Open Journalism For All - News, Documentaries And Information Services

As a person ages, a certain amount of memory loss and confusion is quite normal. Personally, I’ve been known to invoke the cliché, “The older I get, the better I was!” Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease represents a more serious loss of mental sharpness and calls for special care for seniors.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive form of pre-senile dementia. Symptoms are typically first noted in a person’s late forties or early fifties. As the disease takes effect, it will first impact memory. Impaired thought and speech will follow with the patient eventually becoming helpless.

Alzheimer’s is a truly horrible disease because it robs a person of their ability to function. The disease is also damaging to family and friends as it is very difficult to watch a parent, brother, sister or friend progress to the point where they don’t recognize anyone. The burden of caring for a person suffering from Alzheimer’s is significant. At some point in time, a family will have to look for assistance with the care.

Most “board and care” and “assisted living facilities” are willing and capable of providing for a person suffering from Alzheimer’s. These facilities are similar to nursing homes, but with less of an institutional atmosphere. If, however, a senior becomes increasingly disoriented, perhaps even occasionally wandering away, they may require a facility with a dementia waiver.

Despite the name, a “dementia waiver” is an indication that a facility and staff have additional training and licensing for the care of patients with dementia. On top of the additional training, the actual facility may be secured with a perimeter to keep patients on the grounds.

Alzheimer’s disease leaves a mark on family and friends as well as the victim. There are, however, facility options that can at least take the care burden off of you.

Alex Jensen is with http://www.careplacement.com - a free placement service for seniors in need of assisted living, board and care or skilled nursing facilities in San Diego and Southern California.

Copyright 2005 Anne Wolski

There are several types and classifications of anaemia. This is
a condition in which the body lacks the amount of red blood
cells to keep up with the body’s demand for oxygen.
Understanding the different classifications can help to
recognise the symptoms and also to avoid anaemia in the first
place…

Iron deficiency anaemia

Iron deficiency anaemia is a condition in which the body has too
little iron in the bloodstream. This form of anaemia is more
common in adolescents and in women before menopause. Blood loss
from heavy periods, internal bleeding from the gastrointestinal
tract, or donating too much blood can all contribute to this
disease. Other causes can be from poor dietary habits or from
chronic intestinal diseases.

The signs and symptoms of this disease are: 1. Paleness 2.
Headache 3. Irritability

Symptoms of more severe iron deficiency anaemia include: 1.
Dyspnea 2. Rapid heartbeat 3. Brittle hair and nails

Treatment usually takes the form of oral iron supplements and
dietary modifications.

Folic Acid Deficiency Anaemia

This form of anaemia is characterised by a lack of folic acid,
one of the B group of vitamins, in the bloodstream. This is
usually caused by an inadequate intake of folic acid, usually
found in vegetables or by the overcooking of the vegetables.
Alcoholism can also be a contributing factor in this form of
anaemia. During pregnancy when the folic acid is used more or in
infancy, this disease can also manifest itself. It can also be
caused as a side effect of other blood disorders.

Symptoms of the disorder include: 1. Weakness 2. Fatigue 3.
Memory lapses 4. Irritability

This condition can be avoided by including foods with folic acid
in the diet. Such foods include beef liver, asparagus, and red
beans.

Pernicious anaemia

Pernicious anaemia usually affects people between the ages of 50
and 60 and is a result of a lack of vitamin B12. The disease can
be hereditary but some forms of the condition can be autoimmune
diseases. People who have any autoimmune diseases are more
likely to contract pernicious anaemia.

Symptoms of this form of anaemia may include: 1. Fatigue 2.
Dyspnea 3. Heart palpitations 4. Numbness or tingling in
extremities

Aplastic anaemia

Aplastic anaemia is caused by an absence or reduction of red
blood cells. This can happen through injury where the blood
forming tissue in the bone marrow is destroyed. Because of this,
the sufferer is unable to fight infection and is likely to be a
heavy bleeder.

Symptoms include: 1. Lethargy 2. Paleness 3. Purpura 4. Bleeding
5. Rapid heartbeat 6. Infections 7. Congestive heart failure

There is no definite known cause for aplastic anaemia but it is
thought to be caused by exposure to certain toxins and also to
the hepatitis virus.

Sickle Cell Anaemia

This form of anaemia is of a hereditary nature and is a result
of an abnormal type of red blood cells. Sickle cell anaemia is a
life threatening disease and there is no prevention.

Symptoms of this condition include: 1. Painful attacks in arms,
legs and stomach 2. Jaundice in whites of the eyes 3. Fever 4.
Chronic fatigue 5. Rapid heartbeat 6. Paleness

Complications include leg ulcers, shock, cerebral hemorrhage,
and orthopedic disorders.

Polycythemia Vera

This disease is more common in middle aged men and is
characterised by an increase in red blood cells, leucocytes, and
thrombocytes. There is a very fast and intense reproduction of
cells and the bone marrow cells mature more rapidly than usual.
The cause of this condition is unknown.

