The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients

April 29, 2015

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients: Depression and Cancer

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients is the concern of everybody. Even the medics are victims of the two health conditions

The impact of depression in cancer patients has of late been receiving much attention. This is because of the health risks that are involved when the two conditions marry together in an individuals’ life. It is no wonder that depression is actually seen as the psychiatric syndrome that has received the most attention in persons struggling with cancer. Nonetheless the study of depression has equally had a host of challenges due to the symptoms that associates with it on a broad spectrum that ranges from sadness to major effective disorder. The prevalence of depression in cancer patients is further put to test because of the changes in moods are often very difficult to evaluate more so when the patients in question is also receiving treatment of cancer and continuous threats of stress, fatigue and the pain they experience.

Doctor Akoury agrees that even though many research groups have assessed depression in cancer patients for several decades in the past, the reported prevalence varies significantly because of varying conceptualizations of depression, and in fact the definition of depression is not standard and different principles use for the definition of depression. Some of the differences may include the methodological approaches to the measurement of depression, and even the different populations studied. Depression is highly associated with oropharyngeal, pancreatic, breast, and lung cancers. A less high prevalence of depression is reported in patients with other cancers, such as colon, gynecological, and lymphoma. In this discussion we are going to make certain reviews on the prevalence of depression in cancer patients even as we desire to get the perfect links between the two health conditions.

Depression affects 121 million people and is among the leading causes of disability worldwide. If not treated in time depression can lead to personal suffering and increased mortality. Although the prevalence of depression varies considerably globally, the most common symptoms of depression may include:

Depressed mood
Insomnia and
Fatigue

Looking at gender, women are the most vulnerable to be depressed than men. Even though the available estimates shows that major depression are common with people in their late twenties, research findings puts children also at risk where in every ten children, one will have periodic feelings of sadness. This has been seen as one of the greatest indicators of depression says doctor Dalal Akoury. Experts also put the prevalence of depression in pre-pubertal children ranges from 1% to 3% and from 3% to 9% in adolescents; however, the lifetime prevalence through adolescence is estimated to be as high as 20%. Although there is no difference in the prevalence rate between sexes before puberty, females are at higher risk after puberty. Depression in children negatively affects a child’s development and often manifests as behavioral problems or somatic complaints.

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients: The Coexistence of Depression

Depression is not alone ranger and it is commonly coexisting with other syndromes and symptoms, like for instance the anxiety disorders posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and pain. The National Comorbidity Survey data show that in a 12-month period, 51% of patients with major depressive disorders are diagnosed with an additional anxiety disorder. Patients with comorbid depression and anxiety disorders experience more severe symptoms, have a longer time to recovery, use more healthcare resources, and have poorer outcome than do those with a single disorder.

The symptoms of depression and personal suffering resulting from this disorder have been well described. The complex biological underpinnings result from disturbances in neurotransmitters and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis dis-regulation. The last two decades have produced exciting science and advances in the understanding of the neurobiology and pathophysiology of depression. Electro-physiologic studies, neuroimaging techniques i.e., magnetic resonance imaging; computed tomography; single photon emission computed tomography; positron emission tomography; functional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological studies are providing information about the neuroanatomical substrate of depression as we are learning more about how systemic disease effects vulnerability to depression.

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients: Early Studies of Depression in Cancer Patients

When a significant number of mental health professionals began working in oncology settings, they asked oncologists to describe their perceptions of the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in cancer patients. They were able to find common responses ranging from “everyone is depressed which is very true because they have cancer” to “no one is depressed; these are just normal people” and likely were a reflection of the respondent’s mood and coping style.

One of the first efforts in psycho-oncology was to obtain objective data on the type and frequency of psychological problems in cancer patients. Using criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Third Edition (DSM-III) classification of psychiatric disorders, the Psychosocial Collaborative Oncology Group determined the psychiatric disorders in 215 randomly selected hospitalized and ambulatory adult cancer patients in three cancer centers by structured clinical interview. Although 53% of the patients evaluated were adjusting normally to stress, the remainder (47%) had clinically apparently psychiatric disorders. Of this 47% with psychiatric disorders, more than two-thirds had adjustment disorders with depressed or anxious mood, 13% had a major depression, 8% had an organic mental disorder, 7% had a personality disorder and 4% had a preexisting anxiety disorder. The authors concluded that nearly 90% of the psychiatric disorders observed were reactions to or manifestations of disease or treatment. Personality and anxiety disorders can complicate cancer treatment and were described as antecedent to the cancer diagnosis. The finding of 4% anxiety disorders was far below what would have been expected in the general population.

