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High cholesterol symptoms: Six 'physical' signs in your feet warning of high levels - CDC

High cholesterol means you have too much cholesterol - a waxy substance produced inside the liver - in your arteries. Cholesterol is needed to build healthy cells but having too much of it can clog up your arteries. Unfortunately, symptoms do not typically arise until high cholesterol causes complications.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a manifestation of cholesterol build-up.

PAD in the legs or lower extremities is the narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs.

It is primarily caused by the buildup of fatty plaque, such as cholesterol, in the arteries, which is called atherosclerosis.

PAD can happen in any blood vessel, but it is more common in the legs than the arms. 

Reference: Daily Express: Adam Chapman

Milk's surprising benefit for painful arthritis symptoms, according to study

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common, degenerative joint disease that causes pain and swelling of joints in the hand, hips, or knee.

The condition is the most common form of arthritis.

In OA, the cartilage within a joint begins to break down and the underlying bone begins to change.

The condition is caused by the breakdown of cartilage, the rubbery material that eases the friction in the joints.

It can happen in any joint but usually affects the fingers, thumbs, spine, hips, knees, or big toes.

Certain foods and drinks are said to either help or hinder the condition - with milk being a surprising treatment option.

 

Getty Images/iStockphotoOsteoarthritis symptoms

Osteoarthritis affects both men and women.

“Before age 45, osteoarthritis is more common in men than in women,” explains the National Institute of Ageing.

“After age 45, osteoarthritis is more common in women. The knees are among the joints most commonly affected by osteoarthritis.”

Can milk help treat osteoarthritis?

Certain foods and drinks are said to either help or hinder the condition, with milk being a one that helps, according to research.

Reference: Mirror: Jessica Knibbs

My leukemia was picked up during a random blood test

Last October, I decided to get my mum a health and wellbeing MOT. She’s 85 and I wanted to check that everything was as it should be.  

It was just a precautionary measure and I decided that I would have one done at the same time. 

I’d been feeling tired for a couple of months prior to this and thought there would be no harm in checking if I might be deficient in something. I didn’t know at the time that those tests would save my life.

We got the results back shortly after. 

My mum’s were all fine. Mine, however, came back showing that my iron levels were off and my white blood cell count was low. 

We both just thought I had a bad case of anaemia! I was then sent to see a hematologist who did some extra tests. I was told that I’d get the results in a couple of weeks. 

When my phone ran at 8am the next morning, I knew something was wrong. 

he consultant told me that I had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and that I needed to be seen straight away. He was amazed I hadn’t had any major symptoms as it was so acute. 

I was in hospital for my first session of chemotherapy two days later. It lasted for a month and I had my own room since I couldn’t be near anyone as I was so at risk for infections. 

I felt terrified; it had all happened so fast. I was only 61 and, other than being tired of late, I was in good health. I’ve got two daughters, aged 25 and 26, who were both completely blindsided by this news.

They both live in London but after my diagnosis, they came back to Norfolk, where I live, to help look after me.  

 Provided by Metro Jackie and her daughters (Picture: Supplied)

The chemo was hard and I felt awful. My daughters were an amazing support, bringing me supplies to hospital throughout the process – for some reason, all I wanted was Hula Hoops! 

I lost my hair going through chemo, which was really tough – although, this was the least of my worries and all I cared about was getting into remission.  

After finishing, I was on an IV drip for antiviral and antifungal medicine for a few weeks over Christmas – so that I didn’t catch any infections, as my immune system had been completely wiped out by the chemo.

Then in January, I had to go back for more chemo, three times a week. I was so, so sick this time around. I was in a daze. I didn’t know what to expect. Physically I was OK, I just hated the constant barrage of blood tests and chemo.

I was pretty fit at that point and physically kept up exercising while in hospital. But mentally, it got much more difficult as I started to realise that blood cancer isn’t a quick fix. It’s a very slow fix and is in stages.

Firstly, you need to get into remission. Secondly, a donor needs to be found. Thirdly, you undergo a stem cell transplant – which there’s no guarantee will work work.

If it does work, it can be a two year recovery period. For at least six months post-transplant, that means not seeing many people at all.

If left undetected my type of leukaemia can kill you within four to five months. All I was told was that the consultants were fighting for my life, as hard as they could.

Shortly after this initial round of chemo, I found out that I was in full remission. 

However, the thing with leukemia is that it can come back. And so, I was told that I needed a stem cell transplant to help stimulate new bone marrow growth and restore the immune system. 

Without this, I was at real risk of a leukemia relapse.

I feel so grateful that a stranger is willing to go through this process, to save my life  

I live in Norfolk but I’ve opted to be treated at a hospital in London. As my daughters both live there, it means they can have a more normal life again, while still getting to visit me.

But one thing that I hadn’t accounted for was that, being half Lebanese, it would be difficult for me.

Because I’m of mixed heritage, I found out that it was unlikely I would find a suitable match: The prospects of finding a compatible donor if you’re a white European are over 70% while if you’re of mixed ethnicity, the chances are currently almost half that, at 37%. 

There is a real disparity between white and non-white patients – but what most people don’t know is that signing up for stem cell donation is surprisingly easy. All it takes in the first instance is a cheek swab.  

I would urge anyone reading this to sign up to the register – especially if you’re from a diverse background. You might just save someone’s life.

The London hospital got in touch with Anthony Nolan, an incredible charity that helps patients in need find someone willing to donate their stem cells. 

They then set to work searching various stem cell registers to try and find a match – but it can be hard to find as there are lots of criteria to be tested, to make sure that your body will accept the stem cells.

If you have any brothers and sisters, they will first be tested to see if they’re a match. And if you’re receiving stem cells donated from someone else (be it a relative, unrelated donor or cord blood) then doctors need to find a donor whose tissue type matches yours.

Anthony Nolan maintains a register of willing volunteers who are ready to donate their stem cells to someone in need of a transplant. The charity helps search for a matching donor, perform the appropriate tests and co-ordinate the stem cells arriving at hospital.

With my background, I was incredibly worried I wouldn’t be able to find a match. 

But I’ve just found out that I’ve been lucky enough to find a suitable donor. I’m not allowed to know anything about them, even where they are in the world. But I feel so grateful that a stranger is willing to go through this process, to save my life. 

But there are many others who haven’t been as fortunate yet. For example, I’m aware of one woman who is half Caribbean and half Chinese – that’s a very tricky match as patients in need of a stem cell transplant are far more likely to match with donors of a similar ethnicity.

This is because HLA markers used in matching are inherited and some ethnic groups have more complex tissue types than others.

Provided by Metro I’m on schedule to get the transplant in mid June (Picture: Supplied)

For now, I’m on maintenance and chemo drugs as I await my transplant.

If all goes well, my donor will have to go into hospital for four hours, where they’ll have blood taken from them, from around the bone marrow. After this has been cleansed (after the red blood cells have been taken out, it apparently looks like wee…!), it will be frozen until I am ready for it.  

If the transplant is successful, this new blood will start producing new blood cells and all my old blood cells will be completely gone – meaning that the leukemia will be gone and won’t come back. 

I’m on schedule to get the transplant in mid June. For one week before the transplant, I have to undergo another bout of chemo, to make sure that my body has no immunity in it – if my immune system was operating normally, there’s a chance it could attack the new cells – which is the worst thing that could possibly happen. 

After the transplant, I’ll be in hospital for four to six weeks. If the blood is going to be rejected, I will find out within 100 days – the three months after are so critical.  

I know I should feel euphoric because I’ve got a donor but the next part is going to be the hardest part: It’s life and death.

Either the transplant is a success, in which case I will be clear of leukaemia (they will only give the all clear after five years like most cancers), or it isn’t a success and I’ll find out that my body won’t accept the donor’s blood cells.

Apparently in this country you can go for a second transplant on the NHS, which is amazing. But I can’t even think about that just now.

My life has changed irrevocably since my diagnosis, which is a very difficult fact for anyone to deal with. The way I’ve tried to deal with it is through meditation. But once I get to transplant I’m going to ask to speak to a counsellor to help me through it. 

I feel anxious and scared, although I’m doing what I can to keep my spirits and energy levels up. 

Even if the transplant goes well, I’ll have a long two years to full recovery. I just want to get through this and lead a normal life again, although it will be very different to the one I lived before.

Before my diagnosis, I was always busy and always seemed to be rushing around, doing various work for charity, and taking part on different committees. But after this brush with death, I’ve had time to reassess things and, when I’m better, I think I’ll live a quieter, more peaceful life – with less pressure to be busy all the time.  

But I’ll be forever grateful that I was matched with a donor. To anyone reading this (especially diverse people and men) please go and get a cheek swab done and add yourself to the stem cell register – it could save a life like mine.

 Reference: Metro: Jackie

Vitamin D levels linked to higher risk of miscarriage - new research

A study conducted by the pregnancy charity Tommy's has found women who have insufficient levels of vitamin D are more likely to have a miscarriage than pregnant women with sufficient levels. The results come after the charity reviewed four randomised control trials and six observational studies with a combined total of over 7,000 participants. Women deficient in vitamin D were found to be twice as likely to suffer from a miscarriage. The findings provide an insight into the role vitamin D can play in pregnancy.

Lead author of the study Dr Jennifer Tamblyn said: "We know vitamin D is essential for bone development in the developing baby.

"The placenta also produces large amounts of the active form of vitamin D."

Dr Tamblyn added: "There is research showing an important role for vitamin D in early pregnancy, including regulation of maternal-foetal immune responses and blood vessel development, which are important for healthy pregnancy."

The NHS recommends a maximum of 100 micrograms of vitamin D per day for any pregnant and breastfeeding woman; the same applies to all adults.

Getty Images Vitamin D plays a key role in pregnancy.

On the role vitamin D plays in pregnancy, Dr Tamblyn added: "Vitamin D has only really been known for its role in late pregnancy complications but our review supports another role for it too, which could help encourage women to learn about the benefits of taking supplements early."

Vitamin D supplements are cheap and easy to obtain; they are normally recommended for wider use during the winter months in order to compensate for the lack of sunlight.

However, between April and September, the bodies of most can produce what they need from the sun.

Researchers hope to establish whether a low dose of vitamin D taken early on in a pregnancy can protect against loss; however, there aren't enough studies in this area to draw a firm conclusion.

Meanwhile, it is wise to know good sources of vitamin D so levels can remain healthy.

Good sources of vitamin D include: salmon, red meat, liver, egg yolks, and some fortified foods.

It is important to note while it is possible for someone be deficient in vitamin D, they can also take too much.

Taking too much vitamin D over a prolonged period of time can lead to damage to the bones, heart, and kidneys.

Getty Images Vitamin D is normally made from sunlight.

Furthermore, an excess of vitamin D can cause a condition known as hypercalcaemia where calcium builds up in the body.

While possible to take too many vitamin D supplements, too much exposure to sunlight comes with its own risks, including skin cancer and heat stroke.

This comes with its own risks including skin cancer and heat stroke.

Britons are being encouraged to be wary of skin cancer this summer.

 Daily Express Average vitamin D levels in the UK and Europe.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said in a statement: "With the sun shining and millions of us jetting off on holiday this summer, it's important that British holidaymakers stay safe and protect themselves from the sun's harmful rays and the risks of skin cancer.

"More people need to realise that non-melanoma skin cancers are some of the most common in the world - with men almost twice as likely to die than women - but they are also easy to avoid."

Most skin cancers are caused by the sun's UV rays chemically altering the make-up of cells.

Ninety percent of skin cancers are avoidable. 

Reference: Christoper Sharp: Daily Express: