General Headache Facts

Headaches are described as a pain in the head, usually located above the eyes or ears, in the back of the head (an occipital headache), or in the area of the upper vertebrae. Primary headaches, not related to or caused by diseases, are known as migraine headaches, cluster headaches and tension headaches. Secondary headaches are linked to a correlated minor, serious or life-threatening disease.

Tension headaches are the most universal type of primary headache and are experienced by 90% of the adult population. Women are typically afflicted with tension headaches more often than men. People suffering from a tension headache often experience pressure or pain in the back of the head and upper neck, tightness around the head and intense pain above the eyebrows. This type of headache is generally not debilitating and affects both sides of the head or bilaterally. Tension headaches are headaches that are experienced intermittently by most people although some have daily or frequent occurrences of this type.

Migraine headaches affect some 28 million women, men and children in the United States (approximately 12% of the population). Migraines headaches are chronic and the affected person usually experiences intense pain throbbing or pounding in the area of the temple, pain in the forehead, around the eyes or the back of the head. Most of the time, this pain is unilateral and, typically, switch sides after each attack. If a person experiences extreme pain with migraine-like symptoms that always occurs on the same side of the head, this could be indicative of a secondary headache caused by something else, a brain tumor, for example. Migraines can be activated by performing a daily task like walking up a set of stairs. Migraines are typically accompanied by symptoms such as facial pallor, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, cold hands or feet and sensitivity to light and sound. A migraine attack typically lasts between 4 and 72 hours, with the afflicted person preferring to rest in a quiet, dark room.

Another type of primary headache is the cluster headache. A cluster headache is rare, only affecting 0.1% of the population. Men between the ages of 28-30 years primarily experience these headaches. Cluster headaches occur in groups often lasting weeks or months and separated by months or years of pain-free periods. When a series of cluster headaches affects an individual, the pain he experiences will typically appear once or twice daily for 30 minutes to one and a half hours. These attacks manifest around the same time each day, sometimes waking the sufferer from a deep sleep. The pain of a cluster headache is a unilateral, excruciating pain often described as a hot poker in one eye. The patient will often experience restlessness, banging his head against a wall or compelled to violent or dangerous actions.

Secondary headaches, the second type of general headache, are caused by an associated disease that is serious or life threatening such as strokes, meningitis, subarachnoid hemorrhages or brain tumors. Withdrawal from caffeine or discontinuation of painkillers is a less serious cause of secondary headaches.

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Chronic Pain Relief - Effective Treatments

There are many ways that chronic pain can occur. Some of these are due to an injury, or maybe an illness and some are due to age. Chronic pain can affect many parts of the body, but in most cases the back is what is affected. Chronic back pain relief is a must to find, because if it is not corrected, it can effect all parts of your life. You can be affected emotionally and depression can even set in.

There is good news, because there are many ways to find chronic pain relief. There is a bit of trial and error to find the correct pain relief. You and your doctor and other health professionals can partner to keep chronic pain from destroying your life.

What You Should Do First

The first thing that you must do is contact your doctor. The doctor can determine where and why the chronic pain is occurring. Finding the cause of the pain is the first step in chronic pain relief.
Chronic Pain Relief - Using Medications

Sometimes the first option for chronic pain relief is treating it with medications. There are many different types of medications that can be used. Over the counter drugs such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are effective when the pain flares up.

The next step after this would be to try using prescription drugs. These medications include antidepressants, corticosteroids and muscle relaxants. These drugs will work sometimes in the short term for bringing chronic back pain relief under control, but there are serious side effects if they are used for long periods of time for chronic pain relief. Due to these side effects, it is a good idea to find other methods of pain relief wile reducing the frequency of the prescription drugs.

Chronic Pain Relief - Other Options

Rest is probably the first thing that you should do for a day or two after an injury. After this, physical activity is thought as a good chronic pain relief. Exercise will increase your flexibility and strength and improve muscle tone. Exercise is an important part of having a healthy life style long term and will bring pain relief.

If you decide that you are going to start a physical exercise program to relieve chronic pain, make sure you consult your doctor. He may have you work with a physical therapist or maybe a personal trainer. Many people today are using physical trainers to guide them to the right exercises to relieve chronic pain. This will also prevent you from further injuring yourself.

You can also employ some natural methods for chronic pain relief. These could be herbal treatments for relief of pain. Herbal relief from pain can be quite effective. There is also acupuncture for pain relief as well as massage therapy. Acupuncture for pain relief has been used effectively for many years. If you have never tried acupuncture for pain relief, maybe you should.

