Gastroparesis

Conquering Cancer

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is between October 1st and 31st this year. This tragic condition affects approximately 1 in 8 women throughout their lives. That’s 12.5 percent of the total population, according to those numbers. If the world has a population of seven billion, that means a whopping 875,000,000 women will eventually encounter breast cancer at some point in their lives.

Now, the funny thing about statistics is that they’re prospective, not necessarily representative. While they can be used to identify a trend, and help prevent against that trend, they aren’t ironclad numbers representing the history of that trend’s ultimate impact. For example, statistically, it may be unlikely for a person to make a living as, say, an entertainer. Artists who paint, act, tell jokes, or make music represent a minority of the population; though they do ultimately have a big impact. But just because it’s statistically unlikely to be a successful artist doesn’t mean you can’t be a successful artist. It just means getting there is more difficult.

Likewise, with breast cancer, just because statistically 1 in 8 women come down with this condition over the course of their lifetime doesn’t mean that out of eight women you know, one of them will find a malignancy in her breast. According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that 2017 will see 252,710 invasive breast cancer cases diagnosed in women (because, though a minority of the population, men can also get breast cancer), and it’s predicted that 40,610 will die from this condition. You’ll notice that this represents a fraction of the 12.5% supposed by the earlier statistic. Though it is still a debilitating condition, in some countries it is being successfully contended with.

That said, these numbers also don’t take into account the many women who get breast cancer but go without diagnosis until it is too late, and they’re already terminal.

Surprising Causes

What is known is that there are certain causes for breast cancer which are often ignored by mainstream media outlets for reasons of economy. For example, certain compounds in beauty products are often toxic. Have you ever used deodorant and found yourself breaking out where you applied it? This is because the deodorant blocks your pores. Now according to the ACA

, only a few studies have ever indicated a correlation between antiperspirants/deodorants and breast cancer; but there have been studies that have found a link.

It’s just possible that part of breast cancer’s cause stems from social norms which are unhealthy. Without raising awareness for this reality, the scourge of preventable cancer will not be lessened. But that scourge is lessening, and part of that has to do with the pink ribbon army sweeping our nation.

Get Your Pink Ribbon

You’ve seen the ribbons on license plates, bicycles, instrument cases, bumpers, back windows, bulletin boards and more. The pink ribbon represents breast cancer, and raising awareness for the condition. This coming October, you may feel compelled to do your part to combat breast cancer. Some suggestions involve:

• Buying And Decorating Visibly With Pink Ribbons
• Raising Awareness On Social Media
• Doing Your Own Research To Better Understand The Condition
• Reaching Out To Friends And Loved Ones Living With This Cancer
• Helping To Educate Women On Possibly Dangerous Activities

The best way to fight cancer is with proper diet, proper exercise, healthy supplementation, and the avoidance of known unhealthy activities. Don’t spend too much time in the sun, don’t use substances which are known to be toxic, and avoid questionable beauty products. The more aware people are, the better this cancer can be fought.

In the most comprehensive definition, digestive tract paralysis refers to an inconsistent movement of certain parts of the digestive tract which in turn poses challenges to the smooth operation of the gut. When you take in food, peristalsis ensures that the food is pushed down from your throat to other parts of the digestive system so that further action can be taken on the food material. This smooth movement of food through the system lacks in individuals who have digestive tract paralysis. The muscles are not able to facilitate the push the food further down for more action thus slowing down its movement. This condition can manifest in as either gastroparesis which is partial paralysis of the stomach or intestinal pseudo obstruction which is a paralysis of the intestines. The following are symptoms and treatment of digestive tract paralysis.

Symptoms

If you have digestive tract paralysis, you will notice several symptoms including:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Feeling of satiety
• Heartburn
• Sweats
• Lack of appetite

There are also several secondary conditions including malnutrition and dehydration are as a result of vomiting and lack of appetite. Individuals with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction will present with constipation, bloating, diarrhea, nausea, and loss of appetite. These symptoms, however, will not show at the same time and will, to a large degree, depend on the part of the small intestine that has been affected.

Treatment

It is important to know what causes brings about the condition in order to find out how to treat it. Both conditions of the digestive tract paralysis have an array of causes associated with each most of which are common. They can either be triggered by a problem in the nervous system of the loss of a muscle function. In some cases, these disorders can be inherited. Likewise, individuals who have undergone treatments for chemotherapy or even illnesses like Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis can easily get the disease.

Most treatments of this ailment focus more on easing the symptoms. Aside from medication, changes in eating patterns are some of the approaches used to combat both conditions of digestive tract paralysis. A good chunk of relief comes when the digestion is sped up by watching your diet. For instance, you should avoid fats and fiber. Fats leads to the production of certain hormones that impedes digestion while fiber generally is slow to be digested. Better still, have small meals with regular small intervals to hasten the digestion process.

Medication on the other hand often depends on specific symptoms. If you present with nausea then you will be given anti-vomiting medication, similarly, when you present with diarrhea, ant kinetic comes in handy. Pro-kinetic drugs are also vita in improving bowel movements as well as reducing nausea and bloating. In more advanced cases, you may need hospitalization where you will be given intravenous nutrition for some time before you can manage the condition on your own. Studies are also still underway to test the viability of certain treatments. There are also a variety of approaches that can work excellently to bring relief. If you suffer from this condition frequently then chances are you have a transient condition which is triggered by stress. Meditative chanting among other activities can help to relieve stress and ultimately digestive tract paralysis.

The above are some of the symptoms and treatments for digestive tract paralysis. It is critical that you understand them to the core so that you may know how to avoid it, use remedies, and when to see a doctor.