Healthwise

Why do we blink our eyes?

1/30/06

The eyelids guard the eyes from injury. The inner surfaces of the upper and lower lids as well as the eyes themselves are covered by a transparent membrane called the conjunctiva. This membrane helps to keep the surface of the eye moist so that the eye can move freely. The eyelid sweeps tears over the conjuctiva regularly, like a windshield wiper, preventing the eye from drying out.

You are able to blink your eyes consciously or wink one eye, but it is difficult to stop reflex blinking for more than a minute at a time.

What happens when light enters the eye?

1/24/06

Light first passes through the transparent cornea that covers the pupil, which is really the opening of the iris. When it continues through a chamber of watery fluid called the aqueous humor.

Next, light passes through the lens and is focused on the retina, after having passed through the gelatinous center of the eye, the vitreous (glassy) body. In the retina, light stimulates masses of receptors known as rods and cones (cones are detectors).

Impulses from the receptors eventually reach the brain after following a complicated pathway via optic nerve and brain tracts.

What do your eye pupils reveal about you?

1/17/06

In addition to their function as regulators of light to the retina, pupils are highly expressive of emotions. Intense interest is apparently reflected in a widening of the pupils of the eyes.

In general, one particular series of studies suggests the pupils seem to grow larger when people look at something that pleases them, and seem to grow smaller when they look at something they find distasteful.

Why do people have different eye color?

1/10/06

The iris gives the eye its color. The pigment that determines the color is called melanin. Large amounts of the pigment results in brown or hazel eyes while smaller amounts produce blue or light green eyes.

The pink appearance of eyes of albinos is due to the lack of melanin; because their irises are transparent, the pinkish blood vessels of the eye can be seen through them.

Two brown-eyed parents usually produce a brown-eyed child, and two blue-eyed parents almost always have blue-eyed offspring. But, when one parent has blue eyes and the other has brown eyes, their children are usually brown-eyed. The fact is that brown eyes are a stronger hereditary trait so brown-eyed people outnumber those who have blue eyes throughout the world.

Sniffing gasoline

11/8/05

The effects on the heart

The heart muscle is affected so that contractions get intense and stronger in effort than normal and when relaxed, are too relaxed. A person sniffing gas a lot can die what physicians call Sniffing Gas Death – SGD. If a person gets frightened and runs or jumps, like fright with flight, that can make the heart muscles contract extra hard and then stop altogether.

Sniffing gasoline

11/1/05

Hydrocarbons, which is what gasoline is made of, is an organic compound that contains carbon and hydrogen only. Petroleum is a liquid mixture of organic compounds consisting chiefly of benzene or other intoxicating chemicals.

When sniffing gas, the gas kills off the brain cells and the gas sniffer will eventually have dead spots in the brain, called brain holes by physicians. The brain is a very delicate part of the body. The damage done to the brain along with damage done to the transmitters in the nervous system could result in the body becoming paralyzed so that only the eyes are moving.

Gasoline sniffing

10/25/2005

How gasoline is absorbed into the body

Gasoline is absorbed into the body with the oxygen that is inhaled. It goes into the lungs and into the air sacs where the exchange of the oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place through the capillaries. It travels through the blood veins from there to the brain where the intoxicating effect takes place. Its effect is just like alcohol except for the hallucinations it causes. With prolonged use, it destroys the transmitters in the nervous system.

Sniffing gasoline

10/18/2005

What is gasoline?

Gasoline is a colorless, liquid mixture of hydrocarbons, which evaporates and burns very easily, now obtained chiefly in the distillation of crude petroleum or gas formed in the earth. It is used as a fuel, solvent, and cleansing agent. There are two kinds of gas in the YK delta – one is lead-free and the other has lead in it. A person sniffing gas with lead can die from lead poisoning.

How the Body is organized

How do organs relate to body systems?

The lungs are wonderfully designed for extracting oxygen from the air, but it is only in combination with the nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and bronchi that they can function. The lungs and the air-transporting structures together make up the respiratory system. Similarly, each of the nine other systems in the body are made up of several organs.

How the body is organized

What does tissue do?

Sheets of epithelial tissue line body cavities and cover and protect the surface of the body. In the small intestine, epithelial tissue absorbs nutrients from food. In the glands, it secretes digestive enzymes, hormones, mucus, perspiration, and saliva.

How the body is organized

What does tissue do?

Single cells do not function in isolation but in groups that form tissues. The human body contains four primary kinds of tissues: connective, epithelial, muscle and nerve. These specialized structural materials perform so many different functions that only advanced textbooks list them all.

Connective tissue is the most abundant of the four. As its name suggests, it generally binds and supports other tissues. But certain varieties stores fat, eat bacteria, produce blood cells, and produce antibodies against disease. You may be surprised to learn that both blood and bones are sometimes classified as connective tissues, though they are occasionally considered organs.

How the body is organized

Most Basic Units of the Body

In the human body, there are four organizational levels. The smallest living units are the cells – some 75 to 100 trillion of them falling into more than 100 different types. Similar cells along with the nonliving materials called a matrix, in which they are embedded, are grouped to form tissues. Each kind is designed to carry out some one function. Related tissues are joined together into organs adapted to perform particular tasks. Last come the body’s systems, groups of organs responsible for a series of interrelated functions. The body as a whole has been described as a community of cells, a social order in which each of 75 trillion individuals has some assigned place to occupy, some specific role to play.

Wild Rhubarb

Treasures of the Tundra

Habitat: Found mostly along highways and riverbanks where soil has been disturbed, but scattered on the tundra.

Preparation: The young stems are collected in early summer, stripped of their outer skin, eaten raw or cut into small pieces. Can be cooked and used in pies. The young tender leaves are cooked in boiling water for 15-20 minutes and used as a side dish, or chopped before/after boiling, then used in akutaqs.

Nutrients: Vitamin A and Fiber

Rose Hips

Treasures from the Tundra

Yup’ik name: Tuutaruat

Habitat: Thickets, rocky slopes

Preparation: Should be prepared soon after picking. Wash, remove tails, partly cover with water, bring quickly to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Juice can be used for jams, jellies, syrups, and mixed with other berry juices. Can be eaten fresh.

Nutrients: Rich in Vitamin C.

Native Foods:

Treasures of the Tundra

Fiddleneck Fern (Spreading wood fern)

Yup’ik name: Ceturqaar

Habitat: Moist grounds usually among woodlands, and mountainous regions.

Preparation: Fiddleneck sprouts need to be cleaned before using. Boil for 5-10 minutes and eat with half dried fish (egamaarrluk) with seal oil, or use in soups or mash. You can also use sprouts in akutaq or by itself or with salmonberries.

Nutrient: Vitamin A, Fiber and Carbohydrates.

The Food Pyramid: Breads and Grains

The amount you eat may be more than one serving. For example, a dinner portion of spaghetti or rice would count as 2 or 3 servings from Breads and Grains.

One serving from Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Noodles:

1 slice of bread

1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta

1 ounce of dry cereal

1 piece of pilot bread

1 piece of fry bread

Breads and grains

At the base of the food guide pyramid are breads, cereals, rice and pasta – all foods from the grains. You need the most servings in your diet from this group. Active people need the most servings of these foods each day for sustained energy.

If you are a woman or elder, you need 6 servings from the bread group each day. If you are a child, a teen girl, and for most men, you need 9 servings each day. If you are a teen boy or an active man, you need 11 servings each day.

Effects of alcohol on the body and mind

The nervous system is the target of the alcohol. Alcohol affects our:

SENSATION – Our ability to smell and taste can be enhanced. Vision and hearing are decreased.

PERCEPTION – Processing of information in the brain is changed.

JUDGMENT – Mental processes such as reasoning and judging are decreased.

MOTOR FUNCTION – Ability to stand up straight or walk straight or even pick up things is decreased.

The initial reaction to a drink of alcohol is stimulation. This effect does not last long. The stimulation quickly yields to a calm feeling. Additional alcohol produces depression, which is intensified as more and more alcohol is consumed.

How is alcohol absorbed in the body?

In the stomach, 20% to 25% is absorbed through many blood vessels. In the intestines, 75%-80% is absorbed through many blood vessels. Because alcohol is water-soluble, and the body is almost entirely made up of water, it can be absorbed very easily and quickly. Blood vessels carry the alcohol throughout the body to all the tissues.

What is alcohol?

Alcohol is a very small organic molecule produced from fermenting any of the carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables) and yeast. It is a chemical substance and it is a drug. Some of the other substances in alcohol are called congeners. Congeners give alcohol its taste and color and may be responsible for the after effects (hangover) the next day. In common drink, ethyl alcohol is found. It is a thin colorless fluid, one-fifth lighter in weight than water. It has a weak odor, but a powerful burning taste. In its pure state, it has a strong attraction for water and even draws water vapor from the air. It is also flammable.

Healing

Support Groups:

At times, it is difficult in the villages to start a support group, but since we have CISD Coordinators, VAECS Outreach Counselors, and Natural Helpers in most of the villages, it is a positive start. It is especially beneficial, since after sharing you find that you are not alone in what you are feeling. Bonding is established, feelings and tears can be shared, and giving it away will relieve part or all of the burden you may have carried for some time – days, weeks, months, and years.

When you are healing successfully, your life embodies a purpose, a future, and an appreciation for those components of your being, which makes you the most human. The same components, which produce deep grief after your loved one’s death, also serve to make life worthwhile and something to be treasured.

Healing

Identify your sources of support:

A supportive person can be someone who is willing to be accessible and available. The person needs to have the time and energy to give. The person may have some experiences with a loss similar to yours. Though no two losses are ever exactly the same, they can resemble one another (loss from cancer, heart disease, accidents, suicides) and by age (infant, pre-adolescent, teenager, adults, elder). Remember, regardless of where you are, who you are, or what type of losses you have had, there are others who can help.

Helping yourself to heal

Writing about how you feel: Part II

Some survivors feel that writing is more comfortable than verbalizing. When you write about what you need to say nobody can judge you, or talk back to you, or be uncomfortable. That is why in our culture talking to a pet or a dog is effective because what you said won’t be repeated. That’s why one of the rules in healing or talking circles, or even in counseling, is that what is said won’t go out of the circle. It is said and left behind. Our Elders’ belief is that if we talk about what was said outside of the circle, healing won’t take place for that person.

Helping yourself to Heal

Writing about how you feel: Besides talking about your experience, you may also write about it in order to feel relief. Write about the things that make you feel sad, hurt, angry, or bothering you. Record your story from beginning to end, or report only the aspect of your experience, which you find most confusing, frightening, or frustrating. Do any kind of writing, that is important – feelings will surface naturally. You do not need to share what you have written in order for it to serve as an emotional release and you may gain additional benefits if your writing allows you to formulate some helpful insight into your situation.

Healing

As you talk, you heal.

Both positive and negative responses need to be shared. You will benefit by talking of your loneliness, your missing, and will review the final days of your loved one’s life. You need to tell your story, not once, but repeatedly. The old phrase “getting it off your chest” has a great deal of truth because you do feel heavy at heart. Every negative emotional reaction can be eased by talking about it to someone who understands.

Healing

As you talk, you heal. In our culture, we are told never to hold back anything that is hurting us, making us angry, or any guilty feelings in order to stay healthy physically and mentally. We are told if we are too ashamed to talk to someone, say it to our dog or another pet. Healing cannot take place if you do not express what you are feeling and thinking as a result of your loss.

Healing: helping yourself to heal

First, you need to deal successfully with your anger, hurt, feelings of separation, or other feelings that make you feel out of energy or make you feel weak. It is very beneficial for you to facilitate a personalized memorial service for your loved one; talk or write about your experience and your feelings associated with death; and when you have begun to regain your emotional strength, by finding a meaningful, productive direction for your grief.

Diabetes

Some things to know:

Diabetes is a widespread, chronic disease. If it is not detected and/or left untreated, it can cause serious and life-threatening complications. Type 2 diabetes can be managed with diet, exercise and, in some cases medication. People with diabetes can lead normal lives and prevent serious complications.

How you can help people with diabetes:

Help them maintain healthy weight and eat a nutritious, balanced, low fat diet with timely meals; exercise and increased activity helps the body use insulin better; monitor glucose levels, keep within acceptable goals given by health care providers; follow prescribed medication routine; get regular health care. To best manage diabetes and reduce risk of complications, diabetics should receive regular health checkups, which include eye and foot exams.

More on relaxation techniques:

1/7/04

Select a comfortable sitting position or reclining position. Close your eyes, and think about a place that you have been before that represents your ideal place for physical and mental relaxation. (It should be a quiet environment). If you can't think on an ideal relaxation place, then create one in your mind. Imagine that you are actually in this ideal relaxation place. Imagine that you are seeing all the colors, hearing the sounds, smelling the aromas. Just lie back and enjoy the soothing environment. Feel the peacefulness, the calmness, and imagine your whole body and mind being renewed and refreshed. Stay quietly in your position and continue to feel the peacefulness for the next few minutes. Now slowly open your eyes and stretch. Realize that from now on you may instantly return to your relaxation place whenever you desire, and experience a peacefulness and calmness in your body and mind.

Ways to manage stress

Don't let minor aggravations get to you.

12/10/03

Don't yield to guilt. If you've done something you regret, fix it (apologize, change your behavior, your schedule, etc.)

Develop strategies. You can maintain control during stressful times if you respond with strategy. Evaluate the problem, examine the options and develop a productive method for either changing the situation or coping with it.

Learn to accept and adapt to change.

Develop a support system.

Change the way you look at stress. Learn to look at stress producers from more than one angle. Look for choices and alternatives. Avoid letting your fears take over.

Learn to accept the things you can't change.

Develop your own anti-stress system, like diet, exercise and relaxation.

Don't take things personally.

Believe in yourself.

The communication in stress

12/02/03

Stress is contagious. If you are stressed out at work, you come home wound up and have a less than positive attitude towards friends, spouse, kids, roommates, etc. This creates tension and eventually stress for everyone. Therefore, communication is important whether you are feeling stress or not. Talk to someone you trust like your supervisor, co-workers, lay pastors or someone who works in the church in your community.

Preventing an asthma attack

10/1/03

In allergic asthma, attacks can often be prevented if the source of allergy is removed. These could include pollens, food, organic dust and animals. Often allergens such as pollen or mold cannot be eliminated from the patient's environment. For patients who produce large amounts of lung secretions, postural drainage should be done daily. These people should also drink a lot of liquid to help keep the secretions loose. Expectorants help to keep airways clear. Also, bronchiodilators relax the muscles around the airways and the lungs, however none of these drugs cures the asthma, they only relieve symptoms.

Long-term treatment of Asthma

9/24/03

In a long-term treatment of asthma, the best results are usually obtained by identifying the causes, avoiding them when possible, and directing specific therapy toward those factors that cannot be avoided. The irritants like cigarette smoke, cooking odors and aerosol sprays should be avoided as much as possible. Asthmatics should never smoke.

Causes of Asthma

9/10/03

Respiratory infections play a major role in causing asthma, particularly in children. Studies of infants born to allergic parents indicate that allergy and asthma may occur in these children following respiratory infection.

Extrinsic asthma is caused by an outside factor and is a term frequently used to refer to allergic asthma.

Asthma and lung collapse

9/3/03

An asthma attack puts a strain on the cardiovascular system. For example, the increased air pressure in the lungs can collapse the capillaries in the air sacs. To prevent this from happening, the blood pressure in these small vessels must be increased. Therefore, the heart must pump harder to achieve this vital balancing of pressure.

Asthma and Respiratory Distress

8/27/03

Air flow obstruction is always found in asthma, however it cannot account for all the difficulties the asthmatic experiences. One striking feature of an asthma attack is overinflation of the lungs. Air is trapped behind the narrowed airways so that after exhaling as hard as possible, air remains in the lungs. This air is stale and prevents the exchange of fresh air. The lungs don't receive enough oxygen, and carbon dioxide builds up in the body. If carbon dioxide levels rise too sharply, this indicates the respiratory system is under severe stress and the patient's life is endangered.

Asthma Attacks

8/20/03

During an asthma attack the smooth muscles tighten around the airways. The lining of the airways becomes swollen and filled with blood cells known as eosinophils. In addition, respiratory mucous glands produce too much mucus, which further plugs the airways. As a result of the muscles tightening and swelling, congestion with cells and mucus, the airways become quite narrow and forced breathing becomes necessary.

by Paula Ayunerak

by Paula Ayunerak