The Ilocos Times

By Noralyn Dudt THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM,   a vital part of the immune system is a network of organs, vessels and tissues that work together to move a colorless, watery fluid (lymph) back into the circulatory system ( the bloodstream). After the skin, the LS is the second line of defense against foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria. Not only it   blocks bacteria from entering the body, it can also remove those harmful ones that evaded the blocking. In addition, the LS removes excess fluids from the body and reduces swelling/inflammation. When the lymphatic system cannot sufficiently drain the lymph fluid,   swelling occurs, most often in the arms and legs. The protein molecules that are not filtered out start to accumulate underneath the skin. This is the earliest sign of lymphedema. The symptoms develop slowly. In fact the apparent symptom of swelling will not be present yet. Even though the limb looks presumably normal on the outside, the extra water will pull into the a

Paset ti panagbiagko dagiti n apateg a bambanag a napukawko iti Hawaii a nabukelko iti kinasiak kabayatan nga addaak sadiay iti aganay a 52 a tawen. Nakail-ilala la unay kaniak gapu ta isuda ti nangrugiak, isuda ti namagbalin a pakabuklan a paset ti kinataok, propesion, trabaho ken iti komunidad a pakaibilangan ti Lions Club International, GUMIL Hawai, GUMIL Oahu, Timpuyog, Oahu Filipino Community Council, United Filipino Council of Hawaii, Order of Knights of Rizal, Annak Ti Sinait Iti Hawaii, Vigan Association of Hawaii & Associates, Honolulu Fil-Am Lions Club; Hawaii Fil-Am Media Council, Laoag City Circle, DWCLCAAH, Tri Media Council,  Leeward Oahu Lions Club, Hawaii Lions Club, District 50;  Filipino Fiesta, Sinait Alumni Association of Hawaii, Ewa Neighborhood  Board, Friends of Ewa,  Ilocos Sur International Association and Foundation, ken dadduma pay. Tagipatgek amin dagiti innak pannakipulapol kadagiti adu a gagayyem, ken dagiti padak a volunteers kadagiti nadumaduma a

(Sequel to “The gut and brain link”) By Noralyn O. Dudt MICROBIOME of the Gut is the newest frontier in Medicine as extensive research has "uncovered" its role in both health and disease, establishing its involvement in human metabolism, nutrition, physiology, and immune function. Whether you're aware or not, your gut (lower intestines) is home to a colony of microbes. These human digestive-tract associated microbes are referred to as the gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome is a microscopic world within the world of your larger body. The trillions of microorganisms that live there affect each other and their environment   in various ways. They also appear to influence many aspects of your overall health,   both within your digestive system and outside of it. Each individual has a his/her own   "colony" of these microbes. We are born with them, and the colony develops as we grow. The colony's development depends on the food you eat, and the lifestyle yo

That queasy feeling,   butterflies in the stomach, a lump in the throat which we all have experienced   at one time or another. Studies have shown that these gut reactions are responses to our psychosocial environment and circumstances -- travel, school examinations,   public speaking,   dietary indiscretions are familiar provocations. We often respond to strong emotions or changes in circumstances with such digestive symptoms as nausea, heartburn,   abdominal discomfort, or altered bowel habit. But why the gut ? And how does the brain factor in all of these? The Enteric Nervous System   (ENS) and its neurotransmitters influenced by hormones play a role in this process because the gut and the brain are linked. Gut is an old Anglo-Saxon word that applies to the passage from the mouth to the anus. The word intestine, like many Franco-English words, may appeal to the sensitive, but it excludes the stomach and the esophagus. Bowel and intestine refer only to the lower gut. The digestive,

By Noralyn Dudt "THE FIRST NOEL, the angels did say. Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay."   And so the song goes...    TWO THOUSAND and 23 years ago, in a little-known place called Bethlehem, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to a group of shepherds.   What a glorious sight it must have been ! ( from our perspective now that we know what   happened next) But for the startled shepherds, it was a   scary sight.   The Bible says they were terrified. "Fear not," the angel said to them. "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you, He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:9-12 Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth Peace to those on whom His favor rests

By Noralyn Dudt A Bump here and there can become SERIOUS COLLISIONS. Geographic coordinates 8 38N, 111 55E are the Spratly Islands, roughly midway between the Philippines and South Vietnam. Named after the 19th-century British whaling captain Richard Spratly who sighted the islands in 1843, Spratly is composed of islands,   islets, cays,   and more than a hundred reefs, sometimes grouped in submerged old atolls. While it is largely uninhabited,   it offers rich fishing grounds and may contain significant oil and natural gas reserves which are vital to the countries filing claims in their attempts to establish international boundaries. The Philippines,   Malaysia,   Vietnam,   China, Taiwan and Brunei have all laid claim. Nautical charts bear the notation "dangerous ground" on some areas that are not well sounded in the South China Sea. More recently, a "dangerous ground" designation has risen from the disputes that is becoming an international crisis as China a

By Noralyn Dudt NOW IN Gaza, 2 million people are jammed into an area about the size of Las Vegas. Medical supplies,   food, water and fuel are dwindling. Israel's continued airstrikes have forced hundreds of thousands of Gazans from their homes deepening the humanitarian crisis there. A blast killed hundreds at a hospital in Gaza. They were civilians who were sheltering there thinking that a hospital would never be hit. The hospital explosion compounded the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Even before the blast, rescuers were struggling to free more than a thousand people trapped under the rubble, and fights were breaking out over loaves of bread. The situation in Gaza is a disaster in the truest sense of the word: "massacres everywhere,"   said a paramedic with the Palestinian Red Crescent. The streets reek of death. And then...a bomb hit an ancient Christian church where families with young children were taking refuge. The bombing of a church str