Why Cutting Tablets In Half Is A Dangerous Practice

You may have trouble swallowing large tablets, or not want to take all the dose of your medicine at one time, but now medical experts have issued a warning after a study found that nearly a third of the split fragments deviated from recommended dosages by 15 per cent or more.

You may think it not important, but there can be serious clinical consequences for tablets that have a narrow margin between therapeutic and toxic doses. There is a particular concern about the practice in nursing homes where many residents are on complex regimes for a range of health conditions, including Parkinson’s, congestive heart failure, thrombosis and arthritis.

Researchers from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ghent University in Belgium, asked five volunteers to split eight different-sized tablets using three techniques commonly used in nursing homes. It was not good news: 31 per cent of the tablet fragments deviated from their theoretical weight by more than 15 per cent and 14 per cent by more than a staggering 25 per cent. Even the most accurate method produced error margins of 21 per cent and eight per cent respectively.

The end result is tablets are often unequal sizes and a substantial amount of the drug can be lost during splitting. The study involved four volunteers – only one of whom was a nurse in order to replicate common nursing home conditions. Between them they split tablets into 3,600 separate quarters or halves using a splitting device, scissors and a kitchen knife. The eight different tablets were different shapes and sizes, three were unscored, three had one score line and the others had two.

If splitting tablets is something you regularly do, then the best advice is to invest in a splitting device as it gave the most accurate cut. However it still produced a 15 to 25 per cent error margin, but still lower than using a knife or scissors.

The researchers recommended that manufacturers offer more options such as liquid formulations and a wider range of tablet doses. Also that staff in nursing homes should receive training to enable them to split tablets as accurately as possible.

Revolutionary Toothpaste that Re-calcifies Teeth

If you suffer from sensitive teeth then you know that the problem is due to tooth enamel being prone to damage, which can give rise to a rough pitted surface and exposed dentine that can create the conditions for teeth sensitivity. This is why we react so swiftly and painfully to both hot and cold stimulus either from the weather or food and drink.

Help is on hand from SensiShield which offers a fast and effective solution in a toothpaste which is clinically proven to re-calcify tooth enamel, helping cover that exposed dentine. The revolutionary product uses a bio-tech formula that actually mimics nature to re-calcify the tooth surface enamel and dentine, leaving teeth less sensitive and brighter in appearance.

There are products available that either mask the pain or temporarily coat the surface of the teeth, but SensiShield offers a permanent solution. Its advanced formula is based on surgical bone regeneration and contains an active ingredient that copies the way mouth salvia naturally re-calcifies teeth, faster than nature can by itself.

SensiShield is a revolutionary new toothpaste that actually raises the mouth’s pH to activate the formation of hydroxyapatite crystals (HCA) exactly as saliva does, which helps reduce plaque. After brushing with SensiShield teeth surfaces become more resistant to organic stains and nerve exposure can be lessened. It is also anti-bacterial and anti-plaque helping to protect your gums as well as your teeth.

It is available at Boots and some major supermarkets at 5.95 for a 50ml tube.

Acupuncture Proven Helpful for Pain Relief and Lazy Eye in Children

I have always been a great fan of acupuncture as it started me on my career as a health writer by treating a trapped sciatic nerve that completely immobilized me and without the 200 painkiller prescription the doctor had offered. Acupuncture has previously been found to help improve fertility, increase heart function, and assist in helping people sleep, and I know not everyone is fond of needles, but evidence also continues to mount as to its effectiveness at reducing and eliminating pain.

New findings from the University Hospital in Essen, Germany were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). They included functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans that clearly show a positive change in the metabolic activity of patients’ brains receiving acupuncture treatment.

This is a small scale study of only 18 volunteers and lead researcher Nina Theysohn, MD, from the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology explained why it is important. “Functional MRI gives us the opportunity to directly observe areas of the brain that are activated during pain perception and see the variances that occur with acupuncture. Activation of brain areas involved in pain perception was significantly reduced or modulated under acupuncture.”

Acupuncture for pain relief has been used for centuries in China, where it originated, and is also available as an option in the Birthing Unit at my local hospital instead of epidural drugs.
The findings challenge a commonly held belief that acupuncture works primarily as a placebo and while certain brain responses to acupuncture indicate facets of a placebo response, others clearly highlight specific mechanical activities in the brain that demonstrably reduce pain symptoms.