Symptoms are: 1. Purplish coloured skin 2. Bloodshot eyes 3.
Headache 4. Dizziness 5. Enlarged spleen

Although the signs and symptoms of anaemia may seem
overwhelming, the good news is that most forms can be
effectively controlled with medication and dietary changes.

A migraine headache is a very painful, throbbing or pulsating
headache that tends to recur. It is often associated with
nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound, and smells. Hands
and feet may feel cold and sweaty and unusual odors may be
intolerable. Migraines may disrupt your sleep and can cause
depression. Moving around can make the headache feel worse.
Attacks tend to become less severe as the migraine sufferer
ages.

Migraines afflict about 24 million people in the United States.
They may occur at any age, but usually begin between the ages of
10 and 40 and diminish after age 50. Some people experience
several migraines a month, while others have only a few
migraines throughout their lifetime. Approximately 75% of
migraine sufferers are women.

Migraine pain is often intensified by routine physical activity,
coughing, straining, or lowering the head. The headache is often
so severe that it interferes with daily activity and may awaken
the person. The attack is debilitating, and migraine sufferers
are often left feeling tired and weak once the headache has
passed.

Types of migraines:

There are many forms of migraine headaches. Migraines are
classified according to the symptoms they produce. The two most
common types are migraine with aura and migraine without aura.
We will only reference these two types of migraines in this
article.

The aura is the occurrence of neurological symptoms 10-30
minutes before the classic migraine attack. You may see flashing
lights, zigzag lines, wavy images, or hallucinations. Some
migraine sufferers experience temporary loss of vision. Other
symptoms of classic migraine include speech difficulty,
confusion, weakness of an arm or leg and tingling of face or
hands.

Non-visual auras include motor weakness, speech or language
abnormalities, dizziness, vertigo, and tingling or numbness
(parasthesia) of the face, tongue, or extremities.

Migraine with aura:

The pain of a classic migraine headache (migraine with aura) is
described as an intense throbbing or pounding felt in the
forehead-temple, ear-jaw or around the eyes. The pain typically
begins in a specific area on one side of the head, then spreads
and builds in intensity over 1 to 2 hours and then gradually
subsides. An attack usually lasts no more than 24 hours but, in
some cases, may last two or more days.

Migraine without aura:

Migraine without aura is the most common type and may occur on
one or both sides (bilateral) of the head. Fatigue, mood
changes, mental fuzziness and fluid retention may be experienced
the day before the headache. With this type of migraine headache
usually come abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and
sensitivity to light (photophobia).

Both types of migraines can strike as often as several times a
week or rarely as once every few years. People who have
migraines on rare occasions may confuse them with symptoms of
the flu. If you have regular weekly or monthly migraines, you
definitely know you have a migraine.

What Causes Migraines?

The cause of migraine is still widely unknown. Some doctors
think migraines may be caused by a chemical or electrical
problem in certain parts of the brain. A key element of a
migraine headache is blood flow change in the brain. According
to this theory, the nervous system responds to a trigger such as
stress, (see more on triggers below), by creating spasms in the
nerve-rich arteries at the base of the brain. The spasms
constrict several arteries supplying blood to the brain,
including arteries from the scalp and neck.

As these arteries constrict, the flow of blood to the brain is
reduced. At the same time, platelets clump together and release
a chemical called serotonin. Serotonin acts as a powerful
constrictor of arteries further reducing blood and oxygen supply
to the brain. In reaction to the reduced oxygen supply, certain
arteries within the brain dilate to meet the brain’s energy
needs. This dilation spreads, finally affecting neck and scalp
arteries. Some doctors believe this dilation causes the pain of
migraine.

Another theory is, the headache may result from a series of
reactions in the central nervous system caused by changes in the
body or in the environment. There is often a family history of
the disorder, suggesting that migraine sufferers may inherit
sensitivity to triggers that produce inflammation in the blood
vessels and nerves around the brain, causing pain.

Triggers:

A trigger is any stimulus that initiates a process or reaction.
Some things are known to trigger a migraine or make it worse. If
you are a migraine sufferer, you probably already know what
stimulus triggers your migraines.

Common migraine triggers are:

Alcohol

Environmental factors such as weather, altitude, time zone
changes

Caffeine (coffee, chocolate, some teas)

Monosodium glutamate (MSG - found in Chinese food)

Nitrates (found in processed foods, hot dogs, bacon, etc.)

Glare or flashing lights

Hormonal changes in women (monthly periods, birth control pills,
estrogen therapy)
Hunger and fasting
Problems with sleep
- too much, too little or interrupted
Medications
(over-the-counter and prescription)
Smells, fumes and odors
(perfume, smoke, pet odors, cleaning solvents)
Stress, time
pressure, hassles, major losses, anger, arguments and
conflict
Excessive or constant noise

It is almost impossible to avoid many of these triggers. Life
has a way of happening and many of these triggers are just a
part of life. It is possible to avoid the things we put in our
body but many of the triggers are going to occur no matter how
hard you try to avoid them. Trying to avoid them could be a
trigger itself. So what are you going to do?

If you are looking for a natural way to end your migraines, I
have found a product that will help with your migraines,
Nexoprin. http://www.allnaturalcures.net/Nexoprin.htm Visit All
Natural Cures and get your health back. All safe, natural cures
and home remedies.

[Re-print of this article is permitted if the following
conditions are met: Please include About this author information
with a clickable link to http://www.allnaturalcures.net All
Natural Cures diligently pursues copyright infringement.]

There are many people who are unhappy with their appearance in the world today. Some peoples’ teeth may have been unattractive for their entire lives, whereas others’ teeth may have aged and slowly become unattractive. For these reasons, many people decide to look into cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry could be considered a dental facelift, changing someone’s appearance so that they look better and feel better about themselves. There are many techniques in cosmetic dentistry, from braces to porcelain veneers. More often than not, dentists use a combination of these techniques in order to achieve the best results.

The first method widely used in cosmetic dentistry is Porcelain Laminate Veneers (also known as veneers). These veneers are specially made porcelain wafers that can be places over teeth in order to enhance their appearance. Veneers can correct unappealing smiles, reverse the effects of aging, and whiten teeth. Many popular movie stars use veneers today in order to have that perfect smile. There are temporary and permanent veneers. People usually ware the temporary veneers while the permanent ones are being made. In terms of cost, veneers usually cost several thousand dollars, depending on the amount of teeth needing modification.

Teeth whitening is another very popular way to change the appearance of teeth. There are two types of whitening, in-office or at-home whitening. In-office whitening uses a high intensity light along with 35% hydrogen peroxide. The patient’s gums are protected, and the whitening process takes about an hour. The results are usually teeth that are four to six shades lighter than before. The at-home systems generally use between 10 and 20% carbamine peroxide. Impressions of the person’s mouth are made in order to make trays. The trays are then fitted and the patient is told to place a little bit of the carbamine peroxide gel in the tray and ware it while sleeping. The time of wearing this varies greatly from one week to six. Some people use a combination of in-office and at-home systems. This usually has a result of 12 to 15 shades of whitening.

There are three popular procedures to fix only a few unappealing teeth. The procedures for fixing select teeth are: tooth shaping, bonded-bridge, and resin or tooth colored fillings. Tooth shaping is when a doctor removes a very small amount of enamel from a tooth in order to shape it and make it more appealing. This is usually used for shortening long teeth, rounding off pointed teeth, or to simply make a smile follow the contour of the lower lip (which is more appealing). This procedure costs only $25 to $75 per tooth. The bonded-bridge procedure is used to replace missing teeth. The procedure usually involves taking out a small amount from teeth on either side of the missing tooth and then taking an impression or mold. From this, a bonded-bridge that can attach to the backs of the teeth on either side is made. There are resin-bonded bridges that do not fall out as easily, and there are metal bonded-bridges that are more expensive. Finally, people can get resin or tooth colored fillings. Resin is used to fill small cavities or a chipped front tooth. Resin instead of porcelain veneers saves money as well as time, but resin needs to be replaced every so often.

The final two things people can do in cosmetic dentistry are gum-lifts and braces. Gum-lifts remove gums in order to make teeth appear longer and eliminate a “gummy” smile. Uneven gum lines can make the teeth seem as though they are of different lengths that makes for an unattractive smile. The procedure is relatively quick and painless. Braces are the last, and most common, way to get cosmetic dentistry. Braces are placed on the teeth and can straighten crooked teeth, help fix over-bites, and generally create a more appealing smile. Braces are very time consuming, and costly, but are a great option for children. Some adults do get braces, but most opt for faster, cheaper methods. Braces run from $3,500 to $4,500, and require multiple visits to the orthodontist.

Cosmetic dentistry has been described as not a science but rather an art. Cosmetic dentists use many different procedures in order to improve their patients’ smiles and overall confidence. Some cosmetic dentistry procedures can be very costly, but yield great results. So, if someone has been unhappy with their smile for years, and does not know what to do, cosmetic dentistry may be the perfect option.

Mary Logden recommends you visit Dr. Andrea Ubhi’s website to get more information on cosmetic dentistry. See www.andreaubhi.com/ for more information.

The New Year is bringing about even more interest in natural
herbal remedies as 2006 will be a profitable year for businesses
in the herbal industry and the numbers of those seeking
information about natural herbal remedies is on the rise … for
good reason!

Millions of people over the course of time have handed down
natural herbal remedies, some of the most common natural herbal
remedies known to many Americans are soaking tired muscles in
Epsom salt, lately cinnamon is extremely popular in the diabetic
community and we’ve all used Aloe Vera plants to soothe the
intensity of burns.

There’s plenty more where that came from!

The new interest in natural herbal remedies is leading many to
find good solutions with some not so common herbs, just check
out some of these:

Do you have high cholesterol or an unbalanced thyroid?

