Archive for category Medical
It’s official. Ignore erectile dysfunction at your peril
There are times when you turn on the TV and find the latest scare story headlining. Sometimes it’s real. You really can get food poisoning from peanut butter. Other times, the media have found some odd bit of research and blown it out of all proportion. This article looks at one new story. Appropriately, it’s about erectile dysfunction (ED). And we should take this seriously because…? Because it comes out of the Mayo Clinic, the internationally recognized center of excellence. So, the researchers there know a thing or two.
This latest research re-examined previous studies to establish the relationship between ED and heart disease. There have been a number of studies confirming the link, but none have actually measured the strength of the linkage. It has been left conveniently vague up to now. To give you an indication of the credibility of the latest study, there were 1,400 participants and their health has been monitored since 1996. This gives a significant sample for statistical analysis so the results are that much more persuasive. For those of you who are older, it confirms that ED is a normal part of ageing. It increasingly affects you as the years roll by. However, if the dysfunction does not affect you until you are old, there is little chance you will have any heart disease. Now, starting from the other end, the younger you are when the first symptoms of ED affect you, the more likely it is you will be affected by heart disease. What are the numbers? If you suffer from ED before or during your forties, the chances of you having heart disease are 80%. That’s four out of five men will have heart disease. That’s a massive number!
Is ED among young men the equivalent of a death sentence? Well, it need not be. Like all symptoms, it is a warning. People who ignore warnings pay the price later on. In this case, however, positive action can be taken to reduce the risks. Those who simply buy viagra to keep sexually active are not doing themselves any favors. There are two essential lifestyle changes. The first is to switch to a healthy diet. ED can be a first sign of high cholesterol levels, so reducing the cholesterol intake is a good first step. Indeed, generally reducing body weight will, in itself, reduce the risk of heart disease. Eliminating smoking and avoiding excessive alcohol is also advisable. The second step is to significantly increase the level of physical exercise. This is not simply more viagra to keep going longer in bed. This is real exercise to improve blood circulation, muscle tone and stamina. This also helps in losing body weight. Put the two together and men will see a path opening up to a longer life. Stay a couch potato and the odds say you will be one of the four out of five.
Alternative treatments of erectile dysfunction
A treatment that is not included and regarded as a typical Western medical activity is called “alternative” or “complementary.” Alternative types of medication include a wide range of practices raging from dietary supplements to acupuncture.
Some individuals choose to employ alternative treatments in conjunction with traditional types of treatment when facing ED. In case you consider using an alternative treatment for ED you first have to discuss it with your doctor and see if it is safe for you.
Alternative ED treatments
Dietary Supplements: dietary supplements such as the amino acid arginine, zinc, Vitamins C and E, flaxseed meal are often considered to be effective in cases of erectile dysfunction. Additionally, men with decreased levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) hormone have reported improvements in their erections after taking additional amounts of DHEA. Still, the long-term effects of DHEA supplements are not studied well and doctors do not recommend taking it for long periods of time.
Herbal Drugs: men intensively speculate on the effectiveness of Asian ginseng and Ginkgo biloba in improving potency and treating erectile dysfunction. Still, it is highly recommended to discuss with your doctor any possible herbal treatments to see if they are safe in your medical situation.
Acupuncture: the ancient Chinese medical tradition that involves stimulating certain points of the body to be stimulated with small needles is reported to be quite effective in healing a variety of medical conditions, including erectile dysfunction. Some men report that it was very effective in treating impotence with them.
In case you are experiencing recurring problems with erection it is advised that you visit your doctor to determine the causes of this condition and learn ways of treating it. These may be typical treatments like Levitra or Cialis or lifestyle change recommendations.
Common sense helps
Remember that due to the fact that alternative treatments are not controlled or regulated in any way it is hard to predict what you will get in the result. Here are some guidelines to consider in case you think about employing a herbal supplement or another alternative treatment.
- Discuss with your doctor all the herbal medications and alternative practices before using them.
- In case you observe symptoms such as insomnia, diarrhea, rashes, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, it is advise to stop taking the supplement and contact your doctor immediately.
- Take caution when taking preparations that use more than one herb.
- Take reasonable skepticism when reading the advertisements of herbal remedies. Look for scientific tests and reliable sources of information concerning the effectiveness of the drug or therapy.
- Take caution when choosing the brand. Buy products that provide all the necessary information about the manufacturer and detailed use of the drug. If any part of this information is missing, it’s better to consider another drug.
- When taking taking over-the-counter medications, make sure to inform your doctor about them and take extreme caution when combining them with traditional ED medications like Cialis or Levitra.
Types of Analgesic Drugs
You must know that different types of painkillers have different properties and are usually applied in different circumstances. It is important that you know the properties of each analgesics type because the effectiveness of pain treatment largely depends on what kind of drug you use. So it’s in your own interest to learn about the difference between various kinds of painkiller medications.
Acetaminophen
Tylenol (also known as Acetaminophen) is applied for treating pain. Unlike many other pain medications, Tylenol doesn’t possess anti-inflammatory properties. However, when you deal with chronic pain there can be no sign of inflammation and the drug may be used quite effectively for overcoming this condition. Tylenol is regarded as a safe drug in normal amounts, but can pose serious danger when taken in excess. You should also take caution when mixing Tylenol with such prescription drugs as Percocet or Darvocet because the combination can be harmful.
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
The NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, Aleve, etc.) are most commonly used for treating acute pain and inflammations in cases of chronic pain. These drugs achieve the best effectiveness when addressing inflammatory processes such as arthritis, bursitis, and tendonitis. NSAIDs are usually regarded as a very safe option for treating chronic pain, the only significant side effect however being stomach problems that were observed with the long time use of such drugs. The newer generation of NSAIDs, called COX-2 inhibitors, are reported to be short of that problem, but doctors still recommend paying attention and not use these medications for longer periods of time.
Corticosteroids
Like NSAIDs, corticosteroids are highly effective anti-inflammators, which are applied in cases of acute pain or flare-ups during chronic pain issues. Corticosteroids are usually produced in oral form (e.g. Medrol, Prednisone) or as soft tissue or joint injections.
Narcotics
Narcotics (opioids and their derivatives – opiates) are usually considered as the last instance when dealing with pain. These drugs affect not the pain source but the perception of pain by altering the ability to receive and interpret pain signals in the brain. Narcotics are effective when dealing with acute pain, however such efficiency comes with a price as there is a strong dependency developed with these drugs’ use. For synthetic opioids such as Tramadol this problem is less actual, but are still known to deliver withdrawal symptoms, which are very common with natural narcotics. Such drugs should be administered only with proper attention of a professional and only for treating chronic pain. Anti-Convulsants
Anti-convulsant drugs are usually prescribed by doctors in cases of nerve pain. This type of drugs works by altering the work of nerves and signals that are sent to the brain. This is somewhat similar to opioids like Tramadol but there are different areas affected by the drug. The most widely used antic-onvulsant painkiller Neurontin (Gabapentin). But there are also more recent drugs developed for treating more specific conditions like Lyrica (Pregabalin), which is applied in cases of fibromyalgia.
Incoming search terms for the article:
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If you want to find something to blame, blame the sebum. Acne is a curse to many modern people and, as is the way when your life is made a misery, it always helps to have something to blame. In this case, you do not have to look far. Your body is set up to grow hair, not just on the scalp, but on most of the upper body. In women, this hair will be very fine and almost invisible. Men sprout hair more obviously. Each hair is rooted in a follicle and every follicle has glands that produce an oil called sebum. This oil helps to keep the skin waterproof and also gives the hair that lustre or sheen. This all works fine so long as your body produces the right amount, but if anything disturbs the natural cycle, an overproduction starts you down the slippery slope. Too much oil creates a pool at the base of the follicle. You are shedding dead skin cells all the time. If some fall into the follicle, they stick in the pool and this slowly blocks it up. There are also colonies of bacteria on the surface of the skin and in the follicles. So long as there is a free movement of air, the growth is limited. But if some are lucky enough to trapped in a pleasingly warm environment with lots of dead skin particles and oil mixed together, they grow.
