Firstmed Blog

Viagra may make a man more loving as well as improve his physical performance, research suggests.

Scientists have discovered that the impotence drug can boost levels of a “cuddle chemical” in the brain.

Oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone”, is thought to promote romantic feelings and bonding between couples.

The hormone is released during orgasm in both men and women and has been linked to sexual arousal. It also plays important roles in childbirth and breast-feeding.

Viagra, the brand name of the drug sildenafil, overcomes impotence by blocking an enzyme that limits blood flow to the penis.

The same protein, phosphodiesterase type 5, also acts as a brake to regulate oxytocin release in the brain. Viagra eases the brake off and allows cells in the brain’s pituitary gland to generate more of the hormone.

Just as Viagra needs a sexual trigger to cure impotence, the drug will only induce oxytocin release in response to the right nerve messages.

The discovery was made by scientists who measured the oxytocin produced by rat pituitaries during nerve stimulation. When the pituitaries were exposed to sildenafil, they released three times more oxytocin than they did without the drug.

Professor Meyer Jackson, who led the study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States, said: “Erectile dysfunction drugs do not induce erections spontaneously, they enhance the response to sexual stimulation. Viagra will not induce the release of oxytocin on its own, but it will enhance the amount of release you get in response to electrical stimulation.”

Experts believe the release of oxytocin might provide a biological explanation for why people fall in love, especially after sex.
Source: Telegraph.co.uk

Which are the symptoms of a heart attack?
The symptoms of a heart attack may be quite gentle that’s why many people take too long to recognize they need help.

The most common symptoms are a feeling of heavy pressure or deficiency, crushing pain or unusual discomfort in the centre of the chest or a feeling like indigestion. Pain or tightness may extend to the shoulders, neck or arms, or it may affect the jaws or throat, making the person feel like they’re choking. Some people don’t get chest discomfort, and only get symptoms in their arms or throat. Others don’t get pains in their arms, but their arms feel heavy or useless.

The symptoms would usually last about more than 15 minutes. They may stop, or diminish and then return. The person may sweat, feel sick, faint or be short of breath.

Many people having a heart attack won’t admit they are in trouble, or they think it’s not serious.

What should you do?
Make sure the person is resting quietly, sitting or lying down. Get them to take half an aspirin immediately (be aware they are not allergic to it). If breathless, get them to sit up. If they feel faint, get them to lie flat. Call an ambulance. If, for some reason, an ambulance can’t get there quickly enough, drive the person to hospital right away.

If you feel these symptoms yourself, or see the first signs of someone else suffering from them, don’t wait. Medical help is most important in the first few hours. Prompt medical attention can help reduce the amount of heart muscle damage and can help improve the person’s chances of survival.

Cardiac arrest
How do you know if someone has had a cardiac arrest?
The person is unconscious. Their heart has stopped beating. Their skin turns pale or blue. You feel no pulse.

What should you do?
Act as fast as possible: get someone to call for skilled help. A person who has had a cardiac arrest won’t survive unless the blood starts pumping and the body gets a supply of oxygen very quickly.

Start CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). CPR involves mouth-to-mouth breathing and external heart massage through the chest.

Call an ambulance: tell the emergency services that someone has had a cardiac arrest.

You are dancing together in the party, your hands accidentally rubbed through your husbands trousers and you sensed he has got an erection. He says ‘be prepared for tonight’, winking when you looked at him. From that look you know that the night would be one of the many nights when you and your husband like to engage in a sexual escapade.

Sexual escapades like this one are nights full of fun days, for those who will miss the monotonous office work for a dose of sex. The couple abandons all inhibitions and becomes one as if they will never part. Sexual intercourse is only a part and not the whole, as some of us will think. It starts with foreplay, which is an introduction for sexual intercourse. Foreplay brings about mutual sexual gratification by arousing the couple. People engage in this act according to their age, religion and beliefs. Some of the most common acts are deep tongue kissing, touching and massaging erogenous zones, mutual masturbation, oral sex etc.

