Even the so called pure and natural bottled water that many of us consume doesn’t always avoid exposure of drugs in the drinking water. Whether you believe it or not, a lot of the bottled water being sold comes straight from the tap. Now, I am not saying that this is true for every manufacturer of bottled water because there are some ethical companies out there that do try to do their best to give us as consumer, natural purified water. However, many only use a basic filtration system or even the so called great reverse osmosis system, but they also get rid of the essential minerals that our bodies desperately need.

Some of these manufactures may have our best interests at heart, but the fact is many of the bottled water being sold doesn’t do us much good at all. You may be wondering how prescription drugs in drinking water is being found, so let me explain further about how these drugs in the drinking water are getting in to our water supplies in the first place. When people take prescription drugs, much of the drug is not absorbed in to the human body. So, the rest of the drug gets excreted out of us and flushed down the toilet. This water ends up in our water supply, of course it is treated and purified so that it is made safe to drink, but much of the traces are still left in our supplies!

Because more and more people are turning to prescription medications to heal there ailments, and because more and more prescription drugs are being released each year, more and more people are flushing traces of these prescription drugs in to our water supplies. On top of this, many people will have left over medication and so they will flush that down the toilet too. Many people are actually told to do this with certain medications, so that is adding to the problem even further.

If you want to have a source that does not contain prescription drugs in drinking water, then we suggest you use a quality filtration system that keeps the essential minerals of water, but gets rid of the harmful drug traces, contaminants and other wanted toxins that do our overall health no good. The best system for this are known as multi chambered carbon filters, as they keep the essential minerals, but get rid of all the harmful substances.

It’s not just the drugs in the drinking water you want to treat either. Because we shower, bathe and wash our vegetables with different water supplies, we need to protect ourselves from this too. The water we bathe in and brush our teeth with all comes in to our bloodstream through our body. That is why you need to think about having your whole house filtered for optimal health for you and your family.

By:John Collins 

The problem with the drinking water treatment facilities is that while contaminants have evolved over the last century, water treatment measures really haven’t. Back when water treatment was first implemented, it was mainly utilized for quelling the spread of waterborne pathogens. A lot has changed over the course of a hundred years,

Drinking water contamination has advanced along with mankind. As the industrial revolution brought about more and more chemical agents aimed at making life and work easier, the risk of poisoning the water became infinitely greater. Whether we realized it or not, we were slowly beginning to infect our eco-system and ourselves.

The drinking water treatment facilities were ill prepared for the influx of new toxins infiltrating our reservoirs. Chemical additives of all kinds found their way into our groundwater system, effectively filling our reservoirs with poison. This infiltration of poisonous matter was destined to negatively impact the lives of every citizen.

While the reverse osmosis system employed by the facilities had worked at least semi-effectively against most forms of parasitic drinking water contamination, it was not designed for what it now faced. The system utilized a filter made more for de-mineralizing than purifying. It was not adequate for the task that it was required to handle.

The drinking water treatment system was incapable of removing any substance that was of equal or lesser molecular weight than the water within which it flowed. This meant that anything of microscopic size, or any liquid elements were free to travel onward to the homes of the then unknowing consumer. It wasn’t until later that we would learn just how much this could affect our lives.

Currently, out of the 80,000 or so industrial chemicals in use, over 2,100 are deemed as having carcinogenic properties. Drinking water contamination is currently blamed for an average of 700 new cases of cancer per year according to a study done by the Canadian medical board. This has literally become an epidemic.

As drinking water treatment by the facilities has failed in protecting our health and well being, we are forced to take matters into our own hands. The purchase of a high quality purification system will rid you of the threat to your health that our reservoirs currently provide. You need four main elements in order to consider yourself safe.

Your first concern in combating drinking water contamination is to effectively block the chemicals entering our system. In order to accomplish this you will need an activated carbon filter, and a multi block. These will end any chance of further chemical contact.

Two other elements for effective drinking water treatment that are necessary are a sub-micron filter and an ion exchange. These will remove both the biological threat of bacteria and the danger posed by toxic heavy metals. Putting these tools into place as soon as possible is the only way to ensure your continued health.

By:William Manning 

Due to the advent of computer generated biomechanical studies of the knee and its range of motion, engineers have been able to design knee braces that can provide meaningful support without the need to visit an orthotist in a medical setting. These “off-the-shelf” style knee braces effective, and they can save you several hundreds of dollars. - Let’s put it this way, if you are wearing a shirt right now that fits you well, is it bad that it was not custom made? Chances are that you are comfortable with the shirt and a custom made shirt seems a little over the top. Right?

To support what we are saying, let’s point to a couple important studies. First, a study that was completed at the University of Michigan revealed that custom made knee braces do not prevent more motion of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient knee than an off-the-shelf knee brace. Moreover, after on sixty minute period of use, the custom made brace “came loose” more often than the “non custom” knee brace. Secondly, another interesting study at the University of Vermont (UVM) looked at four distinct knee brace manufactures and their effect on strain of the ACL during surgery. The results confirmed that “there were no apparent advantages of the more expensive custom-made brace compared with the off-the-shelf designs.” - In other words, just cause you can spend more money on a knee brace does not make it better.

Obviously, there are always exceptions to these conclusions. You always have to consider those cases where someone has a deformity, and an off the shelf knee brace just can’t fit their leg. Moreover some of the exceptions may be, but are not limited to, anyone with a traumatic injury to their leg that causes deformity of the anatomy. If a person has ulcerations, it is possible that a custom made knee brace will provide a unique fit over that of an off the shelf brace. When in doubt about your situation, always consult your personal physician.

By:Daniel P. Sims

One sweat cure that works wonders is Botox. Yes, Botox injections are good for smoothing out wrinkles as well as reducing sweating! Not only sweating of the underarms, but also the palms and soles of the feet. How does it work? Well, once you have booked an appointment for the surgery, you receive around 20-30 injections into the offending site, it is a relatively short procedure. However what happens is the Botox ends up interfering with your nerves ability to signal your sweat glands to sweat. This results in a drastic decrease in the amount of sweating from that area.

Botox is a sweat cure which will have you sweat free for 6-12 months at a time. Granted it will only be in the localized area where you received injections. Another thing to note is that this is somewhat costly. If you don’t have upwards of $600-800 to spend on this surgery then you might want to look into alternative methods. This is also somewhat invasive, although not as invasive as outright surgery, so trying out some more natural methods might be a better alternative to this treatment.

By:Renard Muldrake 

Caffeine and nicotine may be relatively harmless. We simply don’t know. But, if you have children, I would recommend that you only serve them filtered water, for a number of reasons.

First, some of the chemicals and drugs in tap water build up in the human body overtime. It’s referred to as biological load. All living organisms that are constantly exposed to low levels of toxins begin, at some point in their life, to have health problems.

Sometimes, it is difficult to find the “cause” of the health problem. Today, it is even more difficult, because we are exposed to low levels of so many different toxins. What is the root cause of ADHD? What is the root cause of learning disabilities? What is the root cause of cancer, diabetes and heart disease? How about metabolic disorders and chronic conditions like fibromyalgia?

Could any of these conditions be related to the drugs in tap water? We know that some of them are caused by other contaminants that are present in our waters. For example, exposure to lead causes learning disabilities. In later life, it increases the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. It is a factor in osteoporosis and likely in many other health conditions, as it inhibits our body’s ability to absorb nutrients from the food we eat.

Lead has been found in samples taken from many homes across the United States. Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD have some of the highest levels, but there are several cities in Michigan with similar problems. It is cause for concern in any home serviced by a public treatment facility or with a private well, because lead is, after all, a naturally occurring substance.

It was used to make pipe lines, but it was never used to treat a health condition. On the other hand, perchlorate, a volatile organic compound that is also naturally occurring, was commonly used to treat hyperthyroidism.

The state of California has a tendency to take a very serious look at environmental issues. They limit the amount of perchlorate that may be present in drinking water samples taken at facilities around the state. They have appealed to the EPA to take the same action all over the country.

Currently perchlorate is probably one of the drugs in tap water, since researchers have found it in over 800 different sites around the country. But, facilities don’t test for it, so we don’t really know.

We do know that the CDC found it in the urine of over 90% of children and adults that participated in their recent survey. Perchlorate causes dysfunction of the thyroid gland, which inhibits growth in children and causes metabolic disorders in adults.

The right home filtration device will completely remove the risk of drugs in tap water, along with the thousands of other chemicals that currently threaten our health. Make the right choice for your family’s safety.

By:Judith Pratt 

There are several products available online for bowel cleansing, some good and some bad. Since this craze began pretty much every Tom, Dick and Harry has come up with a new product to either sell or endorse.

It’s important to remember that each individual may have a different experience with cleansing. It is also important to remember that a colon cleanse is not designed to be a weight loss product but rather it is an intestinal flushing product. However, often people do find that they have ditched some unwanted pounds after all of the excess feces are gone. When a person does not have a healthy colon and suffers from irregular bowel movements they may be tired, have bloating and an overall run down feeling.

Most cleansers are composed of a blend of fibers and herbs that are supposed to promote two or three bowel movements per day. These ingredients would include such ingredients as Psyllium, Alfalfa, Pau D’Arco, Oat Bran, and Lactobacillus Acidophilus.

After you begin the detoxification program you may find that you have much better digestion, much easier and more consistent bowel movements, shinier hair, skin, and more healthy nails, along with an energy boost and less bloating.

By:Joe Simmons 

Others base their assumptions on “acceptable daily intakes” established by pharmaceutical companies. What I don’t understand is how there can be an acceptable daily intake of an unneeded drug.

We look to scientists and researchers to answer the questions that we have about things that are hazardous to our health, but when they are employed by pharmaceutical companies, you have to wonder about the legitimacy of their results. Those companies are largely to blame for the prescription drugs in drinking water.

They have an economical interest in making the general public feel safe, whether or not there is any actual safety. If researchers can prove that the levels of drugs in the drinking water samples pose a significant risk to our health, then pharmaceutical companies will be required to make efforts to treat their own wastewater, rather than pumping it back into the public system.

They will be required to come up with safe options for hospitals and individuals to dispose of unneeded or expired medications. Currently, they recommend flushing. That’s one reason that researchers found prescription drugs in drinking water.

Everything that we flush down the drain eventually works its way through our public works system and ends up back in a river, stream or the ocean. People who live closest to the headwaters of their source have the lowest residuals of drugs in the drinking water. People who live in major cities and near the coastlines have the highest. I guess you could call it a “trickle down” effect.

How about some answers from researchers not employed by the pharmaceutical industry?

The Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany stated that they had identified adverse effects from several of the prescription drugs in drinking water, even at the low levels that were detected. Some of the drugs in the drinking water slow cellular development. Others speed up cancer cell growth. And, still there are others that cause changes at a cellular level that increase the risk of developing cancer.

The percentage of deaths caused by cancer has steadily risen every year since national record keeping began in 1930. Right now, the risk of dying from cancer is greater than that of dying of heart disease. If we look at all of the different carcinogens that are present just in the waters that we use for drinking and cooking, the continued rise is understandable.

We have to protect ourselves from drugs in the drinking water. Environmental groups may eventually be able to convince the drug companies or the public facilities to do something, but I doubt it.

The prescription drugs in drinking water samples can be easily removed with the right home purification device. Install one and reduce your risk of cancer.

By:Judith Pratt 

Hold on a darn minute am I dreaming? Did I read that right, drugs in drinking water? What is the world coming to, if that can that happen then we had better take some action and protect ourselves.

How are these drugs finding their way into our drinking water, does the fault lie with the way we use and dispose of our medicines, and what are our elected officials saying or doing about this.

This article will investigate some of the reasons how this situation has come about, and the best way of making sure that when we drink a glass a water it is just that, and not a cocktail of unknown and dangerous pharmaceuticals that could pose a long term, health risk to us and and our families.

My research has uncovered some stark comments from people that work in the medical industry, namely hospitals, medical centres and clinics. It mentions the fact that it’s common practice that pills and other medications are routinely flushed down the toilet when no longer needed because of changes in patients medication and, it’s an easy way of disposal. Drugs found in drinking water have included antidepressants, tranquilizers and heart medications.

But surely that’s not allowed? Well you may be surprised to know that there are very few laws governing the safe disposal of these types of drugs. So naturally these substances then find their way into our groundwater and filtration systems, and ultimately to us when we drink tap water. Maybe the pharmaceutical industry should have or offer the public a program of safe disposal of old medicines?

These companies are clever at selling their drugs aggressively and doctors are prescribing more and more medicines, so don’t look for too much help from them. So, how about the government aren’t they responsible in some way for drugs found in drinking water?

Most governments are good at disguising or hiding the truth and I for one find it of concern that information that’s withheld in any way stops us in making an informed and educated decision on how to tackle this problem of drugs in drinking water.

So, whilst we have touched upon some revealing and thought provoking information there are certainly some other factors that play their part like the role of municipal water plants and the individual government agencies responsible for safe-guarding our water supply. Let’s hope we no longer have to wake up to headlines like ‘Drugs found in drinking water.’

By:Peter Foremski

2. Many individuals who suffer from a profuse amount of sweating are discovered to be burdened with high amounts of stress and anxiety. It is important to attempt to reduce any stress and anxiety that you may have in your life. For example, you can practice meditation or even pick up a hobby that you can enjoy to allow yourself some “down time”. Many individuals may even benefit from professional counseling services.

3. Many who want to reduce underarm sweating find that the clothes that they wear are causing the issue. It is important to select clothing that allows the skin to breathe. It is also important to ensure that you also select clothing that can allow you to feel comfortable and those that will allow you to move freely.

4. If you have tried home remedies to no avail, it may be best to set up an appointment with your doctor to discuss any and all alternatives that you have. The doctor may be able to prescribe you a high power antiperspirant, or even a medication that can assist you with your issue. Oxybutynin has been deemed as an appropriate drug in treating excessive underarm sweating.

There is no question that excessive perspiration can be a major problem for people. In order to get the best results diligence and patience are required, do not lose hope and continue to tackle the problem.

By:Benjamin Wise 

Back to my bone marrow…some poor kid in my old home town of Rochester, New York needed a bone marrow transplant at some point in the 90’s and were having a donor drive where you could be tested to see if you were a match. So I decided to go for it and see if I could be of any help. If you were not a match, you had the option to be included in the International Registry and I said sure….needless to say, finding a bone marrow donor match seems like hunting for a needle in a haystack and I was NOT a match….

HOWEVER, fast forward to December 2004. I am about 33 weeks pregnant with twins for my couple. Huge, uncomfortable but quite healthy. BP ok, weight ok, borderline gestational diabetes but, hey, what do you want? And I get THE CALL! Apparently the initial search through the donor bank pinged on yours truly. I was floored. Seriously. YEARS and YEARS had gone by…maybe a decade even, before this call and now I am soooo pregnant and am saying things like ‘can she hang on for a few more weeks?’ The woman on the other end of the phone, you see, painted the story for a 9 year old girl looking for a donor…in India or somewhere…and then there was me…in Florida. Erika was about to turn 9 and so my heart went out to those parents…parents somewhere trying desperately to save their child….and yet I was pregnant….for someone else…with twins!

I was considered an initial match and because they only test for 6 HLA markers when you join the NMDP Registry, additional testing needed to be done in my case. By testing for a basic level of HLA (Human leukocyte antigens )markers, they keep tissue typing costs low - so that they can add as many donors as possible to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry. I decided that I would give my permission to go ahead and order any additional testing that would potentially allow me to donate for this little girl. I figured that if I was going to be a match I would deal with that issue when I was contacted the next time.

As things turned out, I wasn’t the best match for this 9 year old girl. Figuring that I wouldn’t be able to donate ASAP due to the pregnancy and with the health needs of the potential recipient, the NMDP had to find someone else. (which was a little sad for me, however, ONE thing at a TIME PLEASE!) Because I had the additional testing done I am now in another category and am probably one of the potential donors that are looked at first for a match. Some day I do hope to be able to save a life in this very special way.

The reason I’ve decided to share this story with you is two fold. I think that it’s an interesting experience to be put in the middle of bringing a life or two into this world as a surrogate and being asked to save the life of someone who is already living. Secondly, I encourage all who qualify to be a part of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry. You could be the one that is a perfect match for another. YOU can make a difference!

By:Sharon Lamothe