Category: CHILDREN’S ISSUES
GOING GREEN – AN ESSAY – THE WASTE BY THE PHARMA INDUSTRY AND ADVERTISING COMPANIES – WHERE IS AL GORE ON THIS?
Did you ever get a sample or starter pak of medicine from your doctor? Usually, the pak will have one or two pills in a blister, nuclearbomb proof wrap, and then boxed with some expensive advertising. When is enough, enough ! To top it off, the little pill in the blister pak in the little box is one of five or six other little highly advertised little boxes in a yet bigger box. Then comes the literature that is mandated by the FDA to be put in each box or on the blister pak itself. Then, with the leaving of the little boxes in the bigger boxes, pages and pages of highly detailed literature is presented and left with the doctor. Only God or Buddha would actually know how much of this stuff ends up in the garbage.
http://offroadersblog.com/546/ And now, with the internet, WebMD, CastMD, Mayo Clinic, and other portals of Net-formation, why is all this waste appealing to the advertisers, the pharma companies, and the FDA subcommittees?
If the waste would stop, more medicines could be used by clinics to help offset the high costs to patients for starter paks, courses of medicines, or to give to those without drug benefits…a rising number ! How about just a 5-10 point update on the med instead of pages of infitessimal fine print squished on multi-folded paper…What do you think FDA?
Well, I hope Al and his Green friends read my essay today. Maybe he could trade some of those "Green CO2 impression stamps" he bought to offset his private jet and give them to the FDA and the Pharma companies. That way, the universe would be in drug balance, and we don't have to worry about trees, water, air, and the uninsured and underinsured. ZZZZOOOOOOOMMMMMM, I hear his jet now………
KIDS ON CALL – HIGH ANXIETY – TURN OFF CELLPHONE MADNESS – CUT THE INTERNET – CUT THE CALLS – CUT THE ANXIETY
What if Sally told Damian who told Susie who said Bob heard from Tony that someone was told that somebody knew about what was supposed to have happened !
strattera online no prescription What matters is:
Does your family need every kid to be “on call?” Does the kid deserve some privacy, alone time, reflection time…
Does your family need every kid to be “on call?” Does the kid deserve not to be in everyone’s quick pick cellphone five to stay alive? What if no reply is sent?
It seems that the number of anxiety disorders is rising, as is the number of children with attention deficit disorder, attention deficiti hyperactivity disorder and eating disorders. Many other illnesses such as diabetes, joint disorders, heart disease, ocd, and high cholesterol are sneakingly and alarmingly rising in our youth.
Many of the reasons that cell phones’ basic safety issues have been put to the back burner, is to train the trend setting addiction downloads and uploads to happen. Addicted to cell? Crazy?
The problem is – with all the uploads, downloads, text messages, pix interchanges, and annoying ringtones or games that your youth has to endure….when does the quiet moment come, when does the kid get to relax? Flop on the couch? Jump in the lake? Take the cell with…
Processing of information is good. Processing of steps is good – as in chess. All this does come from being able to program a cell phone, take a picture, record a intro, text the message…then send the entire file to a friend or foe in record milliseconds.
But while doing all of this, reading books, doing homework, writing poetry or music, or practicing basketball or bass guitar…even eating ice cream does NOT happen relaxed.
When people are constantly interrupted from thought, the complexity of the thought process drops. Like in hitting baseballs or golfballs, the follow through is critical. I say slow the burn, cell phone OFF turn !
Torture is being interrupted from a thought process over and over and over and over. Sleep patterns, napping, resting, watching the clouds go by, day-dreaming, and wishing upon a star…are all interrupted. It just makes for high anxiety.
Slow down, even the turkeys obey the speed limit.
Many of my colleagues would forever give up their beepers, cellphones, and pagers…for less anxiety. What is crazy is we are creating and feeding the mental anxiety monster in youth worldwide…….
Oh, excuse me, my cell phone is vibrating……….
EATING DISORDERS AND DISORDERED EATING CALL FOR SURVIVAL – IS YOUR TEEN AT RISK
EATING DISORDERS OR DISORDERED EATING is a reflection of SELF-PERCEPTION and A SERIOUS CALL FOR HELP !
Significant focus lately has been on the “models” around the world and their associated “thin” look. American Idol, the next Super Model, and others show the associated forces of “thinness.” Also, many articles and news reports have been on the obesity problem in the world, especially the United States.
