There are many ways for women to be beautiful. The basic way to be beautiful is to know and do personal care. By doing personal care, we are one step to be beautiful. Personal care is like taking care of our youthful skin and give our skin enough nutrition so it can always be shining.
Other ways could be makeup. Makeup has many separations in type. There are eyes makeup, basic face makeup, and lips makeup. There are also many makeup techniques come from various combinations of those three makeups.
Instead of the techniques, choosing the makeup products will be important as well. If we have good makeup products, it means we are taking care of our skin face because using unqualified makeup products will harm our skin face. For that reason, we should choose makeup products made from well known company hence it is safer because many people have used the products. It is also necessary to choose the products which have been clinically tested to assure the products will have no side effect to our skin face.
There are many kinds of well known company products which we can find from internet. Usually, they also provide their customers with customers care to enable their customers consult for the best and most suitable products to have.
If you tend to get makeup products, you can visit ShopWiki to get all the kinds of makeup you need.
Archive for October, 2010
While all the causes of leukemia are still not known, there are risks that have been linked to the development of various types of leukemia. There have been both environmental as well as genetic factors that have shown up as links to leukemia.
The type of leukemia a person has usually depends on the type of abnormal white blood cells that are being produced in the body. Leukemia produces abnormal or immature white blood cells in the bone marrow. At an early development of white blood cells, a blast is the immature form of white blood cells. This is the stage between the stem cell in the bone marrow and the mature blood. Blasts (immature blood cells) are found in limited numbers in the bone marrow of healthy people and not at all in the blood stream. People with leukemia may have high numbers of blasts in the bone marrow and even circulating throughout the circulatory system.
The different types of leukemia are grouped as acute or chronic. An acute leukemia usually produces immature white blood cells that are non-functioning. These cells rapidly reproduce and crowd out the healthy cells. A chronic leukemia produces abnormal blood cells that don’t function as well as normal blood cells. These forms of leukemia are slower acting on the body than the acute forms of leukemia.
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is most common in adults and causes the rapid development of immature white blood cells in the bone marrow crowding out normal cells and spreading these no-functioning cells throughout the body. This interferes in usual work of the normal blood cells. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) causes an increased unregulated growth of myeloid cells in the bone marrow and an elevated amount of white blood cells in the blood. Severe anemia is a result of this overabundance of white cells.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is most common among children under the age of fifteen. In this leukemia the rapid multiplying of malignant immature white blood cells crowds out normal white cells. This type of leukemia responds well to treatment if it is diagnosed in time. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) a defective white blood cell is produced in overabundance. This cell does not fight infection and crowds out the healthy cells. Often the chronic lymphocytic leukemia is only discovered after a blood test when the elevated white blood cell count is found.
Some of the risk factors that researchers have identified include high doses of radiation, long-term chemical exposure in the work place, cigarette smoking, and agricultural chemicals. High doses of radiation such as around the failed nuclear reactor at Chernobyl or military exposure during the nuclear detonations in the 1950′s show a strong link to leukemia. Exposure to benzene, herbicides and pesticides have been linked to acute leukemia.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia has been linked to exposure to agricultural chemicals as has exposure to Agent Orange. Cigarette smoking seems to have an important link to acute leukemia. This is probably due to the chemicals such as benzene, polonium-210 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Certain chemotherapy drugs especially alkylating agents combined with ionizing radiation may produce leukemia. Some diseases caused by abnormal chromosomes may increase the risk of leukemia. Philadelphia chromosome is a specific chromosomal abnormality in which parts of two chromosomes swap places. This can lead to acute myelogenous leukemia.
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SUMMARY: You’ve probably heard the adage “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”
Food pantries and clothing closets offer a quick fix and a simple, temporary solution to some of the problems homeless people face. However, the problem of homelessness is usually deeper than a meal or a change of clothes. What if your church could empower homeless people to regain a sense of identity, purpose and worth?
Below are five ideas to get your church thinking about a holistic ministry approach with the homeless.
1. Provide a place of grace. Shelters are available in the evenings, but clients must leave early in the morning. In many states, police can arrest homeless people for loitering in parks or around buildings. Where are the homeless supposed to go during the day? Set up a room where people can gather for a couple of hours each day. Have a phone available for local calls. Gather volunteers to serve as hosts and friends to visitors. They might also assist in connecting people with agencies and medical care.
2. Encourage good hygiene. Solicit donations of sample-size toiletry items and make hygiene kits. Inside a zip-close bag, place a washcloth, a comb, deodorant, a bar of soap, shampoo, a toothbrush and toothpaste. Some churches may offer shower facilities as well as restrooms. Set specific days and times in which the bags and the facilities are available.
3. Develop a job-training program. Persons released from an inpatient 12-step program or from prison often lack the skills or developed work ethic to be employable. Seek ways in which your church could employ someone while teaching them a marketable skill or trade. Job possibilities might include custodial work, grounds keeping, vehicle maintenance, painting or working in the church kitchen.
4. Offer a place for learning. Some homeless people still have a steady stream of income but no money-management skills. Offer one-on-one money-management and banking classes. Establish a place where people can receive help with job applications and learn interviewing skills. Consider cooperating with an alcohol- and/or drug-rehabilitation center to sponsor people who wish to receive treatment but cannot afford it. Teach people to read and write.
5. Develop a GAP (Getting At the Problem) ministry. Get to the problem that is the source of the other problems. Maybe people cannot work because they don’t have childcare. Provide childcare for the family. Is transportation an obstacle? Work with your local bus company to purchase low-cost bus tickets for people to get back and forth from work. People may be intermittently homeless because they don’t know how to manage their money. Be the teacher who helps someone learn budgeting and priority spending. People who struggle with mental illness may need someone to help contact physicians, schedule appointments and get the medication they need. How can your church fill in the GAP?
What else can your church do? Look around, listen carefully and talk to those who are homeless. See where the needs of the community and the gifts of your church intersect!
Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that afflicts babies and children. The malignant tumor grows in their nerve tissue, causing fever, general illness, and pain at first, then a loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, and vomiting. The children may also have problems with movement and balance, as well as difficulty breathing, coughing, red skin, pale skin, bluish skin around the eyes, lots of sweating, and a fast pulse, depending on the site of the tumor. Eventually, the children often die. Sometimes though, treatments work. Treatment The conventional way of attacking the cancer is to remove it surgically. Usually, doctors also add chemotherapy and even radiation therapy to the mix. It usually depends on where the cancer is. The growth commonly occurs in the adrenal gland, the spinal cord, or chest initially, from where it spreads throughout the bones, liver, lymph nodes, skin, and around the eyes. To locate the cancer, doctors use X-rays, bone scans, CT scans, and MRIs. Prognosis Some children are very lucky and their cancer just goes away without treatment. For others, treatment works. And for others still, the disease does not respond to treatment, they grow a second tumor, or another type of cancer will occur a bit later in life. Because the prognoses differ so greatly case to case and a lot of it depends upon how early the cancer is caught, it isn’t very useful to speak in percentages. However, neuroblastoma – which makes up 7% of all child cancer cases – is common enough that 650 new cases are diagnosed each year. That’s why research groups like St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital are constantly looking for new treatments. Breakthrough Despite modern medicine’s best attempts and many promising discoveries, no new treatments have emerged that significantly increased survival rates until recently. One such new treatment has made big waives amongst oncologists, specifically pediatric oncologists. While the chemotherapy drug isotretinoin has been used for a while because it is known to be, by itself, the most effective treatment for Neuroblastoma, doctors with the Children’s Oncology Group have found that, by combining it with immunotherapy biological agents, they can improve survival rates by 20%. Immunotherapy biological agents use the body’s immune system to provide a boost to isotretinoin’s cancer-fighting abilities. The immunotherapy uses ch14.18, a monoclonal antibody, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors and interleukin-2, which are both cytokines, cell-signaling protein molecules. Ch14.18 targets cancer cells like a guided missile, it is often said. Instead of heat, the guide is a substance that appears on the surface of those cancer cells. The cytokines regulate immune responses to the therapy. Over half of the patients in the study that received only isotretinoin had a relapse – basically a death sentence. For those who received the new combined treatment, only 34% suffered a relapse. Isotretinoin Isotretinoin has long been used in the treatment of cancer. However, it is known more commonly perhaps as an acne treatment. Known better as Accutane, its brand name, Isotretinoin is the acne drug that doctors send in when nothing else will work. The unique thing about Accutane is that it stops the acne from forming rather than directly attacking the bacteria. Sometimes common drugs like Accutane do uncommon things.
.There’s a most curious phenomenon coming to the fore right now. Wherever you look, there’s a smiling face wearing something or driving something or generally being seen in the same shot as a product. It seems the marketers have made a leap of faith. If they pay an A- or B-lister to walk round the streets so the paparazzi can take pictures, we will suddenly all be inspired to look and act the same (without the intrusive photographer, of course). This blends seamlessly into conventional ads, product placement and the so-called brand ambassadors or spokespersons who suddenly pop up on talk shows and infomercials to give a personal testimonial on how wonderful it feels to wear the watch or eat the junk food. Think Michael Jordan and you should think the shoes, drinks and burgers. Think Bob Uecker and his favorite beer. It’s supposed that the star-power of the endorser will somehow rub off on the product or service. Do we all want to drive that make of car because we see Michael Schumacher drive it? Thinking about cars, do we remember OJ Simpson endorsed Hertz? One of the more interesting people recruited into this “business” is Justin Bieber. He’s the wunderkind sensation whose teen voice soars effortlessly as the baby, whose kiss and tell stories bring him down to Earth for the first dance. “Ah,” you smile, “that should me me.” Well, the common denominator in this business is good looks. He has been blessed with skin that looks like it’s just been grown in the vats and stuck on with glue. It’s as if time stopped before any of those hormones could even hint at a blemish. So, of course, he’s out there fronting the leading benzoyl peroxide product. Have skin like mine when you use this product. So with half the teenage girls going gaga for him, you can expect them to prefer this antibacterial product. They all want their skin to look like his. So here’s the real test. How long will it take Bieber to “become” the product so that, everytime you see a picture of him, you think of the product? In less pressured times, it took Michael Jordan several years to establish himself. Will Bieber be yesterday’s teen sensation tomorrow with all the female fans forgetting him (and the product) in favor of the new kid on the block? Celebrity in the world of pop is not as long-lasting as for sports stars. As you may have noticed, there are no celebrities recruited to sell Accutane. It manages to be the best known of the acne treatments on merit. When you are so obviously the best, you don’t need a here-today-gone-tomorrow star hyping your product. When your product guarantees to clear up acne, if not during the first session, then definitely during the second, you don’t need a talking head (or in Bieber’s case, a singing head) to praise it. In this, don’t forget Accutane has side effects so use it with care. That said, to remember the brand, just remember it works.
Suicide prevention websites like Suicide.org have been vocally declaring that teens should avoid taking acne several medications that treat the most severe acne around. This issue came up because of the unfortunate suicide of U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak’s son. The young man was taking isotretinoin to treat his severe acne. The incident occurred after an all-night alcohol party. While just about anyone who commits suicide is medically considered a victim, usually of depression, the presence of this drug is not the culprit. A study came out that found the presence of this drug in a large percentage of suicidal teens who had acne. The problem is, as it is the drug tasked with succeeding against acne when all others have failed, it is only natural that it would be present. The real culprit may be the acne itself, as a more recent study has found. Doctors have argued that the situation is similar to the stigma penicillin once suffered. Many people thought it caused a severe rash. The FDA even made it come with a warning. Later studies found that it was the infection penicillin treated that caused the rash. Now, of course, we all know penicillin to be a miraculous antibiotic that only causes a rash in the small percentage who are allergic. But this hasn’t stopped cable news and internet “journalism” from attacking the drugs. Suicide.org articles attacking isotretinoin and its peers are not based on scientific reasoning or fact. Take this one for instance: Never use Accutane; it can Kill You is simply an argument based on purely anecdotal evidence. An author, not a doctor, received emails from parents’ whose teens have committed suicide. While this is tragic, it does not qualify them to specify the cause. Teens have been committed suicide long before this drug was around – they were and are doing it because of their embarrassment as a result of acne and the treatment they receive at their schools. It is even possible that, rather than help children by withholding a potent acne remedy, parents could increase their child’s depression and risk of suicide by sentencing them to a life riddled by acne and abuse from their peers. As people grow older and cope with acne problems, they develop the ability to withstand social stigma and perhaps even realize that it doesn’t matter. Adults are less abusive about acne. And, not surprisingly, nobody is accusing Accutane of causing adult suicide. Teens are especially vulnerable to social pressures and have naturally unstable brain chemistry, leaving them exposed to dangers like depression and suicide. Numerous statements from dermatologists provide more credible anecdotal evidence. They say that they have seen their teen patients transformed by the medication. With their acne gone, they often cut off their bangs and wear new confident faces, full of the joys of life that teenagers should enjoy. Acne should not carry the stigma it does and people with acne should never suffer ridicule, but that isn’t the reality our teens live with. Don’t force them to live with the reality of the stigma. We should be educating our teens about depression and teaching them to resist social pressures and treating their acne.
Early in the development of chiropractic, the D.D. and B.J. Palmer’s major thesis was that the health of the individual was not subject to environmental influences, but to internal factors. There is the example of the workers in the same mill, on the same bench. One comes down with an illness the other remains healthy. The point of the story is that if your nervous system is in communication with your cells, health exists; if not disease can be established.
Later in the development of the Palmer clinic, W. P. Hall, D. C., describes the clinic as an environment that is conducive to health and healing; there is a quiet garden, there are spaces for resting, there is refreshing organ music every day. There is an atmosphere that inspires and builds courage (1). Somewhere in this apparent contradiction that the environment does not, but then does have an influence on health, we have to find a harmonizing truth.
In the last forty years of the twentieth century, Americans established a strong push toward controlling pollution. Perhaps beginning with nuclear fallout from Hiroshima people began to consider the environmental consequences of our effluent. Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” raised the issue of the influence of pesticides on all of life. The facts were incontrovertible; DDT was killing wildlife and having a significant effect on the development of species. Given the grim reality of the euphemism for pollution, “environmental stress”, how are we to understand Chiropractic’s viewpoint placing the cause of disease within the individual? Is the cause inside the person or outside the person?
An elderly woman is admitted to the hospital with liver failure(2). A case history shows that she has suffered from cirrhosis of the liver from alcohol excess and that for the past several months she has been taking 5-6 tablets of acetaminophen daily for back pain. She was diagnosed with acute liver failure as a result of acetaminophen toxicity with underlying alcoholic cirrhosis. She survived the acute incident as a result of carefully diagnosed and corrected nutrition. Two things are clear from this case; 1) she ruined her liver by drinking and by use of acetominophen, and 2) the use of strategic nutrition reversed her inexorable slide to the grave for the time being, reviving her liver function. As a result of environmental forces (the toxicity of the alcohol and acetominophen) this woman nearly died.
Several studies appearing in Europe are concerned with the effects of pollutants on the immune system (3). People living in a cedar forest had a lower concentration of IgG, a marker for inflammation, than people living near a busy highway far from the forest. People working in a composting facility also had a lower concentration of IgG than people working in a garbage facility. Pollutants, especially cadmium, are shown to cause the immune system to mount an inflammatory response without the involvement of an antigen. The message here is that you may be demonstrating allergic reactions and their negative effects but chiropractic adjustments or other physical interventions won’t help until the cadmium, the environmental “stress”, is removed from the patient’s body.
Clinical controlled research at Palmer clinic has shown that the liver is apparently the most susceptible organ to environmental changes (4). The tests showed how conductivity of organs varied with use and environmental stimuli. It has been shown that PCB’s will cause liver cancer (among other things) in people with a genetic variant in one of the liver enzymes involved in metabolism of both PCB’s and estrogen (5). This supports the concept that a liver genetically predisposed is unable to clear the body of toxic substances. There is a theory that by causing mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidizing agents are produced in inappropriate quantities and destroy nerve cells(6).
In conclusion, it may be true that a person has interference between the brain and tissue cells, also called brain-to-body dysfunction. It may not be a result of spinal cord compression. It may not be from segmental dysfunction in the spine. Instead, it may be a result of the destruction of the CNS neuron or peripheral nerve by genetically predisposed susceptibility toward environmental toxins, preventing passage of signals altogether. For those people, it may be best to have an environment that excludes toxins associated with our industrial culture. For those people who are susceptible, the environment can have a significant role in the loss of health. The internal environment, especially when enhanced by empowering tools such as upper cervical chiropractic, can also have a significant role in the improvement of health.
References
1. Palmer, B.J. Conflicts Clarify. Chiropractic Fountain Head, Davenport, Iowa. 1951
2. Shilun, David, M.D., et al. Nutrition Support for Individuals with Liver Failure. Nutrition Reviews 58(8): 242-247, 2000, August.
3. Marth, E., et al. Influence of Cadmium on the Immune System. Description of Stimulating Reactions. Central European Journal of Public Health. 8(1): 2000, February
4. Palmer, B. J. Chiropractic Clinical Controlled Research. Chiropractic Fountain Head, Davenport, IA. 1951.
5. Carpenter, D.O. Human Health Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyls. Proceedings of the Sixth Meeting of the Central European Section of SECOTOX. 8(supplement): 2000, July.
6. Perlmutter, David. Functional Therapeutics in Neurodegenerative Disease. Journal of Applied Nutrition, 51(1): 3-13. 1999
1) Definition and Importance of Erectile Dysfunction:
“Erectile dysfunction” (ED), sometimes called “male/sexual impotence” (or “impotence” only), corresponds to the inability to achieve or sustain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse (coitus/copulation). Erectile dysfunction is distinguishable from other conditions that impair normal sexual intercourse, such as lack of sexual desire (libido) and ejaculation/orgasm disorders. Nevertheless, multiple associated sexual disorders may occur, causing a significant suffering (morbidity) to patients.
ED, closely attached to cultural notions of potency, success and masculinity, can have devastating psychological consequences including feelings of shame, loss or inadequacy. ED can be a serious damaging to interpersonal relationships and self-esteem. It affects millions of men worldwide with implications that go far beyond sexual activity alone. By age 45, most men have underwent ED at least once in life. Many men also are unwilling to talk about erectile dysfunction with their wives and doctors, and thus the condition is underestimated.
Although ED can occur at any age, usually the older the man is, the higher his risk is.
- Core idea: ED is a frequent and important harmful condition in men’s life.
2) Anatomy and Physiology of Penile Erection:
The penis contains two chambers, called the “corpora cavernosa”, which run the length of the upper side of the penis. The urethra, which is the channel for urine and ejaculate, runs along the underside of the corpora cavernosa. Filling the corpora cavernosa is a spongy tissue consisting of smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and arteries. A membrane, called the “tunica albuginea”, surrounds the corpora cavernosa. Veins located in the tunica albuginea drain blood out of the penis.
Penile erection can be induced by two different mechanisms. The first one is the reflex erection, which is achieved by gently, directly and continuously touching and rubbing the penile shaft.
The second is the psychogenic erection, which is achieved by erotic fantasies, imagination or dreaming.
Thus, the sexual stimulation, which can be tactile (reflex) or psychogenic/psychologic, generates electrical impulses along the nerves going to the penis and causes the nerves to release nitric oxide (NO), which, in turn, increases the production of cyclic GMP (cGMP) in the smooth muscle cells of the corpora cavernosa. The cGMP causes the relaxation of smooth muscles of corpora cavernosa, allowing a rapid blood flowing into the penis (the blood fills the corpora cavernosa, making the penis bigger, harder and thicker). The consequential pressure compresses the veins in the tunica albuginea, helping to trap the blood in the corpora cavernosa, therefore maintaining erection. Erection is reversed when cGMP levels in the corpora cavernosa fall, allowing the smooth muscles of the corpora cavernosa to contract, ceasing the inflow of blood and opening veins that drain blood away from the penis. The levels of the cGMP in the corpora cavernosa fall because it is inactivated by an enzyme, named “phosphodiesterase type 5″ (PDE5).
- Core ideas: Penis erection is triggered by sexual stimulation/arousal (physical and/or psychological), leading to swelling and enlargement of the penis due to local blood accumulation, conditioned by arterial dilatation. The so increased levels of nitric oxide (NO) will, in turn, increase cyclic GMP (cGMP) – this is the most important molecular vasodilator cascade promoting erection.
3) Causes (Etiopathogenesis) and Pathophsiology of ED:
There are many possible causes of ED, which typically can be grouped in 3 big classes: Organic/Somatic; Psychogenic/Psychological; Mixed/Miscellaneous. Each one of these classes may have subclasses, as an efficient way to organize, classify and study each case.
Organic/Somatic are those which origin is somewhere in the body, in an organ or tissue; not in mind nor thoughts/emotions. Hence, there is a lot of diseases able to cause ED – Endocrine (related to hormones and glands; for example: hypogonadism, hyperprolactinemia); Vascular (related to arteries and/or veins; such as: atherosclerosis, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, metabolic syndrome); Neurologic (related to Nervous System, the Central Nervous System (CNS) and/or the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS); for example: spinal cord injury, neuropathies, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke); Drug-induced (many drugs can cause ED as side effect – some antihypertensives and antidepressants are very frequently associated with ED, but there are many more drugs with potential to cause ED).
Commonly, Organic/Somatic are associated with a worse prognosis; being atherosclerosis, now, recognized as a “sentinel event” in cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus.
Psychogenic/Psychological causes of ED are, overall, the most frequent; and young men can be affected – the sexually inexperienced young man, without any disease, may have ED during the first sexual activities with his partner, because he may get “fear to fail/disappoint his partner”. The conviction that an erection will not develop when required, therefore, becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.
And, on the other hand, for any age, men who live under psychological stress (excessive work; lack of sleep; personal conflicts) can get depressed, anxious, impotent and feel lack of libido (sexual desire). Then, ED may emerge and aggravate the existent anxiety, and so a “vicious cycle” could be established and become very difficult to deal with.
Increased sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone, with raised blood circulating norepinephrine/epinephrine levels, seems to play a key role in psychogenic ED. The sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is typically activated under stress situations, preparing the body for a “fight or flight” reaction, by releasing 2 main catecholamines (norepinephrine = noradrenalin is directly released by sympathetic nerves; and epinephrine = adrenalin is released from adrenal = supra-renal glands, after stimulation by sympathetic nerves). This catecholamines induce vasoconstriction (constriction of arteries), what makes erection more difficult to occur.
Although not frequently, ED can be associated with a more serious psychiatric disorder, such as major depression, schizophrenia, substance abuse, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, personality disorders.
There are some other possible causes of ED (Mixed/Miscellaneous), but they are relatively infrequent – Penile disorders associated with ED (other primary diseases of penis, such as: Peyronie’s disease; Epispadias; Post-priapism); Hematologic diseases (blood-related diseases; for example: Sickle cell anemia; Leukemias); Liver cirrhosis; Hemochromatosis; Scleroderma…
All causes of ED will converge to a common effect – the dilatation of penile arteries fails and consequently no local blood trapping occurs.
Diagnosis of ED usually begins by patient report, and next, the study of nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) is the subsequent requested diagnostic test to confirm the suspected diagnosis. NPT corresponds to the spontaneous penile erections during sleep. All men without ED go through this phenomenon, typically many times while sleeping. Therefore, the NPT test is crucial to establish the ED diagnosis, since it can indicate a psychological cause (most common), or an organic cause – patients with psychogenic ED have nocturnal erections, what means that there is no organic/somatic basis for their ED.
- Core ideas: Although ED can be caused by a lot of serious diseases/disorders; many times it occurs in men who were otherwise healthy, and are temporarily under heavy psychological stress, resulting in a bad lifestyle, characterized by anxiety, bad quality of sleep and bad nutrition; which leads to ED and to a general bad feeling and weakness .
The causes of ED meet an overlapping consequence – there is no dilatation of penile arteries; therefore no local blood retention occur.
The diagnosis of ED is confirmed by the NPT test.
4) Natural Alternatives for Treatment of ED do Worthwhile!
Everybody is familiar with the names “Viagra”, “Levitra”, and “Cialis”.
Viagra (Sildenafil), Levitra (Vardenafil), and Cialis (Tadalafil) are drugs acting as PDE5 inhibitors, and are widely prescribed for the treatment of ED. Few drugs have received as many attentions and approvals as Viagra/Levitra/Cialis, partly attributable to heavy and pricey marketing efforts by the pharmaceutical companies.
Everyone recognizes, yes, Viagra/Levitra/Cialis do work… But at what cost to the health?! Like with all chemical drugs, there are risks and side effects in Viagra/Levitra/Cialis. These drugs have potential side effects, and so, all men ought to be informed about them, while considering using these drugs. Viagra/Levitra/Cialis side effects, usually range from mild to moderate (although not very frequently, sometimes side effects can be severe or even life-threating). They generally last from a couple of minutes to a few hours after dosage. The most common side effects are: nasal congestion (stuffy nose); headaches; flushing (facial warmth or redness); dyspepsia (upset stomach). The most serious potential side effects are: sudden vision or hearing loss; angina pectoris (chest pain or heavy feeling); cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat); dyspnea (shortness of breath); edema (swelling); priapism (painful condition in which the erect penis does not return to its flaccid state, notwithstanding the absence of both physical and psychological stimulus; lasting at least four hours). On the other hand, there is the possibility that users may become psychologically dependent on it, incapable to reach erections without taking Viagra/Levitra/Cialis. Not surprisingly, many men seek alternatives; less hazardous natural products which work fine and have no side effects. These Viagra/Levitra/Cialis alternatives are not chemical drugs, and they provide a more natural and gentle approach in the direction of a better sexual and general health and wellbeing. Unlike Viagra/Levitra/Cialis, natural alternatives are accessible without prescription, hence they are promptly usable – men need not to lose time and money only to get the prescription sheet, and avoid shaming and embarrassing interviews . Furthermore, natural Viagra/Levitra/Cialis alternatives are cheaper, and have additional advantageous actions. They increase blood flow, not only to the genital organs, but to all organs of the body, including the brain. They also supply the body with several nutritive compounds, such as amino acids, vitamins and minerals, important for a healthy life. Thus, natural alternatives are worthwhile, since they work well, are safe and inexpensive.
5) Best Natural Products for Treatment of ED:
Many natural products can help men with ED; mainly organized as:
=> Dietary (Nutritional) supplements:
- L-Arginine (Amino Acid)
- Minerals: Zinc; Selenium; Magnesium
- DHEA (De-Hydro-Epi-Androsterone)
=> Herbs/Plants/Vegetals and related natural products (Phytotherapy):
- Yohimbine;
- Panax (Asian) ginseng;
- Tribulus terrestris;
- Ginkgo biloba;
- Muira Puama(Ptychopetalum unicatum/Ptychopetalum olacoides);
- Maca (Lepidium meyenii);
- Damiana (Turnera diffusa/Turnera aphrodisiaca);
- Forskolin (Coleus forskohlii);
- Pycnogenol
=> Other Natural Products:
- Velvet Deer Antler
L-Arginine is an amino acid.
L-arginine is the precursor for the synthesis of Nitric Oxide (NO) (production of cyclic GMP is subsequently increased), and also it is necessary for the synthesis of creatine; thereby its oral ingestion is beneficial not only in men with ED; it has a lot of important benefits for the health in general:
#] Increases blood circulation throughout arteries in whole body (not only, but also, in genital organs);
#] Counteracts male subfertility/infertility, by improving sperm production and motility;
#] Reduces blood pressure (excellent for hypertensive people);
#] Reduces body fat (excellent for overweight/obese people);
#]Improves insulin sensitivity (excellent for diabetic people);
#] Decreases risk of severe heart disease (such as heart attack);
#] Increases muscle mass (athletes do like it!);
#] Stimulates the release of the most important anti-aging hormone in the body (GH = Growth Hormone);
#] Improves immune function;
#] Decreases healing time of injuries.
Zinc, like Selenium and Magnesium, is an indispensable element (mineral), required for sustaining the life. Numerous proteins in the human body incorporate zinc prosthetic groups, one type of which is the so-called “zinc finger”. It is a cofactor in many biological processes including DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. Approximately 30% of cellular zinc is located inside the nucleus. A great amount of proteins that play a role in the regulation of gene expression are believed to incorporate zinc.
In men, the testes and prostate have especially high concentrations of zinc. The sites where male hormones bind to cells (androgen receptors) need zinc in order to work adequately.
Zinc deficiency considerably diminishes testosterone levels, sperm production, and can reduce the lifetime of ejaculated sperm, as well. Male fertility seems to be influenced by zinc. Infertile males have lower seminal plasma zinc, with normal or decreased blood zinc. Short-term dietary zinc depletion leads to a decrease in serum testosterone concentrations, seminal volume, and total seminal zinc loss per ejaculate. Supplementation with zinc ameliorates sperm parameters in men with diminished sperm mobility. Zinc levels seem to fall in the prostate tissue and prostatic fluid in men with prostatic carcinoma.
Zinc also plays a role in immune function, wound healing; behaviour and learning; taste and smell; blood coagulation; thyroid hormone function, and insulin action. Additionally, zinc is necessary to the hepatic synthesis of “retinol binding protein” (RBP), the transport protein of vitamin A. Without enough zinc, symptoms of vitamin A deficiency can appear, notwithstanding extensive vitamin A supplementation.
Magnesium, like Zinc and Selenium, is one of the highest importance minerals, acting as an enzymatic cofactor in many biochemical reactions inside human body. It plays a key role in the production and transfer of biologic energy (ATP = Adenosine Tri-Phosphate), in muscle contraction and relaxation, in nerve conduction, in protein synthesis…
In what more closely respects to ED, it is pertinent to emphasize that magnesium promotes the synthesis of Nitric Oxide (NO), what will promptly lead to the amplification of cGMP cellular signalling, resulting in arterial dilation – as already discussed, this is the physiologic basis of penile erection.
Beyond ED, magnesium is very important to other medical/health conditions; hence magnesium intake always should be encouraged. The same ideas are valid for Selenium…
Selenium is a key component of the glutathione peroxidase system, acting as an antioxidant. It works in coordination with vitamins A, C, E to prevent oxidative damage to cells (“oxidative stress”). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are free radicals that come from the metabolism of oxygen. The production of ROS, such as superoxide (O2-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and the hydroxyl radical (OH-), unremarkably occurs in cells. ROS play an important role in many cellular physiologic processes. “Oxidative stress” is a condition that happens when high concentrations of ROS subsist defeating the antioxidant defences against oxidative damage. This is the pathophysiologic basis of most serious diseases. All body organs need to have strong enough antioxidant defences. Selenium supplementation is beneficial not only for genital organs; all organs become healthier with it!
Pycnogenol also acts as antioxidant. It is an extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree. Pycnogenol contains several active constituents including flavonoid monomers such as catechin, epicatechin, and taxifolin. It also contains condensed procyanidins (also known as flavonoids or proanthocyanidins) such as procyanidin B1, B3, B6, and B7 which are dimers, oligomers, and polymers of catechin and epicatechin. Pycnogenol also contains phenolic acids including gallic, ferulic, caffeic, vanillic, p-coumaric, protocatechuic, and p-hydroxybenzoic acids, and their glucosides and glucose esters.
Ginkgo biloba stands for a singular Chinese specie of tree with no near living congeners. The useful parts of ginkgo are the leaf and the seed. Ginkgo leaf is the most commonly used form of ginkgo, usually as an extract. Ginkgo leaf and its extracts contain many active constituents including flavonoids, terpenoids, and organic acids. Many ginkgo leaf extracts are standardized to contain 24% to 25% flavonoid glycosides and 6% terpenoids. The major flavonoids are primarily derived from the flavonol rutin and include isorhamnetin, quercetin, kaempferol, and proanthocyanidins. The primary terpenoids are ginkgolides A, B, C, M, and J, and bilobalide. Although many of ginkgo’s constituents have intrinsic pharmacological effects individually, there is evidence that the constituents work synergistically to produce more potent pharmacological effects than any individual constituent. Ginkgo leaf products have a potent antioxidant action; inhibit the platelets aggregation (blockade of blood clotting; blood-thinning effect), and also relax smooth muscle of arterial wall, therefore enhancing blood flow. These are the reasons why Ginkgo leaf products are so important for people with ED and/or many other conditions.
Forskolin is a labdane diterpene produced by the Indian Coleus plant (Coleus forskohlii). Forskolin stimulates and activates the enzyme adenylate cyclase in the heart and smooth muscle. This drives an inflated production of cyclic AMP (cAMP), which causes calcium channels to open and intracellular calcium concentrations to increase, resulting in increased contractility of heart muscle and relaxation of smooth muscle (therefore it acts as vasodilator).
Panax ginseng is used as “adaptogen”, for increasing resistance to environmental stress and as a general tonic for improving well-being. The useful part of Panax ginseng is the root. It contains several active constituents. The most important constituents are the triterpenoid saponins referred to collectively as ginsenosides or panaxosides. Other constituents include pectin, B vitamins, and various flavonoids.
Panax ginseng has vasodilator and antioxidant actions, and also enhances the libido.
Maca (Lepidium meyenii); is a robust and long plant cultivated high in the Andes Mountains. The relevant part of maca is the root. Dried maca root has 59% carbohydrates; 10.2% protein; 8.5% fiber; and 2.2% lipids including linolenic, palmitic, and oleic acids. It also contains sterols such as campesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol; and substantial amounts of minerals including iron, calcium, and copper. Two polyunsaturated fatty acids, macaene and macamide, are used as marker compounds for maca. Lipid extracts of macaene and macamide increase sexual activity and improve ED. This stimulating plant is also cited as Peruvian ginseng (although maca does not belong to the same family of ginseng); because, similarly to ginseng, maca increases strength, energy, stamina, libido and sexual function.
Yohimbe corresponds to a tall evergreen tree proceeding from western Africa, known as Pausinystalia yohimbe or Corynanthe yohimbe. The relevant part of yohimbe is the bark. The constituent amenable for yohimbe’s effects is the alkaloid yohimbine. Yohimbe bark has around 6% yohimbine. Aphrodisiac actions of yohimbe are due to genital blood vessel dilation, nerve impulse transmission to genital tissue, and increased reflex excitability in the sacral region of the spinal cord. The yohimbine constituent promptly enters the central nervous system (CNS) and acts chiefly through alpha 2-adrenergic receptor blockade. It also has monoamine oxidase (MOA) inhibiting, calcium channel blocking, and peripheral serotonin receptor blocking effects. Yohimbine’s consequences on impotence are mediated through both increased penile blood flow and increased central sympathetic excitatory impulses to the genital tissue.
Muira Puama (Ptychopetalum unicatum/Ptychopetalum olacoides); is a little tree that grows to 5 m high and is indigene in the Brazilian Amazon and other regions of the Amazon rainforest. The Ptychopetalum genus is a short one – only two species of small trees grow in tropical South America, and five in tropical Africa. The two South American varieties, P. olacoides (observed in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname) and P. uncinatum (encountered only in Brazil), are used interchangeably in South American herbal medication schemes. The olacoides type is usually chose, since it has a higher content of lupeol (one of the plant’s active phytochemicals). An entirely distinguishable species of Brazilian tree, Liriosma ovata, also passes by the vulgar name of muira puama (and is frequently distributed in commerce as such); nonetheless, it is a totally distinct tree with a different phytochemical constitution.
Historically, whole components of muira puama have been employed medicinally, but the bark and roots are the most utilized parts of the plant. The root and bark are rich in fatty acids and fatty acid esters (the primary one being behenic acid), essential oils (including beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene), plant sterols, triterpenes (including lupeol), and an alkaloid called muirapuamine. The active components also included free long-chain fatty acids, sesquiterpenes, monoterpenes, and novel alkaloids.
Reviewing, the main plant chemicals found in muira puama include: alpha-copaene, alpha-elemene, alpha-guaiene, alpha-humulene, alpha-muurolene, alpha-pinene, alpha-resinic acid, alpha-terpinene, arachidic acid, allo-aromadendren, behenic acid, beta-bisabolene, beta-caryophyllene, beta-pinene, beta-resinic acid, beta-sitosterol, beta-transfarnesene, borneol, campesterols, camphene, camphor, car-3-ene, caryophyllene, cerotic acid, chromium, coumarin, cubebene, delta-cadinene, dotriacontanoic acid, elixene, ergosterols, eugenol, essential oils, gamma-muurolene, hentriacontanoic acid, heptacosanoic acid, lignoceric acid, limonene, linalool, lupeol, melissic acid, montanic acid, muirapuamine, myrcene, nonacosanoic acid, para-cymene, pentacosanoic acid, phlobaphene, stigmasterols, trichosanic acid, and uncosanic acid.
By mouth, muira puama is often used for preventing sexual disorders, and as an aphrodisiac. It raises libido and ameliorates the ability to maintain penile erections; and in addition acts as adaptogen, anti-fatigue, anti-stress agent. It can be employed alone or in combination with other herbs. It is also used (orally) as a nerve stimulant, for dyspepsia, menstrual irregularities, rheumatism, paralysis caused by poliomyelitis, a general tonic, and as an appetite stimulant.
Damiana (Turnera diffusa/Turnera aphrodisiaca); is a bush native to Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean. The medicinal part of the plant is its leaves, which are reaped during the flowering season. Damiana is found throughout Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies, as well as in parts of South America. Turnera diffusa and T. aphrodisiaca are commonly reputed the same plant in herbal commerce. A closely-related species, T. ulmifolia, is similar in the visual aspect, but it has different conventional medicinal uses. The botanical Latin name of the plant, Turnera aphrodisiaca, reports its ancient use as an aphrodisiac. With such an ancient history of traditional uses worldwide, it is not strange that the plant appears in many books on herbal remedies released worldwide. Damiana is also widely acquirable on health food and natural product shops in a diversity of forms – from tea blends, capsules and tablets to liquid tinctures and extracts. Most herb doctors choose to apply damiana in combination with additional medicinal plants; consequently, it can be encountered in quite a few herbal combination formulas for sexual potency, weight loss, depression, hormonal balancing, and overall tonics.
Damiana components include as many as 35 compounds including flavonoids, terpenoids, saccharides, and cyanogenic glycosides. Some of these include triacontane, beta-sitosterol, hexacosanol, 5-hydroxy-7,3,4-trimethoxyflavone, arbutin, tannins, resins, hydroquinone glycosides, luteolin 8-C-E-propenoic acid, and others.
DHEA (De-Hydro-Epi-Androsterone/dehydroepiandrosterone); is a natural steroid pro-hormone made from cholesterol by the suprarenal glands, the sex glands, fatty tissue, brain and in the skin (by an autocrine mechanism). DHEA is the precursor of androstenedione, which can go through further conversion to produce the androgen testosterone and the estrogens estrone and estradiol. DHEA is a potent sigma-1 agonist as well. Orally, DHEA is used for retarding or reversing aging, weight loss, metabolic syndrome, and increasing immune and cognitive function. It is also used for increasing strength, energy, and muscle mass. Taking DHEA orally for 24 weeks improves ED, orgasmic function, libido, and general sexual gratification in men with ED.
The active parts of Tribulus terrestris are the leaf, fruit, and root. Tribulus terrestris contains saponins such as diosgenin and protodioscin, flavonoids, and alkaloids.Tribulus terrestris increases the levels of testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), DHEA, and di-hydro-testosterone. LH is the pituitary hormone that signals natural testosterone production. Thus, libido; and sperm production and motility will be improved. Tribulus terrestris lowers blood pressure by inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and stimulating the release of NO. This also explains why blood flow into the corpus cavernosa increases, thereby favouring penile erection. Extracts from the fruit and leaves additionally have a diuretic effect, which can explain the traditional use of Tribulus terrestris for kidney stones and other urinary problems. Tribulus terrestris has anti-inflammatory activity since it acts as a cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor. Tribulus terrestris helps diabetic patients because it lowers blood glucose. Some constituents of Tribulus terrestris also have anti-helmintic activity.
Velvet Deer Antler is a pillar of Traditional Chinese Medicine, probably second only to ginseng in importance. Velvet antler does not relate to the velvety “skin” on growing antlers, but instead the whole cartilaginous antler in a pre-calcified stage. Typically, the antler is cut out near the base after it is approximately two-thirds of its potential full size, and before any substantial calcification takes place.
The antler is dehydrated and is used powdered or in tea form for a wide variety of health curatives. Velvet antler is efficient as an anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, immune stimulant, and pro-growth agent.
