Being overweight affect your libido

September 20, 2014

Being overweight affect your libido – Small changes can restore your sex drive

Being overweight affect your libido and sex is one of your most valued assets. This condition can be treated medically. so go for it now

Let us face the truth in today’s life set up, when you listen to most talk show over the media and different forums you will notice that most of the discussions being aired are rotating around sexual activities and individuals sex life. The life style many live if you observe keenly they all rotate around sex. People want to look sexy, act and feel the same. This is ideally the order of the day, besides these cultural messages also continue to tell us that no one bigger than a size 6 should be singing the siren song of sexuality. Just like oil and water don’t form a solution, being overweight and sexy just doesn’t have a positive relation. For those already struggling with weight and image issues, that powerful message can easily throw a wet blanket on even to the most active libido.

Unfortunately, people are internalizing society’s definition of what it takes to be involved in sex, particularly the body shape there are clearly societal biases out there that are influencing us on an individual level and not in a good way, as indicted by a clinical psychologist and director of behavioral health at Duke University’s Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C.

But it turns out that cultural messages aren’t the whole story. New research suggests certain physical conditions that go along with obesity also affect sex drive, further inhibiting the desires of those who are overweight. However the good news is that, you can make some changes to your body (and how you think about your body) to enhance your libido while making these changes you may need the expert opinion which will be readily available at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. I will be telling you more about doctor Akoury but in the meantime the following are some of the changes you may want to consider:

Lose a little weight no matter how little because even a reduction of 10 pounds, to stimulate sex hormones
Eat more nutritious foods, which control cholesterol and blood sugar levels
Key your workouts to getting blood flowing to the pelvic area
Pick up a sexy novel and start reading
Accept your body at any size
Believe in your sensuality

I appreciate that doing all this may be an uphill task for many people however you can start by identifying the physical and psychological obstacles that could be standing in your way to a fulfilling sex life. Having done this then it will be very important that you share this with an expert and that is when you will need doctor Akoury who is not just a medical professional but she has been in this practice for more than two decades helping people suffering from weight related conditions globally. Calling her will be the starting point to full recovery of your sex life and as you consider making that very important decision, let us also consider the following.

Too Much Weight Hampers Sex Drive

The experts have establish in several studies that up to 30% of obese people seeking help controlling their weight indicate problems with sex drive, desire, performance, or all three and these problems can be traced to physical conditions that co-exist with obesity. Like for instance medical conditions such as high cholesterol and insulin resistance [an early indicator of type 2 diabetes] do have the ability to impact sexual performance, which in turn impacts desire, particularly in men. This is due to the fact that both conditions can cause the tiny arteries in the penis to shut down, particularly when vessel-clogging fatty deposits begin to form.

People with erectile dysfunction will most likely to lose their sexual desire fast and this will be compounded if they are obese. For instance a man who has problems having an erection is going to lose his desire for sex in not too long a time. Nonetheless men aren’t alone with sex problems caused by poor blood flow. Research has shown that overweight women’s sex drive and desire are affected by the same problem.

We are beginning to see that the width of the blood vessels leading to the clitoris which is the area of the vagina most closely related to sexual response in women is affected by the same kind of blockages that impact blood flow to the penis. When this happens a woman’s body is far less responsive, and a drop in desire follows instantly. Complicating matters further for both genda: The more body fat you have, the higher your levels of a natural chemical known as sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). It’s aptly named because it binds to the sex hormone testosterone. Doctors theorize that the more testosterone that is bound to SHBG, the less there is available to stimulate desire.

Simple Changes can Boost Your Sex Drive

The million questions you could be having now are that, what can you do to improve your physical conditioning for sex? There are so many things you can do on your own like the ones mention earlier. They are simple application which when followed well, then there will be very meaningful difference however besides all these it is important to know that sexual desire is not just a gift everyone should have but also one of the fixed assets people should be proud of. Therefore if after doing all these sexual desire is still missing, then you need to get the much needed professional help from the experts

I appreciate that I have repeated this many times but then again listen to me once more “Although small changes in lifestyle along with some healthy self-talk can go a long way toward improving both drive and desire, if you still can’t think of yourself as desirable, some professional image counseling may be in order.

