Tag: Prescription Medication

Anxiety In Children-Whats Normal And Whats Not

Children will often experience things that make them anxious. However, there is a difference between normal, occasional bouts of anxiety and long-term, ever-present anxiety. The former can be dealt with as it happens, while the latter requires treatment of some kind.

Many parents are surprised to learn that children can suffer from anxiety disorders. Just knowing this can help you to spot potential problems in your own child, and that is the first step to treating the condition. That doesn’t mean that every little thing should be taken as proof of a disorder, but rather that you may wish to consider an anxiety disorder as a possibility when you see a series of symptoms.

Children can be afraid of many different things, and that makes recognizing their problem as a disorder more difficult. For example, they may be afraid of going out of the house, they may have separation issues, or they could be afraid of animals. All of these can be normal, but if they interfere with the child’s quality of life, then it’s time to consult a professional.

There is more than one kind of anxiety disorder, but they all come down to how the sufferer thinks. That’s not to say that they can control their thinking, but rather that they look at the world differently than other people.

Just what is anxiety? Early in our collective history, things that we now label as stress, fear, and anxiety were useful survival mechanisms. If you heard a growling predator, then your body needed to react quickly. It would instantly release chemicals and get ready for fight-or-flight mode. Those threats have largely vanished from daily life, but the reaction can be the same. To put it another way, children with anxiety perceive threats that really aren’t that threatening.

Fortunately, once it has been properly diagnosed, anxiety in children is highly treatable. Some parents are afraid to take their children to a psychologist, or to give them prescription medication, but it’s a good idea to get the anxiety under control as soon as you can. Children need to be able to fit in with their peers, and this stage in their development should not be hindered by anxiety. Besides, taking care of the problem now means that they won’t have to suffer the effects of anxiety when they become adults.

Apart from being afraid or apprehensive, anxiety in children has other symptoms. These symptoms can be difficult to recognize because they are so often symptoms of other common health problems. Here is a partial list:

Dizziness
Heart palpitations
Rapid breathing
Headaches
Nausea
Diarrhea
Constipation
Sweating

It’s possible that these are symptoms of other health issues, so they should be taken seriously. Consult your child’s pediatrician to see if there are physical health problems, or if it may be anxiety. You should not make this diagnosis on your own.

Anxiety in children is a bigger problem than most people realize. However, there are many treatment options that you can use to make your child better.

The Drug Propecia and Hair Loss

The drug propecia is a prescription hair loss medication designed mainly for men with mild to moderate hair loss. The effects of hair loss and propecia were studied in several clinical trials, and propecia was found to be better than a placebo.

The men in the studies, aged between 18 and 41, took propecia daily for a year. Some men took a placebo. Of the men who took the propecia, 86% either did not suffer further hair loss, or actually increased the amount of hair in the affected areas. Only 14% of men had continued hair loss.

The drug propecia has been found to be ineffective for women. This, combined with the potential danger of abnormalities to a male fetus, means that propecia is not prescribed for female pattern hair loss. Propecia has not been studied in older men, or men with complete baldness, and it has not been proved to work with a receding hairline. Propecia is not suitable for children, no doubt due to its negative effect on developing male genitals.

Generally, propecia is a very safe drug for hair loss. Most men taking it did not have any side effects, though some reported:

* erection difficulties

* reduced amount of semen

* less sexual desire

These were not permanent changes, and when those affected stopped taking propecia, their symptoms disappeared. Some men who reported these side effects were also able to continue taking propecia without the side effects continuing. The report I saw did not say whether the side effects just stopped, or if other treatment was undertaken to counteract them.

The drug propecia has only been studied on men for up to two years, and these men had no problems taking it for this period. However, based on research over a period of 32 years on men who are deficient on the enzyme that propecia suppresses, 5-alpha reductase, the mechanism by which propecia works seems to be quite safe for long term use.

Disadvantages of Taking Propecia

Propecia is not a cure for hair loss. Propecia works by interrupting the conversion process of testosterone to its metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT for short). It does this by effecting the enzyme catalyst, 5-alpha reductase, that is involved in the conversion process.

In male pattern hair loss, there is an excess of DHT in the part of the scalp where hair loss occurs. So, by reducing the amounts of DHT in the scalp, propecia effectively works to prevent new hair loss, and allows hair to regrow. However, to continue the benefits of propecia, you’ll need to take it for the rest of your life. Once you stop taking propecia, the DHT levels will rise again in the scalp, and hair loss will return to pre-propecia levels.

The Drug Propecia and Pregnancy

Women should be very careful not to handle propecia if they are pregnant, as it can affect the development of the sex organs in a male fetus. So, it would be wise not to touch any open packets, or broken tablets. If you must, use a glove. Unbroken tablets are safety coated, so the active ingredient of propecia, which is the potential problem, is not present on the outside of the tablet.

