Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Ten signs you're drinking a little too much: Here's how to know when enjoying the odd glass of wine slips into something harmful

  • A 'healthy tan' could be a mild sign of jaundice - signalling liver disease
  • Waking up with dry eyes is another sign, as alcohol dehydrates the body
  • Darker than usual urine means the liver is not working properly
  • If your teeth are yellow and sensitive, it could be erosion from alcohol  






  • Warnings this month say moderate middle-class drinking habits have become a 'silent killer'
    Warnings this month say moderate middle-class drinking habits have become a 'silent killer'
    Chances are that you consider yourself a moderate drinker. 
    Perhaps you enjoy the odd glass of wine after work, or have a few pints on Saturdays only and abstain for the rest of the week.
    And if you've been drinking a bit more than usual recently - well, 'tis the season, after all.
    But with warnings this month that moderate middle-class drinking habits have become a 'silent killer' - contributing to soaring numbers of deaths from liver disease - how do you know when your drinking has slipped into something more harmful? We ask the experts…
    NEEDING THE LOO AT NIGHT
    Waking up a few times in the night to go to the loo could be a sign you're drinking more alcohol than your body can handle, according to Rizwan Hamid, a consultant urological surgeon at London Urology Associates.
    We make something called anti- diuretic hormone to regulate the amount of urine in our bodies, he says. 
    This hormone tells the kidneys to make the urine more concentrated, so there is less volume produced.
    'At night we produce more of the hormone, which is why we don't need to go to the loo as much. But while alcohol is in your system, the production of this hormone is decreased, causing you to produce more urine.
    'If people drink regularly, they may accept waking up to go to the loo as normal, but if you are under 65 you shouldn't be getting up in the night at all,' says Mr Hamid. 'Even people over 65 shouldn't get up more than once.'
    EYES DRY WHEN YOU WAKE UP
    Drinking can make your eyes feel noticeably drier, says Rob Scott, a consultant ophthalmologist at BMI Priory Hospital Birmingham.

     

    Alcohol not only dehydrates the entire body, it can also end up in your tears, interfering with lubrication.
    'Your eyes become more sticky when you drink alcohol,' says Professor Scott.
    A 2012 study published in the journal Ophthalmology found people given a dose of pure alcohol based on their weight (around six units for a 10st person - roughly the equivalent of two pints of strong beer) had more dry patches on their eyes at 8 am the next day than those who didn't drink.
    So if you regularly wake up with dry eyes, check that your alcohol intake isn't to blame.
    CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT 6PM DRINK
    If the thought of a glass of wine is what gets you through a difficult day, it could be the first sign of a more serious problem, says Claudia Bernat, consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Hospital in London.
    She says people may think they don't have a problem because they don't have to drink there and then - 'but if you're spending time in the day thinking "When I get home I can have a drink" rather than "I can see my family", it could be a warning sign'.
    People use alcohol to self-medicate, particularly if they're depressed or anxious, says Dr Bernat. 
    'But alcohol is a depressant, so it can end up making things worse.
    'If you're self-medicating, it's too late. We need to try to recognise the point just before that happens. If you're thinking about what you will have to drink later, that could be a clue.'
    If the thought of a glass of wine is what gets you through a difficult day, it could be the first sign
    If the thought of a glass of wine is what gets you through a difficult day, it could be the first sign
    TUMMY TROUBLE
    Stomach problems such as diarrhoea could be a sign you're drinking more than you should, says David Sanders, professor of gastroenterology at Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield.
    'This may be because you don't absorb all the excess fluid you're drinking, and the result is watery stools,'  he says.
    And stools that don't flush away easily could be a sign your liver is struggling to cope, according to Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust charity.
    'If this happens on a regular basis, it could be an early warning sign that the liver is not breaking down fat properly because of the pressure of processing excess alcohol, he says. 
    'Likewise, if your urine is darker than normal and you know you're not dehydrated, it could be an early warning sign that your liver is not filtering out dead blood cells and other waste effectively.'
    'This can happen before serious liver disease sets in - but it could be a sign you're at risk.'
    GRUMPY AND FORGETFUL
    While a couple of drinks before bed may help you drop off to sleep, it causes fragmented sleep cycles that leave you more tired, according to Guy Meadows, clinical director of The Sleep School in London.
    'Alcohol becomes a stimulant when your body breaks it down,' he explains. 'It releases sugars and other substances that mean you wake up more. 
    'It also stops you getting into Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, the most active part of sleep, where we do most of our dreaming and which is really important for helping our brain process mood and for memory.
    'Not getting enough REM means you wake up feeling not only more tired but grumpy and forgetful.'
    SLEEPING BADLY
    Moderate drinking may also cause your brain to 'forget' how to sleep efficiently, to the extent that you miss out on the most restorative parts of sleep even on nights when you haven't had a drink.
    Moderate drinking may also cause your brain to 'forget' how to sleep efficiently
    Moderate drinking may also cause your brain to 'forget' how to sleep efficiently
    'We know that nearly 60 per cent of alcoholics suffer from insomnia - that's almost twice the national average,' says Dr Meadows. 'They get very little slow-wave sleep - the deepest part of sleep - as well as very little REM sleep.
    'Interestingly, this disturbed sleep pattern can remain a few years after they give up drinking altogether.' 
    Long-term heavy drinking and withdrawal both interfere with neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain that relay messages), including GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which calms brain activity.
    This could explain why moderate drinkers who give up alcohol for a few days find it makes no immediate difference to their sleep.
    'The brain has to learn how to sleep properly again,' says Dr Meadows. 'You should try giving up alcohol for a few months to really see the difference to your sleep.'
    CAN EASILY HOLD YOUR DRINK
    Being able to have a couple of drinks and not feel tipsy is often a sign that someone is drinking very regularly, says Sarah Jarvis, a GP and medical adviser to the Drink-Aware charity. 
    'This is because they've built up a tolerance to the short-term effects of alcohol.'
    We feel drunk because ethanol - the pure alcohol part of the drink - gets into the bloodstream rapidly and affects the central nervous system and brain, which is why our balance is impaired and we slur words.
    The body has to produce enzymes that break down the alcohol and remove it. But if you drink regularly, your body will produce larger amounts of these enzymes as your body 'learns' to work harder, so you will deal with the alcohol quicker, explains Dr Jarvis.
    'People believe if they tolerate the short-term effects, they're not at risk from the longer-term effects - but if anything they're at increased risk of liver damage.' 
    This is because it's not alcohol itself that damages liver cells, it's the toxins that alcohol is broken down into.
    Red wine stains tend to appear on the inside of your teeth
    Red wine stains tend to appear on the inside of your teeth
    NEED NEW FILLINGS
    Just because your teeth look fine when you smile in the mirror doesn't mean alcohol isn't leaving its mark. 
    'Red wine stains tend to appear on the inside of your teeth, closest to your tongue, and on the surfaces between teeth,' explains Dr Sameer Patel, clinical director of Elleven Dental in London.
    White wine and beer drinkers tend to suffer more with tooth-enamel erosion, he says. 
    Key signs of enamel loss are teeth that are yellowing and becoming more sensitive.
    If your son or daughter comes back from university needing fillings, it could be a sign they've been hitting the bar rather than the library.
    'I see a lot of young people, whose teeth have always been fine when they were living at home, who go away to university and suddenly get lots of problem with decay and erosion,' says Dr Patel.
    'I suspect it's because they end up drinking a lot of sugary, acidic mixers such as cola and energy drinks.'
    HAVING A 'HEALTHY TAN'
    'If someone says: "Oh you look well, have you been on holiday?" and you haven't, it could be that you've got a very mild form of jaundice - and this could be a sign of liver disease,' says Andrew Langford.
    Jaundice is caused by anything that leads to a build-up of the yellow waste product bilirubin.
    Over time, alcohol damages liver cells, and scar tissue forms as the liver tries to repair itself. This scar tissue means the liver stops being able to do its job of filtering toxins and waste products - including bilirubin - from the blood.
    'You should also check the whites of your eyes to see if they are yellowing,' says Mr Langford. This is where jaundice is often most noticeable in its early stages.
    TAKING TWO BOTTLES OF WINE TO A PARTY
    'Alcohol is like any drug - your body becomes dependent on it,' says Dr Sarah Jarvis. 'As your tolerance builds up, you'll need more and more to get the same hit.'
    Tell-tale signs your dependence on alcohol is creeping up include taking two bottles of wine to a party in case you run out, using bigger glasses and drinking more than the recommended maximum (3-4 units for men, 2-3 for women) most nights.


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2884202/Ten-signs-drinking-little-s-know-enjoying-odd-glass-wine-slips-harmful.html#ixzz3Mjj97SJP 
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    Monday, December 22, 2014

    Mother who STILL breastfeeds her three-year-old triplets says it gives them 'lovely quiet time with mummy'...and making them wait their turn develops competitive instinct

  • Davina Wright still breastfeeds her triplets Willow, Connor and Summer
  • The 45-year-old was doing 30-40 feeds a day when they were born but has since scaled back to just morning and night
  • She says breastfeeding is a chance for one-on-one time with her children
  • Ms Wright says she knows extended breast-feeding isn't seen as the norm but believes a mother and child should determine how long it goes for




  • They eat three full meals a day, drink from a cup, they've grown teeth and can walk and talk, but these three-year-old triplets are still breastfed by their mother once or twice a day. 
    Davina Wright, 45, has been breastfeeding her triplets - Willow, Connor and Summer - since they were born and will continue as long as she is physically capable. 
    Ms Wright, who lives in Hong Kong with her husband Jason, was doing 30-40 feeds a day when their two daughters and son were first born but has since scaled back to just morning and night.
    Scroll down for video 
    Davina Wright, 45, has been breastfeeding her triplets - Connor, Willow and Summer - since they were born and will continue as long as she is physically capable
    Davina Wright, 45, has been breastfeeding her triplets - Connor, Willow and Summer - since they were born and will continue as long as she is physically capable



    'They each have their own room and I go in to each of them individually and it is a lovely bit of one-on-one time,' Ms Wright told Daily Mail Australia.
    'At three years old they are basically just fed to sleep, not that they actually fall asleep, it's more like 'fed to calm/sleepy'. 
    'In reality it is only about 10-15 minutes of their day, their hectic, chaotic, loud, busy, competitive, triplet day, where they get to sit quietly by themselves with mummy.'
    Ms Wright also breastfeeds first thing in the morning and she says the three toddlers are highly competitive as they fuss over who has to wait to be nursed.
    'My kids walk and talk and eat solid food and drink from a cup and are independent and have a full set of teeth... all the things that people point out as reasons for weaning, but in actuality a child can do all these things and still be breastfed,' she said. 
    Ms Wright says her triplets eat solid food and have a full set of teeth but she still breastfeeds morning and night to spend one-on-one time with each of her children
    Ms Wright says her triplets eat solid food and have a full set of teeth but she still breastfeeds morning and night to spend one-on-one time with each of her children
    The three toddlers can be highly competitive as they fuss over who waits to be nursed, according to Ms Wright
    The three toddlers can be highly competitive as they fuss over who waits to be nursed, according to Ms Wright
    'I think the weaning down of feeds during the day was partly because we got so busy… there was play and stimulation and they just asked for it less.
    'I really only say no to them now... when we are out in public. I say that we will wait until we are home for that now, simply because I am aware of how many eyes are on us.'
    The Wrights, who lived in New Zealand when the triplets were born, tried several plans before finally working out how to breastfeed three hungry mouths and still manage to sleep. 
    'We finally settled on (Jason) sleeping in the nursery with the two girls and bottle feeding them my breast milk at night,' she said. 
    'I would sleep in our bedroom with the third one and breastfeed him. Then after every feed I would pump the breast milk, which became the next nights feeding for the girls.
    Davina and her husband Jason gave birth to triplets after two rounds of IVF when they lived in New Zealand
    Davina and her husband Jason gave birth to triplets after two rounds of IVF when they lived in New Zealand
    'As they got older they got much quicker at feeding and instead of 30-40 minutes, they would be done in 15-20, and then as they got older it still only takes 10 minutes.'
    Ms Wright, who has two adult daughters from her first marriage, breastfed them until they self-weaned at 13 months. 




    'I set myself the goal of two years with the triplets, not fully sure that we would get that far, and definitely not thinking we would still be going at three years old,' she said.
    'But they are still happy with it and I am still happy with it and it works for our family so we keep going.
    Ms Wright used to feed 30-40 times a day when the triplets were newborns. But she has since cut scaled back to just twice a day
    Ms Wright used to feed 30-40 times a day when the triplets were newborns. But she has since cut scaled back to just twice a day
    Ms Wright says a breastfeeding relationship is between a mother and child and they are the only people who should have a say in how long it continues
    Ms Wright says a breastfeeding relationship is between a mother and child and they are the only people who should have a say in how long it continues
    'It has been everything to their lives, it has slowly changed to being a very small part of their lives, and one day it will be a distant memory in their lives. 
    'A breastfeeding relationship is between a mother and child and they are the only people who should have a say in how long it continues. The beauty being that every mother gets to decide for herself.'
    'I know that extended, or natural-term breastfeeding isn't for everyone, and that is okay. I would say to people if it's not for you then don't do it, simple as that.'
     


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2882911/Mother-breastfeeds-three-year-old-triplets-says-gives-lovely-quiet-time-mummy-kids-highly-competitive-waiting-turn.html#ixzz3MdsX9Nn2 
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    Friday, December 19, 2014

    Is Ibuprofen the key to a longer life? Study finds it may provide 12 extra years of good health

  • Popular painkiller extended the life of yeast, worms and flies by 15 per cent
  • In human terms, this would equate to an extra 12 years of good quality life
  • Is still not clear how the drug slows down ageing, say the researchers




  • Popular painkiller extended the life of yeast, worms and flies by 15 per cent
  • In human terms, this would equate to an extra 12 years of good quality life
  • Is still not clear how the drug slows down ageing, say the researchers



  • Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
    To those with a headache, it already works miracles. But ibuprofen could also hold the key to a long and healthy life.
    In a series of experiments, the popular painkiller extended the life of yeast, worms and flies by around 15 per cent.
    What is more, the extra years were healthy ones.
    In human terms, this would equate to an extra 12 years of good quality life. Put another way, people would be in good health for longer. 
    Scroll down for video 
    The doses of ibuprofen used in the study were similar to those taken daily by millions of people to treat headaches, muscle pain, sprains and flu
    The doses of ibuprofen used in the study were similar to those taken daily by millions of people to treat headaches, muscle pain, sprains and flu
    The US researchers said: ‘There is a lot to be excited about.
    ‘Ibuprofen is a relatively safe drug found in most people’s medicine cabinets.’
    In one of the experiments, worms given ibuprofen throughout life were healthy for longer.
    Lead researcher, Dr Chong He, of the Buck Institute for Age Research in California, said: ‘Healthy worms tended to thrash a lot and treated worms thrashed much longer than would normally be expected.
    ‘As they aged, they also swallowed food much faster than expected.
    ‘Our preliminary data showed ibuprofen also extended their lifespan.’




    The doses used were similar to those taken daily by millions of people to treat headaches, muscle pain, sprains and flu.
    It is not clear exactly how the drug, which is sold under brand names such as Nurofen, slowed down ageing.
    But it appears to be something to do with it stopping cells taking up tryptophan, a compound found in eggs and chocolate and turkey.
    Researcher Dr Michael Polymenis, of Texas A&M University, said: ‘We think that a promising aspect of our study is that existing and fairly safe drugs, such as ibuprofen, are worth looking at further.
    ‘As a proof of principle, our study supports the idea that drugs in common use may have unexpected properties. 
    The popular painkiller extended the life of yeast, worms and flies by around 15 per cent. In human terms, this would equate to an extra 12 years of good quality life (file picture)
    The popular painkiller extended the life of yeast, worms and flies by around 15 per cent. In human terms, this would equate to an extra 12 years of good quality life (file picture)

    IBUPROFEN MAY KEEP SKIN CANCER AT BAY, TOO  

    An analysis of nine studies on ibuprofen, aspirin and similar painkillers found them to cut the odds of the second most common type of skin cancer by almost a fifth.
    Ibuprofen was more effective than aspirin at protecting against squamous cell carcinoma.
    It is thought it mops up a chemical that is made by skin in intense sunlight and can feed cancer.
    The research, from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia, is published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.  
    'We just need more research to examine and understand these properties.’
    He does not, however, anyone to start self-medicating themselves without speaking to their doctor.
    Although ibuprofen is thought of as a safe drug, it can cause indigestion and stomach ulcers.
    Higher doses taken long-term for conditions like arthritis can raise the risk of strokes and heart attacks and even reduce a woman’s fertility.
    The study, published in the journal PLoS Genetics, is not the first to suggest that ibuprofen, which costs as little as 2p a pill, could be a wonder drug.
    This summer, Newcastle University researchers used the painkiller to give ageing mice a new lease of life. 
     


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2879501/Ibuprofen-provide-12-extra-years-good-health-study-finds.html#ixzz3MMgqzKsn 
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