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February
2015
urHealth
urHealth
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Nu Mu Lambda Chapter, Decatur, GA
Heart Awareness Month
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Welcome to urHealth
urHealth!
Health!
This special issue of urHealth
urHealth provides helpful information to all members. This information is designed to
help bring awareness to urHealth
urHealth and awareness to health issues at large. As we commemorate Heart
Awareness Month, be mindful of urHealth
urHealth!
Health
News and Noteworthy
Health & Wellness Committee
Bro. Chad Pitts
Bro. William J. Bennett, M.D., Ph.D.
Bro. Ya’Ron Brown, MFT, LPC
Chair
Editor/Medical Editor
Co-Editor
Bro. Deshea Young
Heart Awareness Month
-Coronary Artery Disease
3
-Abnormal Heart Rhythm
3
Committee Member
-Heart Failure
3
-Heart Valve Disease
3
Bro. Errlando Mason
Committee Member
-Congenital Heart Failure
3
Bro. Vincent Crawford
Committee Member
Bro. Thomas Bonds
Committee Member
Bro. Eric Harding
Committee Member
Bro. BJ Jones
Committee Member
Bro. Trenton Taylor
Committee Member
Bro. Reginald Warren
Committee Member
Bro. Kenneth Lively
Committee Member
Features
Bro. Detrick Stanford
Committee Member
Do’s & Don’t’s of Lower Back Exercises
7
Bro. Donal Graham
Committee Member
Diverticulitis
7
Bro. Bryant Williams
Committee Member
-Cardiomyopathy
3
-Pericarditis
3
-Aorta Disease and Marfan Syndrome
3
-Other Vascular Diseases
Bro. Roman Mendes
Committee Member
Bro. Deshaun Safford
Committee Member
Basic Preventive Maintenance of the Heart
4
Getting Started on Low-Risk Exercises
5
Interesting facts about the human heart
6
Case Study: Jacques Meadows Bouts with
Diverticulitis
7
In the Know…Measles
8
Does size really matter
9
Recipe of the Month
9
And More
If you would like to have specific health issues considered for
the following months publication, please send email to Bro.
Bennett at [email protected] or Bro. Brown
at [email protected]. Information received after
the 20th of the expected publication month will not be
considered.
Wellness Day Challenge Points Standings
10
Exercise your brain…
10
Exercise your brain…
A watched pot never boil. Silence is golden. / destiny, Destiny; hairy,
Harry; sandy, Sandy. / 1 not yellow
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Heart Awareness Month
Heart and Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease includes a number of conditions affecting the
structures or function of the heart. They can include:
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and
women in the U.S. It is important to learn about your heart to help prevent
heart disease. And, if you have cardiovascular disease, you can live a
healthier, more active life by learning about your disease and treatments and
by becoming an active participant in your care.
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is atherosclerosis, or hardening, of the
arteries that provide vital oxygen and nutrients to the heart.
Abnormal Heart Rhythms
The heart is an amazing organ. It beats in a steady, even rhythm, about 60 to
100 times each minute (that's about 100,000 times each day!). But,
sometimes your heart gets out of rhythm. An irregular or abnormal
heartbeat is called an arrhythmia. An arrhythmia (also called a dysrhythmia)
can involve a change in the rhythm, producing an uneven heartbeat, or a
change in the rate, causing a very slow or very fast heartbeat.
Heart Failure
The term "heart failure" can be frightening. It does not mean the heart has
"failed" or stopped working. It means the heart does not pump as well as it
should. This then leads to salt and water retention, causing swelling and
shortness of breath. The swelling and shortness of breath are the primary
symptoms of heart failure.
Image Source: Aortic Valve Stenosis. Pathophysiology of the Heart (2003)
Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital heart disease is a type of defect in one or more structures of the
heart or blood vessels that occurs before birth.
It affects about eight out of every 1,000 children. Congenital heart defects
may produce symptoms at birth, during childhood, and sometimes not until
adulthood.
In most cases scientists don't know why they occur. Heredity may play a
role, as well as exposure to the fetus during pregnancy to certain viral
infections, alcohol, or drugs.
Heart failure is a major health problem in the U.S., affecting nearly 5 million
Americans. About 550,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure each year.
It is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65.
Heart Valve Disease
Your heart valves lie at the exit of each of your four heart chambers and
maintain one-way blood-flow through your heart. Examples of heart valve
problems include mitral valve prolapse, aortic stenosis, and mitral valve
insufficiency.
Cardiomyopathies
Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle itself. People with
cardiomyopathies -- sometimes called an enlarged heart -- have hearts that
are abnormally enlarged, thickened, and/or stiffened. As a result, the heart's
ability to pump blood is weakened. Without treatment, cardiomyopathies
worsen over time and often lead to heart failure and abnormal heart
rhythms.
Pericarditis
Pericarditis is inflammation of the lining that surrounds the heart. It is a
rare condition that is often caused by an infection.
Aorta Disease and Marfan Syndrome
The aorta is the large artery that leaves the heart and provides oxygen-rich
blood throughout the body. These diseases and conditions can cause the
aorta to dilate (widen) or dissect (tear), increasing the risk for future lifethreatening events, such as:
Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
High blood pressure
Genetic conditions such as Marfan Syndrome
Connective tissue disorders (that affect the strength of the blood
vessel walls) such as, scleroderma, osteogenesis imperfecta,
polycystic kidney disease, and Turner's syndrome
Injury
People with aorta disease should be treated by an experienced team of
cardiovascular specialists and surgeons.
Other Vascular Diseases
Your circulatory system is the system of blood vessels that carry blood to
every part of your body.
Image Source: Jaconello.com (2015)
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Image Source: Pericarditis.
cardiachealth.org (2015)
Doctors have long known that morning is prime time for heart attacks. "We
call it 'the witching hour,'" Krasuski says. That's because levels of a stress
hormone called cortisol peak early in the day. When this happens,
cholesterol plaque that has built up in the arteries can rupture and block the
flow of blood to the heart. Add in the rise in blood pressure and increased
heart rate from the stress of returning to work after the weekend, and you
have the perfect recipe for a Monday morning heart attack.
That’s why it’s important to reduce your stress levels as much as you can.
Practice yoga, meditate, exercise, laugh (see tip No. 3), or spend more quality
time with your family -- whatever works best for you.
Vascular disease includes any condition that affects your circulatory system.
These include diseases of the arteries and blood flow to the brain.
Sources:
Webmd.com (2015); Women’s Heart Foundation (2015); National Women’s
Stroke Knowledge (2015); Ainley V, Tsakiris M (2013) Body Conscious?
Interoceptive Awareness, Measured by Heartbeat Perception, Is Negatively
Correlated with Self-Objectification. PLoS ONE 8(2): e55568.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055568; Twig G, Afek A, Shamiss A, Derazne E,
Tzur D, et al. (2012) White Blood Cell Count and the Risk for Coronary Artery
Disease in Young Adults. PLoS ONE 7(10): e47183.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0047183; Luque-Casado A, Zabala M, Morales E,
Mateo-March M, Sanabria D (2013) Cognitive Performance and Heart Rate
Variability: The Influence of Fitness Level. PLoS ONE 8(2): e56935.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056935
Image Source: Muller Pet Medical Center (2015)
Basic Preventive Maintenance of the Heart
How sex helps the heart
Having an active sex life could cut a man’s risk of dying from heart disease in
half. For men, having an orgasm three or four times a week might offer
potent protection against a heart attack or stroke, according to one British
study.
Male heart attack symptoms, female heart attack symptoms
When it comes to matters of the heart, men and women definitely aren’t
created equal. For instance, a man’s heart weighs about 10 ounces, while a
woman’s heart weighs approximately 8 ounces.
Whether sex works as well for women’s hearts is unclear, but a healthy love
life seems to equate to good overall health. For one thing, sexual activity is an
excellent stress buster. It’s also great exercise -- burning about 85 calories
per half-hour session.
Not only is a woman’s heart smaller than a man’s, but the signs that it’s in
trouble are a lot less obvious. When women have a heart attack -- and more
than a half million do each year -- they’re more likely to have nausea,
indigestion, and shoulder aches rather than the hallmark chest pain.
Heart disease is the biggest killer of both men and women. And both genders
should heed this healthy advice: Don’t smoke, keep your blood pressure and
cholesterol levels in check, and watch for the obvious and the more subtle
warning signs your heart could be in trouble.
Laughter: The good heart medicine
Health experts now have proof that laughter is good medicine.
A good belly laugh can send 20% more blood flowing through your entire
body. One study found that when people watched a funny movie, their blood
flow increased. That’s why laughter might just be the perfect antidote to
stress.
When you laugh,
the lining of your
blood vessel walls
relaxes and
expands,
Krasuski says. So
have a good giggle.
Your heart will
thank you.