For men taking propecia, if your wife is pregnant, there is no risk to her unless she is exposed to the active ingredient from a broken tablet. She, or the baby, won’t be harmed when her partner is taking it.

However, given that in some men propecia affects the amount of semen produced, if you are trying to conceive this may pose a problem. This side effect does not affect all, or most, men. But check with your doctor if you think this may be a concern.

Triglycerides-Fat In The Human Body

Triglycerides are one of the types of fat that are naturally occurring in the human body. While you do need some, the problem comes when your levels get out of balance and you have a higher level than you should.

Your doctor can easily let you know whether or not your triglycerides are where they should be. If they are too high, she can also provide you with some resources for getting them back to more normal levels.

Having high levels can lead to many serious health issues like heart disease and diabetes. There may be things you can do, other than take prescription medication and have to deal with all the side effects, to lower your levels.

You can keep your cholesterol as well as triglycerides at the proper balance as well as just keep your body weight where it needs to be.

Bottom line: these tips will help you look better, feel better and get more healthy:

1. Watch how much you eat. We tend to eat portions that are too big. One of the simplest (in terms of both implementation and actually being able to stick with it) things you can do is cut back on your portion sizes.

A good rule of thumb is to keep all your portion sizes about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand. This makes keeping track of the proper portions easier than having to pull out a scale all the time.

This is a good trick to keep in mind when you are eating out too. Most restaurant meals are the portion of 2 to 3 meals. Take home the extra so you can enjoy it another day.

Also, eat throughout the day, but make each meal you eat smaller and more nutritious. Don’t eat a bunch of huge, high fat meals. Instead eat about 6 times a day and keep each meal the proper portion size and keep them loaded with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.

A low fat diet is a very effective way to ensure that all systems are working the way they were made to work.

2. Get moving. Again, exercise is just one of those things that can help you control the fat levels in your body as well as around your middle. It just provides so many benefits.

If you are new to exercising you want to talk to your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough. And once you get the ok start small.

It will take time for these tips to start showing up in your blood tests or on the scale. You must view it as a process and not some sort of quick fix.

Be willing to start small, say take a walk everyday, then ramp things up as you get stronger.

3. Moderation in the amount of things like sugar and alcohol in your diet is another way to keep your blood levels where they should be.

No one says you can never drink or never eat a candy bar again, it’s just that you need to make sure you do keep the intake of these things to a minimum.

So, if your doctor tells you that you have high triglycerides, don’t panic. There are many ways you can get these levels back into the normal range. Just work with your doctor and follow these tips.

Impact Of Bad Chloesterol

In this article I will give you some ideas of the potential health risks and the impact of bad cholesterol on your body. I will also provide you with some easy, real world ideas of how to lower your levels and improve your health.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that forms your cell membranes as well as production of certain hormones and the creation of bile, so you do need cholesterol in your body.

But, many of us get too much cholesterol and the impact of bad cholesterol is really starting to show up in the case of higher instances of heart disease, diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.

When too much cholesterol builds up in your arteries it is called plaque. This plaque buildup will then block blood flow. It is similar to what happens in the pipes in your home if you have hard water.

Over time you will get a buildup in the pipes and it can become so thick that the water either can’t flow or the flow is slowed down to almost nothing.

This clogging of the arteries deprives your vital organs, such as your brain and heart, of the blood it needs and the consequences can be life threatening – you can have a heart attack or a stroke.

Another problem with a high buildup of plaque is atherosclerosis which is a hardening of the arteries. If your arteries become too built up with plaque, the artery itself can become brittle and eventually burst which can lead to blood clots.

OK, now that you know how dangerous it can be to have too high of a cholesterol level, what can you do about it?

Well, this part is actually pretty easy. There are many things that can be done that will help you get your levels back into a normal balance.

The first thing you need to do is talk to your doctor to get suggestions. Many doctors will prescribe a prescription medication to help control your cholesterol levels.

But, if you don’t want to have to deal with all the side effects, not to mention the cost, of taking prescription drugs, ask your doctor what other things you can do.

In some cases your levels may be so high that you need to get them lowered as soon as you can so medication may be the best choice.

Other times, though, you may have levels that are only borderline or mildly elevated and if that is the case you may be able to make the needed changes with some simple lifestyle changes.

It really can be as simple as eating more lean protein, vegetables and fruit and cutting way back on any fast food and food that is high in fat.

Add some consistent exercise into the mix and you may just find that you are able to control your levels naturally, without having to add any prescription medications to your daily routine.

So, if you are concerned with the impact of bad cholesterol now is the time to act. After you have spoken with your doctor work with him to establish the best course of action for you and your needs.