Pak Community Health Blog

According to Duke University cardiologist Christopher Granger, MD, improving drug adherence is one of the most important opportunities in all of medicine to improve public health. “We have proven approaches, but they are not as systematically applied to our patient populations as they should be,” he said during a presentation at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2010. Michael Ho, MD, PhD, cardiologist at the Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center, pointed to studies that show that nearly one in four patients do not fill their initial prescription. Studies also show that even if a patient fills the original prescription, adherence declines over time. Ho said that low adherence increases risk of coronary revascularizations, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. Causes for non-adherence are complex and include mistrust of providers or drugs, cognitive impairment, increasing co-payments, lack of social support, complex dosing schedules and belief th...

9 Ways to Stay Sniffle-Free - coldflusinus - Health.com

Beauty is not just about looking good but being healthy. This pertains to every part of your anatomy. From head to toe, literally! When you make your next appearance at a party, watch the feet of all those beautiful people you see. Do you see corns, callouses, chipped nails and skin growths? Ugh! Feet maintenance is a part and parcel of your beauty treatment. Here are a few tips on how to make your feet look as fresh as possible.  To keep your feet smelling good and looking fresh dust some deodorizing talcum powder onto your feet every morning.  You need to exercise your feet. Walking is a good form of exercise for the feet.  When you get back from a long day, soak your feet alternatively in hot and cold water. Add some salt to this water.  If your feet are itching, then apply some lemon juice and vinegar.  Try massaging some onion juice between the toes. This will relieve itching and athlete's foot.  When shopping for shoes, comfort is the operative word...

You're not alone By Leslie Goldman From Health magazine Not getting any? You’re not alone: Women today have less time for sex than their 1950s counterparts. And it’s estimated that 40 million Americans have what experts call a sexless marriage (having sex less than 10 times a year).  A regular sex life is good for your health. It can satisfy all sorts of emotional- and physical-intimacy needs and help partners stay close, says Anita H. Clayton, MD, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Virginia and author of  Satisfaction: Women, Sex, and the Quest for Intimacy . So why the dry spell? You can chalk it up to a sheer lack of time, but there are a slew of other reasons, too—from weight gain and perimenopause to technology overload (stop texting now) in the bedroom. Here’s how to beat the top 10 sex busters. Your bed isn’t sexy anymore We hear it over and over again: The bed should be used for sex and sleep only. So why do so many of us insist on bringing th...

People with  panic disorder  (PD) usually experience physical symptoms associated with panic attacks  and anxiety. Sometimes these physical symptoms send sufferers to emergency rooms and doctors offices in an attempt to uncover an underlying medical illness. Most often, PD sufferers are told that there is nothing physically wrong. The following is a brief overview of some of the common physical symptoms associated with panic attacks and anxiety. Shortness of Breath Many people with panic disorder experience shortness of breath or sensations that they are smothering. These symptoms are often described as feeling like not being able to get enough air into the lungs. Since we need to breathe to sustain life, these symptoms quickly bring about a sense of panic and fear. If you feel like you can’t catch your breath or are smothering, it may seem logical to conclude that you may faint, or even die, from lack of oxygen. But, in reality, these sensations are not life threaten...

Coping with RA By Anne Harding If you’ve got rheumatoid arthritis, the single best way to fight the disease is with medication. Still, as effective as RA drugs are, they can’t do everything. Several nondrug treatments out there can help you where medication can’t. And exercise is at the top of the list, according to Sharon L. Kolasinski, MD, a professor of clinical medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. Even though the prospect of exercising may seem painful, the right kind of activity can help prevent RA-related pain and disability.  Here's a roundup of a few other therapies that may be worth a try. Exercise “Exercise is really critical for everybody with arthritis,” says Dr. Kolasinski. “Arthritis causes you not just pain; it causes you to use your joints in a way that stresses other structures. It’s really important to maintain flexibility and strength. The only way to do that is to exercise.” That doesn’t mean it’s easy. She recommends choosing an a...