Educational Video: Ulcers & Emotional Pressures

Film about pressures facing a white-collar worker whose ulcer drives him to psychological extremes. Director: Ned Hockman; Producer: Dwight Swain; Production Company: University of Oklahoma; Sponsor: Oklahoma State Department of Health. Creative Commons license: Public Domain. Preventing Ulcers. Public Domain Video. A peptic ulcer is a hole in the gut lining of the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus. A peptic ulcer of the stomach is called a gastric ulcer; of the duodenum, a duodenal ulcer; and of the esophagus, an esophageal ulcer.


An ulcer occurs when the lining of these organs is corroded by the acidic digestive juices which are secreted by the stomach cells. Peptic ulcer disease is common, affecting millions of Americans yearly. The medical cost of treating peptic ulcer and its complications runs in the billions of dollars annually. Recent medical advances have increased our understanding of ulcer formation. Improved and expanded treatment options are now available. For many years, excess acid was believed to be the major cause of ulcer disease. Accordingly, treatment emphasis was on neutralizing and inhibiting the secretion of stomach acid. While acid is still considered significant in ulcer formation, the leading cause of ulcer disease is currently believed to be infection of the stomach by a bacteria called "Helicobacter pyloridus" (H. pylori). Another major cause of ulcers is the chronic use of anti-inflammatory medications, commonly referred to as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), including aspirin. Cigarette smoking is also an important cause of ulcer formation and ulcer treatment failure. H. pylori bacteria is very common, infecting more than a billion people worldwide. It is estimated that half of the United States population older than age 60 has been infected with H. pylori. Infection usually persists for many years, leading to ulcer disease in 10 % to 15% of those infected. H. pylori is found in more than 80% of patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers. While the mechanism of how H. pylori causes ulcers is not well understood, elimination of this bacteria by antibiotics has clearly been shown to heal ulcers and prevent ulcer recurrence. NSAIDs are medications for arthritis and other painful inflammatory conditions in the body. Aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin), naproxen (Naprosyn), and etodolac (Lodine) are a few of the examples of this class of medications. Prostaglandins are substances which are important in helping the gut linings resist corrosive acid damage. NSAIDs cause ulcers by interfering with prostaglandins in the stomach. Cigarette smoking not only causes ulcer formation, but also increases the risk of ulcer complications such as ulcer bleeding, stomach obstruction and perforation. Cigarette smoking is also a leading cause of ulcer medication treatment failure. Symptoms of ulcer disease are variable. Many ulcer patients experience minimal indigestion or no discomfort at all. Some report upper abdominal burning or hunger pain one to three hours after meals and in the middle of the night. These pain symptoms are often promptly relieved by food or antacids. The pain of ulcer disease correlates poorly with the presence or severity of active ulceration. Some patients have persistent pain even after an ulcer is completely healed by medication. Others experience no pain at all, even though ulcers return. Ulcers often come and go spontaneously without the individual ever knowing, unless a serious complication (like bleeding or perforation) occurs. The diagnosis of an ulcer is made by either a barium upper GI x-ray or an upper endoscopy (EGD-esophagogastroduodenoscopy) The barium upper GI x-ray is easy to perform and involves no risk or discomfort. Barium is a chalky substance administered orally. Barium is visible on x- ray, and outlines the stomach on x-ray film. However, barium x-rays are less accurate and may not detect ulcers up to 20% of the time.


An upper endoscopy is more accurate, but involves sedation of the patient and the insertion of a flexible tube through the mouth to inspect the stomach, esophagus, and duodenum. Upper endoscopy has the added advantage of having the capability of removing small tissue samples (biopsies) to test for H. pylori infection. Biopsies can also be examined under a microscope to exclude cancer. While virtually all duodenal ulcers are benign, gastric ulcers can occasionally be cancerous. Therefore, biopsies are often performed on gastric ulcers to exclude cancer.

Breastfeeding

Globally, only 38 percent of infants under the age of six months are exclusively breastfed, though research shows that optimal breastfeeding is the single most effective preventive intervention for reducing infant mortality.


Breast milk offers an excellent source of nutrition for infants and, especially where clean water is lacking, helps keep young children safe from dangerous water-borne illnesses like diarrhoea, said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman.


Source: UNICEF

To read the full story, visit:
http://www.unicef.org/emerg/index_50471.html

Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World

Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World (2004)
Directors: Cori Brackett(co-director) and J.T. Waldron(co-director)
Writers: Cori Brackett(co-writer) & J.T. Waldron(co-writer)
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 51:47


The artificial sweetener, aspartame, is the bedrock of the diet industry.


Found in everything from fizzy drinks to vitamin pills and marketed under a variety of different names, it is difficult to detect and even harder to avoid.


But how safe is it?


Does it really cause brain tumors, blindness and other serious illnesses?


This shocking documentary investigates how the FDA came to approve such a potentially dangerous product.

Toxins In Cosmetics

Toxins In Cosmetics / Educational Video. News Report of Toxic make up on the market.


Recently, leading cosmetic companies including Avon, Estee Lauder, and Revlon embarked on a campaign to distribute pink ribbons, which are intended to highlight the need to support the fight against breast cancer. The response of leading activist organization Breast Cancer Action Network was swift and sure. They condemned the campaign as a marketing gimmick and the companies as hypocritical.


Why? Because the very cosmetic and personal care products these and many other companies make are loaded with compounds believed to cause cancer. It is hard to believe, but its a fact that experts say is becoming increasingly clear: most mainstream cosmetic and personal care products contain at least one hazardous chemical compound, and many contain far more than that. By various estimates, there are between about 5,000 and 10,000 ingredients currently being used in everything from eyeliner and lipstick to shampoos and deodorants. While many are thought to be perfectly safe, many are not.


The National Institute of Occupational Safety (U.S.), for example, has identified almost 900 personal care chemicals that are toxic in one way or another. Some cause cancer. Others cause hormone disruption. Some are neurotoxins. And still others can cause organ damage. In Europe, some 400 of these dangerous materials have been banned from consumer products.

Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury

Guests: Kathleen Bell, rehabilitation physician at the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC), Myron Goldberg, neuropsychologist at UWMC, Robert Fraser, vocational rehabilitation specialist at UWMC and Mary Pepping, neuropsychologist at UWMC.


People with traumatic brain injuries may experience physical, cognitive or personality changes that affect their work and relationships.


In this program from the University of Washington, hear stories of people who are rebuilding their lives and readjusting to family, careers and everyday life.