A while ago, we wrote about the most terrifying treatments for mental illness. Turns out, those weren’t the only ones that were just plain ridiculous. Take a look at the following shocking medical treatments.

1. Plombage

Plombage was a surgical treatment for tuberculosis before medication was introduced. This involved the insertion of an inert substance to fill up the pleural space (the fluid-filled space) between the lungs. It was believed that if the diseased lung was forced to collapse, it would heal more quickly. Especially ping-pong balls were used to fill the cavities between the lungs.

2. Metal catheters

Before antibiotics were discovered, there were not many options to treat infections of the urinary tract or bladder. Catheters made of metal were often used to treat these infections. Besides being made from metal (as plastic hasn’t been discovered yet), these old fashioned catheters were completely straight, not taking the natural curve of the urethra into account. Ouch!

3. Hemiglossectomy

Have a problem with stuttering? Simply remove part of the tongue. In the 6th century B.C., physicians believed that the tongue was the main cause of stuttering. The best solution, they believed, was to cut it out. Of course it was a painful procedure, and patients often bled to death. 

4. Kidney stone extraction

Even with today’s advanced medical technology, the removal of kidney stones is still a difficult procedure. Thank goodness, though, the process has become a lot more sophisticated since the first kidney stone extractions were performed – reportedly in the 8^th century BC. Fast forward to the Middle Ages, where lithotomy was used to extract a kidney stone. An incision was made above the bladder, and the stone removed. Keep in mind that this was before anaesthetics, and that surgeries were usually performed by barbers.

5. Cannibalistic cures

This treatment method was truly bizarre. Mummified corpses were crumbled into tinctures to stop internal bleeding. Unfortunately, this gruesome treatment didn’t stop there, and soon powder made out of crushed skulls was used as a remedy for a number of illnesses. Romans also drank the blood of slain gladiators to gain vitality and strength.

6. Tapeworms

We tend to think that extreme weight loss cures and fads are things of the modern age. Wrong! Tapeworm and tapeworm eggs have been marketed as a weight loss “cure” for over 100 years and were already being advertised in the early 1900s. Reportedly opera legend Maria Callas used this remedy to lose a couple of kilograms, but it could never be confirmed. We would suggest other, healthier ways of losing weight.

7. Maggot therapy

Maggot therapy involved the use of live fly larvae to help cure wounds and infections. According to sources, maggots were used long ago by the Mayan Indians and Australian aborigine tribes. Maggots were also placed on wounds by soldiers to aid healing. This one didn’t quite die out as maggot therapy is still occasionally used today, especially in the case of foot ulcers in diabetic patients. 

^{Image credits: iStock and Wikipedia}

Marelize Wilke

A devoted husband hoisted his paralysed bride into his arms so that she could experience their first dance as a married couple.

Martine Christopher Kilminister (28), from Bradford in West Yorkshire, UK, planned their wedding in just four weeks after having been together for more than 12 years.  

“It took just four weeks to plan our dream day and it was a great distraction after my devastating diagnosis,” Martine says. Martine had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and told she has 18 months to live.

On her wedding day, Martine was lifted out of her wheelchair and into the arms of her beau, while the newlywed couple danced to Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.

“I had no idea that Christopher was going to pick me up out of my wheelchair but it was an amazing surprise.”

The mom-of-two started complaining in June of severe back pain, but doctors assumed that it was nothing serious. “I’d been battling with severe back pain for a few months but doctors just thought it was muscular spasms,” Martine says.

“I thought it was a trapped nerve at first, but it was causing me so much pain that I kept going back to the doctors,” she says.

Upon returning home from a short holiday, things took a turn for the worse when Martine started losing feeling in her legs. After having a series of scans and tests done she received the devastating news.

“As soon as I had scans on my spine it was revealed that there was a huge tumour crushing my spinal cord,” she says.

Martine was diagnosed with spinal glioblastoma – a cancerous tumour in the spinal cord, according to The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. The tumour has left Martine paralysed and she’s currently undergoing treatment to prolong her life.  

Martine is doing her best to ensure that she creates as many memories with her friends and family as possible.

“I have the most amazing sons, husband, friends and family and to me, that’s all that matters.

“I’ll continue to fight my cancer for as long as I can and once we recover from the wedding, I’ll start planning more family events,” she says.

Source: Magazine Features

Magazine Features

The decision was made after victims and families expressed strong views.

Event details Date: 5 November 2017
Venue (start and finish): Stadium Avenue, FNB Stadium, Nasrec, JHB
Start times: The standard marathon (42.2km): 06h00; the half marathon (21.1km): 06.30; 10km run: 07h00.

Landmarks

The route honours Soweto’s rich history and runners pass eight significant heritage sites on the marathon route namely the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Walter Sisulu Square, The Regina Mundi Catholic Church, Credo Mutwa Cultural Village, Morris Isaacson High School & June 16 Memorial Acre, Vilakazi Street and The Hector Pieterson Memorial. 

The organisers and sponsors of the race, Soweto Marathon Trust and Old Mutual respectively, once again promise runners and all participants a fantastic, fun-filled experience.

* Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, the third largest hospital in the world with 3 400 beds and 6 760 staff members.

* Walter Sisulu Square, the birthplace in 1955 of The Freedom Charter, which outlined the vision of a non-racial South Africa based on liberty and civil rights.

* The Regina Mundi Catholic Church, which became famous for its role in the anti-apartheid struggle and where Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu presided over the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings.

* Credo Mutwa Cultural Village, a museum-cum-outdoor exhibition of astounding sculptures and buildings created by African artist and traditional healer Credo Mutwa.

* Morris Isaacson High School, where learners played a central role in the Soweto Uprising of 1976.

* June 16 Memorial Acre, the memorial has been designed to form the start of the so-called “June 16 Trail”, which includes other key sites of that most tumultuous time, such as Vilakazi Street and the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum.

* Vilakazi Street, the only street in the world to have had two Nobel Prize winners as residents. They were former South African President Nelson Mandela and Tutu.

* The Hector Pieterson Memorial, named in honour of the 13-year-old who was one of the first fatal victims of police action during the Soweto Uprising.

Read more: 5 ways to stay hydrated during a long run

Waterpoints for the marathon

Waterpoints will be stations approximately every 3km namely:

Point 1 – Ben Naude Street, Point 2 – Chris Hani Road, Point 3 – Modjaji Street, Point 4 – Klipspruit Valley Road, Point 5 – Klipspruit Valley Road, Point 6 – Koma Street, Point 7 – Bolani Street (by Soweto Theatre), Point 8 – Mzilikatse Street (Mofolo Park), Point 9 – Vilakazi Street, Point 10 – Orlando Stadium, Point 11- New Canada Road, Point 12 – News Canada Road, Point 13 – New Canada Road, Point 14 – Main Reed Road, Point 15 – Colorado Street, Point 16 – Nasrec Road, and Point 17 – Finish at FNB Stadium.

Read more: 6 common race-day fuelling mistakes

What to bring on race day

1. Race numbers

Race numbers must be worn throughout the race on the front of your upper garment/vest and the 2017 provincial license number must be worn on the front and back of your upper body garment or issued temporary licence number must be worn on the back of your upper body garment.

Registered athlete(s) must be a member of a club affiliated with ASA and must wear their club colours along with their 2017 license number, which are to be worn on the back and front together with the issued race number.

The official race number must not cover the ASA sponsor on the provincial licence.

2. Timing device

Please remember to wear your ChampionChip timing device on Race Day, which must be attached to your running shoe. Timing mats will be placed at various points on route. Timing is mat to mat.

Expo

The Old Mutual Soweto Marathon expo is set to take place at the FNB Stadium basement on 2 and 3 November from 10:00 to19:00, and 4 November from 08:30 to 16:00.

Various exhibitors will be at the expo, so runners will collect their race packs, complimentary race T-shirts and are invited to visit all the stores on offer.

Read more: 7 tips for fuelling your first marathon

Maps of the routes

10km

21.1km

Marathon (42.2km)

^{This article was originally published on www.runnersworld.co.za} 

^{Image credits: iStock and supplied} 

An 82-year-old woman fell ill after diet information, claim her family.

Riding is fun, and there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing the benefits of hard training in faster times and longer rides.

We all know that you have to work hard to get results, and the messaging around cycling never fails to reinforce the idea that more suffering makes you stronger.

But just like a baking a cake, training is about finding the balance between undercooked and overdone.

Cycling rewards dedicated and determined athletes, but the best – and happiest – athletes are those who dedicate themselves to balance rather than sacrificing everything for their training goals.

It can be hard to acknowledge that your training might be making you slower, sadder and frankly not much fun to be around, so we caught up with sports and exercise psychologist Dr Simon Marshall, to give you the telltale signs that you need to chill, sit down, and maybe enjoy a cupcake or two.

Immature athletic identity

Dr Marshall says that what he calls an “immature athletic identity” can cause athletes to make decisions that lead to overtraining and an unbalanced set of priorities.

For many athletes, this means putting training above other elements of a healthy and happy life (like family, hobbies and social commitments); or training in a way which isn’t sustainable, such as riding too hard or too much.

Dr Marshall sees a mature athletic identity as having seven elements; when these fall by the wayside, training can play a destructive role in an athlete’s life. A healthy athletic identity is when:

1. You currently participate in sports or exercise.
2. You are comfortable calling yourself an athlete.
3. You are comfortable being called an athlete by others.
4. You “own” your athletic ability. You’re neither embarrassed by it, nor do you feel the need to prove your ability to others.
5. You don’t engage in excessive self-criticism or self-aggrandisement (e.g., telling people how awesome you are) when talking about your riding skills.
6. You maintain a healthy balance between your sport and other interests. Your performance on the bike is not the sole contributor to your self-worth. You have friends who are not athletes and you frequently talk about non-sport-related topics in social situations.
7. You have emotional reactions that most people would consider reasonable when things go south (e.g., losing, failing, getting penalised, getting injured, etc.).

If you find yourself freaking out when your knee hurts, or telling someone you’re pissed because another rider took your KOM on Strava, it might be a sign that it’s time to back it off a little. 

Take a few days off the bike and think about what cycling really means to you and why you train. Riding bikes should be fun and no amount of training should cause you to lose sight of that.

Exercise dependence

The second telltale sign is what Dr Marshall calls exercise dependence. 

“A dependency is when you experience physical and/or psychological withdrawal symptoms after stopping use of a substance or behaviour…  When the behaviour stops, you feel crappy.”

There are seven diagnostic criteria here that can, if we’re honest with ourselves, be easily identified.

1. Tolerance. You need to ride more to feel the same “buzz”. This is not to be confused with an increase in training stimulus required to increase physical fitness –  this refers to the need for a bigger exercise “hit” for the “feel-good” sensation.

2. Withdrawal. Some athletes develop withdrawal symptoms (often in the form of anxiety, fatigue, irritability, restlessness or sleep problems) when they cut down their training and would rather train more to avoid these symptoms, even if their plan has a scheduled rest. Have you noticed people around you seem to get really annoying when you take a rest week? The chances are, it’s not they who need to chill out, it’s you.

3. Intention effect. Why are you really riding? If you genuinely want to improve performance, then rest is as important as training. If you find yourself riding more than your plan says or going harder than suggested, you’re not going to get faster. If this rings a bell for you, be honest with yourself and make a list of the reasons you ride your bike and what your long-term goals for yourself inside and outside the sport are. Think about how overtraining might negatively impact those goals.

4. Lack of control. A persistent desire or unsuccessful effort to cut down or control exercise. For example, you might know that you should cut down and have even had periods when you tried to, but you end up going back to old habits.

5. Time. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain exercise. This refers not only to time spent actually riding, but also time spent planning how, when and where you can train. Fretting about Christmas with the family already? Relax, a couple of days off and a slice of pie won’t kill you.

6. Reductions in other activities. As a direct result of riding, your social, occupational or recreational activities are given up or reduced. For example, you might consistently pass on social activities because they require staying up too late or you avoid early morning commitments because of your training plans. As we get towards the holiday season, this one should be easy to spot.

7. Continuance. Exercise is continued, despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the exercise. This might include training through an injury, exercising despite knowing that it will cause interpersonal conflict, blaming yourself for not being able to meet expanding goals or exercising to increase feelings of control over your body.

Ultimately, we all ride bikes because it feels like being a kid again. Cycling should be a release from stress, not a cause of it.

If you find yourself tired, angry and constantly aching, then cycling isn’t playing a healthy role in your life. We suggest you take a week off and schedule activities off the bike (like hiking, climbing or swimming) and spend time with the people you don’t get to see because you’re always trying to cram a ride in.

Once you get back out there, leave your GPS head unit at home and schedule social rides with people you normally see as “not serious” enough to train with, then stop and buy them a coffee and a pastry.

This is a great time to try a discipline you’re less familiar with and focus on skills, not training volume or intensity.

After a few weeks of trail rides and coffee stops, you should be in a much happier place with your riding.

This article was originally published on www.bicyling.co.za

Image credit: iStock

James Stout

Incontinence can be an embarrassing situation, which is often made worse by the stress that comes with making it to the bathroom in time to avoid an accident. But worrying about urine leakage during sex can prove even more troubling.

Research has shown that one in every three women who suffer from stress incontinence avoids sexual activity due to a fear of leakage during intercourse or orgasm.

Research published in the International Urogynecology Journal reported that 60% of women in the study reported leaking during sex. But it is not only women who experience incontinence. Around 20% of males have incontinence issues.

Sexual stimulation can put pressure on the bladder or urethra, and weak pelvic floor muscles can result in incontinence.

Here’s what you can do

• Emptying your bladder before sexual intercourse can reduce your likelihood of leaking.
• You should be comfortable enough with your partner to discuss your incontinence issues. An understanding partner may help ease the stress on incontinence.
• Cut down on fluids but remain hydrated at all times.
• Improve your bladder control with bladder training.
• Women who do Kegels regularly have less leakage during sex.
• Research has shown that being overweight increases the risk for incontinence. Losing 5–10% of body weight may reduce this risk.
• Experiment with sex positions. Certain positions may put extra pressure on your bladder and urethra, causing less leakage curing sex (such as rear entry, side entry and woman on top).
• Talk to your doctor about treatment to help control your incontinence.

Causes of urinary incontinence                     

Urinary incontinence is not a disease, but rather a symptom of a number of conditions. It’s important to know the underlying cause, especially if it is a serious medical condition.

According to the Urology Care Foundation these conditions may include:

• Urinary tract infections (UTI)
• Constipation
• Medication (such as diuretics, antidepressants and antihistamines)
• Diabetes
• Stroke
• Multiple sclerosis
• Enlarged prostate
• Prostate surgery
• Childbirth
• Menopause

^{Image credit: iStock}

Naseema Barday

Urinary incontinence involves the involuntary leaking of urine. While incontinence itself isn’t a disease, it’s a symptom of another condition and can affect everyone.

Urinary incontinence affects about 5% of the population, with 8% of females and 3% of males affected respectively. It’s more common in old age and in debilitated patients, but some factors such as stress can cause younger people to suffer from incontinence.

The question is, how do you deal with incontinence while at work? Whether you have a job where you spend the day standing, or whether you are in and out of meetings all day, incontinence can be uncomfortable and embarrassing at work.

We investigated a couple of ways on how to deal with urinary incontinence in the workplace.

1.  Pack an emergency kit

Having the comfort of clean clothes will make you feel less stressed out about urinary incontinence at the office. Also pack a spare set of absorbent underwear and a plastic bag if you have an emergency. While you won’t necessarily use these items, being prepared will put your mind at ease.

2.  Wear dark clothing

If you are worried about a visible leak, stick to dark colours and thicker material. Choose absorbent materials like cotton. 

3. Do regular pelvic floor exercises

Pelvic floor exercises are effective for women who suffer from mild urinary incontinence. Clench and unclench your pelvic floor muscles to strengthen them.

4. Go to the bathroom regularly

Schedule your bathroom breaks between meetings or conference calls, and take your time when you are there.

5. Make it easier

Don’t wear clothing with fiddly, complicated zippers. Choose skirts or pants with elasticated bands to help you save time.

6. Disclose

Talk to a trusted colleague, line manager or HR staff member about your condition.

7. Go easy on the coffee

Caffeine is a diuretic which can stimulate urine production and irritate the bladder. If you are worried about incontinence at work, limit your amount of coffee per day.  Skip the coffee altogether if you know you have a meeting.

8. Locate the bathroom

Not working in the comfort of your office? Locating the bathroom in an unknown place such as a conference venue, or client meeting, will put your mind at ease.

9. Don’t skip the water

Your first reaction would be to avoid drinking water. That can actually have an adverse effect since not drinking enough water can irritate your bladder. However, don’t drink too much water.

10. Talk to your doctor

Consult your doctor about possible medication and treatment to keep incontinence under control.

^{Image credits: iStock}

Marelize Wilke

Raw eggs have been longtime staples of quite a few traditional make-at-home recipes, from mayonnaise to Caesar dressing. But lately, more and more of them are being used in unconventional ways.

Weightlifters and athletes with intense training schedules may crack them into smoothies or oats for a protein boost, while others may whisk them into cocktails or hot chocolate just for the heck of it.

But we were all taught to resist licking the bowl of cake batter as kids (as tempting and difficult as it is!), making the allure of Team Raw a bit questionable.

What do raw eggs really bring to the table? We asked nutritionists to weigh in on both the nutritional value and safety of eating raw eggs. Here’s what they had to say:

Nutrition

You’d be surprised at how many nutrients are packed into a tiny eggshell.

Just one raw egg contains 3g of protein; vitamins A, B2, B5, B12 and E; choline, a mineral that’s essential for brain function; lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that keep our eyes healthy; and so much more.

Heating up a raw egg does ever-so-slightly diminish the amount of its nutrients, but the nutritional difference between a raw egg and a cooked one is so small that it’s flat-out insignificant.

“Raw eggs contain an abundance of protein and great deal of nutrients that can help support brain, immune and nervous system function,” says Tara Gidus Collingwood, team dietician for the Orlando Magic and nutrition consultant for UCF Athletics.

“However, practically none of these nutrients are lost or changed when the egg is cooked.”

Read more: 5 foods you won’t believe contain more protein than an egg

So, as far as nutritional value goes, raw and cooked eggs are pretty much tied.

But cooked eggs do have a leg up on the competition when it comes to the digestion of those nutrients.

One study published in The Journal of Nutrition revealed that our bodies only absorb 50% of an egg’s protein when we consume it raw, versus 90% when we consume it cooked.

“Another concern is with biotin absorption,” says Heather Mangieri, registered dietician and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of Fueling Young Athletes. 

“One of the egg proteins, avidin, when raw or undercooked, can bind with biotin, [a B-vitamin], making it unavailable for absorption. The only way to make sure the biotin in the egg yolk isn’t inhibited is to make sure the egg is fully cooked.”

In other words, unprepared eggs are not only less digestible, but they also cause you to miss out on most of that high protein and vitamin content – so there’s really no point in dropping them into your smoothie after all.

If you’re looking to build muscle, you’ll get a much bigger punch out of your meals and drinks if you stir in some high-quality protein powder rather than raw eggs.

Read more: Exactly how to use eggs to lose that extra weight

Health risks

Here’s a little lesson in biology: When a chicken lays an egg, the egg exits the body through the same opening that the chicken’s poop does. So right off the bat, eggs are prone to being exposed to harmful bacteria, like salmonella, which can be carried on the surface of the eggshells or absorbed into the egg itself.

Contamination can also be influenced by factors like how old and how large the chicken flock is, what the chickens are eating, how much stress the chickens are under and how clean the chickens’ environment is, among others.

While the actual risk of an egg carrying salmonella is fairly low, it’s still not worth taking your chances on – as anyone who has actually experienced salmonella will tell you.

“The main risk of consuming raw or undercooked eggs is salmonella infection, which causes food poisoning symptoms such as stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, fever and headache,” says Lauren Antonucci, a registered dietician and board-certified sports dietician, and owner/director of Nutrition Energy, a nutrition consulting practice in New York City.

“These symptoms may appear within the first six to 48 hours of consuming raw eggs and can last up to seven days.”

Read more: 4 quick protein-powered meals that take eggs way beyond breakfast

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) clearly advises against the consumption of any type of raw eggs too – and that includes brown, white, organic, free-range and non-GMO.

They also explain that people with underdeveloped or compromised immune systems – such as children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those suffering from cancer or autoimmune diseases such as AIDS – are especially susceptible to salmonella infection and can experience even more dire consequences.

For example, the bacteria can cause uterine cramps and infection in women during pregnancy, which can lead to premature birth or foetal death.

The only way to ensure the eggs you’re consuming are salmonella-free is to cook them thoroughly: “During the cooking process, heat to a certain temperature will destroy the bacteria, making it less of a threat,” says Lisa Moskovitz, CEO of The NY Nutrition Group, a private New York-based nutrition practice.

The American Egg Board says that bringing eggs to an internal temperature of 70 degrees Celsius it will kill almost any germs they might be carrying.

Read more: Will swapping eggs for egg whites really help you lose weight?

Now if you absolutely must consume raw eggs for one reason or another, despite warnings from the experts, there is one thing you can do to minimise your risk of infection: Opt for the pasteurised variety.

“Pasteurised eggs are the safest choice when it comes to eating raw eggs,” says Antonucci. “During the pasteurisation process, many bacteria and microorganisms commonly found in raw eggs are eliminated.”

That’s because the eggs are pasteurised by being heated to 60 degrees Celsius for about three and a half minutes, and most bacteria can’t survive that temperature.

Just make sure you keep the eggs refrigerated, don’t eat any eggs that have passed their expiration date and toss any cracked eggs in the trash.

But because the heat of the pasteurisation process infinitesimally reduces the amount of nutrients in the egg just like the cooking process does – and since our bodies don’t fully absorb the nutrients in raw pasteurised eggs either – then you might as well go ahead and cook them anyway.

Considering the mounting evidence in the trial of raw versus cooked, here’s the experts’ final verdict: “There is absolutely nothing magical or superior about raw eggs that would make them a beneficial addition to anyone’s diet,” says Mangieri.

“You can never say with 100% certainty that consuming raw eggs is safe. I advise against the consumption of raw eggs in any form.”

This article was originally published on www.womenshealthsa.co.za

Image credit: iStock

Stella Katsipoutis