Most women can continue with their everyday activities during pregnancy and only need to make some minor lifestyle changes. The health and well-being of both the woman and the developing fetus are of primary concern during pregnancy, so it is best to avoid consuming certain foods and doing potentially risky activities.

1)Drinking alcohol

When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol crosses the placenta and can affect the fetus. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may cause fetal alcohol syndrome.

A fetus that gets exposure to alcohol in the womb may develop a wide range of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. These disorders can cause the following health issues:

• physical abnormalities
• intellectual disabilities
• behavioral problems
• seizures
• poor growth
• developmental delays
• reduced coordination and fine motor skills

2)Eating certain foods

It is common for pregnant women to avoid certain foods during pregnancy, either due to a change in their sense of smell or because the food makes them feel ill. However, there are some foods that all pregnant women should avoid eating. These include:

• Lunch meat and deli salads: Deli meats and foods, such as premade chicken salad, may contain listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that can cross the placenta and may be deadly for the fetus.
• Unpasteurized juice and dairy: As with deli meats, unpasteurized dairy products and juices can contain listeria and other bacteria that may cause food poisoning.
• Some soft cheeses: Certain soft cheese may contain unpasteurized dairy, particularly imported soft cheeses, such as brie, feta, and queso blanco.
• Fish high in mercury: Swordfish, shark, and mackerel are among the fish that contain high levels of mercury. According to March of Dimes, exposing the fetus to mercury may cause brain damage or hearing and vision problems.
• Raw meat and fish: Raw meat and fish, including sushi and raw oysters, can contain both salmonella and toxoplasmosis. Pregnant women have an increased risk of getting foodborne illness from these pathogens. Foodborne illness may cause dehydration, fever, and intrauterine sepsis, a blood infection that can be deadly to the fetus.
• Raw eggs: Raw eggs can also contain salmonella. Pregnant women should avoid any foods that may contain raw eggs, such as unbaked cookie dough or homemade Caesar salad dressing.

3)Too much caffeine

In the same way as alcohol, caffeine can cross the placenta and affect the fetus.

While much of the data regarding pregnancy and caffeine consumption is inconclusive, research suggests that it is best to limit the intake of caffeine to 300 milligrams (mg) per day. Some experts believe that quantities greater than this can be harmful to the fetus and may increase the risk of pregnancy loss and low birth weight.

March of Dimes recommend that pregnant women consume no more than 200 mg of caffeine per day. This amounts to about 1.5 cups of coffee per day.

4)Hot tubs, saunas, and overheating

While relaxing in hot water may sound like an effective way to ease pregnancy discomfort, experts recommend avoiding hot tubs and saunas.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, hot tubs can cause hyperthermia, or abnormally high body temperature, which may lead to congenital abnormalities.

Additional activities that may cause the body temperature to rise too high include:

• hot yoga or Pilates
• sunbathing for too long
• exposure to extreme heat
• strenuous exercise
• dehydration

5)Contact sports

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that pregnant women avoid contact sports, such as football or boxing.

Contact sports increase the risk of placental abruption, which is the premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall. Placental abruption is a severe condition that can cause preterm birth, pregnancy loss, or stillbirth.

Pregnant women are also more prone to injury as hormonal changes in the body cause the ligaments to become looser.

6)Activities with a fall risk

After the first trimester, pregnant women should avoid any activity which carries the risk of falling, including skiing, ice-skating, and rock climbing.

During pregnancy, the center of gravity shifts as the belly expands, so even a minor fall may result in injuries.

7)Amusement park rides

Many amusement parks do not allow pregnant women on some rides, including roller coasters or any rides that may start or stop suddenly.

The jarring motion of these rides can cause placental abruption.

8)Changing a litter box

Pregnant women should avoid changing a litter box. Cleaning dirty litter boxes can put a person at risk of toxoplasmosis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if a pregnant woman passes toxoplasmosis to the fetus, the baby may develop severe symptoms, including:

• blindness
• intellectual disabilities
• brain damage
• eye damage

9)Heavy lifting

According to the American Pregnancy Association, pregnant women should avoid heavy lifting. For some women, lifting heavy objects can increase the risk of:

• pulled muscles
• hernias
• low birth weight
• preterm labor

10)Smoking

Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can cause harm to both the woman and the baby. Aside from an increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer, smoking when pregnant can also cause the following problems during and after pregnancy:

• premature birth
• congenital abnormalities, such as cleft lip or cleft palate
• sudden infant death syndrome
• issues with the placenta

Women should stop smoking as soon as they know that they are pregnant and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. Women who are struggling to quit smoking can talk to a doctor about the help and additional resources that are available.

