Health Vampiremoon

"Anxiety and Panic Attack sufferers tend to live lives of quiet desperation." As a personal development trainer specializing in anxiety issues, and a former sufferer of extreme anxiety and panic attacks, I can assure you the above statement is true-I've been there. I spent years of my life searching in desperation for an anxiety cure that was effective and would last. Like many people, I tried the medical route: I was prescribed anti-anxiety medications that doctors assured me would provide a "real" anxiety cure with no severe side-effects or withdrawal symptoms...at least that's what I was told. Fast forward two years: I had gained 50 pounds, I suffered with chronic heartburn, fatigue, memory loss (my friends began calling me "Mr Short-Term Memory") and sexual "dysfunction" (don't even ask). My relationship was in ruins and I was barely able to function at my job. And the worst part? My anxiety and panic attacks were still there! Here's what the medical community and drug manufacturers don't really want you to know: anti-anxiety medications are completely ineffective for most people as an anxiety cure. The best anti-anxiety medications available have success rates that are only slightly higher than a placebo (that's right, a regular sugar pill). And when you factor in severe side effects like I had, and withdrawal symptoms, it's easy to see why these medications aren't really a good idea for many people. Now, I'm not saying there's a conspiracy going on (exactly), but I am saying that there is a ton of money to be made by keeping this information quiet. And that's exactly what the big corporations do. Which is great news if you are a stock holder, but terrible news if you are desperately seeking an anxiety cure, as I was for so many years. So if medication is not the answer, what is? A "real" anxiety cure must be sustainable, not a quick fix that makes your life progressively worse over time, creating a type of addiction that keeps sufferers feeling like helpless victims. A "real" anxiety cure is all about empowerment-taking back control over your life. There is no "quick fix" for an anxiety problem. The only real and lasting cure is in dealing with the issue personally, taking full responsibility for it, and refusing to be a victim that waits for someone "out there" to come and "fix" your life. Because the truth is, no one ever will. "You will overcome your anxiety problem--no one else will do it for you." Of course there are resources out there that can help you along the way and even coaching programs to guide you step-by-step, but you must make the first big step right now, and that is to take 100% responsibility for your situation. This is not about blaming yourself--it's about taking your power back. Don't believe the hype folks. The cure for anxiety is not to be found in a pill. I cured my anxiety and panic attacks years ago by following a number of simple techniques, but the very first step along the way, was to understand that "I" was entirely responsible for my anxiety situation, and only "I" could overcome it. The sooner you take responsibility and recognize your role in the anxiety--the sooner you'll take back control of your life.

Atorvastatin, marketed under the trade name Lipitor, is used for lowering cholesterol
. Atorvastatin inhibits the enzyme located in hepatic tissue that produces mevalonate, a small molecule used in the synthesis of cholesterol. This lowers the amount of cholesterol produced which in turn lowers the total amount of LDL (low density) cholesterol. In 2005, Lipitor sales totaled $12.2 billion, making it the largest selling drug in the world at the time. Atorvastatin is indicated as an adjunct to diet for the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia. In a clinical trial, after 2 years, a relative risk reduction of 16% in the primary end point rate (death, heart attack, unstable angina, coronary revascularization, or stroke) was seen in patients receiving intensive treatment with the drug. The benefit of intensive treatment was apparent, in some instances, within 30 days. If you have high cholesterol, chances are your physician has already talked to you about Lipitor. Doctors like to prescribe it because it works quickly and easily. However, you need to understand the risk consequences associated with taking these sorts of drugs, because there is a potential for dangerous and sometimes permanent side effects. Some patients have suffered severe health consequences and were not adequately forewarned by their doctors. Some of the more well known side effects associated with drugs known as statins (statins is the scientific classification for drugs such as Lipitor) include liver damage, sexual dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy. But there have been other studies that have revealed other subtle problems that develop within the patient, which can have huge ramifications for the health of that patient later in life. In a study performed by Finnish doctors, doctors assessed the effects of the statin drug Zocor on 120 men ages 35 to 64. All of the men had high cholesterol levels, ranging from 232 to 309. One group of men was told to maintain their current diet, while the other group was required to reduce their daily intake of saturated fat to less than 10 percent of total daily calories, and to keep their daily cholesterol consumption below 250 mg. Then, each of the 2 groups was divided into 2 subgroups. One subgroup would take 20 mg of Zocor per day, while the other group received a placebo. This was continued for 12 weeks, at which point each subgroup switched so that the subgroup that had been receiving the placebo would receive the Zocor for the next 12 weeks, and vice versa. At the beginning of the clinical trial, and after the first 12 weeks, as well as at the end of the second 12 weeks, the cholesterol, blood pressure, insulin, and weight of each patient were measured. The Zocor clearly worked, because it decreased cholesterol levels by 20.8 percent, while diet alone only decreased cholesterol by 7.6 percent. However, there was an astonishing finding. It was discovered that the drug increased fasting serum insulin levels by 13 percent, and decreased serum concentrations of important antioxidant vitamins by as much as 22 percent. This was a huge revelation. Decreased insulin sensitivity can lead to a whole host of problems down the road, such as blindness, diabetes, and kidney disease. And antioxidants protect us from a whole host of problems, such as organic brain disease, cancer, and atherosclerosis. So, even though these cholesterol drugs perform a valuable function (lowering cholesterol), they can cause a whole range of other problems and diseases that can make a patient severely ill later in life. So, you should think long and hard before using cholesterol-lowering drugs. The aforementioned side effects may not be equally severe in all people who take the medication. However, you might be better off working closely with your doctor to develop a program of diet and exercise before using drugs like Zocor or Lipitor to lower your cholesterol.

There are many reasons for you to feel anger. If you want to get out of the vicious cycle of anger, you need to first understand where the feelings are coming from, and what to do about it. In other words, before you can control your feelings of anger, you have to understand what causes them. Some of the most common causes of anger are frustration, hurt, becoming annoyed, harassment, feelings of disappointment or of being threatened. When these feelings occur adrenaline is released into the bloodstream. This adrenalin reinforces your feelings of anger because your heart pumps faster and your blood courses through your system. Your blood pressure will increase and your muscles may feel tense. Basically, your body is gearing up for action in a 'flight or fight' response. Understanding how to express your anger in a non-threatening manner can actually allow you to use your energy in a constructive way. You have to remember that ignoring anger will not make it go away. If you don't effectively deal with your anger, you can develop chronic tension and health problems. Accidents and personal problems can stem from your anger, and can create problems with loved ones and on your job. If left unchecked, your anger can lead to abuse, violent behavior and even crime. You need to recognize that you are angry, you need to determine what caused the immediate anger and decide what steps need to be taken to eliminate the cause. You should never try to resolve your problem through discussion when you are angry, especially if you're angry at someone. Calm down before discussing the problem and do not shout. Shouting only makes the problem worse and increases your anger. Instead, understand why you are angry. Are you just trying to beat the other person in a competitive sense, or does a real problem exist that needs to be ironed out? You should never get person when discussing a situation that caused the anger. Put your energy into solving the problem that caused the anger, not the person. Getting personal in an argument will only make things worse. You should listen to what the other person has to say before jumping to conclusions. Do not resort to name calling and insults, which will only extend the anger. It is OK to be assertive and to express your side without yelling and screaming. You also should not pout; no one likes an adult acting like a child when they are angry. Don't waste time and energy on a situation that is unavoidable. Use humor. Find something funny within the situation to help defuse a potentially explosive situation. Physical activity can help dissipate some of that adrenaline flowing through your blood. Walk, run or perform some other physical action that can take your mind off your anger. Make sure you get adequate rest as when people are tired, little things tend to annoy them, which is one of the causes of anger. Remember, even taking a time-out to calm down before an angry confrontation makes a bad situation worsen. Do not approach the problem until you have had time to think through both sides of the situation.

