That's Fit

Do-It-Yourself diagnosis is usually a pretty bad idea; that is, unless you just so happen to have the letters M.D. that appear at the end of your signature. But for those of us without years of medical school under our belts, assuming that a particular pain, dysfunction, or even blotchy patch of skin is nothing to be concerned about can sometimes be a highly problematic for our health.

The British edition of Men's Health addresses the self-diagnosis problem in the article "7 Deadly Signs," describing how minor symptoms may actually signal major health hazards. Over the next seven days, we will provide a daily summary of one of the various aches and pains that may be indicative of a greater problem, illustrating the importance of maintaining open lines of communication with your physician and why DIY diagnosis can sometimes be dangerous.

Health Sign #7: Bad Breath

Could Possibly Be: Lung Disease

Bangin' breath may signal health problems no amount of Scope will fix. According to the Men's Health article, 90 percent of cases of bad breath were due to oral hygiene and gums, while he other 10 percent wee linked to systemic infections like lung disease, abscesses and even liver failure. Dr. John Hunt, a University of Virginia Researcher who was interviewed in the article, stated that "Lung disease, asthma and cystic fibrosis all cause highly acidic breath. And the more acidic the breath, the more severe the condition." The best defense in this case is a good offense: visit your dentist, who will then determine if the cause of your bad breath is something more serious than the hunk of sirloin that's been stuck between your molars for almost three weeks.

Links to:
Health Sign #1: Pain in Your Foot
Health Sign #2: Back Pain
Health Sign #3: Leg Pain
Health Sign #4: Diarrhea
Health Sign #5: Erectile Dysfunction
Health Sign #6: Neck/Shoulder Pain

If you're a smoker, you may have heard of Emphysema, a disease that eventually destroys the capabilities of the lungs to facilitate oxygen transfer to the body.

Well, researchers may have a solution for this, oddly enough. A new method of bypassing the airway to ensure the lungs don't experience breathlessness may be showing future promise, according to researchers. Basically, the new "airway bypass" procedure lets the lungs expel air that would normally be trapped.

The bypass re-connects the damaged lung tissue to the natural airway, allowing for easier breathing and hopefully, a lower death rate from those who have Emphysema. The new pathway is kept open by stents, naturally.

Are you a regular supplement taker? Although much media attention these days is attacking vitamin and supplement use as detrimental for human health (in certain situations), here's yet another.

New research shows that taking multivitamins containing vitamins C, E or folate does not reduce lung cancer risk. Are some supplement takers trying to prevent lung cancer risk using supplements? Perhaps.

Regardless, are supplements begging to be taken out of your daily regimen based on this research? For me, no.

For more information on preventing or managing cancer, please visit The Cancer Blog.

Want to try and prevent lung disease later in life? Start eating a regular diet full of fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry and whole grain foods then. There are plenty of reasons to include these items in your diet, and below is a new one.

A new study out of France concluded that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (C.O.P.D.) may be quite a bit less likely when a diet full of healthy foods like those referenced above were eaten as a foundation for a complete diet. The study looked at people from 1986 to 2006 and adjusted its results for age and smoking habits over that time.

Moral to the study: fruits, veggies, whole grains and healthy meats like fish and poultry really are good for you. Whodathunkit?

For more information on preventing or managing cancer, please visit The Cancer Blog.

I guess it's no surprise that smokers fall victim to various lung diseases -- like lung cancer -- than non-smokers. But, I found it quite starting that one in four smokers will have some kind of disease related to the lungs. That's 25% of smokers having some kind of lung disease in their lifetime. That stat would make me quit if I did smoke, as if there weren't others as well.

Some of the lung diseases that smokers get include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema -- and it is a leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease begins with a cough and leads to fatigue, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing -- all as the lungs are destroyed by smoke inhalation.

The results of a study just released from Danish scientists showed that persistent smokers were six times more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than non-smokers.