Suicide Cause and Method from 2009-2017 in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: This study was planned to investigate the cause, method, age group and gender of suicides between 2009 and 2017 in Turkey. METHODS: Data on suicide deaths between the years 2009-2017 were obtained from the death data of the Turkish Statistical Institute. RESULTS: Suicide data were evaluated according to age group, gender, reason and method. The most common suicide methods among people living in Turkey were hanging oneself, using a firearm and throwing oneself from a high place whereas common causes and unknown causes were found to be illness and economic problems. Gender showed statistical significance in the cause of suicide in all suicide methods (illness, economic problems, job failure). According to age groups the reasons were family disharmony, emotional relationship and not being able to marry the desired person, Education failure were found to be statistically significant. Less used methods to commit suicide in Turkey were determined as using firearms, using natural gas or LPG, throwing from a train or motor vehicle. CONCLUSION: It is a very sad situation for an individual to end his/her life conspiratorially. Appropriately collected suicide information can guide the design of suicide prevention strategies. Because previous suicide attempts seem to be an important risk factor for future attempts and death by suicide.

Different Point of View to the Autoimmune Diseases and Treatment with Acupuncture.

OBJECTIVES: It was aimed to investigate the basic action mechanism of the autoimmune diseases and common features of all diseases. Autoimmune disease are classified organ specific and systemic. METHODS: These diseases are seen systemic and disease start locations, origins seem differently. This makes learning and understanding difficult. Autoimmune diseases investigated for easier understanding. It was noticed that, autoimmune diseases' starting places are specific and same all of them. This remarkable point is very important for acupuncture also. So; whole literatüre was researched and important point was found. RESULTS: Whole autoimmune diseases are attack to mesodermal layers and mesodermal origin organs of the body's. The common property of all these disease are same; Diseases start from the mesoderm and mesodermal layer even though their organ origins' belongs to different germ layer. From this point of view, we were able to classify autoimmune diseases simply and it was planned how can we effect body in this context with acupuncture. CONCLUSION: And, when immunity comes into question, induction of adaptive immunity is depend on antigen presentation to T cells and this situation take place in the lymph node (LN) and also in the skin.When we sank the acupuncture needle into skin, signals create and start mesodermal contacts, during this time mesenchymal origin' autoimmune cells are regulated with this signals.

The Quality Specialities in Turkiye's Honies for Apitherapy.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, the content of the honey produced by the flora of Turkey', physical, chemical and biological research aimed at active properties. METHODS: Searched the database EMBASE/Pubmed and Turkish Medicine Index research article about Turkiye honeys' specialities. RESULTS: Different botanical sources were caused, different kinds of chemical compositions of the honeys. The amount of HMF, pH, moisture, and acidity are the chemical qulity criteria of the honey. Carbohydrates are seem the most important components of honey. The glycemic index of the consumed honey is important. Turkiye's honey quality seems apropiate for using apitherapy. CONCLUSION: Honey is the most important product of beekeeping all over the world in terms of economy and health. Manufacturers of honey should be careful while producing honey. They should be avoided unhealty situations and they should be obey the rules. These rules are the basis for protecting our health by consuming bee products.

The Place of Complementary Medicine in the Treatment of Autistic Children.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to achieve a vision for autistic children and their parents aimed at generating interest in ideas such as "Sanitas Per Aquam" (SPA), massage and music therapy, which has begun to have widespread use and to attract attention. METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out with autistic children and their parents from February to April 2015 in Mugla, Turkey. The study was began by interviewing experts in the field and by developing a suitable assessment questionnaire. In order to direct the flow of conversation between the researchers and the autisitc children and their parents, the researchers conducted semi-structured face to face interviews in a form that had been determined by using reports in the literature and the opinions of experts in the field. RESULTS: Forty two boys (84%) and eight girls (16%) with autism participated in our study. Children in the 0 ─ 7 age group spent long time in the bathroom (P = 0.001). Boys liked to be hugged more than girls (P = 0.01). Children ages 0 ─ 7 years liked bright lighting while those 15 years of age and older liked gloomy lighting (P = 0.009). Except for these statistically significant sex- and age-related differences, no other statistically significant differences were noted in the parameters of this study. Although the result was not statistically significant, more children with mild autism disorder obeyed commands like inhale or exhale (P = 0.051). CONCLUSION: Treatment for autism spectrum disorders is not yet fully possible, so many studies are being done to alleviate some symptoms and to improve the quality of life for individuals with autism and their families. As a result of our study, whether touching the areas the children want touched and listening to their favorite music are required to stimulate the brain remain as questions in our minds.