If you find it
difficult to have sex,
that could be a big
red flag that
something is wrong
with your heart.
For example, some
researchers think
erectile dysfunction
might warn of a
heart attack up to
five years in
advance.
Image Source: Theweek.com (2015)
Heart Disease and
Exercise…
One of the safest and most effective ways to reduce your risk and improve
your cardiovascular fitness is through aerobic exercise. Unfortunately, many
Americans don't exercise regularly and inactivity nearly doubles a person's
risk for heart disease, ranking it among the leading risk factors. The
American Heart Association reports that regular physical activity is as
important for heart health as the other three major lifestyle factors: quitting
smoking, lowering blood cholesterol, and controlling blood pressure.
Image Source: downstate.edu (2015)
Stress and the Monday morning heart attack
You’re more likely to have a heart attack on Monday morning than at any
other time of the week.
The best type of exercise
Regular aerobic activity (also called endurance exercise) is best. Studies have
shown that as little as 30 minutes a day of moderately vigorous aerobic
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activity, such as walking, cycling, or swimming significantly reduces a person's risk of heart disease. Best of all, exercise need not be extremely vigorous to be
beneficial to your health.
Cardiovascular health
Regular aerobic physical activity reduces the risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease. Aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular health and helps
control several disorders such as high blood pressure and cholesterol that increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. Activities such as walking, cycling, and
swimming “stress” the muscles, bones, and joints (the physiological systems that produces movement), the heart, blood vessels and lungs, and the other systems
responsible for oxygen delivery and energy production. These systems respond to the stress of exercise by becoming stronger and healthier.
Positive body image
Some individuals, mostly women but some men too, spend a great deal of time and energy worrying about their physical shape and size. Chronic body
dissatisfaction can be exhausting and demoralizing. It can also escalate into eating disorders and depression. If you need to lose weight, focus on improving your
lifestyle rather than attaining a specific weight goal. A healthy lifestyle includes regular exercise which burns calories and helps reduce excess body fat, especially
when combined with a nutritious, low fat diet.
Mental well-being
Many studies support the connection between regular physical activity and psychosocial well-being. Exercise helps prevent and treat depression, improves
perceptions of self-efficiency and may even improve memory and problem-solving ability. Exercise helps relieve stress and improves quality of life.
Therapeutic modality for chronic disease
Many of the health problems that become more common with age, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, insomnia, and diabetes, respond favorably to exercise. It has been
said that exercise will certainly add life to your years.
Included in your exercise routine should be performing strength training
Getting Started on Low-Risk Exercises
exercises 2-3 times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes. Muscles and joints
become stronger, daily activities feel easier and balance improves. In addition,
To make your workouts as low-risk as possible, use the following guidelines:
many experts believe that strength training can help women effectively
manage osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and preserve muscle tissue. Muscle
Ask your doctor if you need an exercise stress test, or whether you should follow
tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue (i.e., it will burn more
any special exercise guidelines.
calories). By maintaining a higher amount of muscle tissue, women will
maintain higher metabolic rates and maintain their optimal body weights.
Exercise regularly. Exercise is much safer for people who exercise routinely. To
maximize the benefits of any aerobic exercise, you must sustain an activity for at
Listen to your body and heed warning signs of cardiovascular disease, such a
least 20-45 minutes at each session. If you are just beginning exercise, start with
chest pain or pressure, abnormal heart rhythms or dizziness. While these
a 10 minute workout and gradually add two minutes a week until you reach
symptoms are often caused by something other than heart disease, it is best to
your goal.
be safe and check them out.
A mild to moderate exercise intensity is safer than a more vigorous workout.
A safe intensity of exercise can be obtained by advancing your heart rate to a
certain point called the “target heart rate zone”. Calculate your maximum heart
rate by subtracting your age from 220. Your target heart rate is 60-75% of your
maximum heart rate. This formula cannot be utilized if you are taking certain
cardiac medications. Consult your health care provider for your target heart rate
parameters. In order to determine your heart rate, you must take your pulse.
Taking your pulse: Using your middle and index fingers, locate your pulse on the
thumb side of your wrist. Press lightly. Count your pulse for 10 seconds starting
with zero. Multiply by 6. Never stop your activity completely to take your pulse.
Keep moving at a slower pace.
Exercise for the right reasons: To be healthy and feel good. Find activities
that are convenient and fun and make them a regular part of your lifestyle.
