The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men From Heart Disease and Headaches to Flabby Abs and Fatigue

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9780553582345
• ISBN10: 0553582348
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-10-03
• Publisher: Bantam

Summary

The most up-to-date advice on how men can take care of themselves For most men, going to the doctor doesn't rank high on the fun scale. So wouldn't it be great to know how to take care of the most common health problems yourself? Here's how, as The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men is full of do-it-yourself options that are fast, effective, and approved by doctors. This indispensable resource to good health and peak fitness presents the best and latest medical advice from more than 400 doctors on how to deal with the aches, pains, ailments, problems, and just plain hassles that men face every day. Out of the 2,000 tips in this easy-to-use volume not one requires a prescription or a doctor's visit. And many won't cost you a dime. So whether it's a serious problem such as angina or a minor annoyance such as five o'clock shadow, you'll find the answers inside: Allergies Anxiety Back Pain Baldness Commuter Strain Congestion Constipation Dandruff Diabetes Flatulence Frequent Urination Hangover High Cholesterol Impotence Jock Itch Kidney Stones Midlife Crisis Nausea Nosebleed Performance Anxiety Razor Burn And Cuts Shinsplints Sex Addiction Stress Toothaches Ulcers Warts And much more!

Author Biography

"This book is full of surprises and a lot more fun than going to the doctor!"<br>-- Mike Lafavore, former editor in chief, <i>Men's Health</i> magazine

