CRP (qualitative) Test

Masturbation is considered as a good way of pleasuring oneself and leading to a more qualitative sex life. Masturbation is a sexual activity that is at par with sexual intercourse that will create a basis for an improved sex life. This will ensure that the need for sex is one that is based on respect and love, rather than a mere bodily function. Let us find out how it helps in having a better sex life:

Awareness: Masturbating is also a great way to know more about your own sexual preferences and what you like in terms of sexual activities. This awareness helps in better understanding and channelling ones sexual appetite for even better gratification during intercourse.

Staying healthy: Masturbating can help in releasing even more dopamine and oxytoxin, both of which have a favourable effect on your brain and mood. These hormones can also help in improving your immune system in the long run.

Knowing your partner: Masturbating alone and with your partner can help in knowing your partner and his or her sexual preferences. This can help in pleasuring your partner in a better way which will further fortify the relationship.

Excessive masturbation is strongly recommended as it has its long-term side-effects:

1. The use of sex toys and other accessories can further your satisfaction level. For instance, realistic vaginas can prove to be pretty handy in maximizing your sexual potency. Other credible sex toys are also available which are as helpful. Another effective technique of masturbating better is via porn or R-rated movies. By simultaneously watching movies while masturbating, your imagination gets fueled up with all kinds of sexual fantasies, providing you with more immediate satisfaction than usual.

2. A change in position is also pretty effective in heightening your senses and providing a better feel whilst masturbating. Keeping your hand still and only moving your body is such a way. While doing this, you can masturbate while kneeling or standing or sitting or even swapping hands. The more the variety, the better. Moreover, interchanging positions in between has also been proved to be very effective. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a sexologist.

Arthritis is defined as a disease that causes painful inflammation and stiffness in joints. There are some food items, which you should avoid if you are suffering from arthritis since they can worsen your condition and lead to inflammation and joint pain. Stick to a smart, nutritious diet that doesn't make you gain weight.

The following food items should be struck off your daily meals: 

1. Red Meat: Red meat has high levels of saturated fat. Patients of arthritis must avoid consuming foods containing saturated fat because they contribute to obesity. They also contain Omega-6 fatty acids, which lead to inflammation if the intake is high. Red meat contributes to higher overall fat and calorie intake.
2. Sugar and Refined Flour: Sugar and refined flour may cause an upsurge in blood sugar levels. When there is a spike in your blood sugar levels, the body produces a pro-inflammatory chemical called cytokines to break down the carbohydrates. This results in inflammation, worsening your arthritis symptoms. They also increase your weight, putting more and more pressure on the joints.
3. Fried Foods: Eliminating fried foods from your diet helps in reducing the levels of inflammation. Fried foods increase oxidation in the body's cells due to toxins called advanced glycation endproducts or age. They are high in fat and lead to obesity. Moreover, most restaurants use hydrogenated oils which are rich in trans fats. Trans fats are even more harmful than saturated fats when it comes to inflammation, chronic heart diseases and other health problems.
4. Alcohol and tobacco: High intake of alcohol causes a surge in the body levels of CRP or C - reactive protein which is a powerful agent of inflammation. The risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis is higher among smokers.
5. Processed Foods: Foods that are ready to eat and require minimal cooking contain several ingredients that cause inflammation. They are loaded with saturated fats, refined flour and sugar and are extremely unhealthy and worsen arthritic pain.  
6. Corn Oil: Many foods, especially baked foods, are cooked in corn oil or other oils which are rich in omega 6 fatty acids and trigger inflammation. Corn oil can be replaced with olive oil that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids which is anti-inflammatory. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dietitian-nutritionist.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory arthritis with a prevalence of 0.5-1% in India. It is characterized by joint pain and swelling associated with morning stiffness lasting for more than 30 minutes. It generally has a slow onset - over weeks to months, though the onset can be acute also. Most common joints involved are small joints of hands and feet. Larger joints like knee and shoulder can also be involved. The incidence of RA increases with age. It is twice more common in females than in males. Early treatment is necessary to bring down the inflammation, avoid joint deformities and prevent other complications (lung, heart, vasculitis). 

CAUSE: 

Predisposition to RA is multifactorial. It has a genetic component (family history of RA increases the risk). Environmental factors like smoking also play a role. 

SYMPTOMS: 

Initial symptoms start with fatigue, malaise, generalised bodyaches, low-grade fever. The onset is generally slow and eventually patient develops joint pain and swelling. Though the joint involvement is symmetrical in most cases, asymmetric onset is common (involving joints predominantly on one side). 

DIAGNOSIS: 

Diagnosis is made by a physician after detailed history, clinical examination and supportive lab tests. Rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibody are positive in 75-80% patients with RA. They have raised inflammatory markers (ESR, CRP) during active inflammation. 