Challenges have come so forefront with this terrific medical problem for our young women and some men, that even the modeling companies, worldwide, have taken newer roles of healthy expectations to limit the “skin on bones” starved look of current models.
Medically, the disordered eating individual includes new changes in diet in teens, especially if going from “normal” family eating habits to vegetarian, isolation during meals, or dieting. Many time friends know of problems, but do not want to “rat” on their friend. A sudden change in baggier “hiding” clothes may be a clue to a weight losing teen, unable to stop the spiral of destructive behavior.
These eating disorders or better stated, disordered eating patients represent a body dysmorphism – an unhappiness of self – yet usually a symptom of feelings –sometimes brought on by the patient’s world. Many are perfectionist personalities doing well in personal growth, school, friends, and even family.
What is anorexia nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa is an illness that usually occurs in teenage girls, but it can also occur in teenage boys, and adult women and men. People with anorexia are obsessed with being thin. They lose a lot of weight and are terrified of gaining weight. They believe they are fat even though they are very thin. Anorexia isn't just a problem with food or weight. It's an attempt to use food and weight to deal with emotional problems. This problem demands professional help.
What is the difference between anorexia and bulimia?
People with anorexia starve themselves, avoid high-calorie foods and exercise constantly. People with bulimia eat huge amounts of food, but they throw up soon after eating, or take laxatives or diuretics (water pills) to keep from gaining weight. People with bulimia don't usually lose as much weight as people with anorexia.
Why do people get anorexia?
Warning signs of anorexia
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The reason some people get anorexia isn't known. People with anorexia may believe they would be happier and more successful if they were thin. They want everything in their lives to be perfect. People who have this disorder are usually good students. They are involved in many school and community activities. They blame themselves if they don't get perfect grades, or if other things in life are not perfect.
What are the problems caused by anorexia?
Girls with anorexia usually stop having menstrual periods. People with anorexia have dry skin and thinning hair on the head. They may have a growth of fine hair all over their body. They may feel cold all the time, and they may get sick often. People with anorexia are often in a bad mood. They have a hard time concentrating and are always thinking about food. It is not true that anorexics are never hungry. Actually, they are always hungr
y. Feeling hunger gives them a feeling of control over their lives and their bodies. It makes them feel like they are good at something–they are good at losing weight. People with severe anorexia may be at risk of death from starvation. As dying continues, heart rates drop, kidney damage and liver damage can occur. Odd changes can occur, such as high cholesterol and other heart disease.
What is the treatment for anorexia?
Treatment of anorexia is difficult, because people with anorexia believe there is nothing wrong with them. Patients in the early stages of anorexia (less than 6 months or with just a small amount of weight loss) may be successfully treated without having to be admitted to the hospital. But for successful treatment, patients must want to change and must have family and friends to help them.
People with more serious anorexia need care in the hospital, usually in a special unit for people with anorexia and bulimia. Treatment involves more than changing the person's eating habits. Anorexic patients often need counseling for a year or more so they can work on changing the feelings that are causing their eating problems. These feelings may be about their weight, their family problems or their problems with self-esteem. Some anorexic patients are helped by taking medicine that makes them feel less depressed. These medicines are prescribed by a doctor and are used along with counseling.
How can family and friends help?
The most important thing that family and friends can do to help a person with anorexia is to love them. People with anorexia feel safe, secure and comfortable with their illness. Their biggest fear is gaining weight, and gaining weight is seen as loss of control. They may deny they have a problem. People with anorexia will beg and lie to avoid eating and gaining weight, which is like giving up the illness. Family and friends should not enable to an eating disorder patient’s demands. Group therapy for the family, and even the friends can be very helpful, and much more informative for a consolidated unified front to help save the life of a disordered patient.
Some books that castMD would recommend are:
The Body Betrayed
Dying To Be Thin
Starving For Attention
Body Traps
(Caveat: some discussion is extremely serious, and adult oriented but may be used with proper counseling and medical assistance.)
adapted from: FamPhys with commentary by castMD
hpv – save the cheerleader – save the world – vaccinate your daughters – VOTE IN THE POLL
Every family should consider the vaccination program for the prevention of HPV induced cervical cancer and HPV induced genital warts. All females over age 12 should talk with their doctor about this miraculous preventative program which reduces cervical cancer and genital warts risk.
VOTE IN THE VACCINATION POLL IN THE RIGHT MARGIN BELOW BLOG CATEGORIES
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS AND GENERIC DRUG POLICY – GENERIC SAFETY EFFICACY PURITY – LEGISLATING WHEN A GENERIC IS A GENERIC?
Biopharmaceutical “generics” controversy continues on Capitol Hill. Manufacturers say that the biopharmaceuticals cannot be guaranteed of safety, potency, and purity in the generic sense, since they are proteins and other biological type medications. This is quite different from the many generic forms of other drugs, such as aspirin, penicillin, and other chemical drugs.
Why is this such a big deal?
Biopharm prices are considerable higher than chemical drugs. Of the $252 billion dollars spent on prescription medicines in 2005, $33 billion was biotech-biopharm types of medicines. All med sales grow about 5-6 % per year, whereas the biopharm group grows about 3 times that rate. The top three selling biopharm meds were neupogen, epogen, and intron A – with costs at about 15, 20, and 22 thousand dollars per patient per year. Imiglucerase, an enzyme drug, will cost about 200,000 dollars per patient per year.
Large carriers such as Kaiser and others are seeing astronomical increases in these drug costs. Medicare estimates for drug plans estimated at 395 billion, now is over 650 billion over the ten years initial estimates.
In the generic marketplace, drug costs have been reduced about 50-70 percent in general. However, this truly sensical process may be difficult to add to generic follow-through biotech group of biopharmaceuticals. How will the abbreviated new drug application be changed to allow “generic” or “follow-through” biotech biopharmaceuticals to progress faster to FDA approval? Certainly, the savings for guaranteeing the purity, safety, and efficacy of the biopharmaceuticals may not be as great. The big issue still remains whether the profits from “open season” on the off patent biopharmaceuticals will allow for continued research and development for newer and unique and orphan type biotech drugs that will save patients and save money.
The baby boomers are passing through the biopharmaceutical turnstile now, and with growing numbers.
How the 1984 Hatch-Waxman Act (Drug Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act) will change and what effect any change will have is to be determined as of yet. This law allowed rapid development and approval of chemical drugs for generic distribution after patents expired on known brand name drugs.
(Commentary by castMD with adaptation from: Fuhr & Blackstone's article in Biotechnology Healthcare)
HPV VACCINE – CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION – GENITAL WARTS PREVENTION – REVISITED – VACCINATION IS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE WHY WAIT?
CDC’s Advisory Committee Recommends Human Papillomavirus Virus Vaccination GARDASIL now available !!!!
CDC’s Advisory Committee Recommends Human Papillomavirus Virus Vaccination Vaccine considered highly effective in preventing infections that are the cause of most cervical cancers.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted Thursday to recommend that a newly licensed vaccine designed to protect against human papillomavirus virus (HPV) be routinely given to girls when they are 11-12 years old. The ACIP recommendation also allows for vaccination of girls beginning at nine years old as well as vaccination of girls and women 13-26 years old. HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer in women.
According to the ACIP’s recommendation, three doses of the new vaccine should be routinely given to girls when they are 11 or 12 years old. The advisory committee, however, noted that the vaccination series can be started as early as nine years old at the discretion of the physician or health care provider. The recommendation also includes girls and women 13-26 years old because they will benefit from getting the vaccine. The vaccine should be administered before onset of sexual activity (i.e., before women are exposed to the viruses), but females who are sexually active should still be vaccinated.
“This vaccine represents an important medical breakthrough,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “As a result, these vaccine recommendations address a major health problem for women and represent a significant advance in women’s health. It has been tested in thousands of women around the world and has been found to be safe and effective in providing protection against the two types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers.”
Gardasil®, manufactured by Merck, is the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions and genital warts due to HPV — `HPV causes genital warts in men and women. The vaccine is highly effective against four types of the HPV virus, including two that cause about 70 percent of cervical cancer. Those who have not acquired HPV would get the full benefits of the vaccine. On average, there are 9,710 new cases and 3,700 deaths from cervical cancer in the United States each year.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, More than 20 million men and women in the United States are currently infected with HPV and there are 6.2 million new infections each year. HPV is most common in young women and men who are in their late teens and early 20s. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired HPV infection.
“Although an effective vaccine is a major advance in the prevention of genital HPV and cervical cancer, it will not replace other prevention strategies, such as cervical cancer screening for women or protective sexual behaviors,” said Dr. Schuchat “Women should continue to get pap tests as a safeguard against cervical cancer.”
The ACIP, consisting of 15 members appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), advises the director of CDC and Secretary of HHS on control of vaccine-preventable disease and vaccine usage. Recommendations of the ACIP become CDC policy when they are accepted by the director of CDC and are published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). There are no federal laws requiring the immunization of children. All school and daycare entry laws are state laws and vary from state to state. (from: Summer 2006)
For the lastest directly visit: http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/
BLURKER ADDICTION AND BLOGGER BEHAVIOR BLURKER ANONYMOUS SCREENING AND CONFIRMATION – NEED A PROFESSIONAL?
BLURKER ANONYMOUS SCREENING (CAGE)
- Have you ever thought you ought to Cut down on your blog entries or blurking?
- Do you feel Annoyed at criticism of your blog writing or blurking?
- Do you feel Guilty about your blog writing or blurking?
- Do you ever take an Early-morning look (eye-opener) at your latest blog favorite or use blogging or blurking upon awakening (“a little hair of the dog that bit you”) to start the day or to feel better?
IF YOU ANSWERED ONE OR MORE “YES†TO THE ABOVE SCREENING TEST – CONTINUE TO THIS CONFIRMATORY EVALUATION .
BLURKER ADDICTION CONFIRMATION SYSTEM ®
Eating meals alone while blurking or blogging
Rereading your blog or your latest entries
Rereading your favorite blogs
Trying to stop reading blogs
Considering group meetings for bloggers
Realizing your world is centered on your favorite blogs
Wondering repeatedly what writing an entry would be like
Time with family and friends are limited
Sneaking away to check your favorite blogs
Do you check your blog stats over once per day
Do you wonder in moments of calm who might be seeing your blog
Not owning up to the problem of the continuous blurker
Family members want to call a “confrontation†meeting
Limited showers and shaving while eating at the computer
Occasional outbursts of solo-laughter discussed by others in your life
Anxiety and panic arrive when you cannot blurk
Anxiety and panic arrive when you cannot hit “submitâ€
Anxiety and panic heightens when reading the submit “verify code†letters
Computer failure makes you go to the public library to “check out a bookâ€
Computer server failure makes you just sit in disbelief
Now realizing you have blogger-buddies, you want a festive gathering to touch and appreciate them
Your children ask your spouse or significant other who the stranger is while looking at you
Your complete social circle has changed
And your only means of conversation must be in blog format.
GRADING SYSTEM
0 – 2 LOW RISK
3 – 5 MOD RISK
6 – 10 HIGH RISH
11 – 15 EXTREME RISK
> 15 COUNSEL/INPATIENT
FIBER — ADDING SOLUBLE FIBER — DIETARY FIBER SAVING YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR MONEY PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE OR DISEASE ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE OR THE ALTERNATIVE
Traditional paradigms in health care continue to treat the disease after it is diagnosed. Many times preventative models are refused payments by health insurance companies. Meanwhile, the life insurance companies understand the decreased "risk" of preventative modalities, such as reduced smoking, reduced sugar intake, reduced weight, increased exercise, and other health producing activities. Our system still continues to focus on reacting to the disease, rather than preventing the disease. Some major players have made a dent, such as Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona. In other words, should everyone have a full-body CT and 4 body-area ultrasound for screening.
Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, taught that the highest priority of treating a patient's disease is to "do no harm." By not having the disease in the first place, little or no harm can be done…and it is cheaper.
The costs of treating disease is much greater than the cost of preventing it. Think how much cheaper it is to keep from having a heart problem than from paying the costs of coronary care.
Soluble fiber can help prevention models. Proven benefits of increasing fiber in your diet follows:
Lipid control and improvement
Diabetes control
Weight management
Hypertension control
Coronary heart disease improvement
Cancer prevention assistance
Gastrointestinal and motility improvements.
Fiber can assist in reducing constipation with better bowel regularity. Hiatal hernia, food intolerances, and hemorrhoids can also benefit from high soluble fiber supplementation.
