Mens Health Blog. Medical Blog » Cancer http://officialpill.com Comprehensive men's sexual health information, tips and news about men's sexual health Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:28:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 NATURAL REMEDIES FOR COMMON SYMPTOMS OF CANCER: DEPRESSION AND INSOMNIA http://officialpill.com/2011/04/natural-remedies-for-common-symptoms-of-cancer-depression-and-insomnia/ http://officialpill.com/2011/04/natural-remedies-for-common-symptoms-of-cancer-depression-and-insomnia/#comments Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:10:38 +0000 admin http://officialpill.com/?p=181 Depression
Depression is very common in cancer. The older patients are especially prone to this disorder. They suffer from an acute sense of loss and inexplicable sadness, loss of energy and loss of interest.
Natural Remedies: As a rich source of magnesium, bananas have been found beneficial in the treatment of depression. Researches have shown that increased magnesium intake results in less anxiety and better sleep. Other rich sources of magnesium are nuts, beans and leafy green vegetables.
The use of apples is also considered valuable in depression. The various chemical substances present in this fruit, such as vitamin B1, phosphorus and potassium, help the synthesis of glutamic acid, which controls the wear and tear of the nerve cells. At least one apple should be eaten daily with milk and honey. This will act as a very effective nerve tonic and recharge the nerves with new energy and life.

