What is a stroke?
A stroke, or "brain attack", occurs when blood circulation to the brain fails. Brain cells can die from decreased blood flow and the resulting lack of oxygen. There are two broad categories of stroke: those caused by a blockage of blood flow and those caused by bleeding. While not usually fatal, a blockage of a blood vessel in the brain or neck, called an ischemic stroke, is the most frequent cause of stroke and is responsible for about 80 percent of strokes. These blockages stem from three conditions: the formation of a clot within a blood vessel of the brain or neck, called thrombosis; the movement of a clot from another part of the body such as the heart to the neck or brain, called embolism; or a severe narrowing of an artery in or leading to the brain, called stenosis. Bleeding into the brain or the spaces surrounding the brain causes the second type of stroke, called hemorrhagic stroke.
What are Warning Signs of a Stroke?
Warning signs are clues your body sends that your brain is not receiving enough oxygen. If you observe one or more of these signs of a stroke or "brain attack", don't wait, call a doctor or 911 right away!
- Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Other danger signs that may occur include double vision, drowsiness, and nausea or vomiting. Sometimes the warning signs may last only a few moments and then disappear. These brief episodes, known as transient ischemic attacks or TIAs, are sometimes called "mini-strokes." Although brief, they identify an underlying serious condition that isn't going away without medical help. Unfortunately, since they clear up, many people ignore them. Don't. Heeding them can save your life.
What are the Risk Factors for a Stroke?
A risk factor is a condition or behavior that occurs more frequently in those who have, or are at greater risk of getting, a disease than in those who don't. Having a risk factor for stroke doesn't mean you'll have a stroke. On the other hand, not having a risk factor doesn't mean you'll avoid a stroke. But your risk of stroke grows as the number and severity of risk factors increases.
Stroke occurs in all age groups, in both sexes, and in all races in every country. It can even occur before birth, when the fetus is still in the womb. In African-Americans, stroke is more common and more deadly--even in young and middle-aged adults--than for any ethnic or other racial group in the United States. Scientists have found more and more severe risk factors in some minority groups and continue to look for patterns of stroke in these groups.
What are the Treatable Risk Factors?
Some of the most important treatable risk factors for stroke are:
- High blood pressure. Also called hypertension, this is by far the most potent risk factor for stroke. If your blood pressure is high, you and your doctor need to work out an individual strategy to bring it down to the normal range. Some ways that work: Maintain proper weight. Avoid drugs known to raise blood pressure. Cut down on salt. Eat fruits and vegetables to increase potassium in your diet. Exercise more. Your doctor may prescribe medicines that help lower blood pressure. Controlling blood pressure will also help you avoid heart disease, diabetes, and kidney failure.
- Cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking has been linked to the buildup of fatty substances in the carotid artery, the main neck artery supplying blood to the brain. Blockage of this artery is the leading cause of stroke in Americans. Also, nicotine raises blood pressure; carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen your blood can carry to the brain; and cigarette smoke makes your blood thicker and more likely to clot. Your doctor can recommend programs and medications that may help you quit smoking. By quitting, at any age, you also reduce your risk of lung disease, heart disease, and a number of cancers including lung cancer.
- Heart disease. Common heart disorders such as coronary artery disease, valve defects, irregular heart beat, and enlargement of one of the heart's chambers can result in blood clots that may break loose and block vessels in or leading to the brain. The most common blood vessel disease, caused by the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries, is called atherosclerosis. Your doctor will treat your heart disease and may also prescribe medication, such as aspirin, to help prevent the formation of clots. Your doctor may recommend surgery to clean out a clogged neck artery if you match a particular risk profile. If you are over 50, NINDS scientists believe you and your doctor should make a decision about aspirin therapy. A doctor can evaluate your risk factors and help you decide if you will benefit from aspirin or other blood-thinning therapy.
