News and Articles on Health. Medical research topics.

Anorexia in teens is a serious problem that can turn into severe health issues, and potential death. It is not something that should be taken lightly, or ignored.

Statistics show that several teens hide eating disorders for months or years before someone takes notice. As a parent you need to understand the severe health and emotional problems that can come from anorexia, and be on the lookout for the warning signs so that you should your teen suffer from this problem you can help them get treatment quickly and easily.

What are the warning signs? There are certain signs that should put you on the watch for an eating disorder in your teen.

• For example, an unnatural concern about body weight could be an indicator of a more serious problem. This is especially the case if the person is not overweight at all, and not really in danger of being overweight. This is a warning sign that should tell you that they have a warped sense of what body image should be, and that if not corrected, it could lead to more serious problems.
• The next warning sign to be on the lookout for is an obsession with calories, fat grams and food or calorie counting. A normal teen without risk of anorexia will learn this stuff, take an interest, and forget it. If you find your teenager rejecting certain foods because of “calories” or “trans fats” or something similar, you may want to discuss their interest with them and evaluate if this is a sign of a problem with food, or a curiosity sparked by learning. Obsession with counting calories, or limiting food intake because of a fear of weight gain is a sure sign of eating disorder, or impending eating disorder.
• Next, a huge warning sign for anorexia is that of using any medicines to keep from gaining weight (diet pills, laxatives, water pills, etc.). Teenagers should not be interested in such methods, and if you ever catch them using them, it should act as a big red flag that they are having a problem.

These are some of the more prevalent warning signs, of course in addition to that you may want to keep your eyes open for skipped meals, decreased appetite, etc. Most people with eating disorders will try and hide it if they are reducing their eating. They will have “legitimate” reasons for not being hungry, etc. However, as a parent you need to be wise to their reasons, and evaluate their honesty. If this becomes a frequent occurrence, even justified, you should look into it.

Of course, there are far more serious warning signs to watch for as well. Some indicate severity of an eating disorder, not a tendency toward potentially having one. Again, most teens with eating disorders, particularly anorexia, try and hide it, so you will have to be perceptive. Watch for things like refusing to eat or lying about how much was eaten. If you have to, scoop up their plate yourself, and make sure they finish it. Things like fainting can be a huge indicator of an eating disorder, specifically one that involves self starving. If your teen faints, talk to a physician about the reasons, and possibility of an eating disorder.

Over-exercising or an obsession with exercise is another sign of an eating disorder, as the two often go hand in hand because of the obsession with being thin. Not having periods is a warning sign that is easy to watch for. If you notice it has been a while since you purchased feminine products, or emptied a trash can with them in it, it could be a sign of an eating disorder as it messes with the monthly cycle and can eliminate it for a time. Lastly, watch for signs such as denial. Most teens who suffer from anorexia will swear there is nothing wrong, and make up excuses for their increased interest in their weight, their weight loss, or weight fluctuation.

Choosing the right cosmetic dentist for professional teeth whitening may prove to be a challenging task. Dentists that practice in the cosmetic sector specialize in the aesthetic based factors relating to the teeth. These specialists understand that the appearance of the teeth is directly related to the self esteem that the patient has.

The dentist that specializes in cosmetic dentistry plays special attention to the impact that a person’s teeth has on their smile. This type of dentist will engage in treatments in order to make the smile much more beautiful. One of the most common procedures that they perform is teeth whitening. In this guide, you will learn some basic steps for choosing the best cosmetic dentist if you need your teeth whitened.

• The first step to choosing the right cosmetic dentist for professional teeth whitening is to inquire about this type of dentist with your regular dentist. In many instances, your regular dentist will be able to provide you with a referral to a cosmetic dentist that is highly experienced and dedicated to the process of whitening teeth.
• Next, you should evaluate your dental insurance plan to determine if teeth whitening is covered. In most cases, it will not be covered, but there are some plans that do allow a certain percentage. Once you have discovered coverage, you will need to evaluate the providers that you are able to go to based on the ones highlighted in the plan. This will allow you the opportunity to know who you are able to use in your community.
• If you know anyone that has had their teeth whitened professionally, you should inquire as to who they used for their cleaning.

