Archive for the ‘CONDITIONS & DISEASES’ Category
Natural Hair Loss Remedies
April 24th, 2009 | 
Author: Fact: There is no sure-fire way to prevent all hair loss.
However, some methods that have been used work on some people. Here are some suggestions for natural remedies to hair loss.
Massage
Massaging the scalp in general for a couple of minutes a day can stimulate blood flow to the hair follicles and in mild cases stimulate some hair growth in minor cases of temporary hair loss.
There are several electric massagers on the market that have an attachment for scalp massaging as well. An oriental method called Qi Gong (pronounced Chi Kung) has been used to increase circulation to the scalp and face also.
Aromatherapy
A blend of six drops each of lavender and bay essential oils in a base of four ounces of either almond, soybean or sesame oil massaged into the scalp and allowed to sit for 20 minutes has been used by aroma therapists to stimulate the scalp.
Saw Palmetto Extract
There is a definite connection between the prostate and hair loss for men. Saw Palmetto has been found to work in fighting benign prostatic disease by lowering levels of DHT, which is a known cause of androgenetic alopecia.
Saw Palmetto extract is an effective anti-androgen and shows promise as an effective treatment for hair loss prevention. More information on Saw Palmetto for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Women on oral contraceptives or hormone therapy should not take Saw Palmetto.
Nettle Root Extract
Nettles are rich in vitamins A and C, several key minerals and lipids that can be beneficial to the hair. Nettle Root Extract has been used successfully in Europe as an inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase in treating BPH.
Rosemary and Sage
Rosemary and sage are two herbs that have shown benefit traditionally when used externally. Boil together in water rosemary, sage, peach leaf, nettle and burdock. Then strain the loose herbs from the liquid and use the liquid to wash the hair daily.
Jojoba Oil
If you are predisposed to seborrhea, eczema, psoriasis, or dandruff, you could consider using jojoba oil. Mexicans and southwestern Native American nations have used jojoba oil traditionally for centuries to promote hair growth and the control of dandruff. Jojoba oil is great for hypoallergenic skin because it is a great moisturizer and mimics the scalp’s own sebum.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has been used by Native Americans, Indians and many in the Caribbean to promote healthy hair and prevent hair loss. Aloe’s can help the scalp by healing it and balancing the pH level of the scalp while cleansing the pores. A common preparation of Aloe Vera gel with a small amount of wheat germ oil and coconut milk is used as a shampoo and has traditionally shown great benefit.
Henna
Henna is a traditional Indian herb that acts as a natural conditioner and is excellent for the maintenance of healthy hair. It can help heal the hair shaft by repairing and sealing the cuticle, protecting hair against breakage and loss of shine.
Polysorbate-80
Polysorbate-80 is an FDA approved surfactant that is also approved as a food additive. Although not proven, Polysorbate-80 is said to remove deposits of DHT and cholesterol from the scalp. Polysorbate-80 is being recommended by some naturopathic practitioners as an application for the scalp approximately 15 minutes prior to shampooing.
Cleansing and Detoxification
Cleansing should be a major part of your regimen to maintain and grow hair. Many scalp related diseases are directly the result of toxemia, while toxins in the body adversely affecting the body’s systems indirectly affect other conditions. Cleansing can be performed through oral means regularly and occasionally by enema or colonic irrigation.
More remedies for detoxification
Psyllium husk
Fiber is vital to cleansing, and most North American diets are deficient in natural fiber. Psyllium husk is a bulking laxative agent that can be used to safely move waste through the colon. Psyllium is a very good substance as it gently scrubs the walls of the colon to remove waste that is stuck to the walls.
Exercise
Finally, although exercise does absolutely nothing directly to grow hair, most holistic practitioners recommend it. Exercising can improve blood flow, the delivery of oxygen to the cells of the body, and help the digestion of foods, all things that aid the health of hair follicles.
Disclaimer: The advice here is not presented from a medical practitioner. Any and all dietary and medical planning should be made under the guidance of your own medical and health practitioners. This information does not replace medical advice from a professional physician.
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Copyright 2005 Priya Shah
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_____________________________________________ Priya Shah is the Editor of The Glutathione Report, a newsletter featuring regular updates on the health benefits of glutathione. For a comprehensive report on hair loss, see Hair Loss Prevention Secrets. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Priya_Shah |
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Hair-loss symptoms
Hair loss (alopecia) is an earlier-than-expected or excessive loss of hair. Everyone has some hair loss every day, but some people have a lot of hair loss early in life because it runs in their family (inherited) or because of disease, medicines, aging, injury, stress, or hair care.
The most common type of hair loss is inherited, which is called male-pattern or female-pattern hair loss (androgenic alopecia). In this type of hair loss, your genes affect how hair grows. Men generally develop bald spots on the forehead area or on the top of the head. Women have an overall thinning of the hair throughout the scalp. Other types of hair loss can cause hair thinning or clumps of hair to fall out.
Other causes of hair loss include:
- Ringworm of the scalp (tinea capitis), which is common in children.
- Pulling your hair back too tightly, wearing tight braids or ponytails, or using curling irons or dyes.
- Age.
Hair loss is treated with medicines and surgery, including hair transplants. Cosmetic approaches include hair pieces (wigs or toupees) or hair styling techniques, such as combing or dyeing. The specific treatment depends on the cause of the hair loss.
Symptoms
Hair Loss can occur as thinning, in which you may not notice hair falling out, or as shedding, in which clumps of hair fall out.
In the most common type of hair loss, inherited hair loss (androgenetic alopecia), men tend to lose hair on the front hairline and forehead and on top of the head. Eventually, only hair around the ears, the sides, and back of the head remains. Women with this condition typically have gradual thinning throughout the scalp.
Other causes of hair loss may also show distinct patterns. For example, conditions such as trichotillomania (compulsively pulling at the hair) or alopecia areata (in which the immune system attacks hair follicles ) result in obvious patches of hair loss, while stress and some medications result in clumps of hair falling out.
Because hair is an important part of appearance, hair loss can also result in loss of self-esteem and feeling unattractive, especially in women and teens.
Raise a Toast to Great Skin
Chances are good that you’ll be clinking classes more than once this holiday season, so make sure your beverage of choice is working for you! That shouldn’t be hard - many delicious options are also rich in antioxidants (which are highly effective anti-aging, anti-inflammatory agents):
- Red wine contains two substances that prevent aging: grape seed extract and resveratrol. (Researchers are particularly interested in evidence that resveratrol may be a powerful skin cancer-fighting ingredient.) So swap those cocktails for a nice cabernet or merlot (since wine’s skin-friendly benefits come from the grapes’ skins, white wine isn’t as effective). Keep in mind, though, that while one glass of wine can fight those fine lines, several glasses will have quite the opposite effect - too much alcohol consumption leads to damaging free radicals.
- White wine alone won’t do much for your skin - so why leave it alone? The latest trend in Miami Beach, my hometown, is to add pomegranate juice to champagne. Not only will it turn your bubbly a festive pink, pomegranate is also a powerful antioxidant and a particularly effective anti-inflammatory.
- Beer lovers, fear not: Research suggests that the hops in your favorite brew also contain a type of antioxidant that is particularly soothing to the skin!
- As anyone prone to flushing knows, however, even one alcoholic beverage can worsen skin redness and inflammation. Why not add that pomegranate juice to a glass of sparkling water? And if there’s no pomegranate on hand, try cranberry juice, which is also full of antioxidants.
- If it’s chilly where you are, there’s nothing more festive than curling up with a bunch of friends and a steaming mug of something tasty. Green tea is one of the best researched and most effective antioxidants around. Dark chocolate is also full of antioxidant flavinoids, so a cup of hot (dark) chocolate is another great bet.
Finally, remember that both alcohol and caffeine are dehydrating, which can eventually leave your skin looking dull and worsen the appearance of fine lines. Whatever you’re toasting with this holiday season, be sure to alternate it with that old stand-by: water!
Source: Leslie Baumann, M.D
Cholesterol levels
It’s important to keep your cholesterol levels within healthy limits. And if you have other risk factors for developing heart disease, you need to be even more careful — especially with your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad,” cholesterol level.
