Trying to decide whether to get a hip replacement at the age of 43 was the biggest, most agonizing decision of my life so far. For about three months, I debated the whole range of possibilities, positing theories and imagining worst possible case scenarios to the utmost degree that my imagination would allow. Now I see that I really should've saved myself all of the back and forth debate by simply making a few lists; lists of reasons TO get a new hip and reasons AGAINST. Here is what my lists would look like, knowing what I know now.

Ten Things I Feared I'd Never Do Again Because My Hip Hurt Too Much That I Can Now Do With Joy Since My Hip Replacement
1. Sleep straight through the night
2. Have sex in any position I feel like
3. Go to Disneyworld
4. Walk my dog
5. Get in and out of the car painlessly
6. Be the last one on the dance floor
7. Walk fast in high heels
8. Ride horses
9. Pole dance
10. Carry my own luggage (although I've got mixed feelings about this one)

Ten Things I Still Cannot Do But Will Not Go To My Grave Regretting Not Having Done Them
1. Sky dive
2. Ride a Brahma bull
3. The splits
4. Get a root canal without pre-medicating
5. Run a marathon
6. Go bottomless on a nude beach
7. Smuggle weapons onto an airplane
8. Become a body contortionist
9. Work at an electromagnetic particle accelerator factory
10. Claim to have all my original parts

Is there any question that I made the correct decision? In my mind it is clear. If I wanted my active lifestyle back then the choice was obvious. I've never been the type to decide what I want for dinner tonight based on how it will affect my arteries in a decade and in the same vein I couldn't stomach what my deteriorated hip had on today's menu, even I cannot say for sure how long this new joint will last. I trust my doctor and his progressive staff to have in their surgical little hands, a nifty new re-replacement at the point down the road when I need it. And just how much active fun I've had in the years since my new hip have made my decision worth it. Have another look at my list to see what I'm missing, and what I'm not.

Are you experiencing excessive hands sweating even if you are not nervous or you are perfectly on normal condition? Excessive sweating of the hands is also called palmar hyperhidrosis and this is the most annoying sweating problem a person could ever have. The effects of this disorder are not life threatening but it could bring difficulties in your life that is why it is important to know how to treat palmar hyperhidrosis.

The inconvenience of sweaty hands problem could also result to frustrations and low self-esteem. This disorder could prevent you from doing your work and daily activities with ease. You often struggle or find it difficult to do certain tasks like writing, typing and handling paper works. You are also embarrassed to shake hands with other people that sometimes it affects your job and your personality. You are always uneasy, have the tendency to always wipe your hands and you find it hard to concentrate on your job or other important things that needs your attention. To eliminate all of these hassles and difficulties, you need to know the best way to treat palmar hyperhidrosis.

Here are some methods to treat palmar hyperhidrosis:

Seek professional and medical advice to treat palmar hyperhidrosis. It is best to seek professional help if you are really annoyed by the excessive sweating of your hands. Getting help to treat palmar hyperhidrosis will also allow you to know your health condition because sometimes excessive sweating is a symptom of other diseases.

Commercial products to treat palmar hyperhydrosis. There are special products that you can buy with or without prescription to treat palm sweating. Some people find it effective to use underarms antiperspirant deodorant on their hands. A special kind of powder to keep sweaty hands dry is also available on your local store or pharmacy. Prescription or non-prescription 20% aluminium chloride solution is also another product that some people use to treat palmar hyperhidrosis.

Medical and advance procedure to treat palmar hyperhidrosis. There are advance and more aggressive procedures to get rid of excessive sweating of the hands. Botox injection is one procedure which include the use of botulinum toxin type A injected on the affected area. Iontophoresis is another advance treatment which involves the use of special equipment to run a tolerable amount of current on the skin to temporarily stop the sweat glands from performing its function. And sympathectomy is a surgical procedure in treating excessive sweating by cutting or clipping the sympathetic nerves responsible for excessive sweating problems. Be warned that these aggressive procedures might have irreversible side effects and you need to try all safer options before putting yourself under the knife.

I'm sure you've heard all the news about drugs in drinking water lately. Actually, this is not the first time this information has surfaced. There have been a number of studies over the past few years that have found traces of prescription drugs found in drinking water. What's so troubling, though, is it seems that our governments and water treatment plants can do nothing to stop this alarming trend. In other words, it's up to you to protect yourself and your family from this type of contaminant.

Let's talk about what you can do to protect yourself.

If you're drinking tap water, whether it's from a city water system or well water, you are potentially ingesting all sorts of prescription drugs including antibiotics, sex hormones, heart drugs, chemotherapy drugs, among others. No one knows the long term consequences of ingesting all this stuff, but it can't be good! Drugs in drinking water is a growing problem, but fortunately for you there's a solution.

If you're thinking bottled water is the solution, think again! Most bottled water comes straight out of a tap--it's bottled in name only. So, it's just as susceptible to contamination (if not more so) than tap water. No, the only thing you can do is to filter your water at home before you use it.

If you're concerned about drugs found in drinking water, then some sort of home filtration device is what you need. They range in cost from $20 for one of those pitchers that filters just your drinking water to over $3,000 for an under the counter distiller. You don't need the distiller, but you probably need more than just the pitcher.

Cheaper, but still very good, water filtration technologies include reverse osmosis and carbon and ceramic filters. Reverse osmosis works very well, but it demineralizes the water. That is, it takes out those trace minerals like calcium and magnesium that we need for a properly working body. Filters that employ carbon and ceramic filters work well, especially when they're constructed in such a way that filters out all the organic and inorganic contaminants, while leaving in those very important trace minerals.

In order to deal with this drugs in drinking water problem, you can buy filters for just one faucet, or you can get a whole house filter. Ceramic and carbon filters for just one faucet run around $100. Whole house types run slightly under $1,000.

If that sounds like a lot of money to get rid of the drugs found in drinking water, then compare that to a lifetime of drinking sex hormones!

The consumption of alcohol is pretty much a double edged sword. There is now research that shows us that the consumption of 'certain types' of alcohol in moderation can be good for your health. But the other side of the coin isn't as optimistic; heavy drinking can lead to many serious pathological states that at the very least can make you age faster, and at their worst...can kill you. The people that will read this article will range in ages from teens to those in their 'golden' years. What is amazing is that people who drink, no matter what their age is really have no idea what they are putting into their bodies, and how it will affect them. This is the purpose of this article, after you read what is printed below you will be light years ahead of where you are right now, and will also be better off for it. Granted, the information that you are about to read is what we currently know as of right now with regards to alcohols affect on the body and how to treat the over consumption of it, all of this will surely change in the future. But one thing is for sure you will not find the depth of information regarding the consumption of alcohol any place else in one neat little package.

So you like to have a cocktail now and again, your older now and you have, as 'they' say "been there, and done that"...the thrill is pretty much history. But in your college days the situation was likely very different. The difference in terms of the 'buzz' between now and then isn't really that great, and people party for pretty much the same reasons. However today there is a great deal more information available to the public regarding what alcohol is; what it contains and what it does to the body than ever before. Do you think that all alcohol is the same? Well, the short story is that is isn't. The quality of alcohol that is being sold to the public is all over the map. Here is how it works...an alcoholic drink can be made of any number of organic materials that are fermented. Most alcohols are typically distilled, aged and filtered several times to eliminate the impurities, these are all very important steps in the process of making a quality beverage in that the more that a product is purified, aged and distilled the less side affects you will experience. In the products that are not as pure as others; they contain what are known as congeners, which are toxic chemicals formed during fermentation. And as described, some liquor's contain more of them than others. These congeners are widely responsible for the headaches and other ill feelings experienced during a hangover. Here is a simple fact, the clearer and more distilled that your drinks are, the fewer problems you will have the next morning.

In general, during fermentation a number of different types of alcohol are produced. The major simple form of alcohol that most folks are familiar with is ethyl alcohol, another major form is called methyl alcohol...which is toxic. And then there are other categories that include, but are not limited to:

The higher (molecular weight) alcohols (fusel oils) are found in most fermented beverages:
3-methylbutanol (isoamyl alcohol): (CH3)2-CH-CH2-CH2-OH
2-methylbutanol (active amyl alcohol): CH3-CH2-CH(CH3)-CH2-OH
2-methylpropanol (isobutyl alcohol): (CH3)2-CH-CH2-OH
1-propanol (n-propyl alcohol): CH3-CH2-CH2-OH
As well as others

The problem for the public arises when during the manufacturing of certain low grade beverages these waste compounds are collected up as part of the distillate, and end up in the final product. In many cases they are functional in that they impart their own unique flavor to a product, but can be toxic if ingested in excess. These chemicals harsh attributes require extended maturation time to allow them to integrate and mellow in the product. The problem is that since most beverages are made, shipped and consumed in many cases in a matter of weeks, and the time needed for maturation and additional filtration doesn't occur. Therefore the consumer ends up ingesting more of the higher alcohols and other waste than they should. These 'higher' alcohols, when taken in more than normal levels can be quite toxic, and if ingested in high enough amounts can induce alcohol poisoning and vomiting; and in high enough doses they can even cause death.

These higher alcohols are also major contributors to what we call the 'hangover'. The higher the molecular weight of the alcohol involved and the more waste the alcohol contains, the worse the hangover is. It is as simple as that!

If you like to drink, what can you do about this problem? Are there ways to protect ourselves so the products that we choose to drink don't cause more damage than they should? Well, there are many products being sold on the market today that claim to help in protecting you or that supposedly prevent a hangover, but in reality very few of them do. And if you read the ingredient deck on some of these products and have any knowledge of what the ingredients are, and what they are claimed to do, it becomes apparent that the product couldn't possibly do what the manufacturer claims it does.

Here's how it works...When you consume alcohol it is essentially metabolized by the liver in two steps by enzymes that break it down, and then prepare it to be excreted from the body. The 'converted' alcohol in the form of toxic chemicals that include acetylaldehyde can do a lot of damage to the body, especially as it (the body) becomes dehydrated; because in this state toxins become more concentrated. This is one of the reasons that we feel so sick the next day after consuming more alcohol than the body can process. When the body's ability to utilize its own protective systems (such as those that produce glutathione) is over whelmed, it causes a painful toxic state. There is only one product being sold today that addresses this issue. A product by the name of AM Angel (www.amangel.com) is designed to reduce and 'clear out' the build-up of toxic chemicals such as acetylaldehyde and other waste products, and will replenish some lost nutrients and help to protect and detoxify the body. This is of key importance in that unlike other products AM Angel helps to address the issue of waste clearing, and the prevention of damage that this toxic waste causes. The other way that the product is unique is that you take both before you start to drink and again after, this again is very important in that it helps to prevent the side affects of the over consumption of alcohol. It is also proactive in helping to protect the body against the damage that drinking low grade alcoholic beverages can cause. The only other thing that you need to remember when you imbibe is that you need to drink plenty of water, this one part of the equation is as important as any other part. The idea is to detox and protect your body, staying hydrated, well...that's just the grease that makes the wheels turn!

Are you worried about chlorine in drinking water? Did you hear about the drugs found in drinking water samples taken all over the world? Medications in the water I drink? Oh boy, what next?

You may have read the reports and felt somewhat relieved by the fact that there were only "minute" traces of drugs found in drinking water, not enough for a full dose. And, that's how water authorities wanted you to feel. They want you to believe that you are safe. They don't want to start a national or world-wide panic.

When studies were released that chlorine in drinking water was a contributing factor in a large number of new cancers every year, there was some petitioning to stop using the chemical for public disinfection purposes. Usually, it is environmentalists and consumer action groups that petition the government to "do" something. But, nothing is done.

The report about drugs found in drinking water is news to some of us, but environmental groups have been aware of the problem for years. The Environmental Protection Agency has been quietly monitoring the problem. That's how the AP investigative reporters were able to collect the data. In some areas, samples are taken regularly.

The EPA is also responsible for monitoring the level of chlorine in drinking water, but individual facility workers take the samples and report the results. The levels they report are always just under the "safe" margin. But is that really safe and are the reports accurate?

Another group of investigative reporters found that some facilities "throw out" the highest readings, in order to get a pass from the EPA. When it comes to the drugs found in drinking water, most facilities are not required to test for them.

When it comes to chlorine in drinking water, they are required to test on a quarterly basis and report the "highs and lows". The problem is that the levels can change on a daily basis. It could exceed the maximum safe level at any time and no one would know.

When it comes to the toxic metal lead, facilities are required to test homes that are considered "at-risk". But, sometimes they don't and sometimes they throw out the results. In one instance, the facility claimed that the homeowner did not follow the correct protocol and did not request retesting.

When the homeowner was contacted, she said that they followed the instructions exactly and were never contacted by the facility concerning the results. The lead problem is directly related to the presence of chlorine in drinking water. The chemical erodes the pipes and allows lead that was used to make them to seep into the water, as it passes through the piping.

Before the reports about the hormones and drugs found in drinking water were released, there were numerous scientific reports about fish mutations that were caused by exposure to human hormones in the rivers, oceans and bays. Now, we know that those hormones increase the growth of cancer cells in the laboratory.

