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Solar Powered Synthetic Skin for Prosthetics

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One of the tragic signs of today’s decadent and perverse world is an increase in the number of people who have lost a hand, arm, foot or leg. They lose them in various industrial accidents, auto accidents, diseases, during warfare and as a result of terrorism. Roadside bombs blow off legs and arms. Terrorist bombs often accomplish the same thing. A growing number of terrorists are now using vehicles as their weapons of choice, running into crowds of people and blowing up outside crowded buildings.

Many years ago, only a fraction of these amputees would survive and those that did, went through life with their missing limb or limbs. One of my dad’s uncles was born and raised on a farm in central Illinois in the early 1900’s. In his teen years, his left arm became entangled in a piece of farm equipment, severing it just above his elbow. In those days, there really wasn’t any prosthetic arms and Uncle Rollie had to learn how to work and run a farm with only one hand and arm. It was hard but he had no choice. He even learned to hunt using only one arm to fire his shotgun. I went hunting with him several times when I was a kid and I never saw him miss a rabbit or pheasant. I always wondered what he could have accomplish had he had both arms.

After high school, one of the guys I knew in school, Bob, was drafted into the Marine Corps, sent to Vietnam and lost his right leg in a mortar attack by the enemy. The last I knew, he was still getting around on crutches and by hopping on his one leg.

A friend of ours at our home church, Ray, had injured a knee and had to have it replaced. After several unsuccessful knee replacements, he ended up having his leg amputated above the knee. After it healed, he was fitted with a prosthetic leg. While he was able to walk, play basketball, ride a bicycle and more, his prosthetic leg still had limitations.

Amputees like Uncle Rollie, Bob and Ray and the thousands of others may have a new hope in better prosthetics in the near future. Imagine an amputee today getting a prosthetic that externally feels and looks like real skin, that can feel and even power itself.

According to a new report on the work of Ravinder Dahiya, that may soon be a reality:

“For years Ravinder Dahiya has been developing thin and flexible electronics, the kind that could be used for synthetic skin, and for years the material scientist has wrestled with various obstacles. These include making sensors that are small enough and electronics that can bend enough, not to mention how such things could be powered. His team is now reporting a breakthrough in which it has integrated solar cells into a graphene-based electronic skin, raising the possibility of prosthetic limbs that are both sensitive to touch and entirely self-powered.”

‘Electrically conductive, just a single atom thick and stronger than steel, graphene has all sorts of advantages. But it hasn’t always been so cheap. Back in 2015 Dahiya, who works at the University of Glasgow’s School of Engineering, discovered a method of production that made graphene around 100 times cheaper than before. This was good news for any scientist working with graphene and its myriad applications, whether flexible displays for phones or medical patches for drug delivery. But for Dahiya, it made using the material as the basis for synthetic skin a whole lot more feasible…”

“For years, scientists have been trying to recreate the complex neural systems that enable human skin to sense touch by building pressure sensors into various materials. We have seen piezoelectric transistors incorporated into synthetic skins making them sensitive enough to read fingerprints, other approaches that use multipurpose sensors to detect temperature and humidity in addition to pressure, and others that use pressure-sensitive materials made from inorganic semiconductors to only use a small amount of power. The issue with them all is that they need to be powered.”

“For their latest project, Dahiya and his team used single-layer graphene with a transparent polymeric protective layer on top, which is also pressure sensitive and enables the skin to detect minimum pressures of 0.11 kPa. Conveniently, graphene itself happens to be highly transparent and allows 98 percent of the light that hits its surface to pass through. Dahiya’s team took advantage of this by placing a power-generating photovoltaic cell underneath, which provides it with the 20 nanowatts of power per square centimeter that the tactile skin needs to operate.”

Dahiya’s invention holds out a lot of new hope for the many wounded military returning from the Middle East, as well as victims of traffic accidents and more. It’s possible, his innovation could offer new hope for people born without an arm or leg. Imagine giving a child born without an arm or hand, the ability to not only use a prosthetic hand, but to feel what it touches.

Home Healthcare Providers Shanghaied into Socialist Run Union Without Consent

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Many decades ago, unions played an important role in getting thousands of Americans better work conditions, hours and pay. However, in the last few decades, they have helped drive the overall cost of living higher, forced thousands to join unions and pay dues even though they didn’t want to join, and they have become strong political entities pushing socialist agendas.

If you live in a state that is NOT a right-to-work state, you are forced to join a union and pay monthly dues, even if you don’t want to join. Our state is that way and if you want to get a job at local grocery store like Kroger, who only pays minimum wages and offers part time hours to start, you also have to pay union dues out of the meager earnings. For years, some of have referred to this as legal extortion and compared unions to illegal protection rackets – pay or suffer the consequences.

