healthy women: November 2009

Living Well With Menopause

>> Sunday, November 29, 2009

Hot flushes, cold sweats and insomnia. The symptoms of menopause are not simply something you must endure.

The most common misconception about menopause is that women will have a dreadful time, says Dr Elizabeth Farrell, President of the Asia Pacific Menopause Federation and a Director at the Jean Hailes Foundation for Womens Health. The majority transit through menopause relatively easily. But theres a portion who struggle. The latter, she believes, make up around 20 per cent.

Put simply, menopause is your last menstrual period; the point when you run out of eggs. In Western societies, the mean age is 51, with a broad range of 45 to 60. According to some studies, eight per cent of women are menopausal prior to 45, the majority go through it by 53, and a small quota continue their periods up until 60. [1]
But ovaries arent just egg factories, as reporter Rae Fry explained on ABC Televisions Quantum programme. Theyre also glands: secreting oestrogen and progesterone. Around the time of menopause, production of these hormones fluctuates wildly, and finally, falls dramatically oestrogen by 90 per cent over just a few years.

With this change, common symptoms include erratic periods some far heavier than normal, vaginal dryness, bladder irritability and hot flushes. Though the medical profession doesnt precisely understand why, hot flushes are linked to a drop in oestrogen levels. The brain seems to sense that the body is overheating, thus heat-losing mechanisms kick in: blood vessels in the face, neck and chest dilate, and skin temperature rises.

Original Article By : Tony Uechtritz from articlesnatch.com

Treatment For Allergies - What You Should Know

>> Friday, November 27, 2009

There are many sorts of allergies, and there is a large range of conventional therapies to tackle them. Apart from drug treatments and diet therapy, there are a number of techniques in which you regularly take doses of the substance to which you are allergic, so that in the end, and the treatment may take several years, you develop a tolerance to the substance.

In hypo sensitization or incremental desensitization, increasing amounts of the allergen are injected under the skin until your sensitivity to it is reduced. This treatment is reserved for individuals with specific allergies, such as bee venom. It has to be carefully monitored due to the risk of anaphylaxis. A few children have died as a result of this treatment.

More widely used are desensitization or neutralization techniques, of which the miller technique is the most well known. This involves using a dose which just fails to cause a reaction and then giving that dose repeatedly. Practitioners of this technique claim that it is totally safe because of the small amounts used but you have to be committed to the treatment as you have to inject yourself daily or every other day.

Enzyme potentate desensitization has been shown to be effective in the treatment of asthma, hay fever and hyperactivity. Patients are injected four times a year with a cocktail of allergens in doses so minute that they cannot even be measured. A spacer is a plastic container that is filled with a fine mist of medication. A mouthpiece at one end allows you to breathe in normally, which means it is easier to use than an ordinary inhaler.

Original Article By Victoria Mistral from ezinearticles.com

Just A Few Benefits of Massages

>> Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The art of massaging has been practiced for many hundreds of years, perhaps even thousands of years (the Greeks did it as did earlier civilizations). When we look at ancient times and its relationship with our culture we can see that our culture is the result of a historical process that has been enormously influenced by the Romans and this includes their attitude towards massage and cleanliness (these two always seem to go hand in hand). This can easily be appreciated when looking into that typically Roman institution - the Roman Public Bath.

Ruins of Roman baths have been found all over Europe usually availing themselves of natural hot springs. The use of oils, myrrh and scents are recorded in ancient times just as their equivalents are used today. There were obviously reasons why our ancient cultural forefathers practiced the art of massages - and this meant much more than "it felt good".Mankind has enjoyed and recognized the benefits of a massage for a long time and this begs the question:
What are the benefits of a massage?

The obvious ones are:
It helps us to relax.
It provides relief from stress, both muscular and psychological.These are perhaps the immediate benefits that most people will recognize intuitively and are in fact what we tend to look for in a massage. After a long, tiring and perhaps stressful day, what could be more soothing than a long, relaxing massage.

However there are other benefits that have to do with our physical well being and our general health. Massage effects have been studied for over a hundred years and some benefits that have been uncovered are:
they help reduce the heart rate
they help increase blood circulation
they help increase lymph flow
they help to lower the blood pressure
they relax muscles
they help stimulate weak muscles (as such they form part of the standard treatment for coma patients).When you add up these benefits you realize that a massage is beneficial in many ways both physically, psychologically - and delightful to boot.

Original Article By : Philip Robinson from ezinearticles.com

Is Yoga Right For You?

>> Tuesday, November 24, 2009

A lot of women perform yoga exercises not just to lose weight or maintain proper body weight but also because they want to be healthy emotionally and mentally. Yoga is also known to contribute to the decrease of a number of problems during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. There is research to prove this, but it’s easy to see the physical, mental, and emotional benefits evident on those women who practice yoga.

Yoga Helps You Cope with a Busy Lifestyle

If you are still undecided about yoga, then there are a number of things about it that will help you decide. One of these is its relevance to today’s world, even if it is one of the most ancient practices of all times.

Yoga is considered as the perfect solution that helps women cope with their busy days and the resulting mental and physical stress. This is especially true if they are working moms who need to deal with the pressures of both work and home. Sitting behind a desk or even driving a car for several hours every day would already result in a woman’s having shoulder and back problems that will not only affect their lives at the office but also at home when they are dealing with the family and household chores.

Choosing the Best Yoga Style Helps

Deciding if yoga is really right for you would also require you to choose the yoga style that will fit your lifestyle, personality, and needs. If you are a working mom, your yoga needs might differ from those women who are just working at the office for long hours every day. As such, it is very important to find the perfect teacher or trainer who has the right knowledge about yoga who is not only qualified and accredited but also compassionate and sensitive to what you really need.

