Health information

QUESTION: I am a vigorous man for my age, and very health conscious
However
I think the odds are against me, as my father and both his brothers departed
at an early age from heart attacks
However, the more I read about the risk
factors for heart attack, the more confused I become
Is there really a
chance to lower my chances of a heart attack and achieve a normal life span?

ANSWER: Very possibly
Many doctors believe a person can lower his/her risks
of such attacks by following good health rules
There are some things that
cause heart attacks (known as risk factors) you cannot change: age, sex,
race, and a family history of heart disease
Nevertheless, there are causes
that depend entirely upon you, and those are the ones you will want to work on
as they can really make a difference.
In the past 20 years, certain types of heart conditions and deaths from
them have decreased in this country
That is due to many things, including:
improved diagnostic methods, new medications, bypass surgery, and better
understanding of what some risk factors such as age, sex, smoking, high blood
pressure, high cholesterol levels, obesity, diabetes, and lack of exercise
actually play in heart attacks.
About 85 percent of all heart disease cases in the United States may be
attributed to modifiable factors including: smoking, high blood pressure,
high cholesterol levels, alcohol, salt, oral contraceptives, and obesity.
So stop smoking, and being around those who do, as much as possible.
Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of heart diseases and
deaths from them in the United States
If you have tried “everything” to quit
smoking but have not been able to do so, talk with your physician.
Seriously curtailing excessive alcohol use and eliminating as much salt,
sugar and animal fats as possible from your diet also can help decrease
chances for an attack by lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol.
Increasing consumption of fish, some say as many as three meals of fish
per week are needed, may prove beneficial in lowering cholesterol levels.
Also, if you are sedentary, slowly but steadily increasing exercise that you
do on a regular basis (try three times each week) can be helpful.
Obesity raises blood pressure weight loss helps reverse it
Also,
obesity increases cholesterol levels and possibly other heart-damaging
conditions
If you are obese, you must lose weight to be healthy
Weight
loss will be easier for you if you increase your exercise at the same time,
and stay with the exercise after you have become thin to help you keep the fat
off and maintain your health.
Additionally, new findings seem to indicate that taking one aspirin daily
can help prevent heart attacks in some people suffering from hardening of the
arteries who have several known heart attack risk factors.
So you see, it may not be the easiest thing to do, but by applying all of
the tips I have given you here (or at least some of them) you can actively
wage war on the disease you fear, and increase your odds to the point where
you may never suffer from it.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

InnoPran XL
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Innopran XL (Propranolol) is a beta-blocker, used to treat high blood pressure.

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QUESTION: I am aware that many times hysterectomies are performed with little
reason, or perhaps with insufficient reason
My sister, with a diagnosis of
endometriosis, was told that her condition is best treated by this operation.
Is that true? What are the proper reasons for this procedure?

ANSWER: Endometriosis is one of several “proper” reasons a doctor may suggest
a hysterectomy
The removal of the uterus can relieve chronic pain, excessive
bleeding, and it can even rid patients of life-threatening diseases such as
cancer of the cervix, cancer of the ovaries, and endometrial cancer and
chronic pelvic inflammatory disease.
The most common reasons for hysterectomy are fibroids
These are benign
tumors or fibrous and muscular tissue which may develop in the muscular wall
of the womb
While fibroids are not usually life threatening, they often
cause pain, excessive menstrual bleeding and may become very large.
Women with endometriosis may experience pelvic pain, abnormal uterine or
rectal bleeding or pressure within the pelvic cavity
In this disease clumps
of cells that behave like the inner lining of the uterus (this lining is
called the endometrium) begin growing in various places outside of the uterus.
These clumps attach themselves to other organs, such as the ovaries, tubes,
bladder and rectum and also form bonds between two organs called adhesions.
The only absolute cure for endometriosis is removal of the uterus and both
tubes and ovaries.
Hysterectomies are usually performed through an incision in the abdominal
wall, but they are sometimes performed through the vaginal opening
Either
way, they are usually very successful and have important benefits to the
patients who really need them.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Lozol
Our price: $1
Lozol (Indapamide) is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure).

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QUESTION: I have been caring for some oozing sores on my youngster’s face by
careful washing with soap and water, but it is not getting any better
It is
very hard for us to get to a doctor, and this seems like such a little thing.
Can you tell me how to treat this thing?

ANSWER: The most common cause of blistering sores in children is called
impetigo, an infection often passed on in crowded or unsanitary environments.
The sores are small, no larger than 1 to 2 millimeters across, and often
appear in groups on the child’s face, arms or legs
In bullous impetigo, the
sores can be much larger, up to a half-inch in diameter
Washing won’t clear
up your son’s condition; this bug has to be fought from the inside out, and it
is not just a minor rash, but a serious condition
It is a skin infection
usually caused by a streptococcus or staphylococcus bacteria
A doctor should
diagnose this condition and prescribe an appropriate antibiotic
A penicillin
injection may do the trick, but if your son’s allergic to penicillin (or just
afraid of needles), and when the bacteria is resistant to penicillin,
erythromycin taken in pill or capsule form for ten days is equally effective.
While the medication is working, try to prevent your child from picking at the
crusts and scabs that form over the sores
Keep hands and fingers clean by
frequent washing
In the meantime you should be cautious about keeping family
wash cloths, towels and other linen separate, to prevent the spread of this
infection to other members of the family
Be sure to wash and clean your
youngster’s cloths most carefully, keeping them separate from your other
laundry, and boiling them or washing them in very hot soapy water.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Mysoline
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Mysoline (Primidone) is used to treat a seizure disorder.

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QUESTION: I am a diabetic, currently using beef and pork insulin to control
my disease
Would a switch to human insulin be a good idea? Where does human
insulin come from and are there any advantages over animal insulin?

ANSWER: Human insulin has been available since 1982
It can be extracted
from the human pancreas, but for the most part it is manufactured in the
laboratory using recombinant DNA technology
Human insulin has been shown to
have significant advantages over beef and pork extracted insulins
Patients
who have switched to human insulin have shown significant decreases in
anti-insulin antibody levels, making it easier to manage insulin allergies.
Many people are also able to absorb it better than animal insulins
And
there’s another advantage
Right now, recombinant DNA insulin costs about 40%
of what purified pork insulin costs, but it’s still more expensive than
mixtures containing beef and pork insulin
One drawback of human insulin is
that it seems to have a shorter time span for activity
Therefore, patients
being switched from animal insulins to human insulin must be monitored by
their doctors very carefully
Many diabetic specialists agree human insulin
should be considered for all newly diagnosed cases of insulin dependent
diabetes
You own doctor should be consulted before any change is made, for
only he can really tell you whether the switch to human insulin is an
advisable one in your case
Your history and the severity of your disease
will be important factors in the decision.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Prandin
Our price: $0.75
Prandin (Repaglinide) is used to treat Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.

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QUESTION: With pleasant weather returning, my family and I will be returning
to our vagabond ways, picnicking and hiking
We are aware that we must now
protect ourselves against tick bites and Lyme disease, but could you fill us
in on some of the signs and symptoms that mark the presence of the disease?
We think your readers would appreciate this information, to help alert them to
this dangerous condition.

ANSWER: Lyme disease is a disorder affecting our immune system caused by
screw-shaped bacteria known as spirochetes
The bacteria are transmitted
through bites from certain species of ticks that normally live on wild
animals, in particular deer.
The disease was originally known as Lyme arthritis, since its ultimate
symptoms resemble that condition: painful, swollen joints, usually in the
larger joints of the knees or elbows
(By contrast, rheumatoid arthritis
usually affects the numerous smaller joints of the hands and feet in a
symmetrical manner, while Lyme disease is often experienced on one side but
not the other.)
The condition originates in the tick’s bite (usually received in the
thigh, groin or armpit), resembling a pimple-like, hard bump in the center of
a bright red rash
Approximately half of those bitten develop secondary
lesions within a few days
These rashes are smaller, lack the hard center,
and usually disappear within the month.
Left untreated, the disease enters its second stage anywhere from a few
weeks to a few months later: continued rashes, and for between 10 to 15
percent of sufferers either neurological symptoms such as meningitis or
facial palsy or cardiac abnormalities of chest pains, palpitations and
shortness of breath
If the disease enters its third stage, the
arthritis-like symptoms develop
For some 10 percent of its victims who reach
this stage, the arthritis becomes a chronic condition
Once recognized, a
simple course of antibiotic medication is usually effective against Lyme
disease; avoiding tick bites from the late spring through the early summer is
even more effective.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Purim
Our price: $24.75
Purim helps maintain optimum health through broad and systemic blood purification.

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QUESTION: There are mornings I just can’t get my old bones moving
Strange
as it may seem, they are those proverbial days that either are rainy days or
Mondays
Is there any evidence in medical writings that there is more truth
than fiction in this commonly held idea?

ANSWER: While I can’t speak for Mondays, researchers are discovering that
there may indeed be strong links between the weather and the state of people’s
emotions
A new term biometeorology has been coined to describe this field.
One theory holds that a falling barometer causes the body to absorb more water
from the intestinal tract, leading to swelling that can add up to an inch to
the waistline; the retained water also puts extra pressure on tissue in the
brain, leading to irritability and depression in many people
Studies have
indicated that people have markedly slower reaction times during cloudy,
snowy, or rainy weather than on sunny days; another theory states that
electromagnetic waves from storms influence activity in the brain, while still
others point to the simple physical discomfort of hot, muggy weather combined
with increased outdoor leisure time, as leading to increased crime rates in
the summer.
Additional studies have linked bad weather with a variety of physical
complaints: emergency room records tie the onset of a cold wave with a rise
in asthma and migraine attacks, as well as colic and strokes; in cold weather,
the body tends to crave more fats and calories in order to keep warm
As
scientists learn more about the way weather affects people, they may be able
to anticipate and prevent many health and social problems.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Shuddha Guggulu
Our price: $23.1
Shuddha Guggulu lowers the cholesterol and triglycerides levels in blood.

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QUESTION: I have just been cured of my second episode with pelvic
inflammatory disease
Now, the “good news” from my doctor is I’m at greater
risk of having an ectopic pregnancy
Why? Are there other complications from
PID?

ANSWER: Unfortunately, with every episode of pelvic inflammatory disease
(also known as salpingitis), your risk of ectopic pregnancy or other
complications grows
PID may cause scarring and adhesions in your fallopian
tubes which leads from the ovaries to the uterus
Normally, the fertilized
egg becomes implanted in the womb
But it has to get there by traveling down
the Fallopian Tubes
If it hits a scarred area, where the tube is narrowed or
sealed by adhesions, it just gets stuck, and the pregnancy develops outside of
the uterus (ectopic pregnancy)
A woman who has had one or more incidents of
PID may have a ten times greater chance of ectopic pregnancies.
Other frequent complications of PID include infertility, pelvic pain,
chronic PID, and pelvic abscess
Should an abscess occur, patients should be
hospitalized and treated with triple antibiotic therapy
If the abscess isn’t
properly dealt with, there is a possibility of widespread peritonitis, and it
can be deadly
Your best chances lie in frequent checkups, including pelvic
exams and cultures to avoid future problems.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Lynoral
Our price: $1.1
Lynoral (Ethinyl Estradiol) is a synthetic estrogen that is used to prevent pregnancy.

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QUESTION: My two-year old gave me a scare the other day
I found her putting
a strawberry-scented air freshener stick in her mouth! I never thought to
keep things like that out of her reach
What can I do about this problem?

ANSWER: Many supposedly “harmless” items can be lethal for a child who can’t
yet distinguish between food and inedible objects
Curious toddlers between
the ages of one and three are especially attracted to objects with appealing
scents, colors or shapes
And since, unfortunately, there are no federal
regulations governing packaging, manufacturers continue to make products that
can be confusing for this age group
One common pitfall is pills that look
like candy
M & M’s, Good ‘n Plenti, and Chicklets gum all look like common
vitamin supplements or medications which can prove toxic to youngsters
Toy
medicine kits with edible sugar “medicine” only confuse a child further.
Never cajole a child into taking medication by telling him it “tastes like
candy.” And keep all medicines, including over-the-counter drugs, locked
away
Avoid buying novelty candies shaped like batteries or matchsticks; they
may tempt a child to eat the real thing later on
Also, keep out of reach
inedible or toxic household items that look or smell food-like; plastic
food-shaped toys, or sweet-scented shampoo, mouthwash or household cleaners.
Even worse, manufacturers are now packaging many nonfood items in familiar
looking food containers which even fool adults
Report any item you feel is a
potential hazard to the Product Safety Commission, 1-800-638-2772.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Prilosec
Our price: $0.4
Prilosec (Omeprazole) blocks the production of acid by the stomach.

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QUESTION: With our first baby due this spring, I have been looking forward to
a trip back home, to spend some time with my mother; but I am afraid that
flying might injure the baby in some way
I have discussed with my husband
who thinks I am being pretty silly
What’s your opinion and advice?

ANSWER: It is not male chauvinism, but I do side with your husband, although
I won’t go so far as to call it silly
Let’s just say it is normal concern by
an expectant mother
Expectant mothers can and do fly regularly, but they
need to take some additional precautions just as they do on the ground
When
making your reservations, inform the airline of your special condition and
needs; they will usually oblige quite graciously
You’re more prone to motion
sickness during pregnancy, while flying can also intensify an attack of
morning sickness
You can minimize this by flying at night if possible, while
sitting near a window in the middle of the plane
A brief look outside will
help keep your space orientation intact and reduce dizziness
Recline your
chair slightly, and wear your seat belt around your groin or upper thighs to
minimize pressure on your abdomen
If the seat belt sign is off, your
circulation can benefit from a brief walk up and down the aisle once or twice
during a long flight
The air inside a plane is much dryer than you are
normally exposed to; treat yourself to fruit juice or soft drinks during the
trip while avoiding, as you would anytime during pregnancy, alcoholic
beverages
Check with your personal physician about other precautions you may
take, in case I have left any out
Safe Journey.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Prandin
Our price: $0.75
Prandin (Repaglinide) is used to treat Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.

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QUESTION: I sometimes wonder if I am the only one with the problem, but it
seems my nose never stops running
Can you explain why this is?

ANSWER: The most probable cause is a simple viral infection, followed closely
by various allergies to substances we breathe in
Happily, most runny nose
conditions never develop into really serious conditions.
Other common causes of runny nose are respiratory and related infections
or food or drug-induced allergies
Of course, there are other causes such as
fungal infections and conditions usually found in seriously ill patients, but
one or more of the above probably cause the type of runny nose you experience.
When doctors treat uncomplicated runny noses (rhinitis), the most
frequently prescriptions contain antihistamines, decongestants, or a
combination of both medications
Occasionally, when the condition develops
into a more serious condition, pneumonia, antibiotic therapy may become
necessary.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Pulmicort inhaler
Our price: $49.94
Pulmicort (Budesonide) is an anti-inflammatory medication (corticosteroid) used in the prevention of asthma.

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