For instance If you are someone who has very negative feelings about your body image, then getting treatment that works toward improving self-esteem will automatically be reflected in your desire for sex and your ability to achieve sexual fulfillment, regardless of your size. The best place to start is often with doctor Dalal Akoury. Calling this able professional will be all you ever need to get your break though not just on your sex life but in all matters surrounding your weight issues as well. I want to encourage you to make that call today to begin your total life fulfillment in all dimensions.

Being overweight affect your libido – Small changes can restore your sex drive

Effects of Alcohol on Human Body Systems

September 20, 2014

Effects of Alcohol on Human Body

Alcohol is a commonly used depressant drug. When ingested, it affects the entire body system in various ways. We shall examine how the reproductive and cardiovascular systems are affected amongst others.

Cardiovascular System and Alcohol

Increased HDL

The presence of alcohol in the bloodstream results in higher levels of high density lipo-proteins. These valuable molecules are responsible for moping up fats and low density lipo-proteins from the bloodstream. Critical function is aided as alcohol actually increases the transport rates of apolipoproteins A-1 and A-11. This results in more efficiency in the manufacture of HDL and results in its abundance.

Dilated cardiomyopathy

Abusing alcohol over a long time can weaken the heart muscle. Cardiac muscle activity is inhibited by alcohol. Continued abuse causes free radical damage and prevents protein synthesis. The effect of this behaviour is a weakening the heart walls and thereby causing dilated cardiomyopathy. Symptoms include waking up to urinate at night, having heart palpitations and feeling uncharacteristically weak among others. It is very dangerous and can lead to complete heart failure and affect other major organs.

Effects of Alcohol

High Blood Pressure

Overconsumption of alcohol can put the body under stress. The body goes into fight or flight mode, releasing hormone cortisol. This causes non-critical body functions to slow or shut-down. It also causes arteries to constrict and increasing the pressure within the blood vessels.

Arrhythmia

As mentioned before, ethanol weakens the heart muscle. This can result in the heart beating too fast or with an irregular beat. Neither is good. If left to continue, they weaken the heart and increase the possibility of chronic cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.

Reproductive System

Erectile Dysfunction

An erection starts with receiving and reacting to sexual stimuli. Alcohol interferes with many of the processes necessary to creating and sustaining an erection. A psychoactive drug, it may interfere with a person’s perception of what is desirable. It also interferes and slows with the nervous communication with the gametes. Constricted arteries and blood vessels prevent the rush of blood required to create and sustain an erection.

Hypogonadism

Alcohol is toxic to the gonads. It damages the endocrine system. Endocrine organs become less effeicient the longer alcohol is consumed and with excessive abuse, these organs shrink and atrophy. In men the testes become less active. Production of the main male sex hormone, testerstorone is impaired while in women, similar effects are experienced with oestrogen and the ovary. This depressant drug also impairs the other sex organs that regulate sex hormone production. Hormone balance is disrupted in both men and women making it hard to maintain fertility.

Amennorehea/Infertility

Chonic and sustained alcohol use is related to infertility. The body, unable to maintain the delicate mix of hormonal balance, becomes unable to produce gametes. Ovarian function in a depressed state cannot maintain a regular monthly menstrual cycle where eggs mature and are released for fertilisation. Testes on the other hand do not produce the numbers and quality of sperm required for successful impregnation. Apermatozoa damaged by alcoholic overuse tend to be mis-shapen, have low motility or simply not many enough. All of the above are classic signs of male and female infertility that can be by alcoholism.

Spontaneous Abortion

Alcoholic pregnant women may go through a spontaneous abortion. A body under alcohol-induced stress is unlikely to successfully bear a pregnancy to term. Most of the symptoms do indeed get worse – high blood pressure, impaired endocrine function etc. may all work to create an uninhabitable environment in a woman’s body. The growing and unmet, nutritional and organ support needs result in a spontaneous abortion.

Other Effects

Osteonecrosis

Over prolonged abuse of the alcohol has been known to reduce the blood supply to skeletal tissue. As living bones are malnourished and unable to replenish the old worn out edges, they die and become brittle. Of course this effect can compounded by the loss of bone density as one grows significantly. The result is weak, fragile bones that are prone to breakage. The thigh bone is particularly prone to such damage often resulting in a condition known as avascular necrosis of femoral head.

Alcoholic myopathy

Muscle fibres of all kinds have their functions impaired by alcohol presence in the bloodstream. Fast twitching fibres are the first to be affected. Users may report a feeling of weakness and tiredness perfroming simple tasks. Over long periods, the slow – twitch fibres get affected and result in a general feeling of fatigue. The muscles perform at a fraction of their normal capacity for strength, flexibility etc.

Liver-Diseases

Fetal Alcoholic Syndrome

Babies who have ingested alcohol through the uterus may be born weighing a fraction of their normal counterparts. They are also low in meeting their developmental milestones for their age group. Activities such as talking, motor functions, holding their heads upright and saying their first words are more likely to be delayed in people born with this syndrome.

Avascular necrosis of femoral heads

Alcohol’s effect on the cardiovascular system: arythmia, high blood pressure and raising levels of good fats create a mixed picture. Perhaps the trick in balancing the risk/reward for heart health scale lies in moderation and never exceeding the recommended daily limits. In the endocrine system however, there are fewer redeeming effects of alcohol with fertility and related functions being the most affected.

Effects of Alcohol on Human Body

Neural circuits of preoccupation/ anticipation “craving” stage

September 19, 2014

Addiction and It Stages

Drug addiction is a slow developing disorder that is long lasting characterized mainly by the urge to seek and take the drug, loss of control in limiting intake and development of a negative emotional state of anxiety and irritability. When the drug is prevented, the user exhibits withdrawal symptoms. Drug addiction has been viewed as a condition that involves element of both impulsive and compulsive behavior that is brought about by the addiction circle. The circle is made up of three stages: the intoxication stage the negative or the withdrawal effect, and the anticipation stage/ preoccupation which is the craving stage.

The neural circuits of the brain affected

Study on human behavior has revealed discrete circuits that play a major role in binding a major stage of the addiction circle. The ventral tegmental area and ventral striatum is the main focal point for the intoxication stage. The extended amygdala plays the role in the withdrawal while the orbitofrontal cortex–dorsal striatum, prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, hippocampus, and insula are involved in craving and the cingulate gyrus, dorsolateral prefrontal, and inferior frontal cortices in disrupted inhibitory control which is the preoccupation/anticipation stage. Drug addiction therefore alters the normal functioning of the neural circuits which may begin with changes in the mesolimbic doper mine system and the process of neural adaptations from the ventral striatum to dorsal striatum of the frontal cortex and eventually deregulates the prefrontal cortex and extended amygdala.

neural circuits

Of late there have been studies aimed at understanding the genetic cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate the transitions from once-in-a-while drug use to the loss of a person’s control of a drug abuse and to the final stage of a relapse even after trying to abstain. Drug addiction has aspects of both impulsivity and compulsivity disorders. Impulse control disorder is precisely an increased sense of tension before engaging in an impulsive act and a feeling relieved at the time of committing the act. They are categorized as the positive and strengthening mechanisms. On the other hand compulsive disorders are characterized by anxiety and stress before taking part in a compulsive redundant behavior and relieve from the stress by carrying out the compulsive behavior. The compulsive disorders are greatly associated with negative reinforcement’s mechanisms.

Impulsivity and compulsivity.

As the stage of addiction moves from one cycle to the other, the user moves from a stage of impulsivity to a stage of impulsivity and compulsivity. As a result, they are no longer positively reinforced by the drug but negatively influenced. These three stages of addiction are attributed to interacting with each other getting more intense and finally leading to the pathological stage called addiction. The brain neural circuitry system is engaged at each stage of the addiction cycle and changes with increased intake of the drugs of abuse hence producing the disorder known as addiction. Since the brain responds to stimulus the entire system becomes oriented specifically toward drug related stimuli leading to an increased drive for seeking and taking drugs.

