Optimal Health Articles

Suffering from Arthritis Pain? Need Some Tips? Here You’re!

2010-05-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

As we all know that Arthritis is a type of join disease characterized by pain, swelling, and stiffness. The cause of these symptoms may be the infection, trauma, or any other metabolic disturbance either due to malfunctioning of an organ or because of another disease. It is mostly present in aged people and can be categorize in many types depending upon symptoms and their severity.

In Greek, the word Arthritis means “Joint Inflammation” but now it is used as a term that describes more than hundred disorders collectively known as Rheumatic Disease.

The most common type of arthritis is Osteoarthritis (OA) that can be defined as a deteriorative type of joint disease that mostly affects older people. It is also very common in athletes. In OA, the cartilage (a type of connective tissue that is soft, elastic and flexible) of joint is destroyed and this destruction starts with the thinning out of the cartilage between joints which will result in wear and tear of cartilage and that ultimately leads to painful movement. Overweight individuals are more susceptible of developing osteoarthritis, especially of the knee.

Another form of arthritis is the Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) which is quite different from the other forms of arthritis. It is characterized by inflammation of knuckles and joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an Autoimmune Disease i.e.; defense system of body become weaken and does not work properly to protect the body against harmful substances, rather our body starts attacking itself which cause fatigue, loss of appetite and even fever. Patients of RA have swollen, red, painful and stiff joints.

People who suffer with this painful joint disease are the most desperate about finding out a solution or a remedy so that they can get rid of this painful condition. Although there are certain medicine and drugs that can reduce the severity of pain, but many people would like to make changes in their diet plan as to provide them with better nourishment and some even also go for exercises to get relief from this discomfort.

In addition to medication, there are some dietary factors that have the healing potential. Here I am going to mention only few dietary factors that people consider most effective against Arthritis.

Dietary Suggestions for Arthritis Patients:

Ginger root and Omega-3 fatty acids are believed to relieve the pain which is associated with arthritis.

Basically, arthritis is the inflammation of joint i.e.; it is a condition of redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, heat and disturbed function of joint due to the reaction of the body to injurious harmful agents. Since omega-3 fatty acids are considered to have anti-inflammatory effect, all those foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids are usually considered good for arthritis patients.

Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids:

The best source of omega-3 fatty acids is fish oil. Other sources may include dried beans, broccoli, canola oil, Chinese greens, flaxseed oil, ground flaxseeds, kale, legumes, salad greens, soybeans, soy milk, soy oil, tofu, walnut oil, walnuts, and wheat germ.

Eating fish is the part of healthy diet and half pound of fish per day can do the trick for the arthritis patients.

Gingerroot is another option that has a long history of use for the Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. Ginger not only helps in reducing inflammation but it also improves the functioning of digestive system by increasing the blood flow to the stomach. In this way, it does not cause any stomach irritation and provides relief by inhibiting the enzymes which cause inflammation.

Allergies:

One third individual suffering from Rheumatoid arthritis have certain types of food allergies which indicates that certain foods can rigger the pain and other arthritis related symptoms. Since, it can vary from person to person so we cannot say that a particular type of food that triggers arthritis pain. Therefore, one should always pay special attention to the food and try to figure out which type of food generates pain and other arthritis related symptoms.

I am sure these suggestions would be helpful for my readers who are suffering from this painful disease as well as for those who read it for the sake of information.

Boost Your Energy Level!

2009-02-17T11:31:00.000-08:00

Our lives are getting so busy and complicated that we do not have time for us. Your surrounding may be filled of so many examples illustrating that people are so busy in their other routine work that they forget to feed their body – which is the necessity of living. They are just working hard enough to run after the clock so that they can catch the time and during this hectic schedule they neglect their diet, result is fatigue, tiredness, lack of energy and exhaustion.

Fatigue is a condition of abnormal tiredness and lack of energy which drives almost 10 million people all around the world to doctor visit each year. It can block our productivity and efficiency and can upset our lives. Fatigue is one of the most common health problems I have ever heard. There are different causes of fatigue, you just have to figure out that why are you feeling so tired and then find out a method to turn it around. First and foremost thing in this journey is to pay some attention to your health. Here I am listing few things which might be helpful for you.

Drinking Lots of Water: Drink plenty of water each day to keep your body hydrated because dehydration is the biggest cause of fatigue and tiredness. Our feeling of thirst is not always a trustworthy indicator of need of taking water, therefore it is recommended to take at least 8-10 glasses of water daily.