During the 2012 presidential campaigns, one very socialist union, the SEIU, paid protesters $11 an hour to be bussed to Mitt Romney campaign events to disrupt the event.

In 2014, the Wisconsin Education Association Council (the state’s teachers; union) spent $1.6 million of union dues money to campaign against Gov. Scott Walker during a recall election which he won.

In 2014, Adam Neuman was one of many teachers in Michigan who decided to opt out of the union after the passage of a law in 2012. He felt the union was too politically active in all the wrong areas and didn’t want his dues used for those purposes. After opting out of the union, he was shocked when he got paycheck and saw an $80 deduction from the school district. He inquired into the matter knowing that he should no longer be paying union dues and was shocked to learn that the deduction is not considered dues, but part of a program known as ‘release time’ which is a politically correct way of saying that the deduction is earmarked to pay the salary of the union officials.

In 2015, it was revealed that the National Education Association (NEA), one of the most liberal, socialist and powerful unions in America, was hosting the Read Across America initiative and guess who is taking a key role in the initiative? Yep! The GLSEN is an active participant with the goal of pushing their theme of acceptance of the LGBT perverted lifestyle and they want to reach all grade levels, even down to kindergarteners.

In 2015, the NEA again made news when it was learned that they were spending millions of dollars of union dues to help keep illegal aliens in the United States.

Now we are learning that the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) has shanghaied thousands of home healthcare providers into joining the union and paying union dues without their consent according to Forbes:

“In 2013, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) got one of its favored politicians, Minnesota governor Mark Dayton, to sign an order declaring that home healthcare providers who receive Medicaid money to care for disabled family members were government employees. But they were “employees” only because that made them eligible for unionization. The SEIU figured that it had a good shot at finagling a victory in an election, which would then lead to a nice infusion of new dues money.”

“The election, conducted under the auspices of the friendly state bureaucracy, was done entirely through mail-in ballots and under its rules, a victory required only a majority of the votes cast. When the votes were counted in 2014, 3,543 were in favor of the union and 2,306 against. There were about 27,000 home healthcare providers, so with just 13 percent of the total number, the SEIU was declared the representative of all 27,000.”

“Nearly 24,000 home caregivers had become union members without their consent or even over their dissent.”

Further investigation has discovered that some of the ballots on the union vote were mailed to vacant houses and business, leading many to believe the election results were a fraudulent attempt to enslave the thousands of healthcare workers and make them part of the SEIU.

Although it only took 3,543 questionable votes to pass the union bill, opposition has gathered over 6,000 signatures in a call for another vote, but so far that call is being denied.

America needs a national law that makes the entire country a right work nation, meaning that NO ONE will be forced to join a union and pay union dues if they don’t want to. Should not we all have that freedom?

TX Bill Will Allow Doctors to Lie, Keep Info Hidden from Pregnant Women

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For many families, learning that there will be a new addition to the family is generally an exciting time. The realization that a new human being is forming in the womb is an awesome concept and miracle of life.

In today’s world of modern medicine, most women look forward to going to their doctor to find out how their pregnancy is coming along. Is the new mom to be healthy? Is the baby healthy? Is there anything that the new mom needs to be doing or not doing? What about vitamins and supplements? Dozens of questions to ask and one would expect their medical physician to answer.

So how would you feel if you knew that your doctor doesn’t have to tell you the truth of how your unborn baby is doing? Or how would feel if you knew that your doctor could be lying to you about the miracle forming in your womb? Could you trust anything the doctor tells you?

If you live in Texas, that may soon be a concern.

The Texas Senate recently passed a bill, Senate Bill 25, that would allow your doctor to lie to you about your unborn child and prevent you from suing that doctor for not telling you the truth.

According to a recent report:

“Senate Bill 25, which will now be sent to the Texas House, prevents parents from suing their medical provider if their baby is born with disabilities, even if that doctor discovered the condition during routine prenatal testing and failed to inform the parents.”

“The architects of the so-called ‘wrongful-birth’ bill have argued it would protect children with disabilities and prevent doctors from facing unnecessary lawsuits. ‘It is unacceptable that doctors can be penalized for embracing the sanctity of life,’ Senator Brandon Creighton (R-TX) said in a press release when he introduced the legislation last fall.”

