How Do I Know if I Have Breast Cancer?

The most effective way to detect breast cancer is by mammography, along with regular breast exams by your health care provider. But medical organizations don't agree on the recommendation for breast self-exams, which is an option for women starting in their 20s. Doctors should discuss the benefits and limitations of breast self-exams with their patients.

Breast Self-Exam

If you decide to do breast self-exam, make sure to go over how to perform it with your health care provider. Premenstrual changes can cause temporary thickening that disappears after the period, so it may better to check your breasts three to five days after your period ends. If a breast self-exam makes you anxious or you have questions about how to perform it, consult your health care provider.

Look for dimpling or changes in shape or symmetry. This may be best done by looking in a mirror. The rest of the breast self-exam is easiest in the shower, using soap to smooth your skin. Using light pressure, you should check for lumps near the surface. Use firm pressure to explore deeper tissues. Squeeze each nipple gently; if there is any discharge -- especially if it is bloody -- see your doctor.

Any time you find a new or unusual lump in your breast, have your doctor check it to make sure it is not cancerous or precancerous. Most lumps are benign and do not signal cancer. The best test for distinguishing a cyst from a solid tumor is ultrasound; a needle biopsy may also be done. Have your breasts examined by a health care provider once every three years starting at age 20, and every year after age 40.

The American Cancer Society recommends yearly screening mammograms starting at age 40. However, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) does not recommend screening for women in their 40s. For women between the ages of 50 and 74, USPSTF experts say, women should have mammograms every two years. When you need a mammogram is a personal decision between you and your doctor. If you're over 40, talk to your doctor about when you should begin mammogram screening. Breast lumps can be identified on a mammogram up to two years before they can be felt.

Several tests can help distinguish a benign (noncancerous) lump from a malignant (cancerous) tumor. Because malignant and benign lumps tend to have different physical features, imaging tests such as mammography and ultrasonography can often rule out cancer. The only way to confirm cancer is to perform a needle aspiration or a biopsy and to test the tissue sample for cancer cells.

If a lump is found to be malignant, you and your doctor need to know how advanced the cancer is. Various tests are used to check for the presence and likely sites of spread, or metastasis. Cancer cells can be analyzed for the presence or absence of hormone receptors, and the Her-2 oncogene, to find out if the cancer is likely to respond well to hormone therapy, as well as to determine the benefits of anti-Her-2 therapy. Other tests can help predict the likelihood of metastasis and the potential for recurrence after treatment.

5 Things Young Women Must Know About Breast Cancer

Just a few months before learning that she had breast cancer, Christina Applegate got a shocking insight into the struggles faced by other young women also at high risk for the disease -- and who don’t have the resources of a Hollywood celebrity.

Because her mother had battled breast cancer and ovarian cancer, Applegate had been going for regular mammograms since age 30. “But when I turned 36, my doctor said that my breasts were just too dense for mammography alone, and he referred me for screening MRIs at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center,” she recalls. “After my second MRI, the patient relations woman who’d been taking care of me for years told me that a lot of high-risk young women were opting not to have screening MRIs because they couldn’t afford it -- they cost about $3,000 each -- and insurance wouldn’t cover it. It really angered me!”

1. Know Your Breasts. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in young women aged 15 to 34. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of breast self-exams. If you choose to do breast self exams, your doctor can review how to do them with you. (WebMD.com has an online guide; search “breast self exam.”) If you know how your breasts “should” feel, you’ll know when there’s a significant change that means you should call your doctor.
2. Be Persistent. If you think you feel “something,” and family or doctors dismiss your concerns because you’re “too young for breast cancer,” it might be tempting to believe them and not seek further answers. But you have to be your own advocate, says McAndrew. “The youngest patient I’ve seen was 18 when she felt the mass, and 22 when she was found to have stage IV breast cancer. She kept telling doctors that she felt something and was worried about it, but they dismissed it because she was ‘too young.’”
3. Doctor Shop. Don’t automatically go with the first doctor you see. And yes, you have time. “Most breast cancers are not like other cancers where you have to start treatment immediately,” says McAndrew. “You want a treatment team you’re comfortable with and that is aware of all the newer approaches, such as genetics, neoadjuvant therapy (chemotherapy before surgery), and looking at molecular markers of your tumor to figure out your individual risk.”
4. Research Your Options. “Learn about things like stage and grade, and what they mean to your treatment options,” Applegate says. “No question is stupid. Every question is important.” Good online sources for information, recommended by Applegate and McAndrew, include breastcancer.org, the Young Survival Coalition (www.youngsurvival.org), and Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE, www.facingourrisk.org), for women at genetically higher risk of developing cancer.
5. Network with Other Young Women. “Breast cancer when you’re in your 20s, 30s, and even 40s can be so isolating,” McAndrew says. “Look online and ask your doctor for connections with other women your age. Women with breast cancer are amazing -- women who’ve never met are connected by a doctor or a friend, and they’ll visit each other at home or pick someone up and take them to chemo. It isn’t a group you’d ever sign up for, but it’s a group that can make dealing with cancer as a young woman so much less lonely and difficult.”

Can You Boost Low Testosterone Naturally?

 you're looking for ways to boost your testosterone level, start by looking at your daily habits. "I never prescribe testosterone alone without talking to men about their lifestyle," says Martin Miner, MD, co-director of the Men's Health Center at the Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I.

Some changes that are good for your overall health could also provide benefits in helping to maintain a healthy level of this important male hormone.
1. Get Enough Sleep.

George Yu, MD, a urology professor at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., says that, for many men with low testosterone, poor sleep is the most important factor. A lack of sleep affects a variety of hormones and chemicals in your body. This, in turn, can have a harmful impact on your testosterone.

Make sleep a priority, aiming for 7 to 8 hours per night, even if it means rearranging your schedule or dropping your habit of late-night TV. Prize your sleep, just like you'd prize a healthy diet and active lifestyle. It's that important.

If you're having problems getting good sleep on a regular basis, talk to your doctor.
2. Keep a Healthy Weight.

Men who are overweight or obese often have low testosterone levels, says Alvin M. Matsumoto, MD, of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.

For those men, losing the extra weight can help bring testosterone back up, he says. Likewise, for men who are underweight, getting your weight up to a healthy level can also have a positive effect on the hormone.
3. Stay Active.

Testosterone adapts to your body's needs, Yu says. If you spend most of your time lying on the couch, your brain gets the message that you don't need as much to bolster your muscles and bones.

But, he says, when you're physically active, your brain sends out the signal for more of the hormone.

If you're getting little exercise now, Miner suggests starting by:

    Walking briskly at least 10 to 20 minutes a day.
    Building strength with several sessions of weights or elastic bands each week. Work with a trainer to learn proper form so you don't injure yourself.

Don't go overboard. Extreme amounts of endurance exercise -- working out at the level of elite athletes -- can lower your testosterone.
4. Take Control of Your Stress.

If you're under constant stress, your body will churn out a steady stream of the stress hormone cortisol. When it does, it will be less able to create testosterone. So, controlling your stress is important for keeping up your testosterone, Miner says.

Miner's advice to the over-stressed men he sees in his office is to:

    Cut back on long work hours. If you're logging lots of overtime, try to whittle your workday down to 10 hours or less.
    Spend 2 hours a day on activities you like that aren't work- or exercise-related, such as reading or playing music.

5. Review Your Medications.

Some medicines can cause a drop in your testosterone level, Matsumoto says. These include:

    Opioid drugs such as fentanyl, MS Contin, and OxyContin
    Glucocorticoid drugs such as prednisone
    Anabolic steroids used for building muscles and improving athletic performance

You shouldn’t stop taking any of your medications. If you're concerned about your testosterone level, discuss your medications with your doctor to make sure they're not the problem, and to make adjustments to your treatment if needed. 
6. Forget the Supplements.

Finally, although you're likely to encounter online ads for testosterone-boosting supplements, you aren't likely to find any that will do much good.

Your body naturally makes a hormone called DHEA that it can convert to testosterone. DHEA is also available in supplement form. But neither Miner nor Matsumoto advise using DHEA supplements since, they say, they will do little to raise your testosterone.

7 Muscle Foods for Men

Building abs and sculpting muscles starts long before you ever hit the gym. Muscle growth requires a formula based on drinking plenty of fluids and eating the right energy-rich foods along with lifting weights. The right formula will fuel workouts, repair muscle tissue, and help you sculpt your physique.
Nutrition Game Plan

    Fruit and vegetables are the foundation of all healthy diets, providing fiber, vitamins, minerals, and fluids. Vegetables contain small amounts of protein.
    Low-fat dairy provides high-quality protein, carbs, and essential vitamins such as vitamin D, potassium, and calcium. Sports nutritionists Christine Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, and Nancy Clark, RD, recommend chocolate milk as a good workout recovery beverage. If you are lactose intolerant, you can try yogurt with active cultures.
    Lean meat is a great source of protein, iron for oxygen transport to muscles, and amino acids including leucine, which, Rosenbloom says, is thought to be a trigger for muscle growth.
    Dark-meat chicken, compared to white meat, provides 25% more iron and three times the zinc for a healthy immune system.
    Eggs "contain all of the essential amino acids," Rosenbloom says. One a day is fine according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, but don’t throw out the yolk. According to Rosenbloom, "Half the protein is in the yolk along with other import nutrients like lutein for eye health.”
    Nuts -- unsalted and either raw or roasted -- are a good source of protein. They also contain vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats.
    Beans and whole grains are quality carbs that contain small amounts of protein for energy and muscle repair along with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.


Timing Is Everything

Timing is critical in muscle development because you need carbs and protein to perform strength training and protein and carbs for muscle recovery. The best plan is to eat a diet containing both nutrients and small amounts of healthy fats throughout the day.

“Consuming a protein beverage like chocolate milk within an hour after exercise will give muscle the building blocks it needs when it is most receptive for repair” says Rosenbloom.

If you will be eating a meal within 1-2 hours after a strenuous workout, Rosenbloom says you don’t need a snack and can wait for the meal to provide the recovery nutrition.
How Much?

More than half your calories should come from healthy carbs, Clark says. “Carbs supply fuel for energy and prevent protein from being broken down and used as an energy source. So always fuel up before working out.”

But be careful: It is a delicate balance of eating enough calories to build muscle but not too many calories, which can lead to gaining body fat.

Protein builds and repairs muscle tissue in addition to performing other functions, like producing hormones and immunity factors. The ADA suggests male endurance athletes get 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, whereas male body builders may need 1.6 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

“Two cups of milk contain about 20 grams of protein, which is the amount recommended to stimulate muscle protein synthesis," Rosenbloom says.

But most people don’t eat by the numbers. Clark advises her athletes to divide their food into four equally sized meals and choose three out of these four options: fruit or vegetable, grains, healthy fats, and calcium-rich or lean protein at each meal.

“The foundation of each meal is based on healthy carbs, with additional protein like oatmeal with nuts and yogurt, turkey and cheese sandwich with veggies, or spaghetti with meat sauce and a salad. These are all great for body building,” says Clark, author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook.

For a food plan designed just for you, consult a registered dietitian.
Get Muscle-Building Results by Fatiguing Muscles

The only way to build bigger, more defined muscles is with progressive resistance training -- gradually increasing weights and endurance. Use a weight heavy enough to cause muscle fatigue after 9-12 repetitions. If you can easily do 13 repetitions with good form, you need to increase the weight.

“It is the act of pushing the muscles past the comfort zone that promotes muscle growth and more definition," Clark says.

Strength training results show up quicker than aerobic exercise. “It’s encouraging to start seeing enhanced definition fairly soon after working out at least twice a week for 30-45 minutes," Rosenbloom says.

The exact length of time it takes to start seeing enhanced definition of your muscles also depends on your percentage of body fat. An extra fat layer around your muscles will not let the newly toned muscle show through without weight loss. Clark says gaining 2 pounds of muscle per month is a reasonable expectation.

Strength training is vital to building muscles, but it is also an important part of any fitness program and should be done 2 to 3 times per week for 20 to 30 minutes each time. “It is a great investment in your future well-being because you need to use your muscles or you will lose them," Clark says.

As we age, strength training helps maintain muscle strength, prevent osteoporosis, and decrease muscle and joint injuries.

Rosenbloom recommends going to a gym where you can work with a trainer to understand how to properly perform muscle building exercises to challenge but not injure your muscles.

Ovarian Cysts and Tumors

The ovaries are two small organs located on either side of the uterus in a woman’s body. They make hormones, including estrogen, which trigger menstruation. Every month, the ovaries release a tiny egg. The egg makes its way down the fallopian tube to potentially be fertilized. This cycle of egg release is called ovulation.
What causes ovarian cysts?

Cysts are fluid-filled sacs that can form in the ovaries. They are very common. They are particularly common during the childbearing years.

There are several different types of ovarian cysts. The most common is a functional cyst. It forms during ovulation. That formation happens when either the egg is not released or the sac -- follicle -- in which the egg forms does not dissolve after the egg is released.

Other types of cysts include:

    Polycystic ovaries. In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the follicles in which the eggs normally mature fail to open and cysts form.
    Endometriomas. In women with endometriosis, tissue from the lining of the uterus grows in other areas of the body. This includes the ovaries. It can be very painful and can affect fertility.
    Cystadenomas. These cysts form out of cells on the surface of the ovary. They are often fluid-filled.
    Dermoid cysts. This type of cyst contains tissue similar to that in other parts of the body. That includes skin, hair, and teeth.


What causes ovarian tumors?

Tumors can form in the ovaries, just as they form in other parts of the body. If tumors are non-cancerous, they are said to be benign. If they are cancerous, they are called malignant. The three types of ovarian tumors are:

    Epithelial cell tumors start from the cells on the surface of the ovaries. These are the most common type of ovarian tumors.
    Germ cell tumors start in the cells that produce the eggs. They can either be benign or cancerous. Most are benign.
    Stromal tumors originate in the cells that produce female hormones.

Doctors aren’t sure what causes ovarian cancer. They have identified, though, several risk factors, including:

    Age -- specifically women who have gone through menopause
    Smoking
    Obesity
    Not having children or not breastfeeding (however, using birth control pills seems to lower the risk)
    Taking fertility drugs (such as Clomid)
    Hormone replacement therapy
    Family or personal history of ovarian, breast, or colorectal cancer (having the BRCA gene can increase the risk)


What are the symptoms of ovarian cysts and tumors?

Often, ovarian cysts don't cause any symptoms. You may not realize you have one until you visit your health care provider for a routine pelvic exam. Ovarian cysts can, however, cause problems if they twist, bleed, or rupture.

If you have any of the symptoms below, it's important to have them checked out. That's because they can also be symptoms of ovarian tumors. Ovarian cancer often spreads before it is detected.

Symptoms of ovarian cysts and tumors include:

Ovarian Cysts and Tumors

The ovaries are two small organs located on either side of the uterus in a woman’s body. They make hormones, including estrogen, which trigger menstruation. Every month, the ovaries release a tiny egg. The egg makes its way down the fallopian tube to potentially be fertilized. This cycle of egg release is called ovulation.
What causes ovarian cysts?

Cysts are fluid-filled sacs that can form in the ovaries. They are very common. They are particularly common during the childbearing years.

There are several different types of ovarian cysts. The most common is a functional cyst. It forms during ovulation. That formation happens when either the egg is not released or the sac -- follicle -- in which the egg forms does not dissolve after the egg is released.

Other types of cysts include:

    Polycystic ovaries. In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the follicles in which the eggs normally mature fail to open and cysts form.
    Endometriomas. In women with endometriosis, tissue from the lining of the uterus grows in other areas of the body. This includes the ovaries. It can be very painful and can affect fertility.
    Cystadenomas. These cysts form out of cells on the surface of the ovary. They are often fluid-filled.
    Dermoid cysts. This type of cyst contains tissue similar to that in other parts of the body. That includes skin, hair, and teeth.


What causes ovarian tumors?

Tumors can form in the ovaries, just as they form in other parts of the body. If tumors are non-cancerous, they are said to be benign. If they are cancerous, they are called malignant. The three types of ovarian tumors are:

    Epithelial cell tumors start from the cells on the surface of the ovaries. These are the most common type of ovarian tumors.
    Germ cell tumors start in the cells that produce the eggs. They can either be benign or cancerous. Most are benign.
    Stromal tumors originate in the cells that produce female hormones.

Doctors aren’t sure what causes ovarian cancer. They have identified, though, several risk factors, including:

    Age -- specifically women who have gone through menopause
    Smoking
    Obesity
    Not having children or not breastfeeding (however, using birth control pills seems to lower the risk)
    Taking fertility drugs (such as Clomid)
    Hormone replacement therapy
    Family or personal history of ovarian, breast, or colorectal cancer (having the BRCA gene can increase the risk)


What are the symptoms of ovarian cysts and tumors?

Often, ovarian cysts don't cause any symptoms. You may not realize you have one until you visit your health care provider for a routine pelvic exam. Ovarian cysts can, however, cause problems if they twist, bleed, or rupture.

If you have any of the symptoms below, it's important to have them checked out. That's because they can also be symptoms of ovarian tumors. Ovarian cancer often spreads before it is detected.

Symptoms of ovarian cysts and tumors include:

How do doctors diagnose ovarian cysts and tumors?

The obstetrician/gynecologist or your regular doctor may feel a lump while doing a routine pelvic exam. Most ovarian growths are benign. But a small number can be cancerous. That’s why it’s important to have any growths checked. Postmenopausal women in particular should get examined. That's because they face a higher risk of ovarian cancer.

Tests that look for ovarian cysts or tumors include:

    Ultrasound. This test uses sound waves to create an image of the ovaries. The image helps the doctor determine the size and location of the cyst or tumor.
    Other imaging tests. Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) are highly detailed imaging scans. The doctor can use them to find ovarian tumors and see whether and how far they have spread.
    Hormone levels. The doctor may take a blood test to check levels of several hormones. These include luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, and testosterone.
    Laparoscopy. This is a surgical procedure used to treat ovarian cysts. It uses a thin, light-tipped device inserted into your abdomen. During this surgery, the surgeon can find cysts or tumors and may remove a small piece of tissue (biopsy) to test for cancer.
    CA-125. If the doctor thinks the growth may be cancerous, he might take a blood test to look for a protein called CA-125. Levels of this protein tend to be higher in some -- but not all -- women with ovarian cancer. This test is mainly used in women over age 35, who are at slightly higher risk for ovarian cancer.

If the diagnosis is ovarian cancer, the doctor will use the diagnostic test results to determine whether the cancer has spread outside of the ovaries. If it has, the doctor will also use the results to determine how far it has spread. This diagnostic procedure is called staging. This helps the doctor plan your treatment.
How are ovarian cysts and tumors treated?

Most ovarian cysts will go away on their own. If you don't have any bothersome symptoms, especially if you haven’t yet gone through menopause, your doctor may advocate ''watchful waiting.'' The doctor won’t treat you. But the doctor will check you every one to three months to see if there has been any change in the cyst.

Birth control pills may relieve the pain from ovarian cysts. They prevent ovulation, which reduces the odds that new cysts will form.

Surgery is an option if the cyst doesn’t go away, grows, or causes you pain. There are two types of surgery:

    Laparoscopy uses a very small incision and a tiny, lighted telescope-like instrument. The instrument is inserted into the abdomen to remove the cyst. This technique works for smaller cysts.
    Laparotomy involves a bigger incision in the stomach. Doctors prefer this technique for larger cysts and ovarian tumors. If the growth is cancerous, the surgeon will remove as much of the tumor as possible. This is called debulking. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, the surgeon may also remove the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, omentum -- fatty tissue covering the intestines -- and nearby lymph nodes.
    Pain or bloating in the abdomen
    Difficulty urinating, or frequent need to urinate
    Dull ache in the lower back
    Pain during sexual intercourse
    Painful menstruation and abnormal bleeding
    Weight gain
    Nausea or vomiting
    Loss of appetite, feeling full quickly

Other treatments for cancerous ovarian tumors include:

    Chemotherapy -- drugs given through a vein (IV), by mouth, or directly into the abdomen to kill cancer cells. Because they kill normal cells as well as cancerous ones, chemotherapy medications can have side effects, including nausea and vomiting, hair loss, kidney damage, and increased risk of infection. These side effects should go away after the treatment is done.
    Radiation -- high-energy X-rays that kill or shrink cancer cells. Radiation is either delivered from outside the body, or placed inside the body near the site of the tumor. This treatment also can cause side effects, including red skin, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue. Radiation is not often used for ovarian cancer.

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation may be given individually or together. It is possible for cancerous ovarian tumors to return. If that happens, you will need to have more surgery, sometimes combined with chemotherapy or radiation.
Further Reading:

    What causes ovarian cysts?
    Ovarian Pain: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatments
    The Basics of Infertility
    Functional Ovarian Cysts-Cause
    Functional Ovarian Cysts-Exams and Tests
    Functional Ovarian Cysts-Home Treatment
    Functional Ovarian Cysts-Other Places To Get Help

Vaginal Yeast Infections

 Treatment Overview

You have a number of treatment options for a vaginal yeast infection, including nonprescription vaginal medicine, prescription oral or vaginal medicine, or nonprescription vaginal boric acid capsules.

Only use nonprescription vaginal yeast infection treatment without a doctor's diagnosis and advice if you:

    Are not pregnant.
    Are sure your symptoms are caused by a vaginal yeast infection. If you have never been diagnosed with a vaginal yeast infection, see your doctor.
    Have not been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection (STI), which would require a medical exam.
    Are not having multiple, recurrent infections.

The risk of self-treatment is that your symptoms may be caused by another vaginal infection, such as a sexually transmitted infection (STI), that requires different treatment. If you may have been exposed to an STI, it is best to discuss your symptoms with your doctor before using a nonprescription medicine. Your doctor may recommend testing for STIs if you have risk factors for these infections.

For more information about self-treatment, see:

    Vaginal Yeast Infection: Should I Treat It Myself?

Yeast infection during pregnancy

Vaginal yeast infections are common during pregnancy, likely caused by elevated estrogen levels. If you are pregnant, don't assume you have a yeast infection until it is diagnosed, and don't use nonprescription medicines without discussing your symptoms with your doctor.

Vaginal medicine is used to treat a vaginal yeast infection during pregnancy. If you are pregnant, do not use antifungal medicine pills that you take by mouth. Also, do not use vaginal boric acid treatment.
Recurrent yeast infection

For a vaginal yeast infection that recurs within 2 months of treatment, or four times in 1 year (recurrent vaginal yeast infection), see your doctor. Further testing or a different treatment may be needed. If you have been using a nonprescription medicine for your vaginal symptoms, be sure to tell your doctor. This information could affect what treatment is recommended.

Recurrent vaginal yeast infection can be treated with prescription oral medicine, nonprescription vaginal medicine, or vaginal boric acid capsules, followed by less frequent suppressive or maintenance therapy over 6 months to 1 year to prevent reinfection.1

A vaginal yeast infection is not a sexually transmitted infection (STI). After having unprotected sex with a partner who has a yeast infection, you may have more than the normal amount of yeast in your vagina. But if after having sex you develop a yeast infection that causes symptoms, it is most likely because other factors are also involved.
What to think about

It is important to complete the entire recommended treatment to cure a yeast infection.

Vaginal infections caused by types of yeast other than Candida albicans may be more difficult to cure with standard antifungal medicine. For treatment-resistant infections, a culture of vaginal discharge is done to identify the type of yeast causing the infection.

Boric acid is usually effective for treating Candida albicans (C. albicans) infection, and non-C. albicans yeast infections that don't respond to antifungal medicine.1

Imhotep: The True Father of Medicine

Everyone in the field of medicine knows about the hippocratic oath.  The Hippocratic Oath is an oath traditionally taken by physicians pertaining to the ethical practice of medicine. It is widely believed that it was written by a man named Hippocrates, the “father of medicine”, or by one of his students. It is believed he lived around 460 B.C.- 370 B.C.  However, after taking another look at history some are of the opinion that the title bestowed upon this man is very misleading.  Records show that a man by the name of Imhotep was treating ill patients with modern techniques many generations before Hippocrates appearance in history.

Imhotep, not Hippocrates is the first physician known by name in written history.  Imhotep lived during the Third Dynasty at the court of King Zoser. Imhotep was a known scribe, chief lector, priest, architect, astronomer and magician (medicine and magic fell under this category.) For 3000 years he was worshipped as a god in Greece and Rome.  When the Greeks conquered Egypt they recognized in his contributions and adopted his methodologies in their medicine, and continued to build temples to him. 

Hippocrates was an ancient Greek physician in the Age of Pericles, considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is often referred to as "The Father of Medicine” in recognition of his lasting contributions to the field as the founder of the Hippocratic school of medicine. This school revolutionized medicine in ancient Greece, establishing it as a discipline distinct from other fields that it had traditionally been associated with (notably theurgy—the practice of rituals, sometimes seen as magical in nature and philosophy) and making a profession of it. It is significant that in a time of superstition, Hippocrates taught that diseases came from natural causes. He had observed many patients and carefully recorded their symptoms and the way their illnesses developed. He would look at the color of the skin, and how the eyes looked. He would look for fevers and chills. He described many illnesses including pneumonia, tetanus, tuberculosis, arthritis, mumps, and malaria.

While Hippocrates’ accomplishments were remarkable, Sir William Osler said it was Imhotep who was the real Father of Medicine, "the first figure of a physician to stand out clearly from the mists of antiquity."  Historical evidence seems to support this statement. Imhotep diagnosed and treated over 200 diseases, 15 diseases of the abdomen, 11 of the bladder, 10 of the rectum, 29 of the eyes, and 18 of the skin, hair, nails and tongue. Specifically Imhotep treated tuberculosis, gallstones, appendicitis, gout and arthritis. He also performed surgery and practiced some dentistry. Imhotep extracted medicine from plants. He also knew the position and function of the vital organs and circulation of the blood system.

The Encyclopedia Britannica says, "The evidence afforded by Egyptian and Greek texts support the view that Imhotep's reputation was respected in early times...His prestige increased with the lapse of centuries and his temples in Greek times were the centers of medical teachings."

It is therefore inaccurate to call Hippocrates who lived approximately 400 years before the common era the “the father of medicine” when Imhotep, who lived approximately 2600 years before him, practiced a type of science and medicine that was just as remarkable.

The road not taken

Like many American Jews in the last decade, I first travelled to Israel through the Birthright (Taglit) programme. In just ten days, the goals of Taglit had been met as far as I was concerned. Israel’s importance in my life had shifted from a country we always discussed in the High Holidays’ imaginary roughly the size of New Jersey to the beacon of pan-nationalist Jewish sentiment.

How could I not be moved by the stories of oppression and victory? The Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum? Or even the climb up Massada where the guide recounts the tale of how Jewish extremist rebels, known as the Sicarii, overcame the Roman garrison by committing mass suicide rather than becoming enslaved to those that had destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE. Upon my return to my college campus, Israel advocacy became a top priority winning me even a few more trips to Israel with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. I was able to meet analysts, professors, Israeli MPs and even Michael Oren, who now holds the key office of Israel’s Washington ambassador.

It wasn’t until a few years ago when I lived in Israel that I realised that the “only democracy in the Middle East” I had fought to uphold already faced much more of a touch-and-go reality.  Palestinian Israelis were second-class citizens. They received a bottom-tier education in state schools and had difficulty accessing basic goods and services. History books were filled with historical revisionism that negated any narrative about the foundation of the state of Israel that was not Zionist. The status quo and locked peace process was never our fault nor did we bear any responsibility. Everything became about “us” versus “them”. And whilst I understood genuine concerns about another intifada, it was then that it became crystal clear to me that Israelis were being short-changed by their government on the type of egalitarian country those kibbutzniks fought to build.

In the three-year period between the 2006 war with Hezbollah and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to the office of Prime Minister in 2009, the country operated in complete schizophrenia. On one hand, Noam and Aviva Shalit held countless rallies to bring their son Gilad Shalit home on Rabin Square as liberal Israelis condemned their government’s uselessness. While on the other, settlement building binged, American Jewish donors threatened to take away the funding from Ben Gurion University if professors like Neve Gordon didn’t keep quiet about divestment and Israel’s religious high court pushed to have more weight than the Supreme Court.

It was obvious to me, as well as my journalist cronies living in Israel at the time, that the tension could not go on forever. After all, two-way democracies don’t really exist. The belief that you can only reap the benefits of equality if you are actually “just like me and agree with me” is incongruous with a pluralistic society that establishes checks and balances by way of dissent.

And while we did foresee a clash between a right infused with religious Zionist (and racist) ideals and a more moderate Israeli society on the fence about its future, we hoped, or at least I did, that an increasingly globalised world would stop these precipitating measures. There was no way a modern country would give up years of working to solidify democratic institutions in order to maintain hegemony at the cost of recidivist policies.

Boy, was I wrong.

As Tobias Buck explains in his Financial Times article, three pieces of contentious legislation have passed the Knesset with a few more bills on their way.

“The first is the so-called Nakba Law, banning any state-funded entity – including schools and theatres – from commemorating the Nakba, or catastrophe. The term is central to the Palestinian understanding of recent history: it refers to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, when hundreds of thousands of their ancestors were expelled or fled from advancing Israeli troops.

Critics say the ban is a blatant violation of freedom of speech – as is the so-called Boycott Law, passed earlier this year. It introduces a long list of penalties for any Israeli who advocates an academic, cultural or economic boycott of Israel, including the Jewish settlements that, contrary to international law, exist in the occupied Palestinian territories.

A third contentious law again takes aim at Israel’s Arab minority, which accounts for more than 20 per cent of the population. It allows small rural communities to have so-called admission committees to scrutinise potential residents and reject them if they are deemed not to fit in. The law comes in response to a 16-year campaign by an Arab family, the Qadans, who were denied permission to buy a property in Katzir, a Jewish community in Galilee. The community was finally ordered to let them in, thanks to a ruling by the high court. The new law circumvents the judges…

…One widely debated bill seeks to clamp down on foreign government donations to Israeli human rights groups and NGOs that criticise the government and army; another calls for a massive increase in damages that newspapers would have to pay in libel cases. It has been denounced by the press as an attempt to silence critical reporting”.

These measures have even raised the eyebrow of the Anti Defamation League’s Abraham Foxman. Known for his unequivocal stance with Israel, Foxman wrote in the Huffington Post last month that these laws would hurt Israel perception abroad “as defending democratic values are crucial to Israel’s good name”.

I understood one day there would be a bifurcated path; on one side there would be the road to consolidating a racist state made for like-minded people that share your ideals, and on the other the democracy that political leaders on opposite ends of the spectrum, Rabin and Begin praised. Unfortunately, it seems like they’ve chosen to go with the former.

As Hagai El-Ad, the director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel said, the future is in the hands of voters. “Eventually, if the vast majority of Israelis do not want democracy, they will get what they want”, he said.

And as a diaspora American Jew, that is an Israel I cannot stand to defend.

Imhotep: The True Father of Medicine

Everyone in the field of medicine knows about the hippocratic oath.  The Hippocratic Oath is an oath traditionally taken by physicians pertaining to the ethical practice of medicine. It is widely believed that it was written by a man named Hippocrates, the “father of medicine”, or by one of his students. It is believed he lived around 460 B.C.- 370 B.C.  However, after taking another look at history some are of the opinion that the title bestowed upon this man is very misleading.  Records show that a man by the name of Imhotep was treating ill patients with modern techniques many generations before Hippocrates appearance in history.

Imhotep, not Hippocrates is the first physician known by name in written history.  Imhotep lived during the Third Dynasty at the court of King Zoser. Imhotep was a known scribe, chief lector, priest, architect, astronomer and magician (medicine and magic fell under this category.) For 3000 years he was worshipped as a god in Greece and Rome.  When the Greeks conquered Egypt they recognized in his contributions and adopted his methodologies in their medicine, and continued to build temples to him. 

Hippocrates was an ancient Greek physician in the Age of Pericles, considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is often referred to as "The Father of Medicine” in recognition of his lasting contributions to the field as the founder of the Hippocratic school of medicine. This school revolutionized medicine in ancient Greece, establishing it as a discipline distinct from other fields that it had traditionally been associated with (notably theurgy—the practice of rituals, sometimes seen as magical in nature and philosophy) and making a profession of it. It is significant that in a time of superstition, Hippocrates taught that diseases came from natural causes. He had observed many patients and carefully recorded their symptoms and the way their illnesses developed. He would look at the color of the skin, and how the eyes looked. He would look for fevers and chills. He described many illnesses including pneumonia, tetanus, tuberculosis, arthritis, mumps, and malaria.

While Hippocrates’ accomplishments were remarkable, Sir William Osler said it was Imhotep who was the real Father of Medicine, "the first figure of a physician to stand out clearly from the mists of antiquity."  Historical evidence seems to support this statement. Imhotep diagnosed and treated over 200 diseases, 15 diseases of the abdomen, 11 of the bladder, 10 of the rectum, 29 of the eyes, and 18 of the skin, hair, nails and tongue. Specifically Imhotep treated tuberculosis, gallstones, appendicitis, gout and arthritis. He also performed surgery and practiced some dentistry. Imhotep extracted medicine from plants. He also knew the position and function of the vital organs and circulation of the blood system.

The Encyclopedia Britannica says, "The evidence afforded by Egyptian and Greek texts support the view that Imhotep's reputation was respected in early times...His prestige increased with the lapse of centuries and his temples in Greek times were the centers of medical teachings."

It is therefore inaccurate to call Hippocrates who lived approximately 400 years before the common era the “the father of medicine” when Imhotep, who lived approximately 2600 years before him, practiced a type of science and medicine that was just as remarkable.

Iranian nukes would threaten Israel's hegemony, not existence

The bottom line of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency report on the Iranian nuclear programme, published this week, is that Tehran can no longer be given the benefit of the doubt. For the first time since the Iranian centrifuges went into action, the IAEA seemed convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that Iran does not seek nuclear energy for strictly peaceful purposes. They want the bomb.


It was presumably the IAEA’s diplomatic caution that prevented it from reaching this conclusion sooner.  To everybody else, however, it was as clear as day: why would one of OPEC’s largest oil producers seek alternative energy sources?  It probably wasn’t a green epiphany; a regime famous for its disregard for democracy and human rights is unlikely to champion equally altruistic causes like the future of the planet.

Iran knows full well, and so do its rivals, that possessing a nuclear arsenal would radically change the balance of power in the Middle East or, more accurately, create one – literally - because currently the scales are so tremendously tilted in Israel's favour, as the region’s only nuclear superpower. This is the main reason for Israel’s incensed reaction to the IAEA report: an Iranian bomb would indeed be a threat, but contrary to what the Jewish state claims, it won’t be an existential threat. It will simply be a threat to Israel's undisputable hegemony in the Middle East, one that has for so long enabled it to callously impose its will on its neighbours, great and small, and get away virtually unscathed.


Israel’s founders realised, from a very early stage, that nukes are the name of the postwar game. Already in the early 1960s, with the trusted help of France, its then closest ally, Israel invested a surprisingly large proportion of its meagre GDP in developing a nuclear capacity, despite having to deal with a towering external debt and the numerous social problems it incurred as a society composed mainly of newly-arrived immigrants. Cloaked in unfathomable secrecy, Israel’s nuclear programme successfully eschewed international attention as well as condemnation and, with America turning a blind eye, its nuclear arsenal soon boasted several dozen warheads. A long-standing policy of deliberate ambiguity, still in place, has served a dual purpose: unconfirmed rumours of a mighty nuclear arsenal have been an effective deterrent, while allowing Israel at the same time to escape international scrutiny under the Nuclear Anti-Proliferation Treaty, which it never signed.

The nuclear option is largely seen as Israel’s insurance policy against annihilation. Thankfully it has never been put to the test, although some would argue, with a good deal of justice, that a scenario of such catastrophic scale existed only in the paranoid minds of Israelis. But, as the cliché goes, even paranoids have enemies, and those were either unable or reluctant – but most likely both - to challenge Israel to opt for the doomsday option and let all hell break loose.


Similarly, once Iran produces nuclear warheads – a stage that is not imminent according to any estimation, including the damning IAEA report – it doesn’t mean it will immediately use them. If Tehran has learnt anything from the Israeli case – and the North Korean one, just as well – is that refraining from fulfilling your nuclear potential often yields better results than actually doing it. It's not a mushroom cloud that would appear in the wake of the Iranian bomb, but a bipolar Middle East, which would significantly limit Israel's hitherto unhindered room for manoeuvre. But the biggest losers would be the Arab states, caught between two warring powers that have traditionally shown little concern for their interests and welfare.