Why diazepam auto-injector more effective in controlling epilepsy (new seizure tool)

Diazepam Autoinjector and new seizure tool

This is my 11^th blog on knowing more about epilepsy. In the 10^th blog we saw why exercise during Epilepsy (seizures): good idea.

In the early view issue of the journal Epilepsia, Drs. Abou-Khalil and a group of investigators present results of a double-blind randomized trial using a diazepam auto-



injector administered by caregivers to patients with epilepsy. Researchers randomly assigned 234 patients into different groups for this study. The subjects were stratified according to age, between 2 and 5 years, 6 and 11 years, and greater than 12 years with doses of 5, 10, 15 or 20 mg based on age and height. The primary measuring point was the time to next seizure or rescue from 15 minutes to 12 hours after one dose.

 

The study yielded the following results:

■Time to next seizure or rescue was longer in the diazepam group compared to placebo with a hazard ratio of 0.55.

■The 25th percentile for time to next seizure rescue was 1.18 hours for placebo and 2.7 hours for the diazepam group.

■The median was 5.9 hours for placebo and could not be estimated for diazepam due to the low number of events experienced by subjects in the group.

■The proportion of subjects using rescue medications post-dose was 30% in the placebo group vs. 17% for the diazepam group.

■A seizure occurred in 55.6% of patients in the placebo group and 35.4% in the diazepam group.

■The number of seizures experienced during the 12-hour post-dose period was significantly lower for diazepam.

■The most common treatment-related adverse events were injection site pain (15% for a placebo and 17% for diazepam) and injection-site bleeding (6% placebo and 5% diazepam).

The investigators concluded that the diazepam auto-injector was significantly more effective than placebo at delaying the next seizure or rescue.

New online based tool- My Seizures, Know More

Please try in testing the new “My Seizures, Know More” web-based tool. Explore the tool – it takes about 5 minutes. Then provide us with your valuable feedback by answering a few survey questions at the end of the tool – this only take about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. You will not be asked to provide any identifiable information. No one will contact you about the study. This version of the tool will be available only for a limited time for this testing. The final version will be released in December.

Try New My Seizures, Know More

Mystery answered why you are not losing weight quickly (simple solutions)

Some bad Habits of Unsuccessful Dieters

Before you stop exercise and declare yourself as someone who "will never lose weight," stop, take a deep breath, and remember this:  Weight-loss may seem simple (eat fewer calories than you burn), but often, there's a lot more going on than a simple calorie equation. Our bodies aren't calculators after all.

What's more likely is that you've made some innocent mistakes in your quest to lose weight. Don't feel bad about it—it's extremely common. These bad habits may be preventing you from getting the results you want. Instead of giving up, make some of the smart changes outlined below and you'll see that scale drop in no time!

Watching Calories intake is not only the key

Watching your Calories are key to weight loss; In fact, balancing your calorie equation (what you eat and what you burn) is what results in successful weight management. However, there is more to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle than calories alone. Some foods that may be higher in calories per serving are actually healthier for you than foods that may be lower in calories (think a heart-healthy avocado vs. a processed 100-calorie pack of pretzels). So while calories count, nutrition matters, too.

 

How to Fix?

While tracking your calories, don't forget to look at other key nutrients like protein and healthy fats (both of which can keep you full) and key vitamins and minerals that are important for your overall health. Luckily, any online Nutrition Tracker allows you to track all of these nutrients. Ideally, you want to use a little trial and error to balance not only your calorie equation, but make the kinds of choices that meet your protein, fat, carbohydrate and micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) goals.

 

Confusion about "healthy" with "low-calorie”

Research shows that when shoppers see "healthy" buzz words or claims on food packages (think: gluten-free, organic, all-natural, sugar-free, low-fat, etc.), they automatically assume the food is low in calories. This couldn't be further from the truth. Food manufacturers will plaster all sorts of enticing lingo onto their packages, knowing that you'll think exactly that. But none of these words really tell you much about the healthfulness of a product; and none of them actually have any effect on a food's calories.

 

How to fix?

Read front-of-package labels with a discerning eye, and always turn over the package and look at the nutrition facts (and ingredients) to get a full picture of what a food is really like. This goes for restaurant menus, too. Don't let healthy-sounding words make you think a food is actually low in calories. Know your menu watch words or look up nutrition facts before you place your order.

