Broken Heart Syndrome

Broken heart syndrome is a temporary condition that is often confused with having a heart attack. The symptoms are similar, such as shortness of breath and chest pain. It mostly affects middle-aged and elderly women and is often caused by emotional or physical stress. The condition is almost never fatal, causes no long term heart damage, and usually doesn't reoccur.

Symptoms of the condition occur when stress causes your body to be flooded with catecholamine hormones. Blood pressure and heart rate increase. There is also a sudden and temporary weakening of the mycardium. A bulging out of the left ventricular apex with a hypercontractile base of the left ventricle of the heart often happens.

The condition is commonly referred to as stress cardiomyopathy, stress-induced cardiomyopathy, or apical ballooning syndrome. Symptoms can be prevented by reducing anxiety before it increases. It is different from a heart attack because a heart attack is caused by blocked arteries and broken heart syndrome is caused by a surge of adrenaline and other hormones. One to two percent of patients who are diagnoses with a heart attack are actually experiencing the condition.

Cure Urinary Tract Infections with Baking Soda

Most urinary tract infections are caused by E. coli bacteria, which are normally found in the rectum. A urinary tract infection can also be caused by an infection of the bladder or urethra. Symptoms of a UTI include frequent and urgent needs to urinate, painful urination, cloudy urine, lower back or abdominal pain, and blood in the urine. A good way to cure a UTI is to use baking soda. Baking soda makes the bladder more alkaline, which prevents bacteria from multiplying. Mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with 8 ounces of water at the first sign of symptoms of a UTI and drink once or twice a day until you see a doctor and start taking antibiotics.

Cure Hangovers with Asparagus

It is found that asparagus contains certain amino acids and minerals that can help to relieve hangover symptoms from drinking too much alcohol, such as headache and nausea, and it protects liver cells against toxins. The amino acids help to metabolize alcohol and the faster that alcohol breaks down, the less likely that hangover symptoms will occur. Asparagus has been used for many years as a herbal medicine due to its anticancer, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic properties. Eating it before or after drinking alcohol can be a good hangover remedy.

Natural Ways to Treat Allergies

There are many natural ways to reduce and prevent allergy symptoms without the use of medications. There are vitamins, herbs, foods, drinks, and easy common things that you can do at home so that you don't have to suffer from allergies.

There are several vitamins, minerals, and herbal remedies that are good at relieving allergy symptoms and strengthening the immune system. Vitamin B5, vitamin A, and Omega-3 Fatty Acids can help to relieve allergy symptoms, such as congestion, coughs, and runny nose. Quercetin is a plant compound that can be found in foods, such as onions, apples, and citrus fruits, that can prevent the secretion of histamine. Histamine is a chemical that the body produces during an allergic reaction that causes sneezing and other symptoms. Butterbur is a herb that is good at relieving hay fever symptoms. Licorice root, astragalus, and capsicum are also good at curing allergy symptoms.

There are foods and drinks that can be used to easy allergy symptoms. Spicy foods, such as hot ginger, cayenne pepper, onion, and garlic, can help to reduce mucous secretion, which can help to clear nasal passages. Honey can be used to help allergies. Taking 1 or 2 teaspoons of locally grown natural honey before the allergy season starts helps the body to get used to pollen before the allergy season is full blown and helps the immune system. Teas such as green tea and Mint Medley herbal tea work well to ease congestion.

There are easy things that can done at home that can help allergies. Cleaning carpets, bedsheets, floors, and curtains at least once a week reduces pollen and allergy in your home. Dust mites are another cause of allergies that are commonly found in bedding, carpets, and pet dander. It is good to wash bedding in hot water and dry them in a hot dryer to kill dust mites. It is also a good idea to enclose mattresses, box springs, and pillows in airtight zipped plastic or special allergy proof plastic. Using an air conditioner can help to clean, recirculate, and dehumidify the air.

Giving pets a regular bath can help to reduce allergies. Washing your hair regularly can help to reduce allergies because hair can hold a lot of pollen when you go outside. Wearing sunglasses when you go outside can reduce the amount of pollen entering the eyes. Nasal Rinses are very effective at removing the pollen stuck in the nasal passages. Doing a nasal rise will drain out some bacteria and mucous and help to reduce allergies.

The Facts of Swine Flu

Swine flu is an influenza virus that usually only affects pigs but the virus mixed genes with another influenza virus to create a new type of virus that is also able to infect humans. The current swine flu virus is so different from other viruses that humans have been exposed to in the past that there is very little to none natural immunity to it. The body would have a hard time defending itself against the virus and there are no vaccines for the virus yet. The antiviral medicines Tamiflu and Relenza could help if the medicine is given within two days after symptoms begin. Health authorities are recommending the medicines mainly for people that have more severe symptoms. Most people who have caught the virus have recovered from it.

Common symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle pains, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, chills, headaches, weakness, and diarrhea. If you are having symptoms it is recommended to isolate yourself from everyone else and stay home to prevent spreading the disease. Get medical help immediately if the symptoms become severe.

The virus can be transmitted form person to person by sneezing, coughing, and physical contact, such as shaking hands, kissing, or any kind of touching. You can try to prevent contracting the disease and spreading it by washing your hands or using alcohol based cleansers frequently throughout the day, not shaking hands or having any physical contact with someone, and avoiding contact with people who have symptoms of the flu. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes as much as possible. You cannot get the disease by eating pork.

Health Benefits of Ginger

There are positive health benefits to ginger. Fresh ginger and ginger root have compounds that can fight certain cancer cells and slow the growth of tumors. For many years, ginger root has been used to treat nausea, pain, swelling, and cold symptoms. Studies have shown that regular use can lower cholesterol levels, help to stabilize blood pressure and glucose levels, and reduce blood clotting.

Ginger root is safe to use as long as it is used in reasonable amounts. A safe dose would be 100 mg per day. There have not been any severe side effects reported when higher doses are taken, except in people who are allergic to ginger root. The most common allergic reaction is excessive burping.

Ginger capsules are sold for medicinal purposes in pharmacies in many other countries. They are not sold for medicinal purposes in pharmacies in the United States. They are sold as capsules in the United States as dietary supplements. The FDA classifies it as a food and not a drug.

Heartburn Can Lead to Esophageal Caner

Heartburn can increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer. This is due to the backwash of stomach acids damaging the esophageal lining, which can cause cell changes that can lead to caner.

It is recommended to drink a minimal amount of coffee and citrus juices. It is also a good idea to cut back on spicy foods to control heart burn. H2 blockers, such as Zantac, and proton pump inhibitors, such as Prilosec, can help to reduce symptoms and encourage the healing of damaged tissues.

Natural Ways to Treat Migraines

There are several ways to effectively treat migraine symptoms naturally without using prescription medications. There is an extract of the butterbur plant that can reduce the number of migraines a person gets when it is used regularly. The vitamin B2 can reduce the frequency and length of time a person suffers from a migraine when 400mg of it is used each day.

Acupuncture and biofeedback can also be very helpful. Having acupuncture done twice each week can help to prevent migraine symptoms and biofeedback can reduce migraines by 56 percent.

The Affects of Menopause on Heart Disease

There are Dutch scientists that have found that women who have severe menopausal symptoms have more heart disease risks, such as high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and a higher body mass index (BMI), than women who have more mild symptoms. It is assumed that the decline in estrogen could affect the walls of blood vessels to cause these risks.

It is recommended for a woman experiencing menopause to get her blood pressure and cholesterol checked. It is also a good idea to try natural remedies, such as daily exercise, yoga, and a diet that is rich in flaxseed or isoflavones from soy.

How to Soothe Colicky Babies

Colic is a condition that causes unexplained and prolonged crying in infants. If a baby is colicky, it is a good idea to swaddle a baby tightly to make it feel like it is back in the comfort and safety of the womb. Using things like a hair dryer or a fan can imitate the loud sound of blood flowing through a pregnant woman’s arteries. It is a good idea to keep the baby in movement, such as rocking or riding in a car, that reminds them of the womb. The baby can feel soothed with warm baths and warm wash cloths placed on their stomachs. By the time a baby is 3 or 4months old, colic symptoms usually go away and don’t return.

New Ways to Treat Asthma Symptoms

Soon, people that suffer from asthma can be able to wear sensors in their pockets that monitor the quality of the air and finds environmental causes of their attacks. The sensor’s tests will be used by researchers to find common things that trigger asthma problems.

Scientists have also found that proteins in air passages might indicate different asthma subtypes. This could possibly lead to more targeted therapies.

There is a new drug called Pitrakinra that blocks the body’s response to allergens and does a good job at reducing asthma symptoms. Clinical trials are currently being done on the drug.

Allergies Causing Depression

It is found that tree pollen can cause symptoms of depression. A psychologist at the Mood and Anxiety Program of the University of Maryland and School of Medicine analyzed surveys of 845 men and women and found that two thirds of the people surveyed reported mood difficulties during the spring season, which is when pollen levels are very high. It is believed that airborne allergens produce inflammation in the respiratory airways and the inflammation causes symptoms of depression in some people.

Another study was done on patients with mood disorders that found that increased allergy symptoms during times of high levels of pollen were connected with depression symptoms that were more severe. This study fits with earlier evidence that suicide rates increase during late spring and a family history of allergies affects depression in women.

Better Help for Long Term Depression

For people taking antidepressants to fight depression, it may not be the best idea to stay on them a long time after the symptoms of depression have eased. If medications have relieved the symptoms, it is better to move to cognitive therapy.

Even though it is recommended that patients keep using antidepressants up to 2 years after symptoms are relieved, 60 percent of patients have a recurrence of depression symptoms during that time while taking the medication. Of the people who stopped taking the medication and tried cognitive therapy, only 8 percent experienced symptoms of depression again within 2 years.

Cocaine Could Cause Heart Attack Symptoms

The American Heart Association is warning doctors that younger ER patients with heart attack symptoms should be asked if they had recently used cocaine. Some heart attack treatments can be deadly to a person that is using cocaine. Symptoms of a heart attack in younger people that don’t have a heart disease risk could be caused by cocaine use.

Cocaine can cause chest pains, shortness of breath, anxiety, palpations, dizziness, nausea, and heavy sweating, which are all symptoms of a heart attack. Cocaine use can cause a heart attack but that only happens in 1 to 6 percent of people with chest pain caused by cocaine. It is important for anybody that has chest pains for any reason to get it checked out. Cocaine works by increasing blood pressure and heart rate. It also constricts the arteries into the heart. The heart rate would go up because the heart would need more oxygen and arteries that go to the heart would shrink.

Cocaine users that go to the hospital due to chest pains should be given an electrocardiogram and other tests to rule out a heart attack. They should be monitored and not admitted to the hospital as having a heart attack. Users with chest pains should not be treated with clot busting drugs because they have a risk of bleeding into the brain in people with high blood pressure. Betablockers should be avoided because they would raise blood pressure and squeeze arteries that are already narrowed by the cocaine. It is recommended that cocaine users that have a coronary artery blockage get a bare metal stent instead of a drug-coated one since drug users may not take the medication as needed to prevent new blockages.