Every day we wage our own private war against molds, yeasts, bacteria, viruses and fungi. By using antibiotics as the first line of defense we have encouraged the development of more powerfully bugs and bacteria.

Our immune systems are becoming weaker and over-taxed in this war. Louis Pasteur declared the germ theory of disease that states germs are the cause of disease. But note Dr. Pasteur’s dying words: “The germ is nothing, the inner terrain is everything”.

The concept of acid alkaline imbalance as the cause of disease is not new. In 1933 a New York doctor named William Howard Hay published a ground-breaking book, A New Health Era in which he maintains that all disease is caused by autotoxication (or “self-poisoning”) due to acidosis in the body.

Now we depart from health in just the proportion to which we have allowed our alkalis to be dissipated by introduction of acid-forming food in too great amount… It may seem strange to say that all disease is the same thing, no matter what its myriad modes of expression, but it is verily so.
William Howard Hay, M.D.

More recently, in his remarkable book Alkalize or Die , Dr. Theodore A. Baroody, N.D., D.C., Ph.D. says essentially the same thing: “The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause…too much tissue acid waste in the body!”

Modern science has revealed that the cause of aging may be far more simple than previously thought.
Almost 99% of the components of food that we consume every day are composed of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen with only 1% been minerals.

The wastes produced from food are highly acidic and acidosis is one of the main contributors that lead to the aging process and various illnesses. Acid waste is excreted from the human body in the form of or sweat. But the wastes not excreted will be circulating around in the , in the body. This acidic waste will gradually accumulate somewhere in our capillaries vessels, and eventually clog them up. Also as a consequence of this, the cells of the human body will be deprived of their supply of oxygen and essential nutrients, rendering these cells inactive in reproduction. That’s the main reason why people age. Moreover, with the capillary vessels clogged up, the function of every organ in the human body accumulating acidic waste will begin to deteriorate, causing serious illnesses in the long run.

So when does the accumulation of age-contributing acidic waste begin?

Scientists say that aging begins when a child starts to wean. An unborn child lives on nutrients from his mother while in the womb and the body of the baby becomes alkaline, owing to the consumption of alkaline minerals.

Naturally, this is due to the release of alkaline minerals from the mother. This release of alkaline minerals during pregnancy does temporarily weaken the mother’s body, causing a lack of appetite etc.

The baby will remain alkaline while breast feeding, but will begin to reduce in alkalinity once put on infant cereals.

If the cause of aging lies in acidosis, then the answer to longer life must lie in eliminating such acidic wastes. Hence, to neutralize acidic meals, alkaline water could be the answer. Many doctors recommend a vegetarian or low meat diet as alkaline minerals and vegetables help neutralize acidic waste. But vegetables only contain a very small amount of alkaline minerals and that is why a very large quantity of vegetables needs to be consumed in order to neutralize these wastes in the body.

We live and die at the cellular level. All the billions of cells that make up our human body are slightly alkaline, and must maintain alkalinity in order to function and remain healthy and alive. However their cellular activity creates acid and this acid is what gives the cell energy and function. As each alkaline cell performs its task of respiration, it secretes metabolic wastes, and these end products of cellular metabolism are acid in nature.

Although these wastes are used for energy and function, they must not be allowed to build up. One example of this is the often painful lactic acid which is created through exercise. The body will go to great lengths to neutralize and detoxify these acids before they act as poisons in and around the cell, ultimately changing the environment of the cell. Most people and clinical practitioners believe the immune system is the body’s first line of defense, but in actuality it is not. It is very important, but more like a very sophisticated clean-up service. We must instead look at the importance of pH balance as the first and major line of defense against sickness and disease and for health and vitality.

Drinking alkaline water is an easy and efficient way to help neutralize an acidic human body.

One American cancer center showed significant improvements in their cancer therapy by getting 1,000 patients to drink 7 glasses of alkaline water a day. Their research concluded that the alkaline minerals in natural, alkaline water with a pH 7.5 helped to neutralize acidosis and thus helped to prevent cancer.

Water, the origin of Life, contains 2 parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Alkaline water is water that contains a larger amount of oxygen as compared to hydrogen. By drinking alkaline water, we increase our intake of oxygen compared to drinking plain water. The advantage of drinking alkaline water is that while being absorbed by the body, it helps neutralize acidic wastes, making them more soluble in the vessels. Thus, acidic wastes will be easily drained out of the body in the form of or sweat.

If we were to ask what is us, the answer might be ACIDOSIS. It has been strated that an acidic, anaerobic (lacking oxygen) body environment encourages the breeding of fungus, mold, bacteria, and viruses. Let us look at an example. If we were to seal the door to our freezer and then unplug it, come back and open the door in two weeks, what would we find? Mold, bacteria and microscopic bugs that are growing and multiplying. Where did they all come from? They did not sneak in - remember the door was sealed. The answer is . . . they were always there.

It is simply that the environment changed to a more inviting and healthy one for these ‘critters’ to live in. This can be likened to a shift in our biological terrain from a healthy oxygenated, alkaline environment to an unhealthy anaerobic acidic environment. You see what is healthy for us is unhealthy for the body attackers and what is healthy for them is what is unhealthy for our body.

Understanding pH

pH (potential of hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 - the lower the pH the more acidic the solution, the higher the pH the more alkaline (or base) the solution. When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has a pH of 7 which is neutral.

Water is the most abundant compound in the human body, comprising 70% of the body. The body has an acid-alkaline (or acid-base) ratio called the pH which is a balance between positively charges ions (acid-forming) and negatively charged ions (alkaline-forming.) The body continually strives to balance pH. When this balance is compromised many problems can occur.

It is important to understand that we are not talking about stomach acid or the pH of the stomach. We are talking about the pH of the body’s fluids and tissues which is an entirely different matter.

