Healthy Lifestyles Promote Graceful Ageing

Dr Chris Adomako, a Sport Medicine Physician at Trust Hospital in Accra on Tuesday said a healthy lifestyle and regular exercises would ensure one growing gracefully in old age. He said those who take good care of themselves while growing stood the chance of restraining the debilitating effects of diseases associated with ageing. Dr Adomako made the observation when speaking at a lecture on: “Ageing and Its Associate Diseases,” as part of the 20th anniversary celebration of Retired SSNIT Staff Association (RESSA) in Accra. He called for regular medical check-up, saying early diagnosis and treatment were key in the fight against diseases. Dr Adomako said cancer was the result of unregulated cell division which was not supposed to be and in the worst cases, left the area in which they occurred and spread to other parts of the body. He said although not all cancers shared exactly the same steps, there were some general features that were shared in the development of many types of the disease. Dr Adomako touched on breast, prostate, colon, bladder, cervical, uterus, stomach, gastric and liver cancers and noted that despite their debilitating effects early diagnosis was apt.

Source: GNA

Gut Check: 10 Best and Worst Foods for Your Tummy

Gas, bloating, constipation and diarrhea are common signs your digestive system is off-kilter. But did you know that brittle hair and low energy can also point to tummy troubles? Find out which foods will keep your gut clogged or moving. Plus, test your yogurt IQ with our quiz… A healthy digestive system begins with a good diet. Eat the right stuff and you feel great. Eat badly and you feel like a human garbage can. How you eat can affect the way you feel too. "If you don't digest your food properly, your cells don't get what they need to function optimally," says Liz Lipski, Ph.D., a clinical dietitian and author of Digestive Wellness (McGraw-Hill). The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is also home to our most precious disease-fighting resource: the immune system. "Two-thirds of the immune system is in the digestive tract," Lipski says. "There are more neurotransmitters in the GI than in the brain and more nerve endings than in the spine," she adds. Your digestive system is vital to your health and happiness. So how do you keep it working well? For starters, avoid these 5 gut enemies: 5 Worst Foods for Your Gut 1. Red meat The more red meat you eat, the higher your risk of colorectal cancer risk. That's because it's typically high in saturated fat, which is tied to cancer of the small intestine, according to a 2008 Cancer Research study. How to avoid it: Choose lean cuts of beef, lamb and pork. Eat more protein- and iron-rich legumes in place of red meat. Grill a Portobello mushroom instead of a burger; it's meaty flavor will fill you. 2. Processed meat Lunch meats, hot dogs, sausages and other processed meats are packed with saturated fat, sodium and nitrates. Processed meats have been linked to colon cancer, possibly because they are cooked at high temperatures, which can increase carcinogens. How to avoid it: Stick to fresh, lean cuts and eat other forms of protein (legumes and grains) as much as possible. 3. Hydrogenated oils Trans fats, created when liquid oils are hydrogenated (so they become solid at room temperature), aren't found in nature. They’re an inexpensive way to make fats last longer on supermarket shelves, but your body pays a high price: They’re tough to digest and have been linked to many health problems, including increased bad (LDL) cholesterol, decreased good (HDL) cholesterol and colon cancer. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires trans fats to be labeled on food products. But the federal agency also allows manufacturers to claim zero trans fats if there are fewer than 0.5 grams per serving. Don't be fooled: If a food lists hydrogenated oils as an ingredient, it contains trans fats. How to avoid it: Eat fresh, whole, natural foods and ditch the packaged, processed stuff. 4. Gluten About 2 million Americans suffer from gluten intolerance, says the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Gluten is a protein found in barley, rye, spelt, wheat and countless other foods such as processed meats, soy sauce, ice cream, cheese, cookies, pasta, ketchup, salad dressings and more. Food sensitivities affect 10%-20% of us, and can cause lots of digestive complaints (gas, cramping, bloating, heartburn, indigestion) and other symptoms, including chronic headaches, aching joints and muscles, depression, concentration, memory problems and poor energy levels, Lipski says. How to avoid it: A gluten-free diet is the only solution; it’s a challenge but possible. Check out 7 Gluten-Free Recipes. 5. Lactose Another tummy troubler is lactose, the principal sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance affects 30-50 million Americans, according to the NIH. Avoiding milk will help, but you don't have to give up all dairy. Some lactose-intolerant people do fine with small amounts of milk. How to avoid it: Drink lactose-free milk and eat cultured dairy products, like yogurt, which break down lactose. Aged cheeses (like Cheddar and Swiss) have less lactose and may be easier to digest. 5 Best Foods for Your Gut 1. Dietary fiber Our Pick: Prunes Fiber keeps things moving through your digestive system and out. Otherwise, your colon is stuck with toxins that can build up and cause major health problems. Your body then begins reabsorbing toxins, hormones and other substances. "If you don’t have regular bowel movements, you're retaining wastes that your body has finished with," Lipski says. "It’s like not moving a stinky garbage bag out of your kitchen.” A diet rich in fiber protects against colon cancer and cancers of the small intestine, according to a 2008 study in the journal Gastroenterology. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes are all packed with healthy fiber. But when it comes to staying regular, prunes, because of their mild laxative effect, is the go-to fruit. They're also a great source of energy, nutrition and disease-fighting phenolic compounds.

