Heartburn is the condition with characteristic irritation around the breast area and back. Heartburn is often misconceived as any heart diseases because of the discomfort in the chest, however, the fact is that heartburn is not related to heart disease, but it is purely a digestive disorder.

Heartburn occurs when the digestive contents in the stomach deviate from its normal digestive path and retrieve back to esophagus. Heartburn becomes worse with serious complications such as GERD and esophagus cancer when it becomes frequent. Heartburn has to be clearly distinguished from acid indigestion, which is the irritation in the duodenum. Most people consider occasional heartburn as the indication of the body’s incompatibility with any particular food or consequences of unhealthy eating habits however, it is advised to have an expert consultation to avoid future complications.

Causes

The irritation is caused because the esophagus lining cannot withstand the acidic gastric juice. Heartburn occurs as a result of the faulty condition of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle of the esophagus. The underlying factors for the condition are not so evident. Hiatal hernia, a condition in which the change of the place of stomach and diaphragm weakness occurs, is suspected as a major reason for heartburn. Improper diet, such as spicy or acidic and bad habits such as cigarette, alcohol may disturb the muscles. The faulty posture also will contribute.

Symptoms

The characteristic symptom of heartburn is the burning sensation in the chest area which can be felt as far as the abdomen. The exact position of the irritation will be lower the breast bone which is the gullet of esophagus while in some cases the irritation will be also felt in the midline of the back. In severe cases, irritation will be transformed into pain.

Diagnosis

Physician can easily diagnose heartburn from its characteristic symptoms. Only in chronic conditions diagnostic tests such as endoscopy and pH monitoring are performed.

Treatment

Usually heartburn patients resort to over the counter tablets however, it has to be avoided since it may lead to complications. Physicians usually prescribe antacids such as Gelusil, Maalox and Mylanta to neutralize the acidity. H-2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors are also prescribed to reduce the recurrence of the symptom. Alternative medicines suggest drinking neutralizing drinks to reduce the irritation while drinking water will be an immediate remedy to alleviate the heartburn.

Prevention

As heartburn is mostly associated with life style factors, strict control of the triggering factors can help to control it. The avoidance of risky factors such as excessive eating, spicy and acidic diet, and wearing tight waist clothes will help to reduce the occurrence of heartburn. Maintaining a high head position, can avoid it, while lying down.

Heartburn is a common disease which does not need to be serious. However, special attention has to be taken in its frequent recurrence as it may be an indication of other serious disorders.

Jason Rickard
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/heartburn-the-ins-and-outs-53407.html

Can resveratrol “rebuild” the cells of the body?  This article looks at the facts presented in the most recent studies.  Some of the advertising claims that supplement manufacturers use are not exactly factual.  There is no doubt that resveratrol consumption is good for you, depending on how you consume it, but it is not the only nutrient that you need to protect  your body cells and extend your natural lifespan.

As an antioxidant, resveratrol protects the cells of the body from free radical damage, the primary, but not the only cause of aging.  Other nutrients, such as carnosine are needed to protect the cells from glycation, which is worse than free radical damage, because it causes the formation of toxins, which has a detrimental cascading effect that includes further free radical damage.
 
To date, most of the studies have been conducted using cell lines in the laboratory or animal models.  Some of the information that you will find on the internet is outdated.  Recently, I read one overview stating that more animal studies were needed.  That review was 10 years old and had not been updated or replaced or removed, which is not unusual.

Numerous animal studies have now been conducted, as well as the studies using human volunteers.  One of the major pharmaceutical companies is developing a resveratrol-based drug to treat type II diabetes.  In the future, there may be numerous drugs based on this antioxidant.  For those of us that simply want to protect our long-term health, supplementation is the answer.  The antioxidant occurs naturally in red wine, but drinking more red wine is not the answer, for numerous reasons, including the health of the liver.

What do the studies show?  There are thousands of them.  So, there’s no way to list all of the results here, but I’ll try to cover the basics.

