Infections or neurodermatitis often occur in the little ones. Fortunately, there are effective treatment options. More on that in this podcast. Just listen!

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Many people have trouble falling and staying asleep. A new drug has been available since this year for patients who suffer from sleep disorders for more than three months: the active ingredient daridorexant, which has now been awarded the innovation prize of the Pharmazeutische Zeitung (PZ).

Insomnia is very stressful for sufferers - especially if it lasts for a long time. People who sleep poorly are often tired, unfocused, irritable, and more susceptible to infections and other illnesses during the day. If the symptoms occur on at least three days a week for at least a month, doctors speak of so-called insomnia. Treatment is preferably with cognitive behavioral therapy. If this is not possible or if the treatment fails, various prescription drugs are available, but they carry a high risk of addiction: the so-called benzodiazepines and Z-substances.

There is no habituation effect and no possibility of dependency
From April 2022, a new prescription drug for insomnia with a different mechanism of action will be launched: daridorexant. There is no active substance in the body for the so-called orexin system, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle. The drug has proven its effectiveness and safety in studies: "It made it possible to fall asleep 20-30 minutes faster on average, to sleep more and to improve daily activity," explains Sven Siebenand, editor-in-chief of the Pharmazeutische Zeitung. PC). Furthermore, there were no habituation effects or signs of potential abuse. "Overall, Daridorexant is a real alternative to previous treatment options for chronic insomnia," explains Siebenand PZ about the Daridorexant Innovation Award 2023.

Ralph Hüffer, board member of Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Germany, accepted the award at the Medical Education Congress in Meran. “We are very happy about the PZ Innovation Award for Daridorexant. Daridorexant has been in development for more than 20 years. Our research has shown that it is possible to safely and effectively treat chronic insomnia and improve patients' lives," says Hüffner. .

Milk thistle is used for many liver problems because of its ingredients. It is said to protect against liver damage and support liver detoxification. It is also a traditional remedy for indigestion. Read everything you need to know about the effects of the herb and how to use it properly!

What are the effects of milk thistle? Milk thistle fruit extracts are best known for their liver-protecting and liver-restoring effects. In traditional medicine, the herb has been used to treat liver diseases since ancient times.

liver diseases

According to research, the claimed positive effect on the liver is based on the fact that milk thistle extracts stabilize the cell membranes and thus prevent cell toxins such as alcohol from entering the liver cells.

Melatonin is an endogenous hormone that regulates the day and night rhythm. Therefore, melatonin drugs act as a sleep aid for various sleep disorders. Read more about the topic here: Where is melatonin produced in the body? How does it work? What are melatonin supplements? how to use them Is Melatonin Use Dangerous?

What is melatonin? Melatonin is an endogenous hormone that is involved in regulating the day-night rhythm. It is also colloquially called the “sleep hormone”. But it not only affects sleep, but also has other bodily functions.

Various preparations containing melatonin are offered as sleeping pills - for example as a general sleeping pill or to help with jet lag. Some of them are officially approved as medicinal products for certain indications (see below). In addition, melatonin supplements are sold over the counter in some countries.

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After sex, a man just rolls over and falls asleep - a common stereotype. But do we really sleep better after we've just had sex?

Sleep disorders are also common in Germany. According to RKI research, 10.4 women and 7.6 men in the age group 18 to 39 have difficulty falling asleep at least three times a week. A total of 24.1 women and 17.8 men in the same age group suffer from poor sleep quality – the reasons for this vary. The use of sleeping pills is not far off. 1.9% of women and 0.8% of men take sleeping pills regularly – at least once a week. But what if there was a much simpler solution to the problem?

Sex or sleep - or both?

Current research is now getting to the bottom of the best way to combat insomnia: sex. Everyone knows the cliché that a man falls asleep right after sex - isn't that a cliché? First, the small study isn't just about men. Sex tires women too.

Reaching for a cigarette is no longer cool – and certainly not healthy. The road to sobriety is difficult, but at least the withdrawal symptoms can be alleviated.

Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable death, leading to countless premature deaths and many preventable chronic diseases. However, millions of people in Germany are unable to stop suicidal behavior. Smoking is an addiction. Addiction occurs at both physical and psychological levels and is defined in the ICD-10 as “mental health and behavioral disorders caused by tobacco” (F17.2). Patients feel a strong craving for the addictive substance and have only limited control over consumption. They take bodily harm for it.

Quitting smoking is definitely good for your health, regardless of age or how long you smoke. But for most smokers, it takes several attempts before it works - if at all. According to the present review, this is more likely to be achieved with varenicline and cicin.

Compared to placebo, vareniline increases the likelihood of successful smoking cessation by 2.32 times. This is indicated by data from more than 17,000 people in 41 studies, which were classified as very reliable. Twenty-six studies reported side effects that were more common than in the control group but were generally rare: up to four percent of those taking varenicline reported side effects, compared with three percent in the placebo group. Varenicline worked better than bupropion and also better than nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine gum or patches. This was reported by the Cochrane Collaboration.

The active ingredient cytisine increases the chance of quitting smoking by around 30 percent compared to a placebo, and no specific side effects were observed. The four studies with more than 4,600 people on which this result was based were moderately reliable. Adverse events were reported in three studies but not observed with increasing frequency.

