These days a rare but serious form of cancer has been affecting many people. This is anal cancer and this article is all about anal cancer and various important symptoms related to anal cancer. It is known that the final part of our digestive tract is anus and the cancer that develops in the tissues of anus is anal cancer. It is necessary to detect anal cancer as its symptoms are often mistaken for common issues like fissures and haemorrhoids etc.  Beginning from the cell linings of anal canal, anal cancer could spread to surrounding tissues very fast if not detected early. Truth is that any delay in detecting anal cancer could impact the treatment negatively. Various important symptoms of anal cancer are Anal bleeding: Bleeding from the anus can be due to anal cancer. It must be taken into note that this is one of the most common and earliest symptoms of anal cancer. This bleeding would be visible on stools or in the toilet bowl etc. Mostly this bleeding is considered as bleeding due to haemorrhoids. It is important to check the bleeding that occurs frequently without a cause. Abnormal growths in the anal canal would be shown by means of persistent bleeding. Pain around anus region: It is necessary to consider the ongoing soreness, itching etc seriously as they could be due to anal cancer also. The discomfort may vary from burning sensation to pain. Point is that pain due to anal cancer would become worse over time unlike temporary irritation caused by skin conditions. Presence of lump or mass: In some persons, there would be a small lump or mass near their anus. This is due to anal cancer. During wiping, these lumps could be felt. The lump might not cause any pain in some cases and this would make us ignore the lump. Point is that the persistent lump that does not go away or continues to enlarge might reveal cancerous changes. Changes in bowel habits: If a person gets unexplained constipation, sudden diarrhoea and thin/narrow stools etc, then the person might have anal cancer. These changes in the bowel habits are associated with anal cancer. It is worthy to note that some people might have the urge to pass stools even if the bowel is empty. These changes in the bowel habits must be consulted with a doctor without fail. Swelling in the lymph nodes etc: Progression of anal cancer would lead to swelling of the nearby lymph nodes (due to firm enlarged lumps under the skin). The difference between swollen lymph nodes due to infection and swollen lymph nodes due to anal cancer is that in the former the swelling would improve within weeks but in the latter the swelling would persist and worsen gradually. It must be noted that detecting the swollen lymph nodes in the early stage itself would help the doctors to assess whether the anal cancer has spread beyond anus.

As we grow older, our body as well as our brain will age!! It must be noted that the way our body would age would be different from the way our brain would age. Signs like grey hairs, wrinkles are spotted easily when our body grows old but the signs of an aging brain won`t be spotted until years later when ageing brain symptoms would be revealed.  Acceleration of brain ageing can be serious as it could lead to more than memory lapse. It can increase cognitive decline much faster plus slows down reaction times, dementia etc. Our overall quality of life would get affected. Not many of us would be aware of the fact that lack of nutrition could lead to brain ageing. These nutrient deficiencies would make our brain age faster. Please take care. Lack of vitamin B12: It has been brought to light by some research studies that vitamin B12 deficiency is responsible for Alzheimer`s disease, Parkinson`s disease and cognitive impairment. For DNA synthesis and for keeping homocysteine levels low, vitamin B12 is essential.  Formation of myelin sheath would depend on vitamin B12. Intake of eggs and fish etc would help a person to meet his or her vitamin B12 requirement. Vegetarian food eaters can consume vitamin B12 supplements and dairy etc. Lack of Omega 3s: For improving memory and for maintaining cognitive function in a person, omega- 3s is important. Truth is that lack of omega-3s would accelerate brain ageing. Intake of fatty fishes could help a person to meet the requirement of omega-3s. Various plant based alternatives are dry fruits and seeds like chia seeds, flax seeds etc. Lack of magnesium: By regulating nerve signals and supporting memory formation, magnesium plays a huge role in us. Our nervous system would get calmed down by magnesium. It was brought to light by a study that low serum magnesium is associated with dementia risk and impaired cognitive performance. For magnesium, intake of leafy greens, seeds and whole grains etc would be superb. Lack of vitamin D: Neuron growth would get supported and inflammation would be reduced by means of sunshine nutrient vitamin D. The risks of getting dementia are high due to low levels of this important vitamin as its deficiency can lead to amyloid beta accumulation. By spending 10 to 15 minutes under the sun daily, we would be able to get vitamin D. It would be good to eaeat vitamin D foods like fortified milk, mushrooms, fatty fishes, eggs etc. Lack of vitamin E: It must be noted that vitamin E would work as a brain`s antioxidant. By protecting the neurons from oxidative damage and by reducing cognitive decline, vitamin E would play a huge role. Bitter fact is that when we have low levels of vitamin E then our brain would age faster and we could be more prone to Alzheimer`s disease. Lack of anthocyanins: Our cognitive functions would get boosted by anthocyanins. Point is that these nutrients would act as an antioxidant and would lower oxidative stress. Berries and purple vegetables have anthocyanins in them. There would be enhanced blood flow to the brain by consuming anthocyanins.  It is good to eat blueberries, blackberries, cherries and purple cabbage etc for getting anthocyanin. Important note: There would be accelerated brain aging (in a silent manner) in us due to nutritional deficiencies. We could protect our memory by correcting these deficiencies through diet, by making healthy lifestyle choices etc. By this, we can lower the risk of getting neurodegenerative diseases. 

