Health Articles

Arthritis pain can radiate to tendons and muscles, but it is actually caused by wear and tear on cartilage between bones. This erosion of cartilage mainly occurs in joints such as the fingers, knees, hips and even the between spinal vertebrae. Arthritis can be painful and cause inflammation, numbness, tingling and even a weakness in joints. The best way to cure arthritis is through rest, immobilization, ice, heat, massage and exercise.

After the onset of arthritis symptoms, you should rest your arthritic joint for a few days. This will prevent further damage to the cartilage. It will also help control some of the inflammation and pain. During this time, you can further reduce inflammation and pain by using ice during the first few days. Ice causes vasoconstriction, a narrowing of blood vessels, which lessons swelling and pain by limiting the flow of blood and lymph fluid to the affected joint. Once the initial inflammation has been reduced, a heating pad can increase the flow of blood, which carries oxygen and nutrients that are essential for healing.

You should also take an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or naproxen, which can help control pain as well. These medications are Cox-2 inhibitors. They minimize pain and inflammation by limiting the effects of certain enzymes on prostaglandins or body chemicals, which is the body’s natural response to irritation or injury. Massage can also help cure arthritis muscle and joint pain by relaxing the nerves and promoting the flow of blood and nutrients to the soft tissues surrounding the joint. Stretching and resistance exercises can also help cure arthritis pain. Stretching will help increase flexibility in tight muscles around the joint. Resistance exercises such as weightlifting can build strength and stability in the muscles and tendons, which can relieve pressure on the joint.

If you are looking for a natural aid for your pain, Glucosamine and chondroitin are two supplements that can help rebuild existing cartilage in the joint and increase synovial fluids. Taken daily over time you will find a reduction in your arthritis pain.

For many people a house is not a home if it does not have central heating, fitted carpet, comfortable furniture and heavy curtains. But if you or any member of your family has asthma, then you may not be spending your money wisely. Research shows that it would be better to strip the floorboards, put up blinds and buy leather chairs. The best way to fight asthma and allergies is not to become sensitized in the first place.

A study of 67 children in the United Kingdom and the United States showed that early exposure to the house dust mite sensitized the children, and their sensitivity was in direct relation to the level of mites found in their homes. The message was clear, bring up your children in homes free of carpets, with the windows open and the heating down low and they will grow up healthy and asthma free.

So what can you do to keep your home allergen free? Research points to the fact that dust mites are killed by freezing, by temperatures over 131 degrees Fahrenheit, strong sunlight, dry cleaning and some chemical sprays. You should vacuum or dust surfaces with a damp cloth, dry dusting dislodges clouds of allergens into the air. Keep dust mites out of your bedding with micro porous covers.

Washing bed linens at high temperatures is another recommended measure. If you develop a rash shortly after starting a course of antibiotics, consult your doctor and pharmacist for advice. Do not continue the course unless you are advised to do so. Antibiotics can cause anaphylactic shock, though this is rare. If you do have this allergic reaction, you should avoid all aspirin products as well.

What is angina or chest pain?

Angina is a chest pain caused by a brief and insufficient flow of blood to an area of the heart. The pain feels as if something were squeezing or putting pressure inside our chest causing a sensation of having a heavy weight on top of us.

This chest pain can irradiate to either one or both arms but most often it does to the left one. At times we can feel heaviness or numbness on the shoulder or in the arm, from the elbow to the fingers. In rare occasions, the symptoms of angina can be felt in the neck, throat, jaw, ears, stomach, or even between the shoulder blades. If the chest pain occurs when the patient is making a physical effort, he can also have difficulty breathing at the same time.

What triggers an episode of angina or chest pain?
Most of the times, angina is triggered by the following events:

1. Walking fast
2. Carrying a heavy weight
3. Psychological stress
4. Very cold weather
5. Heavy meals

When these triggering factors stop, the pain usually goes down in 10 minutes.

What causes angina or chest pain?
In most cases, the cause of angina is atherosclerosis, a build-up of fat as well as a loss of elasticity of the coronary arteries, the ones wrapping the heart which function is to carry oxygen and nutrients to the heart. Because of these two factors, the space inside the coronary arteries narrows causing not enough blood to reach the heart.

