Holly Slater was a fit and healthy 28-year-old nursery worker who died from bowel cancer after doctors mistakenly diagnosed her with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). She saw her doctor several times over an 18-month period — she was suffering from bloating and abdominal cramps, which doctors misdiagnosed as IBS.

Slater was prescribed medication to ease her stomach cramps and laxatives to help with her constipation. “The doctor diagnosed her with IBS, and at that point, apart from being a bit uncomfortable, it wasn’t really causing any day-to-day problems,” her mother, Lynne, told the Daily Mail. “It wasn’t until the beginning of 2012 that the symptoms worsened.”

Slater developed frequently trapped wind and constipation, “but there was no bleeding at all so cancer didn’t cross her or the doctor’s mind.” Eventually she was sent for an X-ray which showed an abnormality.

“The doctors thought she may have another inflammatory bowel condition called Crohn’s Disease and she was given antibiotics,” said Lynne. “Even up until this point she suffered with none of the classic symptoms of bowel cancer such as bloody stools and diarrhoea.”

The doctors then found a tumour during a colonoscopy. After undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, the cancer spread to her lungs, bones and liver; Slater died less than two years later.

If you have stomach complaints, how do you know whether it’s IBS or something more serious like cancer? 

How IBS and colon cancer are diagnosed

IBS usually won’t cause any obvious detectable abnormalities in your digestive system, which means there are no specific tests to diagnose it. A doctor diagnoses IBS through careful consideration of your symptoms – how long you’ve had them, how severe they are and where the pain is located – and a process of elimination of other conditions.

Diagnosing colon cancer early, however, gives you the greatest chance of successful treatment. If you have an average risk of colon cancer, it’s recommended that you start screening from the age of 50; if you have an increased risk you should start screening earlier. Screening options include colonoscopies, biopsy analysis and blood tests.

Symptoms of IBS vs. colon cancer

Symptoms of IBS are categorised as follows:

Colonic symptoms (most common)

• Diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, abdominal pain and heartburn
• Straining and urgency when defecating and incomplete evacuation
• Mucus in the stool 

Non-colonic symptoms

• Psychosocial distress (anxiety, depression and/or stress)
• Lethargy
• Backache and headache
• Muscle pain
• Dizziness
• Nausea 

People with IBS will often wake up in the morning feeling fine, but as the day progresses bloating, pain and/or discomfort will start and intensify.

Symptoms of colon cancer include:

• A change in bowel habits
• Blood in the stool (red or tarry)
• Foul-smelling stool
• Abdominal discomfort such as colic, bloating or fullness
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• A feeling that one wants to pass stool, but nothing comes out

When to see the doctor

According to Dr Victor Marchione, you should never self-diagnose. “If you experience uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms, get a full medical evaluation instead of making it a guessing game. In some cases, it could be irritable bowel syndrome – but then again, it might be colon cancer.”

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Compiled by Mandy Freeman

Every now and then you may find yourself nibbling at your nails. You might be doing it subconsciously while working or watching television or you might be a conscious nail-biter struggling to kick the habit.

According to studies, approximately 20 to 30% of people are regular nail-biters. Medically referred to as onychophagia, biting one’s nails is seen as a coping mechanism for things like stress, nervousness or boredom.

The American Academy of Dermatology notes that onychophagia can also be triggered by physical factors like hangnails, chipped nails or chipped nail polish.

However, biting you nails is not just an innocent coping mechanism – it can unfortunately also transport nasty bacteria from your nails to your mouth or create an opening for bacteria and fungi to infect your nail bed.

Nail-biting situation 

In an interview with Time magazine, nail disorder expert Dr Richard Scher notes that the area underneath your nails is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli. In fact, a study by researchers at the Atatürk University in Turkey found that 76% of people who bit their nails had E. coli in their saliva, compared to 26% of non-nail-biters.

Ingesting bacteria like E. coli, salmonella and the like can make you really sick. Common symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and fever. 

Chomping away at your nails and the surrounding skin opens the area to infections like paronychia. Paronychia is a skin infection that causes the infected area to swell, followed by some redness and mild pain. Anyone is susceptible to this infection, which can be caused by both fungi and bacteria. Symptoms can worsen rapidly when caused by bacteria.

Infections

Paronychia comes in two forms, acute paronychia and chronic paronychia. Acute paronychia does not last long, but can cause abscesses to form around the nail. Chronic paronychia can last for several weeks at a time and can return. Chronic paronychia can leave the nail feeling hard and slightly deformed. In worse case scenarios the nail can separate from the finger.