Back pain can come from many sources. If it occurs from early childhood, sometimes this pain can be caused by a condition of the spine called scoliosis a condition which occurs when the spine is not straight. Depending on where the curve starts, scoliosis can also deform the ribs, causing them to push the chest out in front and in back. The back pain that accompanies this condition depends on where the curve begins and how severe it is plus the age of onset. Scoliosis usually begins at birth. Genetics plays a key role in the onset of scoliosis, although the exact source is unknown. Eighty percent of all patients diagnosed with scoliosis are considered to have inherited the condition. Eighty-eight percent of patients with scoliosis are female. The onset of scoliosis can be broken down into infantile, juvenile, adolescent and adult. Adult onset is almost always scoliosis that was not discovered or treated at an earlier time. Whatever the reason or when it was diagnosed, the onset of scoliosis can cause extremely agonizing back pain. The amount of pain is directly related to the degree of the curve. The worse the curve the more it will tire the sufferer doing their daily routines, and the worse the pain. Often, because of the angle of the curve, there can be pressure put on the nerves and the vertebrae are compacted. This can cause very serious back pain. In extreme cases this curving can even cause paralysis or heart and lung problems. The deciding factor on how to treat scoliosis back pain is what to do about the curve. If the curve is forty degrees or less it is harder to treat since braces do not work. Larger curves do not always benefit from braces, however, since the curve can realign itself once the braces are removed. If the curve is serious enough, surgery may be suggested. Scoliosis surgery uses pins, screws and rods to straighten the spine. These devices eliminate the back pain. For those concerned about surgery, braces and exercise are the only options left to try to correct the curve. A scoliosis sufferer's healthcare provider will tell their patient that the key to prevent serious back pain is to ensure that the curve does not exceed fifty degrees. If the curve does exceed that limit, by the time the child reaches adulthood, they can count on a one percent increase in the curve yearly. This worsening of the curve increases the long-term pain and other issues associated with severe scoliosis curves. Scoliosis will affect children worse if they have a large curve than if they have a smaller one. Proper diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis is not only an issue of treating pain, but of improving the quality of life for the patient throughout their lives. It is wise to investigate early and become active in treatments that can correct, even to some degree, the curve. This is the only hope to lessen the pain of scoliosis.

Back pain is a big problem for woman all over the world. A third of women between the ages of sixteen to twenty-four have had back pain. By the time a woman reaches sixty-five, her chances of having back pain climb to fifty percent. People don't realize it, but there are more women then men who suffer from back pain. Furthermore, the pain that women suffer is worse and lasts longer than that of their male counterparts. The pain is also different: with men the backaches are more often caused by an injury. With a woman the pain comes from the things she must deal with every day of their lives. Back pain in women is triggered by a number of things. The most common causes are things they do at home like lifting, gardening and vacuuming. Menstrual periods can also trigger back pain. Pregnancy is frequently a back pain issue. Up to sixty percent of all pregnant women have some back pain, and the pain can get especially bad during the last trimester. Women are more likely to have injuries that cause back pain than men as well, and their back pain is likely to take longer to heal. Women are also more likely to get hurt on the job, especially as they work more often in professions that can be tough on the back: health care services, retailing, hotel services and catering. A huge number of nurses hurt their backs every year; nearly five percent of them will be unable to return to nursing. Back injuries cause more workdays to be missed by woman in a single year than any other problem. Many women are at higher risk because their job involves repetitive motion, pulling, pushing or lifting. Examples of the kind of jobs that put woman at risk for back pain include factory work, cashier work, telephone operators and data entry workers. Other professions that are dangerous for the back include bank tellers, who stand all day, and teachers or caregivers of small children. After these women work at jobs hazardous to their back during the day, many come home to prepare meals, clean house, feed the baby, do the laundry and finish the remainder of the household jobs. Many of these jobs include bending, lifting, standing and twisting. All prime risk factors for back pain, as is breastfeeding, leaning over a crib and picking up children of any size. Even when a woman wants to dress up she is at risk for back problems. Those heels she loves so much can increase the pain in her back. Tight clothes affect ease of movement. Even a woman's bust can be a back pain issue. If her breasts are too large, they can throw the weight on her back. Women cannot stop all the things they do just to try to prevent back pain. Children need their mothers and the things they do for them. The jobs they have outside the home are necessary for the income but as well their skills are needed in these jobs. There's no easy solution for the hard working women of the world.