Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common of three vaginal infections that fall under the category known as vaginitis. The other two infections are trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease, and the fungal infection commonly known as a yeast infection.

BV is the least understood and most often ignored or misdiagnosed of these conditions. However, it is gaining more attention as more research shows that untreated BV can lead to significant health complications, including premature delivery, postpartum infections, clinically apparent and subclinical pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), post-surgical complications (after abortion, hysterectomy, cesarean section and other reproductive procedures), increased vulnerability to HIV infection and, possibly, infertility. As many as one-third of pregnant women in the United States have BV.

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HIV/AIDS

n June 5, 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the first report alerting the medical community to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS — acquired immune deficiency syndrome — a disease that fatally attacks the immune system. Since then, AIDS has since become a major global epidemic.

What distinguishes HIV from most other viruses is that antibodies produced by the immune system cannot kill HIV. Once a person is infected, HIV remains in the blood forever. After a silent but intense battle that can last 10 years or more, the virus weakens the immune system to the point that it can no longer protect the body from infections. These opportunistic infections, such as pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), are the late-stage conditions that define AIDS. In addition, patients with HIV face an increased risk of contracting certain cancers and neurological disorders.

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Cervical Cancer Preventative Health Vaccination

Gardasil is a recently Australian developed vaccination that treats two particular strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). These strains, 16 & 18, are the cause of around 70% of all cervical cancers.

HPV is a sexually transmitted infection, mostly effecting women aged between 20 - 24. Almost all abnormal pap smears are caused by HPV and in many cases it clears itself, however if the virus persists and is left undetected it can lead to cervical cancer.

Gardasil prevents the infection from HPV strains 16 & 18 if individuals are vaccinated before they are infected with the virus.

All medicines considered for funding by the Australian Government must first be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) this guarantees that they are safe and clinically effective.

Following the Governments commitment to cover the costs of the vaccination itself, at Healthy Women Medical Centre, we can administer the cervical cancer vaccination to anyone up to the age of 26.

Proper Sleep May Help Clear Arteries

December 23 (HealthDay News) -- A good night's sleep may be just what your arteries need.

So finds a new five-year study in which middle-aged people who had an extra hour of sleep each night were less likely to have artery-stiffening calcium deposits.

But the study results shouldn't send people off to bed prematurely or have them popping sleeping pills, cautioned Diane Lauderdale, associate professor of health studies at the University of Chicago Medical Center, who led the study.

"We don't know why there is an association," Lauderdale said. "And until we know why, we can't tell whether it is a causal association."

The report was published in the Dec. 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Lauderdale and her colleagues have been following a group of young adults for years, studying their heart arteries from a number of angles. The latest report linked the sleeping habits of 495 participants, ages 35 to 47, with the incidence of artery calcification, measured by CT scans.

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TriLipix Approved to Help Lower Cholesterol

December 16 (HealthDay News) -- The Abbott Laboratories drug TriLipix (fenofibric acid) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help lower cholesterol.

TriLipix is among a class of drugs called fibrates, and it can be used alone or in combination with a statin, such as Lipitor, Zocor or Crestor.

The drug was studied in 2,698 people with so-called "mixed dyslipidemia," a condition characterized by above-normal levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides, and below-normal levels of HDL (good cholesterol). Clinical studies showed TriLipix used in combination with a statin helped people control all three lipids better than use of the statin alone, Abbott said in a news release.

Common side effects of TriLipix included headache, heartburn, nausea, muscle aches, and increased levels of certain muscle and liver enzymes measured by blood tests.

People with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease shouldn't take TriLipix. The drug should also be avoided by nursing mothers, Abbott said.

Essential Fatty Acids -- The Key To Health, Part II

Balancing EFAs and Anti-Oxidants.
Because EFAs are polyunsaturated, containing two or more double chemical bonds, they are prone to rancidity, not merely in foods but also in the human body. Rancidity occurs when the double bond is broken by oxygen, producing an oxidized fatty acid. Oxidized fatty acids not only taste badly, they behave badly, disrupting the normal functioning of the cell membranes of which they are a part. Oxidized fatty acids are rapidly generated from the process called free radical-induced cell damage.

To protect EFAs from harmful oxidation, it is essential to consume adequate levels of dietary anti-oxidants, especially vitamin E. Consumption of a nutrient-dense diet will assure a higher-than-average intake of all anti-oxidants. Depend-ing upon the specific foods chosen, however, where those foods have been grown, the efficiency of digestion and absorption, the need for EFA supplementation, and the pres-ence of inflammation within the body, supplementation of the diet with additional anti-oxidants may be necessary. For people who supplement their diets with fish oils or flax oil, a minimum anti-oxidant supple-ment should include vitamin E (four hundred units per day), selenium (one hundred micrograms per day), and vitamin C (one thousand milli-grams per day), in addition to--not instead of--a nutrient-dense diet.

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Parkinson's: Is it caused by a lack of sunshine?

Most Parkinson's disease sufferers are seriously depleted in levels of vitamin D, which we mainly get from the sun, researchers have discovered - so does this mean that you are more likely to develop the disease if you don't get out into the sun often enough?

The researchers made the discovery when they compared vitamin D levels of sufferers of Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease, and with healthy subjects. Around 55 per cent of Parkinson’s sufferers had very low levels of the vitamin compared to 35 per cent of the healthy controls.

If you live in a Northern clime where sunshine isn’t a daily feature, you can also increase your levels of vitamin D by eating more oily fish and eggs.

(Source: Archives of Neurology, 2008; 65: 1348-52).

Insomnia: The one therapy that works

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatments for chronic insomnia - and yet very few doctors are recommending it.

CBT is just as effective as drugs and it's better than hypnotism. It immediately halves the worst symptoms of chronic insomnia and those who continue it for four to eight weeks see a further 25 per cent reduction. The good effects can last for up to two years, research has found.

The main therapies used by CBT include restricting the amount of time in bed to match sleep time, stimulus control to regularize the sleep-wake cycle, and to promote bedroom routines that encourage sleep. It also uses relaxation techniques, and helps the sufferer overcome fears that a lack of sleep can lead to catastrophic consequences.

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Diabetes: Bad gums make it worse

Bad teeth and gums play a key role in type II diabetes, researchers have discovered. Gum diseases such as gingivitis and severe periodontitis escalate diabetes - and may even be a major cause of it in the first place - while diabetes, in turn, makes the gum disease worse.

Researchers have started to realise the importance of gum and teeth health in diabetes and other diseases, and two landmark studies this year confirmed the association. In one, researchers discovered that people with gum disease were twice as likely to develop diabetes. In another study, researchers found that gaining glycemic control of diabetics was almost impossible if they also had gum disease.

Break Bad Sex Habits

Fulfill Her Fantasies

Seven sex tips guaranteed to work wonders

By: Bill Gottlieb

3 Comments | 660 Recommended

Hey, habits, even bad ones, take time to perfect. You don't just pick them up overnight. So the fact that you've had more than your fair share of sex in this life, while undoubtedly a great source of pride to you, probably means that over the years you've developed a few bad habits -- maybe learned to cut a few corners here and there in the bedroom. Happens to the best. Show us a gorgeous woman and we'll show you a man who's making love to her on autopilot at least once in a while.
he problem here is that women, under the misguided impression that we men have delicate egos, are not always inclined to point out ways we can improve our lovemaking. So the bad habits endure. Replacing your bad sexual habits with some of the better ones here will result in a much happier and more satisfied partner, which, being the selfless sort that you are, is the only thing that really interests you. We should mention, in passing, that it could also result in bedpost-rattling, plaster-loosening, forget-your-own-name, animalistic fun for you, too. In case you're interested.

Habit #1: Be handy, man

When it comes to using your hands to get her worked up, you can't afford to be all thumbs, at least according to the book The Guide to Getting It On! So next time your fingers are doing their love thing, make sure you...

