William Rodgers asked:


In the United States, there are about five different types of health insurance available: traditional health insurance; preferred provider organizations or PPOs; point-of-service plans or POS; health management organizations or HMOs; and most recently, health savings accounts or HSAs. With so many types of health insurance, it may be confusing trying to figure out which one best fits your needs, so thoroughly research each and speak with a professional if you need clarification.

Traditional health insurance is the one that most people think of when they think of health insurance. You pay the insurance company a premium every month, and if you have an accident or need for health coverage, you have a deductible amount you must pay and then the insurance company picks up the rest of the bill. You often have an inexpensive office and/or prescription co-pay with traditional health insurance.

With people living longer, health insurance companies began to look for more ways to reduce their costs, developing different health plans such as PPOs. PPOs are plans which will cover nearly all of your medical expenses as long as you stay within a preferred network of physicians or hospitals. This network creates a preferred provider list that you can choose from. Treatment outside this network of providers is covered but only at a reduced rate, meaning you end up paying more to see a physician outside the network. By limiting the physicians and hospitals covered in their network, the insurance company can control, to an extent, their costs and lower your premiums. POS plans work like PPOs, but require you to have a primary care physician through whom you can receive referrals for specialists. If you need to see a neurologist or a dermatologist, you must first visit your primary care physician for an initial diagnosis in order to receive a referral to a specialist for a more thorough diagnosis. POS plans also have a preferred provider network, and if you choose to visit a specialist or physician outside that network, your coverage will be limited.

HMOs combine a stricter version of PPOs and POS plans. HMOs have a defined list of physicians, often much smaller than PPO networks, which you may see. You will not be covered at all if you see a physician outside your HMO network. Furthermore, you must also get a referral from your primary care HMO physician to see any specialist. However, these restrictions mean that you pay an extra low or no monthly premium.

HSAs were recently signed into law by President Bush. You can deposit money into a special non-taxed, interest-gaining savings account that must be used for medical expenses. The ideal situation for an HSA is to combine the account with a low-cost, high-deductible insurance plan. The savings account is designed to allow you to cover the high deductible if you find the need to cover expensive medical costs while the insurance company will pick up the rest of the bill.

Again, it is important to carefully consider each option before choosing a single health insurance plan. Your health is important so make sure it is protected in the best way possible.

Sushil Kumar Singh Raghav asked:


Did you know that 17.4 percent of teenagers in the U.S. in the ages 12 to 19 are overweight? Adult Type 2 diabetes and heart disease are now being reported among teenagers, all the more reason for teenagers to be vigilant with their health. Moreover, sexually active teenagers face even more health risks than those that do not engage in sexual activity yet. Alcohol and substance abuse and smoking, eating disorders, depression, and sexually transmitted diseases are some of the most common health issues among teenagers.

To stay healthy, a teenager should avoid smoking any type of tobacco product. Another health advice is to avoid second hand cigarette smoke. A tobacco user teen is more likely to get heart disease, cancer or stroke in his/her adult age compared to nonuser. Avert alcohol and substance abuse. It usually starts with experimentation until the drug grabs hold of your mind and you become addicted.

Perhaps more common to teenage girls, a teen wants skinny body like ones she sees on the media. This ********* addiction to media leads to eating disorder, anorexia (intense fear of being fat) and bulimia (vomiting to abort the digestion of food ingested), which poses serious health problem among 1% of American teens; it can kill. If you have symptoms of anorexia and bulimia, don’t ignore it. Ask help from your parents or any authority you trust to help you quit this potentially deadly habit. Although support groups can help; however, kicking this deadly habit may require seeing a trained therapist.

Another teen health problem to watch is depression. It can be triggered by something as simple as not making the football team or the cheer leading squad. If you feel lazy, sad, and sometimes hopeless; or worse, if you feel suicidal, then you might be suffering from depression. This is a serious problem that you need to address immediately by talking to your parents or your guidance councilor. Talking to your peers about it may not be as good a solution because they may not know on how to handle depression, worse if they themselves are suffering depression too. Talk to your parents, teachers, or any authority you feel comfortable confiding with.

Sexually transmitted disease (STD) is a problem among sexually active teenagers. Some STDs such as Hepatitis can even be contracted by mere kissing. Teenagers already active in *** must visit their school nurse’s office and ask him/her the repercussions of sexual ***********. If your parents are open to this discussion, you should talk to them about it too. Obtain brochures and pamphlets on safe *** to educate yourself everything you need to know about the health issues of ***. Teenage pregnancy, which in itself has emotional, social, and health ramifications, is a great possibility among sexually active teenagers.

Perhaps the best way to stay healthy and fit is to maintain a habit of good, well balanced diet, and exercise. Stay at bay from eating fatty foods and trans-fatty acids to avoid problems such as diabetes and obesity leading to heart problems. Joining sports and other outdoor activity is a fun way to exercise and to stay fit.

Carlito Johnsons asked:


Taking good care of your physical and mental health can be a great challenge for anyone. There are certain things you must consider if you want to maintain good health long term and live with more energy and vitality. Proper diet and exercise are the first things to consider however one must not forget the importance of learning to manage mental stress. Here are some simple tips anyone can follow to attain better levels of health and fitness:

Tip 1: Eat more whole foods

It can be very difficult for most people to completely avoid processed and junk foods however do your best to minimize your consumption of these. Also most restaurants and fast food places have a healthy choices menu option so go for that once in a while as it is usually better in nutritional value than the other items on the menu. Bring a packed lunch to work whenever you can and use whole food ingredients that you cooked yourself that are free from preservatives and other chemicals that most processed foods come with.

Tip 2: Exercise properly

There is no doubt that exercise is critical in order to maintain optimal health. You need both cardiovascular and aerobic exercise in order to burn calories effectively and keep good muscle mass which is essential to maintain strength levels. Aerobic exercise can be done many ways including joining a gym, taking a one hour walk or using a treadmill or bike at home. It is always a good idea to have some fitness equipment at home as this will make it very easy and convenient to exercise which makes it more likely you will stick with it and see better results.

Weight training helps to build and maintain muscle mass, keep in mind that muscles are very effective at burning calories constantly so even women should weight train to add some muscle so that they can maintain a healthy weight for as long as possible. If you have never trained with weights before then it is important that you consider taking a few personal training sessions at a local gym to familiarize yourself with the exercises and the equipment so as to avoid unnecessary injury.

Tip 3: Manage Stress

Mental stress can also affect your overall health in a very negative way. Your mind can release chemicals into your body based on how you think and if you constantly worry or are always angry then your mind will release potentially harmful chemicals into your system.

Learn to control your mind through meditation and calm your thoughts as this will provide you with great stress relief and will also help you solve problems in your life faster as a calm mind can often see solutions more quickly than if you are worrying too much and have a ton of thoughts racing through your head. There are many ways to learn meditation, the simplest approach is to just get a book or take a local yoga class. Make it a habit to spend some time each day doing some meditation and apply the principles you learn even when you are not meditating. Consider applying some of these natural health tips to help you become healthier and stronger.

James Brown asked:


Since there are so many nutritional supplements on store shelves around the country, many consumers are turning to pharmacy technicians for advice on which nutritional supplements will provide the best benefits for the active lifestyle that most people lead. A store pharmacy has access to all the pertinent data for nutritional supplements and a pharmacy technician can explain the benefits of every ingredient in a pill, powder, or liquid nutritional supplement solution.

This information will be very beneficial to consumers who take nutritional supplements to enhance their quality of life. Some heart patients use nutritional supplements to improve blood circulation, and to clean the circulatory system of all impurities. The health advice of a local pharmacist will prove crucial because the information could keep the heart patient alive because they take these supplements along with heart medications that are designed to sustain life.

Some people want to ensure that they are getting enough nutrients into their bodies while they are dieting. Some nutritional supplements offered in powder form are designed to replace meals. Some dieters will use these nutritional supplement powders to reduce the number of calories in a diet plan and will know from the label on the nutritional supplement container exactly which vitamins and minerals they are getting for the money they spend.

