connection between air pollution and appendicitis

[Guest guest]

Hello dear colleagues,

 

Here's an interesting western medical article that shows an interesting

connection between the lungs and large intestine.

 

Andrea Beth

 

Traditional Oriental Medicine

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1770 E. Villa Drive, Suite 5

Cottonwood, AZ  86326

(928) 274-1373

 

 

 

Air Pollution and Appendicitis

 

It's clear as day -- so to speak -- that air pollution is bad

for our health. It has long been linked with respiratory problems

including asthma and emphysema, and studies have also associated it

with cardiovascular disease. The latest finding by Canadian researchers

suggests there may be a link between pollution and appendicitis.

At

the University of Calgary, Gilaad G. Kaplan, MD, MPH, and his

colleagues studied the records of more than 5,000 adults hospitalized

for appendicitis between 1999 and 2005. Next, using figures from

Canada's National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) Network, they

looked for possible links between the occurrence of appendicitis and

daily air levels of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon

monoxide and particulate matter pollutants. Investigators found that...

On

days with the highest ozone concentration compared with days of lowest

ozone concentration, people were approximately 15% more likely to be

hospitalized for appendicitis. The impact of air pollution

levels was most dramatic in the summer when people spend more time

outside. During the summer months, exposure to high concentrations of

nitrogen dioxide and ozone were significantly associated with admission

to a hospital for appendicitis, even after adjusting for temperature

and humidity.This research was presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the

American College of Gastroenterology in October

2008.

Earlier

research demonstrates that exposure to these sorts of air pollutants

may contribute to disease through an increase in inflammation and

oxidative stress, causing the formation of free radical molecules. Dr.

Kaplan believes that these same mechanisms may bring on appendicitis.

Further research is necessary to corroborate this association and to

determine the importance of this connection and what short- and

long-term effects pollution may have on disease processes, including

appendicitis.

What can we do in the meantime? Daily Health News

contributing medical editor Andrew L. Rubman, ND, points out that the

proper nutrients help the body to defend itself against even insults

like smog. " The appendix functions with aid from well-digested, healthy

foods that contain a broad range of nutrients and antioxidants. So your

best bet is to rely on smart eating and professional oversight to help

your natural defenses with multivitamin supplementation. "

Beyond that, make sure you follow all the

usual advice about avoiding air pollution as much as you reasonably

can. You can check local air quality reports daily at airnow.gov.

 

 

Source(s):

 

 

 

Gilaad G. Kaplan, MD, MPH, assistant professor

of medicine, departments of medicine and community health sciences,

University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.Andrew L. Rubman, ND, medical

director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut.