Night Eating Syndrome

This is a serious disorder, a result of upsets in hormones that regulate sleep, hunger and stress. People with night eating syndrome usually have no desire to eat until the afternoon, then eat most of their calories during the evening and at night, often waking up for high-calorie snacks. They need food to help them sleep. Feeling stressed and depressed is common.

Research suggests it affects 1,5% of all adults and around 10% of obese people. If you think you may have a problem with nighttime eating, get professional help from your doctor.

Nail Biting

Stop Nail Biting



In both adults and children, nail biting is a common habit, sometimes stemming from insecurity, boredom, anxiety or excitement. Excessive nail biting results in very weak nails and, in extreme cases, damaged fingers caused by chewing the nail down to the quick — the sensitive skin beneath the nail.

There is no guaranteed cure for nail biting.

In the book The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Women Dr. Frances Willson, a clinical psychologist, suggests nail paint, available at some chemists, to make your nails taste bad.

“When not in public, wear cotton gloves. That way, you can’t get at your nails,” says Dr. Willson. “Or buy a box of adhesive strips. Wearing an adhesive bandage around the tip of each finger can also act as a deterrent to nail biting.”

Another possible solution, according to the South African Family Medical Adviser, is to find something that occupies your hands when they are idle — a creative hobby such as building model airplanes, painting, knitting or sewing.

With a girl who bites her nails it can be a good idea to appeal to her vanity. Give her a manicure set to make her “nail conscious.”

Standard advice says it takes seven to ten days to break a habit. So give it some time — and encourage yourself.

“When it comes to breaking this habit, I believe that encouragement works better than punishment,” says Dr. Willson. “For many women who bite their nails, a manicure is very encouraging.”

Causes of Morning Sickness

Fifty to 80 percent of women end up with morning sickness during pregnancy. Some just feel a bit sick, others feel incredibly nauseous and some women find themselves vomiting almost every day. Plus, despite the name, it doesn’t exclusively occur in the mornings and can happen at any time of the day. But what’s known about it and why does it occur?

Well, despite instances of morning sickness being a well-known attribute of pregnancy and medical science being highly developed, the exact causes are still unclear. But there are plenty of theories!

One theory is that it could be caused by hormonal changes. Levels of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), which are in charge of controlling the production of other pregnancy hormones, are known to rise during early pregnancy. In fact, they peak at 10 weeks and then start to fall again at around 12 weeks — which fits in with the time when women commonly get morning sickness.

Other theories suggest it could be linked to women’s heightened sense of smell during pregnancy, or linked in with the fact that women are going through a range of physiological changes. Either way, morning sickness can be really unpleasant. Thankfully, though, in most cases it clears up, leaving the rest of the nine months nausea and sickness-free.

ALSO ON THIS WEBSITE:

Morning Sickness RemediesMorning sickness can make you feel really rough, especially when it occurs regularly during the early weeks of pregnancy. But if you’re desperate to ease the symptoms, then help is at hand. Not everything works for everyone, but there are practical self-help ways of minimizing the discomfort and easing some of the symptoms. Read more…

Migraine Headache: Symptoms, Causes,and Triggers

by: Kristy Law



Do you ever feel like you need to put a drill to your head? Do you feel like your brain is twisting and contorting in ways never thought possible? Do bright lights hurt you? Do smells bother you? Do you just want to hide in a dark room with a pillow over your head? If any of this sounds familiar, you probably are one of those poor people that suffer from migraines.

Millions of people suffer from migraines. However, the majority of sufferers are women. The true cause of migraines is not really known. Some people get them due to a previous head injury. Some people get them only certain days of the week and aren't sure why. Some people get them when they eat certain foods. Some people just have no clue why they get them.