Choosing a cosmetic dentist will likely take time and research. If you want to have your teeth whitened without all the complications, you should consider at home teeth whitening kits. These kits are effective in removing stains from the convenience of home. It reduces the needs to locate a cosmetic dentist as well as the expense experienced with these types of professionals.

There is important research being done on breast cancer and almost everyday new findings are being revealed. An important piece of information that will directly affect one out of every four women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer is that Herceptin is highly effective in the treatment of breast cancer.

Herceptin is used to boost the benefits of Chemotherapy and surgery, and now experts say that it must be used to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and overall health.

Herceptin is a drug that is highly effective in the treatment of breast cancer in its early stages. It is specifically targeted against certain receptors in the body that aggravate the cancer. Approximately 25% of patients have tumors that are diagnosed as HER2+, this is a receptor in the body called Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2. HER2+ tumors tend to grow and metastasize more rapidly than others. Herceptin is especially effective in the treatment of HER+ tumors. Herceptin usage is seen to reduce the risk of distant recurrence of the disease by almost 50%, which is a phenomenal rate of decrease for cancer risk.

HER2+ breast cancer is very aggressive and therefore it becomes important to find out the HER2 status of your breast cancer. This helps the doctor the treatments that may be right for you.

Each breast cell that is normal actually contains a copy of the HER2 gene, this is something that allows normal cells to grow. The gene is found in the DNA, and it contains the information for producing the HER2 protein.

Also called the HER2 protein, the HER2 receptor, is found also found on the surface of some normal cells. The HER2 proteins send out signals from the outside to the inside of the cell to grow and divide.

In Breast Cancer that is HER2+, the cancer cells have an abnormally high number of HER2 genes in every cell. This extra HER2 protein appears on the surface of cancer cells as well adding to the rapid growth and multiplication of cancer cells. This is the reason why HER2+ breast cancer is usually extremely aggressive.

Women who have been treated with Herceptin during or after chemotherapy and surgery show remarkable improvement. The drug also decreases the chance of developing breast cancer in the other breast. Over a prolonged period of time, the treatment via Herceptin has shown tremendous reductions in the recurrence of breast cancer.

Experts are now of the opinion that Herceptin must be included as standard care for breast cancer treatment unless there is some specific reason not to. Even for those with early stage cancer of the breast, Herceptin is now considered an important treatment.

I know how it feels like to go through the pain and suffering that accompanies gout. We hear about gout home remedies and natural cures a lot these days. The question is, do they actually work? It does work because these are completely natural using ingredients even from your kitchen or your garden, and therefore you do not have to worry about the side effects that can be caused.

There are two fruits that are given a lot of prominence in the Gout home remedies. The cherry is one which is a rich source of vitamin C. It actually gets rid of the deposits and helps in curing the problem from the root cause. An apple a day keeps the doctor away is true in this case, because it actually keeps gout away. Make sure you include both these fruits into your diet.

If you have the characteristic swollen toes as your problem the best of the gout home remedies include using about one third cup if ground ginger in your bath tub and soaking your feet into it for about half an hour. This will get you to start sweating immediately and the uric acid is slowly eliminated. Make sure you wash your body completely after this other wise ginger can cause burning in your body.

Gout home remedies also involve drinking juice of lemon made by squeezing half a lime into a glass of water. You need to take this juice three times a day at regular intervals as this also includes dissolving all the deposits that actually cause gout.

The best gout home remedies include incorporation of proper exercise and diet into your regimen. This in itself will slowly cause the deposits to start melting and relieving you of the pain. It is best if you can actually try using natural forms of exercises like Yoga which does have prescribed asanas (positions) that will help you cure your problem very soon.

Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure. There are two numbers you need to know. The top number is the systolic blood pressure and the bottom number is the diastolic blood pressure. If your top number is consistently 140mm or higher or your bottom number is consistently 90mm or higher, you have hypertension or high blood pressure.

Hypertension is often referred to as the silent killer because people often do not even know they have it. Left untreated, hypertension can have detrimental effects on many of your body organs, especially your kidneys.

When one has borderline hypertension, there are several things you should do to help reduce your blood pressure to a normal range before resorting to medications. If you are overweight, you should try to reduce your weight to an acceptable range for your height by eating a balanced and healthy diet. Daily exercise for 30 minutes a day is beneficial for helping to reduce your weight as well as your blood pressure. If you smoke – stop! Smoking constricts and hardens your blood vessels and makes your heart work harder to pump the blood throughout your body.

It is well known that stress can affect your blood pressure. All of us have daily stressors in our lives. How we deal with that stress can affect our long-term health, but especially our blood pressure.

Here are some helpful tips to help handle stress by changing your response to those stressful situations.

• Instead of having a knee-jerk response to a bad situation, take the time to take a few deep breaths and then verbalize your concerns.
• If you find your mind racing and speech accelerating, take a few deep breaths and start over with your conversation.
• Give yourself enough time to get to your destination. Add 10% more time than it would take you to get there without problems.
• Planning is key to avoiding stressful events caused by disorganization. This may include simple things such as packing lunches the night before, planning your meals the day before or picking out your clothes or your child’s clothes for the next day. You will be surprised how these simple tasks will make things smoother and less stressful.
• Organize your environment to be user-friendly – whether it be the cupboards at home or your office at work.
• Plan time for yourself daily – whether it be reading a good book or walking on the beach.
• Eat healthy as your stress hormones deplete your natural resistance to infections.
• Avoid being Johnny- on-the-spot at home. Your family members must accept the fact that you cannot always drop what you are doing to help them with trivial or unimportant things.

If you feel your pressure rising, whether it be flushing in the face or your voice rising or racing, take a 15 minute time-out.

1. Lie in a dark room and begin with 10 slow deep breathes. Place your hand on your stomach and feel your diaphragm rise and fall with each breath.
2. Next, lay there for another 3-5 minutes quietly and breathe normally.
3. Then begin deep breathing again and focus on relaxing – first your face muscles, next, your arms, chest, stomach, thighs, calves and finally your feet and toes. Take 10 slow deep breaths.

If you are in a place where lying down is impractical, sit down, close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths. Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat with another 10 deep breaths.

As stated earlier, hypertension on a prolonged basis can be detrimental. Following the above recommendations may not be enough for many people with high blood pressure. There are several supplements including herbal remedies that can assist in your quest to lower blood pressure and are usually cheaper and with less side-effects than medications.. Medications should be considered when all other attempts are unsuccessful. Take charge of your health and do everything you can to keep your blood pressure within normal limits before resorting to medications.

Consult your wellness physician if your blood pressure remains consistently above 140/90.

This article will try to dispense some helpful information about the treatment of food allergies. One of the most common conditions that affect one in every fifty persons is food allergy. Certain types of food trigger the food allergies that cause these undesirable responses of the immune system. The food allergen that triggers allergies is identified as a food protein. Bear in mind that food allergy is completely different from food intolerance or reactions to pharmacological agents. Food intolerance is mostly connected to one or more organs in the body but is not linked to the immune system while allergies caused by pharmacological agents are connected to the effects of medicines.

The areas of the body that are commonly affected by these allergies are the skin, digestive system and respiratory system. Within two hours of eating the food the symptoms appear as blotches and skin rashes. These rashes can manifest on the face, eyelids, lips or tongue and most of the time they are quite irritating. Food allergies can also cause difficulty in breathing as the throat becomes swollen. As the food allergen enters the body, the immune system reacts excessively to the allergen and pumps histamines into the body to suppress it, thus setting off the allergic symptoms.

