United Seniors Health Cooperative

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Oral Cancer Rise Linked To Oral HPV

In a typical year, more than 35,000 cases of new oral cancers are diagnosed. Historically, men have outnumbered women 6 to 1 in oral cancer diagnosis. Recently, this number has changed to two men for every one woman diagnosed with oral cancer. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, oral cancer has previously been linked to cigarette smoking and alcohol use, but more and more cases are being diagnosed in women who neither smoke nor drink heavily. While cigarett smoking and alcohol use are still major factors as causes of oral cancer, often oral HPV-16 -- one of the types of HPV linked to cervical cancer -- is the cause of oral cancer. Like other types of HPV, oral HPV is linked to sexual activity, specifically oral sex.

Found early, oral cancer survival rates are about 80 to 90%. Unfortunately, many cases of oral cancer are not found until the late stages when the survival rate drops to about 45%. This late stage diagnosis of oral cancer could be significantly decreased if everyone stuck to the recommended every 6 months dental check ups. Dentists routinely check for the signs of oral cancer that can appear inside the oral cavity, including the tonsils and throat.

Going to the dentist has never been one of my favorite things to do -- maybe if I'd been aware of the possibility of oral cancer, I'd have stuck to the every 6 months schedule my parents insisted on while growing up. Knowing about the risk of oral cancer may have encouraged me to see the dentist more frequently.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Weight Loss Tip - Visualize For Success

The human brain is one of the most incredible creations on earth and it's been gifted with the wonderful ability to imagine. Visualization has much to do with our success in setting goals. When you set goals for yourself, the key to achieving them is to visualize yourself accomplishing them. Visualizing success is important for two reasons. First, the mind thinks in terms of pictures. Second, the subconscious mind drives much of our behavior. The subconscious does not know the difference between something that is real and something that is vividly imagined, so whatever picture you consistently think about will drive you to create that exact reality.

A great visualization technique is to spend 10 minutes every night while lying in bed with your eyes closed and visualize in detail how you want your body to look. Start from the ground up and focus your visualization on how you want your legs to look, and then move up to your hips and thighs. Focus attention on your midsection, then your chest arms and shoulders. Finally, visualize your new lean and vibrant face.

Friday, July 31, 2009