You are cordially invited to attend the Royal American Meat Ball, on October 15. Festivities include: informing, and inspiring Americans to respect, and nurture our world and our neighbors, and to encourage Americans to become protectors of the environment.

Filling our belly with meat harms the planet more than filling our tank with gas. Livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the worlds greenhouse gases, which is more than all transportation in the world emits. Producing 2.2 pounds of beef (about what an American family of four consumes each day) is responsible for the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted by driving for 3 hours while leaving all the lights on at home. Growing meat uses so many resources that it is impossible, in this article, to list them all. Livestock production is also thought to be the biggest source of water pollution in this country. In addition to polluting water, beef production alone uses more water than that used in growing our entire fruit and vegetable crop. About 26% of the world's land is used for grazing livestock, and another 33% is used to grow the crops and grain to feed them. In total meat production is responsible for taking up 70% of the world's agricultural land.

It takes 8 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound of beef on the hoof. Since about half a beef is waste product (skin, bones, guts, etc.), it takes 16 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound of edible beef. The average American eats about eight ounces a day, which removes at least 8 loaves of bread from the world food supply. While almost a billion people on the planet now suffer from hunger or malnutrition, the majority of corn, soy, and other grains grown in the world, feeds cattle, pigs and chickens. Every day 30,000 children die of malnutrition, or preventable diseases. Most of these deaths are attributed, not to outright starvation, but to diseases that attack vulnerable children whose bodies have been weakened by hunger. The US is no longer the breadbasket of the world. we have become a sponge, soaking up valuable resources so we may gorge on meaty delicacies while many in the world are starving.

Americans scarf down twice the global average of meat. Reducing US meat production by 50 percent would free enough grain to feed almost half the world's hungry people. Reducing meat consumption by two-thirds, in the US, would have as much environmental impact as crushing every personal vehicle in the country, and replacing it with an energy efficient electric vehicle. Reducing consumption by only one-third, would be like replacing all personal vehicles with hybrids. If only one American would go one day without meat, it would free enough grain to feed two starving people for one day.

The Royal American Meat Ball is scheduled for October 15. Begin now inviting others to join. For 6 weeks, I am asking everyone to cut meat consumption in half. I'm not asking anyone to become a vegetarian (I have no intention of becoming one). I'm just saying that, while Americans, in many ways, set a good example for other nations, I can't see why we have to eat like a herd of swine. We have an opportunity, with an insignificant change in lifestyle, to make a profound impact on the world. With very little effort, we can influence the lives of millions of people. 30,000 children will die today from mismanagement of global resources. What will you do today?

Did you know that there are many excessive sweating cures that you can try? I know, because I had a sweat problem myself. Discover exactly how to cure your sweat problem in this article.

I remember what it used to be like to sweat a lot so I can totally understand your embarrassment. Let me tell you that you are in good company. I want you to know that what I am about to reveal to you could simply change your life from here on forward. That's how much of a difference I believe could be made for your sweating.

You see, I had one of the worst types of sweat problems - a sweaty groin! What I'm about to tell you applies equally to all types of excessive sweating but you will see that I had it worse than most.

The first thing that my doc discussed was a topical antiperspirant. This is what most people try first. It's a kind of special strength roll-on.

I went home and tried it but the problem was that the groin area was especially sensitive. The burning side effects that you can expect were especially bad for me. I needed something else.

I thought about getting injections of botulinum toxin. This could reduce the sweating for about 12 weeks. But the huge problem was that this could be incredibly painful. The clinic said that there was no way that they would do it.

How about drugs? My doc said that drugs were not the answer. You see, the problem with drugs is that not a single one has been made specifically for sweating. Instead, you are relying on drugs that were made for some other reason. These drugs will stop your sweat but they also stop your tears and other body secretions. You end up becoming dizzy and constipated. The last thing I needed was more health problems!

And then I discovered some radical natural methods. These claimed that actually excessive sweating is a recent epidemic. Over 50 years ago the numbers were well down on today. Excessive sweating is actually a product of the modern lifestyle. It turns out that I could make changes to my diet and lifestyle (I'm not talking about exercise here) that could have a permanent effect on my sweating.

The rest, as they say, is history. I'm so lucky now. When I stand up, I don't need to worry about everyone seeing sweat patches on my butt. I can walk down the street and not get pains from chafing of skin in the groin region. I can lead a normal life now!

What good drug treatments are available for excessive sweating? Which ones work and what are the alternatives? Find out more in this article.

Preparation

I am quite sure that you have already gone this road but if you haven't then you should at least first try clinical strength antiperspirants to deal with your excessive sweating problem.

Drugs are not normally prescribed until a few other methods have been tried. The reason is because they can have some side effects. You see, drugs have never been developed specifically for sweating but instead the drugs that are used were originally intended for other illnesses.

Anticholinergics

Really, these are the only drugs that are prescribed for serious cases of excessive sweating. The most popular one is called glycopyrrolate.

These drugs work by stopping all the secretions in the body. I'm not talking here about just your sweat but also your tears and many internal bodily secretions.

Unfortunately, your body needs these secretions so you can expect side effects. The mild ones are simply a constant dry mouth, constipation and dizziness. The much worse ones include high temperature and may require a hospital visit.

Who Should Take Them?

Only people who have sweating all over their body should even consider these drugs. This is because they are not targeted and they will reduce sweating everywhere. If you only have underarm sweat then they may help your underarms but the rest of your body will lose the ability to cool efficiently which can be dangerous.

What Are The Alternatives?

You know, you don't need to resort to drugs and clinical products. There are actually a number of natural ways to cure excessive sweating.

Did you know that excessive sweating is only a recent problem. 50 years ago, it barely existed. There are therefore a number of ways to change your diet and your lifestyle to bring your sweating back to normal levels. What's more, these types of natural treatments are permanent and you don't need to persist with any special techniques for the rest of your life.

You can find a cure for excessive sweating if you really want and need it. In this article I want to run through the pros and cons of various approaches.

See Your Doctor

The first thing you need to do is to see your doctor. Don't try to rely on just over the counter products. If you see your doctor then you can gain access to a much wider range of treatments, some natural and some drugs.

Topical Antiperspirant

This is the first thing that your doctor might try. This is a kind of roll-on that is completely different to the normal ones that you can buy in the stores.

With this extra strength version, you only apply it once a week and it can reduce most types of sweating. There are some side effects, however, so you might want to keep looking for a better cure.

Drugs

Really I don't recommend these but I feel obliged to tell you. You see, there are no specific drugs that have been created to cure excessive sweating. Excessive sweating is cured by an imbalance in the body that medical science has yet to understand fully. So the only way to use drugs to stop your sweating is to literally stop your body secreting sweat, tears and any other liquids.

This means that drugs are usually one of the few last resorts because they can give you side effects such as a constant high temperature. Don't worry though, because there are still plenty of other options.

Iontophoresis

When you first see this method, you might think it a little strange. Basically, it involves dipping the hands or feet into water (it can also be used for the underarms) and applying a very tiny electric current.

It's not painful, more like a tingling feeling. You need about 3 sessions of 20 minutes each to stop your sweating for about a week or two. Obviously this is not a cure and it can get expensive but it does definitely somehow block the ducts.

Natural Methods

These are my favoured way of curing excessive sweating because they tend to have a more permanent effect. Think about it - excessive sweating is only a recent epidemic. Decades ago, the cases reported were much less.

Excessive sweating really originates from the modern lifestyle that we lead. What we do, what we eat, what kinds of activities we do etc.

There are many ways to restore the balance naturally so that you will only sweat in normal amounts and these methods have the best success rate.

If you are having a TIA or transient ischemic attack, the following symptoms may be noticed. You may not experience every symptom or you may experience others as well.

These are some good guidelines to go by:

Double vision - Similar to a double exposure on camera film or you may see "trails" from movement

Dizziness - The room or everything around you starts to spin. You may feel nauseous.

Sudden severe headache

Weakness- Suddenly you are unable to lift or maybe even move.

Speech Problems - You might think you are talking but nothing is coming out or you may not be coherent.

Confusion - Everything may seem out of kilter. Time and space becomes a jumble. Nothing being said to you makes any sense

Sudden forgetfulness- Everybody does this sometimes, but if you forget what you are doing and are surprised about your current location/activity/surroundings, this could be a sign of a TIA.

The symptoms of a mini stroke only last for a few minutes. If it continues or the symptoms are more severe, you may be having a massive stroke. Sometimes a mini stroke can result in unconsciousness but a massive stroke almost always does. If you have been told you are at risk for stroke, be sure your loved ones know the signs to look for as you may not be able to tell them even if you remain awake. In fact, it is more dangerous if you are awake and unable to tell anyone. Unconsciousness is usually obvious to those around you whereas silence or dizziness may not be.

Whether you experience a mini stroke or a massive one, it is imperative that you get to a hospital immediately. A mini stroke can lead to a massive stroke if you are not treated promptly.

There are many home remedies for excessive sweating that are easy to create and use. Let's take a closer look at these, in this article.

Talc

One of the first things that you can try is talc. For small amounts of excessive sweat this will mop up the moisture. However, if you have too much sweat then the talc will "cake" and you need something better.

Scrub Hard

Believe it or not, when we wash ourselves even with really hot water, we cannot get rid of all the bacteria. It is really worth scrubbing hard because friction is what is needed. So get yourself a loofah or some abrasive material that can be used safely on the skin. One thing that I have seen is a kind of abrasive exfoliating glove. These are the best and you can find these in some pharmacies.

Bicarbonate Of Soda

Unlike talc, this has properties that mean it actually reduces the amount of sweating in the first place. The underarms are the ideal candidate but it can be used anywhere on the body. Just try it and see what happens!

Crystal

Some health stores have a crystal that you can use as a natural antiperspirant. Although it's a big crystal, it is actually formed from smaller minerals that have sweat stopping properties.

Tomato Bath

I know it sounds crazy but try it! Fill a bath with water and then pour in a couple of cups of tomato juice. Now bathe for 15 minutes. You will be surprised with the results!

I'm shocked at the amount of drugs in drinking water in many of our cities.

Dangerous drug, like antibiotics and anticonvulsants. Even sex hormones and mood stabilizing drugs. I mean, the number of drugs found in drinking water in this country is truly alarming.

Right across the US it is estimated that over 40 million people are drinking from the city water supplies that have been contaminated with pharmaceuticals. These supplies are minutely contaminated. I'm not saying the pills are floating on the surface, or that you can see red scum from dissolved drugs in your tap water. But it is without question there are drugs in drinking water, and some scientists are now worried about the long-term implications of having drugs like ibuprofen in tap water.

Personally, I am also worried. What are my children and (future) grandchildren getting out of the taps?

There's two reasons why I feel like this.

One, city water authorities don't seem alarmed, and the few who are concerned enough to put money into testing their water for drugs appear reluctant to openly release the findings of those tests.

What does that tell me about their concern for the health of citizens? Even more importantly, what does this tell me about their level of expertise? Because, surely even tiny traces of drugs in drinking water over a long time will have some affect on my health. Right? It just stands to reason, and the silence and inactivity of the water officials about drugs in drinking water defies understanding.

Two, it is all too easy for drugs to get into the water supply systems of our cities.

Actually, from what I can see, they are almost impossible to stop. We take the medication and, while some of it is taken into our system, a proportion of it is eliminated into the sewage system. This is treated and sent into the lakes, rivers and ocean from where some of it is taken back, treated again, certified as drinking water and sent into our taps. The problem is that certificate is inaccurate. In most city treatment plants, most chemicals are not removed. In Philadelphia, for example, water officers admit they have found 56 drugs or byproducts in water after it had been treated and certified safe.

This alarming state of affairs can continue because the federal government does not require cities to test for drugs in drinking water. Some cities test for one or two chemicals and drugs, but what use is that if the hundreds of others are ignored? Actually there are thousands of others. Government documents released under freedom of information legislation to the Ralph Nadar organization show more than 2000 toxic, cancer causing chemicals have been found in US in tap water.

So what do we need to do about this? If the city will not keep you safe, is there anything you can do to protect ourself?

Yes. You can fit a cost-effective water purification system into your home and take out the chemicals and cysts carried in your local tap water.

You'll notice that water treated in a city purification system can still carry drugs and residues of chemicals. That's because those chemicals have a molecular structure smaller than water, and municipal purification systems are almost never able to catch contaminants and drugs that small. But you can get small, home-sized purification systems that are effective and will remove drugs found in drinking water.

There are a number of different types of home water purification systems available. But don't pick up the first one you see. (Or the cheapest!)

Home systems that use distillation, for example, are unhealthy. I know that sounds odd. But they take everything out of the water, including the life-giving trace minerals your body absolutely must have and which are found naturally in drinking water. Reverse osmosis systems are also not recommended. They to remove the healthy, essential trace minerals from the water, but they also leave in chemicals with a molecular structure smaller than water.

You need to look for a multi-stage filtration system that will get rid of chlorine, lead, volatile organic chemicals and the many drugs in drinking water.

Your next step? I suggest you take what I've said about water filters and compare home systems. There are a lot of mediocre systems out there, so do some homework and look at a good number of options. Only a few do a really effective job and get rid of those drugs in drinking water, and you will know when you find one.

Lose 10kgs in 10 weeks! Open from 6 - 12 midnight! As low as RM6 per day! Join for RM28 and February is FREE!

Sounds familiar to you? There are just too many offers and promos out there when it comes to joining a gym, and I've heard enough. It's upsetting when some of them are misleading and only make it tougher for you to decide... so here are some pointers to help you choose a perfect gym you can call home. :)

Choosing the right gym has a huge impact on how well you adhere to your fitness program - for example, if it's really out of the way but cheap, what are the odds you'll be going regularly? A health club membership isn't something you buy and don't use - instead, the more you use it, the more you will get back, and the better value you get out of it.

So before you decide to sign on that membership contract, it only makes sense that you also 'shop around' first. Attractive prices and promotions can be tempting, but COST and the HOT female salesperson or front desk girl IS NOT everything when it comes to choosing the right gym for you.

FIRST, narrow down your selection to a few potential health clubs that you like, and then take the following suggestions into consideration (in no particular order) to guide you in making the right choice:

#1 - CONVENIENCE & ACCESSIBILITY (LOCATION)

For you to adhere to your fitness routine and not find it a hassle to workout - going to the gym needs to be convenient for you. You're more likely to use a club if it's close to your home or workplace. You won't go if it's far away, or if you have to constantly endure traffic jams just to get to workout. If you join a club that isn't convenient for you, you'll eventually find an excuse to stop going. When I first joined Fitness First back in 2003, it was less than a 5 minute drive from my workplace, and it still is - but the nearest one from my home was 20 km away. But now that there's a new Fitness First in Bukit Tinggi, Klang - the gym is 5 minutes away from home too. I've now got the best of both worlds. Lucky me.

#2 - TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Make sure you 'test drive' the gym BEFORE you sign up. Sales people / Membership Consultants / Sweet Young thing, or whatever you call them - are well trained to hype up the benefits of the gym, so it is essential that you yourself actually try out some of the equipment and get a feel of the actual atmosphere BEFORE you sign up. You'll need at least a day pass to try out the gym and decide for yourself before you sign up.

Check the gym's website for a day pass - almost always given out for free. Come at the same time you plan to come in the future, get changed, work out, maybe try a class, have a shower, relax, and then go home. Then, you decide.

#3 - DO YOU LIKE IT?

When you tour the club, pay attention to details. How clean is the facility? Is the music too loud? Are all the equipment in working order? Too many ''out of order'' signs may indicate poor maintenance. Are new members provided with a club orientation and instruction on how to use equipment? Make sure the club is a place where you would enjoy spending time, cos if you don't - once again, it's only a matter of time before you start making excuses not to go.

#4 - GROUP CLASSES

This is depends on one's personal preference - if group classes are what gets you going and motivated, then find a gym that offers a good mix at a time that suits your schedule. Some fitness centres have classes as early as 7AM - so there's always something for someone out there. Personally for me, even if the group studio comes crashing down, it wouldn't really affect me because it's just not my thing, but it may be for you.

#5 - COMPETENT STAFF & YOUR SAFETY

A decent gym must have CERTIFIED Instructors/Personal Trainers. The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) recently recommended that gym owners only hire personal trainers with certifications from agencies accredited through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or an equivalent accrediting organization. These include: the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM); American Council on Exercise (ACE); The Cooper Institute; National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM); National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF); National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT); and National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Credible certification will ensure you get a trainer that meets the guidelines to provide a safe and effective workout. For something us Malaysians can relate to - it is like comparing a Kancil with a Volvo which comes fully equipped with side impact safety bars, airbags, etc.

According to the American Heart Association, almost one-third of sudden cardiac arrests outside homes and hospitals occur in fitness clubs or sports facilities. So, it is better if the gym you choose is fully prepared for such an incident at all times with staff that are trained to perform CPR, and also the gym needs to be equipped with AEDs (automated external defibrillators). Also.. are they friendly and helpful? Or do they only smile when you sign on the dotted line?

#6 - WORKOUT HOURS

Most of the gyms open early and stay open late, so this shouldn't be much of a problem. Before you join, though, make sure your club is open when you plan to go. Then visit the club at those exact times you intend to work out. Check whether the club is too crowded or if there are long lines for equipment at that time. In a recent survey of 1,500 website visitors by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), 46% of respondents indicated that overcrowded gyms are the number one reason that keeps them from going to the gym. Believe me - it can be very frustrating and time consuming if the gym is overly crowded when you workout - you end up wasting a lot of time.

#7 - PAYMENTS

Many clubs have a variety of payment options (monthly cash payment, credit card auto-billing, bank direct debits, etc). Find a payment schedule that meets your needs. Find out exactly what the membership fee is and what it includes - ask around and check how much your friends are paying. Will you have to pay extra for towels? Don't forget to take into consideration admin/joining fees, and deposits that may be required.

#8 - REPUTATION

Before you join, talk to current members about their experiences with the club. Additionally, it helps if the gym is a member of IHRSA (International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association), as member clubs must oblige by a code of ethics that protects the health and safety of their members and also protects you from falling prey to unscrupulous business practices.

With a little research and patience, you really can find a gym you can call home - hopefully, for many years to come.

Do not feel pressured to sign a contract right away, but take time to review it carefully and ask questions if something is unclear. You have the right to make the salesperson wait - even if it's for another week. Once you sign up, give yourself a good pat on the back - cos you've made a worthwhile investment in your health.

Much of what you see and hear regarding health and fitness these days revolves around burning fat, getting lean, slimming down or losing weight but there are a lot of us out here looking to build muscle, to get bigger and stronger. For some people packing on the pounds is more difficult them melting them away, if you happen to be among this group here are 8 simple things you can do to help you gain more weight.

Let's start with the not so obvious:

Start keeping a food journal.

It's important before you begin any drastic change in your diet to get a good feel for what you're consuming already. Jot down everything that you're eating during a normal day and when you're eating it. This way you can find out exactly how many calories it takes to maintain your current weight and you can figure out where and when you are going to add your extra meals to allow you the excess of calories that will stimulate the weight gain.

Since you're going to be logging your food intake, it should be easy for you to log your workouts as well.

Don't just write down the exercises, the weights and the reps; write down how you feel while performing your workout, if you're rundown part the way through then maybe you need to add a pre-workout meal. Keeping track of how your workouts feel could potentially tell you what adjustments need to be made to your current diet.

Skip the cardio.

You're trying to gain weight here, not lose it. I'm sure that there are a few people out there who can add lean muscle while burning excess body fat at the same time, but odds are that you're not one of them. When adding bulk you probably will add a few extra pounds of body fat. If you're desperate for bigger muscles and six pack abs you'll most likely have to do it in separate phases. Concentrate on gaining the weight now, then once you reach you're target you can adjust your calorie intake and the look of your workouts to burn away excess fat. Trying to do the cardio now will only hurt the chances of you bulking up.

Get plenty of rest.

Many people underestimate the value of a good nights sleep. You're muscles recover while you're body is at rest, if you don't get an appropriate amount of sleep you run the risk of jeopardizing the results of your workout or even end up over-training. If you simply can't get at least eight hours at night for what ever reason, try to sneak a nap in during the day - rest is rest and to add size you're going to need it.

Workout smart and hard.

The best way to add muscle without burning too many calories is to perform compound exercises that hit several muscle groups at once. Heavy squats, deadlifts, bench press and power cleans will work just about every muscle in your body, and they'll work all those muscles quickly. Performing these basic power building movements will let you shorten the length of your workout, while at the same time upping the intensity. During a weight gain phase you shouldn't be wasting your time doing set after set of concentration curls and calf raises(burning unnecessary calories while doing little to stimulate growth) you should be shocking your muscles into growth with heavy power movements and then loading up on protein.

Avoid skipping meals.

Aside from keeping you from getting the necessary calories you need to pack on lean body mass, skipping meals can wreak havoc with your metabolism. Even if you've got to drink a protein shake and eat a banana in the car or on the bus, do it. You're results could be seriously affected if you get in the habit of skipping meals.

Increase your intake in terms of quality, not just quantity.

Sure you'll be able to gain weight if you eat boxes of dough-nuts and bags of cookies, but it won't be the kind of weight gain you're looking for. If you've got a lightening fast metabolism some indulgences are okay - like ice cream, whole milk and cheeses: which are all high in calories and fat but have a good deal of protein as well, but for the most part you'll want to cut back on or eliminate the empty calories and load up on lean sources of protein. Of course you can't have a diet consisting entirely of protein, you'll still need a balance of vegetables, carbohydrates and fats, but having one good lean source of protein with every meal will add necessary high quality calories and give your muscles the building blocks that they need to grow.

Throw in some supplements.

Meal replacement drinks, protein powders and weight gain powders are also good ways to give you an extra boost in the calorie department. Many of these drinks are not only filled to the brim with calories and protein but loaded with other nutrients and branch chain amino acids as well. These supplements are great for people who have trouble consuming a lot of food right after a workout or right after they wake up. They allow you to get an adequate amount of calories, protein and nutrients without stuffing yourself.

Packing on extra pounds of muscle mass is far from an easy task, but this list of 8 simple things you can do to help you gain more weight will most certainly get things moving in the right direction. You probably won't start to see results overnight but with dedication, in time the gains will come to even the most stubborn body types with the fastest metabolisms.

Out of all the issues you could possible have with sweating, sweaty palms is one of the worst. When you're interacting with others at work a simple thing as a handshake can become an issue. Also, if you happen to have a job where making use of your hands is important, your ability to even do your job can be hampered by this condition. This is why finding a good sweaty palms treatment is so vital to so many Hyperhidrosis sufferers.

This condition though can be beat, there is a method of treatment which is over 80% successful with patients and that is "Iontophoresis". What happens is you place your hands in dishes filled with water while an electrical current is passed through it. The electric current reacts with the minerals in the water to provide somewhat of a protective barrier around your hands which prevents excessive amounts of sweat from escaping. This sweaty palms treatment is one of the post popular as it is quite effective, however it does have it's drawbacks.

One of the issues is that this takes about 20-40 minutes to undergo this process each time. Additionally, this is something you're going to have to do every other day, at least for the first 5-10 days. From then on, you can begin a maintenance schedule of undergoing this once a week then up to once a month eventually. The time needed for this sweaty palms treatment is high, however it is up to you to decide if that is worth it.

If you're looking to undergo this procedure, there are places you can purchase home kits in the range of $500-700. The alternative is to go to a specialized clinic for treatments. One final obvious note is that this is only going to prevent sweating from the palms of your hands. Most people who sweat excessively from their palms sweat excessively from their underarms as well, for this you are going to have to look for another method of treatment.

Introduction
Even today the word lumbar puncture still strikes fear in patients and practitioners. Like all fear, education will alleviate it! I've now done hundreds of LPs, teach about LPs and write LP guidelines. Here's how I go about it. The information here would be very useful when counselling your patients prior to the test. Any postgraduate physician in training would be expected to have a detailed knowledge of how to do an LP, and it is a core skill for emergency medicine and neurology.

Before you do an LP, make sure you have observed several successful and unsuccessful procedures. Make yourself aware of the anatomy of the lumbar spine and spinal canal, and the layers that your needle will traverse. An LP will be a lot easier in a calm environment e.g. side room, treatment room, day-case theatre/OR. I strongly advise that you have with you a nurse or nursing auxiliary who has assisted at many LPs before.

Equipment
An LP is usually performed on a hospital bed, or treatment couch or procedure table. The room should be well lit, warm and private. You will need, anti-septic (chlorhexidine or iodine-based), sterile drapes, sterile gloves. You will need a hypodermic needle and 5 ml syringe to draw up local anaesthetic, and another hypodermic needle to inject the local anaesthetic. You need a spinal needle (will discuss choice of needle later), and a manometer to measure opening pressure. Specimen containers are required - usually 4 are needed, and a fluoride oxalate tube if glucose is being measured in CSF. Blood bottles and venepuncture equipment for paired blood glucose, protein and serum oligoclonal bands are also needed. Most hospitals will already have pre-packed trays to which you need to add your own manometer. Pre-packed spinal amaesthesia trays usually have very fine (25 or 27G)atraumatic needles. These fine atraumatic needles may not be suitable for diagnostic or therapeutic LP, you will need a 22G atraumatic needle if you are hoping to measure opening pressure. Alternatively you can use an ordinary sterile dressing pack and add your own choice of LP needle and manometer.

Choice of needle
There has been debate for years about use of atraumatic needles versus the classic bevelled tip needle. The difficulty with atraumatic needles is that the aperture in the needle is small and the needle is of fine bore making pressure recording (arguably) unreliable and sample collection slow. A bevelled needle will give a more reliable pressure reading and in some cases you actually want to create a dural tear - such as therapeutic LP in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. There is consensus that atraumatic needles do reduce the incidence of post-LP headache. If you can obtain a 22G atraumatic needle, you should use that. There is a technique described where oblique insertion of a traditional bevelled needle can create a self-sealing hole - this is not widely practised but makes a lot of sense. Whichever needle you choose, you should be comfortable with its handling to keep patient discomfort to a minimum.

Anatomy review
The layers you pass en route to the CSF are: 1. Skin, 2 Subcutaneous fat, 3 Interspinous ligament, 4 Ligamentum flavum, 5 Epidural space, 6 Meninges to arrive at the subarachnoid space. The usual distance to the CSF space according to most studies is about 4 to 7 centimeters, i.e. before the needle is in to the hilt. In obese subjects the subcutaneous layer obscures the anatomy and increases the distance to the spinal canal. You need to have this layering in your mind as you do the LP. The ligamentum flavum can often be heavily calified in older people and may give resistance, before the needle 'pops' gently into the epidural space. I would not say that a 'give' or 'pop' is felt in every case, but if you can learn to feel for this it will help you in some cases.

Positioning the patient
The aim of positioning is to create the widest possible gap between the L3 and L4 spinous processes for your needle, and to set the patient up as geometrically as possible to create easy reference points to allow you to plan the needle's trajectory. An LP is easiest performed in the sitting position, with forward flexion of the trunk, as the midline of the spine is easy to see. However a seated patient has a 40-60cm column of pressure from the base of the neck to the entry point of the LP needle. In a seated patient, high pressure is always recorded! I am not a great fan of inserting the needle seated and then gently lowering the patient on to their side to measure pressure. I have done it, but the potential for neural injury must be present, and it is disquieting to withdraw a kinked needle. Usually, if pressure is needing to be measured (and it almost always does, especially in acute headache), lie the patient on their left hand side - the left lateral position, with knees flexed up towards the abdomen. The head should be supported by one pillow only, and your patient may feel more comfortable with another pillow between their knees. In a horizontal plane, make sure that your patient's back is parallel with the edge of the bed. In a vertical plane imagine that a plumb line suspended from the ceiling will touch both posterior iliac spines. If you take time to position in this way, you are most likely to have acheived adequate separation of the spinous processes. If you maintain the correct vertical orientation you are less likely to pass the needle to the left (too low) or right (too high) of the midline. Remember that if you can aim for the small target between spinous processes towards the small diamond of exposed ligamentum you could be well on your way to a near painless LP needle insertion! Most pain associated with LP is due to contact of the needle with periosteum of the spinous processes.

Confirming the L3/L4 intervertebral space
This can be very difficult, and some studies suggest that accuracy in identifying this space could be as low as 50%. Ultrasound can assist in identification of the interspinous space, especially if there is an excess of subcut tissue. Unfortunately Ultrasound is not widely used, but I expect this will become standard practice in the future, especially if anatomical landmarks are indistinct. The line between the right (upper as you see it) and left (lower as you see it) posterior superior iliac spines - named Tuffiers Line - runs through closest to the L4/5 interspace i.e. too low. You want to go for the interspace immediately cephalad (towards the head) to Tuffiers Line. The L3/4 space is wider and easier to penetrate. L2/3 is wider still, but you are more likely to hit an abnormally low lying spinal cord tip at L2/3. Your needle wants to enter the skin at a point on the surface in the midline in horizontal and vertical planes. You can mark the skin with a pen, or indent the skin with a blunt marker (e.g. the cap of one of your hypodermic needles).

Preparing the skin
Use aseptic technique (and do not, under any circumstance, penetrate the skin through an obvious focus of cutaneous infection - you could cause meningitis), start at the proposed puncture site and in a circular motion move outwards until your field is covered. Wait for the solution to dry (takes 2-3 minutes - will feel like a long time) and apply another. While waiting for the second application to dry, draw up local anaesthetic, get your LP needle out of its cover, and connect up your manometer. When connecting your manometer make sure you test the 3-way tap at the bottom as it is usually very stiff and almost impossible to undo with one hand holding the manometer steady! In one of my first LPs I did not loosen the 3-way, and struggled to open it while trying to steady the manometer guage with the same hand.

Local Anaesthetic
I normally use about 1 to 2ml of lidocaine 2%. My initial injection is a subdermal bleb, which almost immediately freezes the dermis (a tip taught me by a staff grade anaesthetist from Ninewells Hospital, Dundee - whose name I forget - sorry!). If you achieve immediate anaesthesia - test by pricking the skin with the needle over your bleb. If frozen, I usually go straight for the LP needle. If you do not acheive immediate anaesthesia, put 1-2 mls a bit deeper. I avoid using too much local as it can eventually distort the palpable anatomy. You may have been taught to put in 5 to 10mls, but I am letting you know I rarely use more than 2mls. Acute lidocaine toxicity can provoke a generalised tonic clonic seizure (I've seen it happen) and is another good reason to avoid too much LA.

Insert the Needle
Insert the needle into your dermal bleb. Try to keep the needle parallel with the ceiling, and perpendicular to the inter-iliac line. Aim the needle slightly cephalad (meaning aim for the umbilicus area - mid anterior abdomen). After about 4 cm start to feel if you get a very slight give as you penetrate the 4th layer in the LP cake called ligamentum flavum. If you feel that give, you are nearly there. If you are slightly too high (right) or too low (left) you may make contact with a lumbar nerve root, which will produce sciatic-type pain into the thigh. Ask your patient to report any shooting pain as it can help you reposition the needle back toweards the middle. Once you have felt the give advance the needle another 2-3mm and withdraw the central part of the needle called the stylet. Wait about 10 seconds to see if CSF appears. If you get venous blood you are most likely in the epidural space and are only a few millimetres from glory. In a non-obese subject you may find that you have advanced the needle almost up to the hilt (9cm / 3.5inches). If you do not have CSF, pull the needle back 3-5mm and remove the stylet to see if you get CSF. Check that you have not deviated from the midline and are still heading in the direction of the centre of the anterior abdomen. When you pass a fine needle through dense tissue, physics will determine that the needle could be deflected off course. This is one reason why LPs can be unsuccessful even when you think the anatomy and set-up is correct. Your options are etiher to try a wider needle, or try and insert the needle more slowly.

Collecting CSF
If you get CSF (well done!), connect the 3-ay tap and manometer tubing. The CSF will rise up the tube and once it has reached its peak you may see it rise and fall with respiration. Open the three way tap to drain the manometer into a CSF container (this will come out in a rush). Then you have the option of removing the manometer completely and allowing CSF collection to proceed directly from the end of the open needle. Collect about 20 drops per container (I'm talking about adults), which will be about 2mls per container. This means you will never have to explain to your patient that despite all the trouble of getting an LP needle the lab report said insufficient sample (you must avoid this!). An adult makes about 500mls of CSF per day, and isotope studies suggest that CSF is replaced about 4 times daily. This means that your 8 ml CSF sample is replaced by the brain within about 20 minutes of LP completion. DO not colect tiny samples - you have been warned!

Withdrawing the Needle and Skin Dressing
Before removing the needle, replace the stylet. If you don't there is the potential for a suction effect to draw soft tissues, such as a nerve root into contact with the LP needle, leading to nerve injury and pain for your patient. Please make sure you replace the stylet. A simple dry dressing is sufficient dressing after an LP. There is no need to bandage the patient up like they have had major surgery.

Aftercare
Prolonged bed rest is not mandatory after an LP, as clinical trial evidence does not support its use to prevent post-LP headache. A short period of rest is of course kind and considerate, and I advise my patients to sit up once they feel comfortable to do so. Avoid driving home after an LP as your patient may develop an acute post-spinal headache which could impair driving ability. The dry skin dressing can be removed after 12-24 hours.

Complications
About 30-50% of people after LP will experience a new headache, worse with upright and better with supine posture. This is due to low pressure of CSF within the cranial cavity, caused by persistent leak of CSF through your dural tear into the lumbar canal. About 1-2% will dvelop a severe post-LP headache and may not be able to lift their head from the pillow without vomiting or experiencing extreme pain. I normally reserve epidural blood patching for the latter group. Most post-LP headaches will resolve with a mix of bed rest, additional 1.5 to 2 litres per day fluid intake and regular dosing with non-steroidals or paracetamol.

Consent forms
All procedures require a patient's consent. In emergencies it may not be possible to obtain a patient's consent e.g. confusion or coma, and it is reasonable in that situation to record that consent is not possible (as a courtesy you should explain the procedure to next of kin). Your patient should be consented for the following: 1 Reason for LP, 2 initial pain of local anaesthesia, 3 potential for discomfort of inserting needle close to bone or nerve root 4 transient low back discomfort in the days after an LP, especially if it was difficult to obtain, 5 post-LP headache 30-50% rate, 1-2% are severe and may require additional intervention.

Carpal tunnel surgery in India provided by the best orthopedic surgeons has become the best choice for abroad patients who require this surgery, because of the world class resources and best carpal tunnel surgeons of India. Hospitals of carpal tunnel surgery in India provide treatment to all abroad patients at low cost with the high quality medical services. Carpal tunnel surgery is technique used to release the pressure on the carpal tunnel. There are four carpal tunnel surgery methods: Open release, mini open release, endoscopy, percutaneous Balloon Carpal Tunnel-Plastry. Depending upon the trouble faced by patients suffering of CTS, the doctor decides when exactly there is need of carpal tunnel surgery. There isn't any test to determine whether the symptoms will get resolved or become worse in most people. The Electro diagnostic tests for nerve conduction might be more helpful in determining who would most like to get benefited from the this type of carpal tunnel surgery, and with this surgery complete trouble gets resolved. Carpal tunnel surgery is done in India in best Hospitals at Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

In the center of the wrist, there is a space called the carpal tunnel where a major nerve (the median nerve) and nine tendons pass from the forearm into the hand. A very strong ligament forms a roof over the tunnel. When there is swelling in the carpal tunnel, pressure is put on the median nerve, which supplies most of the fingers and thumb with feeling and movement. When pressure becomes great enough to compress the nerve, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome may occur. The transverse carpal ligament is the roof over the bony carpal tunnels which house nine tendons and the median nerve. When there is swelling within the tunnel, pressure is put on the nerve. Pain, numbness and tingling may result. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common source of hand numbness and pain. It is more common in women than men and affects up to 10 percent of the population. It is caused by increased pressure on a nerve entering the hand through the confined space of the carpal tunnel. The median nerve travels from the forearm into hand through a tunnel in the wrist. Wrist bones form the bottom and sides of this tunnel and a strong band of connective tissue called a ligament covers the top of the tunnel. Doctor may make the diagnosis by discussing patients symptoms and examining patient. If symptoms continue to bother patient, electrical testing of the nerve function is often performed to help confirm the diagnosis and clarify the best treatment option in the case.

Carpal Tunnel - Surgery:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is generally treated without surgery. Surgery can only be considered when:

After 5 years of non-surgical treatment.
Severe symptoms causing severe pain
If there is a risk or damage of median nerve
This reduces the pressure on the median nerve, which is done by cutting the ligament that forms over the Carpal Tunnel.

India has state of the art Hospitals and the best-qualified doctors. With the best infrastructure, the best possible Medical facilities, accompanied with the most competitive prices, you can get the treatment done in India at the lowest charges. Patients from around the globe are coming to Indian hospitals for their carpal tunnel surgery in India with the modern medical health care facilities. Carpal tunnel surgery centers in India are proven to be some of the best carpal tunnel centers in the world. Medical tourism in India assist international patients to get affordable cost carpal tunnel surgery in India with international standard of medical facilities. Visitors, especially from the United States of America, United Kingdom and the Middle East find Indian hospitals a very affordable and viable option for their surgery. Many of them also plan their holiday also with the surgery to the exotic destinations in India.

Minimally invasive head and neck surgery is a highly specialized technique for evaluating, diagnosing and treating benign or cancerous growths located within the head and neck using special instruments inserted through the nose (trans-nasally) and mouth (trans-orally). The benefits of minimally invasive head and neck surgery include less risk of infection and damage to facial nerves and muscles, less risk of disfigurement and a shorter recovery time.

A variety of specially designed, highly flexible fiberoptic endoscopes are used to visualize the area. The surgeon may use traditional surgical instruments and/or lasers to perform the needed procedure through the nose and mouth as well.

Who performs minimally :-

A partial list of conditions that may be treated and procedures that may be performed using minimally invasive head and neck surgery includes:

• Sentinel lymph node biopsy for diagnosing and staging head and neck cancers, especially cancers of the tongue and mouth
• Nasal and paranasal tumors
• Salivary gland tumors
• Soft palate cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Laryngeal tumors
• Pharyngeal tumors
• Zenker's Diverticulotomy
• Transoral laser surgery
• Precise identification of tumor borders using operating microscope

MIS is used for most patients this will translate into physical, psychological and cosmetic benefits. Benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery include :-

• For some patients, the surgery can be performed in an outpatient clinic.
• Less blood loss
• Smaller scars
• Diminished post-operative pain
• Less damage to muscle and skin
• Faster and easier rehabilitation
• Quicker return to normal activities

Herninated Disks, Spinal Stenosis, Spinal Deformity, Compression fracturers these are the techniques used in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery.

In India, some of the best world renewed spinal surgeons working for their respective JCI Accrediated hospitals like Apollo Hospital- Chennai, Apollo Hospital - Delhi, Wockhardt Hospital - Mumbai, Manipal Hospital - Chennai etc.