Alternative Treatment And Supplements For Asthma

For some people, asthma symptoms are unmistakable-like trying to suck air through a straw, they say. But not everyone experiences the severe wheezing that's considered the hallmark of the disease. In fact, one of the most common symptoms is persistent coughing at night. 

Despite the misconceptions, folks seem to recognize the seriousness of asthma. And that's important, because more and more Americans are being diagnosed with the condition. In 1982, 3.5 percent of the population had asthma. Today, the figure stands at 5.6 percent. For years, doctors attributed asthma to the sudden narrowing of the bronchial tubes, the airways that lead into the lungs. This phenomenon, called bronchoconstriction, hampers your ability to move air into and out of your lungs. 

Why the bronchial tubes narrow remained something of a mystery until the mid-1980s. That's when scientists realized that the airways of people with asthma become inflamed. The inflammation leads to bronchoconstriction, which in turn triggers asthma symptoms. 

Based on this new information, scientists turned their attention to figuring out what causes the airways to become inflamed.

They have already identified a number of factors-and the list may get longer. Among the most common culprits are inhalant allergies-caused by airborne substances such as pollens, molds, and pet dander-and occupational exposures to certain chemicals. Other potential irritants are cigarette smoke, air pollution, cold weather, strenuous exercise, and sensitivities to chemicals such as food preservatives and aspirin and medications. Colds, flu, and sinus infections can aggravate asthma-and some women are more prone to asthma during their menstrual cycles. 

Because menstruation is a fact of life for women, little can be done to prevent menstruation-related asthma attacks. But many other triggers can be avoided. That's what doctors recommend to reduce the frequency of asthma flare-ups. 

Mainstream M.D.'s also prescribe anti-inflammatories and bronchodilators-drugs that open narrowed bronchial tubes-to help control asthma symptoms. "In my experience, these medications help, but they're not the answer," says Richard Firshein, D.O., assistant professor of family medicine at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. "In managing my own asthma, I've had tremendous success with a comprehensive program that includes drugs as well as alternative approaches. The same goes for my patients. Within 6 weeks of beginning treatment, 95 percent of them are able to cut back on their medications. About 60 percent reduce their dosages by half." 

Of course, you should never stop taking any asthma medication or change your dosage without your doctor's okay. That said, the following remedies may help reduce the frequency and severity of your asthma attacks. 

Geopathic Therapy. The earth's magnetic field generates powerful unseen energy forces that have been recognized for thousands of years. These earth energies were probably easier to detect in the preindustrial age, and it is thought that ancient cultures sited their standing stone circles on sites where the earth's energy could be felt particularly strongly. Not all natural energies are beneficial; for example, granite rock strata emit the noxious gas radon. Other negative energies emanate from the earth and artificial contributions include the local electrical fields generated by power cables. 

Prolonged exposure to these energies - a condition known as geopathic stress - contributes to illness and general debility by weakening the body's defenses against disease and potentially harmful substances in the environment. 

In Chinese culture, the effect of earth energies on health and well-being haslong been recognized. The discipline known as feng shui aims to modify the flow of energy to produce a balance by making subtle alterations to the landscape. In the West, the importance of earth energies was rediscovered in the 1930s. Even so, the bad effects of negative energies are only just being recognized today. 

Geopathic Stress And Its Symptoms

The earth has a natural magnetic field; it acts as though it has a large magnet at its center. The rotation of the earth creates electric currents in the molten metals found within the earth’s core, thereby producing a magnetic field. Geopathic stress occurs when the earth’s magnetic field is disturbed, either naturally or artificially, and the background field we normally experience is changed. 

Natural disturbances to the earth’s magnetic field include geological faults, underground ore masses and underground water, particularly running water. Earthquakes and running underground water can slowly erode rock and have a destabilizing effect. 

Effects of Geopathic stress 

People do not suddenly drop dead or become ill after standing, sitting or sleeping on a particular spot. The effect is gradual, involving a slow deterioration in health in those susceptible to such stresses. As a result, they often find it difficult to feel happy, energetic, emotionally stable and physically well. 

Geopathic therapy aims to relieve geopathic stress. Practitioners detect these negative energies either by dowsing (using a pendulum or rods), or with kinesiology, or by "sensing" or "seeing" them. They then advise on how best to avoid these energies. This may be by moving a bed or a favorite chair away from an affected area, by deflecting the energies with mirrors, or by trapping them in crystals or coils that can then be washed clean. 

Alternative Treatment And Supplements For Asthma 

Some alternative treatments and supplements may help manage asthma symptoms, but it's important to consult a doctor before trying them, as they are not a replacement for medical treatment, especially for severe asthma. Research suggests that the following alternative approaches may have potential benefits:

1. Herbs and Dietary Supplements: Some herbs and supplements, such as black seed, caffeine, choline, pycnogenol, magnesium, fish oil, vitamin C, ginkgo, mullein, boswellia, dried ivy, butterbur, and French maritime pine bark extract, have been studied for their potential to reduce inflammation and improve asthma symptoms.

2. Acupuncture: While acupuncture is sometimes used to ease asthma symptoms, there is minimal scientific evidence to support its efficacy.

3. Breathing Exercises: Certain breathing exercises may help reduce the amount of medication needed to control asthma symptoms.

