THE TWO FORMS OF MACULAR DEGENERATION AND THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF VISION LOSS

There are two forms of macular degeneration. Age related macular degeneration is the leading cause of untreated vision loss in aging Western societies. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe vision loss among the elderly. In macular degeneration, central vision is lost, but peripheral vision almost always remains intact.The macula is located in the center of the retina. It is the area providing the clearest vision. If you look directly at something, the light from that object forms an image on the macula of the retina. The retina is the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, sort of like the electronic pixels in a digital camera or the film in a regular camera. The retina converts light, into electrical impulses and sends these impulses to the brain. Scientists have been searching for ways to prevent and cure this very common and sometimes insidious eye problem.

Age Related Macular Degeneration: Update for Primary Care

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BRAIN DIFFERENCES MEN VS WOMEN VIDEO WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES REALLY

A VIDEO EXPLAINS THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE BRAIN OF MAN AND WOMAN

According to a book about the differences between men and women’s brains “the most solid research is on the physiological differences between men’s and women’s brains. Men’s brains are larger and, with age, shrink faster. Women’s brains run hotter — that is, they employ more glucose; and for a given task, women use more of their brains.

When one part of the hypothalamus is removed in male animals, they lose interest in copulation. Another part is larger in male animals than in females, but its removal has no effect on behavior. In sum, Blum writes, the differences between men’s and women’s brains ”are few, they are slight; we don’t know what causes them, and in many cases we don’t know what they do.” So much for the physiological research”.

“Women read facial expressions better; men read maps better. Groups of men and male primates jockey for position; groups of women and female primates network. Men are better at math; women are better at words. The most fanciful theorists try to explain how all this behavior evolved.

Women are better communicators, it is said, because in some prehistoric polygamous societies they stayed home and taught the young to survive. Men are better map readers and competitors because in those same societies, they wandered around picking fights and looking for women. Never mind that these prehistoric societies left no evidence whatever of polygamy”.

But Mark Gungor in Tale of Two Brains has a video that really explained the differences between the brains of men and women. I saw this first at The Blog That Ate Manhattan.

Video The Difference Between Men and Women’s Brain Click the Arrow to Start

Blog That Ate Manhattan

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HOW HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE GOT AL CAPONE WATCH THIS VIDEO ABOUT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE ITS CONSEQUENCES AND TREATMENT

It wasn’t just the Feds that were after Al Capone. It is an important lesson about the importance of blood pressure and controlling blood pressure. Most doctors will diagnose a person with high blood pressure on the basis of two or more readings, taken on several occasions. A consistent blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered high blood pressure,called in medical terms hypertension and need blood pressure treatment.

Click and Read and See Video How Are Dermal Fillers Like Juvederm and ArteFill Used For Wrinkle Treatment

Your doctor does not know why you have high blood pressure. Don’t look for a new doctor because they don’t know why your blood pressure is high either (an exaggeration, sometimes there is an identifiable cause) but in 80 to 90 percent of cases people have what is called essential hypertension.

HOW HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE GOT AL CAPONE A VIDEO Click the Arrow to Start

Just “as with cholesterol levels, the concept of a normal blood pressure has fallen strikingly as doctors learn what it takes to preserve good health. Lacking good treatments for hypertension, no doctor was concerned when, at age 57, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s blood pressure was 170/90. And so the president’s blood pressure rose inexorably over the next six years, and on April 12, 1945, at age 63 and with a pressure of 200/110, he died of a brain hemorrhage caused by severe hypertension“.

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VIDEO OF ALTERNATIVE TO BOTOX TECHNIQUE TO SMOOTH FACIAL WRINKLES USING RADIO WAVES GFX RADIO FREQUENCY ABLATION TO SMOOTH WRINKLES

Watch a Video Contrasting Botox with Radiofrequency Nerve Ablation for Wrinkles

There is a new method to try and smooth wrinkles on the face using radio frequency energy. You can watch a video in which a doctor discusses a new technique for wrinkle removal called radio wave ablation. In the video he contrasts Botox with GFX. Radio wave energy has been used in various medical procedures previously. Botox is a well known chemical method to temporarily smooth wrinkles on the face by carefully calibrated injections of Botox botulinum toxin that paralyze the muscles in the face. Now a procedure has been approved by the FDA to smooth wrinkles using radio waves called GFX. The radio waves target the nerves attached to muscles associated with facial expression wrinkling.

Video About GFX RADIOWAVE ABLATION OF WRINKLES COMPARED WITH BOTOX Click the Arrow to Start

The process is called Percutaneous Selective Radiofrequency Neuroablation (PSRN). Radio waves have been used in other medical procedures, for example in the heart but this is the first I have heard of them being used to smooth wrinkles.”GFX is FDA cleared as a subcutaneous lesion generation system utilizing bipolar radio frequency technology to target motor nerves”.

GFX for wrinkles,is a new procedure.One advantage touted is that the effects of GFX may last one or two years rather than several months as is the case with Botox. The GFX pen is held by the treating doctor and placed under the skin through a single puncture site. The doctor then delivers the energy selectively resulting in an immediate relaxation of the tense frowning muscles of the forehead. It would probably be difficult to find many dermatologists or plastic surgeons who practice it currently since it is so new. The manufacturer is Advanced Cosmetic Intervention, Inc.

FLYING WITH EAR INFECTION SINUSITIS NOT A GOOD IDEA POSSIBLE EARDRUM PAIN PROBLEMS PRESSURE DIFFERENCES

As a general rule flying with an ear infection, a cold, certain allergies or sinusitis is NOT a good idea. This is because the pressure in an airplane changes with altitude changes. Ascending and descending result in pressure changes that are manifested in your ear. If the tube that connects your middle ear with your throat, the eustachian tube, is blocked than the pressure on either side of your eardrum can’t equalize and the potential exists for ear pain, possibly severe pain or even rupture of the eardrum.

The Parts of the Ear and the Tube That Gets Blocked

If you buy a light for looking into the ear, an otoscope, and look into someone’s ear, you will see a long narrow chamber or tunnel. That’s the outer ear canal. The disc like membrane you see at the end of the tunnel is the ear drum, the tympanic membrane. Behind the eardrum , is another chamber, the middle ear. In order for you to hear normally, the ear drum has to be able to vibrate like the membrane on a drum. If there is something, such as fluid pushing on the ear drum from the inside than it can’t vibrate properly and you don’t hear as well.

There is a long tube that connects to the middle ear, the eustachian tube. To hear well and for the ear to function correctly the eustachian tube needs to be open so fluid can drain from the middle ear. People with ear infections, colds and some allergies may have that tube blocked. If it’s blocked the fluid builds up in the middle ear.

Any Medical Condition Affecting Ear Patency Might Be a Problem

“Because of the rapid cabin pressure changes normally encountered even in commercial flight operations, any medical condition affecting the patency of the eustachian tube or sinus ostia could lead to complications during flight. Negative pressure in the middle ear created by blockage creates a partial vacuum, leading to pain and possibly tinnitus, vertigo, hearing loss or even rupture of the ear drum, tympanic membrane. Failure to equilibrate pressures in the middle ear (barotitis media) or paranasal sinuses (barosinusitis) typically occurs on descent and may be caused by a variety of conditions, including middle ear infections, effusions, acute or chronic sinusitis, or allergies or infections creating nasal congestion”.

Medical Advice for Commercial Air Travelers.

Obviously, the thing to do when you have a cold, ear infection or ear problem is SEE YOUR DOCTOR. Ask your doctor about steps such as using a decongestant. A caveat is that decongestants have the potential to raise blood pressure. Chewing something that may help to open the eustachian tube.

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A DETAILED VIDEO LECTURE EXPLAINING WHAT CAUSES BACK PAIN TESTS FOR BACK PAIN AND TREATMENT

The second most common reason for someone to go to the doctor is back pain. Two out of three Americans will have back pain at some time. The most common cause of back pain is muscle strain. Here is a video lecture about low back pain and the conservative management of low back pain. You will learn a lot from this comprehensive (if somewhat slow moving) discussion of low back pain by a professor at Stanford. If you pay attention you will get a very detailed view of what are the causes of low back pain, tests for low back pain and how back pain can be treated. Some common causes of low back pain include muscle strain,herniated disc, spinal stenosis which a narrowing of the spinal canal and osteoarthritis which is growth of new bone.

Back pain is a symptom of a medical condition, not a diagnosis itself. Although the causes of back pain are usually physical, it is important to know that emotional stress can play a role in how severe back pain is and how long it lasts. Stress can affect the body in many ways, including causing back muscles to become tense and painful.

It could actually be dangerous to not see a doctor for back pain. For example, in some cases back pain may have nothing to do with a “pulled muscle” or a “slipped disc” and could actually be caused by a tumor or other serious condition. Even though the natural history of back pain is favorable, it is important not to miss red flags for potentially very dangerous problems. One of the goals of the clinical examination of back pain is “to identify patients who require immediate surgical evaluation and those whose symptoms suggest a more serious underlying condition such as malignancy or infection”.

Video about Back Pain Click the arrow to start you may need to click the arrow more than once if play stops

Click for Purple Medical Blog Detailed Information About Back Pain Causes and Treatment

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A VIDEO ABOUT THE MAMMOGRAM DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIAGNOSTIC AND SCREENING MAMMOGRAM

Mammograms.Do you know the difference between a screening and diagnostic mammogram? For a test that is supposed to clarify things, the whole topic of mammograms and what they are used for is rather opaque.

“Mammography can show changes in the breast up to two years before a patient or physician can feel them. Cure rates are much higher when the breast cancer can be found at this stage. Current guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) recommend screening mammography every year for women, beginning at age 40“.

Alcohol. Studies suggest that the more alcohol a woman drinks, the greater her risk of breast cancer.

“The National Cancer Institute (NCI) adds that women who have had breast cancer and those who are at increased risk due to a genetic history of breast cancer should seek expert medical advice about whether they should begin screening before age 40 and about the frequency of screening“

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COMPUTER VIDEO CONFERENCE WITH VIDEO CALLS THE FUTURE IS HERE SKYPE VIDEO ITS CHEAP AND IT WORKS WATCH A DEMONSTRATION

I have been using Skype video. You live in Denver and your son and daughter in law who live in Chicago just had a baby boy! Wow if you could only see little Bartholemew. (I didn’t say they had good taste in names) You can see them and talk to them on Skype video! It is a way to talk and see the people you are talking to aka video conferencing. The videophone, video conferencing has arrived. I have been using Skype video recently and I think it fits the bill to help video conferencing especially for individuals and families finally make prime time. By the way, I have no affiliation with Skype video I am just an impressed user. To quote a recent newspaper article by an amazed grandfather who had just seen and heard his grandchild on the video link “It isn’t exactly free. You have to have a broadband Internet connection and a computer with an up-to-date operating system and a camera. But what an astonishing addition this is to a far-flung family’s ability to stay in touch”.

With video calls, the future is here

Video demonstrates Skype video call Click the arrow to start

You can always find someone to tell you why something won’t work and or is not needed. When cell phones came out I remember people said who needs it? They would ridicule men in supermarkets calling their wives to discuss what food to buy. Now everyone and his brother (and sister) has a cell phone and use it. I have recently been using Skype video.

The first half of this video demonstrates Skype video Click the arrow to start

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LOW VITAMIN D AND BREAST CANCER STUDY REPORTS POSSIBLE CONNECTION

Could Vitamin D Levels Be Associated With Breast Cancer Prognosis?

“Women who have a vitamin D deficiency when they are diagnosed with breast cancer were 94% more likely to have their cancer metastasize and 73% more likely to die within 10 years, Canadian researchers have reported. The study represents “the first time that vitamin D has been linked to breast cancer progression,” said Dr. Pamela Goodwin of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, who led the study”. Vitamin D has been in the spotlight a number of times as having a possible relationship to cancer. For example,in 2006 Harvard and Northwestern scientists illuminated a possible benefit of vitamin D against pancreatic cancer in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. The researchers wrote “We observed that a higher intake of vitamin D was associated with a decreased risk for pancreatic cancer in two large U.S. cohorts”. (A cohort is a group of people who share a common characteristic or experience within a defined period (e.g., are born, leave school, lose their job, are exposed to a drug or a vaccine, etc.)

Researchers Looked At Vitamin D Levels

“Women who have a vitamin D deficiency when they are diagnosed with breast cancer were 94% more likely to have their cancer metastasize and 73% more likely to die within 10 years, Canadian researchers reported Thursday.In the abstract they wrote “Vitamin D acts through a nuclear transcription factor to regulate many aspects of cellular growth and differentiation. Low levels have been associated with increased breast cancer risk”. We examined Vitamin D levels and prognostic effects in an existing breast cancer cohort”.(A cohort is a group of people who share a common characteristic or experience within a defined period (e.g., are born, leave school, lose their job, are exposed to a drug or a vaccine, etc.) The team also found that only 24% of the women in its study had what are normally considered adequate levels of vitamin D at the time of the diagnosis”.

“The study represents “the first time that vitamin D has been linked to breast cancer progression,” said Dr. Pamela Goodwin of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, who led the study.The results are “very provocative,” said Dr. Joanne Mortimer, a breast cancer specialist at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, who was not involved in the study. “There is some evidence that some of the drugs we use to treat breast cancer, such as aromatase inhibitors, need vitamin D to be activated and metabolized.”"

Purple Medical on the Northwestern and Harvard Study on Vitamin D and Pancreatic Cancer

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WHAT IS CORONARY ARTERY BLOCKAGE AND A VIDEO ILLUSTRATING ANGIOPLASTY

Sometimes Doctors Use Only Medicine to Treat a Blockage Watch a Video that Shows How Coronary Angioplasty is Done

The heart is a muscle and like all muscles the heart needs it’s own blood supply. The heart gets oxygen and nutrition through it’s own blood vessels called coronary arteries. The coronary arteries can become narrowed or blocked by deposits called plaque. Coronary artery plaque is made up of fat and cholesterol that builds up on the inside of the artery walls. This condition is called atherosclerosis . If the coronary artery blockage is not too severe, an angioplasty procedure can be used to open the artery. Angioplasty is used sometimes to open a blockage but not always. Factors involved in deciding to use angioplasty include how stable the heart disease is and how many coronary arteries have blockage. Sometimes just using medications may be sufficient to treat the coronary artery blockage. Read

Can You Treat Coronary Artery Blockage With Medicine

This Video Explains and Illustrates Coronary Angioplasty Click the Arrow to Start

HOW THEY DO CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY

The first heart angioplasty was done in the late 1970s. Angioplasty involves the use of a balloon catheter which is a small, hollow, flexible tube that has a balloon near the end of it.The doctor makes a small incision, usually near the groin, and inserts a catheter into an artery. Then x-rays are used to look at your heart and arteries. Dye is injected to highlight blood flow through the arteries. This helps reveal any blockages in the vessels leading to the heart. The balloon catheter is moved into or near the blockage, and the balloon on the end is inflated. This opens the blocked vessel and restores proper blood flow to the heart.

In some cases, a device called a stent is also placed at the site of narrowing or blockage in order to keep the artery open. A common type of stent is made of self-expanding, stainless steel mesh. Rarely, a special device with a small, diamond tip is used to drill through the hard plaque and calcium that are causing the blockage. This is called rotational atherectomy.

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