“Civilization, the orderly world in which we live, is frail. We are skating on thin ice. There is a fear of a collective disaster. Terrorism, genocide, flu, tsunamis.”

Zygmunt Bauman (born 19 November 1925) is a Polish sociologist. He has resided in England since 1971 after being driven out of Poland by an anti-semitic campaign engineered by the Communist government.

Those bugs that are common in fall, winter and spring are 2 Viruses =The COLD and THE FLU.

HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT:

Both influenza and the common cold are viral respiratory infections (they affect the nose, throat, and lungs). Viruses are spread from person to person through airborne droplets (aerosols) that are sneezed out or coughed up by an infected person, direct contact is another form of spread with infected nasal secretions, or fomites (contaminated objects). Which of these routes is of primary importance has not been determined, however hand to hand and hand to surface to hand to contact seems of more importance than transmission. The viruses may survive for prolonged periods in the environment (over 18 hours for rhinoviruses in particular=a common virus for colds) and can be picked up by people’s hands and subsequently carried to their eyes or nose where infection occurs. In some cases, the viruses can be spread when a person touches an infected surface (e.g., doorknobs, countertops, telephones) and then touches his or her nose, mouth, or eyes. As such, these illnesses are most easily spread in crowded conditions such as schools.

The traditional folk theory that you can catch a cold in prolonged exposure to cold weather such as rain or winter settings is how the illness got its name. Some of the viruses that cause common colds are seasonal, occurring more frequently during cold or wet weather. The reason for the seasonality has not yet been fully determined. This may occur due to cold induced changes in the respiratory system, decreased immune response, and low humidity increasing viral transmission rates, perhaps due to dry air allowing small viral droplets to disperse farther, and stay in the air longer. It may be due to social factors, such as people spending more time indoors, as opposed to outdoors, exposing him or her “self” to an infected person, and specifically children at school. There is some controversy over the role of body cooling as a risk factor for the common cold; the majority of the evidence does suggest a result in greater susceptibility to infection.

The SIMPLE COMMON COLD:

The common cold (also known as nasopharyngitis, rhinopharyngitis, acute coryza, head cold) or simply a cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract which primarily effects the nose. There are over 200 different known cold viruses, but most colds (30% up to 80%) are caused by rhinovirusesThis means you can pass the cold to others, so stay home and get some much-needed rest for yourself and not passing it on to others for the contagious period at least.

If cold symptoms do not seem to be improving after a week, you may have a bacterial infection, which means you may need antibiotics, which only kill bacterial infections not viral.

Sometimes you may mistake cold symptoms for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or a sinus infection (bacterial). If cold symptoms begin quickly and are improving after a week, then it is usually a cold, not allergy. If your cold symptoms do not seem to be getting better after a week, check with your doctor to see if you have developed an allergy or inflammation or the sinuses (sinusitis).

Influenza is commonly referred to as “the flu”, this is an infectious disease of birds and mammals caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza viruses. The most common sign or symptom are chills, fever, runny nose, coughing, aches and weakness to headache and sore throat. Although it is often confused with other influenza-like illnesses, especially the COMMON COLD, influenza is a more severe illness or disease caused by a different virus. Influenza nausea and vomiting, particularly in children but these symptoms are more common in the unrelated gastroenteritis, which is sometimes inaccurately referred to as “stomach flu” or “25 hour flu”. The flu can occasionally lead to pneumonia, either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia, even for persons who are usually very healthy. In particular it is a warning sign if a child or presumably an adult seems to be getting better and then relapses with a high fever as this relapse may be bacterial pneumonia. Another warning sign is if the person starts to have trouble breathing.

Each year, 10% to 20% of Canadians are stricken with influenza. Although most people recover fully, depending on the severity of the flu season, it can result in an average of 20,000 hospitalizations and approximately 4000 to 8000 deaths annually in Canada. Deaths due to the flu are found mostly among high-risk populations, such as those with other medical conditions (such as diabetes or cancer) or weakened immune systems, seniors, or very young children. There are 3 types of influenza viruses: A, B, and C. Type A influenza causes the most serious problems in humans and can be carried by humans or animals (wild birds are commonly the host carriers). It is more common for humans seem to carry the most with ailments with type A influenza. Type B Influenza is found in humans also. Type B flu may cause less severe reaction than A type flu virus but for the few for the many can still be at times extremely harmed. Influenza B viruses are not classified by subtype and do not cause pandemics at this time. Influenza type C also found in people but milder than type A or B. People don’t become very ill from this Type C Influenza and do not cause pandemics.

The common cold eventually fizzles, but the flu may be deadly. Some 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized and 36,000 die each year from flu complications — and that pales in comparison to the flu pandemic of 1918 that claimed between 20 and 100 million lives. The best defense against it: a vaccine once a year.

