Burgers and fries linked to stroke and Type 2 diabetes
People who eat a western diet heavy in meat, fried foods and refined grains have been found of facing the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, the collection of heart problems, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Authors of a new survey studied almost 10,000 people who were asked questions including 66 items related to food consumption, HealthDay reported Wednesday.
Participants' dietary preferences were categorised as either "Western-pattern" or "prudent-pattern", depending on the overall responses.
The Western diet consisted of more refined grains, processed meat, fried food, red meat, eggs and soda, and less fish, fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains.
The prudent diet was heavy on cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, carotenoid vegetables (carrots, pumpkins), fruits, fish and seafood, poultry, whole grains and low-fat dairy.
The association involving metabolic syndrome with certain specific food items - such as fried foods, regular and diet soda, fruit drinks, nuts and coffee - was also explored.
People with the highest scores in the "Western-pattern" diet had an 18 percent increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, compared with those with the lowest scores in this group, according to the findings of the survey published in latest issue of Circulation.
Individuals with the highest consumption of meat had a 26 percent greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome, compared with those who ate the least amount of meat. Hamburgers, hot dogs and processed meats seemed to accelerate the effect.
On the other hand, eating dairy items was found to be protective. Individuals consuming the most dairy had a 13 percent lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome, compared to those who consumed the least, the scientists said.
Fried foods such as fast foods and diet soda were also associated with metabolic syndrome, while sweetened beverages - soda and fruit drinks - as well as coffee and nuts were not. "
People should eat according to the dietary guidelines for Americans, which is a diet rich in plant foods, study co-author Lyn Steffen, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University Of Minnesota School Of Public Health said.
"I don't oppose meat, but they should consume red and processed meat once or twice a week, not once or twice a day."
Diabetes Complications
Diabetes Complications: What's Your Risk?
Heart attack, stroke, blindness, amputation, kidney failure. When doctors describe these diabetes complications, it may sound melodramatic -- like an overblown worst-case scenario. The truth is, these things can happen when blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol are out of control.
"A lot of people don't really think it will happen to them," says David C. Ziemer, MD, director of the Diabetes Clinic at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. "For a lot of folks, the wake-up comes when they actually have a complication ... a bad infection in the foot. That's a nasty wake-up call."
If you have uncontrolled diabetes, a serious and deep-seated foot infection can mean loss of a toe, foot, or leg -- amputation -- to save your life. Seriously.
How is this possible? Over time, high blood sugar slowly injures the blood vessels, nerves, and organs in your body. The higher your blood sugar is -- and the longer it stays high -- the worse the damage is. Smoking and alcohol ratchet up the damage several more notches.
"Damage is slow and occurs over a period of years -- but it probably begins when blood sugar is at mildly elevated levels," says Ronald Goldberg, MD, associate director of the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical Center. "You may not be diagnosed with diabetes, but the damage has already begun."
The damage from diabetes shows up a bit differently in everyone -- whether it attacks the nerves, eyes, or kidneys, Goldberg tells WebMD. "Genetics probably influence which complications you are more susceptible to."
The problem is, "many people have diabetes a lot longer than they realize," says Ziemer. "Most have diabetes an average of five to seven years before they're diagnosed."
Diabetes Complications: The Risks You Face
As blood vessels, nerves, and organs become damaged, your risk of diabetes complications increases. These are the most serious:
- Heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke risks are doubled. Heart disease and stroke cause at least 65% of deaths from diabetes.
- Major eye complications (diabetic retinopathy) are linked to blood vessel problems in the eyes. Diabetes is a leading cause of preventable blindness; cataracts and glaucoma are also common.
- Reduced blood flow to nerves and high blood sugar results in nerve pain, burning, numbness (peripheral neuropathy).
- Serious leg and foot infections, even gangrene and amputation, are due to poor blood circulation, lack of oxygen and nutrients to tissue, and nerve damage.
- Kidney damage (diabetic nephropathy) is a common risk for people with diabetes.
The complications of diabetes are indeed serious -- but they are not inevitable, Ziemer tells WebMD. "Keeping blood sugar under control is the single the most important factor in preventing them. But people have a hard time grasping just how critical that is," he says. "It's hard to get them to tune into it."
Preventing Diabetes Complications With Medication
Getting blood sugar under control isn't always difficult. Sometimes all you need are lifestyle changes -- eating right, getting regular exercise, losing weight -- to get it into a safe range. If you're a smoker, there's no question -- you've got to quit.
Also, finding ways to ease the stress in your life helps control blood sugar, as does treatment for depression. Both stress and depression increase the level of cortisol, a hormone that affects blood sugar. "Cortisol makes the diabetes worse," Ziemer tells WebMD. "There is evidence that treating depression may help blood sugar control." He is heading a study investigating that link.
For some people, taking just one diabetes medication helps tremendously. Complex new drugs like Byetta, Januvia, and Symlin work from different angles to attack high blood sugar. "All the new drugs hold a lot of promise," says Ziemer, who is also a professor of endocrinology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
If you need to take insulin, you'll find the injections aren't that bad. "The new versions of insulin are far less cumbersome," Ziemer explains. You don't need to lay out a lot of needles and vials on the table. The insulin can be discreetly injected via a little pen -- much like a cartridge writing pen. An inhaled form of insulin has been FDA-approved. Insulin mouth sprays and insulin patches are being developed.
Fewer Diabetes Complications = Less Pain
By reining in blood sugar, you slow down the damage to the body's nerves and blood vessels. You can even halt damage altogether. The benefits show up in many ways.
You can ease the pain or numbness you feel in hands, arms, feet, and legs. "When you prevent more damage to nerves, you keep pain from getting worse," Ziemer explains. "We don't have any medications to repair nerve damage. Mostly, we're protecting what's left."
Gum disease and tooth loss can be halted when blood sugar is controlled, adds Ziemer. "In fact, when you get gum infection under control, you help keep blood sugar under control. Infection in the gums increases inflammation in the body, which makes controlling diabetes harder."
Don't put dental visits on the back burner, says Ziemer. "A lot of folks end up losing lots of teeth. Nobody likes going to the dentist, me included. But seeing a dentist is very important."
Blood sugar isn't the only issue, diabetes experts agree. If there are cholesterol and blood pressure problems -- as there typically are -- they need aggressive treatment with medication. Both these conditions affect the health of large and small blood vessels, and greatly aggravate the damage done by diabetes.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins are a mainstay in diabetes treatment. Blood pressure drugs like ACE inhibitors can also improve blood flow throughout the body, including legs and kidneys. "These drugs protect kidneys from damage and they protect the heart muscle, which helps prevent heart failure," Ziemer tells WebMD.
With these diabetes complications, there's a lot at stake. Can you really prevent the worst-case scenario? "Absolutely," Goldberg tells WebMD. "If you do all these things, you can substantially reduce risk of heart attack, stroke, and the blood vessel damage that leads to blindness, amputations, and kidney damage. But you must start doing them as early as possible. And you have to keep things under control ... strict control."
VITAMIN D
Functions and benefits of Vitamin D
Vitamin D has a number of important functions and benefits. For example it:
- Calcium, together with vitamin D, can help heal bone fractures from osteoporosis.
- Protection against multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Prevention of diabetes
- Vitamin D also helps to keep teeth and gums healthy
- prevents and cures infantile rickets
Recommended Dosage for Vitamin D
- For adults, the recommended dose of Vitamin D is 400 IU (10 mcg ) or 600 IU.
- For pregnant women, the usual dose is 600 IU (15 mcg ).
Food sources of Vitamin D
Foods sources of vitamin D include the following.
- fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, herring.
- Eggs, butter, dandelion greens, milk, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, tuna, and vegetable oils.
- Vitamin D is also formed by the body in response to the action of sunlight on the skin.
Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin D
- Bone pain
- Tenderness
- Muscle weakness
- In children, rickets may occur
- Diarrhea
- Iinsomnia
- Myopia
ALCOHOL USE AND ABUSE (PART II)
ALCOHOL USE AND ABUSE [SECOND PART]
PREVALENCE
In the United States, 44 percent of adults eighteen years of age and older are current drinkers, consuming at least twelve drinks in the last year. Meanwhile, 7.4 percent, or approximately 14 million Americans, experience alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. Heavy episodic or binge drinking has remained at the same approximate level of 16 percent for all adults since 1988, with the highest rate, 32 percent, among young adults ages eighteen to twenty-five. Over one-half of adults report having a close family member who has experienced alcoholism.
As few as 5 percent of the heaviest drinkers consume as much as 42 percent of the alcohol drunk in the United States, and 20 percent of drinkers account for nearly 90 percent of the alcohol consumed. The bulk of the alcohol drunk in the United States, therefore, is consumed by a relatively small population of very heavy drinkers.
Alcohol is also the drug most frequently used by children and adolescents. In 1999, over half (52%) of eighth graders (14-year-olds) and 80 percent of twelfth graders (18-year-olds) reported having used alcohol at least once. More problematic drinking occurs in 15 percent of eighth graders and 31 percent of twelfth graders, who reported binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks in a row) in the previous two weeks. Of American high school adolescents, over half (51%) currently drink alcohol. In 1999, one in three high school students reported heavy episodic drinking of five or more drinks on at least one occasion during the previous thirty days. The prevalence of heavy drinking commonly increases through adolescence into early adulthood.
HEALTH OUTCOMES
Alcohol use has health and social consequences for those who drink, for those around them, and for the nation as a whole. Approximately 100,000 deaths each year are attributed to alcohol use, making it the third leading cause of preventable mortality in the United States. Worldwide, 750,000 deaths are attributed to alcohol use each year. Alcohol-related deaths occur from cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, motor-vehicle crashes, falls, drowning, suicide, and homicide. Alcohol affects nearly every system in the body, and contributes to a range of medical problems, including altered immune system functioning, bone disease, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, reduced cognitive functioning, fetal abnormalities, traumatic injury, depression, gastrointestinal disorders, and cancers of the neck, head, stomach, pancreas, colon, breast, and prostate. Alcohol also produces significant social problems, including domestic violence, child abuse, marital and family disruption, violent crime, motor-vehicle crashes, worksite productivity losses, absenteeism, and lowered school achievement. The estimated cost of alcohol misuse in the United States in 1998 was nearly $185 billion.
Young people are particularly vulnerable to acute alcohol effects due to their lower tolerance to alcohol, their lack of experience with drinking, and drinking patterns that often include heavy episodic drinking in high-risk situations, such as during driving and sexual encounters. Leading causes of mortality and morbidity among youths include alcohol-related motor-vehicle injuries, homicide, and suicide. Alcohol use among young people is associated with reduced scholastic achievement, increased delinquency, and the development of psychiatric problems later in life. Alcohol has also been found to precede other illicit drug use, thereby serving as a "gateway" to other drug consumption, including marijuana and cocaine use.
Women and the elderly are also at greater risk for experiencing alcohol harm because of their lower levels of body water, meaning that smaller amounts of alcohol result in higher levels of intoxication than in younger men. Drinking during pregnancy has been linked to higher rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature births, and fetal alcohol syndrome—a set of birth defects caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. For the elderly, drinking even modest amounts of alcohol may cause considerable problems due to chronic illness, interactions with medications, and grief and loneliness from the death of loved ones.
At the same time, moderate to low levels of alcohol consumption have been linked to a lower risk for heart disease and stroke. These positive effects appear to be confined primarily, however, to middle-aged and older individuals in industrialized countries with high rates of cardiovascular diseases. Individuals and populations must weigh the risks and benefits of drinking to themselves and others, including such factors as the situations under which drinking is to take place and the amount likely to be consumed, to determine the net results of drinking.
SOLUTIONS
The burden of alcohol misuse is measured in a number of ways, including the prevalence and incidence of deaths, injuries, and illnesses attributed to alcohol; hospitalization rates; potential years of life lost to alcohol misuse; and quality of life indicators. Vast resources are expended each year in the United States to address the health and social problems resulting from alcohol misuse. Because no single solution can reduce all alcohol-related harm to individuals and populations, a comprehensive approach using a range of strategies that address the multiple causes and dimensions of alcohol problems is needed. These strategies should include educational approaches—such as public health education and awareness programs, including school, family, and community-based prevention programs; environmental approaches—such as controls on the price and availability of alcohol, minimum age for purchase of alcohol, legislative measures to curb driving under the influence of alcohol, and restrictions on the promotion, marketing, and advertising of alcohol; and health care efforts—such as primary health care screening, advice by health care providers, preventive services, and effective treatment using psychological and pharmacological approaches.
For more information about alcohol use among individuals and populations, its relation to health and social problems, or how to reduce alcohol risk, contact the following:
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Scientific Communications Branch, (301) 443–3860, or online at http://www.niaaa.nih.gov.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Clearing-house for Alcohol and Drug Information,(800) 729–6686, or online at http://www.health.org.
- National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, (800) NCA-CALL, or online at http://www.ncadd.org.
- Healthy People 2010, Objectives on Substance Abuse, (800) 336–4797, or online at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.
- World Health Organization, Health Communication and Public Relations, 41 22/791/2543, or online at http://www.who.ch/.
YOU CAN BE HAPPY !!!!!!!!
You can be happy. You can live the life you want to live. You can become the person you want to be.
This is what I've figured out so far.
Stop assigning blame. This is the first step. Stop assigning blame and leave the past behind you.
You know whose fault it is that your life isn't perfect. Your boss. Your teachers. Your ex-lovers. The ones who hurt you, the ones who abused you, the ones who left you bleeding. Or even yourself. You know whose fault it is — you've been telling yourself your whole life. Knowing whose fault it is that your life sucks is an excellent way to absolve yourself of any reponsibility for taking your life into your own hands.
Forget about it. Let it go. The past isn't real. “That was in another country, and besides, the wench is dead.” If we're not talking about something that is real and present and in your life right now, then it doesn't matter. Nothing can be done about it. If nothing can be done about it, then don't spend your energy dwelling on it — you have other things to do.
I may sound cruel, I may sound simplistic, I may sound like I'm saying you should just “get over it,” by suggesting that you should let go of your past. I'm sorry for that. But life won't hold still and wait for you to lick your wounds. The race is still being run. Get up and keep moving. You can't do anything about yesterday.
You can do something about tomorrow. And about the next day. Focus your energies there.
“I don't have time to write.” “I can't dance.” “I can't talk to new people.” “I'm not attractive.”
I hear this all the time. I always hear the people around me sabotaging themselves, drawing lines and borders and boxes around themselves.
To which I say, make the time; dance; just talk to people; be attractive!
Yes, again, it's simplistic of me to say that. But it's simplistic of you to so easily say what you cannot do!
We're excellent pattern-matchers. That's what the human mind does — it's a pattern-matching engine. So we look at ourselves, at our history, at our behaviors, and we draw straight lines between the points — we assume that just because we've done things a certain way in the past, we'll always do them that way in the future. If we've failed before, we'll always fail.
Screw that.
Surprise yourself. No — amaze yourself.
You don't have to keep doing the things you hate. Why go home and beat yourself up for, say, not going over and saying a few words to someone you find really attractive? Can any damage they could do to you by rejecting you possibly be any worse than the damage you're going to do to yourself for missing the chance?
Find the demon.
Do you know what I'm talking about? It's the little voice in the back of your head that's always whispering, “You can't.” You know the demon. You may think you hate the demon, but you don't. You love it. You let it own you. You do everything it says. Everytime there's something you want, you consult the demon first, to see if it will say, “You can't have that.”
What you don't realize is that your demon doesn't know anything. It's an idiot. It's nothing but a parrot, repeating back to you anything negative that it's ever heard, anything that makes you hurt, makes you squirm. If a teacher once told you “You'll never accomplish anything,” it was listening; it hoards words like that and repeats them back to you to watch you jump. It doesn't know what it's saying. It doesn't care.
Exorcise yourself.
You can take me literally or not, as suits you. But do, please, the next time you hear that voice in your head, imagine it, visualize it, as something physical that you can get hold of; tear it out of you, feel its fingers weaken and lose their grip on your spine, and grind it to dust, to nothing, under your boot heel on your way out to dance in the streets.
You can. You think you can't; but it's telling you that. You can.
You don't exist.
You just think you do.
We're nothing but the stories we tell ourselves. We know in our hearts what kind of people we are, what we're capable of, because we've told ourselves what kind of people we are. You're a carefully-rehearsed list of weaknesses and strengths you've told yourself you have.
(Self-confidence, for example, is a particularly nebulous quality you can easily talk yourself out of having.)
You owe no allegiance to that self-image if it harms you. If you don't like the story your life has become — tell yourself a better one.
Think about the person you want to be and do what that person would do. Act the way that person would act.
Amazingly enough, once you start acting like that person, people will start treating you like that person.
And you'll start to believe it. And then it will be true.
Welcome to your new self.
You are a product of your environnent.
Most people realize this — usually, in the form of having something else to blame — but they tend to forget one important fact:
Humans are the masters of changing their environment.
What this means is that if your environment affects you, and you can affect your environment, then obviously, you can affect yourself.
- Your environment includes people. Figure out who in your life isn't good for you, whose presence tears you down more than it builds you up, whose nearness is poison to you — and get rid of them. Get them out of your life. I don't care if it's your best friend, your boss, your mother, your lover — if they are harming you, if they are doing nothing but reinforce everything bad you tell yourself about yourself, then your relationship with them needs to radically alter or it needs to end.
