Mona Styr

Two Stock Picks for the Cold and Flu Season

Thu, 06 May 2010 18:04:05 +0000

By: jamiehanson

In this article, SpeculatingStocks.com discusses two stock picks for the 2008 – 2009 cold and flu season: MTXX and RAD. SpeculatingStocks.com discusses two stock picks for this cold and flu season. SpeculatingStocks.com has picked hundreds of stock picks in the past and regularly comments on stock picks, penny stocks, hot stocks and small cap stocks on SpeculatingStocks.com and in their stock newsletter. Now, is the time to be looking at stocks again, particularly the cold and flu sector as the stock market begins to find a market bottom and investors research key, timely sectors. MTXX is the developer and marketer of the Zicam cold and flu remedy brand with a distribution network that includes Wal-Mart, Walgreens, and CVS. SpeculatingStocks.com’s second stock pick for the cold and flu season, RAD (Rite Aid), a drugstore retail chain with prescription and over-the-counter medication for cold and flu and other ailments. SpeculatingStocks.com Stock Pick: Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. (MTXX) Stock Price: $14.77 Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. is engaged in the development and marketing of over-the-counter healthcare products that utilize the company’s drug delivery systems. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Zicam, LLC, markets and sells Zicam® and Nasal Comfort(TM) products in the cough and cold category. MTXX also offers Zicam Multi-Symptom Cold and Flu Relief products, which utilize a spoon dosing delivery to provide relief of cold and flu symptoms. MTXX is a perennial cold and flu season stock play and well known for that fact. MTXX dropped the last four trading days creating a buying opportunity to play this year’s cold and flu season. MTXX’s over-the-counter cold and flu products are sold at several large national retailers including Wal-Mart, Walgreens, and CVS. Zicam is one of the top three cough, cold and allergy growth brands and its multi-symptom cold and flu products account for 45% of the company’s retail sales growth. MTXX has an attractive brand and sold distribution network in place. We believe MTXX will have another cold and flu season move. SpeculatingStocks.com Stock Pick: Rite Aid Corporation (RAD) Stock Price: $0.31 Rite Aid Corporation is a drugstore chain with more than 4,900 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia. The company’s fiscal 2008 annual sales totaled more than $24.3 billion. Rite Aid is a major brand that continues to expand. Patients fill their prescriptions at Rite Aid for various ailments and shop for over-the-counter medication for cold and flu and other illnesses. RAD has been down significantly this year, but we see the potential for a major turn around in the future for RAD. Three independent proxy advisory firms have recommended RAD stockholders support RAD’s Board of Directors’ plan for a reverse split. The reverse stock split could be approved on December 2nd. Reverse stock split is never a good phrase to investors, but in this case it looks like it must be done and we believe most of the negativity is already priced into RAD. After the reverse split, we expect investors to look at RAD in a new, refreshing light. We believe RAD will receive major attention as a cold and flu season play over the next 1 – 2 months. Also, we expect RAD to begin its turn around. At SpeculatingStocks.com, we believe it is important to find the right small cap stocks and penny stocks at the right time in their stock chart and business cycle. With MTXX and RAD, we believe we have found two stocks that have a great chance at becoming hot stocks in the short-term. About SpeculatingStocks.com: SpeculatingStocks.com releases penny stocks, penny stock picks, small cap stock picks and discusses hot stocks in the stock market on a daily basis. We are focused on value stocks and finding the best stocks and investment opportunities. We provide a market update each day on market trends and scour the market for undervalued stocks and growth stocks to release to our stock membership group and stock market newsletter. We use our proprietary stock research for choosing our stock picks. SpeculatingStocks.com also discusses pink sheets and OTCBB stocks. For more stock information, go to SpeculatingStocks.com for day trading alerts, momentum stocks and stock market articles. Join our stock newsletter. This article is the opinion of SpeculatingStocks.com, Inc. SpeculatingStocks.com, Inc. is not a registered investment advisor and nothing contained in any materials released by us should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any securities. Please read our legal disclaimer at speculatingstocks.com/LegalDisclaimer.html.

