Discover safe, natural ways to silence

the ringing in your ears

right away!

Finally, you can take back your life from the relentless noise in your head–that ringing, buzzing and chirping that’s interrupting your sleep, distracting your attention from daily tasks and stopping you from enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

Have you been told that this non-stop orchestra of noise is all in your head? Or that you’re imagining things?

That’s simply not true!

In medical terms, the noise you’re suffering from is called “tinnitus.” And it’s a very real problem that can have devastating effects on your physical, emotional and psychological health.

If you wake up each morning exhausted from another sleepless night …

If even the ordinary sounds of daily life are becoming too annoying to endure …

If you’re worried and depressed that the noise will get worse and you’ll never enjoy the peace and quiet of normal living again …

If your doctor has prescribed an anti-depressant or tranquilizer that is making you feel tired, out of it, or sexless …

If you’ve been stuck on the merry-go-round of specialists with no successful treatment to show for
it …

Then, I’ve got important news for you!

You can learn ways to silence the painful, aggravating noise
in your head once and for all.

And it won’t take prescriptions, surgery or an expensive earpiece. Many people get rid of the humming and roaring in their head without leaving home or spending a single cent.

Imagine no more noise droning on and on in your ears. “No more ringing bells” or “chirping grasshoppers” that make you feel like you’re losing your mind. No more frustration or embarrassment that you can’t hear what others are saying or can’t concentrate on straightforward, ordinary tasks.

No more struggling to get through the day without tearing your hair out!

Tinnitus can range from mildly distracting to completely debilitating. No matter what others may say, it can prevent you from leading a normal life. And even though millions of people have struggled with it for centuries, modern doctors still resort to telling patients, “You just have to live with it.”

Well, you don’t have to live with it any longer! Today, we know more than ever about what causes tinnitus and how to relieve it–without drugs or other medical interventions.

Why doctors can’t treat this frustrating condition

When you understand how the ear works, it’s no surprise that hearing problems are among the hardest to treat. The ear may be small, but it’s actually one of the most complex parts of the human body–with thousands of tiny parts that can only be seen through a microscope.

And like a fine musical instrument, every tiny part has to be balanced and in tune for the whole thing to work. Most tinnitus comes from damage to the microscopic nerve endings of the inner ear. These nerves transmit the sounds collected by the outer ear (the fleshy part of the ear that we can see) to the brain. When they’re damaged by loud noise, infection or just the wear and tear of aging, they cause both hearing loss and the phantom sounds of tinnitus.

Frankly, mainstream medicine has thrown up its hands at the problem of tinnitus. There’s no drug or surgical procedure to treat it. So many doctors recommend hearing aids (that can be expensive) or prescribe an anti-depressant to help you relax.

Here’s the kicker, though. Many anti-depressants and other medications actually make the noise in your ears worse! I was astonished to learn that more than 200 medications list tinnitus as a side effect–including two that are so widely used they are probably in your medicine cabinet right now.

Finally effective treatments revealed!

You don’t have to wait another day to tame the noise in your head! There are dozens of inexpensive, natural remedies that you can use in the comfort and convenience of your home. For example …

• Unclog your ear canal with this Mediterranean staple–a drop or two is all it takes. And you can find it right in your supermarket!

• Banish phantom noises in your head–and improve your normal hearing at the same time.

• Reverse this vitamin deficiency and turn off your tinnitus. New discovery reverses tinnitus with these two supplements.

• Soothe middle-ear inflammation–These common foods can irritate your ear canal, trigger chronic ear infections and set off painful tinnitus.

• Calm your ears with your brain’s own soothing endorphins by spending 5 minutes in your favorite chair doing this.

• Fix your body’s natural energy flow with this easy technique from China.

These are safe, quick solutions the medical establishment has kept hidden from you! But you’ll discover them all–page after page–in Banish the Noise and Recapture the Silence: The Tinnitus Solution.

Say goodbye to the ringing, buzzing and roaring in your ears!

These treatments for tinnitus have not been well publicized, but health expert and author Bill Habets changes all of that in this groundbreaking book. Banish the Noise and Recapture the Silence: The Tinnitus Solution reveals little-known treatments that have been shown time and again to be effective and easy.

You owe it to yourself to learn how others are reclaiming their lives from this maddening condition…

• This tasty, all-natural snack can help stop tinnitus and hearing loss! Page 63.

• Your brain normally filters out background noises. Learn ways to improve your brain’s sound-filtering ability. See page 75.

• Your heart health regimen may be increasing your tinnitus! Turn to page 64.

• This old-fashioned cold remedy can help calm tinnitus symptoms and promote restful sleep. See page 111.

• Reduce the muscle tension that aggravates tinnitus with this proven treatment. See page 85.

• Rechannel nervous energy away from your head and quiet the racket in your ears. See page 108.
  

Plus many more remedies you can use right away.
Try them for one full year, risk-free!

There are so many helpful techniques in The Tinnitus Solution, you’re sure to find at least one that quiets the storm of noise in your head. But if you don’t, I insist that you return the book to us for a full refund (minus shipping and handling). Just give us a call or send a note. You’ll get back every cent of your US$19.95 with no questions asked.

So get your copy of Banish the Noise and Recapture the Silence: The Tinnitus Solution today and silence the ringing once and for all!

Sincerely,

Chris Monahan
Agora Health Books
P.S. Remember, our Complete Refund Guarantee is good for an entire year–365 days–to give you ample time to rediscover the silence you’re searching for. Don’t live with the noise another day–write or call today. There’s absolutely nothing to lose–except the ringing in your ears.

Probably the best-researched alternative therapy is Ginkgo biloba extract. It has been the subject of several trials, including part of a double-blind trial with the drug pentoxifylline and 72 patients with sudden deafness. Ginkgo biloba extract proved to be more beneficial than pentoxifylline (Acta Otolaryngol, 2001; 121: 579-84). Another study of 106 patients with hearing loss found that high-dose Ginkgo could speed recovery after sudden SNHL ‘with a good chance that they will recover completely, even with little treatment’ (Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol, 2001; 285: 213-9). Homoeopathy offers Pulsatilla as an aid against middle ear infection (J Am Inst Homeop, 1986; 79: 3-4); other remedies include Chenopodium for exposure to loud noise and Causticum for build-up of earwax. Aconite and Ferrum phos. may help in early-stage otitis media, and Salicylicum acidum, Chenopodium and Cinchona officinalis can help in the treatment of tinnitus (Alternative Medicine, Tiburon, California: Future Medicine Publishing, 1999).

Alpha-lipoic acid may also help protect against damage caused by loud noises. The agent reduces free radical formation and can lessen the nerve damage induced by antibiotics. Patients taking drugs that may cause hearing loss could reduce potential harm with 250 mg of alpha-lipoic acid twice a day. Osteopathy and chiropractic may be helpful in recurrent earache if it is caused by a mechanical problem at the top of the neck (Man Med, 1987; 25: 5-10). Another approach, sound therapy, is based on high-frequency soundwaves that stimulate the cilia – the hair-like sensory cells in the inner ear. It can also flip between channels, thereby forcing the ear muscles to tense and then relax, which may help restore muscle tone. Probably the best known of the sound therapies is based on the work and research of the French specialist Alfred Tomatis.

Herbal remedies that are also worth a try include a combination of goldenseal, mullein and hypericum in a glycerine base, which may reduce ear pain and help draw out excess fluid. Echinacea and goldenseal can also be used as antibacterials. For otitis media, some herbalists suggest Echinacea and cleavers tinctures. In traditional Chinese medicine, ear problems are associated with kidney functions, so acupuncture points related to the kidney are used, often in conjunction with herbals such as er long zuo gi wan. Ayurvedic medicine uses a combination of oils, massage, herbs and nutritional supplements. The most effective oil for treating ear infections is neem, which is both antibacterial and antifungal (Alternative Medicine, 1999).

Hearing loss that has a definite and identifiable cause can usually be treated. But nobody is sure what can be done to treat presbycusis, the type of hearing loss that seems to accompany old age. As with most conditions, prevention is better than cure. It’s almost certain that presbycusis is an environmental and life-style condition. A revised diet, which also includes plenty of the essential nutrients while excluding or reducing consumption of known allergens such as wheat and dairy, is important. And if you can combine this change with an avoidance of excessive noise, you should be well on the way to ensuring that you enjoy good hearing for the rest of your life. *

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

The Cancer-Causing Sex Virus

Matthew Herper, 07.21.10, 04:15 PM EDT

HPV–known for causing cervical cancer–is

emerging as the leading cause of throat cancer in

men. Should they get the vaccine too?

Nine Things You Need To Know About HPV

Martin Duffy, a Boston consultant and economist, thought he just had a sore throat. When it persisted for months, he went to the doctor and learned there was a tumor on his tonsils.

Duffy, now 70, had none of the traditional risk factors for throat cancer. He doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink and has run 40 Boston marathons. Instead, his cancer was caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted and a common cause of throat and mouth cancer.

HPV tumors have a better prognosis than those caused by too many years of booze and cigarettes. But Duffy “is in the unlucky 20%” whose cancer comes back–despite rounds of chemotherapy and radiation that melted 20 more pounds off a lean 150-pound frame. Now the cancer has spread throughout his throat, making eating and talking difficult. “I made my living as a public speaker,” he says. “Now I sound like Daffy Duck.” Duffy believes he has only a few months left. “How do you tell the people you love you love them?” he asks.

Nine Things You Need To Know About HPV

Most strains of the HPV virus are harmless, but persistent infections with two HPV strains cause 70% of the 12,000 cases of cervical cancers diagnosed annually in the U.S. Other forms of the sexually transmitted virus can cause penile and anal cancer, and genital warts. The HPV throat cancer connection has emerged in just the last few years and is so new that the government doesn’t track its incidence. Researchers believe it is transmitted via oral sex. But top researchers estimate that there are 11,300 HPV throat cancers each year in the U.S.–and the numbers are growing fast as people have been having more sexual partners since the 1960s. By 2015 there could be 20,000 cases. For more surprising discoveries about HPV, read here.

These big numbers have some top researchers arguing that drug makers should test whether HPV vaccines now used to prevent cervical cancer in women can also prevent throat infections in boys. Two vaccines, Gardasil from Merck ( MRK – news – people ) and Cervarix from GlaxoSmithKline ( GSK – news – people ), are approved for preventing cervical cancer. Gardasil is approved for use in boys only to prevent genital warts.

Vaccinating boys could stop this meteoric increase in throat cancer. “Clearly, boys need to be vaccinated,” says Marshall Posner, the incoming medical director of head and neck cancer at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. “I want my kids to be vaccinated. I don’t see a downside to these vaccines.”

There’s only one problem: The vaccine manufacturers aren’t terribly hot on the idea. GlaxoSmithKline says it has no plans to study throat cancer. It adds that it is “committed to providing a vaccine specifically designed to protect against cervical cancer in girls and young women.”

Merck, the maker of Gardasil, seemed more interested a couple of years ago. In 2008 it funded Maura Gillison, the Ohio State University researcher who established the HPV-throat-cancer link in 2000, to do a pilot study to show that test could reliably detect HPV infection in the throat. The pilot study was successful. By early 2009 Gillison says that a larger study of the vaccine in throat cancer looked close to being green lit.

But after Merck agreed to buy rival Schering-Plough ( SGP – news – people ) for $41 billion in March 2009, interest in a big study seemed to evaporate, Gillison says. In a statement, Merck says that “due to competing research and business priorities, we decided not to move ahead with an efficacy study at this time.”

The drug makers’ reticence probably stems from a fear that a throat-cancer vaccine would be hard to get approved. Papilloma viruses usually cause cancer slowly, causing pre-cancerous lesions that take many years to blossom into full-fledged malignant tumors. Papilloma viruses cause the horn-like growths in rabbits that probably gave rise to myths of “jackalopes” in the American West. In the cervix, early abnormal growths can be picked up with a diagnostic test, the Pap smear. Clinical trials of Gardasil and Cervarix took advantage of this, measuring the number of pre-cancerous growths prevented by the vaccines.

But there are no easy-to-detect pre-cancers in the throat. Adolescent boys would have to be followed for decades to to see if the vaccine prevented throat cancer, an unlikely scenario. Short of this, studies could only look at the prevention of HPV throat infections, not cancer or cancer precursors directly. Approving a vaccine for wide use based on this type of short-term data would require a leap of faith that the Food and Drug Administration might not be willing to take.

Top researchers say the federal government needs to step in and fund the long study if drug companies cannot be persuaded to do it themselves. “I’m sorry Merck decided not to do it,” says Posner. “But in the end, this is a federal responsibility. It’s a public health issue.”

