Celebrity Illness - Quote - 2min with Hippocrates - Your Health - Lifestyle Tip - Web Watch - Win It - Just for Fun

Pammy's Hepatitis C

Actress Pamela Anderson is probably America's best known celebrity with Hepatitis C. Pamela claims to have caught it from sharing a tattoo needle with her husband at the time, Tommy Lee. Pamela has been quoted as saying "I think I've got a good 10 years left in me, which is sad, too. Maybe 15, if I'm lucky". Unfortunately this may be true, but only time will tell.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) it is the most common chronic blood infection in the United States, with nearly 2% of the population infected.

People who become infected with the Hepatitis virus have a 20-25% chance of getting rid of the virus, but usually it becomes a long lasting (chronic) illness. Many people are not aware of their infection because they don’t feel ill. Chronic carriers can infect others and are at risk of fatal liver disease during the first two or more decades following initial infection.

The hepatitis virus is most easily transmitted when blood from an infected person enters the blood stream of another. This can happen from sharing injecting needles, tattooing or body piercing, getting a blood transfusion from someone with the disease, or being born to an infected mother. It can be transmitted by sex although the risk is thought to be low, but increases if blood contact is involved.

What are the symptoms? Many people experience very few symptoms, while others experience mild flu-like symptoms, including nausea, fatigue, fever, headaches, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and muscle or joint pain. Some individuals report more severe flu-like symptoms, as well as jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) and dark urine.

Over long periods of time (years to even decades) people with chronic hepatitis C may develop various symptoms related to liver damage. This is why a blood test is important if you have put yourself at risk of hepatitis C. There are antiviral drugs which can clear the virus, but they only work half the time at best.

 Quote

"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come."

-- Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons

 2min with Hippocrates

Back Pain

Back pain is the second most common pain after headaches. It can occur for no apparent reason and at any point on your spine, but the most common place is in the lower back that bears the most weight and stress.

There are many factors which can contribute to lower back pain, including poor muscle tone, excess weight — especially around your middle — and improper or heavy lifting. In addition, poor posture and sitting or standing in one position for a long time puts extra stress on your back.

Although back pain is common there are many ways to prevent it with simple steps such as exercise and adopting new ways to sit and stand. Even if you've previously injured your back there are ways to help avoid recurrent injuries.

We can't go into all the details now, but try learning safe ways to lift heavy objects, watch your weight and consider exercises like Yoga or Pilates to strengthen muscles which support the back..

When should you seek medical advice? Although it may take several weeks before back pain completely disappears, if you don't feel some improvement within the first 72 hours of self-care, see your doctor.

In rare cases, back pain can signal a serious medical problem. See a doctor immediately if your back pain:

• Occurs with a fever of 100.4 F for more than 48 hours
• Feels constant or intense, especially at night
• Spreads down one or both legs
• Causes weakness, numbness or tingling in one or both legs
• Interferes with bladder and bowel control
• Is associated with abdominal pain or pulsation (throbbing)
  

See your doctor if:

• You feel back pain after an injury
• You feel back pain now and have a history of back pain or cancer
• Your back pain has lasted more than 6 weeks
• You have back pain and are older than age 50
• You feel back pain and have lost more than 10 pounds within 6 months

 Your Health

Catching Colds Under the Mistletoe

Did you know that kissing isn’t necessarily a sure fire way of spreading a cold? One of the most common cold viruses, the rhinovirus, does not survive well in saliva. Cold viruses generally enter the body either through the nose or the eyes, rather than the mouth.

What about playing in the snow, is that risky? The old saying, "you can catch a cold from being cold" tends to stretch the truth. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, many studies show that weather conditions or getting chilled or overheated does not affect either the development or severity of colds. However, cold weather often promotes drying of the nasal membranes, which makes them more vulnerable to infection.

Here are some other tips for avoiding colds:
• Wash your hands frequently, especially when you’ve been in public areas or around someone who has a cold.
• Don’t touch your nose or eyes (this may transmit respiratory secretions picked up from surfaces or the air to vulnerable tissues).
• When possible, avoid people who have a cold until the fifth day of the infection, when they should be less infectious.

 Lifestyle Tip

Easy Tips on How to Survive the Holiday Food Frenzy

• Focus on talking more to party guests and eating less.
• Avoid hanging around the buffet table at social gatherings.
• Avoid high fat hors d'oeuvres such as cheese, nuts, saucy tidbits and fried anything. Instead, nibble on the veggies or chew gum and talk a lot.
• Make yourself the designated driver at least half of the time. This will help you avoid calorie-laden alcoholic beverages.
• Hang out under the mistletoe, kissing burns extra calories ;-)
• Instead of wine or mixed drinks, try soda water with lime and towards the end of the event, reward yourself for your good behavior with a glass of wine or your favorite drink.
• Plan holiday activities around things other than food such as an ice-skating party followed by hot spiced apple cider; a sightseeing trip (preferably walking) to view the colorful decorations and lights in your neighborhood or town; a walking window-shopping expedition at your favorite mall; a trip to the woods to chop down your own tree; a tree-trimming party where everyone brings their favorite low-cal treat; a gift gathering and wrapping party; and a caroling party house to house (or floor to floor).
• Continue your workout schedule but ease off a bit to allow for the extra time holiday commitments take. You don't want to stress yourself out or quit exercising completely!

 Web Watch

FILMINK Magazine– Australia's premier movie magazine. Our lucky November prize winners each received the latest issue of FILMINK in their Australian movie pack, featuring Russell Crowe and Peter Weir.

How Stuff Works– This is a great site for finding out, um well, how stuff works. Click the link to find out some facts about Christmas.

 Win It!

Announcing our YDzine November winnners!

Congratulations Becky in Colorado, Kellye in Texas, David in the UK, Adele from ACT and Renae from Qld. You have each won an Aussie movie pack which includes:

• FILMINK magazine featuring Russell Crowe and Peter Weir on Master & Commander
• Blurred original motion picture soundtrack featuring Grinspoon, Spiderbait, The Cruel Sea and Machine Gun Fellatio
• The Night We Called it a Day - movie poster
• One Perfect Day - Exclusive unreleased Paul van Dyk epic dance mix

COMPETITION*

Taste Temptations! Win an Australian Christmas stocking.

Tell us in 50 words or less what you like about YourDiagnosis and you could be one of five lucky winners..

Email entries to editor@yourdiagnosis.com

Don't forget the YDzine members offer!

5th timers get one FREE. Every YDzine reader who registers during our first year will automatically receive a complimentary YD session on completion of their fifth session. This means 5 sessions gets one FREE (offer valid to October 2004).

Congratulations to our lucky members who won a free session this month!

*Terms and conditions apply. Entries close December 15.

 Just for Fun

A woman went to the hospital. After about 15 minutes with one of the new doctors, she went screaming down the hall. Another doctor stopped and asked her what the problem was and she explained.

The second doctor went back to the first and said, "What's the matter with you? Mrs. Terry is 63 years old. She has four grown children and seven grandchildren and you told her she was pregnant?"

The new doctor simply smiled and said, "Cured her hiccups though, didn't it?"

 Hot Dates

• Christmas Day: December 25
• Chanukkah: December 20-27

Chanukkah is probably one of the best known Jewish holidays.
Learn more about Chanukkah (also spelt Hanukkah)

• New Year's Eve: December 31

Calender facts: The calender we use is called the Gregorian calender adopted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. An average calendar year is still about 26 seconds longer than the Earth's orbital period. It would take 3,323 years for our calender to be out by 1 whole day.

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