SpeculatingStocks.com offers Stock Picks and Penny Stocks.

Two Stock Picks for the Cold and Flu Season

Thu, 06 May 2010 18:02:43 +0000

By: jamiehanson

SpeculatingStocks.com offers Stock Picks and Penny Stocks.

Homeopathy as My Favourite Alternative Medicine

Thu, 06 May 2010 15:21:44 +0000

By: Madeleine Innocent

I suppose I’m biased. But I love homeopathy. It’s my all time favourite alternative medicine. It’s so deep, so far reaching. And I love to tell others how I healed myself or members of my family, using it.

My dogs like to jump up and bite at my horses tails. Normally, I’d let the animals sort it out themselves, but the horses had become so used to it, they had stopped reacting. So their tails were jagged and short, making lousy summer fly swats.

The idea was I would encourage the dogs to jump up at the horses tails, then command them to stop doing it.

Of course, the last laugh was on me.

The dogs refused to co-operate and the horses didn’t like all the commotion at their rear end. I ended up with a nasty kick to my fore arm.

The fore arm has little flesh, but a lot of bone and tendons. It doesn’t take much to get in deep.

My first reaction was to reach for my treasured bottle of homeopathic Arnica. Although the pain disappeared and no bruising developed, thanks to Arnica, the swelling just kept gradually creeping up my arm.

And I couldn’t carry anything heavy, or twist my arm.

I had to look at other remedies.

The remedies which best follow Arnica, when Arnica fails to completely cure a soft tissue injury, are Bellis perennis and Calendula.

Both are in the same family of plants.

Bellis perennis is the best remedy for a contusion and for any deep bruising or trauma.

A few doses of homeopathic Bellis perennis and the swelling subsided and my arm was back in full working order within a couple of days.

Homeopathy is so brilliant for injuries. The only areas that need extra help is in the setting of a broken bone and the stitching up of a large, open wound. There are remedies which will cover just about every other condition.

But homeopathy isn’t just limited to injuries.

Deep, chronic conditions can be healed, too. Conditions such as hormonal disturbances, migraines, internal organ weaknesses and a whole host of other conditions.

I confess I know little about other alternative medicine modalities, and they all have their place. But I find homeopathy to be just the most rewarding modality to use, the most easy to show others how to use in the comfort of their own homes.

Its depth and breadth is surely hard to beat.

Homeopaths don’t categorise conditions. To treat someone successfully with homeopathy, you need to know the individual symptoms of that person at that time. For instance, a soft tissue injury pain is likely to be an aching pain. This indicates Arnica.

Whereas a nerve injury is likely to have a shooting pain. This indicates Hypericum, the top nerve injury remedy.

And to treat someone successfully using homeopathic remedies, it helps to know the cause. I well remember reading of a homeopath treating a man with severe stomach pains. He had suffered the pain for years, trekking from one doctor to the next, all to no avail. Finally he tried homeopathy. When he told the homeopath that the pain had developed after a kick in the stomach from a horse, Arnica was prescribed and completely cured the problem.

Other alternative medicine modalities can be incredibly useful for musculo-skeletal problems, but it’s often the homeopathic remedies that cure the problem for good.

While it may be difficult to pack say, an alternative medicine practitioner, into a cupboard at home, it’s easy to store a first aid kit. Having a homeopathic first aid kit can prove it’s weight in gold, when you count how many times you can turn to it for every day conditions as well as emergencies.

If you liked this article, then I invite you to sign up for my free, weekly ezine on how to improve your health and that of your family, including pets, naturally.
Download your complementary report on how to improve your health, starting today.

http://www.twolegsandfour.com.au

Treatment Options For Alcohol Abuse

Thu, 06 May 2010 15:03:41 +0000

By: Greg Roy

Treatments for alcohol abuse are quite varied in keeping with the multiple perspectives of the condition itself. Counselors approaching the condition as a medical disease will recommend different treatment processes and goals than, for instance, those approaching the condition as one of social choice. Most treatments focus on helping abusers completely discontinue their alcohol intake, as well as providing life training and/or social support to help them resist a return to alcohol use. Since alcohol abuse involves many factors which encourage a person to continue drinking (psychological/social, physical, and neurochemical), all of these factors must be addressed in order to successfully prevent a return to active alcohol use.

