december 2013 / january 2014

Medi-Park
Medico
Central Park Centre,
c/o Old Main &
Frank Bull Roads,
6 Byrne Street,
Empangeni
Tel: (035) 792 3470,
Fax: (035) 792 3472
Empangeni
Tel: (035) 772 6734/5,
Fax: (035) 772 6734/5
FREE NEWSLETTER
5 Ways Umhlatuze
5 Ways Mall, Cnr Baines
Road & Paul Avenue,
Empangeni
Tel: 035 772 1005
Pha rmac ies
Shop 10,
Lakeside Mall,
c/o Lira Link &
Mark Strasse,
Richards Bay
Tel: (035) 7890106/7
DEc. 2013 / JAN. 2014
Everthing you wanted to know
about Actinic Keratoses but
were afraid to ask!
Actinic keratoses are areas of sun-damaged
skin found predominantly on sun-exposed
parts of the body, particularly the backs of
the hands and forearms, the face and ears,
the scalp in balding men and the lower legs
in women. They may also occur on the lips.
The term actinic means ‘sunlight-induced’,
and the term keratosis refers to thickened
skin. They are usually harmless
but there is a very small risk
of some actinic keratoses
progressing to a form of skin
cancer called squamous cell
carcinoma. Actinic keratoses are
not contagious.
They are caused by excessive
sun exposure over many years
(from sunbathing, sunbed use, and outdoor
work or recreational activities) and are
therefore more common in older people.
Fair-skinned, blue-eyed, red- or blondehaired individuals, who burn easily in the sun
but tan poorly, are at particular risk.
Actinic keratoses often cause little trouble.
Many affected individuals are not aware of
them at all. The affected skin
feels rough and dry. However,
if an actinic keratosis starts to
grow into a lump, becomes
itchy, tender or starts to
bleed, medical advice
should be sought as these
changes could indicate the
Continue on back page ...
Wat is kopluise?
Kopluise (pediculus humanus capitis) is
parasitiese, vlerklose insekte wat op mense se
koppe leef en hulle gashere se bloed drink. Die
volwassene word algemeen ’n “luis” genoem
en is ongeveer so groot soos ’n sesamsaadjie.
Die eiertjies, genaamd nete, is selfs
kleiner – ongeveer die grootte van
’n skilfervlokkie. Kopluise is uiters
aansteeklik. Hulle word feitlik
uitsluitlik op die kopvel aangetref,
veral om en agter die ore en naby
die neklyn aan die agterkant
van die kop, en soms op die
ooghare en wenkbroue, hoewel
dit nie dikwels voorkom nie. Die
luise het ses pote met kloue wat
hakies aan die punte het waarmee
hulle styf aan die haar vasklou; die
nete heg hulleself stewig aan die
haarskag vas en dit kan moeilik wees
om hulle te verwyder.
Simptome van ’n luisinfeksie:
 ’n “Kielierige” gevoel of ’n sensasie van iets
wat op die kopvel beweeg;
 ’n gejeuk wat veroorsaak word deur ’n
allergiese reaksie op die byte van die
kopluise;
 prikkelbaarheid en probleme om te slaap
omdat kopluise die aktiefste in die donker is;
 sere op die kop as gevolg van ’n gekrap. Die
sere kan soms geïnfekteer raak.
Direkte of indirekte blootstelling aan luise,
of direkte kontak met iemand wat met
luise besmet is, veroorsaak luisbesmetting.
Besmetting met kopluise kom die algemeenste
voor by voorskoolse en laerskoolkinders, wat die
luise na gesinslede en versorgers kan oordra.
Hoewel kopluise nie siektes oordra nie,
kan kinders ’n sekondêre bakteriële
infeksie van die vel ontwikkel as
gevolg ’n krappery omdat die
luisbesmetting ’n gejeuk veroorsaak.
