Asthma treatment

There is no cure for asthma, but the condition can be controlled with various types of drugs. Medications called relievers provide immediate relief for asthma attacks by relaxing (bronchodilation) the walls of the air passages, which widens the passages, allowing air to move freely into and out of the lungs. Long-term treatments called preventers reduce the chronic in- flammation of the lining of the air passages, thereby decreasing the likelihood of an attack and relieving day-to-day discomfort.

Relievers, also known as bronchodilators, are most effective when taken as soon as symptoms of cough- ing, chest tightness, wheezing, or shortness of breath occur. They work within minutes and are effective for four to six hours. The most commonly used bron- chodilators are called beta-2 agonists. As these are inhaled they primarily affect the lungs, which means there are fewer side effects. Another type of medica- tion known as anticholinergics may be given after beta-2 agonists in emergencies to further widen the air passages and reduce mucus production.

Some bronchodilators are long-acting medications that last for at least 12 hours and may be used before exercise or before breathing cold air and to prevent symptoms while sleeping. These longer-acting beta-2 agonists are usually used together with inhaled corticosteroids.



One bronchodilator, theophylline, has been pre- scribed for many years as a long-term control medica- tion for mild to moderate cases of asthma. This is taken daily as a pill, sustained release capsule, or syrup and is particularly effective for reducing symptoms during sleep. Initially it may cause side effects, includ- ing rapid and irregular heartbeats (palpitations), rest- lessness, nervousness, or a headache, but these usually disappear as the body adjusts. To be sure the dose is appropriate, blood levels should be checked periodi- cally. If the level of medication is too low there will be inadequate control of symptoms, while if it is unnec- essarily high, serious heart rhythm irregularities or seizures, as well as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea may occur. Aminophylline is a more powerful but pharmacologically similar bronchodilator that is only given intravenously in emergencies.


For long-term treatment of severe chronic asthma, corticosteroids, or preventers, are used. Corticosteroids have long been considered the most effective preven- ter medications because they are anti-inflammatory, and so reduce inflammation in the lining of the air passages. If they are used long-term, however, there is a risk of serious side effects, including cataracts, osteo- porosis (loss of bone mass), and decreased resistance to infection, but as corticosteroids usually are inhaled di- rectly into the air passages, rather than taken internal- ly, these effects are lessened. Nevertheless, inhaled corticosteroids may, sometimes temporarily, affect growth in children.

For individuals with moderate asthma, a group of anti-inflammatory medications called leukotriene modifiers may eliminate the need for cortico- steroids.They are not used for acute attacks but for protection from attacks. These drugs block substances released during an attack that cause more inflamma- tion in the air passages. For more severe asthma, they may be used together with other medications, includ- ing inhaled corticosteroids.

Cromolyn (Nasalcrom) and nedocromil (Tilade) are considered the safest asthma medications currently

available for mild or moderate asthma and are frequently prescribed as preventives for use before exercising. For people with mild or moderate asthma, daily long-term use of these medications may prevent attacks by reducing inflammation in the air passages.

For allergic asthma, allergy desensitization injections (immunotherapy) may decrease sensitivity to allergens in substances such as pollen, insect droppings, or molds. When confronted with an allergen, the body’s immune system manufactures proteins called antibodies. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is an antibody frequently associated with respiratory allergies. Based on the idea that an allergic attack may not develop if immunoglobulin E is prevented from attaching to cells that release substances which cause allergic asthma, new injectable treatments are under development.

Read more >>

What is arthritis

Arthritis is one of the most common chronic health problems in the United States and the leading cause of disability, affecting about 43 million adults. The most common form is osteoarthri- tis (OA), which affects about 21 million mostly older people in the United States.

Osteoarthritis is characterized by degeneration of joint cartilage, which causes pain and restriction of movement. It typically develops gradually and usually begins after the age of 40.

Other forms of arthritis can appear at any age including the autoimmune disorder rheumatoid arthritis, the metabolic disorder gout, and septic arthritis. Almost any joint may be affected, although the knees, hips, spinal, hand, and finger joints are most commonly affected.

Read more >>

Asthma symptoms

symptoms of asthma

 
Symptoms vary considerably. Some individuals stay relatively symptom free with occasional episodes of shortness of breath unless a trigger provokes an attack. Others cough and wheeze continually.

function test may be done, in which a device called a spirometer shows how much air can be blown out of the lungs after a deep breath and at what speed. Other tests, such as a bronchial challenge test or exercise tests, may also be done using a spirometer.

