Smoking is hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs.

King James I

Let’s start with what smoking actually does to the body.

Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body. Smoking causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers in general. It primarily starts at the lungs.

How?   Well think of your lung tissue with openings all over which are air sacs called alveoli. This is an anatomical structure that has the form of a hollow cavity which does the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of our body, when we inhale and exhale. The thing to know about this tissue is that before you start smoking the alveoli are expandable (think of it like a rubber band) allowing the person to get a good exchange of oxygen getting in the body to go to all our tissues and carbon dioxide getting out of the body (O2=oxygen being the fuel to our tissues and prevents cellular starvation to occur, carbon dioxide=CO2 being an acid / toxin to the human body, is the end result of when O2 is used up by our body tissues and is exhaled by the lungs to prevent too high of a CO2 blood level in our body.).   After years of smoking the alveoli stretches out not allowing a good exchange of O2 and CO2. The sad thing for a smoker is the alveoli cannot REVERSE back after damage has already occurred unless you had a lung transplant but without continuing to smoke.  It is hard to see any M.D. or health insurance that would allow a transplant if the patient continues to smoke, especially a 1/2 pack to 2 packs a day.  In all honestly why bother if the samething will happen again in time.  More realistic would be QUIT the bad habit. The tissue doesn’t get completely better but it improves when you quit. So the pt with Emphysema has alveoli that can’t exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide from the blood like it use to at the bottom of the lungs when they were healthier, prior to even starting to smoke. Also, after smoking years and when diagnosed with COPD you have difficulty breathing (that is why smoking is a major cause of bronchitis or Emphysema=types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease=COPD and it is not REVERSIBLE). Emphysema is the worst type of COPD you can get. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., and the economic burden of COPD in the U.S. in 2007 was $42.6 billion in health care costs and lost productivity. Isn’t this reason enough to stop smoking?

Emphysema is an enlargement of the air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles, with destruction of their walls. People with emphysema have historically been known as “Pink Puffers”, due to their pink complexion.

Chronic bronchitis is defined in clinical terms as a cough with sputum production on most days for 3 months of a year, for 2 consecutive years. People with advanced COPD that have primarily chronic bronchitis were commonly referred to as “Blue Bloaters” because of the bluish color of the skin and lips (cyanosis) along with hypoxia and fluid retention.

Know when the lungs get effected in time the heart gets effected. One Affects the other in time. The heart can’t live without the lungs and vice versa.  Just like our car the heart of the car is the engine and the lungs are the transmission (one can’t allow the car to work good if the other is not working properly–same with the heart and lungs, one effects the other in time.)

Now knowing just this you’ll understand why smoking alone can cause the following conditions, Through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They state the following:  Check it out in Part 2 tomorrow!

“Hands were made for holding. Arms were made for hugging. Your body was made for better things than the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).”

Martin Luther King

WHAT IS ARTHRITIS?

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints. (Arthro=joint / itis = inflammation)

The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms are joint inflammation that comes from pain, warmth, and swelling. The inflammation is typically symmetrical that is occurring on both sides of the body at the same time (such as hands, wrists, or knees). Other signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis include joint stiffness that is particularly in the AM upon awakening or after periods of inactivity; ongoing fatigue, and low-grade fever. Signs and symptoms come about gradually over years but can come on rapidly for some other people.

The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is usually caused by normal wear and tear, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. Other types of arthritis can be caused by uric acid crystals, infections or even an underlying disease, such as psoriasis or lupus.

Treatments vary depending on the type of arthritis. The main goals of arthritis treatments are to reduce signs or symptoms and improve quality of life through Occupational or Physical Therapy and/or through medications, the old way.

Things that make arthritis worse: 1.) conventional medicine through doctors ordering medications (see Dr. David Brownstein’s website for his Natural Way to Health (with his book) to overcome arthritis). Drugs rarely CURE things. We are trained to believe doctors have all the answers with medications or surgeries in resolving our health problem. NOT THE CASE ALWAYS. It’s unnatural with arthritis and many other diagnoses. Natural therapies and good foods are not taken seriously by enough people in America in regards to helping a condition, like arthritis, or even prevention (which should be your first intervention, don’t wait for the diagnosis).

2.)Infection – check if a bacterial infection started your arthritis. If that is the cause antibiotics, low dose some doctors have given to people in studies and have worked. You would think this would be used more often, at least in testing for before just prescribing anti-inflammatory or analgesics meds. If its infection you need to kill the bacteria and the only way to do that it is with an antibiotic which kills a bacterial infection.

3.)DIET – Too many sugars or chemical preservatives and sweeteners which is in the standard American diet. Processed Foods are BAD.  The same foods that cause obesity, diabetes and coronary artery disease can easily cause arthritis. Increase your fruits and nuts in your diet. Vitamin C and E are good for you. Pomegrante extract also.

