Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Anxiety isn’t our friend. It’s actually cancer’s sibling. Thirty-four percent of the neurotic men died of some type of cancer. Stop worrying about work, money, kids, status. It is not worth it.

Live today. Spend more time in the present moment. The less you think about future the more relaxed and healthy you will be.

Receive Few Portions of Sunshine Everyday

We make vitamin D from the sun and scientists see vitamin D as a potent cancer fighter. This is why for preventing cancer you should spend more time outside. But people in Minnesota do not necessarily receive the same amount of the sun as people in Cuba. So it s recommended to take 1,100 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D in a stand-alone pill every day. Consult your doctor first before taking any pill. You can also find vitamin D in salmon, reindeer meet, shiitake mushrooms.

Excersise, Excersise, Excersise and One More Time Exercise!

Studies keep proving that exercising has a power to beat cancer. Even a small dose of physical activity can help. Note, that even once in a weekend softball game with a team of friends might reduce your risk of cancer by 30 percent.

Stay Away From Smokers

Second hand smokers have more chances to get cancer than actual “smoke producers”.  Nonsmokers working in smoky places have three times the amount of a carcinogen in their urine than nonsmoking workers in smoke-free places had, recent study showed. If smoke bugs you, change location or start fighting against smokers in your state.

Choose the Right Food

When planning your week meal, include in the menu sushi, blueberries and pomegranate juice. Shushi’s got polyphenols from seaweed. In recent studies with mice the polyphenols shrank existing tumors by 43 percent. For human being 1 or 2 tablespoons of seaweed will make the trick. And more of pleasant information, shushi also give you lots of food for your muscles. A typical spicy tuna roll has only 290 calories but has 24 grams of protein.

Pomegranate juice contains polyphenols, isoflavones, and ellagic acid, elements researchers believe make up a potent anticancer combo. 16 ounces of juice per day and the growth of prostate cancer will be delayed.

Blueberries – delicious source of pterostilbene, which has colon cancer-fighting properties. About two servings daily should be enough for you. Eat blueberries with cereal for breakfast or leave it as a stand along desert for your day.

Have a healthy day!

Statins are class of drugs used for lowering cholesterol levels, thus treating and preventing atherosclerosis. Statins work by reducing the production of cholesterol by HMG-CoA reductase enzyme in the liver. Statins are also called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

Group of statin drugs includes such well known brand and generic drugs as Lipitor, Altoprev, Pitava, Pravachol, Zocor and others. At the moment, Lipitor is one of the best working statins, and Lescol is the least efficient.

In our previous posts we wrote that high cholesterol is one of the risk factors for stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. This is why it is so important to control your levels of cholesterol. If LDL cholesterol (also known as “bad cholesterol”) is in increased amount, your doctor should suggest you changes in your lifestyle. If lifestyle changes would not meet your lipid-lowering goals, statins may then be recommended for you and give you more advantages than risks.

Some say that statins give risks for other body organs and are dangerous drugs. We can tell you that all drugs are dangerous in some way, and I highly recommend trying lowering your cholesterol level by making lifestyle changes before buying medication. If cholesterol level is the only risk factor your have, this may not mean that you have a high risk of heart attack. So, talk it over with your doctor carefully. But advantages of statins are high for some patients: those with a 20 percent or greater risk of some type of cardiovascular event within the next 10 years. Trials have shown that statins aren’t only effective for those already suffering from cardiovascular disease, but also for patients without previous heart attacks or strokes, but with elevated cholesterol levels and other risk factors that increase a person’s risk.

But as we wrote before, drugs have many risks besides saving lives. So, what are the risks? Common side effects of statins are liver damage and muscle problems.

-          Liver damage. After longer using of statins, they cause an increase in liver enzymes. Increased liver enzymes can lead to permanent liver damage, thus when taking statins one should regularly have blood tests. Liver problems may develop without symptoms, so your doctor will recommend you having a blood test six weeks after starting a statin medication to check liver function.

-          Muscle problems. Advantage of taking statins is in reducing your risk of heart attack, and the risk is feeling the pain and tenderness in your muscles. In severe cases, muscle cells can break down (rhabdomyolysis) and release a protein called myoglobin into the bloodstream. Myoglobin can damage your kidneys. Talk to your doctor immediately if you have a new muscle aching or tenderness.

Talk to your doctor before taking statins. He will prescribe you the best medication basing on your body and health history. Be healthy and avoid stress. It is all in your hands!

Start Eating More Vegetables, Fish, Whole Grains and Less Processed Food

Start eating healthy heart food and it will help you to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, thus, reducing main risk factors of heart attack. Adding fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, oatmeal, whole wheat bread will limit the amount of bad fat you take in. Forget about processed foods! No more cheeseburgers, French fries and fat sweets. Trust us, there are plenty of delicious foods that are very healthy for your heart. Remember, this is not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change, which must be made if you want to avoid heart attack.

Sleep 8 Hours Per Night

Research shows that too little or too much sleep can have some poor effects on your blood pressure and heart especially.

Reduce Your Total Cholesterol Level to Below 200 mg/dL

There are two types of cholesterol: LDL and HDL. LDL (low density lipoprotein) or “bad cholesterol” has a tendency (if in excess) to attach themselves to the walls of your arteries and eventually be the cause of blocking blood flow to your heart. To find out how to lower your cholesterol and avoid heart attack, read the article from #1 Health Blog.

Lower Blood Pressure to 120/80

There really aren’t any symptoms of high blood pressure. It’s called the “silent killer” because the only way to find out if your pressure is high is to check it. The only symptom of it is headache in your temporal fossa. The first step in controlling your blood pressure is to have it checked on a regular basis. To avoid heart attack by lowering blood pressure eat less fatty foods, less salt, stop smoking, exercise and limit intake of alcohol. If it’s not enough for you body to handle high blood pressure then you may need to go on blood pressure medications.

Loose Weight

Too much weight and fat is hard for heart. You do not wish to give you heart more tasks than it already has. For loosing weight first of all start eating only healthy foods. Second of all begin exercising no less than 30 minutes per day the whole week.

Quit Smoking

You know that it is no good for you. And it is extremely bad for your heart. When you smoke, the burning of the cigarette creates carbon monoxide (CO). That is the same stuff that’s created when your car burns gasoline. The CO you inhale takes the place of the oxygen that’s carried to and from your heart by your red blood cells. So, basically you are not allowing blood cells to carry oxygen to your heart, the one thing that it needs to keep beating.

We know that it is really difficult to quit, but there are many ways for it. Find something that will take your breath away and will make you forget about smoking. Maybe it will be your new hobby, or your girlfriend, or team sports. Keep in mind that while smoking you will never be able to avoid a heart attack. To find out about more ways on quitting cold turkey, read 5 Unusual Ways For Quitting Smoking.

Exercise 30 Minutes Every Day

Your heart is a muscle, so it falls into the same truth with your body muscles, which get stronger and healthier every time you lift weights. Doctors recommend 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three times a week at the bare minimum. Decide on which sports you would like to do and keep in mind that the key to any exercise plan is to make it something that you enjoy and to do it with regularity to establish a routine. After about a month, that routine is ingrained as a habit. Before you know it, that habit has you on your way to avoiding a heart attack.

This is not the complete list of tips, but start with it to keep your heart and veins in tonus. Remember, it’s all in your hands! Just take a deep breath and tell yourself that you can do it. The hardest thing is to start moving towards healthy heart. Begin with exercising and you will have not only a healthy heart, but a great body and wonderful mood. Prevent heart attack, live joyful life!

More information on preventing heart attack here: Discovery Health

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Why Does Stroke Happen?

Stroke is unpredictable, and one cannot know when it can happen. There is no such measurement, which will tell you when to start healthy lifestyle. But, you can always move towards avoiding a stroke by reducing controllable risk factors of a stroke. 80 strokes can be prevented, and the best way to prevent stroke is having all important information on how to manage personal risks.

Recent studies help us fighting against strokes. Interstroke study made it easy for us by listing risk factors, which affect person’s possibility to suffer from stroke the most. Study shows, that ten simple and modifiable risk factors for stroke comprise 90% of a person’s risk. These risk factors include:

- High blood pressure
- Tobacco use or smoking
- Abdominal obesity
- Diabetes
- Lack of physical activity
- Poor diet
- Alcohol drinking (more than 30 drinks per month)
- Ratio of blood fats known as apolipoprotein B (apo B) to apolipoprotein AI (apo AI)/high cholesterol
- Heart disease
- Psychosocial stress/depression

Researchers found that high blood pressure was the leading factor for having stroke.

As you can see, all of these factors can be controlled. It is up to you whether to avoid stroke or not. There are also uncontrollable risk factors, which account for less than 10% of all risks. Uncontrollable factors are:

- Being over age 55
- Being male
- Being African American, Hispanic or Asian/Pacific Islander
- Family history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)

Anyone with the above mentioned risks might be a candidate for stroke. It is always important to change your lifestyle along with taking prescribed medication if needed exactly as written by your doctor.

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High Education Level Leads to Healthier Heart

The conclusions are as follows: highly educated men in rich countries had less reported heart conditions and cardiovascular diseases. There can be few explanations to this: the more educated you are, the more time you spend educating yourself – there is much more possibilities that you will learn health basics along with your major studies

Another explanation is that people with higher education in high-income countries must “stick to the plan” of their communities, which includes being a good looking, and feeling good as well. Educated people find it more important to live fancy, including healthy lifestyle, which became very popular over the decade.

Nevertheless, it is very important raising your education level at any age during your lifetime. It is never too late to start learning what a healthy heart means and how to prevent and avoid any risks that might cause cardiovascular disease. The more you know about it the healthier you become. Who’s got the knowledge rules the world!

Sources of Information on Heart Health and Cardiovascular Disease:

1. Heart Disease Risk Factors

2. Cardiovascular Disease and Related Conditions

3. Key Messages to Protect Heart Health (From WHO)

4. American Heart Association

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What Does Erectile Dysfunction Mean?

Erectile dysfunction is a condition, when a man has difficulty with either getting an erection or keeping one for long enough to allow penetrative sex.

You Do Not Want to Have IT!

If you still think that you will have erectile dysfunction just like your father, grandfather, older brothers, friends, etc., then you are wrong. It is not a present from God for all males. Erectile dysfunction is not normal and you can prevent it by taking few actions in your lifestyle:

-          Quit bad habits (smoking, alcohol, steroids, etc.)

-          Sport leads to healthy weight. You need both ingredients in your life

-          Watch what you eat. Intake of only healthy food is allowed (fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains; no fried meals, fat meals or processed food)

-          Testosterone levels must be checked very often

-          Avoid high blood pressure, high sugar levels and high cholesterol

-          Smile! Positive emotions will enrich you love life.

I know, looks like too much of stuff to take care off. But trust me, it’s worth it and it only looks scary. It’s not that hard to obey!

Why Do I Have THAT?

Well, first of all, not obeying the above mentioned rules. And adding to it, other causes include:

-          Taking medications that have ED as a side effect

-          Not enough exercising or too much bicycling

-          Surgery of prostate, which damages nerves and blood vessels near the penis

-          Stress, depression, poor self-esteem

What are the Symptoms?

There are few symptoms of erectile dysfunction. And it is not only inability to achieve an erection. Symptoms of ED also include erections that are too soft for sex and erections that last only briefly. If you had any of the symptoms once, it may not mean that you have erectile dysfunction already. It could be caused by stressful day, or any other health condition. Usually, erectile dysfunction is diagnosed if such symptoms occur almost every time sex is initiated. In any case you should talk to your doctor, as your body won’t stop giving you erections without any reason for that.

So, What Should You Do if You Have ED?

-          Change lifestyle (exercise, loose weight, stop smoking, for more references read “You Do Not Want to Have IT” above)

-          Medications: Viagra, Cialis, Levitra.

-          Injecting medication directly to penis

-          Vacuum devices for filling penis with blood

-          Surgery, which is not recommended for older men

-          Psychotherapy

-          Herbal Supplements

Impotence can nearly always be treated – the vast majority of men are given a suitable treatment. But for choosing the best treatment option for you, you should consult your doctor. If you start taking actions toward getting rid of ED you will surely be successful! But as for me, the best treatment is avoiding risks that could lead to having that unwanted men’s health condition. For more information on erectile dysfunction visit #1 Health Blog, the author of which covers most important issues of the problem.

Another study showed that combination of recession and high cost of drugs cause cancer patients to quit life-extending drugs. In 2009 and 2010, as the economic collapse hit the globe, oncologists in California noticed a frightening trend: Three patients who had had been controlling cancer for as long as eight years had a cancer regrowth with serious outcomes. And it all was caused by discontinuing a life-extending medication due to high cost and economic recession.

And there have been noticed other such cases around the nation. Patients either stop taking medications or start taking lower doses for drugs supply to last longer. Here is how specialists recommend cutting expenses on meds and still keep taking needed amount of medications.

1. Use generic drugs. Generics are much lower in cost and you can find stores with affordable generics for poorest citizens.

2. Many online pharmacies offer discounts if you make a subsequent purchase. Such discounts can be as high as 10% per one order. Some even give discounts for your family members.

3. Compare stores. Different stores have different prices. There are also websites that allow people to compare shops to find the lowest price.

4. Save on prescription. Average American takes 12 prescription drugs annually. Generic drugstores can help people save money, but doctors can also help reducing patient’s drug costs by writing prescription for generic counterparts of the brand drugs a patient was taking before.

You can also ask your insurance company for a list (which is called a formulary) of the meds that they cover and give it to your doctor so he could select the best medication for the lowest price for you.

Another way to save on prescriptions is to ask your doctor for samples of the medication, especially those for which you only need a small amount, or which you would like to try out first before you order it.

There are also programs that help people get the medications they need at almost not cost if they qualify. One of such programs is Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA). It is funded by American pharmaceutical companies and offers more than 2,500 brand name drugs and many generic ones.

5. Discount Clubs. The fee for a member ranges from $12 to $30. Members can have access to doctors, dentists and affordable drugs. Such discount clubs include AmeriPlan USA and Careington. Members can save up to 80% off lab costs, doctor’s visits, etc. But you should check to make sure the club cover covers your area before you sign up.

Remember, there is always a way, and you can save on drugs by following above recommendations, so don’t cut your life by stopping taking needed medication. Be healthy!

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What is a stroke?

A stroke is a bran attack. It happens when the brain lacks the blood supply needed for its healthy job. A stroke causes damage in the brain so it negatively affects body functions. For example, if a stroke damages the part of the brain that controls how limbs move, limb movement will be broken. A stroke can also affect these mental processes.

A stroke is very sudden and some of the symptoms include paralysis on one side of the body, slurred speech, loss of sight, severe headache. If you see any of these signs, call 911 immediately.

How to Live After Stroke?

Once you or your close one has been taken care of at the emergency room you should start thinking on how to live after the stroke. Here are few tips on how to move on:

1. Ask a doctor if you can take a tissue plasminogen activator. When taken within three hours of the stroke, this medication can reduce the side effects of stroke, according to Chad Mosely and Susan Fagan with the University Of Georgia College Of Pharmacy. It helps to dissolve the clot to restore blood flow to the brain and your doctor must have knowledge of it.

2. Take all medications exactly as prescribed by your doctor. These medications will help to prevent future strokes.

Recent studies showed that 25 percent of stroke patients stopped taking one or more of their stroke prevention medications within three months after their stroke. It was founded that patients stopped taking medications because of its high cost or not having enough information on why they should take it. If you are running low on your meds budget, ask your doctor for prescribing you generic copies of medications you are now using. If you’re not sure why you are prescribed such medication – consult your doctor, read more information on your medicine. It is very important to keep taking drugs as prescribed to reduce the risk of strokes in the future.

3. Watch out for stroke risk factors. Risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and migraines can put you at risk for stroke.

Next few posts dedicated to the Brain Stroke condition will be covering more risk factors for stroke, how to prevent stroke, and how to treat it.

For more information on stroke and heart disease, visit the American Heart Association.

Also, as these plaque deposits grow bigger, they may crack or even tear. When this occurs, blood might naturally begin to clot in the area. The blood can form a “nut” on the plaque’s surface that’s large enough to fully block the artery. If this happens in one of your heart’s arteries, called the coronary arteries, it may cause a heart attack, which is also called a myocardial infarction.

A 30% blockage of your arteries can even suddenly threaten your life because of tears in plaque and blood clots. During a heart attack, the part of your heart that isn’t getting oxygen begins to die. Furthermore, in some cases, the damage cannot be inverted.

Blocked arteries in other areas of your body can cause serious health problems:

- Plugged arteries can decrease blood flow to your arms or legs. This illness is called peripheral vascular disease. If the blood supply to your legs is partially blocked, you may experience leg pain that may bound your capability to get around. If there is no blood flow to one of your arms or legs, the tissue there may die. This is called gangrene. Sometimes doctors must amputate part of body affected by gangrene.

- If an artery supplying your brain becomes too narrowed because of the cholesterol plaques, it may lead to a stroke. It is also called a brain attack.

- Sometimes little clots inside the arteries supplying your brain can burst or cease. This may result in mini-strokes, which are also called transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs.

Cholesterol can be treated by dieting or taking medications. Dieting is a very important part of preventing blockage of your arteries by cholesterol. Talk to your doctor though before you decide to diet or take any cholesterol medicaments. In the next post dedicated to cholesterol problems I will write how to prevent cholesterol plaques from forming in your arteries.

Today we are going to take a look at how Viagra works and what are opinions of patients who actually take the medications.

Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate) is an oral drug, which is taken for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, making one’s life fully enjoyable. Viagra helps to dilate blood vessels, allowing the inflow of blood, needed for an erection. Note, that you will not feel the effect of Viagra while driving for example, it works only when you feel sexual excitement.

Viagra usually works in about 30 minutes and will continue to work for about 4 hours. Don’t worry about having hard penis after intercourse as erection will go away after the sexual activity. Viagra works best if taken on an empty stomach – it will also work faster after a low fat-meal.

It is very important to talk to your doctor before you start taking any ED medications, as he will tell you how to take it according to your health condition. And as sooner you visit your doctor after first symptoms of ED the easier it will be to fix it.  Maximal recommended dose of Viagra is 100 mg.  It is not allowed to take it more then once during the day. Viagra is a kind of medications that should not be taken on a regular basis, but only before sexual intercourse, if your doctor does not prescribe you else.

Concerning storage of Viagra, which patients are interested in but do not ask their doctor right away, then you should store it in a tightly-closed container at 77 degrees F (25 C). Keep it away from heat, moisture and light. It is permitted, but not recommended, to store it briefly at 59 – 86 degrees F (15 – 30 degrees C). So, your room drawer is a good option to keep your Viagra in.

Just like any other drug, Viagra may have side effects. Possible side effects include: diarrhea, headache, abnormal vision, urinary tract infection. More dangerous problems like heart attack, stroke or sudden death may arise for men with existing cardiac risk factors. For more information on how to use Viagra talk to your doctor and visit drugs.com.

For better understanding on how Viagra will effect your life and how it will work we gathered few comments from real patients that take Viagra. Here they are:

Sam D., 37 taking Viagra for less than 1 month

I am a 37 yr old and I could not keep a erection. I went to my doctor after the over the counter pills stopped helping. I felt like I was 21 again! Had no issues with this medication. Only wish I went sooner to the doctor.

Daniel F., 68 taking Viagra for 1 to less than 2 years

I find that I have good results by taking only a half of a 50 mg pill before I eat a meal. It gave me an upset stomach when I took it after dinner. I get a little face flushing, but no other effects. It works for me every time.

Franz K., 65 taking Viagra for 1 to 6 months

it does everything the drug is designed to do, with no side affects, and satisfieds me.

Liam G., 59

the drug causes nasal congestion and headaches. This makes it difficult to sleep and headaches last into the next day.

Morgan C., 55 taking Viagra for 10 years or more

I started using Viagra about 10 years ago (the doctor prescribed 50 mg) about 2 hours before intercourse. It worked very well indeed. After a few weeks, I thought maybe a smaller dose would be sufficient for me. I powdered the pill and used a pinch of viagra (about 5 mgs) 2 hours before intercourse. This gave reliable erections and confidence. I have been using this smaller dose ever since and it has worked well for me, and saved money too.

Clayton S., 47

It has given my wife and me a restored, great sexual relationship. It has made intercourse very pleasurable for her and me!

Jeremy, 49 taking Viagra for 1 to 6 month

i am happy to be able to have an sustained erection since i have been using this drug and my relationship with my spouse is better.

George N., 45 taking Viagra for 1 to less than 2 years

I use viagra 50mg. It usually works very well, but sometimes I am disappointed. For me it works best on an empty stomach about an hour before sex. It gives me a headache, but the headache is gone by morning. It’s fun to get erections with very little stimulation again like when I was younger.

Leonardo K., 67 Male on Treatment for 10 years or more

I HAVE TAKEN FOR OVER 15 YEARS. FOR SEVERAL YEARS IT WAS EFFECTIVE AT 100MG. THEN I MOVED UP TO 200MG (OVER THE MAX I KNOW). IT WAS EFFECTIVE FOR MAYBE ANOTHER 10 YEARS. IT HAS BEEN INEFFECTIVE FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS.

Kyle B., 35-44 taking Viagra for 6 months to less than 1 year

Started By first taking the 100mg and it makes wonders! Sometimes I get tired before I finish, but the look on my wife’s face is really worth it.

Grey S., 46 taking Viagra for less than 1 month

Am 46 years old and just started having problems getting erections. Tried “herbal” remedies, was hit or miss, mostly miss. Also libido was on the down turn, I just didn’t feel like I needed or wanted sex…Talked to Dr and was given free trial of 50 mg. Took one a hour before bed, and was very amazed at the erection it gave me when the wife and I started messing around! Not to mention waking up with morning wood, something that hasn’t happened in a LONG time!

I hope the comments will help you to make a better understanding of what it means having erectile dysfunction and taking Viagra. From all of the comments you can see that most of all patients are very thankful that they can take Viagra and feel like 21 again. Of course, some of them get side effects, like headaches, nasal congestions and upset stomach if not taking according to directions. But the effect will change your life and improve relationship with your other half. Be healthy!

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