4. Yoga and Relaxation Therapy: These mind-body approaches are considered safe and may help manage asthma, but the research backing their effectiveness is minimal.

5. Caution and Consultation: It's important to be cautious with herbal supplements and to consult a doctor before trying any alternative treatment for asthma, as some may have potential for side effects and interactions with existing medications.

It's essential to emphasize that these alternative treatments should be used under the guidance of a healthcare professional, and they should not replace the prescribed medical treatment for asthma.

Broccoli may help boost the aging immune system

Eat your broccoli. That's the advice from UCLA researchers who have found that a chemical in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may hold a key to restoring the body's immunity, which declines as we age.

Published in this week's online edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the study findings show that sulforaphane, a chemical in broccoli, switches on a set of antioxidant genes and enzymes in specific immune cells, which then combat the injurious effects of molecules known as free radicals that can damage cells and lead to disease.

Free radicals are byproducts of normal body processes, such as the metabolic conversion of food into energy, and can also enter the body through small particles present in polluted air. A supercharged form of oxygen, these molecules can cause oxidative tissue damage, leading to disease — for example, triggering the inflammation process that causes clogged arteries. Oxidative damage to body tissues and organs is thought to be one of the major causes of aging.

"The mysteries of aging have always intrigued man," said Dr. Andre Nel, the study's principal investigator and chief of nanomedicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "While we have known for some time that free radicals are important in aging, most of the past attention has focused on the mechanisms that produce free radicals rather than addressing the pathways used by the body to suppress their production."

A dynamic equilibrium exists in the body between the mechanisms that lead to increased free radical production and those antioxidant pathways that help combat free radicals.

"Our study contributes to the growing understanding of the importance of these antioxidant defense pathways that the body uses to fight free radicals," said Nel, a practicing clinical allergist and immunologist at the Geffen School. "Insight into these processes points to ways in which we may be able to alleviate the effects of aging."

The delicate balance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant forces in the body could determine the outcome of many disease processes that are associated with aging, including cardiovascular disease, degenerative joint diseases and diabetes, as well as the decline in efficiency of the immune system's ability to protect against infectious agents.

"As we age, the ability of the immune system to fight disease and infections and protect against cancer wears down as a result of the impact of oxygen radicals on the immune system," Nel said.

According to the UCLA study, the ability of aged tissues to reinvigorate their antioxidant defense can play an important role in reversing much of the negative impact of free radicals on the immune system. However, until this current study, the extent to which antioxidant defense can impact the aging process in the immune system was not properly understood.

"Our defense against oxidative stress damage may determine at what rate we age, how it will manifest and how to interfere in those processes," Nel said. "In particular, our study shows that a chemical present in broccoli is capable of stimulating a wide range of antioxidant defense pathways and may be able to interfere with the age-related decline in immune function."

The UCLA team not only found that the direct administration of sulforaphane in broccoli reversed the decline in cellular immune function in old mice, but they witnessed similar results when they took individual immune cells from old mice, treated those cells with the chemical outside the body and then placed the treated cells back into a recipient animal.

In particular, the scientists discovered that dendritic cells, which introduce infectious agents and foreign substances to the immune system, were particularly effective in restoring immune function in aged animals when treated with sulforaphane.

"We found that treating older mice with sulforaphane increased the immune response to the level of younger mice," said Hyon-Jeen Kim, first author and research scientist at the Geffen School.

To investigate how the chemical in broccoli increased the immune system's response, the UCLA group confirmed that sulforaphane interacts with a protein called Nrf2, which serves as a master regulator of the body's overall antioxidant response and is capable of switching on hundreds of antioxidant and rejuvenating genes and enzymes.

Nel said that the chemistry leading to activation of this gene-regulation pathway could be a platform for drug discovery and vaccine development to boost the decline of immune function in elderly people.

"This is a radical new way of thinking in how to increase the immune function of elderly people to possibly protect against viral infections and cancer," Nel said. "We may have uncovered a new mechanism by which to boost vaccine responses by using a nutrient chemical to impact oxidant stress pathways in the immune system."

Kim said that although there is a decline in Nrf2 activity with aging, this pathway remains accessible to chemicals like sulforaphane that are capable of restoring some of the ravages of aging by boosting antioxidant pathways.

The next step is further study to see how these findings would translate to humans.

"Dietary antioxidants have been shown to have important effects on immune function, and with further study, we may be adding broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables to that list," Nel said.

For now, Nel suggests including these vegetables as part of a healthy diet.

Nel said that these findings offer a window into how the immune system ages.

"We may find that combating free radicals is only part of the answer. It may prove to be a more multifaceted process and interplay between pro- and antioxidant forces," he said.

The Seattle Biomedical Research Institute To Sign Up Volunteers To Be Exposed To RiskFoxNews reports "Within the next 18 months, medical researchers will be asking people in Seattle to volunteer to be exposed to the deadliest form of malaria to help them test the effectiveness of vaccine candidates.

The Seattle Biomedical Research Institute is collaborating with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative to accelerate malaria vaccine research by opening a new vaccine testing center in Seattle's south Lake Union neighborhood.

