Is American Healthcare Any Better Or Not?

The United States of America is one powerful nation. Many countries the world over look up to the “Land of the Free” and the Home of the Brave” for a lot of reasons. But let’s be unbiased here and try to check on one crucial aspect of nation-building: healthcare. Do Americans really enjoy better healthcare services and privileges than citizens of other nations or do they have one of the most expensive healthcare delivery systems in the world? Well, it’s hard to come up with an assumption if we don’t have a point of comparison, right? So, let’s compare healthcare in the US and that of Denmark, a European country that may be thousands of miles from North America but undoubtedly also faces the same medical woes and maladies faced by every American.

The culture between these two countries are strikingly different and we’ll soon find out if the same thing applies to the way health is viewed and taken care of by both. In reality, the Danish healthcare system is arguably far more superior than that of the US in a lot of ways. The thing is that they have a smaller budget for healthcare than in America but theirs is far more efficient. It might make you wonder how they manage to pull it off if a country as big and powerful as the US still struggle with doing so until today but apparently, culture plays a major role. Lifestyle practices like cycling is a great example and in turn, triggers a positive …

Towards The Direction Of Personalized Healthcare

There have been many breakthroughs and innovations in the field of medicine. The healthcare system that we know of today is incomparable to the medical practices observed and practiced decades to centuries ago. But let’s admit it, things are better the way it is now than it was before. If you watch old films or documentaries that show the medical practices in the past, you’d be shaken at the agony patients had to endure in the name of science.

Some think that the science of medicine that we know of today will be here for good but we are badly mistaken. We only have room for progress and at the rate things are going, technology has a lot to do with the direction medicine is taking and we can only aspire for better things to come our way.The medical practice today all boils down to patient assessment through the symptoms exhibited by patients, which may be interpreted differently depending on the physician and sometimes, underlying conditions can trigger different symptoms that will lead to misdiagnosis. Then, personalized healthcare will definitely be a welcome reprieve for all of us. In fact, it may also be the key to reducing morbidity and mortality rates that are constantly going up because of our unhealthy modern lifestyle.

Imagine a future in which, rather than using symptoms to identify a disease, your genes, metabolism, and gut microbiome inform how your individual health is managed. This is the vision of precision medicine.

Traditional medicine uses symptoms to diagnose diseases, and

The Dark Side Of Substance Abuse

People often associate substance abuse to the abuse of illegal drugs that give its users an unrealistically high that consequently messes up with their brain and over time with their life. Doing drugs is cool at first. After all, mostly cool people do it. It gives the user a false sense of belonging as they continue to have pot sessions with fellow drug addicts who have lost their sense of direction and reality. It might be fun at the beginning as you relish in the unnatural high these illegal substances bring you but wait until their undesired effects kick in and you’ll regret doing it at all. Drug users look terrible physically as they are no longer able to look after themselves and they look like wasted versions of who they once were.

For years, we have seen drug junkies ruin their lives as they can’t seem to break away from their nasty habit. Drug addiction does not discriminate. It will not spare you from its bad effects whether you are a famous personality or just an average Joe. Celebrities have fallen out of the limelight and weren’t able to stage a successful comeback after succumbing to illegal substances. Some even died either by suicide or because of an accidental overdose as they may also take other prescribed medications in conjunction with their drug use that unknowingly became a lethal combination that took their lives away.…

The Dangers Of Traditional Medicine

It is inevitable for humans to get sick. We aren’t born superhumans after all, so we are susceptible to the myriad of diseases that plagues mankind for as long as we can remember. But because of our resiliency and creativity, we have managed to survive through the years. It is because we have developed what we now know as modern medicine and these medicinal concoctions have spared human life from morbidity and mortality over the ages.

Yet despite the many medicinal wonders that are now at our disposal, many still succumb to sickness and death. And as the number of chemical-based medicines abounds the market, people are looking for healthier and safer alternatives that can also deliver positive results. The resurgence of alternative medicine is growing in followers today and it is not entirely a bad thing as it gives people an option as to how they want to be treated. Some of these natural supplements, medications, and treatments are also effective, so it gives people even more reason to explore this aspect of medicine.

In many parts of the world, policymakers, health professionals and the public are wrestling with questions about culture and mental health services. Some have argued that African traditional medicine might be a more appropriate way to meet mental health needs in Africa. In some Asian countries like Pakistan, traditional healers are widely consulted for the treatment of depression.

