Harvey D. Ong's Articles in Health - ArticleBase.Info

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Harvey D. Ong's Articles in Health

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Lesbians, Hormones, And The “Bed Death” Stereotype For many years now, lesbians have often been stereotypes as being less about physical contact and more about deep, lasting emotional relationships – unless you’re asking the average male, anyway. Studies delving into both men’s and women’s sexual health have proven that this stereotype is largely false, but have also found evidence that says lesbians do have a larger tendency to be in sex-less romantic relationships than gay men or straight couples. It all comes down to hormone, pheromones, and Taunted Into the Gym: Negative Comments as Weight Loss Motivation For most people, being mocked incites a reaction of anger, but it can also sometimes push someone to do something just to prove the other party wrong. In the realm of weight loss, where such things can prove more dangerous than normal, negative comments have rarely been used as a valid form of weight loss motivation. However, depending on the personality, taunting and insults may work better than encouragement. Sleep More Closely Tied To Weight Loss and Weight Gain It is known that too little or too much sleep can have an effect on a person’s metabolism, but only recently has it been found that people who sleep too little or too much actually retain and gain more weight than those who get average sleep. However, the study behind this data has a few flaws and the data is not considered concrete, but it has prompted others to conduct deeper research. Mental Wanderlust: A Natural Occurrence Or Widespread Problem? Only recently has modern psychology decided to pay attention to the fact that people’s minds tend to wander in random directions, even when they should be focused on a single thing. While not a cause for people to go on ADHD medication, it has perplexed the few studies dedicated to investigating it because it doesn’t appear to serve any direct purpose, and the parts of the brain that govern this behavior are not entirely clear, either. Farm Work Helping Mentally Handicapped Live Better Lives For many years, medical science has known that interacting with animals can help boost someone’s mood, and might even have effects on their mental health. Recently, a Norwegian research team has found that having patients of various mental disorders do some work on a farm can also help reduce the symptoms of their conditions and improve their overall confidence levels. Anxiety And How To Treat It Anxiety can be a major problem for anyone who has it. Yes, medications like Buspar #and certain types of antidepressants – such as the antidepressant Effexor – appear #effective in a number of cases, but that is not always true. Ultimately, the answer of #which is the best method for dealing with anxiety is unanswerable. Depression, Depression, How To Treat Depression? Depression is a condition that usually affects individual cases differently, and as such, requires that it be treated with techniques that are as individual as possible. There are various approaches that can be taken to treat the condition, such as medication, therapy, and social support groups. Smoking Leads To Earlier Blindness The list of smoking effects on the body is a very long one, with recent research adding the possibility of loss of vision to it. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of loss of vision among the elderly, but recent research has revealed that smokers are 47% more likely to develop the condition earlier than their non-smoking counterparts. Should Birth Control Methods Being Given Out In Schools? Teenagers have ready access to sexual partners and some birth control methods, but they do not always have ready access to the correct information about sex and how to use #contraceptives. Some groups advocate letting school distribute the methods and the on school grounds, in the hopes that this would lower the risk of kids getting pregnant or infected with disease. Others argue this is a violation of parental rights and should not be tolerated. New Drug Shows Promising Weight Loss Potential The idea of producing a drug that is safe to use, but can bring about rapid weight loss, is something that many pharmaceutical companies explore. A new experimental drug, which works by blocking out certain receptors in the brain, appears to be able to deliver rapid weight loss results, but testing has revealed that higher doses can cause some gastrointestinal and psychological effects. Minimizing The Risk Of ADHD Misdiagnoses The more widespread the condition Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder ###becomes, the higher the chances of parents being making misinformed assumptions about their child's behavior. The reality is that ADHD diagnoses are conducted by a #process of elimination, logically removing every possibility before declaring that a child has ADHD. These sorts of things are never easy, usually taking a team of professionals from a variety of fields. Cravings That You Can Control One of the reasons that people fail in their attempts to diet is because of the body’s tendency to randomly crave food we know to be bad for our diets. This is a natural mechanism that has long been the bane of many dieters, but recent discoveries suggest that there might be a way to circumvent the urge, if not use it to a dieter’s advantage. New Drug Shows Promising Weight Loss Potential The idea of producing a drug that is safe to use, but can bring about rapid weight loss, is something that many pharmaceutical companies explore. A new experimental drug, which works by blocking out certain receptors in the brain, appears to be able to deliver #rapid weight loss results, but testing has revealed that higher doses can cause some gastrointestinal and psychological effects. Common Women's Health Issues for Young Women Modern medicine and statistics have found that some problems and health concerns are more common among certain demographics and age groups than in others. For example,women within the ages of 25 and 40 are more prone to experience stress and stress- related conditions than women in other age groups. Another common concern among this age group would be skin care issues. Ayurveda As Alternative Anxiety Treatment There are a few experts in the medical community that are starting to recognize the potential use of Ayurveda treatments as alternatives to anxiety medication. The Indian medicinal system has had centuries of experience and results to supportit, but there are some doubts on whether or not it has any concrete provisions for mental illnesses. It is true, though, that Ayurveda philosophy can find an explanation for anxiety, as well as some ideas on how it can be treated. Are Natural Beauty Products Better Than Synthetic Ones? Most people assume that natural beauty products and cosmetics are better than their more conventional counterparts. However, they do not realize that neither type is inherently superior, and that whether or not either one works depends almost entirely on the skin type of the person using them. When Medical Anxiety Goes Too Far Hypochondria is a mental health condition that involves excessive anxiety concerning diseases and contracting such.The condition can be of varying intensities, with some believing that they have the symptoms of one problem or another,while in others it is more like a lingering worry in the back of their mind. Handling Pain While Dealing With Cancer Cancer sometimes has a reputation for causing patients who have it a great deal of pain. This is generally due to the nature of the cancer itself, spreading out, killing cells, and putting pressure on the other areas of the body. For the most part, treatment for this usually utilizes common pain relief medication. Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Weight Loss Pills Weight loss pills are readily available, easy to use means for people to reduce their bulk and improve their physical health. However, these same qualities make them relatively easy to abuse, turning them from a health supplement to a health hazard. There are numerous risks and benefits to using weight loss medication, and it is up to the person to decide if one outweighs the other. Genetic Code for Diseases Slowly Being Cracked For many years, the medical and scientific community have been trying to decode the secret of humanity through the DNA research project. Recently, studies of the human genetic story have been extended towards analysis of diseases or sequences in genetics that make a person predisposed to certain illnesses. Prescription Antidepressant Overdose Killing Canadians A prescription antidepressant is supposed to relieve depression and prevent death by suicide, but some reports from Canadian authorities state that overdosing certain types might cause fatal side effects. The antidepressants in question are serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI), which have been involved in more poison control cases in Canada than any other type of antidepressant. Electrical Current As Pain Management With recent research revealing data that might indicate magnetism as a potential way of pain relief, some scientists are curious whether or not the closely related force of electricity might also yield similar benefits. There are already some devices with use electrical current as a from of pain management, but there is no concrete clinical data confirming their effects. As of now, all electrical pain relief devices operate strictly on a theoretical basis. Things Everyone Ought To Know About Staph Infections The Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is relatively harmless, but once it manages to find its way into the body, staph infections can rapidly develop. The symptoms of an infection can vary depending on where the bacteria is concentrated, but skin infections are among the more common signs.A fatal side effect of the infections is toxic shock syndrome, which is commonly associated with certain tampons and surgical wounds. Natural Alternatives to Pharmaceutical Anxiety Medications Anxiety medications have a rather sizable market in today's urban environment, though that doesn't mean that there aren't any natural alternatives. Valerian and green tea are both common alternatives to pharmaceutical products, though both have to have certain ingredients in high concentration to have any effect. Children More At Risk With Effects Of Smoking For many years, medical science believed that children and adults were at the same general level of risk when it came to exposure to the negative effects of smoking. However, recent findings and concluded long-term studies have found that smoking can be far more damaging for children than adults. This is probably because the lungs and systems in a child's body have not yet fully developed, and therefore are not as resistant to the problem as an adult's. Groups Call For Warnings On Botox Use Botox, the popular plastic surgery chemical that has effects similar to that of a muscle relaxant, has recently come under attack. A number of concerned groups are attempting to have the authorities place warnings and require information pamphlets to be available in plastic surgeon's offices. This is ostensibly because botox injections have numerous side effects, a number of which are potentially lethal. Eating Your Way To Better Sexual Health Most people would cast the notion of eating to improve sexual health and performance as a myth, much like how deodorants supposedly causes breast cancer.However, the medical reality is that some foods can improve the systems of the body that are involved in sexual functions.For example,foods that improve circulation inevitably improve sexual endurance. Becoming a Victim of Skin Care and Cosmetics People have been killing themselves in the pursuit of beauty for centuries, though only recently has anyone really considered “death by cosmetics” to be a serious issue. The Egyptians used lead heavily in their make-up, as did the Greeks and Romans.This trend has continued until recently,when an international ban on substances like lead and mercury was implemented for the cosmetics industry. Anxiety Disorder of Celebrities and Media Speculation According to the American Psychoanalytic Associated, all the labeling and armchair diagnoses being directed at the behavior of Britney Spears is harmful,both to her and the general public. The ASA contends that it is nearly impossible to provide an accurate diagnosis of a person's mental state based solely on media-selected events, especially if there is a possibility of substance abuse coming into play. Using Exercise as s Form of Pain Relief The benefits of exercise have been well-known for many years now, so the recent discovery that exercise can provide a form of pain relief is not entirely surprising. However, it does go against long-held wisdom that rest and relaxation is better for someone in pain than physical activity. While such an approach does make sense,medical science has proof that the old assumption is inaccurate. Sun Tanning Not So Good For Skin Care While people seem to enjoy the process of laying in the sun for a few hours to get a tan, most of them do not realize that they may be doing damage to their skin. Skin care specialists know that exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays damage the skin in many ways, such as skin cancer. The skin can handle a little UV radiation,but too much and the damage goes beyond what the body can handle. Is Magnetic Pain Relief Real, Or A Hoax? The idea of magnetic pain relief may seem like a medical crackpot theory, similar to the ones put forth during the 19th century,but some in the medical establishment are taking it seriously. There is a large amount of anecdotal evidence to suggest that it does work, though there is no scientific data to support it.It could also be a placebo, though there is no evidence to support that theory either. Mood Swings: Dealing With The Unpredictable Mood swings can be one of the most unpredictable, problematic things that a person has to deal with. The causes of these can range from hormone levels being on the fritz to a variety of mood-related psychological disorders. The trick to dealing with these unpredictable shifts is to find out the cause, then figure out the appropriate road to take from there. Genetic Link for Antidepressants Failure Found Research being conducted at the Institute for Psychiatry in Munich have found a genetic variable that is causing some antidepressants to fail. According to their findings, the gene has 11 variations and each one blocks certain antidepressants, yet allows others to work without any hindrance. It is believed that testing for this gene can help cut down not only on cases where antidepressants do not work,but also reduce the risk of side effects. Anxiety, Poker and Players At Every Table Poker is a game that is played by a wide range of personalities and players, though in practically every table outside of a pro-level competition, there are always a few that always show up. There's “the fish,” which is generally regarded as the worst player at the table, which is different from the laid-back players who play for the sake of playing. Then, there are also the obsessively competitive ones,who see poker not as a game, but as a competition and a skill they can improve upon. Taking Heed About Herbal Products Just because herbal products are not made from chemicals and are supposedly more natural than their pharmaceutical counterparts doesn't mean they're not dangerous. Some herbal supplements and products can be dangerous to the human body in the wrong quantities, and it isn't very hard for some people to have the wrong information about the herbs they're taking. Dangers of Inaccurate or Incorrect Prescriptions As the number of people that pop prescription drugs increases, the risk of people getting incorrect prescriptions also increases.There are a number of ways that a prescription could be incorrect,ranging from misinterpretation of the symptoms to giving the incorrect medication. Damage Done By Overdosing on Tricyclic Antidepressants Tricyclic antidepressants are among the most effective means to combat depression, but pose a considerable risk to the person in the event of an overdose. They can do considerable damage to the body, particularly to the heart and circulatory system. If not treated early enough, an overdose can also put a person into a coma, eventually killing them. New Pain Relief Research Offer Promising Developments The problem with pain relief medication, particularly when used after surgical procedures,has always been their side effects and the risk of addiction.The recent discovery of pain transmitters being separate from other sensory nerves has given medical science a new angle to explore in developing pain killers that don't have to leave patients bound to a hospital bed after surgery.However,progress is slow and there are still a number of things that are uncertain. Why Birth Control Patches May Be More Dangerous Than Pills Birth control pills have always posed the risk of causing potentially fatal blood clots known as venous thromboembolisms, but many have stated that the patches were even more dangerous. Up until recently,the Food and Drug Administration has firmly believed that the patches were no more of a risk than the pills.Recent findings and anecdotal evidence has finally pushed them to order pharmaceutical companies to issue warnings. Observing the Growth of the Online Consultation Business It is expected, and sometimes anticipated, that whenever medicine and technology mesh together, something good is going to come with something bad.In the case of online consultations, the questions are similar to the ones thrown at the online pharmacy industry. That is, there are questions on whether or not the industry is going to be properly regulated,and whether or not the lack of information that can be transmitted over the Internet can be a problem. What To Remember When You Buy Drugs Online Whenever you buy drugs online, be sure to recall that there are both positive and negative aspects to making such a purchase. Online drugstores are generally cheaper to buy from, but may include fees for shipping and registration. While there might be possible holes in the security of your financial and medical information, most of them have adequate measures in place to protect your privacy. Taking Nature Trips To Take Off Anxiety The confines of modern civilization can sometimes put so much pressure on a person that the only viable option to fight it would be to get as far away as possible.Taking nature trips can be a good way to help fight off problems like anxiety, stress, and depression.However,before going on one,it is advisable that preparations be made and the location of the trip be selected carefully. A Glimpse Into The Holistic Approach To Medicine Fairly recently, the “holistic” approach to medicine has been thrown around by the medical community, but only a few laymen have any understanding of what it is.The “holistic” approach can be found in ancient medical systems in the East,where medicine focuses more on the patient and is less concerned with the symptoms.The approach can be applied to a number of things, such as pain relief,sexual health,and muscle fitness. Why Are The Middle-Aged Killing Themselves? According to the findings of the Center for Disease Control,suicide rates are rapidly increasing among the middle-aged. While the causes for this are not as obvious as the anxiety and social pressure that often gets to younger age brackets,this may merely be an outcrop of a lack of research into the matter.Most suicide programs focus either on old age or young adults, ignoring the age brackets situated in between. Warnings On Birth Control Patch Ordered Up until recently, the Food and Drug Administration has not recognized the possibility of potentially lethal side effects related to the use of birth control patches. In theory,the patches have the same generally harmless side effects as the pills do, but in reality, the patch exposes the body to a significantly larger amount of hormones. However, a recent case where a person's chances of survival were threatened by the patch has prompted the FDA to finally order that warnings be issued. Getting A Fix: The Risks Of Pain Relief Addiction Medications used for pain relief, like a number of other substances, can result in someone developing an addiction. Among pain killer drugs, the foremost substance that can cause addiction would be opium, though the many derivatives the drug has can also be highly addicting. This includes the ones that are for hospital use only and the ones that are commercially available. Alternative Ways To Get Menstrual Pain Relief Menstrual pain relief,as the name implies, is caused by menstrual pain, which is a monthly occurrence for most women. While this is a natural process of the body,that does not mean that the medical community has not found ways to help women relieve the pain.There are both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical ways to go about the problem. Yes, Your Office Might Be Causing You Pain The conventional wisdom that says that office workers don't have to worry about their health is completely wrong, with more and more medical professionals noting just how bad for one's health office conditions can be. From physical stress that has people clamoring for pain relief, to possible respiratory problems caused by office environmental conditions, it is becoming increasingly clear that office work can be very bad for your health. The Limits of Internet Pharmacy Self-Regulation The Internet, due to its international nature, has made it difficult for the Internet pharmacy industry to be administrated by any single regulatory body. Questions of jurisdiction come into play frequently, and will continue to do so until the industry comes together to form its own regulatory organization. However, at the moment, most of them are relying on their own self-policing systems, which may or may not be adequate. So You Want To Buy Birth Control If you're considering buying birth control, then you should ask yourself a few key questions to help narrow down the multitude of options you have. Determining whether it would be for regular use, whether it has to be permanent, and whether or not it might cause side effects for either one should be considered before making a final decision about what form of contraceptive to use. Your Friendly Neighborhood Enema As a medical procedure used to treat a small range of digestive problems, enemas have gained a surprising level of popularity as a sexual health supplement.Both men and women have reported enjoying both using enemas on their partners, and having enemas used on them. The Quandary Regarding Muscle Relaxants Overdosing on any medication could have very serious physical implications and even life threatening results. Almost all medications including muscle relaxants should only be taken under a doctor’s supervision. Some muscle relaxants can also be habit-forming thus making its use almost always by prescription only. The Many Faces of Anxiety Most people make the mistake of seeing anxiety as a minor concern, something that can be overcome. However, many people do not realize that anxiety can be a very serious problem, or that it can take on manyforms. Post-traumatic stressdisorder,phobias, and panic disorder are all considered to be forms of anxiety. New Approaches To Pain Relief The main problem that people have had with pain relief drugs is that, in large enough or potent enough doses, the numbness can be a problem. New research is being conducted to avoid that problem, mainly by figuring out how to suppress the pain reaction without suppressing other physical reactions. So far, there has been some success, but further testing and refinement are still needed. Poison Information For Everyday Use For those who are aware of what they are and how to use them, poisonous substances can be found virtually anywhere. There are a number of readily-available ones, as well as ones that won't show up on a standard toxicology exam.There are different ways to administer them and different things to know when doing so,so no one approach is going to work for all poisons. Old Sexual Health Problem Making A Forceful Comeback Syphilis, which had long been thought nearly wiped out because of penicillin,is now starting to make a comeback in a number of European and American cities. The problem, some experts believe, is somewhat connected to people's attitudes about the treatment of HIV, which was the primary sexual health concern of the previous decades. The focus on HIV, combined with the eroding awareness of syphilis, could possibly be the root cause of this resurgence. Dealing With Death Anxiety The state of mind known as “death anxiety” has long been ignored by the medical community, despite it being a major cause of depression among the terminally ill and their families. However, while most people agree that the focus should remain firmly on the physical aspects of treatment, many also point out that it would be good for people to acknowledge that the emotional and psychological aspects of this need to be addressed as well. All-Natural Antidepressants People have likely been fighting depression for as long as civilization has been around, though only recently has there been pharmaceutical ways to fight it. However, there are also a number of herbs and plants that can be used to help fight depression.Gingko-buloba,Valerian,and St.John's Wort can all be used as a natural antidepressant, in lieu of modern medication. Concrete Evidence That Alcohol Does Have Effects On Sexual Health For as long as anyone can remember, alcohol has been known to have effects on a person's sexual health and behavior, though no one had any physiological data to explain why. Recent research conducted at Pennsylvania State University,however,has finally found data that might form a new baseline for research into how alcohol affects sexual behavior and performance. Common Birth Control Methods and How Effective They Are There are numerous birth control methods out there, which means that people have a wide range of options to choose from. However,it should be noted that each method carries with it a certain number of positive and negative aspects, as well as a certain amount of retained risk of pregnancy. Antidepressant Might Help Prevent Perfume Overload Recent research conducted in Tel Aviv has found a link between depression and the sense of smell, suggesting that men and women who use too much perfume or cologne might be in need of an antidepressant.Depression appears to cause damage to the olfactory nerve, possibly resulting in a complete loss of the ability to smell, though this idea is still new and requires further testing. Can Birth Control Patches Kill You? For many years, people have considered the story of a woman dying because of blood clots caused by birth control patches to be a myth.However, recent investigations conducted by doctors,along with anecdotal evidence, suggest that there is more to it than just urban legend.The patches are known to cause non-lethal blood clots,so some consider it possible that it can cause fatal ones as well. Beware of False Positives and Fake Generics Internet technology and the idea of the placebo are now being used to form a dangerous scam involving selling fake medication over the Internet. The global economy being what it is, most people would rather take cheap generic drugs when possible, which is easy to find over the Internet. What they don't realize is that not all Internet-based pharmacies are selling legitimate drugs. Unconventional Yet Effective Sleep Aids Sleep is one of those things that transcend cultural and geographical boundaries,such that there is likely no culture in the world today that doesn't have at least one contribution to the list of sleep aids. Some of the herbal aids that are known to be effective include Valerian and kava. Of late, the consumption of dietary supplements and the practice of Yoga and Zen meditation have been gaining popularity as means of alternative cure for sleeplessness. First Aid In The Event Of An Anxiety Attack Some statistics say that everyone undergoes an anxiety attack at least once in their lifetimes, but they often don't have any idea how to handle it beyond calling the hospital emergency room. The truth is that there are a few things that people can do to help themselves if they experience an attack. There are also some things that other people can do to help someone facing an attack. Birth Control Tricks That Don't Work In the modern era, there are a number of so-called “tricks” that a woman or a couple can do to prevent pregnancy. However, a decent understanding of how the menstrual cycle and conception works will help a person comprehend and distinguish the myths from the real effective birth control strategies. Things To Consider When Purchasing Medicines Online Ordering things like antidepressants and pain medications online can be an easy process that takes only a few minutes. However,unless a customer is careful in what sites are being ordered from, the convenience could be outweighed by a number of things.The Internet is a place that is nearly impossible to properly regulate, so not every online pharmacy is a legitimate operation. Possible Concerns When Using Weight Loss Medication Even when a person chooses to buy prescription weight loss medication, they are still facing a number of risks. While the side effects and drawbacks of their use are not as common as other medications, that does not mean that the problems connected with long-term use of weight loss medication is any less serious. FDA Regulations For Safer Online Medication Buying The Food and Drug Administration may not have the authority or the power to regulate themany Internet pharmacies that have appeared, but it does have the power to issue some advice for consumers. There are various ways for people to determine whether or not a pharmacy is legitimate and a safe place to order medicine online. In addition, there are also a few regulatory authorities that aim to self-police the emerging industry. Cross-Checking And Double-Checking Online Drug Purchases While there are measures that a consumer can take to make sure that an online pharmacy can be trusted, most people don't bother to check the merchandise once delivered. There are a few steps that can be taken to make sure that the correct medication has been delivered, most of which involve little more than a visual inspection of the drug and whatever paraphernalia it came with. Trouble Recovering After Using Birth Control Birth control pills are among the most commonly used pharmaceutical contraceptives out there, though sometimes, a woman will stop taking them because she's finally decided to have children. There is normally no problem with this, aside from the usual three months it takes for the body to get back to the normal ovulation cycle. However, for some women, this does not occur normally and that might be a sign of a serious fertility problem. The Pitfalls and Positives of Abstinence-Only Birth Control Whenever the question of the effectiveness of birth control comes up, abstinence is often proclaimed to be best option. However,there are flaws in this argument stemming from factors that are inherent to the nature of abstinence and how they interact with human behavior. Abstinence has both positive and negative aspects,and should not be taken as the only possible solution. Birth Control Pills Create Mutant Trout! It may seem like an idea right out of some science fiction novel, but the reality is that the high levels of estrogen from birth control pills are causing mutations in fish and frogs. The hormones, coming from the sewage runoff of major cities, is mutating aquatic life near major urban areas across the US. While most people are not worried about this at the moment, experts believe that it is only a matter of time until the high levels of hormones in the water affect humans. Why the Absolute Male Birth Control Is Still Far From Becoming Reality There is a certain problem involving getting males to take a more active role in preventing pregnancy, and that is the lack of male birth control options. Aside from the condom and the vasectomy, there are no real and reversible options for men in preventing pregnancy. While recent research has found some leads,the results are still far from consistent enough to warrant advanced testing. The Birth Control Working Process Most women who use birth control pills generally have no idea how the pills work, even if the process might have some effects on their health. While side effects of taking birth control pills are not all that widespread, they are a potential problem. Understanding how birth control pills work may help people better evaluate the risks involved in the use of such methods. Know Your Tramadol Side Effects Tramadol,while being an effective pain killer, is just as likely to generate side effects in some people as any other medication.Most of these side effects are mild and are only a mild cause of concern,but others can be real problems if the person is not careful.Thankfully, serious side effects tend to be rare occurences. Considerations When Browsing Internet Pharmacy Sites An Internet pharmacy, like any other retailer or business that's based on the Internet, is something that should be observed carefully. It isn't very hard to create a fake website that looks surprisingly like the real thing. Even if a person does find a legitimate site, there may be other things that he failed to factor into his considerations, such as geography. Cheap Generic Drugs Or Expensive Branded Ones? In the modern world, there are generally two types of medication that a person has to choose from when sick: the cheap generic drugs, or the expensive branded medications. There are numerous misconceptions and myths about both, usually taking a pro-brand name bias. However, the reality is that one is just as effective as the other. Birth Control Methods Don't Always Fight STDs Most people tend to assume that birth control methods can also be used to help prevent an infection by a sexually transmitted disease. However, the reality is that most of these contraceptives cannot fight off STDs and, in one case, may increase the risk of infection. It is important, therefore, that people be better informed about which methods prevent STDs and which are strictly used for birth control. Age, Sexual Health, Virginity, And Deviant Behavior While age has always been associated with the various physical factors of sex,other biological factors may also have an effect on other sexual health traits. For example, men and women who lose their virginity at a later age are statistically more likely to develop psychological conditions related to sex than others who had sex at an age considered to be the “average” time for gaining the first sexual experience. Nature's Contraceptives: Herbal Birth Control Methods Nature, it is said, can provide for all the needs of humankind, even seemingly “artificial” ones, such as birth control methods. Various herbs and plants have been used for centuries to help prevent pregnancy, with some of them being backed up by science and others by historical references. Among these herbs are wild yams, pomegranate seeds, and Queen Anne's Lace seeds. Do Antibiotics and Birth Control Flow? For many years now, some people and doctors have reported that antibiotics and birth control medications don't mix very well. While concrete studies on the effects of antibiotics on the effectiveness of birth control are few, most doctors and women prefer to lean on the side of caution and use more than one method of birth control. This is sound advice because no evidence to prove antibiotics don't have an effect on birth control effectiveness has been found. How You Might Be Sabotaging Your Own Birth Control It should be noted that birth control is not always 100% effective, and that there are certain actions a person can take that would be detrimental to the effectiveness of birth control. Seemingly mundane things like timing, use of antibiotics, and even grapefruit juice can all work to increase the chances that birth control will fail. The Final Birth Control Solution for Men For men who really don't want to have children and willing to go through a surgical procedure to see to that, there is the option of having a vasectomy. A vasectomy is a generally irreversible surgical procedure that prevents the sperm from traveling from the testes to the penis, effectively making sure that they never exit the body. While drastic, some men have opted to do this because they are certain that they do not want to sire offspring. The Potential Hazards of Taking Birth Control Pills Birth control pills are among the most relied upon and most used contraceptive options for women available In the market. However, due to the nature of human biochemistry and the unpredictability of how some medications interact with certain physiologies, there are some possible side effects. For the most part, these side effects can be traced to hormonal imbalances caused by the pills. Spiders Could Become An Impotent Man's Best Friend Men with sexual health problems might eventually be turning to the venom of the Brazilian wandering spider for help. The venom of this, and a few other spider species, has been known to cause prolonged erections in bitten humans, so some research groups and companies are looking to them as an alternative to Viagra. Smoking Is Slowly Killing Your Teeth Smoking has been known to cause various sorts of side effects and damage to the body, including debilitating the ability of some cells to regenerate. This is particularly true when the gums and teeth are exposed to tobacco. It not only aggravates damage that is already there, it can also be the cause or what starts the damage to one's teeth and gums. Smoking Damages Gum Repair Procedures For many years, people have known that smoking can often impede the body's ability to recover from a surgical procedure, with more pronounced effects on dental surgery. However, recent findings show that smoking does not only impede the body's self-repairing capabilities, it can also undo any repairs done on the gums. Smoking Ban Proves More Beneficial For Non-Smokers Over the years, a number of countries have placed bans on smoking in public places. These bans were put into effect to theoretically help smokers to quit, but recent research has revealed that it is having a more appreciable effect on non-smokers. Studies are starting to show that the lack of exposure to second-hand smoke has had an appreciable positive effect on public health. Soldier's Disease: Military, Medicine, And Morphine Morphine, a derivative of opium that also serves as the source of heroin, is a potent pain relief drug, and one of the most addictive. It has a colorful history that includes being touted as a “cure” for opium addiction, which is ironic since morphine is a refined form of opium. Even though it is a narcotic substance, it is still being used by doctors as a last resort. Birth Size Could Be Linked to Use of Antidepressant Drugs Children who were born smaller than average may end up experiencing things such as depression and anxiety later in life, a British study showed. The problems, in theory, are caused by the same factors that cause fetuses to grow slower in the womb. However, the study has encountered problems because the researchers ignored several variables that could have impacted the outcome. The Patient and the Unusual Phobia Strangeness aside, there are some truly odd and unusual phobias out there in the psychological world, with a few being stranger than even the pop culture phobias that people often hear about. However, even though they're very unusual, they receive the same treatment as more recognizable fears, such as claustrophobia. Deathstalker Venom: From Poison To Cure? The Israeli Desert Scorpion, also known by the name Deathstalker, is known as the most dangerous and most venomous scorpion in the world. However, recent research has revealed that this particular scorpion's venom has some potential use as pain relief medication for cancer patients, as well as use in treating diabetes and brain tumors. Non-Narcotic Pain Relief Alternatives For many years, post-surgery therapy has sometimes been seen as being as big of a problem as the surgery itself, primarily due to the use of narcotic pain relief medication. While non-narcotic pain relief medication is being implemented slowly, there are some limitations. For example, there is currently no-non narcotic equivalent to morphine. Drug Addiction Riding Behind Mental Illness? For many years, experts have noted that most drug addicts are also suffering from mental health problems, such as social anxiety disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. Recent studies have shown that if the brain is suffering from a psychological disorder, it makes the body more vulnerable to addiction. The Perils of Surgical Mishaps The chances of a doctor operating or performing surgery on the wrong part of the brain is actually much larger than most people would believe. This sort of surgical mishap happens to hundreds every year and, even with multiple steps taken to prevent it, can still happen to anyone. Night Work Could Be the Death of You Science has recently begun the process of correcting itself by acknowledging that there is a possible link between cancer and graveyard shift work. While there is still no concrete evidence, studies are already being planned to determine more concretely if there is a link. For the time being, however, there is ample statistical data to make the stress produced by night shift work a strong risk factor for cancer. The Medical Idiot's Guide To Zombies Zombies, at least the ones in the true, Voodoo-inspired sense, are actually quite real and pose a problem in Haiti. The process of turning someone into a zombie usually involves a formula that includes a quantity of muscle relaxant or anesthetic,though opiates are also good substitutions. The goal is to cause the victim to appear dead long enough to be buried, at which point the witch doctor simply has to dig him out.

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