Head Injury and Concussion - How to Tell If It's Serious and When to Go to the Er!

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Most of us have visited the local emergency branch for one thing or another. Whether bringing your elderly neighbor to the Er after a fall, or having your child evaluated after a hard hit on the football field, you'll probably visit the local urgent care or emergency branch at least twice in your life. Periodically in the news we hear of renowned persons dying after a head injury. As a corollary of the media hype, my Er along all of the others in the United States see an immediate spike in emergency room visits for minor head trauma from fearful patients. That's ok with me, as part of my job is to give you peace of mind as well as to tell you that your not going to die from that wee bump on your head.

But when a head injury occurs, when should you go to the Er and what should you expect? How do you know if its genuinely a "serious" head injury? everyone knows that Ers are high-priced and crowded, and sometimes the wait to be seen can be 4-6 hours. No one wants to waste time and money, but if your child falls and bangs his head on the coffee table, and you see a growing purple lump on his head, what else are you going to do? Does he need to go to the Er for a X-rays or Cat Scan? Here are some points to think when deciding Whether you need to rush to the Er or not.

Is there a laceration? If there is any wound on the face, you should go. This goes for lacerations as well as periorbital trauma (trauma to the eye sockets) and nasal or oral trauma. Scalp lacerations smaller than 3mm can usually be managed at home if there isn't essential bleeding.

Lung Cancer Definition:Head Injury and Concussion - How to Tell If It's Serious and When to Go to the Er!

What was the mechanism of injury? The vast majority of head injuries come from falls where the head strikes the ground, table or some other inanimate object. Don't let this changeable dictate Whether you go to the Er or not. The height of the fall, or speed of object astonishing a person, is not a reliable indicator of inherent basic injury. When in doubt, go see a doctor.

Is there a concussion or brain injury? This is the million dollar ask and the real purpose behind this article. While lacerations and moderate facial trauma may work on some cosmetic and functional outcome, a true brain injury or brain bleed, can cause death or a essential life long disability. So how can you tell if this is occurring? Let's begin with a simple definition of a concussion. A concussion is simply an injury that occurs to the brain from a blow to the head. The brain genuinely gets rattled colse to in the skull and can cause bruising of the brain, or worse, axonal shearing which can be concept of as your nerves genuinely being torn in half. Symptoms of concussion can range from mild dizziness and sick to severe vertigo and vomiting with confusion and inability to walk or remember events. Whether way, in most cases is a concussion is a condition in which the inpatient fully recovers with wee or no chronic effects. The tricky part in declaring that person has a concussion lies in the fact that there is no test for most mild to moderate concussions. No black and white labs or imaging that will tell you a person is concussed. It is strictly a clinical judgement by finding at the symptoms, and if the symptoms are severe enough, you must think and study the possibility of a more head serious injury.

A brain bleed on the other hand is an immediate medical emergency. Blood streams into the cranium putting pressure on the brain. The brain is then genuinely forced down into the foramen magnum, the hole where your spinal cord exits the skull. The corollary is that the cerebellum, the area of your brain responsible for spontaneous respiration and cardiac function, genuinely gets smashed through the foramen magnum, killing the patient. As expected, a inpatient with a brain bleed first experiences a severe sick and vomiting, then stiffness of the neck and other neurological symptoms similar to stroke, and ultimately death. If the inpatient doesn't have any essential symptoms after the first few "golden hours", chances are best that they have a simple concussion and not a bleed.

Do I need a Cat Scan? A lump on the scalp is like a bruise that swells underneath the scalp, but above the skullbones. It doesn't mean there is bleeding inside the cranium. But since bleeding inside the brain case can be so serious, we often fetch a computerized set of x-rays call a Ct Scan. The medical appropriate of care for Ct scans in head injuries is basically this: If the inpatient was knocked unconscious or there is a suspicion of an intracranial bleed or fracture, a Ct scan is necessary. So you can see there is some wiggle room for the personal judgment of the medical provider. Keep in mind though, studies show that while a single head Ct exam, a person's brain is exposed to the equivalent of up to 300 Xrays! When I order an Ct of the brain and skull, I have high suspicion of true injury (or high suspicion of liability I'm sorry to say!). With that in mind, if the inpatient doesn't have brain bleed symptoms, a Ct scan is not warranted as the exposure to high doses of radiation increases the chances of cancer and other complications.

So what's the bottom line? How do you know if you need to go to the Er? Look at the entire situation and make your decision. Basically, if there is nothing to fix like a laceration or broken bone, and the inpatient denies having a essential headache, and is walking and talking as usual, they probably don't have an intracranial bleed. If you're not sure however, go see the doctor! It's a judgement call on your part and no one will blame you for erring on the side of caution. You can never be too meticulous and as I said before, my role as a trauma Pa is not only to treat patients and prescribe medicines, but also to set your mind at ease that your going to be ok.

Lung Cancer Definition:Head Injury and Concussion - How to Tell If It's Serious and When to Go to the Er!

Brain Tumors in Dogs and Cats

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Though relatively uncommon, a brain tumor has always made a grim diagnosis for unfortunate animal that is diagnosed with one. Traditionally they were often assumed but seldom confirmed, but since Mri and Ct scanning has become more mainstream they can be diagnosed correctly. Here we discuss the different types of brain tumor that influence dogs and cats, the clinical investigations that can be performed, the treatments available and the likely outcomes.

Brain tumors seem to be more base in dogs than cats, and clear breeds are over represented such as Boxers, Golden Retrievers, Dobermans, Scottish Terriers and Old English Sheepdogs.

Primary vs Secondary

Lung Cancer Definition:Brain Tumors in Dogs and Cats

Brain tumors can be traditional or secondary (metastasis from other sites). traditional brain tumors are commonly solitary, the most base ones in the dog being gliomas and meningiomas. In cats, the most base type are meningiomas and these can occur at multiple locations.

Secondary tumors in dogs comprise extension of a nasal tumor, metastases from breast, lung or prostate cancer, hemangiosarcoma or extension of a pituitary gland tumor. Nerve sheath tumors and skull tumors have also been reported. Secondary tumors in cats comprise pituitary gland tumors, metastatic carcinomas, local extension of nasal tumors, skull tumors and middle ear cavity tumors.

What causes a brain tumor?

The cause of brain tumors is not known. Diet, environment, chemical, genetic, viral, immunologic and trauma have all been considered. In cats with meningiomas, because they often occur in very young animals, a genetic element is suspected.

Benign vs Malignant

The terms benign and malignant must be used with care when referring to brain tumors. commonly these terms apply to various characteristics on a cellular level, but on a biological level, even benign brain tumors can kill the animal due to the secondary effects like increased intracranial pressure or cerebral edema. In short, any brain tumor can kill.

What are the symptoms?

There can be huge variety here. Many animals will present with vague signs, such as one or any of the following:

1. Loss of trained habits

2. Decreased levels of activity

3. Decreased frequency of purring in cats

4. Disorientation

5. Blurring More specific symptoms are dependent upon where exactly the tumor is placed within the brain, the size of the tumor and how quickly it is growing. As a tumor enlarges, symptoms tend to become more severe. These can include:

6. Seizures (often indicate a tumor in the cerebral cortex)

7. Facial dullness (may indicate a brainstem tumor)

8. Tremors (may indicate a tumor in the cerebellum)

9. Wobbliness (may indicate a tumor in the cerebellum)

10. Full or partial blindness (may indicate tumor in hypothalamus or optic nerve)

11. Loss of smell (may indicate tumor of olfactory system)

The corporal nearnessy of the tumor can cause knock on effects due to inflammation and edema of the surrounding area. This can cause symptoms such as:

12. Changes in behaviour or temperament (irritability, lethargy)

13. Compulsive walking

14. Circling

15. Pressing head against a wall or hard surface

Animals can sometimes carry brain tumors for any years before presenting to a veterinary clinic, if the tumor is slow growing. In these cases the symptoms manufacture gradually, and the owner tends to get used to them so that by the time the animal is examined, the tumor has reached a critical size.

How is a brain tumor diagnosed?

History and Clinical Examination

The first step for a veterinarian is to take a standard history of all of the clinical signs, and when they developed. This is followed by a full normal clinical exam and a full neurological examination.

