News and Articles on Health. Medical research topics.

Arthritis pain and inflammation is caused by a hormone called prostaglandin and it is related to enzymes that cause inflammation causing pain. Drinking a single glass of Montmorency tart cherry juice daily can alleviate arthritis pain. According to ongoing research tart cherries, specifically the Montmorency variety contain powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins, queritrin and isoqueritrin.

Queritrin and isoqueritrin help the body to fight free radicals that are the source of cell oxidation that can lead to excessive aging and disease. Both of these compounds help to reduce the stress on the body at the cellular level. In addition, queritrin also possess anti-inflammatory properties to help the body reduce inflammation. They act similar to NSAIDS or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs including aspirin.

The anthocyanins present in the Montmorency tart cherry gives the cherry its deep red hue. According the published research from Michigan State University anthocyanins inhibit the enzymes that cause pain and inflammation in the body. The research indicated the compounds in the Montmorency cherry are 10 times more effective than aspirin, without the side effects, of reducing inflammation.

Like queritin and isoqueritrin, anthocyanins help to fight free radicals in the body. The tart cherry has an impressive amount of 26.5 grams of anthocyanins. This is the highest amount of naturally occurring anthocyanins. This is more than the anthocyanins present in walnuts.

Drinking a single of Montmorency cherry juice every day can help to reduce arthritis pain. Best of all two tablespoons or just one ounce of cherry juice concentrate mixed with seven ounces of water to make an eight ounce glass of water. In addition, to drinking cherry juice many arthritis sufferers are taking tart cherry capsules. According to Sam Russell of Toledo, OH, “I like taking the tart cherry capsules over drinking the juice. The juice is just two acidic for my stomach and the cherry capsules are much more convenient.”

One reliable source for tart cherry capsules and cherry juice is Michigan-based Traverse Bay Farms. The company offers free shipping on capsules and cherry juice. The next time your joints are experience arthritis pain, drink a glass of cherry juice or take the cherry capsules to stop the pain naturally.

Asthma is a condition that can affect both children and adults. It is associated with chronic inflammation of the lung tissues that leads to narrowing of the air ways. During attacks, muscle cells begin to constrict and breathing becomes difficult.

Asthma actually has two states of being. It is present in some form at all times in sufferers. Swelling regularly occurs in a person’s lungs without causing an attack. This is called the steady state. An asthma attack is the other state. This happens when the swelling grows to the point where breathing becomes difficult. A person can feel chest tightness, shortness of breath and even wheezing. The attack often comes on suddenly and very intensely.

Due to air restriction, severe asthma attacks can cause the sufferer to become cyanotic. That is, turn blue. It can lead to loss of consciousness and severe chest pains.

If a person is knocked unconscious during an attack, immediate medical help is important.Some attacks can be life threatening since they can lead to respiratory arrest. If there are any signs of cyanosis or the person looses consciousness, call for an ambulance immediately.

Asthma can be caused by both environmental and genetic factors.

Environmental causes can affect the lung tissue and can lead to permanent problems. Tobacco use around children is a leading cause. Being around tobacco smoke of any kind can cause acute attacks. Exposure to traffic fumes and ozone are factors as well. Some studies have found that exposure to certain infections or diseases at a young age can contribute to the appearance of asthma later in life.

There are a couple of dozen genes that have been associated to asthma sufferers. But, all of the genes are not present in every sufferer. Scientists think that different combinations of genetic factors can lead to asthma conditions.

Natural remedies can help alleviate problems with asthma. Asthma has been around since the early times of human existence. Many ancient medical traditions have developed formulas to help ease symptoms and treat underlying causes. One such tradition is ancient Tibetan medicine. They have developed a formula that helps to reduce the inflammation in the lungs. At the same time, it works to dilate the airways and make breathing easier. Traditional Tibetan Healing is making this formula available in its Asthma Support Combo.

This combination promotes healing while dealing with asthmatic symptoms.

There’s something about a brimming smile. Especially a big smile that shows beautiful white teeth. A bright white smile says “healthy”, and admit it, people with radiant white teeth somehow even look happier. A whiter smile can make a person more confident and outgoing in social situations. This is something most people desire.

Unfortunately most of us don’t have the whitest smile that we could. Years of drinking dark colored beverages such as coffee, tea, soda, and red wine, smoking, and aging take their toll on the color of tooth enamel. The great news is that today anybody at all can have a dazzling white smile.

Teeth whitening has become the most conventional form of cosmetic dentistry performed. It’s a very simple and fairly budget way to greatly improve your smile. There are several ways to whiten your teeth depending on the amount of money you want to spend, and your level of perseverance. You can make choice from tooth whitening gels and whitening toothpaste, bleaching strips, bleaching gel with a fitted mouth tray, or laser teeth whitening. Teeth laser whitening is sometimes called in-office bleaching. Of all these different types of alternatives laser teeth whitening is the accelerated way to a white smile, it’s also the most expensive. 

A one hour teeth whitening session generally runs around $600.00. But this can vary

Laser teeth whitening is considered the top of the line treatment. It takes about one hour. The dentist applies a bleach solvent containing hydrogen peroxide to the teeth. You will find that hydrogen peroxide is found in all teeth whitening products. The higher the amount of hydrogen peroxide the faster the tooth whitening will take place. Once the bleach is on the teeth the teeth are subjected to a light source, usually a laser.

This laser activates the hydrogen peroxide. This application is left on your teeth for twenty minutes. This procedure is then repeated two more times before you are done.

Of course, the results you receive from any tooth whitening system will fade over time. Trying to avoid dark colored drinks and not smoking will help you enjoy the results longer. Smile and the whole world smiles with you.

With a sedentary lifestyle and fat rich diet, the whole America seems to be gaining weight today. The number of obese or overweight adults has risen by 50% over the last decade. In the same period, obesity driven diseases have claimed 33% more lives.

Obesity is the most important factor that accelerates the onset of diabetes, particularly Type II diabetes. According to recent studies, 1/3 rd of the children born today will be affected by Type II diabetes which is primarily obesity induced.

Obesity is a contributory factor in not only diabetes which, in turn, increases the risk of blindness, kidney problems and limb amputation, it also induces heart diseases and strokes. Therefore, it is imperative for those who are either at pre-diabetes stage or have developed Type II diabetes, to keep a tab on their body mass-index.

Body-Mass Index

Body-Mass Index (BMI) is a number that tells you how much fat your body consists of as a percentage of body weight. The number is not 100% accurate, particularly when based only on height and weight figures, yet it gives a good estimate, good enough to help you in your weight reduction efforts.

Ideally, you should determine your BMI in consultation with your doctor. He can not only provide you with some additional insights about its meaning, but also advise you on how you should begin your weight loss program in order to make it sustainable.

Nonetheless, if you are in a hurry to know how much fat your body consists of, you can use online calculators, by searching the term BMI or body mass index.

If you have no patience even for that, use this formula to calculate BMI-

BMI = Weight (in kg)

Height2 (in m)

For an average adult, a BMI of less than 20 means underweight, 20-25 means normal, 25-30 overweight and over 30 obese.

If your BMI falls above 25, that is you are obese or overweight, you are in real danger of developing Type II diabetes. Remember, it may lead to several complications including heart and kidney problems, blindness, even loss of limbs through amputation. So, immediately set out with a plan to lose weight, preferably in consultation with your doctor, and religiously adhere to it. In this way, you will not only keep yourself safe but also contribute to a healthy, diabetes free America.

Body mass index

The body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index, is a statistical measurement which compares a person’s weight and height. Though it does not actually measure the percentage of body fat, it is used to estimate a healthy body weight based on how tall a person is. Due to its ease of measurement and calculation, it is the most widely used diagnostic tool to identify weight problems within a population, usually whether individuals are underweight, overweight or obese. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing “social physics”.[1] Body mass index is defined as the individual’s body weight divided by the square of his or her height. The formulae universally used in medicine produce a unit of measure of kg/m2. BMI can also be determined using a BMI chart, which displays BMI as a function of weight (horizontal axis) and height (vertical axis) using contour lines for different values of BMI or colours for different BMI categories.
Read more at wikipedia

Acne is one of the many skin conditions that have been giving a lot of us “sleepless nights”. We keep running from one doctor to another and from one pharmacist to the other, seeking for solution on how to clear the scars this problem must have left on our skin.