4.) Dehydration- main causes of arthritis. Many simplify the problem. Your joints need water and if not enough it will cause an auto immune response=inflammation and get worse with processed foods.

5.) Heavy metal toxicity-Mercury, Arsenic and Nickel it includes. Not a fluke and mercury is one of the worst metals to have toxic in your body. Fish is the second worst source of heavy metal food. Few things you can do now, eat tuna occasionally. Silver malcum fillings have your dentist remove. Have your doctor do a heavy metal toxicity test on you if you never had one done and with arthritis.

6.) Low or imbalances of hormones=headache, faster aging, fatigue/lethargy, skin wrinkling sooner in life. Synthetic hormones don’t perform as well in your body and can lead to problems. Female hormones   can increase your chance to breast cancer for example.

ACT America and one way to do that is go to Dr. David Brownstein website and check out Reverse your Arthritis to deal with your arthritis naturally and reading his books with bonuses.

Diet and bodyweight impact on arthritis

Experts say that eating a well-balanced diet is vital when you have arthritis. Not only will you be receiving critical nutrients, you will also be either maintaining or arriving more quickly at a healthy bodyweight. If you are overweight you will be adding extra pressure on weight-bearing joints. Many patients have found that losing just a few pounds made a significant difference to their quality of life. Doctors and nutritionists are more frequently advising arthritis patients to keep sugary and/or fatty foods to a minimum – such as red meat, cream and cheese. You should make sure you are eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, as well as whole grains. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are thought to relieve to some extent the symptoms of arthritis. A common source of Omega-3 fatty acids is oily fish, such as sardines, herring, trout, and salmon. Many of us tend to place large portions on our plate. If you reduce the size of the portions you may lose weight more effectively. Make sure that vegetables and fruit make up a large part of your portion.   Those who need a little help in knowing how to lose weight with knowing the 4 food groups including 3 subgroups to each food group telling you what is lean or leaner or the leanest to eat of that food group. You get this through Dr. Anderson’s book “Dr A’s Habits of Health” and myself as your health coach with you deciding on all the foods you want to eat even foods through my website. If you’re interested in getting healthier and want to lose weight with knowing how the body works with food and in proportions than click on my website and go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and be a part of making yourself and America a healthier home by spreading the good news. Our people in this country need to go back in that direction to decrease disease/illness in percentage; join me and many others who have taken the step. So far I have lost 22 lbs., if I can do it so can you it just takes discipline and interest to make America now and in the future a better place to live. The healthier our country gets the better our health care system will turn out for everyone.

“About half of all men and one-third of all women in the US will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Today, millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer.

The risk of developing many types of cancer can be reduced by changes in a person’s lifestyle, for example, by staying away from tobacco, limiting time in the sun, being physically active, and eating healthy.”

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

Cancer can be a simple disease or a monster to the body and let us first start reviewing the basics of cancer to understand this sentence. 

The body is made up of trillions of living cells.  Normal body cells grow, divide to make new cells, and die in an orderly fashion.  During the early years of a person’s life, normal cells divide faster to allow the person to grow. 

After the person becomes an adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or to repair injuries. 

The pathophysiological responses of a patient with cancer are frequently determined by the size and extent of the tumor and by the presence or absence of metastases.

Cancer starts when cells in a part of the body start to grow out of control. Cancer cell growth is different from normal cell growth. Instead of dying, cancer cells continue to grow and form new, abnormal cells. Cancer cells can also invade (grow into) other tissues, something that normal cells cannot do. Growing out of control and invading other tissues are what makes a cell a cancer cell. Cells become cancer cells because of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) damage.

DNA is in every cell and it directs all its actions. In a normal cell, when DNA is damaged the cell either repairs the damage or the cell dies. In cancer cells, the damaged DNA is not repaired, but the cell doesn’t die like it should. Instead, the cell goes on making new cells that the body doesn’t need. These new cells all have the same damaged DNA as the first abnormal cell does=cancer cells.

The normal cells of a human body=Our red blood cells (our iron and cells that provide nutrition to our tissues by feeding oxygen to all our tissues), our white blood cells (fight infection off our body-part of immunity system), and our platelets (controls our clotting of the blood) all are taken over by the cancer cells especially if the cancer is primarily in the bone or metastasized to the bone since this organ in the human body produces all our blood cells in the bone marrow and the cancer in that causes the bone marrow to make cancer cells which is hard to cure especially if your cancer in the bone is at grade 3 or 4.   If a patient’s cancer is grade 1 or 2 its much easier to treat to possible completely cure. 

Again cancer can be a simple disease or a monster.

People can inherit abnormal DNA (it’s passed on from their parents), but most often the DNA damage is caused by mistakes that happen while the normal cell is reproducing or by something in the environment. Sometimes the cause of the DNA damage may be something obvious like cigarette smoking or sun exposure. But it’s rare to know exactly what caused any one person’s cancer. In most cases, the cancer cells form a tumor.