Cytisine is a substance from the mullein plant and varenicline is a substance derived from it. The effect occurs in two ways: Substances bind more strongly to nicotine receptors than nicotine, but elicit a weaker response. It relieves withdrawal symptoms while weakening the effects of nicotine. The available research data could not be conclusively concluded whether one of these active ingredients works better than the other.

Quelle: DOI 10.1002/14651858.CD006103.pub8

Dreamers instead of heartburn: ADHD often presents itself differently in women and girls than in boys and men - and is therefore often diagnosed late or not at all. But how do you recognize ADD or ADHD in women? The most important features!

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is, as the name suggests, characterized by a combination of difficulty concentrating and hyperactivity, often accompanied by severe impulsiveness. ADHD often manifests differently in women than in men. Unfortunately, this often leads to sick women seeking help later and feeling that they are not just different, but "not enough".

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Many women are under pressure from morning to night. When chronic, ongoing stress hits you, you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and less productive—the first sign of burnout. In women, however, the disease manifests itself more subtly.

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In the summer, a lot of things go to waste. With the right tips, burns can be avoided and treated properly if necessary. Also with preparations from the pharmacy.

When can pain be treated on your own and when is it better to leave it to a doctor? Listen to the podcast about what to look out for when it comes to painkillers.

Touching another person can increase oxytocin levels — but it depends on the relationship and the context. The researchers found that not only do you hug, you hug when it matters most.

A hug from a parent, a warm hand on the shoulder, or a caress from a loved one are examples of how touch can strengthen social bonds between people and affect emotions. Animal studies have previously shown that the hormone oxytocin is linked to touch and social bonding. What role does oxytocin play in human social interactions and what are the effects of this hormone on the brain? has not been finally resolved.

Diet drinks often contain a mix of sweeteners that enter the bloodstream after consumption. As the current pilot study shows, sweeteners don't just affect the taste buds.
Sweeteners are substitutes that have a very high level of sweetness but have little or no impact on energy intake. Not only in the USA, but also in Germany, they play an important role - especially for people who love sweets but want to save calories and sugar. But sweeteners don't just affect the taste buds in the mouth. Recent studies show that they also affect the human immune system, although the underlying molecular relationships are still poorly understood.

Some demonize it, for others it is the key to smoking cessation: the e-cigarette. Who is right?
Transcript of the interview with Prof. Dr. Martin Storck on the topic: e-cigarettes. This is a 1:1 transcript of what was said in the video. Customer: What exactly is an e-cigarette and how exactly is it different from traditional cigarettes or other cigarettes?

Professor Martin Storck: In short: According to many scientific analyzes the vapor from e-cigarettes contains more than 90% fewer harmful substances. We are not talking about smoke here, but about evaporation, one also speaks of steam. So it is not smoking at all, while smoking involves inhaling toxic tobacco smoke. And I think that's the main difference. And there you can always argue that it is basically a nicotine replacement, in a much less harmful way, if not entirely harmless and by no means healthy. So you can't say that.

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What happens with good sex? Sex toys and role-playing games, or candlelight and intimacy? Research is now explaining the big gender blunders.
 
Every year since 2005, the well-known dating website Elite Partner has been conducting a detailed survey in which German singles and couples are asked about various topics relating to partnership and sexuality.

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The stress is great when there is a risk of losing a job, a close relative is seriously ill, or the list of daily activities just cannot be shortened. That's why many stressed people ask themselves: How can I lower my stress level?

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How exactly do automated insulin dosing systems work? And can you really rely on the technology? Just listen!

Especially in the cold season, ginger is considered a natural remedy. But can ginger be harmful? In three cases, too much ginger can be quite dangerous. What they are, how much ginger can be consumed per day, what other side effects can occur and what helps.
Contents
 
Can ginger also be harmful? How much ginger is allowed per day? Is too much ginger bad for me? Already in 3 cases!
Warning: Too much ginger causes side effects
I ate too much ginger - what to do? Conclusion: Is ginger harmful or healthy?
Anyone who wakes up with a cough and a cold often tries to get rid of these first cold symptoms with home remedies. One of them is a true universalist: ginger. The pungent substances contained in the yellow tuber have an anti-inflammatory effect and significantly relieve the symptoms. The spice was not voted Medicinal Plant of the Year 2018 for nothing! But can ginger be harmful? How much ginger is too much? What side effects can occur after use and how can they be mitigated? All answers!
 
Can ginger be harmful?

When asked “Can ginger be harmful?” most people would initially answer “no.” Because ginger is considered a natural remedy for colds and as a symptom-relieving food for arthritis, muscle pain or back pain. In the last three cases, it is used externally with poultices or gels, but ginger is drunk as a tea or eaten in pieces for coughs, etc. However, one should not forget that ginger can also have side effects – so you should not take too much.

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People with high levels of emotionality live in harmony with themselves and their emotionality - and they have six traits everyone can learn from.

Admittedly, feelings can be very stressful, especially painful ones such as grief, anger, jealousy or unrequited love! In addition, they often distract us and disturb our thoughts - or is it easy to concentrate on your work when you are newly in love? With that in mind, it's no wonder that our society tends to view people who let their emotions as their guides as weak and childish, while those who use their heads are seen as strong and successful... but only in that way seen!

High cannabis use is associated with certain mental illnesses. Using the example of schizophrenia, researchers are now showing how significantly the risk can increase as a result of heavy smoking.

Copenhagen - In young men, up to 30 percent of all cases of schizophrenia are likely to be linked to problematic cannabis use. This is what researchers write in the journal Psychological Medicine.