Healthy Life

Difference between Generic and Brand prescription drugs?

“According to the US governing body, Many people think that generic drugs are unsafe or less effective than their brand-name counterparts, but they say the evidence doesn’t support that claim.”

“Are generics really as good as label medicines?” is one of the most common questions. Whether a prescription drug is stronger than a generic drug is not really a problem, but whether the particular version of the medication you are taking is giving the body what it wants is more essential.

Conditions for Generics

Generic medications must meet the criteria before they are sold in pharmacies. Drug manufacturers must show the governing body in the United States that a generic is the same as the same brand name drug. Among other specifications, Generics medications must have the same active ingredient, dose, and route of administration as the iterations of the brand name. Inactive ingredients such as colors, fillers, and coatings can vary because generic drugs often look different from advertised products.

Is the Generics same as the Brand-name drugs?

Most people believe that generic drugs are frequently cheaper in price means they don’t get the same dosage as they would. The US regulatory bodies allow generic drug makers to guarantee that the generic version of the active ingredient can achieve the same effect as the brand-name drug. Although the active ingredient in generic drugs is the same, the inactive ingredients may differ. The brand and generic prescription differs in the inactive ingredients but not the active ingredients.

Why Generics are cost-effective?

A pharmaceutical company has probably spent loads of money and a decade developing it by the time prescription medications get the US regulatory body approval and is commercially available. The money and time were spent on three stages of clinical trials to ensure the drug is safe and reasonably successful to be marketed for a particular condition.

Patent protection is given to the pharmaceutical company to recover its fees, allowing it to be the only company to market and sell the drug for up to 20 years. Further drug makers will compete once the patent expires. Generic medications cost much less than marketed versions because the work was not paid for by their suppliers. The disparity between 80% and 85% is average; some brand-name drugs are more expensive than others.

Can you switch from brand to generic drugs?

While many people will switch without any issues between the brand and generic forms of medications, there are certain cases and circumstances where it is not a good idea to switch between the brand and generic prescriptions. Several patients may be very susceptible to the various inactive ingredients, or they may have a state of safety that needs a very particular dosage to remain stable. Sometimes, the same generic drug may be made by several companies, but the inactive ingredients they use may differ. Furthermore, not all generic versions of a prescription drug are the same, so some patients may react to one generic version of medication differently from another.

5 Foods to Avoid If You Have Acne

“Acne vulgaris affects 80 percent of Americans during their lifetime at some point. 20 percent of them have severe acne which can lead to permanent physical and mental scars.”

As Lorde and everybody else living with acute acne know, sometimes you might slap on your face with whatever products you want, and that won’t help.

While you cannot get acne from a poor diet – that’s hereditary, it can activate, spur, and intensify the skin problem. Below are the reasons to have acne.

1. Sugar –

A low-glycemic (GI) diet-one low in both natural and processed sugars-is the best way to reduce inflammation and hormonal fluctuations. It’s good to say sayonara to pastries and gelato (nobody ever said that, but right in this case). And if the acne is rife, weaning off natural sweeteners such as honey and fruit juices will help regulate sugar levels as well.

2. Skim Milk –

A study by the Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology found a connection between skim milk consumption and acne in adolescents. They compared full-fat milk to skimmed milk, and the results showed, surprisingly, that skim had a negative outcome on the skin problems of teens. So almond/coconut milk is the best.

Related article: 6 Tips to Stop the Urge of Smoking

3. Dairy Products –

The issue with the best food category ever to occur is that the cow’s milk is often obtained from pregnant cows and includes progesterone, a high level of female hormone. This can throw the hormonal balance off and trigger acne. Also, a 2014 survey conducted by the Australian Statistics Bureau found that a higher number of people were intolerant to lactose (4.5 percent) than gluten (2.5 percent) and shellfish (2.0 percent). It suggests you might be milky intolerant without even realizing it and eating things you are intolerant to heighten inflammation, which can result in damaged skin. And that’s the explanation we can’t have nice things.

4. Chicken –

You may want to suggest taking off excessive amounts of chicken (and meats in general while your skin is suffering) as the same cause as dairy. Chicken and meat foods with artificial hormones, along with those that occur naturally, are bad news for inflammatory cystic acne sufferers when eaten unnecessarily.

5. Coffee –

So, we are here. This would be your last favorite. Your latte or long black morning may give you an adrenaline “rush,” but it pumps up your cortisol (stress hormones) levels as well. This sets off a chain reaction that makes the oil glands of your skin amp up so that you look extra shiny, putting you at risk of congestion. If you consume sufficient cups of coffee to impact your sleeping habits (whoa, girl), this will interrupt your skin cycle and healing ability. Feed yourself a few days a week, with herbal teas.

