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| Sunday, 25 December 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Beat stress for good Stress is a Nineties buzzword. If we're not talking about it, doing research into it or compiling figure or figures on it, we're suffering from it.
Recent studies suggest that stress is highly addictive - the more we have of it, the more our body craves for it, because of the chemicals released when we encounter it. Other research has found that prolonged stress can lead to major weight gain and can even stunt a child's growth. It's also expensive. Stress problems cost Australian employers an estimated $50 million a year - a cost that is expected to rise to some $125 million annually by the year 2000. 1. Learn to relax It's very important to learn to ease the tensions that accumulate in your body and to know how to switch off. You may not think your body is tense or stressed until you develop body aches and pains. The trick is to relax before the headaches starts. Stretching helps release muscle tension. It makes sense to regularly take time out to stretch your arms and legs and rotate your shoulders and ankles. 2. Get a hobby A hobby you enjoy can help you switch off from whatever is stressing you. Whether it be something creative like painting or a more practical hobby like gardening, you will find it will help you relax and clarify your thoughts. 3. Think positive Depression is one symptom of stress. Thinking negatively can lead to increased stress. Challenge your negative thoughts and look at them rationally - you will see that these bad feelings about yourself can often be based on unreasonable assumptions and fears. 4. Talk about it Talking about what is making you feel stressed can help you face problems and work out constructive ways of dealing with them. Don't let your annoyances fester. Express them. Sometimes verbalising your problems can provide a clearer picture of what needs to be done. As the old saying goes, a problem shared with a friend, or someone with a sympathetic ear, is a problem halved. 5. Find outside involvements Becoming interested or involved in something that has nothing to do with your stress is a fantastic antidote. It could be a cause you have always been interested in, a local club you could join or even just indulging your love of music or reading. Doing voluntary community or other work can often help you regain a sense of balance in your life. 6. Love yourself When you are under stress, you need to take time out to pamper yourself. Put time aside to take a long bath, read your favourite magazine or eat your favourite food. Treating yourself to something special during stressful times makes you feel less resentful about the things that are stressing you. 7. Be assertive Be clear about your needs and feelings and don't let them be suffocated by everyone else's. Assertiveness is a skill that helps you communicate clearly what you want and makes you feel in control of your life. You might find it valuable to take a self-assertiveness course or buy a book on the subject. 8. Exercise more It's difficult to deal with life's stresses if you are unfit. If you are physically fit you are more likely to feel happy, motivated and mentally alert. During exercise the body releases chemicals, including endorphins, which are the body's natural antidepressants. If you find you usually sit down for long periods, put time aside to take a couple of brisk walks a day-even if it's only to the end of the street. 9. Improve your diet Too much sugar, salt and caffeine can exacerbate stress. Processed foods have been shown to interfere with blood-sugar levels, making you feel sluggish and less able to cope with stress. Eat more complex carbohydrates - which research has shown have calming effects - and more fresh fruit and vegetables. 10. Laugh it off They say that people who laugh regularly live longer. That's because a good belly laugh releases all sorts of natural chemicals into our body that neutralise stress and anger. If you can lighten up and laugh it off, this can also help put those problems into perspective. - new ideas Smoking second major cause of death by Dr. D. P. Atukorale
Every eight seconds, someone dies from tobacco use. If the current smoking pattern continues it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by year 2020. Half the people that smoke today, that is, about 650 million people will eventually be killed by tobacco. fifteen billion cigarettes are sold daily or 16 million every minute and the total number of cigarettes is enough to send three million smokers to the grave annually. This includes both passive and active smoking. Smoking is becoming one of the important risk factors not only in the industrialised countries but also in the developing countries such as Sri Lanka. About 12 times more British people have died from smoking than from World War II. Cigarettes cause more than one in five American deaths. Great effort has been made to reduce the number of smokers in the developed countries, for example the percentage of the population that smokes in England has been reduced to 9% and in United States to 25%. However, the number of smokers has been increasing in developing countries. The percentage of the population who are smokers is about 22% in the Asiatic countries, and 42% in the African countries. The economic costs of tobacco use are equally devastating. In addition to high public health costs of treating tobacco caused diseases, tobacco kills people at the height of their productively, depriving families of breadwinners and nations of a healthy workforce. Tobacco users are also less productive while they are active due to increased sickness. In 1994, W.H.O. report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of U.S. 200 billion dollars, is a third of the loss being in developing countries. Positive association with smoking were confirmed for death from cancers of mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, lung, pancreas and bladder, from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, from vascular diseases; from peptic ulcers and (perhaps because of being confounded by personality and alcohol use) from cirrhosis, suicide and poisoning. Pipe and Cigar smokers Those who stopped smoking before middle age subsequently avoided all the excess risk that they would otherwise have suffered and even those who stopped smoking in middle age were subsequently at lesser risk than those who continued to smoke. It now seems that about half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit. Mortality of pipe and cigar smokers who had never regularly smoked cigarettes have been found to be higher than the non-smokers but less than cigarette smokers. The causes of death in pipe and cigar smokers are cancers of lung and other respiratory sites (such as pharynx and larynx), cancer of oesophagus, chronic obstructive lung disease, pulmonary tuberculosis, pulmonary heart disease, non-syphilitic aortic aneurysms. But these were less than in cigarette smokers though greater than non smokers, while their mortality from other causes was similar to that of non-smokers. Upper respiratory cancers include cancers of mouth (other than salivary gland), pharynx (other than nasopharynx) and larynx, cancer of lung; oesophagus, bladder and pancreas were all clearly related to smoking. Out of the above, mortality rates of cancers of upper respiratory sites, lung and oesophagus were at least 15 times that of non-smokers. Cancer of bladder and pancreas were about 3 times more common in heavy smokers than in non-smokers. Cancer of stomach showed a marginally significant relation with the amount smoked. Chronic obstructive lung disease which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema showed a relation almost as strong as that for cancer of the lung. Pulmonary tuberculosis shows a moderately close relation with smoking. A statistically high significant relation with smoking was observed for pancreas. Asthma mortality was more than double that of non-smokers. No death was observed in men under 25 years of age. Total number of deaths observed at 25-34 years was small. Under 35 years, the mortality was higher in current smokers than in non-smokers. Overall mortality was twice a great in continuing cigarette smokers compared to life-long non-smokers throughout middle and early old age. Passive Smoking Active smoking is a well established major preventable risk factor for coronary heart disease (C.H.D). Many studies have reported that passive smoking is also associated with increased risk of C.H.D. (Law MR et al, B M J, 1997, 315, 315-80). Generally such studies have compared the risks of non-smokers who do or do not live with cigarette smokers (Hirayama.T, N.Z.Med J. 1990, 103,5) though few have also considered occupational exposure. Passive smoking may also be related to risk of stroke (Bonita R.et al, Tob. Control, 1999,8,156-60). Living with someone who smokes is an important component of exposure to passive smoking. A person may also get exposed to passive smoking in work places and public places such as restaurants. Part II -next week Holistic healing : Herbal Care for bronchial asthma by Dr. Danister L. Perera Turmeric is an effective household remedy for bronchial asthma. When pure turmeric powder is boiled in milk, it acts as a disinfectant and removes all blockages from the nasal passages. It should be taken in the mornings and in the evenings whereby best results would be achieved. Problems related to breathing are cleared by this concoction but precaution must be taken because this generates a lot of heat in the chest, lungs and the urinary tract. According to Ayurvedic tradition, Adhatoda, or Vasaka also known as the "Malabar Nut," is an expectorant, anti-spasmodic, and diuretic, with no specific action on the alimentary canal or circulation. It does cause a slight bronchial dilation, loosens phlegm, and is used to treat cough, asthma and bronchitis. The leaves are applied to treat rheumatic joints, inflammatory swellings, and neuralgias, and also can be used as an insecticide. The leaves of the plant contain two major alkaloids called vasicine, and vasicinone. The active alkaloid vasicine and its aut-oxidation product vasicinone have shown bronchodilator and anti-histaminic effects. The leaf extract has been used for treatment of bronchitis and asthma for many centuries. It relieves cough and breathlessness. The leaves of the plant contain the alkaloid vasicine, which is responsible for the small but persistent bronchodilation, and an essential oil which is chiefly responsible for the expectorant action. The leaves and roots contain other alkaloids, vasicinone, vasicinolone and vasicol, which may contribute to the bronchodilatory effect through anticholinergic action on the vagal innervation of the bronchii. The bronchodilation effect is considerably increased after atropine. The leaves of the plant are bitter and become mild after cooking in water. The concoction thus prepared helps in removing catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes in asthma patients. The fruits of the plant can also be used beneficially in treating asthma. They also help the digestive system and induce copious urination. Pippali (Piper longum) is a powerful stimulant to both the digestive and respiratory systems. It removes cold with congestion and can help with chronic lung diseases like asthma. According to Ayurvedic tradition, Pippali possesses stimulating, carminative, expectorating, tonic, aphrodisiac, diuretic, alterative, emmenagogue, and analgesic properties, and is traditionally used to treat cold-wet diseases such as bronchitis, cough, cold, hoarseness, hiccup, laryngitis, respiratory problems, asthma, gout, arthritis, rheumatism, nausea, catarrh, worms, flatulence, indigestion, and dyspepsia. Also known as the "Long Pepper," it removes cold and obstructions from the liver and spleen and helps dispel abdominal tumours. It is also used in post partum conditions to ward off fever, and is applied topically as an oil in sciatica. According to Ayurveda, Licorice root is tonic, cooling, demulcent, expectorant, emmenagogue, and a gentle laxative. Some sources call it diuretic, but it is properly understood as an anti-diuretic, hence it should be avoided in cases of high blood pressure (hypertension). It is a nerve tonic with energy enhancing properties effecting the adrenal glands. Licorice is also an anti-inflammatory, and Ayurvedic tradition holds it to be having an influence on the mind, voice, and vision. Large doses are emetic. Other Ayurvedic uses of Licorice, also known as "yashti madhu," are the treatment of scorpion sting, ulcers, malaria, catarrh of the genito-urinary tract, spleen problems, dysuria, hyperacidity and painful urination.
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| Produced by Lake House |
Some people thrive on it, while others crumble. But the bottom line is
that too much stress is unhealthy for everyone. It not only affects our
physical health but also our state of mind. 
Cigarette smoking is the greatest epidemic facing humanity and use of
tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. Cigarette smoking
is currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide (about
5 million deaths each year according to World Health Organisation (WHO)
website 2002). 