Avoidance is still the most common and most readily implementable treatment for food allergies. Selective food avoidance however is life time adherence to strict diets. The good news is that this will alleviate or diminish the symptoms and averts further harm.

Recent data has shown that consuming organic foods can reduce the occurrence or seriousness of food allergies, and it may even help in the defense against serious allergic reactions. Quantities of quality nutrients can be gained from eating organic foods. These quality nutrients are required to help reinforce the weak immune system of those people with these types of allergies. A diet consisting of mainly organic foods will no doubt decrease the probability of having allergic reactions to pesticides and some food additives, and can also decrease the frequency of allergies. If you already have food allergies then its effects on the body still requires to be addressed.

Desensitization is the best solution so far to food allergies. However, there are several treatment alternatives to be had, these ranges from immunizing the body against the allergens with injections to acupuncture. Acupuncture has also been documented to be effective in the treatment of some allergies. However, the crux of the matter is that these treatments may not solve the principal health issues, such as vitamin deficiencies, surplus of toxins in the body.

The ideal therapy to combat food allergies will be a program that combines detoxifying the body to get rid of toxins that gave rise to the allergies, addressing the principal health problems, and desensitizing the body to the allergens that are upsetting it.

It is imperative that as soon as the food allergies are reduced or taken care of, that you get genuine nutritional guidance to aid you in maintaining and rebuilding your immune system. Keep in mind that a balanced diet is still your best defense against food allergies. Keep in mind that a balanced diet is still your best defense against food allergies.

Because of the varying factors and complexities surrounding asthma, treatment is difficult and can take long before any vast improvement is seen. Not only that, some of the medications being given to asthmatics contain strong chemical ingredients that may compromise your body’s natural immune system, causing irreparable and irreversible damage in the long run.

Achieving long term relief without relying too much on your regular medication is possible with the help of herbal treatments.

There are many advantages to be had when opting for this method to help you achieve asthma relief. Some of the advantages include: assurance of safety, convenience, effectiveness, price and can be taken regularly without fear of dependence or addiction.

But even with the numerous advantages that it can offer for asthmatics care should always be taken when choosing herbal treatments because there are some that you might actually be allergic to or can counteract the effects of your medication making them ineffective or giving off unwanted results or reactions.

To give you an idea of how much herbal treatment for asthma can help you, here are a few examples:

Mullein Oil:

the high percentage of saponins and mucilage found in the leaf working together with the plants antibiotic properties makes mullein oil an ideal alternative not only for asthma but also for various other respiratory ailments. Since there are many preparations that can be made from mullein oil it is recommended that you seek assistance from an experienced herbalist if you are interested in using it for your condition.

Licorice Root:

Licorice root contains saponin glycoside or otherwise known as glycyrrhizic acid is not inflammatory, non-allergic and non-arthritic effect similar to what cortisone does but without the implications. There are ready made preparations that can be bought if you are interested in using licorice for your asthma. Just be sure to follow the instructions on label carefully as overdose from licorice root can be dangerous.

Ginger:

One of the most common and easy to find herbal treatment for asthma. Ginger not only serves as a cooking ingredient but has been used mostly by people to treat various illnesses and disorders. For asthmatics, ginger preparations serve to reduce and increase resistance to allergic reactions, while also taking care of underlying causes that might aggravate the condition.

Chamomile:

mostly used in teas, chamomile has become quite popular in the western world because of its stress relieving effects. But aside from this, chamomile also contains antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antispasmodic properties that asthmatics can greatly benefit from. Mixtures are in forms of teas and tinctures along with creams and compresses. If you are taking blood thinners such as warfarin, avoid taking chamomile at all costs.

These are just a few in the long list of herbal medication that can help you when you want to achieve relief with as less chemical intervention as possible. More and more people are finding out about the beneficial effects of herbal treatments for asthma, isn’t it about time to find out for yourself?

Balding can be a life changing event that can signal the presence of an underlying medical condition, trigger psychological and physical stress, and change both how we view ourselves as well as how others perceive us. While not considered a life threatening condition it certainly can become a life altering event given the right set of circumstances. In this article titled “Top Twelve Interesting Facts About Baldness” we will paint a broad based picture of baldness and its causes.

• For a person to go completely bald they will have lost roughly 100,000 scalp hairs.
• By the age of 50 six out of every ten men will have begun to see some degree of baldness.
• By age 50 three out every ten women will start to experience noticeable balding.
• Male pattern baldness is responsible for eight out of every ten cases of hair loss in men.
• While there are FDA approved products that can slow male pattern baldness and re-grow hair, there currently is no cure.
• Vitamins have been indirectly linked to hair health, especially the B vitamin complex due to their role in metabolizing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Vitamin B12 may be particularly important due to its ability to reduce Homocysteine levels, a amino acid that when elevated increases the risk of circulatory disease.
• Permanent baldness is generally caused by follicle destruction rather than damage to the hair itself.
• It is normal to lose between 50 and 100 scalp hairs a day. Baldness only occurs when these lost hairs are not replaced through the natural replacement cycle.
• When balding has been triggered by chemotherapy, sudden weight loss, psychological stress, physical stress, high fever due to illness, or surgery the hair loss is only temporary and will grow back over time.
• Both male and female pattern baldness are inherited conditions that can come from either side of the family tree.
• Both male and female pattern baldness are caused by the buildup of the testosterone derived androgen hormone dihydrotestosterone deep within the hair follicle.
• There is no good solution for total baldness in which follicle damage has occurred. In these instances hair transplant surgery may not even be an option due to the lack of donor hairs.

What can be done?

There are currently a handful of hair re-growth products (specially formulated for both men and women) which have been proven effective both in blocking harmful hormones and bringing the all important dead hair follicles back to life. These specially formulated products can be used both as a preventative tool, starting before hair loss becomes severe, or after loss of hair has become noticeable. Whatever the level of balding or thinning you are experiencing these products could be just what is needed to overcome this latest life challenge.

This months question is:

I often experience tightness just on one side of my back and sometimes only in my right hamstring or buttock. It isn’t there all the time but usually after I have done a long run or have begun to run more regularly like when the weather gets warmer in the spring.

Most runners realize that it is important to have good strength in the hamstrings and quadriceps, and that these muscles must be somewhat flexible or at least balanced in order to help prevent injury. But what many of these same runners fail to recognize is where these muscles attach. More specifically, the muscles in the front and backs of your legs that move the hips and knees attach into the pelvis, which makes up part of your lower back.

The longer the distance you are running the more important it is to have good balance and strength in the muscles of your lower back and pelvis. The tiny muscles of the lower back help to support good posture and running form. If these muscles are weak than a runner’s posture changes, and now there is irregular stress placed on the lower leg muscles which may result in injury. In addition, an imbalance between the lower back muscles and the abdominal muscles (in most people it’s that there stomach muscles are not as strong as they should be) can lead to the same problems. It is likely that you have an imbalance in the muscles of your lower back and/or abdominal muscles.

Weakness or imbalance in the lower back, pelvis and or abdominal muscles can occur from a deconditioned athlete, chronic leg muscle inflexibility, a misaligned bone in the back or pelvis, a pinched nerve, or a chronic lower leg or foot disorder, to name just a few. If it is purely a muscular imbalance then exercise will be the primary form of treatment. If there is joint involvement, than you will need some adjustments as well. There are many types of treatments, but the most successful always occur when the exact source of the problem is diagnosed. A good chiropractor or physical therapist should be your first choice to examine and determine what type of imbalance exists.

Everyone has brain. It is the central of the all nerves system in our body. The brain regulates anything by giving command to the nerves system. Brain is formed from protein and also millions nerves system. On the brain there are also million tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen and also nutrition.

