Two men prosecuted after importing fake Durex condoms

Have you ever purchased condoms from a company called ‘Trade Express UK Ltd’? If you have, we’d suggest disposing of them immediately and buying condoms from Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy instead – all condoms we offer to patients are actually genuine!

In fact you can pick up a pack of 72 individually wrapped genuine Durex Performa condoms right now from Medical Specialists™, a highly reputable and trusted source, for the low price of just £60. You should only ever obtain medication(s) and products from a fully-registered pharmacy that puts its patients’ needs at the core of its operations.

Our advice follows the prosecution of two men who served as directors of the company after they were found guilty of selling counterfeit condoms to their unsuspecting customers.

The males, aged 46 and 49, were shown little mercy by the court and hit with suspended jail sentences, financial penalties, and other punishments.

For selling the fake condoms, the men have each received eight-month prison sentences -  suspended for two years, are now forced to undertake a whopping 200 hours of unpaid work and are forbidden from being a company director for seven years.

In a demonstration of how serious the trade of counterfeit goods and medicine is taken, the court also decided to implement a confiscation order against the pair, totalling approximately £15,000 ($25,000), and both will have to shell out for costs of around £10,600.

The punishments came about after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) investigated the two men – directors of the company Trade Express UK Ltd – and discovered the middle-aged men were importing fake Durex condoms into Britain.

Then the UK Border Agency swooped onto Felixstowe port in May 2012 and intercepted a shipment of 25,200 packs of counterfeit Durex condoms that were being brought into the country from China, with the men pleading guilty in January of this year.
 
John Wilkinson, the MHRA’s Director of Medical Devices, said: “People should be aware that if they buy condoms from illicit websites there is no guarantee that the product that arrives will be safe to use or of good quality. Counterfeit condoms look real but they are badly made and anyone using one has a higher risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease or having an unwanted pregnancy.”

Allergy Awareness Week begins as hayfever sufferers set to face brutal summer

As we are into the second day of Allergy Awareness Week – proudly supported by Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy – New research has shown that hayfever rates have soared to record levels and could get much worse in the future.

Britain is set to experience one of the most severe summers in recent years according to weather analysts, and charity Allergy UK who are running the awareness week that runs to 4 May, say that nearly a third of the population are now suffering with hayfever.

Hayfever symptoms are caused by an inhalation of pollen particles and by pollen getting into the eyes. Symptoms can flare-up from anywhere between early spring to late summer, depending on which particular pollen(s) you have an allergy to. The common pollens that prove problematic in early spring for hay fever suffers are those that emanate from trees such as the ash, oak, silver birch, and London plane.

Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy offer a wide range of medicines  to treat allergies such as hayfever, including Loratadine – a non-drowsy antihistamine which can provide relief from the symptoms of hay fever and Nasonex nasal spray – a nasal corticosteroid spray for the relief of congestion, sneezing, itching and a runny nose. Prevalin is another nasal spray that lines the inside of your nose and actually deactivates the pollen, and Alomide allergy eye drops that can bring relief from red, itchy, watery and puffy eyes if used regularly.

If all that isn’t enough, Medical Specialists™ now offer the fantastic NeilMed Sinus Rinse Starter Kit, which is suitable for all ages. This natural soothing saline wash can be used to alleviate many problems such as:

Nasal allergies & dryness.
Sinusitis, rhinitis.
Allergic asthma.
Post nasal drip.
Sinus pressure & nasal stuffiness.
Nasal symptoms from flu & cold.
Nasal irritation from occupational dust, fumes, animal dander, grass, pollen, smoke & house dust.
Nasal congestion.

Professor Jean Emberlin, scientific director for Allergy UK, commented: “We now have one of the highest rates [of hayfever] worldwide.” She says high use of antibiotics in children could be behind a higher risk of allergies in general, with as many as 38% of children now afflicted by hayfever in some areas of the UK.

Therefore, this week’s Allergy Awareness Week has arrived at a perfect time and aims to put a spotlight onto the difficulties faced by those who have allergies, what they can do to manage their symptoms, treatment options, with Allergy UK urging as many people as possible to participate and give their support. In the following weeks there will also be several fundraising events taking place.
The charity is now encouraging people to assess their medication prior to the grass pollen season beginning at the start of summer.

Prof Ember in said: “Early ­indications are that it could be severe. This year the mild winter and warm spring resulted in the birch pollen season starting about four weeks ­earlier than in 2013.
“Birch ­pollen counts increased ­rapidly in the last week of March throughout the South and Midlands and the season spread northwards quickly.

“About 25 per cent of ­sufferers are allergic to birch pollen and this year has been a severe one for them.

“The oak pollen ­season – which affects one in five sufferers – also started earlier this year.

“The grass pollen season – which affects about 95 per cent of hayfever sufferers – will start in the last week of May in the South with a fairly long lag time of a few weeks to the North.

“Due to the warm spring, the start will be gradual rather than having a sudden increase in grass pollen counts.

Maureen Jenkins, director of ­clinical services at Allergy UK, added: “We are urging people to check whether they are using their medication correctly rather than just soldiering on and ­prolonging their suffering. If symptoms aren’t improving with treatment, it’s so important to get medical advice to control this debilitating condition, which is also associated with the development of asthma.”

Medical Specialists™ now offer exciting ‘second generation’ impotence treatment Spedra

Since the release of Pfizer’s Viagra way back in 1998, men across the globe suffering from the common condition known as erectile dysfunction (ED) have been spoilt for choice with regards to treatment options.

Sildenafil citrate – marketed as Viagra – was subsequently joined by Levitra (vardenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil), followed by variations such as the Cialis Daily tablets and Levitra ODT (Orodispersible). And now the ED market finally welcomes an exciting new addition to its vast array of treatments, in the form of Spedra (avanafil).

Spedra is available today from Medical Specialiasts™ Pharmacy, priced from as little as £23.17 for 4 x 50mg tablets. No prescription? No worry…Our in-house Doctors will write a prescription for you, which is then dispensed by our in-house Pharmacists, and sent to you within 24 hours.

Menarini, a private company headquartered in Florence, are manufacturers of Spedra and are touting the new treatment as the very first ‘second-generation’ medication for ED. This is due to the fact patients within the clinical trials did not report back to have experienced some of the side effects associated with the other PDE-5 inhibitors, i.e. blurred vision or slight hearing loss.

Spedra has been shown to have an impressive success rate of 77% and is rapidly becoming well known for being the quickest acting male impotence treatment there is. Those being prescribed it for the first time may find they start on 100mg, but there are also 50mg and 200mg doses of the drug. The maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day. Like the other ED treatments, Spedra’s full effect is felt with prior sexual stimulation (foreplay) – just like you would engage in any way if you were not taking a medication for ED.

Taken orally, Spedra belongs in the same family of medicines as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. Just like the existing ED drugs, Spedra belongs to a class of medicines known as PDE-5 (Phosphodiesterase type 5) inhibitors and is suitable for men who have trouble getting or sustaining an erection for sexual intercourse.

Whereas the existing treatments can take anywhere between 25 minutes to an hour to take effect, clinical trials have demonstrated the impressive prowess of Spedra, which kicks-in with firm erections after just 15 minutes, according to many of the men participating in trials. The new treatment will shave vital minutes off compared to its counterparts, ideal for more ‘spur of the moment’ love making.

Spedra has been shown to remain effective for between four and five hours, a time duration similar to that of Viagra. It should be noted that this does not mean you will have an erection for between four and five hours, but that you will have ability to achieve improved erections that duration. Like other ED treatments, Spedra may take longer to become effective if taken following a large meal.

How often couples have sex, and is it all over too quickly? Find out here…

The question of how frequently couples have sex on a weekly basis is one long debated, but something nobody will ever be sure of the answer to as one couple’s sex life differs to the next.

However, a sexual health expert from the US believes that the average couple tend to have sex around two to three times per week.

Dr Harry Fisch, a urologist based at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, also claims that men are generally not lasting long enough in the sack to fully satisfy their partner as men tend to orgasm a lot quicker than women do.

According to Dr Fisch, around 45% of men usually orgasm within just two minutes of beginning penetrative sex, a time that is too soon for the average woman to reach an orgasm.

In a report published on Nerve.com, he says that the majority of women actually require a time of between five to seven minutes to reach orgasm – resulting in a lot of unsatisfied women in the bedroom.

Dr Fisch goes on to say the average man has 11 erections each day and there are some young men who see having sex multiple days a day as being normal, although he adds in reality, this is not a common occurrence.

In reality, most couples are having sex in their 20s about every one to three days he believes, with this dropping to twice a week for 30 to 50-year-olds.

Some couples are content with having frequent sex, with other couples prioritising quality over quantity. He wrote in Nerve.com: “That’s really the point: not how much sex you’re having, but whether you and your partner are happy with the sex you are having. Quality wins out over quantity every time. It’s all about the satisfaction.”

The average couple has sex for 7.3 minutes at a time says Dr Fisch, but he adds this isn’t always satisfactory for the woman as women usually take longer to orgasm.

He concluded his report by urging those men who regularly ejaculate in less than two minutes, or take more than 40, to see their doctor.

For those who are concerned they are suffering from premature ejaculation (PE), your doctor can provide a diagnosis and speak to you about available treatments. Before this however, the website Firing Too Quickly offers a Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT); the results of which can be used when first discussing the problem with your doctor.

The Firing Too Quickly website is a fantastic guide for any man who believes he has premature ejaculation problems and offers information on a wide range of issues such as the psychical and psychological causes of PE, the difference between lifelong PE (primary) and acquired PE (secondary), in addition to some of the common myths and truths about PE.