TREATMENT:

RA treatment options are wide and quite effective. It starts with patient education regarding nature of the disease and the risk of complications. The need of early aggressive therapy should be emphasized. The patient should put in efforts for physiotherapy which play a very important role in muscle strength and joint mobility. Pharmacotherapy options are wide and include disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDS). These can be conventional DMARDS like methotrexate (usually the first line drug), sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, leflunomide. Failure to adequately respond to these drugs should lead your Rheumatologist to consider Biologic DMARDS (TNF antagonists, Rituximab, Abatacept, Tocilizumab). Your Rheumatologist is the best person to guide you about dose, indications, monitoring and side effects of the drugs used in RA. Treatment duration depends on patient's response but is generally long (5-10 years or lifelong). 

COMPLICATIONS BEYOND JOINTS: 

RA patients can have rheumatoid nodules in skin, lungs, heart and other sites. These patients are at risk of accelerated bone loss, so calcium and vitamin D intake should be optimized. Eye complications include dryness, redness (scleritis and episcleritis) and certain eye threatening complications. Lung involvement can be seen in various forms (fluid in lungs, nodules, interstitial lung disease). 

These patients are at high risk of atherosclerosis (heart and blood vessel disease). They also have a tendency to have frequent infections. 

NEED OF THE HOUR: 

All patients with joint pains should be seen early by Rheumatologist for diagnosis and treatment. With so many treatment options, no patient should suffer from joint deformities and other complications associated with long standing, untreated RA. LEAD A HEALTHY LIFE! If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a rheumatologist.

Myth : Homeopathy establishes “Magic Cure” – it is just an unproven method of treatment.
Fact : Homeopathy is a method of treatment based on laws and principles drawn from sound logic and experimental data. Its exact scientific basis still remains unproven but the clinical and experimental data prove its efficacy.

Myth : Homeopathic medicines are placebo and have no medicinal action.
Fact : This issue is the most popular myth regarding homeopathy. An occasional burp of it has become a routine affair. It is true that the sugar pills given are inert and do not have medicinal power but they are just vehicles or carrier of homeopathic medicines. Homeopathic medicines can be given dissolved in water or in sugar pills but still they establish cure. It is the resultant cure which shows the medicine has acted and was not just a placebo. The scientific study of efficacy of homeopathic cures throughout the world cannot be merely from placebo effect.

Myth : Homeopathy is only suited to chronic cases or terminal cases.
Fact : It is a common notion that homeopathy is the choice for treating chronic cases or those patients who are not relieved or do not go well along with allopathic drugs. Most of the patients have attained this knowledge through their contacts or maybe some unlucky ordeal. It may be true in some cases but not always. The rightful act for attaining complete relief is to approach homeopathy before it is too late. If you are delaying a visit to doctor or health professional then it is another story but if you are delaying because you have to visit a homeopath then it is health negligence on your part. Most commonly the time of visit depends on your complaint; it can be summed up as:

In Acute cases:  Acute diseases are those diseases which have sudden origin and the intensity of discomfort is high. In such cases people generally take conventional medicine thinking, Homeopathy is slow acting and is not worth trying in acute cases. But the truth is that, homeopathy is also effective in acute cases if the choice of similimum is proper. In Surgical cases: The scope of homeopathy is limited in surgical cases; in some cases homeopathic medicines prevent surgeries while in some the patient needs to be referred to surgical OPDS (Out Patients Department) for the needful. It all depends on your health state and the disease condition when you consult the homeopathic physician.

In Chronic cases:  Chronic diseases are those cases which have insidious origin, long duration with less to moderate discomfort. Homeopathy has now and again proved its efficacy in these cases.

In Terminal cases:  These cases include those cases which have been diagnosed as beyond the range of complete cure. In such cases homeopathy can help to reduce the suffering and also improve the quality of life.

If you are not sure of your disease better visit the physician and let him decide for you. Better safe than sorry.
Thus we see that the common myth that homeopathy is limited to some diseases is not true. Every science has limitations; no science is complete in itself, so why blame homeopathy alone? The best way to get maximum results is to approach homeopathy when you are still within the curable zone.

Myth : Homeopathy works slow.
Fact : This is the most popular myth about homeopathy but it is not true in all the cases. In fact, if the choice of similimum is proper the patient would show immediate signs of improvement. In acute diseases the response time is within minutes while in chronic diseases it can extend to days; it all depends on your disease state and the duration of action of the remedy. Your homeopathic physician would inform you about the signs of improvement that you can notice for yourselves. So you can find it for yourself that in most cases homeopathy can work faster, providing quicker relief than the other systems of medicine.

