Mens Health Blog. Medical Blog

Reasons for Failure

Lack of information heads this list; if people know what to expect and are reassured that the feelings will not last forever, they stand a much better chance of succeeding. Also if they prepare their bodies for the trauma – and make no mistake, it can take its toll physically- the chances of success are further improved.

Some ‘Stop Smoking’ Books Are Not Worth Reading

Many people are discouraged when they read books which don’t even begin to describe what they are going through, and because some of the more severe effects are not mentioned they begin to think there is something else wrong with them. Don’t read books that pat you on the head and tell you to go for a walk, take a glass of water, or reach for your macrame every time you crave a fag; realize it is going to be difficult and accept it. You will be rewarded. You may never forget the pleasure of a cigarette, but the relief of being a non-smoker will dull that memory. You will feel healthier (eventually), cleaner, smell nicer, and enjoy your food much more – eating will no longer be just the thing you do before having coffee and a cigarette. Life also becomes much more leisurely, nicotine craving does not dictate where you sit when you travel or when you take a break from work; when you stop smoking you are in charge.

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Evening primrose oil is widely available through health-food shops, pharmacists and, in the UK, can be obtained on prescription for the treatment of breast pain (mastalgia). It is not available on prescription for the treatment of PMS but if you have cyclical breast pain your doctor may consider prescribing it.

Although it is effective at treating breast pain, the evidence for its effect on other PMS symptoms is not so clear. A recent article in the British Medical Journal said that, while questions remain about how evening primrose oil should be used, it was an ‘interesting substance’ and ‘showed promise’ in the treatment of PMS. So if s worth trying.

The recommended level for treatment of breast pain is three to four ‘prescription dose’ capsules, taken twice a day. The prescription dose is 40mg of gamma-linolenic-acid (GLA), the main active ingredient in evening primrose oil. But don’t expect instant results. It can take up to three months to see any improvement The usual course of treatment is six to twelve months, although some women find it helpful to carry on.

If you are buying evening primrose oil for self-treatment it is important to buy capsules with the right dose for your needs. Capsules sold in the shops usually contain 250mg or 500mg of evening primrose oil but only the 500mg preparation contains 40mg of OLA so make sure you check the label.

You will need to take two or three 500mg capsules twice daily after food. It Is usually recommended that you start taking the capsules from three days before the expected start of your symptoms until your period is fully under way. But if you have erratic cycles, or have had a hysterectomy, or your symptoms are very severe, then you may be advised to take the capsules right through the month.

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It is well established that psychological influences play a tremendous part in preventing normal pregnancy. Have you ever noticed a situation like the story of Pita which we are about to relate?

Pita and John had been married for nearly three years. Like Nola, Pita had not yet managed to conceive, despite trying everything, undergoing tests, and what not finally the couple decided to adopt. It took some time for all the formalities and clerical work to be completed, and even longer before they knew that a baby had been chosen for them.

Then, would you believe it, about three weeks before the baby assigned to them arrived, Pita came to my surgery. ‘I think I’m pregnant,’ she announced, with breathless excitement. ‘I can’t believe it and the other baby is due next month”

Sure enough. Pita was pregnant! Removal of her mental stresses, I am certain, had released the anxiety factor, permitted everything inside her to operate normally. She wasn’t infertile at all.

Just to conclude the story. She and John adopted the baby assigned to them. And she reproduced her own. What’s more, in the succeeding few years, she produced another two babies. Now she has a delightful family of four. Pita and John are deliriously happy, all the children are treated as equals. It is a happy, united family circle.

‘Just think,’ she said one day. ‘I believed I was sterile a few years ago. Hardly likely now.’

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