Get them in the right position
When a woman masturbates, she often rests her wrist on her lower abdomen just above the pubic bone. If this is what your partner does, try to do the same, since it will influence the way your fingers feel on her vulva. Try lying parallel to your partner and reaching your arm over her body until your fingers can reach her crotch. This allows your fingers to approach from the same angle that her own fingers do.

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The Time Bomb Inside You

Finding prostate cancer early can save your life or unleash a torrent of unnecessary misery. To test or not to test? It's a question dividing the medical community and one that only you should answer.

Richard S. is lying unconscious and naked on a stainless-steel operating table. Breathing and gastroesophageal tubes converge at his mouth, and a catheter protrudes from his penis. A physician's assistant places his feet in boots that spread his legs and force his knees to bend. Then the foot of the table drops away, providing room for a million-dollar surgical machine called the da Vinci robot to "dock."

"I just want it out," Richard told me, just before the anesthesia took hold. "It" is his prostate gland, which a biopsy has shown carries a small amount of cancer that could conceivably, one day in the distant future, kill him. "I've heard that many more men die with prostate cancer than from it," he said. "But I don't want to have to worry. I intend to live to be over 100."

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Childhood Cough

Coughing is a natural protective mechanism designed to clear bacteria, viruses, dust, and pollen out of the body. Coughing clears the lungs and throat of irritants and fluids. A productive cough forces sputum from the breathing tract, thereby clearing the air passages and allowing oxygen to reach the lungs.

A cough is also a common symptom of diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. Coughing may be related to a bacterial or viral infection of the respiratory tract, such as bronchitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, or croup. A cough can also be caused by inhaling irritating substances, such as dust, chemical fumes, or cigarette smoke. Food sensitivities and environmental allergies can cause a cough, as can inhaling very cold or very hot air. If your child has a persistent cough, emotional stress is another important factor to consider.

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100 Ways to Protect Your Heart

No drugs. No bypasses. No scars. Just solid DIY advice on how to keep your heart pumping

By: Adam Campbell & Brian Good, Photographs by: Dave Krieger

In 1991, you started using condoms. Sunscreen followed in '95. And this spring you were wearing a surgical mask when the Toronto Blue Jays visited Fenway. Your policy on life-threatening diseases: maximum protection.

So what are you doing to protect your heart? Most guys leave that job up to their rib cage. After all, your heart feels fine. And, really, it's out of your hands. Isn't it?

In a few words: No, you ignorant 911-caller-in-waiting. Half of the men in America are laying down plaque for that special day when they keel over.

We want to keep you upright, so we combed thousands of scientific studies to compile the most important advice you'll ever read in this magazine: 100 tips, tricks, and techniques that will protect you from the number-one killer of men (and their wives). Make them part of your life, and you may just live long enough to see the United States pay its national debt, the Cubs win the World Series, and Madonna retire.

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Info Herb

Healthy Man

My male clientele is very small. Why??. I get very few male clients, most have cancer and prostate problems, sometimes I get mothers concerned for the welfare of their sons, bringing them to see me almost dragging them, why is that??. Males seldom seek help, they usually keep their problems to themselves.

We are to proud, macho, invincible, we are reluctant to appear vulnerable, or weak.

Males are brought up in an unrealistic environment. We are led to believe that strength is good and emotions are not part of the male species. We are supposed to be successful at everything and failure or weakness are not allowed. Since we were little we played with guns, were soldiers, cowboys, or monsters. In school we continue to be macho and play rough games, and are not allowed to show our emotions. To be honest I don't know at what age most of us imbedded these beliefs that will be with us for the rest of our lives.

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Stroke & Women

A stroke is a potentially life-threatening event in which part of the brain is deprived of adequate oxygen. It is the third-leading cause of death (after heart disease and cancer) among all women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many women who survive a stroke may face permanent losses of movement, speech, clear thinking and other abilities.

There are two primary types of strokes that affect both women and men. Ischemic strokes result from blockages in arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes result from a bursting of an artery in the brain.

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Estrogen Increases Heart Risk

Preliminary information obtained from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) trial indicates that women who use estrogen may face a slightly higher risk of heart attacks and strokes over women who do not use estrogen. This study will continue through 2005, and researchers emphasize that the results could change by then.

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Prevent Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States. While it’s true that the majority of women still believe that breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women, the truth is that more women die of heart disease each year than die of all types of cancer combined. Sadly, the fact is that only 13% of women are even aware that heart disease is number one killer of U.S. women. Almost 500, 000 different women lose their lives to heart disease annually: Women who are moms, grandmas, aunts, sisters, and daughters. The good news is that heart disease is the most preventable cause of death in women.

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Asthma Information

Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs. In New York State (NYS), more than 1.1 million adults have asthma ¹. Asthma occurs at any age but is more common in children than adults. Nationally, nearly one in 13 school-age children have asthma, and that rate is rising more rapidly in preschool-aged children and those living in urban inner cities than in any other group. Although there is no cure for asthma, asthma attacks can be prevented and controlled with proper care. New York is actively working with health care providers, community coalitions, schools, families and many others to fight asthma so people with asthma can live a full and active life.

This web site is designed to provide accurate, current and useful information for people with asthma and for the people who care for them. New resources will be added often. Please check back frequently.

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HIV/AIDS

HIV

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus. You may hear that someone is "HIV infected", "has HIV infection", or "has HIV disease." These are all terms that mean the person has HIV in his or her body and can pass the virus to other people.

HIV attacks the body's immune system. The immune system protects the body from infections and disease, but has no clear way to protect it from HIV. Over time, most people infected with HIV become less able to fight off the germs that we are all exposed to every day. Many of these germs do not usually make a healthy person sick, but they can cause life-threatening infections and cancers in a person whose immune system has been weakened by HIV.

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Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

Avian influenza (AI) or bird flu is a group of viruses that occur naturally in birds. A virus is pathogenic if it can cause illness or death. Some AI viruses can infect birds but not cause many bird illnesses or death. Other AI viruses, termed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), can cause large numbers of bird illnesses and deaths. Currently there is concern about one of these viruses, known as highly pathogenic H5N1, because it is causing severe disease in chickens and other poultry in several continents . It has also been found in wild birds in the same areas. In some instances, people who have had close contact with sick poultry have also become infected and gotten very sick. Approximately half of the people known to be infected have died.

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Important! Consumer Alert: Beware of copy-cat paperback publications. This is the ONLY anti-heart disease 200-page Special Report on the web written by a former cardiologist/surgeon ... who now reveals the real truth to you! Don’t trust your life to some ghostwriter. Get the real facts on how to reverse or prevent heart disease here.

Dear Reader,

Confessions of a Former Heart Surgeon ...

Before I tell you more, let me introduce myself ... My name is Robert D. Willix Jr., I have all the credentials of a highly accomplished physician: an M.D. from the University of Missouri, a residency in surgery at the University of Michigan Medical Center, the very first board-certified cardiac surgeon in South Dakota. I even developed the state’s first heart-surgery program.

Several years ago the readers of one of the most famous national health magazines gave me a “Best Doctor Achievement Award.” That’s when people started calling me “America’s Most Trusted Doctor.” But most doctors call me things like “revolutionary” or “pioneer.” Why?

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Weight Loss Facts:

Low Fat Foods DON'T WORK.

You cannot lose weight using Low Fat Diets. Low fat foods have been popular for more than 15 years, but yet our society is getting more overweight as each year passes. This fact alone should tell you that eating a purely low fat menu is not the answer to losing weight.

Low Calorie Diets DON'T WORK.

You won't lose weight using a Low Calorie Dieting Plan either. In fact, eating low calories is the worst thing that you can do to your body, since that will only slow down your body's fat burning engine and ruin all chances of losing weight (low calorie diets may allow a few pounds of weight loss for the first few days, but then after that all weight loss comes to a halt --- known as a dieting plateau). You can never get slim by starving yourself.

Low Carb Plans DON'T WORK.

You'll probably find it extremely difficult to get slim using a Low Carb Dieting Plan. Low carb diets have recently become popular over the last couple years, but the problem with low carb menus is that they are too strict and TOO HARD TO FOLLOW for average people. Low carb menus tend to rob your body of too much energy (carbohydrates) and make it nearly impossible to remain on the program for very long. This is why so many dieters find it difficult to follow a strict low carbohydrate menu.

What about Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig Dieting Plans?

Weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers (and Jenny Craig) usually involve slower dieting progress over a longer period of time, since such programs generally promise only 2-3 pounds of weight loss per week. Also, programs such as Jenny Craig usually involve buying special meals and/or dietary supplements during the initial phases of the program. While some people may like these types of dietary programs, we prefer a dieting plan which focuses on faster weight loss, such as the Accelerated Fat Burning Program shown below...

Try our New ACCELERATED Fat Burning Diet right here

Measles deaths drop by 74 percent, report finds

Vaccinations cited for progress against leading killer of children worldwide

updated 11:37 a.m. ET Dec. 4, 2008

ATLANTA - Measles deaths worldwide declined dramatically to about 200,000 a year, continuing a successful trend, global health authorities reported Thursday.

From 2000 to 2007, annual measles deaths dropped 74 percent, largely because of vaccination campaigns, according to a report from the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other organizations.

Measles has long been a leading cause of death of young children globally and still kills more than 500 a day. But health officials estimate 11 million deaths were avoided in the decline.

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Breast cancer drug may cause tumors to spread

Study: Tamoxifen helps cancer cells move when patient is low in a protein

updated 1:54 p.m. ET Dec. 4, 2008

LONDON - The most commonly used breast cancer drug may cause tumors to spread in a small number of women with low levels of a protein which makes cells stick together, British researchers said on Thursday.

The findings could lead to new tests to determine which women are not likely to benefit from tamoxifen and who should be given other drugs, said Stephen Hiscox, a cancer researcher at Cardiff University, who led the study.

"We found something that could be potentially used as a biomarker to determine which kind of drugs they should get because they have low levels of this protein," he said in a telephone interview.

Male suicide a growing concern in tough times

War, debt and joblessness causing emotional distress for many young men

Kevin Hines sits on the rocks next to Fort Point underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Hines survived jumping off of the bridge in a suicide attempt. Read more...

Suggestions for Long Term Breast Health

© Honora Lee Wolfe
(Excerpted from The Breast Connection: A Laywoman’s Guide to the Treatment & Prevention of Breast Disease with Chinese Medicine
Published by Blue Poppy Press, Inc.)

Eat as many fresh, lightly cooked vegetables as you wish. Go easy on spicy, sweet, or greasy foods Avoid overeating. This stagnates the stomach qi - the stomach channel irrigates the breast tissue. Stagnant qi in any form is bad for the breasts. Try to avoid becoming overweight. There is a known relationship between body fat, fat consumption, and breast cancer. Stay relaxed. Remember the "Serenity Prayer" or simply learn to know the difference between what you can and cannot change and control in your life and in the lives of those around you. Try to let go of what you cannot change and work at changing what you can. Read more...

Acupressure for Menstrual Cramps

Acupressure massage is an ancient Oriental healing method that applies finger pressure to specific points on the skin surface to help prevent and treat illness. Acupressure has had a long and distinguished history as an effective healing tool for many centuries and is often used along with herbs to promote the healing of disease.

When specific acupressure points are pressed, they create changes on two levels. On the physical level, acupressure affects muscular tension, blood circulation, and other physiological parameters. On a more subtle level, traditional Oriental healing believes that acupressure also helps to build the body's life energy to promote healing. In fact, acupressure is based on the belief that there exists within the body a life energy called chi. It is different from yet similar to electromagnetic energy. Health is thought to be a state in which the chi is equally distributed throughout the body and is present in sufficient amounts. It is thought to energize all the cells and tissues of the body.

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