New Study Of Nurses Reveal Sources Of Injectable Medication Errors
A new study of 1,039 nurses across the United States conducted by The American Nurses Association (ANA) and sponsored by ANA and Inviro Medical Devices has the following clear message: most injectable medication errors at hospitals arise from the difficulty of reading the gradation marks on syringes.
Why? Because the syringes are usually labeled with improvised methods that cover the gradation markings on the barrel of the syringe. There is plenty room for error there.
Sixty five percent of the nurses surveyed have mentioned labels that cover the syringe barrels and thus make it hard to read the volume markings as a major issue in administering correct amount of medication.
Thirty nine percent said a label makes it hard for the nurses to compare the syringe dosage to the one specified in the doctor’s order.
And when the syringes are not even labeled at all (over one-quarter of all cases) then there is of course the additional risk of delivering the wrong medication as well.
This leads to yet another important question which the survey addressed in detail: why do the hard-working and well-qualified nurses in our hospitals resort to such makeshift measures?
The answers again are no surprise to seasoned veterans of the health care system:
* 78% said they were “too rushed” during their shifts and that there was not enough help to take care of the assignments at a slower pace.
* 68% said “poor, illegible handwriting” contributed to injectable medication errors.
* 62% said missing the physician’s orders, or “mistaken orders” by the doctors themselves contributed to the errors.
* 60 % said “working with too many medications” was a major error factor.
* 56% mentioned “similar drug names or medication appearance” as the culprit.
It goes to show that better and correct communication and syringe-label design are not luxuries but urgent necessities in our health care system.
U. Akinci is the Editor of the monthly “Nurse Recruiter Newsletter” published by
A Muscle Building Tip That May Work Wonders
Maybe you want to build up your muscles for your health, or maybe you just want to look good - there’s nothing wrong with that. Whatever your reason, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it. The truth is, any kind of mass building program is beneficial to your heart as well as to your muscles. But if you’re trying to build up your muscles, there are particular muscle building workouts that are designed specifically to help you.
In order to increase the size of muscle, the muscle must be stimulated. One way of providing the stimulation your muscles need is to exercise so your muscles will grow in size.A muscle building tip that has helped many to attain their goal is to begin training with free weights. Strength and resistance exercise will also help by motivating your muscles to develop.
A workout routine of lifting weights combined with strength training exercises will begin to gradually bulk up your muscles. Muscle building workouts done on a regular basis will not only develop muscle mass but will add to your overall health. If you are a beginner, you will want to start out with lighter free weights and slowly increase the amount of weight you lift and the number of repetitions you perform.
Free weight training along with strength and resistance training will gradually help your body develop muscle. You can use this muscle building tip to your advantage if you remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your muscles won’t be built in a day either. Building muscle is a slow process, but perseverance is the keyword to success. Anyone who has gone through the process of building up their muscles will confirm that they have been discouraged by the apparent lack of progress, but eventually they reached and maintained their goal.
Mass building workouts along with strength training will further enhance your chances of success in building muscle. Bench presses, pull-ups, push-ups, squats, and/or other exercises that target specific muscles are very effective in building muscle. It is important that you rest in between muscle building workouts to allow your muscles time to recover.
Whether you are a beginner or a pro, one common occurrence while doing muscle building routines is the possibility of muscle spasms. A muscle spasm occurs when a voluntary muscle (those you can control)bunches up and tightens. Muscle spasms can occur for several reasons or no reason at all, with the result being a painful muscle contraction, or muscle spasm. Muscle spasms can sometimes be relieved by resting the muscle, massaging it or by moving around. The best way to avoid these painful spasms is to do proper warm-up exercises, and let your muscles rest in between workouts. If you want to be successful in your efforts to build muscle mass, it is important to follow these and other muscle building tips when you begin your muscle building routine.
Michael is a former “skinny guy” who gained over 20 lbs of muscle. He attributes most of his success to the information about
Allergy Drops Provide Freedom
Are you chained to your weekly allergy shot treatments? Typically shots need to be given once a week and require not only time but money as well. Allergy drops which have been used in Europe for some time are now being offered here in the United States. These drops are given at home and therefore can reduce the cost of doctor office visits even if you only have a copayment.
Allergy shots and allergy drops are both immunotherapy treatments allergists use for their patients. The “new” sublingual allergy drops(not to be confused with eye drop treatments) have the same goal of slowly making the sufferer immune to whatever allergen is causing their problems. This is sometimes referred to as desensitization.
Disadvantages of Allergy Shots
1. Allergy shots can be inconvenient because they require a weekly trip to the doctor’s office. Typically, shots consist of diluted versions of the allergen to which the patient reacts. The patient then has to wait approximately 30 minutes after the injections to make sure there is no adverse reaction before leaving the allergist’s office.
2. Allergy shots can be costly. Even if you don’t count the time lost out of work or school there is usually a cost associated with the office visit itself. Even if the shots are covered by your medical insurance typically there is a copayment with each visit. I know my copayment for an office visit is $15. If you have to go every week that adds up to a whopping $780 per year out of your pocket.
Advantages of Allergy Drops Save time - the patient visits the doctor only two or three times a year versus as many as 52 Save Money - reduced patient visits equals reduced copayments Much More Convenient - patient received the prescription at the office and places the drops under his or her tongue at home Some patients have experienced adverse reactions to sublingual allergy drops. The risk is similar to that of taking allergy shots but you can see that most people would think that the advantages far outweigh the risk of having to deal with a reaction on their own. Typically you would seek medical treatment immediately.
Many allergists will begin a patient’s treatment using both shots and allergy drops and if the drops show a reduction in symptoms similar or better than the shots the allergist will most likely suggest that the patient move to just the drops. Given the convenience of this course of treatment it has been shown that more people will take the drops on a regular basis in comparison to the injections.
Treatments get better every day, rumor has it that allergy pills are around the corner that will treat more than the symptoms of allergies but will act as replacements for the allergy drops and allergy shots that exist for immunotherapy therapy treatments that exist today. Though immunotherapy does not work for everyone if it does the effects can seem miraculous.
Marilyn Franklin writes for
Plan to Eat Healthily
Healthy eating is important. So why is it not a priority for those overweight? Well, some may say they simply don’t have the time to find out more or write down a plan or even decide on what to eat. I think this can lead to disaster, and especially putting yourself at risk. Obese people really are eating themselves to death. Our hearts simply aren’t strong enough to pump blood to such extremes.
What can we do about it? We can make a start at learning and benefitting from the basics of eating healthily, and sticking to a balanced diet. This does not mean confining oneself to some of the worst tasting meals available. For most, the help in this article can be used, however, if you are already on a diet created by a dietitian or doctor, please consult with them before making changes to your diet. Discuss with them what you have learned from this article and you may be able to encourage yourself with your results. Below is a guide to what is a good starting point to deciding what to eat and what to steer clear of in your daily food intake.
Fish and Meat - Some of these in this food group can be high in fat so play close attention to what you are consuming. Products in this group include meat, fish, eggs, poultry along with products like hamburgers and fish fingers and fish cakes. Obviously cut all visible fat from the meat. You can also look at alternatives that may contain less fat but are still high in protein, such as kidney beans, tofu, nuts and vegetable protein. You should try to eat 2 to 3 meals a day including products from this group.
Milk and Dairy Products - As you have read from above, eggs do not fall into this category and neither do butter and cream. It is recommended that you try to include milk and dairy products in at least 2 of your daily meals. Products that fall into this category include milk, cheese and yoghurt.
Fruit and Vegetables - Try to keep your meals varied in what they contain and remember that a portion size is about 80g - 90g. You should try to eat 5 portions of foods from this category daily, and this can include fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables, canned as well as dried vegetables. Fruit juices also fall into this category, along with beans such as pulses, lentils and baked beans. I wouldn’t recommend eating too many portions of baked beans, especially if you don’t want your diet to affect your social life!
