Homeopathy

Care to get a big sigh of relief from any discomfort? This time you can readily say goodbye from any distress brought about by illnesses and diseases. Thanks to the advent of homeopathy that promises relieving effect in no time. Learn more about this alternative medicine to see whether or not the remedies best suit you.

Homeopathy is an alternative medicine that claims treatment of diseases using highly diluted substances. In the late 18^th century, it was introduced by Samuel Hahnemann. The technique is grounded on the “law of similars” that contends “like cures like,” observed by Hippocrates and Paracelsus in the past, too.  Nonetheless, it is Hahnemann who officially developed underlying principles therein. 

Law of similars is not foreign to Hahnemann after having discovered the physiological effects of some substances. For instance, he found out that ingesting the bark of cinchona yield the same symptoms of malaria. That explains why he concluded that the substance can also heal malaria by virtue of the concept, “like cures like.” Later on, he tried out many other substances to identify corresponding signs and symptoms for possible curative effects on resembling illnesses and diseases. 

Treatment inspired by Homeopathy makes use of highly diluted substances called remedies. These are meticulously prepared drugs that have successfully undergone serial dilution using distilled water or alcohol. Dilution is followed by succession that involves forceful striking of the substance against an elastic body to intensify vital energy. The remedy, in turn, is likely to hold the healing energy although no molecule of the original substance is left as soon as the entire process, technically coined as potentization, is over.

Homeopathic treatment is intended to deliver cure by stimulating the body’s natural healing process. Homeopaths believe that illnesses and diseases are caused by disruption of the life force. These practitioners, in particular, uphold the law of susceptibility contending that the body may develop certain signs and symptoms of a disease triggered by negative mental state. Restoring the balance of life force, in turn, is the best way to restore your health and fitness, too.

Prior to treatment, diagnosis is done by homeopaths by assessing physical and psychological conditions. As soon as initial assessment is through, the practitioner consults reference books also known as repertories. Remedy is prescribed once diagnosis has been made. For best results, it is highly recommended to seek treatment from homeopaths holding professional degree since the practice is highly regulated in Western countries.

Remedies come in two different forms such as oral and injectible drugs. Most likely, homeopathic pills are preferred over homeopathic shots since the latter is prone to contaminants. Either way, Hahnemann recommends intake of highly diluted homeopathic remedies for safety purposes. When prepared at lower dilution, these remedies may be highly toxic for one’s health. Rest assured that healing effects shall be retained regardless of high dilution. That is made possible by the concept of water memory that emphasizes the liquid’s ability to retain essential attributes of substance exposed therein.

In the early 19^th century, there were more or less 100 remedies introduced. As of the moment though, there are approximately 3,000 homeopathic remedies available over the counter. Sure, you’ll find the best cure for your particular health condition.

Heartsease Tea

Cheers to health with a cup of Heartsease tea filled with organic wonders. Thanks to nutrients, vitamins, and minerals ascribed to the herbal ingredients infused in the beverage. Sure, you can expect healthier circulatory, excretory, and respiratory systems when you get a share of this special tea. Consequently, there is more health and wellness advantage in store for you courtesy of Heartsease tea. 

 

Heartsease, the main ingredient of the Heartsease tea, happens to be a wild flower of European origin later introduced to North America popularly known as Johnny Jump Up. The flower commonly grows up to 15-20cm tall while creeping and ramping. Growth and survival of this botanical plant may last for, more or less, a year. Nonetheless, it can always self-reproduce with a little help from the humble bees.

Best described as the Viola Tricolor, the heartsease flower comes in three shades such as purple, white, or yellow. Heartsease flower, characterized by ear-like petals, grows in a symmetrical pattern towards the centre. When nighttime comes, the floral head droops in order to protect the face from moisture. Consequently, the same rule applies when the rain comes hitting the ground. 

Viola tricolor, other than its visual prowess, has been renowned for its herbal properties. As a matter of fact, it contains cyclotides bearing cytotoxic elements for effective cancer treatment. The same holds many other therapeutic components such as anthocyanin, carotenoids, flavonoids, saponins, tannin, mucilage, citric acid, and Vitamin A, too. Consequently, it has long been used in herbalism to cure asthma, epilepsy, eczema, and skin diseases.

Herbal properties exclusive to Heartsease, most likely, are extended to the Heartsease tea rich in therapeutic elements. For instance, it works wonders in treating coughs and asthma made possible by the drink’s mucolytic properties. The herbal tea, in particular, dissolves mucus thereby clearing out the respiratory tract from phlegm.  