While the bill is intended to protect children with disabilities, it also raises ethical questions on being able to trust one’s doctor to tell the truth. Many doctors are pro-life and do not believe in abortion and have hidden the truth of problems from expecting parents. This bill is intended to legally protect those doctors who practice according to their beliefs. However, the bill does not protect doctors from being sued for negligent behavior and they can still face malpractice suits for that negligence.

Abortion advocates, of which I am not, argue that the bill is nothing more than a ploy to prevent a parent from having the option to abort – murder – their unborn child if he or she is discovered to have some form of disability.

Heather Busby, Executive Director at NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, told the media:

“SB 25 would allow doctors to lie to their patients.”

“[It] is another thinly veiled attempt to prevent Texans from accessing their constitutional right to abortion.”

Whether you believe in the sanctity of life or not, this bill is still unnerving as it will allow doctors to lie to patients. Even though their intentions are good and ethical, the underlying question is whether or not expectant parents, moms especially, can trust their doctors to tell them the truth?

As much as I condemn abortion because it is murdering an innocent child, I also condemn lying, for whatever reason. If you cannot trust your doctor to tell you the truth about the condition or health of your child, how can you trust he or she on any other health related matters?

Even if you did not believe in abortion, wouldn’t you want to know the truth if there was anything wrong with your developing baby? Wouldn’t you want to know so you could be prepared for any special needs a disabled child may require?

Regardless if one is pro-life or pro-choice, Texas Senate Bill 25 is a bad bill and should never be passed. It will only serve to undermine confidence in one’s doctor.

Do You Know About Invisible Illnesses?

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Have you ever heard of invisible illnesses? Do you have any clue what they are? Are you aware that some people you know may have an invisible illness that is ravaging their body on the inside, but shows little to no signs on the outside? Would it make a difference in your relationship with them? Unfortunately, it often does.

Take the case of Victoria Graham, a 23-year-old beauty queen from Maryland. Outwardly, Graham is a ravishing young beauty that surely captures the attention of many young men. When she walks out on the stage at a beauty pageant in a gown, she is a real crowd pleaser. However, when she turns her back to the audience to return to her place on the stage, many onlookers gasp at the sight of the same young beauty. Running from the base of her skull, down her spine to her tailbone is a telltale pink scar.

Graham has suffered from an invisible illness her entire life, but that 25-inch scar extending the length of her back is the only outward sign. It’s there because she has undergone 10 surgeries on her brain and spine. Without those surgeries, she would not be able to stand up straight.

Graham suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). According to The Ehlers-Danlos Society:

“Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are a group of connective tissue disorders that can be inherited and are varied both in how affect the body and in their genetic causes. They are generally characterized by joint hypermobility (joints that stretch further than normal), skin hyperextensibility (skin that can be stretched further than normal), and tissue fragility.”

“The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are currently classified into thirteen subtypes. Each EDS subtype has a set of clinical criteria that help guide diagnosis; a patient’s physical signs and symptoms will be matched up to the major and minor criteria to identify the subtype that is the most complete fit. There is substantial symptom overlap between the EDS subtypes and the other connective tissue disorders including hypermobility spectrum disorders, as well as a lot of variability, so a definitive diagnosis for all the EDS subtypes when the gene mutation is known—all but hypermobile EDS (hEDS)—also calls for confirmation by testing to identify the responsible variant for the gene affected in each subtype.”

Graham is also the president and founder of The Zebra Network, a group to bring attention to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The tagline for her social platform states:

“But You Don’t Look Sick: Making Invisible Illness Visible.”

In a report on Graham and her invisible illness:

“The so-called ‘invisible illnesses’ that its victims, like Graham, endure every day can be physically, mentally, and emotionally grueling. Graham says that while she may appear normal to others, some days she is unable to walk more than a few steps without her body either crumpling on itself or causing her to lose consciousness.”

“‘On bad days I’ll get out my handicapped permit, and I’ve gotten yelled at for it in the middle of a coffee shop,’ Graham tells Babble. ‘There are understanding people, but a lot of people are cruel. Just because I don’t look sick, doesn’t mean I’m not sick’.”

All too often, we see or know people who suffer from one of the many invisible illnesses and we tend to judge them on what we see without knowing what they are going through or why they appear the way they do.

My daughter also suffers from an invisible illness. Physically, she appears normal but overweight. Many of her so-called friends and co-workers have judged her by her appearance and have said some very hurtful things to her about her weight. They are ignorant of the fact that she suffers from a rare condition known as McCune Albright Syndrome. It’s a non-hereditary genetic mutation that occurred sometime during early embryonic development. It manifests itself in a number ways, including tumors, fibrous dysplasia, loss of vision and more. Her tumors have caused excessive amounts of various hormones, including growth hormones and cortisol. In her mid to late thirties, she grew an inch and half in height and put on hormone caused weight. The secretions from the tumors have caused Cushing’s Disease along with a fatty liver and other health issues.

