Natural Remedies for Yeast Infections

The itching and burning sensation caused by yeast infections are largely common among women, although if a man has a wife who suffers from it, he may also be infected. Scientifically, it is called Candida Candidiasis, with the infection caused by the more than 20 species of microscopic fungi or yeast. These infections can happen around dentures, nailbeds, beneath skin folds, or under one’s breast and in the vagina. They are generally more common as the woman ages, but they may also happen to younger women.

If you happen to have these uncomfortable infections, check out these natural remedies before you run out to the pharmacy for synthetic cures that may only alleviate the discomfort temporarily:

1. Plain yogurt is well known for carrying good bacteria; these good bacteria help fight yeast. Do you know you can use yogurt both externally and internally? Make sure you buy the plain and unsweetened yogurt, though, as yeast actually thrives on sugar. If you want, you can also opt for making your own yogurt with a yogurt starter; this way you can experiment with other kinds of milk, such as almond or soy. Whether you buy or make your own yogurt, take some before your meals to give your stomach the good bacteria it needs in digestion. For an external application, you can use a tampon dipped in the plain yogurt and use it as you would a regular tampon. Alternatively, you can also just apply some yogurt on the surface outside. Just be sure not to leave the tampon in for long period of time, as it tends to be counterproductive. Wipe off the yogurt as soon as you feel an alleviation of the itch.

2. Garlic is another great yeast-fighter. You can use a garlic tablet or garlic clove to be put on the affected parts in intervals of a few hours each time, or as necessary. If you opt for garlic tablets, check that the ingredients are pure and natural. In addition to putting the garlic pieces in the affected areas, you can also up your consumption of garlic, preferably raw. One lady recommends pressing a whole garlic clove, then downing it with water. In addition to helping you fight off the yeast infection, garlic is known for its ability to lower blood pressure as well as reduce bad cholesterol.

3. Apple-cider vinegar is another good remedy for yeast infections. Although it may also be taken both externally and internally, it is considered a bit too strong to apply directly onto the skin. Sure, it will get rid of the yeast that way, but you will also feel a burning sensation that might be more uncomfortable than the infection to begin with! If you do choose to use it externally, you can choose to dilute a cup of apple cider vinegar into bathwater just before you take a hot bath. Some women find that the relief tends to be temporary, though, especially when compared with garlic. Also, make sure you buy apple cider vinegar that is as natural and not as processed, as plain white vinegar will feed the yeast.

4. Water is actually found to be a great natural remedy for yeast infections: drinking more than the recommended 8 glasses a day has been proven to reduce the chances of getting infected with yeast. This is due to the fact that drinking more water results in more urination, allowing the body to wash out whatever sugars may be present that could feed the yeast.

5. Oil of oregano is another good natural remedy for yeast infections, as it is known to be very powerful against yeast. Check the directions for taking it internally; also, find one that has a high level of carvacrol content, since this is found to be the active ingredient in killing yeast.

These natural remedies are found to be very effective in fighting off yeast infections. If symptoms still persist, you might want to schedule a trip to the doctor, but if you can have them go away with natural means, why not, right? Alongside these treatments, try to avoid sugar as well as refined foods, as these feed yeast. Just be careful not to overdo any of these, and if relief still does not come, do not hesitate to consult your health specialist.

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Eating Disorders in Teens

As a teen, we all have experienced trying to fit in with the crowd and worry at how others may think of us. On top of that, the display of emaciated models by the media has reinforced an inappropriate obsession that you have to be thin to be socially acceptable. For this reason, some of the adolescent population has resorted to dangerous methods of getting extremely skinny.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of becoming fat, deliberate starvation, and severe weight loss. People with this condition are totally absorbed with becoming thin as a result of a cultural obsession among teenage girls and young women. The disorder typically occurs in 1 out of 100 young women aged between 14 to 18 years of age. In the beginning, a person having anorexia nervosa may often deny their anxiety towards their body image. As the illness progresses, depression becomes apparent and the person may isolate herself from others.
Anorexia is very difficult to treat. About one quarter of those who suffer from it do not recover or may die due to starvation or complications such as cardiac arrest.

Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia is another eating disorder prevalent among teen marked by a morbid fear of getting fat resulting to binge eating followed by in appropriate behaviors to avoid weight gain such as purging (eliminating food by means of self-induced vomiting or use of laxatives, enemas, or emetics). It often begins as anorexia nervosa, although not always necessarily. Bulimia affects teenage girls and adult women between 16 to 30 years old.

A person with bulimia eats in larger than normal amounts of food in secret, and engages in self-induced vomiting or purging with laxatives. The binging-vomiting cycles occur occasionally in weeks, once or several times in a day. As a result, they may have severe dehydration and several illnesses due to lack of nutrition. Organ damage may soon ensue which could lead to death. Like anorexia, bulimia is also hard to treat. A person with bulimia should be recommended to a therapist or admitted in a hospital as necessary.

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Emotional Causes of Nervous Breakdowns

In layman’s terms, a nervous breakdown is when somebody just “loses his marbles.” Scientifically, it is a severe mental illness that comes with a disruption of the mental and emotional stability of a person. It can hinder normal activity, and as such requires immediate attention. However, it does not refer to a specific mental illness, and is usually used in the context of severe anxiety and depression that may result in a psychological collapse.

Sometimes we may write it off as the person just not knowing how to deal with pressures and other stresses, but if someone in your family has had a nervous breakdown, or if you are worried about having one yourself, it might help to try to understand the emotions involved in the process. Among the many negative emotions that people deal with on a day to day basis, here are the top triggers of a nervous breakdown:

1. Depression – Depression comes when a person undergoes a prolonged season of extreme stress or anxiety. It is usually visible because a person can show lethargy, weakness, extreme tiredness, continuous aches and pains, among others. But other times, depressed people can fake a smile to ward off concerned loved ones. As such it is highly important that you pay attention to non-verbal cues more than the verbal ones. If you are the one feeling depressed, it might help to detect the roots of your despondency in the other emotions listed below.

