Overview

Hypochondriasis (or hypochondria, sometimes referred to as health phobia) refers to an excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness. Often, hypochondria persists even after a physician has evaluated a person and reassured him/her that his/her concerns about symptoms do not have an underlying medical basis or, if there is a medical illness, the concerns are far in excess of what is appropriate for the level of disease. Many people suffering from this disorder focus on a particular symptom as the catalyst of their worrying, such as gastro-intestinal problems, palpitations, or muscle fatigue.

Hypochondria is often characterized by fears that minor bodily symptoms may indicate a serious illness, constant self-examination and self-diagnosis, and a preoccupation with one's body. Many individuals with hypochondriasis express doubt and disbelief in the doctors' diagnosis, and report that doctors’ reassurance about an absence of a serious medical condition is unconvincing, or un-lasting. Many hypochondriacs require constant reassurance, either from doctors, family, or friends, and the disorder can become a disabling torment for the individual with hypochondriasis, as well as his or her family and friends. Some hypochondriacal individuals are completely avoidant of any reminder of illness, whereas others are frequent visitors of doctors’ offices. Other hypochondriacs will never speak about their terror, convinced that their fear of having a serious illness will not be taken seriously by those in whom they confide.

Alternative Therapy Of Liver Diseases

Posted by glos Thursday, April 30, 2009 at 10:34 AM

Inherited genes are found to be one of the reasons for liver diseases. Inherited liver diseases may affect children of parents who do not have any symptoms of liver disease. But the disease could have been passed down from grandparents.

Treating liver diseases with gene therapy would be one of the ways of dealing with liver diseases. These gene therapies would play an important role in future treatments and might replace surgeries and drugs that are currently used to treat liver diseases.
The developments in molecular biology will play an important role in the future treatments of the liver diseases. Diagnosis of patients using methods like polymerase chain reaction is making changes in the way liver diseases are diagnosed.

Defective genes that are the root cause of inherited liver disease are detectable. Recombinant DNA technology is used for identifying the defective genes to prepare medicines and drugs for treating patients with liver diseases.

Mutations are identified now earlier than just a few years ago and appropriate methods can be used earlier for more effective treatment. Preventive treatment using such DNA technologies is possible and this will be used more frequently in the future. Apart from Gene therapy, nucleic acid based therapies will likely be used in the future for treating patients with liver diseases.

SIR-Spheres method

Another type of treatment that would gain popularity in the future is the SIR-Spheres method. This is one of the new methods of treating patients using radiation. In this method microscopic spheres are injected into the liver. These spheres have radioactive materials that are used to treat liver diseases.

Usually the radioactive material is Yttrium-90. Using this method, the radiation that is given to the liver is increased many times more than by using ordinary radiation therapy. It is estimated that up to 40 times more radiation can be given using this SIR-Sphere method. The treatment time is also reduced using this method.

The immune cells in the liver are called macrophages. It has been found that these macrophages are responsible for causing scarring and eliminating scarring in the liver.

There are two types of macrophages, one which causes scarring and the other which eliminates scarring.Research is going on to study the macrophages. Extensive research in this area might lead to dramatic changes in the liver treatments of the future. If the mechanism by which the scarring is eliminated is understood, it has a great potential to change the way the liver diseases are treated in the future.

Homeopathic medicines are also used by many to treat the symptoms of their liver diseases. The most common homeopathic remedies that are used to treat liver diseases are Bryonia, Mercurius, Podophyllum, Chelidonium, Digitalis, Myrica cerifera, Nux vomica, Lycopodium, Carduus marinas, Sculpture, Phosphorus, and Taraxacum.

Each one of these remedies is used to cure liver diseases and its symptoms are only used under specific conditions.

The homeopathic medicine Byronia is used to treat liver disease patients who have pain in the right hypochondria. The other homeopathic remedies that can be given to patients for treating pain are Kali carbonicum and Chelidonium.

Mercurius is the other homeopathic remedy that is used to treat children with jaundice. Persons who have abused quinine and acquired a liver disease can also be treated with Mercurius. Although it is most often patients who have abused quinine, Mercurius is also widely used for treating children with simple jaundice.

Podophyllum is another homeopath that is used for treating liver diseases and is similar to that of Mercurius. Chelidonium is used for jaundice and biliousness and also in hepatic congestion. Some people may get jaundice due to certain heart diseases. For such patients, Digitalis would be the right kind of homeopathic remedy. The worst cases of jaundices are often treated with Digitalis effectively.

Nux vomica, also called poison nut, is touted by many as one of the best and the first herbal remedy given to patients who acquired liver disease due to alcoholic addiction or quinine. If anger is the main cause of jaundice, then Nux vomica is said by many to be the best option to start with for treatment Consult a homeopathic practitioner for the usage of other homeopathic remedies for treating liver diseases as many of these herbal remedies can be posionous if taken wrong. And as always, consult your physician who is always the ultimate authority on your health care strategies.



Autor: Alvin Soong

Alvin Soong is a Chartered Financial Planner in for more than 5 years. He dedicated his blog to his clients and share with them knowledge on Insurance, Investment and Wealth Management. His website (http://www.skcagency.com) serves as a bridge for investors and his family group of agents. Click here to find out more: http://www.skcagency.com/blog


Added: April 30, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

The Genius of Robert Burns - Crippled Only by His Anxiety Disorder

Posted by glos Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 11:34 AM

Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Robert Burns is regarded as Scotland's National Poet. Debts, chronic physical illness, and domestic troubles led to Burns 'nervous disease' and he addressed Alexander Cunningham thus:
"Canst thou minister to a mind diseased? Canst thou speak peace and rest to a soul tost on a sea of troubles without one friendly star to guide her course, and dreading that the next surge may overwhelm her? Canst thou give a frame, trembling alive as the tortures ..., the stability and hardihood of the rock that braves the blast? If thou canst not do the least of these, why wouldst thou disturb me in my miseries with thy inquiries after me?

For these two months I have not been able to lift a pen. My constitution were, ab origin, blasted with a deep incurable taint of hypochondria, which poisons my existence. Of late a number of domestic vexations; losses which, though trifling, were yet what I could ill bear, have so irritated me, that my feelings at time could only be envied by a reprobate spirit listening to the sentence that dooms it to perdition. Are you deep in the language of consolation? I have exhausted in reflection every topic of comfort. A heart at ease would have been charmed with my sentiments and reasoning; but as to myself I was like Judas Iscariot preaching the gospel; he might melt and mould the hearts of those around him, but his own kept its native incorrigibility.

Still, there are pillars that bear us up, amid the wreck of misfortune and misery. The ONE is composed of the different modifications of a certain noble, stubborn something in man, known by the names of courage, fortitude, magnanimity..... gives the nerve of combat, while a ray of hope beams on the field ..." (25 February 1794).

Robert Burns bathed in the freezing waters of the Solway Firth as part of what seems like a kill or cure remedy by his friend Dr Maxwell.
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Autor: Paul Kennard

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Added: April 28, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

You CAN Get A Restful, Night's Sleep, No Matter What

Posted by glos Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 11:56 PM

Valerian Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oil

Plant Origin: Belgium, Croatia, France

Extraction Method: Steam distilled from root

Valerian root has been used for thousands of years in ancient medicine as a way to calm and balance the emotions and ground people in emotional well-being. Valerian Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oil is also useful for these purposes and is much easier to use, whether you want to use it topically or internally.

Valerian Oil is incredibly useful for a whole host of conditions related to nerves and tension, from hypochondria and headaches to irritability and PMS. It can be a wellness tool to you with diarrhea, gas, nervous coughing, stomach cramps and spasms.

Therapeutic-Grade Essential Valerian Oil is great alternative tool for balancing the body related to panic attacks, insomnia, heart palpitations, emotional stress and depression. It is truly an emotional fix-all that will also may help eliminate the symptoms of your less-than-perfect moods.

One of the most popular uses for Valerian Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oil is in the evening bath. Valerian Oil is very calming to the body, and mind, and encourages sleep. Adding a few drops to a salt body scrub, and followed with a warm bath, especially along with other soothing oils like lavender and chamomile, can make for a very nice, soothing bath for anyone who needs to relax after a long, hard day.

Valerian has been shown by German experts to be useful for aiding in occasional sleep disturbances and restlessness, and it's great for calming and brining balance to the nervous system.

Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oil of Valerian is generally safe to use, but some people can be sensitive to it. If you're pregnant or planning to use valerian on an infant, consult your doctor first. When taking valerian oil internally, be sure to dilute a drop in four ounces of rice or soy milk or other liquid.

Valerian is a wonderful go-to therapeutic-grade essential oil that supports a number of imbalances that are so common in our modern, stressed out lives. It can be used in a massage oil. Add a couple of drops into to a carrier oil, such as olive oil. Include other oils that are good for muscle relaxation, such as Balsam Fir Oil, and give yourself a massage or recruit someone to massage you.

Valerian is a versatile, effective therapeutic-grade essential oil that can soothe your spirit, calm your nerves and help you sleep. It's a wonderful oil to use to wind down at the end of a long day, eliminating the toxins related to confusion and stress. It's absolutely the perfect antidote to our crazy, busy modern lives.

Always wash and rinse your hands thoroughly, before and after the use of therapeutic-grade essential oils, also avoid contact with your eyes.

You Got Insomnia? Get Valerian Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oil To The Rescue.

This entire article is available for reprint electronically or in print, for free, as long as it is done in its entirety and the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publications would be appreciated. Emailto: ghgs@youngliving.org



Autor: Emma Sanford Emma Sanford
Level: Platinum
Emma Sanford, received her AAS degree in Nursing Education and Liberal Arts from Rockland Community College, Suffern, NY 30 years ago. Her clinical experience in ... ...

Emma Sanford is a Registered Professional Nurse, Founder and Wellness Consultant of Good Health - Good Scents, a distributorship of chemical free edible wellness products, located in Atlanta Ga.

Ms. Sanford writes and publishes a FREE weekly ezine " Good Health -Good Scents Wellness Tools." Sign up for a FREE copy. Visit, http://www.goodhealth-goodscents.com and http://www.ultimatewellness.blogspot.com


Added: April 27, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

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