Thirty-nine percent of those who received a psychiatric diagnosis experienced significant pain. In contrast, only 19% of patients who did not receive a psychiatric diagnosis had significant pain. The psychiatric diagnosis of the patients with pain was predominately adjustment disorder with depressed or mixed mood (69%), but of note, 15% of patients with significant pain had symptoms of a major depression. Finally in whichever way you look at depression and cancer, these two conditions put together in an individual’s live can be very dangerous. We must therefore do all within our reach to keep distance from all these complications. One of the most important things you must keep in mind is the consistent consultation with the experts for professional advice. Doctor Akoury and her team of experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will handle your situation with great confidentiality and most importantly offer you lasting solutions professionally. Your health should come first and therefore, schedule for that appointment today.

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients: Depression and Cancer

St. John’s Wort Helps in Depression and Insomnia Treatement

March 4, 2015

St. John’s Wort Powers: The Treatment of Depression and Insomnia during Addiction Withdrawals

St. John’s Wort is a wonder plant that has been used in treatment of many conditions for quite a long time. The most used part of this herb is the flowers and the leaves. This herb has many medically active components but its known most active components are two; hypericin and hyperforin. Although hypericin was formerly thought to be the component of St. John’s wort principally responsible for its action, it is now understood that hyperforin, adhyperforin, and several other related compounds are the primary active constituents. Both hyperforin and adhyperforin appear to modulate the effects of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine and may inhibit reuptake of these neurotransmitters. This herb has been found to be very useful in treatment of conditions that are caused as a result of imbalances in the neurotransmitters.

St. John’s Wort for Depression during addiction withdrawals

Imbalances in the neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine cause depression. This imbalance may be caused by use of drugs of pleasure or by other diseases. Apart from these two causes, a person may also have a family history of depression and so predisposed to depression a case which makes it rather complicated for the brain to produce the neurotransmitters in required amounts. The brain has a great role to play in inhibiting depression; it has to produce the millions of chemicals it produces in the right amounts everyday failure to which you will be depressed. It’s that complicated.

In the long-term, all drugs and alcohol are brain depressants. In moderate amounts, alcohol does not lead to depression, but abusing drugs or alcohol will definitely lead to depression. This is because they deplete your brain of serotonin and dopamine. Researchers warn that it may take quite a long time for depleted dopamine to be restored and so it is important to avoid abusing drugs.

Alcohol abuse almost doubles the risk of depression. In one study that looked at 2,945 alcoholics. Fifteen percent were depressed before they began abusing alcohol, and that number jumped to 26 percent after they started abusing alcohol. Once they stopped drinking for an extended period, 15 percent remained depressed. This study showed that alcohol almost doubles the risk of depression.

St. John’s Wort

Marijuana has also been linked to depression. It is reported that marijuana users are four times more likely to develop depression. In one study which monitored a large group of people for 16 years, it was discovered that people who smoked marijuana were four times more likely to develop depression. Another study followed later with 1601 students and confirmed the findings. Depression is a serious illness that may make it hard for an addict to stop taking the drugs of pleasure to boost the dopamine levels for a moment. Fortunately this can be helped by use of St. John’s Wort. Taking St. John’s wort extracts improves mood, and decreases anxiety and insomnia related to depression. This herb seems to be effective in treatment of mild depression than some of prescription drugs. According to the American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal Medicine, St. John’s wort can be considered an option along with antidepressant medications for short-term treatment of mild depression.

St. John’s Wort for Insomnia during addiction withdrawals

According to National Sleep Foundation, insomnia is difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, even when a person has the chance to do so. People with insomnia can feel dissatisfied with their sleep and usually experience the symptoms of poor sleep that may deter them from enjoying healthy lifestyles. This disease can affect people of all ages but adults are the major victims.

A person suffering from insomnia may show the following symptoms

Irritability, depression or anxiety
Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering
Increased errors or accidents
Tension headaches
Distress in the stomach and intestines (gastrointestinal tract)
Ongoing worries about sleep
Difficulty falling asleep at night
Awakening during the night
Awakening too early
Not feeling well rested after a night’s sleep
Daytime tiredness or sleepiness

insomnia

Insomnia may be caused by depression and stress but it may also be caused by the imbalances in the neurotransmitters as a result of long term use of drugs of pleasure. Some other causes of insomnia include;

Anxiety– Anxiety is a common everyday problem. However there are more serious anxiety disorders like PTSD which will never give your brain a rest. Anxiety beckons insomnia and so should be avoided to help you sleep soundly and reap huge health benefits from it.