11)Drugs

While illegal drug use is always dangerous, it can be even more harmful during pregnancy.

Using illegal drugs or misusing certain prescription drugs can cause a newborn to go through neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). A baby with NAS will go through substance withdrawal at birth.

Additionally, drug use can increase the risk of stillbirth, pregnancy loss, and congenital abnormalities.

12)Taking certain medications

Pregnant women should avoid some over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications while pregnant, as these can harm the fetus.

Doctors recommend avoiding the following medications while pregnant:

• ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• most herbal remedies
• ACE inhibitors
• some cold medications during the first trimester
• cold and flu medications that contain specific ingredients
• some acne medications

A doctor or pharmacist can provide advice on which medications are safe to use and can often recommend alternatives if women can no longer take their regular medicines.

13)Some types of exercise

Although doctors recommend that most pregnant women exercise, certain types of exercise are not suitable during pregnancy.

Pregnant women should try to avoid exercise that involves:

• bouncing, leaping, and jumping
• sudden changes in direction
• jarring or jerky movements
• abdominal exercises on the back, such as situps, after the first trimester

Many exercises, such as walking, swimming, and squats, can be beneficial during pregnancy. It is best to speak to a doctor about any existing or new exercise routines.

Psoriatic arthritis usually occurs in people who already have psoriasis. People with psoriatic arthritis experience symptoms of both the skin condition and arthritis.

When children and adolescents develop the condition, doctors diagnose them with juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA).

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an autoimmune disorder.

Medical experts believe that it develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells, causing them to grow too quickly. The cells then build up to form red patches of flaky, crusty skin.

The immune system can also attack a person’s joints and cause pain and inflammation.

Psoriasis affects up to 7.5 million people in the United States. Every year, doctors diagnose around 20,000 children aged under 10 years with the condition.

Research suggests that around one-third of the children or adolescents with psoriasis also develop arthritis.

Symptoms

Symptoms of JPsA can vary considerably among individuals, but they may include:

• stiffness, pain, and swelling of one or more joints, often located in the fingers or toes
• pitted nails
• stiffness in the morning and reduced range of movement
• fatigue
• swelling, redness, and pain in the eyes
• a red and sometimes itchy rash on the joints, scalp, face, and trunk

Causes and risk factors

The medical community does not fully understand what causes JPsA, but it believes that a combination of genetics and environmental triggers may be responsible.

However, a parent may not always pass on the condition to their child, and some people develop JPsA without having a family history of the condition.

Also, environmental factors may trigger the onset of JPsA or cause existing symptoms to flare up.

Possible triggers of psoriasis may include:

• emotional stress
• skin damage or injury
• certain medications
• some infections, such as strep throat and respiratory infections
• dietary factors
• allergies
• certain types of weather

JPsA most often appears between the ages of 11 and 12. Girls are more likely to develop it when they are younger and boys when they are older.

Some research suggests that young people who are overweight or obese may have an increased risk of developing JPsA.

Diagnosis

Early diagnosis improves the chances of successful treatment and the prevention of joint damage and other complications.

A doctor specializing in pediatrics, a dermatologist, or a rheumatologist will begin by performing a physical examination.

They will also ask the parent or caregiver if there is a family history of psoriasis or arthritis.

If the young person has characteristic symptoms of psoriasis, such as the telltale rash, the diagnosis is usually straightforward.

Otherwise, the doctor can perform several diagnostic tests, such as:

• Antinuclear antibody blood test. The presence of certain antibodies in the blood can point to autoimmune disorders, including JPsA.
• MRI or X-ray. These imaging tests can detect damage to the bones or joints.
• Uric acid test. A raised level of uric acid in the urine can indicate JPsA.
• Eye exam. The doctor may perform a more detailed examination of the child’s eyes to look for signs of inflammation that can point to JPsA.

Treatment

Treatment for JPsA aims to relieve pain, reduce swelling, and prevent further damage to the joints.

Medications, dietary changes, and physical therapy can help.

A doctor may recommend:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). These include over-the-counter painkillers, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, and some prescription medications. NSAIDS can reduce inflammation, joint pain, and stiffness.
• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). A doctor may prescribe these to relieve more severe symptoms. Corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs are some examples.
• Biologics. A doctor prescribes these if a person with PsA has not responded to other drug therapies. Biologics are a protein-based drug that targets specific parts of the immune system.

Due to a lack of safety data, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not approved most DMARDs and biologics for use in children.

However, some doctors may still prescribe these drugs when JPsA is severe or difficult to treat.

Dietary changes can also help some people with JPsA. A doctor may recommend:

• Nutritional supplementation. Adjusting the diet or taking supplements to boost the intake of vitamin D and calcium can help. These nutrients strengthen and otherwise support the health of the bones.
• Trigger avoidance. Some foods may trigger symptoms, and avoiding them may help to prevent flare-ups. However, there is limited research in this area.

Physical therapies may include:

• Exercise. Exercise can strengthen joints and increase flexibility, and it also supports overall health and well-being. A physiotherapist can advise about the best exercise plan for each child.
• Occupational therapy. An occupational therapist can help to address any issues a child may have when performing everyday tasks.
• Hydrotherapy. This involves exercising in a warm pool, and it can be a gentle way to strengthen joints and improve flexibility. A physiotherapist usually supervises these sessions.

If a psoriatic rash is present, the doctor may recommend topical treatments, such as moisturizers and steroid creams or ointments.

Light therapy, or phototherapy, can also help to treat this type of rash. Sessions involve exposing the skin to ultraviolet light. A dermatologist will usually carry out these sessions in a clinic or hospital.

The following lifestyle changes can also help to reduce symptoms of JPsA:

• avoiding smoke from cigarettes and other tobacco products, as secondhand smoke can trigger flare-ups in some children
• eating a healthful and balanced diet
• maintaining a healthy weight

Heart disease is one of the most common health problems that men face. By knowing some of the signs and symptoms of heart disease, they may be able to reduce their risk of developing serious complications, such as a heart attack.

Heart disease is a term referring to a range of heart health issues. These include:

• coronary artery disease
• arrhythmias
• heart failure
• angina
• other heart-related irregularities, infections, and birth abnormalities

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease affects more than 1 in 3 men in the United States.

In some cases, a person may have evident signs of heart disease that are easily recognizable. It is possible, however, to develop heart disease without experiencing any noticeable symptoms.

Are symptoms different in men and women?

Men and women share many of the same symptoms for heart disease and heart attacks.

However, men are more likely to experience the well-known heart attack symptoms such as:

• crushing chest pain
• squeezing, discomfort, or fullness in the chest
• pain in the arm, jaw, or back
• shortness of breath
• cold sweat
• nausea

Women are less likely to experience crushing chest pain. They have a higher chance of having the following symptoms instead:

• pain in the jaw, neck, or chest
• feeling faint or lightheaded
• squeezing on the upper back
• fullness, pressure, or squeezing in the center of the chest

As a result, women are more likely to ignore their cardiac symptoms as it is less obvious that they relate specifically to the heart.

Signs of heart disease in men

In some cases, a heart attack or another severe heart-related event may be one of the earliest signs of heart disease that a man notices.

However, there are often some earlier symptoms and signs that they can look for, which may help to prevent a heart attack, stroke, or other complications of heart disease.

These include the following:

Symptoms of heart arrhythmias

Heart arrhythmias occur when the heart beats irregularly, or too quickly or slowly. Some symptoms to look for include:

• fainting or dizziness
• a sensation of the heart racing, or beating too slowly or irregularly
• discomfort or pressure in the chest that can last for up to 30 minutes
• difficulty catching the breath after moderate exercise such as walking up stairs
• unexplained pain in the jaw, neck, or torso

Symptoms of blood vessel problems

Blood vessels can constrict or narrow over time. When this occurs, it is more difficult for blood to pass through the veins and arteries and this puts greater strain on the heart when it pumps.

Some early symptoms of narrowing blood vessels include:

• shortness of breath
• extreme fatigue
• an irregular heartbeat
• chest pain or angina
• a feeling of pain, numbness, swelling, tingling, coldness, or weakness in the outer extremities

Diagnosis

Diagnosing heart disease often begins with a physical examination.

At “Vistasol Medical Group” during the examination, our doctor will discuss any symptoms that a person is experiencing and any risk factors they may have for developing heart disease.

After assessing a patient’s physical health, symptoms, and risk factors, a doctor may run several diagnostic tests to determine if a person has any form of heart disease.

Many doctors will order a stress test that looks at how the person and heart respond to moderate exercise. A doctor will monitor a person as they walk or run on a treadmill to gauge whether or not they are likely to have narrowing of the blood vessels.

A doctor may also use an MRI scan to check for blockages that could be causing a restriction in blood flow.

If they confirm a blockage, the doctor will need to determine its exact location. The method for this is invasive but should not be painful.

A cardiologist will use a long, thin tube to insert a dye into the blood vessels of the heart, in a procedure called cardiac catheterization. A radiologist will then take a series of X-ray images of the heart and arteries, called an angiogram.

7 things you didn’t know about your brain

The brain — the central “control unit” of our bodies, repository of memories and emotions. Throughout history, philosophers have believed that the brain may even house that intangible essence that makes us human: the soul. What should we know about our brains?

The main organ of the human nervous system, the brain manages most of our bodies activities and processes information received from both outside and inside the body and is the very seat of our emotions and cognitive abilities, including thought, long- and short-term memory, and decision-making.

The first mention of this organ was recorded in an Ancient Egyptian medical treatise known as the “Edwin Smith surgical papyrus,” after the man who discovered this document in the 1800s.

Since then, our understanding of the brain has expanded immeasurably, although still we contend with many mysteries surrounding this key organ.

In this Spotlight, we look at some of the most important facts we have uncovered about the brain — and some aspects that remain to be understood.

1. How big are our brains?

Brain size varies widely, depending largely on age, sex, and overall body mass. However, studies have suggested that the adult male brain weighs, on average, about 1,336 grams, whereas the adult female brain weighs around 1,198 grams.

In terms of dimensions, the human brain isn’t the largest. Of all mammals, the sperm whale — an underwater denizen weighing an impressive 35–45 tons — is known to have the biggest brain. But, of all the animals on Earth, human brains have the largest number of neurons, which are specialized cells that store and transmit information by electrical and chemical signals.Traditionally, it has been said that the human brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons, but recent investigations have questioned the veracity of that number. Instead, Brazilian neuroscientist has discovered that the number is closer to 86 billion neurons.

2. What makes a brain?

The human brain makes up, alongside the spinal chord, the central nervous system. The brain itself has three main parts:

The brain is globular in shape and made of soft tissue.

• the brainstem, which, like a plant’s shoot, is elongated, and which connects the rest of the brain with the spinal chord
• the cerebellum, which is located at the back of the brain and which is deeply involved in regulating movement, motor learning, and maintaining equilibrium
• the cerebrum, which is the largest part of our brains and fills up most of the skull; it houses the cerebral cortex (that has a left and a right hemisphere separated by a long groove) and other, smaller structures, all of which are variously responsible for conscious thought, decision-making, memory and learning processes, communication, and perception of external and internal stimuli

Brains are made of soft tissue, which includes gray and white matter, containing the nerve cells, non-neuronal cells (which help to maintain neurons and brain health), and small blood vessels.

They have a high water content as well as a large amount (nearly 60 percent) of fat.

The brain of the modern-day human — Homo sapiens sapiens — is globular, unlike the brains of other early hominids, which were slightly elongated at the back. This shape, research suggests, may have developed in Homo sapiens about 40,000–50,000 years ago. 

3. How ‘hungry’ are our brains?

Despite the fact that the human brain is not a very large organ, its functioning requires a whole lot of energy.

“Although the [human] brain weighs only 2 percent of the body [mass], it alone uses 25 percent of all the energy that your body requires to run per day,” Herculano-Houzel explained in a presentation.

And why does the brain need so much “fuel?” Based on studies of rat models, some scientists have hypothesized that, while most of this energy is expended on maintaining ongoing thought and bodily processes, some of it is probably invested in the upkeep of brain cells’ health.

But, according to some researchers, at first sight, the brain, seemingly inexplicably, uses up a lot of energy during what is known as the “resting state,” when it is not involved in any specific, targeted activities.

According to James Kozloski, “Inactivity correlated networks appear even under anesthesia, and these areas have very high metabolic rates, tipping the brain’s energy budget toward a large investment in the organism’s doing nothing,” he writes.

But Kozloski’s hypothesis is that no large amount of energy is spent for no reason — so why does the brain seem to do it? In fact, he says, it doesn’t.

Energy spent “doing nothing,” he says, is actually put toward assembling a “map” of accumulating information and experiences that we can fall back on when making decisions in our day-to-day lives.

4. How much of our brains do we use?

One long-circulating myth has it that humans typically use only 10 percent of their brain capacity, suggesting that, if only we knew how to “hack into” the other 90 percent, we might be able to unlock amazing abilities.

The idea that we only use 10 percent of our brains is a myth. Actually, we use most of our brains pretty much all of the time.

While it remains unclear exactly where this myth originated and how it spread so speedily, the idea that we could somehow tap into as yet unclaimed brain power is certainly a very attractive one.

Still, nothing could be farther from the truth than this piece of urban lore. Just consider what we discussed above: even in a resting state, the brain is still active and requires energy.

Brain scans have shown that we use pretty much all of our brains all of the time, even when we’re asleep — though patterns of activity, and the intensity of that activity, might differ depending on what we’re doing and what state of wakefulness or sleep we’re in.

“Even when you’re engaged in a task and some neurons are engaged in that task, the rest of your brain is occupied doing other things, which is why, for example, the solution to a problem can emerge after you haven’t been thinking about it for a while, or after a night’s sleep, and that’s because your brain’s constantly active,” said neurologist Krish Sathian, who works at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

“If it were true that we only use 10 percent of the brain, then we could presumably sustain damage to 90 percent of our brain, with a stroke […] or something like that, and not [experience] any effects, and that’s clearly not true.”

Krish Sathian

5. Right- or left-brained?

Are you right-brained or left-brained? Any number of Internet quizzes will claim to be able to assess whether you predominantly use the right or left hemisphere of your brain.

And this has implications about your personality: allegedly, left-brained people are supposed to be more mathematically inclined and analytical, while right-brained people are more creative.

But how true is this? Once more the answer, I’m afraid, leans toward “not at all.” While it is true that each of our hemispheres has slightly different roles, individuals do not actually have a “dominant” brain side that governs their personality and abilities.

Instead, research has revealed that people use both of the brain hemispheres pretty much in equal measure.

However, what is true is that the left hemisphere of the brain is more concerned with the use of language, while the right hemisphere is applied more to the intricacies of nonverbal communication.

6. How do brains change with age?

As we age, parts of our brain begin to shrink naturally and we begin to gradually lose neurons. The frontal lobe and the hippocampus — two key brain regions in regulating cognitive processes, including memory formation and recall — start shrinking when we hit 60 or 70.

As we age, we begin to lose neurons. But new research suggests that adult brains can also generate new cells.

This means that we could naturally begin to find learning new things, or performing several tasks at the same time, more challenging than before.

There is some good news, as well, however. Till not too long ago, scientists used to believe that once we started to lose neurons, that would be it — we would be unable to create new brain cells and had to resign ourselves to that.

However, it turns out that this isn’t true. Researcher Sandrine Thuret, from King’s College London in the United Kingdom, has explained that the hippocampus is a crucial part in the adult brain in terms of generating new cells.

(And this makes sense if you consider that it plays an important role in processes of learning and memory.)

The process in which new nerve cells are created in the adult brain is called neurogenesis, and, according to Thuret, estimates suggest that an average adult human will produce “700 new neurons per day in the hippocampus.”

This, she suggests, means that when we reach middle age, we will have replaced all the neurons that we had in this brain region in the beginning of our lives with ones that we produced during adulthood.

7. Is perception ‘a controlled hallucination?’

A great mystery of the human brain is linked with consciousness and our perception of reality. The workings of consciousness have fascinated scientists and philosophers alike, and though we are slowly inching closer to an understanding of this phenomenon, much more still remains to be learned.

Anil Seth, a professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience from the University of Sussex in the U.K., who specializes in the study of consciousness, has suggested that this intriguing process is based on a sort of “controlled hallucination,” which our brains generate to make sense of the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v=lyu7v7nWzfo