Dead Sea Herbs

Accutane is a medication used for the treatment of severe cases of acne, especially those linked to permanent and disfiguring scarring such as acne vulgaris, acne conglobata and acne fulminans.

This drug is related to vitamin A, which makes it classified as a retinoid. Most dermatologists and physicians prescribe Accutane for management of acne. Since there are high risks for developing side effects, it is often not used as the first course of treatment. Deep facial cleansers, herbal skin care creams and topical ointments are usually the first round of treatments patients will receive. These alternative methods have become more popular due to the side effects one can develop from using drugs such as Accutane.

Physicians have also utilized the drug to treat Harlequin-type-ichthyosis, a rare condition that causes the skin to present plating as thick as armor after birth. Accutane has also been used sparsely to treat certain types of cancers including pancreatic and brain cancer. However, the drug may work throughout the body in killing cells not related to cancers.

Accutane is linked to the development of severe side effects, including inflammatory bowel disease, which has prompted many patients to file an Accutane lawsuit to seek compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering. In a 2006 study conducted by The American Journal of Gastroenterology, treatment with Accutane was noted as a possible “trigger” for inflammatory bowel disease. Frequently referred to as IBD, inflammatory bowel disease is a gastrointestinal disorder that refers to two chronic conditions that cause inflammation of the digestive tract, known as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

According to a 2010 study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, Accutane may nearly quadruple a patient’s risk of developing ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that requires the surgical removal of the colon in 25 to 40 percent of all cases. The study also reported that the risk of developing ulcerative colitis was highest in patients who used Accutane for more than two months.

Despite the fact that a possible association between Accutane and IBD was first discovered in the early 1980s, Accutane contained no warning of an increased risk of IBD for the majority of the time it was available on the market. A number of patients who have suffered these side effects argue that Roche Pharmaceuticals did not adequately warn them about Accutane’s risks. Please be sure to speak or receive a checkup with a dermatologist prior to making a decision.

By providing FDA alerts, drug information and drug side effects about prescription and over the counter medications, we can ensure an environment where patients have the best knowledge on their medical treatment and health. Additional information may be found on DrugWatch.com.

New research suggests a link between women’s exposure to household insecticides — including roach and mosquito killers — and the autoimmune disorders rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

The scientist did not find a direct cause-and-effect relationship between insecticide exposure and the illnesses, and it’s possible that the women have something else in common that accounts for their higher risk. But epidemiologist Christine Parks, lead investigator of the study, said the findings do raise a red flag.
“It’s hard to envision what other factors might explain this association,” said Parks, an epidemiologist with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences who was to present the study over the weekend at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Philadelphia.

Previous research has linked agricultural pesticides to higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, two diseases in which the immune system goes haywire and begins to attack the body. Farmers, among others, appear to be vulnerable.

Parks and her colleagues wanted to find out whether smaller doses of insecticides, such as those people might encounter at home from either personal or commercial residential use, might have a similar effect.
The researchers examined data from a previous study of almost 77,000 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79.

Women who reported applying insecticides or mixing them — about half — had a higher risk of developing the two autoimmune disorders than women who reported no insecticide use. This was the case whether or not they had lived on a farm. Those who used or mixed the insecticides the most — judged by frequency or duration — had double the risk.
Even so, the risk of developing the diseases remained very low. Overall, Parks said, about 2 percent of older adults develop the conditions.
Parks said the insecticides that the women used included insect killers, such as those designed to eradicate ants, wasps, termites, mosquitoes and roaches. They didn’t include insect repellents.It is hard to avoid the chemicals in our lives. But we should be aware of risks.

Also I would suggest the product we are taking for two years now.

So what do we do?

We do need the sun exposure for vitamin D production but how much sun is too much?

Here are some suggestions from US News and World report.

Also in case I get heartburn I drink 2 oz of Aloe Vera juice. In 5-10 minutes the heartburn is gone!