Try Bdellium Gum! This powerful little natural herbal remedy is
packing some strength to lower cholesterol levels, body weight
and is even known to balance the thyroid gland.

Bissy Nut enhances metabolism and is also said to relieve
inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Most of us associate ‘Hops’ with the manufacturing process of
beer and drinking beer, well a lot of beer usually involves
several trips to the potty … hops is known to provoke
urination as well as provide some relief with pain and even
insomnia! Research shows that hops are rich with nutrients that
are good for the nervous system.

Wood Betony provides relief for migraines.

Studies are finding out more and more about the real potential
of herbs in comparison with the medicines of today, the lab is
proving what many regarded as foolish folklore in the past.

Herbalist have insisted that there’s always a natural herbal
remedy for whatever ails the body and modern medicine is proving
it due to the push the herbal industry has seen with sales to
back it up. So the next time you have a headache, a rash or you
feel constipated … get some information about the natural
herbal remedies available because you never know, chances are
… a natural herbal remedy could be the solution you seek!

Copyright 2006 Sylvia Riley

Wouldn’t we all like to age gracefully (if at all for that
matter!) and ward off the wrinkly signs and ill symptoms for as
long as possible. Keys to longevity may be more accessible than
we think, and it appears our diets play a critical role.
Antioxidants are the knights in shining armor that subjugate the
attack of free radicals in the body, the hazardous molecules
that damage cells and procure aging and disease. Though
antioxidants are produced naturally in the body, these decline
with age, hence an increasing need to acquire them from the
foods in our diet.

Before examining antioxidants more closely, it is important to
take a look at the free radicals they serve to neutralize.

Free Radicals

Free radicals are created as by-products in our use of oxygen
during metabolism such as the burning of food for energy. They
are essentially oxidant molecules that are missing an electron
and seek to restore themselves by targeting nearby cells in an
attempt to recover this electron, potentially harming enzymes,
DNA, proteins and cell membranes in the process. This damage can
mutate cells and alter cell function, increasing the risk of
numerous diseases and chronic conditions including arthritis,
diabetes, cataracts, cancer, heart disease and stroke. Free
radical damage is implicated in the onset of aging and its
degenerative symptoms and diseases.

As well as generated within the body, free radicals come from
environmental sources such as pollution, radiation, unhealthy
foods, bacteria, viruses, cigarette smoke and UV light.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants serve to mitigate the harmful effect of free
radicals by giving up an electron and stabilizing them in the
process. Although we produce many of our own antioxidants within
the body, food provides an essential source for these key
players of our defense system. Vitamins, minerals and
phytonutrients all have antioxidant properties. The most common
examples include vitamins A, C and E, selenium and zinc,
carotenoids, flavonoids, co-enzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid and
glutathione.

As there are many different types of free radicals in the body a
variety of antioxidants are required to protect against them.
Antioxidants function best as a team, with each other and other
nutrients and phytochemicals, which is why incorporating a wide
range of plant foods into your diet is recommended.
Phytochemical groups such as flavonoids and carotenoids
correspond to the colour, taste and smell attributes of plants,
hence eating a rainbow array of vegetables and fruits can offer
a diverse selection of these potent antioxidants.

Antioxidant Rich Foods

Foods especially high in antioxidants include berries, plums,
pomegranates, oranges, spinach, green tea, avocado, kale,
broccoli, peas, onions, grapes and pure chocolate.

Scientists at the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)
have developed a rating scale that measures the total
antioxidant capacity of a given food. This is known as the ORAC
score (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity).

Of 40 common fruits and vegetables measured by the USDA, top
ranking scores were those of prunes(5770), raisins (2830),
blueberries (2400 - highest of all fresh foods with other
berries close behind), kale (1770), spinach (1260), Brussels
sprouts (980), plums (949), alfalfa sprouts (930), broccoli
florets (890), beetroots (840), oranges (750 ), red peppers (710
) and red grapes (739).

Pure cocoa surpasses all these foods with a whopping score of
26,00 units, more than 10 times the prestigious blueberry
(though one is likely to eat far less in quantity). The
extraordinary goji berry from Tibet also has outstanding
antioxidant capacity with a score of 18,500 units; hardly
surprising as they contain 500 times more vitamin C than oranges
and even more beta-carotene than carrots!

According to studies on animals and human blood at the Human
Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts in Boston, high-ORAC
foods may slow aging processes in the body and brain. Results
found that high ORAC foods such as blueberries and spinach could
increase the antioxidant power of human blood by 10-25%, prevent
loss of long-term memory and learning ability in middle-aged
rats, and protect rat blood vessels against oxygen damage.

