Causes Of Constipation And Treatments

December 8, 2010 by Heidi Whittaker  
Filed under Diet & Fitness

The most common form of constipation is known as idiopathic or functional constipation. This means that the cause is unclear, therefore the disease can only be defined by the symptoms that it displays. Very often, the first line constipation remedies are preceded by high fiber therapy. However, in the cases that it doesn’t work (which is the majority), patients will often turn toward laxatives.

There seems to be widespread agreement among scientists and doctors that the judicious use of laxative constipation remedies is tolerated and safe. However, as some patients take such medications over extended periods, suspicions have surfaced about long-term side effects and problems. A result of these suspicions are some misconceptions about laxative use.

The incorrect or at least poorly conceived myths regarding laxative use can be divided into three kinds. The first kind concerns the idea that using laxatives causes nerves to become damaged in the colonic tract. THe second kind is related to the idea that laxatives are carcinogenic or mutagenic agents which give rise to cancer. THe third kind is about the idea of laxative “intolerance”, i.e. the efficacy wears off over time.

With respect to the first, reports first surfaced in studies on patients who had been using laxative constipation treatments for a long term. Studies of the colonic lining showed a discoloration. Follow-up showed that some had nerve damage. THe problem is that these studies were not well controlled with a placebo population. Critics say that patients with constipation already have higher predisposition to nerve damage. Later studies did not hold up the causal link between constipation medication and laxatives.

On the topic of the second, people reported a connection from laxatives to cancer by looking at animal experimentation. Rodents which were given very high doses of laxatives showed more DNA damage and thus propensity toward cancer. Yet the studies used extremely high concentrations of drugs that are never seen in humans. Likewise, studies with such high concentrations of aspartame and artificial sweeteners show a link between consumption and cancer that are rarely realized in epidemiological surveys.

With respect to the third, informal evidence from self-reporting patients suggested the idea of rebound and intolerance to laxatives. Well-controlled studies, on the other hand, showed that in patients who had used medication for as long as 30 years still benefited from consistent usage. Animal studies suggested also a lack of the intolerance effect.

In all, laxatives remain a helpful weapon in the arsenal against constipation. Ideas that they lead to long-term damage need to be taken with a grain of salt, and patients should consult with physicians to manage their fears.

Treatment For Gout

July 2, 2010 by Aneron Kepasil  
Filed under Health

Gout is an agonizing form of arthritis. It occurs due to the purines in the uric acid that form around the joints. Those suffering from gout experience heat, swelling, tremendous pain and joint stiffness. Consuming excess purine containing foods like organ meats, dried beans, sardines and anchovies can cause gout.

Most doctors will use prescription medicines as the treatment for gout. A medicine called colchicine will help reduce inflammation, swelling and pain caused by sudden gout attacks. The medicine works by decreasing the uric acid crystals built up in the joint. However, the medicine does not reduce the levels of uric acid in the blood stream. Most often the pain usually goes away in about twelve hours of starting the treatment for gout, and is completely relieved by 48 hours. Taking the medicines colchicine, or allopurinol, usually prevents future attacks.

Treating gout can be easy if the symptoms, genetic history, patients medical history are checked by the physician on time. If a person suffered two or more arthritis attacks, experiences severe joint stiffness in any one area like knee or toe, it could be a symptom of gout.

Dietary changes can alleviate gout symptoms also. Drinking a lot of water helps the body remove uric acid from the bloodstream. Dairy products, black cherry juice, and blueberries can also remove urate crystals from the body and uric acid from the bloodstream. Excessive vitamin C consumption elevates the levels of uric acid in and can contribute to the development of a gout toe.

Beef, iron, and pork are also purine rich foods, but these meats do not usually cause gout if they are consumed in moderation. Game meat may also contain high amounts of purine, although most people do not consume a large amount of game meat as part of a modern diet.