Table of Contents

PART ONE: HEALING FROM HOME
Who Needs a Doctor?	3	(8)
New Approaches to Healing	11	(9)
Universal Remedies	20	(11)
The Healthy Man's Toolbox	31	(12)
PART TWO: REMEDIES
Abdominal Fat	43	(6)
Absentmindedness	49	(5)
Acne	54	(5)
Afternoon Slump	59	(4)
Alcoholism	63	(6)
Allergies	69	(5)
Anger	74	(5)
Angina	79	(5)
Anxiety Attack	84	(4)
Arthritis	88	(6)
Asking for Directions	94	(5)
Asthma	99	(5)
Athlete's Foot	104	(5)
Back Pain	109	(5)
Bad Breath	114	(4)
Baldness	118	(4)
Being Henpecked	122	(5)
Belching	127	(4)
Black Eye	131	(4)
Bladder Shyness	135	(4)
Blisters	139	(5)
Body Odor	144	(4)
Boils	148	(4)
Boredom	152	(4)
Bronchitis	156	(5)
Bruises	161	(3)
Burnout	164	(6)
Bursitis/Tendinitis	170	(4)
Caffeine Addiction	174	(4)
Calluses	178	(4)
Canker Sores	182	(4)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome	186	(5)
Chafing	191	(4)
Chapped Lips	195	(4)
Chicken Legs	199	(4)
Chronic Lateness	203	(4)
Colds and Flu	207	(8)
Commuter Strain	215	(4)
Congestion	219	(6)
Constipation	225	(6)
Corns and Bunions	231	(4)
Coughing	235	(6)
Dandruff	241	(4)
Delayed Ejaculation	245	(4)
Depression	249	(7)
Diabetes	256	(5)
Diarrhea	261	(5)
Diverticulosis	266	(4)
Double Chin	270	(4)
Dry Hair	274	(4)
Dry Mouth	278	(4)
Dry Skin	282	(4)
Earache	286	(5)
Earwax	291	(4)
Eczema	295	(4)
Envy	299	(4)
Eyebrow Issues	303	(4)
Eye Irritation	307	(4)
Eyestrain	311	(4)
Fatigue	315	(6)
Fear	321	(4)
Fever	325	(4)
Five O'Clock Shadow	329	(4)
Flatulence	333	(4)
Food Poisoning	337	(6)
Foot Odor	343	(5)
Foot Pain	348	(5)
Frequent Urination	353	(4)
Getting Up in the Morning	357	(5)
Gout	362	(4)
Groin Pull	366	(4)
Gum Ailments	370	(4)
Hangover	374	(4)
Headache, Migraine	378	(4)
Headache, Tension	382	(5)
Heartburn	387	(6)
Heart Disease	393	(7)
Heart Palpitations	400	(4)
Hemorrhoids	404	(5)
Hiccups	409	(4)
High Blood Pressure	413	(6)
High Cholesterol	419	(5)
Impotence	424	(5)
Indecision	429	(4)
Inflammatory Bowel Disease	433	(4)
Ingrown Toenails	437	(5)
Ingrown Whiskers	442	(5)
Inhibited Sexual Desire	447	(4)
Insect Bites and Stings	451	(4)
Insomnia	455	(4)
Internet Addiction	459	(4)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome	463	(4)
Jet Lag	467	(5)
Jock Itch	472	(3)
Kicking Bad Habits	475	(5)
Kidney Stones	480	(4)
Knee Pain	484	(5)
Lactose Intolerance	489	(4)
Laryngitis	493	(5)
Loneliness	498	(5)
Low Self-Esteem	503	(4)
Making a Commitment	507	(4)
Midlife Crisis	511	(4)
Motion Sickness	515	(6)
Muscle Cramps	521	(4)
Muscle Soreness	525	(4)
Nausea	529	(5)
Neck/Shoulder Pain	534	(5)
Nicotine Addiction	539	(6)
Nosebleed	545	(4)
Oily Hair	549	(4)
Oily Skin	553	(4)
Overweight	557	(6)
Performance Anxiety---Sex	563	(4)
Performance Anxiety---Sports	567	(4)
Personality Conflicts	571	(4)
Phobias	575	(4)
Pneumonia	579	(4)
Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac	583	(5)
Premature Ejaculation	588	(4)
Psoriasis	592	(4)
Public Speaking	596	(4)
Rashes	600	(4)
Razor Burn and Cuts	604	(5)
Rectal Itch	609	(4)
Red Nose	613	(4)
Restless Legs	617	(4)
Road Rage	621	(5)
Saddle Sores	626	(4)
Sciatica	630	(5)
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)	635	(5)
Sex Addiction	640	(6)
Sexual Monotony	646	(5)
Shingles	651	(5)
Shinsplints	656	(4)
Shyness	660	(4)
Side Stitch	664	(5)
Silent Treatment	669	(4)
Sinus Problems	673	(5)
Sloppiness	678	(4)
Snoring	682	(4)
Sore Throat	686	(4)
Sperm Problems	690	(4)
Splinters	694	(4)
Sports Addiction	698	(5)
Sprains	703	(5)
Stomachache	708	(6)
Stress	714	(6)
Sunburn	720	(5)
Swimmer's Ear	725	(4)
Technophobia	729	(4)
Teeth Grinding	733	(4)
Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD)	737	(4)
Testicular Trauma	741	(3)
Tick Bites and Lyme Disease	744	(5)
Toenail Injuries	749	(6)
Toothache	755	(4)
Tooth Discoloration	759	(4)
Tooth Sensitivity	763	(4)
Ulcers	767	(5)
Unruly Hair	772	(4)
Urinary Incontinence	776	(5)
Varicose Veins	781	(5)
Wandering Eye	786	(4)
Warts	790	(4)
Wrinkles	794	(5)
Zipper Dangers	799	(6)
PART THREE: IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Lifesaving Techniques	805	(7)
Broken Bones	812	(5)
Broken Nose	817	(4)
Burns	821	(4)
Choking	825	(5)
Drowning	830	(6)
Electrical Shock	836	(5)
Fainting	841	(4)
Falling	845	(5)
Frostbite	850	(5)
Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke	855	(5)
Open Wounds	860	(5)
Poisoning	865	(5)
Removing a Fishhook	870	(4)
Seizures	874	(4)
Severed Appendages	878	(4)
Struck by Lighting	882	(5)
Index	887

Excerpts

Who Needs a Doctor?

The book you hold in your hands will help you take care of scores of health problems by yourself. Use it well, and you'll gain as much personal control over your health and healing as you could possibly ask for. So does that mean that you'll never have to see the inside of a doctor's office again? Absolutely not.

Every man needs a doctor. And the savvy medical consumer puts at least as much effort into choosing a doctor he can trust and developing a professional relationship with his physician as he does picking an auto mechanic, accountant, lawyer, or investment broker. The idea is essentially the same: When problems come up that you can easily and safely handle, you take care of them. But when problems emerge that require a trained professional, you have a trusted expert ready and waiting to help.

This book is primarily for dealing with those problems for which a doctor might not be needed. But just so there is no confusion, we'll reiterate our point: Every man needs a good doctor, no matter how much he disdains the probing and questioning and undressing and waiting and paying. And to show you we mean it, we're offering right here at the beginning--before we get to the hundreds of tips and techniques that can help you feel better fast--our best wisdom on finding the perfect doctor for your particular needs.

