Anyone who disagrees with the medical premise that bike and motorcycle helmet laws save lives has probably taken too many blows to the head themselves. Helmets save lives and save function for those who might otherwise be victims of traumatic brain injury.

National Transportation Safety studies constantly document that helmet use decreases fatalities, severity of head injury, cost of medical care, length of hospitalization, duration and cost of outpatient intervention and probability of long term disability.

I don’t believe that municipalities should be so punitive as to make “ticketing for non-use” be so expensive so as to make it seem more like another scheme to pay for a new public building, rather something such as a $20 fine plus some educational materials. The emphasis should be on education and protection rather than being punitive. However, if you are injured and cannot pay for your care, your neighbors foot the bill. If there are laws with fines that are redirected to the medical center at which you receive care, what kind of fines might cover the costs of your care?

Forget about the legal issues and fees, just wear helmets and avoid head injuries.

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Who do you want to quarterback your team? Rabid fans will take either of the fantasy figures. It is pure fantasy to believe that it is safe for Payton Manning to continue to play professional football in an era of “headhunter” defenses that hit with such savagery as to wish to end opponents’ careers on every play.

There shouldn’t be enough money in the world for Denver and Manning to play NFL Russian Roulette with Manning’s neck, let the opponents load their guns with some of the fastest, strongest men in the world and dare them to come hurt Manning. However, it is only money (including insurance policies) for Denver’s owners, managers and coaches; the gladiator, Payton, is risking his life.

Remember Superman Christopher Reeve? He was just riding a horse for enjoyment. Maybe Manning has taken too many blows to the head to think clearly or maybe he has financial obligations that require him to take huge risks for huge paydays. I wouldn’t wish to be amongst the Management of the team that allows Payton to play for them or the player who hits him if he suffers a singular injurious blow that puts him down.

Our sons take lots of risks on our gladiator gridirons. Contact us.

Doctors at a Harvard-affiliated hospital were stunned that most of the heart attack survivors asked to participate in a study of use of medications to prevent future adverse cardiovascular events declined, even though the medications were offered free to all participants.  The insurance carrier (Aetna) that funded the eventual small cohort study still believes that supporting free distribution of medication to those patients most at risk will result in improved future outcomes (for them).

Doctors and insurers often fail to acknowledge side effects of medication. Moreover, living with side effects of medications (of any type) is often undesirable. Many people simply prefer to not take prescription drugs if they can be offered an equally cost-effective and convenient alternative.

Talk to your doctor about using only as many medications as you absolutely require.

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Recent research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse finds that pie and cake may be as addictive as cocaine. Although scarcely under consideration a decade ago, the logarithmic growth of availability of fast, cheap food with high sugar and fat content has not only created a plethora of obese, diabetic Americans, but also mannerisms suggested of addiction, with sugar and fat craving behavior.

Approximately 30 scientific papers have been published just this year and documented in the National Library of Medicine database. Of course, the data is pitting a lot of the elements of the food industry against the interests of consumer health, state and national health organizations and legal organizations ready to take on any foes with as much money as the trillion dollar food industry. People knew long before warning labels mounted cigarette packs that our neighbors were becoming addicted to and dying from cigarettes. Our society recognizes the same regarding alcohol, but has not arisen yet to challenge it with multimillion dollar law suits. Even further away are the pending legal suits for adverse health effects from our sugar and fat consumption. But, can you imagine the potential enormity of a class action suit against a popular franchise burger chain. Now you got the 1 – 2 punch, fries with that shake and pie with that cake…..don’t let them kill you.

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Patients’ clinical literacy can be a challenge to delivering effective health care.  When physicians, pharmacists, and nurses attending courses on patient safety and healthcare quality are surveyed about their techniques for addressing low health literacy in their patients, many report using the following approaches most often.

• Use of simple language (95%);
• Handing out printed materials (70%); and
• Speaking more slowly (67%).

However, none of these techniques are recommended by health literacy experts. Rather, experts recommend using:

• The teach-back technique (asking patients to summarize what has been discussed);
• Non-language-dependent materials including drawing pictures, showing videos, cartoons and animations;
  
• Involving the family; and
• Telephoning the patient to check understanding.

The teach-back technique is generally used by less than 40% of respondents surveyed.

Using pictures has been demonstrated to significantly improve recall of spoken medical instructions. However, the most common barriers to improving communication with patients of low clinical literacy is the lack of time and information complexity. Provider training in health literacy increases the odds of using both the teach-back technique and appropriate health education materials, including pictures.