The most common approach to alcohol abuse treatment is detoxification followed by a combination of supportive therapy, attendance at self-help groups, and ongoing development of coping mechanisms. The treatment community for alcohol abuse typically supports an abstinence-based approach, as studies have shown that the vast majority of people who abuse alcohol cannot learn to drink in moderation.

The effectiveness of alcohol abuse treatments vary from successful to counterproductive. When considering the effectiveness of treatment options, it is important to consider the percentage of those who drop out of a program, not just those who complete it. Most programs can boast a high cure rate for those who complete it because most people only complete a program if it works for them. It is also important to consider not just the percentage of those reaching sobriety but how many of those experience relapsing.

Here are the most common treatment options for alcohol abuse:

Detoxification

Detoxification (commonly referred to as “detox”) is the process of eliminating alcohol drinking and giving the drinker’s bodily system time to re-adjust to the absence of alcohol. Drugs that have similar effects to alcohol are used to ease the withdrawal symptoms, which can actually be deadly in extreme cases if left untreated. The most often used drugs are sedative-hypnotics, such as diazepam or clonazepam. Less frequently, barbiturates such as phenobarbital are used. Many weeks after alcohol intake has completely stopped individuals may still suffer from milder withdrawal symptoms; sleep is generally the last function to return to normal.

Detoxification is not a treatment for alcohol abuse itself, but is simply a treatment of the physiologic effects of ongoing abuse of alcohol. It provides an initial path for an abuser to stop drinking in the first place. Detoxification treatments without supplemental help for the patient to continue abstinence have a very high rate of relapse.

Detoxification often takes place within an inpatient environment, but some programs do offer outpatient detoxification.

Group therapy and psychotherapy

After detoxification, various forms of group therapy or psychotherapy can be used to deal with underlying psychological issues leading to alcohol abuse, and also to provide the recovering abuser with relapse prevention skills.

In the mid-1930s, the mutual-help group-counseling approach to treatment began and has become very popular. Alcoholics Anonymous is the best-known example of the support group movement. Other groups that provide similar self-help and support without AA’s spiritual focus include LifeRing Secular Recovery, Smart Recovery, Women For Sobriety, and Rational Recovery.

Medications

Medications for alcohol abuse are most often used to supplement a person’s willpower and encourage abstinence.

Antabuse (disulfiram), for instance, prevents the elimination of the chemical acetaldehyde. This causes severe discomfort when alcohol is ingested, effectively preventing the abuser from drinking in significant amounts while they take the medication. Heavy drinking while on Antabuse can result in severe illness and death.

Naltrexone has also been used because it helps curb cravings for alcohol while the person is on it. Both Antabuse and Naltrexone are used to encourage abstinence. The have, however, been demonstrated to cause a rebound effect when the user stops taking them.

Pharmacological extinction (also called the Sinclair Method)

Pharmacological extinction is the use of opioid antagonists [e.g. naltrexone] combined with normal drinking habits in order to eliminate the craving to consume alcohol. While standard naltrexone treatment uses the drug to curb craving and enforce abstinence, pharmacological extinction targets the endorphin-based neurological conditioning. Our behaviors become conditioned when we do something and endorphin bathes our neurons, and that conditioning is reversed when we do that thing and we don’t receive the endorphins. This method involves the alcohol abusers going about their normal drinking habits (limited only by safety concerns). Naltrexone is used to prevent the endorphins from being released by the alcohol, and thus rewarding the drinker’s neurochemistry. As such, the desire to drink is eliminted over a period of about three months. This allows an alcohol abuser to give up drinking as being sensibly unbeneficial. The effects persist after the drug is discontinued, but the addiction can return if the person drinks without first taking the drug. This treatment is highly unusual in that it works better if the patient does not go through detoxification prior to starting it.

This technique is used with positive results in Finland, Pennsylvania, and Florida, and is sometimes referred to as the Sinclair Method.

However, there is a lot of professional bias against this treatment for two reasons.

First, most alcohol abusers cannot successfully drink in moderation. Second, some studies have also been done which claim to demonstrate naltrexone to be of questionable value in supporting abstinence. However, the evidence is inconclusive.

Nutritional therapy

Nutritional therapy is not a treatment of alcohol abuse itself, but rather a treatment of the difficulties that can arise after years of heavy alcohol abuse; many alcohol dependents have insulin resistance syndrome, a metabolic disorder where the body’s difficulty in processing sugars causes an unsteady supply to the blood stream. While the disorder can be treated by a hypoglycemic diet, this can affect behavior and emotions. These side-effects are often seen among alcohol dependents in treatment. The metabolic aspects of such dependence are often overlooked, resulting in poor treatment outcomes.

There are other less popular treatments for alcohol abuse. This list is not meant to be an exhaustive compilation of every known treatment, but merely a general description of the most common treatments in use today. People are unique; what works best for one alcohol abuser may not be the same treatment that works best for another. For the greatest level of success, the treatment used must address the root causes of abuse to begin with. Only then will long-term success be achievable.

Greg Roy has years of experience in in dealing with people who suffer from alcohol abuse. To find out more, please visit http://alcohol-abusetreatment.com.

Koi Pond: is Ph Important?

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:40:06 +0000

By: Doug Hoover

It can mean the difference between life and death of your koi fish!

Alkaline Koi Ponds

Generally speaking, alkaline conditions are more common than acidic in ponds, especially the newer ones. If the pH remains over 8.5 for any length of time, the koi fish will become stressed or diseased. Here are some helpful examples:

Symptoms

• Lethargic or listless fish due to damaged mucus coating; prone to fungal

infection and other disease

• Plants chalky in appearance due to calcium deposits

• Prominence of waste chemicals which harm pond life

• Biological filter loses effectiveness

Reasons

• Introducing fish too soon into a newly constructed pond that was not properly sealed; the lime or alkali from the cement will raise the pH to the top of the scale. Even a shovel full of concrete or mortar can cause serious problems.

• Lime leaching from cement products such as blocks, stepping stones and

similar materials over a period of time.

• Lime in stone products subject to erosion

• Excessive growth of algae.

Solutions

• If the pond alkalinity is from the koi pond being new, allow adequate time for the pond to age. To speed up this process introduce bacteria found in a koi pond starter solution.

• Institute a partial pond water change to dilute the alkalis

• If high alkalinity is due to an over-abundance of algae, remove excessive growths of thread algae.

• If these steps do not result in a lower pH, use acidifying compounds or pond

pH buffers.

Acidic Koi Ponds

Low pH conditions occur less often than alkalinity in koi ponds.

Symptoms

• Fish become stressed, resulting in sickness; they may start dying off.

• Oxygenating plants such as hyacinths, water lettuce, Elodea and Anacharis

become discolored and wilted.

• Biological filtration ceases to operate correctly.

Reasons

• Pond water may have lost its buffers due to excessive amounts of rain,

which is soft and very acidic in many areas due to pollution. Loss or

decrease in buffering agents can create drastic fluctuation in pH.

• There may be high levels of humic acid or other organic acids produced

by build-up of decomposing plants and leaves.

Solutions

• Regular partial water changes

• Adding buffers to pond by placing a mesh bag of oyster shell gravel,

dolomite or crushed coral gravel in filter or waterfall. Water passing

through the material will pull out the calcium carbonate and raise pH.

• Using pond-buffer salts (sold in pond supply stores)

Partial Water Changes

Wastes and toxins tend to build up in most ponds, despite use of a biological filter. As water evaporates, pollutants remain and build up over time, becoming dangerously concentrated. For this reason it is highly recommended for smaller koi ponds that you drain and replace 20 percent of the koi pond a couple of times a year. Larger koi ponds are generally much more stable and the water chemistry does not fluctuate radically. This water should be siphoned or pumped from the bottom of the koi pond, where the majority of pollutants collect.

No more than 20 percent should be replaced since larger amounts could easily upset the balance of the koi pond. This is especially true if the replacement water is softer or contains high levels of chlorine or chloramines. It would also be advantageous to keep most of the rotting debris cleared from the bottom. Decaying fish and pond waste produce ammonia, methane and other toxins which can be fatal to the koi pond family.

If you are adding water with a garden hose, it is best to adjust to low volume and a mist that sprays gently through the air before entering the pond. This will allow some of the chlorine to evaporate. If you add the water quickly, add a dechlorinating product to the koi pond to neutralize the chlorine and chloramines. Unless you are adding water to your koi pond by means of an electronic aquafill water leveling system, always use some type of a timer or alarm to remind you to turn off the water! If left unattended for an extended period of time, you could find your pond overflowing and your koi fish dying from chlorine poisoning. It happened to me… several hundred dollars worth!

Happy koi, peace & joy.

The Female Hormone Problem

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:24:40 +0000

By: Dr. Randy Wysong

With increasing population pressure and modern independent lifestyles, procreation has become an option that is declined, or at least significantly restricted. But with these decisions women remove themselves from a natural biological role. Additionally, opting for synthetic milk formulas and treating the breast as an ornament, rather than a feeding organ, also disengages women from a natural biological function.

When these choices are coupled with the use of contraceptive hormones, hormone replacement therapy, an increasing load of estrogenic pollutants in the environment and food, and a diet that has veered significantly from its natural design, the formula for hormonal pandemonium, metabolic dysfunction and disease is in place. The results are manifest today in early menses in children (beginning as early as eight and nine years of age), infertility, abnormal and erratic menstrual cycles, cervical dysplasia, fibroids, endometrial cancer, breast cancer, premenstrual syndrome, dramatic mood swings, depression, osteoporosis, and the hot flashes, psychological problems, decreased libido, thinning of the vaginal wall and other symptoms of abnormal menopause.

If women would have as many children as they are capable of, nurse them for years as they are designed to, eat natural foods and live in a more pristine environment, these modern health problems would disappear. If money flowed out of our tap we wouldn’t have economic problems either, right? Nevertheless, although the ideal biological lifestyle may not be possible for any of us today, we can take a lesson and try to move our lives as close to the ideal as possible.

At present, the desire to eliminate or limit pregnancies is a personal choice. But it may one day not even be an option. We either curtail population growth or we will outstrip resources and be buried in our own refuse. Population is the engine that ultimately drives all environmental woes. We live on a finite planet with finite resources, but have an infinite ability to breed. We either live within the limits of Earth’s sustainable resources or we will destroy ourselves.

So we have a dilemma. As I will explain, women need to fulfill their reproductive role to achieve metabolic balance and health, but at the same time they do not want to be restricted by the burdens of large families, nor are large families socially or environmentally responsible.

In an attempt to solve this dilemma, women have turned to the quick fix of synthetic hormones. There are hormones to control conception, modulate abnormal menstrual cycles, for sex drive and to fix menopause. But there is no free lunch. Since the 1940’s, when estrogen therapy became popular, hundreds of thousands of women have succumbed to estrogen-sensitive cancer. For example, a woman is 13 times more likely to get endometrial cancer and there is a 30% increased risk of breast cancer by taking estrogen. The two top preventable breast cancer risks are now known to be oral birth control pills and estrogen replacement therapy.

Some women justify the use of estrogen for the putative benefits of decreased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. But they have succumbed to marketing, not good sense. Proper exercise, diet and lifestyle choices can have the same beneficial effect without the potential consequence of cancer. But hey, why change lifestyle when all you need to do is take a pill?

Here’s what nature intended and why living in accordance with it is protective against the modern plague of female cancers. The average mom today chooses to give birth to about two infants. On the other hand, women in the primitive natural setting who may not even know what causes pregnancy or how to prevent it even if they wanted to, would have started menstruating and ovulating at age 12 and would have delivered 9 babies and breast-fed them all. When they did breastfeed, they did so for up to five or more years. Pregnancy stops the reproductive hormone cycles (that generate estrogen) since there is room in the uterus for only one pregnancy. Nursing also stops the cycle because the body “knows” that lactation and caring for an infant is about all one body can endure.

This means that the modern woman who has only two children would reproductively cycle and ovulate 438 times during her lifetime. On the other hand, the combination of more numerous pregnancies along with extended breast-feeding would have decreased the number of ovulations and cycles that a primitive mother would have had to about 9.

This means that women today cycle through their menstrual periods an abnormal number of times, causing repeated surges of estrogen–about 50 times more than nature intended. Little wonder that estrogen sensitive cancers abound in our modern world. The cancer-estrogen link is also proven by the fact that such cancers in humans and animals are decreased if the estrogen generating ovaries are surgically removed. (I am just making a point, not advocating the procedure since the absence of estrogen creates problems as well.)

The resting periods of lower estrogen that women experienced in the pre-modern setting during pregnancy and lactation served as a protective effect against cancer. (Women today can even dramatically decrease their risk of breast cancer by nursing their young for even as little as two years.) Additionally, the fresh foods of the natural diet contain compounds known as phytoestrogens. These plant estrogenic compounds are able to attach to estrogen receptor sites in the body and prevent the stronger ovarian estrogens from attaching to tissues. However, the phytoestrogens only exert a mild estrogenic effect and even inhibit oncogene (tumor genes) expression and thus are not cancer promoting. This is the logic behind plant-based nutritional supplements (nutraceuticals) to help women with estrogenic problems and cancer prevention.

Hormones are master regulators of body function. They cannot be manipulated either by lifestyle choices or medications without serious consequences. Women do well to think of their genetic heritage and try to live life as close to that as possible if health is the goal.

For further reading, or for more information about, Dr Wysong and the Wysong Corporation please visit www.wysong.net or write to wysong@wysong.net. For resources on healthier foods for people including snacks, and breakfast cereals please visit www.cerealwysong.com.

Dr. Wysong: A former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. http://www.wysong.net. Also check out http://www.cerealwysong.com.

Bulimia Nervosa – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:20:47 +0000

By: Juliet Cohen

Bulimia nervosa, also known is bulimia. Bulimia word is comes from the Latin (bulimia) from the Greek. It is eating disorder. Bulimia is a serious, potentially life-threatening condition. Because it’s so intimately entwined with self-image — it’s not just about food — bulimia can be difficult to overcome. Person with bulimia eats a lot of food in a short amount of time (binges) and then tries to prevent weight gain by getting rid of the food, called purging. This purging is done in order to compensate for the excessive intake of the food and to prevent weight gain. Purging typically takes the form of vomiting; inappropriate use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics or other medication; and excessive physical exercise.

Bulimics are also susceptible to other compulsions, affective disorders, or addictions. Bulimia is often less about food, and more to do with deep psychological issues.About 6% of teen girls and 5% of college-aged females are believed to suffer from bulimia. Approximately 10% of identified bulimic patients are men. Binge/purge episodes can be severe, sometimes involving rapid and out of control feeding that can stop when the sufferers “are interrupted by another person” or when their stomach hurts from over-extension. This cycle may be repeated several times a week or, in serious cases, several times a day. Unlike anorexics, bulimics experience significant weight fluctuations, but their weight loss is usually not as severe or obvious as anorexics.

Causes of Bulimia Nervosa

1.Genetic contribution.

2.Eating disorders ( anorexia and bulimia).

3.Certain neurological or medical conditions.

4.Depression.

5.Anxity.

6.Harmones imbalances (Testosterone and low estrogen levels).

Juliet Cohen writes articles for health doctor. She also writes articles for depression treatment and cancer treatment.

Study Finds Children With Diabetes More Likely to Develop Eating Disorder

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:20:34 +0000

By: Katie Kelley

Scientists have recently made a link between the onset of childhood diabetes and development of an eating disorder later in life. Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia’s Prevention Institute are studying the potential link as to the causes behind the connection including prescription drug treatments.

With funding from The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and assistance from Harvard and Emory Universities, researchers will follow 90 diabetic children between the ages of 10 to 17. The researchers will attempt to determine the causes of the over-eating disorder as well as to follow eating patterns, behaviors and “psychological adjustment,” according to a Science Daily news article.

Childhood Diabetes

According to the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), which is part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), type 1 diabetes may be increasing in children and many additional cases of type 2 diabetes are also being reported among children and adolescents.

Additionally, “diabetes is one of the most common diseases in school-aged children” and the National Diabetes Fact Sheet reports that “about 186,300 young people in the U.S. under age 20 had diabetes in 2007.” It is imperative that individuals who are responsible for children with diabetes know and learn the signs of the condition as well as treatment options. The following are signs and symptoms of type 1 and type 2 childhood diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic:

* increased thirst

* frequent urination

* extreme hunger

* weight loss

* blurred vision

* slow-healing sores

* frequent infections

* fatigue

Diabetic Drug Risks

While scientists continue to determine as to whether or not the children’s diabetic medication is causing the eating disorder side effect, there have, unfortunately, been additional drugs that have been discovered to have damaging risks associated with consumption. For example, a diabetes drug known as Avandia, which was released in May 1999 from GlaxoSmithKline.

Avandia belongs to a new class of type 2 diabetes drugs known as thiazolidinediones. Officials have been investigating the drug and those from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after an article in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that the drug was causing unintended and severe side effects among patients.

Most recently the drug has been subject to another study that was published in a recent issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal in which researchers from the University of East Anglia in Norwich found a strong link to the development of bone fractures and loss of bone density among women.

The research being studied also reinforces the estimated risks commonly attributed to prescription drugs including Avandia. Patients who have suffered from the drug’s side effects are encouraged to locate an Avandia attorney to learn how to develop an Avandia class action lawsuit in which monetary compensation may be awarded to a victim of the drug’s dangers.

LegalView (http://www.LegalView.com) offers an array of details ranging from information on the Avandia dangers (http://avandia.legalview.com) to the latest on mesothelioma treatments as well as obtaining a truck accident attorney.

CoQ10 Benefits for Hypertension: CoQ10 Can Help Manage High Blood Pressure

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:20:17 +0000

By: Ruth Butters

Studies are showing that among CoQ10′s most valuable benefits is its ability to help regulate high blood pressure, one of the most common and most deadly disorders among adults.

More than one in four adults has high blood pressure, and every year it is a contributing cause of hundreds of thousands of deaths. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure, and heart failure. One of the most frightening aspects of hypertension is the fact that its basically symptomless and often goes undiagnosed; it is estimated that a third of the people who have high blood pressure don’t know it.

Though high blood pressure can effect anyone at any time, risk factors increase with age. The risk for hypertension raises sharply in post-menopausal women, and high blood pressure is the cause of 3 out of 5 cases of heart failure in women.

Treatments for hypertension include lifestyle changes such losing weight, stopping smoking, decreasing the amount of salt in the diet, exercising regularly, and limiting alcohol intake. Several types of drugs, including diuretics, alpha, alpha-beta, and calcium channel blockers, and certain enzyme inhibitors are commonly prescribed as treatment in conjunction with lifestyle changes.

New research indicates that CoQ10 may be a safe and effective alternate or adjunct therapy for hypertension. A natural vitamin-like substance that is found in every cell, coenzyme Q10 is both a powerful antioxidant and an important factor in the production of energy at the cellular level. In both respects it can play a significant role in managing blood pressure.

Concentrations of CoQ10 are naturally highest in the organs that need it most, including the heart and kidneys. Maintaining adequate blood levels of the coenzyme promotes heart health by providing more energy so the heart works more efficiently. It can also lower blood pressure by improving membrane fluidity, which in turn decreases blood viscosity.

Research indicates that supplementing the coenzyme may enhance the effectiveness of blood pressure medications such as dilatiazem, metoprolol, enalapril, and nitroglycerin. In numerous clinical studies participants taking supplements were able to take lower dosages of the drugs. It has also been shown that some medications tend to lower CoQ10 blood levels, so supplementation is warranted.

The body’s ability to produce CoQ10 decreases with age, but the fact is that we need it more than ever as we grow older. Its key role in heart health has been documented for more than a decade – read about it at http://coq10answers.info/coq10-benefits-heart-health-helper. Learn more about what CoQ10 can do for you at CoQ10 Benefits – http://coq10answers.info/.

Alternative Medications For Bipolar Disorder

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:18:38 +0000

By: Low Jeremy

Bipolar is considered as a major disorder that can greatly affect an individual and his family. There are many definitions of this illness. One definition states that a person with bipolar disorder experiences extreme elations that alternates with deep depression. Bipolar disorder is also called manic depression. Generally, it is characterized by depressive episodes and accompanied by a manic episode.

To put it simply, bipolar disorder affects feelings, thoughts, behavior, and perceptions. Experts say that it is brought about by the chemical and electrical elements found in the brain that are not functioning properly. Some say that it runs in the family, so families having a history of bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses are more prone to having the disorder.

There are certain medications given for bipolar patients, and not all of them are quite comfortable in taking daily doses of different medications. Most of them are interested to secure supplemental or alternative therapies rather than taking prescription medications.

Omega 3

There are many researches showing that omega 3 found in fish oils and in certain fishes are excellent for bipolar patients, as well as those having mental illnesses. There was a significant research done in 30 bipolar patients for four months. It was a placebo-controlled and double-blind study. It aims to compare omega 3′s efficacy versus olive oil or placebo for the treatment of bipolar disorder.

According to researchers, bipolar disorder is a neuropsychiatic illness that has a high mortality and morbidity. In their preliminary study, it was proven that omega 3 performed better and resulted to longer remissions based on the four scales of symptom-severity. Further studies are still underway, and researchers are hoping that they can come up with new classes of psychotropic compounds that can be used as mood stabilizers.

Herbal

Most people resolve to the use of herbal supplements instead of taking prescribed drug medications. But not all herbs are good for the treatment of bipolar disorder. In fact, there are certain herbs that can worsen the condition of a bipolar patient. Some herbal supplements actually have a harmful reaction when used together with certain drugs. Consult your doctor first before taking any herbal medication in conjunction with other drugs.

Nutrition and Your Diet

You have to adjust your diet, and this means checking your meal menus everyday. The nutrients which the body receives are very important. Holistic physicians use b-complex, magnesium, and thiamin for episodes of depression.

Pastoral Counseling

If you’re suffering from bipolar disorder, you can also talk to your pastor, priest, or rabbi instead of talking to therapists. The religious community may be of great help during these times. In fact, the community is now recognizing the role of spirituality and prayers. In can even be included in psychotherapies and medication.

Art Therapies

If you’re always staying at home, then perhaps you might want to join expressive therapies. Through the arts, you can express freely your feelings and do so without inhibitions. You can enroll in a drawing class, sculpting, painting, and many others. Find an appropriate therapist in your locality who specializes in art therapies or expressive therapies.

If you want movement, enroll in a dance therapy. Let your feet fly and your spirit soar while incorporating your physical, cognitive, and emotional facets to the dance.

Soothing music can make a person relax. So why not enroll in sound or music therapy? Your body chemicals can be stimulated to improve blood pressure and flow, breathing, pulse rate, and changes in posture.

Traditional Medicine

Traditional medicines or the culturally based ones like shiatsu, reiki, acupuncture, yoga, Ayurveda, talking circles, and sweat lodge are only typical examples. All these healing arts are based on balancing the states of the physical, spiritual, and emotional for the wellness of an individual. If the forces in your body are imbalanced, you will likely get an illness.

If all these things are combined: omega 3, herbal, right diet, pastoral counseling, art therapies, and traditional healing arts, perhaps the forces of the body can be balanced and a bipolar patient can be treated effectively. But remember to consult your doctor for any problems that you may encounter, and don’t just stop your prescribed medication if you have one. Continue using it, and ask your doctor if you can also use other alternative medication.

Low Jeremy provides more free and extremely helpful information on Bipolar Disorder. This site has compiled many videos on bipolar disorder where you learn more about.

Visit http://www.HealthyLogs.com for more info and videos.