References for Part 1 and 2 on the two bugs The FLU and The COLD:

1-Wikipedia “the free encyclopedia” 2013 website under the topic Influenza.

2-Kimberly Clark Professional website under the influenza.

3-Web MD under “COLD, FLU, COUGH CENTER” “Flu or cold symptoms?” Reviewed by Laura J. Martin MD November 01, 2011

4-2013 Novartis Consumer Health Inc. Triaminic “Fend off the Flu”

5-Scientific American “Why do we get the flu most often in the winter? Are viruses virulent in cold weather? December 15, 1997

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

Helen Keller   (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968 was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree).

Differences between tumors are as follows:

Benign Tumors ones are the following:

Encapsulating (the big answer to resolution of a tumor like this is this a tumor that is surgical to remove or can radiation or chemo decrease the size of it to nothing).

Non metastasizing-meaning it hasn’t spread anywhere.

Well – Differentiated-meaning easy to detect.

Slow – growing (just what is says)

Malignant Tumors ones are the following:

Invasive,Metastasizing,FrequentlyUndifferentiated,OftenRapidGrowing.

Know that carcinogenesis is the process of inducing a malignant tumor in an animal or human. Much of the research in carcinogenesis resolves around deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the influence of carcinogens on DNA, and the genes that are involved in differentiation (of this growth vs normal tissue of the body) and control of cancerous cell growth.

There is viral and chemical carcinogenesis.   Both RNA and DNA viruses have been identified as causing natural and experimental tumors. Research has shown herpes viruses are DNA viruses. For almost every herpes group there is some experimental or epidemiological evidence linking it to human malignancy. Example Epstein-Barr viruse has been associated with Burkitt’s Lymphoma in West African children and nasopharyngeal cancer among Asian populations. Herpes simplex virus-1 has been linked to oral cancer and herpes simplex virus-2 to cervical cancer. All herpes viruses share a characteristic ability to remain latent within the body over long periods. Although they may be found throughout the body, CMV (cytomegaloviruse) infections are frequently associated with the salivary glands in humans and other mammals. Other CMV viruses are found in several mammal species, but species isolated from animals differ from HCMV in terms of genomic structure, and have not been reported to cause human disease.

The RNA viruses, also called oncoviruses or retroviruses induce leukemia, lymphoma, and mammary tumors in animals. To complete their natural cycle, these viruses must manufacture a viral DNA that is then integrated into the host cell DNA. To do this they produce an enzyme and the enzyme is able to use RNA as a template to produce DNA. Since these viruses can remain latent in a cell for long periods of time, it is only by identifying the enzyme or the viral DNA that scientists are able to detect cells infected with these viruses. This enzyme has been identified in some human leukemia and lymphoma cells.

In addition, approximately 20 oncogenes have been identified with these RNA viruses and some of these oncogenes have also been detected in human bladder cancer cells, Burkitt’s lymphoma, and promyelocytic leukemia.

There is also radiation carginogenesis. There is external radiation; take Leukemia which was the first cancer related to radiation exposure that was seen in the atomic bomb survivors. Within 6-8 years after the bomb, the incidence rates of leukemia increased to levels well above those seen in the Japanese population who were not exposed. The peak was highest from 1950 to 1952, at which time the incidence was 116:100,000, as compared with 3-4:100,000 to the unexposed population.

Internal Emitters – One of the most famous classics is that of the luminescent instrument – dial painters. The paint was used to create luminescent faces on watches and clocks containing radium. While painting, the workers licked the brushes and thus ingested the radium. Radium, when ingested is deposited in bone and tends to remain there.) Among this group, bone cancer or osteogenic sarcoma, a rare tumor, became prevalent. With this type of knowledge it led to limitations on surface testing of atomic weapons. Atomic weapons contain radioactive compounds that can become deposited in the bone.

Ultraviolet radiation or the Sunlight – One of the most obiquitous forms of radiation that every person is exposed to is the sunlight. Ultraviolet rays do not penetrate deeply. Most statistics on cancer do not include skin cancer due to it being treatable (the easiest cancer to treat on average). Another more dangerous type of cancer is melanoma that has been linked to sunlight exposure.

Tumor classification shows because the study of tissues originates with the study of their development in the embryo, the class of the tumor is often based on the tissues from which the tumor is derived.

Grading the cancer, besides classifying the tumor according to the tissue origin the pathologist will classify it looking at other characteris- tics. This aspect is Grading the cancer from level 1 or 2 or 3 or 4. If cells of classification in the tumor look like the mature cells of the tissue than the tumor is well differentiated=Grade 1. This type of tumor generally has a better prognosis compared to a tumor that is poorly differentiated or does not resemble the tissue from which it originated. Sometimes a poorly differentiated tumor is called anaplastic. An anaplastic tumor would have the highest grade of 4. Remember even though tow tumors might be similarly classified and have identical grades, in two different individuals the tumors might act differently. Because each patient is unique, has a different history, different immune responses, and different reserves, similar tumors might act very differently.

DIAGNOSIS

A definitive diagnosis of cancer can only be made after an examination of tissue obtained from a surgical procedure or biopsy. Biopsies can be excisional, meaning the whole lesion is removed, or incisional in which only part of the presumptive tumor is removed. Specimens can also be obtained from a needle biopsy. In this a core of tissue is drawn up in a needle.   Cytological examination of exfoliated cells, as done in a pap smear, can lead to a presumptive diagnosis of cancer but often a surgical biopsy will be performed to confirm the diagnosis. Often the patient undergoes many other diagnostic tooling procedures besides the biopsy in the attempt to determine the nature and extent of the illness=from blood tests, diagnostic x-ray studies, and endoscopic procedures. These tests with the biopsy done are used to evaluate the extent of the disease in the patient. This process of determining the extent of tumor in an individual is called staging.

Treatment

Cancer treatment can be surgery, chemo or radiation or even all 3.

“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.

Part 2 tomorrow

We must pay greater attention to keeping our bodies and minds healthy and  able to heal. Yet we are making it difficult for our defences to work. We allow  things to be sold that should not be called food. Many have no nutritive value  and lead to obesity, salt imbalance, and allergies.

David Suzuki   (an environmental activist and host of the television show The Nature of Things. He has also worked as a geneticist, nature writer, and university professor.) the founder and CEO of Dylan’s Candy Bar

In our body we have cholesterol which is a type of fat. In certain foods is cholesterol depending on the food you buy. Your total cholesterol includes LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Let’s differentiate the two, LDL is bad cholesterol because it can build up in the arterial walls and form plaque in time. That build up in the arteries will reduce blood flow and increase your risk to heart disease, especially eating frequently the wrong foods with high and bad cholesterol over years (Example. coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and eating like this for years can lead to a heart attack or from s/s arising scarring the person to go to the doctor and find out they have blockages & need surgery. The sign and symptoms arising scarring the person can range from chest pain, and can be radiating down the arms, sweating profusely, weakness/fatigue increases in your life, dizziness, you feel like you’re going to fall or actually due to the fatigue/weakness=low blood pressure due to the blockage or the heart just working too hard in doing its function since the cardiac output is decreased from the blockage) Take one of my dear friends who I have known almost 35 years who was a workaholic 10to14hr/7 days a week for at least 25 years and this week he had to undergo surgery for a coronary artery blockage bypass for 5 vessels blocked 80% to 100%. He had a successful bypass done but now has a long rehab haul to get better due to high cholesterol eating, smoking (that both play an impact in plaque & tar build up in the vessels) but he also was obese by about 50lbs. This could have been prevented if he changed his diet, watched his weight, and quit smoking years ago but that takes discipline, making sacrifices=all within your hands to allow for healthy habits now (prevention) or later when problems occur (treatment), if caught in time. There is a way out of this happening to you.

HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is also known as good cholesterol because it is thought to help remove bad cholesterol from the body; if you decide the right foods in the right portions that will have more HDL than LDL in them. Differentiating the 2, now another component to keep in mind is risk factors that can put you at risk for heart disease and your doctor will determine what additional risk factors you have putting you at risk for heart disease. These risk factors can be modifiable (controllable by individuals) or non-modifiable (non-controllable by individuals).

Modifiable Risk Factors=High B/P, Diabetes, Low HDL=good cholesterol, High LDL=bad cholesterol, smoking, eating foods high in SATURATED FAT & CHOLESTEROL, lack of any activity in your life (your regular routine doesn’t count), & harmful use of alcohol.

Non-modifiable Risk Factors=4 types only which are: 1-Heredity (The higher the risk is when the heredity is closer to you in your family tree=Nuclear family–mom, dad, and siblings). 2-Age (Men aged 45y/o or older & Women aged 55 y/o or older) 3-Gender (It may affect your risk, for years heart disease was considered a man’s disease but we now know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women as well as men. Although men tend to develop coronary artery disease earlier in life, after age 65 the risk of heart disease for both genders is equal.) 4-Race (Heart disease is higher among African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians, and some Asian Americans compared to Caucasians).

The answer to prevention or treatment of cardiac disease is changing or modifying your diet, if it’s unhealthy 100% or just partially. The answer includes exercise (from just walking or if you like working out, even better) and if needed medication but your doctor will decide. All these changes can modify your blood lipid profile=cholesterol control, which helps increasing your heart to a better tolerance with activity, stress and simply functioning. Recommended is going to a cardiologist for people diagnosed with heart conditions or your general practitioner with any illness/disease before making changes to help guide you towards the right choices. Your doctor can help you in determining which prevention or treatment plan is best for you.

Foods high in cholesterol=Fast foods, whole fat dairy products-milk/cheese/butter/mayonnaise/ bacon/processed deli meats/salad dressings and shortenings.

The key is to be living a healthy life. This consists of diet, exercise or activity and healthy habits learned and practiced routinely in your life that will help prevent or assist in treating cardiac disease. The better we treat ourselves regarding health the higher the odds we will live a longer   life. There is not just one food to eat or one type of exercise to do or one healthy habit to keep you healthy, there are choices. Come onto my website which is no fee, no charge, no hacking, just letting you check us out to look further in understanding how to take a shape for your life with Dr. Anderson and even myself as your health coach in helping you learn what healthier habits or changes you want for a healthier way of living. It allows you to make all the decisions in what you want to do regarding what to eat (diet), exercise/activity, and what healthy habits you want to add in your life. We just provide the information and healthy foods in your diet, if you decide you want it. You make all the choices. Wouldn’t you want less disease/illness for yourself and for others throughout the nation including the future generations? Thank you for taking the time to read my introduction to how we can help you get healthier and make a healthier USA. Click onto heathyusa.tsfl.com and I hope to hear from you soon.

Angina is a medical term simply meaning lack of oxygen to the heart.  Lack of oxygen to any area of the body will cause pain in time since oxygen is the nutrients to our tissues in the human body.  Since the heart is in our upper chest angina will cause pressure or pain in the chest area and could radiate down the left arm.  Angina is reversible, no damage has occurred to the heart, but don’t get it treated and a heart attack will soon occur.

A Myocardial Infarction (MI) is just another name for a heart attack.  The coronary arteries supply the heart muscle which is called the myocardium in medical terms.  When one of these arteries are blocked and the blood supply is cut off partially to completely an MI can definitely occur.  The problem here is actual damage and scarring occurs at the area of where the MI took place in the heart.  Cell death does not occur immediately once the artery is blocked.  It takes several minutes to start the injury process and this continues for several hours unless the artery is opened up and blood flow is restored.

Cause:

The reason for the blockage is usually a buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances) in the walls of the coronary arteries.

The plaque buildup narrows the walls of the artery and can cause blood clots to occur.  Plaque buildup is caused by a disease known as artherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).  An artherosclerotic plaque is a made up of cells, cholesterol, and other fatty substances.  The plaque develops in the wall of the coronary artery and over time becomes large enough to start narrowing the channel through which the blood travels.

The pool of lipid (the fat) within the plaque is covered by a thin fibrous cap.  This cap may split or fracture, exposing the blood to elements within the plaque that cause blood clot formation.

This clotting process may be controlled by the body, which contains substances to dissolve clots, or may lead to complete blockage of the artery.  When the artery is  blocked acutely for more than a few minutes, cell death start to occur.

Coronary heart disease is a very common disease and is the leading cause of death in the United States.  More than 500,000 men and women suffer a heart attack each year.

Are all heart attacks the same?   NO, A small heart attack means only a small amount of the heart muscle tissue has died.  Recovery in such cases is typically fast, and complications are to a minimum.

Large heart attacks that involve a large portion of heart tissue can cause problems like:  low blood pressure, shock, or heart failure because the heart’s ability to pump blood is reduced.  Recovery is typically longer in such cases and complications are at a higher potential of happening or death can occur.

Until the are of damage heals, the dead heart muscle is soft/weak and rupture of the heart wall can occur.  This usually results in death.  The normal rhythm of your heartbeat can change during a heart attack.  These rhythm abnormalities can be very serious and cause death if not treated promptly.

With prompt and effective treatment of a myocardial infarction, most potential complications can be avoided, and the mortality rate can be reduced dramatically.

Recovery for a heart attack:

In years past, hospitalization was often prolonged, lasting 3 to 4 weeks.  Today, hospitalization following a heart attack is usually brief in the absence of complications.  Often patients are home within 4 to 5 days or sooner.  Activities will be restricted for a few weeks to allow the healing process to occur.  The damage to the heart tissue will usually heal in 4 to 8 weeks.  The heart forms a scar tissue that is permanent; just like what would happen if any other tissue of the body suffered damage. (ex. You cut yourself with a knife damaging your skin (which is tissue and a organ of the body, than get stitches by the doctor which heal on their own in time  and  a scar in that area remains for life).  The same thing occurs to the heart in a MI.

Many patients will participate in a formal cardiac rehabilitation program.  These pro- grams typically focus on exercise and other lifestyle changes in order to speed recovery, and to fight the coronary artery disease that originally caused the heart attack.  Cardiac rehabilitation is so vital, it helps people to resume normal activity to their optimal level as quickly as possible with whatever adjustments they needed to make in their life to prevent this from happening again whether it be diet, exercise balanced with rest, and medications to take (new or adjustments in doses) or all 3.