2. Problems in an interpersonal relationship – This is one of the major causes of emotional breakdowns, as everybody has the need to feel loved and to love back. Once that desire is shunned, the person sometimes does not know how to move on, especially if he has believed that the shunning partner was the only person who had ever cared for him in the first place. This is why it is extremely important for people to know that their life does not revolve around only his partner, and that there is somebody else who loves him and can even love him more than that person can. This is why many people who believe in God can reportedly move on more easily than those who don’t: it’s because they firmly believe that no matter what happens, there is somebody who loves them.

3. Emotional trauma or abandonment – Another inherent fear in every person is the fear of being betrayed or abandoned. Whether or not the person is a physical orphan, sometimes an orphan mindset can just as easily eat away at one’s emotional health. This mindset tells you that nobody is looking after you for your future, your protection, or your provision, which results in extreme worry and a nagging fear that something is out to get you. This is a very ugly feeling to have, and many people have dealt with this by choosing to believe in a Supreme Being who cares for them. When you believe that the God who sees everything is actually working for your good, you can relax and not worry anymore about being abandoned, because it turns out that somebody is always there for you and will never leave you, like so many other people may have done before.

4. Condemnation – The last and one of the greatest causes of emotional breakdowns is persistent self-condemnation. If other people were to blame for making you feel bad, you can easily run away from them, but what if it’s all in your own head? This is why condemnation is known as a silent killer; people generally feel guilty about the things they have done wrong, and unless there is an answer, they will never believe that they have been forgiven or atoned for. This is why many people who found peace from their self-condemnation talk about a God who paid the price by hanging on a tree in place of His people. It releases you and sets you free from needing to punish yourself, because you know that someone else was already punished for you. Your conscience knows that somebody must pay, and thankfully, you do not deserve to suffer anymore because somebody did pay the price.

When you understand these basic triggers that could lead to a nervous breakdown, you can try to meet the emotional demands with the suggested solutions, and spare yourself the added emotional burden.

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Razor Bumps: Tips to Avoid Getting Razor Bumps

Razor bumps, nicks, razor rash – irrespective of how you decide to term it, are simply a product of improper shaving habits. Due to the innate tendency of hair growth in certain patterns, various methods that you apply to remove the facial hair can be judged based on whether or not they give you razor bumps.

Change Your Shaving Routine

Now, the principal thing to do if you want to avoid razor bumps is to bring about a change in your shaving pattern and this includes both the time and manner of shaving. You see, the morning time is when your skin is most vulnerable to razor bumps. Why you ask? Well, it is the period right after you have woken-up from slumber. Hence, fluids puff up your skin during your sleep, thereby, making your stubble look less visible. As such, you tend to shave a lot to close to the skin producing razor bumps.

So, what do you do? Well, first you have to make sure that do not shave right after waking up. Wait for at least half an hour. This will relax your skin and make the hair follicles more visible. Also, try to make it a point that you shave after you have taken a shower and not before it. This will soften the bristles giving you an easier shave minus the razor bumps.

Use A New Razor

Most of the time, razor bumps are caused because of used blades. This problem becomes compounded when you use a 3 or 4 blade razor for shaving. In such a case, most really do not throw away the razor if one of the blades shows bluntness. Hence, it is always better to use a razor with a single blade. Granted, you have to make more than one pass at your stubble but at least you will be sure, when you have to dispose it.
Even if you still want to use a three in one or four in one blade, make sure that your throw it away as soon as you see excess deposits on a blade or on the first sign of the razor producing a scraping sensation on the skin. This simple evaluation will help you avoid many impending and often painful razor bumps.

Use Good Quality Lotion and Oils

This is where a good shaving gel or shave oil will help you achieve your goal. Remember to apply the gel generously over the entire shaving area. The more time you spend massaging the gel on the area, the better will be the shaving experience as the bristles will be that much softer.

Furthermore, using quality gels and oils will make the job easier as they will contain ingredients like Aloe Vera and cucumber extracts that will sooth the skin and keep it from reacting so alarmingly to the touch of the razor blade and thereby minimizing the chance of razor bumps.

Always remember that the idea of inculcating proper shaving habits for avoiding razor bumps is to soften the hair as much as possible so that it can be shaved off easily. In addition, the better visibility you have of the stubble, the clear you will shave.

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More women having twins

Atlanta: The number of twins born in the US soared over the last three decades, mostly the result of test-tube babies and women waiting to have children until their 30s, when the chances of twins increase.

In 2009, 1 in every 30 babies born in the US was a twin, an astounding increase over the 1 in 53 rate in 1980, according to a government report issued Wednesday.

"When people say it seems like you see more twins nowadays, they`re right," said Joyce Martin, an epidemiologist who co-authored the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

Some increase was expected as more women are delaying starting a family until they are over 30. For some unknown reason, mothers in their 30s are more likely to have twins than younger or older women. As much as a third of the increase can be attributed to that, Martin said.

The rest of the rise is due to fertility drugs and treatments.

"You have a double whammy going on. There are more older moms and more widespread use of fertility-enhancing therapies," Martin said.

Starting in the early 1980s, couples who had trouble conceiving began to benefit from medical advances like fertility drugs and in vitro fertilization and other procedures. These treatments became fairly widespread in the 1990s but are expensive, and availability and insurance coverage varies.

The twin birth rate rose by more than 2 percent a year, on average, from 1980 through 2004. It levelled off to less than 1 percent annually although the rise from 2008 to 2009 was nearly 2 percent.

