Archive for September, 2010

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Stop Drug Dependency – Know the Cocaine Addiction Signs

Comments: 0September 29th, 2010 by admin



It’s a habit that isn’t easily broken. The symptoms are readily apparent. Cocaine addiction signs include many of the same effects as methamphetamines. Sudden and severe weight loss. Dilated pupils. Excessive sweating, quick pulse, persistent runny nose, and sniffling are a few readily visible indications. While most of these symptoms can come from other causes, the pupil changes, and severe weight loss generally do not. Sleep issues, a lack of or inability to sleep, is another issue that should trigger a call to addiction treatment service professionals.

One clear cocaine addiction sign is an inability to focus. Users find it a challenge to complete work assignments or even general work around the house. The frustration and general unease from these failures will lead to even more abuse of the drug. Here’s a clear series of yes and no questions from medical professionals that can give you a good indication if you or a loved one may have lost control.

1. Have you used cocaine to help you function better?

2. Have you seriously thought you might have a substance dependency issue?

3. Do you look forward to your next chance to use cocaine?

4. Have you been confronted about your use of cocaine?

5. Are you spending more time than before around people who also use cocaine?

6. Do you do things under the influence of cocaine that are not normal for you?

7. When you are out of cocaine, do you find yourself unusually anxious?

8. Have you missed work or school because of your drug use?

9. Are you sleeping less since you began using cocaine?

10. Are your finances worse since you began using cocaine?

Professional treatment counselors suggest three ‘yes’ answers to the above questions should provide a very early warning sign that your cocaine use has grown into an addiction.

The use of cocaine in the United States is steady or on a decline in most age groups. The exception to the rule is the rate of use that has nearly doubled in the Baby Boom generation in the past five years. The numbers are based on surveys of nearly 17,000 people between 2002 and 2007 conducted by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Kicking a cocaine dependency can be very difficult. Even acknowledgment of the dependency by the user is a difficult task. Professional addiction treatment services, like inpatient hospital stays, and drug rehabilitation centers, are often needed to return to a normal, drug free life. Knowing the cocaine addiction signs is the best first step in helping loved ones or friends get on the road to recovery.

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How Can I Relieve My Anaemia Symptoms?

Comments: 0September 29th, 2010 by admin



Anemia literally means lack of blood. More precisely, it’s a problem with hemoglobin the oxygen-carrying pigment in the blood. It can be seen quite easily: some one with anaemia looks pale with pale skin, lips and inner rims of the eyelids. Sufferers seem to have a degree of what you might call power failure, with symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, depression, a sinking feeling blurred vision and frequent infections. They may also experience food and/or sugar carvings, general sluggishness, cold hands and feet, and put on weight easily – all connected to a poor metabolism.

Blood consists of blood cells and platelets, which swim in a colourless liquid called plasma. Red blood cells are the most abundant and also the most specialised cells in the body, as they transport oxygen and carbon dioxide; without them, the body simply can’t survive. White blood cells are part of our immune defences, and platelets enable the blood to clot.The red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a powerful compound consisting of an iron-containing pigment called ‘heme’, and ‘globulin’, a protein. Haemoglobin has a vial role in the supply of oxygen to the body, facilitating the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Heme also contains cobalt, a micro-element that acts as a catalyst in the exchange of these gases. Meanwhile, the iron is responsible for binding oxygen molecules in the lungs and then releasing them to target cells.

Body cells only function optimally if there is enough oxygen and if carbon dioxide, a waste gas, is removed efficiently. If there aren’t enough red blood cells, or they are smaller in size, the haemoglobin’s capacity to supply oxygen is reduced. This Oxygen starvation affects every system in the body, producing the symptoms above. Also, people with anaemia often suffer from breathlessness, due to the lack of oxygen, and palpitations, as the heart beat faster to try to improve the oxygen supply.

