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Suicide carries with it a profound series of serious consequences, which often changes the lives of everyone around that person. We all know those drastic effects. What is often overlooked or chalked up to being a sad occurrence, are the pre-suicidal circumstances, which actually increase suicide rates, and probability of, that disaster. Suicide prevention is the goal of thousands of professionals when a depressed patient makes the issue recognizable.

But, what happens to the large numbers of suicidal candidates who show no suicide warning signs nor openly communicate their deepest thoughts of suicide? Certainly, not all depressed people contemplate taking their own life, at least won’t admit it. Wedged in between the person who is depressed and their choice of death by suicide by that person is a trigger of some type that changes the thought of suicide into a planned commitment.

The danger related to suicide that can and will increase suicide risk can be anything that may be intentional or unintentional and words or actions by others, even lack of supportive remedies. Medications may reduce the tone of the dilemma but may not actually alter the decision about suicide at the time it’s made. It must be the greatest frustration for all mental health providers when they try to alter the course of events and fail.

One dangerous and destructive facet of efforts for suicide prevention that increases the risk of suicide is the perception that a suicidal person is not only dangerous to themselves, but also dangerous to others around them. As a result, a potentially suicidal patient, as determined by a psychiatrist or other qualified mental health professional, becomes a victim instead of a patient.

Just imagine a situation where a person truly is suicidal and surrounded by those who want to help. But, instead, those standing there see the person as a highly potential homicidal person to be reckoned with. This happens in reality to American military veterans being treated for mental illness of one type or another by the Veterans Administration physicians. In fact, when the civilian armed police (usually four) show up at the VA mental health clinic, they are quick to quote the legal statutes that mandate their action.

How would that make you feel if you were being treated for depression at the VA mental health clinic, went there for help one day, then were physically forced into a lockup institution immediately for a minimum of three days, with the doctor’s option to keep you for many more days? Most veterans probably never heard of that law, nor understood that they could be physically confined involuntarily to a psychiatric facility. Most understand that it occurs with alcoholics and drug addicts commonly known to harm others, but to suicidal patients bent on harming only themselves…….incredibly cruel punishment.

Mind you, this unlucky individual was not armed nor threatening anyone. He just needed counseling.

The three keywords that trigger this confinement are those elicited during the scripted questions psychiatrists ask depressed patients to screen them, like these:

1. Do you have a weapon at home? Yes (Who doesn’t-a knife in the kitchen drawer, the rifle your uncle gave you for hunting, a rope in the shed for hanging, etc.)

2. Have you thoughts about suicide? Yes (depressed patients intermittently think about suicide off and on for years, depending on the depth of their depression.)

3. Have you planned how you would commit suicide? Yes (Your answer would reveal which method you would use if it ever came to that—most probably have thought of it)

Answering these three questions with three “Yes’s” will get the veteran involuntarily confined. Many extraneous factors influence the psychiatrists decision about that person, which are often enough to avoid triggering the confinement-but are totally disregarded intentionally, are not considered at all, are not going to change the mind of the psychiatrist no matter what, and are indicative of a second rate physician who barely made it through medical school.

Take that depressed person suddenly into lockup, and it results is additional significant increased mental trauma, which exaggerates the depression and increases suicidal risk. Anyone who has a brain must understand it happens in every single person treated in the same manner to some degree.

What are the additional traumatic conditions added by confinement:

a. Isolation-no friends, patients there keep to themselves, rare staff attention, lack of family support and attention, controlled phone calls outside.

b. Controlled environment-complete loss of self-esteem, hopelessness, boredom, group counseling usually about a topic not pertinent to the patient’s situation.

c. Physical disintegration-loss of appetite, decreased care about cleanliness, reduction of physical activity with sleep used as an escape.

d. Incompetent staff-especially psychiatric social workers who are making decisions and diagnoses far above their competency and training. They are the cause of many patients being kept well over the usual three days—for extra counseling this staffer has decided the patient needs because patients are sicker than everyone else can see.

e. Mental confusion-forget time and date, concern about what family will think and how they’ll treat them later, increases the isolation feeling, future worries about what this episode will do to jobs, life pattern, and medical treatment.

f. Increased desire for suicide-all of the above increase the desire to escape life and treatments, elicits fear of ever going back to the VA clinic for mental help for fear that it could happen again, have disappointed family and deserve punishment, worthlessness becomes supreme.