In 2009, twin rates increased in all 50 states, though the jumps were highest in lower New England, New Jersey and Hawaii. In Connecticut, twins now account for nearly 5 percent of births.

That`s high. Nationally, 3.3 percent of all births were twins in 2009, up from 2 percent in 1980.

Over the last three decades, rates rose for white, black and Hispanic women, but the increases were not uniform. Rates doubled for whites, rose by half for blacks and by about a third for Hispanics. Historically, black moms have twins most often, but white moms have almost caught up.

"That`s changed with infertility treatments," said Barbara Luke, a Michigan State University expert on twin births.

The greatest increase in twin rates was for women 40 and older. They are more likely to use fertility treatments and to have two embryos implanted during in vitro fertilization, whereas younger women are more likely to get just one.

About 7 percent of all births for women 40 and older were twins, compared to 5 percent of women in their late 30s and 2 percent of women age 24 or younger.

While a lot of attention is focused on the impact of fertility treatments, that`s not the only factor. Before fertility treatments existed, about 2.5 percent of the babies born to women in their late 30s were twins, compared to under 2 percent for younger and older women. Some research has suggested women in that age group are more likely to produce multiple eggs in a cycle, increasing their chances of twins.

Clearly, there are more older moms. In recent years, more than a third of all births have been to women 30 and older, up from just one-fifth in 1980.

Take Victoria Jacobson. At 31, she gave birth to twin girls last April — her first children. With no history of twins in her family, and no fertility drugs, it was a big surprise when she found out at six months pregnant.

"I cried, because I`m more of a realist. My husband laughed," said Jacobson, of Glen Ellyn, Ill. "They were not tears of joy. Maybe shock, more than anything."

Still, Jacobson doesn`t find the new report on twin births surprising. A good friend had twins four months after Jacobson`s girls were born. "I`m stopped at every corner and in every store" by mothers who also have twins, or who know of other twins, she says.

"I never knew how many twins were around until I got twins."

Are more twins good news? Some experts say the trend is worrisome, noting that multiple births are more dangerous for the mother and their babies. The infants tend to be born earlier, smaller and weaker, and require much more care.

Jacobsons` twins arrived a month early and were tiny, about 3 pounds each. They had to be cared for in a hospital intensive care unit, and one needed a ventilator at first to help her breathe.

At 8 months, they are still small, but healthy and doing fine. Still, they don`t sleep through the night, and breastfeeding two and getting them on the same schedule hasn`t been easy, she said.

Despite the challenges, she has this advice to other moms of twins: Don`t "think about it as double trouble. It`s still a double blessing."

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Healthier cigarette created using grape seed extract filters

Washington: Researchers have found a way to make smoking less toxic using natural antioxidant extracts in cigarette filters.

Cornell University researchers were able to demonstrate that lycopene and grape seed extract used in cigarette filters drastically reduced the amount of cancer-causing free radicals passing through the filter.


“The implications of this technique can help reduce the hazardous effects of tobacco smoke, because free radicals are a major group of carcinogens,” said Dr. Boris Dzilkovski, who co-authored the paper.

Scientists have tried to make safer cigarettes in the past.

Haemoglobin (which transports oxygen in red blood cells) and activated carbon have been shown to reduce free radicals in cancer smoke by up to 90 percent, but because of the cost, the combination has not been successfully introduced to the market.
The research will be published in the groundbreaking Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), the only peer-reviewed, PubMed indexed video-journal.

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Enzyme test in 1st trimester predicts fetal gender

Washington: Measuring the ratio of two enzymes in maternal plasma is an effective indicator for the early detection of fetal gender, a new study has suggested.

The new study describes findings that could lead to a non-invasive test that would let expecting mothers know the sex of their baby as early as the first trimester.

Researchers from South Korea discovered that various ratios of the enzymes DYS14 and GAPDH, which can be extracted from a pregnant mother’s blood, indicate if the baby will be a boy or a girl.

“Generally, early fetal gender determination has been performed by invasive procedures such as chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis,” Hyun Mee Ryu, a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynocology at Cheil General Hospital and Women’s Healthcare Center at the KwanDong University School of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, said.

“However, these invasive procedures still carry a one to two percent risk of miscarriage and cannot be performed until 11 weeks of gestation. Moreover, reliable determination of fetal gender using ultrasonography cannot be performed in the first trimester, because the development of external genitalia is not complete.

“Therefore, this can reduce the need for invasive procedures in pregnant women carrying an X-linked chromosomal abnormality and clarify inconclusive readings by ultrasound,” Ryu said.

To make this discovery, Ryu and colleagues collected maternal plasma from 203 women during their first trimester of pregnancy. The presence of circulating fetal DNA was confirmed by a quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction of U-PDE9A.

Multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to simultaneously quantify the amount of DYS14 and GAPDH in maternal plasma. The results were confirmed by phenotype at birth.

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Ignorance about calories putting millions at risk

London: Millions of people are unaware of the calories they take in their daily meal and thus risking themselves to be affected by diseases like cancer, diabetes or heart ailments due to their uninformed choices in everyday life, a study has suggested.

According to a survey commissioned for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), in Britain, two-thirds of adults underestimated the level of calories in foods such as hummus and so-called "light" mayonnaise. Just 32 percent correctly said hummus was high in calories and only 29 percent said that low-fat mayo was also high in calories, a newspaper reported.

The fact is both hummus and `light` mayonnaise are actually high-calorie foods. It shows how there is a "troubling" lack of understanding about the calorie content of foods.

As per the YouGov poll, confusion about terms such as "light" or "reduced fat" was compounding the problem. This is a major concern since being an overweight is a key factor in causing a range of diseases from cancer and heart disease to diabetes.

A fifth -- 20 percent -- of the 2,128 adults questioned for the research thought bananas were high in calories even though the fruit contains just 95 calories per 100g on average.

