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In this new twist on the breathalyzer test, also called electronic nose technology, there are actually several different breath-print detector technologies, most of which use sensors based in gold or other nanomaterials. Measurements are confirmed using gas-chromatograph/mass-spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis.  The detectors register breath concentrations of aldehydes, hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, esters, nitriles, and aromatic compounds, all of which reveal information about health and disease.

The initial evidence for non-invasive breath tests came from a study recently published in the British Journal of Cancer which showed that “volatile organic compounds,” or VOCs, were elevated in the breath samples of patients with stomach cancer and ulcers.  The authors concluded that the tests could open a new and promising avenue to diagnose gastric cancer and distinguish it from other gastric diseases, and plan to conduct a larger trial.

Additionally, two pilot studies in 2012 discovered that breath-prints can not only differentiate patients with lung cancer from healthy control subjects, they can also differentiate between types of cancer caused by smoking and those that were non-smoking related. Both of these findings carry enormous treatment significance.

Many types of lung disease, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, and respiratory tract infections have been studied using breathalyzer techniques.  There is even the possibility of an “on-the-spot” tuberculosis (TB) test, which would be so much easier to administer than the current PPD test that needs to be read 48 hours after injection.

One recent study even suggests that breath-prints might be helpful in detect Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, both of which are difficult to diagnose.

Although initial studies have demonstrated that breath-prints can help distinguish patients with a particular disease from healthy control participants, and from those with cancer from those with other diseases, it is not yet entirely clear that breath-prints will be able to reliably differentiate one type of cancer from another.

Clinically, breath tests might prove most useful as a screening tool, used to identify patients who should undergo more definitive diagnostic imaging and clinical testing, invasive biopsy, or exploratory surgery.

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Most of the data comes from studies that focused on the effect of moderate to high alcohol intakes, typically defined as two more servings of alcohol per day.

Until recently, very little was known about the impact of light alcohol drinking, defined as up to one drink, on average, per day. That is, until the publication of the results of a large “meta-analysis” that took data from across the world and analyzed its implications.

Researchers evaluated an association between light drinking and different types of cancer. They scoured the results of all the epidemiological studies published before December 2010, which included 222 articles comprising approximately 92,000 light drinkers and 60,000 non-drinkers with cancer.

Light drinking was associated with a risk of mouth, tongue, throat and esophageal cancers. For women, there was a slight but real risk of breast cancer.

The researchers further estimated that worldwide, approximately 5,000 deaths from oropharyngeal cancer, 24 000 deaths from esophageal SCC, and 5,000 deaths from breast cancer were attributable to light drinking in 2004 alone.

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Then she confided in me that she is pregnant. After a flurry of congratulations,  and a discussion of her due date in September, I reassured her that it was just nature taking its course.

The hyper-pigmentation called melasma that develops across the upper lip or cheeks is also known as “the mask of pregnancy.” It develops because of the change in hormones and the body’s reaction to the sun.

While this hyperpigmentation (too much pigment) is more likely among women with dark complexions, it can happen to anyone and sometimes only happens during only one of her pregnancies.

The linea nigra (“black line”) is a similar pigmentation, usually an amazingly perfect line down the middle of the belly.

The hyperpigmentation can also happen to women taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy.

What can a woman do?  Here a few tips:

• Wear sunscreen and a hat when outside
• Keep your belly covered

When you are finished having babies, or have discontinued birth control pills, you may try to reduce the pigmentation with the following treatments, all of which should be done by a licensed dermatologist:

• Laser therapy such as Intense Pulsed Light  (IPL)
•  bleaching agents such as hygroquinone,
• dermabrasion or chemical peels
• kojic acid, and azelaic acid, tretinoin

Most importantly, don’t worry about the hyperpigmentation because it fades with time once the hormonal changes have stabilized.

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1. Maintain your own health.

Keep up your regular medical and dental appointments– mammogram, dental appointment, yearly physical, etc. Exercise every day. Make nutrition a priority – don’t skip meals. If you smoke, quit. Get enough sleep. Remember that you are the healthy (or healthier) one.

2. Take breaks.

Leave the hospital room or house and go outside for a short walk or cup of coffee. Go out for lunch with friends, even if you feel it’s indulgent. Know when to say no to a visit to your loved, or ask people to go home when visits get too long.

3. Allow others to help.

If a friend offers to sit with your loved one, accept the offer! Accept pot luck meals and other care packages. Allow others to hug you and be a part of your struggle. Check here for a list of support groups to join. 

4. Try to find humor in life.

Laughter is the best medicine, even when things seem dire. Buy a funny book and let yourself laugh out loud, watch a comedy show or favorite late-night talk show on TV.

5. Create lasting memories.

Take photos, and keep a diary of each day’s events, visitors, ups, and downs.

6. Take care of your appearance.

Shower or bathe every day. Get your hair done, and dress up from time to time. It will help keep your “patient’s” spirits up!

7. Stay in touch with the outside world.

It will make you feel less isolated, and help put your problems in perspective. Watch the news or read the paper.

8. Take care of business.

Set aside time to pay bills, return phone calls, manage your finances, catch up with emails. If you’ve taken a leave of absence from work, touch base with your colleagues from time to time.

9. Keep others informed.

Appoint someone to set up a phone chain, or group email to those who would like to be informed of your loved one’s progress or condition. Let them know when it’s okay (or not okay) to call.

10. Don’t get overwhelmed.

Focus on short-term milestones – days, rather than months. Keep a calendar in the loved one’s room so he or she can look forward to look forward to and get prepared for the scheduled visits and appointments.

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“The results seem to indicate that although African-American women are more likely to be diagnosed with less treatable subtypes of breast cancer compared with white women, it is not the only reason they have worse breast cancer mortality,” said Candyce Kroenke, MPH, ScD, a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente.

“African-Americans were more likely to have the hard-to-treat triple-negative breast cancer subtype, and had a lower likelihood of having the luminal A subtype, which tends to be the most treatable subtype of breast cancer and has the best prognosis,” Dr. Kroenke said. When the researchers looked only at subtype, the African Americans had a poorer prognosis compared to whites.

More research needs to be done to answer the question “WHY?”

We will keep you updated as news on this topic becomes available.

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The new drug is taken in pill form and the few side effects seem to be manageable.  Ask your medical oncologist to consider this if you or a loved might be a candidate.

Click here for the full article.

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Now the birth is over, and you’re home with your bundle of joy.

Whether you’re a first-time or veteran mom, some post-partum (postnatal) tips are always helpful.

Here are some of the most important that we’ve compiled:

Sleep

Most new mothers are exhausted. Exhaustion and sleep deprivation can cause new moms to get a case of the Blues. This is normal but

usually resolves with sleep.  The best advice is to try to sleep when your baby sleeps.

Accept Help

Accept help from family and friends with housework, shopping and errands, if help is really what they’re offering. Resist the urge to play hostess, though, since you really need to recover and take care of your baby. If you can, let other people help you with a feeding or night duty so you can get a full night’s sleep once in a while.  Your baby only knows warmth and comfort, clean diaper and food.  He won’t forget you after one night with your mother, and it will help them bond a little, too! If you were a good planner, you stocked your freezer with meals for the weeks after the family and friends stop bringing dinner.

Avoid the Stairs

If you live in a multi-story home, and must walk down stairs, try going carefully down the stairs backward to reduce stress on your incision or sore areas.

Use your BFFLBag® – again. 

That great bag of essentials you took with you to the hospital? Start using it as a carry-all.  Load your Mommy/Delivery BFFLBag® with supplies so that you won’t have to make unnecessary trips up and down the stairs or down long hallways. Fill it only with items you need to keep within arm’s reach, to keep it lightweight, such as the following:

• burp cloths
• diapers and wipes
• snacks
• extra baby clothes
• sanitary pads
• lotion and lip balm
• reading material
• water bottle
• medication

Brace Yourself 

Use your axilla pilla® comfort pillow for bracing when you sit up and for nursing when lying down.  You’ll want to take stress off your incision, if you had a C-section, especially when you cough or sneeze.

Keep Things Soft

Take your colace/stool softener or drink prune juice. Do yourself a favor and eat a healthy well balanced diet, and stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. It keeps your bowels regular and makes your skin look better, too!

Ice It Up – And Down

Swelling can occur in the breasts, in the abdom, or in the vaginal area, and icepacks feel can really help. Use the refreezable icepacks with disposable sleeves from BFFL Co. For hemorrhoids– use TUCKS or witch hazel pads, and a Sitz Baths for tender bottom.  Try not to stand too much. Protect your breasts; keep them clean and use lanolin cream, especially if nursing.

Don’t Be a Martyr

Use an abdominal wrap for support if it helps, and take your pain medication if you need it. Pain makes people irritable, and prevents sleep and rest.  Just don’t take it after you don’t need it anymore, and check with your doctor if you’re breastfeeding.

Do Your Kegels 

Strengthening your pelvic floor by doing Kegel exercises is a must. If you don’t know how to do these, there are lots of videos on YouTube. It helps maintain urinary continence and the functioning of your anal sphincter.

Return to Romance

No, your vagina will never be exactly the same after a vaginal delivery. (There. We said it.) Sex is on the horizon, though, but it might take some time for things to feel totally “normal” again after delivering a baby. When you’re ready for sex, and you’ve held off for the recommended six weeks, go for it. Just don’t forget the Astroglide or other personal lubricant, because after childbirth, and while breastfeeding, you’re low on estrogen, causing a thinning of your “vaginal mucosa” (or vaginal membrane), which can lead to dryness and discomfort.

Special Tips for Post-C-Section

Bleeding is normal for a few days– expect a heavy, crampy period, and stock up on the large maxi-pads that we put in the BFFLBag®.  No tampons, though. If your bleeding does not slow down, make sure to discuss this with your physician. Fever or an increase in pain should also be warning signs to call your physician.

You may feel contractions or some cramps, which is normal. Everything may feel a little loose, almost like it’s going to fall out of place.  This too is normal. You may even still look pregnant for a while. Unfortunately, this is normal as well, as it takes time for the uterus to contract. If you’re leaking urine, it should stop in a reasonable time frame. You’ll discuss all of this with your physician at your 6 week visit.

If you have any stitches from tearing, expect them to first be sore and then a little itchy. Most stitches reabsorb in about three weeks. Later, you’ll have some scar tissue, but chances are you will probably never notice.

Keep your incision clean and dry.

The BFFLBag comes with wound care supplies that are meant for a C-section or as back up supplies for a vaginal birth.  If your incision looks red, raw, irritated and/or oozing, call your doctor.  Some physicians use staples to close the incision, others use dissolvable sutures. One is not better than the other in terms of scar potential, but stress on the incision and infection can lead to scarring.  Make sure to discuss with your surgeon if you have a history of forming keloids, or scars with a lot of scar tissue.

Consider Sleeping Alone

Your partner won’t mind, especially if it helps him sleep better without worrying about disturbing you or the baby or, even worse, accidentally elbowing or kicking you in the belly.

Rest

Don’t overdo it.  When I was an intern, one of my classmates had a c-section, and was determined to get back to work. I remember seeing her running up the hospital stairs 2 weeks after delivery. She ended up in the ICU with a blood clot.  C-section is major surgery, give yourself time to recover.

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The About.com daily Pregnancy and Childbirth blog is written by Robin Elise Weiss, a writer, pregnancy and childbirth expert, and busy mother of eight!

The Mommy/Delivery BFFLBag® is the ultimate hospital bag – a beautiful nylon duffel full of everything a mom-to-be needs for her hospital stay, birth and recovery.

We’ve thought of everything, from skin care products for pampering, to perineal ice packs for comfort. To order for yourself or a friend, click here.

Thank you to all who voted for us on About.com!!

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