Bugar dan Perkasa di Usia Senja

Ketika pasangan Anda mulai menginjak usia 40 tahun atau lebih, gejala andropause akan mulai mengintainya. Seperti apa saja, sih, gejalanya, dan benarkah pil biru dapat mengatasi andropause?

Jika menjelang memasuki gerbang usia senja perempuan akan mengalami menopause, maka pria akan mengalami andropause di usia seperti ini. Sayangnya, gejala-gejala andropause tidak sejelas menopause yang bisa terlihat secara fisik, yaitu berhentinya siklus menstruasi.

Nah, agar tak salah kaprah, Dr. Anita Gunawan MS. Sp. And., ahli andrologi yang berpraktik di Rumah Sakit Pusat Pertamina (RSPP) akan memberikan penjelasannya mengenai andropause, sekaligus cara mengatasinya.

Andropause, mulai dikenal di dunia kedokteran pada tahun 1940-an. Kata Andropause diambil dari bahasa Yunani, yaitu andro yang berarti pria dan pause yang artinya penghentian. Jadi, andropause bisa diartikan sebagai berhentinya proses fisiologis pada pria.

Menurut Anita, andropause merupakan proses alami yang terjadi seiring bertambahnya usia pada pria. "Semua pria pasti mengalami andropause, dan gejalanya biasanya mulai terjadi pada pria yang sudah berusia di atas 40 tahun," ucap Anita.

GEJALA ANDROPAUSE
Di dunia kedokteran, lanjut Anita, istilah andropause juga dikenal dengan nama Partial Androgen Deficiency in Aging Male (PADAM). Gejala PADAM ini terjadi ketika produksi hormon testosteron, growth hormone, dan hormon melantonin menurun, sementara hormon prolaktin meningkat.

Perubahan kadar hormon ini mengakibatkan terjadinya andropause yang ditandai oleh perubahan yang dapat terlihat secara fisik. Misalnya, tubuh terasa panas, berkeringat terus-menerus, mudah lelah, insomnia, gelisah, dan timbul rasa takut.

"Emosinya juga mulai terganggu. Istilahnya cranky, moody tapi dia sendiri tidak tahu kenapa bisa begitu," ujar alumni Universitas Brawijaya Malang ini. Oleh karena itulah, biasanya pria yang tengah mengalami masa andropause ini mudah sekali marah atau tersinggung.

Suasana hati yang berubah ini, biasanya membuat pria menjadi kehilangan rasa percaya diri, penurunan motivasi, hingga depresi. Gejala-gejala lain dari androgen juga bisa menyerang vitalitas pria seperti berkurangnya tenaga, menurunnya kekuatan dan massa otot, penumpukan lemak, kehilangan rambut tumbuh, hingga osteoporosis.

Akan tetapi, gejala-gejala di atas jarang sekali disadari kaum pria yang ternyata dirinya sudah terkena andropause. "Biasanya, mereka akan kelabakan jika sudah terjadi gangguan pada fungsi seksualnya," ungkapnya lagi.

Menurunnya libido (gairah seksual) dan disfungsi ereksi adalah beberapa contoh gangguan fungsi seksual yang disebabkan menurunnya kadar testosteron di bawah angka normal. Wajar saja jika gangguan semacam ini dapat membangunkan pria dari tidurnya, karena bagaimanapun, masalah seks merupakan hal penting bagi pria.

Bahkan, menurut Anita, fenomena puber kedua yang terjadi pada kisaran usia ini juga sebenarnya disebabkan karena pria mengalami andropause. "Gejala andropause-lah yang menyebabkan pria berubah tingkah lakunya. Karena dia ingin menunjukkan dirinya masih gagah perkasa atau jantan, maka dia mulai bersolek," jelas dokter yang juga berpraktek di RS Siloam Kebon Jeruk ini.

Selain itu, oleh karena gejala-gejalanya terjadi secara perlahan dan tidak sekaligus, pria sering terlambat menyadari jika andropause sudah mengintainya. Apalagi, di usia 40 tahun ke atas, pada umumnya pria sedang berada dalam tahap pencapaian target dan peningkatan kualitas dalam hidupnya.

Hal ini menjadikan pria jadi kebingungan untuk membedakan, perubahan yang terjadi pada tubuhnya bukan hanya dipengaruhi kondisi eksternal, tetapi juga berasal dari dalam tubuhnya juga.

UBAH GAYA HIDUP
Bagi pria, usia 40 tahun ke atas memang menjadi awal timbulnya gejala andropause. Namun, pada kenyataannya akan berbeda pada satu pria dengan yang lainnya. "Semua pria pasti mengalami andropause, karena dia mengalami proses penuaan. Hanya prosesnya saja yang berbeda," tegas Anita.

Sementara itu, cepat atau lambatnya proses andropause terjadi pada pria, dipengaruhi oleh dua faktor, yaitu faktor internal dan eksternal. "Pengaruh internal bisa dari tubuhnya sendiri atau genetik. Juga, bisa karena di dalam tubuhnya sudah mengidap penyakit yang disebut sindroma metabolik," urai Anita.

Sindroma metabolik yang dimaksud Anita adalah penyakit degeneratif seperti darah tinggi, kolestorel tinggi, atau kencing manis. "Jika dia mempunyai gejala sindroma metabolik, proses andropause bisa lebih cepat terjadi."

Sementara faktor luar atau eksternal, berasal dari lingkungan. Suasana yang tidak kondusif seperti kebisingan, terlalu sering terpapar sinar matahari, dan polusi yang bisa menyebabkan stres adalah beberapa contohnya.

"Semua faktor tadi bisa mengakibatkan stres secara fisik dan psikis," tambah dokter yang gemar hiking ini. Selain itu, penggunaan bahan kimia yang terdapat dalam produk rumah tangga, pertanian, hingga pabrik pun bisa mempercepat proses andropause pada pria.

Gaya hidup tidak sehat juga ditenggarai dapat mempercepat pria terkena gejala andropause. "Misalnya dia merokok, suka begadang, dan pola makannya tidak benar, bisa lebih cepat terkena andropause."

Oleh sebab itu, gaya hidup sehat memang menjadi kunci utama jika pria ingin memperlambat proses andropause. Dengan mempraktekkan gaya hidup sehat, imbuh Anita, proses penuaan sekaligus proses andropause akan melambat dengan sendirinya.

"Ubah pola hidup menjadi lebih sehat seperti menghindari polutan, memperbaiki lingkungan sekitar, olah raga yang cukup dan seimbang, juga pola makan sehat," tegas Anita. Dengan menjaga tubuh tetap bugar, tentu kualitas hidupnya pun akan meningkat dan gangguan-gangguan yang diakibatkan andropause bisa diperlambat.

Sayangnya, hingga saat ini, masih banyak saja pria yang salah mengerti, dan menganggap obat-obatan seperti viagra bisa membantu mengatasi andropause.

Padahal, Anita menandaskan, obat-obatan semacam itu adalah sexotonic dan tidak boleh diminum sembarangan, karena ada efek sampingnya. Lebih baik, lanjutnya, berkonsultasi langsung dengan androlog agar permasalahannya bisa langsung teratasi.

Oleh sebab itu, Anita menyarankan agar perempuan sebagai pasangannya menghadapi pria yang mengalami proses andropause, dengan kepala dingin. "Tak perlu bertanya-tanya atau cerewet, cukup amati saja. Apakah dia sudah mulai sakit-sakitan? Jika pasangannya ikut mengeluh, apalagi soal seksual, sebaiknya dibicarakan berdua." Jika tak bisa mengatasi sendiri, sekali lagi Anita menyarankan untuk berkonsultasi ke ahlinya atau androlog.

Lantas, pengobatan macam apa yang bisa dilakukan untuk mengatasi masalah andropause ini? Selain dengan memperbaiki gaya hidup, teknologi pengobatan seperti terapi sindroma metabolik dan sulih hormon bisa digunakan untuk mengatasinya. "Terapi sindroma metabolik itu, misalnya jika dia mengidap darah tinggi, ya diobati dulu darah tingginya, begitu juga dengan penyakit lainnya," papar Anita.

Terapi sulih hormon dilakukan dengan memberikan hormon testosteron (bisa lewat tablet, suntikan, koyo, sampai implan) dan harus dilakukan di bawah pengawasan dokter. Terapi ini harus dilakukan dengan hati-hati karena dikhawatirkan bisa memancing penyakit lain pada pria, seperti kanker prostat. "Sebelum terapi sulih hormon, pasien harus diperiksa dulu secara menyeluruh," ucap Anita.
Astrid Isnawati.

Sumber:tabloidnova.com

Pare, Si Pahit yang Banyak Khasiat

Tanaman satu ini terkenal karena buahnya yang pahit. Toh, meski pahit, tanaman pare ternyata memiliki banyak khasiat.

Di balik rasa pahit itu tersimpan sejuta manfaat untuk kesehatan. Buahnya mengandung albiminoid, karbohidrat, dan zat warna. Daunnya mengandung momordisina, momordina, karantina, resin, dan minyak lemak. Sementara akarnya mengandung asam momordial dan asam oleanolat. Bijinya mengandung saponin, alkaloid, triterprenoid, dan asam momordial.

Tanaman pare (Momordica charabtia) berasal dari kawasan Asia Tropis, namun belum dipastikan sejak kapan tanaman ini masuk ke wilayah Indonesia. Saat ini tanaman pare sudah dibudidayakan di berbagai daerah di wilayah Nusantara.

Umumnya, pembudidayaan dilakukan sebagai usaha sampingan. Pare ditanam di lahan pekarangan, atau tegalan, atau di sawah bekas padi sebagai penyelang pada musim kemarau.

Ada sederetan penyebutan nama tanaman pare, misalnya: paria, parea, pepareh, popare, papari, pepare, pariane, kambeh, paya, prieu, foria, pariak, paliak, truwuk, paita, poya, pudu, pentoe, beleng-gede, pania, pepule, kakariano, dan taparipong.

Ini menunjukkan, tanaman pare sudah tersebar di pelosok daerah. Hanya saja, masih banyak belum diketahui, pare ternyata bisa dimanfaatkan untuk menyembuhkan beberapa penyakit maupun meningkatkan kesehatan manusia.

Apa saja, sih, kegunaan tanaman pare?

Khasiat Buah
1. Disentri
Sediakan 2 buah pare segar, cuci lalu potong-potong. Tambahkan seperempat gelas air bersih, lalu diblender. Seduh dan peras. Silakan diminum 2 kali sehari.

2. Kencing Manis
Ambil 2 buah pare, cuci dan lumatkan. Tambahkan setengah gelas air bersih. Aduk dan peras. Minum sehari sebanyak 1 ramuan. Diulang selama 2 minggu.

3. Penambah ASI
Ambil 1 buah pare, cuci bersih, lalu rebus beberapa menit. Dipakai sebagai lalap.

4. Bisul
Buah pare dipakai sebagai obat luar. Ambil 1 buah segar lantas dilumatkan. Borehkan pada bagian yang terkenal bisul.

5. Bronkhitis
Sediakan 2-3 buah pare, lalu diambil sarinya. Berikan 1 sendok makan madu. Minum sekali sehari. Lakukan selama 3 bulan. Resep ini juga baik untuk menyembuhkan anemia, radang perut, sakit pada hati, nyeri haid, reumatik, dan melangsingkan tubuh.