This patient, once confined, is now permanently labeled by the VA as a violent person on the records, even if they have never performed a violent action in their life. Any history of combat experience makes it easier to label him or her.

This experience of confinement suddenly by police action insures that the veteran will need to do certain things to protect themselves, like, lie to the psychiatrist or psychologist, give up on any mental health help from the VA, alert all the other vets about the trickery.

This is the system in force now. It may be a wakeup call for other agencies who treat depression, and function in a suicide prevention format.
The author, Curt Graham, a physician and entrepreneur, has published articles for over two decades on various topics related to healthcare and medical practice. He is an expert in marketing, business, copywriting, communications and coaching.

On the past several years there have been numerous concerns over shortages of staff and lack of beds in hospitals nationwide. As an alternative and an answer to the problem, many states, and in fact countries, have developed what is often referred to as “hospital at home” services that provide the same care to patients in a home environment instead of a hospital setting. With the availability of hospital equipment such as hospital beds, a pressure mattress overlay, and the ease of finding qualified at home professional practitioners it has become fairly easy to create a caring and medically sound environment for patients outside of the hospital. In order to determine the quality and validity of such services, studies have been initiated by several organizations to evaluate overall patient health, patient satisfaction and cost savings. Here are some of the results that were recorded.

Patients who were recovering from stroke did better in a hospital environment than an at home setting, for the first three months. The study showed a significant reduction in mortality rates, however, after six months for those patients provided with hospital at home care.

Overall, patients who were provided with a hospital at home setting for a variety of conditions were far more satisfied than those who remained in hospital. Studies were all in agreement that most people prefer to be cared for outside of a hospital and are more comfortable and satisfied in a home style environment.

Other trials noted that fewer patients in a home care setting developed other complications such as bowel or urinary complications.

For patients who were suffering with dementia, those who were receiving hospital at home care were less likely to be prescribed antipsychotic drugs.

For patients suffering from cellulite, there appeared to be no differences between the hospitalized patients and those receiving hospital at home care.

Patients who were being treated for COPD in a hospital at home care were prescribed antibiotics more often than those who were being treated in hospital.

The studies showed no significant differences among patients in or out of hospital when looking at their ability to perform day to day functions or in their cognitive abilities.

From an economic viewpoint, most hospital at home care programs were less expensive than hospital care.

It should be understood that, even with such studies, one should not preclude that hospital care is not as beneficial as home care in every situation, as hospital admittance is often necessary for the overall health of the patient. But where there is the possibility of a patient receiving adequate care in a home style setting, it can be more comfortable, satisfying, and cost effective.

It is also worth mentioning that the quality of services and personnel that provide the hospital at home care should be carefully selected and closely monitored, and that a primary care physician be in constant contact with patients and caregivers. It is not enough to merely assume that a patient is always better cared for at home or in a home style environment, than in a hospital.

It is highly recommended for people to test for pesticides in their drinking water even if they live deep in urbanized areas and far away from farmland. That is because pesticides can seep into the soil and travel to other areas.

Pesticides can cause various health problems when ingested along with drinking water. Among the illnesses that pesticides cause when absorbed by the body are:

• Allergic skin reactions such as rashes, acne, blisters and swelling
• Swelling of the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth and nose
• Shortness or rapidity of breathing due to injuries to the lungs
• Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and other gastrointestinal discomforts
• Muscular twitching, lethargy, excessive fatigue and headaches from damage to the nerves

You can only know if your drinking water is contaminated by pesticides if you test it. The testing can be done at home using a water testing kit. Samples can also be sent to a state-accredited laboratory.

10 Common Pesticides Tested in Drinking Water

Below is a list of the ten pesticides that are most prevalent in the water we use for drinking. Some of these pesticides have been banned in the United States, they can still emerge in drinking water tests because pesticides can take as much as 50 years to contaminate water.

Chlordane. Prior to its regulation, chlordane was primarily used as a pesticide for corn, citrus fruits, nuts, vegetables, and ornamental garden plants. Nowadays, chlordane is only allowable for use to kill fire ants on power transformers.

DDT. DDT, which is short for Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane, was popular during the Second World War as an insecticide, often used against mosquitoes causing malaria. After the war, it became a popular pesticide. It was later on discovered to be toxic and was thus banned.

Dieldrin. Dieldrin was once manufactured as an alternative to DDT. While it is not toxic, it is considered to be an organic pollutant and is linked to diseases like Parkinson’s disease and breast cancer. It was banned.

Endosulfan. Endosulfan is a highly toxic pesticide that is still being used in countries like Australia, India and New Zealand. Its use mainly lies in wood preservation and control of pests destroying ornamental plants and agricultural crops.

Endrin. Endrin is an insecticide used to inhibit grasshoppers, voles, mice and other pests from ravaging cotton, cereals, rice and other crops. It was banned in 1980.

Heptachlor. Heptachlor was once considered as a non-agricultural pesticide, although its use is now limited to making underground cables and power transformers fire ant-proof.

Lindane. Although regulated, Lindane has seen use for killing wood-eating beetles and for treating soil in gardens. Lindane is also a component for treatments in killing fleas and lice on pets.

Mirex. Mirex is mainly used to control ants and to make items such as plastic, paper, rubber and electronics resistant to fire.

Toxaphene. Toxaphene is still in use to manage pests in cotton fields and vegetable farms, as well as on poultry and livestock. Its use is highly regulated, however.

Trifluralin. Currently one of the most common chemicals still in use in farms today, trifluralin is mainly an herbicide used to kill weeds and other unwanted plants.

If you think your water supply is compromised, go for a drinking water test. Contact your local authorities for help if your drinking water is found to be contaminated by pesticides.

It is only natural when diagnosed with colitis or during a period of severe symptoms that the sufferer worries about their health and what the future will hold for them. It is usual for most sufferers to enjoy longer periods of health in comparison to the time endured at the mercy of colitis symptoms. Yet this fact does not prevent real concern and worry over their present and future health.

There requires acknowledgment and appreciation that the severity of colitis symptoms varies greatly between sufferers. Approximately ten percent of those diagnosed have to endure what are virtually ever present symptoms which do vary in their intensity. Thinking that the symptoms will never disappear when first diagnosed is in the vast majority of cases untrue. For most sufferers there will be periods that symptoms are present yet these will be outnumbered by the amount of time spent enjoying full health.

There is a misplaced fear that everyone knows when someone is suffering symptoms and they will be viewed as different. Again this is not the case. When a relapse is occurring, the person should in fact withdraw from daily life, both their work and social life, in order to give themselves every chance to gain health again as soon as possible. If the daily routine is continued without any regard to the symptoms, this will undoubtedly have the effect of delaying the recovery and can even worsen the degree of suffering.

When diagnosed with colitis and periodically thereafter, there will be a requirement for a hospital consultant to monitor the extent of the ulceration of the large colon and this will require forms of x-ray to be undertaken. It is important to understand that the severity of what is witnessed with such tests will not necessarily correspond to how severe the subjective symptoms are. If there is a lot of ulceration present though the person is currently enjoying good health, that does not suggest symptoms are about to appear. The test will show the extent of the affected area of the colon yet as the symptoms are in remission, good health should be enjoyed. The information gathered will be of use as and when the next relapse occurs and then appropriate medication can be used to concentrate on the known area and extent of the ulceration.

Unfortunately a few sufferers do experience perforation of the bowel where a split forms in the colon and toxic waste can then spread into the bloodstream and cause infection. This only happens in a very small number of cases and only when severe symptoms have occurred over a period of time and the sufferer has not responded to the treatments for such complications. Any fear caused through expecting this to happen is misplaced as it is a fallacy to believe for all colitis sufferers that it will only be a matter of time before surgery is required and the bowel has to be cut out. The actual chances of this occurring are very small indeed yet by worrying and being fearful of this may just ignite sleeping colitis symptoms.

Whilst the disease can be very challenging at times, the sufferer, in the vast majority of cases, should enjoy long periods of good health. Colitis symptoms will appear when relapses happen yet by following the instructions given by doctors and hospital consultants and by discovering the knowledge and experience of those fellow sufferers, a person should be able to adapt their life accordingly and ease many of the often misplaced fears that have built up over time.

One of the substances in anyone’s body, including teenagers, is a waxy substance called cholesterol. This substance is used by the body to manufacture cell membranes, certain hormones and vitamin D. There are two sources of cholesterol in the blood: food and the liver. An adolescent’s liver produces sufficient cholesterol for proper bodily function.
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Blood carries cholesterol, transporting it throughout the body in the form of round particles called lipoproteins. Two types of lipoproteins exist, low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL cholesterol is often referred to as “bad cholesterol.” It builds up as plaque on arterial walls, a condition called atherosclerosis. The LDL levels in the blood should be low, and if it is high it is important to lower it. A healthy weight should be maintained and the person should exercise regularly. In addition, foods that are high in dietary cholesterol, saturated fats and calories should be avoided.

HDL cholesterol is commonly referred to as “good cholesterol”. HDL is a form of fat in the blood which helps remove LDL from the body and deters the accumulation of plaque in the arteries. The higher the level of HDL in the blood, the better off the person will be. HDL levels can be increased by exercising for at least twenty minutes every day, avoiding foods with saturated fats, and decreasing body mass. Some adolescents might need to take medication to increase their HDL level. Increasing HDL in this manner can be complicated, but the teen’s physician can develop a planned therapy to raise his or her HDL.

The blood’s fat and cholesterol levels can be ascertained through cholesterol screening. The days of young children and adolescents with normal cholesterol levels are unfortunately a thing of the past. Changing lifestyles and the trend toward eating junk food has greatly increased the likelihood of children and adolescents developing high cholesterol levels. This in turn also increases their risk of developing cardiovascular disease affecting the coronary arteries and other blood vessels. The primary reasons for this change are adolescent obesity, eating junk foods and fast foods that contain high amounts of fat, a sedentary lifestyle and high cholesterol levels in the family history. Maintaining normal blood cholesterol levels is an effective way to prevent coronary artery disease as well as high blood pressure.

Blood cholesterol levels vary from person to person. A healthy LDL level is lower than 130 milligrams, and a healthy HDL level is greater than 35 milligrams. If an adolescent’s HDL is below 35, he or she has an increased probability of developing heart disease. Similarly, an LDL above 135 milligrams is also dangerous. However, high LDL levels are common among Americans. And in adolescents who have a family history of high cholesterol, high cholesterol is even more likely.
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A child or adolescent with a parent who has high blood cholesterol levels and a family history of early-onset cardiovascular disease should have his or her cholesterol tested beginning at the age of two. Obese adolescents should not only have their cholesterol tested, but should have a blood lipids test performed as well. This test analyzes the quantities of different fats in the blood, including LDL, HDL and triglycerides.

As the weather warms and the days lengthen, we see more people outside working in the yard, walking or running on the streets, riding bikes, or even swimming. Spring and early summer often provide us with greater opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and even many races and competitions are scheduled to push us a little further. As we get more active, it is important that we take special care to do it right.

Let me give you several suggestions to help you enjoy your outdoor activities, stay active and limit injury or other difficulties.

1. Wear Appropriate Clothing. Just as you wouldn’t wear jeans to swim (unless you’re a Boy Scout earning the Swimming merit badge), you should wear appropriate clothing for the activities you are participating in. Exercise clothing are often designed to help wick moisture away from the body and maintain a good body temperature. Running shoes help facilitate the functioning of the foot, while protecting the feet from injury on the asphalt or cement that we commonly run on. Barefoot activities, even around your own yard, should be done with great care to minimize injury from items that may cause cuts, bruises or even fractures. Flip flops are probably less beneficial than the barefoot, because a flip flop provides a false sense of security without the protection.

2. Maintain Proper Fluids. Since the bodies regular functions are based on the fluid content of the cells, it is imperative that dehydration be minimized by proper fluid intake. The best fluids to restore fluids lost include water, and sports drinks (that provide necessary electrolytes). Juices and punches will provide less benefit, whereas soft drinks will often have detrimental effects on fluid levels due to other substances that can add to dehydration. Since it is recommended that on a normal day we drink 6-8 cups of water, significantly more water should be utilized on a warm day to help maintain regular fluid loads. A great indicator of the proper fluid intake is the color of your urine – Clear means a proper level of fluid intake.

