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How to find a doctor? There's no magical route to finding the right doctor. If you have a primary care physician just call him or her and make an appointment. If you don't have a primary care physician, try the route suggested above. Or, if you feel you need specialist care, you can save time and money by going directly to a specialist with your particular medical problem. In the old days most patients would ask their primary care physician for a referral. While this is still done, more and more patients are going directly to a specialist for their medical needs. Tips on how to look for a doctor Where can I research my doctor? Once you have selected a doctor, you have several options. Most patients like to run a background check on the doctor they have chosen. The best place to do this research is the Federation of State Medical Boards. What makes a good doctor? Based on my extensive research over the past five years, my recommended criteria for finding a good doctor are: Bottom line We all know there are no guarantees when it comes to receiving the highest quality health care. We all know there are shady doctors, and good doctors; and then there are those who are renowned for their expertise, who rank amongst the highest in their field. It's up to you to do your homework. Hugo Gallegos founder & president of MDNationwide Inc An expert in researching & recognizing the top medical doctors in America. Mr. Gallegos has written numerous articles throughout the Internet. http://mdnationwide.org 877 242-8556
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Bee Propolis: Synergisitc Health Care for the 21st Centruy For well over a century modern science has progressed at a startling rate. With this increase in knowledge has come medicinal and healthcare benefits that have seen ages peak and diseases eradicated. These medical advances were based around the paradigm of the "magic bullet", isolating the active ingredient and using it to alter the chemistry of a single molecule/protein to elicit a change of state in the patient. Success however has turned to obsession as cracks appear in the armoury of disease fighting drugs at our disposal. MRSA is rifling through our hospitals as antibiotics become ineffective and severe side effects of modern drugs are becoming common place now years after their introduction. A direct consequence of a one dimensional strategy, it is maybe the time to acknowledge the synergistic health benefits of natural medicine. Propolis is a unique natural medicine because of its breadth of action. It has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and immunomodulatory effects, it could help treat asthma, allergies, arthritis and joint disorders, eczema and dermatitis, ME, viral infections including HIV and even cancer. This medicine could help treat an illness or keep you fit and healthy. Propolis: Defender of the City Propolis is a mainly resinous substance that bees collect from trees and plants. Being made up of waxes, resins, fatty acids and even amino acids. Aristotle reputedly coined the name Propolis meaning "defender of the city". This is exactly what Propolis is for the hive, it acts as a bee population's external immune system keeping the hive sterile and free of microbial invaders Evidence Based Medicine In the following paragraphs I will describe to you the pharmacological properties of Propolis. Before I do so I must explain where this evidence comes from. All the properties and actions of Propolis have been witnessed and detailed in scientific studies which have subsequently been published in journals. The bulk of these scientific studies have been performed in vitro (i.e. in a test tube) or in vivo (i.e. in a host animal for example rats), a much smaller proportion of these studies are clinical trials tested on humans. The abstracts of these papers can be found on the Medline and pubmed databases on the Internet. Propolis: A natural antibiotic Propolis is probably best known for its antibiotic properties. Even as early as 1960 French1 research demonstrated the bacteriostatic action on Bacillus subtilis, Proteus vulgaris and Bacillus alvei. The results have been replicated many times and Propolis has even been shown to be effective to MRSA2, the same antibiotic resistant bacteria that has infected up to 70% of our hospitals. A 1997 study by Calder et al. at the University of Oxford concurred with these results and found that the cinnaminic acids and flavanoids present in Propolis in particular show bacteriocidal action. This action believed to be as a consequence of Propolis uncoupling the bacterial energy respiratory chain. Interestingly this action may be involved in a synergistic action with antibiotics when used together, boosting the effectiveness of the drugs. Anti-Viral and immuno-stimulatory Viruses present a unique dilemma in the quest for good health, they are not affected by antibiotics and mutate so frequently that vaccines are hard to produce. They also cause illness by hijacking cells and using the cells machinery to replicate. Modern drugs aim to slow or stop the virus from the replicating and subsequently because they are attacking host cell machinery they have certain side effects. Viruses perhaps pose the greatest threat to humans' health, we are currently in the middle of a HIV pandemic with "39.4 million" people infected world wide. With a Flu pandemic overdue and certainly on its way and predictions of world wide casualties and chaos, a solution is needed. The bioflavanoids in propolis have a unique approach to combating Viruses, instead of trying to combat them once they have infected a cell, they lock the virus in its protein coat. This means that the dangerous machinery and DNA/RNA of the virus is nullified and the infection