Health Articles

A panic attack is characterized by the occurence of severe and unexpected periods of very intense symptoms such as accelerated heart beat, intense perspiration, limb shaking, confusion, terror, the feeling of death imminence or craziness, sensory alertness, pupil dilation, choking the impulse to run or scream and so on. If the cause of the panic attack is not in a life-threatening situation or in a specific medical ailment, then, the diagnosis might be anxiety panic disorder. Usually, before turning into anxiety panic disorder, any panic attack could be accidental and unique of its kind.

Usually, a panic attack reaches its maximum intensity within a a couple of minutes and then stabilizes to a state of normality over the next half an hour or next several hours. The specificity of an anxiety panic disorder relates to the frequency of the attacks, usually of an uneven intensity. Thus, one gets to suffer from several such anxiety bouts every month, which is enough to feel terrorized and threatened permanentlyall the time, thus worsening the condition and deepening the fear.
The Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks
Most patients of anxiety panic attack disorder are women between twenty and thirty. The problem is less common in younger or older age groups; plus it is usually associated with a separation trauma experienced by the person some time during childhood. The beginning of an anxiety panic disorder may be gradual or abrupt, meaning that you can start experiencing symptoms prior to the full anxiety bout, or the panic may strike you out of the blue.

In certain instances an anxiety panic disorder is so very difficult to diagnose because of the inconclusive medical evaluations. Lots of people thus spend weeks, months or years going from specialist to specialist, receiving all sorts of advice and treatment options. Unless correct evaluation and diagnosis is made, the patient could go through an unnecessary experience. On the other hand, many diagnosed patients begin avoiding certain situations for fear of developing an anxiety episode.
Anxiety management
Some of the situations or locations that sufferers from anxiety panic disorder avoid include social reunions, classes, gatherings or church services, shopping malls, restaurants, airplanes, elevators and so on. If not treated right, an anxiety panic disorder may radically alter a patient’s life spoiling routine activities, causing depression and many other problems. In addition, the cases of self-medication, alcohol abuse and suicide are also related to the challlenge of coping with anxiety and its symptoms.

The Lowdown on Skin Cancer

Skin is our largest organ and one that is not immune to developing cancerous cells. Skin cancer develops when damaged cells start growing and dividing uncontrollably in the skin. This form of cancer is the most prevalent with more than one million cases in the United States diagnosed each year. Here we will cover some of the commonly asked questions about skin cancer.

What Are The Different Forms of Skin Cancer?

There are different types of skin cancer with three forms accounting for almost all of the diagnosed cases. They are:

•Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)- Accounting for nearly 80% of skin cancer, BCC develops in the basal cells which are located in the lowest layer of the epidermis. It is commonly found on areas of the body regularly exposed to the sun such as your face, head and upper body. Signs of BCC include skin that appears as a sore that repeatedly heals and re-opens, a slightly elevated pink growth, patch of irritated skin that is red in color and/or shiny translucent skin. This type of cancer does not commonly spread but should be treated to protect surrounding tissue.

•Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)- Found in the uppermost layers of the epidermis, SCC cancer affects squamous cells. Long term exposure to the sun can result in this form of cancer in middle to elderly aged individuals. The skin may appear to have an inflamed base with a crusty or scaly area over the base. While this cancer is most commonly found on areas of the body exposed to the sun, it can be found anywhere. Early detection and treatment can prevent this form of cancer from spreading.

•Melanoma- The most dangerous and lethal form of skin cancer, this form accounts for only 4% of diagnosed cases. Melanoma readily spreads to other areas of your body such as your lymph system or other internal organs. Most commonly found in moles either pre-existing or new, melanoma has a 95% cure rate if caught in time for treatment. It is important that you are aware of any moles on your body and what they look like so you can spot changes in existing moles or the appearance of new moles. Undetected and untreated, melanoma becomes very difficult to treat and can result in death.

Who Gets Skin Cancer?

To be quite honest, anyone can get skin cancer. There are however certain individuals who are at a higher risk than others. The following factors play a role in the likelihood of developing skin cancer:

•Individuals who are fair-skinned or burn easily.
•People who use tanning devices.
•Genetics or family history of the disease.
•Certain occupational exposures, i.e. coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic or radium.
•Excessive exposure to UV radiation.

Exposure to the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer which makes protecting your skin from sun exposure vitally important.

Can You Prevent Skin Cancer?

