Health Tip: Helping a Loved One Heal

Title: Health Tip: Helping a Loved One Heal
Category: Health News
Created: 9/16/2008 2:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 9/16/2008

Nasal decongestants are helpful medicine for the common cold and for allergic rhinitis with congestion. Patients with heart disease, hypertension, thyroid disease, diabetes, or, in men, difficulty in urination caused by an enlarged prostate, should not use nasal decongestants. All nasal decongestants are contraindicated in pregnancy without a physician's recommendation.

Nasal congestion is the obstruction of the nasal passages frequently due to membranes lining the nose becoming distended from swollen blood vessels. It has numerous causes and can vary from a mild irritation to a life-threatening situation. Hearing and speech development can both be affected by nasal congestion. A degree of discomfort, including mild facial and head pain, is often experienced with a blocked nose.

Decongestants are defined as any medicine used to ease inflammation of the nasal mucosa associated with such conditions as the common cold and hay fever. They shrink the mucus membranes lining the nasal cavity by constricting the muscles of blood vessel walls when administered in sprays and drops or in devices for inhalation, thus reducing blood flow to the swollen areas.

Even worse, when you stop taking the medication the problem comes back, often with a vengeance. Symptoms often get worse when nasal decongestants are used for a long time and then discontinued, because the symptoms become dependent on the medication. For this reason, make sure use nasal decongestants exactly as directed.

Several of the over-the-counter nasal decongestants and antihistamines you can use to ease congestion and dry up excess mucus are very good at what they claim...sometimes they are too good! They cause a very dry mouth, which worsens bad breath.

• Allergic reaction to pollen or grass
• Common cold or flu
• Hay fever
• Sinusitis or sinus infection
• A lot of women experience nasal congestion during pregnancy because of the increased amount of blood flowing through the body

Avoidance measures are the foundation of allergy treatment, but they are not always enough to deal with all of the symptoms. Antihistamines with or without decongestants can help when the symptoms of nasal allergies are mild or intermittent. The combination of an antihistamine and a topical nasal steroid spray will more often than not give good reprieve with negligible side effects.

Common causes of nasal congestion are:

Once the swollen membranes in the nose are shrunk, you will find it easier to breathe. Decongestants can be taken orally or by nasal drops or spray. Nasal decongestants should not be used for more than five days in a row without your doctor's consent, and then only when accompanied by a nasal steroid.

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Gene-Transfer Proves Safe for Vision Problem

Title: Gene-Transfer Proves Safe for Vision Problem
Category: Health News
Created: 9/13/2008 2:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 9/15/2008

What Is Holistic Medicine?

In TCM, the knowledge of how to use ancient medicine is what is old - not the age of the medicines themselves! TCM practitioners usually are schooled in acupuncture and the ancient medicine of herbs. Although it is true that animal parts are used in TCM, including parts of endangered animals, this practice is being stamped out. TCM now concentrates on acupuncture, herbs and exercise systems like tai chi. TCM is used to treat the whole person, not just a one body part.

In old China, doctors were only paid when you were feeling well, and weren't paid when you were sick. That was because doctors wee seen as those who could prevent illness rather than cure illness.

Ancient Medicine Helps Modern Patients

One of the Western doctors who champions a synthesis of ancient medicine with modern medicine is bestselling author Dr. Andrew Weil. He says in many of his writings that the human body has self healing potential untapped in the West. Although he urges people to go to an allopathic (conventional) doctor right away if they develop any sudden or drastic symptom, he also recommends holistic ancient medicine such as TCM to help get you healthy and keep you healthy.

For our ancestors, Nature was the supermarket, pharmacy and school. By observing Nature and making experiments with items found in Nature, our ancestors were able to find medicinal herbs to help cure their ailments. Unfortunately, most of these ancient medicine herbal systems have been lost to time or are being associated with black magic. Fortunately, a couple of the systems have survived and adapted to modern times. One of these systems is called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

In holistic healing, a patient is seen as not a set of symptoms that need curing, but as an entire person. Yes, the symptoms still need relief, but maybe they could be prevented from recurring through lifestyle changes. A holistic doctor, such as a TCM practitioner, spends a lot more time getting to know their patients than an allopathic doctor. What you eat, how you exercise and how you handle stress are all taken into account to help you get better.

Holistic medicine is a drastically different method of healing than the allopathic way of healing that most Westerners are familiar with. With allopathic healing, you only go to the doctor when something is wrong and depend entirely on the doctor's bag of tricks to get you better.

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