Balding causes, confidenc ematters and Propecia

Many years ago, the title of this article was almost a famous song, featuring both as a stage musical number and, later, as a free-standing pop or blues song. For the obvious cultural reasons, it reinforces the link between hats and the head. From the earliest times when clothing was just being invented, humans found various good reasons to cover their heads. It’s a good way to prevent sunstroke or, at the other end of the temperature scale, to keep frostbite from removing ears and noses. When status and rank became more important, headwear indicated who was thought important. Later, it became the means of concealing hair loss. Even in the earliest centuries, men have always been embarrassed when their hair thinned and dropped out. Not all societies venerate age. This can make it important to conceal balding as one of the symptoms of aging.

The problem, as always, is to decide whether the means of concealment make the hair loss worse. Modern experts will tell you wearing any type of hat does not damage your head. Yet there’s considerable mythology from the military where uncaring sergeants make the recruits wear those terrible helmets. This is not to suggests previous wearers were infecting the newbies with hair-eating fungus, but to suggest that many volunteers are entering the military at a time when early hair loss might start. In practical terms, there’s no connection between what you wear on your head and the decision made by your genes to start your hair thinning and dropping out.

Propecia is reliable for Treating Androgenetic Alopecia

With this general reassurance ringing in your ears, if you absolutely feel you must cover up hair loss as it starts, it’s probably better to wear a hat that does not pull at your hair as you put it on and take it off. Propecia is reliable in almost all cases of Androgenetic Alopecia. As soon as the hair loss has slowed and you grow more confident about your appearance, you can wear the hat less often. As to the Propecia, you have to keep taking that.

Levitra has proved a major success and this has not encouraged more research

Living in a world which is predominantly capitalist may be good for some things but it’s very bad for blue sky research. In the good old days, universities and dedicated amateurs would work tirelessly to explore the unexplored. Why? Because that was their passion. There was no direct financial motive. They simply wanted to know more. As a result, we now have a vast number of different medical procedures and drugs “freely” available to the world. Put another way, even if the developers had patented their research into the use of X-ray technology or penicillin, the patents would have expired long ago and we would all be enjoying the benefits without having to pay any royalties. But modern universities have been commercialized. They are now expected to pay their way by commercializing their research. Everything must now be developed for exploitation. Intellectual property rights are put in place sooner rather than later. All other research is discouraged. And we’re the poorer for it. Nowhere is this trend more obvious than in the medical field.

Even though it’s clear that bacteria are developing immunity to most of the antibiotics currently available, there’s no real research into developing the next lines of defense. The world of sexual medicine is a classic example of what can go wrong when profit takes over. Before the PDE5 inhibitors like Levitra came along, there was a major effort to understand human sexuality and to develop new treatments. The arrival of the little blue pills put a stop to that. As far as the manufacturers were concerned, they had ensured their profitability for the next twenty years and there was no need to develop any more treatments. This means there’s little or no research into loss of libido, failure to ejaculate, and poor sperm counts and infertility in both men and women. With men’s problems of erectile dysfunction solved, everything else was considered irrelevant to future profits. So if you’re a man with erectile dysfunction problems, you can celebrate the arrival of Levitra because you’re now cured. Everyone else is on the waiting list.


Levitra has proved a major success and this has not encouraged more research

Would you prefer physical activity to a Cialis pill?

Since the appearance of the first erectile dysfunction drugs back in the 1990′s physicians have learned a lot about the nature of erectile dysfunction. And by the time Cialis was introduced to the market in the early 2000′s there was more information on how the condition is triggered and ways to prevent its occurrence. For centuries people were confident in the fact that it’s an age-related condition and there’s no way to prevent it. Still, with the medical advancements of the past decades people realized that erectile dysfunction is largely determined by the person’s general health and lifestyle. Tests have been made and studies conducted, and it became obvious that the problem can be prevented or at least postponed in several ways. Physical activity is one of the measures that were observed to be beneficial for male sexual health and that’s exactly he focus of this article.

The crucial role of physical activity for health in general has been the hot topic for the public for the last couple of decades. Advocates of healthy lifestyle emphasize the positive aspects of regular physical activity and state that it can prevent virtually any health problem. Sure, this is a rather idealistic statement but it still has a large degree of truth behind it. Regular physical activity really has the potential to minimize a wide range of health problems that can ultimately lead to the development of erectile dysfunction. But it is really important to understand the extent of this positive impact and what exactly is meant by “regular physical activity.”

As you may already know, in most cases erectile dysfunction is caused by health conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol and a number of others. Most of these conditions have a negative impact on the cardiovascular system and the state of nerve endings, especially in the rather sensitive penile area. So any measures to prevent these conditions and improve the overall state of the cardiovascular system may decrease your need in erectile dysfunction drugs in the future.

By the term “regular physical activity” many people tend to understand a shift to full-scale athletic training, which is not the best idea especially at a later stage of one’s life. The key to success is moderation and thoughtful efforts. If you have never been to the gym for you entire life it’s not good to start pushing the largest weights five times a week while in your 40′s. The earlier you start keeping your body in shape, the better will be the result. Most specialists agree that exercising for at least 30 minutes three times per week is enough to keep your cardiovascular system in a good shape. If you gradually build up a more intense schedule -that’s fine, until you actually start stressing out your organism.

The actual type of physical activity is not that particularly important as long as you give your heart and muscles a good workout. Swimming, jogging, weightlifting, aerobics and even yoga can deliver the results you need in terms of erectile dysfunction. Keep caution with regards to cycling, however, as an uncomfortable saddle can damage the tissue and blood vessels in the penile area and lead to a decrease in the quality of erectile function. If you have specific health problems – consult with your doctor regarding the safety of physical activity in your situation. Still, in any case being physically active on a regular basis is one of the most effective ways to prevent health problems. Endeed, by employing regular physical activity you can actually obtain the effects of Cialis.

Would you prefer physical activity to a Cialis pill?

Cheap car rental by the hour is now the young's preferred transport

Cultures are never set in stone. Sometimes the changes are slow as key elements in societies evolve. Other times, the reactions to circumstances are rapid and quite radical. When these changes will be apparent is not predictable. If we go back to 2007, America was full of confidence. It seemed like the economy was strong and we would continue to accumulate wealth both at an individual level and as a country. Then banks collapse and have to be bailed out, and the housing bubble bursts leaving tens of thousands still underwater with their mortgages now. Although economists who count the value of imports and exports will tell you the trade deficit is getting back under control and the local economy is no longer in recession, it doesn’t feel as though the country is recovering. Houses are still going through foreclosure, unemployment has been about 8% for the last five years.

The group most adversely affected has been the young. They have struggled to find or keep work. Many were encouraged to go through the higher education route and now have major debts weighing them down. Banks no longer give money away whether as mortgages or as loans to buy new things for the home. Indeed, everyone is finding it hard to keep a good credit score. In such circumstances of uncertainty, it’s hardly surprising the young have turned away from the idea of ownership. They don’t have the savings to buy. They have no confidence they will keep paid employment so taking out any big loan is not realistic. So now they borrow what they need from friends. If friends cannot help, they rent what they need for as long as they need it.

With young adults renting by the hour there has been a boom in the cheap car rental market. Indeed, this is part of a broader social trend. Women rent high-fashion gowns for a night. The majority have given up material pursuits and no longer build wealth for the future. This is going to have profound implications for a future society with inadequate tax income to care for the seniors while the current adult population is not saving for its own retirement. In the meantime, everyone drives around using cheap car rental cars.

Cheap car rental by the hour is now the young's preferred transport

Detecting the beginnning of the hair loss problem and the time to start taking Propecia

When you’re young and full of excitement about the latest styles and fashions, your hair can be an active part of the “look”. It grows fast and is sufficiently thick to hold the required shape with the minimum use of gels. But when your hair starts to thin, the options for different styles disappear. Indeed, the fact your hair will not hold its shape is good confirmation of its change. So assuming you decide you want to act earlier rather than later by taking Propecia, what should you look out for as symptoms of thinning?

Start with looking honestly at your family and at photographs of your relatives particularly on your mother’s side. If everyone managed to get into their golden years with full heads of hair, you have little to worry about. You need only start monitoring your own head if there are several relatives who have developed the characteristic pattern. For these purposes note it’s more common for the gene to be passed down on your mother’s side.

We now come to the more detailed inspections. No matter what your genes, everyone loses some hair every day. You have to distinguish between “ordinary” amounts lost and the early symptoms of baldness. The only way to do this is to get into the habit of looking at your comb or brush, and assessing whether the amount you find is the “usual”. Similarly, look in the shower drain or tub if you wash your hair. It’s also helpful to monitor the areas where you have your head for any period of time, e.g. the pillow, the couch, the seat in the car. Also look at the clothes you wear on a regular basis. If there are hairs on the shoulders or back, this suggests more hair is falling. Finally, there are photographs and mirrors. If you take a regular picture from the same position, it’s easy to see if your hair is starting to recede. Pay particular attention to your temples. If hair is going to disappear, this will be the first place. Once it’s confirmed, start on a course of Propecia pills.


