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Online Medical Advice

Its that time of year again. Yes, all the colds,
the flu and everything in between are back again.
So, wouldnt it be nice to have some place you
could go for fast medical advice? Well, Ive got
just the thing for you today! It doesnt matter
how old you are, we all have to go to the doctor
at some point or another.
sometimes doctors may tell you youre suffering
from this or you have that and you need to do
this, etc. etc. It could go on and on. In situations
like that, good medical advice can be priceless!
So,we are here today to tell you what you can do
to make all of that just a little easier on yourself.
Heres the scenario: You have an appointment
with your doctor, but hardly you can manage to
go there. You are in confusion. What to do?
You dared to contact the doctor on telephone.
He gave the advice in a hurry. Again, you are in
confusion. You went in thinking you only had back
pains and you left with some sort of "condition.
" And even though you asked your doctor to clarify,
you still didnt catch on, so you just head on home.
Well, when you get home, just sit down in front of
your computer and get connected to the Internet.
There are several excellent medical Web sites you
can visit to get complete, trustworthy advice.
Heres a list of the four best medical sites online today:
1.) WebMD.com - This is one of the best around.
It is the main leader in medical reference Web
sites and it just has thousands of articles you
can read through for advice. You will find an
explanation for just about anything on this site
and you can take mini tests that will shed some
light on what could be ailing you. This site is good
for both men and women.
2.) MayoClinic.com - This name may sound
familiar to you. It is similar to WebMD in that it can
help you figure out your diagnosis and it even has
a lot of information about drugs and supplements
you may have been prescribed to by your doctor.
This site also has an "Ask the Specialist" section
where you can ask other doctors to help explain
what your doctor couldnt get across to you. Its
more of a laid back type situation and youll
probably feel more comfortable asking about it
this way.
3.)eMedicineHealth.com -
This site is a little different than the first two,
but its an excellent resource, nonetheless.
It is geared more toward helping with first aid
issues. It goes over procedures you should
use when dealing with certain emergencies.
This site can actually help you figure out what
to do before you plan to visit your doctor.
4.) HealthAtoZ.com - This is another Web site
that just has a lots of medical suggestions, tips
and advice. This is actually a good back up site
to check on if none of the others have what youre
looking for.
There is actually one more site I want to tell you
about, but its a little different than the others.
Its called RX List and it provides information for
all the prescriptions you might have to take.
It goes over what side effects can come from
certain drugs as well. All in all, these four Web
sites are very helpful if you ever have any questions
about your medical issues.
Okay, so you might be wondering why you would
want to look online for medical assistance. How
can you trust that information?
Well, of course, the ultimate decision to use these
sites or not would be up to you, but the information
is provided by registered doctors, so you can be
sure they know what theyre talking about.
Another good thing about online medical sites is
that you could even combat having to go to the
doctor in the first place if you use them as
resources. If something is bothering you, you
can always visit one of these sites and find
information about it before you even call the
doctors office to schedule an appointment.
Almost every disease, condition, etc. is covered
on one of these sites, so you should at least
be able to find a little information about it first.
Then, if you still feel like you need to see your
doctor, you will know a little better of what you
should ask them. The Web site information will
help you prepare and youll even impress your
doctor by doing so!
If you just want to talk to other people about your
medical problems, you can do so by joining an
online support group. So, there you have it.
Medical advice and so much more right at your
fingertips. Heres to a healthy winter season!
(Please be clear that all these are for information
use only)

Pregnancy smoking fertility link


Smoking while pregnant reduces the fertility of boys by affecting a key testis gene, researchers say.
It is already known smoking affects the future fertility of unborn boys, but it has not been understood how.
Aberdeen University researchers found significant reductions in the levels of a gene called DHH, which plays a key role in testicle development.
Small testicles are linked to low sperm counts, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reported.
The DHH (desert hedgehog) gene releases the DHH molecule in the testes, which tells other cells what to do and helps control normal testicle growth.
It is an often misunderstood subject. Male fertility is often determined by what happens in the womb
Dr Allan Pacey, fertility expert
The researchers examined 22 human foetuses between 11 and 19 weeks of pregnancy, looking at the levels of 30 genes key to the development of testicles.
There was no significant change in all but one case - the DHH gene. The study found the foetuses where women smoked 10 or more cigarettes a day had nearly half the DHH gene levels than non-smoking ones.
Problems
Lead researcher Paul Fowler said: "This is the first time that the gene DHH, which plays a key role in the male's normal development, has been linked to maternal smoking and fertility problems.
"Our research is still preliminary and a lot more work needs to be done."
Sheffield University expert Dr Allan Pacey, the secretary of the British Fertility Society, said: "It is an often misunderstood subject. Male fertility is often determined by what happens in the womb.
"Previous research has shown beef and pesticides in drinking water can have an impact on fertility.
"We already know smoking is not advised during pregnancy and this helps us to understand why it affects fertility."

Paralysed man's mind is 'read'


Scientists say they may be on the brink of translating the thoughts of a man who can no longer speak into words after a pioneering experiment.
Electrodes have been implanted in the brain of Eric Ramsay, who has been "locked in" - conscious but paralysed - since a car crash eight years ago.
These have been recording pulses in the areas of the brain involved in speech.
Now, New Scientist magazine reports, they are to use the signals he generates to create speech software.
Although the data is still being analysed, researchers at Boston University believe they can correctly identify the sound Mr Ramsay's brain is imagining some 80% of the time.
CAUSES OF LOCKED-IN SYNDROME:
Brain injury
Drug overdoses
Stroke
Disease which damages nerve cells
In the next few weeks, a computer will start the task of translating his thoughts into sounds.
"We hope it will be a breakthrough," says Joe Wright of Neural Signals, which has helped develop the technology.
"Conversation is what we're hoping for, but we're pretty far from that."
Reading minds
Experts in the field of neuroscience agreed it was an exciting advance.
We are lot further away from a universal mind reading machine than some people hoped - or feared - we may be five years ago
John Dylan HaynesMax Planck Institute
"It hasn't come completely out of the blue," said Professor Geraint Rees, a neuroscientist at University College London.
"We have been moving towards decoding primitive vocabulary for a while now. But this is certainly an interesting development, although invasive techniques, where something is out in someone's brain, such as these will of course carry risks."
Reading people's minds remains a far-off prospect, however.
"There is a huge difference between a technique like this, which is able to pick up signals the subject wants to be picked up, and being able to delve deep into the mind," says Professor John Dylan Haynes of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
"It's very exciting that we are starting to be able to translate some basic thoughts, but we are lot further away from a universal mind reading machine than some people hoped - or feared - we may be five years ago."

Bikini-clad Beyonce's 'obscene' hoarding shocks Vegas residents

An advertisement hoarding featuring a bikini-clad Beyonce Knowles has been branded 'obscene' by angry Las Vegas residents.
The R and B singer appears on a massive advertising hoarding for the city's local radio station, but residents of the Sin City are petitioning to have the raunchy image taken down.
"It's obscene. I have my two little grandkids coming over here, and they don't need to be seeing that," The Sun quoted a resident, as saying.
"You can change the channel on the TV but you can't change that," the resident added.
However, the billboard has received the backing of city officials.
"The billboards were taken from publicity shots and this is the way those people perform," the station manger said.
"So, to show them in a jogging suit probably wouldn't be the right thing.
"It complies with all the locational criteria that are set out in our code of conduct," the manager added. (ANI)

Pak army 'split' on their chief's decision

Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf depends on the Army for his survival but is the military fully behind him on his decision to impose Emergency in the country?From Field Marshal Ayub Khan to General Zia ul Haq and now Musharraf—all dictators in Pakistan have captured power using the army. But this is the first time that the interests of the man at the top diverge from that of the men in khaki.“There is a great resentment (in the army). What is the need of this emergency, which is close to emergency?” says General (retired) Talat Masood.There seems little doubt that Musharraf's war on terror in the tribal lands of the North West Frontier Province is not to the liking of a section of the army. Close to 25 percent of the rank and file in Pakistan’s army are Pashtuns who belong to this area and will not turn their guns on their own people. The Pashtun officer corps is around 22 per cent.Opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto says the army’s unity is under threat. “Some people tell us that the unity of the army has been undermined by the war in the frontier. There are reports circulating that the imposition of martial law has had an adverse effect on the military and they feel they should get out of politics. We hear many reports that junior commanders are dismayed by the imposition of martial law,” says Bhutto.Former officers like General Masood believe that the army will not come out openly against Musharraf. More likely he will be politely advised to rescind unpopular directives or asked to go into peaceful retirement.

How can we tackle excessive drinking?

Who should be responsible for tackling excessive drinking – the government, advertisers, the individual?

Taxes on alcohol should be increased and advertising restrictions should be tightened, according to the Alcohol Health Alliance – a new group 24 leading health organisations।
It wants TV adverts for alcohol banned before 9pm and stronger health warnings to be placed on promotional material।

A separate report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, has brought out a report on the ethics of public health that identifies alcohol consumption in the UK as a particular area where the government could do more।

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