If you suffer from migraines, there are certain things that can trigger the migraine attack. Avoiding these migraine triggers can effectively reduce the number of attacks. The first thing most people do when they get a migraine is to take a over the counter medication or a prescription migraine medication. However, it has been shown that doing this often can actually give you more migraines because your body becomes dependent on the medication. This is called rebound migraines or rebound headaches. If you are a woman, it has been widely known that birth control can cause a woman who never had migraines to suddenly have them. This includes oral contraceptives, Depo-Provera, etc. This is because birth control alters a woman's hormonal level. These hormonal fluctuations can trigger migraines. Oftentimes, women have the migraine attacks when they are due for a new Depo-Provera shot or right when they get the shot. This is because of the rapid increase or decrease in hormones. This is the same for oral contraceptives. Many women find that the migraines start at the beginning and at the end of the contraceptive pack. If you happen to have birth control related migraines, you may need to find another method of birth control.

There are also many foods that trigger migraines. This includes: caffeine, processed foods and meats (sausage, pepperoni, bacon, milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.), TV dinners, wine, chocolate, MSG (monosodium glutamate), alcohol, vinegar, certain fruits and juices (bananas, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, etc.), raisins, certain vegetables (onions, pea pods, sauerkraut), Aspartame (NutraSweet), and fresh baked goods that are yeast risen (bagels, doughnuts, soft pretzels, pizza. etc). Keep in mind that not all triggers affect everyone. It is best for you to keep a journal of what you eat each day and see what days you get migraines.

Lastly, some people get migraines on certain days of the week. This is often because of stress or work related issues that cause stress. Many people also get migraines because of lack of sleep or an unstable sleep schedule. Pregnancy can also cause migraine attacks.

If you suffer from migraines, know that there are many who feel your pain. Do some research and work with your doctor to find out what may be triggering your migraine attacks. This way, you can learn to avoid these triggers and perhaps have less migraines. Then you can put that drill away!

Menopausal Hot Flashes:Causes and Natural Remedies

Is The Heat On? Maybe You’re Having A Hot Flash!
by: Dr. Rita Louise



Hot flashes are characterized by a sudden feeling of heat often accompanied by a reddening of the face and profuse sweating. For some, it is as mild as a brief warm flushing of the face and skin. For others, it is experienced as an intense heat on the face and upper body with intense sweating. Sometimes hot flashes are also accompanied by an increased heart rate, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, weakness or a feeling of suffocation.

Physiologically speaking, hot flashes are the body’s reaction to a decreased supply of estrogen. Typically this occurs when a woman approaches menopause. Every woman’s experience of this important life change is different, unpredictable and highly individual and they all follow their own pattern. In some production of estrogen decreases gradually, producing few flashes. In others, the ovaries stop abruptly or start and stop before production ends completely. For these women, hot flashes can become tricky.

Dropping estrogen levels confuse the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that controls appetite, sleep, sex hormones and temperature), where it makes the body think it is too hot. This activates the body’s heat releasing mechanism where it causes the blood vessels in the skin to expand, increasing blood flow to help dissipate heat. At the same time, the sweat glands begin producing sweat in an effort to cool the body off even more.

Not all women experience hot flashes, but more than half of them do. In fact, it is estimated that nearly 85% of all women in the US experience hot flashes in one way or another. Hot flashes often begin before a woman notices a change in her menstrual cycle and can start as early as her late 30’s and early 40’s. It is typically the first sign that menopause is approaching.

Usually experienced for a short period of time, some women complain of them all the time for a number of years. Most women begin to experience hot flashes 1-2 years before menopause and they end within a year of their last menstrual cycle. Some women can experience hot flashes up to and sometimes more than 5 years after their last menstrual cycle.

While estrogen therapy is the traditional solution to hot flashes it is good to try a less drastic measure first. Below are some things you can try to help reduce the heat of hot flashes.

Recommendations For Wellness

Dress in layers so you can peel off a layer if you start to feel warm.

Stick to cottons, linens and rayon and avoid wools and synthetic blends.

Try to keep some ice water on hand to sip on and cool down your insides.

Turn down the thermostat, buy an air conditioner or a ceiling fan to help keep your environment cool.

