Stay Away from Non-medical Steroid Usage
Hormones: Peptides and Steroids
“Hormones carry messages from glands to cells to maintain chemical levels in the bloodstream that achieve homeostasis. ‘Hormone’ comes from a word that means, ‘to spur on.’ This reflects how the presence of hormones acts as a catalyst for other chemical changes at the cellular level necessary for growth, development, and energy.”
The above quote did not come out of my head. It came from wiseGeek at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-hormones.htm?referrer=adwords_campaign=hormones_ad=023611&_search_kw=hormones&428219903.
Before you go on, did you read the article at the above URL? That will save us a lot of time and will make you very wise like the wiseGeek.
Okay! I’ll wait for you to come back.
Peptides or protein hormones control sleep and sugar concentrations. Insulin is one you know because it is a treatment for diabetes. This report is not about peptides.
Steroids are sex hormones. The control human growth and allow athletes to knock a baseball three city blocks or run the mile in 3 minutes.
Youngsters in the teenage years are full of these precious hormones. Old people are bone dry. Old people seldom sit in the back of a car to make out.
Most athletes would like to get into the Hall of Fame for their sport. Steroids can either help them jump right into their properHall of Fame or to be banned for life from such glory. If athletes can’t be good enough to get into a Hall of Fame unless they take steroids, I guess some take their chances.
Some of the current athletes who have busted records for years may have taken steroids before their particular athletic organization banned them. Some of these may have stopped taking the steroids when they were banned; others, perhaps not.
Here is my take on steroid usage. It is a drug to be taken under a doctor’s supervision. Steroids are used in medicine for different reasons daily and legally. I say that if a professional athlete needs steroids for his health, then have a doctor prescribe them and monitor their use. Making them completely illegal for athletes only endangers the athletes who need them.
I think that steroids should be banned at the college or Olympic level. I think the professional organizations are right in banning them to other than for their use described above. An athlete who takes steroids without medical surveillance is risking his health and his life. Even with medical supervision, negative results health wise may occur.
The Dangers of Steroids
So are steroids dangerous? Some athletes say they are not. I copied the following from http://www.trulyhuge.com/steroid_dangers.htm who copied it from the Physicians’s Desk Reference:
WARNINGS: Peliosis hepatis, a condition in which liver and sometimes splenic tissue is replaced with blood-filled cysts, has been reported in patients receiving androgenic anabolic steroid therapy.
These cysts are sometimes present with minimal hepatic dysfunction, but at other times they have been associated with liver failure. They are often not recognized until life-threatening liver failure or intra-abdominal hemorrhage develops.
Withdrawal of drug usually results in complete disappearance of lesions.
Liver cell tumors are also reported. Most often these are benign and androgen-dependent, but fatal malignant tumors have been reported. Withdrawal of drug often results in regression or cessation of progression of the tumor. However, hepatic tumors associated with androgens or anabolic steroids are much more vascular than other hepatic tumors and may be silent until life-threatening intra-abdominal hemorrhage develops.
Blood lipid changes that are known to be associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis are seen in patients treated with androgens and anabolic steroids. These changes include decreased high-density lipoprotein and sometimes increased low-density lipoprotein. The changes may be very marked and could have a serious impact on the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
It’s good I never took steroids. I got plenty of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease without them.
Doctors who specialize in hormone therapy know the proper range of levels for hormones in the human body. Leave hormone therapy to them. Don’t go out on your own and endanger your health.
The End
John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He is Executive Representative of IWS sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He also sells TopFlight flagpoles. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”
More info: http://www.tjbooks.com
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Tags: Athlete, baseball, Hall of Fame, hormone, medical, medicine, peptide, sports, steroid, Steroids boyberm on June 29th, 2008 Filed under Medicine | Comment now »Help For Persistent Or Recurring Swelling
Like the arteries, veins and capillaries that transport blood through our bodies, our bodies also contains an extensive drainage system that returns water and proteins from our tissues back to the bloodstream. Called the lymphatic system, it is part of our immune system and works to defend the body from diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi.
The lymphatic system has two major functions. First, it works to regulate the amount of fluids within our bodies. Secondly, it is responsible for “taking out the trash”, that is collecting waste products, such as dead blood cells and pathogens from the interstitial fluid (the fluid that fills the spaces around cells) and filters it before returning it to the bloodstream.
The lymphatic system is made up of lymph vessels that carry lymph, a protein-rich fluid that is transported through the lymph vessels, and lymph nodes which filter out germs and toxins. There are over 100 lymph nodes throughout the body, with the majority of them being located in the neck, groin and armpits. Lymphatic vessels contain valves that prevent the lymph from flowing backwards within the system. Within the lymphatic vessels, lymph is transported through the vessels and moves via the squeezing action of their neighboring skeletal muscles.
When the movement of lymph through the body becomes impaired, it will leak out of the lymphatic capillaries and cause the surrounding tissues to swell. This condition is called lymphedema. Lymphedema occurs when the amount of lymph fluid in the body exceeds the body’s ability to transport it. This causes the lymph fluid to accumulate in the tissues, where it causes swelling, particularly of the arms and legs.
There are two types of lymphedema. Doctors don’t know what causes Primary Lymphedema, but it can be present at birth, or can develop later on in life. Fortunately, this condition is rare. Secondary Lymphedema is a condition that is not often talked about, but often affects individuals who have undergone surgery, such as cancer surgery where lymph nodes are commonly removed. It can also affect individuals who have undergone radiation therapy, which can damage lymph nodes and cause scar tissue to form ultimately interfering with the flow of lymph. It can also be experienced by individuals who have experienced a severe trauma or infection.
In the initial stages of this chronic condition, Lymphedema often begins with swelling in a hand or foot, particularly the one closest to where the surgery has occurred or radiation therapy has taken place. If left unchecked, the protein-rich lymph can continue to accumulate, leading to increased swelling and a hardening of the tissues. This increases your risk of developing an infection or may interfere or impair the function of the limb.
Lymphedema can develop in any part of the body. If you experience persistent or recurring swelling anywhere in your body, it is important to seek medical advice. Early intervention with this disorder greatly improves the long term outcome of the disease’s progression.
Recommendations For Wellness
- Avoid rigorous, repetitive movements or heavy lifting.
- Women, if your arm is affected, get rid of extra 50 lbs that you carry over your shoulder and trade it in for a purse that has hand straps.
- If your arm or leg starts to ache, lie down and elevate it.
- Wear loose fitting clothes, jewelry, socks and undergarments that may restrict lymphatic flow.
- Wear a compression sleeve or stocking on the affected limb.
- Keep your “at risk” limb clean and avoid activities that may irritate or damage the skin. Careful skin care may reduce the risk of lymphedema by helping you to avoid infection.
- Massage, particularly lymphatic massage has been shown to help increase lymph drainage. You can do this yourself or work with a qualified massage therapist who has been specially trained in how to perform manual lymph drainage techniques.
- Begin a gentle exercise program. Exercise and muscle movement can help drain lymph fluid. (Consult with your doctor prior to beginning any exercise program).
- Drink plenty of water. Water is critical for proper lymph drainage.
- Echinacea has a long history of improving lymph filtration and drainage.
- Garlic is known for being able to stimulate the lymph system to throw off waste materials.
- Oregon grape can be used to help reduce the inflammation of the lymphatic system and works to help cleanse the lymph.
- Poke Root has been known to help stimulate the body and aid its ability to remove waste materials that may be trapped in the tissues. It can also help improve the elasticity of tissues that may have experienced hardening due to congestion.
- Burdock, red clover and mullein are known to thin lymph fluid and enhance lymphatic drainage.
- Herbal combinations such as Nature’s Sunshine’s Lymphatic Drainage, Lymphomax or Lymphostim are designed to stimulate the immune system, fight infections and support the lymphatic system.
© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer 2004. All rights reserved.
About The Author
© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer 2004. All rights reserved.
Dr. Rita Louise, PhD is a Naturopathic Physician and a 20-year veteran in the Human Potential Field, and it is her unique gift as a medical intuitive that enlivens her work. Author of the books “Avoiding the Cosmic 2×4″ and “The Power Within: A Psychic Healing Primer”, Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. a can help you identify what is really going on and provide you with straightforward guidance and advice. She can be reached by calling 972-475-3393 or visiting her website at http://www.soulhealer.com.
rita@soulhealer.com
Tags: ailments, alternative, bloat, direutic, health, medical, medicine, Nutrition, pain relief, swelling boyberm on March 26th, 2008 Filed under Medicine | Comment now »