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Health Effects of Being Overweight

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Orlistat (Xenical) capsules and packaging.

Image via Wikipedia

If you are one of the estimated two-thirds of the country that’s overweight or obese, you may find yourself worried about not looking or feeling your best, along with reduced stamina and looking older than you are.

In addition to these effects of being overweight, there are several others that can impact your health, lifestyle and overall well-being, according to experts.

Being overweight increases the risk of developing several health problems, including constant pain and arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Other conditions connected to being overweight include: hypertension and increased levels of cholesterol. It may help to find out how xenical can help you to maintain your weight.

These problems can be handled if you maintain a healthy lifestyle and lose that extra weight. If you have developed some of these conditions and find it hard to control your weight, you might even want to buy Xenical. A medicine such as Xenical helps you lose unwanted weight.

These problems commonly include strokes and other cardiovascular problems, reproductive disorders like infertility, diabetic complications, liver problems, gynecological complications, reduction of immunity, and even a risk of developing cancer. Propensity of developing cancer of breast, colon, uterus, and kidney are often higher with the obese people. Similarly, the risk of heart attacks is usually much higher in people who are overweight or obese, as compared to people in the same age range with a normal body mass index.

In addition to the medical problems, those extra pounds might impact your mental state and overall lifestyle adversely. They can make you constantly worried about your appearance, reduced fitness and reduced ability to perform physical activities. Also, they can indirectly cause relationship issues since obesity is known to reduce your sex drive as well.

Tags: Health, Obesity, Overweight
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How sports can solve teenage problems

Monday, November 8th, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

Sports can help teenagers to become more active in their teenager years. A sport also creates a diversion in activities of interest for teenagers. Including sports in the scheme of things is good for teen and child health. This is because sports create a lot of positive energy in teenagers. And positively energized teenagers are good for the society.

Teenagers who play regular sports have lesser incidences of teen and health issues. This is because they feel more energetic and positive about their lives. Sports create energy of action in people. Sometimes to take decisions or do chores, a lot of energy is spent on thinking about doing it. But regular sports will chase that away. Because in sports, decisions are made fast, and the results need to be immediately created.

That’s why people who have an athletic background have a successful life. They are quite contended with their lives, unless they get into alcohol and drugs. Teen and child health can be improved by including an hour’s sport activity in the schedule.
Now with so many online games, and gaming consoles, sports has taken a backseat.

Given that all sport is played virtually, sports played on fields are becoming less. Youngsters find more gratification in winning games on the field virtually, than running onto the field, and sweating it out for a win.

Sports have to be encouraged in colleges and schools. With so many youngsters ending up as couch potatoes, teenage obesity is on the rise. Teen and child health issues related to substance abuse is also related to a lack of sporting activity. When an idle mind is a devil’s workshop, these behavioral tendencies tend to crop up.

Whereas, if sports were played by these same teenagers, their idle minds would have never remained idle. Rather they will be teeming with actionable thoughts, on how to make the best of the moment. Sports can create constructive and action oriented thinking in the minds of teenagers.

Tags: Adolescence, Facebook, Health, Mental Health, Organizations, Sport, Substance abuse, Teen Health
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Are all Alcohol Rehab Programs Equal?

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

One of the biggest questions that is asked when it comes to choosing an alcohol rehab program is whether each program is created equally, or if there is a one size fits all solution to alcohol rehab that can benefit everyone participating in it. Although this is not the answer that you will want to hear, not every alcohol rehab center is unique, and the programs that they offer are also just as unique. What this means is that you cannot simply choose the first alcohol rehab program in the phone book and hope for the best. You are actually going to have to search and research until you find something that is going to address your personal needs and personality.

No two alcohol rehab programs are created equally, because each is going to have unique treatment programs and unique support staff. You are going to want to look at all of the benefits and the drawbacks associated with each of the alcohol rehab programs that you look at. Sit down and talk with someone from each of the rehabilitation programs and facilities to get a real feel for what they are offering, and do not settle for anything less than exactly what you need in order to overcome your addiction once and for all.

An addiction to alcohol is serious business. You cannot keep struggling with an addiction knowing that there is help out there that you can take advantage of. When you are ready to start overcoming your addictions and moving on with your life, then what you need to do is find the right rehabilitation program for your needs so that you can reach out and ask for help once and for all. Admitting that you have a problem and asking for help won’t be easy, but it will be the best decision that you have ever made.

Tags: Alcoholism, Drug rehabilitation, Lindsay Lohan
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Eating Disorders in Teenage Children

Monday, October 11th, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

Recent research has it that more than ten percent of teenage children in the US suffer from eating disorders. As age progresses, they become obese adults. And this gives rise to cardiovascular ailments. Cardiovascular ailments create lower life expectancy. So teen and child health decline due to an eating disorder of a teenage child.

Teenagers pickup the overeating habit while they do repetitive things. Watching TV is one the chief culprits in create couch potatoes of teenagers. Now Internet addiction has created couch potatoes who also surf the Internet. These two habits have created obesity problems in teenagers. When they do such activities they tend to eat junk food. It’s like having popcorn when you watch a movie. You need to keep munching something as you watch it. The same applies at home. When teenagers watch television or surf the Internet for hours, their want of munching something becomes an eating disorder.

A lot of factors can be attributed to creating an eating disorder in teenage children. Teen and child health has on certain cases pointed to the involvement of genetic conditions. Environment factors also create eating disorders. When the teenager is put in an environment that puts a lot of academic stress, teenagers can take to food to seek temporary solace.

Taking to food to seek solace is a common thing. Teenagers also get into relationships that might unsuccessful. Unsuccessful relationships create a vacuum in the teenager’s heart and soul. To compensate for a lack of excitement in life, a teenager might take to food. The teenager might even take to alcohol and drugs, leading to a further worsening of teen and child health condition.

Eating disorders can be solved by getting the teenager to participate in sports and other recreational activities that involve competitive sporting activity. The teenager has to be made to join friend clubs that focus on developing common interests and skills. All these will prove beneficial for a teenager with an eating disorder.

Tags: Adolescence, Anorexia nervosa, Disorders, Eating, Eating disorder, Health, Mental Health, Treatment Services
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Medical response Dogs

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

Animals are cute and friendly but they can also save your life or help your quality of leaving. Dogs are very smart animals and can be trained to be service dogs. A specific kind of service dog is a medical response dog. The medical response dog is trained to help mitigate a persons medical disability. The medical response dog does not usually handle epilepsy or psychiatric conditions. Dogs that handle those conditions are seizure response dogs and psychotic service dogs. But not to be confused sometimes those dogs might be referred to as medical response dogs. Medical response dogs are special and are able to alert their owner to conditions before they occur. Its better to get informed of an incoming problem before it happens. Diabetics must maintain a certain blood sugar level. The trained medical espouse dog can detect when a persons blood sugar is becoming too high or low. They are also trained to help with their handlers symptoms. They can help their owner by bringing medications or the telephone to call for help. The medical response dog is also great for providing bracing and mobility assistance if some one were to fall over or needs help getting up. There are organizations that train dogs to be medical response dogs. Owners of dogs can also train their own dogs to help them with their needs. When picking a dog to train to be a service dog you must pick a dog that has a work-loving personality. The dog must also be socialized with the outside world if it is to be working in public. You don’t want your service dog to freakout and start jumping at the sight of another dog or car. For a dog to be a medical response dog there are no size or breed requirements. The dog must simply be able to handle the tasks at hand and alert if there is a problem. Medical service dogs are allowed everywhere in public in the USA. There are laws that protect the usage of guide dogs and other assistance gods.

Tags: Pet, Service animal, Service dog
Posted in Drugs, Health, Medicine | No Comments »

Medical Marijuana: Can a bad guy become good?

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

Medical cannabis or medical marijuana is used as a treatment option for many conditions. More in the areas of pain-reduction, medical marijuana is a potential medical alternative. Opium derivatives are not shown to display efficacy in alleviating painful conditions, than cannabis. Side effects of certain health conditions make nerves of the peripheral nervous system to rupture. Peripheral nervous system nerve ruptures are painful. They don’t necessarily respond to analgesics that are opium-based.

Research suggests that medical cannabis or medical marijuana is effective in terminally ill cancer patients. Such patients suffer a lot due to the pain. Remedies to reduce their pain are more hard-hitting, though they might give a temporary relief. Medical marijuana is said to provide good pain relieving properties to provide relief in these cases.

Doctors from around the world believe medical marijuana or medical cannabis is only the last resort, and never a first option. They also feel it is efficient in very rare scenarios. Most of the bad image that marijuana has created, have led doctors to think on these lines. With the U.S. government coming down heavily on narcotics trafficking, marijuana’s good aspects have been overshadowed by its bad aspects.

Even when medical marijuana specialists are hoping to get more signers for the treatment, people still have not shed the thought that marijuana is addictive. Myth or mythology, bad news spreads faster, and has created an indelible bad mark on marijuana. This is the biggest impediment for the growth of the medical marijuana treatment practice.
Doctors who specialize in medical marijuana have demonstrated that it can be used in conditions like nausea, glaucoma, Alzheimer’s, and even HIV. Marijuana vapors are demonstrated to alleviate nausea conditions. Cancer patients frequently feel pangs of nausea while undergoing chemotherapy.

Glaucoma is caused by intraocular pressure. People with glaucoma have experienced decreased pressure in their eyes with a moderated use of marijuana. Medicinal cannabis is also used to alleviate the pain that AIDS or HIV patients feel. Doctors feel that the best way to take marijuana is to intake it in the vaporized form, which is presumable a safer option.

Tags: Drugs, Glaucoma, Marijuana, Medical cannabis, Medicine
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Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Taking medication for the wrong reasons is drug abuse and poses serious hazards to one’s health. Regardless if the drug is a prescribed or obtained over-the-counter (OTC), the dangers of prescription drug abuse is just as severe as taking street drugs.The most commonly used and abused prescribed drugs are opioids, central nervous system depressants, and stimulants.

Opioids, such as Vicodin or Demerol, are used to relieve pain, coughs or diarrhea. These types of drugs attach to opioid receptors (the spinal cord and the brain), prohibiting the brain from receiving messages of pain. Effects of opioid abuse include changes in mood, vomiting, decreased cognitive and respiratory functions, coma and even death.

Central Nervous System (or CNS) depressants slow down brain activity and are typically used to treat sleep disorders, anxiety, panic attacks and tension. Examples of these CNS depressants include Valium and Xanax, and give users a calming and almost lethargic effect. Side effects of CNS depressant abuse include seizures or death.

Stimulants–such as Adderall and Ritalin–increase brain activity and are prescribed to treat Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. Like CNS depressants, stimulants can cause drug abusers seizures. Stimulant abusers can also experience abnormally high body temperatures, feel aggressive or paranoid, or develop dangerous and inconsistent heart rate(s).

The dangers of prescription drug abuse is increased when medications are incorrectly mixed with other medication, or taken with substances such as over-the-counter drugs, cold medicine, antihistamines, painkillers, and alcohol. Additionally, there is serious risk when taking medication that belongs to another person. Taking a prescription drug in a way it was not supposed to be used has great risk as well. For example, snorting or injecting Ritalin can be incredibly damaging to one’s health.

Prescription drug abuse’s most common result is addiction. Prescription drug abuse signs include the need to have a specific drug, weight gain or loss, and changes in mood and interests. Drug addiction is usually addressed by behavioral or pharmacological treatment. Behavioral treatment teaches individuals how to function without drugs. The latter involves patients taking special medication to stave off drug cravings or withdrawal symptoms.

Tags: Central nervous system, Drug abuse, Health, Prescription drug
Posted in Drugs, General, Health, Recovering | No Comments »

Abuse and Dependence: Discovering the Difference

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

: Image by AjDele Photography via Flickr

It begins with one sip but then devolves into another and another; and soon the number is lost, unable to be remembered and with none even trying to. The party has begun and all guests are interested in only one thing–having fun. So they drink and they cheer and they drench the night in wine. But, out of those individuals, only some will be able to ignore the taste when morning comes. Others, however, will be scrambling for yet another sip. And this difference is vital.

Alcoholism, despite the misconception, is not a simple disease. It doesn’t merely take one form. It instead offers several distinctions; and these must be understood to find a cure.

Alcohol Abuse: the most common path for the illness to follow is one of Abuse. Through this an individual will offer sporadic occurrences of drinking (with time eventually shifting those occurrences into far longer affairs). The individual is not yet addicted but is instead simply making a deliberate choice. Inevitably, his tolerance will increase and the consequences of alcohol will not sustain him as they once did. This will lead him to drink more and more to achieve the same effect. And the Abuse will then take another form: Dependence.

Alcohol Dependence: when the levels needed to find relief have been raised to dangerous heights, an individual is suffering from Dependence. During this stage, there will be fewer gaps between binges (with their length increased considerably). The body will crave liquor and will no longer be able to function without it. This will no longer be a casual taste but will instead be a biological need. It cannot be confused with Abuse, however, as the steps needed to defend against it are much more pressing and require medical attention.

Alcoholism is a disease, no matter how common some may believe it to be. And it must be understood before it can be conquered. Know the symptoms and know their effects.

Tags: Addiction, Alcoholism, Substance abuse
Posted in Addiction, Drugs, Health, Recovering | No Comments »

Understanding Addiction: Alcoholism

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

It’s an easily given name, shaped to common letters and bordering on the cliche: alcoholism. The world is aware of it, understanding its symptoms but rarely its causes. Public perception is neither kind nor patient; it is instead derisive. Individuals consider this to be a disease solved quickly and not worthy of their sympathy. It is self-induced, they argue, and therefore unimportant.

The truth, however, is that alcoholism is an issue that is never truly conquered. It demands time, dedication and an ability to battle factors often beyond a person’s control. There is far more to this than simply taking the first sip of liquor. There is instead a damning list of elements that make that sip impossible to ignore.

1. Biology. The human body is predisposed to specific conditions and traits–such as alcoholism. Caucasians, specifically, have been proven to metabolize liquor at much slower rates, allowing the effects to be felt for extended periods of time. Those of African or Indian heritage, however, contain far more receptors and will be rid of the liquor quickly. The difference is immediately seen.

2. Genetics. Blood is thicker than water and more powerful than will. Family lines can determine an individual’s tolerance (and dependence) of alcohol. Alleles–a sequence that forms a specific gene–may be missing and will therefore hinder the body’s ability to defend against drinking.

3. Environment. Humans are creatures of mimicry. We learn from observation. When faced with daily reminders of alcohol and its acceptance, an individual increases his chances to succumb to it. It will not be viewed as a worry then; but it will instead be considered common.

Through these factors, alcoholism can prevail before a drink has even been taken. It makes the battle highly one-sided. All should understand, however, that these elements do not absolve individuals of their personal responsibility. Their efforts have played a role in creating the disease. And alcoholism can only be subdued properly when those efforts are acknowledged. It’s a terrible tangle of biology and choice. It deserves the appropriate care.

Tags: Alcoholism, Genetics, Health
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Substance Abuse: Risks of Addiction

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

: Image by Patrick Haney via Flickr

There is a truth of addiction that must be understood: it is never a simple misfortune. Luck does not dictate who it chooses or the havoc it wreaks. Chance plays no unhappy role. It is instead a determined disease, seeking out those who best follow its needs. And it is only through understanding those needs that individuals can hope to combat it. All men are not created the same; and addiction exploits this.

To begin, you must be aware of the most common risks for addiction (whether through alcohol, drugs or other methods). These risks are found in all elements and must be recognized. A dismissal of them is as foolish as it is dangerous.

1. Gender. While individuals may call for equality, addiction does not. Men are fifty percent more likely to abuse substances. This is attributed more to social stigmas than genetics, however. Male camaraderie encourages heavy drinking and creates an easy dependence.

2. Genetics. Generations present can suffer the same fates as the ones of the past. Genes are passed through the years and their defects remain. Metabolism, receptors and tolerance are all determined by blood. A family history must be sought out to see if abuse dominates it.

3. Substance choice. Alcoholism may be the most familiar of all diseases but it is not the quickest. Choosing stronger elements (such as meth-amphetamines or opiates) can increase the chance for addiction. Many may find themselves craving it after only one sampling.

4. Age. Youth offers inexperience and inexperience offers questions; ones that are answered by trying addictive substances. This is not an excuse but it is a factor that must be understood. 17 percent of teenagers are using prescription drugs, while an astounding 44 percent are tasting liquor. These numbers should not be ignored.

Addiction is not easily tamed. It can, however, be more quickly understood. Using these factors as a guideline can determine if a family member is at risk and what should then be done.

Tags: Addiction, Alcoholism, Substance abuse
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