Source: Lifescript

7 Ways to Stop Bone Loss After Age 50

Were you a wild child – drinking, smoking and eating badly in your younger years? If so, you might be at risk for osteoporosis. Here’s how to prevent additional bone loss in 7 simple steps… The excesses of youth – smoking, drinking and starving yourself skinny – are now showing up as bone loss and osteoporosis in women. About 8 million women in the U.S. have osteoporosis, and 30 million more may get the disease, which can cause bones to break with something as harmless as a sneeze, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). But even if you’ve abused your body in the past, you still have time to save your bones with simple changes, like getting enough vitamin D, eating more fresh fruits and veggies and, yes, adding some weight if you’re too thin. Read on for the latest studies and doctor-recommended tips. 1. Know where you stand Not sure where you fall on the bone-strength scale? Head to your doctor’s office for a couple of helpful tests. One is the software program FRAX (Fracture Risk Assessment Tool). Developed by the World Health Organization, it helps a physician calculate your probable osteoporosis risk over the next 10 years by assessing lifestyle, health, risk factors and genetic history through an online tool. Its predictions have proven to be “reasonably accurate” for women, but less so for men, according to a 2010 study by the Osteoporosis and Bone Biology Program at the Garven Institute of Medical Research in Australia. A bone-density test is the most accurate, also known as a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan, which you should get when you reach menopause – earlier if you’re at high risk – says Felicia Cosman, M.D., clinical director of NOF, medical director at the Clinical Research Center of Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, N.Y., and author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Osteoporosis (Warner). During the simple noninvasive test, the patient lies on her back on a padded cushion as the screening device beams low-dose X-rays onto hips and spine to measure bone-mineral density. The patient then gets a “T score” that compares her bone density with women in their 30s, when bone strength peaks. A T score of +1.0 to -1 indicates normal bone-mineral density. Scores of -1 to -2.5 indicate osteopenia, a condition in which bones are less dense than normal. (Many doctors consider this a precursor to osteoporosis.) Less than -2.5 indicates osteoporosis. DEXA is easy, fast, cheap and painless, Cosman says. “And the radiation risk is inconsequential,” she adds. At 0.5 millirem (mrem), a measurement used to calculate radiation, it’s less than a typical chest X-ray, which is 20 mrem, according to the Office of Radiation Protection, Washington State Department of Health. 2. Bone up with calcium Your bones store up to 99% of the calcium your body needs for nearly every function, including blood clotting, muscle and nerve function. And women can lose up to 20% of their bone density during the 5-7 years following menopause because of a decrease in estrogen. How the hormone strengthens bones isn’t clear. But a 2007 University of Buffalo study found that it may maintain bone density by preventing an enzyme called caspase-3 from triggering the death of osteoblasts, cells that help grow new bone and teeth. That’s why women over 50 should get about 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily, according to updated guidelines issued by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in November 2010. Your best sources for the mineral are low-fat and fat-free dairy products, such as milk, ice cream, cheese and yogurt, but calcium supplements can fill nutritional gaps, says Katherine Brooking, M.S., R.D., a New York-based dietitian. “Just don’t overdo it," Cosman adds. Too much calcium – more than 2,500 mg for adults 19-50, or more than 2,000 mg if you’re over 51 – can cause constipation and kidney stones, and it could interfere with the body’s ability to absorb other essential minerals such as iron and zinc, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health. 