Yes, you can take precautions that lower your risk of developing skin cancer. Take all effort to reduce your exposure to sun and other controllable risk factors. This includes wearing SPF 15 or higher sunscreen everyday in addition to sunglasses and brimmed hats to shield your face from the sun. If at all possible avoid exposing your skin to sunlight during the peak of the day (10am-4pm) and give up tanning beds as they can also damage your skin.

For more information on skin cancer you can visit the American Cancer Society or National Cancer Institute.

There’s no denying: obesity is getting to be a bigger and bigger problem in America. A study recently conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, obesity rates climbed in 23 states in 2008, with Southern and Midwestern states being particularly prone to the condition. It has gotten to the point where denial is no longer an option and we cannot afford to just sweep the problem under the rug anymore. If you suffer from obesity, you know that it affects all aspects of your life and makes you more prone to heart disease, diabetes, and countl

Too Big Too Fast

One of the main problems that causes obesity is the combination of cheap fast food and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. As more and more of our jobs involve us sitting around staring at computer screens with little to no physical activity, we find that more and more people are becoming morbidly overweight. And with the increasing waistline comes an increasing risk for expensive health problems that will cost you and the American taxpayer a small fortune in controlling. It is important to start living a healthier, safer, longer life. Following these tips can help:
The Obesity Society
Start slow. The reason so many people give up their weight-loss goals is because they try to bite off more than they can chew. You can’t expect to wake up one day and run five miles after eating a walnut salad. Ease yourself out of your old habits, don’t try and jump in with both feet.
Take baby steps. You probably can’t run a marathon, so don’t even try. Start out just walking a little bit more regularly. Take the stairs up to the third floor instead of the elevator. Walk the dog more frequently. Instead of driving to the mailbox, take a stroll there. Doctors believe that walking an additional mile a day will stop most people from gaining weight.
Substitute foods. You can lose a substantial amount of weight by making healthier choices of your favorite foods. Lightly buttered popcorn, diet sodas, low-fat yogurt instead of ice cream, and leaner cuts of meat can all help you lose weight the relatively painless way. Sure, they may not taste quite as good, but they can be a lot easier to stick to than rice cakes and tofu.

Sticking With It

By making the weight-loss process less painful, you make it easier to adhere to. The point is to start losing weight and leading a healthier lifestyle, not drop off all your extra pounds overnight. Don’t beat yourself up if you start slow; by eating better and exercising more, you’re starting on your road to a healthier, more attractive you. Sticking with it can be one of the most rewarding things in the world.

Headache

Reports suggest that at least 40% people in the UK suffer headache at some point to the extent that can affect the quality of their life. It is generally defined as a pain in and around the head. Some types of headaches are discussed below briefly.

What are tension headaches?

The most common type of headache suffered by the majority of people worldwide is due to tension-type. Tension headache are also known as stress headache or muscular headaches. If it occurs more frequently, then you should seek treatment. However, occasional headaches are common to occur at least once or twice in a month. During the times of excess stress, headaches can be even more frequent. The symptoms of tension headaches are pain or pressure on both sides of the head, pain at your temples, and pain at the back of your head or neck.

What are Cluster headaches?

The cluster headaches are frequent and short-lived. They can last even less than an hour. The most common symptoms of Cluster headache include excruciating knife-like pain that is centred on one eye, and can spread to other areas on the same side of the head. You may feel excess sweating, redness, or watering of the eye. Your nose becomes runny or bunged-up and sometimes an eyelid droops. Most of the sufferers may feel agitated and unable to sit.
Cluster headaches symptoms

What is a Sinus headache?

If you have a deep and constant pain in your forehead, cheekbones, or the bridge of your nose, then these are considered as symptoms of Sinus headache. Some other symptoms of Sinus headaches are runny nose, fever, and facial swelling.

Headache: Treatment Options

Irrespective of its type, headaches can greatly affect your sleep and life. It can lead to fatigue, tiredness, and even stress. An immediate treatment should be sought for headaches if they occur frequently and cause a major health problem. You can try a host of therapies for headache treatment such as:

• Aromatherapy – In this therapy, oil taken out of flowers, fruits, leaves, shrubs, and tress is used for therapeutic benefits.
• Chiropractic – It means gentle manipulation of muscles and joints to reduce pain and promote good health.
• Physiotherapy – It is the most commonly used therapy for treating a host of physical injuries, diseases, and dysfunction.

For immediate relief from headaches, most people simply take painkillers that sometimes prove effective for most types of headaches. However, it can be risky if you take medications too often. You should try to reduce taking painkillers as much as possible. Instead look for other treatments that are less risky.

With the help of medical technology, some revolutionary devices have been designed that help in the treatment of headaches. One of these popular devices is Cefaly, which uses electrotherapy for pain relief. This device is easy to use and incredibly comfortable. There are no side effects of using this medical device, as it has been well tested in its many trials. Cefaly can be available from any local store or online.

Depression is the dark cloud in the world of personality disorders that can blot out even the brightest star. Alarmingly the number of people suffering with the condition continues to grow. On any given day approximately 120 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Over the course of a year 6% of the world’s men and 12% of the world’s women will battle an episode of depression. In this informational article titled “Depression Information” we will delve into the specifics of the condition.

Depression is characterized by an extremely sad mood that persists for an extended period of time and a loss of pleasure in perusing life experiences that used to make you happy. A person battling depression likely will be experiencing certain changes in behavior such as problems sleeping, either too much or too little; fatigue or consistently low energy levels; unwarranted changes in weight; loss of concentration and/or focus; and feelings of nervousness or anxiety. When mild to moderate depression makes the leap to severe depression there can also be recurrent thoughts about dying or actual suicide attempts.

If you are experiencing the above symptoms for at least 14 days, you could be diagnosed as having a major depressive disorder. If this condition is left untreated the average time it takes for the condition to resolve itself is nine months. Once the dark cloud of depression has lifted you might return to feeling like your old self. Nevertheless, after your first depressive episode the odds are 50% more likely that another depressive episode is in your future. Perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that with each new episode the odds only get worse that these episodes will keep recurring. For this reason seeking professional help is of paramount importance.

Causes of depression

The precise cause of depression is still unknown. While there are many potential causes let’s briefly cover three of the most common areas that are known to have an effect on its development.

Biology/Brain Chemistry: The neurotransmitters (brain massagers) norepinephrine and serotonin appear to play a major role in the development of depression. Initially, it was thought that low levels of these chemicals in the brain were the cause but more recent studies seem to indicate that these two hormones may regulate other neurotransmitters such as dopamine and acetylcholine.

Heredity: If you have an immediate family member who is depressed, you are up to three times more likely to develop depression than a person who is not related to your family.

Illness: Chronic illnesses (diabetes) or life threatening diseases (cancer) are likely to produce states or depression in even the strongest and most positive personalities. Additionally, certain illnesses cause chemical changes in the body that can cause depression or depression like symptoms.

The amount of depression information conveyed in this article is just the tip of iceberg and you should use this information to build a better understanding of the life altering condition known as depression.

Additionally, many people who are fighting the battle against depression are finding success in the form of natural herbal remedies. These all natural formulas for depression are a safe and effective way to manage common depressive symptoms without the potential side effects of prescription medications.

Asthma is common, so common that there’s possibly somebody that you know that suffers from it if you do not suffer from it yourself. Even if you don’t have a full understanding of what asthma is you do however know what the symptoms are.

Asthma is a respiratory condition where the small airways in the lungs tighten up, and it causes a person having an attack having a very tough time to breathe. The length of the attack usually depends on how serious the condition is and how tight the airways are. The appearance of asthma does not follow awfully predictable patterns. Folk of any age and sex can have asthma but it is not atypical to first appear during infancy. Some folks are lucky and outgrow asthma. There are the unfortunate people that may live with asthma for the rest of their lives. There are many people who suffer with asthma that have no other relations in their families who have it.

Normal signs and symptoms of asthma often are cough, wheezing, tightness in the chest, breath shortness, and problems breathing. These are symptoms that can change from individual to person.
Asthma attacks can be mild, moderate, or severe.
-A mild asthma suffer sometimes has an attack when they have an higher respiration infection. Most other times they’re completely fine and have no asthma symptoms at all.
Significant asthma control
-Moderate asthma sufferers can have some symptoms from time to time. It could be worse in the early morning or late in the night, when they have got a cold, or have a big quantity of stress in their lives.

-Severe asthma suffers traditionally have asthma symptoms each single day. Sometimes they could find it hard to even talk or to be able to do any exercises.

