Archive for February, 2009

Symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder

During World War Two, a strange phenomenon called “Battle Fatigue” affected many veterans after they returned home from combat zones in Europe and the Pacific. Today, we know this condition to be “post-traumatic stress disorder”. Back then, returning veterans didn’t talk about it, because discussing these worrisome symptoms suggested weakness or cowardice.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a medical disorder that can occur to anyone after experiencing an extremely stressful situation. Soldiers aren’t the only ones to suffer from this condition. Natural disaster survivors, as well as those who have experienced and survived attacks and accidents, also suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. Twice as many women are affected than men.

A victim may experience one of many symptoms: A flashback or nightmare, a feeling of detachment, loss of interest in activities or a lack of positive emotion, avoidance of anything (activities, people or situations) associated with the trauma, difficulty sleeping, irritability and exaggerated responses to being startled. Read the rest of this entry »

Men and Depression

Men and women suffer depression almost equally.  Men, however, are taught that any need for help shows weakness.  They are, however, at greater risk for depression-related illnesses and suicide because they hide what is going on from everyone, often even denying it to themselves.

Most men hide their depression by trying to cover their feelings. They most often do this with drugs, alcohol, sex, or work. Depression shows in men not as helpless or hopeless, but as angry, frustrated, and other aggressive feelings. Men are less likely to seek treatment than women and they are less likely to admit that they have a problem.

Depression and men is a silent battle that barely makes a rumble until the battle is over. The drugs and the smiles and the carrying on and acting hide many of the typical signs of depression from others. It’s hard to pick up on the signs of depression if you are close to the person, and it’s even harder if they are trying to cover the feelings up. Read the rest of this entry »

Dental Insurance Introduction

Shaving nicks and toothaches hurt more than they should. While a nick will vanish in a couple of days, toothache will take your pocket for a spin before it goes away. Believe me, dental care is prohibitively expensive, but still a part of necessary health care and very important.

Here comes dental insurance. Not much in the past it was considered a big company perk, dental insurance has today established itself as a must-have benefit. Even most small companies offer dental insurance today to recruit and retain workers. Dental coverage costs less than 10% of total medical coverage so its affordable and preventive procedures, like cleanings, ensure the overall health of employees, which means a decrease in sick time and increase in productivity.

Various dental insurance plans with numerous variations are available today. You should take proper care and time to consider all options.  Read the rest of this entry »

Prostate Prevention is About Living Healthy

Over half the men in the United States will develop some form of prostate problem making a prostate prevention a major topic for men of all ages. Because prostate cancer and disease are becoming increasingly more common, taking care of yourself now can help you avoid problems later.

Prostate cancer, while very curable if detected early enough, is incurable once it has metastasized outside the gland itself. What this means is that as long as the cancer is confined to the prostate it can be treated and in most cases cured. Once these cancerous cells break away from the malignant tumor and enter the blood stream or lymphatic system they will grow and multiply in other parts of the body. Prostate cancer cells normally metastasize to the skeletal system, which is extremely difficult to treat. This is why it is important that all men get regular checkups by their doctors once they hit 40 years of age.

Aside from regular doctors visits prostate prevention comes down to living a healthy lifestyle. This means cutting out bad health habits and starting to adhere to healthier lifestyle principles. In fact men who want to avoid prostate problems should actually forget about the prostate and look to improve their overall health, particularly their heart. Read the rest of this entry »