Acupuncture Stimulation Analyzed from Multiple Aspects of Western Medical Science.

Skin is the biggest and most important organ of us. It has a large surface area and it is easily accessible. While we touch skin, piezoelectric stimulation starts, fundamental property of biological tissues, pressure electrification. And after this stimulation, ferroelectric and pyroelectric effects occur. While we insert the acupuncture needle into skin, we have created a conscious trauma and damage. After this, inflammatory phase, proliferation and tissue formation phase and tissue remodeling phase start. With embryological perspective, at that moment, we give stimulus ectodermal and mesodermal layer of the skin also. We stimulate these embryologic layers and cells not only into skin but also whole body. Because, while we start stimulation with a cell, cell stimulates other cells and cells stimulate body. Also we stimulate neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, neuro-hormones and receptors. The skin is the largest immunologically active receptor organ in the body. And we see, peripheral local stress response (brain-skin) works same as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. So, what we have done? We only insert the acupuncture needle into skin consciously.

Should CAM and CAM Training Programs Be Included in the Curriculum of Schools That Provide Health Education?

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the knowledge levels and attitudes of School of Health and Vocational School of Health students toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). METHODS: Three hundred thirty-three (333) students studying at the Mehmet Akif Ersoy University School of Health and the Golhisar Vocational School of Health in Burdur, Turkey, were included in the study. Research data were collected by using a survey method based on the expressed opinions of the participants. RESULTS: Of the participants, 69.7% were female and 97% were single (unmarried). Of cigarette users and those with chronic illnesses, 46.8% and 47.8%, respectively, used CAM. Those using CAM were statistically more likely to be female (P < 0.021), to have higher grades (P < 0.007), to be single (P < 0.005), to be vocational school of health graduates (P < 0.008), and to have fathers at work (P < 0.021). While 9.6% of the students thought CAM to be nonsense, 10.8% thought that the methods of CAM should be tried before consulting a doctor. CONCLUSION: A majority of the students in the study population were found to use complementary and alternative medicine, but that they lacked information about its methods. As a way to address this, CAM should be included in the curriculum of schools that provide health education, and CAM training programs should be given to healthcare professionals to improve their knowledge of CAM. In Turkey, many more studies should be performed to determine nurses' and doctors' knowledge of and attitudes about CAM methods so that they can give correct guidance to society and take more active responsibility in improving patient safety.

Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification Presented with Impulse Control Disorder.

Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC), also referred to as Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification (IBGC) or "Fahr's disease," is a clinical condition characterized by symmetric and bilateral calcification of globus pallidus and also basal ganglions, cerebellar nuclei, and other deep cortical structures. It could be accompanied by parathyroid disorder and other metabolic disturbances. The clinical features are dysfunction of the calcified anatomic localization. IBGC most commonly presents with mental damage, convulsion, parkinson-like clinical picture, and neuropsychiatric behavior disorders; however, presentation with impulse control disorder is not a frequent presentation. In the current report, a 43-year-old male patient who has been admitted to psychiatry policlinic with the complaints of aggressive behavior episodes and who has been diagnosed with impulse control disorder and IBGC was evaluated in the light of the literature.

A New Theory on the Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture Mechanisms from the Latest Medical Scientific Point of View.

