More Americans taking drugs for mental illness

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Many more Americans have been using prescription drugs to treat mental illness since 1996, in part because of expanded insurance coverage and greater familiarity with the drugs among primary care doctors, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

They said 73 percent more adults and 50 percent more children are using drugs to treat mental illness than in 1996.

Among adults over 65, use of so-called psychotropic drugs -- which include antidepressants, antipsychotics and Alzheimer's medicines -- doubled between 1996 and 2006.

"What we generally find is there has been an increase in access to care for all populations," said Sherry Glied of Columbia University in New York, whose study appears in the journal Health Affairs.

"Mental health has become much more a part of mainstream medical care," Glied said in a telephone interview.

In 2006, they said 16 percent of adults 65 and older had some form of mental health diagnosis.

The researchers culled data from several large public surveys of health in the United States, including from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Social Security Administration.

Glied said expanded drug coverage under Medicare, the federal insurance program for the elderly, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program for poor children, helped make such drugs more affordable.

The study found the number of children diagnosed and treated for mental health conditions by their primary care doctor doubled between 1996 and 2006.

"The increases in prescription drug use were particularly rapid in the early part of this decade, between 1996 to 2001," Glied said. "For most groups, they have slowed down since then."

The researchers did not report total numbers of people treated or calculate the dollar value of the drugs taken.

One worrisome finding, Glied said, was that there has been little progress in access to care among people with more serious mental illness. They found treatment for older adults with mental limitations who need help dressing, eating, or bathing fell between 1996 and 2006.

About 7 percent of Americans with serious mental illness wind up in jail or prison every year, the researchers said.

"New policies are desperately needed to reduce the flow of people whose primary problem is a mental disorder into the criminal justice system," wrote Glied and colleague Richard Frank of Harvard Medical School.

While the study shows expanded mental health coverage for people with insurance, especially for those covered in government health plans, they said the ongoing recession and swelling ranks of the uninsured will likely mean less mental health coverage for many Americans in the near future.

Read more...

How clever in front of the computer fitness

It is a computer programmer? You face every day working with computers? Or your favorite red from time to time surfing the Web? Can you know that long-term health of your disk may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, resulting in your wrists on the illness and cause nerve pain and edema. Sound is a lingering fear that, do not worry, I will introduce you some simple exercises, so you'll be in your bones and tendons activities desk activities, health fitness!


a practice: the activities of your wrist

the following four points, respectively, each hand to do 10 to 15 times, repeat two to three times a day.

1, forearm flexor, forearm extensor

2, clockwise, counterclockwise rotation wrist

3, at the same time five fingers stretching

4, open palms, a finger force to close

Practice II: activities of your neck

you may place the whole day sitting motionless staring at the screen, you sometimes feel sure that the neck pain. The following exercises are specifically applicable to the neck, can repeat each exercise 10-15 times, two to three times a day. Let's get started: to maintain the integrity and tight body armchair, his arms close to body, hands flat on the knee.

Read more...

Six Tips For Healthy Skin

If you are searching for tips for healthy skin you have found the right articles to read. If you are young you may thing you will have that nice soft young looking healthy skin all your life without any effort on your part. The ones of us that are middle age and older know that is not true.

If you don’t adhere to any of these tips for healthy skin you will find as you age your skin will definitely show signs of aging. Healthy skin is something you need to work at all your life, especially as you grow older.

Read on to find my tips for healthy skin:

1) Don’t use harsh chemicals on your skin. These will irritate your skin, causing itching, redness, and other skin problems. Some chemicals will even put you more at risk of developing cancer. Some substances to watch out for and stay away from are acrylamide, DEA, MEA, TEA, dioxane, nitrosamines, polyethylene glycol and triclosan.

2) Don’t use alcohols such as ethanol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol or SD alcohol. They will dry your skin and strip your natural acid mantle leaving you more vulnerable to bacteria, molds and viruses.

3) Mineral oil is another no, no for healthy skin. It may also show up on label as paraffin, paraffin wax or petrolatum. These are petroleum by-products that will coat your skin and clog the pores. This will interfere with your skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, which will cause you a ton of skin problems and other health concerns.

4) Drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin. At least eight 8-ounce glasses a day, more if you are exercising heavily and sweating profusely. This is one of the easiest skin anti aging tips to practice daily.

5) Use natural products on your skin. Plant based ingredients have the nourishment your skin needs to stay healthy. Things like grapeseed oil, avocado oil, olive oil, active manuka honey, shea butter, babassu.

6) Don’t smoke. Smoking damages the skin because the smoke from tobacco contains thousands of chemicals. When these chemicals come in contact with the skin oxidation occurs, and the free radicals attack the skin cells resulting in overly dry skin.

Following the above tips for healthy skin will take you a long way in maintaining a nice clear complexion.

Read more...

Effective solutions for hair loss

Hair loss is a problem that affects a large number of males and is also on the rise with the females. It can be a devastating problem to cope with which can have some very negative effects on your self-esteem. There are various causes of hair loss but luckily, regardless of reasons why there have been effective solutions.

One of the most commonly used methods of keeping hair loss to a minimum is the use of prescription drugs. Two of the most commonly prescribed drugs, and the only two that have been approved by the FDA in relation to hair loss are Rogaine and Propecia. Rogaine is a topical treatment that you apply to the scalp, aiding the growth of hair and helping to slow hair loss. It is over the counter and easy to obtain and relatively inexpensive. Propecia is a pill that is designed to help keep your hair count high as well; often, doctors recommend that both products be employed for the most efficient hair loss prevention solution. It is best if you start using either drug at the onset of hair loss, they work more effectively if you start using them at the first sign of hair loss.

Another option for dealing with hair loss is hair restoration surgery. During this procedure, surgeons remove strips of hair from the back and the sides of the head and place them on the top of the head, allowing for permanent growing hair in your affected area. The hair follicles that were removed will grow back, so you do not have to worry about having another bald spot! Surgery can be quite expensive but the results are long-lasting and very natural looking. It's your own hair - it grows just as it would if it was still on the back of your head. Even though it is expensive, many people turn to that option because it is natural.

For those who don't have the finances to get hair replacement surgery or want to use the oral medication or topical medication, other options are often considered such as natural hair restoration. There are many types of wigs and toupees available which are available at all different price ranges and styles for any budget. They are made today to look very natural, so they are no longer your uncle’s toupee!

Hair loss can be devastating to a person’s self-esteem, but fortunately, there are many different solutions to get your self-esteem back on track. Whether it be topical and oral solutions, surgery or wigs. There are options out there at all price ranges to help stop hair loss and make you feel better about yourself.

Read more...

Predicting Hair Loss

“Contrary to popular belief, hair does not grow faster when it is cut. The rate of growth, however, may be influenced by hair length. Growth slow down once th

Normally, the average person’s scalp will have between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs. Each of the hairs on the scalp will have an independent life cycle; at any given time approximately 90% of scalp hairs will be in a growth phase and 10% will be in the resting phase, also called anagen phase, can last between four and five years before entering into a 2-3 week transitional period called the catagen phase. The final phase is a two to four month resting phase or telogen phase. It’s at the end of this resting phase that hair falls out by being dislodged from the follicle by an emerging new hair.

Some hair loss is normal, but when it is too much?

Male pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia, is the most common type of hair loss. It is a hereditary trait influenced by many genetic factors. The presence of balding of one’s parents or grandparents on either the mother’s or father’s side does not by itself predict the likehood of baldness. On the other hand, if you are a man losing hair in your twenties and your father is completely bald, it is most likely that your hair loss will continue.

Genetics plays a role in the pattern, speed, age with which balding begins and extent of balding that will occur. In most cases the earlier the onset of balding, the more extensive the loss will be. Moreover, there is no set age that balding begins; it is a process over time. This process can start at any ages. It can proceed at different speeds, stop and begin again at any time. Hair loss is affected by genetics hormonal influences and time.

Hair Loss: When Is It Too Late?

The American Medical Association reports that 25% of men begin balding by age 30, while 66% begin losing hair by age 60. When you’re young, your scalp is thick and hair follicles have a rich supply of blood. With aging, the regeneration of follicles slows down.

In males, the production of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) has an increase influence of hair loss. High DHT levels disrupt the normal three-stage hair growth cycle by keeping follicles in the resting or telogen phase. It’s this break in the cycle that causes the follicle to wither resulting in excessive hair loss. With age the scalp thins, blood supply diminishes and the nutrition needed for hair growth is reduced. As a result follicles become smaller and hair shafts are thin. Treating hair loss early will slow this process down resulting in the positive hair growth many patients have experienced.


The Role of the Dermatologist

There are many causes of hair loss. To properly diagnose the cause a consultation with your dermatologist should always be considered.

A doctor will consider your family history of baldness and has the capability of analyzing hair samples under a microscope and checking your scalp for any irregularities. Questions will be asked about your diet, use of skin and health care products, medications and any recent illness. More detailed examinations may involve blood samples and a skin biopsy to confirm a diagnosis. You can also be asked to monitor your hair loss on a daily basis.

Read more...

Benefits of Circumcision

Circumcision in men is the surgical removal of all or part of the foreskin, the sleeve of skin and tissue covering the glans (head) of the penis. In women the term circumcision refers primarily to removal of the clitoral foreskin.

