The BBC Middle East editor undergoes chemotherapy after noticing “funny pains in legs” while in Iraq.

The government’s aim to move people with learning disabilities from secure units has failed, campaigners say.

South Africans who suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are not able to get access to the only medicine developed to treat the auto-immune disease because it has not yet been registered here.

Although belimumab, known by the brand name Benlysta, was registered in 2011 in the USA, the SA Health Products Authority has still not given approval for its use in South Africa.

Little awareness about lupus

This is according to Susan van der Walt from the Lupus Foundation of South Africa, who has been fighting for seven years to get Benlysta registered.  

Lupus is a chronic and complex autoimmune disease where a sufferer’s immune system attacks healthy cells by mistake. It can affect a person’s joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage.

South Africa treats lupus with steroids, chemotherapy and anti-rejection medication, suppressing  the entire immune system, whereas Benlysta targets specific immune cells.

Van der Walt says that, while lupus cases seem to be increasing, there was little awareness about it.

“As a private organisation, we do as much as possible to create awareness, but our government needs to get involved and realise that lupus is a huge problem that needs to be addressed. The correct medication should also be registered and made available in the country,” she said.

Women between the ages of 15 and 44 are most likely to suffer from the disease but it can affect anyone.

‘Everything hurt’

Rashni Nirvana Harichand (41) had a pain on her left hand from the wrist to her fingers. She initially thought she had hurt herself and took pain killers.

“This went on for a few weeks until I could not hold anything with my left hand. The pain travelled all the way from my left breast down to my fingers. The pain felt like pins and needles and was very sensitive.”

She decided to seek medical help and after blood tests was told that she had “Mixed Connective Tissue”.

“I was terrified and did not know what to do. I went for a second opinion and was told that I had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and that I would be fine after an operation.”

But after less than a week on medication for CTS, her body swelled and everything hurt.

“I went for a third opinion and was told I had lupus. Two years later and I am still trying to understand lupus but I am dealing with it on my own terms,” she said.

Attempts to get a comment from the health department were unsuccessful. – Health-e News

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Marcia Zali

Anti-vaccination campaigns abound on social media, but the people involved are not necessarily driven by any single motivation, a new study suggests.

Instead, researchers say, people who voice their anti-vaccine sentiments online range from conspiracy theorists to parents who have safety worries or interests in alternative medicine.

Taking a closer look

The investigators came to that conclusion after looking into a “viral” Facebook attack targeting a Pittsburgh paediatric practice that posted a video encouraging HPV vaccination.

A month after the practice posted the video on its Facebook page, it apparently caught the eye of anti-vaccination groups. Within a week, the post was deluged with thousands of vaccine-bashing comments.

So researchers at the University of Pittsburgh decided to take a closer look at the people involved, and analysed the profiles of a randomly selected sample of 197 commenters.

It was found that most were mothers, but they were fairly diverse in other ways. They hailed from 36 US states and eight countries, and were neither uniformly liberal nor conservative: Just over half were Trump supporters, while 11% were fans of Bernie Sanders, for example.

From what the researchers could analyse, the commenters were driven by various motives.

It seemed to come down to four broad themes, said senior researcher Dr Brian Primack, who directs Pitt’s Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health.

Claim that polio virus doesn’t exist

Some anti-vaccine commenters showed a distrust of the scientific community and worried that mandatory vaccination threatened their personal liberty. Another group believed the government and other groups were conspiring to hide the truth from the public.

“There was the claim that the polio virus doesn’t really exist, for example,” said Beth Hoffmann, a graduate student at Pitt who worked on the study.

But then there were the commenters who were more in line with the typical “vaccine-hesitant” parent, Primack said.

There was a group concerned about vaccine safety and the notion that vaccination is “immoral”, and another interested in “alternatives”, like homeopathic remedies, to avoid the chemicals used in vaccines.

To the researchers, that means doctors and public health agencies need to better “tailor” their messages to address the different reasons some parents balk at vaccinating their kids.