Scientists at the center will use early testing of vaccines to weed out those that don't work so they can speed up research on the ones that are effective. Malaria vaccine testing has already begun at a second site in the United States, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland, and is also being conducted at labs in England and the Netherlands.

"We're particularly excited by the center's location in Seattle, a community where many people have an interest in global health issues and, as a result, are willing to volunteer for such an important cause -- to help save the lives of young children in some of the world's poorest countries," said Dr. Christian Loucq, Malaria Vaccine Initiative director.

Malaria, which is spread by mosquitoes, kills more than a million people each year, most of them children. Deaths doubled in Africa over the past 20 years due to resistance to existing drugs and insecticides.

Seattle volunteers will be paid an estimated $2,000 or more to hold a paper cup containing infected mosquitoes against their arm, waiting for the insects to bite. Symptoms usually develop within nine to 11 days, and volunteers will be treated for malaria when the first parasites show up in their blood. The treatments last three days.

In the related project at Walter Reed, where hundreds of people have been exposed to the malaria virus, not one person has gotten seriously ill, said Dr. Patrick Duffy, head of the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute's malaria research programs.

The compensation is for time and inconvenience and the amount must be approved by an independent panel before the study begins.

"It's a sensitive issue. They want to make sure it's fair ... but not so much that somebody would say, 'I can't turn down this opportunity'," Duffy said.

Testing subjects will get no sicker than someone with the flu and most won't even miss a day of work after being exposed to malaria and then treated, he said. They will need to stay in a downtown hotel for a few days and get daily medical tests, but can leave their room during the day because treatment for the virus would begin before it becomes contagious.

"The parasite has an incredibly complex lifecycle. It takes on many different forms during its different lifecycle stages. One form infects the mosquito. That form develops late. The form that makes people sick develops early. We'll be treating this early before the form that can be transmitted is developed," Duffy said.

After a story about the vaccine center ran in The Seattle Times on Wednesday, the project's e-mail box was filled with hundreds of inquiries from people who wanted to participate in the vaccine trials, Duffy said.

He said people in Seattle have a strong sense of altruism.

"I don't think most people would volunteer for this unless they felt like they were doing it for a larger purpose," Duffy said.

The Seattle vaccine testing center will be built this year and the first trial with just six volunteers is expected to be conducted in the summer of 2009, paid for with between $4 million and $5 million from the Malaria Vaccine Initiative, which was created with a grant of $50 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Additional trials are expected to cost between $1 million and $2 million and each one would require about 26 volunteers.

The Seattle Biomedical Research Institute has been working on tropical diseases for about 30 years and is home to one of the largest malaria research programs in the United States.

Although the institute has been developing malaria vaccines of its own, the testing program will be open to vaccine candidates from around the world.
Duffy said the project at Walter Reed, where he worked before coming to the institute in Seattle, has helped one promising vaccine candidate get to the point where it is about 50 percent effective at preventing malaria.

He said that vaccine is an inspiration to everyone who is working to find a way to save people from malaria.

"We have a partially effective vaccine now and there's no reason why we can't get a fully effective vaccine," Duffy said.

Bill and Melinda Gates announced in October they would seek worldwide eradication of the disease rather than just control. Their foundation has committed $860 million to malaria programs and another $650 million to support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria."


You may also see this post  >>>  Benefits Of Broccoli

Herbal Pharmacy And Remedies

Curing cancer with herbal remedies - a case for shamans and herb women? Not at all, for many chemotherapies to fight cancer applied in modern medicine are natural products or were developed on the basis of natural substances. Thus, taxanes used in prostate and breast cancer treatment are made from yew trees. The popular periwinkle plant, which grows along the ground of many front yards, is the source of vinca alkaloids that are effective, for example, against malignant lymphomas. The modern anti-cancer drugs topotecan and irinotecan are derived from a constituent of the Chinese Happy Tree.

Looking for new compounds, doctors and scientists are increasingly focusing on substances from plants used in traditional medicine. About three quarters of the natural pharmaceutical compounds commonly used today are derived from plants of the traditional medicine of the people in various parts of the world. The chances of finding new substances with interesting working profiles in traditional medicinal plants are better than in common-or-garden botany.

In his search for active ingredients, Professor Dr. Thomas Efferth of the DKFZ has been concentrating on herbal remedies from traditional Chinese medicine with particularly well documented application range. Working together with colleagues in Mainz and Düsseldorf, Germany, Graz, Austria and Kunming in China, he launched a systematic compound search in 76 Chinese medicinal plants that are believed to be effective against malignant tumors and other growths. First results of this study have now been published.

Extracts from 18 of the plants under investigation were found to substantially suppress the growth of a cancer cell line in the culture dish. “With this success rate of about 24 percent, we are way above the results that could be expected from searching through large chemical substance libraries,” Thomas Efferth explains.

The scientists proceeded to chemically separate, step by step, all active extracts, tracing the active component after each separation step by cell tests. The chemical structure of the compounds is analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy. “We are combining natural substance research with advanced analytical and molecular-biological methods”, Efferth explains. “Plant constituents that seem particularly promising are immediately subjected to further tests.” Such constituents include, for example, substances derived from the Rangoon Creeper, an ornamental plant with red flowers, or from Red-Root Sage. The latter contains three ingredients with powerful anti-tumor activity. The substances were found to suppress the growth of a specific tumor cell line that is particularly resistant to many commonly used cytotoxins due to overproduction of a transport protein in the cell wall. In contrast, a whole range of standard anti-cancer drugs fail to be effective against this cell.

