Category Archives: Health Care

3 Must Have Herbs for Stress Reduction

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by Christina Sarich
May 26th, 2013
Natural Society

Are you mentally exhausted and feel as if you can’t face one more stress in life? It’s becoming widely accepted that stress is a significant cause of illness and disease overall, so it’s important to manage this dilemma in any way possible. There are three Ayurvedic herbs that can greatly support the restoration of the central nervous system, adrenal glands, and brain so that you can face life’s challenges with ease and grace. We all face challenging times, and a little natural therapy can go a long way in helping to support us as we look head-on into the world.

Here are 3 must-have herbs for reducing stress.

Read more at Natural Society

VA wait times mean some die before getting care

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“The bottom line is it is unclear how long veterans are waiting to receive care in VA’s medical facilities because the reported data are unreliable,” Draper told the panel.

By Patricia Kime – Staff writer

Internal Veterans Affairs Department documents show that at least two veterans died last year waiting to see a doctor while others couldn’t get primary care appointments for up to eight months, members of a House oversight and investigations panel said Thursday.

Addressing the ongoing problem of vets who suffer through long waits for appointments at VA hospitals and clinics, House lawmakers joined federal investigators and veterans service organizations in castigating VA on an issue that has endured for more than a decade.

“Evidence shows that many VA facilities, when faced with a backlog of thousands of outstanding or unresolved consultations, decided to administratively close out these requests. Some reasons given included that the request was years old, too much time had elapsed, or the veteran had died,” said Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., chairman of the House Veterans Oversight and Investigations panel.

“This is unacceptable,” said Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., the panel’s ranking Democrat. “Veterans deserve timely, accessible health care.”

According to VA, about 49 percent of new patients and 90 percent of established patients are able to see a primary care doctor or specialist within VA’s goal of 14 days, a metric established in 2011.

But the first-time patients who weren’t seen within 14 days waited an average 50 days to schedule initial appointments.

Read more at Army Times

Man caught on border has rare strain of TB

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Express-News
By Jason Buch
Wednesday, January 16, 2013

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is holding a young immigrant from Asia who officials say is infected with a rare drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis.

The man was detained by the Border Patrol trying to sneak into South Texas on Nov. 27.

Several days later, while undergoing a medical screening at the Port Isabel Service Detention Center, he was diagnosed with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, the least treatable form of the disease.

Officials declined to identify the infected man other than to say he is young and from an Asian country.

It’s only the third time since 2008 the strain has been detected in Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

“This is a very rare situation, and XDR is considered to be a very dangerous disease,” said Carrie Williams, a spokeswoman for the department. “But it’s not easily transmitted and we have no reason to believe community exposures have occurred.”

Read more at the Williams TEA Party

Could Israeli company hold the key to the medicinal marijuana controversy?

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marijuana3n-2-webThe controversy over legalizing marijuana continues with even the medicinal benefits being questioned. Lame stream media likes to promote doctors who say the medicinal benefits are negligible while ignoring anyone else.

Some contend that it might actually increase problems, such as some who get a prescription and turn pusher. Some claim it is a Soros conspiracy because the THC causes mental health conditions such as schizophrenia.

Tikkun Olam, a company in Israel, may hold the a key to the medicinal marijuana controversy. The company announced in July of 2012 that they had developed a strain of marijuana with high levels of the beneficial cannabidiol and less of the THC that causes people to get high. Normal marijuana is illegal in Israel, as in the U.S., but medicinal marijuana has been legal since the mid-1990s.

The New York Daily News reported:

A team at Tikkun Olam, a company in Israel, worked to boost the levels of cannabidiol — the part of the plant used to ease the symptoms of cancer and other diseases — and neutralize the side effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. That’s the part that induces a calm, light-headed feeling.

“Sometimes getting high is an ‘unwanted side effect’,” says Zack Klein, head of development at Tikun Olam in an interview on The Week.

“The new strain looks, smells and tastes the same, but many patients given the marijuana thought they were using a placebo,” Klein said in the Daily News article.

Medicinal marijuana has been legalized in Arizona and has split communities throughout the State. Arizona has a law—passed by initiative—that prevents the State Legislature from overturning any law passed by initiative. That initiative was passed after lawmakers in the State overturned a medicinal marijuana law in the mid 90’s.

While State legislators cannot stop medicinal marijuana, they could look into making only this new version of marijuana legal for medicinal use. Since it does not have the content of THC required to get you high, it might even be legal to sell it over the counter. Many who require medicinal marijuana might even appreciate the change since they claim that they only want it for the medicinal benefits. They probably could continue to drive and function normally.

In November, USA Today reported that the Israeli government is pushing further development of the medicinal marijuana for cancer patients and those with pain-related illnesses such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and even post-traumatic stress disorder. The drug can be smoked, ingested as a liquid or spread on the skin as a balm.

“When push comes to shove, and people see how suffering people are benefitting, I’m sure everyone will get behind it,” said Yuli Edelstein, Israeli Minister of Public Diplomacy.

This does not, of course, solve the controversy over whether or not an intoxicating form of the drug should be legal.

Multiple vaccine doses have resulted in up to 145,000 child deaths in past 20 years

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(NaturalNews) The recommended childhood vaccination schedule has changed dramatically over the years, with children now receiving upwards of 30 vaccines, including multiple combination vaccines, before the age of six. And in many cases, doctors and nurses administer half a dozen or more vaccines all at once during a single visit to make sure children get all these shots and to save time. But according to data compiled from the government’s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), as many as 145,000 children or more have died throughout the past 20 years as a result of this multiple vaccine dose approach, and few parents are aware of this shocking fact.

In a study recently published in the journal Human & Experimental Toxicology, researchers evaluated the overall number of hospitalizations and deaths associated with vaccines administered between 1990 and 2010, and compared this data to the number of vaccines given at one time to individual children. Hospitalizations and deaths resulting from one vaccine dose were compared to those of two vaccine doses, in other words, and the same all the way up to eight vaccine doses. Researchers also evaluated overall hospitalization and death rates associated with getting one to four combined vaccine doses, five to eight combined vaccine doses, and one to eight combined vaccine doses.

Upon analysis, the team found that the more vaccines a child receives during a single doctor visit, the more likely he or she is to suffer a severe reaction or even die. According to Heidi Stevenson from Gaia Health, for each additional vaccine a child receives, his or her chance of death increases by an astounding 50 percent — and with each additional vaccine dose, chances of having to be hospitalized for severe complications increase two-fold. To sum it all up, the overall size of the vaccine load was found to be directly associated with hospitalization and death risk, illustrating the incredible dangers of administering multiple vaccines at once.

Read more at Natural News

Would legalizing marijuana actually increase problems?

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With the recent legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington and marijuana dispensaries being all the rage, YouTube video reporter Steven Crowder takes a humorous, but insightful, look into the legalization of the drug.

His report makes some interesting discoveries such as the fact that some people get a prescription for the drug to purchase from dispensaries and sell on the open market. He makes the point, as well, that pro-marijuana organizations claiming the drug is not that harmful may actually cause kids who would otherwise stray from the drug to try it.

While Crowder does not take either side of the cause, he does make some interesting points interviewing people concerned with various sides of the issue.

County Public Health Confirms Five Flu Cases

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FLAGSTAFF —– The Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) has confirmed five cases of influenza in the County this month.

The cases originated in the Flagstaff area and are the first of the 2012/2013 flu season. Those who contracted the illness ranged in age from infant to 30s.

The confirmed cases mark the beginning of the flu season in the County, as influenza activity within Arizona continues to increase with 20 cases reported statewide (including the County’s five cases).

“We have been anticipating our first flu cases in Coconino County,” said CCPHSD Interim Chief Health Officer Kimbal Babcock. “Since flu activity typically does not reach its peak until late January or February, and influenza activity can occur as late as May, this is still a good time to get a flu shot.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone older than 6 months old receive a yearly flu vaccination to protect themselves against flu viruses. A flu shot at a CCPHSD Clinic costs $25 for adults and $15 for children 18 years and younger.

As a courtesy, the CCPHSD will bill your insurance company, but those seeking a shot should check with their insurance provider to determine whether they are covered. No one will be denied service due to inability to pay.

In addition to getting a flu shot, practicing good habits will help people maintain proper health. These simple actions can stop the spread of germs and help protect you and others from getting sick:

• Wash your hands frequently during the flu season.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and wash your hands afterwards. If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve.
• Stay home when you are sick.

Perry officially rejects Texas insurance exchange

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AUSTIN – Texas Gov. Rick Perry officially notified the federal government on Thursday that the state will not set up an exchange to help people buy health insurance.

Perry sent the letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius a day before the deadline to let Washington know that the state will not set up its own exchange. President Barack Obama’s administration gave states the option of setting up their own exchanges, partnering with the federal government or letting Washington do it.

The health insurance exchanges are required under the Affordable Care Act. They give people without insurance an online market place to buy health insurance that suits them. People with low incomes and special needs will get subsidized insurance when the exchanges begin operating in October 2013.

Read more at Houston Chronicle

Health insurance CEOs nervous over prospect of Romney victory, repeal of Obamacare

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WASHINGTON — You’d think health insurance CEOs would be chilling the bubbly with Republican Mitt Romney’s improved election prospects, but instead they’re in a quandary.

Although the industry hates parts of President Barack Obama’s health care law, major outfits such as UnitedHealth Group and BlueCross Blue Shield also stand to rake in billions of dollars from new customers who’ll get health insurance under the law. The companies already have invested tens of millions to carry it out.

Were Romney elected, insurers would be in for months of uncertainty as his administration gets used to Washington and tries to make good on his promise repeal Obama’s law. Simultaneously, federal and state bureaucrats and the health care industry would face a rush of legal deadlines for putting into place the major pieces of what Republicans deride as “Obamacare.”

Would they follow the law on the books or the one in the works? What would federal courts tell them to do?

The answers probably would hinge on an always unwieldy Congress.

Read more at Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Mitt Romney web site
Read the Health Care Law. Nancy Pelosi didn’t.