Colon cancer has become a genuine concern for many Americans today.  One of the main reasons we see such a huge boost in the popularity of things that propose to cleanse the colon and the digestive system and help “keep things moving” smoothly is that people are very afraid they are clogging up their colons and their intestines with foods that are not beneficial to these lines areas, and causing an eventual abnormal cell growth, especially if chronic constipation is a problem. 

At least that is how I view it.  I always think of a healthy colon and digestive system as one that is never clogged and always moving freely, never alternating between diarrhea and constipation as many with IBS experience, and unfortunately as much of the US population experiences because of a diet high in things that are colon unfriendly like cheese, meats (especially red meat), and refined wheat and starch products.  Herbal colon cleansers can help to wash this kind of stuff out and help to provide a regular cleansing of this vital area, but a healthy diet is the absolute best thing you can do to prevent issues in the first place.

Since colon cancer affects over a million a year and kills over 100,000 a year in the US alone, it’s no wonder researchers are looking for better ways to protect the colon from developing cancerous growth.  We know that unhealthy colons are more likely to develop polyps, which then can become cancerous later in life, depending on a number of factors including diet and lifestyle.  Researchers also know that because of the protective mucous lining of the colon that it is protected from the immune system, which is not such a good thing and may explain it’s susceptability to cancer growth, among other factors.

Researchers had discovered a specific protein in the human intestine, and used it to develop what they are tentatively calling a colon cancer vaccine.  They have so far only done the studies on mice, but the results are very encouraging that this may soon develop into a real vaccination against the life threatening disease.

The mice who were vaccinated were significantly healthier (colon wise) and lived longer than those that were not vaccinated and were infected with colon tumors (I’m a little confused as to how you “infect” a mouse with a tumor, but oh well).  Ugh, animal testing really is cruel, but I guess it’s the only way to further humanity’s search for medications and ways to prolong life and prevent and treat disease, unless we use human guinea pigs.  At any rate, it’s looking like we may have a big find if this translates well into human vaccination against colon cancer.

Remember that a good herbal colon cleansing once in a while can help keep your system free of harmful “gunk”.  Think of it as a fuel injector cleaner in a way (comparing it to a car, yes, I know!), it helps keep the way clear so toxins are free to exit the body and the excess waste can pass freely and not cause problems. 

Being that I am an adult woman with asthma, I found this news to be interesting, and on point certainly for my personal situation.  The story was about how recent findings have indicated that adult females that have had adult-onset asthma, which is an inflammatory condition that affects the breathing passageways in the lungs and causes them to constrict, making it difficult to breathe and causes a wheezing sensation, also have a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.

The study did indicate however that it was in women with adult-onset asthma, not in women that have had asthma since they were children, which is what my case is since I developed the lung problem when I was about 6 or 7 years old.  The study also concluded that this statistically linked higher risk of heart disease and stroke did not apply for men who had adult onset asthma though, so it is somewhat of a mystery why it is only in women.

The group who did the study did say however that they’d like to test larger groups of people since they feel that it does not really dictate any different treatment scenarios because the control groups used in the studies were not large enough to warrant such actions.  For those with asthma, it is wise to watch your refined sugars and other foods that cause inflammation, since asthma is essentially an inflammatory disease.  Actually anyone should follow an “anti inflammatory diet”, but most of use eat too many refined foods and this leads to everything from cancer to arthritis to heart disease. 

There has been a great increase over the last ten years in the prescription of sleeping aid drugs to people with the higher stress levels and hectic work schedules of so many trying to make ends meet, and strangely, this often coincides with higher prescriptions for anti anxiety and depresssion meds as well, because as we all know, depression and anxiety often accompany sleeplessness (see the melatrol review for info on a natural effective way to fight insomnia), or vice versa.

As much as we complain about our doctors, we need to do our part and open a line of communication with them so they can do their job more effectively in healing us.  Most of us complain that our doctors make us wait and that the pills they give us don’t get the desired results quickly enough.    However, do we think about how well we state what’s ailing us and how honest we are about our lifestyles and habits?
If we approach visiting the doctor as establishing a partnership, we will be much further along in attaining wellness.  When your physician speaks, listen to them and pay attention.  If anything needs clarifying, state exactly what it is that you do not fully understand.
Try to determine, for your particular health problem, what are the best steps to solve it and what you’re capable of doing and complying with in a positive way.   Come up with a plan of action together, for example, to lose weight with the assistance and input from your doctor.
Make sure that your doctor gives you a choice of all of the treatment options available for your health concern.  If you should find out that you have not been given that information, you will probably want to look for another doctor.  You want to make sure your doctor keeps current on all of the latest treatment options.
Be prepared, as the patient, to have all of the information the doctor needs from you.  It would be a good idea, if you are on a number of medications and your doctor is new to you, to write them all down.  Inform your doctor if you have opted to discontinue or have been noncompliant in  taking any of your medications as prescribed. Make your doctor aware of any allergies.
Keep a list of any signs and symptoms of concern, when they started and how often.  Speak up if you’ve had sudden weight loss or gain or dizzy spells or upset stomach, for example, and how long ago.  If we, as patients, make mental and written notes to address our concerns with our physicians, we will make them more efficient in their jobs and speed the healing process.  With this approach and a willingness to comply with a partnership health plan, you will be on the path to wellness sooner from your visits to the doctor.

Yep, it’s become that big. The pharmaceutical industry must be doing cartwheels, and it’s no wonder this multi billion dollar business has serious business interests in keeping people on medications and creating new meds for different things all the time. Heck, just the other day, I heard they approved a new medication for the RLS issue, which is Restless Legs Syndrome. I actually have this once in a great while, but I hardly think it’s worth taking a medication that can result in other, in my opinion, worse, side effects. But that’s just me.Apparently studies have recently shown that about half and perhaps a bit more than that, of all insured Americans are on some sort of medication, which to me seems unacceptable, since I’m a proponent of preventive medicine - ie. supplement taking, exercise and proper diet and lifestyle, obviously, as a healthy alternative to keeping disease and illness at bay and continuing to live a longer life.