Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

The mythology of acne

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Let’s start off with a definition of a myth. Essentially, it’s a lie we tell ourselves to hide our fear. Suppose we’re frightened of lightning. No problem! We’ll invent a god who walks around the sky and, if he gets upset with anyone, he lets go a bolt or two. Why is this a good idea? As a priest in this new religion, all you have to do is keep the god happy by worshiping, giving me offerings and buying my comic books. So long as the god is happy, you will then be safe. No more fear! Thor rocks! Now let’s apply this to acne. As parents, we feel the need to prepare our children for all the bad stuff that’s likely to happen to them. So we tell them the story of acne. This is a disease so terrible that most affected end up looking like a toad with warts – obviously you want to keep the fear to Disney animation level so mention Princes turning into them and Princesse Fiona secretly being a green-skinned ogre at night. All this recognizes the new social reality. Only those with a perfect skin are acceptable. Everyone else is out of the magic circle in school and only allowed to mix with goths and nerds. To cushion the blow of having unattractive friends, we then tell them the really big lie – that they soon grow out of it and it will never affect them as adults.

The current estimate is that about 15% of the adult population suffers acne. That’s millions of people. Fortunately, the majority of sufferers are women and there’s a big market for selling concealer makeup, i.e. heavy foundation creams and a powder to put on top. Even metrosexual men are reluctant to wear obvious makeup. So why is acne affecting more adults? Here we get into yet more myths as self-appointed experts muscle their way on to television and radio stations to sell their miracle products or latest book detailing Obama’s acne and his loss of popularity. Their explanations range from too much stress in our lives to the diet we eat. This would be helpful if there was any scientific evidence to link either stress or diet to acne. Except there’s no such evidence. It’s all just more myths. (more…)

How bad habits affect the erectile function

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

There are millions of men suffering from various degrees of impotence all over the world. It is estimated that in US alone there are approximately 30 million men who suffer from different degrees of erectile dysfunction. It’s a common condition that was earlier associated with the process of aging, however the new developments in the medical field have proven that erectile dysfunction isn’t about aging at all. It’s about the overall health condition and functioning of the cardiovascular system, which can be very good at a later age and that’s when we hear about men in their 70’s with perfect erections. Or it can be poor and make a 30-year-old look for Viagra. But did you know that erectile dysfunction can be a consequence of bad habits a person is subjected to?

Yes, it’s true, the habits we have may have a serious effect on our health although many of us don’t like dealing with this truth. It’s not a big secret that smoking and alcoholism have a profound negative effect on one’s health and can lead to serious health complications. Conditions like hypertension, diabetes, cancer and other serious issues are much more common among those who follow bad habits. But what this has to do with male impotence and what is the link between widespread lifestyle choices and sexual abilities?

Bad habits are called “bad” for a reason. They have a negative impact on various systems of the body. The most widespread habits such as smoking, drinking and bad diet are known to cause various health conditions but from the male potency point of view the most important aspect is their impact on the cardiovascular system. Smoking and drinking are known as one of the leading causes for the development of various cardiovascular conditions primarily because they deteriorate the blood vessels all over the body. When the development of a particular cardiovascular condition is triggered it starts worsening the blood circulation in different areas of the body, including the penis. (more…)