New research from Spain suggests that the contraceptive system, the coil, can reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer.

Around 2,800 women in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. Could more women using the coil reduce these statistics?

In a study of 20,000 people, the women who had used the contraceptive device were found to be half as likely to later develop cancer.

‘Our data suggests that use of IUDs significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer and that this effect does not seem to be due to differences in screening histories between users and non-users.’ Quotes the author of the study.

People from the charity ‘Cancer Research’ believe that this study is opening up a ‘new’ and ‘exciting’ adventure; which could lead us in the right direction to answer many of the questions that we currently have.

‘It’s not clear how this effect is happening, and whether it’s IUD use itself that is causing the reduced risk, or something else linked to both IUD use and cervical cancer’ she says. ‘Answering these questions could help us understand more about how cervical cancer develops after HPV infection.’

For many men, erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs save their sex lives and marriages however GP’s in the south of England have been urged to only prescribe a twice-monthly prescription of ED drugs. A panel of NHS managers who make rationing recommendations for areas covering Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire decided that there should be a twice-monthly limit on erectile dysfunction drugs.

But currently there is no NHS guidance stating that ED drugs should be limited and that according to research people have sex four times a month, for ages 40 to 60 this is about once a week. Those who buy ED drugs such as Levitra online won’t find a restriction its thought that it covers men who have ED drugs on prescription. It was found in the latest document from the South Central Priorities Committee that they want to limit the use of ED drugs because the committee “has considered the evidence of clinical and cost-effectiveness, and the financial impact on the health economy of treatment for erectile dysfunction” and recommends patients are treated ” with a frequency of dosing of two times per month using the drug with the lowest acquisition cost”.

According to Dr Paul Roblin who represents GP medical committees in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire the guidance was “getting in the way of GPs having a sensible dialogue with patients about their requirements. Local priorities committees don’t understand the only restrictions on GP prescribing come from the national black list and grey list,” he said. “They sometimes portray recommendations as a rule that has to be obeyed, and that’s not true.”

Many GPs will most probably still continue to prescribe erectile dysfunction drugs on a patient to patient basis as many currently do now and it’s unlikely that this recommendation would spread to the rest of England.

When you’re in a rush or can’t decide what you want to eat, it’s tempting just to reach for a supermarket sandwich, ready meal or takeaway –but just how many calories exactly do these foods contain?

With obesity becoming an on-going problem, we need to start to consider fat contents and calories in common takeaway foods. We know that they’re bad. But how bad exactly, are they?
The average Indian takeaway consisting of: chicken tikka masala, pilau rice and a plain naan contains a whopping 1,338 calories and a huge 55g of fat. That one meal contains around two-thirds of the daily calories and 80% of the fat a woman should consume in a day. Wow.

Creamier dishes such as korma, pasanda and masala are even worse- but starters and sundries can do a similar damage. For example, one single onion bhaji contains 190 calories and 16g of fat, while a poppadom contains 65 calories and 5g of fat. These amounts are ridiculously high for such foods that you tend to eat as a snack, even before the meal has started. Can it possibly get any worse?

Yes. A Chinese takeaway of prawn crackers, crispy duck, chicken balls and spring rolls contains 2,832 calories – this is equal to two days’ worth of food if you’re trying to lose weight. What’s more shocking is the fat content. The typical Chinese take-away contains around 132.5g of fat – This is equal to a wine glass full of lard.

Pizzas vary in their calorie and fat content depending on their size, base and toppings used – and where you buy them from of course. So this information may come in useful when deciding where to eat in the future.

A regular margherita from Pizza Hut has 53% more calories than its equivalent at Pizza Express, for example. Pizza Express’s pizza contains around 664 calories compared to Pizza Hut’s regular 11-inchmargherita which contains a whopping 1,020 calories. Ouch.

Of course, different toppings need to be considered when looking at fat content etc. The worse toppings (and the ones to steer clear of) include: pepperoni, salami, spicy sausage and extra cheese.

Most of us know that a trip to McDonald’s spells the end of the diet – but it’s not just the Big Mac and fries that do the damage. Enjoying a large chocolate milkshake after the end of your meal and you’ll be drinking more than a meal’s worth of calories and fat.

Around two weeks ago I went to McDonalds myself. It’s not until I started writing this article that I was interested in how much calories I had eaten in just one of my three meals in that day. Using the McDonalds nutrition guide, I was able to accurately calculate my calories, fat and saturate content. I was not impressed! For a Large Chicken Legend meal (with cool mayo large fries and a large strawberry milkshake) and a Crunchie Mcflurry I had found that my total number of calorie intake for that one meal had been 1830 kcal, my fat had be 64g from which 20g was saturated. That is shockingly bad!

What is Cialis?

Cialis is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) its medical name is tadalafil and it works by relaxing muscles and increasing blood flow to the penis. It is one of the three main treatments for ED the other two are Viagra and Levitra which you may have heard of.

