Health experts agree that Medline, a government health website, is a worthwhile resource for both doctors and patients. This easy-to-navigate site offers a comprehensive compilation of sites, articles and resources that covers more than 750 medical conditions. Some web browsers are just curious, wondering if they have a particular ailment, while others are seeking solutions and new research regarding an existing condition. In addition to the MayoClinic and WebMD, the MedlinePlus site is a valuable resource.

Medline offers many unique functions to enhance your understanding and enrich your life. For instance, if you are about to undergo a colonoscopy or hip replacement surgery, a biopsy, a laparoscopy, LASIK eye surgery or another procedure, then you can watch an interactive tutorial that will show you what will be done and alleviate some of the mystery and anxiety. Another resource you may find very useful is the “Health Check Tools” page, which gives you educational quizzes about breast cancer, arthritis or alcoholism, a day by day pregnancy calender as well as an “alcohol calorie intake counter,” a mental health screening quiz, a cancer risk questionnaire, a diabetic “rate your plate” assessment, a target heart rate calculator, discount vitamin supplements info, an interactive menu planner and a risk assessment tool for coronary heart disease. Medline is set up to accommodate all different types of people. Speak Spanish? No problem, as there is a version en Espanol, as well as forty other languages! Is your eye sight failing? Don’t worry, there is a version, located on the lower right-hand corner of the “Health Topics” page, which offers an easier to view page.

Some of the most frequently requested topics on Medline include: alzheimers, back pain, birth control, cervical cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, diabetes, exercise, heart diseases, herpes simplex, high blood pressure, kidney diseases, multiple sclerosis, ovarian cancer, Parkinson’s disease, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, shingles, skin diseases and thyroid disorders. If you were to look up back pain, then you would find a menu that is divided by the very basics that includes: Basic Overviews, Latest News, Diagnosis/Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention/Screening. Next to that column, you’ll find another menu exploring additional information: Alternative Therapy, Rehabilitation/Recovery, Coping, Specific Conditions and Related Issues. For the multimedia lovers, there are interactive functions, videos, tutorials and health check tools like quizzes and calculators. You can read journal articles and the latest research, you can look up organizations or statistics, and you can look up additional information specifically related to your age or gender. Even if you don’t have a preexisting condition, you may want to come to the site simply to find out how to live a better, healthier life.

It’s always refreshing to come across an organized “one stop shop” type site that gives you all the medical information you could ever want or need at the click of a button. In addition to an extensive database of health topics, Medline offers special sections on “Senior Health,” videos of surgery, clinical trials on new treatments and drugs, as well as slide shows with pictures and sounds. What could be better? Visit Medline at www.Nlm.Nih.gov for more information.

Hair is constantly going through cycles of growth, resting, shedding. When hairs that are lost are not replaced, or when more hair follicles go into the resting phase, hair loss becomes noticeable. Let’s talk about hair loss. The list below shows many of the common contributing factors.

Ageing – the period for hair loss is between the 20 and 50 years of age. Some individuals arrive at the advance stages of hair loss sooner than others.

Drugs/Medications/Radiation included are anticoagulants, antidepressants, contraceptive pills, amphetamines, some arthritis medications, some antibiotics, some blood thinners, medicines for gout, drugs derived from vitamin-A, certain drugs for ulcers, beta blocker drugs for high blood pressure. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy halt the growth phase of hair follicles which results in a sudden hair loss as those follicles all shed their hair at about the same time. This is how medications influences the hair.

Heredity androgenetic alopecia is the term used to describe a genetic predisposition in men and women for pattern baldness or pattern hair loss. Although there is a dominant tendency for male pattern baldness, female members of a family can be transmitters as well.

Hormonal imbalance – if the male and female hormones, androgens and estrogens, are out of balance, hair loss may result. Also an overactive or underactive thyroid gland can contribute to hair loss.

Illness and severe infections – like scalp fungal infections, Thyroid disorders, Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, Lupus

Immune System Disorder Alopecia areata is an immune system disorder which causes hair follicles to stop producing hairs. Advanced forms of the disorder are identified by the terms alopecia totalis when all head hair disappears..

Menopause – due to hormonal changes after menopause, some women find their hair begins to thin. There are a variety of treatments available involving hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Pregnancy – three to six months after delivering a child, many women notice a degree of hair loss as the hair goes into a resting phase because of the physiological impact of the pregnancy on the body.

Pulling Traction alopecia is the term used to describe loss of hair from constant pulling, as with tightly braided hair styles such as pony tails.

Sebum Buildup – sebum buildup in the follicles attacks the hair bulb. Sebum causes the hair bulb to shrink so the hair is not as well rooted. After the hair falls out the new hair strand growing in that follicle is weaker and thinner and the process is repeated until the hair follicle is so damaged it dies. (Sebum is a fatty substance secreted from the sebaceous glands most of which open into hair follicles.)/dies.

Stress and Nervous Disorders Telogen effluvium is the term used for a slowing down of new hair growth because of sudden or severe stress. The stress triggers a large number of hair follicles to enter the resting stage, so a few months after the stressful event, those follicles shed hair at about the same time. Read more about yoga and stress relief to make sure that you know how to handle the problem.

Beware of Bottled Water

Water, water everywhere and we are duped into buying it bottled. Consumers spend a collective $100 billion every year on bottled water in the belief-often mistaken, as it happens-that this is better for us than what flows from our taps, according to environmental think tank the Earth Policy Institute (EPI). For a fraction of that sum, everyone on the planet could have safe drinking water and proper sanitation, the Washington, D.C.-based organization said this week.

Members of the United Nations have agreed to halve the proportion of people who lack reliable and lasting access to safe drinking water by the year 2015.

“While this amount may seem large, it pales in comparison to the estimated $100 billion spent each year on bottled water,” said EPI researcher Emily Arnold.

“There is no question that clean, affordable drinking water is essential to the health of our global community,” Arnold said. “But bottled water is not the answer in the developed world. Improving and expanding existing water treatment and sanitation systems is more likely to provide safe and sustainable sources of water over the long term.”

Worldwide, bottled water consumption surged to 154 billion liters (41 billion gallons) in 2004, up 57 percent from 98 billion liters in 1999, EPI said in a written analysis citing industry data.

By one view, the consequences for the planet and for consumers’ purses are horrifying.

“Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing-producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy,” said Arnold. “Although in the industrial world bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, it can cost up to 10,000 times more.”

At up to $2.50 per liter ($10 per gallon), bottled water costs more than gasoline in the United States. A close look at the multibillion-dollar bottled water industry renewed Arnold’s affection for the faucet.

Tap water comes to us through an energy-efficient infrastructure. This “involves burning massive quantities of fossil fuels,” Arnold said.

By way of example, in 2004 alone, a Helsinki company shipped 1.4 million bottles of Finnish tap water 4,300 kilometers (2,700 miles) to Saudi Arabia. And although 94 percent of the bottled water sold in the United States is produced domestically, some Americans import water shipped some 9,000 kilometers from Fiji and other faraway places.”

More fossil fuels are used in packaging the water. Most water bottles are made with polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic derived from crude oil. “Making bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 U.S. cars for a year,” Arnold said.

Worldwide, some 2.7 million tons of plastic are used to bottle water each year.

Once it has been emptied, the bottle must be dumped. According to the Container Recycling Institute, 86 percent of plastic water bottles used in the United States become garbage or litter. Incinerating used bottles produces toxic byproducts such as chlorine gas and ash containing heavy metals tied to a host of human and animal health problems. Buried water bottles can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.

Of the bottles deposited for recycling in 2004, the United States exported roughly 40 percent to destinations as far away as China-meaning that even more fossil fuels were burned in the process.

I believe you will agree this situation is not very satifactory, in fact it is a real disaster. It is time these big companies looked after the world instead of doing their best to destroy it. There is an alternative you know.

Let me tell you a little bit about it. I don’t know if you are aware that we all have acidic bodies. By that I mean we are each have a pH level lower than what is required to be fit and well.

Those people with a lower level, are prone to sicknesses. Like weight problems, osteoporosis, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, arthritis, and acid reflux and many other maladies. Cancer finds it is hard to establish itself in an alkaline body, however an acidic body is a breeding ground for many illnesses. I want you to take a close look at Kangen water.

The better water you drink, the less problems you get and will save time and money on looking for the best allergy relief.

Rheumatoid Arthritis, an auto immune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own connective tissue is a chronic condition with no known cure. The protective cartilage that acts like a cushion between the joints is affected, causing pain, inflammation, and damage; injury to other organs such as lungs, heart and eyes may occur as well. Recognizing and identifying the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis is extremely important in order to provide proper diagnosis and treatment before this disease causes irreparable damage.

Depending upon the activity of the disease, or the individual patient, the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis can be mild or severe. Common symptoms may include:

- Joint pain and stiffness in joints usually on both sides of the body (symmetrical)
- Fatigue
- Fever or flu like symptoms
- Morning stiffness lasting more than 20 minutes
- Muscle aches
- Swelling, redness of joints
- Chest pain that comes with coughing or deep breathing
- Chest pain when laying down or bending forward
- Nodules under the skin around the joints where there is frequent pressure

Diagnosis should be done as quickly as possible by a specialist called a Rheumatologist. The doctor will review symptoms and medical history with the patient. A physical and x-rays will possible be performed in order to determine possible joint damage and severity of joint damage. Blood work is ordered to detect the abnormal antibodies called Rheumatoid factor (Rhf), which is commonly found in over 80% of rheumatoid patients. Arthrocentesis is a procedure which may be done in the doctor’s office. Fluid is extracted from the affected joint by a needle and syringe. It relieves pressure and provides a sample of joint fluid to determine whether another cause of arthritis is creating the problem such as gout or infection.

Treatment for Rheumatoid arthritis is commonly done in two ways, “first line” medication and “second line” medication. “First line” or fast-acting drugs, such as ibuprofen, aspirin or cortisone, are used to reduce pain and inflammation. Slow acting class or “second line’ drugs are used to bring the disease into remission and prevent joint damage. “Second line” medications such as methotrexate, gold shots and plaquenil are known to be effective treatments. Surgery may be required to repair joints in some patients with severe joint deformity.

There are several other options a sufferer has to keep discomfort at a minimum. Regular physical activity aides in maintaining a healthy weight which relieves joints from unneeded pressure, it also prevents muscles from atrophying and becoming lax. Many foods such as night shade may cause painful flare ups, keeping watch on what is being consumed may aide in preventing pain as well. Topical rubs and heating pads are known to provide comfort and soothe painful joints and muscles. Glucosamine, Vitamin D and calcium are just some of the dietary supplements that can be taken to promote healthy joints and energy.

Consulting with a health professional is very important before beginning any new exercise or treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment can provide a happy, healthy and active life can be had despite Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Learn more about dealing with the painful Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms at http://www.anaudlife.com where I share my thoughts, experiences and insights of living with this often crippling condition such as how to recognize Arthritis Food Triggers