Learn to Care For Your Health

How to Rebuild Collagen in Skin Underneath Eyes By Using Natural Ingredients

2009-09-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

Author: Danielle M. Armstrong

There isn't anything worse that can happen to a woman who really cares about her looks than developing puffy sagging bags and wrinkles under and around her eyes.

That's why it's important for you to learn how to rebuild collagen in skin underneath eyes, this will help you to remove fine lines and reduce sagging bags and wrinkles, then your eyes can look as smooth and attractive as they were when you were younger.

I don't know what the percentage is, but I bet it's likely to be over 75% of all anti-aging facial products are targeted at women's eyes. It's the first place people look at, and unfortunately it's the area on your face that shows those tell tale signs of aging the most.

It's useful for you to be aware of two issues when looking for creams to build collagen in facial tissues under and around your eyes.

The first issue that causes a lot of confusion with people is how the many heavily advertised collagen creams on the market misrepresent the facts. Scientific research has confirmed that it's impossible for collagen applied topically from a tube of cream to penetrate through your tissue cells and reach the collagen and elastin matrix within your dermis tissue layer.

No doubt you are aware that the tissues under and around your eyes are very fine and sensitive. Therefore you have to be extremely careful what you apply in this area; otherwise you run a very real risk of causing damage to your eyes.

Make sure you only apply 100% safe natural anti-aging face cream substances. There are many potentially harmful harsh chemical and synthetic substances in some face creams that you definitely should not be applying anywhere near your eyes. Be especially careful not to apply any of these products to your eyelids -- if a substance is capable of entering into your skin it can potentially go through into your eyes.

Learning how to rebuild collagen in skin underneath eyes is simply a matter of finding and then regularly using some well-proven natural ingredients that can get the job done the best.

When your doing your research take a closer look at these natural ingredients that have been specially included in the best natural eye contour gel available to reduce puffy sagging bags and wrinkles in your very sensitive eye area... Homeo Age™, Eyeliss™, Natural Vitamin E, Cynergy TK™ and Nanobelle Coenzyme Q10.

Make no mistake about it there are some great natural substances that have been clinically proven to rebuild collagen in skin underneath your eyes that will make the tissues softer and smoother so your eyes will look as beautiful as they once did. To find out more about these great ingredients, visit my website below.

About the Author:

Danielle M. Armstrong is a long time user, researcher and writer on skin care, health and nutritional supplementation issues. She advocates using natural anti-aging skin care products because they are extremely effective and 100% safe to use. To learn more about great skin care products, go to --> http://www.best-health-skin-site.com/ today.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How to Rebuild Collagen in Skin Underneath Eyes By Using Natural Ingredients

Use 'common-sense' steps against H1N1 virus, Obama says

2009-09-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama encouraged all Americans Tuesday to take "common-sense" steps in preparation for an expected resurgence in the H1N1 virus this fall.

President Obama meets Wednesday with top advisers to discuss plans regarding the H1N1 virus.

Among other things, he said, people should wash their hands frequently and stay home from work if they are ill.

"I know it sounds simple, but it's important and it works," he said at the White House.

"I don't want anybody to be alarmed. But I do want (people) to be prepared."

The president said hospitals need to prepare for an unusually large influx of patients. While the federal government is doing everything possible to prepare for a new H1N1 outbreak, there will likely be "issues coming up over the next several months," Obama said. The way the virus is "moving is still somewhat unpredictable."

Families and businesses, he said, should have plans in place in the event that relatives or co-workers contract the virus and need to remain at home.

State and local governments need to be "on the front lines to make anti-viral medications and vaccines available," he added. Watch President Obama discuss what precautions people can take »

The president made his remarks after receiving a briefing on preparedness for H1N1, also known as swine flu, from several senior administration officials.

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He met with Homeland Security Adviser John Brennan, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Health, and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, among others.

Obama's remarks came one week after a presidential advisory panel estimated the H1N1 virus could cause up to 90,000 U.S. deaths, mainly among children and young adults, when infections surge upward as expected this fall.

Seasonal flu, in contrast, typically kills an average of about 36,000 Americans each year, according to the CDC, mainly people 65 and older and young children.

With both types of flu, people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women also are at higher risk.

H1N1 could infect between 30 percent to 50 percent of the American population during fall and winter and lead to as many as 1.8 million hospital admissions, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology reported.

The fall H1N1 resurgence may begin with the start of the school year and may peak in mid-October, the report said. A vaccine against H1N1 is being tested but is not expected to be available until at least mid-October, health officials have noted.

The vaccine will likely require two shots at least one week apart, and because it typically takes a couple of weeks for a person's immunity to build up after vaccination, most Americans would not be protected until sometime in November.

Vaccinations will be voluntary but "strongly recommended," Obama said.

In a separate meeting Tuesday, Napolitano and Washington-area leaders expressed confidence in the region's planning for the H1N1 virus.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said state budget problems will not impact public health care.

"We are confident that we are going to be able, notwithstanding those challenges, to distribute vaccinations as they become available. ... We have to. That is our job," O'Malley said.

Said Kaine: "We don't just cut across the board. We cut based on priorities, and public health is a very top priority."

The World Health Organization in June declared a Level 6 worldwide pandemic, the organization's highest classification.

To help combat the spread of the virus among young children, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday that it is re-releasing a series of public service announcements featuring the popular Sesame Street character Elmo.

The ads stress the importance of basic healthy habits such as frequent hand washing, sneezing into the bend of your arm, and not touching your mouth, nose, and eyes.

The ads were initially rolled out in May, but have now been repackaged to help promote www.flu.gov, the government Web site responsible for posting information regarding the H1N1 virus.

The Right Time to Quit Smoking

2009-08-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

The Right Time to Quit Smoking

Author: DavidTan

Why do smokers find it hard to quit smoking? This is because the habit is really addictive. Those who have tried to quit before find it irritable when they don’t have a cigarette to puff. This is because of the nicotine in the cigarette. Smoking is not just a habit but and addiction.

Nicotine withdrawal is what causing the anxiety and irritability when unable to have a smoke. Nicotine instantly goes to the brain when smoking. While the nicotine is filling the brain it sends out a chemical dopamine giving a feeling of enjoyment and tranquility. This feeling is irresistible to the body. When the dopamine level drops this is the start of nicotine withdrawal that will make you get bad-tempered. The nicotine makes your body to crave for more of it and will make you to keep smoking.

Each time you smoke cigarette it becomes lesser effective so the brain would tell you to smoke more to regain the relaxing feeling. But the result of the excessive inhaled toxins will give you smoking connected sickness.When you want to smoke you will feel certain bodily nicotine withdrawal indications such as dizziness, insomnia, restlessness, headache, coughing, dry throat, slower heart rate and constipation. Smoking has become a routine for many people. Other people, environment, emotions, occasions can trigger a smoker to smoke.

To some people they are triggered to smoke when they drink coffee, wine or beer, or after having lunch or dinner. You are also triggered to smoke when around with smokers, waiting for transportation, or after being involved in an argument or when feeling anxious or stressed. Smoking routines creates instructions to the brain telling that you should smoke when you are not supposed to.If you tell yourself that it is time to quit smoking, be ready to say ‘so long’ to those sticks and packs of cigars. You must have a commitment to yourself. List down the things that will make you quit smoking. If you are health conscious do this for yourself your family or your children. Making a quitting plan is a great way to quitting successfully. Be sure to point out how to stay out from smoking triggers.

Quit Smoking Today! - Find Out more how to get started

About the Author:

Quit Smoking now - http://www.smokedeter.com/?aid=640369
Health information website - http://www.ezinearticlessite.com/

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Right Time to Quit Smoking

Herbs, vitamins that can hurt you

2009-08-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

By Elizabeth Cohen
CNN Senior Medical Correspondent

(CNN) -- Carole Grant doesn't really trust medical doctors. She never has. Whenever she has had a health issue, she has headed straight for an herbalist, acupuncturist or other "natural" healer.

Don't take more than 5 grams -- or 5,000 milligrams -- a day of fish oil, says Dr. Brent Bauer.

A few years ago, her alternative practitioner of choice was a self-described "intuitive healer" in New York, where she lives. The healer put Grant on a regimen of herbs, supplements and vitamins to help her lose weight.

A few weeks later, Grant, a geriatric care manager, was closing up an apartment for an elderly client who'd died when she started feeling strange sensations in her toes.

"They were tingling like crazy," Grant said. "I thought it was the carpet in the apartment, because it was old and dirty, and I'd taken my shoes off."

When the tingling in her toes spread to her feet, Grant knew that it was more than just the dingy carpet. When it spread to her legs, she knew that she was really in trouble.

"Both legs went numb up to my knees," she remembers.

Grant sought help from a podiatrist, who insisted that she get care from a medical doctor. Grant chose Dr. Roberta Lee, vice chairwoman of the Department of Integrative Medicine at the Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan. Watch more herbal and vitamin supplement No-Nos »

After some testing, Lee discovered the reason for Grant's numbness: She had sky-high amounts of vitamin B6 in her blood, which can interfere with circulation.

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"The intuitive healer had told me to double my dose of vitamin B6," Grant said. "She never told me when to stop the double dose, and I never checked with her."

It turned out the healer was having Grant take about 100 times the normal dose of B6, according to Lee. The healer had intended for Grant to take this high dose for a few weeks. Instead, she took it for more than four months.

"It blew my mind to think this could happen to someone like me," Grant said. "I'm so careful. I'll use every natural modality I can before taking medicine."

Lee says that although it's unusual, she's seen other patients get into trouble with herbs, supplements and vitamins precisely because they're less cautious with something that's natural than they would be with a drug.

"A lot of people think herbs are safe because they come from nature, and they are safe if used properly," Lee said. "But you can still get into trouble with them."

"I don't think any herb is good or bad. It's how we use it," said Dr. Brent Bauer, director of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at the Mayo Clinic. "Sometimes people take too much. They think, if two is good, then 20 must be better."

Here's a list of herbs and supplements that can be dangerous if taken the wrong way: either in high doses, in combination with certain drugs or before surgery.

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1. St. John's wort

This herb, often taken to relieve depression, is always at the top of the list of potentially problematic natural remedies because it can cause serious side effects and increase or decrease the potency of many medications. The Mayo Clinic recommends that many people should avoid it, including those taking antidepressants, anti-blood-clotting drugs, certain asthma drugs, immune-suppressing medications or steroids.

2. Kava

A sedative herb, kava is associated with serious liver problems, even when taken for a very short time, according to the Mayo Clinic. It's especially risky if you're taking drugs to lower cholesterol.

3. Fish oil

Though it's a very safe supplement to increase your intake of heart-healthy fat, Lee says she's seen patients have excessive bleeding when taking high doses of fish oil. "It's not life-threatening, but for example, I've seen where people are taking too much fish oil, and they'll have prolonged bleeding from acupuncture needles."

How much fish oil is too much? More than 5 grams -- or 5,000 milligrams -- a day, according to Bauer.

4. Artemisinin

Last week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, details the case of a man who developed hepatitis after taking the herb artemisinin for stomach problems. There was no other reason for his hepatitis, and the disease went away when he stopped taking the herb, and the authors suggested that doctors be aware of a possible relationship between the artemisinin and hepatitis.

5. Various herbs when taken before surgery

Dr. David Rowe, a plastic surgeon, was operating on a patient when he noticed an unusual amount of bleeding.

"The tissue was just oozing, and we couldn't figure out why," he remembered, noting that the patient had told him he wasn't taking any supplements. "After the surgery I asked the patient, 'Are you sure you're not taking anything?' and he said, 'Oh, yes, I'm taking this, this and this.' "

In a paper published this year in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Rowe listed about a dozen herbs that should be avoided within two weeks of surgery, including common ones such as garlic, ginseng and echinacea. Some increase bleeding and some affect the heart, and others interfere with anesthesia or other drugs.

It's imperative that you tell your surgeon absolutely every natural remedy you're taking, says Rowe, an assistant professor of plastic surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland. Studies have shown that 60 to 70 percent of patients don't tell their physicians about supplements.

He tells his patients to read their supplement labels carefully.

"One supplement can have 10 or 15 things in it, so you may not know what you're on, which is really scary for us surgeons," he said.

As for Grant, she's still feeling tingling and numbness in her legs and feet even three years later.

"I still need to lose weight, but I'm not taking any supplements," she said. "I'm just too gun-shy at this point."

For more information about herbs, vitamins and supplements, visit the Web sites for the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and the Alternative Medicine Foundation.

Credit : cnn.com

Can sex cause a heart attack?

2009-08-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

If movies and soap operas are anything to go by, sex can be dangerous for people with heart conditions.

Dangers posed by sexual activity is probably minimal, but heart disease could curtail your sex life.

While research shows that sex can indeed trigger heart attacks in some people, especially men, the odds of literally succumbing to passion are very low. Sexual activity is a contributing factor in less than 1 percent of heart attacks, according to a 1996 study by Harvard Medical School researchers.

Although heart attacks during sex are rare, no one wants to be among the unlucky few who die while getting lucky. So if you have cardiovascular disease (CVD), or even if it runs in your family, it's important to ask your doctor what type of sexual activity is safe. If you've just had a heart attack, for instance, you should wait three to four weeks before having intercourse, according to current guidelines.

And if you have heart failure, your doctor may recommend that you avoid lying on your back during sex, because fluid is more likely to pool in your lungs in that position. Health.com: Heart health step-by-step

The physical danger posed by sexual activity is probably the least of your problems, however. There are plenty of other ways for heart disease to curtail your sex life. Everything from incision pain following bypass surgery to the emotional stress of living with a heart condition can get in the way of intimacy.

Sexual activity and heart conditions can interact in complicated ways, which can be difficult to tease apart. To make matters worse, heart patients (and their partners) are often uncomfortable discussing their sex lives with their doctors and vice versa.

"I've found that most doctors don't have the time -- or the personality -- to talk about sex with their heart patients," says Dr. Edward Chapunoff, a cardiologist in private practice in Pompano Beach, Florida, and the author of "Answering Your Questions About Heart Disease and Sex."

"They are evasive about it," he said. "They won't bring it up themselves and even if the patient brings it up, a doctor might be hesitant to discuss it."

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So what's a heart patient to do? Prepare a list of intimacy questions in advance of your next checkup and don't let your doctor's squirming deter you. In the meantime, here are some answers to three not-so-frequently asked questions about sex and heart disease.

Is my sexual dysfunction related to my heart?

The link between cardiovascular disease and sexual dysfunction is well established, at least in men. Researchers have known for years that erectile dysfunction (ED) is disproportionately common among men with CVD (and even among those with risk factors for CVD, such as diabetes and high blood pressure). While erectile dysfunction can result from a number of factors, including psychological ones, the majority of cases can be traced to vascular problems.

