Denician Angeleia

Archive for January 8th, 2012

Stress is definitely one of the most common psychological problems we encounter in our high phased lives. And there are a lot of people stressing out the importance of dealing with stress and earning money from it. Today you can hear a lot of specialists telling you about stress being one of the contributing factors in the development of a wide range of psychological and physiological conditions. Some may say that it’s the primary cause even in cases of such illnesses as cancer. And they will make you spend a lot of money on various anti-stress solutions that will certainly benefit your well-being. From simple things like alcohol to antidepressants the aim of all these measures is the same – overcoming stress and minimizing the risk of developing serious health problems. At least that’s what the majority of Americans feel like when it comes to stress.

One of the conditions that is commonly linked to excessive stress is hair loss. There are a lot of people with different types of hair loss problems and it can be quite common both in older men and in younger persons. Of course, knowing how stressful modern lifestyle is there’s no wonder why millions of men struggle with hair loss problems in the US alone. Yet, assuming that stress actually leads to hair loss problems is practically the same as stating that cancer results from breathing. Sure, these things are connected through a long chain of cause and effect but it would be wrong to make such a direct link between the two.

Still, if you go through a period of excessive stress it may still be very beneficial to take some measures for eliminating it, especially if you’re worried about hair loss. This doesn’t mean that you have to revert to medications or try to relax with recreational drugs. A little massage, yoga or relaxing bath is often just enough to relieve the stress of the day and make you fresh after a long day’s work. You can ask your significant other for a scalp massage that is both relaxing and stimulating blood circulation, which promotes better hair growth.

Yet, if you have serious hair loss problems and your balding progresses at a very fast rate don’t blame stress and get frustrated about it. In the majority of cases male pattern hair loss stems from hormonal changes rather than various external factors like hygiene or stress. Sure, they can also contribute to hair thinning but not to an extent so that the scalp gets completely bald. Usually it’s a matter of specific androgen being accumulated in the body that affects hair growth rates.

So if you have hair loss problems and think that stress is the cause consider talking to your doctor first. Maybe your assumption is wrong and you would benefit from taking Propecia rather than trying different stress management techniques. Sure, no one is limiting you and you can still try to overcome stress with hopes of stopping hair loss. But taking prescription drugs like Propecia will certainly bring more results.

Cannabis has been around as a medicine for centuries. Usually taken as an infusion, it has been used to treat a range of different problems. But it’s most common use is as a painkiller. This is not the same as the high created by the recreational form of the drug. The psychoactive chemicals come from a different part of the plant. In the West, cannabis arrived as a street drug and, once its qualities were recognized, illegal farms were set up to grow it. However, the strong Asian and African cultures for medicinal use was never completely ignored and, after some detailed research and a positive political campaign, sixteen US states have now legalized its use for medical purposes. This is controversial. The FDA warns the drug can be abused. Indeed, the recreational form is classified as a Schedule 1 drug. That’s the highest class, reflecting the perceived level of danger. So, even under medical supervision, the FDA does not permit the medical profession to use or recommend cannabis as a medicine. Nevertheless, seven states allow dispensaries to sell medical cannabis and collect sales tax. This generates several billion dollars in extra tax revenue at a time when the state deficits are growing.

At this point, we come to a grey area of policy and law. If you talk to the regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies, cannabis remains a dangerous drug. Even though there are laws permitting its use by individual patients and caregivers, there’s considerable suspicion that morality and the law are being undermined. That said, states find their budgets under pressure and, when it comes to deciding priorities in enforcement, cannabis is low down on the list. The law enforcement agencies do not unnecessarily harass clinics and hospices where cannabis is routinely given to patients. We should also recognize an overall irony in all this.

If you look at all the major drugs developed by the manufacturing industry, all the patents are or were held privately. The assumption has been that effective drugs can be exploited for profit by the large corporations. But, when it comes to medical cannabis, the federal government holds the patent. This has not prevented the for-profit sector trying to produce individual drugs based on cannabis. Indeed, in some countries, synthetic cannabinoids are available on prescription. So far, there are no signs the FDA will approve any of these drugs for distribution in the US. In the UK, for example, there’s a new spray being made available for pain relief. There’s no high associated with its use. It works by numbing the muscles and it’s being prescribed for use in treating multiple sclerosis and will soon be available in hospitals for end-of-life treatment in cancer wards.

It’s fascinating to see a natural product slowly being accepted as medicinal despite the capacity to derive recreational versions. In a way, this is the same process Tramadol had to go through. No one wanted to create yet another addictive derivative from the poppy so, as a synthetic, Tramadol had to prove itself effective and not seriously addictive. Fortunately, prejudices were overcome and the drug is now the world’s top selling brand for pain relief. It will be interesting to see whether cannabis and its medicinal derivatives can also be accepted.