Warm-up and cool-down. A slow but steady building of excessive intensity
during a warm up allows the cardiovascular system to adjust to the increasing
demands of exercise, and a good cool down helps it adjust back to resting level.
Image Source:
Africanamerica.org (2015)
Sources:
Webmd.com (2015); Heathcentral.com (2015); Heartfoundation.co.az (2015)
Low-Risk Lifestyle Behaviors and All-Cause Mortality: Findings from the
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study Ford ES,
Zhao G, Tsai J, Li C. Am J Public Health. 2011 Oct;101(10):1922-9.; Global Status
Report on Noncommunicable Diseases 2010. Geneva, World Health
Organization, 2011; Guidelines for the Early Management of Patients With
Acute Ischemic Stroke. Stroke. 2013; 44: 870-947. Published online before print
January 31, 2013, doi: 10.1161/ STR.0b013e318284056a.
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Early Egyptians believed that the heart and other major organs
had wills of their own and would move around inside the body.d
The term “heartfelt” originated from Aristotle’s philosophy that
the heart collected sensory input from the peripheral organs
through the blood vessels. It was from those perceptions that
thought and emotions arose.f
Prolonged lack of sleep can cause irregular jumping heartbeats
called premature ventricular contractions (PVCs).b
Some heavy snorers may have a condition called obtrusive sleep
apnea (OSA), which can negatively affect the heart.b
Cocaine affects the heart’s electrical activity and causes spasm of
the arteries, which
can lead to a heart
attack or stroke,
even in healthy
people.a
On December 3, 1967,
Dr. Christiaan
Barnard (19222001) of South Africa
transplanted a human
heart into the body of
Image Source: umc.edu.org (2015)
Louis Washansky.
Although the recipient lived only 18 days, it is considered the first
successful heart transplant.e
A woman’s heart typically beats faster than a man’s. The heart of
an average man beats approximately 70 times a minute, whereas
the average woman has a heart rate of 78 beats per minute.b
Blood is actually a tissue. When the body is at rest, it takes only six
seconds for the blood to go from the heart to the lungs and back,
only eight seconds for it to go the brain and back, and only 16
seconds for it to reach the toes and travel all the way back to the
heart.c
The right atrium holds about 3.5 tablespoons of blood. The right
ventricle holds slightly more than a quarter cup of blood. The left
atrium holds the same amount of blood as the right, but its walls
are three times thicker.g
Grab a tennis ball and squeeze it tightly: that’s how hard the
beating heart works to pump blood.a
Interesting facts about the human heart
The average adult heart beats 72 times a minute; 100,000 times a
day; 3,600,000 times a year; and 2.5 billion times during a
lifetime.f
Though weighing only 11 ounces on average, a healthy heart
pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood
vessels each day.c
A kitchen faucet would need to be turned on all the way for at
least 45 years to equal the amount of blood pumped by the heart
in an average lifetime.a
The volume of blood pumped by the heart can vary over a wide
range, from five to 30 liters per minute.e
Every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20
miles. In a lifetime, that is equivalent to driving to the moon and
back.a
Because the heart has its own electrical impulse, it can continue to
beat even when separated from the body, as long as it has an
adequate supply of oxygen.c
The fetal heart rate is approximately
twice as fast as an adult’s, at about 150
beats per minute. By the time a fetus
is 12 weeks old, its heart pumps an
amazing 60 pints of blood a day.g
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The heart pumps blood to almost all
of the body’s 75 trillion cells. Only
the corneas receive no blood
supply.c
During an average lifetime, the heart
will pump nearly 1.5 million barrels of
blood—enough to fill 200 train tank
cars.a
Image Source: wisegeek.org (2015)
Five percent of blood supplies the heart, 15-20% goes to the brain
and central nervous system, and 22% goes to the kidneys.a
The “thump-thump” of a heartbeat is the sound made by the four
valves of the heart closing.a
The heart begins beating at four weeks after conception and does
not stop until death.g
A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in circulation. An
adult human has about four to five quarts which the heart pumps
to all the tissues and to and from the lungs in about one minute
while beating 75 times.g
The heart pumps oxygenated blood through the aorta (the largest
artery) at about 1 mile (1.6 km) per hour. By the time blood
reaches the capillaries, it is moving at around 43 inches (109 cm)
per hour.g
Sources:
a Avraham, Regina. 2000. The Circulatory System. Philadelphia, PA: Chelsea
House Publishers.
b Chilnick, Lawrence. 2008. Heart Disease: An Essential Guide for the Newly
Diagnosed. Philadelphia, PA: Perseus Books Group.
c Daniels, Patricia, et. al. 2007. Body: The Complete Human. Washington, D.C.:
National Geographic Society.
d Davis, Goode P., et. al. 1981. The Heart: The Living Pump. Washington D.C.:
U.S. News Books.
e The Heart and Circulatory System. 2000. Pleasantville, NY: The Reader’s
Digest Association, Inc.
f Parramon’s Editorial Team. 2005. Essential Atlas of Physiology. Hauppauge,
NY: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
g Tsiaras, Alexander. 2005. The InVision Guide to a Healthy Heart. New York,
NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
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Do’s & Don’t’s of Lower Back Exercise
DO’s
Partial crunches. Strengthen your core without injuring your back. Lie
with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms over
your chest or put your hands behind your neck. Then tighten your
stomach muscles to raise your shoulders off the floor. Then slowly lower
back down. Make sure your feet, tailbone, and lower back are in contact
with the floor at all times to effectively relieve lower back strain.
Hamstring stretches. Lie down flat on your back and extend your right
leg straight into the air. If you can reach your toes—wow! No, just kidding.
If you can reach your toes without bending your knee, hold onto them to
stretch your leg and low back. If not, try wrapping a towel around your
toes and hold onto the ends of that. Do this again with the other leg.
Wall sits. With your back up against the wall, squat down as though
you’re sitting in a chair. Try to have your quads parallel to the floor. Sit
and hold for about a minute. This exercise is not necessarily
a back exercise, but it is a great option for working out your legs without
putting any strain or pressure on your back.
Press-up back extensions. Lie on your stomach with your hands under
your shoulders. Gently push up until you feel a nice stretch in your lower
back. If you can, rest on your elbows or on your hands for a deeper stretch.
If you’re familiar with yoga, this is a “cobra” or “baby cobra” pose.
DON’T’s
Pilates & Yoga. These two low-impact exercises are a wonderful way to
strengthen and stretch your back and your body as a whole. Of course
don’t do any positions that hurt your lower back more, go at your own
pace, and modify if need be. There are even some great online yoga and
Pilates “classes” that you can participate in.
Image Source: lovetoknow.org (2015)
Toe touches. It might sound like toe touches are a good way to stretch out a
lower back that is paining you - t might even feel good at first - but beware, toe
touches are dangerous for lower back pain! This movement puts greater stress
on the disks and ligaments in your spine and can overstretch your lower back
muscles and hamstrings.
Walk. Walking and other aerobic, but low-impact workouts are great for
low back pain. This includes swimming laps, strength training, and yoga.
Check out this great post on why walking is so good for your back!
Sit-ups. While these exercises are great for strengthening abs, they
are not great for anyone with lower back pain. Sit-ups tend to put a lot of
pressure on the discs in your spine - perform simple crunches (see above) that
will not hurt your back and are just as effective for upper abs.
Leg lifts. This core-strengthening exercise is no good for somebody with back
troubles. Instead, try lying on your back with one leg straight and the other leg
bent at the knee. Then, slowly lift the straight leg up about six inches and hold
it there for a beat, then lower it. Repeat this about 15 times and switch legs.
Run. If your lower back is actively hurting you, do not go for a run. Running is a
great exercise to improve posture when your back is healthy - but when it’s
not, take a break and get back to it when your back is feeling better.
Play sports. Okay, this is pretty broad, but do try to avoid any sports that make
you bend or strain your back in any way if it is injured. EX: tennis, racquetball,
basketball, soccer, football… Okay pretty much most sports. Just lay off until
your back is back in order.
Avoid lifting. Yes, I do mean “don’t avoid lifting.” You should lift weights when
your back is hurt - just make sure that you are doing it correctly and not using
your back muscles. Rather, use your leg and arm muscles and focus on
strengthening your back without weights (“supermans” are a great exercise for
this).
Sources: nextdesk.org (2015); University of Texas (2015), Exact Sciences (2015);
University of Missouri (2015), University of Kentucky (2015); Yale University
(2015); Brandeis University (2015)
Image Source: lovetoknow.org (2015)
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Diverticulitis
Overview
Diverticulitis occurs when diverticula (bulging sacs that usually appear in the lining of the large intestine) get infected or inflamed. Although diverticula are
most common in the large intestine (colon), they can develop anywhere in your digestive tract. Pain in the lower left side of your abdomen may indicate
diverticulitis. The condition is treatable. However, it can recur.
What Causes Diverticulitis?
No one knows exactly what causes diverticula, but eating a diet that’s low in fiber is thought to contribute to the formation of the sacs. Eating fiber helps your
stool stay soft, which makes it easier to pass. A diet that’s low in fiber can cause problems such as constipation. This requires more pressure to pass your stool.
Increased pressure inside the colon is believed to lead to the development of diverticula. Diverticulitis occurs when fecal matter gets trapped in the diverticula
and causes an infection.
What Are the Symptoms of Diverticulitis?
The most common and severe sign of diverticulitis is a pain on the lower left side of the abdomen that can appear suddenly. This pain can sometimes get worse
over a few days. Other signs that you might have diverticulitis, in order of likelihood, are:
abdominal tenderness, usually on the lower left side
nausea
vomiting
constipation
fever
gas or bloating
diarrhea
loss of appetite
rectal bleeding
Image Source: Mayo Clinic (2015)
Image Source: Inside of a colon with multiple diverticuli.
How Is Diverticulitis Diagnosed?
Corinne Levine, M.D. (2015)
Your doctor will start your diagnosis by talking to you about the symptoms that you’re experiencing and
your medical history. Your doctor will also perform a physical exam, checking for any pain in the abdomen. A blood test might also be ordered to find out if your
white blood cell count is higher than normal, which would indicate an infection. Your doctor might also order a computed tomography (CT) scan (which uses
computer-guided X-ray images) to find out if you have diverticula that are infected.
How Is Diverticulitis Treated?
Depending on the severity of your case, your doctor might allow you to treat
yourself at home or recommend that you stay in a hospital during treatment.
Patient Review: Jacques Meadows
bouts with diverticulitis
Jacques initially experienced severe
pain in the abdominal region. One
moment he’s fine then the next he’s
slumped over with severe pain.
Treatment At Home
Treatment at home may include:
bed rest
a liquid diet to allow your diverticula to heal
prescription antibiotics
pain medication such as acetaminophen
Treatment at the Hospital
Your doctor may think it’s best for you to be treated in the hospital if you’ve
developed any complications, such as a blockage in the bowels or an abscess
(a sac filled with pus). While in the hospital, you’ll be treated with intravenous (IV)
antibiotics. If you have an abscess, it will need to be drained using a needle.
Surgery
If you get diverticulitis often or if your infections don’t seem to respond to
antibiotics, your doctor might decide that surgery to remove the portion of your
intestine where the diverticula are infected is best.
The initial examination quickly discovered he had diverticulitis based on urine
and fecal evaluation. He was immediately prescribed medication to aid with
his new condition. In retrospect, Jacques had some doubts whether he indeed
had diverticulitis because his initial symptoms were somewhat different from
the first onset. Nonetheless, Jacques most recent episode with his symptoms
leads him to the ER, where he was admitted. It seems that Jacques missed
about a week of self-medication, and further x-rays and CT scans confirmed
that his kidney lab results were abnormal.
Jacques was one of the lucky few – he has not had any surgery to correct the
affected part(s) of his colon and with his history of kidney transplant was not
connected to this new diagnosis. Jacques is currently managing his condition
well with therapy – he continues to see his doctor to ensure that his condition
is brought under control. With the love of his family, he believes that
additional bouts with diverticulitis will be met with the appropriate
intervention.
What Happens After Treatment?
Most diverticulitis treatments work well, but once diverticula form they will be
there for the rest of your life. This means that you could develop diverticulitis
-Permission: Bro. Jacques Meadows
again at any time. Lifestyle changes can help you avoid diverticulitis in the future.
Drinking plenty of water is important for making sure you don’t get constipated, as is adding more fiber to your diet. Add more fiber to your diet slowly by
eating more fresh fruits and vegetables such as pears, raspberries, sweet potatoes with the skin on, and black and kidney beans.
Going to the bathroom when you feel the urge is also important for avoiding constipation. Waiting too long before going to the bathroom can cause your stool to
become harder, which can increase the pressure in your bowels.
Source: Healthline (2015); John Cunha, DO (2015); William Shiel, MD (2015); Cleveland Clinic (2015); University of Maryland Medical Center (2015)
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In the Know…Measles
During December of 2014, some children who visited Disneyland theme park
contracted measles, also known as rubeola.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 102 cases
of the airborne illness in 2015, and this number continues to rise. But even
before the theme-park outbreak, 2014 was a record year for measles cases in
the United States with 644 cases recorded in 27 states.
During a recent CDC briefing on the outbreak, Anne Schuchat, M.D., assistant
surgeon general of the United States Public Health Service, said that each year
about 20 million people get measles worldwide. Dr. Schuchat recommends
that children, unless immunocompromised, get vaccinated and adults check
with their doctor if they're unsure about their status.
The increase in U.S. measles cases is alarming, not only because the disease is
highly contagious, but also because it can have serious complications. Here are
10 essential facts you need to know about measles:
Measles is highly contagious. The measles lives in the nose and throat mucus
of an infected person, and can be spread through sneezing and coughing. The
virus can remain active and contagious on a surface where the infected person
sneezed or coughed for up to two hours. Transmission can begin four days
before symptoms appear, and measles is so contagious that 90 percent of
exposed people who are not immune will become infected, according to
the CDC.
Early measles symptoms look like flu symptoms. Seven to 14 days after the
person is infected, symptoms will begin to develop: high fever, cough, runny
nose, and red, watery eyes. Two to three days after these symptoms appear,
tiny white spots called Koplik might appear inside the mouth, according to
the CDC. Three to five days after the initial symptoms, the red-spotted rash
characteristic of measles breaks out, and the fever spikes. The rash and fever
usually subside within a few days.
Measles can lead to severe complications. For every 1,000 people with
measles, 1 to 3 will suffer from severe complications, some of which include
pneumonia and swelling of the brain (encephalitis). These complications can
lead to death.
There is no treatment for measles. Because measles is caused by a virus,
there is no specific treatment. However, taking Vitamin A might make the
illness milder, says Stepehn Pelcon, M.D., chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases
at Boston Medical Center.
The measles vaccine is highly effective. The current measles vaccine has led
to a 99% reduction in measles cases compared to the pre-vaccine era. Before
the vaccine was licensed in 1963, the CDC estimated 3 to 4 measles
cases occurred each year in the United States, with 500 deaths. By the 21st
century, the number shrunk to 86 cases with no deaths. The measles vaccine
is included in MMR, a combination vaccine that protects against measles,
mumps, and rubella.
You probably won’t get
infected if you’ve been
vaccinated, and the risk is
even lower if you’ve
received both
recommended doses. The
first dose of the
measles vaccine is usually given to infants aged 12 to 15 months, but it’s
never too late to get vaccinated, even as an adult, says Johanna Goldfarb,
M.D., at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital.
The second dose can be given four weeks after the first, but is usually
administered between
the ages of 4 and 6
years, which is before a
child typically starts
kindergarten. The
vaccine is considered
to be 99 percent
effective for people
who have received
Image Source: Medical Daily (2015)
both doses, compared
to 95 percent for one dose.
Because of a thoroughly discredited report, many parents are wary of
vaccinating their children. In 1998, British medical researcher Andrew
Wakefield published a study in The Lancet claiming that the MMR
vaccination caused children to show signs of “regressive autism.” The
Lancet retracted the study in 2010, but the stigma against the MMR shot
remains. Only about half of Americans feel childhood vaccines are safe and
effective, according to a poll by the Associated Press and GFK Public
Affairs.
“For the children who can’t get this vaccine to be protected, everyone else
has to get vaccinated,” Dr. Goldfarb says. “It’s selfish of parents not to
vaccinate their children based on bogus information.”
The Disneyland measles outbreak is related to the anti-vaccination
movement. “Individual cases are not a result of the anti-vaccine
movement. However, large outbreaks are always due to having a
population of under-vaccinated children who are then exposed,” Dr.
Pelton says.
Children, many of whom are unvaccinated immigrants, as well as people
who travel to infected areas and become exposed, often bring the disease
into the United States. Secondary cases occur in people who have not been
vaccinated or are among the estimated 5 percent of people who don’t
respond to a single dose of MMR.
Measles isn’t the only disease that's spreading due to decreased
vaccination rates. The vaccine for mumps is less effective than for
measles and rubella. In addition to measles outbreaks, Pelton says, there
have been large mumps outbreaks, including one reported this winter in
NHL players.
There are also pertussis (whooping cough) outbreaks nationwide due
both to limited vaccine effectiveness and refusal to be vaccinated.
Measles could be eliminated completely. In the month of January, 14
states reported measles cases. However, health officials worldwide
believe measles can be completely eradicated. All six member states of the
World Health Organization (WHO) are committed to eliminating measles
worldwide by the year 2020.
“This is absolutely a realistic goal,” Goldfarb says. “This is a disease that
could be eliminated worldwide if people vaccinated their children.”
Sources: CDC (2015; WHO (2015); Lancet (1998); Cleveland Clinic
Children’s Hospital (2015; Pediatric Infectious Disease of Boston Medical
Center (2015; United State Public Health Service (2015);
Everydayhealth.com (2015)
Image Source: CDC (2015)
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Does size really matter?
Women reveal “when” penis size does
matter
The age old question of “Does size matter” has been answered by
women. A group of women participated in a study and they
revealed that size does matter in one-night stands. However,
they said its girth, not the length of the penis that matters.
During the study, the women were shown and given penises
made on a 3D printer to inspect. The model penis’ were blue and
ranged in size from 4 inches long and 2.5 inches in circumference
to 8.5 inches long and 7 inches in circumference.
These women were then asked which of the 33 model penis’ they
would rather see on a one night stand partner, and then which
they would prefer for a long-term partner. In the one night
stand category, the women chose penis’ that had slightly larger
girth than those they chose for long-term relationships.
Recipe of the month for urHealth
urHealth
When deciding on the length of preferred penises, there wasn’t
any difference in the women’s choices. The women revealed that
the average preferred length of the penis is 6.5 inches long.
Researchers found that the reason behind the importance of a
penis’ girth is because the vagina has numerous pressuresensitive nerve endings. Those nerve endings detect sensations
of stretching and are finely tuned to detect variations of girth.
They also determined that penis’ with larger girth also brings the
clitoris closer to the vagina helping women achieve orgasm.
Shannon Leung, study researcher at the University of California,
Los Angeles presented findings at the Association for
Psychological Science that women tend to not chose overly long
penis’ due to the increased possibility for cervical pain. In
previous studies that tried to determine penis preferences
images were used along with simple terms, such as “small,
medium and large”. The difference in this study was the women’s
ability to handle the 3D models of different penises.
Leung went on to say, “For men who are considering surgery to
increase their phallus sizes, maybe they do not have to after all if
women tend to overestimate the size of a penis they’ve seen.”
The study, which was conducted at UCLA's Sexual
Psychophysiology and Affective Neuroscience (SPAN)
Laboratory, has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed
journal.
Source: Examiner (2015); UCLA (2015)
Men with the largest penis
resides in the
Democratic Republic of
Congo
-The Sun (2010)
Recipe: Tropical Cucumber Salad
Makes: 4 servings, about 1 cup each
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1. 3-5 teaspoons fish sauce, (see Shopping Tip)
2. 1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest, plus more for garnish
3. 2 tablespoons lime juice
4. 1 tablespoon canola oil
5. 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
6. 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
7. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8. 1 medium English cucumber, cut into 3/4-inch dice
9. 1 avocado, cut into 3/4-inch dice
10. 1 mango, cut into 3/4-inch dice (see Kitchen Tip)
11. 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
PREPARATION
1. Whisk fish sauce to taste, lime zest, lime juice, oil, brown sugar, vinegar
and crushed red pepper in a large bowl until combined.
2. Add cucumber, avocado, mango and cilantro; gently toss to coat.
3. Serve garnished with lime zest, if desired.
NUTRITION (Per serving)
169 calories
11 g fat (1 g saturated, 7 g mono)
0 mg cholesterol
18 g carbohydrates
2 g added sugars
3 g protein
5 g fiber
178 mg sodium
342 mg potassium
Nutrition Bonus:
Carbohydrate Servings:
Exchanges:
Vitamin C (45% daily value), Vitamin A (15% dv)
1
1 vegetable, 1/2 fruit, 2 fat
Courtesy: eatingwell.com (2015)
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20142014-2015 Nu Mu Lambda Wellness Day Challenge Points Standings
Standings
*This total does not include
this current month’s
(February) point’s
accumulation by each team,
and does not reflect the
final total.
Exercise your brain…
(Answers on page 1)
What’s
a.
b.
c.
in a name?
A place you are trying to reach, starts with a “D”.
Describes someone who has a lot of this growing on their body, starts with “H”.
How a beach feels, starts with “S”.
Double-Speak…
a. A vessel under optical supervision never reaches the temperature of 212 degrees.
b. Taciturnity is aurous.
Humor:
What’s wrong with this picture?
One day, three-year-old Lauren and her mom were running
errands. Everything the mom said or did, Lauren asked,
"Why?" Finally, mom said, "Lauren, please stop asking me
why." After a short silence, she looked at her mom and
asked, "Okay, how come?"
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