The shared mechanism linking ED and CVD is believed to originate in the endothelium, the thin layer of cells that lines blood vessels. Risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cigarette smoking prevent cells in the endothelium from releasing nitric oxide. This compromises the ability of blood vessels to dilate, which can lead to both atherosclerosis and erectile dysfunction. Health.com: 10 best foods for your heart

Atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries that causes coronary heart disease, can affect the arteries that pump blood into the penis just as readily as those that surround the heart. But endothelial problems can also prevent the so-called smooth muscle in the penis from relaxing properly. In either case, erections become harder to sustain.

For a long time it was thought that ED was strictly a side effect of CVD and atherosclerosis, but experts now believe that ED may actually precede heart problems. A 2005 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association described ED as a "harbinger" of cardiovascular events.

The study, which analyzed more than 4,000 men without symptoms of CVD or ED, found that the men who subsequently experienced ED were nearly 50 percent more likely than those who did not to experience a cardiovascular event within seven years.

"It's important to know that just looking fine doesn't necessarily mean you have a healthy heart," says Chapunoff. "It's important that both the patient and their partner talk to their doctor about any sexual dysfunction, because it could signal a cardiac problem."

In women, the relationship between CVD and sexual dysfunction is less clear. Although sexual dissatisfaction in women has been linked to peripheral arterial disease, the mechanisms of female sexual function are thought to be less intertwined with the cardiovascular system.

Do my heart meds have any sexual side effects?

If your heart doesn't cause you problems in the bedroom, the medicine you take to keep it healthy might. Several medications commonly prescribed to heart patients can have sexual side effects in both men and women, including ED and loss of libido.

Two kinds of cholesterol-lowering drugs, fibrates and statins, have been linked with ED, but it is mainly blood-pressure medications that are believed to contribute to sexual dysfunction. Health.com: 7 causes of high cholesterol

Beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-II receptor antagonists, and diuretics are all associated with ED. Although some experts have argued that hypertension itself is responsible for ED, a 2007 study in the International Journal of Impotence Research found that men taking angiotensin-II receptor antagonists were twice as likely to experience ED than men whose hypertension was untreated. Another study of nearly 1,400 men determined that taking hypertension drugs (diuretics, beta-blockers, methyldopa, or clonidine) increased the odds of experiencing ED by 2.5 times.

Blood-pressure medications are also known to cause sexual dysfunction in women, although the phenomenon hasn't been studied as extensively as it has in men. One reason for the disparity may be that the most common symptoms in women -- loss of libido, inadequate lubrication -- are more subtle than ED.

When Liz Saldana, 48, the owner of an online magazine and store in Tampa, Florida, first started taking a beta-blocker, she saw her sex drive shrink significantly.

"I went from being a really vibrant woman to someone who could just live without it," she says. "When my husband initiated anything, my attitude became, 'Oh damn, do we have to do this?'"

She was too embarrassed to bring up the issue with her doctor. "Initially I thought my lack of sex drive pertained to all of the stress I was under, not to my heart medications," says Saldana, who was on the beta-blocker Toprol-XL (metoprolol) before suffering a heart aneurysm in July. "None of my doctors explained that it could be a side effect of what I was on."

It wasn't until she switched insurance companies and got a call from one of the nurses on staff that she finally got to the root of her problem: "She asked a couple of questions that acted as a trigger for me to evaluate my sex drive and realize what was wrong." Health.com: Why women need to worry about heart attacks

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Even though sexual problems are among the most commonly reported side effects from blood-pressure drugs, they have not been well publicized and patients may not realize that their prescriptions are to blame. If you suspect that your heart medications are interfering with your sex life, explain the problem to your doctor and ask about alternative medications. Men may be able to counteract the problem with an ED drug such as Viagra. While they can be potentially fatal when taken with nitrates, ED drugs can be safely combined with many heart medications.

Why can't I get in the mood?

Medications can dampen your sex drive, but psychological factors might also be at play. For one thing, sexual dysfunction is a common psychosomatic side effect of medication (sometimes called a "nocebo effect"). But the emotional strain that accompanies heart disease can also impact your sex life. After a cardiac episode, many patients find that any activity in the bedroom leaves them paralyzed with anxiety. "After a heart attack, not only are you physically weak, but you're scared that something might happen during sex," says Chapunoff.

Saldana is gearing up to have open-heart surgery in the near future. She and her husband of 15 years are sexually active about twice a month, but each time she's terrified that she'll have a heart attack. "I experience a lot of chest pains and when things get heated, I can't have him on top of me," she explains. "I haven't shared my fear with my husband, but I'm afraid to lose control for even a moment because it feels like he's crushing my chest."

And then there's the possible role of depression. Research suggests that heart disease and depression are closely related; depression is roughly three times more prevalent among heart attack survivors than in the general population. But depression is also independently associated with sexual dysfunction (including loss of libido and ED), which suggests that, for heart patients, both their bodies and their minds may be affecting their sex lives.

Sexual dysfunction that appears to be caused by a heart problem may also be a sign of an underlying emotional issue, according to Chapunoff. "Heart disease can become the scapegoat," he says.

"People might say, 'I had a heart attack six months ago, so I can't have sex now,' when really it could be unhappiness that they fail to recognize."

Credit : health.com

Quiz the experts about your cancer concerns

2009-08-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- Do you have fears or concerns about cancer? Have you or anyone in your family been diagnosed with the disease?

The Livestrong Global Cancer Summit will share ideas on treatments for cancer.

Now is your chance to put your questions to some of the world's leading cancer experts.

On Sunday August 23, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is hosting The Clinic, a roundtable of cancer experts, advocates and researchers from around the world.

They'll provide a candid look at cutting-edge cancer treatments and offer advice to viewers fighting this disease.

Send them your questions via e-mail or iReport or tweet it to Dr. Gupta directly. You can also leave comments in the Soundoff box below.

The best ones will be put to the panel who will answer them LIVE on CNN.com.

Tune in to The Clinic live Webcast on CNN.com, August 23 at 4pm GMT+ 1 (11am ET) to hear Dr. Gupta and top cancer experts answer your questions.

The Clinic is being held as part of the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit taking place in Dublin from August 24 to 26, 2009.

For the first time, world leaders, doctors, researchers and advocates will come together to share new ideas and treatments at the summit and make commitments that will change the trend of cancer today.

Cancer doesn't discriminate. It affects men, women, and children of all ages and nationalities.

In fact, cancer will take over as the world's leading cause of death by 2010. It accounted for 7.9 million deaths in 2007, according to figures from the World Health Organization.

Credit : cnn.com

Facial surgery may offer migraine cure

2009-08-16T03:02:00.000-07:00

Facial surgery that targets and removes small portions of migraine-triggering muscle or nerve tissue may offer permanent relief for some people with the debilitating headaches, a new study suggests.

More than 30 million Americans experience migraine headaches.

"Other migraine treatments either temporarily prevent the symptoms or they may reduce the symptoms after the migraine headaches start," says Bahman Guyuron, M.D., a professor and the chair of the department of plastic surgery at the University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University. "What we are offering is essentially a cure."

In a study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Guyuron and colleagues looked for people who had migraines that started in a specific region on the front, side, or back of the head. The researchers injected Botox into these trigger points to temporarily paralyze the muscle; if the injections helped relieve the migraines, the patients were randomly divided into two surgical groups.

After the Botox wore off, one group had a face-lifting surgery combined with the removal of muscle tissue or nerves in the area that triggered the migraines. Fat or muscle was used to fill in the area after tissue was removed. Health.com: Quiz --Surprising migraine causes and cures

The second group had a sham procedure, in which incisions were made but all muscles and nerves remained intact. A total of 75 patients were involved in the study.

In the year after the procedure, 57 percent of those who had the actual surgery reported the complete elimination of migraine headaches, compared with just 4 percent in the sham surgery group. In addition, 84 percent of those who had the surgery reported at least a 50 percent reduction in migraine pain compared with just 58 percent in the sham group. Health.com: Secrets to a stress-free home

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As for side effects, one surgery patient had persistent numbness of the forehead, and 10 of 19 patients who had the procedure on the side of the head had a slight but persistent hollowing in their temple region.

More than 30 million Americans experience migraine headaches. However, Robert Kunkel, M.D., a consultant at the department of neurology at the Cleveland Clinic, says this surgery probably won't become a common procedure, despite the results. Health.com: Knowing your mother's health history can lower your risks

"This may be a technique that will help a small number of migraine patients who have responded to Botox, but it's certainly not a procedure for generally treating migraines," says Kunkel, who was not involved in the new study. He points out that people who had the sham surgery probably suspected that they were in the placebo group, since the face-lift would most likely have reduced wrinkling. If a treatment isn't completely blinded, it can skew a study's results; if patients suspect they've had a sham treatment, they may be less likely to say their migraines are cured.

However, nearly 60 percent of the people who had the sham procedure reported some migraine relief too. Guyuron believes this could be related to a placebo effect, or the incisions could have disturbed some of the nerve branches and actually relieved migraines in some way. Health.com: 20 little ways to drop the pounds and keep them off

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Overall, there was a 92 percent success rate, notes Guyuron. "This study offers powerful evidence to the plastic surgeon, the neurologist, and the insurance companies that this operation is effective," he says. "Not only are they headache free, depending on the trigger site, but they also may look younger."

The Migraine Foundation, the Plastic Surgery Education Fund, and the Prentiss Foundation funded this study. Some of the study coauthors have consulted for Allergan or have been paid speakers for pharmaceutical companies.

Credit : health.com

What to do if you're allergic to your pet

2009-08-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

(Health.com) -- If you could snap your fingers and make your allergies disappear, you'd probably do it in a second. But what if your pet is the cause of your watery eyes, sneezing, and runny nose?

Some breeds touted as better for people with allergies; think the Obamas and their Portuguese water dog Bo.

Suddenly that oh-so-simple decision becomes a much tougher call. For some, the psychological misery of giving up a pet may outweigh the everyday misery of allergy symptoms.

That was true for John Ceballos, 43, who kept his cat, Suki, after an allergist told him the cat had to go.

"The first thing he said during my consultation was, 'You must get rid of your cat. You are severely allergic to cat dander.'"

Dander is one of the most stubborn and common allergens. Cats, dogs and other furry or feathered pets produce dander, which consists of microscopic, dandruff-like flakes of skin and proteins from saliva and urine that can trigger allergies and aggravate asthma.

If you're allergic to dander, the easiest route to allergy relief is to find your pet a new home.

Ceballos, who lives in Melrose, Massachusetts, just couldn't do it. He kept Suki for 12 years until she died of natural causes. "She was family," he says. "I rescued her and couldn't imagine giving her up."

He's not alone. This advice is rarely welcomed or followed, even when the pet is causing serious problems, experts say.

"Some families can't fathom giving away their pet -- it's almost like giving away one of their children," says Anne Miranowski, M.D., an allergist at the Pediatric Lung Center in Fairfax, Virginia. "I see some children where exposure to their three cats is clearly making them sick, and the family insists on keeping all three cats."

Physicians and health organizations recognize the attachment that people have to their pets. If a family is unwilling to remove a pet, experts recommend a host of alternative measures, such as limiting contact between the pet and the allergic person (by keeping pets outdoors or out of bedrooms, for instance) and using air cleaners.

These measures aren't nearly as effective as giving away a pet, however, and going this route will likely have consequences -- more symptoms, more medication, and a potential worsening of asthma -- that should be weighed against the distress of seeing a cat or dog pitter-patter out of your life forever. Health.com: Best ways to reduce pet allergens

And although there may be some breeds touted as better for people with allergies -- think the Obamas and their Portuguese water dog Bo -- there are no cats or dogs truly free from dander.

Your pet may not be causing your symptoms

Before you think about finding a pet a new home, it's important to figure out if you -- or your children -- are in fact allergic. Though it seems as if pet allergies should be obvious, they are sometimes harder to recognize than you think.

If your eyes start to swell and you sneeze uncontrollably every time you are near a cat, then yes, you are probably allergic to cats.

But some people with allergies or asthma who grow up around animals and are in contact with them every day may have more subtle symptoms. Instead of watery eyes and the other classic signs of pet allergies, they may experience chronic, low-level congestion, for instance.

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"A lot of times people will say, 'My dog or cat doesn't bother me,' but when somebody is exposed to a pet day in and day out, they don't have the dramatic symptoms every time they see it," says Andy Nish, M.D., an allergist at the Allergy & Asthma Care Center, in Gainesville, Georgia. Health.com: How to survive a bad air day

"It may be a more subtle and chronic inflammatory process, and they may not realize that the pet is causing them problems."

That was true for Ceballos, who was shocked to find out he was allergic to his cat. He had grown up with cats, and when he was a teen, tests suggested that he was allergic to tree and grass pollen -- but not felines. "Plus, I have so many other allergies that I didn't connect that Suki was an issue," he says.

This phenomenon sometimes works in reverse: In some cases, people with asthma may believe that their pet is causing them more problems than it actually is. Health.com: Are you an asthma expert? Take our quiz

A respiratory condition in which the lung airways are chronically inflamed, asthma can be triggered by substances other than pet dander, such as dust mites, exhaust, smoke, and cold air, or even allergens from rodents and cockroaches. Health.com: 8 causes of chronic cough

For some (but certainly not all) asthmatics, pets may actually be a relatively minor contribution to their symptoms, and some asthmatics may not be allergic to pets at all.

"There's no reason to consider removing a pet unless you can demonstrate that there is a sensitization to that type of animal," says Gregory Diette, M.D., an asthma specialist and associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore, Maryland.

"One mistake I've seen [physicians] make is to generally recommend that asthmatics not have cats, dogs, or other furred pets when they haven't done the allergy testing to prove whether there's an abnormal response to that type of animal."

The easiest way to pinpoint a pet allergy is to visit an allergist and get a series of skin tests, in which the skin is exposed to small samples of the proteins shed by cat, dog, and other allergy-triggering substances, such as pollen or dust. Allergists may also use a blood test known as a RAST as an alternative to or in addition to skin tests.

What to do if you're allergic

If an allergy test comes back positive, it's decision time: Should you find a new home for your pet?

Experts unanimously agree that the best way to reduce allergens is to remove pets from the home. Even so, many people decide not to give away their pets even after an allergy is confirmed -- though it depends on how severe their symptoms are and, often, whether children are allergic.

Dr. Nish estimates that about 75 percent of the patients to whom he makes the recommendation ignore his advice. (Some of Dr. Nish's patients have written on their intake paperwork, before he has even seen them, "I have a cat and a dog and I am not going to get rid of them.")

If families aren't willing to remove a pet, the next best thing is to isolate the pet from allergic family members as much as possible, by keeping it outdoors, or at least out of bedrooms. If you live in a multistory home, restricting the pet to the ground floor is a good strategy.

Although these steps won't eliminate dander altogether -- dander is so pervasive that it can be found even in homes that have never had pets, as well as in schools, shopping malls, and other public places -- limiting the pet's roaming area will reduce it.

Though their usefulness is debated, other measures may reduce dander further. Plastic mattress covers help keep dander out of beds, and room air cleaners equipped with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can remove dander from the air.

"In contrast to, say, dust mites, which are heavy and sink quickly to the ground, both cat and dog dander are light and fluffy allergens, and they stay afloat for hours," says Dr. Miranowski. "HEPA filters can really remove some of that dander from the air."

Replacing carpet with tile or wood floors is also beneficial, since carpets tend to trap dander. Frequent vacuuming -- another common suggestion -- may actually be counterproductive.

Vacuuming tends to stir up allergens without necessarily removing them, and can actually increase the number of airborne allergens, even when newer vacuums containing HEPA filters are used.Health.com: 10 ways to fight indoor mold

Ceballos frequently washed his hands and wore a face mask when cleaning; that's when his symptoms -- which included skin hives, wheezing, sneezing and swollen, watery eyes -- were the worst. He recommends keeping your pet out of the bedroom, and closets in particular.

"Cats love to curl up on your winter coat without you knowing it," he says. "But you'll surely figure it out when your allergy symptoms start the next time you put it on."

Some research suggests that bathing your pet frequently may help. In a 1999 study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, washing dogs with allergen-reducing shampoo for five minutes cut the dogs' allergen levels by about 85 percent.

But the allergens returned to normal in about three days, which suggests that the number of baths needed to make a difference is impractical. Similar studies using cats have had mixed but generally less dramatic results. (And the studies don't say how many days it took for the cats' contempt toward their washers to subside.)

Taking some or all of these steps may not reduce allergen levels enough to have a meaningful impact on symptoms, however. Allergens need to fall below a certain threshold to alleviate symptoms, and because dander is spread so readily, even quarantining a pet may not do the trick, according to Dr. Diette.

Living with your decision to keep a pet

Deciding not to give up a pet may have some consequences. For starters, you'll probably need to clean out some space in your medicine cabinet.

"If people keep the pet, they will almost always need more medication to control their symptoms," says Dr. Miranowski. For someone with allergies, this could include taking -- or upping the dosage of -- oral antihistamines and intranasal steroids, she says.

And people with asthma may require higher doses of inhaled corticosteroids or the addition of other medicines, such as leukotriene inhibitors. In some cases, patients may decide to get allergy shots that boost immunity to the allergen, a strategy that can be effective, according to Dr. Nish.

The cost of these additional medications can add up, and some carry a potential risk of long-term side effects. Though allergy and asthma medications are relatively safe compared to some other drugs, when taken consistently in high doses, some can cause bone density loss, glaucoma and other problems.

Ceballos relied on antihistamines, such as Benadryl, which "seemed to help a lot," he says.

The impact of pet allergens on allergies and asthma isn't entirely clear. Some highly publicized research in recent years has suggested that having pets around young children may actually protect children from allergies later in life (because the children develop a tolerance to the allergen, in effect), but the validity of this research has been questioned. (It certainly wasn't true in Ceballos's case.)

And, significantly, the same effect does not apply to children who already have pet allergies. Studies have shown that pet allergies -- especially cat allergies -- can lead some children to develop asthma if they are exposed to pets, and can make asthma worse later in life.

In the end, individuals and families need to weigh the potential health consequences of keeping a pet with the emotional damage that inevitably comes with losing a furry companion. The decision will be different for everyone, depending on the severity of their symptoms and how important their pet is to their quality of life.

After all, as Dr. Diette points out, "health" doesn't refer only to physical symptoms.

"It's worth considering the big picture around health and happiness and well-being," he says. "I haven't yet seen a study that takes into account the positive benefits of pet ownership. The average person, on balance, won't necessarily be happier not having the companionship of a cat or dog."

When Ceballos's cat, Suki, died of natural causes in 2002, he was "amazed by how much my symptoms went away."

"I feel guilty when I think about how much relief I felt," he says. "I would never consider getting a cat again -- I'm a total dog person now and I have no allergies to dogs."

If you're thinking about getting a pet and you suspect you might have allergies, Ceballos recommends getting tested before you bring your new pet home.

"It will save you a lot of potential heartbreak later," he says.

Credit : Health.com

HEALTHIER TO DRINK TEA THAN WATER ?

2009-08-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

Author: Stig Kristoffersen

Recent studies at Kings College which are funded by the Tea Council in the UK tells us that drinking three to four cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits.

The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has in a series of articles dispelled the common belief that tea dehydrates. Tea and water rehydrates, but tea has the added effect that it also protects against heart disease and some cancers according to UK nutritionists. They believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promotes health.

The flavonoids are polyphenol antioxidants which are found in many foods and plants, including tea leaves, and help prevent cell damage.

Researchers at Kings College London looked at published studies on the health effects of tea consumption and found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack. The Tea Council provided funding for the work although researchers stressed that the work was independent.

Other studies suggested tea consumption protected against cancer, although this effect is less clear-cut.

Again other studies proclaim that tea include protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening, as tea contains fluoride, which is good for the teeth.

Some researchers say that drinking tea is better for you than drinking water. Water is replacing fluid as tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so you two in one when drinking tea.

There is an urban myth that tea is dehydrating, as studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid.

Some studies done recently claims there are no evidence that tea consumption is harmful to health.

However, research suggests that tea can impair the body's ability to absorb iron from food, meaning people at risk of anaemia should avoid drinking tea around mealtimes.

I recommend you read this article DANGERS OF DRINKING TEA for some aspects around negative effects of drinking tea.

Kings College research team found that the average tea consumption was just under three cups per day in the UK, as they found out that the increasing popularity of soft drinks made many people drinking less tea than before.

The study shows that tea drinking is most common in older people, the 40 plus age range. In older people, tea was sometimes found to make up about 70% of fluid intake.

British Nutrition Foundation has stated that laboratory studies have shown potential health benefits of drinking tea. However, the evidence in humans is not strong and more research needs to be done. But there is definite potential health benefit from the polyphenols in terms of reducing the risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancers. They recommend people to drink 1.5-2 liters of liquids per day and that can include tea.

About the Author:

He has a background as civil engineer and geoscientist. He has worked mainly within the oil and gas industry from the mid 1980s. He has written a few fictional novels as well as being the author of some professional litterature within oil and gas sector, he is now an editor of some web sites.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - HEALTHIER TO DRINK TEA THAN WATER ?

Student diet 101: Don't eat mold

2009-08-11T21:03:00.000-07:00

By Madison Park
CNN

(CNN) -- As college students enter the halls of elite education and higher learning, here is one piece of advice: Learn from the caveman.

Cutting mold off bread and cheese generally isn't a good idea, since the mold could have spread through the food.

"How the caveman worked, he'd check stuff out -- the look and smell of it," said Jeff Nelken, a food safety expert, about suspicious foods. "You have a sense of smell and taste, a radar system that tells you that the food is not fresh."

A survey of more than 4,000 college students published in 2008 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that "young adults, particularly white men, engage in risky eating behaviors" by consuming undercooked animal products, which carry risks of illness.

College students aren't generally known for healthy eating. Busy schedules and tight budgets -- and sometimes a lack of knowledge about food -- can result in not-the-greatest choices. Outside the dining halls, the college student diet may rely heavily on ramen noodles, beer, cereal and leftovers. Today, a few food experts offer advice on ways to balance health and frugality, since many students are new to the kitchen and crunched for cash.

Can I cut the mold off the bread/cheese and eat the rest?

It's tempting to lop off the fuzzy patch, but the mold could have spread already.

"Once you're able to see mold on bread, it means there's quite a lot of mold," said Nelken, a food consultant in Woodland Hills, California. "It's indicative that there's mold on other slices, just not at the level you can see it. Why jeopardize your health on a slice of bread?"

Nelken likened mold to jellyfish. "Even though you scrape off the head of the jellyfish, the tentacles are still in the food product."

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Eating moldy bread could cause an upset stomach. Although most molds are innocuous, it's probably not going to taste good, food experts said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends discarding moldy bread and baked goods, because of their porous texture.

Creamy dairy products like yogurt can easily spread mold and should be discarded. Soft cheeses with high moisture content -- including those that are shredded, sliced, or crumbled -- can be contaminated with both mold and bacteria. So throw those away, experts advise.

Hard cheeses can be saved, as long as the mold is cut 1 inch around the spot. Because of the cheese's hardness, the mold generally cannot penetrate deep into the product. Complete chart of USDA's guide on moldy food.

To save food and money, consider freezing food items to keep them longer, or buy the item in smaller amounts.

Do dry packaged foods like ramen or boxed macaroni and cheese last forever?

"Forever is a long time, but these products will last for some time," wrote Linda Harris, a researcher who focuses on microbial food safety at the University of California-Davis. "The quality will be affected by long-term storage. The flavors may change over time. The texture of the noodles might not be as good but they won't become unsafe."

Most dehydrated products have a "Best If Used By" date, recommended for best flavor or quality. Food experts say it's not dangerous to eat a product after the "Best If Used By" date, but it could taste different or stale.

Would a hungry college student searching for a cheap, convenient meal notice? That would be "highly variable depending upon storage conditions, age, product and taste sensitivity of the student," Harris said.

The pizza from last night has been sitting out on the counter. Can I eat it for breakfast?

The USDA advises no, saying that perishable foods should not be left out for more than two hours. Anything left at room temperature for longer should be discarded.

"Fridges were invented for a reason," said Sam Beattie, a food safety extension specialist at Iowa State University. "They work well to keep food cold. It slows the growth of these illness-growing microorganisms."

Leaving a box of pizza out overnight and grazing on it the next morning is something that "I think we've all done," Nelken said. "You don't hear people getting ill from leftover pizza."

But he said to steer clear of left-overnight pizza with exotic ingredients such as smoked salmon or grilled eggplant because of bacteria.

Should I drink milk after its use-by date? What about eggs?

Drinking milk a day or two after its use-by date shouldn't be an issue. But if you notice changes in flavor, consistency, smell -- don't take any chances, Nelken said.

For eggs, the USDA recommends using within three to five weeks of the date of purchase. The "sell-by" date will usually expire by then, but the eggs are safe to use.

Eggs and milk should be stored in the coldest areas of the refrigerator, not on the door, since it's four to five degrees warmer there.

Raw chicken always smells funny. How do I know if it's gone bad?

It'll smell a lot more gamy, said Beattie, an assistant professor for food safety in Ames, Iowa. This means it'll give off an odor -- stronger than when you first bought it at the grocery store.

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Store chicken in the freezer or use refrigerated chicken within three days after purchase. Beyond that, spoilage organisms will get into the chicken and it will start emitting an unpleasant smell, Beattie said.

Invest in a cooking thermometer to make sure that meat has been cooked thoroughly, rather than relying on visual cues.

Wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap to avoid transmitting E.coli and salmonella.

Should I drink the water after the expiration date has passed on the bottle?

"What happens with water is absolutely nothing," Beattie said. Water is safe to drink even past its expiration date (as long as there's no leakage in the bottle), but the water may taste different.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, bottled water is considered to have an indefinite safety shelf life if it is produced and stored properly. While the federal agency does not require an expiration date for bottled water, many manufacturers elect to put expiration dates.

"What happens is that people feel more comfortable with bottled water with a code date," Beattie said. "There is no safety factor beyond that. Manufacturers feel that quality of water may deteriorate or become more neutral."

Credit : cnn.com

Aspirin fights heart attacks, but daily doses aren't for everyone

2009-08-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

The crew aboard the Delta Boeing 737 had an in-flight emergency on their hands: Ben Van Doorn was having a heart attack, and a doctor was trying to save his life with an onboard medical kit.

Dr. Anthony Galeo, right, after performing an emergency angioplasty on Ben Van Doorn, left, last February.

"The pain was like a truck sitting on my chest," said Van Doorn, 63, a fleet support manager at Boeing. The doctor -- a fellow passenger -- treated Van Doorn from the medical kit, including giving him aspirin and telling him to chew it.

Within 90 minutes, the aircraft made an emergency landing at Great Falls, Montana, and Van Doorn was raced to the hospital. "They rushed me into the cardio lab, and that's when I passed out," he said.

In layman's terms, Van Doorn's heart essentially stopped six times at various points during the emergency, said Dr. Anthony Galeo, who performed an angioplasty procedure on Van Doorn at Benefis Health System hospital. Watch more on the in-flight drama »

"There's a high likelihood that aspirin contributed to saving his life," Galeo said. "Can we say that with certainty? No. But there are studies that show that taking aspirin at the onset of a heart attack does improve survival."

"It was a couple of miracles that happened to me that day," Van Doorn said. "There was a doctor on board, and the plane diverted to a hospital where they were able to perform the angioplasty."

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During the angioplasty, Galeo removed a clog in Van Doorn's right coronary artery by inserting and inflating a tiny balloon.

"The sooner you get aspirin after a heart attack, the more quickly the body absorbs it," Galeo said. "So it can limit the extension of a heart attack, and it aids us in performing a primary angioplasty."

Five months later, Van Doorn, who has a family history of heart trouble, says he feels fine. His physician has prescribed a daily aspirin regimen of 325 milligrams, a significant increase from the 81 milligrams he was taking before his heart attack.

Van Doorn's case calls attention to the benefits of aspirin among many heart patients and heart attack survivors.

Americans clearly are aware of these benefits. About one-third of the adult U.S. population -- more than 50 million people -- take aspirin to prevent heart disease.

But doctors are quick to point out that the century-old drug is a double-edged sword. Although aspirin can fight blood clots that can cause heart attacks and strokes, high doses can increase the risk of bleeding. This can lead to gastrointestinal bleeding and strokes caused by bleeding, known as hemorrhagic strokes.

Like many people who worry about strokes and heart attacks, Van Doorn began taking aspirin six years ago without initially consulting his health care provider.

"I read it somewhere it's not bad to do," he said. "It's not harmful, and it only can help you, and of course I had a family history of heart disease."

But a daily aspirin regimen isn't healthy for everyone, and doctors say people should take more care when they decide to self-prescribe. They say it's important to take aspirin daily only in consultation with a doctor or other health care provider.

"It's not something to play around with," said Dr. Mark Johnson, president of the American College of Preventive Medicine. "It does need to be taken seriously." Self-prescribing a daily aspirin regimen is unwise and widespread, he acknowledged.

General guidelines call for men ages 45 to 79 and women ages 55 to 79 to take aspirin if benefits, such as preventing heart attacks or strokes, outweigh possible problems, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, Johnson said. Health.com: Should I take aspirin against heart attacks?

And while taking an aspirin in the event of chest pain is widely accepted to limit a heart attack, taking an extra aspirin with the onset of stroke-like symptoms can worsen a stroke if it causes bleeding into the area of the brain experiencing the acute stroke.

Another reason against self-prescription of aspirin is that for many people, the drug has very little effect.

It may be that up to 20 percent of people who take aspirin don't benefit from it at all, according to research by Dr. Francis Gengo of the Dent Neurologic Institute, and the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

Being resistant to aspirin makes patients four times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke or even die from a pre-existing heart condition, compared with nonresistant patients. Health.com: Heart attack risk calculator

"If you're taking your aspirin along with anti-inflammatory agents -- say ibuprofen -- it will negate the effects of the aspirin," Gengo said.

