Asians and Osteoporosis

Amongst the numerous diseases that the aging population has, osteoporosis is a common one. Osteoporosis brings about low bone density. Osteoclast cells, cells that destroy bones, become more active than osteoblast cells, cells that support bone formation. I discovered that Asians are less likely to have calcium in their diet, and it is mostly because the majority of Asians are lactose intolerant (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases). As a result, Asians are less prone to eat dairy products, so calcium is not a fundamental component of their diet. In addition, Asians are commonly slender, so they have a higher risk of bone fractures. I think it is plausible that Hispanics and African Americans have a lesser risk of obtaining osteoporosis because they typically consume calcium often, and they usually do not have the small frame-figure that Asians have.  






http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/Background/asian_american_women.asp#c

Mohs Micrographic Surgery

In class, I learned about the two most common skin cancers: Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Basal Cell Carcinoma occurs in the basal layer of the skin and it is caused by exposure to sunlight. It creates reddish bumps on the skin. Squamous cell carcinoma is occurred from the squamous epithelial cells. It is also caused from exposure to sun and they look like abnormal warts. As time progresses, new treatments for different kinds of skin cancer are emerging. One treatment that has proven its effectiveness for the two most common skin cancers is called Mohs Micrographic Surgery. It enables surgeons to eliminate cancer cells while saving as much normal tissue as probable (Mohs Micrographic Surgery: An Overview). Mohs Micrographic Surgery consists of consecutively eliminating a single thin layer. Each layer is scrutinized under a microscope to see if there any cancer cells present. I think overtime the prevalence of skin cancer will reduce due to the rising medical technologies. More people are seeking new methods and techniques to improve one’s health and remove any hindrances to have a good health status. Within a matter of time, I think skin cancer should be less prevalent in the world, or at least in the U.S.

http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/mohs-surgery/mohs-overview

Nails and What Should You Do To Take Care of Them

This past week I obtained knowledge about the hair, nails, and skin from the aging perspective. However, today I will focus on the nails. To start off, I learned that the nails are comprised of keratinized cells and the capillaries are beneath the nail body, so that is the reason your nails have a pink pigment. Nails indicate your general state of health, so if they are discolored or are abnormal, then I suggest it is time to pay a dermatologist a visit. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, problems with the nails typically increase as someone ages and senior citizens are the ones most affected by them. Amongst the many signals of nail problems, changes in the shape or color and pain on the nails can indicate something is wrong (American Academy of Dermatology). Some tips to prevent any abnormalities from occurring on the nails are to maintain your nails clean, so no bacteria would be accumulated under your nails and to fight the urge from biting your fingernails. Biting your fingernails does not only harm the skin under your nails, but it can also make an entrance for infections. I think this is valuable information that is highly uncommon to a person’s typical knowledge of nails. Actually, the topic of nail care health is hardly ever a topic that people are concerned with. Growing up, my mom might have scolded me to stop biting my nails, but I have never been given a scientific reason for it. The human body I comprised of a myriad of compartments that it is difficult to dedicate time on improving each particular part of our bodies. However, I am glad I took the time to search more information on nails to inform myself more about the importance of preventing ourselves from damaging our nails. I cannot make time to research every single part of our bodies, but I think I am learning little by little how to physically age well. Nails might be perceived as trivial to learn about, but as I mentioned before, it can indicate your general state of health. Make sure you maintain your nails healthy and clean, everyone!

http://www.aad.org/media-resources/stats-and-facts/prevention-and-care/nails/nails

Premature Skin Aging

   Take a look at how smooth your skin is. Looking at my skin, it is difficult to believe that I, Alexandra Henry, will have saggy, wrinkly, and dry skin in years to come. Reading about the skin changes as people, women in particular, age made me understand the way skin deteriorates.

   In class, I was stunned when I learned that the skin is the largest organ of the human body. I guess, it is because when I think of organs I think of kidneys and all the complexity of the insides of the body. I gained a greater understanding of the layers of the skin: epidermis, and dermis. Each of these layers has a unique job that plays key roles in our biological lives. The epidermis is the outer-most layer, and it contains corneum (dead cells), lucidum (clear layer), granulosum (small particles), spinosum (spines), and basale (contains stem cells, melanocytes, langerhan cells, and merkel cells). The dermis, located underneath the epidermis, is comprised of blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, nerves, sweat glands, and sebaceous glands (maintains the epidermis’ flexibility). Receptors are situated on the dermis, so we are able to respond to environmental stimuli.

   Premature skin aging can be the outcome of an extensive amount of physical and psychological stress, unhealthy nutrition, alcohol consumption, overindulging, pollution from the environment, and exposure to UV rays (Skin Aging). To my surprise, hormones are also a contributing factor to skin aging. Sex hormones function in maintaining the skin the way it is. Is that the reason as people go through puberty, it is likely to see pimples scattered all over a pre-teen? Yes, it is. Raging hormones entail skin acne, so low levels of hormones result in the skin aging and losing its intactness. Women are faced with the hormonal change of estrogen in menopause, and, believe it or not, it’s a factor in the wrinkles and other aspects of aging skin. Epidermal and dermal layers of the skin become thin; therefore it deteriorates and becomes saggy.

                                                                                                                             

http://www.lef.org/protocols/skin_nails_hair/skin_aging_01.htm