Saturday, November 22, 2008

Some Easy Ways To End Bad Breath

By Rone Hooper

Easy Steps To Getting Rid Of Stinky Breath.

Some people call it "dragon breath" or "butt breath", and usually if your breath stinks, you know it. It's pretty easy to get rid of that bad breath if you follow a few simple rules or steps. But if you have a medical or dental condition, it is best to follow your doctors orders because these simple steps may not help. However, in general, just keeping your body healthy with proper foods and maintaining a good oral hygiene routine will keep the "butt breath" at bay.

The Main Reasons For Bad Breath

After a meal, some food sticks to the back side of teeth, or some may even get caught in between the teeth. When this happens, food can ferment or rot in the warm mouth quickly. And usually, food that is high in protein tends to ferment in the mouth quicker because of the longer metabolic time it takes to break down. Vegetables and fruits are more easily digested, or broken down, making the time in the body substantially less - thus allowing less time it has time to ferment - which can cause bad breath.

Several Great Ways to Get Rid Of Bad Breath

Usually the main cause of bad breath is bacteria feeding off of food particles that are left on or between your teeth after eating. The best way for anyone to get rid of bad breath is to invest in a good toothbrush, some floss and be persevering about your daily oral hygiene and dental exams.

It is important for you to also cleanse your tongue if you want to rid yourself of bad breath. The same bacteria that is hiding between your teeth can also burrow on the tongue. Tongue cleaning is necessary, in addition to brushing, for a thorough dislodging of the plaque and mucus. In clinical tests, tongue cleaning is proven to have reduced odors and bacteria by 75%!

Setting up a daily routine of dental hygiene is key to helping get rid of all the bacteria that can cause bad breath. Teeth should be brushed after every meal and proper flossing should be done at least once a day. Disinfecting mouthwash can also help rid the mouth of odor growing plaque and bacteria built up since it can reach the areas that can be missed with the toothbrush and flossing.

It's a well-known fact that smoking causes "smokers breath". It's unpleasant to smell, but it is also impossible to get rid of the smell without quitting the tobacco completely. The smell is not only in the smokers breath, but on their hands, face, hair, and even clothing! So, quitting the tobacco for good is about the only way to truly freshen the breath for life. Plus, it's good for your body!

Then finally, bad breath is also caused by drinking alcohol. Not only is the alcohol in your mouth, but since the alcohol travels through your body, the smell can stay in your blood for hours - even if you do brush your teeth, causing your breath to stink. Cutting back on alcohol intake or just staying clear of it altogether will keep your breath smelling fresh and clean! - 14130

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Bad Breath Remedies

By Rone Hooper

Bad Breath Home Remedies

Have you quit hugging or kissing loved ones? Maybe you've even quit showing that big smile that everyone enjoys? Is it because you have chronic bad breath? There are tons of people that can't seem to enjoy life because of this bad breath issue. They are too shy to go to the doctor, or sometimes they simply can't afford the bill. So, instead of not enjoying life, here are a few simple remedies that a person can do at home to help cure bad breath!

Oral Hygiene

Obviously, the best of the bad breath remedies is to take good care of your teeth. If you can not take good care of your teeth, then you probably do not really want to cure your bad breath because that is the number one cause of bad breath anywhere. If you want to try out some bad breath remedies make sure that you are starting with the obvious thing and taking good care of your teeth.

Eating Avocados

Avocados are not well-known for their ways of getting rid of bad breath, but eating small amounts of avocado can help ease the smell of bad breath. Fresh avocados are best. Do not use any other seasonings on it besides a tad bit of salt. People use garlic alot with avocados, so make sure it is fresh and season-free. Avocados can be found in the produce area at the grocery store.

Lessen Your Protein Intake

Proteins are one of the culprits when it comes to chronic bad breath. Eat less steak and chicken and eat more fresher fruits and vegetables and you should surely see an increase in the number of people that are coming close to you. This is one of the most popular bad breath home remedies out there, and if you eat properly then you can make sure that you reduce your bad breath.

Drink Water

Allowing your body to be fully hydrated can really help cure bad breath. Water cleans the body of toxins that can make the breath stink. Dry mouth can also lead to bad breath. So drinking a good 8-10 8oz glasses of water a day will help keep your body flushed, thus allowing for better smelling breath! - 14130

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Treatment and Physiotherapy Management of Torn Achilles Tendon

By Jonathan Blood-Smyth

The biggest and strongest of the body's tendinous structures is the Achilles tendon in the lower part of the posterior calf. The main patients who suffer from Achilles tendon rupture are men in the 30 to 50 year group and they have often no history of similar events or difficulties with the leg. Tendon rupture occurs in a group of men who are not continually active and who perform sporadic or irregular sporting activities such as weekend football, people often referred to as "weekend warriors".