"Many people make New Year`s resolutions to lose weight but it is important that they understand how to determine whether a food is high in calories. It is important for people to be able to make informed choices about food," says Maya Monteiro, senior education manager at WCRF.

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Is Circumcision Barbaric or Hygienic?

Circumcision in Western countries is typically an unfamiliar topic, unless you happened to know someone whose culture typically recommends it. Some cultures have male babies circumcised, while others recommend the process to be done when the child is older, perhaps just at the onset of puberty.

But what is this process really all about? Is it as barbaric as some people imagine it to be? Or does it really have advantages to a man’s overall health?

The first recorded instance of circumcision is traced back to Jewish history, where the patriarch Abraham was apparently given the mandate by God. The strange thing was that at that time, several thousands of years B.C., the instruction was to circumcise male babies at eight days old. Recent scientific studies have discovered that a baby’s natural blood clotting mechanism is still developed over the first few days of life outside the womb. On the eighth day, the baby’s blood clotting mechanism is at its highest, at several times the normal rate. This may perhaps explain why babies had been successfully circumcised without a rise in mortality rate for that particular time in history when there was still little knowledge about sterilizing and medications.

This may perhaps have contributed to the stigma that Jews have had to suffer for many generations, as other cultures think that they simply circumcised their sons in order to be different. But perhaps they were simply obeying their God in a process that actually contributed to proper hygiene for the men.

Modern circumcision is a simple process wherein the sleeve of mucosal tissue and skin that normally covers the glans or the head of a male penis is slit or removed. This double layer is also commonly known as the foreskin. One type of circumcision involves the actual cutting of this foreskin, as is done in Muslim and Jewish cultures. In some Asian countries, what is done is not an actual cutting but rather what is known as the dorsal slit, in which the skin is simply opened up to expose the head. Then the doctor folds back the skin and sews it up.

Other than cultural reasons, circumcision is commended as a hygienic practice, as a circumcised penis is cleaner and much easier to keep clean compared to an uncircumcised one. This is because a white waxy substance, consisting of natural secretions and shed skin cells, typically appear underneath the foreskin, and this natural substance is more likely to accumulate with a foreskin still on.

For cultures that circumcise boys at puberty, parents need to be aware of the emotional ramifications of the act. Some parents choose to talk to the child and let him decide whether he wants to do it, while others may simply force it out of cultural issues: it’s a given, and it is not a choice. If that is the case, the parents need to bear in mind that the child understands what the process is for and how it is done in order to help dispel any unnecessary fears. Peer pressure may play a major role in how your child reacts to the process. For example, if you live in a country that commends it but none of his friends have done it, it may still be a scary and unwanted experience. On the other hand, if you are connected to a community of those in the same culture, you may have an easier time because it will not be such an unknown occurrence.

When a child is circumcised, there is proper care that needs to be undertaken. The doctor typically puts a first dressing, which is then easily removed by hydrogen peroxide. A once-a-day dressing is usually recommended. If the wound causes pain or swelling, doctors typically recommend an anti-inflammatory pill. If any infection happens, a doctor needs to be consulted for possible prescription of antibiotics. The wound typically heals by itself in roughly seven days. Although the process may have used to be risky, proper care and antiseptic conditions have altered that risk factor.

These are the basic things you need to know about circumcision in order to make an informed decision to help your child as well.

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Aura – the Source of Spiritual Power

The aura is a vibratory essence that surrounds all living things. Awareness of the human energy field has grown and people are eager to learn more about this subtle realm.  The aura tells us we are so much more than just a physical body.  It shows that there is marvelous spiritual activity going on within and without.  We can learn to work with the aura and realize its power and potential.

Our aura is composed of spiritual energy which is the universal power behind the whole process of creation.  Spiritual energy is the Divine Light that propels the life force of God to manifest the multitudinous dimensions and material worlds.  It is the conduit of consciousness. Cosmic energy in all of its spectral colors is imbued with the divine attributes of God and this is what gives the light its power.

We can work with spiritual energy in any aspect of our aura and consciousness. By focusing the light into our spiritual energy centers (chakras) we build power. As the light flows from its celestial source into the aura, it generates the spiritual power necessary to create whatever we are focusing our attention on. For example, if we need more abundance in life, then we would ask for the turquoise ray; for greater will power, the gold ray; for harmony, the emerald green ray. Then we visualize the particular light we are requesting entering through the crown chakra and quickening each of the spiritual centers as it flows down the spine.
The secret to enhancing the aura is that our thoughts, words and deeds work like a magnet. The energies we have in our aura field draw toward them more of the same vibration.   If we are thinking loving thoughts, we draw to ourselves a deep rose pink light, which stays in our aura.  This attracts loving people and situations to us that enrich our life experience, which in turn encourages us to be more loving.

If we are habitually jealous, these repetitive thoughts create a vibration in our aura field, attracting situations that trigger envy.  This will continue until we learn to overcome this tendency by beautifying our aura. 

Our energy field viscerally shows that we are empowered children of the Divine and how the thoughts we think and the choices we make really do create our lives.  We receive light with every uplifting thought, word and deed.


Every positive effort, however small, recognized or unrecognized, provides greater inner and outer strength. The more light we receive, the brighter our aura becomes and the higher in consciousness we climb.  Spiritual light facilitates change by giving each soul the power to step into a greater awareness of its divine potential and the one Source of all life.

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4 things you should ask your gynecologist

Nobody wants to linger at the gynecologist’s clinic: the faster you get out of there, the better, right? Breast exams, pelvic exams, and pap smears are hardly the most comfortable experiences, and if you could get away with not having them, you probably with.