One argument is that traditional medicine is more accessible and affordable than contemporary medicine. Patients find it easier to

The Evolution Of Biologic Drugs

Humans have various needs in their daily lives – the right to food and shelter are among the most basic of human needs. After all, survival instincts are innate in all of us and the human body can only function well without food and water for a limited period of time. Then, there are other secondary needs also requiring our attention. Our health, for instance, needs as much tender loving care from us if want to live a long quality life for all the years of our lives.

There’s a catch, though. The more our technology progresses, the more complex diseases and ailments that affect humans have become. These microbes also evolve and have even rendered some antibiotics useless as they have grown resistant to the drug’s therapeutic effects. In a way, it has contributed to the rising costs of medicine and health care but there is also another reason why drugs keep getting more expensive through the years – medical/scientific research. More extensive and expensive researches and studies are done in various parts of the globe for various issues that mankind faces. Those that pertain to health are the most costly and require the most effort too.

Conventional medicines are stitched together by chemists in large factories using other chemicals as building blocks. Their molecular structures are well defined and relatively simple. Aspirin, for example, contains just 21 atoms (nine carbons, eight hydrogens and four oxygens) bonded together to form a particular shape. A single aspirin tablet – even kid-sized – contains trillions of

Smoking Pot For Leisure Is Now Legal

 

Smoking pot is frowned upon in most societies for years now. It is considered illegal, which is why many people smoke it away from the prying eyes of the public than risk being caught, reprimanded, and persecuted. Generally called as pot, it actually is marijuana leaves or cannabis that is often smoked by people. Cannabis oil and flowers can also be used and its smoke or vapor is inhaled and is consequently absorbed into the bloodstream. You can also put it under your tongue or apply it on your skin aside from smoking and still enjoy the same high results.

Pot smokers smoke cannabis using bowls or bongs or in a cigarette form. Recent discoveries show that cannabis can help treat various medical conditions, which is why medical cannabis is gaining popularity in various US states and even countries abroad. However, it is not a perfect science and there are many contradictions to these findings that lead to confusion and conflicts. It’s the reason that up to now, legalizing marijuana use still raises the eyebrows of many and remains to be the subject of on-going debates.

Vermont’s Legislature become the first in the nation Wednesday to approve a recreational marijuana legalization bill.

Vermont’s bill, which would legalize small amounts of marijuana possession in 2018 and anticipate the possibility of a taxed and regulated legal marijuana market, was approved in the Vermont House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 79-66. The state Senate already passed the bill, so it will go 

Modern Living And Its Impact To Our Health

Much has changed over the decades and we owe most of it to technology. Cities are growing and life is becoming more complex. Gone were the days when technology did not make the world go round. Today, we can’t live without our smartphones and other gadgets. It allows us to stay connected to the world in real time. Most household chores can also be done in a snap because of innovative inventions like the dishwasher, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, and many others. There’s also no need to spend hours in the kitchen to whip up a delicious dish because you can just pop one in the microwave just like that.

Despite the benefits offered by technology, it has a major drawback – its negative impact on our health. We start leading a sedentary lifestyle as we continue to rely on technology to make life easy for us. We no longer have the time to stay in shape because we are too busy pretending to have a life online that we end up lacking sleep and neglecting our health and well-being in real life.

“We are the supremely arrogant species; we feel we can abandon four billion years of evolution and ignore the fact that we have evolved under a light-dark cycle,” says Oxford University’s Professor Russell Foster, who worked on the study. “What we do as a species, perhaps uniquely, is override the clock. And long-term acting against the clock can lead to serious health problems.” These problems include an increased risk of cancer,

Do Teens Still Get Enough Sleep?

Life is what you make it. Sounds cliché but it can’t be any truer. You determine your own course in life. There may be stumbling blocks along the way but it is still up to you make the choices you want. Every little decision you make determines what your future will be like. For instance, you decide whether you maintain a normal sleep-wake cycle or not. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done these days. There are so many distractions that sticking to a fixed bedtime routine isn’t as easy as lying down on the bed and closing your eyes.

From teens to younger adults, the tech and smart gadget obsession can’t be denied. Your every waking moment is probably glued to that tiny device that means so much in your life. However, it’s not nice once this obsession affects your health negatively. For a young teen trying to juggle school requirements, personal and home obligations and social life, it can be overwhelming at times and they end up losing sleep every single night, some even have snoring issues.

Why do children wake up early when they are young but want to stay in bed till noon as teenagers?

Experts say it’s biology. Adolescents’ bodies want to stay up late and sleep late, putting them out of sync with what their school schedules demand of them. So kids have trouble waking up, and they often find themselves feeling drowsy in morning algebra class.