The tendons from the two major calf muscles, the gastrocnemius and the soleus, merge into the single Achilles tendon about fifteen centimetres above the top of the calcaneus. Tendons have high tensile strength, stiffness coupled with resilience and the ability to stretch four percent without damage, making them ideal to perform force transmission between muscle and bones. Rupture of fibres will occur if eight percent stretch is applied. Poor blood supply occurs about two to six centimetres up from the heel and most degenerative change and rupture occurs here.

The left Achilles tendon is ruptured more commonly than the right, in the region of the tendon with an impaired blood supply, as right-handed people push off strongly with their left leg to accelerate. Typical rupture scenarios are on sudden foot extension, forceful pushing up of the ankle and resisted downward movement of the foot. The tendon can suffer severe degeneration and this plus direct trauma can also cause rupture. Achilles tendon rupture occurs more often in patients on corticosteroids, somewhat older people, in sudden exertions by unfit individuals and in those who pursue extreme activities.

Achilles tendon forces in running can be very high and have been measured at six to eight times bodyweight. The patient typically reports a sudden snap or blow to the rear of the lower calf, a sudden strong pain, an ability to walk but not to run or climb stairs. On examination there may be a swollen or bruised calf, a palpable gap in the tendon and an inability to stand on tiptoe. A history of treatment with steroids, previous tendon rupture or an unusually high activity level (e.g. weekend warrior) can also be important findings.

Doctors choose conservative or surgical management, operation having a higher risk of complications and conservative treatment a higher risk of re-rupture. Non-operative treatment is suitable for sedentary people, diabetics, older people and those with medical problems or poor skin integrity. Impaired blood supply, diabetes and other illnesses make wound breakdown, tendon separation and infections more likely. A calf or thigh length plaster may be used with the ankle flexed down, moving it up regularly over six to ten weeks. The patient is allowed to weight bear and given an orthotic as the tendon heals.

Open or percutaneous surgery can be used and after the operation the leg is plastered with the ankle in plantar flexion or put into a brace. The ankle angle is adjusted upwards regularly week by week as healing goes forward until after 4 to 6 weeks the brace can be removed. Surgical repair is more successful due to lower rates of repeated rupture, quicker return to activity, greater strength and better endurance when compared to non-operative treatment. Research indicates that immobilizing the tendon for shorter periods is more successful.

The physio will begin the rehabilitation with exercises to increase the ankle movements and gently stress the tendon, instruction in good gait and use of a heel raise to reduce stretching forces on the tendon. Static bicycling and swimming are useful non weight-bearing exercises, steadily progressing to exercises in weight bearing, muscle strength work and then to advanced work such as running, jumping and balance training. Four months after surgery a patient may be able to start back to normal activity.

Achilles tendon rupture usually turns out with good or excellent results with most athletes getting back to their chosen sports. Surgical management has a re-rupture rate of 0-5 percent and conservative treatment up to 40 percent, so patient education by the physio in training and stretching performance and the best choice of footwear is important for the long term. - 14130

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Kick the Habit with Self-Hypnosis

By Maxwell Fields

A very misunderstood self-help and relaxation subject is hypnosis. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that hypnosis is misunderstood is that most people are only familiar with stage hypnosis. During all stage sessions, participants are pre-qualified, and only the most suggestible subjects are actually brought into the performance.

The second common misconception is that people believe a hypnotist can force them to do strange things like clucking like a chicken. The fact is that a hypnotherapist can't make you do anything that you don't want to do, or are incapable of doing. If it's against your nature, you won't do it, hypnotized or not. The subjects on stage performing outrageous acts are uninhibited and outgoing by nature, and that's why they're on stage in the first place.

Hypnosis is little more than guided relaxation, nothing more. That's it. It's not a paranormal therapy, but it can be very effective for certain participants when used for self help purposes. The objective with hypnotherapy is to alter your state of consciousness so that you're brain is more open to suggestion. The hypnotherapist can then speak some pre-approved affirmations that will be more readily accepted by your brain.

Another way to look at hypnosis is that it's positive affirmations or positive self-talk made when the mind is relaxed. So there's nothing mysterious about hypnosis. If you understand meditation, you understand hypnosis, i.e. leading your body and mind into a relaxed state.

Some people are more prone to suggestion than others and some people are naturally averse to hypnosis altogether. As a hypnosis subject, I'm a nightmare. After six months of failed attempts at being hypnotized, I finally recorded my own voice and hypnotized myself. About one out of five people will likely be resistant to hypnosis.

Smoking in particular is a good candidate for hypnotherapy because much of the addiction is psychological, and that is an area the self-hypnosis can help you address. Considering the expense of cigarettes, and the expense of typical cessation programs like nicotine gum, the patch, shots, and the like, the modest investment in a simple hypnotherapy quit smoking audio that you can listen to in the comfort of your home is attractive.

At the very least, hypnosis will help you balance yourself, relax, and lower stress levels. If you are a smoker, a hypnosis smoking cessation program might be exactly what you need, and you can safely participate in one without worrying about clucking at odd hours of the day! - 14130

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Friday, November 21, 2008

Bipolar -Important Treatment Considerations

By Harold Ulvaeus

Bipolar disorder is a disease that is not going to go away, thus all treatments need to be seen as long term. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, (CBT) is frequently used to help overcome not only the mood swings, but the psychological effects of them as well. Another important part is to help the person be prepared to the symptoms returning, which they often will after stressful events or spontaneously.

Stressful events, life transitions, and the onset of symptoms are all signs to seek help, or to intensify the therapy. Even when therapy has been discontinued for some months, it is advisable to still keep contact with updates of the current status.

An important aspect is positive feedback from the therapist.A sense of trust and bonding is especially important when there is a challenge of being able to control the symptoms and the treatment process is being questioned.

Therapy can be an important stabilizing force in the persons life. Therapy sessions are important to monitor progress, creating a map and understanding of the episodes,and coping mechanisms. Receiving objective, positive and constructive feed back from the therapist can be a life line when swimming in the depths of an episode.

Remember that optimal treatment of people having bipolar disorder requires an effective approach which integrates psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.

Those who are struggling with the disease have to know effective ways in controlling mood swings, avoiding relapse, and obtaining the effectiveness of treatments using medicines through utilizing the bipolar workbook. This is truly a sound framework for helping people with bipolar disorder, thus it doesn't have to affect you throughout your life. - 14130

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Aloe Vera for Chrones Disease and Intestinal Disorders

By Celia Spiers

Using Aloe vera for Chrones disease can bring real relief rapidly. This disease affects the digestive system or the gastrointestinal tract along the whole corridor from the mouth to the anus. Symptoms generally tend to be diarrhea (with blood showing), vomiting, abdominal pain and weight loss. There are significant variants but these are the most common.

External conditions such as arthritis, skin rashes and inflammation of the eyes commonly accompany these symptoms. The precise cause of this disease has never been pinpointed but it is classified as an inflammatory bowel disease because it occurs when the immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract and is therefore considered to be an autoimmune disease. The use of aloe vera for Chrones disease is a new approach that is providing a positive solution.

There is a genetic link with autoimmune diseases. Siblings tend to be at the highest risk between their teens to around age 20. Either sex can be equally affected. Another peak period is with an older age group between 50-70 years of age. Prevalence of this disease in Northern Europe is about 27-48 per 100,000.

This disease affects 400,000 to 600,000 people in Northern Europe and it was found that smokers are 3 times more likely to develop the symptoms. No one has yet developed a drug based cure although there are remedial processes available for other inflammatory bowel disorders. Currently, the only course is to attempt to control the symptoms and keep them in remission. However, a growing number of people have found relief using aloe vera for Chrones disease.

Ingesting aloe vera can have a stabilising effect and patients have reported an easing of the discomfort caused by the pain of gastrointestinal dysfunction. New research has extended the medicinal uses of aloe vera to traditional pharmaceutical grade prescription doses. Jean Heal, a 40 year old woman, is an interesting case study:

She was diagnosed with Chrones disease by her doctor and suffered with it for 20 years. Her condition by this time was causing her considerable stress and she was complaining of exhaustion and depression. Her doctor suggested colonic surgery as a possible course of action. She had heard that treatment using aloe vera for Chrones disease was a possibility.

So she turned to the Internet and investigated alternatives and discovered high purity pharmaceutical grade aloe vera capsules. Following a prescribed dose she found that after 3 days her symptoms receded until she was completely without pain. She also noticed that missing a daily dose would result in the symptoms returning.