“It’s not all about autism,” Hoffmann said.

Sentiments go beyond autism

She was referring to the genesis of the anti-vaccination movement – the belief that the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella might cause autism. That fear was sparked by a small 1997 study that was later found to be fraudulent and retracted by the journal that published it.

These days, though, anti-vaccination sentiments go beyond autism, agreed Dr Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“It’s perfectly reasonable for parents to be hesitant and have questions,” said Offit, who was not involved in the study. “We give kids a lot of shots, and we’re using biological materials people have never heard of.”

But parents should bring those concerns to their paediatrician, Offit said, rather than social media – where they are bound to come across misinformation like “polio does not exist”.

Ideally, the Pitt researchers say, doctors should respond to those worries with more than a generic “vaccines are safe and effective” message. If, for example, parents are worried about vaccine ingredients, Hoffmann said, it might help to explain what a particular chemical does – such as boosting the immune system response.

“Parents may feel like they’re not being heard if they get a one-size-fits-all response,” Primack said.

Measles once ‘eradicated’

The findings, published in the journal Vaccine, come at a time of rising concerns about parents’ vaccine hesitancy. Recent years have seen widespread outbreaks of “old” childhood diseases such as measles, mumps and whooping cough.

So far this year, there have been 268 cases of measles reported in 15 states, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Measles was once declared eradicated in the United States, due to high vaccination rates. But it has re-emerged – often due to unvaccinated travellers bringing measles back from countries where large outbreaks are occurring, the CDC says.

“Vaccine refusal is fuelling a public health crisis,” Hoffmann said.

Offit agreed. He also doubted that messages from doctors and public health agencies will have any pull when it comes to people on the “conspiracy theory” end of the spectrum.

“To me, what it comes down to is legislation,” Offit said. He pointed to the few US states that allow children to be exempted from vaccinations for medical reasons only – and not due to parents’ religious or philosophical objections.

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Thousand more adults are seeking help in coping with an alcoholic parent every year, a charity says.

Yup – we’re talking hunger (and mind) games… Your belly isn’t the only body part dictating how much you nosh – your brain’s got a say too. Research offers up three mental tricks to silence tummy rumble, aka control appetite and cravings.

1. Eat and believe

It sounds kind of weird, but research in the journal Appetite found that just thinking a food will be filling makes it so. Recalling past satisfaction from eating it can affect how full you feel now.

Read more: These are the top 10 power foods that will keep you fuller for longer

2. Shut the front door

Or menu, or cookie jar or anything, really. Science shows that the very act of putting something away can give you a sense of closure and make whatever you’re eating hit the spot.

Read more: Here’s exactly how to use meal prep to lose weight

3. No instagramming between meals

The constant social-media barrage of food may be stoking hunger. According to research, our brains evolved to expect a hit of energy from simply seeing grub.

^{This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.}

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Rachel Meltzer Warren

Sad but true: bad stuff happens to all of us. Relationships turn toxic and die, trips to the HR department end in pinks slips and tears, loved ones become ill.

It hurts. It sucks. And a lot of times, it's unfair. You'd like to think that you're the kind of person who can suck it up and instantly recover, but the fact is, everyone reacts differently to disappointment and pain. Let it go may make for an inspiring (if irritatingly omnipresent) song lyric, but let's face it: landing on your feet and moving on is a lot easier said than done.

But here's the thing: While none of us is totally in control of what happens in life, we can control how we react to heinous situations. In honor of National Get Over It Day (yes, that's a thing), we asked experts for their best strategies for moving on and bouncing back.

Follow these tricks and you'll not only be able to rebound from disappointments—you'll actually end up a better, smarter, stronger person than before. (Admit it, you're intrigued, right?)

RELATED: Here’s How Feeling Grateful Can Improve Your Life

Throw a (small) pity party

Want to have a good sob? Go medieval on a container of Ben & Jerry's? By all means, do it. Unless you let yourself feel pain, you can't heal properly, says Karen Salmansohn, the best-selling author of The Bounce Back Book ($11, amazon.com), who uses a personal story to illustrate her point: "While vacationing in Greece a few years ago, I had an accident, in which I basically got squished underneath my moped. I was embarrassed, so even though I was hurt, I put up a brave front, insisting to my friends, 'I'm OK, I'm OK.' Well, my elbow ended up healing badly and to this day I have trouble with my arm." Crashing in a relationship, or in another aspect of your life, is like that, says Salmansohn: "When you insist that you're fine and don't take time to acknowledge the pain (or grieve, for that matter), you don't heal properly. Let yourself mourn."

Kelly McGonigal, PhD, author of the upcoming book, The Upside of Stress ($20, amazon.com), puts it this way: "Giving yourself permission to grieve about disappointment is how you move on." In fact, she says, research shows that the more upset you are after some kind of loss or adversity, the more likely you are to experience personal growth as a result. "Feeling bad is often a catalyst for making positive change," she says. "If you try to suppress your feelings and 'skip' the feeling bad part, you're less likely to learn and grow from the experience."

RELATED: The Benefits of Positive Thinking—and How You Can Do More of It

Pretend you're Serena Williams

Think of any transition as a kind of major sporting event, says McGonigal. "Life is asking a lot of you, so take care of yourself in the same way that an athlete would prepare for an important competition," she says. "Think of it as self-care, rather than self-indulgence. By that I mean it should create health, help you sustain energy, or provide a true rest." Salmansohn opts for the second, tapping into the mind-body connection by reaching for the dumbbells. "It makes me feel empowered—I'm like, Oh yeah!" she says. "There are studies that show when you're physically strong, you're emotionally strong."

RELATED: 3 Key Habits of Mentally Strong People, and How to Master Them

Create a distraction

One of the reasons we feel so upset when life throws us for a loop is because we feel out of control. "Distractions help you re-gain some of that control," says Salmansohn. Choose something that you're good at—a signature strength or passion, she says—then put it on your calendar and do it. "The more stuff that you can write down on your to-do list and cross off, the more you'll feel in control," says Salmansohn. "Think of it as a stop-and-swap: 'Well, I couldn't control that, but I can control this.' You were the person who got dumped or got fired; now you're the woman who's a killer tennis player or someone who has the coolest Pinterest page in the world. You've got stuff going on! The point here is to remind yourself that there are other aspects to you as a person."

Some of the best distractions, McGonigal says, are the ones that involve doing something positive and constructive (in other words, nix the Netflix binge). "Volunteer at a local charity, train for a 5K, even clean out your closet," she suggests. "Basically, anything that involves moving energy in a positive direction."

RELATED: What Does It Really Mean to Be Happy? 6 Experts Explain

Pick up the phone

Usually when we're going through a tough time or trauma, we tend to pull inward and push people away. Bad move. "You have to get yourself off that merry-go-round of not-so-merry thoughts," says Salmansohn. "When we're by ourselves, we tend to wallow and obsess. But studies show that people who seek out the comfort and safety of friends are the ones who recover fastest. Love does heal, so be around the people who love and support you." There's another good reason for reaching out, according to Gail Saltz, MD, Health's contributing psychology editor: "Friends can help you recover by offering suggestions and advice that you may not have considered." And while you're at it, call home, OK? Scientists at the University of Wisconsin at Madison found that when women hear their mother's voice, it can reduce their stress hormones, producing an effect similar to a hug.

RELATED: 9 Ways to Silence Your Inner Critic

Reframe your identity

Don't let a bad situation define you. Boost your self-esteem by changing your identity and getting out of that victim mindset: "Think of yourself as a victor, not a victim," says Salmansohn. "Reassure yourself that whatever happens, you are the type of person who can get through it. Make it a point to say a mantra of positive—not pitiful—words whenever a defeatist attitude starts to creep in: I'm going to be OK. I'm strong. I have it within me to get through this and get to where I need to be." Another trick to get you in a positive frame of mind: "Realize that life is full of curve balls," Dr. Saltz says. "Look back and recall how you handled every one of them. What you'll realize: You got through them, and you can get through this."

RELATED: 10 Little Healthy Things You Should Do For Yourself Every Day

Cut yourself a break

Repair your ego by taking time for a personal—and compassionate—pep talk. "Focus on what's universal about your situation," says McGonigal. "Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone experiences rejection. Everyone knows what it's like to try and fail. All that your experience says is that you are human—not that your life is uniquely screwed up." And stop projecting blame inward, Dr. Saltz says: "It's self-referential to think that the fault lies solely with you and not the other person. For example, maybe your relationship failed because your former partner was a commitment-phobe. You need to spot what someone else has brought—or not brought—to the situation."

RELATED: 4 Questions to Help You Get Over a Bad Breakup

Use the hurt

Think of it as a kind of emotional adrenaline to make some changes in your life. "A lot of people are afraid of change or anything new and unfamiliar," says Salmansohn. "But when you're going through a crisis, suddenly the new and unfamiliar doesn't look as scary as the place you're in, so you're more open to change." Remember, the story of your life is a lot bigger than one single moment, "so imagine this moment as a turning point in the story that will propel you to something bigger and better," McGonigal says.

RELATED: 14 Strategies to Become a Happier Person

Re-write the story

OK, it may sound a little hokey, but it happens to be true: As awful as your situation may be, there's something positive that can come out of it. McGonigal believes that "there's always an upside to change because it gives you an opportunity to make an intentional choice about what you want in life and who you want to be or become. Without major disruptions in our lives, it's easy to never really reflect on those things." Or, as Salmansohn says: "Ultimately, it's all about adopting a student mentality and searching for the good lessons. Happiness isn't about what happens to you; it's how you respond to what happens to you. Tell your story as a sad one and it will be a sad story; tell it as a happy one and it will be a happy story—with a happy ending.

To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter

Have you been neglecting your calves? Many people forget about these important muscles when doing strength training. These exercises will add definition and help protect against some lower leg injuries.

Start with seated calf raises. Sit on a chair or bench with feet flat on the floor. Lift your right heel as high as you can, pressing toes into the floor and flexing your calf muscles, then slowly lower your heel. Do this 12 to 15 times, then repeat with your left heel. Build to two sets of 15 reps with each leg.

Increase the challenge

To increase your range of motion, place a block in front of your feet and position the ball of your foot on the block for the calf raises. To add resistance, place a weight cuff around the working thigh, about 3 inches (7.6cm) from the knee.

Now move to standing calf raises. Stand behind a sturdy chair, holding it for balance if necessary. With feet shoulder width apart, slowly rise up on your toes as you tighten your abs. Keep your back and knees straight. Hold briefly, then slowly lower heels to the floor. Build up to two sets of 12 to 15 reps.

To increase the challenge, hold dumbbells at your sides, palms facing inward as you do the exercise.

For another variation, lift your left foot off the floor while doing raises with your right foot, then reverse. Or do your standing raises on a stair to increase intensity and range of motion. Place toes on the edge of a step, heels hanging off. Slowly raise to tiptoes, hold briefly, then lower all the way back down. Be sure to hold the bannister for balance or place your hands on the sides of the stairwell.

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Adding tiny amounts of beetroot or dietary nitrate to salty food products might help prevent high blood pressure, according to a preliminary study of rats.

While findings in animals may not translate to humans, researchers of the new study – released in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension – hope to find a new tool to help battle the epidemic of high-salt diets, a major risk factor for hypertension.

Benefits of potassium

Globally, most people consume about twice the recommended level of salt, according to the World Health Organization. High consumption of sodium and not enough potassium can contribute to high blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Medical experts long have encouraged people not only to eat less salt but to eat more potassium-rich fruits and vegetables, which lessen the effects of sodium on cardiovascular health. But people don’t always follow that advice.

“We’ve had these educational campaigns for years, but people aren’t eating more potassium, and the average salt intake in the US population in hypertensive people has actually increased,” said Dr Theodore W. Kurtz, the study’s lead author and a professor of laboratory medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “We need to come up with new ways of preventing salt-induced hypertension.”

For the study, salt-sensitive rats were given salt along with small amounts of beetroot juice or dietary nitrate, which is found in root and leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and celery. Researchers found that both the juice and the nitrate supplement were more than 100 times more potent than potassium in protecting rats against salt-induced increases in blood pressure.

If those results could be replicated in humans, it could provide a method for reducing salt-induced high blood pressure simply by adding a nitrate concentrate to certain salty foods, Kurtz said.

“We’re suggesting that manufacturers of products laden with salt – soy sauce, hot sauce and barbecue sauce – could add a very small amount of an extract from a nitrate-rich vegetable, and this would protect against salt-induced hypertension without reducing the salt or altering the taste of the product,” said Kurtz, who is an advisor, board member and stockholder of a company that holds patents for nitrate-rich vegetable extracts.

A sodium epidemic

Knowledge of how dietary nitrate affects health has expanded greatly since 1998, when the Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery that nitric oxide is a signalling molecule in the cardiovascular system and can reduce blood pressure. Since then, scientists have learned that dietary nitrate acts as a precursor to nitric oxide.

“This is an important study that could have value in addressing a sodium epidemic which is contributing to a staggering increase in cardiovascular disease and stroke globally,” said Dr Stephen Juraschek, an internal medicine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

Juraschek, who was not involved in the research, said the findings were limited by the short-term nature of the study and need to be followed up with rigorous clinical trials in humans.

He also said whatever their benefits, dietary nitrate supplements likely will never capture all the benefits of eating diets rich in fruits and vegetables, such as the Mediterranean diet or DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Both diets are singled out in recent guidelines from the AHA and American College of Cardiology to prevent heart disease and stroke. Root and green, leafy vegetables are features of the DASH diet.

“Innovation is important, but on the flip side, it’s tricky to distil a healthy diet down to a single element. We all need to increase our consumption of fruits and vegetables, which have benefits that go beyond just blood pressure and cardiovascular disease,” Juraschek said.

“We all want to know, ‘What is the silver bullet that could fix blood pressure?’ But I think a holistic approach and eating nutritious foods is still the best answer.”

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Ndumiso Prince Cele turned to alcohol and drugs in an attempt to cope with the “shame” of suffering from bipolar disorder. 

“I started drinking alcohol and using drugs because I felt worthless. I didn’t have any hope,” said 31-year-old Cele, who was diagnosed with the mental health condition when he was 15. He told Health-e that he was still discriminated against by society.  

Miracles promised through prayer

Bipolar disorder is an illness that causes severe mood swings, from manic highs to deep depression. It requires treatment and support, says the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG).

Prior to starting treatment, Cele turned to traditional medicine and over-the-counter drugs for help, and when that didn’t work he went to different churches that promised miracles through prayers. “After knocking on so many doors without being healed, I finally I made a choice to seek medical help,” he said. 

According to SADAG, bipolar disorder affects a significant number of South Africans, and usually shows in late adolescence and early adulthood. There are several types of bipolar disorders and all involve episodes of depression and mania to different degrees. 

Cele said his biggest challenge was not drinking because when he abused substances he became violent and stopped taking his medication. He sought help for his alcoholism and drug addiction and said that, with medication and counselling, he is able to manage the disorder successfully.

According to the US-based Mayo Clinic, there is no single bipolar disorder test, so a diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the symptoms meeting several criteria.  

For more information on bipolar disorder call the toll-free number 0800 12 13 14, which was launched by SADAG and the Department of Social Development. 

Health-e News

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Cynthia Maseko