Adenoids Surgery Not Always Effective

There was a time in the United States when doctors would remove tonsils and adenoids from young children simply as a matter of course so that they did not cause problems later on. Then, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as awareness of unnecessary surgeries grew and the medical profession came under increasing scrutiny, these surgeries tapered off and became all but unheard of except in the most extreme circumstances and after proving substantial medical necessity.

Recently, however, the incidence of both tonsillectomies and surgery for the removal of adenoids has been on the rise yet again. Doctors are suggesting to parents with children as young as three that their adenoids need to come out. The reasons given for surgery of the adenoids are usually because of sleep apnea or breathing difficulties. According to doctors, if the adenoid becomes too large it will partially block a child's breathing during sleep. Doctors will also remove adenoids because of frequent ear infections.

One thing, however, that many surgeons do not tell parents is that all of the adenoids cannot be removed with the surgery. Adenoid tissue will still remain, and it is not uncommon for the adenoid to regenerate and "grow back." When this occurs, symptoms also return.

Every surgery has risks. The most common risks involve complications with or reactions to anesthesia. Other risks involve excessive bleeding during the surgery or clotting issues following the surgery. And, of course, with any surgery the risk of infection is always present. When faced with a surgery, most patients weigh the benefits received from the surgery against the likelihood and severity of possible risks. And many rely upon what doctors tell them to make a decision.

The removal of adenoids is questionable, at best, and it is doubtful as to whether the benefits outweigh the risks of surgery, especially for a small child. Additionally, surgery should only be seen as a last course of action when all other options have been tried and have failed. Furthermore, every parent should remember that though breathing difficulties can be troubling and make a parent feel as though they should do "something," the tissues that make up the adenoids will begin to regress in size during adolescence. Some of the reasons why doctors suggest that adenoids be removed such as recurrent ear infections also abate with age.

Rather than subjecting a young child to the trauma and possible risks of unnecessary surgery, parents might want to consider investigating treatments for adenoids without surgery. Surgery to remove the adenoids would seem a drastic step when so many other options are available.

When you improve breathing, you improve your total health and reduce or eliminate the need for adenoids surgery. The Buteyko Center http://www.breathingcenter.com/ offers a free breathing test online and a free Buteyko Health Evaluation report with our recommendations. The test will help you determine whether you hyperventilate or not, and if so to what degree, and how that may be affecting the quality of your sleep, as well as recommendations for improvement.

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The Importance of Oxygen

Oxygen is a vital element for our immune system, and sometimes our cells can become deprived of this element due to our diets or exercise. Things in the air can also cause our systems to be deprived of oxygen, which we all need to live because without it, our health becomes in danger. When our body becomes unhealthy due to the lack of oxygen, we are more susceptible to diseases and viruses. Oxygen helps destroy the germs or bad bacteria in our bodies.

The world we live in has created a bad environment for obtaining the oxygen our bodies need to function properly. The pollutants in the air affect our breathing, and they can sometimes cause us to need extra oxygen to breathe properly. The air around us is made up of several different gases, but the oxygen in the air is one of the most important gases to us since it is our main element for living. The environment we live in is causing the oxygen in the air to decrease daily, and clean air with enough oxygen is important for our bodies to be healthy.

Our bodies operate better, when we receive the right amount of oxygen since it allows our brain to think better and it improves our metabolic functions. Oxygen plays a role in functions such as blood circulation and digestion of nutrients in our bodies, and it helps build healthier immune systems.

When people have trouble getting the proper amounts of oxygen, they may need help by wearing oxygen masks to help supplement their oxygen. The masks can control just how much oxygen they are receiving, and it gives them the needed oxygen to survive. Oxygen masks can be the difference between life and death.

So many things can rob us of oxygen such as the pollutants in the air. Eating the foods that are not healthy for us can deplete our oxygen as well, and some of those foods that rob us of our oxygen are junk foods, caffeinated drinks and fats. The best foods to eat that will help to preserve our oxygen are complex carbohydrates and fruits as well as vegetables since they are higher in oxygen making them better for us. Another factor that can rob us of oxygen is stress, and this stress can include our daily work, traumatic events and depression. These stress factors can cause our bodies to use up its oxygen quicker, and the effect of low oxygen in our bodies is important to our health and the way we live daily.

Mithul Mistry is writing on behalf of Pure O2, specialists in Oxygen.

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Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a term used to describe a syndrome that has a severe and frequent tiredness and is unable to be resolved by resting. CFS is different from general tiredness because there is no cause such as another disease for the condition.

The causes of CFS are not exactly known and doctors have theorized that it may be a result of the human herpes-6 virus or the Epstein-Barr virus, but an exact cause has yet to be pinpointed. An inflammation of the nervous system has also been hypothesized since a faulty immune system response can cause extreme tiredness.

CFS is most common in women between the ages of 30 to 50 and other factors such as age, stress, the environment, previous illnesses and genetics can influence its development.

The symptoms are similar to other illnesses, which makes it difficult to diagnose and may cause doctors to overlook the condition. It can be mistaken for the flu or other viral conditions. These typically include some or all of the following: headache, muscle aches and, of course, extreme fatigue and tiredness.

CFS differentiates from other illnesses if the symptoms persist for a period of at least 6 months. The symptoms appear as a new condition and are unable to be relieved by bed rest alone. CFS leaves an individual unable to do many of their normal activities. Other symptoms that may indicate that someone has CFS include feeling tired for more than 24 hours in a row, not feeling refreshed after a long rest period, problems concentrating, frequent forgetfulness, irritability, a constant and mild fever, sore throat or sore and swollen lymph nodes under the arms or in the neck.

To be diagnosed with CFS a doctor must first rule out other very common causes of fatigue such as drug or alcohol dependence, infections, muscle and nerve diseases, psychiatric or psychological illnesses, tumours and immune or autoimmune disorders which all have fatigue as a significant side effect.

While there are no specific tests for chronic fatigue, doctors have been able to see abnormal results with both white blood cell counts and on a brain MRI. Since there is no established cure for the disease, doctors focus on trying to relieve the symptoms as much as possible to make life comfortable. Treatment methods may include cognitive-behaviour theory, a healthy diet and sleep management.

Some medications may also be used in treatment to treat the symptoms including depression, pain and anxiety. Relaxation and stress-management can also improve the lives of those with CFS.

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