Detecting the beginnning of the hair loss problem and the time to start taking Propecia

Ultram and chronic pain after healing

Chronic pain is not simply persistent acute pain. Acute pain is the sensation of pain directly following damage, trauma, or surgery of a part of the body. Chronic pain is pain that lasts more than three to six months, the injury may have even healed, but the pain persists. While often times the same medications are used for both acute and chronic pain, they are two very different problems. Neuroscientists are studying the nature of chronic pain, and what mechanisms are useful to treat it. What they are finding helps physicians prescribe appropriate medications for individuals who suffer from chronic pain.

Chronic pain is neuropathic disease caused by damage to the somatosensory system (The sensory system). The somatosensory system has two main players: the brain, and the nervous system (both of those two players can be further divided). Research scientists are finding out that the nervous system is not like a simple electrical circuit as we once thought. It is far more complex. It was once believed that the pain signal traveled along a pathway much like throwing a switch to turn on a light. Pain was entered at the source, and the signal sent through the circuit until it reached the brain where it was identified.

The individual players in the nervous system act more like a neighborhood with a twitter feed, or blog to the brain. The brain is more like the mayor’s office, it has to decide what to do with the information and how t keep the neighborhood happy. When injury happens, like lightning striking a building and starting a fire, there is the immediate damage, then the call out for help. But after the fire is out and the building rebuilt some people in the neighborhood are still not happy and adopt maladaptive behaviors. They continue to tweet about the fire. They keep the blog going with running commentary as if the fire is still going. They have a memory that they don’t want to put behind them. Pain has a memory. Damage nerve cells take on maladaptive behaviors continuing to send signals about the damage that has healed. And here the old good pain reliever which many patients has been trusted, continues to paly its role.

Ultram is a conversation blocker. It allows you, the mayor, to go about your day, while toning down the volume of the nerves conversation. The nerves still tweet, still blog, but you don’t follow that page anymore. Ultram lets you get back to moving and get on with your life without the constant jabber of chronic pain.

It is divided into two categories allodynic and nociceptive. Nociceptive pain is the direct result of tissue injury. This can come from arthritis, cancer, sprains. Allodynic pain is pain resulting from stimulus that should not be painful, like a breeze or light touch. People who suffer allodynic pain are often incapacitated and misunderstood as well as under medicated.

Ultram and chronic pain after healing

Cialis is being studied as part of a coordinated regime to restore sexual function after prostate surgery

Statistically prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men and it’s the second leading cause of death. This makes surgery the preferred option to saving your life if you are younger, but it’s less often chosen because, once surgeons start waving sharp knives “down there”, the chances of sexual dysfunction afterwards are relatively high. Even though the introduction of robots for the radical prostatectomy has reduced the risks of erectile dysfunction, younger men remain unwilling to take the chance even though the risks of death grow high as time passes without treatment.

The problem may be stated simply. No matter whether it’s a human surgeon or a robot holding the knife, once muscles or nerves are cut, they often do not regrow making some degree of erectile dysfunction likely. This has led to the development of penile rehabilitation techniques including the use of PDE5 inhibitors such as Cialis to stimulate the tissues and muscles back into active life. However, all this will fail unless sufficient nerves remain functional. In the final analysis, penile prosthetics are available.

Studies

There have been a number of studies using the erectile dysfunction drugs as part of a coordinated regime to restore sexual function. But some men find there’s a loss of libido, i.e. the psychological consequences of the diagnosis of cancer and the surgery undermine confidence and impact sexual desire. Even with counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy, many men never recover any real level of sexual desire. In older men, this outcome is less serious. But with diagnostic methods improving, many younger men are being given the cancer diagnosis early. If they have the operation and lose libido, this is significantly more damaging in psychological terms. Unfortunately, Cialis pills as well as any other ED drug is of no use in such circumstances. Men have to have a sufficient level of desire to induce the erection. Current research is focusing on the use of counseling early in the process leading up to surgery. If men can be prepared for the consequences to surgery, they can take a more positive view during the penile rehabilitation regime.

Cialis is being studied as part of a coordinated regime to restore sexual function after prostate surgery

The stereotypes of beauty and their pressuure on men with baldness signs

The world has become more unfair over the last two decades. People were always treated differently based on their looks. But now technology has raised the bar and gives people false illusions and reasons to spend their money in the pursuit of the uncatchable. Starting with a simple truth, most people are at their physical peak in their late teens and early twenties. After that, it’s all downhill as age creeps on towards the inevitable end. In school and college, there’s always been bullying based on appearance. What makes this worst for the modern generations is the arrival of photoshop and the other pieces of software that allow images to be manipulated. For the teens in school, there’s the chance to take pictures using cell phones and exaggerate the differences. What appears on Facebook and other social networking sites can be very cruel. In a parallel world, we’re surrounded by images of celebrities airbrushed into perfection. Except, that is, for the gossip magazines that pay paparazzi to capture the same celebrities in their off-moments when, horror of horrors, they look just like the rest of humanity with bulging bits of body and wrinkles.

It’s probably worst for the women. There are so many jobs that rely on them having perfect looks. It’s almost as if they are not allowed to show any sign of aging if they want to keep their jobs or get promoted. That’s why there are so many billions at stake in the cosmetics industry for powders and creams to cover up skin problems. When cosmetics fail, there’s Botox and cosmetic surgery. What makes all this so alarming are the number of teens who are so unhappy with their bodies, their parents are paying for surgery.

There’s more room for men to be less beautiful (according to modern standards). They can forget to shave, even grow a beard, wear old clothes and still manage to be accepted as cool. Except there’s one factor that seems to cause problems. Forgetting acne which most manage to leave behind with their teen years, hair loss represents one of the worst things that can happen to any young man. The general view is receding hair makes men look older. The myths say women are less attracted to men with less hair. That’s why younger men take to wearing baseball caps and other “hats” to hide the problem. Except, of course, all they do is draw attention to themselves.

Since the solution offered by cosmetic surgeons is not only painful to the pocket and not guaranteed to make any lasting differences, most men prefer Propecia to hair transplants. Whatever its faults, it has the virtues of being cheap to buy, convenient to use and consistently effective in stopping further hair loss. Hardly surprising, then, to find it a high-demand product. Yet, you have to ask exactly what is wrong with men who do bald prematurely. Why has our aesthetic sense become hypnotized by the idea of perfection? Not so long ago, we would all pride ourselves on the little differences that showed us younger or older, more weathered or with the skin of an office guy. Now everyone feels under pressure to take Propecia and try to look exactly the same as everyone else. That’s just depressing.


The stereotypes of beauty and their pressuure on men with baldness signs

Looking at cheap air tickets and tarmac delays

In 2010, there were some high-profile incidents with passengers forced to sit in airplanes on the tarmac without food and water for up to ten hours. In one incident at Rochester, MN, an airplane landed at 1230 am and the airport staff refused to open the terminal to allow the passengers off the plane. To put it mildly, this was a stunning failure to provide even basic levels of humanitarian care. As a result of the six-hour delay, the airlines and airport operator were fined $175,000 by the Transport Department and rules were introduced which require airlines to allow passengers off the plane if it has been stuck on the ground for three hours.

As a result of this rule change, airlines responded positively with the number of runways delays reduced to a tiny fraction of flights, but with a slight increase in the number of cancellations. The Transport Department is not clear whether the increase in cancellation is due to the new rules. All that can be said with any confidence is that airlines are returning planes to the gates if there are delays. This is a trade-off. Passengers who stay on the plane are entitled to food and drinks, must be allowed to use toilets and, if necessary, given access to medical treatment. Assuming no safety issues, passengers must also be allowed off the plane after three hours even if on cheap air tickets. If the airlines default, the fines are up to $27,500 per passenger. Obviously this is a substantial penalty and the airlines have been anxious to avoid paying. Even so, some delays have been unavoidable. A severe thunderstorm, for example, is able to hold flights on the ground as getting incoming flights on the ground become the priority. Planes are left waiting on the tarmac as these flights take the gates.

In part, there’s also a problem with a shortage of gates at some airports and a lack of people in the control tower. The issue is always whether returning an airplane to a gate will disrupt the operation of the airport. Since the fine falls disproportionately on the airlines, there’s possible unfairness but, so far, passengers holding both full-price and low-priced air tickets are winning.

Looking at cheap air tickets and tarmac delays

Considering tarmac delays and cheap air tickets

A number of high-profile incidents that saw passengers forced to sit in airplanes on the tarmac for as long as ten hours without food and water back in 2010. In one incident at Rochester, MN, an airplane landed at 1230 am and the airport staff refused to open the terminal to allow the passengers off the plane. To put it mildly, this was a stunning failure to provide even basic levels of humanitarian care. As a result of the six-hour delay, the airlines and airport operator were fined $175,000 by the Transport Department and rules were introduced which require airlines to allow passengers off the plane if it has been stuck on the ground for three hours.

Although there was a slight increase in the number of cancellations, airlines responded positively as a result of this rule change with the number of runways delays reduced to a tiny fraction of flights. The Transport Department is not clear whether the increase in cancellation is due to the new rules. All that can be said with any confidence is that airlines are returning planes to the gates if there are delays. This is a trade-off. Passengers who stay on the plane are entitled to food and drinks, must be allowed to use toilets and, if necessary, given access to medical treatment. Assuming no safety issues, passengers must also be allowed off the plane after three hours even if on cheap air tickets. If the airlines default, the fines are up to $27,500 per passenger. Obviously this is a substantial penalty and the airlines have been anxious to avoid paying. Even so, some delays have been unavoidable. For example, a severe thunderstorm can hold flights on the ground as priority is given to getting incoming flights on the ground. These flights take the gates and leave the waiting planes on the tarmac.

