Med City Mayo Clinic Reports

Those suffering from insomnia are often willing to try all types of remedies including herbal treatments and the use of certain over the counter medications. One popular choice for use in an attempt to treat insomnia is antihistamines. But is this medication a good choice to treat persistent insomnia?

On the Mayo Clinic Web site, sleep specialist Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler says no. While antihistamines can help you fall asleep, they are not recommended for use over an extended period of time.

One reason is that tolerance to the effects of antihistamines that induce drowsiness can come on very quickly. The pills might help you fall asleep at first, but soon you will need to increase the dosage in order to achieve the same effects.

This danger exists no matter the source of antihistamines. Many do not realize that most over the counter sleeping pills contain antihistamines. Many who take such pills can attest to the fact that when they first started taking the pills, one or two would help them fall asleep. Before long, however, they were taking several pills just to be able to fall asleep.

That is why it is not recommended that you take antihistamines, in any form, to help you sleep for more than one or two nights in a row. Instead, you should look for other solutions besides taking antihistamines for insomnia.

If possible, try sticking to a strict daily schedule including going to bed and getting up at the same time each day. This will help to set your body’s clock to know when it is time to sleep.

Avoid drinking coffee and other drinks that contain caffeine. Also, exercise and a change in your diet to include more healthy choices can sometimes help with insomnia.

If you have a lot of stress in your life, that can also contribute to insomnia. If you are unable to manage your stress, you should consider seeing a therapist for some help.

If your insomnia is ongoing, it is important to see your doctor. He will be able to conduct a sleep study that may provide some insight into the causes of your insomnia.

While not necessarily something to panic about, insomnia can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition and should not be ignored. Also, the effects of not sleeping can be harmful to your overall good health.

So, yes, using products containing antihistamines for insomnia may be effective. Still, they should only be used occasionally, such as when traveling and never for more than a couple of nights in a row.

Of course, you should not take any medication without first consulting with your doctor. This is especially true if you have any type of medical condition or if you are already taking other prescription or over the counter medications on a regular basis.

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Exercise and fitness, in the form of moderate physical activity performed in midlife or later appears to be associated with a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment. A six month high intensity aerobic exercise program may improve cognitive function in individuals who already have the condition.

Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate state between normal thinking, learning and memory changes that happen over time and with dementia. Each year, tent to fifteen percent of individuals with mild cognitive impairment will develop dementia, compared to one to 2 percent of the general population.

Laura Baker, Ph.D, a professor at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, headed a research team that reported the results of a randomized, controlled clinical trial involving 33 adults, with mild cognitive impairment (16 men and 17 women, average age 70). Twenty three participants were randomly assigned to an aerobic group, and exercised at high intensity levels four days a week, 45 to 60 minutes for six month, under the supervision of a trainer.

A total of 29 participants completed the study. Overall, the patients in the high-intensity aerobic exercise group experienced improved cognitive function compared with those in the control group. These effects were more pronounced in women than in men, despite similar increases in fitness.

Dr. Baker concluded, “Aerobic exercise is a cost-effective practice that is associated with numerous physical benefits. The results of this study suggest that exercise also provides a cognitive benefit for some adults with mild cognitive impairment. Six months of a behavior intervention involving regular intervals of increased heart rate was sufficient to improve cognitive performances for an at-risk group without the cost and adverse effects associated with most pharmaceutical therapies.”

Dr. Yonas Geda and colleagues at Mayo Clinic in Rochester evaluated over 1,324 individuals without dementia who were part of the Mayo Clinic’s study of Aging. Participants completed a physical exercise questionnaire between 2006 and 2008. They were then assessed by an expert consensus panel, who classified each as having either normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment.

A total of 198 participants (median or midpoint age, 83 years) were determined to have mild cognitive impairment and 1,126 (median age 80) had normal cognition. Those who reported performing moderate exercise-such as brisk walking, aerobics, yoga, strength training or swimming-during midlife or late life were less likely to have mild cognitive impairment. Midlife moderate exercise was associated with 39 percent reduction in the odds of developing the condition, and moderate exercise in late life was associated with a 32 percent reduction. The findings were consistent among men and women.

Light exercise (such as bowling, slow dancing or golfing with a cart) or vigorous exercise (including jogging, skiing and racquetball) were not independently associated with reduced risk for mild cognitive impairment.

Physical exercise may protect against mild cognitive impairment via the production of nerve-protecting compounds, greater blood flow to the brain, improved development and survival of neurons and the decreased risk of heart and blood vessel diseases, the authors note. “A second possibility is that physical exercise may be a marker for a healthy lifestyle,” they wrote. “A subject who engages in regular physical exercise may also show the same type of discipline in dietary habits, accident prevention, adherence to preventive intervention, compliance with medical care and similar health-promoting behaviors.

5 Essential Tips to Reduce Your Risk

Prostate cancer prevention services have despite increased awareness, always struggled with the reluctance of men to talk about their health and to seek help.

However, there is a great deal that can be done to prevent Prostate Cancer and the following 5 tips can help to reduce your risk.

1) Accept Prostate Screening.

Prostate Screening has unfortunately suffered from a muted response in the UK.

However, recent research that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and which examined the potential impact of Prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening programme has led to calls from the Prostate Cancer Charity to establish a UK National screening Committee.

A major practical reason for this is sheer numbers – prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men in the UK – over 35,000 men are affected every year. It needs urgent attention and to be seen as a priority right now.

2) Ease off on the High Fat Foods

Research carried out by the Mayo Clinic in the US, has suggested that a diet high in saturated fats – an example being the animal fats found in red meat, may result in a higher possibility of prostate cancer.

3) Hit the Fruit & Vegetables

A link has been found between those diets high in fruits and vegetables and a lowering of various kinds of cancer.

Commit now to a healthy varied diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and significantly reduced saturated fats. It may be the difference that makes a real difference to your prostate health.

4) Favour Fish

It is advisable to maintain a regular intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

This good fat, which can be found in certain cold water fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel, seems to lower the odds of getting a range of cancers.

5) Enjoy the sunshine

Used sensibly, catching the sun can be of immense benefit. Research into men living in the sunniest states in the US, found a 32% lower prostate cancer risk.

The explanation appears to reside in Vitamin D, which we obtain from the sun. If you are worried about possible side effects to your skin then get your Vitamin D from Cod Liver oil instead.

Although, there is no foolproof way of reducing the risk, there is much that can be implemented to reduce the likelihood of prostate cancer. A little thought and attention to your diet, exercise regime and mood can be of enormous benefit in promoting good prostate health

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