Colonoscopy & the ‘blind spot’ in the colon!
December 16, 2008
COLONOSCOPIES & COLON CANCER PROTECTION
A colonoscopy concerns the endoscopic examination of the large colon with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube. A colonoscopy is often used as an effective procedure for combating colorectal cancer. However, new research indicates that a colonoscopy may not be quite as good as previously thought due to a so-called ‘blind spot’ in the right side of the colon.
The procedure does a good job of detecting early signs of disease on the left side of the colon, or large intestine, but is not as effective at spotting potential problems of the right side of the organ. This means a colonoscopy’s success at preventing colorectal cancer deaths seems to lie with its ability to uncover so-called “left-sided” problems.
“We did find that colonoscopies are effective — that’s the good news. It’s still one of the best screening tests for any cancer that we have,” said study author Dr. Nancy Baxter, a colorectal surgeon with St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
“But it’s not perfect,” she added. “And it does not appear to be as effective in picking up growths on the right side of the colon as it is in detecting them on the left side.”
To gauge the effectiveness of colonoscopies at reducing colorectal cancer death, the researchers analyzed Ontario provincial health records for more than 10,000 colorectal cancer patients between the ages of 52 and 90. All the patients had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1996 and 2001, and all had eventually died from the disease by 2003.
Slightly more than 700 of the cancer patients — or 7 percent — had undergone a colonoscopy. This pool was compared with just over 5,000 healthy people who also had undergone a colonoscopy.
The researchers found that having a complete colonoscopy was strongly linked to a lower death rate related specifically to colon cancer on the left side of the organ. But, the screening process showed virtually no death-prevention benefit with right-sided colon cancer.
The findings are published online Dec. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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A Guided Imagery Colon Exercise!
December 8, 2008
 Sit down for a guide imagery colon exercise! |
A Guided Imagery Exercise is a creative imagination technique. Guided Imagery can be much more immediate and effective than analytical thinking, and the exercise presented below was designed to offer you a new experience to get ‘in touch’ with your colon! To do this exercise, sit in a comfortable position or lie down. Close your eyes and relax. |
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The following exercise was presented at Upwardquest.com:
“Begin to imagine that you are in a beautiful and safe forest. Allow yourself to walk through the forest, feeling the safety. One by one, open up all of your senses. Let yourself look at the trees, the ground and the sky. Feel your feet on the spongy forest floor and feel the movement of your body as you walk. Smell the air and pick a blade of grass to chew on. Listen to the birds chirping in the distance or the rustle of the leaves in the wind.” (It does not matter if the details of what you are sensing are the same as what is suggested. The important thing is to feel the safety in the forest and to feel connected with the earth.) “Imagine that you come to a very large, magestic tree. Lie down under the tree. In your imagination, close your eyes and let your attention go inward, into your body. Allow yourself to be aware of your colon and imagine that you can see what is happening inside of it. You are very surprised to see an army of tiny men busy at work inside your colon. Part of the men are using soap and water to totally clean the colon. Other men are attaching themselves to the wall of the colon. They are picking up nutrients and sending them into the body through the wall of the colon. Some of the men are being organized into a team that will attack any foreign invaders that may come into the body. All the men are are very busy and some of them may be doing tasks that you do not understand. As you watch, the colon gets lighter and lighter. All darkness is removed and the colon is eventually bathed in a brilliant white light.” You may continue to see the colon as bathed in brilliant white light for as long as you like. Then simply let your attention to come back to being in the room and allow your eyes to gently open. Know that, through your imagery, you have communicated your intent to have a healthy colon to your unconscious mind.” LEARN THE BASICS OF A HEALTHY COLON: |
Exercise & the benefits for your colon!
December 8, 2008
 Exercise & the health of your colon! |
Most people are aware that the colon is sort of a sewage plant: the colon recycles the stuff your body can use and stores the waste for disposal. The longer the waste sits in the colon, the longer toxic materials have to leach out of the solidifying stool and back into your tissues. Doing exercise gets your body moving, including the waste in your body. This is because exercise stimulates peristalsis, a wave-like muscular contraction that helps push waste through your colon. |
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Since exercise is good for the health of your colon, it is not a surprize at all that various studies in the past have indicates that exercise also prevents colon cancer. However, a more recent study has indicates that only few people are aware of this. The figures state that an ‘inactive’ lifestyle accounts for as many as 14 percent of all colon cancer cases in the United States. On the other hand, people who exercise a lot have a 30 percent to 40 percent lower risk of developing colon cancer. However, the study indicated that about only 15 percent of the respondees said that they would use physical activity as a way of reducing their colon cancer risk!! |
 Exercise promotes the health of your colon! |
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For those who have not deliberately chosen for an ‘inactive’ lifestyle a Guided Imagery Exercise might provide an alternative option. Guided imagery is a powerful tool for activating the body’s own ability to achieve health. More specified: the Guided Imagery Technique is a method of communicating with the unconscious mind, which can be used for requesting that the body function in the most optimal way.
MORE DIGESTIVE & COLON SOLUTIONS: |
Drink enough water to maintain a healthy colon!
December 2, 2008
THE ROLE OF WATER IN YOUR COLON
One of the major health benefits of water is that it helps to keep your colon clean and healthy. Water especially helps dietary fiber swell up as it passes through the digestive system, which is an important precondition to induce bowel movements. Constipation and toxicity in the digestive system and colon, are frequently caused by an insufficient intake of water. The major functions of the colon are: (1) to store waste, (2) reclaim water, (3) maintain water balance in our body, (4) and also absorb certain vitamins like Vitamin K. So obviously, it is not a surprize that drinking enough water (along with proper diet, exercise and a regular colon cleanse) will likely maintain your overall health and vitality!
Some other facts related to water and the colon:
• When reaching the colon, the body has already absorbed 90% of the water.
• You can drink up to half of your body weight in ounces. For instance, if you weigh 140 pounds – you would drink 70 ounces of water per day (1 ounce = 28.3 gram, 70 ounces = about 1.98 liters of water).
• Drink water each day – throughout the day.
• Prefer to pure drinking water and drink as much as possible. Herbal tea or diluted fruit juices are a fine alternative.
• Water plays also a major role in colon hydrotherapy
MORE COLON NEWS RESOURCES:
Find colonic therapy for your colon
What to expect from a colon irrigation