Test Your Body’s Acidity or Alkalinity with pH Strips

It is recommended that you test your pH levels to determine if your body’s pH needs immediate attention. By using pH test strips, you can determine your pH factor quickly and easily in the privacy of your own home. There is much to discover so that pH test result can be meaningful. Rather than give simplistic guidelines here it is recommended you look online or purchase a book on this subject from our online store.

Urine pH

The results of testing indicate how well your body is assimilating minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. These are called the “acid buffers” because they are used by the body to control the acid level. If acid levels are too high, the body will not be able to excrete acid. It must either store the acid in body tissues (autotoxication) or buffer it - that is, borrow minerals from organs, bones, etc. in order to neutralize acidity.

Saliva pH

You may also want to test the pH of your saliva. The results of saliva testing indicate the activity of digestive enzymes in your body, especially the activity of the liver and stomach. This reveals the flow of enzymes running through your body and shows their effect on all the body systems. Some people will have acidic pH readings from both and saliva. This is referred to as “double acid.”

Keeping the Balance Right for Excellent Health

Your body is able to assimilate minerals and nutrients properly only when its pH is balanced. It is therefore possible for you to be taking healthy nutrients and yet be unable to absorb or use them. If you are not getting the results you expected from your nutritional or herbal program, look for an acid alkaline imbalance. Even the right herbal program may not work if your body is struggling with acidosis.

A state of acidosis is simply the lack of oxygen and available calcium which the body uses to maintain its alkaline balance. Calcium makes up 1.6% of our body weight. It is literally the human glue that holds the body together. Calcium is so biochemically active that it has been likened to an octopus. A calcium ion can hold onto seven other molecules while it grabs onto one molecule of water. No other ion can do this. And it is the right size to easily get in and out of the human cell. As it does this, it takes a chain of nutrients into the cell and then leaves to get more nutrients.

What Causes Me to be Acidic?

The reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to the typical American diet, which is far too high in acid-producing animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline-producing foods like fresh vegetables. Additionally, we eat acid-producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. We use too many , which are acid-forming; and we use artificial chemical sweeteners like NutraSweet, Equal, or aspartame, which are extremely acid-forming. One of the best things we can do to correct an overly-acid body is to clean up the diet and lifestyle.

Most people who suffer from unbalanced pH are acidic. This condition forces the body to borrow minerals including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium, from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body. Because of this strain, the body can suffer severe and prolonged damage due to high acidity. A condition that may go undetected for years.

One of the first warning signs of an acidic biological terrain is calcium deposits. In testing where calcium deposits come not it has always been shown that they come from the structural calcium of our bones and teeth and never from the calcium in our water or diet.

This is important because it means that if calcium deposits are forming, we know our inner biological terrain is too acidic. Our dietary intake of calcium is not keeping up with the calcium buffering needed and we are actively pulling calcium from our bones and teeth. It all works like a little train, from the bones to the fluids and cells, to the . As our biological terrain becomes acidic, our pH level drops. When this happens we start losing calcium out of the , the bones, and the tissues. This is a safety mechanism. Now your biological terrain’s oxygen level drops leaving you tired and fatigued, allowing fungus, mold, parasites, bad bacteria, and viral infections to flourish and gain a hold throughout the body. It is interesting to note that you often won’t have just some of these invaders. If you have Candida you will likely have bad bacteria, fungus, and parasites because they all flourish in the same terrain.

Mild acidosis can cause such problems as:

• Cardiovascular damage, including the constriction of vessels and the reduction of oxygen.
• Weight gain, obesity and diabetes.
• Bladder and kidney conditions, including kidney stones.
• Immune deficiency.
• Acceleration of free radical damage, possibly contributing to cancerous mutations.
• Premature aging.
• Osteoporosis; weak, brittle bones, hip fractures and bone spurs.
• Joint pain, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup.
• Low energy and chronic fatigue.

A recent seven year study conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, on 9,000 women showed that those who have chronic acidosis are at greater risk for bone loss than those who have normal pH levels. The scientists who carried out this experiment believe that many of the hip fractures prevalent among middle aged women are connected to high acidity caused by a diet rich in animal foods and low in vegetables. This is because the body borrows calcium from the bones in order to balance pH.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

The biggest problem scientists have found is that over time the human body becomes depleted of calcium. A compound called mono-ortho-calcium phosphate is the chemical buffer for the . This buffer maintains the alkaline level (or the lack of acidity) in your . Without it you would die. If the acidity level of your changes even slightly you die immediately. But in order to supply enough calcium for buffering we must have enough calcium being absorbed from our diet or our body will simply rob the needed calcium from our bones and teeth.

The more acidic we become, the harder it is for oxygen to be present, so our biological terrain also becomes more anaerobic. Without adequate oxygenation, unfriendly bacteria, viruses, molds, and fungus can live and prosper. Then our cells cannot carry on their life-giving functions in a very efficient manner because our biological chemical reactions need oxygen.

Some Common Diseases and their Relationship to Acidity

Cancer

While the normal cells of the human body degenerate, and acidic wastes accumulate, cancer will make a genetic transformation and keep propagating itself in order to survive in such acidic surroundings.

There have been two theories on the basic causes of cancer. One is the oxygen deficiency theory by a German biochemist, Dr. Warback. The other is the theory of acidic cells, by a Japanese doctor, Dr. Airashi.

Dr. Warback discovered that if oxygen is removed from a health cell, the cell will start to turn cancerous. Dr. Warback won the Nobel prize by proving this theory through his many experiments.

Dr. Airashi showed that cells that survive in acidic environments will eventually develop cancerous characteristics.