Bloods

After that, blood should be taken for habit haematology and biochemistry profiles. This is to look for any disease surface the brain. Results will be normal for brain tumors, with the potential exception of some pituitary gland tumors.

Radiography

Plain skull radiographs (xrays) under normal anesthetic have dinky value in detecting a brain tumor, but they can be beneficial if there is a tumor in the nasal cavities or the middle ear which could expand into the skull. On rare occasions, they can identify bony changes in the skull which can accompany a brain tumor, or mineralization within the tumor itself. Radiographs and ultrasound of the chest and abdomen are beneficial to look for a tumor elsewhere in the body, in cases where the brain tumor is a secondary metastasis.

Mri and Ct Scans

Confirmation of a brain tumor can is commonly only achieved using the industrialized imaging techniques, Ct scans or Mri. Both of these have pros and cons when compared to one another. Ct is good for bony changes, while Mri is good for soft tissue definition, for the detection of many of the knock on effects of brain tumors such as edema, cysts and bleeding. Mri is the beloved option for diagnosing traditional brain tumors.

Biopsy

This is the only way to definitively diagnose a brain tumor. The industrialized imaging techniques above offer much information, but they can occasionally confuse a tumor with a non cancerous mass or a cyst, and they also do not tell us the exact type of tumor present, and therefore the standard treatment and prognosis. The best type of biopsy is the Ct guided stereotactic brain biopsy system, which is rapid, exact and quite safe. Since exploratory surgery is high risk, it is not commonly attempted unless there is a reasonable chance of removing the whole tumor with minimal collateral damage. Many brain tumors in cats and dogs are not categorized on a cellular level until post mortem.

Cerebrospinal Fluid (Csf) Analysis

Csf diagnosis is beneficial for ruling out inflammatory causes of the symptoms, but tumor cells are rarely identified here. Increased levels of white blood cells and increased protein levels may be present in the Csf with many brain tumors, though this is not diagnostic. This test can be high risk when intracranial pressure is increased, as brain herniation can occur.

Treatment

Treatment is aimed at being whether healing or palliative. healing treatment eradicates the tumor or reduces its size, whilst palliative therapy reduces the surrounding cerebral edema and slows down the increase of the tumor. Palliative therapy also involves administering antiepileptic drugs, if seizures are occurring as a supervene of the tumor.

Surgery

Whether this is an option depends on the normal health of the animal, and the exact location, size, extent, invasiveness and nature of the tumor. Tumors such as meningiomas in cats can be removed successfully by surgery. However, surgery to take off tumors in clear locations such as the brainstem can be extremely dangerous, perhaps resulting in death. Even partial discharge can advantage the animal though, particularly if the tumor is slow growing.

Radiotherapy

This is probably the most widely used form of treatment for brain tumors. Radiation therapy can be used alone or in combination with other treatments. It is also beneficial in the treatment of secondary brain tumors. The aim is to destroy the tumor without harming the normal tissue too much.

Chemotherapy

The main problem with chemotherapy for brain tumors is that many drugs do not cross the blood brain barrier. In addition, the tumor may only be sensitive to high doses, doses which are toxic to normal brain tissue and therefore unsuitable for use. However, any drugs have been used for this purpose that can cross the blood brain wall with reported success, together with cytosine arabinoside, lomustine and carmustine.

Probable Outcome

Studies of animals that receive palliative treatment (corticosteroids) for brain tumors show a survival range post diagnosis of 64 to 307 days. This demonstrates the inability to accurately predict life expectancy in these cases. What is clear is that the survival times significantly increase with surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Radiation therapy seems to offer the best results, alone or in combination with other treatments. Generally, the more severe the symptoms, the shorter the life expectancy.

Lung Cancer Definition:Brain Tumors in Dogs and Cats

The Truth About Stage 4 Cancer Life Expectancy

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There's no doubt that stage 4 cancer is one of the most horrible things that can happen to anyone, however, there have been contradictory articles regarding the life expectancy of a cancer at such an industrialized stage. As a result, this record has been written to spell out, for once and for all, the facts about this issue.

