Know More About Your Red Blood Cells

Know More About Your Red Blood Cells

My friend Lilia has her own car now. It is one of her dreams to have one and finally her dream come true. She said she need to have even a cheap car insurance for her car now thus, she get quotes from car insurances online. Talking about cars, our Red Blood Cells (RBC) or erythrocytes acts as cars in the body too.

Through circulatory system, Red Blood Cells (RBC) or erythrocytes take up oxygen from the lungs and deliver the oxygen to millions of cells in our body. From our cells, it carries the carbon dioxide back to the lungs for excretion. It only take about 20 seconds for Red Blood Cells (RBC) or erythrocytes to circulate within our body, isn’t that a great fact? They could be compared to fast cars with great purpose . They should not be caught by any kind of traffic jam or accident or else our body will suffer.

In normal adult, women has 4-5 million of Red Blood Cells (RBC) or erythrocytes in every microliter of blood while men have 5-6 million of Red Blood Cells (RBC) or erythrocytes per microliter of blood. And, for every Red Blood Cell (RBC) or erythrocyte it  contains about 270 million of hemoglobin biomolecules. Hemoglobin contain iron that is responsible for the red color of our blood and protein that transports oxygen to cells of our body.

Lack of hemoglobin is called anemia. With anemia, no enough transport system for oxygen to be carried to the cells thus person may suffer from shortness of breath, chest pain, headache, dizziness, and feeling tired and weak. There is paleness in skin too. And, if anemia will take so long, complication may take place like arrhythmia that could damage the heart.

Like cheap car insurance for your car, we need cheap but nutritious food to ensure our red cells for them to function well. Foods that are rich in iron, vitamin C and other nutrients that could keep our Red Blood Cells (RBC) or erythrocytes healthy for them to function well. Fresh fruits and vegetables are great for our Red Blood Cells (RBC) or erythrocytes.

Some Facts About Pinworms

Pinworms were called so because of its white pin-liked appearance, with a tail that is sharply pointed. Pinworm or seatworm are the common names of Enterobius vermicularis. They are one of the most annoying parasites of human body. This parasite is more common in temperate and cold countries than in warm and tropical areas. Children are more common to parasite from pinworm that has big chance to spread to the whole family in a short period of time. Pinworms or seatworms lay their eggs , hundreds of eggs, in the anal portion of the infected person. It is when the pinworms lay eggs, the host (infected person) feels a very itchy sensation in the anus.

There are lot of ways a pinworm or seatworm could be transmitted. Transmission can be from anus to mouth (oral-fecal route). It is when the infected person touches his anus then without cleaning his hands he touches garments, other things or eat using his bare hands that is infected with pinworm. Having close contact with an infected person could also cause transmission. And the worst thing is it can be transmitted by airborne transmission! Pinworms could also reinfect same host, this is called retroinfection. It is when a pinworm larva migrate back to the intestine and become mature worms there.

Pinworm does not just cause itchiness but could cause anemia, ulceration on the mucosa, hemorrhage, abcess formation and erosion of nerve endings of the intestine, so scary right? If someone of your family feels an itchiness on his anus (usually during sleeping time), talk to your doctor immediately. Laboratory tests called anal swab technique and the usual stool analysis detects and confirm if one is infected with pinworm or seatworm. To prevent from pinworm or seatworm infection, make it a habit to practice personal hygiene at all times.

How Important is Folic Acid to Your Health?

How important is Folic Acid to your health? For healthy individuals like me, folic acid or folate is beneficial in preventing your body from certain cancers, anemia and cardiovascular diseases. For pregnant women, it plays a big role in the development of the fetus, folic acid or folate fights birth defects like neural tube defects.

Folic Acid or folate is another B vitamin. Kids who prefer to satisfy their hunger with fast foods and junk foods that are devoid of essential nutrients, alcoholics, pregnant or nursing women, dieters, women who are taking oral contraceptives, those who have intestinal problems that may cause hindrance in absorption of folic acid, those who are receiving kidney dialysis and those who are taking medications such as cholesterol lowering drugs, sulfasalaline and aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs are people who are at risk for folic acid or folate deficiency.

If you belong to the at risk of folic acid or folate deficiency group and you feel fatigue, forgetfulness, confusion, irritability and you observe paleness of your skin, reddened tongue or your suffering from anemia better consult your doctor. It would be best if you will undergo a laboratory test for folic acid deficiency.

Wheat germ, orange and orange juices, liver, eggs, milk, green leafy vegetables, lima beans and navy beans are great sources of folic acid or folate. Supplements are good but better take it as part of multivitamins because large doses of folic acid or folate could interfere the functioning of vitamin B12 or cobalamin.

The Importance of Vitamin B12

Let us talk about about vitamin B12 or cobalamin this time. Generally, you can get vitamin B12 or cobalamin from meat, fish, eggs and dairy products but liver, beef, tuna and oysters are food that are rich in vitamin B12 or cobalamin.Though food sources of vitamin B12 are so common there are still people that exist who are at risk for vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency. Pregnant women, smokers, alcoholics, drug addicts, people that are taking medications to lower their cholesterol levels, the strict vegetarians, people who have digestive problems (with low stomach acid and, or those who are lacking of intrinsic factor for vitamin B12 absorption), and those who have problem on their small intestine that causes hindrance to absorption of vitamin B12 or cobalamin are people that are at risk for vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency.

If you are one of the people that are at risk of vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency and you feel tingling sensations in your hands and feet as if you are pierced with pins and needles, muscle weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, difficulty in breathing, memory loss, incoordination, disorientation or change in your personality it would be best if you undergo a serum B12 TEST along with test for folic acid deficiency. Deficiency of any of this two essential nutrients have more or less same signs.

Have you heared about Pernicious Anemia? This kind of anemia is due to vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency in which your red blood cells tends to become larger and immature that has less or no capacity at all to carry oxygen to your body thus, patient would feel the signs of vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency I have mentioned above.

Those who have been diagnosed of vitaminB12 or cobalamin deficiency and have no absorption problems are advised to take an oral vitamin B12 supplements while those who have absorption problems are usually given with injectable vitamin B12 every month.

Health Benefits of Vitamin B6

Instead of asking what are the health benefits of vitamin B6, why not ask first how important is vitamin B6 to our body? Our body needs vitamin B6 or pyridoxine for production of red blood cells in keeping our nervous system healthy for it to work properly and in helping our body to use the proteins, carbohydrates and fats we consume. Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine is essential in converting amino acid trytophan to niacin (another form of vitamin B). It also helps our body fight against diseases by strengthening our immune system.

Deficiency from vitamin B6 or  pyridoxine may result to weakness, irritability, insomnia, anemia, nervousness, difficulty in walking or even convulsions. Alcoholics, those with genetic defect that prevent their body from using right amount of vitamin B6 and some elderly are the people who is at risk from vitamin  B6 or  pyridoxine deficiency.

And, what are the other  health benefits of vitamin B6 or pyridoxine? It has potential power in treating premenstrual syndrome or PMS and carpal tunnel syndrome. Taking vitamin B6 lessens the harmful effects of diabetes, and has promising effect of eliminating calcium oxalate crystals (one type of kidney stone) in the urine. Some suggests that it helps in preventing cardiovascular diseases. vitamin B6 or pyridoxine also inhibits the growth of skin cancer cells.

You can find  vitamin B6 or pyridoxine in meats, poultry, fish, nuts, whole grains, potatoes, avocados and bananas.

Poisons in Tobacco Smoke

Poisons in Tobacco Smoke

Poisonous? Consider tobacco smoke  as one. It contain lots of toxic substances that is threatening not just to the smokers but to your family health as well. Did you know that tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals including 200 poisonous and 40 carcinogenic compounds? It causes more than 40 diseases. No wonder, World Health Organization statistics showed that nearly 1 0f every 5 death nowadays are related to smoking. One in every seven seconds die from tobacco-related illness. It is due to either mainstream tobacco smoking or through passive (involuntary) smoking.

Here are some of the carcinogenic compounds you can find on tobacco smoke:

4-Aminobiphenyl
-It is confirmed to cause cancer in humans. Bladder, lung, colon, and breast cancers have been associated with 4-ABP.

-The worst thing about 4-ABP is it can cross the placenta & render child susceptible to bladder cancer.

Arsenic
-Inorganic arsenic is present in tobacco smoke and has been linked to lung, skin, bladder, liver, kidney and prostate cancers.

Benzene
-Study showed that high levels of benzene may cause low birth weights, delayed bone formation and bone marrow damage in animals.

-Benzene is highly toxic. Inhalation of extremely high levels of benzene may cause rapid heart rate, confusion, tremors, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, unconsciousness or even death.

-All three blood cell lines may be unfavorably affected by long term exposure to benzene. Low white blood cells or leucopenia, low red blood cells or anemia and low platelet count or thrombocytopenia may exist in varying degree. In case where there is a reduction in all three blood cell lines it is already called pancytopenia, this may happen due toxicity from long term exposure to benzene from tobacco smoking.

-Chronic exposure to benzene through tobacco smoke may also lead to increase risk of acquiring leukemia and, in many cases, is preceded by aplastic anemia.

Cadmium
-Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal pollutant that can be found in tobacco smoke. Tobacco smoke is an important source of air cadmium because tobacco leaves naturally accumulate and concentrate quite high levels of cadmium.

- An average cigarette contains approximately 1.05 micrograms/g of cadmium in cigarette with filter tip and approximately 1.61 micrograms/g in regular cigarette. And, about 10% of the cadmium content in cigarette is inhaled when it is smoked.

-Exposure to high levels of cadmium may lead to high blood pressure, anemia and renal failure, lung and, or liver damage.

-It is also considered as possible carcinogen.

Chromium
-As you inhale air containing chromium, like in tobacco smoke, chromium enters your body. Did you know that some forms of chromium can remain in the lungs for several years or longer?

-When you breathe air containing chromium, some of the chromium will enter your body through your lungs. Some forms of chromium can remain in the lungs for several years or longer.

-The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that chromium (VI) compounds are carcinogenic to humans. The National Toxicology Program 11th Report on Carcinogens classifies chromium (VI) compounds as known to be human carcinogens. Inhalation of chromium has been shown to cause lung cancer.

-It can cause respiratory problems, depressed immune system- resulting to a lower ability to fight disease, birth defects and other developmental problem, infertility and tumor formation.

2-Naphthylamine
-It can cause bladder cancer.

N-Nitrosodiethylamine
-It can induce benign and malignant tumors in respiratory, upper digestive tracts, liver and kidneys.

N-Nitrosopyrrolidine
-It can produce hepatocellular carcinomas, one of the top in leading liver cancer death type worldwide.

N-Nitrosodiethanolamine
-It is connected to esophageal cancer.

Nickel
-The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that some nickel compounds are carcinogenic to humans.

-More nickel is absorbed from the lungs into the body when nickel particles readily dissolve in water. If it does not easily dissolved in water, like chromium, nickel particles may remain in the lungs for a long time, and can only be excreted from lungs through coughing out or swallowing the mucus.

-Unborn child can be exposed to nickel through maternal blood supply to fetus.

-Babies are exposed to nickels through breastmilk of mother who is exposed to nickel and through passive tobacco smoking.

-It causes reduced lung function, chronic bronchitis, and cancer of the lung and nasal sinus

Lead-210 and Polonium-210 (Radon)
-Did you know that tobacco leaves used in making cigarettes contain radioactive materials? Yes, lead-210 and polonium-210 are radioactive materials.

- Lead-210 and polonium-210 are toxic radioactive heavy metals. They build up over time in delicate lung tissue and are a key risk factor for lung cancer. How? Tar from tobacco smoke builds up in the bronchioles; accumulated tar traps lead-210 and polonium-210 against the tissues of the bronchioles. Most of what is deposited in the bronchioles is lead-210 which has a half life of 22.3 years; eventually it decays and become dominant radionuclide. On the other hand, polonium-210 has only half life of 138 days but it quickly increases in concentration, thus, over the time, as its concentration rises, an intense localized radiation doses may occur in the bronchioles.

-Researchers believe that lead-210 and polonium-210 in tobacco smoke are significant factors for lung cancer in smokers.

Vinyl Chloride
-Inhalation of high levels of vinyl chloride may cause dizziness, drowsiness or even death.

-Chronic exposure to vinyl chloride may cause severe nerve damage and immune reactions.

-The World Health Organization has determined that vinyl chloride is a human carcinogen.

-Vinyl chloride, has also been shown to have an effect on human reproductive system.

Water As An Alternative Medicine

water as an alternative medicine

Water as an alternative medicine is not new to us. It has been practiced by old folks before the time synthetic medicines have been discovered.

I have posted some articles here about water:

Water, how important is it to you?

Water, The Lubricant of Your Functionality

Understanding Our Thirst

Water for Skin Rejuvenation and Beauty

A Daily Water Intake Reminder

Why am I doing this? Because I believe that being properly hydrated is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to stay healthy.

Did you know that water can even cure some health problems? People called it water therapy. As far as I know, there is no scientific evidence about it yet but, I firmly believe that water can help cure certain health problems because our body consists of more than 60 percent of water. And, water therapy is not new to me because since I was a kid, my family’s usual practice  is  to do water therapy first instead of instantly taking in some synthetic drugs as treatment for constipation, hyperacidity, cough, colds, headache and some kidney problems. Usually, those problems can be cured by adding few extra glasses of water from your usual daily intake.

Lately, I learned from a friend that aside from the common health problems I have mentioned earlier, water therapy lowers blood sugar level, blood pressure, and uric acid level. It helps a lot too in people suffering from acne problem; migraine; allergies; sinusitis; arthritis; rheumatism; some respiratory problems; obesity; anemia; leukemia; and certain CANCERS (please ask your physician if it is okay for you to drink plenty of water). Is it not amazing?

Lots of people have tried and found it helpful. Are you interested to give it a try? Here are the 3 simple steps:
1. As preparation, see to it that you have not taken any alcoholic drinks before retiring to bed.
2. Early in the morning, upon waking up, gargle to clean your mouth from accumulated bacteria while you were sleeping then, drink 1.5 liters of water. If you are not used to drink such plenty of water in one setting, just start with 2-3 glasses of water then gradually increase it until you are able to drink 1.5 liters upon waking up.
3. You may proceed to your usual schedule afterwards but NOTHING BY MOUTH (no food or drinks should be taken) should be implemented for 1-2 hours after drinking the 1.5 liters of water.

Note: It is not necessary that you should do it upon waking up, what is important here is you start and end up your water therapy session with an EMPTY stomach. You may start this therapy at least 2 hours after taking your breakfast or lunch.

Please remember that the 1.5 liters of water you will consume is for therapy or cleansing purposes and not part of your daily water intake which is 8 glasses a day. You may train your child as young as 3 years old to drink 2-3 glasses of water upon waking up and take 6 glasses of water everyday.