Healthier You

Colonic irrigation is a procedure which is growing in popularity, and has gained almost a cult following with minor celebrities lining up to sing its praises. Colonic cleansing involves inserting a hose into the patients’ rectum. Then, a motorized pump is used to introduce liquids to the bowel and colon. Water is most commonly used although some therapies might involve the use of other liquids, or herbs. Once the colon is full of water, the therapist may massage the patients stomach to work the water up into the colon, and to dislodge waste matter from the colon. The water is then drained along with the contents of the colon, and the process may be repeated.

Benefits of colonic irrigation

Some doctors claim that there are no medical benefits from this procedure, stating that the human body has evolved to be able to process and eliminate it’s own waste products effectively. Proponents of the procedure counter this by saying that modern diets contain foods that are not fully processed by the body. They say that this can result in a buildup of harmful bacteria in the colon. Colonic cleansing aims to remove these toxins from the bowel to avoid a range of health problems.

While there are no formal requirements for a practitioner to offer this service in many places, it is preferable that they are a member of a recognized professional association. The procedure may take up to an hour, and you should contact the practitioner in advance for advice on any dietary changes to adopt prior to the therapy.

Risks of colonic irrigation

There are some risks involved in this procedure, although the vast majority of patients will not experience these problems. Dehydration is one possible outcome – your colon is designed to absorb water from your stool as it passes through, and if your colon is forcibly emptied there will be less liquid remaining for re absorption by your body. The other main risk is from improper use of equipment causing perforation of the bowel, or unsanitary equipment introducing contaminants. For this reason, choose a reputable provider and ask whether they conform to industry standards as part of your research when looking into this procedure.

You have to eat right in order to stay healthy. If you do not follow a healthy diet your body does not receive the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. You have to eat so it fuels your body. Similar to a motor vehicle, which you add gas to travel; the body requires food that promotes energy, making it go. Too much food is not good for you and not enough of the right food can be harmful to your health.

Choosing good foods to eat:
Not all foods is good for you, yet liver is loaded with iron which is good for your blood, but to much isn’t good for you either. Fruits and vegetables are good for you but again not too much because the fruit will turn into sugar and that’s not good for you. Too much may give you the gibes, especially if you have to watch your weight. You can get high cholesterol as well from food if your not careful. High cholesterol can lead to harden arteries, which follows by strokes or heart attacks. So you need to eat but watch what you are eating and how much of it in a days time.

How will I know if am not eating right?
When you go to your doctor, he will tell you if you need to go on a diet. Your doctor will be able to tell by your weight. Then he may put you on a diet to lose weight or a diet to help you gain weight. He will tell you want to eat and how much as well as what not to eat. Then he may tell you to excise everyday. You have to be able to burn up what you take in so it will not turn into sugar or fat.

Remember that you should try to feast from the four food groups. Try to make sure that you only eat the amount your suppose to, and get your excise that you need to make you healthy. You can always call your family doctor to ask him how to do something if you don’t know how they will also help you to learn how to count your calories as well it is a big job when it comes to dieting you have to know how to count your calories and weigh your food. If you don’t you are not going to do want your suppose to do.

The world is filled with support groups that will help you if need support. More then likely you can go to your local hospital and they will know how to get you in touch with a group. These groups are great. The groups will give you support during the time that you need help. At group meetings, you will meet people with the same problems you have and you can give each other the support. Just remember to set a goal but don’t make it so high that you can’t do it and give up. Start out a little at a time and then as you get better you can get a increase your plans. In addition, what ever you do try to stick to it, it takes will power and control.

Willpower the master:
Willpower is a powerful mechanism inside you. If you want to find this willpower take a seat, sit down and talk with you to see what you can find. As you learn more about you, you gain willpower that takes you beyond your abilities, which means you will have a healthy aging in the future.

The sounds of snoring are possible since there are collapsible parts at the back of our mouth that relaxes when we sleep. Once these are at their relaxed states, the air flow will drive them to flip since they are dangling loose nearest to the throat. These structures will then strike each other as air passes which then cause them to vibrate and create sounds.

Persons bothered by this condition are affected by one of these following causes:

Excess fleshy structure in the throat- With more tissues that collide, it is more likely that snoring can occur. This explains why people snore when they have abnormal tonsils or adenoids. Overweight individuals, on the other hand, have larger necks that narrow the air passage while adding more obstructions due to the presence of excess tissues. Although rare, cysts and tumors can also directly cause snoring.

Some people have extra long uvula and soft palate. These muscles can dangle as a person breathes. These act as flutter valves that impede the normal air passage through the throat.

Obstruction in the nasal passage can also inhibit the movement of air from nose to lungs- If the person has stuffy nose, he is encouraged to breathe extra hard which then creates the vacuum in the throat. The parts that dangle loosely in this section of the respiratory tract are then subject to excessive movements. While a person doesn’t normally snore, the possibility that he would during hay fever season is high. Thus, many reports of snoring only when they have colds.

Problems with the nose construction- The nasal septum, the underlying bone of the nosal bridge that separates one nostril from the other, can also have deformities that may cause obstruction in the air flow.

Mouth breathing can also directly result to snores- Once the jaws drop during our sleep, a space will be created that would allow the tongue to fall back towards the throat. Again, this would create the obstruction that will encourage vibration, thus creating snores.

Having said all these, we then suggest that cures can be initiated when any of these results are directly counter acted.

Say for the excess tissues in the throat, the best possible cure is to remove the tissues that cause the blockage. This can be done through surgeries or through loosing weight.

There are many techniques used to surgically eliminate unwanted tissues. Some actually scrape these tissues while other allow electrically-induced disintegration of such muscles which will then be reabsorbed by the body. As for weight loss, there are also various methods of loosing pounds. Only, the person has to follow a comprehensive exercise or diet plan that will best fit his condition. Surgery is also used when the main cause of snoring is deviated nasal septum. This choice of cure will of course require careful examination and determined decision.

Mouth breathing, on the other hand, is best cured by shifting to nasal breathing. Many exercises had been devised to actualize this as much as there are a number of stop snoring devices that encourage the shift of breathing.

Problems on nasal passage are a bit less complicated to resolve. There are various stop snoring aids that aim to maximize the size of the nostrils through the use of clips and straps to facilitate better breathing.

Acute Edema and Back Pain

Back pain is caused from a variety of problems including “Acute Pulmonary Edema.” Edema builds up abnormal and excessive fluids that cause serious actions to the tissue cells. What happens is similar to over watering plants. The plant will swell and gradually wither away.

Edema in acute stages is defined as heart failure to one side, yet the problem extends to cause pain in the back. What occurs is when the heart is interrupted; it channels the fluids to tubes, vessels, ducts, and passageways that extend to the lungs.

Causes of edema:
Edema may arise from inhaling smoke, MI, CHF, Myocarditis, excessive I.V. intakes of fluid, Valvular disease, overdose of drugs, such as morphine, barbiturates, and heroin. Acute edema arises from ARDS (Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome) and Atherosclerosis.

The lack of heart pumping can cause stress to the chest, which when the chest is scarred it affects the spines structure and mobility. Overarching the back is where back pain starts, since the chest is restricted from scarring and/or edema.

Experts will often use X-rays, ABG tests, ECG, and monitor Homodynamic to discover edema. Of course, edema can lead to major problems, such as Hypernatremia, Digoxin Toxicity, Hypokalemia, Excessive Fluid, and Pulmonary Blockage of the arteries, (Embolism), which starts blood clotting and affects blood circulation. Hypokalemia will decrease potassium intake that is required by blood. What happens is the decrease of potassium to the blood causes excessive excretion of fluids that lead to the muscles, which cause weakness. The back pain is not necessary the issue at this stage, since the heart is the starting point, which could lead to cardiac arrest.

When acute edema is present, experts will often restrict fluid intake, while administering I.V. fluids to substitute. Oxygen and meds are prescribed. Often the doctor will request that the patient remain consistent in a high position, such as “Fowler’s.”

Symptoms:
Edema may present fatigue, coughing, JVD, Hypophysis, murmurs, Orthopnea, one-side heart failure (Right often), low output of cardiac, exerted Dyspnea, and so on. The condition can cause various other symptoms to emerge as well.

Experts will request that the patient limit fluid intake, and join in oxygen therapy. Since edema causes excessive fluid buildup, isometric exercises, and bed, rest is required. Isometric workouts is the process of pushing muscles next to a sturdy surface, whereas the muscles are put under tension, yet restricted from contractions. The exercises are recommended in a variety of medical treatments when back pain is involved.

Edema also affects the joints, cartilages, muscles etc, which can cause tenderness, ulcers of the legs, changes of stasis, and so forth. Edema affects the veins found in the neck as well, which is one of the leading starts of back pain. To avoid traveling into the heart cavity and discussing heart conditions, I will sum up edema and the causes of back pain.

