* Pay Attention To Oral Care

Many people pay insufficient attention to oral care. This is probably partly because good oral hygiene takes effort; it is something we have to commit time to every day, and we are often short of time. Doubtless, the high cost of dentistry plays a role in people neglecting their teeth and gums as well. It may also be because our mouths are not as visible as other things, like hair and skin; if you keep your mouth shut, no one will ever know if you have rotten teeth and bad breath. Unfortunately, it impossible to keep your mouth shut all the time - sooner or later, bad breath will out.

Even though many of us can't afford the level of professional dentistry we'd like, the individual can do a lot to contribute to good oral care. Daily brushing and flossing go a long way toward keeping your teeth and gums healthy and your breath fresh. If you visit the dentist even once a year for a cleaning, you will often be given a free toothbrush and a package of dental floss to keep you going. And you will be informed about the state of your oral care and whether any problems are on the horizon.

A good mouthwash may be a part of your oral care routine, particularly if you have occasional or chronic bad breath. Be sure to use a product that reduces oral bacteria that cause bad breath, rather than just using something to temporarily mask the smell. Many mouthwashes also help to reduce the buildup of plaque on the teeth, and fight gum disease. One of these mouthwashes would be a good purchase if you feel you can't see your dentist as often as you'd like. Use it according to the package directions.

Food particles left lodged between teeth and in pockets and grooves in the oral cavity, and mineral deposits allowed to build up on tooth surfaces, lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath. Sugary foods in the diet, use of tobacco products, and other habits can contribute to these conditions. There's no doubt that a good program of oral care to minimize these factors is worth the extra effort - the old adage is true: "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

* Treating Arthritis Naturally

There are actually three common types of arthritis. These are Osteoarthritis which is the most common, affecting around 16 million Americans with an average age of 45. It usually will attack weight bearing joints like knees, hips, and ankles but has been found in the fingers, neck and spine.

Each of our joints is cushioned by cartilage, a very dense, sponge-like substance. Osteoarthritis attacks that cartilage and gradually wears it down.

Another type of arthritis is Rheumatoid Arthritis. Extremely painful and inflammatory, it strikes the lining of the joints and actually attacks two million Americans in their twenties.

Psoriatic Arthritis is not as well known as the previous two, but actually eats away at the joints and can also manifest as psoriasis on the skin.

The term Arthritis literally translates to "joint inflammation." If you suffer from any of the different types of Arthritis listed above, chances are you have taken drugs to combat the effects or tried other "home remedies." If you haven't yet tried "Urtication," it might be helpful.

The term "Urtication" comes from the botanical name, Urtica dioica and dates back some 2,000 years to biblical times. Urtica dioica is "Stinging Nettle.

The treatment is to grasp the nettles in a gloved hand and swat the sore joints with the nettles. This may seem bizarre, but the practice has proven to be so effective for some sufferers of arthritis that they now maintain a nettle plant on their window sill.

Here are a few more herbs that are used effectively for the treatment of arthritis:

Black Cohosh Also known as Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Rattleroot, Rattleweed, Squawroot. The dried root is the part used. This is a powerful relaxant as well as being extremely effective with easing painful menstrual cramps. Ovarian cramps will be relieved as well as bringing on a delayed menstrual cycle. It is also effective in the treatment of arthritis, osteo-arthritis, rheumatic pain and neurological pan. In small doses, appetite and digestion are greatly improved and is very beneficial for the nervous system in general.

Bogbean Useful for treatment of rheumatism, osteo-arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Also has a stimulating effect on the walls of the colon and digestive juices.

Celery Seeds Use dried ripe fruits to use as an anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, diuretic or anti-spasmodic. Great for treating rheumatism, arthritis and gout.

Chapparal Very useful in cases of acne, arthritis, chronic backache, skin conditions of warts and blotches. Also one of the best cancer herbs.

Feverfew Use the leaves to treat migraine headaches, arthritis, dizziness and tinnitus.

Nettle The is the herb we referred to earlier and is another one of those "universal" plants. They are found all over the world and they strengthen the entire body. Rheumatism, arthritis, eczema, nosebleeds, arteries, lessen blood pressure are just a few applications. Nettles contain calcium, chlorine, iron, potassium, silicon, sodium and sulphur.

