Parsteiner Blog

Archive for November, 2009

Over the last twenty years survival rates for people with prostate cancer have been steadily climbing, largely due to better detection techniques and treatment. The chances of prostate cancer being treated successfully are also greatly increased if the cancer is diagnosed early, so it is important to know which symptoms to look out for. If it is left and spreads to the bone, then it often cannot be cured and at this stage treatment focuses on prolonging life and increasing life quality.

The following prostate cancer signs and symptoms can show that someone has the disease, but can also be caused by many other things. Having these symptoms does not mean someone has the disease. However it is always advisable to go to a GP or doctor if these symptoms occur to be on the safe side. Also, prostate cancer does not usually cause the following symptoms until it has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra, so very early prostate cancer has few symptoms.

Prostate cancer signs and symptoms:

Painful urination More frequent urination than usual (often during the night) Weak and irregular urine flow A feeling that after urination the bladder is not completely empty Blood in urine in some unusual cases

Prostate cancer can also cause:

Reduced sexual desire in some cases Painful ejaculation

Again, these symptoms do not mean someone has prostate cancer, but they are an indicator as to whether there is a possibility. A GP or doctor will be able to advise whether a scan is required.

Can genetics explain if you are allergic to some pollens or foods?

White blood cell patterns determined genetically and designated as HLA DQ and DR genes have been identified with an increased risk of pollen, dust, latex, and food allergies. The intriguing part of this story is that there is an advantage to knowing your HLA DR and DQ type when evaluating your risk for pollen allergies and their associated food allergies or cross reactions.

Genetics of Food Reactions and Allergies

As I explain in more detail in my articles on the genetics of gluten sensitivity, we all have proteins on the surface of our cells that are genetically determined. These patterns are easily detectable by testing cells from blood or from the mouth obtained by a Q-tip type swab. Specific patterns have been associated with increased risk for autoimmune conditions, gluten sensitivity and celiac disease.

HLA DQ Genetics and Celiac or Gluten Sensitivity

HLA DQ2 is present in more than 90% of people who have celiac disease while HLADQ8 is present in most of the rest, though not all people with celiac have been found to have DQ2 and/or DQ8.

DQ and DR Genetic Patterns Associated with Food and Pollen Allergies or Sensitivities?

Now it appears certain DQ or DR patterns are associated with food and pollen allergies as well. As the Food Doc, I continue to search the literature for more information about genetic links to food allergy and intolerance. My search has led to me to a couple of interesting articles in the unusual area of oral allergy syndrome (OAS). The relationship between seasonal and perennial nasal allergies and food allergies is certainly well established but not generally known by most doctors or patients. It appears that some of us need to avoid eating certain foods if we have hay fever or allergies, especially during the hay fever season. This problem also appears to be inherited.

Research Documents Genetic Association With Certain Food and Pollen Allergies

Boehncke, et al. from the University of Frankfurt reported in 1998 that certain white blood cell types known HLA class II genotypes or HLA DQ and DR genetic patterns were found more frequently in people with certain pollen associated food allergies. HLA-DQB1*0301 is present in more people with grass pollen allergy. Those with HLA-DRB1*08, an inherited white blood cell protein pattern linked with a grass pollen allergy, have six times the increased risk of peanut allergy. Those who have inherited the HLA-DRB1*12 white blood cell pattern are 13 times higher at risk for carrot allergy.

Tree Pollen Allergy to Birch Tree Pollen Appears to be Worst

Birch pollen associated hazel nut allergy is linked to HLA-DRB1*01, DQA1*0101, and DQB1*0501. Hazel nut, almond, walnut and apple are the most common food allergies associated with birch tree pollen. Allergies to those foods are commonly associated with birch tree pollen in other studies.

Weed Allergies Also Associated With Food Reactions

In 2004, Wang et al. from China published that the inherited white blood cell type DQA1*0302 is found in more people with Artemisia pollen-induced allergic rhinitis, hay fever due to Mugwort or Sagebrush weeds. Mugwort allergy is associated with several food allergies including apple, celery, hazelnut, pistachio, lettuce, almond, peanut, and carrots.

Where to Get Genetic Testing

There are three commercial labs that I am aware of that offer full HLA DQ typing. They are Quest Laboratories, The Laboratory at Bonfils in Denver, and Enterolab. Bonfils runs the Enterolab genetic tests. Enterolab offers the test run on samples of cells obtained from a Q-tip swab of the mouth. The test can be obtained directly from Enterolab without a doctor’s order though it is not covered by insurance. It however is very reasonable from a genetic testing standpoint at $149. Bonfils also does the DQ typing on cells obtained from blood samples sent to them from other labs.