Medical conditions-there are conditions that cause insomnia. These conditions may include; chronic pain, chest problems and even frequent urination. These conditions may cause difficulty in sleep. Diseases like cancer, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and even Parkinson’s disease have been linked to insomnia.

St. John’s wort has been found to be very effective in treatment of depression that might cause difficulty in sleep and this is owed to its effects on serotonin may be primarily responsible for its antidepressant activity. Apart from being an anti-depressant this herb works on the neurotransmitters in unlimited ways it affects many neurotransmitters that are key to good sleep health.

Drug induced Insomnia may not be easy to treat. However there are also medical approaches to treating drug induced Insomnia but of all these going the natural way is much better since it has less side effects and is more effective. We at AWAREmed health and wellness center are dedicated to finding the best natural solutions to health problems. You can visit us at Myrtle Beach South Carolina where you will be attended to by Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) who has vast experience in integrative medicine for lifestyle diseases.

St. John’s Wort and treatment of depression and insomnia during addiction withdrawals

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

Depression and Addiction

January 20, 2015

Dopamine Depletion Causes Depression and Addiction

Depression and addiction The brain is a complex yet very crucial part of the human body. There are chemicals that are produced by the brain and they work as messengers otherwise known as neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters enable you to have a normal day without mood swings and even control how you relate to everything in your surroundings. The functions of these neurotransmitters can be altered when the levels of these neurotransmitters is changed. Of all the brain chemicals, dopamine is a common one. It is known by many people even out of the medical circles because of ‘its good feelings’ some people associate it with.

Dopamine in itself has many functions. It’s involved in many different important pathways. However, most people can only identify dopamine with such aspects as motivation, addiction, attention, or lust, their knowledge of dopamine is limited to the mesolimbic pathway. It is a pathway which starts with cells in the ventral tegmental area, buried deep in the middle of the brain, which send their projections out to places like the nucleus accumbens and the cortex.

When a person engages in sex, use of drugs or partying the brain will respond by increasing the levels of dopamine released in the nucleus accumbens .However during addiction the dopamine signaling in this area is changed. For any drug to have any pleasurable feeling to the user then the level of dopamine must be increased and this is what causes euphoric feelings that drug users will do anything to achieve.

What causes depletion of dopamine?

It has been a proven fact that stress causes depletion of dopamine. Acute stress affects nerve activities and depletes dopamine. However, major causes of dopamine depletion are through the use of alcohol and other drugs of abuse. when used for few times or for shorter period of time the drugs such as meth, cocaine and even alcohol will induce an increase in the levels of dopamine that is produced by the brain however after repeated long-term use, the brain begins to shutdown dopamine receptors, so when a person is not on a drug, there is very little dopamine left in brain and he will get depressed. This is caused by a chemical imbalance in her brain. With absence of dopamine in areas like the temporal lobe the emotional stability of a person is affected but when it missing in places like the striatum it will cause impaired mental function; a person’s ability to feel or think become affected.

It is because of these feelings that make people addicted to their drugs of use. When you have conditioned your brain to produce high levels of dopamine only when you are using drugs then it will be hard for you to quit using the drugs as every time you try to quit all the withdrawal symptoms, some of which may be too severe sets in and that ties a person to drug use. Causing addiction and dependence thereafter.

Depletion of dopamine can also be caused by poor nutrition. According to the Franklin Institute reports, poor nutrition can cause the levels of dopamine to decrease. The reports explain that alcohol, caffeine and sugar may reduce dopamine levels in the brain. The Franklin Institute recommends consumption of plenty of fruits and vegetables, because they provide antioxidants, which help protect dopamine-using brain cells from free damage. In addition to good nutrition, watching your weight is also a good idea of keeping your dopamine levels in healthy levels as obesity also causes depletion of dopamine.

Low levels of dopamine causes depression

Imbalances in the neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine cause depression. As mentioned earlier, this imbalance may be caused by use of drugs of pleasure or by other diseases. Apart from these two causes, a person may also have a family history of depression and so predisposed to depression a case which makes it rather complicated for the brain to produce the neurotransmitters in required amounts. The brain has a great role to play in inhibiting depression; it has to produce the millions of chemicals it produces in the right amounts everyday failure to which you will be depressed. It’s that complicated.

Depression and Addiction Alcohol abuse almost doubles the risk of depression. In one study that looked at 2,945 alcoholics. Fifteen percent were depressed before they began abusing alcohol, and that number jumped to 26 percent after they started abusing alcohol. Once they stopped drinking for an extended period, 15 percent remained depressed. This study showed that alcohol almost doubles the risk of depression.