Eat Healthy: Eating a healthy and balanced diet is must to live an active and fit lifestyle. Try to adopt a habit of eating a balanced diet at regular interval to maintain your energy level. Avoid simple sugars as they cause devastation on blood sugar and leads to low level of energy.

Exercise & Breathing Techniques: Another way to boost your energy level naturally is to do exercise as it increases oxygen intake by keeping metabolic rate high and also improves blood flow so that you feel more refresh and energized. Breathing deeply will also help you to inhale adequate amount of oxygen and eliminate toxic gases from the body, and thus makes you feel relaxed. ^{[1, 2]}

Have Proper Sleep: Taking a good night sleep enhances your day time performance. More you have adequate sleep more you are proficient. Click here for more information on sleep. ^[3]

Enjoy Snack Time: Boost your metabolic rate and energy level by eating healthy snacks throughout the day because it let you to triumph over the slouches enabling you to think more clearly and creatively. ^[2]

Have a Positive Attitude: Try to focus on something which makes you feel good and always try to maintain a positive attitude towards life. There is nothing more energizing than having a positive approach towards life.

References

Winter Tips

2008-12-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

As I have already mentioned that winter is coming and nothing will stop it. It is the season of chilled winds, cool breeze and snow. I personally like to enjoy snow from inside my house. It looks so beautiful! But everyone cannot enjoy this beautiful season specially the arthritic patients. Here are some health tips to help you stay healthy and in high spirits in the coming months.

Arthritis Care for Winter Season

2008-11-18T02:40:00.000-08:00

Why Winter Season is Bothersome for Arthritic Patient?

Winter is coming! Many people will enjoy the chilled winds and cool breeze of winter season. It is a season that won’t surrender and it comes with cool breeze, chilled winds, cold temperature, low humidity and dry indoor environment which create problematic situation and feeling of annoyance in the mobility of joints. People suffering from any type of arthritis are not able to enjoy this cool and pleasant season of the year as they already are experiencing the reduction in their joint mobility because of the reduction in the muscular strength and winter season makes this condition more debilitating.

Why Arthritic Patients are Weather Sensitive?

Why winter is the most troublesome season for the arthritic patients? Why is it so difficult for them to manage? Why the symptoms of arthritis get aggravated during winter season? Why they are sensitive to weather change? The main reason is that cold temperature during winter season causes muscles, tendon and ligaments present around the joint to contract which result in increased pressure on joint. Arthritis sufferer experience severe pain during mobility because of this increased pressure on joints. According to many clinical studies about 70% people who are suffering from arthritis are affected by climate change. ^{[1, 2, 3]}

Tips for Maximizing Arthritis Cure

No matter how cold the temperature is! You can still manage your arthritis. The key point is to make yourself well-aware about arthritis. The more knowledge you have about arthritis, the better you will be able to tackle it in winter

There are many ways by which one can facilitate his mobility and movement. I am listing here some of them:

^{[1, 2, 3]}

References:

Important Facts about Common Cold

2008-11-17T02:49:00.000-08:00

Common cold is a viral infection of upper respiratory tract. Since there is no cure for common cold, the best option is prevention. Once a cold has a firm grip on you, it is hard to stop it.

Here we are listing some important facts about common cold that you need to know:

common cold

cold

cold and flu

common cold

cold

colds and flu.

Reference:
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC & James F. Balch, M.D. (2000). Prescription for Nutritional Healing. (3rd edition) Page No. 297-300. Penguin Putnam INC. New York: Avery.

Common Cold

2008-11-08T01:50:00.000-08:00

Common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract and is highly contagious. According to estimation, more than $1 billion are spent every year in America on nonprescription treatments for coughs and colds. Many people think that cold weather causes colds. It is not true, although most colds are caught in the season of fall and winter because most cold viruses grow better in colder temperature. ^{[1, 2]}

Causative Virus of Common Cold

There are more than 200 different viruses that can cause the common cold, out of them the most common virus is Rhinovirus. There are more than 110 serologic types of viruses that can cause upper respiratory tract symptoms or cold symptoms. Rhinoviruses are the viruses that contribute about 30% to 50% of all cases. ^[3]

Symptoms of Common Cold

The most common symptoms of common colds are listed below:

The symptoms of common cold usually last for 7-10 days. ^{[1, 2]}

Economic Impact of Cold

Although common cold is the most common health problem all around the world and sometimes consider as trifling but if we talk about the economic impact of common cold only in United States of America, approximately $2.9 billion are spent on over-the counter medicines and about $400 millions are spent on prescription medicines for common cold.

Mostly people received Antibiotic prescription for the relief of their symptoms. In the United States, an estimated 41 million antibiotics are prescribed annually that contributes to an unnecessary cost of $1.1 billion.

According to estimation, children suffering from common cold and cough miss approximately 22 to 189 million school days annually, due to this parent have to miss 126 million workdays to stay at home to take care of their children. Employees suffering from common cold let pass 150 million workdays annually. When added to 126 million workdays missed by parents, the total of cold-related work loss exceeds $20 billion. ^[2]

Treatment of Common Cold

There is no treatment for common cold, no medically proven medicine that directly targets the virus. The purpose of medicines and supplement in common cold is to maximize the comfort of the patient and to limit the severity of symptoms.

Here we are listing some herbs that are helpful in reducing the severity of symptoms and have favorable effects on body.

^[1]

References:

Thanksgiving Day

2008-11-02T21:08:00.000-08:00

Celebrations of Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in Unites States on the fourth Thursday in the month of November and in Canada, it is celebrated on the second Monday of October as being a part of Harvest Festival. The time period from Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day is also called as Holiday Season. Thanksgiving Day is a Federal Holiday to express thanks, appreciation and gratitude for one's material and mystical belongings. It is a time of being grateful to Lord Almighty and your fellow men. ^{[1, 2, 3]}

Origin of Thanksgiving Day

America's most excellent and premium day - Thanksgiving Day has a very interesting and appealing history. The very first Thanksgiving dinner is said to be served in the 16th century when the pilgrims and the Indians did have their three-day feast in celebration of a good harvest. It was not a holiday, it was simply a gathering.

The well-known pilgrims were crossing the Atlantic in 1620 with great impenetrability due to the dreadful and awful storms, and they were not allowed to go on the desk and were kept in the cargo space of the ship. The pilgrims could not reach to their original destination because of storm and due to extreme weather conditions they decided to stay at Plymouth Rock, where they called for a day for fasting and prayer. God answered their prayers and it rained which saved the corn crops and it helped all of them to survive. The majestic feast or dinner was organized to express thanks and gratitude to God for His favors. This banquet is now known as The First Thanksgiving Feast.

President Lincoln stated publicly the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day in 1863. ^[4]

Tradition of Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is the most eye-catching and exulted event. The tradition of Thanksgiving Day celebration is highly manifested with lots of fun, gratification, enjoyment, cavort, gifts, great family banquet and prayers. It is also celebrated as an occasion to thank God for harvest and all the good, high-quality, pleasant and satisfactory things that they have in their lives. ^[5]

Other than ceremonial dinner and feast, community prayers and thanking God, people also show their gratitude for their fellow with immense vehemence and zeal by sending them beautiful and attractive gifts including flowers, jewelry, cookies, chocolates, wines etc. ^[5]

Thanksgiving Day Cards

Many people would like to express their love, care and gratitude by sending an exquisite Thanksgiving Day Card. Sending Thanksgiving Day card is one of the most expressive ways of showing your feeling, you can choose among variety of cards in card shop or can also send your own handmade card, you can also send an e-card to your loved ones.

You can select a beautiful and attractive Thanksgiving Day card from here;

http://www.thanksgiving-cards.net/index.html

Thanksgiving Greeting Cards

It is totally Free! So start sending your Thanksgiving Day card to your loved ones and make them feel touched!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

References

Sleep - Basic Information

2008-10-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

Do You Know Essentials about Sleep?

Sleep is a natural state of bodily rest. Sleep is required for proper mental and physical activity. Proper or good sleep gives support to a man during its day time activities and routine. Adequate sleep enhances your day time performance. More you have adequate sleep more you are proficient. Hence, one can say that sleep is essential for reconstruction of your physical and mental state.

Need of Sleep

The amount of sleep you need to develop and function properly primarily depends on age like infants and children. They sleep for longer period of time as compare to adults because they need a greater amount of sleep than adults to grow up and function well. While an adult requires an average of 7 to 8 hours of good sleep to perform well during daytime.

Your need of sleep may also depend on:

sleep

^{[1, 2]}

Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

How do you know if you are not getting enough amount of sleep you need? Answer is to start by identifying your symptoms of sleep deprivation. Here are some common signs of sleep deprivation:

^[2]

Sleep Disturbances / Sleep Problems

If you are not getting adequate amount of sleep that you need, you may feel distracted or tired or may have difficulty in concentrating, but sleep problem is not all about getting sleepy during day time. Sleep disturbances cause more than that like;

sleep / lack of sleep

Sleep

sleep

^[3]

Techniques for Better Sleep or Quality Sleep

Following are some techniques that are useful to get quality sleep. These are very simple techniques but can vary from person to person especially if you have any type of sleep disorder.

sleep

Sleep

sleep

10.

sleep

By using these techniques you will sleep well and remain healthy. ^{[4, 5, 7]}

Sleep Remedies

Several herbal remedies as well as nutritional supplements are helpful for you during sleep disorders. Herbal remedies are good for health because they work maximum with minimum side effects. These natural herbs are very useful singly or in combination. We are describing only few of them.

^{[4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]}

sleep

^{[5, 7, 10]}

sleep

^{[5, 7, 9, 10, 11]}

sleep

^{[7, 8, 12, 13]}

Importance of Good Sleep

Good sleep or adequate sleep works positively on body in several aspects:

Adequate sleep

Deprivation of sleep

sleep

Sleep deprivation

^[14]

References:

Arthritis

2008-10-20T02:44:00.000-07:00

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is the inflammatory and troubling condition of joints which is characterized by pain, swelling, stiffness and deformity of joints. ^{[1, 3]} Older people are more susceptible to have an arthritic pain than the younger ones. ^[1]

Causes of Arthritis

There are so many factors that contribute to arthritis and result in deterioration of joints. These factors are:

^{[1, 3, 4]}

Types of Arthritis

There are various forms of arthritis but following are the most common forms:

1. Osteoarthritis
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis ^[1]

Osteoarthritis (OA)

Osteoarthritis (OA) is also called as Degenerative Joint Problem. ^{[1, 2, 5]} It is the most common type of arthritis and mostly senior people are affected by this problem. ^{[1, 5]} Osteoarthritis involves worsening deterioration of cartilage, which is the safeguarding element of bones. ^{[1, 2, 5]}

Causative Factors of Osteoarthritis (OA)

Osteoarthritis (OA) is caused by so many factors like:

^{[1, 3, 4]}

Mostly osteoarthritis affects weight bearing joints like knees, hips and back but commonly affects the hands and knuckles. ^{[1, 3, 5]} It starts with the deterioration of muscles that holds the joints like tendons and ligaments and then leads to the condition of deformity, stiffness and pain. ^{[1, 2, 5]} Osteoarthritis leads to brittle and weaker bones. This type of arthritis usually develops after the age of sixty but can also rarely develop before the age of forty. Women have greater risks of developing osteoarthritis than men. ^[1]

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory condition of joints that is an autoimmune disease in which the natural defense system (Immune system) of the body becomes over activated. ^{[1, 2, 3, 6]} It is a self attacking disorder in which the body’s own defense system destroys the bone cartilage which results in inflammation of joints. ^{[1, 2, 3, 6]} Rheumatoid Arthritis may leads to the following conditions:

• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Fatigue
• Anemia
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Crippling pain ^{[1, 2, 3, 5]}

Rheumatoid arthritis commonly strikes the people under forty years of age most of them are females. ^{[1, 2, 3]} Juvenile arthritis is the type of rheumatoid arthritis that affects the children under the age of sixteen. ^[1]

Dietary Suggestions for Arthritis

So many dietary factors, weight reducing programs and certain exercises contribute in reducing the severity of arthritis. Arthritis can be curable with proper dietary guidelines and some adaptations in the life style. Dietary factors have strong healing potential they not only helpful in relieving the pain and inflammation of joints but also contribute in declining the degeneration and renewal of the affected joints.

Various herbal supplements and multivitamins show their beneficial effects in the condition of arthritis. ^[1]

• Alfalfa, Cat’s claw, Shark cartilage and Boswellia are the herbs that show their favorable effects in reducing the inflammation, and helpful for arthritis.

• Glucosamine sulfate supplementation has a pronounced effect in bones and joint health.

• Calcium and Magnesium are the most important minerals that are helpful in supporting the health of bones and joints.

• Vitamins E, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin K collectively have favorable effect on bones and joint health. ^{[1, 5]}

References:

Breast Cancer

2008-10-17T00:22:00.000-07:00

Cancer of the breast or breast cancer is a very common form of cancer among women and is the second leading cause of death for women in United States. According to American Cancer Society about 175,000 people are diagnosed with Breast cancer every year, and about 43,300 deaths occur from this cancer.

