Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 70 FLU

2011-02-12T02:50:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

FLU

SYMPTOMS

• Fever usually between 101deg F and 102deg F, but occasionally as high as 106deg F sometimes alternating with chills.

• Sore throat.

• Dry, hacking cough.

• Aching muscles.

• General fatigue and weakness.

• Nasal congestion, sneezing.

• Headache.

WHAT IS FLU

Influenza commonly shortened to “flu” is an extremely contagious viral disease that appears most frequently in winter and early spring. The infection spreads through your upper respiratory tract and sometimes goes into your lungs. The virus typically sweeps to through large groups of people who share indoor space, such as school, office, and nursing home. The global influenza epidemic of 1918 which started in military training camp in Kansas eventually killed some 500,000 people throughout the United States. Although both colds and influenza stem from viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract, the symptoms of influenza are more pronounced and its complications more severe. Influenza occurs most severe effects are felt by infants, the elderly, and people in the U.S. annually. Specific strains of the disease can be prevented by injections of antibodies in a flu vaccine, but after influenza or any other viral infection, for that matter has started, there is no cure except to let it run its course.

CAUSES

The flu virus is transmitted by inhaling droplets in the air that contain the virus, or by handling items contaminated by an infected person. The symptoms start to develop from one to four days after infection with the virus. Researchers divide influenza viruses into three general categories: types A, B, and C. while all three types can mutate, or change into new strains, type A influenza mutates constantly, yielding new strains of the virus every few years. This means that you can never develop a permanent immunity to influenza. Even if you develop antibodies against a flu virus one year, those antibodies against a flu virus one year, those antibodies are unlikely to protect you against a new strain of the virus the next year. Type A mutations are responsible for major epidemics every several years. Types B and C are common and result in local outbreaks and milder cases. Type B has also been linked to the development of Reye’s syndrome, a potentially fatal complication of influenza and other viral infections such as chickenpox that usually affect children. Most influenza viruses that infect humans seem to originate in parts of Asia where close contact between livestock and people creates a hospitable environment for the mutation and transmission of viruses. Swine, or pigs, can catch both avian and human forms of a virus, and act as hosts for these different viral strains to meet and mutate into new forms.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

All three types of influenza mimic the basic symptoms of the common cold, such as cough and headache. Your doctor may take a throat culture or blood test to rule out possibility of other ailments such as strep throat or, if public health officials are gathering statistics on an influenza outbreak, to identify the specific viral strain.

TREATMENT

Influenza will run its course regardless of how you treat it. Because it is a viral disease, it does health, influenza will probably pass with no complications after a week or so of bed rest and self-care at home. If you are over 65, are a diabetic, or have another chronic disease, talk to your physician about being immunized before winter sets in. if you then come down with flu anyway, make sure your doctor monitors your progress so that any complications can be caught and treated appropriately.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Doctors have no single treatment that applies to all cases of influenza. You will probably be told to rest in bed, eat nourishing food, and drink lots of liquids. Fluids are especially important to help avoid dehydration from fever and for loosening up respiratory tract secretions. You can try over the counter medicines to ease the discomfort of your cough, nasal congestion, and sore throat. A steam vaporizer in your room puts moisture into the air and may make breathing easier. If you are feverish and have muscle aches, analgesics like aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen may help you feel better. Because it has been linked to Reye’s syndrome, you should not give aspirin to children. If these remedies don’t help a severe bout of flu, your physician may give you amantadine or rimantadine, oral antiviral drugs that are active against type A influenza. You need to give yourself time to fully recuperate from influenza and prevent the development of secondary infections that can cause bronchitis, sinusitis, or pneumonia.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Alternative therapies may help strengthen your body’s ability to fight the virus and recover from the illness as well as ease temporary flu symptoms.

ACCUPRESSURE

Pressure on a number of points can be recommended for various flu symptoms; refer to the Appendix for the location of acupressure points. Bladder 36 is recommended for stimulating natural resistance to cools and flu. Bladder 20, and Governing Vessels 16 and 24 may be helpful for relieving nasal congestion, headaches, and eye strain. Large intestine 11 may help fight fever and strengthen your immune system. Large intestine 4 may offer general relief from flu symptoms, but do not press it if you are pregnant. Conception Vessels 22 and kidney 27 may help relieve chest congestion and coughing.

AROMATHERAPY

In flu season, when those around you are coming down with the virus, protect yourself by gargling daily with one drop each of the essential oils of tea tree. And lemon in a glass of warm water; stir well before each mouthful. If you come down with the flu despite your best preventive measures, 2 drops of tea tree oil in a hot bath may help your immune system fight the viral infection and ease your symptoms. If you have a congested nose or chest, add a few drops of essential oils of eucalyptus or peppermint to a steam vaporizer. If you are asthmatic, do not use steam; instead, sprinkle a few drops of these essential oils on a handkerchief and inhale.

HERBAL THERAPIES

For an herbal approach to stimulating your immune system, try taking ½ tsp each of Tincture of Goldenseal and Echinacea twice a day. If flu symptoms appear, chew a clove of raw garlic for its antiviral properties, but do not eat raw garlic on an empty stomach. An infusion of boneset may relieve aches and fever and clear congestion: simmer 1 cup boiling water with 2 tsp of the herb for 10 to 15 minutes; drink a cupful every hour, as hot as you can stand it.

HOMEOPATHY

For homeopathic self-care, try one of the following remedies in 12c dosages every 6 to 8 hours for a day or two. If you don’t notice an improvement in your condition after 24 hours , try another homeopathic remedy.

• If you feel tried, weak, “heavy”, and chilled, with headache and stuffy nose, try Gelsemium.

• If you feel general achiness in your muscles, with headache and irritability that are worse when you move around, and if you are thirsty for cold fluids and have a dry hacking cough, try Bryonies.

• If you are restless, chilled, and thirsty with a dry mouth, hoarse voices, and aching joints, try Rhus toxicodendrom.

• If you have a dry cough with achiness, or if your body feels bruised and chilled, and you are thirsty for cold drinks although they upset your stomach, try Eupatorium perfoliatum.

NUTRITION AND DIET

Eat vitamin C rich fresh fruits and vegetables like citrus fruits, Brussels sprouts, and strawberries; or take 1000 mg of vitamin C every two to three hours when awake.

REFLEXOLOGY

To support your respiratory system, press your thumb into the solar plexus/ diaphragm point for a few seconds, or massage the point with your thumb.

AT HOME REMEDIES

• Take two tablets of Aspirin, Acetaminophen, or Ibuprofen every four hours to reduce fever, headache, and body aches: these symptoms are usually worst in the afternoon and evening. Do not give aspirin to anyone under 21, because some people in this age group may be at risk of developing Reye’s syndrome.

• If you have a sore or scratchy throat, try a salt water gargle. Dissolve 1 tsp salt in 1 pt warm water. Gargle whenever your throat is uncomfortable, but don’t swallow the mixture.

• Use a heating pad on body aches.

• When you feel like eating, try bland, starchy food like dry toast, bananas, applesauce, cottage cheese, boiled rice, rice pudding, cooked cereal, and baked potatoes. These foods provide a gentle transition for your digestive system when you have not been eating regularly.

• Don’t drink alcoholic beverages; they leave you dehydrated and can lower your body’s ability to fight illness and secondary infection. Avoid over the counter flu remedies that contain alcohol.

• If you take over the counter pain relievers, make sure your symptoms are actually diminishing, not just temporarily suppressed, before you get out bed. If you don’t give yourself enough time to recover fully, you may end up prolonging your illness or developing complications.

PREVENTION

The most effective preventive measures against influenza is to be inoculated every fall against strains that have developed since the previous outbreak. If you are vaccinated against one or more type A and B strains you may still come down with flu, but your symptoms are likely to be milder than they would have been had you not had a vaccination. Influenza vaccine is available through physicians and public health facilities. Because influenza is a serious threat, the U.S> centres for disease control and prevention recommend vaccination for everyone over 65; nursing home residents and employees; anyone whose immune system is compromised by AIDS, cancer, or other chronic ailments; and people who work in medical facilities. The vaccine is usually given as a single injection, although children may receive two. If you are pregnant, wait until your second trimester and make sure your doctor approves of the vaccination. Amantadine and rimantadine are oral antiviral medications that may lessen your risk of contracting type A flu, but they are most effective if you begin to take them a few weeks before flu season begins or within two days after symptoms appear. Usually these drugs are prescribed for people at high risk for developing complications from flu, such as people with chronic lung disease or the elderly. If the virus has already begun to circulate in your community, a doctor may also prescribe amantadine while you are waiting for vaccination. Other preventive measures you can take during flu season are to:

• Give up smoking which damage your respiratory tract and alcohol, since both substance lower your resistance to infection in general.

• Avoid sleeping in a room with someone who has flu; the virus is easily spread in the air.

• Wash your hands often to kill viruses you may have picked up by touching contaminated objects like doorknobs or phone receiver.

• Try to avoid crowds, and give people who are coughing or sneezing a wide berth. Airplanes are especially effective at exposing people to flu viruses because cabin air is recirculated.

• Stay warm and dry so that your body can fight off infection by flu and other viruses.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 69 EPILEPSY

2011-02-11T05:10:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

EPILEPSY

SYMPTOMS

Seizures episodes of abnormal mental or muscular activity are the basic indicator of epilepsy. They vary widely:

 Staring straight ahead and lapsing into complete immobility for a few seconds characterize a petit mal seizure.

 Loss of consciousness, rhythmic jerking motions, and incontinence are among the signs of a grand mal seizer, which may last up to 30 minutes.

 Repetitive lip smacking, aimless fiddling movements and a sense of detachment from surrounding may indicate a temporal lobe seizer.

 Rhythmic twitching of a hand, a foot, or the face, often followed by a period of weakness or paralysis, indicates a Jacksonian seizure.

 Convulsions in an already ill child three months to three years old, resulting from a sudden climb in fever, indicate a febrile seizure.

WHAT IS EPILEPSY

Epilepsy is an elusive neurological disorder with a broad range of symptoms, widely differing degrees of severity, and much mystery about why it strikes. In all cases, however, it results from electrical storms in the brain erratic discharging by neurons. The electrical misfiring of brain cells procedures epilepsy’s characteristic seizures, which may occur infrequently or in rapid succession. While every case of epilepsy is distinct, a standardized classification scheme has been developed into two main types: generalized and partial. Within these categories, seizures are further identified according to the pattern of the attack. The two most common forms of seizure are both of the general type: a petit mal seizure, which may include such symptoms as swallowing motions or staring, and can recur many times in a day; and a grand mal seizure, which may begin with a cry, a loss of consciousness, and a fall, followed by rigidity, then jerking motions, a period of confusion, and sometimes deep sleep. Among the partial types are temporal lobe seizure, which may be preceded by a vague feeling of abdominal discomfort, sensory hallucination, and distorted perceptions such as déjà vu; and jacksonian seizures, with spread to the whole body. The first signs of epilepsy are usually seen in childhood or adolescence. Very young children with high fevers may have convulsions, but this is not true epilepsy, and such seizures generally disappear after the age of three.

CAUSES

Most cases of epilepsy are of unknown origin. Sometimes, however, a genetic basis is indicated, and other cases may be traceable to birth trauma, lead poisoning, congenital brain infection, head injury, alcohol or drug addiction, or the effects of organ disease. Triggers for the attacks also vary widely among the factors that can bring on attacks are certain chemical or foods, sleep deprivation, stress, flashing lights, menstruation, some prescriptions and over the counter medications, and possibly oral contraceptives.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

An electroencephalogram performed on a sleep deprived individual can reveal abnormal brain waves characteristics of epilepsy, and imaging tests such as an MRI or CT scan identify physical trauma that may be causing seizures.

TREATMENT

Epilepsy can often be well controlled by medication. A recommended precaution for epileptics is to wear a Medic Alert bracelet so that other people can quickly recognize what is happening during a seizure and lend effective assistance.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

In the great majority of cases, seizures can be reduced in frequency and severity or eliminated altogether with regular medication; side effects vary, but most are mild. Anticonvulsants commonly prescribed include Phonation, Phenobarbital, Vlproic acid, Crbamazepine, and Gabapentin.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Self medication should never be practiced in place of a doctor’s care, and your doctor should be aware of all separate treatments to avoid any drug incompatibility. There is no substitute for the benefits of prescribed drug therapy.

HOMEOPATHY

You may want to consider consulting a homeopath If conventional prescription drugs are not completely controlling seizures. Homeopathic remedies can serve as an effective adjunct to conventional drugs, but don’t expect results overnight; the homeopathic will advise you on how long it will be before treatment begin to work.

MIND / BODY MEDICINE

Electroencephalogram biofeedback may be effective in helping epileptics alter their brain waves to prevent seizures. With guidance, they learn to control their own brain waves by watching them on a computer screen.

OSTEOPATHY

When epilepsy appears to have resulted from a physical injury, cranial osteopathy or cranio sacral therapy may help; consult an osteopath.

AT HOME REMEDIES

• Regularly practice biofeedback techniques, learned from a trainer, to ward off epileptic attacks.

• Make sure you get ample sleep; too little can increase the likelihood of seizures.

PREVENTION

Identify and watch for particular foods, environments, or physical and emotional signs that precede attacks. It’s not uncommon, for example, to feel annoyed or elated several hours prior to a grand mal seizure, and immediately before the attack, to become aware of a warning “aura” perhaps a taste or smell; this warning may allow you to lie down in time to avoid falling. In cases where the aura is smell, some people are able to fight off seizers by sniffing a strong odour, such as garlic or roses. When the preliminary signs include depression, irritability, or headache, an extra dose of medication may help prevent an attack. In the case of a jacksonian seizures, firmly squeezing the muscles around those that are twitching can sometimes halt the attack.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 68 ENVIRONMENTAL POISONING

2011-02-11T05:07:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

ENVIRONMENTAL POISONING

SYMPTOMS

For acute environmental poisoning, see Emergencies First Aid: poisoning.

The symptoms of chronic environmental poisoning are wide ranging and often vague. Among the most common:

 Cough headache, nose and eye irritation, diarrhea, dizziness, blurred vision, anxiety, lightheadedness, memory loss, drowsiness, tingling in extremities, aching in muscle and joints, difficulty concentrating, fatigue.

 In severe cases, depression, an over whelming feeling of weakness, and difficulty breathing.

 Disappearance of symptoms when you are not around the possible toxic agent.

WHAT IS ENVIORONMENTAL POISONING

The human body remarkable for its ability to handle the onslaughts of what can at time is a hostile environment. It is capable of neutralizing or expelling many potentially harmful agents, whether they are organic microbes or industrial chemicals or mineral over a period of months or even years, you may develop chronic environmental poisoning. Symptoms of chronic environmental poisoning are often vague and can vary in severity; the condition is thus sometimes mistake for another ailment or remain undetected altogether. Some people cannot tolerate even minimal exposure to certain chemicals because a genetic malfunction interferes with the production of enzymes that would normally metabolize the toxins and neutralize their damaging effects. Other people are just more sensitive to toxins in the environment: this increase sensitivity can be due to age and health factors. Many condition fall into category of environmental poisoning. In some people, for example, environmental poisoning may take the form of an allergy, a physical reaction to a substance that most people are able to tolerate. People who work in poorly ventilated buildings with unhealthy levels of airborne toxins may develop what is known popularly as sick building syndrome, while agricultural workers who use pesticides day after day are at risk for pesticide poisoning. Although not universally accepted in the medical community as a physical illness, multiple chemical sensitivity in which the body reacts adversely to a wide range of substances, from plastics to perfumes, that do not normally trouble most people is yet another condition attributed to chronic exposure to potential environmental toxins. Studies suggest that, once lodged in the body, toxic substances are a factor in the development of many other diseases and condition that may not at first glance seem directly related to environmental poisoning. Among these are birth defects, endometriosis, infertility, other reproductive and developmental problems, coronary heart disease, respiratory illness, and many types of cancer, especially of the lung, skin, and breast. Because we encounter low levels of so many environmental toxins in daily life, identifying the toxin or toxins that may be responsible for environmental toxins poisoning can be difficult. Some of the most common and hazardous toxins are lead, asbestos, gasoline and other petroleum distillates, radon, carbon monoxide, organophosphates, formaldehyde, and drinking water contaminants. Benzene is one hazardous substance that is found in many forms. It is used in the production of deodorant, oven cleaner, soap, and perfume, and it is a component of paints, pesticides, asphalt, and gasoline and jet fuel. It can contaminate ground water and surface water supplies and pollute the air via auto exhaust, manufacturing processes, and cigarette smoke. Yet despite its widespread presence in the environment and its classification as a cancer causing agent in the United States, benzene is generally considered a hazard only for the two million or so industrial workers who are exposed to elevated benzene levels at their jobs. Another common industrial chemical is formaldehyde, which is found in a wide variety of products, including plastics, paper, cosmetics, and carpets. Construction materials, such as particle board, building insulation, and plywood, can emit formaldehyde gas for several years after their manufacturer and installation. Several studies since the 1980s have indicated that long term exposure to formaldehyde is a health risk. The Environmental Protection Agency classifies the chemical as a probable carcinogen, although only industrial workers are consider at risk. Two substance that have received public notice as known carcinogens are asbestos and radon. Asbestos is a fine, fibber like mineral that until recently was used in construction. Radon and its breakdown products, which are present in the Earth’s crust, are released naturally into the air via radioactive decay. Both radon and asbestos are indoor air pollutants that have been significantly linked to the development of lung cancer. Not all building contain asbestos, however; and only certain areas of the United States emit radon at levels considered health threatening. Carbon monoxide is a common, yet poisonous, gas that is released into the air whenever fuel, wood, or tobacco products are burned. Heavy rush hour traffic can generate high levels of carbon monoxide, and dangerous, sometimes lethal levels can build up in poorly ventilated garages or houses where faulty heating devices emit exhaust fumes that stay trapped indoors. When carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream, it disrupts the body’s usual mechanism for transporting and absorbing oxygen. Mild cases of carbon monoxide poisoning may cause headaches, nausea, or dizziness; severe cases can lead to respiratory failure and death. The mineral lead is another contaminant of the air, water, soil, and food. Poisonous at even low levels, lead is known to have a damage effect on the reproductive system, the kidneys, the nervous system, and the production of blood cells. Since the use of lead free gasoline has become widespread, lead levels in the air have been significantly reduced. The EPA sets permissible limits for lead in drinking water. However, young children are still at risk of developing lead poisoning from ingesting particles of lead based paint, which was used in most homes and buildings until it was banned in 1978. Organophosphates are a potential toxic hazard for farm workers, gardeners, veterinarians, and other people who work with pesticides or in pesticides. These chemical, which are usually absorbed by the skin, retain their potency for several days after have been applied to field crops. Their toxic effect can range from extreme fatigue, skin irritation, and nausea to depression, breathing problems, seizures, or coma. Taking preventive actions from checking your home for radon emissions to wearing protective gear when exposed on the job to hazardous chemicals, is the key to combating any level of environmental poisoning. The more you know about the particular risks involved, the better you can avoid toxic substances before they become a problem.

CAUSES

Toxic chemicals can get into the body through inhalation, penetration of the skin, or ingestion. Some substance can affect the human fetes by crossing the placenta; some also contaminate breast milk and thus may be ingested by a nursing infant. Once inside the body, toxins can act in a number of ways. Despite hoe or where a toxin enters the body, it may have its greatest effect on certain target organs. The liver and kidneys, which filter impurities from the body, are often the most susceptible to toxins, especially inhaled industrial solvents. Some chemicals and minerals are stored in the body’s fat or bones and may be released later. Lead, for example, is stored in the bones and may be released when a woman becomes pregnant and her body draws on its stores of bone calcium. Some hazardous agents may be effectively broken down by metabolic may become even more harmful as a result.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

A doctor will probably give you a complete physical examination and take a detailed medical history. You may be asked to keep a diary of your diet and other behaviour. Your blood, urine, hair, and fatty tissue may also have a liver function test to see how it responds to certain chemicals. Some doctors are currently studying the usefulness of “environmental control units”, special chemically sterile chambers in which patients suspected of having multiple chemical sensitivity are exposed to various substances until those specifically linked to their illness are identified.

TREATMENT

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

The treatment you receive will depend on which toxics substances are identified as causing your illness. For instance, lead poisoning is often treated with chelating therapy, which involves injections of chemicals that bind with lead in the blood; the lead is later eliminated in urine. However, most treatments for environmental poisoning focus on monitoring symptoms and identifying and eliminating offending substances from the patient’s immediate environment.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress reduction techniques, such as yoga and meditation, can help strengthen your immune system, enabling your body to be more resilient to environmental toxins.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Milk thistle, burdock, and dandelion may help detoxify the liver. For general immune support try Siberian ginseng, astragals. For advice on how best to treat your specific condition, consult an herbal practitioner.

PREVENTION

Be aware of your environment. Ask questions. Pay close attention to what you are eating and breathing. A recent study the largest ever on the health effects of airborne particles from smokestacks and traffic found that people in the most polluted U.S. cities are about 15 percent more likely to die prematurely than those living in cities with the cleanest air. Here are some specific preventive steps that you can take:

• Talk to your state environmental office to see if your house is located in an area known for radon contamination; if so, have it tested.

• If you are removing paint from your house, have it tested for lead content. Painting over the old paint may be preferable to removing it, because sanding can release lead particles into the air. Some communities have regulations for removing lead paint; check with your local environmental or health department before beginning the job.

• When using hazardous products, always follow the instructions, and wear protective clothing and eye gear.

• Keep your children and pets off lawns that have recently been treated with pesticides. Stay indoors with the windows closed if trees in your neighbourhood are being sprayed with chemicals.

• Use nontoxic cleaning products and insecticides around your house. Many of these products are now available in stores or through catalos.

• In buildings, be alert to obvious or overpowering chemical odours that may be emitted by paints, pesticides, new carpets, office machines, or other offenders. Make sure the ventilation in your office meets or exceeds standard.

• Some studies indicate that certain house plants can help remove impurities from the air. Consult your local horticulture society or garden centre.

• To help avoid pesticides, thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables, peel produce, and consider buying organic

• Avoid walking or running near stress with heavy automobile traffic; your increase respiration will increase the amount of carbon monoxide and other toxins that you inhale. Without a detector, you may remain unaware of a build-up of the gas, which is colourless, tasteless, and odourless and may not irritation.

• A balance diet will help your body maintain its ability to fight toxins. Vitamin deficiencies have been linked to increasing the toxic effects of several substances. Your susceptibility to lead poisoning, for example, increase if your body is deficient in calcium, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, or vitamin E. however because of some vitamin and minerals can be toxic in large doses, never exceed the amounts recommended on the label for your daily requirements, without first consulting a nutritionist.

