Posts Tagged ‘natural health’

If you\’ve ever suffered from hemorrhoids or piles, you know how inconvenient and painful they can be. Millions of adults suffer from hemorrhoids on a daily basis. Because there is quite a bit of misunderstanding regarding this condition, many people suffer needlessly for too long.

What are hemorrhoids? One of the causes is when the blood vessels around the anus rupture for one reason or another. These small vessels then can cause swelling, itching, bleeding and sometimes even extreme pain during bowel movement production. Many people avoid addressing this problem for as long as possible, for reasons that you can easily imagine.

If you go to your doctor, he\’ll likely prescribe some creams designed to reduce the inflammation. If the hemorrhoids are advanced or bad enough, he or she might suggest a surgical correction. This is quite painful, and takes a few weeks to completely heal for obvious reasons.

What is likely the worst part about these medical treatments is that they actually only address the symptoms, and not the underlying cause. For this reason, even those who have surgery to correct the hemorrhoids have up to a fifty percent chance of them returning. Those are not very good odds.

If you want to get rid of your hemorrhoids for good, so they never come back, then you need to address the underlying cause of the hemorrhoids. Several natural remedies exist that do exactly his. In many cases, a simple addition of dietary fiber can help. Without sufficient fiber, bowel movements can be difficult, causing the rupture of the blood vessels.

More and more people are starting to realize that these natural cures are not only safe and effective, but quick and long lasting as well. It is not uncommon to see your hemorrhoids vanish within a few days, never to return again. Of course it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to visit your doctor, just to make sure they really are gone.

If you need to find more information regarding Hemmoroids, have a glimpse at Stuart Longmen\’s Hemmoroids Treatment page now.

You have been trying to figure out how to get rid of a fishy vaginal smell and nothing seems to work, you have Bacterial Vaginosis and this is unfortunate for you.

Bacterial Vaginosis is a more common problem than you might think that scares and embarrasses lots of women each year. As you learn that you are not alone you will discover that many women fight chronic BV all through their lives and if you are fortunate you will only ever have to deal with this one time.

Some of the symptoms can include abnormal discharge and general tenderness around the vaginal area and pain during sex. And as mentioned earlier a fishy odor that can be extremely embarrassing.

One popular natural remedy is a product called Femanol which you can learn more about at the end of this article. This product has all natural ingredients such as probiotics, beta glucan, garlic and neem all of which can help get rid of bacterial vaginosis.

There are almost no other over the counter products available so the majority of women have to go get an antibiotic prescription from a doctor visit. Now antibiotics will work and kill off the bad bacteria that cause BV but nearly half of all women report that their symptoms return within half a year’s time.

Like many people searching for alternative natural treatment options women are finding books like BV Gone Forever to help them with a better solution than antibiotics.

This is the source many women have turned to and found helpful, a down loadable ebook called BV Gone Forever.

Lots of women want to know some initial first steps they can take to improve their condition, the list of basic steps below may seem obvious but plenty of women don’t follow all of them and they wonder why the get sick.

Be sure to drink several cups of green or herbal teas each day, eat fresh foods you fix and don’t use prepackaged meals, don’t add sugar because bacteria loves sugar, use something like stevia and be sure to take probiotic supplements and vitamins.

Interested in learning about the Femanol Ingredients

As the news of influenza is seen everywhere we turn, more and more people are seeking every available means to support their immune system and potentially prevent the infection by any number of serious viral contagions — most notably these days is “Swine Flu”, though there may be more in our future. Historically, essential oils have been used during major plagues as a means to prevent infection. Pictures can be found in natural medicine textbooks of medical practitioners wearing facemasks stuffed with cinnamon, cloves, sage and other botanicals to ward of illness. Today’s leading professional aromatherapists also suggest the most important use of essential oils for humanity will be in the treatment and prevention of such infectious illnesses. Are essential oils a viable option as an alternative therapy for home use? Here’s a look at the scientific research, as well as formulas and practices to make use of aromatic medicines.

