Saturday, February 21, 2009



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Friday, February 6, 2009

5 Top Quit Smoking Methods to Get the Best Quit Smoking Results

There are many quit smoking methods that you can apply in order to kick away your bad habit of smoking. Some may work and some may not work for you. Whatever method that you choose, you must have a strong desire and determination to make it work. Here are 5 of the top quit smoking methods that you can try today.

1) Patches

Patches are not that expensive and you can get it at pharmacies or you can get a prescription from your health doctor. Let me point out that you might not get good quit smoking results using patches. As you can see, patches are only tools that can aid you in your quest to stop smoking. If you do not have any willingness to stop buying those cigarettes, patches will not do you any good.

2) Join Group of People That Have Same Interest

If you are looking for best quit smoking results after doing something, then joining a group of people who want to quit smoking can really help. It is easy to get motivated when you are among these people. You can change ideas and share your experience with each other.

The more people in your group, the better it will become. Do not be shy to ask questions if you still having a hard time to stop your bad habit of smoking. People in your group will gladly help you to succeed.

3) Laser Therapy Treatment

Among all, this is probably the most expensive quit smoking methods you could choose. However, expensive or not, if you have the money, there is no wrong doing it. By using a laser therapy treatment, even a heavy smoker can stop smoking almost in an instant. This treatment will help you in taking care of physical aspects of the smoking addiction.

4) Think about the Good Benefit

This method is more towards in training your mind so that you can control your addiction. For example, if you really want to get your sense of taste back, the only way to get it is by quitting smoking. There is no other way around.

Another example will be your health. If you are afraid of getting heart attack, stroke or cancer at very young age, your mind will tell you not buy anymore cigarettes.

5) Having a Good Focus

You are not going to get the quit smoking results you always wanted if you are having difficulties to stay focus. Always remember what your goal is and do not stop at nothing. There will be lots of hurdles along the way but you can easily overcome it once you manage to stay focus.

All the above are the best quit smoking methods that you can do. There is no denying about it but quitting taking anymore cigarettes is not easy to do. Do not ever give and always believe in yourself for your good sake.

Colon Cancer and Liver Disease

Colon Cancer is the hyperproliferation of abnormal cells or cancer cellular mass in the actual colon. As the word cancer implies, colon cancer is a malignant and metastasic condition the may evade other organs.

Our colon is a muscular, tube-shaped organ measuring approximately 4 feet long. It goes on from the end of your small intestine to your anus, perverting and whirling through the abdomen (belly).

Cancer is a malignant tumor that spreads and affects other organs. Once cancer reaches the blood vessels or lymph nodes, it evades the nearby organ then and if the abnormal proliferation of cells is left untreated. Cancers are a life-threatening condition because of their uninhibited growth. They overpower and devastate healthy cells, tissues, and by taking their space, oxygen, and nutrients. Most colon cancers are adenocarcinomas—tumors that grow from the glands lining inside the colon wall. Oftentimes, colon cancer is referred to colorectal cancer since the rectum is the end point of the colon

The liver, on the other hand, serves as the body’s filter against toxins. It has 300 functions, some of those are clearing the toxins carried in the blood, functionally assisting in blood clotting, production of enzymes useful for actual digestion and for the production of albumin. The liver can repair itself efficiently. But with the continuous attack of toxins and infections, the liver becomes so scarred to the point that it can no longer function anymore.

This gradual destruction of the actual liver tissues is called the chronic liver disease. For a span of over 20 to 40 years, chronic liver disease progresses slowly from hepatitis to cirrhosis. Serious chronic liver disease will eventually lead to the need of a liver transplant, the only option that will be left in advance stages of the disease.

Cirrhosis of the actual liver is the consequence of this chronic liver disease which is characterized by the replacement of the functional liver tissue by a fibrotic scar orange-yellow tissue. Cirrhosis is 11th leading caused of death and does affect twice as much men as actual women. Because of the chronic damage to the liver, blood flow in the organ diminishes as well as the processing of nutrients, hormones, poison and drugs because of the loss of the normal liver tissues that do that job. This unfiltered substances passing through the actual liver and into the body will cause more complications and health problems.

