In the past, gout was a disease that was associated with royalty or the rich and elderly —  only people who could afford to eat fatty foods. While there’s some truth to the type of foods contributing to the problem, gout can happen to anyone at any age.

Gout is actually a type of arthritis. The pain is an inflammation that occurs when crystal deposits form inside connective tissue and impedes the joint function. These crystals are made from uric acid.

Your body makes uric acid from purines in certain foods. Most of the uric acid is eliminated from the body. But when the body makes too much uric acid, it gathers in the joints and causes serious problems.

A  gout attack starts with tenderness, warmth and sudden pain in the joint of the big toe. That’s a classic sign of gout, although pain can happen in the ankles, knees, wrists or fingers.

The affected joint also looks red and feels hot to the touch. The initial gout attack may last a few days, but with each new attack, it lasts longer and the pain is more severe. You need a thorough medical evaluation for gout and will probably be given prescription medication.

There’s also plenty that you can do to prevent the next gout attack. First, moderate your diet. Start by limiting or eliminating high purine foods such as beef, pork, lamb and organ meats.

You also need to give up alcohol including beer. Some seafood is problematic for uric acid including anchovies, herring, mussels, codfish, sardines, scallops, haddock and trout. Second, add more gout preventative foods to your diet.

Use low fat dairy products which can actually help prevent gout. Increase your consumption of low-purine foods such as cereal, fruit, bread, grain, pasta, rice, olives, cheese, eggs, tomatoes and some green vegetables.

Third, lose excess weight and do all you can to improve muscle tone with moderate, regular exercise. You want to keep your body in the best shape possible. But you can’t go on a fad diet or high protein diet – that will cause more harm.

Fourth, be consistent in taking any prescription medications you take – even during times when you don’t have gout pain. A gout attack can be triggered or worsened by stress, illness and alcohol use.

Once the attack starts, you have to be extremely careful of foods and over the counter medications to avoid prolonging the attack. Because the pain makes walking and standing so difficult, you have to reduce your activities during a gout attack. You can live a full life even with gout if you do all you can to prevent future occurrences.

Colon cleansing is one of the most important steps in detoxification, and herbs can be a catalyst to help rid the body of waste and speed the way to a healthy colon. If you’re looking for a natural, herbal approach to good colon health, there are several herbs that can provide that.

A herbal laxative that helps to cleanse the colon is cascara sagrada. Long used by Native Americans, this herb contains compounds called anthroquinones, which produce this laxative effect in the body. In fact, today it’s probably the most common of the herbal laxatives.

The herb cascara sagrada also helps to strengthen the muscle tone of the walls of the colon. And as your muscle tone grows stronger, your constipation will slowly begin to fade. This herb also helps to stimulate bile production in the liver, which also helps to speed the removal of toxins from your system. You can find cascara in several forms, including capsules liquid extracts and as dried bark. If you choose dried back you can make this into a tea. Cascara sagrada tea has a natural bitter taste.

An average serving of cascara sagrada is 300 mg when taken in capsule form. You’ll want to take it in the evening to give it time to stimulate a bowel movement by the following morning. This herb usually takes between six to 12 hours to work.

You shouldn’t take this natural plant for more than seven days consecutively. Nor is this herb intended for use by children.

Chickweed is another excellent herb for relieving constipation and helping to clean out the colon. It works relatively fast and will help move the stools through your system with several hours. Not only that, but it also helps to strength the stomach muscles and the bowels themselves which are the first steps toward long-term relief. It’s also noted for cleansing the system of toxins.

If you’re looking for “an all-purpose herb,” look no further than slippery elm. This herb is not only a wonderful natural remedy for constipation, but it’s also an extremely effective herbal aid for diarrhea. Slippery Elm normalizes the stools while it soothes, coats and heals the lining of your intestines. For the best effects and to help it move quickly through your system, you’ll want to drink plenty of water when you consume it.

Senna is another herbal laxative, albeit a strong one. It works quickly; expect it to work shortly after you’ve taken it. It’s also acts as a purgative, cleansing the bowels naturally. Normally, this herb is taken in tea form. It also helps to stimulate peristaltic contractions, which help to move the fecal matter through your colon. Many individuals are convinced of the effectiveness of this herb.

We must, however, add a word of caution about senna. It makes some folks ill. Some report that they get nauseous when they take it. But adding some ginger or cinnamon to the senna when you take it may help alleviate this problem.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are between 15 and 20 million people in India are afflicted with asthma and the disease accounts for annual deaths of about 180,000 in the world. The mortality rate for Americans with asthma is lower than most countries yet about 6,000 deaths a year occur in the United States that are attributed to asthma. It is a comparatively small ratio, however, considering the total number of Americans afflicted with asthma is about 10 million. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, asthma is one of the leading causes for children not attending school.

Most asthma attacks do not result in death, but they can cause respiratory disorders or result in severe problems breathing, which are accompanied by pain and discomfort. Loss of consciousness from attacks can occur, which carries additional health risks. There are several medications for controlling asthma, including herbal remedies. The two most common treatments are quick-relief medications and long-term medications. Medicine for quick relief can help stop a possible asthma attack within minutes. Beta-agonists are short-acting and are the preferred type. You should carry your medicine with you at all times to help prevent an attack. When you first recognize that you are going to suffer an episode by suffering any of the symptoms which were described earlier, you should take a quick-relief medicine.

Long-term asthma medicines include inhaled corticosteroids, which open the breathing airways and reduces swelling. They are generally safe when prescribed by your doctor. These medicines can also include steroid tablets or liquid. One of the inhaled long-acting beta agonists are bronchodilators. Often these long-term medicines are taken with inhaled corticosteroids. Leukotriene modifiers can also be effective for mild cases of asthma. Antihistamines are often prescribed to treat asthma. In very severe cases, allergy shots (hyposensitization) can be ordered.

Beta blockers can interfere with medicines taken for asthma. Beta blockers for the treatment of high blood pressure or glaucoma, aspirin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are among them. If you are or plan to become pregnant, be sure totalk to your doctor and inform him (or her) about it. Generally, it is less risky to take asthma medications while pregnant as opposed to not taking medication.

Doctors in emergency rooms may use a device called a capnography, which measures the amount of exhaled carbon dioxide. They may also use pulse oximetry to display how much oxygen is dissolved in the blood, and determine how well the asthma is being controlled by medications. Many people suffering from eczema have an increased risk of asthma.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has designated four categories of asthma; mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, and severe persistent. Stimuli triggering asthma attacks fall into the following categories; allergenic air pollution (such as waste from household pests), indoor allergenic (including perfumes or colognes), medications (such as aspirin and penicillin), food allergies (such as eggs, milk and peanuts), fossil fuel air pollution (such as smog, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide), industrial compounds (such as sulfites, chlorine, and other chloramines), viral respiratory infections, exercise or exertion, indoor air pollution (from newsprint or other literature and glossy magazines), hormone changes (such as menstruation), and emotional stress. Eighty percent of adult asthma attacks are the result of respiratory viruses.

Reference: Biogetica Asthma Optimal-Kit

Sometimes we take for granted things that are common, and this is definitely the case with lemons. Although we use them almost daily, we take for granted the nutrition, usefulness, and even beauty they bring to the world. This little yellow fruit is a true powerhouse in terms of the many health benefits it offers us. You may think you know all about lemons, but I’ll show you that the lemon is good for much more than lemonade.

You can’t think of citrus without thinking of a lemon. Originally from Asia, this unique yellow fruit has been around for a long time. Most people are aware of the story of lemons saving British sailors from scurvy, and this is true. The high vitamin C content of lemons is well known. Although the lemon’s sourness prevents it from being eaten as a snack, it is a common ingredient in many cuisines because of the zest they add. Chefs know lemon juice is an antioxidant that keeps fresh foods from turning brown, but here are some other uses for lemons you may not know:

* Lemons are great phlegm busters. If you are congested, make yourself a fresh glass of lemonade (warm or cold) and the lemon will act as an expectorant.

* Dry lemon slices as part of a refreshing, home made potpourri.

* To diminish the appearance of acne scars and exfoliate dead skin, gently rub a cut lemon and 1/2 teaspoon sugar granules on your skin for a few minutes. Repeat at least once a week until the darkened areas fade.

* The rind of the lemon or zest can be candied to use as treats for kids or a garnish for many dishes. It’s especially good as a seasoning for fish, poultry, and asparagus.

* Lemon juice naturally repels ticks and fleas from your dog. Just mix one part lemon juice to one part water, then dab it on the problem areas, or you can also use a spray bottle to apply the mixture.
Lemon juice can sting the dog’s eyes and ears, so be careful around those areas.

* Research shows that lemon essential oil stimulates the central part of the hippocampus, triggering rational, left brain thinking. If you’re in a problem-solving slump, dab some lemon essential oil
on a tissue and inhale.

