Health and Wellness

Testosterone is the most important hormone determining sexual characteristics in males. Testosterone determines whether a baby will develop into a girl or a boy. In males, testosterone is primarily produced in the testes. In females, it is primarily produced in the ovaries. Small amounts of the hormone are produced in the adrenal glands in both sexes. Structure and Physical Characteristics Testosterone is comprised of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The molecular weight of testosterone is 288.4...

Male Menopause symptoms are established when the male is diagnosed with andropause—the male equivalent of menopause found in females. This refers to a condition during which the testosterone levels decline appreciably in men. Since, testosterone is the primary sex hormone in males along with being a secondary metabolic hormone; Male Menopause induces a wide variety of symptoms. Among these, decreased muscular strength and declining libido are the chief indications while infertility is also...

The changes came so gradually they were almost imperceptible. For most of his life he had been outgoing, happy and positive, bursting with energy and vitality and excited about life. Then one day a close friend asked him what was going on. At first he denied that anything was wrong. Then he tried to blame external circumstances for what was happening. But when he finally and honestly faced it, he had to admit that his drive, strength, energy and enthusiasm for life and love were just not what...

Insertion of a deep brain stimulator (DBS), a device similar to a pacemaker for the brain, may improve memory and function for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) explains that the set up for deep brain stimulation involves three parts: an electrode; a neurostimulator, which is the battery pack; and the extension. The surgeon implants the electrode in a specific region of the brain, which he or she identifies using an imaging...

Menopause is actually defined as the period beginning twelve months after a woman's last menstrual cycle. This is the point when a woman is not "going through" menopause but is "in" menopause. Therefore, the Menopause as the term used to describe the time women stops having her menstrual periods is actually, is more commonly (and inaccurately) used to describe only one menopause stage, perimenopause. There are stages of menopause which women experience. These stages of menopause consist of:...

Researchers across the world are racing towards a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. As prevalence rates climb, their focus has broadened from treatment to prevention strategies. Although there are no magic solutions, tantalizing new evidence suggests it may be possible to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease through a combination of healthful habits. Scientists now suggest you can stimulate your mind, improve your mood, sharpen your memory, and reduce your Alzheimer’s risks. Which...

Cigarette Paper Cigarette paper is made of pure cellulose pulp from textile fibers such as flax or hemp, or from wood. It may be porous to varying degrees, i.e. capable of letting through a stream of air that regulates how the tobacco burns. Smoke from a burning cigarette will therefore depend to a large extent on the paper characteristics. Industry claims that cigarette paper can influence overall product performance more than any other non-tobacco component. There are actually two...

One of the common fears associated with giving up smoking is that it will lead to uncontrolled weight gain. Indeed, this fear has its grounds. Four out of every five people who stop smoking gain some weight. While the health benefits of quitting far exceed the problems of gaining weight, many people do not like it if they put on a few extra pounds. However, six months after quitting, most people have lost at least some of the weight that they gained. It is important to know that you can quit...

To fight the health disorder, it should be properly recognized first. The patient comes to the primary care with his problems, which might be seemingly unrelated to the clear case of the clinical depression, and unfortunately, the recognition of depression success rate in primary care is statistically less than we would like it to be. For example, 50% of people with major depression, identified by independent screening in Great Britain, were not recognized as depressed by the primary physician. The recognition of depression is particularly difficult in certain patient groups such as the physically ...

Overview Menopause (alternative names - Perimenopause; Postmenopause) is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether. So, technically, the menopause is the permanent end of menstruation and fertility, defined as occurring 12 months after your last menstrual period. Be aware that menopause is a natural biological process, not a medical illness in any way. Even so, the physical and emotional symptoms of menopause may show up as disturbing health ...

A right to know? A decade or two ago, the norm was to withhold the diagnosis from people diagnosed with terminal cancer. This practice has now all but disappeared, and it is generally accepted, in almost every condition with the exception of dementia, that the patient has a right to know, no matter how distressing the diagnosis. In the 1950s most doctors did not tell people with terminal cancer their diagnosis. A study in 1961 showed that 90% of US doctors usually withheld it, with the aim of...

Dance therapy has been used to treat mental and physical disabilities and illnesses in the United States since the 1940s. It is recognized by many major organizations as a legitimate form of treatment despite the scarcity of scientific studies that explore its effects. At the very least, it is known that dance/movement therapy will "provide exercise, improve mobility and muscle coordination...reduce muscle tension...improve self-awareness, self-confidence, and interpersonal interaction, and...

Conventional wisdom claims that reading in the dark wrecks the eyes. But children everywhere who love to read at night under the covers can rejoice, because this myth is FALSE. Dim light might make it difficult for the eyes to focus, which can cause short-term eye fatigue, says Richard Gans, MD, FACS, an ophthalmologist with the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute. "But there is no scientific evidence that reading in the dark does any long-term harm to your eyes," Gans says. Challenging...

The oldest and best mood stabilizer for depression is lithium carbonate (lithium). Although this medication is primarily used to treat bipolar disorders, lithium can also be effective in alleviating unipolar depressive symptoms. Sometimes, lithium is added on to an antidepressant medication regimen for Major Depression when antidepressants alone are not working out. What is lithium used for? There are different ways in which lithium is used. To treat mania (high mood with over-activity,...

In the May 1993 issue of Lancet, it was reported that French gerontologist Dr Elisabeth Kruczek, had done a survey about the effects of pets on Alzheimer's patients. That study suggested that "contact with pets can spontaneously induce extended periods of calm, on occasions even permitting a reduction in amount of sedative therapy required... a particularly agitated patient, who would spend the whole day pacing to and fro, would stop to caress a cat for a whole hour." A program at Elmhurst...