Feel free to get a big sigh of relief from rheumatism with a cup of Heartsease tea. This herbal drink contains blood cleansing properties to facilitate thorough blood circulation that works against pain. In the same way, it fights heart and nervous system problems such as arteriosclerosis and sleeplessness.

As a detoxifying agent, the heartsease tea is an excellent beverage to relieve kidney troubles. The herbal drink contains diuretic as well as antiseptic properties ideal to cleanse the renal system. Besides internal cleansing, it also combats external impurities ideal for cleaning wounds and cuts. Heartsease poultice is also effective for mild treatment of skin diseases such acne, boils, eczema, herpes, pimples, and psoriasis.

What’s most interesting is that you can prepare the heartsease cup, no sweat. All it takes is to boil some water along with heartsease herbs. For great-tasting results, you may boil 500ml of water per two teaspoons of herb. Wait for at least ten minutes for the mixture to infuse prior to filtration. As soon as the drink has been filtered, squeeze some lemon coupled with sugar or honey to come up with a flavourful cup.

Sure, you have learned more about this healthful and relieving drink.

Sunglasses: Most Convenient Models

Sunglasses are a form of eyewear designed to prevent strong sunlight or ultraviolet radiation from providing discomfort or damage to your eyes. As a protective eyewear, sunglasses come with polarized, coloured or darkened lenses. Some healthcare professionals even recommend this eyewear especially those who are fond of sunbathing on the beach where it has become as a fashion accessory since 1940.

Sunglasses have been given other names in many parts of the world. They are called Shades in North America, Glares with dark glasses in India, Glecks in Scotland, and Cooling Glasses in the Middle East and Southern India. The other names used in other countries include Glints, Spekkies, Sun Specs, Sun Spectacles, Dark Glasses, Sun-Shades, Solar Shields, Smoked Spectacles, Sunnies, and Stunna Shades. Some of the popular styles that are in demand are the softy, round, fashion, sports, flexible frame, golf, motorcycle, aviator and the rimless. These are available with major brands that are convenient, sleek and smooth and that suit any type of face and fashion apparel. These are the so-called designer sunglasses from major brands such as Oakley, Ray-Ban, Serengeti, Luxottica, Bulgari, Carrera, Polo, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Georgio Armani, Prada and Dior. They provide various models that are convenient to you and fit any of your activities.

The Gucci sunglasses, for instance, have been a symbol of sophistication, elegance and taste for a long time, making them rich in fashion history. Providing a perfect blend of function and form are their classic frames. The Costa del Mar sunglasses are made for adventurers as they are so lightweight you might even forget you have your sunglasses on. Some of their convenient models include the C-Mates Biofocals Fathom, Voyager Triple Tail, and the Expedition Fathom. The Fitovers are a popular model for young people because they are slip glasses that can be used over prescription glasses for protection.

If you are a golfer, golf sunglasses are your choice, as each model has its specific function. The Sundog Golf-KP sunglasses are nickel-free and hypoallergenic for sensitive skin, while the Draw Mela lens sunglasses are preferred for brighter light conditions in the golf course. The Tifosi Golf Backlash helps the golfers keep an eye on the ball. The Tifosi Golf Envy sunglasses provide protection from harmful rays of the sun with their interchangeable lenses. The Callaway Golf Collection series offers sunglasses that help golfers to see golf terrain changes clearly, or allow them to easily track the golf ball as it lands on the green.

Prescription sunglasses are designed for those with vision problems. Some of them are made with photochromic lenses often called transition lenses that automatically darken in sunlight but return to their original state indoors. To acquire better prescription sunglasses, you should see to it that the lenses block 100% of harmful sunlight, and that these lenses give 100% ultra-violet protection. Use polarized glasses against the light bouncing from reflective surfaces.

Types of Moisturizing Cream

Moisturizers are also called emollients, consisting of mixtures of chemical agents that make the epidermis or external layers of the skin softer and more pliable or supple. They do this by increasing the water content of the skin, reducing evaporative moisturizers. They also prevent dry skin and improve its texture and tone, and even hide some skin imperfections. Beyond these functions, however, moisturizers in creams, lotions and oils are made for skin age reduction and the removal of fine lines for smoother skin. Ingredients make moisturizers do the job for the skin, like antioxidants, grape seed oil, petrolatum, hydroxyl acids that prevent wrinkles, and soothing ingredients of chamomile or aloe, that minimize allergens and irritants. The only risks that can be linked to moisturizers are the safety of their ingredients and their possible bacterial contamination.

Most of the moisturizers that are preferred are in the form of creams, which are designed for all skin types. For dry skin, the creams contain essential fats, humectants, or water-binding agents, and emollients such as shea butter, and petrolatum. For oily skin, oil-free cream is suited but they also contain humectants and derivatives of silicone.  Normal skin needs another type of non-greasy moisturizing cream with a balanced blend of humectants and emollients to maintain the skin’s ideal moisture. For sensitive skin, fragrance-free cream is preferred that has non-irritating components like lanolin, mineral oil and acid. In the Philippines, the cosmetics industry has come up with moisturizing creams with virgin coconut oil (VCO) and virgin palm oil. The VCO cream is traditionally made with fresh organic coconuts to contain a high level of antioxidants. The palm oil cream, on the other hand, contains powerful Vitamin E called tocotrienols which is more potent than the most common Vitamin E in many products for skin care.

Moisturizing creams contain ingredients that are aimed to hydrate and soften the skin. These ingredients are very important in the formulation of these creams. They include (a) Humectants that help your skin to stay hydrated, and help smooth its thickened or scaly parts, (b) Emollients, which are based on oils or fats known as lipids, and may also contain cocoa butter, palm kernel oil, shea butter and lanolin, (c) Vitamins with antioxidant properties needed to repair and prevent wrinkles, and the dryness of aging skin, (d) Hydroxyl acids which are known as fruit acids that get rid of dead skin cells and produce building bocks of the skin and connective tissue such as collagen and elastin, and (e) Preservatives which are necessary ingredients to prevent the moisturizer from getting contaminated by microbes, bacteria or molds.

You can make your own moisturizing cream even at home. Some of the ingredients that are needed include tea bags, almond, wheat germ oil, beeswax, aloe vera gel and essential oils that contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Be sure that the cream you make is free from contamination.

Memory-Improving Foods

Memory problems affect many people. These problems become serious when they get into their day-to-day activities, like the trouble remembering how to do certain things that they have already done for many times in the past. People who must be suffering from memory loss should consult a doctor if, aside from forgetting  how to do things they used to do, they experience any or all of the following conditions: (a) Forgetting things more often than before, (b) Having trouble learning new things, and (c) Failure to keep track of daily work. Doctors say these are symptoms of Alzheimer’s diseases, a degenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by premature mental deterioration, which must be dealt with properly and early. One way to deal with this memory disease is getting foods with Omega 3 fatty acids that are known to beneficial to brain health. Fish is rich source of Omega 3 like salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, herring and sardines. Other sources of Omega 3 are walnuts, flaxseed oil, ground flaxseed, soybeans and pumpkin seeds.

Some fruits and vegetables protect brain cells from damage, especially the colourful ones which are excellent sources of antioxidants, as some green leafy vegetables. These include broccoli, spinach, Romaine lettuce, Swiss chard, and arugula, otherwise known as Garden Rocket, a European herb of the mustard family. The fruits that are good for the brain include red grapes, mangoes, oranges, apricots, watermelon and cantaloupe, a type of muskmelon. There are other foods that help improve memory and blood circulation, and boost energy at the same time. These are asparagus, blueberries, black currants, sweet potatoes, cherries, red cabbage, tomatoes, strawberries, radishes, raisins, plums, beets, and red pepper. Most nutritionists agree that eating plenty of vegetables and fruits that are rich in nutrients and antioxidants is the most reliable way to protect the brain cells of the aging person. Blueberries and blackberries are said to be the best for sharpening of the brain as they are particularly rich in antioxidants. Extra vitamins also help improve memory and are linked to healthy brain function. These vitamins include Vitamin C, iron, beta carotene, B12, zinc and folic acid, which are also used in the treatment of nutritional anemia.

The other foods recommended to help improve memory are apples, onions, red beets, grapes, eggplant and rosemary. Apples contain high levels of antioxidant that helps prevent one from getting Alzheimer’s disease. Onions, especially the red ones, contain anthocyanin and quercetin, a yellow crystalline antioxidant pigment. Red beets are a good source of folic acid, while grapes also contain quercetin. Eggplants, which some people ignore, are a good source of anthocyanin and antioxidants that protect the lipids in brain cell membranes. Rosemary, a fragrant shrubby mint used in cooking, is said to be a neuroprotective acid and also prevents Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative brain disorders.

What is important in improving your memory is to eat foods packed with nutrients and antioxidants that can stimulate your immune system and keep your mental motor running at the same time.

Epinephrine

The dictionary defines epinephrine as a colorless crystalline hormone, especially used medicinally as a heart stimulant, vasoconstrictor in controlling skin haemorrhages and a muscle relaxant in bronchial asthma.” Also known as adrenaline, it is produced by the adrenal glands from such amino acids as phenelalamine and tyrosine. It is released into the bloodstream apparently in response to stress—physical or mental—like that from injury or fear. Many bodily responses are also initiated by the epinephrine like the stimulation of heart action and increase in one’s blood pressure, and make the breakdown of carbohydrate-storing glycogen to glucose in the liver.

Medical Uses. Epinephrine is used to treat medical conditions like cardiac arrest, acute allergic reaction and asthma. As a drug, it takes various forms given to patients on prescription only. These forms include hydrochloride nasal spray, epinephrine injection, hydrochloride inhalation vapour, pressurized inhalation, and hydrochloride solution for injection. The nasal spray helps open up air passages to make breathing easier and smoother, especially for those with asthmatic conditions.

Side Effects and Interactions with Other Drugs. If given as a drug, epinephrine is expected to have side effects, which must be reported at once to healthcare professionals. These side effects include (a) Allergic reactions like skin itching, skin rash, and swelling of the face, (b) Chest pains or palpitations, (c) Reddening of the skin or part of it, (d) Breathing difficulty, (e) Vomiting, and (f) Numbness in the toes and fingers. It may also interact with other drugs to create irregular heartbeats if given with certain anaesthetics. Hypertension or raised high blood pressure may also occur if it is given with anti-depressants.  Physicians also advise against giving it with beta blockers and clonidine as it may result in severe hypertension.

Symptoms of Over-dosage. Epinephrine cases of overdose should be reported to medical practitioners, when symptoms are experienced such as elevated blood pressure, extreme pallor or paleness, and coldness of the skin, among others. Kidney failure is also another symptom of over-dose as headache and vomiting are. Also to be reported are experiences of metabolic acidosis or reduced alkalinity of the blood, or pulmonary edema or watery swelling, and bradycardia, or slow motion of the heart.

Indications and Usage. Epinephrine may have adverse reactions if used as medication to treat various conditions. These numerous adverse reactions include anxiety, dizziness, fear, headache, restlessness, weakness, tremor, nausea, sweating, respiratory difficulty, and even necrosis, or the death of living tissues in the body. Against these adverse reactions are the benefits that can be derived from the use of epinephrine. These include relief of respiratory problem caused by broncho-spasm, (b) Fast relief to hypersensitivity reactions to drug and allergens, and (c) Restoration of cardiac rhythm following cardiac arrest.

Dopamine

Dopamine is an endogenous chemical or neurotransmitter that transmits signals from a neuron or a component of a nervous system. These signals are transmitted to a certain cell through a synapse or junctions where other neurons also transmit signals to each other. It is formed in the brain by the decarboxylation, or removal of carboxyl or radical organic acid of dopa, an amino acid.  It is essential to the central nervous system to function normally, and to the control of motion of the human body. The functions of dopamine as a substance that transmits messages between the brain’s nerve cells affect the person’s conditions such as (a) Behaviour and cognition, (b) Motivation, (c) Voluntary movement, (d) Sleep, (e) Attention, (f) Mood, (g) Learning, and (h) Working memory.

As a medication. Dopamine is available as an intravenous medication that produces some effects like increased blood pressure and heart rate. It is given to increase dopamine in the brains of patients afflicted with Parkinson’s disease and other mental disorders caused by its imbalanced concentration or low levels in the brain. This imbalance can be treated by drugs that increase dopamine levels or may inhibit the action of the medication.

Dopamine receptor agonists:- These are drugs that stimulate dopamine receptors or receivers, for increased production or activity of dopamine. These drugs are used to treat Parkinson’s disease and provide relief to some hormone disorders. These include bromocriptine, amantadine, quicolide, cyberqoline, and ropernirole. In most cases, these drugs bind to dopamine receptors and directly stimulate such receptors to treat some brain disorders. Like the bromocriptine drug, dopamine agonists are also used for therapy of migraine disorders and treat the so-called ischemic stroke, which is related to anemia caused by the constriction of the arterial blood inflow.

Dopamine receptor antagonists:- These are drugs that bind to dopamine receptors but do not stimulate them. They can prevent or reverse dopamine actions by preventing it to attach or bind to receptors. Traditionally, these are used to treat schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder and other related mental conditions. They are also used to treat nausea, psychosis and migraine, hiccup or spasmodic inhalation, and Tourette syndrome, an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by repetitive involuntary movements.

Benefits of dopamine:- Dopa is an amino acid found in dopamine used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, which is related to low levels of dopamine in the brain. If taken orally, dopa crosses the barrier between blood and the brain and is converted to dopamine once it enters the bloodstream. The approval of dopa by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1970 appears to have revolutionized the treatment of Parkinson’s disease by improving nerve conduction or transmission and lessening the movement disorders related to the diseases.