• Weight loss diets, which make your body metabolize existing fat for energy, will also result in the release of any chemicals that have been stored in those fat cells. If you want to lose weight, do so slowly so that your system does not become flooded with a sudden release of these substances.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 67 ENDOMETRIOSIS

2011-02-10T02:58:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

ENDOMETRIOSIS

SYMPTOMS

• Sharp abdominal pains before, during, or just after menstrual periods.

• Sharp abdominal pain during intercourse.

• Menstrual periods that are abnormally heavy, especially if they produce large clots and last more than seven days.

• Infertility.

WHAT IS ENDOMETRIOSIS

Normally the tissue that lines a woman’s uterus, known as the endometriosis, microscopic bits of this tissue migrate outside the uterus, become implanted on other organs and tissues, and grow there. These lesions, or areas of abdominal tissue, usually develop within the abdominal cavity often involving other portions of the reproductive system, such as the ovaries or the muscular wall of the uterus but in rare cases they can affect other organs, such as the lungs. Like the endometrial itself, the transplanted tissue responds to the hormones estrogens and progesterone by thickening and then bleeding every month. But because the transplanted tissue is embedded in other tissue, the blood it produces cannot escape and ends up irritating the surrounding tissue, causing cysts, scars, and adhesions to form. These can eventually bind the reproductive organs together so that they move as one mass when manipulated by a physician. Cases of endometriosis are classified as minimal, mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the size of the lesions and how deeply they reach into host organs. Symptoms vary, and about 10 percent of patients have no noticeable symptoms at all. Others experience abnormally heavy and painful periods and sharp, deep abdominal pain during intercourse. Endometriosis accounts for 30 to 40 percent of female infertility. In women who are able to conceive, symptoms may diminish or disappear during pregnancy, but they may return a year or two later. Endometriosis is most likely to strike women in their thirties and forties; it usually stops at menopause with the marked decline in the production of estrogens.

CAUSES

Researchers do not know definitively how endometrial tissue other parts of the body. One likely possibility involves a condition known as retrograde, or backward, menstruation. Normally during menstruation, portion of the sloughed off uterine lining exit the uterus through the cervix and the vagina. But in retrograde menstruation, fragments of the endometrial flow back into the fallopian tubes and may then be carried into the abdominal cavity, giving rise to endometriosis. Indeed, doctors have found with physical condition that increase retrograde menstruation, such as obstructions in the vagina and cervix. There is some controversy as to whether tampon use can cause retrograde flow. Evidence seems to suggest that it does not, but some women who have endometriosis avoid tampons, just to be on the safe side. In the rare cases of endometriosis affecting the lungs or other tissue far from the uterus, researchers speculate that the stray endometrial fragments travel through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system, although no one knows just how this happens. Another theory suggest that endometrial tissue migrates outside the uterus on a fairly routine basis but develops into endometriosis only in women who have an immune system problem that prevents the body from destroying the displaced fragments. Despite uncertainty about the specific mechanism behind endometriosis, researchers can point to correlations. The fact that the condition tend to run in families suggest that genetic influences may play a role. Studies have also shown that endometriosis occurs more often women who have shorter than normal menstrual cycle or a longer than normal flow: women who have fewer than 25 days between periods or who menstruate for more than 7 days are twice as likely to develop endometriosis. Recent evidence also points to exposure to dioxin, an industrial chemical, as a possible cause. There seems to be no direct relationship between the size of lesions and severity of pelvic pain. Some women with small lesion report debilitating pain, while others with extensive lesions have no symptoms. Pain probably comes from the scarring and irritation caused by bleeding, or from endometrial tissue invading or growing on a nerve. How the disease causes infertility is also unclear, but it doesn’t appear to be related to the severity of the case; many women with tiny lesions are infertile. Some investigators think the endometrial implants upset the process of ovulation. The implants may also hinder passage of the egg through the fallopian tubes by inferring with the cilia responsible for moving the egg.

TREATMENT

Endometriosis may respond both conventional and alternative treatments, ranging from hormonal drugs and surgery to herbal remedies. However, the condition is managed, not cured; symptoms often return when treatment is stopped. Menopause usually ends the symptoms, but in women who take estrogens during and after menopause, symptoms may continue. Since endometriosis often recurs and often causes infertility, you may wish to join an endometriosis support group to get help in coping with the uncertainties of the condition. Many hospitals can refer you to a support group.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Your doctor will usually perform a pelvic examination in order to rule out other potential causes of your symptoms. However, diagnosis can be made only by laparoscopy visual examination with a slim, lighted instrument that the doctor inserts into the abdominal cavity through a small incision. This procedure is usually done under general anaesthesia; many doctors also do a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. For women who can conceive and want a child, pregnancy is thought by many doctors to be a good treatment. Pregnancy alleviates symptoms, probably because it temporarily stops menstrual cycles. In some women endometriosis does not return after they have given birth. Alternatively, your doctor may have take birth control pills continuously for nine months or more, producing a pseudo pregnancy that halts the menstrual cycle and stop the bleeding of the endometrial lesions. If continuous course of birth control pill fails to bring relief, your doctor may advise treatment with androgens male hormones. Drugs with hormonal effects such as diazole and nafarelin work by stopping the menstrual cycle, thus keeping uterine tissue from bleeding. Diazole, however, has masculinising side effects that may not be revisable, such as increase body hair growth and rarely deepening of the voice, and it cannot be taken for long periods of time. Analgesics such as ibuprofen and naproxen may relieve the discomfort of cramps but will not affects the implants cyclic changes, so again they address the symptoms without addressing the underlying cause. If tissue growth is rampant and drug treatment is ineffective, your doctor may advise surgery. If all the implanted tissue is removed, your symptoms should disappear.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Most alternative remedies aim at relieving symptoms; but since they tend not to effect lesions directly, they are often less effective lesions than comparable conventional treatment.

ACCUPRESSURE

You may be able to alleviate cramping by applying pressure to spleen 6, located on the inside of the leg two inches above the ankle. Do not use this point if you are pregnant.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Some herbal formulas may relieve pain. Skullcap, black choosy, and wild yam may address underlying hormonal problems. Valerian may help you relax, but do not take it for longer than a month unless directed by your healthcare practitioner. Life root and black choosy enhance the health of pelvic organs. Consult a medical herbalist for specific formulas.

NUTRITION AND DIET

The body contains hormone like substance called prostaglandins that, among other things, play a role in muscle contractions and thus contribute to menstrual cramping. Eating foods rich in natural ant prostaglandins including mackerel, sardines, Salmon, and tuna may therefore help reduce symptoms. A daily multivitamin-multimineral supplement containing vitamin B complex, vitamin E, calcium, and magnesium may help balance estrogens and prostaglandin levels and reduce menstrual cramps.

AT HOME REMEDIES

In addition to taking an analgesic for pain relief, apply a heating pad or moist heat, and drink warm beverage to help relax cramping muscle. Exercise moderately to increase endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers.

To reduce tension, drink soothing herbal teas made with herbs such as hops and valerian.

PREVENTION

• Avoid exposure to dioxin, which recent evidence has shown may play a role in causing some instance of endometriosis.

• If you use tampons, change them frequently, especially when your flow is heavy, and consider alternating tampons with sanitary napkins; these measures may help prevent menstrual flow the cause of endometriosis.

!! RISK FACTORS !!

Several factors correlate with increased risk of endometriosis. Be aware of the greater likelihood that you will get this disease if:

• You have a close relative with endometriosis, especially a mother or a sister.

• Your menstrual cycle is consistently short fewer than 25 days.

• Your menstrual flow during each period is long more than a week.

• You experience heavy during flow periods.

• You use tampons and change them less often than every eight hours.

• You use an IUD.

• You have a medical condition that blocks or constrict your cervix or vagina.

• You have a congenital that anomaly of the uterus, such as a double uterus or double cervix.

• You have been expose to dioxin. `

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 66 EMPHYSEMA

2011-02-10T02:55:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

EMPHYSEMA

SYMPTOMS

Emphysema progress slowly over time and is often mistake for other ailments, ranging from asthma to heart disease. Typical symptoms of emphysema include:

• Shortness of breath, worsening over the years.

• A chronic, mild cough, sometimes accompanied by a small amount of phlegm.

• A distended, “barrel shaped “chest.

WHAT IS EMPHYSEMA

Emphysema, a potentially fatal lung disease characterized by increasing loss of elasticity in the lungs, typically causes chronic, mild coughing and shortness of breath. Although a numbers of factors including heredity, pollution, and pre-existing chronic lung disease such as asthma can play a role in its development, emphysema is most often caused by long term, heavy smoking. In many cases, emphysema also suffers from chronic bronchitis, which accounts for some of the overlapping symptoms. More people in United States die from emphysema than from any other respiratory disease. To date, no cure has been found and no treatment can reserve its effects. However, by seeking professional medical help in the beginning stages of the disease, you can substantially slow its advance. Emphysema results when the alveoli tiny, thin walled air sacs clustered at the ends of the airways deep within the lungs become damaged or enlarged. Healthy lungs contain about 300 million of these spongy sacs, which are responsible for delivering oxygen into the bloodstream and drawing out carbon dioxide waste. But when the lungs airways constricted or damaged, usually from smoking, breathing becomes more forced and difficult. Long periods of laboured breathing put pressure on the lungs that eventually stretches the alveoli beyond their normal limits. Overtime they lose their natural elastic its and sometimes they burst. Such damage not only prevents the alveoli from working efficiently; it also significantly reduces the surface area and overall elasticity of the lungs. As emphysema develops, suffers are often unable to carry out even the simplest forms of exercise, such as walking up a flight of stairs, without becoming breathless. Emphysema is most common in men between the age of 50 and 70 who have smoked heavily for years, but the disease is becoming more common in women as they join the ranks of heavy smokers. People with emphysema are particularly vulnerable to pneumonia, bronchitis, and other lung infections, as well as to cardiovascular problems such as heart failure. Although emphysema patients need to be monitored by a medical professional, they can make changes in their lifestyle, learn breathing techniques, and supplement their doctor’s care with a number of other therapies to smoke their lives more comfortable.

CAUSES

By far the most common cause by emphysema is heavy, long term smoking. Cigarette smoke is tough to break down the elastic fibbers’ in the walls of alveoli, making the air sacs more susceptible to rupture. Smoking also has the effect of weakening the walls of the lungs branching air ways, causing them to collapse on exhalation, trapping stale air. Besides its role in the development of emphysema, smoking also makes people with the disease more vulnerable to lung infection and other serious disorders, such as chronic bronchitis. Even one puff on cigarette is enough to cause temporary paralysis in the tiny, hair like cells known as cilia that are responsible for brushing debris and excess mucus from the lungs. Cilia damaged by continued smoking function only poorly and eventually may stop working altogether. Clogged with mucus, the lungs are then vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections, which over time distort and permanently damage the lungs airways. Any lung disease that causes the narrowing of the respiratory airways such as chronic bronchitis or asthma may exhaust and ultimately damage the alveoli. In rare cases, emphysema can also be caused by the lack of a cellular enzyme that helps to maintain the elasticity of fibbers in the walls of the alveoli. People who have inherited this enzyme deficiency have an increased chance of coming down with emphysema sometimes in their thirties or forties, even if they don’t smoke.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

A doctor can diagnose emphysema by simply tapping on your chest and listening with a stethoscope. If the tapping produces a hallow sound, more than likely the lungs air sacs are enlarged or ruptured the telltale signs of emphysema. After diagnosis, the doctor will probably take an x-ray of your chest to help gauge the extent of the lung damage.

TREATMENT

No treatment will restore your lung healthy state, but there are things you can do to keep your emphysema from getting worse. The first important step is to see a doctor if you develop any of the symptoms listed on page 346. Never dismiss a “smoker’s cough” as harmless or merely bothersome; if you smoke, and if you have coughed steadily for more than a month or have suffered chronic breathlessness, chances are your lung are already damaged. You must stop smoking immediately. If you don’t, your condition will almost certainly deteriorate. Breathing techniques, aromatherapy, and oxygen therapy may help you cope with the disease.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

It is important to see physician regularly if you have emphysema. Your doctor can teach you how to do breathing exercise correctly and how to practice controlled coughing as a way to remove excess mucus from your lungs. Mild physical exercise is also recommended for people with emphysema. A doctor may also prescribe bronchodilators to help ease breathing. In severe cases of emphysema, at home oxygen therapy may be necessary; oxygen delivering device are widely available at home use in both stationary and mobile tanks. In some cases, surgery may an opinion. One procedure in which damage portions of the lungs are removed has been shown to alleviate some of the symptoms of emphysema.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

If you have emphysema, you should think of alternative choices only as supplements to supervised medical care. The following remedies may provide some relief from the discomfort associated with the disease.

AROMATHERAPY

Essential oil such as eucalyptus, hyssop, lavender, and rosemary may help ease breathing and relieve nasal congestion. Inhale through your nose directly from the bottle, or from a tissue dabbed with a few drops of one or more essential oils. You might also try massaging your chest with 2 tsp of light vegetable oil mixed with 2 drops of essential oil.

CHINESE HERBS

The Chinese herb ephedrine, also the Chinese ma hang, is a potent bronchodilator. Note, however, that large quantities of ephedrine have the same effect as large quantities of epinephrine; do not use this herb if you have high blood pressure or heart disease. Prepare an infusion by combining 5 grams ephedrine, 4 grams cinnamon sticks, 1.5 grams liquorice and 5 grams apricot seeds. Let the mixture steep in cold water, and then bring it to boil. Drink it hot.

HERBAL THERAPIES

A number of act as soothing expectorants and may be appropriate in the treatment of emphysema. Elecampane, for example, is believed to help clear excess mucus from the lungs. To prepare an infusion, shred the root to yield 1 tsp and add a full cup of cold water. Let the infusion stand for 10 hours, then strain and drink it hot three times daily. Mullein tea is recommended for soothing the mucous membranes, especially during episodes of night time breathlessness. Other herbs that may help relieve shortness of breath include grindelia, lobelia, wild black cherry bark, liquorice, motherwort, and aniseed.

HOMEOPATHY

To treat emphysema, a homeopath might recommend the following substances, taken twice a day for a week or as needed. For wheezing and congestion, Antimonies terrarium (6c). For symptoms that worsen on damp days, in stuffy rooms, or early in the morning, Ammonium carbonic (6c). For symptoms that grow worse at night or in cold air and drafts, He par Sulphuric (6c).

NUTRITION AND DIET

Some nutritionists recommend avoiding foods that cause excess mucus production, such as dairy products, process foods, and white flour products.

REFLEXOLOGY

Toes outstretches, massage the upper surface of both feet, just below the second and fourth toes; this area corresponds to the lung and chest.

YOGA

The following yoga exercises can help you learn breath more efficiently.

With your fingertips on your shoulders, breathe in and join your elbows together in front of you. Lift your elbows as high as you can, then lower them, creating a circle with your arms as you exhale. Repeat.

While sitting on a stool or standing, make a breaststroke motion with your arms; slowly stretch them behind you. Clasp your hands, lowering your arms below your buttocks, and pull your shoulder back. Then still clasping your hands behind you, breathe in and left your arms up as far as you can. Breathe out, lower your arms, and unclasp your hands. Repeat.

AT HOME REMEDIES

Inhaling steam can help loosen phlegm in your lungs. First, fill a sink with boiling water. Keeping your eyes closed, drape a towel over your head and inhale the steam for two to five minutes. To further ease breathing and help relieve nasal congestion; try adding a few drops of one or more essential oils to the hot water. The warm steam distributed by vaporizers can also help clear the lungs. However, in an average sized room, most vaporizers aren’t powerful enough to generate the density of steam necessary to be truly helpful. If you want to use vaporizers, place it in a smaller space, such as a bathroom. Don’t use cold humidifiers: they must be scrubbed daily with bleach; otherwise, they can spread germs and encourage mould or mildew growth, increasing your chance of developing lung infections.

PREVENTION

If you smoke, the best way to prevent emphysema is to stop right away. Organizations such as smokers and the American Lung Association offer programs that will help you kick the habit. There are also a number of alternative smoking cessation techniques available .

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 65 ECZEMA

2011-02-09T01:39:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

ECZEMA

SYMPTOMS

• Patches of chronically itchy, dry, thickened skin, usually on wrists, face, and inner creases of the knees and elbows.

• Skin lesions, patches of redness, scaling, and in dark skinned people changes in skin color; sometimes small bumps or blisters that may ooze fluid.

WHAT IS ECZEMA

Strictly speaking, eczema is a form of dermatitis characterized by chronically itchy, inflamed skin. The affected area typically becomes dry, the skin flakes off, and occasionally blisters develop. When eczema appears on fair skinned people, the affected areas typically turn a brownish gray colour; on people with dark skin, it generally alerts their natural pigmentation, making the affected area either lighter or darker. Eczema appears most frequently on the face, wrists, elbows, and knees but is not limited to those areas. Eczema also known as atopic dermatitis afflicts between 3 and 7 percent of the population to some degree, and in more than 70 percent of patients, it runs in the family. It is most common among infants, many of whom grow out of it before their second birthday. If it persists, the child is likely to be a chronic suffer and may develop distinctive thickened, brownish gray skin in the areas that break out most frequently. Eczema is often associated with asthma, so children with that disorder may be at greater risk of skin problems. Since eczema may be in part an internal response to some sort of external stress, initial treatment focuses on identifying and reducing the possible cause.

CAUSES

Many cases of eczema are allergy related. In susceptible people, outbreaks can be caused by ingesting certain foods, such as cow’s milk, eggs, wheat, and nuts as well as by inhaling airborne irritants like dust mites and pollen. Eczema is also caused by contact with irritants in common substance, such as woollen and synthetic fabrics, latex rubber, certain detergents, chlorine based products, the mineral nickel used in plated earrings and other jewellery, and chemicals like formaldehyde, found in permanent press fabrics, polishes, rugs, foam insulation, and particle board. In people predisposed to eczema, doctors think outbreaks may be caused by a change in the way a person’s immune system reacts to certain kinds of physically, chemically, or emotionally induced stress. besides contact with potential allergens, any emotionally charged event from a move to a new job may trigger a flare-up of the disorder.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

To determine whether an allergy is the underlying cause of the inflammation, ask your doctor about taking a radio allegro sorbent test.

TREATMENT

Because eczema is generally a benign disorder, and because the underlying causes differ from person to person, primary treatment is directed at alleviating symptoms. At home remedies and over the counter medications are usually sufficient. For chronic eczema, a doctor will focus on identifying allergens, building up the immune system, or relaxing the patient. For information on light therapy for eczema, see Dermatitis.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

To relieve itchiness, most doctors will start patient on such basic therapies as a warm bath to remove crusted skin followed by immediate application of petroleum jelly or vegetable shortening, which helps conserve the skin natural moisture. Topical coal tar preparation also work, but they cam messy and smelly; they should not be used by pregnant women, and their prolonged use may increase the risk of skin cancer. If symptoms persist, the doctor may recommend application of an over the counter steroid based hydrocortisone cream. Doxepin cream may also be effective at relieving itchiness associated with eczema. Apply the ointment as a thin film four times a day for up to eight days. Most patients report no side effects, but the cream may cause a burning sensation in some cases. If the eczema is allergy related, taking oral antihistamines may help. In severe cases, the doctor may prescribe oral corticosteroid medication; steroids should always be taken with caution and never without medical supervision. For extreme cases of eczema, particularly in children, a wet body wrap can be effective in getting moisture back into the skin. The patient sleeps in wet pyjamas covered with dry clothes or a nylon sweat suit; some doctors suggest covering the face with wet gauze wrapped with an elastic bandage, and covering the hands and feet with a pair of wet, then a pair of dry, tube socks. The patient’s room must be kept warm.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Alternative therapies are available to address both the symptoms of eczema and some of the underlying causes. Patients should be aware; however, that some herbal therapies can cause allergic reactions and those certain Chinese herbs can be toxic to the liver and immune system. Long term treatment with herbs should be undertaken only with through knowledge of the potential effects and under the guidance of trained therapists. Use extreme caution when giving herbs to children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

ACCUPRESSURE

Acupressure is not intended to cure eczema, but applying deep pressure several times a week to Liver 3, on top of the foot, and Stomach 36, below the knee, may relieve the tension that can bring on episodes of inflammation.

AROMATHERAPY

Essential oils of lavender, thyme, jasmine, and chamomile may be effective in soothing allergy related eczema. Add drops of one of these oils to a bowl of hot water to scent a room.

BODY WORK

Among the many forms of alternative therapy that relieve tension, shiatsu and reflexology are the most widely used body work techniques. Consult licensed practitioners about appropriate treatment for your condition.

CHINESE HERBS

Studies suggest that a particular traditional Chinese herbal tea mixture can be beneficial to certain eczema patients. The herbs include slier root, Chinese foxglove, and liquorice, which are said to be anti- inflammatory, and peony, which is said to affect the immune system. The researchers caution against long term use of such mixtures, however, because of potential liver toxicity and because the skin condition may return after patients stop drinking the tea. Because of the wide range of Chinese herbal products, a licensed professional should monitor your use of any long term treatment.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Evidence suggests that evening primrose oil may effectively treat itching associated with eczema. Some practitioners consider it as corticosteroids without their potential side effects. However, people with liver disease or high cholesterol should use this treatment only under medical supervision, and pregnant women should not use it at all because of its effect on estrogens and progesterone levels. Burdock root and dandelion root may also be effective in treating some forms of eczema. Take up to 1 & ½ tsp of the fluidextract a day. You can also brew teas from either of these roots: simmer 1 tbsp of the dried root in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes, strain, and drink up to three cups a day. Chamomile ointment soothes dry, flaky skin and helps to combat inflammation and itching. Do not take any of these herbs for longer than one month without supervision by a medical herbalist or other trained practitioner.

HOMEOPATHY

A homeopathy remedy to soothe inflamed skin that patients can apply safely at home is topical Calendula ointment. Do not attempt to treat eczema with other homeopathic remedies, however, without consulting a licensed homeopath. Because eczema is a chronic, systematic problem, a homeopath will make a complete examination of all your symptoms including sleep patterns, food cravings, body temperature, moods, and family history before deciding on a plan of action. During homeopathic treatment, eczema may actually get worse before it gets better, so professional supervision is important.

NUTRITION AND DIET

Since many eczema patients have allergy problems, they should pay particular attention to their lames, in addition to avoiding the traditional suspects cow’s milk, eggs, wheat flour, and nuts patients should be wary of eating too much red meat, because animal fats contain fatty acids that promote the body’s inflammatory response. The oils of mackerel, herring, and salmon are high in eicosapentaenoic acid, shown to reduce skin inflammation and itchiness. Since you would have to eat up to two pounds of fresh fish a day to get the necessary amount of EPA, it’s more convenient to take 1 tsp cod liver oil or four 1000 mg fish oil capsules a day. Patients may benefit from a daily 50 mg zinc supplement; many eczema suffers have a zinc deficiency, and zinc helps the body metabolize fatty acids. Your doctor may recommend taking vitamin A, also found in cod liver oil, which is essential for the repair and renewal of skin. You can take doses of up to 25000 IU a day.

MIND/ BODY MEDICINE

With all the possible causes of eczema, many patients overlook the key element of emotional or physical stress. a Swedish study of adult eczema patients found that those who used relaxation techniques along with their regular regimen of topical preparations improved much faster than those who received topical medication alone.

AT HOME REMEDIES

• To soothe itchiness and help the skin retain moisture in mild forms of eczema, try a warm bath followed by an application of topical ointment. Use simple, non medicated salves like petroleum jelly or vegetable shortening, or ointments made with zinc oxide, chamomile, or calendula and no additives, preservatives, oil, or perfumes.

• Relax. To relieve stress and improve circulation, take a brisk walk or exercise on a regular basis. Come home to a warm bath sprinkled with a few drops of essential oil of lavender.

• Soothe and rehydrate your skin by sleeping overnight in wet pyjamas, covered with a nylon sweat suit or rain gear. Be sure to keep the room warm.

• Eat little or no red meat. Be wary of highly allergenic foods such as cow’s milk, Wheat, and eggs. Take daily supplements of fish oil, vitamin A, and zinc.

• If your baby has eczema, keep her from scratching by putting mittens on her hands when she goes to bed. To avoid the possibility of loose threads wrapping around the baby’s wrists or fingers and cutting off circulation, always put the mittens on inside out.

PREVENTION

Since eczema often runs in families, parents may have a good idea whether their own children may be at risk. But even if your baby inherits the predisposition, you may be able to lower her chance of being a chronic suffers. One study suggests that children weaned from breast milk before the age of four month were nearly three times as likely to develop recurrent eczema as children who were weaned later. If possible, babies should live on their mother milk exclusively for the first three months, doctor advise continuing breast milk for at least up to six months as you introduce your baby to solid food. To avoid triggering food allergies that might bring on eczema, do not offer any eggs or fish until the child is eat at least a year old. Babies should also be protected from such potential allergens as tobacco smoke and pet hairs, and from airborne irritants such as mites and molds.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 64 DRUG ABUSE

2011-02-09T01:36:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

DRUG ABUSE

SYMPTOMS

• Changes in appearance and behavior that affect relationships and work performance.

• In children, abrupt changes in mood or flare-ups, or increased secrecy.

Specific symptoms depend on the drug:

• Extreme energy, weight loss, dilated pupils, insomnia, and trembling may indicate abuse of stimulants, or “uppers.”

• Lethargy, slurred or confused speech, lack of balance, constricted pupils, or excessive sleep may point to abuse of sedatives, or “downers.”

• Mood swings, red eyes, dilated pupils, slowed time sense and reflexes, dizziness, and lethargy may indicate marijuana use.

• Ulcerated nostrils are typical of cocaine sniffing; a runny nose or sniffles are typical smoking crack cocaine; needle marks on the arms may indicate intravenous cocaine abuse.

• Weight loss, lethargy, mood swings, excessive sweating, slurred speech, constricted pupils, and poor appetite suggest opiate abuse.

• Hallucinations, dilated pupils, trembling, and sweating indicate abuse of psychedelic drugs.

WHAT IS DRUGS ABUSE

Drug abuse is the use of a psychoactive drug legal or illegal enough to cause the abuser physical, mental, emotional, or social harm. Addiction or dependence is the compulsive, continued use of a drug. While the term “drug abuse” conjures up violent images of the illegal drug trade, abuse of legal drugs is an even larger health problem. Between two and three million Americans are addicted to prescription drugs, and hospitals report as many emergencies from abuse of legal drugs as from illegal drugs. Like alcohol abusers, drug abusers commonly deny their problem by playing down the extent of drug use or blaming external factors, such as job or family stress. Families may join in denial in a misguided effort to defend the abuser, creating a powerful barrier to treatment and recovery. Commonly abused drugs fall into several broad categories:

Central nervous system depressants. Sleeping pills and ant anxiety drugs are among the most prescribed medication in the United States; about seven million people take some form of CNS depressant at least once a week. Barbiturates bring on effects like those of alcohol: small doses are relaxing, but large amounts can damage both mind and body. Taken with alcohol, barbiturates’ can fatal. The risk of addiction and overdose are so well known that doctors prescribe barbiturates with extreme caution. Benzodiazepines are safer than barbiturates but can cause dependence as patient develop tolerance to them after a few weeks of use. This class includes the popular ant anxiety agent’s diazepam, alprazolam, and triazolam. Their abuse brings on drowsiness, slurred speech, and lack of coordination, which may progress to memory impairment, tremors, and paranoia. A drug abuser being treated with benzodiazepines for anxiety during withdrawal is quite likely to start abusing a benzodiazepine. Stimulants. Addictive stimulants cause rapid speech, agitation, and a debilitating pattern of high followed by crashes. People addicted to amphetamines, or uppers, often try to calm themselves down with CNS depressants, or downers, and become caught in an up and down cycle. A more powerful and more habit forming stimulant is cocaine; the smoked version called crack is highly addictive. There are an estimated two million cocaine addicts in the U.S. opiates. About half a million people in the U.S. are addicted to opium, morphine, or heroin. The addiction typically cause depression, anxiety, low self esteem, and reduced coping ability. Intravenous injection of these drugs carries the additional risk of hepatitis, AIDS, and other transmissible disease. Cannabis. Smoking marijuana can depress short term memory, motivation, and energy levels. Chronic use brings increased heart rate, vision problems, poor lung function, and changes in sex hormones, and increased risk of lung cancer. Other commonly abuse substance range from tobacco and alcohol to psychedelic drugs like LSD. Athletes who use anabolic steroids to add muscle face the possibility of violent behaviour, heart disease, and sever liver and hormone damage. Babies of pregnant women who abuse either legal or illegal drugs face specifically dangers, ranging from premature birth and malnutrition to life threatening birth effects. Many adolescents are tempted to experiment with drugs and are highly vulnerable to peer pressure especially those in poverty or with non-supportive families.

CAUSES

There is little agreement on the underlying cause of substance abuse, but experts are more likely to regard it as a disease than a lack of will power. Chronic alcohol and drug abusers may have a genetic predisposition to addiction, but environmental and social factor such as poverty, family dysfunction, and peer pressure are also significant. Certainly the social context can be crucial: one cannot become addicted to drugs without starting you uses them in the first place. Many people consider that drug dependence come from a natural desire to alter a person’s consciousness or an effort to achieve wholeness. One reason addictive drugs are so dangerous is that most people who use them believe they are immune to addiction. Once drug dependence is established, the pattern is hard to break whether or not the abuser is aware of the problem. Tolerance to opiates and stimulates increases to get the same effect. For the most addictive drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, continued use is often reinforced by the desire to avoid the pain of withdrawal.

TREATMENT

Treatment is a two step process. Withdrawal from drug use may require only days or weeks, but can be unpleasant and even dangerous without professional supervision. Recovery is the extended stage of remaining drug free.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

The first step in treating drug abuse is awareness. Some addicts may not know they are drug dependent; others deny it. At this stage, family, friends, or a trusted professional must make the case for abstinence and treatment. No single treatment fits all abusers; appropriate treatment depends on the type and severity of the addiction. Approaches range from outpatient maintenance programs, psychotherapy, and self help groups like Narcotics Anonymous to residential programs lasting weeks or months. An addicted person may need not just drug treatment but also medical care, welfare support, and psychiatric or social counselling. Successful recovery programs strive to establish social support, raise self esteem and help the addict avoid situations that can trigger relapse. Withdrawal from CNS depressants, or downers, can be painful and even life threatening. Stopping the chronic use of barbiturates and some benzodiazepines can produce delirium tremens, rapid pulse, weakness, convulsions, and hallucinations. Because of the danger of seizures, withdrawal should be done under a doctor care if the drugs have been used for more than four to six weeks. Breaking away from stimulants or uppers, can produce lethargy, anxiety, fatigue, and depression. Because most stimulants do not produce physical addiction as strong as that of barbiturates or heroin, withdrawal symptoms may not be as sever the exception is cocaine, which is very difficult to relinquish. Post withdrawal treatment of chronic cocaine abuse often requires extensive counselling, along with group and family support. Therapy and group support are equally essential for abusers of amphetamines; patients may become depressed and even suicidal after withdrawal. Withdrawal from an addiction to opiates with shakes, sweats, tremors, and acute craving for the drug has been widely dramatized. As disagreeable as the symptoms are, they are not as dangerous to the addict as those of alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal. While opiate addiction was once thought almost impossible to break, the experience of many Vietnam War veterans who voluntarily quit their drug habits on returning home has shown that self initiated cure is possible. After withdrawal from heroin or morphine, some users are “maintained” on prescribed doses of methadone, a less addictive narcotic, under a doctor’s care. While controversial, methadone maintenance is still customary because stress or depression can easily trigger a return to more harmful drugs even after years of non-use. Recovery is the stage after withdrawal when the individual must strive to remain drug free. This stage is often very difficult because it requires the addicted person to change habits and lifestyle, and to control the use of potentially addicting substance throughout life. The backing of family, friends, employers, and drug-support groups can be a powerful often vital part of an addict’s recovery.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Many alternative therapies can help reduce the stress that accompanies or under drug abuse, strengthen the body, and reduce cravings.

ACCUPUNCTURE

Acupuncturists report success in treating addicts of heroin, cocaine, and other drugs. In particular, acupuncture on several points of the ear is reported to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings, prevent relapse, and raise recovery rates.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Cleansing the body of toxins is an important step in healing. Silymarin, found in milk thistle, is taken to strengthen the liver. Wild oat extract, burdock root, Echinacea, and liquorice are said to cleanse the blood, while skullcap, valerian, and verbatim reduce anxiety. See a professional herbalist for dosages.

HYDROTHERAPY

Some therapist believes that cleansing the body of drugs takes months. A daily 10 to 20 minute bath containing half a cup of breaking soda or sea salt can be a powerful aid to detoxification.

MIND/ BODY MEDICINE

Biofeedback, medication, relaxation response, and guided imagery techniques can help reduce stress and bring about behavioural changes as aids to recovery. For specific techniques, see stress.

NUTRITION AND DIET

Drug abusers tend to eat poorly and may overuse sugar. For lasting recovery, eat at least three regular meals a day with a good balance of protein, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. If you have an irresistible craving for sweets, use barley malt or rice syrup instead of sugar, and take a 250 mcg capsule of chromium picolinate daily to help stabilize erratic blood sugar levels.

PRVENTION

While efforts to eradicate illegal drugs have shown little success, both treatment and public education make a difference. Once study found that a dollar spent on treatment of cocaine users was seven times as effective in cutting cocaine consumption as a dollar spent on law enforcement. Parent groups, community efforts public education and prevention programs, drug free workplaces, and strong national leadership have all played a role in discouraging illegal drugs use. Parents may not be able to stop their children from experimenting with drugs, but they can give them accurate information about drug abuse especially the genetic risk to their own unborn children. Lectures and scare tactics are rarely successful, but adolescents should understand the internal and external pressures that make people start using drugs, hear rebuttals to pro drug arguments, and learn techniques for resisting peer pressure. But if you don’t want your children to abuse drugs including alcohol and tobacco the best first step is to set the right example.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 63 DIVERTICULTIS

2011-02-08T03:18:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

DIVERTICULITIS

SYMPTOMS

• Severe, cramping abdominal pain that is usually more severe on the left side.

• Nausea.

• Fever.

• Constipation, thin stools, diarrhea.

• Pain in the lower left quadrant of the abdomen that increases when the sore spot is touched.

WHAT IS DIVERTICULITIS

Diverticulitis is the inflammation or infection of small pouches, called diverticulitis, that develop along the walls of your intestines. The formation of the pouches themselves is a relatively benign condition known as diverticulitis. The pouches can develop anywhere on the digestive tract, but they most commonly form at the end of the descending and sigmoid colons, and they also frequently occur on the first section of the small intestine. If you have diverticulitis, you may not even be aware of it, because the diverticulitis are usually painless and cause few, if any, symptoms. You may experience some cramping on your left side that disappears when you pass gas or move your bowels. And because diverticulitis sometimes bleeds, bright red blood may appear in your stool. The more serious disease, diverticulitis may involve anything from a small abscess in one or more of the pouches to a massive infection or perforation of the bowel. The symptoms are similar to those of appendicitis, except that the pain is located in the lower left side rather than the lower right side. Diverticulitis may be acute and chronic. The acute form can manifest itself with one or more sever attacks of infection and inflammation. In chronic diverticulitis, infection and inflammation may subside, but they may never clear up completely. The inflammation of diverticulitis can eventually result in bowel obstruction, which is indicated by constipation, thin stools, diarrhea, abdominal distention, and abdominal pain. If the obstruction persists, abdominal pain and tenderness will increase, and you may experience nausea and vomiting. If it is left untreated, diverticulitis can lead to serious complications requiring extensive surgery. Abscess may form around the infected diverticulitis, and if these go through intestinal wall, you may develop peritonitis, a potentially fatal infection that requires immediate treatment. An infected diverticulitis can also reach an ad joining organ and form a connection, or fistula, between them. This most frequently occur between the large intestine and the bladder, and it can lead to an infect ion of the neighboring kidneys. Another potential complication is severe internal and colonic bleeding.

CAUSES

Aging and heredity factors in the development of diverticulitis, but diet also plays a role; eating a lot of low fiber, refined food can greatly increase the risk. Indeed, in western societies, an estimated 20 to 50 percent of people over 50 eventually develop diverticular disorders; the figure may be higher than 50 percent in the United States. If you are often constipated and usually strain at bowel movements, you may create enough pressure in the intestinal walls to begin the development of the diverticulitis pouches. If the diverticulitis then becomes filled with fecal material or with undigested food, they are vulnerable to bacterial infection, leading to the inflammation of the diverticulitis.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

If you think you have either diverticulosis or diverticulitis, your doctor will probably have tests done on both your blood and stool to help diagnose possible infection. Because cancer, irritable, bowel syndrome, and diverticulitis can share the same symptoms, your doctor will need to thoroughly examine intestines. A barium enema, which fills the colon with barium and allows an x-ray to show an outline of the inside of the intestines, can help confirm of diagnosis of diverticulitis. You may also have the insides of your intestines examined with flexible lighted tube in a procedure called a sigmoidoscopy. Sometimes a bit of tissue may also be removed for biopsy, to test for cancerous growth. If you have an acute case of diverticulitis, both barium enemas and biopsies can injure your intestine, so your doctor may choose instead a CT scan, which show the bowel wall and the outside of the colon and can also confirm the diagnosis.

TREATMENT

Diverticulosis can be treated at home, but if you have diverticulitis, you need to see a physician to make sure you fully recover and to avoid possibly life threatening complications. Conventional medicine treats diverticulitis using diet modifications, antibiotics, and possibly surgery. Alternative treatments for diverticulitis may be use in conjunction with conventional treatment to help ease the symptoms and bolster the digestive tract.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

If you have mild case of diverticulosis, your doctor may have you eat a high fiber diet to make sure your bowels move regularly and to reduce your odds of getting diverticulitis. If you do go on to develop diverticulitis but have only a mild infection, you may need just bed rest, stool softeners, a liquid diet, antibiotics to fight the inflammation, and possibly anti spasmodic drugs. However, if you have had a perforation or develop a more severe infection, you will probably be put in the hospital for intravenous antibiotic therapy. You may also be fed intravenously to give your colon time recuperate. In some cases, your doctor may want to drain infected abscess and give your intestinal tract a rest by performing a temporary colostomy. A colostomy creates an opening so your intestine will empty into a bag that is attached to the front of your abdomen. Depending on the success of your recovery, this procedure may be reversed during the second operation. If you have several attacks of acute diverticulitis, your doctor may want to remove the infected section of the intestine when you are free of symptoms. You may also need surgery if intravenous therapy does not effectively treat your acute attack of diverticulitis. Whatever your treatment, your chances for a full recovery is very good if you receive prompt medical attention.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Alternative practitioner may treat some mild cases of diverticulitis, but more serious require conventional treatment in order to prevent dangerous health complications.

ACCUPUNCTURE

To great diverticulitis, an acupuncturist will target points intended to relieve pain and distention, reduce inflammation, regulate intestinal peristalsis, and improve the tone of the intestinal peristalsis, and improve the tone of the intestinal wall. Treatment is performed once or twice a week depending on the severity of the condition, with a full course of treatment requiring about 10 visits. It’s very important to observe good dietary habits while undergoing acupuncture therapy.

AROMATHERAPY

Inhaling two drops of hyssop three times daily may serve as an abdominal relaxant.

CHINESE HERBS

Some Chinese herbs that are used to treat systematic disorders may prove helpful for diverticulitis. See a practitioner of Chinese medicine for recommendation and treatment.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Slippery elm may be soothing to infected diverticulitis: put 1 tsp. powder into ½ cup water, bring to a boil, and simmer 15 minutes. Drink three times daily. Always check with a practitioner first to see if using this herb is appropriate for your particular illness.

HOMEOPATHY

Many homeopathic remedies, such as Belladonna, Bryonies, and Colocynths, may be used to treat diverticulitis. Check with homeopathic physician to see which medicines and dosages might be appropriate for you.

MASSAGE

Use a light vegetable oil to massage your lower abdomen with circular clockwise strokes for five minutes while you are lying down each morning. Follow the massage by drinking an herbal tea such as chamomile which may help promote relaxation.

MIND/ BODY MEDICINE

Relaxation techniques may help you deal with the stress and pain of diverticulitis.

NUTRITION AND DIET

Drink at least six glasses of water daily to prevent constipation. If you do become constipated, prunes, prune juice, or herbal teas specifically formulated for constipation may serve as a natural laxatives. Keep to a low fat diet; fat slows down passage of food through the intestine. Get yourself tested for food allergies to identify food that irritate your system and that you should avoid. During acute attacks of diverticulitis, try one to three days water or vegetable juice fast. Eat low bulk foods while diverticulitis is still inflamed and sensitives. During an attack of acute diverticulitis, make the following foods a significant part of your diet: cooked vegetables, cooked fruits, and apples all of which will be soothing to the inflamed intestine. Avoid milk and milk products, which could worsen your illness, especially if you have diarrhea.

REFLEXOLOGY

To stimulate secretion of nor epinephrine and hydrocortisone and maintain intestinal muscle tone, a practitioner will massage adrenal gland areas on the foot. Stimulating intestine areas helps intestines contract regularly and remove wastes as will stimulating areas corresponding to the location of the inflamed diverticulitis in the intestine. Stimulating the diaphragm / solar plexus area may help with stress and tension.

AT HOME REMEDIES

• Use a heating pad to treat mild pain and spasm in your abdomen. However, do not use high settings for prolonged periods, and never sleep on a heating pad; you could burn yourself.

• To promote regularity, try to move your bowels at the same time every day.

• Stay in bed if you are feverish or having a great deal of pain, and get medical help soon.

PREVENTION

The best preventive action you can take against diverticulitis, of course, is to keep from developing the small intestinal sacs called diverticulitis. You have good chance of doing that simply by modifying your diet and lifestyle. Eat whole grain breads, oatmeal, bran cereals, fibrous fresh fruits, and vegetables, or try an over the counter preparation containing psyllium to increase the bulk in your diet. You can also try ground psyllium seed: add 1 tsp over any cold liquid, and drink once a day within a few minutes of preparing, before the mixtures gels. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids if you increase your intake of fibre, and take care to add fibre gradually; a sudden switch to high fibre diet can cause your abdomen to become distended and create an uncomfortable amount of intestinal gas. Adjust your diet to remove foods that are difficult for you to digest. Avoid refined food such as white flour, white rice, and other process foods. Contrary to popular wisdom, however, it is not necessary to avoid nuts and seeds; they are no more likely than other foods to become caught in diverticulitis. Try over the counter stool softener to fight constipation. If you have urge to move your bowels, don’t delay or ignore it. Regular exercise can help the muscle in your intestine retain their tone, which encourages regular bowel movement. Don’t use suppositories for constipation, because your system may become addicted to them. Prunes, prune juice are all good natural lixiviates. Specially formulated teas to fight constipation are available in health food stores, but some may be very strong, so use them only as directed; avoid products containing sienna which is an especially strong herbal laxative.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 62 DIAPER RASH

2011-02-07T03:36:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

DIAPER RASH

SYMPTOMS

• Redness over the diaper area around the genitals, buttocks, and thighs, but not on the abdomen.

• Tight, papery skin or skin that is shiny and bright red.

• A strong smell of ammonia.

• In boys, an inflamed penis.

WHAT IS DIAPER RASH

Almost all babies develop a diaper rash an inflammation of the skin on the buttocks genitals, and thighs at some in their young lives. Although a diaper rash may cause a bay discomfort and even some pain, it is rarely serious. Most cases are of short duration, lasting only three or four days. But sometimes a rash will persist, an indication that a secondary skin condition or infection has developed. Your baby can get diaper rash whether you use disposable or cloth diapers; moisture, not the diaper itself, is the culprit. Keeping your child clean and changing a diaper soon after it is soiled is the key to battling diaper rash.

CAUSES

Diaper rash can be cause by anything that irritates your baby’s sensitive skin. The most common source of problem is urine and stool left in contact with the skin for too long, but a rash can also be caused by inadequate drying of the baby’s skin after a bath or by an allergic reaction to lotions or soap used directly on the baby’s skin or to chemicals in the laundry detergent used to clean fabric diapers. Seborrhea, an inflammatory skin condition that affects the oil glands, can triggers a diaper rash as can thrush, a type of yeast infection. Babies receiving antibiotics for other illness are particularly susceptible to thrush related diaper rash because the drugs allow fugal growth. Eczema, an allergic skin condition, can also occur as a diaper rash in reaction to foods or other allergens.

TREATMENT

Most diaper rashes respond well to home treatments and require no medical care. If your baby’s rash fails to improve after three or four days, see a pediatrician. The rash should be diagnosed to rule out the presence of a more serious infection.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

For an ordinary rash, the doctor may recommend an over the counter ointment containing zinc oxide to protect the skin. If your child has developed a bacterial infection, a topical or oral antibiotic may be prescribed. For thrush, your pediatrician will prescribe an antifungal cream for the rash and possibly an oral antifungal liquid to clear up patches of thrush in your baby’s mouth. For diaper rashes involving seborrhea dermatitis or eczema, doctors sometimes prescribe Hydrocortisone cream. Over the counter hydrocortisone and antifungal creams are also available; however, you should check with your child’s pediatrician before using them instead of prescription creams.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Alternative remedies can be very effective in treating and preventing common diaper rashes. Seek professional medical care, however, if your child’s rash does not improve within several days.

