These toxins include medications such as NSAIDS and statins, aspirin and Tylenol.

In addition, here are some other ways in which you can harm your kidneys:

-  Being obese

-  Through fluoride in your water supply

-  Using non stick cookware (Teflon)

-  Undergoing root canal treatment along with dental mercury amalgams

-  Exposure to toxic mold in the home and elsewhere

-  The use of pesticides and laundry detergents and other toxic cleaning matrials

-  Artificial sweeteners of all types

-  Consuming fructose, sodas and candies

Emotions can play a part with the health of our organs too, and the emotion often associated with problems with the kidney is fear so be mindful that if you are frequently fearful, you may well be affecting your kidneys and their function.

Kidney disease risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and age. Early detection and treatment can increase the life of the kidneys.  Remember too that high blood pressure can lead to or be a sign of kidney disease.

Kidney disease is called a ‘silent disease’ as there are often few symptoms but here some of the signs and symptoms:

-  Change in frequency and quantity of urine passed, especially at night (usually increase at first)
-  Blood in the urine (haematuria)
-  Foaming urine
-  Puffiness around the eyes and ankles (oedema)
-  Pain in the back (under the lower ribs, where the kidneys are located)
-  Pain or burning when passing urine

Later on, when the kidneys begin to fail, there is a build-up of waste products and extra fluid in the blood as well as other problems, gradually leading to:

-  Tiredness, inability to concentrate
-  Generally feeling unwell
-  Loss of appetite
-  Nausea and vomiting
-  Shortness of breath

Reduction in kidney function cannot usually be reversed.  However, if detected early enough, the progress of kidney disease can be slowed and sometimes even prevented but if kidney function is reduced to less than 10 per cent of normal then renal dialysis or a kidney transplant becomes necessary.

Dialysis is a treatment for kidney failure that removes waste products and extra water from the blood by filtering it through a special membrane (fine filter).

But please do not let your kidneys deteriorate in the first place. Early detection of kidney disease can be life saving. Very importantly, lifestyle changes can keep your kidneys healthy.  Here are those 12 tips:

1.  Avoid contact with all the toxic and harmful items listed at the beginning of this article.

2.  Eat lots of  fresh fruit and vegetables (particularly the latter) together with grass fed beef and free range chicken and eggs.

3.  Stay away from sugars, sodas and artificial sweeteners, processed salty foods and the bad trans fats and change to natural salt and good fats such as butter from raw cream, olive oil and organic cocnut oil.  Stevia is a safe replacement for sugar.

4.  Try to drink only water instead of other drinks. This should be pure filtered water – at least 8 glasses per day.

5.  Maintain a healthy weight and of course this will be achieved through the other lifestyle changes that you make.

6.  Stay fit by at least 30 minutes of physical activity that increases your heart rate on five or more days of the week including walking, lawn mowing, bike riding, swimming or gentle aerobics.

7.  Don’t smoke and limit your alcohol to two small drinks per day if you are male or one small drink per day if you are female.

8.  Have your blood pressure checked regularly.  If you blood pressure levels are higher than they should be, lower them with natural remedies rather than statins which can actually lead to kidney damage.

9.  Do things that help you relax and reduce your stress levels.

10.  Spirulina (from a safe source) helps to protect your kidneys. As kidneys are one of the first organs to suffer damage after significant radiation exposure, Spirulina is used but research also suggests that spirulina helps protect from the nephrotoxicity of cancer treatments, antibiotics and analgesics.

11.  Please be aware that many people today are gluten intollerant and as such can suffer from gluten induced kidney damage. If you are not sure or are suspicious that you might be gluten intolerant, get genetically tested for gluten sensitivity.  If you have actually have kidney disease, make sure your doctor checks your 25 OH D levels (vitamin D).  Additionally, make sure that he measures for other nutritional deficiencies as well.   Malabsorption is a common cause of secondary diseases for those with intolerance or sensitivity to gluten.

12.  It cannot be overemphasized how important vitamin D is to your general health including the kidneys.  Vitamin D is not a vitamin at all but a steroid hormone that is probably the single most important factor in human health.  The optimum level for good health is to be between 40 ng/ml and 100 ng/ml and if you are not receiving sufficient sunlight exposure, the average adult needs to take a daily dose of 8000 IUs daily to elevate their levels above 40 ng/ml.

Remember that avoiding all toxins, taking regular exercise, along with a balanced diet and drinking plenty of water will help to keep your kidneys working well and in peak condition. 

You can do this test by going to www.realage.com and logging in. It will probably take you about 15 minutes to complete especially if you have some general background information ready before you start – such as your weight, height, waist measurements, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The rest of the survey you should be able to do from memory. There are little tips all through the questionnaire to help you out if you are not quite sure about the various questions.

I found the test to be very extensive, working through different aspects of your health and well being. The initial general back ground questions are followed by your medical history including dental and eye health. If you give a positive response to any medical conditions in this part of the questioning, the survey will come back to follow up with more questions on such conditions as to treatment, medications and more.

The next page goes into your emotional background and you need to think carefully and be very honest here. Following on are questions about your education and work background along with the family income. Queries on your diet, vitamins and supplements are quite extensive as is the final set of questions on what form of exercise you do.

Once you start the questionnaire, please do not give up but keep on right to the end when you will be given your Real Age.

And it does not end there. There is a detailed plan for you – congratulating you on what you are doing correctly and steering you in the right direction for improving any aspects of your lifestyle. You can print out this plan (which runs into several pages) to keep and to follow. But read it on your screen as well because all through the plan are links to interesting pieces of information such as a special tracker to start a walking workout and to log your miles or the chance to take the RealAge Sleep Health Assessment to see how you rate in the sleeping department.

The plan is also peppered with healthy hints such as checking your skin regularly so that you can perform skin self-exams and learn how to spot potential problems like changes in moles or other skin marks. If you have any moles that concern you, these can be easily and safely removed with H-Moles from Healing Natural Oils.

Many of the suggestions are good and sensible. There are a few that I had issues with though and these I listed them here with my suggested alternative:

-  They recommend chewing gum (for lowering stress) as long as it is sugarless gum. Unfortunately, sugarless gum will usually have aspartame as an ingredient which is a particularly harmful and toxic artificial sweetener. In fact all artificial sweeteners should be avoided. Instead, find a gum that uses xylitol which is an alcohol sugar that is very good for oral hygiene.

-  Shake the salt habit. This should read “shake the processed salt habit” because we do need salt in our lives but it must be natural salt.

-  Stressing the importance of sun screen when it has now been found that sun screens can contain many harmful and toxic chemicals to such an extent that they can actually cause cancer. If you must use a sunscreen, find a natural one with safe ingredients. Sunscreens also block out the massive Vitamin D benefits of sunlight.

Recommending soy foods such as tofu, soymilk and anything made from whole soy beans.  However, soy can be incredibly healthful, but only if it is organic and properly fermented. The risks of consuming unfermented soy products far outweigh any possible benefits. In fact the vast majority of soy at your local market is not a health food. Unlike the Asian culture, where people eat small amounts of whole non-GMO soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities—protein and oil. And there is nothing natural or safe about these products.  In fact 91% of soy grown in the US is genetically modified (GM) to impart resistance to the toxic herbicide Roundup. While this is meant to increase farming efficiency and provide you with less expensive soy, the downside is that your soy is loaded with this toxic pesticide. And this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the worrying health side effects of soy.

In spite of these few reservations, most of the advice given on this site is very helpful and encouraging and I know you will benefit from doing the RealAge test and printing out your own plan at the end.

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The number of asthma cases keeps on growing. Can you believe an increase of more than 300% over the last two decades? Asthma affects an estimated thirty million Americans including many children. This inflammatory condition, typically of the upper airways, results in symptoms of chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. When the symptoms are especially severe, it can be extremely stressful for the sufferer.

