Medical Posts

Now and again everyone has trouble sleeping.  There are several things you can do to encourage a good night's sleep. Before trying anything on your own check with your doctor to be sure there isn't anything physically wrong that is keeping you from sleeping.  Once you find out you aren't suffering from sleep apnea or something else you can try some of these.Don't oversleep if you haven't...

TodaysBreastCancerSurvivor.com is devoted to breast cancer, diet, survivorship and other concerns connected to this disease.  This article give statistics on how many women, approximately 200,000, will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year.  It also states that there will be close to 2,000 new cases in men.  It does emphasize that the survival rate is 97 percent if the disease i...

Drinking water is one of the biggest benefits you can give your body.  Water can help ward off fatigue; it can help keep away back aches; it will help you over the mid-afternoon tiredness; it keeps charlie horses away.  You can drink water when you feel hungry to quench that desire to eat.  Often times hunger pangs are really thirst pangs so drink eight ounces of water and see if th...

Everyone, children and adults, experience anxiety at some time in their lives.  Anxiety is similar to fear but has more of an effect.  If it isn't treated it can affect work, school and personal relationships. Anxiety attacks can happen when you are confronted with a situation like public speaking.  Once you get through the sweating, being cold, clammy hands, rapid heartbeat, muscle...

Electroshock therapy or ECT is an old remedy for schizophrenia and severe depression.  It's use began in the early 1930s and has met with much controversy over the years.  It was misuses and overused with little control over the pulses of current used.  ECT can be used on people with severe depression and suicidal tendencies. When medication doesn't work sometimes Electroconvulsive ...

Electroconvulsive therapy is also called Electroshock therapy.  It is defined as the deliberate and controlled induction by electical current of a seizure for the purpose of psychiatric treatment. The use of electricity as a cure for insanity dates back to the 16th century when electric fish were used to treat headaches.  Electroconvilsive Therapy or ECT originated in the 1930s when camp...

If you have a family history of high blood pressure you could be susceptible to it too.  You should have your blood pressure checked by a doctor to make sure yours is within the proper range.  High blood pressure can lead to strokes and heart attacks and is known as the "silent killer".  There are medications you can take to lower blood pressure but there are non-medical approaches ...

Ringing in the ears can be caused by several things.  Playing music too loud on an ipod, constant droning of machinery, any constant noise can cause this ringing.  The technical name for this ringing and whooshing noises is tinnitus and can also be caused by over-the-counter or prescription drugs, lack of sleep, allergies,stress and anxiety.  At times the noises interrupt sleep or w...

Candida resides normally in your intestines and in the vagina in women.  Your immune system and probiotic bacteria keep the levels of candida in control.  When the probiotic bacteria are killed through the use of antibiotics or an autoimmune disease Candida may grow unchecked. This results in local infections such as oral thrush, skin infections, and vaginal yeast infection, and when the...

Have you ever noticed how changes in the weather affect how you feel?  If you have arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or an old injury you might have noticed that as the seasons change or if a storm is coming you ache more than usual. My Neurologist jokes that when he wants to know for sure it's going to rain or snow he contacts his patients that have these problems. 2,400 yea...

Approximately 18 million Americans suffer with conditions classified as mental disorders.  Many things play a roll in mental disorders such as physical, environmental, genetics, and how we handle stress.  These things make it very difficult to diagnose mental disorders. Common treatment for these disorders involve drugs and is called pharmacotherapy.  Psychotherapy is often used in ...

If you live on certain areas of Florida and have well water you could very easily have a large concentration of iron in your water. This problem can lead to brown streaks on your clothes and linens, red streaks in your hair, brown teeth and a dingy color to your skin.  Too much iron in the human body is called hemochromatosis and the symptoms sound all too familiar.  They are vague and f...

Tumbleweed, sagebrush, Russian thistle, pigweed, ragweed, and cockleweeds.  These are names of some fall plants that cause millions of people adverse reactions like coughing, sneezing, wheezing, itchy, watery, burning eyes, itchy mouth and throat, runny nose, and nasal stuffiness. The symptoms are usually worse in the fall when all of these plants are in bloom. Weed pollens, especially ragwee...

We all have triglycerides but some people just have too many of them.  Having a high amount of triglycerides (150 mg/dl or less), can put you at a hight risk for heart attack and stroke. Your risk increases if you have other problems like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity or high cholesterol.  You are borderline high if your numbers are 150-199 mg/dl, high if they are 200 - 4...

FatLossByLapbanding.com is devoted to weight loss by lapbanding.  "Lapbanding" explains that many people wish they could lose weight.  Among the ways to lose that weight, lapbanding has become a very popular way to go.  The surgery is effective and less invasive than gastric bypass surgery To qualify for this surgery the patient needs to be considered morbidly obese, with a body mas...

"Mental Health News" explains that there are several components to mental health.  Things like how you see your life, and are you a happy person can influence your mental stability.  It also states that there are real mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar.  In 2007, researchers in Canada discovered a dopamine signaling complex in the brain.  These signals produce more...

Dysmenorrhea causes extremely painful menstrual cramps.  These cramps can be highly uncomfortable to being so severe it puts you down for a few days.  The cramps can last anywhere from a few hours to a week in some women.  The cramps start in the uterus but can also be in the lower back, thighs, and down the backs of the legs.  Dysmenorrhea will make some women bedridden for up...

If you have questions on mental health issues and aren't sure where to begin this site would be a good place to start. Http://www.bettermentally.com/blog/2009/08/17/common-mental-disorders.html has articles on various mental disorders like bipolar and depression.  The article "Common Mental Disorders" gets into the fact that people with disorders like anxiety, mood, psychiatric, eating,impuls...

As stated in the article "What is Myofascial Pain", it can happen to anyone.  It can be very painful and is very common in people with fibromyalgia.  The effects of myofascial pain syndrome on people with fibromyalgia make it difficult fordoctors to figure out which syndrome they are dealing with.  The symptoms are vary similarand make proper diagnosis a problem.  The diagnosis...

It has been documented that over 200 illnesses can be food borne. They are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and prions.  Wikepedia defines a prion as: A combination of the first two syllables of the words proteinaceous and infectious (-on by analogy to virion) — is a poorly-understood hypothetical infectious agent that, according to the "protein only" hypothesis, is composed ent...

"Silence and Solitude" is a well written article that explains how important it is to have some time alone with yourself in a quiet surrounding.  It quotes a sign found in a monastery, "Don't speak unless you can improve upon the silence."  Noise is all around us in the form of radios, TVs, and phones.  We all need to get away from it once in a while to grow mentally and spiritually...

At one time or another we all have had neck pain of some sort.  Neck pain can be acute which means that it lasts only a few hours to a few weeks.  Chronic neck pain last several weeks or longer. If the pain is so severe you can't touch your chin to your chest after a few days of ice and heat and relaxing the muscles you need to see your physician.  Symptoms of neck pain include: Sha...

Your skin is the first thing someone will notice when they see you.  How it appears is important and there are treatments available to help it look its best. These treatments include Botox, facelifts, and laser skin resurfacing.  These treatments are expensive and could have side effects so they should be considered as a last resort.We all know that nothing can stop aging.  But a fa...

The web site http://www.bettermentally.com/blog/2009/05/12/mental-health-news.html is devoted to articles on mental health.  The article, "Mental Health News", describes how doctors in Northern Ireland are now becoming aware of domestic abuse.  It's the doctor's job to help women who have been abused and report it.  Northern Ireland is now raising the awareness of domestic abuse and...

The site http://www.bestbipolar.com/2009/05/10/bipolar-illegal-drugs-and-alcohol-spell-trouble.html is devoted to bipolar symptoms, treatments, and dos-and-don'ts.  A definite read if you are in need of information or want to follow the author's personal journey.  The article "Bipolar, Illegal Drugs, and Alcohol Spell Trouble" explains that alcohol and illegal drugs can compound the prob...

Medical marijuana seems like an oxymoron to many.  Medical means healing but marijuana means illegal drug, destructive, life destroying in it's common context.  To many, however, it means relief from pain and nausea.  In most states it is illegal to use or be prescribed by doctors but in some states it can be legally obtained. Where it is legal doctors can prescribe it and use it fo...

It has been documented that over 200 illnesses can be food borne.  The are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, and prions.  Prion is a hypothetical infections agent that, according to the "protein only" hypothesis, is composed entirely of proteins.  It is estimated that 76 diseases are caused by food "poisoning".  They could be possible for 1,500 deaths each year.&n...

