What Exactly Is Arthritis and What Are The Signs and Symptoms?

September 29, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

There are pain syndromes like fibromyalgia and arthritis-related disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, that involve every part of the body. There are relatively mild forms of tendinitis (as in ‘tennis elbow’) and bursitis to crippling systemic forms, such as rheumatoid arthritis. There are forms of the disease, such as gout, which almost nobody connects with arthritis, and there are other conditions – like osteoarthritis, the misnamed ‘wear and tear’ arthritis – that a good many people think is the only form of the disease.

How do you know if you have arthritis? While symptoms and severity vary from person to person, the most common symptoms are: pain, swelling, stiffness, tenderness, redness and warmth. Osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive stiffness without swelling, chills or fever. Rheumatoid arthritis is the painful swelling, inflammation and stiffness in the fingers, arms, legs and wrists, which are prevalent on both sides of the body and are usually worse in the morning. Children with on-off fever, loss of their appetite, loss of body weight and a rash that is blotchy that are on the arms as well as legs may have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. You should call the doctor if symptoms appear suddenly, or if they are accompanied by a fever or rash.

The most common types of arthritis are: osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and systemic lupus erythematosus. Osteoporosis primarily affects the elderly because it is a degenerative disease resulting from a gradual loss of cartilage. As a result, bones and joints in the knees, hips, and spine rub together, causing pain and muscle/nerve damage. Rheumatoid arthritis primarily affects those between 25 and 55 years of age and is characterized by a burning, stiff sensation in the hands, knuckles, arms, legs and feet. Fibromyalgia is a widespread pain disorder that never really goes away and is believed to be a malfunctioning of the nervous system. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) sufferers have fevers, fatigue, myalgias, joint pains and malaise. Roughly 30% os the people who have SLE additionally show lesions of the skin and 10% also are afflicted with seizures of psychosis. While symptoms range from on-off pain to severe degenerative disease, this isn’t something that should just be “suffered through.”

Local community news is usually filled with “Walks For Arthritis,” encouraging citizens to educate themselves about this common pain condition and raise money for those who suffer. Sometimes the best way to beat the disease is to meet with others who have it and combine experiences and knowledge. In support groups, you can hear about treatments that work or don’t work. Because arthritis is such a well known topic at this point in time, a lot of new research is coming out in regards to likely treatment.

To learn more go to Arthritis Pain and at Ankle Arthritis

Repair Sun Damaged Skin

September 29, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Exposure to the sun has both positive and negative health issues. On one hand, if we are not exposed to enough sunlight we will lack the ability to produce enough Vitamin D. Too much sun exposure damages the skin and greatly increases the risk of skin cancer.

The most beneficial skincare products for sun damaged skin are thought to be those containing Vitamin A as this is an essential antioxidant which can help to reverse the changes to cells that cause cancers to grow. Biomedic skin care products are some of the best, not just for sun damaged skin but they are also a good anti wrinkle treatment. The biomedic treatments available from La Roche Posay are the most effective for acne skin care, normal facial skincare, sensitive skincare and the treatment of under eye wrinkles and ‘crows feet’.

As far as the repair of sun damaged skin goes, the current bestseller on the worldwide market is a beauty skincare product called Meladerm advanced pigment lightening complex. This solution has been tried and tested for years. It reduces the signs of age spots, skin cancers or scars and is a very good product for dry skin. The one draw back to this solution is that it is a professional skincare product and is therefore difficult to purchase without a prescription.

A very promising natural skincare product is the Beauty Naturally: Bio Skin Regimen. This is a mixture of different creams that are used together on a timed schedule. They contain beta – 1, 3 – glucan, which causes the body to produce Macrophage which seeks out and destroys free radicals and other bacteria on the skin. This is a very good anti-aging skin care product and is used widely as an anti wrinkle cream. It has the serious skin care properties of a biomedic product, however it is not based on chemicals. This product helps to reduce the appearance of sun spots and can be applied directly on a fresh sun burn without causing irritation.