After an injury that has caused chronic pain, your doctor may have you start physical therapy to bring strength and condition the injured area.Another natural pain relief method that you can do at home is hot and cold therapy. These can be an effective chronic pain relief treatment. What you do is switch between cold (ice) and then use hot packs to the affected area. These can be extremely effective method to relieve pain.

Some people find that aromatherapy and biofeedback techniques help them to relax there muscle. These techniques also allow you to release tension. Both are effective at chronic pain relief. As you can see there are a variety of methods for chronic pain relief. Try each one to determine which will work best for you.

For more information on this type of pain and others visit: Acupuncture for Pain Relief

About the Author

Have had many articles published on a variety of subjects. Co author of the best selling golf ebook called \\\"Putt Lights Out\\\". You can find this ebook at http://www.puttlightsout.com. For more information on Pain Relief visit BestPainReliefTreatment.com

Help For The Alcoholic

Question: If an alcoholic is unwilling to get help, what can you do about it?

Alcoholics don't respond very well to advice, suggestions, or threats. One would imagine that under these circumstances an alcoholic is doomed to oblivion. You must realize the alcoholic is desperate to get more and more alcohol, and he or she may lie, cheat and steal in order to do so.

Very simply, an alcoholic is a person whose life is controlled by alcohol. They are sick.

Question: If the alcoholic is sick why doesn't he or she just go to the hospital?

Because in the early stages of alcoholism, the alcoholic does not appear sick, in pain, or visibly abnormal. Alcoholics do not comprehend that they are about to become a very sick person, and neither do the people around them.

By the time an alcoholic is in the late stage, he or she is often irrational, deluded, and unable to understand what has happened. The alcoholic is simply not aware of what is going on in his or her body and is in a complete state of denial.

Being an alcoholic is not a curse. The alcoholic is a sick person and should be treated as one. Alcoholics are born with a hereditary, genetic predisposition to addiction having to do with brain chemistry. Alcoholics need to ingest alcohol before the addiction takes hold. Alcoholism is a progressive disease, and without treatment it only gets worse.

If an alcoholic is unwilling to seek help, is there any way to get them into treatment?

Sure the courts force alcoholics into treatment all the time. Rehab centers are overflowing with people who don't want to be there. The real question is, will forcing an alcoholic into treatment guarantee recovery? The answer is no.

A perfect example is the alcoholic with multiple DUI arrests. These folks have all been through one or more alcohol treatment programs. Why didn't any of them stick? The answer is the alcoholic refused to admit to themselves they have a problem.

No alcoholic is hopeless. If you're trying to get an alcoholic sober, learn to accept the fact that the alcoholic is sick, from an illness he cannot control, and neither can you. The alcoholic is addicted and an addict cannot stop on their own volition.

The first step in treating the alcoholic is the detoxification stage. The alcoholic must truly want to stop drinking or detoxification becomes a temporary solution. The biggest symptom to overcome for an alcoholic is their denial of having a drinking problem. An alcoholic is "someone who could be helped and is worth helping only if they decide not to drink.

Once an alcoholic is in treatment, they more than likely will be asked to start attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, usually daily. It is not easy to know when or if an alcoholic is "ready" for (AA). You can't make the decision for them. People bounce in and out of (AA) all the time.

The right alcohol recovery program depends upon the severity and nature of the alcoholic and most importantly their personal level of commitment and motivation. A big part of getting the alcoholic into treatment, is overcoming the hurdle they face of actually going to treatment.

Many of the hurdles are self imposed, yet like fortified brick walls - to the alcoholic they are impassible. The walls are constructed from fear, shame, embarrassment, and denial. The uncertainty of what they must face is enough to trigger enough stress that they simply refuse to go.

It may never be completely understood what causes alcoholism, and (AA) is only one of many recognized treatments for alcoholism. The difference is its track record for success. More than 700,000 Americans receive alcoholism treatment of one kind or another on any given day. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is one of the best treatment options for a recovering alcoholic.

Overcoming denial and enabling is often the first step to successful recovery for the alcoholic. Treatment only works if the alcoholic wants it. Forcing a treatment program on an alcoholic does not work. If an alcoholic is going to get anything positive out of an alcohol treatment program, they must be a willing participant.

The (AA) membership knows the routine as far as the alcoholic is concerned. They are all recovering alcoholics too. They supply the means, knowledge, and opportunity. It's up to the alcoholic to take action. It's part of the reason why (AA) is so effective. Very simply, they understand the alcoholic is a person whose life is controlled by alcohol.

Nagging the alcoholic is not the answer to successful recovery. Or is it an effective method to get an alcoholic to stop drinking. The choice must be made by the alcoholic.

Admitting you're an alcoholic is not a requirement for membership to (AA), it is however, the #1 requirement to your recovery. Don't Drink Today - and get involved. Listen to a speaker. Hear their story. In many cases you'll find it's not all that different from yours.

If you don't like the first meeting you attend, go to a different one. It's not like they're difficult to find. Eventually you will find a meeting you like, with people who care and are will help you through the recovery process.

About The Author

Kevin O'Leary

You can get more quality information in this 5 part mini-course called "Break Free From Alcohol Addiction - Your 5 Day Solution" http://DontDrinkToday.com

Bad Breath Remedy – Easy and Effective Herbal Treatments

Bad breath or halitosis in medical parlance, is foul or unpleasant smelling breath, which can be acute or chronic depending on the cause. The term halitosis is coined by combining the Latin word for breath (halitus) with the Greek suffix (osis), meaning condition.

The fundamental cause of bad breath in most people is the whitish coating that covers the surface of the posterior portion of their tongue. More precisely, the bacteria that thrive on this warm and moist coating of the tongue cause bad breath.

What causes bad breath?

Have you ever stopped to wonder what causes halitosis?

# Certain medical conditions, such as sinus infections, tonsillitis, lung diseases, renal diseases, menstruation, cancer.

# The most common form of bad breath is morning bad breath, which is a temporary condition due to factors such as smoking, dry mouth, stress or hunger.

# Poor dental hygiene, which can leave food particles to decay inside the mouth.

# Consumption of certain types of foods with strong odour can cause transient bad breath, such as garlic, tobacco or onions.

# Chronic liver failure can cause a specific type of bad breath.

# Diabetes mellitus can at times cause a sweet-smelling fruity odour of the breath.

# Psychiatric illness - some people perceive that they have bad breath, but it is not noticed by others. This is referred to as "pseudohalitosis."

Other causes of halitosis include -

• Alcoholism, cigarette smoking

• Allergies

• Heavy metal accumulation

• Peridontal gum disease

• Dry mouth caused by salivary gland problems

• Chronic constipation

• Hormonal disorders

• Gastro-intestinal disorders

Symptoms of bad breath –

A person may not always know that he has bad breath. This is because odour-detecting cells in the nose in due course become accustomed to the constant flow of bad smells from the mouth. Infact, others notice and react by recoiling as you speak.

Symptoms of bad breath -

# extreme oral dryness

# bad taste in the mouth

# bad breath

# a white or yellow Film on the tongue

# Bitter, sour, or metallic tastes

# Post nasal drainage

# White nodules on the tonsils

# Brushing and dental flossing the teeth makes no difference

# chest pain

Treatment for bad breath –

This depends on:

• the health of the mouth

• the cause or origin of the bad breath condition

• extent of the condition

If bad breath is of oral origin, as it is in the majority of cases, a dentist can treat the cause of the problem.

If the odour is due to periodontal gum disease (causes gum tissues to pull away from the teeth and form pockets), a professional periodontal cleaning can remove the bacteria and plaque that accumulate.
If there is extensive build-up of plaque, the dentist may recommend using a special antimicrobial mouth rinse, as well as brush tongue to remove excess plaque.

How to prevent bad breath?

Some ways to lower the risk of developing bad breath are:

1. Brush and floss teeth regularly. Proper brushing includes brushing the tongue, cheeks, and the roof of the mouth, which will remove bacteria and food particles.

2. Bad breath caused by dental problems can be prevented easily. Daily protection requires brushing teeth, tongue and gums after meals, flossing, and rinsing,

3. Bad breath also can be prevented by drinking plenty of water every day to encourage saliva production. An occasional rinse of the mouth with water helps loosen food particles.

4. Clean and replace toothbrush regularly.

5. Avoid mouthwashes with alcohol.

6. Avoid stress and relax.

7. Get sufficient exercise, and sleep.

8. Avoid spicy foods and foods with strong odours, and those that leave residues or are stuck in the teeth (alcohol, chocolates, cheese, meat, sweets).

Home cure for bad breath -

# Use a toothpaste and mouth rinse that has a antibacterial composition. Thymol and eukalyptol are natural oils derived from thyme and eucalyptus, and help destroy the bacteria causing bad breath.

# Fruit and vegetable juices help a great deal in getting rid of bad breath.

# One can also use breath-freshening gum, mint, sugar free chewing gum that dissolve on the tongue.

# Drinking green tea, eating yogurt or chewing sugarless cardamom gum are helpful in combating bad breath.

# Avoid rinses containing alcohol, as these dry out mouth and aggravate the problem.

# If you wear removable dentures, take them out at night. Brush the dentures and soak them overnight in a disinfecting solution.