* Craving sweets? A whiff of lemon oil has the effect of swiftly curbing the emotional reactions that trigger cravings for sweets.

* A simple form of detoxification is to squeeze the juice of one lemon into 12 ounces of hot water. Drink this first thing in the morning when you wake up.

* Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle on some borax or salt. Use this like a sponge to clean a dirty tub or sink. The citric acid in the lemons helps cut through dirt without scratching the surface.

* Unlike chemical cleaners, cleaning with lemons will leave behind a pleasant smell that won’t make you wheeze or cough. They are great at odor removal. If you’ve been peeling onions, pour some lemon juice over your hands to remove the smell.

* Have a stinky garbage can or garbage disposal? Drop some lemon slices into the garbage disposal or put lemon slices in the bottom of the garbage can to remove any unpleasant smells.

Depending on your individual symptoms, your health care physician may begin treatment even before your symptoms actually surface at the beginning of the season. He may also recommend that you continue to take this medication once your seasonal symptoms end. The theory to this type of treatment is to prevent a worsening of the symptoms the following year.

Conventional Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder

SAD is, indeed, quite easily treated once it’s recognized. Usually it is treated with antidepressants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the extended release tablets Wellbutrin XL – bupropion specifically for individuals affected with SAD. Your health care practitioner may prescribe you other antidepressant drugs, though.

Other antidepressants your health care practitioner may prescribe for this type of depressive episode include paroxetine (sold as Paxil), sertraline (sold as Zoloft), fluoxetine (sold under the name brands of Prozac and Sarafem) as well as venlafaxine (sold as Effexor).

Once you begin your treatment begins – regardless of the type of antidepressant you’re taking — the medications may take a minimum of several weeks to provide you with the full benefits. Similarly, don’t be disappointed if the first medication doesn’t work as well as your health care physician initially thought. It may be that you’ll have to try several antidepressants before you and your health care physician hit upon the one that works for you.

Before you agree to take any of these antidepressant medications, though, be sure you are fully aware of the adverse side effects of these drugs. For many people, these side effects are even worse than experiencing the depression itself. In fact, many antidepressants now carry the strongest of FDA warnings: the black box warning. Some teenagers and young adults are at higher risk of committing suicide when taking these medications.

If you’re not quite sure that strong prescription antidepressants are the correct route for you, there are two other conventional treatments. The first is psychotherapy. SAD is indeed a disorder that is related to the biochemical processes of your body, your mood and your behavior are also nonetheless contributing factors to the severity of your symptoms.

Undergoing psychotherapy may help you identify and ultimately alter your negative thoughts and behaviors. While these aren’t the primary causes of your depression, managing these aspects of your problem may provide you additional relief.

Alternative Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder

If you suffer from SAD, ask your health care practitioner about light therapy. Many in the health care field consider light therapy the first line of defense in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder.

Light therapy is especially recommended for those people who are searching for an alternative to antidepressants. When you undergo this type of treatment, you’ll sit in front of a 10,000 lux light box containing plastic-covered white fluorescent light tubes. The plastic screen blocks any exposure to ultraviolet rays.

When this therapy was originally devised, it was thought that only full-spectrum lighting would alleviate the symptoms of SAD. Full spectrum lighting mimics sunlight, providing for every spectrum of the sun’s rays. In the 25-some years that light therapy has been used, it’s been shown that full spectrum is not necessary.

Most experts in the field of light therapy recommend about 90 minutes of exposure daily, for optimum results. This therapy normally continues until the end of winter. Most people who use this method say that they can feel its beneficial effects in as little as two to four days. In others, it takes up to several weeks. Discontinue using light therapy if, after a month to six weeks, you discover no improvement in your symptoms.

If you prefer an herbal supplement, you may want to make St. John’s Wort one of your first choices. Its ability to lift a depressed mood is legendary among herbalists. According to the research performed on this plant, it works by stimulating the neurotransmitters involved in creating the depression in the first place. It is especially effective at boosting serotonin levels in the brain, which greatly influences your emotions.

St. John’s Wort is used widely in Germany which has a rich history of herbal use. St. John’s Wort is so trusted, in fact, that approximately 30 million prescriptions are written for it as a natural antidepressant yearly. If you plan to use this herb, it’s best that you consult with your local professional herbalist to discover the proper serving for your individual symptoms.

Also keep in mind you should also consult with your personal health care practitioner before you start using St. John’s Wort not only to obtain his advice, but also to ensure that this herb won’t interfere with any medications you’re currently taking.

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