PharmaPassport Health Tips Blog

August 31, 2009

Avoiding Back Pain From The Computer

Filed under: back pain,computer,medicine,neck injury,neck stiffness,online banking,posture,Uncategorized — John @ 1:50 pm

Computers have made a lot of things in life more accessible to many more people, such as cheaper medicine, online banking, and back problems. Yes, that’s right, sitting at that computer all day does have negative effects. Back problems are one thing that many people don’t think about when talking about computers. Many people often talk about the lack of exercise that is cause by computer use, but a great deal of damage can be done to your spine as well.

When you’re sitting at your desk for a significant period of time you may begin to slouch. This not only creates pressure on your lower back, but your posture begins to suffer and often time you will see a “C” shape form while sitting.

The good news is that there are some things you can do to help you avoid the back pain.

take regular breaks,

prevent your back and neck from stiffening,

sit in a good adjustable chair that provides lumbar support,

your feet should be on the floor or a footrest,

your desk should be large enough to allow your forearms to rest on it when using the keyboard,

be certain that your keyboard and monitor are at a comfortable height

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August 25, 2009

What Is Going On With Some Of These Doctors?

Filed under: assault,disability,McMaster University,Onzuka,Uncategorized — John @ 10:35 am

It seems that lately there have been a few doctors that have been caught doing some of those things that doctors should never do. There was a doctor that was charged with molesting some of his younger patients and now there is a doctor that has been caught sexually assaulting a disabled woman.

Doctor Onzuka was charged with criminal harassment, sexual assault, administering a noxious thing, sexual exploitation of a person with a disability and breach of trust. He was also charged with criminal harassment for allegedly stalking a former McMaster University classmate.

Police that are investigating this case urge anyone that has undergone treatment from Onzuka should immediately contact police because they may have been assaulted and may not even know about it. Police say that Onzuka could have sexually assaulted any of his patients while they were unconscious without their knowledge about it.

This is clearly a very sick many to have to resort to this kind of behaviour. Sure everyone gets lonely occasionally, but this is not the appropriate outlet. Go out try and meet someone, don’t sexually harass the unconscious and the disabled. That is just so wrong on so many levels. I hope the justice system locks him up for a long, long, time.

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August 24, 2009

Canadian Kitty Saved After Being Shot by Crossbow

Filed under: animal treatment,animals,Canada,cat,cruel,guilty,jail,Karma,killer,PETA,psychosis,Uncategorized,vegetarian — John @ 11:40 am

Somebody is getting a lump of coal in their stocking this Christmas, and possibly a nice orange jumpsuit and a new room that is cold, gray, and has metal bars. In Toronto, Canada, someone found a cat with an arrow through its torso. Police determined the cat was shot by someone wielding a crossbow. The good news is that, although the cat had life threatening injuries, the arrow was taken out and the cat is now doing well.

This kind of cruel act makes you really wonder what goes through people’s heads sometimes. To have no compassion for a living creature. Whoever did this deserves to go straight to jail and get a psychological evaluation because killing or hurting small animals is one sign of a serial killer. If the cat has an owner then I hope it is returned soon, unless the owner was the one that shot the cat. Either way the guilty person should come forth because what they did is just sick and disgusting.

No creature should ever have to be subjected to that kind of treatment. All I have to say is watch out for Karma. It will come back and bite you. That is no way a threat, more like a warning because something bad will happen. The world tends to work in funny ways sometimes. Funny doesn’t always mean happy or painless.

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August 20, 2009

3-Day Walk For Breast Cancer

Filed under: 3-Day,breast,breast cancer,cancer,medicine,research,treatment,Uncategorized — John @ 11:54 am

The 3-Day walk for Breast Cancer that was held in Michigan last weekend raised $4.7 million for cancer research and programs. More than 1,800 people walked around 60 miles to raise money for a very noble cause.

Obviously the effects of the recession were felt. With a struggling auto industry many people have moved out of Michigan leading to less money raised and fewer participants. Last year the 3-Day raised almost double the money at $7.2 million and had almost double the participants at 3,000.

It still goes to show you the power of the human spirit and how determined some people are. It also gives a chance for those to show how caring and generous they are. Even though they did not reach last years total, $4.7 million is a significant amount of money and will surely help in cancer research.

If you’ve ever thought about getting involved then all I have to ask is, “What’s stopping you?” One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer, every little bit helps. Sometimes just knowing that there are people out there, trying their hardest to support those with cancer is good enough. So get out there, have some fun, if you raise money good for you, if not it’s alright just show your support.

The next 3-Day will be returning to Michigan in 2010. The walk will be August 13-15. You can register now. www.the3day.org.

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5 Ways to Reduce Acne

Filed under: acne,acne remedy,being healthy,breakouts,caffeine,cure acne,exercise,healthy living,junk food,minerals,Uncategorized,vitamins — Amanda @ 11:46 am

There are lots of us who suffer from moderate to severe breakouts on a daily basis. If you are reluctant to try expensive skin products like Proactive, or Phisoderm and Biore aren’t working for you, try these 5 easy steps to clearer skin.

