Home Remedies

Ever have a bee sting? Try rubbing an aspirin on it click here . Gum in hair? Soak the gum-coated hair in Coke® and it should wipe out easily. While not being a replacement for medical attention, and you should always seek your doctor when you feel you have to and please take these home remedies with a grain of salt.Here you go and enjoy ACNE, BLACKHEADS, AND PIMPLES:Dab a small amount of toothpaste (paste, not gel) on pimples before bed; this helps dry out the pimples. Apply fresh lemon juice on the affected area overnight. Wash off with warm water next morning. For acne that hasn't seemed to respond to anything, brew 2-3 tsp. dried basil leaves in 1 cup boiling water for 10-20 minutes, cool, and apply to affected area with a cotton ball. Garlic has been used successfully in the treatment of acne. Pimples disappear without scars when rubbed with raw garlic several times a day. BLADDER INFECTIONTake a bag of fresh or frozen cranberries and boil them in water (they will fall apart). Cool and drink. Don't add sugar! This remedy is also useful for people with kidney problems. DARK CIRCLES AROUND EYESMake a paste out of 1 tsp. tomato juice, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, a pinch of turmeric powder, and 1 tsp WATERTOWN-TOWNINFO.INFO . of flour. Apply around eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing. ENERGIZERSimmer 1 cup honey and 3 cup water together slowly. Allow 1 cup of the water to evaporate. Strain off the top surface, and put the remaining liquid into a stoneware crock or dark bottle. Put a towel over it so it can breathe, yet be free of dirt. Place in a cool place. You can add cinnamon, clove, or the juice of 2 lemons, if you like.Take a glass of grapefruit and lemon juice in equal parts to dispel fatigue and general tiredness after a day's work. GUM IN HAIRSoak the gum-coated hair in Coke® and it should wipe out easily. MOSQUITO BITES Apply lime juice diluted with water on bites with cotton ball. Apply one of the following to bites or stings to reduce pain and swelling:aloe Vera gel, garlic oil, baking soda and water, vinegar, honey, plantain tea, aspirin. Hangover Eat Crackers and honey. Honey has a high source of fructose and will be helpful in removing the remainder of the alcohol in your system. Aspirin for a headache or you can chew on some willow bark, willow bark contains a substance used in aspirin and will help your headache. You can find it in a health food store if you want to try an alternative to aspirin. Plenty of water, it will help flush out the alcohol, also too much alcohol leaves the body dehydrated, so have a drink of water. HeartburnDon't lie flat on your back. Heartburn is caused by the acid in your stomach moving upward to your esophagus. Try having a bowl of rice pudding, made with milk, this should help absorb stomach acid. Coffee and chocolate can inflame heartburn, so avoid them if you can. If you heartburn is a regular problem, you should think about going to the doctor. Warts Rubbing liquid vitamin A on the wart everyday will eventually take it away, but it's a slow process. Use castor oil on the wart and then wrap the offending area up tightly with a bandage. Repeat this 2 times a day. Bad BreathTry some parsley. This food garnish is rich in chlorophyll, a green plant compound that kills the bacteria that cause bad odor. Chapped LipsTry using castor oil. Carry a small squeeze bottle of the oil and apply it with your finger often throughout the day. Popular lip balms contain petroleum and alcohol, both of which may dry the skin on your lips. I'm sure this is the tip of the iceberg, but these are the ones I know of.These home remedies are in no way a replacement to a Doctors care so if you feel that you might need to see a Physician, please do so. Submitted by Mr Andy Casasanta. Author of this article and the creator of a tremendous health and pharmacy website. In this site you will find up to 40 health articles, a 7000 reciprocal link exchange page and Generic medications. Savings of up to 80% on all popular drugs. Viagra, Lipitor, Meridia, and hundreds more all for pennies on the dollar. Please visit http://www.medheadquarters.net

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The Misery of Pfizer Could Be The Joy Of Texas: Generic Drugs Are On The Rise

Pfizer can't be happy. Its patent on the best-selling drug in the world, Lipitor, expires in 2011, which doesn't give the pharmaceutical giant much time to figure out how to compensate for the billions of dollars in sales that will be lost when it happens, courtesy of generic companies reproducing the medicine's active ingredients. The United States alone buys $5 billion worth of the brand-name drug every year.

It's hard to believe that the world's greatest selling pharmaceutical medicine is a treatment for cholesterol, rather than for some horrible, chronic illness well, that is until one considers it purely from a business perspective. Heart disease is still the number one killer of Americans, and one-third of all deaths in this country in 2004 were attributed to it. That means big bucks for companies that can market a treatment for this exploding, life-threatening problem.

Consumers can save up to fifty percent on prescription drugs, according to the Food and Drug Administration, if they just buy generic. Generic drug companies, health insurance providers, and patients alike are practically salivating in anticipation; Lipitor's expiring patent means that not only can other pharmaceutical companies reproduce the coveted, and much guarded, active ingredients, but also that dramatic price slashes will happen for consumers. Texas, with the majority of its population now obese — a risk factor for heart disease — and twenty-five percent of its population going without any health insurance, particularly stands to benefit from more cost-effective medication.

But Pfizer shouldn't feel so bad; Lipitor is not the only one. In fact, experts are predicting a golden era for generic drugs as patents on several high-dollar medications come due over the next few years — $60 billion a year worth — including Ambien, Norvasc, Zyrtec and Fosamax. Johnson & Johnson announced last week that it will eliminate close to 5,000 jobs in preparation for the generic reproductions of Risperdal, a drug for schizophrenia, Topamax, a seizure medication, and other medicines used for migraines. In 2009, Prevacid's formula, as well, relinquishes its secrets, a heartburn and ulcer drug producing $3.5 billion in annual sales.

While advances in treatments for cancer and other potentially fatal illnesses seem promising, few new medications with mass-market appeal are waiting to replace the old. While this is bad news, indeed, for pharmaceutical giants, it seems to be great news for the rest of the population.

Such patents expiring, without comparable replacements waiting, means the drug price inflation rate will remain under ten percent, despite the aging population's ever-increasing need for medication. This figure has almost always been in the double digits in recent years, according to Steven B. Miller, chief medical officer for ExpressScripts, which manages drug benefit plans. In 2002, in fact, it was eighteen and a half percent. “(The inflation rate) is much better than it was in the '90s, before these drugs starting going generic,” said Miller.

Ronny Gal, analyst for Sanford C. Bernstein, which follows generic companies' activities, predicts a ten to thirteen percent growth in the generic drug industry by 2010. “(The change) is good for everybody but the branded pharmaceutical companies.”

The high sticker price of many brand-name pharmaceutical drugs is, to a large extent, due to their research and development processes; industry leaders must invest billions of dollars and spend years of time to create a viable medication. They, then, make up for such significant initial costs by setting a high sale price, thereby ensuring billions in profits. Generic companies, on the other hand, do not invest such time and resources on development, which is one of the many reasons they can sell their versions anywhere from thirty to eighty percent cheaper, though they meet the same quality standards and contain the same active ingredients.

“(The lack of new drug formulas is) basically a failure of innovation,” said Richard T. Evans, a consultant with Avos Life Sciences, a research and consulting firm for the drug industry.

Part of that industry, however, protests such claims VALPARAISO-TOWNINFO.INFO . Caroline Loew, senior vice-president for scientific and regulatory affairs for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a trade group for brand-name companies, defends the ups and downs of the process. “I don't think we would support the contention there's a lull.” Finding treatments for chronic and complicated diseases, like Alzhiemer's, Parkinson's, and cancer, takes more time and effort than for other conditions. The production of pharmaceutical drugs is “very much an emerging science,” she said, and “the biological mechanisms are very poorly understood.”

The high price of brand-name pharmaceutical medications and the exploding number of those going without health insurance have combined to create a growing demand for less expensive, imported drugs. Finding the cost of their medications too much to bear, many Americans are turning to Canada and Mexico to meet their pharmaceutical needs, despite warnings against possible safety issues. Though statistics on just how many are getting their medications from foreign sources are difficult to document, border states are especially susceptible to such temptations. A trip across international lines, after all, is under a day's drive away for most Texans.

The additional criticism that drugs cost thirty to fifty percent more in the U.S. than in Europe, due to the for-profit structure of the domestic pharmaceutical industry, only adds fuel to the fire on the debate over universal health care. With healthcare systems in cities like Dallas, Houston, and Austin nearly crushed by the flood of uninsured coming in from other parts of the state to receive care, it's easy to see where the argument for universal coverage may have some validity.

Research and proper investing seem the most viable solution to the current problem of high-cost prescription drugs in the U.S. Investing in a health insurance plan appropriate to one's needs and researching the availability of generic drugs can dramatically reduce one's healthcare costs. In fact, sixty percent of prescriptions written in this country are for generic medications, and that number is expected to rise. Patients also have the right to ask for a generic version, if available, to cut costs. As usual, much of a patient's outcome depends on his or her willingness to be assertive and research those issues dramatically affecting personal health. To keep its high profits going, Pfizer is just going to have to come up with some new innovation to amaze us, and to save us, from the overwhelming tide of disease.

Being aware of issues affecting the cost of healthcare is an important aspect of minding your health. How you take care of yourself will certainly affect you as you age, and eventually your wallet, as well..

Why You Might Want To Avoid Lipitor

Atorvastatin, marketed under the trade name Lipitor, is used for lowering cholesterol. Atorvastatin inhibits the enzyme located in hepatic tissue that produces mevalonate, a small molecule used in the synthesis of cholesterol. This lowers the amount of cholesterol produced which in turn lowers the total amount of LDL (low density) cholesterol. In 2005, Lipitor sales totaled $12.2 billion, making it the largest selling drug in the world at the time HARVEY-TOWNINFO.INFO .

Atorvastatin is indicated as an adjunct to diet for the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia. In a clinical trial, after 2 years, a relative risk reduction of 16% in the primary end point rate (death, heart attack, unstable angina, coronary revascularization, or stroke) was seen in patients receiving intensive treatment with the drug. The benefit of intensive treatment was apparent, in some instances, within 30 days.

If you have high cholesterol, chances are your physician has already talked to you about Lipitor. Doctors like to prescribe it because it works quickly and easily. However, you need to understand the risk consequences associated with taking these sorts of drugs, because there is a potential for dangerous and sometimes permanent side effects. Some patients have suffered severe health consequences and were not adequately forewarned by their doctors.

Some of the more well known side effects associated with drugs known as statins (statins is the scientific classification for drugs such as Lipitor) include liver damage, sexual dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy. But there have been other studies that have revealed other subtle problems that develop within the patient, which can have huge ramifications for the health of that patient later in life.

In a study performed by Finnish doctors, doctors assessed the effects of the statin drug Zocor on 120 men ages 35 to 64. All of the men had high cholesterol levels, ranging from 232 to 309. One group of men was told to maintain their current diet, while the other group was required to reduce their daily intake of saturated fat to less than 10 percent of total daily calories, and to keep their daily cholesterol consumption below 250 mg.

Then, each of the 2 groups was divided into 2 subgroups. One subgroup would take 20 mg of Zocor per day, while the other group received a placebo. This was continued for 12 weeks, at which point each subgroup switched so that the subgroup that had been receiving the placebo would receive the Zocor for the next 12 weeks, and vice versa. At the beginning of the clinical trial, and after the first 12 weeks, as well as at the end of the second 12 weeks, the cholesterol, blood pressure, insulin, and weight of each patient were measured.

The Zocor clearly worked, because it decreased cholesterol levels by 20.8 percent, while diet alone only decreased cholesterol by 7.6 percent. However, there was an astonishing finding. It was discovered that the drug increased fasting serum insulin levels by 13 percent, and decreased serum concentrations of important antioxidant vitamins by as much as 22 percent. This was a huge revelation.

Decreased insulin sensitivity can lead to a whole host of problems down the road, such as blindness, diabetes, and kidney disease. And antioxidants protect us from a whole host of problems, such as organic brain disease, cancer, and atherosclerosis. So, even though these cholesterol drugs perform a valuable function (lowering cholesterol), they can cause a whole range of other problems and diseases that can make a patient severely ill later in life.

So, you should think long and hard before using cholesterol-lowering drugs. The aforementioned side effects may not be equally severe in all people who take the medication. However, you might be better off working closely with your doctor to develop a program of diet and exercise before using drugs like Zocor or Lipitor to lower your cholesterol..

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TRUCKING-CANADA.COM .

Cholesterol Levels - The Good, The Bad, and Management Of

What is cholesterol, and is it all bad? What's the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol? What are the healthy or normal cholesterol levels you should strive for?

In this article, I'll explain what happens when your cholesterol levels aren't normal, as well as some of the ways to manage them, so that you can be better educated and proactive where your health is concerned, and maybe even extend your life.

First of all, cholesterol is a waxy substance found in cells in all parts of the body. And no, it is not all bad. In fact, cholesterol is necessary for building and regenerating cells. It also insulates nerves and produces hormones in the body. The key is maintaining normal levels.

Where does cholesterol come from? About 75% of the cholesterol in our bodies is manufactured in the liver, and the other 25% comes from food, mostly meat and dairy products. If your liver produces too much cholesterol, that is when the levels become abnormal or unhealthy, and a method for bringing them back in balance becomes a necessity in order to preserve cardiovascular health.

This is especially important in people with diabetes, or metabolic syndrome (sometimes referred to as pre-diabetes.) Unhealthy cholesterol levels, when combined with weight gain and increased blood pressure, can lead to all kinds of health challenges.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

Notice the plural, because it is not only total cholesterol or just the bad cholesterol number that is important. Complete cholesterol care implies being aware of all the numbers.

So what are the numbers you should know that make up the complete cholesterol picture?

First is the LDL or bad cholesterol. This is the component that when it becomes elevated, causes buildup on the walls of the arteries. As this buildup hardens, it becomes plaque, which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Science is proving that this buildup starts to develop in late teens and early twenties, and continues progressively as we age.

Of course as this buildup continues, it starts to narrow the opening in the arteries, restricting blood flow and raising blood pressure. Left unchecked, it can continue until it ruptures which causes a clot to form, totally cutting off the flow of blood.

If this clot is in the area leading to the heart, it is a heart attack. If it is in the arteries leading to the brain, that is a stroke. Both are considered cardiovascular disease.

LDL levels of greater than 190 are considered dangerous. 160 to 189 is considered poor, 130 to 159 is fair, and readings less than 129 are considered healthy. Some doctors are suggesting levels be below 100, and recent research is showing that if we can reduce our LDL to less than 70, we can actually start to reverse the plaque buildup.

The next number to be aware of is HDL, or the good cholesterol, which reduces your risk of CVD. In fact, your HDL number is becoming much more important because research has shown that for every 1% you reduce your LDL or bad cholesterol, you get about a 2% reduction in cardiovascular risk. But for every 1% you increase your HDL, you get a 3% reduction in risk. What should your HDL be? Healthy levels for men are above 40, and for women, it should be above 50.

Total Cholesterol or TC is the addition of your LDL, HDL and a component known as VLDL. Healthy levels are anything under 200. Another important number to be aware of is your cardiovascular risk ratio. This number is determined by dividing Total Cholesterol by HDL. This number should be below 5, with the optimal amount of 3.5 or lower.

Where do triglycerides come from? Fats consumed in our diet, or made in the body from carbohydrates, cause triglycerides in the blood. Some calories are converted to triglycerides and move into the fat cells for storage. So how do those numbers stack up?

Triglyceride levels of less than 150 are considered acceptable. Levels from 150 to 199 indicate moderate risk, 200 to 499 indicate high risk, and levels in excess of 500 indicate extreme high risk.

If it's confusing to remember what's good and what's not, an easy way to remember the different parts of the total picture is “L” stands for “lethal” LDL, “H” stands for “healthy” HDL, and “T” stands for “treacherous” triglycerides.

METHODS FOR DEALING WITH UNHEALTHY CHOLESTEROL

There are different methods a person can use for improving one's cholesterol levels. The most widely known is through the use of special cholesterol lowering prescription drugs called “statins”. Statins such as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, and others represent nationally a 25 Billion Dollar per year treatment option. They have proved themselves effective at lowering the LDL segment of the cholesterol picture, however they do very little to reduce triglycerides or raise the HDL.

Besides, statins sometime carry very significant side effects, and therefore some people can't take them. What are some of these documented side effects?

The Statin Effects Study concluded that the top two are possible liver and muscle damage. However, there are also lesser known effects such as sudden memory loss, increase in eye cataract risk, suppresses the body's natural immune function, increased cancer risk, kidney and nerve damage, depletes CoQ10 levels (necessary for healthy heart function), sleep disturbance, blood sugar or blood pressure changes, and sexual dysfunction.

According to the drug manufacturers, only an insignificant number of patients are affected by these side effects. But if you're one of them, is it “insignificant” for you? What you will hear more and more from the drug companies, is that they also will admit that just lowering the LDL is not enough.

Combination therapy will become the new buzz word. It means adding additional drugs to raise the good cholesterol, or lower triglycerides or blood sugar. Of course, it's highly likely that these additional drug additives will have their own set of additional side effects.

In fact, reports on the recent results of a clinical study by one of the leading pharmaceutical company's combinations to try to raise the HDL led to “pulling the plug” on the whole experiment. Why, you ask? According to the report, an “unacceptable number of people died” while taking the combination therapy. Makes me wonder what number of people would be “acceptable”.

Do we see increased costs and co-pays in our futures? I believe you can bank on it. Some people feel, and I'm one of them, that even the cheapest co-pay is more than they're willing to risk their quality of life for.

So are there other, safer alternatives for you? The answer is yes. In fact, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines for healthcare providers, statin drugs should not be the first treatment option offered. According to these guidelines, Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) should be used as a first approach.

What are some of the features of TLC? Increase of soluble fiber, regular exercise, and weight reduction are the main ones. When it comes to diet, watch your fat intake, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

In addition to soluble fiber, other methods that can control cholesterol levels are the use of plant sterols or stanols, and a natural component called policosanol, from sugar cane, which blocks the enzyme in the liver that produces cholesterol click here . Statins block the same enzyme; however, the difference is that the policosanol does not damage the liver. Also ancient Chinese medicine has used a particular extract from the chrysanthemum plant to help in the breakdown of cholesterol.

If you're concerned about safety and effectiveness, choose a natural solution with solid clinical evidence, that incorporates multiple methods, and raises HDL in addition to lowering LDL.

Be proactive in your own health, be educated on your cholesterol situation, make the right lifestyle choices, and you'll improve your chances of living longer.

Additional information on lowering cholesterol can be found in “Your Guide to Lowering Cholesterol with TLC” by the US Nat'l Institutes of Health. NIH Publication 06-5235.

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Signs of Menopause? is There Something to Worry About?

Signs of Menopause? Is There Something to Worry about?

For most young women, the very thought that they will one day have to pass through a stage in their life known as menopause is enough to send them into a kind of trauma. Older women who have gone through menopause would rather not think about the harrowing times they had. And women who are experiencing this situation right now, the less said the better.

Menopause has always occupied a place of dread in the women's psyche. Most common signs of menopause are the hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, burning and itching. These are enough to make the woman's life hell, but that is not all. The signs of menopause do not stop there. There could be several other problems with normal urination such as increased urination, an unstoppable urge to urinate all of a sudden and urinary incontinence, etc. Mood swings are very common in women undergoing menopause, and so are a host of other mental disorders. Some women also become irritable during menopause, while others can have depressions, extreme fatigue and even temporary amnesia. These signs of menopause mark it as a very dreadful phase in the lives of women.

Menopause occurs in women around the age of 45 to 55 years, averaging in most of them at the age of 51 years. During this period, the woman's sexual functioning stops completely, and the estrogen levels go down. The menstrual periods come to a stop. The reduction in the levels of estrogen is responsible for the signs of menopause that are observed. In women who undergo hysterectomy (surgical removal of the ovaries and the uterus), menopause can be observed at any age.

Since the 1940s, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals have provided what is perhaps the best solution for women to face their menopauses with a smile. Premarin has been the drug of choice for women facing menopause for over six decades now. This drug contains three forms of estrogen â?? estrone, equilin and equilenin. All these three conjugated estrogens replenish the depleted estrogen amount in the body of the woman during menopause and help her to face the difficult times in a much better way. This drug is available in two forms â?? the Premarin pill and the Premarin vaginal cream. The pill is for internal administration, while the cream is for topical application at the vaginal tract.

Today, Premarin is the leading women's drug in the US, with a very large number of women using this drug. Recommendations for the drug are even passed on from on generation to another. At the same time, the Premarin vaginal cream helps in controlling other problems related with menopause such as the onset of vaginal atrophy. The products are also effective in controlling osteoporosis in users.

If the Premarin vaginal cream is used keeping all the contraindications of the drug in mind, then the woman will be able to sail through her menopausal period without any problems. However, the drug is not recommended for women who have breast cancer, neoplasia, vaginal bleeding, any hepatic dysfunction or an impending pregnancy. The hormonal balances Premarin causes in these conditions could lead to adverse effects.

However, healthy women going through menopause are using the Premarin pill and the Premarin vaginal cream effectively to face the inevitable problem.

This information has been brought to you by remusnet.com, which is an online resource to describe and review major medical products. You can visit their website here www.remusnet.com/signsofmenopause

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Menopace as Menopause Remedy â?? up to 85% of Women found it Effective

find menopause relief

menopause help

menopause remedy

The very mention of the word 'menopause' fills most women with dread. Quite simply put, menopause is the pause of their sexual life; it is the period after which they will not remain sexually active anymore. But that is not the issue that scares most women. The real fear of menopause is related to the several distressing symptoms that come with it.

In most women, menopause arrives with several correlated difficulties. There could be hot flashes, in which the body temperature increases without any apparent prior indication and then goes down just as suddenly. Some women break out in an unexplained sweat at night. There could be peculiar sensations in the vaginal tract, including itching, burning discomfort and a general dryness. All these symptoms are distressing enough, but they are not all. Menopause is a hormonal activity. There are many drastic hormonal changes going on during this period. Due to this, women may demonstrate peculiarities in their mental behavior also. Women may undergo depression, or they may get extremely irritable. There may also be loss of libido, which could convert into a permanent situation. To top it all, there could be insomnia.

Certainly, with all these problems, menopause is quite a foreboding period in every woman's life. But, there is respite. Hope comes in the form of Menopace, a very popular and effective drug used as a menopause remedy by women all over the world. Menopace is a safe menopause remedy replete with several vitamins, minerals and nutrients that women need at this stage of their life. Like most other menopause remedies in the market, Menopace doesnâ??t contain any hormones, so it can be safely taken even by the women who have undergone a hysterectomy.

Menopace is also very convenient to use. It is a one-a-day supplement, which is to be taken with water after a full meal. Since it is not a hormonal supplement, but rather a nutritional supplement, Menopace can be also continued after the menopausal period has subsided without any side-effects. Menopace helps women to find menopause relief from all the painful symptoms that make the period so difficult to live with. This includes the night sweat, hot flashes and all the mental and sexual related problems that occur commonly in this stage. Menopace is very effective too; about 85% of the women of the world have found this drug to help them to find menopause relief.

Menopace is today the leading menopause remedy in the UK. Women are preferring it to other brands because it works in the natural way by fortifying the body with nutrients rather than tampering with the hormones. It has been observed that Menopace does not provide just menopause help, but it also helps in improving the body in several other ways. The drug is supplemented with selenium along with vitamin E to prevent the eventuality of heart problems due to reduction in levels of estrogen. It contains magnesium, zinc and vitamin D, which helps the bones to become stronger. This is very important because in most women, menopause deteriorates the bones. So, Menopace is not just a short-term menopause remedy, but it also fortifies the body for the future.

Remusnet.com is dedicated to providing medical and pharmaceutical information to people from all over the world. You can visit their website here

www.remusnet.com/menopace If you would like to buy Menopace from convenient safe online store just click here

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Magnetic Bracelets for Relieving Pains of Arthritis

magnetic bracelets for arthritis

arthritis pain relief

arthritis natural cures

Statistics reveal that arthritis is affecting an alarming number of people all over the world. About 21 million people have this problem in the US alone. A quarter of all the people visiting the primary care physicians are doing so for their arthritis complains. Arthritis can be of different forms, but the most prevalent one is the osteoarthritis, which is characterized by pain in the joints of the bones. This single form of arthritis will have affected about 80% of all people of the world by the time they have reached the age of 65 years. All these figures are extremely intimidating; they are enough reason for someone to dread getting older. And the scarier part is, the average age at which arthritis is striking people is coming down with each passing year.

Arthritic pains can be very debilitating. It causes a sharp searing pain in the joint itself, accompanied by a burning sensation in the accompanying muscles and tendons. There is an acute soreness and stiffness felt in the region of the pain, which makes moving the joint almost impossible. If the joint is accidentally touched â?? however gentle the touch may be â?? it sends a very painful signal all around the area, which may make the person convulse in pain with spasms. Over time, the affected joints fill with a liquid, due to which they swell. At this juncture, the person needs to be extra cautious so that no contact occurs with the swollen part, or it would send out excruciating pain.

Arthritis has been documented in very ancient times, and it is perhaps one of the oldest diseases in the world. Generally, there is no cure. People, even up to the last century, had to resign themselves to their arthritic pains and put them with them until they died. But this is certainly not the case today. Magnetic therapy has made its appearance, and that has really helped in arthritic pain relief.

Science has proved that when a magnetic field is applied to any part of the body, then the blood circulation in that region improves. This brings the assimilated nutrients to the affected region, and improves the oxygen supply to the area. Endorphins, which help vastly in reducing pains, are circulated better in the affected region. With so many benefits, magnetic therapy is certainly being looked upon as a very effective method for arthritis pain relief.

Today, a very large number of arthritis-affected people all over the world are using magnetic bracelets. These specially designed magnetic bracelets for arthritis relief are very effective in reducing arthritis pains in the wrist and even in the fingers, such as the carpal tunnel syndrome. Since there is no medication required, magnetic bracelets are counted among the best arthritis natural cures known to humans.

Apart from bringing in more blood to the affected area and hence providing arthritis pain relief, the magnetic bracelets also help to drive away the accumulated fluids in the affected regions. This makes the body free from the toxins that aggravate the arthritis pains. One far-reaching effect of using magnetic bracelets for arthritis is that the immune system of the person improves on the whole, which is a very important side-benefit.

Magnetic bracelets are one of the most effective arthritis natural cures. Interestingly, these bracelets can be designed very much like jewelry â?? they can be plated in gold, silver and platinum â?? and so the wearer need not be embarrassed about having to wear something therapeutic. Genuine manufacturers of magnetic bracelets for arthritis are using highly ornamental designs to make them esthetically valuable, even studding them with jewels and ornamental studs.

You can visit remusnet.com for further information on magnetic bracelets. If you would like to buy magnetic bracelets from convenient online store just click here www.remusnet.com/al/magneticbracelets.html We are open to any suggestion or comment. Please leave your opinion here www.remusnet.com/magneticbracelets

Lower Your Bad Cholesterol with Lipitor

side effects from lipitor

lowering cholesterol

lipitor and contraindications

Lipitor needs no introduction. This drug is today the largest-selling drug in the world. The drug is the most effective treatment for reducing bad cholesterol in the body â?? the very same bad cholesterol that is responsible for life-threatening cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and atherosclerosis; and the best part is, Lipitor works even in people with complications of diabetes mellitus type 2.

Why is Lipitor so famous today? Certainly it is because heart disease is the single largest killer disease in the world today. Heart disease can affect just about anyone, belonging to any kind of social or economic background and living any kind of lifestyle. Medical statistics reveal that the age of people dying with heart complications is progressively decreasing year after year, and people just in their forties can be victims. One of the triggering factors for heart complications is the buildup of low-density cholesterol in the blood. This bad cholesterol deposits in the lumens of the arteries, making them narrower. Consequently blood cannot reach the vital organs, and the heart is one of them.

Lipitor works at this very root cause of heart diseases. It helps in lowering cholesterol in the body through a foolproof chemical reaction. Mevalonate is a chemical synthesized by the hepatic tissue, which is required for the production of bad cholesterol. Lipitor inhibits the very synthesis of mevalonate, due to which the cholesterol level is brought down. Lipitor is a statin drug, i click here .e. it belongs to the chemical family called as statins. Its chemical name is atorvastatin.

Today, Lipitor's effects in lowering cholesterol are so commonly known that this drug is being safely prescribed for people with obesity problems, which is as high as one in five in the developed countries of the world.

Lipitor is definitely a remarkable drug, but remarkable drugs do not come without their side effects. The side effects of Lipitor are that it can produce coughing, headaches, dizziness, difficulty in swallowing, congested feeling in the chest, puffiness of the eyelids, shortness of breath and skin rash. In some severe cases, Lipitor can produce side effects such as sore throat, blistering of the skin, swelling of some parts of the body and formation of white spots on the skin. However, the side effects of Lipitor can be easily got rid of through medical attention.

There are some contraindications of Lipitor that must be looked into. Pregnant and lactating women must avoid the drug completely, as it could cause developmental defects in the baby and also cause complications in pregnancy. Lipitor does not work well with most other drugs. So if you are on some medication, you must let the doctor know. Some other contraindications of Lipitor are alcohol abuse and smoking, both of which can interfere with the functioning of the drug.

Lipitor works excellently in lowering cholesterol, but no doctor will ever tell you to stop at Lipitor. The fact is that Lipitor must be taken in conjunction with other cholesterol-reducing treatments, such as a dietary regime and exercise. This will ensure the proper functioning of Lipitor in the body..

Why You Might Want To Avoid Lipitor

Atorvastatin, marketed under the trade name Lipitor, is used for lowering cholesterol. Atorvastatin inhibits the enzyme located in hepatic tissue that produces mevalonate, a small molecule used in the synthesis of cholesterol. This lowers the amount of cholesterol produced which in turn lowers the total amount of LDL (low density) cholesterol click here . In 2005, Lipitor sales totaled $12.2 billion, making it the largest selling drug in the world at the time.

Atorvastatin is indicated as an adjunct to diet for the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia. In a clinical trial, after 2 years, a relative risk reduction of 16% in the primary end point rate (death, heart attack, unstable angina, coronary revascularization, or stroke) was seen in patients receiving intensive treatment with the drug. The benefit of intensive treatment was apparent, in some instances, within 30 days.

If you have high cholesterol, chances are your physician has already talked to you about Lipitor. Doctors like to prescribe it because it works quickly and easily. However, you need to understand the risk consequences associated with taking these sorts of drugs, because there is a potential for dangerous and sometimes permanent side effects. Some patients have suffered severe health consequences and were not adequately forewarned by their doctors.

Some of the more well known side effects associated with drugs known as statins (statins is the scientific classification for drugs such as Lipitor) include liver damage, sexual dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy. But there have been other studies that have revealed other subtle problems that develop within the patient, which can have huge ramifications for the health of that patient later in life.

In a study performed by Finnish doctors, doctors assessed the effects of the statin drug Zocor on 120 men ages 35 to 64. All of the men had high cholesterol levels, ranging from 232 to 309. One group of men was told to maintain their current diet, while the other group was required to reduce their daily intake of saturated fat to less than 10 percent of total daily calories, and to keep their daily cholesterol consumption below 250 mg.

Then, each of the 2 groups was divided into 2 subgroups. One subgroup would take 20 mg of Zocor per day, while the other group received a placebo. This was continued for 12 weeks, at which point each subgroup switched so that the subgroup that had been receiving the placebo would receive the Zocor for the next 12 weeks, and vice versa. At the beginning of the clinical trial, and after the first 12 weeks, as well as at the end of the second 12 weeks, the cholesterol, blood pressure, insulin, and weight of each patient were measured.

The Zocor clearly worked, because it decreased cholesterol levels by 20.8 percent, while diet alone only decreased cholesterol by 7.6 percent. However, there was an astonishing finding. It was discovered that the drug increased fasting serum insulin levels by 13 percent, and decreased serum concentrations of important antioxidant vitamins by as much as 22 percent. This was a huge revelation.

Decreased insulin sensitivity can lead to a whole host of problems down the road, such as blindness, diabetes, and kidney disease. And antioxidants protect us from a whole host of problems, such as organic brain disease, cancer, and atherosclerosis. So, even though these cholesterol drugs perform a valuable function (lowering cholesterol), they can cause a whole range of other problems and diseases that can make a patient severely ill later in life.

So, you should think long and hard before using cholesterol-lowering drugs. The aforementioned side effects may not be equally severe in all people who take the medication. However, you might be better off working closely with your doctor to develop a program of diet and exercise before using drugs like Zocor or Lipitor to lower your cholesterol..

Cholesterol Levels - The Good, The Bad, and Management Of

What is cholesterol, and is it all bad? What's the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol? What are the healthy or normal cholesterol levels you should strive for?

In this article, I'll explain what happens when your cholesterol levels aren't normal, as well as some of the ways to manage them, so that you can be better educated and proactive where your health is concerned, and maybe even extend your life.

First of all, cholesterol is a waxy substance found in cells in all parts of the body. And no, it is not all bad. In fact, cholesterol is necessary for building and regenerating cells. It also insulates nerves and produces hormones in the body. The key is maintaining normal levels.

Where does cholesterol come from? About 75% of the cholesterol in our bodies is manufactured in the liver, and the other 25% comes from food, mostly meat and dairy products. If your liver produces too much cholesterol, that is when the levels become abnormal or unhealthy, and a method for bringing them back in balance becomes a necessity in order to preserve cardiovascular health.

This is especially important in people with diabetes, or metabolic syndrome (sometimes referred to as pre-diabetes.) Unhealthy cholesterol levels, when combined with weight gain and increased blood pressure, can lead to all kinds of health challenges.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

Notice the plural, because it is not only total cholesterol or just the bad cholesterol number that is important. Complete cholesterol care implies being aware of all the numbers.

So what are the numbers you should know that make up the complete cholesterol picture?

First is the LDL or bad cholesterol. This is the component that when it becomes elevated, causes buildup on the walls of the arteries. As this buildup hardens, it becomes plaque, which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Science is proving that this buildup starts to develop in late teens and early twenties, and continues progressively as we age.

Of course as this buildup continues, it starts to narrow the opening in the arteries, restricting blood flow and raising blood pressure. Left unchecked, it can continue until it ruptures which causes a clot to form, totally cutting off the flow of blood.

If this clot is in the area leading to the heart, it is a heart attack. If it is in the arteries leading to the brain, that is a stroke. Both are considered cardiovascular disease.

LDL levels of greater than 190 are considered dangerous. 160 to 189 is considered poor, 130 to 159 is fair, and readings less than 129 are considered healthy. Some doctors are suggesting levels be below 100, and recent research is showing that if we can reduce our LDL to less than 70, we can actually start to reverse the plaque buildup.

The next number to be aware of is HDL, or the good cholesterol, which reduces your risk of CVD. In fact, your HDL number is becoming much more important because research has shown that for every 1% you reduce your LDL or bad cholesterol, you get about a 2% reduction in cardiovascular risk. But for every 1% you increase your HDL, you get a 3% reduction in risk. What should your HDL be? Healthy levels for men are above 40, and for women, it should be above 50.

Total Cholesterol or TC is the addition of your LDL, HDL and a component known as VLDL. Healthy levels are anything under 200. Another important number to be aware of is your cardiovascular risk ratio. This number is determined by dividing Total Cholesterol by HDL. This number should be below 5, with the optimal amount of 3.5 or lower.

Where do triglycerides come from? Fats consumed in our diet, or made in the body from carbohydrates, cause triglycerides in the blood. Some calories are converted to triglycerides and move into the fat cells for storage. So how do those numbers stack up?

Triglyceride levels of less than 150 are considered acceptable. Levels from 150 to 199 indicate moderate risk, 200 to 499 indicate high risk, and levels in excess of 500 indicate extreme high risk.

If it's confusing to remember what's good and what's not, an easy way to remember the different parts of the total picture is “L” stands for “lethal” LDL, “H” stands for “healthy” HDL, and “T” stands for “treacherous” triglycerides.

METHODS FOR DEALING WITH UNHEALTHY CHOLESTEROL

There are different methods a person can use for improving one's cholesterol levels. The most widely known is through the use of special cholesterol lowering prescription drugs called “statins”. Statins such as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, and others represent nationally a 25 Billion Dollar per year treatment option. They have proved themselves effective at lowering the LDL segment of the cholesterol picture, however they do very little to reduce triglycerides or raise the HDL.

Besides, statins sometime carry very significant side effects, and therefore some people can't take them ANCHORAGE-TOWNINFO.INFO . What are some of these documented side effects?

The Statin Effects Study concluded that the top two are possible liver and muscle damage. However, there are also lesser known effects such as sudden memory loss, increase in eye cataract risk, suppresses the body's natural immune function, increased cancer risk, kidney and nerve damage, depletes CoQ10 levels (necessary for healthy heart function), sleep disturbance, blood sugar or blood pressure changes, and sexual dysfunction.

According to the drug manufacturers, only an insignificant number of patients are affected by these side effects. But if you're one of them, is it “insignificant” for you? What you will hear more and more from the drug companies, is that they also will admit that just lowering the LDL is not enough.

Combination therapy will become the new buzz word. It means adding additional drugs to raise the good cholesterol, or lower triglycerides or blood sugar. Of course, it's highly likely that these additional drug additives will have their own set of additional side effects.

In fact, reports on the recent results of a clinical study by one of the leading pharmaceutical company's combinations to try to raise the HDL led to “pulling the plug” on the whole experiment. Why, you ask? According to the report, an “unacceptable number of people died” while taking the combination therapy. Makes me wonder what number of people would be “acceptable”.

Do we see increased costs and co-pays in our futures? I believe you can bank on it. Some people feel, and I'm one of them, that even the cheapest co-pay is more than they're willing to risk their quality of life for.

So are there other, safer alternatives for you? The answer is yes. In fact, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines for healthcare providers, statin drugs should not be the first treatment option offered. According to these guidelines, Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) should be used as a first approach.

What are some of the features of TLC? Increase of soluble fiber, regular exercise, and weight reduction are the main ones. When it comes to diet, watch your fat intake, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

In addition to soluble fiber, other methods that can control cholesterol levels are the use of plant sterols or stanols, and a natural component called policosanol, from sugar cane, which blocks the enzyme in the liver that produces cholesterol. Statins block the same enzyme; however, the difference is that the policosanol does not damage the liver. Also ancient Chinese medicine has used a particular extract from the chrysanthemum plant to help in the breakdown of cholesterol.

If you're concerned about safety and effectiveness, choose a natural solution with solid clinical evidence, that incorporates multiple methods, and raises HDL in addition to lowering LDL.

Be proactive in your own health, be educated on your cholesterol situation, make the right lifestyle choices, and you'll improve your chances of living longer.

Additional information on lowering cholesterol can be found in “Your Guide to Lowering Cholesterol with TLC” by the US Nat'l Institutes of Health. NIH Publication 06-5235.