The rosy picture of cigarette commercials is a far cry from the grim reality that smoking brings. Rather than help you cope with the complexities of modern living, smoking brings many people closer to the grave.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said adult male smokers lose ... Views: 3896
What makes smoking dangerous? What chemicals are found in cigarettes that make smoking a deadly habit?
Cigarettes are made from dried tobacco leaves that contain over 4,000 chemicals including ingredients that are added for flavor. Of that number, 60 are known carcinogens or cancer-causing ... Views: 1707
“When I have found intense pain relieved, a weary brain soothed, and calm, refreshing sleep obtained by a cigar, I have felt grateful to God, and have blessed His name.”
Those words were reportedly spoken by the British Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a famous smoker and ... Views: 2127
Sitting may be a relaxing way to do one's job. But too much time on the chair may also encourage the growth of hemorrhoids which are not only annoying but painful as well. Those who suffer from this occupational disease include bus drivers, judges and writers.
Sedentary occupations, however, ... Views: 455
Migraine means "half cranium" in French. This malady is so named because it is a severe headache that usually affects only one side of the head. It often begins in puberty and disappears after 50. The condition runs in families and affects more women than men.
Changes in the blood vessels of ... Views: 692
In myasthenia gravis, certain muscles tire quickly, especially those of the face, lips, tongue, neck and throat. The usual victims are women below 40 or older than 70 but the disease may occur at any age.
“The disorder affects only the function of your muscles, and the muscle weakness you ... Views: 725
Lupus is a disease that attacks thousands of Americans yearly. Most of its victims are women of childbearing age.
“Lupus occurs more frequently in women than it does in men, though it isn't clear why. Four types of lupus exist - systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), discoid lupus ... Views: 656
Lady Godiva was an 11th century noblewoman who was against her husband’s plan of imposing heavy taxes on the people of Coventry, England.
As a sign of protest, she rode naked through the market place. This prompted her husband, Leofric, the earl of Mercia, to abandon all taxes except ... Views: 706
Do you experience pleasure from pain? Do you find fulfillment in being beaten or delight in suffering at the hands of others? If you said “yes” to the previous questions, it’s possible you’re a masochist.
“Sexual masochism refers to recurrent, intense sexually ... Views: 3122
Is the world literally moving too fast for you? Do you suffer from frequent and severe attacks of vertigo? Better see a doctor fast. You could be a victim of Meniere’s disease.
Meniere's disease is a disturbance of the inner ear that controls our sense of balance or equilibrium. Any ... Views: 757
Having problems with your sex life? Does your wife complain when the lights go out? Don’t expect the worse. For all you know, it may be a temporary problem.
Erection can occur gradually or as fast as three seconds and can be lost rapidly or slowly. The length of time an erection can be ... Views: 510
What makes a woman frigid? Is it the result of aging, the coming of the menopause or something else?
Like impotence, female sexual dysfunction or frigidity in women is often the result of psychological factors deeply rooted in childhood fears and fixations. The condition may manifest itself in ... Views: 969
Scared at the thought of losing hair? Worried every time you find hairs on your pillow? Don’t be.
It's normal to lose from 20 to 60 hairs everyday since the human scalp, which contains about 125,000 hairs, has its own life cycle. This is characterized by a long growth period of two to ... Views: 840
Is menopause to be blamed for female sexual dysfunction or frigidity? What role does it play in this common problem?
First of all, it’s important to understand that frigidity is caused by a lot of things that both the woman and the man may not be aware of. To improve their sex lives, the ... Views: 1656
A Biblical passage that seeks to explain man's sinful nature reads, "For the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."
That same passage may well apply to the elderly who wish to remain sexually active during their advanced years but who now have to curb that and the other pleasures of life ... Views: 940
Losing weight is certainly a good idea especially if you’ve gained a lot of extra pounds because of overeating and inactivity. But there’s a downside to weight loss; it can give you a lot of stretch marks.
Stretch marks are pink, red or purplish-blue lines that appear on the ... Views: 986
Nothing beats a hot cup of coffee to jumpstart your day. But don’t overdo it. Experts say that drinking too much coffee and other caffeine-laced beverages can increase your chances of getting stretch marks.