AROMATHERAPY

Mix 2 drops each of essential oils of Sandalwood, Peppermint, and Lavender in 4 tbsp of a carrier lotion or oil such as sweet almond oil; gently apply the lotion to the reddened area of skin.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Calendula cream may relieve diaper rash. Herbalists also recommend the following ointment, which you can make at home:

 1 tbsp each: dried chickweed leaves, powdered marsh mallow root, and powdered comfrey root.

 1/8 tsp goldenseal root powder.

 1 cup sweet almond oil.

 ¼ cup beeswax.

In a cast iron pan, heat the herbs in the oil for 5 to 10 minutes. Don’t let them burn. Add beeswax and let it melt. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate until solid. Apply when you diaper your baby. The rash should improve after three or four applications. Discard after two months.

AT HOME REMEDIES

• At the first sign of redness, wash your baby bottom with warm water, and dry it thoroughly. Then apply an antiseptic cream and barrier ointment, such as zinc oxide, to protect the skin.

• Change your baby’s diaper as soon as it becomes soiled. Let your baby go without diapers as often as possible.

• Use disposable diaper liners, which allow urine to pass through to the diaper while keeping the baby’s skin dry.

• Until the rash clears up, avoid plastic pants or diaper covers, which trap moisture.

PREVENTION

You can’t prevent diaper rash, but you can limit its duration or severity by keeping your baby dry and clean and by changing the baby diaper as soon as it becomes soiled. Wash cloth diapers in hot water, use bleach or vinegar in the rinse water, and add extra rinse cycles to help kill bacteria and remove trace of soap. If the entire diaper area is red and irritated, the child may be allergic to your detergent. Try another brand to see if the rash clears. The best preventive measures is to let your baby go without diapers as much as possible.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 61 DISK PROBLEMS

2011-02-07T03:33:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

DISK PROBLEMS

SYMPTOMS

Many cases of damage spinal disks have no physical symptoms. However, if your disk problem directly affects spinal nerves, you may have one or more of the following symptoms:

• Sharp pain in the back, sometimes going down the back of one or both legs, immediately upon or shortly after exertion or injury.

• Inability to bend or straighten your back, accompanied by severe pain.

• Gradual development of neck or lower back pain, possibly intense on arising or when sneezing or coughing.

• Numbness or tingling in an arm or leg, and possibly a progressive loss of strength in one or both legs.

WHAT IS DISK PROBLEMS

Only a person who has experienced it understands the agony and helplessness that come with damaged spinal disks. The pain is excruciating, and every movement makes it worse. Like most kinds of pain, however, it is actually a valuable warning signal. If you heed the warning and take proper action or, more appropriately, inaction the discomfort usually stops and the problem can be corrected. If you ignore the warning, you could suffer permanent physical and neurological damage. As children, some of us may have heard parents or relatives grumble about the pain of a sleep disk. We may have a pictured a wobbly stack of pennies with one sticking out enough to tip the rest over. As with order myths and mysteries of childhood, there was a little truth in the image, but not much. Intervertebral disk are actually flexible pads tightly fixed between the vertebrae the specialize bones that make up the spinal column. Each is a flat, circular capsule roughly an inch in a diameter and perhaps one quarter inch thick, made of a tough, fibrous outer membrane called the annulus fibroses, surrounding an elastic core called the nucleus pulpous. The disks are firmly embedded between the vertebrae and are held in place by the ligaments connecting the spinal bones and by the surrounding sheaths of muscle. There is a really little if any room for them to slip or move. The points on which the vertebrae actually turn are called facet joints, which stick out like arched wings on either side of the vertebrae and keep the vertebrae from bending and twisting far enough to damage the spinal cord, the vital network of nerves that runs through the center of each bone. The disk is sometime described as a shock absorber for the spine, which makes it sound more flexible or pliable than it really is. White the disk separates the vertebrae and keeps them from rubbing together, they are far from pneumatic or spring like. In children they are actually gel or fluid filled sacs, but they begin to solidify as part of the normal aging process. By early adulthood, the blood supply to the disk has stopped, the soft inner material has begun to harden, and the disk is less elastic. In middle aged adults the disks are tough and quite unyielding, with a consistency similar to that of a piece of hard rubber. Under stress, it is the possible for the inner material to swell and herniated, pushing through the tough outer membrane of the disk. The entire disk becomes distorted, and all or part of the core material actually protrudes through the outer casing at a weak spot, causing pressure against surrounding nerves. If further activity or injury causes the membrane to rupture or tear, the disk material can injure the spinal cord or the nerves that radiate from it, producing extreme, debilitating pain an unmistakable signal to stop all movement immediately. Such damage to a disk can be irreversible. By far the majority of disk injuries occur in the lumbar region of the lower back, with less than 10 percent affecting the neck and shoulders. Not all herniated disks press on nerves, however, and it is entirely possible for a person to have deformed disks without any pain or discomfort. For that reason, an x-ray or MRI scan showing a distorted disk can sometimes misdiagnose pain that has an entirely different cause. Herniated disks are most common in men under 50, although they can occur in active children and young adults. Older people, whose disks no longer have fluid cores, are much less likely to encounter the problem. People who do regular, moderate exercise are much less likely to suffer from disk problems than their sedentary counter parts. They also tend to stay flexible considerably longer, without the annoying stiffness that many people take for granted as they grow older.

CAUSES

Although a violent injury can damage a disk, problems with disks are often brought on by everyday activities lifting heavy objects the wrong way, stretching too hard during a tennis volley, or slipping on an icy sidewalk. Any such event can cause the fibrous outer covering of the disk to break or distort to the point that it impinges on a spinal nerve. Sometimes, however, a disk swells, tears, or degenerates without any apparent cause. Disk problems are sometimes lumped together under the term degenerative disk disease. Change in the condition of the disk is a natural result of aging, and it contributes to a gradual loss of flexibility as we grow older. But disk degeneration is far more serious in some people than in others. Severe cases may be the result of a deficiency in collagen, the material that makes up cartilage. Poor muscle tone and obesity also put excessive strain on the spine and the ligaments that hold the disk in place.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

The classical procedure for identifying a herniated disk is the straight leg raising test. The patient lies on his or her back while the doctor holds the ankle and slowly raises the leg; pain in the back of the leg often though not always indicates a herniated disk in the lower back. The doctor will also look for weakness and loss of reflexes in legs and feet. Locating the site of the pain may be enough to identify the herniated disk. A spinal x-ray may eliminate other potential causes, but because x-rays do not shows soft tissue clearly, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans, or xylography a radiological technique for viewing the spinal cord may be used to identify and determine the extent of a herniated disk.

TREATMENT

Both conventional and alternative therapies call for pain relief, rest, steps, to reduce inflammation, and measures to restore strength and normal activity. Except in severe cases of disk degenerations affecting nerves that control muscle movement, herniated disks generally heal themselves, and surgery is rarely necessary.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Doctors usually prescribe bed rest and pain killing medication such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen, or non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug, and in some cases Corticosteroids and muscle relaxants.

With herniated disk, any movement of the back can heighten the pain and potentially aggravate the injury, so full bed rest is a must, at least for the first few days after the onset. Once the patient is well enough to move, the doctor may call for back brace or neck collar to limit movement and ease the pressure on sensitive nerves while the disk heals. In severe cases, full or particle traction may be needed. If the disk is just temporarily distorted, the potential for complete recovery is excellent. If the outer membrane actually breaks or ruptures and loss some of its gelatinous center, however, the damage may be permanent unless more aggressive steps are taken. When the herniated disk causes weakness or paralysis of the nerves that control muscles of the back and limbs, the doctor may recommend epidural injections or surgery. Epidural injection consists of a combination of an anesthetic and corticosteroids injected through a long needle into the space between the affected disk and the covering of the nerve and spinal cord. Surgery may be performed to remove some of the soft core of a swollen disk with a hollow needle so that the disk no longer impinges on a nerve. Other microsurgical procedures can remove fragments of core material that have broken through the fibrous outer wall. Discectomy is the surgical removal of part of a herniated disk, and is done to relieve pressure on the nerve. In this procedure, the core of the disk is removed, leaving the tough outer casing in place between the vertebrae. Like epidural injection, it sometimes brings long term relief, but there is no guaranty of a permanent recovery. Because any invasive therapy near the spinal cord is potentially dangerous, surgery should be undertaken only in extreme cases, when the herniated disk is causing weakness or paralysis of nerves going to muscles. Just as artificial replacement for damage or worn parts are being surgically implanted in other parts of the body, intervertebral disk replacing performed in other countries. The safety and long term success of disk replacements remain to plastic heart valves, synthetic version of intervertebral disks may offer yet another medical option in the not so distant future.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Besides pain relief and rest immediately following an episode of a herniated disk, alternative therapies tend to focus on relaxation and gentle exercise to restore full movement.

ACCUPRESSURE

While acupressure can be highly effective for treating lower back pain, acupressure therapists exercise caution when dealing with pain from spinal disks. Rather than applying pressure to the spine or to points on meridians next to the spinal column, an acupressure therapist may recommend preventive treatment to relax the back muscles before a problem occurs. One such recommendation is sleeping in the shrimp position, lying on your side with the back curled, and using warm compress or moist heat to improve circulation.

ACCUPUNCTURE

An acupuncturist will determine the precise location of the nerve or nerves affected by a herniated disk and will most likely treat points along the governing vessels meridian.

BODY WORK

Alternative therapists focus on the body mechanics that have led to stress on the disk. Reflexology manipulates certain areas in the hands and feet. For pain and tension relief in the lower back, advocates of reflexology cite positive result from applying firm pressure behind the anklebone and at the outer edged of the instep. After initial symptoms are under control, a practitioner trained in the Alexander technique or the Feldenkrais method may help people with chronic problems reestablish good posture and body control, which in turn can help prevent the recurrence of disk problems.

CHIROPRACTIC

Today’s chiropractic treatment for chronic disk problems is likely to include manual examination or x-rays diagnosis to determine the location of the affected vertebra. Hands on procedures to correct muscle and joint malfunction with due caution not to exacerbate the disk strain are likely to be followed by a regimen of massage the surrounding muscles.

PREVENTION

Yoga is a well established, long term approach to relaxing and conditioning both the body and the mind. The exercise at left is recommended for strengthening the back and neck as well as for relieving overall bodily stress.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 60 DEPRESSION

2011-02-04T02:28:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

DEPRESSION

SYMPTOMS

For major depression, you may experience four or more of the following:

• Persistent sadness, pessimism.

• Feeling of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, or hopelessness.

• Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including sex.

• Difficulty concentrating.

• Insomnia or oversleeping.

• Weight gain or loss.

• Fatigue, lack of energy.

• Anxiety, agitation, irritability.

• Thoughts of suicide or death.

• Slow speech; slow movements.

WHAT IS DEPRESSION

Almost all of us feel low sometimes, usually because of a disturbing event in our lives, but ongoing depression suffering a period of what is known as major depression is another matter. Depression in some form effect 25 percent of all women, 10 percent of all men, and 5 percent of all adolescent worldwide. It is a most common psychological problem in the United States, afflicting some 17.6 million people each year. Depressive reaction encompasses the normal depress feeling that arise because of specific life situation. The symptoms can be severe, but they usually do not need treatment and abate over time anywhere from two weeks to six months. Dysthymia, similar to depressive reaction in its symptoms and degree of suffering, last longer at least two years. Major depression or depressive illness, is a serious condition that can lead to an inability to function or even to suicide. Suffers experience not only a depress mood but also more harmful symptoms, including disinterest in their usual activities, extreme fatigue, sleep problems, or fillings of guilt and helplessness. They are more likely to lose touch with reality, sometime having delusions or hallucinations. Depressive illness can be treated but often goes undiagnosed because it is confused with depressive reaction. It is a cyclical illness, so though most patients recover from their first depressive episode, the recurrence rate is high perhaps as high as 60 percent within 2 years and 75 percent within 10 years. Major depression often appears spontaneously, is seemingly unprovoked, and often disappears spontaneously as well, usually in 6 to 12 months. Because of its disabling effects or the possibility of suicide, major depression needs treatment. Depression can strike at any age, including in childhood. Studies in the United States show that 1.8 percent of prepubertal children and 4.7 percent of 14 to 17 year olds have some form of depression. However, the common time of onset is particularly rife among the elderly, as a reaction to the facts of growing older the death of a spouse or friends, the physical limitation of age, and the impending conformation with death. Elderly wide owners are particularly susceptible to suicide.

CAUSES

Depression is an illness that seems to have different causes. Depressive reaction, or “normal depression”, occurs as a result of a particular event. Depressed moods can also be a side effect of medication, hormonal changes, or a physical illness, such as the flu or a viral infection. Although the exact causes of major depression and dysthymia are unknown, researchers currently believe that both forms are caused by a malfunction of the brains neurotransmitters, chemicals that modulate moods. This malfunction seems to have a large genetic component: in one study, 27 percent of depressed children had close relatives who suffered from mood disorders.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

Although very common, depression is often ignored or misdiagnosed and left untreated. Such inattention can be life threatening; major depression in particular has a high suicide rate. Studies show that 74 percent of people seeking for depression go to their primary care physician, and that 50 percent of these cases are misdiagnosed. Of the cases that are correctly diagnosed by a general practitioner, 80 percent are given too little medication for too short a time. Some of this mishandling may occur because patients seek a doctor help with and physicians prescribed for physical symptoms, such as sleep problems, fatigue, or weight loss, without considering depression as a possible root cause. Test also be made to rule out any organic factors such as nutrient deficiencies, hypothyroidism, reaction to drugs that can produce similar symptoms. The elderly are at greatest risk of being over looked or misdiagnosed. Frequently, primary care physicians, and the elderly themselves, dismiss symptoms of depression as a part of growing old or categorize it as senile dementia an irreversible condition that cause loss of memory and concentration. This is unfortunate because depression, unlike dementia, is reversible and can be treated successfully. For all of this reason, you should consult a psychiatrist or psycho pharmacologist for diagnosis and treatment.

TREATMENT

Many therapies both conventional and alternative are available for depression. Treatment may vary according to the cause of the depression and its severity. Conventional methods include psychotherapy, antidepressant drugs, and electroconvulsive therapy.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Major depression and dysthymia are usually treated with a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants. Psychotherapy aims to teach patients how to overcome negative attitudes and feelings and to encourage them to return normal activities. Drugs therapy is intend to moderate or correct neurochemical imbalance that affect moods. The group of antidepressants most frequently today are drugs that regulate the neurochemical serotonin. Known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the group includes Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, and Sertraline. Bupropion , a drug from another class, is also used to regulate neurotransmitters. For children and adolescents, paroxetine is the drug of choice. The tricycle’s which have been used to treat depression since the 1950s, are another option, although they are apt to have more unpleasant side effects than the SSRIs. Because adolescents do not tolerate side effect well and tend to stop taking their medication, tricycle’s are not recommended for them. Tricycles include imipramine and Amitriptyline, as well as Nortriptyline, Doxepin, and Desipramine. The third group of antidepressant, the monoamine oxides inhibitors, have also proved effective. MAO inhibitors work more quickly than the tricycles, but they have more severe side effects and require a change in diet; severe hypertension can occur if patients on MAO inhibitors eat foods containing try amine such as cheese, many beans, and various alcoholic beverages. MAO inhibitors are usually prescribed only if the SSRIs and the tricycle fail to bring improvement. Electroconvulsive therapy involves the application of an electric shock of about 80 volts through electrodes on the head. The shock is not felt by the patient, who is anesthetized. Although doctor are still uncertain exactly how ECT works, its controversial techniques have been refined in the past 20 years and it is thought to be as safe as drugs and in some cases more effective. Still ECT use only after all other options have been consider because it requires hospitalization and general anesthesia or when rapid result are vital, as with suicidal patient or those who refuse to eat or drink.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Many alternative therapies are effective, particularly for minor depression. For more serious depressions, though, they should be considered as complementary treatments, not replacements for conventional methods; major or chronic depression should be treated by a psychiatrist. In addition to the remedies mentioned below, you may want to consider acupressure or acupuncture, which may be helpful in relieving some symptoms; see a qualified, experienced practitioner. Massage, which is both soothing and energizing and enlivens the body, may also help. Try it once a week, if possible.

AROMATHERAPY

Aromatherapy may ease mental fatigue and help with sleep. The essential oils that may benefit depression are basil, celery, jasmine, rose, and chamomile. The oil may be placed in a bowl of steaming water, in a bath, or on the edge of your pillow.

BIOFEEDBACK

Anecdotal evidence suggests that EEG biofeedback is effective in reducing the intensity of all types of depression. Neurotherapy attempts to change brain wave patterns through training thus doing what drugs do chemically. The number of training sessions depends on the severity of the depression. Depressive reaction may need only 6 sessions, dysthymia may need 30 to 60. Because it is, in effect, self training, biofeedback has the advantage of putting the depressed person in charge of his own therapy; he can use it at will whenever it is needed.

CHINESE HERBS

“Aspiration” is a combination of several Chinese and western herbs believed to help lift depression. The formula address physical symptoms as well as psychological ones, including loss of appetite, chest constriction, and constipation. It is most effective when taken in conjunction with regular aerobic exercise, daily practice of a relaxation techniques, and a good diet. Another Chinese herbal formula, “Gather Vitality”, may help with insomnia or oversleeping, aching limbs, and fatigue.

EXERCISE

Exercise should be a part of any therapy for depression; it improves blood flow to the brain, elevates mood, and relieve stress. even if used alone, it can often bring startling results. Studies show that jogging for 30 minutes three times a week can be as effective as psychotherapy in treating depression. Pick an exercise you like and do it daily, if possible.

HERBAL THERAPIES

An experienced herbalist will recommend a particular combination of herbs tailored to your specific symptoms. For a general prescription for depression, one suggestion is 2 parts St. John’s s - Wort, 1 part oat, 1 part lavender, and 1 part Mugwort . however some herbalist report that its effects are unpredictable sometimes the herb gets remarkable results, other times it has no effect at all.

MIND/ BODY MEDICINE

Many mind/ body practice are helpful with depression. Music and dance can lift the spirit and energize the body. Meditation and relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, both stimulate and relax. Other choices include transcendental meditation and the Asian exercise techniques of yoga, t’ air chi, and qigong.

NUTRITION AND DIET

Because depressive symptoms are exacerbated by nutritional deficiencies, good nutrition is important. Increase your intake of healthful foods such as whole grain cereals, lean meats, fruits and vegetables, fish, and low fat dairy products, its very important to avoid alcohol, but also stay away from junk food, sugar, aspartame, and caffeine, which give you a sudden spurt of energy or a high feeling but then let you down. Recent clinical study strongly suggest that vitamin B complex, folic acid and S- adenosylmethionine are useful in treating depression. The anti oxidant selenium was shown to have a mood elevating effect in regions where food is deficient in selenium. Many European study shows that the amino acid supplement known to increase the synthesis of serotonin, is of value in relieving depression. However, because of the trace contamination of one manufacturers product, tryptophan in its synthetic forms is no longer available in the United States. You can find tryptophan in certain foods, such as turkey, chicken, fish, cooked dried beans and peas, brewer’s yeast, peanut butter, nuts, and soya bean. Eat plenty of these foods together with a carbohydrate, which will ease the brains up take of tryptophan.

PREVENTION

Some forms of depression may not be preventable since current theory suggest that may be triggered by neurochemical malfunctioning in the brain. However, there is good evidence that depression may often be alleviated or prevented with good health habits. Proper diet, exercise, vacations, no overwork, and saving time to do things you enjoy help keep the blues at bay.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 59 DIABETES

2011-02-03T06:09:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

DIABETES

SYMPTOMS

• Excessive thirst and appetite.

• Increase urination.

• Weight loss.

• Fatigue.

• Nausea, perhaps vomiting.

• Blurred vision.

• In women, frequent vaginal infections and perhaps the cessation of menstruation.

• In men, yeast infections.

WHAT IS DIABETES

Diabetes mellitus, the most common disorder of the endocrine system, affects between 10 million and 20 million people in the United States alone. The disease is brought on by disorders in blood levels of insulin, a pancreatic hormone that helps your system convert blood glucose, or blood sugar, into energy. Type 1 diabetes some time called insulin dependent diabetes results from a shortage of insulin. Type 2 diabetes also known as non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or adult onset or stable diabetes results from the body’s inability to process the hormone effectively. About 90 percent of all diabetics have this form. Regardless of what types of diabetes you have, you need to work closely with your doctor to manage your diet, medication, and activity on a own care will make a huge difference in whether you can control the condition and avoid its potentially serious effects. The many short and long term complications of diabetes can demand as much attention as the disease itself. Most important, you need to watch your blood sugar levels every day to prevent an attack of hypoglycemia, in which available levels of blood sugar are too low to fulfill your body energy needs. Hypoglycemia can easily be remedied, however, once you recognize its symptoms. Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, can bring on a serious diabetic condition known as KETOACIDOSIS, in which the blood becomes increasingly acidic from the accumulation of toxic byproducts called ketenes that are produce as the body breaks down fat for energy. KETOACIDOSIS occurs in type 1 diabetic if they do not receive adequate supplementary insulin and their bodies are starved for energy sources. KETOACIDOSIS can also occurs in diabetics if glucose and insulin levels are not properly balanced, or if the body comes under sudden physical stress, perhaps from an accident or illness. If you are diabetic, be especially alert for the warning signs of KETOACIDOSIS: nausea, excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme weakness, abdominal pain, and rapid deep breathing. Failure to respond immediately with injections of insulin and intravenous salt solutions can result in coma or death. Long term complications of diabetes can damage the eyes, nervous systems, kidneys, and cardiovascular and circulatory systems, as well as hinder the body overall resistance to infections. Cuts and sores heal more slowly for people with diabetes, and diabetic can also prone to gum problems, urinary tract infections, and mouth infections such as thrush, caused by an overgrowth of yeast organisms. Complications from diabetes are the primary cause of adult blindness in the United States. Within 10 year after their condition is diagnosed, about half of all diabetics develop an eye disorder called diabetic retinopathy, which can weaken the capillaries that supply blood to the retina, and eventually affect vision. Almost all of those who have had the disease for at least 30 years experience some degree of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetics are also more likely to develop cataracts and glaucoma. People with diabetes stand a higher than normal chance of developing heart disease and circulator problems such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. Poor circulation also make diabetics more susceptible to skin ulcers, cramps, and gangrenous infections. Damage to the blood vessels in the kidney failure. A number of people with diabetes suffer from a condition known as diabetic neuropathy, which causes a gradual deterioration of the nervous system. The condition appears to begin early in both types of diabetes mellitus and affects motor nerves as well as sensory nerves. As a result, diabetics commonly experience a variety of aches and pains. Some develop slowed reflexes, loss of sensation, numbness and tingling in the legs, impotence, and circulatory problems.

CAUSES

In type 1diabetes, the pancreas secretes little or no insulin. Unable to use glucose in the blood, the body tries to produce energy by burning fat and muscle. Type 1 diabetes develops fairly quickly, usually striking people under age 30. Recent research suggest that many type 1 diabetics may have had a genetic predisposition to the disease that was triggered by a viral infection. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in people over age 40, and there appears to be a strong link between obesity and the development of type 2 diabetes. Although this particular group of diabetics may have sufficient or even excessive amounts of insulin in their systems, their bodies are unable to use the hormone effectively. Excessive food intake boosts blood glucose levels, and the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to convert the extra sugar into energy. Sometimes a similar form of this disease, called gestational diabetes, occurs as a temporary condition in women who are pregnant.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

Your doctor may suspect that you have diabetes if a routine physical examination indicates that excess sugar in your body is being flushed out in your urine. Actual diagnosis begins with an examination of your glucose levels, which the doctor does by taking a blood sample in the have had anything to eat; if your pancreas is producing little or no insulin, or if the body is not producing enough insulin to process blood sugar, your glucose levels will be elevated. Additional test for diabetes include a glucose tolerance test, which measure the body ability to convert glucose into energy. After fasting for a period, you drink a very sweet beverage containing glucose, then have your blood glucose levels checked.

TREATMENT

Treatment for both forms of diabetes mellitus requires adjustments of insulin levels in the body and strict management of diet and exercise. By paying close attention to the content and timing of your meals, you can minimize or avoid the “seesaw effect” of rapidly changing blood sugar levels, which can require quick changes in insulin dosages.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

If you have type 1diabetes, it is essential that you receive supplementary insulin every day, at least twice a day, to promote your body use of blood glucose. Since insulin is a protein and is destroyed by digestive enzymes, it cannot be taken orally. Rather, it must be injected directly into the body at a set intervals. While some diabetics use a computerized pump that administers insulin on a set advise direct injections. Learning to give injections to yourself or to your infant or child may at first seem the most daunting part of managing type 1 diabetes, but the process quickly becomes routine. Most insulin in use today is processed synthetically, although some is still derived from animal hormone. The medication comes in three varieties: short acting; intermediate acting; and long acting. Each injection plan is tailored for the individual diabetic and adjusted to accommodate events such as periods of stress, adolescent growth, and the premenstrual period of a woman’s monthly cycle. By monitoring your own blood glucose levels, you can track your body fluctuating insulin demand and help your doctor calculate the most appropriate insulin dosage. One self monitoring involve a special meter that reads glucose levels in a sample of your blood dabbed on a strips of treated paper. For some type 2 diabetics, diet and exercise are sufficient to keep the disease under control; others require drug therapy, which may include insulin or an oral hypoglycemia medication such as tolbutamide, acetohexamide, glipizide, glyburide, or chlorpropamide. If you take any of these drugs for type 2 diabetes, ask your doctor about possible interaction with other prescriptions drugs, including chloramphenicol, phenylbutazone, oxyphenbutazone, and clofibrate. Maintaining a balanced diet is vital in both type 1 and 2 diabetes, so work with your doctor to set up a menu plan. If you have type 1 diabetes, and the timing of your insulin dosages is determined by activity and diet, when you eat and how much you eat are just as important as what you eat. Usually doctors recommend three small meals and three to four snacks every day to maintain the proper balance between glucose and insulin in the blood. Carbohydrates especially some starches and other complex carbohydrates, which release glucose relatively slowly into the blood stream should make up 50 to 60 percent of your total caloric intake; proteins should compose from 20 to 25 percent; and fats, from 20 to 30 percent. Recommended proportion of carbohydrates, protein, and fats for type 2 diabetes are essentially the same, although patients who are overweight are encourage to lower their intake of fat and eat more complex carbohydrates and fiber. Since type 2 diabetics are usually not concerned with schedule doses of insulin, they do not need to time their meals so carefully. Another crucial element in diabetic daily program is exercise, which can help type 2 diabetic in particular lose excess weight. For people with either type, exercise can also help mitigate cardiovascular complication of the disease, and it may offer stress relief as well. Type 1 diabetic need to remember, however, that exercise lower blood glucose levels. To prevent an attack of hypoglycemia, plan to eat a carbohydrate snack approximately half an hour before you begin exercising, and make sure you have something eat or drink if you start to feel hypoglycemic symptoms. It is also good idea to wear a medic alert bracelet or tag indicating that you have diabetes; this will make others aware of your condition in case you have severe hypoglycemic attack and are not able to make yourself understood, or if you are in an accident or another situation and need emergency medical care. Identifying yourself as a diabetic is important because hypoglycemic attacks can be mistaken for drunkenness, and victims often aren’t able to care for themselves. Without prompt treatment hypoglycemia can result in a coma or seizures. And since your body is under increase stress when you are ill or injured, your glucose level will need to monitored by any medical personnel who give you emergency care.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Since diabetes that is incorrectly treated can be life threatening , you should never try to treat the disease without the help of doctor, and should always discuss any possible treatment thoroughly. Some alternative remedies offer variations of diabetic diets. Other emphasize supplemental vitamin and minerals, prescribe herbs to restore blood sugar levels, or treat secondary effects. Stress reduction practice may also help lower blood glucose levels.

ACCUPUNCTURER

Stimulation of certain points may relieve pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, boost the immune system, and minimize circulatory system complications. Consult a licensed practitioner.

CHINESE HERBS

Chinese herbal medicine including ginseng root are frequently use to alleviate some symptoms of diabetes; consult a practitioner for a comprehensive treatment plan.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Check with a practitioner to make sure herbs are appropriate for your condition. Remember: if you need insulin to manage your diabetes there is no herbal substitute for the hormone. Blueberry leaves in a decoction may lower blood glucose level and help maintain the vascular system. This remedy may also help to keep the blood vessel of the eye from the hemorrhaging if you develop diabetic retinopathy. Diabetics in one study who ate crackers made from the powdered form of burdock after a starchy meal had a lowered incidence of hyperglycemia. A cream made with cayenne may relieve pain associated with peripheral neuropathy, a type of diabetic neuropathy. Supplementing a diet with fenugreek seeds has been shown in clinical and experimental studies to reduce blood glucose and insulin levels while low erring blood cholesterol. Garlic may lower blood pressure as well as levels of blood sugar and cholesterol. Ginkgo extract have been used to stem deteriorating vision in patients by maintaining adequate blood flow to the retina. Other reported benefits of ginkgo include reducing the risk of heart disease, hypertension, and elevated cholesterol levels.

LIFESTYLE

In laboratory test, exercise have been shown to increase the tissue levels of chromium, which the body uses to regulate blood glucose and cholesterol levels. For type 1 diabetics, exercise has also been found to increase the body ability to use available insulin so that fewer insulin injection are needed. WARNING: if you have type 1 diabetes, keep in mind that exercise lowers your blood glucose; eat a carbohydrate snacks before exercise and eat or drink again if you feel the warning symptoms of a hypoglycemic attacks. Type 2 diabetes who need to lose weight can benefit from moderate exercise. However, if you are type 2 diabetic, you should avoiding weight lifting or other form of exertion that involve pushing or pulling heavy objects; these activities raise blood pressure and may aggravate any eye problem that stem from diabetes. If you are diabetic, be sure to take good care of your teeth and floss regularly; diabetes can exacerbate gum disease.

MIND/ BODY MEDICINE

Any sort of practice that will lower your stress level, such as biofeedback, meditation, hypnotherapy, or other relaxation technique, may help lessen your insulin requirements.

NUTRITION AND DIET

Some practitioner claim that diabetes is a disorder of western lifestyles, pointing out that when people in other culture abandon native foods for diet of refined and processed foods, diabetes rates begin to rise. The high carbohydrate high plant fiber diet is an alternative to the conventional diet plan for diabetes. The HCF diet calls for diabetes to follow these daily guidelines in planning their meals: eat 70 to 75 percent complex carbohydrates, 15 to 20 percent proteins, and only 5 to 10 percent fats. A modified version of HCF diet further restricts what foods may be eaten but increases the allowable amount of complex carbohydrates. One university study indicate that a high carbohydrate, high fiber diet could reduce the insulin demands of type 1 diabetes by 30 to 40 percent, and of type 2 diabetes by 75 to 100 percent. Diabetes should avoid sugar, as it can lower the body glucose tolerance and worsen circulatory problems. Chromium supplements can be very helpful for people with diabetes. Chromium not only lowers blood glucose levels and improves glucose tolerance but it also lower insulin levels and helps hold down blood cholesterol levels. Instill, a B- complex vitamin, has been shown to help protect diabetes from peripheral neuropathy by reliving numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. Biotin also called vitamin H, may improve glucose metabolism in diabetes. Vitamin B6 may help decrease the severity of diabetic neuropathy and reduce insulin demands in type 2 diabetic. Vitamin B12 may help treated diabetic neuropathy; injections may prove more beneficial than oral doses. Diabetes may need supplement of vitamin C to make up for low blood levels of insulin, which normally works to help cells absorbs the vitamin. Proper amounts of vitamin C help the body maintaining good cholesterol levels, fight off infection by bolstering the immune system, and prevent cataracts. Vitamin E may help limit damage to the vascular system and improve blood cholesterol levels. Manganese helps the body metabolize glucose; diabetes often have a serious manganese deficiency. Magnesium supplement may help control diabetic retinopathy and reduce the possibility of cardiovascular damage. Zinc may help increase glucose tolerance, and potassium may improve a diabetic ability to utilize insulin. Copper supplements may help improve cardiovascular fitness. Okra and peas can help stabilized blood sugar levels and provide fiber in a high complex carbohydrate diet. Some research suggest that cinnamon can lower insulin requirements in type 2 diabetic; seasoning your food with as much as ¼ tsp. at every meal may help regulate blood sugar levels.

PREVENTION

Because of the apparent link between obesity and type 2 diabetes, you can do a great deal to help reduce your chance of developing the disease by slimming down if you are overweight. This is especially true if diabetes runs in your family. A good exercise program and a nutritionally balance diet can greatly limit the effects of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. If you smoke, quit; smoking can significantly increase the risk of heart disease, particularly for diabetes.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 58 DANDRUFF

2011-02-03T06:06:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

DANDRUFF

SYMPTOMS

• Flakes of skin that ranges from small and white to large, greasy, and yellow.

• Itchy flaking that appears on the scalp or eyebrows, or around the hairline, ears, or nose.

WHAT IS DANDRUFF

Dandruff those dry, white flakes of skin you constantly find yourself brushing off your collar or shoulders typically pose no health risk whatsoever. But it can be a source of embarrassment, and the itchiness that may come with it is a genuine nuisance. Many people incorrectly assume that the problem has something to do with hygiene and how often you wash your hair. Although it’s true that shampooing infrequently can aggravate an existing case of dandruff, it will not bring one on. What actually lies behind dandruff is a simple difference between people in a natural process we all undergo every day: shedding skin cells. The difference is that some of us shed more than others.

CAUSES

Skin cells that grow and die off too fast are the cause of dandruff, but doctors do not know why this happens. Some people with severe flaking have overactive sebaceous glands; others have an elevated level of the fungus PITYROSPORUM OVALE, which is present in most people but to excess in dandruff suffers. Other causative factors include family history, food allergies, excessive sweating, and use of alkaline soaps, yeast infections, and stress. Even the season of the year can contribute to the problem: cold, dry winters are notorious for bringing on dandruff or making it worse. If dandruff flakes are greasy and yellow, the probable cause is the skin condition known as seborrhea dermatitis; dry, thick lesions consisting of large, silvery scales may be traced to the less common psoriasis of the scalp. These forms of dandruff as well as the run of the mill variety become a hazard only if you scratch to the point of causing breaks in the skin, which can place you at greater risk for infections, particularly from staff and strep bacteria.

TREATMENT

Many over the counter shampoos can keep moderate dandruff in check, but consult your doctor about more stubborn forms such as seborrhea dermatitis. Some herbal remedies may relieve the itching and dryness, but it usually takes a tar based product to subdue the greasy scales. The U.S food and drug administration has approved only five active ingredients as safe and effective for treating dandruff: coal tar preparations, PYRITHOINE ZINC, salicylic acid, selenium sulfide, and sulfur. All other substance has been banned as active ingredients in dandruff shampoos, so read the label.

CONVENTIONL MEDICINE

If you find that you are still scratching and shedding after trying over the counter preparations, see your doctor. You may be using the wrong shampoo for your condition. For really stubborn dandruff cases you may need to use a prescription steroid lotion. Most doctor recommend that dandruff sufferers use a medicated shampoo daily, leaving the lather on for at least 10 minutes. Be sure to rinse thoroughly; shampoo and soap residue can actually aggravate skin problems. After your dandruff has cleared up, use the medicated shampoo no more than once or twice a week, because it is too harsh for daily use. When possible, let your hair dry naturally instead of blowing it dry. Brushing your hair with a natural bristle brush can also prove beneficial. Brush your hair from your scalp outward with steady, firm strokes. This will carry oil from your scalp, where it can cause dandruff, along the hair strands, which need the oil to stay shiny and healthy.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

In addition to herbal preparations, other alternative potions including a careful diet, stress reducing mind/ body exercises, and massage may prove to be of some benefit in treating dandruff.

HERBAL THERAPIES

To prevent flaking and protect against infection, try massaging Tea Tree oil. Into your scalp. Some practitioners believe it is as effective as prescription steroid creams. Dried Thyme, or Sage may taken an effective rinse. Boil 2 heaping tbsp of one of these herbs in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes. Strain and cool. Pour the liquid on damp, clean hair and massage it into your scalp.

MIND/ BODY MEDICINE

Stress may aggravate dandruff. Regular exercise is not only good for your overall health but is also one of the most effective ways to relieve stress. you might also consider adding a relaxation techniques such as yoga to your weekly routine.

NUTRITION AND DIET

Dandruff is a common symptoms of food allergies, often resulting from a cumulative effect that can make it somewhat difficult to identify the source of the allergic reaction. For example, you drink milk every day and never think to associate that with the thickening scales on your head. If standard dandruff treatments don’t seem to be working for you, try cutting fatty foods, dairy products, excessive sugar, and seafood out of your diet. Supplement of vitamins, such as biotin, thiamine, niacin, and coalmine, may help eliminate dandruff by improving your body ability to break down fatty acids.

AT HOME REMEDIES

• Briskly massaging your scalp either when you shampoo or when you use an herbal preparation such as tea tree oil will improve the circulation in your scalp; the improve blood flow will help prevent the skin from drying and cracking.

• Watch your diet. Dairy products, fatty foods, seafood, and excessive sugar have all been shown to make dandruff worse.

• Wash your hair and scalp at least once a week with a medicated dandruff shampoo to prevent recurrences.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 57 CUTS, SCRATCHES, AND WOUNDS

2011-02-02T02:19:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

CUTS, SCRATCHES, AND WOUNDS

SYMPTOMS

With most cuts and scratches, the primary danger is infection, particularly if the wound is caused by an animal or a human bite, or if it is deep or ragged, or if it cannot be cleaned completely. Signs of infection include:

• Increased pain, redness, or swelling, or discharge from the wound.

• Fever, swollen lymph nodes.

• Red streaks spreading from the wound site toward the heart.

WHAT IS CUTS, SCRATCHES, AND WOUNDS

Cuts, scratches, and minor wounds are an inescapable part of life. Fortunately, the damage usually heals quickly, but two steps should be taken immediately: you must clean the wounds and stop the bleeding injuries can occurs in several forms: a cut, or incision, typically caused by a knife, has clean edges. If deep, it can bleed profusely and damage muscles, tendons, and nerves beneath the skin. If contaminated, it may become infected. If spread open, there is a risk of scarring. A laceration, perhaps caused by broken glass or sharp metal, has jagged edges and is likely to involve more damage to deeper tissue than a cut. The risk of infection and scarring are greater. A scrape, or abrasion, occurs when skin is rubbed against a hard surface; small blood vessels in the skin are torn and ooze blood. Because of their large surface area, scrapes are easily contaminated by dirt and bacteria. A puncture wound is a narrow, deep hole produced by a nail, tooth, or other penetrating object. Punctures seldom bleed heavily, but they may cause internal injury and carry a risk of tetanus or other infections.

TREATMENT

Before treating yourself or someone else, wash your hands with soap and warm water; even clean looking skin carries bacteria that can infect. Commercial healing agents are seldom needed. Antibiotics ointments may help for wounds such as abrasions, but many over the counter remedies including iodine actually delay healing.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Cuts and lacerations: let the wound bleed a little; the flowing blood will carry dirt out of the wound. Wash the wound with mild soap and a washcloth under running water. Then use antiseptic wipes, stroking from the wound outward, using a clean section of the wipe for each stroke. After the wound is clean, blot it dry with sterile gauze or clean cloth. Put a sterile, absorbent dressing or cloth directly on the cut and apply gentle pressure. Once bleeding has stopped, apply a bandage or tape to hold the dressing in place. In addition to protecting the wound from contaminates, the dressing will minimize drying; cells regenerate more rapidly and produce less scarring when kept moist.

Abrasions: follow the same steps, but because infection is so common, pay extra attention to cleaning the wound; scrub gently but thoroughly. Antibiotic ointment may be helpful.

Punctures: wash the wound thoroughly with soap and a strong stream of water, apply an antiseptic solution, and bandage the hole with a sterile gauze pad. Do not tape the whole closed and do not apply antibiotic ointment; sealing the wound can increase the likelihood of infection. For more serious wounds, your most important job is to stop the flow of blood. Pressure is the surest method. Follow these steps:

• Wash your hands if possible, and use sterile gloves; or put a few layers of dressing or a layer of plastic wrap between your hands and the wound.

• Try to calm and reassure the victim. Lay the person flat, head slightly lower than the torso, or with legs elevated, to reduce the chance of fainting.

• Elevate the site of bleeding above heart level if possible; this will slow the flow of blood.

• Apply sterile gauze or a cloth dressing and maintain pressure until the bleeding stops. Your goal is to compress the bleeding vessels enough to allow clots to form. When the bleeding has stopped, bind the dressing firmly with adhesive or other tape.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Honey or granulated sugar applied to minor cuts may assist healing. They both inhibit the growth of bacteria and thus retard infection.

AROMATHERAPY

Tea tree oil provides topical therapy as an antiseptic, similar to hydrogen peroxide. Add a few drops to water when washing a wound.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Topical aloe soothes the skin and may assist healing or superficial abrasions and tissue that is healing or scarred. Satilla Asiatic can increase recovery and healing; it should be used under medical supervision.

HOMEOPATHY

Calendula is antiseptic and can be applied as location or ointment. Ludlum is effective at reducing pain in puncture wounds and may help ward off infection. STAPHYSAGRIA has been reported of value for lacerations, and Hypercom for cuts in painful areas, Such as the lips. Aconite (30c) every 30 minutes for three to five doses may help calm a frightened individual.

NUTRITION

For small wounds, or after healing has begun, vitamin E taken orally may speed healing. Vitamin A, C, and B complex and the amino acids argentine and glycogen may also help; brome lain may reduce inflammation.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 56 CROHN’S DISEASE

2011-02-02T02:17:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

CROHN’S DISEASE

SYMPTOMS

• Severe abdominal pain and diarrhea.

• Cramps or pain after eating, especially in the lower right side of the abdomen.

• Chronic low grade fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, or weight loss, especially if accompanied by persistent nausea and vomiting.

• Arthritis, with the symptoms above.

• In young children, any of the symptoms above, plus failure to thrive; in order children, failure to grow at a normal rate.

WHAT IS CROHN’S DISEASE

In CROHN’S DISEASE, a chronic disorder of the intestine, the gastrointestinal tract becomes inflamed and weak, making digestion difficult and leading to general physical debility. The symptoms are similar to ulcerative colitis; to distinguish between them, your doctor may need to examine a sample of intestinal tissue. The inflammation of CROHN’S DISEASE can occur anywhere in the intestinal tract, although it usually strikes the end of the small intestine or the colon. CROHN’S DISEASE is typically diagnosed among people in their twenties and thirties, but the disease can also occur in infants and children. It is more common in women than in men, and it is rare in people of Asian or African descent. The disease is lifelong ailment that can be controlled but not cured: CROHN’S patients usually experience a roller coaster ride of attacks of abdominal pain and diarrhea followed by weeks or months of remission. A common complication of CROHN’S DISEASE is the development of fistulas that channel through the intestine or the skin itself, often near the anus. Surgery may be required to close the fistulas. Some CROHN’S patients show a tendency toward non-intestinal disorders, such as inflammation of the key, skin eruptions, kidney stones, or arthritis in the knees, ankles, and wrists. People who have had CROHN’S for 20 years or more are at risk of developing colorectal cancer, so if you have CROHN’S DISEASE and are over 30, you should get regular checkups.

CAUSES

The actual cause of CROHN’S DISEASE is unknown, but it may be an autoimmune disorder. The inflammation apparently occurs when the body’s own immune system for reason not yet understood attacks a part of the intestine. Some scientists are studying whether a virus causes CROHN’S, but no specific viral agent has been identified. Less likely suspects include food additives such as silica, a chalky substance added to toothpaste and some dietary supplements, and carrageen an, a seaweed derivative widely used as a thickening agent in ice cream and many other dairy products. It is clear, however, that smokers have a greater risk of developing CROHN’S that nonsmokers and a poorer prognosis if they continue smoking after developing the disease. Some antibiotics can cause fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea symptoms similar to those of CROHN’S DISEAS. Parasitic illness such as GIARDIASIS, which can be contracted by drinking water from springs and streams, also caused CROHN’s like symptoms.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

CROHN’S DISEASE can usually be diagnosed from x-rays of the large and small intestines. Your physician may also do a SIGMOIDOSCOPY to view the intestines and may take a tiny sample of tissue from the intestinal lining for examination under the microscope.

