Quackery Treatments for Hypertension

Last year, I started experiencing dizziness and severe headaches. Upon consultation with my physician, my blood pressure was 210130, a sign of severe hypertension. Lab tests showed elevated blood cholesterol and sodium levels. I was prescribed antihypertensive, diuretic and lipid reducing drugs. I was also advised to adopt a low fat, low sodium diet. After a few months of taking these drugs, my blood pressure remained at 140100. I decided to explore other treatments in the hope of further reducing my blood pressure. Inquiries at a health food store and searching the internet revealed the following products widely regarded as alternatives to synthetic drugs in the management of hypertension.
Garlic (Allium sativum)
   
At a natural food store, garlic was the most recommended product for hypertension and came in various forms  roasted chopped garlic, pickled garlic, garlic oil, garlic powder, aged extract and fresh, organic garlic. The owner stated that all products can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Garlic is also believed to be an antioxidant and has a thinning effect on the blood to prevent clot formation and heart disease. It is further recommended for persons with diabetes or cancer. Additionally, garlic also has bactericidal effects and can boost the immune system. As such, it is used to treat infections such as cough and gastroenteritis. Finally, it can be used as remedy for inflammation, impotence, acne, tooth aches and wounds.
For hypertension, the store owner strongly suggested raw organic garlic as this has a higher potency in blood pressure reduction. He mentioned allicin as the main anti-hypertensive component of garlic although he had no idea about the amount of allicin per clove of garlic much less according to size and variety.

The maintenance dose was 2-3 crushed or minced cloves of garlic a day to be eaten. However, I was advised to take the same dose immediately if I were to start feeling the symptoms of severe hypertension. It was not stressed that blood pressure needs to be measured to diagnose symptoms as those of severe hypertension or that hypertension often does not present with any sign or symptom until complications occur. Because it is a natural remedy and had been used for its medicinal properties since ancient times, it was assumed to be safe even without physician supervision. This meant that I would not have to worry about drug interactions, contraindications or side effects. In terms of cost, a pound or 37 cloves of fresh organic Brown Tempest garlic costs 19.95 and amounts to 146 if used for 3 months at 3 cloves a day.

Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha)  
Another herb claimed to lower blood pressure is the hawthorn and its leaf, flower and berry extracts are processed into capsule form. A particular brand is Natures Way Hawthorn Berry that comes in 510mg doses divided into 300mg standard extract and 200mg of berry. The recommended daily dose is 3 capsules thrice daily with food. The active ingredient is 1.8 - 2.2 vitexin, a flavonoid. Product information on the Hawthorn Berry label is limited to recommended dosage, supplement facts and its general indication as cardiovascular tonic and for achieving wellness. There was no mention of contraindications, drug interactions, safety information, money back guarantee or the need to consult a health care provider prior to use.

Information in websites promoting and selling hawthorn supplements reveal that it is can be used to treat other cardiovascular disorders besides hypertension and includes angina pectoris, high blood cholesterol, arterial diseases, heart arrhythmias and weakness of heart muscles. The specific health benefit for hypertensive persons is derived from the herbs capacity to inhibit the angiotensin converting enzyme and relax blood vessels. The effect is supposedly a mild decrease in blood pressure after a few weeks of use. Considering costs, a 100-capsule bottle is worth 8.49. For 3 months of continuous use, this will amount to 69. 

Biofeedback
    Advocates of biofeedback refer to this as a therapy where hypertensive patients learn to control internal mechanisms that regulate blood pressure. It is assumed that stress contributes significantly to or aggravates hypertension and the ability to will ones body to completely relax will eventually decrease high blood pressure. Machines measure muscle tension, brain waves or temperature through electrodes attached to specific sites on the body. Changes in these measurements in the course of practicing relaxation techniques serve as feedback for the effectiveness of efforts to relax. Besides hypertension, biofeedback is also a suggested treatment for 18 other illnesses including diabetes, depression, asthma, chronic pain and epilepsy according to the website consulted. There are no contraindications for this treatment and is considered safe and effective when provided by a qualified practitioner. One session per week is recommended and takes about an hour. Optimum effects are observed after 20 weeks. Each session costs an average of 60 so that 20 weeks will cost 1,200.
   
The range of alternative treatments for hypertension encountered includes plant products, supplements and relaxation techniques. Since hypertension is a major risk factor to heart disease and may lead to fatal complications, self medication is not advisable considering that many of these treatments are falsely promoted as effective when such claims are not strongly or consistently supported by scientific evidence. As such, the products are marketed with incomplete product information and appear as cure-alls without regard for severity, possible causes or existing comorbidities. While these treatments may be promising and are the focus of further studies, their utilization should complement the more established pharmacologic therapies under the supervision of a physician. More importantly, it should be in conjunction with appropriate lifestyle changes.

Selected Disease Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the uninhibited development of a malignant tumor in the breast. Prospectively, the growth of these abnormally changing breast cells is dangerous to the patient because they are cancerous and may spread to other parts of the body. It can be otherwise described as the faulty printing or replication of new genes as they continue divide and grow into new cells. To confirm its alarming incidence, 1 in 8 (about 13) women in the United States suffer from breast cancer according to breastcancer.org.
   
Furthermore, breastcancer.org reveals that accurately, 1 in 8 women in the U.S. who reach the age of 80 can expect to develop breast cancer. This is to say that generally, breast cancer is more common among women than in men. Although risk factors should be considered, the onset of the disease varies from one individual to another as each has its own personal history, familial or racial background, reproductive history, lifestyle practices, environmental conditions, and other concerns.
   
As to its signs and symptoms, it may include typical lumps or cysts, breast changes and discharges, infections, swellings, pain, unexplained weight loss and skin changes. Lumps or lymph nodes in the axillary region may also indicate breast cancer.
Regular self-breast examination is recommended because the earlier that the disease is detected, the better the chances of overcoming it. The woman may feel lumps or any irregular growths in the area.
   
There are also clinical breast exams to screen, diagnose and monitor breast cancer. To detect, the earliest way is through mammogram, advisable yearly especially for active women. There is also breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), biopsy and fine needle aspiration cytology for diagnosis. For treatment, there are required surgeries, drug therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy among others.

Part II Short Talk
Opening Remarks Good morning God is goodall the time. Life is beautiful. In all the challenges that God gives us, we can always learn from them in the right places at the right time. I am here today to discuss one of the most dreaded health ailments in the world today, BREAST CANCER.

Outline of Talk
Definition of Cancer                VI. Causes
Incidence and Prevalence            VII. Diagnosis
Classification                    VIII. Screening
Signs and Symptoms                IX. Treatment
Risks and Risk Factors            X. Prognosis

Materials to be used Pamphlets and posters with photos containing information about breast cancer will be useful. These shall be printed. Then videos on patient-conduct screening will be borrowed or rented from doctor-friends, depending upon availability. Mannequin can be rented or borrowed from medical clinics, if allowed.
There will one practice session.

Areas of Responsibility for Healthcare Educators

Knowledge is power. This famous line greatly exemplifies the important role of information dissemination in the lives of individuals, especially when it comes to empowering them to make a wise decision and right action. The aforementioned adage is greatly applicable in the field of healthcare education wherein health professionals have the responsibility in informing the general public about the different diseases that threatens their health and well-being as well as the corresponding prevention and cure that are necessary in order to address these illnesses. However, the task of information dissemination is not an easy thing to do, especially in educating the illiterate part of the population. An individual with no formal education will find it difficult to understand the explanation of healthcare professionals about diseases or wrong practices that they should avoid in order to take care of their health. Being the case, the help of the mass media has an essential part in order for healthcare educators to properly send their message to the general public. The use of advertisements like posters, articles, videos, and other materials substantially help in informing the public of how to properly take care of themselves.
   
In relation to this, drug abuse is one of the most pressing healthcare threats that result to many other adverse consequences in the well-being of individuals. The people who are getting addicted to drugs do not only involve the adult population of the society but it is also affecting the ways of life of adolescents. Being the case, it is essential that drugs abuse should be properly addressed and one of the ways is through the creation of advertisements. A certain poster that advocates fighting drug abuse, which could be seen in this website. 

The poster that I have chosen talks about addressing the problem of drug addiction among the youth. This is a 51 x 43 cm. print advertisement is set in a white background that has black text. The poster also contains the color photos of seven students who are playing the cello, singing the gospel, playing tennis together with a kid, photographing, reading, and watching the stars (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 1992).

The first thing that caught my eye in this poster is the statement line that says we have better things to do than drugs. This statement is written in big, bold and all capital letters. I became interested in the poster because it explicitly and directly send the main message that it wants to impart to the people that will see the poster and that is to stop and not engage in drugs abuse. In relation to this, the use vibrant colors as well as the inclusion of photos of young adults that are doing various activities also made the poster more attractive to the people who will see it. If the poster is randomly posted on the streets, passersby would take notice of it because its colors and design made it catchy to the eye.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is the one responsible in producing and publishing the poster. The main message that the organization wants to impart is that people should stop and even prevent being addicted to drugs because there are still other productive activities that people could do. In line with this, the photos of the young adults in the poster also presented the idea that the main target of the print advertisements is young adults. DHHS wants the adolescents in America to realize that drug addiction is not their only option because there are different activities that they could engage in, which is worth more of their time and effort.

