What you need to know about heart diseases

by: Mansi gupta

Heart is the most significant organ of the body. It controls and regulates the entire body. An individual can survive the loss of other organs of body but not of a heart. The moment heart ceases pumping blood to the body, it results in a heart stroke and there are chances that the person may die.  But people are often negligent in taking care of this undeniably crucial organ of their body. This is made evident by the studies that reveal the escalating deaths due to cardiac arrests every year. It is not just the elderly who are gripped by cardiac seizures due to their age, which implicates a declining health but also young children, and even infants who are inflicted by heart ailments. The purpose of this article is to make its readers aware of some of the most common cardiac problems, few possible preventions and cures to them and the measures one should adopt to enjoy a healthy heart. 1. Heart diseases- human heart starts malfunctioning due to many reasons. In other words there are different diseases that affect human heart. • Congenital Heart Disease is a very common one. It leads to malformation of heart during prenatal development and other severe complications. Chromosomal abnormalities, transfer of infected genes and environment are the main attributed causes to congenital heart disease. • Coronary Artery Disease is one where heart simply stops pumping blood to the arteries. The blockages or difficulty in the blood flow to the main source of oxygen to the heart muscle i.e. coronary arteries is deemed to be the primary factor that results in this disease. Apart from this the thickening of the arteries called arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and other problems like asthma, diabetes etc. are the causes of CAD. CAD produces a heart attack and so even the death of the concerned individual. • A viral infection that attacks the pericardium pouch enveloping the heart is the ground for the Pericardial heart disorder. 2. The Roots of Heart Ailment- in most of the cases the individuals themselves are responsible for their cardiac troubles. • Over stress is the biggest threat to a healthy life so much so that it affects even one’s heart. • Faulty food habits i.e. eating more of junk and fattening food rich in cholesterol is the primary reason for a heart attack. • Obesity and lack of physical labor also accentuates cardiac problems. • Heart problems are also hereditary. • Blood pressure patients are more prone to heart attacks. • Alcoholics, smokers and drug addicts have acute possibilities of heart failure. 3. Some Common Cures- it is not likely to prevent every heart problem especially those malformations or diseases that are innate or since the time of birth. They can at best be treated with the aid of surgeries. • Watch your eating and drinking habits. Avoid cholesterol abounding food like butter, cheese, creams, cakes and pastries etc. • Aspirin is deemed to be a potential medicine to ward off cardiac snags. According to physicians aspirin thins the blood and aids in its transfer from heart to other parts of the body. • Pregnant women are advised to keep away from hard drinks, cigarettes and narcotics. Negligence in this regard can be a source of incurable congenital heart disease to the baby. • If you are a sedentary worker, make it a point to exercise daily in order to maintain a healthy living. • Endeavor your best to have a nutritious and balanced diet. • If you suffer from diabetes, blood pressure, asthma or any such disease, go for regular medical check ups to know about the functioning of the internal organs of your body. • Last but not the least, avoid doing things that petrify you and do not favor your health. For instance if altitude or great height scares you, it is not a prudent choice to go for mountain climbing.

Heart Attack: Are You At Risk?

by: Ray Kelly

If you’re male and you lead an inactive lifestyle you probably have at least 3 risk factors associated with heart disease. I know, I know, you feel fine but so do most people before they have a heart attack. Unfortunately, most people find out they have heart disease the day they are admitted in to hospital, and they are the lucky ones! Ladies, don’t think this is just something for men to worry about (as it has been in the past). Women, as well as men, are more likely to die of heart disease than of any type of cancer. This is because of our modern lifestyle. We are working longer hours, so we eat fast food, and there’s no time for exercise. To make matters worse, machines are taking the ‘work’ out of work. We are less active and it’s killing us! So what are the risk factors for heart disease? Firstly, there are two types of risk factors: those that can be changed, and those that can’t be changed. It’s important to know that you only need to have 3 of these to be at risk. Each extra risk factor that you have increases your chance of having a heart attack substantially. Risk factors that can’t be changed: Heredity: You are at greater risk if your parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters, have heart disease. Gender: Men are at greater risk than women, though the risk for women increases after menopause. Age: As you increase in age, so do your chances of having a heart attack. Once you reach 40 you should have regular check-ups. Risk factors that can be changed: Smoking: A smoker is twice as likely than a non-smoker to have a heart attack. It not only places extra strain on the heart and lungs but also makes blood cholesterol stickier, making it easier to block arteries. High Blood Cholesterol: Cholesterol is produced naturally by the body and is essential to our health. The problem comes when we consume too much in our diet. High Blood Pressure: Just like with high cholesterol there are no early symptoms. The first most people learn they have this is when it’s at a dangerous level. Physical Inactivity: If you are inactive, you are more likely to have a heart attack. Even a 10 minute walk each day can make all the difference. Obesity: If you are obese, you are placing your heart under a great deal of strain even at rest. I might be at risk, what should I do? If you think you could be at risk, the first thing you should do is visit your doctor. Secondly, you need to modify your lifestyle. Exercise for at least 10 minutes per day (30 minutes is better but anything is better than nothing!). You also need to eat foods that are low in fat. If you smoke you need to give up. Even if you don’t have many risk factors it’s a good idea to visit your doctor each year. Some risk factors can change within a short period of time and getting on to them early can make all the difference.

