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When you look at the central core of drugs available to medicine, there’s little difference between one country and the next. Everyone uses the same antidepressants, erectile dysfunction and pain-killing drugs. The names may change. Obviously, sometimes the brand name translates into something unfortunate in other languages. But there can also be some quite dramatic differences in the way the drugs are used. In this, Europe is one of the leading groups of countries when it comes to medical practice. Within the federal structure and the member states, there are groups of experts who adopt an evidence-based approach to the practice of medicine. If there’s no evidence a treatment is effective, the advisory bodies positively recommend doctors find a different way of treating the problem. Why is this?

Europe depends on a socialist approach to healthcare. All the states fund the care services out of tax revenue. This is not to deny the role of private insurance companies. Anyone who wants something better than the state provides, buys a policy that will provide it. So, since most people receive treatment without having to pay for it, the states are interested in controlling costs. The tax payers do not want to feel their money is being used without good reason. So all drugs, medical devices and other treatments are vetted. Only those that pass the tests are paid for by out of state funds. A policyholder can ask his or her insurance company to pay, but that’s a private matter. The result is that treatment strategies are standardized across Europe, using only those drugs and devices where the evidence clearly shows they are effective.

In the US, this approach is rejected. Our doctors are free to prescribe whatever drugs they like whether on or off-label. They can recommend procedures and treatments where there’s not a shred of evidence they will produce good results. This is one of the reasons why healthcare spending is out of control in the US. Insurance companies simply pay out on the treatments billed by the doctors. When the money in the insurance finds runs low, they increase the premium rates. At some point, individual states and the federal government must come to grips with this problem and, truth be told, the European model is the best alternative. If the insurance companies only paid out for treatments where there’s clear evidence of their effectiveness, we would all benefit. more…

For many years, doctors have accepted the link between obesity and erectile dysfunction. Ignoring the purely physical problems of coupling when the expanded waist may get in the way and the excessive weight may be difficult to support, the researchers recognized that diabetes can damage the nerve endings and high levels of cholesterol in the blood can cause artherosclerosis. As the arteries harden, the first symptom will be erectile dysfunction. The penile artery is one of the smallest in the body and the first to show signs of damage. So if you see a trend of sexual problems as a younger man, this is a dangerous sign of heart disease. Without treatment, the latest evidence suggests the possibility of a stroke or heart attack within five years. But weight problems at the other end of the scale may also cause problems.

A new study from Denmark enrolled 5,500 adults into a trial. It seems women who are at either end of the weight range have fewer problems with sex. Although low body weight can affect menstruation and cause vaginal dryness, it does not physically prevent sexual activity. Even obese women find little difference to their sexual health. The real surprise was that women who admitted smoking cannabis were three times more likely to lose their enjoyment of orgasms. But, when compared to men of average weight, very thin men are more than 20 times likely to some form of sexual difficulty. This can be erectile dysfunction, or premature ejaculation, low sperm count, and so on. Similarly, obese men were significantly more likely to experience sexual problems.

The moral of this story for men could not be more clear cut. If you have an exceptionally low BMI, you should eat more if you want to avoid sexual problems. Putting on some weight will improve performance and enjoyment. This is not to advise you to supersize on junk food. That will do far more harm than good. Within sensible limits, you should eat larger portions of more healthy food until you approach an average body weight. In this, note it will not do you any good to take one of the erectile dysfunction drugs. If your body is not responding because of low weight, the drug is unlikely to be effective. Erections should return naturally if you begin to put weight on. more…

The Need for a Better Treatment

Corticosteroid sales have gone through the roof in the past decade, though they have been rising since their invention. This is in no small part due to the rapidly increasing count of people with asthma and various allergies, the reactions of which can be best treated with corticosteroids. However, corticosteroids are only used to control the symptoms, not prevent them or cure the condition in any way. This is glaringly obvious when you see the statistics:

• 34.1 million asthma sufferers in the United States
• 70% of asthma sufferers also have allergies
• 10.1 million work days a year are missed due to asthma
• Asthma levels rising rapidly
• 54.6% of Americans have allergies

Explaining the Increase of Allergy, Asthma Rates

Allergies are sensitivities of the body to any specific thing that enters the body. The allergic reaction is the immune system’s attempt to fight off the invader.

One of the most annoying, if not debilitating, allergies these days is caused by dust mites. They are also a huge contributing factor to asthma. The house dust mite (HDM) enjoys the stable environment of the modern human home as it eats dust, which is made up of nourishing human skin. The increase in dust mite allergies and asthma can be explained through the success of human climate control:

• Americans are able to maintain stable, warm homes year round – dust mites hate the cold too
• Wall-to-wall carpet is common in American homes, where HDM lives, and vacuuming does not stop them
• The increase of time spent indoors means more exposure to mites

Time spent indoors is also a factor in another common allergy-origin theory.
A complementary idea says that it is a lack of exposure to allergens during childhood that causes our bodies to see certain foods and pollens as threats. Because we spend so much time indoors, we simply are not exposed enough to the things that later cause allergic reactions.

If Hygiene is the Enemy, Are Hookworms the Cure?

Allergies and asthma are rare in rural traditional African communities. This evidence suggests that a mostly sterile environment prevents the immune system from exercising, which scientists call “the Hygiene Hypothesis”. However, a more nuanced notion is perhaps now the leading theory on allergies all together.

Human bodies contain organisms that have been with us as we evolved, including mitochondria. Both humans and hookworms too have benefited from evolving together. Because hookworms are seen as intestine-munching parasites, we eradicate them. Did we have missed the fact that they regulate immune reactions?
Some people actually intentionally contract hookworm to fight allergies and asthma. One man even sells it, though not in the US. Helminthic therapy is even used to battle Crohn’s Disease.

Are Hookworms for You?

To get hookworm, the easiest way is to walk through latrines in Africa. But please don’t! Hookworms actually do pose a risk to your health and testing is needed before doctors know all the risks. more…

Arthritis is a very common health condition that is estimated to affect over 30 million people in US alone. There are dozens of different forms of arthritis that are manifested in different ways and have different causes. But in general arthritis describes a range of inflammatory and degenerative conditions that primarily affect joints and bones. It is commonly believed that arthritis is an age-related condition however there are different types of arthritis that can also affect children and younger adults. And the biggest problem about arthritis is it commonly caused chronic pain that seriously affects all activities of the person suffering from this health condition.

Chronic pain associated with arthritis is a serious problem because it can severely decrease the quality of life in the patient. Unlike acute pain that can be easily addressed in a short period of time and usually wears off in a gradual manner, chronic pain can be weaker in intensity yet persistent through time, causing discomfort for days, months and even years. It can vary in intensity but it’s always there so the patient also suffers from the psychological point of view because he or she knows that the pain will come back again and there’s nothing to do about it.

Fortunately, there are different pain management methods available for chronic pain relief these days. Arthritis patients are common to physical therapy that is often prescribed by rheumatologists for effective pain relief. Physical therapy can improve the condition of the area affected by arthritis and promote pain relief if applied repetitively. But it’s very important that the therapy is performed by a qualified specialist that knows how to address this sensitive condition correctly. Otherwise, there may be even an aggravation of pain if the therapy is performed by an incompetent therapist.

Another common form of arthritis pain relief that has become quite popular in the past couple of years is acupuncture. This ancient Chinese practice looks quite strange: small thin needles are applied to special spots all over the body. But in fact this technique was observed to be actually effective. Many arthritis patients who have undergone several sessions of acupuncture have reported that their pain has become less intense and their overall condition has improved. Specialists believe that it’s due to the increased production of natural painkillers, endorphins, in the body that is stimulated by needle application. But no matter how it is achieved it is also important that you address an experienced and competent acupuncture specialist for the most benefit. more…

When it comes to dealing with acne there are many things you can actually do to get rid of the problem. There are many different solutions, cremes and methods you can employ to get rid of this unpleasant skin condition. And every solution can be quite effective in different cases. Still, there are some things you should never do to your acne no matter what type of it you seem to have if you don’t want to make the problem even worse. Some of these things may be commonly suggested as an effective solution to acne by people who aren’t very competent on the matter. So if you don’t want to make your acne worse, here are some things you should definitely avoid doing about acne:

Excessive hygiene

While keeping your skin healthy and clean all the time is important becoming fanatic about it may have negative consequences. It is important to remove oil excess and dirt from the skin daily in order to prevent inflammation and bacterial infection. However, if you are washing your skin several times a day and use a strong antibacterial soap or solution for it you risk making your skin too dry and irritating it. This in turn can make your skin more vulnerable to external factors and lead to excessive damage. So don’t become a hygiene maniac if you have acne.

Excessive use of anti-acne solutions

Moderation is one of the most important aspects for any type of treatment including anti-acne solution use. While used in small or moderate amounts, most acne treatments can be very effective and eliminate acne breakouts effectively. However, if you feel that the solution isn’t working as desired or just want to get results faster using excessive amounts of it or more often than needed can actually damage your skin and make the acne problem even worse.

Mixing different solutions

It may seem like a rational move to mix different effective solutions for acne in order to maximize the benefit and get results faster. However, this is definitely not the brightest thing to do if you want to keep your skin healthy. Different solutions use different ingredients that may interact with each other and cause side effects. Moreover, by combining several topical solutions you can irritate your skin and cause additional problems that will ultimately lead to acne breakouts. more…