The strategy that is applied by the DHHS in their advocacy of fighting drug abuse is in the form of information dissemination. The organization used print advertisement because it is one of the most effective ways that will get the attention of the young adults of the population. DHHS wants to convince teenagers that they should not waste their youth because there are many opportunities that are in store for them, which will help them hone their skills and develop themselves into better individuals.

The poster has the main objective of informing young adults that there are more productive things to do than engaging in drug abuse. The use of print advertisement by the DHHS is effective in capturing the attention of young adults, especially since it incorporates in the poster the necessary factors that would make teenagers take notice of the poster, specifically the use of color, photos, and a strong statement. Nevertheless, there are still some improvements that the DHHS and other health organizations could do. Young adults nowadays are more receptive to videos and networking sites in the Internet. Being the case, it s more advantageous and effective for that these health organizations use this form of information dissemination because more young adults would be informed about the harsh effects of drug abuse through these methods.

The poster made by the DHHS is under the education and information part of the four major health promotion settings. The main purpose of the poster is to inform young adults of the other productive activities that they could do with their lives instead of using drugs. In this sense, the poster indeed has the function of education and information. Furthermore, this print advertisement also aims to convince young adults to broaden their horizons because they have a lot of potential, which they could use for their self-development rather than easting it on abusive habits like drug addiction, which would not do them any good in life.

Edutainment and Sexual Health

Edutainment refers to the use of performing arts to educate people so that they can change their behaviors. The concept of edutainment combines entertainment and education to improve the lives of people through change of behavior (Scanlon  Buckingham, 2003). Edutainment involves working with the society, other organizations, government bodies and other stakeholders to initiate behavioral change in the society. The message content of articles of art is not enough to make change to the people who receive it. There are professional requirements that have been placed to ensure that people make the appropriate change after receiving messages from the art works. Government must work with the theatre performers to initiate change in the society. In the developing countries, governments have failed to cooperate due to the rigid bureaucracy that restricts many art performers. Some edutainment programs being used to educate about sexual health and particularly to combat HIVAIDS are music, puppetry and theatre, drama, theatre and peer-to-peer education (Macdonald, 1998).

Music as a program being used to promote Sexual Health Exchange involves developing songs which focus on educating people about their sexual behavior and informing them on preventive measures to reduce the spread of HIVAids disease (Stanton, 2004). The program uses music to pass HIVAids prevention messages to people. For example, Africa Alive is an organization that is promoting behavior change among people so as to combat the spread of HIV Aids in Africa through traditional and modern music (Scanlon  Buckingham, 2003).

Edutainment as a strategy for health education can be effective. Many people like music and they are willing to listen to the message contained in it. The youths, who are mostly affected by HIVAids, are eager to listen to music. Music can reach people at all levels of age, gender, race, or any other social grouping. Music can be fabricated to send messages to some people in the society. People find it fun to listen to music. Other people listen to music due to curiosity while others use it as a leisure tool. Musicians are popular and many people like seeing or listening to them. Sexual health messages can be passed on to the target group of people more easily through the use of music. All classes of people listen to music and no person can be left out in the campaign against some sexual health behaviors in the society (Macdonald, 1998).

Edutainment can also be used on other Healthy People 2010 leading health indicators. Some of these indicators are advocacy for the rights of women and gender equality. In addition, it can be used to empower economic, health and political issues affecting people all over the world. Edutainment can be used in a wide variety of ways to educate people on leadership and personality development. Empowering women through literacy programmes and vocational training can be some of the aspects that edutainment can be of great benefit to the society (Stanton, 2004).

Edutainment is an effective method of educating people about the best sexual behaviors. It combines entertainment and education to deliver messages of behavioral habits which are healthy. People like being entertained and will acquire some messages from edutainment programs. The government ought to support edutainment programs so as to reduce some unhealthy sexual behaviors that people continue to practice either because of ignorance or lack of adequate knowledge. Edutainment can be used on a number of ways to educate people about social aspects that affect them.

Access to Care

Among the most pressing needs for the health care system in the United States is the provision of quality health care to all with the aim of improving quality of life as well as life expectancy. With these in mind, the Healthy People 2010 aims at improving four major components of healthcare each serving to better the health needs of the United States citizens. These include clinical preventive care which aims at taking preventive actions as well as recognizing risks for certain health conditions in a stage that is early enough to enable successful treatment or prevention. Diseases that are best suited here are sexually transmitted diseases and cancers primary care which deals aims at ensuring that every one is able to access a usual health care provider more so the minorities who have been poorly represented in the past emergency services to act as stabilizers in cases of severe illnesses so as to give time for provision of comprehensive care and long-term care and rehabilitative services for persons who need rehabilitation and self-care services such as the aged or physically and mentally ill persons.