Add years to your life and save your heart for free

by: Nicholas Webb

If you were told that you can add years to your life, get your cholesterol levels back to normal and protect yourself from heart disease and atherosclerosis, all for free would you believe it?  No need for the latest “fashionable” supplement or designer drug. No need to worry about unwanted drug side-effects and expense. You don’t even have to be too concerned about your “bad” LDL cholesterol! Yes, you read correctly. It sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t … Every day the evidence is piling up that links an increased risk of heart disease and stroke more strongly to low levels of the “good” HDL cholesterol rather than to high levels of the “bad” LDL. Studies have clearly shown that for every one-milligram rise in HDL, the risk for developing cardiovascular disease falls by 2 to 3 percent. There is a really simple, zero cost way of increasing your HDL by 5mg – that means a 15% reduction in the possibility of suffering from heart disease! For some time it has been known that HDL cholesterol is a so-called negative risk factor, meaning high levels zeros one of your other risk factor on your overall health profile. But this latest evidence takes the HDL issue one step further. The good news is that it is quite easy to increase levels of HDL and while doing so often levels of the so-called “bad” LDL decrease. So, you actually get twice your money’s worth. In fact, the HDL actually cleans up the potentially harmful cholesterol from your arteries and sends it off to the liver where it is eliminated. But it doesn’t end there, it also acts as an antioxidant that helps stop oxidation the bad cholesterol. Inflammation has also been receiving a lot of press coverage as being one of the culprits for heart disease, well guess what? HDL is also an anti-inflammatory agent, helping to repair what artery disease. It can also help keep blood clots from blocking arteries. So now all the buzz is on the good guy, which unlike LDL, that should be a low as possible; the higher your level of HDL cholesterol the better for your health. So now you can give your health a natural, zero cost boost and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. So, what should your HDL cholesterol levels be? For some time it has been known that people who live into their 90's without evidence of heart disease, typically have very high levels of HDL. You should do your best to get your HDL levels up to at least 60 milligrams; levels below 40 mg for men and 50 mg for women, according to the most important international health institutions, are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

Zeroing in on the Prevention of Heart Disease

by: Mike Spencer

More Americans succumb to the effects of heart disease than any other illness. Rated the number one killer, heart-related ailments are brought about by a variety of circumstances – some of which are preventable. The power that each individual has to ensure their own heart health is amazing, when you consider the factors that play a role in the variety of diseases that target the heart. The fact, then, that one out of every twenty people under the age of 40 suffers from some form of heart disease indicates that too many people aren’t taking their heart health seriously. Factors such as family medical history, menopause, diabetes mellitus and age (for those over 65) are among the risks that are beyond the control of those who may suffer from heart related ailments. Those which are within the scope of control include stress, inactivity, smoking, high cholesterol, obesity and hypertension (high blood pressure). By exercising discipline and reducing or eliminating these factors, your chances of heart disease are dramatically decreased. In addition to the more traditional methods of reducing your risk for such ailments, laughter has also been found to fight heart disease and promote good heart health. Since laughter is a great way to release pent-up stress and tension, this simple act might very well be just what you need to reduce the level of stress that might, otherwise, have a negative impact on your health. According to recent medical information, it’s believed that laughter can also help to fortify the lining of the blood vessels, as well as lowering your blood pressure and heart rate. Believe it or not, tea drinkers also have a decreased risk factor for heart disease. Due to its anti-oxidant properties, this is an ideal beverage – especially for those who don’t eat the proper amount of fruits and vegetables, which also contain anti-oxidants. This type of beverage, in addition to the fruits and vegetables, are rich in natural anti-oxidants and are, therefore, better for your heart health and overall health profile than supplements. The bottom line is that, in order to have more control over the health of your heart, there are specific types of behaviors and activities that you can integrate into your daily lifestyle. These include eating a heart-healthy diet, controlling your weight, smoking cessation, controlling diabetes (if present), maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, controlling blood pressure levels, managing stress and participating in a daily exercise program – either by taking a class, enrolling in a gym or health spa, or designing an exercise plan that can be executed at home. A simple stroll around the neighborhood each day will help to control these potential risk factors. Medical professionals prescribe an hour of exercise each day – seven days a week. Of course, regular medical examinations are a necessary part of your health program, and those who are seeking to reduce their risk of heart disease should be screened for those types of ailments on a regular basis. Early detection can mean the difference between losing your life to heart disease and adding years to your life by taking the necessary measures to restore your heart to good health.

Health Care Costs Are Rising At Epidemic Proportions - Here's How To Protect Yourself

