Archive for August, 2010

Vitamin D – Vitally important to human health, and deficiencies can cause major problems

Doctors and people in the health industry know that Vitamin D is vitally important to human health, with the lack of Vitamin D influencing many problems in the human body. At the same time, a large number of people in the world suffer from Vitamin D deficiency (projected numbers of 1 billion the world over). Considering the huge impact of Vitamin D deficiency, it seems more clear that providing Vitamin D in the form of nutrition tablets / supplements is necessary. This becomes even more important when one considers the results of this study (link)that considered the impact of deficiency of Vitamin D on various genes in the human body that can impact cancer (and bet many of you never thought that Vitamin D could have something to do with cancer – one normally thinks of Vitamin as health supplements, not connected in any way to dangerous diseases).

Scientists have found that vitamin D influences more than 200 genes, including ones related to cancer and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis — a discovery that shows how serious vitamin D deficiency can be. Vitamin D deficiency is a well-known risk factor for rickets, and some evidence suggests it may increase susceptibility to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, as well as certain cancers and even dementia. With this is mind, the group looked at disease-associated regions of the gene map to see if they had higher levels of VDR binding. They found VDR binding was “significantly enriched” in regions linked to several common autoimmune diseases, such as MS, type 1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease, as well as in regions associated with cancers such as leukaemia and colorectal cancer.

Vitamin D is created by the exposure of the skin to sunlight, something that has reduced over a period of time. Vitamin D can also be found in some natural occurring foods such as fish liver oil, eggs and fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel. In addition, Vitamin D can also be provided as supplements, and it seems to be important that health departments ensure that people are getting these supplements.

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Bladder Cancer – Symptoms – 2 types of Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is of two types. Invasive bladder cancer and superficial bladder cancer. Superficial bladder tumors usually appear on the urinary epithelium in the form of bladder warts, papillomas or papillary tumors. Invasive tumors as the name suggests appear deeper in the urinary epithelium. In some cases they may extend into the surrounding tissues or muscle layers. They may also spread into near by organs like the sigmoid colon, prostate gland, rectum, uterus, bones of the pelvis and the lymph glands.
Bladder cancer is more common in men as compared to women and is usually diagnosed around the age of 65. Cigarette smoking is one of the main causes of bladder cancer. Exposure to cancer causing substances used in synthetic dyes, rubber, leather, cable and printing may also by high risk causes.

Symptoms: Bladder cancer can be very painful and if one experiences the following symptoms, you should get it checked immediately:

- Hematuria – blood in the urine
- Burning sensation or pain while urinating when you are not suffering from any kind of urinary tract infection.
- A radical change in bladder habits. Often you may want to use the toilet because of a strong urge to urinate but you may not produce too much urine.

These symptoms do not necessarily suggest that you may be suffering from bladder cancer. They are non specific and could be an indication of something else altogether. However if you are suffering from any of the above mentioned symptoms, you should consult a doctor right away.

Old men who experience blood in the urine and are heavy smokers should consult a medical professional immediately as smokers are at high risk of getting bladder cancer. Blood in the urine is the first warning sign and it should not be ignored.
However it is also important to note that the blood in the urine is often not visible to the naked eye. A simple urine test can prove the presence of microscopic hematuria. You can also know for a fact that there is blood in your urine, if it changes color. If your urine takes on a pinkish or orange color, it’s a sign of hematuria.
Like many other cancers, even bladder cancer is difficult to detect and causes little or no symptoms till it has reached an advanced stage. At an advanced stage it is difficult to cure and can be very painful. People who are smokers are usually at a higher risk and as they age they should speak to their doctors and consider going in for regular cancer screening to check whether they are alright.
These are just a few symptoms of bladder cancer. The condition can be very painful if left undetected. However it is difficult for an individual to understand that he or she is suffering from bladder cancer as the symptoms take too long to surface.
However it is essential that every individual as they age should keep a track on their lifestyle, avoid smoking and drinking and also follow a good diet and exercise regimen if they want to stay healthy. A sedentary lifestyle will only make the condition worse. People who are smokers should keep an eye out for the signs and should not waste any time if any of the symptoms surface. Tests and trips to the doctor may cost you some money but it is worth it if the cancer is detected at an early stage. Treating the cancer at a later stage is difficult and can cause a lot of pain to the entire family, therefore staying precautious is the only way of staying safe and healthy.