In part, there’s also a problem with a shortage of gates at some airports and a lack of people in the control tower. The issue is always whether returning an airplane to a gate will disrupt the operation of the airport. Since the fine falls disproportionately on the airlines, there’s possible unfairness but, so far, passengers holding both full-price and cheap air tickets are winning.

Considering tarmac delays and cheap air tickets

Looking at how life insurance issues can occur when going through a divorce

When the first quotes come in and you look around, the majority see a settled domestic arrangement and steady jobs. Taking decisions about what life cover to buy, you therefore assume this happiness will continue indefinitely. Unfortunately, the statistics are against you. The majority of marriages and civil unions end in separation. This is rarely a time when rational thought prevails. More often, emotions run high and the partners see this as a chance to take their revenge for incidents long in the past. This means decisions about the existing life insurance cover may not be taken or poor quality decisions may be taken. It should always be the main rule that no matter what your feelings are for your partner, the children should never be made to suffer and these are just a few basic rules to remember:

The standard when couples buy a policy is for each to name the other as the beneficiary in the even of death. The first impulse to cancel the policy should be resisted. You may have been fitter and healthier when the policy was taken out. If you cancel and look for another policy now, it is probable the premium rate will be significantly higher. The best decision is therefore to change the nomination on the policy to the children. Even if you are not around, you have still provided for them. Some courts actually include this as one of their standard orders when making provision for children.

There can often be alimony issues even if children are not involved. Courts can sometimes favor an order for a financially dependent spouse to continue as the beneficiary in return for a lower rate of alimony during life. It is therefore better to do a full review of the life insurance provision as you have it. As the divorce will have produced a significant change in circumstances, you may need to change the extent of the cover to fit your new personal circumstances. If you asked for riders when the policy was written, they may no longer be relevant. Similarly, if you are facing a court order to provide life insurance cover, a Return-of-Premium term policy may be the best answer, i.e. if your spouse dies before you, you can recover the premiums you paid when the term ends.

Looking at how life insurance issues can occur when going through a divorce

Considering smoking and the question of health insurance

Despite taking out health insurance having an optional status, it is, without a doubt, a primary necessity these days. Any person that ever had to do anything with healthcare without a standard health insurance policy will tell you that it’s simply impossible to get proper care for reasonable money. Even an average health condition like flu or bronchitis can result in a medical bill that you’ll need to pay half of your annual salary to settle. Not to mention emergency situation when surgery and hospital care are required, and we all know that it can be as costly as hell. So whether costly or not, an insurance plan is a much more affordable option for having your health covered. But what if you make part of an insurance group that isn’t really favored these days? What’s the cost of health insurance if you’re a smoker?

It isn’t cheap to be a smoker, and the widespread social campaigns and studies certainly did their job of informing you of the perils and the costs of smoking if you didn’t realize it already. It is a well-established fact that smoking causes certain types of cancer, has serious effects on your general health and is a serious money drain, especially if you prefer the costlier cigarette brands. But what does health insurance have to do with it?

Well, the relation is rather obvious and unambiguous. If smoking is directly related to certain health conditions that cause the customer to file insurance claims more often than health insurance will be more expensive for the customer with such a habit. That’s why smokers always get higher rates than their non-smoking peers, and the difference can be rather pronounced depending on the company and the particular demographic group the person makes part of. But wait, it can get even worse!

Some companies will be unwilling to insure you once they realize that you’re a smoker and have any pre-existing conditions that can be attributed to this habit. They will regard your application as too risky to deal with and will deny you coverage. Sure, this may seem outrageous bit there were cases like these around the country and it’s the insurer’s right to decide whether you’re suited for having your health insured with them or not. So keep this in mind when shopping around for health insurance plans, since some of the quotes may drop off once the insurers realize that you’re a smoker.

It may sure look tempting to conceal your habit when applying for health insurance, but it’s not a particularly bright thing to do. In case the insurer finds out that you’re smoking or you develop a condition that can be linked to smoking you will likely to get your policy terminated and subjected to a substantial fine. But what’s even worse, this fact will be included to your insurance history and other companies will know very well that you’ve misinformed your previous provider. As a result your rates will always be high if any insurer will accept your application at all.

So, what’s the best solution for smoker to deal with health insurance? The most logic solution would be to quit smoking as it will spare your health and offer you lower rates. If you’re not willing to give up, however, at least make sure to inform your potential insurer about the habit in order to avoid any future complications. Otherwise you risk being left without any health insurance.

Considering smoking and the question of health insurance

Looking at Prednisone and a program that encourages weight loss

It’s a statistical fact that, as a nation, we are an overweight nation. You cannot have avoided the news and advice warning of the health consequences. The problem with adding any of the corticosteroids such as Prednisone to this situation is the tendency of people to continue their usual diets. If this happens, further weight gain is almost guaranteed with substantial increases in the risk of developing diabetes or heart disease. The moral of this story is the need for you to lose weight. If you cannot actually lose weight, you should take very active steps to avoid further weight gain. This stability in your weight would be the

least bad outcome.

To produce the ideal of a general reduction in your weight or to stay at your current weight, you must adjust your diet along the following lines. Adding exercise is also desirable but, if the reason for you taking Prednisone is the treatment of a disease like arthritis, moving around in exercise may not be sustainable. So, for now, let’s focus on the food intake.

1. 
   Eat fewer calories. For many, it’s annoying to get into the counting game but, to lose weight, you have to reduce your calorie intake. If you do not know how many calories you eat now, how can you judge how much to cut down? You should aim to lose about 1 pound a week. To achieve this, you must reduce your daily intake by about 500 calories.


2. 
   Eat fewer carbohydrates. This means cutting out the sweetened, processed foods like white bread, pastas and all those cup cakes and cookies you like to snack on. These should be replaced with whole grains breads, brown rice, vegetables and fruit.


3. 
   Increase your protein intake. If you aim for a calorie intake of between 1,500 and 2,000 per day, you need not less than 100 g of fish, lean meat and low-fat dairy products to help repair tissue damage and for muscle recovery.


4. 
   Increase your fiber intake It takes longer for you to digest fiber. This helps you feel full after eating and reduces your appetite.

Looking at Prednisone and a program that encourages weight loss

Looking at the importance of regular bowel movements and Levitra

At any one time, about one-third of the population may be constipated. This is not something many people worry about. Although the majority may prefer regularity, the only time people consult a doctor is when the bowel movements become painful. This is usually a symptom the bowel may be physically obstructed. Everyone else simply experiences a slow down, usually as a result of changes in diet, hormones or the side effects of medications. It’s particularly a problem among young women and elderly men. However, ignoring purely mechanical problems, constipation can affect men of all ages and sometimes runs alongside Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms which are a range of general problems associated with passing urine but without a clear cause. Up to now, there has been no general study to determine whether there are any statistically significant links between chronic constipation, LUTS and erectile dysfunction.

This year sees the publication of a community survey from Singapore involving 2270 participants. This number of people involved is statistically significant but there are number of factors that make Singapore slightly nonstandard in terms of culture. Thus, although the findings are of interest, we really need further studies to see whether these results are repeated in other societies. For the record, about 37% of the population are permanent residents or foreign workers who may come from any country. Of the remaining citizens, 75% are of Chinese origin, 14% Malay, 9% Indian with the balance being of mixed parentage. The different groups therefore show a significant variance in their diets.

Putting these problems to one side, the study actually identifies a significant link between chronic constipation and erectile dysfunction. Thus, in this predominantly Asian community, the onset of constipation is an early symptom suggesting the likelihood of erectile dysfunction. There’s no cause and effect suggested, but Levitra pills are effective in solving the erection problems. Researchers will only need to get more interested in proving whether there is any relationship between the plumbing that drains the bladder and produces erections and the slowing of the mechanical systems to evacuate the bowels if the findings are replicated in other cultures.

Looking at the importance of regular bowel movements and Levitra

Cheap flights and compensation for delays

Some budget carriers have a better record than others when it comes to delays. It's part of the price you pay. Some carriers use older airplanes which break down more often... No matter what the reason, the same European rules apply whether you're waiting for full-price or cheap flights. As an example, a Monarch flight was delayed for more than seven hours in July, 2012. The reason was that the plane due to make the pick-up broke down and it took a longer than expected time to get the replacement part. The flight eventually left at 3 am. Monarch refunded the cost of the ticket and provided food vouchers during the wait. It refused accommodation on the ground that it was more disruptive to passengers to have the chance to sleep until 1 am before being rousted out and sent back to the airport in time to board the plane. Whether this is an appropriate view is irrelevant. The principle of a price refund and food is clearly correctly applied.

Note this was not an example of cancellation. The plane was eventually repaired and took off, albeit later than scheduled. On November 19, 2009, Sturgeon v Condor Flugdienst GmbH and Bock and Others v Air France SA in the European Court made a very significant ruling. Angry claimants were arguing that, after a point, delay becomes the same as a cancellation. The only issue was how long. In the end, the court said three hours delay due to the fault of the carrier should be treated as a cancellation with all the rights of compensation that flow from that. However, the right of compensation is not absolute and the airline avoids payment if it can prove that there was an "extraordinary circumstance", e.g. a volcano spewing out ash and, no matter what the airline had done, the delay was unavoidable. In the case of Monarch, the English courts have been asked whether the delay was avoidable. This seems likely. It was an old plane that broke down through lack of maintenance and no replacement part was available in the airport.