Not knowing about her invisible illness but knowing of her loss of vision, one of her so-called friends told her that she needed to do something about her weight, since she can’t see herself in a mirror very well. Our daughter was deeply hurt by the insensitive comment, since she does watch what she eats and exercises when she can. Doctors have told her that she’s doing a great job by not gaining a lot more weight which is what they expected.

Look around you and realize that around 138 million Americans have some type of invisible illness. Think about it before you say something to them that may be hurtful even though it may be said out of care and concern. They may look normal on the outside, but you may have no idea of what is happening inside their body. Their invisible illness may not only be affecting them physically, but also mentally and emotionally. They need your support, not your criticism.

Worst & Best Sweeteners Per Health Clinic

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A century ago, most people never had to worry about health conditions like obesity, Type-2 diabetes, fatty livers and heart disease. Most people were a lot more physically active on the job, at home and at leisure. They didn’t have things like television, movies or all of the modern electronic distractions that keep our fannies firmly planted in chairs or on the sofa in today’s world.

As the more modern conveniences, electronic devices and forms of entertainment creep into our lives, the most sedentary we tend to become. The more sedentary we become, the more susceptible we are to those killer ailments previously listed.

Another negative of our sedentary lifestyle is that we are bombarded with sweets in our diets. Sugar and artificial sweeteners are found in the major of food items that we put into our shopping carts and into our mouths. The food industry has learned that many people become addicted to sugars and sweeteners. The more they put in their products, the more addicted we become and the more of their products we buy. Consequently, the more of us also die from the effects of too much sugar and artificial sweeteners.

If you are like me, you have been forced to start reading labels, something I swore I would never do, to look for amount and types of sugars and fats, with sodium being a biggie also. It’s almost impossible to avoid some sugars or sweeteners, but do you know which ones are better and which ones are worst?

Rating them from worst to best, here is what one health clinic says about sugars and sweeteners.

#5 – The worst are most of the artificial sweeteners. Many people have turned to them to avoid eating real sugar, but they don’t realize that most artificial sweeteners have a down side. They are great if you are diabetic or prediabetic. For diabetics or prediabetics, real sugar raises the blood glucose levels which lead to a number of health risk issues. But for those who are just trying to avoid real sugar, often found in foods as fructose, glucose and even sucrose, sweeteners are their preferred alternative.

However, one expert says that artificial sweeteners only add to the addiction by causing you to crave more sugary and sweet foods. They have another negative side effect in that artificial sweeteners have been found to change the bacteria in our guts which results in the storage of more fat. I don’t think that’s what most of us want when we open the packet of artificial sweetener to put in our coffee, tea or on our food.

They also highly recommend you stay away from the artificial sweetener called aspartame. At least three independent studies have linked aspartame to cancer.

#4 – Still a bad choice is refined sugar, which can be inflammatory to our bodies, high in calories and help lead to conditions like prediabetes and Type-2 diabetes. Think of them as empty calories with no nutritional benefit and nothing more than a source of FAT.

#3 – Middle of the road, better than numbers 5 and 4, is naturals. By naturals, they mean raw sugar, raw honey, maple syrup and agave nectar. Whereas refined sugars are high in calories but empty nutritionally, raw sugars are only slightly better. They are still forms of sugar and are high in calories, but they do have a ‘few’ nutritional values over refined sugar. They are still bad choices for prediabetics and diabetics.

#2 – Second best is Stevia. In it’s pure 100% form, stevia is a natural sweetener made from the stevia plant and contains ZERO calories and it does not tend to raise one’s blood glucose levels.

I have a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal for breakfast as it’s good for heart health, but most of my life, I always enjoyed adding brown sugar to my oatmeal. Now that I’m a Type-2 diabetic, I have switched to 100% pure raw stevia to add to my oatmeal. Not quite the same flavor, but it sure makes a difference on my blood glucose readings.

Be careful when buying stevia. Some products are advertised as stevia but when you check their ingredients, the amount of stevia can be tiny at best. I highly recommend something like Stevia-in-the-Raw, which is stevia leaf extract and one filler to help keep it from clumping. One 9.7oz bag lasts me a very long time and doesn’t cost that much.