If you suffer from diabetes, paronychia can be particularly dangerous. The infection can spread from your fingernails to body tissues and bones. In the worst case scenarios the infection can result in the loss of fingers and toes.

You can prevent infection by refraining from nail-biting, making use of clean nail clippers and keeping your nail area clean. Make sure that your nails are always neatly trimmed to avoid hangnails. You can also purchase over-the-counter products that discourage you from biting your nails.

You can treat infected nails by regularly soaking the infected areas in warm water. Should the situation not improve, it is advisable to see a doctor.

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Lauren Mitchell

Have you ever told a friend they should break up their relationship because they were so clearly miserable, but now they’re married to their partner and neither of them speak to you? The truth is, you can’t be told when it’s time to end your relationship; it’s a personal decision you have to make on your own.

So when it’s your turn to consider whether or not it’s time to end your current situation, that choice has to come from you. But how do you know if it’s time?

Read more: These 5 adventurous activities will improve your relationship

“The decision to end the relationship or not depends on what we are expecting,” says Lawrence Siegel, clinical psychologist. “What have we been getting from this relationship in terms of what we want, what we can tolerate, and what is a deal breaker? The simplest level is, are we getting what we want? If the answer is no or not really, it’s all downhill from there.”

Here are some tell-tale signs that it might be time to break up with your partner.

1. Does your partner annoy you?

Of course. When you spend a significant amount of time with someone, he or she is bound to become annoying. But we’re talking much more than loud chewing or leaving socks on the floor. If the things that your partner does in their day-to-day life – in their fundamental existence – annoy you to the point where you can’t look past it endearingly, that’s something to pay attention to.

“I think we get to a point where we have to ask whether or not we are willing to tolerate the little things,” says Siegel. “If every little thing becomes annoying, we have to go back to the basic question: What are we in this for?”

2. How much of your relationship is affected by resentment?

Every couple fights. Or, at least, the healthy ones do. It’s important to fight. But if you’re finding your arguments are fuelled by resentment – for example, if past problems creep up into every discussion and the issues are impossible to move past – that is a signal to a larger problem.

Read more: 3 toxic behaviours that could ruin your relationships

“If you start thinking about things you aren’t doing in your own life, or wish you could be doing if not for this relationship, that’s when resentment starts to creep in,” Siegel adds. If feelings of security and trust start to feel threatened, that is a big red flag.”

3. Would you rather do things by yourself?

Alone time is one thing. That’s something we all need, and are entitled to. But if you start wishing that you were having all of your adventures without your partner, that’s not the best sign. At the end of the day, a relationship is a choice. You choose to be with the person you’re in a relationship with. And if you’d rather not choose them anymore, you have to start thinking about why.

4. What is your outlook on the future?

When you take a step back and evaluate the bigger picture, do you think of your future with that person? And if so, does it fill you with dread or delight?

“All of these bring us back to the question of, ‘Is this really what I want? Do I feel better? Am I a more positive person with this person?’” Siegel says.

Read more: 9 signs you’re in a toxic relationship and need to get out ASAP

5. Do you still want to try?

Just because you answered “yes” to any or all of these, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s time to call it quits. The question then becomes: Do you want to still keep trying? Every relationship ebbs and flows. There are going to be rough patches; that’s part of sharing a life with another human. But if, at the end of the day, you being without this person makes you even sadder than being with them at the moment, that is worth noting. There are still ways to sort it out.

“Is this an endpoint or a crossroad?” Siegel asks. “At that point, somebody has to be the adult. Someone has to call a timeout, and both agree that there is something going on.” From there, you need to have a discussion about how much effort and energy each partner is willing to put into repairing the relationship.

“The crisis of ‘do we move forward or do we end it’ can be the best opportunity to really talk about all of the issues we haven’t talked about before,” says Siegel.

The takeaway

If you can see your relationship thriving down the road, then you have a direction to move in. But if not, sometimes the best thing for a relationship is an ending.

“Sometimes things cannot be worked out,” Siegel explains.

The hardest thing to accept is that sometimes it just can’t be fixed – but staying and holding on will ultimately be worse for you both. Letting go and allowing each other to find what truly makes you happy will set you free.

^{This article was originally published onwww.menshealth.com}

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Meagan Drillinger

Sure, unhealthy eating habits can cause everything from weight gain to sluggishness. The good news: With minimal effort, you can make up for most not-so-good food decisions…

Bad food habit: You’re never not eating

For you, chewing is like breathing. And since you probably lose track of how much and what you’ve eaten, all that endless crunching and munching adds up.

Read more: 7 ways to shift those last few stubborn kilos, according to a dietitian

Your problem is more about fidgeting than eating. So try drinking tea or sparkling water as a kilojoule-free way to keep your hands and pie-hole occupied between meals.

When liquid won’t do, go for healthy snacks that require some work to get at – pistachio nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds still in their shells all take time to open. You’ll spend more minutes cracking and cleaning up than actually eating, says dietitian Cynthia Sass.

And stockpile other no-pudge goodies that you can eat in tiny, individual pieces. We like low-fat popcorn or fat-free, wasabi-flavoured Japanese rice crackers.

Bad food habit: You pack it in till it hurts

That whole “enjoy just one bite” advice makes you roll your eyes as you dig into your third piece of a colleague’s birthday cake. Occasional gluttony has its place, but an all-you-can-eat-all-the-time attitude can cause indigestion, acid reflux and bloating, says dietitian Amy Campbell.

Read more: These are the 20 best fat-burning foods of all time

Stuff yourself with foods that contain fewer kilojoules per bite. These tend to have a higher water and fibre content, so they fill you up quicker, says Campbell.

Go ahead: Tuck into soups (stock-based, not cream-based), garden salads (carrots, cucumbers, celery, lettuce, tomatoes and green beans), gazpacho, fat-free or low-fat yoghurt or cottage cheese, apples and pears, whole-grain cereals with fat-free or low-fat milk and grilled lean meats (chicken and ostrich) or seafood (white fish, like hake and kingklip, preferably steamed).

^{This article was originally published on www.womenshealthsa.co.za}

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The hearts of women who snore appear to become damaged more quickly than those of men who “saw lumber” at night, a new study suggests.

Evaluating nearly 4 500 British adults who underwent cardiac imaging, researchers also learned that obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) may be vastly underdiagnosed among snorers.

This finding surprised study author Dr Adrian Curta, who heads cardiac imaging at Munich University Hospital in Germany.

Serious health conditions

“A further surprise was the different manifestation of disease according to gender,” Curta said. “Females show different alterations in cardiac [measures]. A possible reason for this could be that women with OSA are more vulnerable to cardiac alterations.”

Loud snoring is a hallmark of obstructive sleep apnoea, which affects between 3 and 7% of adults in the United States, according to the US National Institutes of Health. Also characterised by brief periods where breathing stops, often followed by gasping for air, sleep apnoea is becoming recognised as a contributor to serious health conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and poor blood sugar metabolism.

Sleep apnoea treatment depends on the cause. Treatments include surgery to open narrowed upper airways or using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine while sleeping.

Curta and his colleagues evaluated data from the UK Biobank, which follows the health and well-being of 500 000 volunteers. The researchers looked at data from nearly 4 500 participants who underwent cardiac imaging. These study volunteers were split into three groups: 38 with obstructive sleep apnoea; 1 919 who reported snoring; and 2 536 without OSA or snoring.

In both men and women, those with sleep apnoea and snoring tended to have larger left ventricles of the heart, meaning the walls were enlarged and the heart was working harder to pump, Curta said.

But when the snoring group was compared to the unaffected group, a more significant difference was found in the size of the left ventricle among women compared to men. These cardiac changes in self-reported snorers suggest earlier heart impairment in women and could point to undiagnosed sleep apnoea, he said.

Better prevention needed

The findings suggest the transition from snoring to obstructive sleep apnoea is an evolving process linked to a potentially dangerous enlargement of the left ventricle. But the research did not prove that sleep apnoea causes heart changes, only that an association exists between the two.

Curta noted that researchers are still uncertain why snoring would remodel women’s hearts more quickly than men’s. More research needs to be done to understand this process, he said.

“The most important clinical implication is that we need better prevention for OSA, such as a broader information programme,” Curta said. “Individuals with snoring should ask someone to observe them during sleep if they show periods of breathing cessation.”

Those who do stop breathing while sleeping should undergo a sleep study to determine how advanced their sleep apnoea is and the proper treatment, Curta said.

Underreported and underdiagnosed

Dr Tetyana Kendzerska is a sleep physician at Ottawa Hospital Sleep Center in Canada, and wasn’t involved in the new research. Since obesity is a known contributor to snoring and sleep apnoea, Kendzerska said losing excess weight is encouraged for those with snoring or sleep apnoea.

“We know that men and women report different symptoms for OSA, and as a result, obstructive sleep apnoea is seriously underreported and underdiagnosed in women,” she said.

“Given that potential cardiovascular risk associated with sleep apnoea may be greater in women than in men, first we need to identify women with sleep apnoea [by] increasing awareness among health care professionals,” Kendzerska added.

The research was to be presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, in Chicago. Research presented at meetings typically hasn’t been peer-reviewed or published, and results are considered preliminary.

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