Tuesday, August 9, 2011

American Moms Working with Mothers in Africa

black mothers, black women, african american women

by Ayvaunn Penn, Your Black World

For those mothers who love their little ones, the affection they shed on their children connects them to mothers across the world. That is what the ten American mothers — including African-American mom Karen Walrond — learned on their trip to Kenya. This group of mommy bloggers is a part of the ONE campaign. The mission of their trip was to be able to share with the moms in the U.S. what moms in Kenya face with challenges such as HIV, malaria, and famine.

CLICK TO READ

A Doctor Now Gives the Services She Once Receives

black doctors, african american doctors

by Ayvaunn Penn, Your Black World

Some studies show that a significant number of people remain in the social class they grow up in. That does not mean, however, that it is impossible to rise above one’s situation, and Dr. Carey McDade is a prime example.

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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Michelle Obama Dances with Kids on the White House Lawn (Video)

Yes, that’s Michelle getting down with some kids….again – changing what it means to be a first lady.

click to watch

 

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Which of the 5 Dominant Personality Traits Are You?

From the UK Telegraph

Open

Defined by an inventive and curious nature, open people generally have an appreciation for art, adventure, unusual ideas, curiosity, and variety of experience. They can be highly emotional.

They are sensitive to beauty and tend to be, compared to closed people, more creative and more aware of their feelings. They are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Dead NFL Player Dave Duerson would Not Have Qualified for Full Disability Benefits

By ALAN SCHWARZ  Published: May 4, 2011

BOSTON — As the football world absorbs Monday’s news that Dave Duerson had the football-related brain damage he suspected before fatally shooting himself in February, an overlooked detail has emerged: had Duerson reached out for help via the N.F.L.’s disability plan, which he helped administer, his neurological injuries would not have qualified for a high level of benefit, if any at all.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Shortage of Doctors?

I did an appearance last night on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 to discuss the issue of Health care reform. This has been heavy on the mind of our president for his entire first year in office and has led to quite a few political battles on Capitol Hill. Health care is in serious jeopardy, as the cost of entitlement programs such as Medicaid/Medicare and Social Security threaten our nation's economic security. Our national debt has risen to unprecedented and frightening levels, and our politicians have little incentive to do anything about it.
One additional problem that we are running into on the issue of health care is the fact that our nation doesn't have enough Primary Care physicians. These doctors are incredibly important, since they are the first line of defense against illness in America.
Over the next 10 years, our nation is expected to have a shortfall of 40,000 Primary Care doctors. By 2025, that number is expected to balloon to over 120,000. To make matters worse, our population is aging, implying that there will be a greater demand for these doctors in the future.

Click to read.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Black Health News – 2/22/10

Sunday, February 14, 2010

African American Health News – 2/14/10


  • First lady launches 'Let's Move' effort against childhood obesity

    First lady launches 'Let's Move' effort against childhood obesity

    By theGrio

    9:35 AM on 02/09/2010

    WASHINGTON (AP) - Michelle Obama says she loves burgers and fries, but she wants her daughters -- and the rest of America's children -- to learn about better nutrition...

    > MORE

  • Bad malaria pills in Africa raise resistance fears

    Bad malaria pills in Africa raise resistance fears

    By theGrio

    10:06 AM on 02/08/2010

    High rates of the most effective type of malaria-fighting drugs sold in three African countries are poor quality...

    > MORE

  • Denver boy, 9, died after state-benefits error denied him asthma medication

    By theGrio

    5:04 PM on 02/04/2010

    A Montbello mother says her 9-year-old son's death from severe asthma could have been prevented had Denver Human Services resolved problems with his Medicaid pharmacy benefits...

    > MORE

  • Among black girls, challenges of fighting obesity go beyond diet

    Among black girls, challenges of fighting obesity go beyond diet

    By theGrio

    9:02 AM on 02/01/2010

    CHICAGO (AP) - Like nearly one-third of American teens, Paris Woods is overweight. Her doctor worries her weight will creep up into the obesity range. One out of four black girls her age is obese.

    > MORE

  • Obese African-Americans at higher risk of stroke

    By theGrio

    11:21 AM on 01/22/2010

    Obesity raises the risk of stroke regardless of race or sex, according to a new study that is one of the first to show a link between obesity and stroke risk in blacks...

    > MORE

  • Cancer victim sheds light on bone marrow donor crisis

    Cancer victim sheds light on bone marrow donor crisis

    By Todd Johnson

    1:07 PM on 01/13/2010

    VIDEO - Seun Adebiyi is proud of his many accomplishments -- graduating from Yale Law School, working for Goldman Sachs and even training for the 2014 Winter Olympics...

    > MORE

  • Hepatitis B and C often ignored as health threat to blacks

    Hepatitis B and C often ignored as health threat to blacks

    By theGrio

    12:26 PM on 01/11/2010

    WASHINGTON (AP) - They're the overlooked viruses: Hepatitis B and C together infect three to five times more Americans than the AIDS virus does, and most don't know it...

    > MORE

  • KFC pulls Australian ad over US racism complaints

    KFC pulls Australian ad over US racism complaints

    By theGrio

    11:51 AM on 01/08/2010

    CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- Fast food giant KFC has pulled an Australian television advertisement after it was branded racist in the United States...

    > MORE

  • 7 ways to keep your resolution to work out

    7 ways to keep your resolution to work out

    By Dr. Jeff Gardere

    8:18 AM on 01/05/2010

    OPINION - There are many strategies and techniques to following through on your resolution of joining and actually working out in the gym on a long-term and regular basis.

    > MORE

  • Tiny newborn girl may break world record

    Tiny newborn girl may break world record

    By theGrio

    9:29 AM on 12/22/2009

    VIDEO - A little girl born in Mobile, Alabama may be the world's tiniest baby...

    > MORE

  • NBA star's wife uses baby to exercise

    NBA star's wife uses baby to exercise

    By theGrio

    11:19 AM on 12/11/2009

    VIDEO - Jamison knows a little something about shedding baby weight. The wife of the Washington Wizards superstar gave birth to her third child, Rucker King...

    > MORE

  • Dr. Fleming lives with sickle cell disease and no boundaries

    Dr. Fleming lives with sickle cell disease and no boundaries

    By theGrio

    1:14 PM on 12/10/2009

    VIDEO - Dr. Lester Fleming is learning to be a pilot --something he once thought would never be possible. Fleming was born with sickle cell disease, a red blood cell deficiency...

    > MORE

  • Thursday, February 11, 2010

    Dr. Conrad Murray Still has Patients Who Love Him

    One involuntary manslaughter charge later ... and Dr. Conrad Murray's patients in Las Vegas still can't wait to put their lives in his hands.
    One of his patients -- Marietta Lewis -- claims Dr. Murray is responsible for saving her life, and she told us, "I made sure to call and have my name added to his patient wait list, so that when he comes back, I will still be under his care."
    Well he's back ... Dr. Murray was photographed going into his Las Vegas office yesterday, just two days after he was freed on $75,000 bail.


    Click to read.

    Monday, February 8, 2010

    Black News: Michael Jackson’s Doctor Pleads Not Guilty

    Dr. Conrad Murray arrives for his arraignment of at the Airport Los Angeles Courthouse today

    Your Black World 

    Hours after Dr. Conrad Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Michael Jackson's 2009 death, the embattled physician pleaded not guilty Monday afternoon (February 8) during an arraignment hearing at a Los Angeles courthouse, according to The Associated Press.

    Murray's bail was set at $75,000, three times greater than the bail usually set for such crimes. Without being handcuffed, Murray was then taken into custody for booking. He must surrender his passport, allowing him to travel within the United States but not out of the country. Prosecutors had been seeking bail of $300,000, but Superior Court Judge Keith L. Schwartz rejected that amount. The involuntary-manslaughter charge carries a maximum jail sentence of four years.

     

    Click to read.

    Monday, December 21, 2009

    Black Health News: EMTs Stand By as Pregnant Woman Dies

    A pregnant Brooklyn woman suffering a fatal seizure in a coffee shop in the shadow of FDNY Headquarters was ignored by two callous city medics who continued to buy their breakfast, eyewitnesses told The Post.

    "The EMTs just said we had to call 911. They got their bagels and left," said a disgusted worker.

    Frantic employees at the Au Bon Pain at 1 Metrotech Center approached the FDNY medics at 9 a.m. on Dec. 9, shortly after colleague Eutisha Revee Rennix, 25, began to complain of shortness of breath and intense stomach pains. Workers immediately dialed 911.

    NO HELP: Witnesses say that as Eutisha Revee Rennix (above) lay dying at a Brooklyn Au Bon Pain 600 feet from FDNY headquarters, two EMTs on break refused to assist her, leaving son Jahleel, 3, motherless.

    HELAYNE SEIDMAN

    NO HELP: Witnesses say that as Eutisha Revee Rennix (above) lay dying at a Brooklyn Au Bon Pain 600 feet from FDNY headquarters, two EMTs on break refused to assist her, leaving son Jahleel, 3, motherless.

    "People were calling out saying, 'She's turning blue! She's pregnant!' " said the witness.

    But the EMTs appeared unfazed.

    "I remember them saying they couldn't do anything because they were on their break," another worker said. "We started screaming and cursing at them."

    Rennix fell in a heap and began foaming at the nose and mouth in the back room.

    That sent a manager rushing to the front to again ask someone in the Metrotech coffee shop to help.

    This time, two good Samaritans in blue FDNY sweaters ran to the back office. One called 911 from his cellphone while the other tried to help keep Rennix still.

    Read more:http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/emt_duo_on_break_let_preg_mom_die_mrj8Jv8kjmS0Z3FNO4DmiL#ixzz0aKw6WUQm

    Tuesday, December 8, 2009

    News: Woman Imitates Healthcare Worker to Kill Another Woman’s Baby

    Keisha Jones, 38, a mother of four, is married to Anthony, who has been involved with another woman for the past three years. Monique Hunter, 25, is the other woman and didn't have a clue that her lover was a married man. Hunter became pregnant with Anthony's baby, and the plot that ensues unravels like a Lifetime movie.

    When Jones found out about Hunter's pregnancy, she devised a diabolical plan to get rid of the young woman's baby. She started by calling her husband's mistress, pretending to be a health care worker from Hunter's doctor's office. Jones explained to the young pregnant woman that she needed to take some medication that would prevent her from having a child with Down syndrome. The drug that Jones recommended was Cytotec, which can ripen a woman's cervix and induce labor.

     

    Click to read.

    Monday, November 30, 2009

    Black News: Towanna Freeman on Domestic Violence

    One in every four women will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime, women 20 to 24 are at the greatest risk, and most cases of domestic abuse are never reported to the police. Victims of domestic abuse often feel as though no one will believe them, or they think they have nowhere to go for help. Domestic abuse is a pattern of behaviors used to control and dominate someone.  Domestic abuse comes in many forms; the most common includes criminal behavior such as physical assault, sexual abuse, and stalking, as well as noncriminal behavior including emotional and psychological abuse.  An abuser can be a spouse, former spouse, or any other person who is a present or former household member.

    The following are a few red flags that should be taken seriously:  jealousy, isolation, threats of violence, verbal abuse, controlling behavior, does not respect privacy, and disrespects others.  If someone you know demonstrates one or more of these characteristics on a consistent basis, he or she has the potential of being an abuser.  Often these red flags are not obvious at the start of any relationship, but if you see these characteristics get out of the relationship and seek help immediately. Here are some steps you can take to help a friend experiencing domestic abuse:

    1. Tell your friend, “I see what is going on.”

    2. Tell your friend, “Abuse is not their fault and it is not normal.”

    3. Tell your friend, “You deserve a healthy non-violent relationship.”

    4. Tell your friend, “The number to the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.”

    5. Ask your friend, “How can I help support you?”

    Everyone has the power to prevent domestic abuse not just those who are directly affected.  The proactive actions of a bystander in the prevention of domestic abuse send a powerful message to both the victim and the abuser. 