3. Get more vitamin D “Without enough vitamin D, [women] could lose up to 4% of their skeletal mass per year,” says Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D., professor of medicine at Boston University Medical Center, who discovered calcitriol (vitamin D3), the hormonally active form of the vitamin. He’s also the author of The Vitamin D Solution (Penguin). That’s why increasing vitamin D intake is essential. It helps maintain normal calcium levels in the bones and aids in its absorption. You can get D from leafy greens and fortified dairy products, but the major source is sunlight, which triggers production of the vitamin in your skin. But you’ll probably need a vitamin D supplement if you live in a cloudy climate, use sunscreen religiously and/or have dark skin, Holick says. The IOM just raised its vitamin D recommendation to 600 International Units (IU) a day for women under age 71 and a maximum 800 IUs for women age 71 and older. But many doctors, including Holick, believe that women older than 50 need 2,000-3,000 IUs daily. 4. Eat your veggies Milk and vitamin D aren’t the only ways to build strong bones. Fruits and vegetables also have high levels of nutrients essential for skeletal health, including magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K and several B vitamins, according to a large 2009 study conducted by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Magnesium gets calcium into all cells; vitamins C and K regulate enzymes responsible for strengthening bone; and B vitamins help cells regenerate, according to the NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center. Five servings of fruits and veggies a day is all you need, according to a 2005 landmark study at the Clinical Research and Regional Bone Centers at Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, N.Y. Calcium-rich produce includes broccoli (180 mg/cup), cooked spinach (240 mg/cup), arugula (125 mg/cup), orange juice (300 mg/cup), kiwi (50 mg/cup) and dry figs (300 mg/cup). 5. Kick butts Here’s another reason to quit smoking: It’s a leading cause of bone loss and fractures in women older than 40, according to a three-year study conducted on 4,332 women at Universidade Federal de São Paulo in Brazil and published in 2010. “Nicotine seems to have toxic effects on bone-forming cells and lowers estrogen levels, which in turn reduces bone density and leads to an earlier menopause,” Cosman says. Cigarette smoking may increase spontaneous bone loss in women not taking estrogen, according to a two-year study on 270 postmenopausal women conducted at the Center for Clinical and Basic Research in Denmark. Kicking the habit isn’t easy, so here’s some help: Your No-Fail Guide to Stop Smoking. 6. Drink moderately If you drank heavily during your adolescent and teenage years – the critical bone-building time – you may have irreversible skeletal damage and a greater risk of future fractures and osteoporosis, according to a 2010 Loyola University Study on rats. When researchers exposed adolescent rats to the human equivalent of binge drinking (defined as four drinks on one occasion) three days in a row, more than 300 genes responsible for bone formation and bone-mass maintenance were disrupted. And the damage was long lasting, researchers said. But moderate drinking (about 1-2 glasses of wine a day) actually protects bones, especially if you’re postmenopausal, according to a 2009 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Moderate drinking may affect estrogen concentrations or suppress bone breakdown to release minerals used in the rest of the body, researchers theorize. So go ahead and enjoy just one glass of wine with dinner, Cosman says. 7. You really can be too thin Here’s a good excuse to hang on to those love handles: A little extra padding protects your bones. A low body weight often goes hand in hand with low bone mass and increased fracture risk, according to a 2006 Rutgers University Study. And those extra pounds may even protect you from fractures if you take a tumble. Trying to lose weight? A 10% weight loss results in up to 2% bone loss, the Rutgers researchers say. Weight protects you in several ways, the study shows. First, just carrying around an extra load has a weight-bearing benefit. Also, fat is associated with bone-building hormones, such as estrogen. And when you lose weight, circulating estrogen decreases. “If you’re naturally thin, you may want to gain a few pounds just to protect your bones,” says registered dietitian Timothy Carlson, Ph.D, editor of The Nutrition Forum, the newsletter of the Nutrition Division of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry Nutrition.

