Medicare Online

Skin Diseases In Need Of More Awareness

2010-10-19T01:42:00.000-07:00

In the basal cell carcinoma, this is the most common skin cancer which is also known as non-melanoma. At the initial stage, it appears as the small lump only on those areas which are specially exposed to the air as well as to the sun. This type of skin cancer is easily recognized and mostly affected the areas like hands, neck and head. It rarely spreads on the other body parts and it also has high cure rate.

Those who are having light colored skin or light eyes are mainly prone to this type of cancer. On the other hand, people with dark skinned are less prone to basal cell carcinoma. The squamous cell carcinoma is quite similar to the basal form of cancer. Symptoms of this cancer are generally present on the ears, lips or even on the whole face. It is easily curable just by following the proper medical treatment. In the initial stages, skin appears reddish and scaly. On the other hand, malignant melanoma is rarer form but still most dangerous of in all other types of skin cancer. Infection of this disease can rapidly spread on the other body parts via lymph nodes and blood streams, people with red or blonde hair or with freckles and blue eyes are more at risk.

Shingles is the most painful disease which appears on the skin in the form of rushes with fluid blisters. Due to the Herpes virus, this disease is caused. The Shingles symptoms are varying according to the different stages. Like, in the first stage, patients may feel normal viral infections, rashes, nausea, headache, fever etc. In the next eruptive stage, patients are suffering with blisters which are appear on the different body parts such as arms, legs, face, buttock and so on. The list of Shingles symptoms, tingling and burning sensation, numbness, and itching, burning pain are also included. In the initial stage, this disease can be easily curable.

Home remedies cold sores are still preferable in most of the traditional treatments. To follow this treatment, you don't need to visit any doctor. There are huge numbers of home remedies cold source which includes taking vitamins and its supplements, diet changes, applying certain type of powder or juice to a sore etc. These remedies will definitely give much relief and it is the best treatment to cure cold sore. Some patients are rubbing or pressing ice cubes on the sore or simply holding cubes against it. As soon as you realize the symptoms of cold sore, you can begin with these home remedies. Holding ice on the sore is the best way to cure and it is considered as the best known home remedy. In the list of other home remedies cold sores include rubbing extract of lemon balm, aloe Vera, tea tags etc. It helps to smaller their size as well as it effectively reduce pain.

Healthyskinguide.net provides proper health guide on the barriers of healthy skins, Types of skin cancer, Shingles symptoms and Home remedies for cold sores.

Automated Random-Access Immunoassay Systems

2010-09-14T11:40:00.001-07:00

Automated random-access immunoassay systems are specifically designed to efficiently carry out the advanced analytical requirements of contemporary clinical laboratories and hospital facilities. These systems ensure stable performance and superior accuracy.

High-end Models from Well-known Manufacturers

Automated random-access immunoassay systems are used to perform tests for thyroid hormones, infectious diseases, bone metabolism, reproductive hormones, anemia, assays for cancer markers, allergy, therapeutic drug monitoring, cardiac analysis, tumor markers and other additional assays. High-end models of automated immunoassay systems, integrated with random-access capabilities, are available from well-known manufacturers including Tosoh Bioscience, J&J and Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics. Major models offered include Tosoh 360, ADVIA Centaur, Tosoh 600 II, J & J Vitros ECI and Immulite 2500.

Online Shops for Easy Purchase

To purchase the model of automated random-access immunoassay system that suits your research needs, it is essential to approach established suppliers as they ensure branded products, competitive prices, dedicated customer support and proper service contracts. A web search would help you get the necessary information. Most dealers offer online shopping facilities and attractive prices.

Immunoassay System with Extensive Features

The important advantage of automated random-access immunoassay systems are that they offer flexible operation, precision for successful workload management and optimal productivity. Further, these analyzers are simple and easy-to-use, and enable researchers to obtain accurate diagnostic results within a short time.

The various models of immunoassay analyzers come with advanced capabilities to facilitate efficient performance of research tasks. The core features of the Tosoh 600 II analyzer model include:

• Primary tube sampling
• Dual clot detection
• Random access for both routine and STAT immunoassays
• Automated sample dilution and pretreatment
• Throughput of 60 results per hour
• Unit dose test cup reagent system
• First result in ~18 minutes (ST Assays)
• Full test menu
• Third generation sensitivity
• Compact size - less than three feet of counter space

Some models come with high resolution touch screen for trouble-free interaction, automatic reflex testing with cascade options, as well as automated monitoring and maintenance. The devices also feature high on-board refrigeration capacity for reagents and supplies, on-board dilution and automatic repeat capabilities. A major advantage is that automated random-access immunoassay systems require minimal maintenance.

Block Scientific is the affordable source of fine Medical Laboratory Equipments like Centrifuges, Chemistry Analyzers, Immunoassay Analyzers, Blood Gas Analyzers and more.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Selecting Quality Medical Supplies

2010-08-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

Quality medical supplies are found at the heart of every medical operation you can think of, from big hospitals all the way down to small community clinics. When looked at in another way, you could easily say that these will be the biggest expense that any medical operation has, short of personnel.

Just because it's the biggest expensive doesn't mean that there aren't ways to lower your expenses, or ways to focus on getting the best medical supplies possible. If you've been tasked to handle the ordering of medical supplies, there are just three questions that you will need to ask yourself while you go to select quality medical products.

Naturally, this guide assumes that you will be ordering your medical supplies through the Internet, as going online is the best way to get the deepest discounts and the widest selection. While it's true that there are other sources available, like going into town, the last thing that any busy medical professional should have to do is fight traffic!

Going back to the actual questions, the first thing you should ask yourself is what manufacturer you really want to go with. After all, the last thing that you want to do is select a manufacturer that will not serve your needs well. It's better to pick one or two manufacturers that consistently produce great products than just settle for the one that does a halfway job on the products that they do offer. Your organization's patients deserve the best of care, and that does start with quality medical equipment.

From there, you will need to ask yourself how much you are trying to order at one time. The biggest mistake that many people make at this stage is that they assume they will save the most money by ordering small packages at once, but that's not the case at all. It's better to wait until you have the funds for a very large order, since you will qualify for bulk pricing. It's better to go with bulk pricing since it offers the deepest discounts, which will in turn make it easier for you to order even more equipment as you need it. Some items will not be ordered as frequently, and that's okay -- that will be offset by the everyday run of the mill items that seem to always need ordering.

The final question that you need to ask yourself when selecting quality medical products is how often you want to order them to begin with. Indeed, your initial purchase order is just that -- the beginning of a long line of purchases. By developing a schedule from the beginning, you will be able to eliminate a lot of the hassle and worry of running out of supplies and other stresses that can come about as a result of bad planning.

Overall, these are just guiding questions to get you started -- if you take the tips here to heart, you will have no problem getting quality medical supplies that make the grade each and every time!

Great medical supplies are only a click away -- order yours today!

What Mouli Cohen Has to Say About Biotech Drugs and Innovation

2010-08-05T05:29:00.000-07:00

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission), in a recent report, proposed that the 12-14 years that are currently being allotted as a period exclusively for the innovation of products in biotech companies is much longer than required for the purpose.

The report also showed that the development of the generic biotech drugs could be a boon to the health care cost in the U.S. These drugs cost about 10-30%lesser than the conventional drugs in the market today.

The U.S. President, Obama, after the publication of the report, included in his talk to the AMA, the American Medical Association, that the introduction of generic biotech drugs could save the country enormous money. But no one knows how much that money will be and how fast it will be earned.

It is definite that the introduction of generic biotech drugs will be a boon to the economy but this boon is not quantifiable. Also, the biotech sector will undergo some changes that will be immeasurable according to the industry insiders.

According to Mouli Cohen, investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and the founder of the Voltage Capital is of the view that this proposal shall make innovation less attractive. He believes that innovation and the capability of driving processes towards outcome that are quantifiable is what business is all about. And killing this process can reduce them to just mediocre players. He says that innovation is needed to run a business and there is no alternative to that.

PharmaTiles also pointed out the concerns that if generic biotech drugs come hastily into the market, then will biotech companies recoup their R&D investments?

Cohen states that R&D is very expensive and most of the pharmaceutical companies do not bother investing in R&D. The burden is then transferred to the academia and the biotech companies. AT the end of it, someone has to do the sponsoring. The costs will keep shifting but if any compensation is made and that turns out to be unfavorable, then the entire medical industry will suffer largely. This implies that the biotech sector will suffer some major problems in funding for R&D in the coming five years.

About two thirds of the funds go to the small biotech companies that earn no profits and which heavily rely on private investment.

If the proposal is implanted, then the impact of innovation will be greatly minimized. With these new regulations, the industry is going be subjected to rapid change though the new ideas and the products shall still be as solid as they were. Cohen suggests that care should be taken and consequences should be weighed before any action is taken.

Mike Casnet has been writing articles for 3 years. He like to write business, travel and health articles for different people. He is now developing his own webpage for clients who wants to try his service like Mouli Cohen

Save Money on Your Prescriptions With a Simple, Little Know Pharmaceutical Trick!

2010-07-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

For the sake of a case study let's consider you are currently taking Lipitor at a 10 mg per day dosage.

If you purchase Lipitor from Walmart, it will cost you apx. $100.00 per month x 12 months = $1200.00 per year.

Now let's take a look at the cost of that same medication, Lipitor, by simply splitting the pill dosage in half.

Purchase the same pill in 20 mg for Walmart at a cost of $143.00 for 30 tabs x 6 months=$858.00

Now you will only have to purchase the 20 mg. tabs every other month because you will be splitting the dosage in half. Your savings per year would be 342.00 per year.

Same medication, same dosage but greater savings.

Now lets' say you do a little price shopping on Medical Price Point's comparison site.

Right now the cheapest Lipitor we could find is at Target. The cost from their Pharmacy is $98.00 for 30 tabs of 20 mg Lipitor. Multiple that times the 6 months = $564.00 Compared to the 10mg price of $1200.00 per year, you would save a grand total of $636.00

Not bad for just educating yourself on a little known Pharmaceutical trick. You need to remember however, that time released capsules are not splittable and this method will only work with "pills".

Here are a couple more examples;

Sertaline (generic Zoloft) 50 mg pills at Costco x 12 months= $35 x 12= $420/year

Sertraline (generic Zoloft) 100 mg pill at Kmart x 6 months= $5 x 6= $30/year

$420- $30= $390 per year savings

Amlodipine (generic Norvasc) 5 mg pills at Walmart x 12 months= $40 x 12= $480/year

Amlodipine (generic Norvasc) 10 mg pills at Kmart x 6 months= $5 x 6= $30/year

$480 - $30= $450/per year savings

Please take a few minutes and join the community at Medical Price Point, it's Free. Telling others about your medical savings tricks or reading about others will help us build a community of Smarter Medical Shoppers.

Charles Bagley started Medical Price Point for the specific purpose of educating the public on Medical Pricing in the United States. We have compiled pricing from every Medical Field to be used for Free to help the greater public, "nudge" Health Care providers into making pricing more transparent. MedicalPricePoint.com offers a free online community forum to help build a pricing database for all to see and use. Join Medical Price Point's growing community of Member involvement. Get involved, Get educated, Save money!

http://medicalpricepoint.com

Growing Fame of Pharmaceutical Engineering in Various Sectors

2010-06-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

Pharmaceutical engineering is a branch of chemical engineering that has a wide range of applications in numerous sectors. It has contributed a lot to medical science by developing medicines for many fatal diseases. These medicines have the potential to fight the deadliest and life-taking diseases. It is a combination of biology, chemistry, physics and biochemistry. It uses the concepts of all these branches to develop effective medicines.

Pharmaceutical engineers have huge job opportunities where they can show their proficiency. Various drug designing centers, pharmaceutical industries, biomedical industries, R&D labs and other sectors are inviting young and dynamic talents to join them and become a pat of their organization. They can practically implement the subjects they have studied under their course. Because of newly emergence of Pharmaceutical Engineering and large requirements of working personnel in biomedical industry and other sectors, graduates are taken into contemplation.

Pharmaceutical engineers must be updated with latest ideas and techniques as they have to develop remedies for those diseases whose solutions are not present till now. They have o discover future medicines also. Their skills and knowledge in numerous subjects can provide them job opportunities in various sectors like nanotechnology, cosmetic, biomedical, nutrition and other work fields. All these are some of the emerging technologies that determine the scope of pharmaceutical engineering. Professionals are highly demanded in numerous fields where they can prove their worth. Hence we can say this branch of science has created wonders in various sectors. The future of this stream is very bright and its success is never ending.

For more information on Pharmaceutical engineering and the benefits of Pharmaceutical engineering please visit the mentioned website

Community-Associated Bacterial Infections on the Rise

2010-05-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

For years, health researchers have warned the public of the growing danger of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria whose growth is spurred on by the overuse of antibiotic drugs. Doctors often supply antibiotic medication to patients who mistakenly believe that the drugs will help them with a given illness which, in fact, is not treatable with antibiotics (such as viral infections). Some studies indicate that doctors may over-prescribe to avoid conflicts with patients who expect antibiotic treatment for respiratory tract infections (often associated with the common cold virus), despite the fact that only 1 in 4 of those patients actually desires such a treatment.

As the superbug MRSA (short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a colonizing bacterium which is highly resistant to antibiotics, makes its way into more and more hospitals and other community facilities, the concern over a possible public health epidemic is growing. Between 1999 and 2006, a sevenfold increase in MRSA-related infections was found in outpatient hospital wards.

Today, additional studies indicate that not only are mortality rates and lengths of hospital stays not getting any better, but hospital-associated infections are actually on the rise, accounting for about half of all infection deaths among hospital patients. Previous research has established a link between the two, but the latest reports from scientists studying the phenomenon provide conclusive evidence that community-associated strains are actually the root of many of the infections. The Center for Disease Control reports that about 1.7 million hospital infections occur each year, with 99,000 associated fatalities.

Sepsis, pneumonia, and other infections resulting from exposure to community-associated bacteria could all be reduced by implementing additional measures of safety in hospital wards to reduce the spread of the illnesses, but funding for those measures can be difficult for doctors to justify to administrators. As one doctor notes, "Even when physicians are gung-ho to do something about infection control, they may not have buy-in from hospital administrators. They may still ask, 'Why do you need $500,000 if it isn't going to do anything for the bottom line?'"

The government is beginning to crack down on hospital-related infections by denying payment from Medicaid or Medicare for costs resulting from avoidable complications. Unfortunately, that may not do much good - documentation of such infections isn't easy to track, making the rule harder to enforce. Worse, hospitals could simply avoid such penalties by intentionally misclassifying infections to prevent government programs from denying payout.

In the meantime, the best rule of thumb for antibiotic use is still to try not to use them. If you visit a doctor about an illness, listen carefully to what he or she has to say about the likely cause of your illness. Often a simple blood test can determine if the condition is caused by a virus or a microbe - and remember that antibiotics won't help fight off a virus one bit. If you are prescribed an antibiotic, ask your doctor why it is necessary and what his basis for the prescription is. If the answer amounts to "just in case", you may want to seek a second opinion.

Randy McIntire is a technical writer specializing in mobility devices for seniors and the disabled. Randy's particular area of expertise is lift chairs. For more information about lift chairs, visit US Medical Supplies.

Tips to Easily Swallow a Pill

2010-05-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

Some people may find difficulty to swallow pill, especially if the pill is too big for your throat. However, if you are considering your illness, you have to be able to swallow your pill for medication or you will not recover. At this time, this article will provide you some tips that will help you to easily swallow a pill for your medication.

When you find that the pill is too big to be swallowed, you need a pill cutter to cut it into smaller portions. When it is smaller, it will be easier to go down to your throat. In the process of swallowing it, you need to tilt your head back down and tuck in your chin.

Moreover, by using water, you will be easier to swallow the pill as well. In this process, you have to make sure that you are in standing up position or sitting up position. It is because when you are swallowing while lying; it is potential for you to get your throat gagging. Besides, you can also use carbonated beverage because it can also help you to be easier in swallowing the pill.

The other way to easily swallow a pill is by using soft food like puddings, applesauce, or yogurts. In this process, you need to make sure that the pill will work with the food. Also, you need to check on the warning of any interaction, especially for dairy products. Do not use too much food while you are swallowing the pill. Just use enough portion of food to swallow it.

If these all techniques to swallow pill cannot work, you need to talk to your doctor and ask for liquid medication instead of the pill. And for those who have already succeed to swallow pills for medication, there is a medical equipment called electronic pill dispenser that will help you to remember in taking your medication as needed, on an hourly or daily basis.

Ins and Outs of Cold Sore Treatments

2010-04-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

Cold sores (or fever blisters) are itchy, painful and unsightly -3 out of 10 people get them on a regular basis but nobody talks about them!

Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus.

There are two kinds of herpes infection -HSV1 which most often causes cold sores on the lips; HSV2 usually causes infection in the genital area and is considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Note: Cold sores (HSV1) can be spread to the genital area and genital herpes (HSV2) can be spread to the mouth.

You can get the infection from kissing someone with the virus or eating/drinking after someone who is infected. Many parents pass the virus to their children. Once you have the infection, you can not be healed -but you can prevent and treat cold sores.

Cold sores (fever blisters) usually start as a small sore on the lip which slowly grows larger and looks like a blister. The "blisters" will break open and eventually scab over and fall off. During this time, you can pass the virus to others and spread it to other areas of the lip and body.

The good news is that they will usually clear up within a few days to two weeks.

The bad news is that they can be painful, unattractive and can take TWO weeks to clear up!

You should start treatment as soon as you know a cold sore is coming (either from itchy/tingling feeling or seeing the small sore).

To treat cold sores:

1. Apply ice for a 3 minutes 4 times an hour for 2 hours.

2. Start taking Motrin (ibuprofen) - 1 to 2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours or Tylenol Extra Strength (acetaminophen) - 1 tablet every 4 hours.

3. Avoid acidic foods (pizza, orange juice) -you'll know it is bad because it will most likely HURT.

4. Rinse with warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of baking soda

5. Apply Abreva cream (available OTC at the pharmacy) -apply 5 times a day for up to 10 days. Abreva is the only OTC medication proven to decrease symptoms and aids in healing.

6. If the cold sore is painful -apply Anbesol or Orajel over the Abreva to help numb the area.

7. Take a prescription drug like acyclovir or Valtrex. These meds are by prescription only, so talk to your physician about them. The recommended doses are...

* Valtrex (valacyclovir) - Take 2 Valtrex 1,000 mg tablets twice daily for day 1 then take 1 Valtrex 1,000mg tablet twice a day on day 2.

* Zovirax (acyclovir) -Take acyclovir 400mg tablet five times a day

* Both medications work -Valtrex is taken less often and may be more convenient but acyclovir comes in a generic and can be less expensive.

8. You can also use some natural supplements:

* Lysine -500mg to 1,000mg/day for 5 to 10 days

* Vitamin C -100 to 500mg/day for 5 to 10 days

* Lemon balm -apply 2 to 4 times a day for 5 days

To prevent future outbreaks of cold sores:

1. Stress, sun and illness can lead to an outbreak of cold sores -so avoid when at all possible!

2. Avoid drinking after, using utensils or kissing anyone with an active infection

3. Prescription drugs...

* Zovirax (acyclovir) -Take 200mg three to five times daily

* Valtrex (valacyclovir) - Take 500mg one time daily

So, now you know...and knowing is half the battle!

Nova Simpson, Pharm.D.

http://www.getpharmacyadvice.com

My best bud -Cate Sibley, Pharm.D. and I started our own pharmacy blog -where you can ask any questions any time!

Want to learn about genital herpes?

http://www.getpharmacyadvice.com/genital-herpes-and-you/

Stem Cells and Regenerative Therapies - How to Extract the Essence

2010-04-07T07:55:00.001-07:00

The process of finding and developing new drugs is long and costly. It takes years and millions of dollars for one single new drug to be developed from the stage in which a candidate molecule was identified to the ultimate stage of regulatory approval for marketing. The new era of stem cells and regenerative medicine does not shorten this process. On the contrary, it presents new challenges in the road through translation into approved therapy. The challenges are due to the completely new and different structure of the final product. Patients are treated with living cells instead of active molecules. The road to develop new cell based therapy is not less long, complicated or costly than the road to develop conventional drugs.

The amount of information in the media, both professional and popular, is huge. Nonetheless, most of it, although interesting and supportive for further development, is not applicable for present patient's needs. If we want to evaluate the current potential of a new therapy, the most important parameter is how close it is to clinical utilization. Practically, we want to know if the therapy is used already to treat diseases in human beings. Such treatment can be either experimental in its early stages, or ultimately, approved by regulatory authorities and provided by companies, clinics and hospitals.

Let us look at the various stages of development and thus be able to identify the most relevant ones according to this simple principle. Research is conducted on the molecular and cellular levels, as well as in experimental animal models. Such research generates large amount of data, and set the basis for identifying new modules of therapies. Once a promising candidate is identified, the process of drug or cell based therapy starts. It needs full characterization, understanding mechanism of activity, optimization of large scale production, thorough analysis of safety profile, establishing quality control tests and more. The first stage is a general or theoretical research, while the second is called pre-clinical development. Once this stage is accomplished, the product is ready for clinical studies, following the submission and approval by regulatory body. This third stage is termed clinical development. The clinical studies are conducted at three stages and if successful, approval for marketing is obtained. A product or process which is presently being tested in clinical studies, can be better evaluated for its current application. Being in the clinical stage of development is meaningful for practical purposes, although only few products will turn to be safe and effective, and approved for clinical use. The clinical phase of the development may take about 2 to 5 years, and sometimes longer.

In some countries, it is legal and possible to offer cell based treatments even before the full scale clinical studies were completed. Clinics and hospitals in such countries are treating patients for life threatening and chronic diseases before thorough testing and approval by regulatory agencies in the US, Europe or other countries. Most of these clinics do not conduct or publish systematic clinical trials, but they usually provide information on the technologies and therapeutic approaches used. Can this be regarded as "tested in human patients"? The answer is no, but it is up to the patient to decide whether he would like to take the risk with all its implications, rather than wait for the therapy to be approved.

Most reliable information on ongoing clinical studies is found in the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) database - Clinicaltrials.gov. Although US based, most clinical studies from many other countries as well are published in this comprehensive website which also includes effective internal search option. However, early pilot and phase I studies are usually not listed there. Results on clinical studies can be found in the well known scientific literature data base website, the US NIH (National Institute of Health) PubMed -Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Here again, the relevant clinical data will be difficult to extract from the plethora of scientific information, and it is mostly used by professional scientists. Large medical centers will also provide updated information on scientific achievements, along with clinical trials and results. Many other blogs and websites, as well as professional organizations, provide information on stem and cell therapy news. For clinical relevant information on cell therapies - My New Therapy website is patient oriented and focuses on clinical data. As suggested, you can evaluate the current clinical relevance of a piece of news according to its proximity to being tested in human patients, or preferably, if being already a part of reliable clinical study. This rule of thumb, being tested in human patients, can help to better judge for practical purposes or needs, the clinical value of a product, service, technology or process.

Dr. Avi Treves is currently the Deputy Director of the Sheba Cancer Research Center at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel. Operating the Ella Institute for treatment and research of Melanoma, the Family Cord Blood Bank and Bio Regenerate Inc, a start up company developing adult stem cells technologies and storage services.

Previously, the founder and CEO of Gamida Cell Ltd.; CEO of Hadasit Ltd., the tech transfer company of the Hadassah Medical Center.

PhD from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel; Post doc at Stanford University Medical School, CA USA.

Expert in developing cell based technologies, products and their clinical applications. Adviser and scientific board member for biotech companies. Co-author of more than 90 scientific publications and 10 patents.

For more information on clinically relevant stem cells, regenerative medicine and immunotherapy go to: http://www.mynewtherapy.com

Pharmaceutical Development As a Means For Ensuring Financial Success

2010-03-18T11:00:00.001-07:00

Developing a new pharmaceutical active ingredient isn't just about developing a molecule with the best biological activity. The physical form has to be optimised to ensure the top possible performance and that no one can find a superior form and usurp your hard won patent position.

Pharmaceutical development is the progression of a new chemical entity found in early screening through to the later stages of clinical development. Pharmaceutical development includes the construction of a scaleable manufacturing process as well as refinement of the optimum physical form of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API).

Pharmaceutical development starts with an active compound that displays the desired response in an assay. However, in vivo (in the organism), the compound might not get to the point of action as it so easily did in vitro (lit. in glass). Pharmaceutical development is needed to turn the compound into a form that is stable, is biologically available and can be made into the most favourable formulation. A balance is needed between the water solubility and lipophilicity (ability to dissolve in fats) characteristics of the drug. Skilled scientists will be able to turn a compound with poor physical properties into one that can be crystallised and processed effectively. A Salt screen will lead to candidate compounds that can subsequently be selected and further optimised. A balance will need to be made between optimal drug performance and manufacturability.

It is essential to integrate manufacturing expertise with solid-state expertise using a diverse range of state-of-the-art equipment and facilities operating to current Good Manufacturing standards. Scale up and production of kilo quantities of the drug under GMP conditions completes the early pharmaceutical development phase. If properly conducted, the optimal physical form will be taken forward coupled with the means to manufacture. Ultimately your intellectual property will be secured and long term financial success guaranteed.

Static Dosing and Rhythmic Cycling

2010-03-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

If your physician feels you are an ideal candidate for static dosing of bioidentical hormones, he or she will initially prescribe a low dosage of the hormones to test your body's response. Following several months of taking bioidenticals at a low dosage, doctors will then reorder blood samples, which will be scrutinized for your detailed hormonal levels. If your symptoms are somewhat alleviated and the levels remain relatively optimal, doctors will the set forth a regimen of taking bioidenticals on a daily basis, with an increase in dosage on the eighteenth and twenty-eighth day. The increase in dosage on these two days will mimic the natural physiology of a young woman's body, induce a period, and give a woman the full complement of hormonal attributes they enjoyed before the aging process.

The second method of taking in bio identical hormones for women involves charting and taking the hormones on a rhythmic cycle in concurrence with the lunar phases and tides. This process, although seemingly a little too out there for some women, really makes sense and attempts to mimic the reproductive and hormone cycles of women prior to the advent of modern society, and all the associated stress, irregular sleeping patterns, and in turn, irregular hormonal production levels. One of the more well-known processes of administering bioidenticals rhythmically is known as the Wiley Protocol, which advocates large dosing of hormones, natural and safe bioidentical hormones, to women in tailored ratios for their unique bodies. Many women have found a large amount of relief and overall happiness in the health and their lives while using rhythmic cycling and the Wiley Protocol

Every woman wants to take care of their body, for as long as possible. In many women cases today, the option to utilize hormonal replacement therapy is a wise and healthy decision, if made with the intention of using bioidentical hormones. The numerous side-affects, such as breast and ovarian cancer, associated with synthetic hormones, not to mention the lack of benefits in light of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy's offerings should truly be the deciding factor for any woman serious about living a long, healthy, happy lifestyle.

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Tips to Ordering From an Online Pharmacy

2010-02-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Do a fast search of online pharmaceuticals on Google and you will be spoiled with choices. In truth, a little of these drug stores are trusted and will execute quality services. How does a person execute sensible purchasing by analyzing every online pharmacy site? Here are a few advises you can follow in guaranteeing one of a smart medicine purchase.

The first point you must look for is an comprehensive web pharmaceutical. The most reliable pharmacy pages are able to comprehensively inform visitors regarding their stock, pricing, and reduced rate offers. They should be direct about telling people these features. If the prices and brands appear inaccurate and vague, do not trouble yourself ordering from the website. Reliable websites also have comprehensive information on the recent medicine research and helpful tips on buying medicine online.

Apart from analyzing the clarity of the pricing, you should also evaluate how the costs vary among the online pharmacy sites. Obviously, there will be a difference between companies that sell the same medicines. Don't endanger your well being by being cheap and opting for the lowest price. You may end up wasting your cash on an ineffective fake medicine.

Always do your homework on the online pharmacy you're considering. This is very crucial for small businesses in the market. Should they have a phone line on the site, call it and ask them questions that can clarify your queries. Visit pharmacy review websites and message boards to read actual opinions from then and present customers. Research on the way the pharmaceutical delivers their products. If a lot of customers complain of damaged deliveries, then it is best to keep away from that pharmacy. It also helps to talk to your friends, coworkers, or family members if they've experienced purchasing from a well known online pharmacy site.

Aside from checking out references, you must also visit the website for a number of weeks. If they don't renew the website for several weeks, then it must be scam. The website should also have an easy-to-navigate layout. Apply your common sense to check if the webpage has a simple and pleasing display. Instant cash scam sites won't put as much effort into their site's look and features.

Personal health is the original priority in purchasing medicines, so always consult your doctor before buying. Aside from receiving the necessary note from them, they may be able to provide you some reliable online pharmacy sites. You will not have to be anxious about getting scammed off your cash if the site recommendation comes from your doctor.

You also need to study the buying process of the online pharmacy. Ensure that the site shows you the data form for the encryption they use, specifically when they ask for your bank account or credit card information. Knowing they use the encryption guarantees you that the info sent ]is safe.

The most trusted sites always request for a prescribed note for your medicine purchase. Make sure you understand how you will send the said prescription to the online pharmacy. The prescription note is usually copied then delivered through email or a duplicate is faxed. Send an email to the company to clarify the process and see if you will have to talk to them to confirm your order.

The online pharmacy must have a very accessible customer service number. If the company is direct about instructions and quickly verify your purchase, you won't have to call their hotline. However, in case of sudden situations, it always helps to know you can quickly talk to them.

Trusted online companies are very understandable regarding their return policy. They should assure you that they will give back your money if you receive a wrong order. If they require non-traceable pay means, you will end up having your money stolen in lieu of being properly spent. There are many web pharmacies online to choose from. Ordering the right one is a matter of common sense and practicality.

See 4RX Review including neutral remarks concerning Online Pharmacies.

Design Theory of Closed System Drug Transfer Devices

2010-01-26T10:01:00.000-08:00

Recent surveys have shown that traditional vial-to-syringe technique is one of the riskiest modes of occupational exposure to hazardous drugs. Vial over-pressurization can lead to spraying and leakage. These sprays and spills are frequently unnoticed, which may result in exposure of contaminated finished products to staff and patients in healthcare centers.

Closed System Drug Transfer Devices are special protective devices, designed to reduce the risk of occupational exposure. They provide a safer system for administrators to reconstitute and transfer hazardous drugs from manufacturers drug container to the patient specific equipment while operating patients. These have closed cabinets which prevent spills, leakages during the preparation, administration and disposal of these drugs.

Various types of drug transfer devices have already entered into the market and have made success in delivering effective results. They include a complete line of closed, vial and bag access products for safe preparation, transfer and administration of hazardous substances. They also assure protection through the entire spectrum of hazardous drug delivery.

Genie, designed by ICU Medical System is a closed, needle-free, vial-access device that automatically equalizes vial pressure. When the desired amount of drug is taken out from vial, the genie balloon automatically inflate to equalize the pressure thereby reducing aerosols, vapors and leaks caused by pressurization of vials. Similar systems having dual-venting feature to enhance the equalization of vial pressure and automatically self-seals when disconnected, have been already designed.

There are various guidelines on the effective way of usage of these devices, which must be followed by nurses and practioners in healthcare centers. These devices should always be used with in a ventilated cabinet while following appropriate personal protective equipment and work practices. Staff members should be properly instructed and observed regularly while using these devices. In addition, system failure reports should be immediately reported by all users including pharmacy and nursing, to the manufacturer.

Presently, use of Closed System Drug Transfer Devices has been the strategy employed by healthcare centers, to minimize the risk of exposure to hazardous drugs. However, the consistent and proper usage of these systems is paramount in ensuring containment.

For more information on Hazardous Drugs and the benefits of Exposure to Hazardous drugs please visit the mentioned website.

Regenerative Medicine - Treatment With Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

2010-01-12T07:48:00.000-08:00

New developments in the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are appearing every month in the literature. The initial hurdle is to be able to reprogram adult human cells without using agents that might cause cancer. The first reprogramming method used a viral delivery system to introduce the reprogramming genes into cells. But a virus can insert into the cell's genome, possibly causing severe unanticipated outcomes such as cancer.

Also, refinement of the reprogramming factors is necessary. The initial group was composed of Oct-4, c-Myc, Sox2, and Klf4 genes. c-Myc has potent oncogenic properties - expression of c-Myc can cause a cell to become cancerous. c-Myc was discovered in the late 1970s - expression of c-Myc has a profound role in the development of breast cancer and has a central role in most types of human malignancies.

In order for these cells to be used safely in humans, reprogramming alternatives to c-Myc needed to be identified. An optimal scenario would be to identify alternatives to using any gene for reprogramming. Inserting new genes into a cell could result in mutations, disruption of other normal genetic processes, and additional negative effects. Such deleterious outcomes would increase in number and severity as cells and tissues introduced into a patient continue to divide and replicate.

The field is moving forward quickly. Many research teams have been successfully investigating the use of small molecules as reprogramming factors. Small molecules include very short nucleotide segments (nucleotides comprise the basis of the genetic code), peptides (amino acid sequences), and short-chain sugars. Recently a team led by Dr. Hongyan Zhou at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA, generated induced pluripotent stem cells using direct delivery of a set of reprogramming small molecules. This groundbreaking work provides a new method of creating safer cells for potential uses in treatment and transplantation.

Initial work is being done to use iPS cells for the treatment of many serious and life-threatening diseases. Important preliminary work has been done with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, muscular dystrophy, and diabetes.

For example, researchers have been able to generate large numbers of iPS cells from skin cells taken from an 82-year-old woman diagnosed with ALS. These cells could be directed to become motor neurons, which could be used to replace diseased nerve cells in a patient's spinal cord. This research proves that sufficient induced pluripotent cells can be produced from cells taken from an elderly patient. iPS cells might be used to develop treatments for other diseases which specifically affect the aged.

Sickle cell anemia has been reversed in mice using induced pluripotent stem cells derived from their own cells. Somatic cells were obtained from humanized sickle cell anemia mouse models. The cells were reprogrammed to iPS cells. The genetic defect was corrected in the pluripotent cells which were then differentiated into blood cell precursors. These normal blood-forming cells were then transplanted into the original mice, who subsequently recovered from sickle cell anemia.

This successful proof-of-concept in humanized sickle cell anemia mice points the way toward using iPS cells in the treatment of a wide variety of deadly diseases.

David Lemberg, M.S. in Bioethics, Albany Medical College, May 2010. Consultant, Author, Speaker. Research interests - health care and health care policy, reproductive technologies, genetics and genomics, K-12 science education Executive Producer, SCIENCE AND SOCIETY, http://scienceandsociety.net. Twitter - http://twitter.com/david_lemberg. Visit SCIENCE AND SOCIETY for cutting-edge interviews with Nobel Laureates, trendsetting industry executives, and best-selling authors in the fields of cancer research, genetics, health care policy, nanotechnology, and space exploration.

Why Are People Scared of Pills?

2009-12-17T04:28:00.000-08:00

I was recently looking at the news online and came across an article that talked about pills that have a positive effect on cancer prevention and/or treatment and why people don't use them.

I don't know about you but I've been taking multivitamins for years now and I'm all for taking medications that help prevent diseases as well. With such tremendous breakthroughs in technology over the past several years I personally have a lot of faith in most medications that the FDA approves and that companies market to help prevent diseases. I think the reason I'm so confident in these medications is because they have gone through rigorous testing prior to being approved. If a doctor suggested that I take a pill in order to prevent a disease I would do my own research before saying yes but most likely I would take the pill.

According to an article I was reading it appears that most people who are at high risk of certain cancers would rather not take a pill because they are afraid of side effects. And this is even after their doctor has explained that the benefits far outweigh the risks. This just doesn't make any sense to me since the only other alternative might be a painful and agonizing death brought on by the disease. I must say the human psyche is very interesting in this regard. This is known as Omission Bias which means people tend to worry more about a low risk of harm from something they do than about a higher risk of harm from doing nothing.

I must say I'm truly amazed by this finding. I can't say I have this bias since I have too much faith in technology nowadays. I think the media plays a big role in why people are so scared of side effects to be honest with you. I have to admit that I don't watch the news very much because 99% of it is just negative. A common theme I see on the news is people dying from taking medications that were supposed to help them. Of course they usually fail to explain that of the 100,000 people taking a drug that only 5 have died from it. I do realize there are side effects to taking these kinds of medications but in all reality your risk of developing serious side effects are very low. I would rather take a pill knowing that there is a 95% chance I will benefit from it than a 5% chance I will have serious side effects from it. I think these are better odds than doing nothing and having a 99% chance that I will die from a particular disease because I was too worried about possible side effects.

Pharmaceuticals Biggest Breakthrough to Date - Erectile and Social Dysfunction?

2009-12-05T03:48:00.000-08:00

Most people believe that we need to spend more money in research and development to cure all the diseases, viruses, and health problems of our population. This is an interesting belief however I'd like to point out a little bit of the hypocrisy that goes on when it comes to pharmaceutical research. First, do you know what to the very largest selling drugs ever produced by the pharmaceutical companies have been? Viagra and Prozac. So I ask you, what's really wrong with America and our pharmaceutical technological advances?

Is it really important that we give drugs to people who have ADHD, so they can sit in a classroom, without misbehaving? Do we really need to create a drug to help us with this? And is America's biggest problem really the fact that some men can't get it up? I mean that's ridiculous when you think about it, in fact, if they would just do a little bit of exercise, perhaps go to the gym and work out a little bit, their blood would be flowing and they would never have this problem.

Nevertheless, they can solve all of their impotence issues by taking a little pill. What a major breakthrough in science? It's utterly ridiculous if you ask me.

Some would say that this is an unfair assessment of the pharmaceutical companies and their incredible research, because they have produced lots of drugs which have actually allowed people to live with diseases, ailments, and issues which might have killed them. Nevertheless most of the drugs created do not cure anybody, they wouldn't want to do that, they only help treat them.

Indeed, I hope someday we get real serious, and start curing some of these diseases, and overcoming things like old age which kills everybody, who doesn't die of something else someday. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes in good health.

Is Diet a Main ADHD Cause? - Recent Research on Other Causes

2009-11-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

Just imagine if there was one main ADHD cause! That would make life simpler if it were due to genetic factors, or diet, or the environment or conditions during pregnancy. It could have something to do with the structure of the brain and the chemical imbalances involved in the neurotransmitters. Actually, it is a combination of all the above, just to make life more complicated and no main ADHD cause has ever been identified.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has done research on diet and it seems that certain dietary supplements can be a help in lessening the symptoms of ADHD. Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin B, plus fewer processed foods all seems to help although the NIH estimate that only about 5% of ADHD children are actually helped by diet and they seem to fall into the food allergy category. One study actually showed that certain dietary supplements were just as effective as Ritalin in easing ADHD symptoms. Diet cannot therefore be a main ADHD cause but it can and does affect a child and can exacerbate or alleviate symptoms. Too much sugar can cause a 'crash' and that can lead to temper tantrums or irritability and restlessness.

Recent research shows that the main ADHD cause is more than likely to be an imbalance in the neurotransmitters such as dopamine which are closely connected to the feelings of reward and motivation. This research was carried out at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island and it is certainly very interesting to note that this could be the reason why ADHD children can never finish a task as they cannot see the long term benefits or rewards. Yet,when they are involved in computer games or video games, they do much better as the rewards are evident and immediate. There are lessons here for both parents and teachers in that they can try to make tasks at home and at school much more appealing and rewarding. It may be as simple as breaking down tasks into smaller units. It could also explain why ADHD kids are more likely to suffer from being overweight and also drug abuse as these are directly linked to reward and motivation.

There are other ways in which a child can be calmed and helped to focus without subjecting him or her to very doubtful amphetamine like drugs which are losing credibility as the major health authorities are worried about the long term effects and the paucity of complementary treatments for ADHD. That is why ADHD homeopathic remedies rarely get enough attention and yet they can help a ADHD child to remain calm and to suffer less from fidgeting. Looking at these remedies and trying to find a reputable supplier can be quite a task. If the facility is FDA approved, the purity of the ingredients are guaranteed and the manufacture is under the supervision of qualified homeopaths, then there is an excellent chance that you can find a product of superior quality.

Discover other research and treatment for the main ADHD cause available. Experts now tell us that child behavior programs combined with a natural treatment for ADHD is by far the most effective ADHD treatment. Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children's Health. He has written extensively on ADHD.

Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs

2009-11-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Like most other drugs, Lorazepam has its set of side effects and while some of these can be quite common and can be observed in most users, some are rare and need to be brought to the notice of a medical practitioner so that immediate action can be taken.

Common Side Effects of Lorazepam

Before we start talking about the specific side-effects of Lorazepam it might be of interest to know how exactly side effects of a drug are tested. The process though might be complicated depending on the drug being tested; the fundamental system is pretty straight forward. The clinical trials to test the side-effects involve two groups of people. While one group is exposed to the effects of the drug the other group is not administered any such drug. Over a period of time, the former group will show effects on their body, both physical and psychological, that will not be evident on the latter group. Any of these effects that were not initially desired when designing the drug will be termed as a side-effect. This is how researchers and pharmaceutical companies gather the knowledge of the side effects. Of course both the groups are made up of volunteers who have willingly joined to allow the test being carried out on their body.

In such clinical trials, the most frequently observed side effects of Lorazepam have been found to be sedation where the person under the drug feels a calming effect, often hampering his working abilities (this side-effect has been observed in about 16 percent of all the people clinically tested) , a certain dizziness (again found in high proportion of users of almost 7 percent), unsteadiness and weakness has been complained by around 4 percent of users.

There is a whole list of other side effects in using Lorazepam. These would include drowsiness and a general feeling of lethargy, fatigue and getting easily tired from minor exertion, a short term memory loss (especially of events that have happened recently), a lack of ability to decide and focus and a general sense of confusion, a feeling of disorientation, hallucinations including visual and auditory ones, severe headaches, slurred speech resulting from an impairment of motor activities, nausea, constipation, vertigo (not just fear of heights but the sense of the head spinning continuously), a loss of libido or other changes in sex drive, erectile dysfunction or impotence, minor levels of low blood pressure and hair loss in some cases.

Serious Side Effects of Lorazepam

While the common side-effects of Lorazepam can be ignored for a few days and most of them are not that serious, the rarer side-effects of Lorazepam must be informed to the doctor who has prescribed the drug so that the issue is settled before it gets out of hand. Most of these side effects are sorted out by changing the dosage of the drug. Some of these side effects are extreme depression, suicidal tendencies, seizures, breathing difficulty, allergies, aggression or violent behavior and insomnia.

To know more about Side Effects of Lorazepam, please visit - Lorazepam and its Side Effects.

While Most People Have Heard of Hemorrhoids, Not Everyone Knows Exactly What They Are

2009-10-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hemorrhoids, which are also called "piles" are inflamed, irritated veins in the rectum and the anus. Strictly anatomically speaking, hemorrhoids are "cushions" of tissues filled with blood vessels located at the place where the anus and the rectum connect. Hemorrhoids are generally agreed to refer to varicose veins of the anus and rectum.

Poor diet that does not include adequate levels of fiber contributes to the development of hemorrhoids. People who consume too many dairy products can experience excessive levels of lactic acid in the stool which can result in hemorrhoids. Fortunatly, reduction of dairy consumption often relieves this problem. Inadequate vitamin E and inadequate water intake can also contribute to development of hemorrhoids.

Other causes of hemorrhoids include prolonged periods of sitting, constipation, and straining during bowel movements. There are certain types of hypertension that contribute to development of hemorrhoids. For example, people with hypertension of the hepatic portal vein (the vein that drains blood from the gastrointestinal tract and the spleen) are prone to hemorrhoids because of the connection between the capillaries of the hepatic portal vein and the vena cava in the wall of the rectum.

Lifestyle factors like obesity, poor muscle tone, and poor posture can put extra pressure on the rectal veins and can predispose a person to development of hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids may be internal or external. Internal hemorrhoids are usually not painful because of the lack of nerve receptors in the internal part of the rectum where internal hemorrhoids occur. But they can bleed, which can be alarming, and can become complicated, becoming prolapsed, or even strangulated (a condition in which prolapsed hemorrhoids are strangulated by spasms of the anal sphincter).

External hemorrhoids are often painful, and are accompanied by swelling and irritation. Itching associated with external hemorrhoids is usually associated with skin irritation. External hemorrhoids are in addition prone to thrombosis, or development of blood clots.

To prevent hemorrhoids, basic healthy lifestyle practices can go a long way. Drinking adequate water, consuming enough fiber, better posture, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoidance of constipation can help. Some experts advise avoidance of tight clothing or underwear to prevent irritation. Adequate hygiene can also relieve some of the swelling caused by hemorrhoids.

Depending on the severity of hemorrhoids, there are a number of treatment options, some simple, some invasive. Hydrotherapy and cold compresses are often used, as are over-the-counter pain relievers. Vasoconstrictors like phenylephrine and topical ointments and astringents like witch hazel are common treatments. Unfortunately, severe cases of hemorrhoids sometimes require surgical intervention for relief.

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The New Facet of Medical Services

2009-10-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

With advanced technology and medical treatment, India is heading towards providing excellent medical services compare to other countries. There are various healthcare services and medical treatments available in the country. Medical treatments in India possess many positive aspects along with budget which is the main factor. As compared to western countries, India provides the same medical services and facilities just at a fraction of the cost spend in those countries.

The medical centers or top medical hospitals in India provide guidelines to patients not only in India and but also to the patients world over with the best available medical facilities and services. These centers take overall care starting from taking various appointments, accommodations, medical treatments and other escort services as required. Medical treatment in India is also becoming more advanced with the latest trends along with developed countries medical services.

Not only this, India is also advancing in providing effective emergency healthcare services that handle patients across the countries and suggest them the best medical treatment hospitals in India. These hospitals deliver excellent medical treatments and hospitality services to any kind of emergency conditions.

Many of the super specialty hospitals in India like Sanjivani, Apollo, Krishna heart institute, Sterling, etc. renders effective medical treatments along with rich experience of Indian hospitality. These hospitals provide a vast range of medical services to global patients and some of them even provide free consultation. Medical processes in these medical firms are easier and less time consuming.

The medical staff in these hospitals is well-trained and experienced. Expert doctors being trained from various foreign medical universities provide efficient medical support and treatment. Thus, the patient is treated well and it feels like at home.

Vinay B is an expert doctor and provides excellent medical facilities. He mostly writes about healthcare and guidelines about achieving good health. He even give his views about medical tourism in India

The Quickest Way to Grow Your Practice is to Retain the Patients You Already Have

2009-10-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

In light of the recent news about the economic downturn, many physicians are re-focusing their sites on best ways to advertise aesthetic procedures to prospective patients. Much of the time, practices tend to concentrate on external advertising in outreach mediums such as local magazines or newspapers without much success. When spending advertising dollars externally rather than internally, most practice managers are doing nothing to utilize the patient base that they have already worked very hard to build.

Statistics show that it costs somewhere between 5-8 times more to attract a new patient than to keep an existing one. Additionally, recent market research contends that aesthetic practices lose approximately 2/3rds of their first-time patients due to lack of follow-up and loss of communication.

Retention of a practice's patients can be the easiest way to grow an aesthetic practice without the high and less effective cost of external advertising dollars. Further, by merely raising patient retention by just 5%, a practice may be able to increase the value of an average patient (in lifetime profits) from 25-100%.

The following eight categories highlight the top things that aesthetic practices should be doing to retain every patient that has already visited their facility:

1) Consistent Message in Brochures, Advertising, and Promotional Materials-

It is important to carefully judge your current "brand" of communication. Evaluate your current brochures, magazine advertising, and promotional materials. Is there an objective to the message that you are sending to your patients? The information projected in every form of communication in your practice should be consistent with your overall goals and objectives. Consider what message is being received both from current patients, as well as new patients, who may be reluctant on their first visit to the practice.

Although a practice brochure can be an investment, it can help to convey the practice's image and values to the patients Your brochures should be educational, should contain your logo or a designer graphic, and possibly a bio of the physician to create a sense of friendliness and personal touch.

2) Business Cards. Letterhead, and Stationary-

Business cards, letterhead, and stationary are great tools for inexpensive advertising to your patient base as well as to potential new patients. These items should reflect the practice's image and culture, and should have your logo and address information, as well as a place for follow up appointment times. If you have a motto or tag line, it is important to get it onto your business card and letterhead. This may be the first and only item that a potential patient sees prior to deciding whether to become a customer at your facility.

On the front of your card, you should place a graphic design and a message that will grab attention. A business card and letterhead should create awareness about your brand in the medical marketplace. To do that, you must convey your practice's personality through design, type font, logo, graphics, and verbal messages or a slogan.
These items are important in creating the initial brand awareness about your facility, physicians, and staff. They can make a real statement about the type of business that you run, when used effectively in a professional manner.

3) Follow-Up With Patients Who Have Not Booked A Procedure

Have a system in place either on your charts or in your computer system to track and follow up with patients on a regular basis. Whether using people or a computer system to confirm future appointments, try to get a commitment from a patient regarding a set date that he or she is coming back. It is critical to stay in touch with patients who may have come in for an initial consultation or diagnosis, but did not follow through with their surgery or other elective procedure.

Many patients may still be weighing their options for the procedure and may book if given an extra phone call or appointment reminder.

Is your patient coordinator detail-oriented and focused on getting patients to book?

Your coordinator can serve as a vital link and liaison between the physician and the patient. Even after a patient consultation visit with you, patients will often tell the coordinator information that provides the staff added insight into their personality. With the right coordinator dedicated to follow up with every patient in your practice, you will have a better chance of having consultations convert to procedures.

4) Team Approach to Patient Care and Follow-up-Staff Communication

Verbal and non-verbal communication are two of the most powerful internal marketing tools available. Your receptionist and staff should consider it a "job description" to add personal touch when dealing with patients during day-to-day operations. They should also be encouraged to think about their verbal communications and messages given to patients, whether VIPs of the practice, or reluctant potential ones.

Additionally, the staff should be aware of all new patients in the practice. There should be a special attention policy in place for a patient's first visit to your facility. If possible more time, pre and post consultation, should be given to the new individual and a staff member should make a follow up call or send a thank you note to the patient in a timely manner.

Lastly, telephone and on-hold messaging can work to turn a negative situation into an educational one by perhaps credentialing the physicians in the practice or raising awareness about new, innovative procedures. The telephone is the most-useful tool in the practice for new patients. Proper phone skills, training, and follow up in this area will help to insure retention success.

Your overall team approach to patient care should ideally include a high degree of hand-holding and personalized attention to the details of the entire patient experience.

5) Monitoring The Retention Rate Of Patients Within Your Practice .

A quick patient satisfaction questionnaire after treatment can be a good barometer as to how your practice is doing on your retention rates. Additionally it can offer patient communication and insight. Patient satisfaction can be measured at the end of each visit by asking 10-12 well-directed questions around service and staff perception. When instituted correctly, the patient satisfaction survey can offer good feedback on what the practice is doing well and what may be areas of opportunity for growth. These surveys should be reviewed and compared against the objectives which the practice has set regarding retention and follow-up.

6) Have a System for Converting Patients from One Procedure to Another

A cosmetic interest questionnaire is an internal marketing tool that can help uncover a patient's interests and serve to educate them on other procedures within your practice. This tool can assist staff in communicating with the patient upon arrival regarding their present and future needs. Additionally the cosmetic interest questionnaire can serve as a great time saver as it can assist the patient in discussing his or her needs with the staff.

When used properly, the CIQ should afford staff members the opportunity to "sell" the patient on things that they may be interested in, with little effort. The tool is most effective in introducing patients to additional procedures and products within your practice that may complement their current needs.

Lastly, the CIQ should create more awareness around the other procedures in your practice. This tool, coupled with an educated staff, can offer the patient more of a reason to visit your practice on a regular basis.

7) Website

Websites are the ultimate branding in today's medical marketplace. According to the ASPS, over 50% of patients will go to your website prior to paying a visit to your facility. As a result, websites are becoming a critical aspect of short and long-term marketing plans for most physicians. A website can allow you to stay up to date and current with patients who may not have visited you in a few years. Additionally, your website can be a great educational tool for your patients pre and post visit.

The two most important qualities in developing a good, patient-centric website in the current marketplace is to have clear goals and to have a distinctive look.

View your home page as an advertisement for what you want your practice to stand for in the patient's mind. Get with your web designer and be sure to choose the right meta-tags and keywords for your industry. With the right words and text in place, you will be able to insure that your site will turn up on Google and Yahoo for relevant web searches.
You have just 15 seconds, on average, to make a good first impression, so make sure that your site has something to hold the patient's attention. Educational video, catchy graphics, and good before and afters can all assist in keeping the patient on your website, as well as coming back for more.

8) E-marketing Strategies

E-marketing is the easiest and most cost-effective way to communicate with your patients to date. Additionally E-mail marketing and e-marketing strategies are becoming a mandatory staple in the marketing arena. In today's competitive environment, it is critical that you keep in touch with your patients on a regular basis. This will insure patient loyalty when they are in need of a follow up procedure or need an aesthetic consultation.

E-mail marketing strategies have been shown to have a 12-15 percent return, versus single digits for direct mail and magazine ads. Further, marketing through "educational strategies" (i.e. newsletters, product information, and procedure updates) have been shown to be more effective than traditional advertising models.

Asking patients for their e-mail may sound daunting at first, but can be easily introduced if mentioned in the correct manner. Simply asking patients if they would like to receive your exclusive web offers, events, and seasonal promotions usually will address any concerns they may have. Your e-mail promotions should be done on a regular basis, and should offer catchy promos, graphics, and education of benefit to the patient. Without something that the patient deems useful on your e-mail, you run the risk of losing your readership.

Make sure that your staff is getting e-mail addresses at the front end of any patient visit to insure good follow up with patients that you want to see again and again.

As with all strategies within the practice, retaining your patient database should have a solid follow-up procedure in place to measure its effectiveness. The results should be monitored on a quarterly basis as a part of your internal business plan. Additionally, all of your aesthetic team members (from physician to receptionist) should be made aware of your goals and retention rate successes on a regular basis.

Ms. Jacoby is an Allergan Practice Consultant with Allergan Medical. She has over a decade of experience in healthcare, sales, and management with a focus on specialties of medicine including Cardiology, Plastic Surgery, Neurology, Orthopedics, Dermatology, Oncology, and Internal Medicine.

Ms. Jacoby has been involved in change management, marketing campaigns, equipment sales, and product positioning in 30 of the 35 major medical markets in the United States. Additionally she has been responsible for sales relationships and business planning strategies with management, medical staff, and physicians at 17 top tier hospitals as ranked by U.S. News and World Report.

Ms. Jacoby is a graduate of Louisiana State University and holds a Masters of Management from Tulane University School of Business. She is a Certified Medical Professional through the CMR institute, and has a Master of Health Systems from the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey.

Drugs and Your Doctor - Taking Charge

2009-09-23T06:34:00.000-07:00

Doctors talk amongst themselves about patients' unrealistic expectations about the effectiveness of drugs. Quite often this conversation is done with shaking of heads and often sarcasm in their voices. However it is time that we ask the question: Just who is being unrealistic? Why should the patient (or the country where socialized medicine pays or subsidizes the cost) pay for a drug that has a very low level of effectiveness?

When you go to the doctor and the doctor prescribes a drug, what level of effectiveness do you expect this drug to have? Do you expect it to be 100% effective? Or 98% or 90%, or 80%? Or would you take the drug if the doctor told you that it might reduce your chances of a bad outcome by 4%? Or what about 1% or even less?

This is a question I have been asking for the last couple of months. I ask anyone I come across - people in the bus queue, shop assistants, colleagues in the staff room at work, and even medical students. The consistent response has been that most people expect drugs to be 90% effective, with a few dropping as low as 80%. Even one of the medical students said, very honestly, "Well I'm a trained pharmacist, so I know how effective they are but when my doctor gives it to me I expect it to be 90% effective."

I am a health researcher and one of the things I do is to go and search the medical literature to find out what works to improve health. I bury myself deep in the literature. When I went searching deep into the literature about the use of cholesterol lowering drugs, statins, I was staggered to find out just how low the effect was.

When I looked at the actual results of the drug trials I found that the results often didn't match what was conveyed by the title of the journal article and certainly not in the drug company advertising. For example, women had no improvement in overall survival when taking statins. For men who had no history of heart problems only one life was saved out of 250 men when taking the drugs for five years. That is a 0.4% effectiveness. For those who had had a previous heart attack the figures were 1 in 25. That is 25 men had to take the drug for 5 years to save one life - that is a 4% effectiveness - a long, long way away from the 90'100% effectiveness that most people look for.

Some time later I came across a paper looking at the effectiveness of chemotherapy on cancer. Now I don't know about you, but I have always had the assumption that with the horrendous side effects of the treatment one could at expect a 90% increase in survival times, or at least 50%. That is, I would expect that it would cut my risk of dying at least by half, and that I could then go and live a full length of life.

A paper published in 2004 in the cancer journal Clinical Oncology paints an altogether different picture. Morgan and colleagues found the contribution of chemotherapy to the five year survival in adults was only 2.3% in Australia and 2.1% in the USA. As the five year survival rate for cancer is now 60% you can see how little impact chemo has on the overall outcomes. For breast cancer the rates are 1.4% and for prostate cancer the rate is 0%, that is zero effect.

How can this be? Surely that can't be right? I couldn't believe it and so I started asking the doctors I work with. They all agreed the effectiveness was much lower than almost everyone expected but they didn't realize that the rates were as low as mentioned in the article. One oncologist just wouldn't answer me, but also didn't say the paper was wrong. She just kept saying, "We must ask the patients' what they want."

But how can patients make an informed decision if the doctors aren't honest about the effectiveness of the drugs? Now there will be the occasional person who wants to use every drug available in the hope of gaining a few extra days or weeks to be with their family. But I believe there would be many, many more who would forgo the months of agony from side effects if they realized just how poor the results were. If instead of being told you were at grave risk of dying you were told that the average survival time was 20 years (as in women with breast cancer), and that the chemotherapy would add an average of 5 months to survival time, then would you take it?

I would suggest that a great many people would be interested in the research which shows that in many cancers people who exercise at least three hours a week have much better cancer outcomes than those who don't. It seems that those with breast cancer have an improved survival of 7-10% which is six times better than chemo but I have never heard of a doctor who prescribes exercise for cancer. Other possible improvements could be had through eating lots of bright green, yellow, orange, red and purple vegetables several times a day and cutting back on sugar consumption.

The big problem is that doctors have been brainwashed to only accept treatments proven by randomized controlled trials. We can never prove that exercise or vegetables can improve life expectancy to the same level of proof because we can never use the same research methods. We cannot stop people from exercising or eating fresh vegetables to do the research as that would be unethical when we already know how good they are. So as we can never prove exercise and vegetables are better than the chemo using exactly the same research methods; the drug companies win, and the patients suffer from side effects. It is time we became a bit more discriminating and started to learn to ask better questions about the research assumptions that underpin the methods they use. Or alternatively, just go natural - do what your body intended: eat as close to nature as possible, move regularly throughout the day and have an enjoyable family and social life.

Dr Harriet Denz-Penhey is an internationally recognized health researcher who has done groundbreaking research into patient self care in serious illness. Want to learn more about unexpected recovery from terminal illness? Claim Harriet's popular free e-course, available at http://www.beatthemedicalodds.com.

Protect Yourself From Rogue Internet Pharmacies

2009-09-12T03:56:00.000-07:00

More and more people are turning to the Internet to obtain their prescription medicines. Unfortunately, though there are some very good Internet pharmacies, anyone can set one up. There are no regulations or controls to prevent a criminal in say, Beijing, Laos or anywhere else from claiming to be a pharmacist and setting up an Internet pharmacy.

The criminals don't care about your health and may try to sell you medicine that is:

Fake,
Out of date,
Re-labeled to a higher dosage,
Stored in conditions that render the medicine useless, or
Subject to a recall by the manufacturer.

Also, when you buy medicines without a prescription you run the risk of the medicine interacting with foods, vitamins or other medicines you may be taking. Some of the rogue Internet pharmacies claim to offer online consultations with a doctor. Even if the Internet pharmacy has a properly licensed and trained doctor available, this is not a substitute for consulting a doctor who knows you and has access to your full medical history.

A further danger with buying drugs on-line is that a rogue pharmacy may not inform you if the drug is recalled by the manufacturer after it has been shipped to you.

Here are some tips on how to tell the good Internet pharmacies from the rogues.

Before you buy, check the following

Is the pharmacy regulated by either Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) in North America or the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in the UK? (If a pharmacy is registered it will have a logo on its website that will take you to either the VIPPS or the RPS website. To date, only twenty pharmacies have registered with the VIPPS scheme).

Is the Internet pharmacy prepared to sell you prescription medicines without a prescription? You should not buy from such a pharmacy.

Does the Internet pharmacy provide contact details and a phone number on its website? If yes, then you should google the address and phone number to make sure they are not merely a PO Box or virtual phone number that can be set up from anywhere in the world. You should not buy from a website whose contact or address details do not appear to be genuine.

If you do decide to buy from an Internet pharmacy, here are some further checks you can perform to give yourself some comfort that you have purchased the medicine from a reputable company:

Check the envelope in which the medicine arrives to see where it was sent from.
Check if the medicine's packaging is similar to what you have purchased in the past.
If the medicine is in pill form, check if the pills look similar to what you have purchased in the past.
When taking the medicine, watch out for different sensations/taste/feeling than expected.
Check your credit card statement to see if the merchant's name is the same as that shown on pharmacy's website.

If you have any concerns about a medicine you have purchased, or are thinking of purchasing, from an Internet pharmacy you should discuss them with your doctor.

http://www.checkdrugs.com - to search for alerts and recalled medicines.

http://www.checkpharma.com - to register a complaint about an Internet pharmacy.

Jack(John) Conway MSc, FAIA is a Co-Founder of Cardan Technologies Inc. Jack(John) was a member of the HDMA product safety task force and has spoken at several conferences about consumer safety.

Cardan Technologies Inc is a management consulting firm based in Canada focusing on RFID and consumer safety and privacy. Cardan owns both checkdrugs.com and checkpharma.com

Best Yeast Infection Treatment - A Simple Way to Get Rid of a Yeast Infection

2009-08-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

Having to find information about the best yeast infection treatment available is no laughing matter.

For one, you feel terrible, embarrassed and you have all the physical discomfort that the symptoms of such infection produce. Secondly, you know that going to see a doctor and having to undress to show this person your private and most intimate areas is really embarrassing and difficult. Regardless whether it is a doctor or a nurse. And thirdly, you know that this is going to cost you some serious money if you don't have insurance.

There are of course over the counter remedies and medications that you can purchase at your local pharmacy and in many cases, at your local grocery store. The main problem with these drugs and remedies is that they only focus on treating and alleviating the symptoms like itchiness, redness and swelling. However, most of the time they do not really attack and address the infection and its causes, leaving you feeling better momentarily just to find that nasty infection reappear in a short amount of time putting you back where you are now.

It is also crucial to treat the root of the problem, otherwise you may end up spreading the infection to a lot of people that may use the same restroom that you do or if you have multiple sexual partners. Even if you are in a serious, monogamous relationship, you don't want to have to tell your partner that you have an infection in your private parts. That is embarrassing to say the least.

That is why it is crucial to find the best yeast infection treatment immediately.

Avoid the embarrassment of dropping your pants in front of the doctor and find the Best yeast infection treatment for men that you can do in private. Discover the secret here!

When Should I Get a Tetanus Shot?

2009-08-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

The infection that used to be called lockjaw, and now referred to as tetanus, is a disabling and life threatening illness. It is caused by a bacterium, Clostridium tetani, which inhabits soil and manure. It is common throughout the environment, and the illness is caused when the bacteria or its spores enter an open wound.

Bacterial spores are bacteria in a state of almost suspended animation, and they can persist in soil and dust for many years.They will become active again and start to multiply when they are given the right conditions of moisture, temperature and nutrients, and they get these in abundance in an open wound.

Almost any type of wound can be infected, but deep puncture wounds are most at risk. When the bacteria or spores enter a wound and start to multiply, the create a toxin, which is the actual cause of the illness. Tetanus affects the muscular and nervous systems and the first symptoms of the illness are usually muscle spasms in the muscles nearest to the wound site. These soon spread, usually to the face primarily, then to other areas. Left untreated, tetanus has a fatality rate of about 60%.

Tetanus usually takes between two days and 21 days (or sometimes even more) to become apparent, so when you get a cut that might be a problem, it is worth having it dealt with at once, or else you are liable to forget while tetanus is incubating in your system.

In most of the developed world, there are well established and extremely effective immunization programs that start in childhood, and continue routinely throughout adult life, and most people who are now adults will probably be well protected. It is possible, however, that some of the elderly may not.

The vaccines used are normally multiple vaccines, protecting against tetanus, pertussis and diphtheria, but several variants are available. After the primary series is given, booster shots are given every ten years.

So when should you get a tetanus shot?. If you do not no for sure of your protection status, any penetrating wound, including animal bites should be followed to a visit to the Doctor to get your protection up to date. Even if you know that you have had a full program of immunizations, any deep or dirty wounds, especially those that may be contaminated with manure or soil may require an additional injection of human tetanus immunoglobulin may be given as an additional safeguard.

If your work brings you into frequent contact with soil, or with horses, you must make sure your protection is kept up to date, as is the case if you are travelling to some of the poorer parts of the world outside Europe or the U.S.

Are you sure you are protected? If not, take heed!

Norman is a partner in a counselling, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy and life coaching practice in Spain. He is a regular newspaper contributor on mental health issues, and a Mental Health Expert on http://www.justanswer.com/.

He also runs an online counselling/psychotherapy service at http://www.lifechangeonline.co.uk. Why not visit and see what's on offer?

Chinese Medicine & America

2009-08-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

Chinese Medicine or any kind medicine in any part of the world reflects the ethos of that particular region. With increased globalization and exchange of views and other parameters, the system of medicine also attempts to enter into the others' territories. It's an ongoing process, which results in giving world class treating mechanisms and ultimately results in better way of healing.

As there are many cases that represent the audacity of the claim of treating by one system of medicine establishing itself as superior, yet there are no guarantees that a particular medicine system will eventually succeed in giving relief to the patient. However, there are attempts that go on in justifying the superiority of a particular medicine system and it applies to all the healing systems of the world. In fact, it is primarily the result of enhanced globalization.

As far as Chinese Medicine is concerned, it has been claimed that it is actually trying to make through the boundaries of America. In its attempt to stake its claim, you can witness many traditional healers offering traditional healing practices in the vicinities of America. Nevertheless, the fact is that it is actually difficult in making space for a particular healing system. However, it isn't a thing of controversy when we say that Chinese way of healing is trying hard to enter into the premises of America. The fact of the matter is that it is the superiority of the healing system that compels the American people to resort to it. In fact, they are happy with its positive results and that is what makes it ever more popular in the American context.

However, there is significant chunk of people in America who believes that there isn't much in the claim where Chinese system of medicine is trying its claim over its counterparts. Their claim is that the Chinese have suffered immensely at the hands of many Chinese physicians. However, it is not true as the system of medicine is traditional and on that basis it is attacked by the fundamentalists who believe that there is no other way combat disease in the human body other than modern day treating methods. However, it is not true and not seems to be convincing enough. Chinese Medicine is here to stay and reign supreme amidst all the problems it faces in the present context.

The author is associated to the website - http://www.yourhealthandlongevity.com/ - Holi Balance is one of the leading Asian companies specialised in Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Chinese Herbal Medicine Boston, Acupuncturist in Boston, Healing, Tai Chi, Yoga Classes Boston, etc.

Why Do We Practice? A Quick Look at the History of Sports Medicine

2009-07-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Do you wonder why a doctor practices medicine even after all that training? Medicine in context of sports, movements, and exercise is a very new concept. The field of sports medicine is defined as a medical subspecialty responsible for continuous care, enhancement of health and fitness, and prevention of injury and illness to an individual engaged in physical exercise and sports. In the spectrum of science, sports medicine was never a prime concern. It was not until the last couple of generations that exercise was looked to prolong life and can improve your body's day to day function. Gears of concern changed and Sports Medicine became into mainstream media. You are active and take this science for granted. But years ago exercise was looked down upon and the body's signs of physical work offered only signs of serfdom and lower class citizens. To follow, you will have a brief history of the movement science we now refer to as sports medicine.

At the beginning of recorded time, humans have been doing the right things. As far back as the Primitive Era (2500 B.C), the Chinese were using exercise to overcome and prevent disease in efforts of prolonging life. In the days of the Greek Era 9500 B.C. athletics were a large part of life and entertainment. Greek physicians began involving themselves with athletics. Herodicus (480 B.C.) is recognized as the first "Teacher of Athletic Medicine". Hippocrates (460 B.C.) is responsible for the development of medicine. He spent much time preparing athletes for competition and treating their injuries. Aristotle (340 B.C.) was another popular physician. Athletics were more than a sport, the Greeks built physical activity and training into their daily lives and education systems as a tool to thwart invasion from other countries.

The science briefly took off during the Roman Era (150 A.D). A Greek physician, named Clautius Galen moved to Rome and became the team physician to the gladiators! This may have been the first team coach of sorts in time. He optimized his unique position and gave four great contributions. The first was that muscles contract and shorten. Second, nerves carry a stimulus from the brain to the muscles. Thirdly, he noted that arteries take a substance (found to be Oxygen) from the lungs outwards to the tissues. Galen inevitably developed therapeutic rehabilitation exercises for his gladiators after injury. The Dark Era (1500 A.D.) offered little scientific developments. Humans heavily concerned themselves with warfare in those days. Supposedly many physicians were turning society off of exercise habits and routines. Ironically the physicians of the time mistranslated the Greek texts to mean that vigorous exercise and sports were not advisable.

When science began looking at exercise again, it became known as the Modern Era (1600-Present Day). During the 1600's William Harvey discovered and described the flow and circulation of blood. Other medical writers of the day claimed that exercise could "preserve health". In the 1800's, the science finally became quantified. An English physiologist, Edward Smith, was the first to quantify the amount of work output. He actually built a large treadmill to hold 10 prisoners for work force and then used wind resistance to adjust the power levels. In Scandinavia, a large movement began and separated itself from conventional medical fields. It was named Gymnastics. The new field organized the use of exercise to improve and develop physical and mental attributes.

America in the 1900-2000 years showed many improvements and discoveries. From 1900-1920, A.V. Hill, an English physiologist, won the Noble Prize for work in muscle physiology. He is considered to be the "First Exercise Physiologist." Two pioneer men studied under Hill. These two men established the Harvard Fatigue Lab. This is where it all started to boom. This is the very first exercise physiology lab in the US and it was literally in the basement of the Harvard Business School. Bruce Dill was one of the two founders and acclaimed as the first American Exercise Physiologist. He is highly published on exercise and physical chemistry, mainly on hemoglobin. The second founder, Joseph Wolfe, went on to create the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in 1954.

The Harvard Fatigue Lab truly set a new science in motion. During the 1940-1960's, the Army Research Lab in Natick, Massachusetts began tests. They eventually established progressive research on body composition, the body's response to heat and cold during exercise, and much more. The 1960- 1980 years became the beginning of a fitness boom within mainstream media and society. This sudden resurgence of fitness and exercise lead Ken Cooper to coin the term and popular group training style, Aerobics. Research began into exercise effects from altitude, heart disease, nutrition, and surgical techniques and materials. All of which play vital roles in athletics and rehabilitation.

The present day is anyone's guess. Things may be discovered that will shake the foundations of exercise science. Just these last few years, the food pyramid was completely redesigned to include different aspects of activity levels and body types within society. Recent advances with laptop computers and processing speeds, biochemical analyzers, and gas analyzers that sense your breathing exchange while moving. If your athletic curiosity demanded, you can now find out the ratio of muscle fiber types by essentially using a thick needle and pulling out a small cylinder of muscle tissue. Surprisingly it is a painful and invasive quick prick. This is named NMR spectroscopy and imaging. We, in the industry are always practicing. We always adapt routine not only to maximize results but also to adapt to the ever-changing new science. The future is limitless with the human body.

Author : ROB NIX, Sport Skills Specialist

History of sport, exercise, sport medicine

Motion Sickness Medication

2009-07-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

Often motion sickness medication can cause drowsiness. It must be taken prior to travel, usually at least 30 minutes before. In most cases the medication is not effective. Motion sickness bands or otherwise known as a motion sickness bracelet can be effective. You can use these time and time again and they work with acupressure. There are also some herbal remedies available, such as ginger. This can be taken in the raw form or in tea or even ginger biscuits (with a quite high ginger strength in them).

The sickness can make travelling extremely hard and not an enjoyable experience at all. There are some things that will make the risk factor higher than others, these include,

being prone to nausea
anxious
travelling in a boat, airplane, car, train
going on fair rides
bad ventilation
not seeing out of the window when travelling

Approximately 30% of the population suffer with motion sickness. 5% will suffer to an extreme level including vomiting. Once children are able to put together the pieces visually, meaning they are aware that they are moving and able to see where they are going, then they become susceptible to the condition. Prior to this they will not suffer. This is why it is said that children over 2 are prone to suffer. Children of the age 2 up to 12 are the highest at risk.

Below are just a few tips for helping to reduce the sickness:

Drink lots of water
aviod greasy, fatty or spicy meals
dont eat too much
avoid alcohol the day before travelling
try to get some fresh air whilst travelling

A motion sickness remedy I had recommended to me can be found at http://www.motionsicknesscure.info .When you have experienced motion sickness once, you will not want to have to bear it again. Most people visit there doctor or pharmacist to inquire about motion sickness medication before travelling for the second time, in a hope of preventing it returning. To find some motion sickness tips visit my squidoo lens

Hayley Lou

Review of Laboratory Procedures in Insurance Medicine

2009-07-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

While an investigation was being made into the mortality rates, there was also a review of the laboratory procedures being carried out. For this purpose the medical division called in the foremost experts in the field, Dr. Otto Folin and Dr. Stanley Benedict. These men devised new quantitative tests for glycosuria and albuminuria, which became standard procedure in medicine. In addition, the laboratory refined and improved methods of analysis of various substances in the blood. Dr. Folin developed a method of determining accurately the amount of sugar in a very small quantity of blood.

This method was eventually used in medical laboratories all over the world. Another interesting development was the use of x-ray procedures in solving medical problems of policies such as "life insurance quote without medical." This revolved primarily around the use of the fluoroscope, an x-ray device through which the physician can "see" instantly the internal structures of the body. Fluoroscopy was first taken up by the medical division as an efficient and inexpensive method of detecting early tuberculosis in applicants for employment and in company employees at the home office.

Studies of various abnormalities of the lungs disclosed in these examinations helped the company's doctors to determine their significance, and as a result some abnormalities, such as healed childhood tuberculosis, were proved to have no adverse effect on longevity. Insurance practices were consequently revised in the light of these findings. X-ray films were also extensively used in examinations of the heart and lungs. The determination of the nature and extent of cardiac enlargement by the usual methods of examination was, in some respects, a "rule of thumb" affair.

An x-ray film of the chest, however, yielded more accurate information on the size of the heart and often disclosed other valuable details regarding that organ. Consequently its use, when a heart abnormality was present or suspected, resulted in providing a more accurate and fairer judgment than would otherwise have been possible. Here again observations on home office employees giving different types of life insurance quotes expedited the development of standards for insurance and general use. The investigation of heart impairments had special interest for those concerned with medical selection in the Metropolitan.

In 1899 the company began to insure persons with certain types of heart murmurs, issuing policies in the special class branch to these applicants. As there was no mortality experience to go by, the decision to accept such risks was made on the basis of clinical judgment. In the aggregate, the mortality experience on these heart cases proved to be within the expected limits. Periodic studies proved, however, that some types of heart murmurs were insignificant abnormalities, while others were of such seriousness that persons so impaired were not insurable at all. New procedures that followed for diagnosing heart disease were also useful in insurance medicine.

One of the most important of these was electrocardiography, which was of prime value in detecting diseases of the heart muscle. Prior to the use of this technique in insurance examinations (for life insurance rates and quotes) little distinction could be made with respect to applicants with such disorders. The development of electrocardiography, however, made it possible to identify some cases of serious heart disease that would not ordinarily be picked up by the usual physical examination.

While the normal pattern of the electrocardiogram was defined in broad outlines, there were numerous deviations the nature and significance of which were obscure for many years to follow. In the accumulation of data for the solution of these problems the insurance companies, and particularly the Metropolitan, laid foundations for future scientific advances which would prove of great value not only in insurance medicine but also in general practice.

Allison Ryan is a freelance writer specializing in life insurance rates and types of life insurance, as well as the history of the insurance industry. For a free life insurance quote without medical, check out http://www.equote.com/.

Mile High Warnings of Counterfeit Drugs

2009-06-16T06:37:00.001-07:00

It's happening all the time. Nearly every day, there are new reports of counterfeit drugs flooding the world's prescription drug market. Just last week, the Partnership for Safe Medicines posted a link about how counterfeit drugs are hastening drug-resistant strains of malaria. And the week before, we shared the news reports out of the United Kingdom about a raid on an Irish counterfeit drug distribution operation and the MHRA's recall due to possible counterfeit inhalers found in the U.K. supply system.

There is documented proof that counterfeit drugs are a global problem that affects consumers right here in the United States. My colleague Marv Shepherd spoke about this very topic last month with 21st Century Healthcare Forum, a program that airs on Northwest and American Airlines.

Dr. Shepherd reiterates that if you are going to purchase a medication online, it should only be purchased through an online pharmacy that bears a seal from the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS), a program of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy that presents pharmacies with a accreditation only when they have complied with the licensing and inspection requirements of their state and each state to which they dispense pharmaceuticals.

The Partnership for Safe Medicines warns against the dangers of importing drugs from countries, such as Mexico, that do not enforce the same stringent regulatory procedures amongst their pharmacies as in countries such as the United States.

Counterfeit drugs are a serious patient safety problem. The Partnership for Safe Medicines is working together to protect the safety of your prescription drugs. The Partnership for Safe Medicines is a group of organizations and individuals that have policies, procedures, or programs to protect consumers from counterfeit or contraband medicines.

Thomas T. Kubic is the President and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI), a non-profit association dedicated to protecting the public health by insuring the distribution of pharmaceuticals that are safe, effective, and not counterfeit drugs.

Expat Survival Guide - Self Medicating a Staph Infection in a Third World Country

2009-06-06T01:12:00.000-07:00

Ask any well traveled expat about health care, during his or her travels, and most will tell you essentially the same thing - Some countries provide excellent or adequate medical services, while others are completely inadequate or nearly nonexistent. Today's Expat Survival Guide will concentrate on the countries where medical care is, in many cases, sub par or not readily available.

Before we get too far into this, I should tell you that the information contained in this article should never substitute for the advice and care of a qualified doctor or health care professional. However, should you find yourself in an area where such an individual is not readily available, then the information contained herein will be of good use to you. Just make sure that you visit a qualified doctor as soon as possible, as only he or she will be able to completely and accurately diagnose and treat an infectious condition.

First off. We should go over exactly what a Staph Infection is, and the symptoms of such an infection.

A Staph Infection is an infection caused by Staphylococcus (or "Staph" bacteria). It is a very common bacterium and is generally believed to be present in about 25% of all people. In many cases, it lives upon the skin in the nose, mouth, genital, and anal areas without causing an infection. However, once a cut or puncture occurs, in an area where the bacteria are residing, chances of an infection increase dramatically. The foot is also susceptible to picking up the bacteria from the floor. Staph infections normally begin with a minor cut that becomes infected with the bacteria.

Staph infections can range from a simple boil or enlarged pimple type occurrence to dangerous flesh-eating conditions which can be highly resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotic resistant strains of the bacteria are prevalent in North America, due to an ever growing dependence on antibiotics to treat bacteria related conditions and illnesses. The severity of a Staph Infection normally depends on the depth of the infection and how fast it is spread. Of course strains of the bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics can become more dangerous and may even be life threatening if left untreated or unchecked.

Staph infections normally begin with a small area of redness. The area may be very tender and swollen. It may or may not begin with a break in the skin. The affected area may become quite warm and painful. If this occurs, then chances are good you have been infected by the Staph Cellulitis strain of the bacteria. This seems to be the most common strain of the bacteria; however, it will be hard to determine whether the strain is resistant or not to antibiotics, unless a culture sample is tested. Therefore, you should visit a qualified doctor as soon as you can. But this guide is for expats with no qualified doctor readily available to him, and until you can actually visit a doctor you have to do something.

I have known many expats that suffered from Staph Infections, while in third world countries. Though I don't recommend self medicating, there are times when there is no choice. If you find yourself in this position, here are some things you can do to help.

First, keep the infected area very clean. This is the most important thing you can do to help minimize or prevent spread of the bacterial infection. When cleaning the affected area, use a good quality soap and warm water. Allow the soap to remain on the infected area of the skin for two or three minutes before rinsing.

Once the affected area is cleaned, wipe the affected area with cotton and hydrogen peroxide or betadine to further help kill the surface bacteria. If the wound is an open wound then saturate the wound with hydrogen peroxide and allow it to thoroughly clean the wound. Cover the affected area with a clean gauze bandage. Clean the affected area and change the bandage at least three or four times daily.

If you have access to a pharmacy or drug store (In many developing countries there are pharmacies available but not trained doctors) you will most likely be able to acquire most common antibiotics and antibacterial medications without a prescription. Many western countries restrict sale of these medications; however, most developing nations do not. Therefore, if you have access to a pharmacy then the following medications are the most commonly prescribed for Staph Infections:

Good 'ole Penicillin (if you're not allergic) can fight many nonresistant strains of the bacteria, and is usually available in most countries of the world. Actually, many doctors will usually prescribe two derivatives of penicillin to treat Staph infections. Penicillin or Amoxicillin which are broad spectrum antibiotics and Cloxacillin, Cloxacillin Sodium or Flucloxacillin which are narrow spectrum derivatives that more actively attack the Staph Bacteria itself. Taking both at the same time is quite common. Both are normally prescribed in 500mg capsules and should be taken 3 - 4 times daily. Penicillin and its derivatives work best on an empty stomach.

If you are allergic to Penicillin, you can substitute Erythromycin for the Penicillin or Amoxicillin and Doxycycline for the Cloxacillin-based drug. Erythromycin dosage is 500mg twice daily, and Doxycycline dosage is 100mg once daily. Erythromycin and Doxycycline may be taken with or without food.

All antibiotics mentioned above will require 3 - 4 days before signs of improvement, if any, are noticed. Typical periods of treatment are 10 - 14 days. However, in more serious cases, the need to take the antibiotics for up to 45 days is not uncommon.

In addition, many studies and tests have shown that applying a good anti bacterial ointment or salve to the wound or infected area can help prevent the spread of the Staph Bacteria and allow the affected area to more quickly heal.

Many expats have used more natural remedies when neither a doctor nor pharmacy is available, and I have also used a few to treat minor staph infections. However, natural remedies should only be used when no other resources are available. I guess that is a topic for another issue of the Expat Survival Guide. Again, if you believe you have a Staph Infection, see a qualified doctor as soon as possible. The information here has helped many expats, but it may not be the best advice for you.

Stay Away From Doctors and Don't Take Pills

2009-05-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

Let's fly in the face of conventional wisdom right from the start. Are you wondering why a doctor would make such a statement as "Stay away from doctors and don't take pills?"

I have been an emergency room doctor for fifteen years and I used to see nothing wrong with people going to doctors. I also used to believe that pills had overall beneficial effects and that folks would be prescribed medications only when it was in their best interest.

I have changed my mind.

Over the years I have seen a constant parade of people whom I believe are worse off because they went to doctors and took pills.

Oh, sure, if your appendix is ready to burst go to a doctor. If you fall and you can't walk because the bone is sticking out of your leg, oh, all right, go see a doctor. If you have chest pain, can't breathe and feel like you're dying of a heart attack and would rather not let nature take its course, by all means, come see me in the ER!

Of course there are legitimate reasons for seeking the advice of a doctor, a practitioner of traditional western medicine, but, in so many cases not only is it not necessary, the plain truth is you would probably be better off to stay home and read a book. Really.

Let me explain.

Say, for example, you have a cough and your nose is plugged and when it does work there's green snot pouring out of it. You think, "Oh, I'd better go to the doctor and get some antibiotics. The last time I had this the doctor gave me a prescription for....... (fill in your own favorite antibiotic). Yes, the medical profession has trained you well. Job security, you know.

Are you aware that most cases of bronchitis and sinusitis are viral illnesses or related to allergies. Antibiotics do not kill viruses nor do they treat allergies. They kill only bacteria. Ergo, an antibiotic will not cure your illness. Oh, sure, you'll get better and you'll think the antibiotic pills did it, but, in truth, time and your immune system are what did it.

Also, antibiotics have been known to have adverse effects on the body. They can kill off the good bacteria that live happily and harmlessly on your skin, in your mouth, in your gut and in other unmentionable places, and, in so doing, allow more virulent bacteria or yeast to prosper and make you sick. They also can cause allergic reactions, sometimes life-threatening ones.

What! Antibiotics can make you sick? You bet.

So why in the world would you ever want to take one for a viral illness? Probably because you've been lead to believe that every ache and pain needs a pill and that every infection needs an antibiotic.

But you understand what I told you, right? This ain't rocket science. Would you like an example or two?

There is a diarrheal illness called pseudomembranous colitis, a fancy name for the diarrhea from hell. It is a condition caused by a toxin produced by clostridium difficile (c. diff for short), a bacterium that lives harmoniously in everyone's bowel. "C. diff. colitis", as we doctors lovingly call this condition that causes you to defecate uncontrollably, is caused by taking antibiotics: and just about any antibiotic can do it. C.diff can kill you.

You see, the good bacteria in you gut keep the c.diff bacteria under control. If the good guys get killed off by that antibiotic you took for your bronchitis then c. diff can grow in large numbers and produce its toxin. Believe me, after you have spent a day or two on the crapper, with a potentially life-threatening illness you will see the wisdom of avoiding unnecessary antibiotics.

Another problem with antibiotics is that over the years, since the successful introduction of penicillin, antibiotics have been prescribed so much that bacteria, the little bugs we are trying to kill, have become resistant to them, necessitating the development of more and more powerful drugs to kill the stronger bacteria. You might have heard of one of these bacteria, MRSA (methecillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus). MRSA seems to be everywhere now and is just one example of the fact that bacteria will continue to outsmart us. The unnecessary use of antibiotics has been a major factor in the development of resistant bacteria.

Another example of the ability of medications to cause harm is a condition called Steven Johnson's Syndrome and its ultimately lethal cousin, toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). These conditions can develop as drug reactions to certain antibiotics and unless the patient has a previous history of such a condition, the doctor has no way of knowing that it will happen. TEN causes huge blisters to form everywhere, with subsequent sloughing of the skin. It's the equivalent of having second degree burns over your entire body.

What a shame if you die a slow painful death after taking a medication you did not need in the first place.

Now that's what I call having a bad day.

Marlene Buckler, MD, FACEP
http://www.StayOutOfMyER.com
A Doctor's Guide To Avoiding The Emergency Room

Dr Buckler is an emergency room doctor and a Fellow in the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). She has been practicing emergency medicine for more than fifteen years.

Learn more about a healthy life style and how to keep yourself out of the emergency room at http://www.StayOutOfMyER.com

Health and Responsibility

2009-05-06T02:24:00.000-07:00

I am usually known for my general oddness, my willingness to partake in a bit of tomfoolery and my strange ways but I have recently been trying to educate myself on issues that are currently going on in the world that are a huge cause for concern and an infringement on our human rights, and when trying to share this information with people have discovered that a majority of them refuse to even listen let alone accept it even when faced with hard facts.

For example, ID cards, micro chipping, constant surveillance from ridiculous numbers of CCTV cameras, the truth about 9/11 and 7/7, oil consumption, the myth of global warming and (and I believe this is the current biggest threat to our human rights) CODEX ALIMENTARIUS - the enforcement by governments around the world of controls set by the WHO and FAO to control our food and particularly our intake of vitamin and mineral supplements. Articles have already been splashed all over the headlines recently claiming that Vitamin supplements cause early death.

I urge anybody with half a brain to realise that the media is a really unreliable source of information due to selective editing and anything you read/hear/watch that has an impact on your lifestyle should be fully researched before stopping taking those high dose vitamin C tablets or the echinacea tincture you've been taking after reading an article in the Daily Mail.

Whether or not you believe the flawed and false results found in the studies that were quoted in the articles or not is actually irrelevant because as human beings and residents of the planet earth, surely we have the right to put whatever we want into our bodies especially when societies of people throughout the world have been successfully using natural therapies and herbs and plants for thousands of years before the WHO/FAO/NHS was invented.

What this is all saying is that it's fine to fill yourselves and your children with MSG, GM foods, hydrogenated fats, aspartame, fluoride, refined sugars, meat injected with sub-standard anti-biotics, coke.(do I need to continue?) But it's not OK to take vitamin supplements to help counteract the effects of our hydroponically grown, pesticide covered, nutrient depleted fruit and vegetables???

And to be quite honest, if there was any truth in it (which I absolutely do not believe that there is) I'd rather die a few years earlier and have had a good quality of life than spend years being pumped with all manner of medications (the third biggest killer in the UK after heart disease and cancer) to no ones benefit but pharmaceutical companies. And all this is being done under the pretense that it is for our own good. It's insane!

Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg, there are all sorts of horrible things going on in the world and you don't have to look very hard to find them. The problem with people generally is that they don't want to know what's going on because with knowledge comes responsibility and nobody wants that do they??

But, if you have any interest in protecting your human rights don't take my word for it, look for yourself, there is any amount of information on the Internet. Gather it all, absorb it and decide for yourself.

Although I am far from being an expert on the subject, I feel it is irresponsible not to share this information with people, and you can judge me in whatever way you like if you read this, I don't care but please just have a look and (in the words of Old Gregg) make an assessment.

Rant over for now.

I have been slowly becoming aware of the global erosion of peoples rights and freedoms and attacks on their well being from their very own governments. So i have decided to try and highlight these shameful realities in the best way I can, through some short articles. I hope you find them informative and enlightening.

http://theanimamundi-yokaboo-com.blogspot.com/

http://theanimamundi.com/

The Value of Homemade Medicine

2009-04-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

Did you know the number one export from Japan is insurance policies? At the same time, are you aware that state government underwriters determine how much your insurance policies will cost? In exchange for this "service", a significant percentage of the money you pay each month is collected by the state in the form of "underwriting" fees. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that governing bodies also license doctors in order to propagate an enormous money making system that generates millions of tax dollars. On the other hand, horror stories emerge on a daily basis about all kinds of malpractice, and drugs that are about as useful as leeches and spell casting. Why not try homemade medicine instead?

As the economy continues to collapse under all kinds of foolish decisions made by consumers and governing bodies alike, there is no question that healthcare systems around the world are in serious trouble. In particular, there is an urgent need to begin ending reliance on harmful drugs when diet and lifestyle changes are the best and safest cures available. Regardless of whether you are talking about gastritis or hypertension, there is no substitute for a healthy diet and proper exercise. You may even be surprised to find that homemade medicine can help prevent these conditions.

When you make use of homemade medicine, you can free your wallet and the medical profession of an enormous burden. At the same time, you will also be able to enjoy good health and lifestyle that will help you stay fit well into your advanced years. While you may still need a conventional doctor to treat ailments like diabetes and infectious diseases, you will find that many other things can and should be managed on your own. Without a question, if you are sick of all your money going on health care and taxes, the best thing you can do for yourself and the economy is to resist the urge to live in a way that does not truly promote good health.

Looking for natural cures revealed? Vera Baylor can help! Vera runs the informational website BetterFamilyToday.Com as an online resource for all things family-related. Get free tips when you check out the site today!

When the Search For Cure Ceases - Pallative Care

2009-04-15T03:53:00.000-07:00

Families often struggle with the need to be sure everything has been done that can be done their terminally ill loved one. It can be very difficult for the patient and family members as they transition from making decisions toward cure to making decisions that will help to allow for a comfortable and peaceful death.

When a terminally ill person and/or their loved ones make the decision to discontinue curative treatments and move instead into comfort care in preparation for approaching death, there are several matters which must be considered.

What is Palliative Care

Palliative is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of symptoms rather than curing the disease. The goal of palliative care is to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for those who are experiencing serious, complex and terminal illness.

This can include alternative or energy work such as massage or aromatherapy which may alleviate the side effects of the curative treatments. One example is methods of relieving the nausea associated with chemotherapy.

Over the past twenty years, the focus on a patient's quality of life has gained substantial ground. Today in the United States, 55% of U.S. hospitals with over 100 beds offer a palliative care programand nearly one-fifth of community hospitals have palliative care programs.A relatively recent development is the concept of a dedicated health care team that is entirely geared toward palliative treatment, called a palliative care team.

There is often confusion between the terms hospice and palliative care. In the United States, hospice services and palliative care programs share similar goals of providing symptom relief and pain management.

However, the most important distinction between hospice and palliative care programs in the United States is that hospice is a Medicare Part A benefit, thus requiring many aspects of hospice care such as enrollment to be regulated by the United States federal government.

Non-hospice palliative care, however, is appropriate for anyone with a serious, complex illness, whether they are expected to recover fully, to live with chronic illness for an extended time, or to experience disease progression.

As death becomes more imminent, attempts to cure the disease taper off, while palliative care measures increase.

(c) Judy H. Wright http://www.ArtichokePress.com You have permission to reprint this article in your blog, ezine or offline magazine as long as you keep the content and contact information intact. Thank You.

Artichoke Press is the home site of Judy H. Wright aka Auntie Artichoke, family relationship coach and author of over 20 books on family relationships. If your organization would like to schedule Auntie Artichoke, the storytelling trainer, for a workshop please call 406.549.9813.

You are also invited to visit our blog at http://www.AskAuntieArtichoke.com for answers and suggestions which will enhance your relationships. You will also find a full listing of free tele-classes and radio shows held each Thursday just for you.

Thanks for joining our community of caring parents, family members,coaches, teachers and mentors who want to help raise a generation of responsible adults.

Non-Stimulating ADHD Medications - What's on Offer ?

2009-03-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the ADHD psychostimulant drug Cylert was withdrawn from the market in 2005 after reports that it had been linked to liver disease and even liver failure? Are you aware that up to 16% of children on the ADHD psychostimulant drugs are under pressure from their peers to either get them the drugs or sell them ? There is also a risk that an ADHD child when taking these psychostimulant medications may mix them with another drug or alcohol and the side effects here are much more serious and dangerous. Time to consider the non-stimulating ADHD medications.

So, what are the non-stimulating ADHD meds and are the risks less, greater or is it just the same old story ? One of the most popular ones at the moment is called Strattera (made with atomexatine) and it seems to help with some ADHD symptoms. The child will pay a high price though in that the side effects can be quite serious and the moment the child has a suicidal thought, the doctor should be told ! Add to that, loss of appetite and the fact that nobody knows about the long term effects on growth, moodiness and other problems. I thought childhood was supposed to be carefree and happy ? Any sensible parent will look for alternatives and an ADHD homeopathic cure is one the safest and will beat any of the non-stimulant ADHD medications hands down on side effects (there are none) and effectiveness.

Believe it or not, anti-depressants for ADHD treatment in children are not banned in the USA, whereas in the UK, they are ! Even doctors now are very wary about putting children on anti-depressants and say that psychotherapy or ADHD behaviour therapy should be tried first. Well known anti-depressants still used in the USA extensively are Welbutrin and Bupropion. The side effects are insomnia, headaches, stomach pains and a general state of agitation. One of these anti-depressant drugs called Desipramine has been linked to sudden death in a few adolescents.

The heart risks associated with other non-stimulating ADHD medications are linked to the blood pressure drugs such as Clonidine and Tenex. Even if a child misses his medication here, or stops taking the drug, there is a distinct risk of very irregular heartbeat and also liver, kidney and blood circulation problems. Apart from that, drowsiness is a big problem associated with these drugs.

The non-stimulating ADHD medications on offer then are quite numerous and fall into the main three types I have outlined above. The risks and the side effects , in my opinion, outweigh the advantages and many parents will have to decide what to give their children. The worry and the cost of monitoring these drugs on their children is considerable and any wise parent would do well to investigate an ADHD homeopathic remedy which has no side effects and no risk of drug abuse.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children's Health. He has written extensively on ADHD.
Discover what ADHD Alternative Therapy is available. Find out how ADHD behavior therapy can save your sanity.

Medications For ADHD - Exploring Current Treatment Options

2009-03-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

When evaluating meds for ADHD more than likely one name comes to mind, that would be the prescription medication Ritalin. Ritalin is currently one of the most widely recognized and widely prescribed prescription meds for ADHD with over 2,000,000 prescriptions written annually. But since the introduction of Ritalin there have been a long list of additional meds for ADHD to enter the arena. These would fall into three categories: long acting stimulants, short/intermediate acting stimulants, and non-stimulants.

Meds for ADHD of the long lasting stimulant variety (8 to 12 hours) include such names as Vyvanse, Adderal XR, Concerta, Daytrana, Focalin XR, Metadate CD, and Ritalin LA. These next generation ADHD meds have the advantage of convenience; only having to be taken once a day. Another advantage is Adderall XR and Ritalin LA capsules can be opened and sprinkled onto food if your child cannot swallow them.

Meds for ADHD of the short and intermediate acting variety include many of the old familiar names including Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall, Dextrostat, and Methylin ER, and the list goes on. The statistics show that the short and intermediate varieties have been losing market share due to the once a day dosage guideline. But even with the convenience factor strongly in favor of the longer lasting Ritalin and Adderall have been stubbornly hanging on due to inexpensive generic options, which are much more affordable than their non-generic cousins.

And lastly we have the non-stimulant meds for ADHD. This form of treatment is not as popular as the two other types of meds for ADHD. Strattera is currently the most prescribed of this classification type and is reserved mainly for children, who struggle with anxiety, have shown unfavorable results to ADHD treatments (of the stimulant variety), or failed to benefit from any other treatments.

You may or may not realize that there is a fourth choice that seems to be growing in popularity; homeopathy. Part of the reason for this is the potential worrisome side effects associated with prescription meds for ADHD. These side effects would include: decreased appetite, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, tiredness, mood swings, and even allergic reactions. But perhaps the most troubling involves a recently released study which links prescription meds for ADHD to a longer term problem, depression in adulthood.

So there it is just some simple facts. The harmful short-term and long-term side effects of prescription meds for ADHD should be reason enough to seek out information about alternative treatment options for your child. Arm yourself with information, consisting of both prescription meds for ADHD and alternative treatment options like homeopathy. These facts will ultimately give you the information needed to make the best choice in treating your child's ADHD, both for safety and overall results.

R.D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate of alternative natural health products and supplements with over 10 years experience. To learn more about homeopathic natural health visit Purchase Remedies.com

Onychomycosis - Fungal Nail Infection - Possible Causes and Treatments

2009-03-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

The fungus that is responsible for fungal infection of the nail can be picked up almost anywhere, but walking barefoot in public places (saunas, swimming pools, etc) is most often responsible. Seasoned citizens, people facing the challenges of diabetes and those with circulatory problems in the feet are at the greatest risk of contacting a fungal nail infection.

Mild infections may produce few or no symptoms; in more severe infections, the nails turn white to yellow-brown in color, thicken, and detach from the nail bed. Usually, debris from the infected nail collects under its free edge. A doctor may confirm the diagnosis by examining a sample of the nail debris under a microscope and culturing it to determine which fungus is causing the infection.

Fungal infections are resilient and difficult to cure, so treatment is dependent on the severity of the infection as well as the symptoms. If you have fallen victim to a fungal nail infection your doctor will likely suggest trimming your nails very short, to minimize discomfort. For mild to moderate infections of the nails, ciclopirox, and antifungal drug that is placed in a nail lacquer, may be effective. The person applies the lacquer directly to the nail; the drug penetrates the nail plate to reach the infected nail bed below. Because ciclopirox has minimal side effects, it may be preferred to antifungal drugs that are given by mouth.

Other antifungal drugs, such as griseofulvin or terbinafine, are taken by mouth and may improve nail fungal infections occasionally, these drugs, if effective, will completely cure it. Terbinafine acts more quickly than griseofulvin, is more effective, and causes fewer side effects. Alternative antifungal drugs include triaconazole and fluconazole.

Millions of people annually face the challenges and the embarrassment associated with fungal nail infections. Many of these people are opting for a natural alternative treatment for nail infections.The most effective natural nail fungus treatments contain a combination of natural oils. These products have been shown to be safe and effective, while producing results in a matter of weeks.

Three Common Treatments For A Hemorrhoid Cure

2009-02-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

If you are suffering from hemorrhoids, also called the piles, you are most likely be trying to find a hemorrhoids cure. Hemorrhoids are a very uncomfortable and oftentimes painful ailment, but despite the fact that it is an ailment that afflicts one out of ten people all over the world, no one really talks about it as the piles are considered a truly embarrassing topic.

But clinging to embarrassment will not save you from the pain and discomfort of the piles. If you want hemorrhoid cure, you should seek treatment for it. There are three common treatments that you can turn to when it comes to the piles.

One form of hemorrhoid cure is the application of creams and ointments to the outer skin of your anus. These topical creams and ointments are meant to ease away the itching and the pain of hemorrhoids. They are also supposed to soothe the hemorrhoid veins so that their swelling would ebb. This should make the passing of stools out of your system a lot less traumatic.

Another method you can use for hemorrhoid cure is the use of suppositories. Suppositories are inserted into the anal canal. Their function is to coat the hemorrhoid veins with added moisture. Lubricating the rectum with suppositories is meant to make stools ease more gently out of the body without irritating the hemorrhoid veins. Reducing the chance for irritation in turn helps stop the bleeding.

The third form of common hemorrhoids treatment is hemorrhoid pills. Hemorrhoid pills work by regulating blood pressure in the body and tone the tissues making up the blood vessels. These pills help because they also alleviate the swelling and the irritation.

There are other means of dealing with the piles. Most extreme cases involve cryotherapy as well as the surgical removal of the swollen hemorrhoid veins. But whatever form of treatment you follow, it is always best for you to seek the expert advice of a physician. Not only will a physician tell you how to go about your piles treatment, but the hemorrhoid cure he or she will prescribe is sure to be safe.

The thing with these common hemorrhoid treatments is that they only deal with the symptoms of the piles and not the actual cause of the problem. Eventually, the body develops immunity to their effects and these treatments can also cause serious side effects. Always consult a doctor before subjecting yourself to a hemorrhoid treatment.

Don't suffer in silence with your embarrassing problem and act now. Visit this website for help and advice on treating hemorrhoids:- hemorrhoid cure

New ADHD Drug - Advantages and Drawbacks

2009-02-07T03:27:00.000-08:00

What have Hitler's troops and ADHD children got in common? Well, they were/are both on amphetamines! The troops had to have energy to perform their 'blitzkrieg' and the ADHD kids need them to focus. It is no secret that GIs in WWII were given amphetamines to combat fatigue. The ADHD psychostimulant drugs which contain amphetamine and dextroamphetamine are now getting a bad press because of their nasty side effects, especially as they can become addictive and lead to drug abuse. A new non-stimulant drug Tenex used for ADHD has now hit the scene.

Tenex and ADHD
Tenex is a drug for high blood pressure which helps the arteries to relax allowing the heart to beat more easily. Basically the drug acts on the prefrontal cortex of the brain and lessens the impact of incoming stimuli, thus helping the patient to focus much better. It has been estimated that up to 30% of children on ADHD psychostimulants have problems with their side effects and therefore Tenex used for ADHD seems to be a valid alternative. . You may see it advertised as Guanfacine or Dipresan in countries outside the USA.

Side Effects of Tenex
Of course Tenex has side effects which range from drowsiness, headache, constipation, feelings of weakness, dry mouth and feeling dizzy. There are also reports of heart rate slowing down (even below 60 beats a minute) which can be quite alarming for a child. Sometimes blood pressure can oscillate between very high and very low. In addition, children have reported the sensation of their throat closing and a swelling of the tongue and lips. Hives, depression and a feeling of fatigue complete the picture! This drug has been used also to rehabilitate drug users who find that the slowing of the heart rate helps them in their withdrawal symptoms. Tenex used for ADHD could be the usual two edged sword.

The jury is still out on Tenex and ADHD and understandably so ! It seems that we are replacing one set of side effects with another. The fact that it is a non-stimulant drug does not matter. What matters is that the side effects may cause more problems than it solves. Because of this, many parents refuse to go down the ADHD medication road and especially that of Tenex used for ADHD as it is a relatively new drug and the long term effects are uncharted waters. They are looking for alternative ADHD remedies which are non-addictive, safe and above all free from side effects. The link below will answer all your questions about this treatment so that you can make an informed choice.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children's Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what ADHD Alternative Therapy is available.

Preventative Medicine - Using a Preventative Scan to Diagnose Disease

2009-01-29T07:10:00.000-08:00

Having CT scans, MRIs and other tests done to diagnose and treat diseases and conditions is common practice in the medical world. In most cases, these tests are covered by the medical insurance or Medicare of the patient, if they have either. More recently, doctors are discovering the use of these tests to aid in prevention and healthy living. However, insurance companies will not usually cover these tests, so few people are able to actually get them.

A preventative scan can be done on a regular basis, such as yearly, to help make sure that you are in good health and not susceptible to various diseases and conditions. These scans can be done on any part of the body. You can have a heart scan, a full MRI, a CT scan, or even a bone density scan as a preventative measure.

Preventative scan procedures are the same as diagnostic scan procedures. The reason for the test is the only difference in the two. Since a lot of insurance companies don't cover preventative care, it is difficult to have these tests done for many people. However, insurance companies are realizing that paying for preventative care can save them money in the long run, so more and more are accepting charges for wellness visits and treatments as time goes on.

Preventative scan candidates are those who are likely to develop certain conditions, either as a result of environmental factors or genetics. By doing regular scans, many diseases and medical issues can be prevented or treated early to speed up the healing process.

More information on CT Lung Biopsy in Irvine CA and an Irvine CT scan clinic of California in your area is just a click away.

Some Alternative Medicine Therapies For Bacterial Vaginosis

2009-01-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

With a foul fishy vaginal odor emanating from the Vagina, you would find that Bacterial Vaginosis is one infection that people would like to get rid of ASAP. There are many different treatment methods to help individuals combat this disorder. Some of them are natural, and some medicinal, but in terms of effectiveness of the treatment and minimal side effects, nothing can beat alternative medicine.

And yet, you would find alternative medicine to be an unexplored territory for a lot of people when it comes to talk of treating bacterial infections. Strange, because knowing the effectiveness of therapies like Reiki and Acupuncture, you would find the treatment of this disorder getting simplified with this approach for sure.

That really is the informative point of this read. Acupuncture is an excellent technique that can cure a lot of imbalance conditions in the body. Acupuncture focuses on allowing good energy to flow in all parts of the body. The belief is that good energy will revitalize the vaginal area, and thus allowing it to recover from the bacterial attacks.

Of course, acupuncture treatments would mean pins would be pricked on human body. So long as you are able to withstand the temporary shocks of these pins, you would find this treatment method working fine. But again, you may not find a lot of testimonials on this treatment technique, at least on the Internet, primarily because not a lot of people have used this.

Talk of Alternative Medicine, and how can we ignore Ayurveda - The mother of all Herbal treatments. Treating any body condition with herbs is always advisable, but in the case of BV, you got to be slightly careful, as you do not want to apply anything on the infected area. Drinking concoctions to get rid of this disorder is absolutely fine.

It is an absolute shame that not a lot of information on Alternative Medicine can be found on the World Wide Web. Based on the limited number of treatments done, these facts have been put up, which definitely should not have been the case at all.

Experts say 1 in 3 women will be infected with BV at some point of their lives. It's important that women know the common symptoms of Bacterial Vaginosis like a Fishy Vaginal Odor.

Antibiotics and creams are the most commonly prescribed treatment to cure BV, but these treatments don't always work and in many cases just mask the problem, if you suffer from recurrent bacterial vaginosis check out:http://3DayBVcure.com

ADHD Homeopathic Medications - A Less Expensive Option

2009-01-05T03:25:00.000-08:00

Have you got $100 -$150 a month to spend on ADHD drugs which have so many side effects that the FDA spends a lot of public money on warnings to doctors and parents? Want a cheaper option?

