Alternative health therapies and natural medicine are excellent options for healthy living. But if you break a leg or rupture your spleen, are you gonna call a naturopath or hobble to the nearest emergency room for professional medical attention?

I would choose conventional medicine in both cases, but when it comes to chronic conditions and other diseases, should we place all our faith in medical doctors?

According to a recent survey in the New England Journal of Medicine:

95% of all doctors admit they had “contact” with big drug companies;

35% have been reimbursed by these companies for costs associated with attending medical meetings and conventions;

28% were also paid for lectures and consulting work; and

7% accepted free tickets to professional sports games, concerts and other events.

This evidence raises the question of whether doctors are working for the best interests of us patients or their drug suppliers.

For most of my life I’ve taken my doctor’s advice. But after watching my two closest relatives lose their lives within 21 months of each other while under the care of top rated, board certified oncologists, I began to reassess my beliefs.

One of the hardest things about breast cancer treatments is the avalanche of available, often conflicting, information about which treatment or therapy is best.

At the end of 2002, my 65 year old mom’s breast cancer returned after 19 years in remission. In the spring of 2003, my 43 year old sister was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time. They both benefited from some of the “best” conventional medical care in the San Francisco East Bay Area. I know because the shelves of their medicine cabinets were lined with bottles of prescription medicine, a good proportion of which were experimental drugs. They also had access to leading alternative health therapies too.

Acupuncture, essential oil therapy, deep tissue massage, and herbal treatments are considered viable, highly respected alternatives in northern California. But not to their highly respected, board certified oncologists at the hospital. They had to sneak around their oncologists when they went to their see their naturopaths or have acupuncture treatments.

In many cases, these alternative treatment alleviated the debilitating side effects of “conventional” drugs and chemotherapy.

Having to downplay or even hide the truth of what they were doing certainly did nothing to calm or ease the stress of their respective situations, either.

I don’t blame the doctors or hold them accountable in anyway for the eventual loss of my loved ones, but I was frustrated and very disappointed by their across the board refusal to explore or even allow for open discussion of alternative therapies. Whether they be conventional practitioners or alternative healers, credentials and word of mouth are two key factors when choosing my own health care providers.

I had a sit down interview with primary care physician and asked pointed questions about his experience treating asthma and allergies and the types of patients he had under his care. He was forthcoming and personable and admitted that he would never have all the answers.

My acupuncturist and chiropractor were friends of friends before becoming integral members of my chosen family.

There are lots and lots of credentialed and non-credentialed experts on the internet.

Who’s advice do you trust?

What information do you believe and why?

Mostly it’s instinctual. Or really good word of mouth.

Depending on the activity, it’s pretty easy to put your trust in a total stranger. When you’re in line for a movie and the previous show is letting out, how often do you listen to the ‘off the cuff’ reviews of exiting moviegoers?

When’s the last time you went to new restaurant without reading a review or talking to a friend or co-worker first?

How about buying a new cell phone? Or digital camera?

Reviews, testimonials and recommendations from satisfied customers often make the difference between a pass and a sale on the internet.

People inherently distrust anything they don’t understand or have never heard of before, so other people’s opinions and insights usually make the difference between giving up the cash and clicking back to that page of Google search listings. But, and this often gets overlooked in the decision making process, what works for one person doesn’t always work for another.

This is particularly true when if comes to your health.

The internet is a primary tool for disseminating information on any health topic — virtually everything you buy comes with a money back guarantee. But we don’t really want our “money back”, we want to feel better. We want the guarantee of success that the advertised “health benefits” promise.

That’s what we really want.

We all want relief from what ails us and we’re willing to trust people we’ve never met in person with our money in the hopes of feeling better. This is what we all are doing with ever increasing regularity.

Finding the information is easy. Trusting your gut and the opinions of others when making a decision about your health can require a little more time and effort.

Stay informed. Read testimonials. Send emails to eBook author or product manufacturer. Get your hands (and eyes) on as much FREE information as possible.

As much as I trust and respect my doctor when it comes to treating asthma and allergies with pharmaceutical drugs, I now place a lot more confidence in my own life experiences and knowledgebase gathered from surfing the web.

As I’ve grown more confident in making my own informed judgment about my health, I’ve thought about asking my doctor if he’s ever been able to CURE any of his patients of asthma and allergies.

I might just do that the next time I see him.