#1 – the best choice by the health clinic is fresh or frozen fruit. Fruit is a great source of sweetener and can be used to add in things like oatmeal, but one has to be careful with fruit. As a Type-2 diabetic, I have found that many fruits can increase my blood glucose level when stevia doesn’t. Some fruits like oranges can cause a quick spike in blood glucose followed by a depressing low that makes one very drowsy and tired. Virtually all doctors, nutritionists and dieticians recommend several servings of fruit every day, and while they are important, if you are a diabetic, learn which fruits, like apples, are better than others.

One thing I have found as a Type-2 diabetic is that after I have been off of most sugars and sweets for a number of months, my cravings for them diminish and when I do eat or drink sweet things, I often find them too sweet and that’s a good thing

Regardless of what type of sweetener you use and regardless of how healthy you may be now; moderation and discretion is highly advised. Moderation is also a must for good health and if you have any questions, talk to your doctor or a licensed dietician or nutritionist.

Eat These Foods to Boost Your Immune System

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Source:  health.clevelandclinic.org

Want to fight off that illness that’s spreading around the office or your child’s school? Aside from practicing good hygiene, boosting your immune system is a great way to start.

Your diet plays a part in strengthening your immune system. Sadly, too many of us don’t eat enough of the fresh fruits, vegetables and other foods we need to keep ourselves healthy year-round. You can’t just eat an orange or grapefruit and expect one quick burst of vitamin C to prevent a cold. A truly healthy immune system depends on a balanced mix of vitamins and minerals over time, plus normal sleep patterns and a hefty dose of exercise.

With some exceptions, it’s best to get your vitamins and minerals from your food rather than in pill form. Here are some tips for getting the top vitamins your immune system needs to perform.

  • Vitamin C

    You probably know about vitamin C’s connection to the immune system, but did you know you can get it from much more than just citrus fruits? Leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, strawberries and papaya are also excellent sources. In fact, vitamin C is in so many foods that most people may not need to take supplements unless a doctor advises it.

  • Vitamin E

    Like vitamin C, vitamin E can be a powerful antioxidant that helps your body fight off infection. Almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts and sunflower seeds are all high in vitamin E. So are spinach and broccoli if you prefer to increase your intake through meals rather than snacks.

  • Vitamin B6

    This important vitamin — part of nearly 200 biochemical reactions in your body — is critical in how your immune system functions. Foods high in vitamin B6 include bananas, lean chicken breast, cold-water fish such as tuna, baked potatoes and chickpeas. Bring on the hummus!

  • Vitamin A

    For vitamin A, go colorful. Foods that are high in colorful compounds called carotenoids — carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantaloupe and squash — are all great options. The body turns these carotenoids into vitamin A, and they have an antioxidant effect to help strengthen the immune system against infection.

  • Vitamin D

    As mentioned above, it’s best to get most of your vitamins from food, but vitamin D may be the exception to that rule. You can increase your intake through foods such as fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines) and fortified foods such as milk, orange juice and cereals. Many people have a hard time absorbing vitamin D from food, so if you have a vitamin D deficiency, talk to your doctor about supplements.

  • Folate/folic acid

    Folate is the natural form, and folic acid is the synthetic form, often added to foods because of its health benefits. To get more folate, add more beans and peas to your plate on a regular basis, as well as leafy green vegetables. You can also get folic acid in fortified foods (check the label) such as enriched breads, pastas, rice and other 100 percent whole-grain products.

  • Iron

    Iron, which helps your body carry oxygen to cells, comes in different forms. Your body can more easily absorb “heme iron,” which is abundant in lean poultry such as chicken and turkey, plus seafood. But never fear, vegetarians: You can get other forms of iron in beans, broccoli and kale.

  • Selenium

    Selenium seems to have a powerful effect on the immune system, including the potential to slow the body’s over-active responses to certain aggressive forms of cancer. You can find it in garlic, broccoli, sardines, tuna, brazil nuts and barley, among other foods.

  • Zinc

    You can find zinc in oysters, crab, lean meats and poultry, baked beans (skip the kind with added sugar), yogurt and chickpeas. Zinc appears to help slow down the immune response and control inflammation in your body.

Bonus Tip: When You Can’t Eat Fresh, Eat Frozen

Depending on where you live and what time of year it is, you can’t always get your hands on high-quality fresh produce. Keep this in mind: Frozen is fine. Manufacturers freeze frozen fruits and veggies at “peak” ripeness, which means they’ll pack a similar nutritional value as their fresh counterparts. Just choose plain frozen foods rather than those with added sugars or sodium.