A series of allergy tests may reveal if known allergy- causing substances are responsible for the asthma, and other tests can rule out conditions with similar symp- toms, such as cystic fibrosis.

Read more >>

laser hair removal at home

HOW TO USE THE HOME LASER HAIR REMOVAL DEVICE

The FDA-cleared Tria Hair Removal Laser will free you from the endless hassles of shaving and waxing. Tria's laser hair removal device is convenient and easy to use; just follow these three steps:

Step 1: Prepare

Thoroughly cleanse, shave and towel-dry your skin. This will allow the laser treatment to be most effective since the Hair Removal Laser works on the hair inside the follicle, under the surface of the skin. Next turn it on. Unlock the laser by locating the skin sensor (red light) on the device base and hold it against the skin you wish to treat. This will ensure that it's suitable to use on your skin tone.

Step 2: Customize

The sensation of the Tria Hair Removal Laser varies, depending on the person and treatment area. Some users may feel the sensation of a rubber band snapping on the skin. Others may feel a warm, prickling sensation. Start at a low treatment level (1 or 2) and then increase by one treatment level at a time until you've reached the highest treatment level comfortable to you. The higher the treatment level, the faster and better the results.

Step 3: Apply

Establish a treatment area and place the laser tip on the area of skin you wish to treat, making sure that it is flat on your skin. Hold the laser tip in place until you hear two beeps. After the beeps, just lift and place the laser tip on skin so that it overlaps the previous area by about ¼ inch. You want to make sure that the laser tip slightly overlaps the area that you just treated.

Read more >>

Nutrition facts and health benefits of fruit peel

Fruit peel in general is peeled off or scraped in majority of fruits even when it is edible. Nevertheless the peel is being recognized as one of the essential component of our diet as it contains many vital nutrients and non-nutrient compounds which play important role in wellbeing.

In-fact peel of some of fruits like blueberries, grapes, guava, and kumquat contain more anti-oxidants such as anthocyanin pigments, tannins, catechins…etc than in the pulp or flesh. Blue or purple color fruit peels are rich in anthocyanidin glycosides while yellow color fruits have xanthin, carotenes and lutein pigments. Major component of these pigments are present just underneath the skin.

Peel is rich source of dietary fiber also known as NSP (non soluble polysaccharides) like hemi-cellulose, pectin, tannins, gum…etc. These compounds increase bulk of the food and helps prevent constipation by reducing gastro-intestinal transit time. They also bind to toxins in the food which helps to protect the mucus membrane of gut and thus cuts colon cancer risk. Furthermore, dietary fibers bind to bile salts (produced from cholesterol) and decrease their re-absorption, thus help lower serum LDL cholesterol levels.

Peel is low in calories, sugar, and fats; and is from cholesterol. It adds to the bulk of the food and helps cut down overall food intake.

Nevertheless, the peel of some fruits contains considerable amounts of mineral and vitamins, especially in guava and citrus fruits. Certain fruits peel like in orange contains more vitamin C (ascorbic acid) than its juice. The peel provides 136 mg per 100 g of vitamin C whereas the same in its pulp is just about 71 mg. Likewise the peel is rich source of vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, minerals such as calcium, selenium, manganese, zinc...etc several fold more than its pulp. Please read the orange peel USDA nutrition data table below for example.

Recent scientific trial studies suggest that certain compounds in passion fruit peel has bronchodilator effect and can help relieve bronchospasm in asthma patients. A trial study conducted by Watson RR and his collegues at Tuscon University AZ, suggests that oral administration of the purple passion fruit peel extract reduces wheeze and cough and improves shortness of breath in adults with asthma. (Related link-Pubmed.gov)

Read more >>

4 Tips for Getting Pregnant Faster

1. Do get a preconception checkup.

Before you officially start trying, get a checkup. Ask your doctor about prenatal vitamins that have folic acid , which helps protect against some birth defects, such as spina bifida . Folic acid works during the early stages of pregnancy, so that's why it's important to make sure you're getting enough folic acid even before you get pregnant.

"Do this the cycle before you start trying," says Paula Hillard, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University. "If you have any underlying medical problems, they need to be under control before you can safely become pregnant."

2. Do get to know your cycle.

How much do you know about your menstrual cycle? Really understanding helps you know when you're most fertile, says Hillard. Ovulation is the best time to get pregnant. "This is the time to focus on having sex," Hillard says.

It helps to become aware of the signs of ovulation, such as a change in your cervical mucus. It usually becomes thin and slippery when you are most fertile. Some women may also feel a one-sided twinge of pain.

Ovulation prediction kits can also help you predict the best time to get pregnant, says James Goldfarb, MD, director of the infertility service at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. Not only can they help assure you that you are ovulating, "if you are having infrequent intercourse, this tells you when to have it to increase your chances of getting pregnant," he says.

Here's how it works: The first day of your menstrual period is considered day one. "Start testing on day nine and keep going until you get a positive," advises Joanne Piscitelli, MD, an associate professor of gynecology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Women with a 28-day cycle tend to ovulate on day 14. But many women have longer or shorter cycles, so casting a wide net can help you be sure.

What if you've been using birth control? Do you need to wait a while before trying to get pregnant? Not really, says Goldfarb. "Years ago, the conventional wisdom was to wait a certain amount of time after stopping birth control to try to get pregnant but that is no longer true. You can start trying to conceive right after you stop birth control," Goldfarb says. The only thing to keep in mind is that you could get pregnant before you get your period,  so tracking ovulation may be difficult, and it might be harder to figure out your due date. For this reason, "some people may feel better waiting until they get one period on their own," he says.

3. Don't worry about the best positions for getting pregnant.

Myths abound about the best positions for getting pregnant, but they are just that -- myths. There is really no scientific evidence saying that the missionary position is better than the woman being on top when it comes to maximizing your chances of making a baby.

"Very rarely, a woman's cervix is in an unusual position where certain positions can make a difference," Goldfarb tells WebMD.

Certain gravity-defying positions, such as sitting or standing during intercourse, however, may discourage sperm from traveling upstream. "It's a matter of gravity [and] you don't want all the semen to run out -- and semen are quick little critters," Hillard says.

4. Do lay low right after intercourse.

You have probably heard this one -- lie in bed with your feet in the air after having sex to increase your chances of getting pregnant. The verdict? Not (totally) true.

"It's good advice to lay in bed for 10 to 15 minutes after intercourse, but you don't need your feet in the air," Goldfarb says. "Your pelvis does not move when you put your legs in the air." Don't go the bathroom during this time either, he says. "If you wait 10 to 15 minutes, the sperm that is going to get into the cervix will be in the cervix."

Read more >>

Is It Possible to Control Our Dreams?

Yes, but only with practice. The best place to start is right before bed. Deirdre Barrett, a professor of psychology at Harvard University and author of The Committee of Sleep, asked 76 college students to choose a problem (where to take a vacation; how to arrange their furniture) and focus on it while falling asleep.

The subjects recorded their dreams for a week, and graduate students reviewed the material and found that a third of the students successfully solved the problem in their dreams. One student was trying to decide whether to go to graduate school in Massachusetts or California. He dreamed he was flying in a plane that was having engine trouble when he suggested that the pilot try to land in Massachusetts. The pilot said it was better to head toward the bright light in the West.
Imagery rehearsal therapy, or IRT, is a more active, daytime method of dream influence that psychologists use to help trauma victims prevent recurring nightmares. (Nightmares affect some three million people in the U.S.

who suffer from post-traumatic stress.) Participants write out a happy version of the nightmare—in place of a fanged monster, a puppy; instead of a dark alley, a sunny street—and visualize it for 15 minutes a day. A group of patients in the VA San Diego Healthcare System who completed a course in IRT therapy experienced 33 percent fewer nightmares after five weeks.


During a lucid dream, it’s possible to act rather than simply react, explains Jane Gackenbach, a professor of psychology at Grant MacEwan University in Alberta and the author of Play Reality. About 58 percent of people have experienced a lucid dream at least once, she says. Gackenbach has investigated military videogames as a way to help soldiers cope with combat-related nightmares. “In their military dreams, soldiers who rarely played videogames couldn’t pull the trigger,” she says.

“They were helpless in the face of danger.” But gamers could hide behind a boulder and shoot and fight back.

Dream control is inexact, though. As Robert Waggoner, the author of Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self, puts it: “The sailor does not control the sea, and neither does the lucid dreamer control the dream.” Gackenbach, too, has found that her subconscious has a way of fighting back: “I was sitting on a bench in Central Park, and I knew I was dreaming. A beautiful woman in a white hat was walking by. I decided to try to change her hat into a monster, but I couldn’t. Instead, she changed into a wolf and bit me.”

Read more >>