The High Tech Future For Battling Cancer

September 28, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized, breast cancer, cancer, disease, infection, medicine, microchip, pills — John @ 5:14 pm

I’m sure the majority of people have seen movies like Star Wars or other science fiction movies. I’m also sure anyone who has seen anything like that has been waiting for our time to develop some cool futuristic gadgets like little pills that turn into full meals if you spray water on them or heat them in the microwave. Now that would be really cool and very convenient if we had those sort of tools, but unfortunately our time has not reached that level of awesomeness… yet. However, we are getting close and what may be the closest thing to one of those movie gadgets is a microchip that can detect cancer and possibly other infectious diseases.

Imagine how this sort of technology could effect the way medicine is practiced. We could potentially be looking at a much more efficient way of locating cancers. We would be able to determine the placement, type, and severity of the cancer, much more quickly. This could lead to the early detection of many cancers that are fatal if not found very early. Who knows maybe we’ll be able to find a way to actually destroy the cancerous cells with the microchip, avoiding surgery all together.

However, there are some downsides. We could become so dependent on this sort of technology and expect it to do all the work for us. What if there is a malfunction, will we be able to detect the wrong diagnosis by the machine? Will we still be able to do other tests for cancer? Hopefully this technology only helps us and leads to a better understanding of how our bodies work.

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September 24, 2009

Breakthrough in HIV/AIDS Vaccine

Filed under: AIDS, Africa, HIV, Thailand, Uncategorized, cure, treatment, vaccine — John @ 5:51 pm

Well the battle against HIV/AIDS appears to be looking just a little bit better on our part. The newly designed AIDS vaccine seems to show some promise even if it is just a little bit. Trials of the AIDS vaccine were conducted in human patients in Thailand. The studies suggest that the vaccine helps protect against 30% of HIV/AIDS transmissions over a three year period.

Even though 30% doesn’t seem like an overly large percentage, image 30% of 15 million, 30 million, 6 billion. 30% is always better than 0%. Obviously this has been an amazing breakthrough in modern medicine. Maybe after these clinical trials, different methods of making this vaccine will help produce a better vaccine. Maybe in the next 10 year we will see a vaccine that will protect 50% of people that use it. Who knows maybe we’ll make a world changing discovery that leads to a vaccine that is 100% effective. A world free of HIV/AIDS.

The world has been waiting for this kind of a breakthrough. Many people have given generously to the cause, but many more will still be needed. Africa is worst hit by the HIV/AIDS virus. This is due to a lack of proper education and availability of effective birth control. These people need help, and we need to give it to them. They are human too. What if we were infected by a deadly, fatal disease. Without a cure, without proper treatment. Would we ask for help? You bet we would. Just because it doesn’t happen on this continent doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care.

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September 21, 2009

The Danger of Asthma

Filed under: Uncategorized, allergy, allergy asthma, asthma, breathing, cough, coughing, emphysema, lungs, respiratory — John @ 3:43 pm

In 2006 approximately 22.9 million Americans reported having an asthma attack. The reality is that asthma is very serious and can change the way a person lives. There are many misconceptions of asthma, like if you didn’t get it when you were a child then you’ll never get it. Well you couldn’t be more wrong. Asthma can present itself in almost anyone, at almost any age. In fact, the same study in 2006 showed that out of the 22.9 million Americans that reported having an asthma attack, 2.5 million of them were over the age of 65!

Furthermore, many people don’t realize what asthma really is. Most people that have heard of asthma know that it effects breathing, but what they don’t know is that asthma causes the tubes that allow air to travel in and out to become inflamed. That is why asthma can become so dangerous. Without treatment asthma can be life threatening however, fortunately for us there are many forms of treatment available. Most treatment methods feature an inhaler that is used when an asthma attack occurs.

For those that are wondering if they should be checked for asthma, some common symptoms include:

A wheezing sound when you breathe. This may only occur when you are suffering from a cold.

Cough. You may cough up mucus. The cough often comes back and it may last more than a week.

Shortness of breath. You may have difficulty breathing only now and then, or you may have problems quite often. It feels as if you can’t get enough air into your lungs.

Chest tightness. Your chest may feel tight in cold weather or during exercise. Chest tightness may be one of the first signs that your asthma is getting worse.

Although scientists do not know for sure what causes asthma they are aware of some things that can contribute to reoccurring asthma attacks or asthma in adults.

Smoking

Medications

Air Pollution

Allergies

Genetic

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September 3, 2009

Back To School For Swine Flu

Filed under: H1N1, Uncategorized, disease, influenza, mutation, seminal fluid, sick, swine flu, swine flu symptoms, tamiflu, virus — John @ 10:26 am

After the initial scare of H1N1, or Swine flu as it is more commonly known, we all breathed a sigh of relief. However, now with schools opening again, it may be time, once again, to start worrying, at least a little bit.

The virus survived over the entire length of the summer, with no signs that the heat even bothered it. With kids coming back to schools H1N1 might have just found its new breeding ground. Many schools are taking the initiative to prevent a Swine flu outbreak before it occurs, not trying to contain it after it spreads. Kudos to the school’s.

However, there is some potentially good, and bad news. I’ll start with the bad. If the virus mutates like some suspect it will, then many of our children, and even children across the globe, are in great danger come this fall. The good news is, if the disease doesn’t mutate which could be the outcome, then our kids may only face a minimal risk.

Studies suggest that the Swine flu virus may not need to mutate. In a test where both Swine flu and another virus were injected, Swine flu destroyed the other virus instead of merging with it. This could suggest that Swine flu feels superior and genetically does not need to mutate, at least not yet.

Here’s hoping that Swine flu will stay the way it is right now.

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September 1, 2009

Why Do We Yawn?

Filed under: Uncategorized, boredom, fatigue, lower brainstem damage, multiple sclerosis, oxygen, yawn, yawning — John @ 11:25 am

Why do we yawn? A relatively simple question, at least it appears to be. The only thing is that we don’t actually know for certain why we yawn. Though there are many speculations of why we yawn there is no hard evidence that really proves any theory right.

Many scientists do hypothesize that yawning is triggered by fatigue or simply being bored. The reason is because during these moments breathing is shallow and there is little oxygen being carried to the lungs. A yawn is used to bring a sudden, large intake of oxygen into your body, heightening alertness, increasing heart rate, expelling carbon dioxide in the lungs and bloodstream, and forcing oxygen to the brain. This restores normal breathing and ventilation to the lungs.

Scientists believe that the explanation of “contagious” yawning is simply due to the power of suggestion. However, there are still many things scientists do not understand about yawning. For example, scientists have no idea why those with lower brainstem damage or multiple sclerosis excessively yawn. Even more baffling is the question of why fetuses in the womb yawn. Why is this so baffling? Well if yawning has to do with intaking oxygen then why would a fetus that doesn’t use its lungs to intake oxygen need to yawn?

Still a simple question? Thought not. Perhaps not the most medically important thing to ever happen, but a very interesting question none the less, simply due to the fact that there really isn’t a lot known about something as seemingly simple as yawning. Something many of us do daily.

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September 28, 2009