Some cancers, like leukemia, rarely form tumors. Instead, these cancer cells involve the blood and blood-forming organs and circulate through other tissues where they grow. Neoplasms or “new growths” are relatively autonomous (independent).  This means that the growth and its behavior are more or less independent of the host (the normal body functions).

  Neoplasms have been defined as benign or malignant; cancer is a common synonym used to refer to a malignant neoplasm.  The difference between a benign and malignant neoplasm depends on its behavior in the host.  Now if the neoplasm stays localized, enlarges slowly, is homogeneous in appearance, and can be resected or removed, then it is benign. 

On the other hand, if the neoplasm spreads or metastasizes to other areas of the body, infiltrates and causes the destruction of normal tissue, left untreated, will kill the host, then the neoplasm is considered malignant (it takes over in the body).

If a large tumor is occupying the oral cavity, then the patients will have problems with ingestion that might lead to an altered immune-responsiveness. 

If the tumor is in the large colon, then obstruction of the lumen, changes in bowel habits, and GI bleeding can occur. 

In addition, if tumors are large they often outgrow the blood supply, which leads to necrosis and bleeding. 

However, all the above changes are relatively late signs; the tumor would be quite large for a patient to exhibit these effects.  Most small tumors are painless and symptomless. 

In one sense this is unfortunate.  If small tumors were painful, perhaps more patients would seek earlier treatment and tumors could be treated more successful being diagnosed before they are large.

“Honey or Cola May Disrupt Heart”

“TUESDAY, June 25, 2013 (MedPage Today) — A detailed history of patients with arrhythmia or syncope might need to decrease their cola intake or the origin of the honey they consume, two case studies suggest.” 

Chris Kaiser, Cardiology Editor, MedPage Today www.everydayhealth.com

What is SYNCOPE? Syncope, also known as fainting, is a sudden, temporary loss of consciousness.

THE CAUSES: Syncope is caused by a temporary decrease in the flow of blood to the brain. A large number of situations or conditions can cause this decrease in blood flow. They can include straining for a prolonged period of time, common mild illnesses like as simple as the cold or flu or sinusitis, standing up too quickly allowing the blood to drop from the brain in decreasing blood supply to that area, emotionally stressed, heart disease, standing rigidly for a long time, arrhythmias (abnormal heart beats = irregular heartbeats), pain, fright, drugs and alcohol. Certain heart conditions can cause syncope. They include heart attacks, certain arrhythmia (like atrial fibrillation), hypertropic cardiomyopathy (A disease that involves thickening of the heart muscle which is greatest in size on the L side of the heart since that side of the heart has to pump blood to the feet up to the head and back to the right side of the heart; the Rt. side of the heart only pumps blood from the Rt side of the heart to lungs and back to the L side of the heart with oxygenated blood.) Other conditions causing syncope can be disorders of the heart valves, or heart blocks (a problem with the heart’s electrical system blocked due to the conduction system not going completely from the top to the bottom of the heart which can be slight (1^st degree heart block to moderate=2 types of 2^nd degree heart block to completely being 3^rd degree heart block).    

DIAGNOSIS: Like any other condition in determining the cause we have to use diagnostic tools through certain tests to figure out the actual etiology of the syncope or any symptoms you’re experiencing. The doctor will start with a thorough physical exam and review of your medical history with significant changes from your last physical or visit with the doctor. The doctor may recommend certain diagnostic tests to determine the cause of your fainting episodes. These tests could include: X-rays, use of a Holter monitor (a device that you wear during the day that records the electrical activity over a period of time), or other diagnostic or imaging testing procedures. Our doctor might recommend a “tilt-table test”. This test involves a special table that tilts upright. Sometimes, medications are given during the test to help with the diagnosis. Your doctor may order a Stress Test where you walk to run on a treadmill with or without IV contrast to determine if this is possible cardiac situation and if it is than the doctor would further order other cardiac testing from Echocardiogram (soundwaves checking the heart) to microsurgery possibly like an angiogram (cardiac cath)=microsurgery if the situation was a blockage in an artery that needed to be declogged than a angioplasty would be performed if you were a candidate for this procedure, which a cardiologist would decide.

PREVENTION OF THIS PROBLEM: If this was to prevent cardiac conditions from occurring to stop the syncope from occurring live a life with a healthy diet, balancing exercise and rest and if overweight start a program with both diet and exercise involved. To do it right first go to a cardiologist, if obese or overweight, to do it safe and correctly. Already with some type of cardiac problem than be compliant in what your cardiologist provides you in your individual plan of care in treating this condition to prevent it worsening or causing other problems as well.

TREATMENT: Treatment depends on the cause of the fainting spells. If the problems are related to medications the doctor may have to change the dosage or the type of medication. Medications are generally not required to treat syncope, but they might be required to treat the cause of syncope. Most fainting spells are not dangerous. Individuals usually regain consciousness on their own in a few minutes.