Fingernail and Tongue Analysis Tips.

Why do some Chinese physicians analyze the body based on the fingernails and tongue?

The fingernails indicate clearly the characteristics that correspond to the different organs of the body and overall bodily health. The fingernail regenerates every 6-8 months and shows the onset of illness markers slowly. The tongue replaces its top layer every 3 days. This fast rate of regrowth can trigger immediate detection of illness, faster than any other method.

A chronic disease would show up on both the nails and tongue, while a mild ailment may show up only on the tongue. Many times the fingernails and tongue will show illness or other health conditions earlier than a blood test.

Our mission is to introduce this method of early self diagnosis as a health tool all can use.

Tips to Analyze Your Own Fingernails and Tongue

* Black thin line vertical on the nail could be an indication of internal bleeding

* White spots on nail may be showing a hormone imbalance

* Red Cherry angiomas on the torso could be an indicator of estrogen dominance and sluggish liver. Cherry angiomas are raised strawberry colored dots that begin on the torso and sometimes spread over the arms and legs. Their appearance on the torso usually means that excess estrogen is attacking the liver.

* Red dots on both sides of the tongue could be showing estrogen dominance in women and men.

* Diagonal line on earlobe could be an indicator of heart disease.

* A crease in the middle of tongue shows digestive problems

* A brown wide line on the nail is a sign of melanoma

* Red tip on tongue could be showing heart disease

* Sudden onset of fine baby hair on the cheeks where none showed previously could be a sign of colon cancer or lung cancer

* Clubbing of the fingernails, where the tip of the nail curls over, is usually seen in smokers and people with lung problems, such as emphysema.

There are a number of very unique and well studied natural herbal remedies that can help with any of the above ailments and conditions.

Etiology

Above all, occupational exposure to chemical compounds (among others from the group of aromatic amines) is considered to be the factor leading to falling ill with cancer of the urinary bladder. Smoking tobacco is also mentioned (cancerogenic substances found in tobacco smoke such as nitrosamines, as well as tryptophane metabolites excreted in the urine). An additional risk factor, which may contribute to the development of more aggressive forms of cancer of the urinary bladder is a long exposure to foreign bodies and infections (mainly Schistosoma haematobium, it concerns African and Small Asia countries, as well as medicines – cyclofosphamide) and small pelvis irradiation due to another tumors in that area.

Genetic disturbances observed in the case of cancers of the urinary bladder are mainly the mutations within suppressor gene p53, oncogene erbB-2, p21, c-myc.

Symptoms

One of the most frequent symptoms of cancer of the urinary bladder, which forces the patient to visit a doctor is haematuria, sometimes with clots. With the advance of the tumor process disuric symptoms may take place, namely pain, bladder tenesmus, burning sensation during miction, sometimes temporary retention of urine. Pain in the lumbar area as well as features of urinary tracts infection may appear during a stasis of urine in the upper urinary tracts. The pain in pelvis and around groin as well as swelling of the lower extremities usually accompany further symptoms of the disease. The first ‘signaling’ symptoms are the pains caused by metastatic changes in bones.

Diagnosis

Even one haematuria or earlier mentioned pain symptoms are an absolute indication for a patient to be examined in order to exclude the possibility of cancer of the bladder. Ultrasonography should be the first examination in the diagnosis of cancer of the urinary bladder, when the tumor change may be depicted, provided that it is big enough, the bladder is full and the place on the wall accessible during examination.

In contrast examination unevenness of bladder contour, filling defects and rigidity of infiltrated wall may be observed depending on the value and the degree of infiltration.

When a suspicious change is detected in bladder, the character of the change should be explained as soon as possible by the means of histopathologic examination. Having done bimanual examination (in order to find any out of bladder changes) cystoscopy is done. During the examination, segments are taken for histopathologic examination.

The urine cytology examination seems proper, nonetheless the negative result does not exclude the presence of a tumor process.

Apart from the above-mentioned examination, morphology, general urine examination, urography (the evaluation of urethers and kidneys) as well as small pelvis computer tomography (the evaluation of local infiltration and the invading stage of lymph nodes) are done. In the case of pain disorders, radiological examination and bone system scinigraphy seem advisable. Similarly to other tumors, chest RTG, gynecological examination in women and an evaluation of prostate’s state in men are recommended. From the prognosis perspective, determining the degree of histological tumor malignancy (basic prognostic factor apart from the state of primeval tumor determined according to TNM classification) seems vital. The following degrees of differentiation are distinguished: well-differentiated cancer (G1) – about 45% of detected cancers, moderately differentiated (G2), poorly differentiated (G3) and undifferentiated cancer (G4). The diagnostic value of BTA and NMP-22 markers is being checked and their determination does not constitute a norm as far as diagnostic methods are concerned.

Histological Classification

Epithelial tumors:

- transitional cell papilloma – transitional cell papilloma infiltrating the bladder wall – planoepithelial papilloma – transitional cell carcinoma – kinds of transitional cell carcinoma: ” with planoepithelial transformation ” with adenous transformation ” with planoepithelial and adenous transformation – basal cell carcinoma – adenocarcinoma – anaplastic tumor

Non-epithelial tumors:

- adenoma – fibroma – myxoma – myoma – angioma – lipoma – pheochromocytoma – sarcoma

Classification

In order to estimate the level of progression the TNM classification or modified system by Jewett and Marshall are applied.

TNM Classification

Pathological classification pT, pN corresponds to T, N clinical classification.

T – primary tumor

Tx – Primary tumour cannot be assessed T0 – No evidence of primary tumour Tis – Carcinoma in situ, preinvasive tumor with focusal anaplasy (G1, G2, G3) within epithelium Ta – Noninvasive papillary carcinoma T1 – Tumor invades subepithelial connective tissue T2 – Tumor invades muscle T3 – Tumor deeply infiltrates a part of muscular coat not exceeding it (T3a) Tumor infiltrates the muscular coat (T3b) Tumor invades perivesical tissue T3a – extracapsular extensions (unilateral) T3b – extracapsular extensions (bilateral) T3c – Seminal vesicles infiltration T4 – Tumor invades other organs T4a – Tumor invades the prostate, uterus, vagina T4b – Tumor invades the pelvic wall, abdominal wall

N – regional lymph nodes

Nx – Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed N0 – No regional lymph node metastasis N1- Regional lymph node metastasis N2 – Metastasis in a single lymph node, >2 cm but ≤5 cm in greatest dimension; or multiple lymph nodes, ≤5 cm in greatest dimension N3 – Metastasis in a lymph node, >5 cm in greatest dimension

M – distant metastases

MX – Distant metastases cannot be assessed M0 – No distant metastases M1- Distant metastases M1a – lymph nodes other than regional M1b – bone(s) M1c – other organs

In Whitmor-Catalon’s classification A, B, C, D degrees correspond to T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively in TNM classification.

Classification by Jewett and Marshall

Stage 0: No tumor found in the specimen superficial tumour not invading the submucosa carcinoma in situ Stage A: superficial tumour invading the submucosa Stage B: muscle invasive tumour Stage B1: superficial invasion (less than halfway) Stage B2: deep invasion (more than halfway) Stage C: invasion into the perivesical fat Stage D: Extra vesical disease, further specified in Stage D1: invasion of contiguous organ or regional lymph nodes metastases Stage D2: Extra metastases to distant organs

Treatment

The choice of treatment for patients suffering from urinary bladder cancer depends on the degree of progression according to TNM classification, the level of tumor’s histological malignancy and the general state of the patient.

Surgical treatment

Transurethral resection of tumor (TURT)

This method is used in the case of surface changes (Ta, T1, T2, as well as the multiple ones and when treating preinvasive tumor Tis, if the number of focuses is low and the atypy insignificant). TURT may be done also in the case of T3a tumors if the diameter of the base does not exceed 2 cm. In the case of advanced stages (T3, T4 ) it is sometimes used as paliative treatment.

Partial resection of urinary bladder

It is applied when a 3 cm microscope margin of healthy tissue is possible in big, individual focuses of T2 tumor and in the early period of T3.

Complete resection of urinary bladder (cystectomy)

A two-stage surgery which consists in cutting out a bladder together with lymph nodes and recreating the possibility to drain the urine from the upper urinary tracts.

The operation concerns patients suffering from:

- poorly differentiated cancer (G3) – early recurrence after treatment using other methods – tumors invading the neck of urinary bladder, prostate urethra, bladder triangle when urine flow from kidneys is impeded – extended and multifocal pre-invasive tumors – bleeding from the bladder impossible to control

Cystectomy is also done among patients who underwent unsuccessful partial resection and after recurrences after radiotherapy.

Three ways of urine flow are applicable. One of them, known as the Bricker’s is about creating ileal conduit for the urine to flow to a bag stuck to the skin. The second option is the creation of an intestinal cistern, which when full is emptied by the patient by self catheterization through a skin fistula. The most comfortable way is the creation of a surrogate urinary bladder linked to the urethra (a patient urinates moving his/her stomach muscles).

Radiotherapy

It is applied among patients who do not give their consent to the treatment or when a radical cystectomy is often impossible in their cases. Radiotherapy among patients in T2 to T4 progression stage creates a possibility of attaining a 5-year survival without disease recurrence among 35 to 45% of patients and a 5-year complete survival among 23-40%.

A 45 Gy dose is given for the pelvis and then a boost for bladder tumor is done up to 65 Gy dose. The introduction of conformal radiotherapy which consists in 3-dimensional planning system (3D CRT) into clinical practice in the recent years enables more effective application of radiotherapy in the radical treatment of urinary bladder cancer. Chemotherapy

In the case of urinary bladder cancer it is applied mainly as palliative treatment or together with surgical methods or radiotherapy.

Inductive chemotherapy aims at reducing the size of tumor most often before the radiation.

Most often applied treatment schemes are:

M-VAC

Metotreksat 30 mg/m2 im Doksorubicine 30 mg/m2 iv Cisplatine 70mg/m2 iv Vinblastine 3mg/m2 iv The pause between the cycles 28 days

M-VC

Metotreksat 30 mg/m2 im Cisplatine 70mg/m2 iv Vinblastine 3mg/m2 iv The pause between the cycles 28 days

CISCA

Cyklofosfamide 650 mg/m2 iv Doksorubicine 50 mg/m2 iv Cisplatine 100mg/m2 iv The pause between the cycles 21 – 28 days

Paclitaxel (monotherapy)

Paclitaxel 250 mg/m2 iv 1 day, the cycles repeated every 21 days

Direct bladder treatment

Such a method is recommended in the cases of:

- tumors of T1 degree (multiple) – multifocal changes of Ta type – lesions of Tis character

Most often used drugs are: thipotepa, BCG vaccine, mitomycine, doksorubicine.

BCG therapy of the surface tumor has been more effective so far than direct bladder chemotherapy, as it decreases the risk of regional recurrence and, what is more, decreases probability of undergoing the disease process at invasive cancer stage.

Prognosis

In the case of urinary bladder cancer the prognosis depends on the level of progression as well as the choice of optimal treatment and the internal state of patients. A percentage of 5-year cure most often oscillates around 50-70% as for the I and the II degree, and 20-30% as for the III degree. Longer survival periods are rarely reported in the IV degree.

Copyright 2006 Radoslaw Pilarski

Exercise is not only good for young skin, but it can also have amazing benefits for older skin too.

Exercise has been linked to benefits with the skin for years now, and it is no big surprise that if you exercise regularly, your skin will really reap the benefits. So just what benefits can exercise provide for older skin?

The Benefits of Exercise on Older Skin:

Keeping yourself in shape when you are older not only improves your fitness level, helps you to live longer, and help to firm the skin, but it can also help to heal the skin.

Older skin is generally more prone to wounds and sores, and exercise can really help to heal them. Even if you have never exercised in your life, if you start exercising regularly when you are older, you will still see the benefits.

As you get older, less exercise is needed and so you generally need to exercise for around fifteen minutes per day. It all depends upon the type of exercise which you do. If for example you fancy a walk, you only have to do fifteen minutes.

However, if you wanted to ride a stationary bike, you would have to do thirty minutes in order for the benefits to really show. The most essential thing to do before exercising is to warm up. If you do not warm up for at least ten minutes by stretching, you are likely to cause an injury to your body throughout the actual exercise.

Common skin problems in older people include age spots, bruising, Actinic Keratoses, and Cherry angiomas. Actinic Keratoses is basically a thick, rough, warty, growth which appears on sun exposed skin. Cherry angiomas are small, bright red domes which are created by dilated blood vessels.

Exercise helps by boosting antioxidants which fight free radicals which cause ageing. By fighting the free radicals, it leaves the skin healthier and younger looking and feeling, and that helps the skin to heal a lot better. The main benefit of exercise helping to heal wounds is that it stops infections.

Infections can be extremely worrying for elderly people and they can cause a lot of problems. As you get older your immune system is not as healthy as it used to be. This means that there is a lot more stress on it and it is harder to fight off any infection. Even small infections can lead to serious problems and sometimes in extreme cases, it could be fatal.

So what are the best exercises for older people then? Well walking is a really gentle exercise and many older people find it really enjoyable. Swimming is also another popular choice and there are often specially designed swimming days for older people too so check out your local pool to see if they offer these classes.

Some older people even go jogging, but obviously that will depend upon your current fitness level, you may simply wish to just stick to walking.

Generally all exercise can be done by any age. Even yoga can still be done whilst you are in your seventies! There really is no excuse and the benefits far outweigh the effort of having to actually do the exercise! So, if you want your skin to heal a lot quicker as well as keeping it firm and flexible, exercise is definitely the way to go about it!

Exercise generally increases collagen production which in turn helps to keep the skin firm. If you are an older person looking to start exercise, it is always important to check with your doctor to see what they recommend. They will be able to match you to something which will best fit your ability level.

Pregnancy brings with it many changes, emotionally, physically, and mentally. From a mental and emotional standpoint, you’re preparing to adopt a new role of parent, with all its accompanying responsibilities. Physically, of course, you’re dealing with changes in the shape, function, and movement of your body. While we have a society-wide belief that pregnant women are always glowing, that, unfortunately, is not always the case. No where is this more evident than in the skin problems of pregnancy.

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “the eyes are the window to the soul”. If this is true, your skin is the window to your current state of health and the changes taking place on the inside. During pregnancy, aside from all the other issues, you may also have to deal with a variety of skin changes, including rashes, acne, stretch marks, breaking nails, hair growth or loss, and dark blotches on the skin.

Most of these changes are directly linked to the enormous amount of hormonal fluctuations women experience during pregnancy. During pregnancy, there are all kinds of changes which can have impact on your skin, leading to new skin problems or worsening of existing ones. In some cases, pregnancy may actually help improve existing skin conditions. Let’s look at various skin conditions in more detail, defining the main ten skin problems of pregnancy.

1) Rashes. Rashes appear due to irritation of the skin. One common pregnancy rash is called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP). This is the most frequently seen condition specific to pregnancy. Women with PUPPP demonstrate a rash which starts on the abdomen and can spread to the breasts, arms, thighs, and buttocks.

2) Acne. Acne is another skin condition that may get better or worse during pregnancy. Acne is, at least in part, driven by hormones, so the hormones of pregnancy can lead to more breakouts for some women, and clearer skin for others.

3) Oily skin. Oily skin is third skin condition which may arise during pregnancy. This is related to increased levels of androgen, the male sex hormone, which causes an increase in sebum production. The more sebum produced, the oilier the skin. Many women report that their skin and hair becomes oilier during pregnancy. Most of the time, these issues can be addressed with over the counter oil controlling cleansers and products.

4) Stretch marks. The fourth skin problem of pregnancy, stretch marks arise when the under layers of the skin is stretched, resulting in visible striations on the surface of the skin. Stretch marks can be treated after the fact, but the best treatment is always prevention. Keeping your skin well moisturized, especially on your tummy, breasts, thighs, can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

5) Spider angiomas. These are another possible skin problem of pregnancy. Spider angiomas are groups of very tiny blood vessels which gather around a central point and radiate out like the legs of a spider. Pregnant women are likely to develop these on their chest, faces, arms, and sometimes on other places on the body. Most of these spider angiomas clear up after pregnancy.

6) Chloasma. Chloasma, also called melasma, or the “mask of pregnancy” is another skin condition which is diagnosed when certain areas of the skin turn darker because of excess pigmentation. Most often, this condition affects places of the skin which are most often exposed to sun, like the upper lip, forehead, cheeks. This condition is likely to clear up after pregnancy. Again, you can lessen your chances of chloasma by using a good (baby safe) doctor recommended sunscreen throughout the course of your pregnancy.

7) Too much hair. Changes in the hair are also common during pregnancy. Some women lose a lot of hair within a few months after delivery, while many are troubled with excess hair growth during pregnancy. Excess hair growth is most often seen on the lip and chin, and is triggered by an increase in androgen and other male hormones during pregnancy.

Brittle nails. Many women experience breaking, splitting, or brittleness to their nails during pregnancy. Physicians aren’t quite sure why this occurs, but it may be managed with an over the counter nail hardening polish. Check with your doctor.

9) Skin tags. Skin tags are little pieces of skin which over-grow and hang from the neck. These can increase in number during pregnancy. If you have skin tags before pregnancy, it may be that pregnancy will cause these to increase.

10) Atopic dermatitis. Also known as eczema, this skin condition may appear or worsen during pregnancy. Marked by extreme skin itchiness, too much scratching can lead to the skin become red, swollen, or cracked.

If you are pregnant, be sure to watch for these ten skin problems of pregnancy. If you begin to develop any of these conditions, seek appropriate medical advice; you don’t have to suffer through these conditions for the whole nine months. Chances are that your doctor will have recommendations which can address your skin problems so you can have healthy, beautiful skin, even while you’re pregnant.

A mole is an area of skin of different color to the rest of the body. Moles are caused by pigmented skin cells – melanocytes – grouping together instead of being distributed evenly. Doctors estimate that every human being has between ten and 50 moles.

Red moles can be alarming. They resemble a cross between a pimple or large freckle and will be about 0.2 inches wide, slightly larger than a freckle, and slightly raised. Like regular moles, they are thought to be partly hereditary in cause. If your mother, father and grandparents have or had red moles that were harmless, yours probably are as well. Moles a person is born with are more likely to be cancerous than ones that develop later.

Red moles can appear on the skin even on parts of the body not exposed to sunlight, such as the heels, genital area and armpits. They are more common, however, on the face, torso, arms and legs. If exposed to the sun for long periods on a regular basis, they can increase in size, at which point they are indicative of skin cancer. Avoiding the sun reduces the chance of getting red freckles.

A red mole can be expected to last for about fifty years. People above the age of 50 who find themselves with a red mole should consult a dermatologist, as it is abnormal.

Red moles are normal, but should not have any more colors and it is a worrying sign if the mole was previously another color. If a red mole keeps its shape and doesn’t enlarge and if it doesn’t have an oval or round border, it can be safely disregarded. If exposed to the sun, they can carry a risk of cancer. They should not be scratched as the resultant irritation can lead to melanoma.

For cancer to be cured, it is very important that it be detected early. Melanoma is a skin cancer which can metastasize, spreading to other parts of the body, with possibly fatal results. Particularly as you get older, it is wise to routinely examine your body. It is convenient to do so when emerging from the shower. While you may not be medically qualified, nobody knows your body as well as you do. Red moles should be checked for the danger signs mentioned above.

Cherry angioma, also referred to as Campbell de Morgan spots, are often confused with red moles.. These are superficial blood vessels, dilated capillaries close to the skin surface which can arise anywhere on the body, but are most often found on the torso. Cherry angioma are harmless, but can bleed generously when irritated. Most are tiny and flat, but they can reach a size of half an inch.

Many products have been developed for the removal of moles with no need for surgery and its concomitant scars. It should be borne in mind that if a product is described as “natural” but not “organic”, it may still contain undesirable chemicals.

Cherry angiomas are small red-purple splotches on your skin that usually manifest after you’ve turned 40 years old. They are quite harmless actually and do not have to be removed at all. Nobody really knows what causes these small spots to appear, but there are people who think that there is a link between cherry angiomas and stress.

Stress has been known to cause many problems for a person’s health. It has been held responsible for chest pains, indigestion, anxiety attacks, and other concerns. Is cherry angiomas one of the conditions that result from stress? Read on to find out!

A Scientific Look at Cherry Angiomas

They are also known as senile angiomas. The spots usually appear in the upper torso, arms and scalp. They are made up of a group of capillaries on the epidermis and remain flat for most of the time.

However, there are some instances when they become thicker. While there is no specific known cause for these tiny spots, medical experts point the finger at aging, chemical exposure, hormonal changes, and ultimately, stress!

Cherry Angiomas and Stress

So how does stress fit into the picture? According to some people, this disorder appears whenever they get stressed. Others also attribute the strange red spots to abnormal heart palpitations.

If you feel as healthy as a horse, there is another “cherry angiomas and stress relationship” you might want to consider. It has now been medically proven that stress makes you age faster. And age is one of the factors that eventually lead to this condition. You might be paving the way for these red spots more than you realize.

Treatment for Angiomas

It is not a harmful condition. However, a lot of people feel the need to remove the spots, because they aren’t exactly very flattering on the body.

If you find these spots appearing whenever you are stressed, then you already have an immediate solution to your problem. Manage your stress levels better and try to relax every once in a while.

If your condition doesn’t disappear, you can opt for surgery. You have the choice of electrosurgery, cryotherapy (freezing of the angiomas) and laser vaporization.

While this condition remain an enigma to most, there are a few factors that somehow help medical experts get closer to solving the mystery. The link between cherry angiomas and stress is one of those factors. Hopefully, there’ll be a more accurate and certain diagnosis of this condition.