Starches like Bread, Cereals and Potatoes - You should try to include up to 5 portions of these products in your daily meal plan and at least one portion with every meal. Products in this category include bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals and oats.
Sugary and Fatty Foods - This is one category that you can to some extent neglect. If you choose to eat products from this group, choose to eat as smaller portions as you can. It is however important to include a small amount of fats in your diet. Stay away from saturated fats like animal fats (meat) and sugary products like cakes and sweets. Products in this category also include ice cream, chocolate, pastries and crisps. Other products high in fat are cream, mayonnaise, fried foods, especially fried in butter, oil and margarine.
Author: Janie Jonah
perfectdrugrx.com Canada Prescription Pharmacy
(c) 2006, PerfectDrugRx. All rights in all media reserved. Reprints must include byline, contact information and copyright.
Age-Old Remedy For the Newest Flu
Every year the seasonal flu kills about 36,000 people and sends 200,000 to the hospital, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every year during “flu season” (typically starting around Thanksgiving and peaking around Christmas) there’s a rush to get flu shots; especially among the elderly, the ill, and the very young, the concern is well-grounded.
For most sufferers — between 5 and 20 percent of the population every year — the flu brings fever, headaches, fatigue, aches and pains, stomach distress and other symptoms that make life miserable for days.
Rumor of a pandemic flu outbreak has brought increased concern. It’s important to understand exactly what this means, rather than just being fearful of something arriving at the nearest airport to which you have no defense.
Viruses are the invading organisms responsible for most epidemic illnesses. Virus-caused illnesses range from the common cold to cold sores, warts, measles and chicken pox, hepatitis, West Nile virus, the “ordinary” flu, and AIDS. Most recently, it’s the Avian flu that has people on edge.
We can help prevent the passage of viruses from person to person by avoiding large indoor gatherings of people (right…during the holiday season…) and exercising good sanitary practices - washing hands often, using tissues, ventilation of rooms, etc.
Viruses are known to be resistant to pharmaceutical antibiotics. Many public health experts have pinned their hopes on the antiviral drug Tamiflu to fight the avian flu, for example, only to find that resistent cases are emerging. A flu virus mutates frequently and sometimes a new strain emerges that humans have not been exposed to. If the strain spreads easily between humans, it can cause widespread death and overwhelm global health resources. (It’s important to realize that the avian flu is NOT passed easily between humans; it seems to mostly be passed from poultry to humans.) A flu virus from half a world away is one to which you will most likely have no immunity, unlike the local ones you contact, and the mutations can leave us even more defenseless.
Enter the powerful healing properties of the oil of the tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia. Just because a substance is naturally-occuring with no known side effects, does not mean it can’t be effective. Tea tree was an important medicinal for native Australians. They drank tea made of the leaves and applied tea tree poultices to treat wounds, cuts, and various skin disorders. In 1920, Dr. A. Penfold tested the oil’s properties for the first time. He discovered that tea tree oil was 12 times more potent than the accepted antiseptic at the time, carbolic acid. Dr. Penfold’s research prompted further testing in the following decades, contributing to its increasing use by the public.
Tea tree oil is a valuable alternative to pharmaceuticals. Its complex chemical composition makes it extremely difficult for germs to develop resistance. Traditional antibiotics possess more simple chemical structures to which germs can easily develop immunity. Tea tree oil is readily absorbed and it continues to block germ growth at the site for several days after the initial application. The oil is a proven immuno-stimulant; it is even currently being tested in the treatment of AIDS.
You should apply a small test amount to the skin before using it for the first time, as with any product, there is always the chance of sensitivity in any particular individual. Adding a couple drops to a vaporizer and inhaling the steam helps to freshen and disinfect the air, killing germs that infect the sinuses and lungs, and opening clogged respiratory passages. The oil can be rubbed into the skin at full strength, or mixed with a carrier oil or lotion. The oil can also be added to a hot bath and is then assimilated both through the skin and the nasal passages.