The most common type of anaemia is due to iron deficiency, which in my view is mainly due to lack of protein from a strict vegan or vegetarian diet, anorexia, as well as some kidney problems and burns, which destroy protein. A deficiency of vitamin B12, which forms the nucleus of the haemoglobin, folic acid or vitamin B6 can cause pernicious (megaloblastic) anaemia. There are other, rarer forms, including sickle-cell disease and thalassaemia (both inherited conditions), plus haemolytic and aplastic anaemia.

Because you have nausea and digestive problems, I suspect that your problem is iron deficiency anaemia. (l assume that your GP has organised blood tests,) Iron is absorbed mainly in the stomach and any problems with its lining will affect absorption. Gastritis, stomach ulcers, acidity, eating too many acid foods, infections such as helicobacter pylori, drug-related gastritis (from steroids or pain killers for example) and stomach surgery will reduce the stomach’s capacity to absorb iron. Parasites (worms) can also cause iron-deficiency anaemia Since you have both digestive and skin problems, you may have yeast overgrowth or candidacies. These conditions can be symptoms of a leaky gut, where the gut wall has been perforated by yeast overgrowth (or other factors), which then get into the bloodstream causing a host of problems. The itching and rashes may be because the body is trying to eliminate toxins through the skin…

I advise an all-round approach to treatment lf you just treat the anaemia wont give you the results you hope for.

These are my suggestions

Diet

* Eat small, regular amounts of calves’ liver and red meat’ fresh organic eggs (bled, semi-boiled or poached), spinach, broccoli, cherries, aubergines, avocado, and pomegranate, red

apples, carrot juice. Take ten almonds and brazil nuts, soaked in still water for 24 hours, daily. These are all ‘known to help blood synthesis in traditional medicine.

* To improve digestion: avoid citrus and sour foods (eg orange, rhubarb, Pineapples, kiwi, vinegar), chilies, deep-fried foods, unsoaked nuts and seeds, plus painkillers (unless you really have to take them); also yeast products, sugar and alcohol.

Remedies

* Take Iron tablets, one daily for three months.

* Take two twigs kadu and one third teaspoon full kariatu powder; soak in a cup of hot water over night strain and drink in the morning on an empty stomach.

* Take Stomach Formula tablets, one twice daily for two months to control excess stomach acid.

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What You Should Know About STD Testing

Comments: 0September 28th, 2010 by admin



Sexually Transmitted Diseases or STDs can infect anyone who is sexually active. As long as you do not practice unprotected sex, you may be the next victim of this deadly disease. Most people barely have a basic knowledge of STD symptoms and its treatment. It is not enough to know these basics. What is important is that once you are aware that you may have STD symptoms it is best that you undergo STD testing. This is the next best step in prevention of this disease. As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”

STD testing is the best way to know if you are infected with this disease. Some STDs display symptoms that are similar to the common diseases like flu, diarrhea or the common allergy. Some STDs do not show any symptoms at all and manifest their effects after a very long period of time. Until then you are kept guessing if you have it or you don’t. The best way is to consult your doctor or health provider if you suspect that you were exposed and show symptoms of the disease. Go for STD testing so you will be able to determine the proper treatment of STDs.

Genital Warts. There are two types of warts – high-risk and low-risk. The doctor will take a visual inspection of the affected area to determine what type of wart is afflicting the patient. Some warts are not visible to the human eye that is why during the examination the doctor will swab the affected area with acetic acid to make small warts visible. This strain of warts can lead to cervical cancer so it is important to have regular Pap smear tests for women.

Herpes. Although there are two types, the more lethal cases are caused by the HSV-2. Since there are no visible symptoms, patients will need to undergo a physical exam and a blood test.

Chlamydia. A pelvic exam and a swab test will be given by the doctor to the suspecting patient. A cervical swab will be applied to the cervix and this will be sent to a laboratory to test for signs of bacteria causing Chlamydia.

Gonorrhea. A physical exam as well as a culture test will be taken from the patient. Samples of the green or yellow discharge will be sent to a laboratory to test for the presence of bacteria. A urine test may also be taken but some results may not be accurate.