Interpreting your cholesterol numbers
Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood in the United States and some other countries. Canada and most European countries measure cholesterol in millimoles (mmol) per liter (L) of blood. Consider these general guidelines when you get your lipid panel (cholesterol test) results back to see if your cholesterol falls in optimal levels.
| Total cholesterol (U.S. and some other countries) |
Total cholesterol* (Canada and most of Europe) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Below 200 mg/dL | Below 5.2 mmol/L | Desirable |
| 200-239 mg/dL | 5.2-6.2 mmol/L | Borderline high |
| 240 mg/dL and above | Above 6.2 mmol/L | High |
| LDL cholesterol (U.S. and some other countries) |
LDL cholesterol* (Canada and most of Europe) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Below 70 mg/dL | Below 1.8 mmol/L | Optimal for people at very high risk of heart disease |
| Below 100 mg/dL | Below 2.6 mmol/L | Optimal for people at risk of heart disease |
| 100-129 mg/dL | 2.6-3.3 mmol/L | Near optimal |
| 130-159 mg/dL | 3.4-4.1 mmol/L | Borderline high |
| 160-189 mg/dL | 4.1-4.9 mmol/L | High |
| 190 mg/dL and above | Above 4.9 mmol/L | Very high |
| HDL cholesterol (U.S. and some other countries) |
HDL cholesterol* (Canada and most of Europe) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Below 40 mg/dL (men) Below 50 mg/dL (women) |
Below 1 mmol/L (men) Below 1.3 mmol/L (women) |
Poor |
| 50-59 mg/dL | 1.3-1.5 mmol/L | Better |
| 60 mg/dL and above | Above 1.5 mmol/L | Best |
| Triglycerides (U.S. and some other countries) |
Triglycerides* (Canada and most of Europe) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Below 150 mg/dL | Below 1.7 mmol/L | Desirable |
| 150-199 mg/dL | 1.7-2.2 mmol/L | Borderline high |
| 200-499 mg/dL | 2.3-5.6 mmol/L | High |
| 500 mg/dL and above | Above 5.6 mmol/L | Very high |
*Canadian and European guidelines differ slightly from U.S. guidelines. These conversions are based on U.S. guidelines.
LDL targets differ
Because LDL cholesterol has a major association with heart disease, it’s the main focus of cholesterol-lowering treatment. But it’s not as simple as the chart may appear. Your target LDL number can vary, depending on your underlying risk of heart disease.
Most people should aim for an LDL level below 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L). If you have other risk factors for heart disease, your target LDL may be below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L). If you’re at very high risk of heart disease, you may need to aim for an LDL level below 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L).
So who’s considered at very high risk? If you’ve had a heart attack or if you have diabetes or carotid or peripheral vascular disease, you’re at very high risk. In addition, two or more of the following risk factors might also place you in the very high risk group:
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Low HDL cholesterol
- Family history of early heart disease
- Age older than 45 if you’re a man, or older than 55 if you’re a woman
- Elevated lipoprotein (a)
Types of cholesterol
LDL cholesterol can build up on the inside of artery walls, contributing to artery blockages that can lead to heart attacks. Higher LDL cholesterol levels mean higher risk. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol because it helps prevent arteries from becoming clogged. Higher HDL cholesterol levels generally mean lower risk.
A blood test to check cholesterol levels — called a lipid panel or lipid profile — typically reports:
- Total cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- LDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides, a type of fat often increased by sweets and alcohol
For the most accurate measurements, don’t eat or drink anything (other than water) for nine to 12 hours before the blood sample is taken.
Lifestyle changes
If your LDL cholesterol is too high, the first thing your doctor will probably suggest is lifestyle changes. Eating more soluble fiber, found in oatmeal, beans, fruits and vegetables, and less saturated fat and cholesterol can improve your cholesterol levels.
Being overweight and inactive tends to increase your LDL cholesterol and lower your HDL cholesterol, exactly the opposite of what you want. Exercise and weight loss can help reverse this trend. This is especially important for people who have large waist measurements — more than 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) for men and more than 35 inches (88.9 centimeters) for women — because people with this body shape are more likely to develop heart disease.
Medications may be needed
When lifestyle changes aren’t enough to reach your cholesterol targets, your doctor may prescribe medications to help lower your cholesterol levels. These drugs, such as statins, aren’t a replacement for lifestyle changes. You’ll still need to eat properly and exercise.
A hidden risk factor
High cholesterol has no symptoms, but your genetic makeup — reflected in family history of high cholesterol or heart disease — might make you more prone to the condition, even if you eat right and exercise. That’s why it’s so important to have a baseline cholesterol test at age 20 and have follow-up tests at least once every five years. Finding the problem early allows you to take action before it’s too late. Your doctor may recommend more frequent cholesterol tests if your total cholesterol level or LDL cholesterol level is high.
Lift a Bad Mood
No one can live a long and healthy life without the will to go on; sometimes mood swings can make us feel that life is too much for us.
