Healthcare Costs

Some 40 years after the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid and more than a decade after the Clinton administration failed in its bid to extend coverage to all Americans, the nation's system of funding health care is on the verge of breaking down.

Employers, consumers and governments at every level are straining under the burden of a health care bill that is growing at a pace five or six times the rate of inflation.
Businesses, squeezed by soaring health insurance costs, are passing an increasing share of the price tag to their workers. That's forcing employees to dig ever deeper into their pockets, prompting millions to forgo coverage altogether and gamble that their families will stay healthy.
The public health care system is overwhelmed by the country's 45 million uninsured who turn to hospital emergency rooms for even routine care. And Medicare -- the crown jewel of government health programs -- is projected to run out of funds by 2019 at the current rate of expenditure growth.

The soaring cost of health care has emerged as one of the top issues in the race for the White House. Both President Bush and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., are offering programs to make health coverage more affordable and reach more of the uninsured. (See accompanying article.) But experts say the fixes proposed by the two candidates would not fundamentally alter the dynamics that are putting health care costs out of reach.
"When we have faced these so-called crises in health care before -- health care cost spikes, an increase in the uninsured -- there was always a sense that there was some big solution coming," said Drew Altman, president of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. "What's different now is there is no sense there is a big reform idea out there that might save us."

What's driving medical costs?

-- Medical technology: New medical devices and the latest pharmaceuticals are pushing prices up fast.

-- Litigation: The rising cost of malpractice insurance is also increasing the practice of defensive medicine.

-- Uninsured: The growing number of uninsured is an increasing burden on the medical establishment.

-- Administrative costs: Health bureaucracy consumes money that does not go directly to patient care.

Eight Quick Cures For Pain

Heartburn

1. Put the Fire Out with Turmeric Bitter herbs such as turmeric (a key curry ingredient) help stimulate the flow of digestive juices, moving food along and preventing acid buildup. If using turmeric as a spice doesn't stop the burn, try two or three turmeric capsules (1/2 to 1 g), available at health food stores, before a meal.


Headache

2. Brew Up Some Rosemary Rosemary helps keep blood vessels dilated. Use 1 teaspoon of rosemary per cup of hot water, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain, and sip a cup three times a day.


3. Or Try Ginger Ginger inhibits a substance called thromboxane A2 that prevents the release of substances that make blood vessels dilate. In other words, it can help keep blood flowing on an even keel, which is essential in migraine prevention. Grate fresh ginger into juice, nosh on Japanese pickled ginger, use fresh or powdered ginger when you cook, or nibble on a piece or two of crystallized ginger candy daily.


Sinus Pain or Pressure

4.Turn to Thyme If your sinus secretions are clear or white, you need a warming, drying herb such as thyme. Thyme is strongly antiseptic and is a traditional remedy for respiratory infections. Drink a cup of fragrant thyme tea--made by steeping 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried thyme in a cup of boiling water for about 10 minutes--three times a day.



Insect Bites and Stings

5. Cool It with Mint A drop of peppermint essential oil rubbed into the center of a bite or sting can bring quick, long-lasting relief. Peppermint cools the bite so that you don't feel like scratching and increases bloodflow to the area, which helps to quickly carry off the venom. Result? Less swelling and itching. Wash your hands after applying, and don't use essential oils near your eyes because they can irritate. Don't use on poisonous spider or snake bites, which require immediate medical attention.



Toothache

6. Stun the Pain with Cloves Rub a drop of essential oil of clove directly on an aching tooth. If you don't have oil of clove handy (available at drug and health food stores), just wiggle a whole clove, pointed end down, next to the tooth.



7. Or Say "Open Sesame" Sesame seeds contain at least seven pain-relieving compounds. Boil one part sesame seeds with three parts water until the liquid is reduced by half. Cool the resulting brew, and apply it directly to the aching tooth.



Colds and Flu

8. Warm Up in the Kitchen To take the chills out of your cold, make a beeline to the kitchen, and fix yourself a traditional herb and spice remedy, suggests David Hoffman, a fellow of Britain's National Institute of Medical Herbalists and assistant professor of integral health studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies in Santa Rosa.

Combine 1 oz (by weight) sliced fresh ginger, 1 broken-up cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 3 whole cloves, 1 lemon slice, and 1 pint water. He recommends simmering for 15 minutes and straining. Then drink a hot cupful every 2 hours.

Stop Your Cold Before It Starts!

Colds are caused primarily by inhaled germs and bacteria. These airborne molecules first come into contact with the tissues in your throat, which is why most colds begin with minor itching or soreness in the throat. From there, the bacteria grows and descends to your chest and lungs…or rises up to the mucus membranes in your nasal cavities. By then the game is over. You lose.
If you eradicate the bacteria when it first attempts to take hold in your throat, you can avoid colds before they start. Here is a recipe for an antiseptic, antibacterial throat spray. Keep it handy at all times and spray the back of your throat the minute you begin to feel itching or irritation. Continue applications every few hours until the sensation disappears. You may also want to spray before you go to sleep.


Natural Antiseptic Throat Spray1 fluid ounce St. John’s Wort½ fluid ounce liquid Echinacea extract20 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract5 drops tea tree oil
Combine all these ingredients into a 2-ounce tincture bottle with a pump spray top. Shake well before using. If you can’t find a pump spray top, then use an eye dropper to apply four or five drops onto the back of your throat and use your tongue to spread the solution around.

Acne Blemish Natural Treatment

The occasional acne blemish is annoying, and blemishes have an uncanny habit of showing up when they are least wanted. One thing to remember is that the way you treat acne when it first appears will determine how long you have to look at the blemish in the mirror. Blemishes caused by acne can be very traumatic for the sufferer. You can hurry the healing process on its way and prevent the blemish from getting worse.

Skin Care

Just because you have developed an acne blemish doesn’t mean your skin care efforts have failed or you should stop your routine. A good skin care routine keeps your skin clean without irritating it. While proper skin care will help you to prevent acne breakouts in the future, don’t get discouraged when the occasional blemish shows up. They’re perfectly normal. Be sure to read my blog for some great skin care tips.
When you spot an acne blemish, popping it should not be your first option. Popping a pimple at first sight, hopeful for eradicating it before anyone else can see it, usually makes the situation worse. If a pimple has formed a head, though, then it should be popped so that it can heal. However, squeezing acne before it is ready is bad for your skin and is a poor way to treat acne. When it will not pop, most people continue picking and pinching, which bursts the capillaries (tiny blood vessels) right beneath the skin’s surface. This essentially forms a little bruise on your face that is likely to be very visible even after the pimple itself has healed.

Dealing with a Pimple

Once you get an acne blemish, you do still have a few ways to treat acne, but some of them are costly. One new product, called the Zeno acne-clearing device, claims it can eradicate most pimples within twenty four hours. It works by focusing a specific amount of heat on the pimple, which destroys the bacteria causing the blemish. Some people claim that it works perfectly for them, while others say it has virtually no effect on their acne. Luckily, the company offers a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied. The only drawback for people who find Zeno effective is that it requires disposable tips to work, which some people claim are somewhat pricey depending on how many pimples there are to treat. Another product used to treat existing pimples is a pen that uses various frequencies of concentrated light. It has been known for a long time that exposure to sunlight helps your skin fight acne, but scientists have determined that the two specific frequency ranges that are most effective appear to us in the form of blue and red light. The blue light works to kill the bacterium that causes acne, while the red light stimulates the healing action of your skin. Dermatologists have used red and blue light treatment for quite sometime, but the light pens that are currently available are completely portable and do not require any replacement tips. However, like Zeno, some people report amazing results from using a light pen while others see absolutely no results at all.

The worst thing you can do when you develop an acne blemish is to try popping it prematurely or washing vigorously to attempt to make it disappear. Zeno and light pens may work for you, but there are no guarantees. These treatment methods do not prevent acne breakouts, and considering the $150 price tag attached to each of these devices, many people are content to simply let the occasional pimple run its course.

Natural Cures and Home Remedies

How Much Do You Value Your Life?

Home remedies and natural cures or medicines made at home from natural ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, herbs are catching a lot of attention due to its very nature of cure: simple, no side effects, no chemicals, inexpensive, plus the pleasure of being able to cure yourself!. Read on for how all this is useful and how people are using these home made methods in their day to day lives to stay fit and healthy.

For natural home remedies, the kitchen is a great place to start. It has almost all the medicines you would possible need at least, to deal with common ailments. All this at no or negligible cost, purity, without side effects and dollops of TLC (tender, loving care)! Sounds too good to be true? Well, it is just a little awareness and understanding that you need to make the best out of it. Read-up a bit on natural remedies to equip yourself to treat a toddler cranky with colic or diarrhoea.

In home based remedies, the idea is to use the chemicals naturally present in the herbs, spices and other foods to tackle the offending foreign element in the body that is causing the pain or infection instead of flushing the body with hundreds of milligrams of strong chemicals in the form of antibiotics. Though essential for chronic conditions, antibiotics are not always necessary and are best avoided, especially for a lot of minor ailments.

It is common knowledge that antibiotics kill the friendly flora and fauna along with the offending bacteria or virus, thus causing the body to take longer to recover. Additionally, the body has to face a plethora of undesirable side effects such as excessive drowsiness, weakness, allergies and diarrhoea (caused by excessive heat generated) to handle. Scientists are discovering newer positive properties of foods and finding ways to it effectively to derive maximum benefits for the body.

Natural remedies can be used to effectively treat a range of ailments through correct and regular usage. Whether it is boosting your child's immune system, preventing hair loss, treating persistent acne or dandruff, treating aches, pains or cuts and burns.