No matter how popular the use of herbs for medicinal purposes has become, each needs to be researched to make sure you get the highest quality from reputable sources.  If women take herbs for breast cancer they need to inform their doctor so there is no interaction with other treatments they are receiving.  The Chinese process of using herbs for the treatment of breast cancer is called "...

Many of us consider herbs safe, 'natural', and for the most part they are.  Combining herbs with prescription medications can result in some very serious interactions.  Some herbs interfere with prescription drugs' effectiveness.  Others can cause uncontrolled bleeding, liver damage, and even death. Research is constantly ongoing to find out more about these interactions.This articl...

Some religions have a different outlook on blood transfusions.  Do they transfuse or don’t they. Will they allow parts of blood or none at all. Do they all stay away from blood transfusions? For instance, Jehovah’s Witness has a magazine named “The Watchtower”.  This magazine, for years, has admonished against the use of blood transfusions no matter what the source is. Their belief is ba...

How can we go about preventing breast cancer?  This article will help answer that question. It tells that the one thing you can't change is your family history.  It also goes on to tell what can be done to help prevent this cancer.  You can do things like maintain a healthy diet, stay active, and exercise on a regular basis. You should also eat more fruits and green vegetables and r...

The article "Every Day Struggle After Breast Cancer" tells about the struggles you could have when dealing with the diagnoses and after surgery.  These struggles are not easy to deal with but you can become stronger as as you search inside yourself for the answers. You can dig deep and find determination you never knew you had to get through your trials. One of the hardest trials is to put th...

This is a well thought out article about the reasons we should not have a national health care system.  It's true that many people already do have health insurance that they like and don't want to change.  Others are less fortunate and don't have enough or have noneat all.  It emphasizes that the government does not owe you.  When you start thinking like that you will lose your...

Lack of Sleep Increases Your Stress Levels tells what can happen if you don't get enough sleep.  To begin with you might not feel as perky as you should and this could be all you notice for a while.  Sooner or later you could become agitated.  Things that normally didn't bother you might now.  You might not eat as regularly as you used to and you won't have the energy to do you...

Signs of dehydration include dry mouth, pasty saliva,dizziness, fatigue, low blood pressure, rapid heart rate and breathing. Should any of these symptoms appear, go to the doctor right away. Over 200 illnesses can be contributed to eating bad food.  These diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins.  Another contributor called a prion is made up of entirely proteins. ...

A mental crisis plan outlines what you, your family or friend, and the place where you willreceive treatment have agreed to do.  It should be written out and binding so no one isunsure of what it to happen and it helps you to stay in control of the situation.  Thereare many mental health issues that can be dealt with.  Some of them are depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder...

You can recognize the signs of serious disease by listening to your body.  Your body will tell you when something is wrong in a variety of ways.  If you have excessive nosebleeds or heavy menstruation you should have it checked out. If you have numbness or tingling in any part of your body that doesn't go away reasonably soon, have it checked.  Blood in the urine or when you cough c...

We all want a health heart, right? Your heart muscle is like any other muscle in your body inthat we need to give it exercise and the right nutrients to keep it healthy.  You should consult with your doctor before starting any diet so he/she can help you design the bestdiet for you.  These dietary guidelines apply to everyone: Total fat intake should be less than 30 % of your total daily...

This article on mental illness is very interesting.  It delves into how mental illness was diagnosed first and how treatment has improved.  Thousands of years ago mental illness was considered just unexplainable things that happened to people.  Then things started to be documented along with their medical histories.  Soon after another form of thinking developed and that was th...

This is a nicely written article that covers ways you can lower your blood pressure without medication.  These ways include: changing your diet to include more fruits, vegetables, omega 3 fats and whole grains.  It also suggests that you pare down the use of salt, trans fats and refined sugars.  It states that by losing weight you will reduce the weight supported by your heart and m...

Custom Accelerated OrthoKeratology or COAK is a non-surgical vision treatment that cancorrect many problems.  It can be used for myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia, and prebyopa.This type of correction is good for adults like police, firemen, and swimmers that dobetter if they don't have to wear contact lenses or glasses.The corrective lenses are worn to correct the curvature of the cornea. ...

Hypnosis is a state where the mind and body are both very relaxed.  When hypnosis is used for healing it assists in the healing process by relaxing the body and mind.  As the bodyrelaxes changes happen like slower and deeper breathing and slower pulse.  As this takesplace sensations of pain are decreased because a similar process has started along thenerves in your body. When you ar...