Personal use of tea tree oil is not to be substituted for advice from your family doctor. It is, however, useful in prevention and as a first aid treatment. And there is anecdotal and scientific evidence of truly amazing results using this phenomenal substance.
Kathryn Beach offers extensive information about tea tree oil on her website, teatreeoilhome.com “Learn About the Tea Tree Oil Phenomenon!”
and in her “Tea Tree Alerts” available on the website.
Good Health Starts With Some Common Sense
Today, we live in a society where more and more people are paying attention to health and wellness. With heart disease, diabetes, and other major diseases rising as well, people are realizing that changing lifestyle is critical. The great thing is that you can change a few things and enjoy living a longer, healthier life. With better diet, exercise, and the elimination of smoking and drinking, you will be on your way to feeling and looking better, physically and mentally.
The truth is that to get into good health, you do have to make changes. At first, some of the changes can be hard but soon you will begin to see differences in the way you feel, usually having better concentration, more energy, and better sleep patterns. In fact, people who make changes for better health say they feel younger and more vibrant.
Typically, you would start by analyzing your diet. The key here is to eliminate processed, fried, and fast foods from your diet. Instead, you want to choose lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Keep in mind that unfortunately, most people think that by eating healthy, they have to consume boring and bland food. However, once you learn how to cook differently and grab healthy snacks, you will not miss the old ways of eating at all.
After changing your diet for health, you want to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Even 30 minutes of walking will make a huge difference. Chances are you will start to lose weight, tighten muscles, and have more energy but people who exercise also tell you that they find stronger bones, stronger heart, and overall better health. For example, people with osteoporosis actually help fight the disease simply by walking, which helps to strengthen bones.
Finally, in addition to better diet and exercise, you want to stop smoking. With smoking of any kind, you are causing the body serious harm while increasing your risk for major illness. By getting rid of the nicotine, you will find that your health is far better, you can breathe easier, and you smell better. For alcohol, a cocktail or glass of wine on occasion is not bad for the body but you need to keep the quantity within reason. With such changes, you will be on your way to a new and better you, living a life of health.
Grant Segall and Laura G share healtful living and exercise tips for the health magazine exercisera.com exercisera.com as part as an initiative to improve America’s health and wellness.
Diabetes - The Silent Killer
There are in fact two main types of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2, and they are totally different in cause and treatment regime. There is also a strain of diabetes called gestational diabetes that is only suffered by pregnant women.
To understand diabetes, we must first appreciate the role that insulin plays in our body. When we consume glucose, fructose or carbohydrates, our body converts them into glucose in the blood stream. For us to be able to use the glucose to produce energy, our pancreas produces insulin which ‘unlocks’ receptors in our cells and allows the glucose to enter the cells and be used for energy.
In Type 1 diabetes the body is incapable of producing enough insulin to regulate blood sugar adequately. It is frequently called juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes, and it usually occurs in people under 30 years of age.
The condition comes on quite suddenly and is characterised by unquenchable thirst brought on by a surplus of glucose in the blood stream. This also results in frequent urination, another symptom. It is a chronic condition – that is, it is a lifelong illness. It is thought to be an auto-immune problem in the pancreas that destroys the insulin producing cells.
Type 1 diabetics make up about 5-10% of those with diabetes and it is treated by administering insulin either by injection or by a drip feed. There is a danger for type 1 diabetics that they may suddenly lose consciousness and they are also at risk for serious complications.
A recent technological breakthrough has created a new treatment involving the transplantation of islet cells, and although the patient needs to take drugs to stop the body rejecting the cells, the new cells are capable of producing insulin and patients in the medical trial have reported significantly reduced need for insulin injection. The hope is that the injections may eventually be entirely eliminated through the use of transplants of islet cells.
Type 1 diabetics are prone over time to be affected by micro-vascular disorders, sight problems, vascular disorders and kidney problems due largely to long term damage to their blood vessels.
Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of diabetes cases. Sufferers from type 2 diabetes are able to produce insulin, but their cell receptors have become resistant to insulin. Thus, their body has to produce greater amounts of insulin to be able to ‘unlock’ the cells so that they are able to extract the glucose from the blood stream. Eventually, these sufferers get to the point where they cannot create enough insulin to reduce the sugar levels in their body.
The disease affects 15-20% of people over the age of 60. A substantial number of adults remain undiagnosed as diabetes sufferers. It is usually discovered during a doctor’s check-up following complaints of an infection such as a chest, skin or urinary problem.
Type 2 diabetes can be controlled through weight reduction and diet control or with prescription medicines. Although there is a definite genetic link to the disease in a high number of cases, it is kick started by being obese, a lack of exercise and pursuing a diet full of high glycaemic index carbohydrates (white rice, white bread, sugar and fruit).Weight management, exercise and a diet low in fructose, sugars and processed carbohydrates are recognised as important techniques when trying to avoid the disease.
More alarming is the recent trend of children being found suffering from Type 2 diabetes. This is thought to be due to the prevalence of childhood obesity, combined with the shortage of exercise that overweight children take and the diet they follow that is high in carbohydrates and sugar with a high glycaemic index.
Gestational diabetes affects around 4% of women during their pregnancy. Most women recover from this form of the illness once the baby has been born, but it does seem to indicate an increased risk of contracting type 2 diabetes later in their lives.
The most recognisable sign of diabetes is constant thirst and subsequent regular urination. Other symptoms include dizziness, constant fatigue, unexplained weight loss, itching and leg pains walking.
If diabetes just involved taking insulin for the remainder of your life, it wouldn’t be such a serious problem. Diabetics have a number of elevated risks including:
- twice the rate of heart disease compared to non-sufferers
- five times the risk of having a stroke
- the most frequent need for limb amputations discounting accidents
- diabetes is the most likely cause in all new cases of blindness in people aged 24 to 74
- the cause of over one third of new kidney diseases and the major cause of end-stage renal disease.
Accurate and consistent management of blood sugar levels reduces the odds of any of the above occurring.
This article on diabetes was written by Terry Cod, a travel writer and diabetes sufferer. He has a website physioandrehab.co.uk/ physioandrehab.co.uk which has articles on a whole host of health related subjects such as physioandrehab.co.uk/asbestos_related_disease.html Asbestos Related Disease.
Choose Your Skin Lightening Products Wisely
In Asia, Africa and South America, the pervasiveness of fair-skinned beauties in the media, as well as the cultural preference towards lighter skin has fuelled public demand for skin lightening products. The tendency of pigmented skin to be more prone to developing hyperpigmentation has also contributed to this demand. In Asia alone, nearly 2 out of 5 women have admitted to using skin lightening creams. In this multi-million dollar industry, big brands such as Olay and L’oreal often find themselves competing with fly-by-night operators packaging their products in home ‘factories’. There are literally hundreds of whitening products flooding the market of these countries, and in most of them, regulation is either very lax or non-existent.
Many consumers in these countries have tried whitening products from international, high-end brands, chiefly because of their reputation for safety and quality, only to discover that they have effectively thrown their money away on products who’s active ingredients are so diluted, they do nearly nothing in terms of lightening the skin or alleviating hyperpigmentation problems. In the end, these consumers often resort to lesser-known and uncertified skin lightening products that promise fast results at very low prices.
There are indeed many cheap skin lightening products that produce fast results . However, consumers often find themselves paying a much higher price later, in the form of permanent skin damage, or worse, organ damage and skin cancer. This is because such products use dangerous chemicals like hydroquinone and mercury as their active ingredient. These ingredients are prevalent in cheap skin lightening products because of the low cost of the ingredients - hydroquinone in particular, is far cheaper compared to other safer melanin-inhibitors such as licorice extract and kojic acid.
