Marijuana

October 19, 2009, the Obama administration is now officially reversing the Federal stance on medical marijuana and thereby ordering authorities not to arrest or charge any users and suppliers that conform to state laws. Justice Department officials are telling prosecutors and Federal Drug Enforcement Agents that they have more important things to do than to arrest people who obey state laws that allow some use or sale of medical marijuana, according to the L.A. Times.

As more and more states accept the use of medical marijuana, and with more research being done on the drug, an increasing number of physicians are adopting marijuana as a safe and effective treatment and/or management of many diseases and conditions.

Last year the American College of Physicians, the nation’s second largest doctors’ organization made up of more than 120,000 physicians, released a proposition endorsing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The proposition also called for more research and scientific studies to be conducted concerning its medical use. Physicians also urged the United States government to back off from their strict policies against legalizing marijuana for medical use.

Former United States Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders released a press statement saying, “This is a historic statement by one of the world’s most respected physician groups, and shows the growing scientific consensus that marijuana is a safe, effective medicine for some patients, including many battling life-threatening illnesses like cancer and AIDS.”

And, in other news regarding medical marijuana, the United States Supreme Court decided in April 2009 not to review a lower court’s decision that upheld the right of a physician to prescribe and/or recommend medical marijuana to patients. Many appeals have been made and even former Presidents Clinton and Bush have tried to threaten the removal of medical licenses to those physicians who recommend marijuana to patients.

The United States Supreme Court upheld an injunction by the Federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in the case of Conant vs. Walters, which prohibited the Federal Government from threatening physicians and marijuana doctors to revoke licenses should the physician recommend, or even discuss, medical marijuana use with their patients in states where medicinal marijuana has been legalized.

Nevertheless, the Federal Government continues to threaten physicians who prescribe or recommend marijuana under state law.

Medicinal use of marijuana, as per the recommendation of a licensed physician, has been legalized in thirteen states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. However, only California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Rhode Island allow for the use of dispensaries to sell the drug.

The following medical organizations are just a few that have openly endorsed the medicinal use of marijuana under their physician’s recommendation:

•    American College of Physicians
•    Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
•    American Academy of Family Physicians
•    American Alliance for Medical Cannabis
•    American Public Health Association
•    American Psychiatric Association
•    American Nurses Association
•    British Medical Association
•    Health Canada

While the future of medical marijuana remains unclear, these recent gains may propel the country to gradually accept medicinal uses of marijuana for chronic conditions and perhaps eventually replace the manufactured medications from drug companies that have been shown to cause horrendous side effects.

Orange Juice

Most people have heard the recommendations from doctors that say to drink eight glasses of water a day. However, there are so many exceptions to this rule that really confuses people. Like, when you are sick or sweating a lot, you should drink more than eight glasses. Or, if you drink too much water, there is a possibility to dilute vital nutrients from you diet. There are so many confusing exceptions that you need not worry about if you want to stay healthy by drinking water.

It is really this simple: replace all beverages in your diet with water. Every doctor will tell you that water is the best drink out there. Soft drinks, juices, and other beverages are what I like to call “hidden calories”. So you drink a bottle, or even a few bottles, of Snapple or Gatorade or something like this. Bam, you just consumed over 200 calories just by drinking! Did that beverage fill you up? I doubt it.

Ok, let’s say you replace every beverage with water, as per your doctor’s recommendation. Hypothetically, let’s say you usually drink two cans of Pepsi, a glass of orange juice, a glass of milk, and a Snapple iced-tea everyday. Here’s the breakdown on calories:

Two cans of Pepsi – 300 Calories
One Snapple Iced Tea – 250 Calories
One 12 oz glass of O.J. – 183
One 12 oz glass of Milk – 183

This brings us to a whopping total of 916 calories a day. That’s 6,412 calories a week; 25,648 calories a month; 307,776 calories a year!

Now imagine your doctor tells you that you need to lose weight. Now, without dieting or exercise and simply drinking only water, you can cut out 307,776 calories a year! Figuring that roughly 3,500 calories equals a pound, you could lose up to 87 pounds just by drinking only water!