The safest skincare creams are obviously the ones made from natural ingredients such as Aloe Vera and other plant and herb extracts, as these are highly unlikely to cause any side effects. One of the best skin care creams available is lifecellskin cream. It is expensive but it has faster and longer lasting results compared to some of its competitors. It is not based completely on natural ingredients but it does contain a lot of Vitamin C. Its base ingredients are hexapeptides, which are used in skincare cosmetics as an effective alternative to botox. Although the results are much slower, it is a healthier way to treat your skin. This cream will assist the repair of any kind of sun damaged skin and is available to buy online.

Any cream or compound containing the TNS (Tissue Nutrient Solution) recovery complex is seen to be the new treasure in the professional cosmeceutical world. This solution contains soluble collagens and natural growth factors which help you to fight the signs of aging. There is a compound found only in this solution. which helps your body to naturally rejuvenate the cells in the skin. The most popular line is the SkinMedica program, which is only available for purchase from your dermatologist.

Toenail infection problems

September 27, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Toenail fungus can be cured but is difficult to cure if left untreated. It is recommended that you seek the care of your primary care physician or podiatrist immediately to prevent losing your toenail. Toenail fungus rarely goes away on its own. It is usually a chronic condition that progresses to involve more of the nail and other toes. Toenail fungus is much more common than fingernail fungus. The dark, warm, moist environment of a shoe provides an ideal environment for fungus to grow.

Toenail fungus feeds on this keratin and thrives in the nailbed. Unlike surface treatments, the medicine in Lamisil Tablets travels through your bloodstream and targets the fungus in your nails and nail bed. Toenail fungus is the more likely diagnosis, however – about half the population will have had a bout of it by the age of 70. Toenail fungus , in particular, is notoriously difficult to treat. These fungi can also be confused with other conditions, such as psoriasis of the nails, nail ridges, and sometimes bacterial infections.

Toenail fungus also known as onychomycosis is caused by a group of fungus called dermatophytes. These fungus are harmful because as they grow they feed on the keratin that makes up the surface of the toe nail.

Nail infection can be difficult to treat and reoccurrence is common. The less severe infections may respond to topical medications. Nails also can be accidentally torn or split, or a splinter can get under the nail.

Toenail fungus infection is a fungal infection in one or more toenails. Like other fungal infections, toenail fungus starts as a small spot under the nail, but as it spreads, it causes the nail to discolor and thicken. Toenails are more likely to be affected by fungus since it is attracted to a dark and damp environment which is more common on the foot than on the hand. In more severe conditions, affected nails can have a yellowish or brownish discoloration. Toenail and athlete’s foot fungi like to grow in warm, moist areas, which include public areas such as spas, swimming pools, locker rooms, or showers. For short periods of time the it can live in warm puddles on tile floors, awaiting someone to step in and pick up the spores.

Toe fungus tends to run in families, and you can pick it up in public showers, hotel rooms or any other communal place where you walk barefoot. A damp foot inside a thick sock is also a prime fungal breeding ground. Toe nail fungus is difficult to treat and reoccurrences are common. To prevent the fungus, Toenail fungus tea tree oil  protection can help.

Vinegar is cheaper than anything else and always works. Vinegar is a low cost treatment for nail fungus, you can easily find it on most houses. There are different types of vinegar, and not all of them have been reported effective to battle nail fungus infections, these vinegar nail fungus treatments must be done daily, you shouldn’t avoid a single day. Vinegar did not work for me. Personally, I was afraid to add oil to a fungus, but I guess this type of oil has a drying effect.

What Is A Cholesterol Free Diet And Is It Good For Me?

September 26, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Cholesterol has been a hot topic in the past ten years. People draw conclusions that if you have cholesterol you have a poor diet and have poor health, people also want to get rid of cholesterol without understanding what it is or how it affects your body. 

People need to learn that there are in fact two types of cholesterol bad cholesterol (known as low density or LDL) and good cholesterol (known as high density or HDL).  People do not realize that cholesterol is an essential substance in the human body but it depends on the levels that you have.  If you were to choose a cholesterol free diet it could be very harmful to your wellbeing, HDL cholesterol are really extremely vital to certain bodily functions such as constructing and repairing cell walls.  New research shows and  even suggests that HDL cholesterol acts as a crude antioxidant. 

You do not need to have a cholesterol free diet if there have  been signs you or your family have had a  history of heart problems or cardiovascular disease.  Instead, understand what bad cholesterol you need to avoid and maintain the beneficial cholesterol in your diet.  LDL cholesterol can certainly be challenging, as it has been associated with heart attacks as well as strokes, but it doesn’t require a lot of effort to methodically eliminate it from your diet.  Instead of trying to keeping away from cholesterol overall, steer clear of a cholesterol free diet and as a substitute look for foods that are low in LDL cholesterol and high in HDL cholesterol. 

Is A Cholesterol Free Diet The Best Choice?

To find foods which are good for your health is not as hard a task as you may think as long as you know what you are looking for. Foods such as lean meat and fish are both good meat choices, and are also high in protein.  Also choose low-fat dairy products and be sure to keep up with your grains, vegetable and fruit intake. A good diet to control or reduce your cholesterol would be around six servings of grains each day, three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruits. 

This  diet is not a hard one to follow and if your keep this strategy in place when shopping then you will be avoiding the products which contain the harmful LDL cholesterol. Remember to reduce your fat in take  especially fats that have saturated fat  as they tend to raise blood cholesterol levels.  Avoid eating fried foods as well, choosing grilled, broiled and baked foods as a healthy alternative. 

So the question of what is a cholesterol free diet and is it good for me is answered. A cholesterol free diet may not be the right decision if you want to keep your heart and body strong.  By simply choosing a balanced diet will help you to weed out the bad cholesterol and keep the good cholesterol.

Natural Remedies For Lowering Cholesterol Give Them A Go

September 26, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Getting a check up by your local family doctor may be the only way you can determine if you have high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a condition which you should be worried about. The risks associated with high levels of cholesterol can lead to heart attacks, stokes and high blood pressure which are a result of block arteries. But high cholesterol is a thing that can be avoided with proper care. 

Crucial For Your Health 

Maintaining normal levels of cholesterol is a critical component of enjoying a sound health life style. If your levels have gone higher than normal then you may also want to consider the use of natural remedies for lowering cholesterol. With the danger of cholesterol building up in your arteries and blocking your blood flow you would want to try and prevent this in every possible way.

 The first place to start would be to consult your doctor. They could suggest taking natural remedies for lowering cholesterol. The natural remedies would consist of taking minerals, vitamins or even herbs that can help bring down the cholesterol levels to manageable levels. There have been research studies in natural remedies for lowering cholesterol, which have indicated that taking vitamin B3 can help. Niacin, sometimes called vitamin B3, is the more common name for nicotinic acid. It is an antioxidant nutrient that helps the body inhibit the formation of damaging free radicals; it lowers blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides and at the same time help increases the good cholesterol HDL and so you would have a win-win situation

 Eating natural foods such as unprocessed oats, rye fiber, barley, peas and beans are great for you in regards to reducing cholesterol. You can also incorporate artichoke leaf extract in your natural remedies for lowering cholesterol since it is a good way of reducing cholesterol in the body.

 Also don’t forget the exercise it will help to work with the natural remedies to reduce cholesterol. However, in certain cases, doctors may even prescribe certain medications to lower high cholesterol condition though this is a more time consuming effort as compared to taking natural remedies for lowering cholesterol.

 At the end of the day natural remedies and exercising should be your first consideration when trying to lower your cholesterol. If they do not work then you should consider other options. The use of natural foods and supplements is surely a more safe method in lowering cholesterol and it is also cost beneficial as well.  Be sure to obtain your doctors advice first. They will recommend the most effective treatment for you and your particular case.

 Maintaining normal levels of cholesterol is a critical component of enjoying a sound health life style. If your levels have gone higher than normal then you may also want to consider the use of natural remedies for lowering cholesterol.

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