- Your environment includes goals. Don't set yourself pie-in-the-sky impossible goals and then beat yourself up over not achieving them — set yourself goals that will be good for you, not a source of pain. Attainable goals. Set them and meet them. Don't tell yourself you can't — that's the old story, that story you used to tell yourself about what a poor sad victim you were and how you could never change anything about your life. You can meet your goals. This is the new story.
Trying to clean your house? Good for you — a clean house can really affect your state of mind for the better. But don't say “Today I'm going to clean the entire house from top to bottom,” when you don't have the time and energy to — don't set yourself up for failure; don't feed the demon. Just say, “Today I'm going to wash all the dishes and clean off the kitchen counter.” And do it.
Don't tell yourself, “This month I'm going to write that novel.” Tell yourself, “Today I'm going to write five pages.” And do it. Take your dreams and break them down into small pieces and you'll have them in your hands before you know it.
And you'll find, as you start meeting your goals, that you like it. That it feels good, makes you feel confident and capable. You'll develop a hunger for it.
- Your environment includes yourself — your physical presence. Do what you know you need to do — treat yourself better. Sleep, eat right, exercise. This doesn't mean you have to stop staying out late at night now and then, it doesn't mean you can't have a candy bar, it doesn't mean you have to stop sitting around watching television — it just means start doing the things that are good for you as well as the things that are bad for you, every so often. It's not an all-or-nothing proposition; you don't have to devote your life to being a health nut. Just try eating more fruits and vegetables, the occasional vegetarian meal; go for walks in the park on the weekends. You'll feel better and be more alert if you're a little healthier, and once you start feeling a little better, you'll start wanting the things that make you feel better. You'll see.
- Your environment includes your appearance. If you're not happy with yourself, if you're angry with the person in the mirror, it can honestly help to literally change who you see when you look in the mirror. Try a different hairstyle, new glasses, new jewelry, new clothes. It doesn't have to be expensive — there's a whole universe full of possible You's waiting to be found in thrift stores, if need be. If you're deciding to become the person you want to be, then decide what that person is going to look like. Dress the part. It's not shallow, it's not about vanity, it's about self-transformation — even the most primitive tribes understand the value of costumes and masks for ritual, for change, for becoming someone else.
You are not an object. You are a system. Like with any system, if you change the inputs — change what goes into it — you'll change what comes out.
Despite everything I've just said:
Self-examination can be paralysis.
Don't “remember to breathe” — just breathe. It's a Tao thing.
It's the paradox at the center of all this — remember that, “Am I living up to being the person I want to be?”, is not a question the person you want to be would ask.
If I can leave you with just one thought, it's this:
Stop wasting your time fretting over not being happy.
Just be happy.
20 SECRETS FOR LIVING AN OPTIMUM LIFE
I think most people would agree that we live in a time of lightning speed
changes. And with all of the economic uncertainty and the troubling social
and political times we are facing in the world , things can feel pretty darn
scary.
Let me share with you the 20 secrets for living an optimum life:
1. Strive to always remain optimistic - look on the brighter side of
things
2. Respect and treat others the way you would like to be Respected and
treated. Be caring, considerate and empathic to others
3. No matter what, make your health care a top priority. Always nourish
your emotional, physical and spiritual well-being
4. Value education, not only formal education but informal as well. Read
lots, be a good listener and attain knowledge
5. Each day, make time for prayer and forever seek God's guidance. Take
nothing for granted and maintain a grateful heart.
6. Pay homage to your ancestors and remember to respect elders. Also,
never get too busy to spend time with the elders in your life.
7. Constantly discover ways for self-improvement. Exercise
self-discipline, determination and appropriateness.
8. Be a visionary - live your dreams. Choose Faith over Fear
9. Avoid toxic and negative people. Surround yourself with people who are
hopeful, positive and possess a renewing spirit.
10. Maintain a "light-heart," for laughter is good for the soul and humor
is healing
11. Respect Mother Earth and do your part to preserve her beauty
12. Be charitable - share your time, wisdom and material possessions with
those who are in need. Take time to give back to your community
13. Employ integrity, courage, atonement and love throughout your entire
life. Remember to seek an understanding
14. Explore your creativity - sing, paint, sew, draw, dance, compose,
design etc., etc.
15. Be humble and be careful not to demonstrated arrogance and false pride
16. Don't allow anyone to take the "J" from your Joy
17. Seek the wisdom of others and keep an open mind and heart
18. Balance the use of technology in your life - take time out from all of
the electronic gadgetry
19. Find ways to help others in their quest for freedom, justice and
equality
20. Lastly, always give your Mom and Dad the respect they deserve.
Constantly show and express your love to them. Never forget that you
were created through love. Make every effort to establish and maintain a healthy and nurturing relationship with them.
List of Few phobia
A
Ablutophobia -Fear of washing or bathing.
Acarophobia- Fear of itching or of the insects that cause itching.
Acerophobia- Fear of sourness.
Achluophobia- Fear of darkness.
Acousticophobia- Fear of noise.
Acrophobia- Fear of heights.
Aeroacrophobia- Fear of open high places.
Aeronausiphobia- Fear of vomiting secondary to airsickness.
Aerophobia- Fear of drafts, air swallowing, or airbourne noxious substances.
Agateophobia- Fear of insanity.
Agliophobia- Fear of pain.
Agoraphobia- Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places
like markets. Fear of leaving a safe place.
Agraphobia- Fear of sexual abuse.
Agrizoophobia- Fear of wild animals.
Agyrophobia- Fear of streets or crossing the street.
Aichmophobia- Fear of needles or pointed objects.
Ailurophobia- Fear of cats.
Albuminurophobia- Fear of kidney disease.
Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens.
Algophobia- Fear of pain.
Alliumphobia- Fear of garlic.
Allodoxaphobia- Fear of opinions.
Altophobia- Fear of heights.
Amathophobia- Fear of dust.
Amaxophobia- Fear of riding in a car.
Ambulophobia- Fear of walking.
Amnesiphobia- Fear of amnesia.
Amychophobia- Fear of scratches or being scratched.
Anablephobia- Fear of looking up.
Ancraophobia or Anemophobia- Fear of wind.
Androphobia- Fear of men.
Anemophobia- Fear of air drafts or wind.
Anginophobia- Fear of angina, choking or narrowness.
Anglophobia- Fear of England, English culture, etc.
Angrophobia- Fear of anger or of becoming angry.
Ankylophobia- Fear of immobility of a joint.
Anthrophobia or Anthophobia- Fear of flowers.
Anthropophobia- Fear of people or society.
Antlophobia- Fear of floods.
Anuptaphobia- Fear of staying single.
Apeirophobia- Fear of infinity.
Aphenphosmphobia- Fear of being touched. (Haphephobia)
Apiphobia- Fear of bees.
Apotemnophobia- Fear of persons with amputations.
Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders.
Arithmophobia- Fear of numbers.
Arrhenphobia- Fear of men.
Arsonphobia- Fear of fire.
Asthenophobia- Fear of fainting or weakness.
Astraphobia or Astrapophobia- Fear of thunder and lightning.
Astrophobia- Fear of stars and celestial space.
Asymmetriphobia- Fear of asymmetrical things.
Ataxiophobia- Fear of ataxia (muscular incoordination)
Ataxophobia- Fear of disorder or untidiness.
Atelophobia- Fear of imperfection.
Atephobia- Fear of ruin or ruins.
Athazagoraphobia- Fear of being forgotton or ignored or forgetting.
Atomosophobia- Fear of atomic explosions.
Atychiphobia- Fear of failure.
Aulophobia- Fear of flutes.
Aurophobia- Fear of gold.
Auroraphobia- Fear of Northern lights.
Autodysomophobia- Fear of one that has a vile odor.
Automatonophobia- Fear of ventriloquist's dummies, animatronic
creatures, wax statues
Automysophobia- Fear of being dirty.
Autophobia- Fear of being alone or of oneself.
Aviophobia or Aviatophobia- Fear of flying.
B
Bacillophobia- Fear of microbes.
Bacteriophobia- Fear of bacteria.
Ballistophobia- Fear of missiles or bullets.
Barophobia- Fear of gravity.
Basophobia or Basiphobia- Inability to stand. Fear of walking or falling.
Bathmophobia- Fear of stairs or steep slopes.
Bathophobia- Fear of depth.
Batophobia- Fear of heights or being close to high buildings.
Batrachophobia- Fear of amphibians, such as frogs, newts, salamanders, etc.
Belonephobia- Fear of pins and needles. (Aichmophobia)
Bibliophobia- Fear of books.
Blennophobia- Fear of slime.
Bogyphobia- Fear of bogies or the bogeyman.
Bolshephobia- Fear of Bolsheviks.
Botanophobia- Fear of plants.
Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia- Fear of body smells.
Brontophobia -Fear of thunder and lightning.
Bufonophobia- Fear of toads.
C
Cacophobia- Fear of ugliness.
Cainophobia or Cainotophobia- Fear of newness, novelty.
Caligynephobia -Fear of beautiful women.
Cancerophobia- Fear of cancer.
Carcinophobia- Fear of cancer.
Cardiophobia- Fear of the heart.
Carnophobia- Fear of meat.
Catagelophobia- Fear of being ridiculed.
Catapedaphobia- Fear of jumping from high and low places.
Cathisophobia- Fear of sitting.
Catoptrophobia- Fear of mirrors.
Cenophobia or Centophobia- Fear of new things or ideas.
Ceraunophobia- Fear of thunder.
Chaetophobia- Fear of hair.
Cheimaphobia or Cheimatophobia- Fear of cold.
Chemophobia- Fear of chemicals or working with chemicals.
Cherophobia -Fear of gaiety.
Chionophobia -Fear of snow.
Chiraptophobia- Fear of being touched.
Chirophobia- Fear of hands.
Cholerophobia- Fear of anger or the fear of cholera.
Chorophobia- Fear of dancing.
Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia- Fear of money.
Chromophobia or Chromatophobia- Fear of colors.
Chronomentrophobia -Fear of clocks.
Chronophobia- Fear of time.
Cibophobia or Sitophobia or Sitiophobia- Fear of food.
Claustrophobia- Fear of confined spaces.
Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia- Fear of being locked in an enclosed place.
Cleptophobia- Fear of stealing.
Climacophobia- Fear of stairs, climbing or of falling downstairs.
Clinophobia- Fear of going to bed.
Clithrophobia or Cleithrophobia- Fear of being enclosed.
Cnidophobia -Fear of stings.
Coimetrophobia- Fear of cemeteries.
Coitophobia- Fear of coitus.
Cometophobia- Fear of comets.
Contreltophobia- Fear of sexual abuse.
Coprastasophobia- Fear of constipation.
Coprophobia -Fear of feces.
Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns.
Counterphobia- The preference by a phobic for fearful situations.
Cremnophobia- Fear of precipices.
Cryophobia -Fear of extreme cold, ice or frost.
Crystallophobia- Fear of crystals or glass.
Cyberphobia -Fear of computers or working on a computer.
Cyclophobia- Fear of bicycles.
Cymophobia- Fear of waves or wave like motions.
Cynophobia- Fear of dogs or rabies.
Cypridophobia, Cypriphobia, Cyprianophobia, or Cyprinophobia- Fear of
prostitutes or venereal disease.
D
Decidophobia -Fear of making decisions.
Defecaloesiophobia- Fear of painful bowels movements.
Deipnophobia- Fear of dining or dinner conversations.
Dementophobia- Fear of insanity.
Demonophobia or Daemonophobia- Fear of demons.
Demophobia -Fear of crowds. (Agoraphobia)
Dendrophobia- Fear of trees.
Dentophobia- Fear of dentists.
Dermatophobia -Fear of skin lesions.
Dermatosiophobia or Dermatophobia or Dermatopathophobia- Fear of skin disease.
Dextrophobia- Fear of objects at the right side of the body.
Diabetophobia -Fear of diabetes.
Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school.
Dikephobia -Fear of justice.
Dinophobia- Fear of dizziness or whirlpools.
Diplophobia- Fear of double vision.
Dipsophobia- Fear of drinking.
Dishabiliophobia- Fear of undressing in front of someone.
Domatophobia or Oikophobia- Fear of houses or being in a house.
Doraphobia -Fear of fur or skins of animals.
Doxophobia -Fear of expressing opinions or of receiving praise.
Dromophobia- Fear of crossing streets.
Dutchphobia- Fear of the Dutch.
Dysmorphophobia- Fear of deformity.
Dystychiphobia -Fear of accidents.
Abdomen Pain
Abdomen Pain
Abdominal pain is pain that you feel in the abdominal area (the area between your chest and groin), often referred to as the stomach region or belly. Even when you feel pain there, however, Abdomen pain may originate from somewhere else -- like your chest, pelvic region (the area just below the abdomen that houses the reproductive organs), or a generalized infection affecting many parts of your body (like the flu or strep throat). For abdomen pain, always consult with your doctor first.
Causes of pain of lower right abdomen are frequently appendicitis; pain of upper abdomen may be caused by stomach or duodenum diseases; pain at the rim of lower abdomen and lower back may be caused by kidney stones or ureter stones, pain of right rid may be caused by liver and gallbladder diseases; pain of left rid may be caused by spleen disease; Cramp at the rim of lower abdomen and inguen of women are usually caused by pre-menstruation symptoms. You doctor can diagnose & guide you best.
Amazing Facts-Health & body
- A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for approximately sixty-nine years.
- 1 out of every 4 kids in the USA is overweight.
- 41% of women apply body or hand moisturizer a minimum three times a day.
- 75-90% of primary physician visits are due to stress.
- A Russian man who wore a beard during the time of Peter the Great had to pay a special tax.
- A blink lasts approximately 0.3 seconds.
- A ear trumpet was used before the hearing aid was invented by people who had difficulty hearing.
- A fetus develops fingerprints at eighteen weeks.
- A fetus starts to develop fingerprints at the age of eight weeks.
- A fetus that is four months old, will becomes startled and turn away if a light is flashed on the mother's stomach.
- A headache and inflammatory pain can be reduced by eating 20 tart cherries.
- A human embryo is smaller than a grain of rice at four weeks old.
- A kiss for one minute can burn 26.
- A little under one quarter of the people in the world are vegetarians.
- A person infected with the SARS virus, has a 95-98% chance of recovery.
- A person who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day will on average lose two teeth every ten years.
- A person will burn 7 percent more calories if they walk on hard dirt compared to pavement.
- A sneeze can travel as fast as one hundred miles per hour.
- A study concludes that kids who snore do poorly in school.
- A study indicates that smokers are likely to die on average six and a half years earlier than non-smokers.
- A women from Berlin Germany has had 3,110 gallstones taken out of her gall bladder.
- A world record 328 pound ovarian cyst was removed from a woman in Galveston, Texas, in 1905.
- A yawn usually lasts for approximately six seconds.
- About twenty-five percent of the population sneeze when they are exposed to light.
- According to the American Institute of Stress, job stress approximately costs the U.S. industry over $300 billion dollars per year.
- After twenty-seven years, Betty Rubble made her debut as a Flintstones Vitamin in 1996.
- Air is passed through the nose at a speed of 100 miles per hour when a person sneezes.
- Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar were both epileptic.
- An adult esophagus can range from 10 to 14 inches in length and is one inch in diameter.
- An average adult produces about half a litre of flatulent gas per day, resulting in an average of about fourteen occurrences of flatulence a day.
- Approximately 1-2 calorie are burned a minute while watching T.V.
- Approximately 25,000 workers died during the building of the Panama Canal and approximately 20,000 of them contracted malaria and yellow fever.
- Asthma affects one in fifteen children under the age of eighteen.
- At least 7% of all health care costs in the United States are attributed to smoking.
- At one time it was thought that the heart controlled a person's emotions, Babies that are exposed to cats and dogs in their first year of life have a lower chance of developing allergies when they grow older.
- Babies' eyes do not produce tears until the baby is approximately six to eight weeks old.
- Being lactose intolerant can cause chronic flatulence.
- Between 12%-15% of the population is left-handed.
- Between 1997-2002, there was an increase of 228% in cosmetic procedures in the United States.
- Bile produced by the liver is responsible for making your feces a brownish, green colour.
- Brain damage will only occur if a fever goes above 107.6 degrees farenheit.
- By walking an extra 20 minutes every day, an average person will burn off seven pounds of body fat in an year.
Ten Keys for Finding Happiness.
1. Live on purpose . Joyful aliveness connects you with your purpose. Learn the skills you need to create happiness. Discover the activities and pursuits that make your heart sing! These engaging activities provide clues to your purpose and will assist you in finding happiness.
If you want to maintain desperation and unhappiness, then believe that life has no purpose.
2. Find Happiness right now. No other time exists for experiencing happiness. Only the present moment contains the spark of life!
You may also create misery by constantly wanting to speed ahead to some other time. Most people live their lives wanting to exist elsewhere and elsewhen.
3. Accept total responsibility for your life! You create your reality and your emotions. Your power and focus exceed your wildest dreams. See this short video about finding happiness through creating reality.
You can choose to blame and whine, pretending that your life situation came from without, rather than from within. As within, so without. Accept total responsibility for all.
4. Act in boldness. Take on challenges and pursue lofty goals. Overcoming difficulties and obstacles provide some of the most exquisite joys in life.
To create misery, play it totally safe. Never do anything scary or risky. Follow your fears and let them guide your actions. For happiness and joy - feel the fear, and do it anyway!
5. Expect happiness. Hope consists of a perfect expectation of desirable things to come. Picture desirable things to come. You choose what to think about, and what to visualize in your mind's eye! Imagine yourself finding happiness.
Despair consists of a perfect expectation of undesirable things to come. To increase despair, simply imagine in detail terrible things that may happen to you. The better your imagination, the deeper the despair. You get what you truly expect, so expect happiness.
6. Increase your awareness. Feel your emotions consciously. Identify your core beliefs. Constantly learn and grow from the inside. Your unhealthy attitudes, habits, and behaviors will start to drop away like fall leaves. Watch this quick video on identifying emotions.
To maintain apathy and misery, just remain unaware. Allow clarity to flee from you like a deer from a hunter. Remain in unconsciousness and cloudiness - afraid to explore your beliefs.
Error! Filename not specified.7. Build your connections. Our relationships give life meaning and happiness. All of us truly connect to one another in the inner world. Building connections in the physical world builds on this inner reality and helps us in finding happiness.
To create misery, simply separate yourself from others. Think that you exist as an independent entity, and other people merely drag you down. Insist on separateness and division. Deny the truth of connectedness and pursue unreality.
8. Learn and read daily. We grow in large measure due to the people we meet and the books we read. Did you read 52 books last year? Did you foster more friendships? We create happiness when we grow and increase our wisdom.
To prevent happiness, try not to meet any new people this year, and don't read any new books either. Simply stay just the same person with the exact same ideas. For optimal joy, go for optimal growth and learning!
9. Serve other people. Truly recognize other people as real people, with needs and wants just like your own. Think how you can bring a smile to someone, and then do it! Give increased life in every encounter. Service is a huge key for finding happiness in your life.
To create misery, ignore other people and totally concern yourself with your own needs. Don't think of other people as real.
10. Prioritize your actions. Know your goals and purposes, and put power and faith into every action. Do each action with focus and purpose, and know why you choose the activities you expend your energy on.
If you want to decrease joy, simply do as many things as you can each day. Never think of which tasks connect with your goals, simply busy yourself with work.
Enjoy the Ten Keys to Finding Happiness!
The Stages Of Pregnancy - An Amazing Journey
Good information on pregnancy.
The nine months of pregnancy are a miraculous event. During this relatively short time, your baby goes from a fertilized egg to a fully formed newborn. The changes that take place over these nine months are astounding. By the end of the first month, the tiny heart has formed and is beating. The major organs and systems of the body have developed by the end of the first trimester.
This is a critical time in your baby’s development. It’s important that you take good care of yourself during this time. Eat nutritious foods and drink plenty of fluids. Take any vitamins or extra iron recommended by your health care provider. Avoid any substances which can harm the baby. These include smoke, alcohol and drugs. Don’t take any medication without your doctor’s approval.
The baby continues to change rapidly during the second trimester. You will get to hear his heartbeat and see him on the ultrasound. By this time, the gender can be seen clearly in many cases. Your baby is a fully formed little one at the end of this trimester. The lungs are the last organ to develop enough to sustain life outside the womb. During the third trimester, the lungs finish developing. Your baby puts on weight and body fat steadily through this trimester.
Your body will go through many changes over the course of your pregnancy as well. In the early months, you may experience discomfort from morning sickness. This is a common symptom and is usually not serious. Learn some methods of dealing with this, such as getting up slowly in the morning, eating crackers before you get up or wearing wrist bands made for sea sickness. Preggie pops are lollipops that are sold to ease the symptoms of morning sickness.
The first trimester is a time of rapidly changing hormones in your body. This change causes fatigue in most women. Be sure to get enough rest. You will find you need more sleep than before you got pregnant. The best way to deal with fatigue is to get more sleep. Go to bed earlier at night. If possible, take a nap during the day.
Most women feel their best during the second trimester. Morning sickness has gotten better for the majority of pregnant mothers. The fatigue you felt in the first trimester has improved as well. Pregnant women report feeling more energy and you will begin to feel pregnant. Some couples take a final vacation as a couple during this trimester. By the third trimester, you will be uncomfortable and won’t want to travel. As you get farther into the third trimester, travel will be restricted.
The third trimester brings more discomfort. The baby is putting on weight at a rapid rate. Toward the end of this trimester, the baby is gaining a half a pound in body weight every week. This increased weight leads to several discomforts. The baby is pushing up on your stomach and lungs. This makes breathing difficult and you may be short of breath. The pressure of the baby on the stomach causes heartburn and indigestion.
The uterus is getting very crowded now and your baby is also pushing down. This can cause a variety of problems such as hemorrhoids, constipation and the need to urinate frequently. You may feel pressure low in the abdomen as the baby moves down into position for birth. When this happens, you will find that the shortness of breath improves. This is called lightening, but don’t count on going into labor right away. This can happen weeks before the baby arrives.
At the end of the third trimester, it’s time for the big day. You will finally get to meet your new baby. As the day approaches, you will feel excited. It’s normal to feel anxious and nervous as well. Continue to read, practice breathing exercises and prepare for the delivery. Soon you will be holding your precious bundle and the discomforts of the past nine months will be a memory.
Home Remedies for SKIN ALLERGIES
SKIN ALLERGIES
Clear skin is free from germs. But an irritated skin is a cause of trouble. Chafing of the skin is more likely to occur where two moist areas meet, such as in the groins or buttocks, or under the arms. Skin reactions are more common today due to many new fabrics in use. Babies often develop skin rashes because of irritation from the coloring materials in these fabrics.
Allergies are abnormal or hypersensitive responses of the Immune System to relatively harmless environmental antigens (substance which causes the allergy).
Diaper rash usually arises from some chemical irritation due to certain germs present in the baby’s stool. These germs break down the urea into ammonia, which irritates the skin.
Allergic conditions, such as Hay fever and sinusitis are also greatly aggravated by the presence of the germs within the tissues of the nose and throat. The most common allergens are grass and tree pollens, mold spores, dust mites, and animal dander. Eating certain foods and food additives and being stung by insects can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive people. Such common disorders as eczema, hives, hay fever and asthma are often attributed to allergic reactions.
The most common cause of the skin allergies is impairment in the immune sysytem, which increases the risk of allergic reactions. This occurs due to stress on the immune system due to excess of the toxins.
Other causes of the skin allergies are the nutritional deficiencies, imbalanced diet, chemicals in the food chain due to preservatives and chronic intestinal yeast overgrowth.
Researchers have found that digestion also plays some role in the allergies. These are not just caused by the food. Proper digestion helps to remove toxins from our body. When digestion is disturbed, large amount of toxins get accumulated in the body and our body becomes over loaded with the toxins. This is what leads to allergies.
Itching is an unpleasant sensation, which we try to relieve by scratching. A certain amount of mild itching is normal for every one. Only if it is persistent and troublesome it becomes serious. Persistent scratching may produce swellings in the skin with deep scratch marks and small ulcers into which germs have found their way, causing much more trouble.
HOME REMEDIES FOR SKIN ALLERGIES
- Grind 1 tbls of poppy seeds with 1-teaspoon water. Add 1-teaspoon limejuice. Apply to affected area for relief from skin allergies.
- Add 1-teaspoon limejuice with sandalwood paste. Apply to affected skin allergy area
- Avoid the foods, plants, animals, drugs, dust, or other substances that trigger an allergic reaction.
- Smoking exacerbates allergic reactions. Those who are allergic to MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) should avoid smoking.
- Vitamin C is very helpful in fighting with the allergic reactions.
- Avoid white sugar, and everything made with it. The process of chemically whitening sugar is toxic.
- Avoid bleached flours, and everything made with it.
- Avoid all processed foods, including the frozen pre-packaged types.
- Avoid the processes meat.
- Thoroughly wash all fresh fruits and vegetables in warm water
- Eat whole foods, and prepare your meals at home using fresh, natural products.
- Prepare an eating schedule. It may be that 3 large meals per day or 4 or 5 smaller ones will be better.
- Regularly practice juice fasting. This will cleanse your system of toxins and residues.
- Avoid smoking and heavy alcohol consumption. Heavy coffee consumption is to be avoided ( 1 or 2 regular cups per day is not considered harmful )
- Avoid fried foods and foods cooked in oil to prevent skin allergies. When oil is heated to cooking temperatures it begins to break down and has been identified as a carcinogen.
- Regularly try to do regiment of moderate exercise, such as walking, biking or swimming and strive to live in harmonious surroundings that contribute to inner peace.
- Rub an ice cube gently over the affected area. This cools the skin, reduces inflammation and soothes the itch immediately.
- Pour boiling water over a bowl of oats. Cover the bowl and leave for 10 minutes.
Strain the oats away and pour the liquid into an ice cube tray. Freeze the oat liquid to form oat cubes. To relieve itch, rub and frozen oat cube gently over the affected area. - Apply aloe Vera gel on the affected areas. It will sooth the areas and gives a cooling effect.
- Take 2 cups water, ½ teaspoon each Echinacea root and marshmallow root,
1 teaspoon chamomile flowers, ½ teaspoon peppermint leaf and ¼ teaspoon ginger rhizome. Combine water and Echinacea and marshmallow roots in a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add remaining ingredients. Steep for 15 minutes, then strain out herbs. For a 50-pound child, give 1 to 2 cups daily.This is an effective home remedy for skin allergy. - Take 1 cup boiling water,1 teaspoon each calendula flowers, chamomile flowers, Echinacea root, elder flowers and yarrow flowers, 3 tablespoons baking soda. Pour boiling water over herbs and steep for 15 minutes, then strain out herbs. Stir in baking soda. Apply to irritated skin with a soft cloth or a sponge until itching is reduced. This is also an effective home remedy for skin allergy.
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily.
CUCUMBER
CUCUMBER (Kheera/Kakdi)
It is a creeping plant of the cucurbitaceae family probably originating in India and widely cutivated for its fruit. It is a tender annual with a rough, succulent trailing stem and hairy leaves with 3 to 5 pointed lobes; the stem bears branched tendrils, by which the plant creeps through the supports.
The food value of cucumber is low; but it is popular for salads and relishes. Fresh cucumber should be firm, well-shaped and bright green in colour. They may be kept in refrigerated storage for about 2 weeks.
It is a very favourite fruit during hot summer months as it keeps the body cool and calm. It subsides pitta (bile) and aids digestion. It prevents sun-stroke, heat-stroke and allergy. It quenches thirst.
Benefit and uses of Cucumber.
- Cucumber is a great folk medicine used to reduce heat and inflammation.
- Cucumber is in helping to heal a range of illnesses – including lung, stomach and chest problem, gout, arthritis and tapeworm.
- It makes it useful in maintaining the alkalinity of the blood.
- Cucumber’s benefits include natural salts, enzymes, and vitamins essential for strong cell growth and repair.
- Cucumber facial is powerful and can bring great results for your skin.
- It is cools and heals sunburns and windburns.
- Cucumber has been used externally for minor burns, sore eyes and conjunctivitis.
For not so sleepy nights…
For many Mumbaikars getting sound sleep at night is a Herculean task. Most of them toss and turn through the night resulting in a drowsy and a lethargic day. Research indicates that insomnia interferes with the sleep of around 65 to 70 percent of Mumbaikars, which is turning the city people insomniacs.
Insomnia and its causes
Inability to fall asleep or difficultly in maintaining sleep or lack of sleep is generally termed as Insomnia. It is believed that out of ten people approximately seven are the victim of insomnia in the city. Health experts feel that sleeplessness / insomnia is the outcome of the mounting stress level, excessive commuting, odd working hours and sedentary lifestyle that many of us have these days.
Broadly it is classified into two, mild and chronic insomnia. Mild insomnia usually lasts from one to three weeks whereas chronic insomnia tends to go beyond a month. Psychiatric reasons such as anxiety, depression, tension, prolonged medication etc. and psychological causes like unfavourable working atmosphere or domestic tension usually lead to insomnia.
According to a cardiac consultant of Bombay Hospital Dr Vasundhara Atre, "The hectic lifestyle and demanding jobs keep our brain working all the time including our bedtime and eventually it disturbs the sleep cycle resulting in sleeplessness." She adds, "Late night dinner is another factor contributing to insomnia as our blood sugar level shoot up immediately after a heavy dinner making the body active thus triggering insomnia."
Symptoms
"People who suffer from insomnia find it difficult to concentrate, tend to go in depression and get stressed out quite often.. Extreme fatigue and weariness are another signs for this disorder," divulges Dr Aditi Kulkarni, general practitioner of RM Poddar Hospital, Worli.
Say yes!
1. Warm bath - Take a warm bath before bedtime, which relaxes the body leading to sound sleep
2. Snacks - Studies reveal that the consumption of low protein small snack just 30-minutes prior to going to sleep helps the insomniacs to fall asleep
3. Exercise - Devote 15-minutes in a day for physical workout, which will provide enough of oxygen to the body resulting in undisturbed sleep.
4. De-stressing - While going to sleep try to de-stress by listening to soft music or reading that relaxes the mind
5. Regular bed timing - Our body likes regular bed timing, so try to go sleep on the same time daily.
6. Warm milk - Take a glass of warm milk, which will sooth your nervous system by relaxing your jagged nerves.
Say No!
1. Alcohol - Some people feel that alcohol soothes them but it interferes in sleep and deprives deep rest.
2. Caffeine - Avoid intake of coffee, tea and cola drinks before going to bed as it stimulates the body and brain that cuts down sleep.
3. Smoke - Many insomniacs feel that smoking brings good sleep. However, it works the other way by stupefying the brain.
4. Over-the-counter medication - Keep away from over-the-counter medication as in the long run body gets habitual and it becomes a vicious circle.
5. Soft mattress - Try not to sleep on a very soft mattress, as it does not provide the right support to the body, which is required for good sleep.
6. Do not lie awake - If you cannot sleep then wake up and indulge yourself in some soothing activity like reading and only go to sleep when you are tired.
Poison - the best medicine
Deadly scorpions, lethal cobras and black widow spiders are normally reason to worry - these creatures are dangerous and their venom kills. But now scientists are learning revolutionary ways to use these poisons to heal
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Utah (US): Neurobiologists like Prof. Baldomero Olivera believe that the deadly cone snail venom could hold the molecular keys for cures of dreaded diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer's.
He has brought several species of cone snails to his lab in the University of Utah to study their toxins by milking their venom.
The cone snail has evolved very sophisticated poisons that block the flow of ions within the prey's nerve cells crippling its prey such as fish. which it swallows whole.
Scientists have begun to only scratch the surface of what they call "the gold mine of new and powerful toxins.
It takes 50-100 snails to obtain enough venom for analysis and the environmental impacts of removing cone snails from their natural habitat must be considered.
George Miljanich at Neurex Pharmaceuticals in San Francisco, is putting the cone snail's venom to therapeutic use: he has isolated a component within the poison that alleviates chronic human pain.
"SNX-111 blocks the electrical activity in nerve cells and it specifically blocks the electrical activity in nerve cells that conduct the pain stimulus from a painful area up into the spinal chord up into the brain", he explained.
Biochemists at this lab synthesised the molecular structure of the component and came up with an experimental drug called SNX-111 that has proven to be a unique and effective medication.
In experimental tests with cancer patients and other victims of severe pain, SNX-111 alleviated the suffering without the debilitating side effects of morphine and other pain killers.
Professor William Brose, a neurobiologist at Stanford University, is hopeful that SNX 1-111 might be the first really selective medication to target a specific site to produce a specific effect.
The scientists are also interested in other animal poison such as scorpion, snail or spider venom.
In Abu Rawash in Egypt, scorpions and snails are a significant source of income for the locals who have become experts in tracking them down.
The snakes are sold to companies like Neurex in San Francisco at a going price of 100 US dollars a snake.
One of the most potent venoms, tarantula venom, is difficult to analyse since there are 50 to a 100 different components in it.
Chromatograph analysis breaks down and isolates the components on a graph and scientists then study the bio-chemical molecular structure of the components to assess whether some of them could prove useful.
If so, biochemists will attempt to synthesis that component for medicinal use to find another cure
Common Cold Home Remedies
Common Cold treatment using Lemon:
Lemon is the most important among the many home remedies for common cold. It is beneficial in all types of cold with fever. Vitamin C-rich lemon juice increases body resistance, decreases toxicity and reduces the duration of the illness. One lemon should be diluted in a glass of warm water, and a teaspoon of honey should be added to it. This should be taken once or twice daily.
Common Cold treatment using Garlic:
Garlic soup is an old remedy to reduce the severity of a cold, and should be taken once daily. The soup can be prepared by boiling three or four cloves of chopped garlic in a cup of water. Garlic contains antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, besides several other medicinal virtues. The oil contained in this vegetable helps to open up the respiratory passages. In soup form, it flushes out all toxins from the system and thus helps bring down fever. Five drops of garlic oil combined with a teaspoon of onion juice, and diluted in a cup of water, should be drunk two to three times a day. This has also been found to be very effective in the treatment of common cold.
Common Cold treatment using Ginger:
Ginger is another excellent remedy for colds and coughs. About ten grams of ginger should be cut into small pieces and boiled in a cup of water. It should then be strained and half a teaspoon of sugar added to it. This decoction should be drunk when hot. Ginger tea, prepared by adding a few pieces of ginger into boiled water before adding the tea leaves, is also an effective remedy for colds and for fevers resulting from cold. It may be taken twice daily.
Common Cold treatment using Lady's Fingers:
Lady's fingers are highly valuable in treating irritation of the throat and a persistent dry cough. This vegetable is rich in mucilage and acts as a drug to allay irritation, swelling, and pain. About 100 gm of lady's fingers should be cut into pieces, and boiled down in half a litre of water to make a decoction. The steam issuing from this decoction may also be inhaled once or twice a day to relieve throat irritation and a dry cough.
Common Cold treatment using Bitter Gourd Roots:
The roots of the bitter gourd plant are used in folk medicine to cure a cold. A teaspoon of the root paste, mixed with an equal quantity of honey or tulsi leaf juice, given once every night for a month, acts as an excellent medicine for colds.
Common Cold treatment using Turmeric:
Turmeric is an effective remedy for colds and throat irritations. Half a teaspoon of fresh turmeric powder mixed in 30 ml of warm milk, and taken once or twice daily, is a useful prescription for these conditions. Turmeric powder should be put into a hot ladle. Milk should then be poured in it and boiled over slow heat. This mixture should then be drunk by the patient. In case of a running cold, smoke from the burning turmeric should be inhaled. It will increase the discharge from the nose and provide quick relief.
Common Cold treatment using Tamarind and Pepper:
Tamarind-pepper rasam is also considered an effective home remedy for a cold in South India. Dilute 50 mg tamarind in 250 ml of water. Boil the diluted tamarind water for a few minutes with a teaspoon of hot ghee and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder. This steaming hot rasam has a flushing effect, and should be taken three times a day. As one takes it, the nose and eyes water and the nasal blockage is cleared.
Common Cold treatment using Vitamin C:
Regular intake of vitamin C-75 mg for adults and 35 mg for children-will prevent the common cold. If, however, a cold has already appeared, large doses of this vitamin will relieve the symptoms and shorten its duration. It is estimated that one to two grams (1000 mg to 2000 mg) per day is approximately the optimum amount of this vitamin for this purpose. His advice is to swallow one or two 500mg tablets of vitamin C at the appearance of the first sign of the cold and continue the treatment by taking one to two 500 mg tablets daily.
Home Remedies for HEPATITIS C
HEPATITIS C
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus. The liver becomes swollen and tender (inflamed) and may develop permanent damage, such as scarring or liver cancer.
Initial symptoms of hepatitis C are mild and include fatigue, headache, sore muscles, abdominal pain, and sometimes dark urine. Hepatitis C is diagnosed with blood tests, but the disease can go unnoticed until years later after liver damage develops.
Hepatitis C is spread through sharing contaminated needles, infected blood, and very rarely through unprotected sex with an infected partner.
Treatment for hepatitis C includes antiviral medications and supportive therapy. A liver transplant is sometimes needed.
Home Treatment
Some people with hepatitis C do not notice a huge difference in the way they feel. Others feel tired, sick, or depressed. The following are steps you can take at home that may help you feel better both physically and emotionally.
Slow down
It is very common to feel tired if you have hepatitis C. If you feel tired, give yourself permission to do less and rest more. If possible, ask others to help out around your home or ask your employer for a shorter or more flexible work schedule.
Exercise
Exercise if you feel up to it. Aerobic exercise can help you have more energy and may also improve depression. It is best to avoid any strenuous activities on the day after you receive peginterferon.
Eat regular, nutritious meals
Sometimes, people with hepatitis C have a hard time eating. You may have no appetite, feel nauseated, or have different tastes than you are used to. Even if you do not feel like eating, it is very important to eat small meals throughout the day. Some people experience nausea in the afternoon; if this is the case, try to eat a big, nutritious meal in the morning.
If you have cirrhosis, it may not be a good idea to eat salty foods or foods that are high in protein. If you want to know more about which foods to avoid and which foods are good to eat, ask your doctor about meeting with a registered dietitian to discuss a healthy eating plan.
Avoid alcohol and drugs
One of the most important jobs of your liver is to break down drugs and alcohol. If you have hepatitis C, one of the best things you can do is to avoid substances that may harm your liver such as alcohol and illegal drugs. If you have cirrhosis, you also may need to avoid certain medicines.
If you use illegal drugs or alcohol, it is important to stop. Being honest with your doctor about your drug and alcohol use will help you deal with any substance abuse problems. If you do not feel that you can talk openly with your doctor, you may want to find a doctor you feel more comfortable with. If you want to stop using drugs or alcohol and need help to do so, ask your doctor or someone else you trust about drug and alcohol treatment options.
Because many medicines can stress your liver, talk to your doctor before you take any medicines, either prescription or over-the-counter. This includes herbal remedies as well.
Control itching
If you develop itchy skin, ask your doctor about taking nonprescription medicines, such as diphenhydramine (for example, Benadryl) or chlorpheniramine (for example, Chlor-Trimeton), to relieve itching. If you do take these medicines, be sure to follow the instructions and to stop using the medicine if you have any side effects.
Seek help for depression
Depression may develop in anyone who has a long-term illness. It also can be a side effect of antiviral medicines for hepatitis C. If you are feeling depressed, talk to your doctor about antidepressant medicines or counseling. For more information, see the topic Depression.
Learn about the disease
Learning about hepatitis C may help you feel more in control of the disease. The more you understand, the better you can make decisions about treatment and lifestyle changes that may help you feel better, both physically and emotionally.
Alternative Treatments for Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a serious communicable (contagious) disease of the liver that is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis C and its implications were identified only recently. There still is much to learn about the disease, the virus that causes it, and treatment options—both conventional and alternative.
About 3 million Americans are infected with HCV, and many of them do not even know they have it. Other forms of viral hepatitis usually resolve without treatment. But most people with HCV—85 percent—develop chronic (frequent or long-lasting) hepatitis C. The majority of people infected with HCV show no symptoms for up to 20 to 30 years. During that time, though, the infection may be slowly damaging the person's liver.
The virus can be found in a number of organs of the body. However, the infection is spread mainly by contact with the blood of an infected person. Once a person is infected, the body's immune (disease-fighting) system cannot combat the virus very well.
Most people with chronic hepatitis C develop long-term liver disease, which interferes with the liver's ability to work properly. Some patients eventually develop cirrhosis (scarring of the liver); some get liver cancer; and some even die from liver disease.
Repeated injections of regular ("conventional") drugs, like interferon, currently available to treat chronic hepatitis C get rid of the virus only in approximately 30 to 40 percent of infected people. In addition, these drugs can produce unbearable side effects. So, many people are looking to complementary and alternative therapies for help.
Alternative Care
No complementary medicine or alternative medicine therapies have been scientifically proven to cure or even ease symptoms of hepatitis C.
However, some people are turning to herbs for relief. They use herbs either to help with hepatitis itself or to deal with side effects of interferon. These harmful side effects can include: sudden hearing loss; anemia and other forms of low blood cell counts; headaches; heart, eye, liver, or kidney problems; and disorders of the mind, including depression. Among potential herbal therapies (including licorice root, ginseng, ginger, and St. John's wort) for hepatitis C, the most promising alternative treatment seems to be the herb commonly called milk thistle.
Preliminary studies in animals show that milk thistle may help protect the liver from injury by a variety of toxins ("poisons" such as drugs, viruses, alcohol, radiation, and poisonous mushrooms) and limit the damage from them. To date, the most reliable, and also quite preliminary, studies on people show that milk thistle does not cure liver disease, but that it may improve the way the liver works in patients with cirrhosis. However, there is no current evidence to indicate that milk thistle directly affects HCV.
In Germany, where many herbs are regulated and prescribed like drugs, health authorities have approved milk thistle as a complementary treatment (given in addition to conventional drugs) for cirrhosis, hepatitis, and similar liver conditions. But a great deal of research still is needed before this alternative therapy could be considered a standard treatment option in the United States.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle originally is from Europe, but now it also is grown in the United States. Its scientific name is Silybum marianum. The ingredient that experts believe is responsible for its medicinal qualities is called silymarin. Silymarin is found in the fruits of the milk thistle plant. Studies in animals have shown that this active ingredient promotes the following activities:
Liver Cell Growth—Silymarin appears to promote the growth of some types of cells in the liver.
Antioxidation—Silymarin may be an effective "antioxidant," which means it may help fight a destructive chemical process in the body known as "oxidation." In oxidation, harmful substances produced in the body (called free radicals) can damage cells. Some studies suggest that silymarin can prevent these substances from damaging liver cells.
Antihepatotoxic Activity—Studies suggest that silymarin can block various types of toxins from entering and injuring liver cells.
Inflammation Inhibition—Silymarin is thought to prevent inflammation (swelling) of the liver; this may be described as displaying anti-inflammatory properties.
Milk thistle is not used to prevent HCV from causing liver disease. Rather, it is used with the hope that it would minimize the damage to the liver that HCV can cause.
Studies of Milk Thistle in People
Although studies in animals provide a good deal of information on potential new treatments, studies in humans are needed before it can be determined if these therapies are appropriate, safe, and effective in people. The most rigorous type of study to establish a scientific basis for use of a new therapy in people is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled (RDBPC) trial.
Although not focused primarily on HCV disease, the most relevant existing research data regarding milk thistle's use as a therapy for hepatitis comes from two RDBPC trials of silymarin's effects on cirrhosis. The two studies produced conflicting results.
The first, reported in 1989, examined 170 patients with cirrhosis from various causes, including alcohol abuse. Approximately half (87) of the patients received silymarin (140 milligrams 3 times a day for 2 years). The others (83 patients) received a placebo. Because 24 patients dropped out of the study, a total of 146 patients (73 in each group) finished the 2-year study.
The doctors in this study noted that the number of patients who died in the 4 years after the study was 31 percent lower in the group that received the silymarin than in the group of patients who received the placebo. The beneficial effects of silymarin were especially seen in the patients who had cirrhosis as a result of alcohol abuse. The doctors did not report that any patients experienced side effects from silymarin treatment.
A more recent RDBPC trial, however, did not find silymarin to have any significant benefits for patients with cirrhosis. In this study, reported in 1998, doctors examined 200 patients with cirrhosis caused by alcohol abuse. Approximately half (103) of the patients received silymarin (150 milligrams 3 times a day for 2 years). The other half (97) received a placebo. A total of 125 patients (57 in the treatment group and 68 in the placebo group) finished the 2-year study. To measure effectiveness, the doctors measured (1) time to death and (2) the worsening of the disease.
Survival was similar in both the silymarin and placebo groups, and silymarin did not seem to improve the course of the disease in the treatment group. The doctors who performed the experiment did not note side effects in any of the patients.
Although small, one randomized controlled trial on hepatitis patients suggests that a specific component in silymarin may be beneficial in managing chronic hepatitis. In this study, reported in 1993, 10 patients with chronic hepatitis were assigned to the treatment group and 10 others were assigned to the placebo group. The treatment group received 240 milligrams of silybin, a component of silymarin, two times a day for 1 week. The results of tests that measure how well the liver is functioning showed significant improvement in the treatment group, suggesting that silybin may help treat chronic hepatitis.
Milk thistle in the treatment of liver disease needs to be studied further. Fortunately, negative side effects have not yet been reported, and this herbal therapy may be much less expensive than conventional drug therapies. Yet, it should be mentioned that conventional therapies have been proven to work in a substantial portion of patients.
Because milk thistle does not dissolve well in water, the herb is not effective in the form of a tea. It currently is marketed in the United States as a dietary supplement in the form of capsules containing 200 milligrams of a concentrated extract with 140 milligrams of silymarin.
Other Herbs That May Help
Licorice Root—Herbalists use tea made with licorice root to manage some of the effects hepatitis has on the liver. The scientific name for licorice root is Glycyrrhiza glabra, and its active component is called glycyrrhizin. Studies suggest that licorice root displays antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
Licorice root does come with a warning, however. If taken regularly (more than 3 grams of licorice root a day for more than 6 weeks, or more than 100 milligrams of glycyrrhizin a day), this herb can cause the following conditions in some people: high blood pressure, sodium and water retention, low potassium levels in the bloodstream, and disturbance of an important electrolyte balancing system in the body.
Signs and symptoms of excessive licorice root consumption may include headache, sluggishness, puffiness and swollen ankles, and even heart failure or cardiac arrest (when the heart suddenly stops beating).
Glycyrrhizin has been used in Japan for more than 20 years as a treatment for chronic hepatitis. In a 1998 review of several randomized controlled trials, researchers reported that treatment with glycyrrhizin is effective in easing liver disease in some people. Several of the trials reviewed indicated improvements in liver tissue that had been damaged by hepatitis. Some of them also showed improvements in how well the liver does its job.
A 1997 experiment suggested that glycyrrhizin also may help prevent the development of liver cancer in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The use of glycyrrhizin as a complementary therapy (in addition to conventional use of interferon drugs) has been studied, but no significant benefit has been found yet.
Ginseng—Tests on animals and on human tissues suggest that ginseng may help the body's disease-fighting and glandular systems. Tests in small animals also suggest that ginseng may help improve the way the liver works and reduce damage to liver tissue caused by hepatitis and similar conditions. However, a search of the current literature shows no studies in people that test ginseng's helpfulness for hepatitis. Only one study, conducted in Italy, shows that ginseng may be helpful for elderly people with liver conditions similar to hepatitis.
There are two true ginsengs—American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng), which includes Chinese, Japanese, and Korean ginseng. Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is not a true ginseng. It is hard to get authentic ginseng products. Companies that market herbs for sale have poor quality control, so the quality of the different brands varies widely. A 1990 analysis of 54 available ginseng products revealed that 85 percent of them contained little or no ginseng at all! Ginseng most often is taken as a tea.
Herbs That May Ease Interferon's Effects
Ginger—For 2,500 years, the Chinese have used ginger (Zingiber officinale) to treat nausea. Some, but not all, research studies confirm that ginger may reduce nausea. This herb may relieve nausea and vomiting caused by interferon drug therapy in some patients with hepatitis C. Ginger generally is recognized as safe and is not known to cause any serious side effects. Ginger is relatively inexpensive and readily available. It most commonly is taken in the form of a tea.
St. John's Wort—Some patients with hepatitis C take the herb St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) to treat depression caused by interferon drug therapy. Although St. John's wort is not a proven treatment for depression, studies have shown that it does have antidepressive effects over the short term. Although research largely has been done using capsules of this herb, St. John's wort also is taken as a tea. There is no proof yet that St. John's wort is effective and safe over the long term.
St. John's wort does not require a prescription, and it is less expensive and may have fewer side effects than prescription antidepressant drugs. Tests in people reveal it may cause side effects such as fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, digestive tract symptoms, and increased sensitivity to sunlight.
If You Have Hepatitis C
- Get an accurate diagnosis from your doctor. Hepatitis C infection can be diagnosed only by using sophisticated blood tests available to all doctors.
- Tell your doctor about all of the medications you are taking, even any over-the-counter drugs or herbs or other alternative therapies you may be using. Because the liver plays a key role in processing drugs, alcohol, and toxins in the bloodstream, medications, alcoholic beverages, and certain herbs can make the disease worse.
- Consider being vaccinated against hepatitis A and B. Unlike hepatitis A and B, previous infection with HCV does not make you immune to it in the future. Infection with HCV also does not prevent you from becoming infected with other types of hepatitis (hepatitis A, B, D, E, and G).
- Do not try to treat the disease yourself.
- Do not donate blood.
- Do not drink alcohol, because it can further damage your already diseased liver.
- Do not share needles if you use injection drugs.
Important Terms
Active Treatment
The treatment being tested by the experiment.
Alternative Medicine
Medical systems, therapies, and techniques that mainstream Western (conventional) medicine does not commonly use, accept, study, understand, or make available. Alternative medicine includes practices usually used instead of conventional medical practices. Alternative health care practices include a vast array of treatments and beliefs, which may be well-known, exotic, mysterious, or even dangerous. They are based on no common or consistent philosophy or school of thought. A few of the many alternative medicine practices include the use of acupuncture, homeopathy, herbs, therapeutic massage, and traditional oriental medicine to promote well-being or treat health conditions.
Complementary Medicine
Alternative medical systems used in conjunction with or in addition to conventional medicine to further promote health. For example, a person may use herbal remedies to ease some of the side effects, such as nausea, of certain conventional drugs.
Controls
Patients who do not receive the treatment being studied; the experimental group is compared to the control group to objectively evaluate the treatment’s effectiveness.
Double-Blind
A type of study in which neither the participants nor the doctors giving the treatments know who is getting the active treatment and who is getting the placebo.
Liver
A large gland in the upper abdomen that is essential to life. Important liver functions include: helping the body produce or make use of the fats, sugars, proteins, vitamins, and most other compounds it needs; and reducing the ill effects of poisons, such as alcohol and nicotine, in the body.
Placebo
A presumably pharmacologically inactive or “fake” treatment. If in the form of a pill, a placebo sometimes is referred to as a “dummy pill” or “sugar pill.”
Placebo-Controlled
A type of study of usually one group of subjects to distinguish the specific and nonspecific effects of the active treatment. Randomized Study participants are assigned without bias to particular arms of a study.
Side Effects
Unintended, and usually undesirable, reactions that result from a treatment.
Virus
A tiny organism that can only grow in the cells of an animal or a person. Several hundred viruses have been found to cause diseases in people.
Home Remedies for ALZHEIMER's
ALZHEIMER
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disorder. It is the most common dementia among aged people. It is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer.
Symptoms for Alzheimer’s
Initial symptom is mild forgetfulness
Alzheimer’s disease is a gradual process. Mild forgetfulness is its initial symptom. However, a person with mild forgetfulness need not necessarily have Alzheimer’s disease. In the initial stage, patients start forgetting their daily routine. They may not remember places, things or people they were familiar with before. They are unable to take any decisions and may resist any changes in their life. In the middle stage, behavioral changes are noticed in Alzheimer’s patients. Patients may accuse people around them of stealing. They may sleep frequently or be awake at night. They may face difficulties in organizing thoughts. They may keep on repeating the same things. At a later stage, Alzheimer’s patients need to be taken care of. They may scream loudly. They may not be able to recognize themselves. They may be unsteady. They may have difficulty in eating food. They may not have control on their bowels and bladders. They may touch or cry repeatedly.
Causes for Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer is an age related disease
Exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not yet known. Many factors contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Age is considered to be the major factor. Scientists are not clear whether this disease is hereditary or not. People with high blood pressure, smoking habit and high cholesterol levels are at high risk of this disease. A head injury long back or Down’s syndrome also increases the chances of Alzheimer’s disease.
Remedies for Alzheimer’s
Herbal Remedies for Alzheimer
Ginkgo biloba is the mainly prescribed medicine for most neurological disorders. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which protects brain cells from damage. Phosphatidylserine, Huperzine A and Vinpocetine are some other herbal remedies for Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer's Disease Home Remedies with Sesame Oil:
Sesame oil is a holistic food item that is actually the basic ingredient of most herbal medicine originating from India.
Studies have shown that sesame oil can relieve the depression associated with Alzheimer's disease.
To use sesame oil for Alzheimer's, heat a small amount of oil using a tablespoon over a burner or a candle.
Apply three drops of the warmed sesame seed oil in both the patient's nostril twice a day.
Natural Cure For Alzheimer's Disease with Soy Products:
Soy products are rich in isoflavones. And this nutrient is best for women suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
It helps in protecting them from postmenopausal syndromes. Several studies can back up this finding.
Soymilk can be added on cereal served during breakfast. Soy meat substitutes and tofu treats can be added to the main dish in replacement of beef or poultry. Around 20-25 grams of soy protein is suggested per day.
Homemade Remedies for Alzheimer's Disease with Curry Powder:
This spice is a good anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Curry comes from curcumin, a type of tumeric that can prevent Alzheimer's disease.
India is the world's biggest consumer of curry power and incidentally, they have the lowest rate of Alzheimer's disease in the world.
Curry power is normally added to dishes as a form of spice.
· Many people with Alzheimer's disease experience a decrease in taste sensation. Spicing up their food would be a good idea for the taste and for the appetite. The following ingredients can be used: chili powder, pepper, sage, oregano. Careful with the salt.
· Pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds are necessary for brain function.
· Eat bluberries to slow down age related motor changes.
· Home remedy for alzheimer's disease: eating carrots to improve memory
· Eating fish is good for healthy brain function.
Diet for Alzheimer’s
Foods with antioxidants are beneficial
Alzheimer’s patient should avoid high fat and high calorie diets. They must also abstain from salt, alcohol, cigarette smoking, processed foods, refined carbohydrates and environmental toxins. Inflammatory agents like anti-oxidants are also beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients. Therefore patients with Alzheimer’s disease must eat a diet which contains antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, green tea and so on.
Suggestion for Alzheimer’s
Good to keep the brain occupied
Perform some brain exercise like solving puzzles.
Easy on the eyes
Eyes are the first to show signs of stress and fatigue. Be it a late night party, time spent in front of the television or physical and mental pressure at work your eyes are the first to take it and hence proper eye care is mandatory. Inspite of the hectic lives we lead, a little care can go a long way in getting back those mesmerising eyes. Dr S Natarajan, a vitreoretinal surgeon and the Medical Director of Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital Pvt Ltd lists the most common problems and provides solutions for the same.
Dark Circles and puffiness
Dark circles around your eyes and pouches under the lower eyelids are very common complaints. The usual causes are tiredness, lack of sleep, allergies, excessive smoking and drinking, hereditary predilection and sometimes an underlying systemic disease.
Solution
• Having adequate sleep and drinking lots of water can help you do away with dark circles. Also avoiding excess salt intake keeps facial puffiness at bay
• Excessive smoking and drinking must be avoided. Applying aloevera cream along with vitamin K and Retinol around the eyelids at night goes a long way to lessen dark circles. Similarly, cold compress around the eyes before going to bed and after getting up in the morning helps
• In cases of allergic causes, the allergen causing the puffiness should be found out and avoided. Opinion of a dermatologist regarding the management is warranted
• Hereditary forms might actually be due to carbon deposits underneath the skin due to incomplete protein digestion by the stomach, thereby causing a deficiency of vitamins pyridoxine and folic acid. In such a case, alternate methods of supplementation of these vitamins can be tried.
Wrinkles
Wrinkles around the eyes, otherwise known as crows' feet, are common in people over the age of forty. The main causes are laughing, smiling and squinting. Ultra-violet rays damage and cause excessive drying, leading to premature aging of the skin.
Solution
• Prevention is the best cure. A cleanser and toner may cause skin to dry around the eyes. Use an eye cream that contains a high SPF
• The skin around the eye is extremely delicate and hence you should be careful about skincare products that you apply to your eyes
• One must always wear sunglasses with ultra-violet rays protective coating, especially when you are involved in plenty of outdoor activities. A cream that contains Retinol-A will help to reduce and improve the lines
• For a more permanent cure, one could opt for a series of laser treatment, microdermabrasions and glycolic acid peels. This is to bring about a peeling of the skin's top layer. This prompts a new, healthier-looking layer of skin to surface, but it also stimulates additional collagen production beneath the skin. However very deep peels can damage the skin and permanently discolor or even cause scaring
• After-care involves strict sun protection for about a week
• Botox injections can also be administered. Botox is a toxin that is injected into the skin to relax the muscles. The results are effective within two to three days but do not tend to last much longer than four to five months, after which time another injection will have to be given
• It may be associated with mild side effects like mild pain, bruising, headache or temporary relaxation of the eyelid.
Watery eyes
Watering eye is known as epiphora. It can be due to excessive tear production or due to disturbance of the tear drainage system. Watering eyes are a common problem, especially in older people over the age of 60, and in babies (0-12 months of age). Your eyes produce extra tears when something irritates them, to help wash away the 'irritant'. Irritants include fumes, an infection such as conjunctivitis, a scratch, a piece of grit, or an inwardly growing eyelash (also called an entropion).
Solution
• The most common cause of watering eyes is a blocked or narrowed tear duct, which can be due to inflammation (swelling)
• Tears can then remain in the tear sac and become infected. You will know if your tear sac is infected because your eye will have a sticky discharge, and you may notice a swelling on the side of your nose, near your eye
• Finally, it is possible that your tears have an unusual lipid (fat) content, which means that they cannot spread across your eye evenly, causing extra tears to be produced
• Treatment for watering eyes depends on the cause, and whether you feel it bothers you very much. Some people find that they only have a mild case and do not need any treatment.
VITAMIN B1
VITAMIN B1
Vitamin B1 is known as thiamine and it is necessary for most every cellular reaction in the body as a participant in an enzyme system known as thiamin pyrophosphate. It is vital to normal functioning of the nervous system and metabolism. It may be found in meat, whole grains, fish, and nuts. Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine and it is one of eight water-soluble B vitamins. All B vitamins help the body to convert carbohydrates into glucose (sugar), which is "burned" to produce energy.
Functions and benefits of Vitamin B1
- Most important use of thiamine is in the treatment of beriberi.
- necessary for proper metabolism of sugar and starch to provide energy
- anti-neuritic factor
- improves mental attitude
- releases energy from carbohydrate, alcohol and fat
Recommended Dosage for Vitamin B1
- For men, the usual dose of Vitamin B1 is 1.5 mg.
- For women, the usual dose of Vitamin B1 is 1.1 mg.
- For Pregnant women, the usual dose of Vitamin B1 is 1.5 mg.
- For Childern, the recommanded dose is 1.1 mg.
Food sources of Vitamin B1
- brown rice
- egg yolks
- fish
- peanuts
- wheat germ
- whole grains
- asparagus
- brewer's yeast
- broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- dulse
- most nuts
- oatmeal
- plums
- dried prunes
- raisins
Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin B1
- fatigue
- depression
- decreased mental functioning
- muscle cramps
- nausea
- heart enlargement
- eventually beriberi
- appetite loss
- constipation
- forgetfulness
- irregular heartbeat
- numbness in hands and feet
- poor coordination
- weight loss
Tricks of the mind
That is the essence of belief. We use words as though we know what they mean and behave and think as though they are facts.
Beliefs are convictions based on a lack of proof. Our beliefs are so built into our way of thinking that it is difficult to separate real facts from imagined. In fact, we cannot separate our thinking from our beliefs, no more than we can separate ourselves into emotional, rational, spiritual and physical parts.
Yet we can put words on those things as though we really know what they are as though we can see something in our behaviour that identifies each separate part, but in fact, they are never separate. They are all part of the one and same person.
That is the problem. Words do not necessarily match the facts. We can talk about intelligence, for example, as though we really know it exists, but we have a difficult time proving what it is.
Just because we can speak a word that we can look up in a dictionary does not make it any more factual than another word which we do not believe.
What we believe now are truths. What others believe are myths and therefore evil.
Whether we choose to believe something or not doesn't make us superior to anyone else or give us any special advantage. They are our beliefs.
Often we believe something because we are told that unless we believe it there will be consequences. Believe this or you will be punished either now or later.
And we can all prove our beliefs because we have conducted a lot of mind experiments even if all thought experiments are just science-fiction. Every science fiction book I read when I was twelve was a thought experiment.
We all make assumptions and judgements living day to day. Choose to believe or not believe, it makes no difference. You cannot prove a belief either way. And you are still just believing.
Beliefs are something we know because we just think it is so. We interpret our experience as though it proves what we know.
And round and round we go again.
I believe it is important to believe and to allow others to have their own belief unless they threaten the well being of others.
But then, maybe it is all just tricks of the mind.
COCONUT
COCONUT (Naryal)
It is a tree of the palm family (Arecaceae). It is one of the most important crops in the tropics. The slender, leaning, ringed trunk of the tree rises to a height of upto 80 ft. (25 metres) from a swollen base and is surmounted by a graceful crown of giant, feather-like leaves. Flowering begins in trees five-year-old and is continuous thereafter. Fruits require a year to ripen; the annual yield per tree may reach, 100 but 50 is considered good. Mature fruits, ovoid or ellipsoid in shape, 100 to 450 millimetres (12 to 18 inches) in length and 150 to 200 millimetres (6 to 8 inches) in diameter, have a thick, fibrous husk surrounding the familiar single seeded nut of commerce. A hard shell encloses the insignificant embryo with its abundant endosperm, composed of both meat and liquid.
Coconut palms flourish best close to the sea or low lying areas a few feet above high water where there is circulating ground water and an ample rainfall. The harvested coconut yields copra; the dried kernel or meat from which Coconut oil the world's high ranking vegetable oil, is extracted. Coconut oil has many uses like manufacture of soaps and shampoos, detergents, edible oils, margarines, vegetable shortenings, synthetic rubber, glycerine, hydraulic fluid and plasticizer. Copra meal is a livestock feed and fertilizer and shredded coconut is a familiar item on grocer's shelves. Besides the edible kernels and the drink obtained from the green-nuts, the husk yields coir, a fibre highly resistant to salt water and used in the manufacture of ropes, mats, baskets, brushes and brooms.
Other useful products derived from the coconut palm include toddy, palm-cabbage and construction materials; The liquid inside green nuts offers a refreshing drink during hot summer months which keeps the body cool. It subsides pitta and prevents sun-stroke, heat-stroke and vomiting. It is given in thirst, fever and uninary disorders; it is a blood purifier and checks travel sickness and nausea. The milky juice expressed from the pulp of the immature nut is nutritive and anthelmintic. It is very useful in malnutrition, general debility, fevers and urinary disorders. The liquid inside the ripe nut is highly diuretic and so should be taken only in small doses.
Benefit and uses of Coconut.
- Coconut oil was fed as 7% of energy to patients recovering from heart attacks, the patients had greater improvement compared to untreated controls.
- The great benefit of coconut oil is that the body turns these fatty acids directly into energy, making it terrrific for losing weight.
- Monolaurin helps you defend against viruses, bacteria, and other harmful agents and helps to strengthen your overall immune system.
- The benefit of coconut oil here is that it provides a saturated fatty acid called myristic acid, which plays a vital rolein the biochemistry of the kidneys.
- The uses as food are quite varied.
- The uses of various parts of the coconut palm as medicines.
Home Remedies for ICHTHYOSIS VULGARIS / FISH SKIN
ICHTHYOSIS VULGARIS
Introduction
Sometimes called fish scale disease or fishskin disease, ichthyosis vulgaris is an inherited skin disorder that causes dead skin cells to accumulate in thick, dry scales on the skin's surface. These scales can be present at birth, but usually first appear in early childhood. Sometimes ichthyosis vulgaris disappears entirely for most of the adult years, only to return later.
Though most cases are mild, some cases of ichthyosis vulgaris are severe. Since there is no cure, treatments focus on controlling the signs and symptoms.
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Ichthyosis vulgaris is characterized by severely dry, scaly skin. The scales are small, polygonal in shape and range in color from white to dirty gray to brown. People with darker skin tend to have darker colored scales.
The scales usually appear on the elbows and lower legs and may be especially thick and dark over the shins. Ichthyosis may also cause scalp flaking and deep, painful fissures in the palms and soles. Though most cases of ichthyosis are mild, some can be severe.
Symptoms usually worsen or are more pronounced in cold, dry environments and tend to improve or even resolve in warm, humid environments.
Other less common forms of ichthyosis include:
- Lamellar ichthyosis. This severe form of the disease is present at birth and lasts throughout life. Infants with lamellar ichthyosis are born encased in a filmy membrane that's shed after 10 to 14 days, revealing skin that's covered in scales. The scales can range from fine and white to thick and dark and generally occur over the entire body, although they may be larger on the legs. Lamellar ichthyosis can be extremely disfiguring and may cause great psychological suffering for children and adults with the disease.
- X-linked ichthyosis. Starting soon after birth, this type of ichthyosis occurs only in males. The noticeable, dirty-brown scales that characterize this skin disease are most pronounced on the back of the neck, arms and behind the knees. Symptoms generally don't improve with age.
- Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. This extremely rare form of ichthyosis is usually present at birth and begins with blistering skin. In time, the skin peels away in large sheets and becomes rough or wart-looking. It's most pronounced on the knees, elbows, wrists and other flexural areas.
· Itching of skin.
· Burning and stinging sensation.
· Tightening and cracking of the skin.
· Dry, flaking skin.
· Shedding of layers of the skin.
· Scaling of skin that gives skin the appearance of fish scales.
Causes
The skin is an endlessly renewable organ. New skin cells at the base of the epidermis push toward the surface of the skin, where they eventually shrink, flatten and die. These dead skin cells flake off every day and are continuously replaced by more cells.
Ichthyosis, however, disrupts this pattern. It occurs when the production of skin cells is too fast or the skin's natural shedding process is too slow. This causes dead skin cells to collect into thick flakes that stick to the outer surface of skin. These thick flakes can resemble fish scales.
Most often, ichthyosis is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means that a child has to inherit only one copy of the affected gene to develop the disease. Children with the inherited form of the disorder usually have normal skin at birth but develop scaling and roughness in the first few years of life. At times, ichthyosis vulgaris may disappear during the adult years, only to return later.
Ichthyosis not caused by genetics, referred to as acquired ichthyosis, is very rare. This type usually manifests in adulthood and is usually associated with other internal diseases, such as cancer, thyroid disease or chronic renal failure.
- Harsh soaps or detergents
- Genetic disorder that is passed from parent to child or that occurs spontaneously.
- Cold weather
- Frequent or prolonged bathing , especially in hot water .
- Side effect of the disease like sarcoidosis , lymphoma , under-active thyroid , AIDS etc. may also be a cause of the disease.
- Soaps or lotions containing certain scents or perfumes
When to seek medical advice
If you suspect you or your child has ichthyosis, consult your family doctor or a dermatologist. He or she can diagnose the condition by examining the characteristic scales. Also, be sure to seek medical advice if the symptoms worsen or they don't improve with self-care measures. You may need a stronger medication to manage the problem.
Treatment of Ichthyosis
- Solutions or creams with salicylic acid or alpha-hydroxy acids may also help in promoting shedding of skin flakes.
- Some times exposure to sunlight can improve the condition.
- A large variety of non-prescription , unscented moisturizers.
- Use of moisture retaining creams or ointments such as Petrolatum,lanolin or urea-containing preparations after a bath or shower helps in maintaining the skin moisture.
- Disinfecting soap such as chlorhexidine can also helpfull in improving the condition.
Self-care
Although self-help measures won't cure ichthyosis, they may help improve the appearance and feel of damaged skin. These measures may be beneficial:
- Take long soaking baths to soften the skin. Then use a roughly-textured sponge, such as a loofa sponge, to remove the thickened scales.
- Choose mild soaps that have added oils and fats. Avoid deodorant and antibacterial soaps, which are especially harsh on dry skin.
- After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on the skin.
- Apply the moisturizer or lubricating cream while your skin is still wet or moist from bathing. Choose a moisturizer that contains urea or propylene glycol — chemicals that help keep your skin moist. Petroleum jelly is another good choice. Cover the treated areas with plastic wrap to keep the petroleum jelly from staining clothes and furniture.
- Twice daily applications of an over-the-counter product that contains salicylic acid may help. Salicylic acid helps the skin shed its dead skin cells.
- Use a portable home humidifier or one attached to your furnace to add moisture to the air inside your home.
Home Remedies for BONE FRACTURE
BONE FRACTURE
When a bone in the body breaks or cracks it’s called fracture. There are two types of fractures: closed or simple, when the skin that covers the bone remains intact or it’s open or compound when the bone breaks the skin.
When a fracture occurs, cause terrible pain and tenderness in the area fractured, along with swelling, the appearance of some blood under the skin and some numbness, tingling or paralysis below the injured area.
When a person fractures an arm or leg, he or she could lose the pulse below the fracture. Fractures are more common in young children and in older adults. As we grow older, our bones get weaker and more fragile, and they take more and more time to heal themselves.
A fracture requires professional attention, what we offer here are recommendations that will aid in healing after the bone has been set.
Home Remedies for Bone Fracture
Home Remedies for Bone Fracture #1: Eat half pineapple every day until it's completely healed. It contains Bromelain, an enzyme that helps to reduce swelling and inflammation. Do not eat canned or processed pineapples. If you don't like fresh pineapple, take the supplement Bromelain. It has the same effect as pineapple.
Home Remedies for Bone Fracture #2: It is very important to regain Bone Strength as soon as possible to avoid future injuries and to insure a solid bone fusion. we recommend that you take this.
Home Remedies for Bone Fracture #3: Do not eat red meat, and avoid drinking colas and all products containing caffeine.
Home Remedies for Bone Fracture #4: Avoid eating foods with preservatives, they contain Phosphorous which can lead to bone loss.
Home Remedies for Bone Fracture #5: Take Boron, is important for the health and healing of the bone.
Home Remedies for Bone Fracture #6: Take Calcium + Magnesium + Potassium. They are essential to repair bone damage and to maintain a good muscle and heart condition.
Home Remedies for Bone Fracture #7: Take Zinc, helps repair tissue damage.
NOTE: Bone mass increases continually throughout life until approximately 30-40 years of age. In later years, net bone loss occurs when bone resorption exceeds the amount of bone formed. In fact, bones lose their density continuously each year after the age of 30 in both men and women. To assist in promoting the health of our bones, studies have long shown that a daily intake of Calcium is critical.
Home Remedies for MEASLES
MEASLES
Measles, a highly infectious disease, is very common in childhood. It is so common at this stage of life that nearly all children in most parts of the world suffer form it.
Measles symptoms
feverishness, cold, watering of the eyes
The first symptoms that appear for seven to fourteen days after exposure to the virus are feverishness, cold, watering of the eyes, and a dry cough. A rash appears on the skin four days after the onset of these symptoms. This rash, which consists of small rounded spots with reddened skin in between, initially appears on the sides of the face and the neck, and then gradually spreads allover the body, appearing last on the extremities. Initially pink in colour, the spots grow darker as time passes.
Fever and diarrhoea
Measles is usually accompanied by fever and diarrhoea. In severe cases, high fever and delirium may occur. Complications which can arise from this disease include pneumonia, bronchitis, and abscesses in the ears. One serious but rare complication is inflammation of the brain.
Measles and the Symptoms:
First 2 to 3 days
- Very high fever (up to 105 degrees) .
- Cold like symptom, including a runny nose: a dry cough: swollen glands: red, watery eyes, loss of appetite and aching muscles.
A day or two later
- Inside the mouth, painless small gray or white bumps, like grains of salt surrounded by red rings.
In another day
- Small red spots that first appear on the face and the neck. As they spread down the body, they join to form large blotches .
Measles causes
Virus
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases caused by a virus. This disease is easily transmitted in the early stages through the invisible droplets of moisture, which are discharged from a patient's nose or mouth when he coughs or sneezes.
Wrong feeding habits and unhygienic living conditions
The real causes of this disease, like other diseases of childhood, are however; wrong feeding habits and unhygienic living conditions.
Home Remedies for Measles
Measles treatment using Orange
Oranges are very valuable in measles, as the digestive power of the body is seriously hampered. The patient suffers from intense toxaemia, and the lack of saliva coats his tongue and often destroys his thirst for water as well as his desire for food. The agreeable flavour of orange juice helps greatly in overcoming these drawbacks. Orange juice is the ideal liquid food for this disease.
Measles treatment using Lemon Juice
The juice of lemon also makes an effective thirst-quenching drink in measles. About 15 to 25 ml of lemon juice, diluted with water, should be take for this purpose.
Measles treatment using Turmeric
Turmeric is beneficial in the treatment of measles. Raw roots of turmeric should be dried in the sun and ground to a fine powder. Half a teaspoon of this powder, mixed with a few drops of honey and the juice of a few bitter gourd leaves, should be given to patients suffering from measles.
Measles treatment using Liquorice
Powdered liquorice has been found valuable in relieving the cough, which is typical in measles. The child patient should be given half a teaspoon of powdered liquorice mixed with the same quantity of honey.
Measles treatment using Barley
The use of barley water has proved beneficial for the troublesome cough in measles. This water should be taken frequently, sweetened with the newly-drawn oil of sweet almonds.
Measles treatment using Egg Plant Seeds
The seeds of the egg plant are a stimulant. Intake of half to one gram of these seeds daily for three days will help develop immunity against measles for one year.
· Give your chills lots of fluids .
· Help your child rest in bed.
· Use a cool-mist humidifier in your child's bedroom.
· If your child's eyes are sensitive to light, darken the bedroom.
· If your child has minor aches or pains, give acetaminophen.
· Keep your child away from others.
Measles diet
Juices of fresh fruits like oranges and lemons frequently.
At the beginning of the treatment, the patient should be given juices of fresh fruits like oranges and lemons frequently. This is sufficient as the child suffers from a lack of appetite during this period.
All-fruit diet followed by well-balanced diet
As the condition improves, the child can be placed on an all-fruit diet for a few days. Thereafter he may be allowed to gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet.
Other Measles treatment
Well-ventilated room is essential
The child should be kept in a well-ventilated room. As light has a detrimental effect upon the eyes during measles because of the weakened condition of the external eye tissues, the child should have his eyes shaded or the room should have subdued light.
Warm-water enema, application of mud packs
The treatment should aim at bringing down the temperature and eliminating the toxins from the system. This can be achieved by administration of a warm-water enema every morning, application of mud packs on the abdomen twice a day - in the morning and evening, and repeated application of chest packs. Lukewarm water baths can be given every day to ease itching. Addition of extracts of neem leaves to this water will prove beneficial.
Complete rest
Children having measles should not be allowed to mix with others so as to avoid passing on the infection to them. In fact, they should take complete rest. Hygienic conditions, along with the above-mentioned treatment, will lead to a speedy recovery.
Avoid medication
Medication should be strictly avoided.
Prevention of Measeles:
- Make sure your child gets the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. This shot is given at 12 to 18 months, with booster at 4 to 6 years.
Home Remedies for ACID REFLUX / GERD
Symptoms for GERD
Heartburn
The most common symptom of GERD is heartburn, generally after meals. When heartburn is very frequent or causes more severe problems then it is medically called GERD.
Other Symptoms
Apart from heartburn some other symptoms of GERD are regurgitation of gastric acid or sour contents into the mouth, difficulty while swallowing anything and pain in the chest. Some GERD patients may also experience pulmonary manifestations like coughing, asthma and inflammation in vocal chords accompanied by wheezing. GERD can also cause dissolution of tooth enamel if the acid reaches the mouth. It can also cause sore throat.
Causes for GERD
Lower esophageal sphincter relaxes abnormally
When we swallow any food stuff or liquid, the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes temporarily so that the food stuff or the liquid can reach the stomach. If the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes abnormally it causes gastric acid to reflux, causing heart burn. In GERD patients the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes more frequently, causing severe heart burn and other complications.
Other Causes
Sometimes obesity and pregnancy can also cause GERD.
Remedies for GERD
Drink small amounts of chilled fat free milk or water after every one or two hours. This will make the burning sensation mild. Drink jeera (cumin) water rather than plain water, it avoids formation of gas in stomach. Take ginger root extract with honey after meal.
Remedies for Heartburn
If you experience heartburn then have a cup of vanilla ice cream to relieve yourself from the symptom. Lemons, almonds and cloves are also effective for heart burn.
Diet for GERD
GERD Diet
Avoid spicy and fried foods because they aggravate the symptoms. If possible take few small meals several times in a day, instead of large ones. Avoid alcohol, smoking, carbonated beverages, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, citrus fruits and chocolates all these contribute to GERD. Sedatives, channel blockers used for high blood pressure and tranquilizers can also aggravate the condition. Avoid orange juice on an empty stomach.
Suggestion for GERD
Other Suggestions for GERD
If GERD is left untreated then it can cause permanent damage to the esophagus. Never lie down immediately after meal. If you have severe complaint then avoid wearing tight clothes and belts. Use some extra pillows while sleeping to raise your head six to eight inches high.
Home Remedies for PNEUMONIA
PNEUMONIA (Nimonia)
Pneumonia refers to the inflammation of the lungs.It is one of the most serious infectious diseases. The disease assumes alarming proportions if both the lungs are affected; this condition is called double pneumonia in common parlance.
Pneumonia symptoms
Cold in the head or throat,shivering fever
Most cases of pneumonia begin with a cold in the head or throat. The patient generally feels a chill, shivering fever, difficulty in breathing, and sharp pain in the chest. This may be followed by a cough with pinkish sputum, which may later become brownish. In young children, the disease may cause delirium and convulsions. The temperature may rise to 40.6 degree C and the pulse may go upto 150 beats per minute. A common complication of pneumonia is pleurisy.
Pneumonia causes
Germs and viruses
Pneumonia is caused by various types of germs such as streptococcus, staphylococcus, and pneumococcus. At times, certain viruses are also responsible for this disease.
Fungal infections and toxins in the body
Other causes are fungal infections, irritation by worms, inhaling foreign matter, irritant dust or noxious gases. The real cause of pneumonia, however, is a constitution weakened by the presence of toxins in the body, especially in the lungs and air passages. The accumulation of toxins is due to wrong feeding habits and a faulty lifestyle.
Home Remedies for Pneumonia
Pneumonia treatment using Fenugreek (methi)
During the early acute stage of pneumonia, a tea made from fenugreek seeds will help the body to produce perspiration, dispel toxicity, and shorten the period of fever. Upto four cups of the tea can be taken daily. The quantity can be reduced as the condition improves. To improve the flavour of the tea, a few drops of lemon juice may be added. During this treatment, no other food or nourishment should be taken, as fasting and fenugreek will allow the body to correct these respiratory problems in a few days.
Pneumonia treatment using Garlic (lahsan)
Garlic is a marvellous remedy for pneumonia, if given in sufficient quantities. It brings down the temperature, as well as the pulse and respiration within forty-eight hours. A paste of garlic can also be applied externally on the chest with beneficial results as it is an irritant and rubefacient
Pneumonia treatment using Sesame Seeds (til)
Sesame seeds are valuable in pneumonia. An infusion of the seeds can be made by steeping 15 gm of seeds in 250 ml of water. This infusion, mixed with a tablespoon of linseed, a pinch of common salt, and a dessertspoon of honey, should be given in the treatment of this disease. This will help remove catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes.
Pneumonia treatment using Parsnip Juice (Mooli)
The juice of parsnip, a root vegetable botanically known as Pastinaca sativa, has been found beneficial in the treatment of pneumonia. The juice of the leaves and root of this plant possess high therapeutic value. The phosphorus and chlorine elements contained therein are of particular benefit to the lungs and the bronchial system, thus making the juice an excellent home remedy for pneumonia. The patient should take 250 ml of juice daily. It is however, essential that only the juice of the cultivated parsnip plant should be used for this purpose. The wild variety must not be used in juices as it contains some poisonous ingredients.
Pneumonia treatment using Other vegetable Juices
The juice of carrots, in combination either with spinach juice, or beet and cucumber juices, has also been found useful in pneumonia. In these combinations, 200 ml of spinach juice or 100 ml each of beet and cucumber juices should be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of combined juice.
Pneumonia treatment using Turpentine Oil
The pain of pneumonia can be relieved by rubbing oil of turpentine over the rib cage and wrapping warmed cotton wool over it.
Pneumonia diet
Raw fruit and vegetable juices diet
At the beginning of the treatment the patient should be kept on a diet of raw juices for five to ten days, depending on the severity of the disease. He should take a glass of fruit or vegetable juice diluted with warm water, every two or three hours. After a diet of raw juices, when the fever subsides, the patient should spent three or four days on an exclusive fresh fruit diet, taking three meals a day of juicy fruits.
Well-balanced diet of natural foods
Thereafter, he may gradually adopt a well-balanced diet of natural foods, with emphasis on fresh fruits and raw vegetables.
Other Pneumonia treatment
Warm-water enema
The patient should be given a warn-water enema daily to cleanse the bowels during the period of raw juice therapy and the all-fruit diet, and thereafter when necessary.
Home Remedies to RETAIN TEETH AND LIP COLOR
Smoking reduces the flow of saliva
Mouth rinses and washes containing chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride can also stain teeth.
Reduce intake of coffee and cigarettes
Improve dental hygiene by brushing and flossing the teeth regularly. Having a complete dental cleansing by a professional dentist every 6 months are also advisable.
Avoid food and beverages that contain too much food coloring for it leave stains on the teeth.
Avoid using over-the-counter whitening products.
Drink at least 10 glasses of water everyday to eliminate the toxins from the body.
Apply Vaseline on the lips regularly to lighten the discoloration of the lips.
Moisturize lips by applying little amount of clarified butter every night.
Apply lemon juice on the lips everyday. It is a natural bleaching agent that helps lighten lips with regular application.
For women, wear lipstick that contains sunscreen ingredients. Excessive exposure of UV rays from the sun can cause lip pigmentation.
Avoid tooth decaying foods like carbohydrates and sugar
Doctors recommend treatments that are advisable to cure discoloration of the teeth and the most one can do on the diet front is to avoid certain tooth decaying foods. Most avoidable foods include all carbohydrates and sugar as they can cause tooth decay. All simple sugars, including table sugar (sucrose) and the sugars in honey (levulose and dextrose), fruit (fructose), and milk (lactose), have the same effect on the teeth.
Diets
Avoid foods that will leave tooth decay. These include foods that are rich in carbohydrates and sugar. Sugar takes on many forms such as sucrose (table sugar), levulose and dextrose (honey), fructose (fruit), and lactose (milk).
Home Remedies for STRETCH MARKS
STRETCH MARKS
Pregnancy is one of two causes of stretch marks. The other is weight gain.
"Stretch marks occur on the breasts, hips and stomach during pregnancy, plus other areas such as the thighs when you gain weight," says Margaret A. Weiss, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore.
They're triggered when skin is stretched to the max, which occurs when growth is so rapid that your skin's elastic fibers break. And though it occurs less often, stretch marks can also be caused by some hormonal problems, certain diseases and medications, says Dr. Weiss.
Stretch Marks are slightly depressed linear marks with varying length and breadth found in pregnancy. They are predominantly found in the abdominal wall below the umbilicus, sometimes over the thighs and the breasts.
Initially these are pinkish but after the delivery, the scar tissue contract and obliterates the capillaries and they become glistening white in appearance.
Apart from the mechanical stretching of the skin, increase in aldosterone production during pregnancy is the responsible factors.
Besides pregnancy some other causes of stretch marks are: Rapidly gaining weight (Bulking cycle), Puberty, Obesity, Heredity, Skin Type, Stress, Poor Diet and Sudden Environmental Change
Every woman in her life develops stretch marks. Some women have a family disposition to develop stretch marks whereas others do not develop them at all. Once the stretch marks develop they will stay with you forever; but with time they will be less noticeable.
Stretch marks are often think to be scars but they are different from scars. They are not scars because they are not comprised of fibrotic tissue. Instead, stretch marks represent a flattened, thin epidermis overlying gaps in the dermis left by stretched or torn elastin fibers.
HOME REMEDIES FOR STRETCH MARKS
- Lie down on the floor. Bend that knee and place your foot in front of your bottom leg, then try to raise the bottom leg up about six inches. Then lower the leg to the floor. Begin with 8 to 10 bottom-leg raises on each side at least three times a week. Slowly increase the workout.
- Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor; hands either by your sides or in your lap, then swing both legs up so that they're extended straight out in front of you at seat level
- Put your hands down at your sides to hold on to your chair and swing your legs up until they're fully extended. Then lift each leg, from foot to hip, about three to six inches.
- To firm your bottom, lie facedown on the floor, arms out at your shoulders, elbows bent and palms flat on the floor. Now lift one leg, heel first, off the floor about three to six inches, then lower it back to the floor and repeat the lift with your other leg.
- For stretch marks treatment, diet should be rich in protein and foods rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E, they promote good tissue growth.
- Massaging your body with olive oil or Vitamin E may help.
- Prepare a mixture by adding one ounce of carrier oil ( try avocado, sweet almond, jojoba, they are the best ) with seven drops of lavender and five drops of chamomile. Apply on the affected areas.
- Apply cocoa butter and/ or elastin cream through out the body. These are very good for stretch marks.
- Take 1/2-cup virgin olive oil, 1/4-cup aloe Vera gel, liquid from 6 capsules of Vitamin E, liquid from 4 capsules of Vitamin A. Mix all the ingredients together in a blender. After that store the mixture in the fridge. Apply the oil externally all over the places where the stretch marks commonly appear (abdomen, hips, thighs and breasts). This is an effective home remedy for and by using this continuously stretch marks can be prevented.
- Mix in a blender 1/2-cup virgin olive oil, 1/2-cup aloe Vera gel and six capsules vitamin E oil (opened). Keep this oil refrigerated and massage into areas with stretch marks at least once a day. This is also an effective home remedy for stretch marks.
- You can cure or remove recent stretch marks with high doses of tretinoin applied to the mark. Tretinoin in the form of Retisol-A, Retin-A, Stieva-A or Rejuva-A can be used that cause a realignment of the collagen in the skin.