3. Avoid Sun Damage To Skin. I recently found myself in the sun without the proper sunscreen. Although not outside for much more than 1 hour, I damaged my skin with a sunburn. Many of us like the tan color of the skin, but fail to consider the possible damage that sun can cause for the skin. Appropriate sunscreen, hats, long sleeved/legged clothing, closed shoes may all be appropriate to limit the burning or damaging of the skin. Although we do get beneficial vitamin D from the sun, we should limit risks of skin diseases or cancers from too much exposure. Proper care can allow us to enjoy the sun without risks of other concerns. Besides, who wants a painful sunburn on your face, nose, arms, legs or even feet. Remember those feet when avoiding burns, because sandals or flip flops don’t preclude skin injury.

4. Prepare Appropriately For Activities. Although we have discussed clothing, fluids and sunscreen for activities, we also shouldn’t forget preparing appropriately for the activities. Exercise should be started slowly, especially as the heat increases. Proper nutrition will also help you function more appropriately in any activity from gardening to waterskiing, swimming to biking. Even a relaxed walk through the neighborhood will be more enjoyable if proper preparation was done beforehand. Appropriate stretching activities are among the necessary preparations for many activities.

5. Make Time For Activities You Enjoy. With the warming weather comes increased responsibilities outside, from mowing lawns to pulling weeds. I strongly recommend making time for the activities you enjoy. Some of my favorite activities for the summer include camping, barbeques, swimming and running. Making time for these activities increases my enjoyment of the warmer weather.

6. Add Exercise To The Activities You Do. One of the most important activities to increased health and greater enjoyment of the warming weather is exercise. Whether an activity you enjoy (I love to run, for example) or just a necessary “evil”, make a plan to participate in 30 minutes of exercise at least 3 times a week. You will be amazed, after you get past the initial soreness, at the increased energy, the ability to accomplish more and the increased alertness of your mind from exercise. The hormones and stimulants released with exercise improve the overall functioning of the body in all other activities. If you need assistance getting started on an exercise program, talk with your physician who can provide this assistance.

7. Spend Time With Those You Love. The last key to enjoying your spring/summer activities is doing them with those you love. Being surrounded by good people is always more enjoyable.

May you enjoy this warming weather and stay safe and injury free!

Understanding the glycemic index and how it affects your blood sugar may help you gain control of your blood sugar and help you make better food choices. If you are currently dealing with blood sugar problems or are diabetic you have probably heard the term glycemic index tossed around. Using this index can also reduce your risk of heart problems, promote weight loss, and improve cholesterol levels. Knowing what to eat using the glycemic index will help you take charge of your health.

The glycemic index is a method that ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on blood sugar levels. It has long been known that eating various carbohydrates have different consequences on our health. The glucose level in our bloodstream increases when we eat carbohydrates, especially things like processed sugar and high starch foods. What is just now coming to light is how eating certain good carbohydrates can actually keep blood sugar levels constant.

The key to using the glycemic index is learning how to exchange low glycemic index carbohydrates for those high index ones. It is not really complicated once you discover what works best for your body. Switching from highly processed grains is a good place to begin. Eating whole grains such as oats, bran and barley is important. Reduce the amount of starchy foods you eat, especially potatoes.

Increase your intake of things such as pasta and noodles. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Salad is a great option but make sure you use salad dressings such as vinegar and oil or vinaigrette’s instead of the high calorie dressings. Fresh fruits can satisfy those cravings for sugar in a natural way that doesn’t raise your blood sugar to dangerous levels.

Eating low glycemic foods helps you stay fuller longer and reduces hunger. Because you are full longer, you eat less. This will result in weight loss. Weight loss is often extremely difficult for diabetics because of the medications they take. By eating less, losing weight and keeping blood sugar levels constant the need for medications sometimes decreases. Even if you are not able to lose weight or lower your use of medications, eating a healthy diet has positive health benefits.

Taking control of your health through use of the glycemic index is an easy way to improve your health. With a little education and proper shopping methods you can be on your way to improving your health. Do some research and see if the glycemic index might work for you.

