BLOOD IN THE URINE.

Blood in the urine is not so uncommon. Many of the patients ignore this signal which our body gives and eventually land up with a cancer in its late stages or kidney failure. Majority of the times bloody urine is attributed to the food ingested or change in the weather conditions. Blood in the urine can be seen in any age group and in any gender. The causes for blood in the urine are varied from simple Urinary Tract Infections to diseases which can cause Kidney failure to deadly Cancers. Blood in the urine presents in different ways like in some the initial portion of the urine contains blood, in some the terminal portion contains blood and in others the whole of the voided urine contains blood. Blood in the urine may or may not be associated with abdominal pain or discomfort while passing urine. Passage of flesh pieces (clots) along with blood in the urine indicates severe bleeding. Certain group of individuals have invisible bleeding termed as Microscopic Hematuria which also needs thorough evaluation to diagnose underlying cause.

Simple urine examination and Radiological investigations will unearth the cause of bleeding in good majority of the cases.

Things to do in case of blood in the urine: 

1. Hydration: Consume adequate amount of fluids.
2. Rest: Not to panic, relax and take rest.
3. Stop: Medications like Ecosprin, Clopidogrel which may aggravate bleeding. (after consulting a doctor).
4. Seek Medical Attention: Urgent in case of passing clots along with blood in the urine, because it indicates severe internal bleeding.

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GPS IS MAKING OUR BRAIN DULL.

Using GPS navigation to get to your destination may 'switch off' parts of the brain that would otherwise be used to simulate different routes, a study has found. The study by researchers at University College London (UCL) in the UK involved 24 volunteers navigating a simulation in Central London while undergoing brain scans. They investigated activity in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory and navigation, and the prefrontal cortex which is involved in planning and decision-making. They also mapped the labyrinth of London'sstreets to understand how these brain regions reacted to them. When volunteers navigated manually, their hippocampus and prefrontal cortex had spikes of activity when volunteers entered new streets. This brain activity was greater when the number of options to choose from increased, but no additional activity was detected when people followedsatnav instructions. "If you are having a hard time navigating the mass of streets in a city, you are likely putting high demands on your hippocampus and prefrontal cortex", said Hugo Spiers from UCL.

"When we have technology telling us which way to go, however, these parts of the brain simply do not respond to the street network. In that sense our brain has switched off its interest in the streets around us", he said. Previous research has shown that the hippocampi of London taxi drivers expand as they learn to memorise the streets and landmarks of Central London.

The latest study suggests that drivers who follow satnav directions do not engage their hippocampus, likely limiting any learning of the city street network. The study was published in the Journal Nature Communications.

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BREAST IMPLANTS CAN CAUSE CANCER: REPORT.

A rare cancer first linked to breast implants in 2011 has now been associated with nine deaths in the United States, the nation's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday. As of 01st February, 2017, the agency had received 359 reports of the cancer associated with the implants. The deaths were not caused by breast cancer, the agency said, but by a rare malignancy in the immune system, Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma (ALCL). In cases linked to implants, this rare form of cancer grows in the breast, usually in the capsule of scar tissue that forms around an implant. It is usually treatable and not often  fatal. 

The problem is more likely to occur with textured implants, which have a pebbly surface, than with smooth implants, the agency said. Of the 359 reported cases, 231 included information about the implant surface: 203 were textured, 28 smooth. The contents of the implants appeared much less important: Of 312 cases where the contents were known, 186 were filled with silicone gel, and 126 with saline. Cases generally come to light when symptoms develop, like lumps, pain, fluid buildup and swelling. The FDA said it was impossible to say how many cases existed, because of limited reporting of problems and a lack of worldwide sales data on implants. But in December, 2016, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration reported 46 confirmed cases of breast implant-associated ALCL, including three deaths. France's national cancer institute warned two years ago that there was a 'clearly established link' between ALCL and silicone implants, nothing 18 cases since 2011. In many cases when the Lymphoma occurs, just removing the implant and the tissue around it eliminates the disease. But some women may need chemotherapy and radiation.

The FDA said that if a woman with implants had no breast problems, there was no reason to remove them, emphasising that the Lymphoma seemed to be very rare. But women receiving implants should be aware of the potential problem, the FDA added.

Pill 'cuts' cancer risk for thirty years: Women who have taken contraceptive pills get protection from some types of cancer for as long as 30 years, a new study claims. The results of the 'world's longest study' into the effects of the pill showed that women who had ever used it were less likely to have colorectal, endometrial or ovarian cancer than those who never had. The results of the study, conducted by the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom, showed that using the pill during reproductive years did not produce new cancer risks later in life, when more cancers occur. The findings relate to 46,000 women, followed for up to 44 years. "Because the study has been going (on) for such a long time we are able to look at the very long-term effects, if there are any, associated with the pill", said Dr. Lisa Iversen of the University of Aberdeen. "The protective benefits  from using the pill during their reproductive years are lasting for at least 30 years after women have stopped using the pill".

