NEWS & RESEARCH

Blood clots are gel-like clumps of blood. They are beneficial when they form in response to an injury or a cut, plugging the injured blood vessel, which stops bleeding. Can you imagine that our body gives birth to over 200 billion red cells every day? And red blood cell can circumnavigate your body in under 20 seconds. So, some blood clots form inside your veins without a good reason and don’t dissolve naturally. These may require medical attention, especially if they are in your legs or are in more critical locations, such as your lungs and brain. Several conditions can

Dry skin makes the skin look and feel rough, itchy, flaky or scaly. The location where these dry patches form vary from person to person. It’s a common condition that affects people of all ages. Beside our skin, can you imagine that all the tissues and cells in your body, 25 million new cells are being produced each second? That’s a little more than the population of state of Florida – every second! So, Dry skin, also known as xerosis or xeroderma, has many causes, including cold or dry weather, sun damage, harsh soaps, and overbathing. Another surreal fact is

Dry mouth, or xerostomia (zeer-o-STOE-me-uh), refers to a condition in which the salivary glands in your mouth don’t make enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. Dry mouth is often due to the side effect of certain medications or aging issues or as a result of radiation therapy for cancer. Less often, dry mouth may be caused by a condition that directly affects the salivary glands. Can you imagine that your body makes around 1 to 1.6 liters of saliva a day. Saliva helps prevent tooth decay by neutralizing acids produced by bacteria, limiting bacterial growth and washing away food

A cough is your body’s way of responding when something irritates your throat or airways. An irritant stimulates nerves that send a message to your brain. The brain then tells muscles in your chest and abdomen to push air out of your lungs to force out the irritant. Can you imagine that one sneeze generates a wind of 166 km/hr (100 mi/hr), and a cough moves out at100 km/hr (60 mi/hr). An occasional cough is normal and healthy. But, a cough that persists for several weeks or one that brings up discolored or bloody mucus may indicate a condition that

Anemia is a condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body’s tissues. Having anemia, also referred to as low hemoglobin, can make you feel tired and weak. The average red blood cell lives for 120 days. There are 2.5 trillion (give or take) of red blood cells in your body at any moment. To maintain this number, about two and a half million new ones need to be produced every second by your bone marrow. That’s like a bit more than a new population of Manhattan in New York City every

Indirubin is derived from the Indigo Plant (Isatis Root). In Asia, it is part of combination formulas used in traditional herbal prescriptions to treat some forms of cancer. Indirubin may also decrease inflammation by inhibiting part of the immune response. There is a lack of evidence to support this use. Case reports and initial analyses suggest possible benefits in leukemia, but clinical trials are needed to confirm this information. A small study in patients with head and neck cancer suggest that indirubin, taken as indigowood root powder, may reduce mucosal damage from radiation therapy. Additional studies are needed to confirm