Propecia is effective regardless of race

It's a medical fact that some genetic disorders are specific to particular groups of people. For example, Thalassemia is a blood disorder that particularly affects people in the Mediterranean region and in some parts of Asia and Africa. However, in otherwise healthy people, the general rule is that diseases are not specific to one particular group of people whether by geography or race. All humans are sufficiently alike in their basic biology that what affects one will potentially affect all unless some degree of immunity has arisen through previous exposure to the pathogen. In the case of Androgentic Alopecia, men have an equal chance of losing their hair no matter what their racial heritage. Once the hair follicle begins to shrink, hair thins and, if not stopped through the use of Propecia, baldness is an inevitable outcome.

Fortunately, the clinical trials which convinced the FDA of the drug's effectiveness and safety profile also confirmed that the active chemicals are equally effective across all racial groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the reaction of African American, Asian or other racial groupings. This has not prevented an explosion in the number of products being advertised to the different communities, each one promising a "cure" that will particularly help the community targeted. You should remember that Propecia is the only drug approved by the FDA. No other natural or manufactured product can legally claim effectiveness. This does not, of course, prevent the fly-by-night operators from making their promises of miraculous results, taking the money and disappearing. So the first and most important piece of advice here is not to be deceived by these adverts. None of the products will stop hair loss.

If you feel you want a second line of defense, the only options are minoxidil and a good antiseptic shampoo. So, when you are taking the drug, you could consider minoxidil which is available over-the-counter. You can buy it as a standalone product in a cream or foam which you rub on to your scalp. Some shampoos contain it.

Propecia and hair hygiene

Millions of people deal with hair loss problems of different kinds. It can be a little bald spot or a progressive baldness of the entire scalp. Problems like these don't have a crucial impact on one's health in any way but they sure affect the person's looks, which are a crucial element of a person's psyche. As a result, hair loss can trigger different kinds of psychological issues starting with socialization problems to clinical depression. Things get so aggravated because hair loss is often seen as a sign of poor health, although it isn't necessarily so, and because it is actually hard to stop or reverse the process without the use of such potent drugs as Propecia. Moreover, hair care product makers also add insult to damage and target many of their products on hair loss patients, stating that their new shampoo or balm can stop hair loss. But, despite the widespread belief, hair loss is not about poor hair hygiene.

When it comes to hygiene, there's no denying the fact that it is very important for your health. Many serious diseases can be prevented by simply following some basic rules of hygiene. Hair hygiene also plays a very important role since it affects the condition of hair in general and can seriously decrease the attractiveness of the person if not applied. Still, in order to make hygiene such a problem that would trigger hair loss one would need to seriously forget about any kind of care for an extended period of time. Simply put, your hair won't start falling out just because you didn't wash it for a long period of time or didn't use the right shampoo. It will simply become greasy, smelly and maybe more fragile. But it certainly won't trigger baldness if you somehow disregard hygiene for a period of time.

Now, when it comes to special products advertised by manufacturers as having the possibility to prevent hair loss, it is very important to know how hair loss is triggered in the first place. It is usually caused by a buildup of a specific hormone in the bloodstream, which at a certain point starts shrinking hair follicles and lowering natural hair growth rates. So, any kind of external balms or vitamin-containing shampoos won't do much to stop hair loss since they don't address the primary reason for the issue. Sure, your hair will look very nice and may become thicker, which will conceal the problem in a way. But for real results you need real treatments, including such potent drugs as Propecia. And it takes a doctor to decide what's the best solution, not a shampoo manufacturer.

The problem of the US airport service investment and air tickets costs

Failure to invest in air traffic control seem to bring decrease in cheap air tickets

As Americans, we have a problem with the need to pay taxes. We seem to believe that caring commercial organizations will solve all our problems without the need for us to pay a government to provide a basic infrastructure. Sadly, this is completely unrealistic. Organizations that exist to make a profit are not interested in giving free access to services. If we do not pay modest taxes, we will end up paying higher commercial charges for the same services. As an example of the problem, let's look at the failure to invest in air traffic control. We're rapidly reaching the point where the controllers cannot safely manage the traffic. The result is increasing delays in scheduling take-off and landing slots. Unless something dramatic is done to increase capacity, delays will increase significantly. At first, this is likely to affect only those holding cheap flight tickets. For historical reasons, the air traffic system gives priority to the larger legacy airlines, so the discount and budget carriers will find it difficult to get slots at the major hubs.

As to the design or airports, we're already experiencing serious delays because of the increased levels of security. If airports are expected to operate at peak levels for more hours in the day, this will need major redesign and significant increases in the number of trained staff. In turn, this will force up prices for the use of airports. Yet there are no signs of any willingness to make the necessary investments. With Washington focused on reducing the deficit, it's difficult to see how funds can be diverted to air transport when there are obvious shortages and problems in other equally important public services. Air travel is not considered a public service in need of government support when put alongside health care and education.

Will cheap air tickets decline?

The situation is worse at state level where the local deficits are forcing some cities into bankruptcy. Without major increases in the level of taxes collected and adequate investment, the national air traffic control system will struggle to perform even at current levels, and it will also fail to match the more sophisticated systems operated in Europe. Cheaper ticket deals will decline as delays increase - only a higher ticket price guarantees arrival at the destination on time in a capitalist country.

Propecia and whether it's also worth taking vitamins

When we were young, our parents used to tell us vitamins would help us grow up strong and healthy. It's one of the rites of passage we all have to go through, learning how to appear to swallow pills while actually spitting them behind the couch. Yet, when we internet hounds are set loose on the www trail to information, there do seem to be small mountains of claims of health-giving properties for vitamins and a range of other natural products. So were our parents right? Should we finally move the couch away from the wall and see what treasures still remain behind?

We all know that Propecia has the FDA stamp of approval and none of the other natural products have been through formal clinical trials. It's one of the flaws in our current system of regulation that herbs and other chemicals with potential medicinal effects can be put on the market and advertised as effective without anyone checking to see whether they are effective, let alone safe. If any manufacturer wants to claim its product will cure a problem, it should have scientific evidence to support the claim and wait for the FDA to agree before being allowed to sell the product. As it is, manufacturers are experimenting on us without our informed consent. Yet we have all been taking vitamins for decades and, so far, no one has died of vitamin overdose. They seem safe even if the evidence of effectiveness is less clear.

When you get scientists into a room, there's some agreement that vitamin H, otherwise known as biotin, may be useful in strengthening nails and hair. Whether this is actually true, the vitamin regularly appears in hair products and cosmetics with a range of positive statements asserting it effective. This is good news whereas vitamin A in quantity actually encourages hair to fall out. So always check the label before consuming vitamins. This leaves us in the happy position of having nominal support from the scientific community for vitamin H for hair growth, and formal clinical trials in support of Propecia. In other words, it's not going to hurt you to add the right vitamin while taking the FDA-approved drug.

Cialis becomes a relief for single involving in sexually activity again

Some men never form permanent relationships and essentially live solitary lives, making friends where possible. As they age within the community, there's a tendency not to leave the home so often to socialize. This reinforces the loneliness and, quite commonly, leads to some level of depression. Other men find their relationships brought to an end, whether by separation, divorce or the death of the partner. Involuntarily, this forces the men into a decision on returning to a social life outside the home, or just staying home to wait for the end. Ironically, one of the best things that can happen to a single man is to move into a community of older people. This may be in separate homes with central services provides by a management company, or it may be a room in a home for the elderly. Although this is a loss of independence which may threaten self-esteem, it also represents an opportunity to meet other people. On occasion, men who remain sexually active can find themselves in demand from single women in the same or nearby communities. At times like this, Cialis becomes the reliable support to rejoining the world of sexual activity.

In this, the quality of the neighborhood is the key to whether the single man prospers or succumbs to depression. Some cultures are very unwelcoming to the old. Like annoying children, they are expected to stay out of sight. In such environments, the elderly feel trapped in their own homes. However, some neighborhoods are broadly supportive and open to all. For example, a recent survey in some Australian states discovered strong pub cultures in which men of all ages mixed and, in both positive and passive terms, offered support to older members of the community. This actually has more general health implications because older men who continue to drink beer on a regular basis are over overweight and inactive. This increases the risk factors of heart disease. Fortunately, the Australian women of all ages know where to find the men and, if they are looking for a partner can bring the Cialis pills with them to ensure a good result.

Cheap air tickets and European travel for the disabled

The Europeans are very precise in the way they think about rights. If there's a single market, there should be one set of rules. If there's one set of rules, it should apply equally to all citizens no matter whether they are disabled or their mobility is restricted in some way. Opportunities for travel should not be denied people because they are disabled. Except. . . There are always exceptions. In this case, it comes down to questions of practicality and safety, so we need to explain carefully how the rules are designed to work. Before an airline or travel agent accepts a booking from a person with a disability or some form of limit to their mobility, there's a duty to identify any problems likely to occur. This is not something that should arise when the disabled individual arrives at the airport. If proper notice is given in advance of potential problems, refusal to allow boarding will be considered a breach of contract and entitle a full refund plus the award of compensation. This applies whether this was full-price or cheap air tickets are involved, and whether this is flight only or part of a package holiday or tour.

This duty to accommodate the disabled does not just apply to the airline. It also applies to the airport operator which should provide properly designed access and trained staff. This should not be separately charged. Societies should be inclusive and not discriminate against individuals on the ground of their disability.

So when can transport be refused? In less common cases, because the disabled individual cannot pass through the aircraft door or something prevents moving through the aircraft to the designated seat. If this proves the case, the carrier must suggest alternatives. This can involve requiring a second individual accompany the disabled person to offer help and support. If a person with limited sight has an assistance dog, all airlines must publish their rules and cannot ignore them when convenient. If the disabled person holds cheap air tickets that involve changing flights, each airport has the legal duty to ensure appropriate arrangements are made to move from one gate to another.

Yoga Lowers Health Care Costs

Many people think that yoga is something that people do for spiritual enlightenment. Or they think it is soft and gentle seated meditation to soothing music and incense. Then there are others who believe it is for the super flexible. The truth is that yoga is a discipline that allows the body to heal itself and keep fit. In turn you will spend less for medical care.

The poses are usually sequenced in a way that your body can get deeper into the joints and muscles and ligaments. You use gravity to help as you stretch and bend your body between the poses. A regular practice of 3 to 4 times a week for an hour each time will help you build strength, flexibility, focus, and stamina. Even the most basic poses will give you as much work as you find with some of the more expensive gym equipment.

Your medical care costs are a direct result of the amount of care that you need. If you exercise at all on a regular basis you will find an increase in your health. You will have lower blood pressure and cholesterol. I've even heard of people who have been able to ward off diabetes doing a regular fitness routine.

What makes yoga different than all the other fitness programs out there? Yoga is an ancient tradition of poses for the body. It is not designed to build bulky muscles or flat abs. These things can be obtained. But the main objective of the poses in yoga is to bring your body back to its original state. All of our lives our bodies are acted upon by external forces. Gravity, sitting for long periods, carrying heavy things, or lifting heavy loads can all have an impact on the structure of our bodies. The lunges and transitions between these poses have an effect of stretching and lengthening the spine. Once the spine has been lengthen, the poses work on developing the supportive muscles around the skeleton. While you improve your posture, you strengthen the muscles to maintain the good posture that yoga provides for you.

When breathing exercises are attached to the movements you can get a bigger cardiovascular workout as well. It is not as cardiovascular as things like running or swimming or cycling. But it will help to improve endurance for all of those things. Deep, slow, and smooth breathing techniques also help develop calm and stress free minds in difficult situations. The practice of yoga will improve your health in many ways. Anyone can do it at any age. It is not competitive. It is time for your body to heal itself and get back to its natural state of being.

Healthcare Supply Chain Management Is a New Focus for Cost Reduction

In the national argument regarding how to make the US healthcare more effective, one cogent sector seemingly in need of reformation is overlooked - healthcare supplies and materials. Whether the items are dental implants, pacemakers, braces or costly drugs and medications, healthcare institutions and medical facilities have long bought whatever medical practitioners and doctors desired with little or no discussion whatsoever among the two parties involved regarding the expenses.

Researchers and experts are all going at it to try and unravel the hampered supply relationships that significantly contribute to the skyrocketing digits in the cost of healthcare supplies, burdening medical facilities and tediously formulating efforts of broadening coverage among the uninsured or under-insured.

Supplies play a crucial function and have become a growing component of healthcare budgets. Stated by statistical reports from the Association for Healthcare Resource and Materials Management, the cost of supplies have jumped almost 40% between years 2003 to 2005 and now symbolizes as much as 31% of the healthcare industry's expenditures based on individual cases. This alarming rate has brought about the emanation of different solutions and options for cost effective budgeting in the healthcare division, one of which is healthcare supply chain management.

Healthcare supply chain management is the new focus for cost reduction. It pertains to the collaboration of enterprises and developments involved in generating and rendering a product or service. The process has been extensively utilized in other markets for decades. A lot of enterprises, mainly retailers and suppliers, have attributed their growth and success to effective practice and implementation of supply chain management.

However, supply chain management in the industry of healthcare seems as if it has hit a plateau. This may be partially attributed by the fact that the market of healthcare negotiates with completed products and services, according to various experts. As compared with automotive suppliers, which can be asked for a particular design or style of a specific part or component intended for a vehicle, medical organizations and facilities typically have to take what suppliers have currently stored in their inventories.

The global recession, which has struck different markets and industries including healthcare, has brought about the creation of both obstacles and opportunities for those supervising healthcare supply chains. With tight budgets, medical facilities are required to closely observe where savings can be generated. In most cases, these organizations have found financial solace with supply chains and demand has been ever increasing.

An American Universal Health Care System

Health Care System Needs Reform, Not a Government Takeover

Believe it or not, America boasts some of the world's best doctors, the most advanced health care system, and the most technically superior resources in the world, bar none. Those who travel globally and have gotten sick know that their first choice for treatment would be in the U.S. Though health care in America is, more expensive than any other country, many of the worlds wealthiest come to the U.S for surgical procedures and complex care, because it holds a worldwide reputation for the gold standard in health care.

To examine the complex health care issue, a small research study was conducted from randomly selected doctors in a best doctors database. We ask 50 top doctors, located in different states and who practice different specialty fields, " Is a universal health care plan good for America?" Forty-eight of these doctors essentially responded that it was a "bad idea" that would have negative impacts on the quality of our nation's health care.

Social Engineering Medicine

One of the greatest mis-conceptions some people have relied on with regard to the health care debate is that, given a universal health care system, every person in the U.S. would receive the highest quality health care - the kind our nation is renowned for and that we currently receive. However, unlike some public amenities, health care is not a collective public service like police and fire protection services, therefore the Government cannot provide the same quality of health care to everyone, because not all physicians are equally good orthopedic surgeons, internists, neurosurgeons, etc, in the same way that not all individuals in need of health care are equally good patients.

As an analogy - stay with me - when you design a software program, there are many elements that are coded on the back-end, and used to manipulate certain aspects of the software program, that your average "John Doe" who uses the software (the end user) does not understand or utilize, nor do they care about these elements. Certain aspects of the program are coded, so that when one uses that portion of the program, other elements of the program are manipulated and automatically follow the present or next command.

Likewise, once a universal care plan is implemented in America and its massive infrastructure is shaped, private insurance companies will slowly disappear, and as a result, eventually patients will automatically be forced to utilize the government's universal health care plan. As part of such a system, patients will be known as numbers rather than patients, because such a massive government program would provide compensation incentive based on care provided, patients would become "numbers," rather than "patients." In addition, for cost savings reasons, every bit of health information, including your own, will be analyzed, and stored by the Government. What are the consequences? If you're a senior citizen and need a knee replacement at the age of 70, the government may determine that you're to old and it's not worth the investment cost, therefore instead of surgery, you may be given medication for the rest of your life at a substantial cost savings to the government, and at a high quality of life price to you.

Solutions:

Fixing the current U.S. health care system might require that we;

1. Encourage prevention and early diagnosis of chronic conditions and management.
2. Completely reform existing government are programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
3. Forgive medical school debt for those willing to practice primary care in under-served areas.
4. Improve access to care, provide small businesses and the self-employed with tax credits, not penalties for providing health care.
5. Encourage innovation in medical records management to reduce costs.
6. Require tort reform in medical malpractice judgments to lower the cost of providing care.
7. Keep what isn't broken-research shows 80% of Americans are happy with their current insurance, therefore, why completely dismantle it?
8. Reimburse physicians for their services.
9. Innovate a system in which Medicare fraud is dramatically decreased.

Devil In the Details

Socialized medicine means:

1. Loss of private practice options, reduced pay for physicians, overwhelming numbers of patients, and increasing burn-out may reduce the number of doctors pursuing the profession.

2. Patient confidentiality will need to be compromised, since centralized health information will be maintained by the government and it's databases.

3. Healthy people who take care of themselves will pay for the burden of those with unhealthy lifestyles, such as those who smoke, are obese, etc.

4. Patients lose the incentive to stay healthy or aren't likely to take efforts to curb their prescription drug costs because health care is free and the system can easily be abused.

5. The U.S. Government will need to call the shots about important health decisions dictating what procedures are best for you, rather than those decisions being made by your doctor(s), which will result in poor individualized patient care.

6. Tax rates will rise substantially-universal health care is not free since citizens are required to pay for it in the form of taxes.

7. Your freedom of choice will be restricted as to which doctor is best for you and your family.

8. Like all public programs, government bureaucracy, even in the form of health care, does not promote healthy competition that reduces costs based on demand. What's more, accountability is limited to the budgetary resources available to police such a system.

9. Medicare is subsidized by private insurers to the tune of billions of dollars, therefore if you take them out of the equation, add a trillion dollars or more to the current trillion dollar-plus cost estimates.

10. Currently, the government loses an estimated $ 30 billion a year due to Medicare fraud. Therefore, what makes anyone think that this same government will be able to run & operate a universal health care system that is resistant to fraud and save money while doing so?.

Are We Talking About "Health Care" Reform, Or "Sickness Care" Reform?

All the talk about "Health Care Reform" has certainly ignited a fire in countless Americans! Every national news and talk radio show is focused on this hot button topic recently.

The economic crisis is clearly the catalyst for the proposed sweeping changes in national "health" care. Scarce funds and resources, as well as a pending economic "collapse" (as some describe) are forcing us to consider how to manage health care in tough times... and in extreme circumstances.

We're hearing terms like "rationed health care", "socialized medicine", "universal insurance" and the "value of human life". It's no wonder this subject has sparked such heated dialogue.

Spending the first 23 years of my life in "socialist" Canada, and still spending much time and energy in their medical system with both of my parents, I may have a different perspective from the sensationalized one being portrayed in media.

I'm perfectly willing to admit that I don't understand all the politics and red tape involved. I simply have a memory of how things really played out in that system and countless experiences to call upon.

Growing up, I quite clearly recall paying out of pocket for many doctor's and specialist's visits, treatments and procedures, and paying a partial "co-pay" for the remaining forms of care: physical therapy, surgery, prescriptions, etc. Not exactly the picture I continue to see painted on the news.

Studying and working within the field of health and wellness for the past 18 years, I know I have a different perspective. First, I wish we'd quit calling this "health care". The subject of this conversation is "sickness care". I know I can't change that, but it annoys me! Words are important.

I have no challenge with paying for - investing in - my own health. I will gladly invest in lifestyle choices that proactively build better health. Choices like: healthier foods, high quality nutritional supplements, pure water, exercise classes, equipment and tools, Chiropractic care, massage, less toxic personal care, household and lawn care products, and so on. I don't expect a hand out for any of these things... although it would sure be nice! It's just not realistic. My health and my family's health is my responsibility.

If we continue to talk about sickness care as though it will somehow provide us with health, we'll continue on our devastating trend of unparalleled rates of chronic illness in all age groups. We're confused.

What drug, surgery, insurance plan or federal program could ever fix a problem due to a lack of fresh, healthy, whole, untainted (genetically required) real foods? Or a problem due to sedentary living and lack of regular (genetically required) movement? Or a problem due to a lack of healthy emotions like love and joy? Or a problem due to toxic thoughts and emotions like fear, worry, hate and hopelessness?

Thinking that national "health care" is responsible for our health is irresponsible on our part. It's also foolish. Their paradigm is still the sickness paradigm. Why on earth would we expect them to deliver us health?

Do I think that we should have a system to help those in need achieve better health and receive sickness care when needed? Yes. But I sure would love to see the main focus of such a program be on "health"! I'm certain we'd spend FAR less on sickness care (and "health care" as a whole) if that were the case.

I'd also love to see the pharmaceutical industry focus on health rather than profits, and drugs only be used for life-saving endeavors... but I digress!

I'm blessed to live in a country with excellent sickness care options. In the case of emergency or trauma or life-saving procedures we have the best. In the case of "health care"... not so much! Sadly though, it's all there. Everything we need in order to create ideal health is right here at our fingertips. As a culture, we just keep overlooking it and choosing sickness care, expecting health as the outcome.

Our paradigm is inaccurate.

As individuals, imagine if we all began to proactively take steps to create better health. We would no longer play the role of passive by-stander or helpless victim in this game. That's where I think our focus needs to shift - why wait around to see what's decided FOR us? Regardless of whatever decisions are made by this current administration, we can certainly become healthier one by one, family by family. Isn't this the perfect, most necessary time to take responsibility for our own health and safety?

Science has clearly shown us that it's our lifestyle choices - how we eat, how we move, how we sleep, how we respond to stress - that directly determine our level of health, function, performance and our ability to prevent and reverse chronic illness. Getting healthier means making more pure and sufficient choices while simultaneously reducing toxic and deficient choices. No one can do this for us but US.

When we shift to this responsible, proactive and accurate belief about health care, THEN we will have a truly beneficial health care reform and a profound strengthening of our economy!

Union Organizing in the Health Care Industry - New Unions and Alliances Among Rivals

Though our nation's economy has recently lost millions of jobs, the health care industry has continued to add them. Not surprisingly, unions are eager to sign up health care workers. In the last 10 years, the rate of union wins in the health care industry has grown faster than the national average. Unions are uniting to lobby for labor-friendly legislation to promote increased union membership in the health care sector.

In addition to traditional organizing, health care union organizers are using more radical corporate campaigns that target hospital donors, shareholders, community groups, and even patients. The unions push these target groups to put pressure on hospital owners to allow unions to organize their employees. Many critics have argued that some of these agreements with employers have greatly limited workers' power and emphasized the union's cooperation with management.

The following article provides an overview of the major unions involved in the health care industry, as well as strategies to ensure your organization is prepared and remains successful.

Service Employees International Union
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) began in 1921 primarily as a janitor's union and branched out to include government, security, and health care workers. By 2000, it was the largest, fastest-growing union in the United States, with much of that growth stemming from a series of strategic mergers with smaller unions. In June 2005, the SEIU and six other unions left the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) to form the Change to Win coalition. Citing the need for a renewed effort to organize workers, Change to Win purports to be focused on achieving fair wages, health care benefits, and secure retirement for all employees. The coalition also encourages workers to unionize on an industry-wide basis, consolidating smaller unions within larger unions.

SEIU Healthcare
In 2007, the SEIU announced plans to launch a new health care union to serve approximately one million members, such as nurses and service workers at hospitals and nursing homes. SEIU Healthcare combined financial and personnel resources from the 38 local SEIU Healthcare unions. Of the SEIU's 1.9 million members, 900,000 work in health care. In September 2008, the SEIU reported it would begin several high-profile projects to bring business leaders, health care providers, community organizations, and elected officials together to work on the nation's health care system. SEIU leaders were part of a May meeting held by President Obama to discuss a health care overhaul. More recently, SEIU members attended town hall meetings to speak out in support of the proposed health care reform. In August, the SEIU was part of a group-largely funded by the pharmaceutical industry's lobby-that launched $12 million in television advertisements to support Obama's health care proposal. This group, the Americans for Stable Quality Care, could spend tens of millions more this fall.

SEIU and NUHW
The SEIU attempted to consolidate three local units representing home health care workers into one unit last December, taking authority away from the local units. The SEIU accused the local unit officials of financial misconduct, and in response, the leaders of the local units criticized the SEIU's practice of centralizing power at its Washington headquarters and making corrupt deals with employers. In January, a 150,000-member SEIU local unit in Oakland was put under trusteeship by the SEIU, and the local officials of that unit were dismissed. The ousted officials formed a new union, the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW).

The NUHW announced the first workers had cast votes in favor of representation by the new union in March. A majority of 350 union-represented workers at four nursing homes in northern California managed by North American Health Care wanted to end their labor relationship with SEIU and join the NUHW. The day after this announcement, the SEIU filed unfair labor practice charges against the four nursing homes, charging that administrators of the facilities had illegally withdrawn union recognition and colluded with a competing labor union. In that same month, a National Labor Relations Board regional director ruled against the NUHW, saying that the contract between the SEIU and the hospital chain prevented the effort by a new labor union to represent 14,000 Catholic Healthcare West workers. Despite the ruling, the founding convention to formally launch the NUHW took place in April 2009. According to the NUHW, approximately 91,000 California health care workers have signed petitions filed at the labor board, stating they would like be members of the new union.

The NUHW also claims that, in response to these decertification drives, the SEIU has resorted to harassment and intimidation and tactics similar to union prevention. The SEIU argues that the new group has unfairly restrained and coerced workers, as well as complained to the National Labor Relations Board. A decisive battle between the two unions will come in 2010, when the SEIU-UHW contract with Kaiser Permanente expires and the opportunity for decertification elections reopens. Kaiser, the largest health care provider in California, has 50,000 workers that could potentially become members of NUHW.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee
The California Nurses Association (CNA) began as a state chapter of the American Nurses Association (ANA) in 1903. The ANA has a federated structure: Nurses do not typically join the organization directly, but instead join their respective state organization, which has membership in the ANA. After several years of believing the ANA was not providing them adequate financial support to increase collective bargaining activity in California, the CNA broke ties with the ANA in 1995 and formed its own union, becoming the first state organization to secede from the ANA. Since its break from the ANA, the CNA has acquired a reputation as one of the most aggressive labor unions in the country. In 2004, the CNA began establishing itself in other states under the name National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC). The CNA voted to seek affiliation in the AFL-CIO in 2007. CNA membership has doubled over the last seven years and represents 80,000 members from all 50 states.

UAN-NNOC
In February, CNA/NNOC, United American Nurses (UAN), and the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) announced the formation of another new union: the United American Nurses-National Nurses Organizing Committee (UAN-NNOC). With a combined membership of more than 150,000 affiliates in 19 states, it is the largest nursing union in the history of the United States.

National Federation of Nurses
The National Federation of Nurses (NFN) was officially launched in April at an event in Portland, Oregon. The NFN represents more than 70,000 nurses in six state nurses' associations, including New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Based on a federated model (much like the ANA), the NFN recognizes the independence of each member organization. Membership is open to state nurses' associations and other labor organizations that represent RNs. The NFN is tied to the ANA, which outlines standards for nursing practices, but has historically opposed nurse unionism and includes managers in its leadership. Since nurse union leaders expect many of the 15 unions with nurse memberships to flood hospitals with authorization cards if the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) passes, they want to establish their own national union to ensure nurses are organized by nurses.

SEIU and CNA: From Violent Disputes to Cooperative Agreements
The SEIU signed a neutrality agreement in March 2008 with an Ohio Catholic hospital to organize 8,000 workers. The day before voting was scheduled to begin, members of the CNA distributed leaflets to discourage workers from joining the SEIU. After the workers received the leaflets attacking SEIU and its arrangement with management for an election, SEIU called off the vote. Then at an April 2008 conference in Detroit, SEIU staff and members protested at a banquet of CNA members, resulting in violence. The two unions have also launched raids and counter-raids across the country, and both have sent mailings to thousands of nurses (including nurses in other unions, as well as nurses whose unions are currently trying to organize) attacking each other.

After more than a year of fighting, the SEIU and CNA signed a cooperation agreement in March. They will work together to bring union representation to all non-union RNs and other health care employees, as well as improve patient care standards. The unions have also agreed to refrain from raiding each other's members and will work together toward common goals, including lobbying for congressional passage of the EFCA. SEIU and CNA will coordinate campaigns at the largest health care systems and launch an intensive national organizing campaign. Catholic hospital chains will likely be among the first targets.

In June, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the nation's largest unions (including the SEIU and the AFL-CIO) signed an agreement describing how union organizing will be conducted at Catholic health care facilities. (The document is similar to the one Catholic Healthcare Partners and Community Mercy Health Partners created last year with the SEIU before the CNA protest canceled the vote.) This agreement is significant because Catholic health care providers represent the largest employers and providers of services in many communities. The agreement provides seven guidelines for management at Catholic health care facilities and unions, making it easier organize health care workers at these facilities.

What This Means for Your Organization
Many experts agree that expanded unionization, along with the passage of the EFCA, will negatively impact our health care system. Both health care providers and industry analysts fear that unionization could mean higher costs and more restrictive work rules, adding to the soaring cost of delivering health care. Hospital and health care facilities need to be aware of these issues and how they can educate their supervisors and workers about the threat of unionization.

Communication with your employees is a critical first step. Many issues are involved in the possible unionization of a health care facility (economic factors, working conditions, quality of patient care, employee satisfaction, etc.). To prepare for possible union activity, identify issues that are relevant to your facility and address those needs publicly. Train leadership and include information about your union-free policy in the employee hiring and orientation procedures. Assess your wage and benefit structure, and be sure to promote what you offer.

You can use brochures, meetings, video, webinars, e-mail, Web sites, or eLearning tools to reach your employees. The most effective efforts include an employee feedback system that encourages two-way communication.

Obama Urges a Call For Health Care Reform and an End to "Bickering"

If you've been following the news even slightly, you have probably already heard about Obama's plan for health care reform and the debate behind it as well as the public opinion of this proposed health care reform.

Obama said in his speech Wednesday night, "We have talked this issue to death... The time for talk is winding down. The time for bickering is past."

Republican leaders would then say that the President had missed an important opportunity to build a bipartisan consensus on that speech and also missed an opportunity to provide the specifics of this plan of his that has been long awaited.

For this speech, President Obama was also joined by representatives from the American Nurses Association (ANA) who have strongly supported this bill since the get-go. During the speech that many remember clearly, Obama discussed several reform principles that were outlined such as the need for all Americans to have access to health coverage, even if they have pre-existing conditions.

This could mean big news to anyone who's ever been turned down for insurance because they had already been diagnosed with something. The idea of the plan is to provide quality health insurance to everyone. It's designed to fill in where employer health plans aren't covering or help with people who have no current health insurance for whatever reason.

Many people are still skeptical about the President's proposed health care reform and the states seem to be divided as well between those who agree with it and those who do not support it.

Some say that Obama's references towards those who oppose him are adding fuel to the fire. Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Arizona says that Obama makes it more difficult to find an agreement because he calls people who oppose him "unyielding ideological" believers and claims their arguments are "bogus claims".

Many believe, like Kyl, that the President doesn't believe anyone can have a disagreement with him based on a difference of opinion and that it always has to be about ulterior motives or bogus beliefs.

One of the biggest reasons people fault the President's plan for health care reform is that there is confusion and debate about what the bill actually entails. Many feel that Obama is not being forthright with his claims such as the one that people who do not agree with the plan will have the option to keep their current coverage if they like it.

Another argument is that the current plan will offer health care benefits to illegal citizens. When the President said in his speech that this was untrue, he was called a "liar". It's apparent that the whole idea of this bill and how health care reform will potentially work has people upset.

People believe that the President's recent speech only did more to disrupt the possibility of an agreement between the two sides. Senate Minority While Jon Kyl was quoted as saying, "I thought the speech was partisan, uninformative, disingenuous and not likely to encourage those who have honest disagreements with him to be able to work toward some kind of common solution."

People who oppose the bill or still stand on the fence regarding whether or not they want to agree with it don't feel their questions and concerns are being met with proper answers. This could be a reason why this particular bill has not come to a solid conclusion.

What is Health Care Reform All About?

The issue of a national health insurance plan that would allow health insurance for everyone has been around for some time now. However, the debate has raged for so long that many felt nothing would ever be done about it. It seems Obama wants to be the President to change all of this and is plan has been the closest to ever come to almost being passed.

He has a lot of support in Congress about his plan but there are still leaders who are unsure and the American public is also unsure of what type of stand they want to take in this case. Most opponents argue that the savings, while real, will probably have a limited impact on the national deficit.

The national health insurance plan, being called Health Care for America has a goal of providing affordable health insurance to all non-elderly Americans with a combination of Medicare-like programs that are provided by the government as well as any existing health plans provided by employers.

Under this plan, every legal resident of the United States who is not covered by Medicare or an employer-plan for health care can purchase coverage from Health Care for America. The federal government will then be able to bargain for lower pricing and upgraded care to give every current enrollee better healthcare.

This will also give people who enroll in the plan affordable coverage and better care. People can sign up who were denied insurance before because of a pre-existing condition. The idea is to give health care to everyone in America.

To help pay for the plan, US employers will be required to provide a similar plan or to pay a tax to support the Health Care for America plan and to help their employees afford their own outside coverage.

So How Does it Work?

People who are self-employed would be able to purchase coverage under Health Care for America by paying just the same payroll-based tax as people who are employed by a company. You can buy into the program based on your annual income. There are also incentives to states who enroll remaining uninsured people in the program.

Non eldery people as well as children in the State Children's Health Insurance program are automatically enrolled, either individually or because of their employers. People feel that the program will help by making universal healthcare available to any legal U.S. resident without proper workplace coverage.

It will also require that employers and self-employed purchase comparable insurance or pay 6% of the payroll to fund Health Care for America. It will be required that Americans without insurance purchase private coverage of some type or buy into the Health Care for America Plan.

Some people don't like the idea of forced health insurance, however. A plus side, however, is that it will help prevent the threat of losing health coverage due to layoffs. The plan will provide comprehensive coverage that includes mental health and maternal as well as child health. Drug coverage is also provided and Medicare is modified so that it can provide for the elderly and disabled. Well child visits and preventative care is also provided at no cost to the individual.

One question that people have is about how much it will cost to have this coverage. Already many Americans face the problem of too expensive coverage or coverage that they simply can't afford at all. As proposed, the plan would be a maximum of $70 per month for individuals, $140 for a couple and $130 for single parent families. All other families would be $200 monthly maximum.

Coverage from Health Care for America would be guaranteed and continuous once enrolled. Families with this coverage would remain covered until they become covered by a qualified private health insurance plan of equal or greater value.

It's easy then to see how many people are supportive of the program and many more still are skeptical that it's "too good to be true" or that there are holes in the plan. Some feel that only time will tell if this plan will work or not. The problem for many skeptics is that if the plan is enacted and it doesn't work the way everyone is expecting, it will already be in effect and nothing can be done about it.

Others don't like the idea of a forced health care plan and still others don't think the President is being truthful in what he says the health care reform program will be like. Whichever side of the fence you're on, the time for decision making is here. Just as Obama urges people to make a decision, it's time to soon find out what will happen with health care reform and the proposed plan.

Making the Choice to Execute a Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will

Advances in medical technology, recent court rulings and emerging political trends have brought with them a number of life-and-death choices which many have never before considered. The looming prospect of legalized physician-assisted suicide is one such choice which severely erodes the inherent value and dignity of human life. The much-publicized efforts of certain doctors to provide carbon monoxide poisoning or prescribe lethal drugs for their terminally ill patients constitute euthanasia. So may the removal of certain life-sustaining treatments from a patient who is not in a terminal condition. Euthanasia and willful suicide, in any form, are offenses against life; they must be and are rejected by the vast majority of U.S. states.

However, people faced with these difficult dilemmas should be made aware that there are morally-appropriate, life-affirming legal options available to them. One such option, for Catholics and others, can be a "health care power of attorney" and "living will." South Carolina State law allows you to appoint someone as your agent to make health care decisions for you in the event you lose the ability to decide for yourself. This appointment is executed by means of a "health care power of attorney" form, a model for which can be obtained from your attorney.

A health care power of attorney can be a morally and legally acceptable means of protecting your wishes, values and religious beliefs when faced with a serious illness or debilitating accident. Accordingly, for persons wishing to execute health care powers of attorney, see the following instructions and guidance from the authoritative teachings and traditions of various religious faiths.