Silly as this may sound, many women report sticking their heads in the freezer when a hot flash hits.

Try to identify what is triggering your hot flashes. Keep a record of when they occur, what you are eating or doing and how you'ree feeling at the time a hot flash strikes.

Incorporate massage, meditation, yoga, breathing exercises and other techniques to help you reduce your stress level.

Herbs such as black cohosh, chaste tree, wild yam and don quai have historically been used to relieve menopausal symptoms including hot flashes.

Talk to your health care provider about natural bio-identical hormone replacements.

A menopause homeopathic may also help to alleviate hot flashes, relieve pain and hyper-sensitivity.

About The Author
© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer 2005. All rights reserved. Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. is the author of the books Avoiding the Cosmic 2x4 and The Power Within. It is her unique gift as a medical intuitive and clairvoyant that illuminates and enlivens her work. Let Dr. Louise help you bring health, healing and wholeness back into your life. Medical Intuition & Energy Medicine Certification training classes are now forming. Visit http://www.soulhealer.com or call (972) 475-3393 for more information

RESOURCES

All About Hot FlashesIf you've had one, there's no mistaking it: the sudden, intense, hot feeling on your face and upper body, perhaps preceded or accompanied by a rapid heartbeat and sweating, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, headache, weakness, or a feeling of suffocation. Some women experience an “aura,” an uneasy feeling just before the hot flash, that lets them know what's coming. The flash is followed by a flush, leaving you reddened and perspiring. You can have a soaker or merely a moist upper lip. A chill can lead off the episode or be the finale. Read more…

Hot Flashes: Ease the Discomfort of MenopauseYou're in a meeting. Your forehead dampens with perspiration, and your colleague notes that your face is getting red. As you feel the familiar wave of heat creep through your body, you brace yourself for what's becoming an all-too-common and uncomfortable occurrence. You're having a hot flash. Hot flashes can come on at almost any time — whether it's in the middle of the night or in the middle of the produce aisle at the grocery store. Living with them is another adjustment you may have to make as you approach menopause. Read more…

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Symptoms, Causes,and Diagnosis

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer that develops in the tissues that comprise the lining of a lung (pleura). The majority of individuals who develop malignant pleural mesothelioma have experienced chronic exposure to asbestos during the course of their lives.

“The average age of onset is sixty and the latent period between exposure to asbestos and development of mesothelioma can be up to forty years,” says Dr. Warwick Carter in his book The Complete Family Medical Guide. “It has a very insidious onset, with symptoms little different to asbestosis itself.”

The early symptoms of mesothelioma are generally non-specific, and may lead to a delay in diagnosis, according to the website Mesotheliomaweb.org. “Sometimes resembling viral pneumonia, pleural mesothelioma patients may present with shortness of breath, chest pain and/or persistent cough; some patients show no symptoms at all. A chest x-ray may show a build-up of fluid or pleural effusion. . . The right lung is affected 60% of the time, with involvement of both lungs being seen in approximately 5% of patients at the time of diagnosis. Less common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include fever, night sweats and weight loss.”

“X-ray changes may not be apparent until the disease is quite advanced,” says Dr. Carter, “and CT scans are more useful in making the diagnosis in suspicious cases. A biopsy of the cancerous area is the only way to make a definite diagnosis.”

Treatment with surgery, drugs and radiation has been tried, but with virtually no success as the cancer is extremely virulent and spreads rapidly. Three quarters of malignant pleural mesothelioma victims die within a year of the diagnosis, and 98% within two years.

Magnesium and Magnesium Deficiency

Essential for hundreds of chemical reactions that occur in the body every second, the mineral magnesium has received surprisingly little attention over the years. Recent findings, however, suggest that it has important health-promoting benefits.

Among the world’s leading researchers in the field is Dr. Mildred Seelig, a pediatrician, internal medicine specialist and master of public health who has been studying magnesium for the past 35 years. She wrote with nutritionist Dr. Andrea Rosanoff the volume The Magnesium Factor.

