Douglas Anchell asked:


We don’t like to think about getting injured or sick when traveling, but when it happens, being prepared can save your vacation.

It is time to take your family vacation. Your bags are packed, your hotel reservations are confirmed, and the taxi to the airport is waiting, but are you really prepared? Inside your bags do you have all the medications you might need and received the proper inoculations for this trip?

Firstly consider some basic preventative measures. Before going to any destination, the first thing you should do is consult a physician to find out if any inoculations are advised? Malaria stays with you your whole life, and Cholera might kill you, don’t make the mistake in believing you are immune to the bugs that inhabit this world. When planning your trip always assume the best and prepare for the worse. Get those shots, buy your medications and be aware of health warnings in every country you visit.

In some countries immunization is required before you arrive and in such instances, make sure you have your International Certificate of Vaccination. You can get this certificate from your local health department although many physicians can also provide you this form.

But even if you take all the immunization and recommended drugs before and during your travel, keep in mind that you may still become ill if exposed to contaminated water, food or insects. Bugs do mutate so regardless how prepared you became stateside, when visiting your travel location, you must still keep your guard up. Experienced travelers know this and take the trouble to boil water or buy trusted bottled water. They prepare many of their own meals, washing their foods carefully and making sure everything is well cooked. Mosquito netting is a must, preferably a full net for a bed, and a net-hat that covers you head and neck.

But in case you do become ill, make sure you have packed sufficient medical supplies. If you are in need of medications, bring a full supply that will last the entire trip. Medications overseas cannot always be depended on, either because the medication does not exist in that country or because the quality may be significantly different than what you are expecting.

The standards of medicine vary county to county but keep in mind that medical practitioners overseas sometimes don’t need a license and certainly don’t have insurance. ‘Oops’ is not an uncommon word in medical facilities in even many of the developing countries I have visited.

In short, here is my advice. Do your research, get those shots, pack all your medications and by all means, use your intelligence, keep aware, and have a safe and good trip.

Health Advice Online asked:


Spirulina is a totally natural product and will not normally cause any problems to the body. Even if too much is taken, there will be no harm to the body, but doing this is a waste.

Spirulina is known to be relatively safe even in high doses and without side effects. Research is somewhat scarce and some adverse effects could manifest depending on dosage, quality and personal biochemistry. Scientists say up to 50 grams spirulina per day could be safe, but the recommended dosage usually varies between 1 to 8 grams per day depending on quality.

When starting with spirulina supplementation you might experience what is perceived as spirulina side effects due to natural processes spirulina may trigger, like detoxification of the body or the enzymatic and probiotic effect on the digestive system. Results can be experienced as passing “side effects”. These so called spirulina “side effects” are a healthy sign that spirulina is doing your organism good. However, if you are an insulin dependent diabetic or type 2 diabetic you should consider consulting your physician before taking spirulina. The same goes for anyone who might be predisposed to gout (also known as podagra or uric acid arthropathy).

However some people may experience some of the following symptoms after taking Spirulina;

1. Slight fever due to the body’s need to burn the extra protein from Spirulina

2. Slight dizziness. If this occurs, take less of the product. If the symptom does not improve please stop taking Spirulina

3. Thirst and constipation. After taking a high volume of Spirulina we recommend at least an extra 1/2 litre of water per day to help our body absorb the Spirulina

4. Stomach ache

5. Skin itch or slight body rash

This can be normal since the body needs to burn extra protein found in spirulina. When taking spirulina, you should increase your water intake. At least half a liter should be taken for the body to absorb the spirulina herb well.

High-quality spirulina is considered relatively safe and even recommended during pregnancy. Although animal studies are promising, no human research has looked into possible side effects during pregnancy, consulting your physician is always advisable.

Look for well established and trusted brands that provide you with relevant information about production, quality and safety to avoid spirulina side effects. Keep in mind that you might experience some passing “side effects” from spirulina as it takes effect on your organism. A healthy detoxification process could be perceived as a “side effect”, but usually passes within two weeks.

Jim Brown asked:


Many people are turning to the internet to find out how to live well and add years to their life cycle. Some go to health experts on various health sites on the internet and ask pertinent questions about how to reach certain fitness goals. The health experts are thrilled to offer health advice at no charge and are happier to know that people are beginning to realize the importance of eating healthy. Setting goals for living healthy that are reachable will depend on how serious the person is on getting healthy.

People are asking serious questions about health sleep aids these days and people continue to wonder whether if they are safe to use. Most doctors would recommend that people exercise more to burn off excess amounts of energy that might be keeping them awake at night. Acquiring good health might be as simple as allowing nature to take its course in the pursuit of a good night sleep. The human body is equipped to deal with many health issues on its own without the need of any type of medication.

While an adequate amount of sleep is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a good nights rest is a good way for people to live healthy and longer lives. When sleep is activated through normal channels people seem to have more energy to cope with life’s daily stressors and when chemicals are used to promote sleep, people have more cause to worry about whether the rest is invigorating or whether the sleeping aids will be the cause of them not waking up at all one day. Worrying about problems of this nature will keep people from acquiring good health.

People are constantly asking some medical professional for help in reaching a variety of health goals. Memberships at health spas soar because of the competent advice received by the professional trainers on staff. These health specialists can make healthy recommendations to people who are overweight as to how diet changes can improve their cardio health. They can also ensure that every workout is conducive to a persons health needs and a careful eye is placed on people who use steroids to build body mass on spa machines without being under the care of a physician.

Certain medical conditions might interfere with a vigorous workout schedule but some health benefits can be realized through exercise plans tailored to their health needs. Health club trainers can guide people with diabetes toward healthy living options that promote better circulation. Some health drinks are not suitable for people with diabetes and health club trainers will recommend those that are safe for diabetics to drink. With the proper understanding of medical disorders, acquiring good health practices is always possible.

In acquiring good health benefits through traditional medical treatments, people are learning to be upfront and honest with their medical practitioners. Otherwise, physicians cannot be expected to provide competent medical advice or treatments. Some people ask physicians for medications to treat anxiety problems when vitamins and mineral supplements will relieve the symptoms on a more natural scale. Once a physician learns about the symptoms a patient is experiencing, then there are a number of treatments that can be used to help patients acquire better health and live a more normal life.

Ann Marier asked:


Finding good relationship problems advice can be very difficult. It is not that there isn’t enough information. Almost everyone and their mother have relationship advice. If you tell someone, even a stranger on the street, that you are having trouble with a relationship, they will probably have something to say. Nevertheless, most advice for relationship problems is based on biases alone. Anyone you ask will most likely try to apply the lessons from their own relationship problems to yours. These lessons may be appropriate, but then again they may not be. Whether you are worried about breaking up relationship ties, or dealing with relationship problems for an ongoing relationship, it is always a headache if you can’t figure out what to do.

There is no point in getting relationship problem advice from a physician either. Even psychiatrists give lousy love advice most of the time. They say that they are qualified to give relationship problems advice, but in my experience they are often not good at this particular area. Don’t get me wrong – if your relationship is massively flawed and there is something psychotic about your partner, a psychiatrist will give you the right relationship problems advice – get out of it! Nevertheless, psychiatrists make terrible romantic partners. As such, how can you consider them fit to give relationship problems advice?

It has always seemed to me that the only way to get dependable relationship problems advice is to find a best friend who knows all about those things. Find someone with words of wisdom for dating help, go out for a few drinks with him whenever you are having relationship troubles, and trust his word implicitly. Friends like this are hard to find, and their skills at giving relationship problems advice should be fully exploited.

I get most of my relationship problem advice from my best friend. It is pretty odd because he has never been in a relationship himself. He’s actually not really been interested in dating at all, spending most of his time in more intellectual pursuits. Nevertheless, he gives the best relationship problems advice that you have ever heard. Maybe it is because he is looking at it from an outsiders perspective, but I swear that his advice is better than any advice column you could ever read! Getting romance advice from someone who has never been in, nor even desired, a romance is a little bit weird, but it has begun to feel totally natural to me.

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.