by: Blaine G. Dares

Health care costs are now approaching 15% of our national economy and the economic repercussions have been felt by most American families as employers are unwilling to absorb the bulk of the health care cost burden.  In 2004, employer health insurance premiums increased by 11.2% - nearly four times the rate of inflation. The annual premium for an employer health plan covering a family of four averaged nearly $10,000. The annual premium for single coverage averaged $3,695. Health insurance premiums will rise to an average of more than $14,500 for family coverage in 2006. In 2004, health care spending in the United States reached $1.7 trillion, and is projected to reach $1.9 trillion in 2005. Health care spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on national defense. Overall national health care costs will increase further with the implementation of Medicare prescription drug coverage. Too many Americans are uninsured while even a greater percentage have no insurance at all. Uninsured individuals also present a problem for hospitals and other providers who must provide treatment in catastrophic situations without compensation. Many employees receive restricted coverage and insurance plans that are negotiated between employers and insurance providers limit coverage to a single insurance carrier or an HMO. Prescription drugs are the fastest-growing part of the nation's health care expense. Pharmacy bills have become a significant item in the budget of most families. For 37% of Americans without prescription coverage, the problem is critical. Especially for seniors who constitute 12% of the population but use 37% of prescription drugs. The rest especially those without health insurance, is significantly affected by high drug prices. What has caused this cost increase? Much of it is due to a riddled health care system of excessive administrative expenses, inflated prices, poor management, inappropriate care, waste and fraud. These problems significantly increase the cost of medical care and health insurance for employers and workers. On the other side of the cost issue there is the recent development of new effective medications for a variety of illnesses. Such newer "brand name" medications are patent-protected and cost far more than generic medications. The drug industry argues that the higher cost of new medications helps fund research and development of even newer medicines. Many critics argue that much of the research and development of pharmaceutical products is actually government funded. Also contributing to the cost increase is marketing. As this is 30% of a drug manufacturer's budget. Brand-name U.S drug makers were reported to employ 81% more people in marketing than in research and development of much needed drugs. Policymakers and government officials agree that health care costs must be controlled. But they disagree on the best ways to address rapidly escalating health spending. Some favor price controls and imposing strict budgets on health care spending. Others believe free market competition is the best way to solve the problems but if people can't afford it, how will they protect themselves and their family? Well there is something you can do and that's become apart of the solution and not the problem by learning more about our troubled medical industry.

Why Our Healthcare System Isn't Healthy

by: Deb Bromley

Most people are well aware that an estimated 45 million Americans currently do not have healthcare, but is the crisis simply the lack of health insurance or even the cost of health insurance? Is there a bigger underlying problem at the root of our healthcare system? Although the U.S. claims to have the most advanced medicine in the world, government health statistics and peer-reviewed journals are painting a different picture -- that allopathic medicine often causes more harm than good. People in general have always felt they could trust doctors and the medical profession, but according to the Journal of the American Medical Association in July 2000, iatrogenic death, also known as death from physician error or death from medical treatment, was the third leading cause of death in America and rising, responsible for at least 250,000 deaths per year. Those statistics are considered conservative by many, as the reported numbers only include in-hospital deaths, not injury or disability, and do not include external iatrogenic deaths such as those resulting from nursing home and other private facility treatments, and adverse effects of prescriptions. One recent study estimated the total unnecessary deaths from iatrogenic causes at approximately 800,000 per year at a cost of $282 billion per year, which would make death from American medicine the leading cause of death in our country. Currently, at least 2 out of 3 Americans use medications, 32 million Americans are taking three or more medications daily, and commercials and advertisements for pharmaceutical drugs have saturated the marketplace. Although our population is aging, exorbitantly expensive drugs are being marketed and dispensed to younger and younger patients, including many children who years ago would never have been given or needed medication, for everything from ADHD to asthma to bipolar disease and diabetes. Clearly, the state of health in this country is not improving even though there are an increasing number of medications and treatments. Between 2003 and 2010, the number of prescriptions are expected to increase substantially by 47%. In recent years, numerous drugs previously deemed safe by the FDA have been recalled because of their toxicity, after the original drug approvals were actually funded by the invested pharmaceutical companies themselves. According to the media, thanks to advances in U.S. drugs and medical procedures, Americans are living longer statistically, but they are living longer sicker, with a lower quality of life, and often dependent on multiple expensive synthetic medications that do not cure or address the underlying causes, but only suppress symptoms, often with a plethora of dangerous side effects to the tune of billions of dollars for the drug industry. Considering that the U.S. is supposed to have the most advanced technology in the world and the best health care system, it is at odds that we spend the most on healthcare, yet are the most obese and most afflicted with illness outside of the AIDS epidemic in some third world countries. Unless you have an acute emergency that requires emergency room care, being admitted to a hospital environment may also be more dangerous to your health than staying out. In 2003, epidemiologists reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that hospital-acquired infections have risen steadily in recent decades, with blood and tissue infections known as sepsis almost tripling from 1979 to 2000. Nearly two million patients in the U.S. get an infection while in the hospital each year, and of those patients over 90,000 die per year, up dramatically from just 13,300 in 1992. Statistics show that approximately 56% of the population has been unnecessarily treated, or mistreated, by the medical industry. Additionally, as a result of the overuse of pharmaceutical drugs and antibiotics in our bodies and environment, our immune systems have become significantly weakened, allowing antibiotic-resistant strains of disease-causing bacteria to proliferate, leaving us more susceptible to further disease. Not surprisingly, incidences of diseases have been growing at epidemic levels according to the CDC. Now diseases once thought conquered, such as tuberculosis, gonorrhea, malaria, and childhood ear infections are much harder to successfully treat than they were decades ago. Drugs do not cure. They only suppress the symptoms that your body needs to express, while they ignore the underlying root cause. Side effects of synthetic and chemical drugs, which even if they are partly derived from nature have been perverted to make them patentable and profitable, are not healthy or natural, and usually cause more harm than any perceived benefit of the medication. Where "physician errors" are concerned, these may not be entirely the fault of the doctors, as they are forced to operate within the constraints of their profession or risk losing their license, but doctors have become pawns and spokesmen for the drug companies, and the best interest of the patient has become secondary. In the name of profit, physicians are also under great pressure from hospitals to service patients as quickly as possible, like an assembly line, increasing the likelihood of error. In conclusion, increases in healthcare costs are not just the result of frivolous law suits, but are primarily the result of a profit-oriented industry that encourages practices that lead to unnecessary and harmful procedures being performed, lethal adverse drug reactions, infections, expensive legitimate lawsuits, in-hospital and physician errors, antibiotic resistance due to overprescribing of antibiotics and drugs, and the hundreds of thousands of subsequent unnecessary deaths and injuries. Many people do not realize that there are healthier natural options, and anything unnatural or invasive we are exposed to is likely to cause either immediate or cumulative damage over time.

What to look for in good Health Insurance

by: Mike Spencer

Health insurance is a kind of protection that provides payment of benefits for covered sickness or injury. Included in health insurance are various types of insurance such as accident insurance, disability income insurance, medical expense insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. Before sign the health insurance policy make sure that you have read thoroughly the benefit’s section. Take note of any health care service that is not covered by your health insurance policy. Also, pay specific attention to how the health insurance policy is worded. Sometimes, health insurance companies hide the health insurance coverage exclusions within the definitions of words. For instance, a health insurance company may define the term ‘emergency’ as anything that is life threatening condition that cannot be reasonably treated by a primary care physician. Whereas, your definition of ‘emergency’ may be anything that requires quick medical attention. Clearly, there is conflict for the two definitions. If you find yourself in an emergency situation where you incur a broker arm, for instance, your insurance company may deny coverage for emergency room treatment of a broken arm for the reason that the broken arm does not fall under the life threatening category. Therefore, you should read over carefully the health insurance policy definitions, paying close attention to the seven key words: medical emergency medically necessary accidental injury experimental or investigational pre certification pre-existing condition, and reasonable and customary These words and any words that are open to interpretation should be regarded with wariness. Find out how your health insurance company defines each of these. Finally, find the section describing the procedures you must follow in order for your insurance company to reimburse you. These policy conditions or prerequisites are typically worded in a positive tone. Read through each condition carefully, make notes and call your health insurance company with any questions. You should also compare health insurance contracts before you sign one. In order to compare exclusions, take two policy contracts and find the exclusions sections. If you want to compare a number of health insurance contracts then you could use an online service. After you obtain your free quote for the health coverage you desire, apply for it online, and you'll obtain all the information that you'll need to compare exclusions of each health insurance policy (though sometimes this will require more research.)

"How To Get Fit And Slash Your Health Insurance Costs"

by: Neil Stelling

Okay, before we start, let me explain the purpose of this article. I want you to get so healthy, you'll never need to make a health insurance claim. You'll save money by increased fitness. You'll save money with a long no-claims insurance history. And you'll look and feel much better. There's three sides to your maximum health and fitness. Diet, and Exercise. But that's only two ! Let me split Exercise into Aerobic exercise and Aneorobic exercise. Get all three right. Get the right balance. And you'll get as fit and healthy as your body and genetics will allow. Whole forests of paper have been filled with advice on each of these fitness factors. Just go into your local bookstore, and see shelves of diet advice. Shelves of exercise advice. Funny how so much contradicts itself, especially for diet e.g right next to each other on the shelf, you'll find a book advocating low carbs & low fat; another saying high fat is okay if you keep the carbs low. Yet another focuses on high protein, and says carbs don't matter... * Diet Let me give you this simple diet advice. Stick to low fat, low carbs and high protein. Many medical and weight loss studies over the last 10-20 years prove this approach. Many other diet myths come from way back in time, and look just plain wrong when analyzed with modern methods. * Aerobic Exercise Couch potatoes don't realize how easily they can start feeling fit and healthy. Just walk somewhere 3-4 times per week, for around 20 minutes each time. Ideally, do some more demanding aerobic exercise. I do a lot of cycling, because it's great low-impact exercise. And I get to see beautiful scenery while I ride. Running provides even more intensive aerobic exercise, but careful of your joints. Maybe you prefer hiking, to see the local countryside ? Or take up a sport like rowing or tennis. You also get to meet new friends by taking up exercise as a sport. * Anaerobic Exercise Many people work on their diet. Many people take aerobic exercise. But many people ignore anaerobic exercise, or weight training. What makes weight training so important ? As you get older, muscle mass decreases. Muscle burns fat. So as you lose muscle, it gets harder to keep the fat off. Equally important, weight training can reshape your body. No matter how much aerobic exercise you do, you'll still be a pear shape (a smaller pear shape) if you started out a pear shape. Using weights you can flatten your stomach, tone your thighs, bulk up your chest and shoulders, and reshape your body any way you want. Weight training is incredibly beneficial to your general skeleton strength and conditioning. Older women can reduce the effects of osteoporosis, and older men can maintain their strength and agility. This short article can do nothing more than provide an introduction to the three keys to your health. Follow these and you shouldn't need to make a health insurance claim. Slash your health insurance costs with a long no-claims bonus. Slash your health insurance costs with any insurer who rates your fitness.