Asthma can be treated with two types of pharmaceutical medications: long-term control and quick-relief medicines. Long-term control medicines help reduce airway inflammation and prevent asthma symptoms while quick-relief medicines relieve asthma symptoms that may flare up.

If you have asthma, you probably spend a lot of time using various inhalers and nebulizers. Often, these contain glucocorticoids (steroids) which can have major side effects when used long term. These side effects include: cataracts, osteoporosis, adrenal insufficiency, weight gain (with a possible dramatic increase in abdominal fat), Type 2 diabetes and behavioral changes such as extreme anger.

In addition, other inhalers contain drugs which dilate the bronchi allowing more air in but, at the same time in many users, these drugs cause very rapid heart rate, tremors and insomnia.

Of course these drugs can be life saving but it is important to look at other safer ways to improve asthma symptoms.

Triggers for asthma include allergies, certain drugs, pollution and severe stress.

Some sufferers are finding that their symptoms respond well to natural treatments for asthma. One natural alternative is inhaled glutathione an antioxidant which is usually deficient in those suffering from asthma. The body produces its own glutathione unless a poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation have depleted your reserves, leaving you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and more.

Other ways to treat and even prevent the symptoms of asthma naturally are with these suggestions:

- By testing for gluten intolerance and/or other food allergies as it has been found that many with asthma also have a gluten or other sensitivity. In such cases, their immune systems are so busy fighting their food, that they don’t have left over immune resources to fight the environment.

- By increasing the intake of animal-based omega 3 fats and by reducing the intake of omega 6 fats – the ratio between these two fats is very important. If the balance is distorted it can lead to the type of inflammation that causes asthma.

- By getting regular exercise especially out in the fresh air. Research has shown that exercise in asthmatics leads to an improvement in maximum ventilation and maximal oxygen uptake; in work capacity; and in maximum heart rate.

- By testing your vitamin D levels. Most important of all is that if you get your levels to about 60 ng/ml or higher, there’s a strong likelihood you may not experience the symptoms of asthma any more. The vast majority of today’s population is vitamin D deficient – that is below 30 ng/ml – so that even the medical community is beginning to realize the importance of raising vitamin D levels to protect against a large number of diseases and health conditions including asthma. You can raise your levels by exposing as much skin as possible to sunlight during the 2 hours either side of noon (with no sun block) for as long as it takes for your skin to turn a light pink. The darker your skin, the longer you need.  Do this as often as you can. You may still need to supplement with vitamin D3 and the suggested optimal dose is 8000 IUs per day until you reach above 60 ng/ml. You will then need to maintain that level.

These 14 signs are:

1. Often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming while seated.
2. Having difficulty remaining seated when required to do so.
3. Being easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
4. Having difficulty awaiting turn in games or group activities.
5. Often blurting out answers before questions are completed.
6. Having difficulty in following instructions.
7. Having difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities.
8. Often shifting from one uncompleted task to another.
9. Having difficulty playing quietly.
10. Often talking excessively.
11. Often interrupting or intruding on others.
12. Often not listening to what is being said.
13. Often forgetting things necessary for tasks or activities.
14. Often engaging in physically dangerous activities without considering possible consequences.

While there are children who struggle with serious inattention and hyperactive or impulsive behaviors around the clock, so that they might be considered definitely ADD or ADHD, this label is frequently given to many other children as well without just cause.

In spite of the trend for several past decades to prescribe drugs for treating this disorder, it has been found that such stimulant drugs provide no lasting improvement.

Many parents, concerned about the long term use of prescription drugs on their children, look for other ways to help them.

Dr Mercola has this to say to parents on this subject:

“Drugging children with narcotics to treat behavioral problems should be a very last resort, only implemented after all other options have been exhausted – if they are regarded as an option at all. Other options exist that are far safer, and involve no drugs whatsoever! So before you consider drugs, please consider implementing the following strategies first, in addition to making sure that your child is assessed in an age-appropriate manner before labeling him or her with ADHD:

-  Eliminate most grains and sugars from your child’s diet. Grains and sugars both tend to cause allergies in sensitive individuals. Even organic, whole grain can cause problems in many children so it would be wise to give them a grain holiday and see if their behavior improves. A 2006 study showed that ADHD is markedly over represented in those with untreated celiac disease, indicating that wheat may be an especially problematic grain worth eliminating as a precaution.

-  Replace soft drinks (whether diet and regular), fruit juices, and pasteurized milk with pure, clean non-fluoridated water.

-  Increase omega-3 fats by taking a high quality animal-based omega-3 fat such as krill oil. Research has confirmed that animal-based omega-3 fat can improve the symptoms of ADHD more effectively than drugs like Ritalin and Concerta.

-  Consider a natural drug alternative such as the pine bark extract known as pycnogenol. It is one of over a dozen natural substances that have been studied to reduce the symptoms of ADHD in children.

-  Minimize your use of nearly all processed fats, especially trans fats as they disrupt nerve cell intercommunication.
Avoid all processed foods, especially those containing artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, which may trigger or worsen symptoms.

-  Clear your house of dangerous pesticides and other commercial chemicals. Pesticide exposure has been linked with ADHD.

-  Avoid commercial washing detergents and cleaning products used on clothes, and replace them with naturally derived cleaning products with no added perfumes, softeners, etc. Permanent press or stain-resistant products also contain chemicals that can initiate ADHD-like reactions in sensitive individuals.

-  Spend more time in nature. Researchers have found that exposing ADHD children to nature is an affordable, healthy way of controlling symptoms.

-  Investigate sensory therapy and emotional wellness tools. Instead of looking for a quick fix, encourage ADHD sufferers to talk, and find out what emotions are causing issues. Stress is the frequently unappreciated and overlooked variable that can easily worsen ADHD. If the parents are having trouble in their relationship this can easily influence the child’s behavior.”

A recent study in Holland put half of the ADHD children on a strict diet while the other half ate their normal diet. The strict diet comprised: rice, turkey, pear, vegetables and water only for 2 weaks. Then one food was added back every week. Some 67% of those children on the strict diet were back to normal after just 5 weeks. It was found that different children could not eat different foodstuffs. The trial is published at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/…/21296237

“Phosphatidylserine” is a supplement worth investigating (which includes natural amino and fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid) and could be helpful in cases of ADHD as it seems to strengthen memory, increase vigilance and attention, boost learning, increase mental acuity, intensify concentration, relieve depression and improve mood as well as decrease stress. It has also been found to work on adults and children alike.

However, it was not always like this. In the past, we relied on natural remedies and herbal remedies to treat all our ailments and many of the more discerning amongst us question the need for so many manufactured chemical drugs to be distributed and taken.

In fact highlighted in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and written about on the website www.foodmatters.tv is an article that documents the tragedy of conventional medical health. The author, Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, describes how the US health care system is certainly not helping to keep us healthy.

She quotes that each year there are deaths as follows:

12,000 from unnecessary surgery
7,000 from medication errors in hospitals
20,000 from other errors in hospitals
80,000 from infections in hospitals and
106,000 from non-error, negative effects of drugs

These total 225,000 deaths per year from modern medicine.

You can read more of this article at http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp_195111/Are_Drugs_Killing_You

Fortunately, there are many options now available for us to return to natural treatment methods. These can be found in health shops and stores and online. So there is really no need for us to ingest all these chemicals when we can so easily go the natural route. Unlike chemical drugs, healing plants and herbs have been tried and tested by man for hundreds of years.

Many conditions can be treated successfully, gently and safely with medications made from natural products. Such conditions include warts, skin tags and hemorrhoids.

Warts, including all body warts, are easily spread but can be eliminated by the use of a natural product. All warts are caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV and once you have this virus, you have it for life. There are over 100 strains of this virus.