Do you know that there are things you would be better off asking your gynecologist instead of rushing through your consultation? As a medical expert given the responsibility of overseeing your health, gynecologists actually want you to be open with them. After all, they cannot very well deal with issues that you have not opened up with them about. In fact, this is truer for women who are in their 20s and 30s, deemed to be the prime of health; typically, women of this age just visit the gynecologist perhaps to get a required form filled out or to get a new prescription for pills. Generally, they leave right after those needs are met, resulting in important information being overlooked. These issues include possibly crucial health problems, ranging from sexual satisfaction to HIV testing.

The following are four things that you should ask your gynecologist, as she will likely be more than willing to help you sort through them as long as you ask:

1. Should I have tests done for sexually transmitted diseases? A common predicament among gynecologists is the lack of honesty among their patients regarding their sexual activity. The doctor will be much more able to help if the patient would at least share a possibly risk-taking sexual lifestyle. These experts actually desire to be able to help their patients become educated about certain risks, as well as to help them avoid contracting serious diseases. Proper education is deemed to be an important key for proper avoidance. With the patient’s sharing of crucial info, the doctor will no longer be limited to simply waiting for symptoms of STDs to occur, but she may also recommend an increased frequency of Pap smears, if high-risk HPV is detected; this is because the human papillomavirus is a link to cervical cancer. If there is sexual promiscuity, a doctor may recommend annual tests for HIV, or even tests for hepatitis C.
2. Can I use a different contraceptive? If you have been using a certain contraceptive for the past few months or years, there is always room for something that could possibly work better. For example, if you have been using pills and yet keep forgetting to take them on schedule, asking your doctor for another recommendation will help you greatly.
3. How do I deal with my incontinence? Majority of young women refuse to bring up incontinence, although as high as 20% of them undergo the condition either in their teens, in their 20s or in their 30s. Only about 50% of these women who have the problem dare to share the problem with their doctor. Incontinence can come about after childbirth, while many other factors can influence it, too, such as high intake of caffeine, artificial sweeteners, hot peppers, or iced drinks. Doctors will typically recommend Kegel exercises to “retrain” your bladder, as it has been proven to work 80% of the time.
4. How do I deal with sexual problems? Indeed, this question causes the biggest squirming among doctors and patients alike. But the gynecologist will likely be the best person to help you deal with them. Sometimes, medication plays a crucial role in lowering libido in women. Your doctor will be able to check for physical causes of pain or discomfort during intercourse, and if not, she may refer you to a sex therapist.

These four issues are among those that most women are embarrassed about to ask their gynecologists. But in the end, it is well worth it to get past the shyness and simply share what’s on your mind; after all, doctors are gifts to help take care of you, and it would be in your best interest to take full advantage of their skills and knowledge. As with most health issues, it is always better to be safe than sorry, and the earlier you bring up your concerns, the faster it will likely be to find a solution!

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What is Bipolar Affective Disorder

Mental conditions are no laughing matter, especially when you have a loved one who manifests problems in their mental health. It could be a perpetual state of depression, or a state of unpredictability in terms of mood swings and reactions to any emotional stress trigger. Among these problems, manic depression is one that is considered very difficult to understand or to treat. What people used to call manic depression is more commonly called bipolar affective disorder these recent years.

What exactly is this condition called bipolar affective disorder? Essentially, it is a mental condition in which the brain has abnormalities in its anatomy or physical structure, the hippocampus in particular, as well as its physiology, or the balance of chemicals that send a message to certain body parts. The term “bipolar” is used to refer to the extremes of moods that a person suffering from it tends to experience: he may experience moods that are too low, or depression, and moods that are too high, referred to as mania, or even both. This imbalance of moods results in impaired judgments, causing the person not to be able to operate within the normal demands of daily life.

How does a person know if he has this disorder? Generally, a medical practitioner makes the diagnosis based on symptoms. They generally rule out other conditions that may also cause the same symptoms. Then, the medical history of the patient is evaluated, which includes the record of any prior episode of mental illness. The family’s medical history is also checked to see if there is any history of mood disorders. Currently, blood tests are being studied for possible help in the future of diagnosis of this illness.

But what causes bipolar affective disorder? Science and research has not yet proven the possible causes, although they have become accepted by the general public. Heredity has been shown to be a major factor, although specific genetic abnormalities still remain to be suspicion. A chemical imbalance in a person’s brain is also suspected, perhaps linked to leaking membranes along the pathways through which the messages are delivered within the person’s brain. Another possible cause that scientists are considering is a seizure disorder in the frontal cortex of the brain; apparently, convulsions do not occur with these types of seizures because these do not contain any psycho-motor centers; instead, this area affects mood and a person’s judgment.

As of the time of this writing, an estimated 3 out of every 200 people are diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder. About one to two million Americans have this condition. Interestingly, there have been no difference found between the condition among different races or ethnicity, nor have there been any difference of rate of occurrence among men and women.

How is this treated? Typically, ongoing treatment is required for most cases. The patient is usually given medication and is required to meet with a psychiatrist on a regular basis. One’s lifestyle will also need to be adjusted, if only to avoid the triggers and to avoid a relapse. This means the person will be expected to monitor his moods as well as symptoms. He will also need to practice good management of stress as well as to pace himself in order to avoid under-stimulation or over-stimulation in certain situations. The need for supportive family and friends is also found crucial, as is the stress relieving effect of hobbies.

While the disorder has currently been found to be incurable, there have been people who report the loss of symptoms through seemingly unscientific means: since the condition is related to mood and affects one’s self-image, having a proper view of one’s value seems to help tremendously. People who believe that there is a Higher Being who values them enough and is not double-minded about them seems to give them a sense of security and purpose, and greatly diminishes the occurrence of symptoms. The assurance that they are forgiven by God and not condemned anymore has also resulted in people who used to be in bondage to their condition soaring high in freedom and joy, with some no longer needing their regular medication. This gives hope to anybody who has a family member suffering from the condition, as it may appear to be affected greatly by thought processes that can be changed.

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Why Men are Afraid of the Doctor?

For some strange reason, men and women seem to have different reactions to the thought of going to see a doctor. Women typically want to go at the first sign of trouble, while men prefer to push it off as long as possible. Also, you may have noticed on your own trips to the doctor that the clinic waiting area is filled with many women who are all by themselves, whereas men usually have their wives along on such visits. Why are women perfectly capable of going to the doctor all by themselves, and men generally needing company, if men are the stronger sex?

Possible reasons that may be running through a wife’s head as to why her husband seems to postpone a doctor’s visit include the following: perhaps he doesn’t want to spend the money, or doesn’t have the time. But if you think about how much money you wind up spending if sickness is not prevented, you believe doctor’s consultation costs are actually minimal in comparison. Also, your husband likely spends countless hours in front of the TV, so a couple of hours at the doctor’s clinic should not be a problem.

Interestingly, experts have explored this phenomenon common among men, and have found the following as the main reasons why the male portion of the population are less inclined to get a checkup:

1. Men prefer to be ignorant instead of knowing what’s wrong and be worried to death about it. Yes, men may feel afraid, but they do not want other people to know what they’re feeling. As such they keep silent about it and pretend everything’s OK just so you don’t pester him to go to the doctor.

2. Secondly, they do not like having strangers touch them, especially on their private parts. This is why many men who are struggling with prostate cancer would rather suffer it quietly. Rectal exams are also awkward for them.

3 Men typically also do not like to feel any sort of weakness in any area, which is exactly what they feel when they realize the doctor is checking here and there for what’s wrong with them. Sickness is perceived to be a weakness, and their macho ego just would not allow them to admit it. This is why many men have gone through life without having seen a doctor, and then wind up dying from some serious illness which none of their family members were even aware of.

4. In addition to not wanting to feel any weakness, they also have concerns about how they can provide for their families if they should fall sick. Although today’s modern day welcomes dual-income households and the man no longer bears the full burden of household expenses, he still wants to feel in control. As such, getting sick seems to be an impossible option.

Now that you know the underlying factors why your man seems to be stubborn about going to the doctor, you can figure out ways to assure him and ease him of his fears. This will make the process go much easier, as you won’t be geared up for a battle every time you broach the subject of a doctor’s visit. Instead you can make him realize and feel that you are not against him, but that you are on his side and understand him completely. Unfortunately for him, he will eventually have to give in to you, but minus the added stress of you nagging him and possibly taunting him, he will be more likely to agree.

If possible, at an earlier time, you can convince him to go for routine checkups; when he is in perfect health, he is more likely to be willing to go with you. Of course, it might require some convincing, too, in terms of financial costs, as he most likely will argue that he feels perfectly fine and in no need of a checkup. But if you know him well, you will be able to convince him, and once you get a regular routine for doctor’s checkups, the doctor will be able to spot problems early on, giving you the assurance that your husband is well taken care of.

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Breast milk, a source for stem cells

"The benefit of obtaining stem cells from breast milk is that they can be accessed non invasively, unlike getting them from the bone marrow, umbilical cord blood or peripheral blood," said Foteini Hassiotou from the University of Western Australia (UWA).

Stem cells from human milk can not only turn into breast cells, but also cells of the bone, cartilage, fat, brain, liver and pancreas, depending on the medium in which they are grown.

"If we can understand the properties of these cells and their role in the breast and in the breast-fed baby, we can use them as models for... innovative stem cell therapies," added Hassiotou, from the Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group.

"Stem cell therapy is a very promising technology. Every year there are more than 1,000 stem cell transplants in Australia and over 60,000 around the world," said Hassiotou, according to a statement from UWA.

"The limitations of the current therapies are that the transplanted stem cells are accessed using invasive methods and have limited differentiation potential," she said.

Her supervisors are Peter Hartmann, who heads the 30-year old Human Lactation Research Group of UWA, and Luis Filgueira, an expert in cell development and function.

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Yaowarat Matchim, a former nursing doctoral student; Jane Armer, professor of nursing and Bob Stewart, professor emeritus of education and adjunct faculty in nursing, found that breast cancer survivors' health improved after they learned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a type of mindfulness training that incorporates meditation, yoga and physical awareness.

"MBSR is another tool to enhance the lives of breast cancer survivors," Armer said.

"Patients often are given a variety of options to reduce stress, but they should choose what works for them according to their lifestyles and belief systems."

The MBSR program consists of group sessions throughout a period of eight to ten weeks. During the sessions, participants practice meditation skills, discuss how bodies respond to stress and learn coping techniques.

The researchers found that survivors who learned MBSR lowered their blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate. In addition, participants' mood improved, and their level of mindfulness increased after taking the class. Armer says, for best results, participants should continue MBSR after the class ends to maintain the positive effects.

"Mindfulness-based meditation, ideally, should be practiced every day or at least on a routine schedule," Armer said. "MBSR teaches patients new ways of thinking that will give them short- and long-term benefits."

Armer says the non-pharmaceutical approach works best as a complement to other treatment options such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

"Post diagnosis, breast cancer patients often feel like they have no control over their lives," Armer said.

"Knowing that they can control something-such as meditation-and that it will improve their health, gives them hope that life will be normal again."

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Need help avoiding hangover? Less booze, more H2O

Chicago: Attorney Colleen Gorman has a holiday ritual that doesn`t involve buying presents or counting down to midnight: She goes online to look for new hangover remedies she hasn`t tried.

She already has scratched off those big "prevention" pills, vitamins and chugging sports drinks, along with more quirky folk remedies including peanut butter sandwiches.

"My fiance says I should probably just drink less," said Gorman, 28, of Chicago.

Experts say that`s good advice for everyone.

"The only way to prevent a hangover is to not get drunk," said Boston University researcher Jonathan Howland.