Finally, Drug abuse, addiction and independence are problems that people grapple with every day. These problems need to be treated effectively through integrative medicine. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an expert at this. Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Dopamine Depletion Causes Depression and Addiction

Enzymes and Contribution in Cancer Treatment

December 9, 2014

Enzymes for Cancer Treatment

enzymes-for-fighting-cancer Cancer has managed to earn itself quite a reputation throughout the world as a major threat to everyone. This therefore warrants a keen understanding of the disease and how it works.

Cancer is formed through a breakdown in a variety of the normal cellular and immunity mechanisms in the body. Often, body components damaged by free radicals are built up within the cells in the body throughout life. Extreme oxidative stress resulting from factors such as body injury or diseases catalyze this process. This damage caused to body tissue initiates the release of chemical signals to arrest the situation, but in large amounts, the chemical signals eventually cause further damage to tissue. This tissue damage cycle is responsible for the damage of DNA in the end.

As you might have known from raw biology, the DNA is responsible for a number of regulatory processes and mechanisms. If it can no longer perform this regulation function, it only means that the growth of cancer cannot be regulated any more. And given the inflammation or tissue damage already in place, the body immunity is likely to miscommunicate, mistaking the developing cancer cells for other damaged body tissue. This disrupted cellular communication gives cancer a window to thrive. Even more disadvantageous to the victim is the effects of the reactive species of oxygen whose effects on the natural cellular controls eventually prevent apoptosis of the developing cancer cells.

Cancer cells are also ‘smart’. They have adaptive characteristics that make them survive against the body immunity mechanisms. While enzymes are known for their digestive abilities in the body, the cancer tumor for instance produce a dense fibrin protein which not only help them stick around but also aid their protection against the possible digestion by the immune system. Enzymes in the bloodstream are capable of digesting and dissolving the fibrin coating on the cancer tumor. The enzymes would however have to be in large amounts. In addition, they would need to be enzymes with high amounts of nattokinase or protease or break down the thick fibrin.

Low Enzyme Levels And Cancer

Research suggests a rather close relationship between low levels of enzymes and the formation and proliferation of cancer tumor. The enzymes as already mentioned are capable of destroying the cancer tumor naturally. The body is programmed to have the foods taken in digested by the very enzymes that come into the gut with the food. This suggests that the digestive system is meant to process foods that are raw for this ideal set up to work out, since raw food comes with enzymes that aid the breakdown of that particular food right in the upper gut (stomach). Food usually stays there for about 30- 45 minutes.

If that were to be the case. It would mean that down the gut in the lower stomach and the duodenum, the pancreatic enzymes have a reduced work and a lot of them can be reserved and channeled into the bloodstream where they do the cleaning work and could help digest any existing cancer tumor in the bloodstream.

However, this is never the case as the foods we eat are processed: cooked or treated. These processes that food undergoes are responsible for killing of the enzymes. The food thus does not get predigested in upper stomach. The pancreas is therefore overworked as soon as the food gets to the lower stomach as it has to produce extra enzymes for braking down the food. In the process, the food is often incompletely digested.

This partial digestion of the food ends up with some undigested food into the bloodstream where they are treated as foreign and toxic to the body system. Being viewed in that lens by the body’s immunity, the system that already has much to do, has to put up with even extra work of fighting the undigested food being considered toxic in the bloodstream.

The overworked pancreas loses its ability to produce sustainable amount of enzymes in the long run resulting with an individual with low enzyme levels. The moment all the essential enzymes exist in low amounts, the body loses its ability to naturally fight and destroy cancerous cells.

enzymes-for-fighting-cancer

How to Boost the Enzymes Level

In that condition, you must make use of enzyme supplements. A number of them are recommended for use. The most recommended one being the PapayaPro. The product has mature green papaya powder as key ingredient, with the most active enzyme being Papain. Papain has a unique digestive formula and is expressly powerful as compared to pancreatin or even the pancreatic enzymes. It is not affected by changes in the intestinal pH and can work equally in both alkaline and acidic conditions. It is highly aggressive when taken in an empty stomach and will work more than the pancreatic enzymes in its attacking and destroying of the cancer tumor.

The Citrus Pectin enzyme also found in the PapayaPro has an even more unique ability, it can prevent the spread of cancer cells (metastasis). Their molecules enter the blood and confuse cancer cells for lectin (cancer protein). As a result, the tumors are prevented from being able to attach to other body parts to start new cancer colonies. This has been supported by a number of studies.

AwareMed recommends the use of enzyme supplements to boost the body immunity and help fight cancer. More information can be obtained by contacting our doctors at AwareMed.

Enzymes and Contribution in Cancer Treatment

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