To your health and well-being,

Jay Greene

To reach any goal, you must know where to begin. Begin your journey to better health today. Get 2 Free Chapters of the Ultimate Detox Reference Guide Today. http://www.tipsforhealing.com

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Research on legitimacy

Often the more frequently you order medicines online, the better your savings are going to be. You can search for many an internet pharmacy by using any of the popular search engines. You can also do a fair bit of research using various sites to cross check if these pharmacy sites have valid licenses or not. The Better Business Bureau is also always there for you to check if there has been any negative publicity or report about the pharmacy in question.

Want to lose weight?

Today there are a wide range of weight loss supplements doing the rounds. However, as per diet regulatory bodies run by the government, many of them have been banned. These have been found to have detrimental effects on the body. Often local stores may not be in the know of such regulations and continue to stock up on such banned medicines. Hence buying from your local store could mean taking a pill that has been banned. An internet pharmacy that is legitimate will typically list down the names of banned drugs and will never stock on them.

Shipping costs

One important factor to consider in your search for an online pharmacy is the shipping charges as well as the amount of time taken for delivery of medicines. Many sites will take as much as three weeks to deliver and so if you are ordering medicines for a specific condition such as hair loss then you need to order in advance so you don’t run out of stock before. In case of emergency situations where you cannot afford to wait that long it might be a better option to get your medicines from the local medical store.

Privacy policy

You also need to check on the privacy policy of the internet pharmacy. If the site does not have any privacy policy you can be sure it is suspicious in nature. Privacy policies are essential to safeguard your own privacy as a customer and also to protect yourself from spam emails that anyways flood our in boxes. If you suffer from a specific condition such as certain allergies or require medicines that work as a sleep aid you need to ensure that your personal information is not divulged by the online pharmacy to third party sites.

One of the most common problems faced by people today is the dandruff. There is no clear reason as to why dandruff is generated. There are plenty of factors that are attributed towards the formation of dandruff and flakes in the hair. They include fungal growth on the head, poor hair care, long term exposure to extreme weather conditions and the role of pollutants. It has been often noticed that people who wear helmets report loss of hair or formation of dandruff and flakes. This is primarily because the hair and particularly the follicle is under stress and the heat generated in the process causes hair loss and baldness. World over, plenty of medication has been prescribed to overcome the problem of dandruff and the flakes formation. However, not single medication will help the dandruff to clear. A combination of medication will help certainly help reduce the generation of dandruff and flakes.

One of the natural medications that can help reduce the dandruff is applying organic oils. For instance, castor oil, coconut oil and oils extracted from flowers are found to be effective in fighting dandruff and flakes. These oils contain natural ingredients and have components prepared by nature that helps contain the dandruff problem. However, these products are yet to be standardized for components and ingredients. The testing is still on for various levels. However, most of the users of the natural oils are reporting reduction in the formation of dandruff and flakes. The flakes and dandruff can be avoided by applying three or four times a week to the hair. The oils have to be applied gently and lightly without affecting the texture of the hair. The oils should be allowed to settle on the skull cap for at least three hours. It is better to apply oil to the non-office hours as some of the oils are slightly sticky. Once the oil is allowed to settle down for multiple hours, it should be washed using hair care products. The oils cannot be removed from the hair easily. Therefore, rinse the carefully in warm water for a small period of time. Oily hair has the tendency to settle down in a particular format.

Other than oils, a number of natural ingredients are also used to promote natural growth of hair and nurture the hair over a long period of time. They include plant extracts that are rich in vitamins that help promote hair growth. But these natural ingredients are costly when compared to the other products of MNC brands. The products are carefully prepared and stored to provide the maximum relief as a consequence of which they are costly.

The hair care industry is today worth billions of dollars. A number of products are being released to the market to fight dandruff and flakes by multinational companies. However, it is recommended that the natural agents and ingredients are used to fight problems like dandruff and flakes. For more info, please visit http://www.naturalhairgrowth.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton

Compliance aids are used extensively in social care and I would like to take this opportunity to clear up a few myths about them if I may.

Myth #1

In order to support a service user with his or her medication it must be in a monitored dosage system (MDS) This is incorrect. There is absolutely no legal or ethical reason why medication needs to be in a monitored dosage system. It can just as easily and safely be supported from bottles, boxes and original packs as long as the correct checks are made, the dose instructions followed and good records kept. Incidentally these things have to happen for MDS too.

Myth #2

All tablets and capsules can be put into a MDS This is incorrect. Not all tablets and capsules will remain stable once out of their original packaging and therefore must be dispensed in their original packs.