Khasiat Daun
1. Bisul dan cacing kremi
Sediakan 1 genggam daun segar, diberi seperempat cangkir air bersih, lalu blender. Saring dengan kain kasa. Jika perlu, tambahkan sedikit garam, gula aren secukupnya, dan jeruk nipis. Minum sekali sehari seperempat cangkir. Lakukan selama 1 minggu.

2. Demam nifas
Ambil 3 daun pare segar, cuci bersih, dan lumatkan. Tambahkan segelas air dan sedikit garam, lalu seduh. Peras dan saring, lalu minum 2 kali sehari sebanyak setengah gelas.

3. Penambah ASI
Sediakan 2 daun pare lalu panaskan beberapa saat. Kompreskan pada payudara.

4. Sakit pada hati
Sediakan 6 gram daun pare segar, 5 gram rimpang temulawak, dan 110 ml air. Didihkan semua bahan selama 15 menit, lalu saring dengan kain kasa, dan peras. Minumlah sekali sehari. Ulangi selama 2 minggu.

5. Rambut Subur
Ambil beberapa helai daun pare segar, cuci bersih lalu remas-remas. Cukup dioleskan ke kulit kepala anak.

6. Batuk
Pilihlah 7 daun pare segar, lantas seduh dengan 2 sendok makan air bersih. Setelah itu, peras dan saring. Minum 2 kali sehari.

7. Bekas luka
Cuci bersih segenggam daun pare segar, lalu lumatkan. Tambahkan air panas sedikit, lalu peras. Campur air perasan dengan 2 sendok makan tepung beras, lalu aduk sampai merata. Borehkan pada bagian bekas luka setiap hari.

8. Wasir
Ambil 5 daun pare segar, tambahkan seperempat gelas air, didihkan dan peras. Ambil 3 sendok air perasan ini, lalu dicampur dengan segelas yoghurt cair. Minum setiap pagi.

9. Kemandulan
Sediakan 27 gram sari daun pare segar, 7 butir lada hitam, 3 siung bawang putih, dan 27 gram gula jawa. Semua bahan dilumatkan, lalu tambahkan segelas air bersih. Didihkan dan peras. Minum air perasan setiap hari selama 3-4 bulan.

10. Penyakit kulit
Buatlah 1 cangkir sari daun pare. Caranya, ambil 3 helai daun pare ditambah satu setengah cangkir air. Didihkan dan peras. Campur air perasan berupa sari ini dengan sesendok air jeruk. Minum sekali sehari.

11. Rabun malam
Sari daun pare dioleskan di sekitar mata.

Khasiat Akar
1. Disentri Amoeba
Ambil segenggam akar pare, tambahkan segelas air bersih. Didihkan dan peras. Minum sekali sehari.

2. Ambeien
Ambil akar pare, cuci bersih, lantas lumatkan. Oleskan ramuan ini pada ambeien.

Sumber:tabloidnova.com

The Difference between Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol

There are many differences between Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol. One of the major differences in usage is that ethanol has recently been used as an alternative fuel. Although Ethanol is used as a solvent as well, Trifluoroethanol on the other hand is an organic compound that is used as a solvent in chemistry.

Chemistry Make Up of Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol

Ethanol is also known as drinking alcohol or grain alcohol, or ethyl alcohol. It is a flammable and colorless chemical compound. The alcohol in beverages with alcohol is also known as ethanol. Many times, Ethanol is referred to simply as "alcohol", although that distinction is not always quite correct. It has the molecular formula of EtOH, CH3CH2OH, C2H5OH, and is also known by its empirical formula of C2H6O. Ethanol is classified as being an alcohol. This means that the carbon that is attached to its hydroxyl group is a carbon which has at least two hydrogen atoms that are attached to it also. Ethanol has a hydroxyl proton that is weakly acidic, even more so than water.

Trifluoroethanol, on the other hand, is an fluoro organic compound. It has the formula of CF3CH2OH. It is also known as TFE, and is sometimes called trifluoroethyl alcohol. It is also colorless, but is a liquid compound that is water-miscible. It is often confused with Ethanol because Trifluoroethanol smells similar to Ethanol. Trifluoroethanol is extremely acidic, much more acidic than ethanol. It is therefore able to form stable compounds with other heterocycles, through hydrogen bonding.

Creation of Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol

Ethanol is created by the fermentation of sugar. This is almost the earliest organic reaction that is known to man. In fact, this organic reaction, and the intoxicating effects that consuming Ethanol have had on the body, have been known since ancient times. Ethanol is also used in industry, and this type of ethanol is produced from petroleum refining.

Trifluoroethanol, on the other hand, is produced industrially. It is formed by the process of hydrogenation – or the process of the reduction of hydride derivatives of esters or acid chloride. These derivatives of trifluoroacetic acid are what produce Trifluoroethanol. Trifluoroethanol can also be produced by hydrogenolysis of certain compounds. These are the compounds of the genetic formula CF3-CHOH-OR.

Uses of Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol

Ethanol has been used for many years as a solvent for substances that are intended to come into contact with humans. This includes lots of different things, such as scents, flavorings, medicines, or colorings. It is also a solvent in chemistry. This is because it is extremely versatile – meaning that it can be mixed with water and many other organic solvents. Some of these include acetic acide, benzene, acetone, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, diethyl ether, glycerol, ethylene glycol, pyridine, toluene, and nitromethane. It can also be mixed with aliphatic chlorides. These include trichloroethane, and tetrachloroethylene.

Ethanol and water mixed together create several unusual phenomena. It is able to reduce the surface tension of water. It also forms an azeotrope or constant-boiling mixture when it is mixed with water.

However, most notably Ethanol is used as a fuel for internal combustion engines. It is used for motor fuel, and also for a fuel additive. This happens all over the world, but Brazil has the highest percentage of Ethanol that is found in fuels. 20% of the fuel is ethanol. In the United States, a mixture of 85% Ethanol has been introduced as a fuel for cars. Cars must be created with the ability to use this fuel.

Trifluoroethanol, on the other hand, is used as a solvent in organic chemistry. Most notably, Trifluoroethanol is used in oxidations of sulfur compounds that use hydrogen peroxide. Trifluoroethanol is also used in biology. It is a co-solvent in the protein folding process that is used with NMR spectroscopy. This is because TFE can solubilize proteins and also peptides. It has a very strong effect on the structure of proteins, which is a three dimensional structure. This effect allows Trifluoroethanol to be used in these situations and to be used to create solutions with proteins. Trifluoroethanol is also used industrially. It is used in these situations as a solvent for nylon. This allows the nylon to be changed and molded. Trifluoroethanol is also used in several applications in the pharmaceutical field.

Although Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol smell the same, and are both used as solvents, they are actually quite different. Understanding this difference allows companies and researchers to use both of these compounds to their greatest overall potentials.

About The Author

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about issues and topics pertaining to the use of http://www.halocarbon.com/fluorochemicals/applications.shtmlchemicals such as Fluorochemicals Agricultural Chemicals

Why Your Diet May Not Be As Rich In Iodine As You Assume

The trace mineral iodine is well known for its crucial role in enabling the body's manufacture of vital thyroid hormones, but it is also important for the health of the immune system and for optimal brain function. It is widely believed by many authorities that iodine deficiency should never be seen in the affluent West, although this problem affects millions throughout the developed world.

Some nutritionists argue, however, that this conventional view is too optimistic, because the content of all minerals in foods is heavily dependent on the mineral content of the soil from which those foods are derived. The assumption must therefore be that the continuing de-mineralisation of farm soils has led to a reduction in the amount of dietary iodine commonly consumed.

Fish and other seafood, however, remain a relatively rich source because these ocean creatures concentrate the sea's iodine in their flesh. Though not commonly eaten in the West, seaweed, or kelp, is also an excellent source of iodine for this reason, and is readily available in the form of a dietary supplements. Dairy products and certain meats may also be a good source, particularly where iodine is routinely added to farm animal feed. But in countries, including most of Western Europe, where animals are grazing fields growing on iodine depleted soils, levels are likely to be much lower.

So even in the West, those not including fish or seafood in their diets, and not using iodised or sea salt, may be at real risk of deficiency. In an effort to compensate for low levels of dietary iodine, the mineral has been routinely added to ordinary table salt in the US for many years. But the practice is not as common in the UK and other European countries, where specially iodised or natural "sea-salt" has been marketed more as a luxury alternative. The problem of insufficient dietary iodine has been compounded on both sides of the Atlantic, however, by increasing concern about the possible adverse health consequences, particularly high blood pressure, of excessive salt intake. Many nutritionists, however, regard these fears as exaggerated, and believe that any such potential problems are far less serious than the consequences of an insufficiency of iodine, and may be easily resolved by the use of the low sodium salt alternatives available.

Iodine, however, cannot in any case be regarded as a luxury. Its essential function lies in the production of the vital thyroid hormones; thyroxine, sometimes known as T4, and tri-iodothyronine, or T3. And as is well known, these hormones are crucially important in ensuring a healthy metabolic rate and the release of energy from food; so an underactive thyroid gland is commonly the villain in cases of excessive weight gain, particularly where this of sudden onset, and in cases of difficulty in losing weight even when following a sensible reducing programme. A healthy thyroid gland is also crucial for the optimal functioning of the immune system.

But perhaps even more importantly, iodine deficiency is also known as a major cause of avoidable brain damage; a problem which the World Health Organisation has estimated to affect an astonishing 50 million people worldwide. Sadly, many of these cases occur in children whose mothers were iodine deficient in pregnancy, resulting in a condition of severely retarded brain development known as congenital hypothyroidism, or "cretinism". Even where such catastrophic consequences are avoided, iodine deficiency in childhood may also have serious effects on the developing brain, leading to low energy and motivation for learning, and measurable impairment of IQ scores.

Since 2001 the Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine (FNB) has prescribed a Recommended Dietary Allowance for iodine of 150 mcg for all individuals over 14, rising to 220 mcg for pregnant women and 290 mcg for those breastfeeding. Somewhat confusingly, however, an excessive consumption of iodine is also associated with a malfunctioning or enlargement of the thyroid gland, as well as mouth ulcers, headaches and gastric upsets, and the FNB therefore advises an upper safe limit for daily iodine consumption of 1,100 mcg for adults. Most people eating a conventional Western diet are unlikely to exceed this level.

With the possible exception of pregnant and breastfeeding women, people in the West who use liberal quantities of iodised salt as a regular seasoning are unlikely to need further supplements. But many commercial multi-mineral preparations contain iodine in reasonable quantities, usually in the form of potassium iodide, and whilst not perhaps strictly necessary, such supplementary doses will do no harm and may be regarded as a useful insurance policy given that, like all minerals needed by the body, iodine functions best in the presence of adequate supplies of all the others. And it should be particularly noted in this context that the effects of any deficiency of iodine may be intensified by any deficiency of selenium, iron or vitamin A.

About The Author

Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter and journalist with a particular interest in health and wellness.

Find out more at http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/Iodine.htm

Athletes are Prone to Dermatological Irritation: What Can Be Done?

When one thinks of the injuries sustained by baseball players, skin irritation is not necessarily the malady that jumps to mind. But for Josh Beckett, ace pitcher of the Boston Red Sox, it is exactly those sorts of concerns that have proven most debilitating over the years: Beckett has suffered from blisters on the fingers of his pitching hand that have landed him on the disabled list an astonishing six times since 2000.