For his part, Martin Duffy thinks that drug companies’ complacent attitude toward throat cancer would be different if more of their employees were in his situation. “It will change real fast,” he says, “if one of their executives comes down with this disease.”

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Of Barrett’s Esophagus,

Precursor To

Nation’s Fastest Growing Cancer,

Study Suggests

Science (Mar. 7, 2009) — Drinking one glass of wine a day may lower the risk of Barrett’s Esophagus by 56 percent, according to a new study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in the March issue of Gastroenterology. Barrett’s Esophagus is a precursor to esophageal cancer, the nation’s fastest growing cancer with an incidence rate that’s jumped 500 percent in the last 30 years.

Barrett’s Esophagus affects 5 percent of the population and occurs when heartburn or acid reflux permanently damages the esophageal lining. People with Barrett’s Esophagus have a 30- to 40-fold higher risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma (a type of esophageal cancer) because the Barrett’s Esophagus cells can grow into cancer cells.

Because there are no symptoms or warning signs of Barrett’s Esophagus, people discover they have Barrett’s Esophagus when an endoscopy for anemia, heartburn or a bleeding ulcer reveals esophageal cells that were damaged, then changed form during the healing process. Currently nothing can be done to treat Barrett’s Esophagus; it can only be monitored.

This is the first and largest population-based study to examine the connection between alcohol consumption and risk of Barrett’s Esophagus. Funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, the Kaiser Permanente study looked at 953 men and women in Northern California between 2002 and 2005 and found that people who drank one or more glasses of red or white wine a day had less than half the risk (or 56 percent reduced risk) of Barrett’s Esophagus. There was no reduction of Barrett’s Esophagus risk among people who drank beer or liquor.

“The rate of esophageal adenocarcinoma in this country is skyrocketing yet very little is known about its precursor, Barrett’s Esophagus. We are trying to figure out how to prevent changes that may lead to esophageal cancer.” said Douglas A. Corley, MD, a Kaiser Permanente gastroenterologist and the study’s principal investigator.

The study findings are echoed by two other studies published in the same issue of the Gastroenterology journal: Australian researchers found that people who drank wine were at a lower risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma, and Irish researchers found that people who drank wine were at a lower risk for esophagitis, an irritation of the esophagus that follows chronic heartburn and often precedes Barrett’s Esophagus and cancer.

Researchers are not certain why wine reduces the risk of Barrett’s Esophagus and esophageal cancer. One theory is that the wine’s antioxidants neutralize the oxidative damage caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease, a risk factor for Barrett’s Esophagus. Another theory is that wine drinkers typically consume food with their wine as opposed to drinking straight liquor without food, thereby reducing the potentially damaging effect of alcohol on esophageal tissue, said Ai Kubo, MD, an epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente and lead author on the study. “But we cannot preclude the possibility that wine drinking is a proxy for other ‘health-seeking’ behavior,” Kubo added.

This study is part of larger, case-controlled Kaiser Permanente study led by Dr. Corley that looked at abdominal obesity and consumption of dietary antioxidants, fruits and vegetables in connection with Barrett’s Esophagus. It found that people can reduce their risk of Barrett’s Esophagus by eating eight servings of fruits and vegetables a day and maintaining a normal body weight.

“My advice to people trying to prevent Barrett’s Esophagus is: keep a normal body weight and follow a diet high in antioxidants and high in fruits and vegetables,” Corley said. “We already knew that red wine was good for the heart, so perhaps here is another added benefit of a healthy lifestyle and a single glass of wine a day.”

Researchers noted, though, that the protective effect of wine in terms of preventing Barrett’s Esophagus was greatest with just one or two glasses a day. The protective effect of wine did not increase with higher consumption.

“It’s not actually clear that treating the acid reflux will necessarily prevent getting someone from getting Barrett’s Esophagus,” said Dr. Corley. “The best way to prevent reflux is to maintain a normal weight.”

Authors of the study include: Ai Kubo, T. R. Levin, Gregory Rumore, Charles P. Quesenberry, Jr., of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Gladys Block and Patricia Buffler of the School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

[A substance from the African willow bush]

SHOWS EVIDENCE OF ANTI-TUMOUR

ACTIVITY IN THYROID CANC ER

Data from a phase II study, in which the clinical effects of Zybrestat in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin were studied in 13 patients with advanced malignancies including anaplastic thyroid cancer, suggest that Zybrestat possesses potent anti-tumour activity.