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SLEEP-DEPRIVED BRAIN CAN'T EVEN FORM MEMORIES.

Sleep-deprivation can intervene with the process that helps reinforce our memories, a new study has found. Studying mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, have fortified evidence that a key purpose of sleep is to recalibrate the brain cells responsible for learning and memory so the animals can 'solidify' lessons and use them. The researchers also report they have discovered several molecules that govern the recalibration process, as well as evidence that sleep deprivation and disorders and sleeping pills can interfere with the process. "Our findings advance the idea that the mouse and presumably the human brain can only store so much information before it needs to recalibrate", said Graham Diering from Johns Hopkins University.

Diering said that current scientific understanding of learning suggests that information is 'contained' in synapses, the connections among neurons through which they communicate. When neurons are 'maxed out' and constantly firing, they lose their capacity to convey information, stymying learning and memory. One possible reason that neurons do not usually max out is homeostatic scaling down, a process that has been studied in lab-grown neurons but not in living animals.

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HANDLE EPILEPSY WITH CARE.

Epilepsy is one among the most prevalent and serious disorders of the brain. One out of every 100-2000 people in India suffer from epilepsy. Although a common problem, epilepsy is often stigmatised. Especially in rural India, due to a lack of awareness, many misconceptions are associated with this disease.

What causes epilepsy? - Epilepsy can develop at any age. However, it occurs often before the age of 12 and after the age of 60. The reasons can include head injury, infections of the brain such as meningitis, cycticercosis (worms in the brain), birth related brain injuries, a stroke or because of a scar, a slow growing tumour, developmental abnormality of the brain, genetic causes or even without any detectable reason. 

How will epilepsy affect a person's life? - Most people with epilepsy can participate in all activities. They should avoid activities. They should avoid activities like swimming and driving for safety reasons. Most children with epilepsy have the same intelligence and learning potential as other children. Some children with epilepsy also have learning disabilities that may be due to the same cause as the epilepsy.
First aid during a fit:

• Stay calm;
• Note the time;
• Prevent others from crowding around;
• Put something soft under the person's head - to prevent injury;
• Only move if they are in a dangerous place, such as on a road at the top of the stairs. Move things away from them if there is a risk of injury;
• Do not attempt to restrain convulsive movements. Allow the seizure to take its course;
• After the fit is over, turn him to one side so that he doesn't aspirate;
• Do not put anything in the person's mouth;
• If a fit lasts for more than five minutes, or the person doesn't become conscious in thirty minutes, take him for medical analysis.

Prevention of epilepsy: Epilepsy can be prevented by preventing birth related brain injuries by good care at the time of delivery and avoiding cysticercosis infection in the brain by practicing good hygiene. With increasing modernisation and motorisation, there is a rising trend for secondary seizures or post-traumatic seizures (PTSs) resulting from road traffic injuries, falls, violence and industrial accidents. Simple measures like wearing a helmet, seat belts will prevent head injury and epilepsy.
Treatment of epilepsy: About 75 percent of people with epilepsy will have their epilepsy controlled with anti-epileptic drugs. AEDs prevent seizures from happening, but don't cure epilepsy. 
Epilepsy surgery: Surgery may help 30 percent of the people with epilepsy whose seizures do not respond to medication. Epilepsy surgery is a highly specialised procedure and performed in a very few centres and is considered only when a person is thought to have a very good chance of becoming seizure free after surgery. Over 70 percent of people who have epilepsy surgery become completely seizure free.
Psychological and family issues: One of the major challenges epilepsy patients encounter is the dip in confidence levels, development of inferiority complex and solitude. The families of persons with epilepsy, especially the elders and parents who are dealing with seizures in children, need to understand the disease and know more from doctors.
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WHY WE SHOULD DRINK MOCHA LATTES.

If chocolate and coffee are two of your biggest vices, we have good news. Drinking mocha lattes has been found to improve attention spans, found a study by Clarkson University in New York. The researchers found that the combination of coffee and chocolate found in mocha was perfect for helping you stay focussed. Researcher Ali Boolani worked with the University of Georgia to examine 'the acute effects of brewed cocoa consumption on attention, motivation to perform cognitive work and feelings of anxiety, energy and fatigue'.

"Cocoa increases cerebral blood flow, which increases cognition and attention. Caffeine alone can increase anxiety. This particular project found that cocoa lessens caffeine's anxiety-producing effects", he said. In a study, participants drank either brewed cocoa, cocoa with caffeine, caffeine without cocoa, or a placebo hot drink.

Participants were then asked to do an array of tasks, that assessed their cognitive function and mood. 

The researchers found that those who'd drunk plain cocoa made fewer errors linked to lack of attention. After adding caffeine to the cocoa too, 'cognitive effects' were enhanced and the 'anxiety-provoking effects' of drinking just coffee were reduced.

"The results of the tests are definitely promising and show that cocoa and caffeine are good choices for students and anyone else who needs to improve sustained attention", Boolani said, offering hope to struggling students across the world.

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RED WINE COULD SLOW BRAIN AGEING: STUDY.

A substance found in red wine can help keep the brain young in a way similar to exercise and a low-calorie diet, scientists have discovered. Resveratrol, which occurs in the skin of grapes, blueberries and mulberries, can keep muscles supple and help protect connections between neurons in the brain, said researchers in Virginia Tech Carilion Institute. Tests on mice showed the compound slowed brain ageing by preserving synapses called neuro-muscular junctions. Red wine contains more Resveratrol than white wine because it is fermented with the grape skins.

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STAMINA BUILDING EXERCISES TO TRY AT THE GYM.

Many guys tend to ignore stamina in favour of building bigger muscles, forgetting that stamina is required to achieve their muscle gain goals and sustain overall fitness. Better stamina also means the ability to feel energetic throughout the day and avert the onset of lifestyle ailments including heart and bone-relating conditions. Here are five stamina building exercises that will help you...

• Invest time in core abdominal exercises: The abdominal region along with the lower muscles of the pectoral region and supporting muscles of the back form the core. For developing the core and abs, you need to invest some time on a daily basis. This includes doing ab crunches, sit-ups and freehand squats. These exercises are required for working various muscle groups in and around the core, making it stronger. A stronger core means you can lift heavier weight with lesser chances of injuries. It also means a more stable torso, which helps prevent back injuries.
• Indulge in Cardio Training: Cardiovascular fitness is regarded as the litmus test of your overall stamina levels. Even if you want to build muscles only and are not concerned about your cardio performance, you need more then basic cardiovascular fitness to develop and sustain muscle mass. Stamina generated from cardio training supplements your ability to exercise harder. Most gyms support some form of cardio training that you can choose from, including bicycling and treadmill running or swimming. Ensure that you have at least one, dedicated cardio training day in the week. Step climbing or step-ups are ideally suited as they work upon the core area, the lower body and help to raise the cardio output too.
• Ensure one weekly session of strength training: Muscle definition and lean muscle mass is developed best by lifting medium-range weights. However, you need to engage your body towards developing greater stamina. The body will gain the stimulus to develop a higher level of muscle endurance when it is tested beyond its realm of comfort. For this, once every week, lift weight beyond your capacity. You can mark this for the last set where you are hardly able to complete the rep. This testing rep should crack a grunt out of you. This means your vital capacity and your muscular strength have been pushed to the limit. Don't do this often or you might develop a serious injury.
• Pilates sessions work wonders: Pilates is perhaps the best thing to have happened to the stamina and endurance building niche of gymming. This is a globally-recommended, core-strengthening exercise that boosts your stamina levels. Pilates ensures that your overall posture, bone and ligament alignment and proper stretching of muscles fibers is ensured. This translates into better performance across all types of exercises. It also helps you relax better, helping you de-stress.
• Boost stamina levels with interval training: Interval training was devised to test and raise stamina levels. It involves smaller bouts of high-impact training, alternated with short periods of low-intensity exercises. This often includes combing weight exercises with body-weight or cardio exercises. For instance, freehand  squats might be combined with military presses to combine upper and lower body workouts. The resting period between the two is minimal to raise the stamina levels. Cross training uses a similar concept but the combination of exercises is more demanding and the resting period is almost negligible.

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WANT TO SCORE WELL IN EXAMS? HAVE CINNAMON.

The year-end examinations are drawing closer and among all the tips and tricks you might want to try that one effective trick for improving memory, is cinnamon. A recent study has found that eating this spice can facilitate one's learning ability. It is commonly sprinkled over desserts, had in tea or used in the cinnamon oil (medicinal and cosmetic). Prized for years for its taste and value to cooking, there are several other benefits of it as well.

1. Cinnamon is loaded with powerful polyphenol anti-oxidants and has thus been called a super-food.
2. It can reduce insulin resistance by helping the body respond to blood sugar more effectively, which regulates blood sugar levels.
3. The spice lowers the body's bad cholesterol and triglycerides. It thus reduces the effect of high-fat meals. According to one study, a cinnamon dose of just 120 mg suffices.
4. The spice also has anti-inflammatory proprties owing to its component called cinnamaldehyde. It thus helps the body to fight infections and bacteria.

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HAVE URINARY TRACT INFECTION OR UTI? YOU BETTER NOT IGNORE.

If you are a woman, the chances of getting a Urinary Tract Infection or UTI is high. Some UTIs are recurring, while some remain untreated, resulting in Kidney Infection, Blood Poisoning and several other health problems. Here is some expert guidance on treating UTIs.

What causes UTIs in women? - Bacteria from the large intestine, such as E.coli escape the anus and invade the urethra. From there, the infection spreads to the bladder, and may infect the kidneys if not treated promptly. Women are especially prone to UTIs because they have shorter urethras, making it easy for bacteria to access the bladder. Bacteria can also travel into the urinary tract at the time of sex. Another cause of UTIs in women is poor hygiene.

I am a 22-year-old female. I have a frequent urge to urinate and when I pee, there is a burning sensation. What should I do? - Burning sensation while urinating and frequent urination urges are symptoms of UTI. Urine looks cloudy, milky and bloody. It smells bad. You may feel tired and experience pain in your back and lower abdomen. Consult a doctor.

I am a 55-year-old female and have been diabetic since 12 years, my sugar level is well under control, yet I experience UTI twice in a year. Can it cause any complication? - If you are diabetic, aged and have chronic kidney disease, kidney stones, debility or have been recently hospitalised, then you have to be very cautious as the infection can enter the blood stream and cause permanent damage to the urinary tract, blood poisoning and kidney failure. If UTI is not treated properly, it can damage the kidneys or the urinary tract and cause serious health problems in a healthy woman too.

I am a 28-year-old pregnant woman. Since last few days my urine is cloudy and I am experiencing a long-lasting uncomfortable feeling after urinating... - If you often experience symptoms that make you feel uncomfortable and they continue for long, never delay seeking medical help, particularly when you are pregnant, diabetic and have high temperature. 

I am a 42-year-old woman with recurrent UTIs. Is there any way to treat UTI permanently? - Drink plenty of cranberry juice as scientific evidence strongly shows that cranberries help prevent adhesion of bacteria to the bladder cells. After every bowel movement, wipe from front to back (vagina to anus), to prevent the entry of bacteria from anus to vagina.

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BERRIES ARE GOOD FOR HEALTH.

1. Calming agents: The first variety of food that must find space in a woman's pantry is some kind o berry. For all the multi-tasking, brain-storming and fire-fighting she does through the day, a handful of berries - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries - is just the food she needs to unwind with. Berries are loaded with Vitamin C, folate, fibre and phytonutrients. Studies prove that the Omega-3 fatty acids found in walnuts keep the stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline - in check. wash this down with a cup of Chamomile Tea, a natural anti-anxiety medicine.
2. Healthy DNA: Almost an indispensable part of pregnancy, folic acid is not meant for expecting mothers alone. Also known as folate or Vitamin B-9, it has multiple health benefits for women of all ages. Studies have shown that folic acid may help prevent heart disease, depression, Alzheimer's, Type-2 Diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. So get your leafy greens, fortified pastas, beans and Brussel sprouts now.
3. Workout Warfare: A study from the American College of Sports Medicine found that many active women suffer from iron deficiency, which can cause muscle soreness and post-workout fatigue. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends women consume 18 mg. of iron a day. State with a fortified version of cereal for breakfast. Check the nutritional label for the amount of iron per serving. Another iron-packed food that's making headlines is pumpkin seeds. Go for the homemade trial mix or try as a crunchy salad topping.
4. Get Fortified: A woman's ability to absorb Vitamin B-12 in the body gradually decreases with age. In fact, the 'American Journal of Clinical Nutrition' claims that four percent of women between the ages of 40 and 60 suffer from a B-12 deficiency, thanks to some medications and lack of meat in the diet. Also, no one needs more Vitamin B-12 than expecting and nursing women. What is the way out? Eat fortified foods two or three times a day. Seafood buffs could literally have a hog fest with large helpings of clams, mussels, crabs, salmon and oysters. Vegetarians, just raise your dairy quotient.

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DOES YOUR CHILD SNORE? THEN BE CONCERNED.

Although snoring during sleep is fairly common in children, it can sometimes be a symptom of sleep apnea which is a more serious problem. Sleep apnea refers to a narrowing of the throat during sleep, which can negatively affect your child's physical and mental well-being. This condition causes difficulties in breathing leading to disrupted and poor sleep cycles. In severe cases, sleep apnea can lead to a drop in blood-oxygen levels. Sometimes, your child can snore in certain ways that you need to be concerned about. These signs include loud snoring,choking, breathing with the mouth and restless sleep. Breathing in an uncomfortable manner during sleep is often indicative of sleep apnea. The common causes for snoring in children include allergies causing nasal obstructions, enlarged adenoids and tonsils, nasal septal deviations and abnormal growths in the airway. The risk of having sleep apnea increases due to a few risk factors such as obesity, Down syndrome, abnormal nuscle weakness and chronic medical illness.

The consequences of sleep apnea are manifold:

• The child looks like he/she had a poor night's sleep.
• Becomes cranky during the day, even after getting required amount of sleep according to their age.
• Shows less energetic and falls asleep unexpectedly at home or at school.
• Performance at school deteriorates without any other clear cause.
• May have difficulty in gaining weight.

Using a camera, record how your child snores for a few minutes and show the video to the doctor you are consulting; it can be very helpful at times. A paediatrician can also examine your child to see if he/she has enlarged tonsils. If the tonsils are very large, the paediatrician might refer you directly to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist to find out whether your child is a suitable candidate for surgical removal of the tonsil. Sleep apnea is completely curable, but correct evaluation is the key to success. Care modalities range from treatment of allergies to surgical corrections that are safe and effective in the long term.

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SCIENTISTS SAY CLOCK OF AGING MAY BE REVERSIBLE.

At the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, scientists are trying to get time to run backwards, that is, biological time. In the first attempt to reverse aging by reprogramming the genome, they have rejuvenated the organs of mice and lengthened their life spans by thirty percent. The technique, which requires genetic engineering, cannot be applied directly to people, but the achievement points towards better understanding of human aging and the possibility of rejuvenating human tissues by other means. The Salk team's discovery, reported in the journal 'Cell', is 'novel and exciting', said Jan Vijg, an expert on aging at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Leonard Guarente, who studies the biology of aging at MIT, said, "This is huge". This finding is based on the heterodox idea that aging is not irreversible. The aging process is clock-like in the sense that a steady accumulation of changes eventually degrades the efficiency of the body's cells. In one of the deepest mysteries of biology, the clock's hands are always set back to zero at conception: However old the parents and their reproductive cells, a fertilised egg is free of all marks of age.

In 2006, the Japanese biologist Shinya Yamanaka amazed researchers by identifying four critical genes that reset the clock of the fertilised egg. The four genes are so powerful that they will reprogram even the genome of skin or intestinal cells back to the embryonic state. Scientists next began to wonder if the four genes could be applied not just to cells in glassware but to a whole animal. The results were disastrous. As two groups of researchers reported in 2013 and 2014, the animals all died, some because their adult tissue cells had lost their identity and others from cancer. Embryonic cells are primed for rapid growth, which easily becomes uncontrolled.

But at the Salk Institute, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte had been contemplating a different approach. He has long been interested in regeneration, the phenomenon in which certain animals, like lizards and fish, can regenerate lost tails or limbs. The cells near the lost appendage revert to a stage midway between an embryonic cell, which is open to all fates, and an adult cell, which is committed to being a particular type of cell, before rebuilding the missing limb.

This process suggested to him that reprogramming is a stepwise process, and that a small dose of the Yamanaka factors might rejuvenate cells without the total re-programming that converts cells to the embryonic state. With Alejandro Ocampo and other Salk researchers, Izpisua Belmonte has spent five years devising ways to deliver a non-lethal dose of Yamanaka factors to mice. The solution his team developed was to genetically engineer mice with extra copies of the four Yamanaka genes, and to have the genes activated only when the mice received a certain drug in their drinking water, applied just two days a week.

The Salk team worked first with mice that age prematurely, so as to get quick results. "What we saw is that the animal has fewer signs of aging, healthier organs, and at the end of the experiment we could see they had lived thirty percent longer than control mice", Belmonte said. He believes these effects have been obtained by re-setting the clock of the aging process. The clock is created by the epigenome, the system of proteins that clads the cell's DNA.

The epigenome is involved throughout life in maintaining each cell and letting it switch genes on and off as required. The epigenome itself is controlled by agents that add or subtract chemical groups, known as marks, to its proteins. Only in the last few years have biologists come to realise that the state of the epigenome may be a major cause of aging. If the epigenome is damaged, perhaps by accumulating too many marks, the cell's efficiency is degraded. What the Yamanaka genes are doing in his mice, belmonte believes, is eliminate extra marks, thus reverting the cell to a more youthful state.

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