Mercury or hydroquinone will initially cause the skin to lighten by inhibiting production of melanin. Without melanin formation, no brown pigmentation will be visible. This produces the much-vaunted “instant lightening” results. However, the long-term effects of these two chemicals are not so good. Mercury or hydroquinone has been known to cause blotchiness, uneven skin tone, easily sunburnt skin, peeling skin, increased hyperpigmentation, thickened skin, large pores, itchiness, redness, dark patches, light pink patches, and signs of premature aging such as lines and wrinkles.
That’s not the worst of it. Since both hydroquinone and mercury are carcinogenic ingredients, long-term use can cause skin cancer. Mercury in particular can cause liver and kidney failure, as well as damage to the nervous system. Mercury is also extremely toxic to unborn children, and pregnant mothers using mercury-containing creams risk giving birth to babies with brain damage and other deformations.
The use of mercury in skincare has been banned from most countries. Hydroquinone has been banned from the UK since 2001 and has been recently banned in Asian countries like Malaysia. In the US however, skincare products containing less than 2% of hydroquinone are still sold over the counter. The banning or restriction of these ingredients in many countries does not stop manufacturers from illegally importing these ingredients and using them in their products. Some crucial signs that a skincare product might contain these dangerous chemicals is the absence of ingredient listings for the product, or the absence of any certification from the local cosmetics regulation board.
So the next time you go out shopping for skin lightening or whitening products, make sure that the ingredients are printed on the product box or container. More importantly, ensure that the product has been certified by the cosmetics regulation board of the country of manufacture.
Fauziah Zin writes for AeteenShop.com. Visit aeteenshop.com aeteenshop.com for more free health & beauty-related articles, tips and news, as well as information on Biofair Extra-Whitening Skincare - a safe, effective and affordable range of skin lightening products.
Information On Raw Juice Therapy
When raw juices are unlocked from the cells of plants, pure and vital liquids of great healing power are released, and their infinitely gentle action can coax our bodies back to normality. Raw juices have none of the potentially dangerous side effects of many potent drugs, yet they can eliminate health problems arising from many of those deficiencies created by the bustle and pace of modern life.
The regular addition of such juices to a wise diet is also a great strengthener of bodily function, assisting in the prevention of the prema¬ture degeneration of skin, flesh, glands and organs that causes so many who should be enjoying a long and active prime of life to lapse into early senility.
For effective therapy you need to know which fresh vegetable and fruit juices are needed to benefit the body. We will try to explain the best for each condition, with the most important points of each therapy and the best ways of extracting the precious juices, both mechanically and by hand.
Sunshine and good healthy soil enlivened with refreshing rain allow plants to develop to a rich maturity, and the raw juices they yield are the quintessence of nature’s handiwork. Readily available and easy to digest, they contain a wealth of nutritional factors needed to supple¬ment the diet. The ancient Romans knew this when they added honey, crushed or juiced fruits, aromatic plants and scented flowers to their drinks.
When used swiftly after extraction, raw fruits and vegetable juices are an incomparably effective way of rapidly utilizing the powers of the plants to protect you from illness. The composition of juices is so com¬plex that analytical procedures give only a part of the truth. In addition, it is not only the compositions of the individual juices which create their profound effects, it is the subtle natural balance between the con¬stituent parts.
On the face of it, juices do not seem likely to be very energizing, but, as experts point out, the calorie content of a litre (1¾pt) of grape or pineapple juice is between eight and nine hundred. To achieve the same you would need 1.5 litres (2¾ pt) of milk or a dozen eggs, 1. 4kg (3lb) of potatoes or 650 grams (1½ lb) of meat. Apple juice contains 500 calories per litre; pear juice 420; cherry juice 450; orange juice 400; strawberry juice 220.
The descriptions of plants and vegetables many times mention the wide variations found in their vitamin and mineral contents. What is sure is that storage and cooking are major factors in reducing what is present naturally. Therefore, raw fruits, vegetables and their juices are ideal ways to obtaining maximum nourishment.
The therapeutic uses of juices require that all the factors that are normally present are consumed in sufficient quantities to be efficacious. It would be impossible for most people to consume the amount of raw cabbage needed to give the pint or two a day needed for the treatment of a gastric ulcer. But it is not difficult to take the cabbage in the form of juice.