- Warning signs or history of stroke. If you experience a TIA, get help at once. Many communities encourage those with stroke's warning signs to dial 911 for emergency medical assistance. If you have had a stroke in the past, it's important to reduce your risk of a second stroke. Your brain helps you recover from a stroke by drawing on body systems that now do double duty. That means a second stroke can be twice as bad.
- Diabetes. You may think this disorder affects only the body's ability to use sugar, or glucose. But it also causes destructive changes in the blood vessels throughout the body, including the brain. Also, if blood glucose levels are high at the time of a stroke, then brain damage is usually more severe and extensive than when blood glucose is well-controlled. Treating diabetes can delay the onset of complications that increase the risk of stroke.
Medications:
Coumadin - Coumadin is an anticoagulant used to prevent blood clots from moving or forming.
Plavix - Plavix keeps blood platelets slippery and discourages formation of clots, thereby improving blood flow to your heart, brain, and body. The drug is prescribed to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and serious circulation problems in people with hardening of the arteries or unstable angina (dangerous chest pain), and in people who've already suffered a heart attack or stroke.
Purely Canadian Drugs is a service company that provides health administrative services, access to prescription drugs from Canada, and over-the-counter (OTC) products predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase Canadian prescription drugs on-line.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Canada - Home To Dozens Of Licensed Internet Pharmacies
Over the years, a growing number of Internet pharmacies have been set up globally. One of the pharmaceutical industry's fastest growing segments is so-called Internet pharmacy, which allow people to buy essential medicines at lower prices from foreign countries. Internet pharmacies are similar to public pharmacies that serve consumers online. The basic difference is the way by which the medications are requested and received. Some customers consider this to be more favorable and private method rather than going to a local drug store. Now a day, physicians do advice patients to buy medicine from Internet pharmacies.
Prescription drugs are very costly in the United States than anywhere else in the world. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that doesn't impose price controls to keep prescription drug costs down. U.S. drug companies have opposed against limiting drug prices. Drug manufacturers debated that restricting costs would reduce the companies' ability to pay for the costly research that creates new medications.
Canadian pharmacies only sell the top quality of medicines available. All medications are government approved and are distributed by a fully licensed and approved pharmacy. Canadian pharmacies are providing patients with high quality, safe drugs at low-cost prices. Every drug is checked, verified and filled by a trained and licensed pharmacist. Brand-name drugs purchased in Canada can typically cost 30% to 70% less than the same drugs purchased in the U.S.
Canada is home to dozens of licensed Internet pharmacies, many which sell their lower-cost prescription drugs to U.S. consumers, who pay the world's highest drug prices. However, there are Internet pharmacies in many other countries including Israel, Fiji and the UK that serve customers worldwide. Most Canadian Internet pharmacies exist in the province of Manitoba.
In the United States, there has been a push to legalize importation of medications from Canada and other countries, in order to reduce consumer costs. While in most cases importation of prescription medications violates Food and Drug Administration regulations and federal laws, enforcement is generally targeted at international drug suppliers, rather than consumers. There is no known case of any U.S. citizens buying Canadian drugs for personal use with a prescription, which has ever been charged by authorities. The issue has become a political hot button.
Internet pharmacies of Canada have some top class pharmacists with plenty of experiences. Each prescription is thoroughly reviewed by the pharmacists. In the coming decades, online pharmacy pharmacists are expected to become more integral within the health care system. Rather than simply dispensing medication, pharmacists expect to be paid for their cognitive skills.
So as the past is different than today, so is shopping with an Internet pharmacy. You now have a new way to purchase drugs. Paying high prices is no longer needed when you purchase from a Canadian Internet pharmacy. An online Internet pharmacy has it all and all you have to do is go online and take favor of it. Orders placed will be private and strictly confidential. A Canadian Internet pharmacy provides services that are unmatchable. You can be guaranteed that you will only get the top-grade medications in the world.
Wain Roy is an internet marketing professional expert in various industries like real estate, web design, finance, medical tourism and Canadian pharmacy drug
Purely Canadian Drugs is a service company that provides health administrative services, access to prescription drugs from Canada, and over-the-counter (OTC) products predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase Canadian prescription drugs on-line. For more information on how to order your prescriptions from Canada call toll-free 1-866-293-3904 or visit http://www.purelycanadiandrugs.com/.
Labels: canada drugs, canada drugs online, canada online pharmacies, canadian pharmacies online, canadian prescription drugs, canadian prescriptions, drugs from Canada, prescriptions from Canada
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
What You Should Know About The Basic Asthma Types.
If you frequently experience asthma attacks, you are acquainted with the often unexpected onset of a tight feeling in your chest, coughing, and difficulty getting your breath when something triggers an attack. Knowing what type of asthma you have can help you control, or even eliminate your attacks.
There are three major types of asthma, allergic, idiopathic, and mixed asthma:
1. Allergic asthma is usually caused by airborne and seasonal allergens. Typically, there is a family history of allergies, but not necessarily asthma. Once you are exposed to the allergen, it becomes a trigger for an asthma attack. By avoiding the allergen, the asthma is controlled. Children with this kind of asthma generally outgrow it by the time they reach puberty.
2. Idiopathic or non-allergic asthma is not related to any specific allergen or substance. Common triggers can include the common cold, exercise, emotions, a respiratory tract infection or environmental pollution. Food additives such as sulphites might also trigger this type of asthma. Over time, asthma attacks can become more frequent and severe. It could also develop into a more serious respiratory condition, such as chronic bronchitis, or emphysema.
3. Mixed asthma is a combination of the above types. It is the most commonly diagnosed kind of asthma.
4. Exercise induced asthma is not considered to be one of the basic types of asthma. It is common in people who have one of the above varieties. If you experience exercise induced asthma, your airway is reactive to certain conditions, and exercise acts as a trigger. Sometimes, the first symptom you have is suffering from shortness of breath when you exercise. You might ignore it, thinking that it is because you are out of shape, or haven't worked out for a while. You will find that you cannot build up your endurance because you remain short of breath after minimal exercise. Aerobic exercise, running, playing soccer or hockey, is most likely to trigger this type of asthma attack.
No matter what asthma type you suffer from, it can take control over your life. It determines how well you sleep at night, how much energy you have during the day, and how much enjoyment you get out of life. Understanding your asthma type puts you back in control, and helps you prevent those episodes.
Follow the link to find asthma drugs from Canada like Advair MDI
Purely Canadian Drugs is a service company that provides health administrative services, access to prescription drugs from Canada, and over-the-counter (OTC) products predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase Canadian drugs on-line.
For more information on how to order your Canadian prescriptions call toll-free 1-866-293-3904 or visit http://www.purelycanadiandrugs.com/.
Labels: allergen, asthma, asthma attack, breathing, canada drugs, canadian prescriptions, idiopathic, seasonal
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Yasmin birth control pill from Canada.
Yasmin is a combination birth control pill of estrogen and progestin. It is available in a 21 or 28 day pack. The first 21 pills contain the same amount of estrogen and progestin.
The 21-pill pack is taken daily for 3 weeks with no pills taken for 1 week. The 28-pill pack is taken daily for 3 weeks with the last 7 "reminder pills" taken for 1 week. The reminder pills contain no active ingredients and are there to keep you in the routine of taking the Pill every day.
The estrogen part of the Pill tricks your body into thinking it is pregnant so that it doesn't release an egg. The progestin prevents ovulation. Yasmin also thickens your cervical mucus to stop any movement of sperm. The cervical mucus acts as a backup to prevent pregnancy even if an egg is released.
If taken correctly on a daily basis, Yasmin is as much as 99% effective in preventing pregnancy, but there is still a 1% chance that you could get pregnant. Furthermore, missing a pill or taking a pill a few hours later than normal can decrease the effectiveness. Certain medications like antibiotics are also known to increase the chance of your birth control pill failing.
Yasmin birth control side effects
Common side effects for combination birth control pills can be:- Weight gain
- Nausea and vomiting (felt for the first few cycles)
- Dizziness
- Increase or decrease in acne
- Headaches
- High blood pressure
- Loss of libido
- Depression
- Vaginal infections
Serious, less common, health risks can be:
- Blood clots in legs, lungs, heart or brain
- Stroke
- Heart attacks
- Possibly cervical cancer
Purely Canadian Drugs is a service company that provides health administrative services, access to prescription drugs from Canada, and over-the-counter (OTC) products predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase Canadian drugs on-line.
For more information on how to order your Canadian prescriptions call toll-free 1-866-293-3904 or visit http://www.purelycanadiandrugs.com/.
Labels: birth control, birth control in canada, canada drugs online, canadian prescriptions, drugs from Canada, the pill, yasmin
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Can a Canadian Pharmacy Provide the Same Medications as U.S. Sources?
Canadian pharmacies online offer prescription medications at drastically reduced prices when compared to U.S. pharmacies. This is a well know fact. Yet, how do you know the medications from a Canadian pharmacy online will be the same as the medication you buy locally at a higher price? Does a lower price mean lower standards?
In Canada, wholesale drug purchases are controlled by the government and those price controls filter all the way down to the retail level. Retail prices for every Canadian Pharmacy are also under Government control, so prices are identical across the country.
There can be a slight difference in pricing between individual pharmacies because of their dispensing fee, where they are allowed to compete. (A dispensing fee is a flat rate a Canadian pharmacy charges for every prescription they fill, usually $7 - $9 dollars) A Canadian pharmacy can also earn a rebate from the wholesale distributor depending on the volume of medications dispensed.
The Canadian pharmacy association is under strict government control starting from bulk import purchases right through to the consumer. Government agents inspect every aspect of this industry at regular intervals and at all levels. Canadian pharmacy standards are definitely as high as American standards in every respect. If a drug is dispensed from a Canadian pharmacy, you can be assured it is the genuine article.
Where Your Medications Come FromBrand-name medications are made by a specific pharmaceutical company, who of course holds the rights. Once the generic medication becomes available, (17 years after the license was issued) other companies can produce the generic form of that medication.
The patent protection period allows time for the U.S. pharmaceutical company to recoup the costs associated with research and development. These name-brand medications are sold for "whatever the market will bear" and traditionally, the prices are very high. Once the patent protection period is over, other medication manufacturers begin making the generic form and of course the prices drop.
Sometimes a generic drug becomes available in Canada before the United States. In those cases you can benefit from the lower price for a year or more until the generic is available at home. On the other hand many new brand name drugs are available here for a year or more before they make their way into Canada. You have the advantage of first access to those improved drugs. Sometimes it can be 12 - 18 months before it becomes available in Canada, if ever.
Quality Prescriptions From Canada?Yes, the Canadian pharmacy online services who supply prescription medications to the general public on a mail-order basis send exactly the same medications as those obtained in the U.S. Yes, their prices really are lower and you can enjoy a large savings on your medications by choosing a reliable Canadian pharmacy to provide your medications.
Ask a Few Questions FirstChoose a Canadian pharmacy that requires a prescription from your local doctor and then has a Canadian doctor co-sign your prescription. A prescription from the country of origin must be included with the shipment to be allowed across the border.
Written by: Darwin Corby Canadian Pharmacy OnlinePurely Canadian Drugs is a service company that provides health administrative services, access to prescription drugs from Canada, and over-the-counter (OTC) products predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase Canadian drugs on-line.
For more information on how to order your Canadian prescriptions call toll-free 1-866-293-3904 or visit http://www.purelycanadiandrugs.com/.
Labels: canada online pharmacies, canadian pharmacies online, canadian prescription drugs, prescriptions from Canada