- Lift weights to tighten the surrounding skin. The stretch marks will appear smoother.
- For strech marks removal apply cocoa butter stretch creams in the morning and at night to get rid of stretch marks. It works in some cases and not in all.
WHAT WORKS
"Moisturizers, wrinkle cream and massage don't get rid of stretch marks," says Dr. Weiss. (For a possible exception, see "Vitamin Cream Works Wonders" on page 526.) And makeup doesn't cover them very well.
The best you can do is to minimize stretch marks, says Dr. Weiss. Firming any areas that have stretch marks--usually the thighs, hips and abdomen--makes stretch marks less apparent, she says. Women doctors suggest these exercises. (You can expect to see results in about two months.)
Start with 20 leg raises. One of the best exercises to work the hip and leg area, which is where stretch marks are most likely to occur, is a straight leg raise exercise, says Carol Garber, Ph.D., director of the Human Performance Lab at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
To begin, lie down on the floor on your side, legs straight, one on top of the other. Then extend the arm that's floor-side down over your head and rest your head on your arm. Put your other hand flat on the floor in front of your waist. Keeping both legs straight and toes pointed straight ahead, raise your top leg from hip to toe as far as it will go, then lower it back to the floor.
"Don't just jerk your leg up in the air and let it fall back down," says Dr. Garber. "You can get injured if you raise it too quickly. Instead, raise and lower your leg in a slow, controlled motion.
"Begin with 8 to 10 leg raises on each side at least three times a week," says Dr. Garber. Then, as each exercise begins to seem easy, add a leg raise or two until you've worked your way up to 20 leg raises three times a week.
Do 20 inner-thigh exercises. To firm your inner thigh, lie down on the floor just as you did for the leg raises, says Dr. Garber. But this time, instead of raising your top leg, bend that knee and place your foot in front of your bottom leg, then try to raise the bottom leg up about six inches. Then lower the leg to the floor.
Begin with 8 to 10 bottom-leg raises on each side at least three times a week, says Dr. Garber. Then, as each exercise begins to seem easy, add a couple of bottom-leg raises until you've worked your way up to 20 bottom-leg raises three times a week.
Swing your legs. One incredibly simple exercise that firms the whole thigh is to sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, hands either by your sides or in your lap, then swing both legs up so that they're extended straight out in front of you at seat level, says Dr. Garber. Then swing them back down.
You can swing your legs whenever you feel like it--when you're on the phone or watching television, for example--or you can incorporate the exercise into your workout. Whichever you choose, your goal should be 20 swings three times a week.
Lift off. If you get bored with swinging, put your hands down at your sides to hold on to your chair and swing your legs up until they're fully extended. Then lift each leg, from foot to hip, about three to six inches, says Dr. Garber. Finally, lower your leg until both legs are straight out in front of you once again.
Start out with 8 to 10 lifts, then work your way up to 20 lifts three times a week.
Firm your butt. To firm your bottom, lie face-down on the floor, arms out at your shoulders, elbows bent and palms flat on the floor, says Dr. Garber. Now lift one leg, heel first, off the floor about three to six inches, then lower it back to the floor and repeat the lift with your other leg.
Start out by lifting each leg 8 to 10 times three times a week. Add a couple of lifts to each workout as they get easy. Your goal is 20 lifts three times a week.
Keep the scale steady. Since extra pounds create stretch marks, try to keep your weight on an even keel, says Dr. Weiss. To control calories, avoid high-fat foods, watch your portions and get more physically active. Walk instead of drive, take the stairs instead of an elevator, do your own yard work instead of hiring the neighbor's kid.
Dealing with STUBBORN CHILDREN
Dealing with Stubborn Children
Stubborn as a mule
"Mummy, I don't want to take the injection," said six-year-old Akash as he darted into the bathroom and locked himself in. His mother Reena was at her wit's end trying to figure out a way to persuade her son to come out and go to the doctor's clinic. In another situation, eight-year-old Pradip refused to eat unless all the peas were taken out of his plate.
Some children can put mules to shame. When they decide to dig their heels in, no matter how much you cajole and threaten them, they just won't budge. This can be a truly frustrating experience for harassed parents just trying to go about the business of raising good children. It becomes a battle of wills with both sides waiting to see who will give in first. While some children are more stubborn than others, all children display stubborn behaviour at some time or another. And most parents find that they are at a loss in such situations. Their instinctive reaction is to react with anger as they feel that their child's behaviour is a challenge to their authority. However, they soon find that anger only serves to fan the flames.
Stubbornness is not necessarily negative
Stubbornness in children has always been viewed as a negative trait by their parents. But may be they should attempt to look upon it in a more positive fashion. A child's stubbornness may just be his way of demonstrating that he can think for himself and that he can assert his thoughts and beliefs. Stubbornness gives them a feeling that they have a measure of control over the situation, which in turn, boosts their self-esteem. Parents should also make a push to understand the root of their children's stubbornness. Stubbornness can have a range of causes. It may vary from irrational fears to resistance to change or just a simple attack of rebellion.
The strategies
In the face of stubbornness, parents have just a few disciplining options. If the battle is about an issue of values or safety, parents should be prepared for a real battle of wills because there is no way that they can afford to budge from their stand in such a scenario. Do not get angry or argue. Simply state your stand, the reasons for it and the consequences of disobedience. Then follow through. Hopefully, your child will just throw in the towel. If the issue is not serious, there is no harm negotiating with your child and arriving at a compromise. In some situations, it is even surprisingly effective to just let go. Suddenly faced with no opposition, which constitutes a reward in itself, the child's rebellion will have the wind taken out of its sails.
Some useful tips
- Identify the problem and involve your child in seeking a solution. You will cease to be the enemy and she will feel that you are both on the same side.
- If you want your child to do something, try to time your request so that it does not interrupt her while she is doing something else. This is one way of avoiding conflict.
- If your child is not very happy about change, give her adequate notice so that she knows what to expect and is willing to cooperate.
- Be assertive when asking your child to do something. You are not asking them for a favour. Also, make clear the consequences of non-compliance.
- Keep in mind that your requests should be reasonable.
- Praise her when she is cooperative and well-behaved.
Home Remedies for CRYING
CRYING
How to Still the Sobs
For most parents, a crying baby is no laughing matter. Many babies cry an hour or more each day, frustrating their parents who know that crying is a baby's only language yet are unable to translate it. When is it hunger? When is it pain? When do those plaintive wails that touch us to our very core mean, ''Come and pick me up''?
What most parents learn in the first three months of a newborn's life is that comforting a crying baby is a matter of trial and error. Eventually, the signals will become clear, as parents get better at guessing what baby wants. But in these early few months, a lot of crying seems to be a general plea for comfort.
Should you always comfort a crying baby? In general, the experts say, a baby under 12 weeks may need frequent holding and cuddling to help him settle down. After three months, babies should be given the opportunity to learn to comfort themselves, or crying may become a habit. Here are a few comforting techniques to try--but results are not guaranteed.
| |
| When to See the Doctor Even though crying is normal in infants, there are times when prolonged or insistent crying could be a signal to call your doctor, according to Edward Christophersen, Ph.D., clinical psychologist at Children's Mercy Hospital, professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri--Kansas City School of Medicine and author of Baby Owner's Manual: What to Expect and How to Survive the First Year. Be sure to call your child's physician right away if: * Your child's cry is high-pitched and painful rather than fussy. * Your baby cries constantly for more than three hours. * Diarrhea, vomiting, high fever or other signs of sickness accompany the crying. |
Check for physical causes. ''Make certain nothing is hurting the child,'' says Dena Hofkosh, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and coordinator of the Infant Development Program at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Look for open diaper pins, scratchy clothing, a crib toy poking your baby in the tummy. Also, look for fever or other symptoms of illness, such as a rash. Did the baby burp after his last feeding? If not, he may be having gas pains.
Try a quick pick-me-up. Some babies cry just because they want to be held, and as long as the baby is under 12 weeks old, you shouldn't hesitate. ''A lot of parents think they'll spoil babies if they pick them up when they cry, but that's just not the case,'' says Dr. Hofkosh. ''A study done at McGill University found that babies who were held more cried less.''
Give daily love pats. Touch your child briefly and gently 50 to 100 times a day even when he doesn't need it. Essentially what you are doing is providing unconditional love and rewarding noncrying behavior at the same time, says Edward Christophersen, Ph.D., clinical psychologist at Children's Mercy Hospital, professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri--Kansas City School of Medicine, and author of Baby Owner's Manual: What to Expect and How to Survive the First Year.
Tune in to the Fussy Hour. Many babies have a predictable fussy period each day. Although it can occur at any hour, it often comes around dinnertime, when the whole family is home and meal preparations are under way. ''Once you're convinced that's what it is, think of that crying period as an exercise time for your baby,'' says Robert Mendelson, M.D., a pediatrician and clinical professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. ''It's the baby's way of jogging, burning off the excess energy he has.'' So you might just want to let these crying spells run their course.
Bring on the rhythm and music. ''A lot of babies respond well to a recorded heartbeat,'' says Dr. Mendelson. There's something primal and soothing about the rhythmic thump-thump that was their piped-in sound track for nine months. Playing music can also help: Many crying babies are distracted by George Gershwin's ''Rhapsody in Blue,'' Raffi's ''Baby Beluga'' or anything that happens to be on the radio. Your humming can be very soothing to a fussy child. Even a running vacuum cleaner or clothes dryer can calm him down.
Put them in motion. A walk around the house might soothe your infant. Your baby may also respond to gentle rocking, either in your arms or in a baby swing or cradle. ''For very irritable babies, vertical rocking seems to work,'' she says. Hold the baby on your lap or shoulder and rock up and down gently, applying some pressure to the chest and belly. ''Babies like frontal pressure, which is almost like being tucked into the womb again,'' says Dr. Hofkosh.
Take a ride. For some babies, a drive in the car is like a tranquilizer. When one of her daughters was a baby, Dr. Hofkosh recalls, ''we drove around for an hour-and-a-half in a pouring rainstorm because I couldn't deal with the crying anymore. I figured it was better than sitting home and waiting it out.''
Use a baby carrier. ''Some babies love the close comfort of being held on your chest in a front pack,'' says Dr. Hofkosh. ''Some parents like the backpack, but it may be better if the baby's front is in contact with Mommy or Daddy. It's also convenient. You can get things done with the baby sleeping there. I know I ate many meals with my daughters in a front pack.''
Change positions . . . but not too much. Like the rest of us, babies can get bored or uncomfortable staying in the same position, says Lottie Mendelson, R.N., a pediatric nurse practitioner in Portland, Oregon, and coauthor of The Complete Book of Parenting, with her husband, Robert. Some babies like to be vertical on your shoulder, while others like to peer at the world from your lap. But don't switch too frequently, says Dr. Hofkosh. ''Some babies take a longer time to adapt to a particular position so you need to avoid going quickly from one to the next.'' Give the baby time to figure out whether she feels okay in the new position, advises Mendelson.
Turn down the light and noise. Babies who are easily overstimulated--or those who have had a big day full of strange faces and voices and a lot of handling--may need a little time to decompress, particularly before bed, says Dr. Hofkosh. By turning down the lights and keeping voices low, you can help the overstimulated baby relax.
Don't plug cries with food. ''It's very satisfying for parents who hear a baby cry to be able to do something about it, and feeding is the most primal nurturing activity we can do,'' says Dr. Hofkosh. But she advises against feeding as the first response to a baby's cry. Babies do cry when they're hungry, but that's far from the only reason, notes Dr. Hofkosh. A baby who cries when she's bored will probably stop crying if you nurse or give her a bottle, but you will miss the opportunity to learn what her cries really mean and you'll be training her to think of eating as something you do when you're bored.
As a rule of thumb, says Dr. Hofkosh, most breastfed babies feed every 90 minutes to 2 hours and bottle-fed babies can often wait 2 to 2½ hours between feedings. ''If she cries sooner than that, it makes sense to try other things before offering food again,'' says Dr. Hofkosh.
Take a break. It's almost impossible for parents to remain calm when they have a crying baby on their hands. Every ''wah'' seems to be saying, '' You're a bad parent.'' But you're not a bad parent if you're child is crying, especially if you've done everything you can to console him,'' says Dr. Mendelson. ''A truly fussy baby is often inconsolable, which can drive parents crazy.''
Parents need to make sure they get regular breaks from a fussy baby, he suggests. Arrange to get an hour or two off daily--and possibly an entire afternoon off once a week--leaving the baby with a grandparent or trusted babysitter. And have an occasional evening out with your partner just to recharge.
Remember, this too shall pass. ''Recognize that crying, especially in a challenging baby, is time-limited,'' says Dr. Hofkosh. ''Tell yourself that you can help your baby be okay even though he's the kind who cries all the time. Remind yourself it isn't a personality trait that's going to last forever.''
Give them some time. After a baby is 12 weeks old, you can begin to change your strategy. Rushing to comfort a crying baby or child at the first peep deprives her of a wonderful learning experience, says Dr. Christophersen. If you take care of her every need, she'll never learn how to calm herself, he warns. ''The only way I know to reduce crying is by teaching self-quieting skills,'' he says. So wait a few minutes--how long is dictated by your tolerance for crying--to see if the baby can find a way to quiet herself. If she's not in true discomfort, a baby over the age of about 12 weeks will often distract herself by playing with her feet, sucking her thumb or examining her surroundings rather than screaming for you.
Put your baby to bed awake. Bedtime is often the best time to teach babies how to self-quiet, says Dr. Christophersen. Though there's a real temptation to nurse or rock babies to sleep, parents and babies eventually pay the price of sleepless nights (and cranky next days) because the baby comes to associate nursing or rocking with falling asleep. That may be fine at 8:00 P.M., but it's not such a pleasure at 3:00 A.M. when the baby begins crying for her ''sleeping pill,'' in the form of a long rocking session.
''If a baby nurses before bedtime and gets drowsy, carry her, maybe bounce her around a little, talk to her, change her diaper, wipe her gums and put her to bed,'' says Dr. Christophersen. ''She may go, ' Wah, wah wah,' and then she'll be gone. Best of all, she'll learn how to put herself to sleep. And if you know your baby can self-quiet, you won't feel like you're abandoning her.''
Take your baby out of the crib before he cries. ''A lot of parents use their babies as a snooze alarm,'' says Dr. Christophersen. ''After 12 weeks, many babies who once woke up crying wake up babbling. But their parents don't pick them up until they cry. That teaches the child he has to cry before you'll pick him up. I'd much rather have parents teach children they get picked up for babbling and cooing, not for screaming.
Home Remedies for COMMON COLD & COUGH IN CHILDREN
Home Remedies For Common Cold & Cough In Children
Sharing a few home remedies for common cold and cough that can be tried to soothe children which in turn would also relax and calm the parents.
Common cold & cough are the most common ailments in children. Common cold is caused due to acute viral infection of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, often involving the sinuses. Cough is generally a response to some irritating condition such as inflammation or the presence of mucus in the respiratory tract. Cough can also occur as an infection or allergy to heavy dust or industrial or tobacco smoke. Common cold and cough generally affect a child’s food intake, sleep, and energy levels. Children also tend to become irritable to some extent. All the said symptoms are obviously very mentally disturbing to parents. Below I have shared a few home remedies for common cold and cough that can be tried to soothe your child. I have personally tried all on my son and have for once and for all sighed relief since all of them HELP & WORK!
Miraculous massage: Warm up coconut oil. Gently massage the coconut oil over the child’s chest for about 5 minutes. Repeat the same on the upper portion of the back. The massage should be given just before you put your child to sleep. If your child is resistant to massages; it can be given after putting your child to sleep. An important point to remember is to not subject the child to cool or cold conditions after the massage. Make sure fans and air conditioners are off. This simple treatment will soothe the child and will keep the cough away and will also help in getting a good undisturbed sleep.
Garlic treatment: Most of us are aware by now about garlic's usefulness as a blood thinner, antioxidant, and cancer preventive. In addition to the said garlic also does a wonder against common cold. De-skin about 5 to 6 cloves of garlic. Prepare a necklace of the 6 cloves of garlic using a normal thread and needle. Put the same around your child’s neck when he/she is sleeping. The pungent garlic will do the rest.
Stay away from the following food items: If your child is frequently down due to common cold and cough it is best you avoid the following mentioned items. Banana and milk are a strict no. I totally understand that if children are asked to stay away from milk it worries parents to no extent. I would suggest parents put their children on Soy Milk; doing so, you would be giving your child the best of both worlds. Give grapes only in the month of February and March. Reduce the intake of tomatoes, black eyed beans, peanuts, any items made from chic pea flour. Another important take away for all parents is to remember "No Water for 20 minutes after consuming any fruit".
One teaspoon of magic: A magic potion that can be made a routine is that of ginger and tea. 1 teaspoon of regular tea with 3 to 4 drops of ginger juice first thing in the morning will keep your child away from common cold.
Say "NO" to those nasty chocolates: Those nasty, sweet things wrapped in shiny attractive papers are known to yield nothing but cavities, cold and cough and add unwanted calories. Chocolates are some of the worst culprits with centers consisting almost exclusively of flavored Fondant and Praline, fondant is virtually 100% sugar and pralines are just as bad.
All the above mentioned home remedies are simple and effortless in comparison to the wonders and happiness they will bring to your life. I would urge you to make all or any of the above remedies a part of your child’s life. Don’t wait to implement them till the next time your child has a running nose and a hurting cough. GOOD LUCK & GOOD HEALTH!!!
Home Remedies for PHLEBITIS / DVT
The Two Types of Phlebitis
There are two types of phlebitis, one more severe than the other.
If you have superficial phlebitis, the affected vein will be near the surface of the skin. In fact, you may see it as a hard, red cord in the affected area that is tender to the touch.
The more severe form of phlebitis is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). With DVT, the affected vein is deep within the muscle, causing the affected area to become swollen and tender, especially when you first stand up. DVT can cause serious, life threatening health problems.
If you suspect you have phlebitis, you should see a doctor immediately. If you are diagnosed with superficial phlebitis, here are some things you can do to manage your condition.
What causes Deep Vein Thrombosis?
While recent research shows that various factors prove to put a person at risk for DVT, a more common cause for deep vein thrombosis is inactivity. The less you move, the slower your blood circulates, thereby increasing the chances for clots to form. Business travelers, people who spend long hours in cramped airplane seats or in cars, and people confined to wheelchairs are especially at risk if they are unable to regularly circulate the blood in their legs.
Therefore, it is always recommended for people who are confined to desks and chairs to take advantage of quick breaks to get the blood flowing again. Even in an airplane, it is possible to stand up and move slightly around the cabin, if only to stimulate blood flow in the lower half of the body and prevent numbness.
Signs and symptoms
There may be no symptoms referrable to the location of the DVT, but the classical symptoms of DVT include pain, swelling and redness of the leg and dilation of the surface veins. In up to 25% of all hospitalized patients, there may be some form of DVT, which often remains clinically inapparent (unless pulmonary embolism develops).
There are several techniques during physical examination to increase the detection of DVT, such as measuring the circumference of the affected and the contralateral limb at a fixed point (to objectivate edema), and palpating the venous tract, which is often tender. Physical examination is unreliable for excluding the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis.
In phlegmasia alba dolens, the leg is pale and cool with a diminished arterial pulse due to spasm. It usually results from acute occlusion of the iliac and femoral veins due to DVT.
In phlegmasia cerulea dolens, there is an acute and nearly total venous occlusion of the entire extremity outflow, including the iliac and femoral veins. The leg is usually painful, cyanosed and oedematous. Venous gangrene may supervene.
It is vital that the possibility of pulmonary embolism be included in the history, as this may warrant further investigation.
A careful history has to be taken considering risk factors (see below), including the use of estrogen-containing methods of hormonal contraception, recent long-haul flying, and a history of miscarriage (which is a feature of several disorders that can also cause thrombosis). A family history can reveal a hereditary factor in the development of DVT.
Michael D. Dake, M.D., a vascular specialist at the Miami Vascular Institute in Florida, explains the difference. "Phlebitis just means inflammation of the veins," he says, "and that can be the superficial veins near the skin or the deep veins of the legs.
"Deep vein thrombophlebitis is something we're always on guard against," he continues, "because those people can develop a moving blood clot that would have direct access to the lungs if it broke loose and traveled through the system. DVT usually requires hospitalization and treatment with anticoagulants. The blockage that occurs in superficial phlebitis, however, tends not to break loose."
For that reason, the tips we offer here are intended for use only by persons who have been diagnosed with superficial phlebitis and are under a doctor's care. These tips are designed to help relieve pain without prescription medication and help reduce the chances of a recurrence.
Get off the Pill. "If you've had a history of phlebitis or blood clots, you definitely shouldn't use oral contraceptives," says Jess R. Young, M.D., chairman of the Department of Vascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. The incidence of deep vein thrombophlebitis in oral contraceptive users is estimated at three to four times higher than in nonusers. Such a relatively high rate of deep vein clotting also puts the superficial phlebitis sufferer at an unacceptably high risk for recurrence.
Give it rest and warmth. "Superficial phlebitis can be treated by elevating the leg and applying warm, moist heat," says Dr. Dake. While it is not necessary to remain in bed, rest, with the leg elevated 6 to 12 inches above the heart, seems to help speed healing. The inflammation of superficial phlebitis usually disappears in a week to ten days, though it may take three to six weeks to completely subside.
Know your risks. Once you've had phlebitis, you're at increased risk of getting it again. How much risk may depend largely on things you may or may not be able to control. "In general," says Dr. Young, "you have to be put in a situation where you're at increased risk for it, such as surgery or prolonged bed rest."
While you might not be able to prevent prolonged bed rest following an injury or serious illness, certain types of risks, such as elective surgery, can be avoided if you're an older individual prone to clotting disorders. Consult your doctor for specific risk factors, but keep in mind that getting up and around can help reduce the risks of developing phlebitis after surgery.
Investigate aspirin. Some studies have suggested that the blood-thinning properties of aspirin may help reduce phlebitis by preventing rapid clot formation in persons prone to the disease. These studies advise that you take aspirin before prolonged periods of bed rest, travel, or surgery, all of which tend to make circulation sluggish and increase the possibility of clotting. While such a simple recommendation sounds enticing, some doctors hedge on its effectiveness. "I'm not sure aspirin will be that protective against clotting," says Dr. Dake. Even if you do opt for aspirin, this is a medical treatment—see your doctor first.
Walk when you have to ride. Planning a long trip by car? If you've had phlebitis in the past, then make sure your wheels aren't the only thing in motion. "The main thing is to stop frequently and exercise when you stop," says Dr. Dake. "And don't just stop one time during the day and walk a mile, but rather, stop four or five times and walk shorter distances."
What you're trying to do, he says, is prevent the circulation from becoming sluggish as a result of sitting motionless for long periods of time. "Your circulation enters a low-flow state under those conditions and that can lead to a clot," says Dr. Dake.
Add another reason to quit. "If you get recurring cases of phlebitis and your doctor can't find any reason for it," says Dr. Young, "then you should quit smoking. You could have a case of Buerger's disease that just hasn't moved to the arteries yet." Buerger's disease is characterized by severe pain and blood clots, usually in the legs. It is directly related to smoking, and the only cure is to give up all forms of tobacco. "Occasionally, Buerger's will start out as phlebitis," Dr. Young explains. It's possible that Buerger's could be misdiagnosed as phlebitis, in which case continued smoking would be very hazardous to your health.
That's a long shot, Dr. Young admits, but worth considering if your doctor hasn't been able to explain recurring bouts of phlebitis. "Otherwise, there doesn't seem to be any connection between smoking and phlebitis," he says.
Get some exercise. "Exercise—primarily walking—tends to keep the veins emptied," says Robert Ginsburg, M.D., director of the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy at Stanford University Hospital in California.
Keeping the veins emptied as much as possible is a good way to prevent a recurrence of phlebitis, he says. "The veins are a low-pressure system, and if the valves that keep blood from flowing backward in the legs aren't working properly, such as in varicose veins, the only way you're going to prevent blood from pooling is by walking."
Put your feet up when you're laid up. "If you've had phlebitis and you're going to be bedridden for any length of time," says Dr. Young, "elevate the foot of the bed several inches to increase blood flow through the veins."
He also suggests you exercise your legs as much as you can while in bed. "You can take aspirin if you want," he adds, "though there have been no good studies that show it prevents a recurrence."
Wear support stockings for relief. Some physicians advise the wearing of support stockings to prevent a recurrence of phlebitis, while others don't. While there's no documented evidence showing that support stockings do any good in preventing phlebitis, they do seem to relieve pain and make some people feel better. The best advice? Wear support stockings if they make you feel better. If they make you feel worse, though, don't think you must continue wearing them in order to prevent a recurrence.
Beware the friendly skies. The scientific literature is filled with reports of people being stricken with deep vein thrombosis following a long airplane flight. While nobody seems to be quite sure why this happens (cabin pressure, lack of motion, alcohol intake, etc.), the condition is so common that it is now known as "Economy Class Syndrome," because it rarely seems to strike those passengers seated in roomy, first-class seats.
"Long plane rides or car trips, or really any long period of inactivity, can increase the risk of thrombosis," says Dr. Young. "But on airplanes you tend to be confined to your seat a lot more than when traveling by car. So if you have phlebitis, this is a case where you ought to put on your elastic stockings before boarding, then get out of your seat and walk up and down the aisle every 30 minutes or so after taking off."
To help maintain good relations with your neighbors, he says, "It might be good to request an aisle seat."
A Sign of Infection
People often become quite worried when told they have phlebitis, believing that clots may break loose and cause death. This is rarely the case, although phlebitis can develop into life-threatening infection if left untreated.
If the symptoms of phlebitis—pain, redness, tenderness, itching, and swelling—are accompanied by a fever and they do not clear up in a week or so, see your doctor. It could be a sign of infection. Your physician can clear it up with antibiotics.
Human - DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)
DVT is blood condition relating to circulation and viscosity.
There are three main reasons for deep vein thrombosis.
· Slowing of blood flow as in prolonged bed rest and/or inactivity due to sitting while travelling.
· Injury to the lining of the vein as in surgery.
· Increased tendency for blood to clot as in some cancers and rarely with contraceptive use .
About half the sufferers of DVT have no symptoms at all. in the others with inflammation and blood flow obstruction there can be swelling and pain in the calf, also the ankle , foot and thigh depending on the veins affected.
To improve this generally I suggest consuming foods with rutin on a regular basis eg lemon, buckwheat and blackcurrant. As well as taking a herbal mix with Rue . Recommendations for DVT :-
1. Drink ¼ squeezed and chopped lemon in hot water with small slices of ginger everyday . Lemon and ginger both improve circulation and make blood travel faster . Twice a day to start with to rebalance blood circulation system.
2. Eat one clove of garlic daily-garlic has favourable influences on cardiac factors
3. Walk daily for 20 minutes.
4. Avoid dehydration.
5. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and fatty foods
6. take omega 3 fatty acids -fish oil, walnuts, olive oil
7. no margarine, processed foods
8. consume cold water fish-, cut down on other animal proteins
9. a happy heart is the best medicine- reduce impatience and anger, try contemplation, meditation.
Simple Home Remedies for Superficial Phlebitis
Find Relief with Heat
One way to treat superficial phlebitis is with heat. Several times a day, lie down and elevate your leg so that it's at least six inches above your heart. Place a warm, wet washcloth over your leg. Do this several times a day, and the inflammation caused by superficial phlebitis should be gone in less than two weeks.
Relieve Phlebitis with Aspirin
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin and ibuprofen, are known for their blood thinning properties, so they could have an affect on any blood clots that have formed in your body. However, before trying this method of self-care, see talk to your doctor first.
Superficial phlebitis is nothing to be afraid of. By taking a few simple steps, you could be rid of this condition in less than two weeks
Alternating Pressure and DVT
Ergonomic devices at work and home are always a plus. An alternating pressure cushion, for one, can improve circulation during times of inactivity.
Alternating pressure refers to a device that inflates and deflates in sections. Think of an air mattress or air seat cushion. As one pocket, the air is stagnant and does not move. When you sit on one, it may feel like sitting on an elevated version of the chair. Circulation remains the same.
Alternating pressure, however, works in a cushion devised of two or more air bladders interconnected to alternate inflating and deflating. Some bladders rise while others fall, and vice versa. This constant movement in a cushion lifts and shifts the body in place, so even though one is sitting there is opportunity for better circulation.
Where there is better blood flow, naturally, there is less discomfort. Alternating pressure keeps the blood moving and the skin healthy, allowing it to breathe. When skin breathes, it maintains a healthy color and elasticity. The blood flows and has less opportunity to clot, thereby decreasing risk of DVT.
For the constant traveler and the cubicle worker, an alternating pressure device can be handy in eliminating the risk of blood clots in the legs, and in turn preventing serious conditions.
How to survive a heart attack
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
Let's say it's 6.15 pm and you're going home (alone of course), after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated.
Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.
However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.
A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.
Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital. Tell as many other people as possible about this. It could save their lives!!
A cardiologist says If everyone who gets this mail sends it to 10 people, you can bet that we'll save at least one life.
VITAMIN C
VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is essential for the manufacturing of collagen, that are necessary for tissue repair. It is needed for metabolism of phenylalanine, tyrosine,folic acid, iron. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of the body. Vitamin C is essential for the healing of wounds, and for the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.
Functions and benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C has a number of important functions and benefits. For example it:
- It help improve male fertility
- Reduce toxic effect of alcohol and drugs
- Reduce symptoms of arthritis, skin ulcers, allergic reactions
- It also helps produce anti-stress hormones
- Help in production of red blood cells
Recommended Dosage for Vitamin C
- For adults, the usual dose of Vitamin C is 60 mg.
- For Pregnant women, the usual dose is 70 mg.
Food sources of Vitamin C
Foods sources of vitamin C include the following.
- berries
- citrus fruits
- green vegetables
- avocados
- beet greens
- black currants
- broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- cantaloupe
- collards
- dandelion greens
- dulse
- kale
- lemons
- mangos
- mustard greens
- onions
- oranges
- papayas
- green peas
Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin C
- Beneath the skin
- Swollen or painful joints
- Nosebleeds
- Splitting hair
- Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums)
- Bleeding gums
- Depression
- Easy bruising
- Impaired wound healing
- Tiredness
Home Remedies for MEASLES
MEASLES
Measles, a highly infectious disease, is very common in childhood. It is so common at this stage of life that nearly all children in most parts of the world suffer form it.
Measles symptoms
feverishness, cold, watering of the eyes
The first symptoms that appear for seven to fourteen days after exposure to the virus are feverishness, cold, watering of the eyes, and a dry cough. A rash appears on the skin four days after the onset of these symptoms. This rash, which consists of small rounded spots with reddened skin in between, initially appears on the sides of the face and the neck, and then gradually spreads allover the body, appearing last on the extremities. Initially pink in colour, the spots grow darker as time passes.
Fever and diarrhoea
Measles is usually accompanied by fever and diarrhoea. In severe cases, high fever and delirium may occur. Complications which can arise from this disease include pneumonia, bronchitis, and abscesses in the ears. One serious but rare complication is inflammation of the brain.
Measles and the Symptoms:
First 2 to 3 days
- Very high fever (up to 105 degrees) .
- Cold like symptom, including a runny nose: a dry cough: swollen glands: red, watery eyes, loss of appetite and aching muscles.
A day or two later
- Inside the mouth, painless small gray or white bumps, like grains of salt surrounded by red rings.
In another day
- Small red spots that first appear on the face and the neck. As they spread down the body, they join to form large blotches .
Measles causes
Virus
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases caused by a virus. This disease is easily transmitted in the early stages through the invisible droplets of moisture, which are discharged from a patient's nose or mouth when he coughs or sneezes.
Wrong feeding habits and unhygienic living conditions
The real causes of this disease, like other diseases of childhood, are however; wrong feeding habits and unhygienic living conditions.
Home Remedies for Measles
Measles treatment using Orange
Oranges are very valuable in measles, as the digestive power of the body is seriously hampered. The patient suffers from intense toxaemia, and the lack of saliva coats his tongue and often destroys his thirst for water as well as his desire for food. The agreeable flavour of orange juice helps greatly in overcoming these drawbacks. Orange juice is the ideal liquid food for this disease.
Measles treatment using Lemon Juice
The juice of lemon also makes an effective thirst-quenching drink in measles. About 15 to 25 ml of lemon juice, diluted with water, should be take for this purpose.
Measles treatment using Turmeric
Turmeric is beneficial in the treatment of measles. Raw roots of turmeric should be dried in the sun and ground to a fine powder. Half a teaspoon of this powder, mixed with a few drops of honey and the juice of a few bitter gourd leaves, should be given to patients suffering from measles.
Measles treatment using Liquorice
Powdered liquorice has been found valuable in relieving the cough, which is typical in measles. The child patient should be given half a teaspoon of powdered liquorice mixed with the same quantity of honey.
Measles treatment using Barley
The use of barley water has proved beneficial for the troublesome cough in measles. This water should be taken frequently, sweetened with the newly-drawn oil of sweet almonds.
Measles treatment using Egg Plant Seeds
The seeds of the egg plant are a stimulant. Intake of half to one gram of these seeds daily for three days will help develop immunity against measles for one year.
· Give your chills lots of fluids .
· Help your child rest in bed.
· Use a cool-mist humidifier in your child's bedroom.
· If your child's eyes are sensitive to light, darken the bedroom.
· If your child has minor aches or pains, give acetaminophen.
· Keep your child away from others.
Measles diet
Juices of fresh fruits like oranges and lemons frequently.
At the beginning of the treatment, the patient should be given juices of fresh fruits like oranges and lemons frequently. This is sufficient as the child suffers from a lack of appetite during this period.
All-fruit diet followed by well-balanced diet
As the condition improves, the child can be placed on an all-fruit diet for a few days. Thereafter he may be allowed to gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet.
Other Measles treatment
Well-ventilated room is essential
The child should be kept in a well-ventilated room. As light has a detrimental effect upon the eyes during measles because of the weakened condition of the external eye tissues, the child should have his eyes shaded or the room should have subdued light.
Warm-water enema, application of mud packs
The treatment should aim at bringing down the temperature and eliminating the toxins from the system. This can be achieved by administration of a warm-water enema every morning, application of mud packs on the abdomen twice a day - in the morning and evening, and repeated application of chest packs. Lukewarm water baths can be given every day to ease itching. Addition of extracts of neem leaves to this water will prove beneficial.
Complete rest
Children having measles should not be allowed to mix with others so as to avoid passing on the infection to them. In fact, they should take complete rest. Hygienic conditions, along with the above-mentioned treatment, will lead to a speedy recovery.
Avoid medication
Medication should be strictly avoided.
Prevention of Measeles:
- Make sure your child gets the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. This shot is given at 12 to 18 months, with booster at 4 to 6 years.
Home Remedies for TEETH WHITENING
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