DiseaseIllness

What are the Stats on Psoriasis?

It is estimated that about 2.2 percent of American adults have been diagnosed with psoriasis
confirming that psoriasis is a common disease.1

11 percent of those diagnosed with psoriasis have also been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. This is a prevalence of 0.25 percent of American adults in the general population.

Psoriasis prevalence in African Americans was 1.3 percent compared to 2.5 percent of Caucasians.

The prevalence of psoriasis in Western populations is estimated to be around 2-3%. It affects both sexes equally and occurs at all ages.

And What Causes Psoriasis?

Several factors are thought to aggravate psoriasis. These include stress and excessive alcohol consumption. Individuals with psoriasis may also suffer from depression and loss of self-esteem. As such
quality of life is an important factor in evaluating the severity of the disease. There are many treatments available but because of its chronic recurrent nature psoriasis is a challenge to treat.

Plaque Psoriasis

About 80% of people living with psoriasis have plaque psoriasis
which also is called “psoriasis vulgaris.” “Vulgaris” means “common.”

How to recognize Plaque Psoriasis:

1. Raised and thickened patches of reddish skin
called “plaques
” which are covered by silvery-white scales.

2. Plaques most often appear on the elbows
knees
scalp
chest
and lower back. However
they can appear anywhere on the body
including the genitals.

3. Plaques vary in size and can appear as distinct patches or join together to cover a large area.

In the early stages
the psoriasis may be unnoticeable. The skin may itch and/or a burning sensation may be present.

Plaque psoriasis usually first appears as small red bumps. Bumps gradually enlarge
and scales form. While the top scales flake off easily and often
scales below the surface stick together. The small red bumps develop into plaques (reddish areas of raised and thickened skin).

Now that you know abit more about psoriasis
we urge you to find out more about this!

Accidents and prolonged sickness can be a drain both emotionally as well as financially. Sometimes money crunch is caused by the inability to hold a job
or when the medical bills escalate and it becomes increasingly difficult to balance expenses.

Further
medical insurance may prove insufficient or will not cover long term medications. Life has become such that one needs to think about and plan for any eventuality.

Experts recommend the following:

1. Ask your doctor for samples of medication.

2. Often an older drug is effective and cheaper. Request the doctor to write a prescription for a drug that is more affordable. According to studies you can save up to 75% this way.

3. Find out the generic name of the medication and choose to purchase it instead of branded medication ---the saving can amount to as much as 70%.

4. Very often companies sell higher dosages of medication for a marginally higher cost. Be prudent
buy the higher dosage and spilt the medication in
half
one-third
or quarters. The savings you can make are almost 50 %.

5. Order 90-day supplies in bulk from discount mail order pharmacies or online services. The savings are considerable and many doctors help long term patients reduce costs by putting the patients in touch with distributors.

6. If a particular medication is very expensive ask the doctor to recommend a substitute. This is known as therapeutic substitution.

7. Do try comparison shopping. You will find that the same medication is priced differently in local pharmacies
online outlets
and chain stores. Online pharmacies like http://www.walgreens.com/
www.costco.com
or http://www.drugstore.com/ offer medications at affordable prices.

8. There are several patient-assistance programs that offer free or discounted medication to those who cannot afford long term illness. Companies like Merck have programs that benefit uninsured patients. Medicines are given at discounts of 10-40%.

9. If you or a family member travels frequently you could buy your medicines abroad. Often the same medicine manufactured by the same company is much cheaper overseas. One can also order medicine by mail from Canada where medicines cost 30-50% less than the US. But do check the laws before you attempt this.

10. Start a health saving account where you can save pre tax dollars towards unforeseen medical expenses. This has a high deductible. Find out if you or other family members are eligible.

Use an insurance broker who always thinks of you. He must keep you updated on all new developments as far as health schemes are concerned and make sure you reap all the benefits of the insurance scheme. You could also consider a critical illness policy in addition to a regular health insurance.

Let’s look at five behavioral issues which are not ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). While these difficulties may be found along with ADHD
it doesn’t mean that they are symptoms of ADHD.

The five problems we’ll discuss are Anxiety
Depression
Disruptive Behavior
Learning Disabilities
and Sensory Integration Disorder. Please believe me – I don’t want to make your life more complicated! Yet if we wish to approach treatment and outcomes with a degree of scientific objectivity
an accurate understanding of a child’s behavior is essential. Unfortunately
we live in a time when all kinds of behavioral problems are herded under the umbrella of ADHD. But what if some attention problems have a different foundation
and what if psychostimulant medication isn’t always the best response to behavioral problems – even those that appear to involve hyperactivity?

1. Anxiety is a problem that may easily affect attention because a child can be preoccupied with internal thoughts or worries. As a consequence
he or she may appear to be zoning out. An important question to consider is whether your child is equally distracted when he or she is relaxed. If not
situational factors may be triggering anxiety and inattention. Sometimes children who do not know how to handle a worrisome situation
or who have difficulty expressing their feelings
“clam up.” Don’t you have a harder time concentrating on work if you’re nervous or worried about a personal situation? It can be much more difficult for a child to articulate his or her worries. A concern that seems trivial to adults can also cause great anxiety for a child
as well. For example
a preschool boy was very worried in school until it was discovered that he was having trouble handling his buckles and snaps at the bathroom break but was afraid to ask for help; a 7th grade girl couldn’t focus in her Language Arts class because she was seated next to a girl who had mocked her in gym.

Depression is a mood disorder which can impair executive thinking skills like working memory
cognitive flexibility
planning
and attention.

2. Depression turns our mind’s idle down
and as a result we can appear “out of it” – but the cause is not ADHD. Irritability
lack of initiation or interest
and inattention may be symptoms of depression or ADHD. Of course
most children can’t describe exactly what they feel
or whether a mood problem or poor focus came first. In such cases
it is critical to evaluate a child’s behavior in multiple contexts
and to determine if an improvement in mood helps focus. (Some dual-action antidepressants such as Effexor (TM)
which effect norepinephrine
enhance executive thinking skills much better than other antidepressants. Please consult your doctor about possible advantages of dual-action antidepressants for children with both a low mood and executive dysfunction).

3. Disruptive Behavior is an especially prevalent problem in school. Some kids just won’t settle down and are a significant learning liability for other students. Sometimes
disruptive behavior is mistaken for hyperactivity. Indeed
hyperactivity may lead to disruptive behavior
but they are not the same thing. All kinds of kids can be disruptive
sometimes intentionally. A hyperactive child has trouble slowing down
even though he may wish to. An intentionally disruptive child may be feeling frustrated by classroom expectations
rebelling against authority
developing self-control at a slower rate than peers
or seeking attention. If a child is invested in gaining attention through mischief
loudness
or intrusion
a medicine such as Ritalin (TM) is not likely the best course of treatment.

4. Learning Disabilities may affect one or more subject areas
as well as social interaction. It stands to reason that if a child has a learning problem
in reading for example
he or she will be less attentive to that aspect of instruction. A learning disability can certainly be exacerbated by ADHD
but ADHD itself is better understood more as a learning liability than something like dyslexia – a specific learning disability.

5. Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) is a problem with either being oversensitive or undersensitive to sensory stimuli. These problems can make a child appear either hyperactive or inattentive. This disorder is often confused with ADHD
especially in preschool children whose sensory integration difficulties undermine “self-control.” A child with a sensory integration disorder may be distressed by loud noises
bright lights
rough textures
or smells; or conversely
may need to handle things
hang upside-down
or shout boisterously. For an excellent discussion of Sensory Integration Disorder
read Carol Stock Kranowitz’s book
The Out-of Sync Child.

Each of the disorders described above could potentially be found along with ADHD
in which case both disorders need to be treated. Without question
ADHD is major health epidemic facing children. The Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have both affirmed this fact. In the midst of managing this crisis
we’ve got to work hard to resist “one size fits all” thinking. Let’s make sure children’s behavior is carefully evaluated and understood within a social and emotional context. If we were the person being treated
we wouldn’t expect or accept anything less!

Diane Jakubowski was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in spring of 2003
and her somewhat confused physician sent Jakubowski to the nearest health food market for answers. Celiac Disease
also known as Celiac Sprue
is a genetically-linked autoimmune disease in which the absorbing surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten
the protein found in wheat
barley
rye
and sometimes even oats. But as recently as two years ago
this illness was considered very rare in this country
leaving many Celiacs misdiagnosed
under diagnosed
or simply overlooked altogether.