The human breast is a gland that contains milk ducts, lobes, fatty tissues and network of lymphatic vessels. Cancerous tumors can arise in any part of the breast and mostly detected as lump. The vast majority of breast lumps are not cancerous but it is always advised to get professional examination done. ^[1]

As breast tissues are identical in both males and females, males can also develop breast cancer. However incidences of breast cancer in males are almost 100 times less common than in females, but the survival rate is same in both sexes. ^{[1, 2]}

Types of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is not a single entity, but there are actually different types of diseases. Some types of breast cancers are listed below:

^[1]

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

Risk factors can be defined as anything that affects the chances of getting a disease like cancer. There are many types of risk factors for Breast cancer including:

^[3]

Although it is possible for a woman to get Breast cancer at any age, this caner is most common in women over forty years of age particularly in postmenopausal women. Obesity or excessive bodyweight is also another important risk factor for Breast cancer, especially for women over fifty years of age. Heredity or family history is another factor in Breast cancer. Researchers have estimated that about 5 to 10% of Breast cancers are genetic in nature. ^{[1, 3]}

Incidence and Prevalence of Breast Cancer

Today breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. About 180,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year and about 40,000 women die every year from breast cancer. This month of October is being celebrated as Breast Awareness Month. In the United State, approximately 182,460 new cases of breast cancer are expected to occur during this year, and an estimated 40,480 women will die from breast cancer. Therefore, it is very important for women to know what they can do to improve the quality of their lives and the survival rate. ^[4]

Early Detection of Breast Cancer

It is very important to detect breast cancer in its earliest and most curable stage. Screening process for early breast cancer detection helps doctors to find and treat cancer before it cause any symptom ^[5]. There are following screening test available for breast cancer:

Treatment Options for Breast Cancer

If cancer is diagnosed in its early stage, it can be treated well. Treatment options for breast cancer include:

^[6]

Herbal Recommendations

The medicinal benefits of herbs have been known for centuries. In the United States, herbal remedies were used widely until the early 1900s, and today’s renewed interest in herbs reflects increasing concern about the beneficial effects of herbs on body. There are some herbs listed below that have beneficial effects on breast cancer:

^[1]

Dietary Suggestions

By taking healthy and a balanced diet and making healthy changes in lifestyle can increase your chances of avoiding/over-coming breast cancer. Some of them are listed below:

^[1]

Reference:

Cancer

2008-10-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Cancer is a group of diseases that is characterized by abnormal cell growth anywhere in the body. It is sometimes described as a group of more than hundred diseases that have almost same signs and symptoms. Cancer is basically genetic in origin. Cancer occur when cell growth become uncontrollable. Due to this uncontrollable cell growth, a mass of tissue is formed which is called as Tumor.

Types of Cancer

1. Malignant Cancer

cancer

malignant tumor

2. Benign Cancer

Benign cancer

benign tumors

tumors

Sites of Cancer Development

Since cancer is the abnormal growth of cell of the body. So, it can arise from various sites. There are many types of cells that get affected with tumor growth. The name of cancer is given on the basis of the part of the body from where they start developing. ^[1]

Causes of Cancer

Since cancer covers more than one disease, its causes also differ widely. The most common cause of cancer is the genetic abnormality. Most of the cancer arises because there is an abnormality in the genetic make-up of an individual. ^[2]

Cancer is a disease that is multifactorial in nature means there is no single cause of cancer, it has many causative factors. Cancer causing factors are called Carcinogens that include so many things starting form tobacco smoke to metallic fumes.

Other factors that can potentially cause cancer include genetic make-up, age, immune system which is the defense system of the body, dietary insufficiency, environmental factors, viruses and other diseases and health problems that may lead to the development of cancer. ^[3]

Stages of Cancer

Progression of cancer is generally divided into four stages depending upon the severity of the disease. This determination of the stage is very helpful when taking decisions for treatment and outlook for recovery. ^[4]

Treatment Options for Cancer

Treatment options for cancer depends on certain factors like type of cancer, its severity or stage of the disease, cell or tissue affected, overall condition of the individual, purpose of treatment either it is to cure the disease or to keep it from spreading. Keeping all these things in mind the health care professional start treating cancer with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy or targeted therapy or he can also combine one or more treatment to provide you with the most effective treatment. ^[5]

Symptoms of cancer can also be relieved by herbal therapy. Further, there is no side effect of herbal therapy like Graviola that shows its beneficial effects in cancer and is very helpful.

Reference: