“Parasites are a lot like relationships,” my infectious disease professor said as he introduced the day’s topic.

“there are relationships where both parties benefit: that’s mutualism. Then sometimes one person benefits and the other is unaffected: that’s commensalism. And then you have those dangerous relationships when one partner benefits at the expense of the other: that’s parasitism.”

He then proceeded to show a series of photos of worst-case scenario parasite infections to the often audibly disgusted class. the take-home message: some types of relationships ought to be avoided at all costs.

Just like identifying a case of strep throat, it’s important that you know how to diagnose the kind of relationship you’re in. there are two different ways to make a diagnosis: identifying symptoms in the host (for example, a sore throat, fever and headache) or identifying the infectious agent (taking a strep test).

In relationships, I prefer the symptomatic approach because you won’t have to feel guilty for criticizing the flaws in your significant other. in general, it’s a bad thing to blame all the problems in a relationship on the other party. looking for symptoms in yourself, though, allows you to investigate the way the relationship is affecting you without judging the other party.

So, diagnosing relationships. the goal, of course, is a mutual relationship. both of you bring your best selves, your idiosyncrasies and your flaws, and for some reason you’re both happier together than apart. Synergy happens when your personalities combine to make something better than the sum of your separate selves. in humans, we have this relationship with our gut flora. Little bacteria live in your belly and help to digest food more efficiently. the bacteria get to live in a pool of acid, which they for some reason like, and you get to eat food, which you like.

You’ll know you’re in a mutual relationship when being with another person makes you want to be your best self. you may find yourself motivated to live the gospel, to be kinder, more patient or to think the best of others. in particular, you’ll feel inspired to serve your significant other without compulsion or guilt, but simply out of the pure love of your heart. If you’re in a relationship like this, hold onto it.

Next there’s the commensalistic relationship in which one member of the relationship benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefited. this is like when a barnacle latches onto the outside of a boat or a whale or something. the whale is just fine, only that it’s covered in barnacles, and the barnacle has a place to stay.

Both in nature and in the dating world, commensal relationships are fairly rare because usually the barnacle eventually causes some harm or benefit to its host. For example, you might be dating someone to whom you’re fairly indifferent. He could break up with you, and you’d just go back to watching reruns of “American Idol” like nothing happened. same emotional payoff.

Eventually, you’re probably harmed in that you’re not dating someone you actually like, or you’ll get exhausted toting around some useless barnacle everywhere you go. On the other hand, perhaps you’re benefited because at least you no longer have to look like such a loser showing up to all your friends’ wedding receptions single. Either way, though, a commensal relationship will eventually manifest some signs of either mutualism or parasitism.

Finally, there’s the parasitic relationship. a parasite will suck the life out of you and leave you crippled. Loa loa is this horrible worm that likes to travel about a person’s insides, which is all well and good until it squirms across your eye. Not only does this make me want to lose my lunch, if the loa loa rubs up your eye enough times, you’ll eventually go completely blind. Cysticercosis is another disease that happens when you eat a taenia solium tapeworm in undercooked pork. Under certain circumstances, one of these things can form a cyst in your brain —destroying brain tissue to make space for itself.

You might be in a parasitic relationship if you have the following symptoms: you dread hearing from your girlfriend or boyfriend, and when you answer the phone you find that his or her needs just fester and take advantage of your kindness. Eventually you feel that your generosity has been leeched away, and all that’s left is resentment and weariness. you know you’re dating a parasite when you feel obligated to spend time with your boyfriend or girlfriend, and you leave feeling like the whole evening was about him or her. Yes, sometimes one party in a relationship will have more needs than the other, but hopefully that’s just temporary and you both get to have your needs met.

Once you realize his or her insatiable, parasitic neediness will be an ever-present drain on your relationship, you have to get out. Pry that parasite off. of course, both parties will be harmed when you two separate. When cysticercosis is removed, the little worm gets its just deserts (death by sanitation), and you still have a hole in your brain. If you’ve ever dated a parasite, you know that sometimes it’s immediately quite a bit more painful to pry him or her out of your life than to just endure her toilsome presence. but unlike brain tissue, the emotional/social/financial scars incurred by your ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend are reparable. Given a few months and several cartons of ice cream, you’ll be a whole person again. of course you might have some extra baggage, but hopefully you’re also stronger, wiser and less likely to get reinfected.

Press Release Source: SMART Surgery On Thursday March 10, 2011, 1:49 pm EST

NEW YORK, March 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — last Saturday, Kenyan Minister of Medical Services Peter Anyang Nyong’o stepped off a plane and onto Kenyan soil to a hero’s welcome.  His return marked the end of a nearly year long struggle with prostate cancer.  Having been met with the harsh realities of the state of cancer treatment in his own country after he was diagnosed in June of last year, Nyong’o, like many others, turned his search for a prostate cancer remedy to the United States, a decision that international prostate cancer treatment and robotic prostate surgery expert Dr. David B. Samadi wishes more men would mimic.

(Photo: https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110308/NY61400 )

“The unfortunate reality is that most countries lack the necessary technology and levels of expertise to properly battle prostate cancer.  In many cases, patients are subjecting themselves to dated treatments, often being performed with aging equipment.  Traveling internationally to the United States for the latest treatments performed by the most experienced surgeons should be the first option in any case where it is possible,” said Dr. Samadi, who has performed over 3,200 successful Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy (RALP) procedures on patients from across the world.  

In light of his experience, Nyong’o is attacking the health care challenges facing his countrymen with a renewed zeal, stating that, “My experience is a wake-up call for us in Kenya to build comprehensive cancer care centers for our own people and the eastern Africa region.  I know we can do it by walking the talk.”  

A long time proponent of developing cancer treatment infrastructure in foreign countries, Dr. Samadi echoes Nyong’o's fears and convictions stating that, “It is a shame for anyone to die of a curable disease like prostate cancer because the resources for treatment are not available to them.  Many studies have shown Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy to be both safer and more cost effective than traditional open or laparoscopic procedures.” He goes on to remind potential prostate cancer sufferers that, “A prostate cancer prognosis is not a death sentence.  It is entirely treatable and no one has to die from it.  Early detection through regular urological checkups combined with cutting edge robotic surgery performed by an experienced surgeon can give the patient over a 96% chance of beating prostate cancer with the possibility of recovering urinary and sexual functions in 12-months or less.”

According to Nyong’o's personal account of his battle with prostate cancer, he had begun experiencing difficulty urinating and though initial tests ruled out cancer, he was not satisfied.  As his annual checkup approached he decided to take initiative and go in for an examination a month ahead of schedule.  A biopsy was performed and a prostate cancer diagnosis was confirmed.  The cancer had become very aggressive very quickly according to his doctor and action needed to be taken immediately.

“My urologist decided to put me immediately on hormone therapy…hormone therapy is a good emergency measure to stop the growth of the cancer while a more lasting solution is being sought,” recounted Nyong’o in his chronicling of the event.  ”…we decided to have a three-month hormone therapy treatment while I was deciding how and where to treat the cancer.”

In support of Nyong’o's decision, Dr. Samadi said, “Mr. Nyong’o's decision to act decisively upon recognizing symptoms is what saved his life.  It is also noteworthy that Mr. Nyong’o understood that hormone therapy is only a temporary stop gap and not a long term solution to prostate cancer due to its many complications. It gives me great pleasure that not only did he go beyond the “Watchful Waiting” approach but he also fought his prostate cancer publicly. Hopefully his courage and initiative in dealing with this potentially deadly disease will inspire men of all ages to undergo frequent prostate cancer screenings and seek out experienced surgeons to have robotic assisted surgery performed should they be diagnosed.”

Dr. David Samadi has an international prostate cancer treatment practice where he performs upwards of 20 successful RALP cases every week.  His SMART Surgery (Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique) has revolutionized prostate cancer treatment and is being adopted in cutting edge health institutions all over the globe, most recently at the Rambam Medical Center in Israel.  More information on Dr. Samadi and his revolutionary robotic surgery techniques can be found on his website, RoboticOncology.com, which is translated into French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, and soon Hebrew, in order to make his expertise accessible to the international community.

Sometimes, scalp psoriasis is misdiagnosed as a different skin ailment generally known as dandruff. A great way to tell the real difference is to check for psoriasis symptoms that are noticeable on various other parts of the body such as the hand or knees. A medical expert will probably have enough expertise with skin disorders to generate the verification instantly, and you may definitely make sure through checking out photos on-line or even obtaining a secondary judgment from an alternative physician. it is advisable to know that unlike scaly dandruff, the typical signs or symptoms of scalp psoriasis are a thick silvery scale that is not greasy or discolored. Both illnesses in many cases are remedied in the same way, however scalp psoriasis can be substantially less responsive to skin treatments and need extra approaches and techniques.

Psoriasis occurring primarily on the scalp is a very common and annoying skin disease frequently seen as a inconvenience and cause of embarrassment for most due to its overall look. Not all cases are similar, which means that individual encounters can range from slight to substantial problems. some folks suffer loss of hair in more severe cases, even so the hairs in most cases regrows if the disorder is addressed efficiently.

The therapy choices for scalp psoriasis mirror those of more traditional sorts of psoriasis, however it usually calls for actions to care for your hair. Probably the most apparent provision(s) may be to make sure the medication is applied on to the actual crown just underneath the top of the scales and plaques. many people believe it is far more convenient to keep short hair lengths and employ skin lotions or shampoos and conditioners which contain special agents that will provide easy accessibility to the areas needing proper care.

The most widespread remedies consist of betamethasone dipropionate and Calcipotriene, which may be put into use as soon as the impaired epidermis is cast away or tenderized. A few people have accounted great results using Coal Tar shampoos, however , these forms of solutions and products don’t work conclusively for all and might tarnish or discolor your hair.

Therapies like growth hormone, immune-suppressant drugs, and MTX might also be employed in more severe conditions, yet normally will not be mandatory or even encouraged by clinical professionals for mild indicators.

For many individuals, altering general health and nutrition routines may be the most basic and quickest strategy to efficiently treat psoriasis. these techniques function just as nicely for skin psoriasis found purely on the crown as well as other affected limbs since this skin illness is often (blank) aggravated by your body’s defense responses in some cases. any time selected regarded diet triggers make it through to the bloodstream they can hurt the intestinal tract, and so the removal of these food types or consuming drugs which could repair the digestive system can provide relief from these unique immune responses. Numerous known causes include: acidic ingredients, whole milk, liquor, pecans, rye, wheat, and also sugars. Unfortunately, the specific triggers vary for every man or woman and are usually simply determined through a strategy of experimentation. Supplements such as fish oil, coconut oil, folate, spinach, bifidobacterium, and fat-soluble secosteroids have also been of great help for many people.

Imma I. Thomas publishes articles about skin problems and has spent nearly 10 years helping people use psoriasis pictures to identify their skin problems. You can find out about other things to look for in psoriasis pictures by visiting her website.

Hands All over, indeed!

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine is taking it all off for Cosmopolitan UK — but the sexy shoot is more than just an excuse to show off his rockin’ bod.

PHOTOS: Shirtless hunks!

With a strategically placed hand covering his genitals, the 31-year-old singer doffed his clothes to encourage men to check for signs and symptoms of prostate and testicular cancer.

“I spend most of my life naked,” Levine says. “In fact, I often have to be told by the people around me that it’s inappropriate to be as naked as I am. but I live in California, where it’s always warm, so why not?”

PHOTOS: Celebs who beat cancer

The rocker, who’s currently dating Victoria’s Secret model Anne Vyalitsyna, also shares his biggest turn-ons with the mag’s February issue.

PHOTOS: Do these stars look better au naturel?

“On a woman, I think lingerie is beautiful and amazing,” he says. “But you only enjoy lingerie once it’s off, so let’s just cut to the chase.’

I'm looking for a website that I don't have to subscribe to where I can enter a list of medical symptoms and get a possible diagnosis. Any suggestions??

Merck Manual of Medical Information – Home Edition
Comprehensive information about diseases, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment in easy-to-understand English. Features illustrations, photos, animations, and videos.

merckhomeedition.com – 45k – Cached