Acupuncture and Children With Lazy Eye:
It seems that it could also potentially become an alternative to patching for treating amblyopia (lazy eye) in some older children, which can affect up to 5 percent of individuals worldwide . The report by Jianhao Zhao, M.D., of Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and Chinese University appeared in a recent issue of Archives of Ophthalmology and said that although this problem can be corrected easily with glasses or contact lenses it only appears to be effective in children age 3 to 7 years. Over that age, and up to 12, only 30 percent respond to visual correction alone and the usual solution is to also patch over one eye and this does increase this response rate to two-thirds.

However, there are problems with patching as children do not like it, often removing the patch when out of parental supervision and those that do follow the regime can experience emotional problems through teasing or feeling different and vulnerable.

Acupuncture has previously been used to treat dry eye and myopia and so a controlled trial involving 88 children was set up where 43 were randomly assigned to the acupuncture group and received five treatments per week targeting five acupoints, or needle insertion sites. The remaining 45 children had their good eye patched for two hours a day and were instructed to do at least one hour of near-vision activities with the lazy eye, such as reading or typing.

After 15 weeks there was a 75.6 percent improvement in vision of those in the acupuncture group and lazy eye was considered resolved in 16.7 percent of patched eyes and 41.5 percent of eyes in the acupuncture group. Both treatments were well tolerated; children had no problems complying with either therapy, and no serious adverse effects were found in either group.

Acupuncture is believed to be effective because by targeting vision-related acupoints it may change the activity of the visual cortex, the part of the brain that receives data from the eyes. It may also increase blood flow to the eye and surrounding structures as well as stimulate the generation of compounds that support the growth of retinal nerves.

Whatever you want to use acupuncture for, it is essential to only use a qualified practitioner and I recommend you ask if they have treated your condition before, how often, and what the success rate is. To find a qualified acupuncturist in your area ask at your local health stores and natural health clinics for recommendations or visit www.acupuncture.org.uk

New Hand Sanitizer to help Defeat Flu and Stomach Viruses

Whether you are worried about the flu or, like me, at greater risk when travelling or working in crowded environments, then a valuable addition to safeguard your health routine is on hand.

Bacterial and viral contaminations can come from simply touching people carrying bacteria and viruses – through a handshake for example – or contaminated surfaces, such as a desk, handrail, phone or even a lift button. We all know that hands should be cleaned regularly, especially as studies have shown that microorganisms can survive on them for several hours. We know it, but do we do it? Sadly the answer seems to be no, or not often enough.

In a recent study participants claimed to wash their hands an average eight times a day and only 6% washed their hands two or fewer times a day. However, only 61% of the study respondents said they washed their hands after every visit to the bathroom, with four out of 10 (39%) admitting they sometimes skipped hand hygiene altogether.

There were large gaps in hand washing after other potentially infection-spreading activities. Surprisingly, well over half (58%) of respondents didn’t bother washing their hands before eating food, and nearly half (40%) said they wouldn’t wash before making and eating a sandwich, despite the threat of cross contamination. A shocking two out of 10 (20%) of those quizzed even admitted to not washing their hands before cooking or handling raw ingredients, making family mealtimes a potential health lottery.

Bacteria and viruses can lie dormant on contaminated surfaces at home, work or in public places, yet two- thirds (66%) didn’t wash their hands after travelling on public transport and 59% failed to wash after coming home from work. Only a third (32%) washed their hands after handling money and just under a quarter (23%) after coming home from doing the shopping.

Daunting statistics and despite the fact there is no doubt that regular hand washing helps to stave off colds, flu and gastrointestinal infections as well as reduce the risk of transmitting them to others. If you can’t wash your hands as often as you would like then the next best thing is to use a hand sanitizer spray that has been scientifically proven to kill bacteria and viruses quickly and effectively. Mentholatum responsebeta is an alcohol-free
hand sanitizer shown in both lab research and human trials, to kill bacteria and viruses within five minutes of use.

It does this in two ways: first with a surface active agent which cleans hands in the same way as soap. The surfactant breaks up small pieces of dirt and grease so when the hands are rubbed together, the dirt flakes off. Secondly, Mentholatum responsebeta sanitizes the hands through four key biocidal ingredients which have proven activity in killing bacteria and viruses as well as fungi, spores and yeasts. These biocides are well known for the ability to kill microorganisms yet are safe for use on human skin.

