Medicine and preventative measures

It wasn’t until the mid 20th century that doctors realised 58)_______________ were caused by the 59)_______________________ and contraction of the airways. Consequently, in the last 40 years there have been many developments in the 60)_____________________. There are presently two main types of 61)______________: preventers and relievers. A preventer is used every day and 62)___________ the swelling of the airways, cutting the risk of an 63)______________. A reliever, such as Ventolin, is taken when 64)_______________ has become (or is going to become) difficult, this actually relaxes the 65)_____________________ of the airways, 66)________________ constriction and 67)________________ the airflow. The medicine is usually taken using an inhaler.

Prevention is also good 68)______________, so if you have asthma, remember to keep generally 69)________________, take regular 70)_____________ and lots of vitamin C to avoid colds and 71)______ – which can be dangerous for 72)_________________. A healthy diet is also important, and do watch what you eat, as certain 73)__________ or food additives can be asthma 74)_________________.

By taking the right 75)______________ and making the right lifestyle choices, there is no reason why most asthma sufferers shouldn’t be able to lead perfectly healthy and active lives.

Famous sufferers

There have been many 76)_______________________ past and present. These include: Beethoven, Che Guevera, Benjamin Disraeli, Marcel Proust, Bob Hope and Martin Scorsese

There are even 77)__________________________________ such as:

Dennis Rodman (basketball), Paul Scholes (football – Manchester United) and Paula Radcliffe (UK Long Distance runner)

The future

Unfortunately there is still no 78)___________________, although the development of new treatments has led to a much better quality of life for most sufferers. However, the number of people being 79)____________________________ has increased dramatically over the past 80)____________________. This increase could be due to environmental or 81)_______________ factors, but for the moment researchers are puzzled.

It is not unusual for the 82)_____________________ to diminish as sufferers get older, although personally after 27 years I’m still waiting ...

After-listening

Choose the correct option and circle it

1) Which of these is not a symptom of asthma?

a) a strange noise when breathing

b) a tight chest after exercise

c) Difficulty when swallowing food

2) Which of the following is a physical effect of an asthma attack?

a) Lungs expanding

b) Airways contracting

c) Pain in the throat

3) You are more likely to develop asthma if...

a) Your parents have it

b) You work with animals

c) You do a lot of exercise

4) An asthma trigger is

a) A medicine you should take when you have an attack

b) Something which causes an asthma attack

c) A breathing technique

5) The word Asthma comes from which language?

a) Latin

b) English

c) Greek

6) Cat hair is a possible asthma trigger.

a) True

b) False

7) Which of these was not a traditional cure?

a) Smoking

b) Animal blood

c) Living in polluted towns

8) What type of medicine might an asthmatic need to take after playing tennis?

a) A preventer

b) A reliever

9) Paul Scholes (a famous asthmatic) plays for ...

a) Manchester United

b) Manchester City

c) Chelsea

10) Over the last two decades the number of asthmatics has ...

a) Gone up

b) Gone down

c) Stayed the same

III. Reading

Before reading

How much do you know about diabetes? Try to answer these T/F statements by guessing, then read the article and find out if your guess was correct.

a. Insulin is produced by the liver

b. Diabetics can’t lead a normal life.

c. Biscuits contain a lot of fat

d. Diabetics should weigh themselves weekly.

e. Diabetics should eat plenty of fruit.

f. Food with high amounts of sugar should not be avoided.

While-reading1) You are going to read a magazine article about diabetes. Choose from the list (A-H) the sentence which best summarises each part (1-6) of the article. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).

A. There is no reason why diabetics should not enjoy a normal life.

B. The B.D.A. is at the public’s disposal.

C. Weight control and regular exercise play an important role in a diabetic’s life.

D. Diabetics should be careful with foods which contain a lot of sugar.

E. Insulin injections are widely used, but they are not very helpful.

F. Diabetes is the result of inadequate insulin being produced.

G. Some foods help to keep blood sugar down.

H. High-fat foods should be avoided.

Most of the functions in the human body are controlled by hormones. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, controls the amount of sugar in the blood which is then used by the body to generate energy. The insufficient production of insulin leads to a common disorder called diabetes.

Having diabetes does not mean giving up all your favourite foods and eating differently from family and friends. However, a sugar-free diet still remains the cornerstone of the treatment of diabetes. Nowadays, doctors recommend that people with diabetes should continue their lives as usual, but should follow a well-balanced and healthy diet.

The British Diabetic Association has published guidelines to assist people who need to follow a special diet. The B.D.A. recommends controlling body-weight, reducing fat consumption and eating more fruit, vegetables and starchy food. If there is a need to lose weight, realistic short-term targets are most helpful. Aiming for a slow but steady weight loss of one kilogram per week is ideal, until the desired weight is achieved. Including more exercise in your daily routine, and checking your weight once a week are also recommended.

It is also advisable to avoid cooking meals using large amounts of fat – choose lean meal or low-fat items instead. Removing the skin from chicken and using fat-free milk are also good ways of reducing fat in the diet. Moreover, cutting down on the amount of butter and cheese be using the low-fat versions is recommended. Biscuits and cakes are also high in fat content.

Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is highly recommended. Beans and lentils contain a considerable amount of a certain type of fibre which helps to slow down the rise of blood sugar levels after meals. Choosing brown bread and flour instead of white, and high-fibre breakfast cereals, is also appropriate.

Foods like sweets, chocolate, cakes and biscuits should be avoided as they usually contain high amounts of sugar and fat. Also, less sugar must be used in cooking, and “diet” drinks are preferable. Using an artificial sweetener instead of sugar also helps a great deal. It is also important to be careful with the sugar content of packaged food items by reading the labels and preferable deciding on a “diet” alternative.

Diabetics should be able to enjoy normal and healthy lifestyles once they decide to follow the B.D.A. guidelines. The experts at the Association are always available to provide further information on this matter.

2) Fill in the gaps with the appropriate word(s) from the list below: