Alternative Headache Remedies

Alternative Headache Remedies

Headache is one of the most common body ailments of mankind. It will strike at any given time that we never expect and sometimes can be caused by various factors such as stress and anxiety. It can also be a symptom of another lurking disease that is why headache should not be tolerated.

There are different known headaches and migraine is the most painful of them all. Migraines are caused by constriction and expansion of blood vessels, commonly in the head and neck area. Other types are tension (muscle contractions) and cluster headaches which involves neurological factors and are sometimes thought as migraine because of its equally painful symptom.

So how do we treat headache? Usual treatment involves painkillers and medicinal drugs to stop the pain. These methods may successfully give relief but will not really treat the underlying factors of headaches. There are alternative and natural way to treat headaches, below are the following methods you can use for headache treatment and prevention.

Soaking your feet in hot water
The most natural way to treat headache is by the use of hot water. Soaking your feet in a hot water for several minutes during an headache attack will help give instant relief. Hot water draws blood to the feet which relieves tension on the blood vessels in your head area.

Massage therapy
Massage therapies can be applied to relieve headaches. There are different ways on how you can apply massage routines that specifically targets the head area. Acupressure is one type of massage therapy that you use for headache treatment. you can either do a self-massage using your palm and gently apply pressure to every parts of your head. Massage are known to have a relaxant effect that could help alleviate different types of pain including headache.

Avoid Stress
The most common factor of headache is stress. If you can prevent the things that gives you stress, the better. Relax more and sleep more, this can help you avoid stress in the simplest form.

Acerola cherry and Feverfew
Both Acerola cherry and Feverfew has anthocyanins, an anti-inflammatory agent that helps relieve pain which includes headache. It helps avoid contraction of the blood vessels in the head which helps instant relief for any types of headaches. Plus, feverfew has many antioxidants and vitamins to offer than traditional medicinal drugs.

Self-constriction
Reducing the blood flow in the head by self-constriction can help improve head pain. Use a headband and tying it with minimal pressure around the forehead can alleviate the pain temporarily.

Water and Exercise
Water is the most used natural resources that can treat any types of diseases, this includes headaches. Recent study proves that 78% of people who suffer migraines are not drinking enough water daily. So if you want to get rid of headache, prevent it through consuming enough water in a daily basis.

Exercise is another way to prevent headache. Physical activities regulates blood flow and reduce any inflammation in the head and neck area, thus giving relief to any types of pain. Exercise does not only relieves pain, it can also help you to get fit and avoid certain diseases such as cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular problems.

Other herbal remedies for headaches are vinegar, peppermint and lavender oil, ginger and black tea. You can have more benefits from these herbs than the usual painkillers you are currently taking. Remember that treating the main cause of headache is much better than just alleviating its symptoms!

Natural Remedies For Back Pain

Natural Remedies For Back Pain

Back pain is a common problem for most adults especially women. The ache can be caused by various symptoms and depends on your lifestyles. Women in particular suffers back ache more often than men because of wrong posture, high heels and pregnancy.

So what are the practical and natural remedies for back pain? We all know that our bodies need calcium in order to strengthen our bones. This only means that we need calcium-rich foods to help support our spine and for back pain prevention. Below are some of the natural remedies that can help aid your back ache.

Flexibility Training

Flexibility training or commonly known as stretching exercises are routines that helps relieve back pain. It trains the body to maintain good posture all the time. Getting physically flexible can make our joints, muscles and bones to develop a sturdy qualities especially in the spine area. Other exercises like Yoga, and dancing can actually help give you back pain relief.

Green-leafy Vegetables

Dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli and other leafy vegetables helps calcium deposits in the bones that makes them denser. This is not possible without vitamin K which is also found on these foods. 

Vitamin D-rich Foods

Back pain are more commonly caused by muscle pain which is a sign of vitamin D deficiency. This vitamin can be acquired through sunlight exposure, fish foods and cereals.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is the first thing that comes to your mind if you are experiences any type of body ache. Back pain is caused by sub-acute and chronic pain which can be relieved by a soothing body and back massage. 

Acupuncture

Acupuncture therapy is one of the oldest form of body treatment in the world made famous by the Chinese people. Various studies proves that this therapy helps relieve low back pain as well as other chronic muscle pains. 

Breathing Meditation

Breathing technique or simply known as meditation involves  the connection of mind and body that helps reduce all types of pain. You can apply a breathing technique at the comfort of your own home to help relieve your back pain.

These natural remedies can help you with your back problem. It is also important to consider other factors that triggers back pain like your type of work, your heavy bags, your bed and many others. If you think you know the source of your back pain, then it is important to at least lessen that habit or totally avoid that endeavor to prevent back pain.

Band-Aid Surgery - A New Way Of Surgical Treatment

Band-Aid Surgery - A New Way Of Surgical Treatment

Have you heard Band-Aid surgery? This type of medical treatment is a revolutionary surgical technique that are now being applied worldwide. Also known as Laparoscopic Surgery, it is surgical procedure that uses laparoscope (thin tube that is attached on a light source) in the belly area to prevent any big incision in the abdomen section.

It was first used for colorectal cancer by Dr. David Blumberg who perfected this type of treatment. Band-aid surgery for colorectal cancer only uses 2 inches of 4 small incision in the abdomen unlike the traditional surgery which requires full length incision of the abdomen.

In most cases, laparoscopic surgery results to less discomfort, fast recovery and better scar cosmetic look. It also guarantees higher probability of successful treatment of the illnesses involved while minimizing the trauma of traditional surgery.

Band-aid surgery enables doctors to see the pelvic and other abdominal organs and have a better visual view of the illness. This includes liver, uterus, fallopian tubes, bladder, intestines, spleen, appendix, abdominal cavities, kidneys and ovaries. Laparoscopy are often initiated from a traditional abdomen examination such as ultrasound which band-aid procedure confirms.

Below are some of the symptoms / diseases that laparoscopy procedure is applicable.

• Chronic pelvic pain
• Endometriosis (uterus disorder)
• Hernia
• Gallbladder stones
• Appendix
• Uterus fibroids
• Ovarian cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Liver malfunction

Band-aid procedure is used to diagnose, evaluate and treat these conditions. It is also used to follow up after surgery for ovarian and colorectal cancer.

If you are interested in this type of new surgical advancement, you can inquire about laparoscopy at your local hospital if they offer this kind of surgery. Also, consult your physician first about your symptoms to learn the appropriate treatments that is ideal for you.

Get Ready For Summer Heat

Get Ready For Summer Heat

It's summer season again here in the Philippines and people are all pumped up for their own versions of vacation tours. With over seven thousand islands, there are plenty of places to go to enjoy a wonderful summer vacation.

The average temperature in Manila is about 34.6 degrees and just recently, it shoots up to 36.1 degrees, the highest temperature since 1987. If summer means fun to you, it is also wise that you understand the various health threats of summer heat brings.

The most notable disease that could well inflict anyone is heat stroke. Heat stroke is a condition with unknown origins that can victimized any person at any age. It is the total increase of body temperature due to extreme heat which could lead to dehydration or loss of body fluid. With this type of climate, heat stroke is what the Philippine government is focusing right now.

Other illnesses that summer heat can cause are headache, dizziness, stress, eye problems, dehydration and skin diseases such as allergies, sun burn, skin asthma and skin cancer.

Knowing how to take care of yourself during summer is the best way to prevent these diseases to occur. Below are some basic guidelines on how you can prevent yourself from certain diseases that are caused by summer heat.

1. Never perform any activity under direct sun light preferably 8am in the morning up to 4pm in the afternoon. It is best to avoid sun light during these hot times.
2. If you can't avoid going outside, wear protective gears such as sunglasses, hat, light clothes and umbrella. Any other things that can make you comfortable when outdoors are all encouraged.
3. Put sun block cream to your arms, neck, back and other parts of your skin that are exposed to sunlight, even your face.
4. Rehydrate by drinking at least 2 glasses of water every 3 hours if you work outdoors. High temperature climate can drain your body liquid faster than any season. Drinking water is important to maintain proper body temperature and to avoid heat stroke and dehydration.
5. If you feel dizzy or having instant headache, it is important to take shelter and rest for a while. If the headache doesn't go away, call for help immediately.

Summer can be a fun season while enjoying a happy vacation with the family. You must remember to take precautionary measures to prevent unwanted circumstances that can be caused by high climate temperature. Enjoy summer and avoid the sun for better health!

Bad Effects Of Illegal Drugs

Bad Effects Of Illegal Drugs

We all know that illegal drugs has too many bad effects to health. But there are still many people who take different illegal drugs despite the dangers it possess to one's health. Governments all over the world are doing everything in their power to eliminate this kind of crime but the problem still persist to exist until today.

What is the real objective why people take drugs? Most people are taking illegal drugs to escape from personal problems, enhance entertainment and to satisfy their curiosity through the excitement that drugs offer. People never understand the danger of using this substances and once they knew, its already too late.

Understanding the facts about drugs can help you avoid its health risks and prevent drug addiction. First, below are the list of illegal drugs that you should avoid for life.

• Marijuana (derived from Cannabis plant)
• Cocaine (derived from Coca plant)
• Ecstasy (MDMA)
• Opium (derived from Poppy plant)
• Meth

These illegal drugs can be taken through smoking, injecting, melting, snorting and simply swallowing like a usual tablet supplement. The effect can be severe to the central nervous system and can produce hallucinations.

Drugs are designed to improve health and treat disease, but there are people who use drugs for other purposes. This is where these illegal drugs come in. Once this substances enter your bloodstream, it will be transported into different parts of the body such as your brain. And since the brain controls everything, these drugs can manipulate or alter your memory into something you cannot control, and may require the help of Chemical Dependancy Rehabilitation. It also takes away your different senses such as resistance to pain.

The effects of these drugs varies from different reasons and can be helpful or harmful to human body. The factors includes how often the drugs was used, how quickly it reaches the brain, how much is taken and depending on the kind of drug that was taken. Body size or mass also contributes on how harmful drugs can be to the body.

Teens are more prone to this type of substances because of the curiosity and other factors such as family or school problems. Teenage period is the start of vices like alcohol, smoking tobacco and illegal drugs. Drugs can ultimately damage their over all health especially their brain if they continue to do this bad habits. This is the reason why many teens nowadays are involved into many habits such as drunk driving and unwanted pregnancy.

Aside from curiosity, people sniff drugs because of the pleasure it brings. Others using it to escape mental illnesses such as depression. People often feel relax and good with these substances that is why they even suggest it to others rather than to stop doing it.

Others also think that drugs can help them mentally in school or at work. Some believe that it makes them more popular, make them stay more active and improve their performance in any activities. Few used drugs just to gain attention from parents or friends. There are a lot of reasons why people take drugs, but none of them seems so reasonable enough to consider this habit beneficial to health in any way.

Drugs is a health damaging habit. Below are its bad effects.

• Effective stimulant.
• Loses mental judgment and coordination
• Mental disorders (depression and anxiety)
• Addictiveness (physical, emotional and psychological cravings)
• Blood poisoning
• Cardiac arrest (speeds up heart beat and increases blood pressure)
• Breathing problems
• Hallucinations or intense paranoia
• Hepatitis and AIDS (when sharing needle injection)
• Nasal infection (snorting effect)
• Aggression (sudden intense feeling)
• Immediate death

Illegal drugs must be avoided at all cost. Never involve yourself to this kind of activities in work, school or within your neighborhood. Choose the people you have to socialize in and avoid those who you think posts some risks. Consult your doctor if you are obliged to take depressants and antihistamine drugs. These drugs can also be addictive and health damaging. Remember to love yourself and your family, stay away from this illegal drugs and live life clean and healthy!

Bad Effects Of Smoking

Bad Effects Of Smoking

Are you a heavy smoker? I suppose that you already knew that smoking is very bad for your health. Do you believe that smoking actually lessen your life span for about 7 minutes per cigarette stick? Deadly ingredients composed of nicotine and other substances are poisonous and can harm our body in various ways. Below are the different bad effects of smoking.

Smoking can lead to various cancers
Smoking an average of 3 cigarettes per day can cause cancers when you get older or in some cases at middle age of 40 to 50 years. Lung cancer is the most usual turnout of smoking habit but it is also the supporting culprit for colon cancers, cirrhosis, tumors and many diseases. Many teens are aware of the bad effects of smoking but instead of avoiding them, they indulge this vice.

Smoking is addictive
Cigarette is composed of approximately 4000 chemicals all of which are not good for the body. Nicotine is the main reason why you can't quit smoking. Nicotine is a very deadly poison. If you don't control your cigarette crave, you can be one of those people who will die because of smoking habit.

Bad for the heart
Cigarettes can trigger heart attack. It can cause hardening of the arteries that makes your blood clot and heart attack or stroke happens. A recent study shows that you can have an immediate reactions in your first smoke of cigarette which results to various heart problems and not just heart attacks. Almost 90% of cardiovascular disease patients are smokers or have a history of taking cigarettes. To avoid heart problems, avoid cigarettes.

It can weaken the immune system
More people especially teens, prefer smoking because they think it can help them lose weight. This idea was very wrong. The reason you are getting slim when you smoke is because of the nicotine which destroys your immune system. This results to anxiety and stress that can lead to lose body muscle and fats. Other deadly composition of cigarettes are butane, methane, ammonia, cadmium, carbon monoxide and many others, all of which are bad for your health. A weak immune system can lead to various diseases such as cancers and viral diseases.

Smoking is bad for your oral health
We all know that this habit can cause you bad breath. But is that the only problem you will get in smoking? Study shows that smoking is the main reason for teeth discoloration, build up of plaque and tartar, risks of leukoplakia, gum problems, oral cancer, decreasing mass of bone jaw, darkening of lips and many others. So if you love your over all oral health, stop smoking.

It lowers your hormone levels

Taking cigarette can lower the level of estrogen in women. Women who often smoke reaches menopause at an early age. When this occur, patients are likely prone to many diseases.

Smoking seems to be the trend today. You see teenagers smoke a cigarette at a very early age. It helps them feel comfortable and at ease with the use of cigarette. They feel more relax and sociable. But are you willing to risk your health by this things? You can achieve peace of mind and relaxation by other things not harmful to our body. I believe that smoking contributes to all disease we have today. Killing people silently and slowly destroying our environment. Love yourself by living clean and healthy. Be responsible to nature as we also have one earth to live on.

Body Parts That You Must Avoid Breakdown

Body Parts That You Must Avoid Breakdown

We all love our body. We take good care of it in our every day lives. With that, I will give you the most essential body parts that we all pray we won't lose. I conduct a simple survey for 50 people of which body part is the most important to them. The top 5 result is as follows.

Number 1 - Eyes
Eye sight is the number one most precious body part according to the survey. Truly to say that no one wants to live in darkness. Our eyes is very sensitive and are very prone to dirt and bacteria. We use our eyes everyday 24/7 so proper care must be implemented to avoid eye breakdown. Eye drops and supplements can help improve our eyes health and make it more immune to most eye diseases.

Number 2 - Brain
Brain sits at number 2. Brain shrinks when we age, so we must take good care of our brain at an early age. A very known brain disease, alzheimer's which is abrupt memory loss is the most feared disease according to the survey.

Number 3 - Heart
The third most important part of the body is the heart according to the survey. Heart is a very important organ in our body. It pumps blood all over our blood system. Taking proper heart care is a must at an early age. If our heart breaks down, your survival rate is 0%. So keep your heart healthy and strong.

Number 4 - Face
Now I know why salons and beauty products are good business. Face ranks at number 4. Well there are different methods on how to take care of our face or skin in general. First, avoid sleeping too late and waking up too late. Second, avoid oily foods and sweet candies or cakes. Third, use facial cleansers and ointments. The beauty of our skin really depends on our environment and family history. Remember that face does not represents our personality, it is how we handle ourselves to people we encounter. Interact with others confidently and your facial features will be noticed along the way.
 

Number 5 - Sex Organs
Well believe it or not, my survey's 5th over all most important part of the body is their sex organs. I don't know if I have interviewed just the wrong or pervert people but this is the true result of my survey. Well let me site some health tips on how to take good care of our sexual health. First, proper exercise and healthy diet constitutes to a healthy sex organs. Avoid sweet and artificial drinks especially cola to prevent bacterial infection of our urinary tract. A study revealed that an active sexual life also helps improve sex organ efficiency. So keep in mind to consider our sex organ's health.

Add to delicious delicious 0digg 57305851 resized 600For years, body mass index (BMI) has been the most common way of measuring body fat. Calculated by multiplying weight (in pounds) by 705 and then dividing by the person’s height (in inches) squared, BMI has come under some scrutiny by medical professionals because it excludes factors such as body composition and muscle mass. As a result, a muscular person may incorrectly be considered obese by traditional calculations. That’s why some researchers are now using waist to height ratio, as they believe it may be a simpler and more accurate way to measure a person’s body fat, as well as diagnosing health risk. If the ratio of your waist circumference to height is less than one-half, you are considered to be at a healthy weight. If it is more, you are at increased risk of developing health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular problems. "Keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height can help increase life expectancy for every person in the world," says researcher Margaret Ashwell, PhD, of Ashwell Associates, in Hertfordshire, England. What can you do? Figure out your waist to height ratio by using a measuring tape to find your height and waist circumference in inches. If your waist is larger than half of your height, consult with your physician for a health evaluation and plan the next steps, including adopting a healthier diet and exercise plan.

Add to delicious delicious 0digg 57305851 resized 600For years, body mass index (BMI) has been the most common way of measuring body fat. Calculated by multiplying weight (in pounds) by 705 and then dividing by the person’s height (in inches) squared, BMI has come under some scrutiny by medical professionals because it excludes factors such as body composition and muscle mass. As a result, a muscular person may incorrectly be considered obese by traditional calculations. That’s why some researchers are now using waist to height ratio, as they believe it may be a simpler and more accurate way to measure a person’s body fat, as well as diagnosing health risk. If the ratio of your waist circumference to height is less than one-half, you are considered to be at a healthy weight. If it is more, you are at increased risk of developing health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular problems. "Keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height can help increase life expectancy for every person in the world," says researcher Margaret Ashwell, PhD, of Ashwell Associates, in Hertfordshire, England. What can you do? Figure out your waist to height ratio by using a measuring tape to find your height and waist circumference in inches. If your waist is larger than half of your height, consult with your physician for a health evaluation and plan the next steps, including adopting a healthier diet and exercise plan.

Do you patronize alternative medicine than conventional medicine? Alternative medicine therapy is getting more popular by each day because it is more organic than conventional medicine. But what makes alternative medicine in demand worldwide?

Alternative Medicine Therapies are very diverse and is often divided into categories. This is the reason why alternative medicine therapy is often misinterpreted or confusing to identify. Like conventional medicine, alternative medicine therapy also involves supplements (vitamins, herbal), physical wellness (massage, yoga) and body manipulation (chiropractic, massage). 

Is alternative medicine therapy effective?

Like other treatments, alternative medicine's effectiveness depends on the type of therapy and the health condition of the patient. Also, since alternative therapy is more on herbal and body massages, responses to this type of treatment may differ from person to person. 

A good example in identifying the effectiveness is the type of therapy used. For example, most people may experience body manipulation and physical wellness as much more effective therapy but some people may be in favor for herbal supplements. Depending on your body's response mechanism lies the effectiveness of the three types of alternative medicine therapy.

