The health benefits of phytochemicals

(NaturalNews) Phytonutrients, the chemicals that help plants defend against environmental challenges, such as damage from pests or ultraviolet light, appear to provide humans with protection as well. Mounting research shows their effectiveness in preventing and treating a range of conditions including everything from cancer and heart disease to diabetes and high blood pressure. But current law dictates that if anyone advertises health benefits without FDA approval, it is automatically considered an illegal health claim, even for everyday foods, such as walnuts.

Phytochemicals are thought to be responsible for much of the disease protection granted by diets high in fruits, vegetables, beans, cereals, and plant-based beverages such as tea and wine, according to a University of California, Davis report (http://chnr.ucdavis.edu/content/Fac...).

Although it has become widely accepted that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses, scientists have only recently begun researching the effects of the different phytonutrients those foods contain.

Previous evidence has come from observations of cultures that eat plant-based diets and have lower rates of certain types of cancer and heart disease. The relatively low rates of breast and endometrial cancers in some Asian cultures, for example, are credited partly to dietary habits. These cancers are much more common in the United States, possibly because the typical American diet is higher in fat and lower in fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains, according to American Cancer Society.

Many experts suggest that people can reduce their risk of cancer significantly by eating the foods that contain phytonutrients, according to American Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/Tre...). Evidence shows that they may work by helping to prevent the formation of potential carcinogens, blocking the action of carcinogens on their target organs or tissue, or acting on cells to suppress cancer development.

Research suggests that flavonoids, the most diverse group of phytochemicals, may be a key phytochemical group that contributes to the reduced mortality rates observed in people consuming high levels of plant-based foods, according to the UC Davis report. In the Zutphen Elderly Study, myocardial infarction was found to decrease as falvonoid intake increased. Similarly, the Seven Countries Study, which compared the diets of men living in various Western countries including the U.S., suggested that consumption of flavonoids was responsible for 25 percent of the observed difference in mortality rates in the different countries.

University of Minnesota Hormel Institute researchers say phytonutrients could be used in effective cancer prevention therapy, so much so that they eventually aim to develop phytochemical-derived anticancer drugs, Dr. Sigang Dong told The Austin Daily Herald (http://www.austindailyherald.com/20...).

"In the future, personalized prevention methods using photochemical could have a crucial role in cancer prevention, especially in high-risk populations," Dong said. "We will continue our rigorous research in identifying molecular targets and aim for conducting human studies with phytocehemicals - this would provide the path for an enhanced approach to personalized cancer prevention."

Magnesium Offers Strong Radiation Protection

(NaturalNews) One would not normally think that magnesium deficiency can increase the risk of cancer yet we will find that just as severe dehydration or asphyxiation can cause death, magnesium deficiency can lead directly to cancer. It is known that carcinogenesis induces magnesium distribution disturbances, causing magnesium mobilization through blood cells and magnesium depletion in non-neoplastic tissues. Magnesium deficiency is carcinogenic, and in the case of solid tumors, a high level of supplemented magnesium inhibits carcinogenesis.

Researchers from Japan's National Cancer Center in Tokyo have found that an increased intake of magnesium reduces a man's risk of colon cancer by over 50 percent. Several studies have shown an increased cancer rate in regions with low magnesium levels in soil and drinking water. In Egypt the cancer rate was only about 10 percent of that in Europe and America. In the rural fellah it was practically non-existent. The main difference was an extremely high magnesium intake of 2.5-3g in these cancer-free populations, ten times more than in most western countries.

For all of these reasons and a hundred more, magnesium oil remains the number one item in my cancer protocol and thus number one for radiation exposure. Magnesium is our first line of defense against both.

"In the years leading up to Chernobyl, some dairy farmers in Austria were using remineralization as a part of their operations. They added rock dust to liquid manure as well as combining it with compost, thereby removing odors and greatly increasing soil biota. As a result, cows had twice the normal lifespan and produced much more milk. Amazingly enough, after Chernobyl, the cheeses that were remineralized (as well as biodynamic cheeses) measured no radioactivity whatsoever. Austrians would stand in long lines in order to buy these safe, remineralized products," writes Joanna Campe.

Iodine is obviously not the only substance that we should run to in the face of increasing radiation threats. Magnesium is a vital mineral whose lack leaves us open to not only radioactive damages but also those from heavy metals and thousands of chemicals, which we are commonly exposed to. Mercury and now a long list of radioactive particles are floating in the environment like invisible clouds that have spread out everywhere. They are raining down on us, damaging and damning our future. We can no longer be passive about building our defenses against the toxic onslaught.

Without sufficient magnesium, the body accumulates toxins and acid residues, degenerates rapidly, and ages prematurely.

Just about everyone who is writing protocols for radiation toxicity is forgetting about the importance of magnesium salts. Worse still are governments and the entire institution of medicine that are purposely ignorant about magnesium, so they cannot possibly be trusted for valuable health and medical information that will help us in our time of dire need. The need was dire before Fukushima but they did not want to admit that; they let the public get obsessed with CO2 emissions and said nothing about the mercury. Now with radioactive nuclides steadily building up in the background, we are in trouble than any of us care to admit. Today the situation has gone nuclear and there has never before been a need so great for detoxification and chelation.

Magnesium is a crucial factor in the natural self-cleansing and detoxification responses of the body. Magnesium is also necessary for effective chelation. It stimulates the sodium potassium pump on the cell wall and this initiates the cleansing process in part because the sodium-potassium-ATPase pump regulates intracellular and extracellular potassium levels. The healthy cell wall favors intake of nutrients and elimination of waste products.

The involvement of free radicals in tissue injury induced by magnesium deficiency causes an accumulation of oxidative products in heart, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle tissues and in red blood cells, leaving them more vulnerable to oxidative stress caused by radiation exposure. Both radiation exposure and heavy metals produce oxidative stress through the creation of increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS -- oxygen free radicals, peroxides, and singlet oxygen). It is known that these increased levels of intracellular ROS are sufficient to trigger apoptosis (cell death).

Glutathione is Magnesium-Dependent

Glutathione protects the cells from oxidative-stress-induced apoptosis and glutathione levels are magnesium dependent! "Glutathione is a very important detoxifying agent, enabling the body to get rid of undesirable toxins and pollutants. It forms a soluble compound with the toxin that can then be excreted through the urine or the gut. The liver and kidneys contain high levels of glutathione as they have the greatest exposure to toxins. The lungs are also rich in glutathione partly for the same reason. Many cancer-producing chemicals, heavy metals, drug metabolites etc. are disposed of in this way," says Dr. Patricia Kongshavn, former professor, department of medicine at McGill University.

WHO panel warns that cell phone use may cause cancer

(NaturalNews) Scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a group affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO), say that mobile phones are a "possible" carcinogen that may be a cause of cancer. The findings, which support previous research on the subject, add to the growing body of evidence which suggests that the electromagnetic radiation emitted from mobile phones causes serious health problems.

"A positive association has been observed between exposure to the agent and cancer for which a causal interpretation is considered ... to be credible," states the IARC. However, in the same train of thought, the agency claims that evidence is "limited" to suggest that mobile phone usage is linked to glioma or acoustic neuroma, two types of brain cancer.

In 2009, IARC published a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that linked mobile phone usage to an 18 percent increase in brain tumor risk. And because it was observed that such tumors tended to form on the sides of brains where mobile phones were primarily used, the connection between the two is even more striking (http://www.naturalnews.com/027448_c...).

Another report issued in 2010 by the International Electromagnetic Field Cooperative (IEFC) also found a link between mobile phone usage and increased rates of brain tumors. Included in this report is a Swedish study that found a 420 percent increase in brain cancer rates among children who began using mobile and cordless phones as teenagers, as opposed to those that did not (http://www.naturalnews.com/028078_c...).

With all of this research now available and the latest announcement from IARC, one would think more people would be concerned about the risks involved with the excessive use of mobile phones and looking for less-risky alternatives or using hands-free devices at the very least. But because the period between when a cancer patient is exposed to this radiation and when he or she develops tumors typically spans several decades, some experts claim that the link between the two is inconclusive and are content to tell the public there is really little to worry about.

Miracle herbal supplement proven to aid victims of cancer treatments

(NaturalNews) Big Pharma's drugs have failed miserably in helping female cancer survivors deal with quality of life problems that can linger for years after chemo and radiation treatments are finished. But now there's help on the horizon -- and it's all natural and appears to be free of side effects. Study results just presented at the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago revealed a natural combination of nutrients and phytochemicals were healthy for female cancer survivors across the board with a wide variety of problems.

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center scientists were looking for a way to help women cancer survivors who often suffer from sexual problems following their chemo and other mainstream medical therapies. So the researchers tested a natural nutritional supplement (which has been marketed for the last decade to boost all around well-being and balance hormones); the supplement had already been shown in a small study conducted at Stanford University to improve sexual function.

The Wake Forest research team conducted a double-blind, placebo controlled study and found the all-natural supplement didn't measurably improve sexual function in the cancer patients. But imagine the scientists' surprise when the results of the study were analyzed. They found the herbal/vitamin blend produced incredible results in other areas of the women's lives -- reducing pain, relieving insomnia, stopping nausea and boosting energy.

The Wake Forest research, funded by the National Cancer Institute, used a supplement sold as ArginMax for Women which is made from a proprietary blend of L-arginine, ginseng, ginkgo, and 14 vitamins and minerals. Many of these natural ingredients have long been used in traditional medicine to boost energy and circulation and optimize hormonal balance.

For the study, scientists at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist, the Derrick L. Davis Forsyth Regional Cancer Center, and multiple other cancer centers across the country recruited 186 female cancer survivors who were at least six months past their last treatment for any type of malignancy. The trial was strictly controlled so that neither the research subjects nor the investigators knew who was receiving the supplement and who was being given a placebo pill.

At the start of the study and again at four weeks, eight weeks and 12 weeks after taking the supplement or placebo, all the women completed two standardized questionnaires that measured sexual function and quality of life. Dubbed the FACT-G questionnaire, it measures overall quality of life and has been used in research of all cancer types to evaluate physical, emotional, social and functional well-being.

Amazingly, every single cancer survivor who took the herbal/vitamin supplement was found to have a dramatic boost in measures of overall quality of life.

"The group taking the supplements experienced significant improvement in overall quality of life, particularly physical well-being," Kathryn M. Greven, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Wake Forest Baptist and the lead investigator on the study, said in a statement to the media.

"Bothersome symptoms such as lack of energy, pain, nausea, and sleeplessness were all improved, as were measures of functional well-being, for example the ability to perform normal activities at home or work. Simply, they reported a greater enjoyment of life, without any additional side effects from the supplement."

Edward G. Shaw, M.D., M.A., an oncologist as well as counselor and principal investigator for Wake Forest Baptist's Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base, was a co-researcher on the study. In the press statement, he noted that cancer survivors can suffer from persistent inflammation (also called chronic oxidative stress) for years after chemo, radiation and other mainstream medical cancer treatments. The result can be lingering fatigue that greatly reduces the quality of life. Dr. Shaw hypothesized that the herbal and vitamin ingredients in the supplement used for the study counteract this process.

"Beyond managing individual symptoms as they appear, the medical community has not been able to offer cancer patients more global symptom relief. This research is empowering for the community of cancer survivors," he noted. "It is very exciting that we've found something that has the potential to affect and improve quality of life for female cancer survivors."

Lessons Learned from Sun-Exposed Skin

Few studies have compared melanocyte densities in inhabitants of areas with different levels of solar exposure. These investigators analyzed the density of melanocytes in sun-exposed, nonlesional skin from patients (50 Florida residents and 50 Minnesota residents) who had undergone Mohs surgery for basal and squamous cell carcinomas. They examined melanocytic density, confluence, pagetoid spread, and growth along hair follicles in paraffin-fixed sections stained by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Melan-A.
The two stains produced differing results: Mean melanocyte density per high-power field (HPF) was 9.3 with H&E and 12.0 with Melan-A. Melanocyte density was higher in Florida residents with H&E staining and in men with Melan-A staining; the number of melanocytes decreased with age in inhabitants of both states, particularly with Melan-A. Confluence was more common in Melan-A–stained sections (45%, vs. 24% with H&E). The researchers also examined these noncancerous specimens of sun-damaged skin for features characteristic of melanoma: Cytologic atypia appeared in 19%, follicular extension in 7%, pagetoid spread in 3%, and high confluence (3–8 melanocytes on the row) in 1%.
Comment: Often the pathologist needs to differentiate between increased densities of melanocytes in background solar-damaged skin and in the melanocytic lesion. This call is critical in lesions in sun-exposed, sensitive areas such as the head and neck, where melanocytes are more common than elsewhere on the body. Confluence, pagetoid spread, and growth along adnexal structures are also relevant for identifying melanocytic lesions. This study provides easy and reproducible rules for defining background (e.g., 9–14 melanocytes per HPF and growth along the hair <1 mm in depth). Comparison of skin at the periphery of large excisions in melanoma patients will be extremely valuable. A cautionary note for those who use Melan-A: Confluence can be misleadingly increased compared with basic H&E staining, especially in inflamed areas. Keeping this in mind will avoid overcalls.

Chemokines: Attractive Targets in the Sunburn Reaction

Injudicious exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation can cause very uncomfortable sunburns. Although several soluble mediators have been associated with the sunburn response in general, those responsible for pain have not been identified. To investigate this issue, researchers exposed 1-cm² areas of forearm skin of 10 healthy volunteers to UVB radiation at 3 times the minimal erythemal dose.
In biopsy samples taken 40 hours after exposure — when sunburned sites had maximal hyperalgesia to mechanical and thermal stimuli — polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array analysis revealed elevated RNAs of a large number of molecules, including cyclooxygenase-2; the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-24; and the chemokines CXCL5 and CXCL2. The investigators focused on CXCL5, which had the largest increase. Piroxicam, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat sunburn, reduced the increase in CXCL5 expression. CXCL5 is a potent chemoattractant for neutrophils and monocytes. In further explorations in UVB-irradiated rats, antibodies to CXCL5 attenuated hypersensitivity to mechanical pain and also reduced the number of neutrophils and macrophages that migrated into the skin.
Comment: Despite warnings against excessive sun exposure, many people still come to physicians complaining of sunburn. Little can be done after the fact to treat this problem. Finding that chemokines can attenuate sunburn-induced pain presents an entirely new treatment approach. Pain is only one aspect of the UVB response; determining whether increased CXCL5 causes erythema will be interesting. Investigating specific inhibitors of CXCL5 for effects on development of nonmelanoma skin cancers, melanomas, and actinic keratoses will be necessary before any clinical use. When chemokine inhibitors are developed and introduced, they will likely find applications for other skin conditions involving inflammatory cells.

Adjuvant Therapy Perhaps Not Necessary For Older Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer patients over the age of 60 with early-stage, hormone-responsive small tumors who forego adjuvant endocrine, also called hormonal therapy, are not at an increased risk of mortality compared to women of the same age without breast cancer, according to a study published Aug. 31 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The use of hormonal therapy has increased in breast cancer patients overall, and the 2009 St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference recommended hormonal therapy for almost all patients with hormone-responsive disease. But previous studies have not identified patient subgroups that might not need adjuvant therapy or those who without the therapy would have the same longevity as women in the general population.

To identify patient sub-groups who may or may not benefit from adjuvant hormone therapy, Peer Christiansen, M.D., of the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark and colleagues, looked at a population-based cohort of untreated breast cancer patients in Denmark. They identified 3197 patients with node-negative breast cancer from the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group, between the ages of 35 and 74. The patients were not given adjuvant hormone therapy or chemotherapy.

The researchers obtained data on the mortality rate of the general Danish female population from Statistics Denmark. The researchers then estimated the relative risk of death among women in the study compared to the general population by calculating the standardized mortality ratios, or the ratio of the observed number of deaths among patients in the cohort compared to the expected number of deaths in the general population.

The researchers found that the excess mortality rate in the patient population was highest for patients aged between 35 and 39 years and lowest for those aged 60-64 years. The relative mortality of patients compared to the general population was also greater for patients with tumors larger than 10 millimeters. The researchers write: "Age less than 60 years at diagnosis and tumor size greater than 10 millimeters were independently associated with a worse prognosis."

However, they also identified a group of low-risk patients aged 60 or older with mortality rates comparable to the general population. These patients had tumors or 10 millimeters or less and low-grade disease (grade 1 ductal carcinoma, or grade 1 or 2 invasive lobular carcinoma.) The researchers concluded that these patients might not benefit from adjuvant therapy.

In an accompanying editorial, Jennifer J. Griggs, M.D., M.P.H., and Daniel F. Hayes, M.D., of the University of Michigan, write that the study confirms findings from other studies showing that local therapy alone is adequate for treating older women with small tumors and that "adjuvant endocrine therapy does not reduce the risk of mortality in patients with very small, node-negative hormone receptor-positive breast cancer because the risk of mortality is already extremely low."

However, the editorialists add that overall adjuvant therapy is effective in reducing the risk of recurrence in the same or opposite breast and that many women will continue to take it for that reason. "Clearly, patient preferences regarding risks and benefits of endocrine therapy play a critical role in decision making, and high-quality information support is essential in these settings."

Breast Cancer Risk Drops When Diet Includes Walnuts, Marshall Researchers Find

The risk of breast cancer dropped significantly in mice when their regular diet included a modest amount of walnut, Marshall University researchers report in the journal Nutrition and Cancer.

The study, led by Elaine Hardman, Ph.D., of Marshall's Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, compared the effects of a typical diet and a diet containing walnuts across the lifespan: through the mother from conception through weaning, and then through eating the food directly. The amount of walnut in the test diet equates to about 2 ounces a day for humans.

Hardman said that during the study period, the group whose diet included walnut at both stages developed breast cancer at less than half the rate of the group with the typical diet. In addition, the number of tumors and their sizes were significantly smaller.

"These reductions are particularly important when you consider that the mice were genetically programmed to develop cancer at a high rate," Hardman said. "We were able to reduce the risk for cancer even in the presence of a preexisting genetic mutation."

The paper notes that dietary modification studies do not show whether benefits result from what is added to a diet or what is removed. In this case, adding healthy fat and other components meant that unhealthy fat was reduced to keep total dietary fat balanced in the mice. Hardman said other studies have clearly shown, however, that multiple ingredients in walnuts reduce the risk of cancer or slow its growth.

Using genetic analysis, the Marshall study found that the walnut-containing diet changed the activity of multiple genes that are relevant to breast cancer in both mice and humans. Other testing showed that increases in omega 3 fatty acids did not fully account for the anti-cancer effect, and found that tumor growth decreased when dietary vitamin E increased.

Hardman said the findings highlight the vital role diet plays in health.

"Food is important medicine in our diet," she said. "What we put into our bodies makes a big difference - it determines how the body functions, our reaction to illness and health. The simple stuff really works: eat right, get off the couch, and turn off the TV.

"The results of this study indicate that increased consumption of walnut could be part of a healthy diet and reduce risk for cancer in future generations," she said.

The study was funded by grants from the American Institute for Cancer Research and the California Walnut Commission.

How to Protect your Skin from Photoaging ?

It is almost a universally accepted fact that no one likes to age faster. In fact, people do not want to age at all! In order to stop or at least slow down the aging process, people try all the possible methods and techniques that could help them to win over the battle against the natural aging process.

But since aging is a natural and a biological process, it cannot be completely stopped. But you can still do lots of things and take many precautionary and preventive measures to slow down the aging process. Here we will discuss about photo aging, which is caused by excessive exposure to the harmful rays of the sun that is known as Ultra Violet rays.

Excessive exposure to the UV rays can make a person’s skin appear dry,with irregular dark/light pigmentation,deep wrinkles etc(1,2).It has to be distinguished from chronological aging which is characterized by fine wrinkling, certain benign growths etc (1).This is done by a dermatologist. These signs of aging are enough to make your facial skin look far aged than your actual age! The damage caused to the skin due to over-exposure to the harmful rays of the sun, in simple terms, is termed as photoaging.

Given below are some useful tips to protect your skin from photoaging and keep your skin looking younger and full of life.

We know that epidermis, dermis and the subcutaneous layer are the three layers that comprise the skin. And collagen and elastin along with the other fibers make up the middle layer i.e. the dermis and are significantly responsible for providing support, firmness and elasticity to the skin and thus make it look young and beautiful. Repeated exposures to UV rays lead to increased breakdown and decreased production of collagen in the dermis.The damage accumulates overtime and leads to visible skin changes(3).

One of the best and the easiest tips to protect your skin from rapid photoaging is to get adequate sleep each day. If you get sufficient sleep, it will provide strength to your dermis to combat and tolerate the damage caused by the Ultra Violet rays. Also, proper sleep stimulates and enhances your brain, and according to recent evidence even skin, to produce melatonin that helps in reducing the negative effects of the sun’s rays on your skin(4). So sleep well to fight rapid photoaging.

The next tip to protect your skin from rapid photoaging is to make regular use of the sun blocks. You must never step out in the sun’s rays without applying a good-quality sun screen cream or lotion. And it should be applied on all your exposed skin at least half an hour before going outdoors.

If you have to spend long hours in the sun then do not forget to reapply the sunscreen at regular intervals. Your sunscreen should have at least a SPF( Sun Protection Factor) greater than 15 . SPF protects you from UV B rays only. Check out the sunscreens for UV A protection as well.It will be better if you use a wide-range sunscreen as it is more effective in providing protection against all types of the Ultra Violet rays.

Another useful tip to protect your skin from rapid photoaging is to correct the photo-damage by using moisturizers with healing properties. You must select moisturizing products that include ingredients such as CynergyTK and Wakame( aka undaria pinnatifida). CynergyTK looks after appropriate restoration of collagen(citation needed). Wakame helps in evading the damages caused to the collagen fiber. It also stops collagen protein from declining through it's antioxidant effects(6). All these factors help in preventing your skin against rapid photoaging.

Increasing the consumption of food sources of Vitamin C and Vitamin E can also help you in protecting your skin from rapid photoaging(5,8). Citrus fruits and certain vegetables are superb Vitamin C sources. This vitamin works against rapid photoaging by promoting the revival of collagen in your body system. Also, it has anti-oxidative properties and maintains even and fair skin tone by controlling the production of melanin pigments(7).

Protective clothing has proved to provide the greatest protection of all(5).For treatment consult a dermatologist.

Plastic Surgery - A Necessary Evil

Nowadays, plastic surgery is extremely popular and more and more people choose to go through such a procedure because it’s trendy, because a breast implant may reflect their social and financial status, or just because they want to look like the celebrities who have done such interventions and now are on the cover of magazines.
But plastic surgery doesn’t mean just breast implants, lips augmentation, liposuction, facial lifting or many other procedures meant to beautify an individual. There are cases in which plastic surgery becomes a necessary evil. Sometimes plastic surgeons have to operate not just individuals who want a different nose, bigger breasts or a flatter tummy because of fashion trends, or to improve their job prospects, but individuals whose lives really depend on a certain plastic procedure.
Behind the mediatization, behind the flim-flam, there are real people who go to a plastic surgeon because their life is endangered. And this seems to happen almost every day. So, when does plastic surgery becomes a necessary evil?
According to specialists in the field, plastic surgery is necessary when:
- Someone has a decrease in mobility because of the extra fat deposited in certain areas of the body
- Someone has been scarred or disfigured through an accident or treatment (as a result of a mastectomy for breast cancer, for example)
- Women who have big and heavy breasts need a breast reduction surgery because otherwise they find it hard to breathe and have problems with their spine
- Someone has extreme facial features or asymmetrical breast size
- Someone needs scar revisions, the removal of birthmarks, and the removal of skin cancer - the most common form of cancer in the United States. Eighty percent of skin cancer exists on the face, head and neck, and the removal of these malignant growths is an intricate procedure that should be performed by a plastic surgeon to ensure that a patient’s appearance is not compromised.
- Someone needs a rhinoplasty, or nose job surgery, to correct or improve the appearance of the nose.
- Someone has breathing problems related to a deviated septum needs a septoplasty. Besides, reconstruction of the nasal framework also can improve nasal airflow when there is structural collapse.
Nevertheless, those who pass through such a procedure should be realistic and not eager to see the results over night. First they should wait and see the improvement of their health condition and then later on the esthetic improvement.

Be More Daring In Bed. Spice Up Your Sex Life

This article is dedicated exclusively to women, because when it comes to be more daring in bed, well, things are more like ‘easy to say, hard to do’. But why does it have to be so hard? Let’s be honest, girls, and let’s face the fact that we all have our complexes which are not easy to accept: small breasts or bigger breasts, cellulite on our hips or thighs, flat butt, belly and so on. So how can you be relaxed and daring when you have so many things to think of?
According to David Taylor, sexologist and co-author of the book Your Long Erotic Weekend (Quiver), a couple goes through three phases:
The first phase is narcissism - “I want what I want and I will get it.”
The second phase is the compromise - you sacrifice everything to maintain harmony within the couple.
The third phase is the most wanted - synergy. “Couples who reach to this stage have understood that they can create more intimacy between them by seeing their partner’s needs as opportunities to strengthen their relationship.” But in order to reach this final stage you must not let yourself down by the routine and let him do the entire work in your intimacy. You have to work to and be daring.
First of all, you have to do everything you can to feel better in your own body: go to a SPA, buy yourself a sexy lingerie and create a pleasant and relaxing (be careful not to fall asleep) in the bedroom. Wear your high heels, your best bra and some really sexy clothes, in fact as less clothes as you can. Stuff your pajama in your closet and go for a piece of lingerie that makes you feel hot and daring.
One of the best ways to be daring in bed is to stay open with the things you like. At first, it’s true, you may be shy or embarrassed, but once you pass over the fear of talking about what turns you on, you will find it easier each time and you will realize that things can work out as you wish too and that the pleasure will be for both of you. If you are always waiting for your partner to take the initiative, you may experience boredom at some point. Besides, there’s nothing to be ashamed of and taking the initiative for you, as a woman, is absolutely normal nowadays.
For instance, you can initiate an intimate moment in different times of day: at sunrise or even when you come back home from the office. It’s up to you to spice up your sex life: have sex in the bathtub, in the car, in an elevator or in a motel. It’s healthy an fun to experiment sexual stuffs and the pleasure is granted when you and your partner are equally open-minded. Even a talk about doing something new may be sexy because for most women, the foreplay begins long before getting rid of your clothes. It’s normal to feel foolish wearing a cop uniform or disguise in a medical nurse or to make him pass as the ‘cable guy’, but take it all as a play and you’ll have the fun of your life!

Diabetic Foot Complications: Four Tips To Prevent Foot Problems

There are currently more than 25 million Americans living with diabetes in the United States today. After years of elevated blood sugar levels patients often have diabetic complications. These complications include heart problems, blindness, chronic kidney disease and nerve damage. Foot problems are a very common complications of diabetes.
Patients with diabetes are at high risk for foot problems because of poor circulation and loss of sensation in the feet. These deficiencies leave the patient at risk for developing pressure sores, infection, difficulty healing and even amputations. The best defenses against foot complications is proper foot care and excellent sugar control.
The number one defense against diabetic complications of any kind is tight glucose control. This is achieved through healthy diet, routine blood sugar monitoring and exercise. To prevent foot complications it is best to invest follow these tips!
1. Find the Right Shoe! Knowing what to look for in an orthopedic shoe is important. Shoes should have thick, quality cushioning to prevent rubbing and sores on the feet. The insoles should be well cushioned to prevent pressure sores. The insoles should be removable to allow for orthotic devices to be placed in the shoes if necessary. Shoes with a low heel are appropriate for most patients. Select shoes with wide toe boxes to allow plenty of space for the toes, particularly if you have foot deformities such as bunions or hammer toes.
2. Find the Right Fit! Proper footwear should fit appropriately and should not be too snug. To avoid buying shoes that are too tight, shop toward the end of the day to account for foot swelling that tends to occur.
3. Find the Right Doctor! Make an appointment with a foot doctor, or podiatrist. Your podiatrist will show you how to do a complete foot exam that you should do every day. Daily foot checks insure that you will find problem areas before they become infected because often diabetic patients have difficulty sensing open wounds on the feet. The podiatrist may recommend using orthotic devices to correct foot deformities. This will help prevent abnormal pressure on the foot and limit your risk of ulcers, infection and amputations.
4. Pamper Your Feet! Wash and inspect your feet daily. Wear clean, comfortable socks that do not have seams or holes.
Follow these tips, keep sugars in good control and invest in quality shoes to keep your feet free from diabetic complications!

Diabetic Complications: Early Detection Is Key

Diabetes mellitus is a health condition that occurs because of disruption in the use and production of insulin. When insulin is not in proper balance, high blood sugar levels result. High blood sugar levels can affect almost all of the systems of the body. This is why the main goal of treatment is to decrease blood glucose readings to prevent diabetic complications.
There are many different complications of diabetes such as:
1. Cardiovascular Disease: The leading cause of death among diabetics is heart disease. This is why one of the main treatment goals for diabetic patients is to lower blood pressure levels. Blood pressure goals for diabetics are lower than for the general population. Blood pressure should be maintained at 130/80 for diabetic patients. In addition, cholesterol should be checked routinely to reduce the risk of formation of plaques in the arteries. Patients with high cholesterol should be started on lifestyle changes and statin therapy with a goal to reduce LDL to below 100 mg/dl.
2. Chronic Kidney Disease: Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney transplant and dialysis. Over time, high blood sugar levels stress the kidney and causes damage that is not reversible. Patient are often put on medications to help protect the kidneys. Kidney function should be checked yearly with both blood and urine testing.
3. Eye Disease: It should not be surprising that diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of adult blindness. Every patient with diabetes should be checked yearly with a complete eye exam to check for changes in the blood vessels of the eyes. These exams should start at diagnosis in type 2 diabetics and at age 10 in type 1 diabetics.
4. Nerve Damage: Elevated glucose also affects the nerves throughout the body including the nerves that are needed for regulatory processes and sensation. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is extremely common and is characterized by numbness and loss of sensation in the hands and feet.
5. Foot Problems: Foot complications are a large cause of morbidity among diabetic patients. People with diabetes are at high risk for infections and amputations of the feet because of poor circulation and poor sensation.
There are many different complications of diabetes and preventing them is not easy. Strict glucose control is necessary to reduce the risk of progression of diabetic complications. It is also important that patients have routine screening tests done to detect damage to the organ systems early. Through these methods it is possible to reduce complications of diabetes and enhance the lives of diabetic patients.

Can Depression and Anxiety Lead to Hypomnesia?

There are various factors or causes that lead to depression and anxiety. Depression can be triggered by an event or genetic factors. Anxiety disorder, meanwhile, can affect daily functions. There are social situations or conditions which can create a lot of pressure and make people uncomfortable, leaving them with bouts with anxiety.
When depression and anxiety happens together, the situation can be extremely stressful and sometimes can cause hypomnesia. Hypomnesia is a term often referred to as poor memory or the inability of a person to recall previously memorized information.
The stress and panic that a person feels during episodes and depression and anxiety, can affect certain areas of the brain and lead to temporary memory slips. But hypomnesia caused by depression and anxiety can be treated, when depression and anxiety is also treated.
There are different forms of treatment for depression. Making some lifestyle changes will not only ease depression, but can also improve a person's memory. Bipolar 1, where a patient experiences a cycle of mania and depression, can cause a person to temporary lose memory and experience hallucinations. To address depression, sufferers are recommended to:
· Exercise. Physical activity does not only help the body produce feel-good chemicals, but is also a great way of improving memory.
· Sleep. Getting enough hours of sleep everyday is also a great memory enhancer. Poor sleep or lack of sleep can affect the part of the brain responsible for storing long-term memories.
· Proper nutrition. There are "brain" foods which will also benefit your brain and at the same time help ease depression.
Meanwhile, anxiety is characterized by fear and worry. Whenever a person experiences an anxiety attack, the first thing that a person should do is relax. Simple methods can help a person relax such as:
· Breathing exercises. Breathing properly will help oxygen get into the system and will help sooth the body,
· Listening to calming music. Music can significantly reduce anxiety attacks and are in fact used during different medical settings.
· Guided imagery or visualization. Patients can identify a calming situation and imagine it to relax.
· Massage. This is another therapy which can help in reducing stress and overcoming anxiety.
For some changes in lifestyle and performing simple exercises can help a person deal with depression and therapy. But, whether the methods worked or did not work for you, it is very important to get professional help and support in overcoming these behaviour problems.

Important: Does Male Depression Cause A Man To Fall Out of Love?

Depression does not choose any gender. Although, depression is more prevalent in women, men also experience depressive behavior and have higher risk of suicide. Many men prefer to ignore the symptoms and refuse to participate in any treatment method. This could just lead to more serious consequences.
Depression on males may have different signs and symptoms compared to women. There are different factors on which there is such difference, like hormones, socio-cultural factors, and even chemicals.
Some of the signs and symptoms of depression on men is tending to spend more time on extreme sports and work to escape their feelings. Aside from extreme sports, depressed men engage in unhealthy activities like infidelity and unhealthy sexual encounters. Men also tend to be more controlling, violent, aggressive and would often lead to abusive behavior.
Men would also often complain fatigue, tiredness and feeling physically drained. The number of suicide cases associated with depression have higher number of males. This is why it is important for males to understand their problem and get treatment.
Usually, men refuse to recognize the signs and symptoms and depression. They would also show reluctance to discuss the problem. Men try to control expression of their feelings or emotions, because that is the "manly" thing to do.
Because men fail to recognize or admit depression early on, this affects their relationship with friends, family and with their partner. When a person is depressed, then would usually question their self-worth, thinking that they are useless, helpless and hopeless. However, these feelings are not verbally expressed. They are often exhibited on escapism and violence or aggressiveness.
For men in intimate relationships, this will appear as if they are "falling out of love" with their partners, when it fact is a manifestation of a behavior disorder. Depressed men can engage in extra-marital affairs and can lead to the end of a relationship, which is why it is important to address depression early.
It is important to get help when you need it, even it is difficult for a man to do that. Admitting that you have a depression is not a sign of weakness. Often, you may downplay your symptoms, but without any treatment, the symptoms will not go away.
There are different treatment options, not only taking medications. However, doctors would often recommend psychological counseling and lifestyle changes to keep depression at bay for a long period of time.

Postpartum Depression In Fathers - A Little Acknowledged Fact

Any mother can picture the first moment they bring their newborn into the world and the breathtaking experience of taking the newborn home along with all the changes and responsibilities of becoming a new mother. Based on a variety of reports, postpartum depression affects new mothers up to 70% to 80% about the first week of giving birth and in a good number of cases quickly passes away. There are nearly 13% of moms who do suffer from clinical level postpartum depression, which lasts for longer periods of time. The reality is that this is a normal condition for countless women resulting from fast hormonal fluctuations and changes parenthood produces, but did you realize that postpartum depression can also happen in males? If this is the situation, how many males can pick up this disease?
While there have been a lot of explorations on the condition in women, postpartum depression affecting males is a factual incident and more frequent than everyone would have ever known. Based on a number of articles, postpartum depression in males ranges from 10% up to more or less 25%, which makes it clearly as bad if not worse than in women.
Because postpartum depression in males is a disease which has received little interest, there are fewer places males can truly turn to for assistance. Another known fact is if males do feel signals of postpartum depression, they are also less prone to talk about their disease as voluntarily as women would and more often less disposed to inquire about professional help. The most possible rationale this is the basis is because males would feel at a disadvantage when they present their weakness and may be embarassed of the disease, resulting in not treating the disease and allowing it to grow worse.
Causes
A range of studies done since 1980 through 2009 yielded some fascinating results showing that about a quarter of the males examined developed depression within three to six months. Surprisingly, several of the sufferers were first-time fathers. It has been hypothesized that the rationale most first-time fathers pick up this condition is because of the many adjustments and anxieties of their new parenting position. Also noted was that both parents conditions might directly have emotional impact on the others and trigger depression for the first-time father if the woman has postpartum depression. The reasons postpartum depression affects first-time fathers is mostly speculative at this time even though investigations have been performed as far back as 1980, the origins of the illness in first-time fathers were not researched in depth.
Symptoms
The signs of illness in first-time fathers are similar to women but there are distinct differences. Usually, women would feel worthlessness, sorrow and anxiety and more often than not, so do first-time fathers, but distinct differences consist of a translation of feelings of sorrow to abandonment, anger and touchiness. Though these signs have been observed, results are still unsettled and more research needs to be done in this area to comprehend it. Postpartum depression in first-time fathers is a terrible disease and more often than not can result in ruining the family relationship with both the youngster and the mother. First-Time Fathers genuinely ought to recognize their disease and not be afraid to try to find treatment alternatives right away.
Identification And Treatment
As discussed previously, first-time fathers tend to be more ignorant of the disease than women who are able to discuss unreservedly of their disease. Because this is the case, it ought to be up to the woman or other family members to identify the signs of the disease and discuss with the man about his disease and make him aware of the disease. Once he acknowledges the disease, he should be open to treatment and should talk with his physician who can point him to the appropriate path for treatment. Treatment for postpartum depression may include psychiatric therapy and drugs or a combination of both. The quicker you try to find treatment, the earlier you can get on your way to a quick recovery and help you on your way to a normal happy life with your family.

Foods You Can Eat to Lower Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a major contributory factor in causing heart attacks. However, our own bodies create cholesterol so it can not be all that bad. In fact, we need some cholesterol and besides that there are two types, one of which is called 'good cholesterol' and the other as 'bad cholesterol'.
LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the 'bad cholesterol and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the 'good cholesterol'. Both are fatty, waxy substances made by the liver that float around the body in the blood. LDL levels can increase to the degree that it can block blood vessels and interfere with the action of the heart resulting in heart disease and heart attack. LDL comes usually from the consumption of saturated fats in red meat, full-fat milk, cheese and cream and from hydrogenated trans fats.
HDL assists clear out the LDL, so a diet that is good for cholesterol will strive to reduce the consumption of LDL-producing food and raise the consumption of HDL-producing food. In general, the foods that do this are fruits, vegetables, grains and fish. However, a high cholesterol level (bad cholesterol, that is) is more complicated than only diet. It is also important to maintain a correct body weight and to exercise regularly.
Having healthy levels of cholesterol is actually an on-going maintenance programme and has a lot to do with simply living an active, healthy life. This means not eating a lot of red meat, eating fish twice a week, eating at least five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day, not over doing the dairy products, drinking skimmed milk (or none at all), cutting back on cheese and varying your diet and exercising each day, even if it is just in the form of going for a walk twice a day.
Although there can be genetic reasons for high cholesterol, most people can resolve this problem quite easily by exercise and diet. Doctors say that cutting out all kinds of saturated fat and trans fat is the single most valuable fashion of decreasing your LDL cholesterol levels, so that is the obvious place to begin. Grains and pulses are useful because they contain so much fibre which is helpful for removing cholesterol.
This suggests that eating porridge in the morning instead of bacon and eggs and having some form of lentil soup with whole grain bread before dinner would be steps in the correct direction. Snacks throughout the day and sweet at mealtimes ought to be fruit. Citrus fruits are particularly good at helping to remove cholesterol.
Other items of food that are considered to lower cholesterol are nuts like walnuts and almonds; onions and garlic; olive oil and soya bean products. Although cooking in olive oil will help a lot, it is also a good idea to avoid frying whenever there is a possibility of cooking in another manner. Grilling and steaming are the best ways of cooking most fish and vegetables and it assists retain the vitamin and nutrient content of the food as well.
Here is an example recipe to show how you can adapt traditional recipes to suit a low cholesterol diet.
TURKEY CASSEROLE
1/2 c. cooked, enriched noodles
4 oz. cooked turkey, bite-size pieces
1/2 c. green beans, divided
1/4 c. canned, sliced mushrooms
1 oz. red onion, chopped
1 tsp. chopped pimento
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. skimmed milk or equivalent in milk powder
Combine noodles, turkey, 1/4 cup green beans, and mushrooms. Add onion, pimento, nutmeg and salt. Pour into baking dish. In blender, combine remaining green beans and milk. Mix until smooth. Add green bean sauce to casserole. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 1 serving.

Heart Disease: Tips to Avoid the Number One Killer

Let's face it; the subject of heart disease should terrify anyone. What most people don't know is that heart disease can affect individuals at a young age. For most people who reach forty this is a subject to consider in order to maintain good health.
There are two ways to understand this problem that affects millions of people in the world. First is how is the disease treated, and the second part and even more important point, is prevention of the disease from the start!
How do doctors treat me if I've already developed heart disease?
This is by far the more scary of the two subjects; treatment versus prevention. As treatment implies, you already have the disease. How is heart disease treated becomes the main focus.
Today, doctors have several ways of analyzing the situation and determining the course of treatment. A blood lipid panel is the most basic starting point. The next step can include a stress test to determine the degree of coronary blockage and how the heart is working.
The stress test is only accurate in determining blockage somewhere in the sixty percent range. As a backup to the stress test, often a cardiologist will recommend doing a test that involves what is called nuclear medicine.
In this procedure, a tiny amount of isotope in injected into the blood stream. What this does is determine how heart disease is treated by revealing in great detail the degree of coronary blockage from inside the heart. This test while sounding scary is actually very accurate. I can attest to this from personal experience!
What other measures are available for treatment of heart disease?
Assuming the tests have determined that you are indeed suffering from heart disease, another treatment option is to insert a stent into one or more arteries to effectively re-inflate the artery in order to increase blood flow. Obviously this is more intensive and is usually in lieu of a complete surgery to repair damage.
The drawback to this option is that over time the stent wears out and the procedure needs to be repeated again. This can be emotionally as well as physically draining.
Are there options to reverse heart disease?
Depending on the degree and type of heart disease, there are options available to help reverse early stage heart disease. In order to reverse damage to your heart, your doctor may recommend a regimen of statin drugs that reduce cholesterol which is the main cause of coronary blockage.
Your medical team also has clot buster drugs at their disposal. These meds are given through the veins and referred to as thrombolytic therapy to break up blood clots in the coronary artery. These are effective steps to reverse heart disease assuming that reversal is still a possibility.
Aspirin therapy is also another option in a whole range of measures to reverse heart disease. Nobody should think that simply popping an aspirin at home is going to reverse heart disease by itself; but there are many benefits to taking a low dose aspirin on a daily basis.
Prevention of heart disease
We have saved prevention for last to illustrate the entire trauma that can be avoided by simply making a few lifestyle changes. Better to avoid the problem completely by getting moderate exercise on a daily basis, and eating a healthy diet including the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids!
By avoiding saturated fat in animal fat products like too much red meat and dairy products, and eating more Omega 3 rich foods like vegetables and fruit, you can lower your cholesterol. Remember, cholesterol is the number one contributor to heart disease!
The fatty acids contained in Omega 3 fish oil include DHA and EPA. These fatty acids fight bad cholesterol by promoting HDL cholesterol or the good cholesterol at the expense of the bad cholesterol known as LDL.
So powerful is the efficacy of treatment with Omega 3 fish oil in combating bad cholesterol, that in Rome, at the San Filippo Neri Hospital, heart attack patients are given fish oil rich with DHA and EPA Omega 3 fatty acids as a standard regimen to reverse bad heart health.
Diets rich with Omega 3 fatty acids are one of the primary ways to avoid heart disease from ever developing in the first place. Remember we are what we eat.
Conclusion
Now that you know the facts, doesn't it make sense to avoid poor heart health by taking preventative measures starting from today onward? The single best way to take care of your heart is to eat a healthy diet and watch your weight while making sure to consume healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. What are you waiting for?

Benefits of Policosanol

Benefits of policosanol for lowering cholesterol naturally are not yet widely known. However this amazing substance can not only lower cholesterol naturally, raise HDL levels, and reduce heart disease risk in several other ways!
What is policosanol?
It is a substance extracted from cane sugar that combines eight long chain fatty alcohols including octacosanol. It can normalize cholesterol as well or in some cases even better than drugs without the toxicity.
It is used extensively in Europe for it's protective effects against heart disease, but is not well known in the US, as American medicine is more inclined toward using drugs for this purpose rather than a naturally derived substance.
It's effects come from it's ability to inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol, but it does not suppress the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme responsible for making cholesterol. The exact mechanism of it's action isn't yet known. It has not been shown to be toxic even at very high dosages in experimental animals.
Typical standard dosages for people range from 5-20 milligrams per day.
Benefits of policosanol
Here are some of the positive things that policosanol does for your health:

• It can lowers cholesterol naturally without side effects
• Helps prevent formation of artery lesions
• Can lower LDL cholesterol up to 20%
• Can raise HDL cholesterol up to 10%
• Inhibits the oxidation of LDL
• Prevents proliferation of cells that can block arteries
• Prevents the formation of blood clots
• Increases aerobic capacity and oxygen uptake in heart patients

Polycosanol seems to have a positive effect on an enzyme called AMP-kinase. This enzyme is critical for normal metabolism in the body. It is thought that this effect on AMP kinase somehow modulates cholesterol synthesis in the body in a positive way.
Policosanol also promotes healthy circulation, arterial health, and normal platelet function. It also has a beneficial effect on oxygen utilization and improves circulation in the legs.
Policosanol side effects
We know about the benefits of polycosanol but what about side effects?
The scientific evidence gathered about the use of policosanol in research studies is that there are almost no policosanol side effects. This is mainly because it does not have the toxicity of drugs like statins.
In clinical research trials policosanol showed less side effects that the placebo! Rats given over 1700 times the normal human dose showed NO toxic side effects. Policosanol does not interfere with the metabolism of drugs either because it does not effect the cytochrome p450 system in the liver.
The benefits of policosanol make it a viable choice to lower cholesterol naturally. It's lack of toxicity, and it's beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system would seem to make it a better, safer, choice than drugs for promoting healthy cholesterol levels.

Ease Your Heartburn Symptoms - Change Your Lifestyle Today

I don't have to tell you how annoying heartburn is if you've ever experienced it... you know it yourself. Whether it be in the night or daytime, the symptoms can be persistent in their occurrence and quite distracting when it comes to your activities. It can be quite random - some nights nothing happens, while in others, you will wake up with a burning feeling in the upper portion of your chest area. There is something you can do still. By changing your lifestyle, you can ease some of your symptoms. Here are a couple of things you can do to help yourself:
Change your eating habits. Yes, certain foods invoke the burning sensation in your chest, so you're best off avoiding them altogether. Some of these foods are fat and fried foods, overly spicy foods and even salty foods. They tease your stomach and the acids within, causing them to flow back into the esophagus and that's when you experience the burning sensation. If you keep these foods to a minimum, you will experience much less of it. And it's important to take your time while eating. Taking it easy and eating slowly will leave your body with more time to properly digest everything you've consumed.
It's also recommended to eat smaller meals more often, rather than eating bigger portions less time per day. That's because the amount of acid your body produces depends on how much you consume. To further limit the symptoms of heartburn, you can try drinking a lot of water, because the more of it you drink, the more your stomach acid gets diluted. Also, never eat at least 3 hours before sleeping. You should raise your pillow too, as this will prevents the acids from flowing back into your esophagus.
Do you smoke or drink? If you've answered yes to any of those questions, you should stop doing it. It has been proving that neither is exactly beneficial to your condition and that both of these activities alleviate the symptoms.
You could try eating an apple. It's function is suppressing the acids in your stomach. There are a couple of other similar cures. Apple cider vinegar is another kind of readily-available things at your home to take advantage of. Yes, it will help you and usually only one spoon of it does the trick.
Always be careful not to upset your stomach. If you think a certain meal will do that, it's best to shy away from it. Just go eat something else.

Things to Know If You're Suffering From GERD

GERD, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, takes place when the stomach's acids unwantedly jump back into the esophagus. Patients experience a burning sensation (that's called heartburn). It's therefore imperative that the patients change their lifestyles in order to avoid further complications like Barrett's esophagus which increases the likelihood of cancer. Several pharmaceutical medicines are also available, some of them even homeopathic. If you think you might have GERD, you should have it checked out by a doctor.
GERD is caused by the weakening of the muscle located at the lower end of the esophagus. A healthy esophagus closes when the food you've just consumed enters the stomach, but if you're suffering from heartburn, it doesn't and acids continue to go up the esophagus instead of staying in your stomach. Acid reflux can also be caused if your body produces acid too much. The most common symptom of GERD is heartburn, as mentioned earlier. Some patients also report that they experience some difficulty when swallowing food and drinks, sour taste in the mouth and stomach fluid entering their mouths.
The disease can be diagnosed in multiple ways, in some cases even with biopsy. Sometimes a misdiagnosis can happen, because a patient might confuse the burning sensation they fell with a heart attack and vice-versa. There are also certain complication associated with it if left untreated. Constant acid bath of the esophagus may cause inflammation and in some cases even bleeding. This leads the esophagus into becoming scarred and damaged, in some cases it might even narrow down, causing the difficulty in swallowing certain foods.
Contrary to popular belief, there is a lot you can do to prevent GERD from occurring. You can change your eating habits, for example, and that helps a lot. Because if you eat meals with a lot of fat in them, chances are they are actually worsening your condition, so avoid those at any cost. You should also avoid smoking and alcohol. Unfortunately, you will also have to cut back on sweets, because chocolate and peppermint have been proven to irritate your stomach and thus worsen the condition.
It might also help a bit if you raise your pillow when sleeping. That way the acids from the stomach will have a harder time coming up. Also, it's recommended that you don't eat 3 hours before going to bed. Avoid spicy foods, even if they taste good. Actually, avoid anything that you judge to be aggressive to the stomach. That includes fried foods (yes, I know how tasty they are, but you're going to have to live with that one).
Most importantly of all, follow the advice of your doctor, because he's there to determine what the best course of action for your condition will be. And know that by changing certain habits in your life, you can do wonders for yourself and your health.

Natural And Effective Acid Reflux Remedies

Acid reflux is now quite common among the people today. Basically, acid reflux is the inflammation of the esophagus. This disease usually occurs when the acid of the stomach backs up into the esophagus. Heartburn is the most popular symptom of acid reflux. Frequent heartburn may be indication of a developing acid reflux. Besides, this disease has the potential become extremely painful as well as long lasting. However, there are natural and effective acidity remedies.
Patients of this disease will experience heartburn. Aside from experiencing heartburn, victims of this disease also experience symptoms which include regurgitation, belching as well as early satiety. The prescription medications or drugs by the doctors for treating this are not only the best solution. Medical professionals also ensure that there are also natural remedies for treating the disease. You can use natural remedies or products to not only address the annoying symptoms but also getting rid of them.
After the diagnosis of acidity, health professional often suggest various life style changes including a healthy diet as well as home remedies which will reduce the acidic build-up in the esophagus. Let's check out some of the natural acid reflux remedies right here.
Exercise - Exercise is an initial step, it also effective and will help with digestion. A regular exercise will also help you to lose your weight. You should always keep in mind that being overweight can increase the risk of developing disease. But, it is essential for you to contact your primary physician before you begin any exercise regimen.
Detoxification Diet - It is quite relevant as well as effective to detox your digestive symptom. One natural remedy for this disease is drinking lots of water every day. This helps in restoring normal stomach function. So, it is very important that you drink lots of water to keep your urine a light yellow shade. In acid reflux, you require drinking lots of water for diluting the acid as well as to normalize the acid in your stomach. This is one natural remedy for acid reflux.
Apple Cider Vinegar - One other natural remedy is to drink apple cider vinegar. This drink is highly concentrated with acid but it helps in improving the overall health. You can mix two teaspoon of the cider with water and drink three times a day.
Garlic - This is also one of the natural as well as effective remedy for acidity. This food has the ability to optimize bowel flora as well as kill pathogenic organisms. You can chewed fresh garlic or crushed it before chewing to get the full effect. It is also often recommended for daily digestion. Use these natural remedies for acid reflux and get rid of this disease.

The New Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Guidelines

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies, including heart attack or near drowning. A situation when someone's breathing or heartbeat has stopped. CPR can keep oxygenated blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs until more definitive medical treatment can restore a normal heart rhythm. Ideally, CPR involves two elements: chest compressions combined with mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing. However, what you as a bystander, should do in an emergency situation really depends on your knowledge and comfort level. The bottom line is that it's far better to do something than to do nothing at all.
This is what I, as a physician of thirty years, recommend to those who ask me what they should do.
If you're not trained in CPR, then provide hands-only CPR. That means uninterrupted chest compressions of about 100 a minute until paramedics arrive. You don't need to perform rescue breathing. If you've previously received CPR training, but you're not confident in your abilities, then just do chest compressions at a rate of about 100 a minute. This is the "magic number", 100! It's the only real number you need to remember. If you're trained, and confident in your ability, then you can opt for one of two approaches: Alternate between 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths, or just do chest compressions.
This advice applies only to adults needing CPR, not to children.
Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation changed this year, as statistically, "mouth to mouth" shows no significant improvement in CPR effectiveness. This applies to adults and not to children. Mayo Clinic findings have convinced experts to remove the mouth to mouth component out of the protocol traditionally endorsed by the American Heart Association and The American Red Cross. Even without mouth to mouth, the compressions alone, are delivering about 70% oxygenated blood to the brain, giving the victim a huge chance for survival. The alternative, "doing nothing at all", is fatal.
I am often asked, why doesn't this apply to children? The reason is that most CPR events occur with older adults who have had a cardiac event which renders them unconscious and unresponsive. Children, on the other hand, are generally healthy and robust from a cardiac stand point. They do not generally have heart attacks, and do not usually suffer from cardiac arrest unless already air starved from a life threatening pulmonary condition such as an asthma attack, depleting them of oxygen. Therefore, replacing oxygen (mouth-to-mouth breathing) is critical for their survival.
Do the smart thing. Get certified in CPR. Always be prepared to make a difference, and be able to save someone's life.

How to Pass Advanced Cardiac Life Support

The American Heart Association is the undisputed authority in the field of emergency cardiac care. Throughout the years, AHA has implemented many guidelines pertaining to the treatment as well as the resuscitation of the cardiac arrest victim. As a result, health-care providers across different disciplines of medicine have come to appreciate the benefits of the Advanced Cardiac Life Support provider course. However, there are many allied health-care providers who experience great difficulty when challenging the ACLS certification course. Therefore, I wanted to create this article to help those who will be attending the course for the first time.
To insure your successful completion of the program, it is imperative for you to interpret the electrocardiogram reading. The acronym for this term is EKG. There are many authors who offer books, CD's as well as DVDs on the topic of basic EKG interpretation. Many of these books are helpful when it comes to recognition of lethal arrhythmias, but few of them delve into the underlying cause of the cardiac disturbance. As an advanced health-care provider, it is of the utmost importance that you find the underlying cause in order to restore systemic circulation. Reviewing anatomy and physiology text books pertaining to the heart will greatly increase your knowledge and understanding in this area.
Pharmacology is an intricate part of the resuscitation of the cardiac arrest victim. There are many different classifications of medications that are used to treat the cardiac patient. One must posses the knowledge and understanding of the actions as well as reactions and the contradictions of each of these medications utilized in the ACLS course. With the Internet being on the forefront of information and technology, these required medications are located on the American Heart Association website.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is the most vital core component of the Advanced Cardiac Life Support course. Without excellent CPR prior to the administration of emergency cardiac medications and EKG recognition, the patient would suffer significant neurological deficits. As a result of poor CPR efforts, many patients will expire within approximately 6 to 10 minutes. The American Red Cross and the American Heart Association provide excellent courses to accelerate your knowledge and skills in this area known as Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Advanced airway intervention is top priority in treating the respiratory arrest patient. Tracheal Tubes, Combi-tubes, King Airways and Ora-pharyngeal devices aid in the ventilation of the patient who is not breathing. Medical universities as well as paramedic tech programs provide extensive education and training on the initiation and implementation of these advanced airway procedures and devices. To increase your knowledge and understanding, candidates for the ACLS course should practice these skills and have a thorough understanding prior to challenging the exam.
Intravenous administration of medications and fluids is the final process in the care of the cardiac arrest patient. I.V.s have been used many years dating back to the 1600s and so forth. Understanding fluid replenishment is of great benefit to those patients who no longer have cardiac output. It is no secret that volume replacement is of great benefit when performing CPR and the administration of advanced cardiac medications. As previously mentioned, these skill sets are usually taught in the universities as well as the local community college. Those who are currently working in the health-care field may receive training in I.V. drug administration at their place of employment.
As a final note, there are many other components with lesser emphasis than those mentioned above. You will be ultimately be responsible for each main section and sub-section of the ACLS core curriculum. There are many physicians, nurses and paramedics who elect to take a preparation course known as an ACLS Refresher class prior to the attendance of the certification course. Those of you who have been certified in the previous 24 months should be okay to attend the one day ACLS re-certification course.

Exercises to Lower Cholesterol

It's not wrong to say that Cholesterol is prevalent in each and every man or woman! This really is just one of the several things that are produced by the person as a way to function properly.
Unfortunately, eating food and drinking alcohol that is loaded with sugar, fat and oil may do more harm than good to a person. The individual will soon get high blood pressure, diabetes, major heart problems or a stroke.
Fortunately there is a way to prevent this before it happens. It will take sacrifice and hard work on the part of the individual because the body will be unable to sustain the consequences due to aging.
Other than eating less and making changes in the diet, the advisable way to lower cholesterol is by exercising. This can increase the heart beating rate and metabolism within the body letting it to expel the harmful oils detrimental to one's health.
Individuals who have not exercised before should first consult with a physician to determine which is safe. Those who have a heart condition may not be able to take rigorous action and can rely on something that is low impact such as walking, weight lifting or stretching.
Should the physician approve that the patient can participate in high workload exercises, there is running, swimming, aerobics and bicycling. The kind of exercise will depend on several factors and not just only medical history. This may also relate to gender, age and weight.
The doctor can make a programme that the patient can relay to the fitness instructor to know what type is safe or not. From there, a workout program might possibly be made and all the patient has to do is follow it.
After a week or two, there'll be improvements in the levels of good and bad cholesterol in the body plus lowering of the current weight of the person.
Exercising is also considered to be a great idea as an alternative to the using of drugs which has been known to cause negative effects whenever the person takes this.
Should the individual have no time to enroll in a gym, there are other ways to pump those muscles and increase the heart muscle rate. Foremost, ladies and men should go brisk walking early in the morning or before going to work.
Some offices and hospitals persuade folks to walk up one or two flights of stairs as an alternative to using the elevator to go up or down several floors. In case the company where one works in, consists of a big parking area, the individual can try taking a walk with a few yards more compared to taking the parking space close to the door.
During any exercise, it is suggested you drink plenty of water. This will prevent the body from dehydration that most of the time results in exhaustion. Instead of going to the fountain every few moments, it s always best to bring a water bottle.
This will save a good deal of time and also keep the person at pace with the group activity or the work being done on the machine.
We all know the saying that health is wealth. By exercising, one will have the capacity to lower the unfortunate cholesterol inside the body and wear better than those people who opt to do nothing despite being aware of the many dangers of not making some changes in lifestyle!

Easy Herbal Remedy for Migraine

As doctors, scientists, and researchers continue to study migraines, they are able to develop a variety of pharmaceuticals that can help those who suffer from these terrible headaches. Many patients have responded well to migraine drugs, finding the relief they almost thought impossible. Unfortunately, most migraine drugs have side-effects. Not to mention the fact that some of them can be harsh on the liver. Because of these problems, many have began looking for an herbal remedy for migraine pain.
An herbal remedy for migraine pain and its related symptoms is often more appealing to migraine sufferers and patients because the side-effects of most herbal remedies are ofter fewer than those of pharmaceuticals. Plus, herbal remedies can often be taken over long periods of time, without having to worry about stressing the liver, kidneys, or other organs. (Though there are some herbs that do need to be taken with caution because excessive intake can lead to complications.)
Since alternative, holistic, and complementary medicine have become so popular, many herbal remedies are now being encapsulated, making it easy for patients to take the herb as either a preventive measure or as an antidote for symptoms they are experiencing in the present. Most herbs are taken as a preventive remedy, however, addressing the root cause of the problem. In the case of migraines, common herbal remedies aim to prevent the constriction or inflammation of the blood vessels in the head. Some herbs also help balance the levels of serotonin in the patient's system. (The constriction and inflammation of blood vessels as well as a drop in serotonin levels are often considered to be the root cause of migraines.)
One great herbal remedy for migraine pain is Feverfew. The herb is native to southeastern Europe, and it has been used in Europe as a preventive remedy for migraine for at least two decades. Doctors found that the herb was able to prevent vascular spasms and lowered levels of serotonin. Since it's been studied, it has gained wide acceptance in the medical community.

What Is a Migraine Trigger?

Migraine is still a condition that is still not readily understood, even though it's a fairly common complaint, which affects roughly about 20% of women and about 6% of men.
Migraines are generally thought to be triggered by alterations of the chemicals within the brain. One of these chemicals in particular is called serotonin. The levels of this chemical actually decrease in the course of a migraine attack.
Lower levels of serotonin can make the blood vessels in part of the brain shrink suddenly, thus causing them to narrow. This may produce the symptoms of aura. Then immediately following, the blood vessels then broaden, and that is generally considered to cause the headache. The precise reason behind the drop in serotonin levels has not yet been totally understood.
Migraine Triggers
There are many different factors that have been clearly recognised and accepted as migraine triggers. The triggers can be such things as emotional, physical, dietary, environmental and medicinal factors.
Emotional Triggers
Emotional triggers can originate from a number of differing issues. These can include such issues as stress, anxiety, tension, shock, depression and excitement.
Physical Triggers
The idea that a migraine could be triggered by a physical condition is not generally known to all sufferers. These conditions can be tiredness, irregular sleep patterns, shift work, poor posture, tension in the shoulder or neck and even travelling for long periods of time.
Dietary Triggers
A well-balanced and healthy diet is certainly something that should be followed, because there are many foods and drinks that will trigger a migraine attack. Some of the major causes of dietary triggers are such things as lack of food (fasting or skipping meals), alcohol such as Red wine and Beer, caffeine (coffee, tea, cola), aged foods such as aged cheeses, citrus fruits, food preservatives and additives.
Environmental Triggers
Environmental triggers are those everyday occurrences which most people take for granted, however if you suffer from migraines or severe headaches they can become a big issue. These triggers include bright lights, television or computer screens that flicker, smoking in general or being near some you smokes, loud noises, climate changes whether that be humidity or very cold temperatures, strong smells or odours.
Medicine Triggers
Medicines are not normally associated with being migraine triggers, but certain sleeping tablets may have that effect and also the contraceptive pill.
Please note that not all migraine triggers affect every sufferer, what might be a trigger for one person may not be for another. To eliminate the triggers that cause migraines, keep a diary or at least make notes of what you did or ate prior to a migraine attack.