That might be too radical a remedy for many revelers, but it`s the only one proven to work. Still, there are strategies that can soften the blow.

Topping the list? Don`t drink on an empty stomach, said Sam Zakhari, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism`s metabolism and health effects division. Food helps absorb alcohol and delay its toxic effects on the body.

Drinking plenty of water before, during and after also helps because alcohol can dehydrate the body.

Kim Khan teaches at the American Professionals Bartending School in Villa Park, Ill., and devotes a class to serving responsibly. That includes encouraging bar patrons to drink water. Khan, who also tends bar, says alternating drinks with glasses of water helps and is a method she uses "because I`ve been doing this way too long."

Some people think choosing clear alcohols is safer, because darker-colored drinks contain more compounds called congeners. That is based on an unproven theory that those compounds cause the body to make toxins that upset the stomach and cause other hangover symptoms, said Howland, a researcher in the emergency medicine department.

But no one really knows what causes hangovers, which makes preventing them a challenge, Howland said.

He`s hoping to find a clue in his research into why some people don`t get hangovers. About 1 in 4 drinkers never feel yucky after overindulging. In Howland`s lab, that includes study subjects given normally "intoxicating" doses — about six beers for men and five for women.

That may seem enviable, but Howland said those 25 percenters also may be more likely than the rest of us to become alcoholics.

Some experts think hangover symptoms are caused by toxins from methanol after the body breaks down the ethanol alcohol in booze. That`s why some people swear by "the hair of the dog" — more alcohol the next day. But Howland says if that helps, it only delays the inevitable.

The list of purported remedies for preventing or treating hangovers includes a witch`s brew of products, including milk thistle, honey, bitters and soda, Pedialyte, cranberry juice and Tabasco sauce. None has been scientifically proven to work, Howland said.

Brian Chui, a 23-year-old Los Angeles publicist, says he`s tried a lot of them, but so far, "nothing works that great for me." This year, Chui says he may try new anti-hangover pills combining aspirin and caffeine that his friends have been touting.

Zakhari, the government expert, said the product may or may not be harmful, but could give drinkers "a false sense that `I can drink as I wish because I have the cure.`"

Some people think popping a couple of Tylenol tablets after a night of drinking will help prevent hangover symptoms, but experts warn that can be dangerous. Both alcohol and acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, are broken down in the liver, and taking them together can cause irreversible liver damage.

The risk of combining the two is small in a healthy person taking a recommended dose of Tylenol. But Zakhari says aspirin and ibuprofen are safer alternatives to treat hangover-related ills, and the best advice is to avoid Tylenol for a couple of days after drinking because even some healthy people may be vulnerable. Plus more than 600 over-the-counter medicines contain acetaminophen, so it`s pretty easy to accidentally take too much.

Alcohol can irritate the stomach and aspirin and ibuprofen can cause stomach-bleeding, so they should be used with caution, a govermment publication on hangovers advises.

A study to be published in the February edition of the journal Drug Safety found that cases of liver damage linked with accidental overdoses of acetaminophen more than doubled between 2000 and 2007. The analysis of data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers found a rise in liver damage caused by acetaminophen alone, and in medicine combining it with opiate drugs, which includes the painkiller Vicodin.

The study lacked data on alcohol use, but it`s likely some cases involved drinking, said study author Randall Bond, a medical toxicologist at Cincinnati Children`s Hospital Medical Center. Most liver damage seen in the study was minor, he said.

Of course, routine, excessive use of alcohol alone can cause liver damage, so making hangovers a habit is not a good idea.

Time is really the only cure, Zakhari said. Because drinking alcohol can cause fitful sleep, getting extra sleep the next day can help. Zakhari advises calling in sick if it happens to be workday.

"I have seen some people go to work with a hangover and their output is somewhere between zero and 1," he said.

As for Zakhari, he`s never even been drunk. He can`t tolerate alcohol.

"If I drink more than one drink, I get nauseous and vomit," he said.

So to celebrate this year, he`ll probably have a "casual glass of wine with dinner with friends and watch the ball drop."

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Estrogen helps nighttime hot flashes, not sleep

New York: Women who wake up at least three times during the night from bothersome hot flashes wake up less when they take estrogen, but the quality of their sleep remains the same, according to a new study.

"There may be a benefit for treating with estrogen, but in no way does it show that you can use estrogens as a general sleep aid," said lead author Dr. Kathleen Reape, the vice president for medical affairs and women`s health at Watson Pharmaceuticals.

Estrogen is already known to reduce hot flashes in women going through menopause, Reape told Reuters Health.

In her study, funded by Duramed Research, now Teva Women`s Health R&D, Reape and her colleagues tested the effect of a mix of synthetic estrogens on 145 women whose hot flashes woke them up at night. The results are published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.

One third of the women took a high dose of the estrogen therapy - 0.625 milligrams per day - another third took a low dose - 0.3 milligrams daily - and another third took a fake pill that resembled the estrogen tablet but had no hormones in it.

The estrogen mix goes by the brand name Enjuvia, marketed by Teva Women`s Health, and costs a little more than $2 a tablet through online pharmacies.

The study lasted for nearly three months, and the women kept a diary of how many times they woke up, how well they slept, and their sleepiness during the day. The women also wore an electronic bracelet several times throughout the study that measured their limb movements during sleep.

Although all the women woke up fewer times at the end of the study than at the beginning, the high dose group woke up five fewer times per week and the low dose group woke up about four fewer times per week, on average, than the women who took the fake pill.

Additionally, by the end of the study, about a third of the women who took estrogen no longer had any nighttime hot flashes rousing them, compared to a tenth of the women in the other group.

The total amount of sleep as measured by the monitoring bracelet, and the quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness that the women reported, however, remained the same throughout the study.

MENOPAUSE LINKED TO BROKEN SLEEP

Reape said that sleep disturbances are likely caused by a number of factors, and not just the hot flashes.

Dr. Quentin Regestein, a professor at Harvard Medical School who was not involved in this study, said sleep quality declines as we age, and many older people struggle with broken sleep.

"Menopause superimposes a deterioration of sleep that varies highly among women," he told Reuters Health.

Waking up during the night can be stressful to people, Regestein said, and helping people stay asleep can help the anxiety.

"I think it`s not wakefulness per se, but how bothered you are by it," Regestein. "So for those who are, and who had the wakefulness eliminated, that`s a good thing."

The study did not measure whether the women`s mood was affected by the treatment, and more research is necessary to determine whether estrogen therapy could be used to help women sleep better during the sometimes slumber-disturbing process of menopause.

Reape noted that the women in the study didn`t necessarily have sleep problems or daytime sleepiness concerns before the study began, and studying women with sleep problems could be useful.

There are a variety of estrogen products that are prescribed to treat hot flashes.

Reape said it`s important that women discuss the benefits and risks associated with estrogen therapy to treat their hot flashes.

Studies have found that certain kinds of hormone therapy might increase the risk of stroke and other health problems.

Estrogen can also carry side effects, such as weight gain, breast tenderness and an upset stomach.

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Must-know facts about masturbation

It's not a topic that we like discussing in the open, thus there are endless myths and misconceptions about masturbation that routinely do the rounds with each new generation. Today we have Dr A Chakravarthy , Consultant in Reproductive & Sexual Medicine from Kerala & President of International Association of Sexual Medicine, who tells us about the top 5 health facts about masturbation.

1. Masturbation does not cause blindness: Masturbation is a normal method of sexual activity for both men and women. So it will not cause blindness or any other health problem. Masturbation has nothing to do with loss of any sensory organs of the body and is a completely safe sexual activity.

2. Many spouses continue to masturbate after marriage: Yes. Indeed. Masturbation per se does not cause any health conditions, however if you do it in excess it can be categorized as an addiction for which one might need a sexologist's help.

3. Top 5 myths about masturbation: There are so many myths and misconceptions regarding masturbation even in civilized societies. People have a misconception that masturbation can lead to

- Blindness

- Infertility

- Sexual weakness

- Loss of weight and decrease in organ size

- Decrease the libido

4. Masturbating women have no trouble reaching orgasm during intercourse: This is because the mechanism of female orgasm is more complex than male's. Men usually arrive at orgasm by ejaculation. Inadequate excitation and improper sex technique becomes a barrier in achieving orgasm for females. Premature ejaculation and inadequate foreplay are the most important reasons from the male counterpart.

5. How much masturbation is too much? No particular cut points exist. It depends on the person. The average rate is around 3 to 7 times per week.

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Why some women have a hairy chin

The researchers have asserted that that examining the chin and upper and lower abdomen is a reliable, minimally invasive way to screen for excessive hair growth in women.

"We wanted to find a way to identify this problem in women that was as non-intrusive and accurate as possible," said Dr. Ricardo Azziz, reproductive endocrinologist and President of Georgia Health Sciences University.

"We believe this approach is approximately 80 per cent accurate and will be less traumatic for women in many situations than the full body assessments currently used," said Azziz, corresponding author of the study.

For the study, Azziz examined 1,116 female patients at the University of Alabama at Birmingham from 1987-2002 and 835 female patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from 2003-09 with symptoms of androgen excess or male hormone excess.

Study authors note the method needs further evaluation, including whether it can be used to monitor success of hirsutism (excessive hair growth in women) treatment.

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The Dukan Diet Plan

The Dukan Diet plan originated in France, founded by Dr. Pierre Dukan, a French dietitian and physician. This brief article will give you the skinny on the Dukan diet plan so you can make a decision to investigate further or not. Healthy Times is not affiliated in any way with the Dukan diet plan and this article is not an endorsement of the Dukan diet plan.



The Dukan Diet Plan Overview

The Dukan Diet plan is one of the more popular diets in Europe and is catching on fast in the West. Fueled by the poplarity of the Dukan diet plan books and endorsement by notable figures in Europe, this diet doesn’t lack for popularity.
Phases of the Dukan Diet Plan

The Dukan diet plan is based on a list of over 100 allowed foods, as well as four specific phases: attack, cruise, consolidation, and stabilization. Each phase of the Dukan diet plan has a specific metabolic purpose. The phases are designed around foods you are allowed to eat. Fundamentally, the Dukan diet plan is considered a high protein diet, similar to the Atkins diet, but with notable differences. Here is a description of the Dukan diet plan phases.

The attack phase intends to allow dieters to quickly lose up to 6 in 2–7 days, effectively jump starting the metabolism. People are allowed to eat as much as they want of 72 high protein foods.

The cruise phase allows dieters to gradually achieve weight loss by eating the protein-rich foods along with 28 vegetables. Some of the foods in this phase must be discontinued if any weight gain occurs.

The consolidation phase helps prevent future weight gain. During this phase, fruit, bread, cheese and starchy foods are reintroduced into the diet.

In the stabilization phase, the dieters eat whatever they want without gaining weight by following a few rules: protein day once a week, eating oat bran every day and making a commitment to mild exercise. According to the Dukan diet plan, dieters follow this last phase for the rest their lives.
The Dukan Diet plan drawbacks

The primary drawbacks of the Dukan diet plan are the multitude of rules and strict self-monitoring required. The Dukan diet plan may be an excellent plan in a closely supervised environment, but probably requires too much of the average dieter. Of course, the average dieter fails miserably.

If you are up for a challenge and like a diet plan with heavy rules, the Dukan diet plan may be a good choice. Before embarking on the Dukan diet, do some more research.

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