"We can expect to find many interesting, yet unknown working mechanisms among the chemically highly diverse natural substances. Currently, we are aligning the effectiveness of the substances on 60 different cancer cell lines with the gene activity profiles of these cells. Thus, we can determine the exact gene products that are the cellular targets of our compounds. Thereby, it may be possible to discover whole new Achilles’ heels of the cancer cell," said Efferth describing the next steps.

Consumers Warned Not To Use Men Herbal ExtractsMen Herbal Extracts

Health Canada is advising consumers not to use Top Gun for Men Herbal because it contains a substance similar to tadalafil. Tadalafil is a prescription drug used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction that should only be taken under the guidance of a health professional.
Possible Side Effects   Â

Consumers who use Top Gun for Men Herbal Extracts may be at risk of serious side-effects similar to those associated with tadalafil. Unsupervised use of tadalafil by patients with heart disease can result in serious cardiovascular side-effects such as sudden cardiac death, heart attack, stroke, hypertension, chest pain and abnormal heartbeat.

Additionally, use of tadalafil may be associated with other side-effects including temporary vision loss, seizure, prolonged erection, headache, flushing, nasal congestion and abdominal pain. Tadalafil should not be used by individuals taking any type of nitrate drug (e.g., nitroglycerine) due to the risk of developing potentially life-threatening low blood pressure.

Breast Enhancement Pills

Breast enhancement pills are probably one of the most popular ways of getting the good looks one has been always wanting; such pills also show the quickest of results given the fact that a noticeable bust augmentation is obvious within maximum forty-five days of administration. Most breast enhancement pills treatment requires perfect health conditions due to their many side effects, therefore, they should always be taken on doctor's prescription and only after undergoing very serious and complete medical examination. Otherwise, patients may be exposed to severe health problems that include even cancer.

One breast enhancement pill that is said to work wonders on the bust size is Breast Gain Plus, a herb-based treatment with an estrogen-like effect. The phytoestrogens in the composition act as a stimulant of the already existing estrogen receptors that are part of the normal gland. The results of this breast enhancement pill are more than satisfactory for customers, some are said to have increased the size of their breasts with 150%. The plants used for this treatment include: wild yam, black cohosh, kava, as herbs, as well as muscle relaxants, anti-depressants and anticoagulants.

The way these breast enhancement pills really work is by making the body systems believe that you're pregnant. This means that by accelerating and increasing the production of estrogen in your body, you get the same levels like those that appear during pregnancy. The only difference is that the mammary gland doesn't secret milk. The producers say that the action of the breast enhancement pills is permanent, unlike that of pregnancy. They sell products under slogans such as: "You'll improve self-esteem and be in control of your body!" What we can't be sure of is the safety of breast enhancement pills.

The herb-based composition of the breast enhancement pills is meant to be reassuring for those who'd like to keep things as natural as possible. The problem is that studies are far from being over or conclusive, it is known that some of the plants acting like hormones are as dangerous as hormones themselves. Plus, you can't be sure which is the safe dose, to keep you away from uterus or breast cancer. Some scientific studies have even pointed out that herbs such as fenugreek used as a component of many breast enhancement pills stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. So, if you want to have larger breast for the sheer reason of re-gaining self-esteem, give the matter a serious thinking before starting medication!

Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Gets Children Eating Again
Eosinophilic esophagitis, an inflammatory condition known as EE that often mimics reflux and can cause refusal to eat, affects about 1 in 2000 children in the United States and its prevalence is growing. Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine and Riley Hospital for Children report that treatment with oral or swallowed/sprayed steroids results in significant patient improvement, but that if discontinued relapse is common.

The results of a randomized clinical trial which compared prednisone and another commonly prescribed medication appears in the February 2008 issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Eosinophilic esophagitis can be a serious condition and cause children to refuse to eat, to vomit, or to get food stuck as the esophagus narrows from inflammation. EE, which does not improve without treatment, is twice as likely to occur in boys as in girls.

“We are seeing increasing numbers of children with Eosinophilic esophagitis who can benefit from effective therapy. Our study found that while systemic corticosteroids provided better initial patient improvement compared to swallowed steroids, long term results were similar between the groups,” said Sandeep K. Gupta, M.D., IU School of Medicine associate professor of clinical pediatrics and a Riley Hospital pediatric gastroenterologist.

“A child will often continue to suffer in silence if this disease is left untreated. We are not sure why the number of cases is increasing, but we are seeing an average of two new cases every week at Riley Hospital. As we study treatment options, we are also investigating how and why food allergies and environmental factors appear to play a role in this disease,” said Dr. Gupta.

The Best Medical Job Search Tips Ever

In 2003, many work agencies had seen noteworthy increases in the number of medical-related jobs and those that fall under the health care services.

The demand for these positions is, in fact, consistently growing because there were also notable increases in medicine and health care-related job searches. It reported a total of 3.5 million searches just in the Internet and a particular web site alone.