Why does your body suddenly start to produce too much sebum? This is where we come back to hormones as a chief suspect. No-one knows exactly what triggers it. There is some evidence that acne runs in families so heredity is one factor. Some medications can produce skin problems as a side effect. It may be that the presence of certain bacteria affect the sebaceous glands. Whatever the reason, once there is too much sebum, you get acne.
This leaves us with two issues which are clear. The first is a simple reassurance. There is no connection between tide and acne. In fact, the reverse is true. If people scrub their faces too fiercely, this can make the acne worse. There are also no links with food. Changing your diet does not help cure the acne. The second reassurance is that there is an ultimately successful drug for the treatment of acne. It is called accutane. But because there are problems with its use, you should not try it first. The strong recommendation is that people should take accutane under the supervision of a dermatologist. This ensures that all the necessary precautions are put in place and maintained while taking the drug.
Diazepam reduces fever-induced convulsions
In a recent research Diazepam was found to significantly reduce the likelihood of intense convulsions resulted from fever, which thousands of young children and toddlers suffer from each year.
The study enrolled over 400 children examined in the course of four years, who were given oral doses of Diazepam, a strong sedative. The results have shown that by using this drug the frequency of febrile seizures caused by fever was significantly reduced. About four percent of all American children suffer from this type of convulsions each year.
Doctors state that such seizures don’t wield much potential hazard to the child in the long run, however they can give a strong stress to parents, and quite seldom can increase the likelihood of developing epilepsy especially among children who are naturally susceptible to this condition. The scientists behind the research and independent experts agree in that there’s a need to develop a new common treatment of febrile seizures, especially when another study has shown that the medication that is commonly used in such cases for over 40 years actually provides little benefit if not even harm.
Today most doctors use a single daily dose of phenobarbital for in those children who have had a history of seizures caused by fever in the first two years of their lives, with hope to prevent them in future. But according to a recent study phenobarbital can actually be harmful to children, making them lethargic and sometimes causing decline in the intellectual development over a long period of time.
In contrast, when doctors used periodic doses of Diazepam (also known as Valium) in cases of febrile seizures no major side-effects both in short and long run were observed. And the treatment was much more effective in comparison with the common one.
Of about four million children born in the US each year, nearly 160,000 suffer from seizures caused be fever. About one third of these children experience the condition repeatedly. It is interesting to note that the condition is more characteristic to boys than to girls, and is usually observed in the first two years of life, wearing off later on.
How is Male Impotence Treated?
Most doctors suggest that erectile dysfunction should be treated in a gradual fashion, starting off with the least invasive methods and gradually switching to more invasive ones in case the condition remains. In most cases making a change in lifestyle can prove very beneficial. Consider drinking less, exercising frequently, quiting smoking, losing extra weight. You will be surprised to see how can it affect your sexual functions.
Some drugs can cause erectile dysfunction as a side effect, so ceasing the treatment can be considered as the next step. You can experience erection problems while taking drugs that are used for treating high blood pressure, depression, mental disorders, stomach problems and so on. In case you suspect that the drug you are taking causes impotence, consult with your doctor about possible changes in dosage or treatment.
The next step is psychotherapy and behavior modifications, which can also be paired with oral medication prescriptions to increase the effectiveness. The ultimate solution, which is used only in the most severe cases when none of the previous steps have been successful, is surgery. It may be used to install special implants that would stimulate (or emulate) erection, or to resolve any structural issues that were causing impotence, if that’s the case.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is primarily used for coping impotence caused by psychological factors such as stress, depression, relationship issues and so on. There is a whole set of special techniques that help the patient to relax and get ready for sexual activity. Using such techniques with a sexual partner is also very important because it helps build up the necessary intimacy and trust. Psychotherapy can also be used to increase the effectiveness of other treatments in cases of physically-induced erectile dysfunction.
Drug Therapy
Since 1998 when Viagra was developed this type of therapy has become very popular. Drugs such as Levitra and Cialis have indroduced later and are used all over the world today. These drugs were strongly marketed over the last ten years and sometimes men consider going straight to this type of treatment missing out the previous steps. Although, these drugs do not have any significant adverse reactions, sometimes it is recommended to try milder types of treatment before taking Cialis or Viagra.
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