Syphilis. Early detection of this disease is the appearance of sores and rashes. Since this disease occurs in stages, different tests are taken for every stage. During the early stages, a physical exam and samples of the fluid taken from the sores are required. In the second stage, the lymph glands will be checked as well as signs for body rash. A blood test will be required to look for the anti-bodies of the syphilis bacteria. In the latter stages, a Cerebrospinal Fluid Test will be taken. This procedure will involve extraction of spinal fluids to determine the extent of the infection.

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One Reason You Might Need CBC Blood Tests – Anemia

Comments: 0September 28th, 2010 by admin



A commonly prescribed medical test used these days to decipher if you are sick, experiencing trouble, healthy or to better pinpoint a current internal, medical issue, such as anemia, is a blood test known as a Complete Blood Count Test, or more commonly, CBC, the acronym.

Anemia strikes and affects more than three million men and women each and every year, among the American population. In fact, Anemia, of all blood conditions is the most common.

Humans could not carry on unless we had blood flowing from top to bottom within our bodies. Thus it makes perfect sense it is one of the first tests ordered by your doctor when determining diagnosis. CBC blood tests are often shouted by doctors in t.v. dramas these days, but in actuality, it is a vital step in being sure what is normal and what is abnormal with you, internally.

In the case of Anemia, your doctor may prescribe a complete blood count test to detect is lacking the vital, red blood cells that all humans need in order to get and maintain an optimal amount of oxygen in your blood. Oxygen fuels each of your organs so that they may perform best: ensuring a healthy heart, lungs, brain, every major organ and all the minor organs in between depend on oxygen.

If your blood has too few red blood cells, another factor comes into play: low counts of hemoglobin, ultimately resulting in too little iron in your blood. A major and most common reason why individuals fall short of energy, constantly feel tired and fatigued

A CBC blood test [http://www.healthylivingstraighttalk.com/cbcbloodtestscompleteblood.html] can be prescribed by a doctor simply when you’re are under the weather, chronically tired, or even if you simply have a common cold. You don’t have to be inches from your death bed, nor obviously ill to have CBC blood tests ordered.

Next time you have an appointment with your doctor, physician or alternative practitioner for your yearly check-up, if your doctor doesn’t order a CBC Blood Test, by all means, ask he or she does. It is the cheapest, most simple, maybe even life-saving thing you can do and should do at least once a year.

Your complete blood count test, or CBC represents your internal (which fuels your exterior) health and if there is something to worry about, odds are, warning signs will be found within your blood and its makeup. There are exceptions to the case, but be on the safe side, anyways. Many determining factors are researched with CBC Blood Tests: white blood cells and red blood cells or levels, the HCT (or Hematocrit, which basically is defined by the volume of space which your blood takes up), Hgb (or Hemoglobin which accounts for the oxygen inside your blood cells), and platelet counts which determines your blood’s ability to clot.

Too many or too few of another essential part of your blood, depending on what numbers reveal themselves could be a alert that tells your medical team what is really happening inside you. While the diagnosis variations can be numerous and cover a wide spectrum, having your CBC Blood Test at least once per year, after visiting your doctor can hand you answers to most questions about your internal and external health, that physical touch, listening to your heart, checking your lungs and using a tongue depressor just can’t do.

A CBC (Complete Blood Count) Test (or Tests) can provide you specific answers to why you’re fatigued, not feeling ‘normal’, showing bruising for ‘no reason’, having chest pains, have an infection, are showing allergic reactions, plus a truck load of other potential issues. But, perhaps even more vital, these blood tests allow you the potentially life-saving, life stretching benefit of catching early alerts and signs of maybe hazardous and life shortening trouble if allowed to grow. Write this down now for both yourself and your family to consistently (at least annually) take part in a CBC Blood Test or Complete Blood Count Tests. Sure, may save your life, but even if nothing is terribly out of order, it is a simple way to boost the quality of your life.

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Children As Victims of Alcohol Abuse

Comments: 0September 27th, 2010 by admin



A family is a close knit unit in which a child is reared culturally and socially. Both the parents are like pillars of support but what happens when one of the pillars crumbles, by becoming a victim of alcohol addiction. In such situation, the child is the worst sufferer, more so because they are the victims of alcoholism abuse- it fractures the child psyche and puts his future in danger.