Some self-prescribers may be unaware of how aspirin interacts with over-the-counter supplements and herbal remedies. Saint John's wort has some anti-clotting effects, Galeo said, and it may exacerbate the risk of dangerous bleeding if taken along with aspirin.

"Someone who has a history of peptic ulcer disease or gastritis may actually make things worse by taking agents that increase their bleeding risk," Galeo said. "Make sure you talk to your physician to make sure that anything you take isn't interacting with your prescribed medications."

Other patients may forget to take their aspirin, and in some patients, aspirin isn't absorbed into the bloodstream well. Doctors can use a test to see how well aspirin is being absorbed.

"The mechanisms for aspirin resistance are varied, and they're not really very well understood," Gengo said. Possible factors include genetic differences, effects of other diseases and blood flow around abnormally narrow vessels. "It can be a whole array of things," he said.

Doctors say that more study is needed on the effects of aspirin and other anti-platelet drugs such as the highly prescribed Plavix. As 20 percent of the U.S. population is expected to be above 65 years old by 2030, finding new ways to combat the risk of heart attacks and strokes could have widespread benefits.

Credit : cnn.com

5 Web weapons in your war on allergies

2009-08-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

Got allergies? If you do, the Internet offers a host of helpful options, from widgets to iPhone applications to pollen-counting programs that deliver daily emails to your inbox. Used correctly, these digital tools can help fight allergies in the real world, experts say.

Sign up for daily pollen alerts that can be sent to you via email or text message.

Before you rush to sign up or download, however, you might need a bit of help from your doctor.

He or she can determine the true culprits behind your sneezing, stuffy nose, and watery eyes, says Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist with the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic, in Georgia.

"You may need some skin tests to correlate the onset of your symptoms with specific pollen or outdoor allergens. Once you are diagnosed and can correlate that pollen, for example, triggers your symptoms, you can be on the alert," he says. Health.com: Bad air day? Here's how to survive

In general, tree pollen levels are highest in late winter and spring; grass and weed pollen tends to peak in late summer and fall. Mold, on the other hand, doesn't really have a specific season.

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Any time weather is damp and warm from spring thaw to the last gasp of summer mold spores can be circulating in the trillions. Mold spores can be highest in rainy winter months in warm climates, such as California.

If you're not sure what is triggering your symptoms, use these Web-based self-tests from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology to find out if you might have allergies or asthma and to locate the right allergist. Health.com: How one mother struggled with her daughter's chronic cough

Once you know what's triggering your allergies, and when the allergen is in season, you can start taking medication at the right time of year to stop symptoms before they start.

Although the Internet-based pollen watchers and widgets are relatively new, the process of collecting and counting pollen has been going on for decades, and the results typically are published in local newspapers.

Experts have long known that high pollen counts cause sniffling, sneezing, and other nasal allergy symptoms.

"We collect the pollen the same way as we did before," says Dr. Fineman, who also supervises a local pollen-counting station. "We used to send it by fax or call-in lines to local TV stations, radio, and newspapers, so it was more regional. Now, with the Internet, you can get an email that says what the pollen count is in your area every day." Health.com: Allergy-proof your house

And that's a good thing. "People who are diagnosed with asthma that is made worse by pollen and people who have been diagnosed with seasonal allergic rhinitis need to keep track of pollen and other outdoor allergen levels," says Dr. William Lunn, the director of the interventional pulmonary service at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston. Health.com: How star athletes manage breathing problems

To get started, here's a guide to the worthwhile Web tools that can help you fight sniffling, sneezing, and watery eyes.

1. The Weather Channel [https://registration.weather.com/ursa/alerts/step1?]

Sign up for pollen alerts that can be sent to you via email or text message. You just plug in your information and select the time of day you want the alerts, and how often.

2. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

The AAAAI's National Allergy Bureau offers an interactive map [http://www.aaaai.org/nab/index.cfm?p=pollen] that allows users to click on a location for current pollen and mold levels in that area. This same service also allows people with allergies to sign up for email alerts [http://www.aaaai.org/nab/index.cfm?p=MyNAB] with trees, weeds, grass, and mold counts from their local monitoring center.

3. Pollen.com [http://www.pollen.com/]

This website offers a wealth of interactive, personalized information on pollen counts. It boasts a free Allergy Alert application [http://pollen.com/iphone.asp] for iPhone and iPod Touch users that supplies one- or four-day forecasts in four categories: allergies (i.e., pollen), cold and cough, asthma, and ultraviolet rays. A sister site, PollenWidgets.com [http://pollenwidgets.com/], also offers widgets for daily or four-day pollen counts available through Yahoo Widgets or Google Gadgets.

4. Pollen Report iPhone app

This app [http://www.apple.com/webapps/weather/pollenreport.html] updates users on pollen levels in a specific area code. (Added bonus? You get the local high and low temperatures, too.)

5. Airnow.gov [http://www.airnow.gov/]

This site, run by federal government agencies, doesn't have a pollen watcher, but you can use it to check local levels of ozone [http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local], a pollutant that can make it harder for people with asthma to breathe. The site also provides a daily Air Quality Index as well as email notifications[http://www.enviroflash.info/]. (You can even access webcams [http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.webcams] to get a real-time look at local haze conditions.)

credit : health.com

'Skinny jeans' class aims to aid your zip

2009-08-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

To look at her, you'd never know Jessica Ordona, 25, has a problem with her jeans. "I don't like the fact that when you sit down, your stomach comes over them," she says.

Jessica Ordona (in white) disliked the fit of her jeans, so she signed up for a class she says addressed the issue.

A retail specialist with a commercial real estate firm in Bethesda, Maryland, Ordona knows image is part of success. That's why she has been diligent about hitting the gym four to five times a week. But even with all her crunches and lifting, she sometimes experienced denim frustration.

Unhappy with her former gym, Ordona decided to join a national health club chain in her neighborhood. Much to her surprise, she found a class called Skinny Jeans Workout, specifically designed to get rid of those annoying little bulges and bumps. "It's different than your typical workout class," she says. "It's not high-impact cardio, but you're sweating the whole time because you're working every muscle group."

The Skinny Jeans Workout concentrates on core muscles, balance and posture. A cross between ballet, butt-burning stretches and light weight lifting, the workout involves the entire body.

Lisa Grimmer, a group fitness instructor, teaches the class. "What I love about Skinny Jeans is it takes everything from Pilates -- the core workout, which would be the tightening around of your abdominal muscles, your lower back. People think of that as "the core." But there's also the shoulder girdle, which we work out a lot in Skinny Jeans, too," says Grimmer. "So really we're thinking about anything that would be postural or placed into your jeans, so you've got your abdominals, of course, and we work the inner and outer thighs that go into the jeans."

The hourlong class is taught twice a week. Regulars swear they've dropped a jeans size or two since the class began four months ago. They say it not only tightens the tush, but the workout also helps develop the flexibility and strength to hold the back straight.

Tracy Cherpeski Bannister, another class instructor, believes posture is key to fitting into tight pants. "In addition to sort of holding it in, we're also lifting and lengthening and, as we do that, we sort of set our shoulders into place," Bannister says. "I probably said it in class -- we 'tuck our shoulder blades into our back pockets' -- so we're opening the chest as well." Listen to Jessica talk about the class »

Bannister says so many of us spend portions of our day stressed, at our computer or rounded forward while driving. "So this is a good way to kind of set the body back up. ... It makes everything more efficient," she says.

The class is usually taught in bare feet, for maximum balance. It forces "our bodies to be smarter," says Bannister. She reasons that by freeing up your feet, you have to use your brain as well. "You have to think and feel what's happening. If you don't [go barefoot], then it's not a waste of time, but you don't get as much out of it as maybe you should." Watch Skinny Jeans class participants in action »

But like any exercise program, it's important to take it slowly. "Any time you begin a new workout, you need to avoid doing too much, too soon. You don't want to go from zero to 60 in 10 seconds," says Dr. David Johnson, an orthopedic surgeon at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. "One of the worst things a person can do is start exercising, overdo it, get hurt and become discouraged. You should look to your instructor for guidance and make sure that person is keyed in to your fitness level."

Johnson likes the concept of the workout. "Exercises that develop the core muscles are important," he says. "Not only does core strength decrease waist size, it increases your energy and endurance, which make it easier to engage in other physical activities such as golf, tennis -- even shopping for another pair of skinny jeans."

The Skinny Jeans Workout and other programs similar to it can be found at health clubs across the country. While the specifics of the workouts may vary, depending on the health club, the goal is pretty much the same: It's all about zipping yourself up into the smallest jeans in your closet.

"You do it right, you do it a few times, and then you're set," Grimmer says. "My clients love it. ...They all come to the class, and they've seen such great results. I've had people go down sizes in jeans; I've had people tighten up. ... They're standing up a little bit taller, and everything's straighter and very proud."

Credit : cnn.com

Drinking Moderately or More Ups Men's Cancer Risk

2009-08-10T01:30:00.000-07:00

A man who drinks moderate or high amounts of alcohol over the course of his life appears to raise his risk for developing certain -- but not all -- kinds of cancer, a new crunching of quarter-century-old research data suggests.

The study, by Canadian researchers, found that the more men drink, the greater their risk for specific cancers. However, the link appears to involve mostly beer and spirit consumption, not wine. The study did not explore risk among women.

"We found that with lifetime alcohol consumption, cancer risk among men increases for some of the 13 cancers we looked at," said study author Andrea Benedetti, an assistant professor in the departments of medicine and epidemiology, biostatistics and occupational health at McGill University in Montreal. "Those include esophageal, colon, stomach, liver, lung and prostate cancers."

"And we also found that ... those with the highest consumption had a quite higher risk increase for these cancers, relative to lower-consumption drinkers," Benedetti said. She worked on the study while a post-doctorate fellow at the University of Quebec.

A report on the findings has been published online in Cancer Detection and Prevention.

Associations between alcohol consumption and cancer have been the subject of much study, the researchers pointed out, with indications that alcohol could be the prime culprit in up to 5 percent of deaths from all cancers combined.

One recent study specifically revealed that heavy drinking in particular raises the risk for developing aggressive prostate cancer in men while undermining the effectiveness of the popular prostate cancer prevention drug finasteride (Proscar). Another study suggested that, among women, even moderate drinking might elevate risk for breast, liver and other cancers.

The Canadian research team used data first collected in the 1980s for a study that sought to examine potential links between hundreds of occupational hazards and cancer risk.

Participants in that study were men between the ages of 35 and 70 who had been diagnosed with any of 20 cancers. Collected data included ethnicity, income, smoking history, diet and occupational exposures, as well as alcohol consumption patterns.

For the new study, the researchers focused on nearly 3,600 people for whom they had data on alcohol use as well as their cancer history. Types of cancer represented were bladder, colon, esophageal, kidney, liver, lung, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, melanoma, pancreatic, prostate, rectal and stomach.

Among men considered "regular drinkers," defined as drinking on a daily or weekly basis, alcohol was linked to an increased risk for nearly half of the cancer types -- specifically, esophageal, stomach, colon, liver, lung and prostate cancer.

And the more alcohol that such regular drinkers consumed, the higher their risk rose relative to those who did not drink at all or drank infrequently, the study reported.

Although Benedetti noted that "wine consumption was not an issue," she also acknowledged that the researchers "weren't able to look at the impact of wine as much as we wanted to because we didn't have enough information available."

"And I wouldn't want to say that heavy wine drinking, for example, is OK," she cautioned. "But it appears from what we found that light and moderate drinking of wine is not linked to an increased risk for cancer, while light and moderate consumption of beer and spirits does have some risk attached to it."

However, William J. Blot, associate director of research at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn., questioned the impact that the study might have.

"This study looked at data that is actually 25 years old," Blot said. "And it's been known for a long time that particularly heavy drinking can increase the risk for certain types of cancer."

"We've known, for example, for maybe 30 years now that heavy drinking increases the risk for esophageal cancer," he said. "And drinking and oral cancer of the oral cavity and larynx are also well-established risks. Those are the strongest associations previously identified, although pancreatic and liver cancers have also been linked in the past, while lung cancer has generally not been considered to be an alcohol-related cancer because, in reality, it's really almost impossible to de-link smokers from drinkers since the two behaviors tend to overlap so frequently."

Blot also noted that, when broken down by cancer type, the number of men with some of the cancers was "not particularly large."

The study included all types of cancer from the original study that had been diagnosed in at least 25 participants. The numbers ranged from a low of 28 men with liver cancer to a high of 700 with lung cancer.

"There have been other studies with quite a few more patients that, therefore, have more precise information," Blot said. "So, I would say there is really nothing new or striking about this finding."

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter by Alan Mozes
healthday Reporter – Fri Aug 7, 11:48 pm ET

Women over 30 have newer birth control options

2009-08-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

Fallen out of love with your birth control? Maybe you're put off by the side effects -- cramps from hell, unpredictable bleeding. Or maybe remembering to pop a pill just isn't your strong suit. Problem is, going without isn't a good choice, even as you get older: Nearly 40 percent of pregnancies among women in their 40s, for instance, are unplanned.

Women who really loathe their periods may be good candidates for the extended-cycle pill.

The good news is that there are more safe, effective contraception options than ever for women who may be done having children or who are 30-plus.

Which one is best for you? We've ruled out the least-popular (diaphragm, female condom, NuvaRing) and higher- risk (the patch) methods, and assembled the likely candidates here.

The combo pill

Who can try it: Almost all women. Surprised? Truth is, a growing body of research debunks some myths surrounding this 99 percent-effective form of contraception -- like the notion that it brings on menopause or ups the risk for some cancers. A recent meta-analysis in the The New England Journal of Medicine reveals that many women can safely take the pill -- which serves up low doses of estrogen and progestin three weeks a month to suppress egg release -- right into menopause.

The pill can ease maddening perimenopausal symptoms like hot flashes, hormonal mood swings, and irregular bleeding. What's more, it may help prevent ovarian and uterine cancers, says study author Andrew M. Kaunitz, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Florida College of Medicine at Jacksonville. Health.com: Make over your period: How to finally fix your menstrual problems

"The longer you're on the pill, the more protection you have," he says. The protection against ovarian cancer extends some 30 years after you quit the pill, according to a recent study in The Lancet. And the pill does not cause breast cancer, Kaunitz says.

Who should avoid it: If you're a migraine sufferer, you may want to steer clear; the pill is thought to trigger headaches and raise the risk of stroke in some migraineurs. (Experts aren't sure why, but the dip in estrogen during the "off week" is one suspect.) And smokers older than 35 -- that includes the I-only-light-up-when-I-drink crowd -- should avoid the pill, as both estrogen and smoking cause blood to clot more easily. Combine the two, and you ratchet up your heart attack and stroke risks, says Katharine O'Connell, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University in New York City.