Even though cancer cells are eliminated entirely through an operation, they reoccur because the acidic surroundings still remain after the operation. So, to help prevent this, we should stop the development of acidosis by drinking alkaline water every day, eating the right foods, avoiding stress, living in a healthy environment and exercising.

Obesity

The human body is very intelligent. As we become more and more acidic the body starts to set up defense mechanisms to keep the damaging acid from entering our vital organs. It is known that acid gets stored in fat cells. After all, if the acid does come into contact with an organ the acid has a chance to eat holes in the tissue. This may cause the cells to mutate. The oxygen level drops in this acidic environment and calcium begins to be depleted.

So as a defense mechanism, your body may actually make fat to protect you from your overly-acidic self. Those fat cells and cellulite deposits may actually be packing up the acid and trying to keep it a safe distance from your organs. The fat may be saving your vital organs from damage. Many people have found that a return to a healthy inner biological terrain helps them to lose excess fat.

Diabetes

When acidic wastes accumulate in the pancreas, diabetes can develop due to lack of insulin in the body. Doctors say that symptoms of diabetes appear mainly in people above 40, with no symptoms of diabetes in their 20s. How do they differ from each other?

In general, the quantity of accumulated acidic wastes after the age of 40 is far more than those in their 20s, especially in the pancreas. Nevertheless, we can help avoid the onset of diabetes if we flush out the acidic waste in our bodies by drinking alkaline water.

Hypertension

Hypertension is a common illness that occurs due to three reasons.
1) Hypertension caused by clogged capillary vessels due to physical reasons.
2) Narrowed vessels caused by acidic wastes.
Thus, pressure has to be higher naturally in order to supply sufficient quantities of through the narrow vessels.
3) Lack of oxygen due to chemical reasons, namely solidified acidic waste in the vessels.

Hypotension

Hypotension occurs as the heart muscles deteriorate due to a lack of calcium ions, caused by acidic waste.

A patient with hypotension may regain his health by drinking enough alkaline water. This is because calcium ions in alkaline water can help to restore the heart’s activities when caused by a lack of calcium ions.

Kidney Ailment and Kidney Stone

One of the major functions of alkaline water is to purify or help remove the wastes in the body. The accumulation of excessive wastes in the kidneys weakens the kidneys. When cells survive in an excessive acidic environment, swelling of the kidneys occurs.

In order to remain healthy, cells should expel all the waste produced by them. But if the becomes more acidic them the waste will cling to the walls of cells, causing solidification of acidic fluoride in the kidneys and kidney stones.

Osteoporosis and Gout

Human bones function as a calcium bank for the body. A combination of calcium and phosphorus, bones stay healthy as long as there are adequate amounts of these two substances present. To neutralize excessive quantities of waste or acidity, the body starts to deprive the bones of calcium, which may be harmful to the body. Symptoms of calcium deficiency are not evident through X-ray examinations and are only visible when 30-40% of the calcium in the bone has already been depleted.

Gout happens when calcium accumulates in the capillary vessels of the hands and legs. Normally, gout occurs in toe joints, knee joints, and finger joints and drinking alkaline water is one of the best treatments.

Chronic constipation

Dr. Choi, a medical practitioner at the Seoul National Medical University, observed 15 patients (10 men and 5 women) who had suffered from constipation for over a year. Results showed that the symptoms of constipation were alleviated when alkaline water was consumed for a period of 1-2 weeks. Twelve of the fifteen patients recovered remarkably well after this period. This is true because by lubricating the wastes secreted on the walls of the large intestine, excretion become easier.

Dr. Choi also observed that there was a remarkable improvement in how alert his patients were after drinking alkaline water.

Stress and Headache

When we suffer from stress, our body produces more acidic waste, leading to acidosis. Physical stress can be relieved by getting a good rest. Nowadays, however, most of us do not find the time to relieve mental stress. Continued long term stress will create harmful problems like headaches, mental disorder, bad temper and unbalanced hormone excretion, etc. There are two kinds of stress. One is physical stress caused by physical activities and the other is mental stress caused by mental fatigue.

To conclude it is reasonable to say that there are no specific diseases, only specific disease conditions.

There is only one disease. And that one disease is acidosis.

The statements enclosed herein have not been evaluated by the Food and   Administration. The products mentioned on this site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your family doctor.

For those who are not so sceptical about the benefits of the alkaline lifestyle, alkaline water helps to neutralise acids and remove toxins from the body - it is a great cleanser and helps to detoxify our system. Contact powerhealths(a)gmail.com if you are interested in the best economical machine to produce alkaline water at the convenience of your home.

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Quit smoking reason #3: Save your eyesight
Dr Edward Paul, one of the world’s leading authorities on macular degeneration, says smoking increases a patient’s risk of developing age-related macular degeneration – a leading cause of blindness in Americans 65 years old and older – by a whopping 350 percent.

Quit smoking reason #4: Your heart-health
Smoking increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke - among other diseases – and the more cigarettes you smoke, the higher your risk. Even reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke per day can help protect your heart. A study in Nicotine & Tobacco Research reports that fewer cigarettes can decrease “bad” cholesterol, increase “good” cholesterol, and improve the blood’s ability to transport oxygen – meaning you will feel less winded during exertion. Kicking the habit for good delivers even more heart-health benefits.

Quit smoking reason #5: Keep your teeth
A study in BMC Public Health earlier this year indicates that current smokers are significantly more likely to lose their teeth than former smokers or nonsmokers aged 20 to 38 years old. That’s too young to be losing teeth! Additionally, the nicotine in cigarettes stain teeth, meaning the teeth you don’t lose will stay a dingy shade of yellow.

Quit smoking reason #6: Live longer
Don’t you have family and friends you enjoy spending time with? What about your kids – don’t you want to see them grow up, get married and have kids of their own? Quitting smoking will lengthen your life – as well as improve its quality – and the healthy results of kicking the habit are realized rather quickly. A May 2008 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that 61 percent of the full benefit of quitting in regard to coronary heart disease mortality and 42 percent of the full benefit of quitting in regard to cerebrovascular deaths was realized within the first five years.

Quit smoking reason #7: Improve your fertility
Having trouble conceiving? In the article Smoking adds a decade to your fertility age, experts say smoking could be hurting your chances. However, lead researcher Dr Bea Lintsen, from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, says: “The positive news from our results is that they suggest that couples – in particular, women with unexplained subfertility – may be able to improve the success of IVF treatment by quitting smoking.”

Quit smoking reason #8: Stay beautiful
According to Kori Ellis, author of 8 Healthy skincare tips, studies show that the skin of cigarette smokers ages more than twice as fast as that of non-smokers. Smoking dehydrates your skin and depletes it of essential nutrients. She suggests that you detoxify your skin by quitting smoking and/or limiting your exposure to second hand smoke and other pollutants.

Quit smoking reason #9: Better your digestive health
Believe it or not, smoking can contribute to digestive diseases. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases warns that smoking can effect all parts of the digestive system, contributing to such common disorders as heartburn and peptic ulcers as well as increasing the risk of Crohn’s disease, and possibly gallstones, which form when liquid stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material. Smoking can even damage your liver.

Quit smoking reason #10: Be a good role model
Even though packs of smokes say smoking is hazardous to your health, your kids are going to look to you for guidance. If you smoke, chances are great they will, too. If you don’t, you improve the chances they won’t, either. If you quit, you are showing them that smoking is a poor choice for long-term health and, as importantly, you are showing them that you care enough about them as well as yourself to live to see them grow up and have kids of their own.

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You are self-medicating when you reach for that Panadol whenever you have a headache, skipping a visit to the doctor in the process. Self-medication is the use of non-prescription medicines by people on their own initiative, according to the International Pharmaceutical Federation.

‘It requires consumers to make their own decisions in selecting and using medication to relieve or treat their medical conditions,’ said Ms Lita Chew, vice-president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore. Responsible self-medication entails recognizing when self-treatment is appropriate and when a visit to the family doctor for diagnosis and treatment is necessary,’ she said.

Besides saving on doctors’ fees and prescriptions, people who self-medicate help take the pressure off medical services, which are often over-subscribed.  However, while many minor ailments like fungal skin infections or the common cold can be treated with medicine bought over the counter, medical professionals caution that there are limits to self-medication.

Ms Quek Zhi Yuan, a pharmacist at the department of pharmacy at National University Hospital, said someone who self-medicates may be unaware of a drug’s dosage range or whether a drug is suitable. He thus risks an overdose or taking the wrong medicine.

Dr Wong Wei Mon, a senior physician at Raffles Medical, said: ‘Even with the right medicine and dosage, self-medication can be harmful if medicines are mixed. ‘Problems like drug interactions and overdose due to cumulative doses of the same ingredient in different medicines can arise.’ He added: ‘Many patients do not finish their course of antibiotics but save the remainder instead.  ‘This habit of not finishing the course of antibiotics is tantamount to misuse and will cause resistance and the emergence of superbugs.’

Self-medication may also mask a more serious illness by resolving its symptoms without curing it. This may lead to a delay in seeking proper medical treatment.

A spokesman for National Healthcare Group Polyclinics said: ‘A persistent cough may be caused by an unresolved chest infection or tuberculosis, or, if present with other symptoms, lung cancer.

‘Sometimes a symptom can indicate a more serious underlying problem and the continued use of self-medication may delay proper investigation, treatment and management of the condition.’ While the practice is often no cause for alarm, Dr Rupert See, a senior physician at Raffles Medical, cautioned that self-medication should not go on for more than a week, especially if the symptoms do not improve.  He said: ‘When in doubt, always see your doctor for further advice.’

Mind Your Body investigates when you should or should not self-medicate.

FLU OR FEVER

When to self-medicate: If you have general symptoms like a minor cough, sore throat or runny nose.

When to see a doctor: Dr Wong Wei Mon, a senior physician at Raffles Medical, advised seeing a doctor if the fever brings about changes in your mental state or has not subsided after two to three days. This is because there are many causes of fever from the common flu to urinary tract infection to malaria.

Ms Quek Zhi Yuan, a pharmacist at the department of pharmacy at National University Hospital, said children, the elderly and patients whose immunity is low should not be allowed to have a running fever longer than two days.

Self-treatment options: Anti-pyretics like Panadol.

RUNNY OR BLOCKED NOSE

When to self-medicate: Dr Wong said: “If you had previously been diagnosed with, say, allergic rhinitis, and a doctor had done checks and given you advice on how to use certain medicines, then self-medication is fine.”

When to see a doctor: A doctor’s review may be needed to exclude more serious conditions like sinus infections or nasal pharyngeal tumours, said Dr Wong.

Ms Lita Chew, vice-president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore, added that you should see a doctor if your runny or blocked nose persists.

Self-treatment options: You may buy over-the-counter solutions or use the medicine that your doctor previously prescribed.

Self-treatment options include the use of antihistamines like Clarinase and decongestant nasal sprays like Afrin. However, overuse of the latter can lead to rhinitis medicamentosa, a condition of rebound nasal congestion where the nasal mucous membrane becomes inflamed.

STOMACHACHE OR CONSTIPATION

When to self-medicate: While mild or occasional constipation can be treated with over-the-counter medicine, stomachaches are a more dicey matter.

When to see a doctor: Ms Quek advised that persistent or progressive stomachaches should be evaluated by a doctor.

Dr Melvyn Wong, a senior physician at Raffles Medical, said: “The general rule is that if you find the symptom unusual and you don’t know what could be causing it, go see your doctor first.

“The abdominal area does have many organs, each of which can potentially give you symptoms. Most of the time, the symptoms may not be serious but there are times when they could indicate life-threatening conditions like appendicitis or colorectal cancer.”

If constipation is accompanied by severe abdominal pain, blood in the stool or vomiting, you should stop self-medication and see a doctor.

Self-treatment options: For stomachaches, you can get mild anti-spasmodic medicine like Buscopan or Meteospasmyl. For constipation, you can take fibre in the form of Fybogel, osmotic laxatives like Lactulose or stimulant laxatives like bisacodyl.

COUGH

When to self-medicate: If the coughing is occasional or acute without other symptoms.

When to see a doctor: Ms Quek said: “A chronic or persistent cough should not be treated by self-medication. If there is phlegm build-up or change of colour or signs of blood stains in your phlegm, see a doctor.”

If your cough drags on and there are other symptoms like fever or breathlessness, seek medical attention.

Self-treatment options: Cough suppressants like dextromethorphan, expectorants to induce coughing like Guiatuss and Robitussin or mucolytics which dissolve thick mucus and relieve breathing difficulties like Bisolvon.

Traditional herbal remedies like Nin Jiom, a traditional herbal expectorant which provides relief of productive coughs, also work.

NAUSEA

When to self-medicate: If the nausea is occasional or short-term.

When to see a doctor: If the nausea persists or becomes a frequent occurrence.

Self-treatment options: Ginger supplements, cinnarizine and dimenhydrinate (used to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting and dizziness caused by motion sickness) or promethazine (used to prevent motion sickness and treat nausea, vomiting or pain after surgery).

HEADACHE

When to self-medicate: If the headache is occasional, mild and if there are no other symptoms like fever or numbness, or it is a tension headache (which makes up 90 per cent of all headache cases).

Dr Rupert See, a senior physician at Raffles Medical, said tension headaches are usually caused by excessive muscle tension around the head and neck and self-medication with a painkiller should suffice.

When to see a doctor: If your headache is chronic, persistent or is unresolved despite the painkillers taken, you should see a doctor immediately.

Self-treatment options: Dr See said that over-the-counter pain medication like paracetamol (Panadol) and ibuprofen (Nurofen or Advil) are generally safe for mild headaches and back pain if the patient is not allergic to them and does not take them for a long time. Patients with asthma should be aware that ibuprofen may worsen their asthmatic condition.

INSECT BITE

When to self-medicate: If the insect bite wound is small with little swelling or pain.

When to see a doctor: Ms Quek Zhi Yuan, a pharmacist at the department of pharmacy at National University Hospital, said you should see a doctor if an insect bite wound has become bigger, is inflamed, has become filled with pus, and if you have a fever.

An insect bite may even cause a severe reaction such as swelling of the eyes or breathing difficulties. In such cases, see a doctor immediately.

Self-treatment options: Antiseptic cream like Mopiko or Zambac.

BACK PAIN

When to self-medicate: If it is an occasional pain.

When to see a doctor: If the pain does not subside with a painkiller or persists.

Self-treatment options: Topical painkillers like Bengay, topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory creams, gels or plasters or Panadol.

CHEST PAIN

When to self-medicate: Pain that is not exercise-related and lasts less than five to 10 minutes, recurrent chest pains that are not consistent in quality and which do not feel like a weight on the chest, pain that worsens with coughing or turning or pain that occurs after a large meal or when lying flat may be treated with muscle relaxants or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory cream.

When to see a doctor: Dr See said that a common cause of mild chest pain is inflammation of the muscles and soft tissue around the chest area.

He said: “The patient can try some painkillers but if there is no improvement after about a week, a doctor’s view should be sought.”

He added: “If one suffers from a severe chest pain, there may be a chance that it could be a heart ailment. This type of chest pain tends to be compressive and feels as though a heavy weight is placed upon the chest.

“The person may become breathless and the pain may radiate up his neck or down his arm. I’d advise an immediate visit to the doctor for such severe chest pains.”

Self-treatment options: For mild chest pains, you can try painkillers, muscle relaxants or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory cream.

By June Cheong

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Vertigo is not a disease, but a symptom. It is described as a spinning or whirling sensation that is caused by a disturbance in your balance or equilibrium. This is usually as a result of a disorder in your vestibular system.

If you experience a sensation of you yourself spinning, that’s called subjective vertigo. If you think the objects around you are spinning instead, that’s called objective vertigo.

Vertigo is worsened when you move your head, change your position, or lie down.

I have never heard of a vestibular system before. Where is it?

These actually involve the structures in your inner ear, and the nerve that connects it to its corresponding area in your brain, namely your brainstem and cerebellum.

Your sense of balance or equilibrium is maintained by this vestibular system. It allows you to stand upright, maintain your balance, and move. It coordinates and processes information from your inner ears, eyes, muscles, joints, fingertips, palms, soles, jaw, and gravity receptors on your skin and maintains how you balance yourself.

When your head moves, the signals are transmitted to your inner ear’s labyrinth, which contains three semicircular canals surrounded by fluid. The labyrinth then relays the signals to your vestibular nerve, and thereupon to your brainstem and cerebellum, which are the areas of the brain that maintain posture,  balance, coordination, and your sense of placement.

Because your vestibular system is so closely connected to your hearing (auditory system), anything that affects your auditory system can also affect your vestibular system.

Is vertigo dangerous then? Is it very common?

Vertigo in itself is dangerous if it makes you fall and injure fall and injure yourself, such as if you experience it when you are on a balcony with a broken railing and somehow fall over!

The cause of vertigo has to be ascertained, and whether it is dangerous or not will depend on what is actually causing the vertigo, such as a tumour that is impinging on your vestibular system.

Vertigo is so common that four out of 10 people will actually experience it at least once in their lifetimes. It’s more common in women than men, and also in older people.

What causes vertigo?

The causes of vertigo can be divided into two areas relating to which part of your vestibular system is affected - peripheral (inner ear) or central (vestibular nerve, brainstem and cerebellum).

In a lot of cases, no cause for your vertigo can be found.

Under peripheral vestibular disorders, the most common causes are:

-Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). This one occurs most often when calcium debris builds up in one of the semicircular canals in your inner ear. It also occurs when your inner ear is affected by infection or injury.

This type of vertigo is usually intermittent and only lasts for a few seconds. It may be exacerbated by a change in your position, such as when you get out of bed or get up from a chair suddenly. Since it affects the inner ear, BPPV may also be accompanied by hearing loss.

-Meniere’s disease: this happens when the pressure in your inner ear fluid fluctuates. It is also accompanied by ringing in your ears (tinnitus) and progressive deafness.

-Ear poisoning (also called ototoxicity) by some medications (the aminoglycoside group of antibiotics, certain anti-cancer medications containing platinum, antiepileptics, antidepressants) and chemicals such as lead, mercury and tin. Alcohol can also cause vertigo.

-Infection of the vestibular nerve (vestibular neuritis).

Central vestibular disorders may include anything that can affect that part of your brain, such as stroke, injury, migraine, multiple sclerosis, diseases that affect the entire body (such as kidney disease or thyroid disease), tumors, and so on.

Is vertigo treatable?

Definitely - treat the cause, and you get rid of the vertigo. If vertigo is caused by a drug, for example, you have to stop the drug. If it is caused by an infection, then the doctor will have to treat the infection with antibiotics.

BPPV can be treated with something called canalith repositioning, in which, basically, the patient is guided by the doctor to perform a series of head and body movements designed to reposition the calcium deposits in your ear canal! If this fails, you can take meclizine, an oral anti-vomiting drug.

Meniere’s disease can be treated by reducing your salt intake and being prescribed diuretics.

There is also a form of physiotherapy for vertigo, in which you perform a series of exercises to improve your balance. It’s called Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy.

Dr YLM graduated as a medical doctor, and has been writing for many years on various subjects such as medicine, health advice, computers and entertainment. The information contained in this column is for general educational purposes only. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

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Get Pregnant Fast - So, if you are struggling to conceive, it is a good idea to have both partners fully involved in the process, as well as tested, this should be done to diagnose all probable factors of infertility.  Understanding the causes of infertility and as much as you can about what can be done to help improve your chances of conception can help you out when trying to conceive, and make the process far less painful emotionally.

Causes of infertility

Get Pregnant Fast - The causes of infertility are often definite, and can be attributed to more than one factor. The following are some of the various causes of infertility, your doctor can help you see which obstacles are in your way of trying to conceive, and what you can do to improve your chances of infertility.

Ovulation factors: If you suffer from ovulatory infertility, it will likely be from chromosomal abnormalities and endocrine dysfunctions. The three most common causes are emotional stress, strenuous exercise and excessive weight loss or weight gain. These lead to an irregular ovulation cycle. If this is accompanied by poor cervical mucus it is extremely difficult to conceive.

What can you do? You can reduce stress, do not exercise too much, keep a stable weight, and consider taking some replacement hormones or other prescription drugs available to induce ovulation.

Cervical or uterine factors: Cervical and uterine problem are typically physical problems or mucus related problems. The physical problems are usually related to recurrent miscarriages than to a cervical evaluation. If the problems are mucus related, then it will be one of three basic problems, first, there is not enough mucus for the sperm to survive; second, the mucus is too thick for sperm to survive; third, the mucus contains sperm antibodies.

What can you do? Talk to your doctor. They can usually determine what the problem is and help you figure out the best way to take care of it.

Tubal and peritoneal factors: Tubal factor infertility accounts for about 20-25% of all cases of infertility. This can be when the fallopian tubes are blocked, or scarred, or other damage has occurred. Tubal factor infertility is usually caused by either pelvic infection, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or pelvic endometriosis.

What can you do? If the tubal damage is minor the infertility could be a bigger problem than just tube damage, so have your doctor perform tests to be certain. If you are trying to get pregnant, avoid pelvic and abdominal operations, try not to get infections in this area, and treat them quickly if you do get them.

What can you do to improve your chances of conception?

The first is to monitor your fertility. There are basically three ways you can do this. You can use Basal Body Temperature, Cervical fluid, and Cervical position.

The second thing you want to do is chart your cycle.

If you combine these two methods you will know when you are ovulating and thus have a better chance of conception.

What is a Basal Body Temperature? It is the temp of your body before activity. You want to take your temp with a basal thermometer every morning to get your baseline temp. For most women their temp will be lower during the first part of their cycle, then it will raise slightly on the day of ovulation.

What is cervical fluid? Basically the amount of cervical fluid changes during ovulation. Cervical fluid is also called cervical mucus. It is produced by the lining of a woman’s cervical canal. Right after menstruation mucus is usually light, as you have several days of dryness. After that, the mucus is cloudy and tacky, it then changes to clear and slippery just before ovulation. The most fertile phase is when the mucous is clear and slippery. To check your cervical mucus you can wipe the vaginal opening with toilet tissue before urination, observe the discharge on underpants, or obtain some of the mucus by placing your fingers (making sure they are clean) in the vagina. You will want to take note of the color to determine if it is white, creamy, opaque, or clear. During the highly fertile stage, the mucus will usually be visible in profuse amounts. It’s thin, and transparent. It is also stretchy.

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What is cervical position, and how do I check it? If you can check your cervical position each day, at the same time, you can often determine which cervical position you have when most fertile. During your cycle, your cervix changes it position. To check the position, squat down, sit on the toilet, etc. then use one hand to hold back the vaginal lips, while inserting the other hand’s middle finger into your vagina. Move your finger up until you hit your cervix. It should feel like a rounded cylinder shaped mass within your body. Note the position you find. Far back? Lower down? Etc.

During the beginning of your cycle, and after ovulation, your cervix is in a low position. It rises to the higher position just before and during ovulation. If you check the position you can know when you are most fertile. At the highest position it is almost unreachable.

So, create a chart and track all three signs of fertility so that you know when you are ovulating.

What else can you do to improve fertility?

In addition to trying to get pregnant pregnantduring the right time of the month, there are things you can do to improve your chances, including eating right, and preparing your body to carry a baby.

First, you want to stop doing certain things, such as you want to stop smoking and drinking. If you are doing drugs, even just recreationally on occasion, you need to stop right away. Not are they going to be very bad for a baby should you get pregnant, but they are also going to put undue burden on your body so it is harder to get pregnan. You also want to increase the amount of caffeine you intake. Studies have shown that increased amounts of caffeine do indeed lower a woman’s chance of conceiving. You can make it more difficult to get pregnant with only a few cups of coffee or highly caffeinated soda as well.

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Breast Cancer - In fact, the increased breast cancer risk from drinking three or more alcoholic drinks a day is similar to the increased breast cancer risk from smoking a packet of cigarettes or more a day, according to Kaiser Permanente researchers Yan Li, MD, PhD and Arthur Klatsky, MD.

Breast Cancer - “Population studies have consistently linked drinking alcohol to an increased risk of female breast cancer, but until now there has been little data, most of it conflicting, about an independent role played by the choice of beverage type,” said Klatsky, who is presenting these findings on September 27th at the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) in Barcelona, Spain.

Li, a Kaiser Permanente oncologist, Klatsky, an investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, CA and their Kaiser Permanente colleagues studied the drinking habits of 70,033 multi-ethnic women who had supplied information during health examinations between 1978-1985. By 2004, 2,829 of these women were diagnosed with breast cancer. In one analysis, researchers compared the role of total alcohol intake among women who favored one type of drink over another with women who had no clear preference. In another analysis, researchers looked at the possible independent role of frequency of drinking each beverage type. Finally, they examined the role of total alcohol intake, comparing it with women who drank less than one alcoholic drink a day.

The study found there was no difference between wine, beer or spirits in the risk of developing breast cancer. Even when wine was divided into red and white, there was no difference. However, when researchers looked at the relationship between breast cancer risk and total alcohol intake, they found that women who drank between one and two alcoholic drinks per day increased their risk of breast cancer by 10 percent compared with light drinkers who drank less than one drink a day. The risk of breast cancer increased by 30 percent in women who drank more than three drinks a day.

Results were similar when researchers looked at groups stratified by age and ethnicity. “Statistical analyses limited to strata of wine preferrers, beer preferrers, spirits preferrers or non-preferrers each showed that heavier drinking — compared to light drinking — was related to breast cancer risk in each group. This strongly confirms the relation of ethyl alcohol to increased risk,” said Klatsky.

“A 30 percent increased risk is not trivial. To put it into context, it is not much different from the increased risk associated with women taking estrogenic hormones. Incidentally, in previous research completed at Kaiser Permanente, we have found that smoking a pack of cigarettes or more per day is related to a similar (30 percent) increased risk of breast cancer,” Klatsky said.

Although breast cancer incidence varies between populations and only a small proportion of women are heavy drinkers, Dr Klatsky said that a 30 percent increase in the relative risk of breast cancer from heavy drinking might translate into approximately an extra 5 percent of all women developing breast cancer as a result of their habit.

Other studies, including research from the same authors, have shown light-moderate alcohol drinking can protect against heart attacks, but Klatsky said that different mechanisms were probably at work.

“We think that the heart protection benefit from alcohol is real, and is probably derived largely from alcohol-induced higher HDL (’good’) cholesterol, reduced blood clotting and reduced diabetes. None of these mechanisms are known to have anything to do with breast cancer. The possible but unproven additional coronary benefit from drinking wine (red or white) may be related to favorable drinking patterns common among wine drinkers or to the favorable traits of wine drinkers, as evidenced by other United States and Danish studies,” Klatsky said.

Klatsky said that all medical advice needed to be personalized to the individual. “Our findings provide more evidence for why heavy drinkers should quit or cut down.”

The Kaiser Permanente research group has been involved in studies of alcohol drinking and health for more than three decades, including in the area of heart disease. Kaiser Permanente is uniquely positioned to conduct such research because investigators have access to data about a large, multi-ethnic population with a variety of drinking habits.

Source: www.kaiserpermanente.org

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Don’t think that our bones are rigid. In fact, they’re not only strong, but also flexible. That’s how gymnasts are able to bend their bodies to seemingly impossible shapes without breaking their bones!

Osteoporosis - Because bone is living tissue, it is constantly reacting to the stress human activities put on it. With the right exercise and training, you can bend your bones to unbelievable angles too.

A bone consists of a combination of collagen and mineral crystals comprising calcium and phosphate. This collagen matrix allows bone to expand and contract without breaking. In other words, your bones will respond and become stronger to resist the force that regular exercise puts on it. Similarly, if you are physically inactive, your bones get weaker and more frail, exposing them to greater risk of fracture.

Hey, lazy bones, get up and work out!

It’s a weight thing

Osteoporosis - Any exercise that requires you to carry your weight and go against gravity can help you improve or maintain bone mass. The strain of carrying your weight and the push and pull of your muscles will stimulate bone formation, thus making it stronger.

High-impact, weight-bearing exercises are the most effective for building strong bones, but do them only if you don’t have low bone mass or osteoporosis.