For instance, a misconception some people hold is that PE is not a genuine medical condition. As Firing Too Quickly correctly point out, this is a myth and is even acknowledged by the World Health Organization as being a genuine health problem. PE can leave the male suffering from anxiety, stress, depression, embarrassment and anger.

Ultimately, both partners will suffer. The man may find it difficult to relax enough to enjoy sex resulting in a lack of intimacy and frustration for both the man and woman. If left untreated, PE can place serious strain on the relationship.

Treatment options can be obtained today from Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy and include over the counter products such as Stud 100 spray and/or the prescription-only medication Priligy – the latter works to prolong a man’s sexual performance by an average of 200% to 300%.

Kate Middleton pokes fun at Prince William’s hair loss, suggesting a toupee

Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber once suggested the young royal should probably be taking hair loss medication Propecia, and now Prince William has been on the receiving end of more stick; this time from his wife!

The Duchess of Cambridge teased her husband, The Duke of Cambridge, about his thinning barnet during a trip to the Sydney Royal Easter Show. The royal couple were greeted there by the majority of an estimated crowd of 150,000 people on what was a gloriously sunny day in Sydney.

Touted as an event that “brings the country to the city”, the two-week Sydney Royal Easter Show brings in an incredible 900,000 visitors each year, being a staple in the calendar of farmers, animal lovers, keen gardeners and the general public since its inception back in 1823.

The 31-year-old Prince has mercilessly mocked his 32-year-old wife about her choice of clothes during the visit, choosing to inform Kate she resembled a banana in a yellow dress she was wearing and commented a dazzling green outfit she was sporting looked too bright.

However, Kate soon managed to get her own back as the pair visited the impressive displays of produce, segregated by Australian regions. One exhibitor, Lyn Crejan, 67, was discussing the vast array of fruit and vegetables that were displayed in a colourful design behind her.

The 67-year-old showed the royal couple a tuft of alpaca wool that happened to be a comparable shade of brown to that of William’s hair, Kate duly pounced. The Duchess, wearing a stunning white Zimmermann dress, joked that William should try using the alpaca wool as a wig.

Ms Crejan, who works as a farmer in the settlement of Glenn Innes in New South Wales, said: “The Prince was interested in the alpaca and as I showed it to them the Princess said he should put it on his head.

“She said, ‘you need it more than me’, and pointed to his head and he laughed.”

It recent times at public events, it has been Prince Harry who has subjected Prince William to jibes about his hair loss, although the younger Prince has quietened his stance lately -  possibly after showing signs of hair loss himself.

Harry was photographed in February 2013 whilst on a trip to Lesotho in southern Africa on behalf of his charity, Sentebale, with noticeably thinner hair and his scalp quite visible through his famous ginger locks.

Hair loss is something that has been suffered by many male members of the Royal family, with William and Harry’s father, Prince Charles, also suffering hair loss for many years. In addition, the young royal’s grandfather, Prince Phillip and their uncle, Prince Edward, have lost much of their hair over the years.

Premature ejaculation can be improved with pelvic floor exercises

Pelvic floor exercises are normally suggested to women who are pregnant, or planning to get pregnant.  Such exercises can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and lessen the risk of the woman experiencing urinary incontinence and reduced sensitivity during sex following the birth of their child. Strong pelvic floor muscles will result in increased sensitivity during sex and stronger orgasms as well.

However, new research has suggested that pelvic floor exercises can also help men – in particular those who are suffering from premature ejaculation problems.

Study data from Sapienza University of Rome was presented at the European Congress of Urology in Stockholm earlier this week, demonstrating how pelvic floor exercises can be effective in delaying ejaculation for men. This showed for the very first time that these exercises are beneficial for men who have suffered with premature ejaculation on a long-term basis.

The research, led by Dr. Antonio Pastore, looked at 40 men aged between 19 and 46. The men all suffered with premature ejaculation but not not seen results from other types of therapy. For a period of 12 weeks, the men were trained to exercise their pelvic floor muscles and also asked to track their time-to-orgasm over this period.

The men’s average ejaculation time at the beginning of the study was measured at just 31.7 seconds, but at the end of the 12 week study period, this average ejaculation time jumped up to 146.2 seconds (two and a half minutes). This equates to an increase in excess of 400%.

In total, an impressive number of men benefited from the pelvic floor exercises, with 33 of the 40 men experiencing improvements to ejaculation time during the course of the study and only five did not see any significant improvement. Two men quit the study earlier than the rest, but had seen improvement prior to dropping out. Thirteen of those 33 carried on with the trial for a further six months and their improved ejaculation times were maintained.

One person’s perception of what constitutes premature ejaculation may differ to somebody else’s and some men may mistakenly assume they have the condition, but the International Society of Sexual Medicine defines premature ejaculation as “ejaculation within a minute.”

Some men’s premature ejaculation problems can be so severe that sex can prove near impossible, especially if he ejaculates before penetration. This can be hugely damaging for a man’s self-confidence, and frustrating for both partners especially if they are trying for a baby.

Health experts generally, and rightfully, see premature ejaculation as a genuine medical condition requiring treatment, which can be done through over the counter products such as Stud 100 spray and/or the prescription-only medication Priligy. The latter works to prolong a man’s sexual performance by an average of 200% to 300%.

Are you getting involved in Bowel Cancer Awareness Month this April?

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy are proud to support a disease that is increasingly affecting people of all ages, despite being commonly looked upon as an ‘old person’s disease’ as previous figures show around 72% of people diagnosed with bowel cancer are over the age of 65.

The aim of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month is clued in its name – to raise awareness about this type of cancer and draw attention to it, help people understand the symptoms of the disease and why it is vital to receive treatment at the earliest possible chance. Each year over 40,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK, claiming almost 16,000 lives.

Bowel cancer is also known as colorectal or colon cancer, and is the third most prevalent type of cancer in the UK alone. Almost all cases of bowel cancer begin to develop within the large bowel – two-thirds in the colon and one-third in the rectum.

Symptoms include: Blood in your faeces, the appearance of mucus in the faeces, inexplicable weight loss, persistent abdominal pain lasting longer than two weeks, severe constipation or diarrhoea lasting longer than two weeks and tiredness as a result of becoming anaemic from microscopic bleeding from the bowel.

You could experience either one, some, or all of the above symptoms, but some people could experience none at all. Most symptoms will probably not be bowel cancer but if you are worried any of your symptoms are related to the disease, make an appointment to see your doctor immediately.

Don’t be worried about wasting someone’s time, it is better to get assessed and be at peace of mind than spending time wondering why you are getting the symptoms you are. Even if it should be bowel cancer, the earlier it is spotted through screening, the greater the chances of treatment being able to cure the cancer completely.

Screening for the cancer is conducted by the analysis of a patient’s stool sample for the presence of blood – a faecal occult blood test is used for this.

Over the next three years, patients over the age of 55 will also be able to benefit from an additional screening test that consists of a camera examination of the lower bowel called a flexible sigmoidoscopy.

The fact that statistics show 90% of people who receive treatment for bowel cancer early enough are able to recover shows that a visit to your doctor may just save your life.

The charity Bowel Cancer UK have a detailed list of ways you can get involved with Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and useful information about living with bowel cancer, including dietary advice such as as what to eat and drink during treatment, and much more.

Being sat down for too long each day could prove fatal

Are you sat down reading this? The chances are likely you probably are. However, you may not be sat comfortably for long. According to research, those who are sat down for extended periods of the day are putting themselves at serious risk of a whole host of health problems.

This risk is something that applies to nearly all of us with the average Brit spending 8.9 hours per day sat down; either at home in front of the television, at work, or in their car. Factor in around seven hours of sleep per day and this equates to just a third of our time spent on our feet.

Those spending large amounts of time on their backside are probably more at risk of obesity than others who are active as very little energy will be expended to burn off calories, but the sedentary amongst us are also putting themselves in danger of developing a multitude of other problems.
For example, sat down for many hours each day may actually cause problems such as diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer, deep vein thrombosis, brittles bones, depression, dementia and muscular and back problems.

The dangers are serious enough for health experts to brand sitting down for too long as ‘the new smoking’, a time bomb just waiting to explode. In fact, it is so worrying that The World Health Organisation have highlighted physical inactivity as the fourth biggest killer on the planet, even ahead of obesity. Back, neck and muscular conditions linked to a lack of activity are said to cost the UK economy over a staggering £1billion each year from sick days, and is predicted to rise.

This has led to the creation of a new campaign called Get Britain Standing, aiming to get Brits off their chairs, back on their feet moving about, and reduce the number of ailments that are associated from spending too much time sitting down.

Gavin Bradley, director of Get Britain Standing, says: “It’s like smoking during the 1970s and passive smoking during the 90s. We all know a sedentary lifestyle is bad for us, we just don’t realise how bad it is. Spending less time sitting down really can add years to your life. That is the most important message. Unfortunately, it also seems to be the hardest one for people to believe.”

The World Health Organisation say a healthy adult should be at least in engaging in 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, or 30 minutes on at least five days of the week. This will suffice to receive benefits of regular exercise, but will still not be enough to prevent you from the risks of a sedentary lifestyle if you spend the rest of the time being sat down.

Dr John Buckley, an expert in exercise science at Chester University, says: “A person may have got more than 30 minutes’ exercise by cycling to work and home again, but if they have been sitting still all day they will lose some of those benefits. It is like exercising but then eating an unhealthy diet or exercising and being a smoker. Physical inactivity is equally as important as those other well-known issues like diet and smoking.”

The body’s metabolism is slowed down when we are sat for extended periods and this hampers how enzyme lipoprotein lipase breaks down the body’s fat reserves. In addition, blood glucose levels and blood pressure both increase.