But that chronic sleepiness can affect their health and well-being, their

Children’s Health Suffers From A Poor Environment

It is no joke to live in a place continually exposed to dirt and pollution. Big and crowded cities first come to mind as well as most developing countries. You see all sorts of environmental pollution here. Air, noise, water, you name it. Not only adults suffer from health issues arising from constant exposure but young kids too.

These kids are not safe even inside their homes. Many kids get very sick while some even die from it. They have lost their chance in life at a young age and that is a sad reality for those living in impoverished cities and countries all over the world. The statistics did not escape the attention of the United Nations.

Unhealthy environments—both inside and outside the home—cause the deaths of more than 1.7 million child under the age of 5 every year, according to two new reports released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday.

Even in their own homes, many children in developing countries have neither clean air to breathe nor clean water to drink, the reports found.

“Almost half of the world’s population is still cooking or heating or lighting their households with very dirty fuels” such as coal or animal dung, Maria Neira, director of the WHO Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health told Inter Press Service (IPS).

Neira describes the smoke that children breathe in from these fuels as a “hidden and very pernicious” cause of ill health, leading to childhood illnesses, such as pneumonia and asthma, as

The Allure Of Alcohol To Women: Short-Term Solution Or Long-Term Problem

There is nothing more relaxing than drinking a cold glass of beer while hanging out with family or friends. Sharing stories and adventures over a round of alcohol can free your mind from your worries and let you fully enjoy the moment.

Alcohol is a staple at every party or get-together, especially once night has fallen and the party is almost over. It is normal to hear the loud laughter of drinkers and witness them doing things they do not normally do when they are sober like loud singing, dancing, and non-stop teasing.

We think of drinking in two ways: Either you’re a normal drinker. Or you’re an alcoholic. Either you have a serious problem. Or you don’t. But drinking is way more nuanced and much more layered than that.

Maybe you drink a glass of wine every night to alleviate stress or numb the pain. Maybe you drink to temporarily forget your anxiety. Maybe you have a single drink before attending social events because it helps you feel more confident. It helps you to loosen up. Maybe drinking helps to brighten the dark edges of your life. For a few moments. Maybe you’re worried that you look forward to drinking. Too much. Maybe you spend most Sunday mornings worrying about what you said or did the night before.

(Via: https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2016/10/28/are-you-using-alcohol-as-a-crutch/)

Men and alcohol are a given. However, women are also becoming heavy drinkers themselves today. It is not uncommon to see women drinking alongside men – and not just drinking ladies drinks or …

The Legalization Of Medical Marijuana Enjoys Public Approval

If marijuana is as bad as what its detractors say it is, why is it that its legalization is quickly gaining traction among the public and 28 U.S. states already gave it the go signal? They must know something that has not yet been disclosed to all of us about the health benefits this controversial weed offers, right?

We are talking about the medical use of marijuana here and not for recreation purposes. There are medical experts who support its use in treating patients where conventional medicines and treatment have failed.

Americans are increasingly in favor of legalizing some form of marijuana — especially medical — and a majority across the board think the federal government should leave legal states alone.

A new Quinnipiac poll released Thursday found 71 percent of Americans would oppose a federal crackdown on legal marijuana, and 93 percent are in favor of medical marijuana, according to the survey of 1,323 voters nationwide.

There is a public clamor to have medical cannabis use legalized and it is impossible to ignore their growing numbers.

Public support for marijuana legalization has grown since the November election, in which a historic number of states approved medical or recreational legalization measures. A June 2016 Quinnipiac poll showed that 54 percent of adults surveyed favored the legalization of marijuana use in the United States and 89 percent supported allowing adults to legally use medical marijuana if their doctor prescribes it.

(Via: http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/02/23/quinnipiac-poll-2017-marijuana-legalization-federal-crackdown/74227/)

The public in general, especially the ones with really sick family member or …

How Drugs Affect Mental Health

A normal and healthy person have various coping mechanisms to stay sane in this increasingly complex urban jungle we call home. Unfortunately, not everyone can keep up with all the stresses that they seek refuge somewhere else. It does not necessarily mean you go somewhere far to get away from all your worries. People often resort to drug use to help them detach from their surrounding and experience an internal high only substance abuse can offer them.

If you do drugs, are you still a sensible individual who is capable of making rational decisions? The answer is likely a BIG no. How can you say you are still a normal walking and breathing person when your system is high on drugs that cloud your judgment. It may be that a person first got hooked on drugs before the deterioration of their state of health or they are already experiencing a major identity crisis and anxiety disorders that they find relief when they do drugs.

At least 50 per cent of regular drug abusers can develop problems of anti-social personality, suicide ideation and depression, said Susan Solomon, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences.

While drugs of abuse such as alcohol, amphetamines, caffeine, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens or nicotine can lead to health hazards and exact heavy personal, economic and social costs, the long-term consequences of abuse included psychotic disorder, mood swings, anxiety, sleep disorder and sexual dysfunction, she said.

(Via: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/drug-abuse-harmful-to-mental-health-too/article17388961.ece)

Drug dependence continues to be a menace to society and leaves behind …

Why Do Young Boys Are Increasingly Becoming More Suicidal?

Men may be the stronger sex (physically) but that does not mean they do not get hurt too. At a young age, boys are trained to act tough and refrain from crying even when they are hurt. Boys learn to keep their feelings to themselves in fear of being bullied for not being man enough. This culture makes it harder for boys to grow up and have a healthy emotional state.

Regardless of how far we’ve come when it comes to technology, nothing much has changed on how we view male masculinity. Boys fail to develop a positive sense of self when they can no longer escape the scrutiny of other people through various social media platforms they frequent. Cyberbullying is common and it can cause severe anxiety on vulnerable victims., boys increasingly become suicidal because they never learned how to speak up and express their feeling without the fear of being judged for who they are. And the sad fact about this is that it affects boys all over the world – without exception. And boys bottling up their feelings will not do them any good once they reach adulthood.

Hence, boys increasingly become suicidal because they never learned how to speak up and express their feeling without the fear of being judged for who they are. And the sad fact about this is that it affects boys all over the world – without exception. And boys bottling up their feelings will not do them any good once they reach adulthood – if they …

Is Medical Marijuana The Answer?

Marijuana has been the subject of many heated arguments for decades now. People are torn as to whether marijuana should be used to help treat sick people or whether legalizing it can trigger many addictions.

However, medical experts and equipment and pipe providers advocate its use in the field of medicine when most traditional prescription drugs have failed to cure or offer relief to suffering patients. Their fight has been fought hard and long, and now, these medical experts and doctors are meeting with senators for a dialogue regarding the legalization of medical marijuana.

Leaders of the group Compassionate South Carolina are organizing the group’s testimony in favor of passing bill S. 212, the Compassionate Care Act, sponsored by Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort). The bill would allow certain patients with debilitating conditions to access cannabis for medical use if a doctor recommends it.

The group cites how effective medical cannabis is as a drug alternative especially when taken under medical guidance. It has been found to be of extreme help in the pain management of terminally ill patients or those who have undergone surgery.

“There is a large and rapidly growing body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of medical cannabis,” Dr. Sue Sisley, who traveled to Columbia to provide expert testimony at Wednesday’s hearing, said.

“It is often a much safer option than traditional prescription medications, especially when it comes to treating chronic pain. Patients who could benefit from medical cannabis should be able to access it safely and legally with the guidance of

Obamacare No More: Say Hello To The New Health Care Act

Cliché as it may seem, health is wealth. However, it probably works the other way around now. You need to be wealthy to be healthy. It’s a sad reality for millions of Americans right now. It is every person’s right to have good health along with some other basic rights like the right to life, food, and shelter. Unfortunately, you may fall ill at times and compromise the state of your health.

Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act, has been in effect for the past two terms of former President Barack Obama. The unexpected win of President Donald Trump spawned the creation of the long-awaited House Republican bill that is set to change the American economy. No longer will healthcare cover more Americans but it will also benefit more of the rich than those from the poorer classes.

With Republicans now controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, the bill would drive government policy down routes long advocated by conservatives. The course correction would take at least two years to get rolling, and probably longer to show definitive results. If it falls short, it would give rise to a fresh set of health care grievances.

The Republican legislation would limit future federal funding for Medicaid, which covers low-income people, about 1 in 5 Americans. And it would loosen rules that former President Barack Obama’s law imposed for health plans directly purchased by individuals, while also scaling back insurance subsidies.

(Via: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/gop-bill-settle-passionate-health-care-debate-45955892)

Despite Republican claims of bringing in a new and better health …

Road Rage: An Ugly Truth

rrauI remember the exact moment I fell victim to road rage. It happened four years ago on, of all days, Christmas morning. I was driving on a freeway in Austin, TX. My two children, then 8 and 4, were in the backseat.

My driving record at that point was excellent. I had not had an accident since high school. My last speeding ticket was a dim memory. But that day, I was dangerously preoccupied. My mother had died of breast cancer just three months before. This was my first Christmas without her, and my grief was fresh. The kids and I were traveling to my aunt’s house in Houston. I remember hoping my aunt could give my children what I did not have the strength to: a merry Christmas.

Suddenly, a man driving a minivan cut in front of me and shot down the highway in a blue blur of speed. Before he was out of sight, I saw that his rear car,o area was filled with Christmas packages and that he was chatting happily with his wife. “How dare you do that to me!” I said to myself, before stomping the accelerator all the way to the floor.

“Mommy,” I heard Tyler, my 4-year-old. say from the backseat, “what are you doing””

I did not know. Emotion, not reason, was driving my car. All I knew was that I did not want the man in the blue van to get away with that random act of rudeness. I may not have been able to …

Reading The Fine Print In Food Can Help You Stay Healthy

fchushWhen it comes to making choices in the supermarket, most of us try to look for food that is good for our health. And food companies all tell us their products are just what we’re looking for.

Pork has become “the other white meat,” lean and low in cholesterol like chicken. Bran for breakfast may help us reduce the risk for some forms of cancer. Old-fashioned oatmeal helps protect us against heart disease. And TV commercials are full of trim, healthy people who use yogurt, prunes, grapefruit juice, and diet soft drinks.

Not to mention all the food packages that rpoclaim their contents are “Fresh!” “Natural!” “Lite!” “Low-fat!” “High Fiber!” “Sugarless!” “Cholesterol-free!”

Health claims for food are everywhere now, and they’ve stirred up a hot debate among nutrition experts.

The promotion for some products comes across as a mini-lesson in nutrition education. On one major brand of bran cereal, for example, the entire back of the package is filled with advice on a good total diet. It includes information about hig-fiber foods (like bran cereals, of course), from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), offers an NCI hotline number, and provides an address for an NCI booklet with more health tips. TV and print ads have the same emphasis on health.

Product Info: Useful or

Misleading?

Some nutrition experts believe health messages of this kind, if they are truthful and accurate, can carry useful information to many more consumers.

Other experts believe these health claims are a bad idea. Some manufacturers may make …

Usefulness Of The Mouthguard For Snoring

mgfsThere are research facilities that offer to test devices that can be simply called mouthguards for snoring. These facilities deal with sleep disorders and sleep patterns. When they are able to observe the fact that it is interrupted breaths that cause a person to snore, it is easier to design the mouthguard for snoring. Naturally, it is a matter of trial and error and many devices may have been rejected at the laboratory itself.

However, there are some that do come out of the labs to the manufacturing end, thereby creating a mouthguard for snoring. It has been found that these pieces are quite successful and have become very popular. Therefore, it is not too difficult to search through the internet and find a suitable mouth guard. They are available on the internet too and easy enough to buy it online. You might even find a good one on sale during the seasonal holidays. One of the best ways to attract customers is offering a discount or offering the device on sale as people would always want to take advantage of that. Naturally, there is no one that would not be happy to save some money however great the need for a certain device.

Where Can You Find Answer To Does Snorerx Work?

It is often that you find going online is only marginally helpful. This could happen if you asked a question such as does the Snorerx work? That is because it is a subjective answer that you will find. People that claim …

How A Piece of Plastic Can Help The Whole Household Sleep

Lots of people snore; that’s a fact that can’t be ignored. There are a lot of reasons why people snore and there are a lot of products that claim they can help you stop snoring. If you, or someone you love, suffer from the invasive issue of snoring, you want to read this article.

This isn’t just a review on one specific snoring mouthpiece, this is a review on snoring mouthpieces as a whole. We don’t like to play favourites so we want to share the idea that using a snoring mouthpiece can really help you get that desired 8 hours of sleep you’ve been longing for. This snoring remedies site attests to that!

Now, either you snore and you are constantly being awoken by yourself or your partner jabbing you in the ribs with an elbow, or your partner or family member snores and your supply of earplugs is running out. Of the options that are out there that say they can help with the snoring habit, we want you to consider using a snoring mouthpiece.

But why would I want to shove a hunk of plastic in my mouth when I sleep? What help will that be?

Ah yes, we have heard these questions before. Sure, using a snoring mouthpiece doesn’t sound as fun or as easy as say, using a nasal strip that is supposed to hold your nostrils open. It can be easy though and it can be unobtrusive as well. Many people shy away from the idea of snoring mouthpieces …

Potatoes: A Wondrous Vegetable

potatoesHere are some fascination things you may not know about potatoes: * They gave a name to the long-ago “Potato War” in Europe, when Austrian and Prussian armies ate all the potatoes along the battle lines-and then stopped fighting. * They gave us two president of the United States. In the 1840s, when blight destroyed the potato crop and brought famine to Ireland, more than a million Irish came to this country. Among their descendants: John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. * They can help you wrap a present. Cut a potato in half, carve out a design (remember how you did it in kindergarten?), and stamp out your pattern with paint on plain wrapping paper.

That’s just a little of the lore that surrounds this humble yet versatile vegetable. But potatoes are also one of the world’s most important food crops. Potatoes were first grown by Indians in the high sierras of the Andes in South America. they were carried to Europe by the Spanish explorers, and their use spread from there. Today, just one year’s potato harvest is worth more than all the gold and silver the Spanish took from the New World.

The Dieter’s Friend

A lot of people used to believe that potatoes were fattening. Now we’re discovering that just isn’t true. Most of the calories aren’t in the potatoes, but in what’s added to them – butter, sour cream, gravy, rich sauces, fat that’s absorbed in frying, mayonnaise coating the potato salad. Potatoes by themselves are a real …

Should You Consider The Good Morning Snore Solution?

You might already be in search for an effective snoring solution that can finally provide you relief from your snoring problem. One of the tongue retainers you can consider is Good Morning Snore Solution because this is not just a simple oral appliance. It is capable of putting a stop to your snoring problem so you will no longer be plagued by the discomfort is provides. Your tongue is held forward by the device’s bulb. It is prevented from moving back so you will no longer have to worry about snoring. No preparation is needed as well because it is designed to fit all mouth sizes. One of the benefits you can reap from the product is the comfort it provides. Unlike jaw retainers, you will no longer have to worry about facial or jaw pain.

Instead of using bulk oral appliances, you can opt for Good Morning Snore Solution because it fits perfectly. Although it is made of durable materials, experts suggest replacing it every 12 months. You can also read Good Morning Snore Solution reviews for you to find out more about the product. It is indeed out of the ordinary because it is based on scientific studies approved by the FDA. You should give this product a try as you will not be wasting your money.

Get Help With Your Buying Decision
Snoring is not a problem that should remain unsolved for the rest of your life because there are already some devices you can use to control it. Aside from consulting …

Secrets To Successful Test Taking

ststkThe big history exam is coming up…to say nothing of quizzes in English, math, and science. With all that studying to do, who needs to use valuable time learning how to take tests?

You do. It’s true that you, like many students, have been taking tests ever since you started at a good school. Yet, despite all this experience, many students may not be all that test-wise. They may not realize that test-taking is a learned skill, not one you are born with.

Test-taking is also a skill that will be necessary long after you receive your high school diploma. If you go on to college, you will be essayed, multiple-choiced, and final-exammed for years to come. Those of you choosing a non-college career path will still end up taking tests. Armed service recruits take placement exams. Tradespeople must pass exams for licensing. On-the-job promotions often come as a result of work-related tests.

Confidence Helps

One thing that will help your performance in any of these tests is confidence. Karl Kirkland and James Hollandsworth, psychologists at the University of Southern Mississippi, taught students several different ways of preparing for tests to see which was the most effective. They found that students who combined test-taking strategies with self-reassurance performed best on exams. These students gained calm and confidence by coaching themselves with thoughts like “I have plenty of time – read the questions carefully” or when they become distracted, they think, “I will think about that later, now, back to the test.”

Of course, …

Saving Someone From Choking

ssfcWhen Jim first noticed the man sitting at the next table in the fast-food restaurant, he thought the man was having a heart attack. His hand was on his chest, and he looked scared. As the man’s lips darkened in color, Jim knew he should do someting. Jim got up, walked over to the man, and asked, “Are you choking?”

As he looked back on the incident, Jim was amazed. “I was thinking it was a heart attack, but the word ‘choking’ came out, because in my health class last year, that was what I was taught to ask.”

To Jim’s surprise, the man nodded, and Jim went into action. He called out “Help!” loudly, then turned to the man and said, “I can help you.” As he stepped behind the man, Jim turned to the manager of the restaurant, who had appeared at his side, and said, “He’s choking. Call an ambulance.”

Once behind the victim, Jim wrapped his arms around him and made a fist with one hand. He placed it in the middle of the man’s abdomen, below his breastbone but above his navel. He remembered to place the thumb side of his fist against the man and then covered it with his other hand. Keeping his elbows out, he pressed his fist into the man’s abdomen with a quick upward thrust.

It took three thrusts before he heard the food coughed from the man’s throat and onto the floor. Jim heard the ambulance siren as he helped the man sit down. …

Rheumatic Fever – Still A Threat, Believe It Or Not

A funny thing happened on the way to adding rheumatic fever to the list of disappearing diseases – not funny as in “ha-ha,” but funny as in strange and troubling.

rmfThe hospital wards once set up to care for children with this dangerous disease (it can cripple the heart) had closed. To most young people, the image of the sad-eyed rheumatic fever victim watching from a window while friends romped and played outside was just a scene from some old melodrama, an artistic idea from the past. A dramatic 90 percent drop in the annual rate of new cases since the 1960s seemed to show rheumatic fever was going out with bell bottoms and love beads. Then–like Jason and Freddie and those other indestructible horror movie villains–it was back.

Unwelcome and unexplainable outbreaks of rheumatic fever in places as far apart as Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, and Boston began in the mid-1980s and caused medical experts to take a new look at an old disease. This disease, that usually strikes first among young people between the ages of 5 and 15, can lead to a lifetime with a damaged heart.

In the Begiining — Bacteria

If rheumatic fever is an unfamiliar term to you, how about group A hemolytic streptoccocci? You probably know that better as the bacteria that cause strep throat — and in the beginning, there is strep throat. Though rheumatic fever is not contagious (you cannot “catch” the disease), its potential parents, the strep germs, are. Because these bacteria are easily …

The Drug War And Drugs. What Do You Know About It?

dwadsThe lure of drugs is strong. For dealers, money motivates. For users, the desire for pleasure or escape usually prompts the entry into drugs. The quest to repeat the experience drives addiction.

Unwittingly, each user fuels an international drug economy that is built on violence, greed, and a callous disregard for human life.

The drug business is an ugly one, full of exploitation, wrecked health, and wasted lives. It also is a big business, the biggest in the world, with an annual volume exceeding $300 billion (some estimates go as high as $500 billion). But it is a big business that law enforcement agencies, national governments, and many small but powerful local initiatives are working to destroy. What are the chances of their doing this in the ’90s?

There are more than 40 million illegal drug users throughout the world — more than half of them in the United States alone. In fact, the United States is the single biggest market for the illegal drug trade.

Once thought of as merely a health or a social problem for drug users and their families, drug abuse in the United States during the last five to 10 years has created a set of problems so destructive and far-reaching that solving them has become one of our country’s top priorities. Why? Consider:

* Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court reports tfhat the number of drug-related cases in the federal courts has risen 85 percent in the last four years.

* The U.S. Department of Justice …

Lead: A Heavy, Dangerous Metal For Everyone

lahdLead is a useful metal. It doesn’t rust, it bonds with organic materials like wood, it is strong, heavy, and easy to mold. The ancient Romans hammered it into cups and plates and water pipes. In fact, our word plumbing comes from the Latin word plumbus, meaning lead.

In the Middle Ages, lead played a role in the great explosion of learning. It was used in making type for the newly invented printing press. With the Industrial Revolution, lead became an important part of many manufacturing processes and products. In the early 20th century, it found a new application as a gasoline additive, greatly improving engine performance. Today, lead is used in thousands of manufactured products, as well as in construction. Americans use more than a million tons of it every year.

Lead Poisoning

As useful as lead is in human technology, the human body does not need even a minute amount of it. In fact, it’s a poison. Ingesting a piece of lead the size of a person’s fingernail can kill. Nausea and vomiting are followed by convulsions, coma, and finally, death.

Even in small amounts, lead can cause big trouble. The body takes four to six weeks to rid soft tissues of the metal after it is ingested. It can take up to 30 years for lead to leave the bones. Meanwhile, there may be temporary illness or even permanent harm.

Lead can damage the brain, liver, and kidneys. The symptoms of lead poisoning are many and varied. Lead interferes with the …

Travel: Don’t Get Sick. Disease Is Everywhere

tdgsAt this time of the year, it’s tantalizing to imagine lounging in the shade of a tall palm tree, looking over the shimmering waters of a tropical ocean. You watch gulls swooping down over the waves and porpoises leaping playfully in rhythmic patterns. As you slowly sip on an ice-cold lemonade, you think, “This is paradise!”

Paradise it may well be, but even paradise has its hazards. One of them is the possibility of contracting a travel disease. Such diseases range from mild malaise due to jet lag to disabling dengue fever. However, smart travelers can usually avoid illness by finding out before they go what diseases they may be exposed to while traveling.

Jet Lag

Going to places like Canada, Europe, Australia, or New Zealand poses very few health risks for most travelers. Nevertheless, people traveling by plane across the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean may suffer from jet lag. This condition occurs when the body’s internal clock is out of sync with local time.

A simple example will show how a long plane ride can wreak havoc with the body. Pretend you are traveling to Rome. The plane ride from New York City to Rome is 8 1/2 hours long. Rome is six hours ahead of New York timewise. That means if you take off from New York at 5 p.m., you will land in Rome at 7:30 a.m. the next morning (Roman time). The city will be busy and noisy. If you were on a Roman schedule, you would probably be …

Don’t Get Sucked In By False Health Products

fhpeye, have a look at this: the space-age diet that lets you “eat all day, and still lose weight.” Or, the one that promises results “within hours.” Or, the potion that will “add inches to your height in just 10 weeks.” Or, that beauty cream that guarantees “a gorgeous, proportioned figure.” Or, the ancient nutrient from the Far East that will “optimize your life force.”

The modern-day health quack is ready to give you–for a price–any or all of these pie-in-the-sky “miracles.”

The health hucksters and frauds are out to get you if you don’t watch out. They are ready with the remedy-of-the-month. Their scams offer you miracle drugs, super-pills, revolutionary formulas, dramatic results. They know secrets that will help you grow hair, lose pounds overnight, get rid of skin blemishes, melt away fat. They can cure whatever ails you, with “newly-discovered” foods, drugs, potions, devices–all with a money-back guarantee that’s as phony as the products they sell and the claims they make.

In the past, the huckster was a snake-oil salesman. Today he, or she, can be almost indistinguishable from a legitimate business person. The modern-day quack doesn’t do business from the back of a wagon or in front of a tent. The quack’s messages now come to you in sophisticated newspaper and magazine ads, on radio and TV, in books and lectures.

The United States Constitution bars censorship, so the government can’t stop quacks from making exaggerated or false claims in books, newsletters, lectures, or radio and TV interviews.

Many teenagers–and …

Risks: Can You Handle Them?

Rappeling down a cliff, creating a science project, or dialing the number of that special someone you’ve wanted to call for weeks now may seem like very diverse experiences with nothing in common. But actually, these scenes all involve one decision: the decision to take a risk.

Some risk-taking has the potential for dangerous consequences. Consider aviators Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, who successfully flew nonstop around the world in 1987 in a feather-light aircraft without refueling, risking their lives.

Domino’s Pizza founder and Detroit Tigers owner Tom Monaghan, whose father died when he was 4 years old and who spent his childhood in foster homes and orphanages, became a multimillionaire in spite of the odds. He risked losing lots of other people’s money and the possibility of financial ruin instead of financial success.

While these risk-takers succeeded, others do not see such happy endings. How about that friend of a friend of your, who risked ignoring the speed limit and didn’t live to tell the story of how he skidded on the highway?

An “Epidemic”

rcuhtExperts agree that risk-taking behavior accounts for much of the high death rates of adolescents by violence, accidents, suicides, and homicides. But risk-taking isn’t an adolescents-only problem. Scientists at a conference on risk-taking behavior, sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, concluded that “although some degree of fearlessness is admirable, the U.S. culture as a whole is in the midst of an ‘epidemic’ of violent and destructive risk-taking behavior.”

Risk-taking behavior may be partially explainable, say scientists, …

Fighting For Her Disabled Son Gave Her New Purpose

ffhdWhen Ginny Judson met Dick Thornburgh at the 1963 wedding of a college classmate in Pittsburgh, she knew instantly he was the one for her. “I found out he was a man of full disclosure,” she says. “On our second date – before he’d even kissed me – he took me to his house and showed me his three little boys asleep in their beds.”

Their mother (also named Ginny) had been killed in a car accident three years earlier when the children were 3, 2, and 4 months old. Peter, the baby, had sustained a serious brain injury in the crash.

Ginny and Dick were married just six months after they met. At the time, he was a 31 -year-old lawyer starting a career that would lead to such top-echelon posts as governor of Pennsylvania, U.S. attorney general, and undersecretary general of the United Nations. “One of his most attractive qualities was that he was a wonderful father,” Ginny says now. “He even asked if our wedding could be postponed a week so he could be with his son David on his fifth birthday.”

Ginny gave up her job as a grade-school teacher to become the boys’ second mother (she hates the word stepmother) but got more than she’d bargained for: “I was a naive twenty-three-year-old; I cried a lot during those first few months because I felt so inadequate. Peter was almost four and couldn’t walk or talk – a large section of his skull had been removed to prevent additional …