Kopluise het niks te doen met die
sindelikheid van ’n kind of sy of haar
omgewing nie. Naby kontak of die
deel van persoonlike besittings, soos
hoede of haarborsels, is ’n risiko.
Ons apteker gee gewoonlik die
volgende raad:
Was alle hoede, serpe, kussingslope,
beddegoed, klere, en handdoeke wat die
besmette persoon gedra of gebruik het in twee
dae voordat daar met die behandeling begin
word. Hierdie items kan met warm water in ’n
wasmasjien gewas word en op warm siklusse
droog gemaak word – luise en eiers gaan dood
as hulle vir vyf minute aan temperature van
hoër as 54 °C blootgestel word. Moenie hoede,
versorgingshulpmiddels en handdoeke deel
wat met die hare van ’n besmette persoon in
aanraking was nie. Stofsuig ook meubels en
vloere om enige hare van die besmette persoon
met lewensvatbare nete daarop, te verwyder.
Health Tip: Is the Noise Too Loud?
Signs it could cause hearing loss
Prolonged exposure to very loud noise can lead to hearing loss. But how do you know when
the noise is too loud?
Here are a few warning signs of excessive noise:
• To be heard by someone standing next to you, you must speak much louder.
• The noise is so loud that your ears hurt.
• You hear ringing or buzzing.
• It takes several hours of being away from the noise for your hearing to return to normal.
2
AGING PROCESS REVERSED
WITH LIFESTYLE CHANGES
Positive
lifestyle
changes,
such as
adopting a
healthy diet and
moderate exercise, may reverse the aging
process.
Certain lifestyle changes may increase
the length of our telomeres – these are
DNA-protein complexes found at the end
of chromosomes that control the aging
process. They protect the chromosomes
from becoming damaged. If the telomeres
are shortened or damaged, the cells age
and die quicker, triggering the aging
process.
Biological age can be predicted by
the length of our telomeres. Shorter
telomeres are linked to higher risk
of premature death and age-related
diseases, including many cancers
(breast, prostate, colorectal and lung),
heart disease, vascular dementia and
obesity.
By making changes in our lifestyle, such as
adopting a whole foods plant-based diet,
it may be possible to increase our telomere
length by 10%.
Lifestyle changes include:
•
Adopting a whole foods plant-based
diet
• Carrying out moderate exercise
• Adopting stress management
techniques, such as meditation and
yoga
• Adopting greater intimacy and social
support
“These comprehensive lifestyle changes
may significantly reduce the risk of a wide
variety of diseases and premature mortality.
Our genes, and our telomeres, are a
predisposition, but they are not necessarily
our fate."
Do You Need Frequent Cholesterol Screenings?
Your age, weight are factors
High cholesterol increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Current
guidelines recommend that adults 20 or older be screened every five
years.
But you may need more frequent cholesterol screenings if:
• You are a woman 50 or older, or a man 45 or older.
• Your total cholesterol is 5.18 mmol/ or higher.
• Your HDL (good) cholesterol is below 40 mg/dL.
• In addition to having high cholesterol, you have other risk
factors for heart disease or stroke, such as high blood pressure
or being overweight.
3
How to Use Ear Drops Properly
(Having someone else give you the ear
drops may make this procedure easier.)
1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap
and water.
2. Gently clean your ear with a damp
facecloth and then dry your ear.
3. Warm the drops to near body
temperature by holding the container
in the palm of your hand for a few
minutes.
4. If the drops are a cloudy suspension,
shake the bottle well for 10 seconds.
5. Check the dropper tip to make sure
that it is not chipped or cracked.
6. Draw the medication into the dropper,
or hold the dropper-top bottle with the
dropper tip down.
7. Tilt the affected ear up or lie on your
side. Pull the ear backward and upward
(or if giving to a child younger than
3 years of age, pull backward and
downward) to open the ear canal.
8. Place the correct
number of drops
in your ear. Gently
press on the small
skin flap over the ear
to help the drops to
run into the ear cana.l
9. Keep your ear tilted
up for a few minutes
or insert a soft cotton
plug in your ear, whichever
method has been recommended by
your pharmacist.
10. Replace and tighten the cap or dropper
right away.
11. Wash your hands to remove any
medication.
Remember
• Follow directions carefully
• Do not miss doses
• Store medications out of reach of
children.
PARACETAMOL WITH ALCOHOL MAY CAUSE PROBLEMS
Combining paracetamol with even a light
consumption of alcohol may increase
someone's risk of kidney disease.
"Most people take this medication without
any input from pharmacists and that's where
the public-health concern is. People buy
paracetamol over the counter, and they also
are casual alcohol user. They are unaware
that there is a harmful interaction."
Chronic paracetamol use and chronic
alcohol abuse both have been
separately linked to kidney and liver
disease, "What has not been wellstudied until now is the link between
some regular alcohol use and regular
paracetamol use and increasing your
risk of kidney disease above the risk of
either of these drugs used separately.”
4
Neither normal use of paracetamol, nor light
to moderate drinking posed a potential threat
to kidneys. Research revealed that people who
combined the two, however, reported health
problems related to their kidneys and nearly half
of those who took the combination, reported
kidney dysfunction.
Alcohol can interfere with the gene that
regulates the way the body processes
paracetamol. Researchers said that
that people need not stop using
paracetamol, or stop consuming
modest amounts of alcohol, but
it's just not a good idea to take
paracetamol continuously for a
number of days in a row whilst
continuing to drink alcohol.
KI DZ FU N P AGE
JOKE OF THE MONTH
A Honda mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the engine of a Honda when he spotted a
well-known cardiologist in his shop.
The cardiologist was there waiting for the service manager to come and take a look at his car when
the mechanic shouted across the garage, “Hey Doc, want to take a look at this?” The cardiologist, a
bit surprised, walked over to where the mechanic was working on the Honda.
The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, “So Doc, look at this engine.
I opened its heart, took the valves out,repaired or replaced anything damaged, and then put
everything back in, and when I finished, it worked just like new.
So how is it that I make $24,000 a year and you make $1.7M when you and I are doing basically the same work?”
The cardiologist paused, leaned over, and then whispered to the mechanic....
“Try doing it with the engine running.”
5
What Causes Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease of the eye in which fluid
pressure within the eye rises - if left untreated
the patient may lose vision, and even become
blind. The disease generally affects
both eyes, although one may
have more severe signs
and symptoms than the
other.
There is a small space
in the front of the eye
called the "anterior
chamber". Clear liquid
flows in-and-out of the anterior
chamber, this fluid nourishes and bathes
nearby tissues. If a patient has glaucoma,
the fluid does not drain properly - it drains
too slowly - out of the eye. This leads to fluid
build-up, and pressure inside the eye rises.
Unless this pressure is brought down and
controlled, the optic nerve and other parts
of the eye may become damaged, leading to
loss of vision.
Treatments involve either improving the
flow of fluid inside the eye, reducing its
production, and sometimes both. Damage
caused by glaucoma is irreversible. Even the
disease itself cannot be completely cured.
However, regular check-ups and proper
treatment can considerably slow
down the progression of the
disease, and even prevent
further loss of eyesight.
In the majority of cases, initial
treatment includes eyedrops.
Compliance is vital for best
results and to prevent undesirable
side effects - this means following the
instructions carefully.
Examples of eyedrops include: Prostaglandin
analogues - these medications have
prostaglandin-like compounds as their active
ingredient. They increase the outflow of
the fluid inside the eye. Some patients may
experience reddening and stinging of the
eyes, photophobia, some swelling around the
rim of the eye, as well as darkening of the iris.
The color of the eyelids may also change, and
there may be blurred vision.
Can Marathons Temporarily Hurt the Heart?
The thousands of runners who will take part in marathons
most likely believe they are strengthening their cardiovascular
system by participating. But new research suggests the strain
of a 30 kilometer run can temporarily damage heart muscle.
It turns out strenuous exercise can harm heart tissue, causing
inflammation and other problems, particularly among
runners who had lower fitness levels and less training. But
"there is no permanent damage.”
At the peak of their training, the men and
women involved in this study put in
about eight hours of running and
logged about 50 kilometers a
week, on average. After the race,
half of the runners showed a
decline in left and right ventricular
function -- defined as the operation
6
of the pumping chambers of the heart that take blood to the
lungs and the rest of the body. When a big area of the heart
was affected, there was also swelling and reduced blood flow.
The heart changes were more common in those runners who
had lower fitness levels and less training. But the damage
was temporary. "Age was not a predictor of cardiac problems.
Training was. The less the runners trained, the more changes
in the heart.”
Coaches recommend slowly increasing distance
by increments during training to
acclimate yourself to longer
distances. Experts seem to agree
that the findings [in this study]
were mild and transient and there
is little risk.
Twee vrae kan demensie identifiseer
Beweeglikheid is ’n belangrike aanwyser van gesonde
veroudering. Navorsers het studies ontleed wat tussen
1985 en 2012 gepubliseer is en wat beweeglikheid en
veroudering ondersoek het. Die ondersoek het bevestig dat
toenemende fisieke aktiwiteit en oefening uiters belangrik
vir gesonde veroudering is.
Beweeglikheidsprobleme is dikwels ’n vroeë teken van
naderende funksionele afname by seniors, wat hulle
vermoë om onafhanklik te woon, kan beïnvloed. Alle
senior pasiënte moet slegs twee vrae beantwoord:
• Vir gesondheids- of fisiese redes, is dit vir jou moeilik om
10 trappe te klim of 400 meter te stap?
• As gevolg van onderliggende gesondheids- of fisiese
redes, moes jy die manier waarop jy 10 trappe klim of
400 meter stap, aanpas?
Enige aanpassing van ’n taak, soos vir die klim van 10
trappe, is rede tot kommer. Deur die regte vrae te vra,
kan baie begryp word van die
vlak van beweeglikheid by ouer
pasiënte. Indien pasiënte se
antwoorde aantoon dat hulle
beweeglikheidsprobleme ervaar,
moet hulle na ’n fisioterapeut
verwys word om die geskikte hulp
ten opsigte van beweeglikheid te
ontvang.
Beweeglikheid is een van die
hoekstene van gesonde veroudering.
Met ’n toenemend ouer bevolking is dit
noodsaaklik om maniere te kry om senior burgers te help
om voort te gaan om goed en onafhanklik te leef. Die
grootste struikelblokke – gebrek aan fisieke aktiwiteit,
vetsug en rook – is alles risikofaktore wat met die geskikte
behandeling en hulp met welslae oorkom kan word.
Migraines Tied to Raised Risk of Depression
People who suffer from migraines are twice as
likely to be depressed as others without the
debilitating headaches, according to a new
study. And those who experience migraines,
particularly people younger than 30, are also
more likely to consider suicide, researchers
said.
Routine screenings and interventions are
needed for those migraine sufferers at
greatest risk for both depression and suicidal
thoughts. "It may be that younger
people with migraines have not
yet managed to find adequate
treatment or develop coping
mechanisms to minimize pain
and the impact of this chronic
illness on the rest of their lives."
As in previous studies,
migraines were much more
common among women, with
one in every seven women
reporting having migraines,
compared with one in every 16
men. Of study participants, more
than 8 percent of men and 12 percent
of women who experienced migraines also
suffered from depression, compared to just
above 3 percent of men and about 6 percent
of women who did not have migraines.
Younger people with migraines were much
more likely than older patients to develop
symptoms of depression. Women younger
than 30 who suffered from migraines had
six times the odds of being depressed than
adults aged 65 and older. Migraine sufferers
who were single or had trouble with
daily activities were also at increased
risk for depression.
Men and women with migraines
were also much more likely than
those without the headaches
to have seriously considered
committing suicide. Although
nearly 16 percent of men and
18 percent of women with
migraines said they thought
about taking their own life, about
8 percent of men and 9 percent of
women who didn't have migraines
said the same.
7
Gargling Sugar Water Can Boost Your Self-Control!
In order to have better self-control, all you
have to do is gargle sugar water. The finding
came from a study at the University of
Georgia, USA.
Fifty-one students were involved
in the study and were asked to
perform two assignments so that
the team could test self-control.
In the first assignment, the
subjects were asked to cross
out the Es on a page from a
statistics book, which has been
known to diminish self-control.
In the second task, they were
asked to identify the color of
different words, which actually
spell out the names of other
colors, that were flashed on a
monitor – (the Stroop test) the aim is
to turn off a person's inclination to read the
word instead of see the color.
The participants were divided into two
groups - half rinsed their mouths with
lemonade sweetened with sugar while they
completed the Stroop test and the other
group with artificially-sweetened lemonade.
According to the results, students who
rinsed with sugar responded to the color
rather than the word significantly faster
than those in the artificial sweetener group.
"Researchers used to think you had to
drink the glucose and get it into your
body to give you the energy to
(have) self control. After this trial,
it seems that glucose stimulates
the simple carbohydrate
sensors on the tongue. This, in
turn, signals the motivational
centers of the brain where
our self-related goals are
represented. These signals tell
your body to pay attention."
The Stroop test was completed
in about three to five minutes. A
measure of self-control was seen in
the results. Researchers said a glucose
mouthwash might not be sufficient to fix
certain self-control hurdles such as quitting
smoking or losing weight. "So, if you are
trying to quit smoking, a swish of lemonade
may not be the total cure, but it certainly
could help you in the short run."
Childhood Music Lessons May Offer Lifelong Benefits
Older adults who took music lessons during
childhood seem to have a faster brain response
to speech than those who never played an
instrument.
Musical training early in life has a long-term,
beneficial effect on how the brain processes
sound. The importance of music education for
children today will have an important influence
for healthy aging many years from
now.
As people age, they often
undergo brain changes that
affect hearing. For example,
the brains of older adults
have a slower response to
fast-changing sounds, which
8
is important for interpreting speech. Adults
with 4 to 14 years of music training had the
fastest response to the speech sound, about
a millisecond faster than those without music
training.
“Being a millisecond faster may not seem like
much, but the brain is very sensitive to timing
and a millisecond compounded over millions of
neurons can make a real difference in
the lives of older adults.
These findings confirm that
the investments that we
make in our brains early in
life continue to pay dividends
years later.”
How Many Calories
Should I Eat?
Recommended daily calorie intakes vary across
the world. According to the U.K. National Health
Service (NHS), the average male adult needs
approximately 2,500 calories per day to keep his
weight constant, while the average adult female
needs 2,000.
US authorities recommend 2,700 calories per day
for men and 2,200 for women. It is interesting
that in the UK, where people on average are
taller than Americans, the recommended daily
intake of calories is lower. Rates of overweight
and obesity among both adults and children
in the USA are considerably higher than in the
United Kingdom.
The NHS stresses that rather than precisely
counting numbers (calories), people should
focus more on eating a healthy and well
balanced diet, being physically active, and
roughly balancing how many calories are
consumed with the numbers burnt off each
day. If you eat your five portions of fruit and
vegetable per day you will probably live longer.
According
to the
United
Nation's Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), the average
person's minimum calorie requirement per day
globally is approximately 1,800 kilocalories.
Over the last twenty years, sugar has been
added to a growing number of foods we
consume. Unfortunately, food labels do not
include details on how much added sugar
there is - it has become almost impossible for
consumers to determine the amount of added
sugars in foods and beverages.
Timing as important as how many calories you
should eat. A big breakfast helps bring your
weight down or keep it down - researchers from
Tel Aviv University explained - a large breakfast,
one containing approximately 700 calories - is
ideal for losing weight and reducing your risk of
diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.