Activity such as even just standing and moving around throughout the day should be enough to reverse this increase. It is believed that 30 minutes of light activity in two or three-minute bursts may be just as beneficial to us a half-hour block of exercise.

Unfortunately, failure to keep active will cause blood sugar levels and blood pressure to raise and cause damage to the inside of the arteries. This in turn increases the chance of developing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Dr Buckley says encouraging people to be active and spend less time sat down is the biggest thing that could be done to reduce the risk of such diseases.

“The human race didn’t evolve to spend so much time sitting down,” he says. “Up until relatively recently we spent much of our time moving around.”

Is fat really that bad for you? Survey reveals we are terrified of being overweight

Fat is often given a bad reputation. Many people wanting to lose weight will simply head straight to the fat content of any given food or drink product, disregarding all other nutritional values of said product. This is despite the fact that recently sugar has received more bad press as health experts continually warn against a diet high in sugar. Only last month UK cinema chains received fierce criticism for offering a glut of high-sugary treats to cinema goers in Britain.

According to a survey for Women’s Health magazine that quizzed over 4,000 people, over two-thirds of us believe we are fat, yet bizarrely a similar number of people from the same research say they aren’t overweight. It seems the nation has some self-esteem issues that need addressing.
Fat may get a bad rep and almost be a taboo subject, but we actually need fat to survive. “Science has shown us that a little fat both on our bodies and on our plates is actually healthy,” commented Women’s Health editor Farrah Storr.

“For years, fat has been seen as the enemy, but the tide is turning. As we become more nutritionally aware, many of us now realise fat could even be the secret to a longer life and a smaller waistline.”

So why do we need fats in our body? Firstly, fat is important as it provides the body with energy.  It is difficult to eat foods within a low fat diet to receive enough energy your body requires. Diets that are too low in fat (less than 20 – 25%) can trigger cravings and food binges. Fat aids the transportation, storage and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. A lack of fat could result in deficiencies of these particular vitamins. Fat also gives insulation under our skin from the cold and the heat, in addition to providing protection to organs and bones from shock.

However, this doesn’t mean you can start overloading on fat without worrying about the consequences. An average male should not consume over 30g of saturated fat per day, whilst it is just 20g of saturated fat per day for women. The NHS Choices website offer a fantastic guide into what fat we need and some of the foods it is advised to cut down on.

The Women’s Health survey showed a fascinating insight into the nation’s view of fat, with both sexes being afraid of it. Many who answered the questions would rather somebody viewed them as being stupid or old than fat and perhaps surprisingly, twice as many than women have contemplated using diet pills.

Women’s Views

. 76% go to the gym to lose weight.
. 72% think they are fat.
. 67% would prefer to be thought of as stupid than fat.
. 67% would prefer to look old than fat.
. 66% are aware they are not overweight.
. 63% look in the mirror and think they are fat at least once a day.
. 58% would prefer to be thin and unhealthy than overweight and healthy.
. 46% would not date a person they deem fat.
. 44% have thought about using diet pills.
. 36% think about their weight at least once a day.
. 20% have not gone on holiday because they felt fat.

Men’s Views

. 95% have thought about using diet pills.
. 77% would prefer to look old than fat.
. 74% go to the gym to lose weight.
. 71% would prefer to be thought of as stupid than fat.
. 65% think they are fat.
. 62% have not gone on holiday because they felt fat.
. 60% are aware they are not overweight.
. 57% would not date a person they deem fat.
. 48% think about their weight at least once a day.
. 47% would prefer to be thin and unhealthy than overweight and healthy.
. 35% look in the mirror and think they are fat at least once a day.

The dangers of fake medicines: Let’s work together and counter the counterfeits

A common line that Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy hears is “I can get Viagra for a lot cheaper from my mate at the pub” from men who suffering with erectile dysfunction and are coming to us because we are a fully-registered online pharmacy and a trusted source.

However, Steve down the pub flogging what appear to be ‘Viagra’ tablets, for a fraction of the cost of genuine Pfizer Viagra, is not a trusted source. He is more than likely neither a qualified doctor nor pharmacist, will not ask you about your medical history, for a recent blood pressure reading, or if you take medications for other health problems. For instance, men taking nitrate-based drugs such as Nitroglycerin for heart problems should not take Viagra as the two drugs can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure.

Simply put, this friendly chap you meet in the toilets to buy your impotence pills does not care for your well-being but is looking to make easy money off you. It might seem appealing to save a few pounds to buy from Steve instead of a reputable and established pharmacy like Medical Specialists™, but do you really know what you are even buying?

To counter this, Medical Specialists™ now actually offer Sildenafil Teva and Sildenafil Actavis, two erectile dysfunction medications that contain the same active ingredient as the more expensive Pfizer Viagra, but for substantially less in price. Why purchase an unknown product from an unreliable means when you can spend a similar amount for the aforementioned Sildenafil brands and can rest assured you are receiving UK-manufactured medicines, with your consultation questions assessed our GMC-registered doctors who actually do care about your health. Prices for Sildenafil Teva from Medical Specialists™ works out from as little as £2.69 (based on pack of 4 x 25mg tablets on private prescription).

Ingredients in cheap Viagra-like tablets are likely to be of poor quality, expired, or many not even contain any Sildenafil Citrate whatsoever (Viagra’s active ingredient).  This can result in very little, if any at all, improvement in your erections or potentially deadly consequences from taking the cheaper knock-off. On the other end of the scale, tablets with unregulated higher doses are highly dangerous. Super-potent drugs with more than a safe level of Sildenafil Citrate could result in a heart attack.
You may also be shocked and disgusted to learn about some of the ingredients that have previously been found in confiscated counterfeit Viagra include:

. Antifreeze.
. Blue printer ink.
. Cyanide (sometimes used in rat poison).
. Drywall and plaster.
. Dye to replicate genuine Viagra’s texture and colour.
. Speed or amphetamine.

If all that isn’t enough to raise eyebrows, it’s how these drugs are made which is equally shocking. Steve in the pub may have seemingly real-looking blue ‘Viagra’ pills, but he will not tell you about the processes to produce them, and probably doesn’t know himself. Within the dirty, grotty warehouses where these pills are made, there lies the danger of potential toxicity from heavy metals and other unknown ingredients, not the risk of bacterial and fungal infection from the pills being produced in unhygienic conditions.

Air Pollution, Hay fever and the Treatment

Every year in the UK millions of people experience the discomfort and symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis, better known as hay fever. In fact, health experts say Britain currently has one of the highest rates of hay fever in the world with around a quarter of the population suffering with it.

2014 UK Air Pollution

As many will know, this week has seen many parts of the UK affected by high levels of air pollution. The smog-like conditions are a dangerous mix of dust from the Sahara with local and continental pollution. One poll conducted this week of 532 asthmatics for Asthma UK discovered that 30% have suffered an attack because of the pollution and 84% said they are using their blue reliever inhaler more frequently than usual.

Dr Keith Prowse, honorary medical adviser to the British Lung Foundation, spoke of the danger the Saharan dust and air pollution may have a “significant impact” on those with respiratory problems.
“People who use a reliever inhaler should make sure that they carry it with them. If they feel that their conditions are worsening then they should contact their GPs” he said.

According to the Defra (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) website, those with lung and heart conditions have been told to cut down or avoid outdoor strenuous physical activity and those feeling the repercussions of pollution – including sore eyes, coughs and sore throats – are advised to reduce the amount of activity and time spent outdoors.

Hay fever symptoms and cause

Symptoms include sneezing, a blocked or runny, nose, headaches, red, itchy, or watery eyes, and are caused by an allergic reaction from pollen in the air that has been released from grasses, weeds or trees, usually during the spring and summer months. The plants produce ‘allergens’ – substances that trigger an allergic reaction.

For those unfortunately with hay fever, your body is producing immunoglobulin when you come into contact with pollen allergens and mistakes it for something harmful like a virus, your immune system overreacts and then the release of chemicals is triggered into certain cells in the eyes, nose and throat. One of the chemicals is histamine and it is this histamine which is responsible for the troublesome symptoms of hay fever.

Treatment

Prior to seeing a GP, you can speak to your local pharmacist about your symptoms as over-the-counter medicines may be able to help such as antihistamines; Loratadine is a popular non-drowsy antihistamine and can be taken as an ‘as required’ treatment when symptoms arise or as a ‘preventative’ method before you leave the house and know the pollen count is high. Non-drowsy antihistamine nasal sprays such as Prevalin can also be used to relieve the symptoms of hay fever in the nose and eyes. Alomide eye drops is another over-the-counter treatment are used to relieve the symptoms of hay fever such as red, itchy, watery and puffy eyes. The eye drops need to be used regularly to achieve relief from the symptoms. Once your symptoms improve, you should continue to use the drops regularly for as long as necessary to prevent the allergy.

There is also prescription-only corticosteroid nasal sprays such as Nasonex, which works at reducing the inflammation inside your nose after pollen has triggered an allergic reaction. Whether it’s hay fever, dust allergies or a seasonal problem, Nasonex can prevent you from suffering and allow you to enjoy life again.

All of the above treatments are available today from Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy at low prices, in addition to a wide range of asthma inhalers such as the blue reliever Ventolin Evohaler; asthma has been often linked to hay fever and both conditions need to be closely monitored and treated.

Who is at risk?

Around 2 in 10 people in the UK have hay fever, usually beginning in childhood and during the teenage years. The condition may actually disappear or improve in some cases, usually after suffering with symptoms each season for many years.

It is unclear what causes the immune system to react in the way it does to cause hay fever, but the condition tends to run in families. Your hay fever risk is also increased if you already have asthma or eczema or if you have already have hay fever, you are more likely to develop eczema or asthma.
The pollen count

The millions of people with hay fever are probably familiar with something called the pollen count, which is average number of pollen grains within one cubic metre of air over a period of 24 hours. As different people may have symptoms from certain types of pollen only, there are pollen counts for grass, tree and weed pollen and fungal spores and sufferers are usually advised to monitor weekly pollen forecasts so they can decide when it is best to begin or stop treatment. The pollen count is affected by weather and there is normally more pollen on dry, sunny days and much less pollen in the air when it is raining.

The pollen count forecast is normally judged as:

. Low: less than 30 grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air.
. Moderate: 30-49 grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air.
. High: 50-149 grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air.
. Very high: 150 or more grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air.
In the UK, the pollen count season is segregated into three sections:

. Tree pollen – late March to mid-May.
. Grass pollen – mid-May to July.
. Weed pollen – end of June to September.

This is only an approximate guide, with the pollen count season occasionally starting in January or ending as late as November.

As noted earlier, allergens may also cause asthma symptoms to flare-up such as a shortness of breath, tight chest and coughing and wheezing. There has been evidence to show a clear association between hay fever and asthma and your asthma symptoms may become more severe when your hay fever symptoms occur fever, or asthma symptoms may only flare-up when you have hay fever. People with both conditions should speak to their GP or an asthma nurse as soon as possible as it is imperative to treat both conditions with the appropriate medicines.

How long do American men last for in the bedroom?

Men in New Mexico are able to lay claim to a surprising boast after new research suggests that on average, they last longer in the bedroom compared to those in all the other states across the United States.

An smartphone mobile app named Spreadsheets which tracks the ‘duration, thrusts, and decibel peak’ of a couple’s sexual rhythm, analysed the data from 10,000 of its users to assess just how long couples from different states in America were lasting for.

According to the Spreadsheets app website, the technology works by monitoring ‘user’s movement and audio levels through the accelerometer and microphone to provide statistical and visual analysis of their performance in bed’. Those using the app can unlock 30 ‘achievements’ – a points-based system where couples can set targets or challenges for themselves, such as earning ten points for early morning sex.

For those concerned about privacy, you might be relieved to learn that the app will not record or playback audio or video and all data is stored securely on a person’s mobile device and information will never be relayed, backed up, or synced to the internet, according to the Spreadsheets website.
New Mexico, a state located in the southwest and western regions  of the United States, topped the average intercourse time (excluding foreplay) with just over seven minutes, compared to a mere average time of 81 seconds in the state of Alaska.

The full list was as follows:

1. New Mexico (7:01)
2. West Virginia (5:38)
3. Idaho (5:11)
4. South Carolina (4:48)
5. Missouri (4:22)
6. Michigan (4:14)
7. Utah (3:55)
8. Oregon (3:51)
9. Nebraska (3:47)
10. Alabama (3:38)
11. Delaware (3:33)
12. Hawaii (3:28)
13. Wisconsin (3:22)
14. North Dakota (3:18)
15. Arizona (3:17)
16. Maryland (3:15)
17. Mississippi (3:10)
18. Rhode Island (3:09)
19. Connecticut (3:07)
20. Texas (3:06)
21. New Hampshire (3:04)
22. Wyoming (3:03)
23. New York (3:01)
24. Pennsylvania (2:58)
25. Maine (2:58)
26. Washington (2:51)
27. Iowa (2:50)
28. Illinois (2:49)
29. North Carolina (2:47)
30. Tennessee (2:46)
31. Kansas (2:38)
32. California (2:38)
33. Massachusetts (2:31)
34. Florida (2:29)
35. New Jersey (2:28)
36. Indiana (2:26)
37. Virginia (2:23)
38. Oklahoma (2:21)
39. Colorado (2:21)
40. Minnesota (2:19)
41. Ohio (2:18)
42. Louisiana (2:17)
43. Kentucky (2:14)
44. Arkansas (2:08)
45. District of Columbia (2:08)
46. Nevada (2:07)
47. Georgia (2:07)
48. Montana (2:03)
49. Vermont (1:48)
50. South Dakota (1:30)
51. Alaska (1:21)

Precisely how long sexual intercourse should last can vary from one couple to the next, i.e. what is satisfying for one couple may not be satisfactory for another. The 2009 study ‘Canadian and American Sex Therapists’ Perceptions of Normal and Abnormal Ejaculatory Latencies: How Long Should Intercourse Last?’, determined that sexual intercourse usually ranges from three to seven minutes on average and another study found the average time was five and a half minutes from the moment of penetration to ejaculation.

For a man to ejaculate prior to or within a minute of penetration, this is usually deemed to be a genuine medical condition requiring treatment through over the counter products such as Stud 100 spray and/or the prescription-only medication Priligy – the latter works to prolong a man’s sexual performance by an average of 200% to 300%.

