WIZARDS & VILLAINS

Big Bang Theory

2008-09-02T01:36:00.006+05:30

Where the Big Bang Theory Came From

The big bang theory is the result of two different approaches to studying the universe: astronomy and cosmology. Astronomers use instruments to observe stars and other celestial bodies. Cosmologists study the astrophysical properties of the universe.

In the 1800s, astronomers began to experiment with tools called spectroscopes (also known as spectrographs). A spectroscope is a device that divides light into a spectrum of its component wavelengths. Spectroscopes showed that the light from a specific material, such as a glowing tube of hydrogen, always produced the same distribution of wavelengths unique to that material. It became clear that by looking at the wavelength distribution from a spectrograph, you could figure out what kind of elements were in a light source.

Meanwhile, Austrian physicist Christian Doppler discovered that the frequency of a sound wave depended upon the relative position of the source of the sound. As a noisy object approaches you, the sound waves it generates compress. This changes the frequency of the sound, and so you perceive the sound as a different pitch. When the object moves away from you, the sound waves stretch and the pitch goes down. It's called the Doppler effect.

Light travels in waves too, and astronomers discovered that some stars had more light falling into the red side of the spectrum than they expected. They theorized that this meant the stars were moving away from Earth. As the stars move away, the wavelengths from the light they emit stretch. They shift to the red end of the spectrum because that end has longer wavelengths. Cosmologists call this phenomenon the redshift. A star's redshift is an indication of how quickly it is moving away from Earth. The further toward the red end of the spectrum the light shifts, the faster the star is moving away.

In the 1920s, an astronomer named Edwin Hubble noticed something interesting. The velocity of a star appeared to be proportional to its distance from the Earth. In other words, the further away a star was from Earth, the faster it appeared to move away from us. Hubble theorized that this meant the universe itself was expanding.

Hubble's discovery led to a lengthy debate that still rages today: what exactly is the relation between a distant celestial body's velocity and its distance from the observer? Cosmologists call this relationship the Hubble constant, but no one agrees on what that relationship is. Hubble theorized that it was 464 kilometers (km) per second (sec) per megaparsec (Mpc). A megaparsec is a unit of distance equal to more than 3.08 x 10²² meters (or 1.9 x 10¹⁹ miles).

It turns out Hubble overestimated this number. That's because in Hubble's time, astronomical instruments weren't sensitive enough to measure the distance between the Earth and celestial bodies with accuracy. As instruments improved, scientists refined the Hubble constant, but debate over the actual value of the Hubble constant rages on.

Point Me At the Sky

Different teams of scientists look at different celestial bodies while trying to determine the true value of the Hubble constant. Some look at young stars called Cepheid variables. Others look at supernovae. The result is that estimates for the Hubble constant vary from 53 km/sec/Mpc to 80 km/sec/Mpc [source: Cosmology Tutorial].

Location, Location, Location Important For Genes, Too

2008-09-02T01:22:00.003+05:30

Science Daily (Aug. 30, 2008) — Cells become cancerous mainly because they lose control of their growth. To better understand how this happens, a new study at Ohio State University's Comprehensive Cancer Center looks at four genes that help regulate cell growth in embryos and that contribute to cancer in adult

The genes – E2f1, E2f2, and E2f3a and E2f3b – are generally believed to work together to help control cell proliferation, a belief that comes from experiments using only cells. Cancer researchers at The Ohio State University carried out several studies in an animal model to learn if it is also true in the body during development.

The scientists also hoped to learn why many organisms, including humans, have multiple E2F genes of this type, while other animals have just one copy.

Their study, published in the Aug. 28 issue of the journal Nature, shows that mice need just one of the four genes to develop from fertilized eggs through adulthood.

"We found that if E2f3a is present, the animals can develop normally through adulthood, even when all the other genes are absent," says study leader Gustavo Leone, an associate professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics at Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Then came the real surprise. To learn if the E2f3a gene was doing something truly critical and different from the other three E2Fs, the scientists swapped it with one of the others – they replaced it first with E2f3 gene, then with the E2f1. Neither change made any difference; these "swapped" mice developed quite normally.

"If the E2F3a gene was doing something unique, replacing it with one of the others should prevent development," Leone says. "But the animals still developed just fine.

"We conclude from this that it is the gene's location in the genome, plus the timing and level of its activity, that makes it so important during development," he says.

But if just one of the genes is sufficient for development, why are the others needed?

"Organisms above insects have multiple E2Fs, and these findings don't tell us what the others are doing," Leone says. "We surmise that the other genes are required for adult survival under the stressful conditions in the wild. We are investigating that now."

Funding from the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense, a Pew Charitable Trusts Award and a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Scholar Award supported this research.

Adapted from materials provided by Ohio State University Medical Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

NEWS:THROAT CANCER INCREASE ...WHITE AMERICANS..

2008-08-28T18:13:00.004+05:30

By Will Boggs, MD Tue Aug 26, 5:19 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The rate of throat cancer, or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, has risen steadily among white Americans over the past 3 decades, according to a new report.
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Although the rates of adenocarcinoma among white women have been lower than among white men, the 335-percent increase in new cases among women over the last three decades has been almost as fast as the 463-percent increased rate among white men, Dr. Linda Morris Brown from RTI International, Rockville, Maryland told Reuters Health.

Brown and colleagues performed a detailed examination of the trends in esophageal adenocarcinoma rates among white individuals by sex, stage, and age using data collected by the National Cancer Institute's SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) program.

Total esophageal cancer rates among white men increased steadily from 5.76 per 100,000 persons per year from 1975 to 1979, up to 8.34 per 100,000 persons per year between 2000 and 2004, the researchers report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

In contrast, total esophageal cancer rates among white women remained constant. A 29-percent decrease in squamous cell carcinoma rates occurred at the same time as the 335-percent increase in adenocarcinoma, the researchers note.

The major risk factors for esophageal adenocarcinoma, and the condition that precedes this cancer - Barrett's esophagus -- are gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD -- chronic heartburn) and obesity, especially abdominal obesity, Brown pointed out. "Increases in the prevalence of these risk factors may have contributed to the upward trend in incidence."

Brown suggests that "primary prevention such as modifications in diet and physical activity and control of GERD symptoms may be able to slow this trend.

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ALCOHOL-MEDICINAL-ALCOHOL-ABUSE-PART III.

2008-08-15T07:03:00.009+05:30

Contd:-

Concluding Part:III on history of alcohol:-

Before Christ:-

The Hebraic opinion of wine in the time before Christ was decidedly positive: wine is part of the world God created and is thus "necessarily inherently good," though excessive use is soundly condemned. The Jews emphasized joy in the goodness of creation rather than the virtue of temperance, which the Greek philosophers advocated.

As the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile (starting in 537 BC) and the events of the Old Testament drew to a close, wine was a common beverage for all classes and ages, including the very young; an important source of nourishment; a prominent part in the festivities of the people; a widely appreciated medicine; an essential provision for any fortress; and an important commodity, and it served as "a necessary element in the life of the Hebrews." Wine was also used ritualistically to close the Sabbath and to celebrate weddings, and circumcisions, and Passover.

Although some abstentionists argue that wine in the Bible was almost always cut with water greatly decreasing its potency for inebriation, there is general agreement that, while Old Testament wine was sometimes mixed with various spices to enhance its flavor and stimulating properties, it was not usually diluted with water, and wine mixed with water is used as an Old Testament metaphor for corruption.

During the Roman rule, which had conquered Palestine under Pompey, the average adult male who was a citizen drank an estimated liter (about a quarter of a gallon, or a modern-day bottle and a half) of wine per day, though beer was more common in some parts of the world.

Early Church:

The Apostolic Fathers make very little reference to wine, but the earliest references from the Church Fathers make it clear that the early church used wine in their celebration of the Eucharist, often mixing it with water according to the prevailing custom. The Didache, an early Christian treatise, instructs Christians to give a portion of their wine in support of a true prophet or, if they have no prophet resident with them, to the poor.

Clement of Alexandria (died circa 215) wrote in a chapter about drinking that he admires those who adopt an austere life and abstain from wine, he suggested the young should abstain from wine so as not to inflame their "wild impulses." But was also of the opinion that taking a little wine as medicine or for pleasure after the day's work is acceptable for those who are "moored by reason and time" such that they aren't tempted by drunkenness, and he encourages mixing water in with the wine to inhibit inebriation. He also says wine is an appropriate symbol of Jesus' blood.

Cyprian (died 258) rejects as "contrary to evangelical and apostolical discipline" the practice of some Gnostics, who used water instead of wine in the Eucharist. While still rejecting drunkenness, on the content of the cup he says, "The Holy Spirit also ... makes mention of the Lord’s cup, and says, 'Thy inebriating cup, how excellent it is!' [quoting a variation of Ps 23:5 (in the Hebrew numbering)] Now the cup which inebriates is assuredly mingled with wine, for water cannot inebriate anybody."

Basil the Great (died 379) likewise repudiated the views of some dualistic heretics who abhorred marriage, rejected wine, and called God's creation "polluted and who substituted water for wine in the Eucharist.

John Chrysostom (died 407) in a homily on 1 Timothy 5:23 stresses moderation and adds that the biblical passage in question is useful for refuting heretics and immature Christians who say there should be no wine. He emphasizes the goodness of God's creation and adjures: "Let there be no drunkenness; for wine is the work of God, but drunkenness is the work of the devil. Wine makes not drunkenness; but intemperance produces it. Do not accuse that which is the workmanship of God, but accuse the madness of a fellow mortal.”

The virtue of temperance passed from Greek philosophy into Christian ethics and became one of the four cardinal virtues under St. Ambrose and St. Augustine. Drunkenness, on the other hand, is considered a manifestation of gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins as compiled by Gregory the Great in the 6th century.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:-

- Hanson, David J. "History of Alcohol” Adapted from Preventing Alcohol Abuse: Alcohol, Culture and Control. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1995. Retrieved on 2005-09-18. (Author has relinquished copyright of this article and allowed its use for public domain purposes.) (Site is funded by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States).

- Wikipedia.

Please post your comments:-

Next:- Alcohol-Medicinal

NEWS:PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

2008-08-14T22:25:00.005+05:30

Partial Lunar Eclipse to Fall Saturday

AFP

Never Gets Old ...

Aug. 14, 2008 -- People across the world will have the chance to see a partial eclipse of the moon on Saturday.

In a lunar eclipse, the Sun , Earth and moon are directly aligned as the moon swings into the cone of shadow cast by our planet.

Observers on Earth will see a moon that is partly light and partly dark, with hints of color that depend on terrestrial conditions.

Lunar eclipses are visible wherever the moon is above the horizon. This one will be best seen from most of Africa, Eastern Europe, central Asia, India and the Middle East.

From Western Europe and the United Kingdom, the moon will rise during the eclipse.

It begins at 2:23 p.m. EDT, when the moon enters the lightest part of the Earth's shadow, the penumbra. Soon after, the moon will have a slight yellowish hue.

It enters the darker part of the terrestrial shadow, the umbra, at 3:36 p.m.

Maximum eclipse occurs at 5:10 p.m., when more than 80 percent of the visible side of the moon will be within the umbra and the remainder within the penumbra.

The moon leaves the umbra at 6:44 p.m., and the eclipse finishes when it exits the penumbra at 7:59 p.m.

During the eclipse, the moon lies in front of the stars of the constellation of Capricornus, with the planet Jupiter to its right.

