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Understanding Depression and the Causes of Depression

January 30, 2015

Understanding Depression and its Causes – Men are the most affected by Depression

Understanding Depression and its causes is very important for your health as it makes you take the right treatment solutions in good time

The demands of life around us are full of tight deadlines and great expectations. In our quest to meet these deadlines we are often faced with a lot of pressure from our authorities and our own responsibilities which also hang on our shoulders. Depression is a disease causing families lots of discomfort, people actually lose their sources of lively hood, sexual relationships is affected, skin complexion is under threat and in very fatal cases suicide takes place. This is why we want to take time and understand depression and its causes, how it is affecting us and the society at large. First of all we must appreciate that depression has no respect to anybody. It affects people indiscriminately in all genders, social class, ages and religion. If you are on this link now and is feeling depressed, tackle this with speed and consult with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care for a more professional approach in dealing with depression.

Doctor Akoury founded this facility to give you hope and healing. An appointment with her will save you from the risks of so many health; social and psychological complications which are associated with depression. Remember that we have this life to live once and all the opportunities offered by this life are supposed to be enjoyed and celebrated. Doctor Akoury understand what it means to be depressed and that is why her treatment is focus on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. As you consider scheduling for that appointment with doctor Akoury let us continue into the discussion by understanding depression and its causes in details.

Understanding Depression and its causes: Difference between feeling miserable and being depressed

In the course of attending to our normal daily assignments, we are bound to meet low moments from time to time. These low moments are often managed and do not last long. They come and we deal with them putting them behind us, they never dominate our lives and because of this we would say that in such moments we were just miserable and not depressed. However, if the low moments (depression) goes on for weeks, months, or becomes very bad, to the point that you find yourself stuck and unable to lift yourself out of it, this time it will be clear that you are depressed. This will begin to affect every area of your life which necessitates the need for professional help. It must however be clearly understood that depression is not a sign of weakness, and like I have indicated it cut across the board and has affected many famous and successful men and women across the globe.

Understanding Depression and its causes: What makes men depressed?

There are quite a number of things that are inclined to depression. Therefore for us to understand depression and its causes, the following points are very fundamental.

Understanding Depression and its causes: Relationships

Oh my goodness the trouble in a marriage or important relationship is the single thing most likely to make you depressed. How does it achieve this, doctor Akoury share with us the following:

Communication style

A difference in communication style can be a problem, particularly between married couples. For instance if a disagreement or argument makes you feel uncomfortable, you may chose not to talk about it. However your choice may not go well with your partner who may want to have it discussed. Therefore choosing to be quite may make your partner feel ignored. The feeling of being ignored may propel your partner to press you into the discussion which in turn will cause you to feel nagged and will tend to withdraw further which can make your partner feel even more ignored. The result of all this is that both of you will be depressed.

Separation and divorce

  • Men have traditionally seen themselves as being in charge of their families’ lives. However, women are more likely to start the process of separation and divorce.
  • Depression is more common and more severe in men who are divorced. This may be because, as well as losing your main relationship:
    • You often lose touch with your children
    • You may have to move to live in a different place
    • You often find yourself short of money.

Pregnancy and children

  • We have known for many years that some mothers become depressed after having a baby.  We now know that more than 1 in 10 fathers also have problems at that time.
  • This shouldn’t really be surprising. We know that major events in people’s lives, even good ones like moving house, can make you depressed. And becoming a parent will change your life more than almost any other thing. Suddenly, you have to spend much more of your time looking after your partner, and possibly other children. You may get very tired.
  • A new mother will tend to be less interested in sex for a number of months. Simple tiredness is the main problem, although it’s easy to take it personally and feel that you are being rejected.
  • You may have to adjust, perhaps for the first time, to taking second place in your partner’s affections.
  • You may have to re-balance the demands of home and work – there’s a lot more to do at home and you just can’t spend so much time at work.
  • A new father is more likely to become depressed if his partner is depressed, if he isn’t getting on with his partner, or if he is unemployed.
  • If you get depressed at this time, it will affect your partner.

Work

Work can be stressful. If your work makes you depressed, you won’t be able to cope as well. This will make you feel worse and less able to cope and further makes you feel even worse.

Unemployment

Besides relationship difficulties, unemployment is the greatest impediment to piece and this is likely to push people (particularly men) into a serious depression. Professional studies have established that 1 in 7 men who become unemployed will develop a depressive illness in the next 6 months. This means that your work may form a large part of what makes you feel good about yourself. If you lose your job, you will also lose other privileges that come with it like the company car, home staff like cooks, gardeners. Coming to terms with this can be hard to adjust to. Further to that being at home and looking after the children while your wife or partner becomes the bread-winner is another headache. From a position of being in control, you may face a future over which you have little control, especially if it takes a long time to find another job. And depression itself can make it harder to get another job.

Retirement

You may even find it hard if you retire at the usual time, especially if your partner carries on working. Although life may be less stressful, you may miss the structure of your day, your social life with colleagues and the sense that you make a difference.

Problems with sex

  • When men are depressed, they feel less good about their bodies and less sexy.  Many go off sex completely.
  • Some men who are depressed have intercourse just as often, but they don’t feel as satisfied as usual.
  • A few depressed men seem to have sex more often, perhaps as a way of trying to make them feel better.
  • Some antidepressant drugs can reduce your sex-drive.

The list is endless suicide is also a factor but in all this prompt treatment is very vital and the sooner you do it the better.

Understanding Depression and its causes – Men are the most affected by Depression

 

 

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Alcohol Abuse and Colorectal Cancer

January 21, 2015

Research Shows Alcohol Abuse Can Cause Colorectal Cancer

colorectal cancerIn the past few articles we looked into the effects of alcohol abuse in relation to initiating some cancers. Alcohol abuse has been linked to different cancers and this may be because of alcohol’s general effects on the body which includes the following;

Alcohol generates reactive oxygen species. These are chemically reactive molecules that contain oxygen which can damage DNA, proteins, and lipids through the process known as oxidation.

Alcohol also breaks down ethanol present in alcoholic drinks to acetaldehyde, which is a toxic chemical and a probable human carcinogen. This substance is toxic enough to damage both DNA and the genetic materials that make up the genes and this may cause mutation which causes cancer.

Alcohol also impairs the body’s own ability to metabolize and absorb a variety of nutrients that may be associated with a reduction in cancer risk, including vitamin A; nutrients in the vitamin B complex, such as folate; vitamin C; vitamin D; vitamin E; and carotenoids. Absence of these nutrients escalates the risk of cancer. It is also believed to increase the levels of estrogen hormone which is also associated with increased cancer risks.

Alcoholic drinks are also made up of very harmful contents which are mostly introduced during production. These may include nitrosamines, asbestos fibers, phenols, and hydrocarbons which may increase cancer risks.

Colorectal cancer

As the name suggests, colorectal cancer refers to cancers that affect the colon and the rectum. Colon cancer is cancer of the colon, which is at the lower part of the digestive system. On the other hand, rectal cancer is cancer of the rectum which is part of the last inches of the colon. Together these two cancers can be referred to as colorectal cancers. In the colon cancer may begin as small lumps that are non-cancerous clumps of cells known as adenomatous polyps, however these polyps will grow into cancerous cells. At the beginning these polyps will not show any symptom associated with cancer and this may even pose a greater health challenge, therefore it is important to have yourself screened regularly for colorectal cancer. There are several cancers of the colon and rectum but adenocarcinomas are the dominant cancer type constituting up to 95 percent of colorectal cancer but there are other rare types of tumors that are also equally dangerous.

Signs and symptoms of colon cancer

Just like any other disease there are indicators that you may be suffering from colorectal cancers. These signs and symptoms may include;

  • Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain
  • A feeling that your bowel doesn’t empty completely
  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • A change in consistency of passing stool
  • Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool

These symptoms though unpleasant may help you to know your status in relation to colorectal cancers and help you seek treatment in good time. However these symptoms may not show at early stages making it hard for colorectal cancer to be detected early. It is therefore advisable to go for screening to help with early treatment. If you notice any symptoms of colon cancer, such as blood in your stool or a persistent change in bowel habits the best you can do is to seek medical help.

