"Civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof."
~John F. Kennedy
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#LittleBearProd
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
What is Macular Dystrophy?
A closer look at macular dystrophy
By Katie Leslie,The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fox News pundit Glenn Beck's announcement that he is losing his vision shed light on an eye condition rarely discussed. Macular dystrophy, not to be confused with its more common cousin macular degeneration, is a genetic disorder that can cause legal blindness.
Fox News pundit Glenn Beck's announcement that he is losing his vision shed light on an eye condition rarely discussed. Macular dystrophy, not to be confused with its more common cousin macular degeneration, is a genetic disorder that can cause legal blindness.
We spoke with Dr. Blaine Cribbs, an ophthalmologist and retina specialist with Emory Eye Center, and optometrist Dr. Tom Spetalnick, clinical director of the Woolfson Eye Institute in Atlanta, about the condition and what it means for eye health.
What is macular dystrophy?
Dr. Spetalnick: Macular dystrophy is a general term that includes a lot of different conditions that have different levels of aggressiveness. Essentially the short answer is it's any of a group of disorders that are inherited and progressive.
Dr. Cribbs: Without knowing exactly what his diagnosis is, it is impossible to guess what is going on with Mr. Beck, but the most common form of macular dystrophy is vitelliform, which can present early onset in children or as adults.
How does it differ from macular degeneration?
TS: Macular degeneration is something not necessarily inherited. Macular dystrophy is more likely to be traceable to a gene or an inherited pattern. When young patients [have] macular problems, it’s more likely to be a dystrophy, as opposed to macular degeneration, which is an age–related loss of function and change of anatomy.
How does macular dystrophy affect one’s vision?
TS: It can vary. Some people will have minor loss of vision that is minimally progressive and others will have complete loss of the central vision. The retina is the seeing part of the eye and the macula is the central part of that, which is responsible for the greatest detail vision. When you need to see detail, you point your macula at that, so people with a type of dystrophy will have some loss of whatever they are looking at directly. Macular dystrophy could certainly cause legal blindness, which means you can’t see any better than 20/200 out of both eyes.
BC: Macular dystrophy won't take away night vision or peripheral vision, but it can cause severe impairment or blind spots.
What are early warning signs?
BC: The first things people notice are small blind spots or maybe a distortion of the vision when they are trying to read; the lines or letters would be crooked or missing.
TS: It could present harmlessly with a routine eye examination. [Or] symptoms would most likely be their vision would be blurred and they would think they need new glasses, but then you discover [more] vision loss.
Do you see this problem often?
TS: Macular dystrophies are not very common. We see a lot of macular degeneration and age-related changes in the macula.
So we don't know exactly what Glenn Beck might have?
TS: No. He might also have macular corneal dystrophy, which is treatable. Assuming he has macular corneal dystrophy, that is a clouding of the cornea that can be treated and the most extreme treatment would be a corneal transplant.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
15 Delicious Superfoods
I'm not a prophet or a stone aged man, just a mortal with potential of a superman. I'm living on.~David Bowie15 Delicious Superfoods
Foods with Super Powers15 ways you can fill up and feel better
read the article, Men's Health, '15 Delicious Superfoods'
We all want to eat well. Not only healthy food, but The Best food--stuff we actually enjoy eating. To be The Best, a food has to have superhero qualities. It's gotta be able to save the girl, disarm the warhead, and look good in tights, if you know what we mean. You want examples?
How about an Italian dinner that improves your fertility, pancakes that slow the signs of aging, and a filet mignon that could help lower your risk of heart disease? On our great banquet table, we're offering everything that's the best on both paper and plate. So eat until your cholesterol numbers plummet. Until your sex gland glistens. Until your heart valves hum. And most important, until you're full.
read the article, Men's Health, '15 Delicious Superfoods'
We all want to eat well. Not only healthy food, but The Best food--stuff we actually enjoy eating. To be The Best, a food has to have superhero qualities. It's gotta be able to save the girl, disarm the warhead, and look good in tights, if you know what we mean. You want examples?
How about an Italian dinner that improves your fertility, pancakes that slow the signs of aging, and a filet mignon that could help lower your risk of heart disease? On our great banquet table, we're offering everything that's the best on both paper and plate. So eat until your cholesterol numbers plummet. Until your sex gland glistens. Until your heart valves hum. And most important, until you're full.
read the article, Men's Health, '15 Delicious Superfoods'
Saturday, May 29, 2010
12 Little Instant Health Boosts
12 Little Instant Health BoostsMinor moves that offer major benefits for your mind and body
By Alyssa Shaffer
published in Prevention Magazine
1. Giggle
Health boost: Improve blood flow by 21%
2. Brush and floss
Health boost: Cut risk of head and neck cancer by 400%
3. Brew a pot of tea
Health boost: Cut stroke risk by 21%
4. Pen a thank-you note
Health boost: Feel 20% happier
5. Hide your TV remote
Health boost: Whittle 2 inches from your belly
6. Doodle during work meetings
Health boost: Improve memory by 29%
7. Keep your doctor on speed dial
Health boost: Slash medical mistakes up to 25%
8. Squeeze your husband’s hand
Health boost: Slash stress by 200%
9. Strike a warrior pose
Health boost: Ease back pain by 56%
10. Grill some fish for dinner
Health boost: Lower risk of dementia by 19%
11. Drink milk at breakfast
Health boost: Shed 5 pounds
12. Pour a glass of Pinot
Health boost: Live 5 years longer
Read the entire article here
Friday, May 21, 2010
Learning to Unplug
World Class Performers Unplug Differently
by Michael Gervais, PhD
All of us "perform" in some aspect of our lives. For some, performance comes in the way of business, sport, or military applications; for others it might be school, relationships, care-taking, or artistic expression.
While it may be true that all the world's a stage, an audience is not actually required in order to "perform." In fact, Dictionary.com describes performance as simply, "the process of carrying out a task." Think of all the tasks you've carried out today. Believe it or not, even the most mundane of these things count; almost every activity involves in its process some form of mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual performance.
In their pursuit of being the best in the world, how do world-class performers -- from Olympic athletes to Forbes-list business moguls -- manage the effort behind their particular tasks? How do they get so much out of themselves when they're plugged-in to their activity? And how do they unplug afterwards?
After spending over a decade with world-class performers, a very clear pattern has become evident: They seem to know and accept that stress is an inevitable part of life -- that it's necessary for growth and optimal performance. They also seem to understand that the recovery from stress ("unplugging") is equally important.
In the search for balance, every unit of stress needs an equal unit of recovery....
Read the entire article here
All of us "perform" in some aspect of our lives. For some, performance comes in the way of business, sport, or military applications; for others it might be school, relationships, care-taking, or artistic expression.
While it may be true that all the world's a stage, an audience is not actually required in order to "perform." In fact, Dictionary.com describes performance as simply, "the process of carrying out a task." Think of all the tasks you've carried out today. Believe it or not, even the most mundane of these things count; almost every activity involves in its process some form of mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual performance.
In their pursuit of being the best in the world, how do world-class performers -- from Olympic athletes to Forbes-list business moguls -- manage the effort behind their particular tasks? How do they get so much out of themselves when they're plugged-in to their activity? And how do they unplug afterwards?
After spending over a decade with world-class performers, a very clear pattern has become evident: They seem to know and accept that stress is an inevitable part of life -- that it's necessary for growth and optimal performance. They also seem to understand that the recovery from stress ("unplugging") is equally important.
In the search for balance, every unit of stress needs an equal unit of recovery....
Read the entire article here
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