Unlike an eclipse of the sun, a lunar eclipse is safe to watch and needs no special equipment.

ALCOHOL-MEDICINAL-ALCOHOL-ABUSE-PART-II.

2008-08-11T11:10:00.005+05:30

Contd:-

Early Modern Period:-

During the early modern period (1500-1800), Protestant leaders such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, the leaders of the Anglican Church, and even the Puritans did not differ substantially from the teachings of the Catholic Church: alcohol was a gift of God and created to be used in moderation for pleasure, enjoyment and health; drunkenness was viewed as a sin.

In spite of the ideal of moderation, consumption of alcohol was often high. Intoxication was also inconsistent with the emerging emphasis on rational mastery of self and world and on work and efficiency In the sixteenth century; alcohol beverage consumption reached 100 liters per person per year. In Coventry, England, the average amount of beer and ale consumed was about 17 pints per person per week, compared to about three pints today; in Valladolid, Spain, and Polish peasants consumed up to three liters of beer per day.

Swedish beer consumption may have been 40 times higher than in modern Sweden. English sailors received a ration of a gallon of beer per day, while soldiers received two-thirds of a gallon. In Denmark, the usual consumption of beer appears to have been a gallon per day However, the production and distribution of spirits spread slowly. Spirit drinking was still largely for medicinal purposes throughout most of the sixteenth century.

A beverage that clearly made its debut during the seventeenth century was sparkling champagne. The credit for that development goes primarily to Dom Perignon, the wine-master in a French abbey. Around 1668, but it took another century before becoming popular, only after its problem of bursting bottles was solved.

The original grain spirit, whisky and its specific origins are unknown but the distillation of whisky in Scotland and Ireland has been done for centuries. The first confirmed written record of whisky comes from 1405 in Ireland; the production of whisky from malted barley is first mentioned in Scotland in an entry on the 1494, although both countries could have distilled grain alcohol before this date.

Distilled spirit was generally flavored with juniper berries. The resulting beverage was known as jenever, the Dutch word for "juniper." The French changed the name to ‘genievre,’ which the English changed to "geneva" and then modified to "gin." Originally used for medicinal purposes, in 1690, England passed "An Act for the Encouraging of the Distillation of Brandy and Spirits from Corn" and within four years the annual production of distilled spirits, most of which was gin, reached nearly one million gallons.

The dawn of the eighteenth century saw the British Parliament pass legislation designed to encourage the use of grain for distilling spirits. In 1685, consumption of gin had been slightly over one-half million gallons but by 1714 it stood at two million gallons. In 1727, official production reached five million gallons; six years later the London area alone produced eleven million gallons of gin. However, the peak in consumption was reached seven years later, when the nation of six and one-half million people drank over 18 million gallons of gin. And most was consumed by the small minority of the population then living in London and other cities.

While drunkenness was still an accepted part of life in the eighteenth century, the nineteenth century brought a change in attitudes as a result of increasing industrialization and the need for a reliable and punctual work force. Problems commonly associated with industrialization and rapid urbanization were attributed to alcohol, also urban crime, poverty and high infant mortality rates were blamed on alcohol, although it is likely that gross overcrowding and unemployment had much to do with these problems.

Over time, more and more personal, social and religious/moral problems were be blamed on alcohol and not only would it be enough to prevent drunkenness; any consumption of alcohol was to be seen as unacceptable.

Colonial America:-

From the beginning. alcoholic beverages played an important role in Colonial America, The Puritans carried more beer than water on the ‘Mayflower,’ as they departed for the New World. While this may seem strange for Puritans viewed from the modern context, it should be understood that drinking wine and beer at that time was safer than water - which was usually taken from sources used to dispose of sewerage and garbage.

Their experience showed them that it was safer to drink alcohol than the typically polluted water in Europe. Alcohol was also an effective analgesic, provided energy necessary for hard work, and generally enhanced the quality of life. Both in England and in the New World, people of both sexes and all ages typically drank beer with their meals.

As importing a continuing supply of beer was expensive, the early settlers brewed their own. However, it was difficult to make the beer they were accustomed to because wild yeasts caused problems in fermentation and resulted in a bitter, unappetizing brew. To maintain an adequate supply for traditional beer, hop seeds were imported from England, in the meanwhile, the colonists improvised a beer made from red and black spruce twigs boiled in water as well as ginger ale.

According to its alcohol content, beer was designated X, XX, or XXX, TheY also learned to make a wide variety of wine from fruits. They additionally made wine from such products as flowers, herbs, and even oak leaves. French vine-growers were brought to the New World to teach settlers how to cultivate grapes.

They adhered to the traditional belief that distilled spirits were aqua vitae, or water of life. However, rum was not commonly available until after 1650, when it was imported from the Caribbean. By 1657, a rum distillery was operating in Boston. It was highly successful and within a generation the production of rum became colonial New England's largest and most prosperous industry. Almost every important town from Massachusetts to the Carolinas had a rum distillery to meet the local demand, which had increased dramatically.

Rum was often enjoyed in mixed drinks, including flip. a popular winter beverage made of rum and beer sweetened with sugar and warmed by plunging a red-hot fireplace poker into the serving mug. Alcohol was viewed positively while its abuse was condemned. Increase Mather (d. 1723) expressed the common view in a sermon against drunkenness: "Drink is in itself a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan; the wine is from God, but the drunkard is from the Devil." This Old World attitude is likewise found among the early Methodists (John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Adam Clarke, Thomas Coke, and Francis Asbury) and Baptists (for instance, John Gill and John Bunyan)

Christianity and alcohol:-

In the first 1,800 years of church history, Christians consumed alcoholic beverages as a common part of everyday life and nearly always used wine in their central rite — the Eucharist or Lord's Supper. They held that both the Bible and Christian tradition taught that alcohol is a gift from God that makes life more joyous and that overindulgence, leading to drunkenness, is a sin.

In the mid 1800s, some Protestant Christians moved from this historic position of allowing moderate use of alcohol (sometimes called moderationism) to either deciding that not imbibing was wisest in the present circumstances (abstentionism) or prohibiting all ordinary consumption of alcohol because it was believed to be a sin (prohibitionism).Today, all three of these positions exist in Christianity, but the historic position remains the most common worldwide.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:-

- Wikipedia.

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ALCOHOL-MEDICINAL-ALCOHOL-ABUSE.

2008-08-08T00:56:00.009+05:30

Alcohol is Alcohol

It’s Not What You Drink, But How Much You Drink That Counts

If You Choose To Drink, Drink Responsibly

Alcohol is Alcohol.
It would be apposite to know something about Alcohol’s history, as claimed, is it really beneficial if consumed in moderation, if so, than how does one define moderation, in terms of quantity and also before learning more about alcoholism and its abuse undertaken all over the world.

The brewing of alcoholic drinks is common in many civilizations, reflecting upon their cultural and religious traditions, sociological conditions as well as geographical location. Historically, alcoholic beverages have served as sources of needed nutrients and have been widely used for their medicinal, antiseptic, and analgesic properties.

ANCIENT PERIOD

While no one knows when beverage alcohol was first used, the discovery of late Stone Age beer jugs has established the fact that intentionally fermented beverages existed at least as early as the Neolithic period cir. 10,000 B.C; as stated by Patrick (1952, pp. 12-13), and it has been suggested that beer may have preceded bread as a staple (Braidwood et al, 1953; Katz and Voigt, 1987);

Egypt

Wine clearly appeared as a finished product in Egyptian pictographs around 4,000 B.C. (Lucia, 1963a, p. 216).Osiris was worshiped throughout the entire country. The Egyptians believed that this important god invented, beer and wine, both were deified and offered to gods. Cellars and wine presses even had a god whose hieroglyph was a winepress.

They made at least 17 types of beer and at least 24 varieties of wine. Alcoholic beverages were used for pleasure, nutrition, medicine, ritual, remuneration and funerary purposes. The latter involved storing the beverages in tombs of the deceased for their use in the after-life (King, 1947, p. 11; Darby, 1977, p.576).

Numerous accounts of the period stressed the importance of moderation, and these norms were both secular and religious Though Egyptians warned against taverns (which were often houses of prostitution) and excessive drinking did not generally appear to define inebriety as a problem.

Babylon

Beer was the major beverage among the Babylonians, and as early as 2,700 BC they worshiped a wine goddess and other wine deities. Babylonians regularly used both beer and wine as offerings to their gods. Around 1,750 BC, the famous Code of Hammurabi devoted attention to alcohol. However, there were no penalties for drunkenness; in fact, it was not even mentioned. The concern was, fair commerce in alcohol.

China

The earliest evidence of alcohol in China is wine jars from Jiahu which date to about 7000 BC. This early drink was produced by fermenting rice, honey, and fruit. A variety of alcoholic beverages was used in China since prehistoric times. Alcohol, known in Chinese as Jiu was considered a spiritual food rather than a material (physical) food, and extensive documentary evidence attests to the important role it played in the religious life.

In ancient times people always drank when holding a memorial ceremony, offering sacrifices to gods or their ancestors, pledging resolution before going into battle, celebrating victory, before feuding and official executions, for taking an oath of allegiance, while attending the ceremonies of birth, marriage, reunions, departures, death, and festival banquets.

India

Alcoholic beverages in the Indus valley civilization appeared in the Chalcolithic Era. These beverages were in use between 3000 BC - 2000 BC. Sura, a beverage distilled from rice meal, was popular among the Kshatriya warriors and the peasant population. The use of these beverages was well defined within specific social contexts.

The Hindu Ayurvedic texts describe both the beneficent uses of alcoholic beverages and the consequences of intoxication and alcoholic diseases. Most of the peoples in India and China have continued, throughout, to ferment a portion of their crops and nourish themselves with the alcoholic product.

Greece

While the art of wine making reached the Hellenic peninsula by about 2,000 BC, the first alcoholic beverage to obtain widespread popularity in what is now Greece was mead, a fermented beverage made from honey and water. However, by 1,700 BC, wine making was commonplace, and during the next thousand years wine drinking assumed the same function so commonly found around the world: It was incorporated into religious rituals, it became important in hospitality, it was used for medicinal purposes and it became an integral part of daily meals.

As a beverage, it was drunk in many ways: warm and chilled, pure and mixed with water, plain and spiced. (Raymond, 1927, p. 53).While habitual drunkenness was rare; This appears to result from their rules stressing moderate drinking, their praise of temperance, intoxication at banquets and festivals was not unusual. An exception to this ideal of moderation was the cult of Dionysus, in which intoxication was believed to bring people closer to their deity (Sournia, 1990, pp. 5-6; Raymond, 1927, p. 55).

By 425 BC, warnings against intemperance, especially at symposia, appear to become more frequent.Xenophon (431-351 BC) and Plato (429-347 BC) both praised the moderate use of wine as beneficial to health and happiness, but both were critical of drunkenness, Hippocrates (cir. 460-370 BC) identified numerous medicinal properties of wine, which had long been used for its therapeutic value. Later, both Aristotle (384-322 BC) and Zeno (cir. 336-264 BC) were very critical of drunkenness.

Among Greeks, the Macedonians viewed intemperance as a sign of masculinity and were well known for their drunkenness. Their king, Alexander the Great (336-323 BC), whose mother adhered to the Dionysian cult, developed a reputation for inebriety.

Pre-Columbian America

Several Native American civilizations developed alcoholic beverages. Many versions of these beverages are still produced today.

