Health and medical information

Like heart muscle, brain cells must have a continuous adequate supply of oxygen in order to survive. A stroke (also called a cerebrovascular accident) occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off. Strokes may be caused by a thrombus (blood clot), an embolus (a wandering clot), or an aneurysm (a weakening in a blood vessel that causes it to bulge and, in severe cases, burst). Stroke killed more than 159,000 Americans in 1999 and accounted for 1 in 14 of our total deaths, surpassed only by CHD and cancer. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 53 seconds, with someone dying every 3.3 minutes.

When any of these events occurs, the result is the death of brain cells, which do not have the capacity to heal or regenerate. Strokes may cause speech impairments, memory loss, and loss of motor control. Although some strokes affect parts of the brain that regulate heart and lung function and kill within minutes, others are mild and cause only temporary dizziness or slight weakness or numbness. About one in ten major strokes is preceded (days, weeks, or months before) by one of these mild forms of strokes, called transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). These are often indications of an impending major stroke. Knowing the warning signs or symptoms of stroke may help you or a loved one get medical attention earlier, when treatment may be more effective. Among the most common symptoms are the following:

• Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body

• Sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in only one eye

• Loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech

• Sudden, severe headaches with no known cause

Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness, or sudden falls, especially along with any of the previously listed symptoms.

One of the greatest medical successes in recent years has been the decline in the fatality rates from strokes, a rate that has dropped by one third in the United States during the 1980s and continues to decline. Improved diagnostic procedures, improved surgical options, clot-busting drugs injected early after a stroke has occurred, and acute care centers specializing in stroke treatment and rehabilitation have all been factors. An increase in awareness of risk factors for stroke, especially high blood pressure, and an emphasis on prevention also has contributed to risk reduction. It is estimated that more than one half of all remaining strokes could be avoided if more people followed the recommended preventive standards.

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Family-style eating—in which all the food is put in serving dishes on the table so that people can help themselves—is a very nice idea. I happen to have invested a lot of money in the serving pieces that go with my china and I feel terrible whenever I realize that I am not using them. But in a family of overeaters, serving family style is a serious mistake because it encourages people to eat more than they should.

To control calorie intake you must be able to control the size of the portions. You can’t sit at the head of the table with a whip in your hand, so you might as well eliminate temptation. Put the portions on the plates in the kitchen. Calculate the meal so that there are no leftovers. This makes the cleanup easier and keeps waistlines trim.

If you are an adult and still think this way, you probably have a weight problem. It will take a lot of work to convince yourself (or your man) that food is merely a nice way to keep the machinery operating.

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For a substance with such dramatic beautifying properties, Botox has a much publicised and controversial background. Botox, or botulinum toxin type A, is a highly purified derivative of a toxin that in much, much larger doses could be hazardous. When used for cosmetic, or wrinkle zapping, purposes the toxin is purified and diluted and injected into the facial muscles. Almost instantly, the toxin blocks the nerve impulses that control muscle movement by restricting the patient’s abilities to contract the facial muscles. No

contraction of the muscle equals no movement of the skin lying over it and no movement equals no wrinkles. A smoothing effect is seen while the patient is still in the exam chair, with improvement continuing over the following couple of days. This result lasts approximately three to six months, at which point most patients gradually return to their original state of wrinkling.

Of the seven different forms of the botulinum toxin that exist, type A is the one that is most studied and used and the only one approved for the cosmetic treatment of frown lines. Neurobloc, manufactured by Elan Pharmaceuticals, is another paralysing ag’ent, this time derived from botulinum type B. It is used very similarly to Botox, but it’s only   j approved for cervical dystonia, which are involuntary contractions of the neck and shoulders. However, the potential of Neurobloc as a cosmetic treatment is starting to emerge, with more information to come within the next couple of years.

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