Now her life has been turned around and she is able to live a normal life without having to worry about diarrhoea or staying within close proximity to a toilet. This provides a ray of hope to others who may be experiencing similar debilitating symptoms. Very positive results are emerging from patients using aloe vera for Chrones disease. - 14130

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Thursday, November 20, 2008

Beyond Aromas: Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils

By Melissa Manchester

What do you think of when you hear the word 'Aromatherapy'? For many folks, it conjures an image of plastic Glade Plug-In air fresheners; for others, a bottle of flowery dish soap. For a fortunate few, a pleasing bath with natural soothing scents comes to mind; for even fewer, a cold-air diffuser releasing a fine mist of pure Rose petal oil throughout their home. The rarest concept of Aromatherapy in these United States is one of highly potent medicines, effective against a broad range of bacteria and viruses, with further uses including relief of arthritis pain, stomach discomfort, sleeplessness, and a host of other conditions. If this is a new idea, read-on and enter the wonderful world of medicinal aromatherapy and therapeutic use of essential oils.

At it's heart, Aromatherapy encompasses the entire branch of botanical medicine using volatile aromatic plant compounds for treatment of various medical conditions. The term was coined by a French scientist after his discovery of Lavender oil's healing effects on burns he had sustained in the laboratory. The practice of 'aroma' therapy - or the inhalation of essential oils to make one 'feel good' - is more a delightful side-note than the primary healing benefit essential oils can provide. Many important actions of essential oils don't even have to do with one's sense of smell. Beyond acting on the psyche through the limbic system (the 'emotional' center of the brain, immediately affected by the smell sense), many essential oils have proven antibiotic, antiviral, antispasmodic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, tissue-regenerative and other actions.

Effects of essential oils on the psyche, along with some biologic effects through the olfactory system, are an important aspect of their use; this should certainly not be discounted relative to the direct effects on the physiology. Many scientifically designed studies have confirmed the effects of aromatic oils on the mind and emotions. Your smell sense is the only one of the five senses directly connected to the brain - all other senses are routed first through the thalamus, then directed to the cerebral cortex and other brain regions. Each 'scent-sensing' cell is a sort of chemical receiver - every receptor in the nose reacts to some scents and not others. Each of these scent-cells is directly linked to the brain by one nerve fiber. It is difficult to sense an aroma and 'think' about it before having a response - the signal does not travel first to the thought centers. Because each sensing cell is in direct contact with the chemical being sensed, and the cell is in directly wired to the brain, the nervous system's response to smell is quick and powerful.

The olfactory sense is also closely tied to the limbic system, the center of emotions, sexual response, and the formation of many memories. Aroma receptor cells, when stimulated, respond in-kind by stimulating this important brain region. With such close ties continually being revealed between one's emotional state and one's physical well-being, it is no surprise that aromas can have such strong influences. Human studies have show the inhalation of natural aromatic oils can be calming, stimulating, uplifting, relaxing, and/or clarifying, depending on the oil being inhaled (as opposed to synthetic ones, which do not have such effects).

This brings us to the great range of non-'aromatic', therapeutic uses of essential oils. Modern aromatherapy practice includes topical application, ingestion, and suppository use of these natural plant comounds. Safe and effective treatment depends completely on the particular essential oil - some are absolutely not to be taken internally and others are known strong skin irritants. Effects through topical application rely on the small size and lipophillic nature of essential oil molecules - the oil-like compounds pass through the lipid bi-layers of skin cells to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Used this way, essential oils can produce profound physiological responses - again ranging widely depending on the oil. Topical application may be helpful in a variety of skin, joint, and muscle conditions, infectious illness, as well as for more general stress related states. Oral injestion and suppositories are often used in systemic infectious illnesses of microbial or viral natures - the oils are quickly absorbed and able to travel easily throughout the body, again to due to their structure which is quite compatible with human physiology. A knowledgeable practitioner should be always be consulted for such applications, as it is important to preciecly match the oils and the condition being treated. Further, use of essential oils should only be used as an adjuct therapy in serious cases following the advice of a medical professional.

Broad acceptance of true 'medical aromatherapy' is a ways-off in the US. There is a lack of knowledge within the established medical community, and qualified aromatherapists are fairly rare, as of yet. With the growing body of evidence validating the efficacy of natural medicines, however, and the failing confidence in our allopathic medical institutions, it may not be long until essential oils find their rightful place in our medicine chests. In the meantime, be cautious, have fun, and do stop and smell the roses, and lavenders, patchoulis, sandalwoods, and all the other great aromatherapies available to you! - 14130

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