgydium and Eludril) as the gold standard treatment for gum disease.

Not only does chlorhexidine treat gingivitis and periodontitis but regular brushing with one of the Elgydium range of antibacterial toothpastes can help to prevent them.

Elgydium is strong enough to kill the bacteria that cause gum disease but can be used daily as part of a normal oral health regime.

Eludril gingivitis mouthwash should be used two or three times daily while symptoms persist. The recommended dosage of Eludril is 10 to 15 ml, diluted with warm water in the measuring cup provided. It is a quick and simple treatment for when gum disease is detected.

Eludril can also be used to disinfect dentures, using a one-in-three dilution with water. The dentures should be cleansed as normal then soaked in the Eludril dilution for around 60 minutes.

- Courtesy of PRWeb

As Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin (http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/general-health-2/health-news/this-could-be-the-new-frontier-in-eye-health) notes, many people don’t have perfect eyesight due to injury, age-related wear and tear, and disease. For those who don’t have good eyesight, they might find it difficult to read from afar, or may feel like everything is constantly blurry. For some people, this may be a temporary state, but for many unfortunate others, poor eyesight is a permanent fact of life.

As the article “This Could Be the New Frontier in Eye Health” reports, one of the main triggers for poor eyesight is the presence of a corneal infection. Many times, people find that, somehow, bacteria are able to invade the cornea after surgery—and that’s when an infection can set in.

These infections can be serious, causing irritation, ruptures, and inflammation. If left untreated, blurry vision, and even blindness, can result. In addition, this type of infection is much more widespread these days, due to the increase in corneal surgeries for cataracts, glaucoma, and other conditions.

The Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin article states that researchers have discovered that they can use nanomedicine to improve the delivery and quantity of medicine that an infected eye receives.

Normally, conventional drops are put into the eye; with this type of drug delivery, scientists estimate a mere five percent of the medicine actually reaches the site of infection. Since the patient’s natural tendency is to blink and tear up whenever something touches their eyeball, an even greater amount of the medicine is washed away, making these conventional drugs very ineffective.

But according to the article, that’s where nanomedicine comes in. Scientists have come up with a way to get drugs directly where they are needed in the right quantities. Soft contacts can be filled with nanoparticle drugs and delivered to a precise spot on the eye. Not only that, but the medicine can be released over a sustained period of time.

Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin reports that a research team recently tested the effects of nanomedicine on dogs with glaucoma. They delivered a drug called “timolol” through contact lenses. Because the nanomedicine was concentrated and potent, only one-third of a dose was needed to reduce ocular pressure when compared to conventional eye drops. The researchers also experimented by adding vitamin E to the nanomedicine, which had the effect of prolonging the release of the timolol.

As Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin concludes, this research has the potential to change the lives of people with vision problems.

- Courtesy of PRWeb

1. Pay attention to what goes in your mouth
You hear it all the time, “you are what you eat.” That is absolutely true. “You can’t outwork a bad diet.” No matter how hard you workout in the gym, if your diet isn’t reflecting the same effort, you’ll never see the results you’re looking for. Try to consume natural, highly nutritious foods- all the fruits, veggies and protein you can eat (within reason, of course). Limit as much as possible the added sugars, fast food, and late night snacking.

2. Consistency is key
Being consistent is paramount to creating a habit and creating change in your routine. Nothing great was built over night- results take time and effort. Try to get vigorous exercise 3-4 times a week and stay active on your “off” days. On your “off” days, get outside, enjoy the weather and just keep moving be it with a walk, bike ride, playing tennis, etc. If you continuously skip workouts and are inconsistent with your eating, your body won’t adjust to your new regimen and transform the way you want it to.

3. WORK
It’s called a “workout” for a reason. Anything worth having isn’t easy to get. You can’t just go through the motions. Anyone can exercise, but only those who put in the effort will reap the rewards. Find a program or a trainer who can help you do that. Don’t be afraid to sweat and push beyond what you think you can do.

Remember to always keep moving. Powered by YOU.

To read the full press release…..Click here

- Courtesy of PRWeb

The article profiles nerve growth and regeneration, and discusses the importance of fully understanding axons in order to move forward with new, cutting edge procedures. Injuries to nerves that do not completely interrupt all its layers results in spontaneous regeneration, but it happens at an extremely slow rate and random pattern. The researchers showed that different proteins can be manipulated to improve the length and branching of nerves.The scientists focused their studies on repair proteins located near an injury site and in the axon of the nerve, as they’re hoping this will lead to a greater understanding in restoring length to damaged axons.

”This can be an important issue in patients who get synkinesis or aberrant regeneration of nerves after suffering from Bell’s palsy or other facial nerve injuries. If nerves can be manipulated to grow in a more systematic way, then the results of nerve repair can be improved,” said world-renowned facial paralysis surgeon, Dr. Azizzadeh. ”Furthermore, our current treatments of facial paralysis and nerve injuries often relies on nerve and muscle transfers; if we can improve the success of those procedures at the level of the nerve regeneration, then the patients can have a better outcome.”

As director of the Facial Paralysis Institute in Beverly Hills, Dr. Azizzadeh performs facial nerve transfers for patients dealing with severe facial paralysis and Bell’s palsy. Such procedures often involve the transfer of a nerve from one region of the body to another location in the face. Nerve transfer procedures provide patients with an immense increase in facial reanimation

”I’m focused on bringing my patients the best results possible, and right now that’s with facial nerve transfer procedures like the cross-facial nerve graft and the masseter to facial nerve transfer,” said Dr. Azizzadeh.

Dr. Azizzadeh is trained in Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, as well as Head & Neck Surgery, giving him a distinctive insight into facial nerve function and facial aesthetics. Dr. Azizzadeh also has extensive training in microsurgical facial reconstruction, which is often required for the treatment of people who are born with facial paralysis. He is also the director of the USC Facial Plastic Fellowship Program, and the director of the world renowned Cedars-Sinai Advances in Multispecialty Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery Symposium.