Men and Doctors

Between the ages of 25 and 44, 63 percent of all office visits to doctors are made by women. And they have twice as much contact during the year with their doctors as men. Overall, about 7 out of 11 adults visiting a doctor are women--despite the fact that men die younger than women.

"It's a paradox," says Mack Lipkin, M.D., director of primary care at New York University in New York City. Why is it that for so many of us, a visit to a doctor is as rare as a physician making a house call? Here are a few reasons.

*        We're bulletproof. "We think we're invincible," says Kenneth Goldberg, M.D., a urologist who is the founder and director of the Male Health Institute in Irving, Texas, and author of How Men Can Live As Long As Women.

*        We're busy. Men are still in the workforce in greater numbers than women, says Dr. Lipkin. It's simply very difficult for guys to make the time for a visit to a doctor, he says.

*        We're tough. "There's a cultural attitude that men share that they should tough it out," says Dr. Lipkin. "I think that because men engage in harder labor and more active and violent sports as they're growing up, they are used to pain and pain going away as just kind of a natural thing. You just take your lumps. There are many men from macho cultures where that is even more the case."

*        We're frightened. Being poked, probed, and touched in embarrassing places is unnerving. "We're scared out of our wits," says Dr. Goldberg.

*        We're skeptical. "Men may be skeptical because of their fears and past experiences with doctors," says Dr. Goldberg.

*        And some men also have the attitude that if they can't fix it themselves, then it can't be helped, adds Dr. Lipkin.

Still, there are times when it is foolish and potentially deadly not to see a physician. "Any time you have a symptom that persists, you should see a doctor," Dr. Goldberg says. "It doesn't matter if it's a headache or abdominal pain. If it's there and it doesn't go away or it significantly intensifies, it's worth pursuing."

And there are some symptoms that should send you immediately to your doctor's office, say Dr. Goldberg and Dr. Lipkin. They are:

*        Sudden pain at any location in your body, especially in the chest or abdomen.

*        Sudden dizziness, change in vision, or headache.

*        A change in bowel or urinary habits.

*        Blood in urine, semen, stool, or mucus.

*        Bleeding that is persistent from the rectum, chest, nose, or ears.

*        Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. "Young men frequently have asthma and don't know it and can really get in trouble," says Dr. Lipkin.

*        Weakness or faintness. It could signal depression, a hormonal problem, chronic fatigue syndrome, or HIV infection.

*        Severe or persistent diarrhea or vomiting.

*        Any suicidal, homicidal, or persistent depressive feelings.

Giving Your Doctor a Checkup

Even if you decide to ask a doc what's up, there remains the dilemma of choosing a good one. Most of us give more thought to what shirt to wear today than selecting a doctor. Chances are that you pick your doctor out of the Yellow Pages, along with the plumber and lawn mower repairman. Those guys, however, are unlikely to physically harm you if they make a mistake. A doctor might. So how do you pick a good one?

Go when you're well. If you wait until you're sick to call a doctor, you probably won't have the time or desire to check out his credentials. And if he's not a good doctor, this is a bad time to find out. Instead, schedule an appointment for a routine checkup or some other mundane medical matter. "It's the same thing as when you have a car," Dr. Lipkin says. "When your car breaks down, if the mechanic knows you and you have a history together, you're going to get much better attention when you need him--especially if you need the car fixed the same day--than if you've never met him before and you drive in cold."

Check the doctor's affiliations. Your odds of getting a good doctor improve if he is associated with a medical center or a teaching institution, says Dr. Lipkin. That's because they have a rigorous screening process whereby only the physicians most respected by their peers are added to the staff. And a doctor who also teaches is asked many questions by bright students, requiring him to keep informed of new developments in medicine, Dr. Lipkin says.

Ask friends and colleagues. Word of mouth can be an effective means of locating a doctor that you will like if you respect the judgment of the people recommending him, says Dr. Lipkin. Or if you know somebody who was seriously ill, ask if he was treated by any physicians that he particularly admired.

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Excerpted from The Doctors' Book of Home Remedies for Men: From Heart Disease and Headaches to Flabby Abs and Fatigue by Prevention Magazine Editors
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.