Cystic Fibrosis and Medical Tourism

Cystic Fibrosis of CF in short is a genetic disorder which gets passed down through recessive genes and has adverse effects on the pulmonary system of the affected. The disease's characteristics come from a defective gene which causes the formation of thick mucus in the lungs which overtime causes a number of respiratory problems alongside a weakened immune system which paired with the mucus buildup opens the lungs and digestive tract to bacterial infections. The disease is currently incurable because of its unique properties although some treatments to prolong and improve the lives of the affected exist. Patients require regular observation and tests because of the inevitable infections present so medics can give accurate diagnosis.

Treating CF is a battle on many fronts because of the weakened immune systems of the affected. It includes antibiotic treatments in an attempt to slow or prevent the progression of the bacterial infections which can be done orally or intravenously or through inhalations. The overall life expectancy of the affected varies according to each case, but what every one of them has in common is that the infection can never be completely overcome. Treatments and preventative measures developed over the last few decades have significantly improved the life expectancy, though those treatments are not available freely across the globe.

That being said a lot of countries in the world have cystic fibrosis specific clinics and centers who take care of patients affected by this disease, however in many of the the developing countries their fate is pretty grim because of the lack of resources, knowledge or competence about CF. Many of the affected feel the need to look for help elsewhere, often way beyond whatever their country can offer as a way of dealing with the problem and therefore medical tourism appears as the only viable option for them to have a fighting chance.

One of the places in the world currently which helps in the treatments of patients with CF is the Dead Sea resort where the atmospheric pressure and climate help the affected adapt to treatments. Other targets for medical tourism sought after are France and Canada because of their excellent medical care systems and others across the globe. The treatments however are very expensive and usually way beyond the scope of what the average patient can afford. Patients have decreased options when it comes to earning an income because of their condition and the need for constant treatment and immune-boosting and stimulating therapy without which their condition would quickly deteriorate.

Many of the local cystic fibrosis associations have banded together under the banner of the federation Cystic Fibrosis Worldwide, which do their best to offer help to the affected and to raise the public awareness and summon as much help as possible from the global society. The rising costs of global healthcare and the few localized places where one can get the right treatments and lung transplants have forced less fortunate patients to seek desperate help. International laws unfortunately prevent the free movement abroad they really need so they can receive care, so for the most part they are looking for ways to sponsor their needs either via the many organizations which deal with helping them or through their own means.

Overall the need for a raised public awareness of the needs of the affected is very acute since their disease isn't as popular and well-known as others spoken of on global media channels and the internet. Although not as obscure as certain genetic disorders and syndromes it is entirely possible for patients to receive care if their options were open. We can only hope that in time their pleas and needs will be addressed so they can travel freely to where they can receive the proper treatment and that raised public awareness would provide them with the finances needed to afford it.

This guest post has been provided by: Vacationhomes

Meditation: A Journey Towards Peace

Meditation is soothing tool for everyone and thus it help to reduce stress, boast your physical health and helps to eradicate chronic pain which makes you feel better, sleep better and helps your concentration more stronger than earlier. Meditation is a doorway in the deeper level and helps us get the deepest understanding of the surroundings.

You mind will get unruly whenever you will start meditating. Be very quiet and you will feel sensation of silence all around you and your mind will be over the place. In the beginning, it's not easy to concentrate as you will notice that your mind will run here and there and will start calculating your daily objectives rather than concentrating on what you are going to focus on. Rehabilitation centers also provide such facilities to drug addicts to recover from the addiction

Don't beat yourself if you are starting with meditation. It's a natural situation. With the passage of time, you will become familiar with kindly working with the barrage of thoughts and you'll a few clarity as well as peacefulness.

Here are a few easy tips about how to begin meditating. Perhaps people that currently exercise deep breathing might make sure you include your own remarks associated with exactly what did for you personally.

1. Position

Regardless of whether a person take a seat on chair or even cross-legged on the ground, ensure that your own backbone is actually erect along with mind upward. If you're slumped the mind may float. Body and mind tend to be intertwined. In case you are well-balanced, the mind may also be within stability. In order to straighten upward, suppose your face is actually coming in contact with the actual skies.

2. Eyes

Try to keep your eyes open. Open eyes make you much more existing. Simply decrease your eye as well as allow your own look end up being kind. If you near your own eye you'll be prone to float aside upon ideas as well as stories. Nevertheless, it's vital that you perform what's comfy for you personally. Many people discover shutting their own eye a lot more efficient. It's great in order to test and find out exactly what seems greatest for you personally.

3. Concentration

Within regular awareness we seldom exist. For instance, For example, sometimes we drive the car on autopilot whilst becoming preoccupied along with ideas. All of a sudden all of us get to the location as well as don't keep in mind about the drive!

5. Counting your breath

If you're struggling settling, you can test keeping track of the breath -- that is an old deep breathing exercise. In your out breath, quietly depend "one", after that "two', or more in order to "four". After that it go back to "one". If you discover your ideas possess strayed far or even you are keeping track of "thirty-three", merely go back to "one". In this manner, "one" is much like arriving house to the present moment. It's great to come back with no backward look.

Author Bio: Anna is a person with a passion for writing. She has written many articles on various topics as rehabilitation centers, for more information you can check her other blogs.

Largest-ever tobacco study finds 'urgent need' for policy change

About half the men in numerous developing nations use tobacco, and women in those regions are taking up smoking at an earlier age than they used to, according to what is being called the largest-ever international study on tobacco use.

The study, which covered enough representative samples to estimate tobacco use among 3 billion people, "demonstrates an urgent need for policy change in low- and middle-income countries," said lead researcher Gary Giovino, whose report was published in the British medical journal The Lancet.

The figures bolster statements by the World Health Organization that while much of the industrialized world, including the United States, has seen a substantial reduction in smoking in recent years, the opposite trend is under way in parts of the developing world.

Australian tobacco packaging laws misguided
This week, Australia's high court upheld a rule that tobacco products must be in plain packaging without logos and bear graphic health warnings.

Other success stories include New Zealand, Ireland, and Britain, said Tusan D'Espaignet. Two of the countries in the new GATS study Turkey and Uruguay are also showing improvement due to such measures, he said.

The study got some of its funding from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's philanthropy, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

Bloomberg Philanthropies says that in 2007, it supported the WHO's efforts "to package and promote six proven policies to reduce tobacco use worldwide. These strategies including protecting people from tobacco smoke, offering help to quit, raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco through warning labels and public education campaigns, enforcing tobacco advertising bans, and raising the price of tobacco products are proven to reduce smoking rates. "

Since that initiative began in 2007, "21 countries have passed 100% smoke-free laws, the percentage of people protected from second-hand smoke has increased 400%, and almost four billion people worldwide are now protected by at least one of the six proven tobacco control policies," the group said.

By Josh Levs, CNN

Do Higher Fines Really Work to Reduce Your Speed?

The government is planning to increase speeding fines by more than 66 per cent from £60 to £100. At a time when many people in the UK are experiencing financial hardship, the proposal has puzzled many motoring experts.

Excessive Speed
Speed is one of the main causes of injury on roads throughout Britain. Claims for whiplash compensation often result from accidents in which motorists have driven too closely to others at excessive speeds and government officials are keen to reduce the impact of compensation claims on the UK economy. Curbing speed, it is thought, should help to reduce accident rates.

Deterrent or Disingenuous?
Justice Secretary Ken Clarke estimates that raising fines for speeding motorists will generate an additional £30 million every year. The money, he argues, could be used to compensate crime victims. However, a victim's surcharge of £15 is already levied on offenders who are fined in court and there has been no suggestion that the surcharge will be altered to accommodate the proposed £40 rise in speeding fines. Critics, therefore, have condemned the government for planning to introduce another so-called stealth tax when motorists are already suffering from the effects of higher insurance premiums.

The increase might appear to be a veiled attempt to raise cash by a cash-strapped government, but will it also serve as a deterrent for speeding motorists? The simple answer is maybe. Nobody can predict how drivers will respond to the threat of a £100 speeding fine. Would law-breaking motorists suddenly change their driving habits if fines increase by £40? Is a £60 ticket not a sufficient deterrent? If not, would £100 be more effective? Why not £150 or £200? Why not £500? Though a line must be drawn somewhere, the principal objective of deterring dangerous driving perhaps ought not to assigned an arbitrary value.

Perhaps fines should not increase at all. It could also be argued that increasing fines to better support the victims of crime is futile. If more money were spent on policing the roads, installing speed cameras and improving road signage, would road traffic accidents not fall in proportion? Would fewer victims not require less support, thereby reducing their burden on the public purse? Claims for compensation have become an issue in the UK, so would it not be more prudent to propose ways in which the number of road accidents can be reduced rather than focus on fining offenders more?

Road Safety
Regardless of whether the proposed increase would serve as a deterrent or stealth tax, its reach would extend far beyond speeding motorists. In a bid to improve road safety, the rise in fines would also apply to motorists who fail to wear seatbelts and those who use mobile phones while driving. Drivers who ignore traffic signals and pedestrian crossings would also be affected by the increased penalty.

On this basis, it would be unreasonable to argue that higher fines are unfair, but on the issue of speeding the theory is less clear. Reported casualties among road users in Britain have been on the decline for a number of years. Speeding is still a serious problem in the UK, but traffic-calming measures, cameras and speed-awareness campaigns have already encouraged drivers to slow down. It remains to be seen whether higher fines would achieve the same.

For more motoring and car related information visit Hughes Carlisle.

By Sophie Banat

Beware of Kidnappers

Image courtesy of www.ragingbullfootwear.com

Yesterday afternoon, my wife, son and Yaya went to buy some groceries at a supermarket in Sucat and while my wife was lining up to pay, Yaya and my son went to the “Funhouse” arcade near the food court. While my son was playing with a video game, a suspicious bald man, around 5’10”, with medium built and decent clothing approached yaya and was instructing her to give a piece of paper to my wife and leave my son with him. Yaya refused to follow his instruction so he insisted by bribing her with money. She continued to refuse with a louder voice which drew attention so the man walked away.
She immediately told my wife what happened and when they were about to go home, they saw him exiting the supermarket. Before they could point him out, he got into his car and drove away.

We reported the incident and they allowed us to view their surveillance cams. There we clearly saw that from the time yaya and my son entered the arcade, the man kept following them at a certain distance. Before he approached them, he made a phone call and started to converse with yaya.

Please take extra caution when you’re out with your children. Always keep them close where you can see them…no matter where you are. Beware of kidnappers!

Source: Facebook page of Mr. Anthony Paul Veloso Laput

Warning to All Tourists Travelling with Kids

Image courtesy of www.everywheremag.com

FP was sent a story of how a mother lost her two kids while in an amusement park in Hong Kong recently.

“The mother left her two kids to go to the washroom alone while she waited for them outside. When she realized that the kids seemed to be taking a long time, she went inside to look for them but the kids were not in the washroom anymore. The parents went to the police afterwards and the police told them that it is highly likely that they will never see their kids again.

There is a syndicate in HK abducting kids in the washroom. They would let the kids smell something that would make them unconscious. Then they will shave their heads, put a cap on them, and change their clothes. When, the kids are brought out of the washroom, the parents would not notice them."

This story is not uncommon in the place as documented in some sites. Some kids are kidnapped and sold, while others are made into beggars. The syndicate does not discriminate; hence tourists with kids are also at risk. The lesson here is that parents or guardians should never leave their kids alone even for a second in any place on the island.

Here is a link that documents some of these incidents:
http://badcanto.wordpress.com/tag/children-trafficking-hong-kong/

Do you know of any similar incident? Readers should be made aware that such incidents can happen anywhere and to anyone.

Letter From a Reader: Beware of Deceptive Marketing of Insurance Company

Image courtesy of www.deception.de

Dear Fashion PULIS,

I am one of your avid readers. Just call me Tere and allow me to share my story about how I was fooled by Danvil Insurance in SM Megamall.

One rainy afternoon in February, I went to SM Megamall to meet up a friend. Since I was too early for our meeting, I went up to the 5th floor to walk around. While I was window shopping, a male agent approached me and asked me if I have a credit card. When I said yes, he asked me to show it to him and when I did, he told me that I was entitled to join a raffle for a chance to win a car. He also informed me that if I was willing to attend their company's 40 minute presentation, I will receive giveaways like umbrellas and throw pillows. It was raining cats and dogs outside, I forgot to bring an umbrella and I was too early for our meeting, so I accepted the invitation.

When I entered their office, he introduced me to his female colleague. She accompanied me to the reception desk, and the receptionist took note of my credit card number. She told me that before I qualify for the raffle, I have to first listen to a presentation about the company. The male agent came back and brought me inside a room where loud music was being played. I was given a blank piece of paper and information sheets to accomplish. They offered me drinks while I was busy answering the forms.

After I was done with the forms, the female agent requested me to write my future plans on the piece of blank paper. She left for a while and when she came back, she started talking about what I wrote, my future plans and the way I save money. She told me in Filipino, "Ma'am ang konti naman ng ipon mo, pano nalang kapag bigla kang mamatay, paano na ang mga mahal mo sa buhay? Mas maganda diba, kung may ipon ka, monthly mong huhulugan ng 1,800 pesos for 5 years at in 15 years ay makukuha mo na and pera mo na halos doble pa sa hinulog mo." She continued talking about the company, their different insurance policies and then she started selling their plans to me. I told her I was not interested but she kept insisting. It was almost time for me to meet my friend but she won’t let me go unless I present my credit card to her. Since I had no choice, I gave it to her, she took it to the cashier and the next thing I knew, the agents were clapping and congratulating me. I asked her why she swiped my credit card without my permission and she said the transaction could not be cancelled. Since my friend was already waiting for me at the food court, I was forced to quickly sign the papers and she gave me an umbrella before I allowing me to leave the office.

I was very bothered the whole night so the following day, I searched the company online and I found out that this company really employs deceptive marketing. After reading the different blog entries, I tried calling HSBC to cancel the transaction, the agent was very sympathetic but he told me that he can't cancel the transaction unless Danvil cancels it for me. He suggested that I file a dispute instead.

The next day was a Monday, I went to the company’s office but it was closed. I went again the following day and they were many mall goers inside the office. I was told to get a number, and when it was my turn, I told the customer service representative that I wanted to talk to the female agent. She told me that it was not possible so she called for the manager instead. The manager told me that I couldn't cancel the transaction because I already signed the papers. I told him that they won’t let me out of the office unless I gave them my credit card and they swiped my credit card without my permission. I threatened him that if he will not cancel the transaction, I will make a scene and tell all the people inside the office about what happened to me. He got shocked because I started kicking the chair and he finally agreed to cancel the transaction. He issued me a cancellation slip that said CANCELLED FROM INCEPTION and he informed me that my money would be reimbursed to my account after 45 days. When I got home, I immediately called HSBC and sent them through fax the cancellation paper from Davil. Forty five days later, I called HSBC and I was very happy when they told me that the 6,000 pesos was already reimbursed to my account.

In my opinion, the company is legal but the way they use deceptive marketing is illegal. The company also had Prudential Life attached to their name which confused me severely. If I am not mistaken, the complete name is Danvil Philippines Prudential Life, formerly known as Family First. I don't know why the SM Megamall Management tolerates this kind of deception inside their mall. I hope this story serves as a lesson to all your readers. Whatever happens, do not give your credit card to anyone if you do not agree to what he/she is trying to sell you. I think the government agency responsible for issuing permits to this company should also investigate further on this matter.

Thank you for posting my story. More power!

Sincerely yours,
Ana Teresa Kalayaan