Athletes might find nutritional benefits from a nutrition regimen that uses energy bars and drinks to sustain energy levels during all types of physical activity. A professional athlete must be careful about the nutritional supplements that are consumed because some additives could disqualify the athlete from competing in meets. Again, the product label will serve as a point of reference for every vitamin and mineral that is introduced into the body and the mixing agents that are used.

Bodybuilders use a variety of nutritional supplements during the year to achieve various goals. The health and wellness goals that are maintained through the use of nutritional supplements will be very important to bodybuilding champions. They know that judges will scrutinize every muscle in the body many times during the year and unhealthy eating habits will be very evident under the bright lights on the exhibition stage.

Some bodybuilding competitors might score fewer points than normal because their muscle tone will be under-defined and less impressive as those competitors who ate a diet low in fat and supplemented that diet with vitamins and fiber. The ability to hold a pose might decrease because the energy levels in the body would have been depleted by the abstinence of eating a week before a week. If that same athlete had followed a good nutritional program, then energy levels would not have been affected.

People that lead busy lives can still find time to eat healthy and maintain wellness throughout the year. Nutritional supplements come in many forms and people can store nutritional meals in the form of a candy bar in the glove box of the car and eat when they are hungry and not just because they passed a fast food restaurant on the way to see a client. People that use nutritional supplements each day will find that they accomplish more each day. This is because the therapeutic qualities from the vitamins and minerals in one simple pill have improved the quality of life and have increased the amount of energy they have to draw on each day.

Alex Smith asked:


With pressures from the outside world and the deterioration of environment, more and more people advocate living harmoniously and healthily. At the beginning, most health promotion (Defined as the process of enabling people to increase control over, and improve their health.) activities were driven by individuals. But with the initiation of health promoting hospitals, the effectiveness of health promotion activities in hospitals become vivid.



The International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH) was initiated more than 10 years ago with the aim to reorient health care institutions to integrate health promotion and education, disease prevention and rehabilitation services in the curative care.

Through evidence, hospitals can have a lasting impact on influencing the behavior of patients and relatives, who are more responsive to health advice in situations of experienced ill-health. Health promotion in hospitals includes interventions directed at structures and processes, as well as interventions directed at individuals (patients and staff).

 Below are some objectives for health promotion in hospitals:

To change the culture of hospital care towards interdisciplinary working, transparent decision-making and with active involvement of patients and partners. Toevaluate health promotion activities in the health care setting and build an evidence-base in this area. Toincorporate standards and indicators for health promotion in existing quality management systems at hospital and at national levels.

With a growing international awareness and development of health promotion in hospitals, the number of hospitals and countries joining the International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals has increased steadily over time. In the near future, I believe, more and more people will benefit from them.

If you are further interested in knowing how to make health promotion video for broadcasting in hospitals, you can click here, another article written by me on how to make it with PowerPoint.

Anne Marie Deja asked:

Looking for a medical information site that’s compact and easy to navigate with an easy to follow format? Then check out the new venture by Purple Trout Media called Advice Healthy (www.advicehealthy.com). It’s purpose is twofold. You can get helpful information on a variety of topics, as well as, find a doctor in your area or anywhere in the country.

You start out on the homepage with news articles on a variety of topics which change daily, along with a featured article that is hand-picked by our Advice Healthy staff. But don’t stop there. On the Health Topics page you can choose from a variety of health related categories to read up on…everything from Alternative Medicine to Women’s Health. Even more categories are in the works. These articles are updated frequently to keep you abreast of the current treads.

Our “Find a Doctor” feature is nationwide and easy to use. You can search by a doctor’s name, specialty, or state they practice in. Yet there’s more. Doctors who choose to participate in Advice Healthy get their own personal website to inform potential patients about their practice. After you complete your search, you can navigate to these doctors’ sites by simply clicking on their name. Once at a doctor’s personal website, you will find out where the doctor practices, office hours, and affiliations. They introduce themselves and what their practice is all about right there on their homepage. The services the doctor provides and any articles or other information that the doctor would like to impart are also included on additional pages within their site. You can even print any forms that you will need to fill out for your first appointment.

So have a look around. You’ll want to come back again and again to read up on interesting health topics and to find that doctor that’s just right for you. See you on the web at www.advicehealthy.com.

peterhutch asked:

Sexuality is a big part of being human. Love, affection and sexual intimacy all play a role in healthy relationships. They also contribute to your sense of well-being. A number of disorders can affect the ability to have or enjoy sex, including erectile dysfunction and female sexual problems. Concerns about infertility or fear of unplanned pregnancy can also come into play.

Sexual disorders can sometimes be prevented from occurring in the first place. Parents who communicate openly and honestly with children about sexual issues may help prevent them from developing anxiety and guilt that may later lead to sexual disorders. Open communication between sexual partners is also helpful. People who have experienced abuse or other sexual violence may develop a sexual disorder as a result of their trauma.

As part of our comprehensive strategy to improve the sexual health of the population, the Department of Health is working to reduce the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, reduce unintended pregnancies (particularly teenage pregnancies) and improve the range, access to and quality of service provision. On these pages you will find more information and guidance on sexual health including contraception, abortion and STIs and HIV.

Millions upon millions of men around the world are dissatisfied with some aspect of their male sexual health. Some are discontent with the size of their ***** while others are disappointed with the low volume of ***** they ejaculate during *********** and yet there are others who are disappointed with sub par ********* and lack of male libido. Not to worry! Our site is specifically designed to help men explore the various male enhancement options available for improving male sexual health.

Societal attitudes toward sexuality in later life are troubling. A great number believe that far fewer mature men and women have *** than actually do. Many feel that after a certain age, sexuality becomes an insignificant or indifferent part of life. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Most older people experience some interest in sexual intimacy. Many people are sexually intimate well into their 80s and beyond. We do not all of a sudden become asexual beings; our capacity for sexual intimacy will be with us our entire lives.

Penile ******** is sustained by holding back and trapping the blood in the *****. The enlarged ***** compresses the blood vessels that drain the blood out of ***** to the tunica albuginea. But when an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) becomes active, the cGMP level falls, followed by corpora cavernosa muscle contraction. As a result the blood in-flow is stopped and the veins drain the blood out of the ***** and the ******** goes away.

Contraception: Improving access to contraceptive services and to the full range of methods is one of the key aims of the Government’s White Paper – Choosing Health: making healthy choices easier. This section contains documents and guidance on contraception policy.

As we all approach later life, two of the things which brought us the greatest joy – our children and/or our careers – are no longer as prevalent in our every day. This means that our personal relationships take on an increased importance. It is a way of solidifying our relationship with our partner and taking refuge from the sometimes harsh reality of the world. *** is a way to affirm the love of life. It is an expression of the satisfaction gained from the present. It expresses the closeness of our deepest relationships and is an important measure of the quality of life.

Bob Taylor asked:

Where to go for a reliable health advice?

People can go many places to get a health advice.

Going to the internet:

With the internet the source for answers to a health question are only a click away. The problem, though, is many people rely too much on sources that may be unreliable for their health question answers.

Before the internet became a household commodity, people only went to one source for their health questions – they doctor.

Today, though, people are searching online and hitting online databases and message boards to get the health questions answered. This can spell trouble, though.

Going to the doctor:

A doctor or other health care professional is the best source for an advice to a health question. They have the training and knowledge necessary to provide an answer. The answer a person gets from a health care professional can be trusted. They can feel secure with the answer and know that they can follow the advice without harming themselves.

The best source for the answer to a health question has been and always will be a medical professional.

When a person seeks answers to a health question from an unqualified source they are putting their health at risk. Getting advice from someone whose only knowledge may be form a personal experience or something they read somewhere is dangerous. There are many things that can go wrong. A person could take the advice and end up with an allergic reaction or prolonging treatment for a serious illness or injury. Taking this type of advice should lead to further illness or injury.

Luckily many health insurance plans now offer an on call burse that is available to answer health questions every day at any time. If a person has a health question they should consider picking up the phone before clicking on the internet

Esteri Maina asked:

Fine health determines whether or not we will achieve all the desires of our hearts or at least some of them to the fullest.

As well when one of the many organs deteriorates, it affects the others that are not sickly and the overall performance of the owner whether physically or emotionally declines.

This is why knowing your body more than anybody else is the first step in ensuring that you keep impeccable health all the times.

Our body functioning is dependant of so many factors and this why understanding our environment is the second best initiative that we should all take.

It is from it that we get exposed to all kinds of toxins and the source of our water, air, food; each of these posing grave health risks to us.

The foods

Nowadays, when the economy is so bad globally, many people are mindful about getting their next meal, not nutritional content in it.

Similarly, at all times, it is only a few people who constantly care about the residues in foods like excessive use of chemicals in food production such as food eaten raw like vegetables and fruits.

In addition to us buying them oblivious of such residues or bothering where they were grown, we dare to eat them dirty, and complain of stomach pains or diarrhea later.

So in conclusion, we should not only buy food, but care about its nutritional value, the residues that may harm our health in the long run and how we prepare it for cooking and eating raw.

The drinking and cooking water

Likewise, water is very essential for survival and this is why it should not be contaminated.

It is the source of the so-called water-bone diseases and is found in sources found in our surroundings.

Sometimes we hear of outbreaks of such diseases as typhoid fever caused by dirty and untreated water.

At the hospital, they told me that the reason I have unceasing problems with amoeba is because I am fond of drinking water from the taps and it is true, I once had this habit.

How are you ensuring that your family and you drink clean and unpolluted water?

In some other remotest of all places, people do not have choices, as water is scarce, and if available, it requires better treatment than just boiling, which is unaffordable.

Universally, people are advised to treat and boil their drinking water to kill germs that cause all these water bone diseases.

The air we breath

Are you breathing clean air or is it polluted? These modern times of industrialization are a widespread cause of a proportion of polluted air and the control is beyond a common citizen.

At personal level though, you have got your lungs to care for, and breathing exercises are key in keeping them in good health.

Before I listened to an expert on this speaking, I never even bothered when breathing, and this happens to most of us.

Breathing in and out is something we view as normal part of our body system and how or when it happens is never in our minds.

Find out the several methods of breathing exercises and add them up to your daily schedules and as the expert believed, it is a healer of many health problems.

I can say this because I have been trying and it is normally difficult to keep the pace steady, but as you continue, it gets better.

There is little you could do about the wind carrying germs that cause air bone diseases or dust particles such as asbestos that cause mesothelioma cancer, but your doctor is the biggest help as always.

Gabriel Adams asked:

Sometimes, health advice can seem like it’s a dime a dozen, but how reliable is all that over-the-fence talk? If you’re looking for health information that’s reputable and trustworthy, you need to approach it like research – check your facts and use multiple sources that you trust.

Consulting a trusted source could mean speaking with your family doctor, phoning a community health help line, looking in a health encyclopedia, or researching on reputable websites. A website should reference multiple health sources and be authored by or include quotes from certified medical professionals before you consider it to be a respected and responsible resource.

There’s also an abundance of health information available on government and public health sites that you should consider both trustworthy and current. Many of these sites can also point you towards local health providers or community centers in your area if you need a face-to-face and one-on-one consultation.

The second key to finding reliable information is to use multiple sources. If you find a website that addresses your particular health issue or question, but you’re not sure about the quality of the information – try double checking that information by searching on other sites. For example, if you are researching cold remedies and you come across a snippet that says ‘Echinacea’ is a herbal remedy that is taken at the first sign of a cold as a form of prevention, you may want to do a simple search engine search for ‘Echinacea,’ or check on your other sites. Much like consulting another doctor, cross checking your courses is like getting a second opinion.

Finding reliable information is about finding sources that you trust. For some that means only consulting their family physician, while others prefer to devour health books and consult on-line resources to reach their own diagnosis. The choice is up to you, but always remember to verify your sources and double-check their information. Remember, it’s your health.