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Archive for September, 2010

Arthritis – Can it Be Prevented?

30 Sep



Overview of Arthritis

Effective help is currently available for people to pro-actively manage arthritis and enjoy life to the fullest. But the actual prevention of arthritis itself is yet another story.

With rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the membranes or tissues lining the joints become inflamed. There is no known way to prevent any form of this disease, including osteoarthritis, adult-onset arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The exact causes of all these conditions are unknown.

It’s very important for people who fear they are at risk of rheumatoid arthritis to realize that at this time there are no medications to take or lifestyle modifications to make that can completely prevent this crippling disease. However, by making changes to your weight and diet and engaging in moderate exercise, you may be able to slow or even halt the disease’s onset and progress.

But you can only really take the measures needed to control arthritis after it is diagnosed. Until it is known for sure if certain bacteria or viruses trigger the disease, contact with people suffering from it will not change your risk of developing it.

Traditionally, medications and physical therapy have been used to manage the disease. A massive amount of nutrient research has also shown the effect diet and supplements have on the body’s healing processes. Lifestyle changes can also make a big difference.

Causes of the Disease

Joint injuries caused by accidents or overuse increase the occurrence of some types of arthritis. You can also inherit certain genes that may increase your risk. More research is needed to find out how to reduce the disease’s onset from these factors.

Some individuals have an inborn tendency to degenerative joint disease because they have changes in the structure of the important protein-building blocks of the articular cartilage which covers the surface of their joints. These seemingly small but significant abnormalities predispose their joints to wear and degeneration. In other cases, joint injuries may contribute to the development of DJD.

No foods have been definitively shown to cause or exacerbate arthritis in most individuals. A variety of diets and “hand-me-down” information exists about certain foods and arthritis, in particular the night shade plants, but none of it has been proven.

There is a rare form of arthritis called Spure which is caused by allergies to wheat products. Avoiding those will eliminate this disease. Associated features include weight loss, diarrhea and osteoporosis. Consult your health care provider if this is a concern.

There are things you can do to reduce your risk for getting certain types of arthritis or to reduce disability if you already have arthritis.

Overweight and obese people have a higher frequency of arthritis. Excess weight increases risk for developing osteoarthritis in the knees, and possibly in the hips and hands. Women are at special risk. In men, excess weight increases the risk for developing gout. It’s important to maintain your recommended weight, especially as you get older.

Arthritis Prevention Programs

The Center for Disease Control has implemented programs in several states to reduce the onset and consequences of arthritis. The National Arthritis Action Plan: A Public Health Strategy delineates the actions necessary to better understand the arthritis burden in the USA and helps to fully apply known and effective interventions.

This document represents the combined efforts of nearly 90 organizations, such as the Arthritis Foundation, government agencies and many other groups and individuals with an interest in arthritis prevention and control.

The NAAP proposes a nationally coordinated effort for reducing the occurrence of arthritis and its accompanying disability by focusing on these three areas:

1. Surveillance, epidemiology and prevention research to strengthen the science base.

2. Communications and education to increase awareness and provide accurate information about arthritis.

3. Programs, policies, and systems promoting increased quality of life for people with arthritis and facilitating arthritis prevention measures.

The CDC continues to accumulate scientific knowledge on the benefits of physical activity. Because healthy eating reduces a person’s risk of becoming overweight, good nutrition plays an important role in preventing knee osteoarthritis. In addition, moderate physical activity is essential for maintaining the health of joints.

Resources/The information outlined in this article is originally from:

HealingWithNutrition, Arthritis Facts, Disease Prevention and Treatment Strategies http://www.healingwithnutrition.com

Center for Disease Control, Framework for Arthritis Prevention and Control http://www.cdc.gov

The University of Washington Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Frequently Asked Questions About arthritis.

 
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Emergency Room Care at Home

30 Sep



Hospital emergency departments (EDs) were initially designed to provide immediate care for patients experiencing acute medical conditions and serious trauma victims. Once patients were stabilized they were either discharged home or transferred to another location for more advanced and specialized care. Now, EDs are experiencing increased use by people who do not have a primary care provider and use the ED for routine medical care. The increased inappropriate usage of the ED places an increased stress on already strained healthcare resources.

EDs have responded to the increased usage for non-emergent services by offering many more resources than the original emergency room. Now the ED has more diagnostic and treatment options than were previously intended. The ED now is a self-sufficient unit within the larger medical center, and has become integrated into the patients’ continuum of care. In-house specialty consultations are usually immediately available as are advanced diagnostic studies. This has perhaps led to a perpetuation of the misuse of the modern day emergency department.

An increasing problem is the misuse of emergency services by patients who do not have a primary care provider and use the ED for routine and non-urgent care. Less than 10% of emergency room visits are actually emergencies. More than half of the patients that present to the ED could be better served by being treated in place (home, skilled nursing facility, occupational health office, or added on to a PCP schedule). One-third of ED visits could be treated in a Primary Care Provider office. It has been well established treatment in Emergency Departments is more expensive than in any of the above mentioned potential care settings.

Despite the high cost of ED services non-emergent use of emergency services continues to grow. Many non-urgent ED visits could have been avoided if patients had a pre-existing relationship with an accessible primary care provider. In addition to the financial cost, crowded waiting areas, long wait times, actual and potential delays in receiving medical care patients are subjected to increased risk for medical errors, exacerbation of pre-existing conditions, and nosocomial infections. ERs will be swamped in the middle of the flu season with a combination of patient types some with actual flu or swine flu while others have minor sprains. Now the person with the sprain has been exposed to the highly contagious flu.

The medical house call has started to make resurgence in many parts of the country to help address many of the primary preventative non-urgent care needs of patients. The average ED visit in NYC can cost upwards of $800 and brings with it the risks of medical errors due to many different health care providers, loss of work and wages due to prolonged wait times, and infectious disease risk due to the gathering of people with airborne illness (Influenza, H1N1, staph and strep infections).

The average cost of a medical house call in NYC ranges from $150- $600 and greatly reduces the risk of nosocomial infections, saves time and reduces lost wages because the patient is able to wait in the comfort of their own home. Often times being able to see the patients normal environment can provide many clues for diagnosing a condition at a fraction of the cost of the ER visit. One hospital in Connecticut has even gone to posting wait times on line for their ERs so patients can log on and see how long it will take to be seen. As much as policymakers say they would like to reign in cost of health care clearly some have decided if you can’t fix the problem you may as well feature the problem.

The modern day medical house call can now offer many of the same services that were once only available in the emergency room. In the modern day medical house call patients can have comprehensive physical exams that include blood work, EKGs, x-rays, and ultrasounds (cardiac echo, carotid Doppler studies etc). These tests are often sufficient to provide the needed data to make a diagnosis and establish a treatment plan. Another benefit of the medical house call is the clinicians that are seeing you are able to give you their undivided attention. Also you will be able to see the same health care provider as opposed to the doctor of the day or medical resident. Another advantage of the medical house call is the increased privacy that you are afforded by the nature of staying in your home. If patient use the medical house call for their primary care needs as well as their sick day needs they may be able to spare themselves the stress and risks of a trip to the emergency room.

Some common conditions that can be treated in the home include common pulmonary infections (pneumonia & bronchitis), gastrointestinal conditions (stomach flu & abdominal pain), dermatological conditions (2nd degree burns, acne, rashes), chronic conditions (diabetes, COPD, hypothyroid, obesity, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure), urological problems (urinary tract infections, prostate inflammation, kidney stones), and dehydration. One preventative care measure that can be done in the home that is not typically done in an ER or even a traditional doctor’s office is health behavior counseling for lifestyle modifications. Typically this is done in doctor’s offices and Emergency rooms by giving you a generic handout. The reason for this is because the traditional care environment is focused doing the least amount of care possible to meet the needs of the masses that are waiting to be seen.

Emergency rooms were initially designed to treat acute medical conditions and to stabilize trauma patients before they are transfer to the appropriate treatment location. Unfortunately, EDs have also become a place to seek treatment for many people who do not have a primary care provider. As a result, the numbers of emergency visits has increased, although the reasons for the visits are often not emergencies. Non-emergent visits are causing a huge backlog of real emergency patients and increasing the amount of money spent on healthcare.

