Women Health Care Experience » Immune System

48% of Women at One Point Suffer Hairloss

admin — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:44:59 +0000

A massive 48 percent of women claim that they are or have at one point suffered from hair loss. A recent study reveals that hair loss is linked with stress and 42% of them say that this stress is completely unavoidable. The top causes of said stress were ranked in order of the effect that they had on one’s life. Stress was the number one cases at 53%, hair loss was due to age was diagnosed for 23% of the women, 20% of women who were post birth, 13% for dieters and 17% attributed to hair styling. Many of the problems associated with hair loss are caused stress as it damages the immune system which breaks down as a result of our poor nutritional intake. Poor nutrition means dull, lifeless and brittle hair which will be prone to fall out especially where heavy amounts of styling are involved.

Stress also causes the release of chemicals which transmit messages to the follicles of the hair after which they enter the resting phase. The longer the hair remains at this resting phase the more likely the hair is to fall out.

It is tough when women start to lose their hair. Women do not have options such as Finasteride (sold as Propecia) for men because the drug is known to cause birth defects in the unborn babies of pregnant women. It is hard to imagine coping with hair loss especially as a woman. Women spend on average 600 pounds per year on the maintenance of their hair. Some types of hair loss cannot be avoided but there are some things that can help like the right kind of nutrition. It is thought sipping caffeine is good for the slowing of baldness. Over styling and harsh products are thought to be a great source of damage for hair so avoiding styling a few days per week would be preferable. Eating lean protein is good for the keratin of the hair (hair is mostly made up of this stuff). Women should not even touch Propecia or be anywhere near the drug.

Best Homemade Beauty Tips

admin — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:38:47 +0000

It is a shame then that Western women have not adopted these more natural methods instead of those that rely on (usually) invasive medical procedures. However, with an abundance of risk free, natural health and beauty secrets everywhere, you have to ask yourself why there aren’t being adopted more readily.

One of the first beauty secrets involves something that is surrounds us every day – water. Something so simple but it takes toxins from the body and hydrates the skin making it look beautiful at the same time and you only have to drink about eight glasses a day to achieve this. The modern world is full of waste and much of it ends up being absorbed by our skin but water is a superb way to cleanse our system.

Many essential vitamins and minerals are present in fruit and vegetables and eating these regularly is another natural and pleasant way to help make your skin look more beautiful. They contain many different nutrients, providing us with particular benefits. Drinking natural juices can give us optimum health and helps enhance our natural energy. It has been know for quite some time that fruit is very good for the skin, nails, and hair and in a juice they are easily consumed.

Taking regular exercise, which helps bring oxygen into the blood, is one of the beauty secrets that is easily attainable and brings quick results. Many other exercises that cost nothing or very little, and are extremely beneficial to your overall health and beauty are biking, running, and swimming for example. Those are not the only advantages gained by exercise though because you burn off calories faster, digest food more efficiently and eliminate toxins from your body.

You will find that most people that take regular exercise are happy because it provides increased energy levels and puts you in a good mood. Looking younger is another by product of this, happiness. A natural beauty secret, keeping positive has been shown to lengthen the life span and boost the immune system.

A beauty secret that is pleasant and painless is daily bathing; it invigorates the body and refreshes the mind. It is ideal as a refresher in the morning or as a relaxant in the evening and an ideal way to prepare for sleep. A good night’s sleep puts a bounce in your step as your body feels re-energised.

The sun is a vital source of vitamins and energy, but too much of it can cause wrinkles and damage the skin. Wearing sunscreen daily is one of the must-do beauty secrets, which can be a long-term preventive measure for years to come. Those who do not heed this warning may require surgery as that is often the only option left when the skin is irreparably damaged by the suns strong UV rays.

It is not often mentioned because we do not always see the real benefits of them but strong, meaningful relationships are probably the most crucial of beauty secrets. We are not very good at living our lives totally on our own other than for short periods as it tends to cause sickness and ill health. They may sometimes get on your nerves but your loved ones have a healing and calming effect when you are sad or unwell. They accept you for who you are, and no beauty secrets in the world can help you do that more than they can.

Ambien is being overprescribed

admin — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:58:21 +0000

The pharmaceutical industry prefers researchers not to look in detail at the postmarketing situation. Once a drug is on the market, we are all supposed to be interested in something else. We should just assume the drug has solved whatever the problem was. There’s no need to follow up by measuring how well the drug is actually performing. Except that’s the kind of thinking that delayed the recall of the Cox-2 Inhibitors when there should have been better safety monitoring to show this class of drugs caused heart problems. Worse, this type of resistance to research runs through most different industries as the delayed recall of Toyotas aptly demonstrates. Which brings us to 2010 Sleep in America, a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation. This is a regular snapshot of sleeping habits across America. It’s good this research is done, but it’s on the margin with only a thousand or so participants. There should be significantly more participants if the scaling up of the numbers across the general population is to be reliable. As it is, we should not generalize too much from the results. The first finding is that, on average, we seem to be sleeping about two hours less than we did forty years ago. For some reason not properly explained, the study assumes we should all aim for about eight-and-a-half hours of sleep every night. The current crop of respondents reports sleeping between six and seven hours a night. To keep the accuracy of this report in perspective, there’s good medical evidence that lack of sleep undermines the body’s immune system making us more prone to illness, encourages obesity, increases blood pressure, and raises the risk of heart disease. What is less clear is the point at which these adverse health consequences kick in. It could be between six and seven hours a night, but there is no evidence to support this proposition. About a quarter of the respondents admit to missing work or appointments because they felt too tired. The same percentage admitted they were too tired to have regular sex. When asked to explain why sleep was more difficult, many referred to increased financial worries during the recession. Personal stress levels were higher with relationship problems. There were also lifestyle choices like watching TV in bed which delayed or disturbed sleep. In racial terms, Asians have the longest sleep patterns and blacks sleep less than whites and Hispanics. Overall, the report makes interesting reading but, until more people are included in the poll, it is difficult to generalize to the population at large. That said, some of the conclusions are intuitively correct. If about 25% of people are finding their lives adversely affected by insomnia, it helps explain why ambien is such a popular drug. As the sleeping pill with the best reputation for safety and effectiveness, it seems to be the drug of choice to get enough sleep. But it does remain something of a mystery why people make it difficult for themselves. About three-quarters of the respondents watched TV immediately before attempting sleep and then expressed surprise they did not immediately fall asleep. The reality is that, unless you resort to ambien, it’s better to relax the mind, say, by listening to gentle music. Moving the TV out of the bedroom and avoiding exciting late-night programs is basic common sense. Going to sleep at the same time every night is a good habit. Living your life around the TV schedule is a bad habit.

Tramadol alternatives with a herbal character

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:08:51 +0000

Chronic inflammation is known to be the most common cause for serious painful conditions within the human body. The usual response of the body’s immune system can make the condition even worse if there are additional factors such as lack of physical activity, poor diet, additional health conditions or bad environment.

In case you have chronic pain conditions caused by an inflammatory process such as joint pain, arthritis or tendonitis, it would be helpful if you include certain herbs to your regimen in order to control these processes. Of course, expecting immediate relief like with ordinary painkiller medications is not the smartest thing to do, however you will surely notice beneficial effects over a longer period of time. And if combined with special techniques and exercises, herbal solutions could be a very effective alternative or addition to common medical treatments.

Still, bear in mind that herbs with anti-inflammatory action aren’t enough to treat the condition on their own. Moreover, taking the condition seriously and treating it effectively is very important for improving the overall health of your body, reducing the risk of developing such diseases as cancer, diabetes and heart problems.

And before you start taking any herbs, make sure to consult with your family doctor if they are safe for you. It all depends on the conditions you have, so don’t make the common mistake and ask your doctor first in order to avoid serious problems later.

Here are some of the most widely-used and effective herbs for pain relief you can use with inflammatory conditions. Of course, they can’t compete with drugs like Tramadol but you sure will get additional relief the natural way with them:

White Willow Bark

A 2008 clinical study has indicated that this herb can be very effective in cases of mild to severe knee and hip chronic pain problems, causing pain relief due to certain compounds contained by it that are similar to aspirin. White willow bark is also known to be beneficial in cases of back and joint pain, as well as osteoarthritis.

Boswellia

Compiled from frankincense tree bark resin, this herbal solution is known to be very effective in preventing and suppressing inflammation-causing chemical reactions. Those who employ ayurvedic medicine strongly use boswellia for treating arthritis, as well as helping those who have inflammatory bowel problems.

Devil’s Claw

Usually employed in cases of rheumatoid arthritis, this herbal solution is also known to be helpful in cases of osteoarthritis, tendonitis, and neck and back pains. A 2007 study of rheumatic condition patients has shown that 60% of participants have shifted from their usual painkiller medications (such as Tramadol) or lowered their dosage in eight weeks after starting the course of devil’s claw. It has also manifested an overall improvement of the life quality in those who were taking it.

Bromelain

Bromelain is an enzyme produced from pineapple stems, which is known for reducing the levels and activity of prostaglandins – the hormones responsible for inflammation processes. This herb can be very helpful to those who have arthritis or musculoskeletal tension conditions, as well as post-traumatic pains. Moreover, bromelain was observed to improve healing processes in muscles and connective tissues.

There are more herbs that can help you with pain relief, so ask your doctor about them before you buy Tramadol or any other medication. You can always use chemical preparations, but why putting your body through stress if you can help it with a natural product first?

Laughter Workshop From Unitedmind.co.uk

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:54:36 +0000

Humour can be infectious and is one of the most wonderful things you can share with others. Laughter is an essential activity that binds people together and creates strong relationships. Just think how someone else can cheer you up if you are in a bad mood by sharing funny stories with you or just reminding you how many positive things there are to enjoy in life. Laughter really is the best medicine and it has been proved to strengthen your immune system and boost your energy levels.

Reduce Stress

Studies have shown that looking on the bright side of life can reduce stress. Learning how to find the humorous side of difficult and unpleasant situations can diminish negative feelings such as anger, embarrassment and guilt. Laughter can protect you from the damaging effects of long-term stress which is a major factor of illness and depression in the highly pressurised society of modern life. If you find it difficult to see the bright side of life and tend to take a very negative approach to challenging situations then there are a number of steps you can take. Laughter workshops are available which can help you to learn how to relax and take a new, more humorous look at life. Also there may be a particular problem or experience in your life that is bringing you down. You could try talking to a professional counsellor to help find ways to resolve this issue so that you can move on and take a more positive approach to the future.

Relationships

It is too easy to find fault with people and harbour ill feelings and resentments in situations when no one is really to blame. You can ease the burden on relationships by taking a lighter, more relaxed approach. Humour helps you see that many problems in life really are not worth stressing over and can be easily resolved if you just take the time to talk things through with others. Being able to laugh easily with your close ones will help you all to approach problems with a grounded and sensible outlook. This can enhance your interactions with others and create healthy physical and emotional relationships. Laughter and good humour is also a very attractive feature and will help you to make new more friends easily.

Better Health

Laughter literally helps you to relax. Studies have shown that a good hearty laugh will ease away all the tension you hold inside you (which you may not even realise is there) and leaves you feeling much more relaxed for at least 45 minutes afterwards. Laughter has also been shown to boost the immune system and regulate hormones. This improves your resistance to disease and releases ‘feel-good’ endorphins which can boost your emotional health and help to decrease pain.