Brain, although it is the most important part our body is not free from disease. There are many diseases that infect brain such as cancer. Brain cancer is the deadliest killer. Cancer, as you have probably known is uncontrolled cell growth. The cell growth uncontrollably because of genes codes that missing or damaged. Brain cancer is cancer cells that arise in brain tissue. This growing cells interferes the brain function. There are many brain functions that can be distracted when the cells grow uncontrollably.

Since brain is the center of all commands and also functions, many function such as muscle control, sensation, memory, and many other can be distracted and as the result you can die. There are two kids of brain cancer. The harmful one is the malignant tumors and those that composed of non-cancerous cells are called benign tumors. The brain tumor can spread to the whole body because of the blood stream. The cancer cells that develop from the brain tissue is called primary brain tumor while the tumor that caused by the spreading cells are called metastatic brain tumors.

The brain cancer is very dangerous. Since it gives pressure to the brain, some nerves are pressed and as the result, it can’t deliver command to the part of the body. There are some severities of brain cancer.

• The first grade is the tissue benign. This benign tumor looks like normal brain and they grow slowly.

• The second grade, the tissue is malignant. The tissue cells look less like normal than the first grade. It is slightly faster in the growing.

• The third grade, the tissue looks very different from normal cells and it is growing in fast.
• The last grade is the most dangerous one because it is completely different from normal cells and it grows very fast.

The reason why brain cancer is aroused is not fully understood because there are too many factors that affect it. But the researchers have gathered data that dangerous chemical materials and also radiation have the biggest contribution to the brain cancer. Heredity factors can be the source of brain cancer but it has not been proven. The researchers also announce that the brain cancer is not contagious.

To avoid brain cancer, they suggest that you avoid excessive UV exposure and also avoid consuming contaminated food. Avoid also fish that come from high polluted area because it may contain heavy metal such as mercury and arsenic materials.

Acne is said to be a problem which is caused due to various reasons and also can be seen in a variety of forms. Some of the commonly detected types of acne are pimples, scaring, blackheads, whiteheads etc. Skin disorders affect young people and adults generally and the commonly detected form of acne is scars.

Teenage years are the time when every person is conscious of their looks and visual appeal. Mostly in this crucial phase of life pimples and black spots get highlighted on the face which reduces the level of confidence. It might not have a very bad impact of the looks but still the psychological affect is such that the person starts craving to search for treatment which can solve their problem.

A huge list of treatments is available in the market nowadays which can cure the problem effectively. But for this purpose proper detection of the cause is an essential requirement. Only after this the treatment can cure the disease. This is the case with chemical medications and antibiotics.

Home based treatments do not keep these kinds of preferences. Natural treatment is you ultimate guide. These treatments are created with the use of herbs and natural substances which are not at all harmful and always provide a positive effect. There are no such side effects attached to them. Some of the best natural treatments are:

• Mix some amount of baking soda in water. It is actually a paste where few drops of water are poured in some amount of baking soda. The solution is then applied on the affected areas which are generally blemishes and pimples. Gentle application of the remedy helps in providing better results because it helps the treatment to rinse inside the skin properly. After this water should be used to remove is properly.
• Vitamin A and tea tree oil are also effect treatments for skin disorders
• Do not rinse or scratch the pimples. Sometimes beauty advisers suggest that the pimples can be squeezed and the person can apply antibiotic or some paste on it but generally what happens is that the fluid kind of material that comes spreads on the areas around it which results in increase the problems and other related skin disorders instead of treating.
• Avoid putting make up in increased quantities. Even if you are in the habit of doing so then use water based make up products and ensure that it is removed immediately after use. Proper cleansing of the skin is required to keep it healthy and glowing always.
• Avoid staying under sun for a longer period of time. Excessive and continuous exposure in the sun is also a commonly detected cause behind acne.

If you consider everything then the only solution would be that precaution is you ultimate guide but some natural remedies also act as your ultimate guide when they help in controlling the problems before it starts affecting badly. Whatever the case might be the best way to avoid any kind of problem is to stay natural and avoid the use and intake of chemical based medicines and antibiotics.