TREATMENT

At present, CROHN’S DISEASE is not curable. Medical treatment typically involves a three stage approach to controlling the disease depending on the severity of the symptoms beginning with drug therapy and a restricted diet, then hospital treatment and if necessary, surgery.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

You may your doctor will work together to minimize attacks by finding the combination of medications and dosages that works best for you. Some doctors believe CROHN’S patients remain free from attacks longer if they take maintenance doses of drugs even when the symptoms are not present; others wait until the patient has recognizable symptoms before prescribing anything. Children with CROHN’S DISEASE may need high Protein, high calorie liquid supplements to keep their growth on track. SULFASALAZINE, an intestinal anti inflammatory agent, is the corner stone of conventional medical treatment. It may give in varying dosages depending on the severity of the symptoms. Steroids such as prednisone are often prescribed with SULFASALAZINE to reduce the inflammation of the intestines. Most doctors are wary of prescribing steroids for longer than a few months, however, because of the potentially severe side effects. To reduce the need for steroids, an immunosuppressant’s such as AZATHIOPRINE may be substituted. Your doctor may also prescribe an ant diarrheal agent containing codeine for mild bouts of diarrheal. You will probably be put on a bland, well balanced diet. If you become severely ill with diarrheal and are losing weight, your doctor may want you to be hospitalized while you receive steroids intravenously. Your doctor may also recommend intravenous feedings, which allow the intestine to rest. After stabilization, some patients may need IV feedings at home with the help of a visiting nurse. If the disease does not respond to drugs and diet, your doctor may recommend surgery. A partial colostomy removes the damage section of the colon but preserve the bowel if possible. In a total colostomy, the entire colon is removed and the end of the small intestine is brought to the surface with a stormy bag for evacuation. Although the disease may recur after surgery, the symptoms are likely to be less severe and less debilitating than before. To help you to cope with the stresses of having CRHON’S DISEASE, your doctor may suggest group therapy, sponsored by the CRHON’S and COLITIS foundation or by a local hospital. If you have undergone an ILEOSTOMY, you can receive support and tips from your local chapter of the United OSTOMY Association.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

While CROHN’S DISEASE is not curable, many people with mild forms of the disease or CROHN’S like symptoms have found ways to relieve intestinal distress short of drugs or surgery.

ACCUPUNCTURE

A trained acupuncturist will ask detailed questions about and your symptoms of pain and diarrhea. Points near the navel along the foot stomach meridian are used to treat acute diarrhea. To treat chronic intestinal discomfort, the practitioner may choose points along the liver, spleen, or kidney meridians.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Powdered slippery Elm bark is soothing to the intestines. Dissolve ¼ tsp. in a glass of warm water and drink four times a day. Tea made with Chamomile, Marsh mallow, or Bay berry is also soothing. Steep 1 tsp. of the herb in a cup of boiling water and drink three times a day.

HOMEOPATHY

A homeopath will try to determine the origin of the disease and may want to assess your constitutional makeup before prescribing remedies. For symptomatic relief of diarrhea, try the following remedies every 30 minutes, up to four doses a day:

• Mercury’s corrosives 6c if your stool contains blood and mucus and you have a feeling that the bowel has not emptied.

• Arsenic album 6c if you have profuse diarrhea with a burning or colicky stomach, anxiety and chills.

• Podophyllum 6c if you have greenish, painless diarrhea with gurgling and stomach cramps that are worst in the morning.

NUTRITION AND DIET

When the disease is active, you may speed the healing process by drinking juice squeezed from green, leafy vegetables such as cabbage, which are loaded with chlorophyll, or by taking tablets of chlorella, a freshwater alga. Drinking broth made from seaweeds such as kelp may also be helpful. Some doctors recommend a high protein high fiber, low fat diet to speed healing, with extra B vitamins, vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and copper. Be sure to check with your doctor or licensed nutritionist before taking vitamin and material supplements, however, because some have laxative or constipating effects. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish and flaxseed oils are said to help reduce inflammation. FLAVONOIDS such as quercetin may also reduce inflammation. You can find omega-3 oil and FLAVONOID supplements in health food stores. Your doctor may also recommend powdered psyllium seed, a soluble fiber, to give your stools more bulk. Mix powdered psyllium in cold water, drink it quickly, and drink another glass of water to increase its effectiveness.

REFLEXOLOGY

To soothe a troubled digestive tract, massage the colon, liver, adrenal, lower spine, diaphragm, and gall bladder areas on the foot.

YOGA

The cobra position is considered one of the best for toning the stomach and bowels. Lie on your stomach, with the side of your head resting on the ground and your legs together. Place your hands, palms down, just beneath your shoulders, keeping your head and chest off the floor. With you face forward, look up as high as you can and hold this position for three to six seconds. Exhale and slowly bring your chest and head down. Do up to four times a day. The knee to chest pose is intended to activate the abdominal organs and relieve gas. Stand straight with your arms at your sides. Lift your right knee toward your chest. Grasp your right ankle with your right hand and your leg in as close to your chest as you can. Keep standing straight, and hold for six to eight seconds. Repeat with the other leg. Do up to three times a day.

AT HOME REMEDIES

Use a juicer to squeeze your own cabbage and other green, leafy vegetable juices, and drink at least one glass every day. A snack of celery sticks is another quick way to get an extra measure of fiber. When the occasional about of diarrhea strikes, take time to sit down with a cup of chamomile or marsh mallow root tea.

!!LIVING WITH AN ILEOSTOMY!!

After surgery to remove the disease part of the colon, or large intestine, the cut end of the small intestine the ileum is led through an opening in the lower abdomen and surgically reconstructed to form a new opening a stoma for waste matter. A small plastic bag fastens against the opening to catch waste from the remaining intestine. Because the waste is only partially digested, it is liquid and has mild acidic odor. A nurse will teach you how to wear and care for the ileostomy bag. Some people change the bag every day; others can go for about a week. Your body will quickly adapt to having a shorter intestine, and the waste matter will eventually resemble more normal feces. To counteract any unpleasant odors, you can add an aspirin tablet or a little baking soda to each new bag. The stoma eventually shrinks to about the size of a nickel, but the skin around it may remain sensitive and require attention to prevent it from becoming irritated. People with ileostomies are surprised that the bag hardly interferes with their normal lives. After recovery from an ileostomy, you will probably be able to do everything you could before, even swimming and having normal sexual relation. You can also enjoy a normal diet, although you may have to cut out certain foods, such as popcorn and very fibrous vegetables that may tend to clog the stoma.

PREVENTION

There is no evidence that food allergies cause CRHON’S but food sensitivities may add to the irritation of the colon. To check for sensitivities, avoid suspected food for 10 to 30 days, and then try it. If a reaction occurs, eliminating the food from your diet. Common allergens are dairy products, eggs, and water.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 55 CROUP

2011-02-02T01:52:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

CROUP

SYMPTOMS

• A sharp, barking cough, usually accompanied by trouble inhaling and sometimes by a hoarse voice caused by inflamed vocal cords.

• Labored breathing that seems to put strain on the neck muscles, ribs, or breastbone, making these areas retracts noticeably with each breath.

WHAT IS CROUP

Croup, a viral infection of the voice box associated with signs of a respiratory infection, such as a runny nose or cough, is a relatively common ailment of childhood. Usually the first indication is a cough that sounds like the bark of a seal. Your child may have trouble breathing because the tissue around the larynx is inflamed, constructing the windpipe, and because the bronchial passages are blocked with mucus. The sound of air being forced through the narrowed airways may produce hollow raspy noises, or strider, with each inhaled breath. Croup lasts for five or six days and is highly contagious. It usually affects children between three months and six years old, whose small windpipes and bronchial passages are vulnerable to blockage. Most cases are mild and can be damage at home. In severe cases or in the case of epiglottises an unrelated bacterial infection of the epiglottis, whose symptoms mimic croup your child, may need to be hospitalized.

CAUSES

Most croup cases are caused by a par influenza virus. The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets from an infected child’s cough.

TREATMENT

You and your child may be panicked by the apparent sudden onset of a croup attack. Try to keep your child calm; crying will only make breathing more difficult. Croup usually can be managed with mist or steam therapy, which dissolves sticky or dried mucus in the child’s breathing passages. Because the condition commonly worsens at night, many doctors recommend that you sleep in the same room with your child or use a baby monitoring device to listen for any change in the child’s condition. Be ready to get medical help if your child doesn’t improve.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Doctors recommend home care for all but the most serious cases of croup. If the symptoms are severe enough, your pediatrician may take x-rays to check for epiglottises which would be treated with antibiotics during a short hospital stay. Severe cases of croup may also require hospitalization; the child will be given inhaled medications such as raceme epinephrine or oral corticosteroids to counter swelling.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

ACCUPRESSURE

Practitioners suggest pressing at least four of the following points in succession: Large intestine 4; Triple Warmer 5; Bladder 12, 13; Lung 1,2; Conception Vessel 17; and Governing Vessel 24.

HERBAL THERAPIES

To alleviate a persistent cough, herbalists use Aniseed, Sundew, Thyme, or Wild cherry bark, which are said to act as mild cough suppressants.

HOMEOPATHY

Aconite, favored by homeopaths for Croup, can be given in the 12x or 30c dosage at the beginning of an attack and then every 30 minutes until the child can sleep. If Aconite doesn’t work or if the child’s breathing sounds like wood being sawed, try Spongy in the same dosage and intervals. For a more mucus filled bronchial cough, a He par sculpture is the third choice for acute croup.

AT HOME REMEDIES

• A cool mist humidifier may help your child breath. Direct the mist away from the face and don’t put medications in the water; they can irritate your child’s throat.

• Steam may help loosen phlegm and relax the throat, turn on the shower and let steam accumulate in your bathroom. Carry your child around in the room until the child’s breathing becomes easier.

• Cold air sometimes offsets croup. If the night is cool, take your child for a ride in the car with the windows down.

• Acetaminophen will bring down a fever and lower your child’s respiratory rate.

• Offer plenty of no citric liquids to restore fluids and to loosen phlegm.

• Keep your child away from cigarette smoke.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES : 54 COUGH

2011-02-02T01:49:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

COUGH

SYMPTOMS

More important than the cough itself are aspects of it that provides clues to its cause:

• Frequency and duration of the cough.

• Length of the coughing spell.

• Type of the material being cough up.

• Color of the sputum (white, clear, green, yellow, pink, blood specked).

• Consistency of the material coughed up (thick, thin, frothy).

• Presence or absence of accompanying pain.

WHAT IS COUGH

Although it is usually unwelcome and involuntary, a cough is not itself an illness, but rather a protective reflex. Generally, the reflex kicks in when the membranes lining the respiratory tract secrete excessive mucus or phlegm. These secretions help to protect your airways from infections and irritants by trapping and flushing out viruses, bacteria, and foreign particles. Coughing is your body’s way of getting rid of this accumulation. The sudden burst of air in a cough not only helps to keep the breathing passages open, but also may prevent infectious mucus from falling into your lungs and bronchial tubes, where it could lead to such serious infection as pneumonia or bronchitis. Although cough have many different patterns, they may be categorized according to two characteristics duration and productivity. Duration refers to how long the person needs to cough. A cough can come and go quickly, as when you cough up something stuck in your throat; it can last for several days if you have a cold; or it can be persistent and chronic, as when you have chronic bronchitis. A productive cough is one that produces some of the sputum that protects the lungs and other parts of the lower respiratory tract. A nonproductive, or dry, cough is often the result of irritation caused by mucus running from the nasal passages to the throat. Although coughing is usually an involuntary act, it can also be voluntary the result of a conscious decision. In addition, some people cough more often than others because individuals vary in the amount of irritation they can tolerate.

CAUSES

A cough can be cause by anything that irritates the respiratory airways enough to elicit the protective cough reflex. The most common cause is an acute respiratory tract infection, such as the common cold, flu, and sinusitis. In these cases the excessive mucus produce in response to the infection triggers the cough. Coughs can also be triggered when you accidently inhale small objects, such as pieces of food, or breathe in irritants such as dust, cigarette smoke, and noxious fumes. A harsh or forceful cough can itself be an irritant. Coughing causes the airways to contract; repeated contraction lead to irritation of the upper airways, and this prolongs the cough in a sort of vicious cycle. A dry, nonproductive cough can be a side effect of drugs prescribed for other ailments. There are, for example, five types of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, used in the treatment of high blood pressure and heart disease that sometimes cause a dry cough. If you are taking one of these drugs and find you are coughing, ask your doctor to prescribe another. A persistent nonproductive cough that interferes with your sleep may indicate a condition called esophageal reflux, in which you involuntarily bring the acidic contents of your stomach back up into the esophagus and then inhale this material. A chronic persistent cough should always be considered abnormal. The cough may be caused by smoking, allergies, asthma, or chronic bronchitis, but it may also be an indication of emphysema, tuberculosis, or lung cancer.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

Any persistent cough may be symptoms of an underlying illness. Your doctor will make the diagnosis based on the frequency, duration, and severity of the cough; breathing difficulties; the type of material being coughed up; and the presence and location of any accompanying pain, swelling, or rash. The doctor may wish to obtain a chest x-rays and sputum specimen to test for infection. Although some of the chronic obstructive lungs disease in which coughing may be symptoms are incurable, most are treatable. If you have a dry cough along with leg and back aches, fever above 1010 F, headache, and a sore throat, you may be diagnosed with flu. A productive cough in which the color of the sputum changes from white to yellow or green may signal infection, possibly bronchitis or sinusitis. If your cough is accompanied by difficulty in breathing, wheezing, and tightness in the chest, you may be diagnosed with bronchial asthma. A cough that produce blood, or pink, yellow, or rust colored mucus, accompanied by chest pains, headache, fever, and difficulty in breathing, may be diagnosed as pneumonia. And if you have a hacking cough along with a pink rash, muscle aches, fever, and red eyes, you may be diagnosed with measles or German measles.

TREATMENT

Most coughs are not dangerous, therefore, if you have a nonproductive cough, along with a runny or stuffed up nose, sore throat, and sneezing. You have all the classic symptoms of a common cold, and you should let it run its course. Since coughing is a protective response by the body, suppressing it with cough medicine, particularly if it is a productive cough not only reduces the productive clearing action but may serve to mask a more serious underlying problem. Use conventional or Alternative cough remedies for no longer than 7 to 10 days and preferably only for temporary relief from nighttime coughing.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

An antibiotic might be prescribed for an underlying bacterial infection. Antibiotics would not be prescribed for a viral infection such as the common cold, however. In the case, your doctor would just prescribed bed rest, Aspirin or Acetaminophen, plenty of fluids, and moist air. If your cold or flu produces thick, sticky sputum, an expectorant may help to clear your lungs. A nonproductive cough can be treated by one or more common therapies: throat soothers and cough suppressants, or antihistamines if your cough is caused by allergies. To relieve a cough’s irritation, try cough drops, lozenges, and syrups. Your doctor might recommend a cough suppressant containing the narcotic drug codeine and requiring a physician’s prescription, or nonprescription cough drops containing dextromethorphan. Many over the counter products contain topical anesthetics that will slightly numb your irritated throat and many provide temporary relief. Ultimately, for any cough that persists for more than 7 to 10 days, seek medical advice. Based on the diagnosis, your doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment the underlying illness or problem.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

The following alternative therapies may ease the discomfort of acute or chronic respiratory infections. They do not treat the infection itself, but they may complement conventional care.

ACCUPRESSURE

Sometimes a coughing fit can make the muscles in the upper back contract or go into spasm. To relieve the pain this causes, apply pressure to Lung 5.

CHINESE HERBS

Sang Jug Yin, a decoction of Mulberry leaf and Chrysanthemum, is a classic cough treatment. It contains a number of other ingredients as well and is available in prepared form. Drink as directed for two to three days.

HERBAL THERAPIES

A wide variety of herbs act as stimulating or relaxing expectorants that help the body remove excess mucus from the airways. Stimulating expectorants increases the quantity and then liquefy viscous sputum so it can be cleared out by coughing. Relaxing expectorants loosen the sputum and are soothing if you have a dry, irritating cough. Since most herbal traditions have remedies for specific types of coughs, you might want to check the many possibilities with an herbalist. However a basic herbal cough tea that can be taken several times a day for three days consist of 2 parts Coltsfoot, 2 parts Marsh mallow, 2 parts Hyssop, 1 part Aniseed, and 1 part Licorice. Add 1 cup boiling water, steep for 20 minutes, and drink while hot.

HOMEOPATHY

Homeopaths recommend different remedies and dosages schedules for the beginning and later stages of various types of coughs. For relief of early symptoms, take one dose four times a day; for relief of persistent symptoms, take two doses a day for four days. If you are often thirstily and have painful bouts of dry coughs that intensify with the slightest movement, try Bryonies (12c). if your cough is accompanied by hoarseness, difficulty in breathing, and considerable rattling in the chest, take Antimonies terrarium (12c). if your throat tickles and you get violent coughing fits whenever you lie down, try Drosera (12c). if the slightest draft of cool air initiates a tickling cough, take Rumex crisps (12c). if you happen get chilled and develop a fever and a breaking cough, try Aconite (12c).

NUTRITION AND DIET

The best thing to do for a cough is to drink plenty of liquids, four to six large glasses a day. A large intake of fluids will loosen the mucus and make coughing it up easier. Warm liquids, or just plain water, are best for this purpose. Try to avoid caffeinated or alcoholic beverages, which are diuretics that because you to lose more liquid than you take in. conventional and alternative practitioner agree that you might speed recovery by drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Some physicians recommend vitamin C supplements; others consider a well balanced diet just as effective.

AT HOME REMEDIES

Most of the treatments referred to above can be used at home. In addition to drinking plenty of liquids, including herbal teas, you may find relief by rubbing your throat and chest with essential oil of eucalyptus or myrrh. A simple rub might help you breathe more easily, cough less, and get a good night’s sleep. Another way to reduce persistent night coughing is to sleep with the head of your bed raised six to eight inches. This prevents the pooling of secretion and the return of the irritating acidic contents from your stomach to your esophagus, which you may be breathing in. try to avoid caffeine and peppermint. You can make an effective expectorant with a large onion and organic honey. Slice the onion into rings, place in a deep bowl, cover with honey, and let stand 10 to 12 hours. Strain and take a table spoon of this mixture four or five times a day.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SERIES : 53 CONJUNCTIVITIS

2011-01-31T03:56:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

CONJUNCTIVITIS

SYMPTOMS

• Burning itchy eyes that discharge heavy, sticky mucus may indicate bacterial conjunctivitis.

• Copious tears, a swollen lymph node, and light discharge of mucus from one eye are signs of viral conjunctivitis.

• Redness, intense itching, tears in the eyes may indicate allergic conjunctivitis.

WHAT IS CONJUNCTIVITIS

The conjunctiva the transparent membrane that lines your eye ball and your eyelid can become inflamed for various reasons. Most cases of conjunctivitis run a predictable course, and the inflammation usually clears up in a few days. Although conjunctivitis can be highly contagious, it is rarely serious and will not damage your vision if detected and treated promptly. Bacterial conjunctivitis, commonly known as pinkeye, usually infects both eyes and produces a heavy discharge of mucus. Viral conjunctivitis is usually limited to one eye, causing copious tears and light discharge. Allergic conjunctivitis produces tears, itching and redness in the eyes, and sometimes an itchy nose, runny nose. Ophthalmic neonatorum is an acute form of inclusion conjunctivitis in newborn babies. It must be treated immediately by a physician to prevent permanent eye damage or blindness.

CAUSES

Conjunctivitis is caused by bacteria or viral infection or by an allergic reaction to pollen, smoke, or other material that irritates your eyes. Children sometime contract conjunctivitis after a cold or sore throat. Redness and inflammation of conjunctiva can also be brought on by eye strain, stress, and poor nutrient levels. Ophthalmia neonatorum may occur if the baby’s tear ducts are not completely opened or if the infant is exposed to bacteria when passing through the birth canal of a mother infected with Chlamydia or gonorrhoea.

TREATMENT

Traditionally, at home remedies have been sufficient for soothing conjunctivitis associated with uncomplicated colds, minor infections, or allergies. Treatment consists primarily of cleansing eye and preventing the condition from spreading.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

If your conjunctivitis symptoms do not appear to be associated with a cold or allergy, you may want see your doctor or on ophthalmologist for a medical diagnosis. For bacterial conjunctivitis, the treatment will probably call for antibiotic eye drops or ointment. Allergic conjunctivitis may respond to antihistamine or steroid eye drops, but you should not use steroid drops for either bacterial or viral conjunctivitis.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Alternative therapies rely on natural remedies to soothe your irritated eyes and ease the itching and inflammation.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Using an eyecup, wash the eye several times a day with one of the following solutions. In each case, cool and strain the eyewash before using.

 1 tsp. dried eyebright steeped in 1 pt boiling water.

 2 to 3 tsp. chamomile in 1 pt boiling water.

HOMEOPATHY

Depending on your symptoms, take the following remedies four times daily for one or two days:

• For stinging eyes and red, puffy eyelids, Apes 12x.

• For bloodshot eyes and a gritty feeling, Argentums nitric 12x.

• For itchy eyes with a sticky, yellow discharge, Pulsatilla 12x.

AT HOME REMEDIES

You can cleanse and soothe irritated eyes with a prepared boric acid eyewash, or try the herbal eyewash above. To relieve discomfort of bacterial or viral conjunctivitis, apply a warm compress for 5 to 10 minutes, three to four times a day. For allergic conjunctivitis place a cool compress or a cool, moist tea bag on your closed eye. If the condition does not improve in five days, consult a ophthalmologist.

PREVENTION

Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are highly contagious. Unless you take preventive measures, the condition may spread to your other eye or other people.

• Wash your hands often and well.

• Keep your hands away from the infected eye.

• Do not share washcloths, towels, pillowcases, or handkerchief with other family members.

• Change your towel, washcloths, pillowcase after each use, and wash them thoroughly.

• Do not use other peoples eye cosmetics, particularly eye pencil, mascara.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SERIES : 52 COLORECTAL CANCER

2011-01-31T03:53:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

COLORECTAL CANCER

SYMPTOMS

In its stage, colorectal cancer usually produces no symptoms. The most likely warning signs include:

• Changes in bowel movements, including persistent constipation or diarrhea, a feeling of not being able to empty the bowel completely, or rectal bleeding.

• Dark patches of blood in or on stool; or long, thin, “pencil stools”.

• Stomach discomfort, intermittent cramps, frequent gas pains, heart burn, nausea, vomiting, bloating, or difficulty swallowing.

• Unexplained fatigue, or loss of appetite or weight.

WHAT IS COLORECTAL CANCER

Coiled inside your abdominal cavity is a long, tubular digestive tract. The muscular second half of this tube the large intestine, or bowel is composed of the colon, which stretches several feet, and the rectum, which is only a few inches long. Together, the colon and rectum act as a waste processor: Digested food moves in to the colon, the body absorbs any remaining water, and the solid waste is pushed through the rectum and out of the anus in the form of stool. The inner lining of the colorectal tube can be a fertile breeding ground for small tumours called polyps. About half of all adults over the age of 40 grow at least one colorectal polyp. Most polyps are benign, but at least one type is known to be precancerous. Nine out of ten malignant colorectal tumours develop from polyps in glandular tissue of the intestinal lining, although a few rare types of colorectal cancer arise from non-glandular tissue. If colorectal cancer is diagnosed and treated while the tumour is still localized, the disease is highly curable, with five year survival rates of about 90 percent. If the tumour continues to grow, cancer can spread directly through the bowel wall to surrounding tissues and organs, as well as into bloodstream or lymphatic system. Once the cancer spread to lymph nodes or other organs, successful treatment become more difficult. Depending upon how advance d the disease is, five year survival rates range anywhere from 70 percent to 5 percent. Cancer of colon and rectum are jointly responsible for about 12 percent of cancer in the United States, with approximately 150,000 cases diagnosed each year. Like many cancers, colorectal cancer is particular concern for the elderly. Although detection is often possible at an early stage, many people delay seeking medical care because they are embarrassed or fearful of symptoms related to their bowels. Risk increases significantly after 50 and continues to increase with age. Colorectal cancer is characteristically an urban disease, affecting city dwellers more often than rural dwellers, and Caucasians more than African Americans.

CAUSES

Colorectal cancer is strongly associated with certain other disease. Those people consider as high risk include anyone with a personal or a family history of colon polyps, inflammatory disease of the colon such as ulcerative colitis or Crown’s disease, and cancer of the pancreas, breast ovaries, colon, or rectum especially in a parent or sibling. If you develop ulcerative colitis, the risk of getting colorectal cancer is 20 times greater than average. As with any cancer, potential susceptibility to colorectal cancer is at least partly determined by genetic makeup. A few people inherit a condition called familial polyps sis, in which colon polyps develops at an early age; unless treated these people are almost certain to develop colorectal cancer. Diet also seems to contribute to the risk, although a cause and effect relationship is still unclear. People whose diets are low in fibre because they do not eat enough fruits, vegetables, and grains are known to be at increased risk. Many study implicate animal fat and protein as promoters of colorectal cancer, although researchers are cautious about drawing any definite conclusions. Some studies shows that regularly eating red meat, which is rich in saturated fat and protein, increases risk, while others find no connection. Some scientist think that fat Is the main culprit, while other suspect protein. Others contend that it’s not the fat and protein themselves, but the way they are cooked. They note that fats and protein cooked at high temperature especially when broiled and barbecued can produce a host of potentially carcinogenic substance linked to colorectal cancer. Heavy exposure to certain chemicals, including chlorine which in small amounts is commonly use to purify drinking water may increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Exposure to asbestos is thought to be potentially harmful, because it has been implicated in causing formation of polyps in the colon.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

Beginning about the age of 50, everyone should be screened regularly for colorectal cancer. Once a year, your doctor should perform a digital rectal examination and check your abdomen and lymph nodes for sign of swelling or a mass. As part of your annual check up, a stool sample should be analyzed for occult blood microscopic traces that could signal bleeding in the digestive tract. Every three of five years, you should have a sigmoid copy, an examination of your rectum and lower, or sigmoid, colon using a flexible, lighted tube called a sigmoid scope. While this screening technique may not be altogether pleasant, it is extremely valuable for detecting early cancer and other gastrointestinal disorders. A non- invasive screening procedure called virtual colonoscopy does away with the tube, instead using spiral computed tomography, which produces a three dimensional image of the colon after it has been emptied and partially inflated with air. Any suspicious symptoms or abnormalities will alert your doctor to perform a colonoscopy, a procedure much like sigmoid copy that allows a closer view of the inner lining of the bowel. If your doctor finds a polyp or tumour, a biopsy will determine whether or not it is malignant. You may also have the x-rays taken of the colon and rectum to view potential masses, along with blood and urine studies to check for characteristics chemical abnormalities. Should a biopsy confirm cancer, other test are run to find out whether it has spread to likely sites such as the liver, using x-rays, ultrasound, or CT scans.

TREATMENT

Cancer treatment involves not only specific therapies for curing or controlling the disease, but also strategies for meeting a patients emotional and physical needs. Restoring and maintaining quality of life is a central issue for physicians, as it should be for family members and friends as well. Many complementary therapies can be valuable adjuncts when pursued along with standard medical treatment to help the make stress of cancer and it’s treatment more tolerable.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Surgery is the most effective treatment for local colorectal tumours. Very small tumour can be removed through a colonoscopy, but even with small tumours the surgeon usually prefer to do a laparotomy removing a significant portion of the bowel and nearby lymph nodes. Often the surgeon can reconnect the healthy sections of the colon and rectum; when this is not possible, the surgeon forms an opening known as stoma in the abdomen and reroutes the severed colon to it. Waste is collected in a bag worn over the stoma. This procedure known as colostomy, often is only temporary; once the bowel has had time to heal, a second operations reconnect the colon and rectum. In the treatment of rectal cancer, preoperative radiation or chemotherapy may be advise to shrink the tumour. Radiation and chemotherapy may also be recommended to prevent local tumour recurrence and to lengthen survival time. Radiation is rarely recommended after colon cancer. Instead doctor have found that chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy can improve the period of survival patient whose cancer are spread from the colon to surrounding lymph nodes. In the immediate postoperative period, the patient can expect to receive painkillers and other medication to ease temporary diarrheal or constipation. Post op patient will be encouraged to eat nutritious food, rich in calories and proteins, in order to foster strength and healing. Once cancer of either the colon or rectum achieves remission, follow up exams to check for recurrence are essential indefinitely. But hundreds of thousands of people are living comfortable, normal lives even after colorectal surgery and a colostomy requires time, support, and understanding, people with stomata have discovered for the most part they can eat, play, and work as well as they did before.

COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES

Studies publish since the 1970s have essentially confirm that a high fibre diet substantially reduce the risk for colorectal cancer. Dietary fibre seems to protect the bowel from prolonged exposure to carcinogens by moving waste quickly and by inhibiting formation of some carcinogens. Major study also shows that a diet high in fruit and vegetables reduce risk for colorectal cancer, largely because of the fibre and other nutrients they provide. While some study indicate that folic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and antioxidants vitamins C, E, and A offer protection against developing colorectal cancer, other studies have failed to confirm these findings and in some case have flatly contradicted them. For now, the best advice regarding colorectal cancer and nutrition is to include in your daily diet whole grains at least five fresh fruits and vegetables especially cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli to ensure that you get ample fibre and many nutrients that may be protective.

PREVENTION

Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; cut back on red meat and other high fat foods such as eggs and most dairy products. You can get the protein you need from low fat dairy products, nuts, beans, lentils, and soya bin products. Avoid overcooking or barbecuing meats and fish. To get more fibre, you can add bran or wheat germs to your breakfast cereal. Speak with your doctor about the latest evidence on aspirin and colorectal cancer. Some studies show that people who regularly take aspirin significantly reduce their risk for colorectal cancer, although other study finds no correlation. In any event, don’t start taking aspirin on your own; it is drug and can cause health problems if taken without a doctor advice. If you are over 50, make sure that you are being properly screened for colorectal cancer, especially if you are at high risk for the disease. Home test kits that check for blood in the stool are available at many drugstores. If such a test is positive, see your doctor. If your doctor find a polyp, have it removed.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SERIES : 51 COLITIS

2011-01-31T03:46:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

COLITIS

SYMPTOMS

• Persistent or recurrent diarrhea with blood or pus in the stool.

• Abdominal pain.

• Bowel movements or diarrhea during the night.

• Fever, fatigue, weakness, weight loss, pains or soreness in joints.

WHAT IS COLITIS

Colitis is general term for inflammatory ailments of the lower intestine, which include Cohn’s disease and chronic alternative prostates. Ischemic colitis is an intestinal disorder that affects mainly the elderly. One of the most serious forms of colitis is ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease that requires close medical attention. In ulcerative colitis, the colon develops tiny ulcers and other inflammations that flare up periodically and cause attacks of bloody stools or diarrheal that may be painful. It is usually diagnose in young adults but can occurs at any age, and may be associated with various other disorders ranging from eye problems to arthritis in the arm and leg joints. Attacks of alterative colitis tend to recur, and the risk of colorectal cancer increases rapidly 8 to 10 years after onset. With regular medical treatment, however, the disease is rarely fatal, and most suffers can lead fairly normal lives. Doctors recognize several levels of severity:

With a mild case you will have up to four loose, possibly bloody, bowel movements a day, which may temporarily relieve abdominal pain.

With a moderate case you will have abdominal pain and four to eight bloody stools daily; as well as a low fever and weight loss.

With a severe case you will have six or more bloody stools or diarrheal daily and during the night, with fever of 1000F or higher, as well as symptoms of anaemia.

CAUSES

Although several theories have been put forward about the causes of colitis, none has been proved conclusively. Colitis like symptoms can also occur in conjunction with bacterial and parasitic infections, such as salmonella poisoning. Temporary colitis like symptoms strike some people after they take certain antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephalosporins, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, lincomycin, penicillin, tetracycline, or trimethoprim. When drugs are discontinued, the symptoms tend to disappear.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

Doctors look for signs of ulcerative colitis by examining the inside of the colon with a sigmoidoscope, a flexible tube inserted through the rectum. A diagnosis is often made by taking a biopsy, removing a tiny sample of the colon lining for testing under the microscope.

TREATMENT

Ulcerative colitis is among the most serious systematic illness. If left untreated, it can lead to complications in other body system and is potentially fatal. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate medical treatment are essential. Diarrheal in infants and young children is always a serious matter and must be diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Doctors first focus on controlling inflammation and stopping diarrheal, and eventually on improving nutrition. If you have intense diarrheal and bleeding, your doctor will probably recommend immediate hospitalization, intravenous feeding, and treatment with appropriate drugs probably intravenous methyl prednisolone or hydrocortisone. Azathioprine, an immunosuppressant’s well. When disease is stable but diarrheal is still a problem, you may need an ant diarrheal remedy such as a loperamide and codeine compound. Because diarrheal tends to dehydrate the body, you need to replace the water you are losing. In severe cases, surgery to remove the colon may be necessary. After the immediate symptoms of colitis are under control, your doctor will probably recommend a highflier, lactose free diet and will encourage you to get regular exercise and to stop smoking.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Because ulcerative colitis is a serious, potentially life threatening illness, you should see a doctor at the first sign of diarrheal with bloody stools. If the medical diagnosis rules out ulcerative or other infectious forms of colitis, however, you may find that alternative therapies are helpful in relieving your symptoms.

ACCUPUNCTURE

To provide relief from diarrheal and colitis like symptoms, your acupuncturist will ask you specific question about your condition to determine which points to stimulate. The likely points are along the foot stomach and conception meridians, near the navel and left knee.

HERBAL THERAPIES

For soothing an irritated intestine and stimulating antibacterial action, many herbalists recommend a supplemental regimen of garlic, typically one 300 mg capsule of dried garlic, three times a day with meals.

HOMEOPATHY

Homeopathy is considered appropriated for relief of colitis and colitis like symptoms, not only in adults but in infants and children as well. Consult a homeopath for specific treatments; among the commonly prescribed homeopathic remedies for colitis are Arsenicum album and Nux vomica.

NUTRITION AND DIETS

Omega 3 fatty acids, found naturally in fish oil and flaxseed oil and available in capsule form at health food sores, may help reduce intestinal inflammation. Consult a knowledgeable healthcare practitioner for the dosage appropriate to your condition.

REFLEXOLOGY

In order to relive discomfort of intestinal problems, massage the colon, liver, adrenal, lower spine, diaphragm, and gallbladder areas on the bottom of your foot.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SERIES : 50 COLIC

2011-01-31T03:42:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

COLIC

SYMPTOMS

Colic is not a disease but a pattern of persistent, prolonged crying. Doctor considers it colic if an otherwise healthy infant up to three months old exhibits the following behavior:

• Loud crying lasting three hours or more for three or more days a week, over a period of more than three weeks.

• Prolonged crying between 6:00 p.m. and midnight in a baby that has been fed.

• While crying, the baby draws his legs to his abdomen and clenches his hands and curls his toes; his face alternately flushes and pales with the effort of crying.

• Episode of crying that sometimes begin or end with a bowel movement or the passing of gas.

WHAT IS COLIC

About 20 percent of all infants suffer from colic spates of crying that go on for hours for no apparent reason. Although distressing for the child and exhausting and emotionally draining for parents, the condition itself is benign and usually ends by the time a child is four months old.

CAUSES

The causes of colic are not known. Experts attribute it to any number of things, including an infant’s immature digestive system, allergies, hormones in breast milk, and overfeeding.

TREATMENT

There is no cure for colic, although many at home remedies have sooth helpful in soothing colicky babies. Any of those listed on page 273 may work for your child. It is important to remain calm; communication of your own anxiety or frustration to a colicky child will probably result in more crying. Above all, never punish a colicky baby. If you feel yourself near the breaking point, ask someone else to stay with your child while you rest or get away to compose yourself.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

If you suspect your child has colic, call your paediatrician. After ruling out possible medical causes of prolonged crying, such as obits media or respiratory problems, most doctors recommend simple home management techniques. Some encourage parents to talk with other parents for support. If you have gone through colic with an older child, you may decide to call the doctor only if you think you’re colicky infant is sick.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

ACCUPRESSSURE

Manipulating certain acupressure points may sooth a crying child. See the Appendix for help in locating these points. Apply pressure to the webbed area between your child’s thumb and index figure on either hand. Gently massage conception vessel 12, above your child navel, and the corresponding points near the spine. Applying pressure to stomach 36 may also quite your child.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Teas made with herbs containing carminative oils, which reduce inflammation in the bowels and lessen gas production, may help a colicky child. Try teas made of chamomile, lemon balm, peppermint, or dill.

HOMEOPATHY

Homeopathic medicine offers several over the counter colic remedies that are considered safe to use without prior consultation with a homeopath. Seek help from a professional if your child does not respond to a remedy within 24 hours.

AT HOME REMEDIES

Maintain consistent pattern of comfort. Consistency will help you avoid getting locked into a behavioural problem with your child later. If one of these methods brings the child relief, stick with it.

• Give your baby a pacifier.

• Motion can relieve colic. Walk with the baby; rock him in your arms or in a swing; go for a car ride; or put him in an infant seat near clothes dryer , where the vibration can be left.

• White noise may sooth your child. Try running a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer where your infant can hear it.

• Wrap the child snugly in a blanket to provide a sense of security and comfort.

• Place the baby, stomach down, on a warm water bottle in your lap. Test the temperature of the bottle against your inner wrist.

• Ask a relative or friend to take over when you feel yourself getting frustrated or exhausted.

PREVENTION

You can’t prevent colic, but if the distress is related to feeding, you may lessen the frequency of episodes by trying the following: Hold your baby up right when feeding: burp often. Feed smaller amounts more frequently. To prevent him from swallowing air, feed your baby slowly. If you are breast feeding, try eliminating from your own diet cow’s milk, caffeinated drinks, and broccoli and other cabbage family vegetables, all of which can promote gas pain in your child. If you are bottle feeding, try a formula free of cow’s milk.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SERIES : 49 CIRRHOSIS

2011-01-28T02:05:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

CIRRHOSIS

SYMPTOMS

Often no symptoms appear until the disease has entered the late stages. When they occur, symptoms can include:

• Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

• Unusual gain or loss of weight.

• Yellow coloration of the skin and eyes.

• Dark urine.

• Bloody, black stools, or unusually light colored stools.

• Vomiting of blood.

• Abdominal swelling.

• Prolonged generalized itching.

• Swollen feet or legs.

• Red palms.

• Sleep disturbance and confusion.

• Fatigue or loss of stamina.

• Enlarged breast in men.

• Loss of sex drive.

• Menstrual disturbance in women.

• Spiderlike blood vessels on chest and shoulders.

WHAT IS CIRRHOSIS

Cirrhosis is a serious degenerative disease that occurs when healthy cells in the liver are damaged usually as a result of alcohol abuse or hepatitis and replaced by scar tissue. the organ loses its ability to function properly. Severe damage can lead to liver failure and possibly death. Cirrhosis poses another danger as well: dense scarring slows the normal flow of blood through the liver, causing pressure to build up in supplying blood vessels. In some cases this pressure becomes so great that the vessels in the esophagus rupture. Every year about 26000 people in the United States die from cirrhosis. The disease cannot be reversed or cured except, in some cases, through a liver transplant. It can often be slowed or halted, however, especially if the disease is detected in the early stages of development. Patient who thinks they might have cirrhosis should see a physician without delay. Cirrhosis is serious because of importance of organ it affects. The liver, weighing about three pounds and roughly the size of a foot ball, is the largest of the body’s internal organs. Among its many functions, the liver serves as an essential part of the digestive system by producing bile, which is stored in the gallbladder, then release in to the small intestine, where it helps break down fatty food. The liver also helps maintain the proper composition of blood by regulating the amounts of fat, protein, and sugar that enter the blood stream. As the body’s primary blood filter, the liver works the detoxify alcohol, drugs, and other potentially harmful chemicals. Along with the spleen, the liver traps and disposes of worn out red blood cells. And because it aids in the removal bacteria and viruses from the blood, the liver is a vital component of the immune system. If your liver is not functioning properly, you are more susceptible to infection. The liver is remarkably tolerant of disease and injury. Even after 70 percent of its mass has been destroyed or removed, the organ can still function, albeit with decreased effectiveness. If the condition that caused the destruction have been removed or corrected, the liver usually can bounce back. Although function can never be restored to parts of your liver that have turned to scar tissue, you can live a healthy life with the remanding portion if the disease is caught in time. However, there is a point of no return with cirrhosis. As more cells are replaced by scar tissue, fewer healthy cells are left to handle the livers many tasks. Eventually function problems arise and many remain. This is why it’s important to identify the underlying causes as soon as possible and begin taking steps to eliminate them.

CAUSES

Cirrhosis occurs as the result of long term injury to the liver. Possible causes include viruses, genetic deficiencies, prolonged obstruction of bile flow, and long periods of exposure to drugs and other toxic substances. In the majority of cases, however, the culprit is excessive consumption of alcohol. The link between alcohol and cirrhosis is well documented. Studies show that while moderate drinking may actually help prevent strokes and heart disease, heavy drinking has a clearly harmful effect on the liver. For example, the French famous for their wine consumption- have relatively low incidence of heart disease, but the rate of cirrhosis in France is very high. Many physicians believe that more drinkers die from cirrhosis than are protected from heart disease. Simply put, the more alcohol you drink and the greater the frequency of drinks the more likely you are to develop cirrhosis. Because the bodies of men and women process alcohol differently, the amount that you can safely imbibe depends largely on your sex. In general, men have two or three alcoholic drinks a day without suffering liver damage. Women, on the other hand, can safely consume only one or two drinks daily. These guidelines notwithstanding, it’s important to note that alcohol tolerance may vary from one person to the next. For some person, one drink per day is enough to leave permanent scars in the liver. If you drink especially if you do so heavily and often have a physician examine you for sign of cirrhosis. This is necessary even if you feel healthy, since the symptoms of cirrhosis often do not appear until is too late to arrest the development of the disease or slow its progress. Excessive drinking almost inevitably causes some liver damage, but it does not always lead to cirrhosis. Some people who drink heavily develop alcoholic hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that can last a week or two, producing symptoms of nausea, fever, loss of appetite, jaundice, and confusion. Over time, the condition can also lead to cirrhosis. Even light drinkers who go on bender for several days can develop a condition known as fatty liver, caused when cells of the liver become swollen with accumulated fat and water. This condition can cause pain or tenderness in the liver, temporary jaundice, and abnormalities in other liver functions. (fatty liver can also result from diabetes, obesity, and severe malnutrition.) after alcoholism, the most frequent causes of cirrhosis is hepatitis, a general term meaning inflammation of the liver. Of the various forms of this disease, only two hepatitis B and hepatitis C are likely to result cirrhosis. Scarring usually occurs after hepatitis has become chronic. The symptoms may be mild at the first that patients which chronic hepatitis do not even realize their livers are scarring. Meanwhile, the damage continues, perhaps resulting in a serious cases of cirrhosis later in life. Therefore, it is important for people with hepatitis to have regular medical checkups. And because hepatitis is contagious, family members of an infected person should also be tested. Cirrhosis sometimes, though rarely, occurs because of an inherited liver disorder. In Wilson’s disease, for example, a genetic deficiency inhibits the body’s ability to metabolize copper. As a result, excessive amounts of the metal accumulate in various body organs, particularly the liver, where it destroys tissue. Similarly, in hemochromatosis the body absorbs excess amounts of iron, which damages the liver and causes scarring. This disorders mostly strikes men between the ages of 40 and 60; women are usually not affected because their bodies lose iron during menstruation. Children born with galactosemia lack an enzyme needed to digest milk sugar. Normally, milk sugar passes harmlessly through the digestive system and out of the body. But in people with galactosemia, the substance accumulates in the liver at levels that become toxic and potentially fatal without proper treatment. Infants with this disorders should be taken of milk and given a substitute formula. Some babies are born with no bile ducts, or with ducts that are malformed. Because bile is unable to drain out of the body, it accumulates in the liver and eventually poisons it. Although the problem can sometimes be corrected through surgery, most children with this disorders die from cirrhosis before they reach the age of two. Cirrhosis can result when gallstones block the flow of the bile and cause it to back up into the liver from the long periods of time. The disease may also come from long term exposure to certain drugs, including methotrexate and isoniazid, and toxic substance in the environment, such as pesticides and arsenic based compounds.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

A patient history and symptoms, along with the results of a physical examination, are enough to determine a case of cirrhosis. Once the diagnosis has been made, the physician may order one or more liver function tests, which use blood sample to identify specific liver disease and assess the organs overall health. The doctor may also require liver biopsy, or tissue sample, to ascertain the cause of the cirrhosis. In this procedure, a needle is inserted into the liver to draw out a fragment of tissue, which is then sent to a lab for analysis.

TREATMENT

The best way to treat cirrhosis is to correct the underlying causes. This could involve giving up alcohol, seeking treatment for hepatitis or an inherited disorders, or eliminating certain substance from your diet or environment.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Specific remedies for cirrhosis depends on the underlying cause and its stage of development. Besides halting the progress of the disease, conventional treatment also aims at correcting any complications, such as internal bleeding, which in themselves can be disabling or life threatening. If your cirrhosis is caused by alcoholism, you simply must stop drinking immediately and completely. If you continue to drink after you have been diagnose with cirrhosis, you have less than 40 percent chance of living longer than five more years. If you stop drinking however, those chance increase to 60 to 70 percent. Corking the bottle is also best way to remedy alcoholic hepatitis and alcohol induced fatty liver. Both of these condition usually clear up when the patient stop drinking long enough for the liver to heal. Conventional treatment of cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis emphasizes rest, proper nutrition, and possibly the use of the drug interferon. As with any form of major surgery, liver transplants can be risky. The new liver may not function properly, or the body may reject the transplanted organ. There’s also the danger that infection will set in after surgery. Still, the procedure has promising success rate overall. In the United States, 60 percent to 75 percent of adult patients and 90 percent of children survive the operation. Transplant person live an average of five year after surgery.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Alternative therapies for cirrhosis generally attempt to support the functioning of healthy liver cells as well as relived some of the discomfort and disability associated with the disease.

CHINESE MEDICINE

Various Chinese herbs, used in combination, may promote healthy liver function. However self medication can be dangerous; remedies should be prescribed only by a licensed practitioner.

HERBAL THERAPY

Milk Thistle is believe to promote healthy liver function. However, consult a licensed practitioner before using this remedy.

HOMEOPATHY

Certain homeopathic remedies, including Taraxacum Officinale and Chelidonium Majus, may help improve the efficiency of healthy liver cells in case of cirrhosis. Consult a licensed practitioner for their proper use.

NUTRITION AND DIET

Good nutrition often play vital role in the treatment of cirrhosis. Although parts of the liver that have given way to scar tissue can’t be restored, a balance diet including plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, milk, and protein can help promote regeneration among cells in the intact portion. Adults with the disease need to monitor their intake of protein. Too little protein can slow cell regeneration, and too much can raise the amount of ammonia in your bloodstream, possibly leading to mental impairment. Check with doctor or nutritionist for the amount of proteins that right for you. Because the liver must filter and refine substance that are introduced into the body, patients with cirrhosis are often told seek medical advice before taking large doses of vitamins or other dietary supplements. Cirrhosis patients should also avoiding eating uncooked shellfish, which are sometimes harvested in polluted estuaries and may carry organism that cause hepatitis or other disease.

PREVENTION

• If you drink, know your limits and do not exceed them. Generally speaking, men can have two or three drinks a day without suffering liver damage. The safe limit for women is one or two drinks daily. Keep in mind, though, that alcohol tolerance can vary greatly from one person to the next.

• Avoid uncooked shellfish.

• Never mix alcohol and drugs. Some medications, including acetaminophen, react with alcohol and can damage the liver.

• Avoid exposure to industrial chemicals, which can enter the bloodstream and cause liver damage.

• Maintain a healthy, balanced diet.

Take precautions to avoid contracting hepatitis. Practice safe sex and if you use intravenous drugs be especially careful to avoid dirty needles. Before travelling to countries where the disease is prevalent, ask your doctor about hepatitis vaccinations and immune serum globulin shots.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SERIES : 48 COLD SORES

2011-01-28T02:01:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

COLD SORES

SYMPTOMS

• Fluid-filled blisters or red, painful sores on or near the mouth, or on fingers.

• Swollen, sensitive gums of a deep red color.

• A fever, flulike symptoms, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck often accompanying the first attack; recurrent sores usually don’t produce these symptoms.

WHAT IS COLD SORES

Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are a painful infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. They may show up anywhere on your body but are most likely to appear on your gums, the outside of your mouth and lips, your nose, cheeks, or fingers. Blister form, then break and ooze; a yellow crust develops and eventually sloughs off, revealing new skin underneath. The sore usually last 7 to 10 days. Ninety percent of all people get at least one cold sores in their lives. This first occurrence is often the worst. Some children who are affected may become seriously ill. After the first infection, many people develop antibodies and never have other cold sores. About 40 percent of Americans adults, however, have repeated cold sores. Although cold sores generally are not serious, the infection may be life threatening for anyone who has AIDS or whose immune system is depressed by other disorders or medications. In infants, who usually contract the virus during birth, the infection may spread to other organs, causing serious complication or even details. The infection form a cold sores may cause blindness if it spread to the eye; herpes is frequent cause of infectious blindness.

CAUSES

Cold sores are cause by the herpes simplex virus, which is transmitted by such forms of contact as kissing an infected person or sharing eating utensils, towels, or razors. A person with cold sores who performs oral sex on another person can give that person genital herpes. Sores may develop as late as 20 days after exposure to the virus. Once the virus enter your body, it may emerge years later at or near the original site of entry. Before an attack you may experience itching or sensitivity at the side. The virus may be triggered by certain foods, stress, fever, colds, allergies, sunburn, and menstruation.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

Your doctor may take culture from your sore or simply examine it to see if you have the virus.

TREATMENT

You can’t cure a cold sore, but you can alleviate the pain it causes by avoiding spicy or acidic foods, applying ice, and using over the counter remedies. Look for medicines that content numbing agents such as phenol, and emollients to reduce cracking and soften scabs. To speed healing apply a water based zinc ointment as soon as you feel the tingling that precedes a sore.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

If your cold sore is especially painful or irritating, your doctor may prescribe an aesthetic gel to alleviate pain.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Several alternative therapies may help to speed healing and prevent sores from coming back.

AROMATHERAPY

Applying geranium or eucalyptus oils to cold sores every hour may help reduce pain and speed healing of the sores. Aroma therapist believes that tea tree oil has antiseptic properties.

HERBAL THEARAPIES

To dry up cold sore, herbalists recommend applying witch hazel. Herbalists also recommend applying extracts of Echinacea, Nettle, Goldenseal, and Myrrh to Speed healing.

MIND/BODY MEDICINE

Cold sore often is triggered by stress. Try deep muscle relaxation, biofeedback, guided imagery, and meditation. Don’t forget to exercise; activity bolsters your immune system so you can depend yourself against the virus.

NUTRITON AND DIET

The herpes virus thrives on the amino acid argentine. Stay away from nuts, chocolates, and seeds. Instead, eat foods high in lysine, such as kidney beans, split peas, and corn. If you have more than three cold sores a year, take 500 mg lysine supplements every day.

AT HOME REMEDIES

• Apply ice for 15 minutes to relieve pain.

• Apply vitamin E oil to help sores heal.

• Use number 15 lip balm sunscreen.

• Cover your cold sore with petroleum jelly.

PREVENTION

• Don’t kiss someone who has a cold sore or use the same utensils, towels, or razors.

• Wash your hands after touching cold sores.

• Don’t rub your eyes after touching your cold sore; you could develop corneal herpes which may lead to blindness if left untreated.

• Don’t touch your genitals after touching your cold sore; you could develop genital herpes.

• Replace your toothbrush.

• Avoid foods that contain argentine.

• Eat food high in lysine, or take supplements.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SERIES : 47 CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

2011-01-28T01:55:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

SYMPTOMS

• Recent onset of debilitating fatigue.

• Fatigue that is not result of exertion and that is unrelieved by rest.

• Persistent low grade fever.

• Muscles soreness and weakness.

• Sleep disorders.

• Swollen, tender lymph nodes.

• Migrating joint pain without swelling or redness.

• Forgetfulness, confusion, inability to concentrate.

• Recurrent sore throat.

• Headaches.

• Long lasting malaise following physical exertion.

• Symptoms that persist for six months and result in substantial reduction of activities.

WHAT IS CHRONIC FATIIGUE SYNDROME

Chronic fatigue syndrome; or CFS also known as chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), chronic Epstein Barr virus (CEBV), and magic encephalomyelitis (ME) first came to public attention in the mid 1980s. it primarily strike young urban professionals, with Caucasian women under the age of 45 accounting for 80 percent of cases; however, all segments of the population, including children, are susceptible. CFS is characterized by overwhelming fatigue and other flulike symptoms, but it is not contagious. Typically, the onset is sudden and debilitating. The exhaustion felt by CFS suffers doesn’t result from overexertion and isn’t alleviated by rest or medications; indeed, it tends to become worse over time. CFS is not progressive degenerative or fatal disease, although it may linger one or more years. The symptoms wax and wane and often become disabling before improving, but the vast majority people do eventually recuperate.

CAUSES

The cause of CFS is not known, but researchers are investigating a variety of possibilities. For example, CFS may be autoimmune disease that results from a combination of viruses, allergies, and hormonal imbalances. One theory holds that excessive reliance on antibiotics or long term exposure to pesticides or chemical toxins may be at fault. Studies also suggest a dysfunction of the immune system. In addition, some scientist are studying enter viruses such as polio; human herpes viruses; and the recently discovered retroviruses such as HIV, although there is no link between CFS and HIV or AIDS. Others see link between CFS and chronic yeast infections. Current theory holds that CFS may develop when an opportunistic virus or other agent invades the body at time is already suppressed. Factors that might contribute to this state include physical, emotional, or environmental stress, or combination of three. Although many people, including some physicians, are skeptical and believe that CFS is psychological rather than physiological, research shows that CFS suffers have disturbance in immunological functioning that make their unable either to eradicate invading viruses previously dormant in their system. The Epstein Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis, was once viewed as the cause of CFS but is now known to be an unrelated problem.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

Your doctor will take your medical history, perform a physical exam, and do a complete blood count to rule out other disorders that share symptoms with CFS, such as HIV, mononucleosis, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, and depression. You may also be given an antinuclear antibody test for arthritis, lupus, and other connective tissue disease. Your thyroid function may be tested to check for an underactive thyroid. An erythrocyte sedimentation rate test will show elevated readings if there is any inflammation in your body. Once other possibility have been ruled out, your doctor will apply specific guidelines set forth by the center for disease control and prevention to determine whether you have CFS. Your symptoms must have been present for at least six months and must meet these guidelines for the diagnosis to be definitive.

TREATMENT

Given that the cause of CFS is unknown, treatment is restricted is relief of symptoms. A number of conventional and alternative therapies can help you weather the course of the disease.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

An often recommended first step with chronic fatigue syndrome is to maintain general good health while avoiding situation that are physically or psychologically stressful, and to balance rest or non-vigorous exercise. The flulike symptoms of CFS can be temporarily alleviated with a variety of medicines. Your doctor may prescribe a short course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or aspirin to counteract your low grade fever, headaches, and joint or muscle soreness. Low doses of monoamine oxides (MAO) inhibitors, fluoxetine, or tricyclic antidepressants have improved patients quality of sleep and helped relieve both fatigue and muscle pain. Study have shown varying degrees of success in treating other CFS symptoms with intravenous injections of gammaglobulin, an age old blood derivative product. And some doctors are attempting to modulate the immune system with histamine H2 blockers such as cimetidine and ranitidine, although this form of treatment is still considered experimental. Sensitivity to a chemical, pesticide, household cleaning product, or another potential environmental toxin may also be contributing to CFS. Try eliminating suspected items, then reintroducing them one by one, to pinpoint what may be causing your symptoms. If you discover that a special sensitivity is your problem, you also might want to consider asking your pharmacist to use preservative free dilutions in preparing any medications you may be taking.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

A number of alternative therapies can help control the various symptoms of CFS. But be sure to check with your doctor for an accurate diagnosis before embarking on a course of treatment.

ACCUPRESSURE

Applying gentle pressure to the gallbladder points may help relieve fatigue and depression while strengthening your immune system. See the Appendix for help in locating the points on your shoulders and neck known as Gall Bladder 20 and Gall Bladder 21. This sequence can be repeated one or more times a day. Or whenever CFS symptoms appear. Pregnant women should be careful to press Gall Bladder 21 lightly.

ACCUPUNCTURE

An acupuncturist may undertake a series of treatment to attempt to normalize and balance the immune system. In Chinese medicine, enhancing vital energy, nourishing the blood, and strengthening the spirit can be part of therapeutic strategy.

CHINESE HERBS

A commercially prepared mixture called the Astragal us ten formula combines Asian ginseng, liquorice, astragals, and other herbs in powder or tablet form. Anecdotal reports describe improvement among CFS patients after taking this formula regularly.

HERBAL THERAPIES

Goldenseal has been shown to increase white blood cell activity in some tests. Echinacea. And shiitake mushrooms contain oligosaccharides, known to be extremely potent immune stimulators; take in moderate doses only, as advised by a qualified herbalist. Liquorice is said to have antiviral properties. Silymarin, a component of milk thistle, may help with the liver problems that sometimes affect people with CFS. German chamomile, burdock, yarrow, and Asian ginseng are all said to stimulate immune activity and may be beneficial to CFS suffers it taken regularly. Consult a qualified herbalist for more specific guidelines.

HOMEOPATHY

Some homeopathic practitioner has reported success in treating the symptoms of CFS. As with all chronic ailments, its best to seek the advice of a homeopathic physicians or specialist who can accurately diagnose and treat the specific symptoms of your particular case.

MIND/BODY MEDICINE

Meditation, progressive relaxation, guided imagery, qigong, and yoga are techniques that may help alleviate CFS symptoms without being tiring. In fact, they may provide you with additional energy because they reduce stress.

NUTRITION AND DIET

One theory holds that a nutritional deficiency may be a contributing factor causing CFS, so it’s important to maintain a helpful diet. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, refined sugar, white flour, salt, and fried, preserved, high fat foods in favour of whole grains, beans, rice, fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Add edible seaweeds, shiitake mushrooms, liquorice to your diet. Eating two cloves of garlic a day may help boost your immune system’s antiviral and antibacterial activity. When garlic is crush or sliced, a sulphur compound called alliin is converted into allicin, which some people have a difficult time tolerating. If you can’t digest fresh garlic, you might want to try one of the commercially prepared aged garlic extract tablets that are available. Coenzyme Q10 and vitamin B12 are nutritional supplements that may lesson symptoms. Some evidence suggests that a combination of malice acid and magnesium may help relieve fatigue and muscle pain. Egg lecithin taken with meals may enhance immunity and promote energy. Other immune system enhancing vitamin includes vitamin C and beta carotene, which is also a natural antioxidant. Vitamin B5, and B6, zinc, selenium, manganese, and chromium all play a role in strengthening the immune system as well. The amino acid tryptophan, found in various foods, may be helpful for some symptoms, and since it helps the body produce serotonin, a natural sedative, it may aid in sleep. However, don’t take it in supplement form if you have high blood pressure or are taking antidepressants. When a food that you are allergic to enters your body, your immune system views it as an invader, like a virus or bacterium, and attacks it by overabundance of these antibodies, in conjunction with the release of histamines and other body chemicals, results in such symptoms as increase mucus production, tissue swelling, headache, sore throat, and sometimes mental confusion. The simplest way to figure out which food or foods are to be blame is to try an elimination diet: for a week or two, stop eating things you think may be causing an allergic reaction. Typical culprits include dairy products, nuts, egg, shellfish, and preservative in prepared food, but other food can also be the source of your problems. You will have determined at least one of the foods to which you are sensitive and can then eliminate it in all its variations from your diet.

AT HOME REMEDIES

Make sure you don’t attempt more activity during the day than you can handle. Get plenty of rest, pay close attention to your diet, and exercise lightly on a regular basis.

PREVENTION

Because no one knows what causes CFS, there is no way to prevent it. However, you may be able to avoid any worsening of symptoms by strengthening your immune system with vitamins, a proper diet, mild exercise, avoiding environmental toxins, and keeping any allergies you may have under control. You might also want to consider experimenting with various alternative therapies to determine which one works best for you.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SERIES : 46 CHOLESTEROL PROBLEMS

2011-01-28T01:36:00.000-08:00

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.

CHOLESTEROL PROBLEMS

SYMPTOMS

A high level of cholesterol in the blood does have obvious symptoms but can be a risk factor for other conditions that do have recognizable symptoms, including angina, atherosclerosis, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and other circulatory ailments.

• Soft, yellowish skin growths or lesions called exanthemas may indicate a genetic predisposition to the body’s inability to process cholesterol and triglycerides normally.

• Obesity and diabetes may be associated with high cholesterol levels.

• In men, impotence may be due to arteries affected by excessive blood cholesterol.

WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol is a paradox; everyone needs it, but for some people it’s a potential killer. A naturally occurring fat, cholesterol contributes to such vital bodily functions as building new cells, insulating nerves, and producing hormones. The liver makes all the cholesterol the body normally needs, but because this waxy substance is found in all animal products, you ingest it whenever you eat meat and dairy foods. For people genetically predisposed to cholesterol problems, a diet high in saturated fats is the chief cause of high cholesterol levels. In the bloodstream, cholesterol binds with protein molecules to form various types of so called lipoproteins. High density lipoprotein is a dense, compact micro particle that transports excess cholesterol to the liver, where it is altered and expelled in the bile. Low density lipoprotein is a larger, less dense particle that tends to remain in the body. Very low density lipoprotein are molecules that transport triglycerides chemical compounds that store fatty acids, an essential source of energy for the body. The amount of cholesterol in your bloodstream would not be of such significance were it not for its association with various cardiovascular disease. The risk of developing these condition is complex and depend on not only how much cholesterol but also what kind of cholesterol you have in your blood. Generally speaking, LDL the so called bad cholesterol is associated with increased risk of dying from coronary heart disease; HDL or “good cholesterol” is associated with decreased risk. However, the risk of cardiovascular ailments posed by high LDL cholesterol varies widely from one person to the next. Specifically, LDL cholesterol is the type that infiltrates arterial walls, initiating the inflammatory disease known as atherosclerosis; people with atherosclerosis are in turn vulnerable to heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular disorders. Even so, most people have high cholesterol never actually get heart disease, and most heart attack victims do not suffer abnormally high cholesterol levels. Since no one can predict with certainty which people with high cholesterol will develop heart disease, play it safe and keep your cholesterol levels in check.

CAUSES

Having high cholesterol is determined largely by the luck of the genetic draw. Some families are genetically blessed with low total cholesterol or high HDL cholesterol levels regardless of diet or lifestyle. Other families suffer from various hereditary disorders that significantly increase the risk for high cholesterol; the most prevalent of these disorders are also associated with obesity and diabetes. People with such a genetic predisposition who eat a diet high in saturated fats are likely to have high blood cholesterol. On the positive side, vigorous exercisers, such as long distance runners, tend to have high HDL cholesterol levels. Before menopause, women tend to have higher HDL cholesterol than men their age. Because some researchers deduce that estrogen may raise HDL, or “good”, cholesterol and VLDL while lowering LDL, doctors can weigh the potential benefits when considering hormone replacement therapy for post-menopausal women.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

A laboratory test to determine your blood cholesterol level is now a routine part of most physicians checkups. When you have your blood tested you will typically get three regarding’s expressed in milligrams per deciliter: one for total or serum cholesterol, one for HDL cholesterol, and one for triglycerides. The first concern is your serum cholesterol level: total cholesterol below 200 is considered normal and safe. Cholesterol level between 200 and 240 are considered borderline, and level of 240 or more is definitely high. HDL cholesterol for a man should be above 35, and for a woman it should be above 45. As for LDL cholesterol the dangerous kind ideally your level should be below 130; between 130 and 160 is borderline, and above 160 is high. Your triglycerides level should be below 200. Finally, for the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol, the lower the number, the better. For men, 4.2 to 7.3 is average; for women, 3.9 to 5.7 is average. In general, then any ratio reading below 4 is good.

TREATMENT

Advice from your doctor about cholesterol reduction is likely to echo that of nutritionists and most alternative practitioners: adopt a diet low in fat and cholesterol, lose weight, exercise regularly, and if you smoke, quit.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

for people in the high normal to borderline serum cholesterol range about 40 percent of American men and an even higher percentage of American women diet and lifestyle changes may reduce cholesterol level or keep them in a desirable range. If your cholesterol level close to or above 240, adjusting diet and lifestyle may not be enough. Instead, your doctor may prescribe either a natural cholesterol reduction plan based on a high fiber dietary supplement, such as bran or phylum, or a synthetic cholesterol reducing drug. Of the many cholesterol reducing drugs available, members of the stain family lovastatin, Simvastatin, and Pravastatin are among the more widely prescribed. They operate by blocking an enzyme that the liver uses to manufacture cholesterol. They tolerated well by most patient, although they are expensive and can sometimes produce unwanted side effects such as liver inflammation. For some people, Niacin is an alternative, but to be effective it must be taken in large doses. A blood cleansing procedure called LDL apheresis may help people with severe genetic cholesterol disorders. Over several hours, blood is removed from the body, chemically cleans of LDL cholesterol, then return to the body. Treatment every two to three weeks can reduce average LDL cholesterol level by 50 to 80 percent but are costly in terms of both time and money.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Alternative therapies offer a range of natural ways to control your cholesterol levels. All can be pursued indecently, many in conjunction with drug therapy. The following list of treatment will let you customize your own program.

AYURVEDIC MEDICINE

Ayurvedic healers have traditionally employed Malabar Tamarind, also known as Bridal Berry, a yellowish fruit from India use extensively in curries, to treat obesity. Some studies suggest that fruit may also help reduce total cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

CHINESES MEDICINE

Traditional chines healers treat various forms of chronic heart disease, along with factors like high cholesterol, with acupuncture and an herbal therapy that employs Polygonum . because of Chinese herbs almost always work in combination rather than individual, you should consult a trained herbalist for an appropriate prescription.

HERBAL THERAPIES

A highly touted remedy for fighting high cholesterol is Gugulipid, an extract of the Mukul Myrrh tree of southern India. Gugulipid ability to control cholesterol and triglyceride levels has been compared to that of some synthetic drugs, with claims that it lowers LDL and raises HDL cholesterol levels without side effects. Other herbs reputed to have cholesterol lowering properties include Alfalfa, Turmeric, Asian ginseng, and Fenugreek. you might also consult a nutritional oriented doctor about the benefit of phystosterol tablets. Phytoaterols are plant compound structurally comparable to cholesterol that effectively block uptake of cholesterol in the liver.

LIFESTYLE

Evidence suggest that even though exercise alone cannot lower total cholesterol, moderate exercise several times a week can help raise HDL cholesterol levels in many people. Vigorous exercise may raise HDL levels even higher, although at some point athletes apparently reach an “HDL plateau”.

MIND/BODY MEDICINE

Stress is believed to contribute to evaluated cholesterol, so relaxation techniques that combat stress may help lower cholesterol levels. Progressive relaxation with guided imagery is something you can try anywhere, anytime. You might also try massage therapy, yoga, meditation, or biofeedback.

NUTRITON AND DIET

The basic dietary rule for lowering cholesterol are simple: avoid saturated fats and dietary cholesterol. Experts recommend diet with not more than 30 percent of your daily calories from fat; some say 20 percent. Saturated fats derived from animal products and tropical oil should be keep to a minimum, so avoid eating deep fried foods and pay attention to nutrition labels on package foods. Eat more vegetables, fruits, and grains, which are cholesterol free, virtually fat free, and rich in fiber. Garlic and onion are believed to lower cholesterol, but reports vary how much you should eat in order to benefit. It’s safe to say that the more you eat, preferably raw, the better the effect.

PREVENTION

• Keep your weight in check.

• Eat wisely everyday no more than 300 mg of cholesterol and at the very most 30 percent of calories from fat.

• Exercise several times a week vigorously if you can, But moderate exercise is better than none at all.

• If you smoke, quit.

• Track your progress. Have your blood cholesterol level tested periodically by your doctor or reputable lab. At home test kits, like many consumer health devices, are generally unreliable.