In their book, they stress that magnesium is one of the most important nutrients, but that the majority of people in Western societies suffer from magnesium deficiency. The authors argue that this deficiency is a major cause of both heart disease and diabetes, as well as a significant number of other common ailments which entail a serious risk of dying prematurely.

“The solution to heart disease has been with us all along, and it is nutritional,” according to The Magnesium Factor. “Most modern heart disease is caused by magnesium deficiency. A vast and convincing body of research — largely ignored — has convinced us and many of our colleagues of this fact. The diet of the industrial world is short on magnesium, and this is causing an epidemic of heart disease... The effects of a low intake of magnesium can be worsened by the high levels of fat, sugar, sodium and phosphate in our diets, as well as, ironically, by the use of calcium supplements, which has become widespread because of our awareness of calcium's value for bone health.”

Low magnesium, say the experts, causes heart arrhythmia and is involved in migraine attacks. Many of the studies noted that drugs used in the treatment of asthma cause a loss of magnesium. Research has shown that it can be vital to heart function, and limits muscle damage during a heart attack; relieves bronchospasm (constricted airways) in the lungs; protects hearing from excess noise; improves parathyroid function; benefits sleep; improves the bio-availability of Vitamin B6 and cholesterol; strengthens tooth enamel; helps improve the functioning of the nerves and muscles; and aids regulation of normal heart rhythm.

Do you need magnesium?
Signs include:
Muscle cramps in legs or feet;
Muscle twitches;
Aching muscles;
Migraine headaches;
Dental pain;
Brain ‘fogging’;
Anxiety or irritability;
Restless legs.
Green vegetables such as spinach provide magnesium because the center of the chlorophyll molecule contains magnesium. Nuts, seeds, and some whole grains are also good sources of magnesium.

Although magnesium is present in many foods, it usually occurs in small amounts. As with most nutrients, daily needs for magnesium cannot be met from a single food. Eating a wide variety of foods, including five servings of fruits and vegetables daily and plenty of whole grains, helps to ensure an adequate intake of magnesium.

The magnesium content of refined foods is usually low. Whole-wheat bread, for example, has twice as much magnesium as white bread because the magnesium-rich germ and bran are removed when white flour is processed. The table of food sources of magnesium suggests many dietary sources of magnesium.

Water can provide magnesium, but the amount varies according to the water supply. “Hard” water contains more magnesium than “soft” water. Dietary surveys do not estimate magnesium intake from water, which may lead to underestimating total magnesium intake and its variability.

OTHER RESOURCES:

MagnesiumWhat it is, health benefits, recommended intake, general dosage information, and more.

Magnesium - International Health News DatabaseSummaries of the latest research concerning magnesium.

Lung Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Prevention

Lung cancer: A malignant growth, or tumor, affecting one or both lungs.

Introduction
Symptoms
Duration
Causes
Complications
When to consult a doctor
Prevention
Outlook

Introduction

The growth usually starts on the bronchial tubes which carry air to and from the trachea (windpipe). In such cases its medical name is bronchogenic carcinoma. Other terms sometimes used are pulmonary neoplasm (lung tumor) and respiratory cancer.

There are several different types of lung cancer, depending on the cells within the lungs that are affected.

The disease usually appears in middle to old age, and is 15 times more common among cigarette smokers than among those who do not smoke.

Symptoms

A dry irritant cough which at first resembles that of a heavy smoker. Later, yellow phlegm may be coughed up.
Spitting blood more than once in a week. Pure blood may be coughed up, but more commonly streaks of fresh (red) or altered (brown) blood are mixed with phlegm.
Shortness of breath, loss of mass, and a dull continuous pain in the chest or shoulders.
Sometimes the first sign of the disease is a sudden feverish illness which is often mistaken for pneumonia.
Duration

Lung cancer can become irreversibly established before it is detected, because it can take weeks or even months for the symptoms to reveal themselves. Even regular chest X-rays and sputum tests often fail to detect lung cancer at its earliest symptom-free treatable stage.
If the cancer is not treated, it progresses steadily.
Causes

Smoking. Stopping smoking at any time before the disease has started greatly reduces the otherwise high risks.
Air pollution. Lung cancer occurs more frequently in towns than in the country. Prolonged exposure to some industrial dusts (for example asbestos) increases the risk of lung cancer, particularly in smokers.
Complications

The cancer may spread to other parts of the body, most commonly to bone and the brain, and the veins draining the head and arms may become blocked (superior vena cava syndrome).
When to consult a doctor

If any of the symptoms appear.
If the patient’s general state of health causes him or her friends or relatives to think of lung cancer.
Anybody over 35 who has a cough which persists for more than a month should seek medical advice. This applies particularly to smokers or someone who has recently had pneumonia.
Diagnosis

The cancer is diagnosed by chest X-rays, CT scans, sputum examination, and a biopsy of the tumor using a bronchoscope if possible.
Prevention


Keep your lungs healthy!
Do not smoke, and quit smoking if you do. Even in heavy smokers, after five years of non-smoking, the risk of developing lung cancer will reduce to near normal.
Smokers and other high-risk groups should have regular chest X-rays.
Observe industrial safety regulations strictly in working areas where there are harmful dusts such as asbestos.
Outlook

If the disease is detected in its earlier stages it may sometimes be cured.
The outlook, despite treatment by surgery or chemotherapy, is not usually good. Fewer than 20% of all patients with lung cancer survive more than five years from diagnosis. Those with small cell (oat cell) carcinoma usually die within a year. That is why it is vital to stop smoking in order to reduce the risk of lung cancer.

ALSO ON THIS WEBSITE:

A Natural Treatment for Lung Cancer?You won’t find it on the shelf of your local garden center but the natural plant extract called deguelin, used as an insecticide in Africa and South America, appears to prevent the growth of precancerous and cancerous lung cells without harming normal cells. Read more…

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Symptoms, Causes, and DiagnosisMalignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer that develops in the tissues that comprise the lining of a lung (pleura). The majority of individuals who develop malignant pleural mesothelioma have experienced chronic exposure to asbestos during the course of their lives. Read more…

Liver Spots on Your Hands?

Large brown spots on the back of the hands are caused by the aging effects of climate. These spots are often first noticed on the arms and hands, then the face. They also appear, occasionally, on the chest, back, and less frequently on the legs and torso. Called liver spots, but also known as age spots, brown spots, lentigo, and lipofuscin pigment, they particularly affect fair-skinned people who have spent much of their lives in the sun.

Liver spots are a result of your skin trying to protect itself from sun exposure by producing an overabundance of melanin. Melanin is the pigment in your skin responsible for “splotchy” or uneven tanning.

For cosmetic reasons, liver spots can be lightened with skin-bleaching products or removed by freezing with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy).

If the spots appear on the hands before old age, you should not try to remove them with bleaches or creams. They should be examined by a doctor, as in rare instances they could be malignant.

Leg Vein Removal

Getting Rid of Unsightly Leg Veins



Getting rid of unsightly leg veins with a simple injection has become safer, quicker and cheaper, thanks to a new glycerin solution that makes them disappear without a trace, often in just one session. Best of all, glycerin injections are relatively pain-free — unlike saline injections, which cause so much discomfort that they tend to discourage people from seeking any treatment at all.

In June 2003, Dr. Mitchel Goldman, dermatologic surgeon from San Diego who pioneered the current formula, published results based on his own clinical experiences. After injecting small varicose veins in one leg of each of 13 patients with glycerin and the other leg with STS (sodium tetradecyl sulfate, another superior alternative to saline), Dr. Goldman found that glycerin cleared away veins more quickly and with less temporary bruising, swelling, and discoloration.

According to Dr. Goldman, glycerin works best for small varicose veins — thread veins — about the width of a pencil point. For problem veins up to the width of a pencil itself, STS is still the treatment of choice.