6 Simple Exercises for Knee Pain

“Knees top the list of common problem areas for pain, along with the legs, neck, and back, according to James Rippe, MD, a cardiologist, and joint pain specialist.”

Experiencing weak in the knees is only a good thing until the new Tinder date is over. Witnessing joint pain is an entirely different feeling — and one that isn’t quite as pleasant.

A variety of factors may cause knee pain, including a short-term injury, by bending the ankle in the wrong way during exercise. It may also be a sign of your joint cartilage weakening from high impact activities over time, such as running on cement.

After every workout, try to do these 6 stretches to keep your knees healthy now and in the long term.

1. Wall Calf Stretch –

Throughout our stretching practices, the calf muscles are often overlooked. Nevertheless, the calf stretches are essential for those who jog, perform high-impact exercises, or spend a lot of time on their feet. Calves can become extremely tight due to damage and need to be stretched to relieve the discomfort that may reach up to the knee. Find a wall against which you can lean. Facing the wall, pull your right foot, and put your heel right where the wall meets the floor. It would be best if you lifted your toes while your heel stays on the surface. Hold your feet as straight as possible on the floor, and your leg turned into your front side, keeping the stretch to its deepest point. Turn in at a time before releasing for 5 seconds and work to deepen the stretch.

2. Calf smash with lacrosse ball –

This stretching will enable you to work out tension in your calf and hamstring. Lie down on the floor and place your right foot toward your bottom so that your knee is bent. Tuck a lacrosse ball (or a yoga/massage ball) in the space between your right knee, sandwiching it between your hamstring and your calf. By bringing the shin towards you, establish a “compression pressure” and then rotate your foot in simultaneous circular motions to help create room inside your knee joint. Repeat until you experience relaxing tightness in these places, and then change the side.

3. Half-kneel hip and quad stretch –

Not only does this stretch feel awesome, but it also does double-duty for your hip and quad muscles. Kneel on one knee in front of you with your other foot firmly on the floor. Make an angle of 90 degrees with both legs. Face forward towards your front leg and extend out the front of your thigh facing down. First, take your back leg’s ankle and pull it up to your butt for a wide hamstring and hip stretch down your leg’s front to your knee. Based on your tightness level, step in and out of this cycle for 10–15 reps or more.

4. Quad foam roller stretch –

Stretching your quads is essential, as quads are adaptively short of every sitting that most of us do every day. Often, they are under constant tension. To get this large group of muscles are back to function at its best. Lay face down. Place a foam roller beneath the right leg, just below your quad. Put on most of your body mass on the leg, and rotate slowly. Instead of simply rolling up and down, it is better to move the leg from side to side, concentrating on the closer muscle areas. Switch the legs and Continue to roll until that feeling is not stressful anymore. If that’s unlikely (as some cyclists might have it), do it for at least 5 minutes.

5. Wall hamstring stretch –

The hamstring muscles have more impact on your knee than you might expect and can cause discomfort or pain. Lie face-up flat on the ground with your left leg, foot flexed. Take your right leg and hold it up straight on a wall or desk, or by using a band of resistance. This flex will begin in your knee and radiate down to the back of your leg. Once you have found the deepest point in the stretch, switch between contracting and relaxing your right foot in 5-second cycles. Grab your right ankle, then move it towards yourself, if your body is flexible. If you still feel stiff, aim for 10–15 rounds of 5-second stays and proceed. Repeat the same with your left leg.

6. Straight-leg raise –

Simple exercises like leg raise put very little strain on your knee but trigger and strengthen your quadriceps as well. Lay face-up in front of you with one knee bent and the other hip on the concrete. Lift your straight leg about 1 foot, turning it outwards (thus raising the toes on a diagonal instead of straight up to the roof). Do three sets of 10–15 reps, alternate legs. When you get stronger than before, carry up to 10 pounds of ankle weights.

How to avoid buying fake prescription drugs?

“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you bring with you all the drugs that you think you will need during your trip, rather than buying them while you are traveling.”

Falsified drugs are medications manufactured using ingredients that may be ineffective, inaccurate, or dangerous. Falsified medications are marketed and branded as brand-name drugs or generic drugs. Fake advertising is to make you think you’re purchasing a real item.

Risks that counterfeit prescription drugs can cause:

If you use a falsified medicine, you may be at risk for serious health problems, including unforeseen side effects, allergic reactions, or a worsening of your health. This can arise because a falsified drug can:

Be tainted by harmful substances.
It may have the incorrect active ingredient that may not cure your condition.
Create unwanted side effects that have too little or no active ingredient to treat your condition.
Having too many active ingredients can induce unnecessary and potentially hazardous side effects.
The drugs may be wrapped in bogus packaging that may have wrong directions on how to use the drug.

How do falsified medications look like?

A falsified medicine can look like the medication’s genuine copy. Sadly, the only way to determine that it was counterfeit is by running a chemical test in a facility. There are, indeed, certain signs that your prescription may be falsified. Falsified tablets, for example, may:

Have a pungent smell, flavor, or color.
Break down very quickly or be broken or chipped.
In poor quality packets with badly spelled labels or labels with instructions that are incorrect.
It may seem to cost very little, especially compared to the normal price of that particular drug.

How will you identify that the drugs you are using are counterfeit?

If you’re worried about having a falsified drug, don’t try it. Show the drug to the pharmacist; the person who is most acquainted with the nature of the product and its labeling.

Your pharmacist will know if your prescription medication manufacturer has recently changed the drug’s appearance, flavor, or packaging. In particular, if your prescription has moved from one generic drug maker to another generic drug company, the medication’s color or design might vary. In this situation, the pharmacist will be able to verify that your prescription is not falsified and clarify the switch.

Where do the falsified drugs come from?

According to the U.S. regulatory body, counterfeiting of medicines happens less often in the U.S. than in other nations due to regulations regulating the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of drugs, and strict enforcement against violators.

The major source for counterfeits was purchasing drugs from illegal online pharmacies in the U.S. Falsified narcotics often reach the U.S. by trafficking and are brought into the country by tourists who purchase the medication while on vacation or business trips.

What can you do to avoid these counterfeit drugs?

There are several steps you can do to shield yourself from the dangers of falsified medications, including:

Purchase your prescription drugs from approved drug stores in the U.S. Although it is probable, counterfeiting is uncommon for drugs bought at a legitimate U.S. pharmacy.
When purchasing drugs on the Internet, be very patient. If you choose to purchase medicines online, search for websites with the seal of Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS). These are accredited stores where you can legally purchase US body-approved drugs. The VIPPS seal is carried by fifteen online pharmacies.
Know the medicine. Pay attention to the labeling, directions on how to administer it, and the nature of the product itself when you collect the prescription. If you have any questions, do not take the medication.

How to Stop the Craving of Sugar?

“Research has shown that one night of sleep deprivation can reduce the upper cerebrum’s brain function – the part of the brain responsible for complex assessments and decisions – resulting in cravings for next-day unhealthy food.”

Were you aware that animal research has shown that fructose stimulates the brain more than illicit drugs? It, therefore, indicates that the animals would prefer sugar over cocaine. Cocaine! It is among the most extremely addictive stimulant drugs, and they wanted to eat more sweets – and in American households, pantries are filled with food loaded with sugar.

We urge you to reevaluate your so-called sweet tooth with this very worrying detail. Follow these tips to avoid the sugar cravings better, and check out how they work for you!

1. Eat more lean proteins and healthy fats –

Setting yourself up for growth by eating more healthy fats and lean proteins – the things that fill you up. Also, healthy fats such as nuts, avocado, coconut oil, and lean proteins such as turkey, chicken, and fish affect blood sugar less than carbohydrates, including sugar. Having food high in healthy fats and lean proteins, 3-5 times per day, decreases hunger and cravings for sweet products.

2. Eat Natural –

When sugar cravings hit, eat fresh fruit or natural sugar substitutes. In addition to getting a dose of sweetness, fresh fruit has the nutritional benefits of fiber and water. Organic sweeteners such as honey maple syrup or agave are also an excellent option for artificial sweeteners, which would do more damage than good.

3. Fill your life with a little spice –

The incredible benefit of adding spices into the foods you eat is that they add taste without increasing the number of calories. Choose spices that sweeten foods naturally to decrease the cravings for sugar. Adding cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, or nutmeg could be the right choice!

4. Move it or Lose it –

It is the best way to fight those devious sugar cravings by staying busy. It is less likely to succumb to the sweet tooth when you want to focus on one particular task or activity. Every time you get fascinated with a candy cookie, go for a stroll, contact an old friend, or involved your children in a board game.

5. Get enough sleep –

What is it that has to do with rest? Okay, if you think about it, you are looking for things that offer you strength when you are sleepy, drained too. For some of us, it could be coffee; for others, it could be sugar. Sugar is a great form of energy, which is fast and easy. But it causes us to blow up when consumed in large quantities. Do not be fooled-take some rest!

How to buy safe drugs from an online international pharmacy?

Have you ever been tempted to buy the drug from an online international pharmacy or from another website?

Take caution when buying drugs online to protect yourself and your family. There are many pharmacy websites that operate legally and provide convenience, confidentiality, and purchasing protections.

There are a number of illegal online pharmacies claiming to sell prescription medicines at highly discounted rates, often without a valid prescription. Such online International pharmacies often market drugs that are not certified or counterfeit outside the guidelines which regulated retailers obey.

Signs of a Rogue Online Pharmacy

Beware for pharmacy online:

Allow you to buy medications from a health care provider without a valid prescription.
Do not have a U.S. pharmacist approved to answer your questions at your fingertips.
Offer extremely low prices that seem to be too good to be true.
Send cheap medicine to spam or unsolicited email.

Such pharmacies also sell dangerous drugs because they can:

Treat the disease or condition with too much or too little of the active ingredient.
It does not contain the appropriate active ingredient.
Contain products that are incorrect or dangerous.

What makes the medicine effective for the disease or condition that it is intended to treat is the active ingredient. If the medicine has unknown active ingredients, it may not have the intended effect, may have an unexpected interaction with other medicines that you are taking, may cause dangerous side effects, or may cause other serious health problems, such as severe allergic reactions.

Know the Signs of a Safe Online International Pharmacy:

There are forms in which a safe online international pharmacy can be found. They are:

Require a valid prescription from a doctor or other approved health care provider.
Are licensed by your state board of pharmacy or equivalent state agency.
It provides the street address of the pharmacy.

6 Proven Health Benefits of Eating Seafood

“According to the annual Fisheries of the United States report released by NOAA, fish and seafood consumption in the US increased in 2017. The U.S. per capita consumption of seafood for 2017 has increased to 16 pounds from 14.9 pounds in 2016.”

The notion that consuming seafood improves your wellbeing is nothing new — human history is burdened with cultures that have lived on the diets abundant in fishes. Nonetheless, modern science also provides evidence to support the direct benefits of seafood intake.

If you eat seafood for weight loss, healthier heart health, lean protein, or just merely great taste, we all believe that eating fish and shellfish delivers all the benefits for people.

1. Nutritional Advantages –

Although fish is generally known to be an excellent protein source, there is proof that the advantages of eating seafood include a broader range of essential nutrients than you might think. They also contain a complex of vitamins A and B. Some shellfish, however, show excellent sources of iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that support the body in many ways. Often they are a fantastic source of vitamin D, a nutrient that most Americans are short of.

2. Seafood to lose weight –

While our diets are more than capable of supplying vital protein, fish provide it with far fewer calories and far lower fat content than meat sources. Studies show that dieters who substitute five beef or pork dishes with equal amounts of fish and shellfish may lose up to 4 extra pounds in one week!

3. Health Benefits of cardiovascular –

Fish and shellfish contain low saturated fats and cholesterol, suggesting as perfect seafood for weight loss, it is also a rare source of protein for a healthy diet. Moreover, the study has shown that consuming seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids reduces blood pressure and cholesterol, thus decreasing the risk of heart attacks, arrhythmia, and strokes substantially. The real surprise is that fatty fish offer heart-healthy benefits. Salmon provides a particularly rich source, but when it is not overcooked, even shellfish can contain the recommended daily intake.

4. Benefits from cognitive and emotional health –

Omega-3 fatty acids do not only support the heart but safeguard the brain. The facts show that consuming seafood improves young people’s cognitive development and retains neurological health in people who regularly consume fish and shellfish throughout their lives. Some findings even suggest the advantages of consuming seafood include safeguarding the brain against memory loss and life-threatening diseases like Alzheimer’s. Research also shows that eating fish and shellfish at regular intervals makes people less likely to suffer from anxiety.

5. Autoimmune Health Advantages –

The immune system often rewards from omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to strengthen the immune response while preventing adverse over-responses, such as asthma and allergies. The immune system benefits from seafood intake also contribute to diabetes, as it has been shown that omega-3 supplementation reduces the risk of autoimmune in children and adults alike.

6. Properties of Anti-Aging –

If you are not sold on the perks of seafood contained in omega-3 fatty acids, consider that they have been proven to counteract several of the fatal effects of aging. They maintain eyesight, reduce macular degeneration, and even promote better night vision. Regular consumption of seafood has also shown to be beneficial for your knees, including relieving the effects of rheumatoid arthritis. And our vanity benefits more than just eating fish for weight loss — the fatty acids can also safeguard your skin over time, defend against sun damage, increase moisture, and thus prolong the lifespan of your healthy, youthful glow!