The intent of the health care power of attorney law is to allow adults to delegate their God-given, legally-recognized right to make health care decisions to a designated and trusted agent. The law does not intend to encourage or discourage any particular health care treatment. Nor does it legalize or promote euthanasia, suicide or assisted suicide. The health care power of attorney law allows you, or any competent adult, to designate an "agent," such as a family member or close friend, to make health care decisions for you if you lose the ability to decide for yourself in the future. This is done by completing a health care power of attorney form.

You...

o Have the right to make all of your own health care decisions while capable of doing so. The health care power of attorney only becomes effective when and if you become incapacitated through illness or accident.

o Have the right to challenge your doctor's determination that you are not capable of making your own medical decisions.

o CAN give special instructions about your medical treatment to your agent and can forbid your agent from making certain treatment decisions. To do so, you simply need to communicate your wishes, beliefs and instructions to your agent. Instructions about any specific treatments or procedures which you desire or do not desire under special conditions can also be written in your health care power of attorney and/or provided in a separate living will.

o Can revoke your health care power of attorney or the appointment of your agent at any time while competent.

o May not designate as your agent an administrator or employee of the hospital, nursing home or mental hygiene facility to which you are admitted, unless they are related by blood, marriage or adoption. 1996

Your agent...

o Can begin making decisions for you only when your doctor determines that you are no longer able to make health care decisions for yourself.

o May make any and all health care decisions for you, including treatments for physical or mental conditions and decisions regarding life-sustaining procedures, unless you limit the power of your agent.

o Will not have authority to make decisions about the artificial provision of nutrition and hydration (nourishment and water through feeding tubes) unless he or she clearly knows that these decisions are in accord with your wishes about those measures.

o Is protected from legal liability when acting in good faith.

o Must base his or her decisions on your wishes or, if your wishes cannot be reasonably ascertained, in your "best interests." The agent's decisions will take precedence over the decisions of all other persons, regardless of family relationships.

o May have his or her decision challenged if your family, health care provider or close friend believes the agent is acting in bad faith or is not acting in accord with your wishes, including your religious/moral beliefs, or is not acting in your best interests.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR ALL PEOPLE FROM CHRISTIAN/CATHOLIC TEACHING

The following is an attempt to gather information from the doctrines of Christianity, Catholicism, and Judaism to see if there are any commonalities with regard to health care agencies and living wills. We will see that all three religions have placed a value on dying with dignity and the right of the person to direct how their dying process will occur.

A major tenet of the faith is that it is unethical to take a life. It is not the highest of all values to stay alive, but you cannot affirmatively take steps to kill someone. The church is strongly against euthanasia and suicide. But often if the patient and medical care providers permit nature to take its course without heroic intervention, the person's life may be taken by God.

This is a narrow path. Taking a life is inappropriate; on the other hand, using heroic medical measures to keep a body biologically functioning would not be appropriate either. Mere biological existence is not considered a value. It is not a sin to allow someone to die peacefully and with dignity. We see death as an evil to be transformed into a victory by faith in God. The difficulty is discussing these issues in abstraction; they must be addressed on a case-by-case basis. The Christian church's view of life-and-death issues should ideally be reflected in the living will and health-care proxy.

Roman Catholic teaching celebrates life as a gift of a loving God and respects each human life because each is created in the image and likeness of God. It is consistent with Church teaching that each person has a right to make his or her own health care decisions. Further, a person's family or trusted delegate may have to assume that responsibility for someone who has become incapable of making their decisions. Accordingly, it is morally acceptable to appoint a health care agent by executing a health care power of attorney, provided it conforms to the teachings and traditions of the Catholic faith.

While the health care power of attorney law allows us to designate someone to make health care decisions for us, we must bear in mind that life is a sacred trust over which we have been given stewardship. We have a duty to preserve it, while recognizing that we have no unlimited power over it. Therefore, the Catholic Church encourages us to keep the following considerations in mind if we decide to sign a health care power of attorney.

1. As Christians, we believe that our physical life is sacred but that our ultimate goal is everlasting life with God. We are called to accept death as a part of the human condition. Death need not be avoided at all costs.

2. Suffering is "a fact of human life, and has special significance for the Christian as an opportunity to share in Christ's redemptive suffering. Nevertheless there is nothing wrong in trying to relieve someone's suffering as long as this does not interfere with other moral and religious duties. For example, it is permissible in the case of terminal illness to use pain killers which carry the risk of shortening life, so long as the intent is to relieve pain effectively rather than to cause death."

3. Euthanasia is "an action or omission which of itself or by intention causes death, in order that all suffering may in this way be eliminated." "[Euthanasia] is an attack on human life which no one has a right to make or request."

4. "Everyone has the duty to care for his or her own health and to seek necessary medical care from others, but this does not mean that all possible remedies must be used in all circumstances. One is not obliged to use 'extraordinary' means - that is, means which offer no reasonable hope of benefit or which involve excessive hardship.

5. No health care agent may be authorized to deny personal services which every patient can rightfully expect, such as appropriate food, water, bed rest, room temperature and hygiene.

6. The patient's condition, however, may affect the moral obligation of providing food and water when they are being administered artificially. Factors that must be weighed in making this judgment include: the patient's ability to assimilate the artificially provided nutrition and hydration, the imminence of death and the risks of the procedures for the patient. While medically-administered food and water pose unique questions, especially for patients who are permanently unconscious, decisions about these measures should be guided by a presumption in favor of their use. Food and water must never be withdrawn in order to cause death. They may be withdrawn if they offer no reasonable hope of maintaining life or if they pose excessive risks or burdens.

7. Life-sustaining treatment must be maintained for a pregnant patient if continued treatment may benefit her unborn child.

Such principles and guidelines from the Christian heritage may guide Catholics and others as they strive to make responsible health care decisions and execute health care proxies. They may also guide Catholic health care facilities and providers in deciding when to accept and when to refuse to honor an agent's decision.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR ALL PEOPLE FROM JEWISH TEACHING

Jewish tradition as understood by Conservative Judaism teaches that life is a blessing and a gift from God. Each human being is valued as created b'tselem elohim, in God's image. Whatever the level of our physical and mental abilities, whatever the extent of our dependence on others, each person has intrinsic dignity and value in God's eyes. Judaism values life and respects our bodies as the creation of God. We have the responsibility to care for ourselves and seek medical treatment needed for our recovery-we owe that to ourselves, to our loved ones, and to God.

In accordance with our tradition's respect for the life God has given us and its consequent bans on murder and suicide, Judaism rejects any form of active euthanasia ("mercy killing") or assisted suicide. Within these broad guidelines, decisions may be required about which treatment would best promote recovery and would offer the greatest benefit. Accordingly, each patient may face important choices concerning what mode of treatment he or she feels would be both beneficial and tolerable.

The breadth of the Conservative movement and its intellectual vitality have produced two differing positions put forward by Rabbis Avram Israel Reisner and Elliot N. Dorff, both approved by the Conservative movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards. Both positions agree on the value of life and the individual's responsibility to protect his or her life and seek healing. Both agree on a large area of autonomy in which a patient can make decisions about treatment when risk or uncertainty is involved. Both would allow terminally ill patients to rule out certain treatment options (such as those with significant side effects), to forgo mechanical life support, and to choose hospice care as a treatment option.

Nevertheless, important differences between the two positions may be found regarding both theoretical commitments and practical applications. Rabbi Reisner affirms the supreme value of protecting all life. Even the most difficult life and that of the shortest duration is yet God given, purposeful, and ours to nurture and protect. All nutrition, hydration, and medication should be provided whenever these are understood to be effective measures for sustaining life. Some medical interventions, however, do not sustain life so much as they prolong the dying process. These interventions are not required. The distinction may best be judged by our intent. We may choose to avoid treatments causing us fear or entailing risk or pain, in the interest of the remaining moments of life. We may not avoid treatment in an attempt to speed an escape into death.

Rabbi Dorff finds basis in Jewish law to grant greater latitude to the patient who wishes to reject life-sustaining measures. He sees a life under the siege of a terminal illness as an impaired life. In such a circumstance, a patient might be justified in deciding that a treatment that extends life without hope for cure would not benefit him or her, and may be forgone.

Both Rabbis Dorff and Reisner agree that advance directives should only be used to indicate preferences within the range allowed by Jewish law. They disagree as to what those acceptable ranges are. In completing a health care power of attorney and living will, it is recommended that you consult with your rabbi to discuss the values and norms of Jewish ethics and halakhah. You also may wish to talk with your physician to learn about the medical significance of your choices, in particular any decisions your physician feels are likely to be faced in light of your medical circumstances. You may find it helpful to discuss these concerns with family members.

CONCLUSION

In the end, the decision to execute a health care power of attorney and living will is a uniquely individual choice. Every person has their own set of principles by which they will live, and by which they will eventually pass on. When executing these documents, it is wise to examine how these documents assimilate into your worldview and religious beliefs. While the topic of death and dying is an uncomfortable one, you are well advised to discuss this decision with your family members, friends, and members and leaders of your religious community that you respect. Having done this, you can rest easy knowing that you have made a good decision with regard to your health care power of attorney and last will, and that your last wishes will be respected and undertaken.