Americans, Acne, and Affording Treatment

Acne is one of the most often diagnosed skin diseases effecting people of all races and genders in the United States. It commonly occurs among teenagers and people in their early twenties; however, someone can develop acne at any age.  The condition is not physically harmful but can be very damaging psychologically to both young adults struggling with their self-esteem or older patients who are concerned about social stigma.

Acne comes in several forms such as: whiteheads, blackheads, and the less common cystic acne and nodular acne. The primary cause of acne is increased oil production in the skin's sebaceous glands.  This excessive production can be caused by a variety of things, including: genetics, stress, hormone changes, and prescription medication. Acne breakouts may also be the result of environmental pollutants, a humid atmosphere, or oily cosmetics coupled with poor hygiene.

 Some statistics about acne:

• 60 million people in the U.S. have acne
• 20 million people in the U.S. have acne severe enough to cause skin scars
• 20% of all American adults have an active case of acne
• 85% of American teenagers have acne, which will cause permanent skin scars on 25% of them
• 40% of Americans with acne will not seek acne treatment
• 30% of Americans will buy over-the-counter acne medication
• 11% of Americans with acne will seek help from a physician
  

Today's acne treatments are very effective. However, to determine the best acne medication for one's specific condition, patients need to first identify the cause of their breakouts.  A medical professional can diagnosis types of acne and recommend which acne medicines will help clear the skin of the individual patient.  Within the United States, there are many excellent dermatologists which can be found through the American Academy of Dermatologists. Unfortunately for patients over twenty-five years of age, many insurance companies don't cover the cost of their treatment.   An adult patient's policy may cover a part of their doctor's visit, skincare procedures, and acne medicines but the remainder is their financial responsiblity.This is because insurance companies consider acne on adults to be a cosmetic issue and not a medical one.  Acne patients may have not be able to afford their skin therapy, which is why some people don't seek treatment.

Regardless of how insurance companies classify acne, patients at all stages of life want to treat this skin disease. Like a teenager, the self-worth of an adult patient suffers if they have a poor complexion which is riddled with acne. They shun social situations, aren't as comfortable in the workplace, and in general are less confident. Some adult acne patients have said that they feel they're not taken as seriously when they have acne, as it is a condition typically associated with young people. This is especially frustrating when patients know there is medication which can clear their break-outs but they can't pay for it. One alternative adult Americans with acne have found is to purchase their medicines through an online pharmacy. Electronic pharmacies like www.pacificonlinepharmacy.com carry acne drugs such as Tretinoin Gel (Avita®, Retin-A gel®) but offer them at reduced prices. This is a very welcome alternative for patients because their acne treatment is as much about building their self-esteem as it is clearing their complexion.

Diabetic Adults and Depression

Information which was released during the 69^th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association in 2009 reveals that adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are more likely to suffer from clinical depression than adults without the disease.  Diabetic adults also take more anti-depressant medicine
, being almost two times as likely to take prescription antidepressants as non-diabetics. Diabetics struggles with depression are receiving growing awareness by the medical community. Many physicians are now regularly screening patients with diabetes for symptoms of depression, especially those with other health issues related to their diabetes.

A diagnosis of type 1 diabetes usually occurs in children or young adults and is the fourth leading cause of mortality around the world. It is an incurable disease which can bring about many serious health complications.  Also called juvenile diabetes (or insulin-dependent diabetes), the disease develops when the pancreas is unable to produce sufficient amounts of insulin to stabilize the body's blood sugar levels. Over time, the pancreatic cells which manufacture insulin are completely destroyed and the body is rendered incapable of any insulin production. Without insulin replacement or other diabetes medication, a patient with diabetes will become severely sick and even die.

Diabetes can cause other health problems such as retinopathy, blindness, amputation, cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, and kidney or pancreas failure. People with type 1 diabetes who are experiencing such medical complications are most likely to have anxiety and depression. Such patients say that they have constant concerns over their health, are less able to maintain regular employment, and may experience significant physical pain or discomfort.Most patients can control their diabetes but often need the help from a thorough team of medical professionals which consists of: a primary care doctor, eye doctor, nutritionist, podiatrist, kidney specialist, cardiologist, and dentist.  Since depression is common among diabetics, a psychologist or psychiatrist is often necessary. Many type 1 diabetics can successfully manage their disease with insulin and other supplemental diabetes medicines. They do need to closely monitor their health but can expect to live longer and healthier than ever before. In recent years, antidepressant medicines
are now also being given to such patients.  They are helping them better cope with their condition and enjoy a better quality of life.

Fewer Americans are Dying from Cancer

In 2009, a new look at research shows that there's been a continual decline in the rate of cancer-caused deaths in the United States. Those who have had the most marked decline in death from cancer are adults in their middle years of life; however, people of all ages have registered steady improvement. This appears contrary to prior research generated by the U.S. government, where it was reported that there's been only a small decline in deaths from cancer during the twentieth century. Recently there's been a closer look taken at the statistics and it's telling a different (and much better) story.  The results of prior reports had been the result of an average taken of the cancer death rate from all age groups, formulating a composite rate.  However, the vast majority of deaths from cancer happened to older Americans and did not take into account possible improvements among younger patients.  Newer studies considered improvements in the rate of death among all cancer patients born every five years, beginning in the year 1925.  When viewing this information, it became clear that everyone born after the year 1930 has experienced a reduced risk of dying from cancer. The group which benefited the most is actually adults between the ages of thirty-five to forty-five.  These people have benefited from an over 25% reduction in cancer death, per decade.

This is news that many Americans hoped to hear.  One of the greatest factors for this decline is believed to be improved awareness of cancer prevention.  The United States has been steadily educating its citizens about the cancer risks inherent in smoking and implemented policies that make it more difficult to smoke publically.  It is no longer legal to smoke in most U.S. restaurants and sports venues and penalties are much harsher against those who sell cigarettes to minors.  Smoking Cessation medications like Zyban® and Wellbutrin SR ® have helped patients quit their habit, as have aids like Nicorette Gum.There have also been advancements in early detection of many cancers and people are going more frequently for cancer screening.  Baseline mammograms are being recommended for all women thirty-five years of age and then every year after the age of forty.  This has lead to breast cancer being caught at an earlier and more treatable stage. Colonoscopies are being more frequently performed after the age of fifty, which is saving many lives.  Colon cancer is a condition which responds well to early treatment but survival rates go down significantly if the disease is detected later.

There are better treatment options which have greatly improved survival rates of cancers like lymphoma and leukemia. If is possible to manage such cancers as a chronic condition as opposed to being a deadly diagnosis. Advancements in the study of the biology of breast cancer tumors have led to more targeted pharmaceutical treatments. Today’s cancer drugs can be given to fight the hormones an individual tumor is thriving on and stop the disease from spreading. Anti-cancer medication can also be given as a preventative treatment for women with a known high-risk for the disease, such as those who tested positive for the BRCA1or BRCA2 genes (which may indicate a greater chance of inherited breast cancer). Cancer medications in general are more effective than in prior years and with fewer side effects. These medicines are also less expensive when purchased through an online pharmacy, such as http://www.pacificonlinepharmacy.com/. This new electronic option has made pharmaceuticcal therapy more affordable for cancer patients so more can get the help they need.

Americans and our Allergies

One out of every five Americans, or an estimated 50 million people, suffers from asthma and allergies. Allergy is the 5^th most common chronic disease in the country, affecting people of all ages, and the 3^rd most frequently chronic condition effecting children.  The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports that the amount of Americans who say they have allergies problems is growing and its considered to be one of the nation's most common, yet unrecognized, diseases. Allergies are broken into several categories: indoor and outdoor allergies, skin allergies, food and drug allergies, eye allergies, insect allergies, and latex allergy.

Some facts about allergies in the U.S:

• Allergies are reported as the most common chronic condition among American children.
• Allergies restrict the physical activity of over 40% of children with them.
• Over 17 million doctor visits annually are attributed to allergy-related problems, mostly in the spring and fall for seasonal allergy symptoms.
• Upwards of 7 million people visit the doctor for skin allergies.
• More than 30,000 patients visit the emergency room at a hospital because of food allergies
• Over 200 people in the U.S. die each year because of food-related allergies
• More than 200 Americans die each year due to insect allergies
• Almost 400 Americans die annually because of an allergic reaction to penicillin
• Allergy-related costs are estimated at almost 7 billion dollars in the United States
• Americans have spent $5.7 billion dollars on allergy medicines and $300 million on office visits to their doctor to treat allergy symptoms.
• Allergies are responsible for almost 4 million Americans missing work each year, resulting in over $700 million dollars of lost workplace production.
  

Allergies can limit a person's ability to enjoy the outdoors, put them as serious health risk when dinning out, and inhibit their general enjoyment of life. Severe allergic reactions can even be fatal. Since allergies are such a significant health issue, patients are more aggressively pursuing allergy-testing and treatment. Pharmaceutical companies have recognized the need for better allergy medication and there are many choices to help patients get allergy symptom relief. Many of these medicines, like Loratadine (Claritin®) and Fexofenadine (Allegra®, Telfast®) are antihistamine drugs, which reduces the amount of chemical histamine that the body manufactures. Histamine production increases when the body is exposed to an allergen and this excess can bring about symptoms. Allergy drugs can be purchased both over-the-counter, by prescription, or through an online pharmacy. Such medicines are often the only means of offering allergy-prone Americans relief.

New Report Suggests Statin Drugs May Help People with Normal Cholesterol Levels

Fox News.com recently reported on a study by U.S. researchers which suggests people in good health with normal cholesterol blood levels may be helped by taking statin cholesterol medication. Some people with normal (or even low) cholesterol may even benefit more than those who are suffering from high cholesterol levels. The study centered on people who had normal readings of cholesterol; however, did have elevated levels of a particular protein. This protein, called C-reactive, is a marker for inflammation and can be a contributor to cardiac problems. Patients showing an increase in the C-reactive protein who took statin cholesterol drugs showed a reduced risk for serious cardiac conditions such as heart attack, stroke, and congested arteries. Some researchers are recommending that people be screened routinely for this protein to help prevent heart attacks in a broader base of Americans. Currently, such a screening is not done and this could be a contributing factor for those people experiencing heart attack who had otherwise normal cholesterol readings.

This is not the first research of its kind but it is receiving a great deal of attention by both medical practioners and the national population. Dr. Paul Ridker of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston led a another significant study conducted in 2008, referred to as Jupiter, which gave the cholesterol drug Rosuvastatin Calcium (Crestor®) to healthy patients to reduce their rate of cardiac-related death and complications. He suggests the U.S. medical community may need to change the way it tries to prevent cardiac disease. The determining factor in these studies is the measurement of the amount of people who have to use a drug over a period of time to realize a health benefit (called NNT or number needed to treat). In this more recent study, medical researchers considered the number of patients who had low cholesterol levels with high readings of C-reactive protein who would have to take a statin drug such as Atorvastatin (Lipitor®), Simvastatin (Zocor®), or Rosuvastatin Calcium (Crestor®) for five year duration before the medication would inhibit cardiac problems. The number was the same or even greater than the amount needed to avert cardiovascular disease in people taking statin drugs who had elevated levels of cholesterol. The findings are especially encouraging when considering heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the United States. In additional to the current emphasis on a healthy lifestyle and the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs by people with known cardiac risk, a pharmaceutical preventative method for the otherwise healthy population may make a real difference in improving the nation’s heart health. 

American Women Choose the Birth-Control Pill

The world for women in the United States changed radically in 1960 when the birth-control pill (or “the pill”) was first approved for use. Women were finally able to control contraception, something they tried to in every culture since the earliest recorded history. The desire for sex but fear of pregnancy went together for most of the female experience. For years, women were worn out by multiple pregnancies or chose to abstain from sexual intercourse to prevent conception. In earlier centuries it was very common for women to die during childbirth because of little knowledge of obstetrics or the importance of basic hygiene. It’s commonly believed that the primary cause of women’s death from childbirth in the eighteenth century was unwashed hands by physicians and midwives.

While there were other birth control practices in place prior to the pill, the advent of oral contraceptives was especially liberating. When taken properly, the birth-control pill is over 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. This makes women feel confident and in control of their reproductive future. Families can now choose when they have children and how many. They can consider the size of the family they’d like and can comfortably afford. Women can more easily work and better plan a professional future. Oral contraceptives can be purchased through an online pharmacy, such as www.pacificonlinepharmacy.com. Many women are choosing this option because it saves both money and time and their pills are shipped directly and discreetly to their home. There are currently more than 100 million women around the world using birth-control pills, with 12 million of those women residing in the United States alone. For Americans, it really is the birth control method of choice.

How Men Feel About Hair Loss

While hair loss has a minor effect on a man's physical health, it can have a tremendous impact on his emotional well-being.  Almost every man asked would admit that he'd be upset if he lost his hair.  Young men count balding as one of their greatest fears of aging. Society has long associated a full head of hair with youth, health, vitality, virility, and attractiveness.  When a man begins losing his hair, he often suffers from stress, anxiety, and depression.  Below are some of the most commonly reported feelings of men experiencing hair loss:

• Depression about the perceived loss of youth
• Frustration over styling thinning hair
• Dissatisfaction with self-image
• Fear of being teased about hair loss
• Reduction of self-esteem
• Fear of not being sexually attractive
• Envy of men with full heads of hair
• Embarrassment as hair thins
• Desire to wear hats to disguise the condition
• Erosion of social confidence
• Increased feelings of introversion and reduced social participation
• Difficulty at work, especially in professions tied to appearance
• Urge to improve one's physique to compensate for balding
• Desire to dress better to build confidence and improve appearance
• Tendency to grow facial hair such as a beard of mustache
  

These feelings have long driven men to seek remedies for their balding. Historical documents tells us of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra attempts to cure Julius Casear’s baldness with a mixture of deer bone marrow, bear grease, horse teeth, and burnt mice. Thankfully, today’s balding man has much better alternatives. Methods to help hair loss range from natural remedies such as scalp massage and aromatherapy , to disguising the condition through hairpieces and hair weaves, to hair restoration surgery with hair plugs and grafts. Among the best methods to treat male pattern hair loss is hair loss medication. The medication Finasteride (Propecia®) can significantly help mild to moderate hair loss when it happens on common parts of the scalp. It won’t help re-grow follicles which have already fallen out but can stop further hair loss and improve the overall look and appearance of hair. Many balding men are purchasing Finasteride (Propecia®) for reduced prices through an online pharmacy. They are using it both as a treatment for existing hair loss and even as a preventative action. Men who are experiencing thinning hair and struggling with their feelings about it are generally grateful for anything which can help.