Acupuncture is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine involving the insertion of needles through the skin at specific points on the body to achieve therapeutic effects and is an ancient Chinese art of healing. Using ancient scientific principles, acupuncture treats illnesses by bringing a person's body into harmony and regulating the balance of Yin and Yang. Balancing Yin and Yang is one basic principle of Chinese medicine, and balancing methods for combination of meridians and acupoints have been described throughout the history of Chinese medicine. Clinical observations and principal research on acupuncture focus on the adjustment of the Zang-Fu organ and have shown that the adjustment by acupuncture relied largely on the effective components in different organs. What does this effectiveness mean? In fact, is acupuncture a treatment that shows its effects with signals to the autocrine, paracrine and endocrine pathways? What role does embryology play in this area? Furthermore, molecular biology has opened avenues to newer methods for the study of embryology and to enhance our understanding of growth and development. Can evaluation of acupuncture with these branches of science be more scientific? We discuss this interesting topic in this original article. After all this time, it is reasonable that different therapeutic techniques and approaches are developed for acupuncture.

Metabolic syndrome in school children in mardin, South-eastern of Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MES) in a school children population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three thousand four hundred and sixty children aged between 7 and 15 in three elementary schools in the city of Mardin, located in the south-eastern region of Turkey, were included in this study in April and May 2011. Age, gender, height, weight, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference, waist/hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured and a variety of blood tests were done. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria were used for the diagnosis of MES. RESULTS: It was found that 9.42% of those tested were overweight, and 8.0% were obese. The study found that more girls (9.1%) were obese than girls (6.9%). The prevalence of obesity was significantly higher among girls than boys (p<0.001). A positive correlation was found between body mass index (BMI) and the other parameters, namely waist and hip circumference, waist/hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), triglyceride (TG) (p=0.0001). It was found that total cholesterol (T-Chol), TG, BMI, systolic and diastolic BP were significantly different among obese MES's group and non-obese children (p<0.05). The waist/hip ratio reference value in girls was significantly higher than boys (p>0.05). The prevalence of MES was 6.3%. The number of components of MES was higher in girls and obese children. The rate of MES was 30.3% in obese children. CONCLUSION: The frequency of obesity, hypertension and MES in childhood period have been steadily increasing. Children who are classified having central obesity and high body mass index should be more carefully evaluated to its potential to progress to MES. And the quality of the life should be improved by reducing the risks resulted from life style changes, necessary treatments and follow ups.

Prevalence of obesity in elementary schools in mardin, South-eastern of Turkey: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: This research determines the frequency of obesity among primary school-aged children and evaluates the relationship between obesity and family and environmental factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three thousand four hundred sixty students, aged 6-15 years in three primary schools in Mardin city center were taken into the study. Information about eating habits and family-environmental factors were obtained by questionnaire. For each student we calculated the body mass index (BMI) and the ≥97 percentile was defined as obese, and between 85-97(th) percentile as overweight. These values were calculated with the SPSS statistical program. Chi-square and t-tests were used for analysis. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: 48.2% of the students were female. In the assessment of body mass index (BMI) the overweight rate for children was 15.78%, the obese rate was 10.57%. The prevalence of obesity according to gender was 9.05% for girls and 11.97% for boys (p<0.01). The mean BMI of the girls in the age group 13-15 is higher than in males of the same age. Those in the higher socio-economic group had a higher prevalence of obesity (p<0.01). Paternal obesity affected child obesity (p<0.01). Children who eat irregular meals (p=0.05), watch more than 2 hours per day TV (p=0.03), were breastfed for less than 6 months (p<0.05) and the mothers' obesity (p<0.05) were found to have a significantly higher prevalence of obesity. CONCLUSION: Obesity is increasing throughout the world as a health problem. Being obese in childhood and having obese parent(s) are two of the risk factors of being obese in adulthood. Persistence of obesity into adulthood is the most serious aspect of the problem. The therapeutic success rate in obesity is unfortunately not high. Therefore, a preventive strategy involving early identification of those at risk by incorporating body mass assessments to routine childhood growth assessment appears to be the most prudent strategy.