As I mentioned earlier, back pain starts with edema since when the heart is not pumping blood it affects the connective tissues, ligaments, tendons, muscles, cells, joints, etc. As you can see, when the skeleton elements are targeted pain will occur from swelling and inflammation. The cause of back pain then starts with excessive fluid buildup emerging from acute edema and/or peripheral edema conditions.

To learn more about edema and back pain consider tendons, ligaments, disks, joints, connective tissues, neurological disorders, and so on.

Back pain has affected millions of people, yet the leading causes emerge from nerve and musculoskeletal disorders. Still, many diseases and disorders can cause back pain, including edema. In fact, when doctors discover musculoskeletal and nerve disorders, they often link one of the potential causes to edema.  

A cold and the flu (also called influenza) are alike in many ways. But the flu can sometimes lead to more serious problems, such as pneumonia. A stuffy nose, sore throat, and sneezing are usually signs of a cold. Tiredness, fever, headache, and major aches and pains probably mean you have the flu.

Coughing can be a sign of either a cold or the flu. But a bad cough usually points to the flu.

You usually do not have to call your doctor right away if you have signs of a cold or flu. But you should call your doctor in these situations:

• Your symptoms get worse.
• Your symptoms last a long time.
• After feeling a little better, you show signs of a more serious problem. Some of these signs are a sick-to-your-stomach feeling, vomiting, high fever, shaking, chills, chest pain, or coughing with thick, yellow-green mucus.

Know When To Call Your Doctor

You usually do not have to call your doctor right away if you have signs of a cold or flu. But you should call your doctor in these situations:

• Your symptoms get worse.
• Your symptoms last a long time.
• After feeling a little better, you show signs of a more serious problem. Some of these signs are a sick-to-your-stomach feeling, vomiting, high fever, shaking, chills, chest pain, or coughing with thick, yellow-green mucus.

Try to Avoid Getting a Cold

• Wash your hands often. You can pick up cold germs easily, even when shaking someone’s hand or touching doorknobs or handrails.
• Avoid people with colds when possible.
• Sneeze or cough into a tissue and then throw the tissue away.
• Clean surfaces you touch with a germ-killing disinfectant.
• Don’t touch your nose, eyes, or mouth. Germs can enter your body easily by these paths.

Try to Avoid Getting The Flu

A flu shot can greatly lower your chance of getting the flu. The best time to get the shot is from the middle of October to the middle of November, because most people get the flu in the winter.

The shot can’t cause the flu. But you may feel sore or weak or have a fever for a few days.

Who Should Get a Flu Shot?

Almost all people who want to lower their chance of coming down with the flu can get a flu shot.

Flu shots are most important for:

• people 65 or older
• nursing home patients
• people over 6 months old with health problems, such as asthma, or with long-term diseases, such as HIV or heart disease
• children or teen-agers who must often take aspirin
• people who are often around older people or those with health problems.

Who Might Not Be Able to Get a Flu Shot?

Talk to your doctor before you get the shot if you:

• have certain allergies, especially to eggs
• have an illness, such as pneumonia
• have a high fever
• are pregnant.

Prescription Medicine Can Prevent Flu, Too

If you are one of those who should not get the flu shot, ask your doctor about prescription medicine to help prevent flu.

And if you get the flu, taking this medicine within the first 48 hours can make your illness less serious.

But Do Not Take Antibiotics For a Cold or Flu

Antibiotics won’t work against cold and flu germs.

And, you should take antibiotics only when really needed.

Help Yourself Feel Better While You Are Sick

A cold usually lasts only a few days to a week. Tiredness from the flu may continue for several weeks.

To feel better while you are sick:

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Use a humidifier — an electric device that puts water into the air.
• Take a cough and cold medicine you buy without a prescription. It may help.

Protect Your Children From ‘Salicylates’ In Cold Medicines

Do not give aspirin or other salicylates to children or teen-agers with symptoms of a cold or flu.

If you aren’t sure if a product has salicylates, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Young people can get sick or die from a rare condition called Reye syndrome if they take these medicines while they have these symptoms.

The Anatomy of Acne

• Skin is covered with tiny holes called hair follicles, or pores. Follicles contain oil glands, called sebaceous glands.
• These glands make oil, called sebum, that keeps your hair and skin moisturized.
• During puberty, hormones can cause the skin to make too much oil, and it can get stuck together with cells inside the pore, and with outside dirt or oil. This can cause a sticky plug in the pore, which becomes an acne a.k.a, pimple, zit, blackhead.
• Genetics plays a role, too. If your parent had acne as a teen, it’s likely that you will, too.

• Acne is not caused by eating greasy foods like French fries or pizza, or by eating chocolate.
• Scrubbing the skin does not stop acne. It can even make the problem worse. Clean your skin regularly and after heavy workouts. Just remember, don’t over scrub.
• Wearing makeup doesn’t necessarily cause acne. Choose makeup carefully. All makeup should be oil-free so it doesn’t clog up your pores. However, it does help to clean your face regularly to keep makeup from clogging pores, particularly if you are physically active.
• Stress does not cause acne.

• Hormones have a lot to do with acne (and you can’t help those!). But, you can help prevent oil buildup by washing your face morning and evening with warm water and mild cleanser. Also, wash your face after exercising.
• Keep your hands away from your face. The oils and dirt from your hands can aggravate breakouts. Never pick or try to pop pimples—it can lead to scarring.
• Wash your hair regularly, to minimize oil from hair getting on your face.
• You can find the best acne treatment for you at your drug store. These creams, washes, and soaps work in different ways such as reducing oil production or helping to break down blackheads or whiteheads. You may have to try several to get the one that works best for you.
• When in doubt, get help from the experts. Doctors who specialize in skin care, called dermatologists, can help—especially if your acne is severe. Pediatricians and family doctors can help with milder cases.

Sleep-related difficulties affect many people. The following is a description of some of the major sleep disorders. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing any of the following, it may be important to receive an evaluation by a healthcare provider or, if necessary, a provider specializing in sleep medicine.

Insomnia

Insomnia is characterized by an inability to initiate or maintain sleep. It may also take the form of early morning awakening in which the individual awakens several hours early and is unable to resume sleeping. Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep may often manifest itself as excessive daytime sleepiness, which characteristically results in functional impairment throughout the day. Before arriving at a diagnosis of primary insomnia, the healthcare provider will rule out other potential causes, such as other sleep disorders, side effects of medications, substance abuse, depression, or other previously undetected illness. Chronic psychophysiological insomnia (or “learned” or “conditioned” insomnia) may result from a stressor combined with fear of being unable to sleep. Individuals with this condition may sleep better when not in their own beds. Health care providers may treat chronic insomnia with a combination of use of sedative-hypnotic or sedating antidepressant medications, along with behavioral techniques to promote regular sleep.

Narcolepsy

Excessive daytime sleepiness (including episodes of irresistible sleepiness) combined with sudden muscle weakness are the hallmark signs of narcolepsy. The sudden muscle weakness seen in narcolepsy may be elicited by strong emotion or surprise. Episodes of narcolepsy have been described as “sleep attacks” and may occur in unusual circumstances, such as walking and other forms of physical activity. The healthcare provider may treat narcolepsy with stimulant medications combined with behavioral interventions, such as regularly scheduled naps, to minimize the potential disruptiveness of narcolepsy on the individual’s life.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

RLS is characterized by an unpleasant “creeping” sensation, often feeling like it is originating in the lower legs, but often associated with aches and pains throughout the legs. This often causes difficulty initiating sleep and is relieved by movement of the leg, such as walking or kicking. Abnormalities in the neurotransmitter dopamine have often been associated with RLS. Healthcare providers often combine a medication to help correct the underlying dopamine abnormality along with a medicine to promote sleep continuity in the treatment of RLS.

Sleep Apnea

Snoring may be more than just an annoying habit – it may be a sign of sleep apnea. Persons with sleep apnea characteristically make periodic gasping or “snorting” noises, during which their sleep is momentarily interrupted. Those with sleep apnea may also experience excessive daytime sleepiness, as their sleep is commonly interrupted and may not feel restorative. Treatment of sleep apnea is dependent on its cause. If other medical problems are present, such as congestive heart failure or nasal obstruction, sleep apnea may resolve with treatment of these conditions. Gentle air pressure administered during sleep (typically in the form of a nasal continuous positive airway pressure device) may also be effective in the treatment of sleep apnea. As interruption of regular breathing or obstruction of the airway of the individual during sleep can pose serious complications for the health of the individual, symptoms of sleep apnea should be taken seriously.