Skin tags are those annoying bits of skin or tags that protrude from the body mostly in the armpit but also along the neckline, beneath the breasts, on and above the eyelids and even in the groin area. They have their own blood supply and can bleed if rubbed by clothing or jewellery or shaved in error. They are common in both men and women as they grow older but tend to be more numerous in obese persons and those with type  2 diabetes. The earlier they are treated, the easier it is to treat them successfully. With a healing natural oils product, there is no need to undergo a painful and scarring solution.

Hemorrhoids are like varicose veins in the rectum and the anus. They are a very common complaint. Hemorrhoids are swellings that develop from the cushions of tissue that form part of the anal canal. Constipation, obesiety and the later stages of pregnancy can all increase pressure on this area, leading to hemorrhoids. When hemorrhoids are small, they are not usually painful but can be extremely itchy. It is when a hard lump starts to protrude form the anus, signaling thrombosis, that a severe pain can be felt. Improving your diet and good exercise play an important role in the treatment of hemorrhoids together with a natural healing treatment.

Natural remedies can help prevent and treat specific health conditions and disorders. From mild skin irritations to more serious medical conditions, there are natural treatments and herbal remedies that can really make a difference, safely and gently and with no dangerous side effects.  

A pattern usually forms where the migraine will return at the same time each day for several days or even weeks. There will then be a break of perhaps months before the same cluster migraine pattern returns. Of course each sufferer will have a different pattern. Cluster migraines are more common in men and can occur at any age but are more likely in adolescence and middle age.

Cluster migraine headaches can be very debilitating, affecting the quality of life, impacting on careers and even be a prime reason for depression.

While research scientists do not know exactly what causes cluster headaches, they believe there is a link to the body’s sudden release of histamine or serotonin so that the following may then trigger cluster migraine attacks.

Factors that may trigger an attack include:

- The taking of medications such as nitroglycerine

- Stress

- Strong odors

- Being a heavy smoker and/or alcoholic drinker

- The continued interruption of your sleeping pattern

- Problems with the hypothalamus which controls your body’s clock

- High altitudes (for example hiking in high regions or air travel)

- Bright light (including sunlight or fluorescent lighting)

- Over exertion during exercise

- Heat such as very hot weather, hot baths or using a sauna

- Extreme cold

- Pressure on nerve endings

- Foods high in nitrites (such as bacon, preserved meats and other processed proteins)

- Aged cheese and some wines

- The use of cocaine

When suffering from cluster migraine headaches, it is wise to see your doctor for a definite diagnosis and advice regarding treatment as there are several different types of medication available. The path for treatment you decide to follow will depend upon the severity of your condition. Often one medication is taken regularly during the cluster period to reduce the number of headaches while a second is taken when an attack occurs to relieve the pain. Obviously, it is always safer with any type of prescription drug to use the minimum necessary for an effective result. It can happen that the side effects are as problematic as the condition itself.

Be aware of the various triggers that can cause a cluster migraine headache to start and steer clear of them whenever possible. While medication is the most common process for the treatment of cluster migraine, herbal treatments are used by many to dispel the stubborn pain of cluster migraines. One such herb is  Vitex Agnus Castus where part of the seed is used – the dosage being half a teaspoon to a cup of water – and it goes to work by resolving the hormonal imbalances while improving fat metabolism and nutrient absorption. Another alternative to pharmaceutical drugs is a natural product such as H-Headaches from Healing Natural Oils.

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Psoriatic arthritis can affect any joint within the body:

-  If the fingers and toes are affected, they can become rather swollen. This particular condition is known as dactylitis.

-  Psoriatic arthritis in the spine, called spondylitis, causes pain in the back or neck, and difficulty bending. It can also cause tender spots at sites in the body where tendons and ligaments join on to the bones.

-  Persistent inflammation from psoriatic arthritis causes joint damage later so diagnosis is essential.

While medical researchers are not positive about what causes psoriatic arthritis, it is thought that both genetic and environmental factors could play a role. The condition runs in some families, and people whose nails are pitted, thick, or malformed by the condition of psoriasis itself appear to be more at risk. Other triggers include viral and bacterial infections, allergic reactions, and skin damage from the sun or from harsh chemicals.

The good news is that psoriatic arthritis can be treated and the goal for such treatment is to control inflammation:

-  Exercise is important to keep the pain and swelling of psoriatic arthritis to a minimum so following a good exercise program will improve movement, strengthen the muscles to stabilize the joints, improve sleeping patterns, strengthen the heart, increase stamina as well as reduce and generally improve the overall physical appearance.

-  Plenty of good quality sleep plus rest is helpful. So if insomnia poses a problem, this should be treated in a natural way.

-  Taking a long soak in a warm bath or applying a warm compress can be very helpful if there is any suffering from pain and joint swelling. Completely opposite, some people find a cold compress works best for them.

-  An occupational therapist can help those with psoriatic arthritis to protect their joints while a physiotherapist can advise on treatments and exercise. It may well be a good idea to get such professional help.

-  If you or someone close to you is suffering from psoriatic arthritis, learn to properly manage the condition first and foremost by boosting the immune system. A weakened immune system is thought to be a contributing factor to the presence of psoriatic arthritis. Added to this: exercise regularly, eat healthily, maintain an appropriate weight, keep your stress levels down, ease up on straining your joints, respond to joint pain with heat and ice packs, and take it easy when symptoms of inflammation act up.

There are various medical treatment options for arthritis psoriasis as follows:

-  A non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug called NSAID which is best taken with food (to reduce the chance of stomach upsets) morning and evening.

-  DMDs or disease modifying drugs can be used to slow down the progression of the arthritis. They can take several weeks to begin to work and their use must be carefully monitored because of the risk of serious side effects on the liver and kidneys. Ciclosporin may be used to reduce severe inflammation quickly. It also acts on the immune system.

-  Sulfasalazine suppresses the inflammatory response and has few side effects.

-  Low doses of corticosteroids such as prednisone can be injected into joints to treat severe cases or taken as tablets for long term control. They are used only if other treatment has not worked.

The above are all pharmaceutical drugs and of course these always come with a considerable risk of side effects. It is always worthwhile investigating a more gentle and natural form of treatment if at all possible. Here are several remedies:

-  Fish oil and Turmeric are both helpful in reducing inflammation while nutritional supplements really can change the lives of those who are suffering from psoriatic arthritis.  Choose ones that have ingredients such as boron, magnesium, chondroitin, glucosamine, MSM, and bromelain. It is also a good idea to include Omega 3 and selenium.

-  Accupuncture is an alternative healing procedure.

-  Willowbark contains salicin (similar to aspirin) and has been found to relieve pain in those with psoriatic arthritis. There are also many many herbs that can be beneficial in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.  These include Black Cohosh, Bogbean, Celery Seeds, Chapparal, Feverfew, Nettle, Saffron and Yucca. These herbs are powerful relaxants and available from your local health store.

-  Vitamin D is beneficial to all aspects of our health while those with psoriatic arthritis have been found to be deficient in this vitamin while  vitamin K is important in promoting joint health.  Vitamin B12 is another vitamin that has been found to be deficient in those with psoriatic arthritis.

-  L-carnitine supplements have helped those with psoriatic arthritis pain in the knees enjoy relief.

-  Certain herbs used in Traditional Chinese medicine have shown benefit in people with arthritis.

-  What you eat is of vital importance and it is often best to keep a diary of what is eaten to see how it affects the symptoms so that anything that aggravates can be eliminated.    Fruits and vegetables should be a main part of the diet of one who has psoriatic arthritis. Focus on using organic sources of chicken, beef, eggs and fish for your protein and learn about fats and the truth about saturated fats and cholesterol. Cook in stable fats like butter and lard and use coconut products such as the oil while staying away from wheat and diary as these foods promote inflammation and auto-immune responses in the body.

And finally – essential Oils. H-Arthritis is a complementary therapy from Healing Natural Oils specially formulated to help relieve the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis and to control future discomfort.