Multi-Lingual Medical Knowledge [http://asgarcymed.blogspot.com/]
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Alcohol abuse in teens seems to be a persistent social problem in just every corner of the globe. We see it on movies and on the streets. But beyond the big screen and the tough exterior of carefree confidence, have we really thought about what causes these teenagers to drink alcohol and what we should do about it?
Reasons for Drinking?
Psychological and environmental factors are great contributors to teenage drinking. Problems at home and in school matched by the heavy weight of peer pressure usually results to alcohol abuse in teens. They try to escape from the emotional pain with the numbing, euphoric effect of alcohol. Even your kid doesn’t have emotional problems hanging over him it is difficult to stay away from alcohol when a friend hands out a beer. No teenager would want to be left out by his friends, so he gulps down every bottle offered.
So What if My Teenager Drinks a Little?
If your kid is 18 years old and drinks just three bottles of beer in a year, which is most unlikely, then you won’t have to worry about the numerous illnesses and unpleasant dispositions caused by alcohol abuse in teens. The younger a teenager starts drinking and the higher his alcohol consumption, the bigger the risk of him turning into an alcoholic in later years. He also is most likely to develop behavioral problems and mental inadequacies that will affect not just his family and education but his whole future.
How Do I Tell If My Teenager Drinks?
There are a lot of warning signs that will tell you if your teen is indeed hooked on alcohol. Sudden change in behavior (becoming withdrawn and uncommunicative), violent mood swings, decline in grades and lying are just a few hints of alcohol abuse in teens.
Those words in the lyrics of the song Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel, was a call to bring back what was wholesome and good about America. Joe was a hero in America; to old and young alike. It is amazing how today’s real heroes in sports, just quietly go about their business doing what they do best without their names showing up in the tabloids or on the crime pages of today’s newspapers. You will not see names like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Phil Mickleson or Maria Sharapovia just to name a few. However, what you will hear is how they give back to their communities.
You have already seen the names of Kobe Bryant, Chris Benoit, Michael Irvin, O.J. Simpson, Pachman Jones, Tim Donaghy and many more on the headlines of almost every media outlet in America and the rest of the free world. It seems like the concept of a wholesome sports role model is far and few between.
What most people do not know is that DiMaggio signed on as a rookie for a salary of $8,000 in his first season. Today’s players earn that and more in one- inning, one basketball period, one hockey period or one football quarter.
The moment sports figures ink their multi-million dollar contracts they put themselves and their actions, on and off the playing field under the most intense public scrutiny. In addition, the media stands by like hungry wolves just waiting for the next athlete to fall from grace. Knowing that they will receive tremendous amounts of scrutiny for their bad behavior, you would believe it would behoove them to be more careful in their actions on and off the field. Nevertheless, I guess they feel they are untouchable.
The latest athlete to fall off his pedestal is Michael Vick, a quarterback for the Atlanta, Falcons. He got caught up in a dog fighting consortium where it is alleged that he was responsible for not only breeding American Bull Terriers (Pit Bulls) for fighting and promoting dog fighting, but killing the losers of the fights with torturous and inhumane acts; such as drowning, electrocution, shooting or just beating them to death.
Michael Vick earned over $200,000 per quarter. (Do the math-$130 Million over ten-seasons, fifteen- games per season.) Not a bad job for throwing around a football. That does not take into consideration his product endorsements. Therefore, why would an athlete earning that kind of money get caught up in a dog fighting and gambling scheme. Is it that he was just bored in the off- season?
I have heard people making statements that condone this behavior comparing it to the bullfights in Spain. Some have even said, “Hey, we slaughter cattle don’t we.” I did not know that slaughtering pit bulls was adding to the food chain.
What is worse even yet is that people try to turn a blind eye to the fact that these so-called great American heroes have been arrested for drugs, assault, reckless and drunk driving and even murder. As long as they can hit another home run, score another hat trick or throw another touchdown pass who cares if they beat their wives or children. “The girl was probably asking to be raped and the person murdered in a bar room brawl probably deserved to die,” are some of the comments you hear. Take the case of Lonnie Baxter, who was arrested for firing a gun aimlessly from a moving car only a few blocks from the White House; who knows what damage he could have done. Mike Tyson bit off Evander Holifield’s ear in the ring. That was after he got out of prison for raping a woman. In addition, they gave him back his boxing license! Super Bowl champion linebacker Ray Lewis was being tried for murder until he plea- bargained to a lesser charge. We used to think that John McEnroe screaming at tennis referees was outrageous.
Some of today’s athletes, it seems continually tarnish the leagues that have made them rich and famous. However, as the song goes, “what goes up must come down, spinning wheels all around.” Falling from grace isn’t so bad; it’s the sudden stop at the bottom that gets you hurt.
With the advent of 24-hour sports broadcasting and Internet reporting, the exploits of the most popular sports figures are always headline news. The biggest problem is that our children are able to see their behavior and put them up as role models. You only have to look at the walls in your children’s room to see pictures and posters of athletes who our children idolize. You only have to watch the commercials on television to see an athlete pushing a product or conducting an interview.
Michael Vick is quoted as saying, “It don’t matter what I did, or what I do, people are always gonna love me anyway.” Does he feel he is really above the law, because he is rich and famous or because he is black?
I don’t want you to think that my last comment makes me a racist. I am not. You only have to read my book to know what I really believe. However, when the NAACP comes out in a news conference and states that the only reason Michael Vick is being singled out is that he is black, it is counterproductive to what they claim they stand for. If they want to be a force for social justice then they must speak up for black and white together. I have not heard them say one word about Tim Donaghy being innocent until proven guilty. Is the fact that they have not blasted the media for claiming that Barry Bonds is using steroids because the record he is attempting to surpass belongs to a Hank Aaron a black baseball player and a great American hero.
It will be a sad day in American sports if Michael Vick is convicted and continues to play football after serving his sentence.
If you want to stand for social justice in this world, then you have to live by the words of the late Reverend, Dr. Martin Luther King who said, “I dream of the day when a man is judged not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.”
And, that’s my opinion.