Here are some pointers of the effect of alcohol abuse:

1. Psychological Effect- The abusive parent turns less sensitive and shows a non-caring attitude. Some even tend to physically abuse the child. For a child, it is like a dent in his perfect world of order. The child begins to view the world with a fractured psyche. Like the abusive parent, the child may harbor repressed anger and become perpetrators of alcoholism abuse themselves. This is the germinating point of many depressing symptoms in them which, if undetected, will have a detrimental effect to his future.

2. Behavioral Changes- Lack of a support system and constant abuse changes the behavior too. The pattern is noticeable- the child shows all some of the characteristics like being reclusive, abusive, silent, withdrawn, depressed, alienated, isolated, sadness and others. The main problem lies in there being no empathetic ear to listen, discuss, and solve their problems. Getting no respite from alcoholism abuse, they feel claustrophobic and the pain of abuse deepens when they see nobody coming forward to help him.

3. Relationships- Most victims of alcoholism abuse belong to broken families. Years of abuse make them believe that relationships are mere illusions. They can only give pain and trouble. In effect, they detest forming new relationships- friends, lovers or any professional kind. Even if they manage to, they are short-lived and internally broken.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of the society to identify victims of alcoholism abuse and give them requisite help to improve their future.

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The Behavior Patterns of Someone Suffering From Drug Addiction

Comments: 0September 25th, 2010 by admin



Denial. This is a very common trait displayed by not only a drug addict but the family and friends of drug addicts as well. Nobody wants to believe that their loved one is suffering from drug addiction and often times people will deceive themselves in order to make things seem better than they are.

In order to defeat this destructive pattern I have developed a very straight to the point article that will clearly identify a few of the undeniable behavior patterns exhibited by someone suffering from drug addiction.

1. Isolation

This is probably the most typical characteristic of drug addicts. Because of the overpowering effects caused by addiction, the addict will almost invariably fall into a deep isolation. They will separate themselves from family and friends and become very downdraught.

2. Irritability

Drug addicts often times loose their normal personality traits. They will become very short tempered and irritable. This is especially true if they are ever confronted on their drug abuse. If this happens, they will typically become very defensive and enraged.

3. Unmanagable life

In nearly all cases, someone suffering from drug addiction will begin to loose control of their material life. They will begin to have trouble affording their standard expenses and will frequently ask for some type of financial loan from people they are close to.

These are the 3 most common characteristics of someone suffering from drug addiction. If this sounds like someone you know then it is imperative that you begin to seek out help for them. This is important because in nearly all drug addiction cases, the addict will not reach out for help until things have gotten extremely bad.

You have the potential of acting as the bridge between despair and hope for your loved one. You can find an abundant amount of resources online or in your local community.

Best wishes!

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What Are the Disadvantages of a High Acid Level?

Comments: 0September 24th, 2010 by admin



pH can be defined as a scale through which you can measures how alkaline or acidic a substance is. This scale has a range of one to fourteen with fourteen being very alkaline, seven being neutral and one being highly acid. The pH level of your blood can be extremely important.

The perfect pH level the human blood is around 7.35 and the human body can go to enormous ends to maintain the level. When the pH levels drops below the required level, it can cause undesirable effects. Red blood cells are the ones which transport oxygen to the cells of your body.

The red blood cells will be moving through the tiny capillaries which can be so small that only one red blood cell can pass through them at a time. They are equipped with a mechanism which keeps them separate from each other. The red blood cells will have a negative charge in them which will make them stay away from each other. By the acids can interfere with this significant mechanism as they are capable of striping the negative charge away from the red blood cells. As a result the red blood cells will clump together and will not flow easily. This can result in the reduction of the oxygen levels which will get into your cells.

Acid can also weaken the red blood cells and can cause their death.