The Future of Genetic Testing in Pollen and Food Allergies

In the future such testing should be very helpful in evaluating suspected food allergies, intolerance and pollen allergies. In the meantime those of us interested in this interesting story anxiously await more research findings in this exciting area. Dr. Fine, founder of Enterolab, has previously published the HLA DQ patterns associated with microscopic colitis. He has found that microscopic changes in the colon or large intestine are similar if not identical to what is seen in the small intestine in celiac disease. Several articles now document that a gluten free diet works in many people with microscopic, lymphocytic and collagenous colitis. It also helps many with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

A finding of intraepithelial lymphocytosis in the distal small intestine (terminal ileum) is associated with an increased incidence of celiac disease in the proximal small intestine. Now, adding to the intrigue, are these articles linking certain inherited white blood cell protein gene patterns to pollen allergy and food allergy cross reactions that are well recognized but rarely pursued clinically. Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS), also called the “burning mouth syndrome”, occurs in many people but frequently goes undiagnosed. Symptoms include burning, painful and/or itching sensation of mouth or throat with or without swelling that occurs almost immediately after eating certain foods. The foods causing these reactions are commonly associated with pollen, latex or dust allergies.

Unusual Association of Pollen Allergies and Mouth Burning or Food Reactions

This unusual association of tree, grass, and weed pollens, latex and house dust mite allergies to food reactions, though well documented in the medical literature, is not commonly recognized by doctors or patients. The OAS literature contains numerous reports of food allergy or intolerance reactions that are associated with specific pollen, dust, mold or latex allergies. One of the best examples is ragweed pollen allergy. It is associated with a higher risk of food allergy or intolerance to only a few foods. These include foods in the gourd family (cucumbers and melons) and bananas. On other the hand, Birch tree pollen allergy is associated with sensitivity to many foods. The list includes those foods in the Rosacea family (apples, pears), tree nut family (hazelnut, almond, walnut), potatoes, and carrots. Reactions include classic allergic reactions such as skin rashes (atopic dermatitis, hives), wheezing (asthma), runny nose (allergic rhinitis), as well as the burning mouth OAS symptoms and other food intolerance symptoms.

If You Suspect Food Allergy, Intolerance or Sensitivity Get Evaluated By an Expert

Individuals who suspect food allergy or intolerance are encouraged to review the food-pollen connection and undergo appropriate evaluations for food allergy, intolerance and sensitivity. Food sensitivity includes gluten sensitivity and cow’s milk (casein) protein sensitivity. Food intolerance includes lactose intolerance. Food allergies are separate and distinct from either food sensitivity or food intolerance.

Consider Getting Genetic Testing or Asking Your Doctor to Test You

This new information about the link of white blood cell protein patterns, HLA DQ types, suggests that we should consider having genetic testing done. After an adequate evaluation,

Establish a Baseline Symptom Score and Start a Food Symptom Diet Diary

I encourage everyone to establish a baseline symptom score. A detailed food symptom diary before a trial of elimination diet is also extremely helpful. An elimination diet that excludes major food lectins (dairy, grain, legumes, and nightshades) and any foods from the pollen list that one is allergic is recommended before accepting diagnoses of IBS, fibromyalgia, unexplained neuropathy or headaches, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Any symptoms not readily explained or improved with other diagnoses and treatment should be considered to be possibly due to a food reaction until proven otherwise.

Selected Bibliography

Boehncke, et al. Clin Exp Allergy. 1998 Apr;28 (4):434-41.

Fine KD et al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2000 Aug;95(8):1974-82.

Wang et al. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg Feb; 130(2): 192-197.

Introduction

Clinically Cialis could be ranked number one in terms of effective treatment for erectile dysfunction in men. Why so? That is because when it comes to clinical trial results and side effect analysis of ED drugs Cialis proves its effectiveness better than any other drugs in the same category.

Cialis – pluses

1. Cialis seems to be the best among all other oral treatment for male impotency.

2. Cialis Pharmacy changed the whole dynamics of the ED treatment market because of the magic component called Tadalafil. Tadalafil certainly was placed one notch higher than Sildenafil (component for Viagra). Ask those who buy Cialis! The reason is effectiveness of Cialis. Cialis helps men achieve erection within 30 minutes of intake of the medicine and also lasts much longer (up to 36 hours) than its other competitors.

3. Clinical trials developed on thousands of subjects revealed satisfactory results of 43% up to 86% in improving erections, even in patients with radical prostatectomy surgery or neurological diseases. Clinical trials also show that Cialis improved overall erectile function for men with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

4. Cialis has no food restrictions.

Cialis – minuses

On one hand Cialis has metamorphosed the ED market as far as ED drugs are concerned, however Sildenafil or Viagra still enjoys the loyalty of 22 million men worldwide and constitute important sales in 110 countries worldwide. So let’s quickly go through some of these aspects that would help drive awareness among the general users of Cialis.

1. Cialis has a limitation when it comes to combining dosage along with certain other class of drugs. Nitrates (used in treating chest angina) and alpha-blockers (used in treating prostate problems and high blood pressure) cannot be combined with Cialis or any other ED drugs for that matter. This might lead to a fall in the blood pressure to a danger mark that might risk life of the patient using these drugs.

2. Though Cialis has no food restrictions yet excessive alcohol consumption might affect the general health of the patient consuming Cialis, to the extent of lowering blood pressure and causing dizziness.

3. People who buy Cialis must be aware of the adverse side effects of the drug on the body like, headaches, indigestion, nasal congestion, muscle and back pain and facial flushing. There also have been reports of Priapism (a prolonged and painful erection) and vision disturbances, but the reporting has been very rare. This is one of the main reasons as to why you need to consult a doctor and consider a thorough medical check up before you go ahead and buy Cialis.

Conclusion

People tend to buy Cialis online because of cheap availability. A comparative study suggests 64% positive results in Viagra when compared to Cialis yielding 82% positive results in clinical trials of the respective ED drugs. This explains why men go scouting for buying cheap Cialis or generic Cialis when it comes to selection of ED drugs. But whatever you do always make sure you divulge all the necessary medical history to your physician before he or she goes ahead prescribing Cialis.

Conditions which affect the stomach, esophagus, bowel, colon, liver or pancreas are considered digestive system diseases and disorders. Many people wonder about nervous disorders that affect the digestive tract and conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress and emotional trauma may all aggravate symptoms, but it is unclear whether any of these cause digestive system diseases and disorders. In fact, in most digestive system diseases and disorders the causes are unclear. There are only theories about what the causes may be and what may worsen the conditions or aggravate symptoms.

There are many digestive system diseases and disorders. Some are very common and easily treated, while some are more serious, difficult to diagnose and difficult to treat. There are some nervous disorders that affect the digestive tract. These are sometimes classified as symptoms or related conditions and sometimes as possible causes of digestive system diseases and disorders, because in some cases it is unclear which came first, the digestive disorder or the nervous disorder.

The most common of the digestive system diseases and disorders is heartburn. Heartburn affects an estimated 25% of people in the United States on and other western countries on a monthly basis according to a study from the Mayo Clinic. In contrast only 11% of those living in Eastern Asian countries have heartburn once or more per month. Excess stomach acid is what causes heartburn, but stress and anxiety are nervous disorders that can affect the digestive tract and increase stomach acid. Heartburn is a symptom of another of the common digestive system diseases and disorders; acid reflux.

Acid reflux or gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms include heartburn, difficulty swallowing, regurgitation of stomach acid and/or food, hoarseness, coughing and irritation of the larynx, throat and/or esophagus. This is one of the digestive system diseases and disorders that can lead to more serious conditions if left untreated. For example, acid reflux or GERD is one of the major risk factors for esophageal cancer. As with heartburn, anxiety and stress are nervous disorders that affect the digestive tract and can aggravate acid reflux symptoms.

Ulcerative colitis is another of the digestive system diseases and disorders. This one can be very serious and when symptoms are severe may require surgery to remove diseased portions or the entire colon. Anxiety, stress, depression or emotional turmoil (all nervous disorders that can affect the digestive tract) are often experienced by people with ulcerative colitis and can worsen symptoms. It is an inflammatory bowel disease, similar to Crohn’s disease. Whereas irritable bowel syndrome is not considered an inflammatory disease, but because the names are similar, people sometimes get them confused.

Irritable Bowel System or IBS is one of the common digestive system diseases and disorders. Somewhere between 25 and 55 million Americans suffer from IBS and most of them are women. IBS is not life threatening and it does not lead to other more serious digestive system diseases and disorders, but it can still be hard to live with. IBS and nervous disorders that affect the digestive tract, such as stress and anxiety may cause a vicious circle in a person’s life. Meaning, IBS may make a person anxious about when he/she will have to find a bathroom and the anxiety can aggravate symptoms of IBS, which increases anxiety, etc.

These are only some of the many digestive system diseases and disorders and while nervous disorders that affect the digestive system are not believed to cause any of these conditions, it is possible that they may aggravate symptoms, particularly when it comes to stress and anxiety. Eating too fast, too much, on the go, in the car, in front of the TV or computer are all poor eating habits that are very common. When treating digestive system diseases and disorders like IBS, acid reflux and heartburn, doctors typically advise that these eating habits may worsen symptoms. It has been shown that by slowing down and reducing stress in one’s life, many of the symptoms of the most common digestive system diseases and disorders may be reduced or prevented entirely.

For more information about digestive system diseases and disorders, visit www.digestive-disorders-guide.com.

The numerous medical details behind the ailment commonly known as “Crohn’s Disease” are rather complex; especially to those of us who don’t have dozens of years of clinical training in our professional past. In the simplest terms, Crohn’s Disease results from an inflammation often located in the small intestine (a.k.a. “the ileum”). There is some strong evidence that suggests that this inflammation is caused by a virus. Though generally localized in the small intestine, this inflammation has the potential to adversely affect any area of the entire digestive tract. As a result, the bowels are constantly agitated and often compelled to empty, leading to diarrhea, discomfort, and pain.

Indeed, this is a very simple way of grasping the essence of Crohn’s Disease, and to truly understand the details, a great deal of medical study and experience is necessary. Yet with this being said, there’s one thing that can be concluded without hesitation; something that doesn’t take years to study or grasp. For the millions of people who suffer from Crohn’s Disease, their life is unfairly filled with pain, often constant discomfort, and a looming fear of being unable to control their bowel movements.

It’s fair to say – in fact, it’s an understatement to say – that people who suffer from Crohn’s Disease are forced to dramatically change their entire lifestyle. Some people – and this is not dramatic at all – have been forced to quit their jobs, or cancel vacations simply because of the tremendous stress that the disease places on a sufferers physical and emotional health.

Treatment Options

The US National Institute of Health (NIH) outlines the treatment “options” that Crohn’s Disease sufferers are often forced to choose from: drugs or surgery. The NIH also points out, very clearly, that according to them there is no cure for Crohn’s Disease. As a result, pharmaceutical and surgical treatment methods focus on symptom management; they do not and cannot cure the disease. At the very most, they can mitigate some of the pain and discomfort; though, naturally, with the introduction of side effects that can adversely affect other biological systems, including emotional health. Some of the side effects include:

Prostate disorders have become very common and are of much concern among the men population world over. Especially the men crossing the age of 40 are susceptible for the prostate disorders and the chances of prostate disorders are more among those crossed 50 years of age. Identification of prostate problems at an early stage is an important requirement to avoid severe effects of this malignancy. Men approaching 40s and 50s are advised to go for routine annual checkups for any of the occurrence of prostate disorders. DRE scanning and PSA testing are the usual tools for diagnosis.

Treatment is always risky. Laser treatment is a modern technique with the state of art technology and most modern sophisticated medical equipments are used in laser prostate treatment to treat the prostate related problems. This brand new facility is available in Jacksonville Mayo Clinic. Laser prostate treatment is a better option for the treatment of prostate disorders and better cure is assured with this new brand Laser prostate treatment, if patient is diagnosed with the problem sufficiently early.

“Men generally do not come to a doctor unless they carry symptoms… and lose years of valuable, potential treatment -because they wait until they’re really sick to come in” witnesses Dr. Gregory Broderick.

It is amply proved that, Dr. Gregory Broderick again and again confirmed it, the existing pharmaceutical treatments for prostate affect badly the functions of the sexual organs and most of the men having the prostate problems are eagerly looking for other options for cure. Laser prostate treatment comes as a God’s gift for those looking for better options.

Interstitial Laser Thermotherapy, the laser prostate treatment for the prostate patients in Jacksonville Mayo Clinic is performed by well known urologists in Mayo clinic Dr. Gregory Broderick and Dr. Todd Igel. The laser prostate treatment is conducted under anesthesia as an in-office procedure. Mayo clinic urologists use technically advanced laser equipment for the laser prostate treatment by inserting the equipment through the urethra. This can accurately locate the problem area and burn the excess prostate tissues.

Laser prostate treatment of Mayo Clinic also has the risks associated with it. The bleeding, which can be there for days to weeks, incontinence or impotence can also be experienced as the after effect of laser prostate treatment. But the probability of happening these contingencies are very less comparing with the usual surgical procedures. If the patient has been facing the severe symptoms of excessive bleeding and urinary retention, surgical procedures have to be adopted under anesthesia.

If you are looking for the medical services of the Mayo clinic, you can reach out to their central appointment office. The contact numbers are:

Jacksonville, Fla.: 904-953-2272.
Rochester, Minn.: 507-538-3270
Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz.: 800-446-2279

For more relevant information and for further details you can browse through the website mayoclinic.org.

Green Light Laser System provides a similar type of service and you can reach them through laserscope.com. Their procedure is known as Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate (PVP). PVP functions in a similar way as Mayo Clinic’s laser prostate treatment, Interstitial Laser Thermo therapy.

Among the people affected by Prostate problems, most of them are suffering from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and it is the most common problem, apart from prostate cancer. Laser prostate treatments are very effective for BPH, if it is diagnosed at an earlier stage. As far as prostate problems are considered an early detection and proper treatment holds the key for healthy life.