Antioxidants and Aging

As we age, free radical levels rise and yet the body falls short
in producing necessary amounts of antioxidants to meet this
challenge. For example, cells generate more of the oxidants
hydrogen peroxide and superoxide, yet levels of the necessary
antioxidant glutathione required to neutralise these decline.
The Free Radical Theory of Aging, first proposed by Harman in
1954, is supported by cross-species examination of animals with
regard to life span, free radical damage and antioxidant
defence. For example, the white-footed mouse lives about twice
as long as the house mouse (8 versus 4 years), and is found to
generate less oxidants and have higher levels of antioxidants.
As Beckman and Ames write in The Free Radical Theory of Ageing
Matures (1998), ‘Together, interspecies comparisons of oxidative
damage, antioxidant defences, and oxidant generation provide
some of the most compelling evidence that oxidants are one of
the most significant determinants of life span.’

Very recent evidence comes from a study on dogs at the
University of Toronto by Dr. Dwight Tapp and colleagues who
found that ‘old dogs that were on an antioxidant diet performed
better on a variety of cognitive tests than dogs that were not
on the diet. In fact, the dogs eating antioxidant-fortified
foods performed as well as young animals’.

Additional research by Dr. Rabinovitch and his team, studying
aging at the University of Washington, Seattle, found that mice
engineered to produce high levels of an antioxidant enzyme
(catalase) lived 20 per cent longer and had less heart and other
age-related diseases than controls.

In light of the role free radicals play in the onset of aging
and disease, it is important to ensure our diets include a rich
and diverse supply of antioxidants. These protective agents can
be found abundantly in vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and
are particularly high in superfoods.

The demand for remedy of halitosis is increasing manifold as the
awareness of halitosis among masses is growing day by day. The
options for treating halitosis are also growing surprisingly
with the increase in its awareness. Market is flooded with a
number of products with various claims of eliminating the bad
breath problem.

Bad breath can be quite embarrassing at any given point of time.
Bad breath is caused by the presence of oral bacteria. However,
there are other causes of bad breath too, like onions, garlic,
smoking, dryness of the mouth, and gum disease. More people
suffer from xerostomia, which is, basically, dryness in the
mouth. It occurs during sleep or if you have been speaking for a
longer time. The saliva is a special kind of mouth moisture that
kills oral bacteria.

You can use commercially available breath fresheners or mouth
washes for temporary relief from bad breath. However, most of
them are temporary and act by masking the smell producing layers
of tongue, once the effect wears off, the bad breath will
resurface with renewed vigor.

Using anti-bacterial mouth rinses may provide you better results
in controlling bad breath. Always avoid alcohol containing mouth
rinses as alcohol is a drying agent and will worsen the problem
sooner or later.

Evidence suggests the most effective products are generally
unavailable in drugstores and usually found on the internet
pharmacies.

Top of the brand home breath tests and antibacterial rinses,
toothpastes, gums, mints, and tongue gels are always costlier
like any premium product; but unlike the well-known inexpensive
brand names, they can really control your problem to a marked
degree.

However, you need to be extra cautious in finding remedies on
internet as there are chances of you getting ripped off for a
higher price or you may not simply find the right medication. In
such cases, you will have to do trial and error exercises to
find the best pharmacy. Never forget to brush your teeth after
meals and a regular flossing at least once in a day will remove
putrefying food debris from between the teeth, especially at the
gum line and posterior of the tongue.

Gently cleaning the tongue surface twice daily with a tongue
brush, tongue scraper or tongue cleaner will help you keep your
tongue and teeth in good shape and health.

It is always prudent to go for the permanent solution of the
problem rather selecting a short-term measure. It is already
discussed that some temporary solution offering products may
aggravate the problem instead curing them. Thus always say a no
to the temporary solution and go for a remedy, which eliminates
the problem from its root forever.

Visit our site for more tips on fighting halitosis
from under
standing halitosis causes to finding bad
breath remedy

New studies suggested once again that citric fruits including oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits help fight cancer, high cholesterol, and obesity.

Studies both at Texas A&M University and Kanazawa Medical University in Japan showed that compounds in citric fruits can help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Researchers at Texas A&M University found that freeze-dried grapefruit, similar to the whole grapefruit, can reduce the incidence of early colon cancer lesions in animals. The Japanese researchers found anti-colon cancer properties in nobiletin - a compound found in tangerines.

Grapefruit can also reduce the risk of cancer caused by smoking. A study on the cancer prevention was done by the researchers at the University of Hawaii. The researchers found that drinking 6 ounces of grapefruit juice a day reduces the activity of a liver enzyme that is thought to activate toxic chemicals in the smoke.

On another front, scientists from the USDA and a Canadian company isolated a compound - polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) - from orange and tangerine peels that can actually lower cholesterol in animals. They found that use of food containing 1% PMFs can lower cholesterol by 32 to 40%.

Grapefruits also promote weight loss. Researchers at Scripps Clinic in San Diego found that grapefruit may trigger weight loss by lowering insulin levels, an excess of which is linked to weight gain. Effect of grapefruits on weight loss was confirmed in humans. An early study by the same researchers confirmed that eating grapefruit or drinking juice with meal can help the obese lose weight.

Even the interaction of grapefruit juice with drugs, a bad trait for grapefruit, has been explored. Researchers at Texas A&M Citrus Center studied the interaction between grapefruit compounds and drugs in hopes that this interaction can be taken advantage of to increase bioavailability of drugs in humans.

These studies were presented in the American Chemical Society Annual Meeting being held in Pennsylvania during Aug. 22 through 26.

John Roberts is a freelance writer for http://www.foodconsumer.com. This article was originally published at http://foodconsumer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1241

kontact@foodconsumer.com

There are a variety of factors that cause an individual to begin snoring. No matter what the reason, sufferers around the world simply want to know about the best snoring remedies. Restless nights, frequent headaches, an angry spouse and the inability to concentrate are just a few of the results of snoring.

Stop suffering tonight and start sleeping better. Before electing to drastic surgical methods, try and resolve your snoring problems naturally.

One such method of treating snoring is achieved through the use of a new doctor recommended product, which is named the Sleep Genie. Fittingly titled, this revolutionary anti-snoring device comfortably supports the jaw while keeping the mouth closed during sleep.

One of the main causes of snoring is believed to be sleeping with your mouth open, which is rectified with the Sleep Genie. Often working in it’s very first use, the Sleep Genie requires no medication or invasive surgery.

If you tend to sleep on your back, stop now. Begin sleeping on your side and, if necessary, use a body pillow against your back to prevent you from turning back over through the night. Many back sleepers suffer from snoring because their airway becomes restricted when the uvula or fatty tissue in the throat relaxes and restricts the airway.

By sleeping on your side, this will not be as problematic and the vibrating sounds of snoring will not be created by anything rubbing inside the throat as you sleep. In addition to side sleeping, there are specialty pillows that claim to help curb snoring.

You may also try using several pillows and elevating your head slightly higher as this will help to keep the air passages more clear during sleep.

If neither of these methods appear to work, consider a lifestyle change. If you smoke cigarettes or live with your pet, it may be time to think about allergies. These and many other factors can lead to allergies, including dust.

There is no way to remove every dust particle in the home, but air purification systems will work wonders in helping to eliminate as much dust as possible. Allergy and sinus sufferers tend to experience more snoring problems due to nasal and throat airway restriction.

As the tonsils swell or your nose becomes congested, breathing becomes more difficult. Allergy sufferers, or during cold and flu season, individuals may find relief by inhaling steam before going to sleep. The warmth of the steam from hot running water will lessen congestion and allow the individual to breath easier.

This article is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be used as, or in place of, professional medical advice. Before beginning any treatment for snoring, please consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis and remedy.

A new anti-snoring scientific breakthrough is rapidly changing the lives of ex-snorers… because the first night you use it, it stops snoring! Visit SleepGenie.com for more information!

What is the significance of HIV/AIDS? •HIV has infected more
than 60 million people worldwide. Each day, approximately 14,000
new infections occur, more than half of them among young people
below age 25. •At the end of 2002 of over 42 million people
living with HIV/AIDS, of whom 30 percent were co-infected with
tuberculosis. •Over 95 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS
are in low and middle-income countries. •More than 20 million
have died from AIDS, 3 million in 2002 alone. •AIDS is now the
leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa and the
fourth-biggest killer globally. •The epidemic has cut life
expectancy by more than 10 years in several nations. •HIV/AIDS
is not just a public health problem. Once generalized, the
epidemic has far reaching consequences to all social sectors and
to development itself. It can decimate the workforce, create
large numbers of orphans, exacerbate poverty and inequality, and
put tremendous pressure on health and social services. Annual
basic care and treatment for a person with AIDS, even without
antiretroviral drugs, can cost as much as 2-3 times per capita
gross domestic product in the poorest countries. HIV/AIDS
already causes a measurable fall in annual per capita growth in
the hardest-hit countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and threatens to
reverse their development achievements of the last 50 years.

How much will it cost? Economic analyses show that prevention of
mother-to-child-transmission is cost effective, with costs well
below US$100 per healthy life year gained. But cost-benefit and
cost-effectiveness are highly context-specific and will be
influenced by HIV prevalence and distribution, and the rate of
uptake of mother-to-child-transmission interventions. Prices of
anti-retroviral drugs used to prevent
mother-to-child-transmission range from US$ 0-4 for nevirapine
and up to US$ 300 for a short course of zidovudine. Costs for
replacement feeding range from US$ 50 to US$ 300 for a period of
six months depending on the country. Typically, about 90% of
total mother-to-child-transmission program cost is in setting up
services, including training, and strengthening health
infrastructure.

How does HIV/AIDS spread? The major modes of transmission of
AIDS are: •Sexual intercourse. •Unsafe injecting practices.
•Mother-to-child (in utero, during birth or through
breastfeeding). •Transfusion of contaminated blood or blood
products. •Heterosexual transmission accounts for more than 70%
of all HIV infections worldwide. •Certain groups are more likely
to contract and spread HIV, such as commercial sex workers; men
who have sex with men and highly mobile workers. HIV/AIDS is
initially concentrated in these groups who engage in high-risk
behavior, and then spills over into the wider population. Can
HIV/AIDS be brought under control in developing countries?