Statins, Cholesterol, and Heart Disease
Statins are popular cholesterol-lowering prescription drugs prescribed for patients with high cholesterol levels, which are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Lipitor, Zocor, Lipex, Crestor, Torvast, and Lipostat are some of the more popular statin brands, prescribed currently for high-cholesterol conditions. Over the past two decades, statins have become one of the best-selling drugs in the pharmaceutical history. In fact, a few doctors even suggested starting to use them in drinking water. About 36 million Americans currently seek statin drugs. But some health experts have seriously questioned the harmful side effects of statins and cautioned against its use.
Side Effects
Muscle pain and weakness are the most commonly reported side effects associated with regular statin use. These result due to the depletion of a pro-muscle nutrient, called CoQ10, by statins. In severe cases, this condition can grow into a fatal muscle-wasting condition called rhabdomyolysis. Amnesia (memory loss), fatigue, dizziness, and depression are other common side effects resulting from statin use. Quite a few studies also claim a connection between statins and cancer as well as congestive heart failure

Here is a better way.

What does lifestyle have to do with maintaining a healthy heart?
There are simple, everyday things you can do to help maintain proper heart heath.  Among these are:
 •Not smoking •Maintaining a healthy height-to-weight ratio•Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetable and whole grains•Limiting the consumption of total and saturated fat•Exercising regularly•Working with your physician to monitor cholesterol, blood pressure, homocysteine and C-reactive protein levels•Starting a complete nutritional supplementation program designed to help maintain proper cardiovascular health

After an imaging test revealed a small nodule in Dr. Len Lichtenfeld’s lung, his doctor ordered a series of CT scans. But Lichtenfeld turned them down.

As deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, Lichtenfeld knew the tiny nodule probably wasn’t dangerous and that new research has documented an increased risk of cancer from CT scans’ X-rays.

“The reality is, I thought the radiation dose from those follow-up scans represented more of a threat than the nodule,” he said.

As physicians find new ways to use diagnostic imaging to discover and deal with disease, concern is growing about Americans’ increased exposure to potentially cancer-causing radiation. Annual radiation doses from medical imaging have soared sevenfold since the early 1980s, according to a report last year from the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.

Meanwhile, as many as 14,500 people a year may end up dying of radiation-induced cancers caused by CT scans, new research suggests.

Scrutiny is focusing primarily on more than 70 million CT scans performed in the U.S. every year, up from 3 million in the early 1980s. The scans help doctors identify brain tumors, kidney stones and obstructed bowels. They have revolutionized medicine, virtually eliminating exploratory surgery and aiding millions of patients.
Read more>

Instant gratification is not always good for you in the long run 

Healthy life style is good for you.

(HealthDay News) — Before you take a pain reliever for conditions such as headache, sinusitis, muscle or joint pain, make sure you know about the potential side effects.The American Academy of Family Physicians says you should talk to your doctor about these potential risks of pain medications: ·         Liver damage can occur in people who take large quantities of acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol), or in those who already have liver problems. ·          ·         Gastrointestinal problems — such as ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding or upset stomach — can occur in people who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for long periods. NSAIDs include aspirin and ibuprofen. ·          ·         Kidney damage, if NSAIDs are used frequently for long periods. ·          ·         NSAIDs may interact with medicines that people take to combat high blood pressure. NSAIDs can also elevate blood pressure on their own. ·          ·         In rare cases, people can be allergic to pain medications.

Early this year the media reported that English researchers identified parabens in samples of breast tumors. Parabens (alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid) are widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in thousands of cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceutical products, and food. There are six commonly used forms (Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, p-Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, n-Butylparaben and Benzylparaben) and it is estimated that they are used in at least 13,200 cosmetics products. According to the lead researcher of the recent study, Philippa Darbre, an oncology expert at the university of Reading, in Edinburgh, the chemical form of the parabens found in 18 of the 20 tumors tested indicated that they originated from something applied to the skin, the most likely candidates being deodorants, antiperspirants, creams, or body sprays.But there are some lines of skin care products and cosmetics that does not contain paradens. For example Motives cosmetics offered by Market America.