Executive dysfunction

Executive dysfunction is a range of cognitive, emotional and behavioral difficulties which occur after the frontal lobe of the brain is injured. The executive function include abilities such as: planning and organization, social behavior, controlling emotions, safe awareness among others. Drug abuse alters the normal functioning of the frontal lobe of the brain and leads to executive dysfunction. This leads to deficits in cognitive skills which involves thinking, personality and social behavior. Executive dysfunction also makes it difficult to solve problems and as a result drug addicts do not make accurate judgments or find solutions if things are going wrong. They are also irritable find it hard to concentrate lose their r memory and do not get enough sleep. It is very hard for people with this this problem to get along with others as they appear antisocial and can be misunderstood as depression lack of motivation, selfishness and aggression.

Future treatment targets.

neural circuits GABA receptor substance that does not act as agonist or antagonist but affects the gamma-amino butyric acid receptor-ionophore complex. The GABA receptors play a role in almost every single activity of the brain. Ultimately glutamate and GABA do the information processing; they’re the ones that encode sensory inputs and thoughts (GABA directly modulates the effect of glutamate). There is the cognitive enhancement which requires the knowledge of cognition and what it involves. This cognitive enhancement could be aimed at improving short-term memory, improving information processing improving recall, or enhancing long-term potentiation. Each of this involves different circuits that involve multiple neurotransmitter systems.

Homeostatic resetters refers to the process of removal of toxic substances from the body of an individual through a process called detoxification in that at the end of the process the body returns to homeostasis after a long term use of an addictive substance.

CRF is brain stress systems that is engaged during the withdrawal/negative affect stage. This will reduce the dopamine activity and also help in restoring the frontal lobe of the brain. Therefore, the CRF increases in the effects that occur with sudden withdrawal from drugs and have motivational significance not only for the anxiety effects of acute withdrawal but also for the increased drug intake associated with dependence.

Glutamate modulators are used to reduce the habits of addiction by greatly improving the mood of the user and treating major depressive disorder. Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. There has been studies carried out which have shown altered glutamate levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid from patients with mood disorders. Administering glutamate to this patients will therefore greatly improve their mood.

Neural Circuits Of Preoccupation/ Anticipation “Craving” Stage

Marijuana Smoker’s Processing Emotional Information In The Amygdala

September 19, 2014

Marijuana Smokers Process Emotional Information Differently In The Amygdala

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It contains the psychoactive which results in mind-altering chemical called the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and other compounds related to it. Marijuana is the most common illicit drug used all over the world especially in the United States. Its use had declined for close to a decade and then became very common as from 2007 as the effects associated with it are becoming more diminished. Marijuana is usually smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints or smoked in blunts-cigars that have been emptied off tobacco. The smoke has a pungent smell usually sweet-and-sour, odor. It can also be mixed in foods and drinks.

When marijuana is smoked the THC is rapidly passed from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the substance to the brain. When it is ingested in foods and drinks, this process is much slower. According to the Institute of Medicine published in Mar 1999 report titled “Marijuana and Medicine: assessing the Science Base”: the THC enters the brain, it causes the user to feel euphoric (high) by acting on the brain’s reward system which consists of regions that are responsible for governing pleasurable things like sex and chocolate as well as to most drugs of abuse. THC activates this receptors of the brain by simulating brain cells to release the chemical dopamine.

Marijuana

The users describe two stages of feeling high after intake of marijuana: initial simulation (giddiness and euphoria), followed by sedation and a pleasant tranquility. Their also reported altered perceptions of time and distance as well as heightened sensitivity to sights and sounds. Relaxation is also another frequently reported effect in users of marijuana. They tend to become more relaxed and there is a feeling of bliss and contentment. Their appetite is also greatly improved. After a while, this effects subsidized and the user may feel sleepy or depressed. On rare occasions, marijuana use may produce anxiety, fear, distrust or panic. Users may get very paranoid and anxious until the euphoria reduces.

Marijuana also affects brain development, and when it is used heavily by young people, its effects on their memory and thinking capacity may last a long time or even be permanent. According to a recent study of marijuana users, those who started using at a very young age showed greatly reduced connectivity among brain areas responsible for learning and memory. Those who started smoking heavily in their teens have lost an average of 8 points in IQ between the age 13 and 38, according to a study in New Zealand. Those who started smoking marijuana in their adulthood did not show fairly large declines in their IQ. Marijuana also impairs a person’s ability to form new memories and to shift focus. The substance THC disrupts a person’s coordination and balance by binding to the receptors in the cerebellum and basal ganglia responsible for regulating balance, posture, coordination, and reaction time.

Large intakes of marijuana makes users have acute psychosis, which is basically hallucinations, delusions, and a loss of the sense of identity. Marijuana users are very much likely to end up depressed, anxious and generally their loose the will to live and become suicidal as well as personality disturbances. One of the controversies on the same is the amotivational syndrome, defined as a diminished or absence of the drive to take part in any rewarding activity. As a result of the endocannabinoid system regulating mood, these associations make a certain amount of sense; however, this research is yet to be completed to help us better understand how marijuana use is connected to mental illness in the future. This research also shows that, individuals with one or two copies of the Val variant have a higher risk of developing schizophrenic-type disorders if they used marijuana during adolescence.

Marijuana use during pregnancy is associated with increased neurobehavioral problems in baby after birth. The baby’s endocannabinoid chemicals are mimicked by the marijuana THC and other compounds. This in result causes poor development of the endocannabinoid system in the brain of the fetus. This will in future result in poor memory, problems in attention and problem solving hence they become very slow in responding to their surrounding stimuli. THC exposure also disrupts synapses which help connect nerve cells and allow for the efficient transfer of neurotransmitters. The child is also likely to develop more psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety, attention-deficit disorder, and schizophrenia.

Marijuana

Marijuana use for a long time causes the brain to continually make the user crave for the same as one tends to get addicted. The development of the frontal cortex is affected and as a result affect a person’s reward system leading to prolonged addiction, and ultimately affects one’s decision making. This addicts are more likely to get impaired executive function and a proclivity to choose the easier task. This may be seen in the user taking part in criminal activities and engaging in violence.

Research has shown that heavy marijuana users tend to have more problems in their daily life or it makes their existing problems worse. They report lower life satisfaction, poorer mental and physical health, more relationship problems, and they also have less academic and career success compared to non-marijuana users. They tend to drop out of school more, they are the highest number of the absentees in their places of work and also are likely to get into accidents more. They have poor coordination. Marijuana users who have become addicted should seek help in rehabilitation centers. As of late, more research is being carried out to determine more effects of marijuana in the brain. It has also been introduced in the medical field as it is given to cancer patients to increase their appetite and to reduce pain.

Marijuana smokers process emotional information differently in the amygdala

Using Naltrexone To Treat Addiction Relapse

September 19, 2014

Using Naltrexone To Decrease Alcohol Relapse

Annually, around 1.5 million people in the USA seek treatment for alcohol and its related problems. In 1994, naltrexone became approved for the treatment of alcoholism by the U.S. FDA. Naltrexone works by blocking opioid receptors found in the brain as well as stemming the endorphin-mediated reinforcing effects of drinking alcohol. There is great evidence to suggest and prove that naltrexone has power to significantly reduce alcohol relapses to heavy drinking, the frequency of drinking, quantity of alcohol consumed by those who do drink, and also alcohol craving. Naltrexone is vitally beneficial in helping those patients who cannot abstain so as to reduce their drinking patterns, breaking the vicious self-destructive cycle of alcoholics which causes one to drink one drink which leads to the other together with allowing more quality time for psychosocial therapy to be productive. Naltrexone has demonstrated efficiency in a various alcohol-treatment settings using adjunctive psychosocial therapies that provide patients with motivation to stay in treatment, overcome relapses, and also take medications. Individualized and flexible naltrexone dosing can be of great benefit. Longer-term naltrexone therapy exceeding more than three months may be most effective, and naltrexone might be used on an as-needed, “targeted,” basis indefinitely. Alcohol is a very complex substance that affects several chemical systems in the brain. It is presumed that, when an alcoholic drinks, the brain’s opioid system releases endorphins that trigger the reinforcement that is responsible for enticing one to drink more. Unlike other drugs that were earlier used to treat alcoholism, naltrexone is not addictive in nature and composition and does not in any way react aversively with alcohol.