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The progestin-only pill

Who can try it: Women who are breast-feeding (this oral contraceptive will not lower milk supply), or those who can't take estrogen-based pills because of cardiovascular-disease or blood-clot risks, or because they smoke. Like the combo type, this "mini-pill" protects against pregnancy via a low dose of hormones, but it's estrogen-free. Note: The progestin-only pill is slightly less failure-proof than the combo kind.

Who should avoid it: If you're schedule-challenged, take heed: Progestin-only pills must be taken every day at the same time to be fully effective; use a backup method if you get off-schedule.

The extended-cycle pill

Who can try it: Women who really loathe their periods. If you suffer from severe PMS, or if your period exacerbates an existing condition such as endometriosis or anemia, these pills may be your new best friend. Two brands, Seasonale and Seasonique, allow you to go three months without menstruating -- you'll have just four periods a year. Another brand, Lybrel, stops periods for an entire year, but you do have to take a pill every day, year-round. Health.com: 10 questions to ask a new partner before having sex

Like combo pills, all of these contain estrogen and progestin.

Who should avoid it: If you're not a candidate for the combo pill, don't go the extended-cycle route. Ditto if you tend to be cautious about new medical trends: Although there's no evidence suggesting that it's dangerous not to have regular periods, there is less long-term research behind extended-cycle pills than the combo type.

Intrauterine Device (IUD)

Who can try it: Women who don't want to think about birth control for a long, long time. The IUD is more than 99 percent effective and lasts up to 12 years -- get one at 40 and you're set until menopause, says Erika Banks, M.D., director of gynecology at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. The traditional IUD is a small, T-shaped plastic device that's inserted into the uterus to block egg fertilization. Insertion can cause mild discomfort for some women (your doc can prescribe pain meds if you need them), but that doesn't last.

The downsides? Possibly, heavy periods and increased menstrual cramping. That's where Mirena -- a newer model that also delivers a steady dose of progestin -- wins points. Though it taps out after five years and may cause spotting or irregular periods in the first few months, you can expect lighter bleeding over time. And you can banish fears of infertility or infection: Those risks have proven false, experts say.

Who should avoid it: If you think you'll want a baby in a year, other methods may be better, Banks says. You'll be unprotected as soon as you remove the IUD, but its cost -- ranging from $150 to $500 -- can make it a bad investment for short-term contraception.

Implant

Who can try it: Women looking for no-fuss, long-term (three years) contraception, or those who aren't a fit for the combo pill. A matchstick-size plastic rod -- called "Implanon" -- is inserted in your upper arm, where it releases progestin to suppress ovulation. Effectiveness? Nearly 100 percent. Your insurer may cover the $400-to-$800 cost.

Who should avoid it: If you take the herb St. John's wort or are significantly overweight, be warned: Implanon may not work as well for you.

Condoms

Who can try it: Women 40 and older who aren't monogamous and haven't finished menopause. Unlike other forms of birth control, condoms protect against most STDs and HIV, and are up to 98 percent effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly. This method also is an easy (and cheap) choice if you're not all that busy in bed.

Who should avoid it: If you're younger than 40, condoms simply aren't the most foolproof pregnancy-protection, unless they're paired with another contraceptive (such as the pill or an IUD). Health.com: How to protect yourself from HPV

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Sterilization

Who can try it: Women older than 35 who are done having kids but OK with having a period. There are two kinds of permanent sterilization. Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure in which the Fallopian tubes are blocked by an incision, clamp, or cauterization.

And a newer option -- called "Essure"-- is less-invasive and involves the placement of a small metal insert to obstruct the Fallopian tubes. After either procedure, you might feel tired, bloated, nauseated, or gassy for a few days, but the discomfort shouldn't be severe. And no evidence suggests that sterilization hastens menopause, experts say. Price tag: $1,400 to $6,000; insurance generally covers it.

Who should avoid it: Ask yourself some hard questions: If you remarried or lost your only child, would you want the option to have another? If you're not 100 percent sure, a long-term, reversible method such as an IUD may be better. And it's OK if you simply don't like the idea of being "sterile," Kaunitz says; "It's very human and very normal." But it's reassuring to know you have other good options.

The Plan B option

Plan B -- emergency contraception -- uses a high dose of progestin to halt ovulation or fertilization, or prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus. It's designed as a backup if you forget to take your oral contraception, have a condom malfunction, or fear an unwanted pregnancy for another reason. "It does not end a pregnancy or cause spontaneous abortion," says Kaunitz. Like other birth control, Plan B prevents pregnancy. Health.com Video: For big drinkers, talking about sex and STDs may be a wash

Although it's called "the morning-after pill," Plan B is effective up to five days after intercourse. The sooner it's started, the more effective it will be. A full dose (two pills) costs $20 to $50 and is available for those 17 and up, without a prescription at the pharmacy counter of most drugstores. The pills are good for up to two years.

credit : cnn.com

Olympic speed winners getting taller, heavier

2009-08-07T00:34:00.000-07:00

CNN) -- Michael Phelps, who scored his fifth gold medal at the world championships in Rome, Italy, last weekend, has a body that frequently propels him to world record speeds in the pool.

Eamon Sullivan, who broke two world records for the 100-meter freestyle in 2008, was considered in the study.

To move fast, athletes such as Phelps need the right balance of vertical and horizontal -- that is, a lot of height and weight, but not too much weight to hold them back. Researchers at Duke University have found that winning Olympic athletes today are mostly taller and heavier than their predecessors, and that this pattern has been consistent for 100 years.

The fastest male swimmers are 4.5 inches taller than their 1900 counterparts, and the fastest male runners 6.4 inches taller, the study said. The average human today is about 1.9 inches taller than the average human 100 years ago, according to the study.

That goes along with the idea that, generally, bigger animals can move faster than smaller animals.

It's not that winning athletes are getting either fatter or taller, but that the overall size of the average winner today has increased proportionally compared with winners in the past, and is expected to continue growing in the future, said Adrian Bejan, professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Duke University. The study is in the newest issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Bejan and colleagues used mathematical formulas that govern speed and motion to analyze how the bodies of Olympic athletes in different time periods compared with each other. They say the pattern is consistent with what they call constructal theory, the idea that natural systems evolve to promote easier "flow" -- for example, of air through lungs, or of water through river basins.

Generally, track athletes need more height and more muscle mass for propulsion, said Dr. R. Amadeus Mason, sports medicine physician at Emory University, who was not involved in the study. For swimming, world record-holder Michael Phelps, at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds as of the Summer Games last year, has the "ideal" body, allowing him to stroke efficiently without being too heavy, Mason said.

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Bejan and colleagues suggest that the trend of Olympic winners getting taller and heavier as a population -- not on the individual level -- is separate from the trend of growth of height and weight in the population generally.

"The increases in the size in the winning athletes belong to a different phenomenon, the phenomenon of the pursuit of speed," Bejan said.

But some experts who were not involved in the study say other factors are at play.

It is difficult to generalize about the growth of winning athletes compared with the entire population, Mason said.

Rather, it is more likely that they are part of the larger trend of human bodies growing in general, Mason said. This recognized phenomenon is not well understood, but it may reflect that proportion of the population is getting better nutrition, or that certain additives in foods contribute to growth, he said.

"The overall population is getting heavier and taller, you would expect that the pinnacle is getting heavier and taller," Mason said.

The strong incentives for people to aspire to be professional athletes, such as fame and money, may also have something to do with what the Duke study observed, said Joe Patterson, professor of astronomy at Columbia University, who has analyzed speed records at the Olympics and was not involved in Bejan's study. The benefits of being an Olympic champion have increased over time, meaning more people attempt to compete, so there are more people with body sizes that promote speed in that group, he said.

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"In the [19]20s, 30s, and 40s, you had the Olympic [athletes who] were famous, but still couldn't make a buck," he said. "It was kind of an impractical thing, like writing poetry."

He also pointed to technological changes in training and nutrition that may have helped athletes come bigger generally. Illegal drugs may also have something to do with it, Patterson said. Low-friction swimsuits and better-designed pools may have also given swimmers extra speed.

In the data, researchers noted, for example, that Duke Kahanamoku, who had world records for the 100-meter freestyle in 1912 and 1918, weighed 185 pounds and stood 6 feet, 2 inches. In 2008, Alain Bernard broke a record for the same race, weighing 190 pounds and standing about 6 feet, 5 inches.

But not everyone conforms to the pattern of increased height and weight -- at about 172 pounds, swimmer Eamon Sullivan weighed less than both Kahanamoku and Bernard, and also broke records for the same contest in 2008.

There appears to be no limit to the growth of the human body in the near future, Bejan said. It follows that there is no foreseen limit to human speed, because larger size is required to go faster, Bejan said.

But Mason disagrees -- he doesn't think 100 years from now the winning athletes will show the same addition of height and weight as today's winners show compared to their counterparts in the early 1900s.

"At some point, you're going to get too tall to be able to move efficiently, too heavy to move quickly," Mason said.

Bejan's group also used their findings to predict running speeds during the Roman Empire. They found that, in antiquity, body weights were about 70 percent what they are today. If the winner of the 100-meter dash wins in 13 seconds today, the winner 2000 years ago would have taken about 14 seconds, the researchers said.

Credit : cnn.com

Schools take swine flu precautions before year begins

2009-08-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- Even 6-year-olds at Hamilton Central School in central New York came to school prepared for swine flu. Jessica Poyer, a first-grade teacher, noticed in the spring that kids had begun bringing their own hand sanitizer, tissues and water bottles.

Guidelines on when schools should dismiss the student body because of H1N1 will be released Friday.

Poyer, also the mother of two young children, thinks about swine flu, also known as influenza A H1N1, every day, both at school and at home. She knows that some schools nationwide have had to close because the disease was widespread, and she has mixed feelings about the school closures.

"I hate to close schools, because it interrupts learning, but we leave it up to health professionals," said Poyer, who lives in Deansboro, New York.

Federal guidance on school closures related to H1N1 will be released Friday by the Department of Health and Human Services, said Thomas Skinner, spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The decision whether to close schools ultimately rests with state and local officials.

Districts such as Hancock County Public Schools in Kentucky say they plan to follow federal guidelines. Superintendent Scott Lewis said the schools have trained nurses in every building, and the local disaster relief department has instructed some of the staff. The schools also have hand sanitizer in every classroom, and students will be reminded to use it daily, Lewis said. Students who show signs of illness will be sent home, he said.

"We send them home if they're sick anyway, whether it would be for fever or vomiting," he said.

Ryan Koczot, a teacher at Broad Creek Middle School in Newport, North Carolina, believes that if proper precautions are taken early, such as telling parents to keep their sick children at home, schools will not have to close. He is concerned about creating panic among faculty, staff and students, and about making up lost days at the end of the year.

Swine Flu Prevention
One expert offers these "ABCDs" of swine flu prevention to emphasize to children:

A. Avoid touching your your mouth, nose or eyes with your hands.
B. Be sure to wash your hands often.
C. Cover your coughs and sneezes with your hand or a tissue.
D. Don't go to school if you're ill.

SOURCE: Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health "Let the individual students and parents handle it," he said.

Tara Whittington, a math teacher at Villa Rica High School near Atlanta, Georgia, who makes hand sanitizer available for her students, considers school closures a waste of time if only one student has H1N1, but supports dismissal if a quarter of the students become ill.

"By the time a fourth of the students have it, your school may be the cause of it being spread between the students, need to step in and clean it out," she said.

Boston Public Schools in Massachusetts had 10 closings in the spring, which came about through collaborative decisions between the city public health commission and the superintendent, said Matt Wilder, spokesman for the schools.

In Georgia, the final decision about closing schools because of H1N1 is usually up to the local school board with input from local and state public health officials, the Department of Community Health said.

"Some school closures may be based on operational interruption due to a significant percentage of student and staff absences, while some school closures may be based on a recommendation of public health to reduce the virus spread," the department said in a statement.

The novel virus is known to have been circulating worldwide since April. There have been 353 deaths, and more than 5,500 people have been hospitalized for H1N1 in the United States so far, according to the CDC.

In Montgomery County, Maryland, public school principals have been asked to come up with plans for giving students lessons in the event of school closings, said schools spokeswoman Kate Harrison. One option for continuing instruction is a Web resource called Edline, which lets them post lessons and assignments online, she said. There is also a cable television station that could be used to broadcast lessons, she said.

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These Maryland schools, which will follow the guidance of local health authorities on school closings, have also ordered hospital-grade face masks, she said. It is still unclear under what circumstances these masks would be used, but, for example, employees who have to work together closely may use them, she said.

Other schools across the country are ramping up their cleaning efforts to prevent H1N1 transmission. At Sherman Independent School District in North Texas, the staff is disinfecting door handles during the upcoming school year, something the school didn't do before, said Superintendent Al Hambrick.

Most schools in the district have hand sanitizer in every classroom, he said. Sherman ISD schools, which have not had any confirmed cases of the virus, will also be distributing informational pamphlets about H1N1, he said.

For athletic practices, coaches discourage the sharing of towels and water bottles, Hambrick said. In the spring, the schools canceled field trips to places where there had been reported cases of H1N1, he said.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told government leaders last month that a vaccine to fight the H1N1 virus should be ready for distribution in mid-October.

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At what point schools should close because of the new virus, if ever, is a matter of controversy. A recent study in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases concludes that there are a lot of uncertainties about the consequences of closing schools during a pandemic -- for example, the ways that children interact when they are not in school.

For example, children may mix with each other at the mall if school is not in session, said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health, who was not involved with the study. Moreover, school provides a relatively safe environment, whereas other problems could arise outside school such as children getting hit by cars, he said.

Disinfecting classrooms may not be so effective, either, because the virus dies within about three hours, he said.

"If people will stay away from school when they are sick and do the ABCDs, that will mollify, or make less severe, the transmission of disease in schools," he said.

Credit : cnn.com

What is the Best Firming Over the Counter Night Cream? And Other FAQs

2009-07-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

What is the Best Firming Over the Counter Night Cream? And Other FAQs

Author: Frank Langella

Do you want to know what is the best firming over the counter night cream? Well, you are in the right place then. Many people, who look for a firming cream that really works, do not actually know what it is that they should look for in an anti aging product.

All this and more covered in the FAQs listed below:

Why does my skin wrinkle?
As our skin ages, the Collagen and Elastin fibers that hold it together tightly, break down due to wear and tear. Our body is not able to produce enough of these proteins to undo the damage and the skin becomes loose as a result. Fine lines and wrinkles also start developing on it.

I have heard about Collagen injections. Do they work?
Collagen injections insert a synthetic collagen into your skin. It does show some initial results, but then this is not a permanent treatment. The effects of the injection begin to wear off after a few months and you have to keep repeating the treatment indefinitely.

It can also cause side effects like muscle weakness, hyper tension and allergies. My recommendation – stay away from this stop gap arrangement and look for a long term solution to the problem – like a natural cream that removes wrinkles permanently.

So, what is the best firming over the counter night cream?
A good cream will contain natural ingredients to increase the production of Collagen and Elastin in your body.

