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Throughout the centuries men and women have gone through great lengths to cover up their thinning hair. With all of these methods there are various benefits to each type, however, until recently the art of hair replacement has been outdated and unconvincing. Until the use of modern technology there have been many different types of hair replacement therapies ranging from the simple to the complex.

Many of these types of hair replacement treatments included either covering up the balding spot with a wig or even trying to trick the eyes by applying a spray to the thinning hair. However, as millions of people have discovered throughout the generations, there is nothing as good as ones real hair. While the advancements in hairpieces have grown throughout the years, there are still many individuals who are suffering from hair loss that want the feel and permanency that actual hair gives them.

It is with this demand that many advanced hair replacement therapies can into the picture. As technology developed so did the procedures of hair replacement. Of course, many people are familiar with “hair plugs” and how they work on the human scalp. When this technology first came out, millions of men and women leaped at the chance to have natural hair once again. However, the hair plugs were not convincing and in some people the plugs were very obvious. Thus, there was an outcry from the public for a higher degree of hair replacement technologies.

As the years passed, so did the hair replacement technologies. With the advancements in hair replacement procedures many people were able to finally look into the mirror and see their old selves. But what exactly are the most popular hair replacement technologies? Since there are so many types of hair replacement treatments, you will find one that fits your particular needs. Perhaps the most popular hair replacement procedure is through surgical options.

The surgical option of hair replacement has had millions of success stories, and has proven itself to be an effective, and permanent, way to restore your hair to its healthy state. The use of surgery for hair replacement allows doctors to restore your hair follicle from the inside-out. This is performed by literally taking hair from a donor area of the patients head, usually the back of the head then taking the removed hairs and transplanting them in the area with thinning or no hair. Since the hair that is being used comes from your head it is a perfect match.

If you want to restore your hair, but don’t want to go through the troubles of surgery, than there are many non-surgical hair replacement options. One of the top hair replacement options, that does not require surgery, is the medication Propecia. This small tablet is consumed once-a-day by mouth and is the first medication that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for replacing hair in pattern baldness. Propecia works by literally blocking the hormone, DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which has been shown to be a major factor in a persons hair loss, and by blocking this hormone from being absorbed it stops the process of male pattern baldness.

A sinusitis infection may appear to be a common cold when it first begins. Cold symptoms such as runny nose, cough, and congestion generally exist. Sinusitis cannot be treated with cold medication and if it is in fact sinusitis, it needs to be treated quickly before more severe symptoms occur.

Sinusitis usually is caused by a cold or an allergy. Swelling of the sinus cavity lining occurs with a cold or allergy. When bacteria enter the sinus cavities, and attack the swollen lining, greater inflammation occurs. The cilia is what usually flushes out the bacteria and mucus but when a great amount of inflammation occurs, the cilia can no longer function and so the bacteria and mucus become trapped in the sinus cavities and as a result the sinusitis infection begins.

The problems which may occur with acute sinusitis may include cough, congestion, facial pain and pressure, headache, green nasal discharge, and postnasal drip. When the sinusitis infection becomes chronic and lasts for twelve or more weeks, a person can have added problems such as loss of sense of taste and smell and fatigue may also take place. Other symptoms may also occur depending on which sinus cavity that the infection lies in.

There are several medications and other treatments that are meant to help offer relief for the symptoms that occur with a sinusitis infection. Oral medications such as antibiotics, decongestants, and anti-fungals are commonly used treatments for sinusitis. Oral medications work on infections and by traveling through the blood stream to the area where the infection lies. Oral medications use the blood stream to travel to the area where they are needed, but in the sinus cavities there are only a small amount of blood vessels so only a small amount of the medication can be delivered to the sinusitis infection which generally leads to little or no relief from the treatment. These medications can also cause side effects throughout the rest of the body since they travel through the blood stream and through the whole body.

Treatments such as nasal sprays and irrigation are also frequently used. These treatments are distributed directly into the nasal cavities. These treatments are used to moisten the cilia so that it can flush out the trapped mucus and bacteria. Nasal sprays are commonly used and can be prescribed or purchased over the counter. The nasal sprays may offer some relief to the lower part of the sinuses but often times may not help the infection since their particle sizes are too large to make it past the inflammation at the opening of the sinus cavities and up to the sinusitis infection. The same is for irrigation which usually uses a water pick to distribute saline up to the sinus cavities. Irrigation is also very messy and generally unsuccessful in treating the sinusitis infection.

Aerosolized medications are a newer treatment which also distributes the medications directly into the nasal cavities. Aerosolized medications are used similar to nebulized asthma medications. These antibiotics, anti-fungals, and anti-inflammatories are broken down into a small particle size so that it can pass the inflammation and make its way up to the sinusitis infection. Generally a small amount of these medications are used which results in little to no side effects in the rest of the body.

There are many treatment options for sinusitis suffers. Treatments will work different for each person because our bodies are so different and react differently. It’s important to know the difference between when you are getting a cold and getting a sinusitis infection and to know what treatments work best for you.

There are many ways of removing warts and using household items as an effective home remedy for wart is one of them. Here are a few home remedy for wart that might work for you. Just be sure to get your doctor’s advice should come first. Don’t play with fire unless you want to get burned.

One of the more popular home remedy for wart is the duct tape. Formally known as duct tape occlusion therapy, what this home remedy apparently does is irritate the area affected by the wart and forces your immune system respond and attack the wart and the Human Papillomavirus (that causes warts to grow). To apply this home remedy for wart, place a piece of duct tape (or medical tape, as an alternative), covering the wart. Do this regularly, for a week or so.

Effective home remedy for wart may also require you to imitate medical techniques. Two of the most effective surgical procedures to kill and clear away your warts are cryosurgery and cauterization. Cryosurgery involves freezing the area affected by the wart and destroy the infected cells. Cauterization, on the other hand burns, or cauterizes, the wart and the infection.

You can get cryo kits over the counter or even make one yourself. Simply get a can of compressed air, turn it upside down and use it to freeze the soft end of a cotton swab, or a piece of cotton. This will take only five or six seconds for the cotton swab to freeze. After freezing the swab, place it directly on the wart for up to seven seconds only. You will feel a kind of numbness and prickling, so be careful. Do this for a several times a day, for up to two to three weeks. Between treatments, keep the affected area clean and dry. You can try this cryo therapy easily, but never ever try duplicating cauterization as a home remedy for wart growth. Try using salicylic acid and silver nitrate-based medications, instead of DIY-ing a cauterizing home remedy for wart growth. They act in the same way by burning and killing the wart growth.

Some effective home remedy for warts also include making use of common kitchen and household items. Bruised garlic, banana skin, and unskinned potatoes may be used. Simply place pieces of these items directly on top of the wart and hold it in place with duct tape or medical tape. Vinegar, hot water and washing liquid, or salt, are useable items for home remedy for wart problems as well. Instructions for any of these home remedies may differ with individual use.

Extra care should be taken, especially when trying to determine how long a particular home remedy for wart should stay at a time. And because these home remedies often work differently for different people, get advice as to how you long you should apply the particular home remedy you are using. Some household remedies are potentially dangerous. Garlic can burn the skin around the affected area if left for too long. Incense is sometimes used in Asian countries to burn off warts. If you’re using the wrong kind of salicylic acid solution, get ready to dial 911.

Although these home remedies for warts may be effective, keep in mind that these may have its dangers and risks. Some home remedies can be very painful, and could lead to infection and permanent scarring. Because there are no laboratory tests made to support most household remedies, it is difficult to know whether the warts disappear because the remedies work, or if they disappear because your own immune system is more than capable of killing the wart and fighting off the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

This is one fact you should consider. Any home remedy for wart problems can clear them off, but there is no guarantee that it won’t grow back. Your immune system is your best home remedy for wart growth and viral attack. So while you’re continuing treatment with your preferred home remedy, maintain healthy body and a strong immune system. This is THE best and most effective home remedy for wart problems.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common inflammatory form of arthritis. It is a chronic, autoimmune disease that affects more than 2 million Americans. While the primary target for this disease is the musculoskeletal system, RA is also a systemic disease meaning that if affects internal organs. One of the most common organ systems affected is the respiratory system.

Upper airway symptoms are often caused by Sjogren’s disease, an autoimmune condition that often accompanies RA. In Sjogren’s disease, the glands that make secretions such as tears, saliva, and mucus are gradually destroyed. Since mucus is necessary for the neutralization and mobilization of bacteria, people with Sjogren’s disease often develop recurrent respiratory infections.

The lungs themselves can be involved. People with RA can develop multiple problems including fibrosis (scarring of lung tissue), pleural effusion (water on the lung), pulmonary nodules (spots on the lung), and pneumonitis (inflammation of lung tissue.)

Finally, drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis such as methotrexate, gold, and newer biologic therapies can also adversely affect the lungs.

Also, acute lower respiratory tract infections are common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to results of a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Rheumatology. Respiratory infections in this population carry a high mortality (risk of death).

“Rheumatoid arthritis…shortens life expectancy compared to a control population, and excess deaths are largely caused by accelerated vascular events and an increased propensity to infection, much of which is of respiratory origin,” researchers from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, UK, write.

The researchers examined whether the development of lower respiratory tract infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the result of their use of the drugs used to treat the RA or the inflammatory arthritis itself.

In a population of 1,522 RA patients seen over a 12-month period, 36 patients were admitted for 43 acute respiratory episodes. A detailed drug history and data on clinical outcome were collected for each case. The team collected and analyzed past medical history and admission data to evaluate the influence of oral steroids and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS) on outcome.

The overall annual incidence of lower respiratory tract infection in RA patients was 2.3%. Eight patients died from this problem, (mortality rate of 22.2%). Risk factors that predicted lower respiratory tract infection in this population included older age and male gender. An association was observed between oral steroid therapy and not taking DMARDs and an increased risk of hospital admission with lower respiratory tract infection. The authors report that there was a trend toward increased mortality in men and in those with duration of disease.

The researchers note that they have changed their clinical practice as a result of these findings. “In addition to initiating DMARDs early in all patients with RA, we actively recommend annual vaccination against influenza and pneumonia vaccination every 5 years in all patients, independent of their treatment,” the authors write.

“Older patients with long disease duration are now actively encouraged to start DMARD therapy rather than oral steroids, although drug selection may be be altered by the presence of coexistent cardiac or pulmonary disease.”

(J Rheumatol 2007;34:1832-1836).

Authors’s note: This study underscores the severity of rheumatoid arthritis on the general health and mortality risk for patients with the disease. It is not a benign disease. It is not “just arthritis.” As more data regarding the impact of RA on life expectancy is produced, it has become quite clear that RA must be diagnosed and treated aggressively.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common inflammatory form of arthritis and affects approximately 2 million Americans. RA is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease that preferentially attacks the joints but also attacks other organ systems such as the lungs, eyes, skin, and cardiovascular system.

The notion that “it’s just arthritis” does not apply to RA. Many recent epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that mortality rate in RA patients is higher than in people without rheumatoid arthritis.

What is more disturbing is that this increase in mortality seems to be getting worse according to a study reported in the November 2007 issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism.

“We found no evidence indicating that RA subjects experienced improvements in survival over the last 4 - 5 decades,” senior author Dr. Sherine E. Gabriel from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said in a news release. “In fact, RA subjects did not even experience the same improvements in survival as their peers without arthritis, resulting in a worsening of the relative mortality in more recent years, and a widening of the mortality gap between RA subjects and the general population throughout time.”

During the past few decades of increased survival in the population at large, patients with RA have also benefited from earlier diagnosis, newer drug protocols, and more aggressive treatment programs. However, whether these improvements in management are associated with improved survival has not been well defined.

Using the medical record database of all residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota (where the Mayo Clinic is located), the investigators identified 822 subjects with RA by American College of Rheumatology criteria, aged 18 years or older. This included all residents of Rochester, Minnesota, first diagnosed with RA between January 1, 1955, and January 1, 1995, as well as all residents of Olmsted County diagnosed with RA between January 1, 1995, and January 1, 2000.

The mean age at RA onset was 57.6 years; 71.5% of the patients were women. Follow-up continued until death or January 1, 2007. During follow-up of a median duration 11.7 years, 445 patients with RA died.

Using statistical models adjusting for age and gender, the investigators compared the survival rates of patients diagnosed with RA from 1955 to 1964, 1965 to 1974, 1975 to 1984, 1985 to 1994, and 1995 to 2000. During these 5 time periods, survival rates for RA patients did not change significantly, indicating no significant improvement in lifespan.

Although the expected mortality rate in the general population dropped dramatically for both men and women between 1965 and 2005, the mortality rate for female and male RA patients was constant at 2.4 and 2.5 per 100 person-years, respectively, during the same time period. For women in the Minnesota general population, mortality decreased from 1.0 per 100 person-years in 1965 to 0.2 per 100 person-years in 2000, whereas for men, mortality decreased from 1.2 per 100 person-years in 1965 to 0.3 per 100 person-years in 2000.

“Although the reasons for the widening mortality gap are unclear, cardiovascular deaths constitute at least half of the deaths in subjects with RA, and it is possible that the cardiovascular interventions that improved life expectancy in the general population may not have had the same beneficial effects in persons with RA,” Dr. Gabriel said.

The authors do point out some potential flaws in their analysis. One study limitation was the fact that the study was conducted in 1 geographic area and the majority of subjects were Caucasian. Another shortcoming is that the study could not count individuals with RA who did not present for medical care. Finally, it is not possible to extrapolate the findings to patients diagnosed with RA after 2000, who may have been treated more aggressively with biologic therapy.

The authors urgently recommend research that will clarify the reasons behind this mortality discrepancy and that will lead to solutions improving survival in patients with RA. (Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:3583-3587).

Author’s note: Currently, there is an enormous amount of research being done to develop more effective, more selective, and safer RA therapies. Whether these therapies will have a significant impact on mortality is still unsure. There is intriguing evidence that TNF inhibitors might possibly reduce the rate of atherosclerotic disease in RA. And there is also some evidence that these drugs may reduce the incidence of lymphoma in patients with RA. This is counterbalanced by the increase in respiratory infections that occur in patients treated with TNF inhibitors. Only time and more research will give us the answers.