Mumps: Be Sure Your Child Is Fully Immunized
Mumps is a contagious disease that can cause serious
complications. You can protect your child from mumps
by vaccinating on time. Mumps typically starts with
fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of
appetite. Then, most people will have swelling of their
salivary glands. This is what causes the puffy cheeks and
a swollen jaw.
Complications from mumps can occur, such as:
• orchitis (swelling of the testicles in males who have
reached puberty);
• meningitis (swelling of the tissue covering the brain
and spinal cord);
• encephalitis (swelling of the brain);
• oophoritis (swelling of the ovaries) and/or
• mastitis (swelling of breasts) in females who have
reached puberty, and
• loss of hearing.
Mumps is caused by a virus. Infected people can spread
mumps when they breathe, cough, and sneeze. They can
also spread it by sharing items, such as eating utensils
and cups, and touching surfaces that are then touched
by others. Anyone who has not had mumps or has not
been vaccinated can get the disease.
Mumps vaccine is the best way to prevent mumps. It
is usually given as part of a combination vaccine that
protects against three diseases: measles, mumps, and
rubella (MMR). The MMR vaccine is strongly endorsed by
medical and public health experts as safe and effective.
Children should get two doses of MMR vaccine: the first
dose at 12 through 15
months of age, and
the second dose at
4 through 6 years
of age.
9
Ventilasie in die motor
en besoedeling
“Hersirkuleer” is die beste keuse om die
rookmis te vermy, sê navorsers. Die stellings
van jou motor se ventilasiestelsel het ’n groot
invloed op die vlakke van blootstelling aan
partikelbesoedeling wanneer jy in jou motor is.
Partikelbesoedeling is die swart, roeterige rook
wat dieselenjins en steenkoolkragaanlegte
produseer. Buiten om minder te bestuur, is
die beste manier om blootstelling aan alle
tipes voertuigverwante partikelbesoedeling
te verminder, om jou motor se ventilasie
op “hersirkuleer” te stel. Anders kan ’n uur
lange rit werk of skool toe jou daaglikse
blootstelling aan verkeersverwante partikellugbesoedelstowwe verdubbel.
Die vensters van motors is vir die duur van
die studie die hele tyd toegehou. As jy die
vensters oop hou wanneer jy vinnig bestuur,
styg die besoedelingkonsentrasies tot op
dieselfde vlak as wat dit op die vlak van die
pad is. Die navorsers het ook bevind dat
partikelbesoedelingsvlakke laer is in nuwer
motors, teen lae spoed, en wanneer daar
op ander paaie as die snelweë gery word.
Besoedelingsvlakke is vyf tot tien keer hoër op
snelweë as op ander paaie.
As jy die vensters vir 30 minute of langer
toe los met verskeie passasiers binne, styg
die koolstofdioksiedvlakke in die motors
Vergeleke met ventilasiestellings wat
. Sommige mense is gevoelig vir hoë
lug van buite af inbring, verminder die
koolstofdioksiedkonsentrasies. Om dit te
hersirkuleerstelling besoedeling binne die
voorkom, moet lug elke 10 of 15 minute vir ’n
motor van 80 persent op padvlak na 20 persent minuut of twee van buite af ingelaat word, veral
vir kleinpartikelbesoedeling, en van 70 persent as daar twee of meer mense in die voertuig is.
na 30 persent vir groter partikels.
Health Tip: When Deep Vein Thrombosis Causes Symptoms
See your doctor immediately
Deep vein thrombosis is a dangerous
condition that occurs when a blood clot
forms in a vein deep within the legs. The
clot ultimately can break away and travel to
the lungs.
Only about half of people with DVT have symptoms. If
warning signs do occur, they may include:
• Swelling of the leg or a leg vein.
• Tenderness or pain in the leg, especially
while standing or walking.
• Warmth in part of the leg.
10
•
•
Discolouration or redness.
Coughing blood, shortness of breath or
pain when breathing deeply.
If you have any of these symptoms, seek
medical attention at once.
Butternut and
Pecan Bake
Serves 6
A recipe with many advantages. It can be prepared
in advance - even the day before, but best of all, it
brings all those wonderful old-fashioned flavours
of honey, butter and cinnamon back to the modern
dinner table.
1 medium (800-900 g) butternut, peeled and cubed
¼ cup (60 ml) honey
2 T (30 ml) butter, melted
1 t (5 ml) cinnamon
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Meat Spice
1 lemon
¾ cup (180 ml) hot water
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman's Vegetable Stock Powder
½ cup (125 ml) pecan nuts, finely chopped
Toss the butternut with the honey, butter, cinnamon, Meat Spice and two teaspoons lemon
rind, grated from the lemon. Dish into a medium small buttered ovenproof dish. Dissolve
the Vegetable Stock in the hot water and add one tablespoon of lemon juice. Carefully pour
it in on the side of the dish so as not to wash off the coating on the butternut. Cover with
cling film and refrigerate if pre-preparing.
Preheat oven to 190°C. Sprinkle nuts over and bake for 35-40 minutes until the butternut is
soft and nuts are crisp.
Look after your teeth
Many people don't know how to
brush their teeth properly. Improper
brushing can cause as much damage
to the teeth and gums as not brushing
at all. Lots of people don’t brush for
long enough, don’t floss and don’t
see a dentist regularly. Hold your
toothbrush in the same way that
would hold a pencil, and brush for
at least two minutes. This includes
brushing the teeth, the junction of the
teeth and gums, the tongue and the
roof of the mouth. And you don't need
a fancy, angled toothbrush – just
a sturdy, soft-bristled one that you
replace each month.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that KK Publishers, it’s
contributors and/or associates cannot be held liable in
any way for errors that may occur in any of the articles
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11
Continued from front page ....
development of skin cancer (a squamous cell
carcinoma).
Actinic keratoses can be variable in
appearance, even differing from one another
within a single individual. At first they can be
hard to see, and are more easily felt, being
rough, like sandpaper. They may grow to a
centimetre or two in diameter. Some are skin
coloured, others are pink, red or brown. They
can become raised, hard and warty, and may
even develop a small horny outgrowth. The
surrounding skin often looks sun-damaged blotchy, freckled and wrinkled.
Treatments used for actinic keratoses include
the following:
 Freezing with liquid nitrogen (Cryotherapy). This
is an effective treatment which does
not normally leave a scar, but it can be
painful.
 Surgical removal. This requires local
injection into the affected skin with
anaesthetic, after which the actinic
keratosis can be scraped off with a sharp
spoon-like instrument (a curette), or it
can be cut out and the wound closed
with stitches.
 Creams. Courses of creams containing
drugs which may include 5-fluorouracil,
imiquimod or Ingenol mebutate gel are
useful treatments for actinic keratoses,
especially if there are many of them.
These preparations appear to selectively
destroy the abnormal cells in sundamaged skin. # Laser treatment may be
useful particularly for actinic keratosis
on the lips.
Protecting your skin from the sun will reduce
the number of new actinic keratoses you
get, and also reduce the risk of getting a
sun-induced skin cancer. You should be extra
cautious in the sun.
Avoiding all sunlight exposure if you suffer
from light sensitivity, or to reduce the risk
of melanoma and other skin cancers, may
be associated with Vitamin D deficiency. If
levels are reduced or deficient you may wish
to consider taking supplementary vitamin
D3 and increasing your intake of foods high
in Vitamin D such as oily fish, eggs, meat,
fortified margarines and cereals.
Seasons Greetings
Best wishes for a happy holiday season and our heartfelt
thanks and appreciation for your loyalty and
support throughout the year. May you
enjoy good health, peace and joy
in 2014.
Taffy & Staff