Myth #3

You can legally support a service user who has their medication put into the MDS by a friend or relative This is incorrect. All monitored dosage systems must be filled by a pharmacist (or dispensing GP in rural areas). Supporting medication in trays filled by friends or relatives is not legal. If this is happening in your service you should take steps to make changes. Inform relatives or friends that from a certain date (e.g. a month’s time) that you will no longer be able to support the service user if they continue to fill the trays themselves. They should go to the pharmacy and request an assessment under the Disability Discrimination Act in order to have the medication dispensed by the pharmacy into a suitable MDS. If the service user meets the criteria of the Disability Discrimination Act they will be entitled to this service free of charge from the pharmacy.

Myth #4

All MDS systems are appropriate for use in social care. This is incorrect. Any MDS system used in both care homes and domiciliary care must be dispensed by the pharmacy into a system that is able to be properly labelled to identify it’s contents on the actual pack containing the medication. The system used should also be tamper evident and secure. Any system that does not meet this requirement should not be dispensed into by the pharmacy for use in social care. This includes the little “finger” type systems that have a different “finger” per day that can be taken separately from the pack. These systems have historically been purchased by the service user and filled by the pharmacy which is fine if they are assessed and unsupported, for you though as care staff supporting service users they are not suitable. If you have clients using these systems please ask the pharmacy to provide a system that meets labelling and security requirements.

Myth #5

The pharmacy dispensed the medication into the tray and therefore it’s nothing to do with me, not my responsibility to make any checks. This is not correct. You have a legal obligation to check that the right patient receives the right medicine by the right route in the right dose at the right times. So, you then need to check the name on the pack is the right service user. You need to check that the contents of the pack match both what was ordered on the prescription and what is on the medication administration record. You need to check that the strength of the medication is what was expected and that the instructions for use are the same. Do the time slots in the pack match the administration times and do you know exactly how this medication is to taken, used or applied?

I do hope that this has cleared up many common misperceptions about monitored dosage systems and that as a result you will check your policies and procedures and update where necessary.

If you have any further questions about compliance aids or would like support in writing or reviewing polices please contact:-

Tracey Dowe

Email training@momentumpeople.co.uk

Tel 01793 700929

www.momentumpeople.co.uk

Tracey Dowe is a qualified pharmacist with over 25 years in the business, Life coach, Master Strategist and Trainer with a mission to “Inspire others to find the best in themselves and to give the best of themselves”. Tracey has worked with many large social care organisations to deliver medication training, advise on policies and procedures and give lectures on the specialised and highly important area of medicines management in care. Tracey is passionate about people, health and pharmacy and combines them her business life to ensure that workers in social care get the best training in medicines management that there is out there delivered by an expert. It gives the care agencies peace of mind that their teams are knowledgeable and that they understand the importance of keeping good records. It allows the people receiving the care to be better supported and safely looked after.

Tracey runs a variety of accredited medicines management and other courses through her company Momentum People Ltd. Courses include:- An Introduction to Medicines Management for Domiciliary Care An Introduction to Medicines Management for Home Care Foundation Course in Medicines Management for Domiciliary Care Foundation Course in Medicines Management for Home Care Accredited courses in medicines management for home care and domiciliary care workers Medication Needs Assessment Training Communication Skills Training Presentation Skills Training Leadership Training

You can find out more by visiting http://www.momentumpeople.co.uk Email training@momentumpeople.co.uk or call 01793 700929

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracey_Dowe

Some statins cross the blood-brain barrier (see below) and therefore potentially can affect brain function. They reduce cholesterol concentrations and cholesterol is an essential component of cell membranes, including neurons in the brain. There were a large number of individuals reporting memory problems in reply to articles in Feb. 2008 in the WSJ, in which a doctor was quoted as saying “Lipitor makes women stupid,” followed by an article in the NY Times. In 2003 an article cited 60 reported cases of memory impairment, most commonly with Zocor, less with Lipitor and only one case with Pravachol. Since Zocor is the most lipophilic (meaning most likely to get into the brain) and Pravachol is not lipophilic, this pattern is consistent with a relationship between statins and memory problems. Half had the onset of memory problems within two months of starting statins. Most (56%) patients improved when they went off the drug, and there were four patients who had memory problems return when they went back on the drug. Muldoon and colleagues writing in 2000 reported on 209 healthy adults treated with Mevacor (lovastatin) or placebo for cholesterol reduction. Mevacor treated patients had significant reductions in attention and psychomotor speed compared to placebo treated patients.

These problems are the inevitable result of a push to give statins to people with normal cholesterol concentrations. This is in my opinion a cause for concern. For one thing, we are introducing medications with potentially dangerous side effects to people who do not have a disease. Secondly, cholesterol is a normal part of the body and is required for a number of processes, like the construction of cell membranes. Very low cholesterol concentrations have been linked to depression and suicide. Cholesterol is the essential building block of neurotransmitters and hormones, changes in which have been associated with the development of depression. This may explain why many patients feel so much worse when their cholesterol is lowered. Statins increase the risk of a return of depression in patients previously treated for depression; if you take a statin after being treated with an antidepressant, your risk of having the depression come back is 61% compared to 40% if you didn’t take a statin (Steffens et al, 2003, Psychopharmacology Bulletin 37:92-98).

If you think you are having memory problems on a statin, talk to your doctor. You may need to switch medications or seek an alternative.

Read more about statins here and learn more about alternatives to medications and hidden risks of prescription medications in Before You Take That Pill: Why the Drug Industry May be Bad for Your Health: Risks and Side Effects You Won’t Find on the Label of Commonly Prescribed Drugs, Vitamins and Supplements, by researcher and physician J. Douglas Bremner, MD.

http://www.beforeyoutakethatpill.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Doug_Bremner

I am asked this question a lot as we have found that this is the best way to describe what it is that we do. In essence, it is exactly what it is. Functional medicine pertains to restoring optimal function to a body part or system. Integrative, refers to the integration of as many therapeutic possibilities as are required to appropriately treat an individual.

And neurology, obviously, is the practice of medicine specific to the brain and the neuraxis, (the entire nervous system). In my office, we treat patients with neurologic disorders without the use of drugs or surgery. This is a very difficult concept to comprehend by most, because as a society, we have come to accept that the only way to treat illness is with the use of drugs and surgery. This is hardly the case. It’s unfortunate that so many people are convinced, through advertising, that the best answer to a commonplace problem is a radical and toxic solution as the first course of action.

In fact, many of the things that I treat patients for respond better without drug therapies, which actually often complicate matters sooner than fix them. Vertigo, dizziness, dysequilibrium and dystonia are a few of these types of conditions. This is also coincidentally the focus of my practice. Our office provides effective treatment strategies based on contemporary principles of applied neuroscience and the individuality of each patient.

Being fully trained to evaluate the functional state of each patient’s neurological system, as well as being able to appropriately determine specific and individualized neurological applications of treatment through non-invasive procedures, allows for a successful treatment strategy. As such, these procedures are uniquely designed to promote directed changes within the brain and nervous system. Using these types of brain based directed treatments, we are afforded a greater understanding of the neurologic spectrum of disorders with an opportunity and an ability to serve the many patients who suffer with these afflictions.

Dr. Scopelliti has over 1000 hours in post doctoral neurology, and is a board certified. He is medical director of the Jersey Shore Regional Center for Vertigo, Dizziness and Dystonia , which is located at the 279 Professional Arts Bldg at the rear of Monmouth Medical Center, in Long Branch, NJ. With over ten years specializing, his office focuses on the drug free management of patients with vertigo, dizziness, balance loss, presyncope, dystonia and headaches, as well as other cognitive disorders. Dr. Scopelliti offers a free no obligation consultation to discuss your problem prior to the commencement of any examination/treatment. The office can be reached at (732) 229-5250 to arrange a free consultation, ($75 value). This includes a free balance test/fall risk screen. Dr. Scopelliti has a wealth of information updated weekly on the web at http://www.dcneuro.net We also have a wonderful new Guest Book page, with comments posted from real patients. Just go to the guest book link at the top of the home page to view them.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._A._R._Scopelliti

People who suffer from high cholesterol are always looking for different methods that can help them in lowering it as it can lead to various health conditions such as heart disease. Reducing cholesterol can be done by people changing their diet and doing exercise. This can be helpful, but sometimes it is not enough; often people usually resort to using different types of medications. These medications can sometimes cause adverse effects such as muscle and liver damage. As a result of this, most people usually turn to natural supplements such as red yeast rice to control their cholesterol. This article will focus on the supplement red yeast rice and its effectiveness in treating the conditions.

Red yeast rice is typically used in Asia as a food spice. Its medicinal properties are known to be used for a wide range of health conditions. One such condition is reducing people who suffer from high cholesterol. This is because the active ingredients that are contained in the supplement is the same as many of the prescription drugs that are used to help lower cholesterol.

Statin drugs are the typical prescription drugs that are used to treat high cholesterol. Red yeast rice operates the same way as those drugs. It is able to block a specific liver enzyme that is responsible for the creation cholesterol. Unlike prescription medicine, there are usually no bad side effects when taking red yeast rice, since it is also a natural supplement

A study was conducted at UCLA that showed how effective red yeast rice was at treating the condition. 79 people were given red yeast rice supplements and after 3 months there was a drastic reduction in the triglyceride levels. There was also another study that was done in China that supported the claim.