ADHD homeopathic medications are much less expensive and the best news of all is that they have no side effects and actually do work ! Homeopathic cures for ADHD have not had much of a press quite simply because they are not backed by the pharmaceutical giants and the success of homeopathy represents a real threat to their business.

What Some Drug Companies Will NOT Tell You

Psychostimulant drugs are standard ADHD medication by now - yet this is creating a distorted childhood, creating more problems that it solves and putting children at risk of getting addicted to these drugs (Ritalin, Concerta and Strattera). Not to mention, lost days at school, insomnia, and also the cost of counselling - it is never ending.

ADHD Student Pilot's Career At Risk

I have just read a forum post where a student pilot of 20 in excellent health about to take his solo flight was refused because he was taking Concerta - he still suffers from ADHD. The solution suggested by the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) was to stay off the drug for three months !
Why should we hang a millstone around our children's necks when an easier safer solution is at hand? How can we justify compromising their future?

Tests On Homeopathic Cures For ADHD

The European Journal of Pediatrics recently published the results of a study with about 60 children to show that homeopathic cures for ADHD really do work. Not only was there evidence that there was an improvement in concentration and reduction of hyperactivity but also that there were convincing results which more than justified the use of homeopathy in ADHD treatment

How does homeopathy work?

How does homeopathy work? It is very similar to that used for treating allergies or indeed those used in developing vaccines. The patient is given the substance (usually in a harmless form ) and this then stimulates the immune system to fight the virus/ infection/symptoms.The most commonly used homeopathic cures for ADHD are :- Hyoscyamus niger, Cina, and Stramonium - the latter especially useful for anxious children.

Find A Reputable Supplier

How can you be sure that homeopathis cures for ADHD are not manufactured under dubious conditions or indeed illegally? The only way is to make sure that a reputable company which is also approved by the FDA and offers guarantees about the purity of the ingredients used and has qualified homeopaths and herbalists who have considerable experience. If you want to find out more about homeopathic cures for ADHD, the site below will give you all the information you need.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children's Health. He has written extensively on ADHD.

Discover what ADHD Homeopathic Medications are available.

Communication and Wellness Teams

2008-12-24T05:13:00.000-08:00

Kevin: So how does a natural health practitioner communicate with a doctor? How does that transpire?

Dr. Deitch: When you say doctor do you mean a medical doctor?

Kevin: Yes, a medical doctor.

Dr. Deitch: OK. I interchangeably use the term 'doctor' because I look at chiropractors as doctors. I look at us as what I think of as wellness doctors. Quite honestly there's a whole misconception as to what a chiropractor really is. Many of these terms are poor terms to use these days. In fact I actually teach and coach chiropractors to stop saying, "Hi, I'm a chiropractor" because as soon as somebody hears you're a chiropractor they already peg you as somebody who's a neck and back pain specialist and don't see you as anything beyond that because that's the definition of it, according to our cultural consciousness.

So what I recommend people do is try to start explaining who they are and what they do by the benefits that it offers people, not by their training. So to say, "Hi, I'm a massage therapist," pegs you as something that people perceive you to be, which is often times inaccurate. "I'm a nutritionist." So people have perceptions or attachments as to what those labels really mean. They're often inaccurate. I believe that if you were to start describing yourself more along the lines of... For example I'll often introduce myself as a wellness doctor. I'm not just a bestselling author, I'm a wellness doctor. Typically the response I get from people is, "What's that?" Which is exactly the response I want because then it allows me to get into the benefits of what it's like to work with me not to get pegged into, "Oh, you're one of those."

I think we all have to create new definitions for all of that and respect and understand that for the most part medical doctors' jobs are to treat disease. There's a place for that. It's important. There's a growing continuum of people trying to learn where they are in that process but there are a lot of people who fit into that big, gray area where they may be outside of the "biometric norms" and have to make a decision. "Do I control my cholesterol through medication or do I start taking care of myself better and see what I can do to not have to go down that path?" "I'm overweight. Do I wait until I'm pre-diabetic or diabetic or do I try to do something so I don't have to go down that route?" I believe that all of the lines are changing.

I think there are more medical doctors who see the devastating consequences of just putting people on drugs and are looking to figure out ways in which they can help more people on their lifestyle. Unfortunately they don't get paid to do that.

Insurance companies don't reimburse for that. So it's a very difficult business model for them to adopt. On the other hand, chiropractors have a wonderful opportunity because the reality is we are basically people who help people make better lifestyle choices without the use of drugs and surgery, which is really the essence of what's required these days.

All of us need to get a better understanding, whether you're a massage therapist, a naturopath, etc. We write about all of these in the chapter I mentioned to you earlier about creating your wellness routine. We really have a tremendous respect for all of us coming together to understand what role we play. You take any team - baseball team, football team, whatever it may be - people have different positions on the team and you can't become a championship team unless you all understand how you help each other get there or win. It's a job, no question.

I'm not saying it's easy. I'm not saying it's going to happen overnight. But I am saying this is really the most exciting and powerful time that the wellness industry has ever seen and my hope, goal, vision is that if I've got something to say about it we will try to unite the personal training profession, for example, the massage therapy profession, the chiropractic profession, Pilates - pilates is tremendously powerful and influential these days. We all have a role in helping people understand that they need to take more responsibility for their healthcare. There's no one right, perfect way for everyone all the time. We will do so much better for ourselves and for our patients and our communities if we can start working together and cooperating and understand that referring to each other is a great thing, but everybody participates versus everybody going through the scarcity and being divided as a profession.

I have come out with another book specifically for providers, a new eBook that is the five secrets of America's top wellness centers revealed. What I did is I basically have interviewed for the past almost 20 years now... As I mentioned, many of my closest friends are world- class wellness doctors, many work with professional athletes, A-list celebrities, we're very involved on a variety of different levels from research and science to politics and so on and so forth. I've found and discovered that there are five secrets to making the transformation. I put it together in this very short ebook. It's easy to read. It's actually fun to read, so to speak.

Kevin: You said, "The five secrets revealed." You've got to reveal one before you go. [Laughter]

Dr. Deitch: The first secret really is that there is a mindset of a wellness doctor that is different than a traditional doctor. I don't mean traditional medical doctor but even in the "holistic healthcare field" there is a different mindset, one towards promoting health and wellbeing versus being what I think of as a holistic healer. The difference is that a holistic healer is really somebody, and again, I'm just making my definitions and distinctions, you can argue the words and create your own words if you like, but my point is that there are many people, chiropractors, massage therapists and so on, nutritionists, that use non-pharmaceutical approaches to treat symptoms. Essentially that becomes their goal. Their explanation is, "Look, you can either heal your symptom through pharmaceutical means or surgery or you can use non-pharmaceutical methods and approaches."

I don't say that that's wrong or bad or anything, I think it's wonderful, but wellness is really something different. Wellness by our definition, again people can argue that wellness is early detection of disease and that's what they confuse it for often times, but what we're trying to teach is that wellness is really about teaching people to take self-responsibility. It's about helping people do the things for themselves that they're capable of.

We often times use the metaphor of money. Most people don't consider themselves wealthy because they're not bankrupt and yet that's the way most people define being healthy. Most people think they're healthy because they're not diseased, sick or injured. It's completely inaccurate and it's time for us to use terms that really are more reflective and accurate in what it is that we're trying to accomplish. Health and wealth are in essence the same. Wealth is something that most people seek to attain. They work hard to attain it and it's something that is constantly evolving and goring. If I give you 200 dollars you'd probably want 400. If I give you 1,000 dollars you'd probably want 2,000. There's more.

And health really is the same thing. There's more to it. It is something you can build, it is something you can grow. You can be healthier at 40 than you could be at 30 and so on and so forth, depending on your self-responsibility and what you do. That's really the education we try to, again, inspire more than inform, inspire people to learn and really take part in.

So that's the first secret. The wellness industry must adapt to the changing environment that is taking place by focusing on really inspiring people to want to improve their health, not just to use us as a drugless solution to just simply fixing a problem that they're going to go back and end up probably recreating because of their lifestyle anyway.

Kevin: That's great. I know that you have to run so I want to thank you for your time.

Kevin Gianni the host of Renegade Health Show - a fun and informative daily health show that is changing the perception of health across the world. His is an internationally known health advocate, author, and film consultant. He has helped thousands and thousands of people in over 21 countries though online health teleseminars about abundance, optimum health & longevity. He is also the creator and co-author of "The Busy Person's Fitness Solution."

Getting to Find Out About Your Medication

2008-12-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

Sadly, even nice things can turn out to be unsafe, more so if they are not availed of as they should be. The same holds good for medicine also. Prior to using any kind of medication, it is crucial that you get to learn everything about it at the outset. The more information you have about it, the more secure will you be. There is no medicine that is perfectly safe and all need to be taken under the recommendation and supervision of a physician. Besides, it is equally imperative that you have as much information regarding your medication as you can prior to using it. Every medicine, irrespective of how simple or regular it may appear, will have possible side effects and likely complications that may arise from using it.

Hence, it is necessary that you find out all that needs to be known about the medication - from the medicine's name and its place of manufacture, including its composition, to possible side effects, food interactions, drug interactions, and so on. Moreover, you should also become conversant with the right dosage for you, the amount to be taken and the right time to consume it, if it has to be taken with food, if it should not be taken with certain kinds of foods and if it's necessary to have it at a fixed time each day. All these factors can have an influence on the kind of outcomes you obtain from the medicine and also on the likely side effects it produces.

How To Find Out About Your Medicine

What is the way to obtain this vital information concerning your medicine? What are the places that you could approach to acquire more details about your medication? The following are some excellent sources:

Your physician
Your chemist
The Web
Medical books
Medical dictionary

In addition, you have to bear in mind that every individual reacts in a distinctive and different manner to a particular medication. Frequently, these sources will give you the broad or average facts regarding a specific medicine but you have no way of telling that you will react the same way when you use it. There is nothing that can be substituted for your physician's supervision and precise self-monitoring while using a medicine.

Where NOT to Obtain Your Medicine Information

Well, there are certain sources you must not rely on for obtaining information relating to your medicine. Be wary of online message boards and forums where people provide guidance, who may not be competent to provide such counsel. You must also be circumspect about taking advice from family members and friends. While they may have used the same medicine earlier, all medicines produce different reactions in different individuals and in different conditions.

Knowledge is indispensable, particularly when you are using some kind of medicine, even OTC drugs. Ensure you are thoroughly informed prior to using medicines of any kind.

Guy Starbuck is a tennis and golf playing, health oriented, coffee drinking writer and financial guru who writes for MedicineSection.com, and VascularPressure.com.

Everything You Have to Know Regarding Medicine

2008-12-03T02:21:00.000-08:00

All of us have used medicines, sometime or the other, either for sickness, ache or for some other medical reason. There are pills that are recommended by your physician and also over the counter drugs that you can buy at the local pharmacy. However, what is your knowledge of medicine and what exactly it is used for?

It is of utmost importance that you familiarize yourself with all aspects of medicine, medicine precautions and in case you are popping one in, then the specific medicine you are using along with any side effects, the taking of different drug combinations and so on. If your physician gives you a particular medicine prescription, it is their responsibility to enlighten you about it and also any possible side effects, interactions, or other vital details.

When you visit the chemist to purchase the prescribed medicines, he will normally provide you with additional information concerning your medication and the right way to take it. You also can obtain essential information about medicines and drugs if you go online. The following are some broad guidelines regarding everything you must know concerning medicine, particularly before using anything.

Precautions: Safety precautions are the number one concern pertaining to taking of medication. All drugs, even the OTC ones, have inherent risks and side effects. Therefore, it is imperative that you get acquainted with the appropriate safety precautions in order to prevent complications or perhaps even death.

Do not pop in any pill if you are ignorant of what exactly it is.
Do not take a pill that has been recommended for someone else.
Without first consulting your physician, never discontinue, change, enhance or otherwise vary your dose.
Do not ever take expired medicines.

Right Dosage: Next, it is really essential for you to keep in mind to always take the right dosage of a prescribed medicine. Now, this is a widespread problem with OTC drugs since people feel that they can take any amount they wish or to increase the dosage beyond the recommended level so as to relieve themselves of their symptoms.

Reliable Information: Moreover, it's also necessary that you have an extremely reliable information source concerning your medicine. Have you any idea where to go in order to get more information regarding a specific medicine? Are you aware whom to approach to answer any queries you may have? Do you know from where to seek assistance in case you develop problems or complications from taking a particular drug? You must have this crucial information readily available when using any kind of medication.

When you adhere to these safety precautions, when you go by your physician's advice, use your medications carefully and comply with the guidelines and safety measures of your OTC drugs, you can receive the maximum benefit of the medicines you are using, without the associated risks and possible side effects. But, bear in mind that certain side effects continue to be present but most of them can be dealt with if you have the requisite information concerning your medicines.

Guy Starbuck is a tennis and golf playing, health oriented, coffee drinking writer and financial guru who writes for MedicineSection.com, and MedicalNeeds.com.

Natural Thyroid Medicines

2008-11-22T04:45:00.000-08:00

What are natural thyroid medicines? Exactly what the term implies; medication from natural substances as opposed to those synthetically engineered. Natural medicines are derived from plant leaves, stems, roots, and sometimes the entire plant. The benefit of natural remedies is the fact that plants draw their unique medicinal properties from natural sunlight, untreated rain water, and the fertile soil of the earth we inhabit. It stands to reason that as humans, since we also draw energy from the sun and eat the fruits of the earth, our bodies will respond better to a treatment that includes these elements rather than man-made substances manufactured in a laboratory.

The two prominent types of natural thyroid therapies comes from plants and diet. There is a third called glandular or 'protomorphogen' therapy. The process uses desiccated thyroid tissue from cattle to provide the human host with the needed iodine and necessary nutrients to promote healthy thyroid action.

Natural thyroid medicines such as herbal remedies include the use of Bugleweed which is steeped into a tea, and decreases excessive activity of the thyroid. Motherwort, a member of the mint family, has been tried successfully for reducing hyperactivity and easing abnormal heart rhythms. Other remedies include the use sea plants. A type of alga known as Bladderwrack is a superior remedy for an under active thyroid. This seaweed is mildly antibacterial and has been known to reduce an enlarged thyroid or goiter. Nori is another seaweed that has been consumed in Chinese and Japanese diets for centuries and is touted for its abundant nutritional qualities. Nori contains high concentrations of iodine which is vital for proper thyroid function. Since nori is so nutritious, it is often referred to as "sea vegetables".

Diet plays an important role in managing thyroid conditions. When dealing with hyperthyroidism you should avoid foods rich in iodine and stimulating beverages like coffee and cola. For hypothyroidism, where iodine intake is crucial, vegetables from the cabbage family should be eaten regularly and in good quantities. These include turnips, kale, broccoli, and limited amounts of brussels sprout.

There are many kinds of natural thyroid medicines mostly in the form of herbs and plants as well as natural thyroid medications which are superb alternatives in the form of dietary supplements. A thyroid supplement rich in nori seaweed is ideal for hypothyroidism because it is abundant with iodine which is essential for treating hypothyroidism.

Improve Your Night Vision With Bilberry

2008-11-13T04:39:00.000-08:00

BilbVaccinium myrtillus is a shrub found in the mountains of Europe and North America. It is related to the North America's blueberry and huckleberry. The shrub produces a blue black or purple berry with purple meat from July through September, depending on the elevation. This berry is the part of the plant of interest. In addition to its use as a food, it was documented as being used to treat kidney stones, biliary problems, scurvy, coughs, and tuberculosis in the 1500s. It has also been used to make a traditional tea to treat diabetes, and purportedly has a hypoglycemic effect. Little is known about bilberry's active constituents and their pharmacology, although it has been studied since at least 1964 for ophthalmological and vascular disorders.

Most of these studies were performed in Europe and many are published in non-English or obscure journals. Stories of British Royal Air Force pilots eating bilberry jam during World War II to improve their night vision may have prompted some of these studies. In the United States, bilberry is usually sold in capsule form as an antioxidant and to promote eye health. It is sometimes combined with other vitamins or herbs purported to be beneficial to the eye, such as lutein or eyebright.

Bilberry's ability to stimulate synthesis of connective tissue glycosaminoglycans may be the mechanism underlying its beneficial effects in several pathologies. Its gastroprotective, vasoprotective, and healing properties may all be tied to this action.Billberry extract was able to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor expression by human keratinocytes in vitro. This suggests that bilberry or its constituents may have a role in cancer prevention or treatment.

Bilberrry was able to attenuate only the acute effect of Triton on triglycerides, suggesting that bilberry improves lipoprotein clearance, but does not affect lipoprotein production. Although bilberry's effect on triglycerides is similar to that of the fibric acid derivatives (e.g., gemfibrozil, fenofibrate) used therapeutically to treat hypertriglyceridemia, bilberry did not affect thrombus size or composition, suggesting that it does not possess antithrombotic activity, as has been demonstrated with some fibric acid derivatives.

Oxidized low-density liporpotein (LDL) is known for its ability to stimulate inflammatory processes involved in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. For this reason, there has been interest in the use of antioxidants such as bilberry to protect against LDL oxidation.

Bilberry jam purportedly improved night vision in Royal Air Force pilots within 24 hours of eating bilberry jam, and at least five European studies showing the beneficial effect of bilberry on night vision were published prior to 1970. A 1997 Israeli study published as an abstract found negative results, as did a more recent study performed in 15 Navy Seals. In this trial, Muth and colleagues studied the effect of bilberry extract (25% anthocyanocides) 160 mg taken three times daily for 3 weeks on night visual acuity and night contrast sensitivity in subjects with visual acuity correctable to at least 20/20.

An independent laboratory verified the composition of the extract used. Eight subjects were given placebo and seven were given the extract in double-blind fashion. After a 30-day washout, the subjects were crossed over the alternate treatment arm. Nighttime visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were measured under lighting conditions simulating full moonlight. These studies showed that bilberry improved night visual acuity, adaptation to darkness, and recovery of visual acuity after glare.

There are currently no reported adverse effects from the consumption of bilberry or related compounds. When the fruit is consumed in amounts normally contained in foods, bilberry falls under the Generally Recognized as Safe category according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Bilberry have several benefits, but it might not work for everyone, the good news is there are no side effects from consuming the fruit. The leafs is just the opposite since it contains toxins. Bilberry is a good option to improve night vision.

If you would like to learn more about health related topics, Check out http://www.healthyencounter.com for latest health news & articles.

Get Off Prescription Medications

2008-10-31T01:19:00.000-07:00

Do you want to get off prescriptions? A prescription medication is what a physician prescribes for a symptom. In order to stop meds, there are some steps you can take.

Step 1. Tell your doctor to monitor you while you're making healthy changes. You do not have to ask their permission, but let them know what changes you're making. If there is a reasonable conflict, then change your plan. For example, say you wanted to go on a grapefruit diet but were taking a prescription medication that prohibits that. The doctor would be able to let you know that grapefruit has been shown to interfere with some enzymes that break down certain drugs in our intestines and liver, increasing blood levels of the drug which could lead to a higher risk of serious side effects. For this reason, any grapefruit product including dietary supplements that contain grapefruit flavonoids, can cause the same problems. In this situation, you would change your plan. Let's continue with the steps.

Step 2. Nourish your cells.

This is a big step. If you don't take this step, there's NO WAY you'll ever get off prescriptions. The reason? You cannot eat the foods necessary to provide your body with the nourishment it needs to stay healthy, fight illness, and prevent disease. Unless you eat foods grown in nutrient dense soil, allowed to ripen on the vine, and eaten without processing, it is impossible to get balanced nutrition. Plants get nutrients from the soil as they grow and ripen. If you pick an orange from a tree that hasn't got good soil, it will not have the 90mg of Vitamin C that it should have. Especially if picked early. Shipping foods, changes in temperature, and storage are also factors that deplete foods of nutrients. Then, we process the food. When I first heard about processing, I wasn't exactly sure what people were talking about. As I learned, it's not just fast foods, it's basics foods.

Let's look at eggs. They have really gotten a bad rap!

Once the agricultural revolution began, chickens were packed in together for large scale production. Then, they were fed cheaply and given hormones and antibiotics to keep up production and minimize illness. There is still an enormous loss of these animals because of their lifestyle, just like us!
So...when you get the egg, it's very easy to break because it has a thin shell (the first sign of a bad egg). The yolk is pale (compared to a good egg), and the whites are, well, runny. Enzymes are lost and protein denatured when you cook an egg. I don't eat uncooked eggs though. Yuck! Some people do, and achieve the benefits. Did you know that an egg from a chicken that is not raised under those conditions has such powerful nutrition, that it will balance cholesterol levels even when cooked? In our family, we eat up to 10 eggs a week - per person! No one in our family has high cholesterol levels. So, you can't tell me that eggs are bad for cholesterol. You can tell me that bad eggs are bad for cholesterol!

How do you get your nutrition in today's world of processing? More processing. Really? Yep, the right kind of processing. Using today's technology, nutrient balance can be achieved using science. Here's what you need to know about balance. If we don't have it, our bodies get sick. To get off prescriptions you must provide nutritional balance to your body. For example, when we don't provide the body with the right kind of calcium, it steals it from the bone to help the heart. The body prioritizes. To it, the heart is more important. To you, the response is painful joints. If you are on a medication for osteoporosis, once balance is achieved, talk with your doctor to get off prescriptions.

Step 3. With your doctor's guidance, reduce or eliminate prescriptions one at a time.

Medications are chemicals. Your body does not recognize them. Aspirin was developed for headache relief. That does not mean your body is deficient in aspirin! You can live without it. Aspirin is not a prescription, but consider this: taking an aspirin a day increases your risk of developing macular degeneration? Why? Because those tiny blood vessels in your eye can bleed. Aspirin causes hemorrhaging at the capillary level. The smaller the blood vessel (capillary), the higher the risk. Your eyes and kidneys have very small blood vessels.

Look at your body systems. Doctors have done this for years. The trouble is, we don't re-connect and look at the whole. For example, lets look at the heart with regard to blood pressure.
Get off prescriptions for your heart? Most people who want to do that are guys. Why? Blood pressure medication can cause impotence. What guy wants to go through life with that? Oh, there's that prescription to counteract that, but at what risk to the heart? A huge one. When you have high blood pressure, unless it's related to stress (that's another story), the body senses a need to have higher pressure. It's trying to push that blood into places that aren't getting the blood needed. Those places can be your brain, your heart, your kidneys, or your legs - for example. When you have thickening in your blood vessels, it takes more pressure to get the blood through.

Thickening is caused by inflammation which is caused by nutritional deficiencies. The body doesn't have enough Vitamin C, L-lysine, and L-proline. Look for a high quality full spectrum multivitamin/mineral product with these nutrients for heart health. Don't forget your Omegas! Combined with your multi may just change your health story!

Step 4. Enjoy life when you get off prescriptions.

Deb Shore is the author of the website http://www.change-your-healthstory.com She has helped hundreds of the "health challenged" create a new lifestyle through her online stories. If you're looking for a way to change your health story, check it out! Learn how to build your foundation of health through NUTRITION!

Mail Order Medications From Mexico

2008-10-25T02:31:00.000-07:00

There are a number of drugs licensed from United States, which can also be purchased in Mexico. Most of the marketed drugs have names that are nearly identical to some supplier from the U.S. If the drugs that you need to buy are not included in your plan, or have no recommendation plan, then you can try to purchase these drugs in Mexico. You can mail order medications from Mexico for a fair price. Most of the medicines from this country are cheaper than the similar products manufactured in any US company. Those recently approved products in the US are often expensive than those drugs, which have been sold in the US market for a longer time.

Mail order medications from Mexico could be a great alternative to possibly get savings in purchasing medicine products. Since the products that were sold in the US market are quite expensive, people may have the option to purchase cheaper medicines from Mexico, which almost have the same quality with the medicine products in the US. But before crossing the edge, one should still consider the advice coming from an expert physician. There could have reasons why Mexican medicines could not be a good alternative for the recommended US product. So you should not buy medicines from Mexico without your physicians approval. If possible ask for a written recommendation for the drugs generic name. Always bring your prescriptions every time that you purchase medicines from Mexico. If the US trade and Mexican business name are not similar, you may get advice from the expert about the specific similarity of the general ingredient names. Drugs generic names in Mexico might be similar but are not exactly similar from the generic name in US. The business names of a medicine created by a given corporation for sale from different nations are usually different. Say, the fluticasone that was made by Glaxo is trade as Flixotide in Mexico and Flovent in USA.

Another consideration before you mail order medications from Mexico is that the majority of the big pharmaceutical companies, which market medicines in USA, are multinational companies that provide the active contents of the medicine for sale and repackaging in many nations including Mexico. In some conditions the active content of preparations that was sold in Mexico and in US is the same and was produced to the same worldwide manufacturing standards of consistency and purity.

Finally, before you mail order medications from Mexico, you should as well consider the fact that drugs available from Mexico are not inevitably substandard to the similar products in USA. Most the medicines that can be purchased in Mexico but not in the United States are truly superior from those available in the US with similar indication; however, other exceptional Mexican medicines are dangerous and might not have a licensed.

Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about Mail Order Medications From Mexico, please visit Economical Medications Online for current articles and discussions.

Natural Sleeping Aid - Can Herbal Sleeping Pills Help You Sleep Better?

2008-10-19T00:43:00.000-07:00

If that much-needed sleep has eluded you and you find yourself tossing around in bed unable to sleep soundly, then you might want to consider using natural sleeping aids.

Some people are scared of sleeping pills and their negative effects. It is not recommended to take sleeping pills for long term as you can get addicted to it and unable to sleep without it in future. So going natural would seem the best option.

Load up with amino acids contained in a warm glass of milk can help you sleep better. This is what mothers usually give to their babies and it will definitely work even for adults.

The soothing effect of chamomile tea is also an alternative for milk while other herbs and essential oils such as valerian, lavender and rose help calm the mind and soothe the senses by producing endorphin and serotonin considered as relaxing hormones.

Try not to eat or have just a light snack before going to sleep. A very full stomach, although very tempting to sleep with one, can cause indigestion and may interfere with a sound sleep.

Drinks that contain caffeine, eating chocolates and smoking are never to be taken if you want to get that slumber. You can also try to exercise during the late afternoon or evening. It can help relieve stress and help your body relax at night, which is the same effect if you would take a hot shower before hitting the pillows.

Prepare a room conducive for sleep by dimming the lights, lighting aroma therapy candles, and changing fresh sheets. Soft music can also help ease your mind.

Herbal sleeping pills are now available on the market and these can help you sleep better through a mix blend of minerals and natural herbs. These have no side effects and they help induce sleep at night.

If you are looking for the best natural sleeping aid, I recommend Melatrol, a herbal sleeping pill. Learn how melatrol, a natural sleeping aid can help you get rid of insomnia and sleep better at night.

Conventional Medicine is a Hoax

2008-10-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

The conventional medical community and Big Pharma (Drug industry) has brainwashed the general population into believing that their way is the way to correct your health problems. Now there are some credible doctors in America who really have the correct methods for curing your ailments and diseases but they are not among the conventional or traditional medical community. These doctors are the holistic doctors, the naturopaths, the osteopathic and even the chiropractors.

They are the ones that use alternative methods to address your ills such as recommending better diets, nutritional supplements and many other lifestyle changes. Lets look at it this way. Your body was created with the very tools you need to protect your health and even repair it when necessary.