Caffeine is a stimulant that is consumed by 80 percent of the world’s ... Views: 751
When it comes to stretch marks no one is immune. They can affect anyone - rich or poor, young and old and yes, even men!
Glamorous celebrities also have them. Take Cindy Crawford for instance. From the pictures taken by the Daily Mail during a Hawaiian holiday, it’s obvious that ... Views: 1064
Is lack of perspiration a problem?
While others hate sweat and the corresponding body odor (BO) that it brings, people who have been blessed with little perspiration have a lot to be thankful for.
Actually without realizing it, these people probably have more than enough perspiration. We lose ... Views: 695
At what age does body odor (BO) begin? Will an intestinal problem or eating too much fatty foods and meat cause BO?
The apocrine glands (which are responsible for BO) normally become active at puberty or somewhere between the ages of 12 and 18. The same hormones that change a boy into a man and ... Views: 559
Can people with body odor (BO) be “immune” to their own unpleasant odor?
That’s correct. The human nose can recognize 4,000 different scents and a really sensitive proboscis can detect up to 10,000 different scents. But if you smell something for a long time, your nose gets ... Views: 1004
If you’re not into safe sex, maybe it’s time you started. This will help prevent diseases like cervicitis.
Cervicitis refers to the inflammation or infection of the cervix. It affects females of all ages, particularly those with diabetes and recurrent vaginitis (inflammation of the ... Views: 667
Pneumonia kills over 60,000 Americans every year and it remains a leading cause of death of children worldwide. This is tragic considering the fact that the disease can be cured with early detection and treatment.
Pneumonia is the inflammation of the lung in which the air spaces are filled with ... Views: 799
Do you have stubborn dandruff? Are your itchy flakes driving you crazy? If so, you have seborrheic dermatitis, a common skin disorder that affects the scalp, face, upper chest, and other oily parts of the body.
This skin problem is neither harmful nor contagious but it can definitely turn off ... Views: 549
Arthroscopy is a means of examining a joint with a slender fiber-optic instrument called an arthroscope or endoscope. This instrument has a lighted tip and is used by a surgeon to detect disease or injury inside a joint or to repair tendons and ligaments. The procedure, which usually takes an ... Views: 488
What’s the best way to improve your memory? The answer can be summarized in two words – use it!
As with building muscles, the key to improving one's memory is simply to continue using it. There is no need to rely on vitamins or magic pills as none of these have any beneficial ... Views: 517
Aside from codeine, dextromethorphan, and diphenhydramine, are there other effective cough suppressants?
The answer is no. None of the other ingredients you'll find in the market today have met the US Food and Drug Administration's standards for efficacy. In fact, some ingredients may be bad ... Views: 870
Which is the most effective cough remedy? The answer may surprise you.
Experts say codeine is the most effective. It not only stops coughing but reduces bronchial irritation and relieves pain. But its use is regulated since it is a narcotic and can be abused. To avoid this, follow the ... Views: 589
Expectorants or mucolytics are usually given for productive cough in the belief that they will help liquefy and loosen phlegm, making it easier to expel it from the body. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that these drugs work. The only exception to this rule is guaifenesin which the US ... Views: 756
Many doctors have declared war on cough medicines, saying the latter are ineffective and are often used inappropriately. Worse, they are also one of the most abused drugs in the country.
A 2006 survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or SAMHSA showed ... Views: 567
Moles are round or oval pigmented protruding birthmarks on the skin which usually appear in early childhood. A typical adult has about 15 to 50 moles on the body.
Normally, these don't cause any trouble and are best left alone. But moles that become large, change color and shape, and bleed may ... Views: 557
Cardiomyopathy is the medical term for a weak heart. In this illness, the heart muscle is not working properly, that is, it cannot pump blood efficiently. Several factors may be responsible for this.
"The heart may have been 'poisoned' by alcohol abuse (alcoholic cardiomyopathy); by a virus, ... Views: 913
Suffering from osteoarthritis? Don’t blame your poor diet or expect to be cured by a “magical” food. Experts say the two aren’t related.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no special diet for osteoarthritis. This degenerative joint disease is caused by the constant ... Views: 597
Chronic indigestion. Upper abdominal pain. Nausea and vomiting. These are the symptoms of gallstones, a condition that runs in families and is common in women between the ages of 20 and 60, obese individuals, and in those who lose weight suddenly.
Gallstones rarely develop in children but this ... Views: 558
A myoma is another name for a fibroid, a benign tumor that develops within the uterine wall or is attached to it. This growth is also called a fibromyoma or leiomyoma.
About 20 percent of women over 35 have myomas. This may occur singly or in groups. Fibroids may be as small as a pea or as ... Views: 812
Myeloma is a type of cancer in which abnormal cells destroy normal tissue. This results in extremely fragile bones and intense pain.
This condition, which is also known as Kahler's disease, is common in adults between the ages of 50 and 70. More men than women suffer from the ... Views: 653
Is your face erupting with acne like an active volcano? Chances are you’ll be told it’s because of your diet. But before you start starving, read this. Experts say food is the least of your problems.
Although some foods may aggravate acne, doctors said they are not directly ... Views: 620
Does your asthma medicine make you shake? Do you tremble the moment you take it? Relax, there’s no need to worry. Doctors say this is a harmless side effect of the drug that eventually disappears.
Just as it takes time to buy the right shoes for your feet, asthmatics sometimes have to ... Views: 906
Yellow eyes may be nice to look at in this day of multi-colored contact lenses. But if you’re eyes are naturally yellow, that’s another story. You may have jaundice.
Yellowing of the whites of the eyes is a sign of jaundice which may be brought about by diseases of the liver, ... Views: 983
Like the dinosaurs, cholera is close to extinction in developed countries. There are very few cases there and one can hardly find the subject in most medical manuals.
But in Africa, South America and Asia, the case is quite different. Cholera remains a significant health hazard in these parts ... Views: 693
Heel pain may either be caused by being overweight or wearing the wrong shoes. This leads to a disabling condition called plantar fasciitis.
The bones of the feet are protected by dense fibrous tissue called plantar fascia which extends from the heel to the toes. This cushions the feet ... Views: 791
A cyst is a sac filled with fluid or a semi fluid sub¬stance. One that develops in the ovary is called an ovarian cyst.
Ovarian cysts are common in women between the ages of 20 and 50. It can grow alone or in groups in one ovary or both. Such cysts can be less than an inch in diameter or ... Views: 550
Do you have “grapes” in your nose? No, I’m not referring to the kind that’s eaten. By grapes, I’m talking about nasal polyps or non-malignant growths in the nasal cavities.
Polyps are actually sinus lining tissue that swells as a result of chronic irritation or ... Views: 583
Schizophrenia is the most common and severe form of psychosis or thought disorder. It affects both men and women and appears to run in families. Because the exact cause of this condition is unknown, it may be diffi¬cult to treat and is usually permanent.
"About one percent of the ... Views: 742
Do you have frequent backaches? Is sex painful for you? If you’re a woman, perhaps it’s time to see a doctor. You may have a retroverted uterus.
The most frequent position of the uterus is forward or anteverted with its closed end higher than the cervix. If it tilts backward and ... Views: 3734
You’ve just had your fill at a fancy restaurant when all of a sudden you experience a sharp pain in your stomach. The pain appears to extend to your heart and you’re all sweaty. Blame it on hyperacidity – a common condition that happens when you eat spicy or fatty ... Views: 2468
Love, they say, makes the world go round. But if you feel like you’re spinning around on a merry-go-round even if you aren’t in love, you probably have vertigo.
Vertigo is a type of dizziness felt as a sensa¬tion of whirling around in space or as a spinning room. The person ... Views: 540
Bothered by the sudden appearance of floaters? Troubled by hazy vision? Check with your doctor fast. You could be suffering from a retinal detachment that can make you blind!
The retina is a thin membrane attached to the back of the eye. It carries specialized sense receptors that make vision ... Views: 506
Bedsores are skin ulcers that appear in areas constantly subjected to pressure. Bedridden pa¬tients, those with paralysis and/or spinal cord injuries who can’t change their posi¬tion often develop bedsores at pressure points in the lower back, buttocks, elbows, knees, shoulders, ... Views: 653
You don't have to be Michael Jackson to experi¬ence tremors or shaking hands. Most people have them at one time or another and their causes are as varied as the moves Jackson can make.
If your hands tremble, it could be the result of fatigue or tension. Mine usually does after long hours ... Views: 793