Patients in this study received one of two dose regimens of Zybrestat, both of which reduced tumour blood flow as measured by Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI). The most marked reductions in tumour blood flow (70%) were seen in the patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer.

COMBINING VDAs WITH ANGIOGENESIS

INHIBITORS

The potential to use VDAs in combination with angiogenic inhibitors is a concept that is attracting considerable interest among scientists. Targeting different aspects of a tumour’s blood supply, sequential use of VDAs and angiogenic inhibitors could lead to massive tumour necrosis and destruction.

While a VDA such as Zybrestat could be used to destroy the established blood supply feeding the tumour, the subsequent addition of an angiogenic inhibitor could prevent the regrowth of blood vessels (neovascularisation) which allows a tumour to survive and proliferate following initial therapy. Preventing the regrowth of blood vessels from the viable tumour rim could help stop tumours from spreading.

MARKETING COMMENTARY

Oxigene’s Zybrestat is under development for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer, a highly aggressive primary thyroid malignancy for which there are no approved treatments.

Currently, newly diagnosed patients have a median life expectancy of about 3 months. Although relatively rare, it represents a disease of significant unmet clinical need. VDAs, of which Zybrestat is one of several in development, may have the potential to treat difficult malignancies such as anaplastic thyroid cancer as well as other solid tumours when used in conjunction with established cancer drugs.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 28th April 2010

IS THE GREEN CHLOROPHYL FROM DARK GREEN VEGES THE CANCER ANSWER?

Indole-3-carbinol (C₉H₉NO) is produced by the breakdown of the glucosinolate glucobrassicin, which can be found at relatively high levels in cruciferous vegetables. Indole-3-carbinol is the subject of on-going Biomedical research into its possible anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, and anti-atherogenic effects. Research on indole-3-carbinol has been conducted primarily using laboratory animals and cultured cells. Limited and inconclusive human studies have been reported. A recent review of the biomedical research literature found that “evidence of an inverse association between cruciferous vegetable intake and breast or prostate cancer in humans is limited and inconsistent” and “larger randomized controlled trials are needed” to determine if supplemental indole-3-carbinol has health benefits^[1].

Indole-3-carbinol and cancer

Investigation of mechanisms by which consumption of indole-3-carbinol might influence cancer incidence focuses on its ability to alter estrogen metabolism and other cellular effects. Controlled studies have been performed on such animals as rats, mice, and rainbow trout, introducing various controlled levels of carcinogens, and levels of Indole-3-carbinol into their daily diet. Results showed dose-related decreases in tumor susceptibility due to Indole-3-carbinol (inferred by decreases in aflatoxin-DNA binding). The first direct evidence of pure anti-initiating activity by a natural anticarcinogen (indole-3-carbinol) found in human diet was claimed by Dashwood, et al., in 1989.

In 2006, Hsu et al. proved that indole-3-carbinol induces a  growth arrest of human reproductive cancer cells. This is significant in the prevention and treatment of cancer, as the G1 phase of cell growth occurs early in the cell lifecycle, and, for most cells, is the major period of cell cycle during its lifespan. The G1 phase is marked by synthesis of various enzymes that are required in the next phase, including those needed for DNA replication.

It should be noted that indiscriminate overuse of indole-3-carbinol supplements in the hope of preventing cancer may be unwise, as the hormone balance should be tested (via simple blood test) before regular consumption. Such caution is advised, due to its effect on estrogen levels (estrogen has a significant impact on brain function).

Indole-3-carbinol and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Indole-3-carbinol can shift estrogen metabolism towards less estrogenic metabolites. SLE (or lupus), a currently incurable autoimmune disease, is associated with estrogen. In a study using mice bred to develop lupus, I3C was fed to one group while another group was fed a standard mouse diet; the group fed the I3C diet lived longer and had fewer symptoms of disease.  Another study of lupus prone mice with I3C defined the mechanism for the improvement of their disease to be due to sequential blocks in the development of B and T cells of these mice. The maturation arrests resulted in a fall in autoantibody production, thought to be a crucial component of lupus causation. In addition, I3C supplementation of the disease prone mice led to a normalization of their T cell function.  Women with lupus can manifest a metabolic response to I3C and might also benefit from its antiestrogenic effects. Clinical trials are currently underway to determine the efficacy of treating human patients suffering from lupus with I3C.

