How to Achieve Natural Headache Relief

June 26th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Health Research

We all get headaches from time to time. If you are lucky, a headache rarely happens to you. Others are not so lucky and have headaches on a regular basis. We all know how difficult it can be to get through the day with a headache that you just can’t shake.

There are a lot of medications for headaches at your local drug or discount store including aspirin and NSAID drugs. People who have migraines and other serious headache issues often require prescription medication. The problem is that using medication to treat headaches regularly can be hazardous to your overall health.

You can get natural headache relief and avoid these medications. Here are some suggestions:

  • White Willow Bark - White willow bark is what aspirin is made of. In its natural form, it helps relieve your headache but is less likely to cause stomach upset. You should not combine white willow bark with aspirin or NSAID medications. You can get white willow bark at a health food store near you.
  • Apples - Eating an apple every day has always been said to keep the doctor away and it may keep headaches away as well. For best results, eat a whole apple when your stomach is empty once a day.
  • Lemon - You can use lemons in a variety of ways for headache relief. You can make lemon tea with lemon juice and regular tea. You can also make a lemon paste from the skin and put that on your forehead. If you are overheated and have a headache as a result, try pressing lemon peels to your forehead.
  • Sandlewood - When crushed and made into a paste, sandlewood applied to the forehead can help relieve headache pain.
  • Cayenne Pepper - The capsaicin in cayenne pepper is known for its ability to increase the size of blood vessels, which helps relieve headache pain. Cayenne pepper is available in capsules or in the spice form. You can add a tiny amount of the spice to water or tea and drink for headache relief.
  • Rosemary - Rosemary also helps increase the size of blood vessels to relieve pain. Rosemary tea made by mixing fresh rosemary with boiling water and steeping is good for headache relief. Other ways to use rosemary are to inhale the boiled rosemary water steam or to use rosemary oil on your forehead.
  • Cinnamon - Headaches caused by exposure to cold can be cured with cinnamon paste applied to the forehead.
  • Eucalyptus - This herb is said to help tension headaches. Eucalyptus oil applied to the forehead will help relieve headache pain. You can keep a piece of cloth with eucalyptus oil on it with you and inhale that when you feel a headache coming on.
  • Ginger - Ginger helps relieve swelling, upset stomach and migraine headaches. There are many forms you can use including whole ginger, ginger capsules and ginger tea.

No one wants to have a headache but if you get one, there are many ways to relieve the pain. Often you can get more relief from natural headache relief than from medication. Consider an herbal remedy next time you get a headache.

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The Headache and Eyesight Connection

May 10th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Family Health

Headaches aren’t as simple as you might think. Because there are a number of things that can cause headaches, it can become difficult to figure out the right way to cure it. One thing you should consider doing if you constantly experience headaches, though, is to consult with an eye doctor.

Usually when we think of the causes of our headaches, we look outside the body. Stress is a common culprit, which is understandable since it’s known to cause a lot of damage to our health. Stress can affect all organ systems, causing symptoms like hair loss and  depression, as well as other kinds of diseases. Stress can also increase the amount of free radicals in our body, resulting in premature aging.

Physicians know the role stress plays so if a patient comes to them complaining of recurring headaches, they tend to question their patients about their activities and work. When the negative effects of our lifestyle become clear, we then take steps to improve our health.

Because most of their attention is focused on other causes, people seldom consider that the problem may lie with their eyes. A certain amount of headaches are caused by undiagnosed vision problems. So what exactly are these eye problems, and how are they causing headaches?

Our eyesight changes as we get older. As kids, our vision problems are caught through annual vision tests. This is done by reading an eye chart which grades vision according to how many lines we can read on it. People who have poor vision are usually prescribed eyeglasses in order to improve their eyesight.

A few kids may refuse to wear their new glasses and deny that they have any vision problems. They do this in order to avoid being teased at school. Though they are still young, many of them already feel the need to be like the rest of their peers. These children often end up squinting and thus develop headaches.

This reason can also apply to adults. Another possible reason is that adults rarely get their eyes checked and by the time they do, their eyesight may have worsened and their glasses are no longer the right grade for them.

How can you tell if your vision is the one responsible for your headaches? There are several signs. One is if you often remove your glasses and rub your eyes. Another is if you find yourself constantly taking off your glasses then putting them back on while you are reading.