Irritable bowel syndrome affects millions of Americans. It usually manifests around age 20, and for reasons unknown strikes more women than men. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping and bloating, diarrhea or constipation, and mucous in the stools. While only a physician can diagnose irritable bowel syndrome and decide whether or not another serious illness is present or not, once you’re diagnosed there’s little that medical science can do other than offer some guidelines as to what to eat or avoid to prevent the occurrence of painful or debilitating IBS symptoms. Stress is often a trigger for IBS flare ups.

Stress and Your Body

Everyone experiences stress from time to time. Whether it’s getting stuck in traffic, taking tests, worrying about your job or money, there are often small, daily life stressors that accumulate and pile on the stress debt father than we can deal with it. Major life stressors, such as illness, loss of a job, death of a loved one, marriage, divorce and children can also create high stress levels in our lives.

When we’re under stress, whether big or small, our bodies go into the fight or flight response. This is nature’s way or preparing us to fight the perceived stress or run away from it. And while this mechanism served our ancestors well when they did things like fight wild beasts, it’s not so good for us now when the wild beasts we’re fighting are six lanes of stuck traffic or a poor performance review from our boss.

During times when stress levels rise, our bodies do several things to prepare for the fight or flight response. Breathing increases and may become shallow. Hormones flood the system along with other chemicals preparing us to battle or run from a perceived stressor. And blood moves from the digestive system to other places, slowing digestion so that energy can be put towards battling the stress rather than digestion.

Have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach or experienced a ‘nervous stomach’ before a stressful event, such as making a speech, acting in a play, or even on your wedding day? That’s perfectly normal and an example of how your body’s reacting to stress.

But in modern living, our stress levels rise without relief. Turn on the television first thing in the morning and what do you hear and see? Images of war, strife, tension. Stories about bad things. By the time you’ve grabbed your car keys and headed out the door to work, your body’s already starting to respond to stress. And it never ends.

Stress and Serotonin

Many people assume that the body’s reaction to stress is all in our heads, but it’s actually throughout the body – and especially in the gut. Serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates mood and emotion, is manufactured not in the brain but in the colon. If your colon’s not healthy or if it’s bombarded by unremitting stress day in and day out, chances are good that your body’s serotonin levels are altered. And this can lead to depression and greater anxiety.

Which comes first – the stress response, low serotonin levels and IBS, or low serotonin and anxiety? No one knows. Doctors however are starting to prescribe antianxiety medications to patients with irritable bowel syndrome, and seeing improvements, which again underscores the connection between the brain, the gut and irritable bowel syndrome.

Natural Help: Diet, Colon Hydrotherapy and Stress Relief

But what can you do to help irritable bowel syndrome without taking medication? There’s a long list of holistic procedures you can try if you’re diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. These include:

• Changing gradually to a raw, living foods diet. This increases fiber intake, improves nutrition for most people, and provides the body with life-giving enzymes.
• Colon hydrotherapy. Colon hydrotherapy uses water to gently cleanse impacted matter from the colon. This can help your body naturally evacuate waste easily. It often improves symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea and painful abdominal cramps.
• Stress relief. Find ways to cope with daily stressful events. EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique is a method of dealing with stress that you can learn and practice on your own. Other methods to cope with stress include mindfulness, meditation, yoga and gentle exercise. Seek counseling from a professional if you’re dealing with extreme stress, anxiety disorder or depression.

With these tips, you may be able to manage or mitigate some of the stress in your life that may contribute to irritable bowel syndrome symptoms.

Alleviating the side effects of seasonal influenza with home flu remedies is affordable and easy. Relieving congested nasal passages and lungs, drinking plenty of fluids, taking an over-the-counter pain medication, and including immune booster supplements such as vitamin C, zinc, and elderberry lozenges in your diet are a few of the best known home flu remedies that work.

Tips For Relieving Congestion In The Nasal Passages And Lungs

Congestion relief is a chief concern for individuals who contract seasonal influenza. One easy and affordable home flu remedy is breathing aromatic steam. Try adding some fresh ginger, medicated topical ointment, or eucalyptus oil to a sink of steaming water. Then, drape a towel over the head and inhale the medicated steam. This opens the bronchial tubes which makes breathing easier. Another inexpensive method for congestion relief is to take a warm shower with the bathroom door closed. This acts much the same way a sauna does. The concentrated steam that gathers in the enclosed space opens nasal airways and moistens and thins mucus in the lungs, which is useful in easing a scratchy, sore throat.

Nasal saline irrigation is another one of the affordable home flu remedies that eases congestion. The most popular method for irrigating nasal passages is by squirting a saline mixture of one-fourth teaspoon salt, one-fourth teaspoon baking soda and eight ounces of warm water into one nostril and letting it drain through the other nostril. This provides relief to sensitive nasal tissues by clearing nasal passageways, thinning mucus, decreasing postnasal drip, and moistening dried mucus membranes. Virus particles and bacteria are also removed during this process, which is beneficial in slowing the spread of the virus because there are fewer germs present in the body to infect healthy cells.

Keeping Your Body Well Hydrated And Pain Free When Fighting Flu

Health professionals constantly advise us that we need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, and this advice is especially important when one has influenza. Liquids are inexpensive, simple home flu remedies that keep the respiratory system hydrated and assist it in thinning the mucus that can build into a respiratory infection if it is not flushed out of the body’s system. Water is the best known and least expensive of the fluids. Hot chicken soup is also beneficial for the alleviation of irritated throats and congested lungs. It is a powerful mucus stimulant and studies have shown that it improves the function of cilia in preventing foreign bacteria and viruses from entering the body.

When an individual has a fever, which is the body’s way of fighting viral infections, dehydration is the enemy. Deciding to use a hot or cold liquid is a personal preference. Whichever form you choose, whether it be water, clear broths, decaffeinated teas, or electrolyte replacement drinks, all provide the body with the necessary coolants that protect sensitive organs and tissue from the heat damage associated with a fever. Other affordable fever reducers and easers of aching muscles are over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. It is important to note that one should never give aspirin to a child to reduce a fever unless recommended by a doctor, and one should always follow the dosage recommendations on the label.

Immune Boosters Provide Safe, Affordable Flu Remedies

Vitamins, minerals, and herbs, which are relatively inexpensive, provide antibodies, powerful antioxidants and antiviral agents to those suffering from seasonal influenza. Vitamin C and zinc, two of the best known flu remedies, aid in the production of white blood cells and also assist in the formation of antibodies that coat cell surfaces. A less known flu remedy gaining a reputation within the health community is elderberry lozenges. While vitamin C and zinc are excellent antioxidants, only elderberry lozenges have an established laboratory test record of providing effective relief for influenza A and B. Elderberry lozenges shorten the duration period of the flu by preventing the virus from compounding within the body.
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Fighting seasonal influenza does not have to be hard or expensive. Home flu remedies have provided affordable, simple relief to millions of flu sufferers. Staying hydrated, taking a pain reliever, and clearing the congestion in your lungs and sinus areas are three of the best methods for fighting the flu. Vitamins, minerals, and herbs also provide inexpensive relief of flu complications. Vitamin C and zinc are potent antioxidants, while elderberry lozenges shorten the duration of the flu by blocking viral reproduction.

If you have answered yes to this question then it is possible you are suffering from some form of mental decline, which is remarkably common these days, and not just in elderly people.

Mental decline or brain dysfunction is often one of the first signs of Aging and it can be a frightening thing. I’m sure you have seen elderly people with Dementia who cannot remember what they had for breakfast and can’t remember even their loved ones names! Well I firmly believe that this scenario does not have to happen at all. I believe that you can maintain a strong and healthy mind at any age. Indeed, one of my goals as an Anti Aging specialist is to assist people like you who are worried about the state of their mental health.

The Best Memory & Brain Boosting Therapies

Having said that now let me focus on some therapies that you can immediately implement to help boost your memory and brain power, and that will keep your brain cells healthy and strong allowing you to age with a sharp, clear and focused mind.

Oxygenate Your Brain – Preserve Your Memory & Brain Power

Firstly and most importantly is making sure your brain is receiving enough oxygen. This sounds obvious enough but in reality It is not as simple as it sounds. Your brain cells (neurons) are extremely sensitive to oxygen, and when they don’t get enough of this vital substance they will start to malfunction and start to die. And once your brain cells die you can never replace them.

