Showing posts with label Stimulants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stimulants. Show all posts
Saturday, 20 October 2012
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Coffee culture carries caffeine risk
By Bae Ji-sook in Seoul/The Korea Herald | Asia News Network
Seoul (The Korea Herald/ANN) - Koreans are definitely caffeinated: They love coffee, cola and chocolate as well as foods that contain a large amount of the stimulant.
Though it has been less than two decades since global coffee shopfranchises were introduced to the country, industry insiders said about 37 million cups of coffee are sold every day, which means that 24 million economically active people drink more than one cup of coffee a day.
"I love coffee. I started with easy 'coffee mix,' powdered coffee extract with powdered cream and sugar. But now I am addicted to brewed coffee, which smells and tastes better. I drink about 4-5 cups a day," said Kim Seo-yeon, a 32-year-old office worker. "Right after I wake up in the morning, after I have my lunch, during an afternoon break and while I watch TV at night, I always sip coffee."
In addition to the frequent consumption of cola and chocolate, caffeinated energy drinks are gaining popularity among teenagers, who struggle to stay up at night to study.
However, experts warn that excessive caffeine intake could be harmful, especially since they are disguised with flavors, making easy to consume too much.
Caffeine is known for its short-term relief of fatigue or drowsiness since it stimulates the brain and nervous system. It is also known to speed up the dissolution of fat, which may lead to weight loss.
Usually, caffeine leaves the body through the urine system hours after it has been consumed, so there is not much to worry about in regards to intake. But if excessively consumed, it could lead to a fast heart rate, anxiety, depression, difficulty in sleeping, nausea, restlessness, tremors, frequent urinating or vomiting. It even has some reported withdrawal symptoms of drowsiness, headaches, irritability, nausea and vomiting.
"About 400 milligrams of caffeine is tolerable for adults, 300mg for pregnant women, or 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of weight," said Dr. Seo Jeong-wan of Ewha Womans University Medical Center. "It is equivalent to three-four cups of brewed coffee. But it could easily be filled by drinking 250 milliliters of cola, one canned coffee and 1 gram of chocolate, too. Therefore, people should watch what they are eating."
Seo said teenagers should be extra alert about caffeine intake since they are in a critical stage of bone formation.
"If you drink caffeinated drinks instead of dairy, the facilitation of urination will take away the essential calcium and curb the growth of bone. If you are an adult, osteoporosis could be forecasted, too," he added.
He advised teenagers to not rely on caffeine to overcome drowsiness.
"It could lead to insomnia if you take it for too long. Open the window, do stretching and eat food that are abundant in vitamin C such as citrons and other fresh fruits," he said.
Seoul (The Korea Herald/ANN) - Koreans are definitely caffeinated: They love coffee, cola and chocolate as well as foods that contain a large amount of the stimulant.
Though it has been less than two decades since global coffee shopfranchises were introduced to the country, industry insiders said about 37 million cups of coffee are sold every day, which means that 24 million economically active people drink more than one cup of coffee a day.
"I love coffee. I started with easy 'coffee mix,' powdered coffee extract with powdered cream and sugar. But now I am addicted to brewed coffee, which smells and tastes better. I drink about 4-5 cups a day," said Kim Seo-yeon, a 32-year-old office worker. "Right after I wake up in the morning, after I have my lunch, during an afternoon break and while I watch TV at night, I always sip coffee."
In addition to the frequent consumption of cola and chocolate, caffeinated energy drinks are gaining popularity among teenagers, who struggle to stay up at night to study.
However, experts warn that excessive caffeine intake could be harmful, especially since they are disguised with flavors, making easy to consume too much.
Caffeine is known for its short-term relief of fatigue or drowsiness since it stimulates the brain and nervous system. It is also known to speed up the dissolution of fat, which may lead to weight loss.
Usually, caffeine leaves the body through the urine system hours after it has been consumed, so there is not much to worry about in regards to intake. But if excessively consumed, it could lead to a fast heart rate, anxiety, depression, difficulty in sleeping, nausea, restlessness, tremors, frequent urinating or vomiting. It even has some reported withdrawal symptoms of drowsiness, headaches, irritability, nausea and vomiting.
"About 400 milligrams of caffeine is tolerable for adults, 300mg for pregnant women, or 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of weight," said Dr. Seo Jeong-wan of Ewha Womans University Medical Center. "It is equivalent to three-four cups of brewed coffee. But it could easily be filled by drinking 250 milliliters of cola, one canned coffee and 1 gram of chocolate, too. Therefore, people should watch what they are eating."
Seo said teenagers should be extra alert about caffeine intake since they are in a critical stage of bone formation.
"If you drink caffeinated drinks instead of dairy, the facilitation of urination will take away the essential calcium and curb the growth of bone. If you are an adult, osteoporosis could be forecasted, too," he added.
He advised teenagers to not rely on caffeine to overcome drowsiness.
"It could lead to insomnia if you take it for too long. Open the window, do stretching and eat food that are abundant in vitamin C such as citrons and other fresh fruits," he said.
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
When Are Heart Palpitations Serious?
Source: By Teresa Cheong for Health Xchange, with expert input from the Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre Singapore
|
If you have this uncomfortable sensation that your heartbeat is beating too fast, pounding too hard or skipping a beat, you may have a condition called heart palpitations. Though heart palpitations are usually harmless, it is important to rule out any serious arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) or preexisting heart problems.
“Heart palpitations are a very frequent symptom in the general population and it may account for about 15% of clinic consultations here at NHCS,” says Dr Ching Chi Keong, Senior Consultant at theDepartment of Cardiology and Director of Electrophysiology and Pacing at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS).
NHCS has actually been seeing more patients with heart palpitations since 2008. “Our arrhythmia clinics have increased from five sessions a week in 2008 to nine sessions a week this year,” adds Dr Ching.
Symptoms of heart palpitations:
- Fluttering in the chest
- Pounding heartbeat
- Slow heartbeat
- Chest discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Light-headedness
- Fainting sensation
What causes heart palpitations?
Heart palpitations are common in all age groups. “Heart palpitations among women and younger patients usually have a benign cause. Men and older patients are more likely to have palpitations caused by arrhythmias,” says Dr Ching.
Benign heart palpitations can be triggered by:
- Stress
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Excessive caffeine or alcohol
- Nicotine
- Stimulant medications (weight loss pills, cough and cold medicine)
- Fever
An electrical short-circuit in the heart
Of greater concern are heart palpitations caused by cardiac arrhythmias. Cardiac arrhythmias occur when there is a short-circuit in the electrical impulses controlling your heartbeat. This is what will cause your heart to beat too rapidly, too slowly or irregularly.
When you have arrhythmia, your heartbeat either goes very fast, over 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or very slow, less than 60 beats a minute (bradycardia).
These arrhythmic heart palpitations can have serious implications:
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)This is a prevalent arrhythmia in young adults This is experienced as a sudden burst of rapid heartbeats that begin and end abruptly, lasting for seconds or hours. SVT is usually not life threatening
Atrial fibrillation
This fast and irregular palpitation occurs in the atria or upper chambers of the heart and could last a few minutes to an hour. Atrial fibrillation arrhythmias could become chronic and lead to stroke. It is seldom life-threatening, but the heart palpitations could indicate underlying coronary artery disease or heart valve disorders.
This fast and irregular palpitation occurs in the atria or upper chambers of the heart and could last a few minutes to an hour. Atrial fibrillation arrhythmias could become chronic and lead to stroke. It is seldom life-threatening, but the heart palpitations could indicate underlying coronary artery disease or heart valve disorders.
Ventricular tachycardia (VT)
Ventricular tachycardia is a very rapid, but regular heartbeat of 100 beats or more a minute occurring in the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart.
Ventricular tachycardia is a very rapid, but regular heartbeat of 100 beats or more a minute occurring in the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart.
Sustained heart palpitations lasting more than 30 seconds are considered a medical emergency. They could indicate preexisting heart diseases such as coronary artery disease or heart valve disorders.
Ventricular fibrillation (VF)
If ventricular tachycardia is left untreated, it will lead to a life-threatening condition called ventricular fibrillation, characterised by very fast and very irregular heartbeats. It usually precedes a heart attack. You could lose consciousness within seconds and die within minutes.
If ventricular tachycardia is left untreated, it will lead to a life-threatening condition called ventricular fibrillation, characterised by very fast and very irregular heartbeats. It usually precedes a heart attack. You could lose consciousness within seconds and die within minutes.
Treatment of heart palpitations
Avoiding caffeine, alcohol and quitting smoking can help.
Doctors would normally prescribe oral medications such as beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers to slow down heart rates in arrhythmias.
For supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation arrhythmias, catheter ablation – a non-surgical procedure using radiofrequency energy – is a possible cure.
Heart valve disorders will require surgery.
When to seek emergency medical care
Seek immediate medical help if heart palpitations are accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Severe chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Unusual sweating
- Loss of consciousness
It’s also important to consult without delay if you have preexisting heart conditions or a family history of sudden death.
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