    To report domestic abuse or learn about prevention and services call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Help is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

    Thursday, November 19, 2009

    Depression Hits the Black Community Hard

     

     

    Dr George and Delores Jones, a correspondent for AOL speak about dealing with depression and change through inspiration and spirituality. 

    Click here to listen!

    Thursday, November 12, 2009

    Dr. Elaina George: Does the Health Care Bill Help or Hurt Us?

    By

    Dr. Elaina George, MD

    The health care reform bill (HR 3962) that just passed the House of Representatives is bad on so many levels it is difficult explain. As it stands, it will destroy both the doctor patient relationship and change the practice of medicine as we know it.

    We have one of the finest health care systems in the world. It has been built on a foundation of choice. Doctors were free to choose the care that they deemed necessary to treat their patients, and patients were free to seek the medical care of their choice. Initially, the foundation was shaken by the rise of the managed care system with capitation. However, over the past 10 years, capitated plans which limit access to specialists have given way to the rise in power of insurance companies. They have used their anti-trust exemption to craft a system that has used monopoly to increase profits on the backs of both doctors and patients.

    Click to read.

    Black News: Swine Flu Vaccines Go to Executives First?

    BusinessWeek has broken the story that large employers like Goldman Sachs and Citigroup are among the first on the list to receive the H1N1 vaccine.Clusterstock, the business blog, has added the nuance that not only has Goldman Sachs received the same number of vaccinations as Lennox Hill hospital in New York City -- the finance giant got its hands on the doses beforemany hospitals.
    Goldman Sachs' PR reps want to make it clear to the public that the CDC distributes vaccines to many types of large employers, such as Time Warner and New York University. The idea is to get the vaccine to people at many points of potential infection, giving the H1N1 vaccine to those who come into contact regularly with high risk groups within large companies. Goldman Sachs has received 200 H1N1 vaccines, Citigroup 1,200.
    This "guest list" treatment makes sense for some early recipients of the H1N1 vaccine. Hospital workers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and the New York Presbyterian Healthcare System clearly need early protection -- and got some of the first doses along with Goldman.

    Click to read.

    Friday, November 6, 2009

    Your Black News: Congress Soon to Vote on HealthCare Reform Bill

    This show is an interview between Dr. Elaina George and Dr Emelita Breyer.  Dr. Breyer is from the Breyer Foundation, an independent organization dedicated to finding solutions to health care reform that does not add to the deficit, or raise money on the backs of the people through taxation.

    She has a thorough understanding of the sanctity of the doctor patient relationship. And has real solutions that will protect the things that make the US healthcare system the best in the world.

    Click here to listen!

    Sunday, November 1, 2009

    Ever Want to Know What’s in the H1N1 Vaccine?

     

    by Dr. Elaina George, Your Black World Medical Correspondent

    There has been a lot of confusion about what ingredients are in the H1N1 Vaccine. In order to distill the information to make it easier for you to make an informed choice, here is a brief synopsis of the information provided by the manufacturers in their package inserts.

    There are 4 manufactures who have been approved to sell H1N1 vaccine in the US. They are: Novartis, CSL, Sanofi/Pasteur and MedImmune

    1. Novartis makes an injectable vaccine for ages 4 and above

    Ingredients: Thimerosal (Mercury) both in the single dose and the multi dose vials

    Antibiotics - polymyxin and neomycin (can be neurotoxic)

    Manufactured with phenol (the chemical used on skin in cosmetic face peals to remove wrinkles)

    Note: They recommend that children ages 4-9 get 2 injections one month apart. This would increase the risk from a reaction to the mercury (e.g, neurological damage such as Gullain-Barre or possibly Autism)

     

    Click to read more.

    Tuesday, October 27, 2009

    Dr. George Has it out with Michael Baisden and the HHS Secretary

    Video thumbnail. Click to play
    Click to Play

    Dr. Elaina  George and Michael Baisden break down the hype and misinformation about the Swine flu.  Dr. George has a great deal to say about whether or not we should be signing up to get the shots.

    Saturday, October 24, 2009

    Black Health News: Swine Flu Declared National Emergency

    Hundreds of residents line up for free H1N1 vaccinations Friday at an Encino, California, clinic.

    President Obama has declared a national emergency to deal with the "rapid increase in illness" from the H1N1 influenza virus.

    "The 2009 H1N1 pandemic continues to evolve. The rates of illness continue to rise rapidly within many communities across the nation, and the potential exists for the pandemic to overburden health care resources in some localities," Obama said in a statement.

    "Thus, in recognition of the continuing progression of the pandemic, and in further preparation as a nation, we are taking additional steps to facilitate our response."

    The president signed the declaration late Friday and announced it Saturday.

    Calling the emergency declaration "an important tool in our kit going forward," one administration official called Obama's action

    Click to read.

    Wednesday, October 21, 2009

    Dr. Deborah Stroman Gives Health Tips

    Deborah Stroman

    by Dr. Deborah Stroman, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Do you need a simple rule to begin a smart nutrition routine? Try to make a change in your diet by “avoiding the whites” – those additives that supposedly will make your food taste just right or have the right consistency. To live well and be healthy, we need to make changes that may feel uncomfortable at first and possibly illogical to friends and family.

    Salt, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, accounts for nearly 150,000 premature deaths every year primarily due to complications from high blood pressure. We do need ~ 6g of salt per day to live. Sadly, the average intake of salt is between 9g and 10g a day! Salt is a commonly occurring mineral, the technical name of which is sodium chloride. It is the sodium part of salt that is important. Sodium helps to maintain the concentration of body fluids at correct levels. It also plays a central role in the transmission of electrical impulses in the nerves, and helps cells process nutrients.

    Click to read.

    Monday, October 19, 2009

    Dr. Elaina George – Medicine on Call: Natural Swine Flu Remedies

    In this episode of Medicine on Call, Dr. Elaina George speaks with Dr Maiysha Clairborne of Mind, Body, Spirit, Wellness.  we spoke about natural approaches to prevent and treat swine flu. Overall natural remedies to reduce stress and promote overall wellness.

     

    Click here to listen!

    Sunday, October 11, 2009

    The High Cost of Insurance: Americans Struggle

    "The high cost of each premium and the high deductible a person or family must pay per year is my biggest complaint against health insurers."

    "For example, I pay around $300 a month for my wife and me for basic coverage, and pay a deductible of $750 each every year, not to mention a co-pay of $15 to $20 at the window."

    "My yearly income is around $32,000 a year. Very little is left for goodies. Meanwhile, a doctor takes in $80 to $120 a visit that lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Imagine how much he makes a day, a week, a month, a year. Plenty of goodies here."

     

    Click to read.

    Black Health News: Swine Flu Kills 76 US Children

    Vanessa Chan, 6, of Boston, receives an intranasal H1N1 vaccine ...

    Health officials said Friday that 76 U.S. children have died of swine flu, including 19 new reports in the past week — more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous for the young.

    The regular flu kills between 46 and 88 children a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That suggests deaths from the new H1N1 virus could dramatically outpace children's deaths from seasonal flu, if swine flu continues to spread as it has.

    CDC officials say 10 more states, a total of 37, now have widespread swine flu. A week ago, reports suggested that cases might be leveling off and even falling in some areas of the country, but that did not turn out to be an enduring national trend.

    "We are seeing more illness, more hospitalizations, and more deaths," the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a press conference Friday.

    The new virus, first identified in April, is a global epidemic. The CDCdoesn't have an exact count of all swine flu deaths and hospitalizations, but existing reports suggest more than 600 have died and more than 9,000 have been hospitalized. Health officials believe millions of Americans have caught the virus.

    The virus is hitting young people harder. Experts believe older people are suffering from it less, perhaps because they have a bit of immunity from exposure over the years to somewhat similar viruses.

     

    Click to read.

    Visit Your Black World

    Friday, October 9, 2009

    Dr. Elaina George is Adamant about the Swine Flu Vaccine

    by Dr. Elaina George, Your Black World 

    I have had several patients ask me whether or not they should get the swine flu (H1N1) vaccine. My response has been the same. I will not be getting the vaccine because I don’t think it is safe.

    I am an MD who was trained to practice medicine the old fashioned way. My education was based on understanding and treating disease. As a surgeon, I was taught that in some cases surgical correction is the most efficient and expedient way to fix a problem or cure a disease. In short, I have a healthy respect for the standard medical care that is practiced in this country.

    However, over the past 10 years since I have been in practice, I have seen a disturbing trend that has become increasingly more common. Although we have the most advanced medical system in the world, the best trained physicians, and access to new and ever evolving medications, we as a nation and particularly the minority population are getting sicker at a younger age, and our quality of life is suffering. There are more people suffering from depression, anxiety, and learning disabilities than at any time in our history. Unfortunately, we have learned to manage diseases by taking a pill everyday instead of doing what it takes to prevent the illness in the first place. It is past time to look to good nutrition and prevention as a means of preventing and curing chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and some cancers which have risen to epidemic levels.

    When I made the personal decision to ask questions about the Swine flu vaccine, the answers that I discovered contradicted the mantra that has been championed by the media, government officials, and the vaccine manufacturers. What we are being told simply does not make any sense. The most important question that I have learned to ask (from the politics of healthcare to every other facet of our society that affects us as individuals) is - who stands to gain?

    I will not be getting the swine flu vaccine because:

    1. The vaccine makers have been given immunity from being sued for any bad outcome

    After the deaths and injuries associated with the Swine flu vaccination campaign in 1976, the vaccine manufacturers lost billions of dollars in civil suits. That cannot happen this time around. Congress has since passed two bills that shield vaccine makers from civil suits. The first in 1986 protects vaccine makers from civil suits filed by people who have been injured by a vaccine due to ‘unavoidable side effects’. In 2006 another iteration of the shield law (The Epidemic Preparedness Act) was passed as part of the Patriot Act and extends the shield to include protection if the drug maker has ‘no willful knowledge’ that a vaccine may cause injury. In short, a maker of the Swine flu vaccine simply has to say they didn’t know the vaccine was going to cause harm then they cannot be sued. This won’t be hard to do since they have not fully tested the vaccine.

    1. There are many ingredients in vaccines called adjuvants that are put in to stimulate the immune response

    Click to read.

    Thursday, October 8, 2009

    Dr. Wilmer Leon: Time to Change the Healthcare Debate

    By

    Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III, Howard University 

    According to 2008 US Census Bureau data, approximately 47 million, or 15.8 percent of the US population, were without health insurance during 2006 - a 4.9 percent increase. In 2005, census figures showed that 44.8 million people, or about 15.3 percent of the population, lacked health insurance coverage. According to a report released by the Institute on Medicine, the average cost of family health care coverage more than doubled from 1999 to 2008, from $1,543 to $3,354.

        Based upon these realities, presidential candidate Obama made health care reform a central theme of his campaign. He promised to achieve universal health care in his first term and to cut the average family's health care health care costs by $2,500. In the on-going health care reform debate, it is very important to remember that as a result of this and other campaign promises, President Obama won the 2008 presidential election with 53 percent of the popular vote to Senator McCain's 46 percent and 68 percent of the Electoral College vote to McCain's 36 percent.

        According to a New York Times/CBS News poll taken in June, 85 percent of respondents said the health care system needed to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt. According to a June poll conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 83 percent of respondents favored and only 14 percent opposed "creating a new public health insurance plan that anyone can purchase." These numbers indicate that health care reform is very important to the American people.

    Click to read.

    Visit Your Black World for the latest in Black News!

    Wednesday, October 7, 2009

    Your Health News: High Vaccine Costs Lead Physicians to Stop Offering Immunizations

    shot_syringe_vaccine.ju.03.jpg

    Parents who bring their kids to Dr. G. Andrew McIntosh for the chicken pox vaccine are out of luck.

    The family physician, who has a solo practice in Uniontown, Ohio, doesn't offer that shot because he can't afford it. Most insurers won't sufficiently cover the cost.

    "It doesn't do me any good. I am losing money on [them]," he said. The chicken pox vaccine runs about $115, but insurers only cover between $68 to $83 of that.

    McIntosh has also cut back on a handful of other critical childhood vaccines for the same reason -- including the measles, mumps and rubella, known as the MMR vaccine.