Of course you could argue that you could drink diet beverages and not ingest any calories as well.  That may be true, however, there are major health concerns regarding artificial sweeteners that are just not worth it, i.e. cancer, central nervous system damage, and other unknown long term risks. While the United State Government and several other countries say the risk of cancer caused by artificial sweeteners is highly unlikely, I personally would rather not take my chances. How many times has the government said “Oops, we were wrong, sorry”? I’ll trust my doctor who says water is the best beverage to drink.

Ok, so here are some of the benefits of water:

•    Reduced risk of heart attack – a study published in 2002 suggests that drinking five glasses of water a day can reduce risk of heart attack by 41%.
•    Hydration – yes, this is an obvious one, but dehydration is the culprit of many common ailments, including headaches, fatigue, dry skin, digestive problems, depression, etc.
•    Reduced risk of cancer -drinking plenty of water a day has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer, bladder cancer, and potentially breast cancer.

This list can go on and on. Now, listen to your doctor and switch over to drinking water instead of mass marketed beverages that claim to be “healthy”. All you need is a tall glass of water and your body and doctors bills will thank you.

Physician

According to the U.S. News and World Report, physician assistant is one of the best careers of 2009. You may have already encounter a physician assistant during a visit with your regular physician, but if you don’t already know what a physician assistant is, here is a brief description:

Physicians assistants are very much like doctors, as physician assistants do eighty percent of what doctors do, such as conduct exams, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, and assist in surgery. And, while physician assistants are required to practice under the supervision of a physician, they still have a surprising amount of autonomy to practice medicine.

Physicians assistants work as members of the health care team, take medical histories, examine and treat patients, can order and analyze laboratory tests and x-rays, and even make diagnoses for their patients. Physician assistants also treat minor injuries, by suturing, splinting, and casting. Physicians assistants also record progress notes, instruct patients, and order or carry out necessary therapy. Physician assistants are also able to make house calls or go to hospitals or clinics to check up on patients. Many physician assistants are required to be on call during off hours.

In order to become a certified physicians assistant, a four-year undergraduate degree and two to three years of post-bachelor’s is required. All jurisdictions require physician assistants to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, which is open only to graduates of accredited PA programs.

Furthermore, physician assistants must complete one-hundred hours of continuing education every two years to retain their certification. Physician assistants must also pass a recertification exam every six years.

There is also the opportunity for physicians assistants to specialize in a particular field, such as surgery, neurology, neonatal care, etc. Specialization of course requires additional education.

And, while physician assistants don’t bring home the same salary as regular physicians, P.A.’s still average $70,000 – $100,00+ a year. Not too shabby.

Many practicing physician assistants say that the benefits of this job are substantial.  Many, if not most, physicians assistants say they enjoy the fact that they have a better relationship with their patients because they are able to spend more time with them, instead of being rushed through appointments. Physician assistants also have the advantage of having a supervisor above them. This is advantageous because they are able to consult their supervisor for whatever reason and the supervisor is ultimately responsible for patients, not the physician assistant.

However, being a physician assistant does have its disadvantages.  For example, they may find it difficult to obtain the trust of a patient who does not know their qualifications or obtain the respect of nurses and doctors, who may not see them in a position of authority.

Mary Shelldon, a physician assistant from Florida says, “I’ve been a PA for about two years now. I absolutely love what I do and all the benefits that come with being a practitioner. However, if I had to do it again, I would definitely have gone to med school to be an MD. As I gain more experience as a PA, I become much more comfortable treating patients and I hardly ever need to consult my supervising physician anymore regarding patent’s treatment plans. Even though I feel eventually I’ll be comparably skilled to my supervising physician, I’ll never have the same level of authority. If I am in practice for 10 years and have a great grasp on my particular field, a brand new M.D. may come out of med school or internship and automatically will have more authority than me though they may know much less. Patients are generally accepting of PAs, and it doesn’t usually cause a problem, but occasionally they say they’d like to make sure the physician agrees with my diagnosis and treatment plan – frustrating.”

Medical

Thanks to the of Internet and a huge increase in websites like WebMD, Mayoclinic.com, and MedicineNet.com, the rate of patients with signs of hypochondriasis is also on the rise, doctors say.

Hypochondriasis is a type of mental illness in which a person displays symptoms of a disease, but do not actually have the disease. A serious anxiety and/or fear of having a disease, in fact, causes a person to display symptoms when he or she does not actually have any condition at all.

Doctors are finding an increasing amount of hypochondriacs visiting their offices, mostly due to the rise of self-diagnosing medical websites. While these websites are a wonderful tool to help patients assess their symptoms and their need to visit a doctor, some are taking it to the extreme.

Simply type in the symptom “headache” into a medical website’s search box and you will find that headaches are a symptom of hundreds of diseases. This is where the potential hypochondriac is baited into obsessive researching different diseases and conditions and suddenly he or she is in his or her doctors office complaining they have Lupus.

“Our offices are becoming more and more flooded with patients who come in convinced they are have some rare condition because they can’t sleep at night. They spend so much time researching the Internet that get really worked up that something is seriously wrong with them,” said Doctor Michelle Tournalis from Michegan.

“Instead of calling to make an appointment, they scour the Internet and try to be the doctor and diagnose themselves instead of seeking proper medical care. By the time they get in to see a doctor, they have become convinced they have such-and-such and want every medical test under the sun,” continued Doctor Tournalis.

It should be noted that hypochondriacs do experience symptoms and are not lying about or faking their perceived illness. Hypochondriacs truly believe they are sick.

Here are some warning signs and symptoms of hypochondriasis:
*A person visits many doctors trying to find a doctor that will agree with their perceived notion they are seriously ill.
*The patient may have experienced a recent stressful event.
*The person won’t accept a doctor or doctors’ diagnosis and believe the doctor is wrong.
*The person’s obsessive concern about having an illness hinders his or her daily life.

Diagnosing a person with hypochondriasis is very difficult. Patients with the disorder are often thoroughly convinced that their symptoms are caused by a serious medical illness.
Typically when symptoms appear, a doctor starts his or her evaluation with a full medical history and a physical examination. If and when the doctor finds no legitimate medical reason for the person’s symptoms, he or she may provide a referral to see a psychologist, psychiatrist, and/or health care professional that are specifically trained to diagnose and treat hypochondriasis. That doctor then makes a diagnosis based on his or her assessment of the patient’s behavior, attitude, and/or perception and also the fact that any physical illness has been ruled out as the cause of the person’s symptoms. The doctor may then administer some sort of personality assessment to confirm the diagnosis of hypochondriasis.

Economic Recession

An ever increasing number of cities, states, and local communities are facing, or have faced the inevitable: the closing of major hospitals.

Besides the obvious effects of hospital closings, a major concern is a huge number of hospital employees losing their jobs. A single hospital typically employ thousands of workers, and nationally employ about five million workers, including doctors, nurses, technicians, specialists, orderlies, surgeons, social service workers, cleaning and sanitation workers, and so on.

Across the country, hospitals are closing or consolidating at staggering rates. In New Jersey, four hospitals have closed in the last eighteen months, four other hospitals have plans to close, five have filed for bankruptcy protection, and half of the others in the state are losing money. Four have closed in the last 18 months, four others are planning to close, five filed for bankruptcy protection and about half of the others are losing money. Furthermore, New Jersey’s Governor Jon Corzine has proposed a fourteen percent cut in state hospital aid, which could completely cut state funding to twenty-six hospitals.

And in California, the number of hospital closings across the state are shocking. Amongst the hardest hit hospitals are rural areas, which are facing a huge number of closings and consolidations.

Also, in Florida, a new plan has been introduced to ration health care in hospitals during a severe flu outbreak. According to the plan,calls for doctors to remove patients with poor prognoses from ventilators in order to treat those who have a better chance of surviving. Furthermore, Florida also recommends banning patients with incurable cancer, final-stage multiple sclerosis and other untreatable conditions from being admitted to hospitals if the state is overwhelmed by flu cases.
The decision would be made by the hospital. The state also started cutting Medicaid reimbursements two years ago and will continue its huge cuts over the next few year.

According to a survey of more than seven-hundred hospitals, found two-thirds have seen elective procedures and overall admissions fall since July, and half have seen moderate or significant jumps in nonpaying patients. And, according to the American Hospital Association, “Six out of ten hospitals nationally are seeing a greater proportion of patients without insurance coming through their emergency departments and nearly half have reduced staff according to a March 2009 survey of hospitals.  The majority of hospitals reported that fewer patients are seeking inpatient and elective services, while the proportion covered by Medicaid and other public programs for those in need is increasing.  The financial health of hospitals is declining with over 40 percent expecting losses in the first quarter of 2009.”

Physicians

Zinc has long been known as an essential element for healthy skin, a healthy immune system, and balanced hormone production in the body. It is well known for being an effective ingredient in suncreen (which doctors recommend so prominantly) and cold remedies.

You may be surprised to know that zinc is one of the best promoters of skin healing. Doctors have long known that oral zinc supplements help heal bed sores (which is why they are given to bed-ridden patients in hospitals), skin ulcers, cold sores, canker sores, cuts and burns, and many other skin ailments. Physicians often recommend zinc supplements because it is an essential components in the proper functioning of enzymes that are required by the body to repair skin wounds, as zinc plays a key role in over 300 enzymatic reactions in your body.

Zinc is also effective in the treatment of skin irritation, diaper rash, and dermatitis. It is the main active ingredient in diaper cream and dandruff shampoo. Zinc pyrithione is the main ingredient in dandruff shampoo and can also be supplemented orally (under the advice of a physician).

Another amazing benefit of zinc is the treatment and prevention of acne. Zinc (only in the form of zinc gluconate or zinc sulfate) can potentially help to heal acne breakouts, reduce redness and inflammation caused by acne, and can effectively reduce oily skin. Doctors say zinc may help ance by reducing androgenic hormonal effects on skin that contribute to acne breakouts. This means that zinc balances hormones and helps to regulate the skin’s oil gland activity. In one study, Zinc supplements were shown to be nearly as effective as anti-biotics in the treament of chronic acne.

Doctor Oz recently noted on his show the importance of zinc in promoting overall healthy functioning on the body. According to Doctor Oz, your body has no way to store zinc so it is therefore necessary to consume zinc daily to ensure proper bodily functioning. While Zinc can be obtained through diet by eating oysters, meat, poultry, whole grains, crab, lobster, and beans, most Americans eat enough to get their daily recommmended allowance of the essential mineral.

Physicians recommend up about 30 mg of Zinc Gluconate. Doctors warn not to exceed more than 100 mg of supplemental zinc a day as these upper levels could become toxic. Zinc supplements can cause upset stomach and nausea. If this occurs, try taking the supplement either before bed or after a big meal.

Vegetarians also need to be aware of zinc deficiency, as zinc is mostly obtained from animal foods in the diet. It is probably a good idea for vegans and vegetarians to supplement zinc under the supervision of their physician.

Also, copper is a well know competitor of zinc. Excess levels of copper hinders the action of zinc in your body. Whatsmore, with the prominents use of copper piping and widespread use of birth control pills (very high in copper), copper toxicity and therefore zinc deficiency has become more commonplace. If you have high levels of copper in your body, then you may need to take zinc in as high as 300 mg a day for before you will get results. But please consult your doctor before considering these types of high doses of zinc.

Health

As we all know, today’s modern medicine costs A LOT.  There’s the cost of insurance premiums, co-pays, doctor fees, medication costs, and so on and so on. It seems the costs of seeing a doctor is increasing exponentially. According the National Coalition on Health Care, the nation’s health spending is expected to reach $2.5 trillion in 2009. And by 2018, national health care expenditures are expected to reach $4.4 trillion; more than double 2007 spending.

So what can an individual do to avoid expensive doctor and hospital visits? Prevention. Preventing costly health conditions is something every indivdual should be doing everyday. We all know to eat right and exercise, the foundation of good overall health, however, there are some very simple ways to prevent major health problems, and expenive visits to your physician, emergency trips to the hospital. Here are the simpliest preventative health care tips to help you avoid costly doctors visits.

1. Walk- For all of those out there who able to walk and are not under doctors orders to stay off their feet: Walk! It is the simpliest way to exercise, increase your heart rate, and get yourself moving. Try a quick 10 – 20 minute walk in the morning, during lunch, and/or after dinner. Walking after dinner is a great way to burn off excess calories and get rid of that “too full” feeling from eating. Experts will tell you to walk for 45 minutes to an hour, but really, if you only have twenty minutes, it’s perfectly acceptable. Try to incorporate walking into your routine in creative ways. For instance: instead of driving a half a mile to the deli for lunch, walk it. Little things like this will keep your weight steady, increase your heart rate with exercise, and keep your joints working and agile, thereby preventing trips to the physician. Plus, walking is a great way to get yourself outside and enjoying some fresh air.