Ibuprofen Linked to Increase Risk of Sudden Heart Attacks

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Millions of Americans use over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers for a variety of reasons – headaches, muscle or joint pain, pain related to an illness or chronic condition, temporarily reduce a fever, and more. Far too many people abuse these OTC pain relievers and take them for everything or as a part of their daily regime.

But are we aware of some of the dangers of using these ITC pain relievers too frequently?

There are four major types of OTC – aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), and naproxen (Aleve).

Aspirin has been in use for over 2,000, but it wasn’t called aspirin until 1899, when Bayer named it. It is part of a group of drugs known as NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug), and used not only for pain, but to reduce swelling and inflammation. It’s long been a favorite to help relieve a toothaches as American Indians used to chew willow bark (the original source of the main ingredient in aspirin).

Over the past couple of decades, aspirin has been recommended to improve heart health, circulation and reduce the possibility of heart attacks. Today, many doctors recommend taking a low-dose aspirin (less than 100mg per tablet) a day for heart health. My wife and I both take a low-dose aspirin (81mg) daily as recommended by our doctor.

However, aspirin is not the wonder drug it was touted to be for years as it, like many other NSAIDs, are hard on the stomach lining and may lead to bleeding ulcers. This is why so many companies make a buffered aspirin, where it is combined with a buffer substance to help prevent the harsh effects on the stomach lining.

Acetaminophen is technically known as paracentamol and was discovered around 1877. It is used for pain and fever relief and sometimes combined with other medications to relieve symptoms of things like the common cold. Acetaminophen is widely available as a generic drug but is also the main ingredient in Tylenol and Panadol.

Some years back, it was discovered that too much acetaminophen could lead to kidney and/or liver damage. It’s also fatal to some animals including house cats. In 2007, in a report on the dangers of acetaminophen it was reported:

“What if a dietary supplement was proven to cause liver damage, liver failure and death? What if each year, this same supplement caused 100,000 calls to poison control centers, 56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations, and more than 450 deaths from liver failure alone?…”

“Many drugs can cause liver damage, liver failure, and death. Yet, acetaminophen prompts the most calls to poison control centers—more than 100,000 per year. Each year, acetaminophen accounts for about 56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations, and more than 450 deaths from liver failure. Acetaminophen causes more cases of acute liver failure than all other medications combined.”

My family used to take Tylenol for many things until these reports came out and then we switched to Advil or generic ibuprofen.

Naproxen (Aleve) is used like the others for pain and sore muscle relief. It is also often recommended for osteoarthritis and gout pain. However, like most NSAIDs, it can be harsh on the stomach if taken too frequently. More recent reports have indicated that many NSAIDs can reduce blood to the kidneys and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Like the others listed above, these should be taken only when needed and not for prolonged periods of time.

Ibuprofen (Advil) has long been thought of as the safest or less dangerous of the four main OTC pain relievers, but a recent study indicates that it also has its dangers. This OTC, like the others is also used to relieve pain of headaches, lower fever and reduce inflammation. However, a very recent study is placing a dire warning on the use of ibuprofen:

“Some common pain relievers may increase the risk of cardiac arrest, according to a new study from Denmark.”

“In the study, researchers found a link between the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) — including ibuprofen  — and an increased risk of cardiac arrest, which is when the heart suddenly stops beating.”

“The findings add to those of previous research, which has also found a link between NSAID use and a higher risk of heart problems, including heart attack, stroke and heart failure. The new study is the first to look specifically at the impact of NSAIDs on cardiac-arrest risk.”

The bottom line is that all of the aforementioned OTC pain and fever relievers have their beneficial uses but they also have their dangers and everyone needs to be aware of what those dangers are. Take them only when necessary, not for prolonged periods of time, do not take more than the recommended safe dosage and always check with your doctor. None of them, not even ibuprofen is the wonder drug it was once thought of.

Are You Like Me in Avoiding the Most Undignified Medical Exam of All?

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What, in your opinion is the most undignified medical exam of all?

My wife said that depending on the doctor, it could be a routine pap smear or mammography. There is nothing dignified about stripping naked and placing your feet in stirrups that leave your most private and personal area exposed to all. As for the mammography, my wife refers to the mammography as mammo-screaming because of how painful it is at times to her breasts squeezed so tightly by the machine.

For a man, having an exam to check for testicular cancer or an enlarged prostrate are undignified, but they are not the most undignified medical exam of all.

Without a doubt, the most undignified medical exam involves putting on one of those hospital gowns that are well ventilated in the back, lying on your side waiting for a doctor start pushing a mile-long tube up your butt. Yes, I’m referring to the dreaded colonoscopy.