Look for natural substances like Cynergy TK. This extract from the wool of New Zealand sheep has been found in studies to significantly enhance collagen and elastin production in the skin.

Avocado Oil is a rich oil derived from the Avocado pear. It penetrates deep into the skin and moisturizes it from within. It also increases the collagen content in the skin and helps keep it smooth and wrinkle free.

Phytessence Wakame is a sea kelp from Japan that nourishes the skin effectively. It also prevents the breakdown of hyraluronic acid in the skin. This acid is what binds the collagen and elastin fibers in the skin together and helps keep the skin firm and tight.

Is it safe?
That’s the beauty of using natural products. There is absolutely no risk of any kind of side effects when all you are dealing with is natural substances. You can use such natural products with complete peace of mind.

Now that you know what is the best firming over the counter night cream, take what you’ve learned and find out these effective natural substances. A fresh, young skin can be yours too!

About the Author:

For information on best treatments for aging skin, visit my website today and learn about natural and beneficial skin substances I've discovered that I'd like to share with you.

Frank Langella is a dedicated researcher of skin care health and products. He shares his research on his website - TotalSkinSolution.com. If you want to know how to turn back the clock for your skin, visit - http://www.totalskinsolution.com/ and learn about the skin care line our editors personally use and recommend.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - What is the Best Firming Over the Counter Night Cream? And Other FAQs

Obama: Efforts to delay health care reform a political ploy

2009-07-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama responded Tuesday to Republican opposition to health care reform, saying that political motives are behind efforts to block progress on the issue.

President Obama takes on critics of health care legislation in remarks Tuesday at the White House.

Republicans "who openly announce their intentions to block this reform" would "rather score political points" than confront the ailing health care system, Obama said in a Rose Garden statement.

Republicans responded that Democratic proposals so far would fail to deliver what they promise and eventually lead to a government takeover of health care.

Delaying action now "is so we can be smart about the action we have to take," said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele.

Amid the sharpened debate, a leading House Democrat said Tuesday the chamber may not vote on a bill before Obama's deadline of August 7, when Congress goes on recess. Obama and his chief spokesman indicated the deadline was more a target for progress, rather than a make-or-break moment.

"We're going to come back here after the August break and have a lot of work to do on health care," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

At issue is overhauling a health care system beset by spiraling costs while leaving 46 million Americans uninsured.

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The House and Senate are considering Democratic proposals that would create a government-funded public health insurance option to compete with private insurers blamed for driving up costs.

A fiscally conservative House Democrat said Tuesday he reached a verbal agreement with Obama and House Democratic leaders on reducing costs of health care reform legislation.

Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas, a member of the so-called "Blue Dog" Democrats concerned about the high cost of health care reform, said those at the meeting agreed to create an independent council to set health care reimbursement rates as a way to hold down spiraling costs.

The Blue Dog Democrats comprise enough votes to defeat the health care bill at the committee level.

Ross cautioned that his group also wants other changes in the House bill, including raising the exemption for small businesses required to provide health insurance to workers, and unspecified changes to a government-funded public health insurance option in the bill.

Despite the breakthrough, Democratic grumbling about Obama's handling of health care reform is growing as prospects dim for passing bills in either the House or Senate before the August recess.

A senior Democratic congressional source told CNN that members of the president's own party are frustrated over not getting more specific direction from him on health care.

"We appreciate the rhetoric and his willingness to ratchet up the pressure, but what most Democrats on the Hill are looking for is the president to weigh in and make decisions on outstanding issues," the source said. "Instead of sending out his people and saying the president isn't ruling anything out, members would like a little bit of clarity on what he would support -- especially on how to pay for his health reform bill."

On the Senate side, Republican and Democratic leaders of the Finance Committee continued a series of meetings behind closed doors to work on a compromise that would be the first bipartisan proposal.

Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus of Montana said the group was considering a proposal to tax insurance companies for so-called "Cadillac" health plans that cost much more than average coverage.

Baucus originally wanted to create a tax on the health care benefits provided by employers. However, opposition by organized labor caused Democratic leaders to reject that proposal.

Under the Cadillac plan idea attributed to Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, insurance companies providing such expensive coverage would be taxed instead of individuals receiving benefits.

The talks have reached tentative agreement on "four or five" of about a dozen major issues so far, Baucus said Monday. He refused to speculate whether his group would finish its work before Obama holds a nationally televised news conference on Wednesday night.

On Tuesday, Obama criticized Republican calls to throw out the Democratic proposals and start fresh with a bipartisan approach. He noted comments by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and conservative columnist William Kristol that health care reform should be defeated to harm the president's political standing.

"These opponents of reform would rather score political points than offer relief to Americans who've seen premiums double and costs grow three times faster than wages," Obama said. "They would maintain a system that works for the insurance and the drug companies, while becoming increasingly unaffordable for families and for businesses."

He and other Democrats cited progress this year in the health care debate, noting that bills passed so far by House and Senate committees provide expanded health coverage and prevent insurance companies from denying eligibility because of pre-existing conditions.

However, Steele accused Obama and the Democrats of trying to ram through a health care overhaul without giving Congress proper time for full consideration. He noted that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported the bills offered so far fail to deliver benefits touted by Democratic sponsors, including a reduction in health care costs.

Steele said the Democratic health care proposals would lead to a government takeover of health care, but admitted nothing in the legislation so far specifically states that.

"Whether or not it's in the legislation, it's a concern that I've heard ... that needs to be addressed," Steele said.

When asked what form he thought the bill should take, Steele responded: "We've got policy makers ... we've elected to do that."

Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma echoed Steele, saying the health care problem involved high costs and limited access and not a systemic failing requiring an extensive overhaul.

"The access problem is based on cost, and the only way you drive down cost is to create transparent markets to make sure people have some buying power and some economic decision, but we make sure everybody does," Coburn said.

In response, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada called such language "buzz words for 'let's keep things the way they are.' "

In the House, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said Tuesday the chamber could leave for its August break without a vote on a health care bill.

"If we can get consensus we're going to move. If we can't get consensus, we're going to continue to work on creating consensus," Hoyer said.

He said Democrats want to pass a bill next week and continue to discuss changes to a measure introduced last week. Along with questions raised by the Blue Dogs, other Democrats question the measure's proposed tax surcharge on wealthy Americans to help pay for health care reform.

On Monday, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was open to modifying the increased tax provision if that would help bring consensus.

Currently, the House Democrats' bill would impose a surcharge on individuals making $280,000 or more and families making $350,000 or more. Pelosi is now suggesting the surtax would kick in for individuals making $500,000 and families making $1 million.

The White House has so far resisted another idea for raising revenue -- creating a tax on the medical benefits provided by employers. Baucus said he likes the idea, but Obama said it could be too disruptive to a system in which 180 million Americans have health coverage provided by their employers.

Stressed parents up asthma risk

2009-07-21T04:24:00.000-07:00

Stress can lead to arguments
Stressed parents may play a role in childhood asthma, researchers believe.

They found the children of tense parents who lived in polluted areas were far more likely to have asthma than friends in the same neighbourhood.

The University of California team believe parental anxieties combine with other known risk factors to increase a child's asthma risk.

They told Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences there might be an underlying biological explanation.

Experts have already shown that women who are stressed in pregnancy may raise the risk of their child developing asthma or other allergies.

These results suggest that children from stressful households are more susceptible to the effects of traffic-related pollution and in utero tobacco smoke on the development of asthma

The study authors
And stress is known to trigger asthma attacks.

In the latest study the researchers followed 2,497 healthy primary school children living in Southern California and recorded how many of these developed asthma over a three-year period - 120 in total.

They also gathered information on other known asthma risk factors like exposure to traffic-related air pollution and maternal smoking, as well as parental education, income and stress levels.

Stressful households

As expected, children exposed to more air pollution had a higher risk of asthma, but this risk was further increased if their parents were stressed and described their lives as "unpredictable", "uncontrollable" or "overwhelming".

Maternal smoking and parental stress posed a similar compounded risk.

Professor Rob McConnell and his team speculate that stress increases the inflammatory effects of pollutants in tobacco smoke and traffic fumes on the airways.

Writing in PNAS they said: "These results suggest that children from stressful households are more susceptible to the effects of traffic-related pollution and in utero tobacco smoke on the development of asthma."

Elaine Vickers of Asthma UK said: "This study adds to existing evidence suggesting that a child's environment can impact on their risk of developing asthma.

"For example, smoking during pregnancy, traffic pollution and stress in the home may all have harmful effects.

"We know that smoking during pregnancy significantly increases a baby's risk of having breathing difficulties and that children whose parents smoke are 1.5 times more likely to develop asthma, so Asthma UK strongly advises parents to avoid smoking around children and young people, especially in the home.

"One in 11 children in the UK has asthma so studies like this are vital, as they provide an insight into the factors influencing asthma development and therefore how it might be prevented."

Credit by : BBC.co.uk

Scalp burns painful, need urgent care

2009-07-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

By Elizabeth Landau
CNN

(CNN) -- The special effects exploded too early while Michael Jackson filmed a Pepsi commercial in 1984 and his hair caught on fire, causing burns to his scalp.

Michael Jackson is seen about one month after he was burned filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984.

Jackson blamed that incident for his addiction to pain medication, which was "initially prescribed to cede excruciating pain that I was suffering after recent reconstructive surgery on my scalp," he said in 1993 in a video statement.

Whether through fire, scaling liquid, electricity or other source, burns are extraordinarily painful, said Dr. Peter Grossman, of the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles, California, who did not treat Jackson.

Anyone whose head gets burned should go to a hospital immediately, Grossman said, especially because burns are "progressive and dynamic."

"If your hair catches on fire and you put it out and everything looks okay, you have to realize that the burn injury may change over the next 24 to 72 hours," he said.

The burn victim also may develop a chronic infection around the hair follicles because the pores from which hair would grow are seared shut, Grossman said.

Baldness is a characteristic consequence of third-degree scalp burns, which indicates the skin has burned down to the fat layer, Grossman said.

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Us magazine posts video of Michael Jackson's hair on fire
But sometimes, because of the good blood supply in the scalp, the deeper cells can help regenerate some of the surface skin, and hair can grow back, Grossman said. This may happen with some second-degree burns, which only injure the top layers of the skin.

Treatment for burn injuries depends on the severity of the burn, experts say.

Once the burn has cooled, health care professionals will clean the wound and remove all nonhealthy tissue in a process called debridement, Grossman said. This may be accomplished by scrubbing, but if the burn is deep enough, the unhealthy tissue must be shaved away, he said.

If skin needs to be shaved or cut away, usually the burn victim will require a skin graft to cover the defect, he said. Without a graft, the healing usually takes a lot longer and scar tissue is more noticeable.

The graft of skin often comes from another part of the patient's own body -- for example, the thigh -- as long as there a sufficient area of nonburned skin for use. The place where that skin came from, called the "donor site," often causes a lot of pain, but heals within two to three weeks, said Jill Sproul, nurse manager at the Burn Center of the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California, who did not treat Jackson.

The amount of pain that people experience when burned on the scalp varies from person to person, and some may need more pain medications than others, but generally the pain stops when the wounds have healed, Grossman said. This usually takes one to three weeks, depending on the treatment that the patient underwent, he said.

"For most people who have some type of treatment, the most intense pain usually is gone within a few weeks," he said, adding that if the patient had no treatment and the wound healed on its own, there may be prolonged pain.

Some people have small sensory nerves that get trapped in scar tissue, and may experience prolonged periods of pain, he said.

As for what type of pain medications are appropriate, that depends on the physician and the patient's needs, Grossman said.

This may range from Tylenol or ibuprofen to narcotic pain medications, said Dr. Marianne Cinat, director of the University of California, Irvine, Regional Burn Center.

Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Child safety -- How to prevent burns
Some burn centers may also give patients anti-anxiety drugs such as Valium, depending on individual needs, Sproul said.

Patients who receive massive amounts of powerful painkillers at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's Burn Center are weaned off them, Sproul said.

Most burn patients do not get addicted to pain medications, Cinat and Sproul said.

"The ones that do usually come in with some preexisting problem, whether it was street drugs, alcohol or some type of preexisting addiction," Sproul said, based on her experience at burn centers.

There are other symptoms that tend to occur with burns, such as itching, for many months after a burn injury, Grossman and Sproul said. Painkillers would not be given for itching, Sproul said.

Among health care professionals there is greater awareness of pain management now than 25 years ago, when Jackson was burned, Sproul said.

Today, in burn centers, higher doses of pain medications can be given, and there is a greater variety of painkillers available than even two decades ago, when Sproul started out in the field, she said.

Swine flu mother has baby then dies

2009-07-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

A pregnant woman seriously ill with swine flu gave birth to her baby before dying, the Evening Standard can reveal.

Another baby under the age of six months has also died with the illness in London, as well as a six-year-old boy from Kent who is believed to have been otherwise healthy.

It comes after health bosses announced the number of swine flu deaths has more than doubled in the past week to 29, and said there could be as many as 65,000 deaths during the outbreak.

A national flu telephone helpline planned for the autumn has been rushed forward, but there are concerns that patients who don't see a doctor face-to-face will be unable to claim on insurance for holidays they are forced to cancel.

The 39-year-old pregnant woman, who died at Whipps Cross hospital on Monday, is one of four new swine flu victims in London, taking the total to 10. Her baby, who was born extremely prematurely, is fighting for life in intensive care.

She is thought to have been left paraplegic after a car crash a number of years ago. Relatives of the woman, who is thought to be originally from Bangladesh, are said to be looking after her five other children.

London is experiencing epidemic levels of swine flu and is the worst-hit area in the country. The youngest victim is a baby who died at the Royal Free Hospital last week, who was under six months. The other latest cases include a 70-year-old man who died at the Royal London Hospital on Tuesday and another adult patient who died at St Thomas' last Friday. All had serious underlying health conditions but tested positive for swine flu.

Dr Simon Tanner, regional director of public health at NHS London, said: “We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to each of the families affected. It is also important that these deaths be kept in perspective.

“All four had underlying health conditions and these upsetting cases should be kept in context with the many people who have had swine flu and recovered just a few days after experiencing a mild illness.”

Another three deaths are being investigated to determine whether they too had the virus.

The news comes as Sherwin Knight infant school in Kent closed after the death of the “healthy” six-year-old boy on Wednesday.

A teacher at the school said she was off work with the bug herself. She said: “I've been off with swine flu for the past week and I know there were several pupils at the infant school who had swine flu.”

Speaking after the announcement of the new London deaths, Andy Wapling, head of emergency preparedness at NHS London, said: “We would like to reassure people that NHS London is well-prepared. NHS London has put in place recently audited plans on how to prepare for flu pandemic and ensure that anyone who needs help will receive it.”

The Government's chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson said 26 people have died in England and three in Scotland since the epidemic began.

One of the Scottish deaths was a female tourist with “significant underlying medical conditions”. She had been in hospital for three weeks.

Credit by : thisislondon.co.uk

Laser Treatment For Acne Scars- Exactly What Is It And How Does It Work

2009-07-16T04:08:00.000-07:00

Author: joginder

A treatment known as laser treatment for acne scars mainly works through the use of assorted wavelengths and various levels of intensities which are dependent on your situation to contour that scar tissue that currently exists. The laser treatment for acne scars can also, in a significant manner, lower the adjoining red skin that takes place near acne lesions that have since healed.

A physician determines the kind of laser that he will utilize during the procedure which are based on the results that you and your physician are hoping to achieve. Your physician can eradicate tissue that is unwanted with a carbon dioxide laser. Physicians have noted that for some individuals a single laser treatment for acne scars is all that is needed to accomplish the sought after effects.

Resurfacing Using Ablative Lasers

The utilization of what is known as an Ablative laser induces the elimination of the outermost layers of your skin as well as scar tissue that is undesirable is burned off and this subsequent action makes the dermal collagen to tighten up which assists in lowering a scars visibility.

The most typical kinds of lasers that are utilized for laser resurfacing are what are called erbium lasers and ultra pulsed carbon dioxide lasers. This kind of laser treatment for acne scars causes exposure of skin that is unprotected so using the appropriate skin wound care must be utilized and you need to be checking frequently for the possibility of infections. The skin may actually remain red for roughly one year even though the redness will have a tendency to fade after several months after an individual has had laser treatment for acne scars.

Non-Abrasive Lasers

These types of lasers create alterations to the dermis and will not do harm to the epidermis in the process of the procedure. A laser that is named smooth beam centers on and heats up thes sebaceous gland which assists an individual in lowering the quantity of sebum and acne that is subsequently formed. This type of procedure heats up the collagen which accomplishes the objective of tightening the dermis which results in scarring that is less visible.

What is typically done is your doctor will administer an anesthetic before the laser surgery and the skin surface temperature is lowered which assists in precluding the epidermis from becoming harmed from the laser. The patient may feel some possible stinging while having the procedure however the anesthetic assists the patient to cope with the stinging sensation.

The length of time it takes for the procedure is dependent on the quantity of scars involved that the physician needs to work on. Generally speaking the procedure takes a little over an hour. Typically, three laser sessions within a period of a month is necessary.

There are some physicians who choose to utilize what is known as the N-Lite which is another type of non-abrasive laser. It's primary function is to stimulate the formation of collagen and typically the patient has to have three treatments to arrive at a satisfactory end result. There are various types of procedures that are available for addressing acne scars and utilizing laser treatment for acne scars is a one option that you may want to consider. Please consult your physician first.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Laser Treatment For Acne Scars- Exactly What Is It And How Does It Work

You Can Now Find a Doctor Who Takes Medicaid Or Medicare

2009-07-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

Author: Bryan Burbank

It is important that if you have Medicaid or Medicare you find a doctor that accepts this form of payment. Going to the doctor can be very expensive and you want to make sure that you start off with getting a doctor that takes your form of payment. If you go and they do not accept Medicaid or Medicare then it can cost you a lot of money. Most people that have this service are on a limited budget to begin with and spending money on doctors visits is not necessary. You're better off to search for a physician that will take one of these forms of payments and this will only allow you to put more money in your own pocket.

Get Free: Doctor Advice Today

When searching for a doctor you want to make sure that you have an open line of communication and feel comfortable with them. Make sure that even though they may accept these forms of payments, you also have to feel good about this doctor. You may find that you have to try several physicians before you find the one you like best. They are going to be the ones that help you with your health and so you need to feel at ease is with them.

How to: Find a Doctor

Remember that when you're searching for a doctor you find one that accepts the form of payment that you have. Many people have Medicare or Medicaid and not all doctors accept this form of payment. It may take you a little time to search and find one that does but it'll be well worth it because you will save money not having to pay doctor visits.

About the Author:

Bryan Burbank is an expert in the field of Doctor. For more information go to: http://www.easydoctors.com/medicare-medicaid.html

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - You Can Now Find a Doctor Who Takes Medicaid Or Medicare

Natural Treatment For Stress

2009-07-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Author: Ian Spencer

You would have definitely heard of yoga, which is one of the hot favorites in the USA today. The Western world is gradually looking into the secrets of youth and health that ancient civilization of the East followed. The Indian civilization is one of the oldest and extremely rich in scientific applications not only in medicine but also in engineering, physics, mathematics, astrology and astronomy among others.

Yoga has four branches that cover the journey of any human being who wishes to attain oneness with the Universe and enlightenment. Walking on this path would also ensure that your body stays free of diseases and human weaknesses without any dependency on food and basic life-supporting comforts. Yoga not only diseases-proofs your body but also tunes your mind to find and understand the Eternal Truth.

1. Kriya yoga or karma yoga - this covers the free will of a human being whereby they make their choices in life and the consequences of these choices on his or her life
2. Bhakti yoga - or attaining liberation through prayer and worship of God
3. Gyana yoga - or enlightenment through learning and acquiring of knowledge, and
4. Raja yoga - or achieving enlightenment with the exclusive help of your mind, ignoring the body completely

You do not need to adopt the austerity of yoga in its complete form. The beauty of yoga is that you can use the exercises this science prescribes without worrying about the rest of the doctrine and still profit from it. Two things are extremely important when you learn yoga:

(i) you need to learn yoga from an accredited and recognized guru or yoga practitioner, and
(ii) you need to do it at the dawn, on an empty stomach, or at bedtime daily - if you want it to really work for you

Yoga can help fight any disease whatsoever that plagues human beings, even cancer. It is excellent for controlling and reversing anxiety. It is also exceptionally potent in treating depression. I am not giving you the asanas (postures) that are prescribed for controlling and treating anxiety and depression because I do not want you to try these exercises on your own. Do not be tempted to buy the much-advertised DVDs from the market unless you have learnt the postures from a guru.

The danger of initiating yoga on your own is that a mistake in getting the right posture might not only be useless, but also might harm you. Every asana is meant to touch, massage and coax into optimal functioning some organ or system in the body. No matter how clear is the DVD or instruction given in a book, you would not be able to see yourself performing the asana; nor would you be able to see whether you are doing it correctly or not. This is where a proficient yoga practitioner and teacher would be able to guide you. Once you learn the asanas correctly and you are confident about it, you can practice it at home alone without anyone's help.

Yoga when combined with meditation can be an exceptional tool to defuse anxiety and depression. It is also extremely beneficial for people who suffer from sleep disorders due to anxiety or depression. You can however, go for yoga without the meditations component and you would be profited nonetheless.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Natural Treatment For Stress

The Three Stages of Drug Intervention

2009-07-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

Author: Joe Gardener

Intervention occurs when the friend or loved one of an addict becomes involved to the point of intervening in hopes of gaining treatment for the addiction. Contrary to what some people may think, the idea is to stay positive and nurturing for the addict but not enable or coddle them. Intervention normally does result in the addict getting treatment but it may take all three stages before that happens. The addiction does not let the loved one see what they are doing to their lives and to the lives of those they love. It is part of the disease. Denial also plays a big part in it.

Loved ones and friends often overlook or enable the addict to continue on their destructive journey because they figure some day they will realize what they are doing. That doesn't always happen, which is why intervention is a reality. It is an outdated notion that the abuser must be willing to admit they need help first in order for treatment to work. Intervention is very successful and 92% of those who have loved ones intervene seek treatment within a week. It is best to seek counsel from a professional when planning an intervention. This increases the chances of success. There are basically three widely used stages to intervention.

1. Motivational telephone intervention: Those who are intervening must stay positive and approach it from the standpoint that the abuser's life can only get better from here. The intervention team is gathered and taught what must be done to help the addict seek treatment.

2. Face to face interventions become necessary when the addict refuses to accept that they need treatment. These sessions can be done with or without the addict being present. They reinforce the motivation of the team to stay strong and positive. If the addict does agree to be present, this is the time for talking to them about their addictions and how they affect everyone. If they are not present, it is a time to rally the team to continue the effort to seek treatment for the loved one.

3. Stage three is the natural consequence for the addict and they do see it coming. It is in this stage that the limits are set and the addict is assured that the behaviors will no longer be tolerated. Again, it is important to stay positive but firm about setting limits for the addict. It is during this stage that the intervention team makes it known that they will no longer enable, cover up or take protective measures to hide the addiction. The responsibility shifts to the addict, where it belongs.

Most often, intervention fails because there is no professional backup and emotions run high. When this happens, the attitude becomes negative and all the intervention does is estrange the addict from those who care. The intervention team should stay positive. This positivity will come through to the addict. Staying strong, positive and on track is the only way to get an addict to realize they need help and to seek treatment.

About the Author:
Joe Gardner has years of experience working with Alcohol Interventions and Drug Inteventions. Visit his site to learn more.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Three Stages of Drug Intervention

Best Way to Fight Blackheads

2009-07-11T01:32:00.001-07:00

Author: Tim Archbold

Blackheads are caused by the oily secretion in the pores or hair follicles that have become clog with skin cells. The name blackhead comes from the fact that it becomes black in color due to it’s exposure to the air and it oxidizes. Sometimes blackheads take care of themselves by naturally coming out of the pore but a lot of times some treatment may be necessary to clear them up.

The best thing to do is keep the face clean. Washing the face at least twice a day will help clean out the pores so the oils can pass through. If you have naturally dry skin, over washing the face may be too irritating because the skin may get too dry.

To help clear up the skin there are a number of over the counter products available to use. When selecting one, think about your skin type, for example is it oily or dry. Some products may be over drying for the skin so it helps to know type you have. Try one of the acne face cleansers to see if it helps the condition of your skin. They will clean deeper into the pores to help allow the oils to naturally pass through.

If something a little stronger is needed try something with salicyclic acid in it. Maybe try Biore Strips, they are like a tape that is pressed onto the skin and left in place for about ten minutes. Pull them off and they pull the blackheads out of the pores. Also try to keep your hands away from your face so dirt is not passed onto the skin, remember we are trying to keep the face clean.

Some people have more trouble with blackheads and acne than others. If the acne gets out of hand do not give up trying to fight it. If it starts to get out of control, do seek help from a dermatologist.

About the Author:

Go to Treat Your Acne to discover more information on how to prevent and treat acne and pimples. Tim Archbold’s lifelong interests are Health and Fitness.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Best Way to Fight Blackheads

Best Teeth Whitening Methods

2009-07-11T01:17:00.000-07:00

Author: marryjones777

In the last decade we have seen that the teeth whitening has been the favorite cosmetic option one goes for. Americans are specially inclined towards teeth whitening treatments which ensure good white teeth without any health hazards. What is the best teeth whitening treatment out there? Is there a clear winner or is there a bunch that gets the same results? All these questions have hovering across the horizon for decades. Often it is the teeth whitening strips and gels that have stand the test of time in whitening the highly stained teeth. But again what all are the option in teeth whitening treatments for the people.

1. Teeth Whitening It is probably the best teeth whitening solution in the recent days. Personally I have tried teeth whitening strips called Ez Bright Smile Strips which give the instant kick to my personality. My smile suddenly changed after this. Firstly I thought that it was like all other teeth whitening strips which claim a lot but are good for nothing but the usage changed my opinion. Most of my stains took only about a week to disappear. The best part was I did not have to invest as the company offered free trials of the stuff.

2. Dental Whitening

Well that is the best way of whitening treatment as far as the highly stained teeth is concerned. You get your dentist to do it for you! It is often the easiest method which gets the longest lasting results. The problem, however, is that is can cost you an arm and a leg! To give you an idea of the cost, my dentist quoted me $650 for two sessions. That was NOT going to fly with me, so I decided to try out the product below.

3. Teeth Whiten Gels

Often this product is rated as # 1 in teeth whitening, the reason being this is very comfortable to use. The gel which I use is called Gleaming White teeth. This is one is the best because it helps to stop the reoccurrence of the stains on the teeth.

For more information :- dazzle white pro

About the Author:

Kim Jones

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Best Teeth Whitening Methods

Burn More Fat

2009-07-07T23:23:00.000-07:00

Are you one of the thousands of people that the main (if not the only) reason to exercise is to lose weight and burn more fat?

If you answered is YES to this question! I would like to show you how to burn more fat twice, three, even four times faster than you could ever imagine. Most people want to just "lose weight". If you just lose weight, then you lose water weight, muscle mass, and maybe a little bit of fat if you are lucky. On the other hand, if you burn fat and increase muscle mass then you will help to raise your metabolism and have results that are permanent! Once you are on the right track to burn more fat and not lose muscle mass, you stand a better chance to see the results you want. Exercising is a great way to burn more fat; however there are some exercises that help you burn more fat with less effort. So, what I'm going to do is share with you some of the best exercises to burn fat. The first exercise that will help you burn more fat is interval training. This exercise combines slow paced movement with short bursts of fast paced movement. An example would be when jogging on a treadmill. What you want to do is warm-up first. Afterwards, jog on 5.0 for a minute. And then increase the speed to 6.0 for a minute, then back down to 5.0.

Another great way to burn more fat is to walk. Walking at a brisk or fast pace will help you to burn more fat and get in shape. As your fitness level improves, you can speed up gradually. You must walk for at least 30 minutes at a pace that should be faster than your normal walk. Do quick mini workouts will also help you to burn more fat. This will accelerate your fat burning greater than lengthier workouts. So do briefer work out routines at home or at the gym for 5 or 10 minutes at a time and your metabolism will burn off more calories.

Well you probably never imagined that eating more would also help you burn more fat, but eating six meals doesn't necessarily mean more food, it means more regular intake. This is significant because while others suggest you to reduce your intake, you may be surprised when you hear that eating six meals a day will help you burn more fat. Eating six smaller meals means your metabolism is more active, as it is stimulated after you eat each meal.

Each meal you eat utilizes energy to digest the food you take in, but then your metabolism slows down again. By eating six times a day you keep your metabolism active, you'll feel more energetic and burn more fat. This doesn't mean that you should eat anything you wish. You still need to split these six meals as two big meals and four snacks a day, but with healthy snacking you should soon see your body start to burn more fat.
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Burning fat to lose weight is not just a matter of eating less, or worse, eating hardly anything at all. Losing weight is not a matter of merely producing a lot of sweat for many hours every day. Losing weight is not a matter of taking diet pills with questionable effects.

To learn more about how to burn more fat and keep it off, go to this website. It's your one-stop source for fat burning information. Check out information on some of the hot fat burning plans and learn the secrets to burn fat fast.

Buddhism and Healthy Longevity

2009-07-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Sometime you may think life is not beautiful as you hope. Maybe this article will be helpful.

Buddhism is more than an Eastern religion: it is a healthy longevity promoter.

Buddhism focuses on the balanced interaction between the mind and the body as a prerequisite for healthy longevity; disease is a result of their imbalance and disharmony. The Buddhist approach to health and wellness is its emphasis on spiritual strength of the mind to overcome illness and disease. Concurring with Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who believed in the innate healing power in humans, Buddha also believed that you could seek cure through a drastic change in lifestyle and healthy attitudes towards the real meaning of life and existence.