# Consume an almost green raw guava. It is an excellent home remedy for bad breath and bleeding gums.

# Make tea from fenugreek leaves and drink it everyday.

# A baking soda rinse is also useful in eliminating or reducing bad breath.

# Patients suffering from bad breath should take a well-balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits, with stress on raw and cooked vegetables, and fruits.
# Avoid constipation.

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Yoga Exercises And How They Lower Blood Pressure

To neutralize the effect of high blood pressure on your organs, to refresh your nervous system are compulsory for a hypertensive, in order to have a normal life.

The neutralization of the effect of high blood pressure on the organs and the refreshment of the nervous system are not only necessary, but also extremely benefic for hypertensives. These goals can be achieved by means of yoga exercises, also known as asanas that proved their efficiency in time and in almost all of the cases.

From the extremely large variety of existing asanas, there are four classes that can be used in the battle against hypertension: forward bends, suspine, inversions and sitting.

The most effective with high blood pressure are considered to be the forward bends, which have various methods to lower blood pressure when it is alarmingly high. Their power to calm the brain and to bring back to the normal standard blood flow to the brain and from it, their stress-reducing effect makes this class of asanas the most popular against hypertension.

The deceleration of the pulse, the regulation of the heart beats, the relaxation of the organs with key-functions in sensitivity and of the sympathetic nervous symptoms are also very frequent effects of forward bends on the patients.

Suspine poses, such as Supta Baddhakonasana concentrate on the relaxation of the abdominal area and induce a state of calm and serenity of the nervous system.

Very effective were proved to be the inversion exercises, which restore the lost vitality of the nerves, control and normalize the pulmonary activity and that of the diaphragm. This multiple benefits contribute to the lowering of blood pressure. Such inversion asanas are Viparita Karanti and Halasana, but the automatic nervous system is also kept under control by means of the pranayama and Svanasana, which manage both to refresh the mind and senses and to contra attack hypertension's effects.

Sitting asanas are the last, but not less important category, because they mange to solve one of the greatest problems of hypertension: breathing. The intercostal muscles and the ribs themselves are also relaxed and released, so the blood pressure lowers. Such asanas are the Virasana and Baddhakonasana.

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Read about symptoms of high blood pressure and the causes of high blood pressure

Health: Hang In There Detox Dieters, Help Is At Hand!!

Your doctor will be able to spot issues such as this and help you to work around them when planning your diet.

The secret to losing weight is to eat and drink the right kind of foods until you are satisfied. Skipping of meals is not the answer for weight loss, it can rather deteriorate your health. A healthy weight loss diet plan should include vegetables, fruits, grains, lentils and beans in your diet.

Diet pill side effects can range from dizziness, nausea, increased urination, to the more sever - chest pain, heart attack, liver and kidney damage, stroke, seizures, and even death. After a few months your body develops a tolerance for the pill��s effects, so diet pills are meant to be taken for a very short period of time. These pills CAN be safe if they are not abused.

It takes time for the body's efforts to show. Usually, by the time you stop dieting, the stage is set for weight regain, the gaining of weight during or immediately after dieting.

Hang In There Dieters, Help Is At Hand!!

I was thinking about diets and such and it occurred to me that dieting is kind of like sports, but one way in which dieting differs from sports competition is that in dieting there seems to be a lack of gradualization in the preparation.

What I'm getting at is that if you want to run the 100 metres pretty fast, even competitively, you don't just go out to the track and put in a full practice right off the bat. I mean it's just not do-able really, is it? You've got to prepare and train in a systematic way which allows you to get stronger and faster throughout the training, and that can takes months if not, more realistically, years.

Well we all know that, we've all seen the "up close and personal" sports profiles, we all know that it's a long road to the podium, BUT somehow we have all got this belief that the "thirty day diet" will work! And why not, all we have to do is stop eating or at least reduce our intake to about twenty five percent and we're home free. "That sounds like fun! Why didn't I think of that?" But how long will it last?

Now let me clarify, I'm not dumping on the many diets out there that will produce a result, what I am getting at is the fact that you need to combine your diet with thoughtful preparation, you need a plan, you need a horizon greater than obtaining a transitory result in thirty days. It's a bit like the folks strapped to the bike machine in the gym, they put their heart and soul into working those legs in an effort to shed the pounds and then they get off with thighs pumped like an Olympic ice- skate racer. I mean you��ve got to question any slimming exercise that starts with the phrase "pump", oh yes, that's sure to mean ��slimming��!

Dietary supplement or supplements can be found in many forms. The examples are tablets, soft gels, gel caps, capsules, powders, liquids, etc. A lot of dietary supplements do not require any prescription. You can purchase them in health food stores, grocery stores, drug stores, or through mail or Internet.

The low-carb diet overview will explain how you can best manage your weight. In contrast with the belief that carbohydrates are necessary to build your energy profile, fat may replace carbohydrates in this arena.

Whether it's Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.

Since I already mention that nothing should be dreadful about dieting, it may be worth it to note that there are different diet types because there are different body types. Aside from the body type that we grow in, there are body shapes we long to have.

So enough, you want some answers, not questions or me casting doubt and undermining your "diet plan". OK, fair enough. You've got to treat your weight loss, diet, fitness or whatever plan as an Olympic sport; you've got to lay out a plan and I can guarantee you, it's not going to happen in thirty days or anything like it. Oh, you may see results but it's the sustainability that is the key feature here and you want something that is not going to be an imposition or restriction that you have to fret over every day, so really you need to get into training for your optimum fitness, optimum health and optimum weight, and that's a real program that will endure. And the good news is, you can eat lots of stuff that's "off limits" as long as you put in the requisite workout balance.

I can't give you my whole program here but I can tell you that if it's to be a plan that will work and continue to work in your weight management, you've got to take it gradually, and get comfortable with each level that you attain before trying for the next. You can't just go on the "deprive" premise and trust that if you cross that thirty-day diet target that the results will hold. You know they won't and then it's on to the next hot diet and more deprivation.

That doesn't sound too much like fun to me and I certainly want to help, so in my next article I'm going to give you some concrete advice on foods that I incorporate (and those that are definitely "out") in my program, and some simple but effective advice on the kind of exercise that will slim you, not "pump" you, and how this whole issue of diet is no thirty-day wonder, but a bit more like that Olympic athlete training systematically and gradually with a plan and a schedule to reach peak fitness for the big day.

Somebody once coined a phrase that I am very fond of and it is, "It's easy to make it difficult, it's difficult to make it easy!" I'm going to try to make it easy. Know more about detox diets today!

Hang in there, help is at hand!!

We are all individuals and as such we need to feed ourselves as individuals, having said this some diet plans will be more beneficial for the general population that others. More on detox diets at http://www.diet- detox.info

Finally, I would like to reiterate that success of these different diet types only depends on the discipline of the person dieting. Exercise to induce fast metabolism is necessary. Oversleeping is also bad discipline for these different diet types.

People diet for lots of reasons, and with lots of aims in mind. No matter what your aims are, the most effective diet to achieve them is a personalized one. A personalized diet which suits you is what you need, whether you want to improve your health, or just lose weight.

Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies.

About the Author

More on detox diets at http://www.diet-detox.info

2 Habits Of Highly Healthy People

There are many conflicting theories as to what the experts consider to be healthy. There are multiple different approaches to living a healthy lifestyle. However, all healthy people do have one thing in common. They have formed positive habits that result in their optimum health level. Let’s look at some of these habits a little closer.

Habit 1: Probably the most important habit that highly healthy people have developed is regular exercise. There are many different schools of thought on this subject as well. How much is enough? As a basic rule, any amount of exercise is better than none. Therefore, if you aren’t currently exercising, start out lightly. Don’t try to run the Boston Marathon tomorrow after reading this. No one wants to go to the gym for a grueling, four hour workout. Anyone can fit 20 minutes of exercise in, though. If you exercise for 20 minutes, at least 3-5 times per week, you’ll be healthier than most of the population. If you can eventually bump that up to an hour per day you’ll be doing great.

What type of exercise should you engage in? There are countless exercises that you can engage in that will greatly benefit you. Probably the most convenient forms are walking and jogging. You can do these two pretty much anywhere. Even if you don’t have a treadmill, just go outside. Besides aerobic exercise, a weight training routine is ideal. Developing muscle helps boost your metabolism and keeps everything running smoothly.

Habit 2: Another factor to a healthy lifestyle is drinking water. This may seem simple, but it is so important. The benefits of drinking water have been proven time and time again. It keeps everything working properly and it actually makes you feel better. After you start exercising, you’ll probably want to drink even more water. If you feel sluggish and tired all of the time, there’s a good chance that you’re dehydrated. Drinking six, eight-ounce glasses per day is great. These two habits are obvious, but two of the most important.

About the Author:

Glyconutrients are one of the most important supplements you can use. Learn which Glyconutrients Manufacturers are best.

Read more articles by: Adrian Adams

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Aromatherapy Bathing. What Essential Oils Can Be Used.

Long before the term alternative medicine was being used, aromatherapy was being practiced by the Egyptians for over 5,000 years. When being used by the Egyptians oil was being extracted from the many aromatic plants around them through infusion and then used for their not only cosmetic and medicinal purposes but also for embalming as well. They then passed the knowledge they had gained on to the Greeks and it served as the beginning of their research into how to use the oils and fragrance of some flowers for their relaxing and stimulating effects. In fact when looking back further in history we find that ancient man depended very much on his environment for their basic needs and to survive which led them to discover the more natural ways of preserving food and how certain conditions could be treated using herbs and aromatics.

First of all we will look at Eastern Roots. The use of aromatics are shown in a Chinese Herbal Book by Shen Nung dated 2,700 BC and which provides specific details on over 300 plants and how they can be used. Also the ancient Chinese would burn incense and wood as part of their religious beliefs and practices and even in today’s modern society many Chinese still observe these practices today. You will also discover that the Chinese used aromatics in relation to the acupressure, massage and other therapies that they used.

Whilst now in modern society many people place a very high premium on their health and well being but due to the high cost of traditional and conventional medicines available (surgery and Medicare) more and more people are turning to aromatherapy and essential oil therapy as well as other forms of alternative medicine.

The basics of using essential oils in an aromatherapy bath are as follows:-

1. It facilitates equilibrium of both the physical, mental and spiritual health of a person through natural means.

2. In some cases it has been found that alternative treatments are considered as strong and effective as complementary treatments to regular medical practices.

3. The main component of aromatherapy is the essential oils and are highly concentrated essences which are known for their healing effects.

Essentials oils are aroma producing oils which come from flowers such as the rose, from leaves such as basil, twig, bark, fruit rind and many other parts of plants. Although experts say that extracting the oils can be quite time consuming and complex and requires a large amount of patience on behalf of the person carrying out the work the benefits at the end are great. Certainly you need to recognize and accept that if you want to get about 5 tsp of oil from rose petals it will take about 220lbs of petals to do it and this is why pure essential oils are so expensive. Although the effectiveness of the oils is not comprised as it only takes a few drops to generate the effect required. However there is a cheaper alternative namely synthetic oil, however they do not offer the person the same healing properties as their natural counterparts.

Essential oils work by stimulating a person’s olfactory system and later on the brain or limbic system. The fragrance along with other properties and effects relating to the oils will determine how a person’s body system and its parts are stimulated. Whilst having a massage using these oils they are not only absorbed by the body but are inhaled at the same time and eventually when being absorbed through the skin they will reach the organs and body system of the person being treated. The time it takes for the oils to absorb through the skin can be from as little as 20 minutes and take as long as 2 hours or more and there it is wise to avoid taking a shower or bath straight after any massage so that the maximum effect is received from the massage therapy.

The time that the effect lasts on a person can vary from 3-24 hours to 2-3 days or even as long as week. Oils that have a short live time span in regard to their scent are Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Thyme and Bergamot whilst Hyssop, Lavender, Balm and various other oils can last between 2 to 3 days. The oils that take as long as a week to completely evaporate are Jasmine, Sandalwood, Ginger and Cedar Wood.

Many people when using aromatherapy are looking to achieve a sense of calm in their lives and these people will look to using a combination of three types of oils to help with this and they will base them on how long they last. They can be used by mixing them into a warm bath and will help the person to become relaxed and calm, they will help to eliminate the stress and depression that they are feeling as well as both energizing and soothing the body of any aches that they are feeling. Certainly by using essential oils during a massage will help increase the healing and calming effect that the person is feeling. However any massage carried out using essential oils must also include a carrier oil to help prevent irritation and skin reactions on the person being treated. Such carrier oils that are used to help dilute the essential oils are avocado oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, wheat germ oil, almond oil, soya oil and hazelnut oil.

About The Author

Kerris Samson a work from home mum who has carried out extensive research in all forms of alternative medicines, treatments and therapies over the last year. She has now set up a site dealing with all aspects of baths and if you would like to learn more please visit http://www.bath.letsgetpampered.com.

Diet Compliance Leads to Success

I’ve had countless people tell me how they watch what they eat and wonder why they aren’t more successful in losing their extra baggage. Then I see them with their fast food drive thru bags or slurpee cups and wonder about the diet they’re talking about. May be they have some sort of special plan that includes high fat, high calorie foods, or may be their compliance to a healthy plan is low. Many people are unwittingly fooling themselves into thinking that their eating habits are healthier than they think. One way to address this problem is to quantify eating patterns. A compliance chart is a good way to do this. A chart for a one week interval is needed, similar to the one below.

Day: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Breakfast
Snack
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Snack

Each time you eat according to your diet plan, you enter a check mark in the table. Each time you deviate from your plan, you enter an ‘x’. If you really fall off the wagon, enter two or even three ‘x’s. At the end of the week, you’ll know if your compliance to your eating plan is as high as you thought it was. If compliance is high and weight/fat loss success is low, you know that you need to change your diet/exercise plan. If, on the other hand, your compliance turns out to be lower than your expectations, then perhaps the diet/exercise plan is fine, you just need to be more diligent in sticking to your plan.

Another benefit of such a chart is that it helps identify negative eating patterns. You become more conscious of when and where the problem areas are. You may notice that it’s the evening snack that always turns into an ‘x’ instead of a check mark. Or maybe its lunch time at restaurants that are throwing you off. Most people don’t think about these things too much. When you look at your week as a whole, then it makes eating and behavior patterns become more apparent. Perhaps less TV viewing in the evening or packing a lunch would be solutions to the above problems. In any case, what ever your problem is, identifying it is the first step.

Exercise compliance could also be added to the chart. You could highlight the days that you follow your fitness regime. Again, at the end of the week, you’ll see if your exercise plan is in need of adjustment to yield results, or if you need to apply your plan more diligently.

A second point to ponder when working a diet or exercise program is that only one variable should be changed at a time. It seems like common sense, but often a methodical approach is overlooked. It’s difficult to know exactly what’s working for you, or not working for that matter, if you don’t keep track of significant behavioral and diet changes. Often results aren’t immediate, so people throw something else into the mix without giving things a good try. The body adapts over time and it takes time for you to get to know your own body and how it will react to certain stimuli. Give a program a few weeks before changing anything. Then, by all means, change is not only good, it’s necessary to keep results coming.

There is much to learn about diet and training, but it’s not rocket science. Education is needed and more importantly, you need to be honest with yourself. Self awareness is the key to success in any field, including the battle of the bulge.

Author Info:

Shawna Kaminski is a long time personal trainer and teacher. She has many academic and athletic credentials. She can help you reach your fitness goals at: http://members.shaw.ca/shawna.kaminski .

Heart Attack Warning Signs

Flaxseed, called linseed in some countries, is a good source of dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and lignans.

Flax Seed Oil contains omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fiber, protein, and zinc.

But now let��s talk about the nutritional values of flax seed. They are the best source for Omega 3 fatty acids, which is great for the brain and concentration. Adding flax seeds to your diet can increase your ability to concentrate better and think faster.

The types of fats present in the brain influence its structure and function. How well your mind works depends, in the long run, on what you eat.

In one study men with prostate cancer who ate an ounce of ground flaxseeds (almost three tablespoons) a day as part of a very-low-fat diet were able to slow the progress of their cancers between the time they were diagnosed and the time of surgery.

Heart Attack Warning Signs

Heart disease is a leading cause of death for Canadian men and women.1 Chest pain (a classic symptom of angina or heart attack) occurs when not enough blood is reaching the heart muscles due to the narrowing of the heart's coronary arteries or complete blockage of these arteries. Learn the signs of a heart attack and the steps to take if you or a loved one experience these signs:

* Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the centre of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back

* Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms

Flax Hull Lignans are very beneficial for many health conditions. Studies have shown that SDG or lignan (secoisolariciresinol diglycoside, but for simplicity this substance will be referred to as lignans)

Like most vegetable oils, flaxseed oil contains linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid needed for survival. But unlike most oils, it also contains significant amounts of another essential fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid (ALA). Studies show that Omega-3 fatty acids help lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and prevent clots in arteries, which may result in strokes, heart attacks and thromboses.

There are also many ways of consuming the seeds. You can simply just chew them. You can grind the seeds to make a power.

The fiber in flaxseeds may also help against cholesterol, since it is soluble (similar to that in oats).

* Chest discomfort with lightheadness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath

* Atypical chest pain, stomach or abdominal pain; nausea or dizziness

* Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing

* Unexplained anxiety, weakness or fatigue

Not all of these signs occur in every attack. Sometimes they go away and return. If any occur, get help fast.

If you or someone else is having heart attack warning signs, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Why is Flaxseed called the miracle food? Find out at http://www.flaxseedfitness.com Speak to your doctor to determine your level of risk and to discuss what measures you can take to reduce the risk of heart attack.

There is nothing as profitable to a drug company as a patient who is forced to take some drug for the rest of his life - heart medications fit in that category.

In this Omega-3 benefits and facts section you will learn the basics about omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) from fish oils and their function in our bodies. Does Omega 3 Lowers Cholesterol? Does Flaxseed Oil Prevent Cancer too? Flax seed oil is rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid that appears to be very helpful for heart inflammatory bowel disease, disease, arthritis and a variety of other health conditions.

But saturated and trans fatty acids are more responsible to the statement above; while other polyunsaturated fats such as omega 3 fatty acids seem to offer a protective effect.

It only takes 10 to 15 minutes in light and oxygen for the ground up flax seeds to become oxidized and lose it nutritive value.

About the Author

Why is Flaxseed called the miracle food? Find out at http://www.flaxseedfitness.com

Easy To Recognize Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma cancer results from being exposed to asbestos fibers. Other diseases related to asbestos are lung cancer and asbestosis. Because of this companies using buildings that have asbestos for insulation are required by law to let people know about it and to take precautions against breathing in the fibers.

Asbestos seemed like a good choice for insulation years ago because it doesn't conduct heat well and doesn't melt or burn easily. It was used in floor tiles, roofing, patching compounds such as sheet rock mud. As a dust it can be breathed into the lungs. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.

Where Mesothelioma Is Located in the Body

The cancer cells are located in the chest or abdomen. Symptoms are shortness of breath, chest pain or swelling in the abdomen. These symptoms are not a guarantee of the disease but are important to see a doctor to find out if they represent mesothelioma. If you have worked on a job where asbestos was present these symptoms are to be taken very seriously to get early treatment.

Your doctor will be able to look internally to discover whether the symptoms are representative of mesothelioma. This test is usually done in the hospital. If abnormal cells are found, a biopsy will be taken. A biopsy is a small piece of what is found so it can be studied under a microscope.

If the diagnosis is mesothelioma, treatment must be given. Many components affect the survival rate of the person with the disease. As with anything, age can be a factor. Some people respond more positively to treatment. Where the disease is located has an impact on survival of it.

Janie Jenkins is the "Easy To Do" instruction expert. Discover how easy it is to do what seemed like your most complicated ambition. Easy to Recognize Mesothelioma

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janie_Jenkins

Stop Smoking: It Causes Lung Cancer

By Eric Hartwell

It is a known fact that smoking is the root of all Lung Cancer issues today. Smoking has always been known to be a key element in harming lives especially that of the respiratory system of the human body. Each puffed cigarette intakes a harmful substance known as carcinogens, culprits in causing cell damage towards key organs of the body.

The causes of lung cancer can be traced from a number of ways. One of the factors is that of determining on what age a person has started smoking. The earlier that a person has been smoking makes him more at risk from lung cancer. The length of time that a smoker has been exposing his lungs towards the harmful oxidants is a key measure of identifying possible aftermaths from such.

The number of cigarette sticks that a person is able to consume a day is also another cause for determining the gravity of cause by lung cancer. Through simple analysis, it is evident that the more a person would smoke a cigarette, the higher the risk he would be from contracting diseases that would also lead towards the long-term expected illness of lung cancer.

For people, smoking has become a habit that is hard to quit on. Once people start the knack for smoking, there is no telling what measures they can do to try and quit smoking. As it stands, lung cancer really does occur from smoking. The degree of damage already made to the lungs will depend on the length that a person has been smoking.

Actually, warnings have already been made even by the actual cigarette manufacturers. The after effects and the health issues involved with continuous smoking at will by most people will only be felt at certain ages where the factors such as heart problems and respiratory related diseases will slowly come into place. Asthma, difficulty in breathing, high blood pressure levels and tension are obvious indicators that much of the effects originate from the habit of smoking. The longer a person smokes the higher the risk and more health complications to be expected along the way.

But nevertheless, smoking has found its way into being a part of people, especially in the social aspect of a person’s life. Smokers are aware of the consequences of such smoking habits since lung cancer is known to be one of the leading reasons of deaths to date. Figures and statistics in any part of the world are shown by all countries, the mortality rate of cases for lung cancer are alarming. But despite seeing these figures, it is evident that people would rather experience the actual health issue than believe what they read or hear about today.

Despite the fact that smoking has been proven to cause lung cancer, people would not heed such warnings. This seems to be the common practice that until the time comes that they are diagnosed with a severe health issue to be addressed, that would be the only time where the need to stop and quit smoking would ensue.

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Do you want to quit smoking? Visit Smokefree England for further information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Hartwell