That is a painful problem. It is an expensive problem. And it is a problem that can curtail seasons; it can derail careers; it can mean the difference between playing and not playing, winning and losing.

In Search of Topical Pain Relief

And it’s not limited to Beckett, pitchers, or even baseball players. Athletes of all stripes risk injury due to blisters, abrasions, eczema, cuts...all dermatological concerns that demand topical pain relief. And, it doesn’t end there: Those who participate in outdoor sports—tennis, sailing, skiing, and so on—frequently suffer from sunburn. Those who sweat a lot in workouts or competition such as basketball players, gymnasts, and runners have to deal with chafing. It especially helps runners to prevent blisters, abrasions, and also expedites in healing. These are recurring problems that demand chronic pain management. Yet, many athletes downplay these concerns, oftentimes because such injuries are not considered severe. Hey, it’s not a broken bone or a torn hamstring, so how bad can it be? It can be bad enough to cause an athlete to lose a step, or to favor a certain leg, arm or muscle group. It can also be bad enough to lead to more severe injuries. Just ask Josh Beckett.

As such, athletes aiming to remain in top form should seek to treat their dermatological concerns via natural health remedies. Indeed, natural pain relief is the optimum method for keeping an athlete’s skin healthy and hydrated. In fact, the importance of hydration itself cannot be overstated. Of course, the simplest and most effective method for staying hydrated is to simply drink water. And for athletes, who lose a great deal of fluids through sweating, water should be consumed frequently. In fact, it’s said that even 2 percent dehydration decreases an athlete’s performance by as much as 10 percent. Adequate hydration is crucial in keeping one’s skin healthy.

For athletes already suffering from blisters, abrasions or the like, simple powders and ointments such as Johnson’s Baby Powder or Gold Bond Medicated Ant-Itch Cream can be purchased inexpensively, and can provide tremendous relief. Even petroleum jelly can be applied to cuts or chafed areas to provide immediate topical pain relief.

For athletes suffering from dermatological issues, chronic pain management can truly be that basic. Again, let’s take the example of Josh Beckett: The Red Sox hurler addressed his blisters issue with…surgery? Laser treatment? Nope. He used Band-Aids.

Which doesn’t mean that Band-Aids or baby powder are the only methods for treatment, or even the most effective ones (it should be noted that Beckett’s Band-Aid solution prevented him from throwing his curveball during bullpen sessions, and his on-field performance suffered as a result).

Advanced Natural Pain Relief

For athletes looking for more advanced natural pain relief, XTreme Skin Ointment (http://www.xtremeskin.com) offers a wide range of healing capabilities: It creates a breathable, protective barrier for the skin; it locks out germs and bacteria, and locks in moisture; and it accelerates the skin’s healing process. Natural health remedies like XTreme Skin Ointment can (and should) be used as a preventative measure, but they can also be applied to damaged areas.

It must be stated that no athlete is immune to dermatological issues: Bowlers will often suffer from blisters and cuts; rock climbers, from cracked skin and burns; horseback riders, from chafing; swimmers, from dry skin; weightlifters, from calluses. And, too many athletes will try and play through these problems when they should be seeking out chronic pain management techniques and natural pain relief.

An athlete’s skin is as related to his or performance as his or her muscles, yet too few recognize this. It is crucial that athletes seek out topical pain relief, and it is recommended that they do so through natural health remedies. To ignore them, or to treat them ineffectively, can spell damage, disaster and heartbreak. Just ask Josh Beckett.

About The Author

Tom Maroney, CEO of Banner Therapy Products in Asheville, NC, was a practicing N.Y. attorney for many years prior to being in a terrible car accident. As the result of severe neck and brain injuries, he was exposed to many rehabilitative products, first hand. This experience prompted him to become an investor, advisor and later CEO, of Banner Therapy Products. Since the inception of the company, 10 years ago, the company has gone from carrying 400 to 6,000 products. His wife, Dianne, is a principal in the business as well and has a medical background in neurology. Currently, she works with children to assist in analyzing medical disabilities. Tom and Dianne continue to travel the world seeking out new products. Email:service@bannertherapy.com or visit http://www.bannertherapy.com for more information.

Health Center Staff Take Lead Role In Preparing Their Campuses For Pandemic Flu

It sounds like the plot of the next blockbuster movie. A third of the world’s population is struck down by a deadly virus that spreads across the globe so rapidly that there is no time to develop a vaccine. Up to half of those infected – even young, healthy adults – die. But as health professionals know, this scenario is not just a flight of fancy. It could be the very real effects of the next pandemic flu outbreak, particularly if H5N1 (also known as highly pathogenic avian flu) is the virus in question, and it is this knowledge that is pushing not just federal and state government but organizations and businesses throughout the world to develop a strategy to tackle it.

Within colleges and universities, the burden of pandemic flu planning is likely to fall upon many student health directors, even at institutions with environmental health and safety departments. John Covely, a consultant on pandemic flu planning and the co-author of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s pandemic plan, explains why this is so.

“Traditionally, emergency planning originates from public safety, or environment health and safety, but a communicable disease poses the biggest threat to students in group quarters. Thus, student health directors are often leading the emergency planning effort for the whole university, because the entire plan - not just the student health component - could be the difference in life or death for their students.”

The importance of having a campus-wide plan that is ready – not just in the preliminary stages – when the pandemic strikes is all the more clear when you consider that, unlike seasonal flu, H5N1 has an increased risk for the typical student demographic of young, healthy adults. The startlingly high mortality rate of up to 60 percent is partly due to a protein, also found in the strain of virus responsible for the 1918 pandemic flu outbreak, which causes a response in a healthy immune system known as a “cytokine storm”, often leading to respiratory failure and death.