    It costs him about $58 to buy an MMR shot, he said, while insurers pay about about $40.

     

    click to read.

    Visit Your Black World for the latest Black News!

    Monday, October 5, 2009

    What You Should Know about the Swine Flu Shot

    Dr. Elaina George, MD, Your Black World Medical Contributor

    With the H1N1 swine flu virus vaccine becoming available this month, there is a big push to vaccinate as many people as possible. However, whether

    or not you decide to take the vaccine, there are important questions you should ask your doctor or other health practitioner to make sure it is the right choice for you and your family.

    1. Does the Vaccine contain additives such as mercury or squaline?

    Additives called adjuvants like mercury (thiamerisol) are added to inhibit bacterial contamination. However, some studies have

    implicated mercury as a cause of autism and squaline as a cause of neurological damage respectively.

    2. How can I avoid getting a vaccine that contains mercury?

    Ask to receive your vaccine from a single dose vial. Unlike the multiple dose vials which contain thiamerisol, the single dose

    vials do not contain that additive.

    Click to read.

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    Saturday, October 3, 2009

    Dr. Elaina George on the Dangers of Prescription Medication

    by Dr. Elaina George, Your Black World Medical Correspondent

    According to a recent CNN report 7% of college students admit to using Adderall without a prescription. It is an amphetamine-like stimulant used to treat attention deficit disorders (ADD) and attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This drug, come to known as ‘vitamin A’, is taken by students to improve their grades. It is believed to help them study more efficiently by increasing the ability to stay awake and concentrate longer. It is more potent than caffeine or the old standbys No-Doze and Mountain Dew.

    When prescribed by a physician for an individual with ADD or ADHD, Adderall is an effective and safe drug. Unfortunately, like many other prescription drugs such as Xanax, Valium, and Oxycontin, which have become easy to get on the Internet and on the black market, its ubiquitous use has taken away the fear factor. There is little regard for the potential side effects such as heart problems, stroke, tremors, and addiction.

    In fact both prescription drugs and over the counter drugs have been reduced to quick fixes that are used to ‘make a problem go away’. There is a pervasive feeling that if it is a prescription drug or if it is sold over the counter, then it must be safe. This has been encouraged by the aggressive direct to patient marketing by the pharmaceutical industry.

    Click to read.

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    Tuesday, September 29, 2009

    Senate Finance Committee Kills the Public Option

    From USA Today

    Liberal Democrats failed Tuesday to inject a government-run insurance option into sweeping health care legislation taking shape in the Senate Finance Committee, despite widespread accusations that private insurers routinely deny coverage in pursuit of higher profits.

    The 15-8 rejection marked a victory for Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the committee chairman, who is hoping to push his middle-of-the-road measure through the panel by week's end. It also kept alive the possibility that at least one Republican may yet swing behind the bill, a key goal of both Baucus and the White House.

    "My job is to put together a bill that gets to 60 votes" in the full Senate, the Montana Democratsaid shortly before he joined a majority on the committee in opposing the provision. "No one shows me how to get to 60 votes with a public option," the term used to describe a new government role in health care. It takes 60 votes to overcome delaying actions thatRepublicans may attempt on the Senate floor.

     

    Click to read.

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    Monday, September 28, 2009

    Black Health News: Company Now Selling “Sippin Syrup” in Stores

    from TheGrio.com 

    You see it all over television, celebrities endorsing "syrup," which is a combination of cough syrup with codeine and soda, two ingredients that can make for a lethal recipe.

    Stores in Southeast Texas are now carrying the products that bear the names "drank" and "syrup", but with a different twist.

    Drank and Sippin Syrup are two examples of a new anti-energy drink that is supposed to provide "extreme relaxation." There is nothing harmful in these products, in fact one of the main ingredients is Melatonin, a natural substance that helps you sleep.

    18-year-old Jackie Robinson says he just started drinking this anti-energy drink because of the slogan, "sippin syrup."

    "I ain't gonna lie it really do," said Robinson Wednesday afternoon as he sipped his drink outside a Beaumont convenient store. "It probably attracts a lot of people from the name too."

     

    Click to read.