Developing countries populations are particularly susceptible to
HIV/AIDS because of inadequate funding, unfavourable policy
environments and lack of popular support. Despite the high
potential of HIV/AIDS in developing countries such as Thailand,
Uganda and Brazil, there are some success stories in the fight
against HIV/AIDS on national scale among developing countries.
For example, Thailand has reduced annual new HIV infections from
140,000 a decade ago to 30,000 in 2001.

This is strong evidence that the epidemic can be subdued in
developing countries. The potential exists to prevent extensive
new infections despite the severity of the global pandemic,
therefore, the international community has set the target of
reducing HIV prevalence among 15-24 year-olds by 25% in the most
affected countries by 2005 and globally by 2010.

Choosing interventions Choosing the right mix of interventions
for implementation is very important in a setting with limited
resources and implementation capacity. An appropriate balance
among prevention, treatment, care and mitigation should be based
on: •Specific epidemiology of HIV/AIDS, including who are at
risk and stage of the epidemic. •Cost-effectiveness of
interventions. •Level of public resources available.
•Implementation capacity. •Extent to which intervention is a
“public good”.

What are the effective interventions to prevent HIV/AIDS? No
cure or effective vaccine has yet been developed, but the tools
to prevent HIV infection already exist. AIDS is a fatal disease,
but modern interventions can prolong and improve the lives of
patients afflicted with HIV/AIDS. A core set of interventions
can be effective in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS. These
include: 1. Promoting behavior change at both individual and
community/social level through communication programs, peer
education, and voluntary counselling and testing. •Tailor
behaviour change messages to specific audiences such as groups
at high risk, men, women and young people. •Address stigma
associated with HIV/AIDS by involving highly motivated people
with HIV/AIDS as members of vulnerable groups in public
information dissemination and efforts. •Promote HIV/AIDS/STI
programs, services and products. 2. Increasing condom use,
availability and quality through condom promotion and
distribution. •Ensure a guaranteed supply of quality male and
female condoms and a condom dissemination system. •Educate
people how to avoid Sexually Transmitted Infections or STI,
recognize common STI symptoms and seek and distribute condoms
through different approaches (targeted, community-based,
outlet-based). •Popularize and increase acceptability of condoms
through condom promotion and social marketing campaigns.
•Control the quality of condoms through regular sampling and
testing. 3. Establish comprehensive sexually transmitted
infections management programmes. •Diagnosing and treating
sexually transmitted infections. •Develop a national protocol
for sexually transmitted infections case management. •Include
sexually transmitted infections drugs in the essential drug
list. •Make syndromic management of sexually transmitted
infections available at first point of contact in the health
care system. •Link sexually transmitted infections services to
counseling and other HIV/AIDS services. 4. Establish voluntary
counseling and testing service. •Establish and/or strengthen a
highly accessible voluntary counseling and testing system which
offers anonymous testing, pre-testing and post-test counseling
to anyone who needs it. •Publicize the existence of voluntary
counseling and testing service. •Ensure the affordability of
voluntary counseling and testing service, especially for
high-risk and vulnerable groups. •Link voluntary counseling and
testing to other HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infectious
services. 5. Ensuring a safe blood supply. •Exclude paid donors
and high-risk donors. Utilize voluntary donors from low-risk
populations for blood supply. •Screen all blood for HIV/AIDS
antibody and other blood-borne infectious agents. •Avoid
unnecessary blood transfusions. 6. Preventing mother-to-child
transmission. •Develop and implement short courses of
antiretroviral drugs and providing infant feeding options.
•Provide voluntary counseling and testing services to antenatal
attendees. •Provide HIV-positive pregnant women with short
courses of zidovudine or nevirapine where possible. •Improve
family planning services and incorporate HIV prevention
activities. 7. Supporting harm reduction among injecting drug
users, which includes providing clean injecting equipment,
counseling, and drug abuse treatment. •Improve access to sterile
injecting equipment and condoms •Promote safe injecting
practices as well as safe sex behaviour. •Offer counseling and
drug abuse treatment. 8. Provide treatment of opportunistic
infections and palliative care. •Develop a HIV/AIDS treatment
and care strategy including Highly Active Anti-retroviral
Therapy or HAART. HAART reduces and prevents many opportunistic
infections associated with HIV/AIDS and may serve to prolong
life. Because of high cost, treatment complexity and the lack of
infrastructure to administer and monitor the therapy, HAART is
currently not widely available outside high-income developed
countries. HAART distribution and scope of treatment can be
increased by adopting the following: •Reducing the cost of drugs
for HAART to make them more affordable and feasible for low- and
middle-income countries. Some evidence of this has already been
implemented and US$ 500 - 1,000 per patient per year in some
developing countries. Although this is a fraction of what it
costs in developed countries, many low-income countries are
still unable to afford this price. •Develop and implement
clinical guidelines for management of common opportunistic
infections including Tuberculosis. •Ensure an adequate supply of