Planning for such a massive and yet unpredictable event may seem a formidable task, but Dr. Anita Barkin, chair of the American College Health Association’s pandemic planning committee, counsels that those universities and colleges that have yet to formulate a pandemic plan shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by the work that lies before them. “Pandemic planning is about good emergency preparedness. The things we do to prepare for any emergency are the things we would do to prepare for pandemic flu,” she explains.

Although the tragic Virginia Tech shootings this spring were a different kind of emergency, the issues are similar to the issues faced in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak. Coordinating resources, communicating with everyone on campus and deciding at what stage classes should be called off are questions that have to be answered in most emergency situations. Take your pandemic planning one step at a time, advises Barkin.

“The first step is to find out whether there is an existing emergency plan on campus,” she says. “If there is, who is in charge of it? Health providers on campus should then take charge and begin to formulate the plan.”

There are many unknown factors, but build the framework of the plan first with the elements you can be sure of. Form a committee with all key areas represented, including executive leadership. ACHA’s Guidelines for Pandemic Planning provides a list as an example that may help you collate this. Identify the functions that will be critical in the case of a pandemic and the personnel on campus responsible for each of these, making sure there are enough people representing each function that should some become sick, the plan is not compromised. Identify decision makers, a chain of command, and what channels of communication are to be used. Finally, decide on the role of student health services. Many campuses will have the student health director as the key decision maker in the event of a pandemic, but for some it will be more appropriate for the student health director to have an advisory role instead. In any case, college health professionals will be crucial to the success of every plan.

The biggest question that is central to every campus-wide pandemic plan: when is the right time to send students home? Covely warns that universities cannot necessarily wait for cues from state public health departments before they make their decisions. “The university has to have its own in-depth criteria in advance of a pandemic, and the student health director should be very involved in developing those criteria.”

Don't wait too long to send your students home. Nor should your trigger for this decision rely on the geographical proximity of the virus to your campus alone.

The factors that will determine how early you make the call to send students home will center on the composition of your student population. If your students are mostly from in-state, they will probably be traveling home by car and so you can wait slightly longer before canceling classes and closing the campus down. If many students live a long way away and are going to need to use mass transportation, you may have to act more quickly or risk being swamped with very ill students at a time when the local hospitals will not have the resources to help.

There are three main elements that will shape the logistics and the scale of your plan, and help you figure out the best trigger to send students home. Remember that, as Barkin comments, “The longer you wait, the higher the rate of infection, the less chance of being able to get students home and the less likely you can manage the burden of disease.”

These factors are as follows:

* Student demographics, particularly the number of students who live on campus and the number of non-local students who are likely to be dependent on care.

* The size of your staff (taking into account that up to 50 percent may be sick at one time).

* Your ability to stockpile enough basic supplies, including medications, as well as personal protective equipment such as respirators.

This is where things start to get more complicated, however. Most student health services can’t afford to stockpile many medical supplies. “ACHA is running a survey on pandemic planning,” reveals Barkin. “Of the schools that have responded, most have not stockpiled, or if they have, it’s not a lot.” This could clearly prove disastrous, and for many colleges is a manifestation of what Covely cites as one of the biggest challenges of pandemic planning for some universities: “getting buy-in from the executive leadership.” Pandemic planning is by no means a cost-free exercise.

One tip if you are facing resistance from campus decision-makers over spending money on pandemic planning is to emphasize the fact that once you’ve formulated a response to a possible pandemic, you will have a robust emergency response strategy that can be adapted to fit virtually any emergency, whether it’s evacuation in the event of wildfires, such as Pepperdine University faced recently, a terrorist threat, or an “active shooter”. Investment in, say, developing a Web site with emergency information and updates can be a public relations bonus and a reliable resource. Villanova University’s plan includes broadcasting SMS text messages and e-mails and using an emergency Web page for mass communication.

Dr. Mary McGonigle, director of the student health center at Villanova University, says that their dialogue with their local health department led to Villanova being assessed and labeled a “push” site, a location that is self-sufficient in this type of emergency. She explains:

“In the event of a pandemic, we’d go and pick up supplies from the county and then administer medicine to our Villanova community. That includes students, faculty and their families.”

Help from the county is a financial boon but being self-sufficient and staying local also lowers the risk of spreading the virus so rapidly. The dialogue helps your local health services too. If your local hospitals are likely to have a shortage of beds, they may want to use college dorms for surge capacity at the peak of a pandemic. In return, they may be able to offer you some resources, although research suggests that most hospitals have not had the budget to be able to stockpile effectively either.

The ongoing and fluid nature of pandemic planning is very much evident in some of the complex and thorny issues that have no definitive answer. These may need to be revisited and rethought as scientific discoveries are made, as you approach a pandemic, and if your college’s resources change. One such issue is the availability of expensive antivirals. The federal government has announced that it is stockpiling them and coming up with a strategy for distribution, which might seem to take some of the financial pressure off student health services. Barkin however has a caveat. “I’m concerned that stockpiles would not be distributed in enough of a timely fashion to make an impact on the community. Katrina is a situation that has to come to mind.”

Even if you did manage to persuade campus decision-makers to invest budget in stockpiling antivirals, a potentially challenging feat, there’s a chance that they would be ineffective by the time a pandemic occurs, as overuse can cause the emergence of a resistant strain. Barkin explains that infectious disease experts are talking about using a treatment cocktail – Tamiflu plus one or two other agents - to protect against the emergence of resistant strains, but this would be prohibitively expensive for the average college health center.

Another ethical dilemma surrounding pandemic planning concerns who should get prepandemic vaccines. Scientists are developing vaccines based on the strain of avian flu that has been circulating in Asia, hoping that the vaccine would be enough of a match to combat the illness until a proper vaccine could be developed six months after the pandemic’s emergence. But supplies of this prepandemic vaccine will be limited.

“Some of the conversations around who should get these prepandemic vaccines are very complex,” says Barkin. “Should it be health care workers that get it, or public safety workers such as firemen? Should it be government officials, or the very young and elderly?” Recently, the federal government has announced a three-tiered approach to vaccination that it has developed in consultation with public focus groups and ethicists that places health care workers in the second tier. Whether your health center staff will receive the vaccine, whether it will be in a timely fashion, and how effective it will actually be, are all factors that will affect your pandemic plan greatly – and demonstrate how much of your planning has to leave room for the unknown.

One thing that is beyond question is the importance of student health services acting now. Formulating a pandemic plan may be a slow and ponderous task, but there’s one vital aspect that will slow the spread of a pandemic and can be tackled by your department immediately without getting tangled in red tape and endless meetings.

This public health education can be a collaborative effort with human resources and residence life staff. Covely agrees and even suggests extending the scope beyond campus boundaries. “It’s part of being a good and responsible neighbor to the community,” he says.

About The Author

Cassie Harman is a writer for Nuesoft Technologies ( http://www.nuemd.com ) . This article appeared previously in Nuesoft Xpress e-Nues( http://www.nuesoftxpress.com ).

Cancer Or Is It Christ In You?

They call “cancer” the big “C” word. Is it really? I beg to differ as a Christian.

I hope the information in this article will give hope to you who have been given no hope because a doctor has diagnosed you with cancer.

I would hope you would rather focus your attention on “Christ” no matter what stage of cancer has been diagnosed and no matter whether you are a Christian or not. “Christ” should be the big “C” word in your life right now and there is nothing to fear when you use it. What does it mean? It means, “The Anointed One” and refers to His anointing. Jesus is the Christ, “The Anointed One”. And His anointing is burden removing, yoke destroying power. There is no type of cancer that can stand up to the anointing of Christ, the Anointed One. And contrary to some, He is still anointed today to remove all curses, including cancer, from all people and still wants to “heal them all” just like He did in the Bible. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. KJV This revelation of Christ’s anointing should rid us of all fear of cancer. Many just need to be given the revelation of Christ’s anointing and that it is free and available to all just like chemotherapy or radiation is readily available. The chemotherapy and radiation are costly but the anointing is free and available to all.

I know there are many questions that arise when we talk about healing and so I hope my answers from the Word of God will convince you that Christ and His anointing is available to you just as easily as the chemotherapy or radiation.

What is cancer anyway? Cancer is a disease. So according to the Bible since it is a disease then cancer is a curse. If you look at Deuteronomy 28, you will find all the curses that are a result of not keeping the Law of Moses and cancer being a disease is included.

Now since cancer is a curse, you as a Christian have been redeemed from all the curses listed under the Law according to Galatians. How did that happen? Galatians 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; KJV You see Christ actually purchased your freedom from cancer or any other curse when He became a curse and hung on His cross. See, His sacrifice was for your total man, spirit, soul and body.

Some believe God gave them cancer. Did God give you cancer? If He did, then Christ Jesus was cursed for no reason for you and you might as well take Galatians 3:13 out of your bible. But I don’t want to take Galatians 3:13 out of my bible because I have received healing by taking that promise as my very own and you can also.

If you believe God gave you cancer, my question to you is; where would God get cancer to give it to you and why would He give it to you? There is no cancer in heaven for God to give it to you and it would be contrary to the bible for God to give you a curse. James 1:17-18 Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. 18 In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession. NLT God never changes. His desire to bless you never changes.

If He put cancer on you He would be putting a curse on you and therefore He would be ignoring Galatians 3:13 and Jesus becoming a curse for you so that you could receive the blessing.

Some say cancer and other bad things happen to you because God is punishing you for your sins or is trying to teach you something or make you a better witness. Why would God give you cancer or any other bad thing to punish you for your sins; when as a Christian, God has punished Jesus for all of your present sins, past sins, and even our future sins from the foundation of the earth.

Ephesians 1:2-7 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; KJV

Why would God give you cancer to teach you something? Would you give your children something bad to hurt them or destroy them so they could learn something? Certainly not. Being a good parent you would sit them down and tell them not only not to do some thing again but you would show them why it is wrong and the consequence of it. And anyway, teaching your children by abuse, don’t people get arrested for child abuse in our society? Then how could God not be guilty of abuse if He put cancer on His children to teach them something or for any other reason and how could He not be guilty of not keeping His Word, especially Galatians 3:13.

Here is what the Word of God says about correction from God to His children: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), 17 So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. AMP

So our correction as a child of God comes from the Word of God. The Word of God instructs, reproves, convicts of sin (Does not condemn by the way.), corrects of error, disciplines and trains in holy living and conforming to God’s will. That is why we need to read it and meditate it daily so we aren’t taken advantage of by our ignorance of God and His Word and His love for us as His children.

Who in his right mind would want to listen to someone testify of their great God giving them cancer and want to have any thing to do with Him?

Would you want your children tell their friends how you did bad things to them in order to teach them? Certainly not. And neither does God because He is not a child abuser for He is the best Father this planet will ever know anything about and from which all fatherhood should be copied.

And how can having cancer make a good witness of God when most sick with any kind of sickness or disease (especially cancer) are not able to be a good witness because of the pain and suffering. The pain and suffering are also a good indication it is not from Father God.

Why did Jesus, the Christ, come to this earth for any way? Here are some scriptures I think will answer that question:

John 10:9-11 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life — life in all its fullness. 11 "I am the good shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep. TEV

1 John 3:8 The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]. AMP

Jesus came to destroy cancer, sickness, disease and all curse and that is what you see Him doing in the Gospels. And Jesus told us He only did and said what the Father told Him to say and do and it was the Father through Him doing works of “healing and delivering them all”.