No Excuses Exercises

by: Kirsten Hawkins

It's old news that exercising is the single best way to spark up your weight loss efforts. The activity perks up your metabolism, and eats up more calories. In addition, the more you exercise, the better the effect. Exercising builds muscle mass, which is denser and more compact than fat. That means your body has to expend more effort to pump blood through it, and it requires more nutrients to keep it healthy. The end result? Even at rest, your body naturally burns more calories. Unfortunately, the prospect of exercising tends to elicit groans from most people. There's all the logistics to work out - the time, equipment, expense and the sheer, utter boringness of it all. Negative thinking about exercise can sabotage all your good intentions. Here's a list of answers for some of the most commonly used excuses not to exercise. I don't have time to exercise! Exercise could be one of the most important things you'll do for your health today. MAKE time to exercise. If you're doing traditional workouts - move those weights and mats right out into the family room and make use of your television time. Instead of flopping down in a chair while you watch the news or your favorite show, be active. Run in place, do leg lifts or heft weights. Use time in your car to tighten and tone muscles with isometric tummy tighteners. Walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator. Exercise doesn't have to be a solid hour at the gym. Anything that revs up your motors is great for your body. I don't have the right equipment at home. You don't need equipment to exercise. A brisk walk around the block is good for you - and burns over 200 calories. Vacuuming your carpets can burn nearly as much. Flip on your radio or pop in your favorite high-energy CD and dance. Don't fool yourself into thinking that your 'exercise' has to be a carefully planned workout to work all the right muscles in the right order with the right tension. Exercise means being active. Just do it. I can't afford a membership to the gym. If you'd rather exercise at the gym (and have access to their fitness machines, whirlpools, swimming pool and trainers), there are a lot of ways to make it more affordable. Check with your health insurance company to see if they offer incentives. Most of the major health insurance companies, including Blue Cross, cover part or all of fitness club memberships as part of your benefits. If yours doesn't, or if you don't have health insurance, call your local YMCA or YWCA. Most offer 'scholarships' or sliding fee scales for memberships to their facilities. But exercise is such a chore! Says who? Make getting your daily exercise fun. Play a game. Go dancing. Grab a few friends for a weekend hike in the state park. Exercise doesn't have to be routine. Stop thinking of it as a chore and start thinking of it as recreation. You'll be amazed what a difference it makes.

Long Term Health Care Options

by: Peter Lenkefi

As you grow older, housing may pose more and more of a concern, especially if your health is failing. If you are worried that you may not be able to take care of your basic needs as you age, such as cleaning, cooking, bathing and maintenance, then looking at your long term health care options is an important choice. Let’s start right away with your options. In-Home Care In-home health care is the best option for people who have a higher level of fitness, and want to remain as independent as possible throughout their later years. In this situation, home health care nurses may come and visit you daily, or every couple of days, to take care of your everyday medical needs. Also, a housekeeper may be utilized, as well as a personal health care attendant, who would be responsible for more of the day-to-day living help – such as a companion, driver, cook or the like. In-home health care is quite easy to locate; just contact a nurses’ association or look in the Yellow Pages. Continuing Care An intermediary between nursing homes and independent living, continuing care, or retirement communities, offer a wide variety of health benefits and services to their inhabitants. These communities are usually all-inclusive, where dwellers receive lodging, meals, social events, varying levels of health care, and sometimes other perks as well. Entrance fees for these establishments can be quite high (ranging from $10,000 to over 300,000); added to their monthly fees (ranging from $800-4000), and this option can prove to be expensive health care. However, services are guaranteed for the remainder of your life if you choose this option, and if your health falters, you can always be moved to the nursing home portion of their health care facility. Because of the all-inclusive nature of this kind of health care, you’ll want to read the fine print carefully in your contract. What are all of the recurring and one-time fees? What exactly is covered with those fees? What health care options are, and are not offered? Do you need to purchase extra health insurance to cover your specific care costs? Also don’t forget to check up with the Better Business Bureau about the status of the facility you are interested in; if you plan on living there the rest of your life, you may want to double check it’s reputation, too. Nursing Homes In a very simple sense, nursing homes will take care of your health care needs when you are no longer able to. This may be for a short period of time while you are recovering, or for a longer period of time as you age. Nursing homes are the whole meal deal of health care for the elderly or otherwise incapacitated. If this is an option that you think you may require, there are many things to discuss and consider when looking at your options. Does the home provide the type of care that you will require? Research the history of the nursing home; are there any black spots on their record? Talk to people who have lived there, have used their services, or who are still living there now, if at all possible. Get their viewpoint.