Remember, juices are never dangerous. But, some drugs are so dangerous that the side effects are almost as bad as the condition they are supposed to treat!
Kevin Pederson has been managing a number of natural home remedies websites which have information on home-remedies-for-you.com/ home based natural cures and remedies for some of the most common illnesses and some tips on raw juice therapy.
The Adrenal Glands and Your Mental Health
Hormones are major links in the mind body connection. They are chemical the chemical messengers that can turn on and off a variety of genes in every cell in your body-including your brain! All known hormonal imbalances may manifest as psychiatric disorders, such as depression, mania, anxiety, ADD, memory disturbances, dementia and even psychosis. On the other hand, bearing the burden of any of these disorders, over time, will affect your hormonal function as well. Hormonal imbalances also mimic the side effects of anti-depressants by causing weight gain, brain fog, sexual problems, and depleted energy levels. It is clear then, that hormonal problems go hand-in-hand with depression, and sorting out “hormone triggered” depression from clinical depression is not always easy. Most patients have a mixture of the two. For this reason, in the practice of Whole Psychiatry, a detailed assessment of the hormonal systems should be a routine part of every psychiatric evaluation.
A hormone called cortisol (made by your adrenal gland) is part of the body’s shock absorber system. We all drive down the road of life. and we hit real or imagined pot holes. If our shock absorbers are functioning well, its like we are driving a Cadillac. We feel the pothole, but only briefly and then we make a quick recovery. If we have poor shock absorbers, we feel like we are driving an old pick-up truck over a dirt road. We hit a pot hole, are stunned by it, and may even veer off the road.
What determines how our shock absorbers work? Some of it is genetic, and some of it is set by the time we are 11 or 12 weeks of age! In addition, chronic stress, nutritional and chemical factors, social environments, attitudes, percieved sense of control, spiritual orientation, and interpretation of the meaning of events play an important role.
Your body’s glands take their cues from your brain. When an event is perceived, a meaning is assigned to the event, and a hormonal response appropriate to the assigned meaning occurs. Thus your brain determines the exact timing and amount of cortisol that is released into your blood stream: too much cortisol at night, and you can’t fall sleep, too little cortisol in the morning, and you can barely peel yourself out of bed!
By the same token, your brain then gets a message from your adrenal glands via the cortisol in your blood stream, which provides a status update on hormone production and release. The constant relay of information between your brain and your adrenal glands keeps your brain, immune system and stress response functioning normally.
But this system’s equilibrium can be upset when you take a blow from, say, depression, manic depression, anxiety, chronic stress (such as a divorce or chronic illness), chronic pain, or recurrent bouts of low blood sugar. In fact any of a number of hormonal imbalances (e.g., adrenal, thyroid, reproductive hormones) are one of the major reasons that many anti-depressant treatments don’t work, or why patients with bipolar disorder are not stabilized.
In summary, if you have a mood disorder, check into your hormonal status, looking at adrenal function, thyroid function (check a TSH, free T3, free T4, reverse T3, body temperature), blood sugar regulation, reproductive hormones, and melatonin.
Give the wide variety and effect of pesticides and hormone interrupters in our world, I strongly advocate for organically grown foods. Aside from the superior nutritional content, and health benefits seen in experimental animals, there is growing concern that the chemicals we accept in our environment cause significant hormonal problems in the population at large, by mimicking or blocking the functions of our own hormonal systems.
Robert J. Hedaya, M.D., is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University Hospital where he teaches psychoendocrinology, and is founder of the National Center for Whole Psychiatry. He is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the American Board of Adolescent Psychiatry, and certified as proficient in psychopharmacology by the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology. He has been a consultant to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Dr. Hedaya is the author of Understanding Biological Psychiatry (Norton, 1996) and The Antidepressant Survival Program: How to Beat the Side Effects and Enhance the Benefits of Your Medication (Crown, 2000).
