Chinese Herbal Medicine for Endometriosis

Traditional Chinese herbal medicines can help relieve the pain of endometriosis as well as the prescription drugs normally used, and they also cause fewer side effects. British researchers who reviewed two trials that included a total of 158 women found that a preparation of Chinese herbs provided relief comparable to the drug gestrinone with fewer side effects. They also reported that another Chinese herbal formula was more effective than the hormonal drug danazol and also caused fewer side effects.

In both cases the combination of Chinese herbs were given after the women had undergone laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis. Standard drug treatments for this gynecological disorder can cause hot flashes, acne and weight gain. The investigators concluded that these particular combinations of Chinese herbs appear to be as effective as conventional drug treatments for women with endometriosis, although the lead researcher said that additional evidence from other studies is needed to confirm the findings of the two they reviewed.

Endometriosis affects as many as one in six women of reproductive age. It can cause pelvic pain, irregular and painful periods and infertility. Current conventional treatments - both drugs and surgery - don't always help long-term. The review of the two studies was published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and published online this past July, 2009.

Bogus Drugs Online

The worldwide market for counterfeit drugs sold online is projected to reach $75 billion this year, a 92 percent increase over the past five years. The biggest sellers: fake drugs for erectile dysfunction (ED), which are especially popular because many men are embarrassed to discuss sexual problems with their physicians and because the genuine pharmaceuticals are costly. A study published online in January, 2010, by the International Journal of Clinical Practice estimated that as many 2.5 million men in the European Union alone may be using counterfeit Viagra, some of which can be harmful, even deadly. The researchers found that 150 patients had been admitted to hospitals in Singapore and four died after taking fake Cialis and herbal preparations sold as ED cures. The "Cialis" contained a powerful drug for diabetes.

Fake ED drugs aren't the only problems: in Argentina two pregnant women died after injections of a counterfeit treatment for anemia; in Bangladesh, 51 children died of kidney failure after taking paracetamol (acetaminophen) contaminated with anti-freeze. Some fake Viagra contained amphetamine or caffeine and bulk lactose or was colored blue with printer ink. A "vaccine" for life-threatening meningitis was found to be only water. Other fakes included antibiotics, contraceptives and anti-malarial pills.

My take? Aside from this additional evidence of over-reliance on drugs to solve real or perceived health problems, this is a disturbing trend. Not only does it pose the threat of ingesting harmful ingredients, but presents the danger that by circumventing your physician to buy drugs you think you need, any underlying, undiagnosed medical problem you may have would be missed, potentially putting you at additional risk.

Women Feel Cold More Than Men

The proper setting for the thermostat can spark fierce disputes among couples, and while there are exceptions, typically, women complain of cold temperatures more often than men do.

Ironically, this is probably because women are better at surviving extreme cold than are men. Mark Newton, a clothing-industry consultant and researcher at the University of Portsmouth, explains that women have a more evenly distributed fat layer and can more effectively pull all their blood back to their core organs in cold temperatures. While this fosters survival in sub-freezing conditions, it also means less blood flows to their hands and feet, and as a result they feel cold at higher temperatures than men typically do.

There is no simple answer to this disparity; it simply suggests that in cold weather, men and women should be more willing to compromise in the thermostat battle, as their differences are determined genetically - a fact no amount of arguing will alter.