Source: Lifescript

Protect Yourself from a Wrong Diagnosis

In the quest to cure what ails you, doctors sometimes don’t consider the health differences between the sexes. That may lead to a wrong diagnosis. Here are 3 medical conditions often overlooked in women and tips on how to protect yourself. Plus, test your smarts with our women's health quiz… 1. Heart Disease Nausea, shortness of breath and sharp chest pain are common symptoms of cardiovascular disease. In women, though, they might be blamed on anxiety or heartburn. Many physicians still assume women under 55 years old seldom have heart attacks, says Hardy Schwartz, M.D., medical director of non-invasive cardiology at the Sarasota Memorial Heart & Vascular Institute in Florida. That means women who show symptoms of heart disease are almost seven times more likely to be misdiagnosed than men. “Part of the problem is that so little research has been done on women, although it’s getting better,” he says. Why it’s hard to diagnose: “Health care for women has traditionally focused on screening for breast, ovarian, cervical and other cancers,” says Norma Keller, M.D., clinical chief of cardiology at Bellevue Hospital in New York. “But ironically, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women over 45, killing 1,400 women every day.” That’s more deaths than all cancers combined. Most heart attacks are caused by coronary artery disease, usually the result of arteriosclerosis. This buildup of plaque causes arteries to harden and narrow, which prevents the flow of blood and can result in a heart attack. Women manifest different symptoms of heart disease than men, particularly if they're suffering from coronary microvascular syndrome (CMS), reports the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. In women with this condition, plaque collects in small arteries of the heart, which can be overlooked in routine angiograms. How to prevent misdiagnosis: Women who experience heart disease symptoms – pressure or burning in the chest, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, sweating, fatigue and nausea – should ask their doctor about a nuclear stress test or stress echocardiogram, Schwartz says. Also, just as they do for cancer, women should get screened for heart disease and be aware of their risk factors: * Find out if your parents or grandparents suffered from heart disease. * Monitor your blood pressure regularly, especially if high blood pressure runs in your family. * Have your cholesterol measured annually, more often if it's high. * If you smoke, quit. * If you're obese, lose weight. Exercise 30-40 minutes at least four times per week. * If you're diabetic, take your insulin as instructed, eat a balanced diet low in sugar and engage in daily exercise, such as walking. For more info, check out our Heart Disease Health Center. 2. Fibromyalgia About 10 million Americans – mostly young women – suffer from fibromyalgia (FM). It’s often called an “invisible” illness or disability because symptoms may seem unrelated and conventional medical tests typically come back normal. But fibromyalgia is a chronic condition marked by widespread pain, intense fatigue, heightened sensitivity and needle-like tingling of the skin, muscle aches and spasms, weakness in the limbs and nerve pain. People with FM may also have problems sleeping and deficits in short-term memory. For more on fibromyalgia, click here. Its cause is unknown, although some experts believe stress or genetics play a role. Pain may worsen because of increased stress, excessive physical exertion, lack of deep sleep, and changes in humidity and barometric pressure. One theory suggests that decreased levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep patterns, mood, feelings of well-being, concentration and tolerance to pain, may be a factor. Why it’s hard to diagnose: “Symptoms vary from person to person,” says Bart Price, M.D., who practices internal medicine in Florida. “They overlap with other diseases and there are no definitive blood tests for it.” FM is diagnosed by eliminating other conditions, but that's why patients often get a wrong diagnosis. Other disorders, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, Lupus, Lyme disease and thyroid conditions, can produce similar symptoms. It’s also relatively rare: Only about 2% of the population has been diagnosed with FM. There’s no universally accepted cure for fibromyalgia, but prescription muscle relaxants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are recommended. Mild exercise and sleep may reduce pain and fatigue, some studies suggest. Heat applied to the painful areas also may help, as well as physical therapy, massage and acupuncture. How to prevent misdiagnosis: Be persistent with your doctor, Price says. Ask questions about your symptoms, request blood tests to rule out other diseases and seek a second opinion from a rheumatologist if necessary. If you suspect you have FM, here are 8 important questions to ask your doctor: * Have you checked for fibromyalgia? * What can I do to ease my symptoms? * What medications can I take? * What drugs, foods or activities should I avoid? * What alternative therapies or stress management techniques might help me? * Do you recommend counseling? * How do I explain my condition to others? * Are there clinical trials in which I can participate? 3. Thyroid Disease Thyroid disease is one of the most often undiagnosed and misdiagnosed diseases. It may affect up to 27 million Americans, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists; more than 50% of them go undiagnosed. In fact, 1 in 8 women will develop a thyroid condition in their lifetime. The thyroid gland regulates the pace of the body’s metabolism through the production of hormones. Hypothyroidism (associated with a slow metabolism) occurs when the thyroid fails to produce hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4). Symptoms of hypothyroidism include: * Weight gain * Facial puffiness * Fatigue, depression * Dry skin * Brittle nails * Hair loss * Development of a goiter * Hoarseness * Increased sensitivity to cold * Constipation, muscle pains * Cramps heavy menstrual flow * Slow heart rate or congestive heart failure With hyperthyroidism (associated with an overactive metabolism) T3 and T4 are overproduced. It can be caused by Graves’ disease (an autoimmune defect) or inflammation of the thyroid. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include: * Weight loss * Hot flashes * Nervousness * Anxiety * Fine or brittle hair * Increased sensitivity to heat * Rapid heart rate * Difficulty sleeping * Frequent bowel movements * Muscular weakness and lighter menstrual flow * Eyes bulge with Graves’ disease Why it’s hard to diagnose: “The symptoms are non-specific and come on gradually,” says Joseph Rand, M.D., a board-certified endocrinologist. “The condition is typically genetic and there are no other identifying risk factors.” Undiagnosed and untreated thyroid disorders can lead to elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease, high blood pressure and depression. A blood test determines diagnosis, and hormone replacements can be taken in the case of hypothyroidism, Rand says. With hyperthyroidism, doctors typically prescribe drugs to block the overproduction of thyroid hormone, radioactive iodine to destroy overactive thyroid tissue or surgery to remove the gland.

Source: Lifescript

Feeling Tired All the Time?

The facts on sleep are exhausting: Most women get less than they should, and a variety of factors – from hormones to sleep disorders – may be why you're feeling tired all the time. Find out the top 5 reasons for fatigue... Sleep is a basic human need, as important for good health as diet and exercise. Sleep lays the groundwork for a productive day ahead. Although most adults need 7-9 hours of zzz’s each night to function well the next day, the average woman age 30-60 sleeps only 6.9 hours a night during the work week. Women are more likely than men to have difficulty falling and staying asleep and to experience daytime sleepiness at least a few times per week. Daytime sleepiness that interferes with daily activities isn’t normal and may be a sign of sleep deprivation, a sleep disorder or medical condition. Both quantity and quality of sleep are essential to optimum functioning. Although continuous sleep is ideal, it’s not uncommon to experience disruptions from a variety of underlying causes. For example, more women than men suffer from nighttime pain. In one study, one in four women reported that pain or physical discomfort interrupted her sleep three nights a week or more. Women are twice as likely to experience depression as men, and they’re more prone to arthritis and headaches, all conditions that can result in fragmented sleep. Research has shown that too little and poor-quality sleep results in not only daytime sleepiness, but also more accidents, problems concentrating, poor performance on the job, difficulty getting along with others and, possibly, more sickness and weight gain. Why Your Sex Matters Biological conditions unique to women can affect how well they sleep; the changing levels of hormones women experience throughout the month and over their lifetimes have an impact on sleep quality. Based on a study of nearly 40,000 people in Taiwan, better-educated women are more likely to report having a good night’s sleep with fewer disruptions. Your Monthly Cycle and Sleep On average, women report disrupted sleep for 2-3 days each menstrual cycle. These changes can be linked to the rise and fall of hormone levels in the body. The hormone progesterone, which rises after ovulation, may cause some women to feel sleepy or fatigued. However, poor-quality sleep is more likely at the beginning of the menstrual cycle when bleeding starts. During the last part of the monthly cycle, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms may occur. The bloating, headaches, moodiness, irritability and abdominal cramps associated with PMS may contribute to difficulty sleeping well. The most common sleep-related problems reported by women with PMS are insomnia, hypersomnia (sleeping too much) and daytime sleepiness. The most common of these, insomnia, consists of difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, waking up too early, or unrefreshed sleep. Pregnancy and Sleep Physical symptoms that occur during pregnancy (body aches, nausea, leg cramps, fetus movements, weight gain and heartburn) as well as emotional changes (depression, anxiety, worry) can interfere with sleep. Overall, women have lower quality of sleep during the last trimester of pregnancy. Progesterone levels rise during pregnancy, increasing feelings of sleepiness. Heartburn, leg cramps and sinus congestion are common reasons for disturbed sleep, as is an increased need to urinate. (The fetus puts pressure on the bladder.) As might be expected, mothers of newborn babies experience a lot of postpartum sleeplessness and daytime sleepiness, which may contribute to the postpartum blues many mothers experience. Pregnant women who’ve never snored before may begin doing so during pregnancy. About 15%-30% of pregnant women snore because of pregnancy-related weight gain and increased swelling in their nasal passages, which may partially block the airways. Snoring may also lead to high blood pressure, which can put both the mother and fetus at risk. If the blockage is severe, sleep apnea may result, characterized by loud snoring and periods of stopped breathing during sleep. The lack of oxygen disrupts sleep and may affect the unborn fetus. If loud snoring and severe daytime sleepiness (another symptom of sleep apnea and other sleep disorders) occur, consult your physician. During pregnancy, as many as 25% of women develop symptoms of restless leg syndrome, which may be due to lower levels of folic acid, anemia or other unknown factors. Menopause and Sleep Menopause is a time of major hormonal, physical and psychological change for women. From perimenopause – the transition phase – to postmenopause, women report a marked increase in sleeping problems. Most notable are hot flashes, insomnia and sleep-disordered breathing. Hot flashes may interrupt sleep, and frequent awakenings cause next-day fatigue. Generally, postmenopausal women are less satisfied with their sleep than premenopausal women; as many as 61% of postmenopausal women report insomnia symptoms. Snoring has also been found to be more common after menopause. Snoring, along with pauses or gasps in breathing, are signs of a more serious sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea. Most Common Sleep Disorders in Women Insomnia Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint; at least one-third of American adults say they have it occasionally, and 10%-15% on a chronic basis. Women consistently report that they are more likely than men to experience difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings, waking too early and being unable to fall back to sleep, and unrefreshed sleep. Although they generally sleep longer, according to National Sleep Foundation (NSF) polls, more women than men rate the quality of their sleep as fair or poor. Insomnia can be short-term when it is in response to a current situation, such as the loss of a job or loved one, a dramatic event, or another situation that may cause stress or anxiety. Women often experience a great deal of stress – and sometimes depression – along with the discomfort associated with the biological changes that occur before and during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Although these bouts of short-term insomnia may occur, women have to be careful that they don't develop poor sleep habits or attitudes leading to insomnia becoming long-term. Chronic insomnia is a sleeping disorder that is characterized by occurrence three or more nights per week for a month or longer and results in serious daytime impairment. Effective medications are available; a combination of behavioral change and medications works best for the long term. Sleep apnea Sleep apnea is a serious, potentially life-threatening breathing disorder that affects 18 million adults in America. Women are more likely to experience symptoms of sleep apnea as they age. In general, sleep apnea is associated with increased blood pressure, a risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Why Your Sex Matters in Sleep Apnea Physicians may overlook sleep apnea in women because women with this condition may have different symptoms than men. Women with sleep apnea are more likely to have depression and insomnia, less likely to have been told that they stop breathing during sleep, and more likely to have thyroid disease than men. Sufferers often experience sleep apnea as partial or full obstruction of airflow through the airway as often as 10 times an hour and throughout the night, leading to pauses in breathing and frequent arousals. Sleep apnea is characterized by the following signs and symptoms: * Loud and regular snoring * Pauses or interruptions of air flow during sleep and loss of oxygen * Repetitive arousals, often unnoticed or appearing as snorts or gasps, during sleep * Falling asleep at inappropriate times during the day, such as while driving, working or talking * Early-morning headaches * Depression, irritability and sexual dysfunction * Learning and memory difficulties Recent studies have found that women are less likely to be diagnosed with sleep apnea; yet they do better with treatment. The most effective treatment for sleep apnea is the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that forces air through a mask attached to the nose so the patient can breathe well and prevent arousals and disrupted sleep. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological movement disorder that affects as many as 12 million Americans. It's characterized by uncomfortable and unpleasant leg sensations associated with an urge to move that occur while your body is at rest, which are worse at night. Because the unpleasant feelings occur at rest and are relieved by movement, RLS sufferers have difficulty sleeping. RLS may lead to daytime sleepiness, mood swings, anxiety and depression. RLS most recently has been associated with iron-deficiency anemia as well as pregnancy or diabetes. Up to 15% of pregnant women develop RLS during their third trimester. RLS may include the following signs and symptoms: * The urge to move the legs, which is often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations in the foot, calf or upper leg (these sensations are usually described as a creeping or crawling feeling and may be experienced as a tingling, cramping or burning sensation) * The need to move the legs to relieve the discomfort by stretching, bending or rubbing the legs, tossing or turning in bed, or getting up and pacing the floor * A tendency to experience the most discomfort late in the day and at night * Continuous nighttime sleep disruption * Daytime fatigue Medications are available to treat RLS. Women with this disorder should avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine. A healthy diet and moderate exercise can also be helpful. About 80% of RLS sufferers may also experience periodic limb movements: jerking or kicking the legs and sometimes the arms while sleeping. Although this can be very disturbing to the bed partner, limb movements are common in all sleep disorders. They also occur with many medications and with disrupted sleep in general. Limb movements alone should not require treatment. Narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects the region of the central nervous system that regulates sleep and wakefulness. It affects approximately one in 2,000 people. People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness and have involuntary sleep attacks at inappropriate times (for example, while having dinner, talking, driving or working).

Source: Lifescript