buddy Bracelet’ Spreads Awareness Of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is 90 percent preventable and 90 percent treatable when detected early, yet it continues to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.

To help spread the message about the importance of early detection, the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation and its 54 partners have joined together to celebrate National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month by introducing the “Buddy Bracelet,” a unique and powerful way to promote public awareness of the disease.

“Today, in a sea of colored bracelets, the blue Buddy Bracelet stands out by creating a clever way for people to take their health into their own hands,” said Carolyn Aldig, president and founder of the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation. “The bracelet spreads the message that colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable.”

Launched in 2004 to celebrate National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the Buddy Bracelet reminds those who wear it to get screened for colorectal cancer. After the person is screened, he or she gives the bracelet to a family member, friend or colleague, passing on the powerful message about talking with a health care professional about colorectal cancer. The bracelet then is transferred from that person to another person and so on.

The bracelet’s theme, “Wear it, share it, because you care,” is a message that could save thousands of lives.

People at average risk for

colorectal cancer should get screened starting at age 50. Younger people can help support the Buddy Bracelet effort by learning about their families’ medical histories, starting a dialogue about colorectal cancer with their health care professionals and reminding loved ones to get screened.

Use Wheatgrass Juice To Aid In Your Fight Against Heart Disease And Cancer

Today, many of us have experienced a loved one dying or becoming deathly ill from Heart Disease or Cancer. Death is already hard enough to deal with, but these illnesses tend to make those who have them, suffer tremendously from pain and heartache for months and even years. Modern medicine has countless treatments to help fight against these diseases, but people continue to die at alarming rates. However, alternative medicine seems to prevail when conventional medicine has loss, and I will explain just how Wheatgrass juice can help you in your fight against heart disease and cancer.

In the year 2007 alone cancer was responsible for 7.6 million deaths. It affects people of all ages, and the risk increases with age. It is caused by tobacco smoke, carcinogens in our air and food, chemicals, radiation and infectious agents. You can also be genetically pre-disposed through complex interactions between carcinogens and the hosts genome.

Cancer affects your cells. The body cells begin to display uncontrolled growth and this abnormal cellular growth can invade other tissues and spread to other parts of your body. Some forms of cancer can be cured and/or removed from your body. For instance, most benign tumors can be removed fairly easy with a full recovery prognosis. However, around 7 million adults and children die annually from this disease, and some scientists predict that in the next 40 years, this number could double. It is very obvious that conventional medicine has failed horribly in the treatment and overall cure of Cancer. So, the question is how can we prevent and protect ourselves from Cancer?
Heart disease consists of many conditions includingheart attack, coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, and congestive heart failure. Heart disease nearly affects the life of everyone living in the U.S. In fact, this disease is the leading cause of death of both men and women in the United States.

Heart disease is caused by tobacco smoke, poor cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity. Other factors can contribute to developing heart disease, like heredity and diet. In fact, heart disease has hit quite home for me. I have a 91 year old grandmother that currently suffers from heart disease. And, most of the deaths that occurred in her immediate family were from heart disease. So the question of urgency is how can we prevent and treat heart disease, so that less people suffer?

An answer that I have found is Wheatgrass Juice. And, I wont be one to say that Wheatgrass Juice is a Cure-all, because it is not. But, it is the most powerful and safest healing aid there is. I truly believe in the benefits of Wheatgrass Juice in your diet because of my own experience and because of the extensive research done about it. Dr. Thomas a plant scientist said in his research that he believed that Wheatgrass juice contained many vital nutrients that he believed could help to regenerate and protect human health. So how can Wheatgrass aid you in your fight against cancer and heart disease?
Diseases that lead to a depressed immune system, like heart disease and certain forms of cancer can be helped by drinking wheatgrass juice or chewing on the wheatgrass itself. Wheatgrass does an amazing job of improving the health of the immune system. It is also very cleansing and nourishing. One major reason why wheatgrass can be used to help heal cancer and heart disease is because of the grass factor. Wheatgrass contains over 70% crude chlorophyll. And, research shows that chlorophyll has amazing healing properties, dating back to biblical times.

Chlorophyll has also been researched and shown to be able to increase your hemoglobin levels tremendously. In a study done, it was showed that raw chlorophyll can increase hemoglobinregeneration levels up to 50% above normal! This helps by increasing the amount of oxygen in your body. A German biochemist by the name of Otto Warburg won a Nobel Prize when he discovered that Cancer cannot exist in the presence of oxygen. So, by increasing your hemoglobin, you can fight back against cancer by simply raising the oxygen levels in your blood. And that can be done by drinkinga few wheatgrass shots daily.

Conventional medicine has failed us tremendously. In fact it seems that as medical sciences advance, the diseases that plague us the most become stronger. Wheatgrass juice can help us when we include it in our everyday diet. Wheatgrass should be consumed regularly in order to receive the most benefits from it. Take your health into your own hands, and try using wheatgrass juice to help you in your fight against heart disease and cancer.

Source: The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore

Exemestane Has Mild Side Effects Can Prevent Breast Cancer

Exemestane has a good tolerability, has mild side effects. The Common side-effects including hot flashes, nausea, insomnia, depression, headaches, dizziness, pain, rash, abdominal pain, anorexia, vomiting, depression, hair loss, body or lower extremity edema, constipation and indigestion. Exemestane is an effective steroidal aromatase inactivator with superior tolerability, safety and efficacy in the adjuvant, neo-adjuvant and metastatic therapy of breast cancer. Exemestane is used for adjuvant treatment after tamoxifen treatment. The post-menopausal women patients with advanced breast cancer can accept such treatment.

Clinical trials show that the standard dose of exemestane is 25mg daily, There are 7.4% of patients give up treatment because of side effects In an interview with tamoxifen and exemestane adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer patients. The most commonly reported adverse reactions were hot flashes (22%), arthralgia (18%) and fatigue (16%). There are 2.8% of the patients appear side effects In all patients with advanced breast cancer. The most commonly reported adverse reactions were hot flashes (14%) and nausea (12%). Most Exemestane side effects is a normal pharmacology response (hot flushes), Because estrogen is blocked. Exemestane treatment for advanced breast cancer patients Rare with thrombocytopenia or leukopenia report. There are 20% of patients with episodic lymphopenia, Particularly past history of lymphopenia, but these patients had no symptoms of viral infection. There is no Exemestane side effect report in the treatment of early breast cancer.

Overall, exemestane has a good tolerability, with mild to moderate side effects. In the IES study, The rate of patients discontinued treatment is 6.3% of exemestane, Tamoxifen group was 5.1%. Although women may get the health from two new drugs, 4% of women taking these two drugs. Exemestane has no side effects than either drug. Subjects were 4560 postmenopausal women from Canada, the United States, France and Spain. Half of them taking exemestane, After three years, researchers found that only 11 of these people who suffer from breast cancer, without taking the drug have 32 people suffering from breast cancer. Exemestane can prevent breast cancer, The drug has been in the domestic market. If the people without breast cancer take exemestane before can reduce 60% the risk of breast cancer. Exemestane is an effective steroidal aromatase inactivator with superior tolerability, safety and efficacy in the adjuvant, neo-adjuvant and metastatic therapy of breast cancer.

Universal Healthcare The Pros And Cons

Universal Healthcare is being strongly considered in the United States. Universal Healthcare basically means that every citizen will be eligible for health coverage, regardless of their ability to pay for it. There are pros and cons of such a system.

First of all, let’s take a look at the pros of Universal Healthcare (also known as Socialized Medicine). The benefits are fairly obvious. If we cover each and every citizen with affordable or free health insurance, they will be able to maintain their health regardless of their income.

One major advantage of such as system is that it can literally save lives. People die in our country each day because they cannot afford healthcare. And that includes working Americans. That is a travesty! It’s heartbreaking that there are millions of people who are contributing tax dollars to our national economy who are not in turn given their most basic need: maintenance of their health.

It almost seems obvious that it’s time to take the cue from Canada and implement Universal Healthcare. Their citizens seem to be fairly happy with the system, and it has been saving lives there on a daily basis.

However, as is true with any system (no matter how good a system it is), no healthcare solution is without fault. There are some notable disadvantages to Universal Healthcare which are worth acknowledging.

One negative side effect to providing universal healthcare is that spreading something too thin causes it to lose its inherent value. If we try to spread out our healthcare, it is possible that the quality of care will go down. Why? Because the hospitals and doctors offices will have more patients to deal with!

Naturally, no doctor would deliberately decrease his or her quality of care. Unfortunately, however, if your patient count multiplies, it can be hard to keep up. This could be overcome by the increased funding from the government under a socialized system, since that could cover a boost in medical staffing.

The other disadvantage that could result from Universal Healthcare is a lack of availability of care, causing a decrease in access to healthcare for everyone, including those who could afford to pay for it. There could be waiting lists that could prevent people from getting the care they need.

At the end of the day, we have to decide if the few drawbacks are worth it, in order to help out our fellow Americans who cannot afford to have any care whatsoever.

What are the Top Medical Schools

Every ambitious and aspiring medical student wants to be accepted into the top medical schools. While it may make no difference which medical school you attend to get your license as an M.D., it does matter in the career and networking opportunities you have after graduation. In this article, we will discuss some of the top medical schools in the United States.

Harvard Medical School — this one tops the list, especially when it comes to research, but is also strong for primary care.

John Hopkins University — as far as US news is concerned, John Hopkins Hospital has been the best in America for the last 17 years in a row.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis — with 115 years of experience and research, education and patient care. Its rich history and in-depth research is sure to help you in your professional career.

Oregon Health and Science — while it’s the only health research university in the state of Oregon, it presents an excellent opportunity to learn about patient care, both for in-state and out-of-state students.

University of Pennsylvania — with an equal commitment to being a leader in patient care, research and education, Penn medicine is an excellent choice for any aspiring doctor. In fact, their goal is to be recognized nationally as the most accomplished and respected school of medicine.

Duke University School of Medicine — Duke University boasts a community of scholars, who are devoted to teaching, research and patient care. In addition, they’re graduating classes averaged 60% less debt than other private medical schools in the nation. In fact, the debt was even less than public medical schools, on average.

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons — the main focus of the College of Physicians and Surgeons is on medical education, which they pour all their resources into. They are an excellent choice for both general and special practice, as well as offering advancement in research, teaching or even administration.

University of New Mexico School of Medicine — the US news, 2007 addition, ranked the University of New Mexico school of medicine as a number two program in the nation for rural medicine, as well as number 10 in the nation for family medicine. In fact, five departments were also ranked in the top 40 in the National Institutes of Health.

In conclusion, consider this list of top medical schools when you consider who to send your application into, it also worth building strong credentials to increase the chances of being accepted into one of these top medical schools.

Make health Your Number One Priority

Ill tell you why. We are focusing on the wrong goal. For whatever reason, we must not perceive our weight loss as being “important enough” to achieve. So what would be “important enough” to stick to our new healthy eating habits? Your HEALTH! Nothing in this world is more important than the state of your health. Think about it, your health affects everything else in your life. Once our health is compromised we automatically change our lifestyle habits. Just look at President Clinton. Not until he had the ultimate health scare did he really change his eating and exercise habits. Lets not wait until our bodies completely have a break down before we decide to take care of ourselves. If you feel lousy, everything you do that day is lousy. Likewise, if you feel great, everything you do that day is great. So this year, lets not focus on just losing a few pounds, lets focus on Health, the #1 thing in our lives.

So ask yourself, “How important is my health to me? How do I want to live the rest of my life? Sick and feeling horrible or healthy and feeling vibrant? Do I want to play golf and tennis in my retirement or do I want to spend it in the hospital?” The answer to these questions will ultimately dictate your weight and your health for the future. Any lifestyle habit that affects your health in a positive way will automatically cause you to lose weight or maintain a good healthy weight.

Follow this checklist towards health and you will see weight come off automatically.

1.Make the time to focus on health.
The number one reason people do not eat healthy or exercise is because they “dont have the time”. But why is it that once we get sick, have a heart attack, are diagnosed with heart disease, diabetes or cancer, we all of a sudden have the time? This doesnt make any sense. We wait until our bodies have become so ill to finally take measures towards taking care of it. This is the equivalent to never getting an oil change or servicing your car and letting it completely break down before doing anything about it. Prioritize your day. What could possibly be more important than your health? Your children, yes, I agree. But guess what? If something happens to you, who will be there for your children? I know that sounds terrible but its true. How many times have we heard stories of young children losing parents to heart attacks and strokes? Choose health not only for yourself but for your children as well. Prioritize your day so that making healthy meal choices and exercising are right at the top.

2.Take a long hard look at what you are putting into your body.
For one week, read every ingredient of every food you eat. This could potentially be a scary experience. Some ingredient labels on packaged foods sound more like a college chemistry class than anything we should be eating. As a golden rule, if you cant pronounce it, chances are you shouldnt be eating it. The majority of the foods you should be eating shouldnt even have an ingredients label. They should be vegetables, fruits, raw nuts, chicken, fish, eggs, meat. If you make 90% of your diet, fresh food, I guarantee you will significantly change your weight and your health. No time to make fresh food? (please refer back to #1). Cook more than one portion at a time when you do cook so that there are always healthy leftovers in the fridge. You can always have for lunch leftovers from the night before. Cook several portions of one meal and freeze some. A good example of this is healthy soup or turkey chili. Put a portion of chili in a small Tupperware and freeze. You can grab this when in a hurry for lunch or dinner.

3. How much are you eating?
In the United States, our perception of one portion is extremely distorted. Restaurant portions are about 3 times more than what we should be eating in one sitting. If we become accustomed to seeing this much food on our plate at a restaurant we tend to do the same when we are at home and serve ourselves. According to a study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, women are eating 300 more calories a day and men 168 more calories than 20 years ago. All it takes is 100 extra calories a day to gain 10 pounds a year.

For one week, reduce your portions at lunch and dinner by half. There is no need to “clean your plate”. Most times whats on your plate is double what you should be eating anyway. If you feel some hunger in the afternoon, add one small apple with a handful of raw nuts as a snack. Your body will quickly become accustomed to the smaller portions and you will eventually not be able to eat as much in one sitting as you did before. Remember, you have access to an abundance of food every day. You dont need to eat it all at once.

3.Drink WATER!
Dehydration has directly been linked to several forms of diseases including colon cancer, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels. Many people also mistake thirst for hunger. So it may not be that youre hungry all day, you may just be thirsty and dehydrated. In due time, dehydration will cause a gradual gain in weight from overeating as a direct result of confusion of thirst and hunger sensations.

Take a look at what you are drinking each day.

Coffee or Soda (Diet Coke included)? The caffeine in both will dehydrate you even more and will cause you to feel hungrier during the day.

Diet drinks and sodas? The artificial sweetener actually enhances your appetite and increases food intake.

Orange Juice and other Fruit Juices? The sugar and calories can add up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per drink, which can be anywhere from 150-200 calories. Not to mention the fact that sugar eventually makes you crave more sugar.

Every person should be drinking half of their body weight in ounces of water each day. So if you weigh 150 lbs, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water each day. If you drink coffee or any other caffeinated beverage during the day, the ounces of water needed increases.

4.How much do you move each day?
Your body was designed to move! Your heart is a muscle and must be worked just like every other muscle in your body. You dont have to join a gym to move, you just have to challenge your body and your muscles each and every day.

The two best time saving exercise options I always suggest to clients are:

1.Go for a walk. You can go for a walk anywhere and anytime. No time you say? Please refer back to rule #1.

2. Set up your home with some free weights and an exercise ball. You will be amazed at the number of exercises you can do with just your body, some free weights and a stability ball. If you dont know how, hire a trainer to show you or get a good book. Get into the routine of scheduling your exercise time each and every day. No ifs, ands or buts. Make your exercise time more important than phone calls, laundry, errands or lunch dates.

Make a promise to yourself that this time will be about health, not about short term weight loss. Really evaluate how you are treating your body on an everyday basis. Is that the same way you would treat a highly valuable, expensive piece of equipment? Because thats what your body is. There is no amount of money in the world that will buy you another one, so you might as well take really good care of the one you got!

Asthma treatment with alternative solutions

Complementary and alternative asthma cure varies from breathing activities to herbal treatments. Researchers are still checking out whether these types of asthma remedies truly work and are risk-free. In numerous cases, the verdict’s still out. The following is what the data states.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture requires the insertion of very tiny needles into your skin at special points on your body. Acupuncture came from China thousands of years ago, and its reputation has grown considerably in other parts of the world. A few research recommend that asthma symptoms may improve by using acupuncture, but there is still not enough obvious facts to be certain. If you choose to test acupuncture, work with an knowledgeable, licensed acupuncturist or a medical doctor who practices acupuncture. When given by qualified practitioners, acupuncture is comparatively low risk.

Breathing exercises
Breathing methods for asthma have been around for many years, but numerous health providers continue to be suspicious about them. They don’t seem to enhance the actual allergic reaction that causes asthma symptoms. However, in a number of research, people who did breathing workouts revealed improved symptoms.

Breathing techniques vary, however usually involve learning to:

Take breaths less often
Take slower breaths
Breathe via your nostril instead than your mouth
Use your abdominal muscles to acquire deep “belly breaths” (diaphragmatic breathing)

A couple of respiration techniques employed for asthma consist of the Buteyko breathing method and yoga breathing (pranayama). Some techniques additionally offer guidance about stress reduction, medication use, nutrition and general health. Fresh programs are becoming tried to see exactly what works best. Some clinics and scientists offer breathing technique coaching as part of asthma treatment, either face to face or via movie or World Wide Web.

Herbal remedies
Herbal remedies have already been utilized for thousands of years to deal with lungs disorders and are still regarded as a main asthma treatment in numerous countries. Some have shown hope in research, but much more studies are still required to find out for certain exactly what works and what is safe. Herbs which have shown at least some promise in dealing with asthma symptoms include:

Butterbur
Dried ivy
Ginkgo extract
Tylophora indica
French maritime pine bark extract (pycnogenol)
Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata)
Choline

Blends of various types of herbal treatments are commonly utilised in conventional Chinese, Indian and Japanese medicine. Selected mixtures of herbs may be more successful than taking one herbal remedy on its own.

Use extreme care with herbal treatments and always discuss the use of any brand new herb or dietary supplement with your physician. Consider these issues prior to consuming any herbal remedy:

Quality and dosage.

Until recently, the quality of natural and dietary supplements sold in the United States was often suspect. Things have improved with the introduction of guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration. The rules help make sure that producers precisely indicate on the label exactly what is in the bottle. Although this is a significant move , it still pays to do your research and study different brands.

Side effects. Side effects caused by natural supplements can vary from minor to severe, and depend upon the herb and the dose you take. Be particularly careful of herbal asthma remedies that include ephedra or ephedra-like substances, which may cause high blood pressure and have been connected to heart attack and stroke. Some examples consist of ma-huang (prohibited in the United States) and bitter orange.

Drug interactions. Particular herbal treatments can work together with other medications.

These concerns don’t always mean trying an herbal remedy is a bad idea – you simply need to be careful. Speak to your physician prior to taking an organic remedy to make certain it’s risk-free for you.

Homeopathy
Homeopathy is designed to increase the body’s self-healing reaction using very little doses of substances that cause symptoms. In the case of asthma, homeopathic treatments are made from ingredients that usually trigger an asthmatic reaction, such as pollen or weeds. There’s limited proof that homeopathy helps treat asthma. The ingredients that trigger symptoms are used in such small quantities that they’re unlikely to cause an asthma attack. Even so, most asthma attack specialists discourage attempting homeopathic treatment.

Aspiratory muscle training

This method helps strengthen lung muscles with a sequence of breathing workouts. It’s occasionally utilized for other lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and after particular types of surgery. These workouts certainly strengthen the muscle tissues of your lungs, but there is not sufficient proof to say whether they help with asthma.

Massage and chiropractic treatment
Although some claim that these remedies help, there is no proof that physical manipulation of the backbone or muscle tissue reduces asthma symptoms.

Rest therapy
Relaxation therapy methods include meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis and progressive muscle relaxation. It’s not clear whether any of these techniques directly assist with asthma, but they do appear to decrease tension and promote a sense of well-being.