As highlighted earlier, sometimes a man’s premature ejaculation problems are so severe that sex is a seemingly impossible task as he ejaculated before entering the vagina. This can be hugely damaging for a man’s self-confidence, and frustrating for both partners especially if they are trying for a baby.

Could diet soft drinks cause heart attacks and strokes?

The diet sugar-free soft drink…often seen as a beneficial tool in the quest for weight loss and a staple in the diet of many people trying to lose weight that may have a sweet tooth. With almost zero calories and apparently none of the spoonfuls of sugar that has been lumped into their full-sugared counterparts, diet drinks are almost too good to be true.

However, this too good to be true mantra, may actually be fitting after the alarming findings of a new study into artificially sweetened fizzy drinks and the impact they can have on our body.

Worryingly, those people who are drinking two or more diet soft drinks each day may be a staggering 50% more likely to die because heart disease. This conclusion was arrived at after health experts looked at the diet drink consumption of nearly 60,000 people taking part in the women’s health initiative, a long-term US study into the cardiovascular health of post-menopausal women.

The average age of the women was calculated at 62.8 and all women must have had no prior history of cardiovascular problems to be involved in the study.

Through a questionnaire, women were asked to document how many diet drinks they drank over a duration of three months, with a drink being taken as a 12oz (355ml) sized beverage including diet soft and fruit drinks.

The researchers tracked the women for an average follow-up time of about 9 years, variety of negative outcomes occurred in 8.5% of those who drank at least two diet drinks each day. These negative outcomes included: coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, heart attack, ischemic stroke, peripheral arterial disease and cardiovascular death.

In contrast, negative outcomes occurred in 6.9% of the women who drank between five and seven drinks each week, within 6.8% that had drank one to four drinks per week, and 7.2% drinking between zero and three diet drinks each month.

“Our findings are in line with and extend data from previous studies showing an association between diet drinks and metabolic syndrome,” commented Dr Ankur Vyas, of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, lead investigator of the study. The syndrome has been linked to a number of risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.

“We only found an association, so we can’t say that diet drinks cause these problems,” Dr Vyas added, highlighting there may be other reasons for the link between diet drinks and a risk of heart attack and stroke.

Dr Vyas stressed that the women who had drink two or more diet drinks each day were typically younger in age, more likely to smoke, with a higher prevalence of diabetes, high blood pressure and of being overweight, adding that further research should be conducted to see if there is an actual definite link between diet drinks and cardiovascular risk.

Earl Grey tea as good as statins at fighting heart disease?

Every office has that one person who is brew-shy and will avoid having to fill up the kettle at all costs! However, these type of people may reconsider after scientists discovered that drinking Earl Grey tea could help to protest against the onset of heart disease.

The tasty beverage – a popular drink in television program Downton Abbey -  contains a fragrant Mediterranean citrus fruit bergamot, an extract responsible for the distinct taste and smell which experts found can be as beneficial as statins like Atorvastatin or Pravastatin in lowering bad cholesterol and ultimately lowering the risk of heart disease.

New research has shown that Earl’s Grey tea contains enzymes called HMGF (hydroxy methyl glutaryl flavonones), which work at fighting the body’s proteins that help to cause cardiovascular disease – something which is the primary reason for a quarter of deaths in the UK.

The study was conducted by scientists from Italy’s University of Calabria, who worked with concentrations of HMGF on the proteins that are responsible for ‘bad’ cholesterol and heart disease.
Writing in the Journal of Functional Foods, they said that a dietary supplement of HMGF could be as comparable as statin therapy in fighting low-density proteins (LDL) or ‘bad’ cholesterol, with the bergamot extract with HMGF working just as well as the medications after comparison.

Not only were levels of the bad LDL cholesterol reduced, but researchers also found that the bergamot extract also increased HDL, also referred to as ‘good cholesterol’.

Citrus foods belong to the heavily praised ‘Mediterranean diet’, something which adhered to,  many health experts argue it can dramatically lower the risk of heart disease. Food and drink from this diet that can aid health include a moderate consumption of ethanol – derived from the wine, low consumption of meat, and high intake of vegetables, fruit, nuts, legumes, fish and olive oil.

Bergamot has only been added to many traditional Mediterranean‘folk’ medicines for the treatment of wounds, inflammation and as an antiseptic, in addition to its boost for the heart.

The journal’s report said: “High cholesterol is a common health concern for us all and often statins are given to help treat the condition. Extract from bergamot – most commonly used in Earl Grey tea – reduced total cholesterol and LDL levels but there was an increase in HDL levels (good cholesterol). Therefore a daily supplement of bergamot fruit extract could be very effective for the treatment of high cholesterol.”

Cholesterol-busting statins such as Crestor (Rosuvastatin) and Lipitor (Atorvastatin) are currently prescribed to around 7 million Brits and function by raising good/protective cholesterol (HDL) and lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides. The higher your cholesterol level, the higher your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke due to your arteries being clogged up with the fat-like substance known as cholesterol.