A bad mood not only gives you a gloomy outlook, it also lowers your immune function, leading the way to illness. Here are some suggestions to lift your mood, your spirit, and your health.
1. A Laughing Matter
“Laugh Therapy,” pioneered by Norman Cousins, has turned out to have real substance. Research has discovered that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help defend the body from illness and cancer.
Laughter also increases the release of endorphins – compounds that give you a sense of well-being – in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people liver longer and healthier lives. So read your favorite comics, watch your favorite comedies, and laugh it up!
2. Amino Acid for Restored Mindset
When an imbalance or deficiency is creating a bad mood, the Europeans use supplements of a natural compound found in human cells to regulate mood and restore a healthy mindset. SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) is produced from methionine, an amino acid that plays a role in the production of uplifting neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.
One study indicated that SAMe worked on patients who had unsuccessful results with conventional antidepressants. To get a boost from SAMe, take a supplement combining it with vitamins B6 and B12.
3. Hands-On Healing
Human touch increases the production of endorphins, growth hormone, and DHEA, all of which lengthen your life span and lower the negative impact of stress. Studies have found that patients who are regularly touched recover faster than those who are not touched. So give someone a hug and feel both of your moods improve.
4. Boost Your “Youth Hormones”
You don’t need pills to flood your body with a rejuvenating flood of growth hormones. Research has found that doing squats and leg presses will greatly increase your natural production of the “youth hormone”. Increased growth hormone translates to an elevated mood, among other physical benefits. Keep it up with weight training, knee bends, push-ups, and rowing.
5. Take a Bracing Breath
Breathing correctly is important for dispelling the toxins and wastes from your body; in fact, it is estimated that we expel only about 30 percent of toxins in our bodies through the bowels and bladder-the rest is all respiratory. Breathing is also a great way to clear your mind, boost your energy, and improve your mood. Practice deep, slow, rhythmic, breathing daily with mind-body disciplines such as tai chi, yoga, qigong, and meditation.
6. Smell the Joy
Research has shown that smell has a definite impact on our bodies and minds. When you stimulate the olfactory nerves inside your nose, you activate the limbic system of your brain, which is associated with moods and memory. This concept is instrumental to aromatherapy, a natural health tradition that makes use of the healing powers of plants with strong scents.
Aromatherapy recommends treating depression with jasmine, eucalyptus for exhilaration, and grapefruit to increase alertness and joy. Just put a dab of the essential oils from these plants on your temples, back of your neck, or acupressure points. Another option? Boil the herb in water and inhale the steam through your nose.
7. Feel Fine with Flowers
There is a reason that flowers are the traditional get-well gesture. Colorful flowers have a powerful influence on moods; they can uplift a patient’s mood and even combat stress. One study found that during a five-minute typing assignment, people sitting next to a flowering bouquet were more relaxed than those who sat near foliage-only plants.
I hope these tips help the good feelings flow! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
-Dr. Mao
Tips For Better Sleep
Like millions of other Americans, I often have trouble with insomnia — either I can’t fall asleep, or I awake prematurely and am unable to get back to sleep. The following sleep tips, compiled from various sources, may prove helpful to some of my fellow insomniacs.
- Only use your bed for sleeping or having sex, not for reading, doing paperwork, watching TV, snacking, or making phone calls.
- If you’ve been lying in bed but are beginning to fear you’re not going to drop off, try some of these techniques: Count sheep or count backwards from 100 (one of my favorites) to stop yourself from thinking about the problems of yesterday or tomorrow; breathe deeply for awhile; or visualize some peaceful place.
- If you can’t get to sleep after lying in bed for 30 minutes or more, get up for awhile. What to do? Try reading something incredibly boring.
- Develop a bedtime routine.
- Keep regular bedtime hours.
- Before bedtime, avoid tobacco and caffeinated beverages (not just coffee, but other drinks like tea, cola, and Dr. Pepper).
- Avoid alcohol right before bedtime — a nightcap might get your mind fuzzy enough to put you to sleep, but such sleep may be interrupted by periods of awakening. By contrast, the stress-lowering effect of a drink with dinner may help to promote sleep later.
- Avoid naps (or falling asleep in front of boring TV programs, as I do).
- Try to get up at the same time every day rather than sleeping in on weekends.
- Exercise every day, but not shortly before bedtime since exercise gets the adrenaline going.
- If you use an illuminated clock for a wakeup alarm, place it where you can’t keep looking at it to check the time.
- Buy a firm mattress and keep your bedroom well ventilated (a cool temperature works best for me).
- And you might also try some of these: a warm bath, warm milk, light bedtime snack, massage, or quiet music (which turns itself off automatically).
- Use earplugs for extreme quiet.
- If you have a painful joint or a headache, take a pain pill before bedtime (but be sure it doesn’t contain caffeine).
- Avoid stimulating reading or television shows late at night.
If the insomnia stubbornly persists, check with your doctor to make sure some underlying health problem (such as depression, anxiety, hyperthyroidism, heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) isn’t keeping you awake. If all is well, you might ask for one of the several types of prescription sleeping pills that can be useful in the short term.
Instant Ab Flatteners
Achieving a toned, sexy tummy might seem like a pipe dream this time of year. Baggy sweaters abound, egg nog is served and Frosty the Snowman doesn’t offer much in the way of flat-belly inspiration. But getting a sleek, sexy stomach is easier than you think. Spend just five minutes a day on toning your abs and you’ll get an amazing middle.
We rounded up five of the most effective tummy toners around. Work three or four of these exercises into your routine (easing them in will minimize soreness). Do the number of reps indicated, resting one minute between moves. The only equipment you will need is a hand towel. Washboard abs, here you come!
Pike 90
Lie faceup; raise legs until perpendicular to floor, feet flexed. Lower right leg so it hovers 1 or 2 inches off floor and place hands lightly behind head. In this position, do 15 crunches, lifting chest toward ceiling and lowering. Switch legs and repeat.
Crunchy frog
Sit with knees bent, feet flat. Keeping legs together, raise feet several inches and bring knees toward chest. Wrap arms around knees without touching legs. Extend legs and stretch arms to sides, palms forward. Return to wrapped-arm position; repeat. Do 15 reps.
Tornado
Stand with feet hip-width apart, right leg in front of left, right foot turned out. Bend elbows and raise arms out to sides at shoulder level (like goalposts). In one motion, raise right knee to lowered right elbow. Return to start; switch sides and repeat to complete one rep. Do 15 reps.
Corkscrew
Lie faceup. Press legs together and raise them toward ceiling until they’re at a 90-degree angle, with knees slightly bent and toes pointed. Raise butt and legs off floor using ab muscles; twist legs slightly to left. Repeat, twisting to right, for one rep. Do 15 reps.
Side arm balance
Start on floor on knees. Lean to left and place left hand on floor under shoulder; extend right arm up and to left, palm down. Straighten right legs out to right with foot on floor, resting on left knee. Hold for 5 breaths. Return to start; switch sides. Repeat twice per side.
Neck pain
If yo
u are experiencing neck pain, and have visited you medical for examinations, then you need to go ahead to exercise your neck for better and faster results. There are several neck exercises for you to learn and practise, but be careful to avoid mistakes since this can complicate the problem instead. These exercises involve a lot of body movements and are needed to help reduce the pain in the neck, to also prevent the stiffness of the neck. If this is done regularly and consistently for a period of time you will discover that the neck will begin to move easily without much pain.
By doing this regular exercises, you will also discover that your level of activity will be on the increase and the pain will gradually decrease. If you are experiencing chronic pains in your neck that has made it very difficult or you to easily move your neck, the best exercise will be the moderate movement of your neck from left to right – that way you will soon discover that you can now easily move your neck without much stress or pain.
Consistency is the only way out with the exercise method of treating neck pains. This means that you should continue the exercises without stopping until the desired result is seen, in this case, it will be when the neck is completely back to normal and every pain eradicated. When the neck exercises are done several times a day and regularly every day, the path to a pain less neck is created and the patient will soon enjoy relief from the excruciating neck pains. But, you should slowly move your neck and avoid very fast movements so you will not complicate the neck pain.
There are different ways to exercise your neck, if you are experiencing neck pains. The first one was treated above, and another way will be the stretching of your neck, instead of the side to side movements of the neck. These stretching movements will help you continue the normal free movements as it used to be.
Another way will be the bending neck exercise; all you will need to do in this case is to carefully move your head up and down. The upward and downward movement of the neck will liberate the neck, restoring flexibility to the neck; it also reduces the neck pain.
Practise the breathing exercise along with the neck exercises, you will breathe in and out, dragging your breathe. The breathing exercise will help reduce the tension and cause all the muscle around the neck and body to relax, while exercising the neck region as well.
Be sure to check with your doctor before proceeding with these exercises to relieve neck pains.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal