Medicine Blog

Whooping cough has been popping up in communities across the country and it’s affecting people of all ages. If you haven’t heard about this serious infection yet, chances are you will. But protection against whooping cough is readily available for you and your family.

That is why popular film and TV actor Cheryl Hines has teamed up with the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases’ (NFID) Wipe Out the Whoop campaign. Together, they are encouraging all moms to make an appointment for themselves and their families to get the whooping cough booster vaccine.

“Work keeps me very busy, but family is my number one priority,” says Hines. “It’s important to take your baby to the doctor, but parents need to take care of themselves as well. Since whooping cough is such a problem, moms need to take the lead in getting family members vaccinated so the infection stays out of their homes and away from their babies.” Hines is a series regular on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and has appeared in numerous movies, most recently “RV” with Robin Williams.

Whooping cough, medically known as pertussis, can be tricky. At first it may appear like a common cold or bronchitis. But the infection can develop into uncontrollable coughing fits that may lead to difficulty breathing and sleeping and even fractured ribs. It takes months to recover and you could miss school or work. Even worse, whooping cough is very contagious, so other family members could get sick as well.

The childhood whooping cough vaccine eventually wears off, leaving adolescents and adults at risk for catching whooping cough and spreading it to others. That is why it is so important to get a booster vaccine to protect against whooping cough.

A mom infected with whooping cough can give the infection to her baby, who may be too young to be completely protected by childhood vaccines. Babies also tend to suffer from more serious complications, resulting in hospitalization and sometimes death.

“Whooping cough can be a serious infection, regardless of age,” explains infectious disease specialist and NFID Medical Director Susan J. Rehm, M.D. “But babies are at greatest risk, so caregivers-moms, dads, grandparents-should make prevention a priority.”

The whooping cough booster vaccine is called Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis). It also protects against tetanus and diphtheria, two other infectious diseases for which boosting is needed over time. Tdap is a new vaccine, so call your doctor before your next appointment to make sure it is in stock.

There’s encouraging news for women in the fight against lung cancer. Although the incidence of lung cancer in women increased rapidly after World War II as more women began to smoke, that trend may finally be reversing. Recent studies show that lung cancer cases in women have leveled off for the first time.

However, according to the National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC), raising awareness of the disease and its causes remain urgent. Despite the downward trend, lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women in the U.S. Lung cancer accounts for one in every four cancer deaths and one of every eight newly diagnosed cancers in women. Altogether, 173,000 Americans are diagnosed each year.

According to a new NWHRC report, Lung Cancer: What You Need to Know, women who smoke are 12 times more likely to get lung cancer than those who don’t, yet more than one in five women continue to smoke.

Of the two main types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), women who smoke are more likely to be diagnosed with SCLC, the more aggressive form.

Smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes remains the leading cause of lung cancer, accounting for nearly nine out of 10 cases.

However, you don’t have to smoke to get lung cancer. Breathing other people’s smoke can also affect you. Studies show spouses of smokers have a 20 to 30 percent greater chance of developing the disease than those of nonsmokers. Other causes include exposure to harmful substances in the home or workplace, such as radon or asbestos, and some people seem to be more vulnerable.

Quitting smoking at any age reduces the risk but the degree of risk depends on the length of time since quitting and how heavily the person smoked. Aside from quitting or never starting to smoke, people can minimize their risks by reducing exposure to harmful substances. A small percentage of people may be genetically susceptible to lung cancer.

Symptoms include a persistent cough, blood-stained phlegm or spit, shortness of breath, chest pain, recurring pneumonia or bronchitis, loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss.

Recent advances in lung cancer treatment have contributed to improved patient survival and quality of life.

Treatments may include surgery to remove the cancer, radiation to kill or shrink cancer cells, chemotherapy and newer targeted therapies or a combination of these treatments.

Iowa, Illinois and other midwestern states appear to be in the grip of a mumps outbreak. The CDC reports that more than 600 people have been infected by just two carriers of the virus. Two infected people on two separate airplanes.

That fact alone demonstrates how easy it is these days for a virus to travel from one country to another, from one state to another, in hours.

In fact, most travelers who are infected with a virus don’t even know it until it’s too late. One of the mumps carriers actually had a test by her own physician before she left on her trip. While she was on her trip, her test results came back positive. Too late. She had already exposed hundreds of people on her flight, and in half dozen airports.

The mumps virus can easily spread through sneezing, coughing and even laughing, so it’s easy to understand how two airline passengers could cause an epidemic. Strange thing is, those two passengers who may have infected hundreds of people told the CDC that they did indeed have vaccinations for mumps.

But we don’t really need to know the reason why the outbreak is happening, what we need to know is how can we protect ourselves when we must sit so close to other people and breathe recirculated air onboard a plane.

The answer is NanoMasks. The removable filter on a NanoMask is sprayed with a viricide, the only filter in the world that is treated with a viricide to kill pathogens on contact. It’s a viricide that is harmless to breathe, yet deadly to pathogens of all kinds and sizes.

We usually think of flu season as a time of high risk for infection by our fellow travelers. But it’s time to change our thinking to a more critical state, because all sorts of viruses are on the move. Human infectious diseases have been on the upswing since the 1970s and 1980s.

Here’s a short list of recent outbreaks:

Mumps

Influenza

NoroVirus

Tuberculosis

Polio (in 11 countries still)

Measles (in Russia and the U.S.)

Chikungunya fever (3,115 cases reported in the Indian Ocean Islands)

Coronavirus HKU1 (brand new virus started in Hong Kong, now in the U.S.)

West Nile Virus

Scientists speculate that there are many factors in play that could be causing the rise of new viruses and the spread of old ones. For example, climate change, increased transportation of animals, plants, anthropods, and other materials, deforestation, land reclamation, altered farming practices, irrigation projects, just to name a handful of reasons.

Evolutionary biologists believe there are 50 billion known proteins in the universe. Each of those proteins has the ability to form into a virus. Isn’t it time we all started wearing a NanoMask when we travel so at least if we are sick we won’t spread it? A NanoMask would also protect us from those who sneeze, cough, or laugh around us. Remember this next time you visit and airport and board your flight: a sneeze travels at 600 miles per hour and stays in the area about 30 minutes. Gesundheit.

Information on ADHD Can Help You Diagnose Your Child

Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) are widely over diagnosed, there are many children and adults who suffer from this debilitating neurological disorder. By gathering as much <i>information on ADHD</i> as possible, you can learn the best methods for treatment and diagnosis of yourself or your child if you think either is stricken with this neurological disease.

The symptoms in the adult and the child version are both very different and certain traits that one might think of as normal behavior may actually be contributing to the ADHD problem. From <i>information on ADHD</i>, the most common symptom in both adults and children suffering with the disease is inattentiveness. Time and time again, people with ADHD are unable to focus their minds on the task at hand. This leads them to feel like they have inadequate time management and organizational skills if they are an adult or restlessness if they are a child.

Furthermore, a much more serious problem can arise from both adults and children with ADHD.  <i>Information on ADHD</i> has told the neurological sciences that there is another type of ADHD present in both adults and children. This stems from a part of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which makes a person impulsive. Due to this impulsiveness, a person with ADHD is much more likely to rush into things and take more risks than a normal person. This will usually end up with the ADHD patient getting injured physically or mentally after an accident.

Since ADHD is such a broad illness, the <i>information on ADHD</i> does not really describe a set possible cause of the disorder. People have suggested that ADHD has its roots in the genes or could be caused by some sort of bacterial or viral infection.  Some scientists have also cited possible nutritional deficiencies as culprits for the onset of ADHD. However, in light of much of the information on ADHD Nutrition, possible causes have wholly been constricted to either genetic inheritability, smoking during pregnancy or lack of nutrition.

As with most things in the human body, the genetic explanation seems to be the most valid.  With information on ADHD stemming from a genetic explanation, the genes for ADHD Disorder are passed down to the children by the mother and father. This can be partially proven by the high rate of incidence between identical twins. If one twin has ADHD, there is a ninety two percent chance that the other will have it as well.

Another probable theory is that smoking during pregnancy can cause ADHD among children. Since nicotine is known to inhibit oxygen from reaching all of the necessary parts of the body, smoking can result in the baby not getting enough oxygen to stimulate full brain development. Alternatively, not all children who have ADHD have mothers that smoke, making the <i>information on ADHD</i> about smoking mothers scarce.

Finally, information on ADHD has shown that children and adults with the disorder lack the amounts of zinc found in a healthy individual.  It turns out that some chemicals in their body actually break down zinc if they are exposed to certain elements found in food colorings.

Everyone remembers the headlines: “Half of U.S. Flu Vaccine Withheld,” “Communities Agonize Over Flu Vaccine Distribution,” “Doctors in Frantic Quest for Flu Vaccine.”

A few months after the vaccine crisis began in 2004, a survey by The Quigley Corp., makers of Cold-Eeze, found that 68 percent of Americans thought the media and government overemphasized the impact and import of the shortage. While nearly half of the respondents thought this year’s cold and flu season was more severe compared to years past, 41 percent blamed it on a decrease in healthy habits while just 33 percent blamed the vaccine crisis.

The Quigley Corp. survey also found that nearly two-thirds of the respondents, or 62 percent, thought the workplace is where they are most likely to contract a cold or the flu. There might be some truth to this: Americans lose 126 million workdays each year due to the common cold. The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine reported that the economic cost of this lost productivity approaches $25 billion.

Other findings of The Quigley Corp. survey:

Forty-six percent of respondents would rather work on Saturday than be at home with a cold. Twenty-five percent would rather do their taxes, while 18 percent say speaking in public is more appealing.

Eighty percent think it is better for office morale if a worker stays home when he or she is sick.

Michael Keaton’s “Mr. Mom” character edges out Clair Huxtable from “The Cosby Show,” 34 percent to 32 percent, as the TV or movie mother whom respondents would most like to care for them when they are home sick. Teri Hatcher’s Susan Mayer from ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” came in third with 17 percent of the votes.

Brad Pitt was the male celebrity most respondents (27 percent) would choose to care for them, while Angelina Jolie was the female superstar (10 percent).

The Quigley Corp. conducted the e-mail survey of more than 5,000 consumers during the week of Feb. 28, 2005.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are those that cause inflammation in the intestines. One of these is Crohn’s disease, which usually affects the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum. While Crohn’s disease is characterized by ulcerations of the intestines, it can affect any other part of the digestive system as well.

Also known by various other names such as granulomatous enteritis or colitis, Crohn’s disease is not easily diagnosed since its symptoms resemble those of other IBD. The inflammation causes abdominal pain and often results in diarrhea. Other symptoms include persistent rectal bleeding, weight loss and fever.

Crohn’s disease causes the intestinal wall to swell, resulting in blockage of the intestine. It causes ulcers that can tunnel into and affect surrounding tissues such as the bladder, vagina, or even the skin. These tunnels, or fistulas, can become infected and may require surgery. Crohn’s disease also results in nutritional deficiencies resulting from a poor diet or intestinal loss of protein. Patients suffering from Crohn’s disease may also develop complications such as arthritis, skin problems, kidney stones, and inflammation in the eyes or mouth.

There are various theories about what causes Crohn’s disease. The common opinion is that the inflammation in the intestine is caused by the reaction of the body’s immune system to a virus. The disease is believed to run in families and affects both men and women.

As of now there is no cure for Crohn’s disease. Treatment includes measures to reduce inflammation, rectify nutritional deficiencies, and relieve other symptoms. Crohn’s disease is chronic and patients may require medical care over a long period, though some may experience periods of remission. Some patients need surgery to deal with blockages or abscesses in the intestine. Patients with Crohn’s disease in the large intestine might require surgery to remove their entire colon, while others only need to have the diseased part removed.

Crohn’s disease may not reoccur in some patients for long periods of time and they can continue to function normally at work and at home.

This article was written to answer many of the most frequently asked questions on the subject of bone scans. If you have chronic back pain, a bone scan may be one of the scarier tests that you may undergo, but it is actually a fairly safe and relatively painless procedure.

First off, what is a bone scan?

Simply put it’s a study done to show  problem spots on the spine.  A radioactive chemical, sometimes called a “tracer”, is injected into the bloodstream. The chemical quickly attaches itself to sections of the bones that are actively making new bone.  Images are taken of the skeleton, several hours after the shot.

How is a bone scan done?

An intravenous line (IV)  goes in your arm or hand. The chemical tracer is injected into the bloodstream through the IV. There is a waiting time of two to three hours, while the chemical attaches itself to any areas of bone that are undergoing quick changes. Generally, you are free to leave and come back after this time.

After that, you will  be asked to lie or sit underneath a large “camera” that takes pictures of your skeleton. because the chemical tracer is radioactive, it sends out radiation that can be captured by a unique camera. The camera is analogous to a “Geiger counter” in that it uses film to capture the radioactivity. The process takes 30-90 minutes.

Why a bone scan?

When it is uncertain precisely where the problem is in the skeleton, a bone scan is very helpful. It offers the ability to isolate any problem areas by taking a picture of the whole skeleton. Concentrations of the chemical look like dark spots on the film. In an adult, this usually indicates there is a problem. The increased  bone-making activity is an answer to the trouble. For example, bone cells will very rapidly start to make new bone to try to mend it, if there is a crack of the bone. Once these areas are located on the bone scan, the physician may order other  tests for exact information about your condition.

A bone scan can show problems such as fractures of the spine, infection,  and bone tumors.  It can also be used to resolve bone density and the bone-thinning condition of osteoporosis.

How risky is a bone scan?

The chemical is radioactive, but it disappears from the body very rapidly-within hours. Something injected into the bloodstream can always provoke an allergic response. Generally, an allergic reaction to the chemical is uncommon.

What are the limitations of a bone scan?

The bone scan does not show details of the bones or soft tissue. It simply shows how greatly the bone around an exact area is reacting to the problem.

Thanks for taking the time to read my article. You should continue searching for additional information to help you.

Have you heard the rumour that you can get Deep Vein Thrombosis whilst sitting at your desk at work for prolonged periods of time, if so my article will give you the facts surrounding this issue.

Deep Vein Thrombosis which is commonly referred to as DVT is a disease of the circulation. It occurs most often in people who have not been able to exercise normally. Blood passing through the deepest veins in the calf or thighs flows relatively slowly and when DVT occurs it moves so slowly that it forms a solid clot that becomes wedged in the vein. Yes this is serious but don’t become too worried, its very rare affecting one or two mainly older people in a thousand.

DVT themselves are not life threatening, but they are associated with complications that can be fatal. The most common serious complication is a pulmonary embolism that occurs in between one in three of four cases of DVT. A clot lodged in the leg vein breaks off and travels through the body to the lung, where it becomes lodged causing severe breathing difficulties. Untreated, up to one in ten people who suffer a pulmonary embolism die as a result.

This is a condition that is more commonly associated with people taking long haul flights. Apparently you can however suffer from this by sitting at your desk at work for prolonged periods of time without exercise. Case law has provided evidence in the UK from a reported case in the UK and New Zealand. In both cases it occurred to people who had been sitting at their desks for eight hours plus in one day without getting up and moving around to exercise. The case in the UK involved a freelance computer programmer from Bristol. He collapsed with a DVT after an eight hour shift.

How do you prevent DVT at work?

Plan you activities of computer use so that your daily work is periodically interrupted by suitable changes of activity away from your PC monitor screen. This will also help your eyes recover fully form staring at the screen potentially causing headaches or eye strain. Any opportunity for exercise should be taken away from your desk environment.

Try to ensure have a mixture of screen and no screen based work. This should not entail a major rethink, as most jobs to some extent can be taken away from your desk. If they don’t then think about incorporating some job rotation into your working day which includes getting up and moving around at regular intervals.

Foot exercises whilst sitting down are also beneficial in preventing DVT. Rotating the ankles and wiggling the toes prevents blood pooling in the feet then struggling to climb up through the veins. So fidgeting is good for you

There are many ways to describe Joe of Salt Lake City, Utah-he is 42 years old, a brother, a son, a friend, a student at the University of Utah and a person with schizophrenia.

Joe attributes his improved ability to function to better compliance with his treatment. Now able to manage his symptoms, he is working towards accomplishing goals he and his treatment team have set. He feels he has also reached the point where he no longer defines himself by his illness. In other words, Joe is not a “schizophrenic”-he is a person who lives with schizophrenia.

Joe and other people who are successfully living with schizophrenia exemplify the need for greater understanding about the mental illness that affects 2 million people in America-more than the combined populations of North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming-and yet still remains widely misunderstood by the general public. Schizophrenia Awareness Week (May 21-27) is an ideal time to start this understanding.

As stated by NARSAD, The Mental Health Research Association, “schizophrenia is a severe, chronic and generally disabling brain disease. While the term schizophrenia literally means ‘split mind,’ it should not be confused with a ‘split,’ or multiple, personality. It is more accurately described as a psychosis-a type of illness that causes severe mental disturbances that disrupt normal thoughts, speech and behavior. Schizophrenia is believed to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.”

The severity of schizophrenia is different in each person, and symptoms may vary over time. These symptoms may include delusions (false beliefs, such as insisting the government is spying on you), hallucinations (such as voices that command you to do something), disorganized thinking or speech (such as speaking without making sense or inventing words), agitation and decreased emotional expression.

A number of very effective medications called antipsychotics have been developed to treat these symptoms of schizophrenia. However, because people with schizophrenia often don’t believe they are sick-a condition known as poor insight-they resist taking medications. According to Dr. Robert Conley, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, having an option that takes the daily focus off the need to take medication can help move patients toward recovery. “For example, we are seeing significant success with long-acting injectable medications that allow patients to think less about taking their medication and more about how they define themselves outside their illness and the goals they have for returning to their families, their jobs and their communities,” says Conley.

According to NARSAD, with appropriate treatment, symptoms can usually be controlled, and most people with schizophrenia can lead productive and fulfilling lives. Treatment is believed to be most effective when begun early in the course of the illness.

Eczema, also known as Dermatitis, is a condition of the skin, which can affect people of any age. The severity of the disease can vary – in mild forms the skin is hot, dry and itchy, while in more severe cases the skin can become broken, raw and bleeding. Although Eczema can sometimes look unpleasant, it is fortunately not contagious. With treatment of the affected skin area, the inflammation of eczema can be reduced, though the skin will always be sensitive and will require extra care in order to avoid and control flare-ups.

Eczema comes in various forms, and can have several causes, depending on the particular type of eczema that a person has.  One type of eczema is thought to be hereditary, while other types of eczema are caused by irritants coming in contact with the skin; for example detergents.  Eczema can also be caused by blood circulatory problems in the legs, with older people.

Atopic Eczema:  The most common form of eczema.  It can be found in both children and adults and often runs in the family.  Symptoms of Atopic Eczema include unbearable itchiness, overall dryness of the skin, redness and inflammation.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis:  A form of Eczema which develops when the immune system reacts against a substance in contact with the skin.  Such reactions may occur when the skin is in contact with substances like nickel in earrings, belt buckles, or buttons.  Some people also suffer these symptoms when wearing certain perfumes.  Once a substance irritation is discovered, contact with the offending substance should be avoided.

Irritant Contact Dermatitis:  This is a type of eczema caused by regular contact with everyday substances, such as detergents or chemicals which are irritating to the skin.  Irritant Contact Dermatitis is best avoided by keeping the irritant away from the skin, and keeping any sensitive skin areas well moisturized.

Infantile Seborrhoeic Eczema:  An eczema which commonly affects babies under one year old, also known as Cradle Cap.  It often starts on the scalp or nappy area and can quickly spread, although it is neither sore nor itchy.  Creams and bath oils can assist the healing process.

Adult Seborrhoeic Eczema:  A form of eczema which generally affects adults between the ages of 20 and 40.  Often appearing as mild dandruff, it can spread to the face, ears and chest. The skin affected turns red and inflamed, and then starts to flake.  Infected areas can be treated with anti-fungal cream.

Varicose Eczema:  Caused by poor circulation, Varicose Eczema often affects middle-aged to older people, causing the skin to become speckled, itchy, and inflamed.  The affected areas should be treated with emollients and steroid creams before the skin breaks down, often resulting in ulcers.

Discoid Eczema:  An Eczema generally found in adults.  It can suddenly appear as several coin-shaped patches of red skin, normally on the trunk or lower legs.  These areas become itchy and can weep fluid.  Discoid eczema is usually treated with emollients, and steroid creams if necessary.

SUMMARY:  Pharmacies offer a wide range of products for the treatment of Eczema, yet eczema sufferers should also look for ways of minimizing environmental allergens commonly found in the home.

Bad Breath, also known as Halitosis (Halitosis is the medical term for ‘bad breath’) is an extremely restrictive condition, and it affects millions of people. It restricts people from leading a normal life. Have you ever shied away from a conversation because you knew you had bad breath ? Or have you ever cut a conversation short because the person you spoke to had bad breath ? There wouldn’t be a person on the planet who hasn’t. Bad breath is a social turn-off.

And it doesn’t just restrict people in their social lives, it has far-reaching ramifications for Business people who deal face-to-face with customers. I mean, what chance does a Salesperson have when they have bad breath ? I bet they would have a better chance of closing a deal if they had fresh clean breath.

There is a massive misconception about what really causes halitosis. Some definitions point towards poor oral hygiene, general neglect of the teeth, periodontal disease (gum disease), deeply furrowed tongue, sinus infection, tonsillitis, diet, drying of oral tissues, digestive problems, smoking, systemic diseases, lung or sinus infection, uremia, or cirrhosis of the liver, helminthiasis (intestinal parasitic infections), diabetes, kidney failure, sinusitis, tonsilloliths, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), trimethylaminuria (TMAU), hormonal changes, and a wide variety of prescription drugs……..

There are volumes and volumes of studies and reports on what causes halitosis, and what fixes halitosis, and there are hundreds, if not thousands of so-called solutions for treating bad breath. Gum, Breath mints, breath strips and mouthwash are NOT the answer. They are just part of a multibillion-dollar-a-year industry which provide a very short ‘mask’ for the real cause. Did you know that most commercial mouthwashes contain more alcohol than a six-pack of beer?, or did you know that most commercial toothpastes contain a ‘soap’ that actually dries out your mouth?

But when it comes down to pure logic and basic sense, there appears to be just one stand-out proponent of a bad-breath ‘fix’, and the evidence to support this is so simple to understand. Dr. Harold Katz proposes that bad breath (halitosis) is caused by the reaction of (i) naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth with (ii) certain proteins that are found in foods we eat, as well as in mucus/phlegm, blood and broken-down oral tissues. And that’s it.

The bacteria that is found in our mouths is necessary for the initial stages of digesting the foods we consume. But sometimes the reaction of these bacteria and certain proteins will result in the odorous sulfur compounds being present in our mouths, and these compounds cause bad breath. Dr Katz calls these “volatile sulfur compounds” (VSC), and the ‘fix’ is quite complex, but at the same time it is simple. What you obviously need to do is stop the bacteria/protein mix from creating the odorous VSC. The way this is done is by adding “oxygen” to the environment they live in (tongue/throat). By adding oxygen, the end result is the formation of a “Sulfate”, which has no odor or taste.

If this all sounds too scientific, then you need to read the FREE Bad Breath Bible. This ebook explains bad breath in simplistic terms, and demonstrates just how simple a bad breath solution can be. The solution can be as simple as changing from a soap-filled toothpaste that dries your mouth out, to one that actually assists in converting odorous sulfur compounds into odor-free/taste-free sulfate. You brush your teeth everyday, so it’s not like you will need to change you habits to enjoy this bad breath solution.

One of the things people with Adult ADHD symptoms really struggle with is procrastination. And procrastination really comes out of fear. What kind of fear?

There are two main fears people with Adult ADHD symptoms face when they try to start a big project.

1. How do I know I’m choosing the right thing to work on?

2. How do I know I won’t fail, especially if I don’t know anything about this yet?

First of all, you’ve got to ask yourself, “What am I so afraid of?” Let’s just bring it out into the open. If I pick an opportunity, the fear becomes, “Oh, my gosh. What am I going to miss?”

The truth is, the second someone with Adult ADHD focuses on something, you’re missing a lot of other things. That’s just the way it works.

It’s not about the opportunity. It’s not about which Internet-type thing you should be doing. It’s “why.” You’ve got to ask yourself, “How would this particular opportunity fit in with my larger vision?”

Some people with Adult ADHD might not feel like they know exactly what they want to do with their whole lives. And this is where a lot of fear about choosing what to do next comes from.

Well, you know what? Whatever you want to do with your life right now, it probably is going to change at some point (especially if you have Adult ADHD). Just because you’re going full tilt on something right now doesn’t mean you have to do that for the rest of your life.

It does mean that, if you’re going to spend your time doing something, it should be something you’re incredibly passionate about to begin with, something that you’d like to spend all your time on anyway.

Most likely, if you have Adult ADHD symptoms, you’ll find yourself in the exact same situation at some point in the future. It happens. You work really hard. You go full speed at something, and occasionally, you look up and you say, “What the heck am I doing?”

That’s ok. At that point, if you really want to, you can shift your focus. No one’s stopping you. But don’t let that fear stop you from starting.

The second fear those with Adult ADHD symptoms feel has to do with how much there is to learn about a subject or skill, and the information overload that occurs so often with Adult ADHD.

My experience was, I said, “I’m going to learn this Internet thing. I’m going to go out and I’m going to learn everything that I possibly can,” and I didn’t realize at the very beginning that there were so many different subspecialties. It’s an entire industry.

You could be a specialist in list building, in search engine optimization, in advertising or all these different subspecialties, and you realize that what you’re trying to do is go out and learn an entire industry. Of course, it doesn’t really work that way.

You don’t go out one day and say, “Okay, I’m going to be a lawyer,” and understand every aspect of law. Even lawyers have to pick a specialty, be it corporate, criminal, bankruptcy or whatever. You don’t say, “I’m going to go out and learn everything there is to know about foreign language,” right? You pick one.

So, if that is true, that brings up another question for people with Adult ADHD symptoms: “What sub-specialty do I pick then? I have to pick one.”

Again, we’re teaching you ways to think with your Adult ADHD brain instead of against it here. As you’re thinking about the anxiety of having to pick one area of specialty, for example, to grow your business or to work on in your life, remember that people with Adult ADHD symptoms have something that they use automatically every day they don’t usually appreciate, and that is a very highly-developed intuition.

Intuition is why people with Adult ADHD make snap decisions all the time. You’re really good at it naturally. It’s coming from your gut.

But you need a clear head to do it. So if you’ve got information overload, and you can’t decide to focus on one thing, how do you clear your head?

What you need to do is this: You need to go on an “unsubscribe” campaign!  Start with the information you have coming in on your computer every day.

You should continue subscribing to or buying the information from the people that you intuitively know are going to help you with your one main focus. But clear out the rest, so you don’t even see it. Let your computer sort it so your head doesn’t have to.

Do this with other things in your life too. Once you decide what you’re main focus is (at least for now)–then “unsubscribe” or disconnect from anything, and anyone, that doesn’t contribute to that one goal.

Then you can get down to the business of choosing a specialty and learning all about that one thing. You’ll be amazed how much more focused you’ll be, automatically! To learn more about how to beat procrastination and focus on your goals with Adult ADHD, see below.

It is a known fact that more bone is laid down more than it is removed in the early life of a person. An individual’s peak bone mass is reached at the age of thirty, wherein the remodeling process starts, that takes away more bone than is replaced. Remodeling is the process involving the laying down of new bone and the removing of old bone. So it can be said that the process of bone loss begins in the early to late thirties. It is from this age to the onset of menopause that women lose a certain amount of bone every year.

The average rate of bone loss in men, and in women who have not reached menopause, is actually quite small. However, after menopause, the bone loss in women accelerates to an average of one to two percent a year. It is after menopause that the level of the female hormone estrogen in a woman’s body decreases sharply. Estrogen is a hormone that is important in protecting the skeleton by helping the body’s bone forming cells to keep working. So after menopause, this protection can be considered lost as the level of estrogen decreases.

Other causes of osteoporosis are heredity and lifestyle. Whites and Asians, tall and thin women and those with a history of osteoporosis are those at the highest risk of getting osteoporosis. The behavioral causes of increasing the risk of osteoporosis are smoking, alcohol abuse, prolonged inactivity and a diet low in calcium. There are also some diseases that are associated with aging that cause osteoporosis, which include kidney failure, liver disease, cancers, Paget’s disease, endocrine or glandular diseases, gonadal failure and rheumatoid arthritis. There are some medications like steroids, seizure drugs, thyroid hormone and blood thinners that are also found to cause osteoporosis.

Crohn’s disease is a systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of unknown cause, that results in chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract.

It can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, and can also cause complications outside of the gastrointestinal tract.

The incidence of Crohn’s disease in North America is 6:100 000, and is thought to be similar in Europe, but lower in Asia and Africa Unlike the other major inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, there is no known medical or surgical cure for Crohn’s disease.

Many medical treatments are however available for Crohn’s disease with a goal of keeping the disease in remission.

Many patients with Crohn’s disease have symptoms for years prior to the diagnosis. Because of the patchy nature of the gastrointestinal disease and the depth of tissue involvement, initial symptoms can be more vague than with ulcerative colitis.

Common initial symptoms of Crohn’s disease include the following;

Abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, and peri anal discomfort.

Typically, Crohn’s disease only affects areas of the large intestine. Because Crohn’s disease is most commonly associated with the large intestine, the most common symptoms are diahrea or constipation, and abdominal pain and cramping.

Like all autoimmune disorders, Crohn’s disease is a pretty serious condition, and there isn’t really any cure for it. There are some new treatments available, but nothing that will cure it outright.

Some people seem to get occassionaly flare ups from their Chorn’s disease, but more or less live normal lives. Others suffer from chronic flare ups their entire lives, which can sometimes lead to more serious complications.

The medications you take if you are having a flare up are basically immunosuppressant sorts of drugs and of course steroids, neither of which aren’t really all that pleasant to take. They both have a lot of side effects, and the immunosupressants boost your chances of getting some kind of opportunistic infection.

Women often face infection and inflammation of the vulva and vagina which is known as vulvovaginitis. This disease is uncomfortable but it could be easily treated. The common symptoms include itching, irritation or pain in the external genital area and pain in the vagina during intercourse. This vaginal discharge is heavier than usual and is discolored and has an unpleasant odor.

Healthy vaginal discharge is made up of aging cells that cast off from your vaginal walls, secretions from the cervix that help to protect the uterus from infection and aid in fertility and other chemicals produced by vaginal bacteria and fungi.

There could be some changes in the vaginal discharge that could be normal and bear no relation to any possible infection. These changes are governed by the menstrual cycle and shifting hormonal patterns of puberty and menopause.

Very high levels of sexual hormones are necessary to produce vaginal discharge and therefore during childhood and menopause when hormone levels are very low, this discharge is minimal.  During the reproductive years, your discharge changes in response to your monthly cycle. And as your hormone level drops after menstrual period, it becomes lighter. When new eggs begin to develop in the ovaries, the level of estrogen and progesterone increases and this leads to a white cream color discharge. At the time of ovulation this discharge changes abruptly and becomes transparent and stretchy like egg white.

How to keep away from such infections?

Various microscopic organs live in an acidic environment that prevents overproduction of any species and repel foreign invaders. Factors that worsen this balance include sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, menopause and chronic illness such as emotional stress and clothing that holds in body heat and moisture.

You should take good care of yours and have healthy, varied diet and maintain proper weight. You need to reduce stress through exercise, meditation and other activities that relieves tension.

For more information, visit our website (http://www.womensreproductivehealth.info- womensreproductivehealth.info )

Imagine that it is 5 a.m. and you wake with a migraine headache. What can you take that will start to work fast on the pain? Or what if your migraine makes you nauseous or causes vomiting? What can you do to relieve your pain when you can’t keep a pill down? Or what if you feel a migraine coming on and the pain of this migraine grows worse by the minute. What can you do to stop it before it takes over?

Migraines can vary from person to person and from attack to attack, and therefore, the treatment needs for each attack may also vary. Oral treatments can be effective at treating migraine pain for many patients, but for certain types of migraine attacks, such as those described above, an alternative delivery system may be more appropriate.

Another Option for

Migraine Pain

Today, there is good news for migraine sufferers. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new formulation of Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate) Injection. The new formulation gives people an easy way to take a 4mg dose of the product. With the push of a button, patients can treat their migraines quickly and easily using the Imitrex STATdose System. According to a study published in the journal Headache, 88 percent of patients found the product easy to use. In another study of patients with moderate to severe migraine pain, 67 percent reported headache relief within one hour and 11 percent of patients reported relief starting at 10 minutes.

Migraines affect 28 million Americans. The treatment needs for migraines can vary from attack to attack, and being able to effectively treat a migraine can be the difference between debilitating pain and getting on with your daily life. That is why it is important for many migraine sufferers to have different treatment options.

“The availability of this product provides a simple and effective treatment option for patients who experience certain types of migraines,” said Robert Kaniecki, M.D., director of The Headache Center at the University of Pittsburgh and assistant professor of neurology. “Migraine patients who experience nausea or vomiting with their headaches often require an injection, since oral treatments are typically not well tolerated by these patients. Additionally, injections bypass the digestive system and enter the bloodstream quickly, which is especially important for treating certain migraine attacks, such as morning and rapidly escalating migraines.”

Kimberly McGonigle suffers from migraines. As a busy mother and professional, she knows first-hand that it is important to have options for treating migraine headaches. “I’ve suffered with migraines for the last 15 years and do not respond well to oral treatments due to the nausea I experience with each attack, so I use Imitrex Injection,” said Kimberly. “With the injection, I can quickly and easily treat my migraines, so that I can get on with my life.”

About The Imitrex

STATdose System

Imitrex Injection is available in the easy-to-use STATdose System, which allows patients to administer a 4mg dose of the product with just the push of a button. Until now, patients did not have an easy way to administer doses lower than 6mg. The system includes two small, disposable cartridges pre-filled with a single dose of medicine and an easy-to-use autoinjector pen that allows patients to give themselves a single dose of the medication. The delivery system enables patients to treat their migraines quickly and conveniently while avoiding direct contact with a needle or a syringe.

Important Safety Information About Imitrex

Imitrex is approved for the acute treatment of migraines with and without aura in adults. Patients should not take Imitrex if they have certain types of heart disease, history of stroke or TIAs, peripheral vascular disease, Raynaud syndrome, or blood pressure that is uncontrolled. Patients with risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or being a smoker, should be evaluated by a doctor before taking Imitrex. Very rarely, certain people, even some without heart disease, have had serious heart-related problems. Patients who are pregnant, nursing or taking medications should talk to their doctor.

Many people are afflicted with some type of allergy to all sorts of things, such as environmental allergens, odors, fumes, food, and cigarette smoke just to name a few. If symptoms become uncomfortable and happen on a routine basis, then allergy treatment and testing may be in order.

With food allergies and small children, the process of elimination is the best way to determine which food is causing the allergic reaction. Allergy testing methods such as skin testing and blood testing are effective, but some people may respond better to one than the other. Food allergies for instance show up better on blood testing, but if you know you’re allergic to a certain food, wouldn’t you just not eat it?

Environmental allergies are a little trickier. Consider all the possible triggers; weeds, trees, pollens, grasses, dust, dust mites, molds, pet dander, chemical fumes, and cigarette smoke are all popular offenders. Skin allergy testing is the best method to use for diagnosis of these types of allergies if severe enough to warrant this approach. Allergy treatment can then be prescribed based on the level of reaction to certain irritants. Not everyone with allergies has to seek help from a specialist. There are quite a few over-the-counter medications that are very effective in treating symptoms, but if this doesn’t work, then a professional should be consulted. Many times allergies are present with other conditions such as eczema and asthma, and should be evaluated in conjunction to allergy treatment since they all go hand in hand. By treating allergies, related conditions will resolve themselves or lessen significantly as allergy treatment progresses.

Prescribed allergy treatment usually consists of immunotherapy, better known as allergy shots, which expose allergy sufferers to tiny amounts of the offending allergens in gradually increased doses that over time decrease symptoms. Of course, substances that cause severe allergic reactions, such as certain foods (shellfish, eggs, peanuts) and bee stings should be avoided completely. Avoidance is the only allergy treatment in this case, aside from using an Epi-Pen and/or Benadryl in case an accidental exposure occurs. Different allergy treatments and combinations thereof may have to be tried before significant relief occurs. Over time allergies decrease and may eventually disappear requiring less allergy treatment.

There are quite a few online resources you can check out about allergy treatments. Just use Google and you’ll find the most relevant ones.

I also recommend you try drug-free allergy treatments. They can be very effective for you.

No one will give you a specific cause of IBS. Some experts think IBS is a Motility Disorder. This suggests that IBS patients have an oversensitive or hyperactive gut and will react to changes influenced by stress, food and hormones.

With the typical chaotic bowel habit of IBS, it is not surprising that it is thought of as a motility disorder. The transit time from ingestion of food to excretion is abnormal.

Sometimes it is slower than normal causing constipation and other times it is faster causing diarrhoea. IBS is generally divided into two groups, diarrhoea predominant or constipation predominant. Some have diarrhoea and constipation alternating.

As a general rule, however, the transit time in IBS is unpredictable and at any time can be faster or slower, and explains why stools vary in frequency and consistency from hard pellets to watery and unformed.

Some say IBS is a dietary problem.

Certain foods will trigger IBS and others seem to help.

IBS ResearchUpdate.org gives a list of food that triggers IBS and others that are beneficial.  Some items are mentioned in both lists. This is the nature of IBS.