2. Take the Stairs- Where there are stairs, there are usually elevators or escalators that take so much less energy for you to use. Instead of taking the lazy way out, simply take the stairs and burn more calories! As a result of simply taking the stairs, you are getting exercise, keeping your weight in check, and keeping your body mobile. Such a simple way to avoid the doctors office.

3. Breath- This sounds so simple, but did you know that the average human inhales and exhales about 20,000 times a day! Think about it: When you are excited, stressed out, or exercising, you breath more quickly. When you sleep or are in a relaxed state, you breath more slowly and deeply. Every human emotion and mental state causes changes in the breath. The beauty of breathing is that you can either be concious or unconcious of your breathing. The more concious you are of your breath, the more in control of your emotions and mental state you can be. Doctors will rarely bring this fact up during your doctor’s visit. Here’s what you can do. First, try to become concious of your breathing throughout the day. What causes you to breath faster, slower, deeper, shallower, etc.? Next, try to manipulate your breathing patterns. For instance, when you are stressed and find that you taking fast, shallow breaths; focus on inhaling slowly and deeply, and then exhaling at the same rate. After a few minutes, you will notice your mood has changed to match your breathing pattern. As a result, by simply focusing your awareness on your breath, you will find yourself less stressed out, tired, emotional, etc. In this way, you can help lower your blood pressure, decrease or increase your heart rate, promote your body’s overall health, and prevent future trips to the doctor.

Doctors

As Obama’s proposal for a universal healthcare plan gains momentum, the question arises: will those insured be allowed to choose their own doctor or doctors, or will they be limited to the doctors or doctors provided under the government’s program?

According to The White House website, “President Obama is committed to working with Congress to pass comprehensive health reform in his first year in order to control rising health care costs, guarantee choice of doctor, and assure high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.”

Furthermore, under the new program, which is set to appear on the November ballot in the Senate, the measure would ban all state laws limiting an one’s choice of doctor or doctors.

Jeff Singer, a surgeon from Arizona who organized a petition in support of the bill told the Arizona Business Gazette: “We just want to make sure that whatever kind of health-care reform is ultimately instituted, that it doesn’t infringe upon the rights of people to make their own decisions regarding what kind of plan they want to be in – or if they want to be in a plan, what kind of health care they want, what kind of doctor they want, whether they want alternative care, whatever.”

However, not everyone is so supportive of President Obama’s guarantee of being able to choose whatever doctor or doctors they want. Many are skeptical of the plan’s guidelines and wonder if the government will renege on their promises of an individual’s choice of doctor under the universal healthcare program.

“There’s not enough money to pay for what’s being promised and we could go to rationing or delays, waiting for service,” said U.S. Representative Tom Petri (Rep. 6th district).

Most criticisms of Obama’s healthcare plan come from the right wing Republican Party. Most criticisms are not about what doctor or doctors an individual may choose, but the type of care that doctors’ will be allowed to provide.

Joe Flower, a blogger for The Healthcare Blog says, “The really sad irony is that we already have, in our system as it works today, every bad outcome these folks are imagining. We already have bureaucrats telling the doctors what they can and cannot do, and telling consumers what doctors they can go to- by everyone except the government.”

As a result, an even greater oversight of doctors by an enormous Government bureaucracy, will limit the quality of care given to patients by their preferred doctor and/or doctors.

Within the health care system, almost everyone faces heavy incentives, including every doctor in the field. Therefore, with the Government breathing down every doctor’s back, the quality of care given to patient has the potential to decline substantially.

Additionally, giving patient’s their own choice of doctor and/or doctors could significantly increase the cost of the program, which will then be passed along to tax payers.

In review: President Obama “guarantees” that each individual will have the benefit of choosing their own doctor/doctors. However, critics say that the Government may not be true to its word and could possibly renege on the proposal and limit individuals to the Government’s chosen doctors. Also, the quality of care given by doctors will most likely decline due to increased oversight and mandates. Finally, giving patients on the universal healthcare program the freedom the choose their own doctor will most likely increase the cost of the program, which will come from the tax payers pockets.

Is the freedom of choosing your own doctor/doctors under the new universal healthcare program beneficial? You decide.