Yoga Styles:

1)Vini Yoga. This is a personal practice that could be developed through the incorporation of meditation, proper breathing, and posture as well as prayer and rituals. The amount of all these aspects that could be incorporated into your yoga practice will have to be changed though as a woman and her needs change and develop. Therefore, if you are still a student or a young professional, then the physical aspects of yoga might be more important for you, while older women might focus more on the spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects.

2)Ashtanga Yoga. Also considered as the power yoga, this style is known to be flowing and athletic. Breathing is very important in this yoga style as a woman flows through a series of postures. This is able to generate a lot of sweat and body heat, thus helping women detoxify their bodies.

3)Ananda Yoga. This yoga style makes use of temperate poses. This is gently meditative and perfect for those who would like to practice a yoga style that helps them to look inwards so they can focus on making their emotions better.

Original Articles By James Pendergraft from articlecity.com

Secrets To Fighting Fatigue

>> Sunday, November 22, 2009

Can you remember the last time you woke up energetic and ready to face the day?

In today's face-paced stressful lifestyle it's not surprising that more and more people are having to cope with constant fatigue whether it be chronic fatigue, adrenal fatigue, or fatigue related to; PMT, menopause, weight, illness etc.

If you are one of these people, then you know how debilitating it can be as it can affect all aspects of your life.

You may experience fatigue on a:
* mental level - poor memory, concentration, creativity and productivity, impaired decision making and judgement
* physical level - headaches, dizziness, sore or aching muscles, slowed reflexes and responses, appetite loss, reduced immune system function, blurry emotional level - low motivation, moodiness, irritability, inability to deal with stress or strong emotions.

In TCM, fatigue is believed to be the result of not having a sufficient amount of healthy Chi circulating freely in the body, causing an internal imbalance. Address the imbalance/s and the fatigue is gone.

So what is Chi?
Chi, is known throughout the world by many names: qi, essence, life-force, ki, prana, spirit or life energy. Basically it is what keeps us alive. It is found in everything that exists in the universe.

Every part of your life, your physical health, mental alertness and emotional stability all depend on the flow of Chi in and around you. The free flow of this energy is an important factor in keeping you healthy. Knowing how to increase, conserve and use this valuable energy is vital in maintaining a healthy and happy life.

Chi flows throughout the meridians in your body, supplying your organs with nourishment and ensuring their normal function.

In TCM it is believed that when the body's channels or meridians are blocked and Chi is unable to flow freely, becoming disturbed, stagnant, imbalanced or depleted, fatigue and pain occur. To be able to build and direct the flow of Chi in your body will enhance your physical and mental health and reduce the chance of fatigue.

Healthy Chi equals a healthy you.

To find out about how balanced and healthy your Chi is visit: http://www.chiyolife.com.au/chi-articles/balanced-energy-quiz.html

Original Article By Rosanna Commiso from articlesfactory.com

Migrain Headache - Is There Any Cure ?

>> Saturday, November 21, 2009

For those who suffer from the pain of migraine headaches and constantly looking for a cure. I hate to say this, but there is no CURE! Scientists and doctors have repeatedly failed to come up with a permanent solution to this throbbing pain that is making a lot of people miserable.
Whenever migraine strikes, it can leave the person thoroughly drain, tired, distress, nauseous and helpless to do anything. The only thing you would want to do is sleep, after the painful ordeal.

The good thing with migraine is that, you can thwart it from happening. Everyone knows that migraine headache can be triggered by allergy, good deal of alcohol intake, standard of living, illness, nerve-racking situation and lack of sleep. All these factors can set off your headache, especially if your immune defense is weak.

Aside from deterrence you can also make less of your symptoms, there are now many medications existing that you can take to assist in decreasing the pain, just be cautious in what you take ‘coz a number of these medications, that you take on a regular basis to alleviate the discomforts of your other sickness or as precautionary measure, may perhaps be the cause of your migraine headache.

An fine example of these is the use of birth control pills and H.R.T. base on the number of complains that a few doctors have entertain from women who make use of them, have incident of migraine headaches, after using them. Therefore if you ever come to experience excruciating pain after taking them, discontinue use and consult with your doctor straight away and discuss further option that is available for you.

To relieve the uneasiness and dreadful pain a good rest can aid you a lot. In addition staying calm while lying in bed also help, plus an excellent massage in the head and body can ease all the tension that created the headache. After all it has been established that nothing can beat a first-rate rubdown.
Another essential piece of information that you ought to know concerning migraine headache is that some of the food that you eat on a daily basis can in fact activate the symptoms. That is why; correct diet is constantly advice to all people, particularly to those who have issue with their health.

Given that, improper food diet is partly the reason for your misery; in that case the need to modify your food habit is compulsory. If you’re into spicy, oily, processed stuff and fatty food shift to fresh vegetables’ and fruits.

What triggers your allergy? If you know what’s causing your allergic reaction, get rid of it or completely stay away from it. If you’re always stressed out take some time off if possible, if not then do meditation, enroll in yoga classes, learn deep breathing, paint, and draw or just lay down in bed. Any relaxation technique that would take away the stress should be learned and be part of your daily rituals.

Even though there is no permanent cure for migraine headache there are still ways to cope with them, all these information that I have talk about with you today, should be enough to get you started in eliminating your migraine predicament.

Original Article By Irsan Komarga from isnare.com