stopped. Propolis has been shown to be more effective than the pharmaceutical anti-viral acyclovir in treating genital Herpes in a clinical trial conducted in the Ukraine4 and there is growing evidence that Propolis could help treat people with HIV5. Propolis also works hard as an immunomodulator which is of interest for all of us. It does this by altering the way cytokine production and release is managed. Cytokines are the chemical messengers that allow immune system cells to communicate. By altering the cytokine system, it primes the immune system to be ready to react to antigens quickly and effectively. As well as this, bioflavanoids within Propolis stimulate the production of interferon which can help people recover from ME, stimulating their immune system. This alteration of the cytokine and interferon systems means that your body is ready to fight off infection and keep you healthy, making a case for using propolis as a supplement for good health, like vitamins. Prevention is better than the cure. Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergen A survey of Propolis consumers showed that arthritis was the health problem that Propolis was used to treat the most. This is because of the potent anti-inflammatory properties of the propolis constituents in particular CAPE (Caffeic acid Phenyl ester), CAPE has been shown to suppress T cell activation. A paper by Marquez et al in 20046 evaluated this to mean that since T-cells play a key role in the onset of several inflammatory diseases, CAPE is important because the this phenolic compound is a potent inhibitor of early and late events in T-cell receptor-mediated T-cell activation. Results like this have led other researchers to propose that CAPE is a worthwhile agent for reducing the severity of conditions associated with inflammation. Many of the experiments performed on CAPE were done so in vitro, however the anti-inflammatory properties of Propolis have been documented in rats when treating rat adjuvant arthritis. A paper by Park et al in 19997 concluding that the ethanolic extract of propolis had profound anti-inflammatory effects on both chronic and acute arthritic inflammations. These anti-inflammation properties extend to other illness and disorders such as asthma and allergies reducing both smooth muscle airway contraction8 and allergic responses. Any disorder or illness related to inflammation could be helped by Propolis. Anti-tumour/cancer Propolis and CAPE have been shown to reduce the size of tumours and to selectively destroy and to curb the proliferation of malignant cells of many different types of cancer. As recently as June 10th 2005 Cancer researchers have been given a grant of a million dollars to investigate the therapeutic value of Propolis for cancer. Costas Koumenis the lead investigator for the study was quoted as saying, "a very interesting property of these compounds is that they have been shown to cause cell death in tumor cells but not in normal cells." This study along with other current studies promises to propel Propolis into the limelight in the field of cancer treatment. Current Propolis Research in the UK BVR (BeeVital Research) recently won a major government Research and Development Award, part of a £250,000 research programme looking at the chemical, biological and clinical properties of propolis. These studies will focus on the: 1. Documenting the regional variances in chemical and biological properties, by HPLS, GC-MS and NMR. (Taking place at Univeristy of Strathclyde) 2. Futher investigating the role of Propolis in the Hive (University of Gloucester) 3. Dental trials ? looking at effectiveness of Propolis for Mouth Ulcers, Pericorinitis, Gingivitis and Sensitive Teeth. (Manchester University Dental school) 4. HIV/AIDS trials ? looking at the effectiveness of Propolis with anti-virals in Zambia and Tanzania 5. The effects of standardised propolis on mood, stress, fatigue and cognition at the Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit at University of Newcastle. 6. To evaluate the use of local and non ? local propolis for wound healing and the treatment of skin and other dermatological problems. ( The Regional Teaching Hospital for University of Dar es Salaam) Lunesta Side Effects Before you decide to buy Lunesta, make sure you have read over all pertinent information about how Lunesta works, and what side effects you might experience. Family Healthcare: The Dangers Of A Heart Attack & How To Avoid It A heart attack happens when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself (the myocardium) is severely reduced or even stopped entirely. Low Blood Pressure ? Why is Your Blood Pressure Low? Why is your blood pressure low? The 7 Most Dangerous Mistakes You Can Make When You See a Doctor for Arthritis! 1. Seeing a doctor who's not board-certified or a doctor who isn't really an arthritis specialist. A lot of doctors will tell you they're "board-eligible." That's nonsense! What "board-eligible" means is that they did the training for the specialty but either haven't taken or- heaven forbid- failed the examination for board-certification. Don't trust your health to one of those doctors. And worse yet, some specialists don't pass on the first attempt. They keep taking the board exam over and over in the hopes they'll finally pass. Ask the doctor how many times it took them. Would you rather see somebody who passed the first time or some idiot who took three and four times to pass? How You Can Erase Low Back Pain Using the Latest Medical Techniques! "If you're one the nine out of ten adults in the United States who suffers from low back pain, I have good news for you!" states Dr. Nathan Wei, a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. Onychomycosis - One Of The Many Nail Fungus Out There Many natural changes