Just eating food stimulates intestinal muscle activity. This is a normal action and the most common is the Gastro colic reflex. This reflex is strongest after breakfast. In IBS, large meals, fatty meals or just the wrong meal can trigger a very strong gastro colic reflex. This results in abdominal pains and or diarrhoea.

There is no evidence that food causes IBS but certain foods and the volume consumed at one time can trigger symptoms.

One suggestion is that the fault that results in IBS resides in the Nervous System. The gut has a complex network of brain cells called the Enteric Nervous System. It has more nerve cells than the Spinal Cord. This “Brain of the Gut” is connected to the Brain. Some researchers believe that to understand IBS, we have to understand the workings of the Enteric Nervous System.

The Gut has the richest supply of serotonin in the body. This chemical is closely connected to the nervous system. At present a lot of research is focused on gut serotonin receptors.

Serotonin affects the nerves in the intestine and controls contractions of the smooth muscles of the gut. This result is peristalsis, a smooth rhythmic contraction along the gut that facilitates the movement of faecal matter along the large bowel.

Low levels of serotonin lead to constipation and higher than normal levels cause diarrhoea.

If the gut and the brain is interconnected by the Gut Brain Axis, then various factors that affect the Central Nervous System (Brain), can affect events in the gut. This includes psychological factors such as anxiety, stress and depression. In addition psychological trauma such as physical, emotional and sexual abuse can affect the gut. Statistics show that there is a greater incidence of psychological trauma and disturbances in IBS. It is suggested that in addition to treating the IBS, treating the other issues will give better long-term results.

Gastroenteritis and IBS: Between 20-30% of patients who develop severe gastroenteritis will go on to develop IBS. The common infective organisms are Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella shigella, and Escherichia coli. Gastroenteritis results in inflammation of the gut lining resulting in an overproduction of serotonin. In the thirty percent that develops IBS, the serotonin imbalance continues.

In some women, symptoms fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. The two hormones that control the menstrual cycle are oestrogen and progesterone. These hormones can affect the colon and the passage of residue along the gut. In some women IBS is worse at certain stage of their cycle.

Prof. Jonathan Brostoff of Middlesex Hospital believes that yeast is involved in some cases of IBS. These patients have reduced levels of friendly bacteria, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in their large bowel. This results in overgrowth of Candida

Low yeast diets have been promoted for IBS. This diet involves stopping cheese, all cheese not just blue cheese, and change bread to soda bread, scones, chapattis and any other unleavened bread. Sugar should be avoided. Avoid alcoholic drinks but spirits are distilled to a high level and have little or no yeast. Consume in moderation.

A cataract is “any opacity which develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope”. Cataracts develop for a variety of reasons, with the most common factor being the long-term exposure to ultraviolet light. Cataracts can also develop from advanced age or secondary effects of diseases such as diabetes.

Usually a result of denaturation (the conversion of DNA from the double-stranded to the single-stranded state; separation of the strands is most often accomplished by heating) of lens proteins, there is several genetic factors which are also known to play a major role predisposing an individual to cataracts. As mentioned above with advancing age the prevalence of cataracts becomes more dominant. Cataract formation is expected in any individual over the age of 70 (50% of all people between the ages of 65 and 74 & approximately 70% of those over 75).

Although not as commong, cataracts can be produced as a result of an eye injury or other physical trauma. A recent study of Icelandair pilots, proved that commercial airline pilots are three times as likely to develop cataracts as people with non-flying jobs.  This increase in odds isn’t completely known yet, but is thought to be caused by radiation coming from outer space. Cataracts is most commonly aided via surgery called cataract surgery. The surgery aims to restore the eye back to it’s original state by removing any cataracts that are present.

We’re only given one set of two eyes. Taking care of them is extremely important. This can mean simple precautions such as wearing sunglasses to prevent our eyes from elements such as ultraviolet light, wind, and from getting particles in the eye that can damage or lenses.

This is according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

You might not know it, but you could be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Although rheumatoid arthritis is commonly associated with the older generation (people over the age of 65), the disease is found in younger generations – even including children. How could you tell if you have it? Well if you’re experiencing morning stiffness for no apparent reason (like if you had done a lot of strenuous exercise the night before, for example), you might be suffering from one of it’s symptoms. As mild as you might think morning stiffness is, you really ought to give it some serious thought and consult with your doctor because if that morning stiffness is related to rheumatoid arthritis, you can work to prevent it from disabling or crippling you later on down the road to a point where you can barely function. But rheumatoid arthritis isn’t just a physical condition. It has the propensity to tax your mental and emotional state of well-being tpp.

This is because arthritis can change the way you work, the way you interact with your family, and the way you entertain yourself with recreational activities. You might even know someone with rheumatoid arthritis and have observed how this disease changed not only his or her mobility, but also his or her outlook on life. Those of us without rheumatoid arthritis tend to take our ability to move anyway we want for granted, but when that ability slowly disappears right before our eyes, it’s no surprise that we get depressed about it.

But it doesn’t necessary have to be that way. With proper medications, education, support, and prescribed exercises, you could work to prevent the most severe forms of the disease – or at least prolong the worst case symptoms.

Arthritis works in two ways. First, it inflames the muscles, ligaments, and cartilage that sit in-between joints. And it’s this inflammation that causes the pain, swelling, and heat. Those are symptoms that are typical indications of an injury and they’re vital to understanding more about this disease. Second, arthritis works by releasing enzymes that basically consume or otherwise destroy the muscles, ligaments, and cartilage that have become inflamed to a point where they’re not very useful and don’t allow for easy movement. In the worse cases, cartilage disappears completely and as you can guess, this is extremely crippling and uncomfortable.

That’s why we call rheumatoid arthritis a disease. Typically, inflamed muscles, ligaments, and cartilage are the result of an injury, like falling on the knees for example. But with arthritis, no injury has to occur. In fact, arthritis is a type of autoimmune disease and the cartilage inside joints is one of the things that it destroys. And any joint can be affected – one, two, maybe even more but most of the time, the disease targets fingers, hips, feet, and knees.

Lie 1: Conventional medicine can cure your cancer.

Lie 2: It is criminal the way alternative medicine holds out false hope and diverts patients away from reliable medical treatment.

Lie 3: We put the patient’s interests first.

You’ll notice that lie 2 refers back to lie 1.

Conventional medicine has three weapons against cancer.

Surgery

Chemotherapy

Radiation therapy

Surgery is successful if the cancer is removed before it has spread. So it could be described as a cure for cancer.

Radiation therapy is based on the theory that your body is better at fighting the damage done by radiation therapy than the cancer is. So if you almost kill the body there is hope that you will completely kill the cancer.

Chemotherapy is based on the hope that healthy tissue will be better at fighting the poisons administered. All chemotherapy drugs use the patient as a guinea pig, because the drug companies argue that it would be cruel to do placebo controlled tests on patients who thought that they were getting medicine and were getting a sugar pill.

My theory about chemotherapy tests

When alternative medicine has 40% success the drug companies claim that it is the placebo effect. Now the placebo effect should work just as well for conventional medicine as for alternative medicine so if we subtract 40% from the success rate of chemotherapy, we will have the true success rate.

That means that when chemotherapy has a 1.5% success rate the figures would work out like this.

Out of 200 patients

80 are cured by the placebo effect (40%), then

77 of these survivors are killed by the chemotherapy leaving

3 chemotherapy “cures” (1.5%)

If these are the figures expected by the drug companies, it’s not surprising that they refuse to do placebo controlled tests.

Money the only consideration

In 1983, Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D. (an oncologist and bioethicist), presented the results of a study that examined the medical records of almost 8,000 cancer patients. Dr. Emanuel found that in cases where chemotherapy was administered in the final six months of life, ONE-THIRD of the patients suffered from cancers that are known to be unresponsive to chemotherapy!

According to Gordon Zubrod, M.D., (a researcher for the National Cancer Institute), chemotherapy is considered to be highly effective only in these cancers:

Burkitt’s lymphoma

Choriocarcinoma

Acute lymphocytic leukemia

Hodgkin’s disease

Lymphoscarcoma

Embryonal testicular cancer

Wilms’ Tumor

Ewing’s sarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma

Retinoblastoma

These cancers affect very few people so it isn’t profitable to restrict chemotherapy only to patients that will benefit from it. So if you know of someone who died of pneumonia after being given chemotherapy for breast cancer you will know that she was killed for profit. Because breast cancer is not on the list.

What happened to “We put the patient first.”?

If the cancer industry put patients first, patients wouldn’t be given chemotherapy that wouldn’t work.

If cancer patients came first, the industry wouldn’t suppress successful competitors.

1.    A Canadian nurse invented an effective brew from four weeds. The cancer industry suppressed all sales of the weeds, and of the finished brew.

2.    The CSIRO (a government research organisation) in Australia discovered a native plant that cured skin cancer. So the cancer industry managed to get it made “on prescription only”, and it is never prescribed.

3.    Vitamin B17 was shown to fight cancer. So a concerted campaign was conducted to convince everyone that it would kill them. The campaign took advantage of the fact that most people wouldn’t know that the staple diet in parts of Africa is millet, which is rich in B17. Everyone is scared of cyanide, so it was emphasized that B17 contains cyanide – so does cobalamine, another vitamin that we need.

It looks as if the second lie is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. It should be the victims of chemotherapy who are complaining about the way conventional medicine holds out false hope and diverts patients away from reliable medical treatment.

One cancer specialist resigned from his work because he could no longer live with his conscience. He said that it was usual to get half a million dollars out of each patient before they died.

Prevention

Although the record of conventional medicine for curing cancer is deplorable, it is non existent when it comes to preventing cancer. The only preventive treatment that I ever heard of was the suggestion that all women should have their breasts removed to prevent breast cancer.

Alternative medicine excels at prevention. Many of the treatments are every day foods for some cultures and others are readily available.

Have you heard of any of these powerful cancer fighters?

Garlic

Onions

Broccoli

Tomatoes

Curry

Selenium

Curry

Apricot Kernels

That’s not an exhaustive list but this page is about health lies, not about proper treatment.

Like its name suggests, the Ironman Triathlon is a race for only the most extraordinary, iron-willed athletes. The grueling individual endurance event begins with a 2.4-mile swim, is followed by a 112-mile bike race and culminates in a 26.2-mile run.

Between April and October of 2005, Mark Ashby completed the Ironman Arizona and the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, in addition to five half-Ironman triathlons. In two of the half-Ironman competitions, Mark placed second and third in his age division. However, Mark, 42, also had an additional hurdle many of his fellow top athletes did not have to overcome-one that had abruptly ended his career earlier in life.

Twenty-four years ago, Mark was an active-duty U.S. Marine when he suffered from several seizures that resulted in a diagnosis of epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that makes people susceptible to seizures, which are temporary disturbances in the electrical activity of the brain. While there is no cure, more than 2.7 million people in the United States live with epilepsy and for many of them, taking anti-epileptic medication is an effective way to control their seizures.

Mark first began treatment with a drug that prevented his seizures, but also caused significant side effects. Mark says he felt “at the bottom of the bottom.” He lost his ability to physically train and his Marine Corps career ended with a medical discharge. “My life was a tough road those days,” he says.

Three years ago, a doctor who understood Mark’s desire for an active lifestyle prescribed Carbatrol for him because he had seen positive results in other patients and felt Mark might benefit from the treatment as well. Mark says he immediately noticed a major difference in himself with the drug. “When I take my medication as directed, I’m seizure free, but even more important to me, I’m also side-effect free,” Mark said. The Carbatrol Full Prescribing Information, available at www.carbatrol.com, states that the most common side effects are dizziness, drowsiness, unsteadiness, nausea and vomiting.

With regular twice-a-day dosing of Carbatrol, Mark says that he’s able to confidently compete in intense athletic events like the Ironman without worrying as much about having a seizure.

“I depend on it,” Mark says of Carbatrol.

This patient testimonial reflects one man’s experience with epilepsy and his treatment with Carbatrol. Patients on anti-epileptic drugs may experience breakthrough seizures. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Patients are advised to consult with their physician before beginning any medical treatment for epilepsy.

For more information on epilepsy or treatment with Carbatrol, visit www.carbatrol.com.

Carbatrol contains carbamazepine. If you are currently taking another medication that contains carbamazepine, do not begin taking Carbatrol without discussing this with your healthcare provider.

If you are taking any other medications, including oral contraceptives, over-the-counter medications or herbal products, be sure to inform your healthcare provider, as carbamazepine can interact with other medications.

Carbatrol was generally well tolerated in clinical studies. The most common side effects, particularly when first starting on Carbatrol, were dizziness, drowsiness, unsteadiness, nausea and vomiting.

Contact your healthcare provider if you have any unexplained bruising, fever or infection. Products that contain carbamazepine have been associated with rare but serious types of blood disorders.

People with a history of bone marrow problems, or who are allergic to carbamazepine, or who are sensitive to tricyclic antidepressants, should not take Carbatrol.

Certain types of seizures (absence seizures or petit mal) do not appear to be controlled by carbamazepine.

Despite its prevalence, many people do not understand epilepsy and seizure disorders, so scientists and others are working on ways to put an end to persistent myths and misconceptions about the condition. These can lead to discrimination in the workplace, or at school, and hinder early diagnosis and timely treatment of people with the disorder.

Among the nation’s 2.7 million people who have epilepsy, 400,000 are Hispanics. A survey conducted by the Epilepsy Foundation about the beliefs and attitudes of the Latino community toward epilepsy found that one-fourth of Hispanics relate seizures to death and more than half would not disclose that a family member has epilepsy, indicating a high degree of fear and stigma associated with the condition.

About 31 percent of Hispanics believe people with epilepsy cannot hold a job, compared to the 3 percent of non-Hispanics who have this belief. The same number of Hispanics believe people with epilepsy are dangerous to others, while 17 percent of non-Hispanics agree-a disturbing finding in both groups. In addition, approximately 9 percent of Hispanics believe people with epilepsy lack intelligence or spiritual faith. The same number believes the condition is contagious. Nine percent also believe epilepsy is caused by one’s sins or an evil spirit.

As for treatments, 30 percent believe in herbal remedies and 6 percent think a spiritual healer or exorcism is best. These treatment beliefs are dangerous because they can lead to significant diagnostic delays, which can cause unnecessary disabilities and social isolation.

“Epilepsy can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time,” said Eric Hargis, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation. “People must understand that epilepsy is a manageable, treatable condition and that leading a productive life is possible. Our aim is to heighten the Hispanic community’s knowledge of epilepsy, as well as help them get the treatment they need.”

The campaign “Epilepsy: It’s More Common Than You Think” is part of the Foundation’s outreach to diverse populations and its work to ensure that people with seizures can participate in all of life’s experiences. It also seeks to prevent, control and cure epilepsy through research, education, advocacy and services.

People all over the world are always catching the flu and there is nothing worse than a flu symptom, any flu symptoms really and unfortunately many a flu symptom will come hand in hand with others. This leads to awful illnesses that can last for days and even a week or more. There is one more common flu symptom though, that many people tend to suffer from.

The most common flu symptom by far is the chills. Everyone dreads getting the chills because there is simply nothing that can be done about them. No matter how many blankets you put on or how many you take off this annoying flu symptom will persist and keep you feeling alternately hot and cold all day long.

There is another common flu symptom and that is sweating and fever. These always go hand in hand with a bad case of the flu. A flu symptom like sneezing or coughing is not usually far behind either. The flu is one of those viruses that cause all manner of different flu symptoms and they are all equally disturbing to those suffering from them.

There is not really any flu symptom that is tolerable, they are all going to make your next few days terrible but keep in mind that this flu symptom too shall pass. All you need to do in order to make sure you get over your flu symptom or flu symptoms is get plenty of rest and plenty of fluids.

Most medicines will not help much with any flu symptom. Some over the counter medications can mask your symptoms somewhat but these do not always work and they never speed up the healing time of the flu symptom. The only thing that makes your actual flu better is time and rest.

If you think that you might have the stomach flu then you may want to go to see a doctor because this could actually be something like parasites or food poisoning. These can get serious so if you are feeling a lot of pain in your stomach and massive vomiting and diarrhea then you are not really suffering from a regular flu symptom and the doctor may be able to help you.

Learning more about each kind of flu symptom will not hurt either, at least that way you will have some idea as to what to expect from a flu symptom.

Hemorrhoids, often called piles, are swollen and inflamed veins in and around the anus and lower rectum. They are much like varicose veins you might see on a person’s legs.

Hemorrhoids are a very common health problem. Hemorrhoids cause serious problems in about 4% (over 10 million) of people in the United States. Prevalence of hemorrhoidal disease increases with age until the seventh decade and then diminishes slightly. Hemorrhoids also increase in pregnancy due to direct pressure on the rectal veins.

Causes of hemorrhoidsHemorrhoids are caused by too much pressure in the rectum, forcing blood to stretch and swell the blood vessels. People whose parents had hemorrhoids may be more likely to get them.

Most common causes of hemorrhoids:

straining with bowel movements (from constipation or hard stools)

diarrhea

constant sitting

sitting on the toilet for a long time

childbirth

pressure of the fetus in pregnant women

heavy lifting

familial tendency

obesity</ul>

SymptomsSymptoms of hemorrhoids include:

rectal bleeding

pain around the anus and rectum

irritation and itching

bulge or lump at the anus</ul>

Excessive straining, rubbing or cleaning the anus may worsen symptoms. In most cases, the symptoms of hemorrhoids will only last a few days. Not every one with hemorrhoids will experience symptoms.

Types of hemorrhoidsThe type of hemorrhoid depends on where it occurs. There are two types of hemorrhoids: internal and external.

External hemorrhoids develop around the rim of the anus. External hemorrhoids cause most of the symptoms associated with hemorrhoids (pain, burning, and itching) because the skin around them is very sensitive. If an external hemorrhoid becomes strangulated (cut off from blood supply), a clot can form in it and become an excruciatingly painful thrombosed hemorrhoid. Thrombosis of an external hemorrhoid causes an anal lump that is very painful and often requires medical attention.

Internal hemorrhoids develop inside the passageway of the anus. Internal hemorrhoids are often present without causing any discomfort or even awareness of their presence. Internal hemorrhoids are usually painless, although they sometimes cause discomfort and bleeding if a hard stool rubs against them during a bowel movement. Internal hemorrhoids also may prolapse outside the anus, where they appear as small, grape-like masses. These can be painful. A prolapsed hemorrhoid will go back inside the rectum on its own, or you can gently press it back into the anus with your fingertips.

Internal hemorrhoids are classified by the degree of tissue prolapse into the anal canal:

First-degree – hemorrhoids that bleed but do not prolapse

Second-degree – hemorrhoids that prolapse with straining or defecating and retract on their own

Third-degree – hemorrhoids that prolapse and require manual reduction

Fourth-degree – hemorrhoids that chronically prolapse and, if reducible, fall out again</ul>

Mixed hemorrhoids are confluent internal and external hemorrhoids.

PreventionYou often can prevent hemorrhoids by preventing constipation and straining to have bowel movements. Some of the following diet and lifestyle changes may help you to soften the stool, and avoid the straining that can lead to hemorrhoids:

Include more fiber in your diet – fresh fruits, leafy vegetables,  and whole-grain breads and cereals are good sources of fiber.

Drink adequate amounts of fluids – 6 to 8 glasses of water daily.

Exercise regularly

Do not strain or sit on the toilet for long periods of time. Straining for more than 5 minutes can be harmful. Try not to stay on the toilet any longer than necessary.

Use a soothing wipe, such as baby wipes or witch hazel pads, to clean after each bowel movement and to ease the pain.

If your main job activity is seated, always stand or walk during your breaks. Make it a point to stand and walk at least 5 minutes every hour and try to shift frequently in your chair to avoid direct rectal pressure.

Avoid heavy lifting, which puts pressure on the anal opening.</ul>

TreatmentA number of surgical methods may be used to remove or reduce the size of hemorrhoids:

Rubber band ligation – A rubber band is placed around the base of the hemorrhoid inside the rectum. The band cuts off circulation, and the hemorrhoid withers away within a few days.

Sclerotherapy is one of the oldest forms of treatment. A chemical solution is injected directly into the hemorrhoid or the area around it. This solution causes a local reaction that interferes with blood flow inside the hemorrhoid, making the hemorrhoid shrink.

Laser or electro-coagulation techniques – Both techniques use special devices to burn hemorrhoidal tissue.

Cryotherapy uses cold temperatures to obliterate the veins and cause inflammation and scarring. It is more time consuming, associated with more posttreatment pain, and is less effective than other treatments. Therefore, this procedure is not commonly used.

Hemorrhoidectomy – Occasionally, extensive or severe internal or external hemorrhoids may require removal by surgery known as hemorrhoidectomy. This is the best method for permanent removal of hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoidectomy is the treatment for severe third-degree and fourth-degree hemorrhoids.</ul>

Sclerotherapy, ligation, and heat coagulation are all good options for the treatment of hemorrhoids.

Neo Healar – herbal remedy for hemorrhoid(http://www.originaldrugs.com/neo-healar.shtml-Neo Healar) is a 100% herbal product that is composed on four natural occurring plants: Lupinus Albus, Vateria Indica, Mentha Piperita and Aloe Vera. Neo Healar is available in two forms: 30 g ointment and suppositories (in 10s).

Osteoporosis is called the silent thief because you do not experience any symptoms, the first time you know about it is when a bone snaps unexpectedly.   Osteoporosis means “porous bones” and it is a condition where the skeleton becomes very fragile and the bones break easily.  Simple things can cause a bone to break, such as stepping off a curb, sneezing, being hugged or even bending down to pick something up.  Breakages are mainly in the hips, spine and wrist and effects mainly women but men can have it as well.

Nowadays you can be tested to see what your bone mass is like and because of more knowledge you can delay the onset of osteoporosis with diet and exercise earlier in your life.

You might think that the skeleton does nothing else but holds you up but it is every bit as dynamic as other tissues, bone responds to the pull of muscles and gravity, repairs itself, and constantly renews itself.  The skeleton also protects the internal organs, as well as allowing you to move about.

After the age of 30, the bone starts to breakdown and outpaces formation.  The volume of the bone remains the same, but it’s density declines.

Calcium intake is important to build bone but you also need vitamin D to help the body absorb the calcium.  Vitamin D is produced by the skin in sunlight or can be found in many foods, such as in milk products and many breakfast cereals.  It has also been found that Magnesium and Vitamin K can also assist in the reduction of bone loss.   Vitamin K can be found in greens, whereas Magnesium is found in small quantities in a variety of foods, so eating a varied, healthy diet should provide what you require.

A lifelong habit of weight-bearing exercise, such as walking or biking, will also help build and maintain strong bones. The greatest benefit as you grow older is that physical fitness reduces the risk of fracture, because it gives you better balance, muscle strength, and agility, making falls less likely.  Exercise also provides many other life-enhancing psychological and cardiovascular benefits.

You don’t have to do too much, to get the most benefit from exercise. It is suggested that 30 minutes brisk walking five days a week is all you need. Add in a little weightlifting, and that’s even better. The reason behind this recommendation is that the flexing of bones during exercise is thought to prompt the body to lay down more calcium in the bones.  It’s always smart to ask your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you already have osteoporosis or other health problems.

It is important to ensure that when exercising the body has enough nutrients to build muscle otherwise minerals could be leeched from the bone making the bone more susceptible to osteoporosis.  It is therefore important that you do not exercise on an empty stomach.

Osteoporosis is a problem that can affect anyone in their later years and you should do all that you can to keep your bones strong.

Raising a healthy and happy family was the most important objective in our lives.  We seemed to be succeeding with four daughters between the ages of eight and twelve.  Live was good.

Then without warning our oldest daughter, Alisa developed some symptoms that, at first, seemed minor.  But as the days passed and she didn’t respond to the antibiotics, we knew we were looking at a serious health problem.  Little did we know that we would hear the words, “Your daughter has cancer!”

From that moment on our lives changed forever.  Our daughter had Hodgkin’s Disease.

Alisa was sent to Boston to get the best care.  It was a daunting task trying to keep the family going.  Everyone was feeling the effects of Alisa’s illness..  Once your family starts this journey, there is no turning back.  It is a roller coaster ride at it’s worst.  Alisa was challenged physically and the other children were challenged emotionally. We tried our best to maintain normalcy.

No Guarantees, an ebook tells the story of our experience with childhood cancer.  It is my wish that our story will help many other families.  I know when Alisa was diagnosed that I searched everywhere to find books or stories about other children.  It was almost impossible to find these stories and when I did, usually the child died after a short fight against the disease.

www.Knowledge-Download.com/Childhood-Cancer-No-Guarantees/

Sleep apnea is a condition when you stop breathing for a short interval repeatedly during sleep. Apnea means “Without Breath” in Greek; the word aptly describes the condition of patients suffering from sleep apnea. You may have breathing difficulty while sleeping, which may break your sleep also. Sleep apnea may cause high blood pressure, chances of stroke, impotence etc. This may seem a simple snoring disease, but it can be extremely harmful and should never be neglected.

Symptoms of sleep apnea:

These are some of the common symptoms of sleep apnea, though they may vary from person to person:

• Tendency to sleep more during the day.

• Interrupted snoring with periods of improper breathing.

• A small or recessed jaw.

• Obesity.

• A very tired feeling in the morning.

• Gasping or snoring respirations in the night.

• Unexplained right side heart or respiratory failure.

• Memory or concentration problems.

• Excessive snoring at night.

Types of apnea:

There are basically three types of apnea:

Obstructive sleep apnea: This is the most common, with 9 out of 10 cases of apnea coming under this category. It is often incorrectly called Pickwick Syndrome. Here, repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction occur during sleep, which is generally associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. The obstruction may be excess tissue in the airway, large tonsils, or a large tongue. Another site of obstruction can be the nasal passages.

Central sleep apnea: This is not very common. This is related to the function of the central nervous system. The muscles that you use to breathe don’t get a clear signal from the brain, thus causing this problem. Either the brain doesn’t send the signal, or the signal gets interrupted.

Mixed apnea: This is a combination of central and obstructive apnea. The most affected people are infants or young children, who have abnormal control of breathing. Mixed apnea may occur when a child is awake or asleep.

Snoring is another symptom of sleep apnea. It is the loud, rough rattling noise that you make while sleeping, caused when the soft palate and uvula vibrates. Snoring is believed to occur in anywhere from 30% of women to over 40% of men. When snoring is interrupted by frequent episodes of totally obstructed breathing, it is known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Treatments:

Sleep apnea can be cured by the following methods:

• Losing weight.

• Cutting down on alcohol.

• Using Nasal Dilator strips.

• Using dental appliances to prevent tongue from falling back.

• Surgery – Tracheostomy, Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, Mandibular Myotomy, Laser Assisted Uvuloplasty, Laup Radio Frequency (RF) Procedure or Somnoplasty.

• Palatoplasty – stiffening of the palate using surgery or injection.

• Using special pillows or devices to keep the airway open during sleep.

• Using a CPAP mask.

• Adjust your sleeping position, which might alleviate snoring.

Chicken Pox is the common name for Varicella simplex, classically one of the childhood infectious diseases caught and survived by most children.

Chicken Pox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It starts with moderate fever and then characteristic spots appearing in two or three waves, mainly on the body and head rather than the hands and becoming itchy raw pox (pocks), small open sores which heal mostly without scarring.

Chicken Pox has a two-week incubation period and is highly contagious by air transmission two days before symptoms appear. Therefore, Chicken Pox spreads quickly through schools and other places of close contact. Once someone has been infected with the disease, they usually develop protective immunity for life. It is fairly rare to get the Chicken Pox multiple times, but it is possible for people with irregular immune systems. As the disease is more severe if contracted by an adult, parents have been known to ensure their children become infected before adulthood.

The disease can be fatal. Pregnant women and those with immune system depression are more at risk. Death is usually from varicella pneumonia. In the US, 55 percent of Chicken Pox deaths were in the over-20 age group. Pregnant women not known to be immune and who come into contact with Chicken Pox should contact their doctor immediately, as the virus can cause serious problems for the fetus.

A Chicken Pox vaccine has been available since 1995, and is now required in some countries for children to be admitted into elementary school. In addition, effective medications (e.g., aciclovir) are available to treat Chicken Pox in healthy and immunocompromised persons. Calamine lotion is often used to ease itching and paracetamol to reduce fever. Aspirin is not recommended in children with Chicken Pox, as it can lead to Reye’s syndrome.

Chicken Pox is highly infectious infection that spreads from person to person by direct contact or through the air from an infected person’s coughing or sneezing. Touching the fluid from a Chicken Pox blister can also spread the disease. A persons with Chicken Pox is contagious 1-2 days before the rash appears and until all blisters have formed scabs. This may take between 5-10 days. It takes from 10-21 days after contact with an infected person for someone to develop Chicken Pox.

The Chicken Pox blisters start as a small red papule which develops an irregular outline in the shape of a rose petal. A thin-walled, clear vesicle (dew drop) develops on top of the area of redness. This “dew drop on a rose petal” lesion is very characteristic for Chicken Pox. After about 8-12 hours the fluid in the vesicle gets cloudy and the vesicle breaks leaving a crust. The fluid is highly contagious, but once the lesion crusts over, it is not considered contagious. The crust usually falls off after 7 days sometimes leaving a craterlike scar.

Although one lesion goes through this complete cycle in about 7 days, another hallmark of Chicken Pox is the fact that new lesions crop up every day for several days. Therefore, it may take about a week until new lesions stop appearing and existing lesions crust over.

Second infections with Chicken Pox occur in immunocompetent individuals, but are uncommon and rarely severe.

Vaccination Japan was among the first countries to routinely vaccinate for Chicken Pox. Routine vaccination against varicella zoster virus is also performed in the United States, and the incidence of Chicken Pox has been dramatically reduced from 4 million cases per year in the pre-vaccine era to approximately 400,000 cases per year as of 2005.

The vaccine is exceedingly safe: approximately 5% of children who receive the vaccine develop a fever or rash, but there have been no deaths, as of May 2006, attributable to the vaccine despite more than 40 million doses being administered.

41 of the 50 US states require immunization for children attending government-run schools. The vaccination is not routine in the United Kingdom. Debate continues in the UK on the time when it will be desirable to adopt routine Chicken Pox vaccination, and in the US opinions that it should be dropped, individually, or along with all immunizations, are also voiced.

The CDC and corresponding national organisations are carefully observing the failure rate which may be high compared with other modern vaccines – large outbreaks of Chicken Pox having occurred at schools which required their children to be vaccinated.

Catching wild Chicken Pox as a child has been thought to commonly result in lifelong immunity. Parents have deliberately ensured this in the past with pox parties and similarly for some other diseases such as rubella.

Historically, exposure of adults to contagious children has boosted their immunity, reducing the risk of shingles.

Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no changes are made, and the entire resource box is included.

Genital warts are a Sexually Transmitted Disease which, as a virus, once caught, never leaves the human body.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will continuously be covered in genital warts.  It does mean however, that you will be prone to break out in warts at any given time, and that you will be a carrier of the virus that causes genital warts.

There is no treatment that will cure genital warts by removing the virus, but if warts are present, they can be removed in a number of ways.

The best way to prevent genital warts is to use a condom or have a monogamous relationship with a partner who is not infected. It is much easier to prevent transmission of the virus than to deal with the virus after you have caught it.

Treatment for genital warts begins with a diagnosis by your doctor.  The warts are highly contagious, so if you see warts you should immediately take precautions so that you don’t spread them.  This includes immediately notifying your partner.

Many times, the virus that causes the warts may remain in the body and lie dormant.  There may be no warts visible but the virus may still be present.  This can be a dangerous time, because infection may still occur, even though the warts aren’t visible.

So, if your doctor diagnoses you as having genital warts, be sure to discuss your options, possible genital warts treatments, and ways to prevent spreading the condition.

Genital Warts Treatment and the Immune System

There are a variety of methods used to treat genital warts.  Some of the most popular genital wart treatments include taking medication, freezing the warts, or using laser surgery.  Some people who have HIV infection or a lowered immune system may find that they will need a longer course of treatment.  The type of treatment that is best for you will depend upon conditions such as the amount of warts and where the warts are located.

Genital warts may also lead to problematic pap smears, so it is very important that women see their gynecologists immediately if they suspect they may have genital warts.

Genital Warts: The Virus

Unfortunately, even if you have genital warts surgically removed, you can’t remove the Human Papillomavirus that will remain in your body.  This can cause risk to pregnant women, and if warts are present during the time of birth, a cesarean section may be recommended to prevent infecting the baby with the warts.  Again, it is vitally important to consult with your physician regarding all possible forms of treatment.

Its important to remember that the virus that causes genital warts will remain in your body, regardless of which treatment you use.  The key is to continue treatment, and to follow the advice of your doctor.

As with all sexually transmitted diseases, prevention is often thought of after the fact.  If you have contracted genital warts, help avoid the spread of the disease by spreading the word about condom use.  Be part of the solution, not the problem, when it comes to genital warts.

Entering her second year as a widow, my dear friend Rachael was past the several stages of grief and closing that chapter of her life; not an easy task but necessary for anyone who has survival instincts.  She began dating again and I couldn’t have been happier for her.  Sam was like a brother in a sense; a long time friend from our college days.  At first it was dinner and theater tickets but soon developed into weekends at his Lake house.

Post menopausal, it didn’t occur to Rachael to consider condoms.  And in retrospect, she would not have asked Sam about his sexual activities – there were things our generation didn’t talk about.  Therefore when her physician put her through a battery of tests because of her complaints regarding sudden weight loss and fatigue, she was shocked when she tested positive for HIV.

How does this happen at age 64, she wanted to know.  But it’s a fact:  anyone can get HIV/AIDS regardless of age from having unprotected sex, or sharing needles with an infected person.  Latex condoms can help prevent, but not insure an infected person from transferring the virus to another.  Because she did not know her partner’s drug and/or sexual history, she was at risk!

Best friends since high school Rachael confided in me.   We decided to do an in-depth study of patients 55 years and older with HIV/AIDS.  But we were immediately at a disadvantage because many, or should we say most, older people often mistake signs of this virus for the normal aging complaints — exactly as Rachael had and they are less likely to get tested.   Besides, what patient in their senior years wants to discuss their sexual activity with a physician that’s probably half their age?  Not!

We soon realized the myths and misconceptions regarding all elderly citizens help put the barriers in the way of diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS.  It is still assumed that old people live a life of celibacy and sobriety.  Unfortunately, senior adults do not always conform to public images any more than teens do.  Adding to this the doctor’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” posture and we’re at an impasse.

Statistics do confirm that older women are becoming infected at a higher rate than older men.  Without the fear of pregnancy, the post-menopausal woman who is uninformed of the dangers may become more sexually active with more partners.  Even her biology increases her risk as the vaginal walls thin and lubrication decreases; thus, the membranes are more likely to tear during intercourse, providing access for the virus.

But whatever the reasons… failure to communicate leads to failure of diagnosis in its early, most treatable stages.  In many ways, HIV and old age converge and aggravate each other rather than conflict.  For instance, memory loss may indicate AIDS-related dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.  This distinction is important because dementia can be reversed; Alzheimer’s cannot.

As if the social isolation among senior citizens who have lost a spouse is not enough, it is multiplied many times over if their families realize they have HIV/AIDS.  Shamefully, this virus entered a society already having little respect for its seniors.  Most adult children lack the patience, and precious few want the burden of caring for their parents in their final years.

While it is common knowledge that the face of AIDS is changing with the greater proportion being people of color, women, children and heterosexuals — what we never hear is that the face is also aging.

2006 © Esther Smith

Sleep apnea, also referred to as sleep apnoea, is a common sleep disorder. It’s characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. These episodes, called apneas, last 10 seconds or more and occur repeatedly throughout the night. People with sleep apnea partially awaken as they struggle to breathe, but in the morning they may not be aware of the disturbances in their sleep.

The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), caused by relaxation of soft tissue in the back of the throat that blocks the passage of air. Central sleep apnea (CSA) is caused by irregularities in the brain’s normal signals to breathe. Some people with sleep apnea have a combination of both types.

OSA is more common in men than women and in people who are overweight or obese. Here are some symptoms to look for if you suspect you are suffering from this disorder.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Restless Sleep

Loud Snoring (With Periods Of Silence Followed By Gasps)

Falling Asleep During The Day

Morning Headaches

Trouble Concentrating

Irritability

Forgetfulness

Mood or Behavior Changes

Weight Gain

Increased Heart Rate

Anxiety

Depression

Most people with sleep apnea have obstructive apnea “OSA”, in which the person stops breathing during sleep due to airway blockage. Breathing is resumed within a few seconds, but periods of as long as sixty seconds are not uncommon in serious cases.

OSA is more common amongst people who snore, who are obese, who consume alcohol, or who have anatomical abnormalities of the jaw or soft palate. However, atypical cases do occur, and the condition should not be ruled out unilaterally merely because the patient does not fit the profile.

“OSA” is caused by the relaxation of the muscles in the airway during sleep. Whilst the vast majority of people successfully maintain an open upper airway and breathe normally during sleep, a significant number of individuals are prone to severe narrowing or occlusion of the pharynx, such that breathing is impeded or even completely obstructed. As the brain senses a build-up of carbon dioxide, airway muscles are activated which open the airway, allowing breathing to resume but interrupting deep sleep.

The prognosis is that sleep apnea left untreated can be life threatening. Excessive daytime sleepiness can cause people to fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as while driving. Sleep apnea appears to put individuals at risk for stroke. Successful treatment can also reduce the risk of heart and blood pressure problems.

Research has shown that risks for cancer increase among men who have two alcoholic drinks a day and women who have one alcoholic drink per day.  While everyone has been widely aware of the fact that smoking cigarettes greatly increase your risk of contracting cancer, there has been very little publicity of the fact that alcohol can act as a similar carcinogen.

By its very nature and design, the consumption of alcohol damages cells in your body.  This damage can easily promote cell division, stimulate enzymes which cause the activation of other carcinogens and destroy certain nutrients that act as natural preventatives to cancer.

Most of the research indicates that a strong link exists between alcohol and cancers of the esophagus, pharynx and mouth.  There is a suggested, those less strongly proven, link between cancers of the liver, breast and colon.

According to the American Cancer Society, oral cancers are six times more common in alcohol users than in non alcohol users.

Obviously, all of this evidence points to the conclusion that you should avoid alcohol so you can lower your chances of contracting these types of cancer.

For most people the question then comes down to a simple decision: are the benefits of drinking alcohol larger than the potential deficits of cancer?  As long as the mythology continues that there is no cure for cancer, the question should be fairly simple to answer.  Very few people would happily enjoy a few nights out with friends drinking for months or years of painful cancer.

Put plainly, our bodies are designed to heal themselves.  Our immune system was created to keep our bodies healthy.  However, like any other worker, our immune system cannot do its work if we don’t give it the necessary tools.

One of the effects of alcohol, which isn’t one of the reasons most folks drink it, is that it reduces the ability of your immune system to do its job.  So, people who regularly drink alcohol are regularly inhibiting the ability of their immune system to do its job.

Our cells are constantly dividing and there are a large number of ways the cell can become malignant.  In reality, we probably develop malignant cells on a daily basis.  However, once they become known to our immune system as a threat, they are destroyed.

It’s only when our immune system somehow misses the indications that a cell is becoming a problem that we term it cancer.

There is no dispute about the fact that doing anything which will inhibit our immune system increases our chances for becoming ill.  It’s significantly odd, then, that we all continue going about our lives while continually doing things that inhibit our immune systems.

In the end, we all need to evaluate the actions we take and the decisions we make with an eye towards the potential rewards versus the potential risks.  Alcohol diminishes the immune system and a diminished immune system greatly elevates our chances of developing cancer.  Next time you start to drink alcohol, stop and ask your immune system if it really wants to get drunk.

One in three adult Americans suffer from some form of arthritis and the disease affects about twice as many women as men.

Arthritic diseases include rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, which are autoimmune diseases; septic arthritis, caused by joint infection; and the more common osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease. Arthritis can be caused from strains and injuries caused by repetitive motion, sports, overexertion, and falls. Unlike the autoimmune diseases, osteoarthritis largely affects older people and results from the degeneration of joint cartilage. Other forms are discussed below.

Arthritic joints can be sensitive to weather changes. The increased sensitivity is thought to be caused by the affected joints developing extra nerve endings in an attempt to protect the joint from further damage.

Signs and symptoms

All arthritides feature pain, which is generally worse in the morning and on initiating movement, and resolves in the course of time. In elderly people and children, the pain may not be the main feature, and the patient simply moves less (elderly) or refuse to use the affected limb (children).

When faced with joint pain, a doctor will generally ask about several other medical symptoms (such as fever, skin symptoms, breathlessness, Raynaud’s phenomenon) that may narrow down the differential diagnosis to a few items, for which testing can be done.

Arthritis and fever together are pointers towards septic arthritis (see below). This is a medical emergency, and requires urgent referral to a rheumatologist.

Diagnosis

The various types of arthritis can be distinguished by the pace of onset, the age and sex of the patient, the amount of (and which) joints affected, additional symptoms (such as psoriasis, iridocyclitis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, and rheumatoid nodules), and other clues.

Blood tests and X-rays of the affected joints are often performed to make the diagnosis. X-rays can show erosions or bone appositions.

Screening blood tests: full blood count, electrolytes, renal function, liver enzymes, calcium, phosphate, protein electrophoresis, C-reactive protein and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Specific tests are the rheumatoid factor, antinuclear factor (ANF), extractable nuclear antigen and specific antibodies whenever the ANF is found to be positive.

Treatment

Treatment options vary depending on the precise condition, but include surgery, and drug treatment, reduction of joint stress, physical and occupational therapy, and pain management. There are also numerous herbal remedies that purportedly treat arthritis, including Harpagophytum procumbens. For specifics, see the articles on the individual conditions listed below.

In March 2005, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the USA found that a diet rich in oily fish raised the body’s production of an anti-inflammatory fat, and may thus reduce the effects of arthritis. According to their study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, this diet worked best when combined with low aspirin doses.

“I just found out yesterday that I have brain cancer. I spent over an hour at the doctor’s office and cannot remember anything he told be about my prognosis and the treatment. I’m so scared and I don’t know how to tell my children or my family. I feel like I’m going crazy. … Is this normal?”

Calls such as this one are placed to the AMC Cancer Center’s Cancer Information and Counseling Line several times a day by people seeking help and support with a variety of cancer-related concerns.

There are an estimated 10 million cancer survivors in the United States. Cancer patients and their families face many challenges, from coping with the initial diagnosis to making decisions about treatments. They may struggle with treatment side effects, communication issues with loved ones and health care providers, and practical concerns like child care and financial hardships.

The Cancer Information and Counseling Line, also called CICL, is a nonprofit, toll-free service. It has been providing emotional support, specialized counseling and cancer information to thousands of people across the country for nearly 25 years.

Each call is assessed by a cancer information and triage specialist who is able to help the caller with detailed resource information. Callers also are given the option of talking to one of the professional counselors, who give supportive, practical guidance on how to cope with the emotional toll a cancer diagnosis can take.

All of the counselors have master’s degrees and extensive experience in psychosocial counseling of cancer patients and their significant others. Each counseling session is focused on meeting the needs of the caller.

In addition to information supplied over the phone, the AMC Cancer Research Center has an extensive library of cancer-related materials that can be mailed to callers upon request.

The CICL is funded by private donations. As health care continues to evolve, the CICL hopes to expand to meet the growing emotional and informational needs of people affected by cancer.

One of the best things about the Internet and about serious, scholarly, and devoted professional help sites is being able to find the accurate, timely, and truly informative articles related to your search.  The ADHD article is among such benefits.  While we can find astoundingly apt materials in the bookstore on ADHD (Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder), such as Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundos lifesaving book, or those equally useful works by Thom Hartmann, Shari Holden, and others, the ADHD article is quicker, more easily accessible (online, I mean), and is just as valuable as written by an ADHD specialist, expert, and/or professional.

You can start with the ADHD site or ADHD ezine (online magazine), for example to find almost any ADHD article as it is relevant to you and yours:

BTE, borntoexplore.org, offers information and a number of helpful, informative ADHD articles for scholarship and personal use.

ADDitude magazine is online and by subscription, and has so many practical and realistic ADHD articles for the professional, the student, the parent, and the adult that you will definitely want your own copy! I came by the magazine through the college where I worked, and since then has read every magazine issue cover to cover.  I then had to subscribe to resist the sinful temptation of keeping the copies I borrowed.

You will also want to check out the ADHD article databases:

The absolute premier site for ADHD articles is ADD Consults (addconsults.com).  It will take you a little time to figure out how the system is constructed, but once you decide on a subject area, or sub-topic, you will get ADHD articles on everything from ADD strategies to co-morbidity information to ADHD articles about children and adults with ADD.  The articles are upscale and professional, clinical, and/or personal, and are a must read! The site is built by Terry Matlin, MSW, ASCW, and features the astoundingly superbly brilliant support of ADHD article writers who are big names in the fieldEdward Hallowell, John J. Ratey, Sari Solden, Thom Hartmann, and Michelle Novotny, to name just a few!

The moment you find the source that is most user-friendly and helpful to you, go ahead and sign up for a free newsletter, one which offers an ADHD article or two weekly or monthly (whenever the newsletter is delivered to your inbox):

Terry Matlin, ACSW, also offers a newsletter which features an ADHD article, book reviews, and blurbs on many ADHD aids/products for the ADHDer, as I call her or him (as I call myself).

Breath and Shadow, a monthly (or thereabouts) newsletter put out by ROSC as the Journal of Literature and Disability Culture, is for writers and artists with any or all disabilities, and issues a monthly newsletter with a predetermined theme, but occasionally you might get an ADHD article.

You can find the most relevant, scholarly ADHD articles, or the most personal and still accurate ADHD article written by a non-credentialed individual who is or knows someone who has to put up with the frustrations and challenges as well as special and unique gifts of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a.k.a ADD. Come on, any sites to share with me, anyone?

As the first baby boomers turn 60 this year, they are beginning to confront the consequences of growing older. A new survey shows the majority of boomers are anxious about how Alzheimer’s disease (AD) will affect their health and quality of life. At the same time, many boomers said they are frustrated with the government’s and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) efforts to address the looming AD crises.

“These survey findings underscore the fact that when baby boomers are asked to address the potential of Alzheimer’s in their future, they are clearly not ready emotionally, psychologically or financially,” said Daniel Perry, executive director of the Alliance for Aging Research and chair of the ACT-AD Coalition, which commissioned the survey.

About Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease, which is universally fatal, affects 4.5 million Americans and causes millions more to leave the workforce to care for loved ones who eventually need around-the-clock attention. As the disease progresses, people suffer severe cognitive deterioration, confusion, disorientation, personality and behavior change and eventually death. Estimates suggest that by 2010, Alzheimer’s disease will affect one in 10 people over age 65, or 5.6 million Americans-and the cost of care will increase 75 percent to about $160 billion annually in Medicare costs alone.

The ACT-AD (Accelerate Cure/Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease) Coalition is launching a campaign to call attention to the urgency of the Alzheimer’s disease crisis and, at the same time, the lack of a well-defined approach in the U.S. for swift delivery and access to promising transformational therapies that could halt or reverse the disease.

“Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease that has been on the back burner of science for 100 years but no one is immune to it and the toll will be staggering unless baby boomers wake up to the threat and do something about it,” said Meryl Comer, Emmy Award-winning television journalist and full-time caregiver for her husband, who was diagnosed with AD at age 58. “When the onset of the disease is early for a loved one, it is like being a witness to your own future, and I am terrified for us all.”

Key Survey Findings

– Boomers said they place top priority on new drugs that could change the course of Alzheimer’s disease, feel that the FDA should give priority review to these drugs, expect the right to decide whether to use them and are willing to accept a degree of risk with promising drugs.

– Ninety to 95 percent of respondents said that they would either be unprepared or would find life “not worth living” if they were forced to face limitations common to AD by the time they were 70.

– Eighty percent of respondents said that their current savings would not be sufficient to cover the cost of care if they were diagnosed and 81 percent said the same thing about their families’ savings. Eighty-three percent said they are worried that the health care system is underprepared for the coming Alzheimer’s crisis.

– Only 8 percent of respondents feel that current AD treatments are adequate. Eighty percent are willing to take experimental treatments that have the potential for stopping the disease and preserving their quality of life, even if significant health risk were involved. Ninety percent of respondents felt that drugs that have the potential to preserve quality of life for AD patients should be given the same priority review and fast-track status that the FDA gives to drugs for other life-threatening diseases.

– When provided with an overview of the FDA’s current review policy for Alzheimer’s drugs, 84 percent said they feel that more should be done and over 75 percent feel that Alzheimer’s should be made a top priority.

Parents who think they are doing everything they can to protect their children from drugs may not be aware of all the dangers found right in their own homes. More than 1,400 common household products are currently being abused by kids across the country to get high.

Inhalants are easily accessible, legal, everyday products. When used as intended, these products are completely harmless and have a useful purpose in our lives, but when intentionally misused and abused, they can be deadly. Most parents and educators are in the dark regarding the popularity and dangers of inhalant abuse, and unfortunately, the practice is becoming more common and accepted among children.

According to national surveys, inhalant abuse is on the rise, and poses a tremendous threat to all those who engage in the practice. By the time a student reaches the 8th grade, one in five will have abused inhalants and more than 2 million kids aged 12-17 will have used some form of inhalant to get high.

A recent case that illustrates the grave dangers associated with inhalant abuse is that of Police Officer Jeff Williams of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Williams repeatedly warned his children about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, and despite owning a retired police K-9 trained and certified in drug detection, he was uninformed on the issue and wasn’t aware of the warning signs. His 14-year-old son Kyle had a bright future and was about as normal and healthy as any parent would want their son to be, until he died suddenly after deliberately inhaling a computer keyboard cleaner to get high. What Kyle didn’t know is that inhalant abuse can be more than a cheap high, it can kill-whether the first time you try it, the second or the tenth.

“March 2nd was the one-year anniversary of my son Kyle’s death,” said Officer Williams. “I’m a cop-I knew what to watch for when it came to drugs and alcohol, but with this, I didn’t recognize the signs, and that’s the problem. Parents have to know what to look for-if you don’t know, you can’t stop it.”

The death of Kyle and the similar deaths of many other children across the country are the reasons that the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition developed National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week (NIPAW). An annual community-level program that takes place in the third week in March, NIPAW is designed to increase understanding about the use and risks of inhalant abuse. Program partners have included sponsors from state government agencies and associations, medical groups, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, police departments, DARE officers, the National Guard, PTO/PTA chapters, Poison Control Centers, local medical communities and the media.

This year, Jeff Williams is honoring his son’s memory by helping to educate people about the dangers and warning signs associated with inhalant abuse. His goal is to help prevent other families from experiencing what he and his family have endured.

“Nothing I can do can bring Kyle back, but what I can do is help other families avoid suffering the same pain and loss that my family did. Parents need to understand that education is the key in helping prevent inhalant abuse in their household and communicating the dangers to their loved ones,” concluded Officer Williams.

The NIPAW campaign can be conducted anywhere there is a need for inhalant awareness education.

In 1981, scientists in the United States and France first recognized the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which was later discovered to be caused by a virus called the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV breaks down the body’s immunity to infections leading to AIDS. The virus can lie hidden in the body for up to 10 years without producing any obvious symptoms or before developing into the AIDS disease, and in the meantime the person can unknowingly infect others. Currently, an estimated 40 million people worldwide are HIV carriers, and three million a year are dying of AIDS.

HIV lives in white blood cells and is present in the sexual fluids of humans. It’s difficult to catch and is spread mostly through sexual intercourse, by needle or syringe sharing among intravenous drug users, in blood transfusions, and during pregnancy and birth (if the mother is infected). Using another person’s razor blade or having your body pierced or tattooed are also risky, but the HIV virus cannot be transmitted by shaking hands, kissing, cuddling, fondling, sneezing, cooking food, or sharing eating or drinking utensils. One cannot be infected by saliva, sweat, tears, urine, or feces; toilet seats, telephones, swimming pools, or mosquito bites do not cause AIDS. Ostracizing a known AIDS victim is not only immoral but also absurd.

Most blood banks now screen their products for HIV, and you can protect yourself against dirty needles by only allowing an injection if you see the syringe taken out of a fresh unopened pack. The simplest safeguard during sex is the proper use of a latex condom. Unroll the condom onto the erect penis; while withdrawing after ejaculation, hold onto the condom as you come out. Never try to recycle a condom, and pack a supply with you, as it can be a nuisance trying to buy them on short notice.

HIV is spread more often through anal than vaginal sex, because the lining of the rectum is much weaker than that of the vagina, and ordinary condoms sometimes tear when used in anal sex. If you have anal sex, only use extra-strong condoms and special water-based lubricants, since oil, Vaseline, and cream weaken the rubber. During oral sex you must make sure you don’t get any semen or menstrual blood in your mouth. A woman runs 10 times the risk of contracting AIDS from a man than the other way around, and the threat is always greater when another sexually transmitted disease (STD) is present.

The very existence of AIDS calls for a basic change in human behavior. No vaccine or drug exists that can prevent or cure AIDS, and because the virus mutates frequently, no remedy may ever be totally effective. Other STDs such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis B, and herpes are far more common than AIDS and can lead to serious complications such as infertility, but at least they can usually be cured.

You should always practice safe sex to prevent AIDS and other STDs. You never know who is infected or even if you yourself have become infected. It’s important to bring the subject up before you start to make love. Make a joke out of it by pulling out a condom and asking your new partner, “Say, do you know what this is?” Or perhaps, “Your condom or mine?” Far from being unromantic or embarrassing, you’ll both feel more relaxed with the subject off your minds, and it’s much better than worrying afterwards if you might have been infected. The golden rule is safe sex or no sex.

An HIV infection can be detected through a blood test, because the antibodies created by the body to fight off the virus can be seen under a microscope. It takes at least three weeks for the antibodies to be produced and in some cases as long as six months before they can be picked up during a screening test. If you think you may have run a risk, you should discuss the appropriateness of a test with your doctor. It’s always better to know if you are infected so as to be able to avoid infecting others, to obtain early treatment of symptoms, and to make realistic plans. If you know someone with AIDS, you should give them all the support you can (there’s no danger in such contact unless blood is present).

All this talk to bird flu has really thrown us all into a tizzy these days but is it something that we really need to be so concerned about? Well, this really depends on who you ask. Some experts will tell you that this new outbreak of bird flu is going to wipe out one third of the worlds population while another stands by and simply scoffs at such a prediction. Getting down to the bottom of the bird flu is hard to do and in the end there is not much you can do about it either way.

So far the bird flu has not spread to all countries, and the vast majority of those who have been affected actually handled the birds or came into contact with contaminated spaces. So if this is anything to go by, if you do not have chickens then you should be safe from the bird flu. There have been no reports as of yet of any bird flu victims catching the flu from other people, only from the birds themselves. I don’t know about you but this certainly puts my mind at rest somewhat.

There is more than one strain of bird flu however and they all act a little differently and like any other virus is subject to constant mutations. The current strain of bird flu may not be passed from human to human yet but in time it may learn to transmit itself in this fashion. Viruses are smart and they learn quickly so even if you have no contact with any birds you need to watch out and take some precautions.

You will need to start being even more hygienic that you already are to avoid catching bird flu. Wash your hands more often and do not touch people if you do not have to. For example when you are out and you meet someone don’t necessarily shake their hand and if you do wash your hands right away. This is your health and it is even more important than always being overly polite.

There are also vaccines that are being developed as you read that will hopefully be able to lower your chances of contracting bird flu. These vaccines have gotten a lot of hype lately and we can only hope that they are as effective as they are said to be in containing and eliminating the bird flu.

More than 1,000 children are born with limb loss every year in the United States.

Most of those cases are due to a simple prenatal accident known as amniotic banding. This occurs very early in a pregnancy when the mother’s womb begins to build a support structure for the growing fetus.

In about one out of every 5,000 pregnancies, one of the tiny fibers in that support structure breaks or pulls loose from the uterine wall and wraps around a tiny limb much like a tourniquet. In many cases, the limb ceases to develop beyond the constriction.

Until the advent of “myoelectric” upper extremity prostheses for children as a result of the thalidomide disaster of the 1950s, infants and children were confined to wearing a mechanical prosthesis invented in 1812 and in general use during the Civil War era.

Today, technology exists to let children with a limb loss enjoy a normal life. The crucial factor is achieving a comfortable, secure fit. With prosthetic legs of stronger, lighter and more responsive materials, and hands that grasp and open on command, children can run and play with their friends.

Myoelectric prosthetics contain skin-contact sensors that read the signals sent by the brain to the missing limb. A computer chip in the limb then magnifies the signals to activate the limb to perform the required task, whether it is picking up a toy, tying a shoe, riding a bike or unwrapping a piece of candy.

Pediatric Prosthetics Inc. is the first prosthetics company focused totally upon the needs of children with limb loss and their families. The company’s founder, Linda Putback-Bean, has specialized in fitting infants and children for more than 20 years but was unable to find a company willing to make a commitment to support a pediatric prosthetic practice on a national level. She decided to establish one herself.

Pediatric Prosthetics Inc. now has clinical fitting labs in 21 states and continues to add new alliances. In addition, Putback-Bean and her associates make home visits to children with prosthetic needs, utilizing the company aircraft to provide a unique blend of care and support coast-to-coast.

More than six million people worldwide, including one million in the United States, live with Parkinson’s disease-a chronic, degenerative, neurological disorder that is characterized by symptoms that typically progress from mild tremors to significant physical incapacitation.

Despite modest advances in pharmaceutical and surgical therapies, there is no known cure for Parkinson’s. The best hope for finding one, say experts in the field, is through clinical trials. Therein lies the problem.

Even though almost all (more than 96 percent) of the physicians in the United States who treat people with Parkinson’s disease agree that clinical trials are necessary to find better treatments for the disease, the majority of physicians have never referred a patient to a clinical trial.

These are among the highlights of a recent survey commissioned by Advancing Parkinson’s Therapies (APT), a collaborative effort spearheaded by leading Parkinson’s organizations. The survey also found that, among Parkinson’s patients, 40 percent cite support groups and 27 percent cite other people with the disease as the most common sources of information about clinical trials. Meanwhile, only 11 percent of patients get information from their doctors.

Currently, less than 1 percent of people with Parkinson’s are participating in clinical research. This is far short of the level that researchers anticipate will be needed for clinical studies over the next two to three years, including studies of therapies to slow or stop disease progression and to improve symptoms such as tremors. This disparity may result in severe delays in the availability of new treatments.

Information Barriers

Lack of adequate information about clinical trials was identified as a barrier to clinical trial enrollment. Only 14 percent of primary care physicians, 21 percent of neurologists and 18 percent of patients surveyed indicated that they are somewhat or very satisfied with the amount of information available about clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease.

“People are not getting the information they need to make decisions as to whether to participate in a trial,” said Michael J. Fox. “The fewer people that go into trials, the longer it will take to develop new treatments.”

To meet this challenge, the Parkinson’s community has initiated a new campaign, Advancing Parkinson’s Therapies (APT), to make sure patients and physicians are better informed. The campaign seeks to address information gaps and to provide physicians and patients with information on a variety of clinical trials that are currently enrolling patients.

Rosacea – what is it?

Rosacea is also called adult acne or acne rosacea. But it has nothing to do with acne. In rosacea what happen is this. You will notice that you show red blush or flushing of the center part of your face in the beginning. That may happen after sun exposure or after eating spicy foods or drinking alcoholic drinks etc. But slowly this blush will become permanent and your face will always look red at the center. Slowly the color may spread to other parts of the face and acne like papules may form.

Rosacea – Am I prone?

No body knows the cause of rosacea. Nor it is known about who may be prone to rosacea. It is thought that it is a disease of the blood vessels of the face. When it develops further, you may notice red veins like spider veins on your face. Most of the men develop red big nose because of rosacea.

Rosacea – are there any complications?

Your eyes may get involved if you don’t get roseasea treated. You will feel gritty in the eyes and must consult your doctor immediately. As said earlier, men may develop very bad looking red big noses that may need surgery to correct the shape.

Rosacea – what should I do?

If anytime you notice that you are getting red color easily on your face, watch if it is becoming permanent. Please consult your doctor immediately if it does and bring your rosacea under control. Knowing more about what triggers your rosacea will help you.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

Bad Breath or Halitosis is the term used to describe unpleasant smell exhaled in breathing. There are different types of Halitosis. Transient bad breath is very common and is caused due to oral dryness, stress, hunger, eating foods containing garlic and onions, smoking and poor oral hygiene. Morning breath and chronic bad breath are the other types. The latter affects 25% of the population at different levels. This condition is caused by the overpopulation of certain types of oral bacteria like streptococcus mutans, and requires special treatment. Fetor hepaticus is a type of bad breath caused by chronic liver failure.

There are different factors that affect the mouth and cause bad breath. Dental decay, gum disease, food stagnation between the teeth, dry mouth, excessive bacterial activity on the tongue, throat or tonsil infection and catarrh are some of them. The factors that affect the airways and cause bad breath are sinusitis, polyps, dryness, foreign body, mucus flow, bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchiectasis. Food stagnation, gastric and blood influx cause bad breath. Bad breath can also be a sign of a significant general health problem.

Over 400 types of bacteria are found in the average mouth. Huge quantities of these naturally-occurring bacteria are often found on the posterior of the tongue, where they are undisturbed by normal activity. The surface of the tongue dorsum being rough provides an ideal habitat for anaerobic bacteria, which flourish under a continually-forming tongue coating of food debris, dead cells, and thousands of bacteria, both living and dead. The anaerobic respiration of such bacteria can yield either the putrescent smell of polyamines, or the “rotten egg” smell of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). When these compounds mix with mouth air, they produce unpleasant breath.

You can prevent bad breath by maintaining a high level of oral and dental hygiene. It requires cleaning of tongue right to the back, using a mouthwash recommended by the dentist, drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding too much of coffee. Sugar-free gum and fresh and fibrous vegetables are taken to prevent bad breath. Tobacco products should be avoided. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove food debris. Mouthwashes and mints give temporary release since they mask the smell for a few minutes. Rinses containing chloehexidine, zinc gluconate or chlorine dioxide should be used. Alcohol, being a drying agent, should be avoided.

Maintaining a proper water level in the body by drinking several glasses of water a day is important to prevent your mouth from being dry. Adding lemon juice to the water before drinking is considered beneficial. Eating yogurt, drinking green tea or chewing cinnamon or sugarless cinnamon gum can reduce bad breath.