Many of us would dismiss bloating as just indigestion or overeating etc, don`t we? It is normal to get bloated after eating heavy meals. In some persons, bloating might be present always or persistent, get frequent and this can be a serious issue. This might be due to some underlying health issues also. So, please be careful. Persistent bloating can be a sign of these underlying conditions in us. They are IBS and digestive irregularities: If a person experiences bloating often, then he or she might be affected with IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. It must be noted that those with IBS would have abdominal cramps with diarrhoea and constipation. Normal gut functions would be disturbed and the persons would have increased sensitivity and abnormal bowel movements. The symptoms of IBS could be eased by following a certain diet plus by managing stress, by regular exercises etc. Food intolerances and celiac disease: Not many would associate food intolerances with bloating. Point is that lactose intolerance (or inability to digest lactose in dairy products etc) can result in gas, bloating etc.  People can get persistent bloating if they have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. It is noteworthy that persons with celiac disease would find it difficult to consume gluten based foods. Truth is that it would trigger an immune response that would damage their small intestines, impair nutrients absorption etc. Bloating could get worse due to fructose intolerances also. Inflammatory bowel disease or IBD and chronic inflammation: If a person gets bloating issues frequently then he or she could have chronic inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract. Examples are ulcerative colitis and Crohn`s disease etc. Point is that both these issues mentioned fall under IBD and the persons would have symptoms like diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fatigue etc. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or SIBO: Excessive bacteria would get accumulated in the small intestine and this can lead to SIBO. The undigested foods would get fermented by these bacteria and this would produce gas leading to bloating, discomfort etc. It is highly essential to get treated for SIBO or else it would interfere with nutrients absorption causing malnutrition also. Ovarian and abdominal tumours: It is shocking to note that persistent and frequent bloating g can also be due to ovarian and abdominal tumours. It is worth noting that women who get chronic bloating with pelvic pain plus unexplained weight loss etc must consult a doctor immediately. Bloating can be one of the early symptoms of ovarian cancer. Liver & pancreatic disease: Fact is that persistent bloating might be due to underlying liver and pancreas issues. There would be fluid accumulation in the abdomen due to issues like liver cirrhosis, pancreatic insufficiency etc. This could be confused with bloating. Persons with liver and pancreatic diseases or issues must consult a specialist without fail and get their issues identified for proper treatment. Important note: We must never ignore frequent, severe and unexplained bloating. Point to be noted is that if the symptoms persist or are accompanied by warning signs like abdominal pain, blood in stools, changes in bowel movements etc then consulting a doctor is a must. Discomfort would get eased by early diagnosis and complications can be avoided. By maintaining awareness regarding digestive health and visiting a specialist doctor when required, we could manage bloating effectively.

Sleeping in a room with an air-conditioner on can be both boon as well as bane for a person. On one hand, the soft hum of the air-conditioner plus the crisp air could give heaven kind of feeling especially on a hot and humid day. On the other hand, sleeping with the air-conditioner on can lead to several health issues in us.  Our body`s balance, immunity and mental wellbeing can get affected due to the air-conditioner. Various side effects we can get due to prolonged exposure to air-conditioners are Cause dryness in us: When we sleep in a room with the air-conditioner on for a long duration of time, we can get dry skin, lips and hairs etc. Point is that our eyes might feel itchy and dandruff might also increase. Truth is that in a low humidity environment our body would lose its hydration naturally. This can affect our comfort and skin health etc. Respiratory issues: If filters are not cleaned properly, then a/c air that re-circulates indoor air could trap dust, mould, bacteria etc. Bitter fact is that continuous use of a/c could irritate our respiratory tract leading to coughing, sneezing etc. Hidden immune fatigue: When we live constantly in a temperature controlled bubble then our body would find it difficult to get adjusted to the heat or cold. It is worthy to note that our immune system would thrive on small challenges like adjusting to seasonal changes. Our body would become less resilient if it gets insulated from natural temperature variations. By this, we could become more vulnerable to cold, cough, flu etc. Joint and muscle stiffness: At deep sleep, our muscles would be at rest and cool air would reduce the blood flow to the extremities. Truth is that those persons who sleep in a/c would feel stiffness in joints and muscles after waking up in the morning. Repeatedly sleeping with a/c on would lead to mild tension in the neck, shoulders etc. Disrupted sleep cycles: In the beginning, a/c might help us to fall asleep faster. Our natural sleep cycle would get disrupted by an overly cold environment. During deep sleep, our body`s internal temperature would drop naturally and extreme cooling could trick the system to wake up intermittently.  By this, our overall quality of sleep would get affected. We could get a slight decline in cognitive alertness the next morning. Imbalance in microbiome: Our skin and nasal microbiome would get affected when we spend more time in the artificially cooled environment. Microbial balance on the skin and respiratory tract could get affected due to dryness, filtered air and due to lack of natural humidity etc. So, please take care.