In kids, it’s a good idea to monitor their school performance. Intelligent children who do terribly in tests may have trouble reading due to poor vision. When they try to read, they put strain on their eye muscles which then result in headaches.

That’s why it’s important to have your eyes tested yearly. If you or someone you know is experiencing headaches, you should check to see if poor eyesight may be the reason. Undergoing an eye exam can help you find out if that’s the case, so your headaches can go away.

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How to Tell if You Have the Flu

February 5th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Family Health

Winter is a bad season for colds and flu. People generally spend most of their time in close quarters with others. Thus, this makes it more likely to spread germs with each other. Winter often brings the dreaded sneezing and coughing and more for many of us.

We all are especially afraid of catching the flu in the winter. The flu is scary especially since we have heard about flu outbreaks killing people in so many places in the world. Usually, though, the flu just takes you out of commission for awhile.

If you are aware of the symptoms of the flu you can get to your doctors earlier for the right medicine. You also can avoid coming into contact with friends and family members so you don’t give them the flu. Once you know you have the flu, the important thing is for you to take care of yourself so you can get better faster.

The following are common flu symptoms:

*The flu usually comes with a fever of over 100. This is not true of the common cold. While a fever is usually not dangerous, it can be if it goes over 106. If that happens, call your doctor right away.

*Often the first sign of the flu will be aches and pains in your arms and legs that just make you feel uncomfortable. The aches and pains can be pretty bad, and they are usually the first indicator that you may have the flu.

*We all get headaches so headaches alone do not mean that you have the flu. The thing you should watch for is if your headaches are followed by other flu symptoms. You might also experience pain whenever you try to move your eyes.

*A big symptom of the flu is the tired, worn down feeling. You just have no energy and feel like lying around all day.

*Children are more likely to suffer from vomiting and diarrhea then adults are. Adults often just have no appetite when they have the flu.

*Sore throats, a hacking cough and a nose that won’t stop running are all symptoms of the flu. When you have the flu, these symptoms may not show up till a day or so in, after your fever has gone down.

No one wants to catch the flu so you need to do what you can to avoid it. It’s good to know what to look for so if you do get the flu, you can get treatment immediately and avoid passing the flu virus on to others.

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Dealing with Allergies

January 27th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Family Health

Everyone usually assumes that spring is the worst season for allergy sufferers. It’s true that spring can be difficult with all the flower blooming and grass growing, but for some allergy sufferers, allergies can be a yearlong problem.

Winter can also be a big season for allergies. You may think that because nothing is growing and because you are indoors more, you won’t have allergies in the winter. This isn’t necessarily true. You may be just as allergic to things inside your house as you are to the plants outside your house.

Dust can be a big problem for people with allergies. Often it isn’t the dust itself but the dirty micro-organisms inside the dust that people are allergic to. Dust mites are a common culprit and can be found in your carpets. Vacuuming and dusting on a regular basis will help with getting rid of dust mites. When dusting, make sure you are removing the dust, not just spreading it into the air and onto other surfaces in your house. Also, using a product containing a dust repellent is a good idea.

You may think you have cleaned and dusted enough but if you still have problems, it might be because of your bedding. Dust mites love to live in your bedding. You can prevent this by covering your mattress and box spring with a protective allergy reducing cover. Also, change your sheets and blankets out on a regular basis, preferably every week.

Allergies to pets can be a big problem. If you have pet dander allergy, you need to make sure your dog or cat isn’t getting in your bed. You may think it’s fun to have your pet sleep in the same bed as you, but remember that you are also sharing the bed with their pet dander.

The most common allergy symptoms are water or itchy eyes, a stuffy or watery nose, constant sneezing, headaches and more. If you are having these symptoms in the winter, you may have a reaction to something you didn’t know you were allergic to.

People with allergies often are sick more with colds and flu than others with no allergies. This is because the allergic reactions increase mucus production and this allows germs and bacteria to thrive. The more of these little guys you have, the more likely you will be sick. If you can find ways to lessen your allergies, you should not get sick so often.

Asthma is often associated with allergies. Allergy sufferers with asthma often remain symptom free in the warmer months but have flare ups in the winter because of the winter allergies many people have. Asthma may also be worse this time of year because so many people get the cold or the flu. Taking care of your allergies will help your asthma as well.