Foreplay is necessary to increase the emotional comfort level between partners. It also represents the willingness of both partners to be involved in the sexual activity. More specifically, foreplay helps bring an erection in men. In the women, the act of foreplaying results in vaginal lubrication. A man can comfortably move the woman to the heights of enjoyment when her wet vagina is invaded with his hard erect penis.

While many of us will feel fortunate of satisfying the urge of their spouses, there are some men who cannot. The reason is not having a proper erection or an erection that does not last for long. This is a serious problem and is known as Erectile Dysfunction or ED in medical terminology. Erectile dysfunction creates rift in the relationship between the couple, with either the man feeling inferior or the women complaining for not being satisfied.

But medical science has devised a solution for erectile dysfunction. Now one no longer has to feel embarrassed for his failure on bed. With Levitra, the patient can get sufficient erection during the sexual intercourse. This is a prescription drug and works by blocking PDE5. This smoothens the blood flow to the penis and thus creates a natural erection in user. Thanks to this discovery of Levitra, many men who were silently witnessing their relationship with spouse going down the dumps can now ably satisfy them.

Why do we have to get naked? Skin cancer, is one reason. That’s right, it’s important to regularly look your body over for detection. Skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in the U.S., with approximately one million new cases each year. It can cause serious problems.

Basal cell and squamous cell cancers are the most common, but melanoma is the most deadly. Melanoma is responsible for over seven thousand deaths a year and the incidence is increasing rapidly. Melanoma is now the number one cancer in younger women and second only to breast cancer in women over the age of 30. White and fair skin people are at the greatest risk. However, skin cancer is deadlier among African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians, even though their risk is less.

Most skin cancer is preventable. But it requires staying out of the sun as much as possible. If you’re going to be exposed, be certain to cover up.

Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 and reapply it throughout the day - especially after swimming or sweating. Be sure to get new sunscreen each year, because last year’s is no longer effective. And, definitely avoid tanning booths, since they’ve been shown to increase your risk. And also, wear a hat that shades your face and both the front and back of your neck, plus a long sleeve shirt and full length pants to cover arms and legs.

A diet rich in carotenoid fruits and vegetables plus a high quality carotenoid supplement can also help protect against skin cancer. Carotenoids are the phytonutrient factors in certain plants that help protect them from sun damage. Luckily, it can do the same for you.

But, you still need to get naked. Take your clothes off and look yourself over for changes in skin. It’s an important habit for protecting yourself from skin cancer. And, always be sure to check out those hard to see places like your back, buttocks, bottom of feet and top of your head. Maybe a friend can help!

I read a news item recently that brought up an interesting aspect to erectile dysfunction treatments. We all know that the discovery of Viagra sparked a sexual revolution by enabling men to have uninterrupted sex well into their twilight years, but what effect does this have on Women. Are elderly women happy about the fact that marriage is no longer a slide into the platonic? Are ED treatments contributing to marital infidelity?

For some women, the Viagra experience is far from mind-blowing. The little blue pill may make men “feel like they’re 20 again”, but what happens when a man has the erection of a 20-year-old. Does he still want a fiftysomething-year-old body? A man can pop a Viagra, but there is no equivalent for a woman. If she is going through menopause, her body probably cannot keep up. This causes resentment on both sides. Women withdraw, and men look around.

According to some women on the 50’s dating scene, most men that age are not interested in dating anyone unless they’re at least 10 years younger than them. Thanks to Viagra (and a healthier bank book than their younger counterparts), the man of the house now has the ability and the desire to woo a younger woman who can keep up with him. Highly regular sex is just not the natural thing for women of a menopausal age. Even with artificial help, it simply isn’t comfortable, certainly not for hours.

Men, if you take Viagra or another erectile dysfunction drugs? What effect has it had on your relationship? Let us know if you agree with these reports of the ill-effect the drug is having on married life.

My constant trawl through medical archives in search of developments in the treatment of erectile dysfunction occasionally throws out some interesting and useful information. It appears that grapefruit juice can also affect the absorption of the popular erectile dysfunction drug Viagra (Sildenafil).

Researchers in Köln, Germany, conducted a study using 24 healthy, male subjects whose average age was 29 years. The men received a glass of grapefruit juice on an empty stomach and then one hour later another glass of grapefruit juice with Viagra 50 mg. Blood samples were collected over the next 24 hours. A week later the experiment was repeated with water being substituted for grapefruit juice.

Researchers found that the absorption of Viagra increased by 23% when taken with grapefruit juice instead of water. Grapefruit juice also delayed the absorption of Viagra. This latter point is important because Viagra is supposed to be taken one hour before sex, and taking the drug with grapefruit juice may result in disappointment for some users of Viagra.

The grapefruit juice used in this study was white juice and supplied by Döhler-Euro Citrus NBI, GmbH. Other brands, types and doses of grapefruit juice may have different effects. The researchers suggest that the combination of Viagra and grapefruit juice be “avoided.”
Men who use protease inhibitors are usually prescribed less-than-normal doses of Viagra because protease inhibitors can raise levels of Viagra several times greater than normal, which can cause dangerous side effects. Therefore, men who use protease inhibitors and Viagra may wish to also avoid taking Viagra with grapefruit juice.

There’s been a lot in the press over the last couple of days about the dangers of online pharmacies. I will be writing a more in-depth article but in the mean time I would just like to comment briefly on the issue.

The wave of recent press on the subject is as a result of a report released by an online brand management company, Mark Monitor’s, whose research found that the majority of online drug retail websites operate without proper credentials and lack e-commerce security features.

Most importantly, on an ethical level, dubious online pharmacies are putting the health and wealth of customers at risk by operating without proper credentials and lacking even the most basic e-commerce security features. On a business level, illegal operators are jeopardizing the future of online business and denying consumers a more convenient and private way to shop.

Here at Firstmed we are constantly reaffirming the things to look out for when shopping online. Patients considering purchasing medicines via the internet should be encouraged to verify the website is operated from a registered retail pharmacy within the UK. This is to ensure their medicines are obtained from a reputable source and accurate and appropriate advice in relation to their medicines is received.

The later introduction from Lily ICOS, Cialis, has proved to be equally effective in fighting erectile dysfunction condition for male persons. In some cases the medicine has proved to be even better than Viagra in respect of lasting of erection, and side effects.

However, some kind of sexual stimulation will be required after taking the medicine for starting sexual activities.

Following sexual stimulation, Tadalafil Phosphate, the generic name of Cialis, effects in helping the blood vessels in the male sexual organs to relax, allowing more and uninterrupted flow of blood into the organs.

You will be astonished to see the results. Your Penis will soon get a stronger and sustained erection for completing your sexual activities.

However we recommend you to consult a doctor before starting Cialis for fighting against your sexual dysfunction due to erectile dysfunction condition.

In order to get better benefits from the medicine it should be regularly used. Use of Cheap Generic Cialis will be less expensive as the branded product is having high cost tag and as such regular use of the branded medicine will be a burden to the pocket.

Generic Cialis is sold in the market in various names. Tadalis, Tadalafil, Apcalis and with so many other names the Cheap Generic Cialis is sold in the market.

Studies have proved all of them are equally effective if the medicines are genuine. Among them side effect of Apcalis is less than that of Viagra. Also erection with this medicine lasts for 24 to 36 hours.

Cheap generic Cialis is easily available in different places. The main source is Generic Cialis Pharmacy which may be over the counter stores or may be available through Internet Store.

However, use of Cialis been branded or generic, have some restrictions and prohibitions for using. A doctor is the best person to study the suitability criteria of the medicine and monitor the possible side effects of the medicine.

Branded or generic Cialis or any other similar kind of PDE inhibitor medicine may have some interaction with other medicines.