Can you identify which types of alternative medicine therapy is ideal for you? Well, the first thing to consider is the safety of the therapy, your health condition and if that specific therapy has worked for people with the same case as yours. If you are considering herbal supplements, you need to use only the most natural and organic products to ensure its effectiveness and safety. Plus, organic supplements doesn't often have side effects. 

What will your doctor say about Alternative Medicine Therapy?

Physicians are not really a big fan of alternative medicine therapy. First off, this type of therapy is somewhat in contrast in conventional medicine's principles. Plus, alternative medicine are not yet proven and never been researched thoroughly to be included in the medical practices. Herbal supplements may react negatively with your traditional medications so physicians are well against this issues.

The other reasons why some physicians are against alternative therapy is that, most products and services that involves in alternative medicine are focused on "multi-level marketing" style of business, which means that herbal products are more into getting rich than its actual health benefits. Not to mention that physicians don't get any commissions if they recommend alternative medicine treatments. Plus, it will also put their career on the line if ever alternative medicine therapy fails to work for their patients. 

Although most doctors are against this type of treatment, there are still some physicians that do recommend alternative medicine therapy treatment, in conjunction with conventional medicine. So it is wise to first consult your doctor before any application of alternative medicine therapy.

If you happen to know and trust a specific alternative medicine therapy products or services that you think will benefit your health condition, make sure not to over rule your doctor's advise and make sure to consult a herbal practitioner first. Although more and more people are getting into alternative medicine treatments, it is not wise to just take any type of alternative medicine therapy just because its effective for other people. Remember that alternative medicine therapy's effectiveness depends on case to case basis. This is the reason why it is termed as "Alternative" medicine.

How To Enjoy Healthy Foods While Saving Money?

How To Enjoy Healthy Foods While Saving Money?

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle are often expensive. Organic foods such as red rice and top-notch fruits may all cause a financial concern to your budget. Fortunately, there are ways to keep up with the ever-growing food prices that can also benefit your health. This short article will give you tips on how to save money while achieving optimal health condition.

Here in the Philippines, you can practically have a healthy lifestyle with less expenses. Most Filipinos especially in the rural areas, learned how to plant their own vegetables like kalamansi, moringa plant, tomatoes, bitter gourd and many others.

If you happen to own a big backyard, you can actually plant trees that bears mango, coconut, soursop and many more local trees.

Through planting, most Filipinos acquire organic vegetables and fruits that are free from chemical pesticides. I specifically wrote a similar article about the benefits of planting and gardening and how your health can benefit from it.

But what if you don't have any soil to plant to or don't have time to plant your own food? This is the most cases of people who live in the urban or city areas. Below are the tips to make the most health benefits out of your expenditures.

1. Take advantage of food sales

Like other commodities, foods sales are one of the best occasion that you can take advantage for the benefits of both your finances and health. Keep a keen eye on the health foods that requires your health. This will save you more money than shopping in a regular basis. 

2. Buy in whole or packs

It is no brainer that whole sales can save you some money than retail prices. You can take advantage of buying in a large quantity to save more on your budget.

3. Buy canned fish products

If you love salmons or tunas, you definitely need a big budget to afford these delicious foods. If you want to save money, you may opt to buy canned-fish as an alternative because these are less expensive. Although canned products contains chemicals which are harmful to your body, it still contains healthy compounds like omega-3s and other minerals. Plus, eating canned goods in moderation is good for your health.

4. Plan ahead

Planning is crucial if you want to save money while getting adequate nutrients and vitamins from the food you eat. Create a healthy recipe schedule for the week to better manage your food budget.

5. Avoid dining in a restaurant

One thing that can totally deplete your finances is dining out in an expensive restaurant. If you can control your crave for fast foods and other types of cuisines, it is better to eat at home. It is much safer and healthier if you eat at home.

These tips are just the tip of the iceberg. There are more ways on how to enjoy healthy foods without burning your money. In your opinion, how would you enjoy healthy foods while saving money?