MEDICAL BANKRUPTCIES: WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF

by: David Lear

First the bad news: about 2,000,000 personal bankruptcies each year are caused by unexpected medical expenses. Of all those people, 1,500,000 have (or had) health insurance before they ran into difficult financial straights. But wait a minute . Isn't the whole idea behind health insurance - security? The financial security that comes from knowing that you're covered if something goes wrong with your body? You say you're covered, but what if your medical "situation" exceeds your policy limits? Then what? No one wants that to happen, so the question is: are there other options? For instance, is there a way to "insure" against getting sick in the first place? Most people assume that's not possible, but personally, I disagree. Several years ago my wife Sandy and I stumbled onto a very unusual health product. We both had our own experiences with it and have seen it work miracles for others. But before going there, I'd like to explain something. To me, health insurance should be about staying healthy. In China, for instance, doctors used to be paid only if they kept you healthy. That's what I call real health insurance. And although the U.S. has some of the best-trained, dedicated physicians in the world, heart disease, cancer, strokes, and autoimmune diseases are all on the rise. Clearly, our health isn't being protected - at least not to an appreciable extent. The medical paradigm in the U.S. is mostly about treating symptoms, not fostering health. And while we're all very grateful to doctors for all their efforts, symptom treatment is intrinsically short-sighted. If symptom treatment was effective in restoring health, people would be getting well and staying well. But that's not what usually happens. There's a growing movement of people who've recognized the shortcomings of the traditional medical/pharmaceutical "health" model. They're not stupid. For instance: 106,000 annual deaths from properly prescribed prescription drugs sure got my attention when I heard the news. Check it out on the net. It's a fact. OK. So everyone knows there's a problem. Again, the question is: are there options out there and if so, what are they? As I was saying earlier, there is an option. I can say that because I have personal proof. Four years ago, I was diagnosed with a heart condition called atrial fibrillation. It wasn't painful per se, but the irregular, spasmodic poundings inside my chest were very disconcerting. My wife Sandy and I were in Maui when a friend of ours told us about something called glyconutrition. Now, I'm a fairly open-minded kind of a guy and I've been interested in health supplements for a long time, so I decided to try it. (By the way, nothing I was taking before then was helping my heart condition). After a few months, the condition went away. It hasn't returned since. Sandy also had a positive health reversal. She was in a lot of pain from neck surgery she'd had seven years earlier. She also decided to try the glyconutrients. It took a little longer for her, but her pain subsided and surgery was avoided. My point in telling you these two stories is that we saved a ton of money and who knows how much pain and suffering by not having to undergo surgery. I don't know if my atrial fibrillation would have led to a worsening condition requiring surgery, but I do know that Sandy was considering a second neck surgery before we heard about glyconutrients. Since then, we've learned a lot more about the science behind glyconutrients and why this new category of nutrient is turning around so many health conditions for so many people. Even highly trained medical doctors and surgeons are taking notice. Case in point: Dr. Ben Carson is the department head of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Center. A severe form of prostate cancer led him to discover glyconutrients. Long story short: he attributes to them his complete recovery. He now recommends glyconutrients to all his patients, to his staff and others as well. Without going into a lot of complicated detail, science now has a pretty good idea about why glyconutrients seem to be helping so many different kinds of health conditions. The bottom line is this: enhanced cell-to-cell communication. Glyconutrients provide the body with highly specialized building blocks that the body transforms into communication molecules that all cells use. Without an adequate supply of these molecules, communication starts to break down and illness starts to creep in. The reason glyconutritional supplements are so effective is this: our diets suck. Let me explain. If we got all the nutrients we needed in our diet, we'd rarely get ill. By the way, the scientific evidence to support that statement is huge. But because 90 percent of the food we eat is processed (devoid of essential, health-promoting nutrients) and for a number of other reasons, we're not getting the nutritional build blocks our bodies need in order to stay disease-free. Bottom line: understand the powerful relativity between the nutrients we consume and the state of our health. So to reiterate - there are options for warding off illness and medically related bankruptcy. Just don't look for them in the current medical - pharmaceutical - health insurance paradigm. Look for them in the emerging science of glycobiology - the same science that's starting to describe the cellular mechanisms behind the major health recoveries that thousands of glyconutrient users are now reporting.

Is Cosmetic Surgery Right For You?

by: Elizabeth McGee

For most of us, we go through the majority of our lives not even noticing our skin; then one day we wake up and notice we just got older. I remember that day! We might begin to look tired with bags under our eyes, our eyelids look a bit droopier and our cheeks sag a little more than they use to. Perhaps you're getting tired of your thin lips or large nose or maybe you just want a fresher or more glowing look. Unlike years past, more and more people are looking into the option of plastic surgery for making their faces look younger, contouring noses and eyes or getting rid of the extra fat pockets that just won't go away. Did you know that according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, men accounted for about 1.2 million cosmetic procedures in 2004? It's a known fact that men don't want to look any older than women do. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) the top 5 cosmetic procedures were: For women: 1 Liposuction 2 Breast Augmentation 3 Eyelid Surgery 4 Facelift 5 Chemical Peel For Men: 1 Nose Reshaping 2 Eyelid Surgery 3 Liposuction 4 Hair Transplantation 5 Breast Reduction The new five-year trending data shows cosmetic procedures are up 24 percent from 2000. So is cosmetic surgery right for you? Well, I can't speak for everyone but there are a few things to note on what to expect. First and foremost, cosmetic surgery is "surgery" and it hurts ...ouch! There is swelling and puffiness immediately after the procedure, so don't expect to look beautiful coming right out of surgery. Understand that a nose job or a face lift won't necessarily make you beautiful and it probably won't change how the world feels about you. In fact, patients have been known to feel a sense of disappointment after their procedures. Because of this it's extremely important to understand how much of a change you can expect. Changes could vary from subtle to extreme. If you're considering plastic surgery try asking yourself these things first: Q: Why do I want cosmetic surgery? Who am I doing this for? A: If it's because your co-worker says you have a big nose or if you think looking more beautiful for your husband will help him pay more attention to you then, you're a poor candidate. Pleasing your co-worker or hoping your husband will be more attentive are poor reasons. A new face, nose or body won't change how others feel about you and if it does, it will be temporary. Q: Can I afford This? A: Most cosmetic procedures are not covered by health insurance unless they are health related. If you have to scrape together the thousands of dollars it costs to have a procedure done then you're probably better off looking into non-surgical or less invasive treatments such as Botox, Chemical peels or microdermabrasions. Q: What if the results are not what I expected? A: There's always the chance that expectations won't be met. Be sure you are ready financially and emotionally to undergo more treatment if the results failed to meet your expectations. As with any high cost, risky procedure, be sure to think it through. Don't act on a whim. Discuss the procedure extensively with your doctor as well as with relatives and friends. Get some outside opinions. If you can, talk with people who have had the same procedures done that you are looking into. Talk with them about their experiences and get advice from them on their recommendations. If you're still interested in pursuing cosmetic surgery be sure you are in good health and free from any major health disorders such as diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure.