Pulque or octli is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the maguey, and is a traditional native beverage of Mesoamerica. Though commonly believed to be a beer Pulque is depicted in Native American stone carvings from as early as AD 200. The origin of pulque is unknown; Mescal is made by distilling pulque. Tequila is a form of mescal.

Chicha is a Spanish word for any of variety of traditional fermented beverages from the Andes region of South America. It can be made of maize, manioc root (also called yuca or cassava) or fruits among other things. During the Inca Empire women were taught the techniques of brewing chicha in Acllahuasis (feminine schools). Chicha de jora is prepared by germinating maize, extracting the sugars, boiling the wort, and fermenting it in large vessels, traditionally huge earthenware vats, for several days. In some cultures, in lieu of germinating the maize to release the starches, the maize is ground, moistened in the chicha maker's mouth and formed into small balls which are then flattened and laid out to dry.

Chicha de jora has been prepared and consumed in communities throughout in the Andes for millennia. The Inca used chicha for ritual purposes and consumed it in vast quantities during religious festivals. In recent years, however, the traditionally prepared chicha is becoming increasingly rare. Only in a small number of towns and villages in southern Peru and Bolivia is it still prepared.

Cauim is a traditional alcoholic beverage of the Native American populations of Brazil since pre-Columbian times. It is still made today in remote areas throughout Panama and South America. Cauim is very similar to chicha and it is also made by fermenting manioc or maize, sometimes flavored with fruit juices. The Kuna Indians of Panama use plantains. A characteristic feature of the beverage is that the starting material is cooked, chewed, and re-cooked prior to fermentation. As in the making of chicha, enzymes from the saliva of the cauim maker breakdown the starches into fermentable sugars.

Medieval period.

Islamic world

During the 8^th and 9^th centuries, pure distilled alcohol was first produced by Muslim chemists, who developed the art of distillation. During the Abbasid Caliphate, the most notable of whom were Persian Jabir ibn Hayyan (Gebber), Al-Kindi (Alkindus) and Persian Al-Razi (Rhazes)

The development of the still with cooled collector—necessary for the efficient distillation of spirits without freezing—was an invention of Muslim alchemists during this time. In particular, Geber (Jabir Ibn Hayyan, 721–815) invented the alembic still; he observed that heated wine from this still released a flammable vapor, which he described as "of little use, but of great importance to science". Not much later, al-Razi (864–930) described the distillation of alcohol and its use in medicine. Al-Kindi (801-873) unambiguously described the distillation of wine.

The word was introduced into Europe, together with the art of distillation and the resulting substance itself, around the 12th century by various European authors who translated and popularized the discoveries of Islamic and Persian alchemists.

It seems that the word ‘alcohol’ is derived from the Arabic language, ‘Al-‘ is the Arabic definite article, but the second part maybe from al-gawi, meaning ‘spirit’ or ‘demon’ akin to liquors being called ‘spirits’ in English.

To continue in next post:-

1) Early modern period.

2) Colonial America.

3) Christianity and alcohol.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:-

- Wikipedia.

Please post your comments:-

CYCLOTHYMIA-FINAL PART.

2008-08-03T23:52:00.006+05:30

In continuation of Cyclothymia Part-II and its concluding Part.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS:-

A common disorder in the relatives of patients with bipolar disorder and some individuals with Cyclothymia eventually develop bipolar disorder themselves. It may persist throughout adult life, cease temporarily or permanently, or develop into more severe mood swings meeting the criteria for bipolar disorder or recurrent depressive disorder in rare cases.

CAUSES:

Cyclothymia appears to have a genetic contribution, which has been shown by a range of twin studies involving dizygotic (fraternal) and monozygotic (identical) twins. Psychosocial factors have also been implicated, for example stressful life events or living conditions, and interpersonal difficulties. In addition, some unsupported theories pose that the Hypomanic episodes have meaning in the context of a person seeking to achieve goals or to avoid depression.

TREATMENT:-

Treatment for Cyclothymia can include a variety of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Prescription drugs such as lamotrigine, lithium, and benzodiazepines are often used to treat Cyclothymia.

The most important first step in the treatment of this disorder is to prevent alcohol or illicit drug abuse. Medication often is ineffective when the individual is still abusing alcohol or illicit drugs.

There is little research on the treatment of Cyclothymic Disorder. Generally, research is showing that the medications that are effective in treating Bipolar I Disorder are also effective in Cyclothymic Disorder.

Mood stabilizers (e.g., lithium, carbamazepine and valproate) have been shown to be effective. Antidepressant medication (tricyclic antidepressant medication) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of this disorder. Thyroid augmentation of antidepressant medication is often helpful.

Psycho-education (teaching patients and their families about this illness) significantly improves patient compliance and family cooperation..

The following is narrated by SUE (Name changed, residing in USA) a CYCLOTHALMIC:-

“I was born when my mother was 38yrs old. My brother was 15, my sister 12. My mother and father were in a car wreck with a bus and my mother had a broken neck and was in the hospital for the entire pregnancy. In fact, it was after the accident that she found out she was pregnant with me. They wanted to terminate the pregnancy due to the amount of medications she would be on She refused as my siblings were her children from another marriage, I was the one and only from her and my father.

I was born one month early.My mother got out of the hospital a few months after I did, but she had another freak accident; snow/ice came off of a building and hit her on the head re-breaking her neck. Basically my sister Barbara raised me for the first three years of my life.”

Flash forward:

“I was obviously very attached to my sister as she was the only mother I really knew. Barbara got married when she was 18yrs old and I was 5. Here is where all of the stuff becomes clear.My mother would have been diagnosed probably as a manic depressive with schizophrenic tendencies. I never really learned what her mental/medical condition truly was, I just knew that she was never "right" and I knew how to handle her. My father was a vicious, brutish, evil, and my mother sank into deeper depressions and was hospitalized with her first "nervous breakdown" when I was 5, shortly after my sister got married, virtually escaping this madhouse.

I spent the rest of my childhood dealing with the breakdowns and the abuse. My mother had shock therapy which was very intense back in the 60's and she would be basically a doll when she came home that had to be taken care of. I really didn't have a childhood as I was the "woman of the house" since I was 5.

I had I guess an epiphany when I was 16 because I stood up to my father and decided enough was enough and I will just say that the abuse of my mother and myself stopped. When I was 18 I threw him out of my mother's house and took her to get a divorce. I moved out and began my life on my own. My mother had the last nervous breakdown she ever had and I was the one that had to sign her in the hospital. She also during this breakdown tried to kill me.”

Flash forward:

“Bruce and I are married. He is a very special person. I told him on our first date that if he every raised a hand against me I would kill him. We are still together almost 35 years later so I guess I didn't scare him off.

We had our first child, Marlana, four days after our 1st anniversary. My mother died when Marlana was about 2yrs old. About this time Barbara went in to have a minor surgery and found out that she had breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy. Unfortunately back then they did not have the ability to do body scans. The breast cancer was secondary. She had lung cancer in the bronchial junction even though she never smoked. It took 3 yrs for her to die.

I never really got over my sister's death and carried that hurt with me for years until I had a breaking point and found myself sitting on the floor of my kitchen with a bottle of pills and a bottle of booze. I was a pharmacy tech for 20 years and knew what to do in order to do it right I also have a very high tolerance to alcohol and pain medication, tranquilizers, etc.

Obviously, I didn't do it though that is the closest I ever came. I told my best friend who talked me into seeing a doctor. I went into therapy at that time.I was diagnosed initially as major depressive/bi-polar and was treated for that which took about a year to get stabilized.

I had weekly therapy for that time and came to realize that I had been carrying around all of the emotional garbage from the type of childhood I had plus just the daily grind that had caught up with me and I never dealt with my sister's death.

After the doctor I see now and have for the last 3-4 yrs had a chance to follow me long term I have been down graded me to Cyclothymic. I have cycles about every 8-12 weeks and they can vary from an actual depressive cycle to just a "down" phase. I am very high functioning as I have never had a problem getting or keeping a job since I am pretty much a perfectionist and go above and beyond in my work.

2008 finds me very stable without as many medications as before. My cycles are few and far between, thank goodness, but I do have a bad spell every so often. I had a 6 week deep depression about a year ago, but nothing since I have med checks every 3mon to make sure I am stable and I am doing very well.”

“Mental illness comes in all shapes and sizes and does not discriminate. Male - female, young or old. It comes in varying degrees and for the most part, is inherited. I worry about my children and they know it is possible it could show up. But I was born with and into this and have no choice but to do my best to stay stable and live my life to the best I can. But mental illness is a stigma and we are all afraid of people finding out and judging us badly.

My medication is venlafaxine which works well for me. Plus I also occasionally take Clonazepan which is a benzodiazepine. Well my friend; I hope you don’t think less of me after hearing my tale. You see, I have a hard time trusting people (though I am a friendly person) barring a few I don’t have close friends.”

PS: - Special thanks to mcmanweb.com, psycom.net, WHO.ICD-10, Wikipedia and Debra Roberts, for her feedback.

A very Special Thanks To SUE (Name Changed) For Narrating & Sharing Her True Account Of Cyclothalmic Disorder.

DISCLAIMER:-This article is informative and educative only. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial, or risk management) please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.

CYCLOTHYMIA-PART-II.

2008-07-28T20:11:00.007+05:30

Let us venture forth, into the… from where we last left…

In 1980 the classification of Cyclothymia was changed in the DSM-IV from Personality Disorder to Mood Disorder. (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, fourth edition.)

Though the above description portrays Cyclothymia as a mild disorder, it can completely disrupt the life of an individual and create personal chaos. It is so only relative to the severity of Bipolar I and Bipolar II disorders. In their continual oscillation of mood, they never know from one day to the next what to expect

INCIDENCE OF CYCLOTHYMIA:-

The lifetime prevalence of Cyclothymic disorder is 0.4-1%. The rate appears equal in men or women, though women more often seek treatment. Most commonly the disorder begins in the teens or early twenties. Eventually approximately 30 percent of individuals with Cyclothymia experience a full-blown manic episode or major depression, and their diagnosis is changed to Bipolar I or II..

SYMPTOMS:-

Oscillating from periods of elation to gloom

Unable to maintain enthusiasm for new projects due to mood changes

Personal Relationship Problems due to influence of moods causing a constant "pulling close and pushing away" of emotions

Abrupt changes in personality from cheerful, confident and energetic to sad, blue or "mean"

Sleep difficulties are prominent, with affected persons sleeping little during hypomania, and "unable to get out of bed" during depression.

Self medication with alcohol or illegal drugs common.

In a word Cyclothymia seems to sabotage a person's opportunity for a stable life.

AS CITED IN WHO-ICD-10, F34.0/2007:-

Cyclothymia:-

A persistent instability of mood involving numerous periods of depression and mild elation, none of which is sufficiently severe or prolonged to justify a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder (F31.-) or recurrent depressive disorder (F33.-). This disorder is frequently found in the relatives of patients with bipolar affective disorder. Some patients with Cyclothymia eventually develop bipolar affective disorder. Affective personality disorder
Cycloid personality, Cyclothymic personality.

A persistently unstable mood, involving many periods of mild depression and mild elation. This instability usually develops in late adolescence and follows a chronic course, although moods may be within norms for months at a time. Mood swings are usually perceived by the individual as being unrelated to life events. The diagnosis is difficult to establish without a prolonged period of observation or an unusually good account of the individual's past behaviour.

Because the mood swings are relatively mild and the episodes of mood elevation may be enjoyable, Cyclothymia frequently fails to come to medical attention. In some cases this may be because the mood change, although present, is less prominent than cyclical changes in activity, self-confidence, sociability, or appetitive behaviour. If required, age of onset may be specified as early (in late teenage or the twenties) or later.

The essential feature is a persistent instability of mood, involving numerous periods of mild depression and mild elation, none of which has been sufficiently severe or prolonged to fulfill the criteria for bipolar disorder or recurrent depressive disorder. This implies that individual episodes of mood swings do not fulfill the criteria for any of the categories described under manic episode or major depressive episode.

TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT PART-III, DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS, CAUSES, and TREATMENT…

PS: - Special thanks to mcmanweb.com, psycom.net, WHO.ICD-10, Wikipedia and Googles and Debra Roberts, for her feedback.

DISCLAIMER:-This article is informative and educative only.If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial, or risk management) please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.

CYCLOTHYMIA-PART I

2008-07-25T07:28:00.006+05:30

Let us venture forth, into the realms of our minds to understand what is CYCLOTHYMIA, its causes, its effects on the afflicted person, can it be treated or is it life long, if so, then how to cope with it, well then let us take the first step into the labyrinth of the mind.

Cyclothymia in medical annals is defined as a mood disorder, a milder form of Bipolar II Disorder, consisting of recurrent mood conflict between hypomania and dysthymia mood. A single episode of hypomania is sufficient to diagnose cyclothymiacs disorder, but as most individuals also have dysthymic periods, with a history of mania or major depressive episode, the diagnosis of cyclothymiacs disorder is never made. To get a picture, first let us define mania, hypomania and dysthymic.

MANIA:

Is an abnormally elated mental state, typically characterized by feelings of euphoria, lack of inhibitions, racing thoughts, diminished need for sleep, talkativeness, irritability and risk. taking. In extreme cases, mania can induce hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms

DESCRIPTION: Mania typically occurs as a symptom of bipolar disorder.

HYPOMANIA:

Is a state of mood, which like mania is characterized by the persistent and pervasive elated or irritable mood and thoughts that are consistent with such a mood state, there is less need for sleep, goal motivated behaviour and increased metabolism. It is distinguished from mania by the absence of psychotic symptoms and less impact of functioning, Hypomanic Episodes occurs in some Mood Disorders.

Criteria for Hypomanic Episode.

A. A distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting throughout at least 4 days, that is clearly different from the usual non-depressant mood.

B. During the period of mood disturbances, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree.

1. Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity.

2. Decreased need for sleep (e.g. feels rested after only three hours of sleep.)

3. More talkative than usual, or pressure to keep talking.

4. Flight of ideas, or subject experience that thoughts are racing.

5. Distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli.)

6. Increase in goal directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation.

7. Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g. the person engages in unrestrained uying sprees, sexual indiscretion, or foolish business investments.)

C. The episode is associated with an unequivocal change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the person when not symptomatic.

D. The disturbance in mood and the change in functioning are observable by others.

E. The episode is not severe enough to cause marked impairement in social or occupational functioning, or to necessitate hospitalization, and there are no psychotic features.

F. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism) Note: Hypomanic-like episodes that are clearly caused by somatic antidepressant treatment (e.g., medication, electroconvulsive therapy, light therapy) should not count toward a diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder.

DYSTHYMIA:

A mood disorder, within the depression spectrum, characterized by lack of enjoyment, pleasure, clinically referred to as anhedonia that continues for an extended period. Dysthymia being both longer lasting and less disabling differs from major depression; it can prevent a person from functioning effectively, disrupt sleep patterns, and interfere with activity of daily living (ADLs).

Many dysthymia sufferers have a more specific sub type called Atypical depression. Dysthymia patients exhibit mild symptoms on a day-to-day basis. As it progresses, the disorder may have more severe effects, such as high rate of suicidal tendency, work impairment and social isolation, the psychiatric term describing a personality, with opposite characteristics to Dysthymia is Hyperthymia.

Diagnostic criteria:

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, characterizes Dysthymia as a chronic depression, with a lesser severity than a major depression.

Sufferers have often experienced dysthymia for many a years, before being diagnosed; people around them come to believe that the sufferer is ‘just a moody person.’ Note the following diagnostic criteria.

1. During a majority of days for 2 years or more, the patient reports depressed mood or appears depressed to others for most of the day.

2. When depressed, the patient has 2 or more of-

3. Appetite decreased or increased

4. Sleep decreased or increased

5. Poor self-image

6. Reduced concentration or decisiveness

7. Feels hopeless

8. During these 2 year period, the above symptoms are never absent for more than 2 consecutive months

9. During the first 2 years of this syndrome, the patient has not had a Master Depressive Episode

10. The patient as had no Manic, Hypomanic, or Mixed Episodes.

11. The patient has never fulfilled criteria for Cyclothymic Disorder.

12. The disorder does not exists solely in the context of a chronic psychosis (such as Schizophrenia or Delusional Disorder.)

13. The symptoms are not directly caused by a general medical condition or the use of substances, including prescription medications.

14. The symptoms cause clinically important distress or impair work, social or personal functioning.

To be continued, in the next post, diagnosis of Cyclothymia, its effects…

Acknowledgments:

1. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, fourth edition.

2. Behave Net, f or their permission in allowing to use their material for case study.

3. To my dear friend, Debra Roberts for imposing faith in me.

Please Post Your Comments.

CIGARETTE-TOBACCO-NICOTINE-LUNGS-INFECTIONS-&-DEATH-FINAL PART.

2008-07-17T00:23:00.008+05:30

Before commencing into my last foray, of the devastating and irreversible damage caused to human body’s physiology, outbreak of diseases, sufferings-for self and near and dear one’s, due to smoking. It was brought to my notice, by the readers about the graphics illustrated, majority of them had a positive view point and a few thought it as a shocker, with all due respect, is it not necessary? After all, so much has been written on and against smoking, but the results are …, yet not desirable.

Have you ever wondered what does the word COPD in its acronym form really stands for, what is the impact of this in our every day life? What can be done about it, the questions are endless, but to all of them the answer is absolutely singular, and in due time you shall get it, but let us find about, WHAT IS COPD?

COPD in its expanded form stands for CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE, is also known as CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE AIRWAYS DISEASES-COAD-, CHRONIC AIRFLOW LIMITATION-CAL-, CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE and CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE RESPIRATORY DISEASE, it is an umbrella term for chronic bronchitis, emphysema and a range of other lung diseases, caused mostly by tobacco smoking, but also due to other airborne pollutants, such as coal dust, asbestos or solvents, as well as alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency a congenital condition.

Tuberculosis and bronchiectasis can have features of COPD, such as chronic airflow obstruction that is not fully reversible, causes, treatment, prognosis, are different than that of COPD, it is the fourth leading CAUSE OF DEATH in the USA. In 1990 COPD was ranked 6^th in the world, as the cause of death, by 2020 or earlier it may be the third leading cause of death, due to increase in smoking rates, as per the figures available, the economic burden of this dreaded disease- COPD, in the USA in 2007 was $42.6 billion in health care cost and lost production.

SYMPTOMS:-

Lets take a look at the main symptoms—Dyspnea (shortness of breath) from months to years, along with wheezing a persistent cough with sputum, with a possibility of blood (hemoptysis) with sputum, usually due to the damage of blood vessels of the airways, severe COPD could lead to cyanosis (bluish colorization, of lips and fingers) due to lack of oxygen in the blood. In extreme cases it could lead to cor pulmonale (right-sided heart failure) due to extra work to get blood, flow through the lungs.

People with COPD may make wheezy sounds, difficult to hear or normal breathing sounds at the time of examination, in some cases the patient may seem anxious and may breathe through pursed or puckered lips, in the cases of emphysema or COPD, the difficulty is not in inhaling, but in exhaling as the elasticity of the lungs is lost.

CAUSES:-

The primary risk factor of COPD is TOBACCO SMOKING, as per the data, in the USA around 90% of COPD CASES are due to smoking, not all smokers will develop COPD, but chronic smokers are at a positive risk of 25%, to acquire it.

OTHER RISK FACTORS:-

Increasing age, male gender, allergy, repeated airway infection and general impaired lung function are also related to the development of COPD.

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY:-

Chronic Bronchitis (Summary)

Defined as a cough with sputum production on most days for 3 months of a year, for 2 consecutive years, it is hallmarked by hyperplasia (increased number) and hypertrophy (increased size) of the goblet cells (mucous glands) of the airway, resulting in secretion of mucous, which contributes to the airways obstruction, microscopically there is infiltration of the airway walls with inflammatory cells, neutrophils. Inflammation is followed by scarring and remodeling that thickens the walls, narrowing the small airway. Further progression leads to metaplasia (abnormal change in the tissue) and fibrosis (thickening and scarring) of the lower airway, the result, limitation of airflow.

Emphysema (Summary)

Histological emphysema is defined as the enlargement of the air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles with destruction of their walls. The enlarged air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs, reduces the surface area available for the movement of gases during respiration. This leads to Dyspnea in severe cases; this development of emphysema is due to smoking and age.

DIAGNOSIS:-

The diagnosis of COPD is done symptomatically, it is clinical in nature with no definitive single test, history of patients smoking, occupation and a physical examination is done and measurement of lung function with a spirograph can reveal the loss of lung function

MANAGEMENT:-.

Although COPD is not curable, it can be controlled in a variety of ways. Clinical practice guidelines by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), a collaboration including the American National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the World Health Organization, are available.

SMOKING CESSATION:-

Is one of the most important factors in slowing down the progression of COPD. Even at a late stage of the disease it can reduce the rate of deterioration and prolong the time taken for disability and death.

PROGNOSIS:-

A good prognosis of COPD relies on an early diagnosis and prompt treatment. With total smoking cessation, most patients will have improvement in lung function once treatment is started, however eventually signs and symptoms will worsen as COPD progresses. The average survival is about 10 years, if two-thirds of expected lung function was lost by diagnosis.

BRONCHITIS:-

Acute bronchitis usually resolves in 7-10 days with no underlying lung disease. Chronic bronchitis however is dependent on early recognition and smoking cessation which improves the outcome significantly.

EMPHYSEMA:-

The outcome is better for patients with less damage to the lungs, which stop smoking immediately. Still, patients with extensive lung damage may live for many years so predicting prognosis is difficult. Death may occur from respiratory failure, pneumonia, or other complications.

TREATMENT &THERAPY:-

Bronchodilators, Anticholinergics, Cromones, Leukotriene antagonists, Xanthines, Corticosteroids, Vaccination, Pulmonary Rehailitation, all the medications will help in giving relief measures and making breathing easier, but then, there is no cure for COPD.

Supplemental Oxygen. In general, long-term administration of oxygen is usually reserved for individuals with COPD who have arterial hypoxemia (PaO2 less than 55 mm Hg), or a PaO2 between 55 and 60 mm Hg with evidence of pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale, or secondary erythrocytosis (hematocrit >55%). In these patients, continuous home oxygen therapy (for >15 h/d) sufficient to correct hypoxemia has been shown to improve survival, but 24h/d is absolutely beneficial.

EPIDEMIOLOGY:-

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 80 million people suffer from moderate to severe COPD and 3 million died due to it in 2005. The WHO predicts that by 2020, it will be the 4th largest cause of mortality worldwide.