The conventional medical doctor's methods interrupt the natural course of treatment that the body can provide by adapting certain lifestyle changes to cure any ailment. The traditional doctor now joins forces with Big Pharma to poison the body with chemicals that begins to destroy the built-in healing system you were born with.

If you continue to let conventional doctors treat you in this manner you will become even sicker then before your illness or disease was diagnosed. What will it take to teach everyone this is not the proper way to address a serious health problem? If it takes some shocking news to convince you to not accept this type of medical treatment here it is: The recent deaths of some well-known celebrities such as Tim Russert, Tony Snow, Peter Jennings and Bernie Mac are some prime examples of potentially dangerous medical treatment that was used on these people.

I say potentially dangerous treatment because that is exactly why these men died. Not one of them was treated with any alternative medical methods from what I read. All of them, basically, had their insides burned up with poisonous chemicals, best known as prescription drugs. One of the greatest problems with the conventional doctors is, he or she, didn't receive but a few hours of education about nutrition in all their years in medical school. In reality this should have been an area of education where they got hours and hours of education.

Have you ever gone to your doctor and he/she has discussed in length with you what lifestyle changes is recommended for you? If you did get that advice you were lucky. Usually the only doctors that do this sort of thing are the ones that were mentioned earlier. Some of the key factors that your doctor should be discussing with your is your diet, exercise, nutritional supplements, stress management and any unhealthy habits like smoking or alcohol addiction.

Learn this lesson real soon. Unless you control all these elements of your health and put them in the right perspective you will never have a healthy body. Believe me it's as simple as that. What I get so concerned about is this valuable information about healthy practices is rarely available in the everyday press. You only seem to be able to find it on the internet or in articles special reports such as this one.

Whether you would like to believe it or not, the pharmaceutical industry does not want you to hear any of this kind of information. Now you might say, "I can't believe you feel that way". Well it's true because think of this. If people are made aware of cures without having to take prescription drugs, how long would they be in business? I guarantee they are not in business to cure you.

They are in the business of deception. Because as long as you stay sick or think you are sick they got you hooked for as long as you want to be hooked. There is some satisfaction in all of this now because more and more people are questioning the rationale of doctors treatments and the drug industry's aggressiveness.

Sooner or later this big hoax balloon will burst and people will wake up to the fact they have been severely brainwashed by conventional doctors and Big Pharma for a long time. I'll be joyous when that happens.

Sonny grew up in a family that owned a local florist business that lasted or 63 years. For 29 years he was personally involved in the business. Eventually becoming dissatisfied with it he left to become a sales representative and spent more than 20 years in sales roles. After retirement Sonny became heavily involved in developing an internet business.

Four years ago, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. On the first visit with his wife to her oncologist, Sonny became involved in a discussion over possible treatments. He wanted to discuss alternative treatments instead of conventional treatments for her disease. The doctor was not receptive to his ideas at all.

Because of this experience he left that doctor's office that day vowing to spent the rest of this life searching for alternative health methods to treat and cure all illnesses and diseases. He then started sharing that information on his websites and began writing articles on health matters to raise public awareness on the issues.

He will continue to share that information with everyone who is interested in his findings. Just recently he released his free ebook "Become Healthier in Body and Mind" You can retrieved it at: http://www.FreeEbook.homestead.com

Shop 'Til You Drop Generic Drugs

2008-09-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

This can't really be emphasized enough - use generic drugs as often as you can, unless of course your doctor has insisted on no substitutions. And even then, ask about that. You see, doctors don't really give much thought to the price of your drugs unless you point blank ask them.

This isn't to say they aren't getting better at understanding that their choices for drugs for patients does ultimately cost someone some significant bucks if they aren't prudent in their prescribing.

The bottom line here is that health care administrators, government agencies, and insurance companies etc. are starting to put limits on the dollars for drugs prescribed. If you stop to think about that, it only makes sense because costs are spiraling right out of control. Think billions of dollars in deficit for the US health care system.

This is an interesting area actually as drug companies are smart and market directly to consumers. Their main goal is to convince them they need the "newest" drug on the market because it's better. Don't believe that for one minute. Often the newest drug these days is a remake of the old one that worked just fine thanks a bunch.

The only reason drug companies oppose generic drug manufacturers is because they will lose market share and profits will suck like a vacuum. There is nothing wrong with generic drugs. They're the same drug as the original patented one, perhaps formulated slightly differently. E.g. the coating may not be gelatin

Don't be sucked in by the lure of a newer, better, more effective drug. If the old one is tried, tested and true, then why not use it? One thing is for sure; it's a darn sight cheaper than the patented new drugs.

Yes it's true - even when it comes to prescribing drugs the ka-ching is the driving force behind managing expenses. Learn to manage your own personal health care budget by asking for generic drugs at the pharmacy or better yet, ask your doctor to give you a script for the generic version of the drug you need.

Richard Cantu is with Texas Health and Life, a Texas health insurance and Texas life insurance agency in Texas. To learn more, visit http://www.texashealthandlife.com

Medicines to Keep Health and Away From Heart Attacks

2008-09-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Medicines are what people turn to whenever they start feeling something. For headaches, chest pains and even hang-over, people take the aspirin. Did you know that aspirins lower the chances of having a heart attack? However daily aspirin use is not for everyone. There are directions in the labeling of the aspirin regarding its use and for what it is for. Reducing the chances of a heart attack is not among them. Having sufficient medical knowledge would make enable you to use aspirin to reduce heart attacks. Health is sustained and prolonged with the advancement and development of many effective and cheap medicines. Many people use medicines whenever they feel sick or even before they feel sick. Certain vitamins and medicines allow people to keep their health and stay away from diseases.

Heart attacks and medicines almost always appear in the same sentence. There are medicines to avoid and prevent heart attacks. This is brought to us by the technological advancement that man has achieved over the years. Although, some medicines before where proven to have negative effects when taken by a person with a heart condition, doctors try to warn their patients about them. Some medicines even cause heart complications.

This just says that even though medicines have been proven to improve health, it is not a perfect solution to prevent heart attacks. The best way to really prevent heart attacks is to exercise daily, live a healthy life by not smoking, by drinking moderately and eat a healthy diet. Never forget to get general check up every once in a while.

Don't let Panic control you! It's possible to overcome: http://panicattacks-away.blogspot.com

Does a lack of enough money really contribute to stress?

2008-09-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

Have you ever woken in the middle of the night with your head pounding away, and your heart trying to do a new version of the Cha-Cha?

I have, and it's a scary experience when your heart is beating so fast and so irregularly that you can actually feel it making you sicker and sicker. And you can feel your blood pressure going up every minute.

That night I ended up in the emergency room at the local hospital, with nothing wrong with me physically, just a huge overload of stress that had thrown my body into total disarray. Yes the medical team did have to pump me full of drugs to bring everything back to normal, and they did have to temporarily stop my heart and restart it before they could get it to return to a regular beat ... but there wasn't anything wrong with me physically if you understand the differentiation I'm trying to make. It was all just about the stress!

So, what was I so stressed about?

Money. Or to put it more correctly, a lack of money!

Back then I had debt up to my ears, credit cards I couldn't pay, mortgages that I was potentially defaulting on, and not enough money to even put food on the table. I had seriously stuffed up.

I wasn't just making-ends-meet ... I was seriously at risk of financial self-destruction.

I'd lie awake at night wondering how to solve the problems, and worrying myself sick because I didn't know to solve them ... and I was constantly scared of the impending "executioner's sword" I could feel hanging above my head.

So the stress in my body grew and grew. And it almost killed me.

All because of a lack of money. And it's not just me that has struggled with money-related stress. A poll by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that money issues were the top reasons for holiday-related stress. And a lack of money also contributes to stress at other times as well.

The survey found that 61% of Americans listed "lack of money" as the top cause of holiday stress followed by the pressures of gift giving, lack of time, and credit card debt. Survey results also showed that younger people were more worried about a lack of money compared to people over the age of 35. Maybe the demands or the stresses are higher when you are younger with a new family etc.?

In the end I did find a way forward, and it worked. I found out how to increase the money coming in, and decrease the money going out ... and now my stress is at the correct level, so no more middle-of-the-night trips to the emergency rooms. Both my wife and I now sleep very well.

No matter how you look at it, not having enough money creates increased levels of stress ... and that has many flow-on effects in other parts of our lives, including our ability to work.

Having extra money to use every week means that we can pay our bills when they fall due, and we can do more for all those around us ... and that results in less pressure and less stress to deal with.

Enough Money = Less Stress. It's that simple!

Howard Woolston is a writer based in Wellington, New Zealand with a number of books and articles published over the years.

For more information, and to contact the author please go to http://www.INeedMoreMoneyToday.com

Cord Blood Transplantation - A Life Savior Technique

2008-08-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

The cord Blood which was discarded soon after the birth of a baby is regarded as a life saving device for the future generations of a family. It has thereby become imperative to save the precious blood which is rich in stem cells necessary for the treatment of several life threatening diseases. In the past ten years, several cord blood transplantations have been performed worldwide as an alternative for treating cancer and serious genetic disorders. The first cord blood transplant was done in 1988

There are various sources of retreiving stem cells and Umbilical cord blood is one of the three sources for obtaining the blood-forming cells used in transplants. The other two sources are bone marrow and peripheral (circulating) blood. It is collected at the time of delivery after the birth of the baby. The blood from the cord is collected carefully by the hospital staff who are trained in the service. It is then tested, frozen and stored at a cord blood bank for future use. The stored blood is called a cord blood unit (cbu).

The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry includes more than 70,000 cbu. Doctors search the NMDP Registry of adult marrow or peripheral blood cell donors and cbus to find a suitable HLA match for their patients who need a transplant. If selected, the matching blood is transfused to a patient. The transplant process is the same as for marrow and peripheral blood cell transplants

The use of cord blood transplants has grown for both children and adults. It is used more often in children because an umbilical cord holds a limited amount of blood. The number of blood-forming cells in a transplant should match the size of the patient - usually younger patients need fewer cells and older patients need more cells. Some cbus may not have enough blood-forming cells for some patients.

Doctors are trying different ways to increase the number of cells in a cbu so they can use cord blood for larger patients. One method being studied is to give a patient two units. Another method being studied is to grow the number of cells in a in a laboratory before giving it to the patient.

When your doctor searches the NMDP Registry, he or she will choose the best cell source for you. That may be marrow or peripheral blood from an adult donor or it may be a cb unit. A doctor might choose cord blood because of some of the ways it differs from marrow or peripheral blood.

A close match between the patient and the donor or cbu can improve a patient's outcome after transplant. Even though a closely matched one is always preferred, clinical studies suggest the match may not have to be as close as is needed for marrow or peripheral blood transplants. It can take two months or more to find an unrelated marrow or peripheral blood donor. A unit can be selected and delivered to the transplant center in less than two weeks. Your doctor may choose cord blood if you need a transplant quickly.

However there are chances that your doctor might not approve of Cord blood transplantation. The possible reasons for this are:

• There may not be enough blood-forming cells in a unit for the size of the patient.

• It usually takes longer for cord blood cells to engraft (begin to grow and create new blood cells and an immune system). Until the cells engraft, the patient is at a high risk for infection.

• Patients cannot get backup cells from the same cbu. If a patient's transplanted marrow or peripheral blood cells do not engraft or the patient relapses, the patient may be able to get a second donation from the same adult donor. After a transplant, this option is not available. However, doctors may be able to use a different unit or a backup adult donor instead.

Cord blood transplants also have all the same risks as marrow and peripheral blood transplants. The risk of infection may be higher after a cord blood transplant because of the longer time to engraft.

If you have questions about whether a cord blood transplant is right for you, talk with your doctor. Every patient's situation is different. Your transplant doctor knows your situation and can help you make choices about your treatment.

cord blood plays a vital role in the treatment of life-threatening blood diseases. In such a case cord blood transplant may be an option.

What Are the Side Effects of Gabapentin

2008-08-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

Gabapentin (also known by the brand name Neurontin) is a prescription drug originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1994 to help people suffering from epilepsy to better handle mild seizures. Since that time, it has been commonly used to treat neuropathic pain. This type of pain mainly effects the nervous system. It has also been used to a limited degree to treat bipolar disorder, migraine prevention, and some severe forms of medication-resistant depression. But with the various uses for treatment, one needs to ask the question: what are the side effects of gabapentin?

One common side effect of gabapentin of dizziness. This tends to occur in the beginning of treatment, but usually lessens as your body becomes more accustomed to the medication. Another typical complaint of Neurontin users is extreme drowsiness. Until you are aware of just how drowsy the prescription will be, its best to avoid operating motor vehicles and heavy machinery.

Another side effect commonly reported by Neurontin users is peripheral edema. This is an uncomfortable condition where the hands and feet become swollen. If this becomes painful, or doesn't go away after a few weeks of starting the gabapentin treatment, a doctor should be seen immediately.

There has been a few preliminary studies on rats in which subjects developed carcinomas. Although these carcinomas did not adversely effect the lifespan of the rats, more testing is necessary.

If you suffer from some form of neuropathic pain and would like to explore this treatment further, it is highly recommended that you talk to your physician and learn more details on what the side effect of gabapentin (Neurontin) are. Living with pain can be a miserable experience. For many individuals, gabapentin has offered them some much needed relief.

Want to learn more about the side effects of gabapentin?

Visit my blog at http://GabapentinFacts.blogspot.com to get more information on gabapentin (Neurontin). Although it does offer pain relief for some, its treatment must be thorough researched, as well as discussed with a doctor. Start learning about it today!

This article can be reprinted by newsletter/ezine owners and webmasters as long as the links are kept active and none of the content is altered.

A Special Kind of Medicine

2008-08-07T05:27:00.000-07:00

Almost a decade ago, I had a negative experience with cosmetic facial surgery. I was left with serious functional disorders which have progressed to a frightening degree. I will not go into the clinical details, for that is not the purpose of this article. However, to clarify what follows, it is fair to say that I was blacklisted as a patient by the most competent surgeons here in the US after going public with my story. There were a few truly compassionate doctors who tried their best to help me, but not being plastic surgeons themselves, their hands were tied to a great extent.

One of these doctors is my primary care physician. She is from India, and I could not hope for a more highly skilled, kind and compassionate doctor. I had the good fortune to become her patient when she first arrived on Cape Cod, as patients gravitated to her practice like bees to blossoms. As her patients became numerous, she was forced to refer newcomers to her colleagues. As my primary care physician, my situation has been deeply frustrating to us both, as she does everything within her realm of specialty to see that I receive every possible diagnostic that might help a surgeon work out a method of corrective surgery that may improve breathing, swallowing, and jaw closure which were impaired by my face-lift operation. However, in today's medical system, particularly in the realm of cosmetic plastic surgery where surgeons' egos tend to expand to phenomenal proportions and practitioners remain behind the 'White Wall of Silence', those with iatrogenic injuries often become the untouchables of the patient population, and are left unable to find a surgeon willing to treat them.

As my condition essentially disabled me to the point where surviving every 24 hours has become a toss of fate and I struggle to accomplish the most basic tasks to maintain independence, I literally begged a highly skillful, good hearted surgeon to see me. This required months of e-mail communication, and I am certain he agreed to help me against the judgment of his colleagues, who warned him against any involvement with my case.

After an appointment date was set, I was scheduled to see my primary care physician. I felt very hopeful on this day. My heart felt lighter than it had for years, and I looked forward to telling my doctor about this long awaited breakthrough. This was the first glimmer of hope in years of an otherwise gloomy state of existence. I am rarely able to leave my flat these days, and my monthly visit to my doctor is understandably frustrating for us both as my condition worsens with no available help in sight. I am acutely aware that my situation has made my doctor feel helpless, and my heart aches for her because she is so sensitively attuned to her patients' needs.

On this day, however, I knew our visit would be brighter than she could know. I decided to mark the occasion by wearing a lovely muted gray-green sari in honor of her homeland, India, a country I have always longed to see. I usually dress very simply and plainly these days, as adornment is low on the list of priorities when managing to do needful things requires all the energy I can muster. But this was a day worthy of a special effort. As I draped my sari that morning, I worried, just for a moment, that it would not be done properly to her eyes! However, I am used to wearing a sari, which I believe is the perfect garment for every woman, versatile as well as beautiful and suitable for every occasion. My doctor's eyes lit up when I walked into her examining room in my sari. When I told her about the appointment with the surgeon, the room filled with hope.. my hope of possibly being restored to live a normal life, and her hope for my well being.

She then began the practical part of her exemplary doctoring and gently but firmly reminded me of the risks of surgery and the possibility that things might get worse. She wanted me to think about this decision very carefully. We discussed the status of my health, and she again expressed her happiness about my upcoming appointment with the surgeon.

Then she said something that will stay with me forever. My heart fills with great emotion and my eyes fill with tears as I recall this moment. She pressed her hands together in Namaste and said "I will pray for you". I do not know if this beautiful expression of faith and hope is often spoken by Indian doctors to their patients, but this is the first time a doctor ever said these words to me. I was overwhelmed with her heartfelt expression. Her words and compassion went straight from her heart to mine and will remain with me always. I have had the good fortune to be a patient of doctors who expressed true compassion and a deep desire for my well being, but never has a doctor said they would pray for me, though I believe some of them have done so. Hearing these words spoken with such openness and sincerity is truly a very special kind of medicine. Prayer...A treatment to last a lifetime.

On my way out of her office she turned to me and said "Thank you for wearing the sari". I left there with my heart so full! I said my own prayer then, for my exceptional doctor's life to be filled with blessings always.

Lucille Iacovelli, featured in HBO's documentary 'Plastic Disasters', was forced to retire as a professional gardener after debilitating injury from cosmetic face lift surgery.

A Master Gardener, naturalist and environmentalist, her interests include biodiversity, medical ethics, birdwatching, foraging wild edible plants, and cooking. She blogs about the dangers of cosmetic surgery at http://cosmeticsurgeryuglyside.blogspot.com/ and about her life on Cape Cod at http://lucilleiacovelli.blogspot.com/ where she lives with her rescued cocker spaniel, Sierra.

How Effective Are Muscle Relaxants?

2008-07-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Muscle relaxants are effective in the management of low back pain. However, the side effects require that they should be used with caution.

Cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride has the most recent and largest clinical trials demonstrating its benefit, but carisoprodol, diazepam and metaxalone also appear to be effective.

In 1989 researches compared the effectiveness of cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) alone with diflunisal (Dolobid), placebo, and a combination of cyclobenzaprine and diflunisal in the treatment of acute low back pain and spasm. During the ten-day study period, the combined treatment group demonstrated significantly superior improvements in global ratings on day four, but not on day two or seven. This study suggested some effectiveness of combined analgesic and muscle relaxant therapy when utilized early in the initial week of pain onset.

Another study compared the effects of combined cyclobenzaprine and naproxen (Naprosyn) with naproxen alone and also found combination therapy to be superior in reducing tenderness, spasm, and range of motion in patients with low back pain and spasm.

Cyclobenzaprine and carisoprodol were compared in the treatment of patients with acute thoracolumbar pain and spasm rated moderate to severe and of no longer than seven days duration. Both drugs were effective, without significant differences between the treatment groups. Significant improvements were noted in physician rated mobility and in patients' visual analogue scores on follow up days four and eight. While 60% of patients experienced side effects in the form of drowsiness or fatigue, these differences were not significantly different between treatment groups and only eight percent of patients from each group discontinued treatment.

In an attempt to determine the mechanism of action of carisoprodol in the treatment of low back pain, a study was carried out comparing its effectiveness to that of a sedative medication butabarbital, and a placebo. Carisoprodol was significantly more effective in providing both pain relief and improvements in range of motion. The results of this study suggest that the effects of carisoprodol are not secondary to its sedative effects alone. In addition to the skeletal muscle-relaxing effects, carisoprodol also produces weak anticholinergic, antipyretic, and analgesic effects.

In an earlier study, diazepam (Valium) was found to offer no significant subjective or objective benefit, when compared to placebo, in patients treated for low back pain. Carisoprodol (Soma) was found to be superior to diazepam in the treatment of patients with "at least moderately severe" low back pain and spasm of no longer than seven days duration. In this study, the overall incidence of adverse reactions was higher in the diazepam treated group but was not of statistical significance.

Yury Bayarski is the contributing author of eMedExpert.com. More information about muscle relaxants is available on author's website.

Medical Tourism - Understanding the Risks

2008-06-29T00:13:00.001-07:00

While costs of many elective surgeries and medical procedures continues to rise in the US, many people considering going under the knife are looking abroad for cost cutting options. This blossoming industry, known as Medical Tourism, must be approached with even greater caution than surgery in the United States. It is big business, and potential patients are often lured overseas by the promise of quality medical care for as little as one tenth the cost of the same procedure in the US. There are, however, significantly more risks associated with having surgery in a foreign country than there are in the US. We will examine a few of these risks in the following paragraphs.

Licensing and Certification Issues

One of the first things to consider is that foreign countries often do not regulate medical certification and licensing as strictly as the United States. While it is true that many overseas doctors are indeed highly qualified, it is important to investigate the specific credentials and references of each practitioner. This effort may be tougher than usual, since prospective patients in general are far less educated about foreign medical associations and regulations than domestic ones. Most often these medical facilities are privately owned, which can make checking the credentials of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and medical staff all the more difficult.

Legal Issues

Since United States law is rarely enforceable overseas, patients who choose Medical Tourism will have little if any legal recourse in the event that something goes wrong with the procedure. Medical malpractice and negligence can become much tougher issues to deal with in a foreign country than here in the United States. The limited ability to litigate in non-US countries is one reason that the cost of procedures overseas is able to be kept so low. Certainly some countries that market themselves as superior hosts for the medical tourist also tout some form of legal recourse in the case of negligence or malpractice, but these means may not be exactly what the patient is expecting. Hospitals and doctors in certain countries may not be able to pay out a settlement should you successfully win your suit against them. Personal medical insurance will rarely cover procedures that take place out of the country. The prospect of complications long after the patient is back home further muddy the waters of any legal issues that may arise.

Ethical Issues

While many will argue that Medical Tourism is a safe and viable outlet for quality medical care, there are other camps that point out that ethical issues may still exist that should cause American consumers to be extremely wary of going abroad for surgery. In countries such as China and India, there are still alleged instances of illegal purchases of tissues and organs used for transplant surgeries. A broader ethical issue that has grown along with the industry itself is the impact of Medical Tourism on citizens of the countries that people are flocking to in order to have these procedures performed. According to recent reports out of Thailand, doctors in the country have become so busy treating Medical Tourists that Thai patients are now having trouble getting quality care. If this trend continues, expect some backlash in the United States towards those choosing to go abroad for medical procedures.

Follow Up Care Issues

While many have had success going to a foreign country for surgery, some glowing reviews are later retracted because of post-surgery issues. Doctors in the US constantly see patients who have returned from surgery overseas, only to experience complications that require further medical assistance. In this situation it is ideal to revisit the same surgeon that performed the procedure, as he or she will be most familiar with the patient as well as the exact nature of the procedure. However it is most often impractical to arrange another trip abroad for a checkup or to fix a minor problem caused by the initial surgery. This can make it difficult for your home doctor to provide the precise care that would have been easy to provide had the surgery taken place in the US. In some cases the discount a patient enjoyed on the initial surgery may be offset by costly follow up visits required to monitor recovery or correct errors once back home in the United States.

Explore Stateside Options First

With many American surgeons now offering affordable financing options for elective procedures, those thinking of traveling halfway around the globe should take a long look at the many safe, affordable options available here in the United States. In the end, a perceived bargain on a medical procedure may end up costing far more than imagined in terms of money, time, and long term health issues. Patients should carefully weigh the pros and cons of Medical Tourism, taking into account lengthy international travel and the increased number of risks associated with Medical Tourism.

About the Author

Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum performs gastric Lap Band surgery in Denver, Colorado. He has performed gastric surgeries since 1989, accommodating patients from all over the United States. He accepts out of state patients with minimal office visits prior to scheduling Colorado Lap Band surgery. Lap Band surgery offers the advantages of reduced postoperative pain, shortened hospital stay and quicker recovery than other bariatric surgeries.

Lead surgeon Gerald Kirshenbaum and his team can provide for you to have a successful change in your behavior resulting in dramatic, safe weight loss. Care for you doesn't stop after your Denver Lap Band surgery.

Honey and Its Uses As a Local Healing Medicine and a Natural Antibiotic

2008-06-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

Talking about good things to enjoy in pure honey as the world most complete food. It is the only food source known to contain twenty two nutrients for a balanced nutrition. Honey is medicinal, a natural antibiotic and multivitamins. It is a complete natural health formula as it has both preventive and curative medical power. "You will be very healthy and will notice it if it is taken regularly as it will become more of a preventive therapy than curative". The statistical data have linked sugar consumption with diabetes, high level of cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and short life span. Sugar is also referred to as dead and lifeless food with no nutritional value. Also regular consumption of sugar has hazardous and fatal consequences on health.

Honey is also said to be the only animal carbohydrates available to man by nature as sweetener. It is also the mildest, easiest to digest and easily assimilated by the body even with those having digestion problem. In fact, honey is the best source of quick and lasting energy." Even nutritionists have prove that all organs in the body such as the heart, kidneys, liver etc respond favourably well only to natural, undiluted honey and function optimally when taken regularly. "It is natural vitamins and minerals. It contains low calories and honey is ideal for weight watchers; good health and for general well being" of the body with instant natural energy and stamina to undertake daily activities.

Furthermore, honey contains natural anti-bacterial and other healing properties which assist in fighting and protecting from diseases. It can be used to treat eye diseases both in children and adults. It can also be used as a first aid treatment for those with burns. The healing effects of honey cannot be underestimated as it contain anti-microbial properties. Honey can also be used to treat ear infections, boost fertility and the mode of application.

Also talking about the healing properties of honey, honey has a long history dated to centuries and its use is without any side effect, provided it is not diluted or mixed with any other chemicals. "Honey is far better than sugar, saccharines, artificial sweeteners and other chemically formulated sweeteners. Many pharmaceutical companies uses it to formulate drugs as well as used it to coat many drugs. To be precise, many of the cough syrups are honey-based and have even shown that low calorie health food such as pure honey, if taken regularly, prolongs life and slow down the aging process".

Honey can be mixed with black soap to bath. This has the ability of renewing skin cells and moisturises the skin. Honey can also be used to fight many skin diseases or other dermal infections. To prepare honey-based anti-fungal, anti-bacterial lotion, mix natural sulfur with and regularly applied it regularly on skin infections or diseases. It is very most advisable for every one to emulate the interest of using honey in meals instead of sugar since honey has more trends health solutions than that of sugar whose the only advantage of it is just the sweet taste only but very destructive to human beings.

About The Author Ponnac Okwy, I'm An Ardent Writer On Health Reports To Health Magazines And Other Health Organisations. You Can Read More Of Health, Fitness, Care And Other Related Issues About Health In My Blog Site. Click Health Fitness And Care Blog To Read More.

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How to Pick Out and Prepare Herbal Medicines

2008-06-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

The use of herbal medicines in today's modern treatment is widely accepted by both common individuals and health experts. In fact, the use of this alternative method of healing alongside modern treatment methods is known to cure common illnesses and in treating major diseases like diabetes, tumor, cancer, and so on.

But this contemporary method, in itself, is not enough to help patients relieve their health problems. Proper prescription and instructions in taking in herbal medicine is necessary for a successful treatment.

Consult A Professional

Consulting a doctor or an herbalist in the use of herbal medicine should be your paramount concern to avoid health risks and problems later on. They will be delving into your medical history by asking certain question regarding current medical treatment, family history of health problems, and so on. You need to answer their questions honestly so that they can arrive at an accurate diagnosis of your health problem to prescribe the proper herbal medicine and instructions for treatment.

Look For Quality

In truth, herbal medicine is cheaper compared to many synthetic drugs today, especially for major health problems. When picking them out as treatment, it would be best to look for quality instead of picking out the cheapest product.

You should also be careful in buying herbal medicine since many scammers and fraud are propagating the market with fake products that can pose a major health risk when taken in. It would be best to ask your doctor or herbalist on the best place to buy these medicines, or some advice on how to separate the real ones from the fakes.

Going Out For Natural

It is true that you can buy herbal medicines by the dozen in herbal stores in your area; but the essence of herbal medicines comes from using the curative properties that comes from real, live plants. You can ask your doctor or herbalist on what plants you can buy in your area as treatment, or you can scout around medical sites on the Internet for lists of plants with known curative properties.

When preparing plants as an alternative cure, you need to make sure that it is grown naturally without the use of chemicals and pesticides to avoid side-effects and poisoning. You need to clean it thoroughly with running water to remove dirt and harmful bacteria.

There are plenty of ways to prepare your herbal medicine as a diet supplement. You can take it in raw as a salad, boiled, or even sautéed with your favorite dish. Whatever the method used, you need to first determine the part of the plant that will be most beneficial to your treatment method, as well as maximizing its curative properties. Next, you need to look for instructions on the best way to prepare it so that it would be an effective treatment to your health problem.

http://primeherbal.com -- Herbal Medicines

Vanessa A. Doctor from Jump2Top - SEO Company.

Common Medical Billing Mistakes

2008-03-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

Only when insurance claims get held up or denied, do the billing staffs try to trace out what went wrong. And then they realize that there has been some thing they have overlooked, a mistake that should have been corrected during the medical billing process itself. With the high cost of health care in the USA medical billing errors have often created situations that make some unfortunate client get wrong bills and makes him pay up more than he needs to. If in such situations the client does not have the necessary insurance documents in order, his condition becomes pitiable.

Tracking of billing mistakes is not always easy even for the billing professionals and is an assured impossibility for the naïve client/patient with not much technical knowledge about it. Quite often we have come across many a people wondering as to why a simple surgery did cost them a fortune. It is for the health care professionals to avoid such common billing mistakes which often amounts to just carelessness and could be caused by a flaw in the internal communication process. Here is a list of the most common billing mistakes that often becomes the cause for a delay or denial of the insurance claim / bill reimbursement.

Wrong patient identification number
Wrong ICD-9-CM code with out fourth / fifth digits when required
Duplicate claim
Wrong date of service
Wrong rates charged
Procedure of claim not fully furnished by the other party
No match between the ICD-9-CM code and CPT code
Physician's ID not available
Billing for more Operating room time than used
Type of service code not mentioned
Billed for cancelled services / tests
Bill amount totaling mistake
Treatment/service provided was not validated
Service/treatment given in an invalid center/place of service
Service was not a medical necessity
Place of service code not mentioned

Some of the suggestions given to reduce medical billings in physician offices include, having an auditor who is well-schooled in medical policy and terminology. Errors should be corrected immediately when found out and care must be taken to remember not to repeat the same mistakes again. It is always right to report an error to the government authorities even though one can be fined for it.

The author of this article is Ricci Mathew of Outsource Strategies International (OSI), a US based company that offers services in Medical Coding, Medical Billing, Medical Transcription for clients across the US.

Physical Side Effects Of ADD Drugs That Every Concerned Parent Has To Know About

2008-03-21T04:33:00.000-07:00

Has your child just been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD? Are you considering placing your child on some sort of medication?

The side effects of Ritalin are often more devastating than parents are led to believe. In many cases when the child begins to suffer from the side-effects of Ritalin, other drugs are prescribed to counteract those symptoms. Before long, a whole host of devastating and sometimes irreversible side effects have occurred.

Before you begin medicating your child you need to be aware of some of these physical side effects:

Nervousness and Insomnia, Hypersensitivity,Drowsiness, Dizziness, Headaches and slowed growth and development.

Dyskinesia -which are involuntary movements similar to a tic, Blood pressure and pulse changes are also common.

Heart problems caused by Ritalin are Angina, Cardiac Arrhythmia (The heart may beat too fast or too slow and this is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the heart)- In most cases this isn't a cause for concern in itself, but there are times when a cardiac arrhythmia can lead to a cardiac arrest and death and Tachycardia- a form of cardiac arrhythmia in which the heart beats rapidly.

Abdominal Pain, nausea and Weight loss during prolonged therapy caused in part by a loss of appetite that the drug creates. In some cases it has even lead to the development of Anorexia.

These are just some of the devastating side effects that occur from the use of Ritalin. There is an excellent source of further information on the side effects of Ritalin at http://www.squidoo.com/side-effects-of-ritalin

There are so many other safer and more effective treatment options available today, that there is really no need for Ritalin to be anything but a last resort.

For a free report "The Dark and Deadly Side Effects Of Ritalin & Other Drugs" please go to http://www.maximindpower.com

A wide variety of treatment options and the pro's and con's of each are discussed in detail at http://attention-deficit-disorder-treatments.blogspot.com

The Natural Path to Preventative Medicine

2008-03-14T00:10:00.001-07:00

The prohibitive costs associated with health and medical care are one of the main causes of the health care crisis we are experiencing today. Fewer people are able to afford something as basic as a visit to the doctor for a routine checkup, much less a more serious visit that might result in being admitted to the hospital for a length of time. Many Prescription medications are so expensive that elderly patients are forced to ration them and at times even choose which ones they need the most when they cannot afford to pay for everything that is prescribed. This catch-22 creates a boomerang effect that lowers recovery moral and often depletes wellness optimism that is needed for recovery and symptom management.

As I tried to find a way out of this dilemma; for my own good as well as the good of my family, a friend suggested that I acknowledge I was on the traditional heath treadmill and explore other healing avenues. He suggested I check out the DVD series offered by The Center for Healing Arts. Facilitated by healing arts experts who are carefully chosen for their knowledge and experience in their chosen field of study, this DVD series offers you an in-depth look into the world of holistic medicine and helps you unravel its many mysteries.

Preventative Medicine to the Rescue

Over the past 20 years or so, the idea of preventative medicine has gained momentum among people who are "sick and tired of being sick and tired". The concept makes perfect sense if you think about it - take proper care of yourself before you get sick. If you take steps to prevent illness, your body is much less likely to be susceptible to whatever communicable disease happens to be going around the office at any given time. The old adage about an ounce of prevention being worth more than a pound of cure has found new relevance in today's economy.

Prevention Takes Action

Preventative medicine can be as simple as increasing your activity level by walking a few times a week or as in-depth as joining a gym. Here are a few other tips that can go a long way toward preventing poor health:

" Stop smoking - No excuses; everybody knows it's bad for health and that it can lead to cancer, heart and lung disease. Smoking affects more than just the person who smokes; it also affects those around you so think about your family, friends and co-workers when you are debating whether to give it up or not.

" Cut the Sugar - According to The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates, the average American consumes about 20 teaspoons of sugar every day. Most people take in much of that sugar without even realizing it. If you are one of those who are shaking their heads in doubt, allow me to point out that can of soda on your desk - it contains about 9 teaspoons of sugar in just 12 ounces.

" Eat More Color -Have you ever noticed that most comfort foods are brown? One simple way to help your body help itself is by consuming more fruits and vegetables - preferably in their raw state whenever possible. Nature has provided these gems of good health and filled them full of vitamins and nutrients, especially when they aren't overcooked, over salted or over sweetened.

" Wash your hands - It sounds like common sense because it is. We were all raised to wash our hands before meals and after using the restroom and this simple action alone can curb the spread of the viruses that cause colds and flu.

The Bottom Line

Preventative medicine means learning how what you are doing now can affect your health later. Holistic therapy embraces this idea to the fullest. Holism is based on the concept that mind, body and spirit should all work together harmoniously, that when one of the three are out of balance, the whole being suffers. The many therapies that fall under the heading of holism can be confusing to a beginner, but by learning more about these powerful health care practices it is possible to learn to take better care of your whole self before you find yourself in a health crisis.

Divne Pointer is a novelist and freelance writer with a special interest in holistic health and a fan of http://thecenterforhealingarts.com The Center for Healing Arts' films on healing.

Alternative Vs Conventional Medicine - Winners and Losers

2008-03-07T03:13:00.000-08:00

Alternative health therapies and natural medicine are excellent options for healthy living. But if you break a leg or rupture your spleen, are you gonna call a naturopath or hobble to the nearest emergency room for professional medical attention?

I would choose conventional medicine in both cases, but when it comes to chronic conditions and other diseases, should we place all our faith in medical doctors?

According to a recent survey in the New England Journal of Medicine:

95% of all doctors admit they had "contact" with big drug companies;

35% have been reimbursed by these companies for costs associated with attending medical meetings and conventions;

28% were also paid for lectures and consulting work; and

7% accepted free tickets to professional sports games, concerts and other events.

This evidence raises the question of whether doctors are working for the best interests of us patients or their drug suppliers.

For most of my life I've taken my doctor's advice. But after watching my two closest relatives lose their lives within 21 months of each other while under the care of top rated, board certified oncologists, I began to reassess my beliefs.

One of the hardest things about breast cancer treatments is the avalanche of available, often conflicting, information about which treatment or therapy is best.

At the end of 2002, my 65 year old mom's breast cancer returned after 19 years in remission. In the spring of 2003, my 43 year old sister was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time. They both benefited from some of the "best" conventional medical care in the San Francisco East Bay Area. I know because the shelves of their medicine cabinets were lined with bottles of prescription medicine, a good proportion of which were experimental drugs. They also had access to leading alternative health therapies too.

Acupuncture, essential oil therapy, deep tissue massage, and herbal treatments are considered viable, highly respected alternatives in northern California. But not to their highly respected, board certified oncologists at the hospital. They had to sneak around their oncologists when they went to their see their naturopaths or have acupuncture treatments.

In many cases, these alternative treatment alleviated the debilitating side effects of "conventional" drugs and chemotherapy.

Having to downplay or even hide the truth of what they were doing certainly did nothing to calm or ease the stress of their respective situations, either.

I don't blame the doctors or hold them accountable in anyway for the eventual loss of my loved ones, but I was frustrated and very disappointed by their across the board refusal to explore or even allow for open discussion of alternative therapies. Whether they be conventional practitioners or alternative healers, credentials and word of mouth are two key factors when choosing my own health care providers.

I had a sit down interview with primary care physician and asked pointed questions about his experience treating asthma and allergies and the types of patients he had under his care. He was forthcoming and personable and admitted that he would never have all the answers.

My acupuncturist and chiropractor were friends of friends before becoming integral members of my chosen family.

There are lots and lots of credentialed and non-credentialed experts on the internet.

Who's advice do you trust?

What information do you believe and why?

Mostly it's instinctual. Or really good word of mouth.

Depending on the activity, it's pretty easy to put your trust in a total stranger. When you're in line for a movie and the previous show is letting out, how often do you listen to the 'off the cuff' reviews of exiting moviegoers?

When's the last time you went to new restaurant without reading a review or talking to a friend or co-worker first?

How about buying a new cell phone? Or digital camera?

Reviews, testimonials and recommendations from satisfied customers often make the difference between a pass and a sale on the internet.

People inherently distrust anything they don't understand or have never heard of before, so other people's opinions and insights usually make the difference between giving up the cash and clicking back to that page of Google search listings. But, and this often gets overlooked in the decision making process, what works for one person doesn't always work for another.

This is particularly true when if comes to your health.

The internet is a primary tool for disseminating information on any health topic -- virtually everything you buy comes with a money back guarantee. But we don't really want our "money back", we want to feel better. We want the guarantee of success that the advertised "health benefits" promise.

That's what we really want.

We all want relief from what ails us and we're willing to trust people we've never met in person with our money in the hopes of feeling better. This is what we all are doing with ever increasing regularity.

Finding the information is easy. Trusting your gut and the opinions of others when making a decision about your health can require a little more time and effort.

Stay informed. Read testimonials. Send emails to eBook author or product manufacturer. Get your hands (and eyes) on as much FREE information as possible.

As much as I trust and respect my doctor when it comes to treating asthma and allergies with pharmaceutical drugs, I now place a lot more confidence in my own life experiences and knowledgebase gathered from surfing the web.

As I've grown more confident in making my own informed judgment about my health, I've thought about asking my doctor if he's ever been able to CURE any of his patients of asthma and allergies.

I might just do that the next time I see him.

To your health and well-being,

Jay Greene

To reach any goal, you must know where to begin. Begin your journey to better health today. Get 2 Free Chapters of the Ultimate Detox Reference Guide Today. http://www.tipsforhealing.com

Save On Drugs Using The Information Supplied By Internet

2008-03-02T02:09:00.000-08:00

Shopping at some online pharmacy is very easy, private and affordable. Become one of the millions, around the world, who are taking advantage of the Internet, and ordering their drugs offshore, at drastically reduced prices. Get these great savings for yourself! Join the increasing number of senior citizens and chronically ill who now get huge savings on their drugs.

This has been in the online pharmacy business for a long time and has a great reputation among their customers. Stay away from the online pharmacy email scams that you receive in your inbox daily and buy from a reputable online pharmacy service such as some trusted ones.

They guarantee on selling only proven and tested treatments, and offer 100% money back guarantee, supplies only top quality pills made from the highest quality ingredients, and produced by state of the art pharmaceutical manufacturers, under the strictest quality control standards, in compliance with WHO international guidelines.

Using these services you can forget about appointments with your personal doctor, annoying doctor visits, losing precious time and waiting rooms. In twenty first century the Internet space has taken the control of that personal care and makes it easier day by day. Working with DHL, FedEx, EMS and TNT most online shops ship their products in a discrete brown package that does not mention the contents of the shipment. Shipping, depending on your locale, take between 7-20 days, although delivery times are typically shorter.

Having in mind that other (big ones) offer more then 100 prescription medications at discount prices or cheap drugs (- 80%) in the following categories such as: Men's Health, Weight Loss, Pain Relief, Diabetes, Stop Smoking, Cholesterol, Anti Depressant, Allergy, Antibiotic, Anti fugal, Digestive, Hypertension, Osteoporosis and Women's Health. All products carry 100% guaranty. You will always get the highest quality, name-brand drugs and prescription products at savings that our potential clients deserve.

GenericsWorldWide.com is glad to be able to offer the world, generic copies of popular brand name medicines, and drastically reduced prices. Its because of these factors, combined with top customer service, that makes GW a world leader, in the online Pharmaceutical industry.

Proton Pump Inhibitors - Drug

2008-02-24T00:40:00.000-08:00

Type of Drug

Proton pump inhibitors (PPls); gastric (stomach) acid secretion inhibitors.

How The Drug Works

PPls reduce gastric acid secretion significantly and for a prolonged period by blocking the final step of acid production by the stomach lining.

Uses

For short-term treatment (8 weeks or less) of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, the reflux of stomach contents into the food pipe, which can cause heartburn), and to maintain healing and reduce relapse rates of heartburn symptoms in patients with erosive or ulcerative GERD.

Esomeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole: For short-term treatment (4 to 8 weeks for esomeprazole and omeprazole; 8 weeks or less for lansoprazole) or to maintain healing of inflammation and erosion of the food pipe (erosive nsophilqitis).

Esomeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole, rabeprazole: In combination therapy with antibiotics for treatment and elimination of Helicobacter pylori infection and associated active duodenal ulcer and to reduce the risk of ulcer recurrence.

Lansoprazole: For short-term treatment (up to 12 weeks) to reduce the risk of NSAID-associated gastric ulcers.

Lansoprazole, Omeprazole: For short-term treatment (4 to 8 weeks for omeprazole; 8 weeks or less for lansoprazole) of active benign gastric ulcers; to treat and reduce the risk of gastric ulcers associated with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (Iansoprazole only).

Lansoprazole, Omeprazole, Pantoprazole, Rabeprazole: For long-term treatment of hypersecretory (increased acid secretion) conditions (eg, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome).

Lansoprazole, Omeprazole, Rabeprazole: For short-term treatment (4 to 8 weeks for omeprazole; 4 weeks or less for lansoprazole, rabeprazole) of active duodenal ulcers; to maintain healing of duodenal ulcers (Iansoprazole only).

Other Uses: These agents may increase the effectiveness of pancreatic enzyme replacements used to treat the "fatty stools" of patients with cystic fibrosis. Omeprazole has been prescribed to treat laryngitis.

Pregnancy: There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Use only if clearly needed and the potential benefits out weigh the possible risks to the fetus.

Breastfeeding: It is not known if proton pump inhibitors are excreted in breast milk. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from PPI, decide whether to discontinue nursing or the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother. Consult your doctor before you begin breastfeeding.

Children: Omeprazole can be used in children 2 years of age and older.

Safety and effectiveness of other agents have not been established.

Drug Interactions

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or planning to take any over the-counter or prescription medications or dietary supplements with these drugs. Drug doses may need to be modified or a different drug prescribed. The following drugs and drug classes interact with these drugs:

Ampicillin (eg, Principen)

Clarithromycin (eg, Biaxin)

Benzodiazepines (eg, diazepam)

Cyclosporine (eg, Neora/)

Disulfiram (eg, Antabusn)

Iron salts (eg, ferrous sulfate)

Phenytoin (eg, Dilantin)

Sucralfate (eg, Carafate)

Side Effects

Every drug is capable of producing side effects. Many patients experience no, or minor, side effects. The frequency and severity of side effects depend on many factors including dose, duration of therapy, and individual susceptibility. Possible side effects include:

Digestive Tract: Diarrhea; nausea; vomiting; stomach pain; constipation; gas; belching.

Nervous System: Dizziness; headache; weakness.

Other: Rash; back pain; upper respiratory tract infection; cough; high blood sugar.

Guidelines for Use

Dosage is individualized. Take exactly as prescribed.

Do not stop takingor change the dose, unless instructed by your doctor.

Usually taken once daily, at least 1 hour before a meal. Dosages and dosing regimens may vary depending on condition being treated.

Take rabeprazole after the morning meal when treating duodenal ulcers.

Take pantoprazole with or without regard to food.

There medicine must be taken daily to be effective in treating and preventing acid-related gastrointestinal diseases. Do not take on an "as needed" basis.

Antacids may be used as needed with these medicines.

Do not chew, crush, or split capsules or tablets. Swallow whole. If you have difficulty swallowing esomeprazole, omeprazole, or lansoprazole capsules, they maybe opened, sprinkled on 1 tablespoon of apple sauce, Ensure pudding, cottage cheese, yogurt, or strained pears, and swallowed immediately without chewing the granules. Lansoprazole capsules can also be emptied into a small glass of either orange or tomato juice (60 ml; approximately 2 oz), mixed briefly, and swallowed immediately. To ensure complete ingestion, rinse the glass with 4 or more oz of juice and swallow the cOntents immediately.

Orally-disintegrating tablets - Place tablet on the tongue. Allow to melt with or without water until particles can be swallowed.

Lansoafazole suspension - Empty the packet contents into a container with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of water. Do not use other liquids or foods. Stir well and drink immediately. More water can be added if material remains in the container; drink immediately.

If a dose is missed, take it as soon as possible. If several hours have passed or it is nearing time for the next dose, do not double the dose to catch up, unless instructed by your doctor. If more than one dose is missed, or it is necessary to establish a new dosage schedule, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, become pregnant, plan on becoming pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

PPls should be taken at least 30 minutes prior to taking sucralfate.

Store at controlled room temperature (59° to 86°F) in a tightly closed container. Protect from light and moisture.

Author has an experience of more than 4 years writing about drug interactions He also holds experience writing about benefits of drugs and side effects of drugs

Gallstone Dissolving Agents - Oral Drug

2008-02-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

Type of Drug

Gallstone dissolving agent.

How the Drug Works

Ursodiol helps dissolve cholesterol gallstones. It is most effective if the gallstones are small or "floatable." Patients must have a working gallbladder.

Uses

To dissolve cholesterol gallstones smaller than 20 mm in diameter in patients who are not good candidates for surgery because of systemic disease, advanced age, or reaction to general anesthesia.

For the prevention of gallstones in obese patients experiencing rapid weight loss.

Gallstone Recurrence: Treatment requires months of therapy. Complete dissolution does not always occur and recurrence with in 5 years has been observed in 50% or fewer patients. Consider alternative therapy if possible.

Pregnancy: There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Use only if clearly needed and the potential benefits outweigh the possible hazards to the fetus.

Breastfeeding: It is not known if ursodiol appears in breast milk. Consult your doctor before you begin breastfeeding.

Children: Safety and effectiveness have not been established.

Lab tests will be required during treatment. Tests include liver function; analysis.

Drug Interactions

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or planning to take any over the-counter or prescription medications or dietary supplements with this drug. Drug doses may need to be modified or a different drug prescribed.

The following drugs and drug classes interact with this drug:

Antacids, Aluminum-based (eg, aluminum hydroxide)

Clofibrate (eg, Atromid-S)
Contraceptives, Oral (eg, Ortho-Novum)
Bile Acid Sequestrants (eg, cholestyramine)
Estrogens (eg, ethinyl estradiol)

Side Effects

Every drug is capable of producing side effects. Many patients experience no, or minor, side effects. The frequency and severity of side effects depend on many factors including dose, duration of therapy and individual susceptibility. Possible side effects include.

Digestive Tract: Nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; severe abdominal pain (especially in upper right side); indigestion; constipation; gas; gallbladder inflammation; inflammation of the mouth.

Nervous System: Headache; fatigue; anxiety; depression; sleep problems.

Skin: Rash; itching; hives; dry skin; sweating; hair thinning.

Other: Metallic taste; joint and muscle pain; cough; runny nose; back pain; mouth sores.

Guidelines for Use

Use exactly as prescribed. Otherwise, the gallstones may dissolve very slowly or not at all.

If a dose is missed, take it as soon as possible. If several hours have passed or if it is nearing time for the next dose, do not double the dose in order to "catch up" (unless advised to do so by your doctor). If more than one dose is missed or it is necessary to establish a new dosage schedule, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Carefully follow the diet your doctor has prescribed.

Contact your doctor if diarrhea, stomach pain, severe sudden pain in upper right side, nausea or vomiting occurs.

Therapy usually takes months. Complete dissolving of gallstones does not occur in all patients, and recurrence within 5 years occurs in up to 50% of patients.

The long-term effects (more than 24 months) of this medicine are not known.

Lab tests will be required to monitor therapy. Be sure to keep appointments.

Store below 86°F.

Do you wish to know more about drugs treatment or guidelines for using drugs? Then have a look at authors site on which you will also find drug prevention

Are ProDrugs the Next Generation of ADHD Medications?

2008-02-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

Just as 2006 and 2007 saw an increase options for delivery systems of medications for ADHD, the next generation of medications for ADHD may be just around the corner in 2008 and 2009. These NextGen medications are known as ProDrugs, and they have the potential to change the way medications are prescribed to individuals with ADHD.

Since there has been a recent explosion of new ADHD drugs such as Strattera, or new delivery systems such as Daytrana, or "old drugs in new dresses" such as Concerta, why in the world is it necessary to develop any more new drugs for ADHD? Why should we care?

ProDrugs: The Next Generation of ADHD Medications

To the extent that new drugs are just "old drugs in new dresses" for a pharmaceutical company to make money, we don't care. But to the extent that this NextGen of ProDrugs might actually make a difference in people's lives, we are very interested in learning more.

And given that between 30% and 40% of patients cannot tolerate the side-effects of current stimulant medications, and given that today's ADHD medications range from about 60% effective (Strattera) to 80% effective (Ritalin), there is a lot of room for improvement in this field. This is why we like Attend, which is not a drug, but is about 70% effective and with few or no side-effects. It is just not well known.

By developing this next generation of drugs, pharmaceutical companies are betting huge sums of monies that they can develop ADHD drugs that are more efficient for a given individual, and with fewer side-effects. Since there are different types of ADHD, different types of drugs, or drugs that will work on different parts or systems of the brain, will be more efficient than just broad acting CNS stimulants.

What is a ProDrug?

A ProDrug is an inactive precursor of another drug, an inactive precursor to a particular pharmacologic agent. It is a drug that is given in an inactive, or greatly less active form. But once taken, the person's body metabolizes it into an active form. The person's body becomes the "delivery system."

A ProDrug is designed to be more efficient in treatment, by being better absorbed and better utilizied by the body, with less side-effects.

The goal of ProDrugs is for the drug to be highly targeted to a specific system or region of the body, a specific site of action, rather than just impact the entire body or CNS.

Shire Pharmaceuticals, a company that we have been very critical of in the past, is one of the companies leading the way in ProDrug development. Well, actually they are not, but they did by New River Pharmaceuticals for $2,600,000,000 (yes, that is 2.6 Billion dollars). And New River Pharmaceuticals was leading the lay in ProDrug development for ADHD with their drug Vyvanse (lisdexamgetamine dimesylate). The FDA approved Vyvanse as a "novel treatment" for ADHD in February of 2007, and the DEA will classify it as a Schedule II controlled substance.

From the Shire press release of Feb. 2007:

"VYVANSE is a prodrug that is therapeutically inactive until metabolized in the body. In clinical studies designed to measure duration of effect, VYVANSE provided significant efficacy compared to placebo for a full treatment day, up through and including 6:00 pm. Furthermore, when VYVANSE was administered orally and intravenously in two clinical human drug abuse studies, VYVANSE produced subjective responses on a scale of "Drug Liking Effects" (DLE) that were less than d-amphetamine at equivalent doses. DLE is used in clinical abuse studies to measure relative preference among known substance abusers.

"The FDA approval of VYVANSE is exciting news for Shire as well as for patients, their families, and healthcare providers as it's an important, novel approach for the treatment of ADHD," said Matthew Emmens, Shire Chief Executive Officer. "The label we received with the approval letter includes information about the extended duration of effect and abuse-related drug liking characteristics of VYVANSE which illustrate benefits that differentiate this compound from other ADHD medicines. The addition of VYVANSE to our ADHD portfolio reaffirms Shire's commitment to continue to address unmet medical needs and advance the science of ADHD treatment. Beginning with product launch in Q2 2007, Shire will make VYVANSE our top promotional priority within our ADHD portfolio."

The big selling point of Vyvanse is that it may reduce the potential for abuse, as ProDrugs are not favored by those intending to abuse stimulants.

In regards to ADHD ProDrugs, admittedly Vyvanse is the only ProDrug that I have heard any lectures on or read anything about, but I don't want to assume that it is the only ProDrug in development for ADHD. In the studies on Vyvanse, the researchers found that among all of the subjects, the ProDrug was metabolized very consistently in terms of time to optimum therapeutic levels in the body, and in terms of the predictability of the degree to which the ProDrug was utilized by the body.

To put it better, put ten kids in a room who each weigh 100 pounds. Let's say that they each need treatment with methylphenidate (Ritalin, et al.). The variety of optimal doses in those ten children could range from 5mg per dose to 40mg per dose. But with the ProDrug, the study indicates that nearly everyone of that body weight will be taking the same size does to get the optimum dose.

To put it even more simply, it will be easier for doctors who aren't paying attention well to get the right dose for the right child the first time. And the response to the drug will be more predictable. Everything will operate more efficiently with a more efficient drug.

To learn more about medication and treatment for ADHD, or to learn more about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder visit http://newideas.net for the ADHD Information Library. This information is not to be considered medical advice, but is for information only. Consult your physician.

Weight Loss Fact & Fiction - How to Burn Fat With a Simple Exercise Program

2007-09-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

By: Craig Ballantyne

If you're frustrated with all the latest weight loss fads and diets, and just want to know a what really works, then this article will answer all your questions and help you finally get results. Run this info by anyone, and they truly just won't be able to argue with it.

Whether it is the Internet or the weekly magazines that crowd the grocery check-out stands, it is tough to separate fact from fiction in the world of workouts and nutrition. But I think you'll agree with me, you can't argue that promising 7 pounds of weight loss per week (like this week's Woman's World magazine promises) doesn't sound a tad bit unrealistic.

So here's the real deal on fat loss and all the crazy theories that get shoved in your face each day. Let's start by running down a typical day, and what you need to do to burn fat and get the body of your dreams.

First things first, there are two rules for healthy weight loss and body sculpting.

You must eat fewer calories than you burn.
You must get some type of exercise on a consistent basis.

Let's start with exercise. At some point, you just have to do it. You can't argue with that. Sure you can argue that this program is better than that, but you can't get around exercise.

So pick what you enjoy.

When do you have to do it? Honestly, it doesn't matter. Nobody can prove that doing cardio first thing in the morning results in more fat loss. On the other hand, no one can prove that doing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach leads to "muscle loss".

Take a deep breath. Find a time you know will allow you to exercise consistently, and stick with it.

If it's first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, then go for it. If it's 30 minutes after a light dinner, be my guest. It's really not going to make a huge difference in the long run. On the other hand, being inconsistent will not allow you to lose as much fat as you want.

If you want to build muscle or maintain the muscle you have, you can't argue with the fact that you'll have to do some type of strength training. You might only need bodyweight exercises, or maybe you'll have to lift weights. But you won't gain muscle without some type of strength training. Heck, even Yoga and Pilates might apply enough strength training stress to help you maintain your muscle mass - so you can't argue that you don't need to do it.

So the bottom line is this...to lose weight, you have to exercise consistently and eat fewer calories than you need, and to build muscle, you have to do some type of strength training.

Let's look at your daily nutrition next.

You can't argue with the fact that over-eating is one of the main causes of getting fat. And that cookies, chips, candy, pizzas, and all types of fast food are fattening. It's also obvious that drinking in hundreds and hundreds of extra calories from sugary drinks (including those hidden in your exotic coffees) are going to make you fat.

So you really can't argue with getting rid of those from your diet. Unfortunately, most people spend way too much time arguing about the exact amount of protein needed in your diet and less time getting rid of the junk from their diets. So take care of this first, then you can start debating your daily protein intake.

You also can't argue that eating foods that prevent you from being hungry all day is a bad thing. You also know that eating fruits and vegetables are good for you. You can't argue with that. So why aren't you eating more?

You also know that eating high-fat, high-carbohydrate meals make you sleepy and lethargic. So why do you eat them at lunch? Do you think those are good for your fat loss program? You can't argue that being fat and tired is a great way to go through life.

While we can argue the merits of eating meat or being a vegetarian, the bottom line about healthy nutrition is something we can all agree on. You need to eat lots of fruits and vegetables to be healthy, and that if you focus on these foods first, and then add in some meat, eggs, nuts, and even dairy, you're probably going to be doing pretty well as far as fat loss goes. Plus, you'll have lots of mental and physical energy to get through your work day and workout.

Of course, we can't ignore the lifestyle aspects of a fat loss program. You can't argue that drinking lots of booze and staying up late each night is a great thing for a fat loss program. Of course it isn't! So why would you even think of doing that? Those are just bad lifestyle habits for so many reasons.

So what are we left with? Consistent exercise and healthy eating by focusing on fruits and vegetables first, and then rounding out our diet with other healthy, whole foods.

Sticking to burning more calories than we ingest will help us lose fat. By doing some type of strength training, we will maintain or gain muscle, depending on our goals and the methods we use.

You simply just can't argue with that fat burning workout and nutrition lifestyle.

About the Author:

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked fat loss exercise program have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Craig Ballantyne's workout programs for fat loss help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig's bodyweight workouts for fat lburning help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.

Heart Attack Symptoms, Causes and Treatment: Small Lifestyle Changes Can Help Prevent Heart Attack!

2007-08-04T01:21:00.000-07:00

By: Ashley Green

Ask a few well informed people over the age of fifty: What are they afraid of the most? Four out of five would answer: Sudden death due to heart attack. Heart attack is becoming a common cause of death after the age of fifty. Heart attach is preventable to a large extent and we know how to prevent it. We also know that by these measures people have already brought down death and ill-effects caused by it.

Heart receives blood for its own nourishment from coronary arteries, the two blood vessels that are the first to come off the aorta and lie embedded in the heart muscle itself.

The important factors that accelerate coronary artery narrowing are:

1. Excess of fats and cholesterol in the blood: Fats are made up of different fatty acids and glycerol. Cholesterol is a type of fat. Surplus of fats are stored as such in different parts of the body. A high level of cholesterol in the blood, particularly if it is held in combination in the form of LDL globules, leads to irs deposition in the walls of the blood vessels. Coronary artery disease, blood cholesterol level, and the amount of fat taken in the diet usually go hand in hand.

Must Read: Learn more on Good and Bad Cholesterol at http://www.weightloss-health.com/cholesterol_info.htm

2. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries through which it flows. With high blood pressure, blood vessels do not relax to receive the blood from heart. Hence, the heart has to work harder against this resistance. This strains the heart, so that it ultimately fails to perform its function of pumping the blood to all parts of the body.

Must Read: Steps to control your high/low Blood Pressure at http://www.weightloss-health.com/high%20low%20blood%20pressure%20treatment.htm

3. Over-Weight: A person starts gaining weight after the age of 25, unless he does something about the food he eats. The reason is that, beginning at this age, the body starts to need less food because the metabolism is slowing down. Obesity is a disorder closely associated with other potent risk factors, i.e. hyperlipidaemia, hyperglycemia and hypertension.

Must Visit: Lose weight right away. Free Diet Profile at http://www.weightloss-health.com/weight.htm

4. Diabetes Mellitus: Diabetes may be defined as high level of glucose in the blood, so that some of it overflows into the urine. Usually it is due to deficiency of insulin. Diabetes causes a lot of complications, an important one being the narrowing of the blood vessels called atherosclerosis. Coronary artery disease is common in diabetics. Also, heart attacks in diabetics occur at a younger age than they do in non-diabetics.

Must Read: Learn the prevention and treatment of Diabetes at http://www.weightloss-health.com/Diabetes2.htm.

5. Smoking: It has been suggested that Nicotine repeatedly over-stimulates the heart. The carbon monoxide absorbed into the blood takes the place of oxygen and hampers nourishment of the heart muscle and other tissues. The smoke damages the lining of the coronary arteries, allowing artery clogging cholesterol to build up and narrow the passage ways.

Must Read: Quit Smoking Tips, Motivation, Support and Program at http://www.weightloss-health.com/quit_smoking_ways.htm

Narrowing of the coronary arteries is caused by a process called atherosclerosis. In this, the inner lining of the medium-sized and large arteries raises, yellow or has pearly whites streaks or plaques.

The bitter truth is, Heart attacks do not respect time, place or circumstances. These can happen to anyone anytime. So get moving and work for it.

About the Author:

Ashley Green: for http://weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.

To learn more about heart attack treatment and heart attack diet, visit Heart Attack Treatment and Heart Attack Diet

If you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and LIVE link to our website.

"Incredible Injectables" - A Great Cosmetic Choice

2007-07-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

By: Michele Ellingsen

Most injectables fall into the category of "fillers" and are designed to fill in wrinkles and depressions in the face. You're probably familiar with the filler product, Collagen, and there are dozens more available on the market today. Botox is slightly different from fillers in that it works by weakening facial muscles in order to lessen the appearance of wrinkles and frown lines. With the exception of one product, the recently FDA-approved Artefill, these injectables disappear after a period of time; Artefill is different in that it is considered "permanent".

Patients often have facial filler and Botox injections done at the same time. When you meet with a board-certified dermatologist or a board-certified plastic surgeon, he or she will able to advise you as to which product or products will best help you achieve your desired result.

ARTEFILL: This is a non-resorbable filler that recently received FDA approval. We expect to see it available to patients early in 2007. Anyone who has used other fillers in the past may find Artefill to be a great choice. Artefill is made up of particles of polymehtymethacrylate (PMMA) that are carried in purified collagen gel, so a skin test prior to treatment is required. Artefill is injected in stages over a period of several weeks to months. It's indicated use is for folds around the nose and upper lip (nasolabial folds).

BOTOX: A neurotoxin drug (Botulinum toxin) that acts by temporarily blocking nerve pulses in facial muscles. It tends to be most effective in muscles related to expression lines around the eyes, forehead and mouth. It is often effective in areas where fillers may not be. Botox is a very safe and effective injectable and therefore very popular among patients.

CAPTIQUE: A hyaluronic acid filler with a finer consistency than some and often is selected for areas closer to the surface of the skin to erase fine lines and wrinkles.

COLLAGEN: The new generation of Collagen, CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast, are based on human collagen so no pre-testing is required. Zyderm and Zyplast are Collagen products derived from cows and do require a pre-test. Collagen is a dermal filler and it is good for facial fine lines and furrows, especially for fine lines around the eyes.

JUVEDERM: This is a filler that works together with the body's own hyaluronic acid to create volume. Just released to market in 2007, Juvederm is effective for the nasolabial folds, under the eyes, between eyebrows and for lip-plumping.

RADIESSE: Another "filler," made of calcium hydroxiapatite (CaHA), which is a primary component of teeth and bones. No skin testing is required. This product has a thicker consistency and is best for deeper nasolabial folds and rebuilding hollow areas. The consistency of this product allows it to last longer than most fillers, up to a year or longer.

RESTYLANE: Next to Botox, Restylane is the second most common injectable. It is a hyaluronic acid filler that plumps up creases under the skin. This filler is also used for nasolabial folds, under the eyes and between eyebrows, with results that can last up to six months. Restylane is the most popular product for creating fuller looking lips.

SCULPTRA: Another filler, Sculptra is composed of poly-L-lactic acid, a synthetic material and does not require a skin test. This product fills in wrinkles and depressions in facial areas such as the nasolabial folds. Sculptra is injected in small amounts so for certain areas multiple treatments are necessary but results can last a year or more.

Deciding which "incredible injectable" is right for you, considering all the variable of your own body as well as your goals and expectations, is something to discuss with a qualified, experienced, board-certified dermatologist or board-certified plastic surgeon. Only a trained, experienced physician can safely determine which, if any, injectable is suited to you, individually. While other "licensed health professionals" may legally inject dermal fillers, we recommend that you adhere to the standard of having a physician give you advice and do your treatment.

Note: The specific risks and the suitability of any injectable product for a given individual can be determined only at the time of consultation with a physician. All procedures have some degree of risk. The information provided here is not a substitute for a consultation.

About the author:

Learning all the pros and cons of your cosmetic treatment is beneficiary to your decision. Have a walk through information on La Jolla injectables, La Jolla facelift or La Jolla body contouring procedures at La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, http://www.ljcsc.com, and get more information.

Proven Natural Techniques to Enlarge Penis

2007-06-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

By: Ben Lam

I think that much of the bad reputation given to penis enhancement programs today derive from the large amount of scams pulled off in infomercials and spam email campaigns. What person in their right mind could possibly believe that a pill can make your penis 4 inches longer or make your breasts 3 cup sizes larger.

But some people really want to try the quick fixes. We are probably wired so we try the easiest solution as long as there is anything that looks like an easy fix. And pills are an easy fix. They are the perfect easy fix, in fact. Doctors have been prescribing pills for anything and everything for about a hundred years now and we’ve come to never doubt the pill.

So maybe there is nothing extraordinary in people who try pills to lose weight and enhance their breasts or their penises. Natural penis enlargement pills will continue on the market for long time and there will be news about people who’ve lost hundreds or even thousands of dollars on these scams.

But lumping known pill scams with other natural penis enlargement programs is a far stretch. It is possible to increase the size of penis through exercises or using traction devices.

In fact a combo of exercises and traction devices seems to be the best thing you can do to achieve the desired length and girth for your penis. Honest merchants will never advertise “massive gains in as little as two weeks”, because there is no such a thing. But if you are willing to work diligently and you can be patient, the results will amaze you.

So you won’t gain 4 inches in a month. But you will gain 2-4 inches in 6 months. “But 6 months is a life time! I want to impress my partner tonight!”

This is just not possible. You can try all the forums, which offer free exercises programs or you can try to buy the most expensive device you can find on the market, nothing can change your body overnight. Simply don’t think about overnight solutions. Pill marketers bet on that when they try to push their absolutely worthless products on the market. Every now and then they will find somebody who will get hooked on the “fast results, no effort” motto.

Don’t waste your time, money and hopes on such a thing. Do what’s best for you and start a supervised penis enlargement program using a reliable traction device and with the help of a serious exercises routine.

Also try to find a product that comes with some support, other than the basic instructions - DVDs that show you exactly how to do exercises would be a nice bonus. A support forum where you can ask questions and exchange opinions with other people who try the same thing is even more important.

A forum is very similar to group therapy and it can keep you on track and motivated to continue and this is the most important thing!

I believe the best natural male enhancement technique can be found at Size Genetics and Penis Health.

Author and owner of www.reliable-reviews.com

Being Kind to Your Spine

2007-06-05T22:59:00.000-07:00

By: Carolyn McFann

We all take our health for granted until something happens to us. This is especially true with the spine. As we age, the cushions between our vertebrae begin to wear out, making our spines less flexible and more prone to aches and pains. This doesn’t usually affect us until our thirties and forties. At middle age, we continue carrying too heavy items, or sleeping in a pretzel formation; not worrying about spinal problems until one actually occurs. In my thirties, I started having minor problems with my back here and there, from carrying heavy boxes the wrong way. In my mind, it was not a big deal. Going to the doctor wasn’t something I cared to do.

In time, this caught up with me, when the pain became more sharpened, and wouldn’t go away in a few days like it did before. First, my left leg felt numb, and it carried on like that for six months. I thought it was a pinched nerve and blew it off. Then, one morning, when trying to get up, my body ground to a screeching halt. At 43, my whole body was totally unable to move, due to sharp, shooting pains going up and down my left leg! These pains were of a stronger magnitude of any I’d ever felt anywhere in my body in the past. This was different, and extremely frightening. This kind of pain could not be ignored.

At the orthopedic specialist’s office, an MRI was taken along with a bunch of X-rays. The diagnosis was sciatica and a herniated lumbar disk. Every move I made was excruciatingly painful. It took me two weeks to even be able to walk enough to go to the doctor. Now, every attempt to lift my leg, bend, twist or move was accented with bolts of throbbing pain. The doctor gave me steroids, painkillers and ordered me to take physical therapy.

Physical therapy is helpful, but what they don’t necessarily tell you about are the muscle spasms that can result from having your back manipulated or put in traction. Traction (which feels good when they do it) is lying on a table and being “stretched” to take the pressure off of your compressed spine. The next day, though, I was unable to move again. The pain was back, with a vengeance. It was back to square one, all over again.

Reluctantly, I took all the medicines, which did end up being extremely helpful. And, to help myself further, I bought a lumbar spine cushion (a wedge-shaped, semi-firm pillow to lean against), and a seat cushion, with the lumbar spine area cut out (to take the pressure off the lower spine when sitting.) Another item that helped me was a TENS machine, which is used in physical therapy to fool the body into being distracted from the spinal pain, with a series of electrical sensations that feel like a massage. With help from these items, a small amount of walking and resting flat on my back, the pain gradually went away. It took three months to get rid of the pain, and forever more, I have a new respect for every single vertebra in my spine. The nerves run up and down them, and control nearly every feeling sensation in our bodies. Pretty powerful stuff.

If you find yourself suffering from serious pains in your spine, go to the doctor as soon as possible. Let them look it over and help you. Don’t tough it out and forget about it. My doctor and physical therapist taught me a lot about how to be good to my spine in my few trips to their offices. Strong pain will teach you to stop and pay attention to the problem. Be careful to take your healing period slowly, without straining your back at all, to risk re-injury. Healing from sciatica or a herniated disk is a slow and frustrating process. The best you can do is to try to make yourself as comfortable as you possibly can, with your doctor’s guidance. By nipping the problems in the bud, so to speak, you will save yourself more difficult problems later. Be good to your spine, because you want it to be good to you for the rest of your life.

About the Author:
Carolyn McFann is a scientific and nature illustrator, who owns Two Purring Cats Design Studio, which can be seen at: http://www.cafepress.com/twopurringcats . Educated at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, Carolyn is a seasoned, well-traveled artist, writer and photographer. Besides handling numerous assignments in the US, she has lived and worked in Cancun, Mexico. Clients include nature parks, museums, scientists, corporations and private owners. She has been the subject of tv interviews, articles for newspapers and other popular media venues.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carolyn_McFann

Diabetes Diet and Fat - Are You Sure?

2007-05-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

By Aron Wallad

My intention writing this article is for you to get a clearer understanding about fat intake into your body. I used to think that I could not eat any fat at all. All fat were bad for me. Little did I know that eating fat is part of good diabetes diet plan. Knowing what fats are for your betterment and which ones are detrimental is what this article is all about.

Maybe this happens to you. When I read the labels of some of the foods I am looking to purchase I sometimes have some trouble digesting what all the ingredients are on the package. Especially when it comes to determining the fat content. Which fat is good? Which fat is not good? I did hear that you have to have some of the good fats in your diet. They are essential. This article is about getting the record straight about fats in food. The good and the bad fats that is.

Some fats that are not good for you

If you see these bad fats go in another direction. I am always checking out labels of products I am about to buy for these two items. Trans and Saturated make up the bad fats dirty duo. Sausage, red meats, bologna, hot dogs, cheeses, cream sauces, French fries, gravies with meat drippings, palm and coconut oil are on the bad fats list. Bakery products are loaded with trans and saturated fats. Fast food restaurants are a haven for these two ingredients in their deep fryers and microwaves. If you are in fast food restaurant you are probably not in a good place to begin with as a diabetic. Unless you are ordering a salad.

Why are trans and saturated fats so bad for diabetics?

Trans and saturated fats do not make life better for diabetics. It's about blood circulation. Because there is more sugar in the blood of diabetics than people without diabetes circulation of the blood is slower. The LDL which we want to be low goes up and HDL which we want to increase goes down. These two types of fats do the exact opposite of what you want to have happen in your body

What are some good fats?

Mono unsaturated, polyunsaturated, omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids are the good guys as far as fats are concerned. These fats assist our bodies. They make our cell membranes more flexible, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce mortality from heart disease. Cold water fish like salmon and bluefish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Use canola and/or olive oil to sauté, cook, prepare salad dressing or bake.

Suggestions on food preparation

Grill instead of fry. Lean meat instead of fatty meats will keep you lean. For meats and seafood eat two to three ounce servings. Forget about a half of a pound to a pound of beef. Skin that chicken before cooking or eating. Keep your saturated fat intake down. You and your diabetes diet plan will be much better off.

What you eat as a diabetic is crucial. We as diabetics do not have the luxury of a haphazard diet. I am learning from one man that has experienced the awful side effects of injecting insulin into his body for 10 years to living a healthy lifestyle by eating the foods that make sense. If you would like to hear what he has to say check out the free MP3. Did I tell you he lost over 100 pounds changing his diabetes care 360 degrees?

If you would like to learn more about defeating diabetes from someone who has conquered the disease with food then go grab your free MP3. Go here right now http://www.diabetesnaturalsolutions.com/freeMP3.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aron_Wallad

Pain - Shoulder Pain Relief for Injuries and Degeneration Pain

2007-05-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

By: Raymond Attebery

Did you know that according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, over four million Americans seek shoulder pain relief from shoulder problems each year? This number may sound alarming to you, but the fact of the matter is the shoulder is one of the most movable joints in the body, therefore making it one of the most potentially unstable.

The correct shoulder pain relief plan can be determined depending upon what kind of injury or condition you experience. Only your doctor can decide which shoulder pain relief plan is best for you. Most shoulder pain problems are attributed to two things:

Injuries and/or Overuse
Degeneration of the tendons, joints and tissues

Shoulder Pain Relief for Injuries & Overuse

Many people who injure their shoulders need immediate shoulder pain relief. Injuries, such as a dislocated shoulder and a shoulder separation can be extremely painful.

Dislocated Shoulder. When the arm is pulled backward and overwhelms the muscles, dislocation and pain can occur. If you dislocate your shoulder, in addition to the pain, you will notice a lot of swelling and bruising. Your shoulder might feel numb and weak, as well. To receive shoulder pain relief from a dislocated shoulder, a doctor must push the ball of the humerus back into the socket of your shoulder joint. Then, you must wear a sling to rest your shoulder to heal and mitigate your pain.
Shoulder Separation. Shoulder separation occurs when the ligaments that hold the collarbone to the shoulder blade are completely torn. Shoulder pain relief from a separation is simple: your arm among other prescribed treatments must remain in a sling until it heals.

People who suffer from either one of the aforementioned injuries can find immediate shoulder pain relief by applying ice to the wounded shoulder for up to 20 minutes three times a day. Your doctor will more than likely prescribe painkillers in order to receive even more shoulder pain relief. Physical therapy in many cases will also be recommended. One word of advice, keep moving your shoulder ever so slightly or you run the risk of frozen shoulder which is a whole different scenario to deal with.

Shoulder Pain Relief for Degeneration of the Tendons, Joints & Tissues

Many times, people seek shoulder pain relief due to the wear and tear of the tendons, joints and tissues. Tendonitis, arthritis and bursitis are common problems that cause inflammation and great amounts of pain. Most of the time, folks can find shoulder pain relief by taking Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil).

The first step to receive shoulder pain relief is to visit your doctor. Your doctor will lead you in the right direction toward the shoulder pain relief you need.

Click on and Visit the web sites below for more information about shoulder pain relief. And remember, everyday living should not involve shoulder pain or any other pain for that matter.

Do you want the quickest way to relieve your shoulder pain? visit following sites to review...

http://www.painreliefforpain.com/frozen_shoulder.htm

http://www.painreliefforpain.com/

http://www.forshoulderpain.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raymond_Attebery

Omega-3 Deficiency and Depression

2007-05-05T05:46:00.000-07:00

Omega-3 fish oil is constantly being publicized as beneficial to your health. It contains an important fat, found abundantly in the fatty tissues of fish. Omega-3 fats have many beneficial effects, ranging from heart disease prevention to anti-inflammatory properties. They are also very important because of intense mental health implications.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a very important nutrient in reducing the risk of depression. It may also help ease the symptoms of bipolar patients and work as a substitute to lithium as a mood stabilizing agent by inhibiting neuronal signals.

Currently in the U.S. and Western Europe, the diet has almost been depleted of omega-3 fatty acids, compared to countries like Japan, whose diets are made up of predominantly fish. Rates of major depression have increased and the age of onset has decreased in every decade of the last century.

Currently the most accepted source of omega-3 is fish oil, but flaxseed oil is also a superior source. Early tests show it has potential as an alternative to fish oil. Studies have been done with depression patients in which the omega-3 content in fish oil required that they take 30 capsules a day to get the needed amount, which proved to be a very unpleasant task. Flaxseed oil is concentrated enough to require only a few capsules each day. The fish oil capsules also proved unpleasant to the patients in many ways, as the number of capsules was daunting and the fish taste was overpowering to many.

According to other studies – it is clear that omega-3 fats are also necessary for proper brain development during the critical time of early life. Cow’s milk and other traditional baby formulas are both low in omega-3 fatty acids. Human breast milk, on the other hand, contains much higher amounts.

Researchers have revealed that the brain effects of omega-3 deficiency last a lifetime. Adults who were given infant formulas and cow’s milk have, on average, a 9 to 10 point lower IQ than those who were receiving human breast milk.

Since the lack of breast milk results in a learning handicap, it will also handicap the resistance to depression. Researchers find that growth of the frontal lobe is impaired by omega-3 deficiency. So how do we protect ourselves from a diet low in omega-3? You can take fish oil capsules, but if you really want the best source of omega-3 – you should get it from plant sources.

Here are some plant sources you can get omega-3, Flaxseed, Walnuts, Sesame seeds, Spinach, Strawberries, and California avocado.

About the Author:

Bob Neesen is a full time writer and health advocate. He enjoys writing about health, and is the web master of two health web sites. You may visit his webs sites at: http://www.help-fordepression.com/ and http://www.omega3healthbenefits.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Neesen

Weight Training For Weight Loss

2006-09-20T03:20:00.000-07:00

By: Ken Shorey

Weight training combines building muscle tone and working the cardiovascular system. Weight training tones your muscles and raises your metabolism, which helps your body burn more calories not only when exercising, but also while you sleep.

Weight training reverses the natural decline in your metabolism, which begins around age 30 therefore this is something to think about for all those who have reached that age.

Working with weights can produce a great deal of energy, and a full workout works almost all of the 650 muscles in your body. Looking toward long-term benefits, weight training strengthens bones, which can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis. This of course is of very big concern amongst women, since osteoporosis afflicts women much more than men.

Many women worry that weight training will make them muscular and bulky like a man but you must keep in mind that men and women have different muscular structures, therefore weight training will not develop big muscles on women, just toned muscles.

Not only is weight training a routine that makes you strong, it is a routine that trains the body to build muscle instead of fat, takes stress off key areas of the body such as the lower back, making you less prone to injury in that area.

Since high blood pressure or hypertension is a big concern with those who are obese, it is welcome news that weight training decreases your resting blood pressure.Weight training has also been proven to increase your blood level of HDL cholesterol, which is commonly referred to as "good cholesterol. Overall health is definitely improved through weight training.

It is best to start with a plan, which may be joining a gym where you can regularly go to get a full workout, or purchasing a home workout system that uses resistance instead of weights but produces similar results. You must assess what type of person you are, and make the appropriate decision from there.

If you like the idea of going out somewhere daily for your workout, welcoming the change of scenery and benefiting from the comradery of others who are also training, then you may want to opt for a gym membership. However, if you know you are the type that enjoys working alone and will not work out unless its in the convenience of your home where you do not have to get dressed and go out, then the home gym system option is for you. Only you can make this assessment of yourself.

Some popular home gym systems include CrossBarTM and BowFlexTM. Many quality home workout systems exist, but of course none work when not used, so be sure that you remain focused and dedicated to your plan.

Whatever you do,make your exercise experience one you look forward to each day.

About the Author:

Ken Shorey is owner of http://vibranthealthnow.com. VibrantHealthnow.com provides ebooks and information to help you improve your health.

Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/3273.html