in fingers and toenails come with age. Fine ridges, for example, may start developing from the cuticle of the nail tip. This and other similar changes are common, but they are not signs of poor health. Stevens Johnson Syndrome Lawyer Says: Get Help SJS is an allergic reaction to certain medications that can result in death. It has been linked to pain killers, antibiotics, barbiturates, anti-convulsants, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, arthritis medications, and sulfa antibiotics such as Bextra, Arava, Aventis, Remicade, Allopurinol, Phenytoin, Carbamazepine, Ibuprofen, Daypro, children's Motrin, Advil, Lamectal and Topamax. Stevens Johnson Syndrome reactions include inflammation of mucosal membranes (mouth, throat, eyes, genital tract, intestinal tract), skin burning, lesions, blisters and bleeding which can lead to infections, burning and soughing off of sheets of cells in the lungs, permanent blindness, dry eyes, photophobia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, permanent loss of nail beds, scarring of the mucosal membranes, arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease With Lipitor and Pravachol Results of a new study comparing the effectiveness of Pfizer Inc.,'s Lipitor with Pravachol, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, was recently published in the New York Times. The study details the clinical observation that Lipitor was significantly more effective than Pravachol in lowering patient's LDL cholesterol levels. However, the study did not comment on the overall effect that Statin drugs have on patient health, or the research that indicates Statins may actually increase your risk of heart disease and heart attack. New Company Helps Another Medical Condition Become: ?Acceptable? Dinner Conversation Recently once taboo subjects like plastic surgery have become acceptable dinner conversation. Medical conditions are no longer whispered to friends, but have instead become part of the dinner table conversation with full blown discussions on Botox, erectile dysfunction and the feared colonoscopy. However recently there is a new kid on the block, well maybe not so new, it's actually plain old heel pain. You might ask why is this happening? Why is it so important now? After all heel pain for the most part won't kill you. A Closer Look at Lower Back Pain Relief As many as 8 out of 10 adults will experience back pain in their lifetime, and most of them will feel it in their lower back. When we consider that our lower back bears the brunt of our body weight, and that our back is made up of many vertebrae, a few discs to absorb shock, several major nerves and joints that allow for movement of the spine, stacked on top of each other, this statistic begins to make more sense. How Is Mold Like AIDS? Don't laugh. Both get a lot of coverage in the press. Mold isn't a politically sensitive issue but there are a lot of similarities. Web Therapy: Enhancing Patient Communication with Web Access According to Jennifer Lyons' chart, she's just a bad slip and fall who's lucky enough to be on her way to a full recovery. Taking The Sting Out Of Bug Bites (NC)-In most cases insect bites are harmless and if left alone, the irritation will subside within 48 hours. Pain in the Butt. How to Deal with Hemorrhoids? This is very sensitive area of your body. Too private. Nobody likes when something is wrong over there. However it happens. OxyContin Addiction: Doctors & Drug Lords OxyContin is a narcotic drug, an opiate, that has been approved by the FDA to legally treat chronic pain. Chronic pain is documented medical condition, a progressive disease of the nervous system and spine that causes constant a patient to experience constant, excruciating pain. Chronic pain is caused by the failure of the body's internal pain control systems and is accompanied by changes of the chemical and anatomical makeup of the spinal cord. Left untreated, the condition will spread to unaffected areas. A patient suffering from chronic pain does not produce enough natural opiates, so a pharmaceutical opiate like OxyContin is an effective treatment for the disease. Orthotics and Your Feet Orthotics are devices which fit into the shoe to aid the foot. "Functional orthotics" are rigid and designed to control motion and correct the function of the foot. Individuals with flatfeet, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, certain foot deformities, knee, hip and back problems may benefit from functional orthotics. "Accommodative orthotics" are soft and designed to reduce pressure and prevent excess friction. Diabetics and those with a loss of sensation or circulation in their feet will benefit from accommodative orthotics. Both types of orthotics are custom made by taking a mold of the foot. Why Drug Companies are Naughty and 5 Remedies to Cure the Symptoms With the hum of the election campaign and the debate of "big business," versus human interest, I decided to do a bit of muckraking into the art and science of the recent removal of Merck's Vioxx. My motivation of course; to look for clues as to the role drug companies play in our health and wellness (or lack thereof). Dangerous Drugs Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra: An editorial regarding dangerous drugs The Right Stethoscope For Your Needs! Just about all health care providers have need of stethoscopes. Whether you're a nurse, respiratory therapist or a medical doctor, the need to auscultate the chest, lungs and heart is a necessary and important part of your work. In deciding from the many stethoscopes to choose from it's important to keep in mind what you'll be using your stethoscope for. For general purpose listening, stethoscopes are excellent tools and come at a very good price. |
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