Lose Weight - Do You Really Need To?

by: Gerald Meyer

If you are overweight, you may be more at risk of developing disease. That should be reason enough to lose weight. Weight related conditions include: Premature death Cardiovascular disease  High blood pressure High Cholesterol Stroke Gallbladder Disease Osteoarthritis Sleep apnea and breathing problems Some cancers Diabetes Obesity can also cause irregular periods, complication with pregnancy, hirsutism (excessive body and facial hair), incontinence, depression, surgery complications and more. If your health doesn't concern you, maybe your pocketbook does. By staying overweight, you may increase the amount of time spent visiting various healthcare professionals. Most of them don't work for free. Medications to treat these diseases can run into hundreds of dollars a month. Not to mention, you may have to take more time off work to care for your ailments. This means less income for you. And, you may notice that your health insurance premiums keep going up. It's because the amount being spent on healthcare keeps going up. A majority of which is related to treating problems that could be prevented by exercise and staying at a healthy weight. What a vicious cycle it is. The annual cost associated with obesity and being overweight is staggering. The national cost of healthcare related to this is well over $100 Billion dollars. Diabetes and heart disease are among the fastest growing diseases that could easily be prevented in most people by staying at a healthy weight and exercising. Visit the NIDDK to get a breakdown of the costs associated with each disease that is related to being overweight. By losing weight and starting a healthier way of life you can really save a lot of money. Eating healthier usually also means eating less. You may be able to save on the amount you spend on groceries and eating out each week too. Think of all the other things you could do with that money you'll be saving. It may require an initial investment to get the weight off but the rewards are well worth it.

How to Find Affordable Health Insurance

 Dr. Deepak Dutta

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Affordable health insurance - it seems, especially today, those words just don't belong together in the same sentence. Health insurance monthly premiums have become the biggest single expense in our lives - surpassing even mortgage payments. In fact, if you have any permanent health
problems, such as diabetes, or have had cancer at one time in your family history, your monthly cost could easily be more than the house and car payment combined.
Shopping for affordable health insurance can certainly be an eye-opener. If you have always had a health insurance benefit where you work - especially a state or federal employee - and now have to purchase your own, you may not be able to afford the level of health insurance coverage you have become used to.
Affordable health insurance, however, is definitely available -if you know how and where to look.
When you are looking for affordable health insurance, you want the lowest cost per year that will fit your budget, of course. But, even more importantly, you want a company that has a good record for paying without fighting with you on every detail. Just as there is a car for just about any budget, there is also affordable health insurance. You may not be able to afford a "Cadillac" policy - but then you probably don't need all the frills anyway.
Shopping for health insurance on the internet is the easiest and best way to find affordable health insurance. Here are five reasons why.
1. You don't need a local agent to help you submit the claims for health insurance. The medical provider does it for you. You save money because the health insurance company saves money by not paying the agent commission. This could amount to an 8% to 12% savings to you.
2. All the top health insurance companies are at your fingertips on the internet. Most local agents can only quote you from the few companies that they represent. They may not offer you what is best for you financially or health-wise but only what they happen to have available.
3. Health insurance companies have to be extremely competitive because it is so quick and easy to compare them with their competitors on the internet today. In the past you would have had to visit physically eight to ten agents to do a similar comparison. Most folks just didn't have the time or desire for that.
4. You can change your coverage, deductibles, and payment options with just a few clicks rather than going through the paperwork delay with a local agent (and then finding out he/she made a mistake - more delay).
5. Charging to a credit card means you aren't going to forget a payment and be without insurance. Also, it gives you another 30 days before you actually have to pay. Also, many companies today give an additional discount for "auto-pay".
The key, however, to finding affordable health insurance is realizing that the purpose of any health insurance is to protect you from a major financial loss - not to protect you from spending small money on clinic visits and sliver removal. These small expenses may be cumbersome but they generally will not hurt you. It's the $100,000 heart operation that will break you. That's the financial disaster health insurance was originally designed to prevent.
Also, keep this in mind. Health insurance, as with any insurance, is a gamble. You are gambling that you will draw out more than you pay in. Your health insurance company is gambling they will pay out less. The odds are in their favor for two reasons. They have all the facts for millions of families to average out, so they know the risk in advance. Also, they get to set the rules and the prices. The higher you set your deductible, the more risk you take. This is not a bad thing at all. You will most likely be the winner in the long run.
Yes, finding affordable health insurance is much easier than most people think.
Taking more of the risk with higher deductibles, spending a little time on the internet comparing eight to ten different companies, and deleting coverage that you will not likely need (such as maternity for many folks) will make it very possible to find your own affordable health insurance.

Prevent Heart Disease

 Mike Spencer

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You should always keep in mind that whatever actions you do today can either help to prevent, delay or minimize the effect of heart disease or worsen it. The key is to control risk factors. Granted that you cannot control every risk factor for heart disease such as family history but you can definitely do something about your behavior. Age and gender also influence your risk
of heart disease.

Major Risk Factors of Heart Disease

Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol is a type of a lipid, a soft, fatlike substance that serves as a source of fuel. Excessive cholesterol can cause buildup of atherosclerotic plaque. Accumulation of plaque in arteries can block blood flow and lead to a heart attack. LDL cholesterol, the so-called "bad" cholesterol, is transported to sites throughout the body, where it's used to repair cell membranes or to make hormones. LDL cholesterol can accumulate in the walls of your arteries. HDL cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol, transports cholesterol to the liver, where it's altered and removed from the body.

