Swine influenza or commonly as swine flu pertains to influenza caused by any virus native to the pig or swine. Those strains found on swine are termed as swine influenza virus or SIV. Strains of this virus are classed into three types. The common influenza is classified as influenza virus A whereas the rare type is classified as influenza virus C. However, influenza virus B has no known report yet on swines. The three classes of these strains are found on humans.

Who Are Affected?
Workers who are in direct contact with the animals have the highest risk on infection from these animals. Swines with SIV or swine flu virus can easily transmit the virus to humans if the animals carry strains that can infect humans. And this swine flu virus had already mutated enabling itself to be transmitted from one person to another. The latest news reports have it that swine flu virus in humans is now at a pandemic stage.



Signs And Symptoms

Generally, the symptoms for swine flu virus are the same for an ordinary flu. These include fever with cough, body pains, headache, sore throat, tiredness and freezing. Some patients reported nausea and diarrhea. Since all of these symptoms relate to a common flu, and not specifically for a swine flu virus, a special form of diagnosis must be done to ensure that the symptoms manifested are for SIV. The latest outbreak of swine flu virus made physicians to follow guidelines set by CDC ( Centers For Disease Control And Prevention) in diagnosing patients suspected of swine flu virus.

What Can Be Done?

As of now, there's no vaccine available yet for this type of swine flu virus. CDC currently recommends using Tamiflu or Relenza for treating or for the prevention of SIV. These drugs can prevent some serious complications and also can make the illness milder and make the person feel a lot more better and should be taken at the onset of the symptoms.

Recommendations

Preventing infection from swine flu virus is done with standard precautions for ordinary flu.

1. Frequent and effective washing of hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand cleaners especially in public places.

2. Be sure to cover your mouth with tissue when coughing or sneezing.

3. If possible, avoid direct contact with sick persons.

4. If sick, stay at home and monitor your self for symptoms and limit direct contact with other people.

5. If the flu symptoms are evident and persist, consult your doctor immediately.

[ Read more »» ]

DISCLAIMER - LEGAL NOTICE

Warning: Statements expressed within this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any and all information and/or statements found within this site are for educational purposes only and are NOT intended to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent disease or replace the advice of a licensed health care practitioner.



Note also, this website may contain links to other websites operated by other parties. These links are provided for your convenience and reference only. Health Guide 101 is not responsible for the content or products of any linked site or the links contained therein.

Health Guide 101 does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. Any views and ideas expressed by Health Guide 101 are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical advice or service. You agree that no responsibility or liability will be incurred to any person or entity with respect to any loss, damage, or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained within this site. If you have a severe medical condition, please see a licensed health care practitioner.

[ Read more »» ]

Privacy Policy for www.healthguide101.com

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at joriz2006@gmail.com.

At www.healthguide101.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by www.healthguide101.com and how it is used.


Log Files
Like many other Web sites, www.healthguide101.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons
www.healthguide101.com does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on www.healthguide101.com.
.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to www.healthguide101.com and other sites on the Internet.
.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html

Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include ....
Google Adsense


These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on www.healthguide101.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

www.healthguide101.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. www.healthguide101.com's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

[ Read more »» ]

The word tinnitus came from tinnere, a Latin word which means ringing or a high pitch tone resembling a sound coming from a bell. The sound may come or just disappear. But oftentimes this becomes permanent and a part of a person's life. This may be experienced on one or both ears or on other part of the head.

Many who experiences tinnitus or ringing in the ears can withstand the pain and make particular adjustments. But 5% up to 10% of the cases have a major effect on a person's everyday life.

Tinnitus or ringing in the ears, like fever or any other pain, is a symptom and not a disease. There are two types of tinnitus. This may be objective ( other people hear this ringing) and subjective, if you're only the one hearing the ringing sound.


Objective Tinnitus

The primary cause of objective tinnitus is an arthritic jaw joint which make sound when chewing. Other causes includes neck bones making sound when turning the head, blocked eustachian tube in the middle ear which makes sound when swallowing, repeated muscle contraction of the throat and blood flow on a slightly blocked carotid artery on the neck which may be caused by blocking of cholesterol.

Subjective Tinnitus

Subjective tinnitus can be experienced at any age and there are several possible causes. This is more ordinary than objective tinnitus. As the person ages, hearing high pitch tones is noticed. This is called presbycusis. The cause of this is also for tinnitus, which is the abnormal function of the ear. There is a significant reduction of very fine hair inside the cochlea which convert the sound vibrations to electrical pulses that the auditory nerves pass to the brain.

Tinnitus as a result of aging can not be treated because the decreased and non-functioning hair cells can not be reverted back. And this can not be avoided. But many ear specialists believe exposure to noise for a long period is a cause for deafness and hence tinnitus.

Other Causes Of Tinnitus

Ear wax - It's possible that the ear canal is blocked by accumulated wax and hearing is still possible. Because of this, it is best to have someone check your ears for wax accumulation before going to a doctor. Ear wax ma sometimes be a cause of tinnitus.

High Blood Pressure - This continuously destroys blood vessels on all parts of the body. This causes the hardening of arteries or arteriosclerosis. If this affects the small vessels inside your ears, these vessels may harden and blood flow may be the cause of tinnitus.

Sugar - Frequent use of too much sugar contributes to tinnitus at any age. If you are diabetic, it's best to maintain a normal sugar level.

Arthritis - If arthritis is causing deformation on the neck bones, it may result to muscle spasm and cause tinnitus.

Brain Disease - Any disease related to the brain like stroke or infection may cause tinnitus.

Head Injury - Tinnitus resulting from injury to the head, neck or ears from an accident can be temporary or permanent, depending on what organ is damaged and how severe it is.

Medications - There are more than 200 kinds of medicines that can cause tinnitus, especially for prolonged use or increased dosage. Common drugs are aspirin, quinine, quinidine, furosemide and others.

Food Allergy - Any kind of allergy to food may cause temporary tinnitus. A very good example is monosodium glutamate (MSG) commonly found in Chinese cuisine.

Liquor - Drinking too much liquor is a cause of tinnitus and more evident if there's a hangover.

Drinks - Coffee, tea, cola, chocolate and cocoa are not known to cause tinnitus but those with caffeine can increase the effects of tinnitus.

Antibiotics - Some antibiotics like streptomycin, neomycin, kenamycin, gentamycin and others may cause temporary tinnitus.

Meniere's Disease - This is an ear disorder which causes dizziness, nausea, gradual loss of hearing, a heavy feeling in the ear and tinnitus.

Noise - Repeated or frequent exposure to very loud music or noise can cause tinnitus.

Infection - Infection in the respiratory tract, particularly related to the eardrum, common colds, flu and fever may cause tinnitus.

Cholesterol - A high level of cholesterol and other blood fats are related to tinnitus because these cause hardening of arteries.

[ Read more »» ]

Men, as they grow older, may experience what we call as male menopause, the gradual decrease of androgen which is the sex hormone of men. If menopause is experienced by all women with reduced estrogen on the ovary, male menopause or andropause is not for all men and the decrease on testosterone level is slower.

A normal and healthy male aged 45-55 has one-third to about 50% of testosterone level of what he has when he's at 20 years old. A more reduced level is seen on unhealthy males. Male menopause is a reality and damages brought by this is almost the same as menopause experienced by women, although the effects are less for men. There is a possibility that a male may experience increased body temperature, sweating, pain, loss of energy, or loss of libido and erection.


At the age of 80 up to 90 years, testosterone level drops to almost 60%. But all testosterone on the blood and free testosterone, the part that is not protein binded, is believed to be an active kind of testosterone. This drops as the person ages. Loss of testosterone results to increased tummy size and muscle sagging for middle-aged men.

We can not determine when andropause will come to a man's life, not like on menopause where we can say that a woman has it when we know that her monthly period has already stopped. On andropause, male hormone level decreases gradually. But different decreased levels are noted. This may be experienced at the age of 30 up to 80 years old.

Males with normal testosterone level have high level of protective high density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol. Those with low testosterone level may develop heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, an increased waist-to-hip ratio, which all contribute to risks of a heart attack.

Testosterone Replacement

According to studies, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has an effective anti-aging effect like estrogen and progesterone on women. This increases muscle strength, corrects balance, increases red blood cell count, enhances libido and lowering low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol. It is also proven that a good sex and prolonged erection have something to do to high testosterone blood level.

Testosterone helps the bone and avoid osteoporosis on men. Many believe that bone loss is a problem of women on their post-menopausal stage. But men past the age of 60 are seen with problems such as hip fracture, which doubles every decade. TRT for older men with low testosterone level shows a more dense bone structure and addition of bone minerals such as calcium on the bone. Testosterone also helps the immune system and enhances mood.

Side Effects

There are two side effects that must be noted:

1. Increased level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) - a type of test to detect prostate cancer.

2. Increase hematocrit (blood volume measure) - an important complication is the added hematocrit and blood flow must be ensured and blood does not thickens.

Testosterone And Cancer

Women fear of breast cancer because of estrogen. It is the same for men, testosterone can be dangerous to develop prostate cancer.

The prostate gland is a small gland that can be found under the urinary bladder. One of its function is the reproduction of sperm. Some signs of an abnormal prostate are frequent urinating (day or night), a slight pain when urinating, urine leaks or intermittent flow of urine and urinary incontinence.

The best way to know early if a prostate cancer is imminent is by having a PSA level test. This is in addition to digital rectal examination (DRE). Because testosterone may lead to prostate cancer, this can also worsen problems such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, or possibly start an unseen cancer.

Recommendation

1. Some reported bad side effects of using testosterone include reduced testicle size, increase in red blood cells and hematocrit count, fluid retention, lower sperm count and lower good cholesterol.

2. Testosterone is an effective medication and should be use only if testosterone level is way below normal. The best way to maintain the normal level of free circulating testosterone is by having a regular exercise (particularly treadmill), running and weight training exercise.

[ Read more »» ]

Urinary incontinence is a condition of involuntary urine leakage. This causes problem on hygiene. This condition is not life threatening though but may affect the quality of your life.

Urinary incontinence on the elderly is often caused by other conditions, like urinary tract disorder or problem on the nerves that control the bladder.

Incontinence is not a part of going old and is not to be accepted as a part of the aging process. It is often experienced by older people as compared to the younger generation. This is due to the muscle sphincters and other muscles that connects the urinary tract that weakens as a person ages.


Urinary incontinence may be just a little and this should not be considered as a problem. Although this may become severe in some cases. These cases require the patient to wear diapers to keep dry and to avoid an embarrassing situation.

Who Are Affected?

Urinary incontinence is commonly experienced by women who already gave birth. But this may affect also the children, men and even women who does not bear a child yet. And there are reasons why women are more prone to this than men.

1. Pregnancy

The body system of women goes in hand with body changes resulting from pregnancy. The bladder and pelvis undergo some changes at the time of pregnancy. One effect of pregnancy is the increased urine that the kidney produces. This results to frequent urinating of women. Other hormonal effect is the relaxation of the tissues inside the pelvis to give the pelvis the flexibility during pregnancy and at birth.

The bladder may not completely remove all of the urine because of the pressure of pregnancy. Because of this, the remaining urine on the bladder may produce bacterias that may lead to urinary tract infection. Pregnancy may cause damage to the nerves that control the pelvis muscles. On some women, this damage may not heal and this may cause other medical problems.

2. Birth

Giving birth actually damages the muscles and support structures of the pelvis. At the time of normal delivery, the muscles of the pelvic floor are stretched out. There's no way to find out who among the women giving birth will have urinary incontinence.

There are factors that may influence the effects of birth to the pelvis. These are the number of deliveries, type of deliveries, weight of the born babies, duration of labor, the time duration of urinating before giving birth and time it takes for the actual birth.

3. Menopause

The ovaries stops working and the estrogen level on the blood is very low during menopause. These changes are responsible for the symptoms that are related to menopause, along with hot flushes and night sweats. This has effect also to the pelvic tissues which are sensitive to estrogen. As estrogen level drops, the muscle and tissues of the pelvis become thinner and weaker.

4. Bladder Infection

Base on pelvic anatomy of women, they are more prone to bladder infections because of shorter distance between their urinary bladder and urethra. This is one major reason for bacterias to enter the bladder. The majority of older women and men that have urinary incontinence are those suffering from stroke, spinal cord injury or dementia. Others lose total control of urinating even going to a comfort room is convenient enough. If the bladder is full, it's possible that they have incontinence, that there's occasional urine discharge when coughing or sneezing.

What Are The Symptoms?

There's more frequent urination than normal. And urinating is sometimes painful. A sudden and uncontrollable urge to urinate is experienced. At night, urinating is more frequent and difficult. Sometimes, there is the urge to urinate but there's a delay before finally urinating.

What Should Be Done?

Regardless of age, a doctor must be consulted if a person is experiencing some pain on the bladder. The doctor may proceed with diagnostic tests. If it can be brought back to normal, it may be treated. If the condition is not known to be treated, the only way is to reduced the side effects of urinary incontinence.

Treating Urinary Incontinence

There are many ways of treating urinary incontinence, from simple change in lifestyle to having operation.

1.Self-Help

You may regain control of your bladder by going to the comfort room often. Be sure that your sleeping bed is near the comfort room or you may put an easy to reach bedpan under the bed. There are exercises that can be done at home that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and tightening it. Example of this is by controlling the urge to urinate. Relax and repeat this exercise 20 to 25 times in a session. Do this several times in a day. This may help to control reducing urine by tightening the bladder opening.

2. Professional-Help

Several doctors may prescribe medications to help the bladder function properly to avoid frequent and uncontrollable urinating. There are incontinence wear that can be used. A specially designed disposable diaper is an example and this makes the patient dry for long hours. On some cases, an operation is required. There are many things that should be considered before an operation. All operations carry risks but more complicated operations have higher chance of complications.

[ Read more »» ]

Vertigo is a sensation of dizziness, or a feeling of weightlessness that results to improper balance and equilibrium. The word vertigo came from the Latin 'vertere' which means 'turn around' and often cause ear problems. A person suffering from vertigo feels his body is sinking or falling and his surroundings taking a spin. On some cases, the patient may feel that he himself is actually turning around. There are times that vertigo is experienced with nausea and loss of hearing.


On some persons, the term dizziness is used to illustrate light feeling or a sensation of being n space or weakness. But, it is only in vertigo that gives a sensation of movement or spinning.

Vertigo may last several minutes and may continue for days. A person with vertigo may feel better if lying on a bed. But vertigo may continue even if the person is not moving.

Causes Of vertigo

The body of a person feels positioning and balance control through the organs of equilibrium found inside the ears. These organs have nerve connections on the correct spots on the brain. Vertigo maybe caused of ear abnormalities, nerves connecting the ears o the brain or from the brain.

Vertigo is also related to eye problems or sudden change on blood pressure. Many conditions may affect the inner ear and may result to vertigo. These include infections by bacteria, virus, tumor, abnormal pressure, swollen nerves from toxic substances.

The most common cause of vertigo is motion sickness, which may afflict anyone with sensitive inner ear that may came from sudden stopping or moving.

Meniere's disease contributes to a sudden vertigo attack, which also includes tinnitus and enhanced deafness. These attacks often last from several minutes to several hours along with severe nausea. The reason is not yet known.

Viral infections affecting the inner side of the ear causes vertigo, often suddenly and worsens in a few hours. For several days, the condition just goes away without medication.

A low and intermittent supply of oxygen to the brain, anemia, fever, some medications, lack of nutrients, neurologic diseases, psychological stress, change in atmospheric pressure, blocking of ear canal, infection of the middle ear or too many earwax are possible causes of vertigo.

A bad cerebral circulation results to dizziness and loss of ability to maintain balance. This bad cerebral circulation is caused by narrowing of blood vessels that supplies the brain, pinched blood vessels on the neck or a disorder like diabetes or anemia.

Because of the effects of aging on the body, older people are often prone to vertigo. Those taking medications for heart disease or high blood pressure may experience dizziness or faint out if they suddenly stand up.

This form of dizziness gives a sudden decrease in blood pressure that lasts in seconds and maybe avoided by slowly standing up or putting up support stockings.

Treating Vertigo

Treatment depends on the causes of vertigo. Some drugs that may give positive results to mild vertigo include meclizine, dymenhydrinate, perphenazine and scopolamine. These drugs all causes dizziness.

Recommendations

1. Avoid sudden movement or changing body position.
2. Limit the use of salt. Too much salt may affect normal ear functions.
3. Avoid liquor, coffee, smoking and dried foods.
4. To reduce dizziness, sit on a chair and focus on a non-moving object.
5. If dizziness is felt after taking medication, consult it to your doctor.

[ Read more »» ]

Syncope is a medical term pertaining to loss of consciousness and losing posture control. Warning symptoms of syncope are often experienced first, like sudden dizziness, blurry vision and stomach discomfort. Lying down may prevent syncope attack. Even though victims of syncope became unaware of their surroundings during attack, there are cases that syncope victims have some knowledge of what's happening around them


For a prolonged syncope (20 seconds or more), a short duration of muscle twitching may be experienced just like having a heart attack or seizures. But unlike seizures, there are no effects on vowel movements and urinating when the victim finally woke up.

Frequent loss of consciousness must be consulted to a doctor who may recommend the victim to a cardiologist or neurologist if the cause is not readily determined. Non-neurological disorders are the common reasons and several of these disorders affect the circulatory system.

A type of syncope, vasodepressor syncope, usually seen on young people, is caused by loose peripheral blood vessels along with decreased vardiac output in response to some stimuli, with strong emotional upsets, and heat.

Other non-neurological causes of syncope include postural hypotension (sudden decrease on blood pressure when standing) due to medication, loss of blood or anemia, metabolic disorder like Addison's disease and prolonged lying on the bed.

There are also other causes of syncope such as irregular heartbeat or cardiac arrythmia, myocardial infarction (heart attack), difficulty on blood flow due to narrowing of valves of the heart (aortic or pulmonic stenosis), low blood oxygen, severe anxiety and hyperventilation. They may all contribute to loss of consciousness.

Rare causes of syncope include the following : after urinating (micturition syncope), after coughing (tussive syncope) and after eating (post prandial syncope). On other cases, slow heartbeat due to excessive discharge of the vagus nerve is suspected to be a cause of syncope. Loss of consciousness can be neurological in nature and thus should be consulted to a neurologist to know if this is a true syncope or just a seizure disorder.

Syncope can be experienced by a person who suffered stroke. But this is not a primary symptom. The difference of syncope to seizure is that it is difficult to pinpoint the cause and requires an intensive study of the patient's medical history. EEG or electroencephalopathy can help to know what causes the problem. But a normal EEG result is not a basis for a seizure to occur. Sometimes, causes of syncope can not be determined. In this case, regular visit to the doctor is advised and repeated diagnostic tests if needed.

In some cases, psychiatric referral is required because anxiety, phobia and other psychiatric problems may be considered as causes of syncope.

Treatment

The way of medication for syncope is based on what causes it. Medical intervention includes change of medications, fluid and blood replacement therapy and glucose control.

In hyperventilation, breathing on a paper bag can help prevent excessive loss of carbon dioxide that causes dizziness and eventually syncope.

Steps that can help for the treatment of neurologic low blood pressure as a result of syncope are putting a pillow under the feet while lying on the bed, using elastic stockings or abdominal binders to strengthen blood flow to the heart and to the brain, and inducing salty food may also help.
[ Read more »» ]

Usually, baldness or hair loss is a part of a natural process. This is inherited on either the father or on the mother side of the person suffering from baldness. In a common situation, hair loss is more common on the front side of the head and thinner on the sides. For several males, these balding parts will slowly come to a common area and will further advance hair loss which may result to complete baldness.


Baldness or hair loss is called as alopecia. The term alopecia totalis is a form of hair loss on the skin of the head. While alopecia universalis is hair loss affecting the whole body skin which includes the eyebrows and eyelashes. If hair loss is manifested in groups, this is called alopecia areata.

The causes of baldness or hair loss are mainly based on heredity, hormones or aging. There are very seldom cases of baldness resulting from some diseases. On several cases of severe and longing illnesses, such as thyroid diseases and iron-deficiency anemia, hair loss is not the only result. The remaining hair strands become thinner and dull. That is why this is perceived as a severe case of hair loss. Normally, an effective treatment on diseases which cause baldness will eventually result to a normal hair growth.

Some diseases which affects the skin, like lupus erythematosus o lichen planus, are known to damage hair follicles. Patches of permanent baldness may surface. Several ways to treat these, especially radiation therapy and chemotherapy which are used to treat cancer patients, result to hair thinning or hair loss. But normal hair growth returns after treatment.

Many women suffers gradual hair loss. Sometimes, hair loss is prevalent only during after menopause. Normally, all women will experience thinning of hair as she ages especially after menopause. But on some cases, hair loss starts early even at puberty.

Also, other causes of hair loss are due to poor blood circulation, operation, sudden weight loss, high fever, diabetes, chronic diseases, medicines such as birth control pills and anticoagulants, stress, poor diet and lack of vitamins.

What can be done?

To ensure a healthy hair condition, extra and effective care is much needed. Refrain from excessive combing, brushing or drying of hair. Over brushing, like 100 strokes every night, causes damage to hair roots. Moderate use of cosmetic hair styling products is not to cause severe damage to your hair. But having a very tight ponytail, frequent hair brushing, frequent hair straightening or curling, hair dyeing or bleaching will result to hair damage.

Washing Your Hair

When washing your hair, a single application of shampoo is needed. You may use a mild shampoo for a specific type of hair. It's more effective to dilute first with water your shampoo and then applying it to your hair. Use lukewarm water, wet your hair thoroughly before applying your shampoo. Slowly massage your scalp and rinse your hair with clean water.

Drying Your Hair

Wrap your wet hair on a towel to slightly dry it. After removing the towel, comb it slowly with a wide spaced comb. The improper use of hair dryers may result to hair damage. The preheated rollers or curling irons should not be used often. The correct way of hair drying is letting your hair dry naturally.

Supplements For Hair Loss Prevention

Ideal blood circulation is the best way for beautiful and healthy hair. This is due to that hair follicles are attached to blood vessels.

Many vitamins, herbs and other supplements help blood circulation. A plant called ginkgo biloba helps to correct blood circulation and enhances memory.

Biotin, choline and inositol are vitamins or vitamin-like substances which belong to the B-complex family. These are needed for healthy skin, hair, nerves, sex glands and bone marrow. These vitamins also help to prevent hair loss and early hair whitening. Vitamin E and C both are also responsible for good circulation. Bioflavonoids make stronger capillaries which give life to the skin beneath the hair. Lack of zinc affects the immune system and may cause hair loss.

Medical Treatment

The only approved treatment on baldness is minoxidil. This drug was first being sold as anti hypertensive for lowering blood pressure. But people using this drug reported of hair growth all over the body.

Although minoxidil is being used to cure baldness, this is not truly that effective and does not completely allow full hair growth. Men using minoxidil expect only small benefits while using it. But those who stops using minoxidil, hair loss will become prevalent once again.

Surgical Treatment

Surgery is done by changing some part of the scalp or implanting hair strands. Veteran surgeons may produce good results but infections may not be avoided.

Recommendations

1. Eat foods rich in biotin. You may take supplemental biotin. This is needed for healthy skin and hair. This may help men suffering from hair loss. Good sources of biotin are brewer's yeast, brown ice, green peas, oats, soybeans, sunflower seeds and walnuts.
2. Avoid foods that contain raw egg. Uncooked egg is rich in avidin, a protein that prevents biotin to be absorbed by the body.
3. Massage scalp regularly.
4. Be aware of using products that contain unnatural ingredients or contents. The allergic reactions coming from these products were usually experienced.
[ Read more »» ]

Erectile dysfunction, also known to many as impotence, is man's loss of ability to sustain erection of his sex organ. The erection is the result of a complex combination of brain stimuli blood vessel, nerve function and hormone activities. Anything that hampers these results to impotence.

Several factors that may contribute to erectile dysfunction are peripheral vascular disease, using some medications, alcohol, smoking, history of a sexually transmitted disease and diabetes or high blood pressure.


Erectile dysfunction is a probable result either from physical or psychological factors or a combination of both. On the first place, it is a common knowledge that impotence is a major psychological problem. But many doctors believe that 85% of erectile dysfunction cases are based on the physical side. One of the common causes of impotence is alcohol intake. This mainly affects the ability of a male to have or maintain an erection, even he is not a regular drinker. Regularly taking liquor reduces testosterone that circulates in the bloodstream. Testosterone, which is a major sex hormone, is reproduced in the testicles. This hormone affects male physical characteristics and is responsible for sex drive and sperm production. So as a result, the reduced production of testosterone may affect a man's sexual activities.

There 200 known drugs that may lead to erectile dysfunction. Several of these are antidepressants, anti-histamines,anti-hypertensives, diuretics, tranquilizers, narcotics, nicotine, sedatives and stomach acid inhibitors (antacids).

Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) causes heart problems and man's sex drive. Many people know that smoking and eating fatty foods results to production of plaques that thicken arteries and block blood flowing to the heart. These same plaques may also block the arteries that lead to the genitalia, which hampers a man's ability to have an erection.

What Should Be Done?

If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction, consult a doctor. He can tell you if your problem is caused by physical or psychological factor or a combination of both.

A man suffering from impotence caused by psychological problem has still an erection during sleep. But if it is caused by physical problem, he can't have an erection even during sleep. Your doctor may recommend a sensitive gauge to measure changes in size and hardness of your sex organ during sleep.

One easy and less costly procedure to know if there's an erection during sleep is by using a postage stamp. Stick it on the body of your sex organ, and if the stamp was removed when you wake up in the morning, the case of impotence maybe due only psychologically.

What Are The Remedies?

If your erectile dysfunction is a result of a psychological problem, your doctor may recommend you to a psychiatrist, psychologist or sex therapist. This psychological treatment is often given not only to the patient but also to his partner.

If impotence is a result of a physical problem, the remedies are continuous. There are five ways of curing impotence.

1. Taking medications for ailments that affects impotence, such as diabetes.
2. Pharmacotherapy which includes self-injection directly to the male organ.
3. Vacuum therapy - this is done using a cylinder on the top of a soft male organ, air is drawn out to cause an erection, and putting a wide rubber band on the base of the organ to maintain an erection.
4. Implants - this is done by implanting permanent penile prosthesis which may help the patient with a difficult to cure erectile dysfunction. The prosthesis can not be removed and should be done only as a last resort.
5. Oral tablet - a drug known as sildenafil is first known as the first oral treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Recommendations

1. Eat the right diet.
2. Refrain from taking alcoholic drinks, specially before sex.
3. Do not eat animal fats, sugar rich foods, fried or junk foods.
4. Stop smoking.
5. Do not be stressed or angry.
6. If you suspect a drug that you're taking is causing this, consult your doctor.
7. Put in mind that sexual function varies with age. As you grow older, a greater stimulation is needed and a longer time to have an erection.

In summary, an erection gives oxygen-rich blood to a male sex organ which contributes to a continuous and healthy sex life.
[ Read more »» ]

One of the major problem for stroke victims, including those caring for the patients, is the possibility of a second stroke - which is really a risky situation. According to studies, 25% of stroke survivors became victims of second stroke attack. Anyone should be alert for the signs and symptoms which may appear before a second stroke attack. It should be explained why this situation is happening again and the ways to prevent this second stroke must be given to the victim.


Stroke Warning Signs

There are sure physical and mental manifestations of an incoming stroke. These warning signs should be medically attended to help us go to the right directions. If we are sure for the signs and these were attended soon, we may then prevent a second stroke attack. If ever this second stroke happened, severe effects are lessened.

1. Weakness, numbness and paralysis of the face, hands or thighs which comes to one or both sides of the body

2. Sudden decrease or loss of vision on either eye or both

3. Difficulty on talking or understanding simple words

4. Difficulty on swallowing foods

5. Sudden and severe headache

6. Sudden memory loss, judgment and orientation

7. Dizziness, loss of balance and unconsciousness


What Happens To A person Suffering From Stroke?

What happens to your body to give these symptoms? Stroke is sudden, often giving severe damage on your body due to disruption of blood flowing to your brain. If the blood does not reach the brain, oxygen supply and nutrients for the cells will be cut off. Affected brain cells will be damaged or die.

The disruption of blood flow is a cause of clogging or narrowing of a cerebral or carotid artery, and even bursting a part of the cerebral artery which causes bleeding.

Minimizing Stroke Risk Factors

Even looking for stroke warning signals, it is important to minimize the possibility of a second stroke attack if we can help the stroke survivor to reduce the stroke risk factors.
Several of these stroke risk factors can not be changed. These include age, gender, race, family member who suffered stroke and diabetes. But many risk factors can be changed, and this includes curable medical disorder and lifestyle.

1. Maintain a right diet and regular exercise to obtain a compatible body weight. Being overweight puts strain on your heart and blood vessels. This is also relative to your high blood pressure.

2. Have your high blood pressure controlled by following a low-fat, low-sodium diet, reducing liquor intake and taking your prescribed oral medications. These drugs for hypertension is effective only if taken regularly, even the patient feels fine. High blood pressure contributes to over 90% of stroke cases.

3. Stop smoking. Smoking destroys blood vessel walls, speeds thickening of arteries, and raises blood pressure. Stroke attack is reduced for those who quits smoking, even though they are smoking for many years.

4. Persons with irregular heartbeat or with this heart condition known as 'atrial fibrillation' have a higher chance of suffering from stroke or a second stroke. Medical studies say a drug called 'warfarin' reduces stroke rate for these persons. Consult your trusted doctors regarding to this.

5. Oral contraceptives increases the risks of blood clots and emboli - potential cause of stroke - particularly for women aged past thirty. It's more risky for smoking women.

6. Studies show that stress contributes to high blood pressure. Controlling stress by way of exercises, relaxing and counselling if needed reduces the risk of getting a stroke.

Just remember that there are steps that should be followed not only by patients but also by family members and persons taking care of the stroke victim. With the help given to the stroke survivor to prevent a second stroke, suffering from stroke is also lessened for the caregivers.
[ Read more »» ]