Male Circumcision. Circumcision is a tradition to most boys ages 5-12 in some countries, while in other countries it is an obligatory religious rite (Muslims, Jews, some Asian and Africans). In continental Europe about 80% of the population does not practiced circumcision.

Female Circumcision. The origin of the various forms of female circumcision is not known. Clitoridectomy (all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia) was performed in England and the United States from the 1860's to about 1920 to treat what were considered "emotional" problems of women. It is seldom performed today except for advanced cancer or extreme enlargement of the clitoris. Female circumcision is sometimes practiced in some countries to attempt to enhance orgasmic response.

History of Circumcision. During the ancient time circumcision of males was performed originally with flint knives (very hard and durable form of quartz) prior to the use of metal. The earliest artifacts from Egypt are dated at about 4000 B.C., centuries before its adoption by the ancient Hebrews. In traditional Judaism circumcision represents a covenant between God and Abraham. Early Christian rejected the practice. Although the word does not appear in the Koran, circumcision was practiced among Arabs in pre-Islamic times.

Health Benefits of Circumcision. Originally there is no health claims were attributed to circumcision but years later the Ancient Greeks suggested that the practice might have hygienic benefits (although it was not practiced by the Greeks). In the late 19th century till the middle of the 20th century, circumcision was seen in some English-speaking countries as a remedy to stop masturbation, which was thought to cause many illnesses.

Today, very few people practice circumcision in Britain, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. But in some countries infant and young boys are still circumcised in spite of authoritative medical opposition to the practice. Most physicians claim that circumcision is important for penile hygiene (it is easier to keep circumcised penis clean than the intact one), that it prevents venereal disease and premature ejaculation and that smegma (natural substance composed of dead skin cells, normal flora, and secretions containing the natural antibacterial agent) is a carcinogen, causing cancer of the penis, prostate, cervical cancer in partners

Read more...

Stay Safe From The H1N1 Mexican Swine Flu

The news reports started flooding in from Mexico just a few days ago.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that due to the swine influenza outbreak in Mexico and the Southwestern United States (with a death toll as of midday April 27 of 150 people) it was considering raising global pandemic warning level to 4 out of 6, the highest being a full-blown international epidemic on the scale of the 1918 Spanish Flu which killed as many as 100 million people.

The President of Mexico has just declared a state of emergency which allows the Federal government to place widespread quarantines and cancel public events.

Surprisingly, (and frighteningly) the type of virus which is causing the Mexican swine influenza is identical in nomenclature to the one that caused the massive killer Spanish Flu: H1N1. It seems that this old virus has recently recombined with various strains of human and avian, as well as swine influenza, to create a version that could readily spread from person to person like wildfire across the planet, reaching the level of a global pandemic that might kill millions within months or less.

First of all, let's address some basic questions:

What is H1N1?

H1N1 is an infection of the respiratory system caused by an influenza virus known as type A and of subtype H1N1, This virus sparks influenza outbreaks in swine on a fairly regular basis. H1N1's current incarnation can also be transmitted from swine to humans, and from humans to other humans.

Can humans get H1N1?

Yes, but up until now it has not been too common as it is usually restricted to people who are in contact with swine, though there have been some fairly rare medically documented cases where the transmission was human-to-human in a similar manner to more conventional forms of influenza, through sneezing, coughing and other personal contact. Consuming pork products does not transmit H1N1.

How is H1N1 diagnosed and treated?

Diagnosis requires a specimen from the respiratory system of the patient taken during the first four days of infection, and is then analyzed in a medical laboratory.

When was the last H1N1 outbreak?

The last major H1N1 outbreak took place at an army barracks in Fort Dix, NJ, in 1976. There have been no large scale outbreaks of H1N1 recorded since. However, H1N1 is the virus responsible for the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic which killed approximately 100 million people.

The ticking time bomb which is the global pandemic medical professionals have feared for so long may finally have been activated. Soon it may wreak unprecedented death and suffering on the entire Earth.

It may devastate cities, bring the greatest countries in the world to their knees and become the single largest pandemic in centuries. Some of the numbers being tossed around have included up to four times the number of dead as the 1918 pandemic. It could decimate an entire generation.

That's what H1N1 did the last time it was set loose to ravage the world. In 1918.

It could reach pandemic status next week, next month or next year. It could start any minute.

A single minute. It’s a TV advertisement. It’s a third of a pop song. It’s the time to make toast. It’s not a very long time.

However, many things can happen in a minute. Many hopes can fade in a minute. Many people can die in a minute. The clock starts. . .

Read more...