Is viagra useful for women?
Preliminary report from 12-week study at Northwestern University in Chicago and UCLA Medical Center on 202 post menopaual or post hysterectomy women show that viagra (Sildenafil), the blue pill, is as effective for the females as it is for the males. The action of the drug is to open up the blood vessels in the clitoris in females (in the penis in males), allowing it to fill up and engorge with blood, which fullness heightens the sexual stimulation in females and sustained erection in men. The women on viagra also had better sex lives, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm. Its role in men is well-established. Now comes the woman’s version, the pink pill. With the generic name Flibanserin, the “female viagra,” was approved by the FDA Advisory Committee on June 4, 2015, but the final decision by the US FDA will be made on August 18, 2015.
Is Liposuction effective, safe, and lasting?
Liposuction (the removal of fatty tissues from the body by pressure withdrawal or suction) is effective in removing fatty tissues, just as cutting the out using a surgeon’s scalpel would. But it is not effective as far as the avowed (advertised) goal of the procedure is concerned. The fats that are sucked out grow back in no time. More concerning is the fact that patients have died from fat embolism, etc. during or immediately after the liposuction. There is no excuse for these deaths, since the procedure in itself is very controversial at best and not scientifically proven to achieve the health objective it is supposed to accomplish. Our advise is for all of us to stay away from this costly and potentially deadly procedure. The best way to reduce the fats in our body is to eat fish, vegetables, fruits, and stay away from red meats, eggs, etc., and to exercise for at least half an hour at least 5 times a week, maintaining an acceptable weight.
Is drinking wine bad for diabetics?
Unless the patient has another medical condition where wine is contraindicated, wine in itself (a glass with dinner) is not bad for patients with diabetes. The only caution a diabetic has to remember is the extra high calories wine adds to the diabetic diet of these patients. The additional calories from the wine must be subtracted from the total calories the diabetic patient is prescribed to take per meal or per day. This should be discussed by the patient with the physician managing the diabetes.
Do bacteria causes stomach ulcers?
Yes, a very common cause of peptic ulcer (stomach ulcer) is a bacteria called H. Pylori. In the past, it was thought that peptic ulcers were caused by high acids in the stomach. The scientist who originally reported his thesis that a bacteria (H. Pylori) was the cause of peptic ulcer was ridiculed by the medical community for his “preposterous assertion” that these ulcers were caused by an infection due to this bacteria. It has always been accepted that the etiology of peptic ulcers was chemical in nature (hyperacidity due to stress, spicy food, alcohol, etc). Since that new revolutionary report came out, independent investigators all over the world have confirmed beyond doubt that, indeed, peptic ulcers are caused by a bacteria, the H. Pylori bug. This, obviously altered, and dramatically improved, the treatment of peptic ulcers, using antibiotics in proven cases of H. Pylori, instead of antacids and surgery.
Is snoring bad for our health?
Snoring has been popularly known to cause social or marital problems, with the spouses and roommates as its victims and complainants. In the United States, snoring could be a ground for divorce. For the snorer, this annoying condition leads to impaired and restless sleep, fatigue the following day, due to lack of oxygen. Most of the snorers have obstructive sleep apnea, which could block the airway passage, lead to severe lack of oxygen and death during sleep among some people. OSA also increases the risk for cardiovascular and metabolic illnesses, and even cancer. People who snore, or who do not get restful sleep and are always tired, should consult their physician for a Sleep Study and appropriate treatment.
What is Kissing Disease?
If there is such a thing as a fun-way to catch a non-fatal illness, it is by lips to lips kissing (or mouth to mouth resuscitation), causing Infectious Mononucleosis or Kissing Disease. The virus responsible for the disease is in the saliva of the infected partner and is transmitted by kissing. This condition, which is self-limiting, is most common among teenagers and younger people in general, especially those under a lot of stress and whose immune system is low from fatigue, lack of sleep, etc.
Is the use of a bidet hygienic?
Bidet, which is very popular in Europe, is now gaining acceptance in the United States, not only among the rich and famous, but in the general population. This device, which could be an old-style separate stand-alone “toilet basin,” or now, more commonly, as an add-on attachment, is used to spray water to wash/clean bottom private body parts, for extra cleanliness. The more expensive special bidet attachment (with warm water and a heated-cushioned seat) could cost more than $1500, installed, but the equally-effective lower-priced no-frill ones cost less than $200. The install-it-yourself models are even cheaper. Bidet-washing is NOT to be used alone after a bowel movement, for obvious reason. After completing the wiping process with toilet paper as usual, the bidet wash is used as an added, complimentary, hygienic rinsing step.
***
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