Only dieting and not exercising

This may be one of the most common reasons your weight loss is stalling. Yes, you can lose weight through diet alone, but it will be a lot harder. You can only cut so many calories without feeling overly hungry, lethargic or miserable. Yet by exercising along with making dietary changes, you can eat more (and feel more satisfied) and still lose weight. Plus, you'll get all the amazing physical and mental benefits that come from exercising, including improved appearance, better muscle tone and a healthier body overall.

 

How to fix?

Add exercise to your weight-loss plan. It doesn't have to be boring, strenuous, or time-consuming either. Even 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference in your results. For tons of fun, easy and effective workout ideas, check out our Fitness Resources. You're sure to find something that you enjoy.

You really need dieting

Since when did the word "diet" refer to something good? The word itself implies restriction, limitation, and a short-lived effort to get some quick results and then return to a "normal" way of eating. Recent surveys have shown that people who consider themselves to be "dieting" lose less weight and encounter more problems (such as plateaus and a lack of motivation) than people who are trying to lose weight by creating a lasting healthy lifestyle. Plus diets usually mean giving things up: favorite foods, dining out, desserts—even your social life. You don't have to be a psychology expert to know that when you tell yourself you can't have something, you usually want it more. This way of thinking could directly be sabotaging your efforts.

 

How to fix?

 Ditch the diets for good and focus on creating a healthy lifestyle based on nutritious foods and small, realistic changes that you can live with for the long term.

In my next blog you will see some more habits to avoid to losing weight.........

Easy to use new online tool to help parents see if kids eating properly

New online tool to help parents see if kids eating properly

Healthy eating is an important part of healthy living and of taking control of our life. There's a new online tool for parents who want to check whether their preschoolers and toddlers are eating well. Nutri-eSTEP, launched by Dietitians of Canada, aims to give parents guidance on how to improve eating behaviours and link them to resources.

Parents of preschoolers (aged three to five years) and toddlers (18 to 35 months) answer multiple choice questions about daily food choices, screen time and physical activity, growth and other related factors. "In less than 10 minutes, parents or a caregiver can complete an easy-to-use online questionnaire, receive immediate feedback on 'What is



Going Well' and 'What to Work On,' and then be linked to healthy eating resources and community services," Helen Haresign, director of EatRight Ontario, said Thursday in a release. It's billed as a fast way to assess eating habits and identify potential nutrition problems in young children. Previously the questionnaires were provided to parents by staff in some clinics, public health or daycares, but were not available to all parents. Parents can receive written feedback and tips from registered dietitians, and follow up links to articles, videos, kid-friendly recipes and community services. There is information on how to contact nutrition services in their community. There's also a questionnaire for people who are over age 50 to assess whether their food choices are letting them stay healthy and active. Dietitians of Canada (www.dietitians.ca) represents about 6,000 professional members at the local, provincial and national level. It operates EatRight Ontario.

Nutrition Screening

Find out more about how your choices measure up

Eating well is an important factor in healthy growth and

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development of children, preventing obesity and chronic disease, and keeping us healthy as we age.

Knowing more about healthy eating and taking action to improve eating habits is important.

 Use these nutrition screening questionnaires and web tools to find out

what is going well

where there is room for improvement

where to find trusted healthy eating information and tools

It takes less than 10 minutes ... but lasts a lifetime!

 

New Online tools for Healthy Kids Eating

Top foods to eat for keeping your brain fit all the time

Keeping your brain fit all the time

Did you know memory, well-being and brain power can all be influenced by what you eat? No, these are not magical foods, just sensible choices with brain benefits.  Here are a few suggestions to increase your brain activity, improve your brain power and stay smart:

 

Eat Carbohydrates in diet

As Enzyme dietician Jonathan Fontaine puts it, Carbs are a unique source of energy that can directly be used by the brain, which uses up half the carbs consumed in one day.

Where to find them?

All flour-based foods contain carbs. They can also be found in fruits, honey, molasses, cereal, dairy products, beans, potatoes, green peas, corn, sweet potatoes and rice.

 

Eat more Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Fontaine reveals that Omega 3 fatty acids, specifically the DHA (docosa-hexaenoic acid) type, are good fats used by our bodies to build and maintain the cells of our central nervous system.

 Where to find them?

 In fish like salmon,  tuna, sardines, scallops, mackerel and trout. Eggs, yogurt, bread, and cereal bars are also sources of DHA. 