We’ve all heard that everyone over the age of 50 should have one, but how many of you have followed that advice?

I had my first colonoscopy when I was just over 40. After having diarrhea for 2 weeks with no explanation, the doctor wanted to look up inside to see if he could find a reason. Mind you this was about 25-years ago. The notorious prep made me sick so I was on the toilet for hours, emptying out from both ends at the same time.

Then the dreaded day came. Yes, I had on the ventilated hospital gown, laid down on my side and then heard the doctor say words that I will never forget:

“You’re a big guy, you don’t need anything, so let’s get started.”

Having never had a colonoscopy, I had no idea what to expect or what he was talking about, but I soon found out as he started forcibly pumping enough air inside me to fill a Goodyear blimp. Then came the mile-long probe. I have to admit that it was one of the most agonizing as well as humiliating experience of my life. All this to find out that the sadistic butcher diagnosed my diarrhea as over use of laxatives, even though the only laxative I had ever taken in my life up then was the prep for this exam.

Nearly 14 years later, I’m living in a different state with different doctors and dreaded when I was told I needed a colonoscopy. I explained my horrific one and only experience and was assured that these days they always give you something and most people never feel or remember the actual exam.

So, I agreed. This time the prep was better, but I still got little sleep that night as most of it was spent on the porcelain throne. As my wife drove me to the gastroenterologist, visions of my first colonoscopy came roaring back and I was ready to tell her to turn the car around and go back home.

Mind you, I’m not a squeamish person. I’ve set some of my own broken bones, stitched up some of my own wounds and pulled the stitches and gave myself a tetanus shot. Growing up a cowboy around livestock, I’ve been shoulder deep in a horse’s vagina, helping to deliver a foal and I’ve had to take care of bloated cattle and none of those things really bothered me. But when it came to someone trying to inflate me like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloon and sticking a mile-long tube up my butt, that was getting to me.

Well, I endured the procedure and was relieved when they started an IV and then gave me something to calm me down. I was told that I probably won’t remember a thing, but with my genetic immunity to most painkillers, stimulants and sedatives, I remained awake and even watched the television monitor as the scope made its way inside me. None of the discomfort I had experienced the first time was there and the only real negative impact of this most undignified medical exam was the prep and then the humiliation of placing your exposed rear end at the mercy of the doctor and nurses.

It’s been nearly 10 years since my last colonoscopy and the only reason I’ve avoided it for so long is that I had no healthcare insurance. Now that I’m on Medicare, I know it’s something I will need to do this year. It’s just getting the where-with-all to actually do it.

However, don’t be like me and keep putting it off. The experience these days is not bad at all and knowing that with age comes a higher risk of developing polyps, hemorrhoids and colon cancer increase, it’s something we all must do. Get a sympathy card, sign it and say something like ‘sorry you have to see me like this’ and give it to the doctor just before they give you whatever to help you sleep through the procedure. The humiliation is worth it and it just may save your life so that you will be around longer for those you love and who love you.

Obvious & Elusive Key to Real Healthcare Reform

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What are the principles that made America the great, powerful and prosperous nation it once was?

How prosperous are nations who have embraced the various forms of socialism? Generally, these nations have a few wealthy individuals who control and dictate all of life to the majority of the citizens and what has happened to most of them? Why did the former Soviet Union collapse from within and why did the Berlin Wall come down, leading to a unified Germany?

Why has the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, been such an utter failure?

Would you believe that all of these things are tied together? It’s called socialism and socialistic economy.

The Soviet Union collapsed because their socialist economy collapsed from within. The Berlin Wall was torn down when the socialistic economy of East Germany collapsed, leading to a unified Germany.

Obamacare failed because it’s a socialistic program to force government control over the people and health industry. Think about it, Great Britain launched their socialist national healthcare system, known as the National Health Service in 1948. For over a decade, it has been plagued with financial woes.

I have close friends in England who have shared their struggles with the National Health Service. One friend had to wait 7 months to have her extremely inflamed and painful gall bladder removed because of the NHS red tape, She and others I know in the UK have told me that as the NHS runs into more financial difficulty, the taxes to pay for it have gone up and their coverage has gone down. A growing number of common medical procedures that were once covered are no longer covered, meaning that the British people are having to pay more and more out of pocket for their medical needs.

Now, the Republicans in Congress are trying to come up with a workable replacement for Obamacare, but they have been trapped by the socialist Democrats to replace one failed socialist national healthcare system with another national socialist healthcare system that will also be destined to fail.

The simple and best solution is to look at what made America the great, powerful and prosperous nation it once was.