Finding a job in the medical field can be very tedious and daunting, especially with all those millions of competitors all vying for the same related work field.

Therefore, for people who wish to obtain some edge over the others and have higher possibilities that they can get the medical job they have long wanted to have, here are some tips to guide them through:

1. The key to your dream job is in the resume

Gone are the days of the so-called “cookie-cutter” resumes. What matters most is to incorporate all the details being asked in the job posting.

The employer seeks to find the details he had posted in the listing; hence, he would be expecting to find it on the applicant’s resume. Make certain that the resume matches the qualifications that the potential employer is seeking.

2. Applicant’s should have previous experience already

The key point into getting a good medical job is based on the fact that prior to the application, the applicant should, by all means, try to generate some work experience even if the starting salary is just minimal. As long as it will give a person some kind of work experience, he or she should never hesitate to grab the opportunity.

In reality, 60% of the hiring employers are interested with the work experience, with all the other qualifications set aside.

3. For medical job searches online, it is best if the applicant will narrow job searches.

This means that the person should use terms that are more specific with regards to the kind of medical job he or she is looking for. It will not necessarily give the applicant a thousand results, but at least the applicant can generate at least 10 to 20 job searches with greater possibility of acquiring a job.

The bottom line is that medical related jobs are not that hard to find. With some determination and persistence the chances of obtaining the ideal job is just a matter of time.

Breast Enhancement Pills

Breast enhancement pills are probably one of the most popular ways of getting the good looks one has been always wanting; such pills also show the quickest of results given the fact that a noticeable bust augmentation is obvious within maximum forty-five days of administration. Most breast enhancement pills treatment requires perfect health conditions due to their many side effects, therefore, they should always be taken on doctor's prescription and only after undergoing very serious and complete medical examination. Otherwise, patients may be exposed to severe health problems that include even cancer.

One breast enhancement pill that is said to work wonders on the bust size is Breast Gain Plus, a herb-based treatment with an estrogen-like effect. The phytoestrogens in the composition act as a stimulant of the already existing estrogen receptors that are part of the normal gland. The results of this breast enhancement pill are more than satisfactory for customers, some are said to have increased the size of their breasts with 150%. The plants used for this treatment include: wild yam, black cohosh, kava, as herbs, as well as muscle relaxants, anti-depressants and anticoagulants.

The way these breast enhancement pills really work is by making the body systems believe that you're pregnant. This means that by accelerating and increasing the production of estrogen in your body, you get the same levels like those that appear during pregnancy. The only difference is that the mammary gland doesn't secret milk. The producers say that the action of the breast enhancement pills is permanent, unlike that of pregnancy. They sell products under slogans such as: "You'll improve self-esteem and be in control of your body!" What we can't be sure of is the safety of breast enhancement pills.

The herb-based composition of the breast enhancement pills is meant to be reassuring for those who'd like to keep things as natural as possible. The problem is that studies are far from being over or conclusive, it is known that some of the plants acting like hormones are as dangerous as hormones themselves. Plus, you can't be sure which is the safe dose, to keep you away from uterus or breast cancer. Some scientific studies have even pointed out that herbs such as fenugreek used as a component of many breast enhancement pills stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. So, if you want to have larger breast for the sheer reason of re-gaining self-esteem, give the matter a serious thinking before starting medication!

Weight
Think about it, have you ever seen a fat vegetarian? Probably not. In fact, for most of us, vegetarian is almost synonymous with lean and healthy, isn't it? And when you start any diet, what's the first thing the experts tell you? Generally it's to increase the amounts of vegetables you're eating and to eat limited amounts of meat, especially high-fat red meat and pork.

And what happens when you resume your old eating habits? Generally the weight will come right back on. Even the greatest will-power can't overcome the unhealthy effects of eating high-fat meat.

When you eat a diet that's higher in dietary fiber, that's primarily if not totally vegetarian, you're naturally healthier. You're feeding your body and getting it the nutrition it needs to run efficiently. You have more energy and stamina; you wake up more easily and more refreshed. It's easier to exercise, because you're not so weighed down by digesting the high fat and excessive protein that comes from eating a carnivorous diet.

Many diets fail because we think of them as depriving ourselves of food we love. The trick is to change that thinking. There are so many compelling reasons to eliminate meat from our diet, so why not forget about losing weight? Focus instead on eating healthier, or eating in a way that's in balance with the earth, and that doesn't need to subsist on the suffering of animals. You'll probably find you'll start to lose weight without even thinking about it!

And when you do lose weight, so many other health risks can fall by the wayside as well. You'll find your blood pressure falls into a healthier range and your risk for Type II diabetes can decrease. You'll look better and feel better and probably never go back to your old ways of eating!

Protecting Your Health While Aboard a Cruise Ship

When it comes to cruise ship safety, there are many individuals who are concerned with their physical safety. Physically staying safe aboard a cruise ship is important, but so is staying healthy. Due to a large number of individuals in a fairly small space, cruise ships have a number of health concerns.

The health problems and concerns found on cruise ships are often highly publicized. Despite this publicity, most cruise ships are fun, safe, and clean. Being concerned with your health aboard a cruise ship is one thing, but you should not let it prevent you from enjoying your vacation. Rather than letting the fear of getting sick ruin your vacation, you should take a few simple steps to ensure that your health will be the same as, if not better, when you first boarded.