In general, it is clear is that the communication gap between patient and provider should improve. As a medical service consumer, the primary benefit of this information to you is the knowledge that many of your peers do not have an adequate understanding of the medical plan that they engage daily. Such problems with “medical literacy” can cause additional medical issues themselves such as might be related to inappropriate use of prescribed medicines. Be a good medical consumer. Work on improving your clinical literacy.

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Men, protect yourself from prostate cancer via:

• Whole grains.
• Cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower).
• Tomatoes.
• Milk.
• Smaller fish (e.g., mackerel, herring, sardines).
• Decrease red meat consumption.
• Pectasol (modified citrus pectin).
• Vitamin E.
• Tumeric.
• Water (high volume intake) to in frequency of flushing.
• Exercise (to increase blood flow)

In April of 2011 the Journal of Neuroscience reported by Wake Forest (University) Baptist Medical Center that compared to control populations, people who meditate an average of approximately 30 minutes per day demonstrate (via functional MRI)  increased activity in the portions of their brains associated with compassion, self-awareness, improved memory and learning.

Remember 30 minute nap-time in Kindergarten? No one slept; all just rested quietly at their desks for 30 minutes in the setting of dimmed lights.  Maybe we left a good habit behind.

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In living systems, reactive oxygen substances (ROS) are referred to as free radicals. ROS play a positive role in energy production, getting rid of cellular debris (phagocytosis), regulation of cell growth, and synthesis of biologically important compounds. However, oxidative stress is the result of an increased ROS production and/or a decrease in their elimination. Excessive circulating ROS is dangerous for cells, tissues and organs it has been inferred that oxidative stress is the cause for number of disorders, including atherosclerosis, neural degenerative disease, inflammation, cancer and aging.

Antioxidants function to reduce concentrations of ROS.  Cumin seed has been found to have quality antioxidant activity. Oval in shape and a little like caraway seed in appearance, their bitter-sweet spicy taste makes them popular in Indian curries and rice dishes, as well as Tex-Mex (e.g., chili), European, Middle eastern and North African cooking. Make cumin a part of your diet and an antioxidant for your health.

Most persons with a snoring problem that is not related to exhaustion or nasal sinus problems have problems with obesity, or oral musculature or both. When the problem is that of rearward motion of the tongue when reclined, it causes blockage of the air passageway and awakening, and this snoring problem is referred to as sleep apnea.

Treatments can include:

1. Wearing a mouth guard at night
2. CPAP machine
3. Strengthening oral muscles with a didgeridoo
4. Strengthening oral muscle via mouth exercises

•   Press tongue to the roof of mouth and hold for 20 seconds
•   Pressing tongue to the roof of mouth – say “a, e, i, o, u”
•   Press tongue to the roof of mouth and slide it forward and backward
•   Press tongue to the roof of mouth and swallow repeatedly.

You can easily engage the oral muscle exercises. Some non-prescription alternative medicine can help you relax and sleep. Otherwise speak with your clinician and find that which works for you.

Remember purple ketchup? Remember the big purple dinosaur who led the children singing “I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family…” on his show? Well, we all love each other, and I think its time for purple ketchup and gloves.

Everybody in the U.S. commercial universe is getting in on the pink ribbons, pink gloves, pink socks, etceteras craze as if they were actually aware of breast cancer. One business has even been selling pink, oversized buckets of fried chicken. Now that reminds me of the commercials for a “triple cheese bacon burgers with an extra-large orders of fries” followed by the commercial for a cholesterol lowering agent. If the chicken establishment even recognized that obesity is causally related to breast cancer, it might not encourage purchasing the pink buckets. Oh well.

The commercial world had its shot at making money on breast cancer, now its prostate cancer’s turn! We want purple ribbons, T-shirts, marathons, gloves, purple burger buns and fries. Moreover, don’t forget the purple ketchup for those fries.

On a more serious note, those PSA tests and fingers in your @!& aren’t nearly as effective at preventing prostate cancer as they are at making money for the traditional western clinicians performing the tests and related “downline” services. So, tell your doctor and his non-tort reformed attorney to get their digits, tests, and surgical tools out of you because “I love you, you love me, and we’re all a big happy family.”

p.s. – we know that others use purple ribbons to symbolize another issue, but prostate cancer is no less important.