Insomnia
Insomnia or sleeplessness is quite common in cancer patients. This may result from depression and stress and anxiety which are usually associated with cancer.
Natural Remedies: Lettuce is an effective remedy for overcoming sleeplessness as it contains a sleep-inducing substance known as ‘lectucarium’. The juice of this plant has been likened in effect to the sedative action of opium without the accompanying excitement.
Milk is very valuable in insomnia. A glass of milk, sweetened with honey, should be taken every night before going to bed to treat this condition. It acts as a tonic and a tranquilizer. Massaging the milk over the soles of the feet has also been found to be effective.
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]]> http://officialpill.com/2011/04/natural-remedies-for-common-symptoms-of-cancer-depression-and-insomnia/feed/ 0 SUPPORTIVE CARE OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER: MANAGEMENT OF PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES http://officialpill.com/2011/01/supportive-care-of-children-with-cancer-management-of-pain-associated-with-diagnostic-procedures/ http://officialpill.com/2011/01/supportive-care-of-children-with-cancer-management-of-pain-associated-with-diagnostic-procedures/#comments Sat, 15 Jan 2011 14:44:05 +0000 admin http://officialpill.com/?p=163 One of the goals of pain management during pediatric procedures is to make the child comfortable so that the child (and parents) will not dread the subsequent procedures. Thus, success is not a matter of merely restraining the child sufficiently to allow the procedure to be performed. Consider measures to control pain and anxiety an integral part of patient management. It is imperative that aggressive pain management be part of the initial diagnostic evaluation, since this may help prevent future difficulties with these and other procedures.
A.    General principles In general, avoid unnecessary tests.
Consolidate blood work so that all necessary studies are obtained at the same time; use central lines when possible.
Persons performing a procedure should have a documented level of skill, and there must be appropriate supervision of less-experienced operators.
B.    Environment
Major procedures (e.g., bone marrow aspiration, lumbar puncture) should never be performed in the patient’s bed.
The environment of the treatment room should be relatively calm.
Encourage a parent (or parent substitute) to attend the procedure and to participate actively in assisting the child. Do not demand that the parent restrain the child in any way. Instead, the parent should provide comfort or lead the child in any of a variety of distracting behavioral interventions.
C.    Behavior management
Use age-appropriate behavior management techniques. For infants, this may include stroking, swaddling, or use of a pacifier. Older children may be managed with distraction, story telling, bubble blowing, or hypnosis.
A full review of these techniques is beyond the scope of this chapter but may be found in McGrath (1990).
D.    Sedation
Follow the standards for administering, monitoring, and documenting conscious sedation as developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American Society of Anesthesiology (see Bibliography). Patients should have nothing by mouth (NPO) for clear liquids at least 2 hours before the procedure and NPO for solid foods at least 4-6 hours before the procedure. There must be a time-based record that documents vital signs and the level of sedation at appropriate intervals. Monitor all patients for pulse oximetry, blood pressure, heart rate, response to verbal command, and adequacy of pulmonary ventilation. Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring may be indicated for patients with significant cardiovascular disease.
E. Pharmacologic intervention
Warning: Before administering a sedative or opioid agent, ensure the immediate availability of oxygen, naloxone, flumazenil, and resuscitative equipment for the maintenance of a patent airway and support of ventilation. Pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and pulse oximeter measurements should be monitored by a person specifically assigned to this task.
1.    Age 0-6 months
a.    Apply local anesthesia with EMLA cream by occlusive
dressing at least 1 hour before performing the procedure. Infiltration of the deeper tissues with 196 lidocaine is helpful. Buffering of lidocaine with NaHC03 (9 parts lidocaine: 1 part NaHC03 USP) may alleviate some of the burning discomfort associated with the lidocaine injection. For procedures performed without EMLA cream, use buffered 1 % lidocaine for the skin as
well as deeper structures. The dose of lidocaine should not exceed 5 mg/kg (0.5 mL/kg).
b.    Consider using a 22-gauge lumbar puncture needle for both bone marrow aspiration and lumbar puncture.
c.    The use of opioids and sedatives for conscious sedation with this age group may be difficult. If analgesia is deemed necessary, consider small doses of a single medication. Consider completing the procedure under general anesthesia or deep sedation by an anesthesiologist.
2.    Age >6 months
a. Apply local anesthesia with EMLA patch by occlusive dressing at least 1 hour before the procedure. This may be supplemented by infiltrating 196 lidocaine intrader-mally and subcutaneously (to the level of the periosteum for bone marrow procedures); the dose of lidocaine should not exceed 5 mg/kg (0.5 mL/kg).
b.    With patients who do not have an established intravenous (IV) route and for whom an IV line would not otherwise be indicated, try the oral route first. With patients who already have an IV line in place, use intravenous sedation.
c.    Use a combination of a sedative (for anxiety) and an opioid (for analgesia) Sedatives alone are inadequate.
i.    Sedative
Give midazolam (Versed) IV solution: 0.2-0.4 mg/kg PO 20-30 minutes before the procedure or 0.05 mg/kg IV 3-4 minutes before the procedure. When deemed appropriate, midazolam can also be administered rectally at a dose of 0.2-0.5 mg/kg 5-10 minutes before the procedure. If intravenous access is available, half the original dose may be repeated if the child is not adequately sedated when the procedure begins. When using midazolam (or other benzodiazepines), flumazenil (Romazicon), a benzodiazepine reversing agent, should be available; the dose of flumazenil is 0.01 mg/kg (maximum dose 0.2 mg) by slow IV push. and
ii.    Opioid
Give fentanyl 0.001 mg/kg (1 pg/kg) IV over 1-2 minutes, 3-5 minutes before the procedure. Half the original dose can be repeated if the child is not adequately sedated when the procedure begins. or
Give morphine sulfate 0.15-0.2 mg/kg PO 20-30 minutes before the procedure or 0.05 mg/kg IV over 1-2 minutes, 10 minutes before the procedure begins.
d.    Consider transmucosal fentanyl citrate (Fentanyl
Oralet).
This transmucosal opioid delivery system has been shown to be useful as a single agent for painful procedures in children with cancer. The dose is 5-15 pg/kg with the unit dose chosen closest to that to be administered (100, 200, 300, and 400 pg sizes). The unit dose is sucked (must not be chewed) in the buccal pouch 15-20 minutes before the procedure is to be performed.
Do not administer with anxiolytics or other opioids. In general, this is not useful in toddlers, who may not be able to cooperate by sucking the lozenge, e. If efforts to produce conscious sedation are inadequate or if multiple painful procedures (e.g., bilateral bone marrow aspirations and biopsies) are to be performed, consider general anesthesia. Some clinicians advocate agents such as ketamine, propofol, and nitrous oxide as appropriate for use for conscious sedation in children undergoing painful procedures. All of these agents may best be used by anesthesiologists with specialized training in their administration and in appropriate support of the airway.
i.    Ketamine is a dissociative general anesthetic agent that has many well-known side effects that are potentially difficult to manage. These include hypersalivation, increased cerebral blood flow, disturbing hallucinations, and prolonged recovery periods.
ii.    Propofol is an intravenous diisopropylphenol general anesthetic agent that can easily result in loss of all protective reflexes, markedly decreases systemic vascular resistance, and can cause severe myocardial depression.
iii.    Nitrous oxide is a clear, odorless inhaled anesthetic agent that is analgesic as well as amnestic. It can be administered in oxygen and has been used for painful procedures as well as in emergency rooms. It can induce general anesthesia with loss of protective reflexes. In addition, it must be used with a dedicated scavenging system to prevent environmental
contamination.
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]]> http://officialpill.com/2011/01/supportive-care-of-children-with-cancer-management-of-pain-associated-with-diagnostic-procedures/feed/ 0 NORMAL PROCESS OF GROWTH AND DIFFERENTIATION (NORMAL PROCESSES OF GROWTH AND DIFFERENTIATION) http://officialpill.com/2009/05/normal-process-of-growth-and-differentiation-normal-processes-of-growth-and-differentiation/ http://officialpill.com/2009/05/normal-process-of-growth-and-differentiation-normal-processes-of-growth-and-differentiation/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 12:05:28 +0000 admin http://officialpill.com/2009/05/normal-process-of-growth-and-differentiation-normal-processes-of-growth-and-differentiation/ The normal processes of growth and differentiation are involved both in creating new human beings and in repair and renewal. Every human being develops from the union of just two specialised cells—the sperm and the egg. An embryo which is only a few days old consists of a small number of very similar looking cells. Within only a few months, these multiply, differentiate and organise themselves into a complex human being with all its different parts and functions.

Throughout life, orderly, controlled growth and differentiation continues, keeping our bodies in normal working order. The baby grows to an adult. New cells replace old, worn out ones. Injuries are repaired—after an injury cells multiply, differentiate and arrange themselves so as to reproduce the original structure as accurately as possible, hor example, it you break your leg, cells which can develop into bone multiply to fill the break, mature and start to form strong bone. Damaged muscle cells, fat cells, skin cells etc are also replaced and arrange themselves so as to restore the original shape and strength of your leg as accurately as possible.

Clearly, the most incredibly complex and delicate mechanisms must exist in our body to control the normal processes of growth and differentiation. What happens if these mechanisms go haywire?

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]]> http://officialpill.com/2009/05/normal-process-of-growth-and-differentiation-normal-processes-of-growth-and-differentiation/feed/ 0 RECIPES OF MAIN COURSES FOR CANCER-FIGHTING DIET: CHICKEN http://officialpill.com/2009/04/recipes-of-main-courses-for-cancer-fighting-diet-chicken/ http://officialpill.com/2009/04/recipes-of-main-courses-for-cancer-fighting-diet-chicken/#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:11:03 +0000 admin http://officialpill.com/2009/04/recipes-of-main-courses-for-cancer-fighting-diet-chicken/ Grilled Pesto Chicken

150 grams skinless organic chicken breasts

1 heaped teaspoon of pesto

Slice the chicken breasts across and spread their insides with half of the pesto.

Spread the remaining pesto on top of the chicken. Grill for 25 minutes or until cooked.

Indian Spiced Chicken

Juice of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Dash of cayenne

1 chicken breast (preferably free range)

Steamed broccoli, spinach and cauliflower, or jasmine rice

Blend the lemon juice, garlic and spices. Place the rinsed chicken breast in a dish and toss into the spice blend until it is well coated. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Place under a hot grill for 25 minutes, or until cooked. Turn it over once, throughout cooking. Serve with steamed broccoli, spinach and cauliflower, or with jasmine rice.

Roast Chicken Breast with a Twist

2 small chicken breasts (with skin)

1 clove garlic, sliced

2 sprigs fresh tarragon

1 dessert spoon olive oil

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Place garlic slices and tarragon under chicken skin. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Place in oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked. Remove skin and serve.

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