Alcohol linked to colorectal cancer

Excessive alcohol consumption has been regarded as a risk factor for developing colorectal adenomas. In a study aimed to investigate the influence of excessive alcohol consumption on the occurrence of colorectal cancer among patients with at least one colonic adenoma done by M Bardou, S Montembault, V Giraud, A Balian, E Borotto, C Houdayer, F Capron, J-C Chaput and S Naveau it was found that In patients with at least one colorectal adenoma, excessive alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of developing high risk adenomas or colorectal cancer. In this study the participants were divided into three groups. All had at least one colorectal adenoma. The first group consisted of 401 heavy drinkers; the second group consisted of 152 patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) while the third group consisted of 108 patients with a family history (FH) of colorectal adenoma or cancer. For this study exclusive criteria were anemia, haematochezia, personal history of colorectal adenoma or cancer, and for groups heavy drinking and IBS a family history of colorectal adenoma and/or cancer.

colorectal cancerThis is not the first study to show this relation between alcohol abuse and colorectal cancer. This relation between alcohol consumption and risk of developing colorectal adenomas has been demonstrated previously by several authors. In a research it was found that the risk of polyps was increased three times for drinkers who did not smoke and 12 times for both drinkers and smokers compared with the risk of total abstainers. Naveau et al found that alcoholism and cirrhosis were two independent risk factors for colorectal adenomatous polyps after successive adjustments for sex, age, smoking, and serum cholesterol levels.

Alcohol addiction is a vice that should be fought by all means that is why we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts and offering them a place to call home. We offer NER Treatment and Amino acid therapy that are the most effective approaches to addiction treatment and recovery. You call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today and begin your journey to victory against addiction.

Alcohol Abuse and Colorectal Cancer

 

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Alcohol Abuse Escalates Liver Cancer Risk

January 19, 2015

Alcohol Abuse and Liver Cancer

Liver cancerLiver cancer is a problem that has affected many people and lots is being done to help alleviate its effects on the world’s population. According to the American cancer society about 24,550 people (17,030 men and 7,520 women) will die of liver cancer. The number of people dying of liver cancer has increased greatly over the past decades. However, this disease has been found to affect men more than it affects women. On average a man’s lifetime risk of getting liver or intrahepatic bile duct cancer is about 1 in 81, while an average woman’s risk is about 1 in 196. On average people who are diagnosed with liver cancer are aged 63 with most of them being 45 years of age or older, the statistics state that more than 95 percent of those affected are aged 45 and above. About 3% are between 35 and 44 years of age and about 2% are younger than 35.

Liver cancer can affects anybody anywhere but researchers have found that it is more common in countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia than in the US. In fact in most of the countries in these regions it has become the most common type of cancer. In the entire world it is reported that more than 700,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year throughout the world. Liver cancer is also a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for more than 600,000 deaths each year.

Basing on the statistics above, it is therefore safe to say that liver cancer is a cause for alarm, with the risk of liver cancer growing everyday bearing on the toxins that are present in our environments, it is important to eliminate all the possible risk factors to liver cancer. Alcohol drinking has been linked to liver cancer. It is therefore reasonable to reduce the rate of alcohol you take or better quit it completely, of course you will need professional help to quit it but all the effort will be worth it.

Despite these statistics that have shown that liver cancer is a serious disease that ought to be fought at all costs, there has been controversy on the subject of liver cancer being linked to alcohol use. Past researchers established that drinking alcohol moderately has very many health benefits. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines moderate drinking as consumption of 14 drinks per week for men and 7 drinks per week for women. Exceeding these limits increases your risk to other diseases, liver cancer included.

There has been controversy on this topic and this may be because of the fact that alcohol itself doesn’t cause liver cancer but when consumed beyond healthy limits and hence abused for many years it will cause liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis is a major cause of liver cancer and so if alcohol abuse causes liver cirrhosis then it will cause cancer in the long run.

Liver Cirrhosis to Liver cancer

Usually, a person who is addicted to alcohol will drink up to a point that he gets to suffer liver cirrhosis after stopping drinking he will develop liver cancer. Researchers opine that it is somewhat unusual for an actively drinking alcoholic to develop liver cancer. What happens is that when the drinking is stopped, the liver cells try to heal by regenerating. It is during this active regeneration that a cancer-producing genetic change (gene mutation) can occur, which explains the occurrence of liver cancer after the drinking has been stopped.

Alcohol abuse has far more ways to contribute to cancer however its links to liver cancer can majorly be apportioned to development from liver cirrhosis. The fact that alcohol is converted into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde in our bodies may be considered though it hasn’t been linked specifically to liver cancer. Acetaldehyde can cause cancer by damaging DNA and stopping our cells from repairing this damage. The International Agency for Research on Cancer have classified acetaldehyde formed as a result of drinking alcohol as being a cause of cancer, along with alcohol itself. It also causes liver cells to grow faster than normal. These regenerating cells are more likely to pick up changes in their genes that could lead to cancer.

