Saturday, November 21, 2009

Sudden rise of cases of Influenza A in Maldives


In Maldives, swine flue cases raised to total of 11. Out of these 2 were expatriate and remaining were Maldivians. One death was known. This is a critical situation for people of Maldives, hence the H1N1 virus is spreading in small islands. So, make prayers and make dhua to Allah regularly, not only when there is disaster. Please practice islam in the way prophet pbuh taught us.

Human swine flu was originally called 'swine flu' because it is similar to influenza viruses that infect pigs. The strain presently causing concern is a mutated form called Influenzavirus A (H1N1) or human swine influenza which can be spread from human to human. It can also be passed on by people who are carrying the virus but show no outward signs of illness.

How Does The Virus Spread?


- People become infected with the virus by inhaling droplets that have been coughed or sneezed out by an infected person.
- A person may also become infected by touching something with
flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. The virus may survive for up to eight hours outside the human body.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine influenza in humans?

They are similar to those of regular flu, and include:

Body aches

Chills

Cough

Diarrhea (less common)

Headache


Temperature (fever)

Tiredness (fatigue)

Vomiting (less common)


What medications are there?

There are some drugs around that can effectively treat swine flu infection in humans - and many types of flu infections in humans. There are two main types: adamantanes (amantadine and remantadine) inhibitors of influenza neuraminidase (oseltamivir and zanamivir) Most previous swine influenza human cases recovered completely without the need for medical attention.

What can you do to protect yourself?

Wash your hands regularly with soap

Try to stay healthy

Get plenty of sleep

Do plenty of exercise

Try to manage your stress

Drink plenty of liquids

Eat a well balanced diet

Refrain from touching surfaces which may have the virus

Do not get close to people who are sick

Stay away from crowded areas if there is a swine flu outbreak in your area

If I you are infected, how can you stop others from becoming infected?

Limit your contact with other people

Do not go to work or school

When you cough or sneeze cover your mouth with a tissue.

If you do not have a tissue, cover your mouth and nose.

Put your used tissues in a waste basket

Wash your hands and face regularly

Keep all surfaces you have touched clean

Follow your doctor's instructions

Monday, November 9, 2009

Olive oil and Cancer


“Also a tree springing out of mount Sinai which produces oil and relish for those who use it for food.” (Quran 23:20)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Eat olive oil and anoint your-selves with it, for it comes from a blessed tree.” (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi)

Cancer is a heterogeneous group of multi-factorial diseases. The exact mechanism of how cancer happens is still only partially understood. Nevertheless, several factors that affect the risk of cancer development have been successfully studied. These factors include what is called endogenous or inside the body, and environmental or external factors. Of these factors, diet has been one that was proven to play an important role in development and formation of many common types of cancers.

Breast Cancer:


Diet is one of the various factors that have been extensively studied and found to modify the risk of breast cancer development in humans, in particular the effect of dietary fat. It seems that the risk of breast cancer is not limited to the ratio of total calories ingested, but also to the type of fat ingestion, with higher risk from animal fat.

In contrast to polyunsaturated fat, mono-unsaturated fats reduce the risk of breast cancer. Olive oil is one of the mono-unsaturated fats. It has been demonstrated that the risk of breast cancer is reduced with increased consumption of olive oil. This reduced risk is not demonstrable with butter or margarine. On the contrary, risk is in-creased with margarine intake. This inverse relationship between the consumption of olive oil and the risk of breast cancer was found to be dose dependent: The higher the consumption of olive oil, the lower the risk of breast cancer.

Cancer of the stomach (Gastric cancer):


Evidence support that the stomach cancer is influenced by environmental factors, of which diet appears to be the most important one. This risk was found to be high with increasing consumption of nitrates and proteins, salted, smoked and pickled food. However, risk of stomach cancer was found to decrease with consumption of olive oil, fresh fruits, vitamin C, vitamin E, garlic and others.

Cancer of the Larynx ( Laryngeal cancer):


Dietary factors play an important role in modifying the risk of cancer of the larynx and throat. Alcohol and tobacco are the main two risk factors, followed by low consumption of fruits and vegetables. A Low risk of these cancers has been reported with high intake of olive oil, orange juice, citric food and vegetables.

Cancer of the Uterus (Endometrial cancer):


Recent epidemiological studies indicated that there is a possible effect of dietary factors in the development of cancer in the Uterus. Increasing intake of olive oil was found to be associated with a significant (26%) decrease in risk of cancer of the Uterus.