Myth : Excessive medicine effects fast.
Fact : Sometimes people summarize this rule owing to their experiences with conventional medicine; but this does not hold true in the case of Homeopathy. Law of Minimum Doses is one of the cardinal principles of Homeopathy – homeopathic medicines are given in qualitative doses i.e. in potencies and not quantitatively. A single dose of the similimum be it of poppy sized globule can work wonders for you. If you are taking more than you are prescribed, you are hindering your cure.

Myth : Homeopathic medicines do not have side effects.
Fact : It’s a well known fact that anything taken in excess is bound to be harmful. So why won’t homeopathic medicines cause harmful effects if you take them in excess due to negligence or thinking them to be placebo. (For the latter you can consult homeopathic physician to give you an insight into which medicine would show immediate response to enlighten you.) Moreover, homeopathic medicines act on the dynamic plane. So you may not be able to see the immediate after effects but it will become evident sooner or later. So it is best not to take the medicine unless needed or prescribed.

Myth : A good medicine must have expiry date on it.
Fact : Homeopathic medicines do have an expiry date; it would not be fruitful if you intend to pass the medicine phials through generations. Homeopathic medicines have a certain amount of alcohol mixed in them to preserve them; once it evaporates your medicines are of no use. For better results it is advised to store your medicines in dark colored bottles away from sunlight – it just helps them to last longer (read not forever).

Myth : People taking homeopathic medicines should not take onions, garlic, tobacco, etc.
Fact : As we have found now and then that most things we use in our food have power to affect our health, it all depends on how we utilize them. Since Homeopathic medicines act on the dynamic plane and affect us even through minimum doses, it becomes very essential not to interfere with the medicinal action. Taking food stuffs like onions, garlic, camphor, herbs in our diet only adds extra medicines to the prescribed ones preventing its proper action and thus affecting cure. But the modern culinary trend involves the use of spices to such an extent that it is difficult to completely avoid it. So one can go for using them in moderate amount and with brief interlude. As for spirituous liquors and tobacco, avoiding them is always good.

Myth : Bitter medicines effect faster and more.
Fact : There is no scientific fact to this – a medicine has its power in its constituent and not its taste. And if you believe it then sure you must know that most homeopathic remedies are bitter so they are given in medium of sugar globules to soothe your tongue; for Homeopathy acts gently.

Myth : Every symptom or complaint has different medicine.
Fact : It is not always true, for homeopathy treats the patient as a whole and not his individual sicknesses or complaints. So the choice of medicine is always one which belongs to patient as a whole. It may be possible that a new symptom may be so important that it changes the choice of medicine but it may not happen always. You may go by what your physician advises for he knows better when to change the prescription and when not to. On your part you can only tell him as much as you know about your disease.

Myth : Homeopathy acts by “aggravating” the complaints.
Fact : Homeopathic medicines are always prescribed such that the power or potency of drug should be just higher than the power of disease. Then only the medicine establishes cure. The medicine is perfect for your case only if it produces a slight aggravation of your present symptoms i.e. slight intensification of your complaints. But it is slight enough to provide minimum discomfort. That is, homeopathic medicines do produce a slight aggravation but it is for your own benefit as this slight aggravation is a sure sign that your medicine is perfectly chosen and will cure you. But do care to inform your physician about this aggravation if you find it discomforting. DO NOT TAKE ANY MEDICINE BY YOUR FREE WILL in such cases as you will again hamper the curative action of similimum.

Myth : Homeopathy is about psychological healing.
Fact : People sometimes feel that homeopathy is about psychological healing. We don’t deny it altogether, as what cure you can do if you let the patient bottle up his grievances and sorrows. We do admit that sometimes when the patient is suffering from suppressed emotions and only talking-it-out can do him some good that is the only way out (even the psychiatrics would approve it). In such cases homeopathic case-taking and counseling acts as “catharsis” and relieves the patient, but it is not always. The thorough case taking is for choosing the right medicine to cure the patient. It may be that talking-out provides momentary relief but it is only the medicine which establishes cure and not the case taking.

Myth : Homeopath asks many personal questions without any relevancy with the disease, only to confuse the patient.
Fact : Homeopath cures the patient as a whole and not just his complaints. To understand a patient as a whole requires knowing him as a person that includes apart from his complaints his likes, dislikes, his habits, his behavior, his response to certain situations etc. To know him better sometimes the physician can ask some personal questions – it can be about his bowel habits, his sexual life, sleeping pattern, his dreams, his past and present emotional setbacks etc. these are not to confuse or irritate the patient; they are just to know him better. This knowledge would help the physician in the choice of right medicine which would provide speedy recovery to the patient. So you can just relax and answer truthfully what your physician asks – it is only for your own benefit (off course you can excuse yourself if it becomes overbearing).

Myth : If my spouse/friend/relative suffers from the same complaint as I have- the same medicine will benefit all of us. That is I can give them the same medicine.
Fact : This is one of the most common myths in homeopathy. Homeopathic medicines are prescribed on the basis of Individualisation which tailoring the remedy according to individuals need. It means every individual is different from others in some way; be it his stature, talking, choices, behavior, or his susceptibility to diseases. Even the fraternal twins are different from each other in one way or the other; so how can same medicine be given to two different people even if they have the same complaint. Homeopathic medicines are always prescribed for the complete package that is the individual so naturally the medicine will change for different persons.

Myth : If I am going to a homeopath for some complaint, it is not necessary to tell him about the other medicines I am taking from other doctors.
Fact : This is not true; in any pathy i.e medicine (allopathy, Ayurveda, siddha, homeopathy etc.) you have to inform the physician what other complaints you have and what medications you are on. Especially in homeopathy where the choice of medicine would change with your case; let’s understand it like if the individual data changes the resultant choice changes. So be open with him about your complaints and choice of treatment. It may even be possible that you can have medicine for all your complaints from the homeopath himself and you won’t have to go to other doctors.

Myth : If I want to take homeopathic medicines for some chronic complaint I can not take any other medications especially allopathic medicines alongwith.
Fact : Ideally it should not be taken; but most of the chronic cases coming for homeopathic treatment are already taking allopathic medicines. If they resort to homeopathy it is better to wait for betterment to start from homeopathic medicines then gradually taper the allopathic medication. It causes some discomfort as your body takes time to adjust once you switch medicines, so it is better to remain in close contact with your homeopathic physician.

Dr. Sharmila majumdarsexologist

Men are known to be alexthymics where they prefer bottling up their feelings and not seeking family or social help.

Sex differences in mortality and admissions to hospital emergency departments have been well documented. These studies confirm that males are more at risk than females. Males are more likely to be admitted to an emergency department after accidental injuries, more likely to be admitted with a sporting injury, and more likely to be in a road traffic collision with a higher mortality rate.

Some of these differences may be attributable to cultural and socioeconomic factors: males may be more likely to engage in contact and high risk sports, and males may be more likely to be employed in higher risk occupations. However, sex differences in risk seeking behaviour have been reported from an early age, raising questions about the extent to which these behaviours can be attributed purely to social and cultural differences. However, there is a class of risk the idiotic risk that is qualitatively different from those associated with, say, contact sports or adventure pursuits such as parachuting. Idiotic risks are defined as senseless risks, where the apparent payoff is negligible or non-existent, and the outcome is often extremely negative and often final.

Men and help seeking behaviors - there is a growing body of research to suggest that men are less likely than women to seek help from health professionals for problems as diverse as depression, substance abuse, physical disabilities and stressful life events. The investigation of men's health-related help seeking behaviour has great potential for improving both men and women's lives and reducing national health costs through the development of responsive and effective interventions.

Studies comparing men and women are inadequate in explaining the processes involved in men's help seeking behaviour. However, the growing body of gender-specific studies highlights a trend of delayed help seeking when they become ill. A prominent theme among middle class men implicates traditional masculine behaviour as an explanation for delays in seeking help among men who experience illness. The reasons and processes behind this issue, however, have received limited attention. Conclusions. Principally, the role of masculine beliefs and the similarities and differences between men of differing background requires further attention, particularly given the health inequalities that exist between men of differing socio-economic status and ethnicity. 

Gender differences in social behavior what are the causes of sex differences and similarities in behavior? some causes can be traced to human evolutionary history, especially the ways that the division of labor is influenced by biology and environments. A human universal--in all known societies--is a division of tasks so that men do some things in society and women do others. The specific activities in a society depend on what tasks can be performed most efficiently by each sex, given men's greater size, strength, and speed and women's bearing and nursing children. The division of labor structures psychological sex differences and similarities. By observing the activities of women and men in their society, people form gender role beliefs. For example, given that women perform more childcare than men in most industrialized societies, women are believed to be especially nurturant and caring. Given that men are more likely than women to hold higher status jobs in industrialized societies, men are believed to be especially dominant and assertive. Gender roles then influence behavior through social and biological processes. In social interaction, people respond more favorably to others who conform to gender role. Women and men also might incorporate gender roles into their own personal identities 

Additionally, hormonal processes support role performance (e. G, testosterone increases in women and men before athletic competitions; through the research below, we have shown how social roles account for sex differences in group emotional experience and group performance recent research, we explain how women's roles influence menstrual cycles in society along with women's mate preferences. Further more the hormone estrogen protects the women's heart and adds longevity to their lives.