Colon Cancer and Liver Disease Causes, Risk Factors

Mainly, colorectal cancers come up from adenomatous polyps, clusters of abnormal cellular mass in the glands that surround the internal colon walls. Eventually, these abnormal growths expand and eventually deteriorate to become adenocarcinomas.

People have a greater-than-normal risk of actual colorectal cancer with any of numerous conditions identified as adenomatous polyposis syndromes. Numerous adenomatous polyps grow in the colon in many conditions and lead to colon cancer.

Cancer typically happens before 40 years of age. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) has the tendency to likely run in families.

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndromes are another division of colon cancer syndromes that also run in families. Colon cancer is developed without the forerunner polyps in these conditions. This HNPCC is related to genetic abnormality. This is associated with a genetic discrepancy, and people prone to this particular type of disorder ca be recognized by genetic screening. Cancer tumor markers are also tested to screen and detect precancerous and malignant tumors.

People with the following conditions are at high risk of acquiring this particular type of cancer:

· Ulcerative colitis or Crohn colitis (Crohn disease)

· Breast, ovarian, or uterine present or in the near to long-time past

· A familial history of colon cancer, 2-3 times risk for individuals with first-degree relative diagnosed with colon cancer, and it increases if there are more than one affected family member

· Obesity may affect the actual risks involved in the development of colon cancer

· Cigarette smoking has been identified to definitely be related to a functional higher risk for actual Colon cancer.
Colon Cancer Symptoms

Cancer of the colon and rectum can show itself in numerous ways. Bleeding or presence of fresh blood mixed with stool is the most frequent sign of colorectal cancer. Fatigue and pale skin may be associated with this condition since occult and chronic bleeding causes anemia. Blocking of the colon, may be complete or partial, may happen if the tumor grows larger, and may cause bowel obstruction. Abdominal distension and abdominal pain and leaking of the bowel contents to the pelvis may cause inflammation and infection (peritonitis) may be present. Unexplained or sudden weight loss, unexplained and persistent nausea or vomiting, change in the character and frequency of stool and bowel movements, ribbon-like or narrow stool, feeling of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement are mostly present in patients with colorectal cancer.
Liver Disease Symptoms

Cirrhosis, on the other hand, has many different causes but it is often due to alcoholism and Hepatitis (C, commonly). Obtained from autopsies studies, it appears that 10% to 15% of alcoholics have liver cirrhosis at the time of their death. Heavy drinking in men for many years causes severe damage to the liver. But nowadays, women are actually much susceptible to liver damage due to alcoholism. Inflammation of the actual liver caused by chronic hepatitis or viral infections will scar the liver after a considerable number of actual years or decades. This scarring, as we now know, will surely lead to actual cirrhosis.

Also, toxins can add up to this scarring. If the actual liver is already scarred, if not severe, and there is a continued in take of toxins which includes prescribed and unprescribed drugs, parasitic infections called schistosomiasis and other environmental toxins, cirrhosis will eventually eat your liver. Cirrhosis can also be actually caused by inherited diseases like Wilson’s disease of copper metabolism, hemocromatosis (a condition of excessive iron presence in the actual body), galactosemia and glycogen storage disease.

Non-alcoholic people can still also develop cirrhosis. This happens when fats build up and are stored by the actual liver causing scar tissue , or scientifically called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which is associated with actual diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease and treatment using functional corticosteroid medications.

Babies can also have biliary cirrhosis due to biliary atresia, a condition in which bile ducts are blocked or absent.

Other causes of cirrhosis are chemical exposure, obstruction of outflow of blood from the liver, cystic fibrosis, malnutrition, alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency and autoimmune hepatitis.

Colon Cancer and Liver Disease Treatment and Prevention

The principal treatment of colon cancer is to surgically take out part or the entire colon. Indicative polyps may be removed for the duration of colonoscopy. Chemotherapy after surgery can lengthen the survival for people whose cancer has extended to the near lymph nodes. Radiation treatment after surgery extends the survival for individuals with rectal cancer, but it doesn’t aid people with colon cancer. Radiation may reduce the size of the tumor if given before the surgery. And if given after treatment, it shows to reduce the actual risk of coming back of cancer after treatment.

Diet of high-fiber, low-fat diet can help prevent colon cancer. Research shows that an actual diet rich in vegetables and fruits can help prevent colon cancer, as well as regular exercise can help prevent its occurrence. Drug effects may help in reducing the actual risk involved in the development of colon cancer, like estrogen replacement therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin may reduce colorectal cancer risk. The best prevention is the detection of colon cancer and treats it early in its formation. Regular screening for colon cancer, including fecal occult blood tests, colonoscopy, or sigmoidoscopy and polyp removal, significantly reduces the actual risk of having a colorectal cancer.

We all know that actual prevention is far better than functional cure. Then the best way to prevent liver cirrhosis is through complete abstinence from alcohol. It is common to alcoholics to be malnourished. Therefore, they will need more calories and rigorous nutritional diet and support to increase the survival rates. To prevent hepatitis-related cirrhosis, treatment for the different types of hepatitis, such as medication intake of interferon for viral hepatitis and corticosteroid for the autoimmune hepatitis, is involved. For the prevention or medication of cirrhosis caused by Wilson’s disease, it should be treated with chelation therapy to remove excessive copper traces in the organ. More specific treatment for the disease will be determined and discussed by your physician, depending on your need and your age bracket.

Today, there is still no effective treatment existing for liver scarring but only treatment to the causes of it. However, there are studies now about cellular and molecular mechanisms for treating scarring. But before the day comes when the treatment will be introduced, the best we can do now is to prevent causes of actual cirrhosis or reduce the progression to liver scarring or worst to liver cancer.

Causes of Hair Loss

There are many factors that participate in hair loss process some of them are environmental factors while some are genetic factors.The commonest kind of hair loss in men and women is Androgenic absence of hair which is also known as pattern of hair loss in men or in women.Most of the time genetic factor becomes the reason of baldness as it compels those small sacs, which are found on the surface of the hair to react in a negative manner to the hormones that are found in the body.

Hairlessness in women

Women’s pattern of hair loss is different from male-pattern hairlessness.Usually in women the hair gets thin everywhere on the head and the thin line of hair does not move backward.Similarly, Androgenic absence of hair seldom or never causes total hairlessness among women.

Baldness in men


As baldness is frequently found among the men and its most common causes are genetic and environmental.In men environmental and genetics causes equally contribute in hair loss and it is not just to blame only to the genetic causes.Many men begin to loss their hair at an early age like 22 or 25 years.With the passage of time the loss of hair increases and leads towards complete hairlessness.In males hair loss starts from the hairline and moves backward.Sometimes it also starts at the top of the head and expands like a circle.

Some other medical reasons behind hair loss


Hair loss can occur because of many other medical reasons besides genetically related reasons.Sometimes people who have to undergo through some large operation or they have to face some sort of sickness, these people often become an easy victim of hair loss. Luckily this sort of hair loss is often proves timely loss and it is linked to anxiety.

Change in hormonal conditions also causes hairlessness.Hyperactive or under active thyroid gland may cause hair loss.Similarly, a disturbance in male and female hormones can also cause hair loss and the cure for such sort of hairlessness is just to correct this disturbance.

In several cases, women have to face hair loss after three or four months of delivery.This also occurs due to disturbance in hormonal cycle and women get through it as the hormones lead toward their usual cycle.

Hair loss can also occur as a side effect of some drug or medication. There are many medicines like drugs which are used in chemotherapy, blood thinners, drugs that are used in the treatments of swollen joints, excessive Vitamin A and contraceptive pills often cause hair loss. But the hair loss due to these medications is temporary and when these drugs are no more used, hair loss stops and growth becomes normal again.

Some skin diseases also cause hair loss and Alopecia areata is one of such diseases.

Sometimes it happens so that some shampoos, hair dyes or some hair tonics do not match skin and cause reactions and allergies these sort of reactions and allergies also lead towards hair loss.

What are Hot Flushes?

Hot flushes (flashes) are episodes of intense warm feeling on the face and upper trunk. They are due to instability of regulation of skin vessels, mostly in menopausal women. Flushes are supposedly caused by hormonal changes in menopause, but exact mechanism still remains unclear.