There are a lot of demands for acne scar removal products in the market today. This is as a result of high rate of acne pimples experienced by teenagers and young adults today. Some of these products include peels and masks, which help in cleaning the skin and leaving it soft and clean. Many naturally made acne treatment products are also available. They contain lime or neem and other products that have been traditionally manufactured which are effective.

Other products like moisturizers, moisturizes the skin, and helps restore the skin’s moisture content, leaving it fresher. Care should be taken not to use overdose of it on the person’s face or skin as it blocks the air pores. We should try as much as we can to keep our face. This would go a long way to keep your face free from acne pimples. Recommended also is a sunscreen containing SPF, which can protect your skin from the heat of the sun, which makes the acne scars look darker and uglier.

The most effective way to remove those acne pimples of yours is to use double combination acne treatment that attacks the problem both inside the body and on the skin. This is the best way to combat acne. The root causes of your acne should be dealt with inside your body while the symptoms are also dealt with on the surface of your skin. Using this approach ensures that acne is completely removed from your body and you end up with a healthy, smooth, clear and glowing skin.

Hair loss is not new in human history. There is evidence that man has always made effort to restore growth of hair. In the ancient Egyptian medicine library, here are indication that various herbs such as aloe were used to treat the condition. The use of stinging nettle has been found to be common among many societies.

In modern treatment for baldness among men and women, there ae several remedies that have been prescribed. The challenge is how to find a working formula. You need to be aware of scams especially those advertising via internet.

So what remedies really work? According to professionals in hair industry, natural remedies are preferred to any other treatment. Even though hair transplant have been found to be equally good, the cost factor and the fear of complications make natural remedies more attractive.

Here are some of tried and tested remedies that have worked for thousands of men women and children in treating loss of hair:

• Stinging nettle – this is one of the most effective natural remedies. It works by supplying the hair follicles with the required raw materials. It is rich in vitamins and lipids that help in making the foundation for hair strands. The amino acids present in the plant extract have high concentrate of sulphur based amino acids such as cystein which is necessary for formation of hair strands.
• Aloe vera – this is the new wonder kid in cosmetic industry. Its application ranges from general skin care, as an antibiotic to providing nourishment to the cells in the epidermis. The hair follicles and the hair formation process requires that the skin functions at its optimum. The aloe vera provides this optimum condition through ensuring a balanced pH.
• Regular massage – the skin like the rest of cells require regular massage to stimulate blood flow. A good flow of blood in the cells around the skin will ensure that the oxygen supply and nutrient supplies to these cells are at optimum. This is necessary to provide the raw materials for the formation of hair strands.
• Aromatherapy – this refers to the application of essential oils to the skin surface. It may b accompanies by a massage to allow for better percolations. Oils such as lavender have the ability to rejuvenate the cellular activity within the epidermis. This will result in better formation of new hair follicles and growth of hair on a bald head.
• Saw palmetto – this is one of the most effective herbal remedy for hair loss in men. It works through inhibiting the activities of DHT which is caused by androgen hormones. If you are not sure of what treatment regime for hair loss to start on, seek advice from your dermatologist.

How To Prevent Snoring

If it’s undiagnosed why a individual snores, but the snoring is scant, they might prefer to try out nasal strips or nasal sprays to stop snoring. In addition occasionally something as mere as sleeping on ones side rather than your back could stop snoring. If the cause of why an individual snores is obscure, a physician should examine the individual for sleep apnea prior to them beginning any procedure to quit snoring. Sleep apnea is a possibly life threatening circumstance which impacts people in their sleep and stops them from breathing ordinarily. Sleep apnea as the cause why a individual snores will frequently need to be dealt with medicine and a few alterations in sleeping procedures to limit snoring and hopefully assisting with the trouble.

If a different cause of why an individual snores is detected or specified large tonsils or adenoids, surgical operation might be essential to get a surgical procedure to permanently rectify the situation. A surgical operation is the exclusive means to manage with tonsil or adenoid troubles since there’s no medicinal drug to reduce them for a time while a individual slumbers. As luck would have it when the cause of how come people snore is attained, a cure could be customised to be the most beneficial to suit his or her needs.

Is your pillow causing you to snore? Science has decided that for a individual that endures from snoring, pillows merely promote or heighten the problem. Anything that actively poses a kink in the neck when slumbering could induce a person to snore. Because someone that is inclined to snoring, this is a
combination that will most unquestionably result to a loud and turbulent night sleep. Therefore, a fast home cure for snoring could be to do away with the pillows all together and hence prevent that initial kink in the neck.

A different idea in home curatives for snoring is to merely raise the head of the bed. Raising the elevation of the head of the bed, by positioning the two bases of the bed on bricks or a different supporting product can often repress the snoring of the individual sleeping in the bed.

The natural treatment of migratory arthritis by the use of homeopathic medicines, takes into consideration all of your symptoms. This should happen with all treatments of all conditions, as you are connected to every part.

When one part is affected, all will be to some extent. The medical model of separating each system for treatment means that it is very easy to have conflicting drugs.

Migratory arthritis means what is says – your arthritis moves around your body. There is no fixed place for it to anchor itself. It may alternate legs. It may be in a foot one day, the opposite elbow the next. There is no fixed pattern.

In homeopathic terms, this comes under the heading of ‘changeable symptoms’. Which also means that it probably won’t.be just the arthritis that changes – all systems will be prone to a changeable nature. Such as constipation alternating with diarrhoea.

And your moods. They may change from weepy to irritable in minutes. This is so reminiscent of children, but not exclusively.

Homeopathic treatment works by raising the level of your immune system. It does this either by searching for the cause of the problem, often expressed as having ‘never been well since’ (childbirth, accident, drug, vaccine, shock, fright, grief, injury, abuse, etc). Or by matching your symptoms to those of the most appropriate homeopathic medicine. Preferably both, that that’s not always possible.

The homeopathic medicine Pulsatilla is one of the common home prescribing medicines. It is also one of the most common medicines with changeable symptoms – moods as well as physical symptoms.

Pulsatilla is certainly one of the top medicines for the natural treatment of migratory arthritis. Other strong symptoms, related to the limbs, of this medicine include:

• pains are worse on first motion, better from continued movement
• pains are better for cold, worse for heat
• tensive pain lets go with a snap
• pain is worse for letting the affected limb hang down
• heat of feet, must uncover at night

There are probably as many natural hay fever treatments as there are people suffering with it. But at the core, the reason you suffer is that you have a lowered immunity.

Many people have little idea of what an immune system is because you can’t touch it. It isn’t tangible. Rather, it is only known by your ailments and how you manage them without any help.

Those people with high energy and no ailments, or ailments which are dealt with by an intense fever which is quickly over, have strong and healthy immunity. Those who have low energy and seem to catch everything around which lasts for days or weeks, have low immune systems.

The hay fever part simply means that this is your personal area of weakness. Or one of them.

So how can you raise your immunity?

Here, we are concerned with two important ways, although I’m sure there are many more.

By taking control of your health and looking after yourself. Here are some long term suggestions.

• Eat well (no processed food, limit dairy, cut back on animal protein, increase fruit and vegetables).
• Get out into the sun and into nature.
• Learn to relax. Take time out.
• Take regular exercise.
• Deal with stresses holistically, as they arise.

That’s all very well, but what about now? Isn’t there a way to quickly raise your immune system by using natural hay fever treatments? The good news is that there is. And it comes from homeopathic treatment.

Pulsatilla is a great homeopathic medicine that will bring your hay fever to a halt, as long as your symptoms agree.

Here are some of the common and strong symptoms of Pulsatilla type hay fever:

• with sneezing which is worse in a warm room, the sun or hot weather
• worse in the evening or, less commonly in the afternoon
• better in open air, especially cool, cool weather
• with chronic nasal obstruction especially right nostril

Other symptoms include a general lack of thirst – you’re always being told to drink more. And changeable symptoms, including moods. One minute you may be very emotional and weepy, then next you may be irritable.

This medicine is especially good for children, but not exclusively.

It begins with the uninhibited expansion of epithelial cells that line the inner surface of the colon. The colon in most mammals is the final portion of the gastrointestinal tract. Its chief task is to get hold of water and other materials from solid waste products before these are eliminated from the body.

It has been established that majority of colon cancer cases begun with polyps which are hyperplastic masses. But these small balloon structures may undergo a succession of alterations into pre-tumorigenic (e.g. Tubular adenoma) and finally tumorous metastatic (e.g. Colorectal adenocarcinoma) growth.

For many years, colorectal cancer still remains as one of most regularly diagnosed cancers throughout the world with hundred of thousands of newly diagnosed cases each year. The elevated cancer incidence is often accompanied by high mortality rates. Colon cancer is among the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

There are a variety of risk factors linked to the dvelopment of colorectal cancer. Age being one of them. Cancer risk rises proportionally with age. And males constitute a higher risk group than females. A further group at great risk of getting colon cancer are people with personal or family history of Hereditary genetic mutations (HNPCC: Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer or FAP: Familial adenomatous polyposis). People with inflammatory bowel disease have greater risks of developing colon cancer as well.

Further major risk factors included

• obesity
• extreme consumption of red meat
• elevated fat diet
• diet low in calcium, vitamin D, selenium and folate
• inadequate uptake of vegetables and fruits,
• inadequate exercise
• smoking
• aging of the immune system

Conversely, studies have found that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen, estrogen-containing medications and cholesterol reducing drugs may protect against colon cancer.

These drugs are however not endorsed at this point in time as alternative prevention.

While several symptoms may indicate the presence of this cancer, many of these symptoms are not unique to colon malignancy and are in fact, quite analogous to other ordinary illnesses and diseases. These symptoms may possibly appear suddenly or may grow little by little over a period of time. Symptoms include bowel movement alterations; continuous diarrhea; constipation; total bowel blockage (with extreme pain); bloody stools; sudden or chronic abdominal cramping and pain, just to name a few.

Surgical intervention is still the most effectual treatment if the tumor have not become invasive and metastasize. This is done by eliminating the tumor along with a portion of normal colonic tissues and adjacent lymph nodes.

Other types of treatments also include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy. Individual or combinatorial therapies may take place depending on patient’s physical condition and stage of disease.

Before you can decide as to which cancer treatment is the right one for you, it is important to know all about cancer stages and why it is essential to make the staging process a key factor before deciding on your treatment choice. Because staging the cancer can take some time patients are anxious to drop the process and directly begin treatment. But the fact is that determining cancer stages automatically helps your health care team and you to know the exact position of your cancer and determine which cancer treatment is suitable or the best for you.

What is staging:
Staging is generally a process whereby one can find out the precise cancer stages in relation to growth, location and type. The information is then used by the doctors in order to plan the best treatment for the patient and predict the prognosis. In this way certain cancers at the same stage would be treated in a similar manner. These stages of cancer are also ways for doctors to refer to the extent of cancers in particular patients.

It is very important to know details about stages in cancer especially as doctors have to know the location of the cancer in the body and the amount of cancer present in the body so as to ensure that the patient gets the best treatment possible. For example, if a patient’s breast cancer has been detected early, then the best treatment for her would be either surgery or radiation. But if the breast cancer has been detected at an advanced stage the treatment would be chemotherapy. By studying the cancer stages doctors can also predict the course that the cancer will most likely take.

These stages are based to ascertain the following three factors:

• The size of the primary/original tumor and whether the tumor has spread into areas nearby.

• Whether the cancer has grown/spread into the lymph nodes.

• Whether the cancer has grown/spread to other distant areas of the patient’s body.

Cancers like leukemia cannot be staged like this as they are spread in all parts of the body through the blood. In the same way brain cancers are also not staged using the normal TNM system as they disrupt body and brain functions even before they spread.

Different information about a particular type of cancer is gathered by the doctor before determining cancer stages. Staging would therefore depend on the location of the cancer which can be done by physical examination, CT scans, MRIs, X-rays etc. It is necessary to perform biopsies (removal of tumors or pieces of cancerous tumors) to confirm whether they are benign or malignant. These samples are removed during surgery or biopsy procedures that are less invasive.

Types of determining stages or “staging procedures”:

• Clinical Staging: Done during “diagnosis” before any type of treatment is administered.
• Pathologic Staging: Done on patients who have undergone surgery to either take out the cancer or to determine the amount of cancer in the body.
• Restaging: Done if the cancer recurs (comes back) after treatment to find out the extent and helps to decide the best treatment.