Other causes of angina
Angina can worsen by the following health conditions:

1. Tachycardia or abnormally rapid heartbeat
2. Anemia
3. Disease of the valves of the heart
4. Hypertrophy of the heart muscle
5. Spasms in the coronary arteries

Risk factors for angina or chest pain
As we have seen, atherosclerosis is almost always at the root of angina or chest pain because it causes the heart muscle not to receive enough blood, especially when we make a physical effort. Therefore, the best way to prevent angina is to prevent atherosclerosis.

Risk factors for atherosclerosis

1. Family history of atherosclerosis
2. High cholesterol, especially LDL
3. High blood pressure
4. Smoking
5. Diabetes type 1 and 2
6. Obesity
7. Stress
8. Lack of regular physical activity

How can you prevent angina?
In general, preventing angina means eliminating the risk factors mentioned above. The following advice can help you to accomplish this task:

1. If your weight is a risk for your health, lose weight.
2. Eat a healthy diet
3. Do not smoke.
4. Walk at least half an hour every day
5. If you have diabetes type 1 or 2, follow your doctor’s advice.

If you need more information on the subject you can visit my website where you will find many articles to guide you in this area.

Are you following a balanced diet?
Check with your doctor or dietitian if your diet is in accordance with their guidelines. A lot has been said about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, but the truth of the matter is that it is the diet that for centuries has protected the Mediterranean people from heart disease and many other chronic diseases.

As you may be aware, it is a diet based on fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, aromatic herbs, olive oil, fish, seafood, and very little red meat. It is also low in saturated fat which is mainly found in meats and whole dairies.

Final thoughts on angina
The word angina has its origins in the Latin language; it means strangulation or narrowness; in other words, something that presses, that is too tight. As you may guess or you may have experience, this type of chest pain is nothing to be taken lightly as it can be fatal.

The best course of action is to eliminate the risk factors above mentioned. A healthy diet and regular physical activity will go a long way to prevent angina or chest pain. It may require some changes in your life but the pay-off would be a longer life without heart disease.

There are quite a number of allergy types that can cause us serious ailments. If you are the type of a person who gets an instant allergic reaction from let’s say eating or drinking something, even being stung by a wasp or a bee, then you must consult a physician and be tested for an allergy. To those individuals that are sensitive or prone to having an allergy, then they must be careful and be constantly aware of what they are eating or what they are about to eat and drink. A person can be allergic to particular type of foods, plants and even animals. The following are some of the most common allergens: Bee or Wasp Stings; Shell fish allergies; Yeast; Peanut allergies and a whole lot more.
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An accidental contact with one of said allergens can actually cause someone some serious medical condition. We may or may not be aware that we had ingested or we have been exposed to one of the said lethal allergens. Truth be told, allergies can come when we least expect it. The swelling of one’s throat is considered as the most severe symptom that we can associate with it. This can actually make one’s breathing hard and can actually cause someone their life if no treated or corrected immediately. This is called as anaphylactic shock and this requires immediate medical treatment. Above mentioned allergens are the most serious types and are the ones that can actually lead one to suffer from an anaphylactic shock. An individual who is known to have a serious allergy from said allergens are advised to always carry with them an epi pen for emergencies like an allergy attack.
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One of the other symptoms can include difficulty in breathing; this can also start an asthma attack. Itchy rashes or hives are also some of the most common reactions that an allergic person can experience. Some are also known to experience minor swelling in the face. The good thing is, said milder allergy symptoms can be easily treated with an antihistamine medicine like Benadryl.

High blood pressure (otherwise known as hypertension) is a chronic problem facing Americans and those all over the world. Our lifestyles are very different from those of our grandparents, or great-grandparents. We are much more sedentary, eat too many calories, eat poor quality food (fast food, pre-packaged products, few fruits and veggies), and we are much too stressed and overworked. All of these factors combine in multiple ways to constrict our blood vessels, creating high blood pressure.

Here are 6 natural healing remedies you can implement today to help lower your blood pressure naturally!

1. Exercise. Yes, the dreaded “E” word! We’ve heard this a thousand times – eat less, exercise more – for improved overall health. Exercise decreases hypertension by causing blood to pump strenuously through the vessels, stretching vessel walls and maintaining elasticity. Regular exercise also decreases appetite and burns calories, so your weight is likely to go down – another way to lower your blood pressure.

2. Eat garlic! Not only does garlic traditionally keep the vampires away, it reduces your blood pressure by thinning your blood, making it easier for your heart to pump. Always check with your doctor before adding garlic supplements to your diet.

3. Niacin or Vitamin B3 helps to lower hypertension by providing vasodilator effects – that is, it allows the vessel walls to open and expand, allowing more blood through. Again, check with your doctor prior to beginning Niacin supplementation. A very common side effect is “flushing”, i.e. – feeling red, hot, prickly skin mostly around the face and neck, but also on the upper torso and arms. To reduce this effect, ease into niacin supplementation gradually or buy flush-free formulations.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar – 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) mixed in about a cup of water or juice, drunk 3 times a day, has been shown to dramatically reduce hypertension in just a few weeks. It should be raw, unfiltered ACV, available in health food stores and many groceries.

5. Yoga – we all know that stress can contribute to many ailments, including hypertension. Adding a mind-body exercise such as yoga can help you to relax and reduce your stress levels, thus reducing your blood pressure.

6. Eat more fish! Preliminary studies suggest fish oil may help lower blood pressure. While fish oil contains both the beneficial EFA and DHA fatty acids, it is the DHA which seems to be effective in lowering blood pressure. This can also be taken as a capsule.

There are two main groups of alopecia: scarring alopecia and non-scarring alopecia.

Non-scarring alopecia

Non-scarring alopecia often involves alopecia variants where the hair falls off without inflammation or scarring. When a doctor tugs at some hair and the hairs come off effortlessly, a person mostly likely has non-scarring alopecia.

Non-scarring alopecia often heals on its own. Hair reproduction usually continues when a pre-existing condition has already been taken care of.

Cicatricial Alopecia

Cicatricial alopecia or scarring alopecia doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have ugly welts and scars on top of your head when the hair loss ceases. It simply means that a significant amount of alternation or injury is taking place inside the scalp. When the scalp is harmed from within (not the surface), scar tissue will emerge.

When scar tissue emerges, the membranes responsible for reproducing hair cells to replace fallen hair shafts are damaged permanently. The scarring from within causes the skin outside to appear shinier than usual. Therefore, the next time you see someone with a shiny pate, remember that the shininess might have been caused by scarring.

Characteristics Of Scarring Alopecia

Scarring alopecias have very similar physical properties. This is how a routine scalp examination at your general practitioner’s can yield accurate results regarding the state of your hair and your scalp. Doctors follow certain ‘clues’ to find out whether someone is suffering from the scarring variant of alopecia.

1. Skin’s physical appearance - normal skin is supple and regularly traversed by hair shafts. When the skin exhibits inverse characteristics, something is wrong.

2. Hair’s behavior – scarring alopecias almost always affect only the hair located at the very scalp. The rest of the body might not exhibit any symptoms of alopecia.

3. Blistering – if for no particular reason at all the scalp shows signs of blistering and extensive inflammation, coupled with hair loss, this may be a strong sign that active scarring alopecia is already present.

4. Evolution of the disease- a dermatologist would be able to identify scarring alopecias in any of its stages of development as a disease. You may find out that your disease may already be in an advanced stage, or it may still be in its ‘infancy’.

5. Genetic predisposition – a doctor may compare medical histories in your family to trace whether similar occurrences occurred years or decades before you were born. This might give the dermatologist a clue of what exactly you’re afflicted with.

What It Does

Take note that some alopecia may cause just the stoppage of hair reproduction. The roots and follicles may still be intact; it’s just that the genes of a person inhibit the further normal growth of hair.

Scarring alopecias are another thing altogether. They’re destructive at the level of the hair follicles. If the hair follicles are the main target of your particular disease, doctors will categorize this as primary cicatricial alopecia. When the follicles are not completely harmed, the condition is called secondary scarring alopecia.

Secondary scarring alopecia often occurs in cancer patients that have to undergo regular treatments. Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells and inhibits the normal reproduction of the body cells. In some cases, radiation destroys the sensitive membranes in the scalp.

When our heart did not receive the required oxygen to function it can lead to death of the muscles and heart attack occurs. That is one of the causes of this condition, how can we avoid those things? And what are the factors to be considered to avoid cardiovascular diseases like heart attack?

This heart problem usually happens when a blood clot develops in one of the blood vessels that lead to the heart muscle. If the clot is too big it can stop the blood flow to the heart. Blood supply to the heart can also be determined if the artery suddenly narrows, as in a spasm.

Here are the list of the symptoms:

• chest discomfort
• coughing
• crushing chest pain
• dizziness
• dyspnea (shortness of breath)
• face seems gray
• a feeling of terror that your life is coming to its end
• feeling really awful
• nausea
• restlessness
• the person is clammy and sweaty
• vomiting

As you notice these symptoms to yourself or even in other people you need to call emergency services immediately. This condition is a emergency, looking for help of health care provider is very important. A client who is having a heart attack usually feels the pain in their chest first and it even radiates or spread to the jaw, neck, arms, and wrist. Some of the people also experience the pain in their shoulder blades, back and abdomen. The patient usually describe the pain as one of pressure, something squeezing, it can last for a few minutes up yo many hours.

What causes heart attack? Here are the list:

• Age – considered to be the largest risk factor
• Angina – an illness where not enough oxygen rich the patient’s heart. This raises the risk of a heart problems, in some cases a diagnosis of angina was wrong- it could have been a mild heart problems instead. The difference between heart attack and angina is that the patient with angina will feel better about 15-30 minutes after taking medications, while the heart attack won’t.
• Blood cholesterol levels – having high cholesterol level is the number one factor that can cause heart attack because of the formation of the clot in the arteries.
• Diabetes – people with diabetes have a higher risk in developing several diseases and conditions, many of them contribute to a higher risk of heart attack.
• Diet – consuming a large amount of saturated fats like meat, can cause of having a high risk in developing this condition.
• Genes – we can inherit a high risk in having this condition if our parents or their parents had a history of this condition.
• Heart surgery – the patient who had heat surgery is at risk in having this disease.
• Obesity/ overweight- if a person is overweight there is a big possibility that in the future they can develop heart problems.
• Physical inability – these are the people who do not exercise regularly.
• Previous history – there is a high risk in having a heart attack to those people who already had it.
• Regular smoking can lead to this condition

It is very important to be knowledgeable about the causes and hings that we must to to avoid cardiovascular diseases.

The most effective method of obtaining effective treatment for osteoarthritis pain is to work with your physician.Once your condition has been diagnosed, he or she will suggest appropriate options to ensure that the treatment program deals with your individual needs and also provides proper relief from a medical standpoint. It’s a simple truth that multiple factors will determine which treatment is best for you, including your history of cardiac disease, hypertension, peptic ulcers, and renal disease.

Using pain killers and undergoing physiotherapy are the most common forms of treatment for osteoarthritis pain. Exercise and diet control can also help. A doctor’s opinion should be given before you undergo physiotherapy in order to maximize the chances for a cure. Consult a physiotherapist to learn about certain devices and appliances to manage your problem so that you can treat yourself at home as well as at work. Using a cane or crutches while walking or using rails in your bathroom can also help.

Weight control is another way to help control the pain. The pressure on the knees and hips of an obese person is often too much for the joints to handle, and it is known that the risk of developing this disease can be increased by obesity. Actually, women who are overweight have a greater chance of developing arthritis of the hip, so decreasing weight is an efficient treatment method.

Certain kinds of physical activity should be undertaken, which can be recommended by your physician. Possible exercises to do are swimming, walking, and aerobics, which will assist in decreasing the progress of this disease.

Using natural remedies is something you can do as well, and is actually a good treatment for osteoarthritis pain that offers a lot of relief from the swelling and pain. The application of a hot water bottle may be helpful, and electric heating pads and certain ointments can also provide a lot of relief. There are also certain age-old traditional approaches like a mud bath and wearing copper bracelets that are still used to treat osteoarthritis. Herbal remedies have also been known to help reduce arthritis pain.

As previously stated, many arthritis conditions are the result of obesity, and following a special osteoarthritis diet is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis pain. It is common knowledge that to keep your body in shape, you must adopt a healthy diet. Furthermore, it aids your body in fighting off infections.
Arthritis is a serious health condition that affects the joints, bones, and ligaments. There is more than one form of the disease, with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis being two of the most widespread. No matter which kind you have, it can be very painful.

Herbal relief for colds and flu are numerous and very effective.

When you feel as if a cold is starting you should immediately take a dose of five drops of Echinacea as per dosage instructions on the bottle and you should increase your vitamin C intake.
Cold virus
Our bodies cannot hold or manufacture Vitamin C so increasing your daily intake can immediately help to improve your immune system. Your body will flush out any excess it does not need. If you find your bowels are loose reduce the amount you are taking. Ideally take 1-2 grams of Vitamin C twice a day with meals.

For a soothing effect you should make a steam bath containing Tea Tree oil, Eucalyptus and Peppermint oil and inhale the steam. This will help ward off the cold and prevent congestion.

Drink lots of fluids but try to avoid milk as this can suppress your immune system.

If breathing problems persist consult your medical practitioner.

Herbs can work more effectively to combat flu than even the latest flu vaccines.

New Olive Leaf Extract is a strong antibacterial/antiviral capable of countering bacteria and viruses that even modern medicines cannot tackle. Recently the processing methods for this extract have changed and the potency of the resulting product is vastly improved.

Olive Leaf extract fights amongst other things retroviruses and is very effective in fighting the rhinovirus – the most common cause of the common cold.

Another weapon in the herbal relief arsenal against colds and flu is the elderberry.

Elderberries make a fantastic drink and this drink can help you recover from a cold more quickly and help to build your strength before another illness of infection catches you in a weakened state.

Elderberries will hasten your recovery from a cold or flu in a very interesting way. When flu cells attack the body they break into your healthy cells by attaching to the surface using spikes on their own surface. Elderberry works by making these spikes ineffective in a way that is not yet understood but by doing this the flu virus is defeated before it can cause any damage.

An effective fight against the flu virus is to add half to one teaspoon of Elderberry Tincture to a little water and take every four hours as soon as you feel the first symptoms. Continue this for three days.

There are countless ways herbal relief for the symptoms of a cold of flu can be gained. The results are quick and effective and herbal remedies can also be taken alongside traditional medicines but should never be regarded as a total replacement or in place of a visit to your medical practitioner.

Many people suffer from back pain due to varying reasons. Back pain affects 8 out of 10 people at some point in their lives. It could be acute pain or chronic pain depending on how long the pain sensation has been going on. Where acute pain is sudden and lasting for a few days or a week, chronic pain, however, last for more than three months. Pain could be constant, dull pain or a sudden sharp pain.

Back pain could arise from any of the structures of the back which is composed of muscles, ligaments, bones, tendons and disks. Sometimes, however, the exact cause of pain cannot be identified. Improper or heavy lifting and/or awkward sudden movement strains muscles and ligaments causing back pain. Back pain could be due to spasm of muscles in the back. It could also be caused by a problem in the structures of the back.

Sciatica, a sharp, shooting pain through the buttock and the back of the leg can be caused by a bulging or herniated disk which presses on the main nerve traveling down your leg. Bulging or ruptured disks may bulge out of place or rupture and press on a nerve causing pain. The disks in between the vertebrae of the spine act as cushion hence when displaced or ruptured, diminishes the support it gives to the vertebrae. However, there are also people with bulging or herniated disks that may not necessarily experience pain from that condition. Arthritis, inflammation of a joint, may also cause back pain. This inflammation commonly affects the hips, hands, knees and lower back. It could lead to stenosis of the spine- the narrowing of space around the spinal cord. Abnormal curvature of the spine such as scoliosis, a condition where a person’s spine is curved from side to side, could also cause back pain. When your bones become porous and brittle it could lead to compression fractures of the spinal vertebrae causing pain.

There are factors that increase the risk of developing back pain. These include obesity, sedentary work, physically strenuous work, older age, stressful jobs, anxiety, depression, gender, and smoking.

There are ways to reduce these risks. Exercise is a good way to keep muscles relaxed rather than tense. It improves movement and flexibility. Exercise improves blood circulation and therefore nourishment of tissues in the body. Eating healthy food to nourish your body is always a good idea. For your body to function well, it should have the necessary daily dietary requirements such as proteins, vitamins and minerals among others.