Limited but more so, almost no probability of risk exists with soluble fiber. There are no blood tests to do. No significant toxicity or bad reactions have been reported with fiber supplements when used properly. No drug-drug interactions occur with soluble fiber. However, delay of absorption can occur with fiber if take at the same time as your regular medications. (Talk with your own doctor always before starting any herbal, supplement, new otc medicine or dietary plan.) No significant side effects exist with fiber consumption. No legal considerations are linked to fiber use. Fiber complements alternative therapies to treating disease.
Fiber, especially soluble fiber, promises a preventative health care approach, shifting the traditional paradigm to proactive from reactive. This shift is from treating disease to preventing disease – from illness to wellness.
In summary:
Traditional health care treats the disease after it shows up.
Changing treatment of disease to the prevention of disease is a paradigm shift in health care.
Dietary fiber supports the prevention of disease, paradigm shift from traditional health care.
How much soluble fiber and the co-existence of major diseases will be discussed in upcoming www.castMD.com blogcasts.
Now, go and spread the fiber word….
SUPER BOWL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — C.A.G.E. THIS HOP’S FOR YOU
THE DEBATE OF SUPER BOWL ASSOCIATED EVENTS RAGES ON. THE DEBATE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RAGES ON. WHERE AND WHEN THE TWO MEET IS CONTROVERSIAL. EXAMINATION OF THE DATA IN MANY PLACES DOES NOT EQUATE TO A HIGHER RATE. AGENDA AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM RAISES THE RELATIONSHIP MOSTLY. HOWEVER…..
AND YEARS AGO, EVERYTHING WAS LINKED TO THE "FULL MOON CONSPIRACY" OF ILLNESS, INJURY, PSYCHIATRIC MALADIES, AND JUST PLAIN WEIRDNESS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM…..AND SHOWN TO BE DATA INSUFFICIENT TO PROVE THE POINT…..CAN'T BLAME THE MOON THIS SUPERBOWL, AS THAT WAS A DAY OR TWO AGO…..
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DOES OCCUR AS WELL AS ALCOHOL OVERUSE AND ABUSE – ALL HAPPEN ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. BUT THESE EVENTS HAPPEN ON NON-SUPER BOWL SUNDAYS ALSO, AND MONDAYS, AND TUESDAYS, AND WEDNESDAYS, AND THURSDAYS, AND FRIDAYS, AND SATURDAYS. SO…..
WHAT MATTERS IS THAT ALL THOSE SUPERBOWL COMMMERCIALS SPONSORED BY THE BEER INDUSTRY CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE THE "FUN" OF THE ALCOHOL OVERUSE AND ABUSE. WHAT THEY DO NOT ADVERTISE IS THE DARK SIDE OF THE ALOCHOL OVERUSE AND ABUSE…AND THE SUBSEQUENT POSSIBILITIES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CRIME, DUI, CHILD ABUSE, AND FAMILY DISCORD – NOT TO MENTION JOB LOSS, WORKPLACE INEFFICIENCY, FINANCIAL RUIN, AND HIGH PERSONAL RISK. SO…..
TAKE THE TEST ON THIS SUPERBOWL SUNDAY:
Screening Test Questions:
- Have you ever thought you ought to Cut down on your drinking or drug use?
- Do you feel Annoyed at criticism of your drinking or drug use?
- Do you feel Guilty about your drinking or drug use?
- Do you ever take an Early-morning drink (eye-opener) or use drugs upon awakening ("a little hair of the dog that bit you") to start the day or to feel better?
SOME SAY AT LEAST ONE-THIRD OF ALL WOMEN WILL BE INVOLVED IN SOME FORM OF DOMESTIC PARTNER VIOLENT BEHAVIOR IN THEIR LIFETIME.
AN ESTIMATED 5 MILLION INCIDENCES OCCUR ANNUALLY.
AN ESTIMATED 1500 WOMEN DIE YEARLY FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
EMPLOYEES MAY REPRESENT 20-25% OF VICTIMS OF THIS TYPE OF LIFESTYLE.
IMPACT ZONE: INTERVENE WITH A FELLOW EMPLOYEE, ASSOCIATE, FRIEND IF YOU THINK THE QUESTION IS APPROPRIATE. "ARE YOU SAFE?" "CAN WE HELP?" "HOW CAN WE HELP?"
