The Cleavage Countdown: 8 Facts About Breasts

Stephanie Pappas and Jeanna Bryner

Credit: Dreamstime

Boob Basics

The quintessential embodiment of female sexuality, breasts have fascinated and mystified since the beginning of time. From the biology that makes breasts, and breast-feeding, possible, and the odd boob changes that occur with motherhood to historical perceptions of the hourglass shape, LiveScience the art and science of breasts.

The First Bra

Women have strapped down their breasts with fabric bands or boosted their cleavage with body-shaping corsets for centuries, depending on current fashions. But the precursors to modern bras began to appear in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The magazine “Vogue” first used the term brassiere in 1907. In 1914, American Mary Phelps-Jacobs patented the first bra design, which consisted of two handkerchiefs sewn together with baby ribbon used as straps.
The first push-up bra came on the scene in 1948, introduced by Frederick Mellinger of Frederick's of Hollywood fame. According to Redbook magazine, the average woman today owns nine bras.

COPD Blog: COPD During the Dog Days of Summer

Robert T. Schreiber, MD, an American Lung Association in New York expert

It’s hot, hazy, and humid here in the United States. The “dog days of summer” produce poor air quality with high humidity and air pollution that makes it hard to breathe, particularly for people with COPD. Air pollution can irritate the bronchial tubes and alveoli (air sacks in the lungs) in people with and without lung diseases. For people with COPD, the resulting bronchospasm can lead to a “breathing attack” requiring further treatment, such as increased bronchodilator therapy and corticosteroids. If not managed properly, emergency room treatment and hospitalization can result. So what can you do to get through these hot and humid days?

1: Be aware. You can follow the air quality index on your iPhone with the Everyday Health COPD Tracker, or by watching your local weather forecast, reading the newspaper, or going to a Web site such as www.stateoftheair.org by the American Lung Association. Based on the air quality where you live, you can take actions to protect yourself.

2. Stay indoors. If the air pollution levels are high, try to stay indoors and avoid breathing the noxious gases out there. You can limit the time you spend outside by only doing things that “have to be done” on bad air quality days. Put off errands and visits that can wait. Shop for food and go to doctor’s appointments early in the day (best choice) or late in the day (second choice) when it’s not as hot. Air pollution levels usually are lowest in the mornings, so if you have to go out, get up early.

3. Run your air conditioner. Some people don’t like to use air conditioners since it makes them feel cold, or they might be trying to keep down the electric bill. But air conditioners aren’t just for lowering the temperature; they remove humidity and filter the air, keeping the air clean. They can be kept on a low setting (preferably with an energy saving model), and the living area doesn’t have to be cold — the air conditioner should be used to keep the home free of hot, humid, polluted air.

4. Change your exercise routine. Exercising increases your respiratory rate and depth of breath, increasing your minute ventilation, or the amount of air you breathe in a minute. This means your lungs are exposed to more air, and if it’s polluted, you’re more likely to have a difficult time breathing. Medical studies have shown that people who exercise in air pollution have a drop in lung function. So, keep your workouts indoors (at a gym or with home equipment) in air conditioning, and if you want to exercise outside, go early in the morning when the air quality is usually best.

5. Drink fluids. Many people don’t realize that your body loses a lot of fluid to stay cool in the heat, even when you don’t feel sweaty. This is especially true for older people, who may be even less aware of becoming dehydrated. You can also lose extra fluid while staying indoors in air conditioning. It’s a good idea to increase your liquid intake by at least an extra two glasses a day on very hot days, even if you’re inside.

It’s not easy getting through the hottest days of the year if you have COPD. Hopefully, these tips will make it easier for you to breathe well during the summertime, until the air quality improves and the temperature moderates.Dr. Schreiber is board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary diseases by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is a member of Nassau Chest Physicians, P.C., who are actively involved with the American Lung Association in New York. Schreiber is director of the SICU at St. Francis Hospital, medical director of the Oyster Bay Cove Village Police Department, and a member of the Nassau County Medical Reserve Corps. He is on the professional staffs of St. Francis Hospital, North Shore University Hospital (Manhasset and Plainview), and St. Joseph Hospital.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/summer-humidity-and-copd-blog.aspx

COPD Blog: Why DON'T I Need Oxygen?

Robert T. Schreiber, MD, an American Lung Association in New York expert

Many patients with moderate to severe COPD get short of breath doing light activities and then wonder if they need oxygen. Although oxygen is necessary for some, many patients don’t need it, even when they are symptomatic. When these patients are told that oxygen won’t help them, they don’t always understand why.

Air is made of various gases, 21 percent of which is oxygen. When we breathe in, air travels down the trachea, or windpipe, and into the bronchial tubes. There are 20 to 25 generations of branching bronchi, which then lead to the alveoli, small little sacs where oxygen diffuses into the bloodstream. Most of the oxygen in the blood is carried by our red blood cells, bound to a protein called hemoglobin. The blood cells then travel through arteries throughout the body and release oxygen to the organs that need it. For example, when we are active, more blood is sent to our muscles, which need oxygen to allow us to move around and exercise.

Usually when we feel short of breath, we don’t need more oxygen — that is, we’re not lacking oxygen in our blood. The feeling of dyspnea (the medical term for shortness of breath) is a complicated sensation. The brain is affected by many factors, such as how hard the respiratory muscles are working, the stretch and degree of inflation of the chest wall and diaphragm, the pH and oxygen levels in the blood, and heart rate. These inputs are sorted out in the brain and may then cause the sensation of shortness of breath. So, dyspnea is not necessarily from lack of oxygen.

As an example, imagine a healthy 18-year-old woman running a race as fast as she can. At the end of the race, she may feel short of breath from working so hard, but if you measure her oxygen level, it will not be low! And giving her oxygen will not stop her from feeling short of breath.

On the other hand, sometimes lack of oxygen doesn’t cause any symptoms. An example is a fighter pilot flying at very high altitudes where the air is “thinner,” meaning it contains less oxygen. Pilots have been known to black out due to lack of oxygen, yet they never felt short of breath. This is why they have to wear oxygen masks at high altitudes.

So, our oxygen levels don’t always correlate with feeling short of breath. We can have dyspnea with a normal blood oxygen level, and we can have no symptoms but a low oxygen level.

Blood oxygen levels can be measured directly by taking a small blood sample from an artery and testing it. This is called an arterial blood gas test. Alternatively, a pulse oximetry can indirectly measure the percentage of hemoglobin with oxygen in the red blood cells by placing a probe on a finger or ear lobe.

As a patient with COPD, your health care provider may determine your oxygen levels at rest, while sleeping, or during exercise to see if oxygen may help you. If your oxygen levels are low, oxygen therapy will help reduce the strain on your heart, brain, and muscles, and using oxygen as directed may help you feel better. However, if your levels are normal or only drop a little bit, oxygen won’t help your condition. So, don’t be surprised if you’re told you don’t need it!

Dr. Schreiber is board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary diseases by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is a member of Nassau Chest Physicians, P.C., who are actively involved with the American Lung Association in New York. Schreiber is director of the SICU at St. Francis Hospital, medical director of the Oyster Bay Cove Village Police Department, and a member of the Nassau County Medical Reserve Corps. He is on the professional staffs of St. Francis Hospital, North Shore University Hospital (Manhasset and Plainview), and St. Joseph Hospital.

gotquestions  http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/why-dont-i-need-oxygen-blog.aspx