Liver CancerAlcohol is made up of other carcinogens and these carcinogens interacts with the liver, the liver being a vital filter organ through which every pint of alcohol consumed passes through. When these toxins overburden the liver, it becomes easier for infections that may later escalate into liver cancer to be initiated.

Drug addiction is a vice that should be fought by all means that is why we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts and offering them a place to call home. We offer NER Treatment and Amino acid therapy that are the most effective approaches to addiction treatment and recovery. You call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today and begin your journey to victory against addiction.

Alcohol Abuse and Liver Cancer

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Weight Gain From Poor Digestion And Mal-absorption

January 7, 2015

Weight Gain: A Symptom of Poor Digestion and Mal-Absorption

When you start adding extra pounds, there are several things that come to your mind. Besides thinking about what could be causing the sudden weight gain, you will also be wondering about ways to facilitate weight loss. The first thing that comes to our mind when faced with this situation is that our diet is the source of the extra ponds.

We therefore cut out foods we suspect could be causing the weight gain. Most of the time these foods include; sugars, carbohydrates and fats. To most of us these are the main causatives of weight gain.

In cutting out these foods, we deprive our body of essential nutrients that can only come from such foods.

However there are other factors that cause weight gain. Lack of exercise is one of them. When you eat without exercising, then you will certainly add weight.

Some health conditions such as allergies, bacteria over growth, yeast infections, thyroid disease and insulin resistance among others can also cause weight gain. Mal-absorption and poor digestion can as well contribute to weight gain.

fat-malabsorption

Absorption disorders

They are also referred to as mal-absorption syndromes. It occurs when food is not properly digested and nutrients from the diet are not absorbed into the blood stream as they should. These nutrients include among others, minerals, proteins, vitamins, fats and carbohydrates in form of starch and sugars.

Mal-absorption syndrome is not in particular a disease but it results from other health conditions. Digestion involves the breakdown of food so that it can be in a form that can easily be absorbed into the blood for the overall wellness of the body. It takes place in the gastrointestinal tract.

During the break down of food, the nutrients are absorbed in the small bowel. The mucosa, which is the small intestine lining, facilitates absorption of nutrients due to the villi and micro villi that provide a large surface area for this absorption. There are also specialized cells that are used to enhance this absorption of nutrients.

Mal-Absorption and Digestive Disorders and Weight Gain

It is common knowledge that if you want to lose weight, then you have to burn more calories than what you take in your diet. One of the main reasons why weight gain is common among a number of folks is the fact that people eat a lot and refuse to exercise. Your diet contributes to most of the weight you add. Following that up with exercises will ensure that the more calories you eat the more are lost. Due to this, adding weight will not be a part of you.

As seen however, conditions such as poor digestion and mal-absorption can lead to weight gain. How does this happen?

Poor digestion means that food is not being digested properly. This is followed by poor absorption of nutrients from the food into the blood.

Body wellness depends on the general condition of the body. Nutrients are essential for the health of a person. You have heard that lack of nutrients can lead to weight gain. What most people believe is that lack of nutrients will make you thin. This is not the case.

Nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins are necessary in the body. If there is poor absorption of these nutrients, they end up accumulating in the body and this causes you to gain weight.

Carbohydrates in particular are converted into fats which are deposited in the tissues. When combined with fats in the body, they end up causing immense weight gain. So as you see, mal-absorption will not necessarily make you lose weight.

weight gain

Poor Digestion and Mal-Absorption Natural Treatment for Weight Loss

When food is not properly being digested, it means that it will not be broken down into essential nutrients. This means that the body will not get the necessary nutrients form the diet. This results in weight gain.

In the same way mal-absorption disorders results in malnutrition and the result is weight gain. So how do you manage this?

The best way to induce weight loss is to do lots and lots of exercise. Don’t just eat. Eat and engage in plenty of exercises.

Also reduce your intake of carbohydrates and fats. Normally carbohydrates are broken down into sugars. When there is poor digestion and absorption, carbohydrates are converted into fats and these are deposited in the body. This leads to weight gain. So therefore why don’t you reduce the amount of carbs and fats you take into the diet?

This information can be found at www.awaremednetwork.com for free. Dr. Dalal Akoury will provide more information about absorption and digestive disorders and how they contribute to weight gain. She has for many years provided wise counsel to patients who bear testimony to her amazing works. Just visit AwareMed for more wellness and awareness tips.

Weight Gain: A Symptom of Poor Digestion and Mal-Absorption

 

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Are Herbicides Leading to Cancer

December 28, 2014

Herbicides and Cancer Risk

Herbicides are a class of chemicals used in agriculture. Most products containing herbicides are used in our farms and homes to control weeds and pests. These chemicals can find their way into our water and foods. When herbicides are used in plants, they end up remaining in the plant and are consumed in the food when we eat it.

Herbicides are used in all agricultural settings. It is therefore hard to do away with them if your crops are to remain healthy and yield expected results. However, there are crops that are grown without the application of herbicides.

Biotech agriculture has spread rapidly. Farmers are widely dependant on chemicals to increase yields. These chemicals have been linked to health conditions such as cancer. One of the causative factors for cancer is chemicals found in agricultural chemicals.

Most of the foods that we consume if not genetically modified is grown from chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides. These chemicals find their way into our body metabolism. This causes them to alter our body function which has been shown to greatly contribute to diseases such as cancer.

herbicides-and-cancer

Cancer is referred to as a lifestyle disease. The food you chose to eat defines your lifestyle. If your diet is mostly composed of chemical induced foods then the more likely you are at the risk of getting terminal illnesses. Refusing to regularly take exercises defines your lifestyle as well.

Exposure to herbicides occurs repeatedly and unknowingly. They are applied in different settings. Herbicides are sprayed on crops where they remain and are ingested finally in the food when we eat it. The chemicals in herbicides can also find their way into our homes through water. They are often not filtered out from our water and we end up drinking them.

Facts about Cancer

One of the factors that have been linked to cancer is chemicals. Others include, diet, lack of enough exercise, inheritance of cancer genes and infections. Cancers refer to uncontrollably growing cells in the body. This occurs when the cells are destroyed by things like chemicals. This causes cells to lose their control functions.

Cells then begin to grow uncontrollably and this leads to development of lump tissues called tumors. These tumors become toxic and end up affecting the body functioning. The cancer cells starve normal cells of energy as they consume a valuable amount of it. They grow very rapidly that they render normal cells useless.

They then start spreading to other parts of the body. They produce toxics that harm normal cells and this translates to the severe pain experienced by cancer patients.

The most common management of cancer is through surgery. Surgery is conducted on the patient to remove the cancerous tumors before they spread to other parts. If this does not work other methods such as radiation or chemo therapy are applied to kill the cancer cells and stop their growth. Others include immune therapy, stem cells transplant and many others.

How Herbicides Increase Cancer Risks

Chemicals in herbicides act as oestrogen. In normal conditions oestrogen is very important in the body. Aside from the role it plays in the reproductive cycle, it also increases essential cholesterol, maintains elasticity of blood vessels and strengthens bones for calcium absorption.

However accumulation of too much oestrogen can cause untold problems to cells by increasing their growth as well as multiplication. Increasing number of cells end up forming tumors. For this reason oestrogen is linked to breast cancer in females.

There are very many kinds of oestrogens. The natural body oestrogen is known as strong oestrogen while that found in plant foods is called weak oestrogen. Weak oestriogen counterbalances strong oestrogens and they both circulate in the body.

Herbicides causing cancer

There is also chemical oestrogen that is found in herbicides and pesticides which act like body oestrogens. All types of oestrogens work by locking onto cell receptors. High level of oestrogen in the body increases your risk of cancer.

Herbicides are continually used in agricultural setting to kill weeds and pests. The chemicals in the herbicides remain in the plant and they are ingested. Continually ingesting food grown with pesticides increases the amount of chemical oestrogen in the body. This then alters normal cell functioning leading then to grow rapidly and out of control.

In this way, chemicals found in pesticides can increase your potential for cancer. When the cells over grow they form tumors which can be cancerous. Washing vegetables and fruits well can be a remedy against consuming these chemicals found in herbicides.

Dr. Dalal Akoury has been in the medical practice for many years. She has a wide experience with cancer patients and most of them owe their health improvements to her. You too can be a part of the AwareMed community.

Can Herbicide Cause Cancer

 

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