Thursday, March 3, 2011

Dizziness : Causes, Treatment and Natural Home Remedies

Dizziness is a term used to describe everything from feeling faint or lightheaded to feeling weak or unsteady. Dizziness that creates the sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving is called vertigo.

Although frequent dizzy spells or constant dizziness can keep you from doing much of anything, dizziness rarely signals a serious, life-threatening condition. Treatment of dizziness depends on the cause and your symptoms, but is usually effective.

Causes

The key sensations that characterize your dizziness � such as vertigo, a feeling of faintness or loss of balance � provide clues for possible causes.

Vertigo
Vertigo usually results from a problem with the nerves and the structures of the balance mechanism in your inner ear (vestibular system), which sense movement and changes in your head position. Sitting up or moving around may make it worse. Sometimes vertigo is severe enough to cause nausea, vomiting and imbalance.

Feeling of faintness (presyncope)
Presyncope is the medical term for feeling faint and lightheaded without losing consciousness. Sometimes nausea, pale skin and clamminess accompany a feeling of faintness.

Loss of balance (disequilibrium)
Disequilibrium is the loss of balance or the feeling of unsteadiness when you walk.

Other dizzy sensations such as floating, swimming or heavy-headedness
Other "dizzy" sensations that are more difficult to describe may include feeling "spaced out" or having the sensation of spinning inside your head.


Common Home Remedies to Treat Dizziness

. Enhance maintaining balance by learning exercises from a trained physiotherapist

. Reduce stress

. Practice aerobic exercises

. Develop a regular sleep pattern

. Rise slowly from bed or spend a few minutes in bed before waking up this helps normalize blood pressure.

. In the case of low blood sugar, it is advisable to immediately consume non-carbonated syrups. Plenty of fluids like coconut water, fresh lime water with sugar and fruit juices is recommended to raise the blood sugar levels as is glucose.

. Ginger root capsules also known to work in providing certain amount of relief, similarly black tea mixed with crushed ginger helps relieve the disorientation and nausea. Likely substitutions of ginger can be chamomile or even peppermint.

. Pregnancy related dizziness can be soothed by mixing two teaspoons of wheat germ into lukewarm milk, this is known to help ease the pain of morning sickness.

. Vitamin A and C rich fruits like Indian gooseberry is said to help. To consume, soak about five grams of the fruit overnight with coriander seeds. Consume the water after straining out the residue. Sweeten with sugar if found to be bitter.

. Consumption of caffeine and alcohol should be kept to a minimum are they are known to cause dizziness in some people.

. One should reduce the amount of intake of salty nuts and especially sweet treats as the measure depending on how severe the symptoms are.

. Consumption of diet drinks is often associated with the feeling of dizziness and should be kept to a bare minimum or avoided altogether. This alone is considered as one of the most effective diets for dizziness.

. If the symptoms of dizziness persist for long periods or are frequent immediately consult a health care professional.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Vaginal Yeast Infection : Causes, Symptoms, Treatments and Home Remedies

Vaginal yeast infection is an infection of the vagina, most commonly due to the fungus Candida albicans.Most women will have a vaginal yeast infection at some time. Candida albicans is a common type of fungus. It is often present in small amounts in the vagina, mouth, digestive tract, and on the skin. Usually it does not cause disease or symptoms.
Candida and the many other germs or microorganisms that normally live in the vagina keep each other in balance. However, when the vagina has certain favorable conditions, the number of Candida albicans increases, leading to a yeast infection.


Symptoms

* Abnormal vaginal discharge - ranges from a slightly watery, white discharge to a thick, white, chunky discharge (like cottage cheese)

* Pain with intercourse

* Painful urination

* Redness and swelling of the vulva

* Vaginal and labial itching, burning


Treatments

* Keep your genital area clean and dry. Avoid soap and rinse with water only. Sitting in a warm, but not hot bath may help your symptoms.

* Avoid douching. Although many women feel cleaner if they douche after menstruation or intercourse, it may actually worsen vaginal discharge because it removes healthy bacteria lining the vagina that protect against infection.

* Eat yogurt with live cultures or take Lactobacillus acidophilus tablets when you are on antibiotics to prevent a yeast infection.

* Use condoms to avoid catching or spreading sexually transmitted diseases.

* Avoid using feminine hygiene sprays, fragrances, or powders in the genital area.

* Avoid wearing extremely tight-fitting pants or shorts, which may cause irritation.

* Wear cotton underwear or cotton-crotch pantyhose. Avoid underwear made of silk or nylon, because these materials are not very absorbant and restrict air flow. This can increase sweating in the genital area, which can cause irritation.

* Use pads and not tampons.

* Keep your blood sugar levels under good control if you have diabetes.


Natural ways to treat vaginal yeast infection include:

* Eat yogurt - Yogurt has good bacteria's that fight off the infection and return the body's natural metabolism. You can eat the yogurt directly and or you can use it as a cream that you can apply in the infected area directly.

* Garlic - garlic are not only good for cooking they are also good for removing the yeast infection. The natural anti bacterial properties of garlic are good for fighting off the infection. You can either eat the garlic directly or you can turn it into a paste and apply it directly on the infected area.