Before your cruise ship is scheduled to set sail, you are urged to schedule a visit with your family physician. Be sure to inform him or her that you are planning a vacation aboard a cruise ship. Your physician will likely check your health to make sure you are fit for travel. In addition to examining your general health, it is possible that your physician may require a number of immunizations. These immunizations may offer you extra protection; therefore, you are urged to obtain them.

If you are taking multiple medications at the time of your cruise, you will want to make sure that you have an adequate supply. If you are running low on your medication, you may want to obtain a refill before you leave for your cruise. It is also likely that your doctor may request that you bring along extra medication. This request is often made to individuals who must take their medications to survive. In the event that you misplace your medication, you will have an extra supply to fall back on.

Taking health precautions before you board the cruise ship is important. However, it is also important to take precautionary measures after you board. These measures are simple; however, they may be vital to your health. One of the first things that you should do is familiarize yourself with the layout of your ship. Determining whether or not there is a doctor onboard and where they are located is important.

Since germs and illnesses spread easily aboard cruise ships, you will need to protect yourself. This protection involves washing your hands on a regular basis. When most individuals are at home, they wash their hands after completing certain activities. In addition to eating and using the restrooms, you should wash your hands after using all public facilities. If you find it difficult to wash your hands regularly, you may want to obtain a package of disinfecting wipes. If used properly, disinfecting wipes can be just as effective as soap and water.

Cruise ships are popular for their relaxing atmosphere. This relaxation may include lounging. When lounging or taking a stroll, it is advised that you keep your shoes on at all times. As previously mentioned germs can easily spread aboard a cruise ship. Keeping your feet covered at all times will not only protect you from contagious illnesses, but it will prevent you from stepping on harmful objects.

In addition to cruising along water, most cruise ships dock in a port. It is likely that you will be visiting a foreign country. In the event that you end up on foreign land, it is important that you carefully monitor what you eat and drink. If you notice drinking advisories, you are urged to follow them. Instead of drinking tap water, you may want to opt for bottled water or another bottled beverage. Many individuals are concerned only with the drinking water, but you should also be concerned with ice cubes and water in uncooked foods.

As you can see, the above mentioned precautionary measures are simple and easy to follow. Why put yourself at risk for illness; especially when it requires little or no effort to keep your health in good standing.

Why Physiotherapy Can Help Women's Health

The subject of women's health encompasses a range of issues that can be treated by physiotherapy. From pregnancy back pain to incontinence problems faced by older women, physiotherapy is there to help.

Bladder incontinence is a problem for 13 million Americans on any given day. Although some men have this problem, it is present in much greater numbers in the area of women's health.

There are several different kinds of incontinence. Stress incontinence happens when the person coughs or sneezes and urge incontinence means the person has sudden urges to use the restroom, for example. Organ prolapse, such as a tilted uterus, can lead to incontinence, as well as sexual dysfunction. This is another area of women's health physiotherapy can help.

Physiotherapists who work in the field of women's health can correct nearly 70% of incontinence problems. The major exercise used is the Kegel. It is a very specialized exercise, and at least half the people who try to do it on their own fail miserably. It takes biofeedback for many to get it right.

Many of the problems of women's health can be traced to the pelvic floor. The Kegel is the exercise that addresses this part of the anatomy. However, other therapies are used as well. Electrical stimulation is only one of the methods used. Soft tissue manipulation is another treatment that has been tried.

Pelvic pain affects many women's health. It may come from a variety of sources. It can be due to vulvodynia or abdominal surgeries, for example. One can have pelvic pain after falling, especially if one lands on the tailbone. These conditions often curtail sexual activities and lead to an overall deterioration in women's psychological health. Physiotherapy offers many treatments to help these problems.

No discussion of how physiotherapy helps with women's health would be complete without a word about pregnancy. Women who are pregnant know that their bodies go through various changes that can be painful. Low back pain is only one of them.

Physiotherapists can help with this. Gentle exercises can be taught to relieve tension in the back. One is to lie on the floor with the knees up and press the small of the back to the floor. This gives a great feeling of relief. Other exercises strengthen the woman's back, but few people besides physiotherapists know how far to go with exercising when pregnant. Women's health is important at this time, and so is the baby's.

Physiotherapists can also give instructions on what amount of exercise is best for pregnant women. After delivery, physiotherapy is a boon to women's health. It can help get women back into shape and instruct them in taking care of their new child while preventing back problems. Another area of postpartum women's health is the treatment of women who have had cesarean sections.

Physiotherapy can help women's health because there are so many conditions that women suffer. Many of these conditions will respond to physiotherapy. It is only natural that women would turn to a tried and true method for relief.

Americans Need More Sleep

Most of Americans sleep less than recommended by experts.

The Center for Disease Control surveyed 19589 adults in the states of Delaware, Hawaii, New York and Rhode Island. They were questioned about how many days within the past month they slept less than needed. The survey found that 70% of questioned adults lack daily sleep. 10% reported lack of sleep for every single day of the past month. 38% reported lack of sleep for 7 days of the past month.

13.3% of questioned younger adults aged from 18 to 34 reported lack of sleep, compared to 7.3% adults of age of 55 and older. Surveyed adults from Hawaii appeared to have less sleepless nights, compared to the rest of surveyed people. However, the survey didn't ask how many hours a day adults sleep.

CDC also examined data during the period from 1985 to 2006 about how many hours adults lack in sleep. Data showed that Americans lacking sleep increased during this period from 1985's 20% to 2006's 30%. These adults were having an average of 6 hours or even less daily sleep.

The survey showed no difference in sleep graphic between genders and different racial groups. All of them suffer from sleep disorders equally. However, those who have retired or are not able to work because of health conditions have better sleeping habits. Most of them reported to sleep normally every night.

National Sleep Foundation recommends from 7 to 9 hours of daily sleep for adults, from 8.5 to 9.5 hours for those aged from 11 to 17, and from 9 to 11 hours for those aged from 5 to 12.

Experts worn that sleep disorders may lead to 'obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease, depression, cigarette smoking, excessive drinking.'

Experts urge everyone to sleep the recommended hours daily, because sleep is an important factor affecting health. Everyone must consider healthy sleeping as an important part of healthy lifestyle.

Insomnia patients with mental conditions often denied sleep treatment

Patients with insomnia who are diagnosed with accompanying mental health ailments often are not prescribed medication that will help them sleep - which could then make related anxiety or depression worse, new research suggests.

Scientists examining treatment patterns for insomniacs say that their findings suggest that many doctors appear to be reluctant to prescribe sleep aids, even those that pose no risk of dependence, if patients also have depression, anxiety or mood disorders. An exception is psychiatrists, who were found to be twice as likely as primary care physicians to prescribe medication for insomnia.

“Insomnia can cause you to have anxiety and depression, and depression and anxiety can cause you to have insomnia. It’s a chicken-and-egg type of story. But research has shown that if one of the conditions is left untreated it can exacerbate the other condition,” said senior study author Rajesh Balkrishnan, the Merrell Dow professor of pharmacy at Ohio State University.

“What this calls for is specific guidelines related to the treatment of insomnia that takes into consideration these different types of patients, because insomnia has become such a big public health problem.”

An estimated 20 percent of Americans have occasional sleep problems, with about one in 10 suffering from chronic insomnia.
Balkrishnan acknowledges concerns that physicians might have about prescribing certain medications that can cause dependence, especially to patients with mental health disorders. Older sleep aids, a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, are muscle relaxants with addictive properties and high potential for abuse. However, since the early 1990s, a new class of drugs for insomnia called non-benzodiazepines has been on the market. They are effective sleep aids that don’t carry the risk of addiction, Balkrishnan said, and for that reason, patients should have ready access to these medications.

“This research highlights the need to take into account that many patients who see their doctors with complaints of insomnia also have a psychiatric condition. But the presence of those mental conditions should not preclude them from being appropriately treated for their insomnia,” he said.

The study is published in the January issue of the Journal of Medical Economics.

Balkrishnan and colleagues collected data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, which tracks Americans’ annual outpatient medical visits. The researchers identified 5,487 physician visits by patients with insomnia between 1995 and 2004, which was calculated to represent about 161 million U.S. patients over that 10-year period.

According to the analysis, an estimated 6.5 million Americans who saw a doctor for insomnia also were diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Of the visits examined, 38 percent of patients with insomnia were diagnosed with at least one other condition, and at least four of every 10 of those accompanying conditions related to mental health. The most common additional condition was anxiety (15.6 percent), followed by episodic mood disorders (14.9 percent), high blood pressure (10.1 percent), depression (7 percent) and diabetes (3.5 percent).

The study showed that insomnia patients with mental health disorders were 36 percent less likely to receive medication for their sleeping problems than were patients without the mental health diagnosis. Those with anxiety were the least likely to receive a sleep aid, with a 45 percent decreased likelihood of receiving medication for insomnia compared to patients without anxiety.

Balkrishnan said that with generic forms of nonaddictive insomnia medication available by prescription, even patients taking antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs can safely – and affordably – add a sleep aid to their regimen. The most common forms of antidepressants prescribed in the United States are a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

“Physicians might perceive that drowsiness is induced by medications such as SSRIs so there might be a general fear about combining them with insomnia medications,” Balkrishnan said. “But I think those fears are somewhat unfounded because we found that psychiatrists don’t have any problems prescribing sleep medications in patients who have accompanying mental conditions; they know there is no danger of a drug-to-drug interaction.”

According to the analysis, patients visiting psychiatrists had two times higher odds of receiving medication for insomnia than patients visiting family practice or internal medicine physicians. The study showed that 33 percent of patients with insomnia saw family practice or internal medicine physicians, 30 percent visited psychiatrists and 9 percent went to neurologists.

The study identified other factors associated with insomnia medication prescribing patterns – for example, older and established patients were more likely to receive insomnia medications than were younger patients or those seeing the doctor for the first time. But Balkrishnan said a clear theme emerged from the analysis.

“There is a divide in who gets appropriate medication and who is not appropriately medicated,” he said. “It might not be happening willfully, but it points to a knowledge gap between different types of physicians and the need to develop widely accepted insomnia treatment guidelines. And the guidelines should be ratified by essentially all physicians treating the condition.”

Snoozing Worms Help Researchers Explain Evolution Of Sleep

The roundworm C. elegans, a staple of laboratory research, may be key in unlocking one of the central biological mysteries: why we sleep. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report in this week's advanced online edition of Nature that the round worm has a sleep-like state, joining most of the animal kingdom in displaying this physiology. This research has implications for explaining the evolution and purpose of sleep and sleep-like states in animals.

In addition, genetic work associated with the study provides new prospects for the use of C. elegans to identify sleep-regulatory genes and drug targets for sleep disorders.

First author David M. Raizen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, in collaboration with other researchers at the Penn Center for Sleep, showed that there is a period of behavioral quiescence during the worm's development called lethargus that has sleep-like properties. "Just as humans are less responsive during sleep, so is the worm during lethargus," explains Raizen. "And, just as humans fall asleep faster and sleep deeper following sleep deprivation, so does the worm."

By demonstrating that worms sleep, Raizen and colleagues have not only demonstrated the ubiquity of sleep in nature, but also propose a compelling hypothesis for the purpose for sleep.

Because the time of lethargus coincides with a time in the round worms' life cycle when synaptic changes occur in the nervous system, they propose that sleep is a state required for nervous system plasticity. In other words, in order for the nervous system to grow and change, there must be down time of active behavior. Other researchers at Penn have shown that, in mammals, synaptic changes occur during sleep and that deprivation of sleep results in a disruption of these synaptic changes.

In addition, the research team used C. elegans as a model system to identify a gene that regulates sleep. This gene, which encodes a protein kinase and is regulated by a small molecule called cyclic GMP, has been previously studied but not suspected to play a role in sleep regulation. The findings suggest a potential role for this gene in regulating human sleep and may provide an avenue for developing new drugs for sleep disorders.

"It opens up an entire new line of inquiry into the functions of sleep," notes Penn Center for Sleep Director and co-author Allan I. Pack, MB, Chb, PhD.

AASM On Sleep Medications And Insomnia Treatment

Insomnia and Sleep Medications

Insomnia occurs when people have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and it is a common sleep compliant. While a brief case of insomnia can arise due to temporary stress, excitement or other emotion, more than 20 million Americans report having a chronic form of insomnia that keeps them from sleeping well nearly every night. As a result, the insomnia, which is a serious and often debilitating condition, can lead to severe daytime fatigue, poor performance at school and work, physical symptoms such as headaches, and in some cases depression.

People suffering from insomnia need to know that there are effective insomnia treatments and their sleep can improve. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that people who experience insomnia see a sleep medicine specialist or primary care physician for proper diagnosis and to discuss treatment options before treatment with medications is undertaken. This evaluation should also look for specific causes of insomnia such as restless legs syndrome or depression.

Sleep medications are often used for the short-term treatment of insomnia and, on occasion, for more chronic insomnia. Medications that currently are available by prescription are known to improve sleep by reducing the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, increasing sleep duration and/or reducing the number of awakenings during sleep. While modern hypnotics are considered safe, individuals should be aware that, like all medications, side effects may occur in a minority of patients. These side effects can include sleep walking, sleep eating and other complex sleep behaviors as well as difficulty with memory.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PATIENTSBehavioral therapies and medications have been shown to be effective therapies for insomnia. Behavioral therapies use nonpharmacologic methods to improve sleep and are effective and long lasting. Sleep medications are effective and safe treatments for insomnia when used properly and judiciously by a patient who is under the supervision of a sleep medicine or primary care physician.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers the following recommendations for individuals who use sleep medications:

• Read carefully the package insert and all information provided by your physician and pharmacist for your sleep medication. This information will help guide you in the safe use of the medication.

• Especially read the package insert and all information to learn the side effects of the medication.

• Adhere strictly to the indicated use of your sleep medication. Do not take it for purposes other than to sleep.

• Follow the prescription carefully and do not take more than the dosage your doctor prescribes.

• Allow time for a full night of sleep when using sleep medication to avoid morning or daytime drowsiness.

• Avoid combining sleep medication with alcohol.

• Ask your doctor any questions you have about the intended use, dosage and side effects. Communication with your physician will help ensure safe use of the medication.

• Inform your doctor right away of any problems you have while taking a sleep medication.

• Make your doctor aware of any other medications, prescriptions or over-the-counter, that you use. Mixing medications may cause adverse effects.

• Make your doctor aware of other medical conditions, including other sleep disorders, you may have. Sleep medications can be dangerous when treating sleep disruption that may arise from another disorder.

• Visit www.SleepEducation.com for more information about insomnia, treatment options and to find a sleep center.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PHYSICIANS The American Academy of Sleep Medicine is committed to educating sleep medicine and primary care physicians about treatment options for insomnia. Behavioral therapies and medications have been shown to be effective therapies for insomnia. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers the following recommendations for primary care physicians who see patients with insomnia :

• Read the practice guidelines for chronic insomnia created by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

• Become intimately familiar with sleep medications you prescribe, including the indications for use and side effects.

• Educate your patients about the sleep medicine you are prescribing to them, including the indications for use, dosage and side effects. Ensure your patients fully understand the intended use and potential effects.