Do you think if Adam and Eve had not sinned, would God use sickness, disease or calamity to teach them? Certainly not and neither does He use them to teach us, His children, whom the Bible declares He loves us as much as He loves Jesus. Did He teach Jesus with cancer, sickness, disease, or calamity? Certainly not. People are put in prison for child abuse. God is not a child abuser.

Here are the facts & the truth about Cancer vs. Christ:

Cancer is a disease.

Christ is the Anointed One who destroys all disease in your body, including cancer.

Cancer is not the big “C” word.

Christ has been given a name above all names, the name of “Jesus”, which includes cancer. The name of Jesus has been given to you to speak and see cancer leave your body now!

Cancer is evil and not God sent.

Christ is God sent to be your Savior from cancer now!

Cancer is life threatening.

Christ has brought you abundant life to the full till it over flows.

Cancer comes to kill, steal & destroy.

Christ came to destroy the works of the devil which includes all diseases and that means all evil works of cancer in your body now!

Cancer is a fact.

Christ is the way (Your way out of cancer.), the TRUTH (The truth, He has redeemed you from cancer.), and the LIFE (How can cancer live in your body where Christ, God, Life Himself lives?)

Cancer can be diagnosed.

“In Christ” is really who God and His Word says you are and what you have in this life. (See “In Him” scriptures on my website, so you can declare who you are “in Christ” and what Christ has made you to have.)

Cancer checkups are what they recommend.

In Christ, you are told to look continually into the perfect law of liberty, the Word of God;primarily the Book of Acts through Revelations and make a checkup daily of the blessings of Christ on your body and do no checkups for the curse from which Christ has purchased your freedom. (James 1:22-25)

Years ago I was doing a check on my body for lumps as recommended and the Holy Ghost asked me, “What are you checking for? Are you checking for the curse? You shouldn’t be looking for the curse on your body but for the blessing Jesus purchased for you.”

I have found so many times that woman especially, if the enemy can get a breast or even both with cancer he will get the female organs and on and on. If he can place fear of cancer in our minds that is where the seed for cancer is first planted and then manifested in the body if we meditate on it long enough, start believing it and speaking it; like, “Cancer runs in my family so I probably will get it,” or other words to bring it to pass in our lives. That is why we need to fill our minds and mouths daily with whom and what Christ has made us to be and what He has purchased for us.

Here is your hope of never having cancer or hope when the doctor speaks the word “cancer” to you. If you will meditate and speak these words of hope every day, as many time as you take treatments or medication then you will receive the hope inside of you that will remove all fear and allow the Anointed One and His anointing to work.

Let’s make this confession of our faith in Christ and His anointing every day:

I am redeemed from all the curse of the Law since Jesus became a curse for me. I will not tolerate these curses for they are not in my new covenant in Christ Jesus established in the righteousness of Jesus. I do not allow the curses of the Law to come on my body. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from destruction and perishing before my time. This new covenant has given me the blessing of living a long, full and satisfying life. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from all pestilence which bring agonizing death, including cancer. Christ is the big “C” in my life and not cancer. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from tuberculosis, cancer, progressive wasting of my body, fever, inflammation, and effects of draught, decay, and mildew. Christ Jesus has defeated my enemies and I am completed in Him. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from boils, tumors, malignant diseases causing a discharge, scurvy (bleeding gums and livid skin patches), scabies, hives, rashes and all skin diseases, which cause an itch. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from going crazy because of what I see going on around me. Christ Jesus has redeemed from every curse that tries to come on me and overtake me so that I am destroyed. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from all sickness and plague having a long duration. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from every disease that is in the world. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from all sickness that is known and all sickness that is not known. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from every sickness that has ever been on the earth and ever will be on the earth. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from exhaustion in my heart, my eyes, my mind, and my spirit. Christ Jesus has redeemed from all the curses now! Because of Christ Jesus none of these will come on my body. My life is now in Christ Jesus, my Lord, and I am forever set free from all of these curses now on this earth! I now look for the blessing of Christ on my body.

I personally know this works. My family and I for over 30 years have not had a doctor’s appointment, hospital stay or had to take medication; we just took the Word of God for our healing. And really the more you know the truth of the Word of God, like myself, you will find that you will have very little symptoms come on your body.

So it is Christ in you who is your hope of glory not only in the life to come but also in this life. Live in Him, vitally connected to Him in your every day life. Your intimate relationship with Him filled with love and acceptance is where you will stay free from things that would come to kill, steal and destroy in your life. His love frees you from fear, worry, stress, rejection and condemnation that really are the killers in this day in which we live. A good remedy is just to spend time with Him enveloped in His love, a day would be much to your advantage.

I have listed on my website scriptures and confessions to help you stay strong in your covenant right of divine health and also to restore to you what Jesus purchased for you. I agree with you for your deliverance from cancer and that you continue to live in divine health. I also offer to you on my website a book of Doddie Osteen’s, “Healed of Cancer” to encourage you. God bless you, in Jesus’ name.

About The Author

Janie Baer has produced a CD called God’s Spoken Word and her website http://www.godswordalive.com offers products to help Christians use Bible scriptures in every day living finding the secret power of god’s word and to help find the unconditional love of Father God. Janie also has a blog, http://www.godswordalive.com/blog. Also on her site is Kingdom of God Prosperity Bookstore which offers bibles, audio bibles, music cds, music dvds, Children books & dvds, Christian books, Christian games and other products to help incorporate the Word into your life. She has also recently added Bible scriptures and confessions for healing and health, prosperity, Father God’s Unconditional love and continues to add more all the time. She has applied these healing scriptures with her family for over 30 years and as a result they have not had a doctor, hospital or medical bill in all those years. They have just taken the healing Bible scriptures as their medicine as was written in Proverbs 4:22.