A new medical house calls company in NYC has recently opened which allows patients to communicate with their PCP online via a secure patient portal. Patients can request appointments online. The Nurse Practitioner arrives at the patient’s home, office or hotel usually the same or next day. The NP can diagnose the problem, order tests (most of which can be done at the patients home) and electronically submit a prescription to the local pharmacy that can typically deliver the medication. The company also offers established patients the convenience of web-cam follow-up appointments and email consultations, which allows patients to take their primary care provider with them when they travel. All of this costs a fraction of what the starting price of an ER visit would be. Patients can use their flex spending and health savings accounts or major credit card to pay for this service. As the debate over health care continues more and more innovative and market solutions will answer the call to solve the nations health crisis. The problem will be if policy is made to stifle innovation.

 
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My Joints Are Swollen – Do I Have Arthritis?

30 Sep



In short, ‘maybe’. A good rule of thumb when you are concerned about arthritis is the length of time for which you’ve been experiencing your symptoms. Typically, pain and swelling in the joints that persists for greater than six weeks is a good indicator of arthritis. However, this is not ‘iron clad’ and should be diagnosed by a doctor.

Not all joint pain and swelling is caused by arthritis, and because of the intricacies of the human body, any problem that persists for more than seven days should be evaluated by your physician. This is also true for joint pain.

If you’ve already been diagnosed with arthritis, and you notice new symptoms, consider consulting your doctor about possible causes and to gain advice on treating your pain and stiffness. In the mean time, here are some tips on relieving your swollen joint(s) at home.

Relieve your swollen joints

If you suspect your swelling is due to a recent injury, try icing the joint in fifteen-minute increments over a span of four to six hours. If you don’t have four to six hours to spare, do your best to treat the joint with ice in fifteen-minute increments for at least one hour.

People who have swelling that results from an old injury may find heat therapy to be both soothing and beneficial for mobility. Try a heating pad or microwavable heat pack while you’re watching TV or relaxing in the evening.

Arthritis sufferers will also find heat therapy more beneficial than ice. Moist heat will work well during an arthritic flare up. One of the best ways to utilize moist heat is by placing a wet towel in the dryer and running it until the towel is warm, but damp. Wrap the towel around the affected joint and relax. You can repeat this process as often as you like.

Joint swelling that is a result of infection can be treated with moist heat temporarily until you can see your doctor. If you believe you may have an infection, don’t put off visiting your doctor. The longer you wait, the more severe the infection can become, impacting the health of more than just your joints.

 
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Arthritis in Pets – Identifying Joint Pain Signs in Your Dogs and Cats

30 Sep



Around one fourth of all pet cats and dogs are affected in some way by arthritis. This condition can affect both old and young animals alike. There are several different factors that lead to the development of the arthritis in dogs and arthritis in cats. Injuries, infections, and joint disorders can all lead to this usually painful and even crippling condition. Because arthritis can be a very serious and even chronic disease, it is important to identify and treat it as quickly as possible.

Pets cannot tell or describe their pains and symptoms to you. Therefore, you must be aware of any signs or symptoms indicting that your animal is in agony from pain. There are several different indicators that let pet owners know that their pet may be suffering from some type of arthritic condition. One of the most common signs of joint pain is the change in the activity level of the animal. If a cat or dog begins to move less or slower than normal, then there is a very good possibility that the pet may be suffering from some form of arthritis.

In some cases, pets will not only move slower but they will refuse to move at all under certain conditions. For example, dog joint pain may lead the animal to completely refuse to jump into or out of a truck bed or another high place. Climbing stairs may also be a challenging activity for arthritic animals. Anytime that an animal stops carrying out actions that it once took is a red flag.

With extremely painful arthritis in dogs, the animal may yelp or cry out when touched or moved in certain positions. Dog joint pain can cause some mild mannered animals to even become aggressive when touched or handled. You may also see that the pet has a painful time getting up from a resting position or searches for a softer location to lie down when resting. These changes are typically much easier to identify in younger animals that have higher activity levels in the beginning. In older animals, it is possible that aging is the main culprit of slower activity. However, it could be a combination of age with arthritis that is causing the slower movements and pain in your pet.

Arthritis can also cause pets to lose their appetites and thus, lose weight. Some animals may even have a fever and appear to be sick. Other animals will lick at the aching joint as they lick at a skin wound in attempt to heal or comfort it. You may notice that the area is swollen and hot to the touch from joint inflammation.

Anytime that you notice a change in your pet’s behavior, appetite, or ability to move, then a veterinarian should be notified. The doctor will likely examine the animal, complete blood tests, and gain x-rays of the pet’s bones and joints. In some cases, a simple treatment such as pet medicine may solve the problem. However, the sooner that arthritis is identified, the quicker your pet can find relief from the condition.

 
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Breaking Tiny Foot Bones and Getting Back Into Pointe Shoes

29 Sep



The bones that commonly break from stress are in the forefoot, the section that extends from your toes to the middle of your foot. These tiny cracks do not extend through the bone, like most other types of fractures. They are typically stable, meaning no shift in bone alignment is caused. Nor do they displace bones so that the bone ends no longer line up.

Stress fractures often look like dark bruises. If the bone hasn’t twisted and broken your skin, you might not suspect anything more than a bruising. This is referred to as a closed fracture.

The little toe, or fifth metatarsal seems to be an especially vulnerable area. Loss of control in pointe shoes such as a sharp fall off pointe with the weight twisting over to the outer edge of the foot (sickling in) may tear the tendon that attaches to this bone which results in a small piece of the bone pulling away.

A Jones fracture is a fairly serious injury. It occurs near the base of the little toe bone and interferes with the blood supply to the bone. This injury may even require surgery to heal correctly.

Pain, swelling, and often, discoloration, are the usual symptoms of a fracture in the foot. You may still be able to walk, but this usually increases the pain. If the pain and swelling do not significantly decrease in two or three days, or if the pain with walking doesn’t stop, you should assume something is wrong.

See a doctor! Don’t wait to get a diagnosis and treatment. You want to avoid developing chronic foot pain and arthritis. This could eventually distort the way you walk. Your body will always figure out how to compensate for a painful or weak area, but not in a way that will support ballet dancing or athletic training. The solution will become another problem.

Use an ice pack to reduce the pain and swelling, and put your foot up and rest. Wrap your ice pack so it doesn’t touch your skin. Ice frequently, but not more than twenty minutes at a time.

Your doctor, chiropractor or physiotherapist is going to see you through rehabilitation. Even though you may feel extremely anxious about getting back into pointe shoes, be patient with your tiny foot bones and learn how to prevent further injury.

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Arthritis and Treatments

27 Sep



Arthritis is a group of conditions where there is damage caused to the joints of the body. Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints, which results in pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited movement. Arthritis is frequently accompanied by joint pain. There are over 100 different types of arthritis. Arthritis is classified as one of the rheumatic diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is traditionally considered a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a form of the disease that happens in children. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative joint disease. There is emerging evidence that abnormal anatomy may contribute to early development of osteoarthritis. Other types or cause of arthritis include:

Treatment of arthritis depends on the particular cause, which joints are affected, severity, and how the condition affects your daily activities. Gout, scleroderma, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, reiter’s syndrome (reactive arthritis), adult atill’s disease, viral arthritis and gonococcal arthritis. Exercise for arthritis is necessary to maintain healthy joints, relieve stiffness, reduce pain and fatigue, and improve muscle and bone strength. Aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen — these nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs are often effective in combating arthritis pain. Second-line drugs used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis include hydroxychloroquine, gold, penicillamine, azathioprine, sulfasalazine and methotrexate.

Nutritional supplements helpful in treating rheumatic diseases. Cold therapy can involve cold packs, ice massage, soaking in cold water, or over-the-counter sprays and healing salve that cool the skin and joints. Aerobic or endurance exercises (e.g., walking, bicycle riding) to improve cardiovascular fitness, help control weight, and improve overall well-being. Relaxation therapy helps reduce pain by teaching people various ways to release muscle tension throughout the body. Heat therapy increases blood flow, tolerance for pain, and flexibility. Cold therapy numbs the nerves around the joint (which reduces pain) and may relieve inflammation and muscle spasms. Capsaicin cream is a preparation put on the skin to relieve joint or muscle pain when only one or two joints are involved.

Arthritis Remedies Tips

1. Chamomilla – Useful when the person is angry and restless.

2. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, is a mild painkiller and strengthens connective tissue between joints.

3. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and can be used internally and externally.

4. Nettle strengthens and supports the whole body and improves elimination of waste via the kidneys.

5. Boswellia has been used for thousands of years as a natural anti-inflammatory.

6. 1 tbs juice of fresh leaves of bathua, drink every day on an empty stomach for 2-3 months.

7. Devil’s claw is useful for a wide range of joint and muscular problems as it’s an anti-inflammatory herb.

8. Hepar sulphurls calcareum: 6, four d when suppuration has taken place.

 
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A Guide to Shower Filters For Hard Water

26 Sep



You may want shower filters for hard water, but you also want to remove hazardous chemicals that vaporize during a hot bath. In the enclosed area of the bathroom, we inhale these chemicals and scientists believe that increases our risk of cancer.

You also want to remove chlorine, if it’s present. Chlorine also vaporizes and inhalation is irritating to the sinuses, as well as the entire respiratory system. The chemical vapors are known to trigger asthma attacks. That’s one reason that indoor swimming pools are closed if chlorine levels climb too high.

The best shower filters for hard water combine ion exchange to balance mineral content and soften. This step also removes traces of metals like lead and copper that seep in from the pipes. Metallic traces dull the hair and exposure to lead is never safe.

Granulated carbon will remove chlorine and some of the other chemicals, but a process called adsorption is needed to remove as many chemicals as possible. Specifically, it removes chlorination byproducts. Those are the ones that cause cancer.

The prices of shower filters for hard water vary greatly. Believe me. You don’t need the most expensive product on the market to get the best performance.

Some people recommend reverse osmosis. That’s an expensive and largely unnecessary step, even for drinking water filtration. It also creates gallons of wastewater and there are no units specifically designed for your showerhead. You’d have to get one for the whole house.

Whole house filters are sometimes a good idea, but generally speaking, your showerheads and your kitchen faucets are most important. There’s no particular reason to filter the waters for the toilet or even the laundry. You can always add water softeners to the laundry.

Some people recommend a brand called Wellness. There’s no real reason to go to that expense, either. They make some scientific claims that they can’t back up with hard evidence. There biggest claim to fame is that they are supposedly used in the number one health spa in the world, but I couldn’t verify that, either.

The best shower filters for hard water have been evaluated and rated by Consumer Reports. The company provides certified product performance data before you buy. The cost of use is pennies a day and the replacement filter lasts a full six months.

In case you have a hard time remembering when it’s time to change your filter, the company offers automatic shipment and discounts for signing up. There are many ways to save money. Buying direct from the factory is one easy way.

You want a product that is easy to install and unlikely to leak, simply to avoid frustration. If you’re tall, you also want one that does not reduce the height of the showerhead.

The right shower filters for hard water will protect your health, as well as prevent that scaly build up on your bathroom fixtures. Just be sure to shop carefully, so that you don’t end up disappointed.

 
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Flu Pandemics and Immunizations

25 Sep



The swine flu, or H1N1, while a legitimate health concern, has not had the death toll that some experts initially predicted. Of the 10,000 victims reported to the Center of Disease Control, only 5% resulted in fatalities and those were primarily children and young adults.

As annual flu season has crept toward its yearly conclusion (health officials say the yearly flu trend peaks in February), some doctors worry that swine flu could return to haunt us again in March or April of 2010. According to many experts, a new pandemic flu strain will often displace the normal seasonal viruses. And, despite an ample supply of vaccine for H1N1 and the CDC now recommending that all healthy adults over 25 get vaccinated, demand for the vaccine is at its lowest. This is likely a result of vaccine shortages; if patients can’t get one immunization, they might not even bother to come in for the other.

The worry over a resurgence of the H1N1 outbreak is not altogether unfounded. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius cites figures from the 1957 Asian flu pandemic, when a fall outbreak ended quickly, but another wave followed in January and February. As the public has become more complacent about the swine flu with the cessation of the early winter wave of infections, those who haven’t yet been immunized could unknowingly spark off a third wave by spring of 2010. But Americans seem to be growing complacent about the pandemic – not only because swine flu fizzled out before the holidays last year, but also because seasonal flu in the U.S. has been less of an impact this season than in winters past.

Some states are still restricting access to vaccine supplies or delegating the responsibility of triage to local public health departments, so you might want to consider checking http://www.flu.gov for a list of locations stocking H1N1 vaccine. However, doctors are recommending that seniors take advantage of the availability of H1N1 vaccine while they can, hoping that spreading awareness of the over-supply will cut down on infections going into the spring. H1N1 seems to affect patients with preexisting conditions like heart disease and asthma the hardest, so elderly individuals with other health complications should definitely look into being vaccinated this February.

 
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Al Gore’s Inconvenient Infomercial: A Movie Review, Part One

25 Sep



Who is the chubby, aging baby boomer waddling through airport after empty airport, wearily tugging along his 2-piece luggage roller? Hey, it’s not Michael Moore (again). Why, for heaven’s sake, it’s none other than a bored, disgruntled Al Gore, Jr. – the Man Who Personally Believes He Coulda/Woulda/Shoulda Been King! Well, at least Saturday Night Live believed him. Instead of ruling the Western World with a Green Fist, he’s starred in a new movie persuading us to stop using up so much energy. Meanwhile, Al Gore Jr. cruises about foreign capitals in one gas-guzzling, chauffeured Mercedes after another, pondering one very deep thought after another while solemnly tapping away on his Mac Powerbook. Earth to Al Gore: Actor Steven Seagal already nailed down the slick but glazed ‘poseur look’ about nine movies ago.

Is “An Inconvenient Truth” a documentary about Global Warming, or Al Gore’s microphone-grabbing, spotlight-snatching platform to whine about, and revisit, his presidential election loss, six years ago? Is former Veep Gore really hoping to educate film audiences about the very serious dangers of carbon dioxide emissions, greenhouse gases and abrupt climate change, or conniving to create a multi-media white paper for the Democratic Party’s energy agenda? We’re not sure, actually. Perhaps, it is because Al Gore, and the film’s executive producer Davis Guggenheim, were themselves confused as to the direction in which they were heading with this narcissistic political propaganda.

C’mon, a former high-profile Vice President of the United States shuffling through airport security like the rest of us hoi polloi? If so, then why didn’t the alarm bells go off? For those who missed it, in one scene Gore wore a belt buckle the size of a small dish, when passing through the airport’s metal detector. And it didn’t screech? Right! Or how about the scene where a pompous Al Gore (sans bodyguards) was hailing a cab in Manhattan, but no one recognized him? Well, perhaps that part was realistic. Who really cares about Al? Was the former #2 man doing a for-the-people inspirational routine, along the lines of “He Walks Among Us,” so that we’d buy his punch line about self-sacrifice at the end of the movie?

The man, who at one time claimed to have invented the Internet, more carefully documented his alleged 30-year personal campaign to help bring Global Warming to a screeching halt. Amazingly, he didn’t include footnotes with his film speech. We’re sure Gore was anticipating the “I invented the Internet” jokes and dutifully prepared his track record for audiences. He shamelessly dredged up memories of his old Harvard science professor, Roger Revelle, whom he once called into congressional hearings to have the scientist warn about CO2 emissions and rising water temperatures.

How seriously can we take ‘Scientist’ Al Gore? In a Washington Post article (March 19, 2000), Al’s grades and scores were questioned, during the presidential campaign, and the assistant headmaster at Gore’s private school, St. Albans, reportedly “chuckled at (Gore’s) science results.” He had scored so poorly.

Gore’s one constant, his glibness, manifests in this quasi-documentary. Mostly it’s a political infomercial, but for whatever reason Gore was so fervently pitching and hyping Al Gore was never made clear. He hasn’t quite grasped how serious the earth’s climactic changes could impact our civilization, other than flicking through multiple photos of receding glaciers and a few other tidbits. Gore mentions we might have 100 million refugees if sea levels rise, as if those many would actually survive. In contrast, Dr. Lovelock, author of “The Revenge of Gaia,” is forecasting the demise of billions of people under the same “earth is melting” scenario. Whom do we believe? We vote Lovelock, not Gore. After all, the politician admits, in a recent Rolling Stone magazine interview, Lovelock has forgotten more science than Gore has ever learned.

Whatever gravity the poseur portrayed during his supercilious narration, and in his deep-thinking (but awkward) poses, Gore nullified these moments with clumsy flashbacks to the 2000 presidential campaign. (Well, Gore reportedly did a lot of drugs in college, so we guess he’s entitled to his flashbacks.) While he claimed in his movie to have moved on, the man still sounded downright bitter during this pre-campaigning film farce. His movie oozes contempt for the man who defeated him, and offers the same ill will toward anyone distantly related – family, business or otherwise – to the man who is now President of the United States. For those who helped keep him out of the White House or dissed him? He repays his enemies in a way only a screenwriter could: Gore adds his enemies to his movie.

Gore’s rapid-fire “subliminal images” are cleverly aimed at Florida and the 2000 presidential campaign. Take that Senator Katherine Harris! Guess which state gets submerged first when the polar ice caps melt? You got it, Florida. Of all the lakes in the world which are drying up, Gore selects Lake Chad. For those who have forgotten, it was the notorious “chads,” which cost Gore the presidency. Darn it Al, will you let it go? It’s been six years, you know. You LOST the election!

Film goers should wonder why an ex-tobacco farmer, and erstwhile U.S. presidential candidate (going 0 for 2 on presidential campaigns), has only NOW come out against fossil fuels because of Global Warming. What’s his agenda? To educate the public? If that is the case, then the filmmakers should have focused on the matter at hand – the earth is getting hotter, and we need a solution. Dr. James Lovelock’s mandate is simple: Nuclear energy is the single solution. Listen up, Hillary Clinton – you might have enjoyed Al’s ramblings, and said so in your pretentious New York Press Club speech last May, but where is Gore’s actual solution to the Global Warming crisis?

The self-righteous Al Jr. offers no solution in his movie. Even when asked by an audience in China for his solution, Gore spouts non-sequiturs – political rhetoric, but no word of a solution. The movie director deftly cuts away before Al can look even sillier, while we wonder why Al offered no solution.

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Psoriatic Arthritis – More Than Just Joint Pain

24 Sep



What could be worse that this awful joint pain and stiffness, you wonder as you try to will yourself out of bed. While the pain and fatigue that goes along with rheumatoid arthritis can be excruciating and is without a doubt a possibly debilitating condition, there is actually a form of arthritis that is worse. Psoriatic arthritis is a form of the disease that affects not only the joints, but also the skin, and possibly the tendons, eyes, spine, heart and lungs.

In most people who suffer from psoriatic arthritis, the first sign that something is wrong is the inflammation of the skin. Patients can develop psoriasis on their elbows, knees, scalp, and area around the navel and around the anus or genitals. Psoriasis causes red, raised areas of scaly skin. The signs of the skin disease are first seen in the forties or fifties and generally precede joint pain by several months to years. Once the joint pain starts, it generally involves the joints in the feet, ankles and knees. Inflammation can cause the joints to become red, hot and swollen. Often toes and fingers swell so badly they can resemble sausages. Psoriatic arthritis can also affect the spine.

In addition to skin inflammation and joint pain, psoriatic arthritis also attacks the ligaments and tendons of the body. One of the most common tendons to become affected it the Achilles tendon. This Achilles tendonitis causes the patient to have pain when walking and when climbing steps. Along with affecting the tendons in the heels, the arthritis can also inflame the chest wall and the cartilage that links the breast bone and ribs. This inflammation can cause chest pain and shortness of breath.

Along with the joints and tendons, psoriatic arthritis can also affect the major organs of the body such as the heart and lungs. The lungs can become inflamed causing both shortness of breath and chest pain, especially with deep breathing. If the heart becomes inflamed by the disease, the aortic valve can leak. This leak could result in breathing trouble as well as heart failure.

In its rampage on the body, psoriatic arthritis can also damage the eyes. Redness and itching are common results of the condition. The iris or colored area of the eye can also become painfully inflamed, especially when exposed to bright light. Often the only way to relieve this irisitis is to inject cortisone directly into the eye.

Psoriatic arthritis can often be difficult to diagnose especially in the early stages. One common symptom of this form of arthritis, however, is the pitting of finger or toe nails. Sometimes the disorder can cause the nails to turn loose and fall off completely.

Like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis results from the body’s own immune system turning against itself. Unlike the rheumatoid variety, however, psoriatic arthritis can affect not only the joints, but also the skin, eyes and many of the major organs of the body. Left untreated this disease can progress until it become debilitating and sometimes even life threatening.

 
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