drugs for opportunistic infections, treatment and palliative
care. •Strengthen the capacity of the health system to provide
treatment and care to HIV-positive patients (e.g., ensure
adequacy of diagnostic and treatment facilities for common
opportunistic infections, train medical personnel in treatment
and care for HIV-related conditions). 9. Provide community-based
and home-based care to complement traditional hospital care.
•Provide funding and training for communities to provide care
for and support people living with HIV/AIDS. 10. Strengthen the
safety net for poor households affected by AIDS, including AIDS
orphans. •Provide assistance to poor households affected by AIDS
and to AIDS orphans. 11. Provide counseling and prevention
services for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. 12.
Adopt targeted prevention to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS
among groups at high risk. This targeted prevention approach
involves the use of well-trained peers who disseminate
information concerning safer sex and conducts referrals to other
HIV/AIDS services. This approach has proven to be successful in
many different settings. It is therefore recommended that
interventions and resources should be directed more strongly to
groups at high risk. Targeted prevention is more effective when
combined with programmes to change social norms and reduce
stigma. 13. Prompt action. Every country is susceptible to the
risk of HIV/AIDS. Leaders and Governments should act promptly
and intervene as soon as possible because the more widely
HIV/AIDS spreads, the more difficult and costly prevention, care
and treatment become. 14. Increase government commitment,
attention, and funding. This is key to success in every country
that has made headway against the epidemic. Leaders need to
overcome taboos and stigma, speak openly about the disease, and
place a multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS program high in their
development agendas. To ensure adequate funding for HIV/AIDS, it
is necessary for governments to re-examine spending priorities,
reallocate accordingly and mobilize donor support. 15. Create
and enabling policy environment. An enabling environment with
regard to local, social, and gender policies is essential for
the success of a national HIV/AIDS program, as it facilitates
the participation of key stakeholders and helps reduce
risk-taking behaviors, stigma and discrimination. 16. Prevent
infection among those most likely to contract and spread HIV.
Effective, low-cost prevention interventions for such groups at
high risk already exist. However, such groups are often the most
marginalized and stigmatized and thus unable to compete for
attention and resources themselves. To identify groups at high
risk, their social networks and then target them with sustained,
effective prevention interventions should be the priority of a
national HIV/AIDS program. 17. Prioritize interventions by their
proven effectiveness. Prioritizing interventions based on their
effectiveness can maximize the number of new HIV infections
averted in the presence of resource and capacity constraints.
Budget allocation among different components of a national
HIV/AIDS program should reflect a strategic choice of effective
interventions. 18. Use a multi-sectoral approach with active
involvement of all relevant sectors, civil society and private
entities. This would generate greater commitment, mobilize
additional resources and improve the sustainability of
interventions and their chance for success. Different sectors
such as education, transport, defense, tourism, etc., can play a
role in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Local communities are often
capable of understanding local cultural and social contexts,
mobilizing people, and reaching out to marginalized high-risk
groups. 19. Integrate HIV/AIDS in poverty reduction strategies.
It is still not clear whether poverty increases the likelihood
of HIV infection. However, there is strong evidence that
HIV/AIDS causes and worsens poverty. The integration of HIV/AIDS
into national antipoverty programmes would help ensure the
priority of HIV/AIDS control in the development agenda and
facilitate actions to mitigate the impact of AIDS on the poor.
20. Develop a good monitoring and evaluation and surveillance
system. A realistic monitoring and evaluation plan with
clearly-defined input, output, outcome and impact indicators
helps track the performance of the national AIDS response and
evaluate its impact on the epidemic. A Second Generation
Surveillance System recommended by World Health Organization and
United Nation AIDS Program, monitors trends in the epidemic and
in contributing risk behaviors.

“Prevention is better than cure” and should be stressed in all
AIDS programs. Prevention averts suffering and death and
reduces, prevents and eliminates burden to health care systems.
The cost of averting an HIV infection through cost-effective
interventions can be a fraction of the cost of treatment and
care for an AIDS patient.

References Adeyi O et al. AIDS, Poverty Reduction and Debt
Relief: A Toolkit for Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS Programmes into
Development Instruments, UNAIDS and World Bank, Geneva, 2000.
http://www.worldbank.org/aids-econ/confront/ovrview.htm#Summary.
http://www.unaids.org/bestpractice/collection/subject/specific/in
dex.html. http://www.nap.edu/books/0309071372/html. National
AIDS Programmes: A Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation. UNAIDS.
Geneva, 2000. UNAIDS, 2002, AIDS Epidemic Update. UNAIDS, 2002,
Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic. World Bank, 1997,
Confronting AIDS: Public Priorities in a Global Epidemic World
Bank, 1999, Intensifying Action Against HIV/AIDS in Africa:
Responding to a Development Crisis. World Bank, 2000, Costs of
Scaling HIV Program Activities to a National Level in
Sub-Saharan Africa: Methods and Estimate.