Despite the upside in using Red yeast rice, there are some warnings that should be adhered to. Many doctors often suggest that you should not take the supplement if you are taking statins. You should also not use it if you suffer from liver disease, are pregnant, plan to become pregnant or are nursing. If you are thinking of taking red yeast rice, you should consult with a physician first.

Find more information on Red Yeast Rice at the website. The author Akbar Williams has researched and written a wide range of health topics since it is his passion. You can find interesting articles at some of his websites such as Malic Acid and Olive Leaf Extract

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Akbar_Williams

With so many people suffering from high cholesterol, there are always people looking for different methods to reduce it. The easiest way to accomplish this is by having a good diet and doing proper exercise. This is usually not enough and there are people who use prescribed medication to control this. These drugs often can do more harm than they do good. As a result of this more people are looking at natural supplements such as Red yeast rice to control their cholesterol; this however comes with its own warnings. This article will focus on the typical warnings that are associated with the use of this product.

Red yeast rice is a natural supplement that is created by fermenting a specific type of rice. The rice contains naturally-occurring substances called monacolins. Monacolins are known the stop the synthesis of cholesterol by blocking its production in the liver. There are many types of cholesterol drugs that contain Lovastatin. This ingredient is also contained in the supplement. This makes it highly effective at reducing or controlling this condition.

Taking the red yeast rice supplement does have some warnings. These should be noted carefully before the supplement is taken. If you plan on taking the supplement, you should ensure that you are not pregnant, plan on becoming pregnant or nursing. If you have serious health problems such as liver, kidney problems, high blood pressure or blood vessel disease then you should consult a doctor before taking it.

Another set of warnings that should be noted is related to serious health issues. Red yeast rice is known as a cholesterol reducer, it has the same effects as some of the medications that are used to treat this condition. It also carries some of the side effects such as the destruction of muscle tissue and kidney failure. When taking Red yeast rice you should be extremely careful. If you experience muscle weakness, muscle pain, muscle tenderness, fever, flu or have dark colored urine while taking this medicine, then you should go and consult a doctor immediately. These symptoms are not very common, but you should always be careful when taking any form of medication or supplement.

Red Yeast Rice visit the website if you want more information on the supplement. The author, Akbar Williams, has interests in different topics and you can find more great articles like Testosterone and Hydroquinone.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Akbar_Williams

The lifestyle that most of us living in the 21st century are used to brings with it certain problems. Health is one of the issues that bother everyone and one of the most common problems faced by the people around the world is that of excessive cholesterol levels. Although one can consume medicines to check the high levels of cholesterol, there is always the question about the drugs being safe or not. Thus, many people with high levels of cholesterol choose exercise as a way to combat cholesterol. For those who have to resort to medicines, natural medicines are a great option.

The most effective natural supplements that help reduce cholesterol are Guggulipid, green tea extracts and Poliocosanol. These are highly successful natural supplements because people around the world are consuming them and getting great results. The problem lies with the man - made drugs. Most of the factory made cholesterol drugs have adverse effect on the health of the users and create numerous problems.

A very effective man - made cholesterol medicine is Niacin. However, despite its success, it is known to have a few side effects. Many users of Niacin have faced this problem. The side effects are liver inflammation, indigestion, nausea and diarrhea.

Niacin can also cause dilating of blood vessels that result in hot flushing if consumed in large doses. Another man - made cholesterol reducing drug is Statin. But one of the major concerns of doctors around the world is that many patients tend to combine Statin and Niacin, hoping for magical decrease of cholesterol. However, instead of lowering the cholesterol levels, these two drugs can result in severe health problems if consumed in tandem. These two medicines that are meant to lower the cholesterol levels in the body can lead to massive health problems if consumed together. In fact, it can even be fatal if the doses are too high. Thus, never go for a man - made cholesterol supplement without the advice of your doctor.

Apart from the serious side effects of these drugs, normal side effects may include muscle cramps and aches. If you notice such side effects after consuming the drugs, quit the drug immediately and see a doctor as soon as possible.

One may argue that most medicines come with some side effect or another. However, it is best to start taking these medicines only of a certified doctors asks you to. In these cases, self medication is a very foolish thing to do. If you really want to do something about your cholesterol levels without posing a threat to your overall well being and health, the best way is to do a lot of exercise and maintain a proper diet.

For more tips on Cholesterol Medicine please subscribe to our free Cholesterol Medicine newsletter here: Cholesterol Medicine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chairil_M_Harahap