Some people want a natural treatment for gout, or any other medical problem. For centuries, plant extracts and natural herbs have been used to treat gout in Europe and Asia. Clinical research proved that those plant extract do have natural compounds that reduce uric acids in the blood and expel it from the body. Those scientific studies lead to the creation of Goutezol. Goutezol is an effective natural treatment for gout because it reduces pain, swelling, and inflammation. It also improves purine metabolism and digestion, gets rid of uric acids in the body, lowers the levels of uric acid in the blood. Goutezol is the only product on the market that contains an extract from the mulberry tree. In China, mulberry has been used for centuries to treat gout. Goutezol is a great treatment for gout because it starts working almost immediately.

Sandalwood Essential Oil: A Great Aroma With Science Proven Benefits

June 21, 2010 by Ellen Tesston  
Filed under Health

Sandalwood is both a classic scent and a classic medicine. Used as an aromatic for over 4000 years, and as a medicine in the Ayurvedic system for perhaps a millennium, the wood itself has been greatly valued by mankind. The essential oil, while only becoming popular in the last hundred years, is a truly classic scent, with important science-proven therapeutic medicinal applications. Whether it be for the body or mind, sandalwood oil can offer effective support. Here’s a look at the therapeutic applications of this treasured oil, and how you too might benefit from its medicinal magic.

The exotic oil comes from the heartwood of trees native to certain tropical regions of the world. Curiously, the sandalwood tree is only found growing on, or intertwined with, other trees; it’s considered, in fact, a parasite. Further, the trees are quite slow growing, and demand a certain amount of age before being mature enough to distill a significant volume of high-quality oil. This makes for a unique challenge in growing the wood and distilling the precious essential oil.

The very finest oil, certainly aromatically — and some people believe therapeutically as well — is distilled from the Santalum album species native to India. The essential oil has become so highly valued that over-harvesting of the trees has made a significant impact in deforestation in certain regions. So much so that the government of India made it a law that they now own all the sandalwood trees in the country! This, of course, is meant to prevent poaching of the trees, as clearly the offense is rather serious stealing the valuable resource from the government. Thankfully, there are plantations of this same species of tree underway, and other sources of very fine sandalwood oils that are now close in rivaling the quality of the Indian material.

What could it be about this essential oil that makes it so highly coveted? For starters, the wood has been pulverized and made into a paste used on the skin for centuries in India — both for ritual and medicinal activities. It turns out that, under laboratory research, the essential oil significantly reduces the development for skin cancer significantly when applied to skin before exposure to ultraviolet rays. Further, it also prevented cancers from developing from contact with carcinogenic chemicals — a very interesting therapeutic activity indeed.

Researchers at South Dakota State University, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, noted “alpha-santalol, a major component of sandalwood oil, is effective in preventing skin cancer in…UVB-induced skin cancer development.” Researchers at the University of Colorado, Denver, noted that the oil caused apoptosis (normal cell death) of cells that were on their way to becoming cancerous. Clearly the essential oil makes an important therapeutic contribution to skin care formulations for those spending a lot of time in the sun.

The original allure of the tree and its oil was its fantastic aroma. Clearly early on, people recognized there was something different about it: the oil is unique for its ability to both stimulate and calm at the same time. These effects have been the subject of research, finding that the oil managed to both heighten senses and bring about a aura of calm — a perfect combination of course for the meditative purposes for which the oil is frequently employed. Just a drop or two on the wrists or forehead is an excellent way to enjoy sandalwood’s mind-centering effects.

Interestingly, while the oil heightens awareness, it actually supports deeper, more restful sleep. Research on the inhalation of the aroma showed that study participants usually challenged to get a good rest spent much less time awake, and the total time spent in “rapid eye movement” sleep was also increased. The affect was attributed to the oil’s action in the bloodstream after inhalation, not on the sensing of the aroma. So a gentle massage with the oil may be just as effective as using a diffuser for improved sleep with the oil.

This is just a brief look at some wonderful therapeutic actions available using sandalwood. Its skin care properties go far beyond sun protection; these include care for dry skin, mature skin and acne-prone skin as well. The oil is very safe, and well-tolerated by nearly everyone. When you find yourself looking for a source of sandalwood, you’ll find several varieties available. Research has shown them to be fairly equivalent in many respects therapeutically — for skin care, the lower-cost Australian is an excellent choice. For aromatic uses, find one that you enjoy the most! And know that a little goes a long way — start with a small amount, and enjoy its subtle, uplifting nature.

Get Your Toned Abs With 7 Minute Workout Program

June 2, 2010 by Roy Adams  
Filed under Weight Loss

What’s the real truth about abs? How can I develop six pack abs? These are the most common questions most women ask in weight loss and health-related forums and women discussion boards. Well, first of all, it is important to know that getting abs is not that hard. After seeing stars like Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, Scarlet Johansson, and other sexy Hollywood stars, many women feel like the truth about six pack abs is that it is only for celebrities and that it requires costly makeover and body infrastructure.

To begin with, you will need to clear all the mistaken truths about six pack abs. You actually need not work on train machines to develop great abs fast. What you’ll want to do is to study why you need that abs and analyze how you are able to do it accordingly. Keep in mind, you possibly can’t work right this moment and see six abs tomorrow. You want effort and persistence to unfastened the extra fat deposited in your body. Second factor is that you need to educate yourself about abs. You shouldn’t overlook that your physique has already abs in it. Nevertheless, what you actually need is to free the additional fats that have been overlaying them.

The third fact about abs is that there are literally no weight reduction or weight loss supplements or any other well being supplements that can tune your physique to get six pack abs quick! Do not waste your money on those abs drugs because the only factor you could develop nice abs is to strike the steadiness between the precise food regimen and exercise.

What’s the reality about the correct diet? The regular food plan plan we have now is consist of breakfast, lunch and dinner, however if you wish to develop six pack abs, it is best to increase you each day meal to 6 times in a day. Eat your breakfast at 8AM, your snack at 11AM, your lunch at 1PM, another snack at 4PM, dinner at 7PM, and one other one at 10PM. The saying that abs is definitely made in the kitchen is true however guantee that your abs eating regimen is wholesome, rich in protein, fats, nutrients, and other wholesome items that can make overeating impossible. Drink loads of water and increase your fiber intake. Eat more beans, entire grains, spinach, greens, fruits, and say NO to cookies, pizzas, and fried foods.

What’s the reality about the best train? Effectively, the scientifically confirmed abs exercises can actually make it easier to however be sure that to plan the timing and do them repeatedly without skipping even one exercise. The most typical workouts used to develop six pack abs are sit-ups, crunches, jackknife, leg lifts, static hold, side statics, V-ups, cardio, and lift weights.

The Most Critical Causes Of Anxiety

May 24, 2010 by Athena T. Buchanan  
Filed under Health

Anxiety actually can work as a positive beefing up but much of the time ; this may bring difficulty into an individual. The difficulty come into the scene when there’s an exaggerate anxiousness, worry, and stress without a reason in any way.Folks that suffer from this can find themselves always worried by certain affairs in lifeeither it is down to the fact of money, health, family, or work. The issue here is that the anxiety is due to impractical factor which shouldn’t be the case since there isn’t any reason at all why to fret events that aren’t in reality.Now for you to prevent yourself from troubling this type of problem, it’s a must to orient yourself about the causes of anxiety.

Researches made public the indisputable fact that there’s no single cause for tension that means that there are many factors which will basically play altogether to make a contribution to the difficulty. To get you thru all these causes of anxiety better, they were divided into 3 groups which include the following :

Brain Biochemistry it’s the neurotransmitter that regulates the thoughts and feelings of folks. But there are times when problem may happen to the message carried by the brain explaining why chemical inequality occurs. Among the first neurotransmitters which may affect the feelings of somebody are dopamine and serotonin. In occassions when there’s a disequilibrium, it is probable that somebody gets depressed and even concerned.

Genetics- it’s correct that stress basically runs among family so one of the causes of anxiety is genetic.For that reason, if one of your folks member or relative suffered from nervousness then it is likely that you’re going to get thru such stage too. This is noted that when youngsters grow in a family which is enclosed by anxiety and concern then such youngsters will try and copy the concerned feelings into their lives also.

Due to Fight and Flight Reaction- During times of danger, a person will only have to do two things which include to fight or to flee. This same mechanism is also the one that creates the heart rate to increase as a means of the body to prepare itself to dangerous situation.

Now that you know the causes of anxiety then it’s going to be simple for you to find the option you may use to help your body fight the difficulty away.

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