Author: Gift Samuel

In this post we will be looking at Meaning Postprandial Sleepiness, Causes of Postprandial Sleepiness, why do people feel tired after eating and Ways to Prevent Sleepiness After Eating.

INTRODUCTION

Most people have felt their eyelids get heavy shortly after a large meal. Whether it be a holiday feast or a weekend brunch, you may wonder what exactly causes sleepiness after eating. Fortunately, post-meal tiredness, also called postprandial somnolence, may not be a cause for concern if it does not interfere with a person’s work, school, or social life. However, in some cases, a post-lunch dip in energy can have consequences for workplace productivity and raise the risk of accidents. Including car crashes. In addition, excessive sleepiness is sometimes caused by an underlying health problem or sleep disorder. Whether drowsiness sets in after a meal can depend on multiple factors including when, how much, and what a person eats. Learning more about postprandial sleepiness can make it easier to understand why people get tired after a meal, foo Many people feel sleepy after eating. This can be a natural result of digestion patterns and sleep cycles. Factors that may play a role include the type and amount of food a person eats.ds that may cause drowsiness, and ways to reduce sleepiness after eating.

What is Postprandial Sleepiness?

Postprandial sleepiness, also called postprandial somnolence, refers to a feeling of sleepiness after consuming food. It is sometimes known as the post-lunch dip or referred to more informally as a “food coma.” Feeling sleepy after eating, or postprandial somnolence, is a common issue. It can be due to what, when, and how much you eat, as well as a natural dip in the alerting signal of the circadian rhythm—your body’s internal clock.

Causes of Postprandial Sleepiness

Researchers are not exactly sure why it is common for people to get sleepy after eating.

Studies suggest that multiple factors may influence energy levels after a meal, including fluctuations in certain cellular proteins, hormones, blood flow, brain chemicals, inflammation, and the body’s internal clock.  The composition of a meal can affects whether a person feels sleepy after eating. A larger meal may be more likely to cause sleepiness, and certain foods and nutrients can have an impact as well. Research has found that meals that are high in fat, carbohydrates, or calories may increase sleepiness. Other factors that may play a role in postprandial somnolence include a person’s meal timing, work schedule, overall health, exposure to daylight, and body composition. Post-meal drowsiness may also be a symptom of excessive daytime sleepiness, which can occur as a result of poor sleep at night from insomnia or another sleep issue. With so many overlapping factors, it is challenging to identify any single cause of postprandial sleepiness. Instead, there are many potential reasons why drowsiness sets in after eating, and those reasons can change based on the person and their meal.

Why Do People Feel Tired After Eating

We’ve all felt it — that drowsy feeling that sneaks in after a meal. You’re full and relaxed and struggling to keep your eyes open. Why are meals so often followed by a sudden urge to take a nap, and should you be concerned about it? In general, a little bit of sleepiness after eating is completely normal and nothing to worry about. There are several factors that contribute to this post-meal phenomenon, and there are a few things you might be able to do to minimize those drowsy effects.

Your digestion cycle: Food is broken down into fuel (glucose) by our digestive system. Macronutrients such as protein then provide calories (energy) to our bodies. More than just changing food into energy, our digestive cycle triggers all kinds of responses within our body. Hormones such as cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon, and amylin are released to increase a feeling of fullness (satiety), blood sugar rises, and insulin is produced to allow this sugar to go from the blood and into the cells, where it’s used for energy. Interestingly, there are also hormones that can lead to drowsiness if increased levels are found in the brain. One such hormone is serotonin. The other hormone that induces sleep, melatonin, isn’t released in response to eating. However, food can influence melatonin production.

Your diet: Though all foods are digested in much the same manner, not all foods affect your body in the same way. Some foods can make you sleepier than others. Foods with tryptophan:The amino acid tryptophan is found in turkey and other high-protein foods such as:

• spinach
• soy
• eggs
• cheese
• tofu
• fish

Tryptophan is used by the body to create serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep. It’s possible that increased production of serotonin is responsible for that post-meal haze.

Other foods: Cherries affect melatonin levels, carbohydrates cause a spike and subsequent fall in blood sugar, and the minerals in bananas relax your muscles. Any one of these factors could leave you sleepy and many foods can impact energy levels in different ways.

Your sleeping habits: It’s no surprise that not getting enough quality sleep can affect how you feel after a meal, too. If you’re relaxed and full, your body may feel more like resting, especially if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before.

Your physical activity: Beyond helping you sleep better at night, exercise can keep you alert during the day, minimizing the risk of a post-meal slump. Multiple studies have found that regular exercise helps increase energy and reduce fatigue. In other words, being sedentary doesn’t create some sort of energy reserve that you can tap into at will. Instead, being active helps ensure that you have the energy to push through your days.

Other health conditions: On rare occasions, being tired after a meal or simply sleepy all the time could be a sign of another health problem. Conditions that can make post-meal drowsiness worse include:

• diabetes
• food intolerance or food allergy
• sleep apnea
• anemia
• underactive thyroid
• celiac disease

If you’re frequently tired and have one of these conditions, talk to your doctor about possible solutions. If you’re unaware of an underlying medical condition but have other symptoms in addition to post-meal sleepiness, your doctor can help you identify what’s causing the slump.

Food intolerance or food allergies: An intolerance of or an allergy to certain foods can be another cause of post-meal tiredness. Food intolerances and allergies can impact digestion or other bodily functions. Other acute or chronic symptoms may also be present, including gastrointestinal upset, skin conditions, and headache or migraine.

Ways to Prevent Sleepiness After Eating.

Regularly feeling tired after eating is something to discuss with your doctor. However, if the possibility of a more serious underlying condition has been ruled out or the fatigue only sets in occasionally, there are simple steps you can take to help maintain optimal energy levels. Dietary and lifestyle habits that may help boost or sustain energy levels and counteract drowsiness include:

• reducing the amount of food eaten at a single meal
• getting enough quality sleep
• exercising regularly
• limiting or avoiding alcohol
• modulating caffeine consumption
• eating foods that are good for your gut, blood sugar, insulin levels, and brain including complex, high-fiber carbohydrates and healthy fats
• consuming appropriate electrolytes
• drinking water to stay properly hydrated

A balanced diet that includes foods such as vegetables, whole grains, and fatty fish promotes sustained energy. Try to incorporate more nuts, seeds, and olive oil into your meals. Avoiding too much sugar and eating smaller, more frequent meals can also help.

Which Foods Can Make You Sleepy?

More research is necessary to understand how different nutrients and foods affect instances of daytime sleepiness. Additionally, many studies about diet and sleep focus on nighttime sleep, which is distinct from a daytime energy dip. Nevertheless, some types of foods may be more likely to trigger sleepiness.

• High-fat foods may be rich and heavy: Fat-laden foods can be difficult to digest, leading to increased likelihood of post-meal tiredness. 
• High-carbohydrate meals can increase drowsiness: In addition to fat, some research has found that meals with large amounts of carbohydrates increase the perceived amount of postprandial fatigue.
• Tryptophan triggers the brain’s sleep process: Tryptophan is an amino acid known to promote sleep within the brain. Turkey contains high levels of tryptophan, so it is famously blamed for sleepiness after Thanksgiving dinner. Other foods with tryptophan include milk, bananas, oats, and chocolate. While tryptophan alone may not always cause sleepiness, its effects are enhanced when eaten with carbohydrates.
• Tart cherries promote sleep: small studies have found tart cherries to be associated with improved nighttime sleep. Certain kinds of sour cherries contain tryptophan and melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep, as well as other active ingredients that may promote sleep.
• Nuts are rich in melatonin: Walnuts, pistachios, and other nuts have some of the highest melatonin levels of plant foods. Given the effects of melatonin on sleep, eating a significant number of nuts may induce a feeling of drowsiness.

While these foods may promote postprandial sleepiness, not everyone will experience fatigue after eating them since various factors influence how the body reacts to a meal.

In this post we will be looking at the Jurassic Period, Etymology and history, Geology of Jurassic Period and the climate of the Jurassic.

INTRODUCTION

The Jurassic is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period 201.4 million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 145 Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic Era and is named after the Jura Mountains, where limestone strata from the period were first identified. The start of the Jurassic was marked by the major Triassic–Jurassic extinction event, associated with the eruption of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province. The beginning of the Toarcian Stage started around 183 million years ago and is marked by the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event, a global episode of oceanic anoxia, ocean acidification, and elevated temperatures associated with extinctions, likely caused by the eruption of the Karoo-Ferrar large igneous provinces. The end of the Jurassic, however, has no clear boundary with the Cretaceous and is the only boundary between geological periods to remain formally undefined. By the beginning of the Jurassic, the supercontinent Pangaea had begun rifting into two landmasses: Laurasia to the north and Gondwana to the south. The climate of the Jurassic was warmer than the present, and there were no ice caps. Forests grew close to the poles, with large arid expanses in the lower latitudes. On land, the fauna transitioned from the Triassic fauna, dominated jointly by dinosauromorph and pseudosuchian archosaurs, to one dominated by dinosaurs alone. The first birds appeared during the Jurassic, evolving from a branch of theropod dinosaurs. Other major events include the appearance of the earliest lizards and the evolution of therian mammals. Crocodylomorphs made the transition from a terrestrial to an aquatic life. The oceans were inhabited by marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, while pterosaurs were the dominant flying vertebrates. The first sharks, rays and crabs also first appeared during the period.

The Jurassic Period

Great plant-eating dinosaurs roaming the earth, feeding on lush ferns and palm-like cycads and bennettitaleans … smaller but vicious carnivores stalking the great herbivores … oceans full of fish, squid, and coiled ammonites, plus great ichthyosaurs and long-necked plesiosaurs … vertebrates taking to the air, like the pterosaurs and the first birds. This was the Jurassic Period, 199.6 to 145.5 million years ago* — a 54-million-year chunk of the Mesozoic Era. Today, the name “Jurassic” conjures up images of the phenomenally successful book and movie, Jurassic Park. It is quite true that the dinosaurs dominated the land fauna — although many of the dinosaurs featured in Jurassic Park, such as Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex, did not evolve until after the Jurassic was over. The largest dinosaurs of the time — in fact, the largest land animals of all time — were the gigantic sauropods, such as the famous Diplodocus (top right, above), Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus. Other herbivorous dinosaurs of the Jurassic included the plated stegosaurs. Predatory dinosaurs of the Jurassic included fearsome carnosaurs such as Allosaurus, small, fast coelurosaurs, and ceratosaurs such as Dilophosaurus. The Jurassic also saw the origination of the first birds, including the well-known Archaeopteryx, probably from coelurosaurian ancestors. But there was more to life than dinosaurs! In the seas, the fishlike ichthyosaurs (top left, above) were at their height, sharing the oceans with the plesiosaurs, giant marine crocodiles, and modern-looking sharks and rays. Also prominent in the seas were cephalopods — relatives of the squids, nautilus, and octopi of today. Jurassic cephalopods included the ammonites, with their coiled external shells (upper left), and the belemnites, close relatives of modern squid but with heavy, calcified, bullet-shaped, partially internal shells. Among the plankton in the oceans, the dinoflagellates became numerous and diverse, as did the coccolithophorids (microscopic single-celled algae with an outer covering of calcareous plates). Land plants abounded in the Jurassic, but floras were different from what we see today. Although Jurassic dinosaurs are sometimes drawn with palm trees, there were no palms or any other flowering plants — at least as we know them today — in the Jurassic. Instead, ferns, ginkgoes, bennettitaleans or “cycadeoids,” and true cycads — like the living cycad pictured above, lower left — flourished in the Jurassic. Conifers were also present, including close relatives of living redwoods, cypresses, pines, and yews. Creeping about in this foliage, no bigger than rats, were a number of early mammals.

Etymology and history

The chronostratigraphic term “Jurassic” is linked to the Jura Mountains, a forested mountain range that mainly follows the France–Switzerland border. The name “Jura” is derived from the Celtic root *jor via Gaulish *iuris “wooded mountain”, which was borrowed into Latin as a name of a place and evolved into Juria and finally Jura. During a tour of the region in 1795, German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt recognized carbonate deposits within the Jura Mountains as geologically distinct from the Triassic aged Muschelkalk of Southern Germany, but he erroneously concluded that they were older. He then named them Jura-Kalkstein (‘Jura limestone’) in 1799. In 1829, the French naturalist Alexandre Brongniart published a book entitled Description of the Terrains that Constitute the Crust of the Earth or Essay on the Structure of the Known Lands of the Earth. In this book, Brongniart used the phrase terrains jurassiques when correlating the “Jura-Kalkstein” of Humboldt with similarly aged oolitic limestones in Britain, thus coining and publishing the term “Jurassic”. The German geologist Leopold von Buch in 1839 established the three-fold division of the Jurassic, originally named from oldest to the youngest: the Black Jurassic, Brown Jurassic, and White Jurassic. The term “Lias” had previously been used for strata of equivalent age to the Black Jurassic in England by William Conybeare and William Phillips in 1822. The French palaeontologist Alcide d’Orbigny in papers between 1842 and 1852 divided the Jurassic into ten stages based on ammonite and other fossil assemblages in England and France, of which seven are still used, but none has retained its original definition. The German geologist and palaeontologist Friedrich August von Quenstedt in 1858 divided the three series of von Buch in the Swabian Jura into six subdivisions defined by ammonites and other fossils. The German palaeontologist Albert Oppel in his studies between 1856 and 1858 altered d’Orbigny’s original scheme and further subdivided the stages into biostratigraphic zones, based primarily on ammonites. Most of the modern stages of the Jurassic were formalized at the Colloque du Jurassique à Luxembourg in 1962.

Geology of Jurassic Period

The Jurassic Period is divided into three epochs: Early, Middle, and Late. Similarly, in stratigraphy, the Jurassic is divided into the Lower Jurassic, Middle Jurassic, and Upper Jurassic series. Geologists divide the rocks of the Jurassic into a stratigraphic set of units called stages, each formed during corresponding time intervals called ages. Stages can be defined globally or regionally. For global stratigraphic correlation, the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) ratify global stages based on a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) from a single formation (a stratotype) identifying the lower boundary of the stage.^[3] The ages of the Jurassic from youngest to oldest are as follows:^[6]

Series/epoch           stage/age      lower boundary

Early cretaceous     berriasian     ~145 mya

Upper/late jurassic tithonian       152.1 ±0.9 mya

Kimmeridgian          157.3 ±1.0 mya

Oxfordian      163.5 ±1.0 mya

Middle jurassic        callovian       166.1 ±1.2 mya

Bathonian     168.3 ±1.3 mya

Bajocian        170.3 ±1.4 mya

Aalenian        174.1 ±1.0 mya

Lower/early jurassic          toarcian         182.7 ±0.7 mya

Pliensbachian          190.8 ±1.0 mya

Sinemurian  199.3 ±0.3 mya

Hettangian   201.3 ±0.2 mya

The climate of the Jurassic

The climate of the Jurassic was generally warmer than that of present, by around 5 °C to 10 °C, with atmospheric carbon dioxide likely four times higher. Intermittent “cold snap” intervals are known to have occurred during this time period, however, interrupting the otherwise warm greenhouse climate. Forests likely grew near the poles, where they experienced warm summers and cold, sometimes snowy winters; there were unlikely to have been ice sheets given the high summer temperatures that prevented the accumulation of snow, though there may have been mountain glaciers. Dropstones and glendonites in northeastern Siberia during the Early to Middle Jurassic indicate cold winters. The ocean depths were likely 8 °C warmer than present, and coral reefs grew 10° of latitude further north and south. The Intertropical Convergence Zone likely existed over the oceans, resulting in large areas of desert and scrubland in the lower latitudes between 40° N and S of the equator. Tropical rainforest and tundra biomes are likely to have been rare or absent. The Jurassic also witnessed the decline of the Pangaean megamonsoon that had characterised the preceding Permian and Triassic periods. The beginning of the Jurassic was likely marked by a thermal spike corresponding to the Triassic–Jurassic extinction and eruption of the Central Atlantic magmatic province. The first part of the Jurassic was marked by the Early Jurassic Cool Interval between 199 and 183 million years ago. It has been proposed that glaciation was present in the Northern Hemisphere during the late Pliensbachian. There was a spike in global temperatures of around 4–8 °C during the early part of the Toarcian corresponding to the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event and the eruption of the Karoo-Ferrar large igneous provinces in southern Gondwana, with the warm interval extending to the end of the Toarcian around 174 million years ago. The end of the Jurassic was marked by the Tithonian–early Barremian Cool Interval, beginning 150 million years ago and continuing into the Early Cretaceous.

In this post we will be looking at meaning of birth rate, Death or mortality rate, its factors, difference between birth and Death rate and Mortality statistics.

INTRODUCTON

In the 20th century, several authoritarian governments sought either to increase or to decrease the birth rates, sometimes through forceful intervention. One of the most notorious natalist policies was that in communist Romania in 1967–1990, during the time of communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu, who adopted a very aggressive natalist policy which included outlawing abortion and contraception, routine pregnancy tests for women, taxes on childlessness, and legal discrimination against childless people. This policy has been depicted in movies and documentaries (such as 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and Children of the Decree). These policies temporarily increased birth rates for a few years, but this was followed by a decline due to the increased use of illegal abortion. Ceaușescu’s policy resulted in over 9,000 deaths of women due to illegal abortions, large numbers of children put into Romanian orphanages by parents who could not cope with raising them, street children in the 1990s (when many orphanages were closed and the children ended on the streets), and overcrowding in homes and schools. Ultimately, this aggressive natalist policy led to a generation who eventually led the Romanian Revolution which overthrew and executed him. In stark contrast to Ceaușescu’s natalist policy was China’s one child policy, in effect from 1978 to 2015, which included abuses such as forced abortions. This policy has also been deemed responsible for the common practice of sex selective abortion which led to an imbalanced sex ratio in the country. Given strict family size limitations and a preference for sons, girls became unwanted in China because they were considered as depriving the parents of the chance of having a son. With the progress of prenatal sex-determination technologies and induced abortion, the one-child policy gradually turned into a one-son policy.  In many countries, the steady decline in birth rates over the past decades can largely be attributed to the significant gains in women’s freedoms, such as tackling forced marriage and child marriage, access to contraception, equal access to education, and increased socioeconomic opportunities. Women of all economic, social, religious and educational persuasions are choosing to have fewer children as they are gaining more control over their own reproductive rights. Apart from more children living into their adult years, women are often more ambitious to take up education and paid work outside the home, and to live their own lives rather than just a life of reproduction and unpaid domestic work. Birth rates have fallen due to the introduction of family planning clinics and other access to contraception.

WHAT IS BIRTH RATE?

Birth rate, also known as natality, is the total number of live human births per 1,000 population for a given period divided by the length of the period in years. The number of live births is normally taken from a universal registration system for births; population counts from a census, and estimation through specialized demographic techniques. The birth rate (along with mortality and migration rates) is used to calculate population growth. The estimated average population may be taken as the mid-year population. The 2021 average of 18.1 births per 1,000 total population equates to approximately 4.3 births per second or about 259 births per minute for the world.

Factors affecting birth rate

• Existing age-sex structure
• Availability of family planning services
• Social and religious beliefs – especially in relation to contraception and abortion
• Female employment
• Economic prosperity (although in theory when the economy is doing well families can afford to have more children in practice the higher the economic prosperity the lower the birth rate).
• Poverty levels – children can be seen as an economic resource in developing countries as they can earn money
• Infant Mortality Rate – a family may have more children if a country’s IMR is high as it is likely some of those children will die.
• Conflicts
• Typical age of marriage

Death or mortality rate

Mortality rate, or death rate is a measure of the number of deaths (in general, or due to a specific cause) in a particular population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit of time. Mortality rate is typically expressed in units of deaths per 1,000 individuals per year; thus, a mortality rate of 9.5 (out of 1,000) in a population of 1,000 would mean 9.5 deaths per year in that entire population, or 0.95% out of the total. It is distinct from “morbidity”, which is either the prevalence or incidence of a disease, and also from the incidence rate (the number of newly appearing cases of the disease per unit of time). An important specific mortality rate measure is the crude death rate, which looks at mortality from all causes in a given time interval for a given population. As of 2020, for instance, the CIA estimates that the crude death rate globally will be 7.7 deaths per 1,000 people in a population per year.

Factors affecting death rate

• Medical facilities and health care
• Nutrition levels
• Living standard
• Access to clean drinking water
• Hygiene levels
• Levels of infectious diseases
• Social factors such as conflicts and levels of violent crime

Mortality statistics

Causes of death vary greatly between developed and less developed countries. According to Jean Ziegler (the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food for 2000 to March 2008), mortality due to malnutrition accounted for 58% of the total mortality in 2006: “In the world, approximately 62 million people, all causes of death combined, die each year. In 2006, more than 36 million died of hunger or diseases due to deficiencies in micronutrients” Of the roughly 150,000 people who die each day across the globe, about two thirds—100,000 per day—die of age-related causes. In industrialized nations, the proportion is much higher, reaching 90%

Difference between birth and Death rate

There are two statistics that are fundamental in the study demography – birth rate and death rate. They serve as the building blocks for understanding more complex population concepts like growth rate, doubling time, and more. Luckily, understanding these two stats is fairly simple:  birth rate refers to the number of births that occur per thousand people, per year. Similarly, death rate refers to the number of deaths per thousand people, per year. Comparing the birth rate and death rate of a given area provides insight into whether that population is increasing or decreasing. When the birth rate is larger than the death rate, we know that more people are being “added” to the area than are being “taken away”, meaning the population is growing. Logic follows then that if the birth rate and death rate are equal, the population is not changing and if the birth rate is less than the death rate, the population would be shrinking (ie. more people are being “taken away” than are being added to the area).  Knowing this, we could compare the birth rates and death rates of any two countries, and tell which one has a faster growing population.

In this post we will be looking at meaning of stress, Symptoms of Stress, Signs of Stress, Causes of Stress, types, treatment of Stress and ways to prevent stress.

INTRODUCTION

Stress affects us all. You may notice symptoms of stress when disciplining your kids, during busy times at work, when managing your finances, or when coping with a challenging relationship. Stress is everywhere. And while a little stress is OK some stress is actually beneficial too much stress can wear you down and make you sick, both mentally and physically. The first step to controlling stress is to know the symptoms of stress. But recognizing stress symptoms may be harder than you think. Most of us are so used to being stressed, we often don’t know we are stressed until we are at the breaking point. Everyone experiences stress to some degree. The way you respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to your overall well-being. Sometimes, the best way to manage your stress involves changing your situation. At other times, the best strategy involves changing the way you respond to the situation. Stress means different things to different people. What causes stress in one person may be of little concern to another. Some people are better able to handle stress than others. And, not all stress is bad. In small doses, stress can help you accomplish tasks and prevent you from getting hurt. For example, stress is what gets you to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of you. That’s a good thing. Our bodies are designed to handle small doses of stress. But we are not equipped to handle long-term, chronic stress without ill consequences.

What Is Stress?

Stress is the body’s reaction to harmful situations — whether they’re real or perceived. When you feel threatened, a chemical reaction occurs in your body that allows you to act in a way to prevent injury. This reaction is known as “fight-or-flight” or the stress response. During the stress response, your heart rate increases, breathing quickens, muscles tighten, and blood pressure rises. You’ve gotten ready to act. It is how you protect yourself.

Stress is a normal human reaction that happens to everyone. In fact, the human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. When you experience changes or challenges (stressors), your body produces physical and mental responses. That’s stress. Stress responses help your body adjust to new situations. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert, motivated and ready to avoid danger.

Symptoms of Stress

Stress can affect all parts of your life, including your emotions, behaviors, thinking ability, and physical health. No part of the body is immune. But, because people handle stress differently, symptoms of stress can vary. Symptoms can be vague and may be the same as those caused by medical conditions. So, it is important to discuss them with your doctor. You may have any of the following symptoms of stress.

Emotional symptoms of stress include:

• Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody
• Feeling overwhelmed, as if you are losing control or need to take control
• Having a hard time relaxing and quieting your mind
• Feeling bad about yourself (low self-esteem), and feeling lonely, worthless, and depressed
• Avoiding others

Physical symptoms of stress include:

• Low energy
• Headaches
• Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea
• Aches, pains, and tense muscles
• Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
• Insomnia
• Frequent colds and infections
• Loss of sexual desire and/or ability
• Nervousness and shaking, ringing in the ears, and cold or sweaty hands and feet
• Dry mouth and a hard time swallowing
• Clenched jaw and grinding teeth

Cognitive symptoms of stress include:

• Constant worrying
• Racing thoughts
• Forgetfulness and disorganization
• Inability to focus
• Poor judgment
• Being pessimistic or seeing only the negative side

Behavioral symptoms of stress include:

• Changes in appetite — either not eating or eating too much
• Procrastinating and avoiding responsibilities
• More use of alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes
• Having more nervous behaviors, such as nail biting, fidgeting, and pacing

Signs of Stress

Stress can be short-term or long-term. Both can lead to a variety of symptoms, but chronic stress can take a serious toll on the body over time and have long-lasting health effects. Some common signs of stress include:

• Changes in mood
• Clammy or sweaty palms
• Decreased sex drive
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty sleeping
• Digestive problems
• Dizziness
• Feeling anxious
• Frequent sickness
• Grinding teeth
• Headaches
• Low energy
• Muscle tension, especially in the neck and shoulders
• Physical aches and pains
• Racing heartbeat
• Trembling

Causes of Stress

There are many different things in life that can cause stress. Some of the main sources of stress include work, finances, relationships, parenting, and day-to-day inconveniences. Stress can trigger the body’s response to a perceived threat or danger, known as the fight-or-flight response. During this reaction, certain hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released. This speeds the heart rate, slows digestion, shunts blood flow to major muscle groups, and changes various other autonomic nervous functions, giving the body a burst of energy and strength. When the perceived threat is gone, systems are designed to return to normal function via the relaxation response.4 But in cases of chronic stress, the relaxation response doesn’t occur often enough, and being in a near-constant state of fight-or-flight can cause damage to the body. Stress can also lead to some unhealthy habits that have a negative impact on your health. For example, many people cope with stress by eating too much or by smoking. These unhealthy habits damage the body and create bigger problems in the long-term.

Types of stress

Not all types of stress are harmful or even negative. Some of the different types of stress that you might experience include:

• Acute stress: is a very short-term type of stress that can either be positive or more distressing; this is the type of stress we most often encounter in day-to-day life.
• Chronic stress: Chronic stress is stress that seems never-ending and inescapable, like the stress of Acute stress: a bad marriage or an extremely taxing job; chronic stress can also stem from traumatic experiences and childhood trauma.
• Episodic acute stress: Episodic acute stress is acute stress that seems to run rampant and be a way of life, creating a life of ongoing distress.
• Eustress: Eustress is fun and exciting. It’s known as a positive type of stress that can keep you energized. It’s associated with surges of adrenaline, such as when you are skiing or racing to meet a deadline.

The main harmful types of stress are acute stress, chronic stress, and episodic acute stress. Acute stress is usually brief, chronic stress is prolonged, and episodic acute stress is short-term but frequent. Positive stress, known as eustress, can be fun and exciting, but it can also take a toll.

Treatment Of Stress

Stress is not a distinct medical diagnosis and there is no single, specific treatment for it. Treatment for stress focuses on changing the situation, developing stress coping skills, implementing relaxation techniques, and treating symptoms or conditions that may have been caused by chronic stress. Some interventions that may be helpful include therapy, medication, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Ways To Prevent Stress

Many daily strategies can help you keep stress at bay:

• Try relaxation activities, such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises and muscle relaxation. Programs are available online, in smartphone apps, and at many gyms and community centers.
• Take good care of your body each day. Eating right, exercising and getting enough sleep help your body handle stress much better.
• Stay positive and practice gratitude, acknowledging the good parts of your day or life.
• Accept that you can’t control everything. Find ways to let go of worry about situations you cannot change.
• Learn to say “no” to additional responsibilities when you are too busy or stressed.
• Stay connected with people who keep you calm, make you happy, provide emotional support and help you with practical things. A friend, family member or neighbor can become a good listener or share responsibilities so that stress doesn’t become overwhelming.

In this post we will be looking at brain tumor, types of brain tumors, symptoms, causes of brain tumors and How brain tumors are diagnosed.

INTRODUCTION

A brain tumor is a growth of cells in the brain or near it. Brain tumors can happen in the brain tissue. Brain tumors also can happen near the brain tissue. Nearby locations include nerves, the pituitary gland, the pineal gland, and the membranes that cover the surface of the brain. Brain tumors can begin in the brain. These are called primary brain tumors. Sometimes, cancer spreads to the brain from other parts of the body. These tumors are secondary brain tumors, also called metastatic brain tumors. Many different types of primary brain tumors exist. Some brain tumors aren’t cancerous. These are called noncancerous brain tumors or benign brain tumors. Noncancerous brain tumors may grow over time and press on the brain tissue. Other brain tumors are brain cancers, also called malignant brain tumors. Brain cancers may grow quickly. The cancer cells can invade and destroy the brain tissue. Brain tumors range in size from very small to very large. Some brain tumors are found when they are very small because they cause symptoms that you notice right away. Other brain tumors grow very large before they’re found. Some parts of the brain are less active than others. If a brain tumor starts in a part of the brain that’s less active, it might not cause symptoms right away. The brain tumor size could become quite large before the tumor is detected. Brain tumor treatment options depend on the type of brain tumor you have, as well as its size and location. Common treatments include surgery and radiation therapy.

BRAIN TUMOR

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth or mass of cells in or around your brain. Together, spinal tumors and brain tumors are called central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Brain tumors can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (noncancerous). Some tumors grow quickly, while others are slow growing. Brain tumors range in size from very small to very large. Some brain tumors are found when they are very small because they cause symptoms that you notice right away. Other brain tumors grow very large before they’re found. Some parts of the brain are less active than others. If a brain tumor starts in a part of the brain that’s less active, it might not cause symptoms right away. The brain tumor size could become quite large before the tumor is detected. Brain tumor treatment options depend on the type of brain tumor you have, as well as its size and location. Common treatments include surgery and radiation therapy.

Types Of Brain Tumors

There are many types of brain tumors. The type of brain tumor is based on the kind of cells that make up the tumor. Special lab tests on the tumor cells can give information about the cells. Your health care team uses this information to figure out the type of brain tumor. Some types of brain tumors usually aren’t cancerous. These are called noncancerous brain tumors or benign brain tumors. Some types of brain tumors usually are cancerous. These types are called brain cancers or malignant brain tumors. Some brain tumor types can be benign or malignant. Benign brain tumors tend to be slow-growing brain tumors. Malignant brain tumors tend to be fast-growing brain tumors. Types of brain tumors include:

• Gliomas and related brain tumors
• Choroid plexus tumors
• Embryonal tumors
• Germ cell tumors.
• Pineal tumors
• Meningiomas
• Nerve tumors
• Pituitary tumors
• Other brain tumors

Symptoms Of Brain Tumors

The signs and symptoms of a brain tumor depend on the brain tumor’s size and location. Symptoms also might depend on how fast the brain tumor is growing, which is also called the tumor grade.

General signs and symptoms caused by brain tumors may include:

• Headache or pressure in the head that is worse in the morning.
• Headaches that happen more often and seem more severe.
• Headaches that are sometimes described as tension headaches or migraines.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Eye problems, such as blurry vision, seeing double or losing sight on the sides of your vision.
• Losing feeling or movement in an arm or a leg.
• Trouble with balance.
• Speech problems.
• Feeling very tired.
• Confusion in everyday matters.
• Memory problems.
• Having trouble following simple commands.
• Personality or behavior changes.
• Seizures, especially if there is no history of seizures.
• Hearing problems.
• Dizziness or a sense that the world is spinning, also called vertigo.
• Feeling very hungry and gaining weight.

Brain tumors that aren’t cancerous tend to cause symptoms that develop slowly. Noncancerous brain tumors also are called benign brain tumors. They might cause subtle symptoms that you don’t notice at first. The symptoms might get worse over months or years. Cancerous brain tumors cause symptoms that get worse quickly. Cancerous brain tumors also are called brain cancers or malignant brain tumors. They cause symptoms that come on suddenly. They get worse in a matter of days or weeks.

Brain tumor symptoms by location

The main part of the brain is called the cerebrum. Brain tumors in different parts of the cerebrum might cause different symptoms.

• Brain tumors in the front of the brain
• Brain tumors in the middle of the brain.
• Brain tumors in the back of the brain.
• Brain tumors in the lower part of the brain.

Causes Of Brain Tumors

Brain tumors develop when certain genes on the chromosomes of a cell are damaged and no longer function properly, but they aren’t sure why this happens. Your DNA in your chromosomes tells cells throughout your body what to do, it tells them when to grow, when to divide or multiply and/or when to die. When brain cell DNA changes, it gives your brain cells new instructions. Your body develops abnormal brain cells that grow and multiply faster than normal and sometimes live longer than normal. When that happens, the ever-growing crowd of abnormal cells takes over space in your brain. In some cases, a person may be born with changes in one or more of these genes. Environmental factors, such as exposure to large amounts of radiation from X-rays or previous cancer treatment, may then lead to further damage. In other cases, the environmental injury to the genes may be the only cause. There are a few rare, inherited (passed down from parent to child) genetic syndromes that are associated with brain tumors, including:

• Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1 gene).
• Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2 gene).
• Turcot syndrome (APC gene).
• Gorlin syndrome (PTCH gene).
• Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC1 and TSC2 genes).
• Li-Fraumeni syndrome (TP53 gene).

Only about 5% to 10% of people with brain tumors have a family history of a brain tumor.

How brain tumors are diagnosed.

Diagnosing a brain tumor can be a complicated process and may involve several specialists. In some cases, though, healthcare providers may discover a brain tumor when performing imaging tests for another medical issue. If you’re experiencing symptoms of a brain tumor, your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam. They’ll also ask questions about your:

• Symptoms.
• Past and current health conditions.
• Current medications.
• Surgeries and medical treatments.
• Family medical history.

They may also perform a neurological exam, which involves looking for changes in your:

• Balance and coordination.
• Mental status.
• Hearing.
• Vision.
• Reflexes.

These changes can point to the part of your brain that may be affected by a tumor. If your healthcare provider suspects you may have a brain tumor, a brain scan, most often an MRI, is usually the next step.

CONCLUTION

Can brain tumors be prevented? Unfortunately, you can’t prevent a brain tumor. You can reduce your risk of developing a brain tumor by avoiding environmental hazards such as smoking and excessive radiation exposure.