You may get some relief from allergy symptoms from medicine you buy at your local store. If you have allergy symptoms you also want to schedule a doctor’s appointment to get a definitive diagnosis and get the proper treatment.

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How to Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisining During the Winter Season

January 23rd, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Family Health

We all have heard of the dangers of carbon monoxide. The question is how many of us really understand what causes it and what can be done to protect you and your family, especially during the winter season.

Carbon monoxide, or CO, comes from oxygen that is burned and produces a gas that you can’t see or smell. Carbon monoxide is able to attach to your red blood cells more effectively than oxygen. The carbon monoxide basically strangles your blood cells while you are unaware it is even happening, preventing oxygen from getting to your blood cells. It doesn’t take a large amount of carbon monoxide to be deadly and you’ll never see or smell it before it happens.

Carbon monoxide is present anytime oxygen is being burned. The difference with a fire outside is that the carbon monoxide can escape into the air. When you have carbon monoxide in your house, though, it can’t go anywhere so it is inhaled by your and your family. Usually carbon monoxide in the house comes from fire places that are not venting properly, a heater that is not working properly or the exhaust from a car.

If you are lucky, you will only get sick and not die from carbon monoxide poisoning. The symptoms usually include feeling sick to your stomach, feeling dizzy and weak, problems catching your breath and headaches. If it is an exposure to only a small amount of the carbon monoxide, you will have these symptoms for a few hours after you are out of the area. If there is a lot of carbon monoxide in your system, you can die.

Usually, you won’t know what the problem is if there is a small leak. You could spend several days thinking your family had the flu when really they were being poisoned by carbon monoxide. In order to protect your family, you need to avoid this situation at all costs. There are small machines that are like smoke detectors except they will pick up even a tiny amount of carbon monoxide and warn you and your family. The carbon monoxide detectors need to be maintained, which means testing them on a regular basis. For what these devices cost, you can’t afford not to get one since it could be the difference between life and death for your family.

It is also important to make sure there is no opportunity for carbon monoxide to build up inside your home. If you have a fireplace, have it professionally cleaned yearly. Have your furnace checked every year as well especially if it is an older model. Don’t start your car in the garage to warm up in the winter unless you have the garage door open. It’s better to let the car run outside of the garage. Follow these simple steps and you protect your loved ones from carbon monoxide poisoning.

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Diagnosing Food Allergies

January 20th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Health Research

Often food allergies can come on suddenly in some people and they immediately have trouble breathing, start to swell up or go into shock. They can also be very itchy all of a sudden. This can be dangerous but if the reaction is obvious, it can usually be treated more efficiently. The people with food allergies who have less severe reactions find it harder to get treatment for their problems.

If you have mild reactions to foods, you can figure out what might be causing them by starting a food journal. Write down every piece of food that you eat and any reaction that the food caused, no matter how mild. You can do this in a plain notebook or on a calendar, whatever works best for you. You and your doctor can use your food journal determine which foods trigger your allergic reactions. With the help of your food journal, your doctor can determine how to treat your allergies.

You may find that you don’t actually have food allergies at all. Sometimes, our immune system attacks a food substance in our body because it thinks it is a danger to us. Your body generally has a bad reaction to the immune system’s attack on a harmless substance. This causes allergic reactions like swelling, itching, stomach problems, headaches, breathing problems or cold like symptoms. Writing down in your food journal any of the symptoms that occur is important in finding the right treatment for your problem.

Often people mistake stomach problems caused by certain foods for allergies. Instead, problems with the digestive system are usually to blame. If you find certain foods cause stomach and digestive problems, make sure you avoid these foods. There really isn’t any medicine to treat these problems. You may want to see your doctor if the problems keep coming back to rule out a more serious digestive problem.

Don’t try to treat your food allergies yourself. Go to your doctor and find out how to treat your problem and what foods to avoid. Not all food labels are the same so you may end up eating foods you are allergic to if they go by different names. You might also have a more serious problem than food allergies that you are not aware of. Let your doctor figure out what is wrong with you.

After meeting with you and discussing your food journal and your symptoms, your doctor may do an allergy test. The skin test that involves pricking your skin with allergens to see how you react is one of the most common ways to test for food allergy. Blood tests can also be helpful. Your doctor will give you a treatment plan for your allergies and help you prepare for a possible allergic reaction.

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