Different Ways The Arthritis Foundation Helps You

October 11, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

The Arthritis Foundation is one of the most straightforward and helpful websites on the world wide web. Maybe you or a loved one has already been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, gout, lyme disease, fibromyalgia or any one of the other 100 inflammatory ailments that fall under the “arthritis” banner. Reported by the Arthritis Foundation, the significance of being diagnosed as early as possible cannot be overstated when in terms of the management of pain and having your joints protected.

The Arthritis Foundation offers many events and programs year-round to help those suffering with arthritis, as well as their friends and family who are right there suffering with them. The “Time to Walk the Walk” event encourages you to be a team captain or just take a walk to fundraise for the cure, making a difference in the lives of almost 46 million people who live with the daily pain of arthritis. The “Life Improvement Series” program is designed to help sufferers with pain management and functionality. The “Joints In Motion” marathon training program and “The Jingle Bell Run/Walk” are two more events that help raise money and connect people with arthritis, to find greater strength in numbers. Each year, the traditional black-tie gala dinners, wine events and themed parties raise more than $8 million for chronic pain research. By getting involved, you can restore a sense of control and improve your morale, while doing what you can.

You can get the latest news and advocacy information through the Arthritis Foundation website. Read about the latest on the Arthritis Prevention Control and Cure Act that is being passed around Congress or about which representatives are fighting for you. Read inspirational stories, like how Lynn Sanders, a volunteer for the Arthritis Foundation, started her own foundation called “Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Network C.A.R.E.S. INC” to educate and help with pain management. Read about highlights from the 10th Annual Advocacy Summit and remain informed with all the latest news!

The Arthritis Foundation is your one stop resource shop. Here you can discover a program that assists you in better communicating with your physician in regards to your rheumatoid arthritis, as seen on TV. You can also order a free brochure about how to ease arthritis pain with heat and cold therapy or download free rheumatoid arthritis health tips developed by the American College of Physicians Foundation. Additionally, you can read the latest edition of “Just Diagnosed” Magazine and join “RA Connect,” a community where arthritis patients can meet others, share experiences and get medical advice. Family members of people with arthritis will also find the information helpful, as it will help them to be more sensitive to the pain their loved one is experiencing.

To learn more go to Arthritis Prevention and at Psoriatic Arthritis

What are The Benefits of a Colon Cleanse?

October 10, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

The majority of us tend to over eat, especially of foods that are high in sugar and fats, the majority of which is processed and packaged and combined with artificial flavours, colouring, and preservatives., is it any wonder that our digestive systems are suffering?

Firstly let’s hear what the colon is and the purpose it performs.

The colon is an important part of our entire digestive system. It reabsorbs nutrients and water as well as helps in eliminating the waste products out of the body naturally.

As a result of the digestive process, toxic substances are accumulated in the colon. It can best be compared to the build up of rust, calcium and other impurities that build up on the walls of a galvanized water pipe over the years. The rust and calcium form an inpenetreable coating on the sides of the pipe, making it difficult for the water to flow through

As this happens in the colon it results in abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, irregular bowel movement and physical discomfort. With the help of a colon cleanse, you can make your digestive system work more efficiently. After you use a colon cleanse, you will note thatnutrients get absorbed from food at an optimum level and the toxins are washed out from the body before they cause any harm to the system. In fact, there are several benefits of a colon cleanse apart from making the digestive system active. Let us explore them all.

Better Absorption of Nutrients

Our body absorbs nutrients from food through the intestines. When the remaining nutrient reaches the colon, they are absorbed into the bloodstream via the colon wall. When the colon is congested with toxic substances, the rate of absorption becomes very low, say, about 10-20%. Therefore, the use of colon cleanse ensures washing out of the built-up toxic substances thus permitting maximum possible absorption of nutrients for the system.

In fact, one of the additional benefits of a colon cleanse is to promote weight loss by eliminating fecal matter coating the colon walls. Removal of toxic products out of the body and improved level of nutrient absorption does promote a good healthy system thus protecting the body from different diseases as well as by enhancing the immune function.

Relief from Abdominal Discomfort

When toxic substances are accumulated on the wall of our colon, it results in irregular bowel movement. At this point, we suffer from constipation or diarrhea. If you cleanse your colon at regular intervals, you will experience the actual benefits of a colon cleanse. You will get relief from any sort of abdominal discomforts including irregular bowel movement, diarrhea, stomach cramping, constipation, and abdominal pain.

Additionally, the benefits of a colon cleanse are noticed on the issue of gas problems or bloating. In many cases the toxins build up on the colon walls over the years. Gas problems and bloating are the apparent side-effects of toxin accumulation. As you are free from excess weight, gas problems or bloating, you will definitely experience a flatter stomach as a beneficial effect of a colon cleanse.

Increased Energy Levels

We all know that a clean colon always equals a healthy individual. After putting a colon cleanse into action, you will definitely experience a new vitality and significantly less exhaustion. You will note improved concentration levels thist is mainly because your body is able to function more efficiently due to optimum absorption of vitamins and other nutrients. This helps in sharper brain activity as well as enhanced attentiveness. Additionally, the benefits of a colon cleanse help in getting a clearer skin and healthier hair.

We all realize the benefits of external cleanliness, now we can enjoy internal cleansing as well.

Natural Alternative Treatments For Eczema Do Work!

October 9, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

In this era of modern medicine many people are looking for alternative treatments for eczema. This is likely the result of a growing notion that  taking steroids whether in pill form  or creams for extended periods of time is never good for you, so before you give up and think you have to live with the itch, go online and research what natural treatment for eczema may help to ease your symptoms.

What Are The Options For Natural Treatments

Unfortunately, modern medicine has not yet established what actually causes eczema, however it is thought that it may have something to do with the immune system and can be caused by allergies so it is advisable for sufferers to examine what they have eaten or done just prior to the onset of eczema as this is likely the culprit and it could be as simple as staying away from whatever brought on the attack.    

If you Are suffering from eczema, the first thing to do is you should always keep your skin moisturized.  If you stay vigilant about keeping your skin moist, this can go a long way as a natural eczema treatment that can keep your skin itch and flare-up free.  Moisturize your skin thoroughly in the morning and again before you go to bed at night.

Emollients are a great natural treatment for eczema.  You can use an emollient that comes in oil form, a lotion or a cream.  An added bonus to using an emollient is that in the summer you can put this natural treatment for eczema in the refrigerator.  This will be a cooling as well as soothing on those hot and sticky summer days.

If you are suffering from a particularly itchy or painful eczema flare-up, taking an oatmeal bath is an excellent natural treatment for eczema.  You can find many choices from famous name brands that carry oatmeal baths as a natural treatment.  You can also use rolled oats to add to your bath too.  Just add one to two cups of oatmeal to a lukewarm bath, and before you know it, this natural treatment for eczema will having you feeling almost instant relief.  Remember to moisturize after the bath as well.

Another natural treatment for eczema to soothe itchy skin, is mix a teaspoon of slippery elm bark, on teaspoon of comfrey root, and one teaspoon of white bark in two cups of water.  Boil this mixture for about thirty five minutes and let it cool off.  This may not entirely alleviate the itch, but if you use the mix as a wash for the affected skin, it can drastically decrease your itch.

Leaves from the Blueberry tree are also said to be a good natural treatment for eczema.  You can also either take vitamin E tablets orally, or cut the pills open and apply the vitamin E directly on to affected areas.  The application of fresh aloe vera gel to the wound is also known to help.

Luckily, there are many natural treatments for eczema that are available if you are determined to find them.  You can visit any health food store in your area, or natural market online or off, and find what they have available as a natural treatment for eczema.  If you are still under the care of your regular doctor, please keep him.her informed as to what you are doing to ensure there is no conflict.

Back To Perfect Hearing With The Help Of Digital Hearing Aids .

October 9, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

It is amazing what the Digital Age has done for Hearing aids.. In the past, hearing aids of the old analogue system provided the user with feedback, whistling and problems with volume. Thankfully, these are all problems of the past. Today’s digital hearing aids provide clearer sound and do so through the transformation of sound into numbers or digits, when  combined with computer chips, it is easy to make use of mathematical formulae to produce sounds that are controlled to give the hearer perfect output.

They Are So Called “Smart Devices”

What is a Smart Device? Your digital hearing aid can digitally process sound which allows them to distinguish between noise and voices. Thus it is now possible to program them to amplify the voice part only and at the same time dampen the noise part of the sounds processed. This is the reason why digital hearing aids produce an extremely clear voice, even when there is loud background noise, this is far superior to what analog hearing aids where capable of.

With the analogue hearing aids you were forced to turn down the volume whenever feedback or whistling occurred making it difficult to hear. Today, digital hearing aids have eradicated this problem.  In addition, digital hearing aids can also be made so that they monitor all sounds that enter and exit the hearing aid, and establish whether or not such sounds are feedback, if this is the case, the digital hearing aid immediately cancel such feedback.

Naturally, as with most other things, the better the features on the hearing aid  the higher the price. However even the cheaper range of digital hearing aids will manage sound very efficiently, while the more high-end ones give users the ability to hear very faint noises and without any feedback, some units may include directional microphones that help in getting rid of surrounding sounds.

Unfortunately, digital hearing aids are not a one size fits all product, therefore, it is important that you consult with your specialist to determine exactly what your problem is and be guided as to what form of digital hearing aid is best suited to you. The inner contours of your ear must be taken into account insuring a comfortable fit.

Obviously, the final cost of your digital hearing aid will depend on your hearing condition and the features of the unit you want included, but be assured digital hearing aids are brilliant and the service you receive from them will amaze you.

Common Causes of Upper Back Pain

October 9, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Its not uncommon for all of us to know other individuals that suffer from lower back pain issues.  But what about Upper Back Suffering ?  While you may not hear as much about it, many people have constant and chronic pain in the upper back and shoulder area, or wake up in pain, or suddenly just have jarring and debilitating aches in this area.  It’s not uncommon for upper back pain to be accompanied by a stiff neck and shoulders, and some cannot even twist their head or move it at all.  Obviously this can cause quite a few problems as we need to move our heads around to do just about anything!Why does upper back pain happen and how does it happen and really what can be done about it?

Remember that the neck muscles and the shoulder muscles are connected to the back muscles, so pain in one can cause pain in the other.  A back injury can cause not only upper back pain but a problem with the shoulders and neck as well, since they’re not being as supported as they need to be.  When the back muscles are in pain they just don’t function and part of their function is to keep those shoulder and neck muscles working properly.  So a lower back injury or malfunction can cause not just upper back pain but neck and shoulder pain as well.  All these muscles are connected so it’s possible to have pain in one area when there’s a problem in another.

Most cases of Upper Back Pain do originate in the neck and shoulders, however.  We often don’t think of how much work the neck especially is doing at all times.  The purpose of the neck is to not just connect the head to the rest of the body but to cradle and support it as well.  This is true even when you’re in bed and asleep!  The neck absorbs many shocks and other jarring movements to keep the head steady; think of how often you’re in your car and slam on the brakes or step on the gas, and your neck goes back and forth suddenly.  These types of movements can cause upper back pain because these neck injuries are harming the upper back as well.  Failing to support your head and neck can also cause upper back pain; if you’re constantly hunching over a computer keyboard or have very poor posture these will wear out the muscles of the shoulders, neck, and every other part of the back as well.  People often wake up with upper back pain because they have a very poor quality pillow that doesn’t help the neck to do its job to keep the head in place. 

Realizing all these causes of upper back pain can help you to understand how you might alleviate this pain.  It’s important to keep your posture upright and relaxed and to be careful of jarring injuries to your neck as well.

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