Many people have a congested and blocked cardiovascular system, with blood that is thick and full of toxins and excess fats and cholesterol. This leads to a poor blood flow and inadequate blood supply to your vital organs, including your brain.

Also, excess calcium in many people’s diets leads to calcium plaques that become deposited in arteries leading to reduced blood flow. The carotid arteries leading to the brain are commonly affected by this condition, leading to inadequate blood flow to the brain.

Another common problem that I have found in numerous people is a low oxygen carrying capacity within the blood itself. Even if you have good clean blood flowing to all parts of your body, if you do not have enough red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your cells, your cells will become hypoxic (a condition of low oxygen).

This leads to a slow death of brain cells – you will not notice an immediate or sudden loss of memory unless you have a sudden dramatic reduction in blood flow (which does happen in a stroke – leading to possibly permanently damaged brain cells). What you will notice however is a slow and gradual decline in your mental function and memory.

The solution to this problem is to firstly completely clean out your arteries to make sure they allow a good flow of blood to your brain and all your other organs. This will ensure that you can get enough memory boosting oxygen to your brain (assuming you have enough red blood cells to carry sufficient oxygen).

A complete whole body detoxification program using EBOO (extra corporeal blood oxygenation and ozonation) is in my opinion the most powerful way you can achieve a completely clean body and also clean arteries.

Following this you must check to see that you have adequate red blood cells in your blood in order to carry sufficient oxygen to your brain. A simple blood test will be able to determine this. If your red blood cell numbers are low you will need to take action to rectify this problem to preserve your brain function. I can advise you further if you need help with this problem.

Hormones Are Crucial For Your Memory and for Your Brain

Hormones are very important for your overall health and in particular for your sexual health, bone health, heart health, and especially for your brain health.

You may not be aware that your brain cells have the largest number of hormone receptors in your body. This means that your brain cells are even more susceptible to deficiencies in your hormone levels. If your brain cells don’t get enough hormones, then they will not function correctly, and their metabolism will slow down. When this happens, your brain function slows down and so does your memory.

Thyroid hormone is particularly important for your brain health, and if you have low levels of thyroid hormones your metabolism will slow down leading to numerous health problems – tiredness, weight gain, loss of hair, brain fog, and memory problems. In fact many people that have been diagnosed as suffering from dementia have low thyroid hormone levels. Once this problem is corrected, the dementia or memory problems often disappear.

In women the hormones estrogen and progesterone are both very important. In our society there tends to be an estrogen dominance or overload and a progesterone deficiency leading to a hormonal imbalance. This in turn leads to numerous significant health problems (increased breast cancer and heart disease risk are the major ones), and also to mental problems including depression, anxiety and memory loss. I will talk further about estrogen dominance in future articles as this is an extremely common and significant problem in both women and men

Testosterone is also another very important hormone that is critical for brain health in both men and women. This is a much maligned hormone and has been given a bad rap for its misuse within body building circles. However, testosterone is so critical to your health that there a large numbers of testosterone receptors not just in the sexual organs of men and women, but also in the heart and in the brain.

Evidence indicates that low levels of testosterone may contribute to memory impairment and increase the vulnerability of the brain to Alzheimer’s and related disorders. Beta-amyloid, a peptide that may accumulate in certain regions of the aging brain, is implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers have found that testosterone exerts neuroprotective benefits from the effects of toxic beta-amyloid. An article published in Brain Research describes a study in which cultured neurons were exposed to beta-amyloid in the presence of testosterone. The resulting toxicity from beta-amyloid was significantly reduced by testosterone.

Pregnenolone is another vitally important hormone within your body that plays a crucial role in brain and memory function. This is your “mother hormone” form which all the other sex hormones are made.

Pregnenolone is one of the major hormones in the brain. It is produced by certain brain cells, as well as being absorbed into the brain from the blood. It protects brain cells from injury caused by fatigue, and an adequate amount has a calming effect on the emotions, which is part of the reason that it protects us from the stress response that leads to an excessive production of cortisone.

Hormones should only be taken in their bio-identical form, meaning that they are the exact same hormones that your body makes, and not synthetic substitutes of the hormones. Bio-identical hormones will lead to healthy reactions in your body, whereas synthetic hormones may lead to symptomatic improvement in the short term, but in the long term will cause significant health problems to your body.