Since COPD is not diagnosed until it becomes clinically apparent, prevalence and mortality data greatly underestimate the socioeconomic burden of COPD. In the UK, COPD accounts for about 7% of all days of sickness related absence from work.

Smoking rates in the industrialized world have continued to fall, causing rates of COPD, Emphysema and Pulmonary Neoplasm’s to slowly decline.

THE ONLY REMEDY IS—STOP SMOKING IMMEDIATELY—IF YOU WANT A HEALTHY TOMORROW. CHOICE IS YOURS.

Ps: In this concluding part, allow me to express my gratitude to all those who out there, supported me, in this endeavor, not a crusade against smoking, so the sufferings may end in the future, smoking is not a habit but a disease brought upon by himself/herself, no one had forced to fall in this rut, with open eyes walked into it, so it is up to us, our will power to walk out again, do you possess one, or have you PUFFED it out, well get up and get to know about yourself, get going, scream and KICK THE BUTT.

Thanks to:- Google, Wikipedia, eMedicine & Medscape, Joel’s library, Medlineplus.net, Encyclopedia Britannica, many well-wishers, friends & foes, approvers & distracters, Fellow Puffers & Smokers (Yes Burn them and Puff them into living hell) or GIVE IT UP, FOR SANITY TO PREVAIL.

CIGARETTE-TOBACCO-NICOTINE-LUNGS-INFECTIONS-&-DEATH-PART-V/b

2008-07-10T05:40:00.014+05:30

Let us proceed to the next

CHRONIC BRONCHITIS:-

Again a smoking related lung infection the membranes that line the bronchi, or the lung's air passages, narrow over time. Symptoms include a morning cough that brings up phlegm, breathlessness, and wheezing. Chronic bronchitis is not necessarily caused by infection and is generally part of a syndrome called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); for at least three months in two consecutive years. Bronchitis may be indicated by an expectorating cough, dyspnea and wheezing. Occasionally chest pains, fever, and fatigue or malaise may also occur.

DIAGNOSIS:-

A physical examination will often reveal decreased intensity of breath sounds, wheeze (rhonchi) and prolonged expiration. Most doctors rely on the presence of a persistent dry or wet cough as evidence of bronchitis, and then there are the usual, chest X-ray, sputum, blood test although infection is not the reason or cause of chronic bronchitis, it is seen to aid in sustaining the bronchitis.

TREATMENT:-

Antibiotics, Bronchodilator’s, Cortico steroids, SMOKING CESSATION.

autopsy dilated distal bronchi.

ASTHMA:-

At last, respiratory /lung diseases not caused directly by smoking, but definitely smoking helps in its exacerbation, chronic inflammatory respiratory disease characterized by periodic attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, and a tight feeling in the chest. A cough producing sticky mucus is symptomatic. The symptoms often appear to be caused by the body's reaction to a trigger such as an allergen or allergy-causing substances, can be airborne substances certain drugs, an irritant such as cigarette smoke or workplace chemicals, exercise, or emotional stress.

These triggers can cause the asthmatic's lungs, to release chemicals that create inflammation of the bronchial lining, constriction, and bronchial spasms. If the effect on the bronchi becomes severe enough to impede exhalation, carbon dioxide can build up in the lungs and lead to unconsciousness and death. There is no cure for asthma. Although the disease may go through a period of calmness.

TREATMENT:-

Includes inhaled or oral steroids or bronchodilators (albuterol, theophylline), breathing exercises, and, if possible, the identification and avoidance of triggers AND TOTAL CESSATION OF SMOKING OR PASSIVE SMOKING TOO!

One common thing between Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis and Asthma is not only the cessation of smoking, but the irreversibility of the damage caused to the lungs and to the helplessness of the near and dear ones as they stand being a mute spectator, praying to their gods to terminate the patients sufferings, with which they are unwittingly linked up with, such are the vagaries of life

NEXT “LAST” POST:- ON INFECTIONS-&-DEATH- PART-Vb- IN THIS ON GOING ARTICLE ON CIGARETTE-TOBACCO-NICOTINE-LUNGS-INFECTIONS-&-DEATH. PLEASE DO NOT MISS IT, PLEASE BE TOLERANT.

PS:-ALLOW ME TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO ‘THE FREE DICTIONARY’, ‘GOOGLE,’ ‘MEDICINE.NET,’ ‘WIKIPEDIA,’ AND TO SOME LIKE MINDED FRIENDS, FOR SHARING THEIR INCLINATIONS WITH ME.

CENTRILOBULAR-EMPHYSEMA.

cancer-lung

CIGARETTE-TOBACCO-NICOTINE-LUNGS-INFECTION-&-DEATH-PART-V/a-

2008-07-08T17:41:00.032+05:30

The last article on—Lungs was concluded by the listing of its diseases-the major respiratory diseases-thirteen of them in all, in which six of them can be attributed as caused due to Smoking, while in the remaining, the worsening of the disease can be due to the very reason, the patient is still a smoker, further aggravating his sufferings. Now we shall venture into the last domain of infections, the tribulations that one has to face brought upon by him or her, the avoidable ordeals, pain and eventually a miserable death.

Habitual smoking is a psychological addiction and one with serious health consequences. Nicotine, the active ingredient in tobacco, is inhaled into the lungs, where most of it stays. The rest passes into the bloodstream, reaching the brain in about 7-10 seconds and dispersing throughout the body in about 20 seconds.

Nicotine, by itself, increases the risk of heart disease. However, when a person smokes, he or she is ingesting a lot more than nicotine. Smoke from tobacco is made up of many additional toxic chemicals, including tar and carbon monoxide. Tar is a sticky substance that forms into deposits in the lungs, causing LUNG CANCER and respiratory distress. Carbon monoxide limits the amount of oxygen that the red blood cells can convey throughout your body. Also, it may damage the inner walls of the arteries, which allows fat to build up in them.

CANCER:-

80 to 90% of lung cancer cases occur in smokers. Smoking has also been shown to be a contributory factor in cancers of upper respiratory tract, esophagus, larynx, breast, bladder, pancreas, and maybe to some extent liver, stomach and kidneys as well. Recently, scientists have also shown that, passive smoking can also increase one's risk of developing cancer.

So much has been written on cancer and its various forms that, I wont be dwelling into its in depths but shall try to highlight in depth and in details of the lesser known killer diseases directly attributed to SMOKING ONLY. A real killer disease once you acquire, there is no cure, but only one outcome: DEATH-A VERY PAINFUL- DEATH. Read on, it may still give you a fighting chance.

EMPHYSEMA:-

One of the chronic respiratory diseases, due to the leading preventable cause of death, SMOKING. Heavy cigarette smoking causes about 80-90% of all emphysema cases, {however a few cases are the result of an inherited deficiency of a substance called alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT)}, when there is a permanent over-inflation of the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, causing a decrease in lung function, and often, breathlessness. The destruction of the alveolar walls reduces the elasticity of the entire lung.

Normally cigarette smoking damages the lungs in many ways. For example, the irritating effect of cigarette smoke attracts those cells to the lungs, which promote inflammation. Cigarette smoke also stimulates these inflammatory cells to release elastase, an enzyme that breaks down the elastic fibers in lung tissue. As dis- cussed previously, normal function of the lung is dependent on elastic fibers surrounding the airways and in the alveolar walls. Elastic fibers are composed of a protein called elastin. An enzyme called elastase that is found even in normal lungs (and is increased in cigarette smokers) can break down the elastin and damage the airways and alveoli. Another protein called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) (produced by the liver and released into the blood) is present in normal lungs and can block the damaging effects of elastase on elastin.

damaged lungs.

Loss of elasticity leads to the collapse of the bronchioles, obstructing airflow out of the alveoli. Air becomes ‘trapped’ in the alveoli and reduces the ability of the lung to shrink during exhalation. The trapped air also can compress adjacent less damaged lung tissue, not allowing it to perform to its full capacity.

The exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen between air and the blood in the capillaries takes place across the thin walls of the alveoli. Destruction of the alveolar walls decreases the number of capillaries available for gas exchange, reducing the ability to

exchange gases.

The symptoms develop slowly over the years, by the time the patient realizes, they have lost more than half of their good lung tissues. Shortness of breath, a chronic mild cough maybe with expectoration of large amounts of dark, thick sputum, weight loss not necessarily; may also develop, an enlarged or a barrel, chest. Other symptoms such as, difficulty in sleeping, skipped breaths, morning headaches, increased difficulty in breathing while lying down, chronic tiredness, swelling of feet, ankles or legs, they are exposed to other risks, complications, due to weakened lung function, such as pneumonia.

TREATMEN METHOD FOR EMPHYSEMA DOES NOT CURE NOR REVERSE THE DAMAGE TO THE LUNGS

emphysema lungs-dead.

however the progression of the disease can be slowed, relieve symptoms and to control possible fatal complications. The first all important step is CESSATION OF SMOKING, so to prevent further deterioration of breathing ability. Consistent encouragement from family and friends can help increase the chances to succeed in attempting to QUIT

still prefer a cigarette.

So we are back to square one, but it is only quitting smoking that has shown, to slow down the diseases progress and amongst all other treatments, oxygen therapy has shown an increase in survival rate. In those patients with advanced emphysema, who also have low blood oxygen levels, home oxygen therapy may improve their survival rates. It may improve the patient's tolerance of exercise, as well as improve their performance in certain aspects of brain function and muscle coordination. The functioning of the heart may also improve with an increased concentration of oxygen in the blood. Patients may only receive oxygen at night, but studies have revealed that it is most effective when administered for at least 18, but preferably 24 hours per day.

A variety of medications may be used in the treatment of emphysema. Usually the patient responds best to a combination of medicines, rather than one single drug, such as:

good lung

Bronchodilators. Are used to lessen the patient’s suffering, by relaxing and opening the airways, another are corticosteroids or steroids, helping to decrease the inflammation of airway walls, at times are administered, if dilators are ineffective in preventing airway obstructions. Bronchodilators are used to help alleviate the patient's symptoms by relaxing and opening the airways. They can be inhaled, taken by mouth, or injected and also in the form of metered dose inhalers.

Corticosteroids or steroids. These help to decrease the inflammation of the airway walls. They are occasionally used if bronchodilators are ineffective in preventing airway obstruction. Some patients' lung function improves with corticosteroids, and inhaled steroids may be beneficial to patients with few side effects. A variety of antibiotics are frequently given at the first sign of a respiratory infection, such as increased amounts of sputum, or if there has been a change in the color of the sputum. Expectorants can help to loosen respiratory secretions, enabling the patient to more easily expel them from the airways.

For some patients, surgical treatment may be the best option. Lung volume reduction surgery is a surgical procedure in which the most diseased parts of the lung are removed to enable the remaining lung and breathing muscles to work more efficiently. Preliminary studies suggest improved survival rates and better functioning with the surgery. Another surgical procedure used is lung transplantation. Transplantation may involve one or both lungs. However, it is a risky and expensive procedure, and donor organs may not be available.

For those patients with advanced emphysema, keeping the air passages reasonably clear of secretions can prove difficult. Emphysema is a serious and chronic disease that cannot be reversed,. progression can be slowed, particularly if the patient stops smoking immediately. Complications of emphysema include higher risks for pneumonia and chronic bronchitis.

Overall, the prognosis for patients with emphysema is poor, with a survival rate for all those with COPD of four years, and even less for emphysema. However, individual cases vary and many patients can live much longer with supplemental oxygen and other treatment measures.

PREVENTION: - The best way to prevent emphysema is to avoid smoking. Even patients with inherited emphysema should avoid smoking, as it especially worsens the onset and severity. If patients quit smoking as soon as evidence of small airway obstruction begins, they can significantly improve their prognosis.

CAUSE: - SMOKING.

TO CONTINUE:- IN THE FOLLOWING POST WITH DUE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND CREDITS

TO QUIT ANYTIME IS THE RIGHT TIME,

2008-07-04T16:14:00.016+05:30

Now to begin with, let me make it very clear that, what I am writing here is due to the very first hand experience of mine, kicking this addiction very easily and successfully, without any medicine/s, the efforts, the study of on going research being conducted by the very best scientific brains in the world today, it is their efforts, their perseverance that teaches us what to do or not to do, I Humbly Dedicate These Writings To These Very Best Scientific Brains.

Any way today, I am going to take a brief detour from the main topic, as many an avid readers, who want to give up this avoidable, traumatic, disease forming addiction, leading us—the smokers—to its eventual, very very painful death and are not sure, how to go about it, or have failed in their previous attempt, have mailed to me asking for the information on, HOW TO QUIT SMOKING!!! It was music to my ears, soother to my sore and red eyes, as if, somewhat of my perseverance was paying off.

FIRST AND FOREMOST: -

Ask yourself, do I want to really give up, only and only, because I want to give up, take your time, after repeatedly asking your inner self this question, if the final verdict is YES, you have conquered your reticence, you are now totally prepared psychologically to QUIT SMOKING

You may ask when I should start. In fact you have already answered this, NOW, RIGHT NOW. Even the experts world over have opined, that if you want to quit then just quit, don’t wait, and friends I had done the same, so just go ahead and QUIT!

Now to start with, here are a few DO’s and DON’Ts.

Þ Proceed on leave and/or take a vacation so as to free yourself from the daily strenuous, stressful environment, because both act as triggers to reach for that one PUFF.

Þ Inform your friends, relatives, near and dear ones, see for you the impact caused, as they will surely help you, to tide over your initial irritations, due to nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

To refresh you’ll here are those symptoms, just see for yourself how easily they can be conquered by your sheer RESOLVE and WILL-POWER, if I could do it after 35 years of smoking, why can’t you, it is EASY. The symptoms are-Dizziness (only for the first couple of days, not for every one)-Trouble in sleeping, in concentration, Tiredness, Restlessness, headache, Increased appetite, Coughing and Dry throat, may be Constipation and slower heart rate. NOW YOU MUST HAVE SEEN VOMIT AND SHIVERS ARE MISSING, BECAUSE THESE TWO DREADED THINGS DO NOT TAKE PLACE, AS IS IN THE CASE OF HEROIN OR COCAINE, DRUG ADDICTS.

Þ Throw away all the stock of smoking material from your person, house drawers etc;

Þ Avoid all the things that will trigger your urge, like coffee or tea and alcohol, instead have a glass of milk or juice.

Þ Consume lots of fluid. 8-10 glasses of plain water or fresh juices or lime water and salt.

Þ On day one, Start your day by getting up earlier, change your routine, go for a walk/ jog, cycling, exercise, spend your entire day in theatre, shopping malls, museums, reading library’s, place of worship, ( even if you are an atheist-watch the architectural grandeur ) these are the places where one cannot smoke. It will help you a lot on day one.

Þ The moment you have the urge and which you shall, being your first day, just draw yourself to a corner face the wall and slowly inhale as deep as you can, hold your breath take a count of five and slowly exhale, do it for five times i.e. one set. This way do five sets in a demanding situation.

Þ Keep chewing gums-sugar free only- handy they will be beneficial-to lessen the intensity of craving and to keep your mouth hydrated.

Þ If required keep twirling a pencil or anything the shape and size of a cigarette between your finger tips if you had been used to this, it won’t remind you of cigarette.

Þ In the first week one may need oral substitute atleast I took them in the form of cinnamon sticks, also I used to chomp on carrots or fruits, remember eating raw fruits is much healthier than drinking its juice, also chewing on fruits keeps your mouth fresh and hydrated.

Þ Avoid doing all those things that can trigger the urge to go for that PUFF. E.g. sitting in your favorite chair to watch your T.V. programme or after food have cold tea or green tea or peppermint or suck on a cinnamon stick.

Þ While going to bed remind yourself how today was the day you lived without cigarette, promise that the coming day will be easier, this will boost your willpower.

Þ Every day will be a new day, but every passing day will reduce the urge, remember after 48 hours without any intake of nicotine, the last of traces of nicotine must have been flushed out.

Þ Our body is a wonderful machine and a busy one too, from day one after 12 hours as the levels of nicotine & carbon monoxide start dropping our lung, and heart go in an overdrive to repair the damage done by cigarette smoke.

Þ Within few days you shall find remarkable changes in your body you may smell and taste better, your breathing will improve and be much easier, though you may cough a little but you look at the mess you are about to leave behind, the key is always think positive.

Þ If at all you find the need consult your doctor, he may advice/prescribe a nicotine patch, lozenge, they are prescribed to help in tobacco cessation.

Þ What is termed as withdrawal symptoms are in fact the paths to recovery, our body is constantly repairing the damages caused by the ravages of tobacco, which not only delivers nicotine but also 60 other known carcinogenic toxins.

In this period give your body a complete rest, don’t expect too much from it, though you have quit, your body is yet to recover, well give its due time, do not forget to eat healthy diet on low fats, lots of fluid intake, at least 8/10 glasses of water, do not worry about weight gain, it shall be temporary, always look at the positive side, remind yourself that come what may happen I can do it, the withdrawal symptoms are much more tolerable than what one will have to face later, in life -a virtual living hell.

You have won the first battle, now you have to sustain it, if at all tempted and say to your self, one won’t harm me, well be rest assured, this is the slip you have to avoid and be prepared for, because this one slip will take you back to the same place, from where you freed yourself of those shackles.

BY QUITTING SMOKING YOU HAVE ADDED ANOTHER 10-15 YEARS OF HEALTHY TOBACCO AND NICOTINE FREE LIFE, AN EXPECTING MOTHER WILL DELIVER A WONDERFULLY HEALTHY BABY. EVERY YEAR, WHEN MILLIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD CAN GIVE UP SMOKING, THEN WHY YOU CAN’T! IT IS YOUR TURN GET UP AND VOLUNTEER FOR A SERVICE TO THE MANKIND AND YOURSELF.

PS: - DEDICATED TO ALL THE SCIENTIFIC FRATERNITY, ALL THOSE WHO QUIT AND TO ALL THOSE WHO NEVER SMOKED AND NOW TO THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO QUIT, AND ALSO TO GOOGLES, WIKIPEDIA

I DO HOPE THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE HELPFUL TO THOSE WHO HAD ASKED FOR THESE INPUTS, BUT ALSO TO THOSE WHO READ IT AND MAYBE….WHAT DO YOU THINK?

YOUR COMMENTS SHALL BE A FEATHER IN THE CAP, DO POST THEM:

CIGARETTE-TOBACCO-NICOTINE-LUNGS-INFECTION-&-DEATH-PART-IV.

2008-07-01T18:55:00.028+05:30

The born romantic fool that I am, before starting to conjure up words for this article on lungs, I was dreaming that atleast one reader may have put down the cigarette or cigar or… whatever that he was smoking, after reading the articles and the guile of nicotine, well I am sure that if not, than still the day won’t be far away, for me to receive, that good message in my post.

First let us understand that we human beings have two lungs-organs of respiration- right and left, with the right having three lobes, while the left, two lobes. Together they approximately contain 2,400 kms of airways and about 300/500 million alveoli, with a total surface area equivalent to a Tennis court or say 75 m^2 , and all the capillaries that surround the alveoli, if unwound and measured end to end, would extend upto a out 620 miles or so.

It is further divided into conducting zone, which contains the trachea, bronchi, the bronchioles and the terminal bronchioles and the respiratory zone that contains the, respiratory bronchioles, the alveolar ducts, and the alveoli. Both the zones are made up of airways-not the alveoli. The conducting zone has no gas exchange with the blood, and is reinforced with cartilage and smooth muscles, which are very strong, it warms and humidifies air to 37degrees Celsius, also cleanses the air by removing particles, smooth muscles have variable resistance to air flow. The respiratoy zone is the site of gas exchange with blood.

The total lung capacity depends on the age, sex, height, weight, normally is between 4 L and 6 L, for example, females have 20-25%, less capacity than males, taller people tend to have larger capacity than shorter people, Smoker’s have a lower capacity than non-smoker’s, respiratory rates are of 10-20 breaths per minute of a resting adult, with 1/3^rd of breath time in inspiration, with an average volume breathed of 500cm^3 or 0.5L

Human lungs are ‘overbuilt’ and have a tremendous reserve volume, as compared to the oxygen exchange requirement when at rest, this the reason individuals can smoke for yearswithout having noticeable decrease in lung function, while still or moving slowly, in situation like these, only a small portions of lungs are perfused with blood for gas exchange.

DISEASES:-

Diseases of the human lung belong to the respiratory diseases. The following is the list of important medical conditions involving the lungs. Many of these are caused and/or worsened only because of SMOKING.

Þ Lung Cancer

Þ Emphysema-enlargement of the air spaces in the lung, making it difficult to breath.

Þ Asthma-immunological disease causing bronchioles to narrow, by inflammation and spasm of the lining of the airway wall.

Þ Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), irreversible damage to the lungs causing grave difficulty in breathing.

Þ Cystic Fibrosis, a hereditary disease causes lung to produce abnormally viscous mucous.

Þ A pulmonary embolism-occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery leading to the lung.

Þ Tuberculosis is a transmittable bacterial infection of the lung, the most common infectious disease.

Þ Pneumonia is an infection of the lung, caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi.

Þ Pneumoconiosis, an occupational lung disease, caused by the inhalation of dust.

Þ Bronchitis, is an inflammation of bronchi.

Þ A collapsed lung (pneumothorax) can occur when one or both walls of pleural cavity are penetrated by injury, allowing air to enter.

Þ In pulmonary edema fluid from the capillaries enters the alveoli, can be caused by the weakness of the left side of the heart (resulting in blood hold up in the lung), altitude sickness or rarely inhaling of toxic gases.

Þ Lung pinprick is a hereditary disease, resulting in decreased lung capacity and shortning of breath.

Still want to reach for your cigarette, cigar or….. Take another look at the photographs, they tell you more than the words.

PS: -SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA, EDNET.NS.CA AND OTHERS.

IN THE NEXT POST: -INFECTIONS-&-DEATH

COMMENTS FROM YOU SHALL BE, FOR MY GUIDANCE TO IMPROVE. DO POST THEM.

Smoker's Heart and Lungs.

Smoker's Heart and Lungs.

Emphysema of the Lungs-due to Smoking-Cancer of the Lungs

Coughing and Screaming Lungs

Cancerous Lung due to Smoking

CIGARETTE-TOBACCO-NICOTINE-LUNGS-INFECTION-&-DEATH-PART-III.

2008-06-30T10:52:00.002+05:30

In this on going article, of CIGARETTE-TOBACCO-NICOTINE-LUNGS- INFECTION-&-DEATH. The previous post concluded with the topic on TOBACCO, so what is it that makes us humans slave, of the pungent, choking, unpleasant and bitter smoke from tobacco, what is so lethal and yet so addictive in tobacco, and yet makes it virtually indispensable, well the answer lies within the plant itself and that is-NICOTINE.

It is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (SOLANACEAE), predominantly in TOBACCO, it is a colorless, pungent, oily liquid, having an acrid taste, a very poisonous piperidine alkaloid, C₁₀H₁₄N₂, derived from the tobacco plant- Nicotiana tabacum, and is produced synthetically, used as an insecticide. It is the substance in tobacco to which smokers become addicted.

In low concentrations, the substance acts as a stimulant in mammals (an average cigarette yields about 1mg of absorbed nicotine). According to the American Heart Association, “Nicotine addiction has historically been one of the hardest addictions to break.” The pharmacological and behavioral characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

As nicotine enters the body, it is distributed quickly through the bloodstream and can cross the blood-brain barrier. (The blood-brain barrier is a membranic structure that acts primarily to protect the brain from chemicals in the blood, while still allowing essential metabolic function.) When a cigarette is smoked, nicotine-rich blood passes from the lungs to the brain within seven seconds and immediately stimulates the release of many chemical messengers including acetylcholine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, vasopressin, arginine, dopamine, and beta-endorphin. This results in enhanced pleasure, decreased anxiety, and a state of alert relaxation. The half life of nicotine in the body is around two hours.

The amount of nicotine absorbed by the body from smoking depends on many factors, including the type of tobacco, whether the smoke is inhaled, and whether a filter is used. For chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco and snuff, which are held in the mouth between the lip and gum, or taken in the nose, the amount released into the body tends to be much greater than smoked tobacco. Nicotine is metabolized in the liver by cytochrome P450 enzymes (mostly CYP2A6, and also by CYP2B6). A major metabolite is cotinine. Cotinine is a byproduct of the metabolism of nicotine which remains in the blood for up to 48 hours and can be used as an indicator of a person’s exposure to smoke.

Modern research shows that nicotine acts on the brain to produce a number of effects. Specifically, its addictive nature has been found to show that nicotine activates reward pathways—the circuitry within the brain that regulates feelings of pleasure and euphoria. ‘TO REDUCE THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF CIGARETTE SMOKING THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO QUIT.’ Public health authorities do not endorse either smoking fewer cigarettes or switching to lower tar and nicotine brands as a satisfactory way of reducing risk.

Smoking-related health risks are actually caused by the other ingredients found in your cigarettes. For example, tobacco smoke has more than 60 ingredients known to cause cancer in humans. Luckily, once you quit, your risk of getting a smoking-related illness can start to drop—almost immediately.

The impact of nicotine addiction in terms of morbidity, mortality, and economic costs to society is staggering. Tobacco kills more than 430,000 U.S. citizens each year—more than alcohol, cocaine, heroin, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fire, and AIDS combined. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

Economically, an estimated $80 billion of total U.S. health care costs each year is attributable to smoking. However, this cost is well below the total cost to society because it does not include burn care from smoking-related fires, prenatal care for low-birth-weight infants of mothers who smoke, and medical care costs associated with disease caused by secondhand smoke. Taken together, the direct and indirect costs of smoking are estimated at $138 billion per year.

ABOUT NICOTINE ADDICTION

If you've tried quitting before, you may have felt irritable when you didn't have a cigarette. Why has quitting smoking always been so hard? The answer has a lot to do with nicotine.

The nicotine addiction cycle

For most people, smoking is more than a habit. It's a nicotine addiction. Nicotine withdrawal is why you probably feel irritable or anxious when you don't have a cigarette.

When you smoke, nicotine goes to the brain in seconds.
When nicotine is in the brain, it causes the release of a chemical called dopamine, which gives the feeling of pleasure and calm.
Your body doesn't want that feeling to stop. But when you're between cigarettes, the level of dopamine drops. That's what gives the feeling of nicotine withdrawal. So you may get irritable.
Even if you want to quit, the body craves nicotine. This makes you keep smoking

The more you smoke, the more nicotine you need

Over time, each cigarette you smoke may become less and less effective. That's because, as the brain gets used to nicotine, you may need to smoke more to have the same feeling of pleasure and calm. Of course, the more you smoke, the more you inhale toxins in cigarettes that are linked to smoking-related illnesses.

How does it feel to quit?

On top of feeling the urge to smoke, you may also feel some of these common physical nicotine withdrawal symptoms : - Dizziness (at first) Trouble in sleeping.Tiredness. Trouble in concentrating. Restlessness. Headache. Increased appetite. Coughing and dry throat. Constipation . Slower heart rate.

Taking into consideration, the above withdrawal symptoms and weighing them against the known ill-effects of nicotine on your health, to start with, say irreversible respiratory disorders, when breathing itself becomes an ordeal, or other numerous lung diseases, including lung cancer and eventually a slow and a painful death, or cardiovascular disorders, the list goes on, but smokers of this world, don’t you all think, that to tolerate the withdrawal symptoms will be much more easier, than to face the daunting ordeal of mayhem

Well before you go for that puff again on your cigarette, or by any other means, give it a serious thought, maybe it will spare your life and fortunes of near and dear ones.

PS: -Special thanks to Wikipedia, Google, MedicineNet, Medical fraternity and other sources.

IN THE NEXT POST: - LUNGS- INFECTIONS-

Comments are a food for thought; do post them after reading this article.

CIGARETTE-TOBACCO-NICOTINE-LUNGS-INFECTION-&-DEATH-PART: -II

2008-06-25T21:28:00.004+05:30

That CIGARETTE! Did leave an lasting impression on my psyche, after all I had lost my idol to its acrid smoke and toxic fumes, unknowingly I had started to gather information on its sole ingredient TOBACCO, only to realise over the decades, how frightening and harmful it was and was turning out to be, one of the major contributor in spreading disease, pain and death.

The intriguing aspect about tobacco was not that, it has been growing on both American continents since about 6000 BC and was used by native cultures by around 3000 BC, not that it has been smoked, in one form or another, since about 3000 BC, but, that it has played an important role in the political, economic, and cultural history of the United States of America and then the world at large.

We humans have found indigenious ways and means to kill ourselves and the generations to follow, by the misuse of tobacco. Smoking in the form of pipes (stem & water), hookahs, cigarettes, cigars, beedies, by burning or heating tobacco and its smoke been inhaled, apart from this it is chewed or sniffed through the nose ina finely powdered snuff.

As per the World Health Organisation, tobacco smoke is the second biggest cause of death worldwide, and is reported to have been responsible for the deaths of 100 million people in the 20th century. So what makes tobacco so lethal so addictive. Well it is NICOTINE, on all methods of consumptions, varying quantities of nicotine is absorbed in the user’s bloodstream, slowly the tolerance and dependency develops, the absorption quantity, its frequency and speed of consumption increases, due to the biological strength of nicotine dependence, addiction and tolerance. At high doses, tobacco can become hallucinogenic; Native Americans did not always use the drug recreationally. Instead, it was often consumed as an entheogen; among some tribes, this was done only by experienced medicine men or shamans.

In addition to being smoked, uncured tobacco was often eaten used in enemas or drunk as extracted juice. Early missionaries have often reported on the ecstatic state caused by tobacco.As its use spread into Western cultures, however, it was no longer used primarily for entheogenic or religious purposes.

All through the 17th and 18th century, tobacco was the cash crop of The Virginias and The Carolinas. Until 1883, tobacco excise was accounted for, one third of internal revenue collected by the United States government. As a lucrative crop, tobacco has been the subject of a great deal of biological and genetic research. The economic impact of Tobacco Mosaic disease was the impetus that led to the isolation of Tobacco mosaic virus, the first virus to be identified; the fortunate coincidence that it is one of the simplest viruses and can self-assemble from purified nucleic acid and protein led, in turn, to the rapid advancement of the field of virology.

The1946 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was shared by, Wendell Meredith Stanley for his 1935 work, crystallizing the virus and showing that, it remains active.

Over the years there have been different types of tobacco products to name and to list a few are. SNUFF, CHEWING TOBACCO, SNUS, CREAMY SNUFF, GUTKHA, TOBACCO WATER, TOBACCO PASTE AS A TREATMENT FOR STINGING INSECT, ( for wasps, hornet, bees, fire ants and scorpion stings), CIGARS, CIGARETTE, PIPES, SHAG, CHOP CHOP, DIPPING TOBACCO AND THE WORST- PASSIVE SMOKING. SMOKING IS BANNED IN ONLY ONE COUNTRY i.e. BHUTAN, ANY TAKERS FROM THE DEVELOPED OR DEVELOPING WORLD, FOR THE WELFARE OF MANKIND??????

WELL IN NEXT POST: - NICOTINE-LUNGS TO FOLLOW.

PS: - Special thanks to Wikipedia, Google, other sources and Microsoft.

DO NOT FORGET TO POST YOUR COMMENTS.

CIGARETTE-TOBACCO-NICOTINE-LUNGS-INFECTION-&-DEATH

2008-06-23T03:53:00.011+05:30

The only thing that REMAINS constant in life is CHANGE, this cardinal rule is applicable all around us, right from the beginning of our universe and this constant change is what, shall be taking our solar system, to its predicted fiery end, some billions of years from now on. This is what I listened to, from my idol, as I grew up.

We all do have our child hood heroes, idols, they are our legends, our demi gods, the same was the case with me, and for me he was the most intelligent person, ever to walk on the face of this earth, in looks, well again according to me, Gregory Peck- the most handsome Hollywood actor-had no match for my idols physiognomies, even today I am not at all abashed to admit to this. But then every silver cloud has a dark lining, when Gods are fallible, what about us, the lesser mortals.

He had his own vice, the vice of smoking, during the period of 60s & 70s may be it was stylish, for one to smoke, something of an iconic stature, or may be the real ill effects were unknown to the medical fraternity of that period, either it was fever, cough, heavy cough, dry or wet cough, pneumonia and the worst, tuberculosis, lung ailments, as I said were categorized in a few compartments only, like asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, shortness of breath, cancer had started to claw up on its way, AIDs was non-existent or not known, the severity and detrimental maladies, of smoking were, if not, but somewhat, unknowingly lost upon the medicinal world.

I was always inquisitive to know, as to what pleasure a person may derive out of burning a rolled up paper, stuffed with some tan colored dusty leafy material, later as I grew up, came to know that, it was tobacco leaf. As life advanced, my idols consistency with inhaling those acrid fumes also increased, now the cigarette and him, had become synonymous with each other, in their progression, severe and persistent coughing had become his constant companion, it was a nerve wrecking, convulsive coughing, the pain, the distress, the loss of breath, the loss of diet, were taking its toll, to move about was painful, breathing was an ordeal, his chest used to heave with an effort to breathe, but he did not let go of his companion, his loyalty towards the cigarette was increasing day by day.

I for one, used to wonder, why it was that, he did not stop that habit of his. The end was lingeringly painful and slow, ultimately the habit died with him, in front of my eyes, I saw a healthy well built specimen, reduced to a skeleton, but he did not die of tuberculosis or pneumonia, as per the doctors, he died of breathing complications, that his lungs could not breathe for him

It was not as if he did not want to give up this habit, once when I had overheard the doctor telling him to quit this habit, he had answered that, the more he tried to give up, the more he smoked, he had even inquired for any medicine to help him to quit, no was the reply to him, with an advice that, only he and him alone, had the Tmedicine to give up this habit and that was his will power.