Bone Cell Health—in animal studies, adding resveratrol to the diet increased the animals bone density—in cattle showing degeneration of the spinal discs, the antioxidant slowed the degeneration—reduces inflammation

Brain Cell and Nerve Cell Health—may prove useful in treating Alzheimer’s, as it protects the nerves from free radical damage—beneficial in treating multiple sclerosis in rodents—enhances balance and coordination

Heart Cell Health—improves the function of the heart and reduces cholesterol levels
Cancer Prevention—protects against head, neck, breast, lung and prostate cancer
DNA Damage

According to researchers at Harvard, DNA damage is the “universal” cause of aging in animals.  The DNA within the cells contains numerous genes.  Some of them signal that it is time for the cell to die.  This is necessary when a cancer cell forms.  Sirtuins are molecules within the cells of the body that insure that these genes do not signal the death of healthy cells.  Resveratrol activates sirtuins, preventing the death of healthy cells. 

Resveratrol Supports Body Cell Rebuilding

So, it does not actually “rebuild” cells, it supports your body’s ability to reproduce healthy cells and protects the DNA within the cells from damage.   For supplementation, your best bet is a multi-nutritional supplement that contains resveratrol, carnosine and the basic nutrients that the cells of the body need to function “optimally”.  For more information see my website on Healthy Body Supplements – Larry L. Taylor

Larry L. Taylor
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/can-resveratrol-rebuild-body-cells-737491.html

It has been hypothesized that a diet rich in foods that contain fiber or plant fiber can protect the human body from a variety of serious diseases that have specifically attacked western cultures. Additionally, a diet low in fiber or plant fiber can cause the occurrence of these feared western diseases.

Appendicitis, which affects about 200 out of every 100,000 people every year in the United States, is prompted by a fall in dietary fiber intake. The most common abdominal surgical emergency in the Western world, appendectomies are comparatively rare in third world countries. Although attributing all appendicitis to low fiber diets is too simplistic, the correlation is extremely clear. Fiber is the only dietary factor that can significantly speed up the transit of feces through bowel and lower pressure within the colon.

Evidence tells us that a rise in pressure in the appendix can cause it to become vulnerable to infection by bacteria. When diets were forced to revert to more whole grains, the frequency of constipation and appendicitis decreased. There is also some evidence that people who get appendicitis may be more prone to colon and breast cancers. Although most of us do not find the threat of appendicitis extremely menacing, its link to fiber is very obvious.

Breast cancer, one of the most common cancers in women, affects one in every fourteen women. Although most of us may connect the value of a high fiber diet with cancer of the colon, most of us are unaware of its role in breast cancer prevention, with several studies finding that an increase to the highest amount of dietary fiber decreases the risk of breast cancer in women. Fiber has been shown to modify the action of circulating hormones, such as estrogen, which have been linked to the stimulation of certain cancer. Eating fiber helps to rid the body of excess estrogen which can initiate the formation of breast tumors. By eating plenty of vegetable fiber, grain fiber, and fiber from fruits and berries, can lower levels of testosterone, estrone, androstenedione and free estradiol in the body.

Generally speaking, if you have less than four bowel movements per week and if those movements are unformed or difficult to pass, you should consider yourself constipated. Many health advocates define constipation as anything less than one bowel movement per day. More women suffer from constipation than do men. Constipation is more of a symptom than an actual disease, as it refers to a decrease in bowel movements or a difficulty in passing the stool. Constipation can lead to diverticular disease and hemorrhoids, as well as a variety of ailments that are linked to long transit times and poorly formed stool.

Along with the above benefits, an increase in fiber can also help with diabetes and hypoglycemia, as it slows the absorption of food in the small intestine, helping to regulate blood sugar. A sufficient amount of fiber in the diet can also protect the body from gallstones, which are caused by an elevated blood cholesterol level. Additionally, adequate fiber protects the body from hemorrhoids, irritable bowl syndrome, prostate cancer, obesity, and varicose veins. Because of all these above reasons, one can see why it is extremely important to get adequate amounts of fiber in a daily diet, which consists of 25 to 45 grams of fiber each day.

Darrell Miller
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/diseases-caused-by-lack-of-fiber-and-psyllium-husk-the-simple-cure-705993.html

(NaturalNews) Mainstream health care isn’t based on "health" or "caring." It’s actually based on an ingrained system of medical mythology that’s practiced — and defended — by those who profit from the continuation of sickness and disease. This system of medical mythology might also simply be called "lies", and today I’m sharing with NaturalNews readers the top ten lies that are still followed and promoted under mainstream health care in America today.

Lie #1) Vaccines make you healthy
Vaccines have emerged as the greatest and most insidious mythology yet fabricated by western medicine. The idea that vaccines always protect you from infectious disease in the long term is blatantly false because this year’s flu shot actually makes you more susceptible to next year’s influenza (http://www.naturalnews.com/028538_s…).

On top of that, even the theoretical short-term effectiveness of vaccines is dwarfed by the far more effective protection offered by vitamin D and other immune-modulating nutrients. (http://www.naturalnews.com/027385_V…)

Lie #2) Pharmaceuticals prevent disease
The big push by Big Pharma is now focused on treating healthy people with drugs as if pharmaceuticals were nutrients that could somehow prevent disease. This is the new push with cholesterol drugs: Give ‘em to everyone, whether they have high cholesterol or not!

But pharmaceuticals don’t prevent disease, and medications are not vitamins. Your body has no biological need for any pharmaceuticals at all. People who believe they need pharmaceuticals have simply been the victims of "fabricated consent" engineered by Big Pharma’s clever advertising and P.R. spin.

Lie #3) Doctors are experts in health
Doctors don’t even study health; they study disease. Modern doctors are taught virtually nothing about nutrition, wellness or disease prevention. Expecting a doctor to guide you on health issues is sort of like expecting your accountant to pilot a jet airliner — it’s simply not something he or she has ever been trained in.

That’s not to say doctors aren’t intelligent people. Most of them have high Iqs. But even a genius can’t teach you something they know nothing about.

Lie #4) You have no role in your own healing
Doctors, drug companies and health authorities all want you to believe that your health is determined by their interventions. If you believe them, you have virtually no role in your own health or healing — it’s all managed by their drugs, their screening, their surgeries and their interventions.

Lie #5) Disease is a matter of bad luck or bad genes
Western medicine wants you to believe in the mythology of spontaneous disease — disease that strikes without cause. This is equivalent to saying that disease is some sort of voodoo black magic and that patients have no way to prevent disease through their own diets or lifestyle choices.

It’s funny, actually: Western medicine claims to be driven by scientific, rational thinking, and yet the entire industry still fails to acknowledge that chronic disease always has a causeand that most of the time, that cause has everything to do with nutritional deficiencies, exposure to toxic chemicals and a lack of exercise.

Disease is almost never a matter of bad luck or bad genes.

Lie #6) Screening equals prevention
Western medicine doesn’t believe in disease prevention. Rather, the industry believes in screening while calling it prevention. But screening isn’t prevention by even the wildest stretch of the imagination. In fact, virtually all the popular screening methodologies actuallypromote diseases.

Mammography, for example, emits so much radiation that it causes breast cancer in tens of thousands of women each year (http://www.naturalnews.com/027558_m…). Imaging dyes used in radiological scans can cause horrific side effects, and psychiatric "disorder" screening is little more than a thinly-disguised patient recruitment scheme disguised as medicine.

Real prevention of disease must involve disease prevention through nutrition, patient education about the causes of disease and lifelong changes in eating habits. Yet western medicine teaches absolutely none of these things. Heck, it doesn’t even believe in such ideas.

Lie #7) Health insurance will keep you healthy
This is a favorite lie of those who recently pushed for the Big Pharma-sponsored health care reform that has swept across America. The lie supposes that merely having health insurance will provide some sort of magical protection against disease. But in reality, health insurance doesn’t make you healthy! It is only YOU and your choices about foods, exposures to toxic chemicals, pursuit of exercise and time in nature that can make you healthy.

Health insurance is, in effect, a wager that you will get sick. How does gambling on your sickness provide any protection
edit: a logical fallacy is attacking the person, not the argument, so you’ll have to do better than slander Mike Adams.
Vaccination is only a theory. It’s not fact. It is thought to work in a certain way that has not actually been proven by anybody. Improvement in public sanitation has eradicated smallpox. Polio has been linked to DDT poisoning. The polio cases now occurring, and they are, are caused by the vaccine.
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence" – Albert Einstein

*Applauds* Keep teaching this, it’s hard for people to change their beliefs about this. People don’t want to change them. It would mean immediate fear if people stopped trusting that vaccines prevented disease and pharm companies weren’t corrupted. It’s not the safe little world they thought they lived in with Drs and Pharm companies to run to and trust when there’s a problem or need for prevention. They want a quick fix. They don’t trust healing without a chemical aid.

Can resveratrol “rebuild” the cells of the body?  This article looks at the facts presented in the most recent studies.  Some of the advertising claims that supplement manufacturers use are not exactly factual.  There is no doubt that resveratrol consumption is good for you, depending on how you consume it, but it is not the only nutrient that you need to protect  your body cells and extend your natural lifespan.

As an antioxidant, resveratrol protects the cells of the body from free radical damage, the primary, but not the only cause of aging.  Other nutrients, such as carnosine are needed to protect the cells from glycation, which is worse than free radical damage, because it causes the formation of toxins, which has a detrimental cascading effect that includes further free radical damage.
 
To date, most of the studies have been conducted using cell lines in the laboratory or animal models.  Some of the information that you will find on the internet is outdated.  Recently, I read one overview stating that more animal studies were needed.  That review was 10 years old and had not been updated or replaced or removed, which is not unusual.

Numerous animal studies have now been conducted, as well as the studies using human volunteers.  One of the major pharmaceutical companies is developing a resveratrol-based drug to treat type II diabetes.  In the future, there may be numerous drugs based on this antioxidant.  For those of us that simply want to protect our long-term health, supplementation is the answer.  The antioxidant occurs naturally in red wine, but drinking more red wine is not the answer, for numerous reasons, including the health of the liver.

What do the studies show?  There are thousands of them.  So, there’s no way to list all of the results here, but I’ll try to cover the basics.

Bone Cell Health—in animal studies, adding resveratrol to the diet increased the animals bone density—in cattle showing degeneration of the spinal discs, the antioxidant slowed the degeneration—reduces inflammation

Brain Cell and Nerve Cell Health—may prove useful in treating Alzheimer’s, as it protects the nerves from free radical damage—beneficial in treating multiple sclerosis in rodents—enhances balance and coordination

Heart Cell Health—improves the function of the heart and reduces cholesterol levels
Cancer Prevention—protects against head, neck, breast, lung and prostate cancer
DNA Damage

According to researchers at Harvard, DNA damage is the “universal” cause of aging in animals.  The DNA within the cells contains numerous genes.  Some of them signal that it is time for the cell to die.  This is necessary when a cancer cell forms.  Sirtuins are molecules within the cells of the body that insure that these genes do not signal the death of healthy cells.  Resveratrol activates sirtuins, preventing the death of healthy cells. 

Resveratrol Supports Body Cell Rebuilding

So, it does not actually “rebuild” cells, it supports your body’s ability to reproduce healthy cells and protects the DNA within the cells from damage.   For supplementation, your best bet is a multi-nutritional supplement that contains resveratrol, carnosine and the basic nutrients that the cells of the body need to function “optimally”.  For more information see my website on Healthy Body Supplements – Larry L. Taylor

Larry L. Taylor
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/can-resveratrol-rebuild-body-cells-737491.html

In recent years, alternative therapies have regained popularity in our culture for their possible use in preventing and treating disease. And it appears that one of the best things we can do to prevent disease and help ensure we live a long and healthy life is to be careful of our diet. A good diet is a simple way to help our bodies stay healthy and heal themselves.

What we’ve learned about how our diet can help us goes beyond limiting fat and eating a reasonable number of calories. We’ve always known that fruits and vegetables were good for us because of the fiber and vitamins they provide, and because of their low calorie content. But, now, we understand even more about the benefits of fruits and vegetables – and how they’re even more important than we realized for protecting our bodies from disease.

The magic in fruits and vegetables are called anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are body chemicals that reduce free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals occur when the body burns oxygen to produce energy as part of processing the food we eat. Oxidants are created that damage cells, clog arteries and lead to disease. Anti-oxidants neutralize these free radicals, preventing them from causing damage.

One of the most important groups of anti-oxidants is called flavonoids. Flavonoids are found in plants, and fulfill such functions as producing pigmentation as well as protecting the plant from attack by insects and microbes. Because flavonoids are very low in toxicity compared to many other active plant compounds, they are safe for significant consumption by humans.