Blood Pressure

Normal blood pressure level is defined as less than 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for systolic blood pressure and less than 85 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure. The higher the blood pressure, the more likely it is to take a toll on the heart and on the brain. Blood pressure should be checked whether or not your levels are high. For normal, check once every two years. For high-normal, check once a year. If extremely high, you should get immediate care. Then get multiple measurements to know if a high level is sustained over time.

Diabetes

Another risk factor for heart disease is diabetes, a chronic disease of insulin deficiency or resistance. Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, is associated with obesity and may be prevented by maintaining ideal body weight through exercise and balanced nutrition.

Tips For Controlling Risk of Heart Disease

Stop Smoking

The effect of smoking on your lungs can cause almost every other medical condition.

Get Active

Routine physical activity is highly recommended and helpful in controlling obesity. Try to perform 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Fast walking is one of the best way to prevent heart disease. If you can lose even a small amount of weight, five pounds for example, it may have a positive effect on lipid levels and blood pressure preventing heart disease.

Limit Alcohol Consumption

Limit daily alcohol intake to three ounces or fewer to prevent heart disease. People who drink large amounts of alcohol (six to eight ounces a day) tend to have higher blood pressure.

Watch What You Eat

Eat five helpings of fruits and vegetables daily to prevent heart disease.
Maintain adequate dietary potassium, calcium and magnesium intake.
Reduce saturated fats and cholesterol to stay away from heart disease.

Free Program about Heart Health

by: ARA

(ARA) - When it comes to heart disease risk factors -- like high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure -- one plus one can equal three, five or even nine times higher risk! Adding risk factors can actually multiply your risk. You can’t change some risk factors, like your age or family history. But you can change others, like high cholesterol . That’s good news. Here’s more good news: The American Heart Association offers a free program called The Cholesterol Low Down that can help you learn about your risk for heart disease. The program urges you to do three things to help protect your heart: 1) Visit your doctor. Even if you feel healthy, see your doctor regularly. Make an appointment to talk about heart disease risk. 2) Know your cholesterol numbers. High cholesterol is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease. If you are over 20 years old, you need to know your cholesterol numbers. 3) Know your other risk factors for heart disease. Many things can put you at risk for heart disease. Your risk is much higher when you have more than one risk factor. High cholesterol is one risk factor you should know; others are listed below. Make it a priority to take control of the ones you can change. * Cigarette smoking * Family history of heart disease * Diet high in fatty foods (like cheese and creams) * Age * High blood pressure * Diabetes * Excess weight * High triglycerides * Too much alcohol (more than one drink each day for women, and more than two drinks each day for men)

7 Proven Ways to Resist the Urge to Smoke.

By: Arina Nikitina

When you decide to stop smoking the most difficult part is to resist the urges. It doesn’t matter that each craving lasts only 3-5 minutes. It’s still the whole 5 minutes to battle with your willpower! These 7 tips will help you to resist the urge to smoke (one urge at a time).

1. Remind Yourself Why You Quit

Every time you experience a craving remind yourself why you quit. It’s the excellent idea to take a blank index card and list all the reasons why you decided to quit smoking. List as many as you can, the more the better. If necessary, take the second index card. Carry them with you all the time. Every time you feel the urge to smoke take the index card and slowly read all your reasons why you decided to stop. After you finish reading your urge will pass! (If not, read them one more time or come up with more reasons.)

2. Reward Yourself

Make it a habit to reward yourself at the end of each nonsmoking week. Think of something you want (it doesn’t have to be something expensive, a nice home made meal or hot bath will work). Take the index card and write down what would you give yourself at the end of the week. When the urge comes take a look at the index card with your reward. Isn’t it worth coping for 3 minutes? :)

3. Be prepared for your urges!

Get yourself prepared for the urge to smoke in advance. In most cases something triggers the craving (certain feelings, people, or places). You have to know what triggers the urge. Let’s do a really quick exercise. Take a blank piece of paper and divide it into 2 columns. On the one side list your triggers (like “stuck in traffic”, “drinking morning coffee”, “arguing with colleague”...) and in the second column write down the alternative course of action. For example, instead of smoking while drinking your morning coffee you could read a newspaper. Instead of smoking after the hot argument with your colleague you can take a walk around a block or write down everything you think about this person, then tier this piece of paper in shreds and throw it away. Don’t be lazy, write it down! This exercise really works!

4. Call your friend

This method works great. Call someone that can support you, who can talk with you for a couple of minutes. You can call your nonsmoking friend, or someone who’s trying to quit smoking too.

5. Distract yourself with a quick task

Think of a small task you have to do, something what would take you 5-10 minutes. Make a call, send a fax, make yourself a cup of coffee, water the plant in your office. Anything! Your task is to distract yourself until the urge will pass. (Hint: Try to find activity that makes smoking impossible)

6. Drink a Glass of Water

Take a glass of water and drink it with a straw. First of all having something in your mouth to chew on will help, second it will take you a couple of minutes to drink the whole glass and the urge will pass. Plus, don’t forget that you’re supposed to drink 8 glasses of water every day!

7. Power Tip

That’s the disgusting one, but it often works. Print a small picture of smokers’ lungs and put it somewhere in your wallet. I know the view is not pretty, but something like this can stop you dead on your track from lighting up. Take a look! Really! THIS could be your lungs! You love yourself, and you respect your body. You won’t harm yourself on purpose, won’t you?