More than a million people are affected by Type 2 diabetes and don’t even know it. And the risks they face are high: Left untreated, the condition can raise the risk of heart attacks, blindness and amputation.

Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for 90 percent of cases.

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, the hormone that converts glucose into energy, or when the body stops responding to insulin, triggering high levels of glucose in the blood. This causes symptoms such as fatigue, thirst, frequent urination, recurrent thrush and wounds that are slow to heal.

Most people associate Type 2 diabetes with being overweight, eating junk food or a couch-potato existence. Yet research suggests that modest weight gain, or even relatively minor disruptions to normal sleep patterns, could be enough to cause it. If you regularly get less than five hours’ sleep, your risk of getting diabetes is double that of someone who gets seven to eight hours.

It’s thought the danger arises because lack of rest upsets the body’s circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates natural sleep and wake cycles.

Being awake when we should be asleep increases the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which promotes the generation of glucose (to provide energy to the body to keep it going).

Our fast-paced society takes its toll on sleep. The average American sleeps about 7–7 1/2 hours a night. A hundred years ago, the average was 9 hours.

Insomnia isn’t just an occasional rough night or sleeping less than you think you should. The key question to determine if you have insomnia is “How rested do I feel?” If you have all the energy and alertness you want, you don’t have insomnia, no matter how little sleep you get. On the other hand, if you’re tired and drowsy all day, you may have insomnia, even if you’re in bed 12 hours a night. The quality of sleep is as important as the quantity. For example, if you’re struggling for breath all night or your body can’t relax because of stress and tension, you may not feel rested, no matter how much you sleep.

There are at least three kinds of insomnia: problems getting to sleep, problems staying asleep and waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep. Problems getting to sleep (sleep-onset insomnia) are often due to stress, too much activity or anxiety at bedtime, or bad sleep habits.

Problems staying asleep (sleep-maintenance insomnia) are often due to medical problems such as sleep apnea or an enlarged prostate. We all wake up 12–15 times a night, but we usually get right back to sleep without ever realizing or remembering we’ve been awake. It’s insomnia if you can’t get back to sleep easily. Problems with waking up too early are often a sign of depression, or they may be caused by noise and light in the bedroom.

Until recently, though, it was thought that lack of sleep had few long-term health effects. The main concern has been accidents and mistakes due to poor concentration and fatigue. But recent studies at institutions such as the University of Chicago and Pennsylvania State University have shown that sleep deprivation (getting at least two hours less than you want) leads to insulin resistance, increases in appetite and higher levels of stress hormones in the blood — conditions that can contribute to the development of diabetes. Some researchers believe there may also be a connection between sleep disorders and heart disease.

While sleeplessness can promote diabetes, symptoms associated with high blood glucose, low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) and some diabetes complications can also interfere with sleep. If your blood glucose level is high, you may be in the bathroom urinating every few hours during the night. Hypoglycemia can cause nightmares, night sweats, or headache; hunger that wakes you up to get food; or symptoms associated with daytime hypoglycemia such as rapid heartbeat, dizziness, or shaking.

It is important to realize that sleep (or the lack of it) is just one of the factors which influence diabetes Type 2, but it is an important factor, all right. We can safely conclude that someone with regular and quality sleep drastically reduces the probability of diabetes.

The benefits of a good night’s sleep and conversely, the consequences of quality sleep deprivation, generally are well documented. The durations of adequate and inadequate sleeping may vary, though, depending on age. Recent studies have increasingly been establishing a connection between quality sleep deprivation and diabetes Type 2.

In other words, quality sleep deprivation can cause diabetes Type 2.

Does this mean that all I need to do to combat diabetes is get a good night’s sleep?

Yes and no. Sleep deprivation has a direct correlation to blood sugar control.

In fact, according to a recent study for the University of Chicago, restoring a healthy amount of sleep may be as powerful an intervention as the drugs currently used to treat Type 2 diabetes. This suggests that improving sleep quality in diabetics would have a similar beneficial effect as the most commonly used anti-diabetes drugs.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.

Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Readers should always consult their healthcare providers to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation, or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics.

His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” was released this month. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

Medical breakthroughs have led to a near doubling of human lifespan over the last century, from 47 years old in 1900 to nearly 80 years old today. Infectious diseases and bacterial infections that used to kill millions of people each year have been tamed, though not eliminated. Some cancers can now be treated or eradicated by detecting them early with scanners and other technologies, and surgeons can repair or even replace hearts, livers, eyes and other organs with remarkable precision and success.

Every medical study ever conducted has concluded that 100 percent of all Americans will eventually die. This comes as no great surprise, but the amount of money being spent at the very end of people's lives probably will.

As we prepare for a decision from the Supreme Court, in all the discussion of health-care reform, there is one issue that has received almost no attention, but has the potential to save billions of dollars and untold suffering if it is effectively addressed. I’m talking about futile treatments at or near the end of life.

According to Dartmouth, Medicare pays about $50,000 during a patient’s last six months of care by U.C.L.A., where patients may be seen by dozens of different specialists and spend weeks in the hospital before they die.

Of the almost one-third of Medicare expenditures attributable to the 5 percent who die each year; about 1/3 of expenses in the last year are spent in the final month.

Modern medicine has become so good at keeping the terminally ill alive by treating the complications of underlying disease that the inevitable process of dying has become much harder and is often prolonged unnecessarily.

But when it comes to expensive, hi-tech treatments with some potential to extend life, there are few restrictions.

By law, Medicare cannot reject any treatment based upon cost. It will pay $55,000 for patients with advanced breast cancer to receive the chemotherapy drug Avastin, even though it extends life only an average of a month and a half; it will pay $40,000 for a 93-year-old man with terminal cancer to get a surgically implanted defibrillator if he happens to have heart problems too.

Every other major industrialized nation but the United States has a budget for how much of taxpayer funds are allocated to health care, because they've all recognized that you could bankrupt your country without it.

Multiple studies have concluded that most patients and their families are not even familiar with end-of-life options and things like living wills, home hospice and pain management.

The questions are critical, even if some people find them difficult to even think about.

Should a feeding tube be installed when the patient can no longer be nourished by mouth? Should a ventilator be attached when breathing independently becomes difficult? If the patient has severe dementia, should antibiotics be used if pneumonia develops? Should cardiopulmonary resuscitation be attempted if the heart stops beating?

Or should the patient receive just comfort care — treatment for pain, nausea, anxiety, depression and other debilitating symptoms — and be allowed to die a natural death?

Only about one-third of Americans have completed any kind of advance directive to guide their families and physicians when they cannot speak for themselves. Of the advance directives that have been executed, many, if not most, are too vague to be truly useful.

Some people choose not to receive certain types of treatment if they are near the end of life because they do not wish to prolong the dying process. Some of the life-sustaining procedures people choose to decline (which can be included in their advance directives) are:

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) – If a person’s heart stops or if that person stops breathing and the person has not indicated he or she does not want CPR, health-care professionals usually try to revive him or her using CPR. In most cases when people have a terminal illness this is not successful. (You do not need to have an advance directive to request a do-not-resuscitate order.)

• Artificial breathing – If your lungs stop working properly, your breathing can be continued using a machine called a ventilator. A ventilator is a device that pumps air into a person’s lungs through a tube in the person’s mouth or nose that goes down the throat. The machine breathes for a person when he or she cannot.

• Artificial feeding – There are various methods to feed people who can no longer eat, including inserting a tube into the stomach through a person’s nose or through the abdominal wall to bring food and fluids directly to the stomach or by giving liquid nutrients through a catheter in the vein.

The real problem is that many of the patients that are being treated aggressively, if you ask them, they would prefer less aggressive care.

Sometimes, in spite of treatment, a condition or illness will cause death. In those cases, patients can decide what they do and do not want done. They can decide whether they want aggressive treatment that might prolong life or whether they prefer to stop treatment, which could mean dying sooner but more comfortably. They may want to plan their own funerals. Advance directives can help make the patient's wishes clear to families and health-care providers.

Care at the end of life focuses on making patients comfortable. They still receive medicines and treatments to control pain and other symptoms. Some patients choose to die at home. Others enter a hospital or a hospice. Either way, services are available to help patients and their families deal with issues surrounding death.

Many decisions have to be made when a person reaches the end of life. Some of the most important decisions about the end of life concern the type of medical care and the extent of that care that you would like to receive.

Planning ahead and discussing your desires with your family is important, because you may be unable to make decisions yourself if you are incapacitated in some way, such as being unconscious. This guidance should be in the form of written instructions so that your wishes are clear and can be legally honored.

Because of advances in medicine, each of us, as well as our families and friends, may face many decisions about the dying process. As hard as it might be to face the idea of your own death, you might take time to consider how your individual values relate to your idea of a good death. By deciding what end-of-life care best suits your needs when you are healthy, you can help those close to you make the right choices when the time comes. This not only respects your values, but also allows those closest to you the comfort of feeling as though they can be helpful.

The simplest, but not always the easiest, way is to talk about end-of-life care before an illness. To help people make sound health-care decisions and get the care they would want for themselves or their family members as life draws to a close, the National Institute on Aging has produced a comprehensive 68-page booklet, “End-of-Life: Helping With Comfort and Care.” Individual free copies can be obtained through the institute’s website, www.nia.nih.gov, or by calling (800) 222-2225.

We have got to accept that, “No one gets out alive”…

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis,  is a health advocacy communications specialist, and the author of “Which Doctor?”  He is  a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics. His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” is due out this month. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

Like many of you, more and more we are hearing about family, friends and loved ones facing a sudden issue with the pancreas.

Most people don’t know much about this organ, but in fact, it is an important part of the human body. It often goes unnoticed — until a problem occurs.

The pancreas is a gland that lies crosswise deep in the abdomen between the stomach and the spine. The pancreas serves two purposes — endocrine and exocrine functions:

The endocrine function allows for the production of insulin, which is imperative for the metabolism and regulation of blood glucose (the thing that keeps you from being diabetic).

The exocrine component aids in the digestion of food. Pancreatic juices filled with important enzymes flow into the small intestine and break down the carbohydrates, proteins and fats to allow absorption into the body.

Problems with the pancreas usually come down to two things — pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas where the enzymes that help digest fats, proteins and carbohydrates start digesting the pancreas. There are two types of pancreatitis: acute and chronic. Acute pancreatitis occurs suddenly lasts a short amount of time (usually no more than two days) and heals itself. Whereas chronic pancreatitis pain lasts for a long time and results in the inability to digest fat and damages insulin production. Symptoms for both may include: sever pain and swelling in upper abdomen, jaundice, fever, sweating, nausea and rapid pulse. Causes for acute pancreatitis may include gall stones and drinking too much alcohol. Usual causes for chronic pancreatitis are alcohol abuse and excess iron in the blood.

Quite simply, pancreatitis refers to inflammation of the pancreas; usually marked by abdominal pain. The primary causes are identified in the medical community as alcohol, gallstones (by virtue of the shared biliary tree), infection and certain medications such as diuretics.

There are strong indications that a major factor in chronic non-acute pancreatitis is the stress put on the pancreas through a diet high in cooked and processed foods — a diet deficient in natural or supplemented enzymes.

Research done on rats and chickens that were fed cooked foods revealed that the pancreas enlarged to handle the extra burden of the enzyme-deficient diet. In other words, the pancreas will enlarge over time when called upon to compensate for a diet high in enzyme-deficient foods. Animals such as cattle, goats, deer and sheep get along with a pancreas about a third as large as the human pancreas because of their raw food diet. However, when these animals are fed heat-processed, enzyme-free food, their pancreas enlarges up to three times the normal size than when fed on a raw plant diet. Make no mistake: Long-term, non-acute pancreatitis is a condition that affects virtually every person living on a modern diet — given enough time.

Just like pancreatitis, the incidence of pancreatic cancer is rising dramatically in the developed world. Pancreatic cancer is a very deadly form of cancer. Because it is generally diagnosed late this cancer is very tough to treat. Pancreatic cancer is one of the few cancers for which survival has not improved substantially over nearly 40 years.

Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer death largely because there are no detection tools to diagnose the disease in its early stages when surgical removal of the tumor is still possible. Early pancreatic cancers cause few symptoms, most of which are vague. Because signs and symptoms of most pancreatic cancer may be mistaken for less-serious digestive problems, the disease is rarely detected before it has spread to nearby tissues or distant organs through the bloodstream or lymphatic system.

According to WebMD, symptoms that may arise, in typical order of occurrence, include:

Significant weight loss accompanied by abdominal pain, the most likely warning signs.

Vague but gradually worsening abdominal pain that may decrease when leaning forward and increase when lying down. Pain is often severe at night and may radiate to the lower back.

Digestive or bowel complaints such as diarrhea, constipation, gas pains, bloating, or belching.

Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

Jaundice, which is usually painless and is indicated by yellowish discoloration of the skin and eye whites, very dark urine, and light-colored stools.

Sudden onset of glucose tolerance disorder, such as diabetes.

Black or bloody stool, indicating bleeding from the digestive tract.

Overall weakness.

Enlarged liver and gallbladder.

Itching.

Clay- or light-colored stools.

Bronze urine color.

Blood clots in the legs.

Research from Johns Hopkins points to the fact that the incidence of pancreatic cancer is 50 percent to 90 percent higher in African Americans than in any other racial group in the United States. Not only is pancreatic cancer more common among African Americans, but African Americans also have the poorest prognosis of any racial group because they often are diagnosed with advanced, and therefore, inoperable cancer. African Americans also are less likely to receive surgery than any other racial group in the United States.

Many studies have been conducted to determine why there is an increased risk of pancreatic cancer among African Americans. These studies suggest that environmental and socioeconomic factors may be important. Cigarette smoking, which causes about 25 percent of pancreatic cancer, is more common among African Americans and therefore may partially explain why pancreatic cancer is more common in African Americans. Other risk factors for pancreatic cancer that are more common in African Americans include diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis and being overweight.

Treatment of pancreatic cancer is especially difficult because the location of the pancreas means that tumors tend to spread rapidly to highly innervated (rich in nerves) regions of the back and spine.

The steps for taking care of your pancreas are fairly simple.

Chronic pancreatitis: Long-term inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) has been linked to cancer of the pancreas. In fact, long-term, non-acute inflammation of the pancreas may be the single leading cause of pancreatic cancer.

Diabetes: Diabetes is not only a symptom of pancreatic cancer, but long-standing Type 1 diabetes significantly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Obesity: Obesity also significantly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Alcohol: Consume alcohol only in moderation as even small quantities of alcohol inflame the pancreas, not to mention the liver.

Smoking: Statistically, smoking doubles the risk of pancreatic cancer. It has been estimated that as many as one in four cases of pancreatic cancer are the direct result of smoking cigarettes. The risk of pancreatic cancer drops close to normal in people who quit smoking.

Diets high in meats, cholesterol, fried foods, and nitrosamines increase the risk of both pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis, while diets high in raw fruits and vegetables reduce risk. A new study, from the World Cancer Research Fund, found eating processed meats like bacon and sausage could increase your risk for deadly pancreatic cancer. For every piece of sausage or two strips of bacon a person eats every day, there’s a 19 percent rise in risk for pancreatic cancer, the study found. The bottom line is that a Mediterranean diet is “pancreas friendly.”

Now that we have a basic understanding of the pancreas, there are a few things we can do to help a healthy pancreas stay that way: Keep your weight in the desirable range; don’t overload your body with sugar; get some exercise; and limit your alcohol consumption.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Reader should always consult their healthcare providers to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of Which Doctor? and “Information is the Best Medicine.” A health columnist and radio commentator who lectures on health related topics, Ellis is an active media contributor on health equity and medical ethics. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

Here in America, our culture, tells us that we should fight hard against age, illness and death. And holding on to life, to our loved ones, is indeed a basic human instinct. However, as the end of life approaches, letting go may not feel like the right thing to do.

Americans are a people who plan. We plan everything: our schedules, our careers and work projects, our weddings and vacations, our retirements. Many of us plan for the disposition of our estates after we die. The one area that most of us avoid planning is the end of our life. Yet, if we don’t plan, if we don’t at least think about it and share our ideas with those we love, others take over at the very time when we are most vulnerable, most in need of understanding and comfort, and most longing for dignity.

Most people do not die traumatically. Instead, the last days of their lives are spent in a hospital, nursing home, or in their own homes. In your advance directive (see below), you can state your preferences about where you wish to be in the event of terminal illness or during the process of dying. If you choose to be at home, many home care options are available, including home health and custodial care.

Advance directives are written instructions that communicate your wishes about the care and treatment you want to receive if you reach the point where you can no longer speak for yourself. Medicare and Medicaid require that health care facilities that receive payments from them provide patients with written information concerning the right to accept or refuse treatment and to prepare advance directives. Every state now recognizes advance directives, but the laws governing directives vary from state to state.

Probably the most commonly used form of advance directive is the durable power of attorney for health care (or Health Care Proxy). This is a document in which you appoint someone else to make medical treatment decisions for you if you cannot make them for yourself. This is certainly a wise move to make, because if you do not name a proxy or agent, the likelihood of needing a court-appointed guardian (like the hospital itself) grows greater, especially if there is disagreement regarding your treatment among your family and doctors.

It is wise to have an advance directive so medical personnel and your loved ones will know what care and services you prefer and what treatment you would refuse, in the event that you are unable to communicate your wishes. You also can designate the person, or more than one person, whom you would like to make decisions on your behalf. In a surprising number of families, there is disagreement over what a very ill relative would prefer. The advance directive makes your wishes clear. An advance directive can express both what you want and don’t want. Even if you do not want treatment to cure you, you should always be kept reasonably pain free and comfortable.

It’s best to think of Advance Health Care Directives as works in progress. Circumstances can change, as can your values and opinions about how you would best like your future health-care needs to be met. Directives can be revoked or replaced at any time as long as you are capable of making your own decisions. It is recommended that you review your documents every few years or after important life changes and revise your directives to ensure that they continue to accurately reflect your situation and wishes.

Re-examine your health care wishes every few years or whenever any of the “Five Ds” occur:

•         Decade – when you start each new decade of your life.

•         Death – whenever you experience the death of a loved one.

•         Divorce – when you experience a divorce or other major family change.

•         Diagnosis – when you are diagnosed with a serious health condition.

•         Decline – when you experience a significant decline or deterioration of an existing health condition, especially when it diminishes your ability to live independently.

Another form or method of instruction available to you is a Do Not Resuscitate or DNR order, which instructs medical personnel, including emergency medical personnel, not to use resuscitative measures. A do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order tells medical professionals not to perform CPR. This means that doctors, nurses and emergency medical personnel will not attempt emergency CPR if the patient’s breathing or heartbeat stops.

DNR orders may be written for patients in a hospital or nursing home, or for patients at home. Hospital DNR orders tell the medical staff not to revive the patient if cardiac arrest occurs. If the patient is in a nursing home or at home, a DNR order tells the staff and emergency medical personnel not to perform emergency resuscitation and not to transfer the patient to a hospital for CPR.

Ask your doctor for a time when you can go over your ideas and questions about end-of-life treatment and medical decisions. Tell him or her you want guidance in preparing advance directives. If you are already ill, ask your doctor what you might expect to happen when you begin to feel worse. Let him or her know how much information you wish to receive about your illness, prognosis, care options, and hospice programs.

Medical advances make it possible to keep a person alive who, in former times, would have died more quickly from the serious nature of their illness, injury or infection. This has set the stage for ethical and legal controversy about the patient’s rights, the family’s rights and the medical profession’s proper role.

Each American has the constitutional right, established by a Supreme Court decision, to request that medical treatment be withdrawn or withheld. The right remains valid even if you become incapacitated. Doctors can always refuse to comply with your wishes if they have an objection based on their own religious beliefs, for example, or consider your wishes medically inappropriate. However, they may have an obligation to transfer you to another healthcare provider who will comply with your wishes.

Questions you should ask your doctor if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness:

•Tell me straight: How long do I realistically have?

•Realistically, what can I expect in terms of symptoms and process?

•What can I expect if I go Route A or Route B?

•What do you think I should do and why?

All of these questions may sound very difficult to discuss now, when the time for decisions is still in the future. However, they are harder to discuss when someone is really sick, emotions are high and decisions must be made quickly.

It is true that more older people, rather than younger, use advance directives, but every adult should have one. Younger adults actually have more at stake, because, if stricken by serious disease or accident, medical technology may keep them alive but insentient for decades. Some of the most well-known “right to die” cases arose from the experiences of young people (e.g., Karen Ann Quinlan, Terri Schiavo) incapacitated by tragic illnesses or car accidents and maintained on life support.

Looking at all the information available and making the best decision you can, will give you peace of mind, the comforting awareness that you did what was right as you knew it.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Readers should always consult their healthcare providers to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?,” and is lecturing a health columnist and radio commentator and an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics.

His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” is due out in fall, 2011. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

One of the greatest, and most undertreated, threats affecting Americans today is mental illness. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are affected by mental, neurological or behavioral problems at any time.

The holiday season can be a time full of joy, cheer, parties and family gatherings. But for many people, it is a time of self-evaluation, loneliness, reflection on past failures and anxiety about an uncertain future.

The incidence of depression has jumped by between four- and five-fold as unemployment, cuts in hours and concern about job security have become common.   

In any given year 26 percent of American adults suffer from mental disorders.

Think about it, when you walk down the street, at least one out of every four or five people you pass is suffering form some form of mental illness.

It is way past time for us to look at the state of mental health care in this country. Especially regarding emotional and mental illness, there are so many people who are unable to seek treatment because they may be unable to navigate the system in order to receive services or they just don’t have enough money to pay for treatment if they fall into middle class incomes because insurance rarely covers mental health issues effectively. It must be remembered, also, that in the 1970s the doors to the mental hospitals were closed to the indigent; those people flooded the streets with nowhere to live, and no place to recive help. Not to mention that we, as a society, turn a blind eye.

Mental health policies in America have changed radically over the past 60 years. A one-time emphasis on caring for patients in large institutions has shifted to treating them in outpatient settings in the community. The ways mental disorders are diagnosed and categorized have changed. And the use of psychotropic medications is more prevalent than it used to be.

Eleven percent of Americans ages 12 or older use antidepressants, according to analysis of data by the Centers for Disease Control. The study found that individuals usually take medication for at least two years, although about 14 percent have been taking antidepressants for 10 or more years. Almost one in four middle-aged women are using antidepressants, and women overall are 2.5 times more likely to take the medication. The researchers found that a third of the people who take antidepressant medication haven’t seen a medical health care professional in the past year. Yet, only a third of people with severe depressive symptoms take antidepressant medication, according to researchers. One in four patients visiting a health service has at least one mental, neurological or behavioral disorder, but most of these disorders are neither diagnosed nor treated.

Mental illnesses affect, and are affected by, chronic conditions such as cancer, heart and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. Untreated, they bring about unhealthy behavior, non-compliance with prescribed medical regimens, diminished immune functioning and poor prognosis.

When stress is at its peak, it’s difficult to stop and regroup. Try to prevent stress and depression in the first place, especially if the holidays have taken an emotional toll on you in the past.

As we go through this holiday season, here are some tips form the Mayo Clinic that may help make it posible for many of us not to succumb to the “blues”:

1. Acknowledge your feelings. If someone close to you has recently died or you can’t be with loved ones, realize that it’s normal to feel sadness and grief. It’s OK to take time to cry or express your feelings. You can’t force yourself to be happy just because it’s the holiday season.
2. Reach out. If you feel lonely or isolated, seek out community, religious or other social events. They can offer support and companionship. Volunteering your time to help others also is a good way to lift your spirits and broaden your friendships.
3. Be realistic. The holidays don’t have to be perfect or just like last year. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children can’t come to your house, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videos.
4. Set aside differences. Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don’t live up to all of your expectations. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are they’re feeling the effects of holiday stress and depression, too.
5. Stick to a budget. Before you go gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend. Then stick to your budget. Don’t try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts. Try these alternatives: Donate to a charity in someone’s name, give homemade gifts or start a family gift exchange.
6. Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list. That’ll help prevent last-minute scrambling to buy forgotten ingredients. And make sure to line up help for party prep and cleanup.
7. Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can’t participate in every project or activity. If it’s not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.
8. Don’t abandon healthy habits. Don’t let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Have a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don’t go overboard on sweets, cheese or drinks. Continue to get plenty of sleep and physical activity.
9. Take a breather. Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Take a walk at night, and stargaze. Listen to soothing music. Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm.

Seek professional help if you need it. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently sad or anxious, plagued by physical complaints, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to face routine chores. If these feelings last for a while, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.

Despite our good intentions, remember that the holidays rarely turn out as planned. Focus on making them a special time for you and your family, no matter what the circumstances. Celebrate this season of hope and expectation. Celebrate the many blessings in your life.

Remember, I’m not a doctor, I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself, and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Readers should always consult their healthcare providers to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy, communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a lecturing health columnist, radio commentator and active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics. His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” is due out in January. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

The crisis is clear. Chronic diseases are crushing health care.

As people live longer, chronic diseases have skyrocketed, accounting for nearly 75 percent of the nation’s annual $2 trillion health expenditures, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Seven out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases. Heart disease, cancer and stroke account for more than 50 percent of all deaths each year.

Our health-care system is good at treating short-term problems, such as broken bones and infections. Medical advances are helping people live much longer than in the past. But obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. The population is aging. We need to do a much better job managing chronic diseases.

Chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease and Alzheimer’s disease take a heavy toll on health. Chronic conditions also cost vast amounts of money. The current trends are going in the wrong direction:

1. Obesity increases the risk of developing conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. The rate of obesity in adults has doubled in the last 20 years. It has almost tripled in kids ages 2–11.
2. Without big changes soon, one in three babies born today will develop diabetes in its lifetime.
3. Average health-care costs for someone who has one or more chronic conditions is five times greater than for someone without any chronic conditions.
4. Chronic diseases account for $3 of every $4 spent on healthcare.

Over 162 million cases of seven common chronic diseases — cancers, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, mental disorders, and pulmonary conditions — were reported in The United States in recent reports. These conditions shorten lives, reduce quality of life and create considerable burden for caregivers.

The global economic impact of the five leading chronic diseases — cancer, diabetes, mental illness, heart disease and respiratory disease, could reach $47 trillion over the next 20 years, according to a study by the World Economic Forum (WEF) released in the summer of 2011.

Chronic disease is estimated to account for 35 million deaths worldwide. Cardiovascular disease and cancer comprise a major proportion of chronic diseases in both developed and developing countries. Other than cardiovascular disease and cancer, obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, end-stage renal disease, osteoarthritis and non-alcoholic hepatitis are also becoming significant public health problems. 

The prevalence and incidence of these diseases may rapidly increase in the near future in the United States because the prevalence of obesity has increased. At the same time, the population is gradually aging, and age-related degenerative diseases/conditions claim enormous health and economic tolls. Age-related cataracts are the leading cause of blindness, accounting for about 42 percent of all blindness. Approximately one in five people over age 65 live with age-related macular degeneration, and adults with advanced macular degeneration have a markedly reduced quality of life and need for assistance with activities of daily living. The incidence of dementia also increases with age. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for more than half of dementia cases.

Chronic illnesses impact every aspect of the lives of people who suffer with them. They have three major tasks. They have to deal with the medical management of their disease — whether it’s taking pills, or doing exercise, or diet or whatever. They have to deal with the fact that the things they want to do and need to do in life may also change. That can go all the way from no longer being able to work to no longer being able to do a loved hobby or having to change things in a major way. And they have to cope with the emotional impact, whether this is fear or anxiety or depression.

Adopting a pessimistic attitude, some people believe that there is nothing that can be done, anyway. In reality, the major causes of chronic diseases are known, and if these risk factors were eliminated, at least 80 percent of all heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes would be prevented; over 40 percent of cancer would be prevented.

There are two different types of disease that people can suffer from: acute and chronic. Acute diseases come on fast, with mild to severe symptoms that last a certain amount of time. In some cases they can be life threatening. Chronic diseases, on the other hand, take place over time. They too can be either mild or severe, but it takes a lot longer for them to develop and it takes longer for them to disappear. The symptoms also have a tendency to come and go repeatedly.

When it comes to avoiding chronic diseases, there are several preventive measures that can be taken:

1. Do not smoke. According to the American Heart Association, approximately 26.2 million men and 20.9 million women smoke in the United States. Smoking increases your risk of heart disease, emphysema and lung cancer. To prevent the onset of these diseases, do not smoke or quit if you currently do.

2. Get some exercise. Exercise brings with it a number of benefits: It helps reduce weight, improves mobility, elevates mood, strengthens bones and helps improve circulation. All of these factors will help reduce the chances of developing diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise on five or more days a week.

3. Reduce your alcohol intake. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can cause a number of health problems. A chronic condition that can occur is cirrhosis of the liver. This is a chronic condition where scar tissue replaces healthy tissue causing the liver to not function optimally. To prevent this disease, keep your alcohol intake moderate.

4. Cut out unhealthy foods. What you eat plays a big role in developing chronic diseases. Foods that are processed, have large amounts of refined sugar or are high in saturated fats should be avoided. They can cause obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

5. Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber is a non-digestible substance that gets passed through the digestive system. Eating fiber helps relieve constipation and it reduces your chances for colon cancer, diverticulitis, diabetes and kidney stones. The Institute of Medicine recommends eating 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories you eat. Some examples of fiber-rich foods are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and oat bran.

On our current path, The United States will experience a dramatic increase in chronic disease in the next 20 years. But there is an alternative path. By making reasonable improvements in preventing and managing chronic disease, we can avoid a projected 40.2 million cases of chronic conditions in 2023.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself, and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a lecturing health columnist, radio commentator, and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics.

His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” is due out this fall. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

The liver is the largest gland of the body.

In some countries, the liver is deemed so important to health that instead of a groom promising his heart in case of unfortunate circumstances, he promises his liver! It could just about be called your fountain of youth or your lifeline. You will look as old or as young as your liver is clean.

The liver can do 500 functions. It performs these unique and important metabolic tasks as it processes carbohydrates, proteins, fats and minerals to be used in maintaining normal body functions. Some important functions of the liver are:

• to convert the food we eat into stored energy and chemicals necessary for life and growth;
• to act as a filter to remove alcohol and toxic substances from the blood and convert them to substances that can be excreted from the body;
• to process drugs and medications absorbed from the digestive system, enabling the body to use them effectively and ultimately dispose of them;
• to manufacture and export important body chemicals used by the body. One of these is bile, a greenish-yellow substance essential for the digestion of fats in the small intestine.

The liver is the major fat-burning organ in the body and regulates fat metabolism by a complicated set of biochemical pathways. The liver can also pump excessive fat out of the body through the bile into the small intestines. If the diet is high in fiber this unwanted fat will be carried out of the body via the bowel actions. Thus the liver is a remarkable machine for keeping weight under control, being both a fat-burning organ and a fat-pumping organ. If the diet is low in fiber, some of the fats (especially cholesterol) and toxins that have been pumped by the liver into the gut through the bile will recirculate back to the liver. The liver recirculates these bile acids back into the small intestines and the entire bile pool recycles six to eight times a day. If this recirculated fluid is high in fat and/or toxins, this will contribute to excessive weight. A high -fiber diet will reduce the recirculation of fat and toxins from the gut back to the liver. This is vitally important for those with excessive weight, toxicity problems and high cholesterol.

The inclusion of plenty of raw fruits and vegetables as well as ground-up raw seeds will increase both soluble and insoluble fiber in the gut, and reduce recirculation of unwanted fat and toxins.

If the liver filter is damaged by toxins or clogged up (blocked) with excessive waste material it will be less able to remove small fat globules circulating in the blood stream. This will cause excessive fat to build up in the blood vessel walls. This fat may then gradually build up in many other parts of the body, including other organs, and in fatty deposits under the skin. Thus you may develop cellulite in the buttocks, thighs, arms and abdomen.

Carbohydrates, or sugars, are stored in the liver and are released as energy. In this way, the liver helps to regulate the blood sugar level, and to prevent low blood sugar. Without this balance, we would need to eat constantly to keep up our energy.

Proteins reach the liver in their simpler form called amino acids. Once in the liver, they are either released to the muscles as energy, stored for later use, or converted to urea for excretion in the urine. Certain proteins are converted into ammonia, a toxic metabolic product, by bacteria in the intestine or during the breakdown of body protein. The ammonia must be broken down by the liver and made into urea, which is then excreted by the kidneys. The liver also has the unique ability to convert certain amino acids into sugar for quick energy.

Fats cannot be digested without bile, which is made in the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released as needed into the small intestine. Bile acts somewhat like a detergent, breaking apart the fat into tiny droplets so it can be acted upon by intestinal enzymes and absorbed. Bile is also essential for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K, the fat- soluble vitamins.

A healthy liver filter is essential to properly regulate blood cholesterol levels. Poor liver function may increase your chances of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.

If the liver does not regulate fat metabolism efficiently, weight gain tends to occur around the abdominal area and a “potbelly” will develop. This is not good for the waistline! It can be almost impossible to lose this abdominal fat until the liver function is improved. Once this is done the liver will start burning fat efficiently again and the weight comes off gradually and without too much effort from you. Many middle-aged people with excess fat in the abdominal area have a "fatty liver." In this condition the liver has stopped burning fat and has turned into a fat-storing organ. It becomes enlarged and swollen with greasy deposits of fatty tissue. Those with a fatty liver will not be able to lose weight unless they first improve liver function, with a liver cleansing diet and a good liver tonic.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to find a fatty liver in adolescents who consume a diet high in processed and fast foods.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended, nor implied, to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

Glenn Ellis, author of “Which Doctor?” is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health-related topics. His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” was released in January.

For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

While driving home on Thanksgiving Eve, I noticed a line half-a-block long coming out of a state liquor store.

Folks were lined up, waiting to go in to purchase their “holiday spirits,” preparing to kick off the holiday season.

Of course, I went right into, “Glenn Ellis Thought Mode,” and started processing this annual ritual behavior.

It dawned on me that this would be a good topic to focus on for a health column.

I wondered how many of those people understood exactly how alcohol consumption affected their body and their health.

So, in the spirit of living the best life possible, I want to share some brief insight into what happens to some of the key organs of the body from alcohol consumption.

There are almost 78 organs in a human body that vary according to their sizes, functions or actions (a topic for another column, at another time)!

An organ is a collection of millions of cells, which group together to perform a single function in a human body.

Let’s begin with the organ most associated with drinking alcohol: the liver.

The liver is the second largest organ of the male or female human body. The liver receives blood full of digested food from the gut. It stores some foods and delivers the rest to the other cells through blood.

There probably isn’t a more vital — yet underappreciated — organ in the human body than the liver. While we may recognize, in the most general terms, the role that the liver plays, many of us don’t fully understand its many functions or vulnerabilities, particularly with regard to alcohol. And yet the alcohol-liver connection is critical, as more than 2 million Americans suffer from liver disease caused by alcohol.

By performing more than 500 different functions, the liver is essential to our health. Its primary role is to filter all the blood in our bodies by breaking down and eliminating toxins and storing excess blood sugar. It also produces enzymes that break down fats, manufactures proteins that regulate blood clotting and stores a number of essential vitamins and minerals. All told, the liver keeps us alive by enabling us to digest food, absorb nutrients, control infections and get rid of toxic substances in our bodies.

While liver problems can be inherited, or developed in response to certain viruses or chemicals, excessive alcohol use plays a major role. To the human body, alcohol is a toxin that is broken down by the liver as the body begins the process of getting rid of these foreign components. However, chronic heavy drinking causes the liver to become fatty. This condition makes the liver more vulnerable to dangerous inflammation, such as alcoholic hepatitis and its associated complications. With continued drinking, persistent inflammation causes fibrous tissue to increase in the liver, which prevents the necessary blood supply from reaching the liver cells. Without the oxygen and other nutrients supplied by this blood, the liver cells eventually die and are replaced with scar tissue, creating a condition known as cirrhosis. In mild cases, the liver can actually make repairs and continue to function. However, advanced cirrhosis causes continued deterioration and liver failure.

Alcoholic liver disease can also damage the brain. The liver breaks down alcohol — and the toxins it releases. During this process, alcohol’s byproducts damage liver cells. These damaged liver cells no longer function as well as they should and allow too much of these toxic substances, ammonia and manganese in particular, to travel to the brain. These substances proceed to damage brain cells.

The brain is the third largest and major organ of human body. The brain controls the actions of all the body parts. There are about 100 billion cells in the human brain, which make about 100 trillion nerve connections with nerve cells for messaging.

Alcohol can cause your neurotransmitters to relay information too slowly, so you feel extremely drowsy. Alcohol-related disruptions to the neurotransmitter balance also can trigger mood and behavioral changes, including depression, agitation, memory loss and even seizures.

Long-term, heavy drinking causes alterations in the neurons, such as reductions in the size of brain cells. As a result of these and other changes, brain mass shrinks and the brain’s inner cavity grows bigger. These changes may affect a wide range of abilities, such as motor coordination, temperature regulation, sleep, mood, and various cognitive functions, including learning and memory.

The heart is the fifth largest human body organ. The major function of the heart is to pump the blood to every part of the body to deliver the energy to every body cell.

Long-term heavy drinking weakens the heart muscle, causing a condition called alcoholic cardiomyopathy. A weakened heart droops and stretches and cannot contract effectively. As a result, it cannot pump enough blood to sufficiently nourish the organs. In some cases, this blood flow shortage causes severe damage to organs and tissues. Symptoms of cardiomyopathy include shortness of breath and other breathing difficulties, fatigue, swollen legs and feet, and irregular heartbeat. It can even lead to heart failure.

Both binge drinking and long-term drinking can affect how quickly a heart beats. The heart depends on an internal pacemaker system to keep it pumping consistently and at the right speed. Alcohol disturbs this pacemaker system and causes the heart to beat too rapidly, or irregularly. These heart rate abnormalities are called arrhythmias. Drinking to excess on a particular occasion, especially when you generally don’t drink, can trigger either of these irregularities. Over the long-term, chronic drinking changes the course of electrical impulses that drive the heart’s beating, which creates arrhythmia.

Both binge drinking and long-term heavy drinking can lead to strokes, even in people without coronary heart disease. Recent studies show that people who binge drink are about 56 percent more likely than people who never binge drink to suffer an ischemic stroke over 10 years. Binge drinkers also are about 39 percent more likely to suffer any type of stroke than people who never binge drink. In addition, alcohol exacerbates the problems that often lead to strokes, including hypertension, arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy.

Chronic alcohol use, as well as binge drinking, can cause high blood pressure, or hypertension. Your blood pressure is a measurement of the pressure your heart creates as it beats, and the pressure inside your veins and arteries. Heavy alcohol consumption triggers the release of certain stress hormones that in turn constrict blood vessels. This elevates blood pressure. In addition, alcohol may affect the function of the muscles within the blood vessels, causing them to constrict and elevate blood pressure.

The kidneys are the sixth largest organ in every human body. There are two kidneys in every human being, and the average weight of both the kidneys is about 290 grams. The major function of a kidney is to separate the waste material by filtering the blood. Both these kidneys filter our blood 50 times a day. If one kidney stops working the other will enlarge and do the work of two.

Drinking alcohol can hurt your kidneys in many ways and can increase the chance of needing dialysis. It may damage the kidney cells. It increases your chance of developing high blood pressure, a leading cause of kidney disease. Drinking alcohol can interfere with your medicines and make it harder to control your pressure.

Drinking alcohol can cause the kidneys to increase urinary output. This can lead to dehydration. More than two drinks a day can cause a rise in blood pressure. The carbohydrate load from drinking can cause obesity. This could increase the risk of diabetes and diabetic kidney disease. Drinking can interfere with the blood chemistries and decrease the ability of the body to protect the kidneys.

Many people who drink are more likely to smoke than non-drinkers. Smoking also causes kidney disease.

This is the time of year where many people let it all hang out, and go for broke — drinking and partying like there’s no tomorrow. For others, it’s a time to begin to make pledges and resolutions, which often include stopping drinking alcohol.

My hope is that this information will help you to make an informed decision.  

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself, and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Readers should always consult their healthcare providers to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation, or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?,” and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics. His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” is due out in December 2011.

For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

Yes, it’s that time of year when we begin to see the return of cold and flu. What better time to visit the issue of antibiotics?

As many of us prepare to bombard our doctors for a prescription of antibiotics to deal with colds and flu, let’s make sure we understand a little more about antibiotics and the way they work in our bodies.

Antibiotics are responsible for saving millions of lives; there’s no question about it. Many of us have had illnesses in the course of our lives where without the use of an antibiotic therapy, we would not still be here!

Before the introduction of antibiotics (penicillin was discovered in 1928), infection was the leading cause of death in America. Once they hit the scene, they were deemed so miraculous, doctors and patients alike saw them as a cure for every condition, serious or not.

However, there is a dark side to these “wonder drugs.” As a result of being misused, new generations of disease strains resistant to antibiotic attack have emerged. If this trend continues, we will find ourselves back in the days when even the simplest infection could kill.

Just today, a colleague approached and said she was not felling well. Sore throat, headache, the works. She was rushing to a quickly scheduled doctor’s appointment. Jokingly, I told her that I would “doctor” her up. She looked me in the eye and said, “Don’t you think I need an antibiotic?”

Immediately, I asked her if she had a bacterial or viral infection. She wondered why I asked such a question. I informed her that if it was a viral infection, an antibiotic would be useless. “Oh, I guess I need to find that out first before I conclude that I need an antibiotic,” she said.

Here you have a classic example of the attitude of many of us, which has led to a serious problem in our world.

I mean, it’s crazy!

Have a sore throat? Take penicillin.

Does the baby have an ear infection? Give her amoxicillin.

Do you have a nasty cough and/or cold? Take erythromycin.

We have grown so accustomed to taking antibiotics that we demand them whether our condition would actually respond to antibiotic therapy or not. All of the “old-fashioned” cures for colds — bed rest, warm drinks, good nutrition and other tried and true home remedies — are now considered out of style. It doesn’t matter that antibiotics are useless (and even harmful) against viruses. As patients we beg for them, and many doctors give in.

To meet this insatiable demand, pharmaceutical companies responded by flooding the market with new and stronger antibiotics.

We thought we had won the war on infection. We had driven those bugs and germs into full retreat. But they were not to be defeated!

Just as a guerilla army that grows more fearsome after it is driven into the hills, the bugs come back. In true military fashion, they test the antibiotics and find their weak points. The bugs developed new and more powerful weapons, now it is we who are truly on the defensive.

How did all this come to be?

When we use antibiotics to treat low-grade infections it is like using a nuclear warhead to squash the schoolyard bully. It is overkill to the nth degree, yet it doesn’t get rid of the problem. Just like another bully hiding around the corner, there’s always another strain of bacteria ready to pounce when we least expect it.

Antibiotics are not foolproof — they kill most but not all of the offending bacteria. The strongest of the bacteria survive and reproduce at exponential proportions, and soon, “smart” strains of bacteria immune to the antibiotic are flourishing. The stronger the antibiotic, the stronger the surviving bacteria. To make matters worse, countless numbers of Americans have misused antibiotics by not taking the full course, stopping their medication as soon as they feel better. In so doing, they have helped create new and more powerful superbugs. Americans also use — or rather overuse — antibacterial soaps and skin products, going so far as to put antibacterial additives in children’s toys!

All we are doing is making sure that the strongest and most resistant of the deadly bacteria survive and thrive.

What’s even deeper is that even if you take them only when needed and never abuse them, you may be taking antibiotics without even knowing it.

Around 30 percent of the antibiotics sold in the United States are fed to livestock, and find their way into the meat and dairy products we eat, as well as in water and soil we depend on. Just think about it, every time you eat a piece of meat or drink a glass of milk, you could be consuming minute amounts of antibiotic residue. If scientists tried to intentionally create the “ultimate germ,” they couldn’t do a better job.

I’m not trying to scare you. The risk of being wiped out by a virulent infection is slight, and the chance that you’ll die of an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria is slim. Nevertheless, there are some serious costs to the overuse of antibiotics that affect us all.

Have you ever noticed how you often relapse into an illness immediately after taking an antibiotic? It’s not your imagination. Antibiotics can actually weaken your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to the next “bug” that comes your way.

Taking an antibiotic for common ailments that can heal on their own is particularly bad for children. (For example, the common cold has an average life of three to five days, the standard course of antibiotics is five to seven days.) What many parents may not realize is that the immune system learns through experience. Each encounter with a virus or bacteria teaches immune cells valuable lessons that will be used the next time they meet up with the same “bug.” So when children are given antibiotics for every sniffle, they may be robbed of their ability to effectively fight infection on their own. Yes, it may take a day or two longer for children to beat an infection without an antibiotic, but in the long run, it may be far better for the child.

Antibiotics weaken our immune system in another important way that affects both children and adults: These powerful drugs don’t just kill the bad bacteria that make us sick, they also affect the billions of “friendly” bacteria that keep us well. Without these friendly bacteria, we can’t digest our food properly or keep our other systems running well. The side effects of antibiotics are limited to a little indigestion. Antibiotics wipe out the good bacteria that keep us from getting overwhelmed by harmful E. coli infections, salmonella and staph. Overuse of antibiotics has resulted in an epidemic of yeast infections in women. Many strains of yeast are now drug resistant, too!

The overuse of antibiotics has created a new breed of smarter and more virulent bacteria that are practically indestructible. For example, Streptococcus pneumoniae — the most common cause of bacterial ear infections in young children — has grown resistant to standard doses of amoxicillin, the first line of treatment. Drug-resistant staph infections — once easily cured with penicillin — run rampant throughout the nation’s hospitals. What I find even more frightening is the recent discovery of staph bacteria that are resistant to vancomycin, the most powerful antibiotic on the planet!

All of this is more reason to take care of your immune system. When your immune system functions well, it can usually take care of little problems before they become big ones.

After all, a little tolerance can go a log way in dealing with colds, which tend to run their course in three to five days, or the flu, which generally is history after 7–10 days. A good diet, plenty of rest and lots of fluids can, in many cases make the process more bearable.

This column is for informational purposes, and should not take the place of proper medical advice from your doctor.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Reader should always consult their healthcare providers to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a lecturing health columnist and radio commentator and an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health-related topics.

His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” is due out this fall. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

Around 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine every single day in one form or another. More than half of all American adults consume more than 300 milligrams (mg) of caffeine every day, making it America’s most popular drug by far.

Here are the most common sources of caffeine for Americans:

• Typical drip-brewed coffee contains about 100 mg per 8-ounce cup.
• Typical brewed black tea contains 50 mg per 8-ounce cup.
• Typical caffeinated sodas (Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, etc.) contain 40–50 mg per 12-ounce can.
• Super-caffeinated colas like Jolt contain 70 mg per 12-ounce can.
• Typical chocolate milk contains 6 mg per ounce.
• Maximum Strength Anacin contains 32 mg per tablet. NoDoz and Vivarin each contain 200 mg per tablet. Extra Strength Excedrin contains 65 mg per tablet.
• Energy drinks like Red Bull (8.3 oz-sized can) contain about 80 mg per can.

By looking at these numbers and by knowing how widespread coffee, chocolate, tea, cola and energy drinks are in our society, you can see why half of all American adults consume more than 300 mg of caffeine per day. Two mugs of coffee or a mug of coffee and a couple of Cokes during the day are all you need to get there.

Caffeine is a natural component of chocolate, coffee and tea, and is used as an added energy boost in most colas and energy drinks. It’s also found in diet pills and some over-the-counter pain relievers and medicines.

In its natural form, caffeine tastes very bitter, but most caffeinated drinks have gone through enough processing to camouflage the bitter taste. Most teens get the majority of their caffeine intake through soft drinks, which can also have added sugar and artificial flavors.

Caffeine has long been on the list of don’ts for people hoping to lead a healthy lifestyle. Doctors pointed to caffeine’s negative effects on the nervous system and how it can increase anxiety, stress and food cravings, in addition to inhibiting sleep. Recent studies, however, have shown that coffee and caffeine may actually have some significant medical benefits.

Coffee originated in Africa around 575 A.D., where beans were used as money and consumed as food. Records show that 11th century Arabs drank coffee regularly. Spanish conquistadors first exploring what is now Mexico, were served coffee by Montezuma, the mighty Aztec ruler, in 1519.

There have been more than 19,000 studies on caffeine and coffee in the past 30 years in an attempt to determine its exact effects on the human body. One of the most thorough and exhaustive studies was done by Harvard University, in which they examined 126,000 people over an 18-year period. The findings indicate that people who drink one to three cups of coffee a day are up to 9 percent less likely to contract diabetes. What’s interesting is what happened to those who drank six or more cups of coffee per day — men slashed their chances of contracting diabetes by 54 percent, and women by 30 percent!

Other studies have shown similar results in many facets of human health:

• Regular coffee drinkers are 80 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
• Two cups a day gives you 20 percent less risk of colon cancer.
• Two cups a day causes an 80 percent drop in cirrhosis.
• Two cups a day prevents gallstone development by 50 percent.
• It has also shown to be beneficial in asthma, stopping headaches, boosting mood and even preventing cavities.

Some of these findings may have something to do with other healthful properties of the coffee bean, but most can be directly linked to caffeine. Researchers are even developing drugs for Parkinson’s disease containing caffeine derivatives.

In its natural form, caffeine tastes very bitter, but most caffeinated drinks have gone through enough processing to camouflage the bitter taste. Caffeine moves through the body within a few hours after it is consumed. It is not stored in the body, but you may feel its effects for up to 6 hours if you’re sensitive to it.

Long-term effects of a toxic nature do not appear evident when regular caffeine use is below about 650 mg a day — equivalent to about eight or nine average cups of coffee. Above this level, users may suffer from chronic insomnia, persistent anxiety and depression, and stomach ulcers. Caffeine use appears to be associated with irregular heartbeat and may raise cholesterol levels, but there is no firm evidence that caffeine causes heart disease.

Regular use of upwards of 350 mg of caffeine a day can cause physical dependence on the drug. This means that interruption of the regular use produces a characteristic withdrawal syndrome, the most conspicuous feature of which is an often severe headache that can be relieved by taking caffeine. Absence of caffeine also makes regular users feel irritable and tired. Relief from these withdrawal effects is often given as a reason for using caffeine.

If you have normal blood pressure, caffeine can increase it noticeably, but the increase is temporary and only lasts a short time. The increase generally includes the systolic and diastolic pressure readings, increasing each by approximately 4 to 13 mm Hg, or millimeters of mercury, according to the Mayo Clinic website. That means if you have a normal blood pressure reading of 120 mm for your systolic pressure and 80 mm for your diastolic pressure, caffeine can increase it up to about 133 over 93.

No one is sure why caffeine can increase blood pressure, although the Mayo Clinic site reports a few theories. One is that caffeine may cause your arteries to constrict by blocking a hormone that usually keeps them wider. Another is that caffeine may boost your adrenal glands’ release of more adrenaline, with the greater amount of adrenaline leading to the increase. In either case, the increase is always temporary rather than resulting in long-term increase in pressure.

If you cut down on your caffeine intake suddenly, you may experience headaches, irritability, tiredness, depression, nausea, vomiting and stiff or painful muscles. These symptoms generally appear 12 to 24 hours after you decrease or abstain from caffeine. Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal are usually mild and typically go away after a few days.

One thing is clear — despite the recent findings, most doctors still recommend moderation in regard to caffeine intake. While these recent studies give hope to those who are hooked on their morning cup, there is still a long way to go to determine the long-term effects of caffeine use.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics. His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” was released in January 2012. For more good health information, visit www.glennellis.com.