1. Wash – You must wash your face twice a day EVERY day no matter what. Use a mild soap and warm water to free your skin of oils and dirt. An acne soap product that I personally recommend is Face Doctor soap. I kid you not – it works wonders on moderate breakouts if used twice a day.

2. Don’t touch – Try to avoid touching your face. There’s a lot of oil on your fingers and touching you face can transfer these oils to your skin and clog your pores.

3. Stop Popping! – Despite what you think, popping pimples does not make them better. In fact, it will cause them to become enflamed, larger, and could possibly scar. The bacteria and oils on your hand will disturb the breakout.

4. Drink water – If you try cutting out all beverages except water for an entire week, you will notice a difference in the appearance of your skin. It’s a classic remedy.

5. Eat Healthy – The healthier you are, the healthier your skin will be. Eat foods high in fibre such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Try to stay away from junk food and caffeine. Daily exercise will also keep you feeling healthy.

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August 17, 2009

Negative Effects of Fighting (Professionally)

Filed under: arthritis,boxing,brain damage,cage,fighting,joint pain,kick,kickboxing,MMA,muay thai,punch,UFC,Uncategorized — John @ 11:45 am

If you have bought into the MMA craze like many people including myself (it is the fastest growing sport ever) then you might not have had time to process the negative effects of becoming a professional fighter. Trust me there is a reason some of these guys are getting paid $5 million a fight.

To be getting the top end salary that seen in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (better known as the UFC) you have to be in the top condition. And the only way to get there is to train, train, then train some more. These guys dedicate a ridiculous amount of time to practicing and just preparing for the next fight. The problem is of course if you have a family, sometimes the training may conflict with family events, or may even limit your contact with your family. The good news is, you can schedule around this and hopefully avoid this problem.

The real threat lies in the damage you do to your body. Sure, you’ll probably be in the best shape of your life for a while, but if you overdo the training and fight too often without enough rest then your body will not be able to handle it. Joint pain, arthritis, even physical disability are risks that fighters have to take every time they decide to step into the ring/cage. There will come a point when you have to decide if it’s worth it, are you good enough to really pursue your goal. If yes then maybe the risk is worth it.

Worst of all, fighters are very susceptible to brain damage from their fights. Unfortunately many fighters experience some sort of brain damage, some have much worse damage than others. There is a former Muay Thai fighter who is now 70 years old and his name has slipped my mind, but he is in incredible form because he knew when to stop fighting. However, there are many boxers who, after too many punches to the head experience horrible brain damage.

In general, I would say boxers are probably the most likely to experience brain damage, only because in boxing only the head and body are targeted, leading to much more punishment to fewer areas of the body. Whereas, in other fighting styles, the punishment is spread out over the body, this may cut down on the amount of brain damage, but increase joint and muscle damage.

Regardless, some people love fighting, some people even seem to be created only to fight. However, you have to ask yourself to things, are you good enough, and is it worth it? This blog is in no way designed to discourage any sort of MMA training or competition, I am about to start taking Muay Thai classes myself, but simply to make you truly think about the consequences.

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August 11, 2009

Is Swearing Actually Good For You?

Filed under: anger,emotion,pain,pain relief,relief,swearing,treatment,Uncategorized — John @ 1:19 pm

Well according to recent studies, swearing may actually be good for you. Swearing has often been frowned upon by society and mothers everywhere. However, recent research could suggest that swearing will help alleviate pain. Swearing has been shown to increase your pain tolerance by doing a few things to your body.

According to Richard Stephens of Keele University in Staffordshire, U.K, swearing works by increasing the heart rate and decreasing the perception of pain, which in turn helps lessen pain. This may be why, for many of us at least, it seems natural to swear when we experience some sort of pain.

The study used 67 undergraduate students and required them to place their hands into water at a temperature of 5° Celsius and leave their hands in for as long as possible. The students that were repeating swear words lasted an average of about 40 seconds longer than the students repeating neutral words.

Another interesting fact is that although swearing helped reduce pain for both sexes significantly, women experienced a greater decrease in perceived pain than their male counterparts.

Stephens does recommend swearing if you hurt yourself however, he also warns that the more we swear the less potent the relief is. The reason is most likely due to the more we swear the less emotionally potent the word becomes and without said emotion the swear word becomes a less effective pain reliever.

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Suffer From Acid Reflux?

Filed under: acid reflux,heartburn,reflux,reflux disease,reflux symptoms,Uncategorized — John @ 11:30 am

Acid reflux is when the acids from your stomach “flow back” into your esophagus (tube between the stomach and the pharynx), causing discomfort and pain. Often this pain is referred to as heartburn.

Some of the symptoms associated with acid reflux are asthma, chest pain, dental erosion, dysphagia, heartburn, hoarseness, and regurgitation. Obviously some of the symptoms can effect a persons life on a daily basis.

There are many causes for acid reflux that include, pregnancy, eating habits (large meals and the types of food that are consumed), bending forward (usually combined with another problem), hiatus hernia (hiatal hernia), peptic ulcers and insufficient digestive enzymes, asthma (experts are not sure if asthma contributes to acid reflux or acid reflux causes or worsens asthma), smoking, and drinking alcohol.

Most people find that a change in diet will help their acid reflux significantly. The reason for this is because many different foods are the triggers for acid reflux. Try keeping a food journal and write down everything you eat. If you experience any heartburn after eating something place a mark beside that food and try to avoid eating it. This will hopefully help you find which foods cause heartburn in you and will let you know which foods you shouldn’t eat.

This is a list of foods that are known to cause heartburn:

Alcohol
Black pepper
Chili and chili powder
Citrus fruit, pineapple
Coffee
Garlic
Spicy food
Tea
Tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice, ketchup
Vinegar

These foods are known to cause discomfort:

Beans
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Kale
Fizzy drinks (sodas)

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August 10, 2009

Wooden Bones?

Filed under: bone substitute,bones,boniva,broken bone,osteoporosis,Uncategorized,wood,wood bones — John @ 11:14 am

Well I’ve heard of some interesting procedures, but this is one of those that you always wonder how it works. Scientists have been able to make artificial bone from wood. Yes, that’s right wood. It’s that natural resource that we get when we chop down trees, it what our homes are made of, and now it’s what could replace some of your bone.

The procedure would turn blocks of wood, into functioning artificial bone. Scientists plan to implant these wooden bone substitute into large animals before eventually placing them in humans. The goal of the wooden bone substitute is to hopefully allow your actual bones to heal more quickly and even more securely after a break, more so than the current metal and ceramic options.

Now if you are as shocked as me you’re probably asking yourself why bone, isn’t metal a better alternative? Well apparently researches chose wood because it closely resembles the physical structure of natural bone, which we are unable to reproduce with our current technology.

The process requires a block of wood to be heated until there is only pure carbon (charcoal basically) left. The wood is then sprayed with calcium which combines with the carbon resulting in calcium carbide. Then more chemical and physical steps change the calcium carbide into carbonated hydroxyapatite. This can then be implanted and will function as the artificial bone.

This process takes about a week to finish and roughly $850 for a single block, which is about one bone implant.

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August 6, 2009

Toxic Chemicals In Back-To-School Products

Filed under: backpack,binder,buy,child,damage,danger,dangerous,environment,harmful,paper,pen,penicl,polyvinyl chloride,PVC,school,Uncategorized — John @ 12:43 pm

The Summer has gone by so fast most of us can’t believe it’s almost time to start shopping for school supplies. However, this year, maybe you should pay closer attention to the products you’re buying and what they are made of.

Recently, two environmental groups warned parents and students that hey shouldn’t buy products made with polyvinyl chloride. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), can be found in an incredible amount of school products such as, lunchboxes, binder, backpacks, clothes, and art supplies.The Environmental Defense and U.S- based Center for Health, Environment, and Justice released a guide Tuesday that showed safer alternatives.

PVC is much too dangerous to have in so many products that many kids use every day of the school year. PVC can evaporate or leech out in many products, which contributes to developmental disorders and damage of the liver, central nervous, respiratory, and reproductive system.

Some ways you can help protect your children is to buy products with no harmful chemicals in them. Instead of a plastic ruler, buy a wooden one. Put down the bleached paper, and notebooks and go for paper and notebooks made from hemp. Even a post-consumer recycled corrugated cardboard binders would work with some acid and chlorine-free paper.

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August 4, 2009

Why You Should Stop or Drink Less Alcohol

Filed under: alcohol,beer,cancer,colon,esophageal,liver,lung,montreal,prostate,spirits,Uncategorized,wine — John @ 12:20 pm

Now if you are like most people, you like to have the occasional drink or two, but sometimes you find you can get carried away and that couple of drinks turns into an unknown number of drinks and a splitting headache in the morning. Some people tend to drink heavily more often then they really should. And I don’t want to sound like that nagging parent, but it really isn’t good for your health. And even though there is plenty of evidence, like liver damage to help you realize that frequent heavy drinking isn’t good for your health, many people still do it. Maybe a new study from Montreal will help you realize the dangers of such high and frequent alcohol consumption.

The results of the study showed that those who drink a significant amount of beer and spirits most frequently are increasing their chances of developing six different types of cancer: esophageal, stomach, colon, liver, pancreatic and lung. The increase is actually quite amazing, and isn’t something to be taken lightly. The results showed an increase in risk of liver cancer by 800%, esophageal cancer by 700%, prostate and colon cancer by 80%, and lung cancer by 50%!

Though the risk of high intake or beer and spirits is quite evident, those that choose to drink wine did not seem to have a higher risk. Whether there are antioxidants that help prevent cancer, or those that drink wine live a healthier lifestyle is unknown. What is known is that too much, too often is not good for you. Be sure to watch your alcohol intake. Drink safely, and if you are looking for a reason to quit, or just lesson your alcohol consumption, maybe this is it.

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