Some facts on access to care
    For one to have the most accurate measure on how access to care has been specifically in the four areas, health insurance cover best suits this. The number of persons with health insurance has been increasing from the 1990s with more uninsured persons standing at 44.3 million persons in 1997. Preventive care services have been largely ignored by the health insurance companies. Even those who are insured, affordability and accessibility is not guaranteed by the insurers. Quality of health care has been an issue with a 1999 report on the same indicating errors in provision of care (Healthy People 2010, 2001).
   
A broad section of the society has experienced challenges in accessing care as due to lack of the services and finances to facilitate the same among other reasons. Disabled persons are particularly affected due to physical accessibility and attitudes of health care providers. Primary care access to the Hispanics as well as the young adults is also as poor as in uninsured persons. As of 1998, the Mexican Americans were the most uninsured persons. Poverty is also a major reason for lack of insurance. Belonging to a certain ethnic group is therefore a factor that determines access to care. According to 1997 National Health Interview Survey for instance, while 87 of Whites had access to care, only 61 of Mexican had access to health care (Healthy People 2010, 2001). Persons with persistent conditions like diabetes also face the challenge of being covered by insurance companies.
   
Even with the above challenges in access to health care, Health People 2010 is still conscious of its responsibility for a healthy America and for that reason, it seeks to ensure that health insurance coverage reaches 100 percent i.e. total coverage across ethnic groups, states and age sets. It is also the objective of Healthy People 2010 to increase the number of health care professionals across all sectors of health care more so in groups of population that have under-representation. This is to be achieved by increasing educational facilities and access to the same among the minorities.
   
In conclusion, non profit organizations have a very crucial role in ensuring comprehensive access to care. The American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA) (www.holisticmedicine.org) is for instance aimed at ensuring that the whole person i.e. mind, body and spirit is catered for to ensure healthy lives which is in tandem with the goals of Healthy People 2010.

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse in the United States society is a major health and social problem contributing to about a hundred thousand deaths every year. The problem associated with substance abuse cost the United States economy billions of dollars due to the extra burden in the health care system. A survey carried out in 1992 indicate that over 82 million of Americans have taken at least 12 drinks over the period of one with 46 of these drinkers having reached intoxication level at least in one incidence and 4 weekly. Almost 10 of drinkers in America have been reported to be dependent on alcohol while 7 are alcohol abusers. There are increased cases of drinking among the adolescence increasing the possibility of alcohol dependence at later stages. Although moderate drinking may be beneficial to the elderly, heavy drinking is associated with heath complications such as hypertension, arrhythmias, stroke, cardiomyopaty and cancers. Heavy drinking is also the major cause of liver complication such as cirrhosis. It is also associated with increased risk of accidents, criminal activities and immoral behaviors (Healthy people 2010, 2001).
   
In 1995, it was estimated that there were about 4.4 million people who were addicted to hard drugs with about 3.6 million being cocaine addicts and about eight hundred thousand abusing heron. The disorder associated with these drugs is far reaching where the user engage in crime and other self destructive activities. The use of these drugs especially among the young people is associated with criminal activities, risky behaviors which may result into injuries and reduced productivity. They are also associated with the increased transmission of HIVAIDS, heart diseases, memory deficits and depression. Dependence on tobacco and other substances has also been reported to be responsible for several cancers which were thought to be unrelated (Healthy people 2010, 2001). 
   
Drug abuse affects the whole population with the young adults and youth being most affected. Statistics indicate that whites and Hispanics abuse alcohol and illicit drugs more than African Americans while the African Americans abuse tobacco more than other races. Men are more likely to abuse drug when compared to women. Increased substance abuse among the adolescence especially drinking is attributed to their peer influence in schools and residential area, media influence and availability of illicit drugs among them. Individuals with families with history of drug dependence are at an increased risk of drug addiction incase they start using them. Moreover frequent drinkers have a higher risk of dependence compared to occasional drinkers.
   
To deal with this problem health people 2010 came up with several objectives. The primary purpose of these objectives was reduction of substance abuse especially among the young in order to safeguard their health and safety. These objectives include reducing negative effects of substance abuse such as motor vehicle carnage, substance abuse related crimes and deaths. Another objective is rehabilitation of substance abuser by providing treatment to illicit drug users, those who are alcoholic and in correctional facilities (Healthy people 2010, 2001).

The United Nation Office on Drug and Crime is an international agency which works together with other organizations and agencies in different parts of the world in dealing with substance use and crime. With the help of NGOs and civil society communities in different countries UNODC is able to achieve its mandate all over the world (UNODC, 2010).

Obtaining Drugs from Canada

Over the past two to three American regimes, American health debates has been heating up in the recent past. A huge part of that debate in Washington now is whether the prescription drug prices in America will be lowered substantially or whether the potent pharmaceutical industry will go on with charging the Americans the worlds highest prices for their medicines. It has become quite exorbitant that the country is almost crippled by declaring most Americans bankrupt. This was however rescued by the overwhelmingly bipartisan majorities in both houses, when the senate voted to add some voice to the agriculture bill which allowed both the pharmacists and the wholesalers to import prescription drugs from outside countries at a significantly lower prices as long as they meet the Food and Drugs Administration safety standards.
   
Among the leading countries that Americans have a tendency of importing considerably cheap prescription drugs from include Canada. Canadian medicine are said to be significantly cheap compared to the American prices. As (Kaiser 2009) writes After investigating several Canadian pharmacies, my wife and I paid 624.77 for a three-month supply of drugs at an online Vancouver registered pharmacy. These same drugs cost us 1,208.04 buying at Walgreens, Target, and Kmart where we shopped for the lowest prices. This meant that they saved at least 624.77 inclusive of shipping expenses. The importation of prescription drugs from Canada can save from 25-80  of dollars compared to purchasing similar prescriptions in America.

Benefits of importation of drugs from Canada to individual Nurses
The importations of prescription drugs from Canada is of great importance to individual nurses since it aids in ensuring that the patients under their care are able to access all their medications on time at an unlimited supply. This is vital since that individual nurse is usually held responsible incase the patient doesnt get all the medical attention that they require while under their care. These importations also spare individual nurses the task of telling their patients that the only medicine that can help improve their health is not affordable to them in their own countries though manufactured there.

Benefits of importation of drugs from Canada to the nursing profession   
Importation of drugs from Canada has also positive and negative impacts to the nursing profession. One of them is that according to the Food and Drugs Association, the Canadian Drugs are safe. This is because the rules and regulations in Canada are very strict as those in America and so far there are no statistics indicating any loss of life that has resulted from taking prescription drugs from Canada. This is rather important to the nursing profession because it ensures that all the patients are able to access healthy and affordable drug supply. (Adams 2004)
   
It is also important since it maintains a steady supply of drugs in both the government and private hospitals at reasonable prices. It also makes available rare medicines for deadly diseases for instance, One of the starkest examples was Tamoxifen, a widely prescribed breast cancer drug, which sells for one-10th the price in Canada it sells for in the United States. But it is not just Canada. While Americans pay 1 for a prescription drug, that same drug is sold in the United Kingdom for 65 cents, France for 57 cents, and Italy for 51 cents, even though many of these drugs are manufactured right here in the United States. (Sanders 2000) This simply means that hospitals can be able to access such drugs affordably for their patients.
Benefits of importation of drugs from Canada to the societys health
   
The American society are the most affected group of people affected by the importation prescription drugs from Canadian that, many people in America are paying too much money for their prescription drugs and therefore the people opt to take a road trip to Canada or by the dugs online since the drugs in Canada on average costs one-third as much as they cost in the U.S. there is an palpable opportunity slash costs and perhaps save lives.

There is also the argument that importation is free trade. This is because it is unavoidable and posses beneficial outcome to globalization and technology. In addition to that, most of the drug companies are seen to be evil by the Americans. (Bast 2004) This is evident by the rate that they are growing. They exploit taxpayers investments through medical research and they spend more on marketing. On the other hand, importation of drugs from Canada can have dire consequences to the Society. For instance, not all drugs in Canada come from Canada. Some of the drugs come from second and third world countries which have less protection laws than the ones in USA and Canada. Another limitation to the importation of drugs to the society is that the drug supply in Canada is not enough to satisfy the U.S demand. Furthermore, not all the Canadian pharmacists are approved by the FDA. This therefore makes it possible for counterfeit drugs to fall in the hands of unsuspecting Americans. (Partnership for Safe Medicines 2008)

In conclusion, in order for the nursing medical field and the society at large to benefit from the imported drugs from Canada, there must be an introduction of tighter regulations on the safety of these drugs. Moreover, the Federal Government needs to come up with ways of controlling these prices and make these prescription medicines more affordable and available for the majority of the people.