If Cialis is taken with any form of nitrates types of medication which are generally used for heart or chest pain, may occur serious problem with blood pressure. Some times the situation leads to a stroke. Like other medicines Cialis has also some side effects. These could be headache, flushing, stomach upset etc. In case these side effects strike you during your use of Cialis, immediately rush to the doctor.

If the side effects are monitored by an experienced doctor, there may not be much complication. The effects are generally diminished in course of time.

When the branded medicine is expensive, the regular use of a particular branded medicine becomes a concern. In such a situation, the generic medicines are the savior. Generic Cialis is also a similar medicine which fights erectile dysfunction as well as limits expenses.

I was reading an article about, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host, Chris Tarrant’s messy divorce in the Daily Mail today and it struck me how the concept of Viagra is still sensationalist new fodder, even after all these years.

The article entitled Violence, Viagra and the truth about the war of the Tarrants, describes how revelations regarding Chris’s use of the ‘magic blue pill’ had been made public by his estranged wife.

She went into excruciating detail about Tarrant’s sexual problems, pouring scorn on her husband’s love-making skills, claiming that he was “clumsy and naive in bed” and had relied on Viagra for four years because he “couldn’t get it up”.

Obscene mudsling aside, one thing about the article that did strike me however, was the description of how she found out that her husband was taking Viagra. She described how when she found a packet of Viagra in the bin, Ingrid at first thought it must belong to her son Dexter. “I was very upset that he hadn’t talked to me about it,” she confirms. “Couples are supposed to be able to talk about everything, and I was so worried about him. I believe he has been popping the pills for years.”

So it goes to show that even the most wealthy and famous and seemingly unselfconscious have difficulties speaking to their partners about ED.

In a rare case of technology to the rescue, it has been proposed that erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra may have the unintended beneficial side effect of reducing the lethal pressure on declining populations of endangered species around the world. The decimation of some species, such as tigers and rhinos, has been linked to the continuing popularity of centuries-old sexual and other medicinal folk remedies. Traditional medicine has often relied on a bizarre mix of animal parts to cure ailments ranging from gout to erectile dysfunction. Preparations containing tiger bone, tiger penis, crushed sea horse and rhino horn are all processed throughout the world as aphrodisiacs. This folk-medicine industry is known to supply much of the incentive for poachers who are slaughtering animals in places as widely separated as Africa, North America and Asia. But if men switch from traditional remedies to drugs such as Viagra that may be changing, and a wide range of animal species that have traditionally been sought for their virility enhancing properties may be offered a new lease of life.

In Chinese Traditional Medicine, animal parts - known in East Asia as pu foods - are reputed to endow a man with the potency of the animal itself, or with the potency implied by the shape of the appendage, explaining why you never see ‘Hair of gerbal‘ claiming to have virile qualities. Most of the medicines are manufactured in China and are sold in markets worldwide. While the illegal trade in raw products of endangered species is an undisputed problem, some experts are not holding much hope for a Viagra revolution, noting that the animals’ parts are marketed for much more than aphrodisiacs. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), only a “fringe culture” in Asia seeks tiger genitals and rhino horn as aphrodisiacs. Other animal body parts have a variety of uses in legitimate Chinese medicine, particularly tiger bone. They are used as cures for everything from arthritis to pimples.

Others argue that Viagra may be too expensive for Asian and African markets. However, it is important to remember that traditional remedies are expensive aswell. For the small segment of the Asian population that can afford such expensive traditional remedies, Viagra should be comparably cheap. Despite its high price, the demand by Asians for Viagra is considerable, if media reports are to be believed. Impotence has been estimated to affect half the men in Asia aged between 40 and 70. Reportedly, the tablets fetch $300 a piece in China’s black market. Viagra pills smuggled into South Korea cost around $25 a tablet.

The fact is that prior to the commercial availability of Viagra in 1998, no product in any medical tradition had been proven to be an effective and non-intrusive treatment of erectile dysfunction. In this way it has mass appeal across all traditions. Whether this will eventually have a positive impact on endangered animals is as yet interesting speculation.