Flavonoids have been proven to have anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-carcinogenic activity, meaning they can protect the body from allergens, viruses and cancers. This is all in addition to their powerful anti-oxidant capacity.

One study reported by the UK Tea Council discusses the much lower incidence of colon, prostate and breast cancer among Asian populations, who consume more vegetables and drink more green tea than Western populations. This study also discusses the fact that when you evaluate the plants and spices that have been used in herbal remedies for centuries, nearly all of them are extremely high in flavonoids. In addition, the study reports on the wide body of evidence that supports the fact that flavonoids have active anti-tumor capability.

So, Where Can I Find Flavonoids?

Once you’ve become convinced that flavonoids are essential to your health and well-being, you’ll likely be anxious to find all the best sources. Well, the good new is that it’s not difficult to get your daily dose of flavonoids. You can make some significant improvement simply by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. But, be sure they’re fresh – often many of the most potent anti-oxidants are lost during processing. Some plant products, fruits, and vegetables are higher than others in flavonoids, however. So, if you want to maximize your flavonoid intake, be sure you’re including these products in your diet regularly:

? Artichokes
? Kale
? Blueberries
? Strawberries
? Asparagus
? Green Tea
? Red Beans
? Tomatoes
? Pomegranates

These products have all been shown to be excellent sources of flavonoids, and all of them are widely available. One of the best sources of all is green tea, and it’s likely easier to make green tea a regular part of your diet than any of the other sources.

You can find green tea in loose form, powdered form or in tea bags. This makes it one of the easiest ways to ensure that you always have a good source of flavonoids even your house, even if you haven’t had a chance to visit the market and buy fresh fruits and vegetables lately. Today, major tea manufacturers are even making bottled green tea, so you can conveniently replace soda with something far more healthful.

And, green tea has been widely shown in research to be very effective in preventing disease. A wide body of research exists that links green tea to the prevention of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and many forms of cancer. Green tea has even been shown in some studies to be an effective treatment for cancer, when combined with traditional therapies.

It has been shown that green tea, when administered along with chemotherapy, makes the chemotherapy drugs more effective. One study showed that green tea helped to increase the concentration of the chemotherapy drugs in the cancerous cells. In addition, green tea seems to inhibit the replication of cancer cells, meaning that if you consume green tea during cancer treatment, the cancer may be less likely to grow and spread.

It’s really quite amazing that something so abundant and available could have so much potential to keep us healthy. It’s critical that the medical community spend more time testing the power of flavonoids and other anti-oxidants against disease. It’s likely that we could have many healthy remedies right under our nose. In the meantime, be sure to get your daily dose of anti-oxidants, by eating lots of fruits and vegetables and drinking green tea!

Marcus Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/why-we-need-more-research-on-flavonoids-106073.html

Does green tea lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels or blood sugar levels?  Are there other health benefits associated with the beverage?  Here’s a look at what we know.

From observing Japanese smokers, we know that those who drank a liter or more of green tea per day had a lower than expected incidence of heart disease, stomach cancer and throat cancer.  Overall, there is a lower than expected incidence of heart disease among Japanese people.  However, other dietary factors could contribute to that.

Foods

Most health experts now agree that chronic inflammation plays a role in heart disease, cancer and many other diseases that were simply thought to accompany the aging process.  It turns out that the Western diet is high in inflammatory foods, including omega6 fats, white flour and corn.  The Asian diet is rich in anti-inflammatory foods, including fish and vegetables.  Just as a side note, the world’s oldest living man, at the of this writing, is from Japan and he says that his favorite foods are vegetables.

What can we do to prevent chronic inflammation, without giving up our favorite foods?  Experts suggest that you eat those favorite foods, whatever they may be, in moderation, but try adding more anti-inflammatory foods to our diets.  But, regardless of how healthy your diet is, you cannot possibly get all of the benefits from the known anti-inflammatory plant components, without supplementation.

Green Tea

Green tea contains phytochemicals known as catechins.  These catechins have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity.  Oxidative stress is one of the other factors involved in heart disease, cancer and DNA degeneration.  DNA degeneration is the ultimate cause of cell aging.  If the degeneration is allowed to continue, the cell will die.

Resveratrol

One of the phytochemicals, which is just a fancy way of saying compounds found in plants, that we know about is called resveratrol.  It is found in a different beverage and is believed to be the element that explains why the French can eat a diet that is high in fat, without having a high incidence of heart disease.  The beverage that contains resveratrol is red wine.  Resveratrol helps to prevent DNA degeneration, suppresses cell signaling that would cause the death of healthy cells and is believed to help prevent cancer, as does green tea extract.

In the US, the FDA has approved health claims made by supplements concerning the prevention of breast and prostate cancer; although they determined that there was not enough evidence to support other claims.  I say, why not cover all of your bases.  We know that none of these plant compounds are bad for us.  So, why not get all of the help that we can.

But, the initial questions were; does green tea lower blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels? 
• Blood pressure, no, but losing weight can help lower blood pressure and catechins support weight loss
• Cholesterol, yes
• Blood sugar levels, no, but catechins do promote the cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which is decreased in people with high blood sugar levels

If you’re going to take a supplement, get the most that you can for your money.  The body needs a number of nutrients every day and most of us don’t get enough of them.

Larry L. Taylor
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/does-green-tea-lower-blood-pressure-728350.html

When the topic of women’s health care is raised, the first disease that comes to mind is probably breast cancer. But surprisingly, that’s not the number one health care issue confronting women today. In fact, heart disease kills more women each year than all forms of cancer combined. By knowing the most significant risks in women’s health care and what you can do to combat these health care issues, women of all ages can take a proactive approach to leading healthier lives.

The #1 Women’s Health Care Issue: Heart Disease More than 489,000 American women lose their lives each year as a result of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases. In fact, more women than men die from heart disease each year. Until recently, little research focused on women and heart disease, but the good news is that’s no longer the case. From research into the effects of hormone replacement therapy on heart health to studies of how cholesterol-lowering medications work in women, there’s an unprecedented increase in the amount of information available to women working to live with and ward off heart disease.

Experts at the Mayo Clinic offer simple common sense advice to women (and men) in the fight against heart disease: don’t smoke, eat a diet low in fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products, exercise at least 30 to 60 minutes a week, and maintain a healthy weight.

In addition, they encourage women to see their family doctor each year for a physical which includes blood pressure and cholesterol screenings. Studies indicate that there is a 46% increase in stroke risk for women for each 7.5 mm HG increase in their diastolic blood pressure, so monitoring blood pressure and controlling hypertension are vital.

Women who suffer migraines, are pregnant, have atrial fibrillation and those with the auto-immune disease Lupus also appear to run a greater stroke risk. Diabetes is another women’s health care issue with a direct impact on heart health. The American Heart Association notes women with diabetes have a two to six times greater risk of heart disease and heart attack and are at a significantly greater risk of suffering a stroke. All of these risk factors make an annual visit with your doctor one of the best ways women can manage and improve the health of their hearts.

Cancer Concerns: The Second Deadliest Health Care Issue Women Face While breast cancer is often at the top of the list of health care issues for women, several other types of cancers also pose a significant threat to women’s health. In this country, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime according to current data which means that a little more than 2 million women are currently living with breast cancer in the U.S. But melanoma, a form of skin cancer, actually kills more young women than any other cancer according to statistics provided by the Skin Cancer Foundation. In fact, melanoma is the most common form of cancer in women between the ages of 25 and 29 and its incidence has tripled in women under 40 in the last thirty years.

Ovarian cancer is another women’s health care concern. Usually symptomless until it is widespread, this disease is the fourth most frequent cause of death for American women. The American Cancer Society estimates 26,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed each year. Unfortunately, there are few definitive screening tests that detect this disease, but experts advise a thorough annual gynecological exam and for women to be alert to pelvic pain and pressure, low back discomfort, mild nausea, and an increase in constipation or gas. A serum CA-125 blood test can detect certain forms of ovarian cancer, but the test is not accurate enough to be used as a routine screening tool.

The rate of women suffering from cervical cancer has dropped a great deal over the years, thanks in part to the increase in the number of women who get an annual Pap smear which can indicate the presence of abnormal cells on the cervix. It’s a strong argument for making sure you never skip your Pap smear. Women who have had Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs), herpes simplex virus, those with suppressed immune systems, and those who have had multiple sexual partners run a greater risk of cervical cancer. On the prevention front, a recent trial of a vaccine against cervical cancer was 100% effective in the short term at blocking the disease.

Psychological Well-being: A Growing Health Care Issue for Women In the field of women’s health care, psychological problems, which include eating disorders, depression, and anxiety disorders, affect millions of American women. From coping skills to medications to alternative and complementary medical approaches, there is a growing body of knowledge being brought to bear on this important health care issue.

More than 19 million people in the United States, the greatest percentage being women, live with anxiety disorders that disrupt their lives. The different types of disorders within this group include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias. Treatment options include talk therapy and a wide range of medications that can quell the symptoms of the condition. Many women also combine alternative approaches to treatment such as acupuncture, meditation, and diet modification with traditional forms of treatment.

According to the American Psychological Association, women are almost twice as likely to suffer from major depression as men. In fact, some experts in the field have called depression the most significant mental health risk for women, especially those in their childbearing and rearing years. Studies have found that married women and mothers are especially vulnerable to depression. It’s important for a woman who feels she may be suffering from depression to be carefully evaluated by a physician because the source of the depressive symptoms could be birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, or thyroid disease. Treatment for depression, like most other psychological conditions, includes talk therapy and medications. Some women also find relief in alternative medicine with herbal supplements, meditation, and other complementary techniques.

Though many of the women who struggle with eating disorders are in their teens and twenties, these conditions also affect women at other stages in their lives. Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are the most well-known forms of eating disorders. Statistics show that one out of every one hundred girls between the ages of 10 and 20 is anorexic, 4% of college-aged women are bulimic, and 1% of women are binge eaters. The root causes of these diseases include stress at home and at school or work, depression and anxiety, major life changes like a divorce or death, and physical and sexual abuse. Breaking out of the cycle of eating disorders requires a combined approach to this health care issue including psychological treatment, nutrition counseling, and in some cases, hospitalization.

A Holistic Approach to Women’s Health Care As women become more proactive about their health, many seek a holistic approach to improving their well-being and fighting disease. But coordinating information among several health care providers, keeping on top of the latest breakthroughs in health, and finding the United States’ best doctors is a daunting task for any women.

Some are turning to private professional health care advocates, like those available at PinnacleCare, to help them achieve their goal of a whole-woman centered approach to health care issues. From compiling and electronically storing comprehensive medical records to researching treatment options and providing accelerated access to the United States’ top doctors, PinnacleCare’s health advocates make a holistic approach to health care possible.

"I passionately believe that what our PinnacleCare Members experience is the way healthcare ought to be delivered," explains John Hutchins, PinnacleCare’s Managing Director. "The healthcare system has gotten so complex that most people are at a loss to find their way through it without professional guidance and objective counsel."

www.thearticlepad.com

published articles

R.Gitcher
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/womens-health-care-742933.html

I had heard of prostate diseases for years but never thought much about it till a friend developed prostate problems.

His situation was enough to get me curious about prostate diseases.

First I learned that the prostate is a doughnut-shaped cluster of glands at the bottom of the bladder between the rectum and the base of the penis. It produces most of the fluid in semen.

I then learned that there are three main diseases of the prostrate: cancer, prostatitis and prostrate enlargement.

First let’s talk about the ‘big one’, cancer.

In the USA, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death for men after lung cancer.

African-American men are more than twice as likely to get the disease as any other ethnic group in the world. No one knows why this is so.

Prostate cancer is primarily a disease of aging. About 80 percent of all cases occur in men over sixty-five.

However, the rate of prostate cancer is rapidly rising in all men, even those under fifty. Generally, the younger a man is when he is diagnosed with prostate cancer, the worse his prognosis. Its increase among younger men points to the role of diet and exposure to environmental toxins in the development of the disease.

Prostatitis (prostate inflammation) is common in men of all ages. The usual cause is infectious bacteria that invade the prostate from another area of the body.

These can be either acute or chronic infections. Acute infections come on suddenly and may include fever and chills, pain and burning on urination and ejaculation, frequent urge to urinate while passing only small amounts of urine and blood in the urine. Symptoms of chronic prostatitis are similar but usually milder than the acute infection.

Prostatitis usually responds well to home care and antibiotic treatment.

Prostate enlargement seems to be a natural process, often associated with aging, and not necessarily a disease, but the gradual enlargement of the prostate. In the USA it occurs in about half of all men over fifty.

The major symptom is the need to pass urine frequently, perhaps with pain or burning feelings.

As prostate enlargement is often not a serious problem (though it depends on the case), let’s talk about the other two prostate diseases.

Prostate cancer is usually a slow growing cancer, often with no symptoms until its advanced stages. Symptoms include: pain or a burning sensation during urination, frequent urination, a decrease in the size and force of urine flow, an inability to urinate, blood in the urine, and lower back discomfort. However, these symptoms may be caused by benign enlargement or prostatitis. To get an accurate reading of the condition professional evaluation is of course recommended.

For treatment, testing is important. This may include a rectal exam (which can be rather painful) and/or a blood test. Ultrasound scanning is one of a number of other tests.

Unfortunately, prostate cancer can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Many cases are diagnosed only after the cancer has spread outside the gland.

Some of the treatment options for prostate cancer include:

? Experimental therapies such as cryoablation (freezing of cancer cells) and laser surgery are sometimes used.

? If the cancer has spread into the capsule of the gland, the standard approach is some form of radiation therapy. Try to avoid this, as it leaves men impotent 50 percent of the time.

? Removal of the gland may be recommended but consider that about 50 percent of men who have this done, even with the new “nerve sparing” techniques, become impotent. Watchful waiting, with nutritional support and lifestyle change, is becoming the preferred approach if the cancer is in the early stages.

? Many consider prostate cancer to be one of the most over treated diseases in America. Physicians in Europe have long used a conservative nutritional approach with good results.

? Research has shown that soybeans and soy products, such as tofu, soy flour and soymilk, have cancer-fighting powers due to the presence of a protein called genistein. It appears to be particularly effective against prostate cancer, but also works against breast cancer in women and colon cancer in both sexes.

Prostrate cancer prevention often includes a whole-foods diet, which was intriguing to me. Some suggestions include:

? Eat whole grains, raw nuts and seeds, and brown rice. Also broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower and carrots, pumpkin, squash and yams. This type of diet is important for both prevention and healing.

? Also include apples, fresh cantaloupe, all kinds of berries, Brazil nuts, cherries, grapes, legumes (including chickpeas, lentils and red beans) and plums.

? Try drinking freshly made vegetable and fruit juices daily.

? Include foods high in zinc, such as whole grain cereals or brewer’s yeast.

? Use cold-pressed organic oils such as sesame, safflower or olive oil for essential fatty acids.

? Eliminate red meat, alcohol and caffeine.

? Strictly avoid: junk foods and refined foods. Instead of salt, use a kelp or potassium substitute. A little blackstrap molasses or pure maple syrup is a good, natural sweetener. Use whole wheat or rye instead of white flour.

These are good suggestions, but always seek counsel and alternative opinions before deciding which treatments or diets to use.

For prostatitis treatment, I found two general categories, one being home treatment, and then other treatments, generally.

For home treatment some recommendations are:

? Drink 8 to 12 glasses of fluid daily. Extra fluids help flush the urinary tract clean.

? Eliminate all alcohol and caffeine from your diet.

? Keep stress under control.

? Hot baths help soothe pain and reduce stress Aspirin or ibuprofen may help ease painful urinary symptoms

? Certain herbal teas may help.

? There are various types of hydrotherapy that a professional can advise you about.

? Eat 1 to 4 ounces of raw pumpkin seeds every day. They are rich in zinc. Alternatively, take pumpkinseed oil in capsule form.

? Get regular exercise. Do not ride a bicycle which may put pressure on the prostate.

Other treatment options include:

? Treatment with antibiotics and analgesics may be necessary.

? However, long-term use of antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance, which necessitates more potent drugs, more expense, and more medical complications.
So “do it yourself” seems promising here, but of course one should always seek professional medical advice.

I would summarise what I researched that, as with any major disease an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Try to keep a healthy lifestyle, do things that seem useful and rewarding to you and don’t be slow about getting medical checkups if you have any sense that something in your body may not be up to par.

Bruce Brightman
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-prostate-and-its-diseases-131707.html