But my idol was already a defeated person; one could not find that spark, which was associated with him. At that time I did not realize, but in hindsight I can say now is that, actually we all were staring into a dead man’s emancipated face, the day I graduated and took the first tentative step on the life’s centre stage, two day’s later my idol took the final bow from the centre stage of this life, and graduated into the other life, all because of that CIGARETTE.

TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST:

POEM FROM THE YOUNG MIND:

2008-06-19T20:47:00.002+05:30

Today I am posting a poetry written by a student some ten years back, though too young, was mature enough to pen about the nitty-gritty of life, what captivated me was its essence coming to the fore, from such a young mind. The connoisseurs of this divine art may frown upon, but after all it’s from a young mind.

Road to success is all stormy, which makes life completely thorny,It is the offerings of life that are little, which leads to hopes getting brittle.

Although we have something, against which few have nothing,But it’s for what we aspire and desire, against which life always conspire,

Thrashed dreams and dwindled hopes, this is all too much to cope,Can’t we have some peace of mind, wherein life its sweet and kind,

But someday there will be a morning, which will mark the new beginning,Somewhere along there will be a dawn, with which there will be a song,

Somewhere along there will be a ray of light, which will only make things go bright,Until that bright and happy tomorrow, let’s fight this dearth and sorrow.

Poem by Rohan

To conclude, here is a short poem, by a starry eyed little girl, during the same period.

With lots of love my love:

You are the way, you are the stay, you are the heart, and you are the thought,

You are the breath, you are the health, and you are the essence, that of my presence,

Written by Anuja for Rohan.

After all these years, today both are happily married, please bless them, Rohan’s my only nephew.

EYES-WINDOWS-SOUL???????

2008-06-16T14:57:00.007+05:30

Eyes are said to be the windows to our soul, but alas! No one has ever seen, what the soul looks like, but then, is our soul a window to ….what, a Supreme Power, to God, or to the very central core of our beliefs, or to the deepest domain of our thoughts, well the answers will be varied, as per the individual’s beliefs, but again all-hypothetical.

So let us not lower ourselves into the deepest of abysses, to extract the proof, for giving credence to the existence of one’s soul. Instead of complicating matters further, let us dwell within ourselves to find the answer. Isn’t it that within us, there is an inbuilt guiding force to make us choose between what is right, or for that matter, what is wrong, some have named it as conscience, others call it our soul, as Shakespeare had said, ‘What is in a name.’ A “Rose” won’t smell any different, if called something else, will it?

One thing is sure in my mind that our core of beliefs, our domain of thoughts, is to where, this window fans out to. After all, deep within this core, in this domain, it is all ingrained in our subconscious, imprinted in our genes, down the lineage, to the rights and wrongs of life and thoughts, the do’s and don’ts, the good the bad.

This, I am not writing to prove or disprove the existence of soul, because, when we do differentiate between, morality-immorality, when we debate upon virtues, ethics, principles, then somewhere we do accept the existence of our soul, our conscience, now it is an all together different matter, as to where this window opens, for an atheist it may open to some supreme power, for a believer to the God, but for a person like me, it is important to accept the existence of soul or conscience, which ever name you like. After all, ‘What is in a name?’

Microkini Blog: Alphamoda "Antiparos" bottom and "Milos" top

2008-06-15T23:47:00.000+05:30

Microkini Blog: Alphamoda "Antiparos" bottom and "Milos" top

ARE WE REAL, DO WE EXIST?????

2008-06-15T04:15:00.004+05:30

Are we what we are, or are we not, do we really exist or don’t we, what proof lies, in our very own existence, how can we say, YES! We do exist? What do you think, while reading this, are you real, do you really exist, well ask yourself, T H I N K, YES! Think! I think, therein lays your answer, did you not get It.?

I for one, have always believed that, the proof of my existence, is not due to my ability, in exhaling and inhaling, or doing my daily chores, but the singular fact that, I can Think, my ability to Think, don’t you think so? We all living things have evolved over time immemorial, with this ability of thinking, well think again.

Then how it is that, we or all, the living things can think, well the human brain contains more than 100 billion nerve cells called as neurons, they in turn are linked individually to other neurons, by connectors called axons and dendrite. Signals at the junctures of these connections are relayed, by the release and detection of chemicals known as neurotransmitters, the brain also contains other cell types than neurons, structurally similar to neurons, but the information processing of the brain is conducted by the network of neurons. Popular current thinking is that, the human mind is a product of the information processing of this neural network. To use an analogy from computer science if the neural network of the brain can be thought of as hardware, and then the human mind is the software running on it.

Though the computers can outpace us in terms of speed, they still cannot think like us, they are just computing machines. On June6 2005 IBM and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne had announced the launch of a project, to build a complete simulation of the human brain, entitled the ‘Blue Brain Project.’ The project seeks to research aspects of human cognition, and various psychiatric disorders caused by malfunctioning neurons, such as autism. Initial efforts were to focus on experimentally accurate, programmed characterization of a single neocortical column in the brain of a rat, as it is very similar to that of a human but at a smaller scale, then to expand to an entire neocortex (the alleged seat of higher intelligence) and eventually the human brain as a whole.

However, it is important to note that according to Henry Markram lead researcher of the BBP, "it is not their goal to build an intelligent neural network." On the same page, when asked if he believes a computer can ever be an exact simulation of the human brain, Markram replies exactly as follows:

“This is neither likely nor necessary. It will be very difficult because, in the brain, every molecule is a powerful computer and we would need to simulate the structure and function of trillions upon trillions of molecules as well as all the rules that govern how they interact. You would literally need computers that are trillions of times bigger and faster than anything existing today. Mammals can make very good copies of each other; we do not need to make computer copies of mammals. That is not our goal. We want to try to understand how the biological system functions and malfunctions so that this knowledge can benefit mankind.”

Is it not mind boggling, a computer trillions of times faster and bigger, than anything existing to day and mind you that, to for one human brain? That is the reason, I have always maintained, the proof of me being existent, is because of my ability to think.

We the human race is at present on the topmost rung, on the ladder of evolution, as per the Darwin’s theory of evolution, but that, does not mean after us, the process of evolution has stopped, no definitely the process is on going, within our race we are still evolving getting stronger, bigger and intellectually more efficient, as compared to our ancestors, on the first rung of human ladder.

My friends, what we are today, is due to this on going, complex process of evolution, indeed life is very complex, so think as how to utilize this only opportunity we have got, to strive and achieve in creating a better world for generations to follow us, not only of humans but also, of all other remaining species, let us make our planet, a better place to live on.

PS: - I would like to express my gratitude to ‘Google’ and ‘Wikipedia,’ without them, I could not have written this.

WIZARDS & VILLAINS: BLESSINGS & BIRTHDAYS

2008-06-14T21:38:00.000+05:30

WIZARDS & VILLAINS: BLESSINGS & BIRTHDAYS

BLESSINGS & BIRTHDAYS

2008-06-09T11:02:00.003+05:30

Allow me to wish all those, born on this date and month, in the day and night of any year, ‘A Very Very Happy and a Cherish able Day, with but only, a Long Qualitative Life Ahead of You’ll.’ You avid and intelligent readers, must be wondering as to what’s so special about this date & month, well, let me assure you all out there, absolutely nothing is noteworthy, about this date, it just occurred to me, why not go ahead and wish all those born on this day of the month and keep this message posted, sans the date and month, for all the days to follow.

Do we ever wonder or give a thought, to the concerned person’s state of mind, whom we are about to wish on his or her birthday, as to whether he or she really desires to celebrate and or accept our same age old repetitive, mundane wishes? Just give it a thought. As to me, I have come across many people (majority of them) who really are not bothered, about their B-Days.

In this world, teeming with billions of human populace, how many amongst them, really throw around a birthday bash and for what reason, well many of them out there, will be doing it for personal satisfaction, with no selfish motives, or in expectations of presents, but for the blessings of the elderly-YES, also to utilize the occasion, to create a get together for the near and dear ones, which is a rarity in our hectic and chaotic life, these I should say, are the real celebrators’.

Then there are the ones who celebrate their birthdays to show off their social standings, to inflate their already inflated egos, they are the ones living in their make believe worlds, for them, ‘ME’ and ‘I’ are the only recognizable words. They forget that, the ego is simply insecure, that, we can identify our exaggerated and distorted doubts and rid ourselves from them with practice. One quote that has really helped me is this, from Shakespeare. “Our doubts are the traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”

As I have grown in confidence over the past few years, I now realize how timid, scared, and doubting I used to be! I can also more easily see the doubts and fear and insecurity in others. To overcome all this, requires no Herculean task, just exercise your willpower, goad yourself, whip up the passion within you, the feel the shackles break, how the veil of despondency lifts, observe the world with a clear vision and your confidence grows.

Oh! then, there is the tribe of revelers, the youth, the carefree, the younger generation, let me remind you, by no means to days youth is irresponsible, they believe in the axiom, ‘life is what you get for once only, it is too precious and too short, do not fritter it away.’ They are the ones to celebrate theirs and others birthday passionately, for they believe, the coming moment is one to go, so why not laugh a little, enjoy a little, because as it is, the approaching moment is temporary and not going to last forever.

And now for the remaining majority, sadly within them, there are many who don’t know, as to when they entered this world, for them B-Days have no days nor dates and the others, are so very traumatized by the ordeal of staying alive, that for them, birthdays are non existent.

My friends indeed life is too short, full of woes, so, ‘Don’t drown yourself in the cup of woes, but jump in it, so as to splash the woes, out of the cup.’ It is wisely quoted, “to day is the first day of your life,” but then think again, it could be the last day of your life also! So arise, try to finish the unfinished, first.

THE SCENARIO OF EXTINCTION!!!

2008-06-07T21:05:00.005+05:30

The world is becoming a dangerous place to live in, but do we have any options left, we are ourselves to be blamed, I don't think any aliens had arrived, captured and after saturating our atmosphere with all kinds of pollutants, they gleefully left, leaving our-the only known living planet-world enshrouded in an atmosphere, which is choking us all to death.

All that has been created, or rather should I say destroyed, has been done by bipeds like you and me, in our greed we turned a blind eye, as to the extermination, the extinction of flora, fauna, plants, trees, forests, birds, fish, amphibians, mammals, insects, Oh! it is an never ending list, but in the process we forgot that, without them how were we to survive?

Us humans are supposed to be the last addition to this chart of evolution, prior to us there have been many a species who have, outlived other species now extinct due to the natures wave of extinction, during which period the mighty dinosaurs got wiped out, but certain species did survive, but now the reason for extinction wont be natural catastrophe but rather the greed of us humans and in the process, destroying our atmosphere by releasing greenhouse gases, pollutants, toxic wastes to destroy our all ready fragile Eco-system, soil, water and air.

The scenario is indeed very bleak, we do have another few decades to change, so as not to cause any further damage, which sadly shall be irreversible, just my fellow human beings, close your eyes and try to visualise, the scenario, when all the coastal areas will be submerged in the sea, the waters gushing inwards for hundreds of miles with towering waves, atmosphere depleted of oxygen, rich in carbon dioxide and other toxic gases.

Oh! what a death shall be it, to those who would have survived, gasping, choking, with streaming eyes.....NO! I'll rather prefer to have death much before that.

Thanks my fellow beings, please ponder, rather than wonder and wander.