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The harms of alcohol

22 February 20246 January 2024 by psalari

Worldwide, 1 in 3 people consume alcoholic beverages regularly (equivalent to 2.4 billion people, of whom 1.5 billion are men and 900 million are women): this is the result of a recent study, published in August in the scientific journal Lancet, which reviewed 694 studies on alcohol consumption worldwide and assessed the health risks associated with drinking alcoholic beverages in 195 nations. The study shows that consuming 10 grams of alcohol per day increases the risk of developing health problems by 0.5 percent and by 7 percent in those who consume twice that amount.

Alcohol use is a risk factor for numerous diseases and can impair brain maturation, especially in those areas involved in impulse control. In adolescence the maturation of the brain is not complete; there are areas such as the limbic area that mature after the age of 20. That is why in some countries, for example in the United States, there is a ban on alcohol use under the age of 21. Alcohol’s damage not only affects the brain, but many other organs: in fact, it is a risk factor for many cancers (liver, oral cavity, throat). The organ most affected is the liver, but the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems are also affected by the toxic effect of alcohol. In addition, alcohol abusers are more prone to hypertension, stroke, and heart disease. Alcoholism causes malnutrition, but also impaired sexuality, decreased libido, infertility and impotence, and obesity. Bottom line:

Alcohol abuse is addictive and comparable to drugs;
Alcohol is carcinogenic and creates organ damage such as cirrhosis of the liver;
Weakens the immune system and gives increased susceptibility to infection;
It reduces the absorption of vitamins A, D and E;
It causes malnutrition and alterations in body weight;
It modifies hormone production, has a negative effect on fertility, and is not conducive to sexual performance;
In pregnancy it can create problems for the fetus and the unborn child;
May interfere with ongoing drug therapies;
It alters cognitive function and is a risk factor for cognitive impairment;
It alters attention, reduces reaction time and causes drowsiness, which is why alcohol should not be taken if you are driving.

New flu season kicks off: recommendations for preventing it

14 February 20246 January 2024 by rosanna.feroldi

Once again this year, with the first case found in Parma in a 6-year-old girl in late September, the flu season has officially begun. Although it will take a while to get into full swing, aided by the still mild temperatures that do not allow viruses to multiply and spread efficiently, one should not feel too safe. In a few weeks, the situation will be quite different, and the likelihood of finding oneself in bed with a high fever, cold, cough, general malaise, and bone pain will be decidedly high for everyone.

Experts predict that about 6 million Italians will fall ill and that the viruses circulating will be particularly aggressive. To avoid the discomforts and risks of complications associated with the most classic and frequent of winter ailments, the Ministry of Health and all health institutions at the international level recommend, as they do every year, taking the seasonal flu vaccine, which is effective and safe at all ages (starting from the 6th month of life) and in any category of people, including the period of pregnancy and lactation (unless specific individual contraindications are extremely rare).

Vaccination is especially important for the elderly (over65 years old), people with chronic respiratory (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-BPCO, cystic fibrosis, etc.), cardiovascular (heart failure, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, etc.), metabolic (diabetes, etc.), blood (coagulation disorders, anemia, etc.), or immune system (congenital or acquired immunodeficiency) diseases.) or the immune system (congenital or acquired immunodeficiency), as well as cancers, chronic inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, etc.) and/or malabsorption, renal or hepatic failure, and other conditions that increase the risk of severe complications (pneumonia, respiratory and cardiometabolic decompensation, encephalitis, etc.) and influenza mortality.

In all these cases, as well as in pregnancy, those in occupations in contact with the public, at high risk of virus transmission, and/or of public utility (health care personnel, veterinarians, animal keepers, law enforcement, etc.) and blood donors, the flu vaccine is offered free of charge by the National Health Service (NHS). The rest of the population will have to pay for it out of their own pockets, but at a cost of a few euros, certainly less than the cost of the drugs that would be needed to keep flu symptoms under control.

The preparations available today for influenza vaccination are numerous, have different characteristics, and can be tri-valent (i.e., able to protect against three types of viruses) or quadri-valent (i.e., able to protect against four types of viruses). Those trivalents indicated for the 2019-20 season, based on the types of viruses expected to have the greatest prevalence in the coming months, contain the following antigens: A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09; A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2); a B/Colorado/06/2017 (B/Victoria/2/87 lineage). In addition, the quadrivalent vaccines available in Italy contain B/Phuket/3073/2013-like (B/Yamagata lineage) as the fourth antigen.

The vaccine to be taken should always be agreed upon with the family doctor or, in the case of children, with the Freely chosen Pediatrician, who will also take charge of its administration through a harmless subcutaneous injection in the upper arm or, for younger children, in the thigh (alternatively, one can contact the nearest Vaccination Center). In order not to be blindsided by the viruses before you have developed sufficient immune protection (it takes about 15 days after the vaccine is administered), it is recommended to get vaccinated between late October and early November or, at any rate, by mid-December (also in view of the fact that Christmas celebrations are at very high risk of infection). However, if you have not been sick before, you can take the vaccine even in early January.

In addition to the seasonal vaccine, to reduce the risk of contracting the flu and other seasonal illnesses carried by viruses and bacteria, it is important to adhere to well-known and proven rules of hygiene and practical prevention. That is: wash hands often, with soap and water or disinfectant preparations; avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes with hands that are not perfectly clean; limit spending time in crowded enclosed places (public transportation and offices, cinemas, theaters, stores, gyms, etc.); avoid being near people with suspected respiratory symptoms or who are already ill; support the body’s defenses through healthy diet (including fresh foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants), good hydration (1.5-2 liters of fluids per day), sufficient sleep, moderate physical activity, avoiding smoking and stress; ventilate the rooms in which you stay often, especially if there are family members or co-workers with cold symptoms.

Sources: EpiCentro-Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS)(www.epicentro.iss.it/influenza/Raccomandazioni-Ministero); Ministry of Health – Influenza portal(www.salute.gov.it/portale/influenza/homeInfluenza.jsp)

Cancers: what are the established risk factors?

14 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Tumors in recent years are talked about a lot: both because, Unfortunately, they are diseases that affect millions of people; both because, fortunately, biomedical research makes continuous progress in the understanding of their causes and in identifying strategies preventive and therapeutic measures that help counteract them. Being informed on the topic is important, but the excess of information on such a complex can be a bit confusing and lead to unnecessary behavior or wrong. For example, do you know what the main known risk factors of the Cancers and how to avoid them? Test yourself with this quiz.

NUTRITION AND DIET	NATURE, SPORTS, PLACES	CULTIVATING HEALTH	MENOPAUSE	MOM IN SHAPE
TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE	HEART SURGERY	MEDICINES AND MEDICAL DEVICES	PARENTING	THE CULTURE OF HEALTH
HEALTH UTILITIES	GENERAL MEDICINE	NATURAL MEDICINE, THERMAL	MIND AND BRAIN	NEUROVEGETATIVE DYSTONIA
WAYS OF BEING	HEALTH AND SOCIETY	HEALTHCARE AND PATIENTS	SEXUALITY	OLDER AGE
CANCERS	EMERGENCIES

NUTRITION AND DIET	NATURE, SPORTS, PLACES
CULTIVATING HEALTH	MENOPAUSE
MOM IN SHAPE	TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
HEART SURGERY	MEDICINES AND MEDICAL DEVICES
PARENTING	THE CULTURE OF HEALTH
HEALTH UTILITIES	GENERAL MEDICINE
NATURAL MEDICINE, THERMAL	MIND AND BRAIN
NEUROVEGETATIVE DYSTONIA	WAYS OF BEING
HEALTH AND SOCIETY	HEALTHCARE AND PATIENTS
SEXUALITY	OLDER AGE
CANCERS	EMERGENCIES

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM	RESPIRATORY SYSTEM	UROGENITAL SYSTEM	HEART AND CIRCULATION	SKIN
INFECTIOUS DISEASES	EYES	EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT	BONES AND LIGAMENTS	ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
NERVOUS SYSTEM

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM	RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
UROGENITAL SYSTEM	HEART AND CIRCULATION
SKIN	INFECTIOUS DISEASES
EYES	EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT
BONES AND LIGAMENTS	ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
NERVOUS SYSTEM

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