Exercise is meant to build bone, not break it. Activities like running, jumping, hiking, and dancing, and playing sports like tennis and badminton constitute high-impact weight-bearing exercises.

On the other hand, low-impact weight-bearing exercises like walking and low-impact aerobics are more suitable for those who want to build strong bones but cannot do high impact exercises. You can also do resistance training and strengthening exercises like lifting weights or doing push-ups.

Be safe, however, by consulting your doctor or personal trainer first to avoid hurting yourself.

For the elderly, fall-related fractures can be debilitating. Up to 20% of those suffering from a hip fracture die within a year while two thirds of those who survive are disabled. Precautionary measures need to be taken to prevent this from happening.

Besides making sure that your house and surroundings are free from fall risks, you must also take steps to improve improve your balance and posture through exercise. Doing tai chi or yoga can give you better balance, posture, and coordination, which in turn can help prevent falls.

Everybody can do it

Exercise for healthy bone can be tailored to suit every life stage and need. Exercise can help build healthy bone during childhood and maintain bone health during adulthood. Older people who exercise regularly can strengthen their bones and reduce their risk of fracture.

So no matter what age you are, or what physical condition you are in, you can find an exercise that benefits you.

Although non-weightbearing exercises can have cardiovascular benefits and are good for building muscles, they are not necessarily as effective as weight bearing ones. So if we’re talking about good bone health, then any activity that places a load on your bones is the way to go.

It is, however, dangerous to exercise without knowing your limits. Too much exercise can cause stress fractures and joint damage. Some exercises may even cause falls and so increase your risk of fractures. Those with osteoporosis and the elderly can put themselves at greater risk of fractures if they start off a rigorous exercise regime without consulting a doctor or physician.

Every exercise should be tailored to suit your needs and abilities. Approximately 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week is generally recommended, but if you have low bone mass, are over the age of 50, or osteoporotic, you should seek professional advice before starting an exercise routine.

Be wary of common exercise pitfalls like laziness or time constraints. Exercise can be incorporated in your daily lives to suit your needs and lifestyle so it doesn’t have to be a chore. Be creative and make sure you enjoy doing it. That way, you will be more likely to continue doing it instead of putting in a half-hearted effort.

Building healthy bone is a life-long commitment and physical activity can go a long way in helping you achieve it. Whether you’re at home, work, or school, you can incorporate exercise to suit your lifestyles. In the end, what matters is that you get moving and that you enjoy the benefits for life.

Working out

There are many ways to incorporate exercise into daily life. Here are some suggestions:

At work

• Use the stairs instead of the lift.
• Walk more by going to the restroom on the floor above you and take the stairs.
• Park a little further from your office so you can walk more.
• Go offline and deliver documents to colleagues by hand instead of by email.
• Walk instead of driving when going out for lunch.

At home

• Use the stairs instead of the lift if you live in an apartment complex.
• Carry your laundry basket up and down the stairs.
• March in place whenever you’re stuck with doing chores such as washing the dishes or doing the laundry.
• Do some jumping jacks while watching television.
• Turn on some music and dance!
• Walk up and down the stairs as a form of exercise.

At school

• Use the restroom on a different level, or at the other end of your building.
• Earn brownie points while building strong bones by helping your teachers carry their things.
• Walk around school instead of sitting around while waiting for the first bell to ring.

The Star/Asia News Network

This article was contributed by the Osteoporosis Awareness Society of Kuala Lumpur as part of its Healthy Bone For Life programme and supported by educational grants from Fonterra Brands (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Rottapharm Madaus.

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]]> http://www.powerhealths.com/2010/01/osteoporosis-healthy-bone-move-it-or-lose-it/feed/ http://www.powerhealths.com/2010/01/cataracts-high-dose-vitamin-c-may-boost-womens-cataract-risk/ http://www.powerhealths.com/2010/01/cataracts-high-dose-vitamin-c-may-boost-womens-cataract-risk/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:59:15 +0000 irwanlib2063 http://www.powerhealths.com/?p=299 Cataracts - Women who take high-dose vitamin C supplements may be increasing their risk of age-related cataracts, hint findings of a Swedish study.

Among nearly 24,600 adult women followed for more than 8 years, those who reported regular or occasional vitamin C supplementation of about 1000 milligrams per serving were about 25 percent more likely than those who did not take supplements to have age-related cataracts removed.

Cataracts - Women who took extra vitamin C for 10 years or longer; or in combination with being 65 years and older, or taking hormone replacement or corticosteroid medications had even greater risk, researchers found.

However, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Alicja Wolk, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues caution that the apparent association between vitamin C and cataract risk does not involve vitamin C obtained from fruits and vegetables.

Cataracts - Rather, their study assessed cataract risk related to the high-dose vitamin C supplements common in Sweden. Their findings, the researchers note, support results from some previous studies.

Overall, 59 percent of the 49 to 83 year old otherwise healthy women said they used some sort of dietary supplement. Of these 5 percent said they only took vitamin C supplements and 9 percent said they took only multivitamins that contained about 60 milligrams of vitamin C.

Of the 1,225 women who took only vitamin C supplements, 143 (nearly 13 percent) had cataracts removed during the study period.

By comparison, cataracts were removed in 878 of 9,974 women who did not use any supplements (roughly 9 percent) and in 252 of 2,259 multivitamin-only users (about 11 percent).

The higher cataract risk among the supplement users versus non-users remained evident in analysis that allowed for age by 5-year increments, waist girth, education, smoking, alcohol drinking habits, and use of medications such as hormone replacement therapy.

Wolk and colleagues call for further research to confirm their findings, particularly among older women on hormone replacement therapy or using steroids, as well as investigations into mechanisms that may fuel the association.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 19, 2009

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