A bad dietary habit of an individual can be the primary reason of an acidic condition of his body. It is pretty fortunate that the acidity in your body can be decreased quickly by adopting some changes. You can do this by just including a bit of alkaline foods in your diet and eliminating some of the acid foods from your diet.

You should get a correct picture of the pH level of your body which will enable you to decide whether you should remove more acid foods from your diet and increase the more alkaline ones. You must test either your saliva or your urine regularly to get the correct PH level situation of your body. You can actually control the acidity of your body by eliminating acid foods you eat and adding the quantity of alkaline foods in your diet.

In addition to this, you can immediately start changing the pH level by drinking the “supergreen drinks”. There are many supplements available such as the Supergreens powder which has a powerful mixture of grasses which are organically-grown, green vegetables and leaves and sprouted grains which will provide the body with a large variety of easily absorbable amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Prime pH will act as an oxygen catalyst in bloodstream. The formulation of this drink will do the alkalizing, oxygenating, neutralizing and thus have a pH balancing effect in the body. It is prescribed to have four liters or one-gallon of water a day. In one liter of water, add one level teaspoon of the ‘SuperGreens’ powder and ten to fifteen drops of the LL Prime PH to get a nutrient-dense, energizing and alkalizing drink.

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How To Know Whether You Have Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Comments: 0September 24th, 2010 by admin



Many people are consuming vitamins and minerals every single day. They may not aware that there are some vitamins that is compulsory to swallow. One of such vitamins and mineral is vitamin B12. The lack for vitamin B12 mineral is one of them.

What is B12?

B12 and folate are B complex vitamins that are necessary for normal red blood cell. It is rarely found in vegetables, which is why vegetarians and especially vegans who don’t eat dairy products or meat, are especially at risk. B12, along with Folic Acid and B6 are necessary to keep homocysteine in the blood down to healthy levels. This way, many people often neglect that the B12 mineral is very important to our body.

What is actually vitamin B12 deficiency?

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms are manifest not because people are taking less vitamin B12 than recommended, but because they are simple ignorant to the fact that they need to stay healthy.

When you are feeling fatigue, weakness, nausea, constipation, flatulence (gas), loss of appetite and gaining weight. Chances that you may be suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency.

What can vitamin B12 deficiency leads to?

Deficiency also can lead to neurological changes such as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. It can also affects every cell in the body, but is most severely felt in the tissues where the ells normally divide rapidly, as in the blood-forming -tissues of the bone marrow and in the gastro-intestinal tract.

What can be used to correct anemia?

Folic acid can correct the anemia that is caused by a B-12 deficit. Folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and vitamin B12 supplementation can reduce total homocysteine levels, however, this reduction does not seem to help with secondary prevention of death or cardiovascular events such as stroke or myocardial infarction in people with prior stroke.

Folic acid intake from food and supplements should not exceed 1,000 μg daily in healthy individuals because large amounts of folic acid can trigger the damaging effects of vitamin B12 deficiency. Pernicious anemia is the common form of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Pernicious anemia usually develops over the age of 50. Pernicious anemia is caused by an inability to absorb vitamin B12 (cobalamin) that is naturally found in certain foods.

What patients can do if they have vitamin b12 deficiency?

Patients with evidence of vitamin B12 deficiency and chronic gastrointestinal symptoms such as dyspepsia, recurrent peptic ulcer disease, or diarrhea may. Patients should be encouraged to maintain adequate dietary vitamin B12 intake. Before this action, they should consult their family doctor for proper advice and recommendation. This way, they are safe that their health are not compromise.

Conclusion

It is important to know the different symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency and how to respond to it when it comes. You just have to take note that the deficiency of vitamin B12 is seldom the result of the vitamin’s composition. Both male and female can be affected by this deficiency. With a low diet in vitamin B12 (for example, a strict vegetarian diet that excludes all meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs). Therefore, take note of your signals coming from your body.

Therefore, Eddy Kong has started a useful vitamin supplement information guide that help you to choose the vitamin you are looking for or simply providing the right information to vitamin supplements.

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Why Do I Abuse Alcohol?

Comments: 0September 19th, 2010 by admin



In the early days when you start your drinking career drinking in moderation, alcohol gives you that rosy glow, adds extra enjoyment to an evening or occasion, and generally makes you feel better about yourself and the world. What could be better than that?

There are a number of reasons we abuse alcohol and/or become alcoholic, usually the primary reason being to re-experience the good feeling alcohol gives you in the beginning, then as time goes on alcohol seems to help to overcome depression, makes us more sociable, and can numb any emotional pain we are experiencing.

We also drink to release our repressed emotions, to run away from feelings of emptiness (the void) or to numb our internal world of chaos. And it works – for a while.

Alcohol also relieves boredom.

And as if that wasn’t enough, alcohol also provides us with a false sense of confidence, gives us pleasure in the beginning stages, makes us feel more powerful, and provides energy, all while chasing our internal demons away.

Pretty attractive for someone who lacks confidence, may be guilt ridden, or has been wounded by life in some way that drives them to seek some form of relief, in the case of alcohol abuse, from a bottle.

The irony of seeking solace in alcohol for the person who is going to become a problem drinker, is while in some cases the initial payoff can range from temporary relief from life’s problems to actually becoming a survival technique (as the alcoholism progresses) we are actually compounding the damage by using a substance that will ultimately make us feel even more unworthy, humiliated, and depressed, as well as having the common side effect of giving us a grim outlook on life and instead of numbing our internal world of chaos, compounding it, and creating new problems in our real external life situations.

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Stages of Ovarian Cancer – Know the 4 Stages and Its Implication to Health

Comments: 0September 18th, 2010 by admin



To know the best possible treatment for ovarian cancer, the doctor needs to identify the stage of the tumor based on whether it has already invaded the other tissues or if the cancer has spread to some parts of the body. Sample of tissue from the pelvis and abdomen are taken to further evaluate the rate of the tumor. Medical tests are CT scan (x-ray machine that takes picture of tissues and organs), Chest X-ray (to see fluid or tumors), Barium enema x-ray (on the lower intestine to see if the areas are blocked by cancer) and Colonoscopy (elongated and lighted tube in the colon and rectum to know if the cancer has spread out on this portion).

Here are the stages of ovarian cancer:

Stage 1 is the lowest level in which cancer cells are found on the inside of one or both ovaries and it is quite difficult to detect because it looks like normal ovarian cells. The first option for treatment is to remove the tumor.

Stage 1a- cancer is inside one ovary Stage 1b- cancer inside both ovaries Stage 1c- in one or both ovaries and the cancer cells in fluid inside abdomen must be taken before or during the surgical procedure

In Stage 2, cancer cells already spread from one or both ovaries affecting other tissues in the pelvis such as fallopian tube and uterus. The surgeon will attempt to lessen the tumor as much as possible. After the surgery, chemotherapy will follow for the procedure and may take up to 6 cycles.

Stage 2a – cancer has developed into the womb or the fallopian tube Stage 2b- cancer has spread into the pelvis ( bladder or rectum) Stage 2c- cancer has full-grown into other tissues in the pelvis

For Stage 3, cancer cells are found outside the abdomen and pelvis (inside the liver or in the lungs). Also found in the lymph nodes, groin or behind the womb. The goal for surgery is to shrink the tumor larger than 1cm and make it disappear. If the cancer has spread to intestines, this organ must be removed as well.

Stage 3a – cancer growths can be found in the lining of the abdomen Stage 3b – noticeable tumor expansion on the lining of the abdomen about 2cm or less in size. Stage 3c – tumor develops larger than 2cm on the lymph nodes in upper abdomen, behind the womb or groin.

The most advanced and detrimental is stage 4 wherein the cancer cells totally spread to distant sites of other body organs including the lungs, liver and other parts outside the peritoneal cavity. This is incurable and the goal of the treatment it to help the patients to live much longer and ease the pain of their ailment.

The accuracy of the laboratory test and staging of tumor may establish whether the ailment is still curable or not. The doctor must explain to the patient the necessary procedure to perform base on the extent of the tumor.

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