PharmaPassport Health Tips Blog

May 31, 2010

4 Serious Dangers of Sunscreen

Filed under: health-tips — Tags: cancer, melanoma, skin cancer, sunscreen, uv rays, UVA, UVB, vitamin A — Amanda @ 8:38 pm

For many years we’ve believed that sunscreen is a safe and effective way to prevent skin cancer from UVA and UVB rays. After all, that’s how it’s been marketed for decades. However recent studies found that there are a number of health risks associated to sunscreen use. Whether or not the dangers are worth giving up your sunscreen routine is up to you.

1. Increased risk of Cancer

Researchers have found an increased risk of melanoma in sunscreen users. Scientists argue that people who use sunscreen stay out in the sun longer and absorb more radiation, or that free radicals that are released as the sunscreen breaks down in sunlight may be part of it. One possible reason for this is that poor sunscreens with bad UVA protection agents have been at the top of the consumer market for 30 years due to their lower prices. All public health industries still believe you should still use sunscreen, but they also think shade, clothing, and time of day should be important things to remember.

2. A higher SPF doesn’t mean longer protection

People who use sunscreen with a high SPF think they are completely immune to sun damage, but that is not the case. Scientists say that there is no evidence that using a sunscreen with an SPF of 85 allows people to remain in the sun longer than they would when using a sunscreen with a lower SPF. In 2007 the FDA published regulations that would prevent companies from labeling sunscreen with an SPF higher than 50. The FDA believed that higher values are misleading – that high SPF products may make people stay in the sun too long and increase their risk of skin cancer. In addition, a sun block with SPF 60 only blocks 1 – 1.5% more of UV rays than an SPF 30.

3. Sunscreen doesn’t necessarily prevent skin cancer

The FDAs draft of sunscreen safety regulations in 2007 said “the FDA is not aware of data demonstrating that sunscreen use alone helps prevent skin cancer”. The International Agency for Research on Cancer agrees. They recommended using hats and shade as primary barriers. Sunscreen should not be the only form of protection against skin cancer. In fact, in the US, the FDA’s 32 year effort to set enforceable guidelines for consumer protection has stalled. There has been an abundance of problems in existing products including false claims about sun block protection and inadequate UVA protection. Hopefully these problems with existing products will be fixed when the FDA’s rules take effect. However, there will still be loopholes in sunscreen quality as the FDA does take toxicity into effect when testing products for safety.

4. The vitamin A added to sunscreen may speed cancer production

Recent information from the FDA shows that a type of vitamin A may speed up the development of skin tumors and lesions when applied to the skin under UV rays. This type of vitamin A is commonly added to sunscreens and is present in 41% of all sunscreen products. The industry adds this particular form of vitamin A to its sunscreens because it is an anti-oxidant that prevents aging. The vitamin A is approved for indoor use, but after a study, there is a possibility that it results in cancerous tumors when applied to the skin that is exposed to sunlight.

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May 27, 2010

Chewing Gum Is Good For You

Filed under: health — Tags: cancer, chewing gum, clean teeth, gum, improve digestion, improve memory, lose weight, multiple sclerosis, reduce stress — Candace @ 12:27 am

In schools, chewing gum is normally prohibited. (Gum is completely outlawed in Singapore. )This is because gum is found on every surface available: the bottom of desks and chairs, the floor, and recently I found gum on the inside of the bass drum. Despite the numerous garbage cans, strategically placed around the school, gum ends up everywhere but where it should. Unfortunately, if gum was allowed in school, and kids kept it in their mouth or in the garbage, it would be very beneficial to their academic life.

Chewing Gum Improves Memory – Chewing gum can help improve memory because it produces more oxygen and more glucose which disposes more CO2. The increased glucose level feeds the body and mind. Through a study conducted on 75 individuals it was found that gum chewers scored 24% higher on short term memory tests and 36% higher on long term memory tests.

Gum is a Stress Reliever – Psychiatrists believe that chewing gum can reduce tension and liberate nervous energy. The rhythmic chewing of gum has a stress relieving result.

Gum Improves Digestion – Chewing gum improves the intestines ability to transport substances. This also increases saliva flow and promotes swallowing, ultimately preventing acid reflux.

Gum Aides in Weight Loss – Chewing gum sends a signal to your brain that you are more full than you are in reality. Your brain therefore does not think you are hungry or need as much food and you eat less, resulting in weight loss.

Gum Improves Oral Health – Sugar free gum is good for your oral health. It stimulates saliva which prevents tooth decay. This eventually neutralizes plaque acids, and strengthens tooth enamel.

The disadvantage of chewing gum is that you may exhaust your stomach and intestines with the constant gum chewing. This may contribute to ulcers, burns, or and risks of contracting certain types of cancers. Chewing gum has aspartame which is not good in the long run as it may contribute to certain cancers, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases.

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May 25, 2010

Telemedicine

Filed under: Pharmacy — Tags: doctors, healthcare, medication, online, online pharmacies, social networks, telemedicine — Candace @ 11:23 pm

Doctors have now come up with a new approach to healthcare: online clinics. Recently a mother was concerned about her son’s migraines. While he was home from school for lunch one day his mother went online and logged onto a medical practice’s website and had a video conference with the doctor on duty. The doctor was able to review her son’s electronic medical history online. The doctor was then able to send the mother links to different articles and podcasts that would help her. Also he suggested the boy drink more water and that the headaches were a result of dehydration. The boy was back to school before the end of lunch.

This new method is quick and can be used from the comfort of your home. Although it may seem that telemedicine is an uncongenial approach to medical care, physicians claim the opposite. Telemedicine is being embraced by physicians who say that it promotes a closer relationship with patients. This method of medication provides ways for the patients to be educated about treatments before going to the doctor’s office for visits.

At the University of Minnesota in Fairview they have 36 doctors who are testing the telemedicine method. So far they have received a very positive response from patients. Doctors have shifts for online sessions. The hours of the Fairview clinic are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter are being used in medical practice to circulate health information and create online societies where patients can share their experiences.

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Music and its Effect on Your Running

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: activity, Fitness, healthy living, music, physical exercise — John @ 10:41 pm

I love music. I love listening to music, playing music, writing music, and even critiquing music. Music to me is one of the greatest forms of expression a person can create. In all great musical compositions from songs by Mozart to Led Zeppelin, there is that fusion of expression through creativity and musical talent. Music plays a significant role in my life as well as the lives of countless others, but now there is even better news. Music can help you exercise.

Many of us exercise with our favorite songs playing through a CD player or MP3 player. Most of us do this because one, we like listening to music and two, we feel more energized when listening to the right kind of music. While there have been many who praise music as a training aid, there hasn’t always been a lot of well-known support backing it up.

So I decided to do some digging and came across a study published in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology by Dr Costas Karageorghis. The study was aimed to observe music’s effect on physical work output and how music may change the way we interpret different signals, such as fatigue.

Ultimately, the study found that music, especially motivational music, can play a significant role in physical endurance. The results showed that motivational music can increase physical endurance 15% over the control, no-music group. Furthermore, music can also aid in boosting your mood while participating in physical activity. This change in mood can help a person feel more positive when working at a higher intensity level which may translate into a longer period before physical exhaustion.

Music has always been part of my workout routine, but it’s awesome to finally learn that there’s actually science behind it. So next time you decide to go for a run, or whatever other physical activity you decide to do, listen to some music for better performance.

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May 19, 2010

Top Ten Most Environmentally Harmful Countries

Filed under: environment — John @ 12:28 am

“Continued degradation of nature despite decades of warning, coupled with the burgeoning human population, suggest that human quality of life could decline substantially in the near future.” This quote was taken from a recent study conducted by the University of Adelaide’s Environment Institute, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and Princeton University, and led by Professor Corey Bradshaw. The study set out to examine and rank the countries of the world and how they impact the environment. Some of the results are rather surprising, while others are fairly obvious.

There were seven different factors used to determine how countries impacted the environment, they include: natural forest loss; habitat conversion; marine captures; fertilizer use; water pollution; carbon emissions; and species threat. Overall the study revealed that in many cases, “the richer a country, the greater its average environmental impact.” Here are the top ten countries that have the greatest negative impact on the global environment.

1) Brazil

2) USA

3) China

4) Indonesia

5) Japan

6) Mexico

7) India

8) Russia

9) Australia

10) Peru

The developed nations, such as the USA start to take responsibility to actually fix the damage they’ve done and lead by example. Without changes, our planet is doomed, essentially a time bomb that is quickly counting down the seconds until the ultimate destruction of all life. “Environmental protection is critical to maintain ecosystem services essential for human well-being.” If we as a collective global community do not take the time to care for the earth, then the earth will not take care of us.

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May 17, 2010

Possible Link between Smallpox vaccine and HIV immunity

Filed under: HIV — John @ 11:35 pm

Recently, Dr. Raymond Weinstein of George Mason University found that there may possibly be a connection between smallpox vaccines and HIV immunity. HIV, which stands for Human immunodeficiency virus, is a very infectious virus that is spread by the exchange of bodily fluids with an infected person. HIV can cause acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which causes the immune system to become extremely compromised, causing even a mild cold to be potentially deadly.

Weinstein took blood samples from twenty people, half from those who had not received the smallpox vaccination and the other half from those who had received the vaccination. Weinstein then infected the blood samples with HIV. Astonishingly, the blood samples of those with the smallpox vaccination were very resistant against HIV. “There was a huge difference in the vaccinated and unvaccinated group,” Weinstein explained.

However, Weinstein does admit that it is too early to draw any solid conclusions. The test group was very small, only twenty people, and it is unsure how the smallpox vaccine causes the immune system to become highly resistant to HIV.

There are certain signs that help back the idea of the smallpox vaccination aiding in the battle against HIV. For example, smallpox immunizations had begun to significantly decrease between 1950 and 1970. Yet, the number of HIV infections across the globe increased tremendously. Researchers now have reasonable grounds to believe that smallpox vaccinations may have been accidentally protecting people from spread of HIV.

What is most likely to occur next is continuous testing, but on a larger group. Here’s to hoping there’s some sort of breakthrough and we won’t have to worry about HIV/AIDS any longer.

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May 8, 2010

We Are All Slaves to Refined Sugar

Filed under: diabetes,healthy diet,healthy food — Tags: drug, nutrition, sugar, weight loss — Nicole @ 8:22 pm

In the modern day kitchen, refined sugar (or white sugar) is the evil bad guy who simply hides under an appealing vision of your best friend. White sugar has been present for centuries, with dark beginnings in its initial production at the center of the eighteenth century West Indies slavery, and has always had a permanent home in your mother’s, grandmother’s and likely your great grandmother’s sugar bowl. In 1997, studies show that Americans, as a whole, consumed over seven billion pounds of candy, which we all know to be directly produced from refined white sugar.

It’s estimated that, today, each person consumes their weight in white sugar each year, meaning that the average person devours about 50 kg of sugar per year. This nation-wide sugar consumption is reflected in our health. Since the turn of the twentieth century, diabetes is on the rise, affecting both children and adults alike, while once-rarely-occurring conditions such as hypoglycemia and gallstones appear in ten percent of the population.

In some circles, refined sugar is considered a drug. White sugar is produced through a refining process, which eliminates all components of the sugar’s nutritional value, leaving it as a carbohydrate-pure calorie. Molecularly, white sugar is a simple molecule that is made up of twelve carbon atoms, twenty-two hydrogen atoms and eleven oxygen atoms. It’s considered to be more pure than cocaine, which is made up of seventeen carbon atoms, twenty-one hydrogen atoms, one nitrogen atom, and four oxygen atoms. This makes it pretty easy to understand why we seem to be slaves to that sweet tooth.

Unfortunately, this news doesn’t bode well for the American culture. Our whole population has become addicted to a substance that if discovered now, could very well qualify as a drug. However, there is hope. Not all sugars are bad, just those that have been refined. You find most refined sugars in your local supermarket; the white sugar that you buy in bulk and also the brown sugar that you buy in smaller amount for baking. Natural sugars, that come directly from the sugar canes or beets that they were grown from are significantly better for your health than those that are refined. By purchasing unrefined sugars from your local health food store and reducing your intake of refined sugar, you can help to turn America’s health crisis around – for the better.

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May 7, 2010

Beating Springtime Allergies

Filed under: allergies — Tags: allergies, allergy medication, pollen, springtime allergies — Nicole @ 7:13 pm

It’s finally springtime, and after a few long months of snowy gloom, the plants are beginning to bud and new life is spreading across the nation. However, though the springtime brings us the much-wanted sunshine that we’ve waited for all winter long, it also brings back that dreaded allergen – pollen. Pollen is the main cause of all seasonal allergies. In the springtime, most people are aggravated by the presence of tree pollen, as most species of trees will begin pollination in January and can last until April.

Allergies will affect different people in different ways. Generally, when pollen enters your system, your body reacts by releasing histamine into your body, the same chemical that are responsible for triggering an allergic reaction, which will often cause the general allergy symptoms – itchy eyes, sneezing, runny noses, hives. Most allergic reactions to pollen will cause only mild allergy symptoms; however, knowing how to avoid and relieve these allergy symptoms is always helpful.

Avoiding the Effects of Springtime Allergies:

* Wash Hands – Keeping your hands clean will additionally keep them pollen-free, which will help you to avoid the skin agitation that is commonly associated with springtime allergies.
* Keep Windows Closed – The pollens that tend to trigger allergic reactions are often carried around by the wind. Keep your home pollen-free by assuring that no windows (or doors) are left open.
* Use your Dryer – Though it may not be the most energy-efficient machine, it’s important to use your dryer during the springtime, as pollen may collect in your clothing or bedding when it’s hung out on the line.
* Sleep In – Pollen is generally emitted from plants between the hours of five and ten in the morning. You don’t necessarily have to sleep in to avoid contact with pollen, rather just stay indoors to avoid unnecessary contact with pollen.
* Try Medication – If none of these techniques seem to help your allergies, talk to your doctor about taking a medication that is formulated for relief from allergies.

Springtime allergies can be difficult, annoying and distracting, however, with the right techniques; it’s easy to avoid the effects that pollens have on your body.

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May 6, 2010

Improve Your Memory Through Dreams

Filed under: brain,health-tips,insomnia,memory loss,sleep,sleep deprivation — Tags: brain, ginkgo, healthy living, insomnia, memory, mental health, naps, sleep — Amanda @ 9:32 pm

The days of staying up all night to study for exams are over. The real key to improving the memory is through sleep and dreams. A study recently concluded that there is a definite link between sleep and an improved memory.

A recent study of 99 participants found a link between sleep, dreams, and memory. The experiment had the participants navigate through a virtual maze on a computer screen. Half of them were allowed to take a 90 minute nap, while the other half stayed awake. Later on the participants were re-tested on the virtual maze. Those who napped performed better than those who stayed awake, and what is more is that those who reported dreaming about the maze during their nap performed 10 times better than the nappers who didn’t dream. Another study found that people who dream about doing specific tasks actually improve their ability to perform that task in the waking world.

Scientists don’t know exactly how dreams boost learning and memory capacity because dreaming is such a complex process, but it doesn’t need to take as long as 90 minutes for your memory to improve. In fact, a short nap as little as a 12 minutes can make your memory flourish. Many North American’s are suffering from insomnia and aren’t getting the daily sleep they need. Some find themselves sleeping in on weekends to make up for it instead of sleeping 7 – 8 hours a night on a regular basis. Sleep is an important part of your physical and mental health and shouldn’t be neglected.

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May 5, 2010

Why You Should Have Breakfast At Home

Filed under: healthy diet — Tags: Burger King, calories, diet, fast food, fat, healthy diet, McDonalds, salt, sodium, trans fat, weight loss — John @ 3:30 pm

Fast food chains offer a convenient way to grab some food, like breakfast on the way to work without having to take the time to prepare and cook the actual meal. Yet, with convenience you are accompanied by more calories… a lot more calories.

Places like McDonalds, Burger King, etc have breakfast meals that take up a significant portion of a person’s recommended daily intake of calories. If you haven’t ever looked at the nutritional information sheet at McDonalds, then I heavily suggest this. Just taking a look at the calories should force you to cut back on the fast food.

The McDonalds Big Breakfast brings big calories. A total of 800 calories at breakfast is just ridiculous for any person to eat frequently. Not to mention the 48 grams of total fat is something most people look to avoid. The scary part is there are breakfast meals that have even more calories and higher total fat than the regular Big Breakfast.

How about Burger King’s Double Croissan’wich with ham and sausage? The slogan “have it your way” apparently means you’re going to be having a breakfast with 550 calories, 35 grams of fat and 1640mg of sodium. Holy salty breakfast’s batman!

What’s the point of all this you ask? Take some time to make a healthy breakfast in the morning. Don’t get me wrong, go enjoy one of these breakfast’s every so often, after working so hard you deserve a treat. However, don’t go eating yourself to death because you just didn’t want to wake up a little earlier.

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May 4, 2010

Getting Your Kids Active – Lead by Example

Filed under: exercise — Tags: activity, behaviour, children, example, exercise, physical exercise — John @ 11:20 pm

I still remember when I was younger, I used to play outside with my friends until the streetlights came on, and even then we sometimes stayed out even later. I used to and still do love hockey, and I remember when my dad taught me the power of the slap shot. What many of today’s parents seem to forget is that they have to lead by example when it comes to getting their kids active. Even if your kid refuses to admit it, they look to their parents as role models and base a lot of their behavior after what they see and hear. Parents need to start going outside and making exercise fun for children again.

It may seem like a lot of work sometimes, but part of being a parent is spending time with your child or children. Simply going outside and teaching your kid how to ride a bike can be extremely beneficial. You get some quality bonding time in with your child, and you teach your child the importance of physical exercise. Maybe one day, you can take your kid on a day trip to go biking. If you’re not too into biking, go toss a ball around in the backyard. Your child will quickly pick up that sports, and exercising for that matter, can be really fun. This is a crucial first step in ensuring your child can maintain his or her health further on into the future.

Next time you’re sitting at home and see your kid has been sitting inside for hours playing on the X-Box or sitting at the computer, ask them to come outside and throw that baseball around. Your child is guaranteed to benefit from the activity and you may just establish a closer relationship with your son or daughter.

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Stop using Q-Tips to Clean your Ears

Filed under: infection,Uncategorized — Tags: ear care, ear infection, Q-tip, swimmer's ear — Amanda @ 12:04 am

Its really tempting to use Q-tips to clean the wax from your ears or remove the water after a shower, but a number of studies have concluded that doing this isn’t beneficial to your health in any way. There are no positive outcomes of shoving a Q-tip into your ear while looking for wax and other things that might make you feel accomplished to find. Your ears don’t need cleaning to be healthy. In fact, Q-tips have been labeled by doctors as “weapons of ear destruction” due to the damage they can do to your ears.

Q-tips can push soft wax deep into the ear canal and create a plug against the eardrum and disrupt the natural protective coating on the eardrum. This will prevent the eardrum from moving properly and can easily cause significant hearing loss. Sometimes water can become trapped behind this condensed wax wall and you will hear a continuous sloshing sound. When this happens, you’ll need to go to a doctor – don’t stick more things in your ear hoping to solve the problem yourself!

If you are an everyday Q-tip user, you are creating dryness in your ears. The wax in your ears is there for your health. It’s a self-cleaning substance that protects your inner ears from bacteria and dirt. To prevent ear infections, give your ears time to work the wax out naturally and remove it when it becomes visible to you outside the ear. In addition, if you take away the moisture and wax you will experience itchy ears that can only be satisfied with more Q-tip use. This will cause you to damage the skin in your ear, making it a wonderful place for bacteria and fungus to grow.

For those of you who like to swim, you probably experience problems with water in your ears and resort to Q-tips to solve those problems. This is not a good idea because the water that you fish out with Q-tips or napkin corners also carries the protective wax in your ears out with it. Try wearing wax earplugs that mold to cover your ear opening when swimming.

Even though earwax isn’t attractive it is important to your health and should be left as is. Only use Q-tips externally when the wax makes its way to your ear opening. If water in your ears is the problem, try to avoid soaking up the water with Q-tips and let it run out naturally.ed and reliable Canadian online pharmacy that has filled over 1 million prescriptions.

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