Many hand sanitizers are alcohol based and while alcohol does kill bacteria and viruses, it is only active for a very short time – about 15 seconds after use. Mentholatum responsebeta on the other hand is water based and contains no alcohol and the biocidal ingredients it contains have been shown to be effective for up to two hours after application.

Alcohol also evaporates from the skin very rapidly, leading to excessive drying of the hands and dry skin is prone to irritation so a water based sanitizer such as mentholatum responsebeta is suitable for use on sensitive skin and for children of all ages under adult supervision.

Mentholatum responsebeta comes into two sizes: 50ml for carrying with you at £2.59 or a larger 200ml for use in-home or office use at £5.21 and available at Boots and other chemists.

50% Possible Drop in Successful IVF After Increased BPA Exposure

I know I have mentioned the problems with BPA before, but if you know anyone undertaking IVF then please pass this on to them. A study by the University of California, San Francisco, has identified the first evidence in women that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) may compromise the quality of a woman’s eggs.

Undertaking IVF (in vitro fertilization) can be a physically and emotionally challenging time and now it seems there may be a new factor to also take into consideration. The scientists found that when blood levels of BPA in the women studied doubled, the percentage of eggs that fertilized normally declined by 50 percent

I have previously highlighted the increasing concern about the negative effects of BPA on health and this is an additional reason to avoid it wherever possible. BPA is a synthetic chemical and environmental contaminant that is widespread and found particularly in plastics. It fundamentally disrupts the body’s endocrine system and when absorbed into the body either mimics or blocks hormones and interferes with the body’s normal functions.

Professor Victor Y. Fujimoto, MD, of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Health at the University said:
“While preliminary, the data indicate the negative effect of BPA on reproductive health and the importance of allocating more funding to further investigate why such environmental contaminants might be disrupting fertility potential.”

It also impacts women who may not be undergoing IVF but are trying, or wanting, to start a family. Obviously this negative impact on the quality of eggs affects all women and it makes sense to factor this in when creating the ideal conditions to start a family.
BPA exposure is widespread in the industrialised world and even a modest effect on reproduction is of substantial concern. Unfortunately, at this time there is no clinically-available test to determine BPA levels in women so undertaking a healthy approach to both diet and lifestyle.

For more information on BPA, an excellent resource is an alliance of partners led by the UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment who launched an online resource called Toxic Matters to help consumers make smarter decisions about substances that can harm general and reproductive health.

The brochure and web page include tips on reducing exposure to metals and synthetic chemicals in everyday life — at home, at work, and in the community — and provide links to other sources with more detailed information. The website is available at http://prhe.ucsf.edu/prhe/toxicmatters.html

Natural Help for Rheumatoid and Osteo Arthritis

Arthritis is a serious complaint, with about 9million people in the UK being affected. Sufferers can be in constant pain and aching and experience restricted movement, stiffness and swelling of the joints. This can occur whether it is the result of the general wear-and-tear version of the condition, or the potentially more crippling disease, which occurs when the immune system attacks the joints.

A new dietary supplement, Serrapeptase from Lifeplan, may be able to bring some relief.
Like many another healthy discovery this comes from Eastern Medicine, though not in this case of ancient origin and actually it is tied to the silk industry. It was only in the early 1980’s that Japanese scientists discovered that the enzyme, Serrapeptase, produced by the silkworm to break-down the cocoon wall and allow the butterfly to escape, possessed amazing health benefits.

It soon became popular as a supplement for its anti-inflammatory properties and recent studies have also illustrated the enzymes’ benefit for those experiencing joint problems, such as rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. You don’t have to worry about the silk worms welfare either as today, Serrapeptase is produced by a natural fermentation process. It works because its amazing ability to break-down dead or damaged tissue, but crucially, without harming the healthy tissue alongside it. The enzyme helps reduce inflammation, speeds up drainage and allows tissue repair to occur.

One of the main concerns of those with arthritis is the constant misery of the pain and serrapeptase has also been shown to alleviate pain, without the unwanted side effects often associated with conventional anti-inflammatory medication.

One problem with supplements can be that they have to be able to withstand the harsh environment of the stomach and so Lifeplan’s Serrapeptase benefits from a special enteric coating to allow gradual release of the formulation into the body, which aids absorption. Should be available at your local health store, but if not visit www.lifeplan.co.uk

Another source of natural help for osteoarthritis is to eat plenty of garlic, onions and leeks, which researchers at King’s College London and the University of East Anglia have discovered could help women have lower levels of hip osteoarthritis. Particularly effective in garlic is a compound called diallyl disulphide which limits the amount of cartilage-damaging enzymes.

As Hippocrates, known as the Father of Medicine, so wisely said ‘let food be your medicine and medicine your food’.

30 Days to Better Health

There is no better time of year to start thinking about getting healthier, but many people are put off because they see it as beyond them, or will take too long. The good news is that only 30 days of eating a naturally better diet can improve your health and guard against many of the leading chronic diseases that take the lives of millions worldwide each year. The less good news is that even one unhealthy meal can have a negative effect on hundreds of your genes.

The results of a study performed at Lund University in Sweden have shown the link between healthy food combinations and reduced disease risk. Their research focused on forty-four adults aged 50 to 75 who were fed a diet that included high antioxidant, low glycaemic sources including oily fish, barley, blueberries, almonds, cinnamon, vinegar and a high fibre wholegrain bread for a period of 4 weeks.

They were able to demonstrate the influence of food on our genome as a single unhealthy meal can negatively impact hundreds of individual genes. The usual suspects I am afraid: processed foods packed with sugar, refined carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats. These all lead to a continual state of inflammation throughout the body and metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer`s are all fuelled by the release of dangerous chemical messengers that are the result of inflammation.

Blood samples taken at the end of the test period showed that a natural diet exerted a powerful effect on all key biomarkers associated with inflammation, blood sugar and blood clotting. Results included:

• Oxidized LDL cholesterol was reduced by 33%
• Blood pressure dropped 8%
• Total blood lipids improved 14%
• Blood clotting marker fibrinogen dropped 26%
• Systemic inflammation was greatly reduced
• Memory and cognitive function were improved

Previous and extensive research has shown that eating a diet that was consumed during the course of human evolution is the best way to prevent and treat diabetes and heart disease. Basically that means you think natural and unprocessed so focusing on fruit, vegetables, nuts, lean meat and fish as these food sources regulate blood sugar and insulin response as they are low in fast-releasing carbohydrates, and eating a minimum of grain-based foods such as breakfast cereals and pasta.

So let’s hear it for the good news, which is that even small changes in diet over a short period of time like 30 days have been shown to significantly lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease and dementia. A diet of unprocessed foods can provide protection from disease and reverse the progression of serious illness and also seriously improve your quality of life.

How Common Sleep Problems Like Snoring Can Lead to Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a medical diagnosis that refers to the presence of at least three of the five primary risk factors that are associated with diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The five factors include high triglycerides, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, high blood pressure, and low HDL cholesterol. And it is not just snoring that is the problem, if you have trouble falling asleep or have restless sleep then according to a new study you are more likely to develop the symptoms of metabolic syndrome as well.

This is the first study to explore the link between sleep quality and metabolic syndrome risk and was done on a total of 812 individuals who were between the ages of 45 and 74, and who developed metabolic syndrome during a three year period of analysis. This particular age bracket was chosen because many people who fall under this category record the highest complaints of sleep disorders. The results of the study revealed that 70 percent of people who do not sleep well and 80 percent of those who have trouble falling asleep are twice as likely to develop symptoms of metabolic syndrome than those who do not experience sleeping difficulties.

Loud snoring is disruptive on many levels, but it seems that it also is associated with low levels of HDL (good cholesterol) and high blood sugar levels, both of which are can lead to the development of diabetes. If you or a partner have put up with snoring, then this might be the piece of information that could get them to address the problem. Everyone has trouble sleeping from time to time, but if you find you are unable to do so easily over a prolonged period then that also is a significant predictor of metabolic syndrome.

If I had a cure for snoring I would be a rich woman, but there are some simple changes that can often help. Being overweight is certainly a factor so looking at dietary and lifestyle changes can be a place to start. Stress is another factor so do what you can to eliminate or reduce it – and if you need help then can I suggest you look at my website for How To Cope Successfully With Stress and apply the many tips there.

I also recently came across an excellent herbal tea from the American company Celestial Seasons which has a combination of their great tasting Sleepytime tea to help you drop off, together with additional herbs for soothing sore throats.

It might just help if you have a cup of that before going to bed to both relax you and calm those inflamed airways that occur with snoring.

Natural Help for Sensitive Skin in Extreme Weather Conditions

There is no doubt that the extreme weather we have been suffering has created havocs in all areas of life, and you may think your skin is the least important part of it. However, your skin is the largest organ of elimination that you have and plummeting temperatures and icy winds can leave it dry, tight and over sensitive. Now, a new and innovative skincare company, Senzimi Skincare may just have the answer to help sensitive skin rebalance, and in an entirely natural way. The products are suitable for dry, inflamed, sensitive skin and scalp, including those with conditions such as rosacea and eczema and are dermatologically tested in Germany on real people with real skin conditions, not in an abstract laboratory setting.

There are many products for sensitive skin, but what exactly does that mean? There is no real agreement on what natural means so consumers are often left confused. Senzimi provide all the facts on their website in a clear, understandable format, and then let you draw your own conclusions. So whether you’re concerned about ingredients, preservatives and parabens, how ‘natural’ is defined and how products are manufactured and dermatologically and safety tested, you’ll find all the answers at www.senzimi-skincare.com.

The Senzimi range includes a daily moisturiser, cleanser, shampoo and conditioner for your skin and hair and products are formulated with ingredients including Jojoba oil and Rosehip oil and soothing Oat extract for soothing and calming inflamed skin. It also protects and refines, whilst a special blend of soothing and anti-irritating herbal extracts encourage skin rehydration. It also helps promote cell growth and boosts natural protection against UV damage and the appearance of age spots.

If your hair is also being dried out by winter winds and central heating then they also make a sulphate free shampoo and conditioner which clean and strengthen hair with a powerful blend of soothing herbal extracts to help protect and nourish the scalp plus Neem oil, traditionally used to help dry skin. If you can’t find it in the health store, go online to www.senzimi-skincare.com

The Benefits of Fish Oil in Avoiding Complications of Diabetes

There are 2.8 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and it’s estimated that there are a further 850,000 undiagnosed people with the condition. Unfortunately, there are many serious complications associated with diabetes including nerve damage, amputation, blindness or heart disease and new research currently being funded by leading health charity Diabetes UK aims to determine if regular doses of medication derived from fish oil could be used to improve this situation.

Keith McCormick at the University of Southampton is to conduct an 18-month clinical trial on 100 people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes to determine whether taking high-doses of purified n-3 long chain fatty acids can improve the function of nerves and small blood vessels in the feet of those with a higher chance of developing the condition.

This will be done by giving them a medication derived from fish oil found in Norwegian sardines (named OMACOR) but whether that is each individual sardine or their family name isn’t quite clear – at least to me. The object of the study is to use the data obtained to improve our knowledge of the link between nerve function and blood vessel damage.

People with diabetes are susceptible to develop serious health complications as previously described and this is as a result of neuropathy where the nerves and small blood vessels become damaged. Sensory neuropathy is the most common form and mainly affects the nerves in the feet and legs. The loss of sensation in these limbs can make people with diabetes vulnerable to foot wounds and these complications can develop even before diabetes is diagnosed.

Apparently those OMACOR sardines have already proved to be extremely successful in the treatment of high triglycerides (a type of fat) in the blood, so I sincerely hope there are plenty of such fish in the sea and they don’t fall fall foul of fishing quotas.

This is a valuable area to explore as diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today. It takes approximately 10 per cent of NHS spending, £9 million a year, and neuropathy and blood vessel damage are behind many of the complications of diabetes, which ultimately lead to 100 amputations each week in the UK.

Because Type 2 diabetes can go undetected for up to ten years, 50 per cent of people already have complications, such as neuropathy, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke, by the time they’re diagnosed. The research being funded at the University of Southampton therefore has the potential to identify a readily available treatment to prevent some of the serious complications of diabetes and protect those at risk.

If you would like more information on diabetes, then The Diabetes UK Careline offers information and support on any aspect of managing diabetes. The line is a low cost number (0845 120 2960) and opens Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. Recorded information on a number of diabetes-related topics is also available on this number 24 hours a day.

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