Approximately 1 in 4700 people in the USA are diagnosed Celiacs. But recent medical research indicates that this figure is extraordinarily inaccurate. Suddenly
the long-accepted thinking that Celiac Disease was rare has literally exploded off of the medical horizon. It is now known that 1 in 133 folks in this country (or more) are probably Celiacs...again going undiagnosed...and suffering needlessly for many years.

In Celiac Disease
nutrients pass through the damaged small intestine
unabsorbed
often creating a host of sometimes devastating health problems. Medical conditions and diseases that have been associated with Celiac Disease are: iron deficiency anemia
osteoporosis
gum problems
skin problems
Multiple Sclerosis
chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia
peripheral neuropathy
and infertility.

Celiac Disease is frequently misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
(Crohn's disease
ulcerative colitis
proctitis) pancreatitis
and even gall bladder disease
to name but a few. There are literally millions of Celiac’s running around in this country….who don’t even know they are Celiacs. And the really significant additional concern is that all these folks are simultaneously running the risk of developing secondary autoimmune disease. This
due to the fact that many Celiacs go undiagnosed an average of eleven years…or even longer. In the author’s case
it was 52 years.

Jakubowski's desire is that people will be able to gain answers through information that has been made available on her website. Her wish is that sharing this information may possibly provide a service for those who suffer from digestive disease for decades due to the direct or indirect impact of this insidious disease.

Diane Jakubowski
http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org

Commonly known as pinkeye
Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the outer most layer of the eye and the inner side of the eyelid. Conjunctivitis infections commonly come in one of three flavours: viral
bacterial
or allergic. There is
however
several other cases of less common conjunctivitis:
- Chemicals
- Thermal and ultraviolet burns
- Foreign bodies
- Overuse of contact lenses
- Toxins
- Vitamin deficiency
- Dry eye
sometimes due to inadequate eyelid closure
- Exposure to chickens infected with Newcastle disease

Lets take a quick look at the three most common types of conjunctivitis.

The first is viral conjunctivitis. This type is transmitted by contact with a variety of contagious viruses. These required viruses need not be any harsher than the common cold virus
as these cases are generally associated with upper respiratrory tract symptoms.

Bacterial conjunctivitis is most commonly caused by the infected's own skin or respiratory flora due to pyogenic bacteria. Another common way to spread infection
generally by females
is through sharing of facial lotions or eye makeup. And lastly
it is possible to share this kind of "pinkeye" through contact with other people and/or their environment.

The last form that we will be looking at is allergetic conjuctivitis. This type generally follows a seasonal pattern
and is more common among those with allergic conditions. Unlike the others
allergetic conjuctivitis tends to take over both eyes
and is accompanied by swollen eyelids. It is caused by reactions to such substances as perfume
drugs
cosmetics
contact lenses
or protein deposits.

Actor Sean Astin
best known for his role as Sam Gamgee in the Oscar-winning "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy
is willing to share his personal experience living with a family member diagnosed with bipolar disorder in order to help increase awareness of the symptoms associated with the condition. Astin witnessed the condition's trademark highs and lows throughout his childhood when his mother
actress Patty Duke
experienced symptoms of undiagnosed bipolar disorder for years before receiving an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Duke's delayed diagnosis is not uncommon and mirrors the results of a new survey of more than 500 people with bipolar disorder
which shows an average delay of 13 years between symptom onset and diagnosis.

The survey
which was conducted online by Harris Interactive and sponsored by AstraZeneca
included 500 persons medically diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

"Though my mom was the one who struggled with the symptoms
the impact of bipolar disorder was felt by my whole family. Her depression was sad and painful to watch
and we'd feel frightened when her mood became manic
recalls Astin.
We wrongly attributed these extreme moods to the force of her personality. Had she understood earlier that her moods and behavior were symptoms of a chemical imbalance that could be treated
I believe she would have sought appropriate medical care and been accurately diagnosed much sooner."

Loved Ones Play a Leading Role in Symptom Recognition and Evaluation

Over half of respondents in the survey (56 percent) credited family members
friends
and even coworkers with being the first to notice their symptoms. Over one-third (35 percent) said they would have been unlikely to seek professional help for their condition had others in their life not prompted them to do so.

Mood swings (49 percent)
getting into arguments (40 percent) and reckless behavior (31 percent) were the symptoms most often recognized by loved ones. Overspending and substance abuse were also symptoms loved ones often recognized first. All these behaviors are associated with manic episodes.

In contrast
survey respondents were most often able to recognize depressive symptoms by themselves
reporting that thoughts of death or suicide
hopelessness and loneliness were the feelings they most often noticed. In fact
70
percent were initially misdiagnosed solely with depression.

"I know that family members can help close the time gap between symptom onset and proper diagnosis
says Astin.
For my family
it was something like 11 or 12 years. In the survey
it was 13 years. I want to help close the gap between symptom recognition and accurate diagnosis. My mom is proof that the road to recovery starts with listening
communicating with empathy and recognizing symptoms." Astin wants families facing bipolar disorder to know that with the right diagnosis and proper treatment
there is hope.

Courtesy of Rio Films

Actor Sean Astin

El juego de mesa backgammon es uno de los juegos mas antiguos del hombre. Se dice que las primeras variaciones del juego comenzaron en el antiguo Egipto
Area Mesopotแmica y Antigua Roma. Desde entonces
el juego ha evolucionado
cambiado de nombre varias veces y dispersado a diferentes partes del mundo. Actualmente es un pasatiempo original alrededor de los Estados Unidos
Asia del Este
Europa y Medio Oriente.

Para comenzar a jugar necesitas a un compa๑ero
dos dados y una tabla de backgammon especial. La tabla esta dividida en dos lados con divisiones numeradas de 1 a 24. Puntos 1 a 6 son la llegada
7
a 12 la salida. 13 a 18 el punto medio.

Al comienzo del juego
cada jugador tiene dos fichas en el punto 24
3
fichas en el punto 8
5
en el punto 13 y 5 en el punto 6. Cada jugador tira los dados y el puntaje mas alto comienza la jugada.

El que comienza mueve las fichas de acuerdo a la posici๓n opuesta de las agujas del reloj
desde su punto de partida para llegar al punto de partido del oponente.

El objetivo del backgammon es mover tus fichas hasta llegar al punto de partida de tu adversario y luego removerlas del tablero. La velocidad del progreso del juego es determinada por los resultados de los dados.

Cada jugador tira dos dados en cada turno
y deber una o dos fichas de acuerdo al n๚mero que salio en cada dado. Puede mover una ficha sumando el puntaje de los dos dados
o mover dos. Por ejemplo
si el resultado del dado es 5 y 4
puedes mover una ficha 9 lugares o mover una 5 y luego otra 4 para adelante.

Si los dados salen dobles
un numero dos veces
puedes mover las fichas 4 veces en vez de dos. Es decir
si sale un doble 2
moverแs 2 lugares cuatro veces. En ese caso puedes o mover una ficha 8 veces
2
fichas cuatro lugares
4
fichas dos veces o la combinaci๓n que elijas que requiera dos lugares 4 veces.

Puedes mover una ficha a un casillero que hay solo una de tu oponente
y asํ la "comes". Luego
esta ficha es ubicada en la mitad del tablero
llamada el bar.

Tu oponente puede volver a jugar una vez que puedo ubicar a la ficha en alg๚n casillero de su llegada que no este ocupado por mas de una ficha tuya. Por ejemplo
si tira los dados y sale 2 y en ese casillero no hay ninguna ficha o solo una tuya
el puede entrar y seguir sus jugadas. De lo contrario
deberแ esperar a su turno y volver a intentarlo.

Una vez ubicadas todas tus fichas en el casillero de llegada de tu oponente
deberแs comenzar a removerlas del tablero. Es decir
si tiras los dados y sale 1 y 2 puedes mover una ficha del casillero 1
si sale 2
puedes mover una ficha del casillero 2 y asํ sucesivamente.

Si tu oponente no ha removido ninguna ficha mientras que tu has removido 15
tu ganas el juego y viceversa. Lo mismo ocurre si tu has removido 15 fichas y el tiene algunas en el medio comidas
(sin aun haber removido ninguna) tu ganas el juego.

El juego es muy entretenido e inteligente que te puede acompa๑ar en muchas ocasiones. Disfr๚talo!

Encontrar pareja es algo no tan fแcil de hacer. Todo depende en las posibilidades y opciones de cada uno. Como buscar departamento por ejemplo
requiere saber como buscar
en que sitios
en que inmobiliarias
etc.

En el caso de una pareja
es importante tener en claro a donde buscar. Los sitios en Internet se han convertido en una de las mejores opciones en los ๚ltimos a๑os de su popularidad. Gente como vos y yo que no encuentran al amor de su vida
encuentran en sitios para conocer gente en lํnea muchas opciones que en la vida cotidiana no pueden o no pretenden buscar.

La ventaja principal de estos sitios es que te permiten dejar atrแs muchos prejuicios que llevamos a la hora de encontrarnos con alguien cara a cara. No te importa decir lo que piensas o enfrentar a alguien que quieres porque sabes que no pierdes nada si lo haces
solo puedes ganar.

Los sitios tambi้n son divididos en inter-grupos
es decir si eres de alguna religi๓n o origen ้tnico
nacionalidad
hobbies
preferencias sexuales
etc. Si buscas a alguien que sea como tu
en los sitios de Internet lo puedes encontrar.

Otro de los beneficios de encontrar pareja en lํnea
es que lo puedes hacer en cualquier momento del dํa
desde cualquier computadora que desees. Si no puedes dormir
y estas sin nada que hacer
sabes que hay alguien del otro lado del monitor que se encuentra igual que ti. Puede ser en tu ciudad
o en cualquier otro lugar del mundo. Es tambi้n una manera muy prometedora para abrir tu mente y conocer otras culturas fuera de la tuya.

He oํdo muchas historias de parejas amigas que se conocieron por Internet en sitios como JDate
Date.com
y otros. Algunos viven juntos
otros estแn casados y muy felices
otros por supuesto no funcionaron pero lo intentaron.

Especialmente para aquellos que trabajan hasta tarde
y no tienen tiempo de salir a bares y conoces a alguien hacerlo en lํnea es ideal. (Especialmente sabiendo que en bares
la mayorํa de la gente busca solo encuentros cortos de una noche
y no mas que eso.)

Otra de las ventajas de estos sitios es que la mayorํa de los que estแn alistados realmente buscan pareja y no solo una noche de diversi๓n. Algunos buscan solo diversi๓n
pero encontraran a otros alistados en la misma secci๓n
sin decepcionar a los que buscan pareja. Es todo muy organizado y fแcil de llevar a cabo.

Este sistema es desde ya un gran cambio para los mayores de 40
que estaban acostumbrados a otro tipo de interacci๓n para encontrar pareja. Sin embargo
no hay duda que Internet hace este proceso mucho mas fแcil y posible para muchos. Pru้balo y veras!

Before you become overly concerned about "bird flu
there are a few important facts you need to know about this disease.


Bird flu" is not the same thing as human pandemic flu. "Bird flu"-H5N1 highly pathogenic Asian avian influenza-is a severe disease of birds. All the people known to have gotten it had close contact with infected birds
mostly in rural villages in Asia. Where there is no close contact with infected birds
there's no human disease.

More good news: The food supply is protected. The poultry industry and the U.S. government take Asian avian influenza very seriously because it can threaten commercial poultry. It's spread by migratory birds
so the federal government monitors wild birds in areas where there could be contact with Asian birds.

In addition
security on poultry farms is very tight. Poultry are kept away from wild birds. Strict procedures keep the virus from being tracked into the birds' living space. Poultry farmers' number one priority is to protect their flocks.

The industry and state governments sponsor extensive testing programs to watch for any signs of Asian avian influenza. Under the National Chicken Council's program
which nearly all chicken companies follow
each flock is tested. Any poultry flock found to be infected with Asian avian influenza would be destroyed on the farm and would not enter the food supply.

You can also feel confident about your chicken or turkey dinners. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
you can't get "bird flu" from properly handled and cooked food. Just be sure to follow the instructions already printed on each package of fresh meat and poultry sold in the United States. The instructions are the same as they have always been-nothing special is needed. On the remote chance that an infected bird got into the food supply
it wouldn't affect consumers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends cooking poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This is more than enough to destroy any flu viruses that may be present.

"American consumers don't have to worry about getting the avian flu virus from eating poultry
says Dr. Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.
We know that if you properly cook poultry
it's safe."