Meifaba

Archive for November, 2010

Welcome to the Promised land of Thailand!
Ever heard of the fruit mangosteen also known as “the Queen of Fruit”?

Let me tell the story of how I came across it!
I

The two immortal words, always written in capitals, that appeared on the front cover of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. And just because it’s been picked on for fame by science fiction, doesn’t make it any less true for us stuck in the real world. In fact, when you count up the number of TV shows and movies where characters have run around in circles screaming, “Don’t panic”, it amounts to a supposedly comic epidemic. Not that it doesn’t happen in the real world. But, when it does, we spectators always look away in embarrassment, sometimes tinged with fear. After all, this one may have a good reason to panic. Have aliens just landed? Is this food poisoned? It’s easy to be paranoid. Panic is easily communicated. Try shouting “fire” in a crowded theater and find yourself arrested for some powerful criminal offenses when folk injure themselves trying to save themselves.

So how does panic get “disordered”? There’s a moment when uncertainty starts to get out of control, when fear of what may happen begins to build. Most of us control this all-too-human apprehension. But, when the uncertainty and fear never fade, they can bring life to a halt. It’s the paralysis we describe as the deer caught in the headlights. Except, people don’t stay paralyzed as the truck bears down on them. This is when the deer becomes a headless chicken running around the barnyard.

People with panic disorders are made to feel ashamed by our reaction to them. At a time when they need our help and support, we are turning away. Because they grow to fear more panic attacks, it’s easy to convert early symptoms into the full attack just by worrying about it. The disaster is provoked by a fear of that disaster. It most usually starts in the teen years and, unfortunately, more women than men have it – something which adds more shame to the men who cannot avoid displaying it. So, the first step is a full medical check-up. There can be physical reasons for these symptoms of sweating, weakness, fainting, chest pain, erratic heart beat, numbness in the hands, and so on. Only when these physical causes have been ruled out should you move on to discussing treatment for the disorder.

The problem of treatment is first to decide whether this should be treated purely as an anxiety disorder. In many cases, a course of beta blockers can steady the heart. Without one of the major symptoms to alarm you, there’s less chance of panic. No doctor will have the reflex, anxiety or panic, take Xanax. You should not think this way either and just buy the drug online without going near a doctor. If you’re reading this as a friend or relative of someone affected, encourage him or her to consult the primary caregiver. Even if there’s no current health insurance policy, it’s money well spent. There’s a place for Xanax, but it’s not during the early stages of the problem. Talk therapy, the best being cognitive behavioral therapy, is the best long-term solution to the problem. No matter how good Xanax, you need strategies for keeping anxiety and panic within “normal” limits without running the risk of dependence of a powerful anti-anxiety drug.

Today, discussing the psychological impacts of child and teen obesity seems quite common. But only a couple of decades ago, this problem weren’t even in the minds of public health specialists. The problem of child and teen obesity has made it to the headlines of many specialized magazines and tabloids, and people assume that they know what is going on in the mind of a child who is considered extremely overweight. However, it’s really hard to know exactly what psychological problems they face without a deeper investigation of the issue and communication with such children themselves.

In most cases people think that overweight children will grow up and loose their “baby fat” when they’ll get older. Sometimes this is true, but in other situations it’s not. Besides, you should remember that children can be quite aggressive and will tease others who look differently. This especially applies to obese children and teens, which are constantly picked by their colleagues at school and gradually develop low self-esteem and depression. Isolation, loneliness and lack of friends are quite common in obese children. In such a situation, food becomes the only source of happiness for them, and anything that is rich with sugar, fat and calories is the only thing that will please them. Teens with obesity problems usually have even more pressure from their peers, having a hard time socializing and enjoying various activities – things that teen age is for.

Psychologists see peer pressure as the biggest problem that obese children and teens are experiencing. This factor is usually the cause for low self-esteem, low performance at school and even absence from lessons and other activities. Obese teens are usually isolated as they do not want to socialize because of the pressure they get when trying to. While children and teens with weight problems have the same rights and possibilities as non-obese children, they usually don’t use them and have a low drive to do so. And that can impact the entire life of a person.

If your child is obese and overweight, you should be very cautious about his or her emotional and psychological condition. There are some signs you can use for defining that something is wrong and should be done about:

• the child is not willing to socialize, go out, has low energy or interest in any activities
• the child looks sad, angry, irritant or lonely
• the child has a few or no friends at all
• the child wants to hurt himself or others
• the child has an obsession with food
• the child has sleep problems
• the child is unwilling to visit school

If you observe any of these signs, you have to take certain measures as soon as possible. No, you don’t have to give Meridia to your teen. Maybe, there will be a stage later when you will need drugs like Meridia to help your teen lose some weight. But before you reach this point, you have to engage into a dialog with your child and learn what troubles him or her the most. If needed, go to a child psychologist in order to determine the easiest way of overcoming these psychological issues. And of course, don’t forget that diet, proper nutrition and physical activity are the best solutions for weight loss, and your child will definitely feel better after loosing the excessive weight.

Rheumatoid arthritis has become one of the most painful conditions for millions of Americans. For those that suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), this diagnosis often means a diagnosis of a life of pain. Key markers of RA include joint stiffness coupled with chronic pain and fatigue. Most often the fatigue that comes with RA is a result of the stress of coping with pain, and managing the pain in RA is the easiest way to manage all of the symptoms. If you are looking for a way to manage your RA, find out here what you can do to start getting back control of your life, and living with as little pain as possible. The condition of rheumatoid arthritis is a complex one and effects every patient differently. This is an autoimmune disease, and what that means is that your own immune system begins attacking healthy parts of your body. As the disease progresses, your tissues and joints begin to inflame and then degenerate over time, and this is the leading cause of pain in RA. Rheumatoid arthritis does not need to be as debilitating as it sounds though. By taking a few simple measures you can begin to manage your pain more effectively, and not feel so crippled by it. It goes without saying that any lifestyle is made easier when it is made healthier. When it comes to rheumatoid arthritis, this couldn’t be more true. If you are diagnosed with RA, the first thing you want to do is begin adopting healthy changes in your life. Try and lose weight if you or your doctor things you need to, as this will take some pressure off of your joints and limbs. This factor alone will begin to make for some pain free changes for you. In addition, you want to include a healthy diet, as this will keep your weight healthy, and your system healthy to fight this disease. Exercise is an important part of managing RA pain as well. Maintain a practice of stretching your joints frequently enough to keep the blood flowing and your joints as limber as possible. You also may want to try adding some weights to your exercise routine, as research has found weight bearing exercise can alleviate pain symptoms in RA. Weight lifting improves your balance and flexibility, and in addition, will improve your overall strength when it comes to fighting this condition. Pain management through prescription medication will also play an important role in your rheumatoid arthritis management. No matter where you are in the progression of RA, pain relievers are an essential part to ensuring your quality of life. When you are planning your pain management with your doctor, try medications that are anti-inflammatory in nature. Medications such as Ultram that offer anti-inflammatory properties will target both your inflamed joints and the pain that is caused by this. Many doctors today are choosing Ultram as a pain reliever choice over narcotic pain relievers as Ultram is better tolerated and does not carry the addictive potential that other pain relievers do. Regardless of what choices you make in terms of alleviating your RA pain, taking a multi-faceted approach that includes a healthier lifestyle and an adequate pain management program will go a long way towards treating RA fast.

There are certain antibiotics that can be very effective in treating amoeba and bacterial infections that are generally characterized as sexually transmitted diseases. However, some common side effects of using antibiotics are nausea and stomach discomfort. These drugs should be taken with a full glass of water, and depending on your tolerance you may need to take a full meal in order to make the drug work better. Most antibiotic medications are used in a wide range of conditions ranging from respiratory tract infections to sexually transmitted diseases, from urinary tract problems to acne. And you may find yourself taking the same drug for treating syphilis and throat infection. Despite the fact that STDs have become quite widespread, it still seems to be a taboo for discussion in our society as the large public is not willing to discuss these diseases and their treatment openly. People know that there’s a problem with the raise in rates of sexually transmitted diseases infection, yet no one is speaking out loud about the subject, and when someone gets infected the treatment is usually conducted in strict confidence. In most cases STDs can be cured because a large part of them consists of simple bacterial infections that affect the genitals, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis. These are the most widespread STDs, and they can have no symptoms at the initial stage, making the patient believe that he or she is perfectly healthy and able to have unprotected sex, leading to further spread of the infection. – Gonorrhea is considered as the most common sexually transmitted disease and is usually treated with a course of antibiotics like Doxycycline. If left untreated, this infection can lead to inflammation in the urinary tract and further infertility. – Chlamydia is another common disease that is transmitted sexually. It is treatable, but as with other STDs if it is diagnosed at a later stage and not treated it may severely damage the reproductive system and lead to infertility both in men and women. – Syphilis was a very serious and even deadly health problem in the past before penicillin was discovered. However, even if using advanced antibiotics like Doxycycline, if the disease is diagnosed at a later stage a course of treatment won’t reverse the damage to tissue and organs syphilis is know for. The effects are not limited to infertility and can actually lead to death if left untreated. Another very important aspect is the fact that sexually transmitted diseases can appear again even if they already were treated in the past. A treatment course won’t make you immune to gonorrhea or syphilis and you still have to think about protection if you want to avoid re-infection. Otherwise you risk experiencing the same problems again and again, which will significantly impact your health in general. If you suspect that the person you had sex with is infected or you are infected, don’t lay off your doctor visits – the earlier you are diagnosed with a disease, the better even if there are no visible symptoms of the problem. The earlier you start treating a STD the easier it will be to do it and you will be able to avoid permanent damage to the body (especially in case of syphilis). However, the best way to treat STDs is not taking antibiotics like Doxycycline but to use protection during sex for preventing the transition of diseases in the first place.

One of the really great things about cartoons is how adorable they make smaller animals. Chipmunks, mice and canaries are forever doomed to be cute. Even Pep? Le Pew did wonders for the rep of skunks (at least the French branch of the family). It’s hard to say why this should be. Most of them are pests and animators really should know better. But, given a choice of the animal kingdom, small children are expected to keel over in a sentimental mush at the idea of picking one of these creatures up and giving it a hug. They are given a starring role and Toys R Us gets filled up with the stuffed furry character from the latest movie (that or you get a plastic replica with your burger).

Perhaps the animators should leave their air-conditioned offices and walk out into the Californian countryside for the inspiration for their next blockbuster. Did you see the news out of the Angeles National Forest over the last weekend? On a regular basis, the Rangers trap squirrels and other rodents. They take samples and send them off for testing. About two weeks ago these dedicated public servants caught a squirrel wandering around the Los Alamos Campsite. The results of the test just came back. This cuddly creature was carrying the plague. Needless to say, our Rangers have closed down the campsite and quarantined the area.

So let’s get technical. You all remember those boring history classes in school. Europe and the Black Death, Bubonic Plague and lots of people dying in the Middle Ages. That seemed all so yesterday, something to doze through and remember for the sake of passing the test. But the plague is very real and it’s alive and well and living in California. That said, the closure of the forest site is preventative. Keeping people away, reduces the risk. The plague is spread when we are bitten by the fleas carried by rodents and cuddly small mammals. So if one of your children touches a squirrel or lies on the grass near a tree or burrow, fleas can jump on to feed. One of the problems is that the symptoms don’t show for between 2 and 10 days, so you could be miles away before you realize. Then it’s a quick dose of Doxycycline. For maximum effect, you should take this antibiotic within the first 24 hours of the symptoms appearing. If there’s a delay, the death rate exceeds 50%. Reassuring, huh!

Keeping this article real, actual cases of the plague in the US are rare. It’s found in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. All hospitals and clinics in the country areas hold stocks of Doxycycline ready for immediate treatment. But there are only a few cases and, in the last 20 years, there have been no deaths. That’s down to the effectiveness of Doxycycline. But don’t mistake the seriousness of this. The Rangers do not close off a part of the forested areas including campsites without a very good reason. So, if you and the family are camping, avoid squirrels and chipmunks. No matter how cute you may think they look, their fleas have a potentially fatal bite. For older couples, no outside recreational activities on the grass where fallen fleas may be waiting for new hosts. It’s not worth the risk.