Essential Oils’ Antiviral Activity: The Research

Over the last decade, laboratory researchers around the world have found many essential oils are capable of directly eradicating viruses. Further, they may even prevent viruses from moving between cells within the body and limiting the spread of infection. This is not an over-optimistic interpretation of the data by an essential oil proponent, but the actual conclusions of controlled research studies. Abstracts of all the research mentioned here can be found through pubmed.gov, the database maintained by the National Institute of Health and the US National Library of Medicine. If you wish, you can browse these results by entering search terms such as “essential oil virus”, “antiviral essential oil”, and more specifically “laurus nobilis SARS” (Laurus nobilis being Bay Laurel essential oil, and SARS a highly-infectious viral respiratory ailment). While there is not yet data where essential oils have been tested against Swine Flu and Avian Flu specifically, as we’ll see there is every reason to believe the oils will be effective against these virus strains as well.

Looking At The Data: Many Viruses And Many Oils

With more than one hundred published research papers on the subject, a summary is in order. What scientists are finding is that many of the essential oils commonly in use today have antiviral properties. Whether an oil is effective against a particular virus depends upon the natural chemical makeup of the oil and the structure of the virus being studied. The data, without a doubt, is very encouraging. One study performed in Germany this year concluded with the note that Tea Tree was able to “reduce viral infectivity by greater than 96 percent”. The same study went on to clarify that the whole, natural oil, rather than any single chemical synthetically extracted, was up to TEN TIMES more effective as an antiviral agent. The precise reason for this is not known — it is clear that some of the most chemically complex oils exhibit the greatest antiviral effects, and perhaps this mixture of nature’s chemicals attacks the virus AND supports immune function is several ways at once.

Laurus Nobilis and SARS

Many of the studies utilize the Herpes Simplex Virus as a “test subject”, because of the widespread prevalence of infection, along with the relative ease of testing. However, if one digs into the data, many papers present information relevant in in influenza pandemic. SARS ‘Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome’ is caused by the highly infectious SARS-CoV virus that made world-wide news in 2003. A study in the March 2008 Journal of Chemical Biodiversity noted Bay Laurel essential oil to have significant antiviral action against this virus. They’d also noted the natural constituents of this oil, which are also found in a great many other essential oils. This is why you’ll see MANY essential oils noted as antivirals — because many oils share similar natural chemical constituents. So while this next oil is not readily available, the data is very interesting. In 2005, Chinese researchers evaluated the anti-influenza potential of the essential oil from a root used in Chinese medicine, concluding: “In vivo…it prevented influenza virus-induced deaths in a dose-dependent manner”. And the list of oil/virus combinations goes on and on. But this begs the question: how do we derive a formula for Swine Flu prevention?

Selecting Oils For Daily Flu Protection

Here’s where we’ll make the leap from the scientific evidence to relying on many many years of Aroma Medicine practice throughout the world. In the aromatherapy textbooks, the list of antiviral essential oils is long. This corroborates with the scientific findings that a great many essential oils DO in-fact have antiviral activity. Where the help of skilled professional practitioners comes in is that in these texts, oils are prescribed by how effective they are against viruses that produce particular symptoms — respiratory tract infections are treated with cineol-containing oils such as Eucalyptus Radiata and Ravensara Aromatica. Viral infections of the skin are often treated with Melissa and/or Tea Tree. The doctors who have been using essential oils as medicine for years in Europe have developed a solid system, and can be relied upon in defining the appropriate list of oils for us.

A selection of potentially helpful essential oils includes the following: Melissa (also known as Lemon Balm), Eucalyptus Radiata (one of many kinds of Eucalyptus, this one specifically noted for its antiviral effects), Ravensara (similar to Eucalyptus, also a highly regarded antiviral), Lavender (don’t let its flowery aroma trick you — it is also considered antiviral and an immunostimulant), Maleleuca ericifolia (a relative of Tea Tree), Hyssop, Bay Laurel, and Thyme.

