Wednesday, June 24, 2009

10 Quick Headache Cures

1. Drink iced coffee

Both ice and caffeine are vasoconstrictors, meaning they'll help the throbbing vessels in your head shrink down and may provide fast relief. (Sometimes people who drink caffeinated beverages regularly get a withdrawal headache when they drink less than their usual amount, so this remedy can be especially helpful to those folks, too!)

2. Remove your head gear

If you're wearing a hat, headband, helmet, ponytail holder -- even goggles or sunglasses -- try taking them off (when it's safe to do so, of course). Tight accessories can cause something called external compression headaches, which are more common in people who have migraines. Simply removing the offending gear is the best remedy.

3. Try acupressure and massage

Applying pressure to the acupressure point in the webbing between your thumb and index finger may be helpful in easing the pain of a headache. Gently pressing the back of your neck with three fingers on each side can also help provide relief.

4. Grab an ice pack

Applying an ice pack to the back of your neck has been shown to ease the pain of a migraine.

5. Drink some water

A common symptom of dehydration is a headache. Drinking water can often provide the only relief you need.

6. Get some sleep

Lying down in a dark, quiet room is the best remedy for many migraine patients. Noise, bright lights, and odors can make a migraine episode much worse.

7. Practice relaxation

Meditation, yoga, and biofeedback can help to ease tension headaches and prevent headaches triggered by stress. (One quick trick is to relax your jaw and take a few deep breaths. A clenched jaw can be a headache trigger!)

8. Try aromatherapy

Some studies have shown that peppermint oil may be as powerful as over-the-counter pain relievers in the treatment of tension headaches. Try dabbing a little on your temples and the back of your neck. (Eucalyptus oil is another popular remedy, but studies have found it less effective.)

9. Take over-the-counter (OTC) drugs

Aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen can all be helpful in treating a headache, especially when taken early. (Read labels carefully: Many OTC medications have "migraine" versions that are suprisingly no different in their formulations. Don't pay extra for different packaging when you may already have these drugs at home.)

10. Get a prescription

Prescription headache medications usually fall into three classes: abortive drugs, which are used to stop a headache once it begins; preventive drugs, which are used to prevent a headache from happening; pain relievers, which are used to minimize the pain of a headache but do not actually stop it. (Pain relievers are often all that is needed for tension headaches.)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Sleep: For Restoring Tired Body and Mind

Sleep is one of nature's greatest inventions and blessings of life. It is a periodic rest of the body which is absolutely essential for its functioning. Sleep is the indispensable condition to the recuperation of energy. We go to bed fatigued and get up refreshed. Sleep repairs the wear and tear of the body and mind incurred during waking hours. Nothing is so restorative to the nerves as sound and uninterrupted sleep. Sleep is thus vital element for proper functioning of man's mental as well as physical well being.

Loss of sleep exerts seriously detrimental effects upon the nervous system. Long periods of wakefulness may cause profound psychological changes such as loss of memory, irritability, hallucination and even schizophrenic manifestations.

Sleeping well is an art. It needs a perfect blend of healthy habits and control of mind. A Clean body and mind, relaxed mood, physical exercises, and perfect dietary control are some basic sleep-inducing methods.

Unpleasant situations at bed time such as arguments, quarrels, watching a horror movie, listening to loud music which would create anxiety, ear, excitement and worries should be avoided. Such situations stimulate the cerebral cortex and tend to keep one awake. The bedroom should be well ventilated, with balanced temperature and free from noises. Eating heavily before sleep is not advisable for getting sound sleep.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Arthritis Supplements Fight Arthritis Pain

Any good discussion of arthritis supplements needs to begin with more knowledge about the disease itself. Arthritis is a severe disease which mostly afflicts older adults causing them unbearable pain and degeneration in joints. Other symptoms include excessive stiffness and swelling around the affected joints. Patients feel a great deal of pain when the joint is used.

You might find it strange, but changes in the weather can bring about changes in arthritis symptoms. For instance, when it starts to rain or if the temperature suddenly changes drastically to very hot or very cold, pain and swelling will become much more severe. Sometimes you will find the area around the affected joint to be very painful and red. In its most severe forms, arthritis can cause damage to both bones and joints.

Older Americans are most likely to suffer from osteoarthritis which is brought on by years of wear on the cartilage which cushions the joints. You may find that arthritis supplements improve the pain in the joints. They may also help joints regain a bit of their mobility.

Gout is one of the most painful types of arthritis out there. A person with gout experiences exceedingly painful joints where high concentrations of uric acid have settled. Severe gout may also manifest itself as a huge swelling in the joint area. Actually, this "swelling" is caused by a solid build-up called tophi in the joint and can only be removed surgically.

Patients with Rheumatoid arthritis are actually living with an internal civil war raging inside them. When the wiring in the immune system gets crossed, it will start seeing various body parts, such as the joints, the eyes, the lungs, and the heart, as its enemies. It then attacks them causing excruciating pain and swelling. Patients who suffer from RA lose the ability to live a normal life because of the pain.

On and beyond the types of arthritis we have discussed, there are many more different strains in the world. Some of these include:
• Jaw arthritis - similar to osteoarthritis, but settles in the jaw joint.
• Ankylosing spondylitis - inflammation of the spinal cord and related joints.
• Psoriatic arthritis - occurs in 5-10% of psoriasis patients. May first appear years after the first psoriasis diagnosis.
• Reactive arthritis - inflammation in the joints, skin, eyes, bladder, genitals, and mucus membranes. It is thought to occur as a "reaction" to some other type of infection.

Many arthritis patients take NSAIDS (Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) and DMARDS (Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs) which work together as an effective treatment for pain and swelling. In addition, the colloidal elements, gold and silver, have been used on more severe cases of the disease and have caused a great deal of improvement in the quality of life of the patients who are on them.

Even though they aren't medications there are real benefits to taking arthritis supplements. They have been proven to strengthen the immune system so that it's able to continue to fight disease. They significantly reduce pain, swelling, and stiffness, and they speed up the healing process. If you find that they aren't doing the job for you, talk to your doctor about getting on a stronger, prescription medication.

Learn more about the options you have for treating your arthritis. Visit arthritisreliefadvisor.com for more tips on National Arthritis Foundation and arthritis relief techniques

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com