You can take Cialis in two ways, either a daily use tablet or a thirty six hour tablet. The daily does means that you can attempt sex anytime between doses however you may need to take it for 4-5 days before it starts to be effective. The thirty six hour tablet or the ‘weekender’ as it can be known by some is one tablet which you take and lasts thirty six hours and works within at least thirty minutes after taking.

What should I do before taking Cialis?

Before taking Cialis you should speak to your doctor who will know if there is a reason as to why you shouldn’t.  You can’t take Cialis if you are taking any medicines which contain Nitrates, these are usually found in heart medications.

What should I do while taking Cialis?

If it is safe for you to take Cialis you should avoid drinking alcohol whilst taking it, as well as avoid drinking grapefruit juice both can produce dangerous side effects plus you shouldn’t take any other ED medications like Viagra or Levitra at the same time.

What are the side effects of Cialis?

There are a few side effects which can occur whilst taking Cialis, one of the most common ones are:

Headaches
Indigestion
Backache
Muscle pain
Flushing
Runny nose
Dizziness
Change in your eyesight

Binge drinking is a huge problem in Britain and statistics show that nearly 1,000 more people end up in hospital due to over-drinking compared to the statistics just five years ago. Official figures show 1.1million people in England alone were admitted to hospital in 2009/10.

The 25% increase reinforces the severity of the situation and suggests that binge drinking is definitely a growing concern. Recently, supermarkets and their ‘cheap alcohol’ have been blamed for the increase in problem.

The chief executive of Alcohol Concern, Don Shenker says: ‘These figures are a result of supermarkets routinely selling cheap alcohol and the number of premises which are licensed to sell alcohol. It is clear that this Government needs to do far more to tackle the problems that all communities face in dealing with alcohol, If the UK wants a healthier relationship with alcohol, we need a different relationship with alcohol retailers and producers.’

The worst-affected region was London, where the number of alcohol related crimes per 1,000 residents reached 11.7 compared to 5.7 in the north east.

Alongside this, statistics show that 660,000 working days are being lost, due to alcohol, every year. The amount of binge drinking is not just affecting our health and crime rate, but it is affecting the economy too.

Beers

Picture courtesy of DeusXFlorida

Scientific studies have produced results suggesting that people are 5X more susceptible to sun damage when sun bathing in the afternoon, as appose to in the morning. The study shows that afternoon sunbathing raises the risk of cancer development.

This is thought to be because the protein (XPA) produced in the body to repair UV damage cells is more active in the morning. Suggesting that bathing in the sunshine or visiting a tanning booth could is supposedly safer before lunchtime.

In scientific tests, mice (with internal body clocks exactly opposite to humans because they are nocturnal) developed five times more skin cancer tumours when exposed to UV rays in the morning, compared with those in the afternoon.

Professor Aziz Sancar, has shown in other studies that levels of the XPA protein differ throughout the day and seem to be controlled by the body clock. It is believed that XPA levels in humans would be at its greatest at 7am.

The research would suggest that restricting sunbathing or visits to the tanning booth to morning hours would reduce the risk of skin cancer in humans. However, it is still highly dangerous. Malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, kills around approximately 2,000 people per year and specialists urge ‘sun-tan seekers’ to find alternatives to sunbathing and sunbeds.

His team now plans to test human volunteers to confirm that morning sun is safest for people.

Sunbathers

Picture courtesy of AnnieGreenSprings

Propecia is taken as a treatment for hair loss and the drug is licensed in the UK for this, which means it has been deemed safe and effective to use by the government medical regulatory bodies (MHRA). There were extensive clinical trials for Propecia, before it was authorised on more than 1,000 candidates. During the trial under 2% of Propecia users experienced mild side effects, these included a low sex drive, difficulty in achieving an erection and a decrease in the amount of semen which users had noted they hadn’t suffered from before they started treatment.

With all medications and treatments there is the chance of suffering from some side effects, however a lot of the time it depends on the person rather than the treatment. Some people are lucky and suffer no side effects, other only mild side effects and unfortunately a small portion of people can suffer severe side effects from taking medication, which is why it is necessary to balance out the pros and cons of taking medication.

The most severe side effects which can occur when taking Propecia and which require immediate medical attention include:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue)
Breast enlargement, lumps, pain, or tenderness; depression
Nipple discharge
Testicular pain

It’s not just the side effects from taking Propecia you should also watch out for, you also need to make sure you do not buy counterfeit medication, these can be very damaging to your health and in some circumstances even kill. As always the best thing you can do is visit your doctor for advice, they know your medical history and can advise on what you should and shouldn’t take. You don’t need to be embarrassed about visiting your doctor, taking any type of medication can have serious consequences so you need to make sure what you take is right for you, including hair loss medication after all there may be other medical reasons undiscovered as to why you are losing your hair.

Researchers have proven that having a good old laugh, doesn’t just improve you mood, but improves your pain thresh hold too.

Having a laugh can help people feel less pain because it causes the body to release chemicals that act as a natural painkiller.

Researchers found this by testing how much pain volunteers could withstand. Researchers at Oxford University found that volunteers who had recently experienced genuine laughing fits were able to withstand up to 10 per cent more pain than those who hadn’t laughed recently.

The scientists indicated that they type of laugh also effected the results. Professor Robin Dunbar (who led the research team) believes that uncontrollable laughter releases endorphins into the body which then generate mild euphoria which results in a reduction in pain.

Dunbar explains: ‘It’s the emptying of the lungs that causes this effect; it’s exactly what happens when we say ‘I laughed until it hurt’. It seems to be extremely painful and it’s that pain that produces the endorphin effect.’

Professor Dunbar’s theory also suggests that as well as reducing pain, endorphins make people more likely to developing bonds. ‘The next stage will be to see whether laughing really allows groups to bond together and work as a group better.’

If this turns out to be the case, it could explain why the first humans were able to create bonds and create the first initial tribes.

Worried about your stomach after a night on the town? Don’t be. Try drinking strawberry daiquiris.

Researchers have found the strawberries can help protect the stomach from the effects of alcohol. This is highly important as it gives us hope of improved treatments of stomach ulcers.

The finding was discovered when scientists gave ethanol to laboratory rats. The team found less ulcerations in the stomachs of those rats which had eaten strawberry extract (40mg/day per kilo of weight) for 10 days before being given alcohol.

Scientists say a diet which is rich in the fruit can help prevent gastric illness and slow down the formation of stomach ulcers.

The scientists said that treatments for stomach ulcers needed antioxidant properties, and that strawberries could be the answer to this.

Researchers were studying the mucous membrane, which contains special cells that produce acid and enzymes- helping the body to break down. It also excretes mucus; this protects the lining of the membrane from the acid.

Inflammation of the stomach membrane is related to alcohol consumption but can also be caused by viral infections or anti-inflammatory medication (like aspirin.)

Maurizio Battino, coordinator of the research group explained: ‘In these cases, the consumption of strawberries during or after pathology could lessen stomach mucous membrane damage. This study was not conceived as a way of mitigating the effects of getting drunk but rather as a way of discovering molecules in the stomach membrane that protect against the damaging effects of differing agents.’

Strawberries

Picture courtesy of Geekpulp

Levitra is a treatment for erectile dysfunction, they come in tablet form or orodispersible and they contain the active ingredient Vardenafil. Vardenafil is a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor and it prevents the action of a chemical in the body called phosphodiesterase type 5. Levitra like other medicines can be sought from your GP however you can buy Levitra online from a reputable seller.

Erections are gained when signals from the nervous system and chemical messengers are released within the tissues of the penis; one of the chemical messengers is called cyclic GMP. Cyclic GMP is what causes the blood vessels in the penis to widen and allow more blood to enter the penis, making it hard and erect.

However Cyclic GMP is normally broken down by another chemical in the body called phosphodiesterase type 5. Which as previously mention what Vardenafil prevents so Cyclic GMP is not broken down which results in the blood vessels are kept dilated for longer, improving blood flow to the penis and maintaining an erection.

You can Levitra with our without food, however it’s not recommended that you take it with a meal which is high in fat because this could delay the onset, all tablets should also be swallowed whole. You should take the tablets 25 to 60 minutes before sexual activity. The orodispersible tablet which melts on the tongue should be taken approximately 60 minutes before sexual activity because they can take longer to work.

There are some things you need to be aware of before taking the tablets and some side effects can be caused: You shouldn’t take Levitra and drink grapefruit juice because it may increase the level of this medicine in your blood and increase the risk of side effects. Also if your erection lasts longer than four hours (priapism), consult a doctor immediately, treatment should not be delayed as it could cause damage to erectile tissue in the penis.

There are some other cautions to those taking this medicine:

Elderly men
Disease involving the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease)
Obstruction of blood flow out of the heart, e.g. due to narrowing of the aorta (aortic stenosis)
Abnormal heart rhythm seen on a heart monitoring trace (ECG) as a ‘prolonged QT interval’
Low blood potassium levels (hypokalaemia).
Bleeding disorders, e.g. haemophilia
Active peptic ulcer
Physical abnormality of the penis, such as severe curvature, scarring or Peronei’s disease
Conditions such as sickle cell disease, bone cancer or leukaemia in which there is an increased risk of prolonged erections (priapism)

Anyone who has had a heart attack in the last six months, a stroke in the last six months or anyone who has severe heart failure should not take Levitra. It also shouldn’t be taken by women, children or adolescents under 18 years of age or anyone who has been advised against any form of sexual activity such as someone who has severe heart disorders such as unstable angina.

As mentioned earlier you should also make sure you buy Levitra online from reputable sellers or get them from your GP. It’s also important to note you always should seek advice from a doctor before taking any kind of medicine, but especially treatments for erectile dysfunction. You also shouldn’t take any more than one treatment for erectile dysfunction at any one time.