* Tea Tree Oil - tea tree oil has natural anti bacterial properties that also help fight off the infection. You can use the tea tree oil as an ointment to apply directly to the infection or you can put some in warm water and use it in your bath.

* Aloe Vera - Aloe Vera has been used since ancient Egyptian times for it medicinal and anti bacterial properties. You can buy Aloe Vera, remember the fresh ones, and then you can turn it into paste by mashing it and applying it directly onto the affected area.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Oltipraz

Oltipraz is a drug that was originally used to treat intestinal worms. It was later found to prevent a broad variety of cancers (1). This was attributed to its ability to upregulate cellular detoxification and repair mechanisms.

Researchers eventually discovered that oltipraz acts by activating Nrf2, the same transcription factor activated by ionizing radiation and polyphenols (2, 3, 4). Nrf2 activation mounts a broad cellular protective response that appears to reduce the risk of multiple health problems.

A recent paper in Diabetologia illustrates this (5). Investigators put mice on a long-term refined high-fat diet, with or without oltipraz. These carefully crafted diets are very unhealthy indeed, and when fed to rodents they rapidly induce fat gain and something that looks similar to human metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance, abdominal adiposity, blood lipid disturbances). Adding oltipraz to the diet prevented the fat gain, insulin resistance and inflammatory changes that occurred in the refined high-fat diet group.

The difference in fasting insulin was remarkable. The mice taking oltipraz had 1/7 the fasting insulin of the refined high-fat diet comparison group, and 1/3 the fasting insulin of the low-fat comparison group! Yet their glucose tolerance was normal, indicating that they were not low on insulin due to pancreatic damage. The low-fat diet they used in this study was also refined, which is why the two control groups (high-fat and low-fat) didn't diverge more in body fatness and other parameters. If they had used a group fed unrefined rodent chow as the comparator, the differences between groups would have been larger.

This shows that in addition to preventing cancer, Nrf2 activation can attenuate the metabolic damage caused by an unhealthy diet in rodents. Oltipraz illustrates the power of the cellular hormesis response. We can exploit this pathway naturally using polyphenols and other chemicals found in whole plant foods.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Heartburn : Causes, Prevention, Treatments and Remedies


Heartburn is a feeling of burning, warmth, heat, or pain that often starts in the upper abdomen just beneath the lower breastbone (sternum). This discomfort may spread in waves upward into your throat, and you may have a sour taste in your mouth. Heartburn is sometimes called indigestion, acid regurgitation, sour stomach, or pyrosis.

Causes of heartburn

Heartburn occurs when food and stomach juices back up (reflux) into the esophagus, which is the tube that leads from the throat to the stomach. Common causes include:

* Incomplete closing of the valve between the esophagus and the stomach.

* Foods and drinks, such as chocolate, peppermint, fried foods, fatty foods, or sugars; and coffee, carbonated drinks, or alcohol. Once heartburn occurs, the backflow of stomach juices can cause the esophagus to become sensitive to other foods, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, spicy foods, garlic, and onions. Eating these foods may cause more heartburn.

* Pressure on the stomach caused by obesity, frequent bending over and lifting, tight clothes, straining with bowel movements, vigorous exercise, and pregnancy.

* Smoking and use of other tobacco products.

* Prescription and nonprescription medicines, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, iron, potassium, antihistamines, or sleeping pills.

* A hiatal hernia , which occurs when a small portion of the stomach pushes upward through the diaphragm, which is the muscle that separates the lungs from the abdomen.

* Stress, which can increase the amount of acid your stomach makes and cause your stomach to empty more slowly.


How to treat heartburn

# Change your eating habits.

* It�s best to eat several small meals instead of two or three large meals.
* After you eat, wait 2 to 3 hours before you lie down. Late-night snacks aren't a good idea.
* Chocolate, mint, and alcohol can make heartburn worse. They relax the valve between the esophagus and the stomach.
* Spicy foods, foods that have a lot of acid (like tomatoes and oranges), and coffee can make heartburn symptoms worse in some people. If your symptoms are worse after you eat a certain food, you may want to stop eating that food to see if your symptoms get better.

# Do not smoke or chew tobacco.

# If you get heartburn at night, raise the head of your bed 6in. to 8in. by putting the frame on blocks or placing a foam wedge under the head of your mattress. (Adding extra pillows does not work.)

# Do not wear tight clothing around your middle. Lose weight if you need to. Losing just 5 to 10 pounds can help.

# Antacids such as Tums, Mylanta, or Maalox neutralize some of the stomach acid for 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on whether the stomach is full or empty. Liquid or dissolving antacids usually work faster than tablet forms.

# Some antacids, such as Gaviscon, have a foaming agent (alginate) that acts as a barrier between stomach acid and the esophagus.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Whiteheads : How To Get Rid of Whiteheads, Treatments and Home Remedies



Whiteheads are a mass of hardened sebum appearing most frequently on the face, forehead and the nose and are caused by the accumulation of sebaceous matter beneath the skin. People of all age groups can be affected with whiteheads. Removing blackheads and whiteheads at home with home remedies is simpler, less painful and has no side effects.

How To Get Rid Of Whiteheads With Home Remedies :

# Wash the skin 3 times a day with medicated soap, if the skin is greasy or with plain water if the skin is dry.

# Unclog skin pores by steaming and applying face packs regularly.

#Drink plenty of water and fruit juices.

# Mix cornstarch with apple cider vinegar, make a paste and apply on the whiteheads for 15-30 minutes. Wash off with washcloth and warm water, this helps to get rid whiteheads.

# Take 1/4 Th cup of unboiled milk and add 1/2 Tsp of salt and two teaspoonful of lime juice in it. Use it as a cleansing lotion. It helps to clean pores and make your skin free from blackheads and whiteheads.

# Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and massage before bath for a few minutes to prevent formation of whiteheads.

# Used green tea helps remove whiteheads, when the leaves are scrubbed on face for a few minutes and then washed with water. Do it twice a week and see the difference.

# A whitehead can be best removed by steaming the face for 1-2 minutes. When the whiteheads in the pores have softened, very gently press it out with your two fingers keeping them on either side of the whitehead and gently putting pressure on it and then close the pores with an astringent.

# A teaspoon of yogurt can be massaged on face for a few minutes and then rinsed with warm water.

# Another natural remedy is an honey mask, apply on face regularly to pull out dirt and oil.

# Apply toothpaste at white heads when go to bed, leave it for night, and then wash at morning.

# Apple is also effective. Squeeze an apple and add in to it almost 3 table spoons of honey and apply at the effected area.

# Oatmeal paste not used only for cooking but also in cosmetic products as facial mask to remove white, black heads.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Constipation : Causes, Prevention and Home Remedies


Constipation means that a person has three or fewer bowel movements in a week. Stools may be hard and dry. Sometimes evacuation is painful. Everyone has constipation some time. Not everyone has bowel movements once a day. It's not true that you must have a daily bowel movement to be considered "regular." A normal range is anywhere between 3 times a day to 3 times a week. You may be getting constipated if you start having bowel movements much less often than you usually do.

There are many things you can do to prevent constipation:

* Eat more fruits, vegetables and grains that are rich in fiber
* Drink plenty of water and other liquids
* Get enough exercise
* Taking the time to evacuate when you need it
* Consume laxatives only if the doctor prescribes
* Ask your doctor if your medicine can cause constipation

Home remedies for constipation:

* Flax seed for easier bowel movements � Flax seed is a good laxative and anti-inflammatory. Drop the seeds in a cup of hot water and let them macerate for 12 hours. Add a little honey or lemon and drink before bedtime.

* Tomato jelly to relieve constipation � 1/2 kg of sugar and 1 kg of tomatoes � Wash tomatoes and peel them. Cut them in pieces and get rid of the seeds. Put tomatoes (with the juice that squeezed out while you were cutting them) in a pot and put it over low heat. Add sugar and leave it on low heat for 45 minutes stirring frequently. Let stand 15 minutes and store in a glass bottle. Eat with your breakfast.

* Beans, plums, pears, and figs � These foods have a fiber that becomes a gel in the intestine and softens waste. Make sure to add them to your daily diet. Do not forget to drink enough water.

* Position in the restroom to relieve constipation � While sitting on the toilet raise feet using a stool so that the knees are higher that the pelvis. home-remedies-site.com Another position that will help evacuation is while sitting, bend to the right side.

* Olive oil and lemon � Every morning before breakfast drink a cup of hot water mixed with the juice of one lemon and a tablespoon of olive oil. Not only will it keep things moving but you will lose some pounds!

* Spinach and olive oil cataplasm � Make a cataplasm using spinach leaves and olive oil and put it on your stomach.

* Honey for regularity � Take a glass of warm water with honey at bedtime and a glass of cold water with honey before breakfast.

* Papaya � Papaya is very effective in relieving constipation especially if eaten before breakfast.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Get Rid of Nail Fungus : Treatments and Natural Home Remedies




Pedicures:how-to-get-rid-of-nail-fungus

People start getting rid of finger nail fungus before the infection is too far advanced. However, it's much harder to get a topical treatment to stay on a fingernail when you're using your hands all the time, and it's much harder to sit for 15 to 30 minutes every day with your hands soaking in a solution.

Home remedies for nail fungus,like any other condition you can find a number of natural treatment for your toe nail fungus as well.It seems that everyone has a piece of sage advice to offer about how to get rid of nail fungus. Some advice is very simple: apply Vicks VapoRub, Listerine, tea tree oil, or any one of a dozen other substances. Other remedies take more effort, like soaking the affected toenail(s) in a solution of dilute bleach, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, Listerine, or some other chemical for a period of time each day.

What so ever you choose, will have to work for at least a month or two before it shows any result and you have to be stubborn enough to continue for six months to a year or even up to eighteen months in older and obstinate cases.

Keep in mind that prescription medicines will also take this much time. The most common natural cure for fungus nails is to soak feet or hands in an anti fungal solution. This could be apple cider vinegar, white synthetic vinegar, chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Even soaking your feet in salty water can be helpful. Again proper filing along with continuous applications twice a day for months is required.