Healing begins with the mind first, not the body. The reason is that disease originates from the disharmony of the mind and the spirit, leading to their imbalance with the physical body, resulting in disease. Optimal health for longevity is achieved when the mind and the body are functioning and interacting together as one entity.

One of the most damaging factors to the mind is stress. Nowadays, stress comes in many forms. Stress adversely affects your physical, mental, and spiritual health. In the Buddhist world, there is no stress, and you create your own stress through your ego-self, which is essentially your "no-self" because it simply does not exist, except in your own mind. Buddhism focuses on "emptiness" ' which is not self-denial, but rather the wisdom of knowing the impermanence of materials things and therefore the abandonment of the futile pursuit of these elusive and evasive goals in life. With enlightenment, you will change your perception of what you really are, and more importantly, the insignificance of your attachment to all materials things, including success and love of money. Buddha said, "Craving is the fountainhead of all human miseries." Once your craving ceases, your stress dissipates, and you are filled with composure, which constitutes wellness in your body and mind.

Even if there are remnants of stress, they can be dispelled through Buddhist meditation. According to Buddha, everyone has a "light" within him or her. To find that "light", you need to practice meditation. Through meditation, you are awakened to self-knowledge, which opens the door to ultimate wisdom: you see who you are, and what is important to you in life. In other words, you begin to see the realities of things around you; you begin to prioritize your life; and you begin to perceive the true meaning of your existence.

Natural healing of the mind, body, and spirit begins with a healthy love relationship in which Buddhist compassion and loving kindness naturally thrive. In Chinese, the word "compassion" means "removing suffering and giving happiness." From Buddha's view, true compassion has the power to root out the cause of misery in people's lives and direct them to the true cause of happiness.

Loving kindness, closely connected with compassion, is also a prominent feature of the Buddhist way of live. Compassion and loving kindness complement each other. Extending good will, care and consideration to all beings is critical to mental and spiritual health of an individual.

If you are truly committed to altruistic compassion and loving kindness, you will be armed with inner strength to face any health adversity in your life, thereby instrumental in inspiring hope in others, and by doing so, helping relieve their own suffering. Aging and illness simply provide an opportunity for you to inspire others through your own example.

Healing is a natural blend of science and philosophy of living. Buddhism certainly plays a pivotal role in the philosophy of living for healthy longevity.

Good luch and have happy life^^

Refference : http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/buddhism-and-healthy-longevity-271829.html

How to Get Pregnant

2009-07-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hot Product Related with Article : Get Pregnant Quickly and Naturally Within 2 Months

Have you ever found yourself wondering how it seems like those people who want to desperately get pregnant, can't, but those who really aren't looking to get pregnant often times find themselves in that very position? I've seen folks think that all it takes is a few intimate moments of unprotected sexual intercourse, and bang, here comes the baby! Unfortunately, things don't always work that way, although it sometimes can.

So, how to get pregnant? What are the secret tips on getting pregnant? Well, pregnancy is a little more detailed than rubbing a magic wand over your belly or tummy, but it's also not rocket science.

The secret tips on getting pregnant really revolve around the ovulation period of a woman. As I'm sure most of you already know, a woman ovulates once a month, and the ovum lasts for approximately twelve hours.

During this period it has to be fertilized or it dries up and becomes almost impossible to fertilize. You can see how that simply having unprotected sex during any other time of the month will do no good at all. It most likely will not lead you to becoming pregnant. It's only when you are intimate during this period that it is the best time to get pregnant. It's really quite miraculous that a woman can even get pregnant at all with a time frame such as this.

By taking this information you now have, you can take it a step further in knowing how to get pregnant. By understanding how to increase the potency of the male sperm you'll have further help in making you pregnant. In fact, with all of this information there is a lower chance of you falling into depression, thinking that you are not able to conceive a baby. This itself fosters a renewed interest in getting pregnant, and thus helps in the conception process. That's correct, even your attitude can help with pregnancy.

It may come as quite a surprise to some, and upsetting to others, but repeated ejaculation only lowers the male sperm count. In order to make sure you maintain a healthy sperm count, cut this down to no more than once every 2 or 3 days. That may not be what you want to hear, but in trying to become pregnant, this is what you'll need to do. Also, be sure he isn't wearing any tight underwear because this can also reduce the production of sperms in the testicles.

So, if you're discouraged and wondering how to get pregnant, you have some answers. Don't give up and get depressed about not being able to get pregnant, even while have a lot of unprotected sex. Try these tips and see if they don't help. Another tip on getting pregnant and a very important point, is to keep in mind that you both need a healthy mind and body. Have healthy eating habits. Lay off the alcohol and cigarettes. Smoking can cause damage to any new fetus during the first few days of existence.

Your best chances in becoming pregnant is to figure out when you ovulate. Then, have sex a couple of hours before ovulation actually begins and you should be fine. Even having sex the day before and day after can dramatically increase your chances for pregnancy. By following the methods laid out here you won't need to rub a magic wand over your tummy, and I believe you'll find getting pregnant just a little easier.

Refference : http://www.articlesbase.com/women

5 Facts You MUST Understand if You Are Ever Going to Lose Your Belly Fat and Get Six Pack Abs

2009-07-05T02:37:00.000-07:00

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1. Many so-called "health foods" are actually cleverly disguised junk foods that actually stimulate you to gain more belly fat... yet the diet food marketing industry continues to lie to you so they can maximize their profits.

2. Ab exercises like crunches, sit-ups, and ab machines are the LEAST effective method of getting flat six pack abs. We'll explore what types of exercises REALLY work in a minute.

3. Boring repetitive cardio exercise routines are NOT the best way to lose body fat and uncover those six pack abs. I'll show you the exact types of unique workouts that produce 10x better results below.

4. You DON'T need to waste your money on expensive "extreme fat burner" pills (that don't work) or other bogus supplements. A special class of natural foods is much more effective. I'll tell you about these natural foods and their powers below.

5. Ab belts, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, and other infomercial ab-gimmicks... they're all a complete waste of your time and money. Despite the misleading infomercials, the perfectly chiseled fitness models in the commercials did NOT get their perfect body by using that "ab contraption"... they got their perfect body through REAL workouts and REAL nutrition strategies. Again, you'll learn some of their secrets and what really works below

Hemorrhoids

2009-07-05T02:01:00.000-07:00

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What are hemorrhoids?
The term hemorrhoids refers to a condition in which the veins around the anus or lower rectum are swollen and inflamed.
Hemorrhoids may result from straining to move stool. Other contributing factors include pregnancy, aging, chronic constipation or diarrhea, and anal intercourse.
Hemorrhoids are either inside the anus—internal—or under the skin around the anus—external.

What are the symptoms of hemorrhoids?
Many anorectal problems, including fissures, fistulae, abscesses, or irritation and itching, also called pruritus ani, have similar symptoms and are incorrectly referred to as hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids usually are not dangerous or life threatening. In most cases, hemorrhoidal symptoms will go away within a few days.
Although many people have hemorrhoids, not all experience symptoms. The most common symptom of internal hemorrhoids is bright red blood covering the stool, on toilet paper, or in the toilet bowl. However, an internal hemorrhoid may protrude through the anus outside the body, becoming irritated and painful. This is known as a protruding hemorrhoid.
Symptoms of external hemorrhoids may include painful swelling or a hard lump around the anus that results when a blood clot forms. This condition is known as a thrombosed external hemorrhoid.
In addition, excessive straining, rubbing, or cleaning around the anus may cause irritation with bleeding and/or itching, which may produce a vicious cycle of symptoms. Draining mucus may also cause itching.

How common are hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids are common in both men and women. About half of the population has hemorrhoids by age 50. Hemorrhoids are also common among pregnant women. The pressure of the fetus on the abdomen, as well as hormonal changes, cause the hemorrhoidal vessels to enlarge. These vessels are also placed under severe pressure during childbirth. For most women, however, hemorrhoids caused by pregnancy are a temporary problem.

How are hemorrhoids diagnosed?
A thorough evaluation and proper diagnosis by the doctor is important any time bleeding from the rectum or blood in the stool occurs. Bleeding may also be a symptom of other digestive diseases, including colorectal cancer.
The doctor will examine the anus and rectum to look for swollen blood vessels that indicate hemorrhoids and will also perform a digital rectal exam with a gloved, lubricated finger to feel for abnormalities.
Closer evaluation of the rectum for hemorrhoids requires an exam with an anoscope, a hollow, lighted tube useful for viewing internal hemorrhoids, or a proctoscope, useful for more completely examining the entire rectum.
Illustration reprinted with permission from the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Artist: Russell K. Pearl, M.D.
To rule out other causes of gastrointestinal bleeding, the doctor may examine the rectum and lower colon, or sigmoid, with sigmoidoscopy or the entire colon with colonoscopy. Sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy are diagnostic procedures that also involve the use of lighted, flexible tubes inserted through the rectum.

What is the treatment?
Medical treatment of hemorrhoids is aimed initially at relieving symptoms. Measures to reduce symptoms include
tub baths several times a day in plain, warm water for about 10 minutes
application of a hemorrhoidal cream or suppository to the affected area for a limited time
Preventing the recurrence of hemorrhoids will require relieving the pressure and straining of constipation. Doctors will often recommend increasing fiber and fluids in the diet. Eating the right amount of fiber and drinking six to eight glasses of fluid—not alcohol—result in softer, bulkier stools. A softer stool makes emptying the bowels easier and lessens the pressure on hemorrhoids caused by straining. Eliminating straining also helps prevent the hemorrhoids from protruding.
Good sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In addition, doctors may suggest a bulk stool softener or a fiber supplement such as psyllium (Metamucil) or methylcellulose (Citrucel).
In some cases, hemorrhoids must be treated endoscopically or surgically. These methods are used to shrink and destroy the hemorrhoidal tissue. The doctor will perform the procedure during an office or hospital visit.
A number of methods may be used to remove or reduce the size of internal hemorrhoids. These techniques include
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. A chemical solution is injected around the blood vessel to shrink the hemorrhoid.
Infrared coagulation. A special device is used to burn hemorrhoidal tissue.
Hemorrhoidectomy. Occasionally, extensive or severe internal or external hemorrhoids may require removal by surgery known as hemorrhoidectomy.

How are hemorrhoids prevented?
The best way to prevent hemorrhoids is to keep stools soft so they pass easily, thus decreasing pressure and straining, and to empty bowels as soon as possible after the urge occurs. Exercise, including walking, and increased fiber in the diet help reduce constipation and straining by producing stools that are softer and easier to pass.

Refference : http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hemorrhoids/

When my father have lymph node cancer

2009-07-05T00:58:00.000-07:00

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It's a really bad new to me when my father told me he has a lymph node cancer. After that, I have searched every information about this cancer on the internet. And now I know that this type of cancer can be cure over than 60% of people get well.

Lymph node cancer or lymphoma is a cancer that accounts for approximately five percent of all cancers. It predominantly effects males but is not exclusive to men. Those most at risk are between the ages of fifteen and thirty four and those over the age of fifty-four. This does not mean that anyone outside of this age range is not at risk but statistically it does seem to fall inside those age groups at a greater rate. Like all other cancers, early detection and treatment is the key to a greater chance of recovery.

Hodgkins Disease is a form of lymph node cancer but is rare in its occurrence. It also statistically effects mostly men between the ages of fifteen and thirty-four and men over the age of fifty-four but is not exclusive to men only. Some of the most common symptoms of Hodgkins Disease are night sweats, unexplained wight loss, constant fatigue and unexplained fever. If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms it is wise to have yourself examined by a doctor as these also could be the symptoms of another disorder.

All other remaining types of lymph node cancer are known as non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The majority of lymph node cancers treated are of the non-Hodgkins type. The symptoms of non-Hodgkins lymphoma are the same as Hodgkins Disease. Night sweats, unexplained fever, chronic fatigue and unexplained weight loss.Lymph node cancer is also known as lymphatic cancer. Those with a family history of lymph node cancer statistically fall within a higher risk group of contracting the disease. This is true for both men and women.

Lymph node cancer is a type of cancer that involves the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is an integral part of the bodies immune system. Statistically, the occurrence of lymph node cancer has increased approximately seventy-five percent since nineteen-seventy-three in the United States. Research has revealed that approximately one in fifty-two men and one in sixty-one women in the United States will contract non Hodgkin lymphoma within their lifetime. Studies have indicated that a greater exposure to herbicides and pesticides is greatly responsible for this increase.

Lymph node cancer is curable and if detected early and with effective treatment a person with lymph node cancer has a greater chance than ever before of being cured of this disease and if cured can expect to live a long and normal life. Many new and innovative treatments for lymph node cancer have been developed and are now available. The medical community has a greater understanding of lymph node cancer than in years past. Treatments that were once experimental and have been found to be effective are now being used to treat and cure lymph node cancer.

As a person ages it is to be expected that he or she will encounter medical challenges, it is part of the aging process. Lymph node cancer might be one of those challenges you encounter in your life's journey. How soundly these challenges are defeated depends greatly on how you approach them. A fighting spirit has been proven time and again to be a powerful weapon to have in your arsenal when battling cancers of all types. Accepting defeat in any challenge almost guarantees defeat. The will to fight and live on has carried so many cancer survivors to victory over the disease.

Hope this article will be adventage for who want to know about this cancer.

Article by Sven Ullmann, who runs Deserved Health - information on health for you and your family. Read more about lymph nodes cancer.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sven_Ullmann

Some Fact of Loss Weight.

2009-07-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

"I have found some article from the internet. Maybe It will help you to find your way how to loss weight."

Weight Loss Facts:

Low Fat Foods DON'T WORK.
You cannot lose weight using Low Fat Diets. Low fat foods have been popular for more than 15 years, but yet our society is getting more overweight as each year passes. This fact alone should tell you that eating a purely low fat menu is not the answer to losing weight.

Low Calorie Diets DON'T WORK.
You won't lose weight using a Low Calorie Dieting Plan either. In fact, eating low calories is the worst thing that you can do to your body, since that will only slow down your body's fat burning engine and ruin all chances of losing weight (low calorie diets may allow a few pounds of weight loss for the first few days, but then after that all weight loss comes to a halt --- known as a dieting plateau). You can never get slim by starving yourself.Low Carb Plans DON'T WORK.You'll probably find it extremely difficult to get slim using a

Low Carb Dieting Plan.
Low carb diets have recently become popular over the last couple years, but the problem with low carb menus is that they are too strict and TOO HARD TO FOLLOW for average people. Low carb menus tend to rob your body of too much energy (carbohydrates) and make it nearly impossible to remain on the program for very long. This is why so many dieters find it difficult to follow a strict low carbohydrate menu.

These article change my thinking way
Above article that I've found on the internet change my thinking. So what is the right way to loss fat? Try to find the best way that suit to your lifstyle.

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