Dietary sources

Indole-3-carbinol occurs naturally in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kale. It is also widely available in supplement form.

Sourced and published  by Henry Sapiecha 27th April 2010

What exactly is mouth and throat cancer?
Cancer is a disease of the body’s cells. Our bodies regularly produce new cells to repair after injury, for growth and to replace old worn-out cells. This process is controlled by the DNA of the cells. Research suggests that chemicals in tobacco damage the DNA of cells, interfering with the cells’ instructions for repair and growth.1 These damaged cells may multiply and develop into a malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous) tumour.
Any part of the mouth, nose and throat can be affected by cancer. It may start in the cells that form the lining of the mouth, nose, throat or voice box or in the thyroid or salivary glands.2 If a cancer that develops in the mouth, nose or throat is left untreated, it can spread to surrounding tissue and other parts of the body.2 Mouth and throat cancers generally spread to other parts of the body slowly. Advanced cancers of the mouth and throat can cause chronic pain, loss of function and disfigurement.
Can smoking really lead to mouth and throat cancer?
Yes. The mouth and throat are used for breathing, talking, eating, chewing and swallowing. People who smoke expose their mouth to the 4,000 chemicals found in tobacco smoke.3
Smoking is a major cause of cancer affecting the mouth (oral cavity) and the throat (pharynx). Cancers of the mouth include tumours of the cheek, gum, tongue, lip, and the roof, floor and lining of the mouth. Cancers of the throat include tumours in the area behind the nose and mouth that connects to the oesophagus eg. the base (back third) of the tongue, tonsil, soft palate, the walls of the throat.4
52% of mouth and throat cancers in males and 42% of these cancers in females are attributed to tobacco use.5 The risk of developing mouth cancer increases with the length of time a person has smoked and the amount they smoke.6
Facts
• In Australia, 2,052 Australians died from mouth and throat cancer in 20039.
• In NSW, 517 people were diagnosed with mouth and throat cancer, and 235 died from the disease in 2003.7
• Someone who has ever smoked is up to nine times as likely as a non-smoker to develop one of these cancers.
• Smokers of one pack a day are 16 times more likely than non-smokers to develop cancer of the larynx.10
• Stopping smoking halves the risk of mouth and throat cancers within five years and the risk continues to decline over time.11
• After ten years, the risk of mouth and throat cancer is similar to someone who has never smoked.
Smoking is not the only thing that causes mouth and throat cancer, is it?
No, heavy alcohol use is also a major risk factor for mouth and throat cancer7 and when combined, tobacco and alcohol account for most cases of mouth and throat cancer.8
Cancer of the lip may also be caused by over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and cancers of the nose have been linked to inhaling chemicals such as hardwood dusts.2
How is mouth and throat cancer treated and can it be cured?
Treatment of mouth and throat cancer may involve surgery to remove the cancer, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or a combination of all three treatments. Cancers in the mouth are generally treated with surgery, and may involved radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy after the operation. Cancers of the throat and voice box may be treated by surgery or radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy.2
The aim of the surgery is to remove the cancer and in some cases where the cancer is detected early, only a small area may need to be removed.2
After diagnoses with mouth or throat cancer, 53% of men and 61% of women in NSW are still alive after five years.12 Early detection significantly increases the chances of survival.
Sources
1. US Department US Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004.
2. The Cancer Council Victoria. Cancers of the Mouth, Nose and Throat. April, 2003.
3. IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Tobacco smoke and involuntary smoking. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2004.
4. Background brief Smoking and the mouth. Quit Victoria. 2006
5. Cancer in 2001. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 2004
6. American Council on Science and Health. Cigarettes: What the warning label doesn’t tell you. Second edition. New York, American Council on Science and Health, 2003.
7. Cancer in NSW: Incidence and Mortality 2003. Cancer Institute NSW. 2003
8. American Cancer Society. Oral Cavity & Oropharyngeal Cancer Detailed Guide, URL: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_7x_CRC_Oral_Cavity_and_Oropharyngeal_Cancer_PDF.asp Accessed October 2005.
9. AIHW Mortality Database
10. Homan & Armstrong et al. The quantification of drug caused morbidity and mortality in Australia 1988. Canberra: AGPS. 1990.
11. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the U.S Surgeon General. Atlanta, Georgia. U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Centres of Disease Control and Prevention, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2004/index.htm
12. Johnson N. Tobacco use and oral cancer: a global perspective. J Dent Educ 2001;65(4)
Thinking of quitting?
The Quitline 13 QUIT (13 7848) is a confidential telephone based service designed to help smokers quit smoking and is funded by the Cancer Institute NSW. Quitline advisors are specialists who have been trained in health, education, psychology and smoking cessation. They know the health effects of smoking, understand the quitting process and are aware of the difficulties many smokers face in quitting. They are friendly, helpful, non-judgmental and able to assist you at whatever stage you are at in the quitting process.
Call Quitline today on
13 QUIT (13 7848).
What are the symptoms?
There are a number of symptoms that may indicate cancer of the mouth or throat however these can also be caused by other less serious problems. If any of the following symptoms persist, they could indicate possible cancer of the mouth and throat:2
• a sore in the mouth that does not heal
• swelling or a lump in the mouth or neck
• persistent blocked nose, earache, cough or sore throat
• white patch on tongue, gum or lining of mouth (leukoplakia)
• red patch on tongue, gum or lining of mouth (erythroplakia)
• blood stained mucus or sputum
• changes in voice such as hoarseness
• pain in mouth or throat
• difficulty moving tounge, jaw, chewing or swallowing
• swollen lymph nodes in the neck

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 27th April 2010

Without clean air and plenty of it going into your lungs, you are running the risk of infection in the lungs and complications in all parts of your body from the lack of clean oxygen.\

Someone you love or yourself is living with bronchitis, you know how frustrating in can be to have this lung/breathing condition. So what exactly is it and what can you do if you have to live with it? Bronchitis is basically an acute inflammation of the airways in your lungs. When these airways (the trachea and the large and small bronchi) become inflamed, it is difficult or impossible to breathe.

Chronic bronchitis is a form of bronchitis that continues for a long period of time or keeps coming back.

See below for more information on chronic bronchitis and ways to identify a bronchitis symptom.

Bronchitis causes

Infection is a common cause of bronchitis or a trigger for it. Both children and adults can get bronchitis and it affects them the same. When you have bronchitis, the mucous lining of your airways will become irritated and swollen, making it hard for sufficient air to pass through. In addition, the cells that make up this lining might leak fluids into your lungs and in severe cases, when left untreated it can develop into other conditions such as pneumonia.

The main cause of chronic bronchitis is smoking. The more a person smokes, the more likely they’ll eventually get bronchitis and it will become chronic bronchitis.

Some people have a more severe risk of getting bronchitis such as people who smoke, people who have had it or pneumonia before, people with a weakened immune system and anyone with exposure to lung irritants. Secondhand smoke may also cause chronic bronchitis. Air pollution, infection, and allergies make chronic bronchitis worse.

Chronic bronchitis is one of several forms of COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma are among the leading lung diseases in the United States.

Identifying a bronchitis symptom

One of the most common symptoms associated with bronchitis is a severe cough. Often this is what leads people to seek medical treatment in the first place. Because bronchitis usually comes along with the common cold or an upper respiratory infection, you may have symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, sore throat, nasal congestion and more.

Coughing is a typical bronchitis symptom. Your cough from bronchitis may be dry or it may have phlegm if fluids are already developing there. Your cough may last two weeks or more. Severe coughing for long periods of time will make your chest sore and abdominal muscles sore and can lead to bruising. In some cases, bronchial cough has been severe enough to injure the chest wall or even cause a person to pass out.

Wheezing or shortness of breath is another common bronchitis symptom. So how does someone get bronchitis? Usually it is caused by a virus or infection such as influenza (A and B), common colds, or a lung infection. Certain bacteria can cause bronchitis as well as irritations from certain fumes or dust. Tobacco or cigarette smoke is a common cause for many people, especially children.

Bronchitis treatment

What kind of treatment is there for bronchitis? Most types of bronchitis are caused by viral infections which can not be treated with antibiotics. Usually doctors will help you treat the symptoms until it heals and goes away on its own. If it is determined that your bronchitis is caused by a bacterial infection, then antibiotics may be given.

One way to treat and prevent bronchitis is to avoid the causes and triggers of it in the first place. You can also self-treat discomfort at home with Tylenol (acetaminophen), drinking fluids, using a vaporizer, etc.

Never allow your bronchitis to go untreated, especially if you see the symptoms are getting worse since it may develop into a more serious condition such as pneumonia.

Death is a serious and real option if this condition is neglected.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009

Can be fatal if not treated

It  is an extremely severe form of pneumonia. The cause of Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterium, specifically the bacterium called legionella. This is a disease that is difficult for people to transmit between each other.

Most people come down with this disease by inhaling bacteria out of the air. There are specific groups of people that are more at risk for coming down with this disease. The specific groups of people that are at a high risk for this disease are people that smoke, adults that are older, and people with weakened or damaged immune systems.

Legionella bacterium is also a type of bacterium that can result in a specific type of fever called Pontiac Fever. The Pontiac fever is a milder type of fever that resembles the common flu.

Has been found in commercial air conditioner units and potting mixes with a high level of stagnant moisture.

The good news is that this fever is usually an illness that clears up on its own without serious medical treatment. Most people do not realize that Legionnaires ’ disease can be fatal if it is not treated. The good news is that antibiotics can easily cure the disease, but catching the disease early on is the key to successful treatment.

There are several common symptoms that are related to this unusual disease. In most cases the first symptoms develop anywhere from a couple to fourteen days after taking in legionella bacterium.

Some of the symptoms that you can come down with include headaches, muscle pains, chills, and a fever of over 104 F. By the time you actually have the disease in your system you can also have symptoms of chest pain, fatigue, and loss of appetite. In very severe cases you can even come down with a symptom of mental confusion.

Knowing when to see a doctor can be difficult if you think you have this disease. If you have any of the symptoms you should monitor them extremely closely. If you think you have the disease because of symptoms that you have you should immediately seek medical attention at the doctor’s office.

The key to stopping this disease in its tracks is catching it early in the piece. If you fail to catch this disease early on it will be more difficult to treat. By diagnosing it early you can stop it from spreading to other parts of your body.

If you do come down with the disease you should not panic.

Be aware that it is a disease that is completely treatable so just stay calm and take care of your body!

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009

Do you snore?

Lung and throat problems?

Has there been times when you have been told that you snore and keep others awake? Have you ever awakened yourself from loud and excessive snoring? Do you feel like you are not getting enough sleep at night or wake up still tired? If so, then it is possible you are suffering from sleep apnea.

Apnea is Greek work that means “without breath”

and that is essentially what is happening when you sleep.

Anyone of any age can get sleep apnea, even children. However, there are certain conditions that make you more likely to suffer from it. Some risk factors that increase your chances of getting sleep apnea are excess weight, a thick neck circumference, high blood pressure or hypertension, being male, being a person over age 65, having a narrowed throat or enlarged tonsils or adenoids, a family history of sleep apnea, being a smoker, or using alcohol, sedatives or tranquilizers before bed.

There are also certain conditions that can increase your risk of having central sleep apnea. For example, if you are male, if you live in high altitudes, if you have a heart disorder such as atrial fibrillation or if you have had a stroke or brain tumor, it will increase your risk. If you feel you may have sleep apnea, see your doctor right away to find out what kind of treatment works for you.

Remember your sleep is very important and if you can’t breathe, it will affect your sleep.

Types of sleep apnea

There are two main types of sleep apnea–obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Both will have the same symptoms but they are caused by different things. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type and occurs when throat muscle relax and obstruct breathing. Central sleep apnea happens when the brain doesn’t send the right breathing signals out during sleeping. Sleep apnea is more common in older adults than young people and more common in men than in women.

Sleep apnea symptoms

What are some signs and symptoms that you may have sleep apnea? Difficulty staying asleep or marked daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, cessation of breathing during sleep, shortness of breath, awakening due to cessation of breathing, morning headaches, waking with dry mouth and sore throat are all some common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea.

There are different types of sleep apnea treatment ensure you get the proper sleep at night and that you continue breathing properly. Some people undergo treatment to remove tissue from certain areas like the nose, mouth or throat to prevent obstruction and other people may need to use a breathing device at night to keep breathing.

Some people with sleep apnea are not aware that their sleep has been interrupted. They may wonder why they have fatigue and feel sleepy throughout the day. Often the awakening during the night is so brief, you may not remember it by the next morning.

Who gets sleep apnea? Do you?

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009