Natraxene

· Monthly naltrexone injection to control alcoholism

A monthly dose of Naltrexone, under different trade names, is already in use to treat alcoholism. The monthly dose is a more convenient approach than current daily oral doses. Using naltrexone combined with counseling could help reduce heavy drinking in people suffering from alcoholism. Because of problems with adhering to daily oral doses of naltrexone, the effectiveness found in treating alcohol dependence with a once-a-month injection of naltrexone improves long-term treatment results. According to a previous study in 2005, naltrexone showed efficiency for treatment of alcohol dependence. However, adherence to daily oral doses can be hectic, and therefore, utilization of oral naltrexone have been limited.

· Naltrexone should be used with caution in patients with liver disease

For a person suffering from hepatitis or liver failure, naltrexone should not be prescribed.it is recommended that liver function tests such as ALT, AST, gamma glutamyltransferase and bilirubin must be conducted before naltrexone treatment begins and at intervals after the treatment begins. In healthy patients without liver disease, intervals of 1, 3, and 6 month scan be ideal for the tests, then yearly thereafter. Liver function tests should be performed more frequently especially if baseline liver function test results are high, a history of hepatic disease is confirmed, or if a potential hepatotoxic medication is prescribed and if the patient is taking doses higher than 50 mg/day. Naltrexone should be used cautiously in patients whose serum aminotransferase results are greater than five times the upper limit of normal.

Cannot be used for people using opioid for pain management

A careful drug use history and urine toxicological screening should also be done so as to confirm abstinence from opioids, including prescribed pain medications, as well as a lack of opioid dependence before initiating treatment. Comprehensive urine tests should be carried out to measure methadone and other opioids. However, urine testing can be subject to error because typical urine screening tests may not cover all opioids and samples can be tampered with to affect the results.

It is important to note that Administration of naltrexone should not be initiated until the patient has been opioid-free for between 7 to 10 days and that the naloxone challenge test for opioid withdrawal is negative. If no abstinence signs are observed following a preliminary dose of naltrexone 25mg, the rest of the daily dose is administered. Maintenance treatment regimen with naltrexone can be flexible where patients may receive naltrexone 50mg on weekdays and 100mg on Saturday or 100mg every other day, or 150mg every third day. Naltrexone is not suitable for use in patients with acute hepatitis or liver failure and should not be used in patients receiving opioid analgesics. The major active effect of naltrexone is on opioid drugs, which is one class of drugs used primarily to treat pain but is also found in some prescription cough preparations. This is because Naltrexone will block the effect of normal doses of this type of drug. There are many non-narcotic pain relievers that can be used effectively while you are undergoing treatment with naltrexone. Anyway, naltrexone is likely to have little impact on other medications patients commonly used in patients such as non-opioid analgesics (e.g., aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen) and antibiotics, and allergy medications.one should inform a physician of whatever medication he or she is currently taking so that possible interactions can be examined. Since naltrexone is metabolized by the liver, treatments that affect liver function may influence the dose of naltrexone.

naltrexone

A point to note is that naltrexone neither reduces the effects of alcohol that impair coordination nor judgment. Also Naltrexone’s effects on blocking opioids occurs shortly after the first dose is administered. Furthermore, findings confirm that the effects of naltrexone in helping patients remain abstinent and avoid relapse to alcohol use also occur early. However, Naltrexone should not be used with expectant women, people with liver or kidney damage or with patients who cannot practice abstinence for at least 5 days prior to commencing treatment. Also, people who are dependent on opioids such as heroin or morphine must cease their drug use at least 7 days prior to starting naltrexone.

Other than side effects, which are usually for a short period as well as mild, patients normally report that they are unaware of feelings of being on this medication. Naltrexone usually has no psychological effects and patients do not feel funny. It is also not addictive. While it reduces alcohol craving, it does not interfere with the experience of other types of pleasure.

Using Naltrexone To Decrease Alcohol Relapse

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