An Influenza Prevention Recipe

An example blend including these oils: 2 parts Melissa, 1 part Thyme (Thujanol, Geraniol or Linalool), 4 parts Lavender, 3 parts Ravensara, 4 parts Eucalyptus Radiata (Narrow Leaf), 3 parts Hyssop, 6 parts Rosalina (Melaluca ericifolia) and 3 parts Bay Laurel. A “part” can be anything — a milliliter, a drop, an ounce — just as long as they’re consistently the same volume. For children between 2 and 13, use 4 parts Lavender, 3 parts Rosalina, 1 part Ravensara, 1 part Eucalyptus and 3 parts Bay Laurel. This recipe is excellent as a lower-cost version for adults as well — and has been made more gentle for the young ones (consult Valerie Worwood’s “Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child” for more on using essential oils with kids).

Diffusion: Getting The Oils Into The Air

The best way to use these oils is through diffusion, which is essentially “rapid evaporation”. A nebulizing aromatherapy diffuser will make a fine mist of essential oil which cleanly evaporates in your surroundings. This method allows a low concentration of the oils to be inhaled regularly. The effect is to actually disinfect the air in your home, as well as getting the oils into one’s lungs and bloodstream in small amounts. A feature of oils’ activity is that they are reported to reduce the ability of viruses to penetrate cell walls, so the lungs and sinuses become protected just by breathing the oil-infused air. Be careful not to overdo it though — the aroma should never be overwhelming or irritating, and your body will tell you if you’ve had enough. The oils do their immune-supportive job in subtle ways, which require only the smallest amounts of oil. The casual inhalation of the oils also gets them into circulation throughout the bloodstream, penetrating all the organ systems, and most importantly the lymph system — home to our immune function. A cold air nebulizing diffuser (as opposed to an ‘ultrasonic’, which dilutes the oils with water) would ideally be run 5-10 minutes every hour for this purpose.

Topical Application and Baths

In cases where diffusion is not practical, topical application of the oil formula is the next best thing. This can be done in a couple of ways: either though an aromatherapy bath, or through the ancient practice of reflexology — where the oils are absorbed at the reflex points of the feet. For the bath, mix 4-6 drops of the essential oil recipe in a little carrier oil (or any off-the-shelf bath oil). Swirl this blend into an already drawn bath and soak! For children, lessen the amount of essential oil 2 drops (for ages 2-8) or 4 drops (9-13). The feet and the areas of the body where the lymph nodes are close to the surface are also excellent places to massage in this recipe. The oils readily penetrate the skin and are rapidly absorbed. For adults, make a 5% concentration of the essential oil recipe in any carrier oil (Coconut, with its own antiviral activity may be best — otherwise any one will do). A 5% concentration is simply a 1 to 20 ratio — 1 part essential oil blend to 19 parts carrier (this same concentration is made by adding 44 drops of the formula to each 1 fluid ounce of carrier oil). Lower this concentration for children in a manner similar to the aromatherapy bath. A daily foot massage, and/or massage into the armpits, neck and sternum is an excellent means of treating yourself and your family to these wonderful herbal medicines.

Conclusion: Essential Oils, Infectious Illness and the Future

As noted earlier, the world’s leading aroma-medicine practitioners believe the most important healing potential for essential oils is in the prevention and treatment of infectious illness. Of course, one should evaluate every available means of strengthening their immune system and those of their loved ones — there are many ways health professionals will recommend to do this. Considering the scientific data, essential oils are certainly a very worthy method of providing this support. Given all the contagions, Swine flu, Avian flu, and ones yet to be named, natural medicines have the long-term advantage of not being easily “adapted to” by viruses. The oils are so complex, and have evolved as the defense mechanism of plants over millions of years that they may present a far greater challenge to a virus to become resistant to when compared to synthetic preparations. And they’re such a joy to use — you’re house will be smelling fantastic while you’re keeping healthy; a great many amateur practitioners will concur that think you’ll find essential oils very worthwhile.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. They are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease. The statements included in this document are the opinions of natural health professionals drawing on historical therapeutic practices and relevant scientific data. They are not meant to be a substitute for face-to-face consultations with trained and licensed medical professionals. Essential oils are considered to be supportive of the immune system’s actions my a great many health practitioners; at the same time, it is important to be aware of all the options available to you to make the best choices for your health and the health of your family.

The author is a natural health professional utilizing aromatherapy essential oils and offers wholesale essential oils through her website.

It is important to keep a few things in mind when considering a visit to a chiropractic office for neck pain. Chiropractic began with the intention of working with the spine to improve health, and while most neck pain is related to the alignment of the spine, sometimes it’s not.

A chiropractic adjustment to neck or to the cervical vertebrae may carry with it some risks, even though the chance is very low. Your chiropractor should perform a thorough examination, as an improperly done neck manipulation may cause some problems ranging from stroke to severing major blood vessels.

Chiropractors clearly understand the risks involved in performing any spinal manipulation, especially to the neck, and only perform this procedure when it is the right treatment for the patient. The doctor of chiropractic will learn the patient’s case history and perform a physical, orthopedic, and neurological examination before performing any treatment. When spinal manipulation goes wrong, it’s often the result of an untrained, non-chiropractor attempting to perform the treatment.

Headaches, neck pain, and numbness or tingling in the arms and hands can be linked back to misalignment of cervical vertebrae. The benefits of a specific adjustment to the bones of the neck often means an end to long term chronic conditions. Many people only seek chiropractic care after they’ve tried every other possible treatment, including medications, injections, and even surgery.

Chiropractic adjustments can be just the thing for neck pain. Many times this neck pain may be caused by tension or posture issues which can be fixed in one or two visits with a skilled practitioner, even if it has been chronic. Because chiropractic can change, or reset the way a person carries their skeletal frame, this may also correct how they deal with the tension they carry around in their muscles and whether that translates itself into back or neck pain or not.

If you are concerned about whether chiropractic is right for you, you can set up a consult with a chiropractor or consider seeing your general practitioner first if you know of something in your personal medical history that you think might be a problem. He or she can help determine if chiropractic care is right for your problem, or if other treatment options would be more suitable for your problem. You can also seek out the help of friends, family members, or co-workers that have had a good experience with a chiropractor.

This professional will likely do an X-ray on your neck and possibly your whole spine and after an examination may or may not recommend supplementing chiropractic treatment with massage, heat or cold therapy or even ultrasound and other techniques more commonly associated with physical therapy and sports medicine.

Philip Vincent is a health educator. Need a Moses Lake Chiropractor? Consider a visit to this Moses Lake Chiropractor.

Reason number 1- You own a pharmaceutical company. A good probiotic is one of the keys to keeping your immune system strong. Pharmaceutical companies make their money selling the idea that you need their drugs to stay healthy. If you’re immune system is healthy and fully functioning, you’ll only need to take prescription drugs in real emergencies.

If you’re the owner of a pharmaceutical company you would be setting a bad example by keeping your immune system strong. You wouldn’t want the public to take a drug that there’s no need for right? Prove it.

Reason number 2- you live on a farm 2 centuries ago. Technology and progress are great, but we may embrace them too quickly. It’s true that people are living a decade or two longer on average. We’re not dying in bulk from things like polio or the plague. But we are ingesting a lot of unhealthy toxins. A good probiotic can boost your immune and help your body process those toxins better.

Reason number 3- You eat an organic diet every day. Dairy and veggies included. I eat organic food as often as I can manage, but its not always easy. I cant be 100 percent sure that there wasn’t a mix-up in the grocery store. But more often, I just cheat. Its a fast paced world and I cant always eat perfectly.

Sometimes it’s a soda, a french fry,a coffee, or a beer. No matter what it is, I cheat in some small way almost every day. These little cheats add up to a lot of unhealthy food every month. But I know that my Probiotic supplement is there to clean up my mess.

Reason number 4- you’re waiting for the scientific tests on probiotics to be conclusive. You’ll be waiting a long time. Its not because there haven’t been hundreds of university and independent studies that have shown just how beneficial probiotics can be, but because there will always be a pharmaceutical giant out to disprove them. And the pharmaceutical companies are working with government money.

As long as such a huge percent (almost 20% by some counts) of the United States profits are coming from the ultra-powerful marketing of prescription drugs to cure diseases, the government has no interest in preventing them. Your health comes after the economy’s health in their view.