HELIOSphan.com – The Health Blog

TREATMENT FOR THE ACHING MISERIES: PROGESTOGEN

Author: admin

However, there are synthetic forms of progesterone, called progestogens, which can be in pill form. The trouble is that you can’t depend on getting the same results with a substitute as you can with the real thing. If you take progestogen, your body will cut back rather than increase the amount of progesterone it will produce. And remember the object of the exercise is to provide you with more progesterone. However, doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital who treat their patients with progestogen, under the trade name ‘Duphaston’ are pleased with their results. They claim that this drug can relieve many of the symptoms for a majority of their patients. Unfortunately, the picture isn’t entirely rosy. I feel it’s only right to warn you that Duphaston can and does have some unpleasant side effects for some of the women who take it. On the other hand, doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital are encouraged by the success of their trials of this drug, which they say helped seventy per cent of their patients.

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Tags: Pain Relief
December 7th, 2009  |  Posted in Pain Relief-Muscle Relaxers  |  Comments Off

VIRUSES

Author: admin

Not really a complete cell but simple nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) encased in protein, a virus must make use of other cells to function and reproduce as a lifeform. Thus it invades cell tissue and interferes with its normal function and genetic behaviour.

Often viruses will kill the host cell and move quickly to invade others. Sometimes they do not kill the cell but live on within it, manipulating its genetic codes in order to reproduce. Such viruses are known as retroviruses and include HIV, which causes AIDS.

Other illnesses and ailments arising from viral infection include the commom cold, chicken pox, measles, warts, influenza, cold sores and genital herpes. The body reacts to their presence by producing special kinds of blood proteins called antibodies. These antibodies remain in the blood after the virus has been beaten and reinfection by the same virus is not possible. Unfortunately, many viruses quickly mutate, rendering the antibodies useless. An example of a rapidly mutating virus is influenza which a person could catch every year. Non-mutating viruses such as mumps are rarely caught twice in a lifetime.

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Tags: General health
December 7th, 2009  |  Posted in General health  |  Comments Off

MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS: HOW TO COPE-IN VARIOUS SITUATIONSC-AT SCHOOL:

Author: admin

EXAM FEVER

Worry about approaching examinations can work in exactly the same way and the more worried you are, the more likely you are to start off your period just in time for the examinations! And as you may probably know from experience, this may mean you won’t do so well. Dr Dalton’s research showed very clearly that girls who took examinations in the weeks after their periods obtained much better results than their equally intelligent friends who took them when they were either in the middle of their periods or suffering from the miseries.

There are times when the dice seem to be loaded against you. And you are right —they are. But at least the examination system allows you to plead your case. If you’re taking State exams like O level, A level or CSE, you can have a special note fixed to your paper to explain if you are so unwell that the quality of your work could be affected. Period pain of either kind would certainly qualify. So don’t be too shy, or too proud, to take advantage of the system.

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Tags: Pain Relief
December 7th, 2009  |  Posted in Pain Relief-Muscle Relaxers  |  Comments Off

MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS: HOW TO COPE-IN VARIOUS SITUATIONSC-AT HOME: HOUSEWORK

Author: admin

A last word about housework — which often is the last word. Some women enjoy housework and feel really happy when their home sparkles. For others, it’s a pain, but they do it because they feel compelled. If you are like that, try putting it last in your order of priorities. After all, it’ll always be there and will wait for you. The advertising men would like you to believe that the best wives and mothers are the women sitting in band-box clothes in an immaculate ideal home, but I hope you won’t be taken in by that. Aim to do the things you enjoy —first. Play with your children when they’re in their most delightful mood; make love whenever the spirit moves you both; dance when you feel like it; eat when you want to; if the sun calls you, go out and sunbathe. Enjoy life and let the dishes wait and the vacuum cleaner stay in the cupboard. You can make your own routine. And the more fun there is in your life, the easier it is to bear the painful moments.

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Tags: Pain Relief
December 7th, 2009  |  Posted in Pain Relief-Muscle Relaxers  |  Comments Off

TISSUE SALTS

Author: admin

Also known as biochemical tissue salts, the medicinal use of these simple mineral compounds was developed by Dr Wilhelm Schuessler in Germany in the 1870s. He placed particular emphasis on the balance of minerals in the body and the onset of disease and identified 12 salts which were vital for general health and self-healing. If the mineral balance in cells was just right, Schuessler reasoned, diseases do not occur. Schuessler concentrated his efforts on the healing of everyday illnesses like colds and muscular pain, skin rashes and allergies.

Today these compounds are widely used by homeopaths but may be prescribed in a slightly different way to the Schuessler remedies, in keeping with the homeopathic principle of like curing like. The salts are known by an abbreviated name, such as Calc. fluor. for Calcium Fluoride and Kali mur. for Potassium Chloride, and are usually dissolved under the tongue. People suffering from lactose intolerance should note that lactose is often used as a binder in tissue salt powders and tablets (see Homeopathy). Tissue salts are also made up in combinations to treat different aspects of various problems.

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Tags: General health
December 7th, 2009  |  Posted in General health  |  Comments Off

T’AI CHI

Author: admin

A very common sight in the parks of China and Hong Kong is people practising the graceful routines of T’ai chi. It is becoming increasingly popular in western countries as well, as a wholistic means of engendering body awareness and reducing stress and anxiety. The slow, continous movements of T’ai chi have their roots in the martial arts but the aggressive, tactical aspects of karate or kung fu were removed by Taoist monks and replaced by a greater contemplation of the flow of energy though the body and self expression. Many of the movements, of which there are more than 100, are derived from the behaviour of animals and birds and are identified by names such as ‘the birds beak’ and ‘the stalk cools its wings’. It is always recommended that T’ai chi be practised in the open air and that the movements be properly taught by an experienced instructor.

Its meditative, relaxing aspects are well understood, but T’ai chi is also beneficial for posture, breathing control and circulation. As a preventive therapy it works on the principle of balancing the yin and the yang forces in the body, calming the mind and promoting good health.

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Tags: General health
December 7th, 2009  |  Posted in General health  |  Comments Off

SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO FALL SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN FEELING MILDLY BLUE AND SUFFERING FROM MAJOR CLINICAL DEPRESSION

Author: admin

Technically, those who don’t quite meet diagnoses of major depressive disorder or dysthymia are known as subsyndromal. Studies on subsyndromal conditions have found that they can actually be quite disabling, often causing as much misery and costing those suffering from them as many days off work as the full-blown syndromes themselves. Clearly this is a mid-zone, where judgement is required as to whether to involve a doctor or not. It’s not a cold, it’s not pneumonia, it’s more like bronchitis or laryngitis, something nasty but not deadly. Seeking out medical attention is certainly the prudent course in such situations, but in reality, people often choose to take matters into their own hands. Whether or not you choose to involve a doctor in the treatment of your symptoms, St John’s Wort can certainly be used, often to good effect. Follow the same guidelines for dosing and monitoring as outlined above.

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Tags: Anti Depressants
December 7th, 2009  |  Posted in Anti Depressants-Sleeping Aid  |  Comments Off

TESTS IN EPILEPSY

Author: admin

Epilepsy is a clinical diagnosis based on a detailed description of events. There is no single test which can always make, or exclude, a diagnosis of epilepsy. Moreover, as also explained in earlier chapters, epilepsy is not a single condition. There are many different types of epilepsy, and there are many different causes of epilepsy. Investigations may be useful to:

• add weight to, or support the clinical diagnosis of epilepsy;

• help ‘classify’ the type of epileptic seizure and epilepsy syndrome. This is important in predicting the likely outcome of the epilepsy in a given individual, and the treatment that should be used; and

• help detect or find a cause for the epilepsy.

The main investigations which may be used in epilepsy are the electroencephalogram (EEG) and brain imaging techniques, most commonly computerized tomographic scanning (CT scanning) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Other investigations such as X-rays, blood tests, lumbar puncture (spinal tap), or tissue biopsy are much less commonly undertaken.

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Tags: Epilepsy
December 7th, 2009  |  Posted in Epilepsy  |  Comments Off

BETTER QUALITY SLEEP TO EASE AND PREVENT BACK TROUBLE: THE CORRECT HEIGHT

Author: admin

The height of your bed from the floor is another major factor that

should be taken into account. The NBPA suggests that you should ask yourself two questions, both about your present bed and when considering buying a new one:

Can you get off and on the bed easily?

Is the bed of a height that will be comfortable for making each day and changing bedding?

If your bed is too low but otherwise perfectly okay, there’s no need to buy a new one as you usually can make it higher either by buying special extensions for its legs or, if it has legs that screw in, replacing these with longer ones. However, be sure that whatever you do will be solid enough to take the weight safely. For example, just placing a bed’s four legs on blocks of wood could mean that one of the legs may slip off eventually, perhaps making the bed suddenly tilt sharply while you’re asleep.

A bed that’s too high can be lowered by sawing its feet. Do be absolutely sure, however, that the resulting height will be the right one for you as cutting an inch or two off the legs is one thing, gluing the pieces back, quite another!

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Tags: Pain Relief
December 7th, 2009  |  Posted in Pain Relief-Muscle Relaxers  |  Comments Off