Suffering from a panic attack makes you feel you have no control so that your greatest fear then becomes the thought of having a further panic attack – and perhaps in a public place. Although a panic attack can last for just minutes, repeated attacks can continue to recur for several hours at a time.

So what happens in a panic attack and what are the signs and symptoms?

-  Shaking or trembling all over
-  A feeling that the heart is pounding or racing
-  Sweating
-  Chest pain or discomfort
-  Shortness of breath
-  A choking feeling
-  Nausea
-  Cramping
-  Dizziness or weakness
-  An almost “out of the body” feeling
-  Tingling or numbness in the limbs in the form of pins and needles
-  Hot flashes or sudden chills
-  An almost paralyzing terror

In a panic attack, you are not going to suffer from all of these symptoms at the same time but the presence of at least four is a good indication that a panic attack is taking place. In addition, the sufferer could experience a fear of losing control, of going crazy or of even dying during such an attack. All of these experiences just help to aggravate the situation.

Once someone has had several panic attacks, the alarm felt can become so intense that they can go on to suffer a fear of the outdoors or agoraphobia and become confined to staying at home. They can become a recluse.

What to do if you or someone close to you is suffering from panic attacks

If panic attacks have become a problem, it is important to see a doctor to get a proper diagnosis along with advice and guidance on a treatment plan.  An evaluation may be needed to see why these panic attacks are occurring – they could be caused by another medical problem. Often a simple treatment will help which can take the form of counselling or medication while relaxation techniques or support groups are another form of remedying the situation.  Be aware that this condition is frequently wrongly diagnosed as a thyroid problem, hypoglycemeia or a heart valve problem by the medical fraternity.

Possible causes of panic attacks

-  Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from these attacks and there may be a genetic link or a biological malfunction.

-  Extreme and stressful events can of course trigger panic attacks.

-  Other causes can be the use of caffeine, cold and flu medications, certain anti-malarial drugs, appetite suppressants, local anesthetics and even excessive exercise.

-  Of course just the thought of having a panic attack can trigger an actual panic attack.

Paper bag emergency treatment

This is not a old wive’s tale but a genuine and effective short term solution for dealing with a panic attack. Getting someone to breathe in and breathe out from a paper bag (placed over their mouth) balances the ratio of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and will work.

If you ever suffer from such a panic attack, you will certainly not be unique as roughly three out of every one hundred people will do so at some stage in their life – it does not matter what age, race or economic group you belong to although it does most commonly affect those between twenty and forty years of age.

Candida and fungal infections can often result from the use of antibiotics while the misuse and overuse of such medications can cause our bodies to have an imbalance of good and bad bacteria so that we lose our natural ability to fight disease. And then to add insult to injury, we do not allow ourselves sufficient healing time after an infection so that our immune systems become weaker – perhaps even leading to a further infection and more antibiotic prescriptions.

So if we get sick, what natural antibiotics can we use instead?

There are so many to choose from:

- Echinacea or golden seal tincture in an alcohol base can be taken as directed on the label, 7 to 10 days non stop, using a full dropper in a little water 3 to 5 times per day. Then take a break for a week. If necessary, take for another 7 to10 days. Goldenseal has the ability to soothe the linings of the mucus membranes of the respiratory, digestive and genitourinary tracts while effectively clearing out any bacterial invasion. Just a few drops can stop a sore throat in its tracks.

- Oregon Grape or Berberis aquifolium is native to the US and can stop bacteria from adhering to the walls of the intestine and urinary tract. When used as a tea, it will wash away urinary tract infections but it can also be used in dried capsules or liquid tincture to treat digestive tract conditions like infectious diarrhea.

- Andrographis paniculata is an Asian herb with a long history which is used to disrupt the quorum-sensing system of bacteria. This system helps bacteria attach to each other and thrive as a community. Andrographis basically helps break up the bacterial ‘get together’ and is a great way to treat symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and sinus problems. Numerous studies have reported on its ability to reduce upper respiratory infection symptoms including fatigue, sore throats, coughs and headaches.

- Most people love honey and Manuka honey is often used in hospitals as a protocol for wound care when it is placed directly on gauze to cover the wound. The bandage is replaced three times a day. Although studies show most honey has antibacterial activity, manuka honey has proven to be especially potent due to a compound called methylglyoxal, acting against a wide range of bacteria, including MRSA.

-  Bee propolis can be bought in capsule form and taken as directed once in the morning and once at night as a natural antibiotic. With antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties, bee propolis stimulates the immune system and helps heal respiratory infections.

- With antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, garlic is an inexpensive way to treat illness. Eat raw in your food, make a tea or take in capsule form as directed 3 times per day. You do need to consume lots of garlic in order to realize its benefits. You can hold raw garlic under your tongue or drink its juice for a more effective way of assimilating the healing properties. Cooking with garlic does help maintain health but remember that this healing herb can lose its potency when cooked. You can use garlic on a daily basis to help prevent illness and you may need more when you are sick. In the case of serious infections, you may need to combine garlic with prescriptions or other natural remedies.

- Colloidal silver is a tasteless liquid that can be taken in place of an antibotic and is especially helpful for upper respiratory ailments. Begin taking the maximum dose at the onset of an illness and continue without skipping a dose. Colloidal Silver will kill both good and bad bacterium — which means you need to keep adding disease fighting good bacteria to your diet. Many people have great results using CS. However, in extreme cases over-use can cause the skin to turn grey.  CS is made from pure silver and was used in the US to effectively fight bacterial infections until the late 1940s.

- One commercial herbal antibiotic you can use is DefensePlus by NutriBiotic which contains grapefruit seed extract, echinacea, astragalus, Vitamin C, mushroom extracts, goldenseal & ginger root. So lots of good healthy ingredients there.

- Many people find olive leaf to be invaluable as a natural antibiotic. Either as a fresh leaf or in supplemental form, olive leave has been found to be beneficial as a natural antibiotic as well as in the treatment for conditions caused by a virus, a retrovirus or a bacteria.

- A beneficial probiotic will help to balance out the good flora in your digestive tract and assist with dealing with fungus which is the culprit in many respiratory infections. Take probiotics three times per day along with Echinacea and goldenseal. You should continue with the probiotic for several weeks after your infection is gone.

- Vitamin C can also be extremely helpful when you take up to 10 grams a day, preferably in powdered form. If you get loose stools, take less. Studies indicate it lessens the severity of symptoms of an infection and shortens the duration.

- Lemon, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cumin, Cayenne Pepper and Onions are all cleansing and purifying foods that will help detox most illnesses. You can cook with them and eat them as much as you want.

Boosting your immune system is always an important part of keeping well and preventing sickness. See how to do this in one of our earlier posts - http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/how-can-we-boost-our-immune-system-with-natural-remedies-and-home-treatments/

Please remember that natural medicine allows infection to leave your body more quickly and this may mean that you feel sicker longer. Detoxing bad infections can be painful so allow yourself plenty of rest and proper hydration while you are healing. Patience is paramount.

In the suggested clues for depression set out below, I have talked about he and him. But of course it could just as easily be she or her.

10 typical signs of depression might be:

1. Constantly feeling sorry for himself so that he is not in the mood to do something or even anything.

2. Lacking in the usual confidence and self esteem. Along with feeling sorry for himself could be a feeling of hopelessness with nothing to look forward to. This is the typical scenario of being pessimistic rather than optimistic – that the jar is half empty rather than half full. Everything is looked at from a negative point of view.

3. Feelings of guilt to such an extent that he does not feel he has the right to be happy or enjoy himself. So he feels sad instead and continually reinforces this sadness.

4. Losing the ability to just enjoy life in general so that even the most simplest of pleasures lose their appeal. This is particularly noticeable if there is a loss of interest in previously enjoyed pastimes, work or just in general day to day. He might even avoid get togethers involving family and friends. There could be signs of becoming more and more reclusive.

5. Being constantly tired and worn out with no energy for anything whether mental or physical. Everything becomes just too much effort and trouble to accomplish. Add to this the lack of physical exercise, not eating and sleeping properly and the mental illness starts to become a physical one as well.

6. Appearing distracted, worried and emotionally removed. This leads to inattentiveness and perhaps general disorganization and untidyness in his surroundings unless someone else is sorting this out.

7. Sleeping problems and insomnia are very common in someone who is depressed, particularly in the early days. They may go on to a new habit of sleeping too much. In the meantime, watch out for any sleeping disorder as well as changes in appetitie whether eating too little or too much and the resulting sudden wieght loss or gain.

8. Of course most concerned people will really sit up and take notice if someone becomes suicidal, talks about death or about wanting to die. These are very clear cut indications of someone being severely depressed.

9. Increased irritibility, moodiness, angry outburst or the opposite, unusually quiet or unable to talk about problems or situations should raise some red flags too. Physical symptoms of such mood swings could be headaches, digestive disorders and various body pains.

10. Be aware that if those around the person who might be suffering from depression are constantly asking him if he is okay or alright, then there is a good chance that he is not. He most probably needs some help.

When summing up in your mind what the situation is, be aware that the severity of depression symptoms naturally varies from person to person while not everyone will experience every symptom. It may be just one or two or more of these symptoms. If you know the person well, you will also know if things have changed.

There are many contributing factors to why someone becomes depressed, apart from the presence of illness or a disability.

It could be:

-  Marital problems, separation, divorce or the death of someone close.

-  After the birth of a child as both mothers and fathers can show signs of post partum depression.

-  Unemployment or retirement.

-  Financial problems.

Remember that depression is a medical illness and nothing to be ashamed of. It is not a sign of weakness. If someone close to you is suffering from depression, they may need professional help and they will certainly need your help and support. Depression is treatable.

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if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you can reduce this successfully without resorting to pharmaceutical medications with their often very detrimental side effects. If you have blood pressure higher than the ideal then pay special attention to stress reduction, changing to good nutrition and starting regular exercise. It may be that your family has a history of cardiovascular disease which might make you more at risk.

Here are ten natural ways to avoid or reduce high blood pressure:

1. Stress is the modern cause of so mamy conditions on so many different levels including high blood pressure. Try to avoid stress and consider strategies that can reduce your level of stress such as socializing, using relaxation therapy, exercise, cognitive therapy or yoga.

2. Magnesium supplementation can lower high blood pressure and help with erratic heartbeats and, unless you have kidney problems, almost everyone can safely take it. A handful of sesame seeds everyday will give you a natural form of magnesium supplementation.

3. Cayenne pepper helps to normalize blood pressure levels while ridding the body of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. This is all good news for reducing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. Include cayenne pepper in your diet as often as you can.

4. Acupuncture can reduce high blood pressure.   Acupuncture deals with homeostasis, which is the body’s ability to maintain balance. The patient who is out of  balance electromagnetically becomes ill and expresses specific symptoms. Acupuncture benefits the patient by eliminating the cause of the disease rather than offering a cure for the symptoms – it is an effective way of treating those who are suffering from the lasting side effects of taking strong pharmaceutical medication and wish to take a new route to health.

5. You might still be smoking. Smoking and second hand smoke impacts directly and negatively on your heart health and blood pressure. Please avoid.

6. Cocoa (the darker the better) when consumed daily for at least 2 weeks, can reduce blood pressure among people with severe hypertension.

7. Vitamin D deficiency affects over half of the population, is almost never diagnosed, and has been linked to high blood pressure and many other health problems and conditions. Vitamin D is almost totally absent from our food supply so unless you can get 20 minutes or so of direct sunlight several times a week, you will need to supplement with vitamin D3. When you can get into the sun, go for those 2 hours either side of midday and expose as much of your body as possible minus any sun block for several minutes or as long as you can take before your skin starts to turn pink. Do not rush to soap off in the shower as both sun block and soap will undo the benefits of the sun in optimizing your vitamin D levels.

8. Exercise is another great way to help reduce high blood pressure including stretching, cardiovascular or aerobic exercise and strengthening exercises. Cycling, swimming and walking are three other helpful and enjoyable exercise to include. You should gradually work up to an aerobic session lasting 20 to 30 minutes, at least three to four times a week. Exercising at least every other day will help you keep a regular aerobic exercise schedule.

9. Diet is so important. Every day more and more studies link processed and refined foods with chronic diseases including high blood pressure. But you can reverse the modern western diet back to one of whole foods for both you and your family. Change to living whole foods including lots of fresh fruit and veggies. These red fruits and veggies in particular are helpful as they are high in lycopene to lower blood pressure while providing a great source of vitamin C. Go for cherries and berries; strawberries and raspberries; red currants; apples; figs; tomatoes; watermelon; red onions and red cabbage. Eating salmon from a safe and sustainable source has been connected to a decreased risk of numerous cardiovascular problems including high blood pressure. The high levels of the antioxidant selenium in salmon are important in cardiovascular protection. Do not cut all fats out of your diet. We all need some of the good fats such as coconut oil, olive oil and butter from raw milk or grass fed cows.

10. Salt and Sugar. Change from processed salt and all that salt found in processed and convenience foods to natural sea salt. If you put sugar on your food or in your beverages or you are eating processed food which has added sugar, then this is detrimental to your health. Sugar and the inflammation it causes, is at the root of countless diseases including obesiety, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Remember that alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts, it can potentially lower your blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg. But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol — generally more than one drink a day for women and more than two a day for men. Also, if you don’t normally drink alcohol, you shouldn’t start drinking as a way to lower your blood pressure. There’s more potential harm than benefit to drinking alcohol.

Many of these suggestions above will also reduce your weight – another important tool in lowering high blood pressure.

In the article found at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/10/making-sense-of-your-cholesterol-numbers.aspx Dr Mercola points out that cholesterol could easily be described as the smoking gun of the last two decades.

He says “It”s been responsible for demonizing entire categories of foods (like eggs and saturated fats) and blamed for just about every case of heart disease in the last 20 years. Yet when I first opened my medical practice in the mid 80s, cholesterol, and the fear that yours was too high was rarely talked about. Somewhere along the way however, cholesterol became a household word — something that you must keep as low as possible, or suffer the consequences.

You are probably aware that there are many myths that portray fat and cholesterol as one of the worst foods you can consume. Please understand that these myths are actually harming your health. Not only is cholesterol most likely not going to destroy your health (as you have been led to believe), but it is also not the cause of heart disease.”

For those who are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, it is important that you read the information in the article above as well as http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/20/the-truth-about-statin-drugs-revealed.aspx to learn about how dangerous such drugs can be.

And there are other ways to reduce your cholesterol (IF it really is too high) and much of that is related to diet.

For example, here are four foods that will help:

1. Eating fatty fish from a safe source at least two or three times a week can protect your heart because of the high levels of Omega 3. It reduces LDL (the bad cholesterol), the risk of blood clots, and the risk of heart attacks and death. Such fatty fish includes salmon, trout, pilchards and sardines. Taking an Omega 3 supplement is another alternative.

2. Nuts, and in particular almonds and walnuts, will help to reduce your blood cholesterol while keeping the blood vessels healthy. This is because these nuts are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Always eat your nuts RAW – no salting, no roasting, just raw. A small handful of nuts every day will give you lots of heart-healthy benefits.

3. Fibre, and in particular soluble fiber, can help to reduce your total cholesterol and more importantly your bad cholesterol. You will benefit from the soluble fiber found in oatmeal, bananas, pears, prune, beans, lentils and vegetables. For maximum heart-healthy benefits, you need about 25-30g of total fiber dail of which some 10g should be soluble fibre.

4. Look for foods that have added stanols and sterols as these will help prevent cholesterol absorption thereby decreasing total cholesterol levels.  Plant sterols and stanols can occur naturally in foods or be fortified into other food products. Examples of natural food sources are avocado and sunflower seeds. Examples of foods that have been fortified with sterols and stanols are Nature Valley healthy Heart Honey Nut Bar as well as certain yogurt drinks and other products. You need to check the other ingredients in case these are less than healthy.

Exercise also plays an important role in reducing your cholesterol – and the best form of exercise? Start taking a brisk thirty minute walk at least five times a week.

Psoriasis comes and goes as the person with the condition will sometimes remain clear, and in remission, for years at a time before the next outbreak.

The causes of this condition are hazy but there are known triggers. There may be a combination of contributing factors:

- Genetics plays a part because it is common for psoriasis to be found in members of the same family.

- The Immune system is also thought to play a major role.

- Certain medications can cause an outbreak or flareup of psoriasis and these include: anti-malerial drugs; beta-blockers; corticosteroids, Indomethacin; and Lithium. Never start such medications without informing your doctor if you have a family history of psoriasis.

- The condition can flare up with new lesions a few days after injury to the skin either by being cut, scratched, rubbed or severely sunburned.

- Stress is an important trigger for flare ups while some can trace their original outbreak of the condition to a particular stressful incident. And of course becoming stressed about having the condition of psoriasis itself only compounds the problem.

- Climate plays a significant role in psoriasis when cold and dry winter weather and the lack of moisture from overheated buildings poses a real challenge. Time spent in a hot and sunny climate (but without the drying effect of air conditioning) can improve the situation.

- Other triggers include obesity, bacterial and viral  infections (including HIV), hormone imbalance, the habit of smoking and indulging in heavy drinking.

There are 5 different types of psoriasis and some four and a half million people in the United States have been diagnosed with this condition, spread equally between both men and women. Once diagnosed, there are various treatments a sufferer can turn to depending on the type of psoriasis, the severity and how much of the body is affected:

- For mild versions of psoriasis involving small areas of the body, the doctor will often proscribe topical creams, lotions or sprays.

- Tough or resistant areas of psoriasis may be prescribed a small local injection of steroids.

- For moderate to severe types of psoriasis, involving large areas of the body, systemic or total body treatments such as oral medications, light treatments or injections may be prescribed. Unfortunately, those stronger medications usually have greater associated possible risks and side effects.

Many of those with psoriasis (up to 30%) will then go on to suffer from psoriatic arthritis too.

Fortunately, there are natural and safe products available to use for both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis which can dramatically reduce the symptoms of the conditions and even control their outbreaks, making it unnecessary to resort to pharmaceutical medications and treatments.

If you, or someone close to you, suffer from psoriasis, it is worth while doing your own research so that you are well informed.

Here are 7 possible causes for waking up in the morning feeling unrefreshed and still craving more sleep:

1. Do you need a new mattress on your bed. The average mattress loses most of it’s support after eight to twelve years of use while accumulating bacteria, dustmites (and their waste material), hair, slobber, sweat and other body fluids, make breathing unhealthy and difficult. A new mattress is a very important purchase considering you should be spending one third of your life on it. Do your research beforehand.

2. Restless leg syndrome is another sleep disrupter affecting eight to ten percent of the US population where those affected can suffer strange sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to keep moving the legs to relieve those sensations.  The symptoms are usually worse when trying to rest or go to sleep.  Some people suffer from RLS when traveling on long car journeys or air flights.

3. Do you sleep badly and then wake up with an unpleasant taste in your mouth? This could be due to sleep related acid reflux which is surprisingly common and comes without obvious heartburn symptoms and often causes the body to partially awaken from sleep leading to disturbed sleep. Avoiding eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime while watching your diet can help this. Avoid acid-causing foods in your evening meals such as alcohol, chocolate, heavy sauces, fatty meats, spicy foods, citrus fruits, and tomatoes as they can all contribute to heartburn and acid reflux.. Some medications such as aspirin and painlillers can affect the stomach and the esophageal lining, while depending on which side of your body you sleep on can be important too. Sleeping on the left side reduces symptoms but sleeping on the right side or your back can worsen them. It can take longer to clear out of the esophagus when you’re on your right side and if you must sleep on your back then elevate your head and shoulders. Being overweight is another cause of this condition.

4. The need to use the bathroom at night It is estimated that 65% of adults are sleep deprived because of having to urinate during the night, often as they age. Many find they are unable to bet back to sleep after using the bathroom and end up lying awake for hours.Avoid drinking any liquids (including foods containing liquid such as soups or fruit) for at least three hours before bedtime while drinking less tea or coffee. Remember that alcohol functions as a diuretic. Use the bathroom immediately before bedtime and ensure an empty bladder. If these suggestions do not help, then have a medical to check for conditions that cause urination problems including the prostrate in males, diabetes in both males and females or even certain drugs you are taking such as diuretics and heart medications.

5. Grinding your teeth (officiallly known as bruxism) is a subconscious neuromuscular activity. It is thought that only 5 percent of those who grind their teeth or clench their jaws actually know they do it. Bruxism involves tensing of the jaw muscles, so it interferes with the relaxation necessary for deep sleep. And if you’re fully grinding, your body is engaged in movement rather than resting. Seeing a dentist is your first port of call for a solution. It is also suggested that the habit of chewing gum is contributing to the problem because the chewing action can continue at night.

6. Waking with a dry mouth is another common occurrence and a symptom of breathing through your mouth and/or snoring. Both habits can interrupt sleep because you’re not getting enough air to fully relax. Train yourself to breathe through your nose. Aids induce snore-stopping nose strips or the use of saline nasal spray to irrigate your nasal passages. Experiment with sleep positions as sleeping on your back is more likely to lead to snoring and breathing through their mouths when sleeping on their backs. Use pillows to prop yourself on your side. Gently taping your mouth at bedtime is a surefire way to change back to breathing through your nose. Alcohol as a sedative, relaxes the muscles of the nose and throat, contributing to snoring. Other sedatives and sleeping pills do the same thing as does being overweight. Rather than using sleeping pills, change to a natural remedy for your insomnia.

7. Irregular sleep patterns such as staying up late under bright lights, working a night or late shift schedule, using computers and other devices in bed, and even having too much light in the room while you sleep can disrupt your body’s natural sleeping and waking cycle. In the days before electricity, the onset of darkness triggered production of the hormone melatonin, which told the brain it was time to sleep. Now that we are interfering with this natural night and day, our sleep can be seriously affected.. Many people sleep better in a darkened, silent room. You should find it easier if you remove all electronic equipment including TVs, laptops, cell phones and cordless telephones. Try to get on a regular sleep schedule that’s not too far off from the natural cycle of night and day. And don’t charge laptops, phones, cameras, and other devices in your bedroom.

If you are suffering from that sleepy feeling when you wake up every morning, one of those reasons above could be why.

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You could be facing surgery, be prescribed a pharmaceutical drug or be asked to consent to x-rays. But do stop and consider before going ahead with any of these. Do your own research, be informed and you will be better placed to make the best decision for you.

At the end of the day, the person most concerned about your own health is you. It is your responsibility and no one else’s –  unless you are incapacitated and then you should already have made clear your wishes to your nearest and dearest to act on your behalf.

Every year, some 15 million plus Americans undergo surgery. Most surgical operations are not emergencies and are considered elective surgery so you should have plenty of time to consider carefully before making a decision. Your doctor or surgeon should welcome your questions and your interest. Be very concerned if he or she tries to fob you off in any way. It may also be advisable to have a second opinion. If you are not good at standing your ground or absorbing information, make sure to take along a good friend or relative who will do this for you! Patients who are well informed about their surgery and treatment and what they can expect before, during and afterwards are more satisfied with their results.

Here are the questions you need to ask:

1. what are the alternatives to the surgery?
2. How will my life be different after the procedure?
3. What are the risks of both the surgery and the anesthesia?
4. What type of anesthesia will I be given?
5. Are the risks greater for me than other patients?
6. What will happen if I say no?
7. Is this procedure a cure or if not, how long will the benefits of the procedure last?
8. What type of incision will be used? Open procedure or a minimally invasive, oriaparoscopic procedure?
9. How often do you perform this procedure and are you board certified in this surgical speciality?
10. Would you have the procedure done to yourself and if so, who would you get to do it?

Then there are x-rays. Be careful not to consent to x-rays whether for general medical or surgical problems or for dental diagnosis when they seem unnecessary or excessive. It is important to minimize your medical radiation risk because there are no safe doses of x-rays. Even more important is to avoid x-rays for your child and particularly the new radiation-intense CT x-rays and the dental cone-beam CT scanner.

Just as with proposed surgery, ask questions first.

1. Is the x-ray really necessary?
2. What difference will it make in my care?
3. Is the facility accredited by the American College of Radiology?
4. Will the test use the lowest level of radiation for adequate imaging and be adjusted for my size?
5. Is there a non-radiation alternative such as ultrasound or MRI?
6. Will the scan be limited to the indicated area and will nearby areas be shielded too?

Finally we get on to pharmaceutical drugs. If your doctor wants to prescribe a drug, take the trouble to do your own careful search to check for side effects or natural alternatives?

1. Is the drug really necessary?
2. Is it prescribed appropriately or is it being prescribed for an off-label use?
3. What are ALL the side effects?
4. Is the drug addictive?
5. What are the natural alternatives?

Be proactive, take responsibility for your health and question everything. You may find that what is proposed is not necessary after all.

Essential oils are such a natural treatment and have a long history of healing.

What is interesting about essential oils is that each one has a unique set of properties. So different oils, or a combination of oils, can be formulated so that the appropriate properties will help to treat the symptoms of a specific condition. Such properties include anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiseptic, antibacterial, carmative, antiviral and many more.

Specifically for helping treat the symptoms of arthritis are those properties such as circulatory stimulants, analgesics for relieving or diminishing the pain and discomfort of arthritis and those for eliminating any toxins. The lab staff will mix a formula to include the appropriate essential oils for the condition of arthritis. Many essential oils will include more than one healing property.

The wonderful aspect of essential oils is that they penetrate the cell membranes rapidly and easily, giving those injured and inflamed joints all the oxygen, nutrients and lipids that they crave but in a totally natural, gentle and safe way.

You will know that you are purchasing pure essential oils when the product provided is not cheap. The very best pure essential oils will cost more but in spite of this, the product provides an affordable alternative to pharmaceutical drugs. There will be no side effects to deal with. You will know you are choosing a safe, gentle and successful alternative.

The big plus about essential oils for treating the symptoms of arthritis is that you can use them for massaging those arthritic joints, you can add a couple of drops to your soothing bath time routine and you can make sure to place a drop of lavender essential oil on your pillow, ensuring relaxation and a peaceful night’s sleep. If you change to using essential oils for the treatment of the symptoms of your arthritis, you may notice an immediate improvement or it may be longer before you reap the benefits. Either way, the long term effect will be considerable.

Arthritic pain affects people of all ages but is more common as you grow older. Sometimes the side effects from particular prescription pharmaceutical medications can be as bad or even worse than the condition itself and no one should have to put up with that. If you are looking for relief from the pain, discomfort and other symptoms of arthritis, changing to essential oils is a great way to do this. It is natural, it is gentle and it is safe.

Arthritis pain can be debilitating and frustrating for the person who has to live with it. Arthritis attacks the joints. There are two types of arthritis that are the most common – osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes the side effects from pharmaceutical medications can be as bad as the condition itself.

If you are looking for arthritis pain relief without the side effects, then the use of essential oils is one of the best and safest ways to treat and control the pain caused by arthritis.

Cover of Catherine Zeta-Jones

Is bipolar disorder becoming more common or is it a coincidence that I have heard it spoken of so often in the past couple of years? Catherine Zeta Jones has very recently “come out” to tell us that she is suffering from bipolar 11 (which is a less severe version of this condition). This mental illness used to be known as manic depression but it can be treated to enable those with the disorder to go on to lead full and productive lives.

According to http://www.wikihow.com/Recover-from-Bipolar-Disorder “Bipolar disorder or manic depression is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and moods, with or without one or more depressive episodes.”

Bipolar disorder is not something that a partner or family member can handle on their own and should be treated by a psychiatrist.

Sometimes getting someone with bipolar disorder to see a specialist can be the hardest part. They might not agree with you that there is a problem. Dealing with a family member or friend with bipolar can push your patience and endurance to the limit. But remember that this is not their fault any more than a serious physical illness is their fault.

- You need to be especially compassionate and understanding to take on this task of helping.

- You need to view the behaviour of the person in the context of the illness itself.

- You need to understand that if they become angry, moody or defensive, it is usually a symptom of the bipolar.

- You need to put yourself into their position of what it must be like to wake up and not know before the day starts whether you are going to ranting and raving, deeply depressed or on a high note of achievement and success.

- You need to do your own research so that you are fully aware of all the signs and symptoms of bipolar.

- You need to know that the support of family or friends of a sufferer ia vital to their treatment and recovery.

- You need to be able to tell that person that you love and care about them however horrible their actions are – and that is not always easy.

- If you are anxious or cross, they will quickly catch on to your feelings – even perceiving your response as a threat and making it worse or they become defensive.

Bipolar disorder causes severe mood swings ranging from the lows of depression to the highs of mania. Those with the disorder may find that when they become depressed, they may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest and pleasure in daily activities but they may just as easily become difficult and abusive so that you do not know where you stand with them. When their mood shifts the other way, they can feel on top of the world, euphoric and full of energy. These mood changes obviously vary from person to person – they can be a few times during a year or they can be as often as several times a day.

What makes it even more difficult to those around is that the mood swings from one extreme to the other can be almost instantaneous.

The good news is that bipolar moods can be treated with psychological counselling and medications. In addition there are other ways to assist with the treatment and these include eating healthily and making sensible lifestyle changes.   Also helpful is :

- Having a good night’s sleep every night
- Taking regular exercise
- Practising meditation
- Taking a class in Thai Chi
- Spending time in the sunlight and enjoying nature
- Keeping a journal
- Practising stress management.

Statins are currently prescribed by doctors:

- To people who are healthy, but at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease
- To people who have already had a heart attack, a stroke or peripheral artery disease
- To people who have diabetes.

According to the British Heart Foundation: “like all medication, statins have potential side effects that are usually mild, easy to recognise, reversible and very rarely dangerous. Statins are among the safest and the most studied drugs available today. You should tell your GP if your symptoms are getting worse or if you develop any new symptoms.”

http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/treatment/statins.aspx

But when you start to research statins, you find that many natural health experts disagree.

For example, Sally Fallon, the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, and Mary Enig, Ph.D, an expert in lipid biochemistry, have gone so far as to call high cholesterol “an invented disease, a problem that emerged when health professionals learned how to measure cholesterol levels in the blood.”

In his article (linked below) Dr Mercola says: “Cholesterol could easily be described as the smoking gun of the last two decades. It’s been responsible for demonizing entire categories of foods (like eggs and saturated fats) and blamed for just about every case of heart disease in the last 20 years. Yet when I first opened my medical practice in the mid 80s, cholesterol, and the fear that yours was too high was rarely talked about.”

“Somewhere along the way however, cholesterol became a household word — something that you must keep as low as possible, or suffer the consequences. You are probably aware that there are many myths that portray fat and cholesterol as one of the worst foods you can consume. Please understand that these myths are actually harming your health. Not only is cholesterol most likely not going to destroy your health (as you have been led to believe), but it is also not the cause of heart disease.”

http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp_390050/Your_Cholesterol_Level_is_NOT_a_Great_Indicator_of_Your_Heart_Disease_Risk

Dr. Mercola feels that 99 out of 100 people do not need statins but can lower their cholesterol (if necessary) naturally.

You can do this:

- Through eating the right foods

- Getting the right kind of exercise

- Avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol

- Lowering your stress levels

All sensible lifestyle changes.

The Health Ranger in his article points out that “High cholesterol along with most other cardiovascular risk factors can be lowered in most people naturally by lifestyle changes such as exercise, a healthy diet and keeping weight under control. Statins come with a host of dangerous and even deadly side effects, including liver damage, impaired brain function, sometimes irreversible muscle damage and eye disorders.”

http://www.naturalnews.com/030438_statin_drugs_heart_disease.html#ixzz1FGnKgx6E

There are at least 10 proven side effects from taking statins:

1. Anemia

2. Cataracts

3. Immune suppression

4. Increased cancer risk

5. Liver or pancreas dysfunction

6. Memory loss

7. Mood disorders/personality changes

8. Muscle problems

9. Sexual dysfunction

10. CoQ10 depletion

In case you do not know, CoQ10 is an antioxidant compound vital for energy production within your cells. Any loss in this compound can lead to an increased production of free radicals as well as the depletion of cell energy, fatigue, muscle weakness, soreness and heart failure.

If you are taking statins or if you have been told that your cholesterol level is too high, perhaps now is the time to do your own research to find out the truth for yourself.

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The fact that pharmaceutical drugs have turned up in waterways, lakes and rivers (where they have even poisoned the resident wild life) is evidence enough that these same drugs are going to put toxins in our own bodies’ systems. The drugs end up in the water because of human and livestock excretions as well as unwanted drugs just being flushed down the toilet and poured down the sink. The extent of the damage being done is still being studied but apart from the actual death of fish, high numbers of intersex fish have been discovered.

Just because you can buy many medicines without a prescription doesn’t mean they’re entirely safe.

Over-the-counter drugs can even kill you according to an article you can read at http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=629   They also go on to mention that Tylenol and other medications containing the active ingredient, acetaminophen, could be a problem as acetaminophen can be highly toxic. The article says that: At Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, acetaminophen is for example the #1 cause of acute liver failure. The side effects of acetaminophen include yellow skin or eyes, hives, itching, bleeding (bloody urine, black stool, bruising, or pinpoint red spots), fever, sore throat and decreased urine output.

According to a recent Associated Press news release, “Makers of the nation’s most popular pain reliever will tell parents for the first time through labels and advertising that too much Tylenol can harm their children. Relatively small overdoses of acetaminophen – Tylenol’s active ingredient – have been blamed for liver damage and even deaths in children in the United States.”

And all this from just one over-the-counter medication.

Often the difference between an over-the-counter drug and a prescription drug is just the strength of the medication. For example all cough medicines contain roughly similar ingredients but differ in the strength and particular substance used. The potential levels of toxicity are the distinguishing characteristics of prescription medication. Prescription cough medications are not safe for consumer use without a prescription because they contain addictive ingredients that are toxic to the consumer with misuse. Narcotics are used in prescription-strength cough formulas.

Then there is the problem of multiple drug intake.

When drug trials are conducted they do not include a protocol where tests are done on how different drugs react with one another when taken as a combination. So the simultaneous use of multiple drugs whether prescription, over-the-counter or even recreational can be lethal – as has been documented in several high profile deaths. Alcoholic beverages can be a further contributing factor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_drug_intoxication says “combined drug intoxication (CDI), also known as multiple drug intake (MDI) is an unnatural cause of human death. While it is sometimes reported as a simple “overdose”, it is distinct in that it is due to the simultaneous use of multiple drugs, whether the drugs are prescription, over-the-counter, recreational or some other combination. The reasons for toxicity vary depending on the mixture of drugs.”

Wikipedia goes on to say “The CDI/MDI phenomenon seems to be becoming more common in recent years. In December 2007, according to Dr. John Mendelson, a pharmacologist at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Insititute, deaths by combined drug intoxication were relatively “rare” (“one in several million”), though they appeared then to be “on the rise”. But in July 2008, the Associated Press and CNN both reported on a medical study showing that over two decades, from 1983 to 2004, such deaths had soared. In addition It had also become a prevalent risk for older patients.”

So with all the risks involved with both over-the-counter and prescription medications, it makes a lot of sense to change to natural products for any conditions or problems whenever you possibly can. Many essential oils have medicinal properties that have been applied since ancient times and the claims and success of these have been upheld in modern studies.

Leave the pharmaceutical medications for real emergency situations only and then once you are over the worst and feeling better, detoxify your liver just to be on the safe side.

With recent surveys revealing that more than 1 in 4 children in the US are on pharmaceutical drugs for chronic conditions, anyone with an ounce of concern would find these figures shocking. Whilst obviously there will always be some children with serious illnesses who would need such medication, there is something very amiss here.

One of the reasons affecting this statistic is surely the $10 billion federal disability program which gives low-income parents a strong financial incentive to have their children diagnosed with behavioral disorders so that they are prescribed powerful psychotrophic drugs. The Boston Globe recently found this out after conducting an in-depth investigation. Apparently the Supplemental Security Income was introduced in 1974 to help the aged, blind and severely physically disabled. But today 50% of recipients are children diagnosed with mental disorders. A child on prescription drugs can receive a $700 monthly check. You can see how this system is seriously flawed and open to abuse by poorer parents. The full report can be read   http://wap.boston.com/art/35/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/12/12/with

ssi_program_a_legacy_of_unintended_side_effects/?single=1&p=2

In the Wall Street Journal there is a report that, in addition to taking drugs for conditions that we are more aware of in children such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD and asthma, children are now being prescribed medications like sleeping pills, diabetes drugs and even statin drugs which in the past were typically only prescribed for adults. One example quoted is an 8 year old boy who has been taking blood pressure medicine since he was a baby.

7% of these children are even taking two or more prescriptions on a “chronic basis”.

Who is responsible for all this prescribing of drugs?

Surely it must be the doctors themselves, with the encouragement of course from the pharmaceutical companies. Why are doctors not exploring other ways of combating whatever the problem might be, such as poor diet and lack of exercise, before resorting to such drastic methods. Unfortunately, far too many parents are still too trusting of their doctor’s advice without doing their own research and investigation before agreeing to prescription drugs for their vulnerable children.

I would suggest that Super Nanny could soon sort out many behavioral problems without resorting to medication.

We have the situation where one section of the population goes along with whatever the medical profession tells them while at the same time neglecting to do what they can to improve their own lifestyle habits. Then at the other end of the spectrum we have another section of the population who question everything, live their lives as naturally and healthily as they can and turn to natural and herbal remedies to treat themselves.   For example Ginkgo is a natural supplement used by some with ADHD.  If you are a child, it is really just luck which type of family you are born to.

Experts worry that the increasing prevalence of children on prescription drugs is causing these young people serious harm.

Danny Benjamin, a pediatrics professor from Duke University, maintains that most drugs prescribed to children have not been evaluated for pediatric use and could be potentially harmful as the side effects of medications on a developing child are vastly different than those an adult encounters. He advises parents to research medications, confirm any diagnosis via a second opinion and study the side effects of prescription drugs from reputable sources like the American Academy of Pediatrics.

NaturalNews say that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has done little, if anything, to warn the public about the dangers of using chronic prescription drugs, especially in small children, and that safety studies in young people are not necessarily required in order for doctors to prescribe adult medications to children, as long as the drug is already FDA-approved.

If you are a parent, would you be concerned if your child was prescribed chronic prescription drugs and would you make the effort to do your own research to find out more so that you could offer your child some alternatives?

Your child deserves that at the very least.