America was built on a free market system with healthy business competition. Generally, when a number of companies compete for the same business, it keeps the prices lower.

Once source points out:

“Health care reform is an enormous challenge because when it comes to economic policy, Republicans always have an uphill battle. Their free market solutions are harder to sell in a nation that has long had one foot in the socialism door.”

“Republicans express their belief in the free market, especially when they’re out of power and running against liberals and their failed policies, but they have a tougher time governing on conservative principles once in office. They often operate on flawed assumptions, seeking to accomplish contradictory goals and operating in an environment with two-year election cycles, which discourage making correct decisions for the long term.”

“But the GOP must recapture its belief in free market principles and muster the patience and political courage to promote them. Competition and free markets are the best avenues to economic prosperity, liberty and, in the case of health care, accessibility, affordability and quality. Yes, we must support some kind of safety net, but it ought to be designed to be short-term in as many cases as possible and should create incentives to encourage people to help themselves.”

So, what is the obvious and seemingly elusive key to real healthcare reform? The Promotion of a free market system with healthy competition between healthcare providers. If only Republicans in Congress would take the lessons of American history and use them to reform healthcare from what the socialistic Democrats forced upon on us to something that will be economically more feasible for the American people and the insurance companies.

How To Remove Uric Acid Crystallization In Joints

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Source: herbs-info.com

It’s common to hear complaints of joint pain and difficulty walking as a person ages. But why do you think this happens? In the area where the joint meets the socket, there is fluid called synovial fluid to cushion the bones; this fluid lessens with age. Without synovial fluid to cushion joint movement, the bone can damage the tissue surrounding it, causing pain and inflammation. This condition is typically called arthritis. But did you know that another cause of arthritis is a problem with the production of uric acid crystals?

The Link Between The Thyroid and Uric Acid Levels

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped organ found in the neck.  It is part of the body’s endocrine system – which is responsible for the production and regulation of hormones in the body. The thyroid specifically produces hormones that regulate growth and metabolism, which explains why thyroid problems often affect a person’s weight and energy levels. But the hormones produced by the thyroid also regulate the amount of uric acid found in the blood.

In hypothyroidism, the kidneys don’t excrete uric acid adequately, leading to their build-up in the joints as crystals. In hyperthyroidism, the body coverts purines to uric acid too fast, leading to build-up in the joints as well.  These crystals damage the tissues in the joint, which causes pain during movement. Prolonged damage to the tissue can cause repeated inflammation and eventual scarring, causing poor mobility to complete immobility.

Can An Alkaline Diet Help?

To counteract the high uric acid levels in the blood, alkalinization therapy is often part of the medical management of gout.  But can an alkaline diet work just as well? It has long been debated whether or not alkaline diets have health benefits or is just a passing fad, with counterarguments stating that the body’s pH is maintained at a very constant level despite the acidity of the food being consumed.

However, it goes deeper than this: A recent study in 2010 published in the Nutrition Journal by Kanbara, A., et. al. revealed that an alkaline diet can cause an increase in uric acid excretion through the urine. On the other hand, acidic diets suppress uric acid excretion in the urine.

This study strongly suggests that by adjusting the diet to include alkaline food, it can promote the removal of uric acid in the blood , which implies hope for the removal of formed uric acid crystals in the joints. However, recent research on the favorable effects of dietary modification that specifically targets uric acid crystals in gouty arthritis has yet to be published (the most recent study was in 1959!)

Eating More Alkaline Food
An alkaline diet is typically high in vegetable and legume intake – food that has high pH or low acid content. An alkali diet can include the following food products:

• Rye bread

• Tofu

• Okra

• Green soybeans

• Carrots

• Green, leafy vegetables

• Tomato

• Red and yellow pepper

• Pumpkin

• Green onion

• Cucumber

• Cabbage

• Lettuce

• Garlic

• Dried seaweed

• Olive oil

Note also how the typical acidic or acid-forming diet contains high levels of sugars, processed foods, bread and meat. Another interesting anomaly here is lemons. Lemons are very acidic yet are considered by proponents of this system to be alkaline forming.

Different studies have shown how beneficial alkaline therapy and alkaline diets can significantly reduce the levels of uric acid in the blood, which paves the way for research on their effects on uric acid crystals. Can you believe that simply tweaking your diet to include more greens and other fruits and vegetables and help reduce the symptoms of gouty arthritis? Medical research indicates that this idea has potential. Surely we have reached the point where “we have the technology”: We can analyze these ideas using metadata and large numbers of people in order to arrive at solid conclusions.

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