Because a significant asthma attack can make it troublesome for an individual to breathe it is critical to understand the signs and symptoms of asthma. Treating it quickly can keep it from worsening.
Therefore if you have asthma or are looking after somebody suffering from it, it is necessary to recognize the numerous signs and symptoms of asthma so that you know when you must use asthma medicine to treat the issues.

When you quit smoking and no matter how long you smoked, the few first days are always the hardest. It does get easier over time, but that first days is always rough. Not only are you mentally losing something you are used to doing many times each and every day, but your body is also losing. The things that your body is missing out on are the things that will help you get healthier. The smoke that makes you cough, the tar the lays on your teeth and lungs, even all of the thousands of toxins that every cigarette you smoked put in your body every time you did it.

Even one less cigarette a day will help with this, but if you really want to quit, doing this will take so long. Just like your home is your castle, so is your body and smoking cigarettes can make your body break down faster than it should. Aging happens to us fast enough and smoking cigarettes only increases the aging even more. It is really sad you take better care of your home, car, or boat better than your own body if you smoke. The longer you smoke and the more you smoke will make every part of your body inside and out look and feel older than it should. It is also not good for your family and friends as they can have the same thing happen to them from all the secondhand smoke that they inhale.

When your body is past this first whole day, it can start to clean itself of all those toxins. You might notice that you can start to see things clearer after a few days as you do not have to try to see it through that fog of smoke coming off that cigarette. Your mouth will seem cleaner as it does not have that taste from the smoke either. After the first few days, you may notice that your food taste better. If not smoking after a meal bothers you, try to walk off what you just ate and doing this you will realize that you have more energy.

Do not talk yourself into smoking a cigarette as your mind will try very hard to tell you that you need a smoke. You might notice that you get upset at your family faster than usual. Try to deal with this as soon as you can because when this happens you will talk yourself into smoking this cigarette saying that it will calm you down. It might, but this is only an excuse to start smoking again. You have to learn to fight the cravings one at a time and the more of them you overcome, the more you increase your chances of stying quit.

If you are one of the millions of people that suffer from lower back pain, then you need to know that exercise can do wonders for you. When it comes to relieving lower back pain, exercise provides more long term relief than any back pills that your doctor can give you. The fact is, pills only serve to mask the problem by providing temporary relief of the pain, but the problem that is causing much of the pain is still there. Exercise will strengthen the muscles that support your back and improve flexibility thus greatly reducing the chances of future attacks.
Causes of low back pain
You should be doing a three fold program of exercise which includes aerobics, resistance and stretching exercises. Aerobic exercise like walking and bike riding will begin to get your body conditioned properly because it strengthens your heart and lightly works your muscles. Resistance exercise like weight lifting will strengthen the muscles that support your back. Stretching exercises will increase flexibility giving your back a greater range of motion. Your doctor can guide you as to when and how much of each type of exercise you should be getting.
Chronic Back Pain
For people with lower back pain, the best aerobic exercises to do are low impact ones like swimming, walking and bike riding. Jogging, dance aerobics and step aerobics all produce repeated impact on your back and on your knee and hip joints as well. In order to get in good condition, start out with 15 minutes of light aerobic work per day, 2-3 times per week, and then gradually build yourself up to 30-40 minutes per day, 4-5 times per week.

You should be working enough to raise your heart rate to be in between 65% to 85% of your maximal heart rate. You determine your maximal heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Regardless of whether you are walking, bike riding or doing any other aerobic exercise, always maintain good posture. This means sit up strait, stand strait and do not slouch or lean forward. Good posture is essential to any good exercise program.

When it comes to resistance exercising, you always want to concentrate on the abdominal muscles. These muscles play a major part in giving your lower back support and the stronger they are, the more relief for your back. Also important is to do exercises that are designed to specifically strengthen the lower back muscles themselves. You will best benefit from working each muscle group 2-3 times per week. You may want to hire a qualified fitness trainer to help get you on your way by designing a resistance program that is right for you.

Remember that while resistance exercise is great for strengthening the targeted muscles being worked, there should never be any pain involved. Some discomfort should be present in the muscles being worked while performing the exercises for them, but should subside very shortly after completion of the exercise. If there is any pain during the exercises or if discomfort persists for some time after, it is a sign that something is wrong and exercising should be discontinued and your doctor should be consulted immediately.

As far as stretching is concerned, 10-15 minutes of moderate stretching per day is usually enough to get the job done just fine. Here you really want to concentrate on stretching your hamstrings which are the muscles in the back of your upper legs. The looser your hamstring muscles are, the better range of motion your back will have as flexible hamstring muscles do not put the strain on your lower back that tight ones do.

Stretching the lower back muscles is also a must and sitting on the floor with your legs flat on the floor in front of you while you slowly reach for your toes until you can’t go any further, hold for 10 seconds, and sit back up is a great exercise to stretch both your hamstrings and your lower back. Repeat this stretch 2-3 times each day.

While there are no miracle cures for lower back pain, you can make living with a lower back condition much easier to deal with by simply incorporating some exercise into your life each day. It is worth the effort in the long run give up 30-40 minutes per day, 4-5 days per week to exercise away your lower back pain.

Melanoma skin cancer does not just form where you get the most sun. Many people think that they only need to check the areas of their skin that are regularly exposed to the sun.

While this is good practice, don’t ignore the rest of your body. My brother found his melanoma growth on his upper thigh, and he has never worn shorts in his life. He always kept check on his arms, legs, face etc, but when a cut that wouldn’t heal showed up on his inner thigh, he didn’t think it could possibly be melanoma skin cancer, because he had never got any sun there.

So, when you are giving your body the “once over” check… don’t ignore the skin that is always covered, and check places like your underarms, thighs, etc, and get someone to check the backs of your legs and your back and neck, and scalp.
Comprehensive Cancer Information
We all have moles, or birth marks, or scars, that make us unique, it doesn’t mean it is cancer, what you are looking for is changes. Most moles stay the same shape, but if they start getting larger, form weird edges, or bleed, itch or scab up, then it doesn’t hurt to get it checked out. This goes for any cut that does not heal, or forms a scab that keeps falling off, which is what my brother had. He did not have one mole on his body.
American Cancer Society
Melanoma skin cancer, has a very high rate of cure if caught early. You need to get familiar with your body, so that you can let your doctor know. It is up to you to find these changes, so don’t forget to look past your arms and back and face..

Medications For Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Medication therapy in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), is usually directed toward symptom control.

Abdominal pain:
If abdominal pain is very severe, anti cholinergic group of medications (mebeverine hydrochloride) may be helpful. It relieves pain by moderating the smooth muscle contraction of intestine.
Bloating:
Peppermint oil (Colpermin, Mintec) when taken before meal is found to be helpful to minimise bloating and abdominal pain. Also it is better to cut out items like carbonated drinks, vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage.

Diarrhea:
Over- the-counter preparation like loperamide (imodium) is found to be useful to control diarrhoea.

Constipation:
Taking bulk forming fibre supplements such as isphaghula, psyllium (metamucil) or methylcellulose (Citrucel) may help to control constipation.
If constipation is still troublesome, laxatives like senna and lactulose would be helpful.

Other Medications:

Antidepressants:

If the symptoms are not controlled by above simple medications, doctors could try antidepressants to control the symptoms. There are two kinds of anti depressants that are found to be helpful in these cases.

Tricyclic antidepressants: (imipramine, amitryptaline)

Apart from reliving depression, these medications inhibit the activity of neurons that control the intestine. These are particularly useful to control diarrhoea and abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome. The main side effects of these medications are dryness of mouth, drowsiness and constipation.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor: (SSRI)

If tricyclic antidepressants are not helpful then the doctor might try this class of antidepressant (fluoxetine, paroxetine). These medications act by controlling a selective chemical in the nerve cells (neurons). They are found to be useful in controlling the symptoms of IBS, particularly the abdominal pain and constipation.
If antidepressants are not working, doctor may advise counselling, particularly in patients in whom stress provokes the symptoms of IBS. In some patients hypnotherapy may be helpful.

Lubiprostone: (Amitiza)

This medication works by increasing the fluid secretion in the small intestine. This is particularly useful in those patients who have IBS with constipation. It is found to be useful in women, but its effectiveness in males is not yet convincing.

Alosetron: (loronex)

This medication can be prescribed only by doctors enrolled in a special programme as it is not licensed. This medication relaxes the colon and slows the movement of large bowel. It is found to be useful only in women who suffer from IBS with intractable diarrhea.
Prognosis:
People suffer from irritable bowel syndrome has excellent prognosis. One study confirmed that 85% of patients were rendered virtually symptom-free in the short term. 68% were still virtually symptom-free 5 years later.