   

Eat more Iron

Iron transports oxygen throughout the body through our blood; and our brain needs oxygen to function properly. What’s more, it seems that in children, iron deficiency may be related to ADHD and learning disabilities. So don’t take the power of iron for granted!

Where to find it?

You can find in spinach, lentils, tofu, broccoli, brussel-sprout and meat. Iron can be found in most animal products. Whereas the organs are concentrated sources, all types of meat are a great source of iron. And there is no need to devour a steak when you’re craving chicken or turkey. The difference in iron content between red and white meats is minimal.

Coffee and Water

Caffeine has short-term benefits on the brain, offering better performance and helping to sharpen concentration. All you need is about a half-cup of coffee, so drink in moderation! Where water is concerned, dehydration actually tends to reduce the volume of water inside our brain cells. Often when we find our brain power decreasing, it could be a sign of dehydration,” concludes Fontaine. So drink water as much, and as often, as possible!

Eight prong healthy approach for cutting risk of breast cancer

Tips may help you cut your breast cancer risk

 

 

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer starts in the cells of the breast. Breast tissue covers an area larger than just the breast. It extends up to the collarbone and from the armpit across to the breastbone in the centre of the chest. The breasts sit on the chest muscles that cover the ribs. Each breast




is made of glands, ducts (thin tubes) and fatty tissue. Lobules are groups of glands that make milk. Fatty tissue fills the spaces between and protects the lobules and ducts. Milk flows from the lobules through a network of ducts to the nipple. The nipple is in the centre of a darker area of skin called the areola.

A woman’s breasts may feel different at different times of her menstrual cycle, sometimes becoming lumpy just before her period. Breast tissue also changes with age. Breast tissue in younger women is mostly made of glands and milk ducts. Older women’s breasts are made up mostly of fatty tissue

As we all know that prevention is the best cure. October is breast cancer awareness month. Follow tips below to help you cut your breast cancer risk. Almost one out of nine women is expected to develop breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women.

So far, researchers haven't found any fool-proof way to prevent breast cancer except voluntary mastectomy (surgical removal of the breasts) for women at extremely high risk. Short of taking this drastic step, the best way a woman can protect herself against breast cancer is by practicing early detection methods and by reducing known risk factors. If breast cancer is found and treated early—before it has spread beyond the breast—the five-year survival rate is greater than 95 percent.

 

Cut your breast cancer risk with simple healthy lifestyle

1.      Breastfeed your babies –healthy mother healthy kid

 Nursing isn't just good for babies—it benefits mom too! One study by the University of Southern California found that breastfeeding seems to lower the risk of breast cancer, even in women who have their children later in life. As more women choose to delay childbearing until after age 25, breastfeeding should be encouraged to provide protection against the hormones that can contribute to the development of breast cancer.

2. Maintain a healthy weight

Keeping your weight in a healthy BMI range can have a protective effect. Why? Because being overweight increases your body's levels of estrogen, a hormone that plays a key role in the development of breast cancer.

3. Get a mammogram if over 40

If you're 40 or older, regular mammograms will help detect breast cancer—especially lumps that are too small to detect during a self-exam.

4. Self-exam a good idea

Performing breast self-exams (BSE) regularly—once a month—can help with early detection. When breast cancer is detected early, less aggressive treatment is needed and the chance of survival is higher. Ask your doctor to show you how to examine your breasts properly

5. Eat your vegetables (and fruits) - cancer-fighting phytochemicals

Eating at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day will supply your body with cancer-fighting phytochemicals. You'll get the most protection from cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower), dark leafy greens (collards, kale and spinach), citrus fruits, berries, cherries and pomegranates.

6. Choose the right fats.

Today, our diets contain a lot of unhealthy fats—omega-6's (found in sunflower, safflower, corn and cottonseed oils), saturated fats and trans fats—and too few healthy fats (omega-3's from fish and monounsaturated fats in nuts). Reverse the trend! Decrease your consumption of the bad stuff and start eating more heart-healthy fats to protect your breasts.

7. Keep moving

You know exercise is good for you, but did you know it can also reduce your risk of breast cancer? Studies by the Women’s Health Initiative found that women who walked briskly for just 1-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours each week reduced their risk for breast cancer by 18 percent. University of Southern California researchers found that women who exercised more than five hours a week cut their risk of invasive breast cancer by 20 percent and their risk of early stage breast cancer by 31 percent, compared to women who exercised less than 30 minutes a week. When it comes to cancer prevention, experts agree that duration (length of your workouts) and consistency are more important than intensity.

8. Know when to see your doctor.

Besides your annual gynecological checkups, visit your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following symptoms in your breasts: a lump, hard knot or thickening tissue; swelling, warmth, redness or darkening; dimpling or puckering of the skin; an itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple; a pulling in of your nipple or other area of the breast; sudden nipple discharge; or new pain in one spot that doesn’t go away.

Simple and new home remedies for Cough/cold (no side effect)

Easy to use Home Remedies for Cough.

Home remedies and natural medicines made at home from natural ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, and herbs are catching a lot of attention due to its very nature of cure: simple, no side effects, and no chemicals, inexpensive. Winter is very common time for cough and cold problems.

 

Why we all get cough?

Coughing is the body's way of removing foreign material or mucus from the lungs and upper airway passages.

Or

Coughing is reaction to an irritated airway

Or

Coughing is a reflex action started by stimulation of sensory nerves in the lining of the respiratory passages - the tubes we use to breathe.

When a person coughs, there is a short intake of breath and the larynx (the voice box) closes momentarily. The abdominal and chest muscles used for breathing contract, which in turn increases the pressure needed to drive air out the lungs when the larynx re-opens.

Coughs have distinctive traits you can learn to recognize. A cough is only a symptom, not a disease, and often the importance of your cough can be determined only when other symptoms are evaluated.

What are causes of Cough?

Coughing usually means there is something in the respiratory passages that should not be there. This can be caused by breathing in dust particles in the air or when a piece of food goes down the wrong way.

It could also be a sign that an infection in the lungs is making the respiratory passages produce phlegm.

Coughing can be provoked by:

The common cold

This is a frequent cause of acute cough that usually settles in less than three weeks.

Bacterial or viral infections

These infections in the lungs, e.g. acute bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough, croup in children

Sucking material

When sucking material into the breathing tubes from your mouth.

Severe illnesses

This can be due to pneumonia, acute heart failure or pulmonary embolism (a clot in the blood vessels of the lung).

Smoking

This often causes chronic cough (smoker's lung).

Asthma

This can happened in children who may only cough and show no wheezing

Stomach acid

This can back up the gullet and spilling over into the windpipe (gastro-oesophageal reflux).

Medicines

Some of them used in heart disease called ACE inhibitors.

Psychological illness

Rarely coughing can be provoked by psychological illness

Nerve damage

This can happen to damage to the nerves that supply the vocal chords (known as vocal chordpalsy) and chronic cough can occur.

Here are try and tested simple home remedies for cough. Please try and let me know if they work.

 

1. Turmeric powder drink

I like this one and because this is very easy to use. To make this Mix 1-2 tsp. of pure home made turmeric powder in warm milk and drink it twice a day for coughs of a bacterial origin. Within 2 days your cough will be gone by using this method.

                    

2. Honey and white pepper Tea             

Take one tea spoon of pure honey and to it add a pinch of   grounded white pepper. Regular usage of this 2-3 times a day for about 4-5 days will cure your cough. This is one of the important home remedies for cough. Honey when taken with white pepper will loosen the mucous and make you spit the mucus. This will be helpful in throwing the irritating substances of the trachea and help you in treating cough.

3. Red Raspberry drink

                  

 Drinking red raspberry, honeysuckle, or liquor ice tea with honey is helpful in treating cough in 2-3 days.

                   

4. Honey plus orange juice

Take 2 tablespoons of honey and mix it in one cup of orange juice and drink it.

 

5. Homemade syrup

Prepare a cough syrup from baked onion juice, comfrey tea, and honey. Drink it daily and your cough will subside.

6. Vodka and honey

Before going to bed just take a spoonful of honey with few drops of vodka or brandy in it.

 

7. Ginger Tea

                    

If you have cough due to cold then just drink tea made of ginger 3-4 times a day or just eat raw ginger, this will subside your cough.

 

8. Gargle with warm water

You may also gargle with warm water to which lot of salt is added as many times as possible during the day. This will    help you to clear phlegm caught in the throat.

                   

 

 

9. Onion Juice and Honey

Mix 5 ml of onion juice with 10 ml of pure honey. Take this   mixture at least twice a day. This will relieve your cough   and will also help in soothing throat.