Symptoms

* Hot flushes may appear every hour or only few times a week. They may last for few to several minutes and may vary in intensity a lot.
* Flushing appears on the face, chest, back of the neck, and eventually spreads over the entire body.
* Redness or sweating may be barely notable, or prominent.
* If they happen only at nigh, they are called night sweats - they may disturb sleeping.
* Flashes may appear few years before menopause, and may last few years after it.
* Young menstruating women may experience hot or cold flashes in premenstrual period.
* Fainting may occur in strong attacks.
* Mood swings and depression are common.
* There is no symptoms between flushing episodes.
* Long term flushing may result in acne rosacea.
* Men may experience hot flushes in anti-testosteron therapy of prostatic cancer.

Causes of Hot Flushes

Beside menopause, following conditions may be related with hot flushes:

* Carcinoid
* Cancers: medullary ccinoma of thyroid, pancreatic carcinoma, pheochromocytoma (cancer of adrenal medulla), brain tumors,
* Medications: nitrates, tamoxifen, raloxifene, anti-androgens (e.g. cyproterone), danazol
* psychic instability

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

How to determine your menstrual cycle

I realize that every woman is different and our cycles may vary greatly depending upon physical health, stress and age. After being on the pill for years, then receiving a tubal ligation, I re-discovered the timely workings of my body!

Just for the fun of it, I began calculating the days it took for me to get my period, ovulate, then begin the menstruate all over again. I also found out that compared to some of my girlfriends, our cycles vary from 28 to 35 days. If one of my friends was stressed out, her period came later. I realized that my body will always ovulate at exactly 14 days after the first day of my last menstrual period. It last for about 12 hours and makes me more aggressive, probably due to the fact that I have a constant cramp in my left or right side and it gets on my nerves after a few hours! Rarely will I take anything, because in fact it is a slight cramping, but not enough to warrant medication, but just enough to be constantly in the background reminding you it's there. I have taken one Advil before going to bed because the cramping was a little stronger than usual and would keep me up during the night.

Then exactly 14 days later, my period starts up for about 3-4 days. So in all, it is regular as clockwork, 28 days. I have noticed that maybe 2-3 times during the year, I will have a cycle of 26 days. Why? No clue what so ever. Also, I discovered that once or twice in the year, the same ovary will ovulate two months in a row! I guess the other ovary was on vacation! Also, 1-2 days before ovulating, I have trouble sleeping at night, tossing and turning. Then when I do ovulate, I'm back to sleeping soundly.

So, going along my personal experience, the best way to calculate your menstrual period is to count from the first day that you start up until the last day before your next period begins. This way, after a few months you can average out the length of your cycles. Also, if you are listening and in tune with your body, you'll know when you ovulate and when you are near to ovulating. Believe me, lots of things will happen! You will certainly find yourself wanting to be more sexually intimate a few days before and during your ovulation. I guess this is an instinctive bodily response that helps know deep down when we can get pregnant, a sort of built in "make sure you get pregnant and preserve the human species!" type of alarm system. lol!

I find that it is a way to get to know your body and when you do, it gives you a comfort, power and knowing that really feels good!

Life insurance from an Islamic perspective III

Would it be permissible to work for a commercial insurance company that makes most of its income through car insurance? Responding to the question, Dr. Monzer Kahf, a prominent economist and counselor, states the following: Insurance is not unanimously prohibited. There are many scholars who believe that if insurance is not interest-based, it is permissible provided that the subject of insurance is also permissible (for example, it is prohibited to insure a shipment of liquor). I personally follow this latter opinion.

Why is conventional insurance not permissible in Islam?

Conventional insurance contains elements contradictory to Islamic Shari'ah.

Gharar "Uncertainty"

The insurance contract contains uncertainty due to: Uncertainty whether the payment will be accepted as promised The amount to be paid is not known The time it will occur is not known Any form of contract which is lopsided in favour of one party at the expense and unjust loss to the other is classified as Gharar. When a claim is not made the insurance company may acquire all the profits whilst the participant may not obtain any profit whatsoever.

The loss of premiums on cancellation of a life insurance policy by the policyholder, or the "double standard" condition of charging a customary short period in general insurance, whilst only a proportional refund is made if the insurance company terminates the cover is also considered as unjust.

Maisir Gambling

The participant contributes a small amount of premium in hope to gain a large sum.The participant loses the money paid for the premium when the insured event does not occur

The company will be in deficit if claims are higher than contributions

When a life insurance policyholder dies after only paying part of the premium his dependants receive a certain some of money which the policyholder has not been informed of and has no knowledge as to how and from where it has been derived.

Riba - Interests

An element of interest exists in conventional life insurance products - as the insured, on his death, is entitled to get much more than he has paid Insurance funds invested in financial instruments such as bonds and stocks contain and element of Riba

I feel obliged to say a few things aboutthe insurance because of the recent references to it. When the Muftis were asked for an opinion on any matter, they did not just tell the people that they should do this or that; or this is supposed to be this way or that way without explaining from the Quran the reasons for his answer. They would refer to the verses from the Quran. That was their source. They did not make up laws or come up with understandings out of nowhere.

We cannot loosely use what they had concluded and said during private conversations or even in Quranic studies without qualifying the time, place, context, reasons and references for such statements. We know that when they thought something was crucial for the community, they would give a Khutbah and have it recorded, or write articles in the newspapers or online newletters. Again, their opinion were based on the Quran. Some of the verses that they had based on their opinion about this subject are as follows :

[13:11] ... If GOD wills any hardship for any people, no force can stop it.... [39:38] ... If GOD willed any adversity for me, can they relieve such an adversity? And if He willed a blessing for me, can they prevent such a blessing?" Say, "GOD is sufficient for me." In Him the trusters shall trust. [6:80] ... Nothing can happen to me, unless my Lord wills it... [3:175] It is the devil's system to instill fear into his subjects. Do not fear them and fear Me instead, if you are believers.

There are also many other verses that give us the concept that only God can protect us; and if He wants to give us some trouble, no insurance can stop it. However, the messenger was also aware that no one submitter was the same. Trusting in God and coming to the conclusion that God controls everything and runs everything is a process and cannot be forced on people. It is a commandment that we shall trust in God. Yet how many of us truly live that statement every single moment of our lives. If we could, the test would be over or very easy.

That is why it is dangerous to make statements like "the messenger said this was Haram or prohibited" as a general statement. It does not serve any purpose. It makes the messenger seem as if he is making laws that were not in the Quran. Instead it would be better for us to quote the verses on which the messenger based his understanding or conclusion.

For those who want to go and listen to opinions from the Muslim organizations, or from religious scholars there is nothing wrong with doing so, as long as you study the information in the light of the Quran. If you are referring to those because you think the Quran lacks that information, you are doing it for the wrong reasons.

Plus you might be implying inadvertently the same thing that Mohammedans are implying that the Quran simply do not have all the information necessary for our salvation, and that we need additional sources besides the Quran.

We all know that they have always referred to the Quran for their views, based on the knowledge at their current stage of development. They have to correct some of the things they were advocating as they later gained a better understanding of the meaning of the verses in accordance with the will and mercy of God. If we can stick to what God left us with, the authorized translation of the Quran, and leave all the details to the growth of the individual submitters, we will avoid division and unnecessary arguments.

If you arrive at the same conclusion as the messenger in what you should do in matters that are outside the practices of religion, that is fine. But keep in mind that each of us come to Submission from different backgrounds. We all have different circumstances. We all learn at different paces and have different levels of understanding. Furthermore, none of us is perfect. In any case, do not force your opinion on others. Take the example from the messenger who gave us the freedom in such matters, as God instructs us in the Quran

In conclusion, be judges of yourselves, not others. Let the people practice the religion of submission in total freedom, without fearing reprisal from the fellow submitters. Enjoin others to do the right things using the Quran, but never force your opinion down their throats. If we cannot tolerate the freedom of expression or the right to question and answer amicably, we will never be part of the mission that God sent His messenger of the Covenant for: To purify and unite all the existing religions - Submission to God alone.