Vitamins and supplements

More research is required to determine whether vitamins or other nutrition may help ease asthma symptoms in people who have a deficiency.

Anti-oxidants. People with severe asthma appear to have reduced levels of these protective nutrition found in fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin A and magnesium may have some impact on asthma by improving the immune system.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Found in various types of fish, healthy oils containing omega-3s may reduce the swelling that leads to asthma symptoms, but the verdict’s still out. They also seem to possess a number of other health advantages. It isn’t obvious whether or not omega-3s from vegetable sources have the same advantageous effects as omega-3s found in fish.

Vitamin D. Some individuals with severe asthma have a vitamin D deficiency. Researchers are discovering whether vitamin D may reduce asthma symptoms in some people.

A multivitamin pill or supplement pill may help you get nutrients, but the best way to make sure you’re obtaining adequate nutrition is to eat a diverse diet rich in fresh, unprocessed meals.

Heart Disease The Dangers Of Coronary Heart Attack And How To Avoid It

What is a coronary heart attack?
Are you at the risk of a coronary heart attack?
Here are some insights to help you…
A heart attack happens when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself (the myocardium) is severely reduced or even stopped entirely.
The medical term for a heart attack is myocardial infarction.
The reduction or stoppage of blood supply happens when one or more of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle is blocked.
This may be caused by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances), also known as atherosclerosis.
The plaque may eventually burst, tear or rupture, creating a “situation” where a blood clot forms and blocks the artery.
This may lead to a heart attack.
A heart attack is also sometimes known as a coronary thrombosis or coronary occlusion.
It is a medical fact that heart disease is among the most dangerous health hazards facing people 50 yrs and older in America.
Clinical studies, laboratory investigations and a number of surveys show that certain personal characteristics and lifestyles can lead to increased dangers of a heart attack (coronary heart disease).
These danger signs are called “risk factors”. The well established risk factors are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, cigarette smoking and diabetes mellitus.
Other risk factors that may increase or lead to the risk of having a heart attack are obesity, a sedentary life-style, an aggressive response to stress, and certain drugs.
In the past two decades, millions of Americans have learned about these risk factors and have tried to decrease them by seeking medical attention and by changing their lifestyles.
Many adults have stopped smoking. The medical control of high blood pressure has greatly improved.
The average cholesterol level of the population has decreased continually over the last two decades, probably due to changes in dietary habits and increased exercise.
This attempt to modify risk factors almost certainly has contributed to the declining death rate from heart disease in the United States.
Overall, heart-related problems have declined about 25 percent in the last decade.
Some of this decrease undoubtedly is due to better medical care of heart attack victims, but it is likely that a sizable percentage is related to modification of risk factors.
The entire population has become more aware of the seriousness of heart disease and coronary heart problems.
CPR training is offered in schools, places of business, and church and community functions, and everyone seems to recognize that prevention of coronary heart disease is a partnership between the public and the medical community.
There are a number of factors implicated in coronary heart disease. Some of these may raise coronary risk by accentuating the major risk factors already discussed.
Others may act in ways not understood. Still others may be linked mistakenly to coronary risk.
Obesity predisposes individuals to coronary heart disease. Some of the reasons for this are known, but others are not.
The major causes of obesity in Americans are excessive intake of calories and inadequate exercise.
When caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat, which further raises the blood cholesterol. Thus, obesity contributes to higher coronary risk in a variety of ways.
Most of the major risk factors are silent. They must be sought actively, and much of the responsibility for their detection lies with each of us as individuals.
Regular checkups are particularly necessary if there is a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or diabetes.
May these health insights into heart disease help you to live a healthier and happier life.

Ayurveda Medicine

Ayurveda means the science of life. Followers and practitioners alike believe in this ancient form of medicine as well as its philosophy of treating the whole person.

Ayurvedic medicine consists of many different elements. In India, there are eight distinct branches of Ayurvedic medicine:

Internal Medicine
Surgery
Treatment of head and neck disease
Gynecology, obstetrics and pediatrics
Toxicology
Psychiatry
Care of the elderly and rejuvenation
Sexual vitality

Nearly 80 percent of the population of India use some form of Ayurvedic medicine for healing, with or without a combination of conventional medicine. In the United States, over 200,000 adults will use Ayurveda medicine in any given year.

The underlying basis of Ayurveda medicine is that the foundation of health has to do with our connection to the universe, namely the bodys constitution or prakriti and life forces or doshas.

The prakriti refers to a persons general health, the likelihood of them coming out of balance, and their ability to resist disease or recover from it. The prakriti is unique to each person, and describes the way their body functions to maintain health. Key elements are the way the body digests and disposes of waste. The prakriti generally stays the same over ones lifetime.

The doshas are the three life forces or energies found in us all, with some combination of all three found in everyone. The likelihood of a person contracting a disease are based on the balance of the doshas as well as the state of the body, and mental and lifestyle factors.

The three doshas are:

Vata this dosha respresents ether and air. It is the most powerful of the three as it controls vital body processes like breathing, the heart, cell division, the mind and waste disposal. This dosha can be upset by fear, grief, and lack of sleep, among other forces. Those with vata as their main dosha are susceptible to skin and neurological conditions, heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis as well as other afflictions.

Pitta this dosha represents fire and water, and controls both the hormones and digestive system. Pitta can be upset by spicy or sour food, fatigue and too much time in the sun. Those with pitta as their main dosha are susceptible to hypertension, heart disease, and others.

Kapha this dosha represents water and earth, and controls strength and immunity. Kapha is upset by greed, sleeping during the day, and too much salt and sugar in the diet. Those with kapha as their main dosah are susceptible to diabetes, cancer, obesity and respiratory illnesses.

Ayurveda medicine has been around for centuries, and is here to stay. It is an alternative, holistic, and complete medicine and its list of patients grows each day.

Medical Alert Systems and In Home Care Can Combat Rising Healthcare Costs

A medical alert system can bring children of aging parents the peace of mind of knowing that their parents, who may live alone, can reach help if they experience a fall or other accident. The most common reason for purchasing a medical alert is wanting to make sure that an elderly loved one who is generally able to live independently is able to reach help when they need it. But can this tool for independent living also be a weapon in the fight against rising healthcare costs in the United States?

The population of the United States includes 39 million individuals over the age of 65 as of 2008, and by the year 2030, this number is expected to skyrocket to 72 million, as “Baby Boomers” reach the age of 65.

So, the aging population is growing. The individuals of the “baby boom” generation are reaching senior age, causing the senior population to increase dramatically. Not only that, but healthcare advances have allowed people to live longer; there are many more people reaching their 80s, 90s and even past 100. Those who reach these ages are, on average, suffering a large number of physical ailments and as a consequence, they consistently incur high medical expenses.

More seniors, fighting more physical ailments means a higher healthcare cost amongst our increasingly senior population. In fact, by the year 2030, health care for seniors is predicted to account for 25% of all the nations health care expenditures.

This is where a medical alert system can help. The price of equipment rental and monitoring can be less than $1 per day; a long hospital stay costs much more than that. The longer a senior waits to receive help after a fall, the more complications they will experience.

If a senior citizen falls, and is unable to summon help within the first hour, they are extremely likely to lose their independence, and most in this situation are ultimately placed in nursing homes.

With a medical alert system, an individual can get quick help, which often eliminates the need for a lengthy hospital stay, and prevents seniors from experiencing complications from their fall that land them permanently in a nursing home or care facility.

In conjunction with in-home care provided either by a professional service or a member of the seniors family, a medical alert system can keep an elderly individual out of a hospital, out of a nursing home, and can extend the amount of time in which he or she can live at home safely.

The average cost of nursing homes can top an average pricetag of $83,585/year, or $229/day. A medical alert system rental and monthly monitoring service costs less than $1/day.

While the rapidly rising population of seniors in the United States as well as recent changes to Medicare almost certainly guarantee a drastic spike in healthcare costs, this increase can be slowed. Preventative measures are the key to lowering healthcare costs in the United States, as it decreases the amount of costly emergency care and the many expenditures that come when an individual is no longer able to live in their homes.