Before I begin, let's get one thing straight. Habitancy who are suffering from any type of stage 4 cancer have very low 5-year survival rates. This is unfortunately a fact of life as the human race has still not come up with a cure for cancer. Despite this, you should never lose hope as there have been Habitancy who survived a stage 4 cancer and lived to tell the tale. It is extremely recommended that you read their tales and draw force and inspiration from them.

I will now go through a brief prognosis of the life expectancy of 3 types of cancer.

Lung Cancer Definition:The Truth About Stage 4 Cancer Life Expectancy

Lung Cancer

Statistics show that Habitancy with stage 4 lung cancer have a 32% chance of living for one year while only 2% live longer than 5 years. This shouldn't be a cause for concern as that 2% means that there is still hope that you can enjoy many more years with your loved ones.

Colon Cancer

Unfortunately, there have been very few cases of Habitancy who have lived more than 5 years with stage 4 of this disease. However, with improvements in chemotherapy you can control the symptoms and prolong the life of a sufferer which could mean so much for them and their loved ones.

Bone Cancer

The good news about stage 4 bone cancer is that the 5-year survival rate is in the middle of 19 and 49 percent. That may seem encouraging but keep in mind that it depends on either the cancer is benign or malignant.

Don't ever forget that your chances of beating cancer or expanding stage 4 cancer life expectancy is strongly dependent on your determination and attitude throughout.

Lung Cancer Definition:The Truth About Stage 4 Cancer Life Expectancy

So You Have Smoked for Years - Why Quit Cold Turkey Now?

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Many will say they have smoked for years so what is the point in quitting now?

If you quit smoking now, you will in fact add years to your life, breathe more de facto and have more energy. You'll have extra money for spending or saving, and food will absolutely taste better. Either you are young or old, you'll also enjoy all of these added benefits:

- less chance of cancer, heart assault and lung disease

Lung Cancer Definition:So You Have Smoked for Years - Why Quit Cold Turkey Now?

- great blood circulation

- no odor of smoke in your clothes and hair

- great sense of taste

- more sensitive sense of smell

If you happen to have asthma, smoking worsens the inflammation and raises the chances not only for asthma attacks, but also amelioration of other conditions such as emphysema, lasting bronchitis, lung cancer, heart attack, stroke and other cancers such as cancer of the esophagus, bladder and throat.

Cigarette smoke damages your lungs and airways. Air passages swell and, over time, you will have more and more issue clearing mucus from your airways. This can cause a cough that won't go away. If you keep smoking, normal breathing may come to be harder and harder as emphysema develops.

Smoking brings an early death to more than 400,000 habitancy in the U.S. Every year.

There is no safe level of smoking or a safe type of cigarettes. It is never too late to quit smoking but every day you keep smoking takes days off of your life. Don't believe me? Discuss it with your doctor: some habitancy quit smoking simply after discussing it with their doctor. Discussing the curative risks of smoking, the significance of quitting and the benefits to your health may lead you to quit smoking. For most people, quitting 'cold turkey' takes some attempts.

Simple things to do that will help you:

- prepare to quit smoking

- Learn strategies and skills to quit and remain tobacco-free

- Have the chance to share your experiences with others

Free nicotine replacement therapy, including patches, gum, or lozenges, may be available for free based on eligibility in your local clinic, call to check.

Quit Now Cold Turkey and Do Not Look Back!

- Set a date to quit.

- Throw away all your cigarettes and ashtrays.

- Stay away from other smokers.

- Tell your family and friends that you are quitting and ask for their help.

- See your physician to keep track of your improve and get help if you are having issue or gaining weight.

- Stick with your plan.

- If at first you don't succeed, then try and try again. Some habitancy need to start over 3 or 4 times before they ultimately quit.

Lung Cancer Definition:So You Have Smoked for Years - Why Quit Cold Turkey Now?

Menopause - Is Ert Right For You?

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"Is estrogen replacement therapy right for me?" This ask has resounded a million times among women undergoing menopause. The rigors of this event that occurs in every woman's life can be so fabulous that nearly each one might right on put up a plea for help. And fast!

There are many ways to deal with the symptoms of menopause but estrogen replacement therapy is considered to be one of the most effective treatments there is. The issue whether estrogen replacement therapy or Ert is the right policy of treatment for dealing with the symptoms of menopause remains unclear. With all the controversy surrounding Ert, most doctors and patients alike seem to shy away from it.

There is no doubt that Ert can effectively address hot flashes and vaginal dryness as well as preclude the onset of osteoporosis. However, some studies indicated that it may likewise increase the risk of developing breast and uterus cancer. Some studies even indicated that women under Ert are more likely to suffer more from blood clotting, stroke and heart diseases. However, there are still no conclusive studies at gift with regard to these observations. So, the issue with regard to the security of Ert remains to be proven.

Lung Cancer Definition:Menopause - Is Ert Right For You?

The symptoms of menopause can right on take their toll on your bodily and psychological well-being and you might need help in dealing with all these. So, how do you know if Ert is right for you?

Understanding Ert

First, you must understand that hormones are not for everyone. Clearly, Ert is contraindicated for women with cancer of the breast, ovary or uterus since it can aggravate these conditions. Neither is it advisable for women with inescapable health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, gallstones, gallbladder disease, large uterine fibroids and clots in the legs, pelvis and/or lungs.

How is Ert administered?

When it comes to the actual supervision of the therapy, you can select from a wide range of ready options. It can be administered via local or topical therapy using creams and patches or through the supervision of systemic hormones.

Presently, however, most doctors avoid prescribing systemic hormones to their patients. They are beginning to favor the use of creams and patches since it was observed that the estrogen in estrogen-only patches goes directly into the bloodstream and reduces the risks of blood clots and elevated cholesterol levels. These preparations also release hormones continuously thereby allowing them to operate the symptoms more effectively.

In expanding to estrogen, you might also need to be put on a progestin therapy. This is especially true for women who still have their uterus intact. Progestin pills should be taken every two to six months to minimize the chances of developing uterine cancer.

If you are planning to undergo Ert, most doctors agree that patients should be given the lowest potential dose that can effectively operate the symptoms. Her doctor then reassesses the patient's health after six weeks of treatment. If the symptoms were successfully controlled, the dosage will be added reduced but if the symptoms return, an increase in the dosage will be effected.

How long do you need to be under Ert?

Most experts agree that women should be under Ert for a duration of 18 to 24 months. After this period, the inpatient should go off the treatment to see whether the symptoms will resurface. If the symptoms do return and you find them intolerable, you can conclude whether or not to go back to the treatment.

There are varied ways to counter the symptoms of menopause and Ert, no matter how effective it may be, is just one of them. It no ifs ands or buts is up to you to know what is good for you and your body in this transition duration called menopause.

Lung Cancer Definition:Menopause - Is Ert Right For You?

I'm Too Young to Have Breast Cancer, Aren't I?

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The American Cancer society estimated that in 2008, 182,460 females in America will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Roughly 10,000 of these females will be under age 40, and 23,000 under age 45. The incidence for females under 20 is even fewer. Young women are absolutely not immune from this disease.

For females ages 15-39, breast cancer accounts for 26% of all cancer, and in the 35-39 year old age group, it accounts for 39% of all cancer. And it's the important cause of death in young women between the ages of 15 and 54. These statistics sound scary. But before you panic, let's take a closer look.

To make this simple, let's say we have 100 females in our 15-39 year-old age group. Every one of these 100 female has some type of cancer (pancreatic, lung, leukemia, etc.). Out of these 100 females with cancer, 26 of them will have breast cancer. The remaining 74 females will have some other type of cancer. Out of those 26 females, 10 of them (39%) will be between 35-39 years old. The remaining 16 females will be 15-34 years old.

Lung Cancer Definition:I'm Too Young to Have Breast Cancer, Aren't I?

So, although breast cancer is the main cause of death for females between the ages of 15 and 54, the younger you are, the less likely you are to invent it. In fact, if you are younger than 19 years old, your chances are an very slim 0.00025%.  In other words, out of 100,000 females under 19, 25 of them will invent breast cancer. This is agreeing to the National Cancer Institute.

When a young woman is diagnosed, her concerns tend to be different than the issues and concerns facing older women. In a younger woman, the cancer is more likely to be very aggressive, more developed and have a lower survival rate (see my article You Don't Have to Have a Lump to Have Breast Cancer).

Body image is more of an issue. Should she have reconstructive surgery or not? How will she pay for it if she doesn't have insurance? Cancer treatment can mean time out of work. How will she survive without an income? If she's planning a family, what is chemotherapy going to do to her fertility? What if she does get pregnant? What if she's pushed into early menopause by chemotherapy? That's a question if she wants children. Early menopause may also raise the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease, which are typically seen in older post-menopausal women.

Is there anything a young woman can do to prevent breast cancer? As with older women, risk factors settle if the odds are stacked for or against you. The more risk factors, the higher the chances of getting breast cancer. Some risk factors, like genetics or gender, can't be changed. Other risk factors, such as entertaining the so-called "meat-sweet" Western diet (high fat, meat, sugar, milk, bread, dessert), lack of corporal performance and obesity, are changeable. Exercise alone has been shown to decrease risk 30-40% for median and overweight women! Eating a diet high in soy foods has been shown to decrease risk in premenopausal women, together with teenagers. So, naturally taking care of your body will go a long way to minimizing your risk of breast cancer.

Yes, young women, together with teens, can invent breast cancer. But, the odds are low. The best advice to minimize your risk is to live a healthy lifestyle. Eat right, don't do drugs, don't smoke, don't drink, Exercise regularly, and keep your body fit.  Pay attentiveness to your body, so you will identify any changes. And, if something seems suspicious, see your doctor right away.

Lung Cancer Definition:I'm Too Young to Have Breast Cancer, Aren't I?

What Are the Symptoms of Stress?

Lung Cancer Definition:

Many habitancy seem to think about stress as something that is mental. However, there are many distinct bodily stress symptoms that occur. There are a variety of things that can cause stress to occur, and the body has a natural reaction to them, which is stress. The "fight or flight" response of the body is ordinarily what causes the symptoms of stress to occur. This occurs because it is not designed to be used for a long time period. If you are able to understand these stress symptoms, you will find it easier to find the fast stress relief that you positively want.

Behavioural Stress Symptoms

First of all, you'll find that there are a variety of distinct behavioural stress symptoms that can occur when you are dealing with stress on a quarterly basis. Some habitancy have to deal with overeating while others deal with a loss of their appetite. It can be difficult to make decisions, it's tough to concentrate, you may find yourself not finding things humorous and you may feel angrier all the time as well. Irritability can also be a behavioural symptom, as can having more emotion than usual, crying at small things, and feeling paranoid. Other symptoms of this type can consist of problems coping with life, nail biting, job jumping, and feeling fatigued even after sleeping. If you are dealing with any of these problems in your own life, it is right on a good idea to reconsider finding methods of natural stress relief that will furnish you with some relief.

Lung Cancer Definition:What Are the Symptoms of Stress?

Physical Stress Symptoms

There are also a variety of bodily stress symptoms that can occur when you are dealing with a lot of stress. Some habitancy deal with palpitations in their chest or even complain of chest pain. Indigestion commonly occurs, as does heartburn, nausea, and either diarrhoea or constipation. Many habitancy deal with headaches on a quarterly basis, stomach cramps, nervous tapping, shaking, or even muscle spasms and cramps. Problems with circulation, frequent colds, neck and back pain, hair loss, sweating, menstrual problems, and impotence can also be bodily signs that show you are dealing with a lot of stress.

Facts show that a large number of adults dealing with stress go straight through many harmful stress symptoms. The health effects of stress can be risky and more than ¾ of visits to the doctor are believed to be for complaints that are positively related to stress and anxiety. Six of the important causes of death nowadays are related to stress as well, which includes lung problems, suicide, heart disease, and cirrhosis of the liver, accidents, and cancer. For this reason, stress is not something that you should take lightly. You must find some methods of stress relief to help you lower stress levels and the symptoms that come along with stress.

Today there are many natural stress relief methods available. You do not have to rely on a pill that may have negative side effects. You can't afford to lose your health, so if you start noticing that you have got many of the stress symptoms, ensure that you get help and the relief you need to stay wholesome and happy in the future.

Lung Cancer Definition:What Are the Symptoms of Stress?

Why Quit - 10 Reasons To Quit Smoking

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There are many reasons any smoker should have a rethink and earnestly desire to kick the habit. Unfortunately there are too many people who are still in the dark and do not know exactly what they should do to quit. With numerous reasons why smokers need to quit smoking, they can keep themselves motivated and make the transition to a non-smoker status easier. With 10 reasons you should quit smoking, there is no whole of enjoyment or delight you may be deriving from cigarettes that should stop you from giving the habit up.

1. You will save a lot of money

Buying cigarettes drills holes in the pockets of smokers. Unfortunately this is not so undoubtedly observed because smokers find the money they spend to buy a stick of cigarette or a pack of cigarette does not influence their finances. However if the total whole spent on cigarettes and lighters is calculated at the end of the month, it could be staggering.

Lung Cancer Definition:Why Quit - 10 Reasons To Quit Smoking

2. There is the allowance of the risk of heart charge or stroke

Up to 20% of all deaths related to health problems in the United States have been related with smoking. Those who quit smoking will be doing themselves a whole lot of good by staying out of this list.

3. allowance of the risk of getting cancer

People who smoke are more vulnerable to separate types of cancerous increase like cancer of the cervix, cancer of the lungs, emphysema as well as other diseases that are related with the lungs.

4. You will have a best smell

Smokers smell horrible and even when they exertion to mask the smell of tobacco; the smell they give off is still quite offensive and nauseating. The honest conception of a non-smoker would get a smoker thinking if he or she resembles a skunk in anyway.

5. Wrinkles will sacrifice considerably

One of the 10 reasons you should quit smoking worthy of mention is that of the possibility of reducing wrinkles. The premature aging of the skin can occur as a effect of smoking and if you are who I think you are you would want to look younger.

6. Sleep better

In the study carried out by John Hopkins, it was revealed that smokers hardly get the rest their body deserves. This shouldn't be difficult to believe inspecting the fact that the nervous ideas is activated with nicotine article in the body.

7. Eliminates morning cough

Smokers are known to produce morning cough as a effect of their habit. This is so because their bodies react to the chemicals in the smoke of their cigarettes. You may not know it how irritating those early morning coughs of yours disturbs other people who have not woken yet.

8. You will be in best shape

There are some cardio activities that get affected with your smoking habit. Maximal oxygen can get reduced by smoking by up to 10% which means there is less food for the body cells.

9. Don't endanger the lives of others

The smoke from your cigarettes does not influence you alone but as many as are around when you smoke. Quitting smoking would mean you are also showing concern for other people's health.

10. Stay in fee of your life

If you are wondering why this should be mentioned as one of the 10 reasons you should quit smoking then seriously you need to think what you have been doing with yourself. Staying hooked to smoking when you know that it is doing you some damage shows you are not in fee of your life totally. Kicking the habit shows who the specialist is.

If you have been convinced to quit smoking,you will surely find these stop smoking tips useful.

Lung Cancer Definition:Why Quit - 10 Reasons To Quit Smoking

What Is Atrazine and Why Is It in the Water Supply?

Lung Cancer Definition:

When I decided to get the best rated water filter pitcher (1) I also decided that I wanted to know; literally know What may be in my water, that the filter can remove. I am a skeptic by nature and want to know if the stuff I am being protected from is a real issue and danger or just "marketing". Atrazine is next on my list and the filter comparison chart says that it is an agricultural pollutant.

To me that is a broad category, so I wanted to learn more - why is it used? what does it do? and what could it do to me?

Step one is to produce a better definition; so I went to google and asked it to define the word.

Lung Cancer Definition:What Is Atrazine and Why Is It in the Water Supply?

Some of the first things that jumped out at me were:

• a artificial mixture derived from triazine that is widely used as an agricultural herbicide; "atrazine is notion to cause cancer and is banned in some European countries (2)
• an herbicide widely used on a variety of crops, notably maize, sorghum and sugarcane, for the pre- and post-emergent control of broad-leaved weeds (3)

There were other notes from other sources, but these sources are both well respected and I felt good about beginning with them.

Then I found out at the Epa site it is in fact used for agricultural (corn, sugarcane, sorghum and other crops together with hay and winter wheat) and also for Non agricultural crops. Some of those uses are for golf courses (think turf), residential lawns, scenery maintenance, attractive trees, range land and forests; Christmas tree farms, and more.

So now I am reasoning wow, my neighbor that can not even get his trash out on the right day, could use this stuff And it is also used in wild places. My curiosity was literally up then and I wanted to know "how scary is this stuff?"

According to the Epa - Atrazine is one of the most heavily used herbicide in the United States. In 1990, over 64 million acres of cropland were treated with atrazine. This herbicide is used mainly in Indiana, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin.

It even exceeds the 3 parts per billion rule (in the water) in the following states where good monitoring is happening: Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York and Wisconsin.

I will be honest I was happy to see Idaho not on that list, but I know that does not mean I am safe or that it is not used here - remember even the neighbor may be able to use it on his lawn!

"Atrazine is an herbicide used to control broadleaf and grassy weeds. This pesticide is a white crystalline solid organic mixture that is ready in many forms as a dry flowable, flowable liquid, water dispersible granular liquid, and a wetable powder. Trade names for atrazine consist of aatrex and atratol, and atrazine is in the family of triazines." Ok the Big red flag to me in that, is the fact that it gets to be use many different names. One of the things I have learned in Going Green is that is always a red flag; and it is both an herbicide and a pesticide!

This herbicide like other herbicides and pesticides; is carried off in runoff in one of two ways: either attached to sediments (rocks, dirt) or dissolved (or on top of) run off water. So either water takes it directly to other water source or the soil leaches it into the groundwater.

Research shows that when it comes to atrazine the majority of it enters water during the first month after application and that neither sunlight or evaporation cut or affect it. Also it can enter surface water by the drift recipe - meaning if it is dropped on the crop or area and the wind is blowing, the wind carries the herbicide to other surfaces and that can consist of near by land or water.

Now still with the Epa details we know that there are practically 50,000 community drinking water systems in the United States. 40,000 are served by ground water and the other 10,000 are served by surface water. And currently (because they have to start somewhere) the main focus of the Epa are the surface water systems. That means that 80% of the systems are not being heavily studied for atrazine contamination. That is an area of concern when we know that 36% (3,600 of the 10,000 surface water systems) have been identified as places where there is both atrazine use and 200 of these have approached or exceeded the "safe" amounts in the community water supply. And monitoring shows that 8 of those 200, have yearly median readings that significantly exceed the "safe levels".

In fact despite the restrictions that are in place, atrazine has also contaminated ground water (remember that is where 80% of the community water supplies come from) and was in fact the second most frequently detected contaminate in the Epa's National Pesticide in Drinking Water Wells Survey. And atrazine is designed to kill other plants, not pests.

The next logical query was well what can it do to me? Studies have shown atrazine to be slightly to slowly toxic to humans and animals, especially aquatic life. Atrazine can be absorbed orally, straight through the skin, and inhaled. The symptoms mimic many other illnesses. They consist of abdominal pain; diarrhea; vomiting; and irritation to the eye, skin, and mucus membranes. Short-term exposure can ensue in congestion of heart, lungs, kidneys; low blood pressure; muscle spasms; weight loss; and damage to adrenal glands. A short-term exposure is defined as exposure above the Maximum Contaminant Level ( Mcl) for short periods of time. Long term exposure can ensue in weight loss; cardiovascular damage; retinal and some muscle degeneration; and cancer. A long-term exposure is defined as a lifetime exposure above the Mcl.

One thing that literally stuck out for me what that atrazine has been banned in Europe and even in Switzerland. Switzerland is the home of the manufacturer and despite the condition risks to both population and the environment they continue to make it and sell it to the United States where we continue to use it in large quantities.

So I am glad that my filter can remove this risky substance, it is not something I want in my water supply!

Lung Cancer Definition:What Is Atrazine and Why Is It in the Water Supply?