Saffron A natural hydrochloric acid (utilizes sugar of fruits and oils), thus helping arthritics get rid of the uric acid which holds the calcium deposited in the joints. Also reduces lactic acid build up. Good for measles, skin, scarlet fever and perspiration.

Yucca Hope for arthritics. The extract from the plant has been used with surprising success on arthritis and rheumatism sufferers.

All of the herbs mentioned here should be available at your local health food store along with suggestions on how to prepare them for use. Some applications will be to ingest in teas while others may facilitate creating a topical treatment.

No matter what natural remedies you choose please consult your physician to make certain that your course of treatment does not interfere with medications that your doctor subscribes for your treatment.

* Look Younger by Eating Fats

If you think that cutting off all the fat from your diet is going to make you look better, think again.

A move like that could age you faster instead. Your skin and hair needs fat in order to stay healthy. Radiant skin, healthy skin that glows from within is impossible if you do not eat enough fat in your diet. Strong, beautiful, healthy hair is impossible if you totally eliminate fat from your diet.

The crux of the matter is this. You need to eat fat in order to have healthy skin and hair. Healthy skin and healthy hair is beautiful.

The fat I'm talking about isn't the unhealthy, cholesterol-ridden fats you find around your steak or your bacon or the butter you might spread on your bread. I'm talking about healthy fats. The sort you would find in nuts and seeds, in cold pressed vegetable oils like olive oil and in olive fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines.

Hard to believe?

Not if you look at the nutrients found in foods containing the good fats. Take cod liver Oil for example. That is taken as a supplement because of its vitamin D content. How about evening primrose Oil taken for its GLA or gamma-linolenic acid. A fatty acid that is used to build cell membranes. Both omega-3 and omega-6 fats work together to keep your skin soft and velvety. They help your skin stay hydrated.

Your body needs essential fatty acids.

EFAs help your body process the food to release the energy needed for your life processes. They are important in the transfer of oxygen in your body as well as the regulation of nutrients in and out of the cells among other things.

Your body in particular needs omega-3 fats.

Yes, you also need the omega-6 fats which are plentiful in your regular diet. Omega-6 fats are found in corn oil, safflower oil and canola oil. Omega-3 fats aren't that common in most diets. You can get the necessary omega-3 fats by eating walnuts and eating oily fish. Fish oils are rich in omega-3 fats too.

You should take olive oil.

Use that in your salads. It is rich in monosaturated fatty acids. It is rich in antioxidants like vitamin E. In fact, most vegetable oils contain vitamin E. Almond oil and wheatgerm oil are also rich sources of vitamin E.

Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant.

Anti-oxidants neutralize the free radicals that would otherwise damage your skin cells, aging you more quickly. Consuming nuts, seeds and oils that are rich in vitamin E protects you from the aging effect of these free radicals by neutralizing the free radicals before they can cause damage.

Some tips.
If your hair and skin is dry, you really should eat more nuts. Snack on walnuts and almonds. These would give your body the oils it needs for healthy hair and healthy skin. Look at dry skin. Wrinkles appear faster on dry skin. Dry skin looks older. Well hydrated, healthy skin looks younger. Which would you prefer?

* Stomach and Bowel Problems

Many people suffer from unpleasant symptoms from their stomach, like: Constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, cramps, inflated stomach, acid eructation and pain related to such functional problems. This kind of symptoms most often originates from a colon made dysfunctional by bad lifestyle habits. Here are some simple lifestyle advices that may help you get rid of these symptoms.

- Eat food with high plant fibre content. Fibres from the food stimulate the movement of the intestines, and especially of the colon, and help you avoid a stuffed bowel. Whole, unrefined cereals, whole corn bread, vegetables and fruit will often give you the fibre you need. To get even more fibres, you can add some brand to your daily diet.

- Some herbs or spices can help your intestines to work more efficiently, for example peppermint, buckthorn bark, sienna, cayenne or ginger. However, too much of hot spices can irritate your intestines.

- Drink enough water. A too little water intake will make your stomach content hard and dry, and your intestines will then find difficulties moving the content along.

- One or two cups of coffee or tea each day can help your stomach work better, but very much coffee or tea will give you stomach problems.

- Eat enough, but not too much fat. The right amount of fat in your food will help giving your stomach content the right consistence. Most of the fat you consume should be a mix of fat from sources like olive oil, fish, rape, nuts, sunflowers and almonds.

- If you suffer from hard stool or constipation, taking for some days a couple tablespoons of linen seeds can help. Suspend the seeds in a glass of water and let it lie in the water some hours before stirring up the content of the glass and drinking it. You can blend a couple tablespoons of brand together with the linen seeds in a glass of water to get the effects of both these remedies at the same time.

- Do not eat too much, but neither too little, and eat at regular intervals. Four meals a day is usually optimal for most persons.

- Don't eat in a hurry, and chew your food well before swallowing it.

- Get some physical exercise each day.

- Take some time each day to stress down. Meditation is a good method of achieving mental rest.

- Consume some products containing bacteria helping digestion. A healthy colon contains bacteria that help the end part of the digestion process. Yoghourt or other types of fermented milk will provide your colon with seeds for good bacteria. If you do not tolerate milk, or your colonic microbial content needs special attention, you can use products on the market that give a high supply of good bacteria seeds.

- If pure lifestyle measures are not enough to regulate your intestinal function, certain natural products you can find in the market may help. These products typically contain fibre and herbs that stimulate your intestinal functions, oily or mucous substances that lubricate your intestinal content, seeds for digestive friendly bacteria, or herbs that relax cramping.

- Stomach problems may also originate from hypersensitivity against food types, for example against milk or wheat, or from diseases that need treatment. If simple measures do not help after some days, the problem should be medically investigated. Some people suffer from hypersensitivity against the protein gluten in wheat and other cereals. To confirm or disprove this type of hypersensitivity, a medical investigation is needed.

Even though the listed measures should help you get rid of functional stomach problems in some days, the problems will return in some time if you do not change your eating and lifestyle habits permanently and begin exercising on a regular base.

* Breathing Problems - Natural Solutions

Breathing difficulties can seriously handicap our ability to function and enjoy life. Air is our most vital source of energy and vitality. When we suffer from asthma, bronchitis, allergies, frequent colds or simply insufficient oxygen intake, we are prone to a lack of energy, vitality and /or mental clarity.

Every cell within our body depends on an abundant supply of oxygen for proper metabolism and vitality.

Some Causes of Breathing Problems

1. Hereditary weakness may make our lungs or other organs of respiratory apparatus weak points in our system. Thus when tired, overworked, anxious or stressed, these parts of the body will start to malfunction. This does not mean, however, that we must suffer. It is in our hands to live in a certain way so as nurture and protect our bodies and minds. Among such weaknesses we should include the inability of the immune system to effectively protect the body from microbes and viruses. In some cases the immune system may work overtime trying to protect the body from "imagined" dangers. Allergies and asthma are often the result of such over-reactions from the immune system.

2. Environmental factors may also aggravate the condition. Cold and humid weather tend to accentuate breathing problems. Pollen and other particles in the air may cause allergic reactions. Occupational conditions such as working in a dusty area or in a smoke filled room may also aggravate the problem. Pollution irritates our nasal passage and lungs. Smoking cigarettes obviously damages our lungs, cutting off our supply of oxygen.

3. An over production of mucus clogs up the breathing passages, obstructing breathing. Foods, which tend to cause excess mucus, are all dairy products, white flour, white rice and sweets.

4. A lack of sufficient liquid intake causes the mucus to thicken and cling to the lungs and other breathing passages. This creates a favorable environment for microbes to reproduce.

5. Blockages in the spinal vertebrae or tension in the muscles of the upper back may also obstruct the flow of nerve impulses and bioenergy to the lungs. This may inhibit the proper functioning of the lungs.

6. Emotional blockages are directly connected with our breathing. People, who experience anxiety, depression, fear, nervous tension or a poor self-image, tend to subconsciously hold their breath. Thus their breathing is tense, shallow, and sometimes spasmodic.

Long-term emotional blockages may also affect the adrenal glands and thus hormonal disorders may also play their part in the problem. Negative emotions also depress or disturb the functioning of the immune system.

7. A lack of proper education in breathing is another reason why people suffer from breathing problems. It is entirely possible for us to learn to use our lungs more effectively for greater energy, vitality, peace and clarity of mind. This should be learned from an experienced breath coach.

Some Solutions

1. Environmental & Habitual Factors

Surround yourself with large green leafed plants, which produce oxygen

and absorb pollution.

Get out of the city frequently. Go the sea or mountains and breathe fresh
clean air.

Use regular deep breathing to clean out and rejuvenate your lungs.

Deep breathing while walking can clean out a considerable amount of

pollution from the lungs.

If you smoke, then - love yourself - and stop.

Dietary Guidelines

Avoid all diary products, white sugar, sweets, white flour and white rice. When the problem has subsided, then we can start taking small quantities of dairy products while watching the body's reaction.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Drink plenty (6 or 8 cups per day) of warm liquid daily. This may be water, herb teas, or water with lemon. Do not drink refrigerated or iced drinks.

When one has a cold, an onion and garlic soup spiced with pepper, cinnamon ginger and cloves, opens up the nasal passages and allows the congestion to flow out.

In some cases the use of natural vitamin C tablets can be helpful.

Facing emotional factors is essential for healing the cause of the breathing problems.

There are various ways in which we can find relief from these emotional factors and then eventually analyze them and transcend them.

Self-analysis or objective-self observation can free us from various emotional attachments and fears.

Positive thinking, affirmations, and positive thought projection can neutralize negative emotions and tendencies.

Various Body-centered catharsis techniques in addition to reprogramming techniques such as EMDR, TFT and EFT can free us from emotional based psychosomatic symptoms.

Exercises and Techniques

With the help of various exercises and techniques we seek to:

1. Remove the blockages and tensions from the upper back and chest area.

2. Develop greater freedom and control over the muscles of breathing.

3. Bring blood and healing energies to the chest area.

4. Open up the nasal passages if they are blocked.

5. Stimulate the harmonious functioning of the adrenal glands and immune system.

Techniques will need the guidance of an experienced coach are:

To start with we can simply practice deep breathing exercises. These exercises will give us relief from tension and may even bring the cause for our emotional tension to the surface so that we may see it more clearly and objectively.

Exercises for the upper back and chest can also bring considerable relief from emotional tensions.

Deep relaxation techniques are also very effective for relaxing the whole system so that the muscles of breathing may function more freely.

In guided deep relaxation sessions the source of the emotional blockages can be researched through regression.

We can care for our bodies and minds and they will care for us.

* Fighting with Jaundice

The word jaundice is derived from a French word called as jaune, which means yellow. It is a very common condition which is seen in newborn babies which can be treated by exposing them to sunlight. It is also known as yellow skin or eyes disease. It turns your skin, mucous membranes, sclera (the white of your eyes) into a single yellow color.

This yellow pigment which is seen on your skin is due to bilirubin which is a byproduct of old red blood cells. If you are affected by jaundice consider it to be a serious problem which cannot to be taken lightly.

Nearly 1% red blood cells retire everyday and those are replaced by fresh blood cells. These old blood cells are processed in the liver and later disposed.

If there happens to be too many old red blood cells the yellow pigment builds up in the body, which results in the first stages of jaundice.
Even though jaundice is not a disease but it is a sign for many other diseases. Jaundice is very common among babies due to the immature functioning of the liver.

It is not equipped to deal with the removal of bilirubin from the bloodstream. Jaundice occurs mainly due to liver failure but there are many other reasons by which it is affected.
Detection of jaundice is very important, because if you detect jaundice in the later stages it may prove to be fatal.

Some of the common symptoms for jaundice are:

· Extreme fatigue and weakness
· Severe headaches
· Constipation
· Nauseating feeling
· Yellow color of your eyes, skin
· Constant pain near your stomach and liver

There are many causes for jaundice. These are some of the reasons due to which
you are under the jaundice attack:

It occurs when high level of bilirubin is being produced for the liver and unable to be removed
from the blood.
Defect in liver due to prevention in removal of bilirubin from the blood.
Due to blockage of bile ducts.
Due to viral hepatitis (hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D and hepatitis E)
Alcoholic liver disease.
Cancer of the pancreas.
Malaria.
Neonatal jaundice found in babies.
Gall bladder cancer.
Yellow fever.
Stomach cancer.
Rh incompatibility.

Remedial measures when suffering from Jaundice:
A hot cup of water mixed with 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder taken 2-3 times a day would be very
beneficial.
Consumption of lime juice is very good for your health.
Having plenty of sugarcane juice is also good.
Barley water, orange juice helps in urination.
Spicy and oily food should be strictly avoided.
Consumptions of vegetables like radish leaves, tomato and lemon is good.
Dried dates along with almonds and cardamoms are also good.

* Back Pain

What Is The Right Medication For Your Back Pain?

Back pain medicine is a misnomer. But if you say that back pain medicine is a part of the overall back pain treatment, the statement is quite correct. The main problem with back pain medicine is the diagnosis of the back pain. You have only one back, the nomenclature of pains are many. Any wrong treatment could result in damaging consequences.

The investigations part is the first; the medicine part will follow it. This is true in all types of diseases. But in case of back pain treatment, its importance is more. This is for the most vital parts of the human system are involved in the mess of the back pain. Spine for example! Any wrong treatment which will cause damage to the spine, is inviting overall disaster for the body. Nerve centers near the brain which is another very sensitive part!

There is nothing lacking in the investigation part of the back pain saga! You can have the strength and intensity of your back pain, with tests like physiologic assessment, electro diagnostic assessments like needle electromyography and nerve conduction studies. The results of these tests provide guidelines for the course of further treatment and the extent of injury that causes the recurring back pain.

Initially, rest was considered as the best medicine for back pain. But in reality bed rest is not the cure. It is the cause of the malady. Several studies have shown that this bed rest therapy is the root cause of aggravating the pack pain. Rest even in reclined position increase the intra-disc pressures and in theory worsen the pain.

What is required is activity modification. The patient should be allowed and encouraged to do the normal activities and practice the art of conducting such activities, bearing the pain aspect in the mind.

Your activities should not be controlled by the pain factor. Rather, you should practice the art of living and work with the pain. When the various parts of your body realize that they can not escape their responsibilities, they will know how to cope up with the responsibilities. This is the real back pain medication!

There are a number of Physical Therapy Modalities of which the back pain is most afraid of. This is the area of decisive battle. Either you win or your back pain wins. Mostly you win!
Cold packs and massages, superficial heat (hydrocolloid packs), ultrasound (deep heat) are good for relieving the back pain even in the acute stage. These treatments need to be given under expert supervision only.

* Alcohol Use and Abuse

Anyone at any age can have a drinking problem. Great Uncle George may have always liked his liquor, so his family may not see that his drinking behavior is getting worse as he gets older. Grandma Betty was a teetotaler all her life—she started having a drink each night to help her get to sleep after her husband died. Now no one realizes that she needs a couple of drinks to get through each day.

These are common stories. The fact is that families, friends, and health care professionals often overlook their concerns about older people's drinking. Sometimes trouble with alcohol in older people is mistaken for other conditions that happen with age. But alcohol use deserves special attention. Because the aging process affects how the body handles alcohol, the same amount of alcohol can have a greater effect as a person grows older. Over time, someone whose drinking habits haven't changed may find she or he has a problem.

Facts About Alcohol and Aging

1. Some research has shown that as people age they become more sensitive to alcohol's effects. In other words, the same amount of alcohol can have a greater effect on an older person than on someone who is younger.
2. Some medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, ulcers, and diabetes, can worsen with alcohol use.
3. Many medicines—prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal remedies—can be dangerous or even deadly when mixed with alcohol. This is a special worry for older people because the average person over age 65 takes at least two medicines a day. If you take any medicines, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you can safely drink alcohol. Here are some examples:

• Aspirin can cause bleeding in the stomach and intestines; the risk of bleeding is higher if you takeaspirin while drinking alcohol.
• Cold and allergy medicines (antihistamines) often make people sleepy; when combined with alcohol this drowsiness can be worse.
• Alcohol used with large doses of the pain killer acetaminophen can raise the risk of liver damage.
• Some medicine, such as cough syrups and laxatives, have a high alcohol content.

Effects of Alcohol

Even drinking a small amount of alcohol can impair judgment, coordination, and reaction time. It can increase the risk of work and household accidents, including falls and hip fractures. It also adds to the risk of car crashes.

Heavy drinking over time also can cause certain cancers, liver cirrhosis, immune system disorders, and brain damage. Alcohol can make some medical concerns hard for doctors to find and treat. For example, alcohol causes changes in the heart and blood vessels. These changes can dull pain that might be a warning sign of a heart attack. Drinking also can make older people forgetful and confused. These symptoms could be mistaken for signs of Alzheimer's disease. For people with diabetes, drinking affects blood sugar levels.

People who abuse alcohol also may be putting themselves at risk for serious conflicts with family, friends, and coworkers. The more heavily they drink, the greater the chance for trouble at home, at work, with friends, and even with strangers.

How to Know if Someone Has a Drinking Problem

There are two patterns of drinking: early and late onset. Some people have been heavy drinkers for many years. But, as with great Uncle George, over time the same amount of liquor packs a more powerful punch. Other people, like Grandma Betty, develop a drinking problem later in life. Sometimes this is due to major life changes like shifts in employment, failing health, or the death of friends or loved ones. Often these life changes can bring loneliness, boredom, anxiety, and depression. In fact, depression in older adults often goes along with alcohol misuse. At first, a drink seems to bring relief from stressful situations. Later on, drinking can start to cause trouble.

Not everyone who drinks regularly has a drinking problem, and not all problem drinkers drink every day. You might want to get help if you or a loved one:

1. Drink to calm your nerves, forget your worries, or reduce depression.
2. Gulp down drinks.
3. Frequently have more than one drink a day. (A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle or can of beer or a wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)
4. Lie about or try to hide drinking habits.
5. Hurt yourself, or someone else, while drinking.
6. Need more alcohol to get high.
7. Feel irritable, resentful, or unreasonable when not drinking.
8. Have medical, social, or financial worries caused by drinking.

Getting Help

Studies show that older problem drinkers are as able to benefit from treatment as are younger alcohol abusers. To get help, talk to your doctor. He or she can give you advice about your health, drinking, and treatment options. Your local health department or social services agencies can also help.

There are many types of treatments available. Some, such as 12-step help programs, have been around a long time. Others include getting alcohol out of the body (detoxification); taking prescription medicines to help prevent a return to drinking once you have stopped; and individual and/or group counseling. Newer programs teach people with drinking problems to learn which situations or feelings trigger the urge to drink as well as ways to cope without alcohol. Because the support of family members is important, many programs also counsel married couples and family members as part of the treatment process. Programs may also link individuals with important community resources.

Scientists continue to study alcohol's effects on people and to look for new ways to treat alcoholism. This research will increase the chance for recovery and improve the lives of problem drinkers.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health, recommends that people over age 65 who choose to drink have no more than one drink a day. Drinking at this level usually is not associated with health risks.

* Preventing Allergies

To prevent allergy, you should ideally begin with the childhood.

By allergy the immune system react against a substance that it is not supposed to react against, and the reaction is often exaggerated. Objects containing substances that commonly cause allergy are domestic dust, animal hair, household chemicals, chlorine, microorganisms, pollen, nuts, citrus fruits and seafood. Also bacteria and parasites can cause inappropriately strong immune reactions.

THE MECHANISMS OF ALLERGY

The total set of reactions occurring by allergy is very complicated. Many of these are the same as by normal immune reaction, even though they occur when they should not take place, Here are listed some of these reactions:

By exposure to a new substance, cells in the immune system learn to recognize that substance (allergen), and it learns to produce anti-bodies towards the substance, and a certain amount of antibodies is produced. The type of anti-bodies called IgE is the most important by allergic reactions.

IgE will glue itself to some cells in the blood called mast-cells, and stick out from the surface of these cells.

By following exposures to antigens, these will attach themselves to the IgE-ends sticking out from the mast-cells. This will trigger the mast-cells to produce histamine and other signal substances. These signal substances will then spread through the surrounding tissues.

The signal substances will then trigger the walls of small blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues and accumulate in the tissues. This will cause tissue swelling. They also will cause blood vessels to widen and thus increase the blood stream in the tissues. The consequence of this will be swelling and redness in the affected body parts. The signal substances will also make glands in the tissue produce more mucus, making symptoms like running nose and tight throat.

The new exposures to the antigens will also provoke even more anti-body production. The antibodies will also glue allergens together to bigger complexes. These complexes can clog small blood vessels and in other ways disturb the function of the affected organ.

The allergen-antibody-complexes are then recognized by the cells and other mechanisms that the body uses to collect and eliminate garbage. Eater-cells gather and engulf the complexes.

The immune system also will make enzymes that attack the antigens to break them down. Also this production is stimulated when antigens attach themselves to anti-bodies at cell surfaces. But these enzymes are not entirely specific, and can also to some extend break down components of the body’s own tissue, causing harm and disease symptoms.

WHAT CAUSES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO REACT WITH ALLERGY TO A SUBSTANCE

In the beginning of the life of a person, the immune system has the potency to react against most substances in the body itself and the surroundings. However, there are mechanisms that learn the immune system to recognize normal substances found in the daily life in the early infanthood, and suppress the reactions against these. If this learning mechanism is disturbed, allergy can develop.

Allergy can also develop if a small child is never exposed to substances that later will be a normal ingredient of his daily life. In this case the immune system will not get the chance to suppress the reaction against this substance. Letting a small child grow up in an exaggerated clean and sterile environment can therefore cause allergies.

On the other hand, certain elements not being a port of a normal environment can cause allergies by repeated and massive exposure. Examples of such substances are chlorine.

TYPES OF ALLERGIES

Allergy varies according to the compound that causes the immunological reaction. An allergic condition also often implies reaction against a combination of several substances. Common substances causing allergy are: Pollen, domestic dust, mites in domestic dust, moulds and mould spores, chlorine, chemicals in soaps and cosmetics, animal hair, seafood, strawberry, fish, parasites, medicines like anaesthetics and antibiotics.

An allergic condition may periodically get better or worse according to the concentration of the allergen in the environment. A typical example is pollen allergy with peaks in the pollination season of grass or treas.

An allergic person will often get symptoms from several tissues in the body, but the symptoms are often most prominent at one body part and give very specific symptoms at that site. Examples of specific conditions often caused by allergy are eczema in the skin and asthma in the lungs and lower airpipe.

THE SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGY

Any organ can exhibit allergic reactions, but often the symptoms are confined mainly to one organ or organ system.

By allergic reactions in the respiratory system there will be symptoms like: Itching and soreness in the throat and nose cavities, swelling of the airway tissues, increased amount of secrets in the airway cavities and coughing. There may also be asthmatic symptoms or fully developed asthma. The main symptom of asthma is cramping that constricts the airways all the way down into the lungs (constriction of the trachea and tracholes).

By allergic reactions in the skin, there will be symptoms like: Redness, swelling, red spots, itching and soars.

HOW TO PREVENT ALLERGY

To prevent allergies in an individual the best way, one must begin in early childhood.

A child must be allowed to get in contact with natural elements like earth, dirt, animals, plants, physical contact with other humans, and the like. This exposure to natural elements must occur before an allergy has developed. In this way the immune system will learn to recognize common and harmless elements, and not overreact against this later in life.

Research projects have found out that children having much and early contact with pet animals like cats and dogs have a less chance of getting allergic problems later than children not having contact with pets. This is contrary to what many people believe.

On the other hands, every person should be protected from early childhood from certain elements normally not found in a natural environment, for example chlorine, soaps and cosmetics with artificial substances, and food containing unnatural additives.

METHODS TO TREAT ALLERGY

The first approach in the treatment of manifest allergy is avoiding exposure to substances causing the allergic reactions. Even though exposure to natural substances can prevent allergy, exposure to an allergen should be avoided when an allergy already has developed. Ways of doing this is:

• Avoiding food one reacts against.
• Avoiding contact with animals one have an allergic reaction towards.
• Keeping rooms, clothes beds and furniture well cleaned.
• Avoiding use of cleaners, soaps and cosmetics with unnatural additives.
• Avoiding foods, drinks and snacks with unnatural additives.
• Avoiding daily exposure to chlorine and other chemicals.
• In cooperation with your doctor change medicines you use that may cause allergy with others.
• Avoiding growth of moulds in the environment. This is done by well cleaning and keeping the environment dry.

Children are often exposed to allergens at school, and adults are often exposed at work. Parents with allergic children must inspect the school environment and require from the school administration and teachers that practically possible environmental measures are provided to keep the school free from allergens. An employee should require the same from his employer.

If you do not know exactly everything you react against, you can try to stop exposure to one factor after another, until you feel that the allergy alleviates, and then keep this factor out of your daily life for the future.

Sometimes avoiding allergens is difficult to accomplish, or make the lifestyle to restricted to be acceptable. Then one must apply medical treatment that alleviates the allergy.

A common way of treating allergy is applying medication that block the effect of the substance histamine, and thereby alleviate or prevent the symptoms occurring when the antigen get into the body.

Another way is desensitisation treatment. By this treatment one let the body get a controlled and gradually increasing exposure to the allergens over a time period, and when this period is over, one let the body get recurrent exposure to a controlled dose at regular time intervals. By this treatment the response from the immune system from the allergens gradually decrease, partly because the immune system thereby learns to recognize the allergens as harmless, and partly because the antibodies against the allergens are used up.

There are also natural products on the marked that contain ingredients that help the immune system to react more appropriately. Important effects of these products are reduced histamine secretion and increased histamine metabolism. Examples of ingredients in such medicines are:

Methylsulfonyl methane, vitamin C, vitamin E, Echinacea purpurea, Quercetin, grape Seed,Stinging
nettle, Coleus Forskolin.

* Heart Failure

Heart failure also called congestive heart failure.

Heart failure becomes more common with advancing age. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood throughout the body. Heart failure develops over time as the pumping action of the heart grows weaker. Heart failure is a serious condition. It contributes to or causes about 300,000 deaths each year. About 5 million people in the U.S. have heart failure. It contributes to 300,000 deaths each year. It can affect the left side, the right side, or both sides of the heart.

Most cases involve the left side where the heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. The most common causes of heart failure are hypertension (high blood pressure) and coronary artery disease (for example, you have had a heart attack). Arterial plaque lines the inside of the arteries that supply the heart and the rest of the body, meaning less blood gets to the heart itself, as well as the heart having to work harder to push blood through the thinner systemic arteries.

Heart failure may result from disorders that cause the heart's walls to stiffen, such as infiltrations and infections.

Heart failure due to systolic dysfunction usually develops because the heart cannot contract normally. Heart failure has two main forms: systolic dysfunction (which is more common) and diastolic dysfunction. In systolic dysfunction, the heart contracts less forcefully and cannot pump out as much of the blood that is returned to it as it normally does. Heart valve disorders - narrowing (stenosis) of a valve, which hinders blood flow through the heart, or leakage of blood backward (regurgitation) through a valve - can cause heart failure.

Some heart valve disorders, such as aortic valve stenosis, hinder blood flow out of the heart. Other causes may include diseases of the heart valves and weakened heart muscle due to viral infections or their poisonous products (called toxins). Individuals with heart failure are sensitive to small shifts in their intravascular volume status (the amount of fluid in their circulatory system). Often left heart failure leads to right heart failure and then both sides are affected.

Left-sided heart failure leads to fluid accumulation in the lungs, which causes shortness of breath.

Heart failure is a major cause of sudden death due to production of arrhythmias. Persons with diabetes have a much greater risk of developing heart failure than those without because diabetes is associated with other heart failure risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol levels. Weight reduction - through physical activity and dietary modification, as obesity is a risk factor for heart failure and ventricular hypertrophy. Fluid restriction - patients with CHF have a diminished ability to excrete free water load. Sodium restriction - excessive sodium intake may precipitate or exacerbate heart failure.

Moderate physical activity, when symptoms are mild or moderate; or bed rest when symptoms are severe. Another current treatment involves the use of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Smoking and drinking alcohol can worsen heart failure and should be stopped. Exercise, weight loss, and stopping smoking help reduce the risk of coronary artery disease, as do good control of diabetes and lowering of cholesterol levels.

Treatment for Heart Failure

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors drugs help people with heart failure live longer and feel better.
• Diuretics are often called "water pills" because they make you urinate more often and help keep fluid from building up in your body.
• Diuretics, or water tablets, which work on the kidneys to remove the extra fluid and salt from the body and lower blood pressure.
• ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors, which lower blood pressure and help the heart to pump more easily.
• Digoxin helps the heart by making it beat more strongly and pump more blood.
• Nitrates help with shortness of breath because they reduce the blood pressure in the lungs by widening (dilating) blood vessels and allow the heart to work more efficiently.
• Warfarin stops blood clots from forming and aspirin also stops blood clots from forming.