Monday, January 23, 2012

What is Holistic Health?

Posted by Ramesh Venkatraman

I have often been asked this question in addition to being told that while the title of my blog says Holistic Health, the articles are not "Truly Holistic" meaning that I discuss and even recommend certain allopathic (Western/English) medicines/therapies.

The misconception that Holistic Health is actually synonymous with alternative therapy is widespread. The fact is, Holistic Health is based on the premise that the "WHOLE" is MORE than the SUM OF ITS PARTS" Let me explain this using a very crude example - take your index finger. As long as your index finger remains associated with your palm/hand it can take part in several activites - writing for example, typing on a keyboard, scratching your head and so on. However assume for a moment that the finger is severed from your palm, what happens? - on its own the finger is practically and functionally useless and can do nothing, in other words as long as it remains a "PART OF A WHOLE" it can perform several activities but ceases to be functional the moment it loses this association.

This is true of several diseases/disorders - severe arthritis and the associated pain can cause depression - a problem in the physical affecting the mental, similarly depression can manifest itself in the form of pain and/or several unexplained disorders in the physical. What this tells us is that almost all diseases/disorders are psychosomatic in nature i.e. affecting both the psyche (mind/mental) and the soma (body) and therefore logic demands that we treat both the mind and the body.

Allopathy or the Western system of medicine is a reductionist system of medicine - this is not meant in a derogatory sense and only means that in the case of allopathy the human body (and the associated organs/diseases/disorders) are reduced to their smallest functional components and the component and the associated symptom/disorder is treated/managed at a granular level. This system has great value in the treatment and management of acute illnesses and has also been responsible for the eradication of several life-treatening diseases through the use of vaccines. For example if you were to suffer from a bacterial infection of the lungs, you will need to use broad spectrum antibiotics than can kill and eradicate the pathogens - it is allopathic medicine that first classified and categorized pathogens and the diseases they cause, and specific medications that can treat these diseases - without this knowledge people would still be dying from infections that we have come to think of as routine. Then again if you fracture a limb you have to go to an orthopedic surgeon to set it right. Therefore new age pundits who dismiss allopathic medicine and promote only the so called "alternative-therapies" do so at their own peril.

At the same time exclusive promotion of allopathic medicine at the cost of other systems of medicine is also a no-brainer. Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Siddha, Unani, Chinese Herbal medicine, music therapy etc. that take a more Holistic view of diseases/disorders have an important role to play in the mainteneace of optimum health and specifically in the treatment and management of chronic disorders/diseases - studies have shown that in the management of chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis etc., the so-called alternative therapy has a key role to play in not only managing the symptoms but also in the treatment and eradication.

Ayurveda arguably the most ancient system of medicine, is much more than just a "medical-system" - in the ancient days it was conceived as a "way-of-life" with the core principle being the achievement of "BALANCE". This balance is to be achieved through proper Aahara (diet), Vihara (lifestyle), Acharya (spirituality), and Aushadha (medicine). Siddha medicine once very popular in South India dates back several thousand years and has the Sage Agastya as its preceptor and originator - it is closely aligned to the ayurvedic system of medicine. Unani medicine originally pioneered by the Greeks (Hippocrates) and Romans (Galen) and further refined by the persians (Hakim Ibn Sina) remains popular in parts of South Asia including India.

All of these medical systems have their value and cannot be junked and neither can anyone of them be an exclusive replacement for allopathy or vice versa. Holistic Health therefore is a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs - psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole and therefore treatment modalities should be designed with this principle in mind. If this be true, then it stands to reason that medical systems will need to glean the best concepts, principles, and treatment modalities from each of these systems in treating disease. I intend to write brief summaries about each of these medical systems because it is important for people to know in order to make an informed choice.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Mobile/Cell Phones may be potentially carcinogenic (cancer-causing) - WHO new classification

Posted by: Ramesh Venkatraman

Mobile/Cell phone use has become ubiquitous. Global estimates put the number of mobile users at 5 billion. Cell phones emit radio-frequency (RF) waves, a type of  non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation which can be absorbed by human tissue when in close proximity to the source of radiation. The amount of RF energy absorbed by a cell-phone user depends on (1) phone technology, (2) extent and type of use (3) distance between the device and the user. This post highlights the WHO and US-FDA recommendations on the use of mobile phones and the potential risk of cancer.

The International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) a key compnent of the World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified radiofrequency fields such as those emmitted by mobile/cell phones under GROUP-2B thereby placing it along with substances such as lead, engine exhaust, and chloroform - What this means is that the WHO now believes that mobile/cell phones are "possibly carcinogenic to humans".

The National Cancer Institue (NCI) of the USA also says that although studies have so far not confirmed a direct link between mobile/cell phone use and cancer, there is evidence to show that prolonged cell-phone use heats-up brain tissue, and more specifically increases glucose meatobolism on the side of the brain closest to the phone antenna/receiver. It is important to note here that a meta-analysis of 10 published studies on "long-term cell phone use and cancer risk" concluded that there is an association between mobile/cell-phone use and development of glioma and acoustic neuroma on long term use ( > 10 years) (Hardell L, et al. International Journal of Oncology, 2008;32:1097-1103.)

The US FDA has recommended that cell phone users (1) reserve the use of cell phones for shorter conversations or for times when a landline phone is not available and (2) Use a hands-free device which increases the distance between the phone and the users head.

Important studies that have also confirmed the possible link between mobile phone use and increased cancer risk include a 2009 study published in the Journal of clinical Oncology involving 37,916 participants (Myung Kwon S, et al. J clin Oncol, 2009;27:5565-5572.), and Michel Kundi's article in the Environmental Health Perspectives Journal published in 2000 (Kundi M. Environ Health Perspect. 2009;117:316-324.).

Most of these studies and recommendations have come and continue to come from researchers and Government action in the Western Countries. In India where cell phone use has become ubiquitous, precious little is being done by the Government, media, or research agencies to at least highlight the concerns that are slowly but steadily building up about the risks associated with long-term cell phone use.

For a start we can at least do the following (Adapted from the US FDA recommendations on cell phone use):

  1. Avoid using cell phones for long conversations
  2. Choose texting over talking
  3. Use a landline whenever you have a landline phone close at hand
  4. Use a hands-free device (not a Bluetooth) or the loudspeaker option where feasible



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