Thursday, September 6, 2007
Whether prescription medication or over-the-counter, all drugs are poisonous. A poison is any substance that causes adverse effects to the tissues in our bodies, and in high enough doses can kill. Almost all medications taken to treat a disease fit this description. Of course, they also help our bodies overcome serious illness and restore us to optimum health. The adverse, poisonous, properties of these medicines are relatively minor and are given the name “side-effects.” That’s why, when we’re ill, we take the drugs our doctor recommends us, get back to optimum health, and then stop taking our medication.
But when we are put on long-term medication, for diseases such as depression or high blood pressure for example, then we may have to put up with serious side effects for some time. Do we need to put up with these side-effects? Or are there natural vitamins or nutritional supplements that can restore our general health, as the drug treats our disease?
How Drugs Affect Mineral & Vitamin Balance
Our body’s level of vitamins and minerals is finely balanced and unique to you. In fact, your optimum health is dependant on each and every one of the body’s essential minerals and vitamins being there in the right amount, and being able to do their unique job. With a good, balanced diet, and healthy life-style this delicate equilibrium takes care of itself, without the need for special treatments or nutritional supplements.
However, when we’re prescribed medication this fine balance is completely destroyed as the drug bulldozes its way through the body. It is the strength of most medications that produces such dramatic effects - both good and bad - and why when taking medication the need for vitamin health supplements is needed. Drugs can affect the absorption, metabolism, or action of vitamins and minerals effectively creating a deficiency in your body that only nutritional supplements can correct.
Some examples
Both oral and inhaled corticosteroids, such as Hydrocortisone, Prednisone and Flonase, are known to cause the depletion of a number of minerals. Corticosteroids have a number of known side-effects, including muscle cramps and headaches. Magnesium and potassium deficiencies in the body cause unwanted problems such as…muscles cramps and headaches. This is no coincidence, and besides these two minerals, corticosteroids also cause calcium, selenium, vitamin B6 and vitamin D deficiencies, requiring the need for nutritional supplements.
Non steroidal anti-inflammatory or antacids are used to cure age related diseases and commonly lead to deficiency of calcium, phosphorus, folic acid, and iron. Nutritional supplements are often needed to restore levels and optimum health. Also, a large number of drugs including tricyclic antidepressants, cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta blockers and hypertension curing drugs lead to depletion of CoEnzyme Q10, which plays a vital role in energy production, detoxification, and protection against heart attacks.
Women taking oral contraceptives usually face depletion of essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin B2, B6, B12, Vitamin C, Folic acid, Magnesium, and Zinc. In addition patients suffering from heart diseases and diabetes also have a need for nutritional supplements to replace lost vitamins.
The best way to deal with the side-eefects of drugs is to have a proper and well balanced diet. However, this may not always be enough so nutritonal supplements are an excellent way to restore balance and health to the body. Nutirtional supplements can include multivitamins, vitamin complexs or specific vitamin or minerals; it all depends on what you may be deficient in. What goes into your nutritional supplement depends upon what your medication is taking from your body.
Get the Secrets to the Fastest Weight Loss Possible
In a world of instant oatmeal, instant gratification, instant product downloads and instant food, it's no wonder that we continue to seek an almost instant answer to our weight gain problems. From fast food that we pick up on our way home to instant delivery over the Web, we want what we want and we want it now.
Is it any wonder that the weight loss industry has grown to be worth over 30 billion dollars while only about 5% of those on a diet will be able to keep the weight off for more than a year or two. The reason for this extremely profitable industry, is that as a group, the weight loss industry offers the promise of quick and easy weight loss. This is very effective because frankly, we desperately want to believe that there is some pill or exercise equipment that can somehow magically transform us into thin and beautiful people.
By the dream a fast and easy weight loss, only to be disappointed and disillusioned... until the next time
We don't seem to care that all the extra weight took months or even years to be gained. Nor do we recognize that there's so much going against us losing weight quickly.
Things like:
1. Having babies and families
2. Heredity
3. Slowing metabolism, because were aging
4. Little time for physical activity to work schedules
5. Work and careers that now keep us behind a desk in front of a computer monitor instead of physical work.
6. Busy schedules mean precooked and fast food that high in calories and fat content.
Don't be fooled by the weight loss industry promises. Notice that they use a disclaimer like "results not typical" in their marketing materials. This isn't to suggest that the weight loss industry can't help with your weight loss goals. It's important to understand however that just as gaining the weight didn't happen overnight, losing it, even the fastest way possible will also not be a short-term effort.
Vitamins, minerals and supplements to curb your appetite can all help you reach your weight loss goals. The fastest weight loss programs are also the healthiest, but unfortunately also demand the highest level of commitment from us. When it comes down to it, the most successful and quickest weight-loss plan is one that's designed for us to eat less and exercise more.
Abigail Franks has done extensive research into weight loss and what works. Find out valuable information about the fastest weight loss and many successful weight loss ideas
Pain and anesthesia in plastic surgery
As recently as twenty years ago, the risks of anesthesia formed some of the most common dangers of undergoing surgery. Then, as many as one death in every 10,000 surgeries performed on otherwise healthy patients was the result of the anesthetic procedures used. Elective surgery for cosmetic purposes, which constitutes a large portion of the plastic surgery procedures going on at the current moment, was then less widespread largely due to the fear of anesthetic procedures, and not to the surgery itself.
Surgical techniques and procedures improved a lot due to the amazing strides made – strides concerned the field of plastic surgery as well. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s and 80s when the costs of malpractice insurance for anesthesiologist in the US soared, so that increasing patient safety started becoming one of the key issues to secure the patients of when opting for plastic surgery.
The surgeons themselves developed new machines and instruments for administering anesthetics, and scientific experimentation resulted in safer and more effective drugs. Training and practice standards improved and intense monitoring during surgery became mandatory under the regulations established by national anesthesia organizations and medical facilities.
In this manner, the danger of anesthetic procedures was no longer a reasonable fear. Currently, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, no more than one in a quarter millions patients dies because of the anesthesia used during surgery. Plastic surgery procedures, which once could only take place in a hospital because of the after effects of the anesthetic procedures used, are now safe even if performed in an ambulatory surgical facility, medical clinic or doctor’s office. The option may be for general, regional, or local anesthesia. In any of the cases, the modern plastic surgery patient has little or nothing to fear.
That’s not to say that if you’re a candidate for plastic surgery you should not show concern about and interest in learning all you can about your various anesthesia options.
San Francisco Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Scott W. Mosser states that one of the very first questions his patients frequently pose in preliminary consultations concerns the “pain factor”. Dr. Mosser is a firm believer in arming his patients with all the facts necessary to help them reach informed decisions, whether it is about anesthesia, pain control drugs, equipment, procedures, risks or dangers. Elimination of pain during surgery and management of pain during recovery are both subjects of discussion during the consultation stage.
Bay Area patients who visit Dr. Mosser in his Union Square office in downtown San Francisco can expect a long list of questions they need to answer, too, in order to determine possible allergies or previous reactions to anesthetics. Such information is critical to deciding on the procedure and pain control options that will be safest and most comfortable for the procedure you have chosen.
Anybody contemplating surgery that requires anesthetic procedures should understand that there is always some degree of risk involved. Staying fully informed and knowing what to expect at every stage of the process goes a long way towards eliminating fear and worry.
A consultation with Dr. Mosser will arm you with all the facts you need in order to make an informed decision and, together with you, evaluate your personal options. This will offer you the guarantee of a successful outcome to realistic expectations.
An experienced Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Mosser performs a wide range of procedures at several locations in San Francisco. Scheduling plastic surgery procedures is possible at his office, at 450 Sutter Street on Union